In the coming years, Q interacted with the Federation crew on various occasions, and
while his meddling was often negatively received, he helped Picard a number of times, even acting
as a sort of spiritual guide to confront and understand the choices of his past.
For a time he took one of the Captain’s former love interests Vash on adventures across
the galaxy, promising Picard to keep her safe.
However she broke off their partnership in 2369.
On another occasion, after two Q living on Earth were executed by the continuum, their
daughter grew older and developed powers, causing Q to show up and bring her into the
Continuum.
When the Q later visited the Federation Outpost of Deep Space Nine, he mockingly challenged
commander Benjamin Sisko to a fight.
Yet to his surprise, Sisko did not have the same aversion to violence as Picard, and punched
Q in the face.
*“You hit me…
Picard never hit me!”* Seven years after beginning the Trial of Humanity,
Q once again appeared before Picard, arranging yet another test, this time involving a time
travel mystery.
With the help of his Q ally, Picard eventually solved the problem.
Q then confessed the Continuum was testing humanity’s ability to understand more advanced
concepts about the nature of the universe.
Although they passed the test, Q yet again proclaimed "The trial never ends."
Later, when the crew of the USS Voyager was stranded in the Delta quadrant, they accidentally
released a Q from prison, prompting the former rebel Q to appear and recapture the criminal.
However the incarcerated Q called Quinn, then requested Asylum on Voyager, explaining that
his crime was a desire to end his own life.
An action forbidden by the Continuum.
When Captain Janeway agreed to judge a hearing, Quinn argued the Q lived so long, and experienced
so much, the continuum was now a place where nothing happened.
Where their people were so apathetic they no longer even spoke to each other.
Quinn, who was once a great philosopher, saw that severe stagnation in their society was
a problem and was so inspired by the antics of the rebel Q, he chose to act by ending
his own life.
He then pointed out the irony that the renegade he admired was now just like all the others,
trying to stop a free thinker from going against the system.
Throughout the hearing, they learned Quinn was an important figure in galactic history,
who influenced a number of important historical events, including helping Isaac Newton make
discoveries, saving the life of William Riker’s ancestor, and starting a hundred year war
between romulans and Vulcans.
It was argued that such an important being could not simply be allowed to end his life,
as the repercussions might be drastic for the continuum which could then spill out into
the rest of the universe.
At one point, the rebel Q attempted to bribe Janeway, offering to take the stranded Voyager
crew home to the Alpha quadrant for a favorable ruling, but she declined.
As it turned out Voyager’s presence in the Delta quadrant went on to have massive repercussions,
including a time travel event where Voyager was involved with 29th century technology
ending up on Earth in the past, leading to the technological revolution of the 20th century
and the eventual formation of Starfleet and the Federation.
Therefore, it’s possible this was yet another test by Q, as Janeway accepting his bribe
would have meant none of those events occurred and the Federation may have never existed.
In the end, Janeway judged in favor of Quinn and the rights of the individual, forcing
Q to make him mortal.
Janeway then tried to convince Quinn to find happiness living out his mortal life, but
he killed himself soon after.
Although Q argued against this result, he could not help but admire Quinn’s conviction,
inspiring a return to his rebellious ways, which started by helping Quinn procure the
poison used to end his life.
As predicted, when word of Quinn’s death reached the continuum, it caused great upheaval,
as a faction following the rebel Q started a movement for change, while others wished
to keep things the same.
This sparked a vicious civil war that killed many of their people and caused supernovas
to erupt throughout the galaxy.
Peace was eventually established thanks to the aid of the USS Voyager, resulting in the
rebel Q agreeing to mate with a female Q, to produced the first child ever born inside
the continuum.
It was hoped that Q jr would lead their people toward a new future, but he grew up wild,
arrogant and selfish, causing Q to leave his son with the Voyager crew, so they might teach
him human values.
Though it was a challenging experience, his behaviour improved, and these changes along
with the importance of his father, convinced the continuum to allow the boy back.
As a reward for their help, Q offered Janeway new coordinates that would take several years
off their long journey back to the Alpha Quadrant.
When she asked why he didn’t take them all the way home, Q explained doing all the work
for Voyager would set a bad example for his son.
Yet once again it seems likely Q had a larger plan in place.
By creating a new route for Voyager he set them on a direct path with a Borg Transwarp
hub, capable of transporting ships vast distances in mere moments.
Although the original plan was to go around because it was to dangerous.
A future admiral Janeway travelled back in time and sacrificed herself to get Voyager
home immediately, and in doing so destroyed the transwarp hub, landing a devastating blow
against the Borg.
Though the Q were extremely powerful, they too feared provoking this widespread cybernetic
species, and so perhaps Q sent Voyager on a path that would not only get the home quickly
but also hurt the Borg.
According to a possible alternative timeline, Q eventually returned to have several more
interaction with Jean Luc Picard up until 2401, when it was revealed the Q species was
not really immortal.
Q felt his powers draining and knew he didn’t have much time left, so used his final moments
to help his old friend Picard travel through time and come to terns with the death of his
mother.
Then with his final bit of strength he said good bye and returned Picard to 2401, even
bringing back a friend who passed away as a final gift.
The next year, despite losing his life, Q appeared before Picard’s son Jack Crusher,
claiming he could be there because Q did not experience time in the same linear fashion
as humans.
He then made it clear that while Picard’s trial was over, Jack’s had just begun.