CHAPTER FIVE
There was a great disturbance, he could feel it. The feeling swept over him seconds before the report had been received about the Star Destroyer. He had spent his life wrestling with fear and hate, and now the two emotions had become intertwined leaving him with an inexplicable feeling of dread. Deep in the silence of his meditation chamber, Darth Vader reached out into the depths of blackness searching for an answer. It had to be there. Somewhere in the darkness voices were heard, cursing, yelling, screaming. A pale face appeared, disappeared, and then reappeared again. A lifeless, mechanical soul that drifted through eternity on an endless quest of domination and terror. He could feel their thoughts, they were alive, but so utterly controlled that the word did not apply to them. They no longer belonged to themselves. It was almost as if a single mind drove them. It was unfeeling, unreasoning, and unforgiving. For some reason, it made him think of Luke.
His mind raced back to The Cloud City and their confrontation. The Force was very strong with him, he felt it then and he felt it now. Did he not understand that his place was with his father? He knew Luke was immature in the ways of the Force. He did not understand that true power lay in the Darkside. But there would be another opportunity, the Emperor had foreseen it. Soon he would have another chance to convince his son to join him. The alternative, if he did not, was unthinkable.
An hour later on the bridge of The Star Destroyer, Titan, a brief report had been handed him that revealed nothing new about the alien vessel. They were not part of the Empire, this he knew, the Emperor kept very little from him. Were they allied with the Rebels? He doubted it. They were strange to him, but he doubted they had loyalties to anyone except to their own agenda. What of the other ship, the Enterprise? Last reports indicated they had sustained damage in the altercation with The Kami, but had left before the ship had been destroyed. Its last known heading was toward The Markaz system. Vader found that piece of information very interesting. Reliable intelligence had placed a Rebel base there a month ago. Were these allied with the Rebels? This he found to be most likely. But a nagging thought in the back of his mind wondered at the timing of two vessels unknown in this part of the galaxy with strange technology, appearing out of nowhere at roughly the same time. The coincidence was too large to be ignored. And he would not ignore it.
"Captain!" Vader's voice boomed across the bridge.
Captain Verkay left the display he was studying and reported to Vader with a nervous salute. "Yes, Lord Vader.'
"Captain I want you to send out four patrol vessels to the outer regions of the Markaz system. I want them there as observation only. They are to report any Rebel activity. I want a personal report from you, Captain, on the hour, after their arrival," Vader ordered.
"Yes sir."
Leia froze. She did not know who the Borg were, but judging from the looks on the faces of those around her, she knew it couldn't be good. Luke's face had paled at the news. The others had taken on an expression of silent tribulation.
"Would someone mind explaining to me just who these Borg are?" Leia asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.
Picard spoke first; "The Borg, Princess, are a race of cybernetically enhanced humanoids. They contain cybernetic implants that sometimes gives them a distinct advantage over others. There is no concept of individuality. They are joined together in a group consciousness referred to as the Borg collective. Little is known of their culture, if one exists. Their only known pursuit is the assimilation of other cultures and technologies. Their weaponry is highly advanced and very powerful. Defense capabilities adapt quickly to most forms of weaponry. And they have the ability to travel vast distances very quickly. Some cubes can contain hundreds of thousands of drones. And the Borg acquired these large numbers through forced assimilation. They are evil. The rights of others are irrelevant, if I may borrow a term they are fond of using. And negotiation is out of the question." He finished.
"Leia, I've seen them. You have never encountered anything like them. I felt the people locked inside and felt their pain. But the very things holding them hostage is who the are on the outside and theirs nothing they can do about it." Luke said.
"Its like some kind of horror story." She said quietly.
"Oh no Princess, this is worse, its a horrible reality." Picard said.
