The Bear and the Wolf
There was a brief blip of noise as the viewscreen clicked off, leaving the room and its viewer in silence. Andrew leaned forward in his chair, rested his elbows on the room's desk, and carefully reviewed his mission orders. They had been on a fleet wide yellow alert for several days now and yet the news relayed to him still shocked him to the core. Tossing over in his mind were a mix of feelings and thoughts about his crew and the mission they were about to take part in.
After a moment of wandering rationalization he stood up. This was no time to wonder why they had been chosen, no time to harbor any doubts that were sure to come. He was the ship's captain, after all, and his crew would need his presence to be strong or else they would surely all perish. A slight tug on the uniform to straighten it out and then he was ready, ready to face his crew and ready to stare the Federation's darkest threat in the face.
The automatic doors of his ready room slid open as he stepped out onto the bridge. A quick and sweeping gaze over the bridge and present crew was enough to quiet his thoughts, if only a little bit. His gaze turned to his ops officer and he took a deep breath before approaching her.
"Lieutenant Anaya, patch me through to the rest of the ship. I have an announcement to make."
After exchanging a brief glance with her commanding officer she tapped on her console station to provide him with what he requested. "Ready sir," she said upon completion.
"Attention all staff and crew. This is the captain and I have just received our orders from Admiral Hanson. The Endeavour is to rendezvous in the Wolf system with a fleet of Federation ships as a last defense effort to stop the Borg vessel from reaching Earth. It is unsure how many ships will be present, or how effective we will be against the Borg, but one thing is certain; we must stop them at all costs. If the Borg break through this assault then no one will be left to protect Earth or any other planet they go after. Simply, either they survive or we do."
The crewmembers present on the bridge looked at their captain, unsure of how to feel. Deep down they knew they were the Federation's last hope and that worried them deeply, especially considering what little effect anyone had on the Borg.
"One last thing," Andrew said after a brief pause. "The Borg have captured Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise and it is believed that they have somehow gained access to his experiences. This may let them know all of our strengths and weaknesses, but for all our sakes I hope not."
Another brief pause, another round of worried looks from the nearby crew, prompted a bid of faith on the captain's part. As his attention cycled through the faces of his bridge crew he started to speak again. "Whatever may come as result of the oncoming battle, I know that each of you has and will be performing your best. In the coming task we will stare darkness in the face, and willing, walk away to once again embrace the light. If the darkness does indeed consume us by days end then I can say with absolute certainty that I can think of no better place, or better people to be with, when that darkness comes to take me away. Captain out." A quick nod to Anaya signaled her to cut the communications link, which she hastily did.
As he walked away from the communications station he reviewed over the data given to him by Admiral Hanson once more in his head. It all seemed like a dream to him, or a nightmare. A nightmare that he couldn't wake up from no matter how hard he tried. Trying would not slow down the tick of the clock, nor would it slow the Borg's approach. Shaking his thoughts he approached the helm.
"Lieutenant Cooper, set course for the Wolf system, maximum warp. Let me know the moment we arrive."
"Aye sir," Cooper said with still a touch of worry showing on his young face.
After the ship got underway Andrew headed for the next and soon to be most important station, tactical. "Commander V'lera, I want you to double check every torpedo launcher and phaser array with as much scrutiny as time will allow. I want to make sure everything is working at peak efficiency by the time we arrive in the Wolf system."
"Understood sir," she said in a normal, emotionless tone only a Vulcan could own.
"Also I want around the clock battle drills. Make sure you prepare for every contingent possible. We still have had only a very few encounters with the Borg and I want to make sure that we don't get surprised during the battle."
After issuing his orders the captain started back towards his ready room. Momentarily he paused at the room's automated doors and turned his attention back at his crew. "Commander Dowland, once we get underway I would like a moment of your time," he said before stepping into his ready room.
Slowly he walked over to his chair and sat down again and awaited his first officer's arrival. Before their arrival in the Wolf system Andrew felt like he needed to discuss strategy with the commander, though he wasn't sure that any strategy they could come up with would help. Whether it would be helpful or not it was still necessary to consider any available option. You just couldn't walk into a battle without some sort of strategy. Every officer, hell every sane person, realized this.
