Fic: "For the Sake of One (You)," Chapter 12, TVXQ/DBSK/Tohoshinki
Beta: ligerliger
Rating: R/NC-17 later
Summary: Captain Jung Yunho of the USS Valiant wants nothing more than to take his ship out into deep space and leave the memories of Earth behind; however, when he and his crew come across a destroyed Borg cube and a drone in need of help, he finds himself battling old demons and unexpected emotions. In the end, it’s the drone, struggling to remember what it means to be human, who teaches him about forgiveness, healing and maybe even love.
Warnings: Violence and language. I just wanted to write a story about the Borg. OTL Fic takes place in the TNG/DS9/VOY-era.
chapter one | chapter two | chapter three | side story one | chapter four | chapter five | chapter six | chapter seven | chapter eight | chapter nine | chapter ten | side story two | chapter eleven | chapter twelve | chapter thirteen | chapter fourteen
Chapter 12: Assault
"Report!" Yunho ordered sharply as he strolled onto the bridge.
Yuri turned around at her station to give Yunho a worried look.
"We're being followed, Captain," she said, a slight edge to her voice.
"Explain."
Jinki rose from his station at ops and handed Yunho a PADD with the details of their latest scans.
"We've picked up traces of warp particles that aren't our own. When we did a more thorough scan of space, we found that a ship -" his voice faltered a moment before he was able to continue, "a cube-shaped ship has been shadowing us from about 50,000 kilometers away for the past 18 hours."
"Are you sure they're trailing us?"
"Yes," Yuri spoke up. "We've made subtle changes to our flight path and they've matched each one perfectly."
Yunho flipped through the information on the PADD in worry. If this was another run in with the Collective, even with Jaejoong's help, there was little chance they'd survive it. The Borg adapted; it was their greatest strength. Each time they faced them, they were stronger, more responsive. Soon, it would take more than a disenfranchised drone and clever tricks to defeat them.
"All stop, sir?" Yuri asked, interrupting his thoughts.
"No," he replied. "Steady as she goes, Lieutenant. Yellow alert." He tapped at his badge. "Cmdrs. Changmin and Park, report to my ready room."
He grabbed the reports and went to his office located directly off the bridge. Changmin entered a few minutes later, only the arch of an eyebrow revealing his curiosity. Yoochun entered moments later, still dressed in his civilian date clothes.
"My dear doctor has sobered up enough to tell me everything he loves about my hair. He plans on moving to my face next, so can we hurry this up?"
Yunho made a mental note to send his first officer some literature on sexual harassment in the workplace.
"The Borg have been trailing us since yesterday afternoon," he said, as he tapped at the display screen on the wall of his ready room. The flight path of the Valiant was projected followed by the path of the cube that was shadowing it. Yoochun's brow furrowed as he studied the screen.
"How long have we known?" he asked, his tone all business.
"Our scanners just picked it up."
Yoochun stood and turned to face Yunho. "This is getting fucking eerie. This is what? ... The third time we've ran into them?"
"Fourth," Changmin interrupted. "If you count our initial encounter with Jaejoong's cube."
"Either way, that's four times as many encounters that anyone has ever survived," Yoochun said, voice tight. "I'd say we were lucky, but I think that's being too generous."
Yunho didn’t answer, instead watching the screens that showed the massive cube less than a light year away. It didn’t make any sense. The Borg didn’t hide and they didn't sneak around. They simply took. The fact that they weren’t was proving to be unnerving.
"What are they waiting for?" he wondered aloud. "Why aren't they chasing us down, assimilating us?”
"Maybe they want us to lead them to Federation space?" Yoochun offered. "Following us in would be easier than blasting through our defenses."
"Following us would be a waste of their time and energy," Changmin replied. "They could easily assimilate us and get that information."
"Well, then what do you think, smarty-pants?"
"We've destroyed and evaded two Borg cubes in a matter of months," Changmin said easily. "That feat is unheard of. They could be hesitant to engage us directly."
“Doubt it,” Yunho answered. “We’ve barely destroyed and evaded two Borg cubes and we had a lot of help with the last one. Both times, however, we heard nothing from them afterward. Why are they following us now? What's changed?"
After a moment's thought, Changmin turned and looked at him steadily. "We are returning to Earth."
"I just said that," Yoochun groused.
Changmin shook his head. "You misunderstand. They don't wish to follow us there. They wish to keep us from arriving."
"Why would they care?"
“I do not know for sure,” Changmin replied. “However, it would be in their best interest to stop us. We cannot deny that our run-ins with the Borg during this mission have given us a great tactical advantage. We've gained a wealth of knowledge that would serve the Federation well if they ever sought to engage the Borg in the future.”
Yunho's blood ran cold. "And how would the Collective know that?"
"There are multiple ways. They could have jumped to that conclusion upon noticing our change of course back to Federation space, they could have tapped our communication with Starfleet Headquarters or ..." Changmin frowned, quite illogically.
"Or?" Yunho prodded.
"Jaejoong could be telling them," Yoochun finished for him.
Heechul's fears of Jaejoong's betrayal replayed in Yunho's mind. "No," he said immediately. "He wouldn't do that. He's too invested in the welfare of this ship to sell us out like that."
"He may not be aware he's doing it," Yoochun said. "We know he can still hear them at times. Why wouldn't they be able to hear him, as well?"
"It still doesn't make any sense. Why now? Why wouldn't they have heard him before?"
Changmin shrugged. "I do not know; I just know that considering Jaejoong's ... past, he is the most logical source of our leak."
