A/N: Aaaand I'm back.

This chapter is set following the events of "Angel One" and "The Romulan Incident."

As usual, this is smut. And it's sappy. If that's not your thing then kindly hit the back button.

Thank you to Charlie Fenwick for allowing me to expand on her story!


Angel One.

It was a planet that, by name, had sounded like a garden of Eden. It was a matriarchal society led by strong women that had carried on the tradition of their mothers and grandmothers.

Deanna in particular had been keen to make contact. After all, it sounded so much like Betazed.

In reality, the planet had been anything but.

Desolate and grappling with political instability during a period of rampant industrialisation, Angel One was at a critical moment in her history – not unlike Earth in the years leading up to the Bell Riots.

Led by a council of elected rulers, the head of the council had been a woman named Mistress Beata. She was a leader stuck in a difficult position between balancing the interests of the powerful, traditional values of her people against the growing calls for change.

Not everyone on Angel One agreed with the current government. Men in particular were denied the right to vote, own property, or seek education.

When survivors of a Federation transport ship had crashed on the planet years earlier, they had sparked a revolution that threatened to upend the old order – a thing many saw as a threat.

Angel One hadn't always been a haven of women's empowerment. In fact, hundreds of years earlier the women on that planet had been subjected to vicious oppression at the hands of Angel One's men.

And after an uprising, they had established a new order. One in which they would never be subjected to the whims of man again. Though it had been centuries, the fear of oppression remained strong. It was ingrained in the population as a warning to never again entrust men with leadership.

Though the current government was far kinder to men than the treatment their forefathers had subjected the women to, it remained that men still suffered from oppression, lack of representation, and harassment.

Prior to the arrival of the Enterprise, there had been growing calls for change from the Angel One Equality Movement – spurred by the charismatic and forward-thinking man named Ramsey that had been the Captain of the Federation vessel, Odin.

Ramsey had organised a large demonstration.

Such a bold action had resulted in a swift suppression known as The Great Crackdown.

Paranoia and fear of a Federation attempt to usurp Angel One were at an all-time high.

So when a Starfleet vessel – the Flagship no less – arrived, it only confirmed suspicions about an overthrow attempt.

Mistress Beata had taken a real shine to Data. And she'd been none too keen when those advances had been rebuffed.

It had required some considerable back and forth before Angel One had even confirmed the existence of the survivors from the Odin.

Commander Riker had remained behind with Mistress Beata while Tasha led the search accompanied by Deanna and Data.

Mistress Beata had made Data feel uncomfortable and he'd been keen for the chance to get away.


"Data, what's the best way to go about finding Ramsey and the other survivors?" Tasha asked.

Beata looked outraged.

"You look to a man for answers?" Beata hissed.

Tasha felt a flash of anger.

"Lieutenant Commander Data is-" Tasha started to say hotly.

"An android," Deanna finished for her.

'I know you want to defend him, but this isn't the time,' Deanna communicated to her friend telepathically.

"Android?" Beata questioned.

Data nodded.

"Although I am anatomically male, I am a synthetically constructed sentient being," Data explained.

Beata got up and began to circle Data.

"So you don't possess the kind of inferior male brain plagued by irrationality and emotion?" Beata asked. "Prone to hysterics. Lacking the emotional composure for leadership."

"I am constructed from tripolymer and duranium alloys, a reinforced skeletal structure, and molybdenum-cobalt alloy musculature protected by a bioplast sheathing that functions much like human skin," Data said as recited his specifications. "My total linear computational speed is rated at sixty-trillion operations per second."

Beata reached out and gripped his bicep.

"Reinforced indeed," she said as she squeezed his artificial musculature.

"Please remove your hand," Data requested.

He didn't like to be touched without granting permission. In asserting his own personhood, it was a critical line to draw.

Contrary to Data's request, Beata did not seem keen to comply.

"I said please remove your hand," Data repeated.

Tasha was about to intervene when Beata made a move to touch his face.

With android reflexes, Data's hand shot out and stopped her – centimetres from his jaw.

"I did not consent to be touched in this manner," Data stated.

"You seem to be much stronger than our men," Beata commented, impressed.

"As I have explained, I am an android. My strength and reflexes are far superior to that of any humanoid," Data said stiffly.

He felt uncomfortable. Something about the manner in which Beata was looking at him was reminiscent of humans he'd encountered in the past.

He'd seen that look before.

She was fascinated by his specifications, his unique nature.

But to her, he was nothing more than a machine.

A toy.

Something to entertain her and then be discarded when the next shiny attraction came along.

"An amusing notion," Beata said in a low voice.


Everything about their encounter had made Data's bioplast crawl.

The process of finding Ramsey had been easy enough. But their first meeting had only complicated the situation.

Ramsey and his followers had no desire to leave.

They'd fought long and hard to change things on Angel One. Ramsey himself was secretly married to one of Mistress Beata's council members.

They had expected to find a handful of survivors. Instead, the team had discovered dozens of families. Angel One was their home and they were willing to fight for it.

The whole incident had nearly resulted in the deaths of dozens of people – including the Starfleet officers under suspicion of attempting to overthrow Angel's One's government.

Fortunately, Mistress Beata had seen reason. And after some finagling on the part of Commander Riker, Beata had agreed to let them go.

It hadn't quite been the happy ending they'd envisioned – but there were more pressing matters.

There were Romulan ships moving toward a Federation Outpost on Calder II. Starfleet Commander had ordered the Enterprise to rush off to the Neutral Zone at maximum warp.

And that was the least of their worries.

In the forty-eight hours the away team had spent down on Angel One, the crew left on the ship had battled against an unknown ailment.

