Chapter 1

"Orders Captain?" Ensign Berlez on the helm asked.

"Get us out of here." Riker was keeping a very even tone to reassure his crew. "Full Impulse."

The Titan spun remarkably fast for such a big ship and began the long run out of the Asteroid field. Inevitably the cube followed. A pair of green torpedoes lanced by, detonating on a nearby rock and shaking Rikers command.

"Helm, use the asteroids for cover, keep us away from their fire!"

The gleaming vessel began a wild chase, turning hard to put objects between itself and the following enemy. Explosions began to fill the area as the borg ship tried to target the Titan, it blasted asteroids into chunks of debris which showered the fleeing Galaxy class vessel, fortunately the shields coped well with the barrage. The Borg vessel ploughed on, ramming past smaller asteroids and destroying the larger ones. It advanced implacably on the most efficient route slowly gaining on the Titan.

"Ready aft torpedoes." Riker watched the gap closing, he hoped this would slow them down. "Fire."

Six quantum torpedoes emerged from the ship, they were targeted on asteroids close to the Borg ships intended path. They exploded behind the asteroids, forcing the huge rocks into the face of the cube. The Borg weapons and tractor beams went to work, countering and dissecting the new obstacles with mechanical precision. But one of the immense rocks hit, knocking it off course and crumpling one of the corners.

A quick cheer came from the weapon station as Commander Meyer celebrated a good hit. But it wasn't over yet.

"We've bought some time, make use of it." Riker pointed to the helm. "Give it all we've got."

Berlez had started her Starfleet career flying fighters, Riker was hoping she still had some of those tricks up her sleeve. The Titan no longer tried to hide, it pushed its impulse engines to the limits safety would allow. Riker wasn't bothered about relativity right now, but he was worried about the millions of rocks surrounding him. Berlez was exceptional, and with the computer plotting the safest course they were doing well, even if it was sometimes edge of the seat flying. A massive rock came within feet of the port nacelle, sending red lights throughout the bridge blinking. Riker was stood in the centre, unable to stay sat down. He leaned his body as the ships inertial dampeners struggled to cope with a massively high G turn. The viewscreen was filled with turning asteroids seemingly straight ahead, he was amazed at the control the young ensign had and the responsiveness of his new ship, much as he liked the old Enterprise-D he couldn't imagine it putting up with these hard manoeuvres.

"we're nearing the edge." Science officer Mallard said.

"Get ready to go to maximum warp, and as soon as we're clear get a signal to fleet command."

"Aye sir."

Suddenly the Titan was blasted sideways, Riker lost his footing and fell into his own chair, bursting open his brow.

"Shields down 40!" Meyer yelled above the screech of metal.

"Borg vessel dead ahead!" Mallard screamed out, not hiding his fear.

"How the hell…" Riker began

"Captain, its hull pattern doesn't match the first cube."

"Your saying it's a second cube!" Riker exclaimed, completely aghast.

"I think so, two cubes."

This was a nightmare, to find one cube in the alpha quadrant was a sign of a coming disaster, but two was unprecedented. Looked like the Borg were learning.

"Evasive action!" Riker said needlessly, Berlez already had the Titan in a steep dive. More torpedoes passed by, one hit.

"Shields at 10!"

"Are we nearly clear yet." Riker asked.

"Negative." Berlez replied, a precise military mind now firmly in gear to cope with the pressure.

The Titan decelerated sharply, almost throwing Riker across the bridge again.

"Borg tractor beam." Mallard pre-empted Rikers question.

"Modulating the shields." Meyer was already on it, his training showing through.

"Get some torpedoes armed ready." Riker prepared for fight if flight was no longer an option.

Another torpedo hit, the shields failed and the tractor beam grasped the hull itself.

"Fire phasers, full spread."

Golden energy sliced the borg ships face, causing little damage. The tractor beam began pulling them slowly up toward the jumbled mess of the cube.

"Ready torpedoes." Riker swallowed his fear, a torpedo spread at this range was as likely to destroy his ship as damage the borg. "And ready auto destruct." He wasn't going to be taken alive and assimilated, not after what Picard had told him. He was certain his crew felt the same.

The tractor beam released the Titan. Riker was left dumb for a moment, not understanding. His viewscreen showed a shower of sparks coming from the tractor assembly. The answer suddenly appeared, the Klingon Vor'cha and four Cardassian Galors swept over the cube blasting away as they past by.

"This is Gul Macet of the new Cardassian union, I believe we can be of assistance?"

Riker smiled widely, fate was being kind to him.

"Thank you Gul, there is a second cube on its way, we have to get out of here now!"

"Two cubes?" the Cardassian had never met the borg before, but their reputation preceded them. "We're right behind you."

The small fleet made one more pass, borg weapons reaching out and sweeping the fleet, draining shields. The Titan put more power into her engines and darted the last few miles out of the asteroid field.

"Helm, hard about. Ready those torpedoes." Riker pointed the Titan back at the field ahead of the borg.

"Riker to fleet, keep your heads down"

The Cardassians and Klingon vessel took sudden evasive action clearing the line of fire. Ten quantum torpedoes left the Titan and streaked past the fleet detonating at the edge of the asteroid field. A rain of debris blasted into the path of the Borg cube like a shotgun blast, halting its advance. A few hundred miles away the second cube exited the field and began to close in.

"Now I think its really time we left." Riker urged, "Helm?"

The Titan spun around and disappeared into warp, The Klingon and Cardassians close behind. The borg stood motionless in space for a moment and then returned to the asteroid field. They had been directed to assimilate all technology in this star system, as the ships were no longer in the system they were no longer part of that protocol. The fleet was safe, at least for now.

"What surprises me more is that it took so long." Captain Picard stated bluntly.

"How do you mean?" Admiral Ross pressed.

They were sat in the conference room at Starfleet command on Earth. An emergency meeting of senior officers had been convened and as resident expert on the borg Captain Picards opinions were well noted.

"We all know the Borg are masters of adaption, they learn from their mistakes." Picard continued. "They tried to assimilate us with one cube and failed, twice. It is only logical for them to send two cubes next, then three, and four until they send an overwhelming force."

"But why just two ships then." The gravely voice of Admiral Janeway rose in question. "The Borg have massive resources, we have seen them first hand. If they wanted to assimilate us they could send a thousand ships and do it in a week."

"Even less time than that." Picard added. "They must have their own problems, maybe this fluidic alien race you mentioned."

"Perhaps." Janeway agreed. "in any case two cubes are more than enough to worry about for now, lets just be thankful they have a slow learning curve."

"Alright then." Ross stood announcing his decision. "Mobilise the fleet, I will talk to the President and ask for full authority to attack the Borg. They haven't threatened the Federation but if they get a foot hold on Cardassia it will be bad news for us all."