Author's Note: Thank you all so much for being a part of this journey. Your likes, kudos, comments, and DMs are just wonderful!
I appreciate your patience as this month has been lighter on the updates while I've been working on some of my original fiction. The mood struck (and that's what pays…).
Our next wee arc here is going to feature what I hope is an action-packed fun adventure as our crew embark on a joint mission with the Jarada.
Regarding the timeline, this story is set approximately six weeks after The Void.
"What do you think they want?" Geordi asked.
"I'm not sure," Riker answered honestly. "It was a priority communication from Admiral Hanson."
"But you did hear him mention the Jarada sector?" Miles clarified.
Riker nodded.
The senior officers were assembled in the Observation Lounge. It was 17:00 hours and they had been paged to emergency meeting.
Their last encounter with the Jarada had required weeks of preparation. The Jarada were highly advanced, insectoid race that were known for their strict adherence to a complicated series of protocols. Everything from the way they ate to where they walked was dictated by these rules.
It was the foundation of their society.
Prior to the Enterprise-D negotiating a successful introduction, there had been a twenty-year rift between the Jarada and the Federation, precipitated by a previous failed attempt in which a minor matter of breaking protocol had resulted in the deaths of a substantial number of officers.
Upon hearing the Jarada were involved in whatever situation they were about to warp into, everyone was on edge.
It wasn't that they held any prejudice against the Jarada.
Rather, they were dreading the amount of work that lay ahead.
They couldn't afford any mistakes when it came to interacting with the Jaradan people and that meant extensive preparations.
Looming over all of this was the fact that the Jarada were a more advanced people. Their ships could outrun Galaxy-class cruisers and their weapons were far superior.
If it came to a firefight, the Enterprise would be at a serious tactical disadvantage.
Worf and Tasha exchanged a dark look across the table, silently communicating their concerns to one another about their tactical position on such a mission.
The only one that didn't seem bothered was Data.
"This is a most interesting opportunity to learn more about the Jaradan people," he said brightly.
Deanna smirked.
She could tell Data's excitement was genuine.
However, she could also sense that everyone else was pleasantly amused by his reaction but didn't want to dampen his spirits.
Before anyone could react, Captain Picard swept into the Observation Lounge and took a seat at the end of the table.
"We've been ordered outside of Federation space to assist in a joint mission with the Jarada," Captain Picard announced.
Deanna could sense the Captain's trepidation.
"What is the nature of our mission, sir?" Data inquired.
Please be scientific! Data thought with eager anticipation.
Captain Picard shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"It is a mission of a rather delicate nature," Picard began.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Sir?" Riker inquired.
Captain Picard cleared his throat.
"Mating," Captain Picard said bluntly.
Everyone froze.
"I hope you're not asking for volunteers," Geordi said sarcastically.
Captain Picard didn't immediately respond.
"You're not asking for volunteers," Geordi clarified in alarm.
Two hours after a gruellingly dull presentation from Starfleet Command, the officers were seated around the table in Beverly's quarters for their weekly poker game.
"Well, it's certainly one of the stranger missions I've ever been ordered on," Beverly said.
"Perhaps strange to us, but many creatures reproduce in such a manner," Data advised as he shuffled the deck. "Given the Jarada are an insectoid people, such a manner of sexual reproduction is not uncommon."
"Well, it gives me the creeps," Miles commented. "I'm just glad I was born an O'Brien and not a Jarada."
Data began to deal the cards out across the table.
"I don't know," Riker shrugged as he studied his hand. "One good night. A nice send-off."
"Yeah. One and done. No thank you," Geordi declared.
Geordi shuddered at the thought.
"But what a way to go," Riker grinned wickedly.
Everyone laughed.
"So, does that earn one a place in Sto-vo-kor?" Tasha teased as she swirled her whiskey.
"Depends on how it's done," Worf replied.
The two friends raised their glasses to one another in a mock toast.
"I don't know, I think the male Jarada get it easy," Beverly said.
All of the men at the table simultaneously turned to Beverly in shock.
"What?" she responded as she looked around the table at them. "They get their jollies off and then die leaving her with all those kids!"
"Doctor, the larval Jarada do not require care or nurturing," Data clarified. "When they hatch, their instincts enable them to survive without her assistance."
Deanna bit back a smirk.
"Not to mention Ms Queen Bee eats the men," Miles said incredulously. "I've heard of pregnancy cravings, but this is too far."
"I'm with the Chief. I don't have any intention of being somebody's snack," Geordi remarked.
"It is likely they view our mating habits to be just as strange," Data offered.
"Data's right," Deanna chimed in. "We don't have any place to judge the Jarada. Every species is different."
They all knew that Data and Deanna were right.
But everyone was still trying to come to terms with their upcoming mission.
In an effort to further cement their newfound peace with the Jarada, the Jarada had reached out to the Federation to request their assistance on a joint mission of great importance.
Given their experience with the Enterprise, the Jarada had specifically requested Captain Picard and his crew.
It seemed in spite of their rocky start, the Enterprise crew had made quite an impression on the Jaradan delegation.
Now they were cruising across the alpha quadrant to the edge of Federation space in an effort to assist.
It was critical that the mission go well in order to maintain peace with the Jarada.
Biology had never been Tasha's strong suit. She'd mentally drifted off, her eyes glazing over during the long presentation about Jaradan biology.
She did much care one way or another how they mated.
She just wanted to be sure they got everyone out in one piece.
Data had found the presentation utterly fascinating.
The Jarada reproduced sexually.
Like honeybees, they had a limited number of sexually mature females that were responsible for populating their colonies.
One female queen would lay eggs that would then mature into the powerful Jaradan warriors.
They learned that most Jaradan adults were female, albeit not sexually matured females. Only queens were fed a specialised diet of nutrient-rich jelly that allowed the development necessary to become reproductive.
The Jaradan males existed only for the purpose of inseminating the queen before they died – their bodies becoming her sustenance during the reproductive cycle.
The reproductive cycle lasted nearly four hundred years.
And because queens were exceedingly rare, the Jarada were struggling with a population decline.
It was what had brought them to their current mission requiring Federation help.
The Jarada had recently discovered the preserved remains of a queen ancestor as part of an ongoing joint archaeology-scientific project designed to explore their genetic ancestors in hopes of staving off their population decline.
All of their preliminary research indicated that she had been a sexually mature queen producing fertilised eggs at the time of her demise.
However, the planet on which she was located was not a part of the Jaradan Empire.
They were an immediate Jaradan genetic ancestor, sort of like Jaradan Neanderthals.
Though their queen was no longer living, there were still some of these primitive Jarada living on the planet.
The Jaradan had exceptionally long lifespans and it was common for them to live centuries or more.
They didn't possess the kind of sophisticated society in which the current Jaradan people lived. There was no science or spaceflight, no system of writing, and limited technology.
The Jaradan archaeology team believed that this presented a unique opportunity to study the last of their ancestors before they were all gone.
They wanted to set up a long-term covert surveillance designed to study their ancestor's behaviour in hopes of learning more about them.
The science team was keen to evaluate their diet and snag genetic samples for testing.
Strange didn't begin to cover it.
It was hot.
Tasha could feel the sweat on her palms as she clutched her phaser rifle.
Beverly tugged at the collar of her uniform, her face was red and coated with perspiration.
Even Data was technically sweating. The temperature was hot enough that the coolant system in his body was causing condensation on his bioplast.
