Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek #1!As Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Originally thought to be evil when they ostensibly conspired with Data's evil brother Lore in season one, the mysterious space-dwelling aliens had a chance to prove themselves in season five even after one of their kind destroyed colonies on numerous planets for seemingly malicious reasons. Picard later attempted to communicate with the colony-destroying entity to understand its motives. However, just when the massive alien displayed signs of comprehension and even responded to his communicative efforts, a crewmate murdered the Crystalline Entity because her son had been on one of the colonies that the being had destroyed.
Now, any hope of Picard and the Federation truly understanding these creatures just came to an unceremonious end, as the Crystalline Entities become the victims of a successful genocide perpetrated against them in Star Trek #1 by writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, artist Ramon Rosanas, colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Clayton Cowles. The one of Sisko's crewmates says, they have just been witness to a genocide of the gods.
Star Trek's Genocide Will Haunt Picard Forever
Although Picard himself is not a part of Sisko's latest crew, the news of what transpired in the nebula will most certainly shake him to his very core. Picard is the epitome of what it means to be an explorer, and wanted very much to make first with the Crystalline Entity back in season five of Star Trek: The Next Generation even though its kind had been associated with many disasters across the galaxy. As Picard has observed on his travels, nothing is ever as it seems out in space, and even when a person or species appears to be the perpetrator of some vile act, they are oftentimes the victim or completely misunderstood. So when Picard attempted to communicate with the Crystalline Entity even after what happened in season one and actually received a response, it was his chance to not only understand the creature's motives but to open talks with a whole new alien species, expanding the Federation's understanding of the universe.
Even though Picard's guest eventually destroyed all hope of hearing the Crystalline Entity's side of the story, Picard undoubtedly hoped that he or at least another member of the Federation would come into with another Crystalline Entity again and discover the truth. Picard is the one who vouched for Benjamin Sisko after his return from the realm of the Prophets, and hearing of the Crystalline Entities' extinction will doubltess reassure him that Sisko's crew are on a righteous mission to stop further genocide on this jaw-dropping scale.
Star Trek's key ethos is one of discovery and understanding, but because of this new foe, Picard will never connect with the complex beings encountered in Star Trek: The Next Generation - all he can do is aid Sisko in ensuring that no further tragedies of such breathaking scale are allowed to take place.
Star Trek #1 is available now from IDW Publishing!