After another silent moment in his quarters his first officer finally walked into the room. As he stood before the captain Andrew glanced over his features. From his tall, muscular figure and soft but concerned eyes one would almost think he was fresh out of the Academy. Those thoughts would be dismissed quickly though once the observer noticed the silver tinge to his hair or a few creased wrinkles that were making their way onto his face. "Please sit down commander," Andrew said gesturing to the chair across from him.
Uneasily the commander sat down in the soft chair, but he didn't dare relax. He was obviously worried, as sure was the rest of the crew, but something else was under the surface. Something larger that he was focused on.
"Something on your mind Rick?" Andrew asked curious as to what might be bothering him so much.
"It's just…sir," he said obviously finding it hard to put his thoughts into words. "Is it true sir? About Captain Picard I mean. It just sounds like….well something you'd read in a story."
Suddenly Dowland's record flashed briefly in the captain's mind and he recalled that before being assigned to the Endeavour he had served with Picard aboard the Stargazer. "I know what you mean Rick, and it's such a terrible loss," he said trying to carefully form his words, "but that's what was told to me by Admiral Hanson, and he said that came directly from the Enterprise's first officer Commander Riker."
With this Dowland eased back into his chair, still not quite believing. His gaze looked downward toward the floor for a moment before coming back up to look at his captain. "How are we going to stop the Borg sir?" he said earnestly.
"You've read all the reports on the Enterprise's encounter in System J-25 correct?"
"Inside and out sir. That's what concerns me. Were in not for Q the Enterprise wouldn't even be here."
"Don't forget that it was Q's fault they were there in the first place."
"I know that. Sir, may I speak frankly."
"Of course commander."
"Knowing what little affect the Enterprise had on the Borg, how can we expect our assault to be different?"
Andrew let out a near silent sigh as he leaned back in his chair. He looked up towards the ceiling for a moment, hoping that a suitable answer would come to him. Ultimately he chose to use an old adage told to him many years ago. "Well Rick, I don't care how big the bear is when he is facing a desperate pack of wolves. That's one thing we have that these Borg do not; desperation. I know that at times it sounds to be a negative thing, but desperation can be just as effective as courage and determination any day."
"Let's just hope that it'll be enough. Because if we fail…"
"I know what will happen if we fail commander," Andrew interrupted. Quickly he gathered that the abrupt comment had nearly insulted his first officer. He gave him an apologetic look before saying, "And that is why we mustn't. Now, do you have any recommendations we need to go over before we arrive in the Wolf system?"
"Well we've already upgraded our phasers and shields according to the specs sent to us by HQ. Beyond that all we've got is sheer tactics, sir."
"Then tactics it is," the captain muttered before leaning forward in his chair and bringing his hands together under his chin.
"If there is nothing else then sir," Dowland said hoping to get permission to leave.
"Yes of course commander," Andrew quickly told to him. "In the meantime I'm going to go over all our data on the Borg once more."
"Aye sir," the commander said before ducking out of the room to leave his captain in peace.
Once Dowland had left Andrew slowly rose from his chair and walked to the room's replicator. "Rigellian pulmet juice," he said to it while having his gaze fixed out a small window. A small mechanical whirr came from the machine before the beverage appeared in a small glass. Promptly Andrew picked it up and took a sip of the sweet pineapple-like juice before returning to his desk.
"Computer, display all records on the Borg taken by the USS Enterprise." Various texts began to appear on the captain's small screen and he began to carefully scrutinize it as he took another sip of his alien juice. 'There must be something here, something to give us an edge,' he thought to himself. It was all there before him. Everything from the technical sensor readings of the ship from Commander Riker's mission report on the ship's interior. All there blankly staring back at him, but there just wasn't a dent or a scratch in the Borg that he could find to exploit and use against them. And if they had the knowledge of Picard to help them, then the need for such a weakness was even greater.
Time passed and Andrew read over the reports so much that he had them practically memorized. After going over every small bit of information, every iota of data the Federation had on the Borg, he felt like he was about to collapse. His salvation came in the form of the brash lieutenant who helmed the ship. Having finally arrived at their destination the captain gathered himself together and stood up from his chair. 'Was this arrival truly something to be so happy about?' he wondered to himself. He was saved from boredom, but was about to be thrust into doom. About to stare death in the face and make a gallant attempt to stop it from descending on his world. A slight tug to straighten his uniform and then he was ready to step out onto the bridge and into harm's way.