It was suffocating as they made their way through the primordial jungle terrain. Everything about this place was eerie. It was stiflingly hot and muggy. The ground was wet and muddy, making quick and covert movements a challenge.
There was a constant buzzing from the millions of insects flitting about and an occasional loud whooping noise from the birds.
All of a sudden, a twig snapped. Several birds flew off, startled by something.
Tasha threw her hand up, signalling they should stop.
Commander Riker was slow on the uptake and took another two steps forward.
"Commander!" Tasha warned in a shouting whisper.
She dove at Commander Riker, pulling him down to safety.
A powerful blast shot off in the direction of the noise as Tasha and Riker landed squarely in the mud.
"Computer, freeze programme," Worf ordered.
Data and Worf helped Tasha and Commander Riker to their feet.
"Please try to remember to walk on the left and one metre behind so as to avoid their line of fire," Tasha explained.
"Right," Riker said sheepishly.
It was the second time he'd made that very mistake.
Tasha sighed as she glanced around at the team.
Data was the only one not coated in mud.
It certainly wasn't for a lack of effort on the part of everyone else.
Worf and Tasha had both taken a face full of the slop in an effort to push the crew out of the way.
"It is just a training exercise," Beverly said. "You don't have to really save us."
"What you do in training is what happens on the field," Tasha said as she wiped the mud off her face, slinging it off to the ground.
It wasn't like she wanted to keep tackling her crewmates.
"Lieutenant Yar is correct," Worf chimed in. "How we behave in this simulation will predict our outcome."
Everybody groaned.
"Let us hope that his not the case," Data stated.
It was their second day of training. With help from Reg Barclay, they had managed to programme a holodeck simulation of their mission based on the specifications the Jarada provided.
If their holodeck performance was any indicator of what was to come, Beverly, Miles, and Deanna would have been killed.
Commander Riker would have been killed twice over by this point.
Worf had gone down in the muck in an effort to pull Beverly and the Chief to safety.
Tasha's downfall had come at the hands of grabbing Deanna when she stepped in the wrong place and the wrong time.
And Riker.
Twice now. Tasha thought, agitated.
Geordi's VISOR enabled him to judge precisely and accurately where to step to maintain the proper position with the Jaradan team.
It hadn't been his fault Worf's tackle of Chief O'Brien was a little too enthusiastic.
"Let's run the simulation again from the landing," Tasha instructed as she waved her hand, signalling everyone back to their starting positions.
Tasha sighed in relief as the spray of the hot water hit her face.
"I would kiss you but-" Data trailed off behind her.
Tasha giggled as shook her head under the water.
"I don't blame you," she replied. "I truly feel like I'll never be clean again."
She reached up and ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to rinse away the grime.
"I hope that is not the case," Data said. "As I would very much like to kiss you."
"I love you, darling, but this isn't that kind of shower," Tasha responded.
Tasha was fatigued. It had been a long day of training.
It was always tough whenever they tried to incorporate crew on covert missions that didn't have proper Academy training in the matter.
She was sore in places she hadn't been for ages.
And she had mud caked in her ears and every crevice of her body.
Tasha groaned as she felt Data's hands on her shoulders, rubbing away the tension from their less-than-successful training operation.
They were eight days out from reaching the rendezvous point and Tasha was worried they were working against the clock.
After a few minutes, Tasha turned around and flashed him a grin.
She wiggled her finger, indicating he should turn around.
Data gasped softly when he felt her hands kneading at his shoulders.
While he did not suffer muscle fatigue like humans, it felt nice to be touched in this way. And it made it all the more wonderful knowing that Tasha understood this but was happy to do it regardless.
When she was finished she pressed a soft kiss between his shoulder blades. Tasha snaked her arms around Data and rested her head against his back as they stood under the water.
She sighed.
"You are concerned about the mission," Data observed.
"Yeah," Tasha replied.
"Things will, as you say, shape up," Data assured her.
Data brought his hand up to cover Tasha's hands that were resting on his abdomen.
"And this is a truly unique opportunity," Data went on.
He felt her grin against his torso.
"How often do we get the chance to help another people stop their extinction?" Data pondered aloud.
"I suppose you're right," Tasha concurred.
"Of course I am," Data replied, teasing her, and making her laugh.
Half an hour later, they were curled up on the sofa in Tasha's quarters. Normally they would be reading a story aloud together, but tonight they were both focused on their own tablets.
Data was pouring over all available information on the subjects of Jaradan biology, their genome research project, and the planet where they were headed.
Both his exobiology background and general fascination with procreation made Data's head spin as he absorbed the Jaradan reports.
It was a curious notion that such an advanced people could still face extinction due to struggles with their genetic structure.
The Jaradan had been aware of the problem for quite some time.
Their existing queens were growing older and reaching a phase where reproduction would no longer become possible.
A rare genetic disease had killed off a number of queens nearly two centuries earlier.
Their next queens would not be sexually mature for another eighty years.
It was vital that they complete this mission successfully in order to save their people.
With her resting on Data's lap, Tasha was analysing what they knew about these primitive Jaradan ancestors.
The Jarada were highly skilled warriors.
Not only were their weapons formidable – they were larger, faster, and stronger than humans.
During their first encounter, Tasha had bought valuable time for the Captain, stalling by discussing security tactics at length.
It had culminated with scheduling a security demonstration in which the Jarada had shown just why their fierce reputation was well-earned.
The Jarada were over three metres tall. They were bipedal but had an extra set of arms – complete with sharp talons at the end of one set.
While they were technically considered an insectoid people, Tasha didn't feel that was quite an accurate description.
After meeting them, Tasha had felt they were more reptilian – almost like dinosaurs.
They had leathery scales and big, black eyes.
She had been highly impressed with their advanced battle tactics.
And she never wanted to meet them on opposing sides of a battlefield.
According to the Jaradan security report, their primitive ancestors were similar in size and speed – albeit they retained the primitive instincts, reflexes, and had heightened senses of sight and smell.
What worried Tasha most was the idea of this ancestor queen.
Jaradan queens were massive – they had to be in order to lay all those eggs.
Nine metres tall and weighing over three tonnes, they were large predators.
Tasha had no intention of getting on the wrong side of such a creature that was in the throes of laying her young and cannibalising her mates.
Granted, that same queen was now preserved in what they called 'royal jelly' and was long dead. The Jaradan team that had discovered her remains cased in the material had been terrified of her too.
Over the centuries, the Jelly had hardened and formed an amber-like casing. It was likely that she was well-preserved inside and would provide critical genetic material to help solve the problem of their looming population decline.
She set her PADD down on her stomach.
It was more than enough nightmare-inducing fuel for one night.
"Is there something wrong?" Data asked.
"I love a good creature feature," Tasha replied. "But only when they're fiction."
Geordi's palms were sweaty. He loathed his dress uniform for the fact that it always felt constricting.
Jaradan protocol demanded a formal ceremony before their joint mission could commence.
In addition to their practical training on the holodeck, they had spent considerable time preparing for this ceremony.
They were all seated at a long table in their dress uniforms.
Captain Picard was sitting in the middle directly across from his Jaradan counterpart.
It was slightly unnerving as the Jaradan furniture was so much larger to accommodate their height.
Even Worf felt uncomfortably tiny as his feet dangled almost two feet above the ground.
