Chapter 15: Skin of Evil
"Captain's log, stardate 41801.3. We are crossing through the Zed Lapis sector, where we will rendezvous with Shuttlecraft Thirteen carrying Counselor Deanna Troi and Ensign Dawn Summers, who are returning from a psychology conference. Because Engineering is taking this opportunity to complete preventive maintenance on dilithium crystals, we are traveling on impulse power."
Tasha and Worf stood at the Aft station, working the console.
"Routine deep sensor probe indicates no obstacles, no vessels within a range of three light years," Worf said.
"Short-range sub-space radar confirms," Tasha added.
"The martial arts competition is in three days. Are you prepared?" Worf asked as he turned to look at Tasha.
"If you'll meet me on the Holodeck later. I need your help on the Mishiama wrist-lock and break. If it works on you, I can use it on anyone," Tasha said.
"A valid assumption. Who is your first competitor?" Worf said.
"The aikido match is with Buffy," Tasha said with a glance at the blonde Slayer who sat at the helm. Since Buffy's promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade, after Riker's recommendation, she no longer had anyone looking over her shoulder making sure she was doing everything alright.
"A difficult opponent," Worf said.
"Yeah," Tasha agreed.
"Captain," Buffy said, "estimated rendezvous with the shuttle in one hour, ten minutes."
"Very good, Lieutenant," Picard said. He looked to Riker. "It's not the same around here without Counselor Troi or Ensign Summers, is it, Number One?"
Riker looked at Picard, he wasn't sure if his commanding officer was needling him. "No, sir. It seems..."
"... Sir!" Worf interrupted. "I am receiving an emergency transmission from the shuttle!"
"Put it on the Main Viewer," Picard ordered.
"I can't," Buffy said with a frown. "Voice only."
"Then open the frequency," Picard said.
"Done," Buffy said.
"... what a jolt!" came Dawn's voice.
"Position report," Picard said.
"Captain, our instrumentation is dead," Dawn replied. "We need you to get a fix on us."
Buffy looked down at her console and then up at the viewscreen before remembering the transmission was audio only. "Coordinates three-zero-seven mark one-two-six. Can you confirm at all, Dawn?"
"Negative, Buffy."
"Dawn," Picard said. "Is Counselor Troi all right?"
"We're both a little shaken," Dawn replied as static replaced her voice for a moment. "... we're losing power! All controls unresponsive."
"Main Engineering!" Picard said.
"Engineering. Lieutenant Commander Leland T. Lynch reporting, sir."
"How long will it take to return to warp power?" Picard asked.
"Captain! I'm in the middle of realigning the dilithium crystals."
"There's an emergency, Lynch. I need warp drive. How long?" Picard said.
"Twenty minutes. Maybe more."
"We don't have it," Picard said.
"I'll align it by hand. Then power up the core."
"Whatever it takes," Picard said.
"Aye, sir."
"Dawn," Buffy said. "Your coordinates now read two-thirty-seven mark one-oh-one. You're moving in too close towards a large mass."
"I see it," Dawn replied. "The planet's getting closer."
There was another burst of static from the speakers.
"The planet is Vagra Two of the Zed Lapis system. Uninhabited," Data said.
"Ensign, report!" Picard said.
"This is Counselor Troi. I'll relay, sir. Dawn is... busy. We've lost most of our impulse power."
"Engineering! Status report!" Picard said.
"Working on it. Three minutes, Captain. But there are no guarantees," Lynch said.
"Deanna, Dawn, we'll be right there," Picard said. He noticed how anxious Buffy was as the static again filled the bridge.
"... We're spinning around..." Troi said.
"We're caught in the planet's gravity," Dawn added. "We're going down."
"Captain, this is Lieutenant Commander Leland T. Lynch. You have minimum warp drive," Lynch said as he came over the speakers.
"Computer indicates alignment of matter-anti-matter completed, sir," Data said.
"Course plotted and set for Vagra Two," Buffy said.
