Paramount Global owns the Star Trek franchise. This is a piece of fan fiction based on Star Trek the Next Generation 

History

   Data sat on the edge of his bed. The images that filled his head scared him. How was it possible for Nienoon to have betrayed him this way? The Sheno’s history made him sick. There was no way it could be true. But it was. He knew that a creature that looked much like the Sheno commander had injured her. He knew how the creature was killed. Their history cemented that memory for him. The other part, NO! It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true. It was impossible. He blindly walked over to the window with that horrible image in front of him. He still couldn’t understand why she was attacked. There was nothing in the Sheno’s history to link her and the attacker. Nothing! There were more unanswered questions than before.

    This knowledge also brought back the failure he had suffered by trying to make Lal. His stomach cramped at the thought of her. Memories of her was all he could think about. At that moment he understood loneliness. For the first time he realized the void he was trying to fill. He broke down into sobs, uncontrollable wailing. Did he really want to control how he felt? Should he just accept this and let it flow? He wasn’t wrong in not wanting to be alone. In his unknown desire to be a father. But this. This was an emotion that he didn’t know how to handle. 591 separate emotions he had experienced with certainty. This feeling of regret was nothing he had felt before. It cut deep in him. All the way to the bone. Worse than letting Geordi get captured. Why did this hurt so badly? Maybe if he gave into the feeling that he needed to throw up, it would relieve some of the pressure inside of him. 

    His door chimed. Choking back his tears, he managed “just a moment.” After cleaning up his face he called, “enter.”

    It was Picard, “Captain?”

    “Data, may I?”

    “Yes, come in.” Data motioned him to a chair. “Is there something wrong sir?”

    “I wanted to talk to you.” Picard’s voice was calm. They both sat down. “I was hoping you would give me a report on the Sheno’s history.”

    “Sir, you did not request a report.”

    “I know. You have a habit of filling me in anyway. I was concerned when you didn’t do it for this event.” Data sat for the longest time. Picard thought he was staring into nothingness. “I can order you to write a report.”

    “You can.”

    “Should I?”

    “You should.” 

    “Data, I want a report on the Sheno’s history by the end of the week. If it will help us in anyway unravel this mystery mission we are on, I want to know about it.” 

    “I will write your report, sir.”

    Data was still staring into space. A point on the wall. He didn’t make eye contact with Picard. “Are you alright?”

    “No sir. I am not.” Data got up and walked over to the window. “I will never be alright again.”

    “Was their history that violent?”

    “No, it affirmed a piece of mine.” 

    “Data?”

    Data’s hands were shaking. The look on his face was one of dismay, “I am numb. I cannot feel anything.” He stuck his shaking hands in his arm pits. “I will write your report.”

    Picard walked over to Data placing his hand on Data’s shoulder. “Data?” He whispered.

*Lal

Lal | Memory Alpha | Fandom

Paramount Global owns the Star Trek franchise. This is a piece of fan fiction based on Star Trek the Next Generation 

You look familiar to me.

    “Data, when you first met me,” Captain Dom paused. “You didn’t speak right away. Why?”

    “You look familiar to me.”

    “As you do to me. Not you really but your skin tone and those yellow eyes. I will never forget those eyes as long as I live.”

    “You and I have never met.”

    “I know. The one you saw like me, what was his appearance?” 

    “He was brown but his skin was spotted.”

    “A soldier.”

    “How would you know that?”

    “We to are structured into class but not by holes in our ears but by the color of our skin. The color of your skin will determine what you do in life. Brown like mine, we make good leaders. We are captains, kings, and ambassadors. Blue, which is rare in my people, are painters, writers, and the like. Black is also rare. They are,” he paused. “The red,” he patted his head.

    “Hair?” Data asked.

    “Yes, red hair lady. What does she do? She has a different purpose than you?”

    “Yes, she is a doctor.”

    “Doctor. They help people?”

    “Yes.”

    “The black skin of my race helps people. Doctors if you will. The spotted skin, if you will, are protectors. They are naturally aggressive. We work with that aggression to achieve well-disciplined protectors. Some of them do stray for the lure of treasure.” 

    “What is treasure?”

    “Treasure can be many things. In some cases, it is food.”

    Data never said a word. They walked from the cargo bay back to the turbo lift. Finally he spoke, “where have you come across someone like me before?”

