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"Captain's log, stardate 43994.1. The Enterprise has arrived at Jouret IV in response to a distress call from one of the Federation's outermost colonies."

The USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D entered orbit of the planet Jouret IV. In the Transporter room, an away team comprising of Commander Riker, Lt Cmdr. Date, Lt Cmdr. La Forge and Lt Worf prepared to beam down to the planet's surface. "Anything from the surface?" Riker asked Worf

"No, sir." the Klingon replied, "There have been no communications from the colony for over 12 hours."

"Sensors picking up any signs of life?"

"None." Worf reported, causing Riker to frown, a bad feeling forming in the pit of his stomach.

"The surface environment is safe to transport, Commander." Chief O'Brien reported from his position behind the transporter controls.

Riker nodded his acknowledgement and the away team took up position on the transporter pads. "Energise." Riker ordered O'Brien, who worked the controls and the away team were beamed from the Enterprise and onto the surface of Jouret IV. They found themselves in the middle of an apparent waste ground, not the bustling community they were expecting to find. Riker tapped his combadge. "Mr O'Brien, confirm these are accurate co-ordinates for New Providence colony."

"Co-ordinates verified, sir." O'Brien replied, "You're at the centre of town."

The away team walked a bit further and soon found the problem. Where the New Providence colony should have been was an enormous crater in the ground, as if the entire colony had been scooped off the face of the planet in one swift sweep. The away team all shared looks. They had seen this level of destruction before and they knew what it meant: the Borg had reached Federation space.

~8~

"Captain's log, stardate 43997.6. Admiral Hanson and Lieutenant Commander Shelby of Starfleet Tactical have arrived to review the disappearance of New Providence colony. No sign remains of the nine hundred inhabitants."

The Enterprise and the USS Melbourne NCC-2043 orbited Jouret IV in formation. In his ready room aboard the Enterprise, Captain Picard was in a meeting with Riker, Admiral John Hanson and Lt Cmdr. Elizabeth Shelby. The mood in the room was sombre and tense. "The truth is... hell, we're not ready." Hanson admitted, "We've know they were coming for over a year... we've thrown every resource we've got into this, but still..."

"Then you're convinced it is the Borg?" Riker asked

"That's what I'm here to find out." Shelby said matter-of-factually, "The initial reports of the surface conditions are almost identical to your reports from system J-25."

"Commander Riker wrote those reports, he agrees with you." Picard acknowledged

"Commander Shelby took over Borg tactical analysis six months ago." Hanson explained, setting protocol, "I've learned to give her a wide latitude when I want to get things done... that's how I intend to operate here."

"My priority is to develop some kind, any kind of defence strategy." Shelby said

"Obviously." Riker commented, "Nothing we have now can stop them." The Enterprise crew had learned this lesson the hard way during their first encounter with the Borg the year before in system J-25. The Enterprise's weapons and defences had proved useless against this new enemy and only Picard begging Q to intervene had saved the ship from certain destruction.

"We've been designing new weapons... but they're still on the drawing board." Shelby sighed

"We expected much more lead time." Hanson explained, "Your first encounter with the Borg was over seven thousand light years away."

"If this is the Borg, it would indicate they have a source of power far superior to our own." Picard mused

Shelby then decided to get to the point. "I'd like to see the colony site as soon as possible, Captain."

"It'll be dark in 30 minutes." Riker told her, "We've scheduled an away team for dawn."

Picard then decided to close the meeting at this point. "Number One, why don't you show the commander to her quarters?" he said

Riker nodded, knowing his captain well enough to know that Picard wanted to talk to Hanson alone, so he and Shelby got up and made for the door. "It's our poker night, Admiral." he said to Hanson, "There's always an open seat for you."

"Another time, Commander." Hanson told him, "Your captain and I have a lot to cover. But rumour has it that Commander Shelby has played a hand or two."

Riker casted a look at Shelby, who just gave a smug grin, then they both turned and left the ready room.

