//------------------------------// // Lament // Story: Starring Trixie // by metroid_freak //------------------------------//                 It wasn’t until well after midnight that we finally returned exhausted but happy to our little ship. On reaching my bed, Trixie practically flung herself upon and let out a sigh of contentment. She had every right to be satisfied; the show gone over better than we could’ve ever hoped. Even the peripheral affairs such as the catering and bartending supplied by Quark had turned a tidy profit indeed. We, well more Trixie than myself, had spent at least a couple of hours meeting and greeting various members of the audience, and had been approached by more than one member of the Starfleet brass. Hell, even the Klingons had offered Trixie a hearty “Qapla’!” or two. All in all, it had been a near-perfect evening.                 I was also rather relieved that Trixie had chosen to tell the tale of Equestria’s creation rather than first contact with the Federation, like we’d discussed the night before. After all, the less who knew about the Omega Particles and what they could do, the better.                 “So…what do you think?” I asked, joining Trixie on the bed and pulling her against me. “Was that everything you ever dreamed and more?”                 “It was perfect…” Trixie murmured, pushing back against me. She paused and rolled over so we were face-to-face. “Cole…can I…can I…ask you something?” she inquired, her tone laced with nervousness.                 “Of course, Trix.” I replied, my curiosity piqued. “You can ask me anything, you know that.”                 “Yes, I know,” the blue showmare affirmed with a quick nod. “It’s just that…this is really personal and I don’t…”                 There was a short pause as she appeared to be gathering her thoughts, perhaps trying to decide how to say what she was going to say.                 “Take your time, Trix, I’m not going anywhere.” I assured her with a nod of my own as I gently stroked her mane.                 “I…I know, it’s just that…” She paused to take a deep breath before exhaling, evidently trying to calm down. If I hadn’t been curious before, I sure as Hell was now. It must’ve been a really big deal for the usually brimming-with-confidence showmare to be so anxious, baring a rumble with vicious aliens, of course. “I…really love you.”                 “I love you too, Trixie,” I replied with a smile, leaning in to kiss her. To my mild surprise, she backed off just out-of-reach and took another deep breath. “What’s the matter?”                 “Nothing! I mean…I just wanted to finish before we started…you know…kissing…” she finished in a quiet tone as he cheeks went beet-red.                 Okay, now I was curious.                 “Um, sure, please continue,” I invited.                 “Thanks,” she said, sounding relieved. “I…I was j-just going to ask…if…ifyouwantedtodoitwithTrixie!” At that, she went even redder and covered her muzzle, looking down and away as I attempted to process what I’d heard.                 It was here, the moment of truth. It was time to see if I had overcome my…reservations. Time to test exactly how deep my love for the showmare truly went.                 Okay, easy there, stomach. Don’t do something we’ll regret. Seriously…why was I suddenly so nervous about his? It’s just sex, not like I hadn’t done that before…’cept that she’s a…oh man…                 “Cole?” I heard her ask, undoubtedly wondering why I was taking so long to respond. “Cole?”                 Come on, man, make a decision already!                 “Cole!”                 You love her, remember?                 “Cole!?”                 Yes, you love her beyond measure. Now it’s time to prove it. So stop being such a little bitch and…                 “COLE!” I shook my head rapidly as Trixie stared back at me with a look of annoyance splashed with some concern.                 “Wh…what happened?” I asked, trying to clear my head.                 “You fell asleep,” Trixie pouted, fixing me with a slightly more severe expression of annoyance. Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that even though I loved her with all my heart, getting intimate was an idea that was gonna take some more getting used to.                 “Oh…damn, sorry, Trix,” I stammered by way of apology. “My bad.” Hopefully, she wouldn’t read too much into it and dismiss it as simple fatigue.                 “It’s okay,” she assured me, her expression softening. There was a pause. “Are you okay?” Uh oh.                 “Sure, why do you ask?” I countered as casually as I could muster.                 “Well, you were kinda…fidgeting after you passed out. Your mouth was moving really fast, too. Is there…is there something you wanna talk with Trixie about?” she offered. Damn, girl, why you gotta be so sweet? Surely, I didn’t deserve her. I sighed and reclined on the bed.                 “Just…a really, really strange dream,” I replied. Oh, don’t look at me like that; what would you have done in my place? Said “Hey, I really love you and everything but we can’t ever have sex because I can’t get over the fact that, even though you’re just as sentient as any other sapient being, you walk on four legs”? Yeah, that’d go over well. No, I wasn’t willing to lose the love of my life over some complex that I knew I had to work on and would probably be able to get over in time. Just…not yet, I guess.                 “Trixie understands completely,” she replied, making me breathe yet another inward sigh of relief. “We’ve had a busy day and your mind is playing tricks on you. Used to happen to Trixie all the time, especially after longer shows.”                 “Still, I feel kind of ridiculous for just falling asleep like that,” I added. “You’re the one who did all the work. I thought if either one of us was gonna nod off the second we got back, it’d be you.”                 “Trixie will admit that she could use some good rest,” the showmare agreed, throwing in a long yawn for good measure. I smiled as the yawn ended with an adorable squeak.                 “So, cuddles then sleep?” I offered, eager to move on to a less incriminating path of conversation.                 “Hmm…” Trixie put a hoof to her chin and pondered my offer. “How about…we finish the Conning Tower in Dead Space 3 first on the holodeck, then cuddles, and then sleep? Trixie needs to unwind and would like to test her newly-crafted weapons.”                 “Sure, sounds perfect to me,” I said with a nod and a smile. “Let’s go unwind.” *** “Subject EQU-3 has transported aboard vessel 9032. Initiating preliminary scans.” …                 “Subject is resisting. Increasing pacification efforts.”                 The mind-numbing monotone of countless voices bore down on the helpless showmare as she was forced down one long corridor after another. She struggled against the towering humanoids dragging her past all manner of strange and terrifying machinations, each seeming ready to jump out and bite her. She cried out as she felt something blunt impact the back of her head, dazing her.                 “Pacification successful. Subject must be brought to in Sub-Junction 04 bio-analysis laboratory.”                 And so the journey continued, the scarred and twisted faces of thousands of other beings not even giving the poor mare a passing glance, as if she wasn’t even worth the time it would take to turn their heads. Unable to deal with the throbbing pain in the back of her skull, Trixie’s eyes watered as she struggled lamely to escape her captors.                 “Destination reached. Sub-Junction 04 bio-analysis laboratory.”                 Even though she wasn’t aware of the implications of her location, Trixie felt her heart fill with dread as two large doors slid open, ushering them inside. Through her tears, she was able to make out a myriad of equipment and machines but what truly terrified her the most was the large operating table located in the center of the room. Tubes and needles and other assorted devices of various sizes practically covered the table, leaving enough room in the center for a small being roughly her size.                   Her eyes widened as she caught sight of her cutie mark, overrun with blood and metal, emblazoned in the middle of the open space.                 At that, she began to panic. Up until that point, that table could’ve been for anyone, which had made it less daunting. But now, with her worst fears confirmed, it dawned on her. This was it. She knew it. She didn’t want to admit it but this was the end of the line for the formerly Great and Powerful Trixie. Within seconds, she’d be gone, nothing more than a monster, a shell, a mindless husk.                 A slave.                 “Begin subject analysis.”                 She didn’t even have time to cry out as she was suddenly picked up and placed rather roughly into the center of the table. She winced as four metal straps fastened around her limbs and neck, holding her tightly against the cold, unforgiving steel. Once more, her eyes widened and she began shaking with fright as each machine began to activate, one at a time to ensure maximum terror.                 She couldn’t even scream. She was beyond being able to express her dread.                 “Ready Subject Alpha and Subject Beta for the procedure.”                 Trixie’s heat hammered in her chest as two more identical tables emerged from under the floor, stopping on either side of her. Unable to look away, she nearly vomited upon seeing the occupants of the new tables. Her last words, barely audible over the activating needles, sawblades, and other machines nevertheless resonated as she fought to get them out.                 “Mom…Dad…?”                 