Author's Note: Thank you for all your support. Enjoy the double drop!

This chapter and the next conclude the Enterprise-C arc.

This chapter gives us a little more insight into Captain Rixx. I simply adore Michael Berryman. He's an absolute gem and I was always sad they didn't bring his character back for more of a conclusion with the Conspiracy arc (more on that to come).

Trigger warning: Strong language, violence, injury, death, big honkin' space guns.

The next roadmap is below. There are a number of fun chapters in the next arc to break the tension.

ROADMAP:

Contagion

The team race to the aid of the USS Yamato to prevent an important Iconian discovery from falling into Romulan hands.

A Night At Ten Forward

On the eve of her return to Earth, the situation on the Enterprise deteriorates. In the midst of a possible mutiny, Ten Forward becomes an escape. Wine, beer, and music all flow freely as the team decides to face the music and dance.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics

The Enterprise arrives at Earth to discover a changed Starfleet Command. An effort to root out Romulan infiltration leads to disastrous results for the team.

To Hell… / …and Back

The conspirators make a fatal error by underestimating Data.

Reassigned, scattered, and destitute, the team learns that family is both a liability and an asset – and just how far they'll go to protect it.

The Replacements

There's no reprieve when the team is recalled to the Enterprise for an emergency. In the wake of the Romulan conspiracy, no one is certain what comes next. The team devise a plan to stay together after a rumour circulates that Starfleet Command intends to split the crew up.

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

News of a surprise wedding leaves the team reeling. But this is the Enterprise. Cold feet is the least of their problems.

So I leave you softly long before you miss me
Long before your arms can beg me to stay
For one more hour or one more day

- Giorgio Calabrese & Hal Shaper

"Welcome to the USS Thomas Paine," Rixx said.

The slender Captain hauled Tasha to her feet.

"You'll forgive me if I skip the tour," Rixx said dryly as he resumed his position in the Command Chair.

"What are you doing out here? Timely arrival," Tasha asked as she dusted off her uniform.

Rixx merely cocked an eyebrow.

"Later, right," Tasha said.

"Sir, we're detecting another energy build up from the Romulan ships. There's a second vessel on an intercept course," the helm advised.

Worf.

"You know what to do," Rixx said.

The USS Thomas Paine moved to intercept the beam directly, shielding Worf's ship from the blast. As a heavy cruiser, she had one of the most impressive shield arrays in the entire fleet.

"You sure this old rust bucket is going to hold?" Tasha asked as the Bridge shook.

Rixx shot her a deadpan look.

"Did you just call my ship a rust bucket?" he asked.

Tasha froze.

"An engineer at the Utopia Planitia shipyard promised me three years or a hundred million lightyears on the shields – whichever came first."

Rixx had always had a dark sense of humour.

"I probably should have bought the extended warranty," he said with a dramatic, feigned sigh.

Tasha just shook her head.

"Rail gun two, if you please," Rixx called after her.

"Aye, sir," Tasha acknowledged.

The Thomas Paine featured six independently firing weapons arrays colloquially known as 'rail guns.'

The description couldn't be further from the truth. They housed a store of photon torpedoes, reserves, and dual phaser banks.

Two were located on the Bridge. The other four were scattered about the ship. The idea hinged on decentralisation of assets and was born from a time when the threat of a Klingon boarding party was still a frequent occurrence.

The design had been phased out in favour of the centralised model like that of the Enterprise-D.

Over the last century, the Thomas Paine had been shot at, shot through, boarded, and wrecked on the surface of Fendurat IV.

Somehow, this behemoth of a ship had limped back to starbase. Broken, but salvageable.

She had more retrofit parts and pulled hull dents than the ships used by Acamarian raiders.

Rixx thought her scars were beautiful.

They send a clear message not to mess with my ship. He mused.

Tasha had spent some time on the Thomas Paine and was familiar with the layout. She took up her spot at rail gun two.

"Captain, the other attack fighters," Tasha said, drawing Rixx attention to Worf and the others.

Their drones were depleted. They were no match for the swarm of Romulan Snakehead fighters.

"Three of my Security Officers. I'm sure they could be more use here," Tasha called back over her shoulder.

"Let's put them to work," Rixx agreed.

Data didn't blink.

It was too loud.

All around him people were shouting as sparks flew.

Verax was pointing at the viewscreen overhead. The work came to a sudden halt as everyone turned to see the newest shadow in the battle above.

Data had observed the change in light level as a new ship took up a position over them.

He didn't care to look up.

A singular, dark thought consumed his mind.

Data had the sudden urge to fire that Iconian superweapon at the nearest Romulan planet. He wouldn't just stop at Ekloire Starbase.

He wanted to destroy these ships. Their outposts.

Hell, Data would turn the damn thing on Romulus itself and turn their empire to ash.

None of which would bring back Tasha.

A heavy, crushing sense of guilt settled in his core. Data dropped to his knees and clutched his chest. His power cell felt uncomfortably heavy.

He wanted to be deactivated until these feelings had passed.

Data didn't like them. He didn't want them.

And he couldn't stop them.

The very thought that he could even consider lashing out with such destruction left Data afraid of himself and what he was capable of.

Data squeezed his eyes shut and poured all of his energy into the manual shutdown of the excretory ducts in the nasolacrimal biofluid storage chamber under his eyes.

Tasha had always been so proud of the way Data was the voice of reason, the defender of all creatures great and small.

He was the one that had cried foul at the destruction of Minos, the man that had wept for the senseless annihilation of a nest of baby birds.

Tasha wouldn't sacrifice her values for anything – even telling Q to take his 'gifts' and shove off.

Had not. Data corrected himself.

Tasha Yar would never make that choice again.

Data felt a flutter of amusement as a strange thought popped into his mind.

Were Q to suddenly pop in, snap his fingers, and Tasha Yar were to appear at his side, Data could just picture her climbing onto her soapbox to cross her arms and demand Q restore things the way they were supposed to be – even if it cost Tasha her own life.

There was a hand on Data's shoulder.

It was Lieutenant Barclay. He drew Data's attention to the ship overhead.

"Sir. There's another ship!" Barclay repeated.

NCC-65530.

Their hail was choppy from the static. But the message was clear.

"This is the USS Thomas Paine. Can we render assistance?"

A cheer went up, echoing throughout the room. For a moment, the bombardment didn't matter – they weren't alone anymore.

"I repeat, this is the USS Thomas Paine. Can we render assistance?"

Data blinked slowly. He tried to cling to his duty, but was overcome with grief.

"My Operations Chief tells me I better not try beaming anyone through that shield. Is there anything we can do from out here?" Captain Rixx asked.

The interference cut in just as Captain Rixx was speaking.

"- managed to beam-"

"Say again?" Data requested.

The communications system popped.

"-beam aboard four of your people," Captain Rixx concluded.

There was a small pause.

"Four people?" Data asked.

Data staggered.

"Lieutenant Yar?" Data pressed – he had to know.

It felt like Data's power core jumped into his throat when Tasha's voice rang out.

"I'm here," Tasha said.

If Data thought his emotions were out of control before, the sound of Tasha's voice left him with an uncomfortable mix of relief, confusion, and (if he were being honest) anger.

"You are… safe?" Data asked.

Data couldn't see Tasha, but he had a feeling there was a smirk on her face.

"The universe couldn't kill me if it tried," Tasha remarked.

Richard Castillo dropped down behind the nearest console to hide from the others, laughing as he wept.

If only you knew. Richard thought.

Data swallowed down his emotions and turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

For the moment, the Thomas Paine was taking the brunt of the disruptor fire. It wouldn't last long under the pressure of three Romulan ships.

"What's the ETA for getting that superweapon online?" Rixx pressed.

Data didn't bother to ask how or why Rixx knew of their plan.

"Captain, your shield will fail in thirty-seven minutes," Data warned.

"That's the thing. I'm hoping I don't have to last that long," Rixx replied.

He didn't seem remotely bothered by the possibility of facing down three Romulan D'deridex-class cruisers.

Over at the main Operations console, Reg Barclay's face lit up with surprise.

"Uh, sir? Sensors are detecting t-t-two more ships incoming," Barclay announced.

Reg had checked three times to ensure he wasn't seeing things.

Barclay glanced up from the screen.

"They are not Romulan."

Azura and Portunus had a full view of the spectacle from the private shuttle on the underbelly of the Caelus.

The two massive shadow hounds sat in front of the viewscreen window with pristine posture. Their ears up and alert, their tails wagging with excitement. They barked each time one of the small Iconian attack fighters or a Romulan Snakehead zipped past the window.

All of a sudden, a low growl filled the air.

Portunus and Azura took up a defensive stance and began to snarl at the window.

Portunus ducked low and began to back away from the window. Azura snapped at nothing as if she could sense some kind of evil aura.

Their behaviour was starting to make Merul nervous.

"Shhh," Liran said in a soothing voice.

He dangled a treat in front of them.

"Good dogs. Do you want a treat? Hmm?" Liran asked.

But there was no calming them. They were too worked up.

"Oh, shut it will you?" Merul hissed.

Liran glared.

"She'll have your tongue if she hears talk to her babies like that," Liran warned.

"She can have my tongue anytime she likes," Merul threw back.

Liran was about to tell him off for being smart when the dogs leapt at the window, jumping and barking.

Liran and Merul were right behind them, pressing their faces against the viewscreen.

"What the hell?"

There was a bright flash of light as two ships dropped out of warp.

"Lock on target and fire at will!" Captain Picard ordered.

"Photon torpedoes launched," Ensign Lawson reported from her position at Tactical.

"Shields are holding," Lieutenant Platt advised.

The Bridge was a flurry of activity as the Night Watch crew worked to keep pace with the Romulans.

"Sir, one of the ships is breaking off," Lieutenant Hawk announced.

"Lay in a course to pursue," Picard ordered.

Jean-Luc wasn't a man to shoot first and ask questions later. He would have preferred to open a channel of communication - but this was no hostile rendezvous or run-in with an aggressive Talarian freighter.

More than one thousand people called the Enterprise home and Jean-Luc was obligated to ensure their safety.

"We cannot let that ship go to warp," Picard commanded. "Hail the Yamato. They're going to try and draw us into three separate conflicts. We need to focus on them one at a time. Pick them off."

With the Romulan ships now occupied by the arrival of two Galaxy-class ships, the Thomas Paine was free to do what she did best.

"Start with a wingover. Let's open all batteries and show them what we can do," Rixx ordered.

The ship rippled, executing a sharp one hundred and eighty degree turn with precision.

Worf and Tasha were on the rail guns. Using the advanced targeting sensors, they locked onto a critical system and fired.

It wasn't enough to break through into the coolant storage – that would take another two or three passes.

"Bring us around for another pass," Rixx ordered.

"Commander? What's the hold up?" Captain Varley asked.

His Tactical officer had gotten gun-shy.

"Sir, I…" he stammered in disbelief while gesturing at the viewscreen. "This is a violation of the Treaty of Algeron. An act of war!"

"Then let's be sure we leave no doubts about our intentions here," Varley said coolly as he turned back in his chair. "Do I need to replace you?"

The officer gulped.

"N-no, sir. Right away, sir," he answered.

"Good," Varley replied with a small nod.

