Darkwing Tower, Darkwing's Earth.

It was precisely ten minutes, full of silence, since Wesley had spoken.  They were five very tense minutes, which seemed to pass slowly like five millennia.  Wesley, Troi, and Picard knew that this was one of the worst possible times the Borg could come.  All else except for Data were very confused.  They had no idea about the Borg. . . save the Thunder Kittens, and they did not even know what the Borg vessels were like.  The Romulans knew someone had to break this silence.  Torreth did, by saying, "Pardon me.  I believe that my colleagues and I do not understand."

            "These are the Borg," said Picard, vocally indicating that, yes, he would elaborate.  "Every time we've encountered them, they have come closer and closer to conquering the Federation."

            "The Borg," said Tomalak.  "I've heard of them, but I don't know what they're like.  Precisely what are they?"

            "They are humanoid life forms," said Picard.  "Humanoids in whom have been installed robotic implants.  They have a central collective consciousness.  The Borg have the technology to install that technology directly into the humanoid brain.  They are relentless, unaffected by any emotion whatsoever.  Their entire existence is to assimilate other cultures into their collective consciousness.  There is no individuality in the collective.  They only have one desire, and that is that of the entire collective.  They adapt to just about anything you do."

            "I recall," said Sela.  "Did they really make you one of them?"

            "Unfortunately, yes," said Picard.

            "I think I know now what happened to the bases along the Neutral Zone," said Sela.  "I've been trying to get at the bottom of it for years.  The reports were that it appeared as though something just reached out and scooped the entire base of the face of the planet.  Just a big gaping hole where the base had been."

            "That is exactly it, Commander Sela.  It would appear that the Borg come from that part of the Local Group."

            "The Small Magellanic Cloud?" asked Wesley.

            "Yes."  The Thunder Kittens suddenly seemed gravely concerned about something.  "Something bothering you, Thunder Kittens?"

            "Something, indeed," replied Wilykat.  "The Thunderians' home galaxy was the Large Magellanic Cloud, what we Thunderians call the Galaxy of Leos."  He sighed.  "For a reason about which I do not know, this entire situation is giving me the creeps."

            "Yes," agreed Wilykit.  She checked her computational readouts.  "At its present course and speed, it will reach the Milky Way in about four hours.

            "The beginning of Stardate 48035.6," interjected Picard.  "That will be midnight."

            "Yes," said Wilykit again.  "July 13.  Those Borg make for early risers."

            "Even worse," said Tomalak, "we'll also have to worry about the Cardassians."

            "Them," said Picard.

            "It would not come to me as a great surprise if Ludwig himself invited the Borg," said Wilykit.

            "Four warring nations," said Picard.  "Vulnerable to a Borg attack.  Damn."

            "I don't know about the Federation," said Torreth, "but I'm certain that the Romulan Empire is going to send in its most powerful ship for stopping the Borg.  The Borg, after all, cannot attack what they cannot see."

            "Careful, Commander Torreth," warned Picard gently.  "The Borg may adapt to your cloaking device."

            "I am not sure about that, Captain," said Data.  "The Borg would have to know how the cloaking device is operated before assimilating it.  So, with a cloaking device, a ship might safely bypass the Borg."  He checked the map.  "Their course indicates a possible invasion of the Romulan Empire.  In fact, I find it highly probable.  They would have to make some adjustments to get anywhere else, except for the shared territory between Klingon and Cardassian space."

            "What about the Q-gate?" asked Picard.

            "They can probably disrupt an area of it with their tractor beam," said Data.  "That would make entry possible."

            "Damn," whispered Picard to himself.  Aloud, he said, "It's a bad situation."

