Fic: "For the Sake of One (You)," Chapter 14, 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 14: Quiet Before the Storm
Captain's log, stardate 45123.9: Jaejoong has been captured. While we are under the assumption that he's not yet been reassimilated by the Borg, we cannot risk leaving him to their mercy. Simply put, he knows too much about this ship, this crew and the Federation. I have decided to go alone, via a shuttlecraft, and retrieve him. While I feel an obligation to Jaejoong, I will not allow my crew to endanger themselves by attempting a dangerous rescue mission.
The response Yunho was met with after sharing the details of his plans was only one step shy of mutinous.
“Captain, are you insane?” Jinki rose from his station, panic and confusion warring on his face. "You'll never make it out alive in a shuttlecraft!"
"Thank you for that encouragement, ensign," Yunho answered. His voice and words were calm but his face revealed his irritation at being spoken in such a way. "Still, you have your orders."
"Captain," Yuri spoke up. She shot a worried glance at Jinki before steeling herself to meet Yunho's eyes. "You'll never catch up to their ship. Not in a shuttle. It's impossible."
"Lieutenant -"
Yuri didn't wait for him to finish. "The Valiant may not be the most powerful ship in the fleet, but is the fastest. If you have any chance, it's with us."
"Again, I appreciate the concern,” he said firmly. “But I won't risk your lives." The mournful gaze of Crewman Lee flashed before his mind's eye, and Yunho strengthened his resolve. No matter how brave his crew felt, this was not a fight he would let them join.
"All due respect," Hyoyeon spoke up softly, "we can't allow you to risk yours. You're our captain. We need you." The comment wasn't meant to be taken as sentiment. A captain was supposed to lead his crew.
"The commander is a capable officer. He'll see you all safely back to Federation space."
"I don't know," Yoochun spoke up. He'd stopped his pacing at the front of the bridge to flop down into Yunho's command chair. Crossing his arms, he screwed his face up in mocking concentration. "They make a good case. The Valiant is faster.”
Yoochun was an asshole, Yunho decided. A smug and flippant asshole who Yunho would have demoted if it was his last formal action as captain.
Instead, he told him, "Commander, you have your orders. If I don't return in 36 hours, you are to resume heading back home."
Yoochun swiveled the chair around to face Yunho and the rest of the crew, crossing his legs at his ankles.
"Sorry, Captain. I can't do that."
Yunho inhaled sharply at Yoochun's blatant disobedience and everyone else on the bridge seemed to sense the tension.
"Yoochun," he began, voice even. "I am still the senior officer of this ship and I expect my orders to be followed."
"I understand," Yoochun replied seriously. "But Jinki and Yuri are right. Your orders are kind of stupid."
Yunho nearly sputtered. “ … Stupid? This was your idea.”
“Only because you were so torn up over endangering the crew. Now that we know they're willing to help, your plan is stupid.”
“I hate to agree with the commander,” Changmin piped up. “But I agree. Your orders are … not wise.”
"Captain, we all owe Jaejoong," Yuri said soothingly. "It would be selfish of us not to assist you."
"How's that saying go again, Min?" Yoochun leaned back in the chair, a cheeky grin on his face. "'The wants of the few outweigh the needs of the many?'"
Changmin scowled. "That's not at all correct."
Yunho bristled at having his judgment questioned in front of and by the bridge crew. "Well, since no one on this ship outranks me, you will carry them out, no matter how stupid, unwise or selfish they may be."
Yoochun shrugged, not a hint of irritation or intimidation evident in the hitch of his shoulders. "Doc outranks you ... sort of."
"What are you implying?"
"Your reckless behavior could be seen as a sign of shock or depression or PTSD - or whatever, I'm no doctor - following a run-in with the Borg. Junsu would be well within his power to have you declared unfit for command."
Yunho stalked over to stand in front of Yoochun in the command chair. He glared down at the other officer, tense and imposing.
"Your threats aren't funny, Commander."
"Not a threat," Yoochun replied, refusing to back down. "The crew wants to help, so let them or I'm calling Junsu. I’d hate to put the poor doctor in the middle of our fight, but I know he'll take my side. He likes me more than you."
Yunho turned to look back at his crew. The junior officers - Hyoyeon, Yuri and Jinki - avoided meeting his eyes. Changmin looked at him as unbothered as ever, and Yoochun - his manipulative, conniving and bastard of a friend - was looking up at him with a smile from his command chair. He was already tapping at the controls and scanning nearby space.
"I could report all of you for insubordination," he bit out with no real anger.
"But you won't," Yoochun said. The presumptuousness of his tone would have offended Yunho in any other situation.
"The commander’s actions are extremely out of line,” Changmin offered. “Nevertheless, we do not wish to see you suffer again."
