Author's Note: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I cannae share how reaffirming it is to know that people find enjoyment and entertainment in this story.

I adore reading your feedback and theories – it's really helped me get through this pandemic.

This is a longer chapter. Sorry for the delayed updates.

C/W: This chapter is the conclusion of our creature-feature adventure. It's intended to be a run through the jungle, avoid the big monster, escape the planet type story. This means there's a mix of action, humour, and some violence.

Regarding the timeline, this story is set approximately six weeks after The Void.

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.

Data followed her line of sight over to the amber-encasement and all the way up to the eyes of the formidable Jaradan queen.

They were large, seemingly black eyes. However, Data knew that despite their glossy appearance, the Jaradan eyes weren't truly black. The cornea was black, and their irises were a dark shade of blue.

Although he had studied this, it offered Data little comfort.

The unique design of their eyes gave the eerie illusion of being lifeless.

In fact, were it not for their blinking, it was easy for the Jarada to give the impression of being statues. They trained so rigorously that they had the ability to appear motionless. Furthermore, being cold-blooded, they did not stand out on thermal scans.

All of sudden, the Jaradan queen blinked again – her eyelids quickly closing vertically and then retracting again.

Data gasped softly.

She's alive! He realised, utterly fascinated.

His mind raced with questions as he simultaneously began to theorise if this royal jelly amber created some sort of casing to preserve her, if she had been in a deep state of hibernation, and if such an act was a natural part of their life cycle or the result of some accident or disaster.

Data sensed Tasha's whole body stiffen next to him.

They weren't the only two who noticed the movement.

"Data?" Riker asked in alarm.

Data's eyes were wide. His head was moving rapidly as the amber continued to crack.

"This is most intriguing, sir," Data confessed in awe.

The shards of resin began to fall away, impacting the rocky soil below and sending a cloud of dust into the air.

"This is most unexpected and merits further study," Data went on.

Tasha's grip on his arm tightened, wordlessly urging him that now was not the time for such speculation. She knew they needed to act, but Tasha found herself unable to tear her eyes away.

As the dust settled, the Jaradan queen's head moved as she surveyed the room.

No one moved as they stood enthralled in the presence of such a large, magnificent creature.

She lifted one of her powerful legs and stepped forward. The impact reverberated throughout the cavern, shaking the ground. A split formed.

Commander Riker watched as it started at the impact point and ran along the ground toward the group and then past it.

"I believe it would be best if we were to vacate this area," Data advised.

A blood-curdling loud screech filled the night air as the queen threw her head back and roared.

"Quickly," Data added.

Both teams began to back away – tentatively at first and then at a faster pace.

As the queen stepped forward, knocking down the drilling equipment as if it were nothing, they all turned and ran.

There was no time to waste.

They weren't running in any particular direction other than away toward the mouth of the cave.

One of the Jaradan officers made an attempt to save some of the information they had collected. The research was far too important to lose.

As she made a mad dash toward the storage case that housed their tablets.

"Iishka!" Sibbi shouted.

It was too late.

The Jaradan queen's long, clawed hand closed in around the Jaradan soldier. She picked up the three metres tall, formidable warrior as if she were nothing more than a tiny bug.

The team stopped and watched in horror as the queen bit down, tearing the officer in half. There was nothing they could do to stop it.

Sibbi froze.

The consumption of Jaradan males was a routine part of their reproductive cycle. In fact, aside from egg fertilisation, it was the only purpose for which males existed in their society.

But the wanton, violent death of a Jaradan warrior was unspeakable.

"You can't help her," Tasha said as she reached for one of Sibbi's arms, pulling her along with the rest of them.

The storm was still raging outside. The rain thundering down on the ground outside the mouth of the cave.

The team rushed forward, hoping that the rain would provide some cover from the queen that was in pursuit.

She broke through the rock wall separating her chamber from the first cavern that held the mouth of the cave.

"Agh!" Beverly cried out as she stepped on a particularly sharp rock.

"Go," Tasha urged Data.

He had been dragging her along and Sibbi in tow.

But Beverly was barefoot, struggling against the rocky terrain. It wasn't her fault. They had been asleep in their cots.

Data wasn't bothered in the slightest and the Jarada's scaley, clawed feet were built for such terrain. Commander Riker put his boots on before poking his head out of the tent.

Tasha had slept in her boots. It was a habit on away missions as she never knew when she may be called out on short notice.

Sometimes it paid to be paranoid that disaster could strike at any moment.

"Doctor!" Data said as scooped up Beverly and rushed for the mouth of the cave.

As soon as they were out in the rain, everyone looked around frantically for some kind of cover. There would be no way they could outrun the queen. She was too big and too fast.

They needed somewhere to hide.

The trees were no good.

They needed somewhere that wasn't liable to get squished. They also needed somewhere where the Jaradan queen would be less likely to detect them – and they needed to find it fast.

Behind them, the queen roared again.

Commander Riker was suddenly struck by an idea.

"The rocks!" Riker shouted as he pointed at the rocky mountain terrain behind them.

Everyone scrambled, scattering into the rocks. Without a word, they all understood the chances for survival were greater if they split up.

The rocks weren't ideal, but it would make them harder to detect – both visually and when it came to the Jaradan sense to detect body temperature and sound waves.

Data's grip allowed him to climb much faster – nearly comparable to the Jarada.

They scaled the rocks quickly, ducking into a smaller opening in the rockface when the queen emerged.

Tasha was pushing herself to climb. It wasn't an easy feat. It was hard to get a solid grip. Her boots provided little traction, and she slipped several times in an attempt to find her footing.

"Oof," Tasha said as she pulled down into a tight crevasse.

She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dark.

Commander Riker brought one hand up to his lips in the universal sign of silence.

He honestly wasn't sure which position he would rather be in. Tasha couldn't see the giant, black eye blink behind her.

But Tasha could feel the breath of the Jarada queen as she exhaled through one of her large nostrils directly above her.

The crevasse was too small for the queen to reach into, but she could sense there was something there.

Riker's hand shot up, covering Tasha's mouth as the queen's long tongue probed the area and coating both of them in a thick, disgusting glob of saliva.

Riker gagged as hit the back of Tasha's head and ran down onto his face.

It smelled rancid.

Morning breath after hundreds of years. Tasha quipped to herself.

She had to fall back on humour. If she didn't, she was worried she was about to blow strawberry yoghurt chunks all over her commanding officer.

A second later, a long claw descended upon them. Riker's eyes went wide with fear. Tasha closed her eyes and held her breath, praying that it wouldn't be her final one.

When nothing happened, her eyes flew open.

Riker gave her a small smile.

They were too deep for the queen to reach.

After several terrifying seconds, the queen blinked and then moved on.

Both Riker and Tasha relaxed.

"I've never wanted a shower so much in my life," Tasha whispered. "I bet I smell like this for a week."

"You think the smell is bad? Imagine how it tastes," Riker replied as he turned his head to the side and spat away the saliva that had landed on his lips.

"Do not move," Data warned in a quiet voice as he leaned in close.

Data and Doctor Crusher were a few metres away. They were hiding in a small opening in the rockface. Their hiding spot wasn't nearly as deep as Riker and Tasha's had been. Both Data and Beverly were pressed tightly against the rock face as the queen sniffed the area for any sign of detectable prey.

Data suspected his synthetic nature was conflicting for the queen. He was clearly a prey-like shape. But Data had manually shut down portions of his system in order to cool his body temperature and slow his artificial pulse.

Data was also grateful that he could shut off his olfactory receptors as there was a strong, pungent odour emitting from the queen's breath.

He knew this was likely the 'royal jelly.' Through his research, Data understood this jelly-like substance was a nutrient-rich secretion created by consuming the brain matter of male Jaradan victims and then reprocessing it in a special gland.

It was a fascinating, but unpleasant thought.

Data could sense Doctor Crusher was trembling next to him. He wanted to do something to comfort his friend. But he knew enough to understand that sharing the origins of the horrid stench would likely do little to ease her nerves.

All of sudden, the Jaradan queen tried to reach into their hiding spot. One of her fingers drew closer and a long, sharp claw scraped against the rock.

Data and Beverly jumped apart silently to dodge it.

The queen swiped again, and they had to shift once more, ducking in order to avoid it.

"Doctor, look out," Data cautioned in a hushed voice.

Beverly whimpered as the claw struck – shooting clean through her thigh.

The queen huffed. She seemed to realise that she had made contact with something that wasn't rock.

Beverly face registered a mix of pain and terror.

Data knew it would only be a matter of seconds before she retracted her hand – taking the Doctor with her.

He had to act.

Silently, Data wrapped one arm across Beverly's torso and locked the other one on her leg.

It took him 0.32 seconds to calculate the amount of force necessary to prevent her being dragged off based on his research.

Data also understood that as soon as the claw was retracted, they would have a medical emergency on their hands. Based on the angle of entry, it was likely that her femoral artery had been punctured.

He knew that losing even a litre of blood could send her into shock.

The fragility of human existence never ceased to frighten him.

He would have only seconds.

Beverly winched and made a small noise as the queen began to retract her claw.

Using all of his strength, Data held her tightly against him as he fought to keep them in place. Data gritted his teeth and dug in his heels as the queen screeched in frustration.

As soon as Beverly's leg was free, Data pressed down hard just above the wound. He pushed down hard enough to press the artery against the bone. It stopped the blood flow, but it was only a temporary solution.

They needed to treat her injury fast or she would bleed out.

"Data-" Beverly said.

She was starting to feel woozy.

"You're crushing my leg," she said, her speech beginning to slur as she was struggling to maintain consciousness.

"I know, Doctor," Data assured her.

The queen roared again. There were a series of ground-shaking stomps. And then she began to move away.

