Star Traks: Banshee "Dark Horizon" By Brad Dusen "Captain's log, stardate 53002.4: Upon our arrival at the regional Section Thirty-One headquarters, we, along with four other ships, have been deployed to patrol the Dominion border. We have been joined by the best that Section Thirty-One has to offer: the Galaxy- Class USS Trojan- excuse me... Commander Burns, stop laughing, it has no relation to the condom!- there we go. The Defiant-Class USS Tempest, the Prometheus- Class USS Adversary, Newman, ugh!, and our new sister ship, the Sovereign-Class USS Tsunami. This is the best we can do? God are we screwed." The senior staff, along with assorted personnel from the other ships, stood on the bridge of the Banshee. "So far, the only Federation loss has been the Coronado, an old Federation ship being used as a freighter. It was set to drop off a shipment of medical supplies to the Fipman colonies, but it was reported destroyed by the patrol ship Traveler." Captain Vorezze said, pointing to the display. "This is ridiculous!" Captain Sohca-Kayo, the Grazerite commander of the USS Tempest, snapped. "This is getting to the point where our most powerful ships are in danger when they do a border patrol. What ships are next? The Prometheus? The Enterprise? The Defiant? The Gorgon?" "Calm down, Captain." Admiral Newman said. "We will figure out something. At this point in time, every outpost within fifty light years is in danger of a Voran attack, but we need to find some way to stop them." "Captain Kayo does raise a good point." Captain Veronica Hunter of the Tsunami added. "Our most powerful ships, possibly even this task force are all vulnerable." "Then we need to act." The bridge doors opened as a small child from the Banshee's civilian population came scampering in. "Excuse me, would you like to buy some cookies?" She asked, holding up a box of girl scout cookies. "NO!" Everyone else said in unison. The girl started crying as she ran off the bridge. "Anyway." Admiral Newman said. "There is a woman aboard a Federation starship that might be able to help, but to reach the ship, we're going to have to install the ultra-transwarp engines on the Banshee." The captain looked glum. "Anyone whose excited, raise their hands." No one. "You will go to the Voyager and beam off the former Borg crewmember named Seven of Nine. We have devised a method of transport that will, when you're done, beam her back the moment she left so she won't even be missed." "Goody." "Captain's log, supplemental: Upon our arrival at starbase 984, aside from the ususal angry mob we find waiting at the air locks, we recieved the upgrade of ultra transwarp engines in the hope that it might be the only hope for this whole thing to end. I will say one thing though, and that is that it seems odd that most starships encounter a major crisis towards the end of the year, only to have it resolved shortly a few days into the next year. Creepy, huh?" "Bridge to main engineering, how are you coming along, Commander?" Vorezze asked, sitting in the command chair. "We're ready to go." Dave said. "Good. Helm, set course bearing 243 mark 002. Vince, cloak the ship." There was a slight buzzing sound as the cloaking system came online. "Course laid in, Captain." "Engage." The Banshee sped off, not knowing if there would be a Federation by the time they got back. A light entered the cell where Dr. Lang had been confined for the past week. The doors parted as Sorinak walked in. "Hello, doctor." Sorinak replied almost cheefully. "I have nothing to say to you." Liz didn't even look at him, his Voran face disgusted her more than ususal. "Ah, the great Doctor Elizibeth Lang. As cold as a Breen winter, some say." Sorinak smiled, then paused. "I'd advise you to cooperate, Doctor. I am not a patient man." "What do you want from me?" "The same thing I sought when I courted you last year." Sorinak smiled. "I want your companionship." "Over my dead body." "That might soon be the idea." Sorinak turned to leave. "As my people say, the weak shall perish. You, and the Federation are both weak. But unlike the Federation, I have no desire to see you perish." Sorinak turned and left. Seven of Nine awoke from her regeneration cycle in her Borg alcove early that morning. She emerged from the alcove and began to leave the cargo bay when she felt a tingle come over her. In a sudden, swirling