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Epilogue: Scouting Mission [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]

Epilogue: Scouting Mission [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]


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[ Lieutenant Masuda Yukimura | Docking Lounge on the Stallion > USS Allegiant NX-80978 ] Attn: @Gadget @Griff @Fife @Masorin @Numen @Multificionado @lisavw @Triton
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With a duffel bag over his shoulder, Masuda Yukimura walked down the port corridor next to the Allegiant's docking bay, soon emerging in the lounge aft of the scoutship. Looking through the reinforced viewport upon the advanced scout, Masuda could see some engineers working on some final diagnostics of the ship, newly repaired as it was after the battle at Starbase 84. He could but hope they had done a thorough job, but either way, the mission had been approved, and there was no time to wait any futher.

Qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐyú zú xià, he thought, the Chinese proverb meaning that a journey of a thousand miles began with a single step. And this first step was to speak with the gathered members of the away team.

They were there, in the lounge, waiting for him, so he wasted no time in heading over to them. Once they had fallen quiet and turned to look at him, he had put his duffel bag down on the deck and put his hands on his hips. On the Black Opal, serving under Jennifer Dewitt, Masuda had been in command of more people than this, but since he defected to the Theurgy, he had grown content with his less central role in Tactical. Now, however, the stakes were too high to remain in the background, his sense of duty having pushed him towards leading this mission. He had family back home, and if the Borg were bound for Federation space, he would do his utmost to address the situation. After all, it had been his obsession with the Borg that made him abandon a Science career, more or less ordered to return to Tactical, and sent of to the Black Opal to 'cool down'.

"For those who don't know me yet, I am Lieutenant Masuda Yukimura, and I have been chosen to lead this scouting mission, where we hope to find the coordinates where the Borg are at, or better yet, an answer as to how they have been deployed on the border of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. In order to know where we are going, we have a mission specialist aboard by the name Ensign Six, who was once a Borg herself, and believes that the whispers of the Collective might guide us."

Masuda paused, meeting the eye of those he spoke to next. "Lieutenant Martin, the tactical station is yours, and the priority is research of the Borg and their defence systems. Officers Dumral and t'Jellaieu, set up a rotating schedule between the two of you for the helm. Chief Petty Officer Ekon Okotie-Eboh, I need a full diagnostic made to ensure that the Allegiant won't fail us halfway there. Lieutenant Izar, you will be our eyes, the scoutship's sensor suite yours. Lieutenant T'Panu, the medical bay aboard the Allegiant is quite small, but well stocked with supplies. Officers Mariner and Six, would you be so kind and make an inventory of present weapons, which are to be kept in the armoury until otherwise ordered. Engineering? I need a report on the maximum velocities the Allegiant can muster this soon after her repairs."

He kind of alluded towards him expecting to run if facing a Borg cube, but he didn't mind. It was just a matter of survival. "We're to depart at 0800 hrs. - in ten minutes - so please, drop your things in the shared crew quarters and report readiness at your stations. Once everyone have reported in, we disembark, hopefully to make it back as heroes, able to alert the Federation as a whole about how the Borg made it inside Federation space. Dismissed."

Having given his orders, Masuda picked up his duffel bag and headed towards the aft airlock of the scoutship, which opened up when he told the computer he was the one in command during the mission, his authorisation recognised. He would head to the quarters of the CO and drop his things, and then head straight to the bridge of the small ship, unless someone intercepted him on the way there with questions or comments.

In his thoughts, bitter memories of the Borg remained, and he couldn't help but think that this... this might just be how he could make a difference, and bury the ghosts that still haunted him.

OOC: There! So, now we have an opening for the Allegiant mission. Here is the page featuring the Allegiant, with deck plans and specs: USS Allegiant. Here are those aboard the Allegiant: [Show/Hide]
This mission is depicted primarily in this thread, but one-on-one threads can of course be made, situated on the Allegiant during the mission. The naming convention for Supplmental threads set before or during this scouting mission that belonging to Chapter 03 is: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day XX | XXXX hrs. ] Insert Title. OOC discussions and ideas can be posted in the Plot Discussion thread. Here is also the floor plan of the Allegiant for convenient access: [Show/Hide]

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #1 –
[ CPO Ekon Okotie-Eboh | Docking Lounge on the Stallion > USS Allegiant NX-80978 ] @Auctor Lucan @Gadget @Griff @Masorin @Numen @Multificionado @lisavw @Triton

Chief Okotie-Eboh had been sitting quietly among the assembled group, and had seen Lieutenant Yukimura enter the docking lounge with his duffle slung over his shoulder. The Chief noticed the Lieutenant sparing a glance for the Allegiant through the viewport before he made his way over to where the crew was assembled. The NCO’s silence was not unusual, himself generally being the listening sort rather than a chatterbox, but his quiet mood was deeper than usual. The reality of what they were heading out in search of was all to clear to him. The crew of the Cayuga had seen what the Borg could do, but the Cayuga had survived, which was more than could be said for most of the ships at his last encounter with the Borg. He knew Lieutenant T’Panu had been at Wolf 359 as well, though they had never talked about it. Ekon wondered if the rest of the Cayuga’s crew knew how lucky they had been this time around.

The Cayuga had provided 60% of the crew for the Allegiant, most of which he knew at least in passing. Three of the four members from the Theurgy’s crew were the ones who had been present during their meeting with the “Jamestown”, though “Captain Williams” was back to his usual rank of Ensign. The demotion still left him outranking Chief Okotie-Eboh, though he found himself becoming accustomed to serving on bridge crews recently and didn’t dwell on the fact. The forth member of the crew that had come from the Theurgy was a former Borg drone, a fact that make Ekon more than a little uneasy. Even without taking into account what the Borg had done to his people, he had survived both Wolf 359 and the Borg attack on the Cayuga, and the former drone’s presence would keep him sleeping light for the duration of the mission, at the very least.

Chief Eboh rose from his chair as Lieutenant Yukimura approached and began to address them. Ekon stood at ease and listened as their acting Captain gave a brief overview of their mission and doled out assignments. He got the feeling that their CO wanted to stay mobile and avoid an outright confrontation with the Borg, a wise decision no matter how advanced their small scout ship was. An outright confrontation would guarantee this was a one-way trip, and while Ekon felt an obligation to try and ensure that the people of the Alpha Quadrant didn’t suffer the same fate his own people had, he was not a suicidal madman.

As Yukimura’s address came to an end, Ekon stooped down and picked up his own duffle. Slinging the bundle over his shoulder, he wordlessly set off with the rest of the crew as they followed Yukimura to the Allegiant’s aft airlock. When he had been told that he had been assigned to the mission he had immediately begun to study the Allegiant’s specs, and had little trouble navigating down to deck 2 and aft to the crew quarters. On his arrival at the shared quarters Ekon chose the starboard bunk that shared a wall with the warp core’s housing compartment, setting his duffle on the bunk before immediately heading back out into the corridor and hanging a left. He strode into the room that contained the warp core and got to work at a console, running diagnostics on the power systems, shields, transporters, and several other systems to make sure there would be no major problems prior to them getting underway. Everything seemed at least operational, if not optimal across the board. From his studies of the Allegiant Eboh knew that it had been repaired after the battle at Starbase 84, though it seemed the Theurgy’s Engineering and Operations crews had done some good work in getting her space worthy again. He only hoped the Cayuga had as much luck with repairs while some of her were out hunting the Borg.

Ekon felt somewhat guilty leaving to go on this mission. He knew that both the Engineering and Operations departments on the Cayuga had taken heavy losses in both the Borg ad Asurian attacks, himself being the senior Ops officer on the decimated ship, and he felt a pang of pity for the daunting task Lieutenant Jeen and the others would be facing in trying to get the Cayuga underway. The safety of the people of the Alpha Quadrant came first, however, and so here he was.

After several minutes of running diagnostics, Ekon left the room and headed back up the stairs to deck 1, stepping onto the Allegiant’s bridge and taking a seat at the Ops console to begin more diagnostics, checking the inertial dampeners, life support, and other vital systems were functioning. After a few more minutes of pouring over readouts, he reported that all systems were operational to Lieutenant Yukimura and awaited further orders, both anxious to get underway, and quietly dreading the task ahead of them.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #2 –
[Ensign Six | Forensics Lab/Six's Alcove | Deck 17 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan  @Masorin  @Triton  @Gadget  @Griff  @Fife  @Numen  @lisavw @FollowTomorrow @Brutus
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Six realized she made a mistake when she went to her alcove for regeneration. The excitement of the battle as well as the impending mission put all thought from her mind, including the thought to meditate before she regenerated. She put thought into following the call of the Collective to the point of origin. She let the voices in her head, knowing full well that with enough concentration, she can determine the bearing of the direction to the voices.

To do so immediately before regenerating was a big mistake.

For it led to her first nightmare since she utilized her meditations suggested by Lieutenant Ejek.

She awoke as normal, surprised as to how fast time passed in her regeneration. “Well, time flies in sleep,” she mused to herself, and exited her forensics lab…

…only to step into the gaping maw of a Borg ship. She could see it all, thousands of alcoves stretched before her as she stood above, on what one may regard as a bridge, if bridges came in extra-wide and would’ve fitted as a podium for ranting tyrants, if the Borg were known to rant.

“Not again,” said Six, and realized she forgot her meditations. She turned around at let out a gasp of horror.

Before her stood…herself.
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But it wasn’t her reflection, her copy. It was Six of Eight, fully integrated Borg drone, the very thing she feared to become.

She looked different from her nightmares, maybe because she began appearing more frightening. More cables jutted from whatever bare skin there was. Over the eye with her ocular implant, implants covered the quarter of her head over the eye, like that quarter burned away, replaced by implants. Her hands, they sent the chills down Six’s spine. Tubules extended from the drone’s fingers, making them look like spider’s legs.

When the drone spoke, the rest of the Collective followed in tandem, giving the impression she spoke in an evil voice.

“You seek us out,” she, and the Collective, spoke. “You hear the call of the Collective.”

Six could almost blush. She had been letting the voices in so much in the past few hours, it didn’t occur to her that the Collective assumed she wanted assimilation.

“And what if I am?” she said, plucking up courage.

The drone tilted her head to the side. If she was given emotion at all, she would be leering.

“Resistance is futile,” she said, the Collective speaking with her. “Your defiance is irrelevant. You seek us out. You answer the call. If not to join the Collective, then elaborate your motives.”

In other words, "If you’re not seeking out the Collective to be assimilated, then why are you hearing the call?"

“I know you’re here in the Azure Nebula,” Six retorted. “You’ve already attacked a Federation starship. What I need to know is where you are in the Nebula and why. In fact, why don’t you save us the trouble and tell me?”

The drone only tilted her head further. Six suddenly imagined an expression that said, “What the heck is this girl talking about?”

But it was all summed up in a simple answer, one that Six wasn’t surprised to hear.

“Irrelevant.”

“What a surprise,” Six muttered sarcastically. “What is it you want in the Azure Nebula to bring you to the Alpha Quadrant? I assume you want sirilium as a power source, for ships, or a transwarp aperture?”

“Your queries are irrelevant,” came the answer. “We seek to add biological distinctiveness to our own, and the assimilation will bring us to perfection.”

Once again, Six felt a chill run down her spine. She remembered the circumstances that brought Seven of Nine aboard the Starship Voyager. The Borg had intended to assimilate an unknown species that lived in fluidic space, and the fact that they were interested in a specific species, labeled Species 8472, led them to hope for perfection, but the creatures fought back. It began to occur to Six that the Borg was doing so again, and this species was in the Alpha Quadrant.

“Who are you seeking?” Six demanded. “What species?”

“Irrelevant,” came the answer, and this time, Six knew the collective was being evasive, which surprised her, given she never encountered such behavior before.

