From: tlb2665@usl.edu (Burleigh Thomas L)
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: ST:USS Cavalier, Chapter 15, "The Last Stand"
Date: 5 Oct 92 15:00:08 GMT
Organization: University of Southwestern Louisiana


(C) Copyright 1992 by Thomas L. Burleigh. The following are the property
of Paramount Pictures, Inc: the characters of William T. Riker, Jean-Luc
Picard, D'Tan, and Spock; the Borg, Romulan, and Vulcan races; the
StarFleet organization; and, the USS Enterprise. This story is an original
work of fiction base on Star Trek: The Next Generation, a registered
trademark of Paramount. All rights reserved.


                                ST:USS Cavalier
                                 Chapter 15
                               "The Last Stand"

   For the first time in their existence, the Borg were ordered to
SURRENDER!  They didn't like it, but the Uni-mind didn't know how to handle
this situation.  So they asked the High Council.
   The council considered the situation. Here was this new ship from the
Federation that could - indeed did - outmaneuver their Borg ships. It had
new and considerable firepower - it could defeat a Borg ship one-to-one in
a fire-fight.
  One-to-one?
  The High Tactician put forth the idea of having all ships concentrate
fire simultaneously on the USS Cavalier. The Others respected this idea as
the next logical step; but, were unsure if it was wise to employ a measure
that this Riker might be able to defeat. However, time was running short.
Their servants needed to know what to do.
   The order was given.

   "No response to our signal, Sir," said Cdr Thompson from Tactical.
   "Do you think they know what surrender means?" replied Cpt Riker.
"Maybe they never heard of it before," he added with a smirk on his face.
   But Thompson, all business, responded, "That could be, sir. It will
probably take them a while to reach such a decision as they never did it
before. But, we should be ready in case we don't."
   Riker looked at the main screen.  The few remaining Borg ships were
pretty well scattered.  Wide enough for....
   
   The order was received. The only remaining Borg ship that was whole was
automatically designated as the tactical coordinator. It considered the
situation and developed their plan. The other ships were ordered to circle
around the Cavalier and bear all weapons on their designated azimuths. All
this on order of the main Borg ship.
   Who really didn't want to do it.....

   Alert signals chimed at the tactical station. "Captain, power levels
rising on all Borg ships! They moving to en-circle us!"
   "Full power on main drive to shields!" Riker ordered. (Damn, just what I
was thinking!)
   The remaining Borg ships, in spite of their losses, managed to maneuver
around the Cavalier before it could move.
   "They're powering up weapons," said Thompson.
   "Enagage cloaking device. Slow evasive maneuvers." replied Riker.
   The Cavalier shimmered and disappeard from the Borg view. It moved
around in circles slowly, trying to lessen chromaton emmisions for the Borg
to pick up and target in on.
   "Cdr Shaw, lay in a course out of this mess on slow implulse. Engage
EGMOR drive just as soon as we are clear."
   "Captain," said Thompson a moment later, "we may not make it out of here
in time.  We should have another course of action ready."
   "Recommendation?"
   "Tele-torpedoes, full intesity."
   Riker looked with amazement at his First Officer.  He clearly didn't
expect such a bold recommendation. 
   "Don't we need Release Authority do use them?"
   "Yes, but the regulations do allow for emergency release on the
agreement of the ship's Captain and senior staff.  The computer will send a
message to StarFleet once we activate.  Then, under standing orders in the
regulation, we will have to return to StarFleet Headquarter Terra/Sol III
to explain and possibly stand trail for out actions."
   Facing a court-martial was not one of Riker's favorite activites. (But,
then again,) he thought, (neither is getting gunned down.)
   "Make it so."

   They deployed themselves with admirable efficiency and had their weapons
aimed on their designated azimuths. These firing directions were
constantly changing as the main Borg ship directed them to. It was traking
the chromaton emmissions to maintain an accurate target track on the
Cavalier.
   Or so the rest of the Borg ship's thought....

