Chapter 7 – Wolf 359 Part 1
I don't own Star Trek the Next Generation or Voltron Legendary Defender. Just taking the characters out for a spin.
The Enterprise fired a beam of energy from the Warp Engines through the deflector array striking the Borg ship. However, it didn't do any damage. LaForge had to shut down the engines or risk blowing the entire ship up.
Riker took a couple of steps forward staring at the screen. "They couldn't have adapted that quickly."
Picard replied, "The knowledge and experience of Picard, are now a part of us. It has prepared us for all possible courses of action. Your resistance is hopeless… Number One."
Troi sucked in a breath.
The Borg Cube turned and headed away from the Castle of Lions and the Enterprise. Riker turned to the others on the bridge, "Conference Room," he simply said as he led the way onto the turbolift. He motioned for the three Paladins to join him.
Riker gazed at the screen as he stood facing the image of Admiral Hansen as he gave his report. "As we expected the blast burned out our main navigational deflector. We also have damage to our shields and our reactor core."
La Forge added, "We should be back up in eight to twelve hours admiral."
Admiral Hansen tapped the desk he sat behind, "We'll miss you at the party."
Riker stared back confidently at the screen, "The Enterprise will be there."
"Your engagements have given us some valuable time. We've mobilized a fleet of forty ships at Wolf 359. And that's just for starters. The Klingons are sending warships. Hell, we've even thought of opening communications with the Romulans."
Worf sucked in a breath as he grit his teeth, but he kept his feelings about the Romulans to himself.
Commander Shelby spoke up, "You realize that with the assimilation of Captain Picard the Borg will be ready for any and all resistance."
Admiral Hansen gazed at a point off the screen, "Lieutenant, a few years ago," it seemed like just yesterday, "I watched a freshman cadet pass four upperclassmen on the last hill of a forty K run at Danula II. The damnedest thing I ever saw. The only freshman to win the Academy Marathon. I made it my business to get to know that young fellow and I got to know him very well. And I'll tell you something." He straightened up in his chair. "I never met anyone with more drive, determination, or more courage than Jean-Luc Picard."
He paused and added, "That is until we met Princess Allura and the Paladins. I'm still betting they will be of major assistance in this fight."
Pidge jumped up from her seat at the table, "Admiral Hansen. While we were on the Borg ship, we came across something that leads me to believe that a Galra ship made it to this reality and the ship's technology was assimilated into the Borg's technology."
Hansen brought up his hand to his brow and rubbed. "That is troubling. If the Borg know of the Galra could they know of this war going on in your reality?"
Shiro gazed at the man. "That I can't say for sure. What we do know is that our reality is filled with races that are so unlike our own. For example, the Alteans are very much like our own except even though their civilization was destroyed ten thousand years ago they are more technologically advanced than Earth is in our reality."
Keith and Pidge both nodded in agreement.
"Okay," Hansen replied. He turned his attention back to Shelby. "From this moment on we consider Jean-Luc Picard a casualty of war."
Doctor Crusher chose that moment to speak, "Then we have abandoned all hope of recovering him."
Admiral Hansen replied, "In less than twenty-four hours this armada is going to hit that Borg vessel with everything we can muster. Either they survive, or we do." Someone from behind slipped a small hand-held device into the Admiral's hand. He glanced down at it. "And as for Picard," he paused for a moment, "a great man has been lost. Your Captain. My friend."
Worf sucked in a breath and blinked his eyes several times. Keith saw the Klingon was grieving. But this just seemed so cold to him to write off Picard like this. He opened his mouth to say something but felt Shiro's human hand grip his.
He gazed up at his brother, his friend, who shook his head imperceptibly. He got the hint that now was not the time. Keith closed his blue-gray eyes for a quick moment. He opened them and gave Shiro a quick nod that he understood the message.
Admiral Hansen sucked in a breath, "Commander Riker, I now promote you to the field commission of Captain. The Enterprise is your ship now. Congratulations. I wish the circumstances were different."
Riker stared back at the screen. This isn't how he wanted to get the Enterprise. "Likewise. Good luck, Admiral."
Hansen nodded in agreement, "To us all."
Transmission with the Admiral cut off showing the symbol for Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets on the screen.
As the hours ticked by Pidge helped La Forge, Shelby, and Worf in Engineering.
Shiro stayed on the bridge for any last-minute briefings or information he could relay to the Castle of Lions. He'd already talked with Allura over the situation on the Enterprise. He noticed something was going on and approached the Android Data when Commander Data spoke as the newly made captain stepped off the turbolift.
"Admiral Hansen on Subspace, Captain," Data said as he took his position at the helm.
Riker stepped up behind and said, "On screen."
The crewman who stood at tactical pressed a button, and the main viewscreen for the bridge showed Admiral Hansen as the ship he was on rocked from an explosion. The viewscreen pixelated as the picture distorted.
Riker stared at it, "Admiral?"
Hansen's voice was distorted as he reported, "The fight does not go well, Enterprise. We are trying to withdraw and regroup. Rendezvous the fleet…" the picture blanked out.
Data shook his head slightly as Riker gripped his seat.
Shiro could only assume the worst given the silent communication between the pair. He heard Allura's voice over his helmet's communication system. "Shiro, what's happened."
Shiro's words were soft as he replied to her query. "I'm not sure, Princess. But I believe Admiral Hansen's ship was just destroyed."
Her voice was just barely above a whisper, "No!"
Shiro's fingers curled up into a fist. "Next time we meet the Borg, we are using Voltron. And we will win!" he growled with every ounce of conviction. "We shall avenge these brave people who died."
He heard both Keith and Pidge's voices over his helmet comms both demanding to know what happened.
"You'll find out soon enough. It looks like Riker is calling for another conference."
"We'll meet you there," Keith replied.
Riker explained his decision for his choice for the first officer and then stepped up to Shelby and congratulated her as his choice.
He strode away from her. "From our latest communication, we can assume the Borg survived the fleet's attack. Your thoughts about our next encounter."
Shelby replied, "What about the heavy graviton beam we were talking about?"
La Forge replied, "I've gone over it four times. The local field distortion wouldn't be strong enough to incapacitate them."
Pidge spoke up, "He's right. The kind of beam you'd need a ship as large as Zarkon's command ship to produce a beam strong enough to stop the Borg." She shook her head, "And let's face it, not even the Enterprise merged with the Castle of Lions is big enough."
Data spoke up, "Doctor Crusher and I have been working on an interesting premise." He turned to her.
"With our recent experience with nanotechnology, we might be able to introduce a destructive breed of nanites into the Borg."
Shelby asked the question that Pidge was about to ask, "Nanites?"
Data replied, "Robots, small enough to enter living cells."
Pidge shivered at the prospect as she muttered to herself, "That's a scary idea. But one that gives me an idea."
Shiro could almost see the wheels turning in her brain.
Riker asked, "How long would that take?"
Crusher replied, "That's the problem. Two to three weeks."
Troi replied, "In two to three weeks nanites might be all that's left of the Federation."
Keith frowned. How could she say something like that? There just had to be a way.
Worf replied, "We have the new phaser adapters."
La Forge replied as he shrugged, "Maybe in concert with the photon torpedoes, we can slow them down."
Riker looked around the room at everyone as he gripped the back of the chair which Picard would take. "I'm sure at this moment Captain Picard would have something inspiring to say. I wish he were here because I'd like to hear them too. I can't lead as he would, but I'm sure each of you will do your best in this upcoming battle. Dismissed."