The virus had hit everyone in a different way and Data was the only person truly safe from the mysterious illness.

Captain Picard and Commander Riker had both been hit particularly hard. To make matters worse, Beverly's medical team were dropping like flies.


"That's it, now reinsert the cooling relay emergency chip," Data instructed.

Tasha looked down at the stack of isolinear chips in her hands.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to relax.

"The big blue one with the green and red spiral on the left," Data clarified. "Three down and two from the left."

Tasha fumbled through the chips until she found the correct one. Carefully she counted three spaced down and then two in from the left.

The team was less than two hours out from the Neutral Zone.

Less than twenty percent of the crew was still functioning, and they were losing crewmen left and right to the virus.

Whatever it was, it caused individuals to grow increasingly weak – collapsing on the job or on their way to sickbay. It also caused fever, chills, sweating, sore throat, respiratory problems, dizziness, and fatigue.

Doctor Crusher and her time were overwhelmed with ill patients as they raced to find an inoculant for the virus.

Because of the lack of crew left, Data was in command and Tasha was in Engineering as they attempted to keep the engines running at such a high speed.

They were racing at Warp 9.4 toward the Neutral Zone Outpost with nothing more than a skeleton crew.

One of Data's first actions as acting Captain was to radio ahead to advise of the emergency on the Enterprise & to get the ship in shape for an encounter with the Romulans.

It was a tall order given that there were very few people unaffected by the mysterious illness. Of the limited crew left, most had no general tactical or operational training outside of Academy basics.

Tasha wiped the sweat off her brow.

"Now you need to reconfigure the coolant flow to bypass the overexerted subsections on decks twelve through eighteen," Data instructed.

Tasha grumbled under her breath.

"Of course you can," Data replied.

Damn his android hearing.Tasha thought to herself.

Inside, Tasha was feeling entirely frustrated with the situation.

She had never told Data, but when Tasha had been discovered by Starfleet she could barely read. She knew enough to read the cargo manifests. She could handle basic mathematics – enough to make her dangerous on Turkana. And she could sign her name.

But beyond that, Tasha had been lightyears behind her classmates when she had started at the Academy.

"Data, this is way above my level," she grumbled.


Fortunately, Chief O'Brien had managed to fix the problem with the nacelles and make it back to Engineering in one piece. He relieved Tasha and she rushed off to focus on a task more in her wheelhouse – tactical systems.

They were just hours away from confronting a possible Romulan invasion force. The Enterprise was the 'big gun' in the area and would need to be in peak shape.

In the frantic scramble to keep the ship operational, Tasha had discovered that two of the reserve torpedo bays were offline.

Tasha knew that if the Romulans started a firefight, they would need those reserves loaded and ready.

Due to the labour shortage, Tasha had to load them manually by herself.

One-by-one the little green indicator lights came on signifying that the photon torpedoes were armed and ready for deployment.

Tasha was about to pull the second reserve online when the klaxons signalling Red Alert began to sound.

It was a sign they were less than two minutes out from their destination.


Up on the Bridge, the Enterprise dropped out of Warp to find the USS Berlin was alone. There was no telling if there were any Romulan ships cloaked and waiting.

At the very least, if they were cloaked they couldn't fire.

An uneasy silence fell on the Bridge as they waited in anticipation.

"Lieutenant, open a channel to the Berlin," Data said.

"Commander," Captain Donovan greeted as the viewscreen came up.

Captain Donovan went on to explain that based on the last sensor detection readings, the Romulan ships were likely waiting in the vicinity.

"We think they're cloaked," she explained. "Listening and waiting in the tall grass for us to make the first move."

Data's positronic brain whirled as he sought to distinguish the meaning of her idiom within the context of the situation.

"Acknowledged," he replied after a short pause.

Data blinked twice, abruptly struck by an idea.

"Captain, I believe we may have a way to detect the Romulan ships," Data informed her. "It will take approximately twenty minutes to set up the detection system."

"I've heard a great deal about you, Commander," Captain Donovan said with a smile. "May I say I'm not at all disappointed."

Once they had closed the channel, Data set to work.

"Computer, what is the location of Lieutenant Yar?" Data asked.


Thirty-six decks down, Tasha's feet finally hit solid ground.

Panting heavily, she leaned back against the wall as she caught her breath.

Glancing around, she realised the entire place was abandoned. In a way, it was spooky – not unlike the horror novellas that she read with Data.

"Bridge to Lieutenant Yar," Data's voice rang out from her combadge.

"Go ahead," Tasha responded.

"Please reconfigure the photon torpedo warhead yields on deck thirty-six," Data ordered. "Set for high energy burst level six."

Tasha's brow furrowed.

She wasn't sure what Data's plan was, but she trusted him.

"Two torpedoes should be sufficient," Data added.

"We are about to attempt to target one of the Romulan ships," Data informed the crew.

"Sir, a high energy blast won't penetrate Romulan shields," Tasha responded.

She was confused as to why Data would have her lower the output of the torpedo.

"Using the tachyon signature as a guide, I believe we can detect their cloaked vessels," Data explained. "The signatures will not last long."

Tasha still didn't comprehend his end goal.

She wasn't sure if it was the virus or the situation that made her nauseas.

Tasha put her hands on her hips and dropped her head as she tried to fight back the urge to vomit.

Data ordered Worf to be prepared to initiate radiation protocols on the lower decks.

"Tasha, this will flood decks thirty-one through thirty-eight with radiation," Data warned.

"Understood, sir," Tasha responded.

It certainly wasn't the first time she'd been in a torpedo bay that was active.

They both knew it wouldn't be deadly – but it would hurt.

