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A/n thank you dear readers for taking the time to read. One more chapter to come.

The Rescue

Tasha stood on the bridge of a ship, but it was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

"What's this?"

"It's for you. The ship will obey your thoughts and desires. You'll have everything you need, weapons, shields, and cloaking."

"Sounds like you gave me your power. I don't want -"

Q held up a hand. "I created this ship, but that's all. It's a tool, nothing more."

Tasha mulled over what he'd done. Was it like Commander Riker taking on the powers of the Q. She shook her head. It was so strange and confusing to have the memories of two lifetimes.

"I learned my lesson with Riker," Q said. "I have no intention of trying to tempt you to the cause. However, you are magnificent, Natasha, strong-willed but kind and intelligent. You'd make a wonderful Q. You could bring your human morality to us and enrich us all."

"Q!"

He shrugged his shoulders and smirked. "You can't blame a God for trying."

"I'm not interested."

"I understand." Q said. "So, let's get this show on the road. Shinzon and the Scimitar won't wait forever."

"Wait, what's the Scimitar?"

"It's a ship built by a human clone of Captain Picard and the Remans. His name is Shinzon, and he's taken the Romulan Senate in a coup de tat."

"The Romulans have a clone of Captain Picard."

"I don't have time to rehash the story. You'll have to ask Data when you see him."

"I don't have to trust a being that won't answer my questions."

"I don't have time for this. We need to go. Time's a-wastin'," he said, and an old-fashioned gold pocket watch appeared in his hand. "See," he showed it to her, and the arrows pointed to midnight.

"It's midnight," Tasha asked.

"No, but that's irrelevant. Everyone knows the most suspenseful hour is midnight."

"So you're telling me that a battle that destroys Data and – has something to do with changing the future for the worse - is happening precisely at midnight. Or are you indulging your flair for the dramatic? You know, hyperbole went out centuries ago."

"No, I'm merely making a point that we must make haste, Natasha."

"You're an all-powerful being with the power to manipulate time any way you choose, and you're telling me we're going to be late. I feel like I'm back at the Academy."

'" Alright, since you won't assist me until I explain myself, let's go, and I'll tell you on the way."

He snapped his fingers, and the stars around them changed, but not like Tasha was used to when traveling in a warp field.

"Hey."

"Ah ah," Q wagged his finger. "We have to travel through time and space, so back off and let me tell the story."

Tasha held up both hands. "Fine."

"It begins with a Romulan plot to put a clone of Picard high up in Starfleet. Imagine the Captain of the Flagship is a clone, created and raised to think like a Romulan."

Tasha swallowed hard as goosebumps jumped out on her skin. "Yeah, not good."

"No, it would not be. A spy managed to get a sample of Picard's DNA; the rest is history, as they say. They created a clone, but the political climate shifted when he was still a child, and the project was discontinued. Instead of terminating the clone, they sent him to a Reman mining camp.

Tasha felt her blood run cold in her veins. So many children and adults had lived in slavery to warlords and faction members on Turkana IV. She'd escaped that fate, but –

"Are you listening to me," Q snapped.

Tasha looked up at him and then away toward the stars that slipped around them in a beautiful vortex of color and light.

"Would you get on with it," Tasha said between clenched teeth.

"As you wish. To skip ahead - Shinzon, the clone, is a young adult. He takes the Romulan senate with the help of a senator and a Theleron weapon. It creates radiation –"

"That's fatal to all living tissue," Tasha said as she kept her eyes on the space around them instead of looking at Q.

"Excellent, Natasha. He became Praetor, and his Reman savior is his Viceroy. He told Starfleet that he wanted to "talk" and requested the Enterprise, who happened to be in the area."

"They happened to be near the Neutral Zone," Tasha said disbelievingly. "How did they trick Captain Picard."

"Oh, you are good," Q said as he slowly clapped his hands.

"Thank you, but it's hardly rocket science. It's a good military tactic. Trick your enemy to move closer to your position so you can overwhelm him."

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, the Remans are some of the best military minds in your little area of the universe. Also, Jean-Luc isn't so dumb, either."

"High praise from you," Tasha said dryly, returning to watching their journey.

"Shinzon gave Picard a sample of his blood and played a few head games, including making Picard think he wanted peace with the Federation, giving him some sad personal history, and screwing around with Deanna Troi's mental abilities. "

Tasha shot to her feet. "What did he do to her!"

