The Story - Episode 5

Episode 5

The Spider and the Fly

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 14a
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19

Back to the story

Chapter 1

Patrol of the Cardassian-Federation Demilitarized Zone had perhaps been the farthest thought from the crew's minds, though after the stress of their recent "volunteer" mission, the silent somewhat unsettling peace of patrol might be welcoming. Of course, as is the case with any infamous Federation ship, the peace would be short-lived. How this supposedly boring duty ended however, was far from the any expected outcome ...

{Bridge, Griffin - On Patrol}

Only three hours of patrol, and Sable could already feel her brain crying against the solemnity. She longed to use her skills beyond the feeble monitoring of ship's helm systems, but it seemed that this time, her desire would go un-rewarded. Of course she understood that the lulls must follow the bangs of action, but that did not mean she had to like it, nor did it require that she take comfort in the peace, though their stress levels had been "through hell and back." Since the time she could remember clearly, she had always lived in a never ending chaos, always calm to a point of awe; but when the atmosphere was lacking such electricity, she found herself restless in anxiety.

It occurred about this time, as Sable began to reflect upon her consuming boredom, that the serious echo of a red alert klaxon brought the crew to the edge of their seats. Quickly, Sable looked over her instruments as the computer automatically raised the shields, having activated the alarm on its own accord due to sensor readings it found potentially endangering.

"Sensors have detected several large explosions," Sable reported, having "beat" the other bridge officers to the task. "Approximately, fifty kilometers off the port bow; bearing three four zero mark three two three. Low level shock waves will impact in five seconds."

"On screen," Myst ordered.

The screen flashed, filled with an orange, red glow.

"Source?" Ivanof inquired as he braced his hands upon the second command chair arm rests. The galaxy class cruiser shook very slightly, undetectable by most of the crew and inhabitants.

"Unknown, sir," the chief science officer reported in turn. "However, I'm reading high amounts of tritanium, duranium, and ... hypercarbon residue ..."

"Hypercarbons?" Ivanof repeated, suddenly intrigued. He thought a moment then looked to Captain Myst who nodded in affirmation. "Helm, can you take us in for a closer look?"

Sable studied her own displays for a pause, then replied, "Yes, sir. Ten kilometers, give or take a few." She smirked, turning toward the executive officer.

"Take us closer then."

"Aye-aye, sir," Sable replied, she quickly entered the course change, half smiling as she did so. She reached for the final key that would confirm the change ...

... And the ship shook violently, throwing some from their stations and seats.

Sable grasped tightly to her console, her eyes scanning the displays, widening in slow recognition. *Oh no ...* she thought, swallowing hard; white light overwhelming the view screen.

"Bridge to engineering," the Chief Engineer reported crisply over the com system. "There's a lot of stress on the warp core down here. Something's snagged our warp bubble!"

"Shut down the core!" Myst replied just as crisply.

"I already tried with no effect. The core is frozen," he returned.

"Eject then," Myst ordered, looking to her first officer.

"That won't work," Sable managed to interject weakly, the shock wearing thin and her calm self returning. She had never expected to find herself in this situation again ...

Myst narrowed her eyes, gazing oddly at Sable, sensing emotions from the helm officer that she had thought were well repressed. "What should we do then, Commander?" Myst asked.

"Send a message," Sable answered.

"That's impossible," the communications officer replied. "We're going too fast ..."

"No," Sable interrupted with a sudden acid. "Telepathically."

The bridge grew strangely quiet and Myst closed her eyes in concentration, though she knew not what to send, nor to whom she must send it ...

Moments later, Myst opened her eyes and the Griffin began to slow, the light fading into many small points of light.

"We're being hailed," the communications officer reported.

"On screen," Myst ordered slowly, standing from her chair in some distraction. A man much like one who had visited her ship not long ago stood erect on the view screen, scowling. "I am Captain Pricilla Myst of the Federation star ship, Griffin," Myst greeted hesitantly.

"Yes, I know," the man replied, giving her an odd grin.

Sable felt herself grow pale in recognition of the man before them. *I should be dead if luck can turn so cruel,* she thought to herself ...

Myst stepped back, shocked to hear Sable's voice within her mind so clearly. She gave the communications officer the signal to mute audio. "Sable, why do I get the feeling you know something vital that we don't?"

Sable swallowed again, turning slowly to face her Captain. "This ... is very, very bad ..." she stopped, feeling the glare of the man on the view screen behind her. The knowledge that he could not hear her was far from comforting. "He is a leader ... of the enemy faction."

"Enemy faction?" Myst inquired, then looked up for a moment, and the man grinned again sending shivers down her spine. There was much she did not understand, this man a member of a people the Federation knew very little of except that they existed ... yet one thing was clear, they had fallen into fell hands ...

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Chapter 2

{The Quarters Of Anna Krasinski}

Jaquelle was sitting across the table from Anna enjoying their once a week lunch. Suddenly Anna stopped her fork in mid air. She had a strange look on her face, but before Jaquelle could get a word out the red alert klaxon sounded.

"Anna, what is it that you noted?" Jaquelle asked.

"Something is wrong with the warp drive," Anna responded.

Jaquelle understood, she knew that most of the good engineers and science officers in the fleet could tell the speed of the engines simply by standing on the metal plates of the decks. Anna was no different. But suddenly, the ship shook violently almost throwing Jaquelle and Anna out of their seats. Just at that moment a rush of voices came into Jaquelle's head. First Sable's distinct words of (OH, no,) then more word's of Sable, then Captain Myst and finally everybody's all at once. Jaquelle was almost overwhelmed. Being only part Betazoid rarely did she hear the actual words of others, and only on Betazed or other empathic worlds did she actually have to concentrate on filtering the voices of others in her head. But suddenly she felt like a small child who had acquired her telepathic abilities too young, before being trained properly. But she had been trained and instinctively she reverted back to her Betazoid training and reinforced the shields in her mind. She didn't even hear Anna's inquiry at first.

"Jaquelle, are you all right? Jaquelle.....Jaquelle?" Anna called getting more and more concerned.

Jaquelle regained her composure, "I'm fine. What is happening?"

"Unsure," replied Anna. "But I know where I must be."

Jaquelle knew where she had to be also.

{Science Lab deck 15}

Anna walked into her lab, the red alert klaxons were still sounding. Anna looked at her instruments. She had programmed them to start collecting data at the start of any red alert. She noted several large explosions had occurred, first 50 kilometers off the port bow, then low level shock waves. Her readings were also telling her that there were elevated levels of tritanium, duranium, and hypercarbon residue in the area. She also noted that there was a lot of stress on the warp core.

Anna quickly took over the controls. She knew there must be a ship out there and she was bent on finding it and stopping it.

{Bridge}

Jaquelle stepped onto the bridge. She could see Sable turned towards Captain Myst and Myst looking at the view screen obviously concerned. Jaquelle looked up at the screen. The face showed a grin, but suddenly he looked over to Jaquelle. The grin left his face, and an amazed scowl glared at her. Jaquelle could sense the age of the being. It was a feeling that she often had when she visited her mother's side of the family. Luckily her mother and father had taught Jaquelle well. They knew that being a cross between an El-Aurian and Betazoid would cause Jaquelle to be in unusual situations. Again, instinctively she reverted back to the training gained from her parents.

Jaquelle just stood, with shields in place, staring at the being, and listening. The face on the screen grew more annoyed. In her head she heard him think:

(El-Aurian, what are you doing with them.) Then she heard him think (Borg.)

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Chapter 3

{Conference Room}

It wouldn't have taken a telepath to recognize that the Griffin's senior staff were on edge. The sudden and unexpected crippling of the ship had been shocking enough. But the feeling of unease had only been made worse by the waiting. Their "host" had been evasive, giving very little information but promising more once he had a chance to discuss the matter with his superiors. That had been hours ago and attempts to hail their presumed attacker had met with no sucess. So as the wounded Griffin reamined stuck in unfamiliar territory, there was nothing to do but wait.

Rinali was managing to remain calm, though the events had shaken her somewhat. She, as had most of the other telepaths on board it seemed, had experienced a momentary collapse of the mental walls that usually kept her telepathic abilities under tight control. Rinali wasn't as strong as many of the other telepaths on the ship and her attempts over the years to get her abilities completely under her control had made her sensitivity to others' thoughts somewhat weaker. But she had been able to sense very strong feelings from some of the crew, which was quite startling since Rinali had been on the holodeck running a program on a Cardassian battle legend. The experience had given her a few useful insights into her fellow crew members' reaction, but it was still unsettling, especially considering that those same mental barriers had been violated before and not so long ago.

Rinali glanced around the room at her fellow officers. O'Roarke and McInnis were both absent for the moment. From what Rinali had heard, the doctor was busy tending to anyone injured when the ship was apparently hijacked. Nothing life threatening, fortunately. And no one had to tell Rinali that McInnis was going near insane trying to repair the damage to the ship. Rinali imagined that the captain had called this meeting not simply to get her crew's opnions on the current situation, but to give them something to focus on other than waiting. Rinali had sent her people to check for any damage that engineering hadn't found yet and offer what reassurance they could to the civilians. Aside from that, there hadn't been much to do.

"You would think he would give us some idea of why we're stuck here," Ivanof was saying. "We aren't in any condition to fight, so us being on edge really isn't an advantage."

"It's possible," said Captain Myst, looking thoughtful, "that they didn't actually intend to trap us here. If we hadn't been able to hail them telepathicly, they might not have realize that we were there."

That seemed an unpleasant thought. Rinali wasn't too knowledgable about engineering, but she could guess what would happen to a speeding ship with a damaged warp core.

"Still," the captain continued, "intentional or not, they have us trapped and they seem to want to keep it that way, whatever the reason."

"He might not be quite so confident as he initially seemed," Ivanof suggested. "Something seemed to upset him early on, then he started acting evasive."

Captain Myst turned her attentions to Lieutenant Commander Daem. The counsellor's eyes were lowered and she appeared distant, deep in thought. The room was silent for a moment, then Rinali spoke.

"What I would like to know is what they could possibly be after. From everything Starfleet knows about their technology, we have nothing to offer them. If this was simply a mistake, it would make more sense to destroy us before we have a chance to make repairs."

The last comment came out a little more bluntly than Rinali had intended and she was glad she was speaking before officers rather than her staff with its smattering of uneasy newcomers.

Rinali felt a sudden quick sensation, like a small tug at the edge of her mind. Rinali was familiar with this feeling, "the compromise", as she refered to it. Since she fought so hard to keep her mental powers under control, she often found herself unaware of things most Betazoids would easily notice. So whenever her suppresed telepathic abilities sensed something that would be of importance to the concious mind, Rinali felt this sort of mental nudge telling her to loosen her control and pay attention. Much as she detested her Betazoid gifts, Rinali appreciated this little reminder and made no effort to suppress it.

As Rinali loosened her hold on her telepathic abilities, she knew almost immediately what she was being alerted to. Lieutenant Commander Sable, though outwardly rather calm, was in fact extremely nervous, more so than anyone else in the room. It occurred to Rinali that Sable hadn't spoken that much during the discussion.

"Did you wish to add anything, Lieutenant Commander Sable?" she asked. Sable looked up, seemingly startled, but said nothing. Rinali felt herself growing annoyed. Sable obviously knew more about their foes than anyone here, possibly more than anyone in Starfleet. So why wasn't she offering more information? Surely she would have some idea of their possible tactics, customs, motives....

A thought came to Rinali suddenly. She stood and walked over to where Sable was seated. She spoke quietly and without drama, as if she were asking a simple question.

"Lieutenant Commander, are they after you?"

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Chapter 4

Ryan Sable looked up, her obviously troubled eyes meeting Rinali's.

"Perhaps if they determine who I am...," she replied hesitantly. "But until then... not any more than they are after any here."

"How so?" Priscilla asked carefully. She could tell her Chief Conn Officer was more than a bit reluctant to share what she knew. After a moment of silence, Priscilla leaned forward, clasped her hands, and took on the patient parent tone. "Commander. If you know anything about how those people operate, I need you to tell it to us. We have over a thousand people on board, people in our care. The more we know about our current situation the better we can protect everyone."

Ryan turned towards the Captain. She slightly nodded once, and then began to speak. Though her voice was soft, it carried over the silence of the other officers. "We aren't the first ship to be unintentionally caught like this," she began. Then she paused a moment as if trying to remember things that had been intentionally forgotten. "They imprison those they capture. Some are used as soldiers in their war. Others are... enslaved."

None of the officers gathered at the table liked the sound of that.

"What war?" Ivanof asked.

"The civil war between the Ay�ti and the Bisra," she replied, the last word clearly turning bitter in her mouth.

"And the man who hailed us, I take it he's the leader of the Bisra?" Priscilla asked.

"Yes," Ryan replied. "His name is-"

"Strur," both women said together.

Everyone looked to Priscilla, expressions ranging from curiosity to surprise.

"Captain?" Ivanof prompted.

Priscilla waved the question off. "Predire Emir gave me a bit of information before he left. Something about a prophesy?" she said, looking to Sable for another answer.

Ryan sighed heavily. "The Predire guide the Ay�c�n�, or rather those that are still loyal. They are naturally immortal... were," she explained with strain evident in her voice. "The prophesy foretold that if one Predire was killed, by unnatural means, then the link between them all would be broken. The rest would succumb to mortality." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Strur... murdered..."

What she was trying to say was understood by all. Priscilla decided to spare Sable.

"Is it standard procedure for them to imprison those they snag?" she asked. Ryan, thankful for a partial change of topic, just nodded.

"Then why haven't they started taking prisoners?" Rinali wondered aloud for them all. "Why be so evasive and refuse communications while having to 'consult' with superiors?"

"And if this Strur is the leader of the faction, what superiors are there to consult with?" Ivanof asked.

Looking around the table at each other, no one seemed to have any answers.

