---
"Last time I saw one was before I took command of
the Sixth Wave," Kathryn said sullenly.
First Officer Anthi looked at the Borg Drone lying on the table and nodded. The table itself was the only piece of furniture in the room. Between the Drone and the two Starfleet officers was an invisible barrier of energy whose modulating frequencies hummed louder than the engines of Solaris. The medical bay was otherwise silent.
"I'm impressed it's still alive," Anthi said. "The Probe was utterly destroyed."
Kathryn kept looking at the specimen. "Any more findings about that?"
Still holding the PADD with the data, the female Andorian recall edthe information from memory and did not look away from the Borg either. "Analysis suggests the destruction occurred two days ago. Particle forensics reveal high amounts of Polaron energy primarily used."
Kathryn nodded. "Not many races use Polaron weapons." Anthi agreed silently.
Chief Medical Officer Annika Kramer walked up to the pair and spoke in a whisper. "Captain, racial scans revealed the Borg is Orion."
"Really?" Kathryn could not hide her surprise and Anthi looked to the Doctor incredulously. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. What's the next move?"
Annika crossed her arms, PADD in one hand. "Well, we have plenty of options: place the Borg in stasis for Starfleet review, attempt liberation protocols, or the airlock."
Kathryn smirked. "In other words, whatever we want." Annika nodded. "Ok, let me review your notes, Doctor; I'll decide when I'm finished." Kathryn walked away with Doctor Kramer's PADD.
+++
Within seconds of reading the Doctor's report, Kathryn was running back to the medical lab. She tapped her communicator and contacted Anthi and Karl Malango: her two most trusted Tactical officers. Crew members were dodging clear from Kathryn's sprint down the hallways. When she reached the medical bay, Karl and Anthi were waiting. Kathryn stopped and hunched over to catch her breath. She reached for Karl's sidearm phaser in between gulps for air but only put her hand out.
Karl was clearly confused. "Sir?"
"Anthi -" Kathryn paused to take a deep breath. "It's one -" another breath, "- of them."
Anthi's eyes widened and she turned to Karl. "Officer Melango, you are ordered to relieve your firearm to the Captain." Karl maintained his confusion but followed the order. He watched as Kathryn set the phaser to it's most powerful setting. She was regaining composure and her breathing was normalizing.
"Thank you Anthi. Follow me in." Kathryn straightened her jacket and all three entered the room. The Borg was still lying on the table. The doors hushed closed behind them. Karl looked at Anthi who replied with a finger to her lips.
A few steps into the room, Anthi said, "Captain, are you sure?"
"Certain Orion slavers have a brand that runs down the left arm."
Karl paused as he followed the others toward the shielded room. "What's going on here?"
Kathryn stopped at the control panel to the Borg's room. "If that Borg is who I think it is, then it's not walking out of this room alive." She quickly tapped a command and the shield collapsed. Walking up to the Borg, she poked at the exposed flesh on his face. After a few seconds, she stepped away and retrieved a laser scalpel. The tiny beam cut open the sleeve without burning into the skin. All three watched as a grey/green scar was revealed. She parted the Borg cloth and winced as she touched its cold skin.
Karl persisted, "I don't understand."
Kathryn spoke without looking away. "This Orion was certainly a slaver. He was a part of the group that attacked a colonial ship heading to Hesperus. I was on that ship ... I was a slave before I joined Starfleet."
Kathryn placed the phaser's emitter at the top of the Borg's head and then paused.
Anthi and Karl looked at each other and took a step back.
Kathryn was still for several seconds then lifted the pistol and handed it back to Karl. "No, you don't deserve that." She tapped her badge. "Thel, what's our current speed?"
"Warp four," the male Andorian replied casually.
"Increase speed to maximum warp until further notice."
There was a pause before Thel acknowledged. The thrum of the engines increased before sonic dampeners compensated.
Kathryn tapped her badge again. "Transporter Room 2."
A female voice replied, "Aye, Captain?"
"Scan for my position. Lock on the Borg life signature nearby and immediately beam it out of the ship, one hundred meters in front of the forward shield facing."
Two seconds later, the Borg's form shimmered and disappeared.