"We have arrived in the Wolf system sir, and have been given tactical orders from Admiral Hanson's ship."
"Very good commander," the captain said as he made his way across the bridge. "Put the fleet on the viewscreen. Let's see what we've got to work with."
On command the viewscreen was flooded with ships. There was a wide assortment of vessels of varying size and power, with almost no duplicate in class.
"Well it looks like HQ just scrambled to get any ship here that they could. Excelsior, Miranda, Ambassador, Nebula. They sure weren't choosy in what they sent. Half of these are freighters and low class tactical vessels! How do they expect us to take on a Borg vessel with this?"
"Most of these came from the Dotalar III shipyards only a few sectors out I'd imagine sir," Lieutenant Anaya said from her station.
"Indeed," came the captain's only reply. Andrew could understand Starfleet's haste to gather any available vessel to try and stop the oncoming Borg, but this was hardly the fleet that he had expected to see. It would have to do though because these vessels were humanity's only hope. "Commander V'lera, display a tactical map of the area along with our strategic orders."
On the main viewscreen the image of the fleet disappeared and in its place was a tactical layout of the region. Andrew stepped forward to closely examine the details of the region and the fleet layout that Admiral Hanson had given them. The fleet's layout was a simple strategic one with the smaller vessels of the Gage, Firebrand, and Bonestell out front and the larger more combat worthy vessels of the Melbourne, Roosevelt, and Yamaguchi in the rear. The Endeavour was assigned near the fleet's center alongside the Awahnee and Kyushu.
"Not a very imaginative strategy sir." Dowland pointed out as he stepped alongside his captain. "I mean a flank wall with our weakest vessels out front followed by our bulk cruisers in the rear. And all the ships are in a group of three."
"Imaginative or not it's what we've got Rick. Let's just hope that this pack of wolves is enough." Looking over the tactical strategy Andrew tried to memorize it in his head. In his mind he was silently looking for any weak point, any advantage that the Borg might exploit to crush the fleet. Sure the plan had its flaws, any plan did, but it looked to him as the best they could pull off with what they had.
As the Endeavour took her place in the fleet formation Andrew took his place in the captain's chair. Comfortable as it was not even the chair was able to ease his nerves in the slightest. Instead Andrew decided to move to the chair's edge as he studied over the list of all the ships present. From what he gathered there was roughly forty vessels spread out over their small battlefield. While some of them were little more than tug ships there were a few that had earned notable distinction over the past few years.
The Kyushu's captain had recently been decorated for outwitting two Romulan warbirds in the Dalaneb sector, and in effect probably helped to prevent another war. Another ship that caught Andrew's eye was the Yamaguchi. Being an Ambassador class the vessel was beginning to age. However, after performing a three-day supply run in nearly half the time and its unprecedented accurate mapping of the Valoos Belt the old ship had once again been placed among the fleet's finest. Then of course was the powerful and noble Melbourne. One of the first Excelsior's built it had been running for nearly seventy years. Over that time it had participated in countless missions ranging from exploration, to cargo transportation, and even combat missions against the Klingons and during the Cardassian Wars before a treaty with both races was established. Andrew wasn't sure why exactly, but knowing that the Melbourne would be fighting along side them brought him a touch of comfort.
"Captain, we're receiving an incoming hail from Admiral Hanson," Lieutenant Anaya said from her station.
"Patch it through lieutenant."
"This is Admiral Hanson to the fleet. We have just received confirmation from our listening posts that the Borg vessel is currently on course to our location. Unfortunately, our posts were destroyed before they could determine the vessels speed, condition, or anything else aside from course trajectory. According to the Enterprise very little damage was inflicted to it before heading off towards us. We can assume, due to their regeneration skills, that this damage will probably be completely repaired before its arrival. I know that this task seems a daunting one, but I am confident that we will be able to stop them. Either way may God be with us all. Admiral Hanson out."
As the admiral's message ended the tension on the Endeavour's bridge noticeably increased. Sitting back in his chair Andrew wondered what was going through the minds of all the other ship captains. Hell, he was curious as to what exactly the officers around him were thinking.