The team was unsure if it was a matter of no available prey or if something else caught her eye – either way, the sound of her footsteps began to grow distant.

Data took a chance.

Maintaining his firm grip on Beverly, he peeked out the front of the hiding place.

Through the rain, he could see the queen had moved on. She was in the treeline now. They were shaking as she headed off into the jungle to the north. The queen was at least 70 metres away from them.

Doctor Crusher needed medical attention and Data decided it was worth the risk.

"Commander Riker!" Data said.

His voice was loud enough to be heard, but still hushed.

Sibbi, Aaangra, and the other Jarada popped up and began to climb down from their position higher on the rocks.

Both Riker and Tasha had heard the queen's footsteps grow faint. But from their slim crevasse in the rocks, they didn't have a vantage point to know if she was safely gone.

"Riker. Tasha," Sibbi said, poking her head into the hideaway. "Come. Your doctor has been injured."

Sibbi offered them an arm to help them both climb out.

Tasha and Riker were both grateful for the heavy rain. It washed away some of the disgusting slobber, but neither truly felt clean.

Beverly was clinging to consciousness as Data kept tight pressure on the artery in her leg.

"Beverly," Tasha said as she approached them. "Set her down on these rocks and we'll take a look. What happened?"

"I cannot," Data replied.

Tasha frowned and looked up at him for an explanation.

"I am holding her femoral artery. At the moment, this pressure is the only thing preventing her from bleeding out," Data advised.

Tasha sat back on her knees and looked up at Commander Riker.

"We need quick clot. A blood replenishment hypo," Tasha explained. "We can stabilise her with a field knitter but she's going to need proper treatment. In Sickbay."

Tasha only had field medic training.

She knew that a field knitter would help patch some of the damage – but it wouldn't be enough to fully heal the injury. Without Sickbay, it would only be a matter of time before reopening.

"I can do a temporary patch, but it's only going to buy time," Tasha offered.

Worst of all, the more they jostled her around, the more likely they were to rip that dermal knit patch right out.

The team glanced out at the treeline.

They had lost sight of the Jaradan queen. They couldn't be sure if this was because she had walked off or if she were hiding and waiting to emerge.

They were all collectively weighing the risk of traversing back into the cavern to salvage what was left of their supplies.

"She is likely looking for food. If this was some kind of hibernation, the queen will need sustenance," Data theorised.

"I think we have to risk it," Riker determined.

"We are in agreement," Aaangra concurred, speaking on behalf of the Jaradan team.

Data and three of the Jaradan officers stayed up on the rocks while Commander Riker, Tasha, Sibbi, one of her security officers, and Aaangra crept down the mountainside.

The Jaradan security officer kept a close eye on the perimeter while the other four officers snuck back into the cave system to the ruins of their camp.

The queen's powerful footprints had smashed all of the scientific data the team had managed to collect. Their tents lay decimated on the floor.

Most of their weapons had been destroyed but they still had a few working phaser rifles.

Tasha's bag was intact, but their other supplies had been destroyed – including all of the Jaradan food and the Enterprise crew's ration packs.

"She must have realised they were food," Riker said.

"It is likely she was able to detect the high fructose content of our meal kits," Sibbi suggested.

"Science team? Science team, come in."

It was Geordi's voice calling out from beneath the rubble.

Riker dove for the pile that had once been their tent. Following the sound, he was able to find one of the communicators had survived.

"Geordi," Riker responded.

He breathed a sigh of relief in knowing the other team was alright.

"Commander, we've been trying to hail you for the last fifteen minutes," Geordi said. "Are you guys OK?"

"We've got a situation, Geordi. The Jaradan queen is alive," Riker explained.

There was a short pause.

"Sir?" Geordi inquired.

"She's alive, Geordi," Riker repeated.

"Did he say alive?" Worf asked.

"He said alive," Geordi clarified with a hint of alarm.

"You mean that fossil is out there somewhere?" Miles inquired.

"You guys stay put. We've got a medical emergency here with Doctor Crusher. I'll radio once we formulate a plan," Riker ordered.

Tasha was on her knees in one of the footprints digging through the debris as she searched frantically with one item in mind.

Her hands closed around a heavy polymer case. Tasha brushed away the dust and rocks. She smiled as she saw the familiar staff of Hermes emblazoned on the surface.

"The medical kit looks intact," Tasha said.

"Alright, Data. You can let go now," Tasha instructed.

Data gently set Beverly down on the rocks. Fortunately, it appeared the patch was holding.

"Will this work?" Sibbi asked.

She set down two long stalks of a bamboo-like material that she had retrieved from the edge of the jungle.

"This will suffice. Thank you," Data responded.

Using leftover canvas from the ruins of their tent, Data and Sibbi fashioned a makeshift stretcher. They would use it to carry Doctor Crusher through the jungle. The goal was to try and keep her as still as possible so as not to rip the patch. Minimising movement was critical to maintaining her safety.

Commander Riker was studying the jungle.

It was rough terrain.

It was dark.

And it was still raining.

Worst of all, they had no idea where the queen was.

These rocks were their best protection. Out there, there wouldn't be any cover. And there were kilometres of misty, muddy terrain standing between them and the safety of the shuttle.

"She is likely seeking a food source," Data advised.

"Data, do you remember from the maps if there was any place close to this point that would work to land the shuttle?" Riker inquired.

"Rather than bringing the Doctor to the shuttle, you would like to bring the shuttle here," Data said.

"Exactly," Riker clarified.

Data cocked his head to the side as he mentally ran through the map of the area.

"There is a clearing approximately three kilometres from this area. But it will not be easy to get there," Data said.

He explained that the clearing had initially been rejected as a landing site for the shuttle because there was a large, fast-moving river separating the clearing from their side of the river.

"I am uncertain if we will be able to make it across safely," Data cautioned. "This heavy rainfall will likely mean the river has swelled."

"Do you think if we could get the shuttle close that we could get her onboard without actually landing?" Riker proposed.

Data considered this option. It was a risky proposition.

"It will require holding the shuttle in a fixed hover position in close proximity to the treeline," Data said.

"Can you do it, Data?" Riker inquired.

They both knew Data was their best chance for getting the Doctor on.

"I will, as you say, give it my best, sir," Data assured him.

Commander Riker tapped the communicator.

"Geordi, we've got a plan, but we're going to need your help," Riker said.

There was no response.

Riker and Data exchanged a worried glance.

"Geordi?" Riker tried again.

"They're frightened," Deanna commented as she observed the primitive Jarada.

She was watching through the viewscreen on the duck blind. The primitive Jarada had returned to their village. Everyone was on edge about the news that the queen was alive and on the hunt for food. It seemed the primitive Jarada could sense this as well.

"Do you think they know?" Geordi asked.

"I'd say they do," Deanna replied.

For the last ten minutes they had watched the primitive Jarada scramble about. They were communicating to one another. Their language was a combination of hand signals and verbal sounds. The Jaradan archaeology team were intrigued.

This was their first chance to hear it spoken aloud.

"Do you know what any of them are saying?" Deanna inquired.

"No," the Jaradan archaeologist shared. "This language certainly shares a root structure of similar, more basic phonology but the syntax and morphology are distinct and entirely different from our modern tongue."

The Jarada outside grew quiet.

"Are we safe in here?" Deanna asked.

"The duck blind has a medium-strength shield," Miles explained.

"Commander Riker did order us to stay put," Geordi added.

They were all feeling nervous. The duck blind afforded them some protection, but the thought of leaving it left them with a sense of dread.

"Where did they go?" Deanna asked suddenly.

Everyone turned back to the viewscreen and realised the primitive Jarada were gone. It was as if they had all simply disappeared.

All of sudden, there was a boom in the distance.

Everyone froze.

A few seconds later, it was followed by another boom that echoed above the storm.

Geordi stopped and turned to look out the viewscreen.

A third, powerful thump hit the ground and reverberated through the equipment in the duck blind.

Miles had been kneeling on the floor as he pieced together the new sensor equipment. He stopped and rose to his feet.

"The treeline," Worf said in a low voice.

"I see it," Geordi said. "Chief, you got the shield grid online, right?"

"Jaysus," Miles breathed as a massive, scaley head emerged from the treeline.

"They're not answering," Riker said, worried.

Riker's entire plan hinged on having the other team alert the shuttle.

"The weather?" Tasha asked.

"It is possible," Data advised. "However, based on the size of the creature and her stride, it is possible that she has reached the camp."

Riker exhaled in frustration and turned out toward the treeline.

"If she is looking for food she may have gone after the primitive Jarada," Data added.

"Right to our people," Riker said.

The team watched as the Jaradan queen bent down and ran her snout around the area.

"She can likely smell the primitive Jarada," the archaeologist explained. "This encampment is full of traces of them."

The queen sniffed around the area, her head drifting dangerously close to the duck blind. Her scales glistened in the rain and there was a chilling moment when a flash of lightning reflected in her large, dark eyes.

"Do you think she can sense us?" Geordi asked.

"No. She's only got one thing on her mind," Deanna explained. "Hunger."

The queen grunted and then continued to sniff around the area.

She could smell food but could not locate it. The queen threw her head back and roared in frustration. The team covered their ears as the ear-splitting cry rang out into the dark.

The queen stomped her feet and snarled. She paused and glanced around, smelling the air. Then she turned and began to walk back toward the duck blind.

"I think we ought to move," Miles said.

"The storage locker," Worf suggested.

The team rushed for the storage locker to the left. They had barely gotten inside when the queen stepped over the main room of the duck blind. The queen was completely unphased as she smashed the power cell and ripped away a portion of the temporary wall.

As soon as the protection of the duck blind was gone, the queen paused. She could detect the presence of the Jaradan crew.

