Foreshadow

"Captain's Log: Stardate 49571.2. We are currently ending our mission in the outer Alpha Quadrant. For the past twelve weeks, we have charted several dozen new systems, and we have had first contact with two new races, both of which are advanced enough to be excellent additions to the Federation.

"I am also looking forward to meeting with Captain Riker, and Commander Data in three days at starbase 317. For the past three months, I have been commanding this ship, the U.S.S. Alexandria (NCC 4257), and although it is a Galaxy Class starship, it seems empty without Data and Will here with me. I even miss Worf's dour expression, I've heard he has sought extended shore leave on the Klingon home world, and will not answer any calls. Geordi is still my Chief Engineer, but it seems a house with some of the children gone, and the remaining looking over their shoulders hoping for their return. For the meantime, I must make due with the Alexandria, the newest Galaxy Class in the fleet. She may look like the Enterprise, but the name says it all. However, after speaking with the brass in the 'Fleet, I may not serve on the next Enterprise ...."

Jean-Luc sighed heavily..."Computer, erase log, prepare to re-record."

The small beep answered him, as the small screen read "paused". He sat in the ready room, exactly like the Enterprise's, drinking Earl Gray tea...hot, just like the Enterprise's, and brooded.

He had contacted Admiral Jen'Kii six months ago in hopes of getting another command. Actually, he had hoped to be placed on the new Enterprise. He knew it was in production at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Mars, but a tight lid was being kept on particulars. Rumors abound in Starfleet Command, from the new Nova Class, to a new design away from the saucer/nacelle configuration. The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-E existed. That was enough for him.

But. But, am I worthy? Losing the Stargazer still haunted his dreams. As any respectable captain, you mourned the loss of a ship, the loss of a command. But the Enterprise was more than that. It was Starfleet's flagship. It was a home. Was...

He sat straight in the chair, berating himself for brooding like this. This wasn't him. Jean-Luc was NOT one to brood. Then, why?

Captain James T. Kirk. Call me Jim.....

He had heard that phrase a million times in the past year after the Cap...Jim's death. After stopping that madman; he wouldn't say his name...he brought more pain to Jean-Luc with just the mention of his name than even the Borg.

Jim had died just inches from him. He had been unable to do anything but assure him that the Enterprise would go on. A legacy to the Federation. 'To boldly go...."

He had felt a part of himself die at the sight of the saucer embedded in the ground as the shuttle rose over the mountains. The Enterprise , My Enterprise . He had feared for the crew, Will, Beverly...feared that he had killed them in his mad attempts for the Nexus.

The Nexus...where his children were......

FORE:

Jean-Luc exited the ready room, he could still hear the computer informing him that the log recorder was still paused. First things first, he thought.

As he strode across the bridge, Commander Matthew Ways; his new first officer, rose from the center chair, and gave a small nod. "Morning, Captain.", as he sat in the first officer's chair.

Too casual, was Jean-Luc's first thought. Then corrected himself. I can't continue to compare them to the "old" crew. His grimace at the thought of Riker and the others as being the "old crew" must have crossed his face, for Commander Ways turned away from him, and began instructing the navigator to continue the current operation.

He sat heavily in the center seat, noticing the lack of comfort the Enterprise 's chair had, and took in the view from the main viewer.

"What do you think, Captain? It's incredible. Binary systems are pretty common in this part of space, but not with a black hole in the middle."

Incredible wasn't the word, Jean-Luc thought. Two red supergiants both orbiting a black hole. Each star over a hundred times more massive then Earth's small yellow, each being swallowed alive by the vampiric black hole, now visible from all the turbulence of the twin stars. These stars would normally continue to exist for millions of years at the bare minimum; now in the last terminal stages of death.

According to the sensors, the twins will both go supernova within a matter of days. Taking the system of twenty-two barren planets with them. Starfleet scientists proposed the possible supernovae would cause a collapse of the surrounding space-time continuum for a brief moment, aliowing either the construction of another wormhole, or the destruction of the black hole itself.

So, the Alexandria had held this position for four days, at yellow alert with maximum shields to disperse the incredible amount of x-rays bombarding the starship. Giving the captain too much time to think over his career, past, and future. And for the first time in his life....he was found wanting.

"Sir, long range sensors are reading a huge power surge on the twin stars. Massive x-ray bursts, and power slide offs from the black hole as well."

He started from his reverie, and stood quickly. The tactical officer confirmed the readings even before he had turned to do same.

The Lieutenant at the forward ops station was running over the controls like a pianist, "Sir, the closest star has emitted a class five shock wave, causing the far star to also emit a similar shock wave, also approximately ciass five. Impact twelve minutes." Her voice never wavered, characteristic of her Vulcan blood. Or half Vulcan, if he remembered correctly.

Picard turned to the tactical officer, a Vulcan named Shey'nal, as he furiously ran his fingers over the console, "Mister Shey'nal, go to red alert, alert Shi'ran, and the other scientists. Get them on the bridge immediately. Helm, plot an escape route in case of more violent shock waves."

"Aye, sir"

Class five. Not enough to worry about if handled correctly. The Alexandria could safely handle a class seven in an emergency, but the engineers would hang him in such an instance. Or rather Geordi would.

