Author's Note: Thank you for your continued support with this series. All of your reviews, likes, kudos, and messages are wonderful!
Content Warning: This chapter is part one of the disciplinary hearing involving Data and Tasha's relationship. There will be mentions of Walsh's harassment. There are also some references to events that occurred in the companion piece "The Complication – Missing Scenes." I want to give my friend Geri (AKA Lady_Lore) a big thank you for her help and creative ideas with this!
This story is AU. Please suspend your disbelief re: canon for a fun wee character cameo in this instalment.
You will notice some differences between these hearings and the one canon gave us in "Measure of A Man." If you recall that hearing took place on a starbase where the JAG office was newly established and Captain Louvois "had no staff except a terrified Ensign." Therefore, she had to rely on the Enterprise crew to fulfil the other primary roles.
Building from that, I imagine that an established office would have staff as well as panels to conduct these hearings rather than the "skeleton crew" we saw in that episode.
To make clear, this is not "Measure of A Man." That will be a separate instalment later in the series. However, bear in mind that this hearing will have significant repercussions re: Data's trial later.
As always, if you like my works or want to stay up to date with art, comics, or just like chatting about the fandom you can like/follow at charliefenwick.com or @TheTartanTart on Twitter.
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Captain's log, stardate 41592.3. We arrived at Starbase 118 in the wee hours of the morning where Second Officer Lieutenant Commander Data and Security Chief Lieutenant Tasha Yar are due to appear at a disciplinary hearing.
I fear this hearing is nothing more than a retaliatory façade, an act of vengeance for running afoul of an Ensign with family in high places. It's nepotism at its finest and I fear the result could mean losing one – or both – of my officers.
In the time I have known them, both Commander Data and Lieutenant Yar have proven themselves as capable and dedicated crewmen and I will be sorry to see either of them go. I can find no evidence they have violated the spirit of Regulation 1138. However, I cannot know if the disciplinary panel will share my view. Unfortunately, Regulation 1138 is notorious for being the one Starfleet regulation most open to interpretation.
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Tasha smoothed the collar on her dress uniform in front of the mirror and took in her appearance.
Data came up behind her and kissed her cheek.
"That is the seventeenth time you've adjusted your collar in the last hour," Data commented.
He wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Furthermore, I do not believe that the appearance of your collar will be a factor in the decision of the panel," Data advised.
Tasha turned to face him.
"Whatever happens, I love you," she said before pulling him close.
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Forty minutes later, they set off from Data's quarters to meet Captain Picard and Commander Riker in the transporter room.
Tasha's stomach was queasy.
Data had insisted she try to eat something. She'd nibbled mindlessly at a dry piece of toast but hadn't been in the mood to eat anything.
She was too anxious.
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The Complication
Fanfiction"Am I the 'complication'?" Data asked. Following the events on Ligon II, Data struggles to reconcile the discrepancies between Tasha's verbal and nonverbal communication. Furthermore, his attempts to better understand what's happening lead to him fr...
