Disclaimer: This is fanfiction. Anything you recognize is not mine. All characters and events in this story are entirely fictional.
-=oOo=-
After they landed they journeyed to the cave where the original painting was found, and returned the piece someone had taken.
Da'an stood for some time viewing it before he said softly, "It reads. We stand upon the lowest. We bow to the highest, but only a penetrating vision can reveal the source."
"What does it mean?" asked Zo'or who had come in with Boone.
"I do not know," said Da'an.
Celeste held her hand out to Da'an. "Come, sit with me, perhaps we can find it."
"I will join you as well," said Qu'on.
"As you wish."
Piper appeared beside her sister. "Heard you wanted to do something fun. Mind if I join in?"
"Of course not. All who wish to be a part may come," said Celeste.
Jinto and Lafiel immediately sat down, then Lexi, and then more hesitantly the three astronauts and finally Boone and Lily.
"This is going to be a bit of work for us, so have some patience, but for now, everyone please join hands," said Celeste.
-=oOo=-
Da'an held his hand out to Zo'or who did not take it. He instead took Lily's other hand.
"It is like in the commonality," was his first thought as part of this greater whole.
"Yes, but we keep ours temporary, not permanent," thought Piper.
"Without the commonalty we regress," thought Qu'on.
"We can look into that if you want. We have nothing against your commonality," thought Celeste.
"But first the hunt begins. Let's find what we came to find," thought Piper.
The locus of their thoughts became a blur as they searched the ground in a spiral from the cave. They found several other human remains, but it wasn't till nearly twenty minutes had passed that they found Ma'el's tomb and the merge carefully separated.
"It is under the tavern," said Zo'or.
"Or course, you were a part, even if not a part," said Celeste.
"Being so close, it seemed so," agreed Zo'or.
"It is not far. Let us complete the journey," said Da'an.
"A moment. Qu'on spent some of his own energy. So did Da'an, but she I think no longer needs our help," said Celeste.
"She may be more accurate. Use whichever pronoun you wish," said Da'an.
Celeste nodded, then walked up to Qu'on. "Will you accept my attempt to help you?"
"I will, though I have done little."
"Trust must begin somewhere." Celeste held out her hand, and then Piper held her other. A stream of energy flowed from both into Qu'on for several minutes and then stopped.
"That is hardly enough," said Zo'or.
"I believe you are mistaken, though if we are wrong we will of course address it," said Celeste.
Da'an walked over to Qu'on and held out her hand. They exchanged a brief amount of energy and Qu'on stood straighter.
"I think you are correct. Qu'on is perhaps weaker, but is, I think now growing stronger," said Da'an curiously.
"I am nearly certain, though I may require assistance for a short time," said Qu'on.
"I'll help you," offered Lexi.
He nodded and held onto her offered arm.
"Why stop just there?" asked Zo'or.
"The circumstances were less desperate. By giving what is needed and no more, the influence we give is greatly reduced. It is also much less time for us to recover," said Celeste.
"This would be my choice if I had to choose. I will hear no more of it. Now, I wish to see the tomb," said Qu'on.
-=oOo=-
They spent several minutes walking along the beautiful countryside of Ireland before Jinto tapped his com badge. "Jinto to Falcon."
"Falcon here," said Riker.
"We are on the way to Ma'el's tomb. We have found it. Did anyone else want to be here?"
"I'll ask. Hold on."
Less than a minute later L'Nea appeared among them, tricorder in hand. "I'm the only one coming, but they wanted a recording."
Lexi looked at her curiously. "You seem familiar somehow."
L'Nea snapped her head around. "How?"
"I do not know. I think it may have been from studying history in my youth, but I am uncertain. It could be nothing."
"We would gladly help you search your memories, if you permit it," offered Piper.
"Perhaps once all are rested," suggested Lexi.
"Please," asked L'Nea.
"I will help. There is no question of that. I was just debating if it would be better to return to Thessia and check our archives than to try to find it in my memories. It was only a very vague impression," said Lexi.
"I do not understand," said Da'an.
"I'm the last Iconian known to exist. The very last. I hope this is not true."
"Thankfully we are not in that state, though it seemed we would be before the Alliance came," said Da'an.
"Don't muck with your own evolution and you will generally avoid these problems," said L'Nea.
"You know then?" asked Qu'on.
"Of course. We studied both your races. You chose this, though we are still trying to help."
"And the mistake that wiped out your race?" asked Zo'or.
"Pride, or arrogance. Both are true."
Zo'or seemed to visibly wince, before recovering himself.
As they approached the tavern, under which lay Ma'el's tomb, a very beautiful red haired woman walked up to them.
"Agent Becket," greeted Da'an.
"My CVI would have killed me."
"I deeply regret many of our actions," said Da'an.
