Lord, this chapter had me almost peeing myself from laughing so hard. Marvin was the gift that kept on giving.

Fk

Sorry, I was too lazy to login. I'm Tabitha of Moonaurora a fellow author on and I just wanted to say that this far, you are handling this relationship with far better grace than anyone other Data/Yar story I have ever read. Additionally, I am impressed by how seemlessly you have fit Yar into the rest of the story, thus far. It truly does you credit.
I also wanted to congratulate you on your mastery of Q. Holy crap was this chapter fantastic and those hideous euphemisms...
Anyway, you have done a wonderful job with constructing a realistic representation of their relationship and I applaud you immensely for what I have read thus far. Nothing of this story comes off as childish or wishfulfilling, it's just incredibly genuine. I love it!
Happy writing for whatever story currently encapsulates your conscience.
Tabitha

This was such an enjoyable read! I discovered it just the other day and loved it so much I’ve read it during any free time I have had. I just love how their angsty relationship has developed through the years dealing with both Tasha’s history on Turkana and with Data’s experience with the Borg and gaining emotions. The ending was fitting and heartbreaking and I am very much looking forward to the following Epilogue story. Thank you.

Yikes, Tasha is quite a bully. Poor Data.

Something has changed is an arch of the future. It’s told from Picard’s point of view. The love struggles and reconciliations made me fall in love with your story. A future when Data and Tasha are married and raising a child together seems so intangible at first, but you made it so real. They are completely in character, Picard, Will Riker included. I fall in love with your storytelling.

HOLY FUCK.

This was worth the stress, the hunting down the wifi router at work to reset it so I could read it on my break, and all the lost sleep last night just for these characters to get to the point where it's now completely in character and beleivable that he gets a chance to hand those words right back to her. I understand her point, but also his, and feel bad for both of them, but I don't think he ever got to really point out to her just /how/ horrible of a thing that was to say to someone who obviously needed closure on what they had done.

I've been having SUCH a great time reading this, seriously thank you for sharing it with us.

I would like to take a second to say a few things:

1. This is the first fic (or book!) I've read in at least two years that made me stay up from the time I got home from work around 12 AM to almost 6 AM reading.

2. Everything about this work is excellent; it's all in character, and anything that isn't you took the time to build up to slowly to MAKE it in character. The writing itself is lovely, the plotlines are great, the episodic style of it-like the show, some story arc moments, some one-off moments, plus seamlessly adding Tasha into the rest of the series that makes rewatching post season-one episodes feel like they're oddly missing something. How you treated her back story and trauma as something she deals with constantly but (unlike so many writers) you never let it define her. Plus, unlike so many fanfics, you let these two be intimate, even "on screen" without it ever getting so graphic that the show wouldn't have it on screen-even in their house on the holodeck, some conveniently placed pillows and careful posing and that could have happened on the show. It's genuinely T-rated but still allows the adults to have their adult relationships.

3. This is officially my FAVORITE STAR TREK NOVEL. I don't care if it's unofficial, or AU, or whatever. It's longer than most of the Star Trek novels out there, it absolutely counts as one.

This is my second time reading this fic. I loved it then, and I love it even more now. You've written the two as so very broken, but I think they hurt each other the most because deep down they knew the other would understand on some basic level. It's in my personal fanfiction hall-of-fame. Do you think you'll add it to ArchiveOfOurOwn at some point? It would be so wonderful to have it in a better reading format. Thanks for sharing this wonderful story!

Oh. My. Gosh. I haven't slept in over 24 hours because of this and I cried sooooooo hard... Sequel here I come!

“You touch everybody you meet with your goodness and the lives that you touch, touch others, and so on. You've had such a good life. You've done so much, and you've been so very loved” and he and Tasha teach each other patience and passion - I cannot think of a better annotation for love. As a foreigner to whom English is a very alien and hard language, I've never experienced the joy of reading in English-written articles as I've found in my mother tongue ones. This is the very first one that makes me forget the language barrier and simply enjoy it. Thank you so much for the story.