“Why don’t you come find us and figure it out for yourself?” came a different voice. Six turned to the direction of the voice, a lone voice, that of an individual. What she saw let fear instill her even further. A new person, not a drone, appeared behind the Six drone and walked to face Six, the drone standing behind her like a trusted henchwoman. Six knew who it was.

The Borg Queen.

But this queen was different. If Six didn’t know better, she would’ve taken her as a drone that’s bred for war.

The queen raised her hand, and Six flinched as a swarm of tubules, like if worms came in swarms, emitted from her body and wrapped Six up in a cocoon, injecting her all over her body. She opened her mouth to scream, and the tubules were only shoved down her throat. The Six drone walked up to her and injected the tubule fingers into her bare head…

And Six awoke in her regeneration alcove, screaming with horror. She dived from the alcove and knelt on the ground, gasping so heavily, she might have just swum from Israel to Gibraltar without the benefit of surfacing.

[Warning: Regeneration cycle incomplete.]

This was the first sign that Six knew she was back in reality, the computer announcing her regeneration cycle was incomplete, but even so, she pinched herself anyway. She realized she was wet with sweat, like she had just walked out of a jungle. But she knew it wasn’t from heat. It was from fear.

Gathering her thoughts, she remembered when she was due to the captain’s yacht and it was still too early to report, but she didn’t dare go back into the alcove. She couldn’t bear to see that drone or that new Borg Queen again. Then again, there wouldn't be enough time to finish the cycle anyway. She began thinking: If the Borg are seeking a specific species in the Alpha Quadrant, who are they?

Instead, she began meditating. She composed herself, then allowed the voices to fill her head again. With enough concentration, she can determine a bearing to where they were coming from. It took her time, of course, but she had a good memory. She was able to determine a bearing after a while. She took it into her memory banks to pull up later. At least that bearing would help them get on their way.

Once she was done, she began packing. She had her computer, and she had a set of forensics equipment, and they were all she needed for hacking and forensic purposes. But before that, she needed her booster pack.

It was something made for her when she first went to the Academy. It was called a “booster pack,” but the common man would call it a battery. It was designed to help her sleep in situations when she spent time away from her alcove. It was small, true, but the power the battery held could power a shuttle, a runabout even. Six needed this, considering it may be a while before she had to regenerate in an alcove again, and she had no time to set up an alcove on the Allegiant. Fortunately, it was always kept charged in the alcove, so it’s always ready in a moment’s notice. Six removed her garb until her back was exposed. Looking behind her, she noted a spot on her spine where the booster pack was to go, an implant that acted as an outlet to power the rest of her systems. She removed the booster pack from the alcove and inserted it into the implant. Then she began dressing in her grey-and-black uniform and began packing.

[Ensign Six | Docking Lounge on the Stallion > USS Allegiant NX-80978 ]

By 0700 hours, Six was ready and packed. She brought her things down to the Allegiant and got her first full look at it.

The Delta Flyer it definitely was not. Six smiled in amusement, imagining what Tom Paris would react if he saw this. He’d probably take it out for a spin, to say the least.

Everybody was here by 0750 hours.

Six listened to Masuda’s briefing (she privately regarded him by the first person because to her, Lieutenant Yukimura was a mouthful. On duty, she simply referred to him as “Lieutenant”) and almost felt insulted at being assigned to “make an inventory of present weapons.” She was a forensics officer, almost an equivalent to a typical investigator; the armory was not her forte. However, it was something every security officer needed to know, and Six was a good shot herself. In fact, her implants helped her reflexes, but she was still more partial to Tsunkatse, if not overall martial arts, herself.

However, she had a feeling that she and Mariner may likely have to modify the weapons to be set on a rotating modulation in the event of facing the Borg. She didn’t have to like being an armory inspector, but she took the job without complaint, as any good officer ought to. She’d leave her things in the shared crew quarters on the way.

She kept on hearing the call of the Collective in her head. She kept the bearing of the direction of the ship in her mind, knowing she’ll need to provide the coordinates when the Allegiant departed.

OOC: My apologies for the lengthiness for the post. I wanted to have quite the opening for Six before she departs. Also, I appreciate any help in making Trek-style course bearings.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #3 –
[ Lt. JG Izar Bila| | Docking Lounge on the Stallion > USS Allegiant NX-80978 ]
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Att.: @Auctor Lucan  @Gadget  @Griff  @Masorin  @Fife  @Multificionado  @lisavw  @Triton 



With his elbows on his knees and his hands holding his head, Bila waited in the docking lounge for the arrival of the leader of that suicide mission. Feeling the familiar knot in the pit of his stomach made of fear and resolve, the chemist wondered for the hundredth time what had prompted him to accept his participation in that mission. Perhaps it was the hesitation in the eyes of the other scientists, their clumsy excuses about ongoing investigations. Perhaps it was the fact that someone pointed out his experience in the Battle of Sector 001, and the decorations it had given him. Most likely, for once, he had been reckless at the time of speaking. A true big mouth with the mind numbed by the painkillers and the long convalescence.


The blue-shirt closed his eyes and rubbed his temples again, trying to put his thoughts in order and give some sense to the events of the last hours.


He had woken up in the sickbay, dozy as if I had been sleeping for a thousand years. The time dragged on as he felt someone shake his shoulders, and the only answer he could give was to keep trying to focus his pupils. And continue drooling his pillow. As time grew thicker and whoever shook him seemed more anxious, Bila realized the problem. Anesthesia. The genetic mash up that constituted his body had never reacted well to the narcotics, messing up his metabolism. Bila tried to frown, trying to think of a reason why his medical record didn't reflect that fact, but the shouts of the nurse didn't let him think clearly. Shouting?. Shouting! He turned his face to the medical assistant, happy to have recovered at least one of his senses. It was then that his eyes managed to focus on the pale face of the human, the desperation with which he tried to get him out of the biobed. Izar frowned again, trying to figure out what was going on. Something bad, for sure. With all the willpower he could muster, he let himself fall from the bed and tried to stand on legs that seemed weaker than newborn foal's. The nurse passed an arm down his armpits and tried to drag him towards the door, but the scientist's legs didn't respond to his commands, and both men ended stumbling awkwardly towards the door, knocking down medical material in their path. When they were barely a couple of meters to reach the exit, the desk was shaken by a terrible tremor that destabilized both. Bila felt himself falling forward, pushed by the nurse in his collapse. He rolled on the ground, a ball of members that crashed into the bulkplates of the corridor. Trembling, he dropped on his rear, and turned as well as he could towards the sickbay, just to see how the nurse left, avoiding the enemy ship hull that split the room in half, tearing off debris towards the void of space...


He had later discovered that he had fallen as one of the first victims of a Borg attack, only to wake up and be evacuated during another attack, this time from the Asurians. Of course, he could say he was a lucky guy. And that's why he had decided to stretch his good fortune a little more and join that suicidal mission. He, the pacifist, he who avoided conflicts at the slightest opportunity. Canned in a luck of Runnabout with delusions of greatness with a crew of a ship that didn't know a shit about and throwing of head against one of the most terrible enemies that the Federation had found. One that had spent years disturbing his worst nightmares. For the Prophets, he must have received a good blow to the head to accept all that. But it was too late to back out, he thought as he watched the duffel bag between his feet. There was science to be done, data to collect and high chances of need to flee as fast they could. And for better or for worse, he was the best man for it. And he knew it, but that didn't give him any relief for the ball of fear that dwelled in his guts.


While reflecting on all this, the Theurgy officer who would lead the mission made his appearance. Bila stood up as well as he could, a pertinacious headache still hammering at his temples. Thanks to the Prophets, the speech was straight to the point, making clear the functions of each one in a concise and clear way. Thus the scientific officer found himself again in charge of the sensors, a position in which he felt comfortable, and communications of the ship that, although it was not among his usual tasks, he possessed more than enough skills to deal with it. It seemed that for once his proficiency on getting out the problems just talking was going to have a use in his work.


So, without further ado, Matsuda embarked on the Allegiant, and Izar dragged his feet behind him, down to the bowels of the ship until he could reach the shared crew quarters. Only a couple of the beds were occupied, and the hybrid was glad to found that the stern beds were still empty. He left his bag on one of the corner beds, from which he could see the restroom door and sat on the stiff mattress. He stirred on his duffel bag, until he found some of the tablets that the doctors had given him and threw a pair into his throat. Leaning back on the mattress with the back against the wall, he prepared to rest for the last few minutes before he was required on the bridge. He didn't know when it would be the next time he could do it. His rest was short and when another of the crewmembers entered the room, Bila showed his ever-present knowing smirk, his doubts and fatigue hidden as always under a mask of humor and cordiality.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #4 –
ENS James "Jimmy" Mariner | USS Theurgy | Docking Lounge on the Stallion > USS Allegiant NX-80978 ]
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@Auctor Lucan @FollowTomorrow@Masorin @Gadget @Brutus @Griff @Fife @Masorin @Numen @Multificionado @lisavw

All too eager to get suited up for combat, knowing the Theurgy had to continue its mission, regardless of who was out there, Ensign Mariner organized a tactical use of the Holodeck to simulate a Borg infestation on the Stallion. Without telling his crew, he overclocked the difficulty setting to have it where the Borg eventually overran check points, carved through jeffries tubes and ultimately assimilated the team. Except for Jimmy, who ended the simulation with a phaser to his head. Naturally, the holodeck's safety protocols ensured that no one got hurt (or, thankfully, assmililated), but a short-lasting stinging sensation, akin to a severe bugbite closely synthesized the pain of assimilation. One security man even got a severe allergic reaction, which resulted in his hands inflating like balloons, ending up in a trip to sickbay. In response someone asked Jimmy as he accessed the deck's arch for some time off.

"The Borg don't take time off, not unless they're in a vulnerable state. Right now, Mate, they're anything but vulnerable. You, Mr. Gibbs, though, are. Those turkey legs won't do you much good, but the collective could improve that." Despite the seriousness of the joke, Jimmy downloaded and beamed in a TR-120, then a lone Borg tactical drone. The Tacticals were the 'soldier' caste of the collective: Heavy armor, integrated weapons and multiple laser-pointer sensors. They earned the nickname "Terminators" among Starfleet Security, after their likeness to a prophetic Earth film of the same name. Jimmy hated these units in particular, dreading what would happen if these walking death machines were to soften up Jimmy or his team in preparation for becoming one with the Borg.

That thought vanished the moment Mariner put a satisfying (but holographic) projectile through the alien's shield, enough to bypass one layer, strike its intended target, cleanly through the right eyebrow-sensor before it rattled around in the green-hued shields that stuttered and sparked out like a spent firecracker. "It works, Sir, but your best bet would be rotating EM frequency modulation on our phasers." PO Gibbs suggested.

"I intend to make every possible option availible to me familiar as possible without reverting to methods that may ultimately fail."Jimmy returned the TR rifle to the Arch's weapons rack and the projectile rifle dematerialized. Jimmy loaded up his furthest 'wave defense' score in the simulation, and had noticed that he had some luck earlier when he used his reconstructed blade against the Borg. Thus far, it had indeed lived up to his expectations, but even for him in an exo-suit, he'd only lasted so long before fatigue caught up and he got 'stung'... another Security euphimism for the Borg. But this wasn't a Klingon ship, so only he would really have any chance when it came to the sword option. "I don't suppose you've ever read the works of Max Brooks? Anyone? Yes, you. Grisham."

"World War Zed, or the survival handbook?" the noncom asked out of familiarity. "Those books were ridiculed as comedy and fiction. Those encounters never took place. Even if they did, what's your point, Sir?"

"It's not about neutralizing the bastards or going out in a blaze of glory. It's about continuous, unbiased survival. And in this case, battery cells and adaptation." Jimmy quickly began. "The Borg continually adapt and react the more numerous they are. So the best hope we have is to keep changing our moveset and keep them guessing before we have to make our move or hit our objective."