Yoochun frowned. "If that's the case, we have to separate him from the rest of the crew. If we don't, any move we make will be broadcast right to the Borg."
Yunho glared at him. "We can't lock him away. He nearly had a mental breakdown the first time we did that."
"What else can we do? We leave him out to interact with the crew, to interact with you, we put the whole ship at risk."
"We wouldn't have to lock him in the brig again," Changmin offered. "He could simply be confined to his quarters."
"Where we lock him up is not the problem, Changmin."
"Captain, there is no other option; we have to isolate him."
Yoochun grabbed one of the PADDs and tapped at the screens. "There's a nebula nearby we could hide in. We can try and lose them there, and once we have, we can give him limited access to the ship and the crew."
"You know the second we go to warp to escape them, they'll realize we've found them out," Yunho said.
"Then we better fly fast."
Yunho scowled as he realized that this was their best plan of action. He didn't want to seclude Jaejoong for any period of time, but he had to protect his crew, even if that meant protecting them from themselves. "He'll hate me for it."
"If Borgy is anything, he's practical," Yoochun replied. "He'll understand."
"How long do you think it would take?"
Yoochun shrugged. "A day or two, if we're lucky."
"You just said luck would be too generous."
"Assuming we'll survive this week is being too generous," Yoochun replied. "But, I'm in a generous mood." He dropped the PADD back onto the table and stretched his arms over his head. "It's the only thing we can do, Captain. Go tell your boyfriend he's under house arrest."
+++
Not surprisingly, Jaejoong had not taken the news of their plan well.
"You're ... you're locking us away again?" he asked, panicked. "We had a deal. We'd be Human and you'd let us be free."
"Jaejoong, it's just a precaution," Yunho comforted. Jaejoong was still in bed, but he had at least found the steadiness to sit up. His fear made his gaze sharper and more lucid than before, and Yunho sat on the edge of the bed to hold his hand. "You're not being locked up. It's only until we figure out how the Borg are tracking us."
"You are being foolish. If the Collective has decided to pursue the ship, you'll need our help. We should be on the bridge."
"That wouldn't be wise. You're still not completely sober."
"We can help you outrun them. We can -"
"Jaejoong," Yunho interrupted, voice firm. "The Borg are following us, and we think you're the reason why. We think ... we think they've found a way to use you to listen in on us."
The accusation hung unspoken in the air, but Jaejoong picked up on it regardless.
"We wouldn't!" Jaejoong insisted. "We'd never tell them anything."
"I know." Yunho placed a gentle hand on Jaejoong's forearm. "But we have to make sure no one is able to ... hack you. You have to stay here. For your sake and all of ours."
"Captain," Yuri spoke through the comm. "The cube has gained speed and is closing the distance between us."
"I'm on my way." He met Jaejoong's gaze as he sat, alone in his room, which suddenly felt more stark and empty than it ever had before. "Can I trust you, Jaejoong? Will you stay here for me?"
Jaejoong knew he couldn't promise that. He knew that if it came down to it, he'd go down into the engine room and power the ship by hand to get them away.
But, he wouldn't be stupid enough to tell Yunho that.
"I'll do whatever will keep us safe," he answered softly.
Yunho gave him a shaky smile in gratitude. "Good," he said, giving Jaejoong's hand a squeeze. "Thank you. It won't be permanent, I promise." He rose from the bed and Jaejoong watched him nod to the security officer stationed outside his room before the doors whooshed closed.
+++
"Lt. Kwon," Yunho said, taking his place in the captain's seat. "It's time to lose our shadow. Prepare for warp 9, any heading."
"Aye, sir," Yuri replied. The crew could hear the quiet whir of the engines as they powered up.
Going to warp would let the Borg know they'd been spotted. It'd lure them into a more direct confrontation. Yunho swallowed. He wasn't ready for this. The ship nor his crew was ready for this, but they'd never be fully ready to take on the Borg. There was no use delaying it.
"Engage," he ordered.
The Valiant hummed as the engines reached full power. A moment later, the stars on the view screen became nothing more than long streaks of light as the ship zoomed forward.
“The cube has followed us into warp, sir," Jinki announced. He didn't sound at all surprised.
"Let me know when they're close enough to put a lock on us." He swiveled his chair around to get a good look at the tactical station. "Changmin, I want all available power in our shields. Don't give them a chance to adapt."
The Vulcan nodded, but didn't take his eyes off the information streaming across his monitor screens. "Shields are at 100 percent, Captain. Our weapons are charged and ready to go, as well."
"Captain," Jinki said, "the cube is in visual range."
"Put it on screen." The view screen flickered before revealing the image of a cube steadily gaining on them. It was the largest Borg cube Yunho had ever seen in his life, a massive thing that flew with a speed that was beyond any and all rules of physics Yunho knew.
"They're locking phasers, Captain," Yuri informed him.
"Evasive maneuvers," he ordered. He looked back up at the nearly asteroid-sized thing chasing them. "Their huge size is a weakness, Lieutenant. Let's take advantage of it."
The young officer nodded and tightened her grip on the controls. The ship zipped away, dropping down underneath the flight path of the cube. With ease, the more-nimble Valiant turned away from the cube and took off in the opposite direction.
"Well done," he said with a cautious smile.
For a few precious seconds, the cube grew smaller as it continued moving away from the small vessel. It didn't take long, however, for it to alter course and resume its pursuit. A photon blast shot from the cube's face, and a moment later, a shockwave shook the ship.
"They're firing at us," Changmin reported. "Shields are at 90 percent and holding."