The Senior staff gathered around the table in the briefing room aboard the Enterprise. Captain Picard had excused himself an hour earlier and returned to the Ship. Now they awaited representatives from the moon below so the meeting could begin. Thoughts raced through his mind and uncertainty plagued him now more than ever. Not only was he facing the Borg, an enemy he knew all to well, but also the prospect of engaging a government known only as the Empire. Two tyrannical organizations bent on his assimilation or destruction. Never mind the fact he wasn't even supposed to be here. He looked across the table at his officers talking quietly amongst themselves and wondered if they would ever get home.
Captain Picard stood as Leia walked in and took a seat next to him. She introduced those with her.
"You all know Luke." she said pointing to the young Jedi. "This is Chewbacca and Wedge Antilles our squad commander."
"Well lets get to the business at hand, shall we?" Picard began. "We have three problems to address, our first and foremost, being the Borg. We are reasonably sure they haven't located us as of yet, but you can be sure they will soon. I cannot emphasize enough the perilous situation in which we find ourselves. The technology we are facing is superior in many ways. In the past we have found ways to overcome this, but they are expert at adapting to new and unknown technology and military theory."
"Captain, we have over two hundred fighters." Leia said.
"And I assure you princess, you will need them all." Picard replied.
"Data. What Information do we have on the Borg vessel?" Picard asked.
"After going over the ships logs, Captain, I am afraid there was nothing unusual about this particular Borg cube. However, Captain, Their is one interesting theory that Geordi and I happened on when going over the logs. Geordi?"
"Captain, simply put; Its entirely possible, because of our trip through the spacial anomaly, our being millions of light years from our own galaxy and the possibility of our being in a totally different time, that the Borg have no communication with the Collective, in effect they are all alone." Geordi said.
"How can we use this to our advantage?" Leia asked.
"One of the most frustrating things about the Borg is their ability to adapt. We think of something to use against them and in a matter of minutes, sometimes seconds, they have found some away to make it useless. And we believe that ability will be severely hampered if in fact they are cut off from the Borg Collective." Geordi replied.
"Geordi, I want you and Data to explore the possibilities. If in fact they are cut off from the hive mind then I want to take full advantage." Picard said.
"Now, Princess, what of the Empire? How much of threat are they now and how best do we deal with it?
"Captain, at this point its just a guess. Our most recent intelligence suggests that they are close to finding our location. Its possible they already know and are planning their next move. We have been on a state of high alert for a month now. If they do know, then they are very much a serious threat."
"Number One. I want long range sensors manned every shift until further notice, with reports to either you or I on the hour. Also, all engineering and maintenance personnel will be on double shifts until all repairs are completed. We cant afford to be caught off guard again. Princess, if it is possible I would like to relay our sensor logs to you on the surface as the information comes in. Their may be parts of it you can decipher better than we can. Given are current situation, our knowledge of your galaxy and the Empire is limited." Picard said.
"Of course Captain. And I will send any intelligence we receive from our patrol ships." Leia replied.
"Data, what of our spacial anomaly? Anything new?" Picard asked.
"Right now we are studying sensor readings to determine the exact cause of the anomaly itself. If we can determine its make up, what exactly causes it to occur, and how our engines affect it, then I believe we may be able to find a solution." Data answered.
"Thank you, Data."
"Well lets get to work, shall we? Princess, If you have time, I would like to give you that tour of the ship I promised." Picard offered.
Ensign Karin Galway had already pulled her first double Shift when she received word of the doubles until further notice. She was already dead tired and sore from crawling for the last fourteen hours through what seemed like every Jeffries tube on the ship. She wanted desperately to sleep. But now here she was planted in front of the long range sensor displays, a job that was going to insure a long hard fight to stay awake. She relaxed in the chair and stared at the blinking lights in front of her. Within a couple of minutes her eyes began to blur and grow heavy. Her breathing calmed to a rhythmic pulse as her body began to slump in the big chair. On screen, a small blip appeared and raced across the screen, disappearing on the other side. Void of life, the unmanned drone raced away into the cold emptiness towards the third moon of the planet Markaz. Ensign Galway's eyes jerked open and she sat up. She fell asleep! How long? Only a moment. She looked around, had anyone noticed? No. She was alright. She must be careful! She turned back to the display and stared at the screen. She would bring up the logs in an hour and send them to Commander Riker. Until then, she had to try to stay awake.