flash, she appeared in a transporter room, facing a man who she did not know as being on any of the Voyager's crew. A tall man with glasses and a nearly all-black uniform. "Who-" Seven was cut off as the man spoke. "Seven of Nine, I am Captain Jad Vorezze of the Federation starship Banshee." Seven looked around blankly for a moment. "The Borg are familiar with the Banshee. It twarted our attempt to assimilate the Federation. But how did I get here?" "We were assigned to bring you to the Alpha Quadrant. We are in desperate need of your help." "What is going on?" Seven asked, ignoring the whole thought of the Banshee hauling Voyager home as well. "An alien government in the Beta Quadrant has allied themselves with an adversary that only you have been able to defeat. Species 8472." Seven cringed at the thought of Species 8472 again. "What is it that you need me to do?" "We have to find a way to defeat Species 8472 and their Voran allies. We knew that you might have the knowledge to help us." "And why should I?" Seven asked definitively. "Because if you don't, there might not be a Federation for Voyager to come home to." The bridge was quiet as Voyager sped alongside the cloaked Banshee. "You know, Captain," Charlotte glanced over to Velorn, "I really should be sitting in that chair." "That is not what the captain wished." Velorn turned from the command chair. "He specifically gave me command of the ship when he went to the transporter room." "But I'm the first officer!" "And I outrank you, Commander." Velorn almost smiled. "You cocky Vulcan bastard!" Charlotte stood up. "Give me command!" She lunged at Velorn, knocking him out of the chair. The two began rolling around on the floor. Captain Vorezze and Seven walked onto the bridge, finding Charlotte and Velorn rolling around on the floor, their bodies heaving in some way. "Get a room!" Jad shouted. "I specifically told you people that it is not appropriate to be doing that on the bridge... unless no one's looking." "Oh, um, captain!" Charlotte looked up, her neck covered in bruises from failed Vulcan neck pinches. "Velorn and I were, uhh, just debating on who is in command." Charlotte smiled as she sat back in her chair. "This crew is less disciplined than most of the Maquis crewmembers on Voyager." "I'll say." Vorezze muttered. "Set a course back to the Alpha Quadrant and engage." Sorinak walked back into Dr. Lang's cell. "You can't be expected to remain in here forever, now can you?" "I can try." Liz retorted. "Come, you need food." Sorinak escorted Liz out of her cell and into the hallways. The halls of the Sivax were impressive, to say the least. They looked a little like the ones on Defiant- Class starships; roomy and comfortable but not too hotel like. "Why are you doing this?" Liz asked. "Why do you have the need to destroy the Federation." "To make you pay for what you've done to us." Sorinak turned and said bitterly. "When we first came here, we wanted nothing more than to be a functional part of the galactic community. But the Humanoid majority of the population ridiculed our appearance. They said that our women were so ugly that it really would be a crime to rape them. They ridiculed us and drove us into hiding on Voran until we had the technology to build a vast imperium. Now, we will make a name for ourselves." "You already have." Liz interrupted. "But why the Federation." "Because no other power seems as cocky as you." "Look in a mirror!" Liz shouted. "A truely great government knows that true power comes from their ability to make peace, not war." "Whoever said that undoubtably living in a remote part of a planet because he is wanted by a government." Sorinak muttered. "The Federation wants peace with the Vorans. We only want peaceful coexistence." Liz pleaded. Sorinak glared at Liz. "The Federation is weak. The weak shall perish." "You sick, demented BASTARD!" Liz screamed. "Only by your standards." Sorinak walked away. "My god." Captain Vorezze stared in horror at what the viewer displayed. "Starbase 984. It's... gone!" Charlotte gasped. The massive space station complex, a type similar to the Regula I complex, was now nothing more than a field of debris in space. "Sir, there is a ship approaching. It's the Tsunami." Vince said. "Hail them." Captain Hunter appeared on the viewer, a grim look on her face. "Welcome back, Banshee." She said. "The