Yunho sighed, his token protests dying on his tongue. "You'll get in trouble. The Valiant's orders were to return to Earth."
“And she will," Yoochun replied. "Once all of our crew is back on board."
+ + +
Sometimes, Yoochun regretted just how kick-ass of a first officer he actually was.
Like when he convinced his captain to confront an enemy that had the ability to destroy them with one phaser blast.
"You know," Yoochun huffed as he crouched next to Changmin, shining a light underneath the large security station where the other officer was working. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with just how close to death we were last time we met these bastards."
Changmin frowned, never taking his eyes from the tangle of burnt out wires and circuits he was busy replacing. "Neither am I. If only you had remembered that fact before you convinced the captain to reengage them."
"I thought the plan would be fly in, beam Jaejoong out of the ship, and fly like hell back home," he countered. "I wasn't expecting Yunho to go full wounded-bird gambit."
"It's a smart plan," Changmin replied, despite his obvious disapproval. "If we tried to engage the Borg in direct conflict, we'd be destroyed. If we make them believe we're giving them what they want, we may have a chance of surviving the encounter."
"Don't you think they're too smart to fall for such an obvious trap?"
"Smart, yes. I certainly believe that. However, I also believe they are far too arrogant of their own capabilities to let their suspicions stop them."
Yoochun watched as the other man worked, nimble fingers routing extra power from their shields to their weapons. Not that anyone actually believed the boost of power would help. Rather, it was done more to attract the Borg with the lure of technologically advanced artillery.
Out of everyone on the crew, Changmin had to have known all this work would be pointless. If Yoochun knew the man as well as he thought he did, the Vulcan had probably already calculated the exact probability of the crew's survival. And, yet he worked as diligently and as unaffected as always. Yoochun couldn't help the bittersweet pang of pride that pricked his heart.
"Have you spoken to Seohyun recently?" he asked.
The Vulcan paused in his work to give Yoochun a curious look. "We speak everyday."
"Well, that's ... surprisingly thoughtful of you."
Changmin frowned, looking slightly offended. "We are husband and wife. It is logical and in our best interests to keep up with one another."
"Logical," Yoochun repeated. "I suppose, it is. Did you tell her about ... " Yoochun waved around at the damaged bridge. "... all of this?"
"Of course."
"And?"
Changmin paused, seemingly gathering his thoughts. "She is, for lack of a better word, concerned about our welfare. She knows better than anyone how dangerous the Borg are. She wants for me to return home safely."
"Do you think you will?"
Changmin didn't answer, instead returning to his work among the wires of the overworked security station.
"Commander, you're not being very reassuring right now."
"What I think will or will not happen is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is how well we work when the time comes."
Yoochun sighed and leaned forward to give Changmin more light. "Still not reassuring."
"I disagree. I think this is a suicide mission, Commander. I can think of no logical reason to endanger the crew or this ship by using it as bait to save one man." Changmin slammed the panel to the station closed and gave an uncharacteristic sigh. He sat back on his heels and straightened his uniform.
"I've often observed that Humans will refuse to consider negative outcomes out of fear of making those thoughts a reality."
"Dwelling on negativity doesn't do much for morale, Min."
"And simply wishing for the best does not allow for much realistic planning," Changmin snapped back. "However," he said, tone softening, "the reality is, our thoughts - good or bad - have no bearing on what will actually take place. So, even while I sit here thinking we could all easily be destroyed, that will not make it so. Only our actions and how well we prepare will determine our survival."
Yoochun rose from the deck, dusting off the knees of his pants, and offered Changmin a hand up.
"I gotta go arm the crew. You know, in the very likely event drones come aboard. I take it you're willing to help me reprogram the phasers so the Borg don't adapt so quickly?"
Changmin took his hand and let Yoochun help pull him up. "Of course, Commander."
Stretching his arm over the other man's shoulder, he pulled him into a one-armed hug. Changmin wiggled out of the embrace with ease.
"Commander ..."
"When we get back home, you, Seohyun and I should hang out. I think I'd like you more when she's around. Just talking about her makes you slightly less of unbearable asshole."
Changmin grabbed his tool kit. "I'm not an asshole, sir. And you're not getting anywhere near my wife."
It was such a ridiculous thing for Changmin - for any Vulcan - to say, and Yoochun couldn't help but laugh.
They could both be dead this time tomorrow.
Forgetting that, even for a moment, was such a relief.
+ + +
“Captain, this is so extreme.” Junsu gripped his hypospray tightly. "There's got to be some other way we can prepare for this."
"There isn't, Doctor. You, your research, are our best bet. I need you."
