'The Accobi Assimilation' - Season Finale Discussion Thread

Started by Grizz, May 30, 2015, 06:26:09 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

How would you rate 'The Accobi Assimilation?'

Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
Awful

Grizz

"What if someone was experimenting on the Borg?"

Amber Munro and Abigail Watson returned as the short-lived command partnership of Asteroid Base: Alpha - back in 2384 - to recap events which occurred during Accobar's only Borg encounter up to this point. As back in the present, the Hera was racing to Station Nimoy to supposedly recover Captain Mason while Vega did who-knows-what aboard Pioneer with her legion of modified drones. Elsewhere, all available ships in the Tyrella sector were mustering to lead a counterstrike against the captured station. But if the Hera was to lead that task force, they would have to get back in time.


On their arrival at the unfamiliar space-station, listed on no chart, Sullivan and Costello determined that their weapons systems were offline and there was one lifesign aboard. Choosing to cautiously take advantage of an shielded area of the station, Menden formed a boarding party and beamed across. There, the away team stumbled in to one of the many simulations Vega had been running of Pioneer, while en-route to the sign of life. Only a few locked doors got in their way and Menden had already remarked that it seemed all too easy. Reaching the Director's office, the team located Captain Mason. Or so they thought.

"I hope my little detour didn't take you by surprise!"

As Doctor Rogan awoke Mason, she sprung to life and grabbed the Doctor by the throat while assimilation tubules burst out of her holographic shell and pierced his neck. The Borg Mason imposter was dragged away from Rogan before she beamed out of the area to places unknown. Rogan was found to be fine - and unusually, no nanoprobes had been transferred. This was a demonstration of what Vega's drones were capable of. It allowed the crew to get close to somebody they believed to be an ally - only to be put in a position of extreme vulnerability. You and your characters should take that as a teaser for what is to come.

A message from Vega announced her intention to cover her tracks. The station's self destruct sequence had been initiated but the team had been directed towards the Brig to locate Mason for good.  Riker was the first to arrive and a slightly dazed Mason in a damaged uniform was freed from captivity. With less than a minute to spare, the team raced back to the transporter room and beamed off the station before it blew - with nothing less in the databanks to recover. The resulting explosion knocked the Hera - which injured McClintock, leaving him out for the count and elevating Layton to Acting Chief Engineer.

"There's no light at the end of this tunnel, James. Just a monster."

Mason freshened up during a quarantined examination in Sickbay while the Hera set a course for the small fleet prepared to retake Accobar. She informed Rogan that she could only remember some of what Vega told her - believing that they may have somehow exploited her untreated memory disorder which is commonplace in Telosian society. A condition still unknown to most of the crew, Rogan administered a double dosage of desegranine before sending Mason back to duty. One fact which she was unable to disclose to Menden (whom she happened to call by his first name for the first time) was Vega's allegiance to Section 31. For now, it seems, Vega has secured their nonexistent status. Perhaps we'll never know where the crew of Nimoy Station went. But there was a more pressing matter to attend to as the fleet formed up and shot off towards Accobar.

With a final meeting before the battle, the Captain thanked them for their rescue and wished them luck. The crew then attended their battle stations as the fleet dropped in to Accobar on the edge of the asteroid field. With the Hera taking point, they positioned themselves to enter and approach Pioneer having received no response to their hails. The station's shields and weapons systems were fully operations - but as it turned out, Vega had no need for them whatsoever.

With seconds, another ship inexplicably dropped out of cloak directly ahead of the fleet. It was the USS Apollo. The Apollo careered in to the fleet and though Mason ordered all ships to break formation, there was little that could be done. In the collision, two of the Starfleet ships were wiped out - and the others bore the brunt of the blast. Amid the damage, the Hera's warp drive was knocked out - something which would cost them dearly. Forming up and intending to take the fight to Vega,  the Hera detected a spatial fluctuation between them and Pioneer. Something far worse than the Apollo was coming.

"A transwarp aperture is forming, ma'am!"

A transwarp aperture formed in front of the fleet and before long, a Borg Sphere emerged from the vortex - firing on all cylinders without warning nor gratuitous introduction. With the counterattack now in disarray, the fleet was ordered to withdraw. Mason had the Hera provide cover for the fleeing ships, though this decision in conjunction with a disabled warp drive was only going to end one way. The sphere came down hard on the Hera and the faithful science vessel proved no match for it. Battling the drones aboard Pioneer was one thing, but nobody expected to be fighting a Borg ship on their arrival.

In the science lab, Etis and Rogan worked with a sample of the Halkonian nano-virus Vega had modified to control the drones, intending to find a way to destroy it. Sure enough, Etis was able to program the nanobots to seek and destroy themselves. But during the attack, the sample's vial was shattered and the virus released. Thankfully, Rogan was able to activate the new routine - and the nanobots destroyed themselves. Lexi was able to replicate more - which may serve as a platform to mount an organised defense and offense against the Vega Drones. But it would not be on this day.

With their shields gone, a final volley struck across the ship. The impact on the Bridge was severe, collapsing the structural supports. One struck the overhead tactical console, barely missing Costello - while another came down on the Helm control, knocking Sullivan out cold, leaving him unresponsive and sustaining injuries we are yet to know the severity of. Although Layton insisted on working to the last minute, the damage was already done. Hera was unable to hold herself together and as flamed roared on the Bridge, Mason issued a surrender to Pioneer and ordered the crew to proceed to the escape pods and abandon ship.


"I'm sorry, girl..."

As the Hera creaked and groaned, as if crying out in pain, Rogan arrived on the Bridge to assist the injured as the remaining able officers left their posts and headed for the escape pods. Ensuring she was the last to leave the deck, Mason apologized to her first command as she left the Bridge in ruin. Upon receiving word that the the rest of the crew were out safely, she took a last look before joining Menden, Costello, Riker and others in their escape pod and ejected from the ship ( to an appropriate soundtrack ).

Seeing the Hera fall apart from a distance, Mason saw from the pod that the Sphere had retreated - having stopped it's attack upon their surrender. She conceded that Vega must have established some form of control after all....

"We'll be back."




With no ship and no station, the future looks incredibly bleak for the crew - and where they will all end up is a question to be posed during the break. We saw nothing of what Vega was doing on Pioneer and received no hint as to what she might need Accobar for. We only know that she has not only her modified drones - but also a Borg vessel - heavily implied to be the one encountered by the Athena a number of years ago. We know not how William Sullivan will fare with his injuries, nor whether the Hera can still be salvaged at all. Etis and Rogan asked themselves why Vega really wanted Mason, and whether the Captain was telling them everything about her time with her. There's also the matter of her apparently worsening mental condition which will need to be addressed one way or another.

The promised change in direction has come to pass and the Federation will be coming to terms with an unleashed Dark Star in the Sixth Season, which launches in the Summer. Thank you for attending - not only this episode but all season long. Please do leave a vote in the poll and your final comments on this episode and Season Five as a whole.

Where do we go from here? Where will our characters find themselves upon our return? Watch this space.