Post by magicmuggle01 on Jun 5, 2019 9:11:26 GMT
Troi is captured and forced to masquerade as a Romulan intelligence officer in a plot to aid the defection of several high-ranking Romulan officials.
Summary
Deanna Troi slowly awakens in a dark room, and is shocked to discover when she activates the room's light above a mirror that she has been surgically altered to appear Romulan. She doesn't know why or even where she is.
Act One
A real Romulan, Sub-Commander N'Vek, suddenly enters, and immediately begins giving her instructions. He explains she is on the Imperial Romulan Warbird Khazara, but refuses to answer any more of her questions, insisting that there is no time for a full explanation. He instructs her that she must act as Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar, and she must tell the captain of this vessel, Commander Toreth, to alter course to the Kaleb sector. When Troi refuses to comply with his instructions and demands answers, she contends that her best chance of survival is to do what he says. Troi senses no deception from him through her empathic senses, so she decides to go along with his plan for now.
When Troi meets Toreth, Troi is at first demure, and fails to display the commanding assertiveness of a Tal Shiar agent. The commander soon begins to press Troi for answers, and begins to get angry. This forces Troi to also become forceful. When Toreth backs down, Troi realizes that maintaining her cover means also maintaining this harsh facade throughout the ordeal.
Act Two
"Captain's Log, stardate 46519.1. We have arrived at Research Station 75 to take on a rather unique passenger, one whose homecoming will undoubtedly be difficult."
The defector Stefan DeSeve
returns to the Federation
Ensign Stefan DeSeve, a Human who had defected to the Romulan Empire, is beamed aboard the USS Enterprise-D. He is immediately placed under arrest by Riker for treason and confined to quarters. Riker demands he change out from his Romulan uniform and into civilian clothing. DeSeve insists on speaking to the captain almost immediately. Riker promises he will tell him.
When Captain Jean-Luc Picard sees him, DeSeve explains that Ambassador Spock is performing some "cowboy diplomacy," and that he wants Picard to rendezvous with a freighter in the Kaleb sector, and return its cargo to the Federation. After DeSeve explains his reasons for returning, Picard is willing to believe in his accuracy in delivering the message. He sets a course right away at warp factor eight.
Meanwhile, on the Romulan ship, N'Vek explains to Counselor Troi what is in the cargo containers: Vice-Proconsul M'ret, one of the highest-level officials in the Romulan government, and his two top aides. N'Vek explains that he is part of Spock's underground, and is attempting to create a way for many dissidents to escape. The plan is to have this warbird rendezvous with a Corvallen freighter, where she and they will be taken to Federation space. She is there, instead of another Romulan, because if something goes wrong, a Starfleet officer is their only guarantee of success.
In the meantime, Troi maintains her harsh Tal Shiar attitude. Over dinner, when Commander Toreth repeatedly attempts to flirt with notions of distaste and distrust of the intelligence service, she repeats her loyalty and service to the Romulan Empire, while critiquing the food, particularly the viinerine.
When they arrive at the freighter, Troi senses that its captain is lying when he says the cargo will be delivered. She quietly informs N'Vek of this fact, and he simply destroys the ship without orders. Toreth is furious, and demands an explanation. N'Vek explains that Major Rakal ordered him to open fire.
Act Three
When pressed for an explanation, Troi does once again the only thing she can do: she threatens Toreth to justify her actions. She orders the commander to cloak and wait.
Meanwhile, the Enterprise arrives at the coordinates specified to find no ship, or any within three light years. Picard has DeSeve brought to his ready room by Worf and demands an explanation from DeSeve, who cannot provide one, but reiterates his certainty of the information. He does add, however, that the freighter is old, and its speed and range is limited.
Back on the Romulan ship, Troi engages in a heated argument with N'Vek. He justifies his actions by saying there was no alternative, and a lot of people have already died for this mission. He instructs her to go to the Federation outpost on Draken IV and use her Federation access codes to bypass the gravitic sensor net. When she explains this to Toreth, the commander is quite skeptical, and believes it is tactically unsound. Troi does the only thing she can, and pulls rank once again. Her plan will be acted upon.
Before they can go to warp and head for Draken IV, however, the Enterprise appears in the area.
Act Four
Troi decides to change the plan and have the ship hold position. Toreth ignores her, and slowly begins to maneuver out of the debris field to avoid detection. Troi allows this to happen.
The Enterprise, meanwhile, has been examining the debris. It is the remains of a freighter, one like they were supposed to meet. Commander Data's analysis concludes the freighter was destroyed by Romulan weapons within the last 4.3 hours.