First Officer Anthi looked at the Borg Drone lying on the table and nodded. The table itself was the only piece of furniture in the room. Between the Drone and the two Starfleet officers was an invisible barrier of energy whose modulating frequencies hummed louder than the engines of Solaris. The medical bay was otherwise silent.
"I'm impressed it's still alive," Anthi said. "The Probe was utterly destroyed."
Kathryn kept looking at the specimen. "Any more findings about that?"
Still holding the PADD with the data, the female Andorian recall edthe information from memory and did not look away from the Borg either. "Analysis suggests the destruction occurred two days ago. Particle forensics reveal high amounts of Polaron energy primarily used."
Kathryn nodded. "Not many races use Polaron weapons." Anthi agreed silently.
Chief Medical Officer Annika Kramer walked up to the pair and spoke in a whisper. "Captain, racial scans revealed the Borg is Orion."
"Really?" Kathryn could not hide her surprise and Anthi looked to the Doctor incredulously. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. What's the next move?"
Annika crossed her arms, PADD in one hand. "Well, we have plenty of options: place the Borg in stasis for Starfleet review, attempt liberation protocols, or the airlock."
Kathryn smirked. "In other words, whatever we want." Annika nodded. "Ok, let me review your notes, Doctor; I'll decide when I'm finished." Kathryn walked away with Doctor Kramer's PADD.
+++
Within seconds of reading the Doctor's report, Kathryn was running back to the medical lab. She tapped her communicator and contacted Anthi and Karl Malango: her two most trusted Tactical officers. Crew members were dodging clear from Kathryn's sprint down the hallways. When she reached the medical bay, Karl and Anthi were waiting. Kathryn stopped and hunched over to catch her breath. She reached for Karl's sidearm phaser in between gulps for air but only put her hand out.
Karl was clearly confused. "Sir?"
"Anthi -" Kathryn paused to take a deep breath. "It's one -" another breath, "- of them."
Anthi's eyes widened and she turned to Karl. "Officer Melango, you are ordered to relieve your firearm to the Captain." Karl maintained his confusion but followed the order. He watched as Kathryn set the phaser to it's most powerful setting. She was regaining composure and her breathing was normalizing.
"Thank you Anthi. Follow me in." Kathryn straightened her jacket and all three entered the room. The Borg was still lying on the table. The doors hushed closed behind them. Karl looked at Anthi who replied with a finger to her lips.
A few steps into the room, Anthi said, "Captain, are you sure?"
"Certain Orion slavers have a brand that runs down the left arm."
Karl paused as he followed the others toward the shielded room. "What's going on here?"
Kathryn stopped at the control panel to the Borg's room. "If that Borg is who I think it is, then it's not walking out of this room alive." She quickly tapped a command and the shield collapsed. Walking up to the Borg, she poked at the exposed flesh on his face. After a few seconds, she stepped away and retrieved a laser scalpel. The tiny beam cut open the sleeve without burning into the skin. All three watched as a grey/green scar was revealed. She parted the Borg cloth and winced as she touched its cold skin.
Karl persisted, "I don't understand."
Kathryn spoke without looking away. "This Orion was certainly a slaver. He was a part of the group that attacked a colonial ship heading to Hesperus. I was on that ship ... I was a slave before I joined Starfleet."
Kathryn placed the phaser's emitter at the top of the Borg's head and then paused.
Anthi and Karl looked at each other and took a step back.
Kathryn was still for several seconds then lifted the pistol and handed it back to Karl. "No, you don't deserve that." She tapped her badge. "Thel, what's our current speed?"
"Warp four," the male Andorian replied casually.
"Increase speed to maximum warp until further notice."
There was a pause before Thel acknowledged. The thrum of the engines increased before sonic dampeners compensated.
Kathryn tapped her badge again. "Transporter Room 2."
A female voice replied, "Aye, Captain?"
"Scan for my position. Lock on the Borg life signature nearby and immediately beam it out of the ship, one hundred meters in front of the forward shield facing."
Two seconds later, the Borg's form shimmered and disappeared.
---
Cast:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Anthi Ythysi - Katheryn Winnick
Karl Melango - Jeremy Renner
Annika Kramer - Abbie Cornish
Transporter officer - Random Extra 1
Borg Drone - Random Extra 2
Mentioned but not seen:
Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo
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