“We have no idea how this will affect our crew, let alone if it will even offer any protection from being-”
“Doctor,” Yunho interrupted. “We don’t have many other options. I trust you. You’re an excellent physician. You saved Jaejoong, yes?”
“That was different," Junsu answered with a scowl.
“Not really.” Yunho leaned forward and offered his neck to the doctor. “There’s no one else on this ship I’d trust with this.”
Junsu looked back from his captain to the vial of antibodies clutched in his hand. He’d been given less than two hours to come up with the concoction, and no opportunities to test its safety.
“Captain,” he began again. “I beg of you-”
“Give me the spray, Doctor. Now.”
Junsu administered the antibodies with a resigned sigh. Yunho didn’t convulse or show any other sign of adverse reaction, so he took that as a good sign.
"How do you feel?"
Yunho stood, shaking his limbs loose. "I don't feel anything. I'm thinking that's good?"
Junsu released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Yes, for now."
"Good. Start administering this to the crew, targeting high-risk crew members and officers first. If they ask what it is, just tell them it's a vaccine. That's close enough to the truth."
"Aye, Captain."
"Have you prepared the other thing I asked for?"
Junsu's scowl curved into a full frown. "Yes, sir, but I have to say I'm completely against this."
"Give me the spray, Doctor."
"Will you at least let me explain why I find this so dangerous?"
"Sure, as long as you do it while giving me the spray."
Another sigh and another frown. Junsu popped the empty vial out of his spray, loaded it and gave Yunho the dose.
“What do I tell the others?” he asked softly as he ran a curious finger across the area the spray had been administered.
Yunho gently slapped his hand away, then shook his head. “Nothing. Nothing at all. That’s an order. This stays between me and you.”
Junsu opened his mouth to argue but Yunho shot him a disapproving look.
“Yes, Captain.”
“If it helps, I have no plans of needing it. This is only a last resort. I have no plans of getting assimilated.”
“I’m sure few people ever make plans to get assimilated, sir. That doesn’t stop it from happening.”
“I’m willing to risk that,” Yunho replied honestly. “For Jaejoong.”
“For Jaejoong,” Junsu repeated. He gave a quick nod and turned back to his crowded lab table. "Do you ... do you really think he's still alive?" he asked. "Still ... himself?"
"We haven't seen anything to prove otherwise."
Junsu just nodded. "I'm just worried about him. His mind and will are still very fragile, Captain." He stopped and swallowed back his words with a shaky sigh. "I don't know if he could survive assimilation and being ripped from the Collective a second time."
"What other options do we have, Doctor?" Yunho asked, voice harder than he meant for it to be.
Junsu raised a placating hand. "I'm sorry. Don't be upset. I'm just thinking ahead. Planning for the worst." He grinned sadly. "It's a habit that comes with the job."
The tension that had been thrumming throughout Yunho's body seemed to ease at that confession, because in all honesty, he hadn't considered what he'd do if they discovered Jaejoong had been reassimilated. He just knew that Jaejoong would be coming back to his ship, one way or another. He took a deep breath in, steadying himself.
"You keep planning, Doc, and let the commander know if you need anything."
Junsu nodded before popping another dose of medicine into his hypospray and handing it to Yunho. “Here. It’s an extra dose in case you get on the cube and Jaejoong’s already …” Junsu couldn’t finish the sentence. “In case he needs it.”
“Will this bring him back?”
The doctor shrugged, shoulders weary. “I don't know, but it could give us a few extra minutes of cooperation to bring him back onboard and into sickbay.”
Yunho tucked the spray securely in his jacket. “Of course. I’m going to do my best to bring him back, Doctor. Just him. I plan to leave the rest of the Collective behind.”
"I hope so, Captain. Good luck."
+ + +
The automatic door to Jaejoong's quarters swooshed closed quietly behind Yunho as he slowly padded his way to the small, low couch along the wall of the front room. The entire space was eerily quiet in the silence of the resting ship. After nearly 12 straight hours of repair work and last-minute drills, Yunho had ordered the entire ship - save a small and necessary skeleton crew - to go get some rest.
He had nearly run himself ragged, strategizing with the bridge crew, overseeing the badly needed repair work and inoculating the crew with Junsu's makeshift vaccine. Yunho hadn't seen the inside of his own quarters in nearly a day.
He didn't want to sleep, though. He had to keep busy, keep working, keep trying to find Jaejoong.
His gaze fell on the family photo sitting on the shelf across the room, on the face of the baby sitting on his parents lap. It had always been difficult to see Jaejoong in that child's face. He was no innocent. He had admitted to assimilating and killing millions. And he would have gone on doing so if he hadn't crossed paths with Yunho.
Still, Yunho had never felt the loss that baby suffered more acutely than he did at that very moment.