"Warp eight," Picard ordered.
"Minimum warp drive, Captain," Lynch objected.
"You heard the order. Make it so," Picard said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
The Enterprise shot like a bat out of hell as it headed toward Vagra Two.
"Approaching Vagra Two," Buffy said.
"Strange, sir. No emergency signal from the shuttle as yet," Data said.
"They're designed to withstand almost any impact," Riker said. Though he wasn't sure if he was reassuring himself or Buffy, after all they both had someone they cared about on the shuttle.
"Beginning a deeper probe, sir," Worf said.
"What is this place, Mister Data?" Picard asked.
"There is no information in the library computer, sir, other than the fact of its existence. No signs of any known higher life-form. Virtually no vegetation," Data said.
"Please tell me they didn't suffocate when they crashed," Buffy said.
"They did not," Data said. "Though it is minimum for our needs."
"Standard orbit," Picard ordered.
"Standard orbit," Buffy said.
"I could have set up the rendezvous in a dozen alternate sites," Riker said.
Picard knew what Riker was really saying. "They both mean a lot to all of us."
Buffy closed her eyes and tried reaching out telepathically. Dawn was too far away. "Don't die, Dawnie," she whispered.
"I've located the shuttle!" Worf said.
"Life signs?" Picard asked.
"Not yet, sir," Worf said. "Still probing. It appears to be buried under a lot of debris." He shook his head, then he noticed a flicker on the console. "I may have something, sir!" He made an adjustment on his instruments. Riker was out of his chair instantly, looking over Worf's shoulder. "Faint life signs. Very faint."
"How many?" Riker asked.
"There's no way of telling from here." Worf replied.
"Can we beam up the injured?" Picard asked.
"No. Our sensors are not fully penetrating whatever the debris is, sir. I cannot explain it," Data said.
"That's very unusual," Picard said with concern.
"Yes. I cannot explain it," Data said.
"Captain, this is Lieutenant Commander Leland T. Lynch. Can I shut down the warp drive now for a full realignment?" Lynch asked from the speakers.
"Yes," Picard answered distractedly.
"Thanks. That's fine..."
"No. Wait," Picard said as if something was picking at him. "Not yet."
"You'll have full impulse."
"I understand, but for the moment want all systems at full readiness - especially propulsion," Picard said.
"As you wish, Captain."
"Assemble your team, Number One," Picard said.
"Right away," Riker said as he stood up. "Buffy, Yar, Data."
Moments later Riker, Buffy, Tasha and Data joined Beverly and Faith in the transporter room.
"Do it," Riker said as they stood on the transporter platform. The Transporter Chief worked the console and the away team disappeared in a transporter beam. They materialized to find an arid, desolate, very rocky terrain. They saw that the shuttle appeared to have crashed into a hill and almost completely buried.
"Can you feel that, B?" Faith said.
"The stillness," Buffy said with a nod of her head. "It feels almost familiar."
Tasha took out a tricorder and scanned. "Dawn despite Deanna being there to help did alright for apparently not having any control left."
"Let's go. The life signs are weak," Beverly said as she looked at Buffy. She was thankful that she had given Buffy the quick medical tutorial when they were still at Angel One.
Faith and Tasha led the team quickly and cautiously towards the shuttle. As they near the shuttle, they ran into an obstacle; a black shiny viscous mass.
Data took out his tricorder.
"What is it?" Riker asked.
"No idea. We'll go around. Just to be on the safe side," Tasha said. She led everyone with the exception of Faith and Buffy who stood staring at the mass, their Slayer senses going crazy.
The mass moved parallel with Tasha, Riker, Data and Beverly while remaining between Buffy and Faith and the shuttle.
"We'll go the other way," Tasha said.
"It won't do any good," Buffy said as they turned and saw that she and Faith still stood where the rest of the away team had left them.
"Lieutenant?" Riker said.
"Unsure," Buffy said. "But our spidey senses are going crazy right now."