            Wilykat agreed, "Yes.  Not only the Cardassians but also the Borg represent a great menace to galactic security."  He began to pace the room.  He was very worried.  Those from the Federation had told Wilykit and him of the Borg.  The Borg were half-living and half-machine.  They could adapt to almost anything used against them.  They had almost conquered the Federation at least twice.  One of those times, they had even made Picard one of them.  The Borg had killed millions of innocent people.  Wilykat was also worried because the Borg were coming from the galaxy that the Thunderians had termed the Galaxy of Léi {láy-é}.  According to a story that had once run rampant throughout the entire Thunderian Empire, some Thunderian rebels had escaped from Thunderius, in the Galaxy of Leos.  They had escaped to the Galaxy of Léi in an advanced starship that they had stolen from the same planet.  The part about the starship being stolen by rebels, at least, was fact.  This story had always worried Wilykit and Wilykat since they found it in their history text materials, even after Tygra had told them that it was 'only' a legend.  Wilykat knew better than to get worried simply because of a legend, but something about this situation - that the Borg were coming from the Galaxy of Léi, where these purportedly fictitious Thunderian rebels had gone - gave him cause to be worried.

            He suddenly sensed something with the same thoughts he was having, and he knew that this was Wilykit, entering his consciousness unknowingly.  This worried him even more.  They could 'hear' each other's thoughts.  At least they could use their telepathy in order to be sure that the other was well, that nothing bad had happened to the other.  Suddenly, a flow of other thoughts began to enter Wilykat's and Wilykit's.  These thoughts were Wesley's; Wilykat knew so.  But Wilykat could not stop Wilykit's or Wesley's thoughts from entering into his own, from mixing with his own, because of which he stopped trying to stop these thoughts from entering and mixing with his.  In fact, this mixture of thoughts felt very good to him.  When he had stopped trying to stop Wilykit's and Wesley's thoughts from entering his own, he began to feel better.  However, he thought to himself, Why must that happen to me?  Everything happens to me!  He nervously noticed that Wilykit and Wesley could have heard that. . . even if he had not spoken vocally.  He calmed himself.  The situation was not horrible; he only had to stay calm and to get familiar with the fact that Wilykat, Wesley, and he were now sharing each other's thoughts with each other.  He looked at Wilykit, who was becoming acquainted with these strange mental sensations much more easily than he.  Then, he looked at Wesley, who was leaning against his chair and had a strange and curious expression on his face.  Wilykat sighed and went over to him.  In front of Wesley, Wilykat asked, "Do you feel Wilykit's and my thoughts?"

            "Yes," said Wesley.  "Counsellor Troi taught me how to close my mind to thoughts of others, but Wilykit's and yours?  I can't close my mind to them.  I do not know why.  It works when I try to close my mind to the thoughts of anyone other than you and your sister."  Troi came to them.

            "That's right," said she to them.  "I'm observing that Thunderian telepathy is stronger than Betazoid telepathy.  That of members of the Wilykat Race is the strongest of all."  She sighed.  "When I compare your telepathy to that of others of the Wilykat Race, Wilykat and Wilykit, I find that yours is the strongest of all."

            "How could you compare them?" asked Wilykat.

            "It's according to the file that you gave us," said Troi.  "With each ten generations of members of the Wilykat Race past, the strength of the telepathy increases drastically.  You two are the only two who are of the 10 000th generation of the Wilykat Race.  At the 1 000th Wilykat-Race generation, the weakest family's telepathic strength surpassed the strongest ever Betazoid's telepathic strength, while that of the strongest Wilykat-Race family became strong enough to enter easily the mind of anyone from any other Wilykat-Race family, anyone from any other Thunderian Race, or anyone from any other species inferior to Thunderians.  According to Dr. Crusher, no race we know is inferior in any way to Thunderians. . . mentally, emotionally, or physically.  I think you even surpass Data's physical and mental specifications."  She was obviously becoming uneasy.  Wilykat knew that what she was telling Wesley, Wilykit, and him was worrying her.  He saw that she had to stop in order to stay calm before continuing.  "Anyway, according to the file, you two are the strongest Wilykat-Race family."  She shook her head.  "I would not know how strong your telepathy may be now, but it must be extremely powerful.  The two of you must remain alert.  If you do not continue to control your telepathic output, there could be some bad effects.  Now, your telepathy is at an ideal level of output.  I hope that you can continue it."

            Wilykat understood what she was saying.  "I understand," said he to her.  "I guarantee that we will try our best to do so.  Yes, Wilykit?"