Finally Jaquelle spoke. "I have no answers, only something that will only bring more questions." Everyone turned to listen. "When I came onto the Bridge during the communication, Strur communicated telepathically with me. He knew I am half El-Aurian and was quite surprised to see me. And he mentioned the Borg."

"Commander," Ivanof said to Sable, "you wouldn't happen to know why-"

Ryan shook her head.

"All I know," Jaquelle continued, "is that he is old, though he doesn't look it. Old like the people of my El-Aurian heritage. The same people who were nearly wiped out by the Borg, forcing them to seek refuge in this galaxy, or rather our own, since we're no longer in our galaxy."

Priscilla shook her head slightly. Dozens of questions and no answers. Not even a hint of how or where they could start working their way out of this sinister tangle.

"Myst to McInnis," she called out. "Please tell me you have something definitive to report."

Editor's Note: It seems Strur has changed gender and Strur's name has changed spelling (from Struer to Strure to Strur) somewhere between Episode 3 and this chapter. The gender thing could have something to do with Strur's strange resurrection. That's the running assumption anyways.

{Bisra Ship}

Strur waited impatiently.

And waited.

And waited.

He didn't like to be kept waiting.

Finally he received the signal that what he had asked for had arrived. As his subordinates brought it in, he shot them a look that could have killed if he hadn't been so preoccupied with what they presented to him.

His equivalent of an executive officer stepped up beside him as the item was placed on the table.

"I don't understand," the 'XO' began. "Everyone knows the prophesy of the Predire's mortality. I could recite it for you word for word. Why waste the time bringing this in?"

"You're too arrogant for your own good," Strur scolded as he began skimming through the lines of ancient words and their translations lying before him. "There is much you don't know."

"Such as?" the other prompted.

"Ah," Strur exhaled quietly to himself. He turned to his XO. "Such as this," he said pointing.

"What's this?" the other asked in awe. "I haven't seen this before."

"Yes, I know. There is more to the prophesy. My family has kept it well hidden through the generations, to keep the Ay�ti from knowing their own fate," he explained with a dangerous smile.

"But why-"

"Because," Strur replied, beginning to get annoyed with the other, "it advises how to determine the outcome of the war. The warning signs, and how either side can manipulate circumstances to their benefit. However, I don't remember it all, so be quiet and let me read."

Both bent over the prophecy's translation and began to read.

-------
The murder is complete. The link is broken. The Predire unravel, yet this shall not be their followers' undoing.

Beware the signs:

First: One from a distant and lesser race, years before is taken as child by the Predire's successor. This being made it back to the galaxy of origin, only to now return.

Second: With this being is another, one descended of the First Fallen.
-------

"The First Fallen?" the XO inquired.

"The El-Aurians," Strur explained. "The first civilization to completely be destroyed by the Borg."

"But they were wiped out!" the XO exclaimed.

"Of this region of space, yes," Strur replied. "According to legend, a few managed to escape to another place.

"Another galaxy?"

"It appears so. It was unmistakable, she is one of them, at least half. Here, this is what I am looking for."

-------
Where the First Fallen go, their would be exterminators follow. Yet only they know how to evade total destruction at the hands of the Hybrids.

Third: The Mechanical, though having taken no sides, have only struck against those whom do not support the Predire. Until now.

Fourth: Where the First Fallen evade, only the Mechanical can turn back.

Now the end is near. At least one side will fall in the wake of this, the Hybrids' second driving off. Then the war is over. None victorious, only survivors.

Time is short for survival. The signs realized in reverse order. If the assumed child is found before the Hybrids locate the only First Fallen alive but hidden, apart from each other the two individuals can assure success for one side.
-------

"Aaahhh," the XO said upon completion of reading. "So by keeping the knowledge they did secret, your family has keep the Ay�ti from knowing how to stop us from winning, while also instilling fear in them with the part of the prophesy they did make common knowledge. Brilliant!"

"I would expect nothing less," Strur replied. "Now all we need to determine is which on that ship is Predire Emir's assumed child."

"What about the ship? The crew?"

"I care more about the war than some obsolete ship. Leave it and its crew to defend themselves. We don't need captives anymore, only the two from the prophesy." Strur collected the prophesy and it's translation, then began to head out. "Prepare for the El-Aurian to be transported and cared for at our most defensible location. I shall discover which Emir has taken to heart. That one will stay with me."

{Conference Room, USS Griffin}

Before the Captain received a reply, Counselor Jaquelle Daem disappeared.

"Wha-" Ivanof began to exclaim. Rinali was on her feet in an instant. But everyone knew there was nothing to be done.

"Where'd she go?" Ivanof asked.

"Bride to Captain Myst, we're being hailed by the ship."

"On my way," Priscilla replied. Everyone got up and headed for the Bridge. Priscilla held Ryan back briefly, and Ivanof stayed to see what was going on.

"Take the ship and find Predire Emir, he said you'd know where." the Captain ordered Sable. "He told me this might happen. He said you'd be their last hope, but not why. Only he can help now." And with that she walked out.

{Bridge, USS Griffin}

"On screen," Priscilla ordered. Strur filled the view screen again.

"Captain," he began pleasantly.

"Return my officer," she demanded of him.

"Now now, that's no way to speak to your host," he scolded playfully.

"You want something, what is it?" she replied.

"Very well, have it your way," he said, his expression turning cold. "I want the one who knows Predire Emir personally, or I will kill everyone on your ship."

A couple people inhaled sharply. Sable nearly went pale as she turned to face Priscilla.

"And I suppose you'll need proof of identity before you keep your word," she said dryly.

"Of course," he replied. "And rest assured I'll be able to tell if you're lying in your statements."

"Very well then," she said. "When he's angry his Y�r� turns a dark shade of blue, almost as dark as the empty sky."

Strur smiled the smile of someone very pleased with themselves, and Priscilla disappeared.

"Captain!" Ivanof exclaimed in surprise.

"Take your ship and leave, before I change my mind and kill you all anyways," Strur informed Ivanof and then terminated the transmission.

"How could she have known that?" Ryan wondered aloud. "He never let anyone see..."

"He told her," Ivanof said, beginning to put pieces together. "Get us out of here, Commander. Captain's orders."

"Aye sir," Ryan said turning to her station still half in disbelief.

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Chapter 5

{Griffin, Bridge}

"Commander we can't leave! Captain Myst and Councilor Daem need us," said Lt. Travin.

"Maintain your post Lieutenant," said Ivanof calmly. "We are not leaving them behind. But we need to make contact with the Predire, plus we have an ambassador to the Predire. Commander Sable, please join me in the Captain's ready room. Lt Travin you have the bridge." He said rising to his feet.

{Griffin, Captain's Ready Room}

"Alright Commander Sable. We need help here. Commander do you have a means of reaching the Predire. I know you have a connection. We need that now."

Sable shifted hesitantly while staring to the floor. "It won't be easy, sir. May even prove fruitless. I haven't been in this quadrant for ten years, and I'm sure a lot has changed."

Ivanof pinched the bridge of his nose before he continued. "Commander, right now, to get the Captain and councilor back, we'll need to make that possibility bear fruit. Now you know these people. Do you have the means or not?"

Sable nodded in affirmation, but was obviously far from confident. "I'm sure I could figure something out," she replied, swallowing.

"Now the Captain said she had spoken with these people. I'm going to research her files and try to find another connection. I need you to work on your connection."

Sable's brow creased in some confusion. It was unusual for the Ayati to make contact with other "lesser" races if they could avoid it. "Understood, sir," she spoke as one who wished to say more, but loathed to do so.

"Dismissed."

Sable bit her lip and nodded, turning smartly and heading for the door. Sable stopped at the door, suddenly turning back to Ivanof, an odd urgency in her eyes. "Commander," she said swallowing, "we may not survive this. Even though he let us go for good faith, we'll be captured again very soon ... or destroyed."

"Alright, what do you suggest? Our warp system cannot recreate that type of power."

"I don't know!" she said roughly, trying to control her building panic. "I don't know!" She repeated as she began to pace.

"Ok. Relax Commander. Work on reaching the Ayati. I'm going to call a senior staff meeting in an hour."

Sable nodded uneasily, mumbling, "yeah, sure." She halted her pacing, her head flashing up harshly as she shook herself. "I mean, yes, sir."

"Commander. Look. I know you're under a lot of stress here. Right now we need to reach the Ayati. Either they come out and get us or we have to find a way to get to them. I'm going to have Anna and McInnis work on getting our engines to attempt to recreate their technology. Now you have a telepathic link with these people. And you are the Predire's daughter; at least that's what I gathered. Coordinate with Dr. O'Roarke, and try to see if there's a way to maybe enhance your telepathy.

"Yes, sir." Sable said, yet she remained in the ready room, silent and preoccupied, biting her tongue ... (I tell,) she thought to herself, (and I could cause a lot of problems.)

"Something else Commander?"

Sable looked up from her pondering somewhat startled. "Sir?" she asked, trying to convince the Commander otherwise.

"Something's bothering you."

She sighed. "It's nothing really, sir," she began...

"But," Ivanof said prodding.

"I..." she bit her lip again, sighing a moment later.

"Commander if you have something to tell me. Anything, I want to hear it." Ivanof said.

"Several years ago I was assimilated by the Scralen," she said, irritated. "I still carry their cybernetics. What is left wasn't meant for long-range communications or similar heavy operations, but," she paused for a moment. "McInnis might be able to help me... upgrade." She looked expectantly towards the commander, silent and grave.

"Wait. Assimilated. Like the Borg?"

"The Scralen were the predecessors of the Borg. They were created by the AyaCeni, the parent race of both the Ayati and the Ky-Racen factions. They were created as androids but then the first Struer reprogrammed them and they turned on and assimilated their creators. Most of those assimilated became the Borg we know of, revolting against the Scralen, and causing a great deal of chaos. The Ayati attempted to hunt down the new Borg and eventually drove them from this galaxy to ours."

"Then how were you assimilated by the Scralen?" Ivnaof inquired, confused. Sable sighed mentally, clenching her fist and wishing she had kept silent. "When I was three, my father's ship, the USS Acari, had been snagged by an Ayati ship while on mission in the Beta Quadrant. They dragged us along in to their home galaxy before they realized we were in tow. The stress damaged our ship beyond repair and we were forced to evacuate, but the Predire's ship could not handle the rescue attempt alone. Some how, the Predire was able to convince a nearby Bisra ship to help. I was rescued by the Bisra," she grew quiet for a moment, and the commander waited patiently. "What the Predire did not know is that ship had no intention of releasing it's share... and that they had also recently attacked a Scralen outpost. Before anyone could react, the Scralen appeared and took the ship into custody, crew and passengers alike. And that is how... I was assimilated," she ended, hanging her head slightly.

"So these cybernetics," Ivanof began "What do they do for you?"

"At the moment, all that is left perform pretty insignificant jobs. I have a skeletal reinforcement. It adds some strength, but not much more than a Vulcan," she explained, embarrassed. "And what is in my head merely acts like a memory enhancer ... there is some ability to communicate and other things, but most were disabled when I was rescued."

"But what was their former function. Were you connected to a "collective" like the Borg?" He asked concerned.

"Yes, sir. I was. They are the predecessors of the Borg and many of their systems are similar, but the Scralen have grown far more advanced." She said, repeating herself somewhat.

"I see. Is there a danger of the Scralen locating you?" He said worried.

"Danger sir?" She said confused.

"If McInnis begins modifying you, is there a possibility the Scralen could detect that and try to re-assimilate you?"

Sable stared at the Commander oddly, having forgotten that she was the solo barer of her knowledge on this ship and those around her would not by magic just simply become aware of the information. Frustrated and uncomfortable, she mentally sighed. "The Scralen are not like the Borg, sir. They only assimilate in self-defense. Unless we had attacked them, they should just simply ignore us..." she paused, taking a deep breath. "But there is another similar danger, sir," she added softly, obvious, disquiet anxiety in her eyes.

Ivanof looked on with concern, recognition of that same dread surfacing in his mind. He had seen it in the eyes of the Intrepid crew during the Borg incursion at sector 001; yet here the look seemed intensified ten fold. "Could the Borg-?" he began to ask.

Sable interrupted quickly, "-hear me?" Her eyes seemed to grow dark, almost sadistic. "Yes."

"But they were driven from this galaxy, assuming that we are in another galaxy."

Sable nodded in affirmation, replying, "we are several quad-trillion light years from the Milky Way, but the Borg are also not restricted to our galaxy if the worm holes still exist. The Borg did not arrive from here simply by flying through empty space, Commander. The distance is to great to fly in a short time, even for the AyaCeni."

Commander Ivanof grew quiet in pondering. He felt he knew too little, and the weights of the decisions to be made were too great. "Get with McInnis," the commander replied after a time, "and see what you two can do about that upgrade."

"And if the Borg hear us?"

"That's a chance I'm willing to take..."

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Chapter 6

Jaquelle kept her eyes open and her mind closed as she appeared. Instantly she knew she was no longer on board the Griffin. But she had never experienced a transporter like the one she had just been subjected to. It was, by all accounts instantaneous.

As she scanned her surroundings, she was in a room. As she sensed her surroundings, she could tell she was in a place with very old beings. She knew she had to be aboard Strur's ship. But why? Why was he so intrigued by her?

As she looked around it was clear that she was not imprisoned in any type of holding cell. Quite the opposite. The room she was in was well appointed, almost opulent. She stood for several minutes taking it all in and deciding what her next move should be. Slowly, while trying to maintain her mental guards, she tried to listen to the voices on board. The voices she heard were overwhelming, she had full telepathic abilities with these people. But she couldn't understand the language. She tried to pick up empathic feelings when suddenly, like a bolt piercing in her mind, she could hear the thoughts of Captain Myst. They had not been there before, she was sure.

(Captain) Jaquelle thought.

