Q or Dare
Sela paced her quarters. So far all of my plans have been thwarted...I have been sinking lower and lower with each failure. My mnhei'sahe has nearly run out. But today, all of that will change.
The door chime to her ready room beeped softly. "Enter," Sela said. Two guards entered, dragging with them a rather tall man dressed in what appeared to be an admiral's outfit. He certainly looked like a Romulan, but his demeanor suggested otherwise. The man was bound in what looked like simple silver ropes, pinning his arms to his body like a straitjacket. Apparently, he was having difficulty getting himself free.
"So," Sela gloated, "This is the omnipotent Q."
Q tugged at the ropes that had pinned his arms to his sides. He managed to free his hands and forearms, but his shoulders remained bound. "Oh come now, Commander," Q complained, "Is this how you treat all your guests?"
"Only those whom I suspect of treachery," Sela said coldly. "And you are not my guest. You've worked with the humans, and now you will work for us."
Q smirked. "Humans are so much fun," he said. "Such fascinating little creatures. They at least have a sense of humor. You helmet-haired stiffs, on the other hand, have none." He gave the two guards who dragged him here a very dirty look.
"Perhaps not, Q," Sela said. "But we have youat our disposal." She turned to the two guards. "Leave us," she commanded. The two soldiers left the room.
Q sighed. No point arguing if he was to be tied down by these...deceptively simple ropes. Where Sela had gotten them, he would never know; in any other circumstance, he would have been able to break free easily with nothing more than a snap of his fingers. "Well, let's get this over with, shall we?" he said. "How may I be of service? Hmm? Out with it, princess, I haven't got all day."
Sela glared at Q. Now she knew why various Starfleet captains found this being so irritating. "You have the rest of eternity if I choose, Q," she growled. She thought a moment before continuing.
"I have fallen out of favor with my people. I don't wish to foul my father's name with any more failures."
"Oh, of course! You'd love to be the next hero of the empire, wouldn't you? Your name written upon every Romulan's lips, your legacy to stand the test of time," Q said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm sure the Romulan people would LOVE to have a half-breed as their hero."
Sela shot Q a venomous look. "I *would* if I didn't have all these damn humans in my way-" Then a thought struck her. "Of course Q," she said. "I want you to get rid of the humans...or better yet, subjugate them to serve the Empire..."
Q shook his head. "What am I, the genie of the lamp? I may be omnipotent but I don't grant people wishes." Q tried to untie himself again. "The Continuum forbids me to subject the human race to these things."
He then smiled mischievously. "But what is it you REALLYwant, Sela?" He touched the tip of his finger to the glass covering on Sela's desk. The glass shimmered like water for a moment before smoothing out again. Sela peered into the glass, but no longer saw her reflection but the image of her deceased mother, Tasha Yar.
"Oh, now isn't that sweet?" Q cooed. "After all these years, and you still have a soft spot for Mommy Dearest. Well, I canbring her back if you like. 'Piece of cake,' as the humans say-" He noticed the look Sela was giving him. Q leaned in close to Sela and whispered in her pointed ear: "Maybe even throw in a little extra and have her fall in love with your father again...knowing how well he seduced her the first time..."
Sela thought for a moment. Then she watched the image in the glass change yet again. A tall, dignified bald man placed his hand on Tasha's shoulder. The woman turned to face him, smiling admiringly at him.
Sela's face flushed a brilliant shade of bronzy-green. "That's it!" she hissed. "That's what I want! If you can't get rid of the humans, then at least rid me of THAT HUMAN! Jean-Luc Picard!"
Q somehow managed to appear directly in front of Sela, sitting casually on her desk, his butt right where the image of Picard and Tasha was only a moment before. "Did you say, 'that human', or 'that human'?" he asked. Sela made a movement as if to strike him. Q hastily scooted out of her reach. "Oh never mind, I'll figure it out."
Q's trademark mischievous grin spread across his face. This just might be fun after all, he thought to himself.