The Killing Fields" (Part 5 of 6)

*************************** RECAP of the Season Finale *****************************

" ......The Borg are right in front of us." Lieutenant Rhoukann said from Ops.

"Easy on the helm, Mr. Ambrose. Give me a fiveminutes leeway." Devore said taking a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. Then he pushed a button on his console. "All hands, This is the Captain, We will drop out of warp in four minutes and bring the wrath of the Federation down once and for all against the dreaded Borg threat. Once the fighting against between the Romulans and the Borg commence, we will enter the attack. This is the best crew I have been with in a long time and I know with these new tactics, we will be victorious. Just remember both your Starfleet training and the impromptu training you have received and do the best you can do. Captain Devore out."

"Lieutenant Barker. Is the Refractive Shielding operational ?"

"Aye sir. All systems check out."

"Lieutenant Harris, give me a departmental readiness report."

"Sir, all departments report ready."

"Let's hope and pray the new shielding works. Helm. Drop out of warp, one-quarter impulse." Devore said standing up.

The Leviathan came out of warp and now the Borg task force were in site. On the view screen two of cubes were laying a barrage of phaser fire on a planet while three ships were held back probably in reserve.

"Range to the nearest cube?"

"10000 km, captain." Toran said. "The cubes have not detected us."

"Good!. Mr. Toran, raise shields. Red Alert!" Devore ordered. "Send a subspace message to Starfleet Command. We have engaged the Borg."

************* and now the continuation of "The Killing Fields" *************

The Leviathan dropped out of warp. The nearest cube was within 10,000 km.

"Mr. Barker. I want a constant watch on the Refractive Shielding. At the nearest possibility that the Borg have detected us I want to know, immediately." Devore said rubbing his hand as unnoticeably as possible at the side of his uniform. *I don't want to show the crew my fear.*

"Lieutenant Toran. Arm quantum torpedoes and the phaser array maximum power. When we hit the Borg, I don't want them to know what hit them. Lieutenant Rashad, what was the coordinates of that weak spot, the *Enterprise-E* used when the Borg attacked Earth ?"

"Just a minute, sir." Rashad said punching a few buttons on her console.

As if in a speed race, Lieutenant Harris began punching the same buttons. He wanted to impress the captain. Harris found them and entered them into the computer. "Sir. The coordinates are locked in." He said eyeing Rashad who was still trying to decipher the information.

"Very good Grant. Lieutenant Toran. Lock all weapons on those coordinates."

"Aye sir."

In the Borg cube, the collective were concentrating on eradicating the planet. They fired everything they had. In the echoing, haunting voice of millions, an alert was registered. "There is an anomalous reading sector 2. Investigate."

A single Borg left its alcove and went to a panel. It began punching a series of buttons. "Anomalous readings are showing a distortion of space 350 Km. in diameter. It seems to be approaching." The voices said. "It is not a threat to collective."

"Range to Target ?" Devore said now sitting down in his seat. He was nervous but wasn't about to let it show. He was the strength of the crew now and if he falters, then the crew falters.

"7500 Km.." Rhoukann said.

"Shielding ?"

"There have been no signs that we have been detected." Barker said.

"Mr. Toran. Let me know as soon as we are in range to inflict maximum damage on targeted cube."

"Aye Sir. When we pass 1500 Km, that will be when the weapons will be at their max. efficiency."

"Very good. Lieutenant Hansen ? How is engineering ?"

[Ready to kick some Borg butt!]

"I meant the warp and SS engines, Lieutenant ?"

[Oh. Everything running at peak efficiency.]

"Outstanding. Lieutenant Shaka. I want you to erect a level 12 force field around engineering. Tie in to the Auxiliary power. I don't want the Borg to gain access to it or those crew members there if we are boarded." Devore said turning to Lieutenant Shaka.

"Should I go down there too sir ?"

"No. Just you be careful here. I need you on the bridge to watch the SS drive from here. Please be careful though I can't afford to lose you."

"Now, Captain. It almost sounds like you care. Is it the fact that I am me or the SS specialist ?"

