Star Trek: Starbase 777

Kya hummed as she stood from her prayer in the empty runabout. She had fully stocked it and made sure they were set to deploy. She had also ensured she had filmed her goodbye messages to her friends on the station, as well as to her parents and ex-wife that would be sent in the event of her death. She sighed as she stood there. She knew it was a Borg cube, that’s why she went into it with the most preparation and a prayer, but she wasn’t planning on dying anytime soon. She just had to pray to her gods before she stepped into hell.

Khamlet had long ago settled down at the pilot’s console, hands flying across the screens with a dexterous experience as he made sure everything was ready. He was in the Starfleet tactical armour, even if it did feel like a toy to him, and he had one of the Starfleet issued phasers at his side - though he longed for his Disruptor at least he had his d’k tahg. The available data from the Eventide’s last encounter with this cube was available on the shuttle’s computer, he had spent time reviewing it for whatever he might find - weaknesses - but it was there too for any aboard the shuttle as well.

Twelve arrived with all of the stuff they required for the task at hand. They trusted that whatever carepackage had been prepared for the team on the cube, as they trusted one had been, had been safely stowed. They wore their Starfleet away mission medical armour, a aid kit strapped to her thigh and a second to her back with a hand phaser and tricorder in holsters. Calm as they headed in, Twelve located somewhere to sit and settled down in silence as she placed her hands on her thighs and just stared at a wall. Stared and waited.

The Trill stepped aboard the shuttle and moved through the cargo hold up to the cockpit, giving the team a nod and a smile and little words of encouragement as he went. She took a seat at the secondary pilot’s console alongside Khamlet, doing some preflight switches and buttons, getting the thing ready. It had been a hot second since the Trill had flown co-pilot, but she knew the ropes, “Ready to go, Lieutenant?” She glanced over at the Klingon seated beside her, “As soon as we have clearance, it’s gonna get interesting.”

Karavix entered the runabout, eyes bouncing about as she surveyed her crew for the time being. She remained silent and virtually expressionless as ever, but was still buzzing with intellectual curiosity. Would they get angry at her for trying to get a sample of the circuits? Probably, right?..

Khamlet looked over at the commander, sharp teeth showing, and barked a laugh, “I’d fly us to Gre’thor and back, a Cube is nothing commander!” He was in high spirits, animated and alive, his whole person finally felt like it was nearing its purpose again. Battle awaited! No more pointless routine, no more forms, procedures, or the mundanity of the few days on the Station. He was back to what he loved and lived for, and even if he must fight in plastic armour and with toy weapons he’d gladly fight!

5

She smiled as she saw the team gather, and took position on a side console of the shuttle, helping with the checks. “This should be easier then a cube landing normally would be, it’s not in great shape, thank the prophets.”

“Well, let’s plot a detour for Gre’thor after we’ve got our people, huh?” He joked, flashing a grin at Khamlet. The lieutenant’s eagerness was indeed contagious, and more hope was bubbling up in the back of his mind as the team became less solemn about what was ahead. He continued with preflight, “Check the thrusters for me?”

Tavek found a seat wherever he could on the runabout. He.. he wasn’t sure how to feel. This was not the first rescue mission he’d been on. The first Starfleet one, yes, but not the first ever. But.. he knew this would be different. Here, he could come across.. his own friends, coworkers, twisted and warped and shadows of their former selves. He had never dealt with THAT before. He hoped that even those already assimilated, if people were already assimilated, could still be saved.

Stood towards the back of the shuttle, Eicran had a large field medicine kit propped up on one of the seats. He stood in front of it to rifle through the contents. He had already checked it while on board the Eventide but it was a habit of his: check once and then check again. You never knew when you might have accidentally missed something the first time. Content with the contents of the kit, he hoisted it down and tucked it under the seat for now. The next step was habit two: checking everyone's armour to ensure that kit was donned right and in perfect working order. It wasn't quite as important as checking that there were no gaps in EV suits or tying tape around the wrists of hazmat suits, but again -- habit. Quietly he moved around, speaking a quiet "armour check" to people individually and working quickly to ensure he didn't get in their way.

Khamlet laughed as the commander mentioned that would be next and made the final checks to ensure the shuttle was ready to go the very moment the order came. It didn’t feel anywhere near as well armed as he would like, but then this was a Federation shuttle so what can you expect? He thought to himself amused and joyous. He felt a light tug on his armour, and he glanced over his shoulder to see a figure he didn’t recognise - a lieutenant commander by the pips - checking the straps. He snorted out a huff of air in something that might sound like consent to the check, though could still be read as a threat - then again with a Klingon what couldn’t? - before he turned back to the console. There was something familiar in a warrior - well Starfleet’s version at least - checking a fellow warrior’s armour before battle which he welcomed.

1

She shifted a lil’ at the sudden tug from Eicran, before similarly glancing back over his shoulder and giving a little nod, “Are we looking good to go so far, Kehal?” She asked idly as the doctor lingered beside the consoles.

1

"She looks just fine to me, Commander." Karavix called out, peeking her head up from where she'd been poking around. "Ready for takeoff."

Moorings being cleared and umbilicals being released made the ship shift in a way he was quite familiar with. Eventide was under way…Kiadras leaned back in his seat and cracked his knuckles, “Here goes, everyone. Now we play the waiting game.”

