STAR

TREK:

THE NEXT GENERATION

Authors note: this story is mainly set in Seasons 7 and takes place after Journeys End, and just before All Good Things.

Power Corrupts

Chapter 1

Captain Jean Luc Picard stood on the bridge of his ship, the Enterprise, taking in the sight on the viewscreen.

"Fascinating" he said aloud. In front of him at the operations console, Lt. Commander Data, cocked his head.

"Sir, I do not believe that analogy is correct, we have collected 22 readings from different suns that are about to go nova or are cooling" the Android said. Picard arched an eyebrow at him and patted his shoulder.

"Nevertheless, seeing a star going nova, in any instance, and being witness to it is an awe inspiring experience" Picard replied as he re-took his command seat. At the Ops console Data swiveled his chair to face him.

"I do not understand the experience myself" he admitted.

"History Data" said Commander Riker. "Think about it, we're actually living, breathing witnesses to the end of a sun, who, millions of years ago helped give birth to a race long since gone. In another million years, other races will come here, and all they'll find here is an asteroid field, nothing to tell them of the past this system once held" explained the first officer. Data blinked and then nodded.

"In that case commander, I can see why this experience is indeed awe inspiring" Data replied before turning his chair back to its correct position. Picard leaned over to Riker.

"Succulently put number one" he praised. Ricker smiled.

"It is awe inspiring though" Riker said. Picard nodded his head in agreement.

Deanna Troi stood in Ten Forwards with Beverly Crusher watching the sun through darkened view ports, a companionable silence between them. With barely a whisper the Bar Hostess, Guinan, appeared next to them.

"If I knew the view would be this exciting, I'd have sold tickets" she said good naturedly.

"Sorry Guinan, all the observation lounges were taken" Beverly explained. Guinan smiled at her and held out a tray with two drinks on it.

"Yes, but those lounges don't have drinks supplied" she added with a wink. The ladies laughed and took their drinks. Guinan nodded at them and turned around to return to the bar, when she dropped the tray. It hit a table, causing both Deanna and Beverly to look at her.

"Guinan?" said Deanna stepping forwards. Guinan was looking around the room, as if seeing it for the first time. Slowly she knelt and picked up the tray, and placed it on the bar.

"Guinan?" prompted Deanna again. Guinan turned to her.

"Sorry, I just had a strange feeling…" she said, stepping around and behind the bar.

"Captain, there is a solar flare forming on the suns surface" Said Worf looking up sharply.

"Location?" asked Picard standing.

"It's building up 42 degrees above the southern hemisphere"

"Right in front of us" Muttered Riker.

"helm, move us away from the area, impulse" Picard ordered. At the Helm the young lady put in the commands. A moment later she looked up.

"Helm isn't responding sir" she said.

"Confirmed, Helm control has been locked out, both here and in engineering" Data said moments later. Picard looked at the viewscreen, the flare had formed enough to now be visible as a tendril slithering away from the sun. Suddenly there was a flash of light behind Picard.

"Well Picard, looks like someone forgot their sun cream" Picard whirled around.

"Admit it, you missed me" said Q.

Picard moved up the bridge to face the god like being.

"Q, what the hell are you doing here?" Picard demanded angrily. Q Looked at him and shrugged.

"Do I need an excuses to visit such an old friend?" Q replied sarcastically.

"We are not friends Q" shot back Picard.

"Well with an attitude like that, I have to wonder why" Picard rolled his eyes.

"Permission to rotate Q off the bridge sir" growled Worf, glaring at Q from Tactical. Picard shook his head, knowing full well that the Klingon wouldn't have a chance in hell of getting rid of Q.

"Microbrain! Still manning the one post without a chair I see" said Q. Worf's only response was a low rumble.

"Q I am going to ask you once more, what are you doing here?" demanded Picard.

"Well, to be honest, I'm here at the request of my fellow Q, you see, it seems a human has decided to go and make themselves greater than the sum of their parts"

"So you feel threatened?" asked Riker.

"Threatened? The Q? Riker, the day something threatens the Q is the day we'll bow down and serve you" replied Q. He turned his attention back to Picard.

"But before we continue, I suppose I should stop you getting vaporized" Q said. At ops, Data cocked his head.

"Sir, the solar flare is dissipating, we are no longer in any danger" reported the Android.

"If Q hadn't stopped our engines working we would not have been in any danger" retorted Worf.

