Vendetta

by Peter David

Back when Jean-Luc Picard was training to become a Starfleet officer, he was plagued by the vision of a woman. he never found out who she was, or why she showed herself to him. But he did know that he would never forget her.

Captain Picard knew something was wrong when the woman that haunted his academy years suddenly appears in his dreams again. Star Fleet inform him that the Borg had attacked the planet, Pazatti, but when the Enterprise arrives to its aid, they are beaten by an even bigger adversary, the Planet-eater, a ship with only one aim; to rid the cosmos of the Borg, utilizing planets and people to fuel the monstrous ship.
The Enterprise picks up the remaining few survivors as well as an injured Borg woman which Geordi immediately takes under his wing.
When Deanna has visions of the strange woman, Guinan informs Picard that alien ship is controlled by a woman called Declara, her blood sister. When they were young, Guinan's planet was attacked by the Borg and Declara swore revenge on those who killed her family.
The Enterprise tracks Declara as she makes her way towards Borg space, destroying planets along the way. Able to plot their course, Picard manages to warn the planets ahead. When the USS Chekov and it's captain, Korsmo intervenes, insisting on trying to destroy rather than communicate with Declarant, he inadvertently only makes things worse, envious of Picard's success as a peaceful negotiator.
Guinan persuades Declara to allow an away team to board the Planet-eater and learn that Declara herself only survives entombed within a crystal. When Picard plaids with her using love as a levy, she sends Guinan, Data and Troi back to Enterprise and keeps Picard prisoner.
The Borg, now aware that their homeworld is about to be approached, sends a fleet to destroy the Planet-eater, and an all out battle ensues.
Meanwhile, on board the Enterprise, the Borg survivor, traumatized by the arrival of the Borg fleet, escapes and runs riot. She is recaptured, but much to Geordi's distress, commits suicide, unable to adapt from Borg to human again.
Picard, struggling to release himself from Declara's hold, pleads with her to end her vendetta, but is too late when the ship is boarded by the Borg and she is released from her life-crystal. Picard is beamed back to the Enterprise just before the planet-eater vanishes.

There are no notable imzadi moments inthis story, but it is still a very good read.

Thank you Carol for putting this together =)