A strong blast rocked the Enterprise. It was followed by a second, equally powerful hit as the Romulan ships took up a position against the flagship.

They were following the same strategy and focused all their energy in targeting the Enterprise.

The Red Alert klaxons blared. The corridors were empty.

From his place on the floor of his family quarters, Wesley watched as two Romulan Snakehead attack fighters whizzed past.

Outside of his window the battle raged.

Wesley had been in combat situations before. He'd sat at the helm when they flew into take on the Cardassian contingent at Starbase 118.

But this was different.

His mother was out there somewhere.

Sela crept down the corridor with a fresh batch of troops. They were preparing to lead another attack on the power cell.

Without warning, Sela stopped. She threw up her hand, signalling for the rest of the team to halt.

She cocked her head to the side and strained her ears to listen.

"Why has the bombardment stopped?" Sela said with a scowl.

Had her father's armada arrived?

There was a significant plasma storm that had disrupted their communications. Estimates predicted it would last for hours.

There was no way to know if the messages had gotten out to the rest of the fleet.

Sela didn't think it was likely that Starfleet had brought the weapon online. She doubted anyone in Starfleet could read Iconian and certainly not at her level – even the android.

"Commander?"

It was one of Sela's officers from the Caelus. She had beamed over with the latest batch of troops. She appeared shaken.

" Speak freely," Sela ordered.

"Subcommander Movar dispatched me with a message - three ships have dropped out of warp and taken up an attack position. They've engaged our ships," the Centurion said.

Sela's mouth curled. She fought the urge to shoot the nearest moving target.

"What ships?" she snapped.

Geordi sat back to wipe the sweat from his brow.

The disruptor fire meant the air temperature had risen considerably. All the instruments and diagnostic computers they had running contributed a fair amount of heat too.

An incoming message rang out.

Geordi sat back on his knees and took a slow breath.

"Say again?" Geordi asked.

"Reinforcements from Starfleet have arrived," Data announced.

Sonya laughed and clapped her hands with delight.

Geordi shot her a sympathetic look over his shoulder.

"I don't want to come down on you but-"

"Keep working. Right," Sonya said as she turned back to the dielectric crystals that formed part of the insulation system around the power cell.

"Data, if we've got ships here then that means the Romulans will probably send reinforcements," Geordi said.

"That is likely," Data agreed.

"And that's why you're contacting me," Geordi realised.

The deadline loomed.

"Data, how fast would it take a fleet of Romulan warbirds to get here?" Geordi asked.

"That depends entirely on the point of origin. In all likelihood, Ekloire Starbase would be the closest launch site. Assuming that all ships were ready to-"

"DATA!" Geordi pleaded.

There was exasperation in his voice that Data knew came with the onset of a migraine.

"Hours, Geordi," Data said.

It wasn't a very precise answer. Data couldn't narrow it down without more information. There was no telling where the Romulans would come from nor what size of force would be waiting.

"I don't know if I can get this weapon online in time," Geordi confessed.

The Romulans had done a real number during their failed experimentation. It would be at least another hour before Geordi could finish replacing the charred remains of the primary power coupling.

"Geordi, I believe it is time we consider other options. A backup plan in case we fail. We cannot allow the Romulans to regain control of this facility," Data said.

Sonya stopped working. She set down her sonic driver and turned back toward Geordi, praying she was picking up the wrong inference.

They exchanged a dark look.

"You're talking about destroying it," Geordi said.

Geordi detached his VISOR. He pinched the Bridge of his nose and grumbled.

"We cannot permit this weapon to fall into Romulan hands. It is inevitable that they will eventually overcome their power regulation issues," Data said.

"I know! I know!" Geordi growled. "I just-"

He paused.

"Data, we're talking about destroying not just this installation but a lot of other planets as well," Geordi pointed out. "Hell, if we were to eject and detonate this core it could be-"

"Catastrophic," Data finished for him.

His voice was tainted with uncertainty.

"Yeah," Geordi agreed.

Both men fell silent.

Eventually, Data spoke.

"Geordi, we may have to do this."

Data was right – but it didn't make the task any easier.

Worf's eyes narrowed as he held down the firing command button on rail gun three. He was directly across from Tasha on the Bridge of the Thomas Paine.

Worf beamed with pride as he took down one of the Romulan Snakehead fighters. It spun out and impacted the Iconian shield where it was destroyed.

"Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam," Worf remarked in his signature baritone.

"Not today," Tasha shot back.

She knew that in likelihood they wouldn't walk away from this one. They were in too deep now.

It was a good day to die.

But Tasha Yar was not about to admit that – not when things were finally going in their favour.

"You know, it doesn't matter what we do out here if they can't get that weapon online," Worf said.

"He's right. The whole outpost is crawling with Romulans. Dunno how they're getting through," Tasha explained.

Rixx scratched his chin as he mulled this over.

"What do you do when you can't find a way over or under a net?" Rixx asked.

"Cut the net," Tasha answered without hesitation.

Rixx smirked.

"Or in this case, find the hole," he said.

Captain Rixx turned to his Chief of Operations.

"Run a detailed sensor sweep of the shield grid. Focus on the energy pattern. Look for any anomalies in the natural fluctuations," Rixx ordered.

Outside the Operations Centre, the team did everything in its power to halt the Romulan advance.

They were vastly outnumbered.

"We need a new plan," Beverly said.

Miles glanced at the wall.

"This is-"

He trailed off and frowned, shaking his head.

"Never mind," Miles mumbled.

"What?" Beverly demanded.

O'Brien looked unsure.

"There's access panels that run the whole length of this corridor. That's how Verax and I were able to get back but.. well, they're narrow," Miles said. "It means one person at a time. Even if we send four or five people, they'd be like fish in a barrel in there."

"I'll go," Ensign Luis Cevallos volunteered.

"Nobody is going," Beverly said.

Luis opened his mouth to protest, but Beverly shut him down.

"The Chief is right, it's too risky. And there's nothing to be gained. We have nowhere to run," Beverly said. "There has to be another way."

A small ping caught their ears as a Romulan grenade landed in the corridor.

O'Brien dropped his phaser rifle so he could tug his sleeve down over his hand.

"You'll need to take advantage of this. I don't think I'll be much help," Miles said.

"What are you doing?" Beverly demanded.

"Plan B," Miles replied.

He hissed as he picked up the canister and tossed it back down toward the Romulans.

It detonated, blasting a dangerous phosphorus-like chemical in the midst of the Romulan line.

Beverly pulled O'Brien back into the alcove.

He'd seared the flesh on his hand - and blunted the Romulan attack.

The rest of the team rushed behind forward to take advantage of the momentary rout.

Beverly dropped down to look at the Chief's hands. It was a nasty burn. The heat from the canister had left the skin red and charred.

Beverly didn't have her kit. She'd left her supplies with Nurse Ogawa and the wounded.

"Go," Miles said.

His teeth were gritted. He clutched his hand close to his chest.

"I have to see to your-" Beverly protested.

"There's nothing you can do for me out here. Go," Miles urged.

"Alright, Data. Here we go," Geordi said.

Geordi was preparing to bring the power cell back online for a test.

If it proved successful, the next step was to reconnect the weapon itself and begin charging.

Everyone held their breath.

This test was the culmination of a long process – one team responsible for decoding and translating the Iconian systems. Data had run the calculations.

At the tail end, Geordi and Sonya had the arduous task of bringing it all together.

"Power is online. Levels are holding," Sonya advised.

"So far so good here. It's not even registering a drain," Geordi said while monitoring for any fluctuations.

He was still trying to wrap his head around just how the Iconians had managed to recreate and contain such a powerful energy source.

"Data? How are things looking up there?" Geordi asked.

There was a brief pause.

"Your calibration appears… steep," Data settled on. "But thus far, I have detected no abnormal power readings."

It was sweet relief to Geordi's ears and aching neck.

"Alright, let's bring it up to fifty percent power," Geordi instructed.

"Half power coming online," Sonya said, acknowledging the order.

The gentle hum in the computer system grew louder. Geordi was beaming.

"Now we're flying at warp!" he exclaimed.

No sooner had Geordi breathed a sigh of relief when the steady hum of the system grew louder.

And faster.

A spark flew out. Then by another one.

"Geordi, I am detecting a significant increase in the-"

"We know! We know!"

Geordi ducked to avoid a surge as the main relay blew.

"The backups!" Geordi shouted.

Sonya dropped her tablet. The backups had failed to initiate and would have to be manually activated. Otherwise, they risked overloading the system just like the Romulans.

Sonya tried to activate the override. There was a painful shock. Her body seized, locked in place by the electrical surge.

Geordi grabbed the nearest non-conductive part he could find and used it to push her off.

Sonya fell to the floor - twitching, but still blinking.

Geordi desperately wanted to check on her, but he had a duty to activate the backups first. None of them would make it if the system overloaded.

If it didn't work, Geordi would be electrocuted to death.

He cast a quick glance down at Sonya.

"If this doesn't work I… I just want you to know that-"

He paused and braced himself for the biggest shock of his life.

"I think I love you," Geordi squeaked before punching the manual override.

"What's happening?" Deanna asked.

Data's brow was furrowed. She could feel he was disappointed. That momentary sense of let down immediately transformed to dread.

"Data?" Deanna pressed.

"Something is wrong. The charging cell is losing power."

The system was shutting itself down sector by sector.

That in and of itself was disconcerting. There hadn't been so much as a peep from Geordi or Sonya since it started and that had him doubly worried.

"Geordi? Geordi, please advise."

There was only silence.

Geordi collapsed.

In his rush to activate the backups, Geordi had failed to detach his VISOR. The surge of electricity had shorted the system.

But that was just fine with Geordi.

He'd been wearing it for the better part of the last twenty-four hours and needed a break. Geordi felt like he'd been mowed down by a stampede of Klingon targs.

"Geordi? Ensign Gomez? Please respond."

Data was concerned. Geordi didn't have it in him to reach his combadge.

"This is Gomez. The backups are-"

She paused and whimpered. Everything hurt.

"It didn't work," Sonya said, cutting to the chase.

"It didn't work," Geordi groaned.

"No," Sonya said.

Geordi could just cry. He tried to sit up and fell right back down to the floor.

"Lieutenant La Forge needs medical attention," Sonya reported.

There was nothing they could do – they were completely cut off. Sonya needed a medic too. In all likelihood, she would die on that floor with Geordi.

If the Romulans didn't kill them first.

Sonya collapsed less than a metre away from Geordi.

"I… I think I love you too, Geordi," she confessed as her fingers brushed against his.

It was exactly as Data had feared. The calibration was off.

"I do not understand," Data pondered aloud.

He had checked the numbers.

Twice.

It could take hours to find the error.

"We probably messed up somewhere," Castillo said.

Richard and Verax weren't specialists or translators. Hell, they weren't even engineers.

"We'll just have to go over it again," Deanna said.

"That could take hours," Castillo said as he ran a shaky hand back through his greying curls.

His eyes fell on Data. It was like he could see an idea forming there.

"Start with the numbers. The calibration was off. It is likely that is where the error has occurred," Data said.

Richard nodded and dove back into the source material to cross reference their work.

While they took another look, Data checked on the status of the transporters. Geordi and Sonya needed medical attention. They may be unable to complete their work.

That meant they had to find a way down there.