   The Cavalier's Senior Staff were all assembled on the Bridge. It took
Shaw only a few minutes to program Riker's last orders and transfer control
to the Helm.
   Riker faced his staff from the Engineer station and addressed them,
"We're going to try to sneak away from the Borgs and get out of here. But,
we may not be able to. It's very likely we will face extreme damage from
their weapons fire and not get away from this." Riker put his hand forward
to the main screen; encompassing all the Borg ships and their home world.
He drew a breathe and continued.
   "It's StarFleet's intention that any opportunity to destroy Borgs should
be taken because of their nature. So, I want all of you to concur to
release our tele-torpedoes."
   Riker held his breathe waiting for objections. There were always some
whenever such an option, usually as a self-destruct option, was taken.
But, the crew on this ship was well-integrated; from the enlisted levels on
up to the top.
   There were no objections.
   "Computer, Relese clearance. William T. Riker, Captain, Commanding. Code
sequence - Deanna, Data, Ro,..." he cleard a small lump in his throat,
"Jean-Luc."
   Thompson said, "Louis Burke Thompson, Commander, First Officer. Code
sequence - Johnathon, Guidro, Payne, Amanda."
   Shaw said, "David Johnathon Shaw, Lieutenant Commander, Chief Engineer.
Code sequence - Henry, Joseph, Norman, Louis."
   Dr. T'Por said, "Amanda T'Por, Commander, Chief Medical Officer. Code
sequence - Spock, Tenar, D'Treip, Louis."
   The computer was silent for a moment then said, "Clearance granted.
StarFleet advised. Target instructions?"
   Riker looked at the viewscreen. "One per enemy ship surrounding us."
   "Targets auto-locked. Tele-torpedoes loaded. Will engage at simultaneous
command."
   Riker looked into the faces of his officers. They understood. They
were ready. 
   The Borg ships started firing. Some of the shots connected with the
Cavalier, making for some impressive rattling. Riker raised his hand with
his fingers extended.
   Five fingers....
   Shots kept hitting the Cavalier...
   Four fingers....
   Shields down by ten percent.....
   Three fingers.....
   Riker looked at the viewscreen again....
   Two fingers.....
   He frowned in puzzlement.....
   One finger....
   "HOLD!!" he barked.

   Riker had noticed something wrong. Something very wrong. The Borg were
firing at themselves!
   All the ships, except one, were firing their shots in directions that
were near the Cavalier. But, few of them were connecting. Most of them
missed, and continuing in their directions, were hitting other Borg ships.
A few of them - the most heavily damaged - were already blowing up.
   The concept behind the Uni-mind had a flaw. All the Uni-minds of the
ships turned control over the the one Uni-mind that was wholey intact. The
idea was that it could best - indeed inevitably - lead the attack againts
the threat. Normally, this would had happened.
   But, the Uni-mind onboard that main ship was not normal.

   The Cavalier crew watched the main screen in puzzlement. The Borg
seemed to be attacking themselves! To be sure, some of their shots
connected with the Cavalier, but most of them flew past and hit their
opposites. Maybe it was not intentional. Maybe it was.
   "Enemy status, Number One?" Riker asked.
   Thompson consulted his Tactical station for a moment. "Several Borg
ships destroyed. They're still firing." Then after another moment,
"except one."
   (Huh?) Riker thought. He watched the viewscreen. (Sure enough. What
have we here? Friend? Something else?)
   
   The Uni-minds on the other ships finally noticed that something was
wrong. They didn't expect all their shots to hit a cloaked starship. But,
they also didn't expect so much of their own fire to his themselves. They
tried to advise the main ship about what was happening. "Adjust targeting
procedure so we stop hitting ourselves," they neutrally advised.
   "Hello?"

   "Borg ships are reducing fire intensity," Thompson said.
   Riker was still watching the main screen. One more Borg ship was blown
away before they reduced their firing. (They may be a bit slow,) Riker
thought, (but they always catch on!)
   Sure enough, they started firing on the one ship that wasn't firing.
They still fired in the general direction of the Cavalier.
   "Computer, adjust targeting to all ships except the one with the least
damage," Riker ordered.
   "Change of targetting confirmed. Awaiting joint command."
   "One way or the other," Riker said, "those ships are history. On my mark
everyone."
   Riker raised his hand again.  He counted down with his fingers.
Three...  Two... One.....
   "Fire!" Riker, Thompson, Shaw, and T'Por ordered.
   The Borg ships were firing on the main one when the order was given. But
not for long. The transporters engaged and beamed the zero-point torpedoes
onto the Borg ships. Just as the energy fields released, they detonated.
   In a specatle of pure power, all the Borgs ships simultaneously
exploded. Their debris scattered in a million directions at once. Some of
the debris bounce off the Cavalier and the one remaining Borg ship.
   Just after the smoke cleared, Thompson said, "Captain, incoming hail
from the remaining Borg ship."
   "On screen."  Riker ordered.
   A young Borg soldier appeared on the screen.  Riker puzzled for a moment
- he looked familiar.
   "Hugh?"

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