"She can sense us," Deanna warned.

"No, she can sense us," one of the Jaradan security officers said.

"Laaraan, jaauushhra. Jaauushrinn," the archaeologist said.

Deanna didn't exactly understand their language, but she could piece together that the archaeologist was pleading with the security officer.

"No don't," Deanna urged.

But it was too late.

Laaraan, the security officer, had rushed out from their hiding spot.

She shouted something in Jaradan. Next, she fired her weapon to attract the attention of the queen.

Not to be outdone, Worf made a move to join her.

Four powerful arms stopped him.

"You cannot help her," the archaeologist warned.

The team watched as Laaraan ran, pulling the attention of the queen away from the village and into the jungle.

Everyone listened intently as the sound of the Jaradan weapons fire and the queen's powerful step faded into the storm.

The radio lay forgotten in the mud under the ruins of the duck blind.

"Are you alright?" Tasha inquired as she approached Sibbi.

Sibbi had been keeping an eye on the perimeter.

"Iishka and I were hatched in the same nest," Sibbi explained. "We attended our education and training together."

"I'm sorry about your friend," Tasha said softly.

"We do not have your concept of friendship," Sibbi replied.

Right. You blew that one, Yar. Tasha chastised herself.

"But I suppose that, if we did, Iishka was someone I would like to consider a friend," Sibbi added.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tasha offered.

Sibbi's shoulders slumped a little.

"No, thank you," Sibbi replied. "While the loss of Iishka is surprising, my struggle is not emotional. We were due for Uuungaat an hour ago."

Uuungaat.

She had read that word before.

Tasha racked her brain as she tried to remember their mission briefing.

Tasha snapped her fingers.

Oh course!

Uuungaat was a meal the Jarada consumed overnight. They would wake up in the middle of the evening for a meal. The high metabolic needs of their diet required that they eat between dinner and breakfast.

"Here," Tasha said as she fished through her bag. "Ah ha!"

She pulled out a pile of protein bars triumphantly.

Sibbi blinked in confusion.

"It's food," Tasha explained. "Probably not as much sugar as you guys are used to, but it should help."

Sibbi picked one of them up and sniffed the wrapping before popping it into her mouth – wrapper and all.

After a few seconds she swallowed. Her antennae twitched in excitement.

"The outside is most unpleasant, but the filling is what you would consider delicious," Sibbi said.

Tasha explained the 'outside' was just a casing to hold the food safe. She gave the rest of them to Sibbi who distributed them to the other Jaradan.

It would get them by for a few more hours, but they would need to find food soon.

"Any luck?" Riker asked as Data came down from the side of the mountain.

He had climbed up higher in hopes that they would have better luck getting a signal to the other team or to the Enterprise .

"No, sir," Data answered as he handed the communicator back to Commander Riker.

There was no way they were going to be able to take Doctor Crusher very far through the jungle. And Commander Riker was hesitant to split the crew up.

Data and Tasha both knew what he was thinking.

"I can go, sir," Data volunteered.

"No, you need to stay here to get her to the river," Tasha said. "I'll go, sir."

Data shot her a look.

"Nobody is going anywhere," Riker said. "Let's give it some time and see if the storm lightens up."

With the power cell destroyed, the entire duck blind was offline and the team at the archaeological site was left vulnerable.

As the team climbed out of the rubble, the primitive Jarada began to emerge from underground hiding places.

"Counsellor?" Worf asked.

The primitive Jarada were drawing closer to them and speaking softly to one another. They were eyeing the humans and modern Jarada with fascination.

"I sense curiosity," Deanna said as they backed toward one another. "I would advise no sudden movements."

The primitive Jarada came right up to them. Their heads bobbed about in almost reptilian manner as they studied the team.

"I think they just wonder who we are. I don't sense any threat," Deanna said as one of them picked up her hand and studied it.

"Speak for yourself," Worf grumbled as one of the primitive Jarada licked his forehead ridges.

"Fascinating, they have adult males living amongst them," the archaeologist said.

"How can they tell?" Miles whispered to Geordi.

To him, they all looked like big lizards.

One of them moved in close and sniffed along Chief O'Brien's torso. Then a second one joined the first.

Miles didn't much care for having several of them sniffing at him at once. It made him nervous, like they were sizing him up for a meal.

"Counsellor," Miles asked, hoping she could reassure him of their intentions.

"They're attracted to something," Deanna advised.

"Looks like you've got a fan club," Geordi teased.

"Har, har, har," Miles responded.

Suddenly, it clicked.

Miles slowly reached into the pocket on his chest and pulled out a package of peanut butter nibbles.

"Is this what you like?" Miles asked.

He carefully opened the package and then held out his hand.

"See? They're good," Miles said as the Jaradan quickly devoured the snack.

The primitive Jaradan loved them.

"You got any more of those, Chief?" Geordi asked.

"Not enough," Miles responded as the Jarada quickly polished off the last of the package.

Miles had a few more packages in his bag. But they weren't likely to last long given the rate at which the Jarada had devoured the last batch.

"So much for avoiding cultural contamination," Geordi quipped.

Miles backed away gently. He was going to fetch his bag.

But two of the primitive Jarada stopped him.

"Whoa, hey," Miles protested as they pulled him forward.

Geordi was worried that the peanut butter nibbles had been an appetizer and that the Jarada were about to make Miles into the main course.

Two of the other Jarada presented a juvenile Jarada in front of Miles.

"Fascinating," the archaeologist said.

"What's happening?" Deanna inquired.

"I believe we are witnessing the rite of Jaodaar," the archaeologist explained.

She explained it was an ancient practice – one that the Jarada had abandoned thousands of years ago.

"We had no idea it dated back to the days before our unification," the archaeologist said. "They cannot sense gender in your species. They think your Chief is a Vie aang."

Everyone looked to the archaeologist for an explanation.

"Is he in danger?" Worf asked.

"No," the archaeologist explained. "A Vie aang is a life giver. A ruler of sorts. They are presenting this juvenile as a future queen to build a new empire."

"But I thought your people weren't capable of-" Deanna began to say.

"This juvenile could become sexually mature if she were fed enough royal jelly. Whatever substance was in that food must have tripped their sensors into thinking it was royal jelly," the archaeologist theorised.

"Thanks. She's lovely but, eh-" Miles trailed off.

He started to back away but two of the Jarada stopped him.

"Oh boy," Miles sighed.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to salvage this," Geordi said.

They were trying to get one of the smaller independently powered systems online. Geordi's plan was to reroute the power to the replicator so they could produce more peanut butter nibbles.

But the equipment had been damaged during the queen's hungry search for food. Geordi really needed more equipment than they had available. And the rain wasn't making it easy.

"Wait," Worf warned as he put his hand up, signalling everyone should get quiet.

Everyone stiffened, ears straining against the storm for any sound of the queen's approach.

There was a garbled noise.

"The communicator," Worf said.

The team dove, trying to follow the sound as they searched for their only communication method with the other team.

"Got it!" Deanna said as she held it up in the rain.

"Geordi? Worf? Hello?" Riker's voice rang out.

"Sir," Worf responded.

"Are you guys alright? We've been trying to get through to you for over an hour," Riker said.

"We had a little disruption," Worf responded. "One of the Jaradan officers is dead."

There was a short pause on the other line.

"I want you guys to get to the shuttle," Riker said.

"That might be a problem, sir," Deanna commented.

She glanced over to the crowd of Jarada where Miles fed another peanut butter nibble to the juvenile Jarada. He flashed a nervous smile and pat the end of her snout.

"How's it coming?" Miles asked out of the corner of his mouth.

"I don't want to send you guys out there either," Riker confessed. "But Doctor Crusher's life is in danger. You're closer to the shuttle. And every second counts."

He knew that the idea of wandering back through the jungle with queen out there was a terrifying prospect.

However, Riker didn't feel that they had any choice.

"It's not that," Deanna explained. "We've got another problem."

"This could be the answer we've been looking for!" Aaangra exclaimed.

The news that there was a juvenile that was capable of becoming sexually mature in only a few years was even better than finding DNA samples from a long-dead queen.

"We need to take her back. To the ship. For further study," Aaangra explained.

Data and Tasha shared a glance.

"Aaangra, she is not a tissue sample," Data said, expressing his discomfort. "She is a living being."

Aaangra blinked slowly – a sign of displeasure among the Jarada.

"We will not harm her," Aaangra assured them.

Her tone indicated she was offended by the very idea of it.

"That is not our way," Aaangra insisted.

We will not harm her.

Data had heard that before.

We will not harm you.

You are incapable of being harmed.

"This juvenile holds the key to solving our population decline," Aaangra went on.

"She is a sentient being," Data protested.

"A primitive being," Aaangra argued.

Data cocked his head to the side.

"Primitive, yes. But your own research indicates that they have family structures," Data explained.

Aaangra grumbled something in Jaradan.

"What exactly are you proposing?" Commander Riker said, stepping in.

He could sense the situation was growing tense.

Aaangra made a noise of disapproval and walked off to cool down.

"Please understand that Aaangra is not, what you would say, heartless," Sibbi tried to clarify. "She is trying to save our race. The juvenile would be unharmed."

It did little to soothe Data's fears.

"The rite of Jaodaar was a common practice for our people thousands of years ago," Sibbi continued. "Culturally, she will be expected to leave."

"What will happen to her on your ship?" Riker demanded.

"A series of blood tests. An examination of her physiology to determine genetic compatibility," one of the other scientists said. "We would construct an environment similar to that which she would be expected to live in as a queen. We would begin feeding her royal jelly to ensure she reaches sexual maturity."

"So, you're planning to turn her into some kind of egg-laying slave?" Tasha asked heatedly.

"No," Sibbi assured her. "Our queens are the most highly-regarded people in our empire."