"Mr Barclay, have you made any progress on the transporter functions?" Data inquired.

"No, sir. The Romulans are beaming aboard in regular intervals. I don't have the proper equipment to analyse the shield grid," Reg said.

Data turned to the viewscreen.

"And we cannot get a message out the ships," Data finished for him.

"Sir? Is Lieutenant La Forge going to be okay?" Reg asked.

Data hesitated.

"I will keep working," Reg said.

He got the message.

Data looked up at the battle that raged overhead. Sooner or later more Romulans would come.

It was only a matter of time before they were facing down an armada. Even with the miracle Iconian shield in place, they would only last a few hours at best.

They had to get the weapon online.

Data knew he could work twice as fast if only he could get down there.

"Commander? I don't know if this is a residual reading from the power drain or something else," Barclay began.

They were detecting a signal. It was a low frequency – too low for communications. Reg had been monitoring it for the last few minutes.

The only reason Barclay had even flagged it was the fact that it had a pattern. Anomalies didn't have patterns.

Anyone else would need communications equipment to patch the signal through. But Data could listen and decompress the file in real time.

"Do you think it could be the first sign of shield failure?" Barclay theorised.

"It is a message," Data said.

Backup incoming.

Data was less than enthusiastic to discover the 'backup' was Lieutenant Suharto and a four-person team.

"Commander," Suharto said with a firm nod.

She surveyed the room before turning back to Data and his obvious disappointment.

"Captain Picard is prepared to beam over additional support. We wanted to assess the situation first," she explained.

With the shield in place, it was difficult for the Enterprise to get sensor readings within the facility. Beaming over a team without knowing how or where they would end up could be disastrous.

There was no way to know if they would beam into a corridor full of Romulans or worse, a room exposed to space.

The team that beamed over came equipped with additional arms, medical supplies, a portable power generator, and a mobile communications transponder.

"That will not penetrate the shield," Data warned.

Suharto detached her pack and prepared to transmit a message back.

"You're right – at least, it won't for another nine minutes and sixteen seconds," she said.

"A gap," Data realised.

"Every thirteen minutes," Suharto explained.

That answered the question of how the Romulans were able to slip through the allegedly impenetrable field.

Data couldn't dwell on failing to figure that one out - there was work to be done.

Geordi and Sonya desperately needed medical attention and most of the defence teams were pinned down.

It would take nine minutes before they could get a message out to the Enterprise.

Then they would have to assemble a team and wait for the next available window.

It was at least another half an hour before they would have reinforcements.

"Counsellor?" Data asked Deanna. "Prepare to beam back. I need you to brief Captain Picard with the following instructions."

"You're planning to beam down there," Castillo realised.

Data paused just long enough to answer him.

"I will be able to more quickly assess the situation once I am in the same room as the power cell," Data said.

"I'm going with you," Castillo said.

Romulan Space | The Vindicta

His full name was Emperor Aquilo Aurelian Lucius Liberius Zenithar 'ri Volturnia. Divine Leader of the Romulan Star Empire.

Supreme Head of the Romulan Imperial Family.

Of the House of Paliurus - stewards of the Apnex Province, Regents of the Gelidis Isles, and Wardens of Reoite, Ratag, Melus, and Critora,

Son of Iconia.

The Crowned Eagle of his house.

He preferred 'your grace.'

Aquilo sank back into a plush leather chair. He threw his arms up on the back and surveyed his surroundings.

"I see you've put my funding to good use," Aquilo said.

General Morak chuckled as he poured the drinks.

"I spend more time on this ship than my estate and perform many of my formal duties in this very room – including entertaining dignitaries."

Morak handed his nephew the drink with a low bow.

"It seemed only fitting that it be up to the sort of standards we are accustomed to," Morak said.

Aquilo smirked over the rim of his glass. He expected no less.

"And yet, I hear your quarters on Ekloire are twice as grand," Aquilo remarked. "If reports are to be believed, they almost rival my own at the Imperial palace."

Morak feigned pleasant surprise, but the implication was not lost on him. Aquilo's comment was a warning, a reminder that Morak should mind his place.

"You're not Emperor yet, uncle," Aquilo said.

Morak, calm as ever, sat down across from Aquilo.

"It is my honour to serve you," Morak said as he raised his glass.

"Do not forget it," Aquilo warned.

"How could I when it was I who put you there," Morak replied coolly.

Aquilo's face soured.

"May I ask, how is your dear wife? We have so hoped for news that she is with child," Morak inquired.

It couldn't be further from the truth.

She was about as fertile as the arid wasteland of central Romulus. Twenty years of marriage and no heir had proved that theory correct.

This was no polite inquiry. Morak was rubbing salt in an old wound.

"Oh, forgive me," Morak said with mock concern. "Have I touched on a delicate subject?"

Aquilo recovered quickly.

"I am certain that once our victory is assured, good news will follow."

"Indeed, it is my hope we can conclude this victory with an Imperial wedding," Morak said.

"I might have known this wasn't just a tour," Aquilo snorted.

Morak shrugged innocently.

"It has been some time since we have spoken of the matter," Morak said.

"And you want me to approve the marriage contract between that Targ Duras and my dear cousin," Aquilo said.

His disdain was obvious.

"We must make our family strong through marriage," Morak urged.

"Our family? Or you?" Aquilo asked, cutting to the heart of the matter.

"Everything I have done, I have done for our family. Our Empire. The Divines."

Morak was laying it on thick.

"How fortunate their will so often aligns with your own," Aquilo said.

Aquilo was no fool. He knew precisely what Morak was up to. That was exactly why Morak had set his sights on an alliance that was appealing for both of them. It made it difficult for Aquilo to say no.

What remained to be determined was just how damaging this attractive alliance might prove in the long run.

"Once our victory is secured, they will be coming for you," Morak argued. "Your enemies will seek to take all you have gained for themselves. We must ensure we are strong enough to weather that storm."

After all, that was exactly Morak's plan.

"Duras brings fresh troops and ships. New sources of dilithium. He will end the Klingon Empire's alliance with the Federation," Morak went on. "We will renew the Old Alliance."

The Old Alliance.

In spite of their squabbles, the Klingons and the Romulans had previously shared an alliance between the two powers for centuries.

Until the Federation came along.

"The contract stipulates two children within the first three years," Morak continued with a casual shrug. "If - Divines forbid - our beloved Empress is unable to produce an heir, then our family line would be secured."

One heir to inherit the Paliurus claim to the Romulan Star Empire. And one heir for the Duras claim to the Klingon High Council.

"And you would be grandfather to both," Aquilo pointed out.

Morak didn't answer. He simply took a long sip of his drink.

Aquilo knew what came next. During his own formative youth, Morak had served as Regent before Aquilo was considered old enough to rule on his own.

His uncle was a wise man – but a heavy-handed guardian.

Morak had ruled through his nephew. He'd clung to power with ever increasing desperation as Aquilo grew into his own man.

"My network of spies tell me Duras already has a mate on Raatooras," Aquilo said.

"Duras is a passionate man. I find it makes the task of an heir so much easier," Morak retorted.

He was always prepared with an answer.

Suddenly an aide burst into the room. He was panting hard.

"What is it?" Morak demanded.

The aide handed over a tablet with an encoded message.

"Data burst. Plasma storm," he managed to choke out.

Morak's face darkened as he read the message. Three ships had departed Ekloire Starbase. They had now engaged three Starfleet vessels at Lantera.

"Is there a problem?" Aquilo asked.

"No. Not at all," Morak said, overly confident in his forces. "You're in for a real treat. A taste of what's to come."

"My lord, should we reroute to join the forces at Lantera?"

"No. We'll rendezvous with the fleet at Ekloire first. Then we can show them exactly what we're capable of," Morak boasted.

He raised his glass high.

"To victory," he toasted.

Lantera

"Jeffords, go," Riker ordered.

Riker and his time could no longer maintain their position.

Will shrank back against the wall, pressing his body there to make it as small as possible.

"Data? We're about to lose this corridor," Riker advised.

They had no choice but to fall back, regroup, and try to hold out as long as they could.

"The Romulans are prepping for something. So, whatever you're going to do-"

Sela and her team advanced down the corridor toward Riker's position.

They had just rounded the corner with their disruptors drawn when there was a sudden flash of light.

"Cease fire!" Sela shouted.

The exchange of fire stopped. An eerie silence descended on the corridor.

Two Centurions crept forward with their weapons firmly in hand.

Sela held her breath as they reached the first alcove. Then they stepped through the bulkhead.

"Clear," one of them called back.

Sela moved forward to investigate the sealed bulkhead that led to the power cell.

"They were beamed out," Sela said.

"Then this is ours," Korenus said with a smile.

"No. It means they must have figured out the same variance in the shield that let us slip through," Sela said with a deep frown. "Double the guard. I want everyone down here. And I need a team with plasma torch."

The door had been welded shut. It would take time to get through. But if they could hold this position, then they would be able to get in and regain control of the power cell.

"That wasn't a request! Move!" Sela barked.

Will Riker collapsed into the wall as he rematerialised on the transporter pad of the Enterprise.

"Here," Deanna said, rushing forward to support his weight.

He'd been on his feet for the better part of twenty-four hours. His back injury exacerbated the pain. He needed to move and stretch to keep the pain at bay.

Now that they were back on the Enterprise, Will could barely walk.

He hobbled down from the transporter pad where a medical team was waiting.

"Tell me where it hurts," Doctor Selar ordered.

Riker brushed her off.

"They're in a lot worse shape, Doc," Riker said as gestured to the rest of the team.

Doctor Selar went to work.

"Dislocated shoulder. Pupils are sluggish. Let's get this one to Sickbay."

Will started to limp toward the door.

"You as well, Commander," Selar ordered.

"I need to speak with Captain Picard," Riker protested.

Will found himself on the receiving end of one of Doctor Selar's signature disapproving eyebrows.

"It's alright, Doctor. Captain Picard sent me down here to get him," Deanna explained.

Deanna threw her arm around Will's waist to help support him as they headed for the lift. He squeezed Deanna's hand as a silent understanding passed between them.

They were both alive.

As soon as the lift doors closed, Riker let down his guard. As First Officer, he always had to be the strongest person in the room. He couldn't break down or show any signs of emotional strain.

He knew the minute the lift doors opened, he would have to put that mask back on – covering his own insecurities with a jovial attitude and charm.

"Imzadi," he breathed. "You're a sight for sore eyes."

"You look like hell," Deanna replied without missing a beat.

Her voice was teasing, but her smile was sympathetic. Riker did look terrible. He was bleeding above his eye. The left arm of his uniform was torn. The flesh below was scraped from the endless number of times he'd been tossed around.

"I'm tired," Riker confessed. "I'm tired of conspiracies and fighting and never knowing. I'm tired of watching over my shoulder and feeling like the bottom is going to drop out any moment."

The Enterprise was his home. Starfleet was his home. Yet, for months it had been a suffocating atmosphere of distrust.

"I just don't know how much more of this I can take," Riker said.

He paused to brush away the hot tears that had started to leak down his face.

"Maybe I'm not cut out for Command," Riker said. "Maybe I should… I dunno be a pizza chef on Risa."

"It wouldn't stop the Romulans. Sooner or later, they'll come for Risa too," Deanna pointed out.

Will pulled her close and buried his face in her hair.

