Imzadi: My Version

Chapters Thirty-five and Thirty-six

Chapter Thirty-five

"Where the hell is she!" Will asked himself. "I can't feel her like I use to. And neither can anyone else who's close to her. Either she's completely blocked everyone out or..." Will did not want to think of the alternative.

It had been five days since anyone had heard anything from Deanna. Will felt like he was going to loose his mind. He could not concentrate on anything. Even Captain DeSoto saw Will's work was suffering.

"No, she's out there somewhere. I know she is. She has to be."

"Lieutenant Commander Riker!" DeSoto finally said after several times of trying to get Will's attention.

Will jumped out of his skin. "Yes, Sir."

"My Ready Room, now."

"Yes, Sir."

The two of them walked into Desoto's Ready Room. "Have a seat or do you want to continue pacing like a caged animal."

"I'm sorry?"

"On my bridge just now, you were in another world pacing back and forth as though you were a caged animal."

"Captain, let me have a shuttle craft."

"What?"

"A shuttle craft."

"And do what?" The captain asked.

"I want to look for my wife for God's sake!"

"Commander, Starfleet is looking for her. If you go out and start running around out there by yourself you could get into a lot of trouble and no one would know it."

"Sir, please."

"They are looking for her and your children. Now, if you can't do your job because of this I will have no choice but to relieve you of duty."

The communications officer called.

"DeSoto here."

"There is a priority one communique for Lieutenant Commander Riker from a Lieutenant Tang on Betazed."

"Put it through to my Ready Room."



"Captain Riker." Said the communications officer of the Valiant. "There's a priority one communique from the Research Station on Forever World."

"Riker stood to face his communications officer. "Put it through to my Ready Room."

Will walked into his Ready Room and sat down at his desk. "What the hell did my idiot younger self do now!"

Will tapped the communication button and said, "Riker here."

"Sir, you asked us to keep an eye on a particular time line for you and to let you know of anything that may or may not change time as you know it."

"Yes." Will affirmed. "What's happened?"

"Well, did Mrs. Riker ever leave Betazed without letting anyone know?"

"What?" Captain Riker asked in shock. "Never mind. We'll make a slight detour and be there as soon as we can. Riker out."

"Now this is an unusual change of events." Will said to himself. "Captain to Bridge."

"Bridge here."

"Set course for Forever World."

"Forever World?"

"That's what I said."

"Aye, sir." Said the bridge officer, still unsure of what was happening.

"Captain to Counselor Troi-Riker."



In Desoto's Ready Room, Will became very anxious.

"Captain DeSoto here."

Tang sounded a bit confused when he saw the captain of the Hood. "Is Riker there?"

"Yes, he is." Then DeSoto signal to Will that he could speak.

"Have you found them, Tang?" Will asked hopefully.

"No, sir."

Will's demeanor changed from the hopeful anxiety back to the original anxiety of the fearful unknown.

"I don't know if this bit of info will help any, but apparently your wife hired a shuttle here on Betazed off the record and no flight plan was recorded."

"How did you come by this information Lieutenant Tang, if none of this information is documented?" Asked DeSoto.

"Interesting you should ask that." Tang replied. "There are a number of free-lance shuttle pilots on Betazed that, for a price, will take anyone, anywhere completely and totally off the record."

"How the hell do they leave orbit off the record?" Will asked.

DeSoto signalled Will to calm down.

"Well, that I'm not certain of yet, but there were other free-lancers there that day that had apparently saw the diplomat's daughter."

"How reliable are these shuttle pilots?" Will asked.

Tang shrugged. "One takes their chances, I guess."

"Damn it!" Will exclaimed.

"Sorry I don't have anymore info than that."

Will look even more upset than before, but did not say anything more.

"It's OK Lieutenant. Keep us informed if you find out anything more."

"Aye, sir. Tang out."



"You want me to do what?" Deanna exclaimed her question. This Deanna had some graying in her hair and was much older.

"Well, I can't do it and I probably won't be as much of an attention getter as you would be." Said the older Riker.

"You've got to be kidding, Will!"