"How cleaver, the Klingon worked that out all by himself, here Worf have a reward" said Q. A second later a big gold star appeared next to Worf's comm. Badge, with the word's 'Star Student' written across them. Worf grabbed the star and ripped it off his uniform. Q shrugged.

"Maybe a Tribble would've been a better present" Q muttered.

"Q!" yelled Picard, getting the entities attention again. "You deliberately prevented us from moving our ship out of harms way, and all you've told me is that it's because of some human"

"Oh yes. Well you see this human's powers have gotten the attention from unsavory people-" Q began, however he was cut off when Worf spoke up.

"Sir, we're detecting a class one shuttle craft on the edge of sensors, it's heavily damaged" the Klingon reported.

"Life signs?" asked Riker. Data checked his instruments.

"I'm reading one life sign, it's faint. Sir from these readings the shuttles hull is nearly compromised and life support is off line, also the engines are not regulating properly, they could feed back and cause an explosion any moment" said Data.

"Hail the shuttle" Picard ordered. Worf opened the communications channel and nodded to Picard.

"This is Captain Picard of the USS Enterprise to unknown Federation shuttle please respond" Picard stopped speaking and waited.

"No response" said Worf.

"Sir, given the damage to the shuttle, the pilot could well be unconscious" Data offered.

"They do not have shields raised, we can transport the pilot aboard" said Riker.

"I disagree captain, if this is the Human Q was speaking of, they could pose a significant risk to this vessel" objected Worf.

"Hello, still in the Room here, I'd appreciate being talked to rather than about" Q said airily. Picard ignored him and nodded to Riker.

"Have the pilot beamed to sickbay" he ordered, before tapping his comm. Badge.

"Picard to Doctor Crusher, we've encountered a badly damaged shuttle and are beaming the pilot to sickbay, we believe they may be unconscious"

"I'm ready to receive" replied Beverly over the comm..

"Sir, there is another vessel entering the system, designation…" Worf looked up sharply.

"It's Borg" he finished.

"Helm are the engines responding?" asked Picard, who was actually looking at Q.

"Helm is now responding captain" said Q, who had suddenly appeared there. Picard didn't waste any time instead he tapped his comm. Badge.

"Is the pilot of the shuttle aboard?" he asked.

"Aye sir" came the rely of the transporter chief.

"Very well, get us out of here before the Borg discovers we're here" Picard said.

As the Enterprise sped away from the dying sun and went into Warp, Picard looked at Q who was now standing by the turbolift doors.

"The Borg, they want this human?" Picard asked rhetorically.

"Yes, and believe me, this is going to be a big surprise, especially for you Jean-Luc" replied Q. He gestured towards the Turbolift.

"After you" Q gestured towards the Turbolift.

"Why don't you just transport us there?" demanded Picard.

"I like the suspense on your face" Q said.

CHAPTER 2

Beverly Crusher was in her officer, making some last minute preparations for the arrival of the pilot. Out in the main sickbay she heard the whine of a transporter and then the startled yelp of surprise from a junior med tech. A few moments later she felt the ship go into high warp, but that was forgotten as she entered the main area and stopped short. Unconscious, badly burned across his chest, laid someone she loved more dearly than anything in the galaxy. She was looking at her son Wesley.

"2nd degree burns to his chest and left arm, I've given him a standard hypo to up his immune system in case he's got some kind of infection" reported the Med Tech. Doctor Crusher could also see that a dermal regenerator had been applied to Wesley's worst burns, those on his neck and abdomen.

Beverly moved to his side, and gently patted his arm.

"My god, what happened to you?" she murmured. A second later the doors opened and Picard walked in, Q just behind him.

"-and further more Q, I do not appreciate being dragged into yet another of your damned…" Picard's voice trailed off as he too saw the pilot laying on the bio bed.

"Wesley?" muttered Picard.

"I told you it would be a surprise" said Q softly.

"How is he?' asked Picard moving over to Beverly. Beverly seemed distracted. Picard gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"Beverly?" he asked again. Beverly shook her head to clear it, and looked at the readings.

"He's got 2nd degree burns to 23 of his body, his airway is compromised, but we got him here with enough time to help him" reported Nurse Ogawa. Picard nodded and gently guided Beverly into her office, Q trailing behind.

"Beverly…" began Picard. Beverly took a deep breath.

"How… why?... Jean Luc, what happened to him?" she asked softly.

"I don't know" he admitted. Then it was his turn to take a deep breath.

