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Escape from the Trenditan - PG RATING
R/T, Zlanna@aol.com

The transporter broke the molecules that composed the body of Admiral William T. Riker in a million parts and then reassembled them milliseconds later on the transporter padd of the U.S.S. Enterprise-1701-F but the Admiral never appeared. Instead he awoke in his bed totally confused about if he existed or whether he existed or would he continue to exist. Rolling over he realized a woman with thick, long dark hair was lying peacefully beside him a contented smile upon her face. She was beautiful and his first thought was that it was Deanna next to him, but this girl was much younger. Not much younger he reminded himself than Deanna was herself when he first laid eyes on her. From her relaxed state and judging by the fact that she was clothed in pajamas Riker could only assume she was a permanent occupant of the quarters he found himself in. Raising himself up, he reached out with his mind unsure of what he was reaching for. Then he noticed the picture beside the bed. It was a photo of himself and Deanna Troi taken on Betazed before he had left so long ago for the Hood. Deanna! He had saved her he was certain. But saved her from what? He turned in anguish once again to stare at the teenager who continued to sleep peacefully next to him. With horror he felt the familiar ache for Deanna return to consume his heart.

Turning toward him the girl opened her dark eyes, studied him and answered in his thoughts, "Grandma is returning today from her conference. You know that." Stretching and getting up the young woman eyed him suspiciously. "Are you getting senile on me, Grandpa?"

Riker momentarily disoriented, thought he remembered something. He ran his hand through his thick white hair and tried to recall his dream, such a strange dream. "When, when is Deanna returning?"

The girl, whose name he couldn't remember, why in the hell couldn't he remember her name, headed out the door her long flowing black hair bouncing behind her. "Relax old man, she should be here any minute!"

Riker tried to make everything fit, but the picture still seemed off. She had called him Grandpa, but why was she sleeping next to him if she was his grand-daughter? She couldn't really be his grand-daughter. She was obviously Betazoid and no child of his would be telepathic.

As if on cue, Deanna rushed in through the door. "Chandra. Where's your grandfather? Is he okay?"

Chandra looked at her usually composed grandmother and the young girl was suddenly scared. Fighting the fear that was growing in her heart she answered, "He, he's in bed. He seems really confused this morning. Not at all like himself." The eighteen year old bit her fingernail and watched her grandmother nod and go into the bedroom.

Riker was standing in the middle of the room rubbing his temples trying to force memories that wouldn't come when he sensed a presence he recognized. The smile of recognition played across his face until he turned to see Deanna Troi. He stared at her for several moments. Gradually he realized it was her, but an older version of her, forty years older than his last memory of her. Her dark hair was swept up on her head and her figure was more plump, but still quite alluring, accentuated by a Betazoid gown designed to highlight such a figure. She looked, she looked a great deal like Lwaxana Troi he realized ironically. She stood in the doorway allowing him to regain his composure. "I hope I am not too big a disappointment for you, Will. I know in the alternative timeline when I died, you kept an image of a 35 year old in your heart and in your memories." The voice was the same. The sense of her was the same. "Imzadi?" he projected.

"Welcome home....Imzadi." she mentally replied back, crossing the room finally to hold him close.

"Deanna. The last thing I remember was returning from the Enterprise-E to, to ... the Forever World. I remember you were saved, but I have no memories of the intervening years." his panic caused his voice to waver.

Ambassador Troi nestled closer against her husband of 40 years. "Then we have quite a bit of catching up to do, Will Riker." She pulled away long enough to survey him as if they had been parted for the intervening 40 years even though she had only left him four days ago. It appeared she had made it back in time despite her delay getting off because of the traffic around Starbase 11. She had been warned by Data only 20 hours earlier that his internal chronometer had calculated that on this day Admiral Riker would return from his trip back through time to save Deanna Troi from death at the hands of the Sindareen at the Sindareen Peace Conference. It was in the aftermath of that conference that Will had proposed to her by presenting her with the white headband to signal the traditional Betazoid engagement. Data's fears seemed to be well founded - her husband did seem quite confused from the time change.

From Admiral Riker's perspective, he had been apart from Deanna Troi for every moment of those 40 years and it had been 20 years before that since they had last made love. Holding her so close now, feeling her thoughts caress his thoughts, he suddenly wanted her. His desire of her was so strong that it threw him off center. Embarrassed by its intensity and afraid that she would resent the fact that his mind always seemed to turn in that direction he tried to distract himself by tilting his head toward the living room portion of the cabin, "Grandpa? I assume we are married?"

Smiling Deanna nodded, fully aware of her husband's intentions. "Yes, Imzadi. We were married shortly after you saved me."

"She's Betazoid and telepathic?" he noted.

Deanna couldn't resist brushing the stray hair off his forehead and tried to calm her breathing which was coming in faster, deeper bursts, "Her father is full Betazoid, Beverly of course is quarter Betazoid."

