Yar and Yareena materialised on the Enterprise's transporter deck. Beverly, Data and Riker stood to wait for them to arrive. Beverly was quick to take action and begin the process of reviving the dead Yarrena. As Yar pulled the deadly gauntlet off she looked down at Yareena's lifeless body and felt a surge of guilt. The warrior's will to win had worn off and now she was left feeling like the villain.
"It's too late, she's growing cold," said Yar. Luckily Beverly was all business and knew what she'd been told to do.
The motherly bedside manner had vanished and she was more like a veteran medic battle worn but ready to patch up any wound. Beverly wasn't prepared to let Yarrena enter eternity without a damn good fight.
"Sorry, that clashes with my instructions," Beverly responded curtly while resting a hand on Yareena's dark curly head.
The enormity of this woman's death was starting to impact Yar properly and she could feel hysteria rising in her throat. A strangled voice began repeating "no, no...no, no" over and over.
Yar wondered where that hideous noise was coming from while rubbing her sweat drenched brow miserably. It was, in fact, her own voice escaping her mouth. Her face was contorted in despair. What had she done?
She'd killed a scorned woman who was only trying to defend her place in the world. She'd pandered to that asshole Lutan's male pride. She was so stupid and now she couldn't take it back. She should never have agreed to the fight.
If anything she should have challenged Lutan himself and taught him a thing or two about respecting women. Lutan had wanted to be rid of Yareena while keeping all her wealth and lands. He wanted Yar to take her place as his first. How could she have let herself become an accomplice in his plan? Ego, pride and her stupid competitive edge.
Beverly spoke next "Data take Yareena down to sickbay, we need to get her hooked up to a biobed."
Data didn't look at Yar or even try to catch her eye but remained straight faced and focused on Beverly.
"Affirmative doctor" he replied and swept past Yar to scoop up the still lifeless Yareena. Even in her misery, she noticed how he effortlessly gathered Yareena into his arms.
Yar felt a small jealous heave in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to be the one being held by his unbreakable arms. She wished that he had pulled her to his broad chest and taken her back to her quarters. YIn that moment Yar wanted someone she could lean on.
"What a damn waste!" said Riker as Beverly and Data hurried out of the transport room and off to sickbay. Yar still sat, kneeling where she'd beamed back to. She slowly pulled off her black bandana and looked at Riker.
"It was my fault commander, I should have never agreed to fight," she said almost as if to no one in particular.
Riker turned his boyish blue eyes to Yar, his eyes were serious yet knowing. He regarded her for a moment before responding "you did what you had to do. Lutan got his fight to the death and we got the vaccine."
Riker came forward and placed one solid warm hand on her shoulder nearest to him. "You did the right thing lieutenant". Yar leant into his hand and he squeezed her reassuringly. He meant what he said and he wasn't just trying to assuage her guilt. Riker left her and she got up leaving the deadly gauntlet on the floor. Someone would come take it away but it wouldn't be her. She didn't want to touch that thing ever again.
Yar wondered what was happening down on the planet. Had she stayed she no doubt would have been claimed as a prize by Lutan. The thought of him now made her feel strangely uncomfortable now. His bravado seemed so ridiculous to her.
Hagon, I chose you!
Yar decided to go to sickbay to see if Beverly had been successful in reviving Yareena. Swiping her brow with her uniform sleeve she composed herself before entering sickbay. However, a nurse informed her that Yareena and Dr Crusher had gone to the Captain's lounge and that she should join them.
Breaking into a run, relief began hitting Tasha in waves of release. Yareena hadn't died, she hadn't done something so awful and so permanent. Yar made it to the captain's lounge before the rest beamed in.
Already Yareena was looking better, well she didn't look dead anymore. A pale shakey Yareena was now sitting up tentatively on one of the soft comfortable purple chairs in the lounge. Beverly was crouched beside her carefully scanning Yareena's bio output to see if she was responding well to the treatment.
Before Tasha could speak Picard, Lutan and Hagon materialised into the room. Lutan roared furiously at the sight of his living wife "She is not dead! There was no death combat." Lutan's face was ugly in rage and Yar thought for a moment he might throttle Yareena.
Lutan rounded on Picard and shouted with the fury of a child's temper tantrum "You violated our agreement. There will be no treaty, no vaccine!"
While her husband raged Yareena's face was stony cold and fury blazed behind her eyes. Although just a step away from death's door she still managed to look regal and imperious. Her anger now was squarely focused on Lutan and not at Yar.
Picard cooly interceded with his usual commanding manner "The challenge was carried out. She died, Lutan." His calm British logic impeccable as always. Picard didn't need to stamp his foot and shout. He outshone a man like Lutan with his self-control and logical thinking.
Now Lutan was only making himself look more foolish with his anger. It seemed that this very calmness from Picard enraged Lutan further and he hurled in response "There was no challenge," then as if an afterthought and an insult "she lives!".
At this point Beverly interrupted, her anger clipped but noticeable "I am a physician and saw her die " she said raising herself from her chair. Her blue eyes shone with barely concealed contempt for Lutan as she spoke. "If you doubt this poison, why don't you test it on yourself?" she said thrusting Yareena's poisoned gauntlet at him.