"We will make attempts to study her language and communicate," the other scientist informed them. "She could open up an entire new understanding of our history."

Commander Riker could empathise.

And he recognised the importance of this joint mission – and the necessity that it didn't encounter any more problems. A philosophical disagreement was the last thing they needed to wade into with a dangerous and advanced people.

"Mr Data, could I speak with you?" Riker asked.

"Yes, sir," Data said.

They stepped away, leaving Tasha, Sibbi, and the other Jaradan scientist alone.

"Curious," the Jaradan scientist commented.

Tasha followed her line of sight to Data.

"You have to understand that Commander Data is, well," Tasha struggled with how to phrase it.

She recognised it wasn't her place to share Data's story. Yet, she also wanted the Jarada to understand.

"We don't mean to insult your ways," Tasha went on. "It's just that the idea of freedom of choice is very important to Data."

The Jarada seemed unconvinced.

"I do not believe that this artificial lifeform can comprehend the predicament we are facing. Nor our desire to save our people from extinction," the scientist commented.

"Believe me, he understands better than most of us," Tasha said as she watched him.

"Keiko is not going to believe this," Miles sighed.

They were being escorted back to their shuttle by a train of primitive Jarada.

It would be another few hours or so before the sun would be up, and the rain hadn't eased up at all. Worf kept his eyes peeled in the dark as they made their way back to the shuttle at a slow, steady pace.

In the dark, every shadow seemed twice its size. The branches and leaves seemed to be closing in on them. And there were small frogs everywhere – their little yellow eyes seemed to follow the group as they passed.

Fortunately, there had been no sign nor sound of the queen.

In the end, the team had reached an agreement with the Jarada. They were still going to move forward with taking the juvenile Jarada back – but there would be no testing or other examinations until they could establish some basic communications with her.

Furthermore, Data would be permitted to assist. His ability to pick up on languages quickly would prove an asset in deciphering their language.

When they finally reached the clearing with the cloaked shuttle, the Jaradan officer inside deactivated the cloaking device.

All of the primitive Jarada stopped.

They began to click their antennae rapidly. Their tongues were darting in and out, signalling concern.

"They've never seen anything like this," the archaeologist explained.

Deanna could pick up on the mix of anxiety and curiosity coming from the band of primitive Jarada that had followed them through the jungle.

"They are likely also drawn to the same echolocation signal that we are," the archaeologist added.

The primitive Jarada began to circle the ship – touching it and chatting excitedly amongst themselves.

"We should get moving," Deanna warned, sensing a sudden feeling of trepidation from them.

"Counsellor?" Worf inquired.

"I'm worried they'll all want to come aboard," Deanna cautioned.

Meanwhile, Captain Picard was having trouble sleeping.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was afoot.

Jean-Luc had gotten up out of bed. He had checked in with the crew on Night Watch and learned that, as expected, they were unable to communicate with the team on the surface.

The storm was slow-moving and had yet to clear the area.

So, Captain Picard had taken a stroll around the ship.

And then another one.

He had checked in with Lieutenant Hawk on Night Watch once more and then wandered over to Ten Forward.

There was something about the windows there that was inviting. It was one of the best views on the ship. It was like standing on the verge of a precipice or at the edge of the ocean. Seeing the planet below reminded Jean-Luc that he couldn't control everything and that he needed to trust his team down there.

"It's a bit early for an early morning run," Guinan said as she came up next to him. "Even for you."

"I'm worried about them down there," Captain Picard confessed. "Being out of communication only compounds that sense of dread."

He chuckled.

"I suppose this must be what you feel like, in a way," Jean-Luc remarked.

"I think it's a sign you care about your people beyond just being their Captain," Guinan said.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," Jean-Luc replied.

Guinan shrugged casually.

"I didn't say it was a weakness," she explained.

"I suppose not," Jean-Luc said in response.

He hadn't felt this connected to a crew since his days aboard the Stargazer.

"I'm sure they're down there having the time of their lives. Data and Deanna were both keen to learn more about the Jarada. La Forge and O'Brien are probably up to their eyes in new technology," Picard mused.

"You think with all that rain the stench would have washed off by now," Riker whispered.

Tasha shot Riker a sharp look. She brought a finger to her lips to signify silence.

They were crouched under the large, protruding roots of a massive jungle tree. Riker and Tasha couldn't hear anything, but Data had picked up sounds of the queen in the distance.

So they had been sitting in silence for what felt like forever on the wet ground in the dark.

Tasha wasn't sure if it was more or less nerve-racking that she couldn't hear the queen stomping around.

Data's sensitive audio receptors allowed him to filter out the sound of the storms on focus on the queen.

"Data, how long has it been?" Riker inquired.

"Nine minutes, forty-three seconds," Data replied.

According to Data, she had been stomping around the same area that entire time. Her position was somewhere to the north of their position. Data estimated that she was approximately two and half kilometres away from their current hiding spot.

Although 'hiding spot' was a generous term.

If the queen decided to turn south there was nothing that would stop her from finding them. They were too far from the protection of the rocky mountainside. At the very least, they had the wind on their side as they were downwind of the hungry queen.

Tasha shuddered. The rain was starting to take its toll.

Her hands were pruney and she didn't even want to think about her feet.

"Sir, I believe she is occupied by something," Data advised. "Perhaps she has found a food source?"

Data could detect that the queen had been in the same position for some time.

"If she has found a food source, she could be there for hours," Aaangra explained.

"This may be our best shot," Sibbi suggested.

Tasha reached out and felt Beverly's forehead with the back of her hand. They were doing her best to keep her warm, but she was cold and clammy.

"I think she's going into hypovolemic shock," Tasha said.

"Alright, let's do it," Riker ordered.

Commander Riker both took one end of Beverly's stretcher and they set off into the dark.

They heard the river before they could see it. The sound of rushing water indicated they were getting closer with each step.

But it wasn't just the sound of the river itself that they were hearing. There was a large waterfall approximately 300 kilometres down from their position.

It thundered down over the edge of the cliff into the misty unknown below.

"Commander?" Geordi's voice rang out from the communicator.

"We're here, Geordi. At the rendezvous point," Riker responded.

"Acknowledged, stand back," Geordi replied.

Everyone took a step back as the shuttle descended from the darkness above. The Jaradan officer at the helm was an expert pilot.

But even so, it took no small amount of skill to keep the shuttle at just the right point above such a raging river when they were so close to the treeline.

"The water is too high," Tasha observed.

There would be no way they could safely get Beverly onboard with such a strong current.

The back of the shuttle opened. Geordi and Worf poked their heads out. The two of them glanced down at the quick-moving water below with alarm.

"Data, could you, well, toss the Doctor onto the ship?" Geordi suggested.

"Negative," Data responded. "Physically I am capable of that task. But it would be inadvisable given Doctor's Crusher's condition."

"What about the climbing equipment?" Miles suggested. "Between the two teams we could form a safety chain to keep Commander Data upright in the water. Then he could bring the Doctor to us."

Riker didn't like the idea.

The river was swollen well past its banks.

"It may be our best option, sir," Data said.

Worf tossed a bag of the equipment out. It landed on the ground in the mud with a sickening splat.

Tasha got to work setting up the equipment on their end. With just a few adjustments, they were able to secure the Jaradan officers into the

"Data, are we still doing alright? Do you hear the queen?" Riker inquired.

"Unchanged, sir," Data responded.

After a few minutes of getting everything in place, the had a system worked out.

"Now secure that on your end!" Tasha hollered back to the team on the shuttle.

On the shore, Tasha had used several spring-loaded cam devices to create two pressure points by driving them into two of the large trees.

Worf locked the line on their end into one of the cargo storage shelves on the ship.

The plan was that they would load themselves on one-by-one.

As Data had the best ability to maintain his footing, Data was going to stand in the anchor position closest to the water. Tasha had secured her own anchor line to a secondary tree.

Their job was to help keep the Jaradan officers upright in the water.

With the Jarada's added height and arm span, they created a train to pass Doctor Crusher's stretcher to the shuttle.

"That's it," Geordi said as the Jaradan officers pulled her onboard.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she was safely on the shuttle.

Miles and Worf lifted her onto an emergency medical cot while Deanna got hold of a more advanced medical kit.

"Here," she said, handing the supplies to Worf.

He applied a bandage on the top of the first and then administered an emergency antiseptic hypospray. Traipsing through the rain and the mud hadn't been great for her injury. The team had done everything they could to keep it clean, but they were working with limited supplies.

"Commander, you should go next," Tasha insisted.

"I'll be the last out, Lieutenant," Riker replied.

"No offense, sir, but you weigh a lot more," Tasha explained.

It would take far less effort to lift her into the shuttle than it would him.

"Oh right," Riker agreed.

Reluctantly, he released the locking clamp from his position on the rope. Riker carefully made his way down into the water where the Jaradan crew gave him a boost.

Geordi offered Riker his arm. With the help of the Jaradan archaeologist, they pulled the First Officer into the back of the shuttle.

Behind him, Data heard one of the trees begin to crack under the pressure.

"We should move this along," Data said.

He wasn't sure how long they would be able to hold out against the force of the water.

"Aaangra, you and Uuujit should go next," Tasha called up the line.

"I agree," Sibbi said.

She had heard the tree crack as well.

Moving two of the heavier Jarada officers into the shuttle would alleviate some of the pressure.

It left Sibbi, Tasha, and Data left.

"Come on, Data," Tasha instructed.

Carefully, the three of them began to make their way down closer to the water.

Tasha and Data slid their grips along the water as they tried to maintain their footing.

Sibbi was inches away from the shuttle when the tree anchoring Data's line was ripped right out by the roots. The ground was so saturated from the moisture that it didn't have enough tension to stay upright.