"Fire back, Commander."
The bridge crew watched as the Valiant's phasers shot uselessly behind them. The blasts were absorbed and deflected off the cube's shield's like water off a fast moving car.
"No effect," Changmin informed him.
"Captain, they'll be in range to get a lock on us in 30 seconds," Jinki spoke up.
"Give the engines all they've got, Lt. Kwon. Fastest possible speed."
Yunho could hear the humming of the engines and the trill of the deck as the ship prepared its burst of speed. But, shortly before the engines were able to take off, a well-aimed photon blast nearly knocked them out of warp.
He was thrown from his seat as the ship recoiled out of control. As he was tossed to the floor, he realized just how damned he was. It was happening all over again. Wolf 359. The run-in with the cube only a two weeks before. He'd escaped death twice. It would be too much to hope he'd survive the Borg again.
"Humans are so naive!" Jaejoong's scolding echoed in Yunho's head as he fought to keep from vomiting on the unsteady deck. If only he had paid more attention to him.
You're right, Jaejoong, he thought regretfully. We are. And I'm so sorry we dragged you down with us.
+++
Decks away in his quarters, Jaejoong paced on shaky legs.
It wasn't enough. Whatever was happening on the bridge, whatever plan Yunho and his crew had come up with wouldn't be enough. Jaejoong could tell from the shudder of the ship's deck as it struggled to escape the pull that had it captured. And, of course, from the whispers of the Collective that'd begun to seep into his consciousness.
Disable vessel. Lower shields. Board ship and assimilate.
Jaejoong had gone through this many thousands of times before. He still remembered the last hours of hundreds of ships before this one. First a lock, then beam on board and, finally, began assimilation. It didn't matter which was taken first - the crew or the ship. The Borg would get it all in the end.
A violent shake, larger than any of the other previous shockwaves that had ripped through the ship, tossed him to the ground and he struggled to keep from dry heaving.
The Borg would get Yunho. A protective anger roiled through him. Yunho, who'd - even in his anger - had never actively hurt him. Who cared for his crew. Who wanted to be happy. Who wanted nothing more than to forget what the Borg were and the evil they wrought.
He pictured his captain, warm and smiling at him over breakfast, holding his hand on the holographic beach, teaching him how to kiss in the empty holodeck. Yunho's survival was important - vital - to him. They had no right to hurt him.
And how dare they even try. They'd already taken so much from him: his parents, his siblings, his childhood, his humanity. He wouldn't allow them to take Yunho, too.
Other faces came unbidden to his mind's eye. The annoyed scowl of Cmdr. Park. The caring voice of the doctor. The steady and stoic presence of the Vulcan, who - besides Yunho - Jaejoong had found the easiest to relate to. The nervous, young ensign whom he reported to in the labs. The pretty helmsman who had never spoken to him, but who always smiled so kindly when she saw him in the corridors. Yunho's crew. His crew. The Borg had no right to touch any of them.
He'd acted before he'd even realized it, jamming his assimilation tubules into the panel near his locked door, blowing out the mechanism that kept him bolted in. The officer assigned to keep watch over him - barely out of the Academy if Jaejoong was to venture a guess - stood, phaser high to stop him.
"Stay in your quarters," he ordered, albeit with a tremor in his voice.
"We have to help the captain," he explained.
"You were ordered to remain here. Go back or I'll stun you."
There was no time for this foolishness. Ignoring the command, Jaejoong disabled and knocked the other man to the ground. It took longer than it should have due to his aching head and dizzying vision. Fumbling fingers pressed sharply against two nerves in the officer's neck and caught him as he collapsed to the ground. He took his phaser and quickly sped off down the corridor to Yunho.
+++
When the turbolift doors opened to reveal the smoking, chaotic bridge, Jaejoong shuddered at how familiar the scene before him was. It was nearly identical to what he had seen on the holodeck with Yunho as he tried over and over to recreate the final moments of the USS Kyushu.
"Yunho!" he shouted, disoriented and lost in the confusion. He could hear the panicked voices of the bridge crew as they shouted their reports.
Shields are at 43 percent!
They've got a lock on us, Captain! We can't break away.
Casualties are coming in from decks two through five, and hull breaches have been reported on deck four.
"Yunho!" he repeated, voice lost in commotion of the bridge. His eyes stung from acrid smoke and his voice rasped against his stinging throat. The electrical system must have gotten fried and blown out the power panels running through the bulkhead of the bridge. That or something was on fire.
"Jaejoong!" he heard Yunho call over the ruckus. "I gave you a specific order-"
"Yunho!" he interrupted. He could still hear the Collective. Their plans and orders. There was no time for anger, no time for scoldings. Drones would soon beam aboard the ship to begin assimilating the crew of the Valiant one by one. That is, if the small vessel didn't pull itself apart trying to escape before then. "Just tell me what to do!" he called out.
"Shields!" Yoochun screamed out the order. "Get to shields now. Get their lock off us!"
He felt his way to the tactical station, where Changmin furiously tapped at his screens. Except for the sheen of sweat on his face and his battle-mussed hair, he looked as calm and collected as he ever did.
"Lt. Cmdr. Changmin, tell us what to do."
"Are you able to repeat what you did last time we encountered them?" Changmin asked, eyes never looking away from his work. "Repower our shields so we can break free from their tractor beam?"
"We can try."
