Since I was a little late on the last chapter, I figured I'd be a little early on this one. Of the two climax chapters, I think this one is definitely the stronger. Enjoy


Chapter 12: To Steal a Soul

Over a period of thousands of years, the orbs had left the wormhole and landed on Bajor. While the orbs were the most important artifacts in the Bajoran religion and while the Prophets had revealed much to the Bajorans (and learned much themselves), the full purpose of them had never been revealed. As the last orb took its place, no real answers were provided to the Bajorans, but more questions would arise to be studied in the coming years.

All nine known orbs were now in a circle around a mile of uninhabited Bajoran dessert. In the center of the nine, a 10th previously unknown of orb sat, the Orb of the Emissary.

The center orb started to disappear and as it did, a figure started to appear. Benjamin Sisko looked around at the dessert around him. He reached down and picked up some sand and let it fall between his fingers. He laughed. It felt good to be back.


Coruscant had fewer Jedi on it than at any time in the last 1000 years. Jedi had been sent all over the galaxy, negotiating peace treaties and dealing with the many issues that threatened the peace, justice, and order of the galaxy. In spite of this, the planet had not been deprived of its greatest defenders. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda were in a ship travelling to one of the core building of the Republic.

"The building was designed not to be able to be scanned," said Obi-Wan to assembled Jedi.

Yoda reached out with the Force. "Thousand, more Borg there are."

"Timing is of the essence," said Obi-Wan. "Most of the building in well underground and extends a long way in all directions. We can't take it out from the air without causing several millions deaths. If we don't act quickly though, they won't have a choice. We also don't know if they have penetrated other areas of the planet and we may be called on elsewhere."

The assembled Jedi nodded.


It was agony for Anakin. He knew time was slipping. He could feel it was almost gone somehow, but he still had 10 minutes of hyperdrive before even entering the system. He hit a few buttons and adjusted his coordinates. He would cut this as close as possible, danger or no.


The ships descended and almost the entire complement of Coruscant's remaining Jedi and older Padawan's rushed out. Yoda led one group through a passage that would more quickly lead to the lower more secure levels. Obi-Wan led a group in a more direct route straight into the facility.

That is when Obi-Wan got his first up close look at the Borg. He had sensed them before, but now was able to see the people who had lost everything to the collective in more personal way. The feeling of the Force was strange; two conflicting presences in the same person. "Our primary objective is to eliminate the building of Borg. If you see a way to save someone do it, but we can't slow down."


Picard looked at the tactical display and noticed weapons fire. "Put that on screen."

The viewscreen showed a Republic ship in orbit of Coruscant. It was being fired at by half a dozen other Republic ships and from the ground. It had to be causing damage on the ground and killing a number of people, but still the Republic was fighting back. The screen shifted to another ship being fired at, and then another.

"Captain," said Lt. Slaughter. "Almost a dozen Republic ships within the planets shields are being targeted."

Picard nodded. Destroying them had to have been a difficult choice, but he couldn't argue with it, not with the danger the Borg posed. He would have done the same.

Picard had already sent them all known suggestions on battling Borg close up. "No reports of other locations the Borg have beamed to?"

Data said, "Not at present sir."

Good. One spot would be easier to contain the Borg than multiple.

"Incoming transmission from Ambassador Spock."

"On screen."

"Captain Picard," said Spock. "I am aware that Borg are on Coruscant."

"That is correct, but try not to spread the word. A panic will do us no good."

"A logical choice. Captain, might I suggest another action."

Anything that would let them do more than sit on their hands was a welcome suggestion for Picard. "I would love to hear it."

"The USS Voyager is in the system and has both an ex-drone and doctor who has removed Borg equipment. Your own doctor has done the same. I suggest setting up secure areas to remove parts from assimilated drones. We would be unable to do a large number, but even unassimiliating a small number will be received very well by the Republic."

Picard nodded. The security procedures would have to be very tight. "Thank you Mr. Spock. We will do so."

"Mr. Slaughter transmit the plan to Voyager and ask if they believe their security measures are up to the task and then hail the planet. Number 1, Data, Slaughter, after that get down with Doctor Crusher and make preparations."


Anakin felt his ship dropping out of hyperspace. He had to do a quick spin to avoid a piece of a ship. He had cut it as close as he could and was almost on top of Coruscant's shields. He hit an activation code to let him pass through a portion of shield, but the code was rejected.


The Republic had destroyed every ship which it had detected any Borg presence on within the shields. If they had acted a minute earlier, the 2nd location the Borg targeted wouldn't have been hit at all. If they had acted 30 seconds sooner, many fewer drones would have made it to the location. As things stood though, the Borg had succeeded in installing transporters on two of their partially assimilated ships. They sent this next wave of drones to a part of the planet they calculated the Republic would be unlikely to hit with an attack from space. They sent a large number of drones to the office buildings of the Galactic Senate.