"Deanna, I don't know what's going on with you, but something happened and I personally like this time line we're in." Will said.

"I'm not sure if we're really talking about me." Deanna said. "Are we?"

"Deanna, this is the wife of the Riker I went back in time to give a swift kick in the butt." Riker informed her. "Now, I maybe wrong, but it sounds like it's your turn."

"Will, surely you're not serious?" Deanna asked. "This is tampering with a time line and we're not suppose to do that."

"Not unless the Guardian of Forever let us." Will reminded her.

"That's only if time has been tampered with."

"Ah, but that's why we are going to Forever World to find out." Will said with a gleem in his eye. "If it has been, then the Guardian may let you through to fix it."

"And if it hasn't?"

"Then we're up shit creek without a paddle."

Deanna stared at him. She still had no idea what her Will was talking about, nor did she quite understand what was going on, except a younger version of herself was doing the strange and unusual for her.

"OK." Deanna said. "If you're right and the Guardian let's me, I'll see what I can do, but I'm not making any promises."

"That's all I ask, Imzadi."

"Will, are you sure you're alright?" Deanna asked.

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"You're begining to act a little strange yourself."



Will started pacing in the captain's Ready Room and was engrossed in thoughts of Deanna. "I wish I could get in her head and figure out what is wrong with her. Why would she just take off like this and where could she be going? Was she that upset with everyone that she felt she couldn't tell anyone? Damn it! I wish she would just contact me and tell me what's going on."

"I'm relieving you of duty."

"Huh? What?" Will asked.

DeSoto had been observing Will even before Tang signed off the communique. He realized Will was not going to be able to keep his mind on his duties and that was one thing they did not need right now.

"As of this moment, Lieutenant Commander Riker, I am officially relieving you of duty. You are not to leave this ship for any reason what so ever. Is that clear?"

"Aye, sir."

"You are free to go to the lounge or anywhere on this ship that does not include a duty station. You may call any family member on Betazed that you like, if you wish, but any official reports that come in concerning your wife and children will be made through me with me present."

"Sir, what am I going to do, except try and find out if any new information has been found?"

"Oh, I don't know. Try and smuggle a shuttle." DeSoto noticed the look Will gave him and added, "I've been a Federation Officer long enough know how officers work when they want to accomplish something bad enough and you look desparate enough to try anything you can. I am not going to allow any of my officers to pull any stunts that might get them in trouble."

"Sir, I."

"I have my reasons. Now go do something to distract yourself from the immediate situation or call a relative or friend. I don't care, just stop pacing in front of me. Dismissed, Lieutenant."

"I can perform..."

"Dismissed."

Will left without further argument and went straight to his quarters. "It's a cinch I'm not going to be able to stop thinking about Deanna and the twins. So, if I'm going to be off duty I might as well, be in my quarters."



"Will, I don't know about this." The older Deanna stated. "I can't jump through that. A million things could happen!"

"A million things could happen if you don't." Will stated.

Deanna shook her head. "Will..."

"Imzadi." Deanna looked at Will as he addressed her by the term of endearment. "You trust me don't you?"

"Yes, Will, but what does this have to do..."

As she gestured to the Guardian, Will interrupted her. "If you don't figure it out by the time you get back, I'll explain then." Will said. "Now go."

"How do I get back if I jump through that... that portal?"

"Don't worry, the Guardian will spit you back out."

"What? Spit me back out?"

Will shook his head. "Never mind, you'll get back."

"Come with me."

"Nope." Will said. "You have to talk to yourself, yourself."

"You're starting to make sense and that's starting to get scary in it's self."

"OK." Will said. "Watch the images and when you see yourself, jump in."

"Oh, right, and land ungracefully on my face with a mouth full of sand."

"Deanna, you're making this very difficult."

"If you're wrong..."

"If I'm wrong, then you'll have a mouth full of sand."

Deanna gave him a look of disgust and said, "Gee, thanks."

"Did you see yourself?"

"If I say yes, will you stop talking that way?" Deanna asked. "I'm starting to feel like I need to look up your diagnosis in the DSM-Ten."

"The what?"

