Three weeks later, Elle was ambushed at her table in one of the smaller mess halls by Dr. Crusher, Commander Riker, and Counselor Troi. She eyed the senior officers warily. "Am I in trouble?" she asked.

"No," Troi assured her, patting Elle's hand. "We need your help."

"Oh, okay, because you guys are seriously intense right now."

"Someone is overdue for shore leave," Dr. Crusher said, "and we need you to convince them."

"Geordi?" Elle asked.

Dr. Crusher rolled her eyes. "No, he knows how to have a vacation. I'm talking about Jean-Luc."

Elle brightened. "Oh! Captain's Holiday! We're doing this now? Awesome. We need to send him to Risa." She held up a hand before Dr. Crusher could be insulted. "There's an archaeological dig going on there, right up his alley." More or less. Should she warn them about Vash? Or the time travelers? Nah. It's a closed loop, right?

"Perfect," Dr. Crusher said, "go tell him that."

"Why me?" Elle protested.

"Because he is incredibly stubborn and you've got him wrapped around your finger," Beverly said. "And we all already tried and he shut us down."

Elle sighed. "Did you try telling him that your mom was coming onboard, Deanna?"

"I thought about it," Troi replied frankly, "but that felt rather mean."

Elle snorted. "Incredibly."

"So you'll do it."

Elle sighed. "Fine."

"Great. He's in his quarters."

Elle shoved the rest of her hamburger in her mouth and stood up. "I feel out-maneuvered," she complained.

"Go with the feeling," Riker advised, looking far too amused.

"I will, thanks." Elle made her way to the captain's quarters and pressed the doorbell.

"Come in." The captain looked up and smiled at her. "Ah, Elle, what can I..." he trailed off, inspecting her posture. He scowled. "They got to you."

"You mean the Coalition to Make the Captain Go on Vacation?" Elle asked. "No sir, never heard of them."

Picard huffed. "I do not need to go sit and stare at the ocean and get sunburned for my mental health," he grumbled, and got up to go to the replicator. "Tea, rose petal black, latte medium sweet. Iced." He was really stressed if he was pulling out the lattes.

"No sir," Elle replied. "How about some light Indiana Jones, though?"

He took a long sip of his iced tea and looked at her. "How do you mean?" he asked, suspicion written in every nuance of his long, measured look.

"I mean, if you happened to go to Risa for a week, and you happened to meet a rogue archaeologist who is also a con woman, and you happened to uncover an artifact that's actually a power source from the future, and you happened to complete a self-fulfilling time travel loop in the meantime..." She inspected her fingernails. She still had spray-chrome on her fingernails from her shift in engineering polishing spare parts. Hm. She looked up. "Well that sounds like a nice getaway, doesn't it? With a few breaks for leisurely novel reading?"

He sighed, but he couldn't hide the smile quirking his lips. "Does Commander Riker know you're encouraging me to get involved with a temporal loop?" he asked.

"Nope! It was either me coming in here or Deanna was gonna invite her mom for a visit, so..."

Picard shuddered theatrically. "Risa has good weather this time of year, doesn't it?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. Nice dirt substrates, too. Easy to dig."

"Well. On further contemplation I suppose I do need some shore leave." He lifted the tea in a wry salute. "You may inform the Coalition of your success."

"Excellent. Thank you, sir." Elle gave him a hug. "You do realize we just want you to be happy and not die of stress, right?"

He returned the hug and smiled down at her. "I know, Elle. Thank you."

"Good night, captain." She left his quarters. Around the curve of the hall, she found Riker, Troi, and Crusher loitering like guilty teenagers in the corridor. She grinned and gave them a thumbs-up. "Success. He heard whispers of some light archaeology and fell hook, line, and sinker."

Riker held out his hand for a high-five. "Nice work, Elle."

"Thanks."

Picard was lovingly booted from the ship the next morning, and the Enterprise continued on its way to Starbase 12. "And now we wait," Elle said happily.

"Wait for what?" Jetta asked.

"Nothing," Elle said guiltily.

Starbase 12 was, not a stellar vacation spot. It did have some interesting exhibits and labs, and a good Mexican restaurant, but Elle barely noticed the week go by, too busy with classes and clubs and her new level of self-defense classes.

