Not a lot of new surprises here but I love how you tied in Maren's and Icheb's background into their first awkward meeting on Teseract. Suddenly that short encounter is filled with so much more meaning and tension than I could have ever expected the first time I read it. And for Icheb it becomes the moment in which he comes to realize his perhaps greatest mistake, his fatal error. Nicely done.

Talk about a fatal error. It fits perfectly with the failing body thanks to malfunctioning Borg part and his stupid decision ot leave Maren. Icheb made what in his eyes was a noble and brave choice to go off and meet his fate alone, but he left Maren hanging and hurting, and after proposing to her. Damn, bad timing or choices all over the place here.

I could point out the absoliute hilarity of this first exchange propmpting Adele to say:  “Officers. If there’s some kind of history here, I don’t want to know the details. All I can say is that this is a seven-year mission, and I won’t put up with interpersonal drama before we’re even underway. If there’s going to be a problem with you two serving together, one of you is going to be sent back to Deep Space 5" Ha ha ha. Boys those words come back to ahunt and bite now. But that's all an aside.

His decision is very analytical and even Borg like. Though there is a genuine emotion and care there to try and protect Maren too. All too bad it failed. Nice piece of history filling in the blanks in this troubled relationship.