Chapter Forty-Three: "Drawing the Battle Line"
"My, my, you really have grown," Q said sitting up in my bed. I had not commanded the lights on and his face appeared eerie against the sunlight reflected through the window.
"Q!" I exclaimed, making no motion to close the gap between us. "Why have you been ignoring me and sending your red-headed lackey to keep me in line?"
"I've been very busy preparing our troops," he responded. "There are many who oppose unity and they will use violence to stop us. While I am no advocate to violence, I must protect those who support my cause. You support the call for unity, though you haven't yet pledged yourself to it."
"To you, you mean."
"I represent the cause." He stood up as though coming to attention. "I do so to protect you. It was all for you."
"No, it wasn't! I'm a telepath, remember? You can't fool me!"
"All right. It was mostly for you. There are other Q worth saving."
"You were too busy to pop in on me now and again? No one should be too busy to neglect his protégé or she may find another guardian."
"Who would you turn to? Q?
I could not deny that I had entertained the thought since Q had left her notebook with me.
"She would not be a good role model for you. She can't even keep her own daughter under control."
"She has a daughter! I thought Q didn't have children."
"Until recent years, there were no offspring between Q, but Q have been having children with mortals for millennia. Q's daughter is a full-fledged Q. She and Q had a brief tryst. Very brief."
"What, a hundred years?"
"You think because I've lived billions of years I've lost the concept of time? Their relationship ended after only months of courtship. You should understand by now that one sexual encounter could produce a child."
"And you are the expert on children."
"I know more than you realize," he said, but did not elaborate. "Speaking of children, Q sent two of his own lackeys to intimidate you."
"Then you've been watching me."
"I always keep one eye on you. If you had been in immediate danger, I would have been here in a second. That is why I'm here now. Those boys are leading you into a trap."
"You do worry about me," I realized, suddenly overwhelmed by relief. I closed the gap between us and hugged him fiercely.
"While I find your sentimentality quite touching," he said, pulling away from me. I sensed that he was embarrassed by my show of affection. "We're wasting precious time. We have a battle to wage. Arm your weapons, man your battle stations." He smiled broadly. "This will be Q's biggest stand and Q's greatest defeat! Join me. Join us. Together, you and I could implement changes Q have only dreamed of for millennia."
I pulled away from him, my anger renewed. "Wait a minute! You don't pop in to see me for almost a year and suddenly, you show up and say we're wasting precious time! You owe me a damn explanation before I go anywhere willingly with you."
"It takes time to plan out a strategy," he replied defensively. "Besides, a year is such a minuscule amount of time to a Q. Some Q refuse to visit the same place or person twice in a century. Frequent visits might wear down one's welcome, make him appear redundant as though he lacks creativity."
"Not to me! I've only lived thirteen years. I need reassurance that you will support me. I'm still a kid!"
"How true. But you must learn to think like a Q, act like a Q. You cannot let yourself feel insecure. I've created a safeguard for my ensemble." He raised his arm in preparation of the Q-flash.
"No! You're not taking me anywhere!" I yelled, using all my power to place a shield around myself. Why was it that I had to not only battle my enemies, but my professed allies as well? No wonder the Continuum was divided into so many factions!
"You needn't do that," he said, lowering his arm. "I would never harm you. I love you as a father loves a daughter."
A single tear trickled down my cheek. "Then why did you abandon me for so long?"
Our gazes locked, neither of us knowing how to proceed. "All right, I'll admit I was wrong to disappear," he said. "I'll grovel at your feet for a century if you'll just come with me now. With or without me, you're about to battle Q and you're the intended casualty."
He was sincerely contrite and probably had been busy planning out a strategy, but it was difficult to forgive him. "Explain your strategy to me first. If I find that I agree with it, then I'll go with you."
He nodded. "That's acceptable. It is your life I'm attempting to save, after all."
I joined him on the edge of the bed and listened to his brilliant plan. He and a few other members of his faction had been "spreading the word" of 1687 in an attempt to convince the masses that their way was the right way.
"Let me show you what I've created," Q said. "Maybe then you will understand what I've accomplished and why it is in your best interest to join me."
"All right," I conceded. He owed me an explanation for his absence and taking me to his creation was probably the easiest manner for him to do that. "But I don't want to find that days have passed on Betazed while we're away. Can you assure me of that?"
