So tell me,
why is it so important that you find this man?
We had business dealings.
He owes me money.
Hmm. Well, if we had business dealings,
I can tell you that I wouldn't disappear.
Maybe we can discuss that possibility.
- Ooh. - But first, I have to find him,
collect the money I'm owed.
I'll be closing in a few hours.
Perhaps we could, uh, discuss this more privately.
If I don't find him, I'm going to have to move on.
- Oh. - Are you sure you haven't seen him?
Human, about 2 meters tall,
smooth-headed.
Hmm. No, I don't remember anyone like that.
You're lying.
And you're a Betazoid.
I thought so.
Listen, people that come in here,
they count on a certain amount of anonymity.
And if I were to start answering questions about them,
even to a very beautiful woman,
well, I wouldn't be in business very long.
And being a businesswoman, I'm sure you understand.
Great story. I'll remember it next time I'm in a knife fight.
Any luck?
I think the one over there knows something.
He would not admit to having seen the captain,
but he said anyone who visited the ruins of Nafir
would probably come here eventually.
- I suspect he knows more. - Let's go.
Commander, I told—
My friend tells me you know something about the man we're looking for.
The only reason I'm talking to you is that I have a sister too.
I explained to him that we're looking for a man
who impregnated your sister.
So you can imagine how much this means to me.
Family honor is important.
If someone had defiled my sister,
I would do anything, pay anything, to find the one responsible.
And how much might anything be?
As much as five bars of gold press latinum.
I think you've had a little too much to drink.
You'd better leave.
On your way, Yranac.
I'm sorry, but I think he wants to stay.
Sit down.
That's my sister.
She's angry. She's got a vicious temper.
I wouldn't cross her.
You say one word, and you're a dead man.
Perhaps there's an element of risk here
that I did not fully appreciate.
Hmm. And how much more latinum will it take to offset this risk?
This isn't about latinum.
As a man with a sister, a sister with a temper,
I can sympathize with you, but how did you come here?
- Do you have a ship in orbit? - Yes.
Then take me with you. You can drop me anywhere.
Agreed. Now talk.
The man you're looking for was here several weeks ago.
There was a group of aliens sitting at this table.
He was asking them questions.
Who were these aliens?
I don't know, but they looked dangerous.
They attacked him.
He managed to incapacitate three of them
before he was knocked down.
He was thrown against that wall
and fell there.
I'm picking up Starfleet fiber traces and human cellular debris.
Can you establish a DNA reading?
There's something strange here.
The cell structures are badly distorted.
It's as if they've been exposed to some kind of high-energy field.
A weapon discharge?
It could be.
I'm picking up some faint traces of micro-crystalline damage
in the floor material.
But I'm not familiar with the pattern I'm getting.
Who are you people?
You didn't say anything about a weapon.
I hadn't finished yet.
You'll like this.
The man got what was coming to him.
When they knocked him down, one of them took out a weapon
and fired.
He was vaporized.
He's telling the truth.
Space, the final frontier.
These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise.
Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds,
to seek out new life and new civilizations,
to boldly go where no one has gone before.
Acting captain's log, stardate 47135.2.
Dr. Crusher has positively identified Captain Picard's DNA.
There's no doubt now that he's dead.
Come.
How are you doing?
I'm all right.
The crew's pretty shaken up.
I'm arranging a memorial.
I think you should be the one to deliver the eulogy.
I think you'd be better at something like that.
Or Beverly.
She knew him the longest.
I know it's not going to be easy,
but I think it's important that we face up to what's happened.
You're in command now.
The crew's looking to you for guidance.
You don't understand.
I can't give the eulogy, because I won't be at the service.
Will, a memorial service helps to give everyone a sense of completion.
Helps them begin the healing process.
That's exactly the point.
- I don't want to heal. - Will—
I have an open wound, right here. It hurts like hell.
I don't want it to get better,
and I don't wanna pretend that everything's all right.
I know you're angry.
You're damn right.
And I intend to stay angry until I find whoever's responsible
for the captain's death.
Well, that's pretty selfish of you.
Do you think you're the only one in pain?
Do you think you have the monopoly on loss?