"Calm down," Q said. "You're going to want to be sitting and cool and collected when we arrive. Counselor Troi is fine for now, and she learned something to assist her crew, although it won't be enough to save your Commander Data."

"Stop calling him that," Tasha hissed through her teeth.

"Why? Humans are constantly in denial about their feelings, especially romantic emotions. Tell me the truth, Natasha. When you reunite with the Commander, what's the first thing you'll do to him? I can fill your mind with many tricks humans have never tried. If you have the necessary flexibility -"

Tasha laughed until she cried and then laughed again. "I know what you're doing! For your information, I am not in denial."

"You are so in denial," Q said. "So on with it. We are almost up to date. Shinzon has a ship that is -what did Jean-Luc call it – a Predator. It's armed to the teeth and has a perfect cloak."

"No cloak is perfect," Tasha said. "There's always tachyon emissions and residual anti-protons."

"This one is," Q insisted. "Fortunately, the beautiful and sassy Deanna Troi will turn the Viceroy's mental powers against him."

"Good."

"Now, we're nearly there. The Enterprise is crippled, but two Romulan battlecruisers are fighting with them. A Commander D'Natra is there. She used to be an ally of Shinzon, but he rejected her, and she was out for revenge. Of course, she hasn't told Picard the whole story. She merely showed up and said it was an internal matter for the Empire."

"Can she be trusted?"

"You can never tell with a Romulan, but yes, in this case, we can. However, her ships will be damaged as well. Commander Data and Picard will board Shinzon's ship separately after it is heavily damaged, and Picard will kill Shinzon. However, Picard will fail to destroy the weapon."

"Data will arrive, and in a very touching scene of self-sacrifice, he will force Jean-Luc to take a personal transport device he created with Lieutenant La Forge and send him back to safety. There are only ten seconds before the Theleron weapon detonates. Commander Data doesn't have a way back to the Enterprise because their transporters are down after Picard beams over, so he destroys the weapon, and the ship implodes with him on it. It's all regrettable."

Tasha glared at him as he wiped his eyes. Tears welled in her eyes but were real, not artifice like Q. "Ah, I knew you were in denial."

"Shut up," she said and used the sleeve of her tunic to wipe away tears. "So, how do we fix it."

"You have those ten seconds to beam out Data and destroy the ship before the Theleron weapon deploys. Fortunately, the cloak of this ship is perfect."

Tasha narrowed her eyes at Q. "You're not telling me something. None of this makes sense. If I save Data, Captain Picard will know something is off when he sees me. I won't lie to him about how I pull it off. He'll know it was you, and then you'll have to confess everything and admit you care about the plodding humans you observe. I don't see you doing that unless there's another piece to the puzzle."

Q stared out the window of the ship for several seconds. "Well, well," he said softly. "As you, humans used to say, I have painted myself into a corner. Yes, there is more to the story, but you won't like it."

Data leaped from the Enterprise to the Scimitar. The loss of gravity was disconcerting, and he could feel the deep cold of space on his bioplast. Still, his internal systems compensated for protecting his positronic brain and neural net as he sailed from one ship to another.

There is no coming back from this.

Data never considered that his existence would end so quickly, but his programming – and your heart – forced him to protect his family from utter destruction.

Data had accepted long ago that he had emotions. They were simply different from organic beings. He'd left his emotion chip on board the Enterprise. He'd never told Geordi or anyone that he believed the chip acted as an amplifier, not as the source of the codes that allowed him to feel. Now, it was as if the chip were functioning because as he reached out a hand to grab the edge of an airlock of the Scimitar, he was overwhelmed with – so many strong emotions he could barely continue.

Data entered through an airlock door into a hallway leading to the weapons room. He passed through and witnessed the end of Captain Picard's fight with Shinzon. He heard the countdown on the weapon's activation, and it was, as he thought, too late.

"Goodbye," he said to Captain Picard after he attached the transport unit to Picard's uniform, and he watched his friend and father figure disappear.

He wanted to smile when memory engrams activated outside his control and began shuffling as the countdown continued. Date aimed his phaser. He heard the computer reach two in the countdown - and then the familiar sensation of the transporter took over, and he whisked away. Data didn't hear or see the destruction of the Scimitar by an unknown hand.

When Data resolved into coherence on the bridge of Tasha's ship, he blinked, cocked his head from side to side, and stepped toward her. "Tasha?"

Tasha watched Data attempting to process what happened. "Hello, Data."

"Where am I?

"You're on board my ship," Tasha said. "The Theleron weapon's destroyed."