Well, the radiation impact itself wouldn't hurt, but the effects would.

Tasha sat down against the wall and braced herself for what was to come.


"Sir, how do we know the Romulans won't open fire in response?" Worf inquired.

"We don't, Lieutenant," Data replied.

Data was taking a serious gamble with an opponent that was more devious and strategically minded than any other Empire Starfleet had ever faced.

It was his hope that detection – and detection only – would be enough to turn them back.

Data knew the Romulans didn't want to be responsible for starting another war. By firing a high energy, non-destructive blast, Data was hoping to send a message that they were spotted crossing into Federation space.

"We're ready, sir," Worf advised.

"Fire," Data ordered.

Tapping the Tactical station, Worf launched the two reconfigured torpedoes.

Approximately 200 kilometres ahead, they impacted the cloaked Romulan shields.

The high energy burst temporarily made the cruiser visible as the blast rippled and dissipated over the shield.

A moment later, the crew watched in awe as a Romulan battlecruiser decloaked ahead.

For most, it was the first time they had ever seen such a ship.


Guinan froze. She squeezed her eyes shut and clutched her stomach as an unnerving chill gripped her.

Glancing out the window, she watched as a Romulan battlecruiser decloaked ahead of the Enterprise.

A collective gasp went around Ten Forward as those who were still conscious noticed the vessel.

With the lack of sickbay beds available, Ten Forward had been temporarily converted into an extra space to house patients. It allowed the limited medical staff to focus their efforts rather than running from one person's quarters to the next.

Guinan put her hand on the wall to steady herself.

She couldn't explain it, but she could sense resentment and anger radiating through the atmosphere – like a bitterness that had grown out of a festering emotional wound.

Equally as powerful was an aura of fear and longing. It was similar to the kind of ache Guinan had picked up on from former Bajoran prisoners of war that had spent years yearning for freedom.

Guinan had survived the Earth-Romulan war more than a century earlier.

She had seen first-hand how strict Romulan imperialism could be. During the last war, they had killed millions without ever even showing themselves.

The Romulans had carefully selected civilian targets with the intention of causing so much destruction that public outcry would demand surrender.

And now it felt as if there was a shadow that had converged in this place, a spectre that was out of alignment with time and space.

And Guinan couldn't shake the feeling that somehow this had a ripple effect on the universe.

"Guinan?" Doctor Crusher asked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Guinan said, using the wall to steady herself. "I just need some air."


"Take weapons systems offline, Lieutenant," Data ordered.

"Sir?" Worf asked, concerned by Data's command.

"A sign that our intentions are not aggressive," Data explained.

With great reluctance, Worf powered down the phasers and deactivated the torpedo bays.

"They are hailing us, sir," Deanna advised.

"On screen," Data acknowledged.

He was keenly aware of how important the next few minutes could be to history.

"This is Commander Data, acting Captain of the USS Enterprise," Data began. "Romulan vessel, you have entered Federation space in violation of the Treaty of Algeron. Please withdraw back across the Neutral Zone."

The Romulan onscreen seemed unphased by Data's statement.

He cocked his head to the side.

"It would seem your ship's complement is looking a little sparse these days," the Romulan commented as he observed the bridge.

Data kept his face neutral. He did not want to react.

"The Android in command, the Empath running Operations, a child at the helm," the Romulan said with an air of disdain. "And do my eyes deceive me or is the Klingon running your Tactical operations?"

Data's ultra-sensory hearing allowed him to pick up on a faint growl from Worf.

They were both thinking the same thing.

This Romulan's statement seemed to confirm the suspicions Tasha had held for months.

There was undoubtedly a Romulan spy, or spies, onboard.

"Should I be insulted that Jean-Luc Picard is not here?" the Romulan inquired. "Is a Romulan fleet of such little importance to the Federation's Flagship captain?"

Data determined it would be best not to acknowledge the comment.

"You are in Federation space," Data repeated. "Withdraw back across the Neutral Zone."

"No Commander Riker?" the Romulan shrugged.

Data considered the possibility that the Romulan was attempting a strategy of delay in order to power weapons or complete some act of deception.

"And what of Natasha Yar?" the Romulan asked.


Tasha rested her head back against the wall and took a series of slow, deep breaths.

She was going to be sick.

But we're still here. She mused.

Tasha knew from her Academy studies that during the last Earth-Romulan War, the Romulans had used crude atomic weapons to wipe out millions of people.

While their arsenal had advanced, their predilection for total annihilation had not changed.

Thus far, the Enterprise had not taken any hits from Romulan weaponry.

However, the klaxons were still blaring, signifying the ship was still at Red Alert.

Which likely meant the Enterprise and the Romulans were talking.

Tasha shivered.

She was suddenly so cold she wanted to pull her jumpsuit sleeves back on.

It had to be the fever.


"Identify yourself," Data demanded.

"General Morak," the Romulan stated. "Supreme Commander of the Fleet of the Romulan Star Empire."

"Your presence could be considered an act of aggression," Data warned.

He was mindful to keep his tone polite, but firm.

"But it is you who have fired upon us," Morak retorted.

"A non-destructive high-energy burst to inform you that we are aware of your presence," Data countered. "Our capabilities allow us to confirm that you have experienced no damage to your vessel."

There was a tense pause.

"Withdraw back across the Neutral Zone," Data ordered.

Taking a page from his study of human body language, Data rose from the Command chair in an effort to reinforce that his statement was a command and not a request.

"If it were our intention to destroy you, we would have done so by now," Morak sneered.

Data knew the Romulan General was right. Turning on his best Sherlock Holmes impression, Data went to work.