"Why are you here?"
"We seek the tomb of a Taelon that visited Earth nearly two thousand years ago. More specifically we seek his research notes," said Da'an.
"Join us," offered Boone.
"I thought you had not come to Earth before."
"It was at the dawn of our space flight program, well before we had inter-dimensional drives. It was a one way journey," he said softly.
"I'm going to see this. I'm not sure you deserve to get whatever this Taelon left behind," said Agent Becket.
"As you wish."
They entered the bar.
"What can I get you?" asked the Bartender.
"We need to look under the bar. We think a Taelon was buried underneath it. We will of course purchase the bar, if you require it," said Boone.
"We honestly will make it right if anything is damaged," said Celeste.
"Can you heal my kid?" asked the bartender.
"Perhaps. Where is he?" asked Celeste.
"He is in the back."
"I can help, but I have no tools," said Lexi.
"I have a tricorder. It's not a medical one though."
"Let's call Julian," offered Celeste who tapped her com badge and did just that. Julian beamed down with his bag a short time later.
"If you could show Lexi and I to the patient," asked Julian.
"Um, right this way," said the bewildered bartender.
"We should get on with it," said Zo'or.
"We will wait," said Qu'on.
Thirty minutes later they were back. The boy still looked weak.
"I brought him up to Falcon, since he needs, well he needs genetic re-sequencing to fix the problem, which isn't something I'm comfortable doing here. I did give him something to help for a time. Lexi also recognized the issue and is more experienced in treating it, so I'm deferring to her," said Julian.
"So, I get to go into space?" asked the boy.
"Yes Andrew, you most certainly do. You and your whole family if you wish," said Lexi.
"Awesome. My friends are going to be so jealous."
"Well Andrew, do you and your father want to come with us on our adventure?" asked Lexi softly.
"I'm not too strong."
"Do not worry. I can easily carry you," said Lexi.
"Alright."
"First thing is the trapped door in the floor," said Boone, who moved the carpet and opened it.
The others blinked in surprise.
"It was where the guy who had taken the fragment was hiding," said Boone. He pulled up the door without waiting on a response.
Celeste peered down. "It is fairly cluttered. Do you mind if we clean it?"
"Go ahead," said the bartender.
Celeste focused and with a flare of light from her briefly visible well, the entire contents of the vault vanished.
"What did you do with my stuff?"
"It's outside."
One of the people near the door opened it and said, "Yep, there it is."
They were already beginning to descend the steps.
L'Nea had her tricorder out and was scanning. "The floor is fairly thin. I'll cut chunks out with a phaser if Celeste or Piper will keep some upward pressure on the chunks so this works cleanly."
"I can as well," offered Lily.
"Please do. I feel you should have some part in this," said Da'an.
Celeste held out her hand to Lily. "I will lend you the strength you have yet to develop." She took it.
L'Nea began cutting a cone with her phaser. The resulting block was held up by Lily and Celeste and when it was free, was teleported outside by Piper.
"Hold a second," said Julian who pulled out his tricorder. He studied it for several minutes before saying, "It seems safe down there. I don't detect anything dangerous now that the floor is open. Continue."
After four more blocks the roof was cleanly open. Piper lowered them all down.
"You could have done that directly," said Zo'or.
"True, but this way we have fresh air, and we didn't walk into any sort of trap," added L'Nea.
They saw what was obviously the tomb.
"Shall we open it?" asked Celeste.
"I would like the three of us to do it," said Qu'on.
"Are you sure, it looks quite heavy."
"You may help as required."
The three Taelons pushed managing to move it and slide it off. Celeste and Piper made sure it gently settled on the ground.
"Ma'el," said Zo'or softly.
"It is just an echo. Ma'el is gone. It is an image sustained by the storage device," said Qu'on who carefully picked the device in his hand up. The device played. Da'an translated, but the truth soon became obvious. Da'an said, "His research is not here. He destroyed it. He is saying that he desires to convey a different message to humanity. He says that if we are hearing this message then we didn't heed his warning. He told us not to come to Earth under any circumstances. He didn't trust us to see you as he did. He is asking us to treat the humans as equals, because in time, he says that the humans will surely become our equals."
"Nonsense," said Zo'or.
"Is it really?" asked Qu'on.
"They are saving your lives. They have learned to control their own energy without it harming them or others. They have even learned to heal. It is true few have these skills, but as Lily showed, they can be learned by humans from here as well. They are at an evolutionary beginning. Where are you?" asked L'Nea curiously.
"Ma'el's early messages indicated that the human race was a perfect complement to the Taelons. Only later did Ma'el's messages indicate we should not come to Earth," said Zo'or.
"I think we care what humanity of today wishes more than what someone so long dead wishes. Ultimately you must respect their choice," said Lafiel.