"While some places inside the Continuum pass time at an accelerated rate, I created this place so its time passes equivalent to this world," he told me. "I know how precious time is to you."
"Then proceed."
Before he enveloped us inside the Q-flash, he did something that surprised me. He smiled appreciatively and exhaled, "Thank you." Then we flashed out of my room and into a judge's chambers. Who was on trial here? And what judgment would Q pass?
I walked around the room, taking in my surroundings. On one shelf set huge volumes apparently of written Continuum laws. I was tempted to remove one for perusal, but I had more important concerns. Hopefully, I'd have time later to learn the intricacies of the Q judicial system.
On other shelves were numerous trophies of varying sizes, for accomplishments I could only begin to imagine. Did they all belong to Q or collectively to his faction? I wondered who had awarded these trophies. Were they even real? Or had Q decorated his chambers with them only to add an air of intrigue?
Two abstract paintings ordained the wall behind me. Suspecting both had hidden meanings, I studied their patterns and colors.
What enthralled me the most, however, was Q sitting in the judge's chair behind the massive desk. He wore a long hooded robe and a glaring ruby ring on his right hand. He looked rather comfortable in the facade. I sensed within him a familiarity in the role. How many times had he played judge? Was he a lenient judge?
"Is this what Captain Riker tried to warn me about?" I asked, waving my arm around to include not only Q, but also his domain. "I didn't believe him when he told me how unfairly you'd judged humanity. Now, here you are, slipping comfortably in the judge's role. Have you tried to condemn humanity?"
"Of course, not. Riker will never understand the big picture. He came close once, but then he let his precious Starfleet sub-standards rule his conscience. I've done humanity no disservice. In fact, I've shown them a bit of goodwill from time to time. Jean-Luc wouldn't be the man he is today without my help."
"You created all this. . .the law books."
"The room, the décor. The law books have existed for millions of years." He stood and gestured toward the door. "Come and I'll show you the courtroom."
Curiously, I followed him out into a large courtroom. Twenty rows of benches lined each side of the room, providing enough seating to accommodate a few hundred Q. "Will this be the future testing room for new Q?" I asked.
"It will become much more than that. Step up to the arbiter's bench. Sit down."
I hesitated. What was he suggesting? How much power was he willing to give me? Even as I questioned his motives, I followed his instructions and sat behind the judge's podium. As I peered down at the benches, despite their emptiness, a feeling of superiority surged through me. From here, I would rise above all Q! Quickly, I blinked away the thought. Many Q assumed that posture and it was at the heart of all the discord inside the Continuum. I could easily succumb to the nature of the Q; I could become self-centered and project a superiority complex. If I was to help end the civil war, I had to be a pioneer.
"Why are you showing me this?" I asked as Q ascended the steps to stand beside me.
As he answered, I swore I heard a gong and a crowd laughing in the distance, but no one else popped into the room. He responded, "This is my playground. Once we win the loyalty of enough Q, the Continuum will benefit from our leadership." He paused and I sensed dread within him. "First, we must face several battles, and I fear that some bloodshed is unavoidable. Q is planning his next strike and he is by far our most cunning foe."
"He tried to trick me," I told Q as I stood and stepped away from the judge's chair. "He did not succeed." I descended the steps toward the benches, more comfortable at the spectator's level.
"Shannara, my dear child, you have not caught on to all of his deceptions," Q said, coming up from behind me. "He tricks you still. When you encountered his scouts at the Betazoid Market Day, you fell easily into their clutches. Q told me all the sordid details. If he had not been there to rescue you, we might not be having this conversation."
"Jaibe and Koradi," I corroborated. "Have they become the new Q? They spoke with me telepathically! If the opposition has telepaths-"
"No, Q will never admit new members into the Continuum. Perhaps that will be his downfall...but it is also why he hates you so much. He hates you more because I created your verse solely so you could come into existence. Although he wants to exile all new Q, he's not against using pawns. He teases them with glorified promises, then discards them like broken dolls when they've extended their usefulness.
"He's falsely promised them the power of the Q, hasn't he?"
"Most likely. They are vulnerable and stupid."
"Not entirely stupid. Otherwise, Q would not have allowed them to play his game."
Q nodded, obviously pleased that I wasn't overlooking their potential threat. "Q believes he can use these boys to circumvent your telepathic advantage. He would surely have succeeded if Q hadn't gotten wind of his agenda."
"Q from Faction 125. He would make a great ally."
