Author's Note: Thank you so much for your ongoing support on this story. As a note, I'm using "2344" as a time designation simply to more easily separate the shift in time (including the meeting of the Enterprise-C and Enterprise-D). Yes, the Enterprise-C technically came 'forward' but I didn't want to mess with three separate designations.
I want to be clear that Sela is NOT becoming a new focus of this story – just this arc.
This has been (and will always remain) a story of gentleness, joy, and love. There are moments of that interspersed throughout this arc – but it is tragic what Tasha, Castillo, Sela, and the others endured.
These last few chapters have been difficult to pen.
I've been planning them/writing snippets since I first conceived the idea for this story. Nonetheless, it is hard to write. I pretty much sob uncontrollably whenever I have to write Sela in this story.
She's a villain. There's no doubt about it. But in a way, she never had a chance to be anything else.
I've always felt Commander Sela was one of the great unexplored TNG backstories. Like Q and Lore, Sela will be a recurring baddie (and occasional reluctant ally) throughout this series.
We'll see more of her story in The Crease In the Fabric of Time and The Consequence (both of which also expand on Castillo's story as well).
Thank you for all your support as I explore this divergence from canon.
-X-
Please be advised this portion of the story is a dark turn. I want to assure you – this series has a happy ending. But this part is filled with pain and loss.
Content Warning: Strong language, violence, abuse, child abuse, sexual assault, torture, graphic injury, enucleation, pregnancy/childbirth, miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, self-harm, suicide, character death, murder.
-X-
2344 | Enterprise-D
"Finally," Castillo said as he slipped into the seat at Ten Forward.
He was starving. Tasha was too.
They had tried to grab lunch earlier. They'd come closer earlier only to be paged away for an urgent meeting with Captain Picard.
Now they were free to try again. And after a long, unusual day – even bad rations were welcome.
"I can't say much for the food. But the company..."
Castillo flashed Tasha a cheeky grin.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Am I keeping you from a hot date?" Castillo asked.
"Eat your TKL," Tasha said, pointing at his dinner.
Castillo laughed.
"All business. He must be very good looking," Castillo teased.
Tasha ignored the comment.
"Or she," Castillo offered.
"I don't date," Tasha said with an air of finality, hoping to end the conversation.
"Now that is tragic," Castillo remarked.
Tasha glanced up from her own plate.
"There's a lot of people on this ship that would be grateful for rations like this," Tasha warned.
"Castillo?" called out one of the servers from the counter in Ten Forward.
Tasha motioned with her head for him to go to the counter as she had a mouthful of food. For Tasha, meals were a ritual.
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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...