In Ten Forward Lieutenant Worf sat with commander Wedge Antilles and Chewbacca and wondered curiously about the large creature that he had been told was part of a race called Wookies. That he was a warrior was obvious to Worf. He was intrigued. For years Worf had had trouble fitting in. He was Klingon. And that caused more than one problem growing up on earth with human parents. And those of his own race had questioned his honor and his ability to carry himself as a warrior. They wondered if the Klingon blood that ran through his veins had been diluted by what they considered human weaknesses. Worf knew he was Klingon and had no doubt the his heart beat the rhythm of his Klingon ancestors. Because of this he had respect for those who carried themselves as warriors, regardless of where they came from.
"Is it true what they say about the Borg, Lieutenant, are they really that relentless?" Wedge asked, breaking the silence.
"Yes. We have had many encounters with the Borg and only a few times have we emerged victorious." Worf replied.
"I thought the Empire was the embodiment of Evil, but it looks as though they may have met their match." Wedge said looking in to his beer.
Chewbacca let out a soft grunt and emptied the large mug that looked like a child's cup in his enormous hands. Worf looked from Chewbacca to Wedge.
"He agrees, says it seems that life is as valueless to the Borg as it is to the Imperials." Wedge interpreted.
"True. The Borg have no honor." Worf said.
Chewbacca growled and bellowed, gesturing out in to the darkness.
"He was talking about a friend of his who was tortured by the Imperials just for the hell of it, didn't even want to know anything, and then later just turned him over to some gangster he owed money too. "
"He's alive?" Worf asked.
"Yes. And you can bet this guy wont rest" He said motioning to the big Wookie. " Until Han Solo is back here where he belongs."
"In our galaxy there is a race known as the Cardassians. They are cruel and without morality. They too have tortured and terrorized defenseless people. We are currently.........."
"Lieutenant Worf report to my ready room." Captain Picards voice interrupted.
"On my way, Captain. If you will excuse me." He said to the two sitting at the table. "I will have someone escort you to the transporter room when you are ready." Worf said and disappeared in to the corridors heading to the nearest turbo lift.
Geordi LaForge and Princess Leia sat across from Picard and turned the idea over in their minds. Geordi, after having realigned the dilitheum crystals had discovered a hairline crack. All other major repairs were almost completed. But if they could not use the warp drive, they were dead in the water.
"Captain, I've seen the sample. Its Dilitheum, Different in name only. They call it an Adegan crystal."
"Its the same crystal that's used to power a lightsaber." Leia added.
"Where can we find it?" Picard asked.
"Its on a planet in the Almakar system called Iium. The location of it was a closely guarded secret by the Jedi of the old Republic. I know only because I was told by Luke after he was informed of it's location by an old Jedi named Obi Wan Kenobi." Leia added.
"Captain we need it. Without it I've gone as far as I can go." Geordi said.
" Is it inhabited?" Picard asked.
"As far as I know, no. Its a frozen waste land. The Jedi padawan would go their as one of their final tests. Luke knows more than I. I believe it was found in a cave below the surface."
"Is it possible to send someone to retrieve a crystal from the surface?" Picard asked.
"Possible, but dangerous." Leia answered.
Picard leaned back in his chair and stared thoughtfully into his tea. He must send someone. Worf.
"Princess, is it possible, if I send one of my officers, you can send someone as a guide?"
"Yes, possibly, But I wont order anyone, its to dangerous, if they go they must volunteer."
"I understand Princess. I would expect nothing more." Picard replied.
Lieutenant Worf entered the Captain's ready room and took the seat Picard gestured to. Picard explained the current situation and told him of the mission discussed earlier.