"I do not believe it is your intention to start an open conflict today," Data explained. "It is my belief that your presence in this location is for the purpose of an informational exchange with a Romulan agent aboard this vessel."

General Morak did not respond verbally.

"And your conversation is nothing more than an attempt to buy time," Data concluded.

Morak grinned.

"I do look forward to our next meeting," Morak said, bidding them farewell.

The channel disconnected and the ship cloaked, vanishing before their eyes.

"Lieutenant, please run a scan to see if any objects were ejected from the Enterprise," Data ordered. "Cross reference locations with personnel access."

"Aye, sir," Worf responded.


After checking the ship's logs, Worf and Data were able to determine that an object had been launched from the Enterprise using a waste disposal chute.

"It was as soon as we dropped out of Warp from the refuse lock on deck twelve," Worf explained.

Data scanned the results.

Deck twelve was one of the primary decks of the saucer section. It housed sickbay, the nursery, the physical therapy treatment centre, and several scientific labs.

All crewmembers had access to deck twelve.

And with the crisis onboard, most of the people on the ship had been in or out of the area in the last twenty-four hours.

It was perfect for hiding in plain sight.

Too perfect. Data thought.

"Sir, once the virus is under control, I recommend we have Doctor Crusher look for any evidence that this virus was intentionally introduced to the ship," Worf suggested.


It took Beverly several hours to finally identify an inoculant to the mysterious contagion. She shared Worf & Data's suspicion that it had been intentionally introduced to the ship.

However, treating the infected was her first priority. An investigation would have to wait.

With the discovery of an inoculant, the USS Berlin had beamed over a relief crew to assist the Enterprise and Data went to check on Tasha.

He knew she had been down in the lowest part of the ship during the crisis. Those decks had been flooded with radiation. Due to safety precautions, those decks were locked down during Red Alert.

"Data to Crusher. Is Lieutenant Yar in sickbay or Ten Forward?" he inquired.

"I'm sorry, Data," Beverly responded. "At this time, I still do not have the medical staff available to get down to deck thirty-six."

She felt terrible, Data had previously asked her to dispatch a team – only Beverly didn't have the staff.

Data understood.

"Belay my previous order, Doctor," Data advised. "I will see to it."


It took Data twenty-eight minutes to reach the reserve torpedo bay on deck thirty-six. He had stopped on his way down to retrieve a medical kit.

When the door slid open, Data spotted her against the wall approximately five metres away.

Kneeling down next to her, Data opened the kit and prepped the appropriate hypospray.

He could read her body temperature was elevated – likely from the virus.

She grimaced when he administered the hypospray.

Tasha turned her head to the side to look at him.

"Hey," she said lazily.

She grinned at him, eyes half-open as she registered who he was.

"It will take several hours for the radiation treatment to work through your system," Data explained.

Tasha nodded.

She'd been through the drill plenty of times.

"You will likely be more comfortable in your quarters," Data suggested.

"In a minute," Tasha said.

She wasn't sure she could move without getting sick.

"You did good work today, Commander," Tasha told him.

Data smiled.


It had been nearly twenty-four hours since the situation at the Neutral Zone and everyone had been eager to get back into a routine of normalcy.

Over the course of the last day, everyone aboard had been treated with the inoculant and most were making a steady recovery.

Tasha was in Deanna's office working on a recovery of her own.

Mental recovery.

Since their mission on Angel One, Deanna had been picking up on a strong sense of guilt emanating from her friend. At first, Deanna had suspected it was because they were unsuccessful in fully obtaining rights for Ramsey and the other men.

But the more she was around Tasha, the more she suspected that was not the case.

This felt deeper.

Older.

Deanna had danced around it during their weekly session, attempting to allow Tasha to bring it up in her own time. But they were reaching the end of their allotted time and Deanna decided she would have to confront the issue directly.

"Tasha, why am I sensing a feeling of guilt?" Deanna inquired.

The conversation with Ramsey on Angel One had triggered strong feelings in Tasha about the planet of her birth.

Tasha looked down and picked at her fingernails.

It was hard to describe it to Deanna.

Although Tasha would gladly sing the praises of therapy, a part of her knew that no amount of training could ever prepare the Betazoid counsellor to fully understand what she had experienced.

"I have a sister, Deanna," Tasha said bluntly.

Deanna was shocked.

In all of their counselling sessions, Tasha had never before mentioned having a sister. The information was not contained in her personnel file.

In fact, the only person Tasha had ever told was Data.

"And you're feeling guilty because she is still on Turkana?" Deanna pondered aloud.

Tasha shook her head.

"It's a lot more complicated than that," Tasha replied.

Tasha closed her eyes. She knew they only had about fifteen minutes left in their session – and the saga of her relationship with Ishara would take much longer than that.

"Look, the short of it is the situation with Ramsey hit a little too close to home," Tasha explained.

Ishara had joined the Coalition shortly before Tasha had left. The last memories of her time with Ishara were not pleasant. The two Yar siblings had fought – relentlessly – over their opinions on the matter.

Ishara was determined that they had a responsibility to join the civil war. She felt Turkana was worth fighting for.

Tasha was adamantly opposed. In her mind, Turkana was already a lost cause, and their only hope was to escape.

When Ramsey had passionately discussed his fervent desire to remain on Angel One, it had left Tasha feeling like she had been selfish.

"The only thing I ever cared about was getting off that planet," Tasha confessed. "I put everything I had into leaving. I only cared about myself."

Deanna was about to interject when Tasha continued.

"You have no idea what I did to get out of there," Tasha said.

She looked away to the wall and took a shaky breath.

"Terrible things, Deanna," Tasha said quietly.