(Counselor,) the response came. It was Captain Myst. (Don't communicate anything. They know I am who they need, the one who knows Predire Emir personally.)

Jaquelle understood what the Captain was trying to tell her. Before she could even think of a way to let her know that, the door to her room opened. It was Strur and another. In her mind Jaquelle could hear their words.

(I am Strur, and this is my First,) Strur thought, pointing to his XO next to him. Jaquelle could sense the reverence he was giving her, but stayed quiet. After all she was El-Aurian and listening is what she knew she should do.

(We mean only to make you comfortable,) Strur continued. (You are El-Aurian, we know of your history, we know of your people. Consider yourself our guest.)

(I prefer to be comfortable on my own ship,) Jaquelle responded.

(I am sorry, that is not possible,) Strur thought. (Your ship is already on it's way. We have chosen to allow them to leave to show you we mean no harm. All we want is to help you find the others like you. Surely that is the only reason why you would travel with them. But our ship is faster, and we know more of the galaxy you are from. We could help you find the others like yourself )

Jaquelle knew she was in a cat and mouse game. If she made a wrong move, they would pounce on her. They needed her, but she was not sure why. It was clear that they did not know there were other El-Aurians in the galaxy. This had to be her advantage.

(You know of others?) she thought.

Strur's XO's eyes grew a bit wide.

(She is the one) he thought. (The only one. The prophesy is coming true.)

Strur became so angry at his XO's slip, that he want to reach over and tear his mind out. Instead he stormed out of the room. The XO followed behind quickly. Jaquelle knew she had just gained an edge. But what?

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Chapter 7

{Griffin, Security Office}

After the sudden removal of Lt. Daem and Captain Myst from the ship, the security office had become the site of near-constant activity. Various members of the security team were constantly popping in and out with new reports, information, and most frequently, questions. Though she tried to remain calm in the fact of this, Rinali was obviously upset by the loss of two crew members, one being the captain no less. The security team had learned several new Klingon curses.

Things were starting to calm down now, not that it comforted Rinali any. The initial flood of new information, much of it from Commander Ivanof regarding Lt. Cmdr Sable, had at least given her something to do. The security staff had been informed of the possible Borg threat, though not the full reason for it, as Rinali thought that was private. Ensign Fortunato was on the bridge ready for potential conflict or to warn Rinali if anything suspicious came up. Ensign Edward and a few other crew members had been sent down to the civilian quarters with strict instructions not to mention the Borg in any way so as not to cause a possibly needless panic. The rest of Rinali's staff was scattered throughout the ship, checking and reporting on damaged areas, standing guard at important locations in case anyone decided to beam in for an attack. And Zosin... Zosin was with Lt. Cmdr. Sable.

Rinali would have gone herself, but she doubted it would help. She had put her fellow officer on the spot earlier, pointing out that she might have been the reason for their troubles with Strur. Given that, Rinali thought her presence might be less than comforting while Sable underwent her "upgrades."

Still, Rinali had felt the need to supply Sable with some protection, since she was the real object of Strur's unknown quest. And aside from her feelings of personal responsibility, Rinali did not wish to face her mother if anything were to happen to Sable. Zosin's quiet presence never seemed to bother anyone, so Rinali had sent him. So far, there had been no reports of serious trouble anywhere, but still Rinali worried, mostly about Sable's modification. She didn't doubt McInnis's skill, but this was a very delicate operation. There was still much to be learned about Borg implants, let alone Pre-Borg ones.

"Lieutenant."

The communication from Zosin snapped Rinali out of her thoughts.

"Report," she said tersely.

"Lieutenant, I think you should come down here. The modifications are complete but...something's wrong."

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Chapter 8

{Subsection of Engineering}

Scott looked at Cmdr. Ivanof as if he had 6 heads.

"You want me to do what? Do you have any idea what in the nine hells you are asking me to do?"

The Commander nodded. "I know exactly what it is that we are asking of you Lt. McInnis."

Scott was flat out stunned at their request. They wanted his to put Borg like implants INTO a Starfleet officer, not out of mind you, but into. What are they thinking? No good can come of this, and nothing is worth the risk...

Scott just stared for a minute blankly, then responded. "I take it then, that this is an order Commander, because there is no way I am going to do this voluntarily..."

Ivanof nodded. "Due to the circumstances, and her agreeing to it, and even suggesting it... it is."

Scott nodded and sighed. He knew his past was going to come back to bite him in the rear again.

Back in his days at the Academy, for his "Cadet Cruise", Scott had decided instead of running off and seeing the stars, to instead stay in good ole Sector 001 and learn more about engineering. His skills were good, and his robotics and biorobotics focuses before engineering caught the attention of a special project team at Starfleet. Though his Uncle's reputation didn't hurt either...

Project Discovery, as it was named, was designed to understand the technology that Starfleet had discovered from multiple instances, the most prolific, and Scott's concentration, was Borg Robotics and BioEnhancing Robotics. He studied and learned more about the Borg's technology in a few years than most engineers would even know in their entire Career. The thought of the social and mental ramifications of the Borg never phased Scott, he thought of it as a stage between Human and Android.

They were hitting him like a ton of bricks now as Sable walked in.

He looked quietly over to her, half stunned that he was going to do what he was about to do, and partially shocked that she had agreed.

"I'm not a doctor, so I asked the Medical staff to send it's best available..."

Sable nodded, stoically, though inside she was probably scared beyond belief.

Scott sighed. "I can't talk you out of this can I?"

Sable just shook her head a moment. "It is the only way to get the Captain and Counselor Daem back and get the Griffin back to our galaxy..."

Scott nodded and motioned to the modified medicinal table. He thought to himself... (yes, but at what cost...)

{2 Hours later}

Scott worked feverously to figure this technology out. It wasn't "older than Borg", it was more advanced, and in it's ultimate simplicity it could be very confusing, to anyone but Scott. The Borg were a technologically advanced and adapting race... these folks were advanced, but advanced within the realm of complex simplicity. It all came back though, to the central core attachment on the base of her skull, behind her throat. It was the dormant brains of this operation, both figuratively and literally.

As Scott worked with both the ships computer and his "project" he began to formulate his theories and practices on this new technology. How to augment her ability to communicate with this device to those who she needed to was easy enough. What perplexed him though, was a simple red wire, which ran up into her brain. How archaic...how...odd...

With effort he eventually figured out what it went to, and with gentle tender hands and a lot of help from the medical staff, he extracted a blue crystal, which the wire led to, and he knew what this was...and he wasn't happy.

{4 Hours later}

"Alright. Let's close her up, she should be..."

The lines on the monitor went flat in a hurry

"...Fine?"

The next few minutes were a flurry of energy and motion as Scott was all but thrown out of the way and the medical team set to reviving Sable.

One of the staff near the door hit their communicator.

{Travin's Office}

"Lieutenant."

The communication from Zosin snapped Rinali out of her thoughts.

"Report," she said tersely.

"Lieutenant, I think you should come down here. The modifications are complete but...something's wrong."

{Back in engineering a moment later}

The lines popped back up, and Sable came around in short order. Though for that one minute, Scott's heart almost exploded in concern. Scott walked over and sighed, shaking his head and looking to the medical staff.

"Don't bring her around until I talk with the Commander..."

He turned and walked off without a sound to the Commanders office. He didn't need an appointment, and the small crystal in a sealed container in his hand, gave him carte blanche to make that appointment now...

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Chapter 9

{Captain's Ready Room}

"Captain's Personal Log, Stardate 55008.4

Last night's banquet for the families of the Senior Staff went very well. I'm very happy for the large turn out. We're a lucky crew to have such amounts of love and support in our lives. Even those not on such good terms with their families seemed to find all they needed in friends, whether old or just met within the last few days.

Of all I met, I must say I was most impressed with Lieutenant Travin's brother, Creenan. Starfleet is lucky to have such a capable up-and-coming diplomat. Of course I probably feel this way because I see so much of myself at that age in him. But-"

"Computer, skip ahead to sentence containing the first reference to the name 'Emir'," Yuri's voice interrupted. A second later the computer beeped its completion of the order.

"After the banquet I had a very intriguing, and very strange talk with Predire Emir - Lieutenant Commander Sable's visitor. He spoke of some sort of prophecy in his people's heritage. Apparently the Predire, those who were immortal before he was selected to replace the first of them ever to be killed, had kept this prophecy so well hidden amongst them that not even he knew of it until they chose to reveal it to him not too long ago. This is partly what caused him to travel so far to visit with Ryan, and me? At least that's what he said. I'm not quite sure what he wants me to do about... anything. He was very elusive and intentionally confusing in the way he spoke. I did manage to decipher that I'm supposedly not in this prophecy, though Ryan is and some other member of my crew may be. All I do know is that if we ever run across someone named Strur and he asks for the crew member who knows Predire Emir, I'm to give this Strur a specific description that Predire Emir gave to me.

I'm sorry Commander, I don't know any more than you. Though perhaps, if you ever listen to this, by now you've learned something more helpful. Of course as far as I know, none of this may ever be relevant. Predire Emir never said when things would begin happening. If the prophesy is even valid or just a misremembered dream over the millennia... or did he mean the prophecy has already begun to be fulfilled? *sighs* Your guess is as good as mine...."

Yuri sighed as well.

As he turned off the log the door chime rang.

{Strur's ship, hours later}

Priscilla could feel Strur storming towards the small cell she was being held in. She was sure the fact that none of his officers had successfully interrogated her during the last half day was a good part of his problem. She knew he was also still upset by how his First had behaved in front of Jaquelle hours ago before they moved her. Overall he some issue about lack of, good help was it? It seemed Strur had finally decided he was going to deal with Priscilla on his own. (This isn't going to be pretty,) she thought to herself.

She was used to being in a telepathic society, though her skills were limited to only being able to communicate with those generally listening or communicating directly with her. Normally, that is. Here, for some reason, she was strangely just as telepathic as anyone else. And despite her best efforts to strengthen and close off her mind using her rigid Vulcan heritage and training, she couldn't do more than keep things to an empathic level. At least that meant no one else could read her thoughts or communicate telepathically with her without her letting them, only emotions. Of course that also meant the reverse was true.

"Yes, he's dangerously manipulative. So he's going to be harder than the last couple," she noted to herself. "Just stick to speaking aloud and you should be able to handle this, for now."

Strur entered the detainment area with a flourish and a force of will. He stared at Priscilla. She knew he was trying to ask something of her, but she wasn't "listening."

"Where have you taken my officer?" Priscilla demanded of him.

He looked at her with a mixture of surprise and annoyance. "Why force us to use voices," he demanded to know, intentionally refusing to answer her question to show he was clearly in charge and would be doing all the demanding here.

"We will speak aloud or we will not speak at all," Priscilla retorted, laying down rules for this confrontation before he could and thereby gaining an upper hand.

Strur didn't try to hide the anger he felt when he realized he had been out maneuvered before things had even begun between the two of them. "Very well," he almost growled at her. Before he could get his next sentence out, Priscilla jumped in a spoke.

"Where have you taken my officer?" she asked again. "She's been taken off this ship, I can feel that-"

Strur interrupted her. "That's doesn't concern you. Now, you will tell me where the Predire are," he demanded.

"It does concern me," she replied, ignoring his demand, "I'm responsible for the welfare of every member of my crew and you-"

"We are now responsible for her welfare!" he replied becoming frustrated and angrier. "WHERE are the Predire!?!"

Priscilla didn't respond, which initiated the next struggle between the two of them. They tried to stare each other down for minutes before Strur's patience wore thin and he spoke, again gaining Priscilla a bit more control in the confrontation.

"You *will* tell me," he said menacingly.

"I'll tell you what," Priscilla said with her best negotiation voice. "Let's compromise." She could see Strur was immediately set against the idea, and was about to deny the offer, so she spoke over him.

"I'll answer your questions-" she said loudly so he could hear her over his refusal. He immediately hushed so she dropped her voice back to a normal level. "-if for each one I answer you answer one of mine."

Strur eyed her warily as he considered the idea. "Very well," he agreed. "Remember, I can tell if you lie."

"As can I of you," she replied, mentally adding to herself, (now.)

"Your officer is being well cared for by my people and is being transferred to our most secure location for protection. That is all you need to know," he said as he located himself a chair, indicating that despite their current agreement the struggle between the two of them was ongoing, and he had just scored a minor success.

Priscilla looked directly at him, wondering if it would hurt if she let this one slide, or if he would hurt her worse in the future if she sat on the floor to spite him.

"I don't know where any of the Predire currently are," she said to answer his first question. He scowled at her. "Tell me about the prophecy to end the war," she said.

"How do you know about-" he began to ask with genuine surprise. Priscilla held up her hand.

"It's my turn to ask a question," she stated.

"That wasn't a question," he retorted.

"Very well," she said as she thought of how to rephrase the question. "I am assuming some here, but since this prophesy is to end a war, it must mention steps... or signs!" she said coming up with a word she felt fitted well. "What are the particulars of the ones that have been fulfilled and how many are left?"
"The Scr�l�n mistakenly attacked a Predire ship about one half of your years ago," Strur began slowly, intentionally taking his time with his reply. Priscilla didn't mind, but she acted as if she did so that he would continue to make the answer longer. She wanted to waste as much time as possible. "We then received word they repelled a Borg scouting mission a quarter that much time ago. Your El-Aurian officer was noted on your ship during our first communication with your ship. And you were there for when it was determined you as knowing Emir personally. There are no other signs left. Just the final steps of keeping you and your officer separate and using you both to win the war."

"I see," was Priscilla's poker face reply.

"You said you do not 'currently' know where any of the Predire are. So which ones do you know the future location of and what are those locations?" he asked with a sly and satisfied smile.

"Predire Emir is the only one I know," Priscilla replied slowly, knowing this question had been coming and hoping enough time had passed since the Griffin left for them to have found some kind of safety or at least effective defense.