Data LOVES using the "I have no feelings I am just an android" line when a woman has hurt him. It's like his go-to weapon when in romantic distress.

And yes, I'm re-reading this now that I'm getting to the end of my first real, thorough TNG re-watch. Never thought I'd read the same fanfic TWICE.

This was an extremely creative story, and I think "Rollercoaster" sums it up exactly. I'm not actually into Data/Tasha as a pairing, but I think that drives the point home regarding your skills as an author. You actually made me believe in this relationship. I also loved the interactions between Tasha and the rest of the crew, especially Picard and Guinan. The sequel looks interesting too, and I love the Q cameos! I'm pleased Tasha makes things right by Data, as her previous behavior did seem fairly petty and narcissistic at times. Using Data to gratify her own needs really isn't love, but she did seem to turn this around and begin treating him like a genuine partner. Kudos.

As the fic obviously focused on Data and Tasha, this was a minor point of the story, but I feel I also have to say your take on Tasha and the Romulan general was...heartbreaking? (BTW, I noticed one of your other reviewers asking for his name-according to resources it is Volskiar, though I don't know if this represents last or first.). I have to tell you from the way you approach this situation that I couldn't help but feel sorry for the man, no matter what he had done. You basically wrote him as the Star Trek equivalent of Severus Snape. I can likewise understand another reviewer who commented on the creepiness factor of seeing Tasha in his daughter, but honestly, I'd assume that far more likely to haunt him. Referencing Snape again, every time he looked in Harry's face, Lily's eyes were looking back at him, serving as a constant reminder of his unrequited love-Sela is that factor times a hundred with respect to Tasha.

I do realize that Data is everything Tasha deserves and a much worthier character than the Romulan general who ensnared an alternate version of her. That said, after reading your account of his attempt at redemption, I can't help but wish the universe had some reward waiting for him. Maybe there is a Tasha Yar out there somewhere in the multiverse for him too, who would be capable of returning his feelings? Or if not, then referencing other Star Trek memes, maybe he could somehow find his way to the Nexxus, where in his own personal version of Heaven, the Tasha from his own timeline would be alive and in love with him, plus a devoted mother to Sela?

Either way, I'm sure glad that things in this universe worked out for Tasha/Data. I loved reading about his innocence as he gradually discovered what love was. The references to the Borg Queen and how he played that off Tasha were well done and utterly believable. What an interesting love story! He definitely deserves her more than Volskiar, and can give her what Volskiar unfortunately learned about too late: pure and selfless love. As opposed to a self-centered need to possess.

And yet, as I say, the way that you write it...I can't help but feel sorry for the lovesick Romulan? That's the trait of an excellent writer, I guess. You make me feel elated that Tasha ends up with Data because they make such a wonderful couple; but then I also feel an equal amount of pity for the heartbroken general, who appears to have completely changed but much too late to hope for anything but forgiveness from Tasha.

Here's a long but interesting tidbit that basically ties all three of these characters together, plus Sela, if you didn't know:

In a Star Trek video game, there is a surprise revelation that Volskiar never actually executed Tasha after her escape attempt, but only exiled and imprisoned her. I don't believe their "relationship" continued beyond that point, or else it's not directly specified-but at least, he couldn't literally bring himself to kill her. However, he misleads Sela into believing that he did. When Sela makes this discovery, she basically admits that she never believed her mother loved her and angrily tells a Federation human character that she doesn't want his pity about that subject. Later on, a holographic recording of Tasha tells Sela that she did love her and hoped she would come looking for her one day; however, Tasha is already dead from natural causes. Tasha's ultimate relationship with Volskiar, in terms of what passed between them prior to her death, is left to the imagination; but as for Sela, she is greatly shaken by revelation of these facts and deeply regrets never having the chance to talk to her mother before her death.

