Note: Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, and DIC. Star Trek and all related characters are the property of Gene Roddenberry and Paramount Studios.
Sailor Moon: Quest for Marius
By D. Pung
Part 3: The Elusive Locust
PG-13
Moon's scream stopped time for a second. Only the Borg seemed not to care, as 277 moved for Mars next. But Tuxedo Mask was already in position. He reached forward from behind 277 and slammed the hypospray into her neck. There was a hiss. 277 began turning, and fell unconscious just before as she grabbed at Tuxedo Mask.
"Got her!" he shouted as Sokor moved to the fallen Venus.
"Is she okay?" asked Moon.
"She needs sickbay!" reported Sokor. "And she needs it now!"
"Go!" ordered Pazrek.
Sokor tapped his combadge. "Sokor to Marauder. 2 for emergency transport straight to sickbay!" Sokor and Venus dissolved into columns of light.
"Our turn!" snapped Pazrek. "Get ready for transport!"
"There's more behind us!" snapped one of the other guards. Three of the security guards were left.
"Sailor Moon! Tuxedo Mask! Take Amy and go with Pazrek! We'll hold them off!" shouted Mars.
"No!" snapped Moon. "Last time I left one of my friends, look what happened to her. I'm fighting until everyone is safe!"
Phaser beams hit the Borg, to no avail.
"Listen! We'll protect your captain! We can still hurt the Borg! Go with Tuxedo Mask and my friend! Get out of here!" yelled Moon. The guards glanced at Pazrek, who nodded as Jupiter shot lightning down the hallway, blasting several Borg.
"MARS SEARING INFERNO!" Fire raged from Mars' outstretched hands. The flames were easily the width of the hallway, and gave them a temporary reprieve. The guards, Mask, and 277 dematerialized behind them.
"More coming!" roared Jupiter.
"MOON TIARA DEVESTATION!" Moon's tiara whipped down the corridor, smashing into and detonating on the incoming drones.
"Ready!" called Pazrek. "Energize now!"
The Borg swarmed as beams of light appeared and removed the remainder of the rescue squad out of harm's way, at least temporarily.
* * * *
The door hissed open, admitting Serena. She immediately spotted Venus by the swarm of medical personnel around her. She moved closer, and silently watched and listened. She grimaced as she heard Venus' moans.
"Tough girl," one of the doctors said.
"Her healing is remarkable. We just need to stabilize her, she'll be fine within a day," commented another.
"As long as she remains in Scout form," commented Serena, relieved that Venus would be fine.
Venus' eyes opened as she heard Serena's voice. "Hey," she whispered.
"Stick in there, Venus," said Serena softly. "Hold on to Scout form so you heal faster." The doctor moved an instrument Serena was unfamiliar with over Venus' wrist, which was now black and blue. Venus sighed in relief and closed her eyes. Despite herself, Serena was intrigued.
"What's that do?" she asked.
"Begins mending bones. With her accelerated healing, she'll be fully healed skeletally within a few hours. She will be released tomorrow, although she'll be bruised for a while," commented the doctor. "Who are you?"
"Her leader," commented Serena. The doctor took her aside as the work continued.
"She broke every bone in her wrist and hand. All of her ribs were cracked, she had a concussion, and her spine came too close to being severed. From what I heard happened, I'm surprised she's still alive," the doctor shook his head in wonder.
"Sailor Scouts are tougher than normal humans," said Serena, inwardly chilled at the injury report. "Speaking of which," she smacked herself on the forehead. "I forgot! I haven't used it in so long, I totally forgot I could!"
"No," moaned Venus weakly. Her eyes fluttered open again. "Save your healing for Amy. I'll be just fine. Sokor told me what happened. Go to her, Serena. Right now, she needs you more than me." Venus smiled bravely. "Let me know what happens."
"You got it, Venus! I'll keep you up to date. You just get better!" Serena said. She smiled and then turned around. The doors hissed shut behind her.
* * * *
"Force field in place and holding," reported the security officer manning the console as Serena walked in. They were in a lab, and an enclosure along one wall had been Borg-proofed and currently held a sleeping 277. Luna and Artemis were staring in horror, as were the other girls.