Upon hearing her words, the two ponies sat up and slowly turned their heads to look at the source of the noise. The last sight the showmare’s eyes took in before her existence was nullified was two piercing red beams staring at her from the machines that occupied their eye sockets.                 Please…help us…                 “Begin the procedure.” ***                 “Ugh…” I groaned as I awoke from my slumber. I slowly sat up and shook my head; course corrections were never a pleasant way to wake up, especially when they…                 Hold up, I thought as some of my senses returned. Why the Hell did we change…                 “Owe, Goddamnit!” I yelled as a hard lurch threw me to the floor. “Computer, what happened?” I demanded, wanting to confirm what I already suspected. “Did we change course?”                 “Affirmative.”                 “On whose command?”                 “The Great and Powerful Trixie.”                 It was only when the computer informed me thusly that it occurred to me to check for my companion. Sure enough, she was absent from my quarters, and I was pretty sure I knew where she was. I wasted no time racing to the turbolift.                 “Computer, bridge,” I mumbled with a yawn upon entering. Several questions tortured my half-asleep brain; why the course change? What had her so rattled? And better yet, why the Jesus Jetfuel Christ did I give her command codes to the ship?                 I arrived on the bridge to find Trixie standing on her rear hooves, gripping the railing in front of the command seats with her forehooves, and staring out at the star-laced viewscreen. Even as the turbolift doors shut with an audible hiss signaling my arrival on the bridge, she continued to stare directly ahead.                 “Um…Trix?” I asked hesitantly, slowly approaching from her right side. “Hey…you okay? What’s up?” By that point, we stood side-by-side on the bridge but only I was showing any signs of life.                 Her stare never faltered. The expression on her face was a mix of determination and…abject fear? My only concerns swiftly became finding out what had her so worked up and, even more importantly, what I could do to help her.                 “Hey now, it’s okay,” I assured her, gently wrapping my arms around her. To me relief, I felt her relax, if only slightly, as my arms protectively curled around her. For several minutes, all we did was stand there nearly motionless, in a one-sided hug. Finally, it became a two-sided one as I felt the little mare turn and wrap her front hooves around me. I knelt down and hugged her full-on, whispering assurances into her ear.                 “Whatever it is, Trix, we’ll get through it together, I promise.” I murmured, giving her a little squeeze for good measure. I felt her nod against my shoulder, and took it as a sign that she was ready to talk. I gently lifted her chin up and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Immediately, her breathing became less staggered and she hugged me even tighter.                 “If you don’t wanna tell me, it’s okay, I promise,” I assured her. “Still, I would appreciate it if you’d at least tell me why we changed course. Is there somewhere you want to go?” She nodded against me once again. I sighed; I could see where this was going. “Just…take your time and tell me when you’re ready, preferably before we get there.” I added, hoping a little humor would lift the cloud of melancholy that had engulfed my marefriend.                 “Th…they’re in trouble.” she whispered into my shoulder.                 Um…what? Okay, if ever my attention was undivided, that time was now. I had to know more and hoped my companion was in the mood to share. I took a deep breath.                 “Who, Trix? Who’s in trouble?” I asked as gently as I could, given the circumstances.                 “I have to help them…” she murmured.                 “Is that why we changed course?” Another nod. “Okay, Trix, we’ll help them. I promise I’ll do whatever I can to help you help them, okay?” This time, she looked up at me with absolutely heart-wrenching eyes.                 “You promise?” she whimpered.                 “Anything for you, Trix,” I replied with a small smile. “I love you so much and…well, I’ll do anything to prove that.” Except sleep with you…shut it! Not the time!                 “Thank you…” she murmured before falling asleep in my arms. I sighed and gently lifted her up before consulting the computer.                 “Computer, where are we heading?”                 “Destination is Sector 04-70, the Badlands, Cardassia Sector.”                 My eyes widened. Cardassia. Even though there had been peace between the Federation and Cardassia for many years, I still didn’t relish the idea of actually travelling so deeply into their territory. And the Badlands, to boot. I had heard all about Voyager’s little foray into the Badlands before she had been pulled into the Delta Quadrant. Honestly, the whole idea of actually going there was giving me a serious case of the heebie-jeebies.                 