Chapter 19
The U.S.S Defiant quickly fired upon the Borg vessel with all it's might. The small vessel whizzed past the photon torpedoes and continued toward Earth. Worf cursed out loud.
"That was our only shot!" roared Worf.
"It was too fast. We couldn't target it!" replied Rom.
Worf let out another roar, then quickly spoke over the intercom link.
"Worf to Janeway, I'm afraid we were unable to destroy the vessel. It's up to you and your team now, Admiral."
"Nice try, Mr. Worf. We'll take it from here."
"Acknowledged but we're still on our way."
Commander Tuvok ordered the crew into alert. It was Gamma teams turn now. Janeway eased into her chair and focused on the main screen. Come on, we're ready, she thought.
"Captain, the vessel is coming out of warp!" shouted the Voyager's tactical officer.
The Borg vessel blazed out of warp and came to a halt. Before Janeway could give the order to fire, the vessel switch trajectories and blazed toward Earth's atmosphere. Admiral Janeway let out a gasp and gave the order to fire. All of the Gamma Team fired their photon torpedoes. Hundreds of red balls rocketed through space and headed toward the vessel. The Borg vessel was a quick ship and it raced furiously toward Earth. However, the small vessel was not quick enough. It managed to dodge the first ten torpedoes that homed in on it but the rest were right on target. They rammed through the vessel's weak defense system and blasted the Borg ship to pieces. A loud and happy cheer sounded over the fleet's intercom system.
"Congratulations, Captain." stated Tuvok.
"What are we so happy about, asked Janeway, we still have to worry about the other Cube."
=====/////=====
Captain Picard glared at the Borg Queen with intense fury. Sweat poured down his face and soaked the collar of his uniform. He felt like he had been through hell and back. Whatever he had just experienced was mortifying. Picard had just interacted with Captain James T. Kirk, his dead brother, and the two women he trusted most in life. The Borg Queen had manipulated his mind and forced him to believe that Beverly had been by his side. It was all a lie. He had been tempted to become Locutus again but the urge was gone. All Picard wanted to do now was destroy the Borg Queen once and for all. The Borg Queen glared at Picard. She was tired off his continuous fight. She thought she had him in her control but his will was too strong. Picard's mind formed a defense mechanism against the Queen's mind control. Picard's brain formed familiar images to retain his sanity. There was only suppose to be an image of Beverly, not the other three. The brain manipulation had backfired. Humans are such interesting creatures, she thought. Suddenly a fist connected with her forehead. The Borg Queen stumbled backwards onto her back.
==// What are you doing, Locutus? //==
"I'm killing you!" replied Picard as he stomped on the Borg Queen's stomach.
A gooey liquid squeezed through the Queen's lips. It was the Borg equivalent of blood. Jean-Luc quickly grabbed the Hive Mind by the head and lifted her to her feet. He had a determination in his eyes that scared the Queen. She had never known Locutus to have such a fury within him.
"You said it yourself! I know your secrets. I know that if I kill you, the Cube will self-destruct. I know this because you know this!" shouted Picard as he threw the Queen up against her chamber wall.
Green sparks flashed across the empty room. The Queen frantically tried to stand but Picard closed in on her too quickly. He dropped his knee on her chest, forcing the Queen mechanical body to spark.
==// You can not do this! My drones will be here any minute! //==
"Let them come! I want them to see the pain I'm putting you through."
Picard kept the Borg Queen on the floor by the force of his knee. She jerked violently trying to break free. Her only hope was to inject him with the nano-virus but Picard had her hands pinned down. The Hive Mind let out a scream but it could barely be heard. Picard had grabbed her by the throat and began to squeeze. He was choking the life out of her. Picard could hear the approaching footsteps of the drones, but by the time they would reach him, it would be too late. The Queen would be dead.
=====/////=====
The crowd of drones slowly filled deck twenty-three. Riker and Paris were completely cut off. The rest of Riker's men were dead and he was about to join them. If only the computer was up, I'd self-destruct the ship, he thought. Paris continued to fire his weapon but the drones had already adapted. Hope was gone. Both men knew this to be true.
"Well, Captain. It's been a pleasure serving you." stated Tom as he let go of his rifle.
"Likewise, Tom. You're a great helm officer. I was indeed blessed to have your skills on my ship."
With a mission determination, the Borg approached the two remaining officer. Riker began to think of Deanna. The worst had happened. He would never see his beloved Imzadi again. Riker felt his heart break. The first two Borg drones pressed the Starfleet officers against the wall and slowly lifted their wrist. They planned to infect the two men with the nano-virus. Will and Tom closed their eyes and waited for death, but suddenly the drones stopped. The drones turned their gaze away from Will and Tom and began to jerk violently.
