He tried. He really did his best to find a workaround against this madness, against the mission that was placed in their hands. Towalr couldn't figure out why they would send a ship like theirs into the dark pit of despair and agony. He was going to the conference room, where the rest of the senior staff was. He had to bring them the bad news. Taking a deep breath, he entered the room and saw most of them sitting there.

“Good day all” He stated quickly as he moved to the front of the table where usually he would sit at the other chair at the side, but this time he could sit at the chair of the Captain. Taking a deep breath, Towalr sat down in the chair as everyone who could be present looked at him. He noticed two figureheads missing, Captain Yoon-Jung and Lieutenant Deem. Two people were severely injured, either physically or mentally.

“Alright, let us begin, first things first….” It was more a formality in his experience, “How is Captain Yoon-Jung doing?” Towalr looked in the direction of Viamame, who looked surprised when hearing the request.

Giving a nod in disbelief, “Captain Yoon-Jung is recovering well from her injury sustained at the mission. The nanoprobes will take some more time to get out of her system. It was a gamble, but it worked practically that she held it together until we got back to the ship, and I could do an emergency operation on her,” Viamame concluded. It still nagged in the back of her head, wondering if her choice was right. To begin with, it did save Ko. 

“You had little time to act on medical common sense, doctor” Sujian stated, wondering if there were other options available with them. But seeing the mission setting itself, that would be a hard no, “You did good, and it is a clever act to use the nanoprobes to your advantage. It is still a reckless move but a clever one” 

“Oh come on, give the doc a slack here” Tamaz leaned on the table. “We still have a Captain this time” A painful reminder of what happened last time. “So quick thinking should be praised. Well done doc” 

Giving a nod in the direction of Tamaz and also to Sujian as it might be harsh words, Viamame agreed with it being a reckless move. The Borgfication might still echo through Ko's body, “I will keep a close watch on the development of the Captain's health. Lieutenant Deem is a different case” She looked to Towalr. “She is experiencing a form of shell shock, and it is difficult to reach her. I would advise Commander Deem to pay her a visit and….just talk” Looking back at Sujian “She needs a familiar voice right now” 

Sujian shrugged and nodded. “I will do my best, but I can only presume how she feels experiencing death and battle for the first time” 

Towalr waited, and usually, he would intervene in the conversation to be more productive and efficient as a ship should be. Low cost, high performance. Towalr nodded to his thoughts as he looked at everyone. “That brings me to the next point of our meeting, the mission” He briefly eyed Sujian whom he saw a painful shrug of agony. “Starfleet has given us a follow-up mission” 

“Don't tell me we have to deliver the pathogen to the Borg…” Tamaz said with a deep sigh and let his head drop onto the table with his hands above his head. 

“We do….” He shrugged. “I tried my best to protest against this foolish request of Starfleet. But they won't bend for it, and all my hails have been ignored so far" He eyed Sujian with a glare of not wanting to hear it. “The orders are simple. Lieutenant Vahdat is to investigate the pathogen condition, the working of it, and the best effective way to deploy it” Towalr looked at Behrad to get some information.

Behrad shrugged. “That will take some time, I am working with tech that is quite old, to begin with. The good news is that you can work with it. It is still in good condition that we can use it” Behrad tapped his finger on the table. “How much time do I get?” 

“You get as long as I don't get a call from Starfleet Command, basically. They are currently trying to find a suitable target for us to deploy it at. Lieutenant Deem will assist you when she can" Towalr looked at Sujian. “I leave her to your care, but I need you to focus on training drills for your security team as well. They need to be more efficient in operating on a Borg vessel as this one will be active” 

Giving a brief nod to that request, “I will get the hazard simulations going for my security teams and get the drill setting up a few levels” Sujian shrugged a bit. They were really going to do this. But he knew that if this away team went there, he would definitely be on it. 

“Lieutenant Padgok” Towalr looked at his helmsman “Take the ship to a safe location, drop us out of warp there, and keep us there until further notice. When we get a target, you get a coordination.” 

“I will follow your request, but I have an additional request” Padgok replied formally, “I require time to do simulation runs with the Borg attacking us. I need to up my skills to be one step ahead of the Borg” Padgok placed his hands over each other waiting for the reply.

Nodding to the request, Towalr took a deep breath. “You got it, alright, Commander Ibrix. How much time until the Captain is back to command again?” Towalr didn't want to ask, but if he got the answer that she wouldn't be fit for duty until the end of this mission, he wouldn't mind.

“She will be back on her feet soon” Viamame refrained from her smile, knowing that it stung Towalr in the back. “But, because she had nanoprobes in her body, it is highly doubtful that she will be able to join the away team as she is vulnerable to …” Viamame tried to remember the word “Borg echo? It is like a residue of faint collective connection that the person would hear voices." 

Sounding terrible, Towalr shrugged and nodded. “We shall look at it when the time comes, for now, dismissed” Everyone got their task, their nightmare continued with this mission far from over.