"Faction 125 is one of our familiars. Although they are not eager to embrace our cause, they will aid us in times of trouble. You should call on them at any time. They never are too busy."
"Oh really," I responded, thinking that the same had not been true of him.
"Q tells me that she's introduced you to the Lost Q."
"Yes."
"And you interviewed the Disturbed Q?"
"Yes, if you can call it that."
"Then why haven't you chosen a faction? Doesn't the thought of becoming a Lost Q frighten you?" He sat down in the front row and looked up beseechingly at me.
"I don't know," I admitted. "Maybe it's because my decision will affect my life...for millions of years." I sat beside him, uncomfortable with towering over him. I still needed his guidance.
"Did Q not convince you of the faith and loyalty Faction 1687 shows toward its members?"
"She's your messenger," I said. "She has proven her desire to help me. I've grown to trust her."
"Good. She has been one of my most loyal acolytes. If you don't want to join for me sake, then join for hers. She cries at night for the Lost Q. Don't let her cry for you."
"You're not serious!" I said, barely restraining my laughter.
His unnerving silence caught me off guard. I wanted to apologize for always doubting him, but before I could, other Q began popping into the courtroom. When all were present minutes later, fifty-three Q besides Q and me were present. Red was the last of them to arrive, sitting on Q's other side. Q then stood to face the crowd.
"Attention my fellow Q," he began. "I am sure you are here because of the rumor that Faction 17 is about to wage war against us." Several nodded in ascent. "Shannara, tell them your story."
I hesitated, a little shy of the limelight. What would they think of me when they learned that I had been manipulated by a couple of mortal boys? I stood and cleared my throat. "They've chosen Jannaran Falls on Betazed as their battleground," I informed them. "Two Betazoid boys invited me there supposedly for a picnic, but I know they are luring me into a trap because they have already taken advantage of me." I went on to tell the crowd about my encounter with Jaibe and Koradi at market day, not sparing any details. "If I were to meet them alone at Jannaran Falls, I would be slaughtered. They're not stupid; they know I will not come alone. "We need to prepare for battle. We can win at their game."
"Agreed," Q responded. With a click of his fingers, he produced a semi-automatic rifle and tossed it to Q in the second row. Next, he produced a myriad of different weapons from various cultures until every Q had a weapon. I was sporting a Klingon dagger, which brought my natural instinct to the surface. As I thought of how Jaibe and Koradi manipulated me and how Q had intimidated me in my Grandma's garden, my warrior's blood began to boil. I gripped the handle so tightly that my fingers grew white.
"Choose your foe and your battleground," Q bellowed. I turned to him, shocked that he was suggesting that we fight one another. "Safeties on! This is a mock battle, Shannara."
I chose a young-looking Q with a similar weapon as my own. We Q-flashed to a jungle setting. I hid amongst the canopy, listening intently for Q's location. Native birds called out to me. A small animal flitted from one tree branch to another, startling me. Leary, I scanned my surroundings. Even with the promise of "safeties on," I could not let go of the need for caution.
Suddenly, an arm grabbed me from behind and pressed a dagger to my throat. "You would not last long in the enemy's camp," he warned me.
I whirled around, thrusting at his arm in an attempt to knock the dagger out of his hand. I only succeeded at angering him as he transformed into a Klingon garbed in leather with a bat'leth strap running diagonally from his shoulder to his waist. He roared at me and I staggered backward, nearly tripping on a tree root. My dagger flew out of my hand. He pounced on me, knocking me to the ground, and slicing my left arm from elbow to wrist. Sudden, blinding pain exploded in me and I nearly passed out from the shock.
"Ahhh!" Q screamed in horror at the sight of my gushing blood. "Safeties were supposed to be on," he exclaimed as he discarded first his dagger then his bat'leth from its strap. He then ripped off his strap and proceeded to make a tourniquet. Shivering and fighting the urge to faint, I watched as he tended to my wound. As a level-one Q, he didn't have the power to heal me instantly, but he produced the supplies needed to numb my arm and to stitch me up. I lay there more in shock than in pain. How could this be happening when safeties were supposedly on?
Minutes later with my arm bandaged, I Q-flashed back to the courtroom. The room was empty, but I called out for Q and he immediately returned. "You said safeties were on!" I shouted as I charged at him. "Look at me arm!"