"Venus'll be fine," said Serena, eyes on 277. "She was practically killed, but thanks to her Scout toughness and the medical knowledge of this place, she'll be up and around tomorrow. Where are we? What are we doing here?"
"We've set up the forcefield. We need to wait until she awakens before attempting to cut her off from the collective. This is touch and go," said Pazrek, standing near the console.
"I could heal her," said Serena.
"The shock could kill her," said Luna softly, still staring. "Which means they have to break contact first."
"She can't be wanting to be a Borg," gasped Raye.
"She doesn't know," said Pazrek patiently. "Listen, girls. She is not Amy. Amy won't even be Amy for some time after this, even assuming there is some magical way you can suddenly heal her. The mental trauma from being assimilated lasts a long time. Like it or not-"
A shuddering explosion interrupted Pazrek.
"What the hell?"
* * * *
"Sir!" gasped Warmex. Smoke filled the bridge as the cube fired again. "This isn't right! The cube is regenerating and attacking at the same time!"
"Pazrek to bridge! What the hell's happening?" came over the bridge comm circuit. H'Shang staggered up and answered.
"It's not logical! The Borg are still regenerating, but they are attacking at the same time!"
Down in the lab, the Starfleet personnel all glanced at each other in shock. Pazrek gritted his teeth. "Damn that Locust!"
The Borg now seized all of TFN in a holding beam, one per ship.
"Captain! They have all of us in a holding beam! If we don't do something-"
* * * *
"Fire," the captain ordered. At tactical, Lt. Cmdr. Wolfe nodded and pressed his panel. The screen showed multiple phasers and torpedoes shooting out, as TFN was released from the holding beams.
"Concentrate all firepower on that cube. Target the power distribution network. All ships, open fire!" ordered Picard.
* * * *
On the screen, which Pazrek had routed from the bridge so he could watch, three blue torpedoes smashed into the source of the holding beams, terminating them. A swept shape moved in front of TFN, firing all the while. Quite a few other ships followed it, and the sight made Pazrek smile.
"Thank you, Captain Picard," smiled Pazrek. "I knew I could count on the Enterprise! Bridge, do we have phaser power?"
"Yes, sir. I've just charged the cannons!" reported a coughing Sokor.
"Terminate that cube!"
* * * *
The Marauder was the first of the TFN ships to recover. She came up, pointing both wings at the staggering cube. Firepower from twenty-six ships was followed by the coup de grace from the Marauder, as both wing cannons blasted at the same time. Twin beams of ultra-intense energy struck the cube, overloading its systems and exploding it in a massive burst of gas and debris. The Enterprise came around and assumed a protective position near the three injured ships. The rest of the fleet reformed around them. The Borg cube was gone, and TFN began repairs.
* * * *
Picard, Troi, and Data gazed at 277.
"So, that was the smart blue-haired girl?" asked Troi.
"Yes. So far, we're ready to begin. We're waiting for the tranquilizer to wear off," began Pazrek. "And this time, they're not Hoppers. They're here to help catch a villain. That villain, which we call a Locust, is in charge of a small Borg fleet, and is extremely powerful. Before you ask, Captain, we were caught unawares because that cube was regenerating and fighting at the same time."
When he said that, Picard, Troi, and Data all shared a shocked expression. Then they looked back at Pazrek. "That's also why 277 here is still alive. Apparently, Marius, our Locust, still retains control over her. On a related subject, we are attempting to discern where they went so we can finish our business."
Picard nodded. "I have Riker on that as we speak. I think, though, with our Borg experiences, Data, the Counselor, and myself would be best served here to aid you. For example, Data can man the console and attempt to break the link, while we wait to help with her mental recovery."
Pazrek agreed. "Since you have been assimilated, you do have an idea what she's going through."
"And I guarantee she will remember every horrible moment for some time to come, not to mention blaming herself every step of the way," said Picard quietly, noting the horrified looks of the rest of the Scouts.
* * * *
The sky was overcast. It had been raining on and off for the past two days. The Scouts were not happy.
