After Action Report
Location of incident: Pariah System - Battlefield debris marked #03471.
Object #03471 was determined to be a fragment of Borg vessel. DS13 Borg Counter-measures initiated post-battlefield scanning and determined that, despite no power at time of discovery, several "salvageable" drones could be recovered and "Liberated".
Three teams of five were assembled. All volunteers.
Team's one and two comprised of one Borg CM Petty Officer and four Security personnel.
Team three consisted of:
- Petty Officer William Foster - Starfleet Borg CM.
- Captain Mel'lanie D'vichric - Starfleet officer.
- Captain Drexia - Nexan
- Rellir i-Ra'tleihfi t'Lhaihtrha - Romulan Republic.
- Sub-Commander Davin T'varros - Romulan Republic.
Approximately one hour before arrival, the object regained power and appeared to be affecting repairs.
All three teams assaulted the fragment of Borg vessel as planned, striking for pre-identified Collective Vinculum nodes in order to disrupt any remaining connection to the Borg Collective. Initial responses were as planned.
Team one lost contact for three-point eight minutes at mission mark six - Shortly after all three teams had reported initial successes. Upon restoration of contact, a single survivor returned to the deployment area to evacuate. Team one survivor; Security Officer Stephen Phillipson, reports that team one encountered tougher-than-expected Tactical drones after disabling a primary Vinculum.
Team two completed their mission without incident.
Team three encountered no issue until twelve point six minutes into mission time. PO Foster reports:
"At that time, we had cleared out eight sub-nodes and an ancillary Vinculum. We started to see signs of Heavy Tactical Drones. [Appended file #61] My team took them down as quickly as we could and cleared the Vinculum anti-chamber area. I notified the team of my suspicions and opted to proceed."
PO Foster continues to describe several non-standard Borg architecture. It is our collective decision that this area was rapidly adapted for purpose shortly before being severed from the main body of the Borg vessel.
PO Foster commented that, "The central control unit was biological. Referred to itself as "I" and behaving as if acting of its own free will. I would assume that this was a larval form of the so-called "Borg Queen" types that we have seen before.".
Image and scan data analysis is ongoing however, we tentatively support this hypothesis. The current leading theory is that the Cube was a leading element of Borg Assmiliation/Colonisation effort and as such, would require a "Queen" unit to direct the Borg in the sector more efficiently.
Team three destroyed the proto-Queen (mission mark six) construct and withdrew, having sustained serious injury.
All active personnel were recovered, during which Borg systems were undergoing cascade failure. Starfleet explosives detonated in compliance with standing operating procedure and ship-board weaponry completed systematic destruction of the Fragment.
Preliminary AAR ends, pending further data analysis.
In the interim, we propose to identify this new unit of Borg as sub-category "Princess" or "Pre-Queen" as appropriate. Approval for this designation is not yet forthcoming.
Signed,
Lieutenant Roger Q. Valquez
Starfleet Sciences. Borg Countermeasure data analysis unit.
OOC: AAR In response to *this* event.