"I am literally one giant bruise," Elle told Simba the Third, unable to move from the couch. "It'll be worth it when I can take down Worf though."

Simba the Third purred in a disbelieving fashion.

"Don't give me that look," Elle told the tribble. "A girl can dream."

The overhaul of the Enterprise complete, they swung back around to Risa to pick up the captain. Elle, Riker, and Dr. Crusher met him in the transporter room upon arrival. He did look better, more rested, slightly tanned, and the dark circles under his eyes had lightened.

"Have a nice time, sir?" Riker asked.

"Oh yes," Picard said, swinging his bag over his shoulder.

They all followed him out the corridor. "Did you enjoy the archaeological dig?" Dr. Crusher asked. "You didn't spend all your time out there, I hope. You got some rest?"

"I certainly did, Beverly. Caught up on all the books I wanted to read. And the archaeology, was... illuminating," Picard said. He shot Elle a significant glance.

She pressed a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," she said primly. "Welcome home." And she fled before she could give herself away.

-/\-

"The problem with being so far out in space, is we're so far out in space."

Data blinked. "Your statement does not have... any assignable meaning to it besides a statement of fact. What is the problem?"

Elle gave him a sheepish grin. "Nothing really. But this is our third survey and colonization prep mission in a row. I'm tired of looking at data charts and soil samples."

Data blinked again. "You volunteered for these shifts."

"I know, I know, I'm just bein' a butthead."

"As that is biologically impossible, as well as demeaning language towards yourself, perhaps you require a snack," Data said tactfully.

"Perhaps." Elle spun around in her spinny chair. "I think I'm bored. The whole ship's bored."

"It is true that we have not had a crisis in several weeks," Data agreed. "However I must caution you against wishing for interesting times, as we usually tend to receive them."

"I'm not wishing for them," Elle said, sitting up properly. "I'm just saying. Soil samples."

"You ain't bored enough till you're seeing soil enzyme breakdowns in your sleep," interjected Lt. Dali. She dropped a stack of PADD's in Elle's lap. "Here. You can look over the water distribution analysis."

"Yay, water."

The yellow alert came on. Nobody in the geology department looked up.

Data and Elle shared a glance. "Bridge," Data said, and Elle followed him.

"Captain, sensors report the USS Hood is closing on an intercept course at high warp," Wesley was saying.

"That's odd. We weren't notified of a rendezvous. And we just saw them."

"They seem to be in an awful hurry," Riker added.

Worf spoke up. "Sir, we are being hailed on a secured channel by Captain DeSoto."

As Captain DeSoto and Picard bantered greetings back and forth, Elle pulled her PADD out of her pocket. Kev Riley (the Third) had sent her a comm. 'Hey, heard we were rendezvousing with you guys again, how's the Enterprise?'

'Pretty good,' she messaged back. 'Doing more preparatory colony work.'

'Ugh. I'm still finding mud in my apartment. It's driving my ma crazy.'

Elle smothered a grin. 'Ask for Commander Stabby to direct a wet-vac to your apartment.'

'Commander who?'

'Ask your Maintenance department.' Elle looked up as Captain Picard asked, "What sort of passenger?"

"Mission specialist," DeSoto replied.

"We've already got one," Riker said, putting a hand on Elle's shoulder.

"Yes, I heard about Miss Wilcott," DeSoto said. "Lucky you, you get two for this mission. He'll bring your orders aboard with him. His name is Tam Elbrun."

Elle's eyes widened. "Oh."

"As in Tam Elbrun of the Ghorusda disaster?" Riker asked sharply.

"The same. What can I say? Your orders are to cooperate fully with him. Best of luck, folks. Hood out." He closed the channel.

"Hood has slowed to impulse," Data said.

"Match them," Picard ordered. "And I want you with me to greet Mr. Elbrun. Elle, you as well."

"And Counselor Troi," Elle added.

Picard raised an eyebrow. "I take it this is an episode then?"

"Yes, captain. And we'd better get the initial meeting over with, so the poor guy has something to look forward to."

"Poor guy?" Riker echoed.

Elle raised an eyebrow at him. "The disaster wasn't his fault, Commander."