Changmin nodded his assent and Jaejoong reached out to insert his tubules into the tactical station and assessed the state of the ship. A trickle of fear pooled in his belly as he realized this situation was far worse than the last time they'd come face-to-face with the Collective. Their shields weren't just being drained; they were being destroyed. The generator that produced the energy field that protected the ship was being burned from the inside out by the powerful weapons the Borg were pummeling them with. He could try and reroute the power, but by the time the he did that, they'd probably already be blasted apart.
"Your shields are too damaged for us to repair quickly," he informed Changmin. The Vulcan frowned almost imperceptibly. "We'll have to disable their ship."
"The odds of that happening are not in our favor."
Jaejoong looked out on the bridge. It was difficult to make out individual crew members through the haze, but he could hear Yunho issuing commands. The low timbre of his voice contrasted sharply with the whispers of the Collective still running through his head.
"Evacuate deck four and seal off the breaches."
Disable vessel.
"Changmin, Target their tractor beam."
Lower shields.
"Yuri, be ready to take evasive maneuvers as soon as we break free."
Board ship and assimilate all crew members.
Furious, he reached inside himself, tapping into the part of him that had spent nearly 20 years listening, obeying and being the Collective. He knew it was useless. Just because he could hear them, didn't mean they could hear him. And even they could, it would be a mere whisper against billions of voices.
Still, someone had to question them. Someone had to tell them "no."
So, he did. He concentrated and sent one clear thought to the Collective.
Leave.
+++
Almost as suddenly as it had began, the attack stopped.
"Captain," Jinki said, voice shaking, "they're hailing us."
"Put it through," Yunho said softly.
Static sounded through the bridge speakers before the eerie stillness of the cube could be heard. Yunho straightened and cleared his throat, hoping his frayed nerves wouldn't be heard.
"This is the-"
We are the Borg, the voices of the Collective interrupted. Lower your shields and power down your weapons. Prepare to be assimilated. Resistance is futile.
"Yeah, we fucking got that!" Yoochun shot back.
Yunho didn't waste time glaring at him for his outburst, but that was only because he'd noticed Jaejoong had that look on his face again. That same blank, robotic stare he'd worn last time they'd encountered the Collective and before he'd taken control of the ship and whisked them away to safety. Considering that, Yunho wasn't sure if he should have been worried or relieved.
"Captain, they're scanning us," Jinki warned.
"Do what you can to block it," he ordered. He turned back to the view screen, aware that the channel with the Borg was still open. "You will cease -" he began.
One of Five, Auxiliary Drone of Unimatrix 263. You will assist us in the assimilation of this vessel.
The words confused Yunho, and for a moment, he thought the Collective had accidentally voiced a command meant for one of their drones. Then the realization hit him like ice water; the Borg were talking directly to Jaejoong. He stood up quickly to drag him off the bridge, but halted when he realized Jaejoong was mumbling low and quiet to himself. He thought he could see the other man shaking where he stood, fists balled tightly.
"Jaejoong?" he asked softly, hoping his voice would help pull the other back from the depths of his mind. Jaejoong didn't even look at him.
"No," he said in a firm, harsh whisper. "We will not comply."
You are Borg. You will assist us. Resistance is futile.
"We - I am not Borg anymore." Jaejoong raised his head to stare furiously at the view screen. "I am not your drone, and I will not help you. I will make sure this ship escapes you."
Then you will be destroyed.
The link ended abruptly, and before Yunho could voice another order, the Valiant shook violently under a barrage of photon torpedos and phasers blasts.
"Captain, shields are at 19 percent and dropping," Changmin yelled from his station.
"Divert all power - engines, weapons, life support - to the shields. Keep them up as long as you can."
It was a useless effort, because in less than 30 seconds, the shields of the small ship failed completely. The weapons fire ceased, and the two ships - one a hulking, massive cube and the other a drifting, battered thing - faced off in the quiet void of space.
"We are defenseless," Changmin informed the bridge.
Yunho turned to face him. "I want an armed security team - no, order every member of the crew to arm themselves and prepare to shoot to kill. If they're going to come on board, we'll fight them here."
Changmin opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it when he saw the look of determination on Yunho's face. Instead, he gave a quick "aye, sir," before tapping at his badge to issue the order. And while Yunho knew Changmin would follow his instructions exactly as given, the look on the other's face implied that he was only indulging his Human captain's act of desperation out of kindness.
The bridge was quiet as the crew waited for the first drone to beam aboard. As a few tension-filled minutes stretched on, it was all Yunho could do to not scream at them to get on with it.
"What the fuck are they waiting on?" Yoochun started, slamming a hand on the bulkhead.
"I don't know," Yunho replied. "They didn't play games like this at Wolf 359. Jaejoong?"
When he looked over at the other man, his heart dropped at the confused and panicked look on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"We ... we can no longer hear them."
"What?"
"The Collective. We can't hear their plans. We don't know what they're doing."
Jaejoong was so caught up in the feeling of being cut off from the Collective for the second time, that he didn't notice the tingling sensation in his legs until it had climbed to his waist. Once he did, it took only a second for his mind to register what it was. He looked down to see the familiar green haze envelop his limbs as he began to disappear from the bridge.
"Yunho!" he shouted, voice cracking in panic.
Yunho turned and his eyes widened in fear. "Jinki!" he shouted at the ensign, who jumped in his seat. "Stop that beam!"
But, it was too late.
Jaejoong kept his eyes on Yunho as he felt his body fade and disappear from the bridge.
The heartbreak on his face was the last thing he saw before everything went black.
A/N: *hides* The Trekkie nerd in me was out in full force for this update. OMG, I'm kind of embarrassed.
