The Enterprise finally emerged from the devastation. Of the 40 ships that had made up the armada, only the USS Ahwahnee had survived. The Klingons hadn't faired much better, with all of their warships either destroyed or disabled. The mood on the Enterprise's bridge was sombre and defeated, but Riker had been making a plan.

"Sir, sensors are picking up unusually strong eddy currents." Worf reported, "Bearing 2-0-0, mark 2-1-1."

"Data, your analysis?" Riker asked

Data checked his console. "It could indicate the course of the Borg ship." he said

"Ensign Crusher, set a course that follows those currents." Riker ordered

"Aye, Captain." Wesley acknowledged

"Commander Shelby, prepare to initiate your plan of separating the saucer section when we find the Borg." Riker continued

"Sir, I must remind you that Captain Picard was briefed on that plan." Shelby pointed out, "The Borg will be prepared for it."

"I'm aware of that, Commander." Riker replied, "In fact, I'm counting on it."

Shelby realised that Riker had a plan. "Crusher, Cartaino, Gleason, report to the battle bridge." she ordered and Wesley, Cartaino and Lt. Gleason all made their way to the battle bridge turbolift.

Riker turned to Data and Worf. "Mr Data and Mr Worf, I have a special mission for you..."

~8~

The Borg ship dropped out of warp and came to a full stop. Locutus entered the central chamber of the ship where communications took place. A wide viewscreen showed a small image of a ship. The image was magnified to reveal that the approaching ship was the Enterprise. "Locutus of Borg, this is Captain William T. Riker of the USS Enterprise." Riker's voice said.

"You may speak." Locutus said.

~8~

The Borg implant-covered face of Locutus loomed ominously on the battle bridge viewscreen. Riker was sat in the captain chairs while Wesley sat at Conn, Gleason at Ops, Cartaino at Communications and Ensign Bailey at Tactical. "We wish to end the hostilities." Riker said in his best poker face tone.

"Then you must unconditionally surrender." Locutus replied

"We are prepared to meet to discuss your terms." Riker continued

"It is unlikely that you are prepared to discuss terms." Locutus stated, "It is more likely that this is an attempt at deception."

"Come now, Locutus." Riker said casually, "If Picard's knowledge and experience is part of you, then you should know I have never lied to you. In fact, you should implicitly trust me, is that not so?"

Locutus seemed to have difficulty processing Riker's routine. "Picard implicitly trusted you." he stated, a faint quiver of Humanity in his voice.

"Then trust me now." Riker said, "Meet with me to discuss terms."

The Borg influence took over Locutus again. "Discussion is irrelevant. There are no terms." he stated, "You disarm all your weapons and escort us to sector 001 where we will begin the assimilation of your culture and technology..."

Riker turned away from the screen and signalled to Cartaino to cut off transmission. "Channel closed." Cartaino acknowledged

"Mr Gleason, can you pinpoint the Borg's source of transmission?" Riker asked

"I can put you within 30 metres of it, sir." Gleason replied

"Mr O'Brien, report." Riker called into the intercom.

~8~

O'Brien, Data and Worf were in transporter room three. "The Borg have adapted their electromagnetic field to prevent transporter functions, sir." O'Brien reported

"As expected." Riker acknowledged, "Mr Data and Mr Worf, you will proceed as we discussed."

"Aye, Captain." Data replied then he and Worf strapped transporter armbands onto their arms and headed off towards the main shuttlebay.

~8~

"Channel open." Cartaino announced as he reopened communications with the Borg ship.

"We would like time to prepare our people for assimilation." Riker said to the Borg

"Preparation is irrelevant." Locutus dismissed, "Your people will be assimilated as easily as Picard has been."

"Does it involve a lot of needles?" Riker asked flippantly, "Because I just hate needles."

Locutus wasn't amused. "Your attempt at a delay will not be successful, Number One. We will proceed to Earth and if you attempt to intervene we will destroy you."

"Then take your best shot, Locutus, cause we are about to intervene." Riker retorted and signalled to Cartaino to cut communications. "Reset communications to scrambler code Riker One." Riker ordered Gleason

"Scrambler code Riker One, acknowledged." Gleason nodded, inputting the relevant commands into his console.

"Commander Shelby, report." Riker said into the intercom.

~8~

Shelby sat in the captain's chair on the main bridge while Ensign Jones manned Conn, Taylor at Ops, Mandalone at Tactical and Ensign Gomez at Engineering. "Ready for separation." Shelby reported

"Make it so." Riker ordered

"Auto-sep sequence initiated." Shelby acknowledged, inputting the relevant commands into her chair's controls.

~8~

18 docking latches disengaged and the Enterprise's saucer section separated from the stardrive section.

~8~

"Separation complete, sir." Gleason reported

"Saucer velocity 100 metres per second and increasing." Wesley chimed in

"Open fire, all weapons." Riker ordered Bailey.