"Of course," Strur said with a dismissive wave. "Where and when?"

"You only asked for location," she replied, stalling.

"I asked for names, times and places!" he responded.

"You're exact words were: 'You said you do not "currently" know where any of the Predire are. So which ones do you know the future location of and what are those locations?'," she retorted.

Strur began to fume, but then realized he still had information he wanted from her, and she seemed willing to comply as long as he played along. "Very well," he sneered. "Where?"

"He will be... on my ship," she replied with a touch of apprehension.

Strur's eyes went wide. "WHY!?!" He quickly added: "and When?!"

"It's my turn to ask a question," she replied calmly, which intentionally only instigated him more.

"It had better be quick," he warned through clenched teeth.

She tried to think of something that would catch his interest enough to keep him from ordering his ship to track down the Griffin, at least for long enough to buy them time. "What are you going to do to my ship when you find it protected by Predire Emir and his followers?"

"Use you and your knowledge to get to Emir and through him the rest. How do I get through his ship's defenses?"

(All I can do now is keep him talking,) she realized. (Don't let there be a lull in the conversation as long as we're both willing to play this game.) "I don't know," she replied. "How do you plan to use Predire Emir to get to the rest?"

"I don't know. How can you not know his ship's defenses with all the time you've spent on his ships?"

"I have never been on any of his ships. How can you expect to succeed in your plan if you don't know how to carry it out?"

"The prophesy foretells success, I will watch for all to fall into place and take advantage of it when the time comes. How is it the one Emir has taken as a child has never been on one of his ships?"

Priscilla paused. "The one has."

"You said you had never been on one of his ships," he replied with confusion.

"Now what are you going to do when you find my ship protected by Predire Emir and his followers?" Priscilla asked, waiting for him to put two and two together.

"You're not the one?" Strur asked with shock as he realized the truth.

"You haven't answered my question."

Strur stood with a look that felt it may actually have killed her if Priscilla wasn't behind a force field. "This - isn't - over," he said coldly with a quiet forcefulness.

She knew otherwise.

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Chapter 10

{Griffin, Captain's ready room}

McInnis walked in without bothering to wait for an answer to the door chime.

"Commander...� Scott began.

�Come in Lieutenant!� Ivanof said his tone dripping with half sarcasm and a good dollop of anger. �I�ll assume something is wrong or do you burst in on the captain in this manner?"

"I have a report sir, which at this point supercedes courtesy..."

"Explain."

Scott placed the canister with the crystal he took from Sable on the desk gently.

"In about 14 hours this rock was going to make us into space dust,� McInnis said calmly as Ivanof leaned over and picked up the canister. "Now it is a dormant, but highly explosive material that I have never seen before. It might explode if shaken too much but by too much I mean it would have to be the ball in a good rugby game."

"First of all. Lieutenant. How is Sable?� Ivanof asked.

"Alive...mostly. She's stable but I told the doctor O�Rourke not to bring her around yet..."

�Are the cybernetics working?"

"Well,� he began hesitantly �Yeah, they are, but she isn't. Well, part of her isn't. You are holding part of her consciousness in your hand.�

"Sickbay to Lieutenant McInnis," O�Rourke�s voice came over McInnis� comm badge.

"Go Ahead..."

"Lieutenant, Sable has regained consciousness. I tried to sedate her, but she isn't responding to treatment," said O�Rourke.

"Understood, let it be for now, I will bring the Commander."

They could hear Sable sigh frustrated in the background.

"Understood, Sickbay out."

�Just remember,� McInnis began, �you ordered me to do this, so when I go down there and she swings at me, you best get in the way and take the punch Commander..."

Ivanof straightened his uniform and gesture for McInnis to lead the way out of the ready room. �Come on.�

Scott nodded and as Yuri passed him on the way to the turbolift.
"She may not be happy about this,� McInnis began to reiterate, �but remember, both you and her asked for this."

"I'm fully aware of these consequences Lieutenant. We need these peoples help. She's the key to that," Ivanof said just before the doors of the turbolift opened.

"Well internally the key looks like a cross between a human and a pinball machine now, so I hope she doesn't scare them off.�

"From what I understand of her relationship with the Predire, it shouldn�t matter."

As Ivanof and McInnis entered sickbay, Sable slipped smoothly off the bio-bed, and made a line for the Commander. "I'll take that thank you," she said simply, grabbing the crystal from Ivanof.

�I take it you need this?" Ivanof said as she ripped the canister from her hand.

"Your assumption would be correct." She set the container on a near by tray, staring at it intently. After several long moments, with a wink to McInnis, she raised her arm, and pointed her fist at the crystal.

"So what is this Commander?� Ivanof asked

Without warning, assimilation tendrils ejected from under the skin between her knuckles. She winced slightly as the tendrils attached themselves to the crystal. One of the tendrils expanded to accommodate the crystal and the other fed the crystal into Sable�s body. Ivanof, McInnis and O�Rourke watched as the crystal, now a small bulge underneath the skin, moved its way up her arm, through her neck and into her head where it slipped into the skull of commander Sable.

"That," Sable commented as the crystal took its place internally, "is my operations cortex." She smirked slightly at Ivanof's shocked response. "Don't worry commander. I don't bite."

"Watching that. It just takes some getting used to. My apologies."

"Emm ... yes, it does," she replied slowly as the cybernetics within her began to come online.

Scott simply watched quietly. He knew more than he let on, but didn�t say a word. He knew Sable's secrets, but that doesn't mean he would say anything. He understood the power of what he knew, and no one should know those things.

"Now commander, how has this affected you. Are you reconnected to the Scralen collective?"

Sable thought for a moment, then almost android like said, "Yes."

"Is this a danger to us?" he asked.

Scott shook his head slightly; noting even his beside manner was better than Ivanof's. He looked over to Sable. "Can I get you something to drink...you've been asleep for a while."

"No," she answered Ivanof, her gaze then transferred to Scott. "Yes, please."

Scott nodded and walked quietly over to the replicator, instinctually calling for his favorite. "Chocolate Milk," he said. The Replicator began to hum and soon a tall glass of brown milk sat on the pad. He grabbed the glass he brought it over to her.

Ivanof nodded to Scott in a "Good Job" manner.

Sable smiled, taking the glass. "Thank you Scott." She turned back to Ivanof, smirking at some thought she had caught from Ivanof's mind. "Yes, sir. I will access the Scralen's communications network." She took a sip of chocolate milk.

"Alright.� Ivanof said after giving Sable a moment. �I know this must be difficult for you Commander."

She concentrated for a moment, one stray thought of wonderment at Scott knowing her favorite drink surfacing.

"Difficult?� she said moderately confused.

"Reconnecting to something you have been separated from for so long."

"I ..." her voice softened, her concentration breaking. "I don't know."

"Does the main computer get separation anxiety when you don't talk to it for a while sir?" Scott asked honestly without sarcasm.

"I'm not a computer," Sable suddenly barked sourly.

Scott nodded. "I never said you were, but the part I just adapted to you...is..."

�Lieutenant,� Ivanof interjected as McInnis had clearly crossed a line. �Keep the comments to yourself.�

Sable ran a hand exhaustedly over her forehead, frustrated.

"Well when you are done Commander,� Scott said looking at Ivanof. �-let me know. I don't want to be in the way for your questioning." He then moved over and leaned against the wall. He was disgusted for himself for what he had done to Sable and what he knew about her.

"How do you feel commander?" Ivanof said after disciplining McInnis.

"I ... " she said looking at Ivanof, trying desperately to blink the commander back into focus. Ivanof put an arm out and prepared to catch her. McInnis came forward then with the same intent. Ivanof pushed her back so she could at least lean against the biobed.

"Uh ... what ... what was the question again?" she swallowed.

"Steady. I was asking how you are feeling."

Black rushed in on her vision, and she fell limp, slipping from the bio-bed. Luckily both Ivanof and McInnis were prepared to catch her as she fell. Together, along with Dr. O�Rourke they put her onto the bed.

"Lieutenant, are the cybernetics working properly?" He said turning to McInnis.

"They are 100% up to snuff sir commander. Although her brain is probably exhausted from all the data she is probably receiving and can't handle it, so it knocked her out."

�Her body is being pushed further than it has been in a long time. Heart rate, respiration, brain activity are all of the charts.� O�Rourke stated showing the biobeds readouts to Ivanof and Scott. �She should wake in a few hours.�

�I was going to say before she revived. That it would take some time for her to assimilate to the transition.� Scott said.

"Understood. Thank you lieutenant. I wouldn�t have asked her to do this if I didn�t have to She actually was the one who suggested we use the cybernetics.�

"I've suggested adding a foosball table to the rec lounge but that doesn't mean you signed the paper on the spot..."

"Delivery was actually waiting at starbase 523, if we ever get there.�

�I know why you agreed..." He sighed and looked her over from an engineering point of view. "Her dilithium core is empty sir... IE She needs rest.� An awkward moment passed between them then McInnis registered what Ivanof had said. He looked to the commander and said: "Well hot diggity, I hope it has all the slopes in the corners, I hate it when it-"

"Borg interlink frequency detected! Vessel is on intercept course. ETA 23 hours, 15 minutes," said Sable suddenly snapping into a sitting position, eyes wide, adrenaline forcing her awake.

"What?!?� Ivanof said turning.

"Awww Shit..." said McInnis.

�Sable can you hear me?"

Sable jumped from the bio bed, landing on unsteady feet next to McInnis. "Yes, I can hear you and I said, there's a Borg Vessel on intercept course with the Griffin. Fusion Tactical Cube," she snapped.

"What? Fusion Tactical Cube?"

"Well sir...," He looked to the commander and then grabbed Sable in his arms, holding her firmly so she didn't need much effort to stand. Ivanof took her other arm. �It looks like we have less than a day till the end of our world. I don't think that she multiplied by four either..."

"A Fusion Tactical Cube consists of eight smaller Tactical Cubes. This type of ship can out gun and out run the Griffin ten to one," said Sable sighing."And it is currently on an incercept course."

"Perfect. Mcinnis can you find a way to scramble these interlink frequencies?"

Scott nodded and understood. "Not without scrambling Sable, sir. In fact it�d take about 20 hours, 37 minutes, to take Sable out of the communication. We had best move on this plan of yours sir."

"Sable, can their sensors pick us up or is it the interlink frequency that is giving our position away?�

"Sensors, sir. I didn't attract them, the Griffin did. Apparently, we're sitting right on top of a Borg Sensor Array," sable replied.

"Sable. If we were to head to Scralen space would that get the Borg off our backs??� Ivanof asked worried she was going to pass out again.

"It ..it might," she replied, her eyes narrowing. Scott continued holding Sable instinctually.

"McInnis I know you've been busy. But have you gotten a report on the engines?? I have the feeling were gonna need them.�

Scott nodded, placing Sable in the bed. "Aye Cap'n, I'll get down dere and giv ya awl I gots," he said in a fair impression of his uncle. With that, Scott headed to engineering.

"Just what I wanted to hear, Lieutenant,� Ivanof said smiling.

Sable growled, climbing back out of the bed to follow McInnis.

"Sable,� Ivanof said, pushing gently on her shoulders. �Until you�re stronger I'm confining you to sickbay. You need to rest.�

"I need to help," She said still trying to get up.

Scott turned to the Commander and Sable before he left.

"Commander. I'll get us to Scralen space. I need you to tell them were coming,� Ivanof said calmly.

"I doubt she'll stay sir. I could always use a hand in Engineering," McInnis said from the door.

"Nu huh," she returned defiantly. "You're asking for a complete overhaul if you want those engines ... but I know a way to emulate their technology. You need me." She nodded to McInnis for his support, half smiling.

"Dr. O�Roarke, can you help her?�

"I don't know," the doctor replied. "Everything I've tried to give her, she's rejected."

"Give me your strongest stimulant. That'll work." Sable offered.

"Whoa...hold it," Ivanof started, and the Doctor was nodding. �We need you Sable. I won't have you crashing on us."

"To hell with the stimulate,� McInnis chimed in. �I have a bottle of Uncle's finest in my quarters. It'll keep her going."

"I won't crash ... " she stated simply, adding to herself, (yet.)

"Sable, you can go to Engineering. But I'm having Dr. O�Rourke accompany you.�

Sable stifled further sighing. "Yes, sir."

"Dr. O�Rourke has authority to restrict you if she feels you�re going too far over redline. Agreed?�

"Yes, sir," she replied acidly, taking a deep breath. She slowly got up and O�Rourke took her arm. She was following McInnis slowly with O�Rourke in tow when she turned to Scott curiously, "You're uncles finest?"

Scott smiled as he escorted Sable to Engineering. "It's an old Human drink called whiskey. It let him put up with McCoy and Spock at the same time..." With that they left for Engineering.

Ivanof left Sickbay and made his way to the bridge. In the turbolift Ivanof suddenly had a thought. He tapped his comm badge.

�Ivanof to Sable.�

�Sable here, sir.� She replied wearily.

�The Borg sensor array. How did you know where it was?� Ivanof asked.

�Have Lt. Travin modify sensors for subspace emissions in the J band. The Borg hide them within subspace conduits but need to open the conduit. It�s not overly noticeable, but it can be found.�

�But Commander, how did you find it?�

�It�s part of the Scralen intelligence readings on this sector.�

�Do we need to modify our photon torpedoes to destroy it?�

�No Sir. I can provide you with a map of this sector when you get to the bridge.� This was said just as the doors opened. Travin stood from the Captain�s chair.

�Lt. Travin. Modify sensors to sweep for J band subspace emissions. There is a Borg Sensor array inside of a subspace conduit. When you find it target and fire.�

Travin stepped up to the tactical station and began making modifications. �I see it commander. It was nestled right under us. Luckily it�s far enough off that our torpedoes won't damage us any further.� She began punching in the sequence and soon the array was locked. �Ready to fire sir.�

�Fire,� Ivanof said. With that five bright red objects streamed from the ship. All torpedoes impacted at key points on the array. Then those five flashes expanded into multiple larger flashes as the impacted and blew the array to pieces.

