That was the other reason why the Pa’haquel let it be, according to Qui’hibra: It was the one cosmozoan even they didn’t feel they were entitled to kill. It was just too far beyond their scope. “We revere all the beasts we hunt, and feel that we must earn the right to hunt them through our own risk and sacrifice. But how could we ever earn the right to prey on such a great embodiment of the Spirit of Life? Particularly when it may be the only one of its kind. This is a precious and holy place to us.” More practically, because of its lure as a “watering hole,” it was of more use to the hunters intact than destroyed.
On the practical side, though, the Proplydian had its drawbacks. Its intense magnetic field had ionized the dense local medium, creating sensor and comm interference. Plus some of the cosmozoans in the area might be dangerous—and Riker couldn’t be certain whether the Pa’haquel fleets in the vicinity would see Titanas an ally or an enemy. The star-jellies, though, had considered it an excellent place to meet, and to recharge after the ordeal with the spinners three days ago. Meanwhile Jaza and the science staff were going crazy over the system’s wonders. Riker half-suspected that if he gave the order to leave the Proplydian anytime soon, he’d have a mutiny on his hands.
But as amazing as the Proplydian was, Riker had to focus his own attention on other matters: specifically the star-jellies and the Pa’haquel, and what could be done to salvage their relationship—ideally without compromising Federation principles any further than necessary. Deanna had been working on a promising idea. It was not in the star-jellies’ nature to actively seek out and attack prey, but it was in their nature to defend their breeding worlds against cosmozoan attack. Perhaps that behavior could be adapted to the defense of other inhabited worlds as well. It would not be as proactive as the Pa’haquel’s method, but it would meet the goal of protecting intelligent life from the “chaos.” As for the Pa’haquel’s cultural need for the Hunt, that could be met using constructed starships, and the Pa’haquel alliance would still have the star-jellies’ replication abilities at their disposal. Riker knew the Pa’haquel would have many objections, and he was skeptical about aspects of it himself; but at least it was a promising starting point.
“Sir,” Jaza called from his console, interrupting Riker’s train of thought. “We may have a problem.”
“Explain.”
“I’m detecting a group of Crystalline Entities approaching the system at over warp seven. ETA about forty minutes. I would’ve spotted them sooner if not for the interference. There seem to be…yes, there are four of them.”
Riker’s eyes widened. “So much for them not usually travelling in packs. Maybe Qui’hibra doesn’t know them as well as he thinks. Any sign that the nearby Pa’haquel fleets have detected them?”
“No, sir. Both of them are farther away from the Entities, and they still don’t have sensors as good as ours.”
Deanna came up beside him, touched his arm. “Will, Qui’hibra’s fleet is due within that window.”
“We should abort the rendezvous,” Vale advised. “Try again somewhere else.”
Riker thought it over. “Things are tenuous enough as it is—I don’t want to chance upsetting them by breaking the arrangement.”
“I think they’d understand our reasons.”
“But retreating could be taken as a sign of weakness,” Deanna told her. “It could undermine our negotiating position.”
After another moment, Riker spoke. “Deanna, I want you and Tuvok to beam aboard one of the jellies to wait for Qui’hibra. Take Keru and a security team just in case.” With the interference, he wasn’t sure the team could call for help if they needed it. But right now Riker judged the threat from the Entities to outweigh that from Qui’hibra. He felt he knew the elder well enough by now to trust in his integrity. And the jellies would be there to protect Deanna and the rest. “Titanwill intercept the Crystalline Entities.”
Deanna studied him. “And do what when you get there?”
“Attempt to communicate,” he said grimly. “Without the Pa’haquel watching, we’ll be free to try Data’s graviton-resonance effect.” He met her eyes. “God knows I’d like nothing better than to use that graviton beam to shatter them all to dust. But I have an obligation to at least try to make peaceful contact.” He widened his gaze to include Vale. “And I’d like to manage to find a constructive solution to at least one thing in this whole mess.”
Deanna smiled. “Good luck, Will.” I love you terribly, you know that?
Actually I think you do it very well.
Throwing him an affectionate glare, Deanna made her way to the turbolift. Just come back in one piece so I can keep in practice.
Qui’hibra’s arrival was right on time—but he came in more force than expected. The star-jellies notified Deanna when they detected his ships’ imminent emergence from warp. Dead ones come—many [alarm/anger]!
Stay calm,Deanna advised as the lights dimmed and the heartbeat pulse grew stronger, indicating that her jelly was beginning to armor up. Look more closely. Is it Qui’hibra?
A pause. Yes. And many more [suspicion/betrayal?].
Please wait before you do anything. You know he was expected. Hail them for me, all right?Aloud, she addressed Tuvok, Keru and his team. “Qui’hibra’s fleet is here.”
A moment later, Qui’hibra’s image appeared on the sensation wall, which the jelly had kept around for her benefit.
“Commander Troi. Where isTitan?”
“Not far. They went to make observations of a group of cosmozoans they detected in deep space not far from here.” She could only hope Qui’hibra would not press the issue or attempt to scan for them. She had asked the jellies to position themselves on the opposite side of the star from the Crystalline Entities’ approach vector; the intervening mass and EM field of the Proplydian would make detection more difficult. And she had emphasized deep space in the hope that the Pa’haquel would assume it was a non-warp-capable species, years away from endangering anyone and worth passing up for now.
Luckily, Qui’hibra seemed more concerned about Titanitself. “And left you undefended?”
She raised her chin. “The star-jellies can defend us and themselves, if necessary. Will it be necessary, Elder Qui’hibra? You seem to have brought your entire fleet. That could easily be taken as a hostile gesture.”
“I appreciate how the livemounts feel about our use of their dead. But as we discussed, they must learn to accept it. We cannot instantly change our whole way of life or abandon our ancestral homes. Even if no new mounts are killed, we will still need the ones we have. They are a valuable resource in the battle against the chaos.”
“Granted,” Deanna said. “But I’m concerned you may be forcing the issue again.”
“I am willing to accommodate the livemounts’ concerns to a point, but accommodation must go both ways. The Hunt is an urgent calling, leaving no room for leisure.”
Deanna gauged the jellies’ reactions. They were unhappy at the presence of so many of their dead, but they were willing to tolerate it for now. It seemed they had begun to build a comfortable rapport with at least some of the Pa’haquel, and genuinely wanted to find a way to coexist. “Very well, Elder. In that spirit, why don’t you beam aboard so we can discuss my proposal?”
Qui’hibra’s expression showed that he got the subtext: while he was aboard one of the jellies, presumably the fleet would not attack. “I will be there promptly.”
The sensation wall went dark. Within moments, Qui’hibra shimmered into being near Deanna and her party. He looked around, not at them, but at the star-jelly around him. “It is an honor to be back here. Although I have my doubts that it can become the norm.” She knew his appreciation was sincere; yet for some reason he was very reserved, his emotions even more tightly in check than usual. Probably it was unease at the prospect of their emotions overwhelming him again—a sentiment Deanna could sympathize with. Still, his reserve caused her hackles to rise. She knew predators were usually most dangerous when they were most still.