He turned as the starboard turbolift opened, disgorging the three Starfleet solar engineers onto the bridge. Shi'ran, Shi'rah (Shi'ran's twin), and their assistant Ag'nastican Schwana. (or Aggie as he had told the captain he liked to be called) Be that as it may, they had been sent aboard the Alexandria to monitor the binaries and relate the effects to a new warp drive the Federation was designing. Much in the same aspects as the Romulan's singularity drives, the engineers hoped to apply the same effects to Federation vessels with fusion/fission engines under singularity conditions. However, they had never mentioned the possibility of premature collapse of either star, nor the possibility of these shock waves.

"Oh, dear, how interesting." Where Shi'ran began the sentence, his twin finished. They both began taking notes on old fashion notepads; both never having used any computer device the entire time aboard the Alexandria.

"Mister Shi'ran, these stars are emitting class five shock waves, much higher than you previously predicted. Any hypothesis for this? Do you believe the stars will supernova now?"

Picard looked from the two twittering scientists, to their assistant, to the still silent first officer. Will would have some intelligent advice, or at least a dramatic posture. Matthew simply stood next to the captain, looking from the viewscreen to the scientists and back again.

"It would appear the black hole is increasing its gravity field exponentionaly. This is normally impossible, but it does appear to be happening. If this continues, they will go supernova in less than six hours.", Shi'ran turned to his twin, both clad in gray smocks, and nodded gravely to each other, "We concur."

Picard turned to the auburn haired vulcan at the forward ops station, meaning to move the ship to safer vantage point, when he noticed the parameter alarm.

"Captain, showing three distinct warp signatures coming around the binaries, just ahead of the initial shock wave. Marking a Federation signature, possibly Excelsior class, and two unknowns...", the Vulcan's monotone voice cut through the earlier conversation. He turned to the Vulcan in time to see Shey'nal's eyes widen slightly, but no other indication of emotion.

"...Marking at least six separate warp signatures, one Federation, three Romulan...scout ships, and two Transwarp signatures as well."

"WHAT? Hail the Federation ship, Helm bring us around to course", he studied the ops station console, "two-seven-five mark two-four-four at full impulse. Shey'nal arm..."

"Phasers and torpedoes armed...receiving a hail from the Federation ship...and the computer has marked the pursuing ships as all Romulan, including the two transwarp signatures as well."

He ran his hand over his pate, one surprise after another, with no time to ponder in between. "Range? Put them on."

"The Federation ship appears to be damaged, sir. Approximately two minutes at present speed, if the Federation ship maintains its present course. Another sixty to ninety seconds until the first Romulan ship intercepts, with ninety seconds between each ship."

The Ensign took a deep breath and continued to read the incoming ships. He stole a glance to his fellow ensign, the half Vulcan on ops; she appeared calm, collected. This was his second bridge shift, and truth be told, he was terrified. Six weeks out of the Academy, he was just getting comfortable in Captain Picard's presence...a legend to Kraig, and now he was preparing to enter combat with the Romulans out in the middle of nowhere.

He considered himself lucky to be on the Alexandria . Since this was mainly a training mission, just mapping systems and solar phenomenon, Kraig figured this to be an easy mission. And placed on the same shift with Ensign Jacobs, the lovely (albeit cold) half vulcan seated to his right, he was very pleased with himself. Until now.

The first spoken words the captain of the Federation starship spoke faded out when his previous terror jumped to new heights when the rear sensors marked a new craft approaching slightly over warp 9.2.

His final two years at Starfleet Academy introduced a new threat to the Federation, and to all races as well. New, but abstract to Ensign Kraig Powell. Abstract until they showed up on his doorstep at warp 9.33 and increasing....

The Borg.

"This is the U.S.S. Regatta, under attack...severe casualties, minimal warp po...."

"Shey'nal, keep a solid link to that ship! Helm, close to fifteen hundred meters of the Regatta, and match speed.", Picard quickly ran through the options at hand.

What the hell where Romulans doing in the alpha quadrant? The Romulan neutral zone was almost six weeks away at warp nine. And the Alexandria was the only starship currently serving in this area for almost twelve parsecs. Too many surprises, too little time.

"Captain, the trailing starships have been identHied as Romulan Bird-of-Prey's. Three with standard anti-matter drives, and two with an early generation transwarp drive. The Regatta, captained by a Reed Williams, is currently listed as missing, as of stardate two-seven-one-five-nine-point-three. It was lost in the Romulan neutral zone."

Two-seven....And yet, after more than fifty years, they were being pursued by five....

"Place a graphic display up on those Romulan ships. Lock phasers on the lead Romulan ship, continue trying to open a channel to them.", he noted the forward ops station was clicking off the seconds until the shock wave hit. Seven minutes at the previous coordinates, but the seconds were shrinking like quicksilver as they approached the stars.

"Sir, those Romulan ships are being marked as missing from the Romulan Empire seventy-eight years ago, missing with all crew aboard." Shey'nal's statement did little to explain the situation.

"Closing on the Ragatta, range ten thousand meters, slowing to match its speed. Range to nearest hostile, seventy-five kilometers. ETA, twenty-two seconds. Shock wave impact in ninety seconds. Sir, at that magnitude, we're the only starship that can withstand the shock wave."

Picard examined the ops panel in front of the Lieutenant, then looked to see the current angle of approach, when the ensign currently at navigation drew a short breath.

"Sir, Borg ship closing...warp nine-point-three plus, bearing one-eight-zero mark one...uh..three....one, no four. It'll be here in three minutes!"

End for now...