Picard Orders a Covert Khitomer Inquiry
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Picard, Riker, and Troi enter the bridge from the turbolift, ready to initiate their investigation into the Khitomer massacre.
Picard commands Data to investigate the Khitomer outpost's destruction, cross-referencing Romulan tactics and Klingon strategic information, while also requesting an overview of Klingon familial accountability laws.
The computer acknowledges Picard's request, and he directs the overview to be presented in his Ready Room.
Picard heads to his Ready Room, and Data moves to an aft science station to begin the investigation.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Quietly determined and disciplined; outward calm masks urgency to protect crew and to prevent a political rush to judgment.
Picard quietly issues precise investigative orders on the bridge, frames the legal/cultural briefing he wants, then moves deliberately toward his Ready Room to continue the matter in private.
- • Transform public outrage into a disciplined investigation rather than a public spectacle
- • Gather objective evidence that can shield Starfleet officers and inform Klingon adjudication
- • Truth and procedure can blunt political violence
- • Access to cultural/legal expertise is necessary to argue on behalf of a Klingon officer
Focused and procedural; no apparent affect but operating with implicit urgency to fulfill an exacting order.
Data receives Picard's instructions and immediately relocates to an aft science station to begin systematic retrieval and cross‑referencing of records, preparing to run forensic and comparative analysis.
- • Locate and compile all records related to the Khitomer destruction
- • Cross‑reference tactical signatures to determine if Romulan methods match the incident
- • Objective data and cross‑correlation will reveal patterns humans might miss
- • Access to external nets and comprehensive records is crucial for accurate analysis
Quietly attentive and ready to act; supportive of Picard’s leadership while aware of the political sensitivity.
Riker enters with Picard and Troi, stands by attentively as Picard issues orders, and remains a supportive presence while Picard departs to his Ready Room.
- • Ensure command continuity and uphold Starfleet protocol on the bridge
- • Be prepared to intervene should the investigation produce immediate tactical implications
- • Picard’s measured approach is the best way to avoid escalation
- • Maintaining procedural order on the bridge protects the crew
Supportive and quietly concerned; she senses the emotional stakes for those implicated and steadies the command presence.
Troi accompanies Picard onto the bridge, listens as he gives orders, and remains present as a calm, empathic witness to the captain's decision to pursue a discreet inquiry.
- • Provide emotional and diplomatic support to command decisions
- • Monitor crew and political fallout to advise Picard appropriately
- • Emotional dynamics aboard ship and in Klingon culture matter to the outcome
- • A discreet, well‑founded inquiry will reduce harm
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The aft corridor turbolift car functions as the physical entry point for Picard, Riker, and Troi—their arrival stage‑manages the scene and signals the shift from motion (arrival) to action (investigation). It frames the characters' entrance and underscores command mobility.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Khitomer Outpost functions as the investigation’s subject—Picard orders a complete assemblage of records related to its destruction, making the outpost the focal point of forensic and political inquiry despite it being offstage and remote.
The aft science station is Data’s immediate functional workspace; he moves there to initiate data retrieval and forensic cross‑referencing, turning the bridge’s rhetorical action into concrete analytic work.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Themes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"PICARD: ((quietly)) Mister Data... I want you to find out everything you can about the destruction of the Khitomer outpost. Cross reference with Romulan tactics and strategic information on the region. Request access to the Klingon central information net. (on the move to Ready Room) Computer. Presentation overview of Klingon custom and law pertaining to familial accountability."
"COMPUTER VOICE: Acknowledged."
"PICARD: In my Ready Room."