First, because General Trouble, or GT-creep, as the girls had begun to call it, had not been spotted and so far eluded their every effort.
Second, because the media were giving them a less then favorable image.
"And while the police are not accusing the Sailor Scouts of the murder, there are various opinions that they are indirectly responsible. Our very own Mari is on the scene at the very park where the incident occurred. Mari?"
"Thanks, Juni. The public opinion of the Scouts varies pretty widely. Some think it's wonderful that these young women give up their personal lives to aid others, but they are the minority. Most say that they are a loose cannon, requiring regulation. We've spoken to some people about what they think of the Sailor Scouts."
"Well, those punk kids need to learn restraint. The fact is, they killed that woman, and if this keeps up, who knows where we'll end up? It's getting to where people are afraid of them."
Amara spit her tea at that one. She coughed, and gasped in outrage. Michelle raised an eyebrow as Sam got up to get her a towel.
"We're certainly catching a bad rap, aren't we?" she sighed.
Amara frowned at her. "Well, I'm sure this isn't what Serena had in mind. I'm sure she doesn't want people to fear the Scouts. But we can't be blamed for this! It's not our fault!"
"We know that," said Trista. She turned away from her computer, allowing the mists of time to recloud the monitor. She loved the interface Amy and Stryfe had come up with, as it allowed her to be with the Scouts and still monitor timelines.
"Hmm. Has anyone noticed a pattern developing? Each incident, so far, has occurred within spitting distance of us," commented Sam as she handed Amara the towel. "I'd wager it's still nearby. I think it might be tracking our power." As if to admit she was right, an explosion sounded.
Amara sighed. "Let's finish it this time," she said as she raised her hand.
* * * *
"Commander," called the lieutenant at Ops. "I'm picking up traces of a residual trans-warp signature. I think we have stumbled on their route. It gets stronger ahead."
Riker stood up. "Okay, follow it. Inform the Captain what you have so far." He moved back by Wolfe at tactical. "Mr. Wolfe, I have some tactical ideas for fighting them I want to discuss with you..."
* * * *
By the time they got there, the only sign of GT-creep was a burning pair of cars. Both drivers' heads were lolling on their shoulders, showing their necks were snapped. A huge footprint was in the dirt nearby. Uranus was livid.
"He's playing us for a fool!" she snapped. She lost her temper. Unfortunately, she lost it as the police and media arrived. She spun around and punched the nearest object, a telephone pole that snapped cleanly as she hit it. The pole crashed down, sparks flying and wires snapping. The Scouts were now trying to calm her, but they decided it would be best to get out of here and calm her down elsewhere. They vanished.
"Lieutenant?" asked his partner incredulously.
Fuji realized he had no choice after seeing what he just saw. Like it or not, he had people to protect. "Call it in. We need to issue a warrant for the arrest of the Sailor Scouts." I can't believe this, he thought. What's going on here?
* * * *
Ensign Warmex blinked as she received the Enterprise's scan info. The Marauder was behind the flagship, and was putting her resources to work elsewhere. As Warmex examined the info, she realized why Riker had been concerned. "Sir?" she called to H'Shang. "Come take a look at this."
* * * *
"Seven more cubes?" asked Pazrek. "You sure?"
"Yes, sir. Logically, two possibilities emerge. The first is the possibility that the Locust is stronger than anticipated, and these are reinforcements. The second is the Borg are displeased with her and are going to attempt to take control over her. Logic dictates that while the second option is more beneficial, neither option is favorable," finished H'Shang.
Pazrek glanced at Picard. "Not nice, huh."
"Our options are indeed limited. When we recover the girl, we need to find out what they're up to. The link does go both ways," said Picard. "In the meantime, we need a battle plan for the worse-case scenario."
"Commander Riker is in the midst of such planning now, sir," said H'Shang. "If you will excuse me, I must get back to the bridge." He turned and left.
Deanna Troi scanned the room. She decided to see how everyone was doing, and slowly lowered her mental shields. The door hissed, and Troi was conscious of pain and determination to be cheerful.
"Mina!" called Serena, hugging her. Mina hissed. "Not so hard, Serena. I still hurt. By the way, the medical staff is most displeased with me."
