Fabula
S1E19 · Coming of Age

Admiral Quinn Demands a Private Audience with Captain Picard

Shortly after Wesley Crusher departs for Relva 7, Admiral Gregory Quinn and Inspector General Lieutenant Commander Dexter Remmick materialize on the Enterprise transporter platform, abruptly shifting the ship’s atmosphere. Captain Picard greets them with formal courtesy and introduces his senior staff, yet Quinn immediately insists on a confidential meeting with Picard alone, expressly excluding First Officer Riker despite Picard’s protests. This unprecedented command breach signals deep mistrust within Starfleet’s chain of command and foreshadows an impending clash over Picard’s leadership. Riker’s stunned silence underlines the growing tension and alienation aboard the Enterprise as Quinn and Picard prepare to depart, elevating the stakes of the shadowy investigation looming over the crew.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

Admiral Quinn insists on speaking to Captain Picard alone, overriding Picard's attempts to include his first officer, creating immediate unease and signaling the gravity of the forthcoming official business.

professional calm to mounting tension

Riker reacts silently to being excluded from the meeting, a rare and troubling occurrence, as Quinn and Picard prepare to depart alone, the scene fading out on an ominous note that foreshadows conflict and suspicion.

confusion to dread

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

5

Calm and alert, aware of the sudden escalations but maintaining control over transport operations.

Lieutenant Tasha Yar operates the transporter console with professionalism and focus, facilitating both Wesley's departure to Relva 7 and the immediate arrival of Admiral Quinn and Remmick, anchoring the transition from personal moment to official crisis.

Goals in this moment
  • To execute transporter operations flawlessly under pressure
  • To support the chain of command during unexpected developments
Active beliefs
  • Precision is critical in high-stakes operations
  • Her role is essential to the ship's operational integrity
Character traits
professional focused efficient
Follow Tasha Yar's journey

Quietly attentive, processing the shift from a personal moment to official business.

Present during the farewell to Wesley, standing alongside Picard and Beverly, silently bearing witness to the escalating tensions caused by the arrival of Quinn and Remmick.

Goals in this moment
  • To support Captain Picard by maintaining calm presence
  • To prepare for any emerging situation following the unexpected arrivals
Active beliefs
  • Chain of command and order must be respected
  • Sudden changes in protocol often signal higher stakes
Character traits
supportive professional
Follow William Riker's journey

Determined yet tender, balancing youthful hope with the gravity of his mission.

Wesley Crusher departs the Enterprise to Relva 7 after a respectful and affectionate farewell with his mother. He is focused on his upcoming challenge, symbolizing his transition from boyhood to responsibility, even as the ship’s mood darkens behind him.

Goals in this moment
  • To complete his Starfleet Academy exams successfully
  • To honor his family and shipmates with proper farewells
Active beliefs
  • Personal growth requires embracing duty
  • Family support is a foundation amid uncertainty
Character traits
respectful focused affectionate
Follow Beverly Crusher's journey

Resolute and stern, masking potential underlying suspicion or hostility toward Picard’s command.

Admiral Gregory Quinn arrives aboard the Enterprise with authoritative presence, immediately asserting control by demanding a confidential meeting with Captain Picard alone. His unwavering stance and exclusion of Riker signal deep distrust and an intent to investigate Picard’s leadership covertly.

Goals in this moment
  • To conduct a discreet investigation without alerting the wider command team
  • To assert Starfleet's institutional authority over the Enterprise
Active beliefs
  • Certain matters require secrecy to ensure control
  • Picard’s leadership may be compromised or needs scrutiny
Character traits
authoritative determined suspicious commanding
Follow Gregory Quinn's journey

Calm, watchful, ready to support the investigation without drawing attention.

Lieutenant Commander Dexter Remmick accompanies Admiral Quinn silently, observing the proceedings with reserved attentiveness. He stands back, underscoring his role as a watchful, investigative agent rather than an active interlocutor in the initial encounter.

Goals in this moment
  • To assist Admiral Quinn in the investigation
  • To gather information unobtrusively
Active beliefs
  • Discretion is vital in sensitive operations
  • His role is to support and uphold Starfleet's investigative mandates
Character traits
reserved attentive professional
Follow Dexter Remmick's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
USS Enterprise Transporter Console

The USS Enterprise Transporter Console serves as the focal technological device enabling crucial transitions: Wesley’s beam-down to Relva 7 and the immediate beam-up of Admiral Quinn and Remmick. Its operational efficiency underpins the narrative shift from a personal farewell to a high-stakes command confrontation, emphasizing the seamless yet tension-filled movement between locations and narrative beats.

Before: Active and ready, configured to beam Wesley down …
After: Reset momentarily before immediately processing the arrival of …
Before: Active and ready, configured to beam Wesley down with smooth energy flows and biometric sensor engagement.
After: Reset momentarily before immediately processing the arrival of Quinn and Remmick, maintaining operational integrity and readiness.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
USS Enterprise Transporter Room 4

USS Enterprise Transporter Room 4 functions as the critical physical and symbolic junction where personal transition and institutional authority collide. It hosts Wesley’s departure, symbolizing youthful growth and challenge, immediately followed by the arrival of Starfleet’s highest scrutiny through Quinn and Remmick. The room’s sterile, clinical environment contrasts sharply with the emotional tension and covert command fracture unfolding within its confines.

Atmosphere Tense and charged, shifting abruptly from warm farewell to formal, uneasy confrontation.
Function Meeting point and transition hub for personnel movement and pivotal narrative shifts.
Symbolism Embodies the threshold between personal growth and institutional control.
Access Restricted to authorized personnel; controlled by security protocols and transporter operation staff.
Bright, clinical lighting emphasizing sterility Hum of transporter machinery underscoring tension Presence of senior officers and key crew members heightening stakes

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph


Key Dialogue

"PICARD: This is unexpected. Welcome aboard, Admiral."
"QUINN: I need to speak with you."
"PICARD: Certainly. This way. Number One."
"QUINN: No. Alone."
"PICARD: Is this personal?"
"QUINN: Official business."
"PICARD: Then my first officer..."
"QUINN: ... Alone, Captain."