Well, let me tell you something.
We're all hurting and we're all angry.
And whether you like it or not, you have a responsibility to this crew.
And you can't just indulge your personal desire for revenge.
That is enough, counselor.
Deanna.
I'm sorry.
This is not about revenge.
This is about justice.
The captain died in a bar fight for nothing.
Somebody has to answer for that.
Then I can mourn.
Commander, I am receiving a transmission from Admiral Chekote
at Starbase 227.
I'll take it in the Ready Room.
Aye, sir.
- Sir. - I read your report, commander.
My condolences to you and to your crew.
Captain Picard's death is a loss to the entire Federation.
Now, I see that you asked to postpone your mission to the Argus sector.
For what reason?
I have a request, sir.
I would like to conduct an investigation into Captain Picard's death.
The Dessican authorities have jurisdicfion in this case, commander.
I know that, sir.
Frankly, I don't have much confidence in the authorities on Dessica II.
There's every reason to believe they're corrupt.
Well, I suspect you're right.
The question remains, are you the one to pursue this?
The captain's death hit me pretty hard,
and I may not be completely objective,
but there's no one who is more determined.
I won't rest until I find out who's responsible.
All right, commander.
I'm officially placing the Enterprise on detached duty.
Your mission is at your discretion.
- Good luck. - Thank you, sir.
Mm. Mm.
Ah, Commander Riker.
I've been meaning to speak to you.
I was wondering if you could move me to better quarters.
I— I don't care much for the decor here.
- These are the best quarters we have. - Hmm.
I was hoping now that you've had a chance to relax,
you might have remembered some of the details about the aliens you saw,
something you may have forgotten before.
Sorry. My memory isn't what it used to be.
They murdered a man in cold blood in full sight of everyone in the bar,
and you can't remember anything about them?
Now that you mention it, I do remember one thing.
They said they'd kill anyone who talked about what happened.
Do you know where they went?
So you know who they are, and you know where I can find them.
Perhaps I do.
- What do you want? - Not a great deal, commander.
Just a shuttlecraft.
I believe I'd like to travel for a while, see more of the galaxy.
- You understand. - A shuttlecraft?
Well, here's my offer.
Instead of the ship, I'll give you some time.
Time?
If you're lucky, you'll only spend the next five years in prison
instead of the next 20.
You've got 12 outstanding arrest warrants
for fraud and petty theft in the Klingon Empire.
You tell me what you know, I'll pull some strings.
Maybe they'll reduce your sentence after you've been extradited.
Uh, if I tell you what I know,
you must promise not to give me to the Klingons.
I'll think about it.
Perhaps you could send me
to a Federation rehabilitation colony instead.
Talk.
The aliens were some kind of mercenary group.
They've been operating in this sector for the last six months.
Where do we find them?
I heard one of them mention the Barradas system.
- I think they were headed there. - You think?
That's all I know.
- Riker to Data. - Data here.
Take us out of orbit.
Set course for the Barradas system.
Warp 6.
Aye, sir.
Barradas III is the only Class-M planet in this system,
and it is listed as unpopulated.
However, sensors have detected intermittent energy signals
emanating from its surface.
What's the source?
The signals are difficult to localize,
but they could be emissions from some kind of power converter.
Which would indicate a base or a ship.
What else do we know about Barradas III?
The planet was used as an outpost for the Debrune
approximately 2,000 years ago.
The Federation's archaeological survey
has cataloged numerous ruins on the surface.
Mr. Worf, I'd like a security detail
to accompany the away team to the surface.
I'll lead the away team. Geordi, you're with me.
- Mr. Data, you have the Bridge. - Aye, sir.
Commander.
As acting first officer,
I must question your decision to accompany the away team.
- If Captain Picard were here— - He's not.
I realize that, sir.
But if he were and he wanted to lead an away team,
you would tell him that the captain's place—
Is on the Bridge.
Not this time.
- Ensign, you take that area. - Yes, sir.
Here, sir.
Geordi?
It's tough to get accurate sensor readings.
There's an awful lot of interference in the area.
- From what? - I'm not sure.
It's very unlocalized, but it could be atmospheric.
What do you make of these?