Devore smiled at her, "Both."

"Captain,' Rhoukann interrupted. " 5500 Km."

"Good. Steady as she goes."

In the haunting voices of the collective, "There is anomalous readings coming from sector two. Investigate." Again the Borg drone approached the panel and punched in a sequence of buttons. The anomaly was seen on a viewscreen from within the cube this time much bigger. However the space behind the anomaly was highly distorted. "Investigate anomaly."<

"Captain," Lieutenant Barker yelled. "Two cubes have left orbit and are now heading our direction."

"What !" Devore yelled. "What is the status of the shielding ? Did they detect us ?"

"No sir. Shields are operating within normal efficiency."

"What are the ranges ?" Devore asked Toran.

"Sir the leading cube is within transporter range and the second is.... Sir, it has just entered weapons' range."

*Damn! There goes our hat !*

"Fine. Listen to me old man, lock quantum torpedoes at the coordinated given to you by Lieutenant Harris on Cube two. On my mark fire the phasers at the same location on cube two. Transport ten torpedoes with a delayed fuse of ten seconds throughout both cubes once their shields are down."

"Sir ? Ten seconds ? It will take at least eight seconds to beam them on board !" Toran questioned.

"I know !"

"The anomaly appears to be a starship.. unknown configuration." The Collective said. "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated!........."

[Resistance in futile!] The ever haunting mechanical voice of the Borg came over the intercom of the Leviathan.

"Resist this !" Devore yelled. "Mr. Toran. Initiate attack sequence."

The Leviathan fired its enhanced phaser burst at the first cube and then fired torpedoes which flew straight as an arrow to the second cube. This tactic actually casught the Borg off guard as the shield emitters from both cubes were destroyed.

"Initiate transport!"

On board the cubes, the torpedoes rematerialized immediately causing the Borg sensor alarms to go off.

"Federation Mark VI Quantum Torpedoes. Disar................." The torpedoes detonated destroying the cubes in a brilliance that only the sun could overcome. Millions of pieces of Borg cube flew creating an instant debris field.

"Yes!" Harris yelled as the Bridge crew whooped and hollered.

"Quite. There are still three more cubes." Devore yelled as he noticed the remainder of the Borg Task force discontinued their barrage of the planet surface and directed their attention to the Leviathan. "Lieutenant Toran, arm phaser banks 3-6 onto the Borg sphere."

"Sir, torpedo bays one through eight are loaded and armed," Harris yelled targeting the cubes to the left of the sphere. "Pattern Alpha Chi, twelve metre spread."

"Very Good. Fire!"

The weapons of the Leviathan fired illuminating her like a deadly Christmas tree. All but one exploded instantaneously, not expecting such a tremendous volley of weapons with such intense fire power. The remaining cube suffered heavy damage, but continued to intercept its attacker. It returned fire with an intense green beam.

"Sir," Lieutenant Rhoukann yelled. "The Borg are trying to lock on." Suddenly the Leviathan shock violently as a surge pulsated down the tractor beam. The explosions did little damage to the ship, but drained the shields to 40%. Then another blast from the Borg cube aimed at the lower phaser bank made a direct hit destroying all but one bank of the phaser array. The brunt of the explosion was felt on Ops as Rhoukann seat exploded like it had plugged a geyser. His seat was forced upward with such an intensity that his head which smashed like an egg as it hit ceiling, left an imprint on the tritanium plating. The rest of the Bridge crew were sent to the deck as the explosion caused the lights to go out on the bridge. A few seconds later the emergency lights came on.

"Damage Report!" Harris yelled over the explosions and the red alert sirens.

"Sir, the Borg have destroyed the shield emitters and we have been boarded," Toran said to the Captain. Harris slammed a clip into his MP5 and felt a sensed something that he hadn't felt for a long time, pure rage. Immediately, seven Borg beamed onto the Bridge three metres in front of Harris who reacted by unloading four rounds into the drone in the centre and sprayed ten more rounds into the the other three. Borg blood of different colors splattered all over.

