"Captain's Log: Stardate 46268.96. The Enterprise has captured a fugitive from the allasomorph's homeworld, discovered living on a planet in a previously unknown sector of the Zacherle cluster. This has placed us in first contact with a race of sentient equines, who refer to themselves as 'ponies,' and exist with a form of telekinesis they refer to as 'magic.' Our primary source of contact, one Orion Brownmane, has been very forthcoming about explaining his world to us, and wishes to speak to the allasomorph, named Astra, who seems to have take the form of Mister Brownmane's wife to elude capture. We are on the way to the brig to allow Mister Brownmane to determine the whereabouts, and safety, of his wife."

Picard, Data, and Orion enter the holding area known as the brig. A glowing force field covers the entrance to one of the cells, behind which sits Astra, the allasomorph, who still remains in the form of Raven. She looks to Orion with a sad expression.

"We are allowing you to speak to her, but we caution you to not attempt any harm upon her, no matter what she says or does," Picard says in a soft, but warning, voice.

"You needn't worry Captain, I'm hardly the violent sort." He turns to face Astra, giving her a soft, warm smile. "Hello there," he begins. "What's your name? Your real one, that is?"

"I am... Astra," comes the reply. "I assure you, I meant no harm, your wife is safe, please don't let them harm me!" She is practically begging now, tears falling from her eyes. "I was desperate! I have been falsely accused on my homeworld, and needed the time to gather the evidence that would exonerate me! When the Federation got involved, I found your world ... and decided to hide here temporarily."

Orion raises a hoof and pats her soothingly, or would if he could go inside, "Please, calm yourself... I won't let them hurt you. You'll be safe with me." At her explanation, he tilts his head to one side. "What was the crime you were accused of? And why Raven, of all ponies?"

Astra sighs. "I am accused of one of the highest crimes my people can commit - the taking of another's life. The killer left some of my biologial material at the scene, in an attempt top implicate me." She hangs her head. "Since the one killed and I weren't on the best of terms, I naturally became the prime suspect. I picked your wife because she was the first one I encountered upon arriving here. She is on a transport ship that was supposed to return to this sector several of your days ago. That's why I was sneaking out at night ... we were to rendevous at the clearing by the apple orchards. I would receive the evidence I needed to clear my name, and your wife would return to you a little dazed, but none the worse for wear."

"I see..." He hums thoughtfully, looking quiet for a moment or two, before speaking again, "Thank you for your cooperation, Astra... if there's anything I can do to help you, let me know." He gives her another smile. "Consider yourself my friend. And... out of curiosity, what does your true form look like?" While waiting for her answer he glances back to Data and Picard, "I don't suppose either of you would be able to track the location of that transport ship?"

Picard turns to Data. "Is there any credence to her story, Mister Data?" he asks sotto-voce.

"Her testimony has not changed from our initial interview, Captain. The transport is the Faustian Ideal, which passes through the charted regions of the Zacherle cluster fairly regularly to exchange cargo and supplies. Its flight path would have taken it through a region of space where several ships have disappeared with no warning or distress call over the past several months," Data replied just as quietly.

Astra rises. "I will grant your request, Orion, to show my sincerity and my trust in you." She transforms before all those assembled into a being of pure energy and light.

Orion Shadow oohs at the sight of her, "My goodness, you're almost completely incorporeal, and thoroughly genderless... and bipedal, or a rough approximation of same... I have so many questions!" He flicks his tail excitedly. "How do you eat? What allows you to transform? Is one form easier to take than another?"

Picard approaches a thoroughly excited Orion and places a hand where his shoulder would be. "I do understand all of this is fascinating, and we will provide you with all of the information about the allasomorphs that we have. However, I believe our first priority is seeing to retrieving your wife."

Data speaks up. "I concur. Given the information that we have, it is imperative that we be on our way immediately."

Orion Shadow blushes bright red and nods, remembering himself. "Right, of course... let us be off. Astra, I hope to see you again soon!" He pivots on his hooves and begins trotting back toward the main bridge.

Picard and Data follow Orion out of the brig. "Quite the adventurous little pony, wouldn't you say, Mister Data?" Picard says as the door closes.

Back on the bridge, the ship is en route to the last known location of the Faustian Ideal. "Report, Mister Data," Picard says.

"Sensors show no abnormalities in this area, sir. Continuing scans."

"Well well, it seems like someone misplaced something yet again," rings out a familiar voice from behind Picard. Striding to the center of the bridge, Q smiles impishly, looking at Picard. "Or is this how the Federation directs its officers to relax, by playing little games of -" He stops as he sees Orion. "Why, Sir Brownmane, whatever brings you here?"

Orion gapes at the sight of Q, thrown for a loop. "Discord?!" he exclaims. "What are -you-... wait... are you actually Discord? You sound like him, and you know my name... as for why I'm here, well, it turns out my wife was replaced by a wrongly-convicted shapeshifter, so we're looking for the ship she, the real Raven that is, was placed upon."