Vorans?" "Several Species 8472 bioships came out of a nearby quantum singularity and blasted the station apart." Hunter said. "The Tsunami was too far away to help." Seven of Nine and Cmdr. Tagel emerged from the turbolift. "Captain, we're in business." Axik gave a smile. "We have a weapon." "What is it?" "We have found a way to kill off the Species 8472 reinforcements." Captain Vorezze turned the the viewer. "Get the other ships of the task force here. We should end this asap." "There's a novel idea. Tsunami out." "Doctor..." A voice called, waking Liz from a light doze. "Wha..?" She called out. "Shh..." A figure entered her cell. "Who?" "It's Captain Jevon." The Voran appeared in the dim patch of lighting. "What do you want?" "I want to help you." Jevon said. "This is a joke, right?" "No." Jevon shook his head. "I never believed in the Voran view of purging the galaxy." "Well good for you." Liz paused. "I think." "The Federation is due to strike at any time, and when they do, I will do everything in my power to return you to them." "How noble. Just try not to blow too many things up in the meantime." "I'm not longer in control of this ship. Until this war ends, Sorinak is." "Just what IS going on. I thought the Vorans and Species 8472 were at war." "We were. The Sivax was nearly destroyed, but Sorinak got the Homedwellers to agree that conquest of Empty Space would be good for our society. There's only so much room in Fluidic Space and we were getting claustro- phobic." "Poor you." "Just be ready to move when the fighting starts." Jevon walked out of the cell. "It was so simple that it seemed odd that I would miss it." Seven said as she stood in the observation lounge. "Species 8472 exists in Fluidic Space. In such a dimension, the pressure caused by the fluid around it would be many times greater than that of the bottom of an ocean." Seven drew up a diagram on the viewer. "This is a cross section of the quantum singularities that they use as gatesways to our space. When passing through them, it alters their molecular structure to endure the sudden drop in pressure. Without it, they would explode, much as a fish from the bottom of an ocean would if taken to the surface." "So we've developed a way to reverse this process." Axik said. "Not only would it stop the quantum singularities from bracing them, but it would send out a subspace shockwave to destroy all Species 8472 bioships throughout the entire Beta Quadrant." "Good work." Jad paused. "It really is so rare that I say that." "The only problem is the way to do it." Axik said. "It would take two high powered beams from identical deflector dishes, the Banshee's and the Tsunami's, fired at any quantum singularity and a photon torpedo from another craft, one that's extremely close to do it." "An assault fighter." Jad nodded. "We've never used them, no now's a good time." "What sucker are we going to get to fly that fighter?" Ben asked. "I nominate Ben." Vince grinned. "Who seconds it." Everyone else raised their hands. It was later that night and Seven of Nine stood in a makeshift regeneration alcove that Commander Riley had made out of a spare turbolift car. Captain Vorezze walked up to her. Seven promptly opened her eyes. "I can tell that you're incredibly frightenend." Jad said. "The Borg do not experience fear." Seven quipped. "Because the Borg have nothing TO fear." Jad added. "Nothing, that is, except Species 8472." Seven paused. "They are the only force that the Collective does not understand." "I've dealt with the Vorans before, but Species 8472 is different. They're more savage, mysterious, animalistic." "They were dealt with. Resistance was not futile for them for long. We have a weapon." "But they can still fight back before the Borg get the chance to use that weapon." Vorezze added. "What is the point of this coversation?" Seven asked. "Nothing much." Vorezze shrugged. "I just wanted to see if the Borg had fear." "We do not." Jad paused. "Perhaps they should." "Sir." Captain Jevon walked up to Sorinak on the bridge of the Sivax. "There are five Federation starship approaching. Two Sovereign, a Prometheus, a Galaxy and a Defiant-Class." "They are no match for our Homedweller escort ships." Sorinak laughed, watching the five ships on the viewer. "Red alert, all hands to battle stations." Vorezze said as he sat down. "Deploy the Dragon." They watched