"This I agree with," said Paul.
"We will do so. It is clear that while humanity does have what we need, I doubt those here could gain enough strength to help us in time," said Qu'on.
"I think you would be surprised. I could see a great deal of change in only say a hundred years, based on just the events of today," said Lexi.
"We do not have nearly so long," said Zo'or.
"You might. You were the last of us born," said Da'an softly.
The tavern folk were still watching all of this.
"Why did you not join us?" asked Celeste to Zo'or.
"I refuse to answer your question," replied Zo'or.
"I think, once we report to the rest of the Synod, that we can resume our aborted mission," said Da'an.
"I'd like better food as well," said Paul.
"We will provide what you require," said Lafiel.
"We can as well," offered the bartender.
"Did you perhaps wish to come?" asked Jinto.
"We can go into space?"
"There is no special requirement, other than agreeing not to break the ship and in an emergency to follow directions. You also have to accept that the risk is not zero. We don't expect anyone to be hurt or die, but there is still some danger," said Jinto.
"Sure, I'll go. I'll make up food and all that. When do you need it?"
"Lexi and I are going to need to journey to take your son to get healed, so you at least will probably need to go with us," said Julian.
"Oh, I feel like an idiot. Of course we will go with you. I'll still make you food."
"Tomorrow afternoon perhaps?" asked Chandler.
"Do you need places to stay?" asked the Bartender.
"Yes please."
"I would like to go as well, with the group without the Taelons," said Agent Beckett.
"You are of course welcome," said Julian.
"It seems like we have a plan. Let's get to it," said Paul.
-=oOo=-
"Is it true that you are now healed?" asked a member of the Synod.
"I believe so. I have recovered energy since the attempt to heal me. It is too soon to know for sure if it will be sustained," said Qu'on.
"Why this pointless trip to Altair?"
"It is mostly to try to get the Alliance members to consent to heal more of us."
"I believe they plan to heal me after I finish the work on the Jaridian cure," said Rho'ha.
"Is that still going according to plan?" asked Qu'on.
"More or less. The one called Kosh seems to not know what to think of us. The one called Kosmos watches us carefully. If the stories they tell are to be believed, I believe she alone could likely destroy our mother ship."
"Impossible," exclaimed Zo'or.
"I report only what I have heard. I can sense a vast amount of energy housed in her artificial body. The one called Momo has done a lot of the work. She too is an artificial lifeform. The human called Kathryn Pulaski is quite annoying, and not as smart as she believes herself. Julian Bashir appears to be the true expert among the humans," added Rho'ha.
"They have perfected such things?" asked Zo'or.
"This group has, though they are a different part of the same group that is helping the humans. Clearly they find the needed modifications of the Jaridians to be very difficult and reached out for what help they could, and their help has been very impressive. I have little doubt this group could have found a cure for the Taelons, should we have needed one beyond what they have already found."
"And what of our inability to have children?" asked Zo'or.
"That remains to be seen," said Da'an.
-=oOo=-
Rowan, Lafiel, and Jinto joined them the next day. Fifteen town folk joined them and were moved to the general quarters on Tempest. The same crew as previously was there save for Lexi and Piper who left with the sick boy to help him.
"Piper is staying to facilitate transfers between Earth and Altair. I was hoping to use this trip to finally visit the Taelon home world," said Rowan.
"Impossible. This ship is far too slow. It would take months," said Qu'on.
"Not if Celeste and I help a bit. Does anyone here have any objections to that journey?"
"They came to our world. Makes sense to see theirs," said Paul helpfully.
"I would like to see home, even if briefly," offered Da'an.
"Give me ship wide," said Rowan.
"You have it," said Lafiel.
"Attention this is Rowan of the Alliance. I plan to take this ship a fair bit further today. We are going to the Taelon home world. If anyone has a problem with that, say so now and you will be removed. This does slightly increase our danger."
"You will not be harmed," said Qu'on.
"They would sense us on the ship," said Da'an.
"Our Taelon friends insist there is no danger. The choice is yours."
Four of the fifteen that boarded got off.
"Lafiel, I want you in the pilot seat. I'll be linked to Celeste, Jinto, you, and Da'an if she permits it to make this journey."
"Of course." She took the seat and began the pre-flight checks.
"I will of course help," offered Da'an.
"Good. Qu'on, check our energy systems. There is a profile with my name on standby I'll use once we are in orbit. Until then Lafiel has full access."
"I see the profile you are referring to."
Rowan turned to Paul. "Lafiel will divide incoming sensors into three. There will be a button to highlight any reading you are concerned about for Qu'on and Lafiel to review. Don't debate or question. If you have a doubt, highlight and report. The speeds we are going are too quick to debate anything."