They had all had to climb into their chairs with the assistance of a stepping ladder built onto the side of the chair.
In essence, it made them feel like children.
"Eeeeessss flarrjjjj shhhhggannn tuupkuk," Captain Picard said.
He felt relieved at having gotten that one out.
He had spent more than a few hours practising it in the mirror.
The two Captains raised their glasses to one another and nodded. Captain Picard was mindful to grab the right glass, the one containing the wine of greeting and not the one that they referred to as the 'conclusion cup.'
The Jaradan Captain made a short speech and then the translator announced that it was time for what they called Shrssvuk.
The senior officers all took hold of one end of a ceremonial sugar stick.
Across from them the Jaradan crew held the other end.
"Jaarshuun. Jaarshriiiik. Shheeeshraan quixmaar," they recited.
Both sides snapped this stick in coordination – the Jaradan crew breaking upwards and the Enterprise crew breaking down.
"Now that we have symbolically-" the Jaradan translator paused as she searched for the proper wording. "Broken bread together, we forge a new friendship between our peoples."
The entire ceremony lasted three hours.
It wasn't all pomp and circumstance though. Partway through the ceremony, the Jarada had a process that they called Heeilaan. Loosely translated, it meant 'social hour.' It was a time in which they were free to have conversation outside of the rigid protocols that dictated the rest of the ceremony.
Tasha got a chance to speak with Siiiandaebisu, the Jaradan Tactical Officer that she had met during their prior mission.
Siiiandaebisu was Tasha's counterpart and had been keen to discuss the upcoming mission.
Tasha was actually pleasantly surprised to learn they shared many of the same concerns heading into the task.
She hadn't expected to enjoy herself during the ceremony but was glad Siiiandaebisu had initiated conversation.
They had parted on good terms – Siiandaebisu insisting that Tasha call her 'Sibbi' and admitting with great hesitation that their tongue had no proper way to comfortably pronounce the 'lew' sound at the start of 'Lieutenant.'
"Call me T. Or Yar. Either is fine," Tasha assured her.
In contrast, Data had been looking forward to the event all week.
Unfortunately, his counterparts were less chatty.
The Jarada did not seem to understand why Data held so many various positions aboard the ship. They did not feel it was an efficient manner in which to staff the vessel.
Additionally, Aaangra, the Chief Science Officer, was having a difficult time accepting Data's artificial nature. They weren't intentionally hostile, but the three officers that were his counterparts largely excluded him from their conversation.
Normally, Data would have asserted himself. But given the delicate nature of their relationship with the Jarada, he did not want to cause a diplomatic incident.
He had left feeling slightly dejected, but still keen to go on the mission givin its scientific and cultural value.
Tasha twitched involuntarily as they rode the lift to his quarters.
"Sugar," Tasha said, noticing Data's look out of the corner of her eye.
Despite 'breaking bread' the bulk of the Jaradan food was composed mostly of sugars. Jaradan physiology had a very low glycaemic index. Their impressive size required the consumption of lots of sugar in order to maintain the high demands of their active lifestyle.
For humans, it was a lot of sugar.
It left Tasha feeling jittery.
When they got to Data's quarters, she quickly divested herself of her dress uniform top and tossed it into the garment reprocessor.
Data watched with curiosity as she shook her arms, clenching and unclenching her fists.
"Is there something I can assist with?" Data inquired.
Tasha shook her head.
She felt like she was about ready to jump out of her bones. It wasn't just the sugar coursing through her system – she had been cooped up most of the day standing in place at a meeting with the Jarada.
They only sat for meals.
While Tasha had initially been grateful to sit down, the meal itself lasted hours and she had grown increasingly restless.
After days of high physical activity on the holodeck in preparation for the mission, the sudden sedentary shift had been an unwelcome change.
"I just need to burn off some of this energy," Tasha said.
Data's eyes lit up.
"Something I can assist with," Data said knowingly.
"I was thinking more along the lines of a run on the holodeck," Tasha replied.
With all their training, she hadn't gotten any time for a run in the last week. It was one of her preferred recreational activities because it afforded her the opportunity to dissociate for a while and clear her head.
She had a number of running programmes – scenic trails that wound through some of the most beautiful places Tasha had ever seen.
As she pulled her running jumpsuit out of the wardrobe she considered whether to choose the rocky beach run from Iknari VII or get lost in the alpine woods of Paelorg II.
Anything but the stifling jungle terrain they'd been training in.
"And after?" Data asked as he came up behind her.
Despite spending a large share of their working hours together in the preparation for the mission, they had gotten very little time for themselves.
"Want to join me?" Tasha offered.
"I would like for you to stay here. In my bed," Data answered.
"Data, I'm about to go bananas if I don't stretch my legs," Tasha informed him.
"I would join you, but I find myself suffering from a deficiency that makes it difficult to focus," Data said in an uncertain voice.
Tasha whipped around, concern etched on her face.
"What's wrong?" Tasha asked.
It had been almost two months since the incident with the invidium leak that had caused a problem with the silica-based parts of his neural net.
Data and Geordi had managed to replace most of them, but they were too ingrained in his positronic matrix for them to comfortably consider substituting.
The two had worked during their free hours to make the changes, little swaps here and there. On the whole, it had been successful. However, it had caused a series of smaller malfunctions. During one of the changes, Geordi had accidentally rerouted Data's spatial recognition sensors back into the wrong ports.
It had caused him to recognise left as right and right as left.
That had been an unusual morning – Data struggling to understand why everything was so different and the rest of the crew scratching their heads as he attempted to explain the problem.
On another occasion, they had unintentionally tripped the settings on Data's volume output. He'd nearly ruptured Geordi's eardrums when he said 'thank you' at the end of the procedure.
"Data? Are you still having issues from the exchange?" Tasha asked.
"It is something that, if not addressed, I fear will impact my ability to function," Data went on.
Tasha reached for her combadge on the shelf.
"I'm going to page Geordi," Tasha announced.
Data caught her wrist.
"Geordi cannot help," Data said. "It is a deficiency of Eros."
He leaned in close over her, maintaining his stoic composure.
Greek had never been one of Tasha's strong subjects at the Academy. Data could tell from her worried expression that she didn't realise he was teasing.
"Maybe he can find a way to synthesise this Eros for you or-" Tasha started to say.
Data put a finger to lips to stop her.
"There is no way to properly synthesise what I require," Data said.
He was giving her that look.
Tasha's lips formed a small ' oh' as she suddenly understood.
Data's eyes flew open.
He sat up in bed and scanned the room in the darkness.
Today was the day!
According to his internal chronometer, it was shortly after 04:00 hours.
While he would normally allow his rest programme to run later, Data was far too excited for their mission to stay in bed.
He glanced over to the left where Tasha was still in a deep slumber, lying on her back with one hand draped carelessly across her body.
She had long since kicked off the blankets having felt too hot hours earlier.
But now, in the wee hours of the morning, she shivered in the cool air of Data's bedroom.
He pulled the blanket back up to cover her.
Tasha didn't so much as stir when he brushed a soft kiss on the edge of her jawline.
She had learned to take sleep when and where she could – projectile weapons fire, torpedo blasts, or torrential storms didn't phase her in the slightest.
Data was fairly certain that she could sleep through a warp core breach if necessary.
It was one of the many ways in which the human body fascinated him.
Data planted his feet on the carpet and got out of bed.
