Chapter 19: Storm Front: Part Two

Borg System A94278:

A line of charging Kreedak destroyers were vaporized under the combined fire of three hundred Jem'Hadar fighters as they swarmed the enemy. The Kreedak base in this system had been listed in the data banks of the captured Battle Hive as the primary Kreedak fleet base and construction yard outside the galactic core. Queen Alissa, along with the Dominion, Endgre and Mintal, had assembled a fleet of more than 100,000 ships, most of them Borg, with about 30,000 Dominion and other allied vessels. The Kreedak defenders only had 15,000 ships but heavy support fire from battle stations and weapon platforms, and already space was littered with debris from both sides.

On the command bridge of her flagship diamond, the newly christened Crimson Tempest, Queen Alissa stood with Commander Alana, Sinal and a female Founder. The bridge was the size of a school gymnasium and built around a circular command dais, with secondary consoles ringing the edges, all manned by independent drones fresh from the cloning factories. With the recent influx of new technology, both acquired and invented, the Borg were stronger than they had ever been. With new enhanced poleron weapons, bio nano hull armor, subspace weaponry and tactical leadership, the Kreedak were in serious trouble. Demon's Tooth vessels took out defensive battle stations one by one from nearly 30 million kilometers away, leaving the way open for newly constructed Battle Cubes and Dominion Super Dreadnaughts to tear through lighter Kreedak vessels.

Battle Cubes were a new design. Nearly twice the size of a normal Cube, they mounted many more weapons and heavier armor. They were also the first Borg vessels to mount Subspace Cannons based on captured Kreedak plans. Combined, the new and improved Borg fleet tore through the Kreedak defenders.

"I believe we are nearly finished here," the Founder said. As much as she disliked an alliance with these Borg, she at least knew enough to respect their power. The Dominion had also expanded its territory by nearly a third with help from Borg technology. Adaptive shielding and light bio nano hull armor enabled their smaller vessels to go head on with the ships of the line of other races.

"Perhaps, but this system still needs to be assimilated," Queen Alissa replied from her blue upholstered throne. Her hands danced over panels built into the armrests. The entire throne was surrounded by a rippling screen transparent from the outside, but providing Alissa with a perfect 360 image of surrounding space, complete with tactical information. "My fleet will be within striking range of the Kreedak planet in ten minutes. Patience Founder, patience."

…

Kreedak Commander Fiilnees slammed his hand down onto the arm of his command chair, cracking it. He had been entrusted by the Elders to safeguard the Kreedak's primary shipbuilding and supply system outside their official borders. Now a fleet nearly eight times the size of his own was attacking. The cursed Borg ship killers were steadily reducing his formidable battle stations to slag, and weapon platforms were far too few to be of any use. The purple ships died in droves, but the massive Borg Cubes stood up to everything the Kreedak threw at them while loosing only a few dozen of their number. Their hull armor had been heavily reinforced, and it took concentrated fire from a hundred vessels to burn through it.

"Commander, the Borg fleet has breached the final defense barrier. Your command?"

"Have we received any word of reinforcements?"

"No my Lord. We should-" the aid was cut off as the first salvo from the advancing enemy slammed into the Battle Hive Scarab. Its own shields held, but many of the escort fleet were taken out by the salvoes of torpedoes and beam weapons. Several shipyards exploded, half finished warships tumbling away in pieces.

"Signal the remaining ships. We must withdraw!"

"As you command." As the remains of the Kreedak defense fleet began pulling back, a force of five hundred Cubes decloaked directly aft of them and opened fire. Most of the smaller ships vanished. Larger wrecks were drawn into the docking bays of Cubes and taken apart. Thousands of Kreedak were assimilated, their knowledge added to the Borg.

"Target the main cannon on that large Cube and set for narrow beam!" Commander Fillnees watched proudly as the Subspace Cannon lanced into the Borg Battle Cube, cutting through its armor and detonating the entire vessel in a massive explosion. But an instant later the Battle Hive was hit with dozens of blasts from the Borg's newest weapon, the Breen Energy Dampener. Consoles fizzled out and crew member were sent flying as inertial dampeners failed. Then Borg drones beamed aboard, firing small pellets into the bridge crew, who were quickly assimilated.

On the surface of the planet, defenses were shut down by energy dampeners, and fighters sprayed nano probes in aerosol form. Three hundred million Kreedak were assimilated within hours, and the planet's mining and manufacturing facilities were upgraded and put to work.

In orbit Kreedak shipyards were drawn into the gaping maws of Borg Assemblers: Massive ships nearly 20 kilometers long and sprouting docking arms at even intervals, they served as mobile manufacturing facilities and construction yards. A more refined form was being created for the growing Independent Drone Fleet. Damaged Borg vessels attached to the ship's superstructure arms and worker drones began replacing damaged components. Already defense platforms and defensive battle stations were being manufactured. Once this system was secured it would act as the Borg's launching point into Kreedak space. Already data from the assimilated Commander and his vessel was being analyzed. In less that a week the Borg's main offensive would begin.

…

Sinal approached Alissa, her tail twitching.

"Alissa, I think I'll go and see my father. It's his birthday tomorrow and I'd like to be there."

"All right," Alissa smiled. "I'll come with you." Both of them beamed onto a Sphere, since it had the fastest Transwarp drive. They would arrive at Sinal's homeworld in two days. However, unknown to Alissa, Sinal was about to reveal a birthday surprise that would change her forever.

How was that? Sorry if there was too little action. This chapter was mainly to demonstrate the power of the new Borg fleet. In the next chapter we will find out what Sinal is up to, as well as the introduction of Independent Drone Fleet. Well, see ya all then, and don't forget to review! The Emperor protects.

ENTILZA

P.S. If any of you would like a Commander of your own to appear in the story E-mail me. Be sure to include race (real or invented) appearance, talents and flagship. Thanks again. See ya next chapter.