"We could run away. Build a cabin on some remote planet. Gault? Nepenthe? Just you and me," Will said.

Deanna giggled.

"The day I follow you away from civilisation is the day you know I've been replaced by a Romulan imposter," she teased. "In any case, do you see my mother mucking it out to Gault?"

They both laughed at that.

The door to the Bridge slid open and Deanna flashed Will a reassuring smile.

"Number One," Picard said as Riker hobbled down the ramp. "I see there are some Romulans in the neighbourhood. They found you?"

"About five minutes after we finally got inside," Riker said. "And it's only a matter of time before they send in more ships."

"Mr Data thinks so as well. And he has a plan," Picard said.

Geordi heard the sound of the plasma torch cutter against the door.

"Sonya, can you get up?" Geordi asked. "Do you think you can get up into that access shaft again?"

It was a bit of a climb. Data had pulled her up into the shaft once before. But Data wasn't around this time.

Sonya might have been able to stack their toolkits and jump – if she had the strength.

"I… I don't think so," she admitted.

"You need to hide," Geordi said. "Those are Romulans cutting through that door. You need to get out of here."

"Geordi, I really don't think I can. In any case, what about you?" Sonya asked.

Geordi was in bad shape.

"I can't move. My VISOR is fried. I'll just slow you down."

His hands and feet were still tingling like a million needles were pricking his extremities over and over again. Geordi knew it was pointless for him to try and outrun the Romulans.

"Go," he urged.

"I'm not leaving you," Sonya insisted.

Sela rolled her shoulders. She glanced down at the pair of engineers working to cut through the door and sneered.

"This is taking too long," Korenus said.

"You of all people should recognise the virtue of patience," Sela said.

Before he could throw back a smart remark, a familiar shimmering noise filled the corridor followed by an acrid smell.

Then a cloud of gas.

"Fall back!" Korenus ordered.

He didn't wait for Sela's orders. Korenus grabbed her and rushed back to the nearest bulkhead.

"Seal it off," Korenus said as soon as they were clear.

There were at least thirty people behind them. In the chaos, the order to retreat had not made it to the rear of the line.

The troops were so accustomed to senior officers moving about they had simply parted and allowed Korenus to drag Sela back to safety without question.

"Novadventaprine."

It was a chemical agent that took roughly thirty minutes to disperse.

Sela kicked the bulkhead door in frustration.

"They're timing it with the transport window," she growled.

Sela's hands shook as she paced and down the corridor. Her perfect plan to stop Castillo and capture the Enterprise was crumbling before her eyes.

"We have plenty of charges. We could blow the place," Korenus suggested.

Sela whipped around.

"Are you mad?" she roared.

Korenus simply stood there and took Sela's sharp words and fists without complaint as she laid into him.

"This is the largest intact Iconian facility ever discovered. And if we are responsible for… if we were to-"

Sela could even bring herself to finish that thought.

"We would pray for death long before my father was finished with us," Sela concluded.

Geordi used the last of his strength to struggle against the body that had materialised next to him. He flailed and fought as someone tried to put something around his head.

"Geordi. Geordi, it is me, Data."

Geordi had panicked and was breathing hard.

"Breathe slowly to conserve oxygen," Data instructed.

A breather. Geordi realised as he recognised the device on his nose and mouth.

"Are you doing alright?" Data asked, looking back at Ensign Gomez.

She flashed Data a thumbs up.

Data had beamed directly into the room with the power cell. He was immune to the chemical agent.

"We are using this time to beam aboard additional personnel," Data said as he filled Geordi and Sonya in on the details.

Data had only had moments to think of a plan. But even Captain Rixx had to agree it was one helluva an idea.

Data had chosen Novadventaprine because it was fast acting – killing anyone in the vicinity in under a minute. It took around thirty minutes to dissipate.

The team would have two beam-in windows before the Romulans could move back into the area.

In thirteen minutes, a new team would beam over in full EV suits. They would install a series of temporary phase shield barricades.

Once the Romulans tried to step back through the bulkheads, they would be greeted by a force field and a contingent of Starfleet Security officers.

"Hang on, Geordi. There will be help here in twenty-three minutes and fourteen seconds," Data said.

Right on time the medical team arrived with additional help. They had employed a similar plan up in the Operations Centre to ensure the Romulans could not access the outpost command functions.

They had cut through the welded door that led to the power core to allow easy access into the corridor. With security in place, they were confident they could control the entire section.

"Are we sure the Romulans aren't gonna-"

Reg Barclay gulped.

"I just mean that a microcharge or a blast wave from disruptor canon would-"

"They won't discharge anything this close to the power cell or risk destroying the outpost," Castillo assured him.

"This place is sacred," Verax explained.

While Mr Barclay set up his equipment, Verax and Castillo set about checking the area for any leftover Romulan surprises.

Lieutenant Oliver Adams had beamed down to administer medical attention to Geordi and Sonya. He ran his tricorder over the pair and administered a hypospray for the pain.

"We'll need to get you back to the Enterprise. In the meantime, I can make you comfortable," Adams said.

"Thanks," Geordi replied as relief flooded through his body.

Geordi relaxed as soon as the analgesic burn cream made contact with his hands.

"Help me up, Doc?" Geordi requested. "Data, I think there has to be something we aren't accounting for in the calculation."

"Just lie still, Lieutenant," Adams instructed.

Geordi protested. It was killing him having to stay on the ground while the team bustled about.

"Look, you're going to be alright. But right now – you are far from it," Adams said in a polite, but stern voice. "And I'm not going to be the one to tell Doctor Crusher otherwise. She's already in a right foul mood with Mr O'Brien."

Miles had outright rejected Beverly's orders to return with the rest of the wounded.

With Data heading for the power core, Miles was the next logical choice to take over in the operations centre.

The whole thing had culminated in a shouting match between the stubborn Transporter Chief and equally obstinate Doctor.

"Just lie still, Lieutenant," Adams urged.

"I have to recalibrate the intake on the charging station," Geordi said.

Between Tasha's stunt and Chief O'Brien's obstinance, Data was in no mood to see another person that was dear to him neglect their own safety.

"You will comply with Lieutenant Adams's instructions. And you will beam back to the Enterprise and stay in Sickbay until Doctor Crusher has cleared you for duty," Data said in an uncharacteristically cold voice.

"But Data-"

"That is an order, Lieutenant."

"Hwi, rhi, dha," Richard mumbled as he cross referenced the numbers.

It was the fifth time Richard and Verax had poured over the same translation. They had yet to come across an error.

"Let's start again from the beginning, eh?" Richard suggested.

Geordi was still on the floor arguing with Lieutenant Adams.

"Straight to Sickbay," Adams advised as he checked the time.

They were almost to the next transport window. Data had given Geordi a tablet with instructions to relay to Captain Picard.

Geordi and Sonya beamed back to the Enterprise. At the same moment, an unexpected visitor materialised.

The minute Tasha appeared, Oliver Adams flashed her a warm smile.

"Good to see you made it," Adams said.

"You too, Lieutenant," she replied.

From his spot in the corner of the room, Richard Castillo watched the exchange with rapt attention. There were a million other things he was supposed to be focused on. Yet, he couldn't simply shut off his feelings.

He wanted to know that Tasha was happy and that she had found someone who respected her.

There was a sense of familiarity between them. Castillo recognised that look.

Could it be this young medic with the soulful brown eyes?

Tasha helped haul Adams to his feet.

"I'm just going to run a quick scan for the rest of the team," Adams explained.

Well, he's got the hair. Richard mused as he watched Adams run his hand back through his thick, dark curls.

Tasha hadn't been able to keep her hands off Richard's hair.

But as Lieutenant Adams stepped away, Richard also recognised the way he glanced back and cast his eye over Tasha.

It wasn't the look of a lover.

It was the look that said, 'I once shared your bed.' The look that spoke volumes of memory and heartbreak.

The look Richard had worn since his fateful rescue.

Believe me, kid. I know the feeling. Castillo thought with a snort of laughter.

Verax tapped the screen to catch Richard's attention.

"Right," Castillo said, dropping his gaze back to his work.

He didn't catch the long, lingering look that passed between Data and Tasha.

It was the first time he had laid eyes on her in nearly twenty-four hours.

Neither of them spoke.

They didn't have to.

Tasha could feel the anger and disappointment that radiated off of Data. There was a cold fury in his eyes that left little doubt as to Data's feelings on the matter.

He was tired of asking Tasha – of begging her – to heed caution.

Data didn't have it in him to fight anymore.

He was hurt.

And Tasha didn't need to apologise. Data didn't want to hear how sorry she was.

"Commander?"

Data said nothing. He was far too upset to speak.

He returned to his work without so much as acknowledging her.

The bulkhead hissed as it was opened. There was a strange hum behind the door.

An Uhlan moved forward to step through.

"Wait," Korenus ordered.

He could just make out a series of figures behind a strange, glowing barrier. The image was distorted by the field.

"Starfleet," Korenus muttered.

Sela did not take the news well.

"It's some kind of temporary barrier. They must have installed them before the gas dispersed," Korenus theorised.

"That fucking android," Sela spat.

Her arm shot out and hit the wall.

"I will rip it apart piece by piece," she said. "I will melt it down and shoot it right back through the hull of that damned Enterprise."

The pressure was unbearable. Anything short of total victory would be seen as a failure in her father's eyes.

"Get a message to Movar. Tell him I want a frequency detection relay and an anti-graviton pulse gun."

Korenus's face darkened as he realised what she was up to.

"If you try to interface with that barrier, the energy has to go somewhere."

And by 'somewhere' Korenus meant it could create a deadly feedback loop.

"Then tell Movar he better send enough people," Sela said, completely devoid of any hesitation.

In the corridor, Tasha was assisting Lieutenant Adams and Ensign Jeffords as they moved the bodies of the deceased Romulans.

Verax had needed to step away for a moment to clear his head, opting to walk down the corridor for a bit of a breather.

"Say, Mr Verax?" she called out. "Is there any sort of um… funerary customs or practices we should be honouring?"

Verax laughed.

Naturally, Tasha Yar would be the one concerned about respecting the funerary customs of a pile of dead Romulans in the midst of a siege.

"Why didn't we bring these to start with?" Verax asked, eyeing the shield.

They would have come in quite handy much earlier.

"The weight," Tasha answered as she heaved another body into an abandoned alcove. "They're great. But they weigh so much we couldn't afford to bring them on that little ship that brought us here. Not without cutting six more crew, anyway."

There had been a significant debate over that matter.

"Knowing what we do now, I'm not sure we made the right choice," Tasha confessed.

"You're not like other Terrans," Verax commented.

"Well, I'm not Terran," Tasha replied with a casual shrug.

Verax blinked as he stared at Tasha with a strange look.

"I mean, I'm human. But not Terran. I'm… I'm not from Earth," she said awkwardly.

"And so, you care what happens to the Romulan dead?" Verax asked.

"They're people," Tasha replied simply.

She was a bit defensive and couldn't tell if Verax's inquiry was genuine or simply an attempt to test her. Tasha knew enough about Romulan culture to recognise a question was rarely just an inquiry.

"It seems so… cold to just discard them," Tasha shared.

Most of them were children that didn't want to be on Lantera anymore than the rest of them.