Well, these ruins around here are pretty ancient,
but I'd say that this indentation was made fairly recently.
Could be the site of some battlefield.
This doesn't look like any blast point I've ever seen.
The shape is too perfect.
Commander, there's micro-crystalline damage all throughout this area.
It's the same kind of pattern that Dr. Crusher picked up
in the floor of that bar on Dessica II.
Commander.
I found something.
It looks as if someone could have just dropped them.
La Forge to Enterprise. We are under attack down here.
I repeat, we are under attack—
Commander, we've lost contact with the away team.
Is there a malfunction?
No, sir. The com system is being jammed.
- What is the source? - Somewhere on the surface.
Bridge to Transporter Room 2.
Can you get a lock on the away team?
Negative, sir. There's too much interference.
I'm gonna head for those trees over there.
If I can get there, we might be able to set up a cross fire.
Data to Away Team. Please respond.
Data, we've been attacked.
We've got one casualty,
and Commander Riker has been taken captive.
Sir, the mercenaries have beamed away.
They must have a base or a ship nearby.
Can the sensors locate anything?
Commander, we're picking up a vessel leaving orbit.
Why was it not detected earlier?
They could have been using the planet as a shield.
Sir, they're powering up their weapon systems.
Raise shields.
Red alert.
Damage report.
Minor hit on the port deflector. No damage.
They're running, sir. Their speed is warp 8.7 and holding.
I think they're at their maximum.
Take us to warp 9 and pursue. Lock phasers on target.
Sir, we should be within phaser range in 23 seconds.
Switching to long-range scanners.
Commander, the sensor image of that ship is extremely weak.
It's fading.
The ship doesn't register on the long-range sensors.
I'm sorry, sir. We've lost them.
Increase the sensor field bandwidth.
Patch in the lateral sensor arrays.
It's no good. The signal's gone.
It just disappeared.
Plot a course and take us back to Barradas III.
Notify the away team to prepare for transport.
Aye, sir.
Starfleet Intelligence confirms that a ship matching this configuration
has been linked to raids on several other planets in this sector.
For the short time it was within our visual range,
we were able to take sensor readings of the mercenary vessel.
It appears to be encased in an energy-absorbing material.
Although we can see the ship,
this energy sheath renders it virtually undetectable
to our long-range sensors.
There must be some way we can track it.
Data, I know this is a long shot,
but if I remodulate the long-range sensor array,
I might be able to make it sensitive enough to detect the ship.
Without a full compositional analysis of the energy sheath,
chances of finding the correct remodulation sequence are remote.
Sir, they have taken Commander Riker.
We must do something. We cannot just sit here.
On the contrary, lieutenant,
that is precisely what we must do.
Since there are no viable alternatives,
we will return to the surface and attempt to determine
what these mercenaries are doing on this planet.
An investigation might reveal some indication of their purpose.
Please notify me when you have assembled your search teams.
Dismissed.
What's the problem?
I warned you not to push the engines so hard.
Two of the power shunts are on the verge of collapse.
We'll be lucky if we can maintain warp 6.
How long will it take to repair?
I can try to realign the warp core. It'll take at least 11 hours.
But I'll have to shut the engines down completely.
We're not stopping.
We can't afford to be sitting helpless in space.
I want warp 8 available in five hours,
and I don't wanna hear your excuses.
What were you doing on Barradas III?
William T. Riker, commander, SC, 231-427.
Oh, really?
Well, I am Arctus Baran,
and I don't have a number.
Now, what were you doing on Barradas III, commander?
We were studying the ruins.
It was a scientific expedition.
Don't patronize me.
Those ruins have been studied for centuries.
There's nothing new to learn from them.
Then what were you doing there?
Oh, don't bother, commander. You can't remove it.
It's a neural servo connected directly to your nervous system.
It lets me control precisely how much pain you feel.
This setting is usually sufficient.
However, if necessary, it can go much higher.
These devices were the idea of my predecessor.
It's a convenient way of enforcing discipline.
What happened to him?
He failed to enforce it with me.
This is a waste of time, Baran.
Get rid of him now.
You should be more patient, Vekor.
It might be rewarding.