Jimmy was ready for one final simulation before he was summoned by Lt. Masuda, and dismissed the team. Jimmy's security team heard that their CO was going out on the away team. "Received and understood..." he confirmed before adressing his colleagues. "Okay, ladies and gents. Keep up the good work and don't stop diversifying your tactics... and at first contact with the Borg, purge these simulated findings, lest the clankers find us and download our playbook."


Ensign Mariner was more than ready for the away mission, taking largely the same gear he took with him to the coreless moon, and the heavy equipment and arsenal was personally beamed into the Allegiant by the Quartermaster's office, while his own equipment took roughly five minutes to assort and pack before he ran to the Docking lounge, nearly tripping over a Tellarite mechanic in the works. Jimmy shouted a Tellarite insult-greet which was responded with, "Who or what in space is Pumbaa!? Stinking humans and your gibberish."

Jimmy wasted no time in staking a claim to his bunk, getting the top one with the cleanest shot and furthest line of sight to the door, leaving his belongings there for now. inspecting the arsenal, he couldn't avoid a neutral regard from some of the Cayuga crew.

"Okay, I impersonated an officer. Court-martial me, I've done worse." he shrugged at the Ops Chief. "Beat an Asurian to a living pulp and saved a certain Nebula-class from exploding, big deal. No regrets. Besides, if it meant saving lives, I'd impersonate Admiral Stink-love...-- Sankolov, I mean, No hard feelings, though, right?" If only such a solution to this whole enterprise were so easy. Besides, what was really going through Jimmy's mind was the nagging sensation that Heather had been taken on his watch; he was less than two meters away when it happened. That could have been Meony, Leon, Sinead, Eliska or even Sharky. The Cayuga survivors had already gone through enough and could as easily have made use of the Stallion's comforts and sat this out, but together, they had a mission to achieve.

The most Jimmy could do for now was to personally inspect and randomize the EM Pulse signature of every Type-3 Rifle and pulse phaser pistol to prevent any two weapons from firing the same energy output at any given time. The weapons were set to stun by default, but when accessed, could very easily be upgraded to kill. "We've got full auto, pulsewave, beam and the one that never fails, overload. Basic Grenades-stun and photon-, Isomagnetic Disintegrator, and Security-Exosuits; no proper officer is complete without his or her blade of choice. Fun for the whole family." the Australian concluded as he patted the blade sheath on one of the Exo-suits that was preset and prepared to be donned in a minute. He knew his on sight, though technically it was Federation Property, not his own, so he couldn't customize it as much as he wanted.

Jimmy was largely only really speaking to Ensign Six, trying too hard not to be even a bit bothered by having a Borg nearby made him at least passively mindful of where she of all people aboard would be throughout the mission, even if he had to sleep with one eye open as the ride went on... then again, she could probably handle the Isomagnetic Disintegrator better than he could, given her android strength and computerized targeting.

Six's invaluability during the Asurian crisis earlier had made her trustworthy, but he feared she could easily compromise them. "I'd go with Pulsewave in a controlled cone of hurt. It works like an old Earth 'shotgun'... disperses its shot at close range. Anything in its way dies in pain.  ... like Lt Cmdr Marquez at Karaoke night. Never mind." Jimmy wisecracked again, before privately telling her in confidence. "It's... also the best way to not be taken alive and reanimated. Doesn't waste a grenade and you can easily be avenged. But I'd try this bad boy if I was you." He gestured to the Disintegrator.

Jimmy could not wait to get this mission over with to be one step closer to home. To him, that meant shared quarters with Meony, having whiskey and birria over classic screen-films while Sharky sat or slept in front of the door to greet guests. Right now, any given one of those would give him a bit of a morale boost. Not that experimenting with firearms didn't, it just didn't have the same charm as Meony naming every piece in the unit. He could only imagine what she would've named the klingon yan sword from the last mission. The Quartermaster had rebuilt the blade from its transporter buffer pattern and some original replication. Fortunately, an Andorian sword enthusiast was all too eager to aid in the weapon's reconstruction in exchange for a nearly-identical but original duplicate; Jimmy reluctantly agreed. It was worth trading a little bit of distinctiveness for additional security, especially considering what the Borg famously did to distinctiveness.

Lt. Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez
Chief Tactical Officer, USS Theurgy
"No one left behind."

Ensign James "Jimmy" Mariner
Security Officer, USS Theurgy
"Showtime!"

Lieutenant (J.G.) Alessia "Angel" Garcia
Valravn Fighter Pilot, USS Theurgy
"You're not the only one with a gun,"

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #5 –
[Ensign Six | Docking Lounge on the Stallion > USS Allegiant NX-80978 ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Triton @Masorin @Numen @Gadget @Griff @Fife @lisavw
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Ensign Mariner was busy setting the weapons and making wisecrack, two of the things he did best on the job. All Six did was make sure they were set to a rotating modulation. She took his suggestion of the Isomagnetic Disintegrator in mind. She was quite strong, of course, another trait as an ex-drone, but as a woman, she was much more partial to phasers.

“Thank you for the suggestion, Ensign Mariner,” she said. “I’ll keep the Isomagnetic Disintegrator in mind. Have you any recommendations for phasers?”

She merely asked because she was such a good shot, she was good with two phasers, again thanks to her reflexes from her implants.

Six merely kept things professional around Ensign Mariner. She felt somewhat cautious around him as he was wary around her. They were colleagues, nothing more; they weren’t friends. Six had given him high praise for his role in the battle with the Asurians, though she refrained from kissing him when she found out it was he who stopped the saucer from tearing apart the Cayuga. For one thing, she wouldn’t be caught dead trying to kiss him. For another thing, he’d think she was making a move on him, when he already had Krystal…or Meony, to use her fighter call signal.

She can easily tell from Mariner’s body language. Interpreting body language was one of her traits as an investigator. The smallest detail can speak volumes. As enthusiastic and sarcastic as Mariner was, she can still see his wariness of her. She couldn’t blame him. She expected nothing less in the time they worked together.

In point of fact, she wondered how well she’ll get along with the rest of the volunteers on the mission. Most were from the Cayuga, so she expect she, along with Mariner, would get along great with them since they were instrumental in saving their ship. She couldn’t help but feel a little attracted to Salem Martin, mostly due to his handsome looks, but she kept pushing that feeling aside. For one thing, he was easily a dozen or so years her senior. And for another thing, she had to focus on the task at hand.

Once she was finished, she went to the Allegiant’s bridge. She took it all in and felt a wave of nostalgia. She almost felt like she was back in the cockpit of the Delta Flyer. She had flown in it on occasion back in her younger days, back when she was a child, back when Seven of Nine was mentoring her. Most of the time she was in the Delta Flyer was accompanied by Tom Paris, who was inseparable with his beloved flyer as he and Harry Kim as a duo were inseparable.

The “almost” came from the fact that the vessel she was in was not the Delta Flyer.

She waited for Masuda, or orders from him, on the bridge, staring at the helm controls, imagining with a wave of nostalgia, Tom Paris flying the Delta Flyer through tight corners and doing barrel rolls, making as much wisecrack remarks as Jimmy Mariner.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #6 –
[PO1 Lillee t’Jellaieu] |  Docking Lounge on the Stallion > USS Allegiant NX-80978] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Triton, @Gadget, @Fife, @Masorin, @Numen, @Multificionado, @lisavw

[Show/Hide]

For Lillee t’Jellaieu, it was her third starship in as many days, and the blonde Romulan had given up trying to keep track. She had killed two Asurian boarders during a confused boarding action, been plucked away by transporter to another vector of the Theurgy, flown that vector in an equally chaotic space battle, and was now about to go on a suicide mission against the Borg. Under normal circumstances, that would’ve been horrifying, but Lillee was so overwhelmed from it all that she was long past terror. Oh, that terror would surely return when the Allegiant crew inevitably sighted the Borg cube, but for now, Lillee was just along for the ride.

Thus, Lillee just sat in the Lounge, bored and unimpressed. She listened and paid attention, of course, but Lillee held no illusions. If the Allegiant engaged the Borg, either in space or on deck, they’d all be dead or assimilated within minutes. Fancy weapons and tactics extended those minutes, but the end result remained the same.

Even thinking about that grim fact, and the sheer insanity of their mission, made Lillee grip her katana reflexively, her fingers tracing the ornate Rihannsu lettering of the scabbard. It was with her by sheer chance, really, a fortunate and unlikely chain of events extending all the way back to when she’d taken her personal honour-blade off the mantelpiece in the house where it usually stayed, since Lillee had anticipated an overnight stay on the Theurgy. The honour-blade, plus a duffel bag with a change of uniform and basic sanitary items, was all she had.

Thus Lillee stayed quiet, examining her fellow volunteers with Vulcan-like dispassion. There would be tensions, issues, interpersonal politics (especially with that bedevilled former drone), and as Lillee knew from personal experience on suicide missions, probably fear-fuelled sexual release. She wanted none of it. Oh, by all the stars in the heavens, how she wanted to just get to the Allegiant’s helm and simply fly!

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #7 –
[Chief Medical Officer T'Panu | Docking Lounge on the Stallion > USS Allegiant NX-80978]

T'Panu stood, eerily waiting. Eerily? Ready? She wasn't sure which, but she knew she couldn't wait to set out on their next mission. Any mission to make these bastards pay was a mission she was all for.

She looked down at her few belongings, mentally checking she had everything. It was a little late if she had forgotten anything, but her Vulcan particularity made her quadruple check when she prepared for away missions. She knew she would have some cramped quarters, but she's already made it work once. What was one more time? She had her PADD, an extra uniform, her medical box and a few things to help with her meditation.

T'Panu stood, deep in thought, as everyone was talking. She was already formulating plans, thinking about her latest research with her Artificial Neural Network. She had made some headway in her thoughts to disconnect the Borg hardware, but wasn't nearly ready for actual trials. Good thing I brought my medical box, T'Panu thought.

She had made a mental blueprint with her setup in the medical bay. She knew she would have everything she needed this time and was very thankful. She was looking forward to settling in and working more on her projects before they headed out. The first thing she would do is re-calibrate all the equipment to her specific settings to make sure it was ready to go.

For now, there was nothing to do but wait. She returned back to reality and engaged in conversation as she waited to disembark.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #8 –
[Ensign Six | Docking Lounge on the Stallion > USS Allegiant NX-80978 ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Masorin @Triton @Numen @Gadget @Griff @Fife @lisavw @FollowTomorrow @Brutus @Triage
[Show/Hide]


Six was deep in thought as she waited at what she hoped was her assigned station on the bridge of the Allegiant. Concern and worry drew her back from nostalgia to reality. Once again, her concerns were about how she can guide a crew who cannot trust the guide. She remembered Lieutenant Ejek’s reprimand after Six approached Commander Stark to offer apologies. She could tell Ejek was dissed. She still never forgot Ejek’s reprimand:

"I will say this; you cannot continue to think of this like a child on a grand adventure. You, more than your peers, face great danger here. Despite the great advances made in Federation medicine to reverse Borg assimilation, it is still exceedingly easy for the Borg to overwhelm your own natural defenses. They do not even have to be present on the ship to turn you.

“Take your position seriously. Take your team and your mission seriously. You cannot force them to change their minds, but they will find it easier to trust you if you do not willingly run head-first where angels fear to tread."

Six shuddered at the thought that the Borg could turn her, even from afar. It took a great deal of mental capacity to resist the temptation of the Collective. It was that and the fact she kept thinking of Ejek’s words, was why she forgot her meditations the previous night, leading to the nightmare.

Not only that,  but Six was worried what her colleagues on the Allegiant might to do to Six if the Borg compromised her. Six remembered Seven of Nine again, that at one point, she was forced to rejoin the collective, but she wasn’t assimilated, and Captain Janeway took a flight on the Delta Flyer, modified with a transwarp drive, to rescue her. But at that point, Seven was fully integrated with the crew, establishing relationships, had gotten to know people. Six, on the other hand, had nobody on the Theurgy. Other than the ranking officers, everybody was a stranger to her. And the fact that they are wary of her is bad enough, but the current circumstances has increased the danger entirely. Six was worried that if she was compromised by the Borg in any way, most of them probably won't hesitate to exterminate her, perhaps with extreme prejudice.