On the Romulan vessel, Troi is talking strategy with N'Vek. She wants to know if there is a way to allow the Enterprise to track them. N'Vek says that if there were, he wouldn't do it, because he wants to get them to a Federation base. Using more than the forcefulness of the major, furious for what he did to her, she shouts that they will now follow her plans, or she will pull rank and get him ejected into space for being a traitor. He then suggests there is a way, and has the ship's engineer, a sympathizer to the cause, misalign one of the warbird's nullifier cores.
Sure enough, the Enterprise begins to pick up a moving magnetic distortion off their port side, which reappears and disappears. DeSeve believes that it could be a Romulan ship based on his understanding of their cloaking technology and their power source: an artificial quantum singularity. A system in less-than-perfect condition could produce detectable readings. Picard has the Enterprise head for the distortion.
Toreth notices their movements, and isn't sure of their intent. She then orders a course directly under their hull; if the Enterprise moves, then they have detected the warbird, and she will attack and destroy them.
Act Five
The Enterprise detects the distortion moving towards them. Picard and DeSeve are baffled by this behavior, as Romulans only perform suicide attacks when the situation is desperate. With ninety seconds until impact, Picard concludes that they should move.
When Commander Toreth gives the order to drop cloak and fire, Troi countermands her, declaring that such an attack would be foolish. The commander stands up for her abilities, causing Troi to order her removal from the bridge. Troi explains to the otherwise loyal junior officers that their families, as well as they, will bear the punishment of refusing to follow her orders, and takes command. Toreth steps down, and N'Vek is the first to take the major's orders.
Troi suggests that they use discretion instead of a bold attack. She explains that she will offer a diplomatic solution, and destroy them after their shields are down.
When the ship de-cloaks, and Troi addresses Picard on the viewscreen, the bridge crew restrains their surprise. Once she explains the attack in basic terms, she then suggests that she be beamed over to the Enterprise to discuss the matter.
The Enterprise drops shields, and when N'Vek fires, he encodes a transporter beam inside the disruptor, and beams M'ret and his aides to the bridge. When the pilot reports that the Enterprise is undamaged, N'Vek claims that their disruptor has malfunctioned, but a suspicious Toreth investigates and discovers that the disruptor has, in fact, been deliberately sabotaged to conceal a transporter beam. The pilot tracks the beam to the cargo bay. Toreth declares that the major and N'Vek are both traitors. N'Vek points his weapon at her, but the loyal Romulan pilot vaporizes him. Toreth disarms Troi and demands to know what was in the cargo containers. When Troi refuses to answer, Toreth says they will eventually learn the truth and then execute her.
As the warbird prepares to go to warp, they drop shields and cloak the ship. Just in time, the Enterprise beams Troi aboard. Troi is welcomed back aboard by Geordi La Forge, who takes her to sickbay. The Enterprise quickly leaves the area at Warp 9.
After Doctor Beverly Crusher undoes her cosmetic surgery, Picard informs Troi that M'ret is grateful for her efforts. Troi is glad to be back, but cites N'Vek as the hero, who sacrificed himself to save her. Picard assures Troi that N'Vek's efforts will not be in vain.
Memorable quotes
"Listen to me carefully. You are no longer Deanna Troi. You are Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar – the Imperial intelligence."
- N'Vek, explaining to Troi why she was surgically altered to appear Romulan
"Your only chance to get off this ship alive is to do as I say."
- N'Vek, to Troi
"The man acted dishonorably. He is a traitor."
- Worf, on Stefan DeSeve, Starfleet defector to the Romulans
"I've smelled better viinerine on prison ships."
- Troi
"Your opinion of the Tal Shiar is quite clear, commander."
"I hope so."
"We ensure the loyalty of the people. Do you believe the Empire would be better off without our protection?"
"Protection? From what? How is the Empire threatened by the words of an old man, a devoted citizen who was merely trying to speak his mind? How did the Tal Shiar protect the Empire by dragging him, my father, out of his home in the middle of the night?"
"Clearly, your father was a traitor."
"No. He was just an idealistic old man. I never saw him again."
"I don't need your devotion, commander. Just your obedience."
"And that's all you have."
- Troi and Toreth
"Contrary to the propaganda that your superiors would have us believe, Starfleet is neither weak nor foolish."
- Toreth
"People blame the military for the wars that we are asked to fight, but I think it is your kind, Major, that will be the death of us all."
- Toreth to Troi
"We're not playing it your way anymore, N'Vek! I have been kidnapped, surgically altered, put in danger! I've gone along with all your plans. Now you are going to listen to me! You find a way to let the Enterprise track us, or I will go to Toreth and tell her I've discovered you're a traitor! I'll have you ejected into space! Is that clear, sub-commander?!!"
- Troi, to N'Vek
"Well, that about does it. How does it feel to have your own face back?"