Hanson turned back to Picard. "Keep your eye on her, Jean-Luc. That's one impressive young lady." he said

"You seem rather taken with her, J.P." Picard smiled

"Just an old man's fantasies." Hanson laughed, then got to the point, "When Shelby came into tactical, every damned admiral's uncle had a take on this Borg business. She cut through it, put us on track."

Picard reached for a teapot and poured himself a cup. "Earl Grey?" he offered the admiral.

Hanson nodded and Picard him a cup. "She'd make you a hell of a first officer." he hinted

Picard raised a brow at this. "I already have a hell of a first officer."

"Don't tell me he's gonna pass up another commission?"

This was news to Picard. "One's available?" he asked

"The Melbourne." Hanson replied, "It's his if he wants it. Hasn't he told you?"

Picard sighed, resigned to the fact that his first officer was moving on to new things. "He'll make a fine captain, J.P."

"You may wanna tell him that." Hanson commented, "We're still waiting on his decision. Hell, this is the third time we've pulled out the captain's chair for Riker. He just won't sit down. And I'll tell you something, there's a lot of young hotshots like Shelby on their way up. Riker could suddenly look like he's standing still next to them. He's hurting his career by staying put. If I were you, I'd kick him in the rear end for his own good." He then drank his tea while Picard mulled over his old friend's words.

~8~

Meanwhile, Riker and Shelby were walking through a corridor on their way to the quarters that had been assigned to Shelby during her stay on the Enterprise. "We know the Borg have no interest in power or political conquest." Shelby began

"They identify what's useful to them, then consume it." Riker acknowledged, "Or try to at least."

They paused outside the door to Shelby's quarters. "But here's the question; after they take what they want, what happens to the rest?" she asked rhetorically, "There has to be some evidence, residue... something that tells us they've been here." The door slide open and they entered the room. "I don't know exactly what we're looking for." Shelby continued, "But we've tested some of the sections of the Enterprise's hull that were damaged by the Borg. There were some unusual magnetic resonance traces."

"A Borg footprint?" Riker questioned

"That's my theory." Shelby nodded, "I'll see if it holds up tomorrow. I've reviewed your personnel, I'll be assigning Mr La Forge and Mr Data to accompany me on the away team."

Riker frowned at this. "I've already assigned them to the away team, Commander." he said, "And I'll be with you as well."

A quick moment of awkwardness passed between them. "Of course." Shelby shrugged, "I appreciate any assistance you can offer."

Riker narrowed his eyes at her, not at all amused at her rather snippy attitude.

Shelby looked around at her quarters for a moment. As was the norm on Galaxy-class starships, the room was spacious and luxurious. "Tell me something, Commander. Is serving aboard the Enterprise as extraordinary an experience as I've heard?" she asked

"Every bit of it." Riker replied tersely

"Good." Shelby smirked, "Because I intend to convince Captain Picard that I'm the right choice for the job."

"Job? Which job?"

"Yours, of course." Shelby replied as if it were oblivious, then she caught the look on Riker's face. "I'm sorry... I heard you were leaving."

Riker knew a fishing expedition when he saw one and he wasn't going to bite. "If I am, I'm sure you're be the first to know, Commander." he said coolly, "Poker's at 1700 hours, my quarters, deck eight." And he turned on his heel and left the room.

~8~

That night, the Enterprise senior officer's weekly poker game was in action. Counsellor Troi was the dealer this night, with Riker, Data, La Forge and Ensign Wesley Crusher as the players. "I will buy another card, Counsellor." Data said, throwing a pair of chips in.

"Got another king in the hole, eh, Data?" Wesley smirked

"I am afraid I cannot answer that, Wesley." the android replied, "And as you are a newcomer to the game, may I say it is inappropriate for you to ask."

"No help there." Troi said as she dealt Data his last card

La Forge checked his cards. Tonight wasn't his night. "Fold. Again." he sighed

"I'm in." Wesley said, throwing his chips in.