Riker frowned but didn't respond.

"With me," Picard said, steering Elle into the turbolift.

"Tam is a telepath of extraordinary talent, even for a Betazoid. He's a specialist in first contact with new life forms, but he's not what you might expect," Troi warned, as they walked to Transporter Room Two.

"Complete, continuous sensory overload of the mind due to his extraordinary sensitivity," Elle said.

"Yes."

"Oof."

Tam Elbrun beamed onboard and interrupted Picard's welcome speech. "Captain Picard, right? Here." He tossed a data file to the captain. "You want to know all about your mission. Everything's on there. Orders and briefings, destination and heading, all that." His focused switched to Troi and his manner gentled. "Dee, I sensed you were out here. How've you been?"

Elle watched Tam Elbrun interact with Deanna, then Data (Elbrun could sense Data's emotions!), and then finally she was face to face with the telepath. "Hello," she said. "I'm-"

"Yes you are," Elbrun said, staring at her. "To borrow your favorite phrase, fascinating."

She smiled, and tried to think of the end of the episode.

"Yes," Elbrun said, expression lightening. "Yes, I like that outcome very much indeed. Thank you. Your mental control is very good by the way. Vulcan? Of course it is." He looked at Picard. "You'll want to debrief right away." He bustled away with Picard in tow, verbalizing everyone's thoughts.

"It's kinda refreshing," Elle remarked. "No having to do all that work to frame your thoughts, just bam. Though from his point of view it must be hellish, having to deal with it all day every day."

Data inclined his head. "There is a time to speak, and a time to stay silent," he quoted.

"Don't worry," Elle murmured, "his time of peace is coming up pretty quick. You better read that packet, Data, you gotta run the briefing."

"You will, of course, jump in as necessary," Data said, amused.

"Oh, definitely. Can't let Mr. Elbrun have all the fun of blurting out secrets, can I?"

-/\-

"They call it Tin Man," Elbrun said, interrupting Data's measured debrief. "The Vega probe found it orbiting Stromgren."

Geordi frowned. "Looks like some kind of ship."

Elbrun nodded. "Its energy source is unknown. The people who've studied the transmissions think it's a starship. And they're sure it's alive."

"Alive? How? A cybernetic organism like the Borg?"

Elbrun shook his head impatiently. "No, no, no. Here. Starfleet believes it's an organic creature, born in space, living its life in the wastes between stars. No one knows where it came from, or why it's here. But we're going to meet it. We're going to talk to it. I'm going to talk to it."

"It's not a cyborg, and it's definitely alive and sentient," Elle confirmed, when Picard glanced at her. "And it's a ship missing its crew."

Riker spoke up. "Have attempts been made-

"To communicate with it by subspace? Of course. Linguacode, universal translation, all that. It won't work. Tin Man is too different. Direct mind to mind contact is our only hope."

"It's true," Elle added, when La Forge scowled at her suspiciously. "It'll work."

"The opportunity for discovery is extraordinary but I don't understand Starfleet's urgency," Troi said.

"Romulans," Elle pointed out. "They think Beta Stromgen is their system, not ours."

Picard sighed.

"Well you did say you were looking for some excitement, captain," Riker said, studiously not smiling.

Elle turned to Data, triumphant vindication in her eyes. Data rolled his eyes at her. "That is correct," he said. "Starbase 123 has detected two D'daridex class cruisers on an intercept course. The top speed of this class cruiser is known to be less than ours. Therefore we do have some advantage."

"And we can't let the poor ship fall into the Romulans' hands," Elle said. "They'd carve it up and study it. We need to get it safely away."

"Yes," Elbrun said, his eyes settling on her. "You understand."

She felt the weight of his full attention and met his gaze.

"Data, Elle, I want you heading up the exobiology angle and work with Mr. Elbrun," Picard said.

"And you want Elle to keep an eye on me," Elbrun said. "I seem unstable, to you."

"Yes," Picard said frankly. "And I know Elle can understand you, and handle you, better than any of us."

Elbrun stood. "Excellent, excellent, yes, let's go." He ushered Data and Elle out of the room. "We have three days so we'd better get started."

"You don't want to rest?" Elle asked.

