A/N: Thank you! Up, down, all around – Data and Tasha are about to get a taste of the sweet life.
The winds are about to shift, and they'll be heading in this direction for a while.
But don't get too comfortable! There's a new threat floating out there and Lore laid the groundwork for part of his plan a while ago. (Remember that pesky Ferengi thought maker?)
Thank you for staying with this story. I hope you enjoy!
"Like this," Data said, coming up behind Tasha.
He wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands on her own as he demonstrated how to properly roll the bread to form the loaf.
Their original breakfast plans had been waylaid by a misunderstanding of monument proportions.
After the long journey back to their cabin, Tasha had been famished.
Data had offered to prepare breakfast for her once again, but Tasha didn't like that idea.
"We do this together," Tasha had insisted. "From now on, we do it all together."
Playing both chef and tutor meant it was taking twice as long to prepare. But Tasha didn't mind. She was a good pupil – even if she was absolutely hopeless in the kitchen.
Data had made a homemade sweet filling using Betazoid Cirimun which was a spice similar to a mix of cinnamon and cardamom. It had a sweet, slightly spicy flavour.
He had spread it on the dough and Tasha was doing her best to roll it up.
They would fashion a bread loaf from it with the goal of giving the bread a tasty swirl.
"Now we will place it in here," Data said, indicating to a loaf pan.
Together, they scooped up the dough and fit it into the pan, carefully tucking in the ends to ensure it did not bake out of shape. It was lumpier than the first one Data had made, but Tasha couldn't have been prouder.
Data grabbed a wet cloth and covered the dough. He placed it in the stasis field he had calibrated to allow it to complete its second rise.
"What's next?" Tasha asked.
She glanced around at the kitchen and surveyed the mess they had made. There was a pile of dirty dishes that needed to be moved to the dish reprocessor. On the counter, Tasha had made a right mess of trying to grind beans for Raktajino.
There was flour strew about everywhere – the floor, the counters, and all about both of their aprons.
Tasha grabbed her cuppa and leaned back against the counter.
"You're a pretty good teacher," she grinned as she took a sip.
"Well, you my dear, are a pretty good student," Data replied as he stepped closer, resting his hand on her waist.
Tasha chortled, choking on her coffee for a moment as it went down her windpipe.
Catching her breath, she set the mug down on the surface.
"No I'm not. But you're sweet," Tasha said.
She reached up and around his neck to pull him in close.
"You have flour on your face," Data remarked.
"So do you," Tasha said, nuzzling against him.
"Tasha, may I-" Data began to ask.
"Yes, Data. The answer is yes," Tasha whispered.
Data captured her lips with his own.
This was no grand, impassioned kiss found in the likes of holonovels or any number of Will Riker stories.
The pace was languid, the passion tepid.
It was the type of easy, familiar kiss that spoke to an affection deeper than mere mutual attraction.
The kiss wasn't hot – it was warm and welcome, full of sentiment and reassurance.
When they broke apart, Data reached up to cup Tasha's face.
"I am so very glad you are here," Data confessed before pressing a tender kiss to her forehead.
He pulled her into a tight embrace, rocking them back and forth as he relished holding her in his arms.
"So very glad," Data added.
Captain Picard swept into the Observation Lounge where his senior officers had assembled for a briefing. It had taken the Enterprise all night to reach Tauphin IV.
Well, what was left of Tauphin IV.
"Preliminary scans reveal all life on the planet is gone," Riker advised.
"Atmospheric conditions appear to be unchanged," Worf added.
Captain Picard turned to Geordi for an explanation.
"I don't know what to tell you, sir," Geordi shrugged. "I can't find any trace of an atomic weapon, airborne virus, chemical dispersant, or metagenic signature."
"There were three billion people on that planet," Beverly said with alarm.
It was unthinkable that all life on a thriving planet could simply vanish without a trace.
"Maybe some of them escaped?" Deanna suggested.
Starfleet did have a presence on Tauphin IV. Both the USS Yoshino and the USS Ross had been in orbit. There were also any number of Federation member ships that maintained diplomatic and trading vessels at the space station in orbit above the pleasure planet.
"We have found no traces of any warp signatures in the last forty-eight hours. And sensors aren't detecting any life on the space station or the ships," Worf said darkly. "It's like they were all abandoned."
A chill swept through the room.
"So Data and Tasha?" Geordi asked, trailing off as he couldn't bear to finish the thought.
"Lieutenant Commander Data and Lieutenant Yar requested approval to register a different flight plan before their departure," Picard said.
He did not elaborate.
Everyone looked to the Captain for an explanation.
Even with all of the conflict aboard lately, they were still a team. Even Beverly was deeply concerned. She may have had quite a row with Tasha, but she certainly didn't want to see any harm come to her.
"I can assure you that they were not on Tauphin IV," Picard said.
It wasn't much of a clarification, but the team would have to accept that was all the Captain was at liberty to discuss.
Jean-Luc had no desire to recount the details of his personal conversation with Data in which his second officer had shared just how desperately they wanted to go somewhere – anywhere – other than Tauphin IV.
Knowing what he did about their shore leave, Jean-Luc couldn't blame him.