"You choose this career, this path that exposes you to more conflict and violence than other Starfleet careers. And yet, you abhor it," Verax said.

His eyes narrowed.

"And instead of hating them, you empathise with them," Verax went on.

Tasha didn't know what to say.

"Hating them would be easier," Verax pointed out.

Tasha nodded slowly.

"Yeah," she agreed as if they were talking about nothing more than coffee creamer. "But from what I know about Romulus, they didn't have much of a choice."

"They could leave," Verax suggested.

That hit a nerve.

"It's not that easy!" Tasha snapped.

She caught herself and took a breath to calm down.

"Sorry," she apologised, embarrassed by her outburst.

Verax wasn't bothered.

"And do they understand that?" Verax asked, gesturing to the team from Starfleet down the corridor.

"They're good people. They just-"

Tasha paused.

"Most of them grew up in a world where scarcity hasn't been a problem for a long, long time. They don't know what it means to be trapped," Tasha explained. "I grew up in a place where the life they take for granted just wasn't a reality. And I watched as the people on my homeworld tore each other apart over it."

Tasha sighed.

"When do we stop killing each other over wars started by our fathers and grandfathers?" Tasha asked.

Her throat was tight. She blinked back tears.

"Gods, sorry," she sniffled.

"It's not a weakness, you know?" Verax said.

He flashed her a strange smile.

"I hope you never lose that, Natasha Yar."

He turned to rejoin the others, leaving a stunned Tasha at the end of the corridor.

Sela pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long, irritated sigh.

Two soldiers moved in to remove the body of the latest engineer that had attempted (and failed) to interface with the barrier.

Sela was sacrificing them one by one to get through the shield.

The next engineer stepped forward. Well, he was pushed forward by the others. His hands trembled as he reached for the tablet.

"Deactivate it," Sela commanded, snapping her fingers.

Two minutes later, Sela rolled her eyes over his twitching body.

It wasn't a complete waste. With each subsequent attempt, they grew closer to a solution to bypass the barrier.

"You," Korenus said, pulling another engineer forward.

"W-w-we could scan the grid and write a programme to detect the right frequency," the engineer stammered.

It was possible. But it took longer than Sela desired.

"It's just that I uh… I have a daughter and-"

"Thank you for your service to the Empire," Sela said.

Without a second thought, she whipped out her disruptor. The engineer slumped to the floor.

"Anybody else have a brilliant idea?" Sela snarled.

Korenus pulled another engineer forward.

Sela let her mind wander.

Is this really it? Sela wondered.

Even if they got through, there was nothing to stop Starfleet from dispersing another chemical agent.

Sela had asked Movar to send down protective suits. They were still waiting.

And even if they managed to storm the power cell, they would only have minutes before Starfleet reinforcements arrived.

Sela was so tense with fear that it threatened to overwhelm her.

Have I not served you faithfully?

Sela silently pleaded with the Divines she had worshipped since childhood.

Have I not dedicated myself to you, to the Empire?

She had given all of herself to her Empire – her life, her soul, her very body. She had been a dutiful daughter and impeccable commander, serving the fleet with distinction.

Sela clenched her jaw and bit back the urge to lash out. She couldn't afford to break down in front of her troops.

She paused, taken aback by her own reflection in the bluish glow of the barrier.

Sela's red, puffy eyes, blonde hair, and pale skin stood in stark contrast to her peers.

They were a humiliating reminder of Sela's parentage.

Sela reflected on what might have been if her father weren't a brute.

If she had been born on some colony in the Alpha Quadrant and grown up free of the suffocating responsibilities of Imperial life and aristocratic expectations.

If her mother had loved her.

Sela could almost picture herself in a Starfleet uniform, taking scientific samples and writing weekly reports on the progress of mundane research.

It wasn't entirely unappealing.

Tasha Yar was tempted to poke the barrier.

She was completely transfixed by the blue glow of the shield's natural fluctuations and movement.

It was hypnotic, not unlike waves on a pool of water.

For the moment, there was little Tasha could do to help. She was no engineer and she suspected Data didn't want to be anywhere near one another.

He was hurt.

Tasha felt awful – more so in knowing that she was the cause of Data's pain.

If they made it out alive, Tasha vowed that she would do anything to make it up to Data.

Sela jumped when Korenus put his hand on the small of her back.

"Spooky, isn't it?" he whispered next to Sela's ear.

Sela's chest was heaving. She blinked as she slowly became aware of her surroundings again.

"What?" Sela asked.

She shook her head in an effort to get her bearings.

"Seeing her," Korenus said.

"What?" Sela repeated.

Korenus pointed at the barrier.

"Her," Korenus said in a voice that indicated Sela should understand.

Sela followed his line of sight up over herself until she realised that it wasn't a reflection at all.

Sela blanched. She had the urge to vomit.

Her collar felt tight - suffocatingly so. The harness that indicated her rank and status was so heavy that Sela thought she might collapse under the weight of it.

Tugging at her collar, she stumbled back over her troops. The moment she was free of the crowd near the bulkhead, Sela stalked away.

She needed to put as much distance as possible between herself and her mother.

The traitor. Sela corrected herself.

Korenus called after her.

Sela's behaviour had sent a chill through her troops. They were starting to whisper that the mission was doomed to fail.

"Keep working," Korenus ordered before he rushed off after Sela.

Sela stormed past her makeshift command post and down the corridor until she found an abandoned room.

It was an ancient crew quarters but none of the amenities were functioning.

Sela gripped the rail of one the bunk. She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. She wanted to hurl.

Sela pulled open the snaps on her collar, loosening it enough to get some air.

The door slid open.

"Get out!" Sela roared.

Korenus ignored her.

"Was the that the first time you've-"

"Don't," Sela warned.

"You knew she was here. That was the gift you wanted to capture for your father," Korenus realised.

Sela thumbed away hot tears.

"And now you're feeling conflicted," Korenus went on.

He recalled how emotionally charged Sela had been during a previous conversation. Her reaction to Korenus's own abandonment by his family after his father was attained as a traitor had been extreme.

"No!" Sela insisted.

She whipped around, furious at his accusation.

"I don't care about her! She never loved me!"

Sela was raving.

"If she had loved me, then she never would have abandoned me for a… a cheap fuck," Sela argued.

And left me alone. Sela thought.

"Because she couldn't find it in her heart to love her own child. I was just the half-Romulan bastard she never wanted," Sela fumed.

The words felt foul as soon as they left Sela's mouth.

Somewhere buried under layers of self-protective coating and false confidence, Sela knew this wasn't true.

She knew that her mother had loved her.

That she had endured a fate worse than death day after day to ensure her daughter's safety.

And that Tasha Yar would have done it all again if it meant having Sela.

But hate was safe.

Hate was easier.

Richard Castillo scratched the back of his neck.

Mr Data was busy at the main terminal. He was moving so fast that his hands were a blur as they danced across the console.

Every once in a while, Data would pause and tilt his head as if he were in deep thought. Richard could only imagine what was really going on inside Data's impressive brain.

Richard bit down on his thumb.

He really didn't want to disturb Mr Data.

He'd poured over their translation, reviewed all the numbers, and then done it all over again. And again.

And again.

Richard was so out of his league that he didn't know if the answer had evaded them because it was truly unsolvable or due to his own incompetence.

Richard didn't have the experience or skill set necessary to know if there was an error in the calculations. His efforts were limited strictly to the translation and the Romulan notes on the facility.

No, Richard didn't want to bother Data. He already felt responsible for slowing the whole project down.

But he didn't have a choice.

They had come too far and there was nothing more Richard could do without assistance.

"Commander Data?" Richard asked.

Data stopped and turned toward Castillo.

"Yes, Mr Castillo?" he prompted.

"I'm sorry about this. I just… I don't know," Richard said as he gestured at the tablets and screens spread out before him.

Data frowned.

"Please specify," Data said.

Richard didn't follow.

"What specifically are you uncertain about," Data clarified.

Richard's face flushed.

"I've been over this more than a dozen times now. I can't find any issue with the translation. Everything matches. I… I think I'm too stupid to see what's wrong," Richard said. "This isn't really my forte, you know?"

"You are an accomplished Starfleet officer and-"

Richard put his hand up.

"I just mean – I'm no engineer. I'm not a translator or a systems specialist. I'm just a pilot. I don't know the first thing about what I'm doing here," Richard said. "But I can tell you that this-"

He held up the first tablet with the Iconian reference.

"Matches this," Castillo concluded as he lifted the second tablet with the translation.

He shrugged and shook the two.

Something didn't add up.

"I don't have the kind of brain that can see it, but I'm smart enough to know something smells funny," Richard said.

Data sniffed at the air.

"The Novadventaprine has completely dissipated. I detect no residual foul odours," Data said.

"I mean it's hinky. Something about this translation is off," Richard clarified with a grin.

"Ah!" Data replied.

Data nodded politely.

"May I?" he asked, reaching for the tablet.

"Be my guest," Richard said.

It took Data only seconds to skim both screens.

"These are both accurate in terms of the translation matching the source material," Data said. "But I would concur with your assessment that this is… hinky."

Earlier, Data had suggested Richard focus on the numerical portion of the translation. Some of the calculations didn't align with Data's own projections and it seemed a likely place for an error.

Data decided to follow the same approach.

As he skimmed through the numbers, Data noticed a conspicuously absent element.

"Zero."

"Zero errors?" Castillo asked.

"Zero is missing," Data said.

Richard blinked, confused.

"What is the translation for zero?" Data pressed.

Richard shrugged.

"Zero? No, no. See, here's one or 'hwi', two 'rhi'," Richard began to explain.

Data stopped him.

"Zero. Zed. Cero. There has to be a zero," Data said. "That is why the calculations are off. These formulas do not work without zero."

It explained why they had nearly overloaded the system.

"But it's nothing?"

Richard was having a hard time wrapping his brain around it.

"The numerical value of zero is irrelevant. It serves as placeholder that is necessary for-"

Data stopped himself.

"Please forgive me, I do not have the time to explain. It is a matter of mathematics," Data said.

Data made a face.

"You will just have to trust me."

At least they were finally on the right track.

"Mr Castillo, thank you," Data said.

Richard offered him a wan smile.

"Mr Barclay? Will you please assist Mr Castillo in retranslating these sections accounting for the missing zero?" Data requested. "I am going to check on the team and will return momentarily."

There was something he had to do before they went any further.

Tasha was sitting on the floor like a pretzel as she took stock of the remaining gear in a side room.

She had just finished counting the spare phaser power packs when she spied a familiar shadow on the floor.

"Why are you here?" Data asked.

Tasha turned and looked up at Data.

"Data, I'm-"

"You should be back on the Enterprise," Data said, ignoring her. "You will go back to the ship during the next available beam out window."

Tasha scrambled to her feet.

"I really think that's Captain Picard's decision," Tasha protested. "About before. I'm sorry but I thought that beam would-"

"I DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE SORRY!"

It was the first time Data had ever raised his voice at Tasha.

"I want you to change. I want you to care about yourself. About us," Data said.

His voice was softer, but the sorrow was unmistakable.

"To have just a fraction of the same concern that-"

He stopped. Tasha remained silent while Data composed himself. She wanted to give him the space to speak freely.

"I want you to go back to the Enterprise," Data said.