"Success is imperative Lieutenant. We need it and we need it quickly." Picard explained.
"Captain, if Chewbacca is still aboard I believe I could ask him. He's one of the best pilots around and he knows this galaxy better than anyone." Leia said.
"Computer, where is the location of Chewbacca?" Picard asked.
"Chewbacca is in transporter room three."
"Transporter room three, this is Captain Picard, could you please escort Chewbacca to my ready room?"
"Yes Captain."
In moments the Wookie stood next to Leia silently as she explained the situation in detail. Chewbacca quickly agreed to the mission and offered to use the Millennium Falcon, It being less conspicuous than a federation shuttle.
"Good. It's settled than. Lieutenant, make your preparations, you will be leaving at 0900 that gives you almost three hours."
"Yes sir."
"And Chewbacca, I understand your course takes you near one of the main trade corridors? If you need anything please do not hesitate to ask." Than Picard smiled. "I say this because back home we have a race known as the Ferangi, everything is always for a price, it makes dealing with them a little easier if you can give them something to appease their greed."
Commander Riker leaned back in the Command chair and sighed. The calm before the storm he thought. Besides the repairs, things were slow, But still, everyone was on edge. The anticipation of the Borg and god knows what else had the crew ill at ease. And the thoughts of a home they may never see again, even if they lived added to the load. Riker looked at the report laying next to him, he had received it a few minutes before and set it aside, just another sensor log. He reached over and picked it up and began to scan over the information. Nothing unusual. Fast forwarding through the scans a dot appeared and vanished just as suddenly. Riker sat forward and replayed the time frame. A probe! Coming from the outer rim of the galaxy and heading directly towards their position at Markaz. Was it an Alliance probe? Why wasn't he informed of this earlier?
"Data, transmit this information down to the surface. You have the bridge." Riker said as he stepped into the turbo lift.
Picard sat in his quarters and studied the logs Riker had just handed him. Word had just been received from the moon below that it was an Imperial probe.
"Well it seems we have a visitor, number one." Picard said as he handed the report back to Riker.
"This information is over two hours old, what happened?" Picard asked.
"Ensign Galway was on duty, sir, she fell asleep, she had just pulled a double shift and was finishing her last hour covering the long range sensors."
"We cannot have this number one. That mistake may cost us. Do we know where the probe is now?"
"I have Data running a sensor sweep, the people below are also hunting for it."
"As soon as we find it, destroy it. We cant have it undermining our efforts here."
"Yes sir" Riker said.
Picard laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He was tired and he wanted to go back home. That, no doubt, was the foremost thought on the minds of everyone on this ship. Never had anything happened to him to compare to this. It was like a different reality. As if his own world were just a fantasy, a Childs dream. Though they did manage to bring a bit of home with them, didn't they? He did not smile at the joke. It was almost 0830 and Worf would be leaving soon. he wanted to be there to see him off. He knew Worf may not return. He hated losing a good officer. He hated losing a friend. Life held in his hands to throw away or preserve. How many had been sent to their deaths, sacrificed for the many? How many sons stared at the empty chair at the head of the table and wondered at the meaning of it all? He had seen the looks, he had received a few, from those questioning glances as if to ask why. Why my father? Why my Mother? There were things in this universe he felt he could never understand. He had made first contact with many species. Fought and befriended many more. He Had traveled all over the known galaxy and wondered at the awesome order of the universe. How the planets hang on nothing and year in and year out they make their way around their suns without fail. He had not been raised religious, but he could not believe that the universe came in to existence by chance. And now a whole new world has been introduced. How many more were there? How far did it go? Where did it begin? Where will it end? Does it end? Science has shown that their is no end to big or no end to small and that energy cant be destroyed. Maybe somewhere there is no beginning and the end will never come.
It was time to go. Captain Jean Luc Picard swung his feet to the floor and called for the time.
"0845." The computer replied.
"Its time." He whispered.