Deanna shook her head. "A book of Psychological Disorders."

Will laughed. "Are you ready now?"

Deanna curled one side of her mouth and said, "As ready as I'll ever be to get a mouth full of sand."

Will then said, "Guardian, replay the last sequence of images."

They watched and Will said, "OK, get ready."

Deanna saw herself and jumped into the Gaurdian. The next thing she knew, she was on some shuttle and watching her sleeping younger self and her young twins.

She smiled as she looked at her babies. "It's been a long time since you two were that age." She thought. "And I'm guessing your, I'm, trying to get away from something I don't want to deal with, at least not yet. Little does your father know, I did run off, but not like this or this far. Mostly to the museum or those places I took him to when we met. Well, you two will hopefully think this is a dream and go on sleeping."

"Where is it you think you're going?" She sent to her younger self.

Her younger self stirred in her sleep like she were dreaming. "You're not dreaming." She said aloud and firmly, but not so loud she might wake up the twins. "Come on, wake up."

Her younger self awoke, sat up, and stared at the woman before her. Her mental blocks were down and she looked at the woman as though she were analyzing the situation and sensed her eyes were not deceiving her. "You're me, but older!"

"Quiet! You'll wake the twins." The older sent. "Yes, and no, you're not loosing your mind yet. Although, before your life is done you might think Will is."

"What? What's wrong with Will?"

"Nothing, really. I was joking." Deanna replied. "Oh, your Will is worried sick over you."

"He's too intent on breaking Kirk's record to worry about us."

"Actually, he managed to get Starfleet, along with your mother's help, to look for you three. He's even tried to get a shuttle craft to look for you on his own. Probably would have gone AWOL, if DeSoto wasn't experienced enough to know what goes through desparate officers' heads."

"He didn't get Starfleet to look for us, nor is he that desparate." The younger sent with doubt.

"You're a diplomat's daughter. It wasn't that hard."

Deanna got out of the bed and stood before the older one. "You've lived with your Will far too long, that you've learn how to be a damn good bluffer."

"Really? OK, you have established that I'm you, only older. If that's the case, you're empathic, you tell me. Am I really bluffing?"

The younger Deanna frowned. "OK, you're not bluffing. So why are you here?"

The older Deanna gave a small closed mouth smile. "Your husband's crazy older self insisted that it was my turn to go back to the past. Only, this isn't really the past I know since our older Will came back to the past before me and gave your husband a kick in the pants. So, I guess it's my turn, since he did that before me and change everything before you two got married."

"OK, so how do I know this is not some hallucination and I've developed a psychotic depressive episode."

The older Deanna thought for a minute. "I'd say, if you are able to ask yourself that question you've probably haven't, but if you insist on proof you are not in a psychotic depressive episode, I guess I could think of something to prove you are not."

The younger Deanna crossed her arms in a way that said, "OK, Prove it."

The older Deanna looked down for a moment and took a couple steps to the side of the younger and then looked at her. "OK, look at yourself. If you were in a psychotic depressive episode, would you be crossing your arms wanting proof you were not psychotically depressed?"

The younger one briefly thought, then sent, "Probably not."

"OK, now that is established." Sent the older one. "I have a question for you? Where in the universe do you think you are going?"

"I... I'm not sure yet. I thought maybe Vulcan or somewhere far from Betazed, but I'm just not sure yet?" The younger sent in reply.

"Then why are you out here in the middle of no where?"

"I.. I don't know."

"Oh, gods!" The older Deanna rolled her eyes. "I never dreamed I'd be having a counseling session with myself! But it would appear that I am."

The younger Deanna stared at her older self again, but said nothing.

"OK, let's start from the begining. What were you feeling when you left Betazed?"

"Well, I." The younger paused. "I felt like I had to get away. Be anywhere but where I was."

"Time to get the moat out of your eye."

"What?"

"You're a student of psychology. Is running from your problems and feelings a healthy way to deal with them?"

"Look, I don't need this from you!" The younger Deanna shouted into the older one's mind.

"Apparently you do or you would be talking to everyone you need to be talking to right now and handling your problems in a more appropriate way than disappearing like this."