Troi swept the others. Data she had gotten used to barely being able to feel, but he was engrossed and currently had his emotion chip shut off. Pazrek and Picard shared a sense of anxiety and determination. The pigtailed blonde was extremely anxious, but eager to get her friend back. The brunette was actually bored, although still worried. The two security guards were nervous. And the black-haired girl.. was looking right at her, and knew she was being touched by Troi's mind.
You're telepathic, said Troi mentally. Raye nodded slightly.
We call it psychic. I can't read other's minds, but I can tell if someone's evil or not, and I have a limited ability to see the future, Raye said mentally.
I'm not a full telepath, since I'm half human. But I can feel emotions. I can tell how others feel. In other words, our talents are very similar, smiled Troi as she continued the mental communication.
"So they are," whispered Raye softly. A whirring sound caught everyone's attention. They all turned to see 277 scanning her cell.
"Amy?" asked Serena.
"We are 277 of 599. These measures are futile. You will be assimilated," began 277.
"Yeah, I know," murmured Picard. "I said that myself, once."
277 stepped up. "Locutus. You will be reassimilated. Resistance is futile."
"Data?" asked Pazrek.
"Erecting the field to block the collective now, sir. I am doing it gradually, lest the shock of being suddenly cut off kills her," Data said as he worked.
For a second, a flash of recognition came to 277's eye. Troi was conscious of a struggle. The flash faded, as did Troi's reading.
The claw popped up, and energy shot out of the tips, mingling in the forcefield. The security guards stepped back and drew their phasers.
"The forcefield is failing!" called Data. "The suppression field is almost up!"
As the field went down, Picard jumped back. "Put your phasers away! You can't shoot her!" 277 moved swiftly towards one of the guards and picked him up, despite his attempt to move away. Her hand moved towards him, tubes coming out of her skin.
"Field up!" called Data, before leaping over the console to stop 277. He got halfway when he realized her hand had stopped moving. 277 dropped the guard and lowered her arm. She turned. A tear trickled out of her eye.
"Oh, my God, Serena," came a weak voice, identifiable as Amy's. She shuddered, and then collapsed to her knees, tears streaming out of her eye. She stared at her claw-arm in horror.
"Amy?" Serena asked, stepping closer. The other Security guard still had his phaser pointed at Amy/277.
"Yeah," shuddered Amy/277. She looked up at her leader. "Please, get this stuff off of me." She began tearing at the body armor with her hand, trying to remove it, and failing miserably before she collapsed into sobs.
"It's okay, Amy," said Raye, coming close to comfort her.
"Glad you're back!" said Lita, following Raye.
"Yeah, Amy," smiled Mina.
Amy/277 shrank away. "No! Don't come near me! I don't want to hurt anyone else!" She stepped back from her friends.
Serena's heart was bursting. She felt for her friend. They said she should go through the entire recovery process, getting everything surgically removed. Well, they don't know the power of the Sailor Scouts, and she needs my help now. I won't fail her again. Serena raised her hand. "MOON HEAVENLY POWER!" White light heralded the arrival of the champion of love and justice.
Moon willed for her crescent wand to appear. It didn't. A long, beautiful silvery staff appeared in her hands instead, the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal in its tip. Luna gasped as the attention shifted to Sailor Moon.
"The Imperium Moon Staff!" whispered Artemis in awe. "I didn't think it was real!" He shared a look with Luna. Sailor Moon had truly begun mastering her powers...
Oblivious to anyone's astonishment, Moon focused her energies on Amy/277. "Amy," she said. "I failed you. I'm sorry. But at least I can be here for you after it's all over. MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!"
White energy shot from the staff, surrounding Amy/277, lifting her off the deck. The Starfleet personnel stared as Amy's features were covered, and the glare became too intense. Instead, they watched the pieces fall to the floor. The first was the eyepiece, followed by all the other components, the metal-to-flesh interface last of all. Amy's body was now illuminated as a white shape, and her right arm was regenerating. Finally, the white light faded, and Amy dropped to the floor behind the pile of Borg components. Her head was once again covered in blue hair, and her blue, teary eyes focused on Moon.