Sibbi was drug underwater.

Data dug his heels into the mud as it dragged him forward. Forgoing his lock clip, he gripped the cord with both hands to stop Sibbi from being pulled downriver.

Thinking fast, Tasha pulled an anchor device from her harness and shot it into a third three.

It wouldn't provide much additional traction, but it would take some of the pressure off Data's line.

Sibbi emerged a moment later, sputtering and gasping for air.

She struggled to find her footing.

One of the other Jaradan officers leaned out of the shuttle to offer her a helping hand. With their assistance, Sibbi was able to regain her grip in the sand below.

Four strong arms reached down to try and pull her onboard.

But it wasn't fast enough.

Data lost his footing as the rapids began to pull on the tree that was connected to his anchor line.

Sibbi was dangling dangerously above the water. She nearly slipped out of their grasp as she was pulled back by the force from Data's line. Had it not been for Aaangra reaching down to catch her, she would have been pulled away.

It took Data 0.031 seconds to determine that he did not have the means to free himself from the anchor line. It would take nearly eight seconds for Data to detach his harness in that position.

However, it would take less than half that time to simply press the emergency release in front of him.

"Data," Tasha shouted as she realised what he was thinking.

"Go," Data said before he hit the release.

Tasha stood there gripping the line helplessly as Data was pulled away with the rapids and then disappeared from view.

Tasha blinked.

He had just been right there.

They weren't exactly sure what the height of the falls were. Data was sturdy – not indestructible – but sturdy.

And there was no way Tasha was leaving without knowing what had happened to him.

Tasha pressed her own emergency release.

Before anyone on the shuttle realised it, she had unhooked herself from the anchor line, grabbed the back of equipment, and was running for the edge of the cliff.

"Tasha!" Geordi shouted.

Tasha threw on the pack of climbing equipment. She secured a sling around one of the rocks at the edge.

Without a second thought, Tasha dove into the mist.

Commander Riker closed his eyes and tried not to panic.

This was exactly the kind of situation that Riker had been afraid of – the kind of decision-making that was driven by emotion with no regard for their duties.

From their position on the open hatch at the back of the shuttle, the team wasn't sure what to do.

All of a sudden, Sibbi rushed past them.

Using her power legs, she launched herself off the shuttle and onto the edge of the shoreline.

The Jaradan First Officer barked something in protest, clearly disapproving of the action.

Sibbi scrambled for a moment before she managed to pull herself up from the water.

There was a brief, angry exchange in Jaradan.

Worf could see that Sibbi was sporting one of the spare climbing packs.

"What's happening? What did she say?" Riker demanded.

Aaangra looked disappointed.

"What does your word 'friend' mean?" Aaangra inquired.

It took her close to fifteen minutes to reach the ground at the bottom of the waterfall.

If the jungle above had been creepy, this was like a whole new world.

She had landed in some kind of ravine. There were no trees or jungle fauna like the ground above.

The fog was thick.

There were no birds.

The air seemed suffocating.

Tasha shuddered.

It wasn't that she was cold. No, even with the storm it was still unbearably hot.

Worst of all, there was a foul scent that clung to the air. Tasha didn't think she could ever smell anything worse than the Jaradan Queen's breath, but there it was.

Of all the times to be stranded! Tasha grumbled to herself.

She had no combadge and no phaser.

And no blood snacks. Tasha lamented.

The thick mist made it difficult to search for Data.

As she drew closer to one of the strange rocks, Tasha realised the smell was coming from them.

She leaned in close and sniffed the surface. Tasha gagged.

There was some kind of sticky substance coating the rocks. The water droplets from the storm seemed to pool and run off. It was like they couldn't penetrate the goo on the outside of the rocks.

Tasha tentatively reached – she was about to touch it when an arm shot out and gripped her wrist.

Before she could react, a powerful claw-like hand covered her mouth.

"Do not touch," Sibbi warned.

She released Tasha.

Tasha took a series of deep, steadying breaths. That had been more than enough of a jump scare.

"We should not be here," Sibbi said in a dark voice.

"Why?" Tasha asked. "What is this place?"

In a way, it reminded Tasha of a beehive.

"A nest," Sibbi said.

There was a lump in Tasha's throat.

"A nest?" she whispered.

"And by the looks of things, I'd say she's been busy," Sibbi explained.

Tasha put her hands on her hips and swallowed down the terror that was threatening to overtake her.

They needed to find Data. He would know what to do.

In fact, Data would probably know everything there was to know about Jaradan nests.

Tasha clicked her fingers together as she recalled something from the briefing.

"Your nesting cycle takes hundreds of years though, right?" Tasha asked.

"It does. This coating on the eggs is-" Sibbi began.

"These are eggs?" Tasha questioned as she took a step back.

She glanced around. They were everywhere.

Sibbi blinked a few times.

"Yes. The coating on the eggs is uuraaq," Sibbi explained. "It is secreted by eggs in their final stage. Just before hatching. These were like laid before the queen became encased in amber."

Tasha's chest grew tight. She strained her ears for any sign of eggs cracking.

"So there's going to be hundreds of these things hatching soon?" Tasha whimpered. "How soon?"

Sibbi's antennae flopped.

"I am uncertain," Sibbi replied honestly. "It is a process that takes weeks. Once mature, they emerge and eat the uuraaq ."

Something registered in Sibbi's face. It was as if she had just experienced an unpleasant thought.

"Sibbi?" Tasha prompted.

"It is possible the queen may come here. The eggs would be a primary food source for her," Sibbi explained.

"We need to find Data," Tasha said.

"How's she doing?" Riker asked.

"Not well," Deanna said.

Worf was doing everything he could to keep Doctor Crusher stable. But there was only so much he could do for her on the shuttle. She needed treatment in Sickbay.

"Do we have any news on the storm system?" Riker asked.

Miles and Geordi had been working the Jaradan helm officer to try and boost the signal sensor to get a reading on when the storm was expected to break.

Once they were clear of it, the team would be able to fly out and get Doctor Crusher back aboard the Enterprise.

"We've managed to reroute some extra energy output from the backup system but we really have to get out of the air," Miles cautioned.

"This storm could wreak havoc on our navigation," Geordi added.

"What about Commander Data, Lieutenant Yar, and the Jaradan Tactical Chief?" Worf inquired.

Riker turned to Deanna in hopes that she would offer some kind of insight into what the crew were thinking.

After all, this wasn't entirely his call.

This mission was critical for the Jarada. And it was clear the juvenile Jarada was feeling distressed and confused.

Miles had kept some extra peanut butter nibs stowed away in his cargo space onboard. However, they could all sympathise that being in such a foreign environment during a powerful storm was likely a terrifying prospect.

"Where does that waterfall go?" Riker inquired. "I mean, where would he have landed?"

Aaangra and the archaeologist used one of the computer terminals to pull up a schematic.

"Based on our preliminary scans of the planet, it is a ravine. Likely cut away by the river over time," she explained.

"It will not be safe to take the shuttle down there during the storm," the archaeologist advised. "Falling rocks could disable the shuttle."

"According to sensors, it'll be at least another hour before this storm lets up," Geordi said.

With a heavy heart, Commander Riker knew what he needed to do.

"Take us back to the clearing," Riker ordered.

When Data first came to he sat up straight and looked around.

His servos were flooded. For protection, his system had automatically engaged a temporary lock out of basic functioning in order to protect his vital systems.

It was also apparent that he had suffered a serious fall.

There was a crack in his left leg and some superficial damage to his bioplast. Surprisingly, he was otherwise unharmed.

The storm was still raining down from the sky and it was still dark out. It indicated Data must not have been unconscious for long. If his chronometer were still functioning properly, then it was likely only about thirty minutes that he had been out.

Data was suddenly consciously aware that he was being watched.

Looking up he saw dozens of pairs of black, glossy eyes staring back at him.

Data cocked his head to the side.

To his fascination, all of the newly hatched Jarada that were watching him repeated the action.

Curious to test a theory, Data titled his head in the opposite direction.

He gasped in awe as the copied his movement.

Imprinting! Data realised.

One of the braver juveniles crept closer and sniffed Data.

It turned and made a series of guttural noises to the other Jarada.

Then it turned back and licked up the side of Data's face.

Another juvenile approached. It dropped a mouthful of the jelly in front of Data. Then it looked up at him expectantly.

Data didn't realise they weren't the only ones watching him.

"They think he is a jraa jraa," Sibbi advised.

Tasha looked at Sibbi, confused.

"A small hatchling, typically unable to care for itself," Sibbi explained.

"A runt?" Tasha asked with a grin.

Sibbi blinked.

"If that is what you call it," Sibbi replied.

"Is he in any danger?" Tasha questioned.

While they seemed to be caring for him, Tasha was concerned. They knew so little about it, she had no idea what might happen. And she couldn't be sure, but Tasha suspected that Data was injured in some way.

He wasn't moving around much.

"They will keep him around and care for him," Sibbi explained. "We believe these primitive Jarada form pack bonds at a young age. Each pack will maintain a jraa jraa. It is a form of protection."

"Protection from what?" Tasha asked.

She didn't like the sound of that.

"Against predators," Sibbi clarified.

"Because predators will always go for the weakest in the pack," Tasha said, finishing Sibbi's thought for her.

Sibbi glanced down at Tasha as she tried to read her body language.

"They will become aggressive if you attempt to extract him," Sibbi warned.

While Sibbi didn't fully understand Tasha's desire to protect Data, she wanted to help. She thought there was something special about the way the humans made these connections.

"The sun will likely be up in the next hour," Sibbi said. "These juveniles are predominantly nocturnal until they reach the age of eleven."

"I'm worried there might be more of them in an hour," Tasha replied.

