"Captain's Log: Supplemental. We have discovered a colony of former Borg drones that seem to have escaped the Collective and formed a new society on this moon orbiting a gas giant that they call "Concordia". Quite a fitting name, considering that it's Latin for "harmony and peace." The colony consists of Humans, Brunali, Wysanti, Vulcans and Talaxians, all of them having overcome their differences to achieve a peaceful society on this planet. We have established contact and are now going to land in order to get some answers for as to how they all got here."
On a peninsula in the Eastern Hemisphere of Concordia were three beautiful cities, all but a one hour journey by car to each other. For over thirty years the people of these cities had existed in peace and harmony with each other and had been building a new civilisation on Concordia. They had not had any contact with any Alien power and had existed as any Pre-Warp society would: Still learning about their planet and dreaming of one day exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilisations and boldly going where no one had gone before. Now, a Nova-Class Starfleet Science Vessel was in orbit above Concordia, at last, after thirty three years, contact was re-established with the United Federation of Planets.
Just outside of the Capital City of New Rome was the U.S.S Apollo, which had landed an hour earlier to make contact. Several thousand people from all over the City had come rushing over in cars and on foot to see that huge vessel that was parked right outside their home. As the people gazed at the ship in awe, a ramp opened up at the fore end and everyone could see about two dozen or so Starfleet Crewmen in full uniform. As Captain Ethan Rivers looked down at the people, he saw that all of the older generations had Borg implants in them and the younger generation had not a single implant due to being born on the planet. As the Bridge Crew and their direct subordinates walked down the ramp, thunderous applause and cheering was heard from Human and Vulcan members of the crows. As the crowd quietened down, the same Talaxian man and Human woman that the Apollo had first contacted in orbit walked out to the Senior Officers to greet them. With a smile on her face, Cassandra shook hands with Ethan and said "It's so good to see a Federation Star Ship after all these years!" The Talaxian made a small laugh as he said "It's also good to finally see one for the first time in my life. The name's Oxilon by the way. Welcome to Concordia." Ethan shook hands with Oxilon and said "It's nice to be here. Now about how you got here?" Cassandra then explained "Well that's a long story that the President intends to explain in person. This way please Captain." Captain Rivers and the Bridge Crew then followed Cassandra and Oxilon through the cheering crowd as they made their way to New Rome, capital of the Concordian Union.
New Rome was a magnificent city indeed. With over forty thousand residents, the coastal city boasted just over half of the Union's population and was a centre of trade and commerce. It was also where the Concordian Senate met every week to discuss new laws and new directions for the people of Concordia to take. The streets were littered with houses and shops that sold food, medicine and other basic necessities and commodities. But what the Apollo Crew found more impressive was that Humans, Vulcans, Brunali, Wysanti and Talaxians were all walking the streets as equals. No one judged each other and no one harmed each other. Though difficult, they had found harmony and coexistence with one another.
The Concordian Senate was a large building indeed. Standing at over one hundred metres tall and painted a bright green, it served as a beacon of hope and democracy on Concordia. The nine pillars at the entrance all each had a letter on them and spelt "Concordia". As Ethan and the Bridge Crew made their way up the steps while reporters blasted questions at them and photographers snapped photographs of the interstellar travellers from forty one thousand lightyears away, T'Vrell said "The symbolism of the pillars is quite fascinating." Ethan agreed and said "Yes it is. I'm honestly surprised the Federation hasn't done the same."
The Senate Hall was filled to the brim with thirty representatives, ten from each city in the Union. Standing at the podium with all the Senators facing him from the chairs was President Lorian Sampson, the Human Vulcan hybrid that had served as President for the last five years. On the upper floor were dozens of reporters, photographers and cameramen. News cameras looked down at the Senators and the President, broadcasting this historic event to the entire Concordian Union. As Ethan, T'Vrell, Alisha, William, Laren and Voq walked into the Senate, the Senators applauded them for a few moments before they arrived at the podium. As they did, Lorian greeted them with the famous Vulcan motto "Live long and prosper." T'Vrell returned the greeting and Ethan said "Glad to finally meet you Mister President. Now I suppose this is the right time to tell us how you all got here?" As President Lorian scratched the ocular implant that caused occasional skin irritation, he said "Of course."
President Sampson then explained "All of the original colonists were assimilated by the Borg at some point in our lives. I myself was assimilated at Wolf 359 while serving on the Firebrand as a science officer with our Minister of Science, Cassandra Enfield. But thirty years ago, in the year 2381, our Cube was struck by a powerful solar storm from the nearby star. That, coupled with the radiation from the gas giant our planet orbits, caused us to malfunction and in an instant, our connection to the rest of the Borg Empire was severed." The Minister of Health, a Brunali whose entire right eye had been replaced by a large Borg implant, then stood up from his chair and said "It was like waking up from a long nightmare. We could think for ourselves again and our original skin pigmentation began to return. Many of us were even able to remove our Borg implants." Lorian then explained "Everything was new again. The sound of our own voices, the taste of food and our own thoughts. We were all free from the shackles of the Borg Collective and could now begin our lives again."