~8~

"Fire." Shelby ordered Mandalone.

~8~

Locutus watched as the two separated sections of the Enterprise attacked on the viewscreen, the saucer firing phasers while the more heavily-armed stardrive let rip with phasers and photon torpedoes. This was nothing unexpected for Locutus. The viewer focussed in on the stardrive. Locutus knew that although the Starfleet weapons wouldn't even dent the Borg's subspace field, the stardrive would be best dealt with first.

~8~

A tractor beam reached out of the Borg ship and slammed against the stardrive's shields.

~8~

"Borg tractor beam attempting to lock onto us, Captain." Bailey reported

"Evasive manoeuvres." Riker ordered Wesley, "Pattern Riker-Alpha."

"Riker-Alpha, confirmed." Wesley acknowledged, inputting that command.

~8~

The stardrive swung hard to port, shaking off the Borg tractor beam.

~8~

"They're ignoring the saucer section completely, sir." Bailey observed

"Just as you should, Captain..." Riker murmured, completely expecting this. So far, everything was going to plan. "Ensign, evasive manoeuvres." he ordered Wesley, "Pattern Riker-Beta."

"Riker-Beta, confirmed." Wesley acknowledged, piloting the stardrive into a sharp starboard turn.

"Proceed to second phase, Commander Shelby." Riker said into the comm

"Acknowledged." Shelby replied.

~8~

"Fire antimatter spread." Shelby ordered Gomez.

~8~

The saucer fired a spread of antimatter pellets which exploded in a spectacular display similar to fireworks.

~8~

Locutus watched as the antimatter display completely screened the saucer from view. This was completely unexpected.

~8~

Data and Worf were sitting at the controls of shuttlecraft Kirk. "Shuttle launch sequence confirmed." Data announced, "Departing Enterprise in exactly three seconds."

~8~

The Kirk departed the saucer's shuttlebay and flew towards the Borg ship, screened from view by the antimatter spread.

~8~

Locutus studied what was happening, Picard's mind, working unwillingly, suggested responses.

~8~

The Borg ship stopped aiming it's tractor beams at the stardrive and instead aimed them in the other direction, towards the antimatter spread.

~8~

"Sir, the Borg tractor beam's moving towards the antimatter spread." Bailey warned

"They might be picking up the engine ionisation from the shuttle." Gleason suggested

"Data, cut your engines." Riker said into the comm, "Take her in unpowered."

~8~

The Kirk's engines powered down and it's inertia carried it onwards towards the Borg ship, the tractor beam just missing it.

~8~

"Shuttle has penetrated the Borg electromagnetic field." Worf announced, then he and Date got their feet and moved to the shuttle's aft compartment.

"The shuttle escape transporter should provide adequate power to beam us onto the Borg ship from here, sir." Data said into the comm.

"Proceed." Riker acknowledged

Data typed some commands into the overhead transporter and he and Worf were beamed onto the Borg ship, appearing just down the corridor from Locutus and two other drones. Data and Worf immediately took out their hand phasers and Data swiftly dealt with the first drone while Worf tackled the second one. With the coast clear, Worf rushed Locutus, grabbling with him while Data fired at advancing Borg, the newly-installed chip in his phaser doing it's job and preventing the Borg from adapting to each new frequency.

"Data." Worf called as he struggled with Locutus. Data came up and sedated Locutus with a hypospray then he and Worf hit their armbands and they and their prisoner were beamed back to the Kirk. "Mission accomplished." Worf said into the comm, "We have him."

"Firing shuttle thrusters." Data announced as he sat down in the shuttle's pilot seat.

~8~

The Kirk flew away from the Borg ship as fast as it could.

~8~

"Shuttle has cleared the Borg electromagnetic field." Gleason reported

"Beam them out of there, Mr O'Brien." Riker ordered into the comm.

"Locked in." O'Brien acknowledged.

~8~

The Borg ship fired a cutting beam at the Kirk, completely obliterating the small shuttle.

~8~

Data and Worf materialised on the transporter pads in transporter room three, both supporting the unconscious Locutus. "Transport successful, sir." O'Brien reported.

~8~

On the battle bridge, Riker grinned smugly. Now that they had Locutus, they could hopefully turn the tables on the Borg.

Author's notes: And the fightback against the Borg begins. Personnel observation, I like how the battle bridge looks in this episode. In season 1, it looks a little too bare-bones to me, but it looked more like a bridge meant for battle in this episode. The identity of the ship that survived Wolf 359 is something that's up for conjecture, with some sources suggesting that it was the Endeavour, while others suggest that it was the Ahwahnee. I've gone for the latter, as that ship was listed on a tactical display in a later TNG episode which is strong evidence to support it's survival. In fact, the model of the Ahwahnee was left undamaged and was put at the very back of shot to disguise this fact. So, now we have Riker and Co. starting to turn the tables on the Borg. Next time, the fightback continues.