We will wait.
Let the memory of his pain argue with him for a while.
It might change his attitude.
Vekor is right. We should get rid of him.
It's dangerous having someone from Starfleet on board.
Dangerous?
Might be profitable.
A Starfleet commander is a valuable hostage.
Starfleet won't negotiate with us,
but they'll pursue us as long as we have him.
This discussion is over.
Get back to your post, Vekor.
They're right, Baran.
And you know it.
I say kill him.
Now.
If he has nothing to give us, we should kill him now and be done with it.
Everybody seems to have recognized that fact except you.
I don't need a consensus to run this ship, Galen.
What's going on?
I'm bypassing the aft plasma couplings.
The power loss should only last for a few seconds.
You should learn not to limit your options.
Riker could be very useful to us in the future.
He may not be as useful as you think,
if this is the same Riker that I've heard about.
What Riker might that be?
Commander of the Enterprise, formerly assigned to the USS Hood.
That's right.
Then you must be the William T. Riker with a history of insubordination.
He was even once relieved of duty
during the Cardassian incident at Minos Korva.
How do you know all this?
Look, I've been smuggling artifacts from Federation sites for years.
You can't help developing a familiarity with certain Starfleet personnel.
If we hadn't have captured him,
he'd probably have ended up before a court martial.
I've gotten out of them before.
Look, he's no use to us. Finish him now.
Or let me do it for you.
Watch him.
We're accelerating.
What have you done?
It has nothing to do with my repairs.
I think there's a malfunction in the engine's intermix chamber.
Plasma pressure is rising.
Where's the malfunction?
It could be one of any 30 subsystems.
- It'll take time to locate. - I don't think you'll have a chance.
Plasma pressure has reached critical levels.
Seal off the intermix chamber.
I can't. The override sequence won't engage.
The antimatter flow regulator is locked open.
Logic subsystems still not responding.
Get out of the way.
Plasma pressure has exceeded maximum levels.
Eight percent above critical and rising.
We have to jettison the core.
No, we'll be stranded here.
The flow regulator is frozen.
Let me do it.
I've had a lot of experience with this sort of systems failure.
I might be able to do something.
Plasma pressure is 11 percent above critical.
The containment fields are beginning to degrade.
Go.
Flow regulator is not responding to manual override.
Containment fields won't hold much longer.
Looks like you've got a control logic lockout
in your regulator subsystem.
I'm going to attempt to run an active bypass
through the plasma flow converter.
You, start running a phase-locked feedback through that regulator.
I want about a six-second delay.
What are you saying? I don't take orders from you.
You do as he says.
Plasma pressure is 14 percent above critical.
- If you fail... - We'll all be dead anyway.
Just need a few more seconds.
Plasma pressure is dropping.
We're back into safe levels.
If you wanna make sure that doesn't happen again,
you'd better reinitiate your regulator subcompressors.
A full diagnostic of your intermix chamber wouldn't hurt either.
Do it.
Put him in quarters for now.
You still wish you'd killed me?
The search teams have reported in.
They found several archaeological sites.
Each one has been looted.
It's possible that the micro-crystalline damage I found in these indentations
is the result of some kind of high-energy transporter beam.
But I still don't understand.
There's nothing here that's particularly valuable.
Why would anyone wanna steal any of these things?
Perhaps these artifacts have a special value to the Romulans.
The Romulans?
These structures were built by the Debrune.
That race is an ancient offshoot of the Romulans.
The ruins on the planet where Captain Picard was killed
were also Romulan in origin.
The leader of the group that attacked us was Romulan.
Perhaps they are controlling the mercenaries.
The question remains, why are they stealing these artifacts?
There are several archaeological sites in this sector
containing ruins which are Romulan in origin.
These are the locations that were attacked by the mercenary vessel.
Looks like they did a pretty thorough job.
Mm. The only sites not attacked were on Calder II,
Yadalla Prime and Draken IV.
Yadalla and Draken are at the far end of the sector, but Calder II,
that's less than a day from here at maximum warp.
That would be their next likely target.
According to this, there's a Federation outpost at Calder II.
But it is only a small science station.
It has limited defensive capabilities.