�Alright. Now we need to set course for Scralen space. Helm. Set course.� He paused as he consulted the map Sable had provided. �297 mark 135, Full Impulse. Engage,� Ivanof said.

They were not far off, but it would still be several weeks at warp 9. He hoped Sable and McInnis would be able to make the appropriate modifications to make this trip far faster. Ivanof sat in the chair pensively as he wondered if Captain Myst would be there when they returned.

Back to Top

Chapter 11

Jaquelle was getting annoyed at being unstuck in reality. Soon after Strur left she was instantaneously moved to what appeared to be some type of transporter room. But before she could even clearly focus, she was instantaneously moved again. This time she was able to focus on her surroundings. They were even more decadent then the last place they were holding her. Tapestries intricately woven in gold hung on the walls. High ceilings were painted with elaborate murals. Furnishings were meticulously hand carved. Plush carpeting lay beneath her feet. But even through such lush carpeting, she could tell that she was on longer on a ship moving through space.

(I guess I do have a bit of engineering in me,) mused Jaquelle to herself, being sure to keep her mental guards up. She felt a bit less tense than she normally would be in this situation knowing that she obviously was very important to Strur's people.

(Well Tottol, we're not in Kan Sas anymore) she thought, referring to some story she read long ago about a girl and her dog moved from their dull planet to a bright one. And just like that girl, she didn't care how opulent this place was, she wanted to get back to where she belonged.

Jaquelle tried to sense her surroundings. She could not sense anyone near. There didn't even seem to be guards outside the door. All the voices she heard were far away, and speaking the same language that she did not understand. Jaquelle decided to see what the security on the door was like. As she approached the door, it just opened. She put her hand near the doorway to see if there was a force field. None. She cautiously peered out the door. There was no one. She stepped out the door into a long hallway decorated much like her room, that stretched seemingly endlessly on both sides of her, no alarms. In the far distance on each side she could see light coming from an alcove or hallway. Jaquelle stepped back into her room.

Jaquelle started to fiddle with her right ear lobe. Sometimes Anna Krasinski's paranoia does have it's place. Anna had been concerned about Strur showing a great interest in Jaquelle when they were on the bridge. Being the eternal worrier, Anna kept insisting that he might try to take her for some reason and had pestered Jaquelle to allow her to put a homing device in the soft part of the lobe of Jaquelle's ear. Jaquelle being distracted by the stress of the crew allowed her to do it in hopes of bringing Anna's stress level down.

Actually the devise was sort of ingenious. The mechanics were made of a tiny, soft, fatty type of material, almost exactly like her lobe. She noted that back in sick bay when she scanned it, that it was almost indistinguishable from human ear tissue. As a doctor she probably would have missed it if she didn't know it was there, and certainly an alien race would not know the difference. While the device would work for long distances on it's own, Anna had actually made earrings that would amplify the signal. She had honed it to a peculiar frequency band that was so narrow that no race she could find had ever used it due to it's size.

Jaquelle activated the device. (Now,) thought Jaquelle to herself, (It's time to explore my surroundings.) Jaquelle headed out the door, down the long hallway to her right.

Back to Top

Chapter 12

{Griffin, Engineering}

Sable climbed from under a console, pulling herself from the floor by the edge of the paneling to study the calculations working away on the screen. Tense minutes passed as the implants within her processed the information scrolling by, while her Human half lay occupied in thought mentally elsewhere. That was the one advantage of the Scralen devices that she had always taken for granted. Her physical body was not wholly dependant on them for survival, the brain having been encased in the thinnest layer of the electronics rather than having been partially replaced; and the crystalline cortex being only a few millimeters in size, required little room as well. The design allowed her consciousness to remain separate, in a manner, from the constant computations, while also allowing for a complete de-assimilation if ever performed. The skeletal enhancement was merely a collection of what some might call "nanoprobes", woven tightly together and able to detach an create other devices if needed by the mere connection. The matrix of minute devices had been used recently to create the assimilation tubules, and had been used to seal small wounds. It was a wonder of advanced technology.

A pause in her thoughts and slowly she looked up from her console for a moment, staring at McInnis, eyes narrowed in contemplation. She stole a deep breath and returned her gaze to the read-outs.

"Thanks," she quietly mumbled after a hesitant pause.

Scott looked up quietly from the console he was chugging away on.

"For?"

Ryan seemed to grimace slightly. "For ... helping me ... upgrade." She looked down embarrassed. "I ... didn't know how much I missed being connected ..." she spoke slowly, then rushed on, "I know it sounds weird." She laughed distractedly. "It ... just ... yeah." Now thoroughly uncomfortable, she shrugged and climbed under the console to adjust a power coupling.

Scott shook his head slightly. "I didn't want to. The commander ordered me to. Four years of working on Borg Technology made me realize that it wasn't just some metal strapped to wetware. It's different..." Scott sighed and returned to what he was doing. "Though I am glad it turned out alright, and that you were not...hurt."

Sable smirked, climbing back out as her discomfort vanished again into an unexplainable feeling.

"You couldn't have hurt me, I'm far too advanced remember?" she commented nonchalantly with a wink. "In the end I would have fixed it myself."

Scott nodded though it was apparent that he was struggling internally with something.

"Yeah, yer probably right..."

She patted Scott reassuringly on the back with a smile, disappearing shortly behind the warp core. Scott let out a breath as she patted him and lowered his head, chugging away again on the computations that she needed done to retrofit the engines.

After a silence, Ryan called out, "Scott, you any good a magic tricks?"

Scott smirked.

"I keep this ship running, I think that makes for a good performance." He nodded. "My Uncle is..."

Sable grinned, leaning around the warp core, her voice light. "Ah, but can your uncle create paralithium?"

Scott shrugged.

"I don't think it would be impossible for him... Would take him a couple days of intense work but I am sure he would figure it out..."

Sable arched an eyebrow, just staring at McInnis with a small amount of exasperation, her point having been missed; and Scott raised an eyebrow in return.

She sighed in some frustration and turned mumbling, "All right, I'll do it." Scott's brow furrowed.

"Sure, yeah, you just handle that..." Scott didn't handle personal interactions well. He knew he could do it too, but Sable was...well...more suited technically now to everything. Even to the point of Scott knowing she could do his job if she wanted to. He knew her capacity, and it...well...scared the crap out of him. "What simple thing would you like me to task myself with in the mean time?"

Sable scowled. "That isn't funny." As far as she was concerned, Scott was the resident expert and she, a mere library for him to dig into.

Scott shrugged. "What do you want me to say, you know as well as I do that you know what needs to be done and have the capacity to do it 10 times faster than me now, I am here to help you... not the other way around."

She sighed for what must have been the thirty millionth time, and turned on her heal, marching to Scott. A sad look crossed her face.

"There is a great difference between having a talent and using it, and knowing how to do something because the information was planted in your head. Sadly, I'm only the latter and doubt I could do any of this without the polydeutronic implants. Don't demote yourself Scott. You have a lot of good talent here, and I am only here to offer you my library of knowledge ... in fact, I don't even need to be here." She handed him a PADD. "This is all the information you'll need in order to imitate their engines. Straight from my head." She cracked an odd half smile, half grimace.

Scott sighed and looked down for a moment before looking back up. "Yeah, I can make what we need, and I can build it, and make it work... but I can't make myself laugh and for some reason you can. So when the Commander asks me to have this done in some ungodly short amount of time, I am going to need your help to laugh in his face... and them make it happen sooner than that." He shrugged. "I learned too much in working on you Sable, for both our own goods. So let's get cranking on this engine mod before the Commander gets all uppity on us. Besides, we have a couple folks who need our help..." Scott seemed very tumultuous on the inside, though his half grin tried to cover it on the outside.

Sable nodded in agreement, moving to make some comment as Ivanof broke over the intercom speakers, "Bridge to Engineering."

"Go ahead Commander..." Scott responded. (This is where he asks me the status of the refit and I tell him 16 hours...cuz it should take 4...)

Ivanof's voice seemed tight, "Lieutenant I need an time estimate on those engines, and please don't give me anything longer than 30 minutes."

Sable, looked on with an arched eyebrow. (Now that's impossible ... Geeze.)

Scott lowered his head.

"Why is it whenever you call down here sir, I feel like god because you are always asking me to perform miracles..." He looked to Sable and a light unlike one she had seen from him burst almost from his smile. "If we get it done in 30 minutes, Sable and I get extra shore leave..."

Sable smirked, laughing slightly. "We need four hours bare minimum, Commander, no less," Sable spoke solidly.

Scott quietly walked over to a secluded datapad, a large one which was not connected to any other apparatus. He smiled and began typing on it, walking over to Sable.

"Let me see that PADD."

She nodded, handing the device to him. He attached it to an odd apparatus on the side of his large PADD and continued typing, waiting for the Commander's reply. In a few short moments a wry grin came to his lips and he looked at Sable with almost amusement.

Ivanof's voice was grave, "McInnis, if you're god, then I'm praying to you to get us outta here in less than 30 ... cause the Borg will be here in less than 33 minutes."

Sable's eyes went wide and she gulped. She had forgotten to periodically check the interlink frequency. (They found a worm hole,) she thought hoarsely to herself. She gazed at McInnis oddly. "What is it?" she asked of his grin.

Scott chuckled and almost broke out in a huge laugh. "Very well.... 30 minutes...God Out." He looked at Sable. "We need the Cargo Bay Replicator and a reroute of a couple systems, but I have some friends who work even faster than you lass, and they are up for the task." He turned the PADD around and showed Sable the schematics of the refit to the Griffin and a small swarm of happy little blips on the side of the screen, inside, almost jumping up and down. "Nanites..." He smirked. "And did I mention that they hate the Borg..."

Sable was utterly stunned, "But where did? How? I thought ...?"

Scott smirked.

"Don't mind me, in order to play God for the commander, I have to break the rules. Besides, they didn't want to go..."

"Oh," Sable replied simply.

Scott shrugged.

"I don't get much choice about rules when I get 30 minutes to make the world change. Care to handle the assembly work with me here, while they build us the things we need there?"

Sable smiled after a moment nodding. "Aye, aye ... God." She saluted smartly, grinning.

Scott smirked, giving a sweeping and gallant bow in return.

"I've been called worse... maybe if the Commander lives up to the shore leave, I can introduce you to Scotland..."

{GemNevenan-AvaGem Colonized World, Ky-racen Occupied}

Jaquelle drifted about the elegantly garnished halls, hesitant at each bend and intersection, watching those who passed her with kind smiles and little other attention in wary apprehension. She knew that her exploration must eventually bring her to some unwanted meeting with adversary; and yet, as the distance from her "cell" grew, the less confident she became of such a meeting occurring. There was an aura of peace in the air that calmed Jaquelle's thoughts, leaving only her curiosity and a feeling of detached alertness.

A smell of freshness caressed lightly on a breeze tickled her face and hair as she came upon a new intersection in the halls. Slowly she turned, the hall opening into a grand arch, sunlight warming her face as a soft, echoing voice sang unfamiliar words from some unseen place. She stepped forward, the light, air, and singing voice casting a graceful sensation upon her, as though she sailed upon the floor through the archway with little effort, the pull of gravity or feel of the floor beneath her beyond her comfortable peace. The arch opened with sweeping grandeur into a lush courtyard; the sunlight raining down upon the stonework of the building and center pavilion as though it were tangible gold, the leaves of the trees shining as though dripping with silver and deep greens, the flowers with rich blooming colors. Jaquelle looked upon the beauty in shocked awe; too real to be a dream yet too perfect to be real. In her awed distraction she began to softly descend the short set of stairs to the grass at first unaware of the alien woman that now approached her from the side. In the last moment she turned to face the woman on her heal warily, but her apprehension quickly melted as the odd peace over came her again.

"Jaquelle," the woman greeted, her voice smooth as in song. "I am Wilwarin." The alien woman smiled, bringing Jaquelle's attention to the soft point in the woman's ears and lack of yari (the crystal in the forehead of members of Emir and Strur's race).

"You are not ..." Jaquelle quieted for a moment, sorting through her mind to remember the name that had escaped her, as Wilwarin gazed on with soft piercing eyes.

"I am not a member of the Eld�r�," Wilwarin gently suggested, her head slipping to a light tilt.

"I don't know of the Eldara. I was thinking more along the lines of the AyaCeni," Jaquelle corrected innocently.

Wilwarin raised a soft palm, slowly bringing the hand to her own mouth in a kind command for silence. "We do not call them by their Predirian name," she explained with a silencing grace. Her eyes narrowed as she studied Jaquelle, her head still held in it's slight tilt. "I am AvaGem," Wilwarin explained after some time. "The Eldara rescued my people from destruction many centuries ago." In the distance, the single voice that first graced Jaquelle's ears at the archway crested, joined buy a skin-tingling chorus in her song.

Jaquelle stifled a physical jump, questions of all sorts suddenly clouding her mind and melting the peace that settled there. Wilwarin smiled, knowing the new chaos in Jaquelle's mind.

"Come," she guided softly, "we have prepared the evening meal. You may eat, and then I will answer all the questions you shall ask of me as I may." As though she were a mere flower lying on smooth water, Wilwarin slid down the path, leading Jaquelle to the large stone pavilion in the center of the courtyard.

The pavilion filled quickly, though in a quiet grace and order. From the tables the aroma like the flowers of the gardens rose. Jaquelle was gently ushered to the center table, shown to stand in wait on the right-hand of the head of the table. On either side of the table were three tables, similar to the center table, though lacking in equal length. Around the seven tables each person stood in wait, watching to some point still distant in the garden. Jaquelle followed their gaze, glimpsing the approach of another AvaGem and her entourage. Soon the woman had entered the pavilion and upon sitting herself at the head of the center table, the rest of the company sat as well and the food served.

