The Complication

Try A Little Tenderness

Author 's Note: Eek! I cannae begin to tell you how excited I am for this chapter. First off, Data and Tasha are finally going to have a long-overdue conversation. We've been building to this for a while. Best of all, they won't be doing this alone.

It's another long chapter. I was hesitant to break it into 3 parts in order to keep with Chapter 70 being our Measure of Man tie in.

Secondly, this chapter means we get to move into The Appendix! It's a fun storyline that I really hope will bring a smile to your face! And the groundwork for the chapter is laid in this When the Bough Breaks storyline. 

Thank you all for your support on this journey. This story has been my lifeline through lockdown, and I adore reading all of your kind words & theories, chatting about the fandom, and sharing an appreciation for our beloved couple.

-X-

Tasha could feel the tightness in her quads as she pushed herself through the final lap of her run. With the holodeck down, Tasha had set an early alarm so she could get in a run before the ship was crawling with personnel.

It wasn't the same as a holodeck, but it was enough to scratch the itch.

Tasha had never been a fan of running on the treadmills in the fitness centre. It didn't give her the same high.

Deck ten was the widest deck on the ship and so Tasha had sought it out for her morning escape.

As she rounded the curve near Ten Forward, Tasha felt incredible. Her thighs burned, her back was stiff, and her hair was matted with perspiration.

But her mind was clear.

And that was what she had desperately needed.

-X-

They were three days out from Aldea, racing back at maximum warp to a situation Tasha wasn't sure they would be able to resolve.

The Aldeans had abducted almost a quarter of the children onboard in a last-ditch attempt to save themselves from extinction.

The Aldeans were unwilling to compromise. The Enterprise had no diplomatic recourse. They were so technologically outgunned, there was no possible way they could extract the children and fight their way out.

It not only broke her heart to watch the parents onboard suffer – the situation with Aldea had touched a nerve.

It had been a sore spot, lingering just below the surface for over a decade. The situation on Velara III had inflamed it.

Now the Aldeans had caused this sore spot to burst.

Tasha was feeling particularly dangerous.

Velara III had left a bitter taste in her mouth. She wasn't feeling particularly proud of her involvement in Starfleet at the moment.

And that hurt in a way Tasha hadn't expected.

Tasha was nearly finished with her run.

She sped up to finish strong, rounding the corner quickly and stumbling into Toya Doogan.

"Oh gods, sorry," Tasha said, pulling Toya up to her feet.

"It's alright," Toya assured her.

The two fell silent.

"I'm sorry about Alexandra," Tasha said.

"Thanks," Toya responded with a small smile.

"How are you doing?" Tasha inquired.