Tasha is made an offer from the Romulan commander who is secretly in thrall to her. Will she accept, and at what cost?
I'm using proper names that were used in some Star Trek books. They may or may not be canon. And oh, yes, I do not own Star Trek.
Yesterday's Tasha part 4
Rejan looked in the mirror after he'd dressed. The new uniform, the new rank insignia, he knew he had earned it. With all that had been going on, he had honestly forgotten the promotion. Now that he had it, he would have to consider his newfound power. The problem with newly acquired power, was keeping it. There would be those who would not be happy in his new title of general. But Rejan had enough supporters that he wasn't really too worried.
Over the next seven days, Rejan tried to accommodate Tasha as much as possible. He wanted to show her that he was not her enemy. He had thought to use the prisoners as leverage, but now, that idea repulsed him. They had refused to say anything, even after a few had been beaten. Perhaps he needed to adopt a different tact.
Rejan called in his aide, and told him to go to the human female and tell her that she would be expected for lunch. Tasha didn't have much of an appetite, but she felt that the more she cooperated, the better her crewmates would be treated. Still, she would not give in to the commander's enticements. She only did what she was told. Nothing more, nothing less. It seemed to satisfy him, but he still wanted to know why the ship was at Narendra III.
Tasha entered Rejan's office, following the aide, who then left as he was used to doing whenever he brought the human to his commanding officer, now a general. The daily interaction was always the same, he waiting to seat her at his table, which was filled with delicacies now familiar to Tasha.
This time, she ignored him and went to look out the large window that took up one whole wall of his antechamber. She looked at the city outside, watching the activity. Across the way, lay a strange circular complex, which was surrounded by outer buildings, and beyond that, a seaport. She felt Rejan's presence behind her. She tried not to move away, but she didn't care for the heat she felt from his body being so near her.
"Isn't it beautiful?" he whispered in her ear. It was all he could do not to place his hands on her shoulders. After her outburst, in which she had started to hit him, he restrained himself from doing anything that would cause a repeat. He wanted her willing. "Ra'tleihfi is the capital of Romulus. Over there..." he said, pointing the circular buildings, "is the Senate. I have lived here for most of my life. My father was a senator, my mother an aide to Proconsul Dev'rek. Since their work was here, this was home." Rejan hoped that if Tasha knew some personal things about him, it would make her feel more friendly toward him. " Now that I have the new rank of general, I will be spending most of my time on Romulus. Of course, I prefer being in space, leading my fleet."
"Against the Federation?" Tasha interjected. So he'd been made a general, she thought. Because of his defeat over Narendra III......and the Enterprise.
Rejan moved away from her. He went to the table and poured himself a glass of Crysberry wine, sipping it slowly. Why wouldn't she trust him? He knew the situation was tense, but he was trying to help her feel at ease. She wasn't making it easy. But he was determined to show her absolute patience. "Please, Tasha, sit. The meal looks very good today."
She reluctantly returned to the table and let him hold her chair for her. He was a perfect gentleman, but then she had to allow that she didn't know what Romulans were like. Maybe they weren't uncivilized after all. She took a few bites, admitting to herself that the food had been tasty and filling. Guilt took over when she again thought of Richard and the others. The general had made no mention of them in the past few days. But she had the distinct feeling that he was holding something back that he wanted to tell her. She looked up to find him watching her. Her eyes met his, and this time, she refused to look away. She was tired of playing this game of his.
The way this human was looking at him set his blood afire. Rejan could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Romulans may look like their distant cousins, the Vulcans, but they'd kept their passions alive, and for that, Rejan was grateful. How could any man sit within the presence of this woman, being stared down with those hate filled eyes, and not enjoy the emotions stemming from the confrontation. He had to say what he needed to say, and accept the consequences. If he lost her to the Tal Shiar, then so be it. He could do no more.
"Tasha, I am under a great deal of pressure from many sources. You must tell me what I need to know. Otherwise, I will be forced to turn you and your fellow crewmembers over to the Tal Shiar. They will interrogate all of you, to death if they have to." He stood and paced, his hands behind his back. "I have an alternative. An alternative that will spare the lives of each and every one of you."
Tasha looked up at him, waiting to hear what he had to say. When she realized she'd been holding her breath, she released in and tried to remain as calm as she could pretend to be. "What kind of alternative?" she asked cautiously.
"You will tell me what I want to know............and I will release your crew." He could see the look of surprise on her face. Perhaps this time...
"You swear you'll let us go? And all I have to do is tell you what happened."
This would be the hard part. So he lied, or rather, he withheld from her the entire truth. "Yes. You will be released."
Tasha sat back in her chair, and sighed with relief. It would soon be over. All she had to do was tell him the improbable story of how she got here. "All right. To finish this, I'll tell you everything." She was tired, angry, and frightened. If he kept his word, they'd all be home soon. Why not tell him the whole story. It wouldn't really affect the Federation or Star Fleet in any way. Enterprise-C had done what it came back to do.
Rejan went to his office to retrieve a small recording device which he would give to the High Command. What they did with it, he didn't care. He set it on the table in front of Tasha and pushed a button. "Please, proceed."