His eyes widened in momentary surprise until an overlooked fact dawned on him. "Law book 8e." He clicked his fingers to retrieve the book. Flipping to a page toward the middle, he read: "When called, safeties may not be enforced between Q of differing factions even if said factions are allies."
"Who made up these freaking laws?"
"The One, immediately after the first faction split. Do you understand now why it is important for you to join Faction 1687? We can protect you only if you let us."
He gestured for me to hold my arm out, and he inspected the bandage. I tried to jerk back as he firmly pressed down on my arm. The pain was more excruciating than the moment Q's blade sliced through my skin. After seconds, it subsided to a dull ache, and then no more.
"Take the bandage off."
I hesitated, slowly unwrapping the first layer and only picked up speed as I neared the final layer. My arm was healed. Only a light scar remained.
"I believe I'm beginning to understand," I said as I traced the scar. "I do have one more question, though.
"I hope I have an answer", Q said, genuinely concerned.
"Why does everyone call me Shannara when every other member of the Continuum is inclusively referred to as Q?
He pursed his lips, having difficulty formulating an answer. It was a strange expression to see on a Q, a being who presumably was all-knowing. Surely, he was aware of this habit. "You are unique among the Q, the first telepath to accept the power of the Q. there were a couple others who almost did, Kwuary, Guinan, but you are the first to fully embrace Qness. No Q of Faction 1687 and its allies wants to risk losing you. That is why they respectfully call you by another name."
"No other Q have been given a special name? None?" As I asked this question, I compared the Continuum to the Borg Collective, who were a collection of drones with numbers for designation, but they had created Locutus. Data had told me little about this portion of Borg history. Yet, computer databanks contained enough information for me to ascertain that Captain Picard had been briefly assimilated in a Borg attempt to form a new leadership. Did Q's plan now mirror that history?
"It is time for a change inside the Continuum," he told me. "I believe and many others agree with me, that you have come along to fulfill a prophecy."
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "You told me that you created me; created my entire verse. How does prophecy play a part in that?"
"Not merely your involvement, but your ability to lead them out of war and into a new era."
"Did you lie about creating my verse?"
"I have never lied to you. I've withheld a few truths from you, for your own good. You weren't ready for certain knowledge. Some information would even be detrimental to your future as a Q."
"Why tell me now then? You could have brushed off the subject as you have done so easily in the past. I've heard nothing of any myths or prophecy inside the Continuum before today. Now you are speaking half-truths about them."
"I tell you what you can be told," he reiterated. "To tell you more might alter the course of events. Today may mark the beginning of the great war, the one which I believe you will lead us toward unity."
"Oh really?" I thought about the lost Q, hiding to protect their lives. Red had warned me that I would end up like them if I didn't choose a faction soon. Why was I being so stubborn? I didn't want to die. I didn't want to flash out from existence. "So if I join Faction 1687, safeties are guaranteed to stay on?" He nodded. "Then I'm your loyal subject."
"I'm surprised you fulfilled the first element of the prophecy so quickly. I thought it would take nearly fifty years to convince you that you were destined to be Q."
He clicked his fingers and we left the courtroom.
We popped in precariously perched on a precipice. I screamed, not yet trusting that safeties were now on. Reading about the famous Betazoid landmark had not prepared me for the massive size of Jannaran Falls. The waterfall poured about five kilometers over a steep mountain.
"Get me down from here!" I demanded over the din of the roaring water.
"Trust that you are safe now," he cajoled me. "This is our best vantage point." He waved his arm. "From here, we can see the whole of Jannaran Falls. Where better to map out our strategy?"
I looked below at the breathtaking Jannaran River. The water flowed rapidly, winding around the massive mountain. Plants and shrubs grew wild along the bank, painting the panorama in a rainbow of colors. After all the years I'd been cooped up on a starship, longing for the chance to be planet bound, I'd spent my months on Betazed neglecting much of the beauty it had to offer.
I scrutinized the landscape, placing myself in the role of general. "There are several bushes which could be used for cover. Someone could climb to one of the top branches of that huge Grocko Tree."
Q leaned toward me and the sensation of falling reasserted itself. This time, I controlled my fear. "What type of weapons will Q use? How will his ammunition affect us?" Q asked.
I sensed that he was not asking me to guess Q's strategy, but rather to choose his weaponry for him. How was this possible? Q was not like one of our worlds, to be created from a blank canvas; he was a powerful being with a highly motivated vengeance. Faction 17 was a disease which needed eradicating.