"Something's happening." stated Riker in confusion.
"Maybe they're malfunctioning?" replied Tom as he observed the drones.
Sparks flew out of the Borg bodies as they shuffled across the deck. Both Tom and Will looked at one another in absolute terror.
"What the hell is going on?" shouted Riker.
=====/////=====
Picard tightened his grip around the Borg Queen's neck. Her eyes rolled up into her head but she continued to speak to him.
==// Locutus, Stop! You do not know what you are doing! You will die on the Cube as well! //==
Picard sneered at the Queen. He knew that he was going to die and he welcomed it. However, Picard was going to take the Queen down first. Her death would get his legacy to the galaxy. After her destruction, there would be no more Borg. The Borg Queen had revealed her precious secret to him through the Borg communications. Picard was taped into the Borg's communication channel. He knew their every move, plan, and objective. When the Queen spoke to the drones, Picard could hear the messages like crackling in his ears. One of the messages he received was that this Borg Queen was the last of her kind. There were no other Hive Minds. She was the last. The Queen was extremely burdened with the duty of control every Borg across the galaxy. She needed help; a counter part. She desperately needed Locutus so that he could help her with the difficult task. However, Picard refused once again. The Borg Queen had searched Picard's thoughts, took the form of the woman he most trusted, and manipulated his mind. Her plan did not work. Jean-Luc fought against her and won. Now after the Borg Queen was gone, there would be no other. Picard beat all of the Borg. He smiled with victory in his eyes.
"I told you already. I would rather die than become a Borg again. I meant it!" laughed Picard as he wrenched the life away from the Queen.
Suddenly, the Borg Drones that had been closing in on Picard began to shake violently, with sparks flashing out of their mechanics. The Borg Queen let out one last gasp and then died. Jean-Luc glared at the lifeless feminine body. She was pure evil, he thought. Picard released the Borg Queen's neck and stood on his feet. He had fulfilled his duty. The Borg Queen was dead and the drones would die as well. Picard turned to the still shaking drones. They ran into the chamber wall and fell on the floor. There was no central voice directing the drones so the ship was utter chaos. The Borg Cube quaked and rattled with destructions. Fire and explosions consumed the Queen's chamber. Picard shielded his eyes from the bright blazes. Suddenly, Captain Jean-Luc Picard began to remember things of the past. Memories passed over him in quick flashes. Picard could see his himself playing in his vineyard in France and his entry of the Academy. Picard smiled. He could see his first time with a woman and the first time he saw the U.S.S Enterprise. Again Picard smiled. He could see Will and Deanna's wedding and spending time with his closest friends. Suddenly, Will, Data, Deanna, Beverly, Worf, and Geordi's images raced through his mind. He would certainly miss them the most. He loved them dearly. They were his friends; his family. The Borg Cube blasted with explosions. The Queen's chamber was being destroyed before Picard's very eyes but he was in another place; a trance of happiness. Kirk and the other two images were right. Picard's memories and friends were never worth giving up.
"I love you all. Goodbye and good luck." cried Picard as the waves of explosions consumed him.
The Borg Cube rumbled violently. The fury of the explosions bottled up within the metal frame and suddenly, the last Borg ship shattered in fire. The blast shook the vacuum of space, shaking the Federation starships that survived the battle. Deanna Troi Riker viewed the image on the Enterprise's main screen but she was not sad. She had heard Picard in her head. She was uncertain how but it did not matter. Deanna could feel Picard's love and devotion to his crew. She smiled lightly and replied to the dead Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
"Travel well, Captain. Travel well." she whispered.
=====/////=====
Captain William Riker and Lieutenant Tom Paris gawked in awe as the Borg drones fell to the deck, one by one. The drone's systems were down and they were lifeless. Riker nudged one of the drones with his foot but there was no response. The drones were dead. Tom turned to Will and smiled.
"I guess God decided to stop by." stated Tom with a cracked smile.
"Yeah and let me tell you, I'm going to start making more appearances at church." laughed Riker.
Both men laughed uncontrollably as the drones continued to fall around the deck.
=====/////=====
Admiral Kathryn Janeway wiped tears from her eyes as Tuvok informed her that the last Borg Cube had been destroyed. Cheers could be heard over the intercom link. Even the expressionless Vulcan etched a small grin. Janeway turned to her trusted friend and patted him on the shoulder.
"What's this Tuvok? Did I see a smile?"
The Vulcan nodded to his commander as the Voyager bridge crew cheered and cried.
"It would appear to be the most logical thing to do." replied the Vulcan.
"You are certainly right, Tuvok. This is a time to smile." stated Janeway as she hugged the stiff and motionless Vulcan.