"All we know is that he was in a shuttle and was being pursued by a Borg Cube" Picard replied. "And, Q kept us here long enough to give us time to save him" Picard added. Beverly looked at Q.

"Thank you" she said sincerely.

"See, finally someone realizes I'm not always here to torment you" Q said.

"You say the Borg were after him?" asked Beverly.

"It appears so, but until we talk to Wesley himself, this is all we know"

"Q, you know more then you're telling us" accused Beverly. Q shook his head.

"All we know is that he encountered the Borg while on Tal Alpha C whilst training, and then during one of his trips further a field, he ran into them. I provided him with transport and held up the Borg as long as I could, well until the rest of the Continuum realized what I had done, and considered it meddling. By the time they realized what was happening it was too late to prevent the chase, which is why I came here, and stopped your engines before you could leave" Q explained.

"So you acted out of the goodness of your heart?" said Picard.

"Not at all, if the Borg assimilate him, as they did with the rest of Tal Alpha C they'd become a much greater threat, and not even sure the Q could stop them in that instance" Q said.

"Wait a second, Tal Alpha C has been assimilated?" demanded Picard.

"Yes, when the Borg first caught up to Wesley, they managed to follow his trail their. Whilst the first cube remained and assimilated that world, the second one continued the chase"

"Two cubes?" asked Picard, growing more and more worried.

"Actually the task force the Borg sent to capture him is made up of 5 Borg ships. All of them about to run amok through Federation Space searching for him" Q stated.

"WHAT?" yelled Picard.

"I say it how it is Jean Luc, I didn't make the rules, and if I did this wouldn't have happened in the first place" Q replied.

"Can't you stop the Borg?" asked Beverly.

"Certainly I could, but the thing is, I can't"

"Why not?" asked Picard.

"You were a Borg once Picard, think about it, what would their response be if five of their vessels suddenly vanished while in Federation space?" Q asked.

"The rest of the collective would send an entire task force to find out what happened, and it would consist of more than five ships" Picard said at length.

"Can't you just…" Beverly began, not believing what she was about to say. "Can't you just wipe the Borg out?" she continued. Q's eyes actually widened at the suggestion, but it was Picard who spoke up.

"The Borg is as intricate a part of the galaxy as we are Beverly. To remove them as a threat would only tip the balance of power somewhere else, and that could lead to an even worse threat than what the Borg represent"

"Bravo Picard" applauded Q. Picard turned to face him, his face like thunder. He was not a happy man, not in the least.

"Keep me advised of his condition, I'll be on the bridge" Picard muttered to Doctor Crusher over his shoulder. He quickly left sickbay, Q a few steps behind. Slowly Beverly stood from behind her desk and walked back out to her son's resting form. She gazed at him, and felt a small tear slide slowly down her check.

Vagus Sector, 5 light years away from the Romulan Neutral Zone

Commander Elias Vaughan ran down the corridor of the doomed ship, the USS Tripoli, his daughter running beside him. Around them the ship was rocking like an old sea vessel.

"Mom!" yelled Prynn Tenmei, as behind her, her mother, Ruriko stumbled over some fallen debris. Vaughan turned to return to her when a violent explosion rocked the ship. An instant later he saw, not six feet away a white beam punch its way through the above decks and to an unknown number below. NO! The thought screamed in Vaughan's mind, even as a level ten force field erected between himself and his beloved wife. Ruriko looked at him, her face streaked with tears, and Vaughn watched, helpless in his anguish as the deck beneath Ruriko began sliding upwards.

"MOM!!" Screamed Prynn, rushing forwards only to be held back by the strong, iron grip of her father. Vaughan let the tears fall, as the deck carrying his wife was lifted out of view. A few seconds later he shook his head to clear it, with the power failing throughout the Tripoli he couldn't be certain how long that the force field protecting them from the decompression of space. He gripped his daughter hand and dragged her screaming away from the scene of destruction.

"I hate you!" Screamed Prynn, kicking out, lashing out at her father.

"I know" Vaughan replied, his voice barely a whisper.

"Incoming message from Starfleet" Reported Worf from his position at the tactical and communications station. Riker looked at him and nodded. He tapped his comm. Badge to summon the captain, when the turbolift doors opened and he walked out, Q in tow.

"Captain, we're receiving a communication from Starfleet command" Riker said. Picard nodded.

"I'll take it in my ready room" Picard replied. Then he turned to Q. "You, will wait here" Q looked almost insulted, but shrugged.