The chime at his door interrupted his thoughts and Changmin walked in without waiting to be welcomed in.
"I come with more reports, sir."
Motioning for Changmin to take a seat on the couch, Yunho rose to get coffee from the replicator. He had briefly thought about dropping by sick bay to see what the doctor could give him, but Junsu had been watching him with the judgment and concern of a disapproving parent.
He punched the buttons on the appliance's screen and frowned in annoyance when nothing happened.
"This replicator's malfunctioning," he called back to Changmin. "Give me a sec."
"It's not the replicator Captain." Changmin replied. “Redistribution of the ship's main power supplies has been completed. Once we're ready, we can fully power up the ship: weapons, engines and shields will be powered at nearly three times the energy they were originally designed to put out. As a result, all non-essential systems have been taken offline. That includes replicators, the holodeck, and some environmental controls.”
Of course. Yunho should have remembered that. He leaned forward against the wall, resting his head on the cool bulkhead of the cabin and let out a weary sigh.
"I'm falling apart, Min."
"I've noticed. May I recommend you get some sleep?"
"You sound like the doctor."
"He has been one of the more rational voices on this ship."
Yunho snorted, before pushing off against the wall. He stretched his arms out, rubbing at a crick in his neck, before falling back onto the couch. “Your report, Commander?”
“We've found a spot where the Valiant can lure the Borg. There are no nearby moons, nebulas, asteroid fields or any other hiding places, so once we've got their attention, we'll be very alone, Captain. If things were to go wrong...”
“Is there anything else?” Yunho interrupted, allowing that thought to go unspoken.
“All of the ship's emergency pods have been prepped and are ready for launch should we need them. The commander and I have everything under control on the bridge." Taking note of Yunho's worn features, Changmin set his PADDs aside. "Is there anything you need help with?”
Yunho turned away, only to end up staring at the empty bedroom and the unmade bed.
“No. I think I’m as ready as I can be. Go get some sleep, Min. Tomorrow, we'll lay the trap.”
The officer nodded, stoic as ever.
"We've done what we can to prepare, Captain. No matter how it turns out, you've done what you could to ensure our safety." He stood and turned to leave, as tall and proud as ever, and for a moment, Yunho wished he could be as unaffected by emotion and fear as he was.
"Changmin," Yunho called out, unable to stop himself. "Tell me you think this is a good plan. That it's not as hopeless as everyone is trying to pretend it's not. I … I need to hear it from you."
Hands clasped loosely behind his back, the Vulcan looked away thoughtfully. "I will not lie to you, Captain. You know that."
"I know. That's why I asked."
Changmin took slow, thoughtful steps as he closed the distance between them. "There is a 64.987 percent chance of us being able to successfully draw the Borg to our coordinates," he said, voice clipped and clinical. "And 53.918 percent chance that you'll be able to sneak aboard their ship. Once on, it is only 13.81 percent likely that you will be able to find Jaejoong, and then there is only 8.219 percent chance that we will be able to escape with him and avoid being completely assimilated. All in all, the overall probability of success is less than 3 percent."
Yunho gave a humorless chuckle. "Believe it or not, those are better odds than I originally thought."
"They are not precise, however. Jaejoong has proven to be a rather consistent outlier. He survived a cube explosion, his disconnection from the Collective and possibly repeated reassimilation attempts by the Borg. The odds of us saving him are quite low; the odds of him saving us, however, are much more hopeful."
A small, relieved smile quirked on Yunho's lips. "Hope is illogical, Commander."
Changmin gave an annoyed sigh, before turning to leave again. "Yes, it is, but I'm surrounded by Humans who insist I do it anyway."
Yunho grinned in the darkness and settled himself more comfortably on the couch. "Have a good night, Commander."
"You do the same, Yunho."
+ + +
The next morning, at 0900, the USS Valiant fired up all her engines. Her new power adjustments lied to every scanner that picked her up. She seemed bigger than she physically was, faster and more powerfully armed than a ship of her size could have realistically been.
By 0907, she had caught the attention of the Borg.
At 0908, she was declared "worthy of assimilation."
And by 0909, the nearest cube - the same cube that had nearly destroyed her two days ago - took a detour on its flight to Earth and moved to pursue.