Keeping the lights off, he quietly padded out into the main room and replicated a pot of tea. He placed it in a statis warming pod so that it would be ready when Tasha got up.
Next, he quietly went about his morning routine – emptying his waste port, a quick shower, activating his oral hygiene programme, and throwing on a fresh change of clothes.
He was sitting at the edge of the bed pulling on a new pair of socks when he felt an arm reach back across the bed and brush against his back.
Tasha stretched and yawned.
She rolled over and snuggled up against hip.
"Good morning," Data said.
"Mmm," Tasha acknowledged as she clung to the last, delicious remnants of sleep.
She reached up and scratched the back of Data's neck, working her fingers up into the base of his hairline.
Eyes still closed, she grinned as she felt him respond as Data arched his spine and let his head fall back to give her better access to the back of his hair.
"Good morning, Commander," Tasha said.
She planted a kiss to the side of his thigh and then reluctantly rolled out of bed.
"There is tea in the statis pod," Data advised.
"Thanks, honey," Tasha said.
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then headed out to grab a cuppa and glass of water to start the day.
As he watched Tasha leave the room, Data was hit with a sense of ease.
They rotated their time between their two quarters. They couldn't spend every night together as their responsibilities to the Night Watch rotation prevented that.
However, Data found himself longing for the mornings they were together and wishing they would occur with greater frequency.
It gave him a sense of familiarity of something to look forward to after his duties were complete.
There was something so quiet and domestic about it that felt reassuring.
A sense of home.
The thick atmosphere of the tropical planet prevented them from using transporters. The Jarada scientists theorised this is part of what had prevented them from discovering this colony of their ancestors before.
It was a hot, slimy jungle shrouded in both a thick fog and mystery.
Their first order of business was to set up a remote radio transmission tower order to communicate with the ships in orbit.
Once that was concluded, they would split off into two teams. The first team would set up the duck blind near an area where they could study the primitive Jarada safely without interfering with their development.
The other team would head off to extract the samples from the queen that was encased in the amber-like royal jelly serum.
It was about an hour on foot to the queen from their landing site.
In order to preserve their policy of non-interference, the Jarada had a specially designed shuttle craft that would be hidden with a reflective casing. Similar to a cloak, it was almost like the vessel was not even there.
"We're just about to break through the stratosphere. Hang on back there. Things are about to get bumpy," Riker advised.
He was sitting at the helm next to his Jaradan counterpart.
"Please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times," Miles quipped as he turned to the Jarada officer next to him.
She was not amused.
Well, truth be told he couldn't tell if they were amused or not. The Jaradan officers said very little.
Miles shrugged and turned his attention back to straight ahead.
After a few rocking minutes of being tossed about, they broke through that layer of the atmosphere.
The shuttle broke free. They zipped through air, sailing high above a giant hazy sheet of thick fog that hung in the air.
The team could see the very tops of the trees poking out from their entombed position, straining for sunlight.
There was a collective sense of trepidation as the shuttle dove down into that layer.
Once glance at the viewscreen and everyone could tell they were flying on sensors only now. The blanket fog had completely encased the shuttle.
"We are approaching the coordinates," the Jaradan First Officer announced.
The constant hum of the systems grew faint as she slowed the engines for their approach. The shuttle hovered for a moment before gently landing on the surface of the planet.
"Here we go," Riker said.
For a moment, no one moved. They all sat there, maintaining their seats, and making no move to unlatch their seat restraints.
There was an unspoken understanding that none of them – humanoid and Jarada alike – desired to be the first one to set foot in this primordial, untouched world.
No one that was except for Data.
He had no such reservations and had been barely able to contain his excitement – babbling on the whole time as they loaded their gear.
Data unclasped the buckle and rose from his seat.
"What is the delay?" Data inquired.
Once everyone had their gear loaded, the Jaradan First Officer instructed one of the crew.
She went back into the shuttle. A moment later, it disappeared.
"Whoa," Geordi said in astonishment. "I'm not even reading this on my VISOR."
"Yeeaara will remain behind and guard the shuttle. Once we return, she will deactivate our cloak," Sibbi explained.
"How do you know where to locate it?" Miles inquired, fascinated by the technology.
The Jarada explained that they had an advanced, specialised echolocation ability that would allow them to detect a special signal emitted by the shuttle.
"That's incredible!" Miles exclaimed.
For Geordi, Data, and Miles, this mission was the technological dream of a lifetime. Add the fact that the Jarada had some of the most advanced circuitry work any of them had ever seen, it was like a wonderland for the three engineers.
"We should get moving," Sibbi advised. "Before it grows late in the day."
It was only 07:00 hours, but it was already close to a warm 26°C – and the temperature was expected to continue to climb.
By the afternoon, it was going to be uncomfortable.
The Jaradan First Officer announced her instructions to her crew.
The Enterprise team was more than happy to simply play the role of support staff, but the Jarada had insisted this be a joint operation with teams participating fully.
Because of their efforts to avoid detection by the primitive Jarada, the team had landed in a remote area – far beyond the territory of the community the scientists had observed from afar.
There also weren't many great options for landing the shuttle near the construction location for the remote communications tower.
Ahead there was a small, elevated plane that was an ideal spot for construction.
But there was around six kilometres of jungle terrain standing between them and that spot.
"Prepare your team, Enterprise crew," the Jaradan Commander requested.
"Tactical analysis, Lieutenant Yar?" Riker asked.
"Worf, take point," Tasha ordered.
Worf nodded and assumed the position directly to the left and precisely one metre behind the first Jaradan officer.
Most of the crew (from both teams) would be carrying equipment in the middle of their line using long stretchers. It was a two-person job, but it lightened the load across the mucky terrain.
Data was pulling double duty. He had a large pack strapped around his torso that contained a portable reactor that would serve as a power cell for the communications array.
But he was also sporting a phaser rifle and had taken up position on the right side of the group.
Geordi and Miles were on the other side both carrying small packs with their tools, phasers in hand, ready but praying there would be no surprises.
"Commander, you're with me," Tasha ordered.
Commander Riker assumed his position at the back of the line – Tasha to the left in the shadow of Sibbi and Riker to the left of Tasha.
He knew that she had assigned him that position so that she didn't have to worry about him stepping out of line.
Not that Riker minded in the slightest.
It was a relief to know that he could keep any eye on the team and didn't have to be concerned about watching every step.
It was a reprieve for Tasha too. She wasn't going to have dive anywhere and pull him out of the line of fire if came to it.
Where he was now, she could simply give him a shove and spare herself the mud.
Fortunately, their trek through the jungle was without incident. It had rained overnight and so their journey had been slow-going.
They reached the elevated plane shortly before noon and immediately set to work.
Geordi dropped his pack and rushed over to help Data.
"Here, let me get that," Geordi offered.
"Thank you, Geordi," Data replied.
He unzipped the pack and hauled out the reactor with a heavy groan.
"Whoa," Riker said, stepping over to help lower it to the ground.
"Thanks," Geordi said after he stood back up and wiped his brow.
He rocked his head side-to-side and cracked his neck before kneeling down to open his toolkit to get to work.
Worf and Tasha joined two of the Jaradan officers to conduct a sweep of the area.
With Data's help, the Jaradan Science officer and First Officer set up a proximity-activated shielding device that functioned like a duck blind.
It wasn't nearly as sophisticated as the cloaking on the shuttle but would provide a way to keep the communications array hidden.