"Thank you," she whispered as she slipped into unconsciousness.
"Amy!" Moon said, releasing and transforming back to Serena. She ran to her friend, picking her up in her arms, staggering. Darien moved to help. Serena shook her head no.
"I'm responsible. I'll take her. Just remind me to play with Marius before I finish her as payback," she said with a coldness that shocked Luna and Artemis. The other girls all agreed wholeheartedly as the door hissed open, and the Scouts left.
Data was still looking at the pile of components, wondering.
"Wow," said Troi. "Such power."
"Might even give Q a run for his money," said Pazrek.
"I doubt it, unfortunately," Picard said, shaking his head. "Still, appearances can be deceiving. I didn't think much of them, but my opinion has certainly raised a notch."
"You should've seen them attack the Borg," Pazrek said as they left the lab, leaving the cleanup to the other two officers. "Impressive. I'd say they're physically as strong as Data when in Scout form, except for Jupiter. She's even stronger.."
* * * *
Eight hours later, the fleet was nearing the destination, the current location of the Borg ships. Picard and Pazrek were in intense discussion via viewscreen when the doors from the conference room hissed open. Serena and the others walked through, Amy last, brooding and silent. Serena walked right up to Pazrek.
"Your second of the two options is what it is. Amy told us that. The Borg are not happy with Marius. They will attempt to seize control of the other cubes and destroy the sphere. They will fail. Marius, seeing the damage that Starfleet can do, is now powering all her ships with Nega-energy. What this means is all your battle plans are for naught," Serena stated calmly.
"How do we fight them, then?" asked Sokor. Having fought with the Scouts in more ways then one, he now respected their abilities.
"Simply put, that's what we're here for. Destroy the sphere and they revert to normal Borg. Your battle plans will be effective then. So, your engineer should construct a.." Serena trailed off, and looked at Amy. "What'd you call it? Multiphasic power input relay?"
Amy nodded. She had yet to look anyone in the eyes. "Something to allow us to channel our power into the ship's weapons, preferably the cannons that blasted the cube from the decoy force."
Picard blinked on the screen. He saw something in Amy he recognized. Self-loathing. He glanced at Troi. She nodded sadly.
Mina rested her hand on Amy's shoulder. Amy stiffened.
"Why are you doing this?" Amy asked through gritted teeth. "I.. I tried to kill you!"
"No, Amy, you didn't," said Mina softly. "277 of 599 did. It was worth the pain to see you back with us. We're a team, and we need you. We missed you. And maybe now Serena will stop blaming herself."
Amy blinked in surprise and met Serena's eyes. Serena's were also filled with guilt, though not as much as Amy's.
"But it wasn't your fault," said Amy. "There was nothing you could do."
"You couldn't do anything either, Amy," said Raye sadly. "Nobody can resist a million minds by themselves."
Amy's eyes filled with tears again. She almost never cried, but she was crying a lot here. Pazrek cleared his throat and tapped his combadge. "Pazrek to Forger. Construct a multiphasic power input relay into the Phased Cannon system. Rig it with five inputs that combine into one."
"Aye, sir," came over the comm channel.
Pazrek turned. "Activate Order Console, Project Reunion protocols. Code Pazrek One Eight Seven Theta Phi Alpha. Prepare secondary gate generators."
"Activated," replied the computer. Near the back of the bridge, the bulkhead split in two and a console was revealed. It lit up as power was supplied from the now operating Order generators. Pazrek turned again. "Captain, proceed with Riker's battle plans. Await the sphere's destruction before you begin, however. TFN will assist at that point. Our first concern is that Locust. Oh, and Captain?"
"What?" asked Picard.
"Good Luck," smiled Pazrek. As the screen reverted to a view of the fleet, Pazrek turned to Amy. He pulled something out of his belt. "I believe this is yours," he said, handing Amy her microcomputer.
Amy blinked away her tears and forced a smile. "Thanks."