In some way, Tasha had always felt an obligation to others because she reasoned she owed the universe. Tasha considered it penance for the selfishness of having escaped.

"You know there's a phrase on Turkana," Tasha paused and took a shaky breath. "Loosely translated it means those who achieve, do so by paying with a piece of their soul."

Tasha could feel her throat grow tight. She swallowed hard as she tried to stop herself from crying.

"I paid that price to leave, Deanna. I chose to run away," Tasha said. "And in doing so, I lost a part of myself."


The next evening, the senior officers were in Ten Forward.

With everyone back up and healthy again, the investigation into the Romulan situation had been completed.

The results were less than satisfying.

There was missing equipment, copied logs, and Doctor Crusher's initial research indicated the virus was manufactured and intentionally introduced to the ship.

"An airborne weapon designed to incapacitate our crew," Beverly said.

Everyone was in need of a stiff drink. On cue, Guinan arrived with a new round.

"Alright I've got a Samarian Sunset for the Counsellor, another pint for you, Chief," Guinan said as she slid the drinks down the table.

She set a tall, blue drink down in front of Geordi before handing another glass of whisky to Data.

"What have you learned about this General Morak?" Commander Riker inquired.

Tasha shuddered violently.

At the same time, Guinan dropped the glass of wine she had been about to pass to Beverly.

Guinan and Tasha locked eyes.

Tasha's chest felt tight.

Guinan was overcome with a weird sense of foreboding.

"Guinan? Are you alright?" Worf asked.

Data turned to Tasha and repeated the question.

Tasha set her drink down on the table and frowned, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.

Beverly reached over and gripped Tasha's hand.

"You're as cold as ice," Beverly commented.

The Doctor pulled out her tricorder and quickly scanned the Security Chief and then Guinan.

"Sorry," Tasha shook her head. "I don't know what came over me."

"Yeah," Guinan seconded in a strange, faraway voice.

They hadn't stopped staring at one another.

Across the table, Deanna squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to try and shut Tasha and Guinan's emotions out of her mind.

There was pain.

Bitterness.

Fear.

While everyone was focused on one end of the table, Will Riker noticed Deanna was also struggling.

"Imzadi?" he whispered.

"This could be a residual side effect from the radiation," Beverly suggested. "Although if the three of you are experiencing it, I'm inclined to surmise it's the virus."

Beverly repacked her tricorder.

"I'll need to do some tests," Beverly concluded.

"I think I'm going to go to bed," Tasha announced, still maintaining eye contact with Guinan.

"Goodnight, Tasha," Guinan replied with a small nod.

Data left with Tasha, feeling she shouldn't be alone.

Guinan stayed for a moment, looking at nothing as if she were lost in thought.

As soon as they were gone, a collective look of confusion went around the table.

In the short time they had known Guinan, they had all picked up on her ability to seemingly read people and situations with an extrasensory perception.

"That was spooky," Miles commented.

"Ya think?" Geordi asked.


As soon as they reached Tasha's quarters, she ordered the computer to put a level one security lock on the door.

Data was temporarily taken aback as she lunged at him, pushing him back against the door, her lips pressed against his own- there was only one thing she wanted.

Data was confused.

Given her momentary flash of illness in Ten Forward, his neural net was struggling to resolve the discrepancy between that incident and her current actions.

The illness and abrupt change in her behaviour had been genuine. Data's sensors had registered the drop in her body temperature.

All of the evidence had indicated her desire to leave was motivated by the need for rest rather than feigning tiredness to slip away for the purposes of coupling under the guise of an early night.

"Don't overthink it," Tasha said as she nuzzled against him.

She snaked her arms around him and fumbled with the zipper on his jumpsuit, before hastily pulling it down to his waist.

Tasha traced over his shoulders her fingers ghosting along the bare musculature of his chest. She paused and looked up at him.

"Data, please," she said.

There was an urgency in her voice that Data had not heard since their reunion following the Edo incident.

Tasha couldn't explain it.

But there was an overwhelming need to reassure herself that they had each other - that she was alive.

And that they were together.

Tasha needed the kind of reassurance that could only come from soft words, gentle touches, and physical intimacy with the tender-hearted android that had captured her heart.

"Tasha are you feeling-" Data started to ask.

"Shhh," she said before silencing him with a kiss.

She shushed Data, her lips capturing his. Tasha's tongue darted out to skim the part of his lips. Data was concerned. This was all too sudden, too forced.

After a few seconds, Data put his hands on her biceps and gently pushed her off of him.

"Something is wrong," he commented.

Tasha stared up at him, unblinking.

"So much has happened. So much could happen," Tasha stated, stroking his hair. "And with you, I feel like even forever wouldn't be enough time."

Her comment struck a chord deep in Data's psyche.

"Forever would never be enough time," Data replied regrettably. "Because theoretically, I will have forever and you will-"

He couldn't bring himself to finish the statement.

Instead, he rested his forehead against Tasha's.

Tasha closed her eyes.

She hadn't meant it in that way.

It was a subject they'd talked about before and Tasha knew just how heavily it weighed on Data.

He feared the feeling of emptiness that would inevitably come someday when her human life expired and he would be left alone.

Tasha knew that Data would outlive her. There times it was hard to reconcile the pang of sorrow that came with that against the thrill of knowing that, even for a time, they would share this life.

There was something terribly romantic and tragic about it.

"We have now," Tasha whispered.

Data did not respond.

Tasha cupped his face and placed a tender kiss on his jawline.

"We have right now," Tasha repeated.

She didn't want to waste even a moment of that time.

"If that is your wish," Data replied in a low voice.

Tasha tucked an errant strand of hair behind his ear, wordlessly asking for permission to continue.

