Star Trek TNG: The Q Continuum — Q-Zone
{4.5/5} “I’ll try, Q thought, settling back into a comfortable curvature of space-time, adjusting the gravity until it fit just right and resting his head against a patch of condensed dark matter. He had to admit, in spite of his occasional reservations, there was something exceptionally stimulating about not knowing what was going to happen next.”
Star Trek TNG: The Q Continuum — Q-Zone by Greg Cox, published in 1998
Commander William T. Riker and the Enterprise are battling the gaseous Calamarain who objected to their experiment on the galactic barrier. Meanwhile, Q has taken Captain Picard on a tour of his past — and they’re now observing Q’s first meeting with the Calamarain a million years ago. Q also shows him how his younger self and his new acquaintances from another multiverse destroyed the Tkon Empire. Meanwhile, Riker decides that the only way to get away from the Calamarain is to enter the galactic barrier.
This is the sequel to Q-Space. It’s a fitting continuation of the story, and brings together things from various episodes in a way that makes sense.
It features the Guardian of Forever, Gorgan from TOS “And the Children Shall Lead,” and the entity that feeds off violence from TOS “Day of the Dove.”
One more quotation: “Abstract political differences suddenly became deadly personal as pilots on both sides dived and ducked amid the chaos, striking back with every tactic and weapon at their command. More ships fell before the inferno, leaving the remaining ships ever more intent of exacting retribution.”