The U.S.S Defiant quickly fired upon the Borg vessel with all it's might. The small vessel whizzed past the photon torpedoes and continued toward Earth. Worf cursed out loud.
"That was our only shot!" roared Worf.
"It was too fast. We couldn't target it!" replied Rom.
Worf let out another roar, then quickly spoke over the intercom link.
"Worf to Janeway, I'm afraid we were unable to destroy the vessel. It's up to you and your team now, Admiral."
"Nice try, Mr. Worf. We'll take it from here."
"Acknowledged but we're still on our way."
Commander Tuvok ordered the crew into alert. It was Gamma teams turn now. Janeway eased into her chair and focused on the main screen. Come on, we're ready, she thought.
"Captain, the vessel is coming out of warp!" shouted the Voyager's tactical officer.
The Borg vessel blazed out of warp and came to a halt. Before Janeway could give the order to fire, the vessel switch trajectories and blazed toward Earth's atmosphere. Admiral Janeway let out a gasp and gave the order to fire. All of the Gamma Team fired their photon torpedoes. Hundreds of red balls rocketed through space and headed toward the vessel. The Borg vessel was a quick ship and it raced furiously toward Earth. However, the small vessel was not quick enough. It managed to dodge the first ten torpedoes that homed in on it but the rest were right on target. They rammed through the vessel's weak defense system and blasted the Borg ship to pieces. A loud and happy cheer sounded over the fleet's intercom system.
"Congratulations, Captain." stated Tuvok.
"What are we so happy about, asked Janeway, we still have to worry about the other Cube."
=====/////=====
Captain Picard glared at the Borg Queen with intense fury. Sweat poured down his face and soaked the collar of his uniform. He felt like he had been through hell and back. Whatever he had just experienced was mortifying. Picard had just interacted with Captain James T. Kirk, his dead brother, and the two women he trusted most in life. The Borg Queen had manipulated his mind and forced him to believe that Beverly had been by his side. It was all a lie. He had been tempted to become Locutus again but the urge was gone. All Picard wanted to do now was destroy the Borg Queen once and for all. The Borg Queen glared at Picard. She was tired off his continuous fight. She thought she had him in her control but his will was too strong. Picard's mind formed a defense mechanism against the Queen's mind control. Picard's brain formed familiar images to retain his sanity. There was only suppose to be an image of Beverly, not the other three. The brain manipulation had backfired. Humans are such interesting creatures, she thought. Suddenly a fist connected with her forehead. The Borg Queen stumbled backwards onto her back.
==// What are you doing, Locutus? //==
"I'm killing you!" replied Picard as he stomped on the Borg Queen's stomach.
A gooey liquid squeezed through the Queen's lips. It was the Borg equivalent of blood. Jean-Luc quickly grabbed the Hive Mind by the head and lifted her to her feet. He had a determination in his eyes that scared the Queen. She had never known Locutus to have such a fury within him.
"You said it yourself! I know your secrets. I know that if I kill you, the Cube will self-destruct. I know this because you know this!" shouted Picard as he threw the Queen up against her chamber wall.
Green sparks flashed across the empty room. The Queen frantically tried to stand but Picard closed in on her too quickly. He dropped his knee on her chest, forcing the Queen mechanical body to spark.
==// You can not do this! My drones will be here any minute! //==
"Let them come! I want them to see the pain I'm putting you through."
Picard kept the Borg Queen on the floor by the force of his knee. She jerked violently trying to break free. Her only hope was to inject him with the nano-virus but Picard had her hands pinned down. The Hive Mind let out a scream but it could barely be heard. Picard had grabbed her by the throat and began to squeeze. He was choking the life out of her. Picard could hear the approaching footsteps of the drones, but by the time they would reach him, it would be too late. The Queen would be dead.
=====/////=====
The crowd of drones slowly filled deck twenty-three. Riker and Paris were completely cut off. The rest of Riker's men were dead and he was about to join them. If only the computer was up, I'd self-destruct the ship, he thought. Paris continued to fire his weapon but the drones had already adapted. Hope was gone. Both men knew this to be true.
"Well, Captain. It's been a pleasure serving you." stated Tom as he let go of his rifle.
"Likewise, Tom. You're a great helm officer. I was indeed blessed to have your skills on my ship."
With a mission determination, the Borg approached the two remaining officer. Riker began to think of Deanna. The worst had happened. He would never see his beloved Imzadi again. Riker felt his heart break. The first two Borg drones pressed the Starfleet officers against the wall and slowly lifted their wrist. They planned to infect the two men with the nano-virus. Will and Tom closed their eyes and waited for death, but suddenly the drones stopped. The drones turned their gaze away from Will and Tom and began to jerk violently.
