XXVII.
Jean-Luc stared out at Earth and Star Fleet headquarters with a pounding anxiety. The whole crew sat back and waited impatiently for the signal from the Federation to commence with the attack. Everyone sat at their battle stations as planned and could do nothing but wait and pray.
The away team stood waiting in the transporter room for the okay to be beamed aboard. Data, out of all of them, was the most determined. Commander Riker put a hand on Data's shoulder and Data looked back at him. "I know that you're the more driven of us, Data. But I just want you to know that no matter what happens on that ship, we will do whatever it takes to help you find her."
Data nodded and blinked. "Thank you, Commander. That means more to me than you know."
On the bridge, Picard watched the Borg Cube disappear into nothingness as it cloaked. "Sir," an ensign behind him said. "We are being hailed by the Borg."
"Open a channel." Jean-Luc ordered.
Once it was open, he stood and listened. At first, no one said anything. Then he heard the Queen's voice, sly and morbid over his com speakers.
"If I am correct, you are ready to proceed Captain." She said.
Picard nodded. "We are. We await your signal." He glanced down at headquarters, waiting for the flash of light that would alert him to fire at the cube.
He looked back at the ensign at the transmission station and nodded. The ensign nodded back and pressed a button which sent the coordinates of the Borg ship to Star Fleet and Picard spoke.
"How is my crewman?"
"Alive." The Queen replied. "And she will stay that way if you don't severe our alliance."
"Oh trust me; I don't intend to do that in the slightest."
Just as he finished his sentence, a bright flash emitted from the Federation station and plowed into the Borg ship. The only reason he knew it was a direct hit was because of the fiery explosion that appeared out of nowhere.
"ALL HANDS FIRE AT WILL!" Picard shouted. He watched as phasers came out at all angles from the Enterprise and strike the Borg Cube.
In that instant, a number of things happened: The rescue team beamed aboard the Cube, the Borg Queen ordered a group of drones to retrieve Heva from her station, and the Federation began to fire a mirage of weapons at the Borg vessel. It fired back with massive force.
"Captain! Our shields are down to 70%." Someone shouted.
"Reroute power from the auxiliary thrusters! Geordi!"
"Yes Captain!" Geordi replied from engineering.
"What is our weapon status? Will we have enough power to keep them going?"
"Yes captain! But our shields are going down and there is a hull breech on decks 32 and 27. I've erected a force field to protect anyone down there."
"Ensign!" he shouted at the helm. "Evasive maneuvers! Round yourself beside headquarters and face the Borg Cube."
"Aye sir!"
"Make it so! Engage!"
The Enterprise took a massive turn and the green glow of the Borg weapons attempted to trace its path, only to be eluded with swerves made by the ship. The nose dipped and evaded more phaser fire before facing the spot where many weapons had hit.
"FIRE!"
The Cube shook as Data and Sheridan rushed through the dark corridors toward the weapons chamber. Borg drones were running about them which made it even more difficult to go through unnoticed. The vests that had been equipped as their cloaking devices had been working fine so far, and Data hoped that it would remain that way.
They paused at a cross section and looked back and forth. "Where do we go?" Sheridan whispered.
Data held up his triquarter and scanned the intersection. He rested it facing the west and rushed forward, Sheridan struggling to keep up with him. "Slow down!" he hissed. "Remember I can't see you either! I have to follow your SOUND"
"I understand, Ensign. Just try to keep up."
Meanwhile, Worf and Will were charging their way toward the shield modulator with increasing difficulty. The ship rocked hard and they struggled to keep their balance.
"If I'm right." Will said quietly. "The shield modulator should be located at the core of the ship, which is a deck below us." He pointed his triquarter to the floor and it whirred loudly. "Aha!"
"How do we get down there in the next seven minutes?" Worf asked. Riker looked around them for any kind of lift or elevator or stairwell. Finally he spotted two Borg drones appear from below in a lift basket and they stepped out, hastily working to their queen's wishes. Riker felt around for Worf and grabbed his arm once he'd found it, dragging him toward the lift.
Once they were in, the lift began to slowly descend to the lower deck and they held their breath. Once the lift came to a halt, they looked out at the room before them.
The same mechanical make of the rest of the ship encompassed the walls. In the center of the room was a small chamber that held the shield emitter. It's ominous blue glow shone through the room at hundreds of drones running about as they worked. The ship shook again, knocking Worf forward. Will heard him let out a groan as he hit the floor and examined the surrounding drones for a reaction. None seemed to have heard Worf fall.
"Worf, are you alright?" he whispered, kneeling beside the spot he believed that he had fallen. "Yes," he heard Worf reply. "I am fine. We need to get to the shield modulator; we have only four minutes until we are de-cloaked."
He heard Worf stand and followed him. He paused in front of the small chamber and held his hand into it, there was no shield. They stepped in and looked around.
Worf approached a screen and began reconfiguring the security codes with information he had done research on during their planning. "I am tapping into their security system. They will be aware of our presence once I am through. That will only give us a minute and a half to shut the shields down and meet up with Data back at our transporter coordinates." He locked into the system and opened an unrestricted panel to their right.
Riker walked up to it and began entering codes that Worf named off to him. The light from the shield modulator slowly began to dim out until it finally turned to nothing but a tiny orb in the center.
A drone walking past the chamber halted and looked straight into Worf's eyes. He looked over and saw Riker beside the control panel. "They can see us now…" Worf said to him. Will nodded back.
Worf looked back at the drone for a moment before bringing an elbow sharply into its chin, knocking its head backward and into the wall behind it. Soon, many drones surrounded them and they broke one neck after the other. Fired one phaser blast after the next and onward. They struggled hard to get back to the lift back up to the deck above them. Riker punched one last drone in the face, breaking its eye piece, and hopped into the basket. "Worf!" he cried. "Grab my hand!
Worf was being pulled backward by five more drones, reaching his hand out and wiping the air to get to Riker's. He made one loud growl of determination and laid a hard punch into the gut of the nearest drone, killing it instantly. He leapt forward, grabbing Riker's hand, and was pulled into the lift; which descended the moment he stepped in.
They looked at each other, knowing they had to deal with this again once they reached the top of the lift shaft.
Once they reached the weapons chamber, Data and Ensign Sheridan spotted Heva standing before a large opening. In the opening was a gigantic orb of blue light; The Frugian technology. She looked horribly pale. Her skin showed signs of bruising and her eyes were sunken in. She turned to a control panel to put in some commands and Data saw what looked like a transmitter around her neck in the form of a collar. Her hair hung in her face, which held a look of deep anger.
They rushed forward and Data stood behind her. He slowly put a hand on her shoulder and she turned on a dime in surprise. "What the hell…?" she whispered.
"It's me." Data hissed back.
Heva's eyes grew wide with fear. "Data! Get the hell out of here! I don't want them to catch you!"
"We're here to get you out." Data explained. "Turn around, let me get this collar off of you."
Heva turned around and felt Data's fingers fumbling with the locking mechanism on the back of the transmitter collar. She let her head fall forward and felt sweet relief as the collar fell from her neck to the floor.
"Now," Data whispered. "Come on, we haven't much time. If I'm correct, Riker and Worf should have the shields down by now. We must meet them at the transporter coordinates."