"My lady," Wilwarin spoke reverently from Jaquelle's side as they ate, to the woman at the head of the table. "This is Jaquelle Daem of the Griffin."

"Yes," the woman's voice sang. Her long blonde hair flowing through the breeze, blue eyes piercing as she studied Jaquelle.

{Griffin Engineering 29 minutes later}

"...and on top of everything else, they're extremely punctual," McInnis noted as his large PADD indicated the nanites had finished exactly on time. He looked up at Sable. She had the oddest expression on her face. "Commander?" he prompted.

"I've managed to contact Predire Emir..." she replied with a mixture of relief and excitement in her voice.

"More good news," McInnis replied with a nod.

"Oh?" she asked.

He motioned with his PADD, "The nanites are done."

"Then while you get these Engines up and running, I'll be heading to the Bridge to pilot them!" she said, happy that things finally seemed to be going their way.

{Griffin, Bridge}

"Borg ETA, 2.5 minutes," Travin announced when Sable stepped off the turbolift. "Lieutenant McInnis reports the engines are ready."

"Then get us out of here, Commander," Ivanof ordered.

Sable nodded and slipped into her chair. "Setting course for Scralen borders," she announced as she keyed in the commands.

"Enga-," Ivanof said as Travin interrupted.

"Ship approaching at... incalculable velocity!"

Ivanof spun on his heal to face her. "Identify!"

"The specifications match Strur's ship. Their firing-"

"Commander-" Ivanof began, turning back towards Sable.

"Already on it," she replied, her hands dancing over her console. The Griffin lurched as the engine modifications through it into motion faster than normal. Weapons fire from Strur's ship streaked past the port side, then the Griffin was gone.

"Report," Ivanof ordered as he sat in the command chair.

"We'll beat out the Borg," Travin replied, relaying information as fast as she could get it from her station. "Strur's ship is altering course to follow... at current speed he'll over take us in... two minutes. It'll take us-"

A proximity alarm went off on Travin's console, and the Griffin rocked gently as Sable executed a break-neck maneuver.

"Apparently Strur's weapons have a greater range than ours," Travin commented.

"Greater range, yes much, but the further out they are the less accurate their weapons become," Sable added over her shoulder, not taking her eyes off what she was doing. But even though it didn't distract her, she still wasn't able to avoid the entire volley that streaked in from Strur's ship to pound the Griffin.

The ship shook under the impact of one of the weapons, not violently, but enough to herald the fight to come.

"Shields holding at 87%," Travin reported. "We won't make it to Scralen territory before Strur's ship intercepts us."

"That's okay," Sable replied. "They're coming to us. If we can hold present course, they will arrive in fifteen minutes."

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Chapter 13

{Bridge}

"Red Alert," Ivanof ordered. "Have all civilians report to their quarters or assigned shelter areas."

{Space}

Thanks to the new manner in which the Griffin was traveling, the stars streaked by in a hazy blur of blue and silver. It would have been an eerie yet spellbinding site... if anyone was paying any attention.

Strur's ship gracefully turned off it's course and took up a new one parallel to the Griffin. Three small spots light up briefly as the enemy ship fired on the Griffin. Anticipating the trap, Sable was already turning the Griffin's course onto a new tangent. Tendrils streamed out, an energy web of some sort attempting to ensnare the ship. Narrowly avoiding being caught, the ship still wasn't maneuverable enough at high speeds to avoid contact completely. The shields shimmered and crackled against the alien energy as the hull visibly began to burn under the intense heat being generated.

The Griffin fired a spread of torpedoes in return. All but one bounced off the shields of the enemy ship, completely ineffective. The one lonely one that actually managed to have an effect merely exploded in a burst of oranges and yellows as the ship's shields momentarily glowed underneath before regaining their typical strength. No damage was done.

Long seconds later the tendrils finally dissipated against the Griffin's shields. Strur's ship regained a common course with the Griffin and tried its web weapon again, and just as quickly as needed the Griffin shifted again to avoid it. Yet it never moved too far off its true course towards help.

Strur's ship changed tactics as well as course, and began raining fire down on the Griffin.

{Bridge}

"Weapons ineffective. Shields holding. Structural integrity grid limits are being tested all over the ship," Travin reported. "Estimate ten minutes until they overload."

"We're still twelve minutes from help," Sable reminded them from over her shoulder. "If we were to make a dead out run for it, no evasive maneuvers, we might be able to pull away from them," she suggested. "They'd be forced back to conventional weapons."

"Reroute power as needed," Ivanof said to Travin, partially distracted by having to divide his attention between all the current situations.

"That's not going to help, sir," she replied. "The ship simply wasn't designed to travel this fast."

"Do it, Commander," Ivanof told Sable. "All available power to aft shields."

{Sickbay}

"Medical Emergency!" a half frantic voice called from the comm system. "Deck 14, section 11!"

Dr. O'Roarke glanced up from the patient she was tending to long enough to tap her communicator. "Transporter room, emergency transport from Deck 14, section 11," she ordered tersely.

"Acknowledged," Winsor replied. "I can't get a lock, sir," she reported frustratedly moments later. "There's too much radiation flooding the area."

O'Roarke shook her head. "Quarantine off Deck 14, sections 9 through 13, and evacuate the surrounding areas" she ordered as she began cleaning up what she was doing. "Only let people out. And get them out ASAP!"

She turned and looked around. "Doctor Moyer!'" she called out, not seeing who she wanted.

"Doctor Moyer just started surgery," Nurse Leonid informed her from a few patients away.

O'Roarke nodded, though she wasn't very pleased with any of the current situation. "Computer, activate the EMH."

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency," the EMH said as he materialized.

"Triage, while the CMO makes a house call," O'Roarke informed him as she walked off. She grabbed a medical kit and filled several hyposprays to help deal with radiation poisoning. "Leonid, you're with me."

The nurse nodded and walked over to O'Roarke, who administered a dose from a hypospray to each of them. Then the two women walked out.

{Deck 14}

O'Roarke and Leonid stepped out of the turbolift to a horrible scene. A couple people lay against either side of the corridor, placed carefully, their bloody red and black burned skin visible from meters away. A third crouched over one of the others, swaying slightly back and forth. Just beyond them the bulkhead against the outside hull was awkwardly bent and twisted. Beyond that the corridor darkened, lit only by the sporadic sparking behind bent and broken wall and ceiling panels. The women could hear moaning echoing from beyond site down the corridor. As O'Roarke bent over one of the two people, they heard a voice call out.

"Hang on! I'm coming!"

Leonid looked to O'Roarke. "Stay here, tend to them," O'Roarke ordered. She began to make her way down the corridor. When she reached the quarantine field, she had it dropped for a moment so she could pass into the radiation infested area. Once she turned the corner just beyond, she was able to make out a form moving a few meters ahead.

"Hello?" she called.

"Help us!" the form replied. O'Roarke hurried over, finding one very large person carrying another more human sized person. Neither were identifiable through their wounds and the darkness. She began to give help in carrying the woman, when the man carrying her pulled away. "There are four more alive in the rooms back there," he motioned with his head towards a couple doors on the opposite side of the corridor from the outside hull. O'Roarke nodded and headed back as the man headed out.

She met the man just outside the quarantine field as she was heading out and he in. She set down the person she was carrying and stopped him with a firmly placed hand and a shake of her head. "You've been exposed too much already."

"They're my neighbors and friends," he replied stubbornly, "I'm not leaving them."

"I'll get them, you need immediate medical attention."

The man looked off down the corridor. "Your nurse has a look that tells me I'm already dead. At least let me die helping them."

O'Roarke gave him an odd look and pulled out her tricorder. She barely needed to scan him to tell there was no treatment she could provide him. "Alright," she said, letting him pass as she picked back up the person she was carrying and headed for where Leonid had set up a very temporary treatment area.

When she arrived she noted three people were missing. "Taken to sickbay I presume?" she inquired of her nurse.

"Yes, Doctor," Leonid replied, not looking up from her current patient. "Two more stretchers are on their way."

"Add three to that number," O'Roarke ordered as she lay down the person she was carrying before turning around and heading back for another.

She passed the man once more in the corridor at the quarantine field. They were only dropping it as much as they needed to, once for both of them heading in each direction. "One left," he said, carrying a person over each shoulder.

"I see," she replied. "Nurse Leonid will give you something for the pain." He nodded and headed off.

Seconds after man reached Leonid, they heard a loud explosion. The ship rocked hard and the entire corridor fell into darkness. Tense moments passed. When nothing else happened, the two sighed in relief. Suddenly Leonid's tricorder began beeping an alarm. She looked at it and in the little light it shed she turned to the man.

"The quarantine field is down. The radiation is spreading, levels are steadily rising."

"Let's start evacuating these people into the turbolift," he said. She nodded.

Once they had the four in place, they stepped on as well but waited. After a moment the man stepped off. "I'll find them, you get these people to sickbay."

Leonid nodded. As the turbolift door's closed the man headed off. He carefully made his way down the corridor towards the bend. "Doctor!" he called out on his way. When he rounded the corner, he stopped in his tracks. The stars were staring back at him.

{Bridge}

"Direct hit, hull breech on deck 14," Travin reported. "Force fields are holding."

The comm came alive with a slightly Scottish accented voice. "McInnis to Bridge, what the heck is going on up there, I didn't pay for the roller coaster ride."

{Sickbay}

The man staggered into sickbay. Nurse Fort moved to help him, but was stopped by Leonid's voice.

"Don't! He's alight!" she warned, referring to the radiation he was saturated with. Then she quickly guided him to sickbay's radiation safe area.

"Where's Doctor O'Roarke?" she asked along the way.

"With the stars," he replied simply with a grimace. Leonid gave him a confused look. "She's dead," he explained between painful breaths. "Blown up in that explosion we heard."

Just then the lights went out, immediately replaced by the emergency back ups.

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Chapter 14

Engineering shook, as well as did the rest of the ship, and Scott was none too thrilled about it. He wasn't about to get his butt shot out from underneath him by some foreign race he had never even heard about.

As the ship rocked again he slapped his comm badge.

"McInnis to Bridge, what the heck is going on up there, I didn't pay for the roller coaster ride."

In short order the Commander replied.

"Lt. McInnis, we are under fire and unless you can do something to correct it, keep the comm lines clear."

Scott thought for a couple moments, unsure how to reply, until that wry grin the Commander would grow to love and the Engineering crew would grow to hate came to his face.

"Are we just going to try to outrun them without returning fire?"

"That was the precepts of your engine modification was it not Lieutenant?"

"Yeah, well you never told me we were having more company than the Borg..."

"Your point Lieutenant?"

"I need permission to reroute weapons, as well as all non essential systems to engineering, and I might be able to give you folks a hand..."

After a few tense moments and the ship rocking again under weapons fire, he got back a reply.

"Permission granted Lieutenant, make it good."

"Understood, McInnis out."

With a flurry of action and direction and some help from his new found nanite friends, Scott put into motion a plan that could make or break them, but his math added up, and as long as he had enough power from the newly configured engine system and core mounting and energy relays, it could work.

A minute later he shut down all non essential system, including weapons... and engaged the TCD...

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Chapter 14a

{Engineering}

Eventhough it was 15 decks away, McInnis could sense the drain the TCD was placing on the energy powering the ship's remaining active systems, he could feel it through his feet. But always one to make absolutely sure about everything he did, he checked the console in his office to make sure.

"McInnis to Bridge," he said, tapping his comm badge. "We have to slow down."

"The point is to outrun them, Lieutenant," Ivanof replied.

"If we don't slow down within three and a half minutes, we're going to come to a dead stop. Emphasis on that second to last word," McInnis warned. "The TCD isn't interfacing as well as I'd hoped with the engine modifications."

"Commander? Lieutenant?" he inquired.

{Bridge}

Sable barely turned at the question, hands still dancing over her console. Travin piped up first. "Assuming they can no longer detect us, which is a good bet based on how inaccurate their weapons fire has become, slowing down may be beneficial. It'd add another unknown variable to their equation of where we could possibly be," she advised.

"It'll take longer for the Scralen to reach us, but Strur wouldn't assume we'd be on a different course. We've been pretty obvious about where we're trying to go. And if he assumed a different speed, it'd probably be that we'd be going faster," Sable added, agreeing with Travin.

"And then he'd run into them before us a well. Sounds good," Ivanof said. "Lieutenant McInnis, how much do we need to slow down?"

{Strur's ship, Command Center}

"Where'd they go?!" Strur demanded to know.

"Unknown," his XO replied. "They're still there, they have to be," he added. "We just can see them for some reason."

"Continue firing!" Strur ordered in frustration. "Blanket a wider area and pay attention to when we hit them!"

{Strur's ship, Holding Cell}

Priscilla sat quietly, mentally listening to everything going on around the ship. She had been forgotten for now. But she didn't mind it that way at all, it let her monitor them without being noticed.

For a moment she allowed herself some wishful thinking. She always missed her sister's presence in her mind when they were separated by too great of distances. But now was one of the few times she wished she that wasn't so. If only she had access to her sister's wealth of knowledge and skill, or herself had any Engineering inclinations at all, she might be able to actually DO something besides spying. But then again, everyone has their own strengths that invariably come in handy at some point. So Priscilla went back to waiting while listening to and learning more about Strur and his crew.

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Chapter 15

{Griffin Main Bridge}

�Commander, the Borg ship is still approaching us at a high warp. It will be in range of us in seven minutes,� Travin reported. Ivanof had almost forgotten about the old threat when Strur had decided to become the new one.