Chapter 13 is in the works. Oh, and I finally saw the new Star Trek movie. ... Let's not discuss it. =.=
Rating: R/NC-17 later
Summary: Captain Jung Yunho of the USS Valiant wants nothing more than to take his ship out into deep space and leave the memories of Earth behind; however, when he and his crew come across a destroyed Borg cube and a drone in need of help, he finds himself battling old demons and unexpected emotions. In the end, it’s the drone, struggling to remember what it means to be human, who teaches him about forgiveness, healing and maybe even love.
Warnings: Violence and language. I just wanted to write a story about the Borg. OTL Fic takes place in the TNG/DS9/VOY-era.
chapter one | chapter two | chapter three | side story one | chapter four | chapter five | chapter six | chapter seven | chapter eight | chapter nine | chapter ten | side story two | chapter eleven | chapter twelve | chapter thirteen | chapter fourteen
Chapter 12: Assault
"Report!" Yunho ordered sharply as he strolled onto the bridge.
Yuri turned around at her station to give Yunho a worried look.
"We're being followed, Captain," she said, a slight edge to her voice.
"Explain."
Jinki rose from his station at ops and handed Yunho a PADD with the details of their latest scans.
"We've picked up traces of warp particles that aren't our own. When we did a more thorough scan of space, we found that a ship -" his voice faltered a moment before he was able to continue, "a cube-shaped ship has been shadowing us from about 50,000 kilometers away for the past 18 hours."
"Are you sure they're trailing us?"
"Yes," Yuri spoke up. "We've made subtle changes to our flight path and they've matched each one perfectly."
Yunho flipped through the information on the PADD in worry. If this was another run in with the Collective, even with Jaejoong's help, there was little chance they'd survive it. The Borg adapted; it was their greatest strength. Each time they faced them, they were stronger, more responsive. Soon, it would take more than a disenfranchised drone and clever tricks to defeat them.
"All stop, sir?" Yuri asked, interrupting his thoughts.
"No," he replied. "Steady as she goes, Lieutenant. Yellow alert." He tapped at his badge. "Cmdrs. Changmin and Park, report to my ready room."
He grabbed the reports and went to his office located directly off the bridge. Changmin entered a few minutes later, only the arch of an eyebrow revealing his curiosity. Yoochun entered moments later, still dressed in his civilian date clothes.
"My dear doctor has sobered up enough to tell me everything he loves about my hair. He plans on moving to my face next, so can we hurry this up?"
Yunho made a mental note to send his first officer some literature on sexual harassment in the workplace.
"The Borg have been trailing us since yesterday afternoon," he said, as he tapped at the display screen on the wall of his ready room. The flight path of the Valiant was projected followed by the path of the cube that was shadowing it. Yoochun's brow furrowed as he studied the screen.
"How long have we known?" he asked, his tone all business.
"Our scanners just picked it up."
Yoochun stood and turned to face Yunho. "This is getting fucking eerie. This is what? ... The third time we've ran into them?"
"Fourth," Changmin interrupted. "If you count our initial encounter with Jaejoong's cube."
"Either way, that's four times as many encounters that anyone has ever survived," Yoochun said, voice tight. "I'd say we were lucky, but I think that's being too generous."
Yunho didn’t answer, instead watching the screens that showed the massive cube less than a light year away. It didn’t make any sense. The Borg didn’t hide and they didn't sneak around. They simply took. The fact that they weren’t was proving to be unnerving.
"What are they waiting for?" he wondered aloud. "Why aren't they chasing us down, assimilating us?”
"Maybe they want us to lead them to Federation space?" Yoochun offered. "Following us in would be easier than blasting through our defenses."
"Following us would be a waste of their time and energy," Changmin replied. "They could easily assimilate us and get that information."
"Well, then what do you think, smarty-pants?"
"We've destroyed and evaded two Borg cubes in a matter of months," Changmin said easily. "That feat is unheard of. They could be hesitant to engage us directly."
“Doubt it,” Yunho answered. “We’ve barely destroyed and evaded two Borg cubes and we had a lot of help with the last one. Both times, however, we heard nothing from them afterward. Why are they following us now? What's changed?"
After a moment's thought, Changmin turned and looked at him steadily. "We are returning to Earth."
"I just said that," Yoochun groused.
Changmin shook his head. "You misunderstand. They don't wish to follow us there. They wish to keep us from arriving."
"Why would they care?"
“I do not know for sure,” Changmin replied. “However, it would be in their best interest to stop us. We cannot deny that our run-ins with the Borg during this mission have given us a great tactical advantage. We've gained a wealth of knowledge that would serve the Federation well if they ever sought to engage the Borg in the future.”
Yunho's blood ran cold. "And how would the Collective know that?"
"There are multiple ways. They could have jumped to that conclusion upon noticing our change of course back to Federation space, they could have tapped our communication with Starfleet Headquarters or ..." Changmin frowned, quite illogically.
"Or?" Yunho prodded.
"Jaejoong could be telling them," Yoochun finished for him.
Heechul's fears of Jaejoong's betrayal replayed in Yunho's mind. "No," he said immediately. "He wouldn't do that. He's too invested in the welfare of this ship to sell us out like that."
"He may not be aware he's doing it," Yoochun said. "We know he can still hear them at times. Why wouldn't they be able to hear him, as well?"
"It still doesn't make any sense. Why now? Why wouldn't they have heard him before?"
Changmin shrugged. "I do not know; I just know that considering Jaejoong's ... past, he is the most logical source of our leak."
Yoochun frowned. "If that's the case, we have to separate him from the rest of the crew. If we don't, any move we make will be broadcast right to the Borg."