"We understand," said Paul.
"All systems are ready," said Lafiel.
"Launch," commanded Rowan.
The engines roared as they were shot up into the air.
"Why not take your own ship to our planet?" asked Qu'on.
"Too much temptation tech wise to put in front of you. We figure this is lower risk. Also they are needed to take the child to get healed. I suppose we could take a runabout, but it is still a risk tech wise, and it would still take too long, unless we did more or less the same thing."
"We are two minutes to orbit. Do you want to exit the system first?" asked Lafiel.
"Shouldn't be needed. I will want the fusion reactor running at maximum." She turned to Qu'on. "I'll want you to monitor it. If my energy drain is too high, you are to tell me to slow down."
"I understand, though I do not understand how you can do this."
"Doesn't matter. Suffice to say we can."
Celeste sang softly, "What can't we face if we are together."
Rowan smiled.
Lafiel joined in. "What's in this place we can't weather."
"Apocalypse. We've all been there. The same old trips. Why should we care?"
Jinto joined in.
What can't we do if we get in it. We'll work it through within a minute.
We have to try. We will pay the price.
What can't we face if we are together?
There is nothing we can't face.
"We are now in free space. Our trajectory is correct for the initial route," said Lafiel.
"Thanks." Rowan laid down in a chair next to Lafiel. Secondary platforms rose on either side crackling with power causing Paul and the others to wince from them.
"You can switch over to the secondary energy profile now," said Rowan.
"I have done so," said Qu'on.
The crackling got louder.
Rowan turned to Da'an. "Are you ready?"
"I am."
"Gathering the merge. Celeste, I think you have grown notably stronger since last we were serious."
"So have you. We will never catch up."
"Deanna says the same. Don't worry. There is no race. No, how are we doing with the reactors?"
"It is running at maximum. There are no anomalies," said Qu'on.
"Good. We are going to lean in kind of slowly, say over a course of a minute. I have an idea where the limit is, but you are to tell me, no more. We also don't want to burn out this reactor by red lining it continually. Got it?"
"I understood."
Rowan and everyone leaned back as the ship vanished from real space entirely and the reactors began to thrum as energy was extracted for the telekinetic transport.
"You are at thirty four percent," said Qu'on.
"Good, everything seems stable, so we can increase, that is if no one objects?"
"All clear here," said Paul.
"Forty seven percent. Fifty five percent. Sixty eight percent. Recommend stop at eighty five. Eighty percent. Eighty two percent. Eighty three percent. Eighty four percent. Eighty five percent. Hold there," said Qu'on.
"Keep monitoring. Holding right at one point is harder than you might think. If my understanding is correct we are about one point seven hours from the Taelon home world."
"I find it difficult to establish a reference in this place. I can only go on my connection to the commonality, which is consistent with your statement," said Qu'on.
"If anything it seems that Ma'el underestimated the potential of humans," said Da'an thoughtfully.
"I personally don't care for this form of transport. I'd rather use our ship. It's semi exhausting," said Celeste.
"You are using the ships energy to do the work?" asked Qu'on.
"Most of it. Some of it is always ours," said Rowan.
"We have theorized of a variation of interdimensional that has some of these properties," said Qu'on.
"Well good luck duplicating this with tech. Believe me we have tried. This isn't our normal method of moving in space," said Jinto.
"I can see your normal method. You call it hyperspace, do you not?" asked Da'an.
"Yes, but don't go digging," said Rowan.
"I will not. It was just there, in the open in this link we have."
Twenty minutes later Paul tapped the controls on the station indicating a reading that he didn't fully understand."
"Bringing us out a bit early. Watch the power down," said Rowan.
"Forty, Twenty, Ten, Zero," said Qu'on.
The stars returned.
"I couldn't figure out what it was Paul highlighted. It was just that we were about to pass it. Lafiel?" asked Rowan.
"A distress signal, I think. I don't recognize the language, and no one brought a universal translator, well beyond our com badges," said Lafiel.
"Let me see," said Da'an.
She carefully began reviewing it on her station with Qu'on also looking over her shoulder.
"Unfortunately, I do not recognize the language, though I concur it is a distress call, likely from a ship of some type," said Da'an.
"Distance is not too bad. We could reach it in about thirty minutes with our normal drives," said Jinto.
"It would be good to get a break in any event. Does anyone see a reason not to answer this distress call?" asked Rowan.
"Seems the neighborly thing to do," said Captain Hart.
"Well if there are no objections, please get us on course, but hold off a distance away and I'll take a look before we commit," said Rowan.
"Understood. Please switch back to the primary energy usage profile," said Lafiel.
"You have it now," said Qu'on.
"Activating engines."
-=oOo=-
"We are now coming out of FTL. There is nothing currently on passive sensors."