Riker nodded as he tapped his commbadge. "Enterprise, this is Riker. We've got a problem."
"What kind of a problem, Number One?" came Picard's voice.
"We're not sure yet. There's some kind of a slick blocking our path. Also, our resident Slayers are saying they are sensing something," Riker said. "We'll keep you apprised."
"Maintain an open frequency."
"Aye, sir," Riker said. He looked toward Data. "Analysis, Mister Data."
Data held out his tricorder as he took some readings. "Inconclusive, sir. I cannot tell you what it is - only what it is not."
"Explain," Riker said.
"There is no evidence of neural or circulatory systems. No internal organs. Cellular structure unknown. It does not have any proteins which are known to us," Data said.
"It's narrower over here. Can we get over it?" Beverly asked. She tried to move toward where it was narrower to find a hand on her arm holding her back. She looked at the person that belonged to the hand and saw Faith. "Faith?"
"Watch," Faith said. They turned and saw that the mass had expanded so they couldn't pass.
"How is it moving, Data?" Riker asked.
"I do not know, sir. It does not appear to have any skeletal framework or musculature," Data said.
"Then how is it able to move and block our path to the shuttle?" Riker asked.
"Based on what B and I are feeling," Faith said. "I believe we are dealing with something supernatural."
"Which would give it the evidence of thought," Riker said. "But our readings don't show it to be intelligent."
"Commander," Buffy said. "The supernatural doesn't always fit into the laws of the physical universe."
Riker sighed. "I know, Buffy. I think we've all seen evidence of that since you and your sister arrived in our time."
"Number One, can you beam around it?" came Picard's voice from their commbadges.
"Negative, not enough room, sir," Riker said. "It seems to be trying to keep us away from the shuttle."
"Data, is it alive or is it something that definitely falls in the range of the supernatural?"
"Either is possible, sir," Data said.
Suddenly they heard a shriek as the mass lifted itself off the ground and into a rough humanoid shape. "Very good, tin man."
"What is it, Number One? What are you seeing?"
"I wish I had an answer, Captain," Riker said. "The truth is... I'm not sure. But given Buffy and Faith's senses, I would hazard to guess something possibly supernatural at the very least."
"Go easy, Number One. Let's find out what it is we are dealing with for sure."
"Agreed, Captain," Riker said.
"And Number One, I don't believe the location of the shuttle crash and the proximity of this creature is necessarily a coincidence."
Riker took a step closer to the creature. "I am Commander William Riker of the USS Enterprise."
"I am Quor'toth. Why do you intrude into my space?" the creature said.
Buffy looked at Faith. "Quor'toth," she whispered, "why does that name sound familiar?"
"We mean you no harm. We have injured crew in that shuttlecraft. We need to get to them. May we pass?" Riker asked.
"That is important to you? That they live?" Quor'toth asked.
"You're right," Faith whispered back to Buffy. She moved away from the group, Quor'toth and the shuttlecraft. "Lehane to Enterprise. Captain, Buffy and I have a request. We would like someone look in the Section 10 archives and look up the name Quor'toth. The name sounds familiar to both of us."
"I will have someone look, Ensign," Picard said.
"Yes. Preserving life - all life - is very important to us," Riker said.
"Why?" Quor'toth asked.
"We believe that everything in the universe has a right to exist," Riker answered.
"Interesting. Irrelevant. But you may now leave if you wish," Quor'toth said.
Riker, Tasha and Beverly are startled at what Quor'toth said.
"We won't without the shuttle crew," Tasha said.
Quor'toth remained silent as Tasha made a slight move to go around it. "You will not like it here," it said.
"What are you saying - that you are going to try and deny us access and attempt to force us to leave without our comrades?" Tasha asked.
"I told you what you can do. You can leave," Quor'toth answered.
Tasha has had enough and moved toward the narrowest strip of slime. "Enough. We have people who need attention. We mean you no harm, but do not interfere."