There were six hatchlings surrounding Data. Tasha and Sibbi had no way of knowing how many other potential hatchlings were out there.

They weren't full size – only about a metre tall.

But as a pack, they presented a challenge.

It didn't help that they only had Sibbi's weapon and Tasha's switchblade.

"Hey, are you doing alright?" Tasha asked.

She suddenly remembered that Sibbi had only eaten one of her nutrient bars between dinner and now. They were getting close to the Jaradan morning meal and there was no food.

"I will admit I am feeling sluggish," Sibbi replied. "But I will be fine for a few more hours."

Without warning, there was a large stomp in the distance.

Sibbi and Tasha exchanged a worried glance.

From his position on the ground, Data had heard it too. In fact, he had heard it well before Tasha and Sibbi.

Worst of all, Data knew it was drawing closer.

The hatchlings were spooked. As the footsteps grew closer, they began to bob their heads. They were communicating with some kind of sign language.

They began to scatter, scurrying off through the maze of eggs in order to avoid the queen.

Ten metres away, Tasha and Sibbi were stuck in an impossible situation.

They could hear the sound of the queen behind them. It was a sickening mix of crunches and slobbering.

"What is that noise?" Tasha asked.

Truthfully, she didn't want to know. But if it was what she expected, she was hoping it would be their chance to save Data.

"She is feeding," Sibbi replied. "On the eggs. But that will not last long."

Both of them knew that the queen would be able to detect Sibbi's presence if they stayed put much longer.

"We need to leave," Sibbi said urgently.

"Not without Data," Tasha replied.

It was foolhardy. But Tasha knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't make an attempt to save him.

She rushed forward.

"Tasha?" Data asked as she emerged.

"Can you move?" Tasha inquired as she knelt down next to him.

All sounds of the queen forgotten, she was fixated on his visible injuries.

"You've been injured," Tasha whispered.

"I am incapable of being injured," Data replied.

Tasha shot him a stern look.

"I have been damaged," Data said.

"It's the same thing," Tasha countered.

She was concerned that he had avoided the question about his capability to move.

"Come on," Tasha said as she offered him her hand.

"Go," Data said.

For Tasha, it was an eerie call back to his earlier goodbye up by the river.

And it was infuriating.

Data could see the anger in her expression. Data also understood that it wasn't really anger – it was concern.

And fear.

And so much more.

"This substance has penetrated through to my bioplast," Data advised. "You will not be able to cut through it."

She had her switchblade out and was ready to try.

" Go ," Data repeated, pleading with her to leave.

"Forgive me," Sibbi said, coming up next to them.

Data assumed that her statement had been directed at Tasha. He anticipated Sibbi, being a highly trained Tactical Officer, was going to force Tasha to leave the area.

He froze as Sibbi began to lick away the jelly-like secretion from the egg behind Data.

It didn't take long, and they were able to pull Data free.

Unfortunately, in doing so they cracked the egg behind them, and albumen of the egg began to ooze out through the fissure in the shell.

"That is going to draw her to this area," Sibbi advised.

On cue, they could hear the stomp of her gait drawing closer.

They all started forward, but Data's leg was damaged further than expected. He stumbled and fell forward.

Sibbi wasted no time in tossing Tasha her weapon.

She scooped up Data and the three of them rushed off in the opposite direction of the queen.

As the sun came up, the storm began to clear. The heavy rain and unstable winds had given way to a light drizzle.

For nearly an hour, they had been attempting to hail the Enterprise.

"It's possible the severity of the storm knocked out our communications relay," Geordi said.

Beverly's condition was growing worse. They had administered pain relief, clotting aides, and a blood replenishment treatment.

However, the clock was ticking on her patch. With each passing second, the patch grew thin. It was only a temporary measure.

"We have to risk it," Riker said finally.

The Jaradan officers had no problem returning. They had only remained behind as a courtesy to the Enterprise crew.

Given Doctor Crusher's condition, Commander Riker felt it was necessary to get her back to safety before instituting some kind of rescue for the other three crew members.

"Take us back into orbit," Riker advised.

Reluctantly, the team watched them lift off from the clearing.

It was a bumpy ride back through the high turbulence atmosphere. Worf and Deanna did their best to keep the unconscious Beverly still during that part of the trip.

As soon as they crossed over, they made contact with both the Enterprise and the Jaradan vessel.

"Good to hear your voice, Commander," Picard said.

The relief was evident in his hail.

The whole away team had a feeling that he'd been up worrying about them.

"We've got a medical emergency, sir," Riker responded. "Can you lock onto Doctor Crusher's signal? Beam her directly to Sickbay. Advise she has a severed femoral artery."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.

Captain Picard felt that his fears about the mission had been confirmed.

"Understood," Picard responded shortly.

On the Bridge, Captain Picard clenched his hands into fists.

"Lieutenant Breton, lock onto Doctor Crusher's signal and beam her directly to Sickbay," Picard commanded. "Ensign Jae, alert the physician on duty of an incoming medical emergency."

Jean-Luc took a steadying breath.

"Mr Hawk, you have the Bridge," Picard said.

"Sir?" Hawk inquired.

"I'm heading to Sickbay," Picard replied on his way to the lift.

Jean-Luc never made it as far as Sickbay.

He had been recalled to the Bridge just after stepping off the lift.

There was a problem and the Captain of the Jarada ship was demanding to speak with Picard.

"This is unacceptable," the Jaradan Captain said.

They had been informed that three of their officers had been killed.

"We don't know that your Tactical Chief is dead," Riker protested.

They were on a three-way conference channel on the viewscreen.

"Two of our officers are missing as well," Picard said in an even tone. "We would merely like to send another team down to search for them – including your missing officer."

He was hoping the offer would smooth things over.

However, it seemed the Jarada were ready to simply mark off the loss and move on. They considered it an acceptable cost of the mission.

In obtaining the juvenile Jarada, they had more than they could have ever hoped for.

Despite the Enterprise crew wanting to mount a search and rescue, the Jarada were concerned about sending anyone back.

They didn't consider the rescue of two humans and one officer to be worth the risk.

Furthermore, the Jaradan Captain had made his displeasure abundantly clear. Two of his finest officers had been killed – one of them sacrificing herself in order to protect the rest of the team.

The Jaradan Captain felt that the Enterprise crew had not been willing to take such risks and that it was unfair they had not suffered the same amount of loss.

"Captain, the android would be an asset in our efforts to communicate with the juvenile," Aaangra said.

It was a risk to speak up. But Aaangra's research was far too important.

After fifteen minutes of tense negotiations, they were at an impasse. The Jaradan Captain refused to allow the use of their shuttle in order to return to the surface.

However, she would permit any of her crew members that wanted to join the rescue mission to do so.

"We need that ship. Our shuttles aren't designed to enter such an atmosphere," Picard grumbled.

"What about Calypso?" Geordi suggested.

Sibbi and Tasha raced through the maze of eggs and goo down the ravine. It was an almost sheer rock cliff on both sides.

They could still hear the queen which meant they needed to keep moving.

Tasha was pushing herself just to keep pace with Sibbi. Her long legs and strength meant she easily outpaced the Enterprise's Security Chief.

They ran until the first rays of sunlight began to peak over the horizon. They couldn't see the sunrise from their position. It was far too hazy from the mist.

But they could tell it was getting lighter.

"Up there," Sibbi said pointing.

Tasha could barely make out a swamp-like area ahead.

There were long, low hanging vines.

With a splat, Tasha lost her footing as she stepped right into a puddle that hadn't been nearly as deep as it had initially appeared.

"I think we might be safe in here," Sibbi said.

Tasha wiped the slime from her face, and they continued on deeper into the swampy terrain.

"Why do you think we are safe here?" Tasha inquired as they mucked along.

"It is likely that the queen would struggle in such difficult terrain," Data said, his arms swinging wildly as Sibbi moved across the ground – balancing on tree roots, rocks, or anything that was a solid surface.

"Right," Tasha said in agreement.

She could see his point.

Tasha was familiar with the swamp terrain of Turkana, and this wasn't all that much different. The mix of brackish water and thick vegetation was difficult to cross. There were deep bogs just waiting to swallow people and creatures alike with their deceptive depth.

In the distance, they could hear the queen roar.

To their relief, the sound wasn't growing closer.

"Sibbi, can we take a break?" Tasha asked.

She needed to catch her breath. She was panting and there was a stitch in her side.

Sibbi stopped and set Data down on the ground.

"Thanks," Tasha huffed as she clutched her abdomen.

Sensing that they wanted a moment alone, Sibbi made an excuse that she was going to forage for anything edible.

Tasha dropped down to her knees next to Data.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

"You should not have come after me," Data said. "I take it from the fact that you have no communicator or weapon that it was a spontaneous decision."

Tasha didn't respond. She was staring down at her knees.

"But I am glad you are here," Data added softly.

He reached out and took hold of her hand.

"Tasha?" Data prompted when she didn't answer.

Tasha sighed.

"I should smack you," she said as she raised her eyes to meet his.

She wanted to.

She really wanted to.

"You can't give me a scare like that," Tasha said with a hint of anger.

She frowned and looked away as she picked at her fingernails.

"You ever tell me to 'go' again like that I-" Tasha trailed off.

Her lip began to quiver.

"How could you say that?" Tasha demanded. "How could you do that?"

"Because it was my duty," Data responded simply.

Tasha flashed him a furious look.

"We would have figured something out," Tasha insisted. "Another anchor line. You could have unhooked the back of your harness. Or we could have used the shuttle to-"

"You are upset because of the abrupt nature of my decision," Data theorised aloud. "You are feeling hurt because I might have been damaged beyond repair."

He gave her hand a squeeze.

