- When a Romulan officer defects to the Federation with a warning of a impending invasion, Capt. Picard struggles to decide if he is to be believed.
- Data was discovering the human condition by Shakespearian acting, when Picard gets informed a craft entered the Neutral Zone. It's identified as a Romulan scout, which claims to need urgently asylum from a persecutor. The wounded Setol gets it, and warns the Romulans nearly finished building a base on a planet in the Neutral Zone, in order to occupy it and from there strike 15 neighboring Federation zones with a fleet of war birds, which would mean another full war, but still remains rather defensive, at times hostile. Commander Riker and counselor Troi are charged with questioning him further, in case it's a ploy to lure them into the zone as a war pretext. The admiralty refuses the Empire's demand to return the defector, and orders Picard to find out if the threat is real. After technological means came to contradictory conclusions, Setol discloses his real identity, and that's not the last surprising twist...—KGF Vissers
- Romulan officer Sub-Lt. Setol is found fleeing a Romulan Warbird and seeks to defect to the Federation. He informs Captain Picard that a Romulan fleet is amassing and they will soon attack the Federation. Setol doesn't see himself as a traitor but more someone who abhors unnecessary conflict. As a result, he's a bit short on detail and both Picard and Starfleet Command are understandably dubious and strongly suspect that he is a plant. When Setol is identified as an Admiral and not a junior officer, their view of him hardens considerably. When they discover weak signals emanating from a planet in the Neutral Zone, it appears that Setol may be right. In fact, something far more complex is at play.—garykmcd
- Data was discovering the human condition by Shakespearian acting, when Picard gets informed a craft entered the Neutral Zone. It's identified as a Romulan scout, which claims to need urgently asylum from a persecutor. A Romulan war bird that pursues the scout ship through the neutral zone. The Enterprise extends the shields around the scout ship once it is in Federation territory and the Romulan ship withdraws back into Romulan space.
The wounded Setal (James Sloyan) gets the asylum and claims to be a low-ranking logistics officer and warns that the Romulans have nearly finished building a base on a planet in the Neutral Zone. The Nelvana III, but the Federation sensors monitoring the Neutral zone show no such activity. The Romulans intend to occupy it and from there strike 15 neighboring Federation zones (within 2 days, when the reactor core of the base will go online) with a fleet of war birds, which would mean another full war. Setal claims that the Romulans wants to avenge their loss in the last war and claim the entire Neutral zone. Setal wants the Enterprise to make a surprise attack on the base and remove the threat completely. Data says that in the long history of Romulans, they have never attacked first. They prefer to test the resolve of their enemies and attack later. Setal sets the auto-destruct on his own scout ship and prevents Enterprise officers from examining its secrets. He says he is trying to prevent a war but is not a traitor to the Romulans. Setal knows of the encounter Enterprise had with the 2 Romulan officers at Galorndon Core.
Enterprise sensors also show no activity in the Nelvana system. The admiralty refuses the Empire's demand to return the defector, and orders Picard to find out if the threat is real. Geordi analyses the chase of the Romulan warship to the scout. He finds that at 3 occasions the war bird had the chance to overtake the scout ship and kill it, but each time they reduced speed and kept their distance. Commander Riker and counselor Troi are charged with questioning him further, in case it's a ploy to lure them into the zone as a war pretext.
Technological means came to contradictory conclusions. A probe launched by the Enterprise reveals subspace radio activity and ionization of space which could have resulted from cloaking of Romulan warships. But there is nothing on the planet's surface, and it is possible that the base is cloaked. There is no way to be sure till the Enterprise goes to look for itself. Setal discloses his real identity as Admiral Jarok. This is after Data takes him to the Holodeck for a rendition of his home planet Romulus, since Setal said that he was feeling homesick. Due to his betrayal, he can never return home. The Admiralty considers Jarok an unreliable source of information as he is a ruthless operator. Picard demands irrefutable proof of Jarok's allegations. Picard says that Jarok is not a man of peace, so his motivation for defecting is questionable. Jarok still argues that he tried to persuade Romulan high command against another war with the Federation. He was shunted to a meaningless post for this reason. He wants to see his daughter grow up and hence doesn't want the war. Picard still wants proof.
Jarok divulges the locations and plans of the Romulan fleet and also gives engine details for the cloaking systems for all their war-birds. Enterprise enters the Neutral zone and heads for Nelvana III. On Nelvana III Enterprise finds no indication of any base. Picard concludes that Romulans knew of Jarok's dissatisfaction and were feeding him false information to test his loyalty.
As Enterprise prepares to leave, 2 Romulan war-birds Decloaks and intercept. Captain Tomalak is in command. He wants to avenge the humiliation of Galorndon Core and wants to dissect the Enterprise and display it as a prize at Romulan capital. Tomalak demands the return of Jarok as a traitor and surrender of Enterprise as prisoners of war. Picard plays his card and Decloaks the Klingon warships that accompanied him into the neutral zone. Tomalak is forced to withdraw. Jarok commits suicide.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content