Barbed Reunion — Louvois Returns
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Picard intercepts Phillipa on the pass-through and questions her presence; Phillipa announces she now runs the Sector 23 JAG office and intends to 'make some good law,' establishing her authority and immediately shifting the encounter into professional rivalry.
The past explodes into the present as they argue about the Stargazer court-martial—Phillipa defends her duty, Picard accuses her of enjoying prosecution, heat rises, and they physically turn away from each other to recover, revealing a combustible personal history that undergirds their banter.
Tension bleeds into flirtation: Picard forces a smile, invites Phillipa to sit, and a guarded warmth surfaces as she teases him—calling him 'still a damn sexy man' and demanding he buy her dinner—briefly transforming adversary energy into intimate play.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Composed, anticipatory; controlled optimism about how Picard will receive the proposal.
Commander Maddox appears quietly confident and professional beside Nakamura; he exchanges a meaningful glance with the Admiral that telegraphs purpose, but stays silent while Nakamura does the speaking—presenting himself as the bearer of a consequential proposal.
- • Be introduced to Picard in a way that legitimizes his proposal
- • Assess Picard's initial reaction and allow the Admiral to position the conversation
- • Begin the procedural path that will permit him to pursue the technical or scientific agenda he represents
- • He believes his proposal is important and will be persuasive if given proper audience
- • He believes institutional endorsement (via Nakamura) will carry weight with Picard
- • He believes professional restraint on first approach is tactically wise
Polished and anticipatory; outwardly cordial while carrying the weight of bureaucratic purpose.
Admiral Nakamura enters with measured diplomacy, greets Picard formally, introduces Commander Maddox and deliberately frames Maddox's intention as an 'interesting proposal' while postponing details—calibrating ceremony to conceal imminent institutional pressure.
- • Position Maddox before Picard in a way that opens institutional conversation
- • Maintain a veneer of courtesy while advancing Starfleet priorities
- • Gauge Picard's receptivity before unveiling the proposal
- • He believes procedural diplomacy can smooth contentious introductions
- • He believes institutional needs sometimes require delicate personal management
- • He believes the Enterprise and Picard are central to Starfleet's forthcoming agenda
Externally composed and teasing; undercut by defensiveness and a trace of rueful regret when past actions are named.
Phillipa arrives on the pass-through, sparring verbally with Picard: professional, defensive, and provocatively flirtatious. She asserts her JAG authority, deflects Picard's barbs with wit, then exits briskly when Nakamura arrives, masking deeper ruefulness.
- • Reassert her professional legitimacy after prior exile from Starfleet
- • Test and unsettle Picard emotionally while maintaining control of the exchange
- • Avoid letting the personal argument devolve into a public scene
- • She believes duty justified her prosecution of Picard and that procedure is paramount
- • She believes maintaining professional distance protects her reputation and authority
- • She believes she can disarm personal hostility with wit and flirtation
Controlled embarrassment and guarded irritation; flattered but unsettled by Phillipa's flirtation; tense anticipation when Nakamura enters.
Picard meets Phillipa on the pass-through, trades barbed recollections about the Stargazer court-martial, attempts to restrain rising temper with wryness and a forced smile, and is visibly rocked by Phillipa's unexpected compliment; he then registers concern when Nakamura and Maddox appear.
- • Maintain composure and command dignity in a personal confrontation
- • Defend his past actions and hold Phillipa accountable for perceived enjoyment of the prosecution
- • Assess the significance of Nakamura and Maddox's arrival and prepare for institutional implications
- • He believes Phillipa's prosecution was motivated by a taste for conflict rather than justice
- • He believes his position and reputation must be defended with calm authority
- • He believes Starfleet's institutional moves (represented by Nakamura/Maddox) will impact him and the Enterprise
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The USS Stargazer exists as a referenced object — a verbal touchstone invoked during the barbs about the court-martial. It functions narratively as the concrete source of past institutional trauma shaping both Phillipa's and Picard's attitudes.
The Starbase 173 pass-through alcove functions as the staging ground for Phillipa and Picard's charged exchange: it creates an intimate, framed space for face-to-face confrontation before they descend to the table, literally placing their past between corridor and lounge.
The dining table receives Picard and Phillipa as they step down from the pass-through; it anchors a pseudo-private conversation in public space, catches the gestures and shocks of Phillipa's flirtation, and becomes the locus where institutional actors approach and raise the stakes.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"PICARD: No, you went way beyond doing the job. You enjoyed it."
"PHILLIPA: When I prosecuted you in the Stargazer court-martial I was doing my job."
"NAKAMURA: May I present Commander Bruce Maddox. He has an interesting proposal for you."