According to the Jaradan Science Officer, it was rare for the primitive Jarada to venture up this far onto the rocky outcrop. There was little in the way of food or resources, and it was outside of their known territory.
Once the communications relay was constructed, they were able to make contact with the two ships in orbit.
"Good to hear from you, away team," Captain Picard said. "Be advised that we're detecting a rather significant weather system moving toward your position. We anticipate it will hit that region in eight or nine hours."
"I like to think we'll be long gone by then, sir," Riker responded.
"The Jarada wanted us to relay a message that the storm may delay your return if the shuttle can't take off," Picard explained. "We're transmitting the data now."
"Got it, Captain," Geordi acknowledged.
He quickly scanned through the readings available.
"It's likely we may lose communication, Enterprise ," Geordi advised.
The system wasn't anything disastrous. But it was a large storm, and the downpour and wind would likely impact their already precarious communications position.
"I don't think it's anything to worry about, but we'll probably be radio silent for a while," Geordi explained.
"Acknowledged," Picard responded. "We'll be monitoring the situation from this position. If we lose communication and your return is delayed, the Jarada have advised that they will send a secondary support team in twenty-four hours."
"Understood," Data said.
If need be, they were well stocked. They had ten days of provisions stocked in the shuttle. And the team that was going to set up the long-term observation study duck blind had all the supplies necessary to construct their camp and a replicator if it came to it.
That was actually part of Miles's job was going to be assisting the Jarada in the construction of their field replicator. He was eager to get a chance at working with their technology.
Data was feeling conflicted. He desperately wanted to join the team that was heading for the duck blind site for two reasons. He was curious about the primitive Jarada. It would also offer him the opportunity to study Jaradan technology.
However, the temptation of such a significant archaeological find was far too tempting and Data's xenobiology experience was too critical not to have on the genetic testing side of the mission.
As the Jarada required large and frequent meals, lunch was almost ninety-minutes long. Deanna found it fascinating that they considered this a 'short' meal. Despite it being informal for the Jarada, it was still a rather formal affair dictated by official Jaradan culture.
The two teams took their meals separately.
The ground was wet so the officers from the Enterprise weren't too keen to kip down in the mud and wait. Instead, they used the opportunity to test their short-range communication devices.
Each team would be equipped with two communicators which fit snugly clasped onto the shoulder strap of their packs. Commander Riker, Data, Miles, and Worf would each be outfitted with one and tasked with relaying messages between the two groups.
From across their temporary camp around the communications array, Worf and Data clicked their radios and sent a short test message to ensure they were working properly.
Data flashed Worf a thumbs up.
Beverly, Deanna, and Tasha were sitting together on a rock chatting as they picked through their ration boxes.
"It's always strawberry," Deanna sighed as she spied the yoghurt pack in her ration box.
"Sometimes I wonder what accident occurred at the production facility that caused the great Starfleet strawberry yoghurt surplus," Beverly teased.
The strawberry flavoured yoghurt was a frequent fixture in their ration packs whenever they were on away missions like this.
Tasha didn't mind it so much.
They were a lot better than the rations they'd had during the Border Wars.
"It's pretty unique," Beverly commented, changing the subject as she picked the pickles off her sandwich and handed them to Tasha.
"Pickles?" Tasha inquired.
Beverly chuckled and shook her head.
"No, the Jarada. Their whole female run warrior culture," Beverly clarified.
"They certainly are complex," Deanna chimed in. "It's unusual for a matriarchal society to have such a rigid and complicated culture."
Most of the matriarchal societies the Federation contained weren't usually dominated by such intricate rules.
Tasha shrugged.
"They're highly disciplined," Tasha said. "It's probably what's enabled them to become so advanced."
"And with the way they reproduce, most Jarada can dedicate their whole lives to their careers," Deanna said. "No children. No spouse."
Deanna had a point.
"I don't know if I want to live in such an advanced society if it meant giving all that up," Beverly shared. "Sure, it's been a challenge raising Wes alone and maintaining my career. I don't think I could have done it had Jack and I had another baby. But-"
She sighed and trailed off.
"But I can see the advantages," Beverly concluded.
"I keep trying to explain that to my mother," Deanna said with a laugh. "She thinks because she did both, that I can too."
It was becoming a growing source of tension between the two Troi women.
"Sometimes I don't think she understands that being a Starfleet officer is quite different than her career as a diplomat," Deanna went on.
Tasha's mind drifted as Beverly and Deanna chatted. Her thoughts shifted to the conversations she and Data had been focused on in the last few weeks.
They both agreed they weren't ready to jump into anything. They recognised that there was a lot to consider – including their careers – but that at the rate things were developing, they needed to start having conversations about family.
Data wanted a family someday.
Tasha wasn't opposed to the idea, but she recognised that it wasn't going to be easy or practical to start one as the Chief Tactical and Security Officer of the Federation flagship – a career Tasha wasn't ready or planning to give up anytime soon.
Her gaze fell on the communications tower where Data and Geordi were chatting about ten metres away.
Someday. Tasha thought as she watched him.
The last time and only time Tasha had ever given him a real answer on having children had been in Deanna's office during the black hole situation. She had been pumped full of medication at the time.
They'd been slowly working on getting back to that conversation during their joint counselling sessions with Deanna.
However, they hadn't fully gotten there yet.
But as she sat there, Tasha realised she was ready to have that talk.
"These transceivers are brilliant," Geordi remarked as he scanned the device.
"Indeed," Data agreed. "I find the layout of the control circuits are an efficient design. Far beyond our own capabilities."
Out of the corner of his eye, Data caught Tasha staring at him.
She flashed in a strange, knowing smile before turning her attention back to her lunch.
Data had no idea what she was thinking about at the moment.
"Data?" Geordi prompted.
"Yes, Geordi," Data said as he shifted his focus back to their project.
At 14:00 hours the two teams split to go their separate ways.
Worf, Deanna, Geordi, and Miles were heading off one Jaradan team to set up the long-term covert study site.
Meanwhile, Data, Tasha, Commander Riker, and Beverly were joining the second team en route to the cave where they had discovered the petrified Queen.
It was an uncomfortable walk through the jungle and Tasha could sense there was a storm coming – it was getting unbearably muggy. She wanted to cut down to her uniform undershirt, but knew it was important to maintain decorum.
Instead, she opted for rolling up her sleeves as a compromise.
With their long legs pan, the human members of the team were having a hard time keeping pace with the Jarada. It wasn't a problem for Data, but for everyone else it was a brisk tempo.
After a two-hour jaunt, they had finally reached the edge of the cave.
"Whoa," Riker said as he eyed the entrance.
It was massive.
According to the Jarada, it was part of a complex underground system of tunnels that were naturally occurring on the planet.
The mouth of the cave was ginormous.
In the first part of the cave structure, they could see easily without the assistance of torches as daylight penetrated into the expansive underground area from the threshold.
"If our departure is delayed by the storm, this would serve as an adequate location to make camp," the Jaradan Science officer advised. "Please relay this information to the other team and have them pass it along to our officer aboard the shuttle."
Commander Riker nodded in understanding.
"Riker to the archaeology team," Riker said as he clicked the communicator on his shoulder.
"Go ahead, Commander," Worf responded.
"The Jarada think this cave might be a good place to camp if the storm prevents our departure later," Riker informed him. "Can you relay that message on to the Jarada officer on the shuttle?"