"Just right. Thank you."
- Crusher, after she restores Troi back to her original appearance
Summary
Deanna Troi slowly awakens in a dark room, and is shocked to discover when she activates the room's light above a mirror that she has been surgically altered to appear Romulan. She doesn't know why or even where she is.
Act One
A real Romulan, Sub-Commander N'Vek, suddenly enters, and immediately begins giving her instructions. He explains she is on the Imperial Romulan Warbird Khazara, but refuses to answer any more of her questions, insisting that there is no time for a full explanation. He instructs her that she must act as Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar, and she must tell the captain of this vessel, Commander Toreth, to alter course to the Kaleb sector. When Troi refuses to comply with his instructions and demands answers, she contends that her best chance of survival is to do what he says. Troi senses no deception from him through her empathic senses, so she decides to go along with his plan for now.
When Troi meets Toreth, Troi is at first demure, and fails to display the commanding assertiveness of a Tal Shiar agent. The commander soon begins to press Troi for answers, and begins to get angry. This forces Troi to also become forceful. When Toreth backs down, Troi realizes that maintaining her cover means also maintaining this harsh facade throughout the ordeal.
Act Two
"Captain's Log, stardate 46519.1. We have arrived at Research Station 75 to take on a rather unique passenger, one whose homecoming will undoubtedly be difficult."
The defector Stefan DeSeve
returns to the Federation
Ensign Stefan DeSeve, a Human who had defected to the Romulan Empire, is beamed aboard the USS Enterprise-D. He is immediately placed under arrest by Riker for treason and confined to quarters. Riker demands he change out from his Romulan uniform and into civilian clothing. DeSeve insists on speaking to the captain almost immediately. Riker promises he will tell him.
When Captain Jean-Luc Picard sees him, DeSeve explains that Ambassador Spock is performing some "cowboy diplomacy," and that he wants Picard to rendezvous with a freighter in the Kaleb sector, and return its cargo to the Federation. After DeSeve explains his reasons for returning, Picard is willing to believe in his accuracy in delivering the message. He sets a course right away at warp factor eight.
Meanwhile, on the Romulan ship, N'Vek explains to Counselor Troi what is in the cargo containers: Vice-Proconsul M'ret, one of the highest-level officials in the Romulan government, and his two top aides. N'Vek explains that he is part of Spock's underground, and is attempting to create a way for many dissidents to escape. The plan is to have this warbird rendezvous with a Corvallen freighter, where she and they will be taken to Federation space. She is there, instead of another Romulan, because if something goes wrong, a Starfleet officer is their only guarantee of success.
In the meantime, Troi maintains her harsh Tal Shiar attitude. Over dinner, when Commander Toreth repeatedly attempts to flirt with notions of distaste and distrust of the intelligence service, she repeats her loyalty and service to the Romulan Empire, while critiquing the food, particularly the viinerine.
When they arrive at the freighter, Troi senses that its captain is lying when he says the cargo will be delivered. She quietly informs N'Vek of this fact, and he simply destroys the ship without orders. Toreth is furious, and demands an explanation. N'Vek explains that Major Rakal ordered him to open fire.
Act Three
When pressed for an explanation, Troi does once again the only thing she can do: she threatens Toreth to justify her actions. She orders the commander to cloak and wait.
Meanwhile, the Enterprise arrives at the coordinates specified to find no ship, or any within three light years. Picard has DeSeve brought to his ready room by Worf and demands an explanation from DeSeve, who cannot provide one, but reiterates his certainty of the information. He does add, however, that the freighter is old, and its speed and range is limited.
Back on the Romulan ship, Troi engages in a heated argument with N'Vek. He justifies his actions by saying there was no alternative, and a lot of people have already died for this mission. He instructs her to go to the Federation outpost on Draken IV and use her Federation access codes to bypass the gravitic sensor net. When she explains this to Toreth, the commander is quite skeptical, and believes it is tactically unsound. Troi does the only thing she can, and pulls rank once again. Her plan will be acted upon.
Before they can go to warp and head for Draken IV, however, the Enterprise appears in the area.
Act Four
Troi decides to change the plan and have the ship hold position. Toreth ignores her, and slowly begins to maneuver out of the debris field to avoid detection. Troi allows this to happen.
The Enterprise, meanwhile, has been examining the debris. It is the remains of a freighter, one like they were supposed to meet. Commander Data's analysis concludes the freighter was destroyed by Romulan weapons within the last 4.3 hours.
