//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Invasion and First Contact Part 1 // Story: Star Trek: Equestrian Assimilation // by firelordzx5 //------------------------------// Chapter 7: Invasion and First Contact Part 1 "I am Captain Ta'lash Raleesh of the I.K.S Ragn'Arok and member of the Klingon Empire" the former captain made his greetings to the confused ponies. Before anyone could say something a cyan blur hit him in the stomach. But being assimilated had an advantage in this case. Most of his body was protected by a black carapace, and his gorn physical strength made him like a walking fortress. He look down to see an equine-like creature with a rainbow mane and tail, rubbing its head in pain. "Ow!" Rainbow Dash whined she look up only to see that Ta'lash was looking at her. She narrowed her eyes and hovered, trying to keep her courage in front of the reptile captain. "Why did they send you here?!" Rainbow demanded until she felt her tail being pulled. She turned around only to see Applejack pulling her tail with her rope. Twilight looked at Rainbow with disapproval. The princesses inspected each part of the former captain. He was taller than they were and it seemed he was no longer a puppet of the borg queen. "I am Princess Celestia." "And I am Princess Luna. We are the co-rulers of Equestria, the land that you are in." Tal'lash closed his claw and placed it on his chest while bowing his head in some form of salute. Celestia and Luna traded looks while Relikia raised a eyebrow and Zalune inspected the living machinery. "I am honored," he said with his head still bowed. Truth to be told, he was trying to fight the pain of his assimilated parts while moving his limbs and confirming that he had total control of his body. "Will you answer some questions for me?" Celestia while inspecting him more closely. Luna tried to warn her sister but she continued. Ta'lash said nothing until he inspected his own arm, or weapon. He wondered how much time had passed while he was part of the Borg Collective. "Only if you answer mine as well," he responded while lowering his arm-weapon, maintaining a neutral expression in his face. Rarity and Fluttershy were whispering one to another things like 'how horrible he looks with that black armor' and 'is that his eye?' Luna looked worried at Relikia, who was herself calm. "You don't look concerned, Relikia." "I am not. I can feel his emotions and mind. If it make you feel better, he is worried too." "Uh?" Luna said. In that same instant she looked at Appejack who as arguing with Rainbow Dash and being supported by Twilight. She chuckled until they stopped arguing. They looked at Celestia who was talking with Ta'lash, then at Luna and Relikia. Celestia motioned to the girls to stay closed to her sister. They nodded, knowing what she was trying to say. "I must thank you for liberating me from the collective,” Ta'lash said. “I am in your debt, your majesty." "Thank you, but it was my little ponies who saved you from that horrid destiny." She pointed with her hoof to Twilight, Rainbow and Applejack. They stood next to Princess Luna while they eyed the reptile curiously. He looked on them. They looked weak and helpless but then again, he looked to the orange one with apples on her flank. "You must be the one who kick me in the face." The girls looked at Applejack with curiosity. Why he was talking to her? She blushed, a little embarrassed at that statement. "Yes it was me!" she said lively. "I must thank you for that." Celestia looked on her with a confused look then to Ta'lash. The three Elements of Harmony were confused as well. "That kick disconnected me from the Collective, thus making me liberated from their hive mind and the queen." Applejack and Rainbow were still confused but Twilight was not. She understood what he meant. "He means, with that buck in the face, you save him from being a drone for the rest of his life." Twilight said to Applejack, whose expression changed from a confused one to a proud one, Rainbow huffed, irritated, she was in that combat too! "What about me?! I bucked you in the neck, that's count on something, right?" she looked to Ta'lash who was intrigued, that kick in the neck enabled his vision and part of his will, with that kick in the face, it almost finished the liberation, until something knocked him out cold, finishing the liberation. "Your kick counts, it enabled my vision and a portion of my will." This boosted the pride of Rainbow who flew over Applejack who was no amused. "But something knocked me out that finished my liberation after few minutes." The girls then looked at Twilight who had a smug smile. Celestia chuckled at Twilight's little show of pride. Ta'lash was not really amused but was satisfied with the results. "Alright, you seem to have questions. Ask and I will answer." Ta'lash said directly to Celestia. Celestia regained her regal posture, eyes locked on Ta'lash's trying to spot any aggressiveness or deceitful intent. Nothing... "What exactly are