When I failed to respond verbally to his questions, Q continued his discourse. "Will the safeties be turned off in your holodeck program? Will you bleed?"
"Why would I want to turn the safeties off?" I clutched at my left arm, the memory of my pain still fresh.
"If you are incapable of ending the life of another, no matter how evil he is..."
I wondered if justice would truly be served by ending Q's life. Was it really Faction 1687's place to preside over the entire Continuum? "Asking me is rather pointless, isn't it? We both know that law 8e-237 states that safeties are always off when battling the enemy."
"It's important you realize that. A Q who believes herself impervious to every bullet will invariably flash out of existence. The Q are powerful beings, but given their egocentric nature, they will allow themselves to become vulnerable in the hopes of battling their enemy to his death. This is how several factions became extinct. Q's success over the millennia has hinged on the foolishness of others."
"We will not become another statistic," I vowed to him. "I will battle Q until his demise."
"You mean, we will." Twisting around the rock face he began making his way down the precipice. Why wasn't he using a Q-flash? "Let's plan our defense strategy," he said, as I peered down at him.
"Q, what are you doing?" I asked, growing dizzy from looking down.
"Practicing! When the safeties are turned off, we will render more than our immortality void."
If we could not Q-flash out of the battle, we would need to find another means of escape when faced with danger. I followed Q cautiously down the incline.
Nearly halfway, I glanced down and was shocked by the distance that still remained between me and the bottom of the mountain. I misplaced my footing and tumbled. My screams seared my throat only to be engulfed by the cascading water. The sharp rock edges battered my legs and arms. For the second time today, pain visited me. One wrong twist and my neck would snap. How many bones were broken already?
Abruptly, my descent stopped and I was floating in the air. Peering across the sky with blurry eyes, I spotted Q several meters in front of me. "I didn't mean to imply that the safeties were turned off now," he told me.
I examined my bruised and bloodied body I would not be a battle weary foe against Q. "I could have been killed!" I exclaimed.
"You would have been if some part of you weren't still aware of your powers." He drifted toward me and placing his hands on each of my injuries, he began to mend them. It was a slow and painful process. Your thoughts are keyed to the magnitude of your powers. The more self-control you possess, the greater your chances of defeating the enemy."
"We need to want to win the battle more than they want us to lose. We have to believe in our cause more strongly than they believe in theirs."
"Exactly. Now it's time to burst this bubble and glide to the ground like a true Q." He raised his hand as though it possessed a needle and made a popping gesture.
Quickly, I resumed my descent, bringing my arms out in front of me as though I was swimming through the air. My feet securely touched the ground.
"I will come for you in two days," Q promised. "Several others will follow. You will not face this battle alone." With a wink, he Q-flashed us out of the room.
I stood in the middle of Jannaran Falls Park for several minutes. A family with two small children was playing nearby. This park seemed like a safe haven. I dreaded disrupting the peace. The families of Betazed deserved continuity.
With that burden upon me, I Q-flashed into my bedroom. I had another obligation: Telling Grandma that I planned to meet with Jaibe and Koradi. I exited my room and searched for her. I clicked my fingers to change into fresh clothes that hid all traces of my injuries.
I found her outside, sitting on the back porch. She was sipping an iced tea and reading from her data padd. She set the padd down on the small round glass-top table beside her as soon as she saw me. "Shannara," she said, "should I ask where you've been?" Her tone seemed less quizzical than it once had and more hesitant. "And what happened to your cheek?
Gingerly, I brought my fingers up to the one bruise I could not hide.
"I fell," I responded evasively. "You must know what I'm about to do: I've decided to meet with those boys."
"No!" she started to rise, but I gently pushed her back down in her chair.
"Hear me out, Grandma. Q from Faction 17 intends to battle me. Either a battle will take place at Jannaran Falls or it will take place somewhere else. Better the attack takes place when I expect it. Q is rounding up a battalion from his most loyal followers. They will defend me as though I were one of their own."
"What about All Souls? Shouldn't you practice your telepathy more?"
"There is no more time to work with Robayre. I will spend the next two days meditating to prepare for the battle. I'm going to my room now. Please do not disturb me." With that, I turned on my heals and left Grandma.
Once in my room, I sat on my bed, legs crossed underneath me and closed my eyes. I remained that way, undisturbed, for several hours.
