Operation Fort Knox

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File:JanewayIdea.jpg

Janeway gets an idea to steal a transwarp coil from a damaged Borg sphere.

Operation Fort Knox was the name that Captain Kathryn Janeway gave to the mission to retrieved a transwarp coil from a Borg Sphere, in 2375.

While planning the heist of the transwarp coil, Captain Janeway used Fort Knox as a metaphor to explain the scale and the level of security around the prize they sought.

The Mission

A tactical analysis of the Sphere displayed during the mission briefing.

Planning

After studying a Borg data node containing tactical information regarding the movements of Borg vessels, Seven of Nine presented the information to Captain Janeway, Lieutenant Commander Chakotay and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok in astrometrics. When she pointed out three Borg Cubes along their current route, Janeway noticed another vessel, not far from their present location. Seven determined the vessel to be a badly damaged Borg Sphere, heading back to Borg space at low warp. It was then that Janeway got the idea to assault the Sphere and steal a transwarp coil.

The mission briefing took place shortly after, where Janeway decided on the name for the mission: "Operation Fort Knox", after the impenetrable 20th century facility. A plan was decided on, where they head for the Sphere and use a diversion to allow an away team to beam aboard undetected. The away team would then steal the coil and return it to Voyager. Chakotay recommended they run holodeck simulations of the mission, in order to cover every possible contingency as Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres offered some advice on masking the ship's warp trail. The plan was agreed on, and the briefing concluded.

The Borg manage to beam over to Voyager during the initial simulations.

Preparation

In preparation, the crew of the USS Voyager ran several simulations, testing various strategies against the Borg. The plan involved Lieutenant Commander Tuvok and Ensign Harry Kim making their way to the Sphere's shield generators and detonating spatial charges, whilst Janeway and Seven of Nine proceeded after the transwarp coil. However, the initial simulations failed, as the away team fell twelve seconds behind schedule, allowing the Borg the two minutes they needed to regenerate their sensor grid and beam over to Voyager.

However, whilst reading some of her parents field notes about the Borg, Seven of Nine discovered a method of hiding within a Borg vessel for prolonged periods of time. The bio-dampener, created by The Hansens, would cloak the away team's lifesigns by emulating the environment of the Sphere, thus allowing them to complete their mission.

Harry Kim plants the spatial charges around the Sphere's shield generator.

Execution

The first part of the plan was put into effect; a remote-piloted shuttlecraft was flown towards the Borg vessel emitting false sensor readings indicating there were three lifeforms aboard. The intention was to allow the Borg to capture it, and, while the Sphere's shields were down, give the away team an opportunity to beam in. This, however, did not go according to plan as the Borg did not consider the shuttlecraft a threat and simply ignored it. The shuttle needed to appear more of a target to the Borg. Therefore, Janeway ordered Chakotay to have the energy output of the shuttle's warp signature increase. The Borg bought the bait and the Sphere's shields were lowered, allowing the away team the opportunity to beam in.

Seven retrieves the transwarp coil.

From there, the mission went according to plan, with one unexpected turn of events. Tuvok and Kim made their way to the shield generators and planted their spatial charges in the appropriate places, whilst Janeway and Seven arrived at the transwarp coil and planted transporter pattern enhancers around the device, in preparation for transport. The spatial charges were successfully detonated and the coil beamed aboard Voyager. The away team then headed back to the transport co-ordinates for beam-out. However, en-route to the transport site, Seven of Nine was contacted by the Borg Queen and told that Voyager would be destroyed unless she rejoin the collective. Before Janeway could do anything, a forcefield was erected and Seven was left behind. (VOY: "Dark Frontier")