This fear, along with the horrifying visages of herself as a full drone and the new Borg Queen, made Six all the more resolved to not give in to the Collective. She will resist all she can. She even had a viral matrix set up inside her in the event the Collective tried to take her, in any way, they will not succeed. It was designed that, in the event of new nanoprobes entering her system, they will reprogram them so that they get absorbed in her system rather than the other way around.

“I will not be assimilated,” she said aloud; it felt better to declare it vocally. “The Collective will not have me. The Theurgy is my home now, and however wary this crew will be, they are my family. I will not let anything happen to them. I will do what I can to guide them safely and back again.”

She didn’t care if anybody saw her make this declaration, didn’t care if anybody walked in on her. She was anxious to do what she can for the Theurgy. And she wanted to make sure she was around to propose her design of the “Revelation Array” to help fulfill their mission.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #9 –
[ Lt JG, Salem Martin  | CMO's Office | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy  ]
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Stowing his bag quickly in his room, Matsuda was saddened. leaving the Cayuga, had basically cost him a lot of different games. Among them his replicated ships of the line tactical set. The strategy game based around the 70 year long war between the Klingon Empire and Federation was now basically gone. He had spent a lot of his replicator rations and more than a few favors to get all of those replicated, and making a new collection was going to take time and effort he wasn't sure he had.

Of course he could play virtual through holographic but there was something about holding a real model that couldn't fade when someone says end program that he liked.

passing the Borg drone he was curious about her, but had been for the most part lost in his own thoughts. He shook his head when he heard her comment about assimilation. "Lets not use the A-word at all right now? It would be a.. bad idea."

For all of his time in a prison colonelcy the strongest thing he had learned was that superstition had it's place.

"Luitenant Salem Martin reporting." he spoke up as he walked onto the bridge to report to his station.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #10 –
[PO1 Lillee t’Jellaieu] |  Docking Lounge on the Stallion > USS Allegiant NX-80978] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Triton, @Gadget, @Fife, @Masorin, @Numen, @Multificionado, @lisavw

[Show/Hide]

At that point, Lillee had stepped on the bridge, having left her personal items - including her sword - on her bunk. She had agreed with Ensign Dumral that she would take the first shift. She had also suggested that they'd have tea in the mess hall later, to discuss navigation and maneuvering options. She had never flown against a Borg vessel, and she'd welcome her counsel on evasion options.

Glancing at the others, her smirk became a genuine smile, flicking a long blonde lock back behind her shoulder. "I am Lillee Jellaieu, for those whom I haven't greeted already, and I'll begin the pre-flight checklist." With that, Lillee inclined her head politely, and for all her weariness, there was a fiery light in her eyes with battle so near. "I hope that we have a pleasurable voyage, friends, that shall not end in death or assimilation."

"I will not be assimilated," Six said aloud; it felt better to declare it vocally. "The Collective will not have me. The Theurgy is my home now, and however wary this crew will be, they are my family. I will not let anything happen to them. I will do what I can to guide them safely and back again."

When she heard it, having yet to seat herself, Lillee fought the urge to roll her eyes at the Borg girl's declaration. Under other circumstances, she'd have found it sweet, but Lillee's compassion had been blown away somewhere back at Sol.

"That's nice, dear," Lillee said to Six with disdain as sharp as the sheathed blade she'd left on her bunk bed. She moved to the CONN station, but she paused near Six, smirking at the Borg girl. "Really, honey, we are much more likely to die horribly than be assimilated, so don't worry yourself. This is a good old fashioned suicide mission, ie? You only get one or two of these per lifetime, so enjoy it while it lasts."

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #11 –
[ Lieutenant Masuda Yukimura | Bridge | USS Allegiant NX-80978 ] Attn: @Gadget @Griff @Fife @Masorin @Numen @Multificionado @lisavw @Triton
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Seated in the centre of the bridge, Masuda wasn't sure how much he dared to hope for in the undertaking of this mission. In retrospect, before he had been sent to the Black Opal, his obsession with the Borg had bordered on unhealthy, trying to find answers where any sane person wouldn't continue to look.

Yet now, the prospect of a new invasion had made him relive those sleepless nights spent on finding those answers. Xiǎo dòng bù bǔ, dà dòng chī kǔ, he thought, the native proverb meaning 'Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin.' Dared he hope for it? That there was such a chance? Could he learn where the Borg came from... and somehow destroy their transwarp conduits? How the Borg could have rebuilt the entire hub network in so few years escaped him, but with the Borg, he knew he shouldn't underestimate them.

His ruminations were brought to a halt as the bridge crew entered. The man with the El-Aurian blood came first, followed by Ensign Six, Lieutenant Salem Martin and Petty Officer Lillee t'Jellaieu. Masuda's eyes shifted to the ex-Drone when she spoke, speaking quietly to herself, which was alarming on its own. Why did she need to make such an oath? Was the call of the Collective strong enough to make her doubt herself? His eyes grew very still as he looked at the one calling herself Six, but he said nothing whilst the Tactical and CONN officers spoke in reaction. While Martin was polite enough the Romulan was less so, despite her rank, which told Masuda a bit about them both. He made no comment, but knew what he would do if this dubious asset turned on them.

"Petty Officer, take your post," he said with little emotion, his hands on the armrests of his chair. "Ready the Allegiant to launch on my command." He acknowledged Martin with a nod, and gestured for Six to take the COMM station on the port side of the bridge. Then, after a few minutes, the man at Ops reported that all systems were operational. This had Masuda access the intercom from his armrest and rise to his feet. He supposed he ought to style himself as according to naval protocol, as strange as it felt after so many years on a base instead of a ship.

"This is Captain Yukimura, the bridge crew is now ready for launch," he said, thinking it an awkward title as his voice was heard all over the small ship. "If I am not available on the bridge, or if I were to be incapacitated, Lieutenant Martin is next in command during this mission. Lieutenant Izar Bila, your assignment in the ship's science lab is familiarise yourself fully with the latest research that Starfleet has conducted on the Borg, specifically the Voyager's reports about transwarp conduits and treatment for assimilation. I would like you to work closely with Doctor T'Panu in the medical bay, and together, synthesise whatever is needed for us to be ready, should we be boarded during this mission."

Pacing the bridge slowly, Yukimura continued. "Engineering, I want progress updates on the unfinished repairs every second hour, repairs which will have to be taken care in the duration of the mission. Forward the reports to Mister Okotie-Eboh. Ensign Mariner, I look forward to the inventory of the armoury and the cargo holds, as well as the adaptations of our weaponry to give us the best fighting chances against the Borg. Once Ensign Six has provided us with a course or coordinates on the bridge, she will be aiding you back there. Once you two are finished, I want the both of you to set up tactical protocols for this crew in the event of us being boarded. Lieutenant Martin, Ensign Dumral and Petty Officer Lillee t'Jellaieu, I need the three of your to hone tactical manoeuvres if we were to be intercepted and have to make a sudden escape. Needless to say, forethought is our ally in this endeavour to find where the Borg are, or where they come from."

Yukimura seated himself again. "Kōngxuéláifēng, wèibì wú yīn. 'Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.' Yukimura, out." Then, he looked towards the Petty Officer at the helm. "Release docking clamps and launch. Take us away from the Cayuga and the Stallion before you lay in the course Ensign Six provides. Warp five. Engage."

Little did they know what happened aboard the Cayuga when they launched...



One beam, no matter how big, cannot support an entire house on its own.
- Chinese Proverb

LATER, SAME DAY | DAY 05 | 2200 hrs.

“MIssion Log, stardate 57554.96. I had not expected how eventful this first day of the mission would be. Not in manner of sighting the Borg or where they might have come from, but in terms of how this small crew from two different ships would come to co-exist in an extreme situation. I will not detail all that has happened since 0800 hrs. this morning, but sufficed to say, I do expect tomorrow to be just as eventful. The time is now 2200 hrs., and another shift change is coming up. We have been following the course that Ensign Six has provided, but... Computer, pause log.”

― Lieutenant Masuda Yukimura, Commanding Officer of the USS Allegiant

[ Lieutenant Masuda Yukimura | CO Quarters | USS Allegiant NX-80978 ] Attn: @Gadget @Griff @Fife @Masorin @Numen @Multificionado @lisavw @Triton
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Having made his log in the Commanding Officers' quarters aboard the Allegiant, the same quarters that Captain Ives would have stayed in if he'd been aboard, the beep from the computer console made Yukimura end the log prematurely. With Salem Martin in command on the bridge, Yukimura had taken the opportunity to rest and refresh himself. He'd been reading his old research on the Borg for a couple of hours, but it seemed that the brief respite he'd gotten had come to an end. With his uniform jacket open, he left the bed and went to the desk where the console sat.

The message from the bridge read clearly on the screen when he opened it.

WARP ENGINES DISENGAGED. COURSE HELD AT IMPULSE SPEED. YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED ON THE BRIDGE.
Not having any idea what might have prompted such precautions, Yukimura zipped his uniform jacket shut and stepped out of his quarters. He nodded towards a couple of people on the way to the upper deck, and by the time he emerged on the bridge...

...he paused in the doorway, the sliding doors staying parted for him.

Wǒ cào...

With eyes perfectly still, he took in the sight of the viewscreen. Slowly, he eventually made his way to the centre chair, where he'd relieve Lieutenant Martin. There were no words adequate to describe what they had encountered, and in the rolling clouds of the Azure Nebula, the bare eye couldn't see more than the foreground of it all. What happened here?

Of course, it was plain what they had encountered. The question was... How did it happen?

"Yellow Alert," he said quietly, not a word being said on the bridge. "Martin, would you summon Ensign Six, please? Okotie-Eboh, what does the sensors say? Aside from the cube... how many other ships are out there?"

As the alert klaxon resounded through the ship, Yukimura didn't look away from the thick debris field they had entered, as if it would come alive and swallow the Allegiant any moment.



OOC: The plot thickens! Seven days of posting in reaction to this find, along with situating your character at 2200 hrs. on the same day as the launch, begins today. Here is the page featuring the Allegiant, with deck plans and specs: USS Allegiant. Here are those aboard the Allegiant: [Show/Hide]
As previously stated, this mission is depicted primarily in this thread, but one-on-one threads can of course be made, situated on the Allegiant during the mission. There is now a time-slot between 0800 hrs. and 2200 hrs. for such threads, and the naming convention is: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day XX | XXXX hrs. ] Insert Title. OOC discussions and ideas can be posted in the Plot Discussion thread. Here is also the floor plan of the Allegiant for convenient access: [Show/Hide]

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #12 –
[Ensign Six | Cargo Bay 1 | USS Allegiant NX-80978] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Masorin @Triton @Gadget @Griff @Numen @lisavw @Fife
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The morning and afternoon passed without event. Six had provided a course that went deeper into the Azure Nebula. Whenever she was not pointing out course corrections, in the change of direction from hearing the Collective’s whispers, or meditating to hear out the Collective, she was stuck in the armory with Ensign Mariner, who seemed, in her opinion, more guarded around her. There she helped modulate weapons, as well as the tactical protocols Masuda asked for. She never made conversation with Mariner as she worked. Not only was he not in the mood for chit-chat, she, too, was cautious around him.

The oath she made, however, prompted that when she realized the entire crew heard her, and she realized Petty Officer t’Jellaiu had said something, she felt red with embarrassment. Nonetheless, she provided the course in a professional manner and apologized before she left for the armory; “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize there was people listening. I didn’t see you all come in.”