"You know what its about Picard" Q said. Riker looked at his captain, then at Q in puzzlement, but remained silent.

Picard walked into his ready room and sat down behind the desk.

"Computer, route incoming communication to this console" he ordered. A moment later, the Starfleet emblem was replaced by the face of Admiral Ross.

"Admiral" Greeted Picard.

"Captain, you'll forgive me if I go straight to the point" said Ross. Picard nodded.

"Of course Admiral" said Picard, the sinking feeling in his stomach becoming greater each moment that passed.

"Starfleet command received a distress call from the USS Tripoli at 07:42 today. They were out mapping a star cluster there, because of Reports of the Romulans building small listening outposts on the planets, however they came under attack by the Borg"

"Survivors?" asked Picard.

"Only 71 people made it out alive, the ship and the remaining crew were apparently assimilated, although the escape pods were scanned by the Borg, but left unmolested. Not typical Borg behavior"

"Unless of course they were looking for something and couldn't find it" replied Picard. Ross narrowed his eyes.

"Jean Luc, did you Know the Borg were in Federation Space?" asked Ross.

"Something I've only just learned I'm afraid. But the news gets worse"

"It's bad enough already, I don't see how it could conceivably get any worse, but go on, I'm listening" Ross said. Picard nodded and took a deep breath.

"They're here looking for an old crewmember of the Enterprise, Wesley Crusher"

"I remember you telling me about him, but I thought he had become a… Traveler, wasn't it?" asked Ross. Picard nodded, as he prepared to continue.

"Yes, but according to the entity, Q, who is also here by the way, the Borg encountered Wesley while he was testing his new powers, they see him as a new breed of Human, one with something they want"

"So as well as the Borg threat we've got Q here as well, wonderful" muttered Ross.

"that's not all. From what Q's told me, it looks like there may be as many as Five Borg Vessels heading into Federation Space" Picard told him bluntly. Ross's eyes went wide.

"We couldn't amass a force to beat one Borg Cube at Wolf 359, we haven't got a prayer against 5 of them" Ross exclaimed.

"I know, one of which has already assimilated Tal Alpha C, and at the moment I don't know what to do about it" said Picard.

"What's Q's angle on this. He's never willing helped us before, why start now?" asked Ross at length.

"Apparently if the Borg get hold of Wesley and assimilate him, they might even become powerful enough to threaten the Q"

"This just gets worse and worse" said Ross.

"Indeed" Agreed Picard.

"I'll have to liaise with the rest of command on this Jean Luc, I'll contact you in the next two hours"

"I'll be waiting" Picard replied.

"Ross out" The screen went blank, leaving Picard to ponder his own thoughts.

Deep in Federation Territory:

The Borg cube came out of transwarp.

"ENTERING GRID 045. BEGINNING SCANS. FEDERATION MEMBER WORLD AT GRID COORDINATES 23.3 DESIGNATION: BETAZED. BEGIN ASSIMILATION."

CHAPTER 3

Picard sat at the head of the conference room table. His senior staff sitting around him.

"Comments?" asked Picard finally.

"Maybe we could hide the ship somewhere?" suggested Deanna Troi.

"Warriors do not Hide from their enemies" rumbled Worf.

"Bridge to Captain Picard"

Picard held up his hand for silence.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Sir, we've just received a Transmission from Starfleet. Fleet wide broadcast. Sir. Apparently the Borg have attacked again" the young Lt.'s voice quavered over the comm. Link. Picard felt the eyes of his senior staff boring into him from all directions. His throat was suddenly very dry.

"Where?" he asked quietly.

"Sir.. We've lost Betazed" Across the table, Picard found himself looking at Deanna, who's hand had gone to her mouth. Next to her Beverly gripped her other hand tightly.

"How many casualties?" asked Picard.

"The report is still coming in, but at last figure, 32 million"

"Oh man" muttered Geordie LaForge shaking his head.

"thank you Ensign Palmer, unless there is anything else?"

"Sir, I think you should know, Lwaxanna Troi was on the planet when they attacked"

"Thank you, Conference room out" Picard said. The room fell silent for several minutes, with the exception of Deanna's frantic sobbing. Finally Picard spoke up.

"This is grave news indeed, but for the moment our personal feelings must be put aside" he said, not without sympathy for the counselor. He turned to Data, and asked his next question.

"Data, how bad does this make the situation?" he asked.