"Right away, sir," Worf answered.
"The chamber where we located the queen is located right through there," Sibbi explained as she pointed at an opening at the back.
The team proceeded through into the secondary chamber.
It was larger than the first, opening into a massive, underground vaulted area.
Data turned around to study the area they had just come through. He was struck by the geological construction of the cave system.
"These caves are composed predominantly of soft clays and fossilised sediment. I would theorise that this was carved away by an ancient underground waterflow," Data stated. "Probably sometime between the late Triassic period of this planet's history before-"
He stopped as Tasha tapped him on the shoulder.
Data turned around to find the rest of the team had stopped in their tracks, their torches aimed at the sight before them.
Part awe-inspiring and part terrifying, everyone had stopped as they got their first look at the ancient Jaradan queen.
"Now that's what I call a queen," Riker remarked.
Entirely encased in a solid layer of amber was the Jaradan queen – as impressive as she was large. She was nearly ten metres tall. Her large, scaly skin appeared impenetrable. Her eyes were inky and black, completely devoid just like the eyes of a shark.
Data could only imagine what a formidable predator she had been in her heyday.
He was also grateful that there was nearly a metre of solid amber-like material between them and the petrified queen.
While it looked like amber, the Jarada advised that this petrified jelly was a difficult material to drill through.
"We call her Aanaraajaalash," Sibbi announced. "It means life giver."
One of the Jaradan science team members that was scanning the amber began talking quickly to Aaangra, the Jaradan Science Officer.
"What is happening?" Riker inquired.
"The resin casing is 8.4 centimetres larger than what was recorded during our first mission," Sibbi translated.
"This discrepancy will add another hour and eighteen minutes to the drill time," Aaangra advised.
"Then we should get to work," Beverly suggested.
Geordi clicked his tablet and waited a few seconds.
When nothing happened, he tapped the screen again.
He unplugged the connector and then plugged it back in.
Geordi grumbled to himself and tapped the screen rapidly.
"C'mon," Geordi urged.
"This damned heat's got all these tablets on the fritz," Miles said.
Geordi sighed and gave up on trying to use the tablet.
He sat down and pulled open the panel to examine the circuitry manually.
They were about halfway through their work to set up the long-term surveillance duck blind. In three days there would be a second archaeology team heading down for an extended study of the primitive Jarada remaining on the planet.
Thus far they hadn't seen any sign of the colony that had been under long-range observation.
The Jarada had spent nearly three months studying the movements of these primitive ancestors from a cloaked shuttle.
However, this duck blind would offer them the chance to observe them up close – their communication, tool usage, and culture.
"How big is the colony?" Deanna inquired.
"We have counted thirty-four separate Jarada thus far," the lead archaeologist informed them. "They are the last of their kind. We believe most of them are from an egg nesting that hatched around three hundred years ago."
"This observation point will allow us to study them up close once they migrate with the coming of the next season," another Jaradan scientist explained. "They move into this area to follow their food source."
"Which is?" Deanna inquired.
"Predominately a hoofed ruminant mammal known as the Capraadi," the archaeologist informed them.
"I thought your dietary needs required vast quantities of fructose and lactose?" Deanna asked. "Or was that an evolutionary trait that came later?"
The lead Jaradan archaeologist blinked rapidly. The crew had learned this was a sign of excitement.
"We do. They did as well. It is one of the areas we are most keen to study," the archaeologist shared. "There are a number of fruit-bearing flora on this planet. We theorise that they may be keeping some of these Capraadi as domesticated creatures for supplementing the need for lactose."
The archaeologist clicked her long, scaley digits together indicating how thrilled she was.
"But there's more," Deanna sensed.
She could perceive just how significant this project was to the Jaradan team.
"Our early research indicates that these primitive Jarada lived in unique familial units within the broader society structure," the archaeologist stated. "It is unlike anything we have ever experienced."
For as long as the Jarada could remember, they all lived as one community dedicated to the service of their empire. There were no traditional family units. Nests required little care after hatching and education and training began immediately.
Apparently the Jarada had no inkling when this shift in their society occurred. There were few records left from the period of time before their current era known as Raatii began. Raatii had marked a unique turning point in Jaradan society. Rather than various queens fighting for dominance amongst the Jarada, they ruled through a council and focused their efforts on external threats.
This cohesion was part of the reason they were so advanced. The archaeologist shared that many Jaradan scholars believed this was responsible for the creation of their strict protocols as a matter of incorporating all the various customs from the different Queen colonies.
"So all of this procedure and ceremony may really be the remnants of some grand diplomatic gesture?" Deanna mused aloud.
"Yes," the archaeologist shared.
The Federation was certainly no stranger to such overtures. Deanna had attended her fair share of diplomatic functions that lasted days in order to incorporate all of the culturally relevant rules and rituals in order to recognise all of the various cultures of the Federation.
It was part of what had driven Deanna into Starfleet in the first place.
She thought there was something beautiful about working with so many different people, learning their customs, and exploring new worlds.
Back at the cave, the blending of cultures was not going smoothly.
Their efforts to drill into the resin hadn't been a success.
The drill bits continued to break down at an alarming rate and they had already expended considerable fuel with little to show for their efforts.
It seemed that the material was both harder and denser than the initial team had observed.
To make matters worse, the Jaradan Science Officer was not interested in Data's theories.
Tasha admired the way in which Data maintained a patient presence as they attempted to work toward a solution. He was mindful not to encroach on the Jarada's methods, but he also wasn't about to abandon his theories.
The Jaradan Science Officer was working under the assumption that their initial team must have recorded faulty readings – either through Jaradan error or through a failure of their technology.
She was busy analysing the cave structure as she believed there must be something interfering with their equipment.
Data had a different hypothesis.
"I believe we must consider the possibility that this resin is organic and changing," Data repeated.
He had been pushing the idea in a courteous, yet firm manner for the last hour.
Aaangra did not want to entertain the idea of such a theory.
"Aaangra can be inflexible," Sibbi shared quietly.
She was standing with Tasha keeping guard near the mouth of the cave.
Tasha bit back a grin.
"Lieutenant Commander Data can be too. In his own way," Tasha said.
It was strange that they seemed to click. Tasha found it so easy to talk to Sibbi.
Like Tasha, Sibbi was no scientist. And while this kind of mission wasn't their forte, they were both incredibly comfortable with it.
It had been a safe mission thus far with no incidents or injuries.
For a security officer – Jaradan or humanoid – that was a win.
"May I ask you a question? About yourself?" Sibbi inquired.
"Yeah," Tasha nodded.
"You understand that my people exist in a harmonious society. One which we are all bound to serve our empire. We do not share the institutions of what you call family or friends," Sibbi explained.
For a Jarada, the only sense of belonging outside of their empire was by nesting cycles. Those from the same nest often attended their education and training together.
Aside from that, everything that they did – including during their off hours – was dictated by a rigorous schedule. Fitness activities, meals, and cultural experiences like music and theatre were all dictated by protocol.
There was no sloughing off for a happy hour after a shift. Jaradan crews ate, drank, and socialised in accordance with their shift schedule, and everyone was required to socialise with one another.
In a way, it ensured that no one was overlooked.
"A disadvantage of such a system means that I am forced to endure Aaangra at meals," Sibbi said.
