Fabula
S2E17 · Samaritan Snare
S2E17
· Samaritan Snare

Crimson Bluff and the Silent Shot

Under Riker's staged firing countdown, the Mondor bridge is suddenly bathed in a blinding crimson wash while Geordi executes the final step of a covert plan. The Pakleds believe their weapons have fired but then watch their meters groan and report no impact. Convinced an impenetrable "crimson force-field" has disarmed them, Grebnedlog and Reginod concede inferiority—exactly the psychological crack Riker needs. This moment converts technical sabotage into