A/N: I'M SO BAD AT THIS FANFIC THING. *bows deeply in apology* I'm a slow updater, but this is unacceptable even for me. =( Sorry about the months-long hiatus. A combination of life, writer's block and burnout kept me from writing. I promise I'll do my best to never take that long again. OTL
I know this is probably not a very satisfying chapter. The next chapter is mostly finished (and much longer, I promise) and just needs betaing. I hope to have it up later this week. Bless all of you who have been so patient and are still even remotely interested in this story. I heart you so much. <3
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 14: Quiet Before the Storm
Captain's log, stardate 45123.9: Jaejoong has been captured. While we are under the assumption that he's not yet been reassimilated by the Borg, we cannot risk leaving him to their mercy. Simply put, he knows too much about this ship, this crew and the Federation. I have decided to go alone, via a shuttlecraft, and retrieve him. While I feel an obligation to Jaejoong, I will not allow my crew to endanger themselves by attempting a dangerous rescue mission.
The response Yunho was met with after sharing the details of his plans was only one step shy of mutinous.
“Captain, are you insane?” Jinki rose from his station, panic and confusion warring on his face. "You'll never make it out alive in a shuttlecraft!"
"Thank you for that encouragement, ensign," Yunho answered. His voice and words were calm but his face revealed his irritation at being spoken in such a way. "Still, you have your orders."
"Captain," Yuri spoke up. She shot a worried glance at Jinki before steeling herself to meet Yunho's eyes. "You'll never catch up to their ship. Not in a shuttle. It's impossible."
"Lieutenant -"
Yuri didn't wait for him to finish. "The Valiant may not be the most powerful ship in the fleet, but is the fastest. If you have any chance, it's with us."
"Again, I appreciate the concern,” he said firmly. “But I won't risk your lives." The mournful gaze of Crewman Lee flashed before his mind's eye, and Yunho strengthened his resolve. No matter how brave his crew felt, this was not a fight he would let them join.
"All due respect," Hyoyeon spoke up softly, "we can't allow you to risk yours. You're our captain. We need you." The comment wasn't meant to be taken as sentiment. A captain was supposed to lead his crew.
"The commander is a capable officer. He'll see you all safely back to Federation space."
"I don't know," Yoochun spoke up. He'd stopped his pacing at the front of the bridge to flop down into Yunho's command chair. Crossing his arms, he screwed his face up in mocking concentration. "They make a good case. The Valiant is faster.”
Yoochun was an asshole, Yunho decided. A smug and flippant asshole who Yunho would have demoted if it was his last formal action as captain.
Instead, he told him, "Commander, you have your orders. If I don't return in 36 hours, you are to resume heading back home."
Yoochun swiveled the chair around to face Yunho and the rest of the crew, crossing his legs at his ankles.
"Sorry, Captain. I can't do that."
Yunho inhaled sharply at Yoochun's blatant disobedience and everyone else on the bridge seemed to sense the tension.
"Yoochun," he began, voice even. "I am still the senior officer of this ship and I expect my orders to be followed."
"I understand," Yoochun replied seriously. "But Jinki and Yuri are right. Your orders are kind of stupid."
Yunho nearly sputtered. “ … Stupid? This was your idea.”
“Only because you were so torn up over endangering the crew. Now that we know they're willing to help, your plan is stupid.”
“I hate to agree with the commander,” Changmin piped up. “But I agree. Your orders are … not wise.”
"Captain, we all owe Jaejoong," Yuri said soothingly. "It would be selfish of us not to assist you."
"How's that saying go again, Min?" Yoochun leaned back in the chair, a cheeky grin on his face. "'The wants of the few outweigh the needs of the many?'"
Changmin scowled. "That's not at all correct."
Yunho bristled at having his judgment questioned in front of and by the bridge crew. "Well, since no one on this ship outranks me, you will carry them out, no matter how stupid, unwise or selfish they may be."
Yoochun shrugged, not a hint of irritation or intimidation evident in the hitch of his shoulders. "Doc outranks you ... sort of."
"What are you implying?"
"Your reckless behavior could be seen as a sign of shock or depression or PTSD - or whatever, I'm no doctor - following a run-in with the Borg. Junsu would be well within his power to have you declared unfit for command."
Yunho stalked over to stand in front of Yoochun in the command chair. He glared down at the other officer, tense and imposing.
"Your threats aren't funny, Commander."
"Not a threat," Yoochun replied, refusing to back down. "The crew wants to help, so let them or I'm calling Junsu. I’d hate to put the poor doctor in the middle of our fight, but I know he'll take my side. He likes me more than you."
Yunho turned to look back at his crew. The junior officers - Hyoyeon, Yuri and Jinki - avoided meeting his eyes. Changmin looked at him as unbothered as ever, and Yoochun - his manipulative, conniving and bastard of a friend - was looking up at him with a smile from his command chair. He was already tapping at the controls and scanning nearby space.
"I could report all of you for insubordination," he bit out with no real anger.
"But you won't," Yoochun said. The presumptuousness of his tone would have offended Yunho in any other situation.
"The commander’s actions are extremely out of line,” Changmin offered. “Nevertheless, we do not wish to see you suffer again."