Tasha could only imagine. Cultural differences aside, it was evident that most of the Jaradan team found Aaangra to be a handful.
"I observed that you, your Doctor Crusher, and your Counsellor Troi appeared to display signs of human enjoyment during your meal," Sibbi said. "Are they what you call friends? If so, what is it like?"
Tasha was struck by how isolating that must have felt for Sibbi.
"Sibbi, what do you do when you need to confide in someone? Or get advice? Share a secret?" Tasha thought aloud.
"We do not share such things with other Jarada," Sibbi explained. "We have an hour per day called Kiiaat in which we meditate alone. That is where we share our secrets. With ourselves."
"Do you ever feel lonely?" Tasha asked.
"I would prefer more time alone," Sibbi clarified. "Or at least, more time with the officers whose company I enjoy and less with others."
Sibbi glanced back to where Aaangra and Data were discussing the drill.
"May I ask another question? About your ways?" Sibbi asked.
"Sure," Tasha replied.
"In preparation for this mission I spent considerable time studying human behaviour and physiology," Sibbi began.
She explained that as a Tactical officer, she had studied the humanoids in an attempt to suss out any possible risks or threats. It was necessary to understand their behaviour to identify if someone was frightened and liable to make a mistake or if someone were being dishonest.
"Additionally, we have the ability to detect changes in humanoids including body temperature," Sibbi explained.
Jaradan antennae were a serious tactical advantage.
They could sense humanoid presence, hear them from much further distances, and detect their scent.
"I have observed that you emit detectable pheromones when your attention is focused on the android," Sibbi commented. "Both during our meal earlier today and again just now."
Tasha wasn't sure what to say.
"You don't miss much, do you?" Tasha replied nervously.
"My research would indicate that such a response is to signal a desire to procreate," Sibbi said. "But as your android is not a humanoid, I fail to see the purpose of such a response."
Sibbi could see discomfort registered in Tasha's posture.
"I have made you uncomfortable," Sibbi stated.
"No, no. It's just that, uh, it's complicated," Tasha replied.
Tasha didn't know where to even begin trying to explain it. She had a hard enough time labelling it herself. Hell, they were seeing Deanna to try and solve that very issue.
"Lieutenant Commander Data and I are friends," Tasha began. "Very intimate friends. Sort of.. ehr …bonded in a way."
Sibbi blinked rapidly.
"Is this your humanoid structure of marriage? Is this your concept of romance?" Sibbi inquired with great curiosity. "I have read that such relationships are how most of your species populates."
She had read of such a notion in her study of humanoid customs and was fascinated.
"No," Tasha said.
She laughed.
It all seemed so ridiculous to try and sum up for a person that had never experienced the complex and nuanced aspects of relationships.
"Some humans do. Other humans form close bonds without marriage," Tasha described. "Some people choose to procreate. But it's not necessary. And there are plenty of fulfilling, romantic or aromantic relationships that do not procreate."
Sibbi was confused.
"What is the purpose of human sexual behaviour if not for procreation?" Sibbi asked seriously.
For the Jarada, they could not fathom such an idea. To them, it was a waste of valuable time. As a species where the vast majority of the population never sexually matured, they couldn't understand why humans would devote so much time, effort, and cultural praise for romance if procreation was not the goal.
"In our culture, it's nice to share a connection with someone. It's a way in which we solidify that bond. And it feels nice," Tasha said. "There's a mental aspect to it. Being loved and appreciated. And there's a physical part too. It's pleasurable."
"Fascinating," Sibbi exclaimed. "Most fascinating."
"Yeah," Tasha replied wistfully. "When it works between two people, it's really quite lovely."
Sibbi considered asking more about the subject but understood that it was commonly a private matter for humans.
"So your relationship with the android is not to procreate?" Sibbi clarified.
"Correct," Tasha said. "We're very close friends. We love and support one another. There is also a component of intimate, physical pleasure. But we aren't together to have children."
"Excuse me, Lieutenant, Sibbi," Data said suddenly from behind them.
Tasha startled.
He had been right behind them.
And she had no idea how long he had been back there or what he had heard.
When Tasha turned around, she could see Data's posture was stiff. He was doing his best not to give away any hints as to how hurt his feelings were.
"Data, I-" Tasha started to say.
"I only came to update you that it is likely we will be staying the night here," Data informed them. "The drilling is taking longer than expected."
The science team was only about two-thirds of the way through the resin and had not yet been able to extract any samples.
Data was keeping things professional.
Data recognised this was neither the time nor place to have a personal conversation with Tasha.
"Data, can we talk for a second? I think I need to clarify that-" Tasha attempted to say.
"There is nothing to clarify at this time," Data replied.
It wasn't said in a cold manner. But Tasha couldn't ignore how artificial and forced his voice seemed. It was a tactic Data employed whenever he repressed his feelings and it belied just how hurt he truly was.
"Please begin preparing this site for an overnight camp," Data ordered. "With all necessary safety precautions to maintain our covert presence."
"Yes, sir," Tasha replied.
Sibbi watched the exchange with keen interest.
Tasha sighed and turned back out toward the misty jungle. She poked at one of the boulders with her foot.
"You are sad," Sibbi observed.
"It's complicated," Tasha replied honestly.
"Well, Geordi says may be another hour before they can finish at the duck blind," Riker shared.
"Perhaps they should shelter in place?" Data suggested.
The sun had gone down. The mist had decreased as the evening wore on and the team in the cave could now see the storm system that was approaching.
"Riker to the archaeology team," Riker said, tapping his communicator.
"Here, sir," Miles responded a moment later.
"We can see the storm coming in now, Chief. Looks like a big one. I want you to stay in place. No one needs to be trekking through this jungle overnight," Riker ordered. "If we lose communications, we'll regroup at the communications tower in the morning."
"Aye, sir," Miles replied.
The Jaradan team had taken a break from drilling for their evening meal. After twenty-six minutes of required socialisation, all of the Jaradan officers sat in a circle and shared their meal. Once concluded, they read something together and then discussed it.
Tasha thought it looked like some sort of forced book club.
She had a whole new level of sympathy for Sibbi and her requirement to participate in this kind of forced socialisation.
In their own little camp, the team from the Enterprise were subdued. Everyone was tired from a long, aggravating day and no one was looking forward to sleeping on the cave floor overnight.
No had said much and it was starting to feel suffocating.
After polishing off her ration pack, Tasha had felt the need to get some air.
"I'm going to make another perimeter check," Tasha announced as she got up and headed for the mouth of the cave.
With her phaser rifle in hand, Tasha wandered out to watch the storm roll in. She was certainly no stranger to seeking shelter from storms in a cave.
A streak of lightning danced across the sky, momentarily lighting up the dark, primitive world.
Tasha watched a small rodent-like mammal crawl up a tree at the edge of the jungle. She had a kit of eight or nine teeny babies clutching onto her as she scurried to find shelter from the encroaching storm.
"Many animals are capable of sensing the change in barometric pressure," Data said as he came up behind her.
Tasha remained silent, uncertain of how to clear things up.
"I suspected your perimeter check was a ruse for privacy," Data went on. "Though I was unclear if it was to be alone or to speak with me."
Tasha reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Lieutenant we-" Data said in surprise.
"I know we're technically on duty," Tasha said, cutting him off.
She didn't want to have this conversation now, but she knew she needed to clear the air with Data before he wasted anymore time stewing on a non-issue.