While the crew outwardly appeared to be calm and collected as they tended to their duties, Andrew knew that they were just as anxious and worried as he was. Before a few days ago there had only been one encounter with the Borg and it had technically ended in a stalemate. With a record like that facing them it seemed only natural for them to feel as though their end was drawing ever nearer. Not knowing a way to reassure his crew any more then he had already done Andrew could do nothing but sit and wait for the bear's arrival. Then in a yearlong moment that waiting ended.
"Sir, Borg ship dropping out of warp at coordinates oh-five-six by seven-two-three." Commander V'lera said with an eerie calm in her voice.
"This is it. Our waiting has ended," the captain said almost silently. "Arm all photon launchers and phaser banks commander. Fire everything we've got at them the moment we're in range." he quickly added at almost a shout's volume.
The Borg ship slowly approached the fleet. Like some ominous giant it headed towards the small ants that were prepared to drive it back. It had almost gotten within weapons range before it stopped and sent its cold message at those that stood in its way.
"I am Locutus of Borg." the voice said in an almost robotic tone. There was still enough humanity in it though for Andrew to recognize in horror as to who owned the voice. "You will power down your weapons and let us proceed to Sector 001 where we will begin to incorporate your biological and technological distinctiveness into our own. You have ten seconds to comply."
"Like hell," Andrew blurted out.
"Sir, we're getting an order from Admiral Hanson to engage." Lieutenant Anaya reported with a tone in her voice as though she had just told her life goodbye.
"Very well lieutenant. V'lera, coordinate your attack with the Kyushu and the Awahnee. I want to do as much damage to that ship as we can."
"Aye sir," was her only reply.
In the following instant a fury never the likes before seen by the Federation was unleashed onto the looming giant. Vessel after vessel threw everything they had at it in a wild attempt to inflict damage on it. Silently the Borg ship sat there, almost mocking the insects that were attacking it. Not a human soul could understand why the Borg waited, and not a one cared either. The Borg however, in their arrogant assurance of victory, waited until the ten seconds were up before their retaliation. And their retaliation was just as fierce.
Their first attack was with their phasers, and it was a devastating attack. As though there were no shields in the blasts way it tore a hole out of the Roosevelt's saucer section. Followed quickly by a volley of photon torpedoes, which struck the engine of a Miranda class vessel, the Normandy. A tractor beam latched onto the Firebrand and tore a piece of it's outer plating clean off.
Andrew sat there in shock as he watched the horrific battle slowly unfold before him on the viewscreen. Being about midway in the pack the Endeavour had so far avoided the brunt of the Borg attack. While they had eluded being struck by the Borg's weapons Andrew was far from happy about it. True that he sat in command of a pristine vessel, but being back here and doing hardly anything but watching the battle unfold wasn't satisfying at all. He wanted to get in there and make the Borg pay for every life they took, and to prevent them from taking anymore. And he was about to take his chance.
"V'lera, what's the status on the Kyushu and Awahnee?" he finally asked.
"Sir, the Awahnee has lost propulsion and is dead in the water. The Kyushu has only sustained minor damage." she quickly replied.
"Alright I want you to send an encoded message to the Kyushu…," he paused for a moment and looked over a small display screen located next to his chair. On it was a list of all the vessels in the fleet. "As well as the Bellerephon and the Saratoga. We are going to punch a hole in that ship, even if it takes all four ships to do it." Andrew responded with a fierce new confidence in his voice.
"Aye sir. Where would you like me to target our fire?"
For a moment Andrew had a look of dumbstruck on his face. After all shouldn't V'lera, being an experienced tactical officer, know where to attack an enemy vessel? It was all quickly dismissed however as a moment's lapse in the heat of a battle, something many officers were sure to be experiencing at the moment. "Focus all of our weapons on theirs, and tell the other ships to do the same. I want them completely defenseless by the time we come back for our second run."
V'lera quickly sent the orders to the other vessels and prepared to launch everything they had at the Borg vessel. In a bold fashion the four vessels headed of towards their target in a diamond formation. The two Nebula vessels of the Endeavour and Bellerephon took the top and bottom points of the formation, with the Kyushu taking up the left and the Saratoga on the right. Not a moment after they got within weapons range did the four Federation vessels unload the full complement of their armaments at the lumbering threat. With the Borg focused on an assault from the twin Ambassador class vessels of the Yamaguchi and the Spartan they were almost completely out flanked as the 'Diamond of Death' began their assault run.