�Commander Sable, how far away are we from Scralen space?�

�With the new modifications and our current speed, we can reach them in fifteen minutes. The Scralen are not willing to violate Eldaran space. We need to reach them.�

�Alright Commander Sable. What if we disengaged the TCD and went back to full throttle. Would we be able to at least get the Strur between the Borg and us?� I think the Borg would attempt to assimilate Strur�s vessel before us. Is that accurate.�

�I cannot say, Commander. It�s possible but we are of Federation design. The Borg are aware of our presence even with the TCD. But it is possible.�

�Lt. Mcinnis?�

�Yes Commander," Mcinnis replied. Ivanof could almost hear the non-vocal groan in the man�s voice.

�We need to go back to full power on the new engines. How long can you hold them and the shields if we disengaged the TCD at full power?�

�Standby Commander,� Mcinnis replied.

{Engineering}

Mcinnis went to the interface device he had been using to speak with the nanites.

(Ok guys. I know you guys are tired, but the Borg are breathing down our necks. The Commander wants to shut down the TCD and bolt for Scralen space. We need to be able to maintain the shields and attempt to keep Strur between the Borg and Us. Is this possible.)

The Nanites visually began discussing things. Then an answer came. One which, when they presented it to Mcinnis made him cringe, but he knew it had to be done. The engines wouldn�t hold at full power. The nanites asked for 3 class 8 probes and access to the Cargo bay replicators.

�Commander. I have a solution, but it�s very unorthodox. I had been planning on mentioning them but haven�t had the time,� he said wincing as he said it.

�Mention what?� said Ivanof. His tone was dark as if Ivanof knew he wouldn�t like this.

�Okay. Remember the nanite incident we had a few months back? Well I happened to get a hold of a few. I was intending to report it, but then they started growing and soon I had a thousand of them. They don�t mean us any harm and actually have a grudge against the Borg. They are engineers and have actually been the ones who gave us the miracle of the engines we�re pushing way too hard. I proposed your plan to them and they came up with a different one. They want to place a couple of million of themselves inside of three class 8 probes which will be launched at the Borg at 3 locations they�ll designate. Once the probes implant themselves into the ship they will begin replicating using the Borg�s own materials from their essential systems. I just need three probes and the cargo bay�s replicators. Then the nanites will give Travin the coordinates to launch the probes.� He finished his pitch and waited for the commanders response.

�Proceed Lieutenant, but we will speak of this when we get the Captain, and Daem back. Ivanof out.�

{Bridge. 2 minutes til the Borg intercept. 10 minutes until Scralen space.}

�Commander,� came Mcinnis� voice came over the comm, �We are ready to fly. I�m loading the probes now.�

�Commander, I am receiving the coordinates for the probes. Locked and ready.�

�Fire when ready, Lieutenant.�

The Griffin was still traveling faster than any Federation ship had ever gone as three small probes exited the rear torpedo launcher and their impulse engines flashed as they sped towards their destinations.

{Strur�s ship, Bridge}

�Erisaj! (Captain or appropriate term)� said Strur�s tactical officer, �I�ve detected a massive Borg ship on a near intercept course with us. But yet it looks as if they are chasing something that is behind us... Wait. Three small projectiles have appeared out of nowhere and have impacted on the borg�s hull.�

�Turn the ship around. I think they have managed to get behind us. Very clever,� Strur said with the smile of one expecting to succeed in the hunt.

He was to be disappointed. The Griffin visually came onto his viewscreen but they were traveling so fast that the light reflected from the ship only showed where they were.

�Fire all weapons!� Strur yelled.

The energy web and his phasers streaked after the afterimage of the Griffin only to pass through it!

�What?!? Impossible!� Strur roared. �What has happened?�

�I�m not sure Erisaj. They are not registering on our sensors.�

�I CAN SEE THEM YOU SPINELESS KEMLR. Find out how they are evading our sensors and then destroy them! If they reach Scralen space we will have to break off pursuit. And if that happens, I will have your remla for my evening meal. Understand?�

�Yes Erisaj.�

{Borg Ship}

Impact detected.

Trajectory of projectiles coming from Federation ship. No Discernable Damage.

Maintain course and speed to capture and begin assimilation of Federation ship containing species 652148 and other less notable species.

Error detected. Main Sensors. Switching to Auxillary and beginning regeneration cycle.

Error detected. Navigation Systems. New Course entered by unknown means.

Shutdown engines.

Error detected. Engines. Failure to obey shutdown directive.

ALERT ALERT Proximity detectors showing cube 25484632 on collision course with unknown object. Mass appears to be consistant with Eldaran craft.

Error detected. Internal communications overridden by unknown means.

These are the Nanites from the Federation. Resistance is never futile.

Error detected. Self Destruct sequence initiated.

{Griffin Bridge}

Ivanof watched the rear view of the ship as it passed Strur�s ship which had slowed to come about to re-engage them. Now an amused look was on his face as he watched the plan the Nanites had recommended came to fruition. The cube was hurtling through space at a faster rate than Strur�s ship and nearly hit them. If Strur�s ship had been any slower it would have been destroyed as the massive collection of cubes. Then a blinding white light emerged from inside the cube and engulfed Strur�s ship. The Griffin was 2 minutes from Scralen space and their only pursuers had just been caught in the blast radius brighter than any star Ivanof had ever seen. As the light faded a cloud of debris drifted out from where the cube had been. On the outer edge Sturs ship could be seen with blackened scorch marks across most of the hull and she was drifting at an odd angle.

�Strur�s ship is currently disabled. Engines, shields and weapons, all offline,� Travin reported.

�What about life signs?�

�Most are unchanged. I am picking up a Human bioreading. It�s the Captain!�

�Sable. Head back. We are bringing Captain Myst her ship back.�

{Sickbay 4 hours later}

Priscilla awoke to see the concerned faces of Dr. Moyer and Cmdr. Ivanof over her. Moyer was working on sealing a plasma burn on her right leg.

�Welcome back Captain,� Ivanof said. �How do you feel?� He asked.

�Glad to be back. How is the Griffin?� She asked softly.

�We�ve made it into Scralen space with the help of Sable and McInnis. The ship is currently being repaired by Mcinnis� staff and the Scralen have been kind enough to loan us a couple of their engineers to help better mesh their technology in with ours. In total since you were captured we�ve had fifteen deaths and another 200 or so wounded. Dr. O'Roarke was one of them. I�m sorry Captain. The rest of this should wait until you�ve rested and healed up.�

�I�m going to the bridge,� Myst said, but then the spinning screaming headache and the firm grasp of the doctor placed her back on the biobed.

�I�m sorry Captain. But you�re in no condition to be in command. And as acting chief medical officer, I�m placing you on medical leave for at least the next 24 hours.�

�I�ve got things under control captain. Rest now. I�ll have my report ready for you when the Doctor says it�s ok.�

�Alright. Thank you Yuri,� she said as she closed her eyes. She felt the hypospray touch her neck and heard the soft hiss as Dr. Moyer injected her with a sedative. As she drifted off to sleep she whispered softly: �I�m sorry Marina.�

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Chapter 16

{GemNevenan-AvaGem Colonized World, Ky-racen Occupied}

Jaquelle gazed into the night sky as Wilwarin had directed her, a silver half moon seemed to leap from the dark, diamond rich heavens, stinging the eye with its technological and adversarial existence. Slowly her eyes returned to the beautiful rolling landscape before her, and then to Wilwarin and the other AvaGem who had thus far been referred to as "My Lady," the woman obviously a leader of some sort among her people.

"Strur?" Jaquelle deduced remembering all that she had been told between the conclusion of dinner and now.

"Yes," Wilwarin answered in a smooth untouched voice.

"Your people will be looking for you, Jaquelle," the leader spoke, "if we are to avoid detection, we must act quickly."

"What do you mean, my lady?" Jaquelle inquired, feeling inclined to address her as her own people did.

"We have always been loyal to the Ayati," Wilwarin explained, "and though under siege we have succeeded in constructing a reliable underground. We may yet be able to return you to the Eldar and from there your people."

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Chapter 17

"Why do you stay, My Lady? Jaquelle asked. The leader of the AvaGem did not respond. She did not need to. She knew what Jaquelle meant and she knew that Jaquelle would ask the next question.

"If you have an underground that could get you out of here, why do you stay?" continued Jaquelle.

"Look about you," Wilwarin said calmly, almost reverently, "it is paradise."

Jaquelle nodded. She understood. She could feel in herself that it would be quite easy for even her to succumb and stay. But...

"Countless civilizations have been captives at one time in their existence, many by those who seem to be magnificent benefactors. And yet, sooner or later, no matter how much like paradise, a prison is still a prison." Jaquelle answered.

The leader of the AvaGem finally broke her silence.

"We are not held here. This is where we desire to be." The leader could sense the puzzlement in Jaquelle's mind,--their planet was occupied. How could this be where they desired to be?

"There is a prophecy," the leader continued. "Both the Ayati and the Ky-r�c�n people know of it. Stur knows that there is a hidden part to the prophecy that foretells that someone like you will come. He knows that now the end of the war is near. At least one side will fall in the wake of this, and then the war is over. None victorious, only survivors. He thinks that by keeping you apart from another in the prophecy it will keep the Ayati from winning the war. He thinks it is the final part, but he is mistaken. There is yet another part to the prophecy. And for it to be fulfilled we must send you back. When that happens, our world will no longer be occupied and our people will live long here."

"Come ... follow, " said the leader as she slowly glided off. Jaquelle moved easily beside her. The rest stayed as the leader had not invited them to come. She noted that despite the perceived imminent threat of danger from the search for Jaquelle, she was not in a hurry. As she proceeded she explained to Jaquelle.

"In past times we were known as being creatures who moved through time and space. That is not entirely correct. We never had the means to move through time, only the Guardian of Forever could do that. But we had great portals that helped us appear to be instantly light years away. We had the technology to place essences of any place our people had been into those portals so that we only need step through any of our portals and be in that place. Our underground network, on other planets maintains the portal here and upgrades it."

"Up to this point I have not had any problem keeping the portal closed and therefore hidden from those who occupy our planet. I am the only keeper of the secret of the portal here."

Jaquelle and the Leader glided effortlessly through a maze of corridors while the leader talked and Jaquelle listened. Suddenly the corridor opened to a luscious garden. Fresh green flora covered the ground, while flowers and waterfalls surrounded the garden.

"The portal is here," the Leader stated.

Jaquelle looked and listened as hard as she could but could not find the portal. The leader reached out and touched Jaquelle's hand. Suddenly Jaquelle saw that the entire garden was a portal. As she scanned the entire area, she saw what seemed to be glimpses of thousands of places, planets and ships, mountains and rooms, all manners of landscapes. The Leader concentrated on Jaquelle's mind and the portal.

"There," said the Leader. She pointed to an area amidst all the images. The image she pointed to grew large. Jaquelle instantly recognized it as inside the Griffin. Soon it spanned the portal.

"How do have that?" asked Jaquelle.

"It comes from you," she responded. "And now you must step through and go back to your people."

Jaquelle was hesitant, but she had the sense of calm and the presence of mind to know it was the right thing to do. She glided over to and through the portal.

{USS Griffin}

A loud clanging noise almost knocked Anna off her chair in her science lab. She had meant to program the alarm loud, but obviously went a bit overboard. She quickly checked her computer for coordinates.

"Anna to Captain Myst," she quickly blurted out, but there was no answer.

"Anna to the Bridge," she went on.

"Bridge here," came back the voice.

"This is Anna, I need to talk to the Captain," she said hurriedly and quite excited.

"This is Commander Ivanof, Ensign Krasinski, the Captain is under sedation in sick bay. What may I do for you?"

"Ah, I'm ah sorry Commander." Anna always felt uncomfortable with Ivanof. "Well, you see I um persuaded Commander Daem to um put a transmitter in her ear. Well, actually it was in her ear lobe..."

Ivanof had always been a bit impatient with Ensign Krasinski.

"Ensign Krasinski, what are you trying to say?" he snapped. "And turn off that clanging noise."

"I've found Commander Daem," she blurted.

"Where," said Ivanof, his intolerance clearly heard. "What coordinates?" Anna was so shaken by Ivanof that she just repeated the coordinates from her panel and turned off the alarm.

"Ensign, those are the coordinates of the conference room." Ivanof barked. "What are you talking about?"

"That is just it, Commander, she is in the conference room," Anna said with as much authority as she would muster. Ivanof just rolled his eyes.

But Lt. McInnis was on the bridge at the engineering station. He had come to know that although Anna was shy, she was gifted and extremely reliable.

"Computer," said McInnis, "where is Lt. Commander Daem?"

"Lt. Commander Daem is in the conference room," answered the computer. McInnis turned and headed to the conference room. Lt. Travin pulled a phaser and followed.

"Computer," Ivanof called. "If Commander Daem is in the conference room, why wasn't there an intruder alert when she beamed in?

"Lt. Commander Daem is not an intruder, she is the ship's counselor," stated the computer.

{Conference room}

Jaquelle carefully studied her surroundings for more than a minute. Indeed, she did seem to be in the conference room of the Griffin. She slowly opened her mind. She could sense the emotions of the crew. She turned to go toward the door when suddenly it opened and there was Lt. McInnis and Lt. Travin with a phaser.

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Chapter 18

{Griffin - Conference Room}

Rinali Travin lowered her phaser, looked at the ship's counselor, and hoped that the woman couldn't sense the full extent of her joy at seeing her. Though she had not, to her knowledge, indicated it to anyone, Rinali had been deeply affected by the loss of Dr. O'Roarke. It always troubled her when someone died on her watch. Rinali had tried to push the thoughts from her mind for the time being, to concentrate on the problems at hand. But still, she could not help but feel that dull grief that she knew would only get worse once no more pressing matters were occupying her mind. That fact made it even more of a relief that Lt. Commander Daem had returned unharmed.