Yunho sighed, his token protests dying on his tongue. "You'll get in trouble. The Valiant's orders were to return to Earth."
“And she will," Yoochun replied. "Once all of our crew is back on board."
+ + +
Sometimes, Yoochun regretted just how kick-ass of a first officer he actually was.
Like when he convinced his captain to confront an enemy that had the ability to destroy them with one phaser blast.
"You know," Yoochun huffed as he crouched next to Changmin, shining a light underneath the large security station where the other officer was working. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with just how close to death we were last time we met these bastards."
Changmin frowned, never taking his eyes from the tangle of burnt out wires and circuits he was busy replacing. "Neither am I. If only you had remembered that fact before you convinced the captain to reengage them."
"I thought the plan would be fly in, beam Jaejoong out of the ship, and fly like hell back home," he countered. "I wasn't expecting Yunho to go full wounded-bird gambit."
"It's a smart plan," Changmin replied, despite his obvious disapproval. "If we tried to engage the Borg in direct conflict, we'd be destroyed. If we make them believe we're giving them what they want, we may have a chance of surviving the encounter."
"Don't you think they're too smart to fall for such an obvious trap?"
"Smart, yes. I certainly believe that. However, I also believe they are far too arrogant of their own capabilities to let their suspicions stop them."
Yoochun watched as the other man worked, nimble fingers routing extra power from their shields to their weapons. Not that anyone actually believed the boost of power would help. Rather, it was done more to attract the Borg with the lure of technologically advanced artillery.
Out of everyone on the crew, Changmin had to have known all this work would be pointless. If Yoochun knew the man as well as he thought he did, the Vulcan had probably already calculated the exact probability of the crew's survival. And, yet he worked as diligently and as unaffected as always. Yoochun couldn't help the bittersweet pang of pride that pricked his heart.
"Have you spoken to Seohyun recently?" he asked.
The Vulcan paused in his work to give Yoochun a curious look. "We speak everyday."
"Well, that's ... surprisingly thoughtful of you."
Changmin frowned, looking slightly offended. "We are husband and wife. It is logical and in our best interests to keep up with one another."
"Logical," Yoochun repeated. "I suppose, it is. Did you tell her about ... " Yoochun waved around at the damaged bridge. "... all of this?"
"Of course."
"And?"
Changmin paused, seemingly gathering his thoughts. "She is, for lack of a better word, concerned about our welfare. She knows better than anyone how dangerous the Borg are. She wants for me to return home safely."
"Do you think you will?"
Changmin didn't answer, instead returning to his work among the wires of the overworked security station.
"Commander, you're not being very reassuring right now."
"What I think will or will not happen is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is how well we work when the time comes."
Yoochun sighed and leaned forward to give Changmin more light. "Still not reassuring."
"I disagree. I think this is a suicide mission, Commander. I can think of no logical reason to endanger the crew or this ship by using it as bait to save one man." Changmin slammed the panel to the station closed and gave an uncharacteristic sigh. He sat back on his heels and straightened his uniform.
"I've often observed that Humans will refuse to consider negative outcomes out of fear of making those thoughts a reality."
"Dwelling on negativity doesn't do much for morale, Min."
"And simply wishing for the best does not allow for much realistic planning," Changmin snapped back. "However," he said, tone softening, "the reality is, our thoughts - good or bad - have no bearing on what will actually take place. So, even while I sit here thinking we could all easily be destroyed, that will not make it so. Only our actions and how well we prepare will determine our survival."
Yoochun rose from the deck, dusting off the knees of his pants, and offered Changmin a hand up.
"I gotta go arm the crew. You know, in the very likely event drones come aboard. I take it you're willing to help me reprogram the phasers so the Borg don't adapt so quickly?"
Changmin took his hand and let Yoochun help pull him up. "Of course, Commander."
Stretching his arm over the other man's shoulder, he pulled him into a one-armed hug. Changmin wiggled out of the embrace with ease.
"Commander ..."
"When we get back home, you, Seohyun and I should hang out. I think I'd like you more when she's around. Just talking about her makes you slightly less of unbearable asshole."
Changmin grabbed his tool kit. "I'm not an asshole, sir. And you're not getting anywhere near my wife."
It was such a ridiculous thing for Changmin - for any Vulcan - to say, and Yoochun couldn't help but laugh.
They could both be dead this time tomorrow.
Forgetting that, even for a moment, was such a relief.
+ + +
“Captain, this is so extreme.” Junsu gripped his hypospray tightly. "There's got to be some other way we can prepare for this."
"There isn't, Doctor. You, your research, are our best bet. I need you."
