A bit of a rubbish chapter to prepare for...mwahahahahaha.
The wedding went flawlessly and without a hitch. Te'Chel accepted her new positronic implants and became the first Klingon Augment.
Her father was very proud of his young daughter.
"She is an honour to our House. Everything she does, she does with all of her body and spirit, and I know she will do the same for your Kingdom." Martok told Data and Melina at the reception.
"I am certain she will." Data smiled. He raised his glass. "To the continued alliance between the Klingons and the Augments."
"To our alliance!" Martok replied.
Leah sighed as the newly married couple danced. So much for HER happy ending.
"Smile grumpy, lest the wind change and the improvement sticks."
"Rack off Lore." Leah groaned. What did HE want?
Lore looked at Leah, and followed her gaze.
"Aaaah! Someone has fallen for the young King?" He grinned.
"Shut up Lore, okay? Just piss off." Leah stormed off. She headed out of the palace and towards the small town that surrounded it. She unlocked the door of her house and walked in, slamming the door behind her.
"LEAH!" She heard Lore pounding on the door. "OI! Leah! Get out here! I'm sorry, okay?"
"No you're not." Leah muttered. She threw off her dress and got into her night-things. She then lay in her bed, listening to the stupid android bang on her door.
"LEAH!"
–
Leah was in the library. Thankfully Lore hadn't shown up yet. Leah was planning to leave the moment he showed his stinking face around that door.
He didn't. He didn't the next day, nor the day after that.
Leah was rapt.
"Finally decided to pick on someone your own size eh?" She passed him at the local club the next day.
"Just leave me alone." Lore snapped back. Leah was surprised.
"Lore, are you okay?" She asked.
"Just leave me alone." Lore warned. He turned his back on her and returned to his chocolate sundae.
"Lore-,"
"You wouldn't talk to me, so why the hell should I talk to you? PISS OFF." Lore growled. Leah stepped backwards, then walked away.
She headed up to the palace gardens, where she found Melina swirling water around in the fountain with her fingers, teasing the little fish.
"Good evening Queen Mother." Leah bowed.
Melina looked the younger woman up and down.
"What's happened Leah?" Melina folded her arms.
Leah sighed.
"Lore isn't talking to me." She said.
"Well, after the way things went at the wedding...you do know he's fallen in love with you, right?"
"WHAT?" Leah cried, dumbstruck. "That womanizing android has feelings for ME?"
"I know, amazing isn't it?" Melina chuckled.
"Oh...oh dear..." Leah groaned.
"Melina!" They heard Data calling. Melina giggled.
"Gotta run! See you tomorrow Leah, and don't worry about Lore, he's tough, and if not, there's plenty of concrete to go around." She kissed the younger woman on the cheek before heading up to her room, where Data was waiting eagerly for her. Since his skin was now organic (although still gold), he'd become more and more interested in physical activities. Every time Melina touched him sent shivers down his spine, and he loved it.
"Thanks Queen Mother." Leah murmured, deep in thought.
–
"You want us to WHAT?" Martok cried.
"Please, we need your help to fend off the Borg!" Admiral Kerrn pleaded. "If they get into Federation space it's only a matter of time before they try to take over the Klingon Empire!"
"Ask the Augments, they are far more effective than us at taking down the Borg." Martok replied, enjoying the view of Kerrn squirming in his seat through the viewscreen. The Klingons on the Bridge tried to hold back chuckles, but it wasn't working all that well. The Klingons knew full well of the politics between the Federation and the Augments, and they thought that the Federation were being quite pathetic about the whole situation.
"I didn't have you pegged as a coward, Martok." Kerrn fired, trying to rouse the Klingon's anger. Martok however had anticipated this.
"Well, the Klingons have always known that you're an idiot." He fired back.
That did it. Every Klingon aboard the Rotarran roared with laughter, and even Captain Picard who was standing next to Kerrn had to try his best to surpress a giggle.
"We will join your battle, because quite frankly, I don't want to bring the Borg any closer to Klingon territory than necessary. I will not risk my peoples lives. However we will be bringing ALL of our allies with us. And that includes the Augments.
"If that makes me a coward, then so be it. I would prefer all my honour stripped away than for the Klingon Empire to fall."