As she worked, she calculated the probabilities of who among the crew is most likely to kill her if she was compromised. She could tell the least likely ones in a minute. Lieutenant Martin and Dr. T’Panu, for one. They both tie for the unlikeliest possibility. Petty Officer t’Jelliau came in third. Brusque and rude as she was (she expected nothing less from a Romulan), she didn’t strike her as a murderer. Neither the El-Aurian Okotie-Eboh. The most likely? Mariner and Masuda. Mariner would do it in a heartbeat. And Masuda would do it in the line of duty.

As for the rest of the crew, she wasn’t sure.

Nonetheless, she put some respect in and was careful around them. Her concerns about Masuda notwithstanding, she respected him. In many ways, Masuda reminded her of Tuvok. True Masuda had no pointed ears, but he’s efficient. And Martin, she felt the most gratitude towards. True, the first time she met him, she was smitten, but in that instant, she pushed those feelings aside. Handsome as he was, he was a dozen years or so his senior, and she didn’t know him that well. Plus, they were launched because she was thinking of the man she had most familiarity with: Hi’Jak. She was missing him. And for good reason. He wasn’t on another vector. In getting up to speed, she found he was captured by the Savi. It hurt her inside. As if there wasn’t enough going on.

In point of fact, of the crew, Martin seemed the likeliest person to get along with than the rest of the crew, considering how wary they were of her. She was especially careful not to use the “A-word” aloud.

At 2200 hours, she was meditating in the cargo bay on the upper deck, the best place she can determine to be alone, or rather, to not be bothered by the rest of the crew, and was thinking about Hi’Jak when she was summoned to the bridge. She took to the upper cargo bay in that, while it guaranteed privacy, if something came up, she could get to the bridge quickly. Her stride increased when she heard the klaxon.

[Ensign Six | Bridge | USS Allegiant NX-80978]

And she could see she wasn’t the only one surprised by the debris field enveloping the viewscreen. Dozens of possibilities came through her head, but the first thing she thought blurted through her mouth:

“What did this? No, it couldn’t…This couldn’t be the work of Species 8472. They can’t be back. What could do this to a…? Did all this use to be a cube?!?”

She stopped herself in time. She’s not throwing theories out on a whim. She needed information to build a case.

Even as she said it, the call of the Collective whispered in her head. She knew at once that it wasn’t the only cube here. Time to be the guide again.

“They’re still here,” she said. “The Borg is still in the Nebula. This isn’t the only cube, but it doesn’t mean they’re in the same state as that. The trail continues ahead, but I advise extreme caution while going through here.” You never know who could be hiding in that field.”

It was true. The voices were stronger in the direction of the debris field, but she still kept up her willpower.

“And my sincerest apologies for my overreaction; sometimes when I’m caught by surprise with something shocking, multiple theories come out to me, but it’s good to not throw theories out on a whim.”

The origin of the call of the Collective led straight through, through the gaping maw of a leviathan where you never knew what may come out to surprise you. The Allegiant would have to go through the belly of the beast to reach and investigate their destination.
OOC: Considering it would take too long to come up with a bearing, best I can figure is that Six's directions are leading them deeper into the nebula, and I'm sure it's nowhere in particular for the time being. And the calculations of probabilities of who was most likely to kill Six if she became compromised I had the idea to write, given Six's wariness of the crew. Please PM me if there needs to be any changes.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #13 –
[ CPO Ekon Okotie-Eboh | Bridge | USS Allegiant NX-80978 ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Numen @Masorin @Triton @lisavw @Griff @Gadget @Multificionado

Chief Okotie-Eboh had been working on adapting the sensors to the specifications that Lt.(JG) Izar had given him when they had stumbled upon the debris field. He was only half-finished his work on the sensors, but the moment the image appeared on the viewscreen all thought of his adjustments immediately fled his mind. Some people’s first instinct would be to say they’d never seen anything like what they were now looking at. Unfortunately, Chief Ekon Okotie-Eboh had. The image on the viewscreen looked just like the chaos that had drifted through space in the wake of Wolf 359, albeit with the addition of the swirling blue backdrop of the Azure Nebula. Pieces of ships, both Borg and others, drifted through the blue soup of the nebula, moving in hundreds of different directions, with each spinning on a different axis. It made Ekon imagine a crowd of drunks dancing in a blue mist. When he saw what was obviously fragments of a Borg vessel drifting in the mix, the words that he had heard so recently, for the second time in his life, popped into his head.

We are the Borg… The four imaginary words echoed through his head, sending an icy spike of fear through his heart. Both times that he had heard those words broadcast had been followed by a waking nightmare. Chief Eboh heard Lieutenant Yukimura call for a yellow alert and start handing out orders. The sound of their Captain’s voice pulled Chief Eboh back to the present, spurring him to action as he heard Yukimura address him.

The console in front of Ekon chirped rapidly as his fingers danced across it, running sensor sweeps of the debris field to try and ascertain the number of vessels it represented.

”I’m detecting debris from numerous ships, Sir,” Ekon reported as he continued to push the console to action. ”I’m detecting signatures in the debris field from at least 5… 8… 11 different ships, Sir.” Ekon’s brows knit together as he concentrated on the sensor readouts. ”There are traces of a Sovereign-Class, at least one Domination-Class, an Interpid-Class, an Akira-Class…” Ekon turned in his seat to look at Yukimura for a moment. ”They’re Starfleet, Sir. The debris field is made up of the remains of a Borg Cube and eleven Starfleet vessels.”

Chief Okotie-Eboh turned back to his console and continued to run through sensor readouts. He called out the ships as he identified their classes, the assortment of destroyed ships only served to raise more questions than it answered. ”There is also an New Orleans-Class, two Defiant-Class… I should be able to identify a few of the ships, Sir. One is the USS Encounter...” He continued to work, concentrating on the task at hand to try and stop himself from thinking about the horrific loss of life that the scattered debris on their viewscreen represented.

”There’s also the USS Seeker, the Kusanagi, the Ark Royal, the Fairchild-A…” Ekon paused in calling the names and he tried to push the sensors a little further. ”And the USS Triton. That’s all I can tell from here, Sir. We will need to get closer for the sensors to be able to cut through the interference. The Nebula is making sensor readings difficult, and I’m detecting residual traces of warp impact emissions which aren’t helping sensor accuracy.” Ekon paused, his hands freezing over the console. He raised his gaze to stare at the viewscreen, his face wearing a mask of disbelief. ”Sir, I think multiple ships went to warp… and rammed the Cube in an attempt to stop it…”

Ekon shook himself out of his disbelief and returned his attention to the sensors. He shifted the focus of the sensors to scan the Cube’s debris. A puzzled look crossed his features and he continued to pour over the sensor readouts. ”Captain…” Ekon hesitated, seeming unsure what he was looking at. ”Sir, the debris from the Borg vessel doesn’t match the scans we have of a normal Cube.” Ekon accessed the ship’s database, searching the archives for a match of the profile he could gather from the scans of the fragmented vessel. A moment later the computer chimed, the results displayed on his console doing nothing to alleviate the chilling stab of fear that had remained since coming across the field.

”Captain, the scans match those of a Cube variant that the USS Voyager encountered while in the Delta Quadrant. They referred to it as a Tactical Cube.” Ekon paused for a moment as he read more of the data entry. ”It appears that these Tactical Cubes are heavily armed and armoured variants of the standard cube. Pushing the pertinent data to your console, Sir.” Ekon tapped out several commands, sending a copy of the Voyager datafile to Yukimura’s command console for the Captain to review.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #14 –
[ Doctor T'Panu | Med Bay | USS Allegiant NX-80978 ]

T'Panu had made it onto the ship and was preparing the med bay for departure. This time, she was able to make sure everything was better equipped for combat, and any potential Borg encounters.

The med bay aboard the Allegiant was a decent size, with one bed and far more counter space. 3 counters seemed like a dream! She set her PADD down on the counter across from the bed. This would be perfectly suitable for charting and research. She grabbed her Medical Tricorder and set it out on the counter right next to the bed, so it would be easily accessible. She also added her Hypospray and a few other meds including Triptacederine for pain. The few Battlefield Trauma Kits she brought along were hung on the wall by the door for easy access.

T'Panu heard Captain Yukimura speaking on the overhead, "I would like you to work closely with Doctor T'Panu in the medical bay, and together, synthesise whatever is needed for us to be ready, should we be boarded during this mission."

T'Panu was very excited and intrigued by this idea, with thoughts already running through her head. She was happy she had already begun her research into her Artificial Neural Network, as it would come in very handy. She felt she had a great start and couldn't wait to begin working with Lieutenant Bila. She was curious what ideas they would come up with working together, and was thankful she would have some help in brainstorming. She thought about the med bag she packed that could also come in very handy with their research.

T'Panu went to the cupboard alongside the bed and located a few things she was looking for. She rearranged the cupboard by shelf to best suit her needs. She found the Neural Interface, Neurocortical Monitor and Cortical Inhibitor, and set them on the bottom right hand shelf. Quick enough to grab should she need to use them, but not impeding any of the lifesaving equipment she may need to use.

When the med bay was ready and setup the way she wanted, she decided she would venture out to the science lab to discuss backup strategies in case they were boarded.

Just as she was leaving the med bay, she felt the ship come to a halt and knew there was something wrong. Just then, she saw on the viewscreen the thing she had feared most: the Borg. She was instantly crippled with fear, thinking back to Wolf 359, the Cayuga's last encounter, and now this. Standing, paralyzed, she had no thoughts besides her past encounters. No new thoughts, no new plans, hope dwindling.

She stayed that way for what felt like an eternity, but it was only a few moments. She snapped herself back and realized the Borg cube was destroyed. But how? She wondered. For a moment she was ready to celebrate the victory: a Borg cube destroyed! But how? And by who??

That was when she saw it. The countless Starfleet ships. There was so much wreckage...so many pieces...so many ships. How many ships? How many crewmembers? What happened?? She felt guilty for being so close to celebrating when there was so much wreckage. So many people, dead. She wondered how long they were able to fight, if anyone survived in an escape pod. Of course no one did, she thought to herself. The Borg destroy everything in their path, and they would give it everything they have to put an end to the Borg's power over them. She took a deep breath, packed up her courage, and began to work on a plan.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #15 –
[ Lt. JG Izar Bila| | Science Labs | USS Allegiant NX-80978 ]
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Att.: @Auctor Lucan  @Gadget  @Griff  @Masorin  @Fife  @Multificionado  @lisavw  @Triton 


Sat in one of the workstations of the small laboratory of that runabout with delusions of grandeur, Bila dealt with the vain verbiage of the EMH reports of the USS Voyager. Like any good scientist, he valued the profusion of data in the reports, but the Doctor's literary inclination and his tendency to interject value judgments between the data just to show his moral superiority with respect to flesh and blood beings, infurated him. The hybrid sighed and pinched the ridged bridge of his nose, which made that the earring in his right ear tinkled pleasently. Possibly in other circumstances the cumbersome (and incredibly long) text wouldn't have been more than a a bit long reading and a couple of extra cups of Deka tea, but in the current circumstances, with time slipping between his fingers and the persistent headache that pierced his temples, it looked like a real torment. Thanks to the Prophets, his laboratory partner was Vulcan.


Being a scientist, Bila had shared a lab with Vulcans since his time in the Trill Science Ministry. Although they didn't enjoy the relaxed atmosphere that the half-cardassian preferred, one could always known what to expect from them. Efficiency, few banal conversations and fellow collaborators with whom to investigate or debate. And it was just what he needed at that moment. He lifted his eyes from the screen and looked gratefully to the doctor, a pained smile on his lips. He knew that after the Borg attack on the Cayuga, the Vulcan hybrid in front of him had been the one that had saved his life, even though he had no memories of the fact. And he also knew that dealing with the strange hodgepodge that was his body wasn't a simple task. The only complaint he had was the excess of sedatives she had used, but given his particular metabolism, he couldn't blame her either. He only had to remember to inform her about it, so that info would appear once and for all in his medical file.