            "Yes," said Wilykit.  "But what's the problem with not controlling our level of telepathic output, Counsellor?"

            Troi said, "I don't think you're experienced enough to direct where you specifically want the 'ray' of your telepathy to go, except when one of the three you wants to communicate with one or both of the other two of you telepathically.  However, I'm certain you can control your level of telepathic output.  At its level now, your telepathy cannot harm anyone.  However, your telepathy is so strong that, if you do not control your output of it, it can harm the mind of anyone in your area.  If you do not know how to control where your 'ray' of telepathy goes, it will spread out within your area.  That would not be bad if it didn't cause harm to people in your area.  Your telepathy would irritate the minds of everyone who wasn't telepathic within your area if your telepathic output were 50 times stronger than now."

            "I understand," said Wilykat.  "I shall have to read that file."  Suddenly, some rage hit his mind like a tidal wave!  "Gah!  Wilykit!"

            "Blast that MotherBrain!" shouted Wilykit.

            "Cool it, Wilykit!" said Wilykat.  "What the heck's wrong?"

            "She set up Metroid's cloaking device so that it would not only cloak Metroid," said Wilykit.  "Pardon the language that will come out of my mouth in the next two sentences!  The blasted bitch set it up so that she could make it appear that Metroid was where it wasn't!  All this damn time, I thought that Metroid was heading back for its accustomed position in space, but it's actually still sitting, cloaked, at the Q-gate, echoing its ID-signal so that it would appear to these sensors that Metroid was heading back for its accustomed position at warp 15.  I managed to discover her scheme through a certain manipulation of the sensors.  She must have some business planned with the Silver Hawks out there."

            Not offended by her language since she had apologised for it before she had used it (for it was socially acceptable among Thunderians to use it voluntarily only if one apologised for it), Wilykat said, "I'm going to call Hawkhaven."  He went over to the communications terminal and specifically called Condor, whose face appeared on the screen.  "Condor, we've got a problem.  Steelheart absolutely must know about this one."

            "What is it?" asked Condor.

            "It is a little difficult to explain," said Wilykat.

            * * *

            Steelheart's Office, Hawkhaven, Limbo.

            "WHAT?!?" Steelheart practically exploded.

            "I said that Wilykat called and told me that Wilykit discovered that Metroid was using a cloak-echo effect to throw us off," said Condor.  "I also said that he said that Metroid was still at the Q-gate and probably thinking up something for the Mirage."

            "Curses!" exclaimed Steelheart.  "Did Wilykat say how his sister detected them?"

            "No," said Condor.  "I'm sure he will if you ask him."

            "I'm going to darned well ask him!" said Steelheart, furious.  "My little brother's out on that mission in the Mirage, and Wilykat doesn't even bother to tell me if the Mirage is completely out of commission!"  She stormed out at warp speed but still walking.  Condor, stumbling almost, followed her out.  In the Command Centre, Steelheart went to the communications terminal and called Wilykat at Darkwing Tower.

            "Hello, Commander," said Wilykat.

            "Hello, Wilykat," said Steelheart, attempting to keep her anger under control.  "Condor told me what you told him.  How did Wilykit manage it?"

            "I'm not sure," said Wilykat.  "You have to ask her."

            "All right," said Steelheart.  "I'm coming over.  Steelheart out."  She deactivated the console.  To Condor, she said, "You're in command until I get back."

            "Aye, ma'am," said Condor, saluting.

            "Kidd, come with me, please!" said Steelheart.  Kidd followed her to the warp to Darkwing Tower, into which they stepped.

            * * *

            Bridge, Romulan Warbird Marcus.

            Veral's Romulan senses perked up as soon as it was announced that they would be intercepting the Cardassians and the Klingons very, very soon.  He expected the Klingons to be under cloak; however, he knew the Cardassians could not.  They had not discovered the necessary calculations that had to be considered in cloaking a battleship.  They soon reached the co-ordinates.  As that happened, the screen showed three Cardassian Warcruisers on the right in an arrowhead configuration.  Suddenly, some space on the left side of the screen sparkled, and three Klingon Birds of Prey decloaked.  The subcommander reported, "Three Klingon Birds of Prey have decloaked.  They have raised their shields."