"Very bad sir, extrapolating a course from Betazed, they could conceivably end up at either Andoria or Vulcan, that is if they do not go back the way they entered the system" The Android reported.

"Divide and conquer. Rather than an all out attack they're taken systems at a time" Muttered Riker. There was a flash behind him, and Q appeared in the empty seat next to Worf.

"And they'll keep taking your star systems until they've got what they want Riker. It's par for the course, they're relentless. And if you do, somehow manage to destroy those five ships, they'll send ten more, then a hundred"

"Q your not helping!" Picard's voice thundered through the room.

"And you think this pointless session will shed some light on what to do? Picard, your outnumbered, out manned and out of your league" Q replied.

"So what do you suggest we do?" snapped Worf, surprising everyone in the room.

"Moi? If I were you Picard, I'd remove the reason the Borg were here, but then again, now they have a foot hold in the quadrant, they'll most likely carry on with their invasion"

"Q you told me that you can't interfere, but surely, what's happened here can be undone?"

"Honestly captain, I truly do not know, you put it quaintly to your doctor, if I remove these five ships, more will come, and if I remove the entire species then who will rise to take their place?"

"A double edged sword" muttered Geordie.

"So that leaves us with the burning question. What do we do?" asked Picard.

The light seemed brighter somehow, the smell of burning no longer invade his senses, nor the alarms that screamed he was about to die. Slowly Wesley opened his eyes, looking at the bright light above his bio bed. He made to move, but a groan escaped him as pain lanced through his body.

"Sickbay to Doctor Crusher, he's awake" said a voice just to his left.

"On my way" came the crisp response.

"Easy Wesley, try to relax" said the voice. A moment later a woman's face came into view.

"Here, this should help ease the pain somewhat" she continued. A moment later Wesley felt the hypo touch the side of his neck. The pain began to subside, enough so he could move his head.

"Thanks" he said. Well croaked would be a better word. The nurse looked at him quizzically, then ran a medical tricorder along Wesley's throat and chest.

"Hmmm. It looks like the heat managed to scorch your larynx as well as your throat" the nurse explained. "I can give you something for it, but not until Doctor Crusher has looked you over. Ahh" Wesley moved his head at the sound of the sickbay doors opening. He caught a glimpse of his mother entering with counselor Troi.

"How do you feel?" asked Beverly looking down at him. Wesley wanted to reply like crap! but only managed a wheezing cough.

"His larynx has been scorched as well Doctor. I didn't know until after I gave him a hypo for the pain" explained the nurse who had treated Wesley. Beverly nodded.

"We knew it was a possibility, how much of a dosage did you give him?"

"14cc's anything less and it wouldn't be very effective"

"Okay, we'll give it half an hour, then give him a dosage of Stymaphor"

"Aye sir" replied the nurse walking out of site. Beside Beverly Deanna looked as if she had been crying about something. Wesley gently reached out to take her hand, his eyes saying what his voice could not. Deanna smiled and took his hand.

"We'll talk about it later" she said softly. Wesley nodded, and his eyes found his mother again. Again he held out his hand, and Beverly took it. She smiled down at him. Then she turned to Deanna, said something, and Deanna nodded.

"I've got to go and check some things out, but Deanna will sit with you" Beverly said. Wesley nodded, and watched his mother leave. Deanna moved to the corner of the room and took a chair, bringing it back to the bed, sitting next to him she took his hand again.

"It's ok Wes, we're here" she said softly.

Picard paced his ready room, eventually slamming his fist onto the desk.

"Tut tut Jean Luc. What did the furniture ever do to you?" Q said, appearing in the captains seat behind the desk, his feet on the table. Picard didn't protest, and in fact found Q's presence to be a relief. He was surprised, he found himself thinking. Q hadn't abandoned them to their fates, he hadn't been obnoxious, well he had, but not to his usual degree. Now Picard found he had to be candid to the super being.

"Q" he began. Then he sat down and put his head in his hands.

"I'm listening" Q replied.

"… This is not easy for me to say, especially to you-"

"That sentence started so well too" said Q with a sigh.

"But I feel that I should thank you, you helped save the life of the person I consider to be my only son"

"For good reason, as I said, we can't have the boy being assimilated now" Q replied.

"But still I was surprised" Picard said.

"At what?"

"In the conference room. When Worf asked what your solution to the current situation was, I half expected you to say kill the boy"

"To be truthful, the thought hadn't crossed my mind" Q began. Then he sighed.