"Mr Worf, you're certain the atmosphere is safe?" Picard inquired.
"M Class. Breathable atmosphere. Moderate temperature," Worf replied.
He had taken the readings twice out of concern there may have been a malfunction with the equipment.
"I want to send an away team down to investigate. Dismissed," Picard ordered.
Geordi was the last to leave, catching Captain Picard on his way out the door.
"You're sure?" Geordi asked, deeply worried.
"I cannot be one hundred percent certain, but I can tell you they are nowhere near where this occurred. I've been asked not to disclose their location. But I can tell you they are quite safe and hopefully blissfully unaware," Picard said with a short nod.
Data's breath hitched as he watched the wildlife down in the valley below. His android vision allowed him to zoom in and focus just as if he was using vision-enhancing goggles or a visual recording device.
For an exobiology enthusiast, it was paradise.
There were so many different forms of wildlife. Data had followed a herd of caribou as they journeyed across the snowy valley.
Along the edge of the valley there were dense trees that lined the mountainside. A family of small martens scurried up the bark.
Data had even had the pleasure of witnessing a great white Neirian eagle swoop down to scoop up a large salmon from the semi-frozen glacial lake with her large talons.
And Data had seen all of this from the warm, cosy jacuzzi that sat on the back of their balcony overlooking the view below.
He felt like an eagle – perched on top of the world and watching it all play out before him.
Though Data had no biological need to bathe (his system was capable of cleaning itself), he did find the sensation of bubbles to be most invigorating. In fact, it was easier for Data to slow his processing and, in essence, relax.
Most recently, Data had been observing a herd of muskoxen as they bustled about.
They were great, hooved beasts with long thick fur that ghosted across the snow. In a way, Data thought they almost looked like silky Tribbles from his vantage point.
No human would be capable of detecting their strong odour from this far away. But Data could pick up on it. It was an intense, rank odour that signified this was the mating season.
Their long, curved horns may not have appeared threatening when they were bustling about, foraging for moss beneath the thick snow. However, they became a real terrifying sight whenever the muskoxen charged at one another.
Data watched, utterly fascinated as two of the competing bulls backed away from one another, stomping and flashing their horns.
All of a sudden, they charged toward one another at speeds that seemed too great for such a massive animal.
There was a sickening crack as their skulls met.
"What's got you so enthralled?" Tasha asked as she slipped up behind Data.
She snaked her arms under his, holding his chest as she rested her chin on his shoulder.
"I am watching two rival muskoxen rush one another to assert dominance," Data replied without taking his eyes off them.
"Those tiny little dots down there?" Tasha asked.
She could see there was movement. Only, to Tasha, they looked like ants.
"Those tiny little dots, as you put it, are the size of a small shuttlecraft," Data advised. "And Neirian muskoxen have some of the strongest bone structure of any known being. The bone at the front of the skull is almost eight centimetres thick."
Data lifted his eyebrows.
"In fact, it is the nearest thing in nature to my own duranium skeletal reinforcement," Data realised.
Tasha nuzzled her head against his back before resting her head between his shoulder blades.
"You don't know what it does to me when you talk about how strong you are," Tasha said with a grin.
"Their fur is one of the warmest natural fibres in the known universe," Data advised.
There were times Tasha wondered just how Data's brain could hold so much information.
"Mmmm, you know what I love most about you?" Tasha asked.
She tightened her embrace, giving Data an appreciative squeeze.
Data's eyes darted back and forth as he considered her question. He cocked his head to the side as the cogs in his mind began to whirl.
"Your big. Juicy. Brain," Tasha said against his ear.
If androids could blush, Data would have been a rosy shade of deep red. Tasha knew just how to build up his confidence and make him feel bashful all in the same sentence.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Data let himself melt into Tasha's embrace as she nibbled at his ear.
Beverly left the briefing room with one goal in mind. She rounded the corner to sickbay quickly and marched straight over to Lore's workstation.
Without a word, she pulled him into a crushing hug.
Lore initially stiffened. He reached up to rest his hand on her back.
"They weren't there," Beverly informed him.
"It is true then," he said sadly, pretending to be devastated.
"No, I mean they weren't there," Beverly repeated as she looked up at him. "Data and Tasha went somewhere else. They weren't on Tauphin IV."
Lore was grateful that he had complete control over his expression.
He was stunned.
Beverly assumed his response was merely the shock of trying to process this latest information. She presumed it was quite a pendulum swing to go from thinking your only living relative was dead to realising they were, in fact, safe.
"Oh you're sweet," Beverly said affectionately.
She buried her head against his chest as she clutched the back of his jumpsuit.
"I know you still care about him," she went on. "He's alright."
"Thank the stars," Lore said in a faraway voice.
To everyone in sickbay, Lore appeared to be still in shock. They had no inkling that Lore's mind was reeling. Internally, Lore was fuming.
His plan had been fool proof. Best of all, there would be no possible evidence to connect him to the entity.
"H-how?" Lore stammered.
"I guess they changed their flight plan," Beverly replied.
Leave it to Data. He couldn't even have the courtesy to die properly.
As she moved away to fetch her go bag, Lore reached out for his console. He needed something to steady himself as he processed this latest development.
