The Complication

Promise Me

A/N: Thank you all for your words of affirmation, love, and support as we journey through this story. It's a multi-chapter drop this week as this particular "episode" provided a lot of great inspiration.

Again, we're playing a wee bit fast and loose with canon here as I'm attempting to weave in some new material into the show.

So yes, some of what I've written regarding this mission did not actually occur in the episode.

We've gone AU but that's what fanfiction is for, eh?

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As the day went on, Captain Picard's behaviour had continued to grow more unusual, but not necessarily dangerous. Doctor Crusher had turned over the results of the medical examinations and he'd dismissed them without even reviewing the report.

Commander Riker had been ambushed by two of the Selay delegates on the Engineering deck and Tasha had just about had it with her security team.

"How does this keep happening?" She asked seriously as she met up with the team that was supposed to be guarding the entrance and exit to the delegation's corridor.

It was the third time she'd had to rush down from the Bridge to see to a scuffle between the two. Riker's incident with them in Engineering had just been the latest development.

"We suspect they are using an access port at section 27A to get into the Jefferies tubes," Jeffords explained.

"Then I want that access point guarded," Tasha ordered.

"Yes, sir," Jeffords acknowledged and set about assigning a team to it.

Tasha felt so embarrassed that her security team was struggling with the assignment. She took it as a personal failure that they had been unable to contain the problem.

Suddenly, the klaxons began to howl, and Riker's voice came across the ship wide com.

"Red Alert! Security to the Bridge. Restrain the Captain!" Riker ordered.

Tasha tapped her combadge as she ran down the corridor.

"Yar to Lieutenant Worf, where is the Captain?" she said as she raced for the nearest turbolift.

There was no response from Worf.

"Yar to Lieutenant Commander Data, what's happening on the Bridge?" she said as tried again to reach someone on the Bridge.

"This is Ensign George to Lieutenant Yar, Captain Picard was spotted headed toward the Transporter Room," her badge pinged.

Tasha ordered the turbolift to redirect to the Transporter Room. Stepping off the lift she drew her phaser and set it to stun. Sticking close to the panels that lined the corridor she noted the emergency lights were on as if one of the power fluctuations had impacted this level recently.

Ahead, there were two security officers on the ground.

With her back to the wall, she crept carefully to the door to the Transporter Room. It was open and she could see Captain Picard was standing in front of the console that operated the system.

On the ground, the Assistant Transporter Chief was not moving.

"Yar to Bridge, I've located the Captain in the Transporter room. Moving to intercept," she said very quietly.

Taking advantage of the situation she stepped behind him and fired her phaser. There would be time for questions later. At the moment, she needed to stop him at all costs.