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"The Joining"

Developments

• Beckett tells Sandoval that she believes Lili to be a Liberation spy. Her suspicions were aroused by Lili’s disinterest in becoming an Implant, which seems unfathomable to one under the influence of a CVI’s motivational imperative.
• Boone has been severely injured by Ha’gel and is ”touch and go” according to Lili. He floats in a liquid-filled container like the one in "The Devil You Know", and his body appears to dissolve when Zo’or touches the glass.
• Lili tells Sandoval that Beckett was killed by Ha’gel, but Beckett is actually taken into Liberation Headquarters and discovered to be pregnant, apparently with the offspring of Ha’gel in Sandoval’s body. This fulfills the prophecy Beckett had seen in the Runes: the two were destined to come together.
• Despite Ha’gel’s actions, Quo’on remains firm that the Taelons’ mission on Earth will follow its course whatever the consequences.

Backstory

Lili Marquette

• Lili’s security rating is Level 5; normally this level is reserved for Implants, but her status was approved by Da’an at Boone’s request.

Ronald Sandoval

• After taking on Sandoval’s appearance and knowledge, Ha’gel says, “I wonder what your Taelon friends would say if they knew the secrets you keep buried.”

Siobhan Beckett

• Beckett casts Runes as a divinatory practice to enhance her intuition.

The Taelons

• Da’an tells Boone that 10 million years ago, Ha’gel’s race conquered Taelon through a war of genetic assimilation, using their chameleon-like abilities to infiltrate the population and infect it with a genetic virus that bound the two species for all eternity. The Taelons on Earth are a result of that genetic bonding. However, after Boone leaves, Zo’or reveals that in fact it was the Taelons who destroyed Ha’gel’s race after they had saved the Taelons from extinction.
• Agenda on Earth
  
  • Da’an says, “Our current agenda on Earth will lead to the destruction of humanity.” Zo’or replies, “The only other option is the extinction of the Taelon race.” Da’an then says, “Ha’gel’s actions have demonstrated that extinction may be preferable to becoming that which we despise.”
• Attitudes and Beliefs
  
  • Zo’or says, “Every species deserves the right to evolve according to the natural laws of the universe, not according to the will of another species.” He says, unconvincingly, that the Taelons will honor this principle in their dealings with humanity.
• Individuals
  
  • Ha’gel
    
    • As soon as Ha'gel emerged from the chamber, the Taelons were aware of him by name.
    • Ha’gel can assume the appearance and gain the knowledge of anyone with whom he comes into physical contact. The victim becomes encased in a hard, purplish substance but remains alive. When Ha’gel assumes a new identity, his previous victim emerges from the husk unharmed but with no memory of what happened while encased.
    • Ha’gel fires energy bursts that disintegrate matter from his hands.
    • Ha’gel can only be killed by a skrill blast.
    • Zo’or says, “Ha’gel is no more Taelon than your Neanderthal man was human.”
    • Zo’or says, apparently untruthfully, that Ha’gel is an ancient Taelon criminal imprisoned in the chamber and cast into the stellar void millions of years ago.
• Language
  
  • The writing on the chamber in which Ha’gel was found dates back to the beginning of the Taelons’ recorded time.
• Technology
  
  • CVI: The CVI does not take away sexual desire and, in fact, increases the Implant’s physical capabilities thereof.

Miscellaneous

• Capt. Chandler from “Horizon Zero” is still a fugitive.