"There's a team beaming down to investigate what happened. I'd like you to join as my backup," Beverly advised.
Up in his ready room, Captain Picard ordered a cuppa Earl Grey tea and sat down behind his desk. Queuing up his computer, he scanned through the latest bulletins from Starfleet Command.
Nothing jumped out at him.
In fact, the part of space they were in was relatively quiet.
It certainly didn't make sense that something would occur that could wipe out a well-known and popular pleasure planet without leaving any trace as to the source.
Captain Picard briefly considered if this was some new, terrible weapon that had been deployed by the Romulans, Cardassians, or some unknown adversary.
Could Tauphin IV have merely been a test run for another act of violence?
Captain Picard's thoughts drifted back to his conversation with Geordi. Jean-Luc knew that Neira was in the opposite direction. It was days away from Tauphin IV and there were numerous other worlds between the two.
However, Jean-Luc thought it couldn't hurt to check in.
He quickly typed and transmitted a coded message to Data and Tasha. He didn't want to disturb them or have them spend their trip worrying. Rather, he opted to advise that the Enterprise had changed course and that he would be in touch later to relay instructions for meeting back up.
Jean-Luc leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his tea as he contemplated his next step.
He hoped that the away team would be able to find vital information as to what had occurred. It would inform their decision about whether to remain or issue a warning to other nearby worlds.
But warn them of what? Picard thought darkly.
Suddenly, Jean-Luc sat back up. He set his tea down and quickly turned back to his computer terminal.
On a whim, Picard decided it might be worth checking with other nearby planets and space stations just to see if there was any information about what had happened – or, more importantly, any survivors.
The team down on the surface found nothing.
Literally nothing.
Any and all material that was organic appeared to have been completely stripped. The grass was gone. The trees were missing. Even the vast ocean that had once been home to thousands of species of aquatic life was gone in its entirety.
The concrete that lined the roads was still present.
But every ounce of organic building material including wood and green roofs had vanished.
"This is spooky," Geordi said as the away team scanned the area.
It was like the entire planet had been wiped away.
"I am detecting increased bitrium deposits," Worf reported as he analysed his tricorder readings.
He glanced up to make eye contact with Commander Riker.
"It is not a native element to this planet," Worf advised.
Geordi grumbled and shook his head.
"I can't think of any weapon that would leave a residue of bitrium," Geordi said in confusion.
"I'm getting a reading. Approximately twenty metres ahead," Worf advised. "It appears to be Starfleet communications equipment."
"Let's go," Riker ordered.
Such a device may provide clues.
"This transmission equipment is still intact," Geordi said as he evaluated the remains of an underground Starfleet communications array.
To their dismay, there were no logs indicating what had occurred.
The final log had been dated on the morning Starfleet lost communication with the planet. It had been nothing more than a usual log from the communications officer. It included the stardate, current weather, a mention of a fellow officer's birthday celebration, and an update on the scheduled incoming and outgoing ships to the area.
"Whatever occurred here must have taken place after the log," Geordi said.
"And it must have been fast," Riker added.
While there was no definitive timestamp, the team surmised it was likely a quick end given the communications team had not recorded any information about the catastrophic event.
"I'd like to take this equipment back to the Enterprise," Geordi requested. "See if I can pull anything else from it in the lab."
Riker was quick to agree.
Lore scoffed.
"Something you wish to add, Mr Lore?" Riker asked.
Lore stopped and turned around to face the rest of the team.
"There's nothing you can learn from that," Lore said, quickly dismissing the idea.
"We don't know that," Geordi countered.
"Unless you have information we don't," Riker said as he quirked an eyebrow to the android.
Lore quickly realised his mistake. He had been so caught up in the thrill of strolling through the ruins of the planet that he had momentarily allowed his façade to slip.
"I meant, it could be dangerous," Lore said in an attempt to cover his error. "It could be contaminated. Perhaps with something we've never seen before. We do not know what caused this devastation."
"Whatever did it was powerful," Worf growled.
"And magnificent," Lore said in breathless admiration.
Riker and Geordi exchanged a glance as Lore turned back to scanning the area with his medical tricorder.
"I'd like to get some air samples, see if we can detect any pollen traces," Beverly said.
Riker nodded.
Beverly, Lore, and one of the security detail headed back above ground to continue the investigation.
Once they were alone, Geordi felt comfortable enough to approach the topic again.
"Sir, I'd really like to take this equipment back to my lab," Geordi said.
Riker weighed his options. He understood Lore had a point – even if he'd been odd about raising it.
"I think we can do so safely. I'll ask the Chief to beam it up in a stasis field. We'll run a complete scan and decontamination before moving it to the lab," Geordi suggested.
"Alright," Riker agreed.
"Ok, Wes. You take the left circuit and I'll remove this access panel," Geordi instructed.
Working in tandem, the two were able to get to the guts of the communications transmitter.
All Starfleet subspace communications worked on a small delay. It was only a few seconds. But Geordi was hoping that the rest of the final outgoing transmission would still be saved in the array's memory banks.
Wes hooked up the appropriate cable and confirmed it was in place before powering up the system.
Geordi stepped over to his computer terminal and grinned.
"Bingo," Geordi said as he snapped his fingers. "Now we're in business."
