Ten Forward: The Wormhole and the Gaze
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Troi enters Ten Forward with Riker, setting a light-hearted tone with a quip about chocolate.
Picard introduces Premier Bhavani to Troi, highlighting the wormhole's significance to Barzan's future.
Mendoza and Leyor are introduced as key negotiators, establishing the competitive stakes.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Measured optimism mixed with the weight of responsibility—hopeful for her people's future and aware of the moment's political gravity.
Introduced as Premier of Barzan, she responds with pragmatic hope about the wormhole producing prosperity; notes scientific timing; watches the sky light up as the wormhole appears and frames the asset's value aloud.
- • Secure the best possible outcome for Barzan's autonomy and prosperity.
- • Present the wormhole as an asset to be negotiated responsibly.
- • Signal seriousness and sovereignty to competing parties.
- • The wormhole is a pivotal resource and must be leveraged for Barzan benefit.
- • Public ceremony reinforces Barzan's claim and bargaining power.
- • Scientific predictability (timing) can be used to structure negotiations.
Confident, playful, instrumentally interested—his outward flirtation masks an intent to influence and gather emotional leverage.
Arrives elegantly with an accessory companion; introduces himself with disarming charm; deliberately ignores the wormhole spectacle and instead fixes his attention on Counselor Troi, smiling in a way that reads as flirtation and a tactical ploy to gain a personal foothold.
- • Make a memorable personal connection with Troi to gain negotiating advantage.
- • Establish charisma and presence that distracts rivals and humanizes his position.
- • Position himself as indispensable in subsequent bargaining by turning interpersonal bonds into leverage.
- • Personal intimacy can be converted into political advantage.
- • A well-timed smile and attention disarm opponents and create openings.
- • Appearances and charm are as effective as formal credentials in negotiation theater.
Measured reserve; intellectually curious but guarded about the political implications and wary of impulsive decisions by others.
Introduced as the reserved Caldonian delegate; offers a polite greeting and stands apart with academic quietness, observing the proceedings and the wormhole reveal with a formal, cautious demeanor.
- • Collect information about the wormhole and other negotiators' reactions.
- • Avoid committing Caldonia prematurely without analysis.
- • Maintain a posture of academic credibility to influence deliberation.
- • Deliberation and data should guide Caldonia's choices.
- • Public spectacle should not override sober assessment.
- • Distance and reserve protect national interests.
Relaxed and collegial; quietly competitive—aware of rivals but treating the meeting as professional sport.
Greets Troi amiably and frames Ral to the group as 'the best hired gun in the business,' signaling professional respect and leveling social commentary with a nod to competitive negotiation tactics.
- • Reinforce Federation negotiating credibility and networked relationships.
- • Frame opponents like Ral in terms that reduce their mystique to professional skill.
- • Maintain amicable rapport that keeps doors open for influence.
- • Negotiation is a competitive craft; reputation matters.
- • Labeling rivals as 'hired guns' clarifies their motives and reduces surprise.
- • Professional pleasantries facilitate later maneuvering.
Bored and disengaged; outwardly indifferent to both the wormhole spectacle and Ral's social maneuvering.
Introduced by Ral as his traveling companion; minimally engaged, bored, and functioning as a decorative presence rather than an active participant in the diplomatic exchange.
- • Remain a composed accessory to Ral's presentation.
- • Avoid entanglement in negotiation or publicity.
- • Signal social status without direct participation.
- • Presence is a social currency; speech is optional.
- • Personal comfort is preferable to public engagement.
- • Let the negotiators do the work while companions maintain image.
Calm, ceremonially focused; prioritizes protocol and situational control over personal reaction to the reveal.
Formally introduces the assembled dignitaries, frames the social gathering as a neutral diplomatic moment, and announces the wormhole's imminent visibility—managing public ritual and procedural tone as the spectacle unfolds.
- • Maintain order and impartiality during a sensitive, high‑visibility moment.
- • Protect the Enterprise's diplomatic standing by facilitating fair introductions.