Bila rubbed his eyes and continued reading the report from the mission in the Unimatrix Zero, trying to avoid the arrogant notes of the EMH about how it had been thanks to his brilliant intervention that the mission had been able to carry out. He groaned quietly and decided to move on to another article. In this case it was a paper which descrived one of the first documented borg attacks, although it had been years before it had been re-classified as such. It was a report by Dr. Phlox, prior to the formation of the Federation. The narrative of the denobulan was much lighter than that of the hologram, although its methodology was clearly more questionable. Even with all this, Bila found himself reading the paper passionately, as another person would do with a novel, totally involved in the misadventures of that long-dead colleague. Suddenly, something caught his attention and the chemist reread the paragraph a couple of times before raising his voice. "Computer, download to my console any information about the omicron radiation available in our database" The excitement of having found a clue leaked into his voice and, without being able to avoid it, he returned his gaze to Dr. T'Panu, with a wide smile shining between his shaggy beard. "Do you know what complications could a humanoid have with, let's say ...an excessive exposure to that kind of radiation doctor? I think I'm on the trail of something." He asked, followed by a soft chucked fruit of enthusiasm for his discovery. While listening to the response of his laboratory partner, Bila returned to dive into Voyager's reports, seeking to implement the idea that was beginning to form in his mind....






[ Lt. JG Izar Bila Day 5 | 2200 hours | Bridge | USS Allegiant NX-80978 ]



It had been a complicated and thorough job, but they had done it! They had it! If it hadn't been thanks to the contributions of the medical officer, it was unlikely that he could had developed the anti-assimilation inoculation in such a short time. It wasn't perfect and didn't prevent the risk of assimilation but ... it was something, it was a chance and, by the Prophets, with the Borg any opportunity was more valuable than the Latinium. It had also been fortunate that Ensign Six was on board: without the presence of the ex-borg and her nanoprobes, they could never have developed the injection and they would have been limited to using the neural supressant that the EMH had developed in the Voyager. Their solution was much more complex, but it allowed them to have more time.


The only thing he regretted was that the second part of his solution had not yet been finished. But he was confident that the Chief Eboh could finish what they had started once his sift in the bridge was over. Bila stopped in front of the bridge door, reviewing the data before entering: there was much he had to say and he wanted to expose it in the clear and concise way that the Theurgy officer seemed to prefer.


After reviewing it a couple of times he stepped forward, the doors opened in his path and Izar entered the silent room, filing it with his enthusiastic voice. "Captain Masuda, I 've great news. We've managed to synthesize an anti-assimilation inoculation for the current crew of the starship. We've modified the nanoprobes of ensign Six so that they generate a neural suppressant once they are in the bloodstream, and they can decelerate the assimilation process in the event that we come into direct contact with the Borg. It also cuts the contact with the whispers of the Collective, which would allow the supposed infecteds to maintain their individuality until they can reach a safe place. The only problem is that the inoculation has a limited reliability, although much more extensive than the two hours that the Voyager EMH originally got. Sadly the nanoprobes will be degraded by the supressant itself and will lose effectiveness by time. I would like to point out that this treatment doesn't completely prevent assimilation, it only slows it down enough to allow us to return to the ship and undergo a more aggressive treatment with Omicron radiation, which I am developing together with CPO Okotie-Eboh here. Although it isn't ready yet, I 'm confident that it would cease the assimilation process . I think if we extract a little more blood from the Ensign Six we'll have enough doses to... " At that moment, Bila moved his eyes from his padd, surprised at the silence that reigned on the bridge.


Then he saw it.


The devastation that the main screen showed, the amorphous remains floating in space hit him in the mind, bringing back memories of the Battle in Sector 001. "For the Prophets ..." was the only thing he was able to say while a chill ran down his spine. He knew that they had engaged in a suicide mission, but the magnitude of the destruction unfolding in the screen shocked him.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #16 –
ENS James "Jimmy" Mariner | USS Theurgy | Docking Lounge on the Stallion > USS Allegiant NX-80978 ]
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Attn:

@Auctor Lucan @FollowTomorrow@Masorin @Gadget @Brutus @Griff @Fife @Masorin @Numen @Multificionado @lisavw


"That's nice, dear," Lillee said to Six with disdain as sharp as the sheathed blade she'd left on her bunk bed. She moved to the CONN station, but she paused near Six, smirking at the Borg girl. "Really, honey, we are much more likely to die horribly than be assimilated, so don't worry yourself. This is a good old fashioned suicide mission, ie? You only get one or two of these per lifetime, so enjoy it while it lasts."

"Come now. No need to tell anyone the odds. Besides, she knows all our phaser configurations, remodulations and a few subroutines to give either side an edge. Let's be that side, ey?" -- Jimmy quipped back in Six's defense, but also mainly to prove his own point, dreading he'd have to put his restored Yan Klingon Sword to use. As it was,  Jimmy didn't want to polish it when she was around, lest he set himself up for some poetic irony. Jimmy made note of the helmswoman's blade when he finished a carefully-input weapons sensor scan into the sensor logs and classified the PO's blade as a 'misc.' under the inventory, which had corresponding readouts of the phaser pistols, rifles, disintegrator and a few dozen grenades-- midway through the prelaunch inspection, he heard The CO's orders, well into following those orders at that moment.

"Ensign Mariner, I look forward to the inventory of the armoury and the cargo holds, as well as the adaptations of our weaponry to give us the best fighting chances against the Borg. Once Ensign Six has provided us with a course or coordinates on the bridge, she will be aiding you back there. Once you two are finished, I want the both of you to set up tactical protocols for this crew in the event of us being boarded. Lieutenant Martin, Ensign Dumral and Petty Officer Lillee t'Jellaieu, I need the three of your to hone tactical manoeuvres if we were to be intercepted and have to make a sudden escape. Needless to say, forethought is our ally in this endeavour to find where the Borg are, or where they come from."

"Aye, Sir." Jimmy didn't waste any time preparing an inventory or his manual calibrations as he put on a headset with an ocular screen to verify each weapon had been inspected. As he carried this out, Jimmy made sure to list the manually (and randomly) prepared phaser modulation frequencies. Six came to his side but Jimmy kept a polite but work first demeanor with him as his headpiece put on some music as he worked, humming 'Highway to the Danger Zone' to himself.

Mariner had acted upon advice from the ship's computer and his own crews' input from the simulations earlier, Jimmy helped program an ever-changing algorithm on a disposable PaDD; after being programmed, the one-time harmonic could be reset if proven effective but wouldn't leave any further clues to the Borg. In summary, it was like a Rubik's Cube that changed after each fire, regardless of the setting. When it was his turn with the CO, he explained as he displayed the algorithm that powered the crates' contents to the CO and as something of a general announcement to anyone in earshot:

"The weapons arsenal was designed for this mission only, to optimize the amout of time the time it takes the Borg to do the other A-word: Adapt. Ergo, your phasers could fire burst fire, single compressed bolt, beam, low or high yield output. Neither you, nor I nor even they can be able to predict what comes in the next pull of the trigger. For those familiar with Captain Shelby's reports, it is a scaled-down version of the fire patterns used by the Enterprise. Our simulations ran the numbers and came up with this tailor-designed phaser pattern. Like any bag of chocolates, you don't know what you'll get til you're ready to enjoy the fun." The joke didn't last as he showed the best parts of the phasers' results on a screen. It was only the first half of a Holodeck 'wave defense' scenario of the Stallion's main Engineering.

The footage demonstrated the chaotic random patterns of how the program seemed to demonstrate along-lasting defense against the Borg before the simulation overwhelmed them after a lengthy 'wave defense' sceneario; the coolant tanks had to be punctured after roughly 20 minutes' defense, but it had been their best and most effective modulation to surviving last known Borg defensive capabilities and adaption rates. The phasers themselves made multiple sound effects as they fired in different shades of kill and heavy stun in corresponding beam or compressed bolt colors.

Jimmy continued his report conversationally when the footage ran its course and he clicked off the screen. "The best way to, well, … not get probed is to set the phaser to overload; if, repeat, -if-.... the other A-word is imminent. So keep your friends close, your weapons closer, and your transporter lock even closer. Transporter buffer and stasis may just save us all an implant-addled collective headache." Jimmy pushed the thought of Ida's fate out of his mind as he mentioned the only substitute for avoiding assimilation. "Remember: Some of those Borg are former friends of yours, But they might now carry blades, chainsaws and... probes. There's no immunity to a killshot, so that cuts both ways-- literally." Jimmy kept his report open to both the possibility of a boarding action as well as having to repel one of their own. All chips were placed on the phaser modulations, but in less than a moment, Jimmy would reveal his ace card when that moment came to it; his hand was on that proverbial--and literal trigger.

Jimmy then had the time showed Yukimura the Twelve Phaser sidearms in the first secured crate, a mixed assortment of each type. a few Type-Is aka "Crickets" were tucked in at the sides. Jimmy unsuccessfully attempted to even acquire a 23rd-century template or two from the Theurgy's replicator but had to allocate room for three dozen grenades of each kind, which could yield considerable damage, or could stun either component of a cramped corridor's Borg occupants; this took up most of the first crate as the pistols neatly assorted. There were plenty of Type-IIs and Type-II Pulse phaser pistols to go around; the Crickets were there for anyone preferential to those, whereas Jimmy had to have a good grip on whatever he would fire. Which brought up the next three crates. Phaser rifles: Type-IIIs in carbine, EVA-handle, and the original model that Jimmy only really used for nostalgic purposes; He had however made it a point of mentioning that these had both cutting beam and pulsewave -- to open or seal doors in their wake to say nothing of what the 'shotgun' arc could deliver to unexpecting Borg. Isomagnetic disintegrators, two of them. Shoulder-mounted weapons capable of making short work of forcefields or as an immediate-destruction weapon, Jimmy insisted on calling it a bazooka, but maintained proper military designation for the Isomagnetic Disintegrators. Masuda made his inspection of each weapon as Jimmy explained the onboard arsenal to the crew.

Mariner's favorite. Blades, one per each Hardsuit beamed aboard, plus whatever blades aboard that the Allegiant's security scan, which included both his and Lillee t'Jellaieu's, which came up on the cautionary sensor scan. Jimmy didn't blame the PO, his own Yan had been given a Scottish basket-hilt with a red padding in preparation for this mission. "Ah, And of course, Leftenant. Churchill himself once said in World War II. 'In my opinion, sir, any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed'. Jack Churchill, that is. Retired in Australia, after proving swords stand the test of time, past present or future. So if we have some uninvited guests, you'll each receive a combat belt with the chance to resist. Hopefully, you'll be properly padded up, but anything can happen out here."

Jimmy added. "Finally, one more thing." Jimmy explained after returning one of the Exo-Suits' blades to its holster"These weapons are a handpicked selection of sidearms from the armories of our respective ships. They've been given some upgrades for this pleasure cruise, and I don't just mean Andorian dot-sight aiming attachments-- for friend or foe identification in the foggy, humid atmosphere of a Borg ship. Diversity is one advantage we have over the Borg. Let's let the Cayuga, the Resolve and Theurgy guns, plus a surprise or two." Jimmy didn't mention what they were but had the components to a pair of disruptor pistols and a TR-120 Rifle in one crate's false bottom under shakeproof crate-padding. These were unconventional weapons were an ace in the hole in the off-chance they had to fire tranquilizer darts or lethal projectiles in a first strike or last resort situation, perhaps against Six herself, who as a Security officer--and as a Borg had access to. Primarily, though these were meant to be last-resort sidearms. Naturally calm under fire, Jimmy passed the mention of suits and accessories available to each wielder for now. If he was holding something back or if his body language was hiding from Six's seemingly-constant observations of him, it was this, though he indifferently avoided meeting her gaze as he completed inventory, even though she could add her own input to the report now, though she wouldn't have known about Mariner's precautions.