He tapped the screen and activated the memory banks. There was a message. And based on the timestamp it had to be the final message that the Enterprise had intercepted before it was abruptly terminated.
Help us! Please! It came out of nowhere. It's absorbing our phaser fire and moving quickly, destroying all living matter in its path. Leaving nothing behind. It's like a giant snowflake! We barely detected it on our long-range sensors before it was on top of us. The first attack was registered at 14:29. We estimate a third of all life on our planet has been destroyed. Please! This is Tauphin IV requested emergency assistance. Communications Station 789. 15:21 hours.
The message began to repeat before it was cut off again.
Geordi turned back to Wes. They were both shaken by the disturbing thought of something that could cause massive devastation in such a short timeframe.
It was no wonder there had been no missing ships. They likely had no time to escape. And if this attack had come so quickly, it is unlikely that any Federation vessel could have outrun it.
"Do you think it's a ship?" Wes asked.
"I don't know," Geordi admitted. "But I do have an idea as to our next step."
Twenty minutes later, Geordi had played the message for both Commander Riker and Captain Picard.
"Sir, with your permission I'd like to take a few Engineering teams to the ships that are still docked in orbit," Geordi explained.
There were a handful of vessels in the area that were completely abandoned, simply drifting in orbit.
"There may be more clues in their logs," Geordi said.
"Make it so," Picard ordered.
"Sir, one of the vessels, the Gunnda is not safe," Worf advised.
He had scanned all of the ships previously. The Gunnda was a Berellian passenger freighter. It appeared to have suffered a hull breach during collision with debris in orbit – likely caused by the fact there was no one aboard to avoid it.
"We could send a team in EV suits," Worf suggested. "Or Mr Lore."
Lore's android abilities would keep him safe despite the exposure to open space.
"Why don't I take a team in EV suits?" Geordi suggested.
He couldn't shake Data's request that Lore be excluded from engineering tasks. He wanted to honour his promise to keep Lore away from that section.
It seemed Captain Picard shared this concern.
"I think that sounds fine, Mr La Forge," Jean-Luc said in agreement.
"Sir, it would be faster for Mr Lore," Riker spoke up.
Jean-Luc was surprised to hear Riker advocate for the android. While he knew Riker wasn't privy to all the details, Jean-Luc suspected Riker was guarded around Lore given what he'd seen between the brothers.
"I think it would be a wonderful opportunity for Lore," Riker went on. "Given the tension lately, I think we should give him the chance to show everyone we can trust him."
Riker plastered a fake smile on to really sell it.
Riker may have been able to fool Geordi and Worf, but Jean-Luc could sense just where Riker was really headed with this idea.
"You know, I think that sounds great," Jean-Luc said, changing his position.
As soon as they were in the lift alone, Geordi requested that it halt.
"Sir, I know this isn't my place. But I think you should know that sending Lore over there is a bad idea," Geordi protested. "Data specifically requested that I keep Lore out of engineering and I'm sure he had a good reason."
"I know," Riker shared.
"And frankly, he seemed a bit too hasty to dismiss the communications memory buffer as a clue," Geordi went on.
"I know," Riker said.
"So you agree that we should-" Geordi started to say.
"Give Lore the opportunity to prove his loyalties?" Riker said with a smirk.
Geordi frowned.
"Geordi, I want you and I to go over to that ship first and see what's there. Then we're going to send Lore and we're not going to tell him he's the second team in," Riker explained.
"Oh," Geordi said. "Oh."
As anticipated, Geordi and Riker had found a log aboard the Gunnda. It was brief – only detailing that a snowflake like structure had emerged from space and descended upon the planet. The Gunnda had attempted to beam aboard a handful of Berellian citizens before the transmission had ended.
Unfortunately, there was no further information.
Riker and Geordi made a quick copy of the log and then returned to the Enterprise to join the rest of the team in a briefing.
Lore had been eager to join the mission. Beverly had protested heavily against his involvement. She felt that the Captain was simply using Lore because it was convenient – a fact that further infuriated her given the way Jean-Luc had treated Lore.
However, after explaining that this was an opportunity for them to entrust Lore with a mission and rebuild his credibility, Beverly had finally acquiesced.
She wanted to move forward from the problems that had plagued the ship as of late. She wanted them to accept Lore as readily as they had accepted Data.
She wanted to return to a sense of normalcy.
Beverly had no idea just how much this assignment would upend things.
Lore grumbled as soon as he was beamed aboard the Berellian freighter. This all seemed like such a waste of time. But if it got him into the Captain's good graces, then Lore was willing to go through with the exercise.
He grinned and felt a surge of excitement as he passed the abandoned escape pods.
You can run but you can't hide. Lore thought with glee.
It was a damn shame his brother and the Lieutenant had missed the party. However, Lore relished in the fact that he'd caused such an uproar. Every panicked whisper in the corridors or wild theory that floated out of Ten Forward were like a shot of adrenaline.
They had no inkling that it was Lore who was behind such an act. No one, not even his dear Doctor, knew just what kind of power he wielded.
Down boy. Lore chastised himself.
He was semi-hard just thinking about it.
