© 2002 by
Federation Space and the authors Tam Otlan, Matt Thrawn, Ray Gage, Dan Wueste,
Yssy Lanael
[Red Alert! All Starbase One Personnel to their battle stations. Repeat, all Starbase One Personnel to your battle stations.]
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Matt had just stopped talking when he felt a shudder pass through the deck plates. It was obvious others had felt it too as the Tavern noise volume started to drop rapidly.
What the hell was that?
His question was answered almost immediately by the tannoy:
[Red Alert! All StarBase One Personnel to their battle stations. Repeat, all StarBase One Personnel to your battle stations.]
Strike two for our intelligence colleagues. How the hell did they let them through a second time?
He thumped his commbadge:
“Thrawn to Dauntless. Sound Red Alert and recall all personnel. I want that ship ready for departure and for battle by the time we are aboard.”
Assuming we get orders that quickly of course.
He looked up at 1Lt Banks. “It appears that the enemy heard you Lieutenant”.
As he started to walk through the Tavern towards the exit in as calm a state as he could muster, he saw people looking around wondering what to do. Some of his own crew saw him and rose from their chairs and started to follow him.
“Okay – All Dauntless crew – make your way back to the ship in a calm manner. Let the StarBase personnel do their job, and let us prepare to do ours.
He restarted his walk out, just as the commbadges on his crew started to sound the recall.
Wherever Dauntless personnel were situated, their commbadges chirped and announced the following message:
[This is the Dauntless Duty Officer. This is a Red Alert. All Dauntless Crew return to the ship and prepare for immediate action. This is not a drill.]
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The comm badges of any member of the Republics crew activated.
[Attention all officers and crew of the USS Republic, this is Commodore Gage, rally at the Spacedock Three assembly area and prepare to board the ship. Hold there until further orders are received. Gage out.]
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[Attention all crew of the Titan, report immediately to the ship for launch. Captain Otlan out.]
[Officers and Crew, USS Gettysburg, Shore Leave is Cancelled, Return to the Ship and Report to your Battle Stations. This is no drill, I repeat, this is no drill.]
[Attention all Philadelphia Officers and crew. This is Captain Lanael, shore leave is cancelled, report back to the ship on the double. Lanael out.]
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With an audible beep the communication channels of all Romulan and Federation ships opened.
[We are the Borg, Lower your shields and surrender. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.]
The Borg drones appeared in the Thirsty Fish, spread throughout the crowd. They began leaping towards people, slapping small darts on them and firing more darts at those who were out of reach.
Dozens of people were assimilated, while dozens more were beamed away to safety. These Borg moved with purpose. They did not stumble around, uneasy in their movements. They were more like Klingons, they were fast and precise with their strikes.
They had improved their techniques over the decades and their numbers were increasing by the minute.
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Many of the Thirsty Fish's patrons had been able to escape the Borg attack and headed for their ships and stations, dozens though had been hit by the Borg and transferred back to the Borg ships.
As the drones worked, they suddenly stopped their movements and were beamed away. Only seconds later, the Thirsty Fish, a galactic landmark in the Sol System was torn apart by explosions as the Starbase was destroyed.