"Welcome back, Lieutenant Commander," Rinali said, allowing herself a small smile. The other woman smiled in return. Lt. McInnis, his curiosity about Lt. Commander Daem's return evidently satisfied, turned and left the two, presumably headed back to the engines.

"Travin to bridge," Rinali called, returning to her more businesslike demeanor. "Lieutenant Commander Daem has returned."

Commander Ivanof gave an audible sigh of relief.

"Both of you report to the bridge," he ordered. "I imagine Lt. Cmdr. Daem has a lot to tell us."

{Griffin - Bridge}

Counselor Daem had just finished relating what had happened to her since her disappearance from the Griffin. Since most of the senior staff was already on the bridge, with the exception of Lt. McInnis, Ivanof had called an informal meeting there rather than reconvene in the conference room.

"So the question," Lt. Travin was saying, "is what would be the best thing for us to do now."

"Before we decide that we need to know what our options are," Commander Ivanof replied. "Bridge to McInnis. How are the engines faring?"

"Not as bad as they could be. Between what the Scralen were able to do and the nanites pitching in, we should be able to get back to federation space."

Commander Ivanof grimaced, remembering the talk he would have to have with McInnis about the nanites once this whole thing was over.

"So leaving is a possibility," Ivanof concluded. "I doubt that Strur's ship has recovered enough to give us any trouble. But given what Lt. Cmdr. Daem has told us, should we be leaving?"

The question seemed to be addressed to everyone, but Cmdr. Ivanof was looking at Lt. Cmdr. Sable. She had a somewhat uncomfortable expression.

"I...I think that would be best," she said quietly. "We aren't really involved with this war and to the degree that we are...."

She paused and glanced at Counselor Daem.

"...it would be better if we left. We're completely out of our league here and even if we did try to help, I think it would only make things worse."

It was clear that Sable wished she could be saying something else, something that would mean that she could actually help the AyaCeni rather than simply be a hindrance. But those were the facts and nothing could be done about it. Ivanof simply nodded.

"Set coordinates for nearest Federation space," he said. "We're going home."

{Strur's Ship - Bridge}

Few things, Strur thought, were worse than his current situation. Those Federation pests had somehow found a way to outsmart him, which was embarrassment enough. But on top of that, they had left his ship scorched and foundering and in such abominable condition that repairs were taking a ridiculously long time.

"Erisaj?" Strur's simpering second-in-command approached him cautiously, standing several feet away.

"What?" Strur growled. He doubted it was good news.

"Our scanners have picked up the Griffin again. They appear to be heading away from us. I...I think they may be leaving."

"Can we fire on them yet?"

Strur's officer lowered his head. "N-no, Erisaj. The engineers say the weapons won't be ready for at least..."

Strur held up a hand as a thought struck him. The Griffin was leaving. But these Federation creatures were notoriously sentimental about their own. They wouldn't be leaving without a member of their crew, let alone a senior officer. So if they were leaving, then...

Strur clenched his fist in rage. To be tricked once was shame enough. But he had been warned about this. Rumors of an underground movement in the occupied worlds had made their way to him. But he had dismissed them. Surely no one would be foolish enough to mount a resistance of any substance under his rule?

"Oh no," he murmured is an icy whisper. "They won't get away with something that blatant. They'll see who they're dealing with."

Strur turned to his cowering officer.

"Are communications operational?"

For once, Strur's second brightened.

"Oh yes, they've been operational. Of course, they aren't completely up to maximum performance, but we can still..."

"Contact Jatars on GemNevenan," Strur interrupted. "Tell her to put Contingency Taghra into motion immediately."

"Contingency Taghra?" The officer shuddered as a malicious grin spread across Strur's face.

"We have a traitorous colony on our hands," Strur grinned. "So we're going to get rid of it."

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Chapter 19

{GemNevenan}

Wilwarin stood silently at the edge of the garden disguised portal. Tears gleamed in her eyes, but she did not give into them. She couldn't. Not yet.

She waited patiently, unmoving. The terrible sounds from beyond echoing through the halls her only company. She felt she had been waiting so long that she might as well be a statue... but she knew it really hadn't been that long. It only seemed so.

Finally she saw movement. Quickly the movement resolved into four figures. She had hoped for more, but was happy nonetheless that any had managed to come.

"My La-" one began, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"No time. You will each be going individually," she said as she turned to face the portal. "Tell the others of what has happened here, but do not let the underground be deterred by it!" They nodded in understanding. She concentrated, pulling several possible destinations from amongst the thousands of glimpses that lay within before trying to decide on just four. Methodically she sent the first three through. When the fourth stepped forward she turned to him and held out a small package of some sort.

"You *must* make sure this reaches the Predire," she informed him.

"With my life," he swore as he took it and secured it in his robes. "What about you? Where will you go?"

She shook her head slightly as she invoked the portal again.

His eyes went wide. "You're not leaving?" he asked with fear.

"I can not," she explained. "If I leave, the portal will fall dormant and be unprotected."

"But if you stay, they will kill you too," he pleaded.

"As long as the portal remains, they will not be able to find me here," she assured him. "Now go!"

The man nodded, and did as he was told-

{Emir's ship}

-and stepped onto a ship unlike he had ever seen.

"Who are you?" a Ky-r�c�n demanded of him, quite shocked by his abrupt appearance.

The AvaGem was momentarily afraid. Until he realized Wilwarin would not have sent him into such immediate peril, and therefore this person must not be Ky-r�c�n but actually Ayati.

"I have a message for the Predire and no other," he replied.

{Minutes later}

Emir looked over what he had been given, shocked beyond belief as he listened to the AvaGem recount Strur's actions.

"There is more than one hidden prophecy," Emir thought aloud as he realized what he was holding. "This makes at least three. And it seems none had the one relevant to themselves."

"I'm sorry?" the AvaGem asked, not understanding.

Emir looked up at him. As the two of them were alone, and he needed to sound things out to get a better understanding of them himself, he decided to speak. "It's seems pretty clear to me that Strur's part of the prophecy, or at least the part we believe he has which is why I acted as I did, was actually in reference to your people, not his. And this," he said holding up what he had just been given, "may apply to either his people or mine. Meaning the one we hold may refer to either or neither. There is no longer any way to tell.... I must confer with the rest of the Predire!"

{USS Griffin, Bridge}

Captain Myst walked out of the turbolift and looked around. She stopped as her eyes landed on the forward view screen, not sure what to make of what she saw.

"Captain?" Travin asked after a few moments, wondering if something new had just happened.

Rinali's voice snapped Priscilla out of her trance, and she looked over at her Chief of Security. Yuri stood from the Command Chair and turned to find the Captain.

"Dare I ask?" Priscilla said to Rinali.

"New engines," she replied. "We're almost-"

"Entering Federation space," Sable announced from the Conn.

Priscilla nodded and began to make her way to the center of the Bridge.

"It's good to see you up and about Captain," Yuri said.

"Thank you," she replied. "I-"

"Approaching our previous coordinates," Sable announced.

"Slow to Impulse when we arrive," Priscilla replied.

Sable nodded, and the ship shook slightly almost immediately. Then the view screen fell back into a typical star field. Priscilla smiled. "It's good to be home," she said, looking from the view screen to Yuri and sitting in her chair.

Sable then fell out of hers.

"Commander?!" Priscilla and Rinali said together.

"Medical Emergency," Yuri called out to the computer. Immediately the Bridge's EMH appeared. It wasted no words, quickly determining who had the problem and moving to her side.

"Her muscular and nervous systems have been overtaxed somehow," the EMH reported to no one in particular. "And I'm detecting cybernetic enhancements in multiple areas not matching her medical records."

"We know," Yuri replied. Priscilla turned to him with an arched eyebrow and distinctly questioning look. "Beam her to sickbay and let them treat her," he ordered. The EMH nodded and set about complying with a beam out for the unconscious Conn officer while Yuri faced Priscilla.

"There's a lot you missed. Everything is in our reports," he explained. Priscilla began to look around as he finished. "They're waiting on your desk."

Priscilla nodded slowly. "Very well. You have the Bridge, Commander," she said, heading into her ready room. She hesitated a moment, turning back to face him. "Let's meet in the morning to discuss the Memorial services."

Yuri nodded solemnly.

{Hours later, Sickbay}

Priscilla walked in clearly on a mission. She moved directly to Sable's side, calling for Doctor Moyer on the way. He immediately showed up.

"How is she?" Priscilla asked concerned.

"Stable, for now. We're keeping her under observation for at least another day. She's been running on stimulants for much too long. She'll be out for a long while."

"Because of the... 'enhancements'?" she asked.

"Yes, most definitely," he replied. "But given time she'll adjust to-"

"Take them out," Priscilla said flatly.

"I- uh-, " he began, caught off guard by her abruptness.

"Take, them, out," she ordered with measured words. She was trying to keep any fear from her voice. She had already lost too many people on this impromptu trip, and she didn't want to loose another due to timing or Borg-like implants.

"I can't," he said helplessly. "I don't know how."

She tapped her comm badge. "Myst to McInnis. Report to Sickbay immediately," she ordered.

She semi-patiently waited for Scott to arrive. When he finally did, she pointed to Sable.

"Whatever you did, undo it."

Scott didn't say anything. He walked over to Sable's side, pulled out a very generic looking Engineering tool, and turned her head. He carefully fiddled behind her ear for a couple seconds. The next thing she knew, Priscilla saw Sable's body just seemingly "reject" some very technological looking devices. McInnis collected them and turned towards Moyer, who was immediately over Sable with a tricorder.

"Everything else will pass through her systems naturally," he informed the Doctor. Then he turned to Priscilla. "She'll be back to exactly as she was when I got to her in a few hours," he said.

"Thank you," Priscilla replied with a relived sigh. "That's perfect."

{Next morning, Engineering}

Yuri walked into the seemingly calm and quiet center of the heart of the ship. He looked around, seeing a handful of people scattered about either hunched over or under varying consoles but not seeing the man he was looking for. He moved in a few paces further, enough to see into the Chief Engineer's Office. There he found McInnis plugging away at something, his brow furrowed, while Ensign Ary Belieze and Ensign T'Lis hovered very closely over either shoulder.

"There," Scott said as he pointed to a spot on an engine schematic with a note of relief and a small amount of urgency in his voice.

Both Ensigns nodded once, T'Lis turning quickly and hurrying to another station to work. Belieze slid into McInnis's place to continue monitoring as he moved off to do some other thing. Yuri took that moment to approach.

"Lieutenant," he said calling McInnis's attention. "We need to talk."

"Sorry sir, not right now," Scott replied looking in Yuri's direction but not actually stopping. "Engines," he said simply as an explanation as he headed off.

Scott had been giving Yuri that same line for days now. And though he knew how important and time consuming dealing with the new engines was, Yuri couldn't shake the feeling that he was also intentionally being avoided.

"Myst to Ivanof," Yuri's comm badge chirped before he could pursue McInnis.

(Perhaps it is time I talk to her first,) Yuri reasoned.

"Ivanof here," he replied after a tap.

"Report to my Ready Room, Commander. I'd like to review some things with you."

"Yes Captain," he replied as he began to head to the nearest turbolift. "I also have something I'd like to discuss with you."

{Captain's Ready Room}

Yuri waited for the doors to open in response to Priscilla's answering of the chime. Then he walked straight in.

Priscilla sat leaning against one arm with her elbow on her desk re-reading a PADD held in her other hand. She looked up at Yuri's approach, her eyes meeting his. He didn't need to hear the tone in her voice to tell she was displeased.

"Nanites?" she asked.

"I haven't had an opportunity to speak with him fully about that," he replied immediately.

"You knew?" she asked trying to determine if she should be surprised and concerned, or just concerned.

"It seems Mr. McInnis withheld information that a faction of Nanites, specifically Engineering Nanites-"

"They're all Engineers," Priscilla interrupted to correct.

Yuri nodded. "Regardless, a small faction come to McInnis, and he decided to keep them."

"And you knew about this?" she asked again.

"I was not informed of their existence until after we were being attacked by Strur and needed to depart... rapidly," he replied staunchly.

Priscilla stood deliberately, laying the PADD down before placing her hands on her hips. "Have you spoken with him about this yet?"

Yuri considered his words. "I have not had the opportunity to since we returned to Federation space."

"I'll take care of this one," she informed him.

Yuri didn't hesitate even a second. "Permission to be present during his discussion."

Priscilla almost opened her mouth to deny him, but caught herself and thought a moment on his request. "Hm," she said quietly and began to pace slowly. She thought for a couple of moments. "I had preferred to keep it just him and I. But... I supposed it would be best to have you there as well." She turned to face him. "As long as you agree to stay quiet," she said with a tone of finality. She clearly had a lot she wanted to say and had no intention of being interrupted while doing so.

Yuri inhaled slightly, his face barely taking on a look only few could decipher as one of unhappiness.

"You can talk to him after if you wish," she noted.

He nodded in approval.

{Engineering, the next day}

Scott quietly looked at the oversized data pad, knowing what was the next step. He had spent all of his free time getting to know them and now getting ready to part ways.

He had thought of them not as a creature, or as a tool, but as friends. It would be difficult seeing them go off to some Starfleet lab until someone gave them the chance they deserved.

Scott shrugged and sighed, placing down the data pad after saying his last goodbyes, he knew hundreds of them just by designation, but now, he just looked at the OTHER data pad in his hand, the one with the meeting scheduled with the Captain and the Commander.

"Ah well, there goes my career..."

He shrugged again, not quite caring right then, he had known he had done the right thing. Even if it was in the wrong way but he had no choice. Either way it was a wonderful career while it had lasted, but soon it would be time to either be removed from duty or give in his resignation. Starfleet would never let him continue without this incident weighing over his record.

He shrugged, any sign of happiness long gone from his face, he wasn't even going to fight back when he was yelled at. It wasn't worth it to him at the moment. Starfleet had taken his entire family from him, and now they were taking his friends...

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