"Given we have nothing for weapons, beyond what we can do kinetically, let's not go active, err never mind, he knows we are here, and wants us to hurry up."
"Can you repeat that?" asked Lafiel for clarification.
"Go active on the sensors. Since he knows we are here, we might as well see his ship."
"How is that flying?" asked Paul.
"That is a very good question. With the amount of carbon scoring, its seen fighting in an atmosphere, and given the engines barely exist and the damage to the hull... Frankly, I'm surprised life support is working," said Lafiel.
"Well then, let's see if we can help the little green guy out," said Rowan.
"Resuming course," said Lafiel.
-=oOo=-
They arrived near the ancient seeming craft.
"Well what now? He doesn't have a space suit, and I don't think that will fit inside our cargo bay," said Paul.
Rowan gestured and the short old alien appeared before them.
"I thank you for coming," he said in English.
"You know our language?"
"I know many, but this one taught me part of what I did not know while I waited." He pointed to Rowan.
"So how did you manage to arrive in this dimension?" asked Celeste.
"The Emperor was working on a secret project. The Force told me it must be stopped. I managed to do so, but it activated. My ship was half destroyed. I have been waiting for weeks out there, hoping someone would come."
"The Force?" asked Celeste.
"It is the energy that binds all things. You use it, yet do not know of it?"
"Sorry, its news to us," said Celeste.
"So I see. I don't suppose you can repair my ship?"
"Not a chance. We have people that could, but none here," said Rowan.
"And send me home?"
"Again, we have people that could, but none here."
"Then I will go with you. Do you have food?"
"I'll help you with that. Hopefully we have what you need to eat, though it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to only eat a little for now," said Jinto.
After they left Lafiel giggled.
"Share with the class please?" asked Rowan.
"Oh Jinto showed him the food the bartender and town folk made, which is quite good. He is eating the rations that everyone hates, and appears to like them."
"No loss there then," muttered Rowan.
"Is there any reason not to resume course?" asked Lafiel.
"Your welcome to spend some time in FTL. Now that I've gotten a break, I want to spend another half an hour or so on it."
"Alright. I'll make a note of our location and resume our course."
-=oOo=-
Rowan and Da'an walked into the galley.
"Yoda I am. Appreciative I also am," he said between bites.
"Pardon, what species are you?" asked Da'an.
Yoda ignored him then asked, "What species are you, with such a curious web about you?"
"I am a Taelon."
"Never heard of you."
"He may not look it, but Yoda is very strong," offered Rowan.
"You could be of great help to us," said Yoda.
"Oh, I thought we were doing it wrong."
Yoda munched on another ration bar. He finished eating it and then drank a gulp of water before asking, "What is the purpose of this trip?"
"Mostly to see if the Taelons shoot at us," admitted Rowan.
"That will not happen. They want you to cure us too much," insisted Da'an.
"And why have you not agreed to do so?" asked Yoda.
"Because we have a finite life span, and if we restore a species with a lifespan measured in millennia, then we are responsible for what they do, and their recent past is mixed."
"She seems fine," said Yoda.
"She is. We already healed her, as well as Qu'on."
Yoda nodded.
"How urgently do you need returned?" asked Rowan.
"Not urgent. The situation where I was is bad, and won't get better if I return, unless I return with help."
"We are spread a bit thin at the moment, so if you have a large problem, we probably can't help for awhile."
"Is there something we can do?" asked Da'an.
"You have own problems," said Yoda.
"I need to get back to getting us there in a sane amount of time," said Rowan.
Yoda and Da'an followed her to the bridge. Yoda starred at them thoughtfully the whole time they propelled the ship.
-=oOo=-
"Your world is beautiful," said Captain Manheim.
"Thank you," said Da'an.
"It truly is. I have missed it, but I can feel there are twenty one down there that are near the end of their lives," said Qu'on.
"Will they promise to respect other sentient life if we help at least those?" asked Rowan.
"Yes, without hesitation."
"Then we will stay and help them, though with only the two of us helping, it will take I'm guessing a couple weeks," said Rowan.
"I will help as well," said Yoda.
"Are you certain you can do what they do?" asked Qu'on.
"We will see," said Yoda.
"The atmosphere on our home world will not support human life," said Da'an.
"Then suits it is. Thankfully we brought some."
-=oOo=-
Rowan looked on to Yoda's first attempt. The suits were awkward, though the Taelons had consented to make Yoda one that somewhat fit. Paul and the other two were also here, as were Jinto, Lafiel, and Lily. Boone was up on the ship since someone needed to be.