Data nodded.

He scooped her up into his arms and carried her into bed.

When they reached her room, he set Tasha down and then turned her around.

Data's fingers clasped the zipper at the nape of her neck.

"Then I shall endeavour to fulfil your request," he promised.

He unzipped the top of her jumpsuit and delicately slid it down just far enough to expose her shoulders.

"For gentleness," he said before placing a kiss on the spot where her left shoulder met her neck.

Tasha closed her eyes, taking solace in the feel of his breath against her skin.

"And joy," he went on, kissing the same spot on the right side of her neck.

"And love," Tasha finished.

"And love," Data repeated as he embraced her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Data could live in that moment forever.

But Tasha needed more.

She reached up and gripped his hand.

"Data," she whispered, urging him to get on with it.

When he didn't move, Tasha decided to take things into her own hands. She slipped out from Data's embrace and turned around.

Data watched in awe as she slipped her uniform down the rest of the way, over her arms and down to her waist.

She stepped off the bed out of her clothes, dropping them on the floor next to the bed.

Data was stuck, utterly captivated as Tasha sauntered back to him.

"Data," she said in a low, taunting voice.

Her lips hovering just next to his own as her fingers settled on the waist of his uniform.

Data swallowed. Hard.

Tasha grinned, pleased with herself as Data shuddered when she stroked him through his uniform. He involuntarily began to rut against her hand.

As quickly as her touch had come, it disappeared in favour of caressing his chest.

"My beautiful Data," Tasha said softly. "You know, I love you, Commander."

Data's internal coolant system was pumping hard in order to keep up with the increased stimulation. His neural net was in overdrive as Tasha overwhelmed his senses.

Tasha peppered kisses along the line of his neck, down the centre of Data's chest, and over his abdomen.

She paused just below his navel and glanced up, eyeing Data like a feline that had cornered her prey. Tasha flashed him a wry grin and then giggled.

"Tasha?" Data prompted.

"Commander?" she asked innocently.

Data felt warm as she pulled his uniform down over his hips in order to free his cock. The sharp, satisfied gasp from Tasha would have made Data blush if he were capable of such a function.

"I do believe you are excited," Tasha said softly.

Data shivered under her gaze. His cock twitched.

"Aww, don't be shy, Commander," Tasha teased as her hands worked their way up the back of his legs.

Tasha pressed a soft kiss to the outside of his thigh. Then she cupped his backside, squeezing just the right side of too much.

"Not when you have such a cute bum," Tasha said. "You know your uniform doesn't really do it justice."

"Tasha, I-"

"Shhh," she replied.

Data gasped as reached for his stiff cock.

"I really do love you, Commander," Tasha said, holding his gaze.

She blinked slowly before taking him into her mouth.

"Ohhh," Data shuddered the moment he felt her lips around his cock.

In the past, Tasha had never really much cared for oral sex with men. She had a complicated relationship with the act given her previous trauma.

But with Data things were easy.

There were no expectations, no demands.

It felt comfortable. It felt safe.

And the small, sweet noises that it brought out in Data were a nice bonus. Data enjoyed it too.

Although he was hesitant to ask for such tender treatment, it was always a delight – because Tasha was very skilled.

Tasha grinned as she felt Data run his fingers through her hair.

She gripped the base of his cock, gently stroking the bottom as she continued to work the top with her mouth.

Tasha ran her tongue along the underside of his cock, coaxing Data along toward his orgasm.

Suddenly, Tasha pulled back off of Data with a satisfying 'pop' as she released his cock. She nuzzled her face against Data, rubbing her wet lips along the length of cock.

"Data," she keened.

It felt wonderful to know that she could cause such a reaction in the ever-composed Data. Tasha relished the sensation.

Data's arousal made her feel beautiful, desirable.

There was a sharp intake of breath from Data as Tasha dove down and took the full length of his shaft. The tight pressure of his cock encased in her mouth felt incredible.

Tasha hummed happily around his cock. The vibration caused Data's bioplast to prickle with anticipation.

He watched as her head bobbed back and forth.

Tasha glanced up and grinned around his cock as she watched Data's head fall back.

It was slow and steady, the kind of sweet reassurance they both needed.

He was trying his darndest to stay perfectly still. Data didn't want to spook her or do anything that might surface unpleasant memories.

Tasha cupped his backside. Then she paused, planting a series of unhurried, sloppy kisses along the length of his cock.

"It's alright," Tasha assured him. "Let go."

Data glanced down and met her eyes.

"Let go," she repeated.

Data whimpered as Tasha began to kitten lick at his swollen head, her tongue darting out and skimming along the sensitive flesh.

"Come for me," she said before going down on him again.

This time Data had no such hesitancy. He reached down for Tasha's hand, his fingers intertwined with her own.

Data's free hand settled at the back of her hair.

Tasha keened, wordlessly granting Data permission to get on with it.

Data let himself go, rocking his hips as he thrust into the soft, warm heat of her mouth. Her tongue felt like heaven and all of the sensors in his bioplast were firing in rapid succession to send the sensation to the pleasure centre of his neural net.

A human penis had over four thousand nerve endings in the head alone. Data's own anatomy was equipped with nearly double the number of sensory receptors – a fact Tasha was eager to exploit.

All too soon, Data groaned and spilled himself on her tongue.

Tasha gripped his hips, urging Data to stay there.

His body jerked, desperate to escape the overstimulation.

Tasha smirked.

She could feel Data's hands were trembling. With the proficiency garnered from considerable experience, Tasha swallowed around the length of Data and then licked him clean.

Tasha planted a soft kiss on his tender tip before cupping the base.