"Something's happening." stated Riker in confusion.
"Maybe they're malfunctioning?" replied Tom as he observed the drones.
Sparks flew out of the Borg bodies as they shuffled across the deck. Both Tom and Will looked at one another in absolute terror.
"What the hell is going on?" shouted Riker.
=====/////=====
Picard tightened his grip around the Borg Queen's neck. Her eyes rolled up into her head but she continued to speak to him.
==// Locutus, Stop! You do not know what you are doing! You will die on the Cube as well! //==
Picard sneered at the Queen. He knew that he was going to die and he welcomed it. However, Picard was going to take the Queen down first. Her death would get his legacy to the galaxy. After her destruction, there would be no more Borg. The Borg Queen had revealed her precious secret to him through the Borg communications. Picard was taped into the Borg's communication channel. He knew their every move, plan, and objective. When the Queen spoke to the drones, Picard could hear the messages like crackling in his ears. One of the messages he received was that this Borg Queen was the last of her kind. There were no other Hive Minds. She was the last. The Queen was extremely burdened with the duty of control every Borg across the galaxy. She needed help; a counter part. She desperately needed Locutus so that he could help her with the difficult task. However, Picard refused once again. The Borg Queen had searched Picard's thoughts, took the form of the woman he most trusted, and manipulated his mind. Her plan did not work. Jean-Luc fought against her and won. Now after the Borg Queen was gone, there would be no other. Picard beat all of the Borg. He smiled with victory in his eyes.
"I told you already. I would rather die than become a Borg again. I meant it!" laughed Picard as he wrenched the life away from the Queen.
Suddenly, the Borg Drones that had been closing in on Picard began to shake violently, with sparks flashing out of their mechanics. The Borg Queen let out one last gasp and then died. Jean-Luc glared at the lifeless feminine body. She was pure evil, he thought. Picard released the Borg Queen's neck and stood on his feet. He had fulfilled his duty. The Borg Queen was dead and the drones would die as well. Picard turned to the still shaking drones. They ran into the chamber wall and fell on the floor. There was no central voice directing the drones so the ship was utter chaos. The Borg Cube quaked and rattled with destructions. Fire and explosions consumed the Queen's chamber. Picard shielded his eyes from the bright blazes. Suddenly, Captain Jean-Luc Picard began to remember things of the past. Memories passed over him in quick flashes. Picard could see his himself playing in his vineyard in France and his entry of the Academy. Picard smiled. He could see his first time with a woman and the first time he saw the U.S.S Enterprise. Again Picard smiled. He could see Will and Deanna's wedding and spending time with his closest friends. Suddenly, Will, Data, Deanna, Beverly, Worf, and Geordi's images raced through his mind. He would certainly miss them the most. He loved them dearly. They were his friends; his family. The Borg Cube blasted with explosions. The Queen's chamber was being destroyed before Picard's very eyes but he was in another place; a trance of happiness. Kirk and the other two images were right. Picard's memories and friends were never worth giving up.
"I love you all. Goodbye and good luck." cried Picard as the waves of explosions consumed him.
The Borg Cube rumbled violently. The fury of the explosions bottled up within the metal frame and suddenly, the last Borg ship shattered in fire. The blast shook the vacuum of space, shaking the Federation starships that survived the battle. Deanna Troi Riker viewed the image on the Enterprise's main screen but she was not sad. She had heard Picard in her head. She was uncertain how but it did not matter. Deanna could feel Picard's love and devotion to his crew. She smiled lightly and replied to the dead Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
"Travel well, Captain. Travel well." she whispered.
=====/////=====
Captain William Riker and Lieutenant Tom Paris gawked in awe as the Borg drones fell to the deck, one by one. The drone's systems were down and they were lifeless. Riker nudged one of the drones with his foot but there was no response. The drones were dead. Tom turned to Will and smiled.
"I guess God decided to stop by." stated Tom with a cracked smile.
"Yeah and let me tell you, I'm going to start making more appearances at church." laughed Riker.
Both men laughed uncontrollably as the drones continued to fall around the deck.
=====/////=====
Admiral Kathryn Janeway wiped tears from her eyes as Tuvok informed her that the last Borg Cube had been destroyed. Cheers could be heard over the intercom link. Even the expressionless Vulcan etched a small grin. Janeway turned to her trusted friend and patted him on the shoulder.
"What's this Tuvok? Did I see a smile?"
The Vulcan nodded to his commander as the Voyager bridge crew cheered and cried.
"It would appear to be the most logical thing to do." replied the Vulcan.
"You are certainly right, Tuvok. This is a time to smile." stated Janeway as she hugged the stiff and motionless Vulcan.