"Take me, Lore. End this and let her go." Data pleaded urgently as he watched Heva writhe on the ground holding her hands against either side of her head. Lore watched her with a sickeningly pleased look on his face. "No, I think I would rather see how well you do under the stress brother. It's time to see how much you've grown."

"What do you mean? You said yourself you weren't sure whether or not to take me or Heva. You wanted to know who is more loyal to you. Well I am making it apparent now. Take me. She will be of no use to you. Let her go."

Lore lowered the rifle and again shook his head as he laughed wickedly down at Data. "There is only one way I can be sure of your loyalty to me, brother. If she gets away she will more than likely disable the device again and tell Star Fleet how to reach me again. She knows everything about my plan and how to find my ship. She has to be eliminated." Data suddenly felt a cold stillness overcome him which then boiled into rage as Lore lowered the rifle toward him.

"Kill, Heva." he ordered coolly.

Data stared, his hands now in fists. "Never." He shoved the rifle away and jumped up to tackle Lore. He swung, knocking his right fist into Lore's temple. Lore retaliated by throwing Data to the ground and kicking him hard in the back of the head, causing him to roll backward.

Data looked to his left and saw the rifle he'd shoved out of Lore's hands and reached for it. Lore pulled him by his ankles before he could reach it and planted a foot hard into Data's chest. Data grabbed his ankle and twisted it, making Lore fall to the ground and Data climbed on top of him. He twisted Lore's arm behind his back and tried to pin him. Heva shook her head and struggled to a stand. "Heva!" Data called. She looked toward him and down at the rifle. A look of understanding came over her and she reached for it but just before she got to it, Lore wriggled out of Data's grasp and pushed it away with his foot.

He stood again and tried to rush toward the phaser he originally shot Will with but was halted as Data pushed him making him fly toward the wall. He hit with a bang but came to his feet with ease and he spotted the phaser rifle on the ground, grabbed it, pointed it at Data and prepared to fire.

A shot rang out and Lore's head exploded, bursting into millions of pieces before Data's eyes. His body halted, fell to the knees and slumped to the ground. Data stared for a long time down at Lore's body before he turned and saw Heva holding the other phaser rifle she'd originally come in with. She tossed the rifle to the ground and rasped a sigh of relief. Data rushed toward her and took her in his arms. She wrapped hers around him and held him tightly. "I thought I lost you." He whispered to her as he held her close.

"You'll never lose me." Heva replied, her voice muffled from her face being in his chest. "Commander Riker!" Data suddenly cried, pulling Heva by the hand to where Will lay only a few feet away. They crouched beside him and Data scanned him with his tricorder. "He is alive. We must get him back to the Enterprise. Do you think you can help me carry him?"

"No one is going to carry me." Will interjected weakly, rolling over and allowing Heva to help him sit up. Heva threw her arms around him and parted holding his shoulders. He winced and she pulled away, finding blood on her hands. "Well, Heva. At least you won't be the only one in sick bay who's been shot in the shoulder." He smiled at her and looked over at Lore's lifeless body. "I suppose the last resort became absolutely necessary?" he asked heavily.

"For me, yes." Heva replied. Will turned to her and saw her looking lovingly at Data, understanding and not bringing it up again as they stumbled down the corridors back to where the Captain and Deanna waited for them. Data held Heva close the whole way, never looking back at the pieces of his past that now inevitably lay on the floors of the docking bay.