She nuzzled against Data's thigh before resting her head there.

"I love you, Data," she said.

For a moment, Data said nothing. His power cell was beating so hard in his chest that it nearly drowned out all other sounds to his audio receptors.

Tasha's words were nearly muted.

But he could register that she was speaking and stroked her hair as an acknowledgement of what was said.

Silence fell on the pair as Data came back to the world. Tasha felt small and safe nestled against Data on her knees.

Data took a series of breaths to try and regulate his biofunctions.

His sexuality programme was still active – demonstrated by his rock hard erection. But his cock was still tender, and he squirmed from even the lightest touch.

Tasha's fingers ghosted across his thigh.

Data's hand shot out and gripped her wrist, stopping her just shy of his aching cock.

Tasha chuckled and glanced up.

Data shook his head. He couldn't find it in himself to respond verbally.

Tasha pulled herself to her feet and guided Data to the bed. Then she snuggled in next to Data. He wrapped his arm around her back while she traced shapes on his abdomen.

"Forgive me," Data said.

"Hmm?" Tasha prompted.

"I find I am momentarily, well," Data began to say.

He paused and swallowed.

"That was… intense," Data settled on.

Tasha bit back a grin.

"I am highly aroused but also uncomfortably stimulated," Data confessed.

He was terrified he would bust all over Tasha's bed were her hand to wander too close.

"Do you wish to stop?" Tasha asked.

"No," Data replied honestly.

Tasha saw her opportunity and seized the moment. She threw her leg over Data and slipped down onto his cock.

"Ah," Data whimpered.

"Mmmm," Tasha groaned as she sat back and clenched around the length of him.

Tasha made no move save for rolling her head between her shoulders.

"You feel so good," she said.

Data clutching the bedsheets, frantic for something to hang onto in order to ground himself. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a shaky breath.

Tasha cupped her own breasts and rolled her hips.

"Tasha, if you do not slow down-"

"But I'm not moving," she replied, feigning innocence.

Data whined as she clenched again.

"Tasha," he warned.

"I love the way my name falls from your lips," she said.

She began to slowly pull herself up and down the length of his cock, teasing Data with an almost achingly slow speed.

Or at least Tasha thought that's what she was doing.

Data's plea hadn't been dirty talk. He really was about to lose himself.

The moment she picked up the pace, Data's hands flew up and gripped her hips. His hips bucked violently. Data cried out as he came, holding Tasha tight against his body as he spilled himself.

Data's entire body twitched before he shot another thick load of biofluid deep inside of her.

Data froze. His eyes went wide.

"I-I-I am-"

Tasha was grinning from ear to ear.

"I am so sorry," Data stammered. "I did not mean to-

Tasha shushed him by placing a finger against his lips.

Data looked mortified.

"I am ashamed that I have ruined our lovemaking by ejaculating so quickly but," Data dropped his gaze, overcome with humiliation. "I fear that I was so-"

"Don't apologise," Tasha urged.

She buried her head against Data's chest, snaking her arms under his own.

"It's rather flattering," she admitted.

"Your tactics left me at a completely unfair disadvantage," Data argued.

"Awwww," Tasha teased. "You don't have to be embarrassed."

"In my understanding of human mating rituals, reaching orgasm at such an early stage is typically considered unsatisfactory," Data said.

"Baby, you never have to worry about unsatisfactory," Tasha assured him.

Data hissed as Tasha clenched around him. He was still buried deep inside her cunt, providing a stretch and sense of fullness that was deliciously delirious.

"Mmmm. In any case, I could stay like this forever," Tasha said. "I rather like keeping you snug inside of me."

All of a sudden, Data rolled them together so that he was on top.

"You do?" he asked.

"Uh huh," Tasha nodded, looking at up him.

"Like this?" Data asked.

"Yes," Tasha replied.

"Or do you prefer this?" Data asked, thrust into her once.

Tasha gasped.

"Yeah," she breathed as he began to move.

They were slow, dragging strokes – just enough to keep her on edge.

"Data, how are you-"

"My dear, if you are going to use unfair advantages against me then I am entitled to employ such tactics as well," Data responded.

His voice dropped.

"See how you like it," he growled.

He scooped Tasha up, pulling her tight against his body as he sat back. Taking a page of inspiration from Tasha's book of tricks, Data decided to flex his own skills.

Tasha rested her head against Data's shoulder as he bounced her on his cock.

"Data, Data, how can you-" she panted.

"I have manually deactivated a number of my sensory receptors," Data grunted.

"Whoa, whoa, stop," Tasha said.

Data froze.

Tasha sat back, gasping for air as she caught her breath. Then she frowned.

"Why? What do you… do you mean you aren't feeling this?" Tasha asked.

"That would be an accurate description," Data answered.

Tasha's heart sank. Data could sense there was something wrong.

"I am sorry. I did not mean ruin the moment," Data said.

There was an unmistakable look of disappointment in Tasha's eyes.

She reached up to cup Data's face and offered him a small smile.

"Data, I don't want you to ever turn off a part of yourself just to please me," Tasha said. "When we make love, I want it to be something we do together."

She paused.

"Always together," she murmured.

She didn't want Data to feel like he needed to perform for her benefit.

Data's brow furrowed.

"But we are engaged in this activity together," Data protested.

Tasha cocked her head to the side.

"Daaaataaa," she grumbled. "You know what I mean."

She reached up to play with his hair, wordlessly assuring him that there was no animosity between them.

"I don't want you to turn off your feelings just so I can, well, you know – making love is a team sport," Tasha said.

"Oh," Data said. "I believe there has been a misunderstanding."

Data knew he needed to clear a few things up.