In the very least, this little exercise had proved to renew his self-image and give him the spark he needed. His time without Data to torment was beginning to drag. With Data gone, Lore had to be cautious as he could not blame Data for incidents in his absence.
That meant putting a pause on most of his activities.
When he'd learned his brother had survived the attack, Lore had initially been devastated. However, upon further reflection, Lore was thrilled.
Lore realised he had been too rash in his decision to go after Data directly.
He needed Data around – especially if he wanted to use his new toy that he'd gone to great lengths to install in Data and Lieutenant Yar's quarters.
Stepping up to the main communications terminal, Lore chuckled as he played the final log.
Like lambs to the slaughter. He mused.
Lore played it twice before deleting it. He then wiped the terminal to make it appear as if the previous log had been the final one.
After readjusting the circuitry and wiping the databank, Lore had cleaned his tracks. There was now no trace of the Berellian's final message.
"Enterprise. This is Lore. One to beam over," Lore instructed.
He had been granted a temporary combadge for the trip. Lore was only hoping he would soon be permitted to have one full-time.
It was such a nuisance to use the communications system built into the wall consoles.
"Stand by," O'Brien responded.
A moment later, Lore rematerialised in the transporter room.
Captain Picard, Geordi, and Commander Riker were waiting for him.
"Anything of value?" Picard asked.
"No, Captain. Unfortunately, the final log was from the night before," Lore lied.
"Shucks," Riker remarked.
"Well, thank you for checking," Picard said with a small nod.
To Lore's dismay, the Captain ordered him to return the communicator to Geordi.
"Will I soon have my own combadge?" Lore asked.
"We'll look into it," Picard said after a moment's pause.
Lore's heart sank. It seemed despite his effort to play nice, the Captain was still holding on to some resentment.
"Thank you, sir," Lore said with a small smile.
By the time he reached Beverly's quarters, Lore was seething.
To his surprise, Beverly was preparing dinner.
For three.
She noticed Lore was studying the table with confusion.
Beverly paused on finishing the place settings and bit her lip.
"I invited Wes for dinner," Beverly announced.
Lore froze.
"After what I said to you this morning about Data, I realised life is too short. I need to make things right with Wes. I'm sure that we can work things out," Beverly explained.
Lore wasn't sure how to respond.
"Perhaps, I should leave you two alone tonight," Lore suggested.
He was doing his best to swallow down the overwhelming jealousy that was threatening to bubble over. He had returned to Beverly's quarters because she was supposed to spend the night with him.
Lore didn't want to share her with that insufferable brat.
Wesley didn't deserve her affection.
"No!" Beverly insisted as she stepped over to him.
She took hold of Lore's hand and looped her fingers through his.
"We're going to work this out," she smiled.
"Great," Lore said through a large, fake smile.
His smile dropped the second he pulled Beverly into an embrace.
Back on Neira, Data and Tasha had abandoned the jacuzzi in favour of their comfortable quarters indoors. Data had joined Tasha for a shower to wash off.
He had slipped out early to start preparing dinner for her.
First off, Data went to set the mood for dinner. There was a large fireplace in the corner of the room and Data had every intention of curling up later with a good book.
After lighting a fire, he pre-heated the oven and set out the ingredients for dinner. Next, Data had stepped over to the computer to check if there were any incoming messages.
It was the first time he'd done so all day.
To his surprise, there was a message from Captain Picard.
Data assumed this meant their holiday was about to come to an abrupt end.
However, upon opening the message, it was simply a request to ensure that they had arrived safely. Data was about to respond in the affirmative when his neural net began to fire rapidly.
It was unusual for Captain Picard to send such a personal request – especially given that Data had already radioed to confirm their arrival when they had first landed.
He theorised there had to be reason the Captain had contacted them – and it likely meant something had happened.
Or Lore did something to the shuttle. Data thought darkly.
He reasoned he would have to check it in the morning to ensure Lore had not planted anything devious with the intent to destroy it.
Deciding it was worth breaking their no-contact plan, Data radioed the Enterprise to speak with Captain Picard.
A moment later, the Captain acknowledged the hail and opened a video screen.
He was slightly surprised to see Data sporting a large, fluffy dressing gown and tousled hair.
"Mr Data," Picard said after clearing his throat.
"Captain," Data greeted with a small nod.
"There was no need to call. I do not wish to interrupt your holiday," Picard said.
"Sir, we had already relayed our arrival. Therefore, I am led to conclude that your message was sent because of some concern or incident," Data explained.
Jean-Luc did not immediately respond.
He knew that were he to share the information with Data, then Data and Tasha would drop everything to rush back to the ship. Or worse – they'd spend the entire trip thinking about it.
However, it wasn't easy to fool Data. And Jean-Luc recognised his delay had only added to the android's curiosity.
"You see," Jean-Luc began.
He was about to give Data a brief overview of the situation on Tauphin IV when he heard Tasha's voice.
"Honey?" Tasha called out.
She appeared a moment later in the background, fresh from the shower wrapped tightly in a short silk dressing gown.
"Can I help with dinner?" Tasha asked as she spied the counter full of ingredients.
Jean-Luc suddenly felt uncomfortable. It was all so domestic. While he was pleased that it appeared their trip was going well, he had no desire to eavesdrop on their time.
