To The Journey

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. This is an AU story.

Chapter Fifty-Six: Wait for The Dawn

"The Captain does have one advantage they don't know about," Will pointed out. "Data. They think they've got the android they programmed, not the one who's a member of our crew."

"Yes," Tasha replied, "but we weren't planning for this. Geordi, you and I were just talking about the emergency transporter, but what kind of load can it bear?"

"Not enough," the engineer admitted, "at least not reliably so. It's designed for one person, and it's still in the prototype phase, so there are some things that haven't completely been worked out. There's a possibility it would be able to transport both of them simultaneously, but if they tried and it failed, the result could be disastrous. And Data knows that. There's no way he'd risk an attempt."

"That may be so," Worf put in, "but the element of surprise is always an advantage. And Commander Data is resourceful, as is Captain Picard. I am confident in their ability to conceive of a solution."

Tasha wanted to respond, but a sudden lump in her throat and tears in her eyes prevented that. What is with me today? She was grateful when Will spoke instead. "Let's hope so, Mr. Worf. In the meantime, let's all get to duty stations. We need to be ready to respond to any cues they give us."

The staff began to file out of the room, but Tasha remained behind, trying to get control of herself. It was only when a hand touched her arm that she realized she wasn't alone. "Beverly?" She looked up to meet the doctor's kind eyes. "Is something wrong with me?"

"No," Beverly replied reassuringly. "You're perfectly fine."

"I don't feel fine," she replied. "This is the third time today I've almost started crying in the middle of an incident. I don't do that. And why did you come over to check on me if nothing's wrong?"

"Tasha," the older woman soothed, "you don't feel normal. But that's to be expected. You're not in your normal state of being right now."

"You're saying all this is because...because I'm pregnant?"

"In a nutshell, yes. Your body is under increased strain, your hormone levels are different. This is all to be expected. And as to your question - while I may be a doctor, I also happen to be a mother, and as such I know that while these changes may be medically standard, it can also be disconcerting and even frightening when it's happening in your own body. I just wanted to check in with you."

Tasha looked up, drying her still-damp eyes. "Thank you."

Beverly placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Come on. Let's get to the bridge before someone thinks we got lost on the way there."

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Tasha had been relieved beyond words when the shuttle came crashing out the window of the Scimitar, with Picard and Data on board, though she'd kept her focus long enough to beam them both out as soon as they were in range. But it had quickly become clear that the nightmare wasn't over yet. Shinzon still had a potentially catastrophic weapon, and the information Data had brought back made the crew certain he intended to use it.

"It's called a cascading biogenic pulse," Geordi was explaining. "The unique properties of thalaron radiation allow the energy beam to expand almost without limit. Depending on the radiant intensity it could encompass a ship, ...or a planet."

"And that's exactly what he's going to do," Picard muttered.

Tasha turned to him. "Captain?"

"His hatred of the Federation is obvious," he said grimly. "He would only have built a weapon of such scope for one reason. He's going after Earth."

"Destroy humanity," Riker said, clearly following the same train of thought, "and you cripple the Federation.

"And the Romulans invade," the Captain finished.

"How can you be certain?" Deanna asked, visibly stricken.

"I know how he thinks."

That statement hung in the air for a moment before Riker turned to Geordi. "No way of penetrating his cloak?"

"No," he replied softly, clearly aware of the implications of that single word.

The meaning of that statement was clear, but Riker said it out loud anyway. "So he could pass within ten meters of every ship in Starfleet and they'd never know."

"We do have one advantage though. He needs your blood to live." Beverly had been able to peg that need as the reason for Picard's abduction. "He might come after you first."

"I'm counting on it," the Captain admitted. "We've been ordered to head to sector ten forty-five. The fleet has diverted to meet us there."

"Strength in numbers," Riker surmised.

"At least that's what we hope." Picard sighed. "He must not be allowed to use that weapon. All other concerns are secondary. You understand me?"

"Yes, sir," the senior staff responded in near unison.

The Captain nodded. "All hands; battle stations."

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"Data!" Tasha called after her husband. "Data!"