"And because it came on the heels of you confessing a rather personal, serious commitment to starting a family someday," Data guessed.

"Don't ever do something stupid like that again," Tasha said sharply. "Go? What the hell kind of goodbye was that supposed to be?"

Data slipped two fingers under her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"I could spend the rest of my theoretically endless existence discussing what I would like to say to you, and it still would still be an insufficient amount of time to, as it were, scratch the surface," Data said.

He could be surprisingly perceptive at times – knowing precisely what Tasha needed to hear.

Deep-down Tasha knew it wasn't just programming. It wasn't a throwaway line.

Data meant what he said.

"It's not just that," Tasha confessed. "I'm upset because, well-"

She trailed off.

"Data, did you make that choice because you thought it mattered less for you to sacrifice yourself?" Tasha asked honestly.

It was something she had struggled with since his decision to release his emergency catch.

"I did not place less value on my own existence, if that is what you are asking," Data responded.

Using his hands to shift his weight, Data tried to scoot closer.

"Don't," Tasha said, putting a hand on his chest to stop him.

Data cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"I should still smack you," Tasha said as she crawled onto his lap.

Tasha reached up to hold the side of his face. She caressed his broken bioplast with her thumb.

"You cannot get rid of me that easily," Data quipped.

"Please don't talk like that," Tasha requested as she leaned in close.

"I believe you now have a better understanding of my anxiety regarding your own lack of caution," Data said with a small smile.

Tasha stopped just inches from his face.

"That wasn't funny," she said.

"If I were a humanoid, I would think that you smell awful," Data said as his olfactory receptors were overwhelmed by the pungent aroma of the queen's saliva.

Tasha made a face.

"Sorry," she apologised.

"Fortunately, I am not a humanoid and can shut off my olfactory sensors," Data assured Tasha before pulling her into a kiss.

"So you think you can pinpoint their location?" Riker inquired.

"There are certain elements in Data's construction that are unique to this planet. We can filter the sensors to pinpoint their location once we're through the turbulent upper atmosphere," Geordi explained.

"The problem will be in finding a suitable landing pad," Worf advised.

Worf, Miles, Commander Riker, and Geordi were on the Captain's Yacht making their final pre-flight check before heading back down to the planet. It was the only ship they had capable of navigating the dangerous atmosphere.

"May we join you?" Aaangra said as she stepped on board.

There were three more Jaradan officers with her.

"Welcome aboard," Riker said as he waved them on.

"No offense, but I can ask why you want to go back?" Miles inquired.

He was surprised to see them there given they were previously so concerned about leaving to start their research.

The Jarada quickly spoke to one another in conference before turning back to the crew.

"We are most intrigued by this concept of friendship and would like to study it further," Aaangra replied.

At Sibbi's insistence, they kept moving after a brief break. She had scouted some of the area and discovered the swap drained into a large lake.

Sibbi had explained that more hatchlings would likely be seeking refuge in the swap as they continued to hatch. Furthermore, they knew rescue would be unlikely without some assistance on their part.

According to Sibbi, there was a large open, rocky beach. It would serve as a suitable landing area for the shuttle.

They were all a bit nervous about leaving the safety of the swamp, but the knew it was their best chance for escape.

Tasha and Data were keenly aware that their chances of rescue were slim. The shuttle would have no doubt returned to the Enterprise to get Doctor Crusher to safety.

They had no communicator and no way of making contact with the ship. They were kilometres away from their last known position.

Even with a grid search pattern, it could take days for the Enterprise to find them – if they were still alive at that point.

Standard procedure would stop the search after seventy-two hours.

Sibbi wasn't feeling much more hopeful.

She knew that her only chance of escape lay with these humanoids. Jaradan procedure would dictate leaving her behind. They would never waste valuable resources after she chose to deviate from procedure to chase after Data and Tasha.

"If we are rescued, may I ask a favour?" Sibbi inquired.

"Yeah," Tasha replied.

"What can we do for you?" Data asked.

They never would have made it out of the nest without her help.

"Please do not tell any of the other Jarada that I consumed the jelly," Sibbi requested. "And please do not include it in your reports."

Data and Tasha exchanged a glance.

"If that is your wish," Data replied.

"You got it," Tasha added.

Sibbi looked relieved.

"May I inquire why?" Data questioned.

He was curious if this was a personal choice to spare Sibbi ridicule over a potentially embarrassing moment or if there was some deeper, cultural explanation.

"It is forbidden," Sibbi explained.

Sibbi explained that for most Jaradan, the consumption of royal jelly was forbidden after the first hatchling phase. It was a valuable, nutrient-rich material and only queens were permitted to consume it in hopes of eventually becoming sexually mature.

"We will not mention it," Data assured her.

"Thank you," Sibbi replied.

"It's what friends do," Tasha grinned.

All of a sudden, Sibbi's face registered a shift in mood. Her antennae stood ramrod straight. It was a sign that she was on alert.

"We have company," Sibbi warned.

Tasha turned to see that there was a large pack of hatchlings approaching them.

"They have likely been tracking us," Sibbi said.

"And where they go, the queen will not be far behind," Data added.

"This day just keeps getting better and better," Tasha grumbled.

The hatchlings were about half a kilometre away and approaching at a cautionary pace.

The only weapons they had were Sibbi's disruptor and Tasha's switchblade.

"Suggestions would be nice," Tasha threw out, hoping Data was formulating some plan of escape.

Data glanced at the disruptor in Sibbi's hands.

"If we were to adjust the frequency of the disruptor we may be able to reach a frequency that would be uncomfortable for the hatchlings," Data theorised. "It could serve as a repellent."

Sibbi handed her disruptor over to Data.

Tasha gave him her switchblade. It was the only tool they had.

Data popped open the access panel to reach the power cell. With Sibbi's help, he was able to locate the frequency settings and began to make manual adjustments.

It was trial and error.

Data felt terrible as his only testing method was Sibbi's reaction to the adjustment.

"Data, I don't want to rush you but-" Tasha said as she watched the hatchlings growing closer.

"Almost there," Data replied.

"Argh!" Sibbi dropped to the ground and covered her antennae as a powerful, high-pitched frequency filled the surrounding area.

"Tasha," Data shouted.

She moved out of the way as Data pointed the disruptor toward the oncoming crowd of hatchlings.

They slowed their approach and began to turn their heads as if they were distressed.

After a few more steps, they paused and began to back away.

"I think it is working," Data said.

Without warning, the disruptor stopped.

Data glanced down and blinked in confusion.

"Data?" Tasha prompted.

She wasn't the only one to register that it had stopped. The hatchings began to move forward.

"It is an automatic cool down safety setting," Sibbi said.

She knew it was important to maintain the sound for their safety, but she was grateful that it had stopped.

"At such a high frequency, it will likely have to cool every two minutes or so," Sibbi warned. "This indicator will show when it is ready."

She pointed to a small light on the side of the weapon.

According to Sibbi, blue was a go and orange meant stop.

As soon as the weapon was ready to be used again, Data resumed firing the disruptive sound in the direction of the hatchling horde.

Based on the cooldown period and their rate of advancement, Data calculated the hatchlings would reach them in less than twenty minutes.

"This is only going to delay the inevitable," Data announced.

As soon as the ship cleared the atmosphere, Geordi initiated a detailed scan.

"Take us to their last known coordinates," Riker ordered. "Seems as good a place to start as any."

Worf punched in the coordinates, and they raced for the river.

"Not detecting anything on sensors yet, sir," Geordi reported.

He turned his attention back to the Operations console aboard the Captain's yacht. Geordi tapped the screen and ran a second sweep of the area.

"We should lay out a grid pattern," Worf suggested.

"That could take hours," Riker sighed.

"It's the best we can do, sir," Miles responded.

"Whoa," Geordi exclaimed.

Everyone turned to Geordi at the Operations console.

"Guys, I'm picking up a high pitch frequency audio signal," Geordi explained.

Miles readjusted the settings from his position at the Tactical station. He could clearly see the signal too.

"Reading it here too, sir," Miles chimed in. "I'd say it's some kind of disruptor pattern based on the energy signature."

"It's about six kilometres ahead," Worf advised from the helm.

Worf turned around his seat and glanced back at Commander Riker. Wordlessly Riker lifted his chin, indicating for Worf to take them to those coordinates.

"Do you think they're trying to signal us?" Miles inquired.

"I'd say we aren't the one one's whose attention they've managed to attract," Geordi added darkly.

Data's audio receptors perked up as he heard a low stomp in the distance.

He temporarily let go of the disruptor trigger.

"Give us a break," Data said.

Tasha turned around in surprise.

"It is an expression," Data said simply.

Tasha bit back a grin.

It was an expression – one she used frequently.

And in spite of their grim predicament, she couldn't help but be amused that he had picked up on it.

"I regret to inform you that our situation may be more dire than anticipated," Data said.

Tasha nodded in understanding.

She glanced around at the terrain.

They were completely exposed and there was nowhere to run. On one end was the close horde of hatchlings. Behind them was a large lake.

"Tasha-" Data began to say.

Tasha took the disruptor from him.

"Go," she said motioning to the lake with her head.

Data couldn't swim. But he also had no need to breathe underwater. In the very least, it would buy him a chance to hide from the hatchlings and the queen.

"Go?" Data asked, quirking an eyebrow at Tasha.

Tasha shot him a sympathetic look.

"What's that?" Sibbi asked.

Tasha turned to see the Calypso slip out from the hazy atmosphere.

"As soon as the hatch doors open, get Data onboard," Tasha ordered.

Sibbi's antennae wiggled in approval, and she scooped up Data.

The hatchlings were less than fifteen metres away now and inching ever closer.

"Looks like they've made friends," Geordi said as he spied the horde.

