A/N: This picks up directly after the end of Vol 2: Ex Astris Scientia. Riker POV.
"Elle!" The scream that ripped out of his own throat almost dropped him to his knees. "Oh gods, Elle-"
"Commander, we need to move," Data said apologetically, firmly pulling Riker along. "The cave entrance must be sealed."
Sick at heart, the First Officer of the Enterprise focused on his mission: protecting the colonists and crew members still living. They phasered the entrance to the caves closed moments before the Entity was upon them. "Stay down," he ordered, grabbing one of the younger colonists. He lost time as they huddled in the dark, the air stinking of ozone and flash-cooked plant matter.
Before the caves were completely shaken apart, the Crystalline Entity moved on. Riker waited for all the rumbling to stop before he stood up. "Is everyone all right?" he asked and coughed on the dust. "Status report."
There was a terrible, awful silence where there should have been a quip or an obscure reference. "4 injured, 3-" Data paused. "3 casualties. Comms are back up."
Riker took a deep breath. "We have to get out of these caves before we can beam up."
Data held out a tricorder. "Elle-" he stopped, his face twisting into an expression of grief. "We mapped the cave system yesterday," he said. "There is another exit."
Riker nodded. "Everyone, stay calm and follow Commander Data. I'll take the rear." He ushered everyone to stand up in the cramped space, and they started to follow Data. It was a hard, filthy scramble out to the other exit, and they came upon a sight of pure devastation. The entire colony site was just, gone.
"Our planet," Dr. Carmen whispered, finally breaking down into quiet tears.
Riker tapped his badge. "Riker to Enterprise," he said, hoping they were here.
"Enterprise here," said O'Brien's welcome voice.
"Beam us all up," Riker ordered. "Have med teams standing by."
"Aye, sir. Energizing."
He, Data, Dr. Carmen, and a few others were beamed up to Transporter Room 1, where the captain and Dr. Crusher were waiting for them.
Dr. Crusher glanced them over, scanning for injuries. She frowned. "Where's Elle?"
The words get stuck in his throat. "I- she-" He looked at the captain, helpless.
"Elle was caught by the Entity," Data finally said. "She's gone."
Picard's face turned bone white. "Are you sure?" he asked, numb to the tight grip Beverly had on his arm. "Are you sure?"
"She was ten feet from me," Riker said helplessly. "I saw her get hit. I, it was my fault, captain."
"She saved another colonist," Data said sharply. "It was no one's fault except the Entity's."
Picard took a deep breath. "Understood," he said. He took another deep breath and visibly pulled himself the captain's mantle over himself. "We need to find the Entity. Data, please coordinate with LaForge to track it. Number One, Will. I need you to take thirty minutes and then coordinate with the colonists for a damage report."
"Yes, sir," Riker managed.
Picard nodded and tugged his jacket down. "I will... inform Star Fleet. And Admiral McCoy." He put a gentle hand on Dr. Crusher's arm. "Will you be all right?"
She lifted her chin. "I'll be in sickbay," she said. "Taking care of the wounded." She ushered the other colonists out with her.
Riker made it to his quarters and sat on the edge of the bed, his face in his hands, his thoughts just a buzzing static.
His door hissed open a few minutes later, and Deanna entered, coming to sit beside him. "I heard what happened," she said, her voice clogged with emotion.
"She wasn't even eighteen yet," Riker said, finally lowering his hands. He stared at his own hands instead of looking up. "She was my responsibility. I signed for her. She was here because I agreed to keep her safe, and now she's either dead or alone and lost, and-" He broke off when Deanna hugged him.
"It wasn't your fault," she said firmly. "It wasn't anybody's fault. She was cleared for an away mission. She knew the risks, just as we all do. It wasn't your fault."
"But is she dead?" Riker asked. "Or is she just, gone?"
Deanna didn't have an answer to that one.
-/\-
The senior officer's briefing that evening held a somber air. Everyone, even Worf, looked wrecked. Beverly and Deanna were holding hands in mutual support. Geordi's VISOR was off, and he was pressing his fingers into his eyes. The only one who looked relatively functional was the captain, who cleared his throat once they were all assembled.
"Today has been difficult," he said slowly. "First things first. I have spoken to Admiral McCoy. The computer, Alexa, will take care of locking down all of the civilian mission consultant files. I don't have to tell you that everything surrounding her unique circumstances is still classified-"
"Sir," Riker said, leaning forward. "Is she dead or not?"
"Ambassador Spock is out of reach to give us a conclusive answer," Picard reminded them.
"So we just assume she's dead?" Worf growled. "If she's out there, we can find her-"
Picard sighed. "Last time she disappeared, she jumped eighty years in the future. We have no way of knowing where or when she ended up, Worf."
Riker's eyes narrowed. Something wasn't adding up. Picard looked too calm, too resigned, for news so fresh. "Captain. You love her like a daughter. You should be devastated. What do you know?"
Picard winced, a tiny movement that on anyone else would be a shout of dismay. He met Beverly's teary gaze and sighed. "Very well. Alexa, lock down this room, highest classification."
"Room is secure," the computer replied.
"Captain?" Riker prompted when he didn't say anything.
"Elle is alive," Picard said. "She is in another universe. We do not have to worry about her. I promise."
The conference room burst into sound. "How do you know?" "Who told you?" "Were you going to tell us?" "Why didn't you say anything?" "Did you know?"
Picard sighed again and held up a hand for quiet. "I need you all to remember that Elle Wilcott is, primarily, a time traveler. We cannot retrieve her from the future or the past."
"How did you know?" Deanna asked. "Did you see her?"
"I have not personally seen her in the past," Picard replied.
Dr. Crusher pointed at him, her face pale with shock. "Wait, wait. Jean-Luc. Your mind-meld with Ambassador Sarek."
"Yes." He took a deep breath. "I will remind you that this is incredibly classified."
"Yes, sir," Riker said.
Picard gave a tiny nod. "I saw Elle, all grown up, in Sarek's memories of the past. I believe at some point she learns how to control her unstable quantum signature to travel at will." He met the gazes of his shocked officers. "Ambassador Spock was very clear on the consequences to the timeline if events are disrupted. We must not investigate this further, for Elle's safety and our own. We know she is alive, and she will show up in the future. We will miss her, but we must keep moving forward. This entire conversation falls under the Temporal Prime Directive, and Admiral McCoy and Captain Scott would personally see us silenced if we do not stick to it. Understood?"
"Understood." "Yes, sir." "Aye, captain."
There was a bout of silence as everyone tried to wrap their heads around it. All Riker could feel, over the rushing in his ears, was relief.
"So they were just sitting on the knowledge that she was going to die for years?" Beverly asked, starting to look outraged.
"It had already happened," Picard said gently. "Apparently, she's gone to see them through multiple points in their lives. Her timeline is already set."
"What was the original plan to tell us?" Data asked.
"I was going to say that Captain Saavik had gotten a ping from Ambassador Spock, that Elle was merely dormant in the telepathic link, not gone. Which is all true." Picard shot Riker a look full of sympathy. "It's going to be all right, Will. We have trained her as much as we could, and she has the skills to survive. Skills she will continue to use over the course of her life."
Riker nodded silently.
"Do you know where she is?" Deanna asked.
"I do not."
They deviated into talking about possible places Elle would pop up, but Riker stopped paying attention. She wasn't dead. She was safe, somewhere in the past. It had already happened, so all they had to do was wait. They would see her again.
A/N: *evil plotting sounds*
I don't know about you guys, but I needed some closure for these poor guys. I've been sitting on that little nugget for years lol.
You may go directly to Vol 3 :)