The Earth welcomed them with a beautiful weather. Jean-Luc felt like having a night walk, but it was already after midnight and the first meeting started at seven hundred hours thirty minutes. Although Picard suggested that he and his officers can just teleport directly from the ship, he and commander Riker had got their quarters among the apartments of the council members. Commander Riker seemed to agree with the idea of spending the night on the surface, so he didn't insist longer. In fact, he was surprised by his own hesitations. Normally, he would love to spend more time on the home planet. But he belonged to the Enterprise. And now, more than ever, he felt like being there through the entire two weeks of dry-dock. He chased away the stubborn thought that perhaps it was due to the presence of Q on board. On the other side, as the thought kept on returning, he breathed deeply and relaxed. Of course, it was because of Q! As the captain, he couldn't just leave the ship unattended, having two powerful alien beings over there! As he realized it, he felt instantly better. He opened the window outside and inhaled a breeze of fresh, not conditioned air. It was wonderful to be on Earth after all.
"Captain Picard. In your report you say, to speak shortly, the Q entities had saved the human race by showing you a space time anomaly at the three different timelines. It is, I must say, a highly unusual report."
"It is indeed, admiral. Another, detailed report had been sent to you before. I repeat only the conclusion. During the past eight years Q have changed their attitude towards the Federation and I don't believe they are our enemies."
"You don't believe. And we should simply trust your faith? You seem to be highly subjective on that matter."
"With all due respect. Is there anybody in the Federation who knows Q better than I do?"
"According to our knowledge, probably not. But does it make your personal opinion more plausible? You could be manipulated by those Q."
"Admiral, we have been knowing each other for how many years?"
"Alright. I call an hour break. We will continue after lunch."
Picard discreetly massaged his temples. The first day of the conference seemed to be very long. Since morning he and commander Riker were interrogated on their experiences with the alien civilizations, especially the powerful ones. They started from the crystal entity that was destroying the entire colonies, questioned them about the nebula-looking Nagilum that wanted to exterminate half of the Enterprise crew for its amusement, and then the subject went to the Q. Sarcastic admiral Kinsky hinted his opinion of the Enterprise senior staff and insane, and described the encounter with Dee and the ferengi with the smallest details. He finished with announcing the presence of the both Q on the ship, which caused some distress in the council. To Picard's relief, among the participants appeared admiral Nechayev. After the time when the Federation barely managed maintain the peace with the Cardasians and they succeeded mostly due to Picard's efforts, his relationship with her got much warmer. But she was a perfectionist when it came to bureaucracy and her questions were equally exhausting. To his comfort, he reminded that she and admiral Kinsky practically despised one another. She also invited Picard for a dinner later that day. Picard alone. It could be very important, he thought.
Nert was sitting on the edge on Dee's bed. She was watching her with so intense attention, as if she wanted to scan her with her eyes.
"Q? Her condition is not changing. There is always someone here on the shift if you would like to…"
"I will stay here."
Beverly looked at the stubbornness on Q's face and she felt somewhat disarmed. Nert sounded almost tender, or at least, caring.
"Do as you please. But sooner or later you will have to rest. You are sitting here without sleep, without eating. You cannot go on like this."
"Yes, yes, this body is so weak!" Q replied annoyed. Dr Crushed refrained a sigh. There she goes again, she thought and to her relief Deanna appeared at the entry door.
"Anyway, let me know if you decide to leave, I will call the nurse." Beverly nodded at Deanna and walked to her office.
"What on earth did you tell her, Q?" Troi felt the tension between those two amusing.
"Nothing,", Nert grunted and looked at her.
"I hate this body! I don't know how you can stand it! It's like a cage. An ugly, disgusting, isolating cage, without any contact with the universe, or my own energy. Not having energy at all, because it cannot manifest itself in this form. Honestly, how can you live like that?"
"We can, because we don't know how it's like to be..."
"Free and omnipotent?"
"Well, I thought of non-corporeal." Deanna smiled. Nert turned back to Dee.
"I can't get through to her. If I had my powers… Now I even cannot find out what's wrong with her. What keeps her away…" She broke and blinked with surprise. Deanna stood closer and hugged her. Nert stood still for a long while, musing.
"Why?" She looked at her in question.
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you behaving like this? You treat me as…"
"A friend?"
Q didn't answer and kept gazing at her with wide open eyes. Deanna smiled again.
