RAGNAROK 2
Author: Rocky

Yes, it would undoubtedly be good for the crew's morale, and a way for her to give strength and encouragement to her people by example. "Then I won't keep you," he said.

She started toward the door and then stopped, extended her hand to him. "Come with me?"

Something tight inside his chest loosened, and he felt inexplicably relieved of a burden. "Of course," he said, his hand grasping hers firmly. "You know I'll always be by your side."

Janeway shifted uneasily in her seat on the bridge. For some reason, she could not get comfortable.

She glanced at the viewscreen and froze. Three Borg cubes, not there a second before, were now heading straight at them.

"Damn it, they're early!" Paris said. His hands flew over the console, sending Voyager on a series of evasive maneuvers.

"Your comment is illogical," chided Tuvok. "There was no fixed arrival time for the Borg fleet; our estimate of their arrival time was only an approximation, based on-"

"Gentlemen, this isn't the time or the place," Janeway cut in.

"One more hour or two wouldn't make a difference," Chakotay added. "We're as ready as we're going to be."

Janeway shot him a grateful look and she began snapping out orders. "Helm, come about, bearing 323 mark 4. Mr. Tuvok, target the lead cube and fire forward phasers!"

No sooner had she spoken than an eerie green light swept across the bridge. The ship's speakers resonated with the enemy's voice. "We are the Borg. You will be destroyed. Resistance is futile."

"We'll see about that," Janeway said. But her words were rendered hollow as the three cubes fired in unison. The ship jolted under the barrage.

"Shields down to 30%, Captain," Kim announced, fear rising in his voice.

"Fire phasers again!" Janeway said, rising from her seat.

"No effect," Tuvok said calmly.

"Then fire photon torpedoes."

"No effect." The ship rocked viciously.

Janeway lurched forward, unable to keep her balance. "Damn it, throw everything we've got at them!"

Her head hit hard against the deck. Dimly, she heard a cacophony of voices.

"No effect."

"Shields failing, Captain."

"They're locking onto us with a tractor beam!"

Janeway cleared her head with a shake, but an annoying hissing sound persisted. Looking up, she saw a pale gray cloud descending from the ceiling vents. "What the hell is that?" she demanded.

"It appears to consist of bio-matter, Captain," Tuvok reported. "A microbe of some sort...no, definitely a virus."

*A Borg virus-where had she heard of that?* She cursed her inability to remember-this was important. Maybe if she got up from the floor she'd be able to think more clearly...

Janeway rolled to her side and attempted to stand. Chakotay extended a hand, and she took it gratefully. But instead of warm flesh, she felt something hard and cold-his fingers were encased in fine gray metallic tendrils.

Her startled eyes flew to his face. To her horror, she saw a starburst shaped implant erupt on his cheek. Then another, over his left eye. It obliterated his tattoo. Desperately, she tried to back away from the assimilation tubules extending from his hand, but she was trapped against the base of the command seat. They came closer, ready to plunge into her neck-

"Noooooo!" she screamed, flailing her arms in a desperate last defense. They passed unimpeded through the air, and she was snapped into full wakefulness.

Her heart pounding, she looked around and found herself lying on the couch in quarters. She hadn't meant to doze off, but obviously, her tired body had had other ideas.

She gave a long shuddering sigh. *Only been a dream.* But a dream that had far too much potential to come true.

Janeway got up, grimacing at the clamminess of her body. She glanced at the chronometer. She had more than enough time for a shower before she was due to return to the bridge.

Act IV

Janeway settled herself into her seat, looking around the bridge as she did so. Although she didn't expect anything less, she was pleased to see that all of her officers were in position. Alert and ready.

"Long-range sensors are detecting the presence of the Borg fleet, Captain," Tuvok said.

Before Janeway could respond, Kim said, "We're being hailed by the Taj, Captain."

Janeway looked over at Ops. "Open the channel, Lieutenant. Yes, General Korok?"

"The enemy is approaching," Korok said. "Stand by. *Qapla!*"

"Understood. Janeway out." She leaned back, stealing another quick glance at her seat console, which displayed the distribution of the Alliance vessels, as well as the main tactical strategies that Korok planned to employ.

The closest ships positioned closest to Voyager were the Tyr and the Surt, both manned by freed drones, and the Kry'afe, a Haderi armed merchant vessel. Together they made up the inner line of defense. Korok's plan was to attack the Collective fleet at key areas, driving a wedge through the armada on both sides. Once that occurred, the Borg forces would be split into three smaller units which could be dealt with more easily. In theory anyway.

"Open a shipwide channel," Janeway said. "All hands, this is the captain. We will be engaging the Borg fleet shortly." She thought of her earlier deck by deck tour of the ship with Chakotay. The mood of the crew was tense, but there was more than a bit of optimism mixed in. They had faith in each other, their ship and their captain. She couldn't afford to let them down. "I do not need to remind you what is at stake here. I know you will acquit yourselves well. And I would like to say now, for the record, how very proud I am of all of you, and that I consider myself very fortunate to serve as your captain."

It was silent for a few moments after Janeway finished speaking. At her side, Chakotay nodded. She knew he disliked 'doom and gloom, prepare for the worst' speeches as much as she did. She was glad that her words met with his approval.

"Estimated time of arrival of the fleet in twelve minutes, Captain," Tuvok reported. "All weapons systems armed. Shields at full strength."

"Twelve minutes? They're early," Paris muttered.

"Your comment is illogical, Lieutenant," chided Tuvok. "There was no fixed arrival time for the Borg fleet; our estimate of their arrival time was only an approximation, based on-"

"Gentlemen, this isn't the time or the place," Janeway cut in, and then stopped short as a sense of deja vu swept over her. Next Chakotay would say...

"One more hour or two wouldn't make a difference. We're as ready as we're going to be." Her first officer turned to her and said in an undertone, "Are you all right, Kathryn? Suddenly you're as white as a ghost."

"It's nothing," she reassured him with all the bravado she could muster.

"Multiple conduits opening directly ahead," Tuvok said, diverting her attention away from her nightmare. Her lips twitched briefly at the irony, but all traces of a smile were wiped away at the sight before her. The Borg armada had arrived.

"All cubes," Janeway murmured, her gaze riveted on the main viewscreen.

"I am also detecting a number of tactical spheres. However, the majority of the fleet does appear to consist of Class 4 battle cubes, with higher than average shielding densities," Tuvok reported. "There are indications that their weaponry and defense capabilities are not of uniform caliber."

"How much of the fleet consists of linked vessels?" Chakotay asked, his interest apparently caught by the statement about inconsistencies among the Borg fleet.

Kim fielded that question. "From the signals I'm picking up, it appears that approximately one third are not linked to the Collective."

"And yet they're fighting for the Queen," Paris said with more than a trace of disgust in his voice.

Janeway heartily concurred with that sentiment, but there was no point in dwelling on it. "Is there any sign of the Queen's specially modified drones?" The captain knew it was unrealistic to hope that the Borg Queen had terminated them after the earlier unsuccessful incursion against Voyager. They were undoubtedly present, somewhere among the enemy fleet. As was the Queen herself.

As if brought on by the thought, Janeway's attention was drawn by a pyramid-shaped vessel, staying well back of the rest of the Borg forces. The sight of it inexplicably made her blood run cold.