Quor'toth flicked a finger, sending an bolt of energy toward Tasha. She was jerked back and slammed to the ground.
"Buffy," Beverly said as she and Buffy moved to Tasha's side. Faith immediately rejoined the group. She, Riker and Data moved between Beverly, Buffy and Tasha and Quor'toth. They fire their phasers at the creature who had the opposite reaction as it appeared to thrive and grow on the energy.
They back away, still firing.
"Number One?" Picard said.
"The creature attacked us. Lieutenant Yar is down," Riker said.
"It appears to feed on our phaser energy," Data said.
"Agreed," Faith added. "Whatever Quor'toth is, it's feeding off it."
Beverly held her tricorder over Tasha, she can't believe what she saw. "She's dead."
Suddenly everyone was beamed up leaving Quor'toth and the shuttle once again alone.
As the away team materializes on the transporter pad Beverly and Buffy continue to work on Tasha. Beverly put a hypospray to Tasha's neck. "I need her in Sickbay right now! Get a gurney."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In the shuttlecraft Dawn regained consciousness. She tried to move but found she couldn't, as she looked down, she saw she was pinned by the wreckage of the console. She looked over at Troi who was conscious. "Deanna, are you alright?" she asked.
"No," Troi said. "I'm in a great deal of pain and I can't seem to move."
"Something maybe broken," Dawn said. "I'd look but I'm pinned real good."
"Dawn, do you feel…" Troi said.
"I'm telepathic, not empathic, remember?" Dawn said. "But I do feel something, yes. It feels evil."
"Your friends have deserted you. They're not coming back." Came a voice from all around them.
"You're wrong," Troi said.
"I killed one of them."
"Killed?" Dawn said as she glanced at Troi.
"The Enterprise beamed down an away team. It killed Tasha," Troi said sadly.
"How could you be in there and know that?" asked the voice.
"I felt her die," Troi said.
"Do you want to know why I killed her?"
"Meaningless. That act had no reason," Troi said.
"Exactly. I did it because I could."
"But you felt no satisfaction," Troi said.
"No, none. It was too easy."
Dawn frowned at what her telepathy was telling her. "You wanted her to suffer. You have a great need."
"I need nothing, Tkon."
Dawn looked over at Troi, her eyes wide. The voice knew she was descended from the Tkon.
"End this. Let us go," Troi said.
"Not yet."
"They won't give you what you want," Dawn said.
"And what is that?"
"Do you even know what a Slayer is?" Dawn asked.
"I have not heard that word in a very long time," the voice said.
On the Enterprise in the observation lounge Buffy and Faith sat with the rest of the bridge crew around the table.
"She didn't do anything, Captain," Beverly said, clearly enraged. "Her phaser was lowered. She only wanted to get to Troi and Dawn."
"There was nothing provocative about what she did," Riker said as he slammed the table and fought back tears of outrage.
"It just killed her. No reason. No justification. A senseless, brutal act," Beverly said.
"Evil don't need a reason," Buffy said as she remembered when Angel had gone bad. "Back in our original lifetimes I fought a vampire bent on killing us, destroying the world. He wasn't doing it because he could." She looked at Picard. "As of this moment I am initiating a Section 10 Emergency."
Picard sighed. "Understood, Lieutenant. What do you suggest?"
"I think first of all you need a new chief of security," Faith suggested.
Picard nodded and looked toward Worf. "Lieutenant Worf, you are now chief of security."
"I will do my best, sir," Worf said.
"Beverly," Buffy said. "How are Dawn and Deanna?"
"We're still receiving faint life signs. But the sensor readings are fluctuating - and I don't know how accurate they are," Beverly answered.
"Quor'toth is capable of creating undefined forcefields. In effect, we are powerless to communicate or use our transporter unless it allows us to," Data said.
"A powerful creature against our only defense might be the two of you," Picard said as he looked at Buffy and Faith.