Dooku looked at the almost disappeared corpse of Nu and laughed. The caves erupted into a massive fire and collapsed. The rubble avoided Dooku though, simply pushed him up toward the surface. He saw the blue sky and a Bajoran city in the distance.

Now was going to be the time to unleash the full furry of the Pah-wraiths.

"Hello Count Dooku."

Dooku turned. Understanding struck his face. "Yes, of course. The Emissary of the Prophets. They left you to complete their work."

"You could say that."

With a smile, Dooku said, "And what is the first thing they'll have you do?"

"They didn't exactly give me a list, but I think the first thing I'm going to do is remove the Pah-wraiths from this universe."

Dooku shook his head. "You may be my last real challenge. This will be enjoyable."


Padme looked through the last details flowing in. Captain Panaka turned to her with a half-smile. "The Jedi just arrived and are fighting the Borg. The reports don't make it sound like the Borg advance has been quick enough for them to infiltrate the deeper areas."

Padme nodded. "Good." She turned to her other aides. "We need to start anticipating the Senate's reaction to this attack. Obviously a strong effort against the Borg is going to be needed, but there is probably going to be suggestions…"

Alarms went off. Security from outside rushed inside and Captain Panaka rushed to the door, initiating several locking sequences.

"What is it now?"

"Borg have entered the building. We need to lock down this room."

"Here? How?"

"I don't know, but they are on the floor above us."

"Please head to the back of the room Senator." Two of her handmaidens almost forced her back. Padme could hear automatic blaster fire in the background.


"Let me through right now, or you are going to have a seriously pissed off Jedi."

The shield officer wasn't comfortable in this spot at all. "I can't sir. Everything has been overridden to block any drop in the shields until the remaining ships have been thoroughly checked for presence of Borg."

Anakin could feel the anger boiling over. His time was almost gone.

The officer on the other end hit several buttons. "Wait."

"What?" said Anakin, not sounding like a Jedi at all.

"The shields have been overridden to allow a few ships with Borg removal experience to pass through. I'll send you the coordinates and report you are going through, but I don't know they won't fire on you."

"It doesn't matter," said Anakin. He could avoid whatever they would throw at him.


Flames erupted around Sisko, but he just stood there. Sisko knew this wasn't a battle to prolong long. The Pah-wraiths power would only grow and continue to overwhelm Dooku. Still he needed to let Dooku use up a little energy, to let his defenses drop a little.

Sisko talks to Dooku. "You choose the wrong side of this fight. The Prophets understood the Pah-wraiths better than the Pah-wraiths ever understood the Prophets."

Mildly amused Dooku said, "The Prophets didn't understand this universe. Even the concept of time escaped their grasp." Flames erupted around Sisko again, 20 feet high closing in on him, but they did no damage.

"No. But the Prophets understood the Force."


Anakin's ship caught up to the Enterprise and Voyager just before they went through the shields. One thing actually went right for a change and he wasn't fired on by anyone. The officer he had talked to had apparently been competent. Anakin brought his ship into a very steep dive toward the Senate.


The drones broke through the door. Security fired everything they had at them, but the Borg had adapted to these weapons and the power was simply not high enough to overcome their personal shields.

Padme watched as a drone pushed some kind of needle into Captain Panaka. She grabbed her own blaster.


Some think that claims of adaptation to the contrary, the Borg try the same tactics over and over again. While those arguments aren't entirely without merit, they mostly stem from the Borg being slow to adapt to specific situations rather than their general protocols being inefficient. Many adaptations also go unnoticed. For instance, the average Borg on Coruscant, like Borg on any planetary mission, was equipped with more than 200 times the standard complement of nanoprobes. Meanwhile drone shields had been specifically set up to deter all common Republic weapons (adding additional weapons would increase the needed power output to inefficient levels).

Once on the planet however, the Borg find it almost impossible to adapt to one element: the Jedi. The Borg tried concentrating fire, surrounding the Jedi and attacking physically, larger explosions, and variants of those attacks, but they find the Jedi impossible to stop. Nothing has been successful and no ability to adapt to the lightsaber is discovered in spite of multiple hits.

Obi-Wan slices through a drone and reaches for his communicator. "What is it?"

Yoda speaks. "Borg, in the Senate there are. Take group. Too, sending most of mine."

"In the Senate," says Obi-Wan horrified. "That won't leave you with many to fight here."

"Manage we will."

Obi-Wan directs the Jedi out.