"Why bother! Mother doesn't want to listen to me. She wants to control everything. Will wants to be out here and beat Kirk's record and not with us."

"So you feel if you go out on your own, then your feelings will be acknowledged. How can they be when it's just you and the twins?"

The younger Deanna just looked at the older one.

"I'm going to assume that your staring at me at key points means that something is getting through that thick head of your's."

"Oh, that's really professional, Older Deanna." The younger said sarcastically.

"That sounds a bit juvenile."

"Well, It sounds like I'm nuts if I talked to myself."

"Fair enough. Would it help if I said call me Counselor?"

"Not really, but it will have to do. Gods, I still feel strange talking to myself."

"I assure you, you really aren't even though you are."

"That really helps." The younger Deanna felt she was about to cry again, so she turned her back to her older self.

"I'm sensing you are feeling very hurt." The older one said softly in the younger one's mind.

"What gave you that idea? Past experience or your empathy?" The younger Deanna sent sarcastically.

"You feel that if you had stood up to your meddling mother much sooner, Will would not have left. If you had been able to have been better in being a counselor, you would have been able to approach Will in a better way, that would have gotten him to talk to you and he would still be with the three of you. Which you know counseling skills have nothing to do with dealing with one's own family. You're to close to do that. As far as your mother goes, you did a better job and sooner than I did in my time line. Lastly, it takes time to be good at whatever you do, which as a student, is not enough time. That you should also know already, but I guess you threw the book out the window somewhere along the line."

"Ok, you seem to think you have me figured out. What makes you think Will cares more about us than beating Kirk's damn record?"

"Well, I've already told you, my Will went back in time to try and keep your Will from making the same mistakes again. That's a start. Then your Will took his advice and put his career on hold for a short time."

"OK, but he's back out there wanting to beat Kirk's stupid record and Mother is trying to be the queen of Betazed." Deanna sobbed softly.

"If you weren't more important than Kirk's record, and more important to your mother than her traditions, why would they have gotten so many people out here to look for you?"

"I've been travelling out here for almost six days now. I haven't seen anyone."

"No, if you're incognito, then the pilot of this shuttle doesn't know to tell a Federation ship that you're aboard, now does he?"

"No, he doesn't." The younger Deanna said, shaking her head.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know." She cried a little louder.

The older Deanna rolled her eyes. "Oh, gods! They're right! Next to doctors, psychologist are the most difficult patients to work with, especially if the psychologist is yourself. Well, I'm here until you go back where you belong or whatever and the Guardian spits me out."

"What?" The younger spins around with wide eyes.

"Yes, you're stuck with me, so unless you want them to wake up and see me, I suggest you work a little harder on figuring out what it is you need to do." Said the seasoned counselor as she points her head toward the twins and sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I for one don't want to be here when they wake up."

"They want to see their father." The younger one softly sobbed.

"So, I ask again, is leaving to no distination a logical course of action? Or is it a symptom of a problem that needs to be resolved?"

The younger Deanna refused to give an answer, so the older one crosses her arms and continues. "OK, I have plenty of time. One problem though, this one is on the house, so given that I'm working with myself and all I might get a little irritable after awhile and loose all professionalism. Unfortunately, at my age that could happen anytime now."

A growing sense of panic was developing inside of the younger Deanna. Not the panic of fear, but the panic that grows when one knows what they should do, but are not doing it because they are too scared to do it. So mustering up as much courage as she could, the younger Deanna goes to the front of the ship to talk to the pilot.

"Lay in a course for the Hood."

"Excuse me, Ma'am."

"I said, lay in a course for the Hood. It's a Federation ship."

"Yes Ma'am." said the pilot. "What do you want me to tell them when I get within their sensor range?"

"Just tell me and let me do the talking."

"OK, but that will be another 100 credits for the use of my communication system."

"I don't care, just do it!"

"OK, whatever you say."

Deanna walks back to where her children were sleeping and starts to thought send to her older self, but she was gone. "Thank the gods, that session is over with and I pray I never have to go through another session where I'm the patient ever again." Deanna thought to herself.

