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Topic: CH03: S [D06|0901] Final Pieces (Read 8729 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: CH03: S [D06|0901] Final Pieces

Reply #25 –
[ Commander Carrigan Trent | Senior Officer's Quarters | Deck 10 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy] attn: @chXinya

Blood was pounding in his ears.  Had he not already been seated on the bed, Trent would have long collapsed.  He was already entirely drained.  Physically, mentally, emotionally.  How many more blows was he supposed to take?  Just how much more could he take?  Every last one was leaving him weaker and weaker. 

Part of him just wanted to let himself break; his strength was spent. 

At least, something that could be said for Wenn Cinn, he did not try to feed him too much false hope; vowing Heather would be guarded with he lives of the other members of the crew, though, that was going a little far.  Oh, he was certain she would be protected, but if anyone was going down last, it would not be her... And briefly closing his eyes, more images flashed against his eyelids.  Heather recaptured and dragged screaming to a stark and sterile examination room with all the trappings of a torture chamber, Heather torn apart by the claws of one of those monsters, Heather shredded by those graviton beams of theirs, no matter the best efforts of others.

But he wanted to hope!  How badly did he want to! 

But there remained a problem.  "The Borg, Cinn?"  It took some time for Trent's voice to catch up with his thoughts.  "Do you have anything resembling a plan?  A way to deal with them?  Last time, it took a fleet to even slow down a Cube, and we have what?  A damaged ship with an exhausted crew, and no idea what we're headed into."

The Human looked up towards he Bajoran.  "I removed from command for allegedly leading this crew towards certain death for considering mounting a rescue mission and not writing your off.  And now you mean to ride in against the Borg?  At least tell me you have a plan beyond 'drop out of warp, start shooting, and hope you can pull it out of your ass.'"

Re: CH03: S [D06|0901] Final Pieces

Reply #26 –
[Acting Captain Wenn Cinn | Senior Officer's Quarters | Deck 10 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy] attn: @CanadianVet

Cinn couldn't tell what was going on between Trent’s ears as the human processed the news, but with the way the man’s brain was wired it was sure to haven been analytical.  Cinn waited in silence as he waited for his compatriot to finish processing through the message.  The sudden shift to discussion the Borg wasn’t the first thing he expected, but it was on the list.  It was a testament to Trent’s willpower and drive to stay alive.

For a brief moment Cinn thought about spitting back with “That was the plan.”, but he bit it off before any part of it left his lips.  This was not the time for morbid quips, he needed Trent on his side for the upcoming fight.  He didn’t think the man would appreciate being locked in his quarters while the Borg boarded them either.  “We’re far from the only ship.  Chancellor Martok himself saw the a cube arrive in the nebula.  Knowing the Klingons, every ship that could get to the aperture field will be there.  The Cayuga is with us as well, Vector 3 came across them while we were split apart.  She went on ahead to make sure the Borg didn’t come pouring in from the Delta Quadrant while we met up with Vector 1.”

Sighing, Cinn stood up again and started to pace a few steps.  “I won’t lie Carrigan, even with the Klingons with us this is not going to be a pleasant fight.  The plan is to drop in, keep the Queen occupied while the Cayuga figures out which aperture they’re using, then a combined torpedo barrage to collapse it.  From what we’ve come to understand, the destiny of the entire galaxy is at stake here.  For every minute we can delay the Queen we have a better shot at stopping the Borg from launching an invasion that no one will be able to stop.  I need to know if you’re with us on this.  Anything that can be done to delay them is on the table.”

Re: CH03: S [D06|0901] Final Pieces

Reply #27 –
[ Commander Carrigan Trent | Senior Officer's Quarters | Deck 10 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy] attn: @chXinya

"That's pretty thin." Going toe to toe with the Borg and keeping their attention, relying on another ship to survive long enough to find out what other aperture they were using before Theurgy and its allies in this fight were destroyed or assimilated, to use a wave of torpedoes to hopefully destroy said aperture, and survive to tell the tale?  That sounded like an elaborate way to commit suicide if he'd ever heard one. 

In fact, that's exactly what it seemed like to him.  A one-way mission.  Trent was no expert on Klingons, but it hardly took an expert in their culture to know they were far from monolithic; in fact, calling them fractious might approximate the state of the Empire on a good day.  And while Martok was a well-respected Chancellor, there was no telling what kind of a fleet he could assemble on short notice. 

"In fact, it sounds like suicide."  His near-whisper was cold, unyielding.  "Catching them at their beachhead is probably the best plan there is, but it remains they are the fucking Borg.  Do I need to remind you the kind of casualties a fleet prepared to receive them took?"  There was no hiding Trent's distinct displeasure with that choice of objective.  He had been removed from command because a faithless coward broke his confidence and lied about his intent to make a hell-for-leather run against the Savi rather than relate the truth, that his aim was to make an attempt, and break off if it was hopeless.  And now going for something that was even more insane? 

"How is this in support of the mission, Cinn?  What will getting ourselves killed or assimilated do to support it?" 

Heather, I'm so sorry.  I failed you.  The thought flashed through the Human's mind.  He thought of everything that had led him to this point.  The Saber's destruction; sitting out the rest of the war recovering; Starfleet Intelligence; becoming Sankolov's staff intelligence officer; noticing something was wrong; the hunt for Theurgy; disabling Task Force Archeron from the inside. 