"Everything looks fine, sir," he replied to Kiadras when he was asked about the amour being checked over. They might have been the same rank, but given that Lt. Cdr. Vrii was from Tactical and this was very much a tactical-oriented mission, he was ready to defer to her and show the correct respect. It was what he was used to after all: listening to someone with tactical acumen calling the shots, while he tried to keep everyone alive be it by hypospray or phaser rifle. Speaking of... The weaponry probably needed checked. No - Tactical would have done that already. He always liked to keep busy and find things to do when he was anxious.

“Alright…” Deep breath in, deep breath out. She tapped her comm badge.

Already loaded up and ready to go. Karavix kept her eyes down, excitement very easily quelled. Years of practice help with that sort of thing.

D’rthrek sat at the rear of the stack, a silent slab of intent. The rifle rode mag-locked along his spine; backup phasers sat balanced at his hips; the tricorder was clipped where his hand would find it without looking. He didn’t fidget. He breathed. He watched. Borg or not, he welcomed the problem. So far they’d been simulations—demanding ones against the borg—and he was ready to meet the real thing for Starfleet.

Kiadras let out a slow breath at the response from the bridge, realizing what they were in for. The Trill lowered his head for a moment and pursed her lips together, “Alright everyone…three members of the away team, that means three members that are priority for quarantine,” He pressed his hands against the console, “And we prepare ourselves for resistance.”

Eicran had been hopeful that the reports of the 'one drone' aboard the cube would mean that things would be okay. For all they knew, the team on the cube could have been 'stuck' there because they were having the best tea party of their lives with said drone. The fact that three officers had been assimilated said otherwise. His optimism wavered, but he held on tight to the facts. There were many other officers aboard who hadn't been assimilated. That was a good sign. Perhaps they had taken down this lone drone before it could get to anyone else... And with any luck, they would have managed to incapacitate their assimilated colleagues too. "I don't suppose we have managed to establish comms with the away team?" He asked from where he had finally taken his seat, bouncing one leg to shake off nervous adrenaline. It was funny how he was socially anxious 24/7 and preferred not to talk, but when it came to gathering information for a field mission then he was more than capable. "It would be good to know the status of those officers, such as if they have been subdued. Reports of any other injuries would be useful, too..."

Kya nodded as she looked over her gear. Letting out a shaky breath. “Prophets. Remember, do not set weapons to kill until we can debrief with the away team and work out how much those three can take.”

“No comms I’m afraid, Kehal…we won’t know what we’re getting ourselves into until we’re there. The cube’s been blocking any attempt to get a frequency through since it fired up,” Kiadras stared out the viewscreen for a moment or two. She was starting to get restless, made obvious by the way her knee was bouncing. She unclipped her harness and stood, making her way back to the weaponry, “We modulate every two shots, if I remember correctly.”

"That is correct there is no communications at this time. However, I am trying every known Subspace band, carrier wave, and any other form of commutation we know to try and get in contact with the away team" Drezoz reported. He had been quiet up until now as he had not felt like his input had been needed. "I will try to maintain communication as we get closer" He added.

1

Immediately Kiadras was in his seat yet again, strapped into the harness and holding his con steady as he and Khamlet began to move forward. Further, further…THUMP. “Tractor beam,” He said, “Get ready, everyone.”

She strapped in with a breath. “Into the realm of the Pah-wraiths we go.” She muttered.

Karavix held her breath, gazing up through the window as they were welcomed into the maw of the beast. "She's beautiful," she said only to herself, breathlessly. Welcoming her prey before threatening to swallow them whole.

Twelve calmly proceeded to loosen their hand phaser in the holster as they also looked out of the window. "Beauty is irrelevant to the Borg." The El-Auran observed then, though she'd initially mulled saying it was irrelevant full stop but, when she considered Art as she'd explored it since re-introduced to it in the cooperative. Well. She considered it relevant.

"Am I not allowed to appreciate the aesthetics of machinery?.." she mumbled to herself, attempting to indicate herself joking around. " I apologize if that was insensitive, Commander."

"You're perfectly permitted to do so." The El-Aurian responded before they looked at Karavix confused. "We are unsure why a apology is needed in this matter, no offense has been caused." Twelve then stated.

Good to know. She could make heart eyes at the borg cube in peace, then!

5

Tavek also couldn’t help but look out the window. He.. he couldn’t lie.. the engineering was impressive. He could admire that. It was very fascinating, even if he knew what lay inside was pure horror. He knew he had info the Borg would love. He knew he could not, by any means, let the Borg get its hands on that information. He knew what he was capable of even in his own mind. The thought of what he could do if he was under the control of something else sickened him. “The machinery is.. impressively efficient.” He said quietly, looking out at it.

Having followed Timi to the runabout, Kairos, again, couldn't help but curiously look around - gaze lingering on the gathered people, looking, evaluating, analyzing. Members of the team, they were. He made sure to mentally note them all down, betraying none of the calculations that were going through the flesh-algorithm bastardization of that brain of his. The cube demanded their attention by taking all of the viewscreen. Kairos regarded it with an acknowledging hum - being that it was his first time seeing a physical one, right there. What intimidating aesthetics. Not that they would deter him from doing his task, really. He'll chew through the cube like a particularly nasty parasite if he has to.

Drthrek tried to respond to the message to them so they wouldn't get shot leaving runabout, who knows what was happening

Khamlet as he was piloting the shuttle softly hummed to himself, his fingers thrumming a rhythm of war, as he felt the blood in him sing as the Cube loomed ahead. That they were willingly letting themselves be tractor-beamed in aggravated him, in his mind they should have destroyed the Cube’s capacity for such actions before entering it, but he was the pilot not the warrior leading the operation.