    “On my home world, there is a statue of someone like you. It is a reminder of why our planet was almost destroyed.”

    “Destroyed?”

    “Yes. Our world went through a period of re-creation. Everything we knew changed. It is still our world but the trees are different. The water is different. Even the grasses are different.”

    Once in the turbo lift “bridge” Data ordered. The lift started its upward motion. Data ushered Captain Dom to Picard’s office. 

    “Come,” came Picard’s voice from the other side of the door. “Captain, Mr. Data.”

    “Preparations have been made sir.” Data reported. 

    “Good, good. Captain, is there anything else we can do for you?” Picard asked.

    “Yes, one more thing. I need something from my ship. Will you show me how to get it?”

    “Sure.”

    Data left.

    “Data,” came Picard’s voice over the com. “Join me in transporter room 2.”

    “Yes sir.” When Data entered the transporter room, he found Picard and Dom deep in conversation.

    “Mr. Data, I have a gift for you.” He handed Data 2 books. “Our language can be difficult to understand as it is written.” The biggest book that was given was the equivalent of a dictionary. “This one is our history over the last 100 years. Especially the re-creation will interest you.”

    “Thank you Captain.”

    “Thank you. If we meet again, I hope our meeting will be as prosperous.”

    When Captain Dom was on the transporter pad Picard said, “Energize,” soon Dom was gone.

Paramount Global owns the Star Trek franchise. This is a piece of fan fiction based on Star Trek the Next Generation 

The bodies

 Captain Dom appeared at Picard’s door, “come” Picard motioned the captain in, offering him a handshake. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

    “Sadly yes, it was our ship. Your officer was very helpful. I find your crew most obedient.”

    “I am very proud of my crew. Sit please.” Picard motioned him to a chair. 

    “I have questions Captain. How was the attack started?”

    “We have been unable to determine that. We know that the Jormungand was stolen from port. It will defend itself against all attackers. Come.” The two Captain’s walked to a nearby turbo lift. Picard tapped his communicator. “Data join me in cargo bay 4.”

    “Yes sir.” Came his reply.

    Data was waiting in cargo bay 4 when the Captain’s arrived. He was standing next to 5 body bags. “We are sure the Jormungand was stolen because we found these creatures aboard, dead. We have been unable to determine if the Jormungand fired on your ship by force or willingly.”

    “How do you know the ship was stolen?”

    “What is the atmosphere on your planet?” Data asked.

    “Much like here. Only here, it is a little thin. It’s hard to breathe at times.”

    “When we found the Jormungand the atmosphere in the ship was methane.” Picard answered.

    “Oh, I see.”

    Data uncovered the bodies.

    “HaBlich.” Captain Dom announced. “A race we have been enemies with for hundreds of years. It wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t fire upon the Addo.”

    “Why have you been enemies?” Data asked. 

    “The Emperor of the HaBlich chose a female of our race to marry. It was totally political. An attempt to smooth over the bitter feud between our peoples. The lady he chose was to bear an heir to further ease the tension between us. However, the elders refused to allow him to father an offspring with her. His other wise bore children in numbers but never my distant relative. That left a bitter taste in the Sheno mouth. What do we have here?” Dom leaned over the bodies. “The HaBlich society is a hierarchy. The more holes you have in your ear, the more power you have.”

    “Why holes?” Data asked.

    “It is a tribute to the amount of pain you can withstand. This male was a common member of society. There are no holes in his ears. A servant perhaps. It may have been he that stole the ship in the first place trying to prove to the others that he was worthy of his first hole. This one has three holes.” He turned the head so Picard and Data could see the holes. “A soldier.” He examined the next body. “As is this one.” At the next body he explained, “This one is a Duke. He has 5 holes.” When he got to the last body he paused, “I want to take this one with me. I want to try to attempt an explanation for my people about the destruction that has happened here.” 

    Picard looked at Data, “I don’t see that it will create a problem.” Data nodded in agreement.

    “Who is that one?” Picard asked. 

    “A prince. There is room in his ear for one more hole. Only the Emperor has all of his ear covered.”

    “What if you are an off-worlder, such as your relative?” 

    They have a special ornament that is to be worn around the ear. It has jewels in it to show your status.” 

    “Very well. Data you will see to the arrangements.”

    “Yes sir.”

    Captain Picard left.