I tell you all this to lead up to the following...

Upon the closing events of the game, Sela adamantly seeks out...Guess who? Data! And asks him to tell her about her mother.

Just sort of thought all that was cool, in light of your story :)

I sort of got the vibe from the way you wrote her though, that you couldn't stand Sela, which I get because she is essentially an outcome of sugarcoated rape. (Volskiar can call Tasha his "consort" all he likes, he was forcing himself on her and had to have known it on some level.) Then Sela had the gall to take his side. But if you don't like the character, I figured you might get off on her ending: She basically makes too many mistakes in the eyes of the Romulan government, they turn her over to be tried by the Federation, and then she commits suicide in her prison cell. It's unclear from canon whether her father outlived her to see her fate.

On that note, I don't know if Volskiar ever came to this realization, but he didn't just ruin Tasha's life...he ruined Sela's too. Her psychology about the unnatural relationship between her parents plus her upbringing on a world where she was persecuted for her hybrid status drove her character to pursue many unwise endeavors with respect to the galaxy at large all in an attempt to prove herself and validate her self-worth. This ultimately ended up destroying her. I couldn't help but pity her in the end. Sad and horrible, but I feel it honestly displays the fair consequences of Volskiar's selfish attempt to force Tasha's love and the ultimate road that took both women he loved down.

Tasha and Data will have a much better life for sure! I'm so happy for them and the prospect of a normal, healthy family. It is a good contrast to what happened with Volskiar/Sela, although I do feel bad for them.

I'm still left with curiosity on a few points:

Tasha/Data:
Is Data responsible for Tasha becoming a better person? It
really seems to me as though this is true. He stops her from killing Volskiar, and ironically this saves them both later. He really has softened Tasha's more caustic side and brought out the latent gentleness that she has to offer others. I believe that Data made her a less selfish person who found the strength to forgive life. All of this so amazing because Data is more human than real humanity in this way! He is capable of redeeming a human's life, although he himself is a machine. That really is a punch in the face to those prejudiced against him and his special relationship with Tasha. Does Tasha realize this? What special challenges are they going to face in the years ahead? On TNG, I hated that idiot who kept shooting off his mouth that Data wasn't fit to command the starship. I also hated Sela calling Tasha a degenerate for the same reason, but I could see how she'd relish the insult. Does Tasha see Data as her better moral half...a being who can take all this abuse in and still maintain a strong moral code? I really feel that he is her better half, but I wonder if she has ever thought about their relationship this way. Does this train of thought ever occur to her?

Tasha/Romulan general:
I can't hep but wonder what their lives were like during that period, mostly because it's so confusing. He seems to genuinely love her but then essentially admits to the relationship having being non-consensual. He follows this up with a defense that he was "gentle...courteous...kind." How do you "gently" rape someone for 5 years and "kindly" force them to endure nine months of pregnancy and then childbirth? I can hardly believe that he would never have caught Tasha crying during their "marriage" simply due to emotional breakdown, regardless of how gentle the sex was. During their first confrontation in your fanfiction, mere third person knowledge of such events is enough to reduce Tasha to tears upon seeing his face. I can't even imagine her character's state of mind had she been the one to actually live it. I guess I'm just trying to imagine what Sela's father could have possibly been thinking and what sort of conversations they would have had prior to Tasha's escape attempt and coming up short.

It's a good thing alternate timeline Tasha didn't remember these things, or maybe she really would have killed him in a fit of rage before Data could stop her. But Data and Tasha deserve a wonderful life together, and at least Volskiar finally has enough character to let her go. Good ending:)

This is fantastic. I started watching Star Trek TNG some time ago and fell in love with Data right away. "The Naked Now" episode had me hopeful for his future with Tasha, but sadly it went nowhere. This fanfic, this amazing creation of yours is everything their story should've been. Thank you so much for sharing it.

I miss Tasha :'(