Two more beamed down onto the bridge. Harris tried to fire his weapon, but it jammed. As by instinct, he used his MP5 as a club and slammed it at the face of one who was less then a meter away. Devore was in a hand-to-hand conflict with one of the Borg who tackled Devore to the ground. His assimilation tubule was extended trying to connect with Devore, but Mark grabbed it and jerked it off the Borg's arm. Harris drew his sidearm shoved it into the Borg's back and fired the entire 15 round clip into the Borg.

Suddenly, Harris was then grabbed from behind. Then felt a stinging pain on his lower left side which he ignored. His adrenaline was flowing and nothing was going to stop his action of protecting the captain and the Leviathan. He flipped the attacking Borg over to the left of the Captain, and grabbed three cords from going from its neck to the top of his head and pulled. As the Borg flinched from being disconnected, Lieutenant Harris glanced over at Toran who was busy fighting hand to hand and noticed that the helmsman was not there. He quickly went to helm and transferred Tactical to helm and locked on to the Borg cube.

Just before Harris got the torpedoes launched, the cube fired two plasma shots taking the slipstream and the warp drive off line Another shot landed behind cargo bay twowhich caused a hull breach that the emergency force fields immediately contained. The Borg cube blew up as the torpedoes detonated causing the Leviathan to be pelted with pieces of metal and debris causing more damage to the all ready battle worn ship. Realizing the ship and crew was safe, Harris passed out and fell to the ground.

"Grant!" Devore said running to his side. The fading vision of the Bridge was all Lieutenant Harris saw as the last words heard was "medical emergency to the Bridge."

"Chu... scan the area... anymore cubes ?" Toran yelled as slammed his knife into the heart of the last Borg.

"No sir ! There are no more Borg."

"Anymore on the Leviathan ?"

"Yes sir! Sick bay !"

"Barbara !" Devore yelled as he raced to the turbolift.

"Captain !" Rashad yelled running after him.

"Dr. Clairidge acknowledge please !" Devore said as the turbo lift doors shut behind him just before Rashad could jump on.

"Mr. Toran. You have the bridge!" Rashad shouted as she went to the other turbolift.

"Yes maam!" Toran said.

In sick bay, Dr. Clairidge was running around the sick bay trying to avoid the Borg drone who was after her. She tapped her combadge to get the bridge, but there was nothing. "Oh no!" She said flipping over tables trying to find something to fend her attacker off with. She reached up and in her cabinet and found a type 1 phaser which she set it at a maximum. The Borg threw the table out of his way as it approached her.

"Stay away from me," She cried as she fired the phaser. The phaser was set on a normal frequency, common to Starfleet issue. It hadn't been adapted to modulate frequencies, so the Borg's personal force field absorbed the blast. She fired again. No effect. The Borg now stood between her and the door and continued to advance to her. The door opened and Captain Devore ran through it.

"Barbara!" He yelled as he pulled out his Beretta 9 mm.

"Mark !" She cried as she tried to run by the Borg, but the Borg was faster and grabbed her by the neck and pulled her close to him. The assimilation tubes quickly snapped out of its holders and implanted her neck! She screamed as the Borg nanoprobes was forced into her system. Her veins begin to bulge and turn dark blue as the probes traveled through her system. Suddenly she stopped thrashing around. With the remainder of her blue eyes, she looked directly at Devore. "Mark. Please help me !"

"No !" He screamed firing his weapon into the Borg. Sparks flew as the bullets penetrated his shielding into the vital bio organisms that remained. It jerked sporadically as each bullet entered in to it. Finally it fell down never to come back up. Immediately, Devore went next to Barbara who was now laying on the floor feeling every movement of the probes coursing through her body.

"Help me please!" She pleaded.

"I am sorry, Barbara. There is nothing I can do!" Devore said pointing his gun at her head. "I love you!" A single bullet entered her forehead ending her life, as Lieutenant Rashad turned the corner to see the dead Borg and Lieutenant Clairidge. Captain Devore dropped his gun and lowered his head in sorrow as he began walk away heading out the door for the bridge. Rashad wanted to say something but decided not to, but rather looked at the corpse that remained.