"Those are hatchlings," Aaangra said in fascination. "There must have been a nest we didn't detect during our initial scans."

"Let's get our people out of there," Riker commanded.

Worf took the Calypso in. It hovered for a moment before landing on the rocky soil of the beach near the water.

It was an aggravating and long thirty seconds for the shuttle door on the yacht to open.

Sibbi rushed inside with Data.

Tasha wasn't far behind, and the hatchlings were just a step away.

"Seal the door!" Tasha shouted as she butted one of the hatchlings with the blunt end of the disruptor.

All of sudden, one of the hatchlings latched onto the disruptor with four powerful arms.

There was a back and forth as they tried to yank it away from Tasha.

"Whoa," Tasha said as she was pulled forward toward the closing hatch.

Worf was having difficulties closing the hatch as the hatchlings kept trying to scramble inside.

"They are triggering the emergency sensors," Worf reported.

"Already working on an override!" Geordi advised from his console.

Tasha thought she was about to be pulled off when a hand shot out and caught her leg.

"Let go of the disruptor," Data advised.

"Already did!" Tasha shouted back.

She had given up fighting against the hatchlings seconds earlier. Tasha knew a lost cause when she saw one.

As quickly as she had stopped fighting for the disruptor, the hatchling that had been fighting for it had fallen away.

But a second and third hatchling had reached for her arm with a firm grip.

Miles was there in a flash picking off hatchlings with a phaser. But as fast as he could shoot them, they were back again.

"Like bloody monkeys," Miles exclaimed in frustration.

Sibbi was hanging on to Data with two arms. With the other two, she was holding on to the shuttle emergency grips in order to keep herself upright.

Data had a firm grip on Tasha.

And she was stuck in some kind of terrible tug of war between them.

It would be comical if the situation weren't so dangerous.

"Geordi?" Data asked.

"Working on it! We've got a bit of a problem up here!" Geordi replied.

"A bit?" Worf asked.

All of the hatchlings pushing against the Calypso had enough force that they were slowly pushing the ship into the water.

What had initially only been a few centimetres of water at the base of the ship was now up nearly a third of the way over the viewscreen.

There was an unwelcome roar in the distance.

"We are outta time!" Riker announced. "I don't care if the hatch is closed. Take off Mr Worf!"

Worf fired up the impulse engines.

Two of the Jarada officers sprung into action. They grabbed Sibbi and Miles.

As the ship lurched forward, everyone tumbled backward.

"Everybody safe back there?" Riker asked.

"Um, yeah," Miles responded.

He was eye to eye with a young hatchling that had been pulled onboard. It was blinking and looking around, curious at these new surroundings.

"Peanut butter nibble?" Miles asked, offering the stowaway one from his pocket.

As the shuttle powered up, Worf kicked the impulse engines into high gear. They emerged from the water as the rest of the hatchlings fell away.

They picked up on a series of powerful roars.

The Jaradan officers aboard covered their antennae in pain.

"Sibbi?" Data asked in concerned.

They looked as if they were in pain.

"She is in distress," Aaangra said. "It is the daaraak. The cry of agony."

It certainly sounded like agony.

Everyone on board felt like their skin was crawling as they listened to the queen.

"Commander, advise that we turn around and study what is causing this," Data requested.

Riker glanced back at Data on the floor.

"Really, Data?" Riker inquired.

"You want to go back there?" Geordi asked, incredulous.

"Yes, sir. I do," Data replied firmly. "If this creature is in distress, we have an obligation to render aid. Especially if we were the cause."

Riker sighed and sat back in the command chair.

"Turn us around, Mr Worf," Riker ordered reluctantly. "But maintain a good distance, eh?"

The ship veered sharply to the left and set a course back toward the queen.

Worf brought them close enough to observe from the viewscreen while staying clear of the queen's reach.

"Oh my god," Geordi said, horrified.

Everyone scrambled up to watch the scene unfold before them.

"They did it themselves," Sibbi said in wonder.

"Who could blame them," Worf growled.

The hatchlings were regurgitating the royal jelly onto the queen. There were so many of them that the queen had abandoned trying to eat them.

She was desperately swatting them away, her powerful arms sending them flying back across the beach.

There were so many hatchlings that she couldn't keep up.

In a few short moments they had managed to completely encase her feet in the sticky goo.

With her size and physiology, it was impossible for the queen to bend over to free herself.

"Look," Data said.

He was utterly fascinated as the primitive Jarada from the village had come to assist the hatchlings. They had crude blow tubes carved from the hollow, bamboo-like reeds that were in the jungle.

Others carried long sharpened bamboo rods and were attempting to distract the queen's attention while the others worked to encase her in the sticky substance.

"I love a good revolt. Aye, the people rising up to stick it to the man in power, eh?" Miles chuckled as he nudged Aaangra with his elbow.

She gave a confused look.

"Sorry, just a little humour," Miles apologised.

"I still don't understand the discrepancy between the Jaradan official report and your account of what happened, Number One," Picard said, expressing his disapproval.

He surveyed the room, his eyes drifting along the line of officers.

Data and Tasha felt terrible.

It seemed Commander Riker's official version of accounts had differed from the Jaradan report – namely that Tasha and Sibbi hadn't broken protocol to chase after Data.

The Jarada were displeased with this.

The rest of the crew felt like children in trouble being sent to the head teacher's office for a reprimand.

"Now, if there is any explanation you would like to add to clear this up before it becomes a diplomatic incident, I would appreciate it," Picard huffed.

With Beverly in Sickbay, Jean-Luc had been in a foul mood all morning.

"Sir, it's really my fault-" Tasha began.

"Things were pretty hectic down there and-" Riker started to explain.

"There was this big, erm-" Miles attempted.

"Sometimes in a crisis-" Geordi said.

"Stop!" Picard snapped.

They had all started speaking at once.

Captain Picard pulled his uniform down and sighed in exasperation.

After initially flagging the discrepancy, Captain Picard had a good feeling that he knew what had happened down on the planet.

Data had been forced with a tough choice and Tasha had broken protocol to try and save him.

And the rest of the team was trying to cover for them.

While it had all worked out in the end, it didn't change the fact that they had let their personal feelings for one another interfere with their duties.

As much as it pained him to do so, Captain Picard cleared his throat and prepared to reprimand his team.

"I wouldn't be doing my job if I-" Captain Picard started to say.

He was cut off as the communication system chimed.

"Sir, the Jarada have sent a priority message to you," Lieutenant Hawk advised from the Bridge. "Should we patch it through?"

"Go ahead," Picard acknowledged.

It was from the Jaradan Captain. She was issuing an apology to Captain Picard for the discrepancy in their reports – and, surprisingly, for her prior angry remarks to the Captain.

Everyone on the team sat still as they listened to the message.

When it was finished Captain Picard eyed his crew carefully.

"Well, seeing as that has been cleared up, you lot are dismissed," Picard ordered. "Oh, and one more thing."

Everyone froze part way out of their seats.

"I am issuing one more order before any of you return to duty," Picard said.

The crew waited patiently in silence.

"Bathe," Picard commanded.

Over the Jaradan vessel, Sibbi was sitting in the medical centre waiting to be treated for the damage to her antennae from the high-pitched frequency they had created with the disruptor.

Sibbi knew that she would face severe disciplinary action for violating mission protocol.

Given how strict the Jarada were about their procedures, it was likely that she would face being demoted or transferred to a less desirable assignment.

She may even face removal from her position as a Tactical Officer or be discharged from service entirely.

There was no greater shame for a Jaradan officer.

The doors to the medical centre slid open and the Captain stepped onboard with Aaangra.

"I have come to inform you that your disciplinary report has been rescinded," the Captain said. "Aaangra has clarified the situation."

Sibbi blinked in surprise.

"I will expect you back on the Bridge once you have been cleared for duty," the Captain said.

She clicked her antennae and then took her leave.

As soon as the coast was clear, Sibbi looked at Aaangra for an explanation.

"Why did you do that?" Sibbi asked honestly.

Aaangra had lied on an official report to cover for her.

"It is what friends do, is it not?" Aaangra responded.

"That is the third time you have brushed your teeth," Data observed.

"Well, we can't all be so lucky to have a self-sanitising oral cavity," Tasha responded with a mouthful of foam.

She spat into the sink and then rinsed her mouth again before returning her toothbrush to its sanitation casing on the wall.

"And you didn't get coated in hundred-year-old afterbirth goop breath," Tasha shuddered.

Data pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

"Tasha, you know we made a promise not to let our relationship interfere with our duties," Data reminded her.

Tasha pulled the towel off her hair, ignoring the remark. She'd spent nearly an hour in the shower trying to wash the stench out of her hair.

"Tasha?" Data prompted.

She turned and rested her hands on his chest.

"It's my duty to protect every member of this crew. Especially on away missions. And that includes you," Tasha responded without meeting his eyes.

It was stretching the truth a little – and they both knew it.

"Besides, what did you think you were doing? You can't tell me that your decision wasn't influenced a little bit," Tasha said as she pressed against him.

She glanced up at Data.

When he didn't respond, she knew she'd caught him.

"Don't ever make me do that again," Tasha requested.

"I cannot promise you that," Data answered honestly as he snaked his hands around her waist.

Data pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

"We can only make the most of the time we have," Data went on. "And I intend to spend that time making up for the things I did not say before."

Tasha grinned.

"Go," Data said.

Tasha nuzzled her nose against his face.

"Please don't say that," Tasha requested.

She didn't want to hear 'go' again from him for a long time.

"Geordi has only placed a temporary stabilising field on the structural damage to my leg. I cannot carry you to the bedroom," Data said in an urgent voice.

Tasha's mouth silently formed an ' oh ' as realisation dawned on her.

"Go," Data repeated.