Lutan immediately retreated from it. Yar inwardly smiled admiring Beverly's feisty redhead nature. From motherly doctor to red hot spitfire, Beverly the sort of woman Yar could admire.
Picard interrupted "Lutan, we can provide you with records of her death and how Dr Crusher brought her back."
Lutan looked even more uncomfortable and his right cheek twitched with anger at having been challenged by a woman like Beverly, who wasn't even a warrior.
Finally, Yareena spoke and her voice was measured but determined "And at the instant of death, Lutan, a mating agreement dissolves. "
Lutan's face looked confused for a moment before he realised the impact of her meaning. He struggled to protest "But this is witchcraft Yareena," Lutan offered "to discard a mate in this manner...".
Yareena didn't let him finish she was on her feet and alive with wiry strength and spat back at him in anger "is less painful than the one you selected for me." Before he could respond she closed the distance between them and raised her hands and removed the red jewelled necklace from Lutan's neck. Lutan's anger melted and was instantly replaced with sadness. His hands went to her shoulder to implore her to stop. "Yareena, no."
Yareena looked past Lutan and looked at Hagon, Lutan's second in command with a shine in her eyes. "Even as I battled, Hagon, I heard you calling out for me." As she said this Yareena moved beyond Lutan proffering the necklace to Hagon, whose face was in total shock at the sudden turn of events. The shock was quickly replaced with joy and he opened his arms to her inviting her to place the necklace about his broad throat.
"Yareena, be my first one," said Hagon, his voice warm with emotion. "All my lands and all my goods, all I have is yours to rule" she replied fastening the clasp.
Yar looked on her stomach tightening with warmth at this scene. Yareena had walked away from Lutan, she had taken back her power. Lutan looked sheepish and Yar took this opportunity to add a little salt to his wounded pride.
"How sad for you," she said, "you've lost everything." Yar paused for effect.
Lutan bristled at this, "I have my honour" he replied pompously.
Yar gave him a pitiful withering look before adding "It's such a waste."
Yareena, who'd be absorbed with Hagon turned to Yar unexpectedly and bluntly offered Lutan to her. "Do you want him?" she'd asked. Trying to contain her amusement at the scenario Yar declined to take Lutan.
"There would..." she paused wondering how to word it without being offensive "be complications," she finished cryptically. What she didn't say was that now Lutan was pathetic to her. More than anything this encounter had made her feel there was merit in stability and in someone who wasn't controlled by base impulses. In that moment she heard the word "multiple" again and she had to turn her face to the window to conceal her emotions.
While she was thinking this Yareena had announced she would take Lutan as her second, to which he meekly acceded. Lutan fell in behind Yareena and her new first. Yar thought 'you brought this on yourself'.
Turbo lift
When the lift doors opened Tasha saw that she would be sharing the elevator up to the bridge with Data. She hadn't seen him since he had whisked Yareena away. She hadn't spoken to him since she'd kissed him again before her fight with Yareena.
"Good evening Lieutenant Yar," he said formally. He wasn't displaying any emotion on his face or in his voice. Data was just same old Data. Yar got into the lift and responded to his greeting with a hello. The door zipped shut and they were off.
"Lieutenant Yar, may I ask you a question?" Data piped up.
"Sure Data, what's on your mind?" she responded trying to maintain a facade of disinterest in him. Maybe Yar was hoping he wasn't about to drag her into some discussion about the kiss, but maybe she also wanted him to ask. Secretly she wanted to do it again and much more.
After being bombarded with all the emotions of the day and the overwhelming stress hormones from the fighting, she was tired. She longed for someone to be gentle with her. For someone who wouldn't expect her to perform or be tougher than she had to be.
"Commander Riker said that Yareena offered you Lutan but you refused, why was that?" Data's head tilted a fraction to the side before he continued. "Didn't you yourself say that you found him attractive?" he asked.
Yar smiled and shook her blonde head at him before locking her blue eyes on his. "Are you jealous Mr Data?" she asked coquettishly.
"Tasha I am not capable of jealousy, I am merely curious to ascertain the nature..." Yar sighed and inwardly thought to herself 'what am I going to do with you Data'.
Before he could finish his speech on androids not being capable of feeling she interrupted him with a reply "because I don't want Lutan, get it?" her face looked exasperated.
"Get what?" he replied puzzled, "I am unsure what you mean by get as I have received nothing."
"Data, stop babbling!" Yar huffed at him.
"I am sorry lieutenant I was not aware that I was" he replied stung.
The lift arrived at the bridge and the two went to their separate stations. Yar stood at her position gazing at the back of Data's sleek head. This wasn't the time to think about that head in other places. Or how his hair had felt when she'd run her fingers through it.
Yar knew though for sure, she wanted a chance to do it all over again and no shame was going to stop her. Yar wondered how she would initiate another of Data's sexual sub-routine programmes. But all that would have to wait as they already had new orders in from Starfleet.