[V-B] LTJG T'Katt Dugoras- Faced with a true threat

[Yroc Llah]

((Bridge, USS Veritas))

 (( Approaching Shahrazad IV ))

:: T'Katt sat still eyes fixed on the view screen as they came into range of the Borg vessel. He had never seen a Borg vessel outside of the academy training simulations. He never understood the Borg thought process, their ships, and bodies are clunky and ill-designed for great combat relying on their raw power and numbers instead.::

:: He checked terminal in front of him and began making subtle scans of the vessel as they got close enough.::

Delano: Red alert! Shields up! 

:: T'Katt looked up to see the commander was standing a few feet away from the captain's chair. T'Katt grabbed his hair braid and threw it off of his shoulder to his back as he observed Delano.:: 

Delano: Mr. Xerix, maintain relative position to the Borg vessel. Tactical assessment. What are we dealing with?

Blair: It looks similar to the incredibly well armed Borg probe that the USS Voyager encountered back in 2375.

:: T'Katt felt a small surge of fear flow through him, he wasn't exactly excited to be so close to the Borg.:: 

 

Blake/Wrader: Responses 

Kelrod: We could expect that they’ve improved their tactical systems. Judging by the craters I’ll recommend to fire first and ask questions later. :: He wasn’t sure that his recommendation would be taken as a first solution:: 

Delano: Life signs, Mr. Dugoras? 

:: T'Katts attention returned to the computer terminal in front of him. He quickly tapped at the controls, calibrating and affirming the results.::

Dugoras: Scans are indicating around twenty-five life forms aboard the vessel.

Delano: All Borg, I take it?

Durgoras: Yes, Sir. 

Delano: Any sign of other ships? 

Wolfe/Zhou/Any: Responses 

:: The bridge seemed to stand still for a moment. T'Katt leaned back in his chair and observed the Borg ship on the view screen. He could not stand the idea of having his identity taken from him in this way, as he stared into the green glow he found himself considering a way to neutralize himself should the Veritas end up being assimilated, rather than become a Borg.:: 

Delano: Ensign Zhou, Ensign Wolfe, what can you tell me about that beam? 

Wolfe/Zhou: Responses 

:: Now T'Katt was extremely curious. He began stroking his beard with his left hand as he thought.::

oO What could the Borg be doing? Oo 

Delano: Any similarities to the chroniton readings from the gas cloud? 

Mei’konda: It reaads… almost exaactly like a chroniton irradiaated version of the nebula that Commander Rahman and myself were scanning, sir.  Back… back where we came from. 

Blair: It sounds like more than just coincidence to me. 

Alentonis: I agree. 

Dugoras: I too agree, the chances of our encountering the Borg in this place using Chroniton radiation right after we found Rahman and Mei'konda and it being unrelated are slim.

Delano: All right, see if you can get a more detailed analysis . :: He looked to the Ohanze representative and Commander Moonsong. :: Do either of you know anything specific about this planet? Is there some reason the Borg would have taken an interest?   

Oracle/Moonsong: Response 

Delano: Anything to add, Doctor? 

Alentonis: Not really. I can’t find anything in either the university or archaeological council databases that would get their attention. However, we don’t know what happened to the Pellica’s crew after they abandoned ship. Working theory: the Borg’s technological advances will be greatly enhanced by reskariaehhrr; which they have only recently rediscovered a source of. Bear in mind I have no evidence to support this theory whatsoever. 

:: T'Katt did not entirely understand what Alentonis was speaking about but he was glad that at least one person here had a theory. He sat forward in his seat again to observe the bridge better.::

Delano: Has the ship reacted to our presence at all? 

Blair: I’m pretty sure that they are powering up weapons. Can anyone else confirm it? 

Kelrod: I’m not reading a particular power-up, but their energy levels indicate that the ship is operational. Borg technology allows them to power up systems pretty quickly. 

Blake/Wrader/Blair: Responses 

Delano: Stand by for evasive maneuvers, Mr. Xerix. 

Xerix: Ready at your command, Sir.  

::  The commander took a seat in the captains chair.:: 

Delano: Let's see if they want to talk. Open a channel. 