"Has anyone come up with information on Quor'toth?" Faith asked.
"Not yet," Picard answered. "Computer, search Section 10 archives for the word Quor'toth."
"Working… Found… Quor'toth is an Old One."
Buffy and Faith looked at each other, their eyes wide.
"Lieutenant," Picard said as he noticed Buffy and Faith's reactions. "Ensign?"
"The Old Ones are the first demons to walk the Earth," Buffy said. "I've only fought one and it took blowing up my high school to kill it."
"I was in a coma, when Buffy fought that demon," Faith said. "The only thing as powerful as an Old One that I've fought is the First Evil. And while from what I've read in the Section 10 archives says we won. But it was more a stalemate as the First Evil was non-corporeal."
"How do we defeat this, Quor'toth?" Picard asked.
"Without killing Dawn or Deanna in the process," Buffy said. "We may not be able to. The best course of action I think is to stalemate it."
"And in the process get the Counselor and your sister out alive," Picard said. "What about after?"
"We fire torpedoes and hope the explosion kills it," Buffy said. "Either that or we destroy the shuttlecraft and trap it on the planet with no way to leave."
"Very well, Lieutenant," Picard said. "Prepare your away team."
"Data, Beverly, Geordi are with me and Faith," Buffy said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy and Faith led Geordi, Beverly and Data cautiously toward Quor'toth. They could see that the mass covered the top of the shuttlecraft.
Buffy reached up touched her commbadge. "Summers to Enteprise."
"Go ahead, Lieutenant," came Picard's voice.
"We're approaching the shuttlecraft. The Quor'toth is covering it," Buffy said.
In the shuttlecraft Troi and Dawn could tell that the Buffy, Faith, Data, Geordi and Beverly had returned.
"I lied to you. They came back," Quor'toth said.
"Let us talk with them," Troi pleaded.
"No," Quor'toth answered.
"Why not? Does the thought of our having contact with them make you uneasy?" Dawn wondered.
"No, it makes them uneasy. They are worried. The Slayers, especially, Tkon," Quor'toth said as Dawn looked at Troi who nodded. "They both care for you, Tkon. You are special to them."
"One is my sister," Dawn said. "The other our friend."
"You hope she is more than just a friend."
"Yes," Dawn said.
Troi looked at Dawn as she decided to change the direction of the conversation. "You were really surprised that they came back."
"Yes," Quor'toth answered.
"Why? Because the others did not?" Troi asked.
"What others?"
"You can't hide the emptiness from me. The others. The ones who hurt you. Who left you - alone -rejected? The ones who make you so angry," Troi said.
"You know nothing," Quor'toth said.
Dawn was beginning to get an inkling of what Troi had figured out without actually knowing what they were dealing with. "You're an Old One."
"Dawn?" Troi said as she looked at the younger Summers sister.
"The Old Ones were pure demon," Dawn said. She looked back at the hull of the shuttlecraft as she addressed Quor'toth. "When you and the rest of the Old Ones were driven from Earth. You were left behind here as they continued on."
"Yes."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Quor'toth slithered off the shuttlecraft and toward the away team. "They said you'd be back, but I didn't think so."
"We have no choice," Faith said.
"Unlike the others, Slayer, you two truly believe that," Quor'toth said.
"What do you want?" Buffy asked. She glanced at Geordi and Data and nodded. Data pulled out his tricorder while Geordi began scanning with his visor.
"Maybe I want nothing."
"You are an Old One," Buffy said. "I know there is indeed something you want."
"I am not the first of my brethren that you have fought, am I, Slayer," Quor'toth said.
"No," Buffy said. "And my sister Slayer has fought the First Evil."
"I could kill you," Quor'toth said.
"And my successor would be called," Buffy said. "And believe me when I say she may not be willing to negotiate when she arrives to finish what we started."
"If I tell you what it is... will you give it to me?"
"Maybe," Faith lied, "it depends."
"Not good enough," Quor'toth said.