"Can't," Elbrun said, "there's too many minds on this ship. It's almost worse than the Hood."

"Sorry."

"I know."

Elle smiled faintly and started to say something, but he beat her to her own thoughts.

"Oh, the Mentalist? I've never seen it. It's old, you say. Oh, very old." Elbrun studied her. "Hm. Well perhaps I would if I could handle the acting career." He tilted his head. "What's Farscape?"

She focused on the show, focused on the ship.

"Ah," Elbrun said. "So you have seen this before. Does nothing phase you? No I suppose nothing would after that." He moved briskly down the hall. "Your exobiology labs are this way?" He entered the nearest empty one and began to pull up files, ignoring them.

Data let out a very human sigh. "I don't suppose you could tell me what you were talking about?" he asked.

"I've seen the concept of sentient ships before, this one wacky show called Farscape. And in Doctor Who, the TARDIS'es are alive as well, so I suppose it was just a matter of time for Star Trek to have one."

Her PADD beeped stridently. "And what am I supposed to be, chopped liver?" Alexa demanded in text form.

'You are independent of the ship,' Elle pointed out. 'Didn't you live in Spock's sock drawer for a while? This is not a symbiotic relationship, you're just picky about your rentals.'

Alexa transmitted the equivalent of a technological raspberry.

Elle sniggered and patted the ship's wall in silent apology.

Data blinked at her.

Elbrun turned around. "Elle, your ship is disgruntled," he said, astonishment on his face.

Elle stared back at him flatly.

"Ah," Elbrun said. "Interesting echo through that vent there. Someone is disgruntled. Too many minds." He switched tactics. "Data, you're actually rather restful. Your emotions are quiet."

"I am not prone to loud emotional displays," Data agreed.

"Yes," Elbrun said. "Elle, you should work on your meditation. Between you and Data I may be able to survive this week."

Elle took herself off to the corner of the lab to meditate. It's not like she could help in deciphering exobiology scans. I'm definitely not going into the medical field, she decided, and focused on her breathing.

When she came out of her mental organization, Elbrun was asleep, head buried in his folded arms. Data was working at a station nearby and lifted a finger to his lips.

Elle nodded and got up, following Data out of the lab. They locked the lab and walked a ways away. "How long was I out?" Elle asked.

"Long enough to allow Elbrun to adjust," Data said. "He decided between us that our minds were restful enough to create a shield. I'm afraid we may be stuck with him until he wakes."

"Well at least he's getting some sleep."

It was, to put it mildly, an interesting week. Elle couldn't keep any secrets from Tam Elbrun, to her chagrin (and Spock's), but with no barriers they could talk about anything and everything.

"I noticed you didn't tell the captain that I've been in contact with Tin Man," Elbrun said randomly, as they were studying the results of the Vega probe.

Elle shook her head. "I-"

"Oh, you were trying to be noble and let me have my privacy," Elbrun said. "You needn't bother."

"Not even-"

"No," Elbrun said simply. "I know what they think of me. And it's true. I am unstable, and I do get swept up by my emotions and those of others surrounding me. And you're right of course. I will lose myself with Tin Man, if I am allowed the chance."

"Is that what you want?" Elle asked.

"It is." He looked at her, and his eyes were so tired. "If its anything at all like what you've seen in that episode of yours, I want it. I want that peace. That quiet. That reciprocation."

Elle nodded slowly. "Maybe we can spin it-"

"A cultural exchange? Yes, that would give it a sense of validity. You'll have to bring it up to your captain."

"I will," Elle said. "If we have time."

"Ti- oh, the Romulans. They're not close enough for me to read them." He glanced at her. "You're worried though. You needn't be. This crew is smart enough."

"I know."

"What are you going to be when you grow up?" he asked abruptly. "A counselor, like Dee?"

Elle wrinkled her nose. "No."

"Shame. You'd be good at it."

"Thanks," she replied dryly. "It's the trauma."

He snorted. "It surely is." He patted her on the head. "I know I'm exhausting. I'll go find Data. Get some sleep." He strode from the lab.

Elle sighed. "Definitely not becoming a counselor like Deanna," she said. "I don't think I have the mental fortitude for that."