The Bridge Crew then understood how these people had gotten to Concordia, but there was another question that needed answering. Ethan, wanting to understand more, asked the President "Why did you come down here? Why not return to the Federation?" Lorian remembered those early days very well as he said "We wanted to. But the Cube was too badly damaged and we could not repair it. So we took what we thought we could use and transported ourselves here. Since then we have been building new lives on this planet and building a new society where all can live and work as equals." Voq, being the master tactician he was and wondering about the Borg, then asked "Have you prepared for a potential Borg attack?" The Minister of Defence, a Human man whose left arm was a Borg prosthetic, got up and said "We've created a force field around the planet that Borg scans cannot detect. However it turns out that you people managed to detect us because we didn't design it to block Starfleet scans. Regardless, it has kept us safe from any possible Borg attacks." Ethan was curious if any Borg had come in the years since and asked "Have any Borg ships come at all?" President Sampson thought back to the Borg patrols and said "We've had a few close calls over the years if that's what your asking. Every few months a Borg Sphere comes by as part of some kind of patrol. Thanks to the shield however, they have failed to find us and hopefully never will find us."
William found it strange that the Borg hadn't scavenged the Cube yet, so he asked "Why haven't they recovered the Cube? Is it because of the damage?" President Sampson then answered "The force field extends around the Cube as well so the Borg can't find it. It should crash land on the Western Continent in about three years or so. When that happens, we will be ready to salvage the Cube itself to further build up Concordia. Now I believe it is time that you answer my question. How did a Federation ship get all the way out here?" Ethan took a deep breath in and said "Well. It's kind of a long story."
Over the next few minutes Ethan explained about how the Apollo was on an assignment to survey planets in the Badlands when the True Way used the Iconian Sphere to open up a wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant and how the Apollo had been sucked in as well. Now the Crew were just trying to get home and reunite with their families. The Senate were quite shocked to hear about what the Apollo had been through. They were also shocked to hear about the atrocities committed by the True Way back in the Alpha Quadrant. As President Sampson thought about the True Way that Ethan had told him about, he said "We have never encountered this "True Way" before. Let alone any other alien race." Ethan sounded disappointed as he said "Well that's unfortunate. I was hoping to transport Gul Madred right into a star for stranding us tens of thousands of lightyears from home." Some laughter was heard from a few Senators and nods of approval were also seen from many other Senators. President Sampson then said "Well at least the True Way and most of all the Borg haven't attacked us. If that Sphere were to find us then it would be a disaster. Unless of course another solar storm took place." The mention of another solar storm gave T'Vrell a great idea as she asked "When is the next solar storm going to take place?" President Sampson then answered "Two days. Why?" T'Vrell, thinking logical as always, then explained "If we can lure the Borg Sphere to Concordia and then recreate the same conditions that liberated you from the Borg during the solar storm, then we may be able to liberate them as well."
Mummers of approval were heard throughout the Senate as Ethan said to Lorian "Yeah. We could give those people a second chance at life and they could join Concordia." President Sampson stroked his chin, considering for a moment the possibility of liberating all eleven thousand of those people and said "We will take a vote on the matter. Till then I suggest your doctor starts seeing what he can do about our Borg implants."
It had been an hour since the Apollo Bridge Crew explained about their predicament and were with Doctor Crawford Bernard on the Apollo as he scanned the Borg implants on a Brunali who had been assmilated as a child three years before the solar storm hit. As Doctor Bernard continued scanning, Ethan asked T'Vrell "So, why did you never admit that you had feelings?" T'Vrell then answered "I did not believe it was the right time. I now realise that it would have been logical for me to do so." Ethan made a slight smile as he said "I think it would've been as well." The two of them stared at each other for a moment, before T'Vrell said "Perhaps we should have breakfast together at the mess hall tomorrow." Ethan agreed and said "It's a date then." Just then President Sampson walked into sickbay and Laren asked "So? What was the vote?" President Sampson then answered "It was unanimous. The proposed operation has been approved." The Brunali on the bio bed made a relieved smile as he said "That's great Mister President." Lorian then explained "Of course the vote still has to be ratified but we must start making preparations. I'm certain that the Apollo can help." Ethan then answered "I believe that we can. Obviously we'll need to know what the exact conditions were the day the Cube was hit so that we can recreate them." Lorian agreed and said "Yes. But the operation will need a name first and since it was your Chief Science Officer who first proposed it, I believe that she should be the one to name it." They all looked at T'Vrell as she thought for a few moments about what the plan should be called, until she finally said "Operation Individualisation."