Pazrek nodded with a smile. "Relax, Amy. Picard, whom you know was also assimilated, passed on something for me to tell you. He said, 'You blame yourself for what happened. So did I. Your nightmares won't end for some time to come. Despite all this, you are a better person. You've survived and fought back from something most can't. You have lots of close friends and family who care deeply about you. Listen to them. Lean on them. It's what they want, because you are important to them, and you are loved, despite the Borg's best efforts. Cheer up. For you, it's over. There is only the future.'"
"Sounds like good advice from someone who knows what you're going through," smiled Lita.
"I'll try," murmured Amy. "It won't be easy."
"Probably not," said Darien. "But you have something else to think about right now."
Amy nodded, expression hardening. "Marius."
"Sir!" called Ensign Warmex. "Detecting two Borg task forces exchanging fire ahead!"
"Engineering to bridge! Relay constructed!" called Forger.
Pazrek glanced at Serena, who nodded and spun around.
"It's on deck four, section seven," said Pazrek. "We'll call when we're ready."
Serena nodded as the lift doors closed around her and the Scouts, and they transformed.
Pazrek turned back. "Ensign, on screen."
The screen blinked on to show the five cubes take position around the sphere. Energy crackled from them, and all linked to the sphere, which redirected the energy at the incoming cubes. Seven explosions marked the defeat of the Borg task force.
"Uh, all that is registering now are the five cubes and one sphere," gulped Warmex.
"Interesting. Tell TFN to break off and cloak. We've got to surprise the Locust. Tell the fleet to get in position, but stay out of range," ordered Pazrek.
The Scouts stepped out of the lift, and met up with Forger, who pointed it out to them. The Scouts simply nodded as they took their places.
"Are we ready?" asked Moon. "Remember. We don't have to exhaust ourselves, merely supply our influence to their weapons. We have to do it together."
"Divided we stand, tomorrow us all," said Venus. They rolled their eyes.
"It's together we stand, divided we fall," said Forger with a quiet grin.
Venus shrugged. "Whatever."
"Places," commanded Moon. She glanced at Mercury. As if sensing her concern, Mercury looked up.
"I'll be fine. Just gonna give Marius a taste of my anger!" she said, eyes blazing with hatred. Before anyone could say anything, the wall panel beeped.
"Pazrek to Scouts. Ready when you are."
They each gripped the charging handles. Concentrating, they drew mightily upon themselves, and each other. As one, their power began to flow into the already charged system.
Sokor blinked at the energy readings. "Sir! The power curve is now OFF THE SCALE! It's incredible! Registering cannons ready!"
"Decloak and fire!" ordered Pazrek. "Shields up! Computer, activate node, set to A-74, instant trigger when signatures match!"
Space rippled as Marauder came into view. Instantly, both wing cannons fired, but not as pulsing red beams. Instead, they were white, surrounded by red, blue, yellow, and green swirls. Both beams impacted on the Nega-sphere, instantly destroying its defenses. A white flash swept through it just before it exploded. As the five cubes were caught off guard, the rest of TFN decloaked and began hammering the cube nearest them, joined moments later by Starfleet, from all sides. Starships began playing hopscotch, blasting one cube, then switching weapons and diving for another, not giving the Borg a chance to adapt, or adjust to the strategy. To an outside observer, the tactics seemed totally random. To Riker, they simply made sense as the Enterprise finished off the first cube. To Starfleet, they simply worked, as when the last cube blew, no starships had been destroyed. To Picard, it was a victory. To Pazrek, it was a defeat.
"So what are you saying?" demanded Serena.
"She detected and warped the node. She's now in prime B-3. I've already reconfigured the node and contacted the Order member there. You should jump as soon as possible," sighed Pazrek.
Amy rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Could you spare a few components?"
Pazrek nodded, curious. Amy took him aside and explained, and he walked over to the replicator and generated what she needed in a gray, nondescript carrying case.
"What are those for?" asked Lita.
"A trap for Marius. I'll build it later. We should go track that bitch down," said Amy heatedly. The others blinked at the curse.
"Absolutely," said Serena. "Let's go."
"Good luck," said Pazrek. All Serena could think about as the world went white was Amy's attitude.
I'll help her get better, thought a determined Serena. It's my duty as her princess and her friend...
TO BE CONTINUED...