By the time you reach the comand deck the Magos is already opening a vox link with the
Star Serpent for you.
"Grand Moff Trosco it appears the Borg vessel was not completely destroyed in our previous engagement.
It has fled away with a contingent of our workers aboard, though I am unsure if our astropath can guide us through the warp this far from the Emperors light.
We would appreciate any assistance you can provide us against these resilient abomination’s."
"Chapter Master Urist of course we will aid you, the
Star Serpent is still undergoing repairs but we can fight again." The moff sounds like she wants a rematch with the borg.
"Good to hear it from you Grand Moff Trosco.
Now in order to protect your ship from the Borg Borders I would be willing to lend you several squads of battle brothers for your vessel. "
"and i will be grate full to haven aboard."
You make a few more preparations for your joint voyage and close then vox link.
"Sever the link Mago's, and attempt to hail Captain Jen Luc Picard his people seem to have some familiarization with these borg."
There's no holo image of Picard or sign of contact when you start the message.
"Captain Picard I have inferred from our last meeting you have faced these Borg before, we have apparently improperly crippled there vessel in our prior engagement and they have warped away through unknown means with some of our scavenge crew.
We would appreciate any expertise you can offer in fighting this foe as well as any assistance that may be available."
There's no reply back, nothing to even show if they will even get your message, you hope that he does but sub-light messages are slow maybe too slow.
Once the marines are aboard the
Star Serpent, you give the order for a warp jump and the mago's start discharging the vast power-banks that start the fire of your warp-engine.
The warp is strange, too calm almost glasslike in it smoothness but you know all to well the monsters and strange thing hide in it depths.
Then something pulls you out of the warp as the mass sensors wails in alarm.
You stare wide eye out of the viewing hatch, "God Emperor.. help us all"
A vast beast hangs in the void before you, the size of it is almost indescribable, it's massive far beyond anything you have ever seen, larger by far then a tyranid hive ship or a space hulk.
Maybe the ship yards of luna and mars are bigger but this is here and hungry with a mouth bigger then some planets moons it eats the asteroid ring of a planet.
It's blue green eyes detect your ship and slowly it shifts towards you, with teeth alone are larger then Imperatoris Sagitta, you know that your not a mouse be for a cat but something lesser then that.
Then the warp splashes back around you and the beast is gone.
The rest of the journey is uneventfull and you soon arrive at small asteroid field.
Star Serpent sits there, it's damage all repaired and you can see work crews repainting the hull
"You've finally arrived, we had almost given up hope, fearing you lost some where." Grand Moff Trosco opens a hail.
"I take it you've been her a while then?"
"Yes, three days but so have they, of a week at the least, luckily for us there keeping out of our way some where on the other side of asteroid field but why?
"There wound too, we should move in for the kill and finish the job."
As you end the hail, there a crew man that urgently hands you a data slate.
"We have a Vox traffic intersect for you chapter master."
"ZZZ..I don't care how you got about Talyn nor does he but you "miss" Crotwell will be departing as soon as we reach the next tradeworld.
And in the mean time you will cease your incessant rabbleing about this changer of ways, am i clear?
ZZZ-ZZ.. and stand up strait when i'm speakingZZZ--ZZ""is there more of this? and where did we detect it?
"No theTransmission end there sir, that's all of it.
The tech priest coulden't say where sir."
"Vary well but this is worrying new, inform the Canoness."
You sit down at the desk and wounder just how you will attack the borg cube, there two ships in your feet now,
1) Harass it with light fighters?
2) Long ranged bombardment
3) Sneak in close and open with a full broadside?
3) Ram it at full speed and despach boarders
The Exploratory Crusade Feet Details
Vessels
Forces
Adeptus Astartes, Darnelan Carstel (are you sure this is the chapter name?)
Marines 209
Leader Chapter Master Urist
Heavy weaponry specialists.
The Sisters of the Crimson Rose (Penitent) 508
Leader Canoness Preceptor Essolis.
Imperial Guard
2th Tallarax Artillery Regiment, Leader Lieutenant General Coldsmith
56th Murom II Mechanised Infantry Regiment
372th Necromunda Line Infantry Regiment (Penal Legion)
95th Fornax IIV Line Infantry Regiment (Penal Legion)
Forces
Officers 9000
Imperial storm troopers 8,570
Enlisted crew 25,250
Ecclesiarchy missionary deployment, Sisters of battle 70
Space marines 40