Man, I’m an odd duck, aren’t I? Afraid of doing the horizontal dance with no pants with her but okay with charging to the rescue straight into the heart of the galaxy’s Bermuda Triangle? Maybe all those Crispy Chex are warping my brain. And speaking of warping…                 “Computer, how long until we reach our destination?”                 “14 hours and 27 minutes.”                 I sighed with relief; at the very least, a long flight at warp would give us some time to get some well-earned rest and hopefully some time for Trixie to relax. With that in mind, I gently carried my slumbering marefriend back to our quarters, laid down with her beside me and holding her against me, quickly fell asleep. ***                 The next time I awoke, it was due to a grumbling stomach. Apparently, it had been long enough since my last meal that my body decided to voice its displeasure. Remembering the panic of the previous night, I quickly looked around for Trixie, sighing with relief as I found her snuggled up against me.                 Right where I left you, I thought with a smile as I gently stroked her mane. As I administered comforting ministrations to my sleeping companion, I thought about what had transpired the previous…actually, when had that happened? Probably just super-early in the morning.                 “Computer, time.” I stated as quietly as I could.                 “The time is 1400 hours.” Ugh. 2:00 in the afternoon. At least we got the sleep we needed. And by the looks of it, Trixie needed some more. Honestly, I thought about waking her up. Then, if nothing else, I could find out what was going on and who apparently needed our help. “Mmm…Cole?” Wish granted, I thought as Trixie stirred beside me. She yawned and stretched and turned over so she was facing me. “Hey, Trix,” I greeted, returning her morning hug. “Sleep well? Any…bad dreams?” At that, she fell silent and I could see that things weren’t as simple as I hoped. I sighed. “It wasn’t a dream, was it?” “No…” the showmare confirmed. “Look, Cole…I can’t really explain it. I just…I just can’t ignore this feeling! It’s as if someone cried out for help and only I can help them!” “I know, I know, that’s why I haven’t turned the ship around yet,” I replied. “I figured there’s no way you’d be joking about something so serious. Besides, if there’s anything I’ve learned from travelling with you, it’s that anything’s possible when there’s magic involved.” Trixie’s mouth opened slightly as she looked up at me in surprise. I gave her a small smile. “Besides, we’re all about adventure and being heroes, right?” I offered, while simultaneously thinking whether we want to be or not. “I…guess so…” Trixie replied, still subdued. “Don’t worry, Trix, I know this is about a lot more than just adventuring or being a hero. Whatever this is about…we’ll do it together.” I assured her. “Thank you,” she replied, giving me a firm hug. “So…you wanna tell me what we’re in for?” I asked after a pause. “I…I suppose you have a right to know,” Trixie stated after taking a deep breath. “I saw…” Another deep breath. “I saw the Borg.” Well, fuck me sideways with a garden rake. Now it was my turn to take a deep breath. “Are you…” I shook my head; what a stupid question to ask. There’s only one species that even resembles the Borg and that’s the Borg. If she saw Borg, I was willing to bet everything that’s what we were in for. Which was, ironically, exactly what I was doing by agreeing to this. I took the opportunity that my unfinished question presented me with to adapt my question. “Okay, Borg. How…exactly did you see them?” According to Starfleet, there hadn’t been a Borg ship sighted in the area for a very long time. “I…I’m not sure,” Trixie admitted. “It was kind of like a dream but felt way too real. It’s almost like…someone was trying to communicate with me.” I nodded in understanding, wondering if it had been a dream whether or not Luna would’ve shown up and made it nice. “So…telepathy?” I asked. She nodded. “Okay…then do know who was trying to communicate with you?” “I…I think it was…my mother…” she finished quietly. I did a double-take. If there was one subject we didn’t talk about a lot, it was her parents. I had asked once or twice out of curiosity, mostly because Trixie never brought them up, but those conversations never got far at Trixie insistence. I was starting to get the feeling that shit just got very, very real. “Your…your mother?” I asked in confirmation. “But…how’s the even possible? Aren’t your parents back on Equestria? What the Hell would they be doing out here?” “I don’t know!” Trixie cried, silencing me instantly. She took a few ragged breaths before continuing. “I don’t know how that’s possible. All I know is that I have to find out!” “Okay, I’m with you on that one,” I assured her. “Say that’s actually what’s going on; how did you receive that message in the first place? The ship