The attempt seemed to exhaust Yoda, yet the luminescent form of the Taelon seemed far more healthy when he finished. Da'an touched his fellow Taelon and nodded. Yoda had succeeded. They were led to a building constructed of Taelon virtual glass, with other Taelon systems making a normal Earth atmosphere. They walked in and removed their suits. Yoda was the first to sit.
"Old. Getting old am I," said Yoda.
"Want me to try to restore some of that?" asked Celeste.
"Slow. Go slowly. Am uncertain how you do what you do."
Celeste took his left hand in her right and slowly passed energy to the little guy.
"Enough."
"Did I do it wrong?" asked Celeste in confusion.
"No, I simply have enough," said Yoda.
"The energy he is using is mostly not from him. Some is. Cut your efforts down before you do it again," said Rowan.
"Agree do I," said Yoda.
"That's amazing. What is he drawing power from then? Seriously, we cheat and use electrical supplies. Did he find the electrical supply for the universe?" asked Celeste.
"Do not mock the Force," chided Yoda.
Q appeared alongside them.
"You do find such interesting things, and yes he found well something that few do. There are others like him of course, just not in this universe," said Q.
"So, I'm assuming the usual theory about no free lunch applies," said Celeste.
"Quite. Access to what he calls the Force makes you open more to it. It makes you more likely to be emotionally unstable. This is especially true with darker emotions. If you want my opinion, do not learn from him. You don't want the headaches. Seriously, you do not want the headaches. Of course, if you are extra determined to be powerful, you can do it, but it is a lifetime of very serious discipline. Take your own and triple it, minimum."
"Who are you?" asked Yoda.
"I'm Q."
"Why do I not sense you in the Force?"
"Because, I make sure I have zero connection to that particular mess."
"Q any more advice on this one?" asked Rowan.
"You seem to be doing fine. Just don't make it too easy for them, or they won't appreciate it."
"And the fact that they can't have children?" asked Celeste.
"There is a price to pay for immortality. I'm certainly not helping them get around it," said Q.
"Fair enough," said Rowan.
"Out of curiosity what is so special about the Force?" asked Celeste.
"The Force excels most at aiding physical combat," said Yoda.
Celeste blinked. "Last I checked any battle we have that is really worth fighting we blow them up from space or with phaser rifles. One on one seldom even makes sense. If your fighting one on one, you have already screwed up, and usually you want to get away and regroup."
Q laughed.
"It is not honorable," said Yoda in a huff.
Rowan blinked. "If we are fighting life or death, it is not a game. You still respect innocents and all the rest, but the goal there is to kill the enemy, not to see how many chances you can give your enemy to kill you."
"Perhaps. The main thing is to never take joy in the death of your opponents," said Yoda.
"Agreed. Just the fact that you are reduced to trying to kill each other means you probably failed," said Jinto.
"Sometimes it obviously makes sense to try to keep your opponent alive. We adapt as required. Killing when it is not necessary is also to be avoided," added Lafiel.
Rowan, Jinto, and Yoda nodded.
-=oOo=-
In a curious twist, Yoda said it was not yet time for them to return to his universe, and that he would contact them when it was. He said that the future was changing and asked that they would continue their efforts. Instead, Lily and him were going to stay and help the Taelons on their home world. Yoda continued to tire easily after helping a Taelon. Fortunately Lily managed to learn enough to restore his strength. It wasn't a lot, but it almost doubled Yoda's rate. They were going to be able to keep up with those dying, and to them that was enough. Lily also began to learn from Yoda.
The Jaridians agreed to a peace treaty with the Taelons in exchange for their cure, save it wasn't a cure in the traditional sense. It was a very carefully made machine that was almost impossible to reverse engineer that treated Jaridian embryos in the womb to correct their genetics, or rather it was hundreds of copies of that machine spread throughout Jaridian space. It would not save those that existed, but the next generation would grow at a normal rate and live a life span of nearly eighty years, or more than double what they did now. It wasn't perfect, but it was what was obtainable, and they were grateful for it.
Six months later the rest of the Taelons left Earth to return home.
-=oOo=-
Riker beamed down to the little hiding place Jonathan Doors setup to fight the Taelons a few hours after the rest of them left. Well he beamed down to the outer doors of the elevator then waited for someone to show him the rest of the way down to the surprisingly deep hiding place.
"It's over," said Jonathan Doors.
"Yes it is. Any complaints?" asked Riker.
"I'm not sure you should have healed them."
"Us either, but Lily and this Yoda guy we met agreed to help them, and by it only being those two it will be slow, and they should appreciate it a bit more. Also they still can't have children. They are still a doomed race, but they have some more time now," said Riker.
"Are you going to be around to clean up the mess they make when no one is looking?" asked Jonathan.
"We are going to stop in from time to time. We did pick up Yoda's ship and are going to try to repair it. When he wants it again, we will return it."
"And that ship, it is staying?"