"Imzadi, I'm fine and I'm coming to see you, soon." She sent, hoping Will's mind would be eased.

Chapter Thirty-six

"Ma'am, Can you give me an approximate idea where the Hood might be?" Said the pilot. "There's a million ships out there and looking for one is like, well, a needle in a hay stack."

She thought for a moment, but since she had not talk to Will she had absolutely no idea what sector or area he might be in. She shook her head.

"Well, does it have to be the Hood or could it be any Federation Ship I run into?"

"I really want the Hood." She informed the man. "But any Federation ship maybe able to tell us how to find it."

"May I ask why it has to be the Hood?"

"It's personal reasons." She informed him.

"Ah, must be a man."

She gave him a startled look.

"Nothing personal, Ma'am, but I've transported a lot of people and well, you just learn things a long the way." He said. "You know you are awfully mysterious. You haven't even told me your name. Mine's Morris, if that helps any."

She debated telling him, but finally said, "Um, Deanna."

Will Jr. tugged on her skirt. "Mama, when we gonna see Daddy?"

"Soon, hun."

"Ah, I was right. It is a man. You're a Federation family, huh. So, why did you hire me, why didn't you contact Starfleet?"

She was getting the feeling this man was a very nosy person and frowned. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"OK, suit yourself. I was just trying to make conversation." Morris said. Then he remembered that he had heard something over his comm about the Federation looking for a woman and two children. "What was the name? Dina, Dena, Dianna or could it have been Deanna?" He thought to himself.

"Mama, hungry." Said Kestra.

"You know where the food replicator is." Morris said to Deanna as he pushed some buttons on his console. "You know, most pilots charge extra for food and drink, but me, I see a woman traveling alone with children, I just include that with the cost of everything else. That's the only time I don't charge extra for food and drink."

"That's nice of you, but you didn't have, too."

"Oh, think nothing of it." Said Morris.

She got the children something to eat, while Morris continued to chatter away. She only half listened. Suddenly, Morris said, "Oh, oh."

Deanna sensed alarm from the man. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Klingons."

"What about them?"

"Well, I'm kinda on their bad side, in particular, a Duras family." Morris informed her.

"How did you get on their bad side?"

"Oh, now it's your turn with the questions, huh?" Said Morris. "Like you, I have a personal side too. Why don't you take the kids to the back and let me handle this."

Suddenly, Deanna had a bad feeling about all of this and she did not like it. Even so, she took the twins to the back of the shuttle as she was requested.

The Klingons had been hailing him when he told Deanna to go to the back and once they were in back he answered their hail. "Ah, Ursala and Bikker! Nice to see you two lovely sisters, again."

Lursa growled at him. "Moron! You know our names and we would take to you better if you would use them!"

"Our paths meet again." Morris said. "What is it you want this time?"

"Oh, you know what we want." Stated Lursa with a leer on her face. "We want the item you stoled from the Duras family."

"Are we still squabbling over that?" Asked Morris non-chalantly. "I mean, come on, it can't be that valuable."

B'Etor whispered something in her sister's ear. Lursa smiled. "Ah, this could be interesting." She replied to her sister.

"Seems like you've gone back to transporting people." Lursa said to him. Then mockingly asked, "What? Did you stop smuggling stolen goods?"

"I'm not saying a word." Morris said defensively.

"Obviously the item that's been in our family for generations is not aboard your shuttle." Lursa said.

Duras came onto the bridge of the ship and pushed his way roughly past Lursa. "Tell us where it is or say that it's a good day to die!"

"Now, Duras. If you kill me you'll never find it, now will you? Besides, as you can see I have no weapons. A courtousy to the majority of people I transport." Morris asked as he surrepticiously pushed a button to send a coded message.

Duras growled. "Unfortunately, you maybe right."

"So am I free to go?" Morris asked with a bit of pride behind his voice.

"No!" Duras growled.

"OK, how about a deal?"

"I make no deals with theives!"

"Oh, such strong language." Morris said in a condensending manner. "I like to fancy myself as a connoisseur of fine treasures."