you, who are your leaders and what government do you serve?" she said with a neutral tone, trying to at least have some influence on him. He still had his eyes on hers, like he was expecting this question actually. "I am a Gorn. My species has been space-faring since millennium ago. As you can see, we are reptilians, stronger than many other species and our technology can outmatch most unfortunates. We serve the royal family and council. We are divided between two castes, the warrior and the technological caste. I am from the warrior caste. My race as whole now serve the Klingon Empire as a result of a lost war against the Klingons and Orions. Our royal family was doomed to execution until the head council of Klingons decided to give them mercy as long they swore loyalty to the Empire. They quickly agreed." Celestia and Luna's jaws almost hit the flood. The Element bearers looked shocked, surprised or just about to faint (in the case of Rarity). Relikia and Zalune were not really impressed upon hearing this information from Ta'lash. Celestia looked at Applejack who shook her head, meaning that there was no false information or lies. "I am sorry that you people become conquered, Ta'lash" Celestia said with an apologetic tone. Part of her wanted to believe that. Another part just wanted to continue with questions. Ta'lash just smirked at the reactions of the ponies present. "Actually, we thanked them. They opened our eyes. Many of our council and our government officials, including our prime minister, were nothing but infiltrators of a extragalactic species called the Undine trying to sabotage us from within. Our admission to the Empire gained us rights to be equals to the Klingons, even commanding their starships and serving in their armies." Now Celestia was confused. Who were the Undine? Were they like that creature that he defeated? Well that was a question for another time. She was more curious about the 'Klingons'. While reviewing his memories, she saw many crewmembers on the Ragn'Arok. While all were bipeds some were green with almost flat faces, others just plain uglies and another with a ex tended forehead but like the greens, almost flat faced with strange facial hair or 'beards'. "I am interested in these 'Klingons', Captain. Can you talk to me more about the Empire that your people serve?" "Yes, the Klingon Empire is mainly composed of the klingon race, mammals like you and your equines, but bipeds like me. While short of stature for a standard gorn, most of them have your height, Princess. They are a proud, warrior race that fights with honor." "A warlike empire?" Celestia asked concerned. "Yes, but we have standards. The Klingon Empire claims their rewards fighting against worthy opponents at the same levels of power as us. The more powerful the rival empire is, the better. We ignore those that are not capable of fighting or are peaceful." The regal sisters as well as the other five ponies sighed in relief. The changeling ambassador felt... discomfort and pain from Ta'lash. You're no really that tough, no? She move to Luna to whisper to her about Ta'lash's condition. Luna raised an eyebrow then she turned to Ta'lash. "Are you in pain Captain?" Ta'lash winced at the very mention of pain. He was in fact screaming on the inside. Supporting it was more painful. "Luna? Why are you asking that?” Celestia asked. “I'm sure that he-" "Yes... I am in pain... the implants are killing me. It is uncommon but when a borg is liberated, not all the implants follow that way. Some are programmed to destroy the liberated borg from within." The mares gasped at the sudden revelation. Zalune look at him dumbfounded while Celestia and Luna's eyes widened. Relikia felt something more in him.. fear... "You said that like its something normal, but yet you're afraid?" Relikia approached near to him, hoping that he might open a little more to the equestrian. He sighed like he was about to confess something. "Yes. I am not afraid of my own death, I deserve it. I failed my crew and my superiors." "Why? We can help you! We can get help from the local hospital-" "You don't understand. Apart from me your people have never had contact with borg drones and their assimilation, making them unable to do the procedure to reverse the assimilation process. Plus, I am probably the first alien on this world. How can they know about gorn anatomy?" Twilight was cut by the sudden explanation. He was right, Equestria or Equis as whole had never had contact with aliens before. "You fear not death? Then was is it you fear?" The words of Relikia were emotionless, yet with a purpose. Her mind-magic was still active. She could feel his fear, something big. "I fear... that I might have failed to you all as well." Celestia and Luna traded looks as the rest became confused. Relikia was somewhat satisfied with the result but like the rest, she was confused as well. Zalune was concerned. “Something big is coming!” is what she thought. "Why do you say you have failed us? You have done