Beverly?" he had to ask but already his own breathing was increasing as he felt his heart beating more quickly as well as she began to finger the fastening on his top.

"Your daughter, born just 14 months after we were married." Deanna kissed him, laughing as he bore her down tenderly to the bed he had just awoken in. "Do I have any other prodigy?" he asked, starting to try and determine how to unfasten this monstrosity of a gown.

"Yes, a son - a doctor." Deanna smiled at Will's hesitation. "He adores you and you have been a wonderful father and yes, you have made me very happy. Any other questions?"

Will smiled, "No, just a request. Shut up and kiss me Riker."

Deanna woke to study her husband as he slept contentedly. Absence made the heart grow fonder according to human sentiments and it must certainly be true given the tenderness and desperation with which her husband had made love to her during the past few hours. She smiled. It felt good to be able to give him these few hours of peace from the constant tension of life since the appearance of the Trenditans. Will had no memory of the battles they had faced with these invaders from another dimension. Battling the Trenditan had taken a terrible toll among their friends. Many had claimed it was a miracle that the Enterprise had managed to remain the flagship of the fleet given its predominence in the war. Deanna knew it was no miracle, it was a testament to Will's cunning and determination to protect his family that had led to their narrow escapes. Just when everyone else would give up, Will Riker was still searching desperately, usually at the last second, for an escape, any escape. In reality, Will had spent twenty years on Betazed where she taught at the University and he had been the Starfleet Liason. They had raised their children there and both had married Betazoids. It seemed no one in the family was willing to settle for less than an Imzadi. Will had planned to be retired and enjoying his fishing at this point in his life, but no planet was safe from the Trenditans. So Will had remained with Starfleet as an active Admiral, forcing the top Command to permit him to take his growing family on board when he accepted the assignment to replace Jean-Luc Picard as Captain of the Enterprise. Beverly, who was on board as a marine-biogenetesist and her Betazoid husband, Triant, a science officer and their two daughters, Chandra and Ellia were relatively easy to get assigned to the Enterprise, but convincing their son, Luke, to come on board had taken all Deanna's diplomatic skills. After Luke's Imzadi was killed in one of the first battles with the Trenditans, he had needed a refuge. Beverly Crusher's medical retirement was all that it had taken to have Luke offered the position of Chief Medial Officer. It was an opportunity he couldn't pass up and truthfully Deanna believed he had welcomed the chance to be near his father again. The father and son had always gotten along, but Will's relationship with Luke only seemed strengthened now that the boy was alone. No one had heard from the Trenditans for over a week. That was never a good sign.

"Okay. I've slept - what is it you haven't told me?" Will asked.

Deanna never had an opportunity to respond. Red alerts sounded throughout the ship. Taking time to put on his pants, Riker grabbed his uniform top and ran to the turbo lift, Deanna at his heels. In the lift Deanna finally revealed what she had hidden before. "We are fighting an enemy, The Trenditan. They are beings from a four dimensional world. They transverse time as easily as we walk through the ship, but they need to commandeer bodies in each dimension."

Will nodded, wondering what such beings would look like. "Will." he looked up and saw the fear in his wife's eyes, "They are worse than the Borg ever were."

Arriving on the bridge, Admiral Riker stepped out to take his seat in the center chair. In the back of his mind he wondered where Jean-Luc Picard was in this time. A blue flash blinded Riker. Struggling to see, he heard a scream from behind him. He knew even though he didn't understand. He knew Deanna Riker had just ceased to exist from the abrupt way her presence had vanished from him. One moment he sensed her there, the next the familiar emptiness overtook him. As his vision returned, he realized everyone's eyes were on him, waiting, watching to see him finally break down. Turning he saw the shell of what was once his wife, but now was a glowing zombie with a phaser pointed directly at him. Data moved quickly and efficiently firing point blank at the glowing body that was now the corpse of what was once the Daughter of the 5th House, Holder of the Sacred Chalise of Riix, Keeper of the Holy Rings of Betazed. Dazed, refusing to believe the scene he had witnessed was real, Riker stared at Data. "Where, where is Deanna, Data? Where did she go?" If he hadn't been so unaware of what was transpiring around him, the admiral would have sensed the fact that nearly everyone on the bridge, upon hearing his words, believed the end of the chase was about to arrive.

A science officer left his station and putting his arm around the Admiral, gently patting his arm. "Come on Dad, let's go see Luke in Sick Bay." Riker looked up into the dark, pupiless eyes. "Are you my son?" he asked. The bridge crew looked to each other. Everyone had dreaded the day somone in Riker's family would die, for fear that their famous leader would lose his control of his emotions. That it was Deanna Riker that had been killed was all the worse. They all knew that their luck had been too good to last forever. Jerking loose of the younger Betazoid, Will forced himself to concentrate on his duty, to assess the situation. He had learned years ago to put aside his mourning for later. Survival of the ship came first. Data, Data would help him. "Data, situation."

