'Q' The Lights!

Posted on Mon Jul 1st, 2024 @ 11:07pm by Commodore Jacob Kane & Commander N'Garzi Zora

Mission: Into the Qniverse
Location: Legoria II
Timeline: MD-01
672 words - 1.3 OF Standard Post Measure

The party seemed to be in relatively full swing. The crew were laughing and dancing. Music was playing. Drinks were being shared.

"LADIES...AND GENTLEMEN!!"

A spotlight, seemingly from the sky itself, burst into blinding light. It drew immediate attention - along with the oddly dressed being bathed in the sudden illumination.

Wearing a medieval-style garb complete with wide-brimmed feathered hat, the human-looking man basked with arms stretched and closed eyes lifted to the heavens.

"TONIGHT'S...ENTERTAINMENT!" The announcement seemed to boom from everywhere and nowhere.

A few of the crew grinned and chuckled, pointing as though this were some scheduled entertainment event. But a couple of people, the ones that knew better, weren't laughing or pointing.

Leaving Ryan's side, Kane pushed through the crowd towards Zora, who was one of the closest to the large buffet table that the man appeared to be standing on, posing like a rock star. Kane looked at his XO, then up at the strange new arrival.

"This isn't part of the plan..." he noted.

"No it isn't," Zora replied feeling her mood shift as soon as the being arrived. It had been nearly three decades since she felt this particular energy surrounding an individual. The face and clothes may be different but it was an energy that couldn't be mistaken for anything else in the known galaxy. "It's a Q."

"A what!?" Kane blinked, part-stunned, part-worried. The costumed individual snapped his attention down to the pair.

"Why, a quintessentially quality and quantifiable quantum, quick to quake my quaint quarry - the very queen's quartermaster of quests, quirks and quizzes..." The man flashed a wide grin. "Quite simply, a-"

"Q!" Kane snarled.

"Qui?" The being mused with a tweak of his eyebrow.

"This is a private party," Zora said sternly. Not many people could bring out such a strong emotional reaction from her this quickly, not even P'rel; but the Q always managed it. "Leave, now!" She ordered as she stepped slightly closer to the trickster.

"Ah, N'Garzi Zora... or whatever you call yourself these days," Q replied. "Are you still pretending to be a civilised member of society? Do you know Jacob who your first officer is or what she is capable of?"

"Enough. You'd better explain what you're doing here, bothering my crew," Kane snapped back, refusing to let the Q get a rise out of him.

"I'm here to kick this party up a level," Q replied. He snapped his fingers and with a flash of white light a series of explosions reverberated around the area. Fireworks exploded in the evening sky as the group was showered in sprinkles of multicoloured confetti that disappeared the moment they touched the ground.

"Cheap tricks," Zora sneered indignantly.

"Cheap? Moi?" The Q dramatically feigned offense. "You should know me better than that. None of my tricks are cheap." With a smirk, the Q snapped his fingers. In a bright flash of light, half the partygoers - mostly locals - suddenly vanished. Kane glanced around, spotting that most of his senior crew were still there, though all eyes were on the spectacle unfolding front and center.

"What have you done? Where are my-"

"Oh, so now you're concerned about them, hmm? You do such a good job of pretending to be the grumpy-grumpy Commodore..." The Q made a face at him. "Have any nice dreams about them lately?"

"What-"

"And you!" The Q ignored Kane's attempted comeback, looking at Zora. "You pretend to be just like them, don't you?" His smirk widened, almost unnaturally. "You're all so good at...pretending..."

"I have no idea what..." Zora started to reply before Q cut her off.

"Ah! But where are my manners? Didn't I promise some entertainment? Well, let's see what this dear old Q can do about that. And since you're all so good at pretending..." He winked, lifting his fingers to snap again. "Let's see how you manage if we change up some of those 'roles' a little."

"Q! Don't!"

*SNAP*