Tasha cupped his face.

"If that will make you happy," Tasha agreed.

There was a brief flash of disappointment in Data's face.

"I want you to want to go back to the Enterprise," Data clarified.

He wanted Tasha to care about herself – not just for their relationship, but for her too.

Data pulled Tasha's hands close to his chest.

"I thought I lost you. I do not believe I could experience that again," Data said.

He didn't like the person he had become in that moment.

"I thought I lost you for three minutes and forty-two seconds. And those were the longest three minutes of my existence," Data shared.

He would take the darkest days of Bruce Maddox's crate over the experience of losing Tasha again.

"In that box, I had hope. But when I thought I had lost you, I felt such a profound sense of emptiness that, while I believe I would eventually learn to accept it, I do not believe I would ever be able to overcome it," Data confessed.

His voice cracked.

"And… if we were to have a family," Data said.

He didn't finish that statement.

He didn't have to - Tasha understood his concern and rightfully so.

She didn't know what to say.

Tasha felt small and foolish and utterly undeserving of Data's infinite patience.

She settled for resting her forehead against Data's.

"I'll go," Tasha volunteered.

She gave his hands a squeeze as if to seal that promise.

"Thank you," Data replied.

Yes, Tasha would go but she was none too happy about it. She didn't want to leave Data. She didn't want to pull apart.

Their moment alone was cut all too short by a page from Mr Barclay.

"You better get in here, sir," Barclay said.

Data, Barclay, Tasha, and Castillo were crammed around the main screen.

Data and Reg were obviously disturbed by the numbers on the screen. But neither Tasha nor Richard knew enough about engineering to understand why.

"This is bad?" Tasha asked with a hint of uncertainty.

"It's not good," Reg offered.

Tasha was less than pleased with Reg's half answer.

"Yes. It is bad," Data confirmed as he queued up the computer screen. "These represent the energy levels necessary for the weapon. The charging port itself feeds these three separate components."

Two of the charts onscreen shared a similar shape and curve. But a third showed a spike followed by a sharp dip.

"There's something wrong with this one," Richard said, catching on.

"Yes," Data replied simply.

It was the targeting system.

"It is likely damaged in some way," Data said.

"Could have been a meteor strike, the Romulan testing, or even just age," Barclay theorised.

Lantera had been abandoned for ten thousand years.

"And we have no way to fix it?" Tasha asked.

"Not without extensive research," Data said.

"Then we came all this way for nothing," Richard said, defeated.

He had put every single one of them at risk.

For nothing.

Suddenly, there was a shout and phaser fire erupted in the corridor.

"They broke through!" Ensign Jeffords shouted.

Tasha rushed out and pressed her body flat against the wall to avoid a stray beam of disruptor fire as it shot down the corridor.

The Romulans had cracked the shield frequency and managed to slip through.

Verax didn't wait around.

"We have to hold out until the next window!" Tasha shouted.

She took up a position near Crewman Parker. To her left, Lieutenant Adams had pulled Ensign Decker to safety and was presently attending to the wound on his shoulder.

"That's just a scratch. Drop that crap and grab a phaser," Tasha ordered.

It was all hands on deck.

Romulans troops poured out of the bulkhead. Even if Tasha had ten more officers, there was no way they could hold out for long against such numbers.

There was still one more shield in place at the final door that stood between the corridor and the room that housed the power cell.

The team had set it up after they'd cut through the welded door. It wasn't currently on, but it was easy enough to activate.

"Fall back to the power cell," Tasha ordered.

One by one her officers dropped out of position and down the corridor, covering for one another as they evacuated to the last safe haven left.

Tasha tapped her combadge.

"Data, be ready to activate that shield on my order."

Verax and Tasha took cover as a hail of disruptor fire blew past them.

"Go," Verax urged.

He pulled out a stun charge.

"After you," Tasha said as she felled two advancing Romulan troops.

"I'll be right behind you," Verax promised.

Remembering her promise to Data, Tasha nodded.

"Thanks," she said.

Verax just flashed her an odd smile.

"I meant what I said before," Verax said as he flipped to activate the stun charge. "It's not a weakness, you know."

His face softened.

"And I hope you never lose it."

Tasha laid down a burst of cover fire before dropping back to the power cell. Verax tossed the stun charge – momentarily blunting the Romulan advance.

It only bought them a few seconds.

There was no way Verax could escape. The half metre of hull protecting the alcove was the only thing standing between him and an unstoppable line of disruptors.

Verax had one option left.

"Mr Data? Close the shield," Verax said.

Verax reached into his pocket to ensure a special item was still there. He tapped his pocket and smiled.

"I surrender!" Verax said, stepping out with hands held high.

He knew the Romulan troops would be under strict orders to bring in any prisoners they could capture. Sela wanted the rebels. She wanted them badly.

The walk toward Sela's command centre was not unlike the gauntlet of court officials and public spectators that had shown up to jeer and spit on Verax on the way into his trial.

At least in this instance, there were no buckets of rotted rukesh to toss.

A Centurion commanded Verax to stop in the corridor just outside of Sela's temporary command post. There were two guards stationed outside the door.

Sela's eyes lit up the moment she stepped out.

"You," she gasped with delight.

The Centurion whacked Verax on the back of his knees with a disruptor. Verax collapsed to the floor.

"Show some respect," the Centurion barked.

Sela giggled.

"Aww, you tried so hard. How does it feel to know you'll spend the rest of your miserable life as a prisoner? You'll make such a lovely gift for my father," Sela said, cupping his face.

"I don't think so," Verax replied.

"I'm going to feed that insolent tongue to my dogs," Sela cooed as she pet his hair.

She pinched his cheek, toying with Verax like a cat that had cornered her prey.

"I said, I don't think so," Verax repeated.

His hand moved, casually reaching for his pocket.

Korenus dove – tackling Sela and sealing the door behind them before a blast rocked the corridor.

Sealing the door had shielded them from the blast. But she'd taken quite a hit. Sela was temporarily incapacitated following the explosion. Her ears were ringing.

Sela couldn't move.

It took several seconds for Sela to realise Korenus was shaking her shoulders.

"Sela? Sela?" he shouted.

Her head lolled. She blinked slowly. Korenus ran his hands over her hair and neckline, checking for any sort of injury. She was bleeding above her brow.

"Sela?" he tried again, noting her sluggish pupils.

"They didn't search him. They didn't… they didn't bind his hands," she said in a dazed voice. "He could have killed me."

She swayed slightly.

"I'm going to reassign that Centurion."

"He's dead, Sela," Korenus said.

Morak had warned Korenus that Sela's half-human physiology made her far more susceptible to injury. She didn't have the same physical strength as other Romulans.

In the wake of the explosion, Korenus realised exactly what Morak had meant.

For the first time, Korenus realised Sela was fragile.

"Sela?" Korenus asked softly.

He cupped her face, forcing Sela to look at him.

"Commander."

"Commander," Korenus corrected himself.

Sela collapsed against him.

"We have to get back out there," Sela said.

Korenus refused. The whole bloody corridor was exposed to space now. There would be no way back to the power cell.

Sela had clearly suffered some sort of head injury. She wasn't making any sense.

"Do you think if she dies that it won't happen? Stop her before she can come back?" Sela asked.

In her mind, this question was very real and quite serious.

To Korenus, Sela sounded mad.

"If she dies here. Right here. Right now."

Sela panicked. Her breathing grew laboured. A dark sense of dread settled in the pit of her stomach, an intrusive thought that refused to disappear.

"If she dies. If she never goes back… and I'm never born," Sela whispered.

There was nothing Korenus could do to soothe her. Sela's mind was wholly and utterly fixed on the notion of temporal mechanics and metaphorical butterflies.

"I could theoretically end my own existence," Sela realised.

She wasn't entirely sure if the thought was distasteful or appealing.

"I wouldn't even know. I mean… I would know but I wouldn't know," Sela continued. "You know the other me. The me then."

Korenus was busy trying to get word out to Movar.

"Just be quiet," he said.

Sela looked as if she'd been slapped.

"You can't talk to me like that," Sela said, shaking her head in a weaving motion. "No, no, no, no, no."

But instead of telling him off, Sela prodded her injury. She pulled her fingers back and studied the green blood on them.

"I think I'm bleeding," Sela said.

Tasha stared at the shield grid and the blurred corridor that lay beyond the barrier.

It was the third time in the last twenty-four hours that one of the survivors had been killed.

She glanced back at Richard Castillo and a look passed between them.

Richard knew in an instant that he was the last one left.

The weight of that knowledge settled upon him like the pressure one felt deep underwater.

"I'm sorry," Tasha said.

Richard replied with a quick nod before he dropped his head. His hand trembled as he checked to ensure an old letter was still in his pocket.

It carried the names of every survivor and ally they had met along the way.

Now Roosevelt, Arandev, Ghost, and Verax had joined the ranks of the dead.

Castillo felt more tired than he had in ages. Even fatigued after a long day in Morak's fields had never left him feeling so completely worn.

Deanna said that Arandev found peace in the moment before his death. Richard had to wonder. The thought of endless sleep appealed to him in a way it hadn't before.

Richard had always envisioned their escape, their miraculous return. The survivors would get together from time to time.

There would be reunions and rowdy nights with good food and cold beer.

And late-night calls.

Unexpected visits.

They would need each other, to lean on one another.

Because no one would ever understand like the other survivors did.

Richard didn't think he could reintegrate into society on his own. The night terrors and constant paranoia were one thing. Years of captivity wasn't something he could unlearn overnight.

"And the Romulans?" Richard asked.

He was on autopilot now.

"Sensors show a significant drop in pressure. The explosion must have ruptured the hull," Data announced. "We are fortunate it did not impact the power cell."

They were fortunate indeed.

Verax had bought them time – taking the Romulans in the corridor with him and cutting off any possibility of another attack.

"We should use this time," Tasha suggested.

Reg's face dropped.

"To do what?" Barclay asked.

They couldn't fix the power input issue on the targeting array. Even if they could compensate just to bring the weapon online, it would culminate in an uncontrolled explosion. There was no way to direct the blast at Ekloire.

"So, it would be like an explosion? A scattergun?" Tasha asked, trying to keep up.

"The weapon is not powerful enough to destroy the Starbase," Data said.

He cocked his head to the side.

"The weapon is not powerful enough to destroy the Starbase," Data repeated slowly.

That twinkle meant there was an idea formulating somewhere in that big, beautiful brain of his.

Data rushed to the computer.

"The weapon is not powerful enough," Data said again. "But I believe there may be a way to neutralise Ekloire Starbase and destroy this facility."

It was important to prevent any future Romulan attempt to weaponise Lantera.

He had run the numbers twice. This plan had a ninety-three percent chance of success and those were better odds than anything else they'd tried in the last twenty-four hours.

Tasha followed Data's line of sight and gasped as she realised exactly what he was proposing.

She didn't have to say it.

According to Data and Geordi, the power cell was like a miniaturised star. Data could destabilise the star and trigger a premature supernova.

It was the same plan they had initially considered – and rejected.

"Data, you don't have to do this," Tasha said, knowing Data opposed the idea. "We'll find another way."

"Do what?" Lieutenant Barclay asked.

"Transmit a message back to the Enterprise in the next window. I want you all beamed out in the window after that," Data said.