- • Use formal procedure to temper spectacle-driven impulsivity among negotiators.
- • Protocol and measured presentation reduce risk in high‑stakes encounters.
- • Public transparency and fairness are essential to prevent escalation.
- • Starfleet must avoid entanglement in theatrics that could compromise policy.
Professional warmth; quietly watchful—attuned to both Troi's comfort and the group's dynamics, ready to act if diplomatic friction arises.
Greets Troi courteously, offers his arm and escorts her into the gathering, moving through the social group and participating in the introductions; observes the wormhole reveal as part of the assembled delegation.
- • Ensure Troi is socially supported and comfortable at the reception.
- • Monitor the negotiators for any signs of provocation or impropriety.
- • Support Picard's neutral oversight of introductions and ensure ship security.
- • Personal safety and comfort of crew members support mission effectiveness.
- • Appearances matter in diplomacy and should be managed tactfully.
- • Potential rivalries among negotiators could escalate if unchecked.
Composed and attentive; professionally ready to respond to medical or emotional needs but presently enjoying the social scene.
Has joined the social gathering, interacts calmly with other guests, watches the wormhole reveal, and remains a composed presence likely to offer counsel to Troi later if emotional complications arise.
- • Support crew and guests' wellbeing during the high‑profile event.
- • Be available to advise or assist Troi or others if stress emerges.
- • Maintain a reassuring public presence that reflects Sickbay's competence.
- • Medical readiness calms political gatherings.
- • Emotional strain often follows charged diplomatic moments.
- • Being present and steady contributes to overall mission stability.
Surface calm and pleasant; beneath that, unexpectedly intrigued and momentarily disoriented by an emergent attraction that creates internal conflict between duty and personal reaction.
Enters Ten‑Forward serene and smiling; exchanges light banter with Riker; responds politely during introductions; senses emotional undercurrents and, instead of watching the wormhole, locks eyes with Devinoni Ral in a charged private moment.
- • Maintain professional decorum while representing the ship's empathy and diplomacy.
- • Gauge the negotiators and the room's emotional tenor to advise command later.
- • Internally, understand the unsettling pull she feels toward Ral and its implications.
- • Her empathic sensitivity is a tool for diplomatic assessment.
- • Personal emotional entanglements can compromise professional judgment if left unchecked.
- • The wormhole reveal requires measured diplomatic responses rather than spectacle-driven decisions.
Interested and pleasantly involved; professionally attentive but not emotionally threatened by the negotiations.
Present socially, having joined the gathering; moves with the group to the windows and watches the wormhole reveal, engaged in the spectacle and supportive of ship protocol and crew interactions.
- • Participate in the social reception and support crew morale.
- • Observe scientific phenomenon and relay any operational relevance to engineering if needed.
- • Monitor social dynamics among negotiators for technical or security implications.
- • Firsthand observation supplements technical reports.
- • Social moments can reveal useful nonverbal information about negotiators.
- • Engineering must be ready if the phenomenon affects the ship.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
A tray of warm, bite‑sized hors d'oeuvres circulates through Ten‑Forward, establishing a convivial, social atmosphere and underscoring the diplomatic theater where informal exchanges and introductions occur.
Premier Bhavani's small breathing device is visibly worn, signaling her frailty and underscoring the dignity and vulnerability of Barzan's leadership during a pivotal public moment; it frames her presence and the stakes of the reveal.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Devinoni's immediate attraction to Troi leads him to visit her quarters later, advancing their personal relationship."
"Devinoni's immediate attraction to Troi leads him to visit her quarters later, advancing their personal relationship."
"Bhavani's introduction of the wormhole's significance leads to her later struggle in negotiations."
Themes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"RIKER: "May I escort you in, Miss Troi...""
"DEVINONI: "And I am Devinoni Ral.""
"BHAVANI: "There it is, ladies and gentlemen. The Barzan Wormhole. The first and only stable wormhole known to exist. It's yours... for the right price.""