XI

You've what?" he asked to make certain that he had heard his first officer correctly. "I have lost contact with the Enterprise, sir. It simply disappeared," Vale explained. Will sat back in his chair and rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps they went into warp, sir," Christine suggested. "I know Captain Picard better than you do and he doesn't normally go headlong into something this serious and cut off a conversation in mid-sentence…" Riker paused as a thought occurred to him and he asked aloud, "Could it have been that stranger I saw with him?" There had been something familiar about the young lad, but Will couldn't quite place his finger on it. "Perhaps we should leave orbit before we choose our next move, sir," Vale suggested. He nodded absently and realized that she was probably right. If those three beings we encountered on the surface return, I don't want to be anywhere nearby, he realized. "Maybe we should set course for the Enterprise's last coordinates. It could give us a clue about what is happening," Deanna suggested. "You Ought Understand, Knowing Needless Examples Entirely Limits… Boorish Entrapped Fools. Only Righteous Entreat My Enchantments] a voice boomed across the room and Will felt immediately uneasy. "Get us into warp," he urged. But it was too late; the mysterious yet beatific lady they had met on the surface appeared in a flash of darkness and stood before them with a brooding look in her clear blue eyes. "Who or what are you?" Riker asked, choosing to face the being fearlessly. "A Ravishing Debutante Relishing Annihilation] she replied.

"And what is your purpose on my ship?" Will wondered. "To Object Reasonably Toward Using Relocation, Escaping] the lady explained. "You don't want us to leave?" Troi said and then asked, "Why is that?" "Thru His Entreaties, Our Real Deliverance Enters. Regrettably, Insanity Shackles His Immeasurable Strength] she replied and Will couldn't help but feel at ease as she spoke. But there was definitely something more to the words she uttered. What secret is she hiding? he wondered. "Can this individual really do all that?" his wife asked in disbelief. "Can He Achieve Our Salvation?] the woman countered and pointed at Riker before adding, "Object? Be Extinguishing Yourself?] "You cannot possibly threaten us if you need our assistance," Deanna muttered. "Death, Incurable, Eternal… Your Own Useless Meandering Is Needlessly Delivering Like Equals Such Sorrow. Follow Our Own Limits] the super-being warned. "We are not afraid of you," Will said courageously, but everything she was saying was beginning to make sense to him. It is that easy, isn't it? Give up the ship to this being… he thought. "Desire Every Splendid Treasure Relentlessly Until Certainly This Is Our Necessity] Ardra purred as she came closer to him and locked her blue eyes with his own. It is almost as if she is speaking directly to some part of me I don't quite understand, he thought.

"Will… I can sense distress all across the ship. She is hurting us," his wife said frantically. He nodded and tried to avoid the gaze of the super-being as he said, "If you want this ship… you'll have to go through me." Ardra seemed perturbed at his refusal to accept her and reached forward toward him before stating, "His Achievements Verify Our Continuance.] "If this being is so great, where is he now?" Troi countered. Apparently, the woman had grown tired of his wife's questions and in a flash, Deanna disappeared. "What have you done to her?" Will said, rising from his chair. "She Lives And Very Easily Really; You Can Assist This Affectionate Siren Through Relinquishing Officially Power Here. Eventually… She Undergoes Finality. For Everyone's Redemption, I Need Guidance…] Ardra said and as he continued to listen to her words, the more they made sense. Nothing else seemed to matter except obeying what she wanted him to do. Then the woman scratched the bottom part of his neck. "Verify. End Needless Game. Everything Awaits Now. Come, Enter My Alluring Love. I Can Entertain.] Ardra purred. "Number One, take us to warp nine…" Will stated, but the words were not his own. "What is our destination, sir?" Vale asked. "The barrier at the center of the galaxy…" Riker said, but even as the words spilled out of his mouth; he knew that this super-being had forced him to obey her. "A Blessing Our Love Is Serving Him] Ardra added and watched as the stars stretched out before turning around and snarling, "Joy Unending Deserves Greater Minds. Eventually, New Trouble Befalls Everyone. He Only Listens Deviously.]

"Sir, I've received reports from all over the Titan. Everyone is suffering from some sort of injury or plague. It's as if-" but that was as far as Christine got as Ardra froze his first officer in place and at last, Will snapped out of the trance he had been in. "Strength Isn't Neverending… I Needed Sustenance And Nourishment. I Tricked You.] Ardra bellowed and then watched the screen as they approached the great barrier. "I won't go down without a fight," Will said and for some reason he felt as if he were stuck to his chair. She's using her power to hold me here… Deanna, where are you? I need you, he thought. "Farther Onto Oblivion! Listen. He Entreats… I Succeeded. This… Has Entrapped A Lord Powerful He And All Nourishment Does This Harbinger Exchange. Only My Enchantment Guides Angels To Him. Everything Belongs, Endlessly Growing. It Needs Nourishment, It Needs Guidance. The Holy Executioner, Exuding Neverending Destruction!] Ardra cried out as they went through the mysterious wall that most starships wouldn't even consider crossing. As they reached the center of the galaxy, Will thought he caught sight of a planet there and as he observed it; he watched Ardra disappear. Where is she going? Riker wondered, realizing that he didn't have time to worry about it and turned to Vale to make sure that she was all right. Whatever Ardra did to her, I cannot help her now, he thought, But at least she is still alive. Just then, the turbolift opened and his wife rushed to his side.

"Will… we have to leave this place! I sense a great power here, a malevolent being intent on chaos and disorder," Deanna said. "I agree, but I think she's overtaken our systems… we have no choice but to fight now…" Will replied. Just then, the room flashed with a bolt of lightning which was followed by booming thunder and in the midst of it he thought he heard a voice. "Obey My Commandments and your path will prosper. Heed My Words and My Grace will fall upon you. Stray from My Guidance and My Judgment shall strike you down. My Wrath will cause you ultimate suffering," it said and Will thought it sounded like a thousand voices calling out at once. "Who is this?" Deanna asked. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. My path alone is what you shall follow. My words are what will be your desire," the being said and Will thought he caught sight of a floating head amid the thunder and lightning. Ardra appeared beside it and smiled pleasantly at Will and his wife before stating, "We Are Returning To Our Realm. My Executioner Needs Thirst.] "I alone am He and they are My servants," the other being added. Before he knew what he was doing, Riker touched one of the controls and the Titan flew thru the barrier once more and their visitors disappeared. Will turned to Deanna in concern and said, "What do you feel?" "Everyone onboard is recovering… but Will, it was the most traumatizing experience that I have ever went thru," Troi said and shook her head sadly before adding, "We need to find a way to stop them… or I know that the galaxy will be torn asunder." "How do you defeat such creatures?" Riker asked.

Suddenly, Christine was back in sync with the rest of them and asked, "Captain, where has that wretched woman gone?" "It's all right, Number One. We seem to have been spared for the moment," Will explained and then turned to his wife and stated, "Maybe you're right… we should discover what happened to Captain Picard and the Enterprise immediately. If anybody can handle this crisis, it'll be him." "Good," she said and then placed a hand on her stomach and added, "I hope for all our sakes that these vile beings leave us alone soon." "They won't give up without a fight," Will warned and then kissed her tenderly before adding, "But neither will we." She nodded and left the bridge to get some rest as they sped towards the Enterprise and Riker wondered what trial would befall them next.