nothing!" Luna exclaimed. "My optic implant is a long-range sensor. I can see where no one can see. I see that there is a borg fleet composed of two cubes and several spheres and probes in the orbit of this planet plus... a borg sphere is descending." The former captain looked at the door then looked up, staring blankly at the ceiling. When Twilight and Celestia wanted to say something, there were some screams and outright yelling from the outside. "Over there! Something is falling!" "Is coming right to US! "It's getting big each second!" Somepony knocked then suddenly opened the door, revealing another pony. Ta'lash inspected the new pony. This one was pink with a hot pink puffy mane ant tail with three balloons on her flank. "Girls, you need to see this, the- OHMYGOSH, THE PRINCESSES!" "There is no time Pinkie! What's going on?" interjected Twilight, very concerned now. Ta'lash was enough, the next thing could not get more worse... _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Warp, Fleet about to enter the Equinus system, U.S.S. Salvation. "Captain, I am detecting a massive borg fleet in the system. We have twenty minutes to arrive and engage," the betazoid reported with a determined look. Anther was thoughtful. After the rendezvous, Vaner was quite clear of no contact with the habitants, but she was prepared for the worst. If the borg were spreading to the planet surface they had no option but to ignore the Prime Directive. He chuckled thinking on that. He was not always 'by the book', so he would send a task force in the end. “You also have no more options, Vice Admiral Vaner. You of all people know that we will send groups to their aid” he thought. His fellow captains knew this as well. For Dostya, captain of the U.S.S. Carlin, suggested that first contact was a priority, not an option, the natives using their radiation or 'energy' to take advantage against the borg while defending their world in the same time. H'rarrirre, Captain of the U.S.S. Shangri-La, also supported the idea. But Vaner, Tyler Chambers, Captain of the U.S.S. Tewkesbury and Jack Shepard, Captain of the U.S.S.Chakastra, were no pleased. They began to lecture about the Prime Directive and the morals of the Federation and Starfleet. This left the final decision to Svensei. The Vice Admiral was quite shocked at hearing Svensei's words. "I think that our best course of action is to make the first contact, Vice Admiral. Using guerrilla and hit and run tactics are not the best option for this. It would make our work harder. If the borg are directly attacking the habitants, our best option is to push them back with the Equinians knowing that we are allies defending them and not their enemies." Good choice of words, Svensei. "Captain, ten minutes!" the tactical officer reported. For the Klingons part, they more likely do what they do best - attack first, ask questions later. The Empire was barbaric, straight-forward and senseless but above all they were NOT stupid. The klingon fleet was commanded by one of the most feared and respected Lieutenant Generals of the Empire, Blackheart, his opposite number. Many thought that Blackheart and Vaner were the nemesis of one another. but Blackheart was more of an enemy to him. They had an "interesting" first encounter in the Badlands, a piece of Cardassian territory in the Beta Ursae sector. This first encounter marked their lives forever, to be destined to attack each other until the second wave of the Dominion forces had attacked. He thought Blackheart had been finished for good. Seeing him alive AND now member of the Klingon Empire, he knew it was just the beginning. Blackheart's forces consisted of Na 'Vi, captain of I.K.S Blade of Honor, Venus, captain of I.K.S War-Mistress, and Kurama, captain of I.K.S. StormCrow and David, Captain of the I.K.S Wraithguard. Blackheart, you're right, we are alike in many ways. "Captain, five minutes!" His mind now wondered about the Romulan Republic fleet with Ge'dan as their head. The history of that vice admiral was full of misery and regret. It was surprising why she hadn't committed suicide. She has a grudge against the Tal'Shiar, some say that it was almost obsessive. But she was very logical and patient, knowing the moment to strike. Her ship, the R.R.W Peacekeeper, was a prototype of the Ha'apax, a new romulan warbird capable to separated into two different warbirds; the Ha'nom Guardian Warbird and the Ha'feh Assault Warbird. Perhaps this was a plan of D'tan and Obisek's to "ease" her, something that might end very badly. "Dropping out of warp sir," the helmsman announced. The screen showed the planet and the borg fleet in front of them. He pressed a few buttons, opening a shipwide channel. "All hands... battle stations" _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ponyville, Equestria. Twilight could not believe her bad luck and possibly, the urge to kill. Pinkie Pie, the princesses, the ambassadors and the other Elements Bearers stared at a giant black sphere that hovered over