Just a few turns away from the main lab Vai was on her way to seeing Cross. She was pissed about being left in the dark. After the last debriefing she had all the crew leave the room so she could share exactly how pissed she was with him. Now two weeks later, she could no longer avoid him.

"Nate we need to- What the hell!"

Cross was in the middle of dissecting a recent specimens they came across on a local retrofitted asteroid. The creature was a hybrid. And was near death, as they brought it in. Vai, admittedly been busy since they last collected the animal. But last time she saw it, it was in one piece. Now it was splayed out throughout the lab.

"I admit I didn't complete my core med courses with section 31."

"No shit." She mused putting some gloves on to help.

"It seems these Borg have been getting creative with non humanoid species." He held up a small eyepiece connector that was still lodged deep into the occipital lobe.

"I still cannot wrap my head around this bio tech."

They were silent for a few moments. Vai resolved to bunching together the specimen, and leaving it to the automated cleaner bot.

"So what were you going to yell at me for this time?"

She raised her brow out of irritation at this, but then cancelled out her rage with a deep breath.

"Lal woke up."

"Good. I could use the help with this." He pulled another implant, now from the lungs, and put it in a stasis box.

"I don't want you leaving us in the dark anymore." She said this with a clear and directed, mirroring her gaze into his eyes.

"I know."

"Do you, Agent Cross?!"

He pulled himself completely away from the specimen, and approached her. "I do, Captain."

"No more secrets, no more side missions. We are on one task together, fully debriefed. I will not lose any of my crew because of your damn Section 31 protocols."

Cross brow lowered from the impact of what she said, along with this new matured Vai that stood before him. She was indeed a Captain now. He could not help but feel the deep pain of loss again from this.

Scanning her face over, trying to find his Vai, she only looked back for confirmation in his expression.

"Absolutely no secrets then Captain?"

She shook her head in disbelief, "I'm not going to risk another member of my crew."

"I still love you."

What little noise in the lab cut out. She she stared back at him miffed.

Before she could get in a word the corner track blue lights went on.

Transwarp engaging in 30 seconds.

Vai tapped her com. As she and Cross exited the Lab and secured themselves into the corridor harness. "Trepil, Emini. What's going on?" Her voice echoed a little from her full helmet on.

"Captain we picked up on a Borg vessel warp signature."

Entering transwarp in 15 seconds…

"Tohur I want you to initiate the cloak the second we exit transwarp."

8 seconds…

"Have it set to cloak Captain."

Vai cringed from her suit injecting the transwarp analgesic solution into her neck. "I'll be on the bridge soon."

Engaging trans warp.

The analgesic took some of the edge off, but it still was a bumpy ride. Her and Cross were plastered to the corridor wall, with the safety straps holding them in place. After four long minutes of waiting the blue light faded out.

Slumping forward Cross and Vai caught their bearings. Hunched over Vai held the palms to the back of her neck to make breathing easier.

"Oh I feel sick." Cross said bracing himself on the wall.

"Com'on, let's get to the bridge."

The lift was the only moment where they could revel in not moving.

"It's not supposed to have that strong of an effect on us." Cross said, as he held the safety rail.

"I know." Vai, having a Vulcan physiology could cancel out most of the effects, but still could recognize there was something wrong.

The bridge was chaos. They had full crew and even support holo crew out working madly at the engineering station.

"Report."

"This sector's binary stars are nearing a supernova stage."

"We have delt with those before with far less advanced ships, give me a better cause lieutenant." Vai said to the holo officer.

"Warp and Impulse engines are down too Captain."

Ten and Lal stood off the lift, Lal was in much better shape than before, but Ten was still helping her walk around.

"Lal analyze that binary. I want to know if that's the cause."

Not too long after that Yoci stumbled through the lift. With barf bag in hand. "Something is diluting the transwarp dampener gel cells. I don't.. heeerrrhhp."

Everyone on the bridge, aside from the holo crew grimaced at this.

"Anyone else feel as shitty as me?" Yoci asked as he hunched over the engineering station, nearly falling when he tried to grab what he thought was one of the non holo crews shoulders for support.

"Captain. I believe I found the source."

"Bring it up on the main screen."

The current system they were in came up, with a few points highlighted with wave graphs.

"This solar system is linked with what seems to be EMP weapons. Each planet is tethered to their stars using the magnetic pull. With the supernova their link is disrupted causing these erratic fluctuations in the weapons."

"What are our options? Tohur, do we have the cloak?"

"Yes, cloak is up, and holding strong. Life support and shields are good for now. The backup system seems to have a set of secondary shields independent from the main system."

"What about weapons?"

"Non operable."

Vai nodded at this, and crossed her arms. She walked toward the main view screen. "Lal what are the conditions of these planets?"

"Uninhabited. Two K's, three L's, and one class M. All seem to be stable for now."

"How long?"

"76 hours, 34 minutes and 17 seconds."

"Tohur, do the pods have the same redundancy system our shields and cloak have?"

"Yes." She said with some confusion.

"Alright, we're heading out in teams. Ten Lal you will take on the K's, Trepil Tohur you have the M, Cross and me will take on the L's. We will head in and deactivate these manually." She tapped her communicator, "Emini."

Loud interference came through, with Ere barking orders. "Yes Captain."

"How soon can we get the warp engines back after the weapons have been deactivated?"

"I can get it back in 30 minutes?"

"Make it 10. Because on warp two we will be cutting it close. Alright, Lal send over the necessary tools to the pod bay, were heading out now."