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SUMMARY: The universe is suffering in the galactic crossfire of a civil war being fought in the Q Continuum. Q informs Janeway that she can stop the war, by bearing his child.
The crew marvel as they watch a supernova. Only two other crews in the history of Starfleet have witnessed a supernova explosion but neither of those crews were as close to the event as Voyager - less than ten billion kilometres.
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| enjoying the spectacle of a supernova |
Janeway has been on the Bridge for fourteen hours straight, and accepts Chakotay's suggestion that she get some sleep. However, when she enters her private quarters, she is surprised to discover an uninvited and unwelcome visitor - Q! She is even more surprised when he offers her the privilege of bearing his child!
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| Q is a surprise visitor, and his advances are unwelcome |
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| with a flash, Q changes Janeway out of her uniform and into her nightdress |
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| Janeway rejects Q's proposition |
Despite rejecting Q's advances and being relieved when he leaves, Janeway immediately tells Chakotay she is convinced they have not seen the last of Q and wants the crew, when he next visits, to try and glean his purpose.
Next day, while discussing the nocturnal visitor with Janeway in her Ready Room, although Chakotay knows it is inappropriate he admits to being jealous of Qs interest in her. They are interrupted by a further sudden visit from Q, who is still intent on pursuing Janeway. Q fails to understand why Janeway does not leap at the chance to bear his child.
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| Janeway and Chakotay are interrupted by an unwelcome visitor in the Ready Room |
Again rejected by Janeway, Q visits the Paxau Resort holoprogram where he quizzes Paris and Kim and then Neelix in the hope of thawing Janeway. Paris and Kim follow orders and try to elicit the real reason for Q's visit, while Neelix offers a blunt appraisal.
Paris: "We know your little visits usually turn out to be more than meet the eye. So save the broken-heart routine and tell us what you're really after." Q: "I just thought that the two of you might be able to give me some advice on how to break through Kathy's icy exterior." Paris: "My advice would be to give up before you embarrass yourself any more than you already have." |
Neelix: "You want to know what Captain Janeway likes about me? I'll tell you: I am respectful, loyal and most of all sincere. And those are qualities someone like you could never hope to possess." Left and above: Q visits the Paxau Resort holoprogram |
Q appears in Janeway's Ready Room, trying for acceptance by producing an adorable puppy for her. He then pretends he is lonely, then tries bribery when he assumes, correctly, that Janeway would like to have a child, though he is disappointed when she tells him she would like a child one day but not with him.
Suddenly a female Q appears. She and Q have been having a romantic relationship for about four billion years, and she is scornful of Janeway both as an inferior being and as a love rival.
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| arrival of the female Q, involved with Q for over 4 billion years |
Janeway is called to the Bridge when Voyager is threatened by shockwaves from more supernovas. After impact from the shockwaves, minor injuries are reported on all decks. Janeway realises that the improbable number of supernovas (a supernova normally occurs only once every hundred years) coupled with Q's appearances is no coincidence, and she demands an explanation. Q responds by whisking her and himself to the Q Continuum, leaving Miss Q fuming.
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| Janeway demands an explanation from Q, who snaps his fingers and transports her and himself to.... |
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| ....the Q Continuum, where Q manifests himself as a Union officer in the 19th century American Civil War |
Q explains to Janeway that the supernovas are actually spatial disruptions within the Q Continuum manifested as the result of a civil war there. Q explains that he was inspired by the Q known as Quinn who came aboard Voyager the year before where he challenged the Continuum's status quo by demanding freedom and individuality. Quinn's suicide (in [#34 Death Wish]), the ultimate in his assertion of freedom, resulted in chaos and upheaval throughout the Continuum. Q is now the leader of the faction which wants to advance Quinn's ideas and produce change throughout the Continuum. Janeway sees the Continuum's civil war manifested as the American Civil War, with Q's reactionary opponents depicted as Confederates. The civil war is devastating the Continuum and affecting the universe. Q explains his belief that mating with Janeway will create a new breed of Q, a "messiah" who will bring about a new peace and reconcile the two warring factions, because the human DNA would add new blood to the Continuum and bring about change.
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| the Confederates attack the house, and Q is injured |
Back on Voyager Chakotay questions the female Q about the war, and they agree to join forces. She has lost her Q powers and so cannot transport herself and Voyager instantly to the Continuum. Instead she instructs Torres on the modifications to the ship that are required to enter the Continuum; the modifications include a complete reconfiguration of the shield array to strengthen the shields so that Voyager can be taken into the supernova, for each time a star implodes a negative density false vacuum is created which sucks the surrounding matter (including any starship) into the Continuum. After a shaky ride, Voyager thus enters the Continuum.
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| the female Q agrees to assist Voyager, and the starship eventually enters the Continuum |
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| in Q's camp, Janeway tends Q's wounds and tries to persuade him to mate with the female Q |
In the Continuum, Janeway is in Q's camp where she tries to encourage him to mate with the female Q. While he considers the idea, Janeway visits the Confederate camp to discuss a ceasefire.
Janeway offers the Confederate leader, a Q dressed as a colonel, a truce on Q's behalf, but the Q Colonel refuses then sees no reason even to consider it when his men bring in Q, captured as he tried to follow Janeway. The Q Colonel decides that the quickest way to end the war would be the execution the following morning of Q and his ally Janeway.
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| in the hands of Q's enemies |
Next morning, tied to a stake and facing the Confederate firing squad, Q proclaims Janeway's innocence and asks the Colonel to set her free. The Colonel disregards the plea, but just as the firing squad takes aim, the Confederate camp is attacked by the Voyager crew armed with American Civil War weapons which are actually powerful Q weapons. The Q female joins in the rescue.
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| about to be executed by firing squad |
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| the execution is halted when the Confederates are attacked by Voyager officers |
Tuvok, armed with a Q weapon |
the Q Colonel |
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| Q and Janeway are released |
Q and Janeway are released. Janeway's diplomacy reconciles Q and the Q female, and they decide to conceive a child together. They touch their fingertips together in order to accomplishing this, whereupon peace again reigns in the Continuum.
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| the two Qs mate and conceive a child |
The Qs return the Voyager officers to their starship, and Voyager resumes course for the Alpha Quadrant.
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| with a Q flash, the Voyager officers are returned to the ship |
Shortly afterwards, Q visits Janeway with his infant son, and asks her to be the boy's godmother. She agrees, and they leave Voyager. But they will return to Voyager in [#165 Q2].
 | | Q TO JANEWAY: It [Quinn's suicide] caused chaos and upheaval, because even though he was gone, his calls for freedom and individualism continued to echo in the ears of those who believed in his teachings, myself among them. I sounded the trumpet and carried the banner. Naturally, others followed. The forces of the status quo tried to crush once and for all, but we fought back, and now there's a cosmic struggle for supremacy. And the battle is spreading, causing hazardous repercussions throughout the galaxy. You might call them [the supernovas] 'galactic crossfire'. It's terrible, isn't it? But it's also a wonderful opportunity. War can be an engine of change. War can transform a society for the better. Your own Civil War brought about an end to slavery and oppression.
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