Beverly took a step toward Quor'toth. "I'm a doctor. I need to treat our injured friends."
"Say please."
"Please," Beverly said.
"Again," Quor'toth demanded.
"Please," Beverly said.
"You ask nicely. I will allow it," Quor'toth said.
"Go on, Beverly," Buffy said as Beverly stepped toward Quor'toth and the shuttlecraft.
"Stop. I've changed my mind. Talk to them from here," Quor'toth said.
"How?" Beverly asked. She tapped her commbadge. "Troi, Dawn, can either of you hear me? Are you both all right?
"Beverly..." came Troi's voice.
Beverly relaxed with relief for a moment. "Are you both all right?"
"Dawn is pinned by the console. Myself, well I'm … I'm not sure."
"We have to get you out. It has a forcefield preventing us from transporting you both," Beverly said.
"We know."
Beverly looked toward Quor'toth. "They need our help," she said. "They are suffering a few meters away, and you block our path. Why?"
"You asked to talk. I allowed it," Quor'toth answered. "Wasn't that enough for you?"
"No. I need help to get to them," Beverly answered.
"You are ungrateful," Quor'toth said.
"It is evil," Buffy said as she looked at Beverly. "I didn't expect it to play fair."
Suddenly Faith felt Quor'toth telekinetically grab her. "B," she said. "He's got me."
"Touch her and she dies," Quor'toth said.
Buffy watched helplessly as Faith was pulled into the mass.
Data touched his commbadge. "Enterprise, Quor'toth has enveloped and attacked Ensign Lehane.
"I'm beaming you up!" Picard said.
"If any of you leave now, she dies. And so do the survivors of the crash," Quor'toth said. He moved and covered the shuttlecraft.
In the shuttle Dawn heard a telepathic scream coming from Faith. "Your hurting her," she said.
"What will you give me if I stop hurting her?" Quor'toth asked.
"We can give you nothing while we are in here trapped," Dawn said.
"Ah. Another human has arrived. A very bold one, too. Perhaps the party is complete."
Outside Quor'toth moved off the shuttle. "You must be the chief."
"Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise," Picard said, he had beamed down to help Buffy with information they had gathered on the Enterprise. "Is Ensign Lehane dead?"
"Guess," Quor'toth answered.
"I don't believe so," Buffy said. "It's torturing me and maybe Dawn."
"Lieutenant Summers I believe is correct," Data said.
"Maybe," Quor'toth said as Picard stared closely at him. "Don't you want to ask me what I want?"
"No," Picard answered.
"Then, to protect your own existence, maybe you'd better give me a reason. Entertain me. Be creative. Then perhaps I won't kill the Slayer. You do care very much about that, don't you?"
"Yes," Picard said.
Quor'toth looked in Data's direction and suddenly - completely against Data's will - an unseen force caused Data's hand to take his phaser and point it at Picard. "Robot, how would you feel if you were the instrument of death for your leader?"
"Don't struggle, Mister Data," Picard ordered.
Data relaxed into it. "I have no control over what you do with the phaser. Therefore, I would not be the instrument of his death.
Quor'toth ignored Data and turned the phaser on Beverly. "Perhaps the kind doctor would engender more feeling?" He then turned the phaser toward Buffy. "Or perhaps the Slayer?" He finally swung Data's arm violently around so that the phaser points at Data's own temple. "How does it feel facing your own extinction? I won't call it death. You're not alive."
"It feels – curious," Data said as Quor'toth bored with the game he was playing forced Data to drop the phaser. "You are capable of great sadism and cruelty. Interesting. No redeeming qualities."
"He is an Old One after all," Buffy said.
"The Slayer is correct," Quor'toth said.
"We are through with you," Buffy said. "You are not the first Old One I have fought, remember?"
"I still have your sister Slayer, as well as your sister and the other," Quor'toth replied.