Yunho glared at him. "We can't lock him away. He nearly had a mental breakdown the first time we did that."
"What else can we do? We leave him out to interact with the crew, to interact with you, we put the whole ship at risk."
"We wouldn't have to lock him in the brig again," Changmin offered. "He could simply be confined to his quarters."
"Where we lock him up is not the problem, Changmin."
"Captain, there is no other option; we have to isolate him."
Yoochun grabbed one of the PADDs and tapped at the screens. "There's a nebula nearby we could hide in. We can try and lose them there, and once we have, we can give him limited access to the ship and the crew."
"You know the second we go to warp to escape them, they'll realize we've found them out," Yunho said.
"Then we better fly fast."
Yunho scowled as he realized that this was their best plan of action. He didn't want to seclude Jaejoong for any period of time, but he had to protect his crew, even if that meant protecting them from themselves. "He'll hate me for it."
"If Borgy is anything, he's practical," Yoochun replied. "He'll understand."
"How long do you think it would take?"
Yoochun shrugged. "A day or two, if we're lucky."
"You just said luck would be too generous."
"Assuming we'll survive this week is being too generous," Yoochun replied. "But, I'm in a generous mood." He dropped the PADD back onto the table and stretched his arms over his head. "It's the only thing we can do, Captain. Go tell your boyfriend he's under house arrest."
+++
Not surprisingly, Jaejoong had not taken the news of their plan well.
"You're ... you're locking us away again?" he asked, panicked. "We had a deal. We'd be Human and you'd let us be free."
"Jaejoong, it's just a precaution," Yunho comforted. Jaejoong was still in bed, but he had at least found the steadiness to sit up. His fear made his gaze sharper and more lucid than before, and Yunho sat on the edge of the bed to hold his hand. "You're not being locked up. It's only until we figure out how the Borg are tracking us."
"You are being foolish. If the Collective has decided to pursue the ship, you'll need our help. We should be on the bridge."
"That wouldn't be wise. You're still not completely sober."
"We can help you outrun them. We can -"
"Jaejoong," Yunho interrupted, voice firm. "The Borg are following us, and we think you're the reason why. We think ... we think they've found a way to use you to listen in on us."
The accusation hung unspoken in the air, but Jaejoong picked up on it regardless.
"We wouldn't!" Jaejoong insisted. "We'd never tell them anything."
"I know." Yunho placed a gentle hand on Jaejoong's forearm. "But we have to make sure no one is able to ... hack you. You have to stay here. For your sake and all of ours."
"Captain," Yuri spoke through the comm. "The cube has gained speed and is closing the distance between us."
"I'm on my way." He met Jaejoong's gaze as he sat, alone in his room, which suddenly felt more stark and empty than it ever had before. "Can I trust you, Jaejoong? Will you stay here for me?"
Jaejoong knew he couldn't promise that. He knew that if it came down to it, he'd go down into the engine room and power the ship by hand to get them away.
But, he wouldn't be stupid enough to tell Yunho that.
"I'll do whatever will keep us safe," he answered softly.
Yunho gave him a shaky smile in gratitude. "Good," he said, giving Jaejoong's hand a squeeze. "Thank you. It won't be permanent, I promise." He rose from the bed and Jaejoong watched him nod to the security officer stationed outside his room before the doors whooshed closed.
+++
"Lt. Kwon," Yunho said, taking his place in the captain's seat. "It's time to lose our shadow. Prepare for warp 9, any heading."
"Aye, sir," Yuri replied. The crew could hear the quiet whir of the engines as they powered up.
Going to warp would let the Borg know they'd been spotted. It'd lure them into a more direct confrontation. Yunho swallowed. He wasn't ready for this. The ship nor his crew was ready for this, but they'd never be fully ready to take on the Borg. There was no use delaying it.
"Engage," he ordered.
The Valiant hummed as the engines reached full power. A moment later, the stars on the view screen became nothing more than long streaks of light as the ship zoomed forward.
“The cube has followed us into warp, sir," Jinki announced. He didn't sound at all surprised.
"Let me know when they're close enough to put a lock on us." He swiveled his chair around to get a good look at the tactical station. "Changmin, I want all available power in our shields. Don't give them a chance to adapt."
The Vulcan nodded, but didn't take his eyes off the information streaming across his monitor screens. "Shields are at 100 percent, Captain. Our weapons are charged and ready to go, as well."
"Captain," Jinki said, "the cube is in visual range."
"Put it on screen." The view screen flickered before revealing the image of a cube steadily gaining on them. It was the largest Borg cube Yunho had ever seen in his life, a massive thing that flew with a speed that was beyond any and all rules of physics Yunho knew.
"They're locking phasers, Captain," Yuri informed him.
"Evasive maneuvers," he ordered. He looked back up at the nearly asteroid-sized thing chasing them. "Their huge size is a weakness, Lieutenant. Let's take advantage of it."
The young officer nodded and tightened her grip on the controls. The ship zipped away, dropping down underneath the flight path of the cube. With ease, the more-nimble Valiant turned away from the cube and took off in the opposite direction.
"Well done," he said with a cautious smile.
For a few precious seconds, the cube grew smaller as it continued moving away from the small vessel. It didn't take long, however, for it to alter course and resume its pursuit. A photon blast shot from the cube's face, and a moment later, a shockwave shook the ship.
"They're firing at us," Changmin reported. "Shields are at 90 percent and holding."
"Fire back, Commander."