“We have no idea how this will affect our crew, let alone if it will even offer any protection from being-”
“Doctor,” Yunho interrupted. “We don’t have many other options. I trust you. You’re an excellent physician. You saved Jaejoong, yes?”
“That was different," Junsu answered with a scowl.
“Not really.” Yunho leaned forward and offered his neck to the doctor. “There’s no one else on this ship I’d trust with this.”
Junsu looked back from his captain to the vial of antibodies clutched in his hand. He’d been given less than two hours to come up with the concoction, and no opportunities to test its safety.
“Captain,” he began again. “I beg of you-”
“Give me the spray, Doctor. Now.”
Junsu administered the antibodies with a resigned sigh. Yunho didn’t convulse or show any other sign of adverse reaction, so he took that as a good sign.
"How do you feel?"
Yunho stood, shaking his limbs loose. "I don't feel anything. I'm thinking that's good?"
Junsu released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Yes, for now."
"Good. Start administering this to the crew, targeting high-risk crew members and officers first. If they ask what it is, just tell them it's a vaccine. That's close enough to the truth."
"Aye, Captain."
"Have you prepared the other thing I asked for?"
Junsu's scowl curved into a full frown. "Yes, sir, but I have to say I'm completely against this."
"Give me the spray, Doctor."
"Will you at least let me explain why I find this so dangerous?"
"Sure, as long as you do it while giving me the spray."
Another sigh and another frown. Junsu popped the empty vial out of his spray, loaded it and gave Yunho the dose.
“What do I tell the others?” he asked softly as he ran a curious finger across the area the spray had been administered.
Yunho gently slapped his hand away, then shook his head. “Nothing. Nothing at all. That’s an order. This stays between me and you.”
Junsu opened his mouth to argue but Yunho shot him a disapproving look.
“Yes, Captain.”
“If it helps, I have no plans of needing it. This is only a last resort. I have no plans of getting assimilated.”
“I’m sure few people ever make plans to get assimilated, sir. That doesn’t stop it from happening.”
“I’m willing to risk that,” Yunho replied honestly. “For Jaejoong.”
“For Jaejoong,” Junsu repeated. He gave a quick nod and turned back to his crowded lab table. "Do you ... do you really think he's still alive?" he asked. "Still ... himself?"
"We haven't seen anything to prove otherwise."
Junsu just nodded. "I'm just worried about him. His mind and will are still very fragile, Captain." He stopped and swallowed back his words with a shaky sigh. "I don't know if he could survive assimilation and being ripped from the Collective a second time."
"What other options do we have, Doctor?" Yunho asked, voice harder than he meant for it to be.
Junsu raised a placating hand. "I'm sorry. Don't be upset. I'm just thinking ahead. Planning for the worst." He grinned sadly. "It's a habit that comes with the job."
The tension that had been thrumming throughout Yunho's body seemed to ease at that confession, because in all honesty, he hadn't considered what he'd do if they discovered Jaejoong had been reassimilated. He just knew that Jaejoong would be coming back to his ship, one way or another. He took a deep breath in, steadying himself.
"You keep planning, Doc, and let the commander know if you need anything."
Junsu nodded before popping another dose of medicine into his hypospray and handing it to Yunho. “Here. It’s an extra dose in case you get on the cube and Jaejoong’s already …” Junsu couldn’t finish the sentence. “In case he needs it.”
“Will this bring him back?”
The doctor shrugged, shoulders weary. “I don't know, but it could give us a few extra minutes of cooperation to bring him back onboard and into sickbay.”
Yunho tucked the spray securely in his jacket. “Of course. I’m going to do my best to bring him back, Doctor. Just him. I plan to leave the rest of the Collective behind.”
"I hope so, Captain. Good luck."
+ + +
The automatic door to Jaejoong's quarters swooshed closed quietly behind Yunho as he slowly padded his way to the small, low couch along the wall of the front room. The entire space was eerily quiet in the silence of the resting ship. After nearly 12 straight hours of repair work and last-minute drills, Yunho had ordered the entire ship - save a small and necessary skeleton crew - to go get some rest.
He had nearly run himself ragged, strategizing with the bridge crew, overseeing the badly needed repair work and inoculating the crew with Junsu's makeshift vaccine. Yunho hadn't seen the inside of his own quarters in nearly a day.
He didn't want to sleep, though. He had to keep busy, keep working, keep trying to find Jaejoong.
His gaze fell on the family photo sitting on the shelf across the room, on the face of the baby sitting on his parents lap. It had always been difficult to see Jaejoong in that child's face. He was no innocent. He had admitted to assimilating and killing millions. And he would have gone on doing so if he hadn't crossed paths with Yunho.
Still, Yunho had never felt the loss that baby suffered more acutely than he did at that very moment.