As the first of the four vessels weapons struck the Borg suddenly lost interest in their previous targets, and quickly moved their attention onto the four incoming vessels. Their first wave of phaser fire struck the Saratoga, which spiraled out of formation the moment it was struck. With one of the vessels no longer a threat the Borg turned their fire onto the Kyushu.
A volley of torpedoes were launched the Kyushu's way, but only half of them hit their mark. Several chunks of plating from the saucer of the New Orleans vessel flew off of it as the torpedoes collided into it. Unwavering, the Kyushu continued in its assault. All three of its added launchers continued to fire wave after wave of death at the Borg vessel in an attempt to affect damage, any damage, to it. The Borg quickly retaliated with a fierce phaser blast which struck the wounded vessels port nacelle. Leaking plasma, the Kyushu was forced to break formation and leave behind its two Nebula brethren to face the enemy alone. As they made their effort to leave harms way though the Borg fired another wave of torpedoes, refusing to let them simply duck out of the fight. The new wave of fire struck the Kyushu along her underside, which sent it spiraling away in a ball of plasma and fire.
Watching as the Kyushu tumbled away Andrew suddenly grew nervous of the situation. They hadn't even finished their first attack run and already two of their four vessels had been disabled. However were they to stop such a foe? Invincible or not he and his officers possessed something the Borg surely did not, they were determined to win. And while determination alone is far from a deciding factor in a battle it can be useful too. Determination and the fact that if they failed then the human race would surely fail too was bound to be enough to help them win this day. Even if the current situation looked grim.
The twin Nebulas of the Endeavour and Bellerephon tightened their two-ship formation and came at the Borg with a new resilience at losing the other vessels in their small fleet. At almost the same exact moment both vessels fired every weapon they had at the Borg foe. Closer and closer they came to their target and yet it refused to return fire. It made no sense to Andrew. If they had attacked the other two vessels so swiftly and precisely then what would possess them to relent now? From what he could tell they weren't currently engaging any other vessels, so why would they stop? It didn't matter though because both of the Federation vessels refused to cease in their brutal attack upon the Borg ship. As they continued their run the distance between them quickly shrank before virtually disappearing all together.
Seeing the cold and menacing cube fill up nearly the entire viewscreen Andrew finally decided to speak. "Helm, take us into a gradual barrel roll away from the Borg vessel, and relay the same order to the Bellerephon as well."
"Aye sir," responded Lieutenant Cooper as his fingers worked frantically to carry out the captain's orders.
Almost simultaneously the two vessels slowed in their approach and began to roll onto their side. Being next to each other they switched from firing their forward weapons to the ones located in the aft and bottom sections. On their side and being parallel to one of the sides of the cube they fired a full complement of torpedoes along with several phaser blasts to try and punch a hole, a dent, or at least some noticeable damage into the mockingly pristine vessel. To Andrew's, as well as everyone else's, dismay only negligible damage was inflicted.
Disappointed, the two Nebula vessels started to veer off from their foe. One of them would not be able to get far though. The still giant which was the Borg cube suddenly sprang to life once more in response to the attack unleashed by the two vessels. With its tractor beam it seized one of them, the Bellerephon, and held it firmly in position while its cutting beam shot down the helpless vessel's saucer, slicing it in two.
"Sir!" one of the Endeavour's bridge officers shouted out as the scene unfolded before them via the viewscreen.
Andrew knew all too well that the Bellerephon wouldn't last very long in its current situation. Even if it were crippled they owed the crew of the brave vessel a moment more to evacuate. "Helm, bring us about and prepare to…" he began to order, but was suddenly cut off by V'lera.
"Sir, I'm picking up a vessel on approach to aide the Bellerephon," the Vulcan officer shouted over an explosion.
Andrew and the rest of them had only a moment to wonder which gallant vessel would bring about their own destruction in order to save the ailing Bellerephon. Slowly, a bruised Miranda came into view and opened fire at the spot from which the Borg's tractor beam came from. "The Saratoga!" the Endeavour's captain shouted out in surprise and joy both at once.
"We're getting a hail from the Saratoga, sir."
"Put it through Anaya."