"It doesn't matter," Picard said as he glanced at Buffy and with a glance told to read his thoughts, to see the plan he had to deal with the situation. Buffy nodded and briefly entered his mind, she smiled. "We will no longer amuse you."
"I can kill them," Quor'toth said.
"Yes. You can," Picard said. "But only I can make them perform. They follow my orders."
"Then it is you. Amuse me," Quor'toth said.
"Not until I know if the ones in the shuttle are still alive. I must see them," Picard said.
"Not possible."
Buffy unholstered the Slayer scythe and pointed it at Quor'toth. "Do you recognize this?"
"Yes," Quor'toth said. "It killed the last of my brethren still left on your world."
"It can do the same to you," Buffy said.
"Wait," Quor'toth said. It spat Faith out in front of them, covered with black slime.
Beverly quickly moved over to Faith and knelt down next the brunette Slayer. She pulled out her tricorder and took readings. "She's alive."
"But is she all right?" Picard asked.
Faith shuddered and opened her eyes. For a moment she looked around wildly, not knowing where she was. When she realized she was free, she struggled to get up.
"Don't move," Beverly ordered. She looked at Buffy and Picard. "Everything shows normal, except her skin sustained a mild form of acid bath."
"I fought with all I had," Faith said. "It had to get rid of me."
"I want you all out of here," Picard said. "Enterprise, beam up the away team - immediately."
"You need my permission," Quor'toth bit out angrily.
"Do I have it?" Picard asked.
"Yes. Are you and the Slayer going?" Quor'toth asked.
Picard glanced at Buffy who shook her head indicating she was not going till Dawn was safe. He knew till her Section 10 emergency was lifted he couldn't overrule her. He looked back at Quor'toth. "No. Not yet. Enterprise, correction, Buffy will be remaining with me. Four to beam up."
"Aye, sir," Worf said as Faith, Beverly, Data and Geordi disappeared in a transporter beam.
"We want to see the people in the shuttle," Picard said as he and Buffy took a step toward Quor'toth.
Quor'toth didn't answer but made a very slight and Picard and Buffy disappeared.
Picard and Buffy appeared inside the shuttle. Picard immediately moved toward Deanna and Buffy moved toward Dawn.
"Troi," Picard said while Buffy said, "Dawn."
"Captain," Troi said while Dawn said, "Buffy."
"We registered a weakening of Quor'toth's energy while he was talking to the two of you. What was going on?" Picard asked.
"He's an Old One," Dawn said. "He was left behind here by the others that fled Earth. He knows who I am."
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked. "He knows you're a Watcher?"
"No that I am descended from Tkon," Dawn answered.
"That may be telling in amongst itself," Picard said. "If I remember your report, Buffy. Wasn't the Tkon enemies of the Old Ones?"
"Yes," Buffy said. "Which means we now have to break the impasse."
Picard nodded in agreement as he touched his commbadge. "Lieutenant Worf, Buffy and I are going to try and break this impasse. Monitor carefully."
"Aye sir."
It was at that moment that Picard and Buffy disappeared and reappeared outside the shuttlecraft.
"How long have you been on this planet?" Picard asked.
"Since they left," Quor'toth said.
"The other Old Ones that escaped Earth abandoned you here," Buffy said.
"It must be very lonely," Picard said.
"You two cannot trick me by pretending compassion," Quor'toth said. "It is revolting. Time and again you rise from despair into hope. From hate into understanding. From aloneness into love. But you are puny. Weak. Vessels that die from a flick of my power. Only the daughter of our ancient enemy can match my power."
"And yet I do not use it," Buffy said. "We have been enemies for millennia and more. It is time to end the cycle don't you agree? We after all have a common enemy."
On the Enterprise Worf is monitoring the energy field given off by Quor'toth. "Energy shields are way down!" he said. "Computer is beginning transport."
At the exact same moment Dawn and Troi are beamed straight to Sickbay as Picard and Buffy are beamed straight to the transporter room.
