Star Trek: Earth Strike
Episode 7: Behemoth
The flotilla of Starfleet vessels dispersed amongst the attacking fleet. Picard had determined that a close formation would prove too much of a liability against the outnumbering foe. The ships phasar banks and torpedo tubes belched forth their deadly beams and
missiles, picking out the fighter sized vessels, most often to splash against the alien defences, but occasionally breaking through to obliterate the enemy. Against the larger alien vessels all of the Enterprises weapons seemed ineffective.
Two Stardock tugs, incongruously named Daisy and Dotty worked together, using their powerful tractor beams to lock onto one alien ship after another and physically pull them apart. A pleasure yacht, of Earth registry though not Starfleet, simply dived straight through alien formations at full impulse, forcing them to move aside and reposition. Again and again it shot through until one of the alien ships didn�t move fast enough and both yacht and alien were destroyed in the collision.
Another and another and yet another of the Borg ships exploded under the rain of fire coming from the cloud of alien ships. The cubes were in constant motion now as they sought to maintain the integrity of the shield with which they protected the Earth. Several of the Borg cubes either by design or chance managed to concentrate their fire and destroy one of the larger alien vessels.
A Starfleet ore freighter, weaponless, used its shields as the only asset it had, putting itself between the fire from alien ships and one of the Borg cubes. The cube took advantage of the momentary respite afforded it to destroy the vessel now blasting the freighter. The freighter moved on to another point and the ad hoc partnership resulted in the death of another alien ship. On the third attempt, however, the freighter's shields overloaded and imploded. Minutes later the Borg cube joined it�s erstwhile partner as it too was destroyed.
It was clear, however, that the small amount of damage the Starfleet flotilla was able to inflict would not be enough to turn the tide of the battle. A squadron of the alien fighters, apparently receiving new orders, broke off their attack on the cubes and began to seek out the Starfleet ships.
The Enterprise began to take damage now, not only from fire directed at it but absorbing shockwaves and shrapnel blasts from the general conflagration that blazed around them. The ship's deflector shields crackled constantly as they sought to protect their charge from the debris left from destroyed vessels.
The viewscreen was split into several windows now, showing different views of the battle relayed from other ships or extrapolated from sensor data, or tactical schematics. The images blurred, froze and snowed over as sensors and communications were disrupted by the firefight. Picard clutched the armrests of the command chair as the deck shuddered and jerked beneath them. He barked orders at the crew urging them to surpass themselves in the task before them.
�Fire all weapons!� Picard demanded.
More of the Borg cubes exploded or disintegrated under the unrelenting attack of the aliens. The shield with which they enveloped the Earth changed shape constantly now as more and more of the nodes disappeared, flickering and growing thinner as it did so. Eventually there were only eight of the Borg cubes left and the shield had become a tenuous, ghostly reflection of its progenitors.
�Signal Starfleet ships to regroup at Lagrange Two.� Picard ordered reluctantly, forced to admit that a new tactic would have to be developed if they stood any chance of winning against this powerful and aggressive fleet. The alien squadron seeking them out returned to attacking the Borg as it became clear they were in retreat.
Abruptly the green shield flared and snapped off completely as all the remaining cubes abandoned their positions. The Borg raced to converge on a position at a tangent to the main attack. A close up view of the Borg formation showed the ships moving closer together until they actually came into contact with each other, forming a kind of �supercube�. Conduits and cables snaked across the face of the supercube until in moments it was impossible to tell where the lesser cubes were joined
The alien fire still burst and splashed upon the huge Borg vessel, even though it seemed to be taking a course of retreat. As the bridgecrew of the Enterprise watched a transwarp rift opened up ahead of the supercube's flight path. Three of the larger alien vessels combined their firepower to produce a tremendous beam of energy that struck out and sheared off a large corner of the Borg behemoth. Every weapon port on the surface of the supercube responded with a concentrated barrage directed at one of the three alien ships producing the deadly beam. The alien ships' shields shone brightly as it sought to absorb the energy, then collapsed. The alien ship was blown apart and the other two of the triad staggered, but not disabled; the beam, however was disrupted.
�Sir, we are being hailed by the Borg!� Worf said as the supercube approached the transwarp conduit opening.
�On screen.� Ordered Picard.
�Audio only.� Worf clarified.
�Let�s hear it.�
�SPECIES 8472 MUST BE DESTROYED.� The quasi-mechanical voice of the Borg Collective said.
�That�s all.� Worf informed them as the huge Borg cube disappeared into the transwarp conduit, closing the opening behind it.
�At least we have a name for the aliens now.� Stated Data.
�Species 8472...catchy...� Sneered Worf.
�I find myself in agreement with the Borg,� said Spock gravely, �species 8472 must be destroyed.�
�Any ideas how?� Picard asked quietly.
�No...but maybe they have.� Said ensign J�Fwaal from the Ops observation position, pointing at the new presence that had just manifested itself on the viewscreen.