He stopped and turned. "Yes?"

"We've forgotten something," she said a bit breathlessly. "B4."

Data gave her a quizzical look. "He is deactivated."

"That's exactly it." She pulled him into an alcove so that they could talk without blocking traffic in the main corridor. "I know he could be dangerous, but right now he's completely helpless. If something happened to the lab, if there was an explosion, he wouldn't be able to get out. I don't think I'm comfortable with that."

"Explain," he prodded.

"Do you remember the first conversation we had about the Doctor's artistic work? What kind of question is that," she muttered a moment later, "of course you do. And I may not remember it word for word, but what I do remember is that we were in agreement that what had happened to him in some way devalued your own personhood."

"I would concur with that interpretation, yes."

"And under what other circumstances would we place anyone at the level of risk that B4 could potentially encounter?"

"Never," he replied, beginning to understand her point. "What alternative would you recommend?"

"Reactivate him and confine him to the brig," she said immediately. "I know you and Geordi are perfectly capable of programming a forcefield that would contain an android. I'll leave a guard on him. So long as everything's okay down there, he'd remain confined. But if something did go wrong, the guard can move him to a safe location. We both know he doesn't mean any harm. He's not Lore. He's just confused and easily manipulated. If we tell him to sit quietly in the cell and not bother the guard unless there's an emergency, he'd do it."

"Yes," Data said after a moment. "You are right. Go and clear it with the Captain, and I will begin modifications to the brig."

"Thank you, Data."

"No," he countered. "Thank you for forcing me to face the truth of this situation."

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As soon as they became aware that the region of space was blocking long-range communications, they knew. But they barely had time to process this before the first shot rocked the ship.

Picard strode onto the bridge, closely followed by Data; clearly, they had come to the same realization as the crew on the bridge. "Report!"

"He's firing through the cloak!" Tasha exclaimed even as she continued her desperate attempt to find the target. "I can't get a lock."

"He hit our warp drive with his first shot," Geordi added. "We've only got impulse, Captain." Again, the ship rocked under continuous fire.

The Captain turned to his tactical officer. "Prepare a full phaser spread, zero elevation. All banks on my mark. Scan for shield impacts. Stand by photon torpedoes."

"Yes, sir," she replied immediately.

"Fire!"

A few of the phasers hit, but it was no use. She launched the torpedoes as soon as she could, but they hit only empty air.

The Enterprise took yet another hit. "We are losing dorsal shields," Data reported.

"Full axis rotation to port!" Picard ordered. "Fire all ventral phasers!"

Several phaser blasts struck the opposing ship, but the shields didn't give way. "Minimal damage," Tasha reported.

"Defensive pattern Kirk Epsilon," Picard called out. "Get the shields online, Geordi."

"Already on it."

Riker was shaking his head. "Unless we can disable his cloak, we're just going to be firing in the dark."

"Agreed," the Captain admitted. "Counselor Troi, report to the bridge."

Something flashed on Tasha's screen, and she could barely believe her eyes when she realized what it was. "Captain, we're being hailed."

"On screen."

Shinzon's face filled the viewscreen, looking as calm and unbothered as the Enterprise crew was frantic. "Captain Picard, will you join me in your ready room?"

He nodded. "You have the bridge, Number One."

"Captain -" Riker began.

But Picard just shook his head. "I have no choice."

The fire from the Scimitar ceased as the Captain left the bridge, but it appeared to be only a momentary reprieve. Before they even had a chance to take stock of their condition, space began to ripple in front of them, and then two Romulan warbirds came into view.

"Captain to the bridge!" Riker shouted, before murmuring to himself, "Just when I thought this couldn't get any worse."

"We're being hailed," Tasha said again.

"On screen," Picard ordered as he hurried back to his command chair.

"Captain Picard," the Romulan woman onscreen said, "Commander Donatra of the warbird Valdore. Might we be of assistance?"

"Assistance?" the captain replied, dumbfounded.

"The Empire considers this a matter of internal security. We regret you've become involved."

Picard nearly laughed. "Commander, when this is over, I owe you a drink."