Tasha wasn't backing down.

"No. We'll find a different way. We have three ships now! Maybe we can-"

"This is the only viable plan with a reasonable chance of success," Data said with certainty.

The rest of the team was now thoroughly spooked.

"One of you want to clue the rest of us in? If it stops the Romulans, I'll give my life – but I'd like to know what I'm doing it for," Lieutenant Adams said as he stepped forward.

"I intend to trigger a premature supernova that will encompass and destroy the Romulan institution at Ekloire Starbase," Data explained.

"Along with countless lives. And millions of creatures that call this star system home!" Tasha protested. "Data, you said that the devastation would be-"

"I did," he acknowledged.

Data turned back to his work.

"But this is a much smaller scale. My projections estimate we will destroy Ekloire and these eight planets – none of which are populated with humanoid life," Data advised. "And while I am not entirely comfortable with this plan, I fear that the alternative would result in a far greater loss."

A no-win scenario.

"I will require one of you to stay and assist," Data said. "But no one here needs to die."

Data could set the sequence in motion, and they could all beam out in time.

The Enterprise, the Yamato, and the Thomas Paine could all jump to warp and safety well before the star went supernova.

Tasha was about to open her mouth but a sharp look from Data silenced that thought.

"I'll stay," Castillo volunteered.

Data didn't verbally respond, and Castillo immediately realised Data had been hoping for someone with engineering expertise.

Barclay raised his hand.

He had the know-how. In spite of Data's pep talk, Reg still felt like he was the best choice. In the back of his mind, Barclay couldn't kick the feeling that something would go wrong.

He didn't want to see anything happen to Data or Mr Castillo.

Data had a life. He was engaged. And Mr Castillo had already sacrificed too much.

Reg felt if it came down to it, he was the only logical choice to make the sacrifice play.

"I can help."

"Thank you, Mr Barclay. I am grateful to have you working beside me," Data said.

Sela and Korenus rematerialised on the Caelus.

"Sela? Stay with me," Korenus said.

He gently slapped her face to keep her alert.

Sela was struggling to keep her eyes open. The thought of slipping into sweet, blissful unconsciousness was all too tempting.

As she stared up at Korenus, Sela wondered if he truly cared, or she was simply a means to an end.

That's all Sela was to her family – her cousin the Emperor, Drusilla, her father.

Sela was only as good to Morak as she was useful.

Richard Castillo had abandoned Sela as a child. His rescue attempts were only viable up to the point it put his men at risk.

The minute Sela became a liability, his team would abandon her.

Again.

And again.

Just like everyone Sela had ever loved, like everyone that a child should have been able to trust.

Even her own mother.

Sela was fighting to stay awake because she had a feeling that Korenus would leave too. The minute she woke up (if she woke up) he would be gone.

It had been fun – even for a moment – to believe that someone might want her.

Only Sela knew it couldn't last. It never did.

Sela had hissed as a medic administered an emergency hypospray.

"Sickbay," the medic ordered.

"No, no I have to get to the Bridge," Sela protested.

She tried to pull herself up and stumbled into Korenus. He helped support Sela's weight as she got to her feet.

"The Bridge," Sela insisted.

She was a ghastly shade. Her skin was clammy.

They had only made it a few steps before Sela swayed and collapsed.

Korenus caught Sela in his arms. He threw her over his shoulder and turned to go.

"Where are you going?" the medic demanded.

"Sickbay," Korenus lied.

He had orders.

Merul, Liran, and the dogs all jumped up when the shuttle door hissed open.

Korenus stormed on. Sela was slung over his shoulder.

"Divines, what happened?" Liran asked.

Merul cursed under his breath.

Korenus put Sela down on the cot in the window. She was still breathing.

"Is she dead?" Merul asked.

"Fetch a physician – not a medic. It has to be a physician. Bring them here. Do not tell anyone where you are going or why," Korenus ordered.

Merul scurried off.

"When he returns, be ready to cloak the ship," Korenus said to Liran.

Azura and Portunus whined.

Portunus licked Sela's hand in an attempt to rouse her. Azura nuzzled against the side of mum's face, sick with worry.

Their ears went flat instead of their usual alertness. Portunus laid his head down on Sela's shoulder and whimpered.

Azura threw her head back and howled in a low, agonising sound.

They could sense something was very wrong.

Half an hour later, all of the Starfleet personnel had been beamed out of Lantera and were back aboard the Enterprise except for the team working on the power cell.

They had abandoned the Operations Centre but left all of their security measures in place. There were canisters of gas set to time release hidden throughout the room.

Even if the Romulans managed to break through up there – they wouldn't last for long.

"Please adjust the sensors and we will move to the next phase," Data requested.

Barclay and Castillo started to move the equipment around.

Suddenly, the shimmering sound of rematerialisation filled the air as Tasha, Miles, and Commander Riker appeared.

Data opened his mouth to protest. Tasha put her hand up, anticipating his question.

"Captain's orders," Tasha said.

Data didn't argue with that.

"It is a good thing you are here. We have much work to do," Data said.

Miles wasn't entirely healed. He was in much better shape than Geordi and Captain Picard had overruled Doctor Crusher.

"I'll head down to the lower level and work on disabling the security protocols," Miles offered.

With his toolkit in hand, Chief O'Brien descended the ladder to the base level of the power cell on tender hands.

"What can we do?" Riker asked.

"Commander? Would you please assist Mr O'Brien?" Data asked.

Miles had suffered severe burns, and an extra set of hands would speed things along.

"And me?" Tasha asked.

She wasn't going to just stand around.

Indeed, Data did have a task for her. The plan hinged on taking down the shield. They needed a way to trigger that control remotely.

If they deactivated the shield too soon, they would all go up the minute a disruptor blast hit the outpost. And if they didn't bring it down, the shield was strong enough to blunt the blast – rendering it ineffective.

"The controls are up there," Data said, pointing straight up into the tall, arched ceiling.

Data had discovered a set of control consoles in one of the schematics. There had once been a lift between this platform and the one near the top.

It was no longer standing.

Now the only access was a fifteen-metre climb up a maintenance shaft.

For all of Reg Barclay's spontaneous courage, he didn't have the strength to make it alone.

Data had planned to make the ascent at some point. He hadn't yet had the time.

"If you were to, as you say, 'shimmy' up there and then drop a rope for Mr Barclay-"

"Right," Tasha acknowledged.

Data gave Tasha a boost and she disappeared into the dark of the access shaft.

It wasn't long before she dropped a line of jute and hollered down for Reg.

"I'll pull you up," she shouted with a wave.

Barclay secured his toolkit to has back. He took the makeshift harness in hand and squeezed his eyes shut.

His fingers were white as he clung to the rope.

Barclay whimpered as Tasha began the arduous process of hauling him up the shaft.

"You're doing great," Castillo encouraged.

In all reality, Barclay was tall enough that he could have still touched the ground if only he'd stood properly.

"I don't like heights," Reg confessed.

"You're in good hands," Castillo threw back.

"You have a high opinion of Lieutenant Yar," Data observed.

He did not look up from his work.

"Of all of you," Castillo said. "You're a great team. Captain Picard is very lucky to have you."

And he meant it.

Both men turned back to their work. There was no sound save for the gentle click as their fingers tapped on the equipment.

Data was writing the necessary code to trigger the destabilisation while Richard adjusted the sensors.

In a way, Richard was grateful for a chance to spend some time alone with Mr Data. From what he'd observed, Data was a fountain of information.

Richard also suspected Data would not be bothered by the petty human motivations behind his questions.

"So, you uh… you're good friends with the other officers?" Richard asked.

"That is an accurate assessment," Data said. "We engage in a variety of social activities outside of our duty shifts and share a mutual camaraderie."

Data was part of the way through adjusting the hydrogen levels when he stopped.

"I am fully capable of engaging in the social customs of biological humanoids. My synthetic construction does not prevent sentience," Data asserted.

"Oh, of course!" Richard said quickly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply you couldn't. I just meant you all seem close. It's…. nice."

Data frowned.

"I have found that humans often use the word 'nice' as a placeholder to avoid revealing their own opinions on a matter," Data said.

Richard couldn't help but laugh.

"Have I said something humorous?" Data asked.

"No, no. I didn't mean anything by it. You remind me of someone I once knew. He was named Ahn, I think you two would have been fast friends," Richard said.

Data nodded politely before turning back to his screen. He recognised Richard was trying to fill the moment with small talk.

Data had never been great at small talk.

He either said the wrong thing or launched into unnecessary explanations of mundane subjects. He had learned that when people asked about the ship, they weren't looking for a hull rating or spectral analysis.

The unwritten rules of human behaviour were challenging enough for people that had grown up learning them. It was one more reason Data was grateful for Tasha.

She never told Data to shut up when he info-dumped on his latest hyperfixation.

"Can you ask you something, Mr Data?"

Data glanced back at Castillo.

"Your team, your friends – are you all happy?"

Even Data could recognise this was a strange question.

"Happiness is an imprecise term," Data said.

"I mean are you all content? Do you like your jobs, your lives? Things are… good?" Richard pressed.

Data considered this for a moment. He was not accustomed to small talk wading into the philosophical.

"I do not know if I can answer that question for others," Data confessed. "May I ask – are you curious because you wish to resume a career in Starfleet or because you are processing the lost time of your own career?"

Yep, Ahn and Data would have made quite the duo.

"Just curious," Richard replied with a small shrug.

It was partially true.

"We've been on the run so long that we missed a lot of things. But there's also something kind of reassuring in knowing those happy moments went on. Sense of community and all that, you know?" Richard said. "We're still out here discovering new things. Kids grow up. The Academy Marathon goes on. Baseball."

He paused.

"People fall in love," he said slowly. "Grow old together."

Data stiffened.

"Just making conversation," Richard said quickly.

For the second time, both men turned back to their respective tasks and the room fell silent once more.

"Your uh… your Security Chief. Lieutenant Yar. The blonde. Is she…"

Castillo trailed off. Of course, he knew the answer already. He just didn't know the 'who.'

Richard felt like an idiot for asking – but he needed to know she was happy.

"You are trying to ascertain if Lieutenant Yar is romantically involved with another officer," Data surmised.

"Or a civilian or uh, rogue pilot. Maybe a beefy fitness instructor from Risa?" Richard teased.

"I do not believe she has ever been to Risa," Data said. "In any case, Lieutenant Yar is a vegetarian."

Richard fought the urge to smirk.

"But to answer your question, yes. Lieutenant Yar is romantically involved with another officer."

Data did not elaborate.

"So, she's found love?" Castillo asked. "And she is happy?"

"Yes. I believe so," Data answered, still on guard by the odd line of questioning.

He had expected Castillo to look disappointed at this news as people often did when they learned the object of their affection was no longer available.

Instead, Castillo relaxed.

"You are not bothered?" Data asked.

Richard was grinning like an idiot.

"No. That's brilliant," he said.

He couldn't be upset. There was a sense of loss and grief over what might have been. But it was overshadowed by how thrilled Richard was.

"And they're a good person? They respect her? They treat her with kindness? Take care of her?"

Data was thoroughly confused. He had seen his friends exhibit such deep concern for one another.

He had not expected it from a near stranger.

"Lieutenant Yar is a highly independent person that values her autonomy and privacy. But to answer your question - her partner cares to the extent that she permits it," Data said cautiously.