            "Remain cloaked until I say otherwise," said Veral.  "Keep us at a safe distance."

            "Yes, sir, Commander."  They kept their eyes on the sensor readouts and the screen.

            Veral said, "Prepare battle sequence, just in case it should become necessary."

            "Yes, sir," said the subcommander.  He readied the procedure.  "Ready to decloak, sir."

            "Not yet," said Veral.

            * * *

            Bridge, Klingon Bird of Prey Hek'ta.

            Worf's brother, Captain Kurn of the Hek'ta sat in his command chair.  He had just issued the order to decloak.  He ordered, "Hail the Cardassian command ship."

            The weapons officer did so.  However, this officer reported, "They are not responding."  Something beeped on the sensors.  "They are firing!"  The ship rocked.  Then, something else beeped.  "They are hailing us!"

            "Respond!" snapped Kurn.  A Cardassian appeared on the main viewer.  "This is Captain Kurn of the Klingon Bird of Prey Hek'ta.  Identify yourselves, and tell us why you have fired on us!"

            "I am Gul Ra Natt of the Cardassian Warcruiser Sekal," stated the Cardassian commander.  "The Cardassian Union has taken upon itself the extremely pleasant duty of ridding this galaxy of the Klingon filth polluting it."

            "Why, you!" said the Klingon angrily.  "You will regret that insult, Cardassian patahk�!  Cut transmission!"  The weapons officer did so.  "Bring shields to full power and bring disruptor cannons on-line!"  The weapons officer did that, also.  [� - Common English spelling of the Klingon epithet petaQ {peh-tahkh}.]

            "Ready, sir," said the weapons officer.  "Shall I transmit the order to the other ships?"

            "Yes.  Then, fire!"  The weapons officer relayed the orders to the other Klingon ships and fired at the Cardassian Warcruisers.  The three ships rained disruptor blasts onto the Cardassians' shields.  The result was phaser blasts from the Cardassian warships.  "Evasive tactics!  Manoeuvres Delta, Alpha, Gamma, and Theta, in that sequence!"

            "Yes, sir!" replied the navigation officer.  The Klingon ships manoeuvred quickly enough to avoid the Cardassians' catching up.  They pelted the Cardassians with disruptor blasts, but the Cardassians soon gained the advantage.  Their phasers drained shields slightly more than the Klingon disruptors.

            The weapons officer said, "Shields at 55% power!  Cloaking device off-line!"

            Kurn said, "Relay the information from the other ships to my terminal."  He activated the terminal to the right of his chair.  The other ships were in worse shape.  "Get me in touch with Gowron!"

            "Yes, sir," said the weapons officer.  In a moment, the information on Kurn's terminal was replaced with Gowron's face.

            "This is Captain Kurn," said Kurn.  "The Cardassians are attacking."

            The Leader of the Klingon High Council replied, "Well, then, if they want a war, we'll give it to them.  Right, Kurn?"

            "Right, Leader Gowron," said Kurn.  "We shall fight to the death!  Kurn out."  The terminal screen went blank.

            "Sir!" shouted the weapons officer.  "There is a disturbance nearby!  It is caused by a Romulan cloaking device!"

            "Don't worry about the Romulans right now!" said Kurn.  "First, we have to deal with the Cardassians!"  The weapons officer tapped several keys.  The Hek'ta shot out a series of disruptor blasts at all three Cardassian ships, but the Cardassian shields were too strong.

            * * *

            Bridge, Romulan Warbird Marcus.

            "Yes, Prætor," said Veral, forcing himself not to smile.  The Cardassians were unfortunate.  The Prætor of the Romulan Empire had just ordered him to attack the Cardassian Warcruisers.  "We shall do so."

            "Very good," said the Prætor of the Romulan Empire.  "Make it so."  The Prætor's image on Veral's terminal was replaced with the symbol of the Romulan Empire.  Veral shut off the terminal.