The bridge crew watched as the Valiant's phasers shot uselessly behind them. The blasts were absorbed and deflected off the cube's shield's like water off a fast moving car.
"No effect," Changmin informed him.
"Captain, they'll be in range to get a lock on us in 30 seconds," Jinki spoke up.
"Give the engines all they've got, Lt. Kwon. Fastest possible speed."
Yunho could hear the humming of the engines and the trill of the deck as the ship prepared its burst of speed. But, shortly before the engines were able to take off, a well-aimed photon blast nearly knocked them out of warp.
He was thrown from his seat as the ship recoiled out of control. As he was tossed to the floor, he realized just how damned he was. It was happening all over again. Wolf 359. The run-in with the cube only a two weeks before. He'd escaped death twice. It would be too much to hope he'd survive the Borg again.
"Humans are so naive!" Jaejoong's scolding echoed in Yunho's head as he fought to keep from vomiting on the unsteady deck. If only he had paid more attention to him.
You're right, Jaejoong, he thought regretfully. We are. And I'm so sorry we dragged you down with us.
+++
Decks away in his quarters, Jaejoong paced on shaky legs.
It wasn't enough. Whatever was happening on the bridge, whatever plan Yunho and his crew had come up with wouldn't be enough. Jaejoong could tell from the shudder of the ship's deck as it struggled to escape the pull that had it captured. And, of course, from the whispers of the Collective that'd begun to seep into his consciousness.
Disable vessel. Lower shields. Board ship and assimilate.
Jaejoong had gone through this many thousands of times before. He still remembered the last hours of hundreds of ships before this one. First a lock, then beam on board and, finally, began assimilation. It didn't matter which was taken first - the crew or the ship. The Borg would get it all in the end.
A violent shake, larger than any of the other previous shockwaves that had ripped through the ship, tossed him to the ground and he struggled to keep from dry heaving.
The Borg would get Yunho. A protective anger roiled through him. Yunho, who'd - even in his anger - had never actively hurt him. Who cared for his crew. Who wanted to be happy. Who wanted nothing more than to forget what the Borg were and the evil they wrought.
He pictured his captain, warm and smiling at him over breakfast, holding his hand on the holographic beach, teaching him how to kiss in the empty holodeck. Yunho's survival was important - vital - to him. They had no right to hurt him.
And how dare they even try. They'd already taken so much from him: his parents, his siblings, his childhood, his humanity. He wouldn't allow them to take Yunho, too.
Other faces came unbidden to his mind's eye. The annoyed scowl of Cmdr. Park. The caring voice of the doctor. The steady and stoic presence of the Vulcan, who - besides Yunho - Jaejoong had found the easiest to relate to. The nervous, young ensign whom he reported to in the labs. The pretty helmsman who had never spoken to him, but who always smiled so kindly when she saw him in the corridors. Yunho's crew. His crew. The Borg had no right to touch any of them.
He'd acted before he'd even realized it, jamming his assimilation tubules into the panel near his locked door, blowing out the mechanism that kept him bolted in. The officer assigned to keep watch over him - barely out of the Academy if Jaejoong was to venture a guess - stood, phaser high to stop him.
"Stay in your quarters," he ordered, albeit with a tremor in his voice.
"We have to help the captain," he explained.
"You were ordered to remain here. Go back or I'll stun you."
There was no time for this foolishness. Ignoring the command, Jaejoong disabled and knocked the other man to the ground. It took longer than it should have due to his aching head and dizzying vision. Fumbling fingers pressed sharply against two nerves in the officer's neck and caught him as he collapsed to the ground. He took his phaser and quickly sped off down the corridor to Yunho.
+++
When the turbolift doors opened to reveal the smoking, chaotic bridge, Jaejoong shuddered at how familiar the scene before him was. It was nearly identical to what he had seen on the holodeck with Yunho as he tried over and over to recreate the final moments of the USS Kyushu.
"Yunho!" he shouted, disoriented and lost in the confusion. He could hear the panicked voices of the bridge crew as they shouted their reports.
Shields are at 43 percent!
They've got a lock on us, Captain! We can't break away.
Casualties are coming in from decks two through five, and hull breaches have been reported on deck four.
"Yunho!" he repeated, voice lost in commotion of the bridge. His eyes stung from acrid smoke and his voice rasped against his stinging throat. The electrical system must have gotten fried and blown out the power panels running through the bulkhead of the bridge. That or something was on fire.
"Jaejoong!" he heard Yunho call over the ruckus. "I gave you a specific order-"
"Yunho!" he interrupted. He could still hear the Collective. Their plans and orders. There was no time for anger, no time for scoldings. Drones would soon beam aboard the ship to begin assimilating the crew of the Valiant one by one. That is, if the small vessel didn't pull itself apart trying to escape before then. "Just tell me what to do!" he called out.
"Shields!" Yoochun screamed out the order. "Get to shields now. Get their lock off us!"
He felt his way to the tactical station, where Changmin furiously tapped at his screens. Except for the sheen of sweat on his face and his battle-mussed hair, he looked as calm and collected as he ever did.
"Lt. Cmdr. Changmin, tell us what to do."
"Are you able to repeat what you did last time we encountered them?" Changmin asked, eyes never looking away from his work. "Repower our shields so we can break free from their tractor beam?"
"We can try."
Changmin nodded his assent and Jaejoong reached out to insert his tubules into the tactical station and assessed the state of the ship. A trickle of fear pooled in his belly as he realized this situation was far worse than the last time they'd come face-to-face with the Collective. Their shields weren't just being drained; they were being destroyed. The generator that produced the energy field that protected the ship was being burned from the inside out by the powerful weapons the Borg were pummeling them with. He could try and reroute the power, but by the time the he did that, they'd probably already be blasted apart.