"My name is Tasha Yar, serial number WK286-3985LHG, service rank, Lieutenant, last assignment, USS Enterprise." She recited what every Star Fleet officer is told to say in the event of capture by a hostile force. It sounded stupid in face of the truth she was about to tell.
Rejan waited patiently for her required statement, until she began what he had waited so long to hear.
"I was not originally assigned to the Enterprise-C." She thought for a moment. Whether he believed her or not, didn't matter anymore, so she continued. "My ship...was the Enterprise-D. In an alternate time-line. I'm not from this time-line."
Rejan looked at Tasha as if she'd just sprouted another head. It was not possible, he thought. She's lying. She has to be!
"In my time-line, I was Security Chief onboard the Enterprise. Something happened, an anomaly of some sort. A hole in space. We didn't know what it was, or what had caused it. Before we'd had a chance to scan it, a ship came out of the hole. The USS Enterprise-C. The captain of that ship told us that they'd been responding to a distress call from Narendra III, a Klingon outpost that was under attack by...well,....your ships. Something, they weren't sure what, happened, and they came through the hole from their time-line into ours. Thirty years in the future"
Rejan said nothing, but he sat down slowly as he continued to listen to this fantastic tale. He wondered how he was going to give this testimony to the High Command, when he wasn't sure he could believe it himself. They would laugh him out of his new position and rank, just as he had finally achieved his goal.
Leaning forward in her seat, Tasha looked at Rejan, with something akin to desperation in her eyes. "Don't you understand? By coming through that rift in space, they weren't able to let the Klingons know they were coming to their aid. As a result, when relations later deteriorated, a war started between the Empire and the Federation that lasted for years. Billions of lives in the Alpha Quadrant were lost. We had calculated that we would know defeat within six months. And all because one ship had not been there to offer their help." She sank back into her chair. "The Klingons might have been more honour-bound to accept our offer of peace, and the war would never have taken place."
"So how is it your ship ended up in this time-line?" Rejan asked.
"My captain convinced the other Enterprise's captain the necessity of returning to finish what they'd started. Unfortunately, she was killed before they could make it back. Under the command of Lt. Castillo, the ship did make it back. And that's where you found it, before you destroyed it." She glared at him, daring him to say anything about that. "For...reasons of my own, I chose to come with them as their tactical officer. You may have ended our mission, General, but as long as the Klingons know what we were trying to do, we succeeded."
Rejan digested the information he had heard, realizing that this woman, if what she said was true, wasn't even from this time and place. "So, there was no alliance."
Tasha shook her head. "No. It was one ship, responding to a distress call. And that's all it was."
Rejan knew that this story would not please the High Command or the Tal Shiar. But at least he could verify that no alliance between the Federation and the Klingons existed...yet. By what Tasha said, it would be an inevitable conclusion. By no means would the Klingons join the Federation, but an alliance would still be a danger to the Romulan Empire. Why didn't they listen to his silent suggestions that it was they who should hold out for peace with the Federation.
"Will you honour your word now? Release us, as you promised. You have the truth. There's nothing more to tell." Tasha was exhausted from telling the story she had spent so much time hiding. If he went back on his word now....
"Lieutenant, I was not totally honest with you." He rose from the table and walked around it until he stood behind Tasha. "I will release your crew, that I can make sure of. But...you must agree to stay on Romulus. With me."
Tasha jumped up, and turned on Rejan angrily. "You lied to me!" She pulled her arm back and slapped him hard across the cheek. "How will I know that you'll keep your word if you lie so easily?" She was about to hit him again, but he caught her arm mid-movement.
He held it tightly, while saying "I will honour my word to release your people, but you must stay. Tasha, I am offering you a life here on Romulus, as my consort. My wife. I am not a man without means. With my new rank, I can promise you a life of ease. You are a woman worthy of my love and respect. All I ask is that you give me a chance to prove myself."
"How will I know that my people are safe? I would have to have proof that they were safely back in Federation space." Tasha's mind worked, trying to think of a way out of this. She didn't come up with anything. So it came down to her own freedom, or the safety of the crew, and Richard.
Rejan released her arm, and held her shoulders gently. "I will contact your Star Fleet and arrange an exchange of prisoners. I happen to know that there are some Romulans who were recently captured during a border skirmish. I'll request a ship wait at the Neutral Zone for an exchange. Once your people are safely aboard, I will permit you to speak with the captain to verify their safe return. That will be the end of that. I have the power to make this happen. Just tell me that you will stay." He looked into her eyes, a slight smile on his face. "You have captured me, more so than what I have done to you. No Romulan woman has been worthy of my attentions. I want you willing. But willing or not, I will have you for my wife."
Tasha saw a gentleness in his face. She had to believe that he would do what he proposed. If not... "How do you know I won't kill while you sleep?"
"I'll have to trust you. Is that your plan?" He laughed at her impertinence.
"If I find out that you've lied to me about the safety of my crew, I will kill you." Tasha knew she would, too.
"You would be put to death," he warned
"It wouldn't matter. I'd kill myself before that. Don't lie to me, General. Ever again! You'll find I keep my promises."
Seeing the determination in her eyes, he didn't doubt that.