He had a thought. 

"Give me a good reason you think this is what needs doing.  And you give me your word," it was going to be a low blow, one that Trent normally would never use; he had studied the dossiers of the senior staff when Theurgy made her initial run for it; he'd had to.  And now he would use that knowledge to his advantage, and against a man he actually liked and respected.  But he would not let this opporunity pass. He could not. "You give me your word on your mother's grave and memory  that no matter what happens, who lives or dies, you or me included, we go after our people afterwards.  You do this... and I may have something.  You don't, might as well kill me right here and right now, deny the Borg everything that's in my head."

Re: CH03: S [D06|0901] Final Pieces

Reply #28 –
[Acting Captain Wenn Cinn | Senior Officer's Quarters | Deck 10 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy] attn: @CanadianVet

Cinn couldn’t blame Trent for his reaction, his initial exclamations had echoed through the Bajoran’s mind several times in the past few hours.  It sounded thin yes, but it’s not like they had an abundance of time to plan out a multi-stage campaign, nor did they have the resources to pull something like that off.  This fight was going to have a lot of off-the-cuff elements, but considering how the Borg adapted, that should work in their favor.  The idea of running at the Borg like the way they were certainly did sound like suicide, that part was undeniable.  When he first learned about them Cinn’s skin and crawled at the thought of nanoprobe constructed implants bursting out of his skin and having his will subsumed by some cybernetic collective.  But he was a Starfleet security officer, his job was to run to the danger.  As much as he’d prefer to be back on Bajor during the Occupation fighting Cardassians instead, he didn’t have a choice.

How was this on mission?  Cinn wasn’t sure how much he’d be believed if he told Trent the full truth of where all of this intelligence was coming from, especially now that it’s known that Nicander had been wrong about the captives, so he decided to leave that part out, let the man figure out the source on his own.  “We’ve learned that the parasites want to get assimilated.  Supposedly they plan to use the Collective to tear the galaxy apart, but that’s immaterial in this case.  This is the Borg Carrigan.  Whenever they’re spotted in Federation space all available ships are sent to intercept.  This is no different.  I have no plans or desired to get us all killed or assimilated, unlike them.”

For a moment Trent went quiet, probably assimilating what Cinn said.  After a few moments the man’s face changed, a steely look of resolve latching onto his companion’s face.  Mentioning Cinn’s mother was a bit of a blow and the Bajoran had to fight his impulsive reaction to strike back.  Trent deserved to be heard out, even if he really wasn’t in a position to negotiate.  He wasn’t sure if it was an ultimatum, an offer, a bribe, or what, but going after the Versant when they were done with the Borg?

“In the name of the Prophets, on the grave and memory of my mother Carrigan, when this Battle of the Apertures is finished we will get our people back from the Savi.”  Cinn was completely serious, his tone the one reserved for the most sacred of oaths.  He didn’t have to think it over, the only reason they weren’t going after the Versant this exact moment was because of the Borg.

Re: CH03: S [D06|0901] Final Pieces

Reply #29 –
[ Commander Carrigan Trent | Senior Officer's Quarters | Deck 10 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy] attn: @chXinya

Of course.  The Borg were a dreaded enemy, and any incursion needed to be put to an end as quickly as possible.  But when even an organized defence had failed, a single battered starship was expected to just go in hell-for-leather?  Because no, not all available ships were expected to go and intercept pell-mell without organization or coordination; doing so would invite the involved captains, and Starfleet Command, to become intimately acquainted with the term 'defeat in detail'. 

And no plans to be assimilated?  So if they were to fail, then it would be the self-destruct sequence.  Lovely.  As if dying attempting to fight the Borg would improve things at all. 

And while Cinn may not see it himself, Trent knew he was in a position to make demands at this point.  When asked to fight the Borg, a few thoughts had come to his mind, and all of them revolved around Soup Sandwich.  But this program, such a dangerous weapon as it was, was kept secured behind layers of encryption and restricted access that only two people could gain access to... ad he was the only one on board who could at this time.  The knowledge in his mind and every skill he possessed, he could not be compelled to make any use of them.  And given he had been relieved of duty and everything he had cared for had been taken from him?  There was really nothing more that could be done to him, nothing of any real worth left to take from him. 

In a way, he was completely free, unbound unless he chose otherwise.  He had control, such as it was.  And that was something.

So, he waited.  Using Wenn Cinn's mother as a weapon was a low blow, but it was one that would be telling; if he refused to swear by her, Trent would simply tell him to get lost; if Wenn took the oath and then reneged, his own guilty conscience would be the last of his concerns, for Carrigan Trent would do everything in his power to kill him.  But that was probably the least likely turn of events; Wenn Cinn took his word seriously, everyone knew that.

And his word he gave.  Slowly, Trent nodded.  "Good.  I'll need somewhere to work, with some solid firewalls.  I'll also need full access to sensors and communications, and a lot of computer resources.  I have a theory, and ideally I'd want a few weeks and a few cyberneticists working on this too, but I think I can get something going.  There are entirely too many ifs... but I think I can use Soup Sandwich against the Borg."


- FIN
 
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