Ponyville, Rainbow Dash wanted to fly around it to see if it was dangerous but was stopped by the princesses. Fluttershy hid behind Rarity. While she carefully observed the sphere hovering over their heads, Twilight wanted to complain but was stopped by Pinkie with her twitcha twitch. "Twitcha twitch! TWITCHA TWITCH!” Pinkie's limbs started to shake like crazy then her mane deflated and inflated again, then 'BOOM' her body inflated like a balloon. A few seconds later and her body went back to 'normal'. Twilight was still not convinced that Pinkie was a 'normal' pony by her standards but you can't argue with Pinkie's logic, right? "What in Tartarus is THAT?" asked Relikia with an uneasy tone in her voice. That thing was HUGE, and could not be a good sight. "That Sphere is grim and shout malice all over it, why we don't ask to him more things about it?" Zalune said, signaling with her hoof to Ta'lash who was shocked to see the sphere floating in the air. Then he caught the attention of everyone waiting for an explanation. He sighed. "That... is a Borg Sphere, one of the vessels of the borg fleet in orbit. Inside of each borg vessel, there are hundreds of borg; human, klingon, gorn, individuals of any race assimilated, no matter how old or young or what faction they belonged to. Inside, it is a place of only nightmares..." Celestia, Luna and Twilight gasped, the rest of the bearers don't get it as they continue to observe the sphere with worry. Suddenly Celestia flew toward the sphere with eyes glowing with anger and determination, her mind focused to protect her kingdom of all cost. "YOU SHALL NOT HURT MY SUBJECTS, VILE CREATURES!" she said in the Royal Canterlot voice and fired a powerful beam of solar magic. BOOM The pony folk of Ponyville cheered knowing that their ruler, Princess Celestia had saved them for a horrible destiny. All of them cheered except Ta'lash who looked at the place where the sphere used to be with a grim expression in his face. Twilight notice this as well as Applejack and Rarity. "What's wrong, darling?” Rarity asked. “These borg brutes should know not to mess with the Princess." "Yah, she is the Solar Princess after all," Applejack agreed. "What's wrong Ta'lash, you're not afraid of the princess are you?" Twilight asked. Ta'lash shock his head and with his claw, he pointed to the giant cloud of smoke. "Your princess is in danger..." Before Twilight and the others could say otherwise, various ponies shouted and screamed in fear. As the smoke cloud began to disperse, it revealed the sphere. Celestia's eyes widened in horror seeing the sphere revealed in front of her to be completely undamaged. Then part of the sphere began to glow green. In a few seconds, the spot of glowing green light fired a beam of pure green into one of the building of Ponyville, exploding it instantly. The ponies ran in terror as the sphere began to fire at the town. "We are the Borg..." the voice came from the sphere, it was like various individuals talking at the same time in an emotionless and cold chorus. "Freedom is irrelevant. Self-determination is irrelevant. Strength is irrelevant. Negotiation is irrelevant. Existence as you know it is over. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile." With the last part said, the sphere fired at Princess Celestia. She tried to dodge the deadly ray but was hit on her right wing. She screamed in pain as she fell to the town below. "SISTER!" Luna flew to aid her sister as she fell at high speed. When she caught her she used a teleport spell to reappear near the library and the group. She gasped and tears fell, looking at the weakened frame of her sister. Celestia opened her eyes, feeling Luna's cold tears on her coat. "Luna..? What's wrong...?" Suddenly she screamed in pain. She looked at her back searching for the source of her pain. Her eyes widened as she looked to her wings. Her right wing was no there! In the place where her right wing use to be there was a burn mark. "You wing was vaporised by a plasma beam. It is a good thing that you dodged it in time. You could have died," said Ta'lash while passing the group of mares. They looked at him with uneasy emotions on their faces. At the moment the town was almost deserted, only a few ponies hiding, wishing that their doom came quickly. In a few seconds, various borg drones beam in near to them, surrounding the library. Ta'lash took a defensive position, the mane six doing the same to defend their rulers and the foreign ambassadors. Ta'lash looked at the sky, his optic-sensor capable of looking beyond the limited skies. Gaining a perfect vision of space and the borg blockage in orbit, his sensor spotted new ships, ships that he knew completely and were right now engaging the borg fleet. He smirked, sighting the Bortasqu' Dreadnought Battlecruiser firing on the cubes. He look again to the drones who were moving slowly towards them. "Today is a good day to die!" Ta'lash charged toward the invaders, Rainbow Dash and Applejack charging behind him.