Captain Picard couldn't deny that he'd been bursting with curiosity after learning of their relationship. But seeing them together now in such an intimate setting felt like a violation of their privacy.
"Go, Data. We'll discuss when you return," Picard said quietly.
"But sir-" Data protested.
"Go," Picard ordered.
Tasha stopped mid-step when she heard Captain Picard's voice. Instinctively, she pulled her dressing gown tighter and kicked herself for not choosing something longer.
She jumped when Data came up behind her.
"Data," she said, turning quickly.
She was clutching her chest as she caught her breath.
Tasha studied his face for a moment before turning to the viewscreen.
"Was that Captain Picard?" Tasha asked.
"Yes," Data responded.
"Something's happened," Tasha said.
She turned back to him, scanning for any clue in his expression.
"I do not know," Data responded honestly. "The Captain only asked if we reached out destination alright."
"We're not close enough to the border for Cardassian activity," Tasha said as her eyes narrowed. "And he didn't-"
"He said we would discuss it upon our return," Data advised.
He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
"Put it out of your mind and help me prepare dinner," Data said.
While Data began to show Tasha how to chop the leeks, Lore clenched his fist around his fork.
It had been an excruciating seven minutes since their dinner had begun.
Wesley and Lore had both stared at one another since the start of the meal. They had said little and ate even less.
Beverly was doing her best to ensure everyone felt included.
"How are things going on your project?" Beverly asked Wes.
"Fine," Wes responded.
He stabbed a piece of fish without tearing his eyes off Lore.
"You know Mr Lore has quite a knack for engineering," Beverly said. "Maybe he could help you on one of your assignments?"
"Certainly," Lore said in a stiff voice.
"Isn't this nice?" Beverly asked the table.
Tasha giggled as Data wrapped his arms around her waist.
Resting his chin on her shoulder he watched as she continued to arrange the fruit on top of the tart.
"I believe there are significantly fewer strawberries than when you began," Data teased.
Tasha turned in his arms and flashed him a grin. There was a hint of stain on her lips from the blackberries.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tasha replied, feigning innocence.
Data captured her lips in a slow kiss.
A few seconds later he pulled back and cocked his head to the side. It was the same kind of look he wore whenever he was calculating something complex on the bridge.
"Hmm. Rubus laciniatus. R. spectabilus. Ribes nigrum. Analysis would indicate you are, in fact, a terrible liar," Data said.
Tasha grabbed one of the berries off the counter and fed it into Data's mouth. He took his sweet time licking the juice from her fingers before kissing the tips of them.
As soon as he had swallowed it, Tasha pulled him down into a kiss. Her tongue darted out to lick the taste of the berry from his lips.
Data felt hunger, but it wasn't for the salmon that was waiting to come out of the oven.
To his delight, Tasha clutched the front of his dressing gown in an effort to keep him close. Now that she had her lips on him, she wasn't keen to let him finish cooking.
Without breaking contact, Data pushed away the tart on the counter. He scooped her up and set her on top of it.
Tasha's hands released the fabric of his dressing gown in favour of fumbling for the tie. She keened when she finally got to rest her hands on his chest, appreciatively caressing the musculature under his bioplast.
Much too soon, Data broke their kiss.
"I will need to remove dinner from the oven in fourteen minutes," Data said as he nuzzled his face against her own.
"Mmm, dinner can wait," Tasha said as she ran her hands over his shoulders. "Besides. You taste better."
Tasha smirked. There was a sharp intake of breath from Data as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
"I want you," Tasha insisted, rocking against him.
Data cupped the sides of her face.
"Then you shall have me," Data assured her before sharing another kiss.
Data's hand ghosted over the curve of her breast. Her hardened nipple was evident under the thin fabric of her dressing gown.
Data thought it felt divine.
But Tasha had beaten him to it.
Data stepped back and watched, utterly fixated as she pulled at the sash.
Tasha felt a surge of self-confidence. She kept her eye on Data, observing his expression as she slipped the dressing gown down over her shoulders.
His reaction did not disappoint.
Data was silent, his chest rising and falling as his artificial breathing programme kept his temperature regulation in check.
"Data?" Tasha prompted, suddenly feeling uncertain.
He raised his eyes to meet her gaze. Data closed his mouth, realising it had been slightly ajar.
Data cocked his head to the side for a split second before diving in, his mouth going straight for the exposed flesh where her shoulder met her neck.
Tasha smiled to herself.
It had been foolish to question anything about their relationship. Data was positively crazy about her.
And after seeing his reaction, it confirmed she was totally in control.
As much as he had wanted to take her, he hadn't moved forward until she'd offered.
"Is this alright?" Data asked as he pressed a trail of kisses up the side of her neck, stopping just below her ear.
"Yes," Tasha assured him.
"And this?" Data asked as his fingers caressed the outside of her thigh.
"Mmm hmm," Tasha replied.
As much as she was enjoying snogging on the counter, Tasha wanted more.
"Turn around," she said suddenly.
Without hesitation, Data honoured her request.
Tasha slipped his dressing gown down over his long arms and let it drop to the floor.
Before he could move, she began to massage his shoulders, kneading at the synthetic construction of his back.