had no records of any communications except for the usual Federation news subspace broadcasts and stuff.” Could there have been a message piggybacked on one of those usual communiques or something, I wondered. “Some unicorns are able to communicate telepathically if they can learn the spell,” Trixie explained. “It’s really hard to do but my mom was able to learn it and eventually teach it to me.” I nodded appreciatively; even though we’d been travelling together for months, the little showmare was still taking me to school. “Still, you had to be pretty close for it to work, like no more than 10 or 15 hooves apart.” “So what you’re saying is that telepathy was the only way she could’ve contacted you, yet it’s impossible over long distance.” I summarized. Trixie nodded. That’s when a gut-wrenching thought crossed my mind; the Borg were masters at long-range communication. Borg drones could communicate with the Collective over extremely long distances using special cortical implants. Even though those were designed to only work with other Borg, there was a chance that they could’ve adapted it for…other users, maybe of the magic-wielding variety. If that’s how the message got all the way to Trixie…I shuddered to think of what might have already happened. Oh, and the notion of magic-wielding Borg was enough to make my stomach turn. Seriously, what a revolting idea. “Cole?” I shook my head, trying to clear it. If we were gonna boogie with the Borg, I needed a clear head. Hell, we both did. I hoped that with our mission being so emotionally-charged that we could pull it off without losing our heads. “Sorry, it’s just a lot to take in.” I replied. It was true; I had a lot more questions, which is where a long journey at warp can come in handy. “If you don’t mind, Trix, I would like to know more about your parents. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to but…” “No, it’s okay,” she answered, and rather resolutely at that, surprising me. “You deserve to know, since I’m basically dragging you into this.” “You’re not dragging me into anything, Trix,” I interjected, giving her another hug and quick kiss on the top of her head (whilst avoiding the horn). “I love you, and that means I’m willing to follow you anywhere. Having said that, why don’t we give Captain Remy or Captain Sisko a shout and see if there’s been any Borg activity in the area?” Hey, I’m a lover, not an idiot. “That’s a good idea,” Trixie agreed. “Maybe it was just a dream after all.” I doubted it and I’m sure she didn’t believe it either but I chose to stick to the topic at hand. After all, why exacerbate for no reason? “So anyway…why don’t you tell me about your parents?” I continued. She nodded and took a deep breath. “My parents ran a small cafe in Baltimare. We didn’t have a lot but we made a living and were happy with it. I guess that’s why my parents always pushed me to study magic. They always hoped that someday, I’d be good enough to get into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. With that, they said I could have a better life than I ever dreamed.” She paused before continuing. “Since they couldn’t afford the trip to Canterlot when I was a filly, we had to wait until I was older and the café was finally making money. By then, they wanted nothing more than for me to be accepted into the school’s junior program for unicorns who hadn’t been accepted as foals but still showed enough promise as older colts and fillies to get in.” For the first time, Trixie’s face took on a slightly happier expression as she continued to reminisce. “I remember that day like it was yesterday,” she said. “I was on my way to the school, practicing a few spells as I walked. On the way, I passed a couple with a crying foal. They tried everything to calm her down but the poor thing just wouldn’t. Since I still had some time before my audition, I decided to help. I conjured up a few illusions and soon, the foal had stopped crying and was actually laughing and smiling!” I smiled as Trixie’s small smile grew larger as if she was picturing the event in her head, which I was sure she was. “Before I knew it, ponies started gathering around us, wondering who was creating such realistic and fantastic illusions. I was so excited, I just kept going and as the show went on, they started cheering and applauding! I knew then and there that that was what I wanted to do. Unfortunately, my parents didn’t agree. They saw showponies as travelling con artists who swindled ponies out of their bits in exchange for some cheap tricks or sleight-of-hoof.” Her face went south and her expression went with it. “That was also when my cutie mark appeared.” She saw the questioning look on my face and quickly elaborated. “At first, they must’ve thought it was just a phase, like I gotten caught up in the moment. But when I showed them and they realized I had got it as a result of what I’d experienced…they must’ve thought their dream for me