The Romulan smiled back. "Romulan ale, Captain. Let's get to work."

As the transmission was cut off, Picard turned to the bridge crew. "You heard the lady. Let's go to work! Commander Yar, coordinate our attack with the Valdore's tactical officer. Triangulate all fire on any shield impacts."

"Copy that."

"Aft shields down to forty percent!" Data reported.

"Keep our bow on the Scimitar," Riker ordered. "Auxiliary power to forward shields."

The appearance of the Romulans had reinvigorated the Enterprise crew, but it soon became clear that even three-to-one, they were outmatched. Within minutes, one warbird had been destroyed and the other crippled, and the Enterprise continued to take a beating. It was into this chaos that Deanna Troi suddenly spoke. "Captain, I think I may have a way to find them."

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Tears were running down Deanna's face, but she stubbornly refused to break the link with Shinzon. He had created that link to torment her; now she was determined to get even.

Her hand tightened over Tasha's as she guided it over the tactical display. "Remember me," she whispered forcefully, a message clearly directed at Shinzon. Then to the security officer she added, "Now!"

The shot was dead-on, and the Scimitar's cloak began to falter. But they had little time to appreciate this victory before they had yet another threat to contend with. "Intruder alert!"

Will jumped up, signaling to Worf, and the two of them headed for the turbolift, the Klingon already calling for a security team. Mere moments later, another blast ripped off the front wall of the bridge. A forcefield snapped into place, but not before the vacuum of space had already pulled the helm officer from his chair and away from the console.

"Medical team to the bridge!" Picard ordered. "Report!"

"We've exhausted our complement of photon torpedoes," Tasha reported grimly. "Phaser banks are down to four percent."

"What if we targeted all phasers in a concentrated pattern?"

Geordi was shaking his head before the question was finished.. "The Scimitar's shields are still at seventy percent. It would make no difference, Captain."

Tasha and Data exchanged a glance. Fear and longing passed between them as the realization hit that they were probably not going to make it out alive. Tasha instinctively laid a hand over her stomach, trying not to cry at the thought of all that they could have had.

But the Scimitar didn't deliver the fatal blow. Instead, it simply sat there. Deanna stared at it from the helm where she'd taken up position. "What's he doing?"

"He wants to look me in the eye," Picard realized. "He thinks he knows exactly what I'm going to do. We've got him! Geordi, divert all power to the engines. Take it from life support if you have to. Give me everything you've got."

"Ready, Captain."

"Deanna, stand by," the Captain ordered. "Open a channel."

A distorted image of Shinzon's face was projected onto what was left of the viewscreen. "I hope you're still alive, Jean-Luc."

"Oh, yes, I am."

"Don't you think it's time to surrender?" the younger man taunted. "Why should the rest of your crew have to die?"

"Shinzon, I don't think I ever told you about my first Academy evaluation." Picard's tone was casual, but Tasha could see that he was typing something out on the armrest console. "In particular I was thought to be extremely...overconfident."

The Praetor all but rolled his eyes. "Captain, as much as I enjoy listening to you talk, I really think -"

But he was interrupted as the Captain suddenly turned towards the helm. " On my mark, Deanna." He cued up the shipwide comm. "All hands, brace for impact!" Then, to Deanna again, "Engage."

The ship shot forward, ramming hard into the Scimitar, which had no time to evade. The Enterprise groaned and shuddered, but it was clear that their opponent was taking the worst of the collision.

As they remained locked together with the other ship, Picard gave a grim order. "Computer. Stand by. Auto-destruct sequence omega. Recognize voice pattern Jean-Luc Picard. Authorization Alpha Alpha Three Zero Five."

But even that wasn't to be. "Auto-destruct is offline."

Then a voice even more haunting filtered to the bridge where it lay partially inside the Scimitar. "Thalaron intermix procedure initiated. Deployment of targeting arms commencing."

And then, for the first time since the start of the battle, the bridge was entirely silent.

Yep, looks like Nemesis is going to be a three-chapter section. How do you like it so far?

The chapter title comes from something Picard says on a voice-over log in the movie.

Please review!