Blake: Response 

Delano: =/\= Borg vessel. This is Lieutenant Commander Evan Delano of the USS Veritas. State your intenti--=/\= 

Borg: =/\= We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ship. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile. =/\=

 

:: The interaction was exactly as it was in the training simulations at the academy. T'Katt found his thoughts again shifting toward options that would help prevent him from being assimilated should the worst happen.:: 

:: The transmission cut out before Evan could respond. T'Katt felt his stomach turn as he watched the Borg vessel turn toward their direction on the view screen.:: 

:: A series of energy beams fired from the Borg ship, the Veritas rocked from multiple impacts. T'Katt braced himself with his hands on the computer terminal in front of him.:: 

Delano: Xerix, evasive pattern Zeta 2. Tactical, all weapons free. Fire at will.  

Xerix: Aye, Sir! 

Blake/Wrader: Response. 

:: The ship shuddered again from another series of hits. Xerix was able to narrowly dodge a volley of plasma projectiles with his maneuvers. A moment later, a wide tractor-beam was pulsing against their shields, rapidly draining them of power. :: 

:: T'Katt turned his attention to his computer terminal and checked the life sign reports across the ship. So far no one had been hurt and the ships life support was functioning fine.::

Delano: Reroute power to the shields. Xerix, can you shake them? 

Xerix:  Not with that tractor, Sir. 

Blake/Wrader: Responses 

Sanderson: Shields down to 62%. Collapse in thirty-three seconds. 

:: T'Katt waited quietly as they engaged the Borg, if the shields failed they would be boarded. T'Katt felt the blood rushing through his body, it was making his head throb and he was starting to get a headache.::

Delano: I'm open to suggestions. 

oO Launch everything we have even the shuttles at it and destroy them entirely... set up phasers to overload and the reactor to meltdown should we be boarded... Oo

:: T'Katt knew his thoughts was born of frustration and fear and were irrational so he kept it to himself.::

Mei’konda: Full weapons fiire in the upper EM baand at the source of the beamhas worked before.  They haave trouble adapting to it!   

Blair: It could work, but the targeting systems are being overloaded by the tractor beam. 

Mei’konda: Sir, the traactor beam is focused on deck six… near primaary life support control. 

Dugoras: Life support has only been minimally affected so far, sir.

Xerix: Sir, perhaps we could activate our own tractor beam, in repulse mode. Modulated correctly, it should let us break free from the Borg. In addition, it should reduce the damage from their weaponry. 

Blair: That could work, but it would cause massive damage to our own tractor. And we would have to shut it off the exact second their beam is repelled or risk structural damage of our own. 

Kelrod: If it free us from them, I won’t mind spending time repairing the beam. 

::Alex tapped a few commands on the terminal in front of him.:: 

Blair: For now I’d suggest modulating our shield frequencies as described in the file I just sent you. ::break:: It’d only be a band-aid of sorts but could buy us a few minutes. 

:: T'Katt felt out of his element, his thoughts couldn't come together well enough for him to help. He tightened his hands into fists and clenched his teeth as he listened to the others discuss, as he always seemed to.::  

Delano/Any: Response 

Blair: I don’t have a plan yet, but we need to come up with a way to disrupt their power flow. 

Alentonis: Wait, you said the Borg ship functions like a giant computer? 

Dugoras: :: Muttering in a low tone.:: Would be nice if they had a simple on-off switch...

Alentonis: Could we risk an EMP transmitted through our tractor beam into theirs to overload the system? 

Any: Response

Alentonis: Well, the other option I can think of is to use the deflector dish like a giant magnet, and when they pull us too close we wipe their hard drive... 

oO Wiping the hard drive... would that disable the Borg or just the ship? Since they are a collective mind would that be like erasing their minds? Oo

::T'Katt waited to hear the others thoughts as he considered the possibility. ::

Kelrod: I’ve read about the use of EM bursts that de-stabilizes the beams. I believe it’s worth trying it. Besides, I recommend a spread of four quantum torpedoes to the emitter previous to the EM pulse. We could use any weakness we can cause to catch them off guard. 

:: T'Katt hoped one of these plans would work, he didn't realize until faced with the actual possibility of being assimilated just how afraid of Borg he was.::

TAG/TBC

Lieutenant JG T'Katt Dugoras

Counselor

USS Veritas NCC-95035

V239503TD0

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