"In the grand scheme of my bioplast sensors, I have only deactivated a small percentage," Data explained. "Only what was necessary in order to maintain my own comfort."

He pulled Tasha tight against his body.

"I can still feel you," Data whispered.

Tasha relaxed.

"I can feel your skin," Data said as he ran his hands across the length of Tasha's bare spine. "I can taste it."

Tasha shivered.

"I can still smell the lavender in your hair, the sugar in your body scrub," Data went on.

Data cupped her breast, his thumb brushing over her stiff nipple.

"I can feel how hot you are for me," Data said.

His breath was warm against her neck. Data stopped to press a soft kiss there.

"You are wet," he purred.

Tasha whimpered.

Data gripped Tasha's chin, forcing her to look back at him.

"How should I take you?" he asked.

Tasha bit her lip.

It made Data's heart melt. His expression softened.

He captured her lips. They fell back onto the bed together. Data guided Tasha's legs up over his hips as he began to drive into her.

His mouth worked down over the line of her jaw and across Tasha's collarbone before he dove in to nip at the swell of her breast. His tongue darted out to lave over her erect nipple before turning his attention to the other one.

As Data plunged himself into her eager cunt, he snaked his left hand between their bodies. This thumb found her swollen clit.

Before long, Tasha was squirming beneath him as Data's vibrating thumb drove her over the edge.

"Ah – ah – Data – Data, Data stop," Tasha said, catching his wrist with her hand.

Data collapsed on top of her, gently rutting against Tasha as she came down. Tasha clutched the back of his hair and pressed a kiss against his temple.

Data closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He shut out all his other external processes and focused solely on the sound of Tasha's heartbeat.

They stayed like that until the sound of Tasha's breathing changed, indicating that she had fallen asleep. Data gently pulled away. He spooned up behind Tasha and pulled the sheet over both of them.

Then he buried his face in her hair, grateful that she was there in his arms.

Data had no inkling of what had spooked Tasha earlier. Judging from the pleasant noises she was making in her sleep, their physical reassurance had been enough to push the darkness away for a few hours at least.

He tucked an errant strand of hair back behind Tasha's ear. Her lips were slightly parted, her face still flushed from their earlier activities.

Data watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she slept.

"I love you, Lieutenant," Data said softly, echoing Tasha's words from earlier.

He planted a quick kiss on her cheek and then settled in against the bed. He pulled Tasha against him before activating his rest programme.


The next morning, Tasha stirred and tried to stretch. She grinned when she realised she was flush against Data.

Instinctively, he tightened his grip.

"Mmmm, morning," Tasha murmured as she rolled over in his arms and snuggled down against his chest.

Data's hand rested on her back between her shoulders.

"Good morning," Data replied.

He brushed a kiss to the top of her hair.

They laid in silence for a time, simply enjoying the sensation of their bodies pressed together under the sheets until Data felt it would be alright to voice a question he'd clung to since the night before.

"Tasha," he said.

"Hmm?" she prompted.

"Last night. May I ask what it is that you were concerned with? You seemed almost afraid of something," Data inquired.

Tasha fell silent.

"You do not have to tell me," Data assured her.

He recognised there were parts of Tasha's life that she desired to keep private. Data had no wish to pressure her.

Tasha rested her head on his chest as she stared at the wall.

"Data?" she asked.

"I am here," he replied.

Tasha clutched his hand.

"I don't know what happened," she confessed.

The situation with the Romulans had terrified Tasha. The whole encounter left a bitter taste in her mouth – and not for the usual reasons.

"I couldn't stop thinking about the Romulans," Tasha shared. "I can't stop thinking about it."

There was a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, a darkness that had crept into the back of her mind. Tasha couldn't seem to shake herself from its clutches.

"About the Romulans?" Data asked.

"About being captured. I couldn't, I don't think I could live with myself," Tasha said.

There were horror stories of Romulan captives. Rumours had swirled for years about what they did to the likes of captured humans, Klingons, and other Federation prisoners.

It was a known fact they were often used as shock troops to swell the dwindling ranks of the Romulan military or put to work in the mines on Remus.

But there were whispers of captives kept in secret.

At best the murmurs spoke of forced domestic and farm labour. At worst, they spoke of illegal experimentation, weapons testing, and human trafficking.

There was nothing Tasha feared more than a cage.

"When I think about the Romulans, I just feel this awful, suffocating feeling. It's like I can't breathe. Like I'll never be able to breathe again," Tasha confessed.

Her chest was tight. Tasha's face grew warm as tears began to prick at her eyes.

"It is alright," Data said, stroking her hair.

"I don't know why I feel like this," Tasha admitted.

It was confusing and terrifying. The fact Tasha couldn't really explain it only added to her frustration.

"I must confess, I am not sure what to say," Data said. "Knowing what we do of the Romulans, such a fear is well founded."

He held Tasha a little tighter.

"But I do not believe that will ever happen to you," Data said.

Statistically, Tasha was far more likely to die on the Bridge at her Tactical station than be captured. Data had no doubt in his mind that if they were to ever find themselves in open conflict with the Romulans, Tasha would fight to the bitter end.

But he also knew such a statement offered little reassurance.

"You will die in my bed," Data remarked.

He wasn't sure how he knew that – only that he did.

Tasha chuckled.

"You seem awfully sure of that," Tasha said.

It was the second time Data had made such a statement during the course of their relationship.

"I am uncertain how I know – only that I do," Data answered. "And that it will be many, many years from now."

Data sighed.

"And that when it comes, you will be surrounded by love," Data said.

Tasha relaxed.

"I always feel that way when I'm with you," Tasha replied.