was done. Our argument that night was…” She shivered, prompting me to hold her closely. “It was bad enough that it took me so long to finally get my cutie mark but to get it for a reason they honestly hated…it was more than they could take. They threatened to kick me out if I pursued what I wanted, so…I ran away.” “Whoa, that’s heavy…” I murmured, trying to compute what she’d just shared. No wonder she never wanted to talk about it. “Why couldn’t you have done both?” I asked. “Like, gone to magic school first and then pursued the career you wanted?” “It wouldn’t have made any difference,” Trixie explained, shaking her head. “Even if I had completed the program, they would’ve hated my choice either way. They would’ve wanted me to work as an arch-mage or teach or something. I just…I couldn’t see myself doing any of that! I wanted the choice to do what I wanted, to go where I wanted, to make ponies laugh and smile!” She sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes. Hmm, maybe that’s why she was so desperate to answer the call. If there was anything I could do to help her reunite with her folks and help them bury the hatchet, then you could bet your ass I’d do it. Still, I wisely decided not to push the issue any further. “Well…that definitely clears things up,” I stated slowly. “I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that, I truly am,” I added, squeezing her tightly to me again. She returned the hug and planted small kisses all over my cheek. At least she wasn’t mad at me for pressing for information. “It wasn’t fair to you at all. They should’ve supported you and been there all the way.” To my surprise, she wiped her eyes and continued. “I…I spent the next 10 years on the road, travelling with circuses and other entertainment ponies, learning everything I could. Sometimes, I…I had to do some…things I’m not proud of just to survive.” Wait, what? Did I really know so little about my companion? Trixie must’ve caught the look making its way onto my face because her eyes widened and she held up her forehooves defensively. “No, no, nothing like that, I swear!” she exclaimed. “Just…like, begging for food and stuff…” “It’s okay, Trix, I understand,” I assured her, maintaining the hug. “You had to do what you had to do. And look where that got you, hmm? You’re the most famous Equestrian outside of Equestria, you’ve got fans all over two quadrants, you’ve rescued thousands of people, and you’ve got the most dedicated companion you could ever hope for. All in all, I’d say you’ve done alright. And you know what?” I added as we looked into each other’s eyes. “I think your parents would be real proud of what their daughter has accomplished, even with everything that happened in the past.” “Thanks, Cole,” Trixie whispered, planting a deep kiss on my lips, which I eagerly returned. “You have no idea how much this means to me. And…maybe you were right.” “About what?” “About…y’know…getting things off my chest. I…I actually feel a little better now.” This time, my sigh of relief was outward and noticeable. “You sound relieved,” Trixie added with a small laugh. “Yeah, I am,” I admitted. “I hate to see you upset so as soon as you feel better, I feel better, too. I’m kinda vicarious that way.” “I’ve noticed.” the showmare agreed. There was a pause as we sat and cuddled, content to enjoy each other’s company as much as we could before all Hell broke loose…again. “How long until we get to the Badlands?” she asked. “Computer, what’s our ETA?” I asked. “The estimated time of arrival to your destination is 8 hours and 37 minutes.” “So…cuddle, then nap?” Trixie proposed. “Definitely.” We were gonna need all the energy we could get. ***                 “You have arrived at your destination.”                 The computer’s announcement was almost a moot point; Trixie and I had been up for a couple of hours already preparing ourselves for a possible confrontation with the Borg (which I still hoped was just a case of bad dreams). I know what you’re thinking, and I kind of agree. What we were doing was impulsive and probably extremely stupid, not to mention the obvious fact that if it did come down to a shit-fight with the Collective, we were hopelessly, hilariously outgunned. But we had something the Borg didn’t and had no way to counter (I hoped): magic.                 Yeah, a little cheesy but Trixie was still kind of a powerhouse, if you hadn’t already noticed. Not to mention Captain Sisko’s generous allotment of 12 photon torpedoes currently sitting in the ship’s torpedo room. Of course, that had been on the condition that we use them with extreme discretion but I was grateful for them now.                 What? It’s a tough galaxy out there, and with our track record, we needed all the help we could get. Besides, we’d already proven ourselves to be the good guys. The added firepower just helped us be even better at it.                 “Hey Trix, we’re here,” I announced as the showmare vaporized another training drone. I had taken the liberty of downloading one of Admiral Janeway’s Borg boarding party simulations, just in case we got up close and personal. We had done fairly well all things considered, although Trixie had been a one-mare wrecking machine. Even if we went down, the Collective was gonna know they’d been in a fight.                 Or they’d swat us aside like mosquitos and we’d all become one big happy family.                 “Computer, end program,” Trixie exclaimed, trotting over to me. “So…now what?” she asked.                 “I honestly have no idea, Trix,” I confessed. “I mean, I told the computer to scan for Borg energy signatures and transwarp activity and so far, the Ranger’s found squat. If they’re out there somewhere, they obviously don’t want to be found.” I surmised, hoping that they hadn’t suddenly become obsessed with cloaking.                 Invisible magical Borg. Make it stop.                 “Well, we can’t just give up!” Trixie exclaimed, heading for the door and I assumed, the bridge. “We have to find them, or at least find out if I’m just crazy.”                 “Look, I don’t think you’re crazy,” I stated as we made our way to the turbolift. “It’s just that the Borg aren’t exactly known for playing hide and seek. They kinda just…steamroll everything.”                 “Maybe if they’re hiding, that means something happened to them,” Trixie mused as we rode up to the bridge. “What if their ship’s damaged? We could actually pull this off!” I had to admit that the idea, however unlikely, was appealing. If a Borg ship is damaged enough, most of the population aboard will go into a kind of hibernation, during which time energy and resources are put towards repairing the ship. During that time, most of the drones aboard simply replenish their energy and undergo repairs in booths called alcoves during a process called regeneration. That is the only time a caper like ours could actually be pulled off without disaster.                 “I sincerely hope you’re right, Trix,” I said as we entered the bridge. I took my usual seat while Trixie took the one opposite. As per usual, neither of us occupied the captain’s chair. “Computer, scan for Borg energy signatures.”                 “There are no Borg energy signatures with scanning range.”                 “Can you boost the range or the power of the scanner?” Trixie asked.                 “I don’t think so. I already have it at maximum range. Maybe if Scotty showed up out of nowhere, we’d have a chance.” That’s when an interesting thought crossed my mind.                 “Hey Trix, could you boost the range or power somehow?” I asked out of curiosity.                 “Me? What makes you think I can?” she countered, and rightly so. Just ‘cause she could summon a fleet out of thin air didn’t mean she could interface directly with our technology.                 “I dunno, just a thought,” I mused.                 “There might be another way.” Trixie murmured after a pause. I turned to her.                 “Really? How?”                 “If Trixie could send a message along the same magical frequency as the one she received last night, she might be able to lock onto the source of the signal.”                 “…allowing us to find them!” I exclaimed. Wait a tic, I thought. Why does that sound so familiar and why does a Scimitar, Captain Picard, and an angry clone come to mind? I shook my head, dismissing the thought. There was no way anyone else had thought of something like this, nuh-uh. “Well, I’m on board with that if you are, Trix. You sure you’re up for this?” She took a deep breath and looked resolutely out at the massive swirling columns of orange and yellow plasma.                 “Trixie is ready.” With that, she closed her eyes and lit up her horn. Silence reigned over the bridge as she searched for the signal’s source. I figured it was a lot like playing Marco Polo; the first “Marco” had been last night’s signal, which we answered with “Polo”. Now, we were the ones yelling “Marco” and I hoped that the answer wouldn’t be something like “You will be assimilated”. I looked over at my companion, who was clearly very deep in concentration. I could see her lips moving as her mind searched the abyss for that elusive signal. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she looked directly at me.                 “Got it! Go to these coordinates! They should be somewhere in that area!” she exclaimed, showing me on the navigational grid.                 “Yes ma’am!” I replied with a quick salute. “Computer, take us to these coordinates, full impulse!”                 “Affirmative. Estimated time to destination is two minutes and twelve seconds.”                 “Figures they’d be right under our noses, huh?” I asked.                 “Yeah.” Trixie replied with a small nod.                 “Hey, you okay? That thing you did…it didn’t, like, disturb you or anything, did it?” She shook her head.                 “No. It was like…shouting into a huge empty room and waiting for someone to answer. Except that someone actually does even though you can’t see them.” She saw the look of confusion on my face. “Sorry, it’s really hard to explain without using magic terms.”                 “It’s all good, I think I get it.” I assured her.                 “Destination reached.”                 “Holy crap, that was quick,” I commented. “Computer, begin scans for…”                 “Cole, look!” Trixie interjected, gesturing to the viewscreen.                 “My God…” I murmured as nothing less than a titanic Borg Cube came into view in front of us. Even though we were still a fair distance from the vessel, it still dwarfed the Ranger and sent a chill down my spine. This was it. We were way too close not to be detected. Any second now, we’d hear that chilling ultimatum and then…well, you know the rest. Any second now.                 Any second now.                 Seriously, any second now.                 …Hmm…                 “Cole…what’s going on?” Trixie asked, clearly confused as well.                 “Computer, scan the Borg ship and display scan results on the viewscreen.” I exclaimed. A second later, the results appeared for us to study. It was too good to be true.                 “It looks like they’re pretty worse for wear,” Trixie commented as we looked over the damaged Cube. “It doesn’t look like much’s happening over there.”                 “I can’t believe it,” I murmured. “They’re in regeneration mode! All of their power is being used to repair the ship and by the looks of the damage, it won’t be done for a few more hours!”                 “Does that mean we can go over there without getting assimilated?” Trixie asked.                 “Well, we’re gonna have to be really careful and not draw too much attention to ourselves but…” I took a deep breath, scarcely believing what I was about to say. “If there was ever a time to check it out, this is it.”                 “Okay…then let’s do it.” Trixie stated resolutely. “Time to find out if I’m crazy or not.”                 “Well, seeing as you predicted a Borg Cube in the middle of nowhere, I’d say you’re not quite ready to ride the crazy train.” I reminded her. “I think Arkham will have to wait.”                 “That’s true but why didn’t the computer find it?” Trixie asked as we headed for the turbolift. “A ship this size is pretty obvious.”                 “It must be masking its energy signature so it doesn’t get caught and destroyed while regenerating,” I replied. “That means it’ll take even longer for them to repair it seeing as they’re dedication so much power to concealing the ship.”                 “Then we should have quite a while.”                 “Sure looks that way. Alright, let’s go through this one last time.” Trixie nodded as I pulled up the checklist of gear for away-missions to Borg vessels, as recommended by Janeway. “Tricorder?”                 “Check.” Trixie replied, momentarily levitating hers out of one of the pouches of her belt (thanks, Garak) before replacing it.                 “Good. Phaser equipped with a rotating modulation?” Trixie nodded and repeated the previous motion, this time with the hand phaser.                 “Check.”                 “Hopefully, we won’t even have to use them,” I added. “I guess that’s all. Hopefully, we’ll get away with just using tricorders.”                 “But what if we end up actually having to fight?” Trixie asked, and for good reason. Wasn’t the whole point of this operation to perform some kind of rescue?                 “Well then, we shoot only what needs to be shot, and nothing more. It’s only be a matter of time before the Borg adapt to our weapons. We have to make every shot count or we’re beyond screwed.” I explained. “Once we beam over, I’ll tell the Ranger to back off out of weapon’s range just in case they wake up early. I’ve also ordered the computer to keep a transporter lock on us at all times for the same reason.”                 “Got it.” Trixie replied.                 “Don’t worry, I’ve taken every precaution,” I assured her, kneeling down to face her. “With any luck, this should go off without a hitch.” It was then that the showmare took an opportunity to pull me in for a kiss.                 “I know you’ve done everything you can to keep us safe, and I truly appreciate it,” Trixie told me softly. “But I want you to know that I’m going to do my best to keep you safe too, okay? No metal monster is gonna hurt you while the Great and Powerful Trixie is around!” I couldn’t help but smile at her declaration. She could handle a lot, that was true, but this was a whole new ballgame.                 “Well then…let’s do this.” I replied, taking her hoof in my hand. “Computer, beam us to the least-populated yet still habitable part of the Borg ship.” And with a glittering shower of blue and white, we were gone.