"Captain, we're receiving an encrypted distress signal."

Captain Zimbata looked puzzled. "Encrypted distress signal?"

"Aye,sir." said the officer. "Translating it now."

"This is very strange and unusual. Who the hell encrypts a distress signal?" Zimbata asks rhetorically.

"Shuttle pilot in trouble with a woman and two young children. No further information or names given, sir."

Zimbata stood up, slowly turned in thought and asked, "How far away is this shuttle?"

"Sir!" A young man with a visor over his eyes spoke.

"Yes, Ensign?"

"It appears to be a hunderd kilometers off our starbird bow and there's a Klingon ship within the immediate vicinity of the shuttle."

Zimbata said, "We definitely need to check this out. Helm, set coordinates for that shuttle and ship. From the brief discription we may have found the woman everyone is looking for. If were lucky."

"Should I signal the Hood?" Asked the communications officer.

"No, not until we're sure. I don't want to stir up any false hopes." Informed Zimbata.



Deanna sensed there was trouble and Morris was hiding something. She had not sense this before, so she thought it must be from the Klingons. She had heard parts of the conversation through the curtain that divided the front of the shuttle from the back of the shuttle and did not like what she had heard.

"Mama, we're scared." Will Jr. admitted.

"I know, but it's ok. We'll be fine."

In the front of the shuttle, Morris was still trying to talk his way out of trouble. "Duras, I have people I'm transporting here that have nothing to do with this matter. Why don't we discuss this at another time?"

"Why should I care about these people?" Duras spit out.

"Well, they are nice enough and have not bothered anyone that I know of."

"Duras." Lursa addressed. "He sent an encryptic message out within the last minute."

"Load phasers." Duras ordered. "I've had enough of this man."

Deanna sensed Morris's tension level rise and heard the Klingon. She was now wishing she had agreed to any Federation vessel they had stumble across and was now praying to the gods that any Federation vessel would come along.

Kestra and Will Jr. felt her tension and began to cry. Deanna pulled them closer to her in a loving embrase, but she could not ease their fears, for her fear was also great.



"Sir, the Klingon ship is powering their phasers."

"What's our ETA?"

"Less than a minute now."

"I see them, finally." The captain said as the two vessels started coming into view on the screen. "Hail the Klingon Ship and be prepared to beam aboard whoever is on that shuttle, just in case."



"Duras." Said Lursa. "We're being hailed by a Federation ship."

"I should go ahead and finish you now." Duras threatened.

"But you won't, because you have no idea who I may be transporting."

"I could care less about them." Growl Duras.

"I suggest you answer their hail, Duras. They are prepared to fire on us if you don't." Lursa informed him.

"URRRAH!" Duras growled. "ANSWER THEM!"

"This is Captain Zimbata of the Federation Ship USS Victory. Stand down your phasers!"

"Why should I?" Asked Duras. "This man has stolen from us and we want our property back and him dead."

"Obviously that shuttle is at a disadvantage to you and you are at a disadvantage to us. So, I suggest you stand down and we can discuss this."

"NO! WE WILL GET THIS MAN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!" Then Duras turns to his crew. "FIRE!"

Deanna thanked the gods when she felt they were being beamed off the shuttled barely in the knick of time. However, the children had never experienced the sensation of being transported, so they became even more scared and cried louder.



Once on the transporter padd, Deanna began to soothe her children and explained to them it was alright. "We're safe now." She said.

As fast as she had gotten the children calm down, Captain Zimbata entered the transporter room. "Welcome aboard. I'm Captain Zimbata."

Deanna was not sure what to say. After a moments thought she said, "I'm looking for the Hood. Could you by chance assist me in finding this ship?"

The captain studied her for a moment. "I'm assuming you must be Mrs. Riker."

Deanna swallowed hard and realized her older self was right. "Yes, but I really would like to surprise my husband, if I could."

"Mrs. Riker, I don't know if you realize this or not, but there's been a search going on for you and I have to report that you have been found."

Deanna sighed. "So there's no way I can surprise him now."

Go To Chapters Thirty-seven and Thirty-eight

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