—- Bridge —-

Commander Adriana Cruz tried to think of this in the most analytical, cold, way that she could. She had a team going out into the field and a dangerous threat closing in, it didn’t matter that with the team was the ship‘s Captain five lives were less important to her than the other one hundred and twenty odd souls aboard the USS Seattle. She was the Captain now, and it did not do her any good to worry, she just had to perform.

”Come in low over the astroid then stop Pr’Nor,” she ordered, “Mister Th’kaotross I want a count going on how long we have and a channel open to the Soundgarden.”

The Andorian Security Chief nodded, “Mister Winfield, can you hear us?”

”Yes Sir, we’re ready to launch,” the shuttle pilot said. He was normally the Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer but he was also the second best pilot on the ship, and so he was taking this mission to dispose of the old Borg transponders down to the moon or asteroid. The crew had not had time to identify the makeup of this uncharted area of space so they had just assumed it was a moon.

The Seattle stopped, holding still. The Commander gave the order, “Launch.”

Every part of the mission had been drilled and trained as much as they could. To the left were the binary stars, the pair of which gave off a sensor defeating radiation. It was their home for the next little bit, their hiding place from the Borg, if they could pull this off.

The Seattle’s Shuttle Bay 1 door opened and the shuttle exited, heading at top speed for the planet. 

“We’re away,“ Winfield said, “all officers aboard.”

”That’s a more useful report when you’re coming back than when you’re leaving,” Cruz said mostly to herself. 

The shuttle’s journey was short, so it was not a sunrise when a moment later Winfield announced, “Preparing to land.” 

The Soundgarden touched down and reports from Lieutenant Junior Grade Winfield that the crew was unloading the cargo was appreciated. 

“Borg Cube arriving in this sector Commander,” Th’kaotross said.

”Yellow alert, that was faster than we expected,” Cruz said. The Borg must have realized the Starfleet ship was offloading the transponders and hurried to catch up. She stared at the main view screen intently, expecting it to change some how, wanting to see the Soundgarden lifting off.

”Update Winfield,” she said.

”Still unloading,” he reported.

”Borg are closing,” she said, “Get them out of there.”

Cruz and the rest of the crew on the bridge listened to the Captain, Thomas Winfield and the science officers unloading silently until Pr’Nor spoke.

”Borg ship is closing, if we do not leave now it can initiate boarding within five seconds,” Pr’Nor said.

They did not know what the Borg would do, but being able to board the Seattle meant they could assimilate the entire crew. The Seattle was a tiny ship, the Borg cube had at least ten times the crew. It would be a cake walk if they chose to, and the Seattle had no option but to assume the worst.

Cruz swallowed, “Full speed for the designated spot, shields up.”

They were leaving the Soundgraden behind. The ship leapt into warp briefly. 

Th’kaotross reported, “Borg Cube is beaming multiple individuals down near the transponders. And we have lost contact with Lieutenant Winfield.”

Cruz nodded and was quiet as the screen went blank, the radiation interfering with sensors. 

“Cut power, keep on life support and essential systems,“ Cruz said, cutting power would make them harder to detect in case the Borg’s sensors were much better than theirs. She sunk into the Captain’s Chair. Five officers, one of which was the Captain and her… well whatever…. They were likely lost.

Cruz then got another expression on her face, one of determination. Standing bolt upright she looked at her secuity officer, “Th’kaotross I want you and Strategic Operations in my the Captain’s Ready Room in ten minutes.”

Th’kaotross nodded as Cruz left and entered the Ready Room. He contacted the two Lieutenants in Strategic Operations which was on the other side of the ship and prepared for what the First Officer could potentially ask of him. He would soon find out.