Silence of the Lambs

Ensign George Black lifted his lacerated head from the battered deck.  He was unprepared for the explosion that blasted him from his station and therefore defenseless to prevent the loads of shrapnel that mutilated his body.  Straining to rise from the floor, Black noticed he could no longer see out of his right eye, or feel anything below his right shoulder.

Scanning the bridge, Black could tell that the first volley from the Borg cube succeeded in significantly damaging the Ahwahnee.

“Status report!” screamed Colonel Nakencha.

Black felt that Nakencha was an inappropriate choice for command.  Even though s/he was the second officer aboard the Ahwahnee, it was a marine; an outsider.  It should be commanding some archaic ground assault team, not a starship.

“We still have propulsion and weapons.  Shields are inoperative and life support is holding at forty-two percent,” replied Brax, the Bolian tactical officer.

“Tactical analysis?”

“I suggest we join the Yamaguchi in assaulting the port…”

“Forgive me Brax; I was not talking to you.”

“Sir?”

“Xindekar, your opinion please.”

“Shuzo, I recommend total neutralization of the Ahwahnee.  The cube only seems to attack those that pose a threat.”

Ensign Black noticed Nakencha give Brax a dissatisfied look over hir shoulder.  “So you’re saying had we not fired at them, they would not have knocked out our shields.”

“That’s correct, Captain.”

Black flinched.  Nakencha was many things and captain was not one of them.  How could Captain Mitchel put hir in charge?

“Understood.  Power down weapons, propulsion, everything.  Remove us completely from their hostile target list.”

“Sir, I protest, this is suicide.  We would be defenseless.”

“Brax, your protest is noted; as for being defenseless, the entire fleet is.  We are tactically unprepared to face this threat.”

Black had held his tongue long enough.  “Sir, if we don’t do something, the Borg will reach Earth!”

Ignoring the bridge crew’s protests, Nakencha continued with his orders.  “Xindekar, status report.”

“The cube is still targeting us but passively.  From the reports I’m receiving from the fleet, we are now being targeted for assimilation.”

As if on command, the Ahwahnee vibrated.  “Sir, the cube has targeted us with a tractor beam.”

“From this distance?” asked Black.

“It appears that we are correct that Starfleet is outmatched.”

“Now you can’t…” Black started to protest.

“Ensign, that is enough.”

“Sir, we have reports of unauthorized transports throughout the ship,” Brax reported.

“Xindekar?”

“We need to neutralize all life signs.  As long as the Borg see the crew as viable assimilation targets, they will continue their assault.”

“Recommendations?”

The remaining bridge crew stared blankly at Nakencha.

“No one?  Fine.  Computer, activate Nakencha program omega 6-4-gamma.”

“Acknowledged,” came the cold response of the ship’s computer.  “Confirm command order.”

“Axanar 2252.”

“What are you doing?” Brax demanded as the bridge and the entire ship began to fill with gas.

Ensign Black felt his flesh began to tingle.  Using his good eye to look at a computer terminal, his mouth dropped with shock; Nakencha was flooding the Ahwahnee with deadly delta radiation.

“That’s your plan?  Kill us all!” Black protested.

“Xindekar, status?”

“Internal sensors show that the Borg are withdrawing.  They do not appear to be interested in damaged goods.  It looks like we might jus…”

“Xindekar?  Lieutenant, report!”

The com crackled and suddenly cleared.  “We are the Borg.  Resistance is futile; your technological and…”

“The next thing I remember is being awakened aboard the Endeavor.  No arm, no eye, and no ship.”

“And you blame Colonel Nakencha for this.”

“S/He committed treason and tried to kill his crew.  S/He went unpunished.  In my opinion I am bringing a known criminal and terrorist to justice.”

“According to hir personnel file, s/he received an official reprimand and the charges you mentioned dropped.  You cannot detain hir based on what you’ve just told me.”

“It was a goddamn show trial.  You’d think s/he was a fucking James T. Kirk.  No!  I am commander of this station and I am in charge of the well-being of its inhabitants.  I say s/he is a criminal.  S/he was in that corridor; s/he started that riot.  S/he is a terrorist and the Federation has a very strict policy on terrorism.”

“You don’t have any proof and we'll release hir.  As security chief aboard this station, I have authority over that.  You may prevent Colonel Nakencha from leaving the station but without any hard evidence you cannot continue to hold hir prisoner.”

“You want proof.  Here is your proof!” Black tossed an antique data card at Chief Davies.  “That was confiscated from hir.”

“What’s this?”

“It is an encrypted data card.  It contains all the proof you need that Nakencha is a terrorist.”

“And may I ask who s/he a terrorist is for?”

“The Bartokians, who else?  I bet you the entire Axanar government are allied with them.  It wouldn’t be the first time that group of reptiles have rebelled.  I stake my rank that other nations are in it too.  We are looking at a civil war.  Cardassians, Romulans, Klingons, Ferengi, Andorians, Katarians; the list goes on and on.  The Federation has filled itself with weak, uncivilized cultures.  The Federation needs purification and the only way to do it is to eliminate these terrorist nations.”

“You’re talking like a dictator.  The Federation is not an empire seeking to dominate the galaxy.”

“I’m not talking about dominating the galaxy or creating an empire where these cultures are subject worlds.  I’m talking about a complete social reformation of the Federation.  A policy of zero tolerance is needed to protect the Federation and its citizens.  You’re a law enforcer; you must understand.”

“I uphold the laws of the Federation, this is true, and right now the law requires me to release Colonel Nakencha.  When the law changes that contradicts that, I will obey it.  As your friend I will look at this proof of yours; however do me a favor and see Doc.  You are a bit overstressed with this Bartokian situation and it may be affecting your command judgment.”

Black laughed, reassured, scratching his temple above his artificial eye.  “I’m sorry; perhaps your right.  I have been working too hard.  I will see Doc first right away.  Please let me know what you find on that disk.  When do you estimate that the Bartokian detainees will be processed and released?”

“Captain Dains says that he and his JAG officers will have completed their screenings and will be ready to deport them back to Bartok within the next forty-eight hours.  Of course that depends on whether or not war is declared.”

“I’ll make a point to check in with him on his progress.”

“After you’ve seen Doc and got some rest.”