While on duty, Data and Tasha were mindful not to cross the lines of Regulation 1138.

"Truthfully, he cares far more than I believe she would like."

He.

It wasn't much of a clue to go on.

"And tell me, does he give her gentleness and joy? Love?" Richard asked.

Data was taken aback.

He cocked his head to the side and eyed Richard with heavy suspicion.

How could he know?

Since the inception of their relationship, those three tenets had served as the foundation of Data and Tasha's commitment to one another.

Data had once wondered if Tasha had pulled that request from literature or art. But he had analysed millions of books, theatrical plays, lines of love poetry, and academic models only to come up empty-handed.

Tasha's ask wasn't a line from a novel.

It had come from her heart.

And this was not the first time Richard Castillo had said something to indicate he had knowledge of events and people he could not possibly know of.

At least not within any normal progression of the space-time continuum.

"I'd love to meet him," Richard said.

Suddenly, his eyes widened.

"Oh, uh.. not to-" Castillo paused to clear his throat.

He had no delusions about trying to win her back or scare off the man she loved. He just had to be sure they weren't some egotistical Captain-wannabe or emotionally detached lone warrior.

Or a cocky pilot. He mused.

"I don't want to cause any trouble. I'd just hope he knows he's a lucky man. That's all."

"He does," Data said simply.

Richard was only half listening now.

"Wish him well, you know?"

"You have," Data replied.

Richard froze.

"You have met him," Data clarified.

He could see the wheels turning behind Richard's wrinkled brow as he ran through a list of the officers he had met.

His contact with the crew was limited. Richard had already ruled out the other senior officers and the medic with the soft brown eyes.

It certainly couldn't be Picard.

Gods, I hope it's not that Logan chump. Richard thought.

"I know that I am a lucky man," Data said.

It took a moment for this to register. Richard blinked slowly.

"You mean, you and… and her?" Richard asked as he pointed up to where Reg and Tasha were stationed high above and well out of earshot.

Castillo was beaming.

"The whole time it was you," Richard said, clapping his hand over his mouth as a squeal of delight escaped from his throat.

Richard rushed over and pulled Data into an embrace. Data tensed as Richard slapped his back.

"I can't tell you how relieved I am," Richard said as he vigorously shook Data's hand.

"Forgive me, but did you injure your head during the evacuation? Your behaviour is most unusual," Data inquired.

Richard was too busy fumbling in his jumpsuit to answer. He cried out in triumph when he found the item in question.

"Here," he said, thrusting something soft into Data's hands.

Data held up the faded blue ribbon to examine it in the light.

"You'll need something borrowed and something blue. This will do for both," Richard explained, playfully nudging Data with his elbow. "And she'll probably appreciate the efficiency."

"You are speaking of Terran wedding traditions," Data realised. "Who has shared this information with you?"

Richard blanched.

He had been so caught up in his excitement that he had failed to protect the information Captain Picard had entrusted to him.

"I didn't mean to assume," Richard lied. "Just hang onto it for someday. Even if you're just bonded to one another in your hearts or… or if you're ever alone together under some big moon."

There was a soft, faraway look in his eyes.

Before Data could ask, Tasha shouted down from above.

"We're all finished up here!" she hollered, hanging over the platform in a way that made both Data and Richard pause.

Mr Barclay screamed the whole way down to the lower platform. He collapsed the moment he was back on solid ground, breathing hard as his nerves settled.

Tasha repelled down with ease.

"Everything alright?" she asked brightly while detaching her carabiner.

"Fine."

Data and Richard had responded in unison. They whipped around to their respective screens without another word.

"Lay in a course for Ekloire."

"We're not cleared for departure," Liran protested.

"If you don't get us out of here, she dies," Korenus said, pointing to Sela.

She was unconscious now. Merul had a disruptor aimed at the back of a medic with a threat of what may happen were she to fail.

Merul had already failed in grabbing a medic instead of a physician. He'd panicked and taken the first one he'd come across.

Korenus was furious.

Liran activated the cloak and began to override the docking clamps that kept them tethered to the Caelus.

The communications system pinged. It was Movar - and he was furious.

"Power down and prepare to be boarded."

For all Movar knew, this rogue and his dogs were planning to abduct Sela. Morak would have his head if he failed to protect her.

"I have orders," Korenus shot back.

"What orders?" Movar demanded.

"From someone a lot higher up the food chain than you," Korenus replied.

He didn't wait for a response. Korenus clicked off the comms system and snapped his fingers, urging Liran to get on with it.

"We're not going anywhere without her command authorisation code," Liran explained.

To engage the engines before the docking clamps were released would tear the ship itself apart.

Liran wasn't just a hunk of muscle. He knew enough about small craft to hack through the backdoor.

Unfortunately, Sela's system was unlike any other ship Liran had seen.

"I can't override. I need her code," Liran explained.

Korenus glanced back over his shoulder. Sela was heavily sedated.

"There's a six-character code plus an audio security checkpoint," Liran explained. "Probably voice authorisation. Any ideas?"

"Six characters?" Korenus murmured.

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think what was important to Sela. She did nothing without great importance.

No doubt, Morak had access too and Sela wouldn't have turned down the opportunity to use word play and slip in a double meaning.

"Try Fides," Korenus said.

Loyalty.

Liran was visibly surprised that it worked on the first attempt.

"Can you do her voice too?" Liran asked.

"Actually, I have another idea," Korenus said.

He turned and looked down at Azura and Portunus. They immediately plopped down and sat obediently. They were intelligent and could sense this human wanted to help mum.

"Speak," Korenus commanded.

Their deep, rumbling bark filled the cabin.

"Voice authorisation accepted," the computer announced.

Merul was stunned.

"How did you"-

"She would never leave them behind. And she would want to make sure no one else could abandon them if something ever happened to her," Korenus explained.

Azura and Portunus wiggled with excitement, panting, and wagging their tails as Korenus gave them both a belly rub for good measure.

"Good dogs," he praised.

Data checked the time using his internal chronometer.

"How much longer?" Reg asked.

The new code was in place. Data had completed his bypass of the security system. The Chief and Mr Barclay had installed a remote deactivation for the shields (with a backup in case of failure) and the only thing left to do was wait for the next transport window.

The programme was set to initialise twenty-six minutes after their departure. There was no possible way for the Romulans to stop the process once it began.

"It really is a marvel," Miles remarked as he looked at the power cell. "Shame we couldn't get more time with it, eh?"

Data found himself in complete agreement.

A part of him was still struggling with the knowledge that he would be responsible for destroying the last Iconian outpost.

"Who knows?" Tasha said. "We found that doorway. I'm sure there's bound to be more out there. It's a big universe."

"You're right," Data replied, flashing her a small smile.

"Of course, I am," Tasha teased.

Riker glanced down at his timepiece.

"Less than eight minutes now. Everybody take a good look," he announced.

Miles glanced over at Tasha.

"Darts when we get back?" he asked.

"Something tells me Keiko will want you all to herself. She'll be none too happy about your injuries," Tasha said.

"That's why I'm planning to make myself scarce," Miles quipped.

Without warning, an alarm went off.

"The computer has detected a problem with the hydrogen levels," Data said.

Data frowned as he ran a diagnostic.

"I believe this is a hardware issue. One of the output chambers is physically blocked. I cannot repair the issue from here," Data said.

His eyes fell on a sealed bulkhead in the corner of the room.

Based on the schematic, that bulkhead led to a sealed equipment area.

"What do I have to do?" Riker asked as he limped toward the door.

His back was still in agony.

"Wait!" Data called out, stopping him.

Riker froze.

"I have left this chamber sealed because it is likely the radiation levels are lethal," Data explained.

The whole wall along that section was composed of dense material designed to shield the area from dangerous radiation.

"The Iconians had to have had some way of-"

"They likely had protective suits that we do not have access to," Data said.

All the EV suits had gone back to the Enterprise. There wasn't time to send down proper equipment.

If they didn't get the problem fixed soon, they would lose their opportunity to destabilise the power cell.

A silent understanding passed between the team – they would have to open the door.

"Well, then. It's been a pleasure. Helluva time not to have a pint, eh?" Miles remarked.

"We don't actually know if there's radiation, right?" Riker asked. "We're due for a little luck?"

With great effort, Will and Castillo unscrewed the bulkhead and flung open the heavy door. They both cheered.

"A decontamination chamber," Castillo announced.

It answered the question about the radiation. Reg took a quick tricorder reading and confirmed deadly radiation had flooded the room that lay beyond.

The decontamination chamber was the only thing standing between them and certain death.

"Alright, so we just go in and-"

Riker stopped.

"And there are no suits," Riker realised.

There was clearly a partition where protective equipment had likely been stored at one time or another. Now it was bare.

"It doesn't matter. We have to do this."

To everyone's surprise, it was Lieutenant Barclay.

"I'll go," Reg declared. "I just want to say thank you for being my friends. And… and someone's going to feed my cat, right?"

"Easy," Riker said as he put his hand up to stop Reg. "Nobody is going to die. We can figure this out."

"No, sir. We do not have time," Data said.

Miles tried to slip around – only to be caught by Richard Castillo.

"I don't think so," Castillo said. "I heard you're getting married. This Keiko you mentioned would be too happy if you walked in there."

Commander Riker looked to Data. He was the only one of them that wasn't human.

"No! No, no, no," Tasha said, wagging her finger between the two of them.

"Commander Riker is correct. There is no other way," Data said.

Before Tasha could protest, Data pulled her into a tight embrace. He pressed a tender kiss against her forehead.

Tender and all too brief.

"That's ionising radiation. It will destroy your transistors. Ruin your circuits!" Tasha argued as physically tried to detain Data.

She was fighting a losing battle as Data continued on toward the chamber.

Tasha rushed in front of him and started to back toward the door.

"If this doesn't work, you're probably the only person that can figure out how to stop the Romulans. Your brain is an intergalactic treasure," she said.

Of all the times for a bloody argument. Miles thought.

"Don't start. You have to get back for Keiko."

She rounded on Riker who tried to intervene.

"And you are in no condition to do this," she said.

He was still limping and weakened by the injuries he'd sustained in defence of the power cell.

Tasha froze as Richard Castillo put his hand on her back.

"You've already done too much."

He had survived captivity and escaped the Romulans. He was the last one left. Tasha couldn't ask that of him. It was one sacrifice too many.

Barclay tried to squeeze past Data, but Tasha had words for him too.

"You've… got a cat," she concluded rather weakly.

Her expression softened.

"You have a lot to live for, Reg," Tasha added in earnest.

What little they could see of the room indicated a bit of a climb. And whoever went would need the strength to keep moving. Radiation exposure was an occupational hazard for Security officers.

"I know you don't want me to do this, but I'm the only one that should."

"Too late," Miles said.

Richard slipped inside and shut the door.

"Stand down, Lieutenant!" Riker shouted.

Richard ignored the order as he turned the wheel on the bulkhead to seal and lock it in place.

He pressed the button at the far end of the chamber and an alarm began to blare.

Castillo looked back over his shoulder. He nodded to Data and a silent understanding passed between them. Then he flashed Tasha a knowing smile.

We're always saying goodbye.

The team watched in horror as Richard stepped through the second door.