"Three jacks looking back for the handsome young ensign." Troi said as Data folded

"Beginners luck." La Forge commented

Shelby put her chips out and got a worthless card. "Pair of deuces stand." Troi said as Riker threw in his chips and got a card that continued his straight flush. "Possible flush." Troi said, "Possible straight flush. It's your bet, Mr Crusher." she told Wesley

Wesley looked nervously at Riker. "I'm in for ten." he said, throwing in a pair of chips. Shelby studied him for a moment then threw in two of her own chips to stay in the game.

Riker gave Wesley his best poker face. "Time to put on the long pants, Wes." he said, "I'll see your ten and raise you a hundred."

"He's got the straight flush, folks." La Forge said knowingly

"Not necessarily." Data countered, "Commander Riker may be bluffing, Wesley."

Wesley looked at Riker's face and broke. "I don't think so." he said, "Fold."

"With three jacks?" La Forge groaned and shook his head at the young man, "Wes, you may get straight A's at school, but you've still got a lot to learn a lot about poker."

With Wesley having folded, that just left Riker and Shelby playing. They both stared each other down for a moment then Shelby made her move. "Well, I've only got two pair. But I've got to see your whole card. I'll call." She put in her chips and Riker turned his card over, revealing that he was bluffing. Wesley could only groan and hang his head.

"You got him!" La Forge chuckled to Shelby as she helped herself to her winnings.

~8~

Next morning, Riker and La Forge arrived at the transporter room to find no sign of Data and Shelby, just O'Brien at his usual spot at the controls. "Mr Data and our guest appear to be tardy." Riker commented

"Sir, Commander Shelby and Data beamed down to the planet surface an hour ago." O'Brien said

"On whose's authority?" Riker glared angrily

"On... on her's, sir." O'Brien said nervously

Riker and La Forge shared looks as they took up positions on the transporter pads. "Energise." Riker ordered.

O'Brien worked the controls and Riker and La Forge were beamed down to the surface of Jouret IV where they found Data and Shelby examining exposed rock strata with their tricorders. "Morning." Shelby said cheerfully, "Early birds gets the worm, eh? We've had some interesting results..."

"Commander Shelby..." a seething Riker interrupted, "Walk with me, Commander." And he led the young woman away from the others.

Data and La Forge shared a look. "I believe Commander Shelby erred." Data said, "There are no know avifaunal or crawling vermicular lifeforms on Jouret IV.

"That's... not what she meant, Data." La Forge told him, "But you're right, she erred."

Shelby knew what Riker was going to yell at her about. "I'm sorry." she said quickly before he had a chance to, "I woke up early and I saw that a weather system was moving in... It could've affected the soil readings."

"So without any regard to the risk of coming down alone..." Riker began sternly

"Really, Commander, if we ran into the Borg, two extra bodies wouldn't have made a hell of a difference, would they?" Shelby waved him off, "We had three hours before the storm, less than two hours now. Data was available, I took him, we came. I don't see your problem..."

"My problem, Commander, is I expect to be notified before there's a change in my orders." Riker scowled

"Noted for future reference." Shelby said tightly, "Do you wish to hear my report, sir?"

"Go ahead." Riker said, just as tightly.

"The soil contains the same magnetic resonance traces. That's our footprint." Shelby informed him, "There's no doubt any more. It is the Borg."

Author's Notes: Thought I'd take a break from Doctor Who stories and do an adaption of Star Trek: The Next Generation's epic two-parter. I'm using the script on Trekcore as reference, so I'll be included some scenes that weren't in the finished episode. There's an example of that here, with the discussion between Riker and Shelby about the Borg's motivations. A detail to note, I've named the Excelsior-class ship that brought Admiral Hanson and Shelby to the Enterprise as the Melbourne. This is to tie in with DS9's Emissary, where the Melbourne was shown to be an Excelsior-class ship, so I decided to have it be the ship seen in Best of Both Worlds. I'll dividing the episode up into chapters based on the acts, so this chapter covers the teaser and act 1. Next chapter will cover act 2 and so on. I will be doing both parts in this story. So, keep an eye out for chapter 2 soon.