"Then the battle is over." Data said as he stared at Tasha like a man who needed a stiff drink.

"Hardly," said Q. "This isn't over yet."

"Q?" Data said. "Why are you here? What is happening? Tasha?"

"I'll explain later. Strap in. As Q said, this isn't over." Tasha advised him.

"But –"

"Please, Data. I need you to trust me."

Data nodded and sat down in a chair that appeared next to him. He understood the ship was far different from the Enterprise. He glanced at Tasha, who he realized was perspiring. Dead people don't sweat. He looked back at Q, who winked at him.

"I found them," she said. "Data, there's another cloaked ship out there, and they are not friendly."

"Am I to pilot or act as tactical officer, Captain?"

Tasha laughed and said, "This ship doesn't need you. It obeys my thoughts."

"Intriguing"

"Yes, yes," Q said impatiently.

"Tasha, I am glad you appear to be alive."

"Oh, I'm very much alive. Tasha reached for his hand and squeezed it. "Watch this."

She stared hard out the window, and Data watched in awe as something struck an area in space with an explosion like a quantum torpedo hitting its mark. With a shimmer, a second torpedo hit, and a ship resolved into view.

Tasha looked at Data, "Perhaps you should contact the ship."

"As you wish. Romulan ship, this is Commander Data of –" He cocked his head and looked at Tasha.

"Oh, I named it the Orchid."

Data continued without missing a beat, although his internal cooling system sped up, and he could feel a smile on his face. "I am Commander Data of the Orchid. Drop your shields and surrender."

A face appeared on the view screen set into the console. Data gasped and looked at Tasha, who was clenching her teeth together. "Sela," he said.

Sela's smirk faded, and her eyes widened. "Mother," she whispered. Then her face took on a steely expression. "What kind of Federation trick is this?"

"It's no trick," Tasha said, and Data heard the tremble in her voice. "I'm alive."

"I saw you die!"

"You didn't see what you thought. You believed what your father told you without question. You were only four years old, my precious one. Did you hate me so much?"

"Yes. I despise my human half, and I've long since rid myself of its weaknesses." Sela said, and pride was evident in her posture and her face.

"I am surprised you didn't bring reinforcements, "Tasha said. "A terrible tactical error."

"It was a mistake to trust Praetor Shinzon, but I'll never surrender to the Federation or the Romulan Government as it now stands."

"You have no choice. If you've scanned us, you know we have armaments and propulsion far beyond your ship. I didn't fire on you to destroy you, Sela. I'm here because I love you, and I want –"

"There is no peace without victory," Sela said. "I don't want a relationship with you. Mother, if that's who you truly are."

"I am. A being known as Q saved me from execution. He brought us here."

"I've heard of Q, and they don't frighten me," Sela said, but something was in her eyes. Data studied her and thought he detected fear.

"Sela, please. Let me talk to you, precious one."

"Stop calling me that. I'm no longer your daughter. I have no reason to surrender now." Sela looked to her left. "Raise shields and target all weapons on the Enterprise."

"No," Tasha shouted, and a spear of light, brighter than the sun, lanced away from the Orchid and hit the battle cruiser. It sheared the ship in two, directly through the warp core. The ship imploded, and Tasha collapsed back in her chair and began to sob.

"Tasha," Data gathered her into his arms. "I am so sorry, dear one."

After a minute, Tasha looked up into a face she'd missed for years. "Data. My gods. I can't believe -"

Data finally kissed her, and it felt like she'd come home. She felt a surge of happiness so massive she began to cry again. Data gently pulled back, and she saw tears running down his cheeks."

"Very touching," Q said.

They had forgotten he was there. He rolled his eyes and then smirked. "I can give you those tips, Natasha. If you like."

"Q."

"I've overstayed my welcome. I have repaid you for saving my life, Mr. Data. Try to stay out of trouble." He snapped his fingers and disappeared.

"Wait, how do we explain all of this," Tasha shouted. "Damn you, Q."

Communications beeped, and Data said. "This is the Orchid."

"Data," said Captain Picard's voice. "Is that you on the unfamiliar ship?"

"Yes, sir, it is I."

"How?"

"Q, sir. I will explain when I reboard if I have your permission."

"Yes, of course. I believe we have a cargo bay that will accommodate your ship."

"Thank you, sir. And, sir, I have a guest we've waited years to see again."

"Don't bring Q on my ship, Data."

Tasha laughed at his tone. It was so good to hear his voice again.

"No sir, this is someone – who will be most welcome." Data said.

TBC