The chime at his door interrupted his thoughts and Changmin walked in without waiting to be welcomed in.
"I come with more reports, sir."
Motioning for Changmin to take a seat on the couch, Yunho rose to get coffee from the replicator. He had briefly thought about dropping by sick bay to see what the doctor could give him, but Junsu had been watching him with the judgment and concern of a disapproving parent.
He punched the buttons on the appliance's screen and frowned in annoyance when nothing happened.
"This replicator's malfunctioning," he called back to Changmin. "Give me a sec."
"It's not the replicator Captain." Changmin replied. “Redistribution of the ship's main power supplies has been completed. Once we're ready, we can fully power up the ship: weapons, engines and shields will be powered at nearly three times the energy they were originally designed to put out. As a result, all non-essential systems have been taken offline. That includes replicators, the holodeck, and some environmental controls.”
Of course. Yunho should have remembered that. He leaned forward against the wall, resting his head on the cool bulkhead of the cabin and let out a weary sigh.
"I'm falling apart, Min."
"I've noticed. May I recommend you get some sleep?"
"You sound like the doctor."
"He has been one of the more rational voices on this ship."
Yunho snorted, before pushing off against the wall. He stretched his arms out, rubbing at a crick in his neck, before falling back onto the couch. “Your report, Commander?”
“We've found a spot where the Valiant can lure the Borg. There are no nearby moons, nebulas, asteroid fields or any other hiding places, so once we've got their attention, we'll be very alone, Captain. If things were to go wrong...”
“Is there anything else?” Yunho interrupted, allowing that thought to go unspoken.
“All of the ship's emergency pods have been prepped and are ready for launch should we need them. The commander and I have everything under control on the bridge." Taking note of Yunho's worn features, Changmin set his PADDs aside. "Is there anything you need help with?”
Yunho turned away, only to end up staring at the empty bedroom and the unmade bed.
“No. I think I’m as ready as I can be. Go get some sleep, Min. Tomorrow, we'll lay the trap.”
The officer nodded, stoic as ever.
"We've done what we can to prepare, Captain. No matter how it turns out, you've done what you could to ensure our safety." He stood and turned to leave, as tall and proud as ever, and for a moment, Yunho wished he could be as unaffected by emotion and fear as he was.
"Changmin," Yunho called out, unable to stop himself. "Tell me you think this is a good plan. That it's not as hopeless as everyone is trying to pretend it's not. I … I need to hear it from you."
Hands clasped loosely behind his back, the Vulcan looked away thoughtfully. "I will not lie to you, Captain. You know that."
"I know. That's why I asked."
Changmin took slow, thoughtful steps as he closed the distance between them. "There is a 64.987 percent chance of us being able to successfully draw the Borg to our coordinates," he said, voice clipped and clinical. "And 53.918 percent chance that you'll be able to sneak aboard their ship. Once on, it is only 13.81 percent likely that you will be able to find Jaejoong, and then there is only 8.219 percent chance that we will be able to escape with him and avoid being completely assimilated. All in all, the overall probability of success is less than 3 percent."
Yunho gave a humorless chuckle. "Believe it or not, those are better odds than I originally thought."
"They are not precise, however. Jaejoong has proven to be a rather consistent outlier. He survived a cube explosion, his disconnection from the Collective and possibly repeated reassimilation attempts by the Borg. The odds of us saving him are quite low; the odds of him saving us, however, are much more hopeful."
A small, relieved smile quirked on Yunho's lips. "Hope is illogical, Commander."
Changmin gave an annoyed sigh, before turning to leave again. "Yes, it is, but I'm surrounded by Humans who insist I do it anyway."
Yunho grinned in the darkness and settled himself more comfortably on the couch. "Have a good night, Commander."
"You do the same, Yunho."
+ + +
The next morning, at 0900, the USS Valiant fired up all her engines. Her new power adjustments lied to every scanner that picked her up. She seemed bigger than she physically was, faster and more powerfully armed than a ship of her size could have realistically been.
By 0907, she had caught the attention of the Borg.
At 0908, she was declared "worthy of assimilation."
And by 0909, the nearest cube - the same cube that had nearly destroyed her two days ago - took a detour on its flight to Earth and moved to pursue.
A/N: I'M SO BAD AT THIS FANFIC THING. *bows deeply in apology* I'm a slow updater, but this is unacceptable even for me. =( Sorry about the months-long hiatus. A combination of life, writer's block and burnout kept me from writing. I promise I'll do my best to never take that long again. OTL
I know this is probably not a very satisfying chapter. The next chapter is mostly finished (and much longer, I promise) and just needs betaing. I hope to have it up later this week. Bless all of you who have been so patient and are still even remotely interested in this story. I heart you so much. <3