"Yep, though Lexi will eventually move on. I suggest you figure out the key systems before she leaves. I know Da'an and Qu'on helped for awhile. I don't have her schedule, but I'm guessing a year or two. If you want a better guess, you will have to ask her."
"It somehow seems less impressive that we didn't accomplish this ourselves," said Jonathan.
"The Taelons were very practiced. We think between their war with the Jaridians and their desperation a lot of people would have ended up dead. I assume our solution was better."
"It was. Did anyone take your recruitment efforts?"
"Actually yes, and no. Lily is obviously helping Yoda. The other was Siobhan Beckett."
"I'm not familiar with her," said Jonathan.
"She was the UK companion's implant, before we healed her. She stayed on Thessia after going there with Lexi to heal that kid. She is working to become crew on one of their patrol ships. So the only one that got a recruit was Lexi, but that's fine. I personally think she would have made a fine Starfleet officer, which is the group I came from, but you win some, you lose some."
"And the teleports between here and Altair?"
"We will maintain it with decreasing frequency, trying to train your own people. Once the year is up we will probably change to a week every two months or something. They know this is coming. We will leave them a way to contact us if it is urgent."
"There is no other way to do it?" asked Jonathan.
"There is, but that is very advance technology, and so far, the case has not been made to bring it here. The ship was considered enough. It was the most primitive method of useful FTL we could source at the time. We assumed the Taelons would get it and that would be a minor check on their potential, and also a check on the Jaridians potential, when they inevitable manage to copy it."
"You've thought that far ahead? Wait, your not giving it to us because you think we are ready. You gave it to us, because we need to get ready," said Jonathan.
Riker nodded. "We see no reason for you and the Jaridians to have conflict. You don't breath the same air, and while you could convert one atmosphere to another, its easier to start with a planet more suited. That being said, they have been fighting the Taelons for a long time, without seriously attempting to find a way to end it either, so yes, we gambled a bit by giving you a little bit of help, so if you do meet them again in fifty years or so, well. Some didn't agree with that much. We ran the numbers. They were slightly better this way," said Riker.
"Got any other advice?" asked Jonathan.
"Don't be in a great hurry to explore. Make haste slowly. Until you can build ships that can defend yourself you are very vulnerable, and just because you do develop a few weapons, well there is always someone stronger and meaner than you. Both the Taelons and the Jaridians could have wiped you out with no real effort. The Jaridians didn't and still don't have FTL, though you know they will someday."
"Speaking from experience?" asked Jonathan.
"Pretty much, though all that is before my time, but during the period that Earth started to explore space in our universe there was and still is a race called the Vulcans who thought us not ready for it. We of course were sure we were. They slowed our development of some key technologies and we were a bit indignant. We got into a lot of trouble in our first five years into space."
"So you didn't listen? Why should we not do the same?"
"We also didn't listen to someone who has become a friend, when we first met him, and nearly lost our lives and all life on Earth... We made a lot of mistakes. Just remember, planets are fragile. If we are around or you manage to contact us in time we can try to help, but we can't fix it if your dead."
"Can you elaborate?" asked Jonathan.
"Do the math on near light speed hits with sufficiently large masses. If you have a developed enough space program you can divert such things in time. Until you do you are quite vulnerable to anyone who can put a sufficiently powerful engine on an asteroid and wait a few months, which is pretty much anyone with an FTL drive," said Riker.
"And the damage they are doing with their drives?" asked Jonathan.
"Thankfully they believed us that their ID engines were causing damage cause we were not lying. Basically we gave you a head start, because it seems necessary, and we gave them a working current example they could copy that could get them away from their reliance on the ID drives. Sure they could, in theory, just look it up in their records, but we wanted them to have no excuse."
"How long does it take to get from what you gave to what you have?"
"A long time most likely."
"Do you know what happened to Boone?"
"I believe he moved to that town in Ireland. Now that this is all over, well he still morns his wife."
"And Sandoval?"
"We kept a trace on him. He was very very angry at the Taelons, and for good reason. Hopefully now that they are gone he will live an uneventful life. We did bring him on a trip to return the skrill, along with the others. He is back now. If you want to do us a favor, maybe try to keep him from doing anything stupid. I'm not asking you to be his keeper, but his anger is still there. We think part of the reason he did nothing, is he didn't want to delay the Taelons leaving, and he really had no opportunity," said Riker.
"Alright. I'll see."
"Sometimes we are too late to fix things. We think the fact that his wife recovered may allow him to let go of the hate someday. I don't know."
Doors nodded. "You'll be going soon."
"Yep. I just figured I'd come down to wrap up loose ends."
"Got any tips for coming back from the dead?" asked Jonathan in amusement.
"Just tell the truth. That should work as well as anything."