"Picard, we can no more remove Wesley from the universe than we can the Borg" Q explained.

"Still I have to believe there is some way out of this, something we can do to prevent this getting any worse" Picard muttered. Q suddenly went strangely silent. After a moment Picard looked up at him.

"Well there is a solution, but it has to come from the boy himself" Q told him. This got Picard's complete attention.

I'll explain to it to you, but Wesley will have to realize it for himself, otherwise. Well, the universe itself might take affront to outside meddling, and not even I would want that"

"Sir, we're receiving a priority one transmission" reported Worf. Riker looked up at him.

"Captain Picard to the Bridge" said Riker. A moment later Picard walked out of his ready room, looking less frustrated then when he entered.

"Number one?" Picard asked, taking his chair.

"We're receiving a fleet wide priority one transmission" said Worf.

"What the hells happened now?" mused Picard.

"Shield's at 40, falling fast" reported Miles Edward O'Brian from his console in Ops.

"I needs those shields reinforced Chief" said Benjamin Sisko, from the large round strategic Operations table set into the command circle.

"Sir, I've got every system on the station feeding the shields, they are reinforced" O'Brian replied.

"Are the Weapons back on line?" Sisko demanded. Although he had no idea what the weapons would do to the Borg Cube.

"Benjamin, the Borg ship is hailing us" Reported Jadzia Dax.

"On screen" Sisko ordered.

"WE ARE THE BORG. WE HAVE SCANNED YOUR TECHNOLOGY AND FOUND IT IS UNABLE TO WITHSTAND US. YOU WILL LOWER YOUR SHIELDS AND PREPARE FOR ASSIMILATION"

"Over my dead body!" shouted Kira Nerys, standing next to Sisko.

"YOU WILL BECOME ONE WITH THE BORG. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE"

"They've cut communications" said Dax a moment later.

"Battle stations people" ordered Sisko.

"Sir, the Borg have locked on, the shields… they're gone!" yelled O'Brian. A second later there was the deadly hum of a transporter, Sisko pulled a hand phaser and struck the first Borg, sending it tumbling. Jadzia took aim at a second one, but then felt the strong grip of a bog on her shoulder, then the felling of assimilation tubes entering her body. Even as she fell convulsing to the ground The Borg drone turned to face the next threat.

"JADZIA!" yelled Julian Bashir, leaping the railing to run to her side. He got three feet closer then Jadzia sat up, already her face was mottled. Julain looked on in horror as her stomach began squirming, the symboint was rejecting from the now foreign host. It moved out under her tunic, but even as it moved a few centimeters Borg implants began to sprout from it.

"Julian!" yelled Kira, as she battled off another Drone. Julian stood then looked down where Jadzia had grabbed his leg. He closed his eyes as the assimilation tubes inserted into his ankle.

"I'm sorry" he said softly. Beside him, watching the Transformation, the Drone that had once been Ruriko looked on emotionless.

Picard sat once again in the conference Room.

"DS9, Betazed, The Tripoli and now Vulcan" said Worf. "They're taking the Federation a piece at a time" he continued.

"I agree, Captain, to be honest, I don't think we can win this one" said Riker. Picard nodded and then looked at LaForge and Data.

"What about you two?" he asked.

"Sir. I do not believe we can beat back the Borg. Not at this time. Perhaps not ever" said Data.

"I never took you for a pessimist Data" said Q.

"Not a Pessimist, a realist. I do not have the emotion to express what I feel at this time. But I do know this. The longer we remain here, the less likely we will survive" The Android continued. Picard nodded then looked at Geordie.

"Lt.?" he prompted.

"Sir. I have to agree, to remain here would be suicide, and yes, I'm all for dying for the cause, but in this case? The cause seems to already be lost" Geordie said.

"Nevertheless we are a Federation Starship and even if we become the sole remaining Starship we will continue with it's ideals. No matter what might come" Picard told them.

"Sir, no one is refuting that statement, but, to coin a phrase, is discretion not the better part of valor?" asked Data.

"Picard, your running out of Options. You can't go forwards, you can't go back, soon you'll no where left to go, but to simply take a stand" said Q. "A stand you cannot win"

"We've beaten the Borg before" said Worf.

"Yes, one Cube, not five" said Riker, surprising Worf.

"Your time is slipping away faster and faster Picard. Think quickly or not at all" said Q, before vanishing.

To Be Continued…..