Chapter 11

A hunter's moon over the Drazi

A small flash of light heralded the emergence from slipstream of the USS Astex; no sooner was she within normal space that she shimmered and vanished as her cloak was activated.

As the Astex vanished a lone ship was left behind, the delta flyer started to make its way to her rendezvous. Onboard the flyer two Commanders Seven of nine and Susan Ivanova were studding the location of White Star 47, while Susan was making preparations to contact the Rangers who patrolled this region of space.

"Configuring coordinates to our destination, engaging full impulse dives, we should achieve our destination within the hour." Seven said in a calm voice.

"This ship it looks a bit, erm, odd." Susan said as she looked at the old fashioned dials at the helm. "Everything else onboard is what I have come to expect from your culture, however this?" as she gestured towards the cockpit controls, "is old fashioned even for earth force"

Seven let a smile pay across her face, as a memory slip back into her mind, it was after Voyager had returned home, and she had been brought before start fleet for de-briefing. After the long debriefing she was offered and accepted a commission within Starfleet. Sometime later Commander Seven of nine had been assigned to Deep space 9 for a briefing with Admiral Ross, while there she received two guests, Admiral Jayneway and Tom Paris who had arrived onboard the Delta flyer.

Admiral Jayneway had heard that she'd accepted the commissions, it was decided by Admiral Jayneway that she'd approve the loan of the delta flyer to Seven while she was assigned to the Illustrious project. And from that time the flyer had stayed with Seven, even after she accepted the assignment of Executive officer to the Illustrious, so the Delta Flyer had also become assigned to the Illustrious.

As the Thunderchild prepared to leave DS9 with its two passengers on board, Tom Paris walked over to Seven and smiled "Red suites you, you know"

Raising an eyebrow Seven simple stated "Indeed" she look upon him quizzically for a moment then spoke again, "I'll take care of the flyer for you Tom."

She then smiled at Admiral Jayneway who had joined them, "It's always good to catch up with you again Seven, and now its time for us to return to the Thunderchild Take care of yourself Seven" as she spoke, she rested a hand upon Seven's shoulder.

"I will Admiral, it's been good to see both of you again, I hope to see you both again sooner rather then later" she said as a smile played across her face.

"Jayneway to Thunderchild two to beam", with that both figures vanished leaving seven standing on her own.

"That would be because of Mr Paris wish to have something more tactile, or as he would say hands on, rather then console driven, it's a long story", she said as she looked towards Susan Ivanova.

"Well we seem to have some time on our hands, why not indulge me with the story?"

And so Seven started to Tell Susan about Tom Paris love with all things 20th century, and told her how they had come to build the first flyer that had been destroyed by the borg.

"The Borg, okay now I'm confused, what are the borg?", asked Susan looking towards Seven, however something within her told her she may well not like the answer that was given, but still she wanted to know .

"The Borg are a cybernetic life-form thousands of years old which is part organic, part artificial life. They have advanced well beyond Federation science, unknown prior to a confrontation with the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D arranged by the entity known as Q stardate 42761 some 7,000 light-years past explored Federation space in the Delta Quadrant. The Borg has a singular goal, namely the consumption of technology, rather than wealth or political expansion as most species seek. According to their spokesman Locutus of Borg, who was the former Captain of Star ship Enterprise D Jean-Luc Picard, the Borg only want to "raise the quality of life" of the species they assimilate. As I myself was at one time assimilated, however thanks to captain Jayneway and the crew of Voyager I was freed and became more then a mere drone."

This unsettled Commander Ivanova, as she continued to listen to Seven of nine, she learnt more about the borg and the threat that they posed to the Alpha quadrant and the federation.

'My god' she thought to her self, 'if the borg ever came here we would have a serious problem. And we thought the shadows were a threat.'

Susan shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and then looked at the console that she had learnt to use, according to her reading they were close to the rendezvous point.

"Seven it looks like we have three Sunhawks approaching our location."

The delta flyer continued towards the three ships, as it got within there sensor range Seven of nine sent out a hail.

"Attention approaching vessels, this is Commander Seven of Nine of the Delta Flyer, we mean you no harm."

A reptilian face appeared on the monitor, it looked carefully at Seven, "You have Commander Ivanova on board yes? We are to escort the Commander to her destination, please follow."

"Understood" seven replied as the channel was closed, turning to look towards Susan Seven could see the unease that filter across her face, as she seemed to be rubbing her leg for some reason.

"Have you a problem with your leg Commander; I could get a medical kit if you have an injury?"

"No, its not that, some time ago, just after I was prompted to Commander I had a problem to solve with the Drazi onboard the station, it got a little out of hand, and I ended up with a broken leg." Susan said continuing to rub her leg gently.

"They attacked you?" Seven said dryly.

"No, well yes, but it wasn't deliberate, it was a misunderstanding, mainly on my part"

A small chime caught sevens attention as she looked down at her console she could see another vessel in orbit of a local planet.

"I think we've found your whitestar, and you're Rangers."

As the Delat flyer came closer to the planet, the whitestar broke orbit and approached there potion.

"Commander," Seven said "Your being hailed, pipe it through to me here Seven"

"Understood Commander"

A few seconds later the image of a human male ranger appeared on screen, "greetings commander Ivanova"

"Hello Richardson, I've been sent by Delen to investigate the activities you've mentioned in your report. If you could send any other finding or reason to me here onboard the flyer I could evaluate the situation and be upto speed before we meet in person."

"Agreed commander I'll be sending the information to you via an encoded channel commander, as we….."

At that moment all hell broke lose as a shadow scout ship appeared on the edge of the flyers sensor range.

"Commander Ivanova I have an unknown craft on the end of the flyers sensor range, it appears too comprised of a Bio-Organic armoured hull, and what appears to be a type of shielding, I'm sending the location of this vessel to the whitestar, together with my scan results."

"Oh Shit it's the shadows," Looking at the data that was displayed before her, she could see that this was a shadow scout; "Richardson, what's on this planet?"

"It's a refugee camp, all the Drazi and a few other races that have escaped from that attacks of late have been shepherded here, and we have given our word to protect them."

"Seven could this ship stop that shadow scout out there?"
"Well the only reason I detected the vessel is because of the advance scanning technology we posses."

"By the looks of thing it would seem that they have not detected your scans" Susan said thoughtfully.

"Do the shadows use Jump technology?"

"Yes, very advanced however from what we have been able to figure out, as we jump into hyperspace with our jump engines, the shadows tend to phase into hyperspace."

Looking towards Seven of nine, Susan could see she was mulling something over within her mind

"If I may ask, and I don't think I'll like the answer, but what are you planning?"

"An intelligents gathering mission"

"I knew I wouldn't like the answer!" Susan said softly

"Have you received the file from the white star?"

"Confirmed, its all here Seven."

"Good, Commander Ivanova, as you are aware you're sitting at the flyers tactical station, I have a feeling we'll be needing the tactical systems of the flyer."

Seven thought back to the two hours within the Astex shuttle bay spent going thought the tactical stations and the ship board operations of the flyer, Susan was a fast learner, which came in handy, and now it was time to put all that she learnt to the test.

As Seven was talking she sent a signal to the Astex, it was at this point that the white star jumped out of system, and the shadow scout started to move towards the planet below them. Seven started to take the flyer into a lower orbit ready for the altercation she knew would come. "Commander", Seven spoke without a hint of emotion, "Tactical report on the scout."

"The shadow vessel seems to be moving towards the planet."

"Very well, commander, engines to quarter impulsem shields to full stand by on phasers and torpedoes, we're going to meet this shadow scout"