"That's all." Jimmy concluded to LT. Yukimora and anyone in earshot. Only Jimmy and the LT knew everything about the Allegiant's full arsenal, and Jimmy hoped it wasn't a mistake to include the visual inspection but nonverbal indication of the non-phaser weapons that were only really meant as a last resort against Ensign Six, per Security directives concerning Borg compromise. During Wolf 359, the CO of a Federation vessel had been abducted and assimilated which caused a wipeout; Jimmy dreaded he would have to be the one to prevent that from happening in this scenario-- to anyone. The assimilated Cayuga personnel already aboard was keeping him worried about the success of any of his preparations for this engagement.

A full time security man, Jimmy dedicated whatever free time he could during the rest of the uneventful flight to reviewing combat logs and security footage from as many known Borg incursions as his clearance would give the Dominion War veteran information and intelligence to prepare to resist assimilation. It was fitting that he replayed the scenarios he did back on the Stallion's holodeck and needed do do some occasional energy drinks and exercises while he studied audibly. Mariner studied the declassified database entries from the time Q flung the Enterprise-D across the galaxy to Voyager very first engagements. Jimmy was most familiar with the Battle of Sector 0-0-1, being over Earth Spacedock at the time as he completed his courses at the academy. He was among the first to witness the Enterprise-E's return from the Borg incursion into the past, ending what was known as the Borg Scare. Fortunately Then-Lt. Commander Worf had posted his reports which were circulated around Starfleet Security, which was instrumental to the calibrations Jimmy had made today. He hoped to have multiplied the number of his shots his weapons could fire during this engagement to at least 144.

The thought of the Borg coming out of time crossed his mind, but he'd save that question for Six. He was too busy thinking about this timeline, or according to the briefing in that fighter bay, the possibility of alternate realities at work-- wait a minute, he realized he'd wolf-whistled at a familiar face. His mind starting to tell his body it needed some rest so he could be back on the job, he decided to take a quick power nap with one eye partially open thanks to taking his padd rigged to her location via the onboard cameras. Most curiously, Jimmy had restricted access to the armory once all weapons were stocked, so that only he, Martin and Yukimora could open the other weapons crates, including the grenades and Isomagnetic Disintegrators. Jimmy kept one compression pistol handy and helped issue out belts with phaser holsters. The plan if boarded was to secure all corners and exits to the bridge, lest the Borg attempt sabotage.

[ ENS Jimmy Mariner | Day 5 | 2200 hours | Bridge | USS Allegiant NX-80978 ]

In his bunk, Jimmy afforded himself 10-15 minutes needed for a dream: A beach house with Meony, and at least one kid. That was, when the thought of a beach house eclipsed by a Cube the size of a small starbase awoke him from his nightmare with a start.  Unlike his Maori neighbors, however, Jimmy was not going to paint his face with tattoos. He'd lose count off of so many kills. He did however thus feel motivated to cover up the sound of his surprise by conducting old war chants akin to fast-paced Klingon mokabra. That much death and experience on HT-997 alone should have made him accustomed to death and destruction, usually for marginal gain or real reason at the time. But no war chant or chest-pounding prepared him for that sight when he came over from his workbench as the yellow alert sounded a few hours later. Jimmy had been in Fleets where upwards of 90% or just a little more of the ships were destroyed, and the USS Hornet was ordered to house and host the survivors while its Peregrine-class fighters towed salvageable craft in tractor-guided warp bubbles as they fled from the enemy. The sight was not one best remembered until now.

Jimmy listened with interest to the concept of an inoculation to the Borg and assimilation. Beyond academy and combat simulations, he only knew rudimentary knowledge of Borg nanoprobes, other than to compare them to the mythical monsters known as vampires and zombies, which were euphimisms for infectious diseases but enough to know to avoid. Jimmy was only grateful he had an exosuit, and now, potentially an immunity. Good. The dopamine release of good news was all that Jimmy had to temper him for the scene of the aftermath.

"There's also the USS Seeker, the Kusanagi, the Ark Royal, the Fairchild-A... And the USS Triton. That's all I can tell from here, Sir. We will need to get closer for the sensors to be able to cut through the interference. The Nebula is making sensor readings difficult, and I'm detecting residual traces of warp impact emissions which aren't helping sensor accuracy."

Jimmy cringed at the Ops's list of some of those ship names. No mention of a galaxy-class yet, but he knew friends and shipmates who transferred to the Kusanagi after the War, or so he'd heard. Privately, he clenched a jaw but skipped the glib remarks or joking euphemisms out of respect for the dead. Instead, he imagined a prayer at those lost out here. No animosity seemed to generate towards Six or himself or Theurgy. Just more good people lost to threats that would think of them as an afterthought. Most he could do was wonder if Vivian's brother could make avoiding this fragile little shuttle to be added to that list. "Captain, the scans match those of a Cube variant that the USS Voyager encountered while in the Delta Quadrant. They referred to it as a Tactical Cube." Jimmy peered at the Ops screen. "It appears that these Tactical Cubes are heavily armed and armoured variants of the standard cube. Pushing the pertinent data to your console, Sir."

Jimmy made himself useful in asking, in anticipation for combat: "The crew destroyed it from within, as with the Wolf 359 incursion. Or the Arctic Station incident, if anyone else buys that 22nd-century theory." Jimmy knew that would earn him a response for speaking in theoretical, but he had to bring up the temporal mystery and the Borg's ability to create temporal rifts. He shifted the topic by asking, Are the scanners picking up signs of life? We could ping their location for a future rescue." Jimmy asked in ever-present concern for anyone who wore the uniform.
Lt. Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez
Chief Tactical Officer, USS Theurgy
"No one left behind."

Ensign James "Jimmy" Mariner
Security Officer, USS Theurgy
"Showtime!"

Lieutenant (J.G.) Alessia "Angel" Garcia
Valravn Fighter Pilot, USS Theurgy
"You're not the only one with a gun,"

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #17 –
[ Lt JG, Salem Martin  | CMO's Office | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy  ]
[Show/Hide]

When Salem ordered the cut of the warp engines it had been due to some debris alerts, at first he thought maybe it was a ship that had run into the cube. He had ordered the slow to impulse and what had greeted him wasn't a sight he would have believed if he hadn't been the one in command when they had come across it.  He leaned into the back of his chair for a moment, his hand gripping the console as he looked out at the view screen, it took him a moment before he roused Masuda.

Getting up from his seat as Masuda was on the bridge he blinked as people started to go through scans, his eyes glued to the view screen in silence and awe.

The Borg Cube was demolished.

everyone knew that this could have been a one way trip, and that there was always a chance that they could not be coming back. That this could have been a suicide mission, but he was not at all ready for this. What the heck could do this to a cube of this size and power?

"Can we cross reference the debris with the scans the Cayuga took? Is there anyway to tell if it's the same cube?" The thought that there could be multiple cubes in the nebula gave him a bit of a cold chill. 11 Starfleet ships had bashed this thing to oblivion.

"Cubes have also been known to carry supporting vessels, the voyager logs, and the battle of sector 001 showcased that cubes could hold smaller Borg ships. Can we find any other warp trails?"

He looked at Six. "What do you hear?"

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #18 –
[PO1 Lillee t’Jellaieu] |  Bridge of USS Allegiant NX-80978] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Triton, @Gadget, @Fife, @Masorin, @Numen, @Multificionado, @lisavw

[Show/Hide]

The sight outside the Allegiant's viewports was breathtaking. Lillee, while hardly a stranger to such devastation, was nevertheless stunned to silence by the view. Without prompting, she adjusted the Allegiant's course to skirt around the furthest edges of the debris field, having no desire to enter it. The Allegiant was no little shuttle, larger even than Starfleet's ubiquitous runabout, but the scout ship suddenly felt very tiny amidst such a scene.

An entire fleet of Federation ships had sacrificed themselves against the Borg, triumphing over their adversary, but at the cost of thousands of lives. The sheer scale of it boggled the mind. Lillee didn't run the scan, but she knew full well that a basic bioscan would reveal countless corpses. Terrans, Andorians, Vulcans, Tellarites, Bajorans, Betazoids and many others besides, not even considering that dead Borg drones, all victims in their own right. It was a massacre of a horrifying scale.

"I recommend against entering this debris field," Lillee reported quietly, her hands moving across the controls gently, although since she had already changed course to skim outside the debris field, the 'recommendation' was more of a polite notification. "Unstable munitions and stray antimatter could pose a serious threat."

Then she heard the human ask the ex-Borg a question, and Lillee's pointed ears perked up to listen. Six's answer could well determine the Allegiant's fate. If there were no more Borg nearby, then Task Force Archeron's sacrifice might've saved countless worlds near the Azure Nebula, not to mention the Allegiant itself, defenceless as it was against a full Borg cube.

Of course, if she still 'heard' the Borg through that unsettling ability that she possessed, then matters had gotten even worse. For everyone. Lillee tensed at the thought, looking out at the debris field with intense concern as she waited for Six''s response.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #19 –
[ Doctor T'Panu | Med Bay | USS Allegiant NX-80978 ]

Lt. JG Izar Bila and T'Panu had been working tirelessly to create the "cure" for the Borg attacks. They modified the nanoprobes nicely and were both very happy with the progress they were making.

When they saw through the viewscreen the mass destruction and chaos unfolding before them, there were simply no words. She

The time to prepare for their next encounter was now. Grabbing her PADD, she set to work on testing the serum on the artificial neural network. If they were to stand a chance, they would need to come at the Borg from every unexpected angle. If the serum was to be used on the crewmembers, the Borg couldn't stand a chance in adapting to it. With no contact with the actual serum, how could they adapt that quickly? And to change their molecular structure that quickly seemed nearly impossible.

T'Panu plugged the calculations into the ANN, making a few adjustments to adapt to the simulation. She created a second ANN: one for a Borg mind, one for a human. She was curious to see what would happen to both with the adapted nanoprobes. The inoculation was a great first line of defense. If they were to combine it with a Cortical Inhibitor and a Neural Suppressant, it could just slow it down enough to let the nanoprobes fully take effect.

She began calculating the level of efficiency of their combined plans. With some simple calculus formulas, she began plugging the numbers into the different layers of the ANN. Now all that was left to do, was to wait for it to calculate the margin of error and decrease it accordingly. While she was waiting for both sides to calculate and run their course, she set to work on further researching the Borg Collective to find solutions to bring them down.

They would have to be prepared for the Borg to adapt, but T'Panu was optimistic in thinking they finally had a good chance against them! With little weapons, little defence, but lots of determination, T'Panu had no doubt in her mind thinking they were going to at least go down with a good fight. And with any luck, they would bring the Borg down with them.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #20 –
[ Lieutenant Masuda Yukimura | Bridge | USS Allegiant NX-80978 ] Attn: @Gadget @Griff @Fife @Masorin @Numen @Multificionado @lisavw @Triton
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Gradually, the officers present on the bridge began to to speak, the initial shock of what they had encountered beginning to abate. Masuda listened, in silence, while Ops revealed what they were seeing. He knew those ships already, as would others from the Theurgy. It seemed that a part of Task Force Archeron had encountered this Tactical Cube, and in doing so, had stopped it by whatever means they could. In the end, they must have been desperate.

He had heard officer Izar and his report about his and T'Panu's progress, and while he was pleased, the immediate business at hand was the debris field on the screen. The first works that left his mouth was in gratitude for their efforts, before he leaned forward in the command chair, hands clasped and his elbows on his knees. "Thank you, Izar and T'Panu... With Ensign Six's consent, proceed to finalise the omicron radiation treatment," was all he said, quietly, while his brown eyes searched the twirling masses of torn metal. "Indeed, Mariner. Have a distress beacon brought from the cargo hold and activate it in the airlock. Depressurise the airlock at your leisure. We might not be equipped for an SAR operation, but we should do what we can for any survivors out there."

Should they even beam them aboard, if there were any out there? He was yet undecided.