on the viewer as the Dragon, one of their ten Peregrine-Class assault fighters, slid out of the Banshee's main shuttlebay. "The Tsunami is ready." "Sir, the Sivax and three bioships are directly ahead." "The Trojan's covering you, go on in!" Jad shouted. Charlotte fell to the floor, laughing. Jad shook his head. "Be careful, Ben." "The singularity is in sight." "Fire." The Banshee and the Tsunami sent out a continuous blue wave into a nearby quantum singularity. The Adversary and the Tempest charged forward as the Trojan escorted Ben's fighter safely through the stream of bioships that came spewing from the quantum singularity. Ben pitched the Dragon hard to port as a bioship came at him, weapons blazing. "Captain, this might be the adrenaline talking," Ben said into his communicator, "but I REALLY hate you right now." "The feeling is mutual." Jad said. The Trojan pivoted around, firing on passing bioships with no effect. All it could really do was hope to draw their fire. Captain Jevon walked into the Sivax's main engin- eering. He began tapping the controls, accessing all his command codes. "What are you doing, sir?" The chief engineer asked. "That's none of your concern." Jevon said. "You're accessing the self-destruct controls! I think it is my concern." "I'm the captain, I can do what I want!" "Yes sir." Sorinak looked at the raging battle with growing pleasure. The finest of the Federation was waging a hopeless battle. "Warning, self destruct in five minutes." The computer recited. "What!?" Sorinak bellowed. "Someone activated the ship's self destruct sequence!" A bridge officer shouted. "I can't access it. We have to evacuate." "Get my private shuttle ready!" Sorinak said in rage, turning and storming off the bridge. "Hurry, doctor!" Jevon said as he ran into Dr. Lang's cell. "We have five minutes before this ship explodes." "Where are we going?" Liz asked as Jevon grabbed her arm and dragged her into the hallway. "The flight bay." The Banshee rocked as it received more and more fire from the passing bioships. "Sir, we can't take much more of this!" Axik warned. "Ben has to fire that torpedo soon!" The Adversary suddenly burst apart. "Oh my god!" Jad stood up. "They killed Newman!" "Thank you!" Charlotte called out. "We're ready!" Ben said over the comm." "Do it!" The Dragon fired a torpedo forward, crashing against the quantum singularity and sending out a bright shockwave that blasted apart the bioships. Sorinak watched in horror out his shuttle window as the singularity faded from existance. "This can't be good." "I think I speak for everyone sir," His assistant, Teknav, said, "when I say 'no shit!'" The Mahr was waiting in the flight bay as Jevon practically shoved Liz inside. "Can I ask why?" Liz asked. "Call it sympathy." Jevon said. Liz got in and lifted off. "Sir, the Mahr is emerging from the Sivax." Vince said. "Tractor it in and get us out of here." After a few moments, Liz arrived on the bridge. "It's over." Liz said. It was, when the Sivax vanished in a flash of light. "Captain's log, stardate 53017.1: The Voran crisis is over. With the loss of any ability of Species 8472 being able to enter the Beta Quadrant, the Vorans have retreated back to their own space. At long last, we are at peace." "Thank you for your help." Captain Vorezze smiled as Seven stepped up onto the transporter pad. "But you do realize that you will be transported back without any knowledge of what has just happened." "I know." Seven said. "Think about it this way:" Vorezze smiled, "The Borg don't have much to fear anymore." He looked to transporter chief Cellis. "Energize." Seven vanished back to Voyager. Dr. Lang sat in the Twilight Zone, staring out the massive windows as the stars streaked by in transwarp. "What's wrong?" Jad asked, sitting down next to Liz. "We all think that this is over." Liz said. "But there was something that Sorinak said to me while I was a captive that I find disturbing." "What did he say?" "He said 'No matter what happens, the Vorans will not rest until the Federation is in ruins.'" "Bastard." Jad grumbled. The Banshee flew off, the horizon darker than ever before. NEXT: The Borg are back and taking Vince with them. Does Vince have those nightmares like Picard? What does a piece of used Borg technology have to do with it? Do the Borg have a grudge against Species 8472? Find out this and more.