Every Klingon aboard the Rotarran was silent in admiration for their leader. Each one vowed to be as strong and as honourable as he.
Kerrn growled. He was defeated.
"Very well. Kerrn out." He stormed off. As soon as he was clear of the Bridge, Picard took Sarah's hands in his.
"You my dear, are a GENIUS!" He exclaimed.
"I try." Sarah smirked.
"This WILL be a glorius battle! Send word to Ceti Alpha, and then head to the battlefield. For the Klingon Empire!" Martok roared.
The chorus of roars that responded would have frightened the pants off any human!
–
"How pathetic. The Federation have gone to the Klingons in order to avoid asking us for our help in disposing of the Borg." Leah reported to Rex at the staff meeting.
Rex sat at the head of the table next to Te'Chel, with his two uncles sitting on one side of him, his parents on the other. Then Leah, Cerberus, Hugh, Tobius and Joh took the other chairs.
"I say stuff 'em." Tobius folded his arms. "Let the Borg take them!"
"But we don't want the Klingons to get wiped out as well!" Cerberus pointed out.
"Exactly. We have no choice now that father is involved." Te'Chel said. "To do so would risk war with the Klingons."
"And while we have the capability to wipe out any species we want, we don't want to do that." Melina pointed out.
"I will take the Reliant. Father, you and Mum will take the Soong, and Hugh, you will take the Journeys End." Rex commanded. "Just leave enough for the Klingons to pick at." He added with a smile.
The table disbanded and headed to their ships. Hugh headed towards the newly refitted Journeys End. It was his old ship, now fitted so that he and his fellow ex-Borg could use their new Augment power to run it. A lot of his old crew had gone on to other endeavours, such as farming and mining, so Hugh also had a few of the other Augments under his command.
Before heading to the Reliant, Leah cornered Lore.
"What do you want?" He growled. Leah smirked at him.
"This." She kissed him. Hard.
"We'll talk about this." Lore could barely contain himself.
"I'm sure we will." Leah ran her hand down Lores leg, making him shudder. She walked off to the Reliant, and took her seat at the Science console.
"Bitch." Lore grinned, heading to Reliants Engineering section.
–
The Soong was a large ship, reminiscent of the old Constitution class vessels. Melina loved it, and dubbed it her 'baby'. Data thought she was nuts.
-Alright, let's get out of here!- She commanded. The Soong lifted out of its hanger and was soon bursting out of the atmosphere. They were heading to System J-25, where the Borg were being held by Federation, Romulan, Klingon and Cardassian forces without much success.
The Rotarran was circling a Cube by itself. It had suffered severe damage, and most of the crew had lost their lives.
"Keep firing! Don't give up!" Martok roared as the ship took another hit. "How is our Away team doing?"
"We're almost there Sire! We're almost-," One of his crew cried as the Borg Cube finally blew up.
Martok fell back into his chair. One victory. One hollow victory.
Because now the other twenty-four Borg Cubes were focused on the Rotarran.
"It would be a good day to die..." Martok lamented. "If I had only saved my people."
-Did someone call for us?-
"REX!" Martok roared as the ANS Reliant, the ANS Journeys End, and the ANS Soong appeared.
-Don't worry Martok, we'll take care of the rest. You have brought honour not only to yourself, but to your allies as well! Long live Chancellor Martok! The Powerful and the Wise!- Rex cheered.
Martok smiled.
"Start repairs, we need to be able to support our allies." He croaked, wounded.
"So, they're here, and flattering the Klingons." Kerrn scowled as he watched the Augment vessels easily dispose of the first Borg Cube.
"Well, at least we're all saved." Picard pointed out.
"Don't you understand Jean-Luc? This makes the Federation look like the biggest bunch of chumps since the Eugenics Wars!" Kerrn cried.
"Chumps maybe, but living chumps." Picard smirked back.
-This is too easy.- Data frowned.
-Of course it is, the Borg have nothing on us.- Melina replied as the last Borg Cube was destroyed by the Journeys End.
-That felt good.- Hugh sighed. -I feel free.-
-You ARE free Lord Hugh!- Leah replied from the Reliant. -And now, so are we, free from the Borg.-
-For now anyway.- Rex pondered. -There is bound to be more where that came from.-
"Indeed!" Said an annoying voice.