Though Data's synthetic musculature was not capable of experiencing the kind of tension humanoids suffered from, he did enjoy the sensation of being massaged.
For Tasha, rubbing his back was one way to show her appreciation for Data. She also suspected that it helped him share in the human experience of intimacy in way that he hadn't been likely to encounter with others who had only seen him as a curiosity.
After a few minutes, Tasha moved lower.
Then she began to kiss his back, pressing her lips along his spine until she reached the nape of his neck.
Eventually, she stopped. Tasha looped her arms under Data's. With her hands on his chest, she pulled him back close so that she could rest her head between his shoulders.
"Mmmm," Tasha said, snuggling close.
"I must remove dinner from the oven," Data said reluctantly.
"Hurry back," Tasha whispered against his ear.
Data made a beeline for the oven. Tasha bit back a grin as she watched him. He'd nearly forgotten to grab an oven glove.
While Data would not have felt pain, the heat would have damaged his bioplast.
Tasha was about to stop him when he realised his error. Data stood upright, grabbed the glove, and quickly deposited their meal on the range.
It was both absurd and hot watching him flit about the kitchen in the buff.
Once the oven was off, Data turned back to Tasha.
She was still sitting on the counter, her legs crossed as she waited for him to finish.
Tasha uncrossed her legs and sat back, resting her weight on her hands behind her. Her tongue snuck out from behind her teeth just enough to tease him.
Data blinked rapidly.
Tasha crooked her finger, beckoning him forward.
Data was at her two paces.
"Mmm," Tasha said, her comment muffled by his mouth.
She reached down to pull the oven glove off his hand.
"I'm not that hot," she teased.
"I would beg to differ," Data responded.
Their food was left forgotten as they spent their dinner hour fulfilling other needs.
Resting his hand on the back of Tasha's head, Data laid his own head on her shoulder. He closed his eyes as he plunged himself into her.
The sex was mostly quiet. Tasha was panting softly, an occasional soft sound of pleasure escaping from her lips.
She clutched his back, desperate to stay as close as possible.
Data inhaled, relishing the sweet scent of her skin as his fingers worked their way up into the back of her hair.
Eventually, his rhythm became sporadic.
Data cupped the small of her back, holding her tight as he came. A series of slow, powerful thrusts followed as he came down.
And then he stilled as his processing took a moment to reboot.
Tasha brushed the top of his head with a tender kiss. She began to gently stroke the length of his spine, offering silent reassurance after such an emotional coupling.
Data stepped back. They stared at one another for a moment. There was a hint of a smirk in Data's expression as the corner of his lip curved upwards.
He reached up to tuck Tasha's bangs behind her ear.
"The best meal I've had in ages," Tasha said with a shy smile.
Without a word, Data guided her to lay back on the counter. He guided her legs up onto the edge, taking no small sense of satisfaction in the bright red marks that marred the back of her thighs from where they had been pressed against the counter's edge.
A moment later, Tasha felt something cool brush against her cunt.
"Data?" she asked as she sat up.
Tasha glanced down and was confused to see he was eye level with the counter – a handful of berries in a line, the only thing standing between his mouth and her.
"Data? What are you doing?" Tasha asked.
"Dessert," he said with a twinkle in his eye before pulling her down against his mouth.
When he finished, Data helped Tasha down off the counter as her legs were still a bit trembly.
Tasha turned around to fetch her dressing gown.
She froze as she felt Data's hand creep up the back of her leg and brush over her backside.
"You have flour on your bum," Data said against her ear.
He took the dressing gown from her hand and set it down.
"And here," Data went on as he kissed the spot behind her ear.
Tasha gasped softly as he reached around to cup her breasts.
"And here," Data said.
"That was your fault. You had it all over your hands," Tasha responded with mock frustration.
"Come," Data said as he scooped her up and carried her out of the kitchen.
"Data!" Tasha said as she shook her head. "What are you doing?"
"I must now clean my plate," Data said simply.
"Who wants dessert?" Beverly asked brightly.
She could sense the lingering tension in the room and was hoping that her Grandmother's recipe for Gooseberry pie would do the trick.
Unfortunately, the mood was more sour than the pie.
"I'm full," Wesley said.
"I'd hate to ruin such a lovely dessert," Lore said without even looking at it.
Wes got up from the table and returned his plate the replicator.
"I should get going. I have an assignment due in the morning," Wes said.
"Oh don't go!" Beverly pleaded.
She had been hoping he would stay.
"I thought we could play a game together," Beverly announced.
Lore fought the urge to cringe.
"I should check on my quarters. Ensign Vedek was going to drop off a book," Lore said, feigning an excuse to leave.
He was furious that Wesley had ruined his evening.
"Mom, I'd hate to see you left alone and I can tell this game night is very important to you. I suppose I could put off my assignment for a little while," Wesley said, spying the opportunity.
If Lore was leaving, then Wes had no problem staying.
Lore was outraged.
As much as he wanted to throw Wesley out the nearest airlock, Lore restrained himself. It would do him no good to lose his temper in front of Beverly.
"Excellent," Lore lied. "I know how hurt your mother has been. I'm hope you can stay and spend some time with her.
Wesley's face flushed as he felt enraged by Lore's comments.