Picard looked at Buffy. "I believe the next course of action is to give Quor'toth no way off the planet. Then contact Admiral Summers to have this planet marked as to be avoided."
"Agreed," Buffy said. "I leave that to you. If you don't mind, Captain. I am going to check on Faith and Dawn."
Picard smiled. "Granted. And I take it with the destruction of the shuttle the Section 10 emergency is lifted."
"Yes," Buffy said as they exited the transporter room. She turned and headed for Sickbay while he headed for the bridge.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Slayer's log, supplemental, Buffy reporting. Angel, the shuttlecraft was destroyed to prevent the possibility of Quor'toth leaving the planet. Both Captain Picard and I recommend Vagra 2 be declared off-limits. Dawn and Faith are recovering from their ordeal. And once they are up and around, we are to attend the memorial ceremony for Lieutenant Natasha Yar. I would like to recommend that Tasha be posthumously made a Slayer and that she receives all the honors that a Slayer receives when they give their lives in the fight against the forces of darkness.
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Buffy, Faith and Dawn stood with the rest of the Enterprise bridge crew, Beverly and Wesley in the holodeck. In front of them stood Picard. "We are here together to honor our friend and comrade Lieutenant Natasha Yar. We will have much time to grieve for her in the days ahead, but for now, she has asked that we celebrate her life – with her. She has left a living will."
Picard moved out of the way as a holographic image of Tasha appeared in front of the group.
"Welcome, my friends. You are here now watching this image of me because I have died. It probably happened while I was on duty, and quickly, which is what I expected, and what I wanted," the hologram said. "Never forget I died doing exactly what I chose to do. What I want you to know is how much I loved my life... and each of you who shared it with me. You are my family. Whoever I was before Starfleet, where I came from, isn't important. I have been blessed with your friendship and your love."
"Will Riker, you are the best. From the moment you beamed on board, you never failed me. You trusted me, you encouraged me and most of all, you made me laugh," the hologram said as she smiled. "Deanna... you are capable of so much love, you taught me without ever having to say a word. I realized I could be feminine without losing anything - something I never thought I could achieve."
Troi wiped a tear from her cheek.
"Ah, Worf, Buffy, Faith. I hope for your sakes I met death with my eyes open. The four of us are so much alike, we are all warriors, orphans who found ourselves this family."
Buffy and Faith looked at each and nodded. The hologram was correct they were orphans in a way. Not like Worf or Tasha had been but by time. Everyone they had ever known had died centuries before. With the exception of Dawn, they had no living family left.
"My friend, Beverly. True to yourself, your ideals. Your fierce devotion comes from within," the hologram continued. "It can't be diminished. From you I have learned to strive for excellence, no matter what the personal cost."
Beverly and Wesley hold tight to each other.
"Dawn and Wesley, I'm sorry that I won't be able to see either of you grow into the exceptional people you'll be. But I have my vision of who you two are and your kindness and innocence are ageless. Geordi, in those moments I felt the most despair, you took my hand and made everything better. Your innate joy taught me to look beyond the moment."
Geordi looked down - he couldn't bear to see her.
"Mister Data. Android... automaton... robot," the hologram said with a shake of her head. "No. You see things with the wonder of a child, and that makes you more human than any of us. I love you just the way you are. Captain Jean-Luc Picard. I can't say you've been like a father to me, because I never had one and I don't know what it feels like. But if I could choose someone in this universe to be like, someone who I would want to make proud of me, it's you. You who have the heart of an explorer and the soul of a poet. So, you will understand when I say "Death is that state in which one exists only in the memory of others... which is why it is not an end. No good-byes. Just "au revoir," my friends."
"Au revoir, Natasha," Picard said as the hologram faded away. He looked to Buffy who moved in front of the group.
"I have been in contact with Angel," Buffy said. "Upon my recommendation, Tasha was posthumously made a Slayer. While we are the ones that will ever know this outside of Section 10. She will be given the full honors that a Slayer receives upon giving their lives in the fight against evil."