I do not believe it could withstand an attack from the mercenary ship.
Mr. Worf, send a message to the Federation outpost on Calder II.
Advise them that if a ship matching the configuration
of the mercenary vessel approaches,
they should attempt to delay it until our arrival.
Ensign, take us out of orbit.
Set a course for the Calder system.
- Warp 9. - Aye, sir.
We don't have much time.
It's good to see you, Will.
I didn't expect to meet you here.
I was looking for the people who killed you on the surface.
A witness said they saw you vaporized.
These mercenaries use weapons that can activate their transporter.
It gives them the opportunity to beam things away quickly,
just by firing at them.
That's what they did to me.
I don't understand any of this.
Who are these people? What are you doing involved with them?
The site that I wanted to study had been raided.
All of the artifacts had been stolen.
The site had been practically destroyed.
Well, I wanted to find out who was responsible.
I tracked them to that bar on Dessica II.
Well, I must have asked too many questions.
They captured me.
They wanted to find out how much I knew about their operation.
And then you became part of their crew?
I convinced them I was a smuggler and that my name was Galen.
I offered to help them appraise the artifacts that they had stolen.
Will, these are not common thieves.
They are stealing Romulan artifacts
from archaeological sites throughout this sector.
Baran has me analyzing each one of them
for a particular particle signature.
Will, they are looking for a specific artifact.
- Why? - That's what we have to find out.
Baran is the key.
I think that he knows more about what we're really looking for
than anyone else on this ship.
I want you to get close to him, try and get his confidence.
That's why you set up the engine failure.
Because you knew that I'd be able to fix it.
He also believes that you're a less-than-perfect Starfleet officer.
Will, I want you to play into that role.
Baran and I—
Well, he doesn't care very much for me.
But he has to tolerate me,
because he needs my help with these artifacts.
But if you and I become enemies,
then there's a better chance of you and he becoming friends.
All right. I'll do what I can.
What are you doing here?
Getting some answers, because you can't get him to talk.
No one conducts an interrogation on this ship
without my permission.
Is that understood?
Our next objective should prove an interesting challenge.
We're headed for the Sakethan burial mounds on Calder II.
What?
Calder II isn't just another archaeological site, you know.
It's a Federation outpost.
I don't see that as a problem.
It's defended by Starfleet.
You don't think they're just gonna stand by
while we walk in there and take whatever we want?
I'm familiar with the tactical situation.
- What are their defenses? - Nothing to worry about.
They have a type-four deflector shield protecting the outpost and the ruins.
They also have a minimum of two phaser banks
and possibly photon torpedoes.
Is that enough to worry about?
How do you know so much about this outpost?
Because I tried to smuggle a Sakethan glyph stone out of there
nearly two years ago.
I barely got away in one piece.
Our weapons are more than a match for their defenses.
I anticipate that we'll be able to destroy the outpost within 15 minutes.
Then we'll send in Tallera and the landing party to secure the relics.
Why don't we use Riker?
A Starfleet commander could talk us past the outpost security
without raising their suspicions.
Then when their shields go down,
we could beam the artifacts up here without ever leaving the ship.
Why would Riker help us?
Just because he's out of favor with Starfleet,
doesn't mean that he's ready to betray them.
If he doesn't help us, we'll have to destroy the outpost
and kill everyone on it.
He's still a Starfleet officer.
He won't wanna take innocent lives if he can possibly prevent it.
The last time we engaged Starfleet, we lost a man.
We can't afford any more casualties.
If we can avoid a battle, I think we should.
All right, we'll try it.
We'll be at Calder II within five hours.
You all know your duties. I want this ship prepared for battle
in case your plan doesn't work.
Computer, reset diagnostic for a new sample.
Lot number "478B."
Access spectral analysis and begin scan, mode three.
Scan complete.
Terikon particle decay profile
does not fall within specified reference range.
Probability of match: 0.04 percent.
Computer, reset diagnostic for new sample.
Lot number "369B."
Access spectral analysis, mode two, begin scan.
Baran wants to see the analysis of the last lot.
He thinks you're moving a little slowly.
You can tell Baran if he wants the analysis done faster,
he can do it himself.
