Data’s Calculated Tractor Beam Gambit Against the Stargazer
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
The Stargazer reappears on the Main Viewer, now heading directly for the Enterprise, escalating the physical threat as Data proposes a radical tactic to track and trap the ship despite the deadly risks.
Riker commands the crew to execute Data’s complex tractor beam plan to seize the Stargazer without destroying their captain, embracing a dangerous gamble that fuels tense anticipation.
Data affirms confidence in the plan despite Riker’s skeptical glare, emphasizing the crew’s reliance on ingenuity and trust amid chaos.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Calm and confident, focused on delivering an effective solution to an unprecedented tactical challenge.
Data analytically explains the impossibility of defense against the Picard Maneuver but quickly devises an innovative tractor beam tactic targeting trace gases to seize the Stargazer, showcasing confident problem-solving.
- • Develop a feasible countermeasure to neutralize the Picard Maneuver threat.
- • Maintain operational effectiveness under pressure.
- • Support Riker and the ship’s command with logical tactical options.
- • Logical analysis can overcome even seemingly insurmountable tactical problems.
- • The Enterprise’s technological capabilities are sufficient to implement the tractor beam strategy.
Urgent and pressured, masking concern for the captain and the ship’s safety behind authoritative demands.
Commander Riker commands the bridge crew urgently, demanding a solution to counter the Picard Maneuver, authorizing Data’s tractor beam strategy while managing communications with Kazago amidst mounting frustration.
- • Find a viable defense against the seemingly unstoppable Picard Maneuver.
- • Manage the evolving Ferengi political situation to avoid escalation.
- • Maintain crew morale and command integrity under stress.
- • The Picard Maneuver is a deadly threat that must be neutralized immediately.
- • Ferengi internal conflict may be leveraged or could complicate the situation.
- • Innovative thinking is necessary when conventional tactics fail.
Inquiring with a subtle undercurrent of worry regarding the captain’s mental and physical wellbeing and the tactical implications.
Dr. Beverly Crusher inquires about the Picard Maneuver, reflecting a mix of professional curiosity and concern over the captain’s ordeal and the tactical threat it poses.
- • Understand the nature of the threat to better support medical and crew readiness.
- • Ensure she is informed to provide appropriate medical intervention if the captain’s trauma worsens.
- • Medical understanding complements tactical awareness.
- • The captain’s past trauma has direct bearing on present events.
Concerned and alert, attuned to the psychological strain within the command structure.
Counselor Troi senses and verbally conveys the mounting anger and frustration radiating from Captain Picard and Commander Riker, providing emotional context for the bridge's rising tension.
- • Monitor the captain's emotional state closely to anticipate any breakdowns.
- • Support the leadership team by communicating empathic insights to aid decision-making.
- • Emotional states affect command efficacy and mission success.
- • Psychological stresses are escalating due to the Stargazer’s approach and Picard’s past trauma.
Concentrated and resolute, maintaining professional composure while interpreting critical data.
Geordi identifies the image on the Main Viewer as originating from the Battle of Maxia, linking the current threat to Picard's past trauma and tactical legacy.
- • Provide accurate tactical and historical context to assist command decisions.
- • Maintain situational awareness to support bridge operations.
- • Historical knowledge is vital to understanding and countering current threats.
- • Precision in data interpretation can prevent tactical errors.
Measured and authoritative, yet with underlying tension due to shifting Ferengi command dynamics.
Kazago, from the Ferengi bridge, calmly informs Riker of DaiMon Bok’s removal and confinement by his first officer, hinting at internal Ferengi dissent and unresolved power struggles.
- • Communicate critical political developments to the Enterprise to influence tactical decisions.
- • Distance the Ferengi from DaiMon Bok’s risky actions while maintaining Ferengi interests.
- • Gauge Starfleet's response and adjust Ferengi positioning accordingly.
- • DaiMon Bok’s aggressive tactics are unprofitable and detrimental to Ferengi objectives.
- • Internal Ferengi power struggles affect external confrontations.
- • Information is a key strategic weapon in interstellar conflict.
N/A for non-sentient entity, but represents a looming threat imbued with past trauma.
The Stargazer starship itself is presented as a menacing, almost spectral antagonist approaching aggressively using the Picard Maneuver, its legacy haunting Picard and the crew.
- • Serve as the tactical threat driving the plot and psychological tension.
- • Force the Enterprise to innovate under pressure.
- • Symbolize the unresolved past haunting Picard.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Enterprise Bridge Main Viewer displays the approaching Stargazer and then switches to show Kazago on the Ferengi bridge, serving as the critical visual interface for tactical assessment and inter-faction communication during the crisis.
Trace gases in deep space, normally imperceptible, become the key environmental clue Data highlights to use as an aiming reference for the tractor beam, transforming an intangible phenomenon into a tactical asset.
The miniature tractor beam, though not physically activated yet, becomes the focal tactical tool proposed by Data to seize the Stargazer by locking onto trace gas compression, representing a novel non-destructive countermeasure to the Picard Maneuver.
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
"RIKER: "Mister Data?""
"RIKER: "Then devise one! Fast!""
"DATA: "Aim our tractor beam at it, sir! Seize it! This class starship has enough power for that.""
"RIKER: "In our captain’s words... make it so! Set sensors, tractor beam...""