"This is Lieutenant Commander Sisko of the USS Saratoga to the Endeavour. We're going to try and get the Borg's attention off of the Bellerephon. Some help would be appreciated though."
"This is Captain Amasov responding, commander. Of course we'll help, you just be sure not to get too much of their attention." A slight smile creased across Andrew's face as his small joke tried its best to ease a few officers tension. The feeling was swiftly brushed aside though as the order was given to charge in support of the Saratoga.
Not even a second after the Saratoga entered weapons range did the wounded vessel fire a full complement of torpedoes at the Borg's tractor emitter. Reacting to the abrupt attack the Borg vessel let go of the burned and beaten hulk which was once the Bellerephon and turned its attention to its latest attacker.
A tractor beam locked onto the Miranda in the same fashion as it had its Nebula victim and proceeded to fire its phasers along its captured prey's lower hull. As the Saratoga returned fire the Endeavour swooped in behind them, with the Yamaguchi alongside. Both vessels let forth a fury of destruction, striking the same area as the Saratoga. Small explosions erupted from the cube's surface and noticeable damage finally formed, but it wasn't enough to make the Borg the slightest of concerned.
In retaliation for the onslaught the Borg returned fire with its full arsenal of photons and phaser blasts. The first vessel to be hit was the Yamaguchi. Several blasts struck the vessel's lower sections of the saucer and around its deflector array. It shuddered for a few moments before it was dead in the water.
Second to feel the Borg's wrath was the Endeavour herself. A phaser blast all but destroyed the Nebula's upper weapons pod and a few stray photons punctured the starboard nacelle, causing it to spew warp plasma.
"Status!" Andrew shouted as a console exploded behind him.
"Phaser arrays destroyed, and only one of our three photon launchers is still in working order sir," V'lera quickly reported.
"Sensors are down as well and our starboard nacelle is all but destroyed." Anaya said from behind her station moments before it exploded, sending her flying onto the ground.
"Anaya!" Andrew shouted, but made no move to rush to her. Whatever her condition was at the moment she would soon be dead, they would all be dead, if he didn't think of something quickly. "Fire whatever we've got at them commander!" he said, shouting out the only thing that came to mind.
The battered and barely working Endeavour fired what little it had at their Borg foe, but that foe gave them little interest now. Instead it focused its phasers on the captured Saratoga, followed swiftly by a volley of torpedoes.
With the impact of the enemy weapons the small Saratoga shuddered and began to fly apart as piece after piece was blown away. A large hole was punctured in the saucer section by phaser fire before a photon torpedo destroyed the port nacelle connector. It was only a few moments later before tiny escape pods could be seen jettisoning away from the burning hulk that had been the noble Saratoga.
As the Saratoga's crew abandoned her Andrew grew frantic to find some way of defeating the bear that continued to smack the attacking wolves aside. His thoughts we interrupted though by his first officer.
"Sir, we're receiving a message from Admiral Hanson." Dowland said from Anaya's station. "He's ordering us to withdraw and regroup at coordinates two-four-six by oh-nine-one."
"Very well. Lieutenant Cooper set course and give me best speed to that position." There was a note of hesitation and disappointment as Andrew gave that order. Part of him wanted to stay, wanted to fight until the bitter end. In his mind though he knew that a tactful retreat was their best option if they were to drive back the Borg threat.
As they began to limp away from the debris littered battlefield the Borg suddenly took notice of them once more. In a last act to destroy the defiant Endeavour a volley of close to a dozen photon torpedoes was launched at them moments before they exited the combat zone. All over the wounded vessel the torpedoes hit, sending it hurtling ahead in a brilliance of a thousand tiny fires.
The force of the impact threw Andrew from his chair and flying across the smashed bridge. As he landed he hit his head on a fragment of bulkhead that had collapsed. Blood trickled from a newly formed gash above his left eye as he lost consciousness.
Some time later, Andrew wasn't sure exactly how long that time had been, he awoke with Commander Dowland hovering above him. "What's our status?" he asked, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his head.
"Every system has sustained moderate to heavy damage sir, but she's salvageable." Dowland said with a grim look on his face that he was obviously trying to hide.
"Why so grim Rick?" Andrew said noting his first officer's facial expression as he tried to stand up.
The commander quickly stepped forward and helped his captain to regain his composure before he quietly said, "We're the only ship that made it sir."