"Got any tips for not going to down the road the Taelons did?"
"Don't try to make humanity better with science or whatever. Sure fix genetic issues, but no more. You've seen the potential of some of my crew. Learn from the few that can teach."
Riker focused across the room and called a tablet to him.
"You can do it too then?"
"Not like the heavy hitters, but yes, I have some skill." Riker put it down.
Jonathan held out his hand. Riker shook it.
"I'll show you out. It seems it is time for me to leave anyway," said Jonathan.
"Yes, it probably is."
-=oOo=-
"Well that mission took entirely longer than predicted. L'Nea are you sure you don't want to pursue more in Lexi's universe?" asked Riker.
"The fragment was very old. It was the story of an Icaran traveler, but it dated back to before the time I knew my people yet lived. It was also clear that he left their universe after helping to found the Asari republic. There is nothing more there to find," said L'Nea sadly.
"Yoda's universe is a problem. I'm certainly not eager for the day he says it is time to head there. That Empire is vast and powerful," said Jadzia.
"This Force of his is clearly real, even if Q highly recommends we not touch it. Two people could in no way do the work they are doing, if it was not," said Celeste.
"Then for now we file a report and take no further action there. Given the fact that we probably won't find his universe without his help kind of makes it a moot point anyway."
"I am almost tempted to learn this Force just for the small chance it helps me find my people, but do not know if I have the potential, and if I did, my own personal feelings, my need, to find my people could possibly be something that help lead to my corruption," said L'Nea.
Celeste said softly.
"There is no emotion. There is peace.
There is no ignorance. There is knowledge.
There is no passion. There is serenity.
There is no chaos. There is harmony.
There is no death. There is the force."
"I'll back your choice if you choose to make it," said Riker to L'Nea.
"And I may, but I absolutely refuse to become corrupted, and that is what led to the downfall of that universe, was the corruption."
"But those on Yoda's side fought it. They just didn't win. The good guys do lose sometimes you know," said Riker.
"Are you willing to ignore Q's warning?" asked L'Nea.
"No. I'm certainly not doing that. I can see it being attractive for a lot of people. I can see a lot of people without your wisdom and insight trying for it, and being corrupted by it. Hell, I could see a younger Riker getting corrupted by it, or possibly current me. Something that is just waiting to give you more power when your the most desperate. It seems dangerous on every single level. No, should you decide to pursue it, I think we should, for the most part, keep it secret, and then the rest of us support you. That would be as far as I could recommend, and only because I trust you."
"I'm going to hold off for now, though I'd like to check on Lily at some point," said L'Nea.
"That sounds like a plan," said Riker.
"Agreed," said Jadzia who seemed to speak for the rest of them.
-=oOo=-
"Dissapointed Q?" asked blond Q.
"When I first met them, they wouldn't have played it safe, and that rats nest is dangerous."
"Doesn't that make them boring?"
"Perhaps a little."
"Leave them be for now. They are right that Yoda's path is likely the only path that could find them anytime soon," said blond Q.
"Yoda isn't connected enough to them, and L'Nea isn't a master, and even if she studied would not be one for at least a decade, and even then, I don't know if there is anything to find, thought they may find a form of proof that there is not," said Q.
"And these Taelons? You know they will search for a way to have children, and likely make several messes in the progress," said blond Q.
"There is no such thing as a job done, when it comes to an entire race," said Q.
"True," said blond Q.
-=oOo=-
The Taelons had converted several acres on their world to Earth climate using their virtual glass. Yoda built a very simple home for himself, that looked downright primitive, and encouraged Lily to do the same. She was working on it, slowly, while continuing to use the original building the Taelons had set aside.
She walked outside the next evening, to the small artificial fire Yoda was sitting by. Real fire wasn't permitted. The air filters wouldn't support it. Yoda was sitting there cooking his food, which was apparently something like a salamander.
"So much change this Alliance brings. Doors opened and closed. Possibilities. Change," said Yoda softly.
"Hope?" asked Lily.
"A cautious hope," agreed Yoda.
"I'm surprised you didn't say I was too old," said Lily.
"You are, and yet, you clearly are not. It may be that we have made a mistake in only teaching the young. Those that have been tested by time and not fallen may be who we should have been teaching all along," said Yoda slowly.
"You mean, the young sort of worked since you could avoid bad habits and such, and hopefully teach them to avoid temptation, while those like me have seen it and learned to resist most of it ourselves?"
Yoda nodded.
"There is so much to do, and I think the Alliance is quite happy with us doing it," said Lily.
"Slow, careful. They wish this to be sure it is not a mistake," said Yoda.
"Is it a mistake?" asked Lily.
"Time will tell," said Yoda.
Author's Note: Review, Comment, Favorite, or Kudos.