"Can we step out of our roles for a moment?" Tasha asked. "Can we be us? Not officers? Just for a minute?"
"Tasha, we agreed that we would not permit our relationship to interfere with our duties," Data reminded her.
"I know. But I'm afraid if I don't say this now that you're going to leave with the wrong impression," Tasha confessed.
She glanced down at the rocky soil under her feet.
"Data, what I said to Sibbi isn't how I really feel," Tasha explained. "At least, not entirely."
She closed her eyes and shook her head. Tasha felt like she was mucking up her explanation.
"I'm not doing very well. Um, what I'm trying to say is that, well, it's complicated," Tasha said nervously. "And they don't quite grasp all the moving parts between career and family, your trauma, my trauma, navigating how we do this when we're still figuring out all of the wonderful parts of you we have yet to discover."
Tasha inhaled sharply. She ran her hand back through her hair as she floundered for the right words to convey her intentions.
"I don't want you to think what I said was that I don't want a family with you," she continued.
She needed Data to understand that.
"I just didn't know how to explain it all to her. It was too much to try and cover," Tasha shared. "There's a lot more that lies beneath the surface. And I want you to know that earlier today, when you caught me staring at you during lunch I was thinking about how much I wanted to tell you during our next counselling session that I want to do it. Someday. With you."
She was rambling now.
"I want a family with you, Data. In whatever iteration that takes and-"
Tasha stopped as Data pulled her into a long, reassuring kiss.
When they broke apart, neither of them said anything for a few seconds.
There was a low rumble of thunder growling overheard.
"We're on duty, Commander," Tasha said.
She looked away feeling uncharacteristically shy.
He reached up to push her bangs back behind her ear.
"Data," Tasha said, lightly chastising him. "We probably should get back."
Data pulled her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it.
"As you wish, Lieutenant," Data replied.
Wordlessly, his expression made clear that all was forgiven.
She went to pull away and return back to camp, but Data kept a firm grip on her hand.
"Before we go back, I want you to know that this information is," Data paused. "Thrilling."
His eyes lit up as his neural net surged with thoughts.
"I d-d-don't mean now," Tasha said in a panicked voice. "You know that, right? I'm not talking about now or anytime soon."
Data cocked his head to the side.
"You have made that clear," Data said, indicating he was confused at her need to repeat it. "I am not expecting you to outline a timetable."
Tasha laughed.
"We can do so in our next session with Counsellor Troi," Data said.
Tasha froze.
"That was intended to be humorous," Data assured her.
The downpour outside brought little relief from the heat.
Tasha was grateful this was one camping trip that didn't involve a campfire.
They had re-joined Commander Riker and Beverly who were swapping theories about the strawberry yoghurt.
"Have I missed something?" Data inquired.
"Don't ask," Tasha warned.
Data cocked his head to the side.
"Data! Don't tell me you aren't aware of the Starfleet strawberry yoghurt conspiracy theory," Riker commented.
"Theories," Beverly corrected.
"Nut jobs. Both of you," Tasha chimed in as she shook her head in disbelief.
"Data, sometimes there are things that defy logic. You are about to enter the world of strange truth. A world where the line between fact and fiction is almost imperceptible," Riker began.
Data sat down on a nearby boulder, sitting upright with rapt attention as he listened to Commander Riker outline the finer points of the conspiracy theories around Starfleet ration packs and strawberry yoghurt.
Tasha plopped down on the ground. She rested her back against one of the boulders. As Riker captivated Data's imagination, Tasha drifted off into her own thoughts.
A burst of lightning reflected off the amber, reminding Tasha they were quite literally sleeping under the watchful eye of this long-dead dinosaur.
She mused to herself that if they were back aboard the Enterprise, Data and Tasha would likely be curled up reading about a story that started in a similar fashion.
Fossil of Terror.
Godzilla.
The Raptor of Starbase Aurora.
Tasha adored those tales – but she couldn't deny it wasn't nearly as fun actually being there under the creepy shadow of this creature. It felt like she was watching them.
Tasha shuddered.
"Tasha?" Beverly asked.
"Sorry, it's just a wee bit creepy staring at that queen," Tasha admitted.
An hour later, Riker ordered the team to bed. They could all do with a good night's rest and there wasn't much else they could do for the drilling mission until the fuel cell had recharged in the morning.
After brushing her teeth and securing their proximity alarms, Tasha headed back for the tent.
She paused at the entrance and took another look at the petrified queen.
A part of Tasha was afraid to tear her eyes away. She was an unsettling sight, but somehow Tasha felt safer knowing that she was still there unmoving and lifeless with those horrifying black eyes.
"Lieutenant?" Riker asked, noticing Tasha had stopped at the door.
"Goodnight, sir," Tasha said before stepping inside.
Shortly after midnight, Data's audio receptors registered a change in the sounds around them. It was like a crack.
The team was sleeping together in a standard issue Starfleet tent.
Data sat up in his cot and looked around the tent.
Commander Riker was closest to the door. By the sound of his snoring, he was fast asleep.
In the opposite corner, Beverly was curled up against the wall. Tasha was lying on her stomach, her mouth hanging open, completely unphased by the thunder and wind.
Data listened intently for three minutes and forty-one seconds.
The sound of the storm remained unchanged, and Data surmised it must have been a tree falling.
He laid back down and closed his eyes, content to resume his rest programme.
A few seconds after his head hit the pillow, Data heard another crack. It was slightly louder than before, and it came from within the cave.
The geological composition of the cave was predominantly soft rock and fossilised sediment. It was unlikely that a storm could lead to any sort of compromise of the structural integrity.
There was another crack, this one even louder.
And it echoed through the cave.
Data's eyes flew open.
The Jaradan officers had heard it too. Data's audio receptors picked up on the sound of them waking.
Data got out of his cot and stepped over to the door.
Peeking out the tent flap, Data could see the Jarada officers were up and chatting quickly with one another about the resin.
Data redirected his attention to the drill site and fixated on the immediate area around it.
He could see now what the Jarada were discussing. There were a series of fine fissures that had erupted in the resin, originating from the drill site.
This was bad.
Exposure to the environment would cause decay to the specimens – particularly given the humid nature of this planet. All of the fungi and microorganisms around would only serve to speed up that process.
It would deliver a crippling blow to the Jaradan efforts to preserve and study this ancient ancestor queen.
"We must hurry," Aaangra ordered.
The Jaradan team rushed about in an attempt to prepare as many sample extraction kits as possible.
"May I help?" Data offered, stepping outside the tent.
Without warning, there was a massive snapping sound.
Data watched with morbid interest as a large crack started at the base of the amber resin and wove its way up through the middle.
It was loud enough to wake the rest of the Enterprise crew, even above the noise of the storm.
Riker poked his head out of the tent.
"Data?" Riker asked.
"The resin appears to be breaking down," Data advised. "Possibly because of our drilling."
There were a number of significant cracks in the resin now and Data was concerned it may collapse.
A collapse would irreparably damage the drilling equipment.
The Jarada knew this too.
Unfortunately, they all recognised there was no safe way to retrieve it. That much dense material would crush any humanoid or Jaradan officer. It would likely crush Data too. And they had no way of knowing if or when it would break.
Data felt someone grip his forearm.
He looked down to see Tasha's hand. She was standing next to him, petrified as she stared ahead.
"It blinked," she squeaked.