"Well I wouldn't have left if my home wasn't crawling with creeps!" Wes said, his voice rising slightly.
"Wesley Crusher!" Beverly said hotly.
Wes turned to his mother quickly, full of righteous fury. In his mind, he'd been forced out of his home by this imposter. He was concerned for his mother's safety and alarmed that she seemed blind to the situation.
"Apologise. Now," Beverly ordered.
"I'm not apologising to him," Wes snapped.
Wes grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair.
"You needn't worry about the game. I'm going," Wes said. "And you forget me moving back. Not as long as you've got your cloaking shield on when it comes to him."
"Wes, please!" Beverly pleaded.
She watched in horror as her son walked out of her door and, she feared, out of her life.
Lore bit back a smirk.
"I am so sorry," Lore said with false sympathy.
He swept across the table and pulled Beverly into a warm embrace, tracing soothing circles on her back.
"There, there," Lore said as he rocked them back and forth.
She was in shock.
Beverly couldn't fathom how Wes could be so irrationally angry about Lore. She had been desperate to patch things up with her son. With each passing day, Beverly grew more concerned that they were drifting further and further away from reconiliation.
Now, her dream of getting her son back seemed shattered.
"Why don't I draw you a warm bath? I'll clean this up and then join you," Lore offered.
"No," Beverly said in a faraway voice.
Lore chuckled.
"Oh, I know what you want," Lore purred as he kissed her neck. "Should daddy take you to bed? Remind you what a sweet thing you are? I'll rub you down and then kiss all the spots I've made sore. Hmm?"
Beverly was silent.
"My sweet doctor," Lore went on. "Let me take care of you tonight."
"No," Beverly repeated.
She took a step back and frowned.
"I'm sorry, not tonight," she said.
Lore was stunned.
"I should probably be alone if Wes comes back," Beverly explained.
After all, it could be her final chance to make things right.
There was a brief flash of anger in Lore's expression.
"Of course," he said, recovering quickly.
He pulled her back into an embrace and kissed the top of her hair.
"I will be up should you require an ear. Or shoulder. Or body," Lore growled as he rocked against her.
Once they were clean again, Data and Tasha had settled down in front of the fireplace with a bottle of wine and their now-cold dinner.
Tasha was picking at the fruit while Data stroked her hair.
It was comfortable and precisely what they had been hoping for when they'd set out on this trip. It was a clear night. Even from within their cabin, they could see how dark and beautiful the sky was on this planet.
The night was clear, and they were so high up, it was as if they were surrounded by the stars.
In a way, it felt like being home.
Data leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
Tasha turned her head to the side and chewed on a mouthful of berries.
"I can't live on sunshine and love," Tasha teased.
Data began to nibble at her neck.
"Mmmm. That's nice. But I'm starving," Tasha said.
Data stopped and sat back.
"I apologise. I find that I failed to satiate myself at dinner," Data teased.
Tasha rolled her eyes.
"I have never shared in the human experience of a midnight snack," Data confessed.
Tasha couldn't help but grin. A year ago she would have assumed this was a sweet naïve statement.
Now she knew better.
Despite his innocent expression, Tasha knew Data well enough to understand he was employing a cliché double-entendre.
And she could not have been more pleased to hear him use it correctly.
Tasha rolled onto her side and reached for his hand.
She pulled it to her lips, planting a series of small kisses on the tips of his fingers.
"You know I get the strangest cravings around 03:00," Tasha said.
Lightyears away, Will Riker and Deanna Troi were snuggled together in his quarters.
"You're distracted," Deanna commented.
"Hmm? What? Oh no, no," Riker lied.
Deanna quirked an eyebrow at him.
"Right, pointless to lie to you," Riker said.
"Something has been bothering you. All night," Deanna said. "What is it?"
They'd shared dinner together and had spent the last few hours alone. The entire time, Will's mind had been occupied by something that made him feel uneasy.
Instead of sharing, Riker just sighed and shook his head.
"I don't want to think about it," he said.
"But you are," Deanna reminded him.
He hated that she was right. It had been so wonderful when they'd discovered their plan to get Data and Tasha back together was unnecessary.
Riker had felt like things were returning to normal.
However, his experience with Lore down on the planet had left him feeling unsettled. And while he had no proof Lore had any connection to the destruction on Tauphin IV, Lore's behaviour had struck him as odd.
"Will?" Deanna prompted.
"Lore," Riker said simply.
Deanna's expression instantly changed to one of deep concern.
"When we were down on the planet, he seemed almost, well," Riker paused as he searched for the proper description.
It was difficult to describe, and he wasn't comfortable implying blame. But he couldn't shake it from his thoughts.
"Amused," Riker settled on.
"Amused?" Deanna asked.
Riker nodded.
"Yeah. Like he got a kick out of seeing the planet wiped out," Riker shared.
Deanna's face darkened. Her whole mood seemed to shift.
And it did not go unnoticed by Riker.
"Imzadi?" Riker asked.
"That's unusual," Deanna said, hoping it would explain her reaction.
Riker's brow furrowed.
"Imzadi? What are you not telling me?" Riker asked.
"You know there are things I can't discuss with you," Deanna responded.