If he wants it done correctly, he can wait.
Do you enjoy living dangerously, Galen?
Baran can kill you in an instant if he activates his control device.
I doubt that he'll do that.
I've increased the accuracy of the identification process
by a factor of ten.
I'm the best person to analyze these artifacts.
Baran knows that.
He may need you now.
But I know Baran.
And I can tell you, he's not going to back down forever.
You accomplish nothing by provoking him.
I don't like operating in the dark.
If I knew what the point of this mission were,
why I was analyzing these relics.
If Baran felt it were wise to let the crew know that,
I'm sure he would have.
Do you know what all this is about?
What Baran knows, I know.
Then what's going on here?
Why are we risking our lives taking these artifacts?
- Who wants them? - I see no reason to tell you anything.
But you can rest assured,
I don't necessarily share everything I know with Baran either.
This conversation, for example, will stay between us.
You can tell Baran every word that I've said.
He knows that I don't think much of him as a leader.
He's been in charge of this crew for a long time.
Baran wouldn't last five minutes as captain
if he didn't have that control device.
The crew follow him because they have no choice.
Baran's power is based on fear and intimidation.
That almost sounds like a prelude to mutiny.
If someone were to challenge him, the rest of the crew would follow.
I was right. You do like living dangerously.
I like you, Galen.
I can tolerate a lot from someone like you.
But only to a point.
I intend to complete this mission successfully
and get what's been promised me.
If it looks as though you're getting in the way of that,
I'll deal with you myself.
Commander, no one is allowed on the surface
without prior authorization from the Federation Science Council.
I'm aware of that, lieutenant,
but your outpost is in imminent danger of attack.
I would like to station security personnel
on the surface for your protection.
Now, I'm ordering you to drop your shields.
I'm sorry, sir, but the regulations are very specific. I can't do it.
If you'd like, you can remain in orbit until we contact the science council.
But we're experiencing some communication difficulties right now,
- so that— - This isn't working.
They're delaying on purpose.
Someone has warned them.
Charge main disruptor array.
Destroy the outpost.
No, there's no time for that.
Starfleet will be here any minute.
What are you doing?
I'm configuring the disruptors to fire a phase-resonant pulse.
If I can hit their shield generator with precisely the right frequency,
I should be able to take it out with one shot.
Firing.
Their shields are down.
The artifacts should be located in several small structures
arranged in staggered formations.
I'm scanning.
I think I've found them.
Lock coordinates and start bringing them up.
There should be at least two more down there.
I've lost transporter lock.
They've managed to get their shields back up.
I need those artifacts.
Lock all disruptors on target.
This time I want that outpost destroyed.
Direct hit on their aft deflectors. They are undamaged.
Ensign, scan for Starfleet combadge signals.
Is Commander Riker aboard that ship?
I can't tell, sir.
Sensors are unable to penetrate their hull.
- Open a channel. - Open.
This is the Federation starship Enterprise.
You are ordered to stand down.
Drop your shields and prepare to be boarded.
You sent them a message.
You told them where to find us.
That's ridiculous. When did I have a chance?
This is set to kill.
Order your ship to disengage.
Activate visual.
Commander, are you all right?
Tell them.
Mr. Data, withdraw the Enterprise. That's an order.
That is impossible, sir.
The ship you are on has violated a Federation outpost.
It is my duty to stop it.
I'm your commanding officer. I'm giving you a direct order.
Understood?
Commander, if you could explain—
I've never explained my orders before. I'm not about to start now.
I'm not about to let him blow this ship into space.
If I can set up a low-level comlink between the two ships,
I could use my command codes.
I can deactivate the shields.
Do it.
Sir, we are receiving some kind of signal from the mercenary ship.
These are Commander Riker's access codes.
He is attempting to shut down our shields.
That doesn't make sense.
He knows those codes would've been changed as soon as he was captured.
That is correct, counselor.
He does know.
Mr. Worf, prepare to drop shields.
Sir, we would be totally defenseless.
I am aware of that.
- Sir, as soon as they see us— - Mr. Worf, that is an order.
Aye, sir.
It worked. The shields are dropping.
Fire.