"Your shields are too damaged for us to repair quickly," he informed Changmin. The Vulcan frowned almost imperceptibly. "We'll have to disable their ship."
"The odds of that happening are not in our favor."
Jaejoong looked out on the bridge. It was difficult to make out individual crew members through the haze, but he could hear Yunho issuing commands. The low timbre of his voice contrasted sharply with the whispers of the Collective still running through his head.
"Evacuate deck four and seal off the breaches."
Disable vessel.
"Changmin, Target their tractor beam."
Lower shields.
"Yuri, be ready to take evasive maneuvers as soon as we break free."
Board ship and assimilate all crew members.
Furious, he reached inside himself, tapping into the part of him that had spent nearly 20 years listening, obeying and being the Collective. He knew it was useless. Just because he could hear them, didn't mean they could hear him. And even they could, it would be a mere whisper against billions of voices.
Still, someone had to question them. Someone had to tell them "no."
So, he did. He concentrated and sent one clear thought to the Collective.
Leave.
+++
Almost as suddenly as it had began, the attack stopped.
"Captain," Jinki said, voice shaking, "they're hailing us."
"Put it through," Yunho said softly.
Static sounded through the bridge speakers before the eerie stillness of the cube could be heard. Yunho straightened and cleared his throat, hoping his frayed nerves wouldn't be heard.
"This is the-"
We are the Borg, the voices of the Collective interrupted. Lower your shields and power down your weapons. Prepare to be assimilated. Resistance is futile.
"Yeah, we fucking got that!" Yoochun shot back.
Yunho didn't waste time glaring at him for his outburst, but that was only because he'd noticed Jaejoong had that look on his face again. That same blank, robotic stare he'd worn last time they'd encountered the Collective and before he'd taken control of the ship and whisked them away to safety. Considering that, Yunho wasn't sure if he should have been worried or relieved.
"Captain, they're scanning us," Jinki warned.
"Do what you can to block it," he ordered. He turned back to the view screen, aware that the channel with the Borg was still open. "You will cease -" he began.
One of Five, Auxiliary Drone of Unimatrix 263. You will assist us in the assimilation of this vessel.
The words confused Yunho, and for a moment, he thought the Collective had accidentally voiced a command meant for one of their drones. Then the realization hit him like ice water; the Borg were talking directly to Jaejoong. He stood up quickly to drag him off the bridge, but halted when he realized Jaejoong was mumbling low and quiet to himself. He thought he could see the other man shaking where he stood, fists balled tightly.
"Jaejoong?" he asked softly, hoping his voice would help pull the other back from the depths of his mind. Jaejoong didn't even look at him.
"No," he said in a firm, harsh whisper. "We will not comply."
You are Borg. You will assist us. Resistance is futile.
"We - I am not Borg anymore." Jaejoong raised his head to stare furiously at the view screen. "I am not your drone, and I will not help you. I will make sure this ship escapes you."
Then you will be destroyed.
The link ended abruptly, and before Yunho could voice another order, the Valiant shook violently under a barrage of photon torpedos and phasers blasts.
"Captain, shields are at 19 percent and dropping," Changmin yelled from his station.
"Divert all power - engines, weapons, life support - to the shields. Keep them up as long as you can."
It was a useless effort, because in less than 30 seconds, the shields of the small ship failed completely. The weapons fire ceased, and the two ships - one a hulking, massive cube and the other a drifting, battered thing - faced off in the quiet void of space.
"We are defenseless," Changmin informed the bridge.
Yunho turned to face him. "I want an armed security team - no, order every member of the crew to arm themselves and prepare to shoot to kill. If they're going to come on board, we'll fight them here."
Changmin opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it when he saw the look of determination on Yunho's face. Instead, he gave a quick "aye, sir," before tapping at his badge to issue the order. And while Yunho knew Changmin would follow his instructions exactly as given, the look on the other's face implied that he was only indulging his Human captain's act of desperation out of kindness.
The bridge was quiet as the crew waited for the first drone to beam aboard. As a few tension-filled minutes stretched on, it was all Yunho could do to not scream at them to get on with it.
"What the fuck are they waiting on?" Yoochun started, slamming a hand on the bulkhead.
"I don't know," Yunho replied. "They didn't play games like this at Wolf 359. Jaejoong?"
When he looked over at the other man, his heart dropped at the confused and panicked look on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"We ... we can no longer hear them."
"What?"
"The Collective. We can't hear their plans. We don't know what they're doing."
Jaejoong was so caught up in the feeling of being cut off from the Collective for the second time, that he didn't notice the tingling sensation in his legs until it had climbed to his waist. Once he did, it took only a second for his mind to register what it was. He looked down to see the familiar green haze envelop his limbs as he began to disappear from the bridge.
"Yunho!" he shouted, voice cracking in panic.
Yunho turned and his eyes widened in fear. "Jinki!" he shouted at the ensign, who jumped in his seat. "Stop that beam!"
But, it was too late.
Jaejoong kept his eyes on Yunho as he felt his body fade and disappear from the bridge.
The heartbreak on his face was the last thing he saw before everything went black.
A/N: *hides* The Trekkie nerd in me was out in full force for this update. OMG, I'm kind of embarrassed.
Chapter 13 is in the works. Oh, and I finally saw the new Star Trek movie. ... Let's not discuss it. =.=