Ishara confesses her regret to Data
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Ishara tells Data that she trusts and considers him her friend, and Data reciprocates the sentiment. Ishara, filled with regret, expresses that her life might have been different had she known about the Federation fifteen years earlier.
Ishara suggests to Data that it may not be too late for her to change her path.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
A storm of regret, hope, and quiet desperation—Ishara is drowning in the weight of her past choices but clinging to the lifeline of Data’s empathy. Her admission that she ‘trusts’ him and considers him a ‘friend’ is a seismic shift, revealing how deeply she craves the safety and camaraderie the Enterprise represents. The ‘deep sense of regret’ that follows suggests she is grappling with the irreversible nature of her past but daring to imagine an alternative future.
Ishara sits with her back to the window, the stars of deep space framing her like a silent witness to her confession. Her fingers trace the rim of a drained glass, a physical anchor to the weight of her words. She begins with clinical detachment—‘Our parents were killed in some crossfire’—but her voice fractures as she describes Tasha’s care and her own eventual allegiance to the Coalition. The moment she admits, ‘Maybe she made the right choice,’ her body language shifts: her shoulders slump, her gaze drops, and her voice softens with regret. When she looks at Data and says, ‘I even consider you my friend,’ her eyes glisten with unshed tears, and her smile is tinged with sorrow. The final line—‘Maybe it’s not too late’—is whispered, as if testing the idea aloud for the first0first time.
- • To unburden herself of the guilt and trauma tied to her past
- • To seek validation for her growing disillusionment with the Coalition
- • That the Coalition’s violence is unsustainable and morally bankrupt
- • That trust and friendship are rare, precious commodities she has been denied
Cautiously optimistic with underlying fascination—Data is genuinely moved by Ishara’s vulnerability and the idea that he might be a positive influence on her moral journey. His ‘intrigued look’ at the end suggests he is processing the implications of her words, wondering how this moment might unfold in the future.
Data sits across from Ishara in Ten-Forward, his android features arranged in an expression of attentive curiosity. He listens without interruption as Ishara unspools her traumatic past, his golden eyes reflecting the dim light of the lounge. His questions are direct but gentle—‘And Tasha did not?’—and his response to her admission of trust (‘Thank you. I would like to consider you my friend’) is delivered with the earnestness of someone who genuinely values the concept of friendship. His physical stillness contrasts with Ishara’s growing emotional turbulence, grounding the scene in his unshakable presence.
- • To understand Ishara’s emotional state and the roots of her conflicted loyalty
- • To reinforce the idea of trust and friendship as alternatives to the Coalition’s violence
- • That emotional connections can lead to positive change in individuals
- • That the Enterprise’s collaborative ethos is a viable model for resolving conflict
N/A (off-screen, but her influence is felt as a mix of pride and sorrow—Ishara’s regret suggests she is finally acknowledging the cost of her choices compared to Tasha’s).
Tasha Yar is never physically present in this scene, but her absence is a palpable force. Ishara’s confession revolves around her sister’s rejection of the Coalition, her care for Ishara as a child, and the unspoken comparison between Tasha’s path and her own. When Ishara says, ‘Maybe she made the right choice,’ she is implicitly contrasting Tasha’s life in Starfleet with her own entanglement in the Coalition’s violence. Tasha’s legacy looms over the moment, a ghostly presence that Ishara is only now beginning to reckon with. Her admiration for the Enterprise—‘to work together for something besides killing’—is a direct reflection of the values Tasha embodied and Ishara once rejected.
- • N/A (as a referenced figure, her ‘goal’ is the ideal Ishara is now aspiring toward)
- • To serve as a counterpoint to the Coalition’s brutality (through Ishara’s admission)
- • That loyalty and trust are worth fighting for (a belief Ishara is internalizing)
- • That violence is not the only way to survive or thrive
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Starfleet is the invisible but towering presence in this scene, embodied by the Enterprise itself and the values Ishara is beginning to admire. While no Starfleet officer (other than Data) is physically present, the organization’s influence is felt through Ishara’s reflections on ‘working together for something besides killing’ and her admiration for the trust and camaraderie she has observed. Data, as a Starfleet officer, serves as a living representative of the organization’s ideals—his empathy, openness, and lack of judgment contrast sharply with the Coalition’s dogma. The scene hinges on Ishara’s realization that Starfleet offers an alternative to the cycle of violence she has known, planting the seed for her potential defection.
The Coalition is the looming specter in this scene, its presence felt through Ishara’s confession and the trauma it represents. While the organization itself is not physically represented, its influence is palpable in Ishara’s regret, her admission that ‘maybe she was wrong,’ and her contrast between the Coalition’s violence and the Enterprise’s collaboration. The Coalition’s dogma—‘kill or be killed’—is implicitly rejected in this moment, as Ishara acknowledges the emptiness of her past allegiance. Her growing disillusionment suggests that the Coalition’s grip on her is weakening, making this a critical turning point in her moral journey. The organization’s absence in the scene is itself a statement: its values are so antithetical to the moment that it cannot coexist with Ishara’s vulnerability.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Ishara regrets her decision, because she has begun to see the potential for good within the Enterprise. This feeling is not a feeling she has, however, showing potential for falsehoods."
"Ishara trusts Data, but regrets her decisions. The Enterprise is affecting her."
"New plan transitions the scene to Ten-Forward."
"New plan transitions the scene to Ten-Forward."
"Ishara regrets her decision, because she has begun to see the potential for good within the Enterprise. This feeling is not a feeling she has, however, showing potential for falsehoods."
"Ishara trusts Data, but regrets her decisions. The Enterprise is affecting her."
"Ishara has the potential for change, and wants to be apart. Quickly transitions to the next scene to relay this information."
"Ishara has the potential for change, and wants to be apart. Quickly transitions to the next scene to relay this information."
"Ishara has the potential for change, and wants to be apart. Quickly transitions to the next scene to relay this information."
"Ishara has the potential for change, and wants to be apart. Quickly transitions to the next scene to relay this information."
Key Dialogue
"ISHARA: Our parents were killed in some crossfire just after I was born. Some people took care of us for a few months... Then one day we came home and they were gone. So Tasha took care of me. And when I got old enough, I joined the Coalition."
"ISHARA: I always thought she was weak for doing that... But maybe I was wrong. Maybe she made the right choice. To work together for something besides killing... to be close to someone without having to protect your back."
"ISHARA: If I had known about this place fifteen years ago, things might've been different. Maybe it's not too late."