On the Romulan vessel, Troi is talking strategy with N'Vek. She wants to know if there is a way to allow the Enterprise to track them. N'Vek says that if there were, he wouldn't do it, because he wants to get them to a Federation base. Using more than the forcefulness of the major, furious for what he did to her, she shouts that they will now follow her plans, or she will pull rank and get him ejected into space for being a traitor. He then suggests there is a way, and has the ship's engineer, a sympathizer to the cause, misalign one of the warbird's nullifier cores.
Sure enough, the Enterprise begins to pick up a moving magnetic distortion off their port side, which reappears and disappears. DeSeve believes that it could be a Romulan ship based on his understanding of their cloaking technology and their power source: an artificial quantum singularity. A system in less-than-perfect condition could produce detectable readings. Picard has the Enterprise head for the distortion.
Toreth notices their movements, and isn't sure of their intent. She then orders a course directly under their hull; if the Enterprise moves, then they have detected the warbird, and she will attack and destroy them.
Act Five
The Enterprise detects the distortion moving towards them. Picard and DeSeve are baffled by this behavior, as Romulans only perform suicide attacks when the situation is desperate. With ninety seconds until impact, Picard concludes that they should move.
When Commander Toreth gives the order to drop cloak and fire, Troi countermands her, declaring that such an attack would be foolish. The commander stands up for her abilities, causing Troi to order her removal from the bridge. Troi explains to the otherwise loyal junior officers that their families, as well as they, will bear the punishment of refusing to follow her orders, and takes command. Toreth steps down, and N'Vek is the first to take the major's orders.
Troi suggests that they use discretion instead of a bold attack. She explains that she will offer a diplomatic solution, and destroy them after their shields are down.
When the ship de-cloaks, and Troi addresses Picard on the viewscreen, the bridge crew restrains their surprise. Once she explains the attack in basic terms, she then suggests that she be beamed over to the Enterprise to discuss the matter.
The Enterprise drops shields, and when N'Vek fires, he encodes a transporter beam inside the disruptor, and beams M'ret and his aides to the bridge. When the pilot reports that the Enterprise is undamaged, N'Vek claims that their disruptor has malfunctioned, but a suspicious Toreth investigates and discovers that the disruptor has, in fact, been deliberately sabotaged to conceal a transporter beam. The pilot tracks the beam to the cargo bay. Toreth declares that the major and N'Vek are both traitors. N'Vek points his weapon at her, but the loyal Romulan pilot vaporizes him. Toreth disarms Troi and demands to know what was in the cargo containers. When Troi refuses to answer, Toreth says they will eventually learn the truth and then execute her.
As the warbird prepares to go to warp, they drop shields and cloak the ship. Just in time, the Enterprise beams Troi aboard. Troi is welcomed back aboard by Geordi La Forge, who takes her to sickbay. The Enterprise quickly leaves the area at Warp 9.
After Doctor Beverly Crusher undoes her cosmetic surgery, Picard informs Troi that M'ret is grateful for her efforts. Troi is glad to be back, but cites N'Vek as the hero, who sacrificed himself to save her. Picard assures Troi that N'Vek's efforts will not be in vain.
Memorable quotes
"Listen to me carefully. You are no longer Deanna Troi. You are Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar – the Imperial intelligence."
- N'Vek, explaining to Troi why she was surgically altered to appear Romulan
"Your only chance to get off this ship alive is to do as I say."
- N'Vek, to Troi
"The man acted dishonorably. He is a traitor."
- Worf, on Stefan DeSeve, Starfleet defector to the Romulans
"I've smelled better viinerine on prison ships."
- Troi
"Your opinion of the Tal Shiar is quite clear, commander."
"I hope so."
"We ensure the loyalty of the people. Do you believe the Empire would be better off without our protection?"
"Protection? From what? How is the Empire threatened by the words of an old man, a devoted citizen who was merely trying to speak his mind? How did the Tal Shiar protect the Empire by dragging him, my father, out of his home in the middle of the night?"
"Clearly, your father was a traitor."
"No. He was just an idealistic old man. I never saw him again."
"I don't need your devotion, commander. Just your obedience."
"And that's all you have."
- Troi and Toreth
"Contrary to the propaganda that your superiors would have us believe, Starfleet is neither weak nor foolish."
- Toreth
"People blame the military for the wars that we are asked to fight, but I think it is your kind, Major, that will be the death of us all."
- Toreth to Troi
"We're not playing it your way anymore, N'Vek! I have been kidnapped, surgically altered, put in danger! I've gone along with all your plans. Now you are going to listen to me! You find a way to let the Enterprise track us, or I will go to Toreth and tell her I've discovered you're a traitor! I'll have you ejected into space! Is that clear, sub-commander?!!"
- Troi, to N'Vek
"Well, that about does it. How does it feel to have your own face back?"
"Just right. Thank you."
- Crusher, after she restores Troi back to her original appearance