The Romulan at the helm took wise precautions, so Masuda did naught more than nod in acquiescence to her suggestion, belated as it might be. His mind was still trying to absorb the enormity of what they were seeing, like the rest on the bridge, but the prevalent thought that came to him was that they might dare investigate a bit further, if only to see if there was anything to learn that could aid them in their mission. Their objective was to learn where the Borg came from, or where they were presently, and now, they had a location to start at.

"Can we cross reference the debris with the scans the Cayuga took? Is there anyway to tell if it's the same cube? Cubes have also been known to carry supporting vessels, the voyager logs, and the battle of sector 001 showcased that cubes could hold smaller Borg ships. Can we find any other warp trails?"

Salem Martin had already asked the right questions in that regard, and Six might glean more answers if she was given a little more time. At this point, Masuda was looking at the datafile that Okotie-Eboh had sent to his armrest, and he confirmed it was the same kind of cube he had studied before. With that kind of armour, and the cube's abilities, he could sympathise with the idea ram it at warp. It had worked, but at the cost of so many lives.

"You heard the man, Eboh. We need to isolate the warp trail of this destroyed cube, and see where it came from, and also see if there were any survivors leaving this area," he said quietly to Ops, then he turned to t'Jellaieu and Martin. "Martin, see if you can assist. Compare the signature with the records of the Cayuga encounter from your station, and furthermore, if there are any life-signs out there. Moreover, see if there is anything left that we might salvage. It might be risky... but if it's not too deep into the debris, it might be wort it. Helm, take us around the entire debris field at a quarter impulse. It might help us cover more area of the debris with our scans."

Lastly, he looked at the ex-Borg drone. "How many drones are still alive here, and are there are more cubes in the vicinity? I need a need a new bearing for what you may hear."

If they found a warp trail, and went in that direction instead, they still needed to know more about what was out there, and in which heading the present cubes held.

OOC: There! Seven days of posting in reply begins today. Here is the page featuring the Allegiant, with deck plans and specs: USS Allegiant. Here are those aboard the Allegiant: [Show/Hide]
Again, this mission is depicted primarily in this thread, but one-on-one threads can of course be made, situated on the Allegiant during the mission. There is now a time-slot between 0800 hrs. and 2200 hrs. for such threads, and the naming convention is: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day XX | XXXX hrs. ] Insert Title. OOC discussions and ideas can be posted in the Plot Discussion thread. Here is also the floor plan of the Allegiant for convenient access: [Show/Hide]

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #21 –
ENS James "Jimmy" Mariner | USS Theurgy | Docking Lounge on the Stallion > USS Allegiant NX-80978 ]
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Attn:

@Auctor Lucan @FollowTomorrow@Masorin @Gadget @Brutus @Griff @Fife @Masorin @Numen @Multificionado @lisavw


"Indeed, Mariner. Have a distress beacon brought from the cargo hold and activate it in the airlock. Depressurise the airlock at your leisure. We might not be equipped for an SAR operation, but we should do what we can for any survivors out there."

Jimmy wasted no time in getting to the Allegiant's cargo bay and found one of the craft's distress beacons prepared to transmit general distress signal citing the Borg Attack, citing the ship names and registry numbers, starting with Kusanagi's. Under the circumstances, it was prudent to leave the beacon's transponder set to the Cayuga's IFF configurations, once Mariner had lugged the thruster-guided beacon over to the shuttlecraft's airlock. ”If we can’t save those poor souls, we’re bloody well gonna avenge them, Cap’n.”

Jimmy stepped back into the shuttle's corridors and released the active beacon toward the Kusanagi's hull, keeping the Borg debris well out of range in case they got ahold of the beacon. It was still a risk, but the responsibility of him to protect life and comrades was still part of what he signed up for. Mariner listened with interest as he heard Masuda give further orders to the crew and without regarding her when he'd carried out his own orders, Jimmy zeroed in on what Six had to say

Now all that was left to do was wait for the Allegiant to continue its search for the Borg. There was still that nagging hope that all their enemies would meet up here in the Azure Nebula for a predestined purpose, even if that purpose was a massive and inevitable destruction, the most Jimmy could do was serve his role in whatever humble infantryman’s profession he could. Albeit a well-armed-and-trained but still humble infantryman.
Lt. Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez
Chief Tactical Officer, USS Theurgy
"No one left behind."

Ensign James "Jimmy" Mariner
Security Officer, USS Theurgy
"Showtime!"

Lieutenant (J.G.) Alessia "Angel" Garcia
Valravn Fighter Pilot, USS Theurgy
"You're not the only one with a gun,"

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #22 –
[Ensign Six | Bridge | USS Allegiant NX-80978] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Masorin @Triton @Numen @Griff @Fife @Gadget @lisavw
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“What do I hear, Lieutenant Martin?” queried Six. “I can still hear them.

“How many drones are still alive, Lieutenant?” she answered Masuda, turning to him. “It’s hard to tell. There could be surviving drones out there, but there’s a lot of distortion because of this debris field. This field is rife with radiation. As for cubes…the whispers are still faint; there are no cubes or any Borg vessels in the general vicinity. They’re still in the nebula somewhere, however.”

Concentrating, she already determined the bearing in the direction of the voices.

“I have our new bearing: 311-mark-6.”

She had a feeling Petty Officer t’Jellaieu wouldn’t like these directions. Slightly veering as they may be, the course still leads through the debris field.

“This bearing…it’s leading into Federation space,” she said, occurring to her. “Would you please confirm that course, t’Jellaieu?”

Much as they were following the voices through the nebula, it began occurring to her that the bearings she was guiding the crew through were going into Federation space. What did the Borg want with the Federation? She remembered her nightmare; the Collective mentioned “biological distinctiveness.” Could the Borg be seeking out the parasites?

“We can keep on this course, but we could also follow the warp trail of this cube,” she added. “I’ll leave that to you to decide, Lieutenant.”

She nodded to Masuda and then turned to Izar and T’Panu.

“Izar, T’Panu, I’m open to your treatments. Just be careful; my own implants are essential to both my skills and my health.”

She heard Masuda mention omicron radiation treatment, and if she can help in any way to make a protection against assimilation, it would prove beneficial.

Six thought about the debris field, consisting of remains of Federation ships as well as the apparent Tactical Cube. The fact that they had to ram the ship told her that they were all desperate. She wondered if the task force was looking for the Theurgy, and while it meant one less obstacle, it was an astounding loss to the Federation.

No matter what trail they followed, either way, Six felt more and more uneasy.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #23 –
[ CPO Ekon Okotie-Eboh | Bridge | USS Allegiant NX-80978 ] @Auctor Lucan @Masorin @Numen @Griff @Triton @lisavw @Multificionado

”Aye, sir.” Chief Okotie-Eboh acknowledged as he acted on Yukimura’s orders.

The rapid-fire chirping of the console announced his initiation of further scans of the debris field. Ekon’s eyes ran over the readings as they were displayed, though anyone watching would know by the furrowing of his brow that the scans were not as successful as the Ops Chief would have liked.

”It will take some time to isolate any individual warp signatures in the debris field, Sir.” Ekon reported without taking his eyes off of the sensor readouts. ”The nebula alone would have made readings difficult to obtain. The warp core detonations and radiation being put out by the debris field are creating a sensor nightmare. I won’t be able to scan for life-signs with any confidence unless we move closer to the debris field.”

Ekon’s hands had paused while he reported the issue to Yukimura, but now resumed their mad dance across the smooth surface of the console. ”Isolating individual warp trails will take some time. There’s just too much interference. I will attempt to modify the sensors to allow Lieutenant Martin to get a more accurate scan of the Borg debris for comparison with the Cayuga’s records.” Ekon set about narrowing the angle of the sensor sweeps, then diverted power from secondary systems to bolster the strength of the primary sensor array. After a few more minutes of working, he turned to Martin and spoke again.

”That is about as clear a reading as we are going to get at this range, Lieutenant.” Ekon told the Tactical officer before turning back to his own console. ”I will try and isolate the Borg warp signature so you can begin your analysis.”

Ekon fell silent as he continued with his task, his brow knitting together in concentration as he attempted to find the needle they were looking for in a stack of needles.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] Scouting Mission

Reply #24 –
[ Lt. JG Izar Bila| | Bridge | USS Allegiant NX-80978 ]
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Att.: @Auctor Lucan  @Gadget  @Griff  @Masorin  @Fife  @Multificionado  @lisavw  @Triton 



Bila swallowed a couple of times before  he was able to reply to Lieutenant Masuda. While a part of his mind gratefully registered the recognition of the Theurgy officer, most of his brain was racing wild, trying to calculate the direct consequences of what was shown on the main screen and what was said on the bridge. The half bajoran rejoiced in to have all the variables under control, all possible developments of the facts at least intuited, the framework of work monitored. This was due both to background as scientist as by his aversion to uncertainty, indeed his job was clearify the unknown and he adored the mental exercise that entailed, but as he had lived through enough situations where his life hung in a thread he had ended hating the uncertainty. And as much as he squeezed his brain,  he didn't see any optimal output that didn't pose a direct threat.
 

He felt his hands tremble slightly and grabbed the PADD he wore harder, until his gray knuckles turned white. It wasn't time to stay numbed in the bridge, so overwhelmed by the circumstances that he would be unable to do anything. He had to divide this problem into small, manageable steps, small actions that he could cross off his list and move on. Step by step, without thinking on the consequences, that was the way he had survived in the refugee camp, and in the Battle of Sector 001. And on so many other occasions.


With this clear in his mind, he breathed deeply, and    although his breathing trembled slightly, his hands remained firm this time. "Sir, I think the crew should be inoculated as soon as possible with the modified nanoprobes. If there is a hidden sphere or something else among the remains it is better that we are prepared to be assaulted, even more if our sensors suffer interference that hinders its operation." He said with resolution, his voice unusually serious due to the dangerousness of the situation. "The vaccine will not last forever, but at least it will cover our backs to synthesize a second dose and apply a second shot.  Hope the Prophets let us replicate many more," he added.  If they had to continue inoculating nanoprobes on the crew it meant that they hadn't been approached by the Borg and it was the situation he prefered.  But the designs of the divine beings were inexhaustible and, although they had always been relatively favorable to the hybrid, Bila didn't want to abuse his luck.


The chemist shook his head and focused on the next step, trying to keep the weight he felt in the pit of his stomach from seizing his throat. He turned to Ensign Six and watched her for a moment before speaking. There was a part of him that knew that maybe he should be the one who felt most sympathetic to the ex-borg, being one of the few who could understand what it meant to be hated simply for being what he was. For something that was beyond their control. But Bila couldn't ignore that he was a Borg, and after having survived several attacks of those half-artificial beings, he couldn't help feeling a certain resentment towards her. So he dressed that bitterness with professionalism and addressed the woman with the neutral and polite tone with which he would speak at a conference. After all, lab rats were treated with clemency. "Ensign, we will not need to take you away from her duties too long, if you allow the doctor to take biopsies of tissue from your spinal cord and liver, I think we would have enough to replicate the samples and perform the tests with the ORE." He tried to keep the tone as neutral as possible, the gesture relaxed, but he couldn't avoid some tension in his shoulders. At least, being the medical officer who would be in charge of the extraction, he could limit his contact with her and maintain the facade that he felt no prejudice.


Without further delay, he went to the bridge door to return to the laboratory, but before leaving he couldn't help but turn and speak to the captain of the Allegiant. "If you allow me the suggestion, sir, I think we should follow the trail that is closer to the territory of the Federation. While knowing where the destroyed Cube came from can show us from where they had accessed this quadrant, our duty is to protect civilians and Fed facilities, and warn them of the threat that may befall them if the Borg head to a populated area.” Little more they could do, since their small starship was far from being able to pose a real threat to the Borg, they were hardly a mosquito facing a Gekli.

Bila stood by the door for a second and took one last look at the destruction on the main screen before redirecting her steps back to the lab. Inoculate the crew, take samples, finish developing the Omicrom Radiation Emiter. Step by Step. He just needed to stuck to the plan.
 
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