            "Decloak," ordered Veral.

            "Yes, sir," said the weapons officer, who had just come back to the Bridge.  "Decloaking now."  The Romulan Warbird faded into view.  "Shields are up."

            "Aim disruptors at the Cardassians and fire when ready," said Veral.  The weapons officer nodded and keyed in the sequence.  The Warbird shot out many disruptor blasts at the Cardassians.

            "Sir," said the subcommander, "the Cardassian command ship is hailing us."

            "Respond."  Gul Ra Natt of the Sekal appeared on the screen.

            "Romulan ship, withdraw immediately!" said Gul Ra Natt.  "This is clearly an act of aggression."

            "I have just spoken with the Prætor on Romulus," said Veral.  "He told me that, if you would not immediately withdraw, I was to declare war on the Cardassian Union on benefit of the Romulan Empire."

            "You're bluffing!" said Gul Ra Natt.

            Veral countered, "Call it!"  Gul Ra Natt made a Cardassian curse which the translator refused to translate, the screen reverted to its view of space, and the Cardassian vessels turned back to Cardassian space.  "Hail the Klingon command ship."

            The weapons officer hit a button.  "Hailing frequencies open, sir," he said.

            Kurn's face appeared on the screen.  "This is Captain Kurn of the Klingon Bird of Prey Hek'ta," said Kurn amicably.  "We thank you for aiding us in chasing out those Cardassian scum."

            "Our pleasure," said Veral.  "I am Commander Veral of the Romulan Warbird Marcus.  I believe that the only way to stop the Cardassian Union from taking over this part of the galaxy would be a co-operative effort on the part of the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Empire, and the Federation."

            "I shall discuss it with my superiors," said Kurn.  "Meanwhile, the cloaking devices on all three of our ships have been knocked out by those Cardassian patahk.  Could you take it upon yourself to escort us to our border?"

            "It will be our pleasure," said Veral.  "Marcus out."  The screen reverted to the view of space.  "Follow the Klingon ships to the Klingon border, pilot.  Once we and they reach that border, send our respectful farewells, and take us back to Romulan space."

            "Yes, sir," said the weapons officer.  He did as ordered, and the Romulan Warbird followed the three Klingon Birds of Prey back to Klingon space at warp 8. . . an act which the Cardassians would not have appreciated at all were the situation between the Klingons and themselves reversed.

            * * *

            Bridge, Ludwig's Warbird, approaching Cardassia.

            "Four ships coming toward Cardassia from the Cardassio-Klingon shared zone," said Roy.

            Smiling deviously, Ludwig said, "I have a feeling that it won't be shared for much longer."

            "We're in Cardassia's solar system," said Larry.

            "Excellent.  Take us down to full impulse, and enter into orbit around Cardassia.  It's the second planet out."

            * * *

            Darkwing Tower, Darkwing's Earth.

            "Why, that cerebral villain!" exclaimed Steelheart.  "Sie ist voller Scheiße!  {Zé ihst fuhl-lehr shahy-seh!}  [German]  (She is full of s**t!)"

            "Ah, what does that mean?" asked Wilykit.

            "The first three words, 'sie ist voller {zé ihst fuhl-lehr} [German],' mean, 'she is full of.'  The last word is very vulgar, explaining why I used it in German and shall not utter it in our tongue."  Wilykit ran through her mind the vulgar expressions humans used.

            "I know what you mean," said Wilykit.  "But why did you use such a vulgar word?"

            "Because, my dear Wilykit, my brother is up there, and there isn't a bloody thing I can do about it.  I've tried the communicators, but Metroid is blocking the signal.  It's also blocking the signal of calling the Mirage on the computer."

            "What about your telepathy with your brother?" asked Wilykat.  "Can't you use that?"

            "I try to restrict myself as much as possible to do it when I'm in danger," said Steelheart.  "Besides, he'll telepathically call me if things get out of hand, even though he's not quite the sender that I am."

            "I see."  Commander Torreth's communicator chirped, and Torreth tapped it.

            "Yes?" asked Torreth.