-Q!- Every Augment groaned.
"That's my name, please don't wear it out. Now to celebrate our victory!" Q tittered in his annoying manner.
-Out.- Rex commanded before Q could begin his festivities.
"But your Majesty-,"
-OUT.- Rex repeated.
"Oh fine! Be like that then! Poopy pants!" Q snapped. He clicked his fingers.
"Wha-?" Q looked confused. He clicked again and again but to no avail. Rex smirked, as Qs face fell.
-I think we have adapted to the powers of the Q.- He announced.
"Oh swell." Q groaned.
Memories: I, Hugh (I, Borg)
The officers were gathered in the Briefing Room. Melina stood by the door, her arrogance permeating the room.
"I DID say it was a Borg signal when we first got here." She pointed out.
"Yes dear, however there was only a 34.26 percent chance that you were correct." Data told her
"Looks like 100 percent from where I'm standing." Melina shot back.
"Both of you!" Picared warned.
Melina sliently fumed while Beverely tried to defend her position on saving the Borg. Melina agreed with her.
"We'll proceed with the plan. Dr. Soong, you're the best programmer in the galaxy." Picard started.
"And I want no part in genocide." Melina shot back.
"Lieutenant, you will do as you are ordered. You are to assist Geordi in writing a virus for the Borg." Picard warned.
"As a part-Borg-,"
"I will not be argued with!" Picard roared angrily.
Melina scowled.
"Fine, I will escort myself to the Brig then, because I want no part in this!" She growled.
"Data, take her away. Geordi should be able to manage." Picard waved the two off. Data took Melinas arm a little more forcefully than he usually would have, and took her to a Holding Cell.
"I do not understand why you are going to risk your career to save a Borg who would quite easily destroy you as soon as look at you." Data sighed as he activated the force field.
"Because someone once came and saved me, even though at the time I would have quite happily dismantled him." Melina fired back.
Data looked at her. Without a sound, he walked away.
"Stick THAT in your positronics and smoke it!" Melina added for good measure.
–
The Brig had to be one of the most boring places one could be. It was okay when the Borg, dubbed Hugh was there-he seemed chatty enough once you got him going.
-How was it?- Melina asked when he had returned from another round of testing.
-They asked me more questions. Geordi told me about jokes.- Hugh replied. -I like jokes.-
-Everyone needs a good laugh every now and then.- Melina chuckled.
-It is interesting how you can hear our voices.-
-I usually block them out.-
-Why?-
-Because sometimes it's nice to have some time to yourself.-
-Isn't that lonely?-
-No. It's refreshing. It stops my singular being from being corrupted by everyone elses being.-
While she enjoyed her chats with Hugh, there had been no sign of Data since he had brought her here. Melina put it down to his lack of emotion, but it was still hurting.
Three days had passed, when she finally saw her husband.
"Finally remembered I exist did you?" She snapped as he let her out of her cell. He didn't say a word.
"Fine, don't speak to me." She bit as he led her to go and see the Captain.
Still not a peep.
"I would like to apologise Doctor." Picard said once they'd sat down in his Ready Room. "I see now that you have a very good point."
"Apology accepted Sir." Melina decided not to be smart for once. Data stood quietly in the corner, refusing to look at his wife.
"Now, we need you to modulate the shields so we can safely hide near the Sun in this system." Picard started.
"Right on it!" Melina smiled.
"Dismissed!" Picard smiled back.
She left the Room with Data behind her. He was still irking her.
"Are you going to speak to me or what?" She snapped as he sat down.
He sighed.
"Later."
Melina smiled softly, and kissed his forehead before heading to her station next to Worf.
–
Melina rushed down to the Transporter room, Data close behind. She wanted to say good bye to her old cell-mate before he returned the collective.
-Sad to see you go.- Melina used the thought-speak to communicate with Hugh.
-It is, but it is what I must do. Otherwise your ship would be in danger.- Hugh replied.
"Uh...guys?" Geordi looked between the two, unable to hear anything.
Both giggled.
-One day Hugh, the Borg and the Federation will be friends.- Melina promised. -One day you will be free.-