"I had this impression about you before, but now it became clear to me. Your contact with us would be much better if sometimes, somebody gave you a hug."
Q gasped. Taking advantage of that, Deanna grabbed her by the hand.
"Beverly is right. You need to rest. Dee is under a good care here, you cannot help her being exhausted yourself."
Nert didn't speak a word until they stopped before Troi's quarters. She rose her eyebrow.
"Last time Picard locked me in a prison cell. I would call that progress."
Deanna giggled. "I think you will be much more comfortable over here. Unless you insist on being alone, I can arrange that." She teased. Q opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, and closed them again. Deanna grinned and opened the door.
"Jean-Luc, I have to warn you. Kinsky will try to convince the council to take the Enterprise away from you. I couldn't let him surprise you tomorrow, you need to prepare yourself. Also, I need more insight from you, off the record.
Picard frowned. He expected something like that from admiral Kinsky, but he underestimated his influence on the high council. On the other hand, he would also never expect admiral Nechayev to arrange a private meeting to warn them. Those people never stopped surprising him. He also realized the risk she took at that very moment, speaking privately to him.
"What are the accusations?"
"Same as always. You and your crew are too much involved with the alien beings. If the captain of the enterprise is being manipulated by Q, he cannot be trusted. We have been still rebuilding the fleet after Borg. There is an annual commemoration in two weeks and I am counting that you will be there and make a speech. But you must know that there are many council members who think you are responsible for the Borg attacking us in the first place. That without you, they wouldn't know about our existence.
"What?"
Picard lost his appetite, if he had it at all. He drank the entire tea, before he regained his voice.
"This is an absurd. How the hell could I…"
"Jean-Luc, may I call you that? Try to look at the situation with the council's eyes. The captain of the flag ship gets kidnapped by an alien being. Then, he agrees to all his terms."
"Only to protect his ship and the crew!"
"The captain should not agree to these terms in a first place. According to your report, after the second meeting, Q had to promise he would never appear on the Enterprise again. But a few months later he abducts the captain and keeps him on a shuttle-craft as long, as the captain lets him back on the ship. This is how it look like to the council."
"What has it to do with the Borg? I couldn't know her… his plans." Picard felt a rush of heat on his cheeks, realizing he just used the female form to describe Q. It wasn't unnoticed.
"Oh, yes, I have heard. Q is now a woman, right? And she is currently on the ship?
"Yes. I decided, it will be better this way."
"Better for whom, Picard? The Federation? The Enterprise? Or yourself? Think about it, I am sure the council would like to know. See you soon!"
Admiral Nechayev left the restaurant, leaving him staring at his full plate. Picard felt he couldn't eat anything.
"So, you claim that your actions during the abduction didn't provoke that entity to let the Borg know about us?"
In a way, he felt grateful hearing this question. Admiral Nechayev had basically repeated everything she had said before privately. At least he wasn't surprised.
"As I was saying before in my previous reports and hearings, nobody is able to predict the actions of Q. Neither me, nor my crew had any influence on that… person. He always had his own plans and made them happen. My, our, actions or reactions couldn't have changed anything." Picard heard his own voice and suddenly he realized something. He was defending Q. And using similar arguments as Deanna Troi the other day. Q knew that Borg had been heading towards their solar system and that's why kidnapped Picard, that's why forced him to let him back on the ship, to warn them. Only the interference of Q gave them a chance to organize a defense. These thoughts were like an illumination.
"Picard? Is that all?" The voice of admiral Nechayev woke him up. He was so deeply in his thoughts that he forgot where he was standing. Now the entire council was staring at him awkwardly. He composed himself. This would take all his diplomatic skills and he needed to speak carefully.
"With all due respect. I would like to make a new, detailed report on Q, tomorrow."
"Alright. The council agrees."
He returned to his quarters and for the next hour was walking in circles in his room. Finally, he pressed the ship's communicator.
"Doctor Crusher, report?"
"Nothing new, captain. The condition of our patient remains the same."
"And the other Q?" He very much tried to make his voice sound completely neutral.
"She is with the counselor Troi in her quarters. As far as I know, no problems there." Did doctor Crusher sound amused?
"Very well. I will beam back on board in an hour."
"Sir? What about the conference?" She asked curiously. He instantly felt very annoyed.
"There is no conference at night, doctor." He replied sharply.
"Aye, Sir," This time, she definitely sounded amused.