Picard is stunned. "Mister Brownmane, are you acquainted with Q?" he asks, incredulously.

"Orion and I are old buddies, Jean-Luc... although he knows me in a different form," Q says, snapping his fingers and morphing into a different form. "He knows me as Discord, and in this form," said the draconequus standing before the bridge crew. "Now, what's this about dear Raven?" he asks.

"That's better..." He breathes a sigh of relief. "Raven was taken and replaced by an Allasomorph fleeing wrongful persecution. Astra says she's on a transport ship, which we're now looking for."

Q/Discord hums thoughtfully. "I see. Well, as it turns out, I was about to deliver information about that very ship." Leaning in to Orion, and not really lowering his voice at all, he says, "Because I truly want to help you, not like I owe them any favors, I'll take you right to them." Another snap of his fingers and the Enterprise is in time to see the Faustian Ideal, sitting motionless in front of a gigantic cube. "Happy hunting," Q/Discord says as he snaps his fingers and blinks out of view.

Orion feels the fur on the back of his neck stand on end... "I don't like that cube, Captain... I don't know what it is or what it's for, but it doesn't look very nice. Mind filling me in?"

Picard's answer is interrupted by Data. "Sir, we are picking up audio communication between the vessels!"

"On speaker, Mister Data."

Thousands of voices, speaking in unison, fill the air of the bridge. "WE ARE THE BORG. YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED. YOUR BIOLOGICAL AND TECHNICAL DISTINCTION WILL BE ADDED TO OUR OWN. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE." Then, there is silence.

After a moment, Data says, "Captain ... we are reading no life signs aboard the transport."

Picartd sighs heavily. "Mister Brownmane ... I fear we may be too late to save your wife. She has been taken by the Borg, and by now has been assimilated, meaning technological implants have been introduced into her body. These implants remove the very essence of who the individual once was, leaving them as slaves to the 'Collective,' as it is known."

Orion Shadow affixes Picard with a determined stare. "And I suppose that's that, is it? You're just going to leave her there? She's a pony, like me! If they know about Equestria, then my entire planet hangs in the balance! I intend to rescue her, assimilations and implants be damned."

Picard sighs and looks to a couple of security men, "Please escort Mister Brownmane to my ready room... I'll join him in a moment." Then, to Commander Data, he says, "The Borg don't seem to have noticed us yet, Explanations?"

"Thay can't see you because I will not allow it. I'm only doing this for Orion, by the way," Q's voice rings out through the bridge. "You better talk to him, he gets a bit .. impatient where his wife is concerned."

Picard enters the ready room, and after retrieving two cups of tea from the replicator, he sits down opposite a very agitated Orion. "Mister Brownmane... Orion... we cannot rush headlong into this. Dealing with the Borg isn't as simple as pulling off some swashbuckling rescue. The Borg adapt to every attack, forming a defense quicker than one can formulate a new course of action ... eventually, they succeed in defeating you."

Orion takes a sip of his tea, looking toward Picard once more. "You speak as if you've fought them before... what happened last time?"

Picard slowly gets up and walks in front of Orion. Kneeling down, he points to several scars on his head. "I was captured by the Borg. They made me their spokesman, named me Locutus, and forced me to order the conquest of my entire species. Were it not for some quick thinking by my crew, we would not be here to tell the tale today." He gets back up and sits back behind his desk. "My point is, a rescue is possible, but it must be planned meticulously and executed quickly. And, at the moment, we do not even know where your Raven is on their vessel. I am also responsible for the thousand lives on board this ship. I will not risk losing them on a fool's errand."

"And I will not risk losing the untold number of lives of ponies, changelings, griffons, and the other races that live on the planet Raven and I call home." He takes another sip of his tea. "There must be some way to find her... a scan for equine-based life, maybe?"

If the assimilation process hasn't progressed too far, we shoudl be able to pinpoint her location. In the meantime, I will have a team prepare to board the Borg vessel in the event we can still rescue her."

"Captain Picard to the bridge!" Riker's voice calls out.

Picard rises and exits the ready room, Orion following. "Commander what is-" He stops as he sees the image on the screen.

"We scanned for equine-based life forms, and found this," Riker explained. "I believe we've found her."

The image on the screen is that of Borg drones walking to perform unknown tasks, behind which is a pony. A pony in the general sense, becoming more machine-like in appearance as the image sharpens. Tubes jut out from various points on her body, her hooves are clad in a black metallic substance, and her eyes now appear more mechanical, a dull red glow emanating from the centers of each pupil. A high-pitched whine can be heard as her ears swivel to pick up noises around her. Her coat is now a dull gray, devoid of any bright color. Her cutie mark has changed to that of the Borg vessel.

Orion Shadow feels his blood turn to ice at the sight of his beloved now assimilated into the Collective, taking in her lack of fur color and her new cutie mark. "No... no, no, no, no!" He slams his hoof on the floor, unbridled fury filling his body as he watches her on the screen. "Oh Raven... my beautiful Raven... I swear to whatever is left of you, please hold on, because I'm coming to get you…"