Data nodded, "Admiral. We were just attacked by the Trenditan. Many of their tactics are similar to the Borg's methods. Usually there is an advance attack. We lost 150 crewmen during the attack."

Will strained to focus on Data's words. "Just now? 150?"

"That is correct, Sir. The next attack will be in force. It would not be unusual to lose the remainder of the crew in the second attack."

"Recommendations?"

"You are the only one sir who has been successful in avoiding the second attacks, due to the unpredicatability of your approach. You 'improvise' at each attack, preventing them from learning form previous exchanges."

"How much time?"

"Minutes, sir. No more than twenty." Data continued, "Past strategies have included, random movements of the ship through space at random speeds. Once we spun the ship on an axis slowly. Another time you ordered a separation of saucer and main ship and put both on collision course."

Will thought. "They prefer to return to the same spot?"

"Yes, Sir."

"And when they fight me, I usually move the ship to different coordinates, the exact strategy varying each time?" Riker was beginning to formulate a plan.

"Yes, Sir." Data replied.

"Data, have I ever left the ship at the same coordinates?"

Tilting his head to the side Data's eyes momentarily blinked rapidly, "No, Sir, you have never been known to employ that strategy."

"Employ it! Tell me, is there a way to destroy these beings?" Riker demanded.

"They are very resistent to death, Sir. The most effective means of destroying them is to transport them during the flash of light into a nearby sun."

Will nodded. "Make it so."

Suddenly through the viewscreen, Will saw hundreds of blue flashing lights appear scattered over several parsecs in the space surrounding the Enterprise. No flashes appeared on the ship. Immediately before the flashes could vanish the transporter lockins occured and there appeared minor flare-ups on the nearby red sun. A cheer went up around the bridge, then silence reigned as each pair of eyes turned to the broken man who had crumbled in tears over the small puddle of bone and blood that was once the body of Deanna Troi.

Data sat next to the bed where Admiral Riker lay. He wanted to pay this hommage to the man who had saved Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Beverly Crusher from the Trenditan. Confined to wheel chairs now, the two had both left condolence messages upon learning of Deanna's death. "Admiral. May I inquire as to the state of your memories, in particular your memories of the last 40 years?"

Riker had been laying with his eyes closed and wondered briefly how Data had known he was awake. "I have none. We were on the Forever World. You told me that when we re-entered our time we might cease to exist, or we might forget everything and retain our memories from the original time line, or the time line we changed. I retained the memories of the timeline we changed." It felt so lonely without her. He had lived 40 years without her and in the space of one night had re-established a connection to her so strong that her death had left him as numb as the first time she had died. Riker sat up quickly. "What did you say, Data?"

"I said do you have any memories of the Trenditan from your memories?" Data repeated.

"No! No, Data. They didn't exist in my time line. I have brought them here. I have killed Deanna afterall."

"That is not necessarily true, Admiral."

"The blue flash was a tip-off they were coming, a warning, wasn't it? Data, tell me the truth, that is an order."

Data switched off the emotion chip. He knew the question the Admiral would pose. It was the question Data had hoped Riker would never ask. "If I hadn't come into this existence, the Riker that has been fighting these Trenditan - he would have known to transport the flash into the sun, correct?"

Data hesitated. He tried to find an answer that would not violate his order, but he could not convince Riker that Deanna's death was avoidable. "Sir, we have not established that you are a "different" Admiral Riker. Perhaps you are the same "Admiral Riker" just unable to access your memories, either temporarily or permanently."

Admiral Riker turned away. "If he had been here and I hadn't, she would be alive."

Data was quick to respond. "We don't know that Sir. Besides, Sir, you are the same person."

"No, no I'm not Data. I had no idea how to fight these, things. He did. Where is he now?"

Uncomprehending Riker looked right through Captain Data. "I want to go back."

"Excuse me Sir?" "Back, Data. I want to make it so I never come back and he gets to remain. He would never have allowed her to die."

Data stood up. "We do not know that Sir. Besides, I know of no way we can transverse time."

Riker also rose, his voice starting to reflect his hope. "Four dimensions, Data. What is the fourth dimension? Time! They know how to go back in time! I will capture one and I will force it to take me back in time."

Shaking his head Data replied, "Capture is impossible, Admiral."

"That sounds a lot like 'resistence is futile' Data. I will capture one or let them capture me and I will go back in time and restore the time line I disturbed by coming here."

"They do not 'capture' you Sir, they kill you." Data responded.

"I don't think so, Data, but I think I know how to find out."

I only do this for the pleasure of Imzadi fans. If you enjoyed the story or if you have suggestions, please send your comments to:Zlanna@AOL.com.