Anakin activates the landing gear and jumps out on the floor even before the ship is down. He rushes inside and sees his first drone. It is split in two in less than a second. Anakin rushes down the hall. Drone after drone try to engage him, but to say they are no match, would be an understatement. His lightsaber cuts through them and he dodges around them when that will save more time. At last he is to Padme's office.

There is a large hole where an explosion had gone off. He sees scattered remains of drones. He also sees other drones installing new equipment. He sees Padme. He can feel the dual nature of her now. She is trapped inside, but her thoughts are of the Borg, the Borg control her.

Anakin's anger snaps. He jumps towards the drones and decapitates the first one, the man who had once been Captain Panaka. The others come at him and in a spinning move he takes more of them out immediately. He slices through another and then grabs another with the Force, choking it, putting all of his anger into the drone. The drone drops to the ground dead.

Only one drone remains and comes at him. Padme doesn't even fully have the Borg equipment installed, but she has most of it. As Padme pushes her assimilation tubes toward Anakin, he grabs her arms and holds them away. It takes the Force to withstand her new strength.

A tear drops down his cheek. "Padme. Padme."

She keeps trying to free herself, to assimilate him.

The anger returns to Anakin. This is what the Borg do. They turn your loved ones against you. They had to be destroyed. He felt the Borg parts in Padme. He didn't know the name, but he felt the nanoprobes and equipment connecting her to the collective. He turned his anger toward those pieces of technology. Padme started to shake and after a moment, she passed out.


Obi-Wan had been leading Jedi through the Senate as effectively as possible clearing out the Borg. All of a sudden he knows he needs to get to Padme. For some reason, he can feel Anakin there. He goes to an elevator. It's off, but he uses the Force to push himself up a section at a time until he is on Padme's floor. He rushes down the corridor.


Anakin looks at Padme. They had done this to her. The Borg had done this and they needed to pay. There was more Borg down the hall. He looked toward them anger boiling. He started to stand up when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned and saw Obi-Wan. "Look what they did to her! Those things!"

"I know," said Obi-Wan understandingly. "Right now you need to take care of Padme though. If we don't help her now then they win."

Anakin looked back at Padme. The nanoprobes were gone, but the layers of technology were still on her. She also felt very weak. Whatever he had done to her may have consequences.

Anakin forced his anger down. He had to save Padme. Everything else, even justice, was secondary.

Obi-Wan sensed Anakin's anger calming and said, "I am going to send you to a ship which can get that stuff off of her. Are you ready?"

Anakin doesn't make any movement at all, but Obi-Wan hit his communicator. "Two to take up. One assimilated, but has been disabled. She requires immediate medical help and is a very important Senator. A Jedi is accompanying her."

Anakin and Padme vanished.


Sisko walked toward Dooku. Flames 100 feet high tried to engulf him, and now Sisko starts to feel their effect in spite of his efforts. "Count Dooku, you can break out of this. Don't let the Pah-wraiths control you. Is this really what you want?"

Dooku shook his head. "This whole universe will be for the Pah-wraiths and I will be its leader."

It was too late then, far too late probably. Dooku, whatever kind of man he had been before this was gone. The Pah-wraiths had him twisted him into their puppet, just as Sisko had worried the Prophets might use him.

Sisko kept walking toward Dooku. The heat was melting rocks around him and as useless as it was Sisko started to sweat. "I told you the Prophets understood the Pah-wraiths. You can't win this way."

The flames were half a mile high and had to be causing damage to Bajor. They descended down onto Sisko and the rocks turned molten. Sisko was pushed back, but someone managed to keep standing. He walked up to Dooku, not 10 feet away now.

Dooku wasn't laughing now. He tried to boil Sisko with the lava. Sisko grimaced and fell to a knee, but didn't sink into the lava. The concentration in Sisko's eyes didn't disappear.

Sisko pushed aside the screaming pain urging him to leave. He focused on Dooku's connection to the Pah-wraiths. A small, small part of Dooku still resisted, and that was all that stood against them being released in their full might.

Sisko concentrated on the connection between Dooku and Pah-wraiths. The book was useless now, it's mission fulfilled, now all that connected them to this world was their connection to Dooku. Sisko felt that connection in his mind…and broke it.

Dooku's face turned momentarily stunned and then the lava destroyed him.


At first Anakin had wanted to lash out at the thought of an ex-drone being here, at her being the one to be part of removing this from Padme. Then he had realized that was what Padme was now too. Fortunately the equipment hadn't been as ingrained as in this women and Padme looked almost normal again. The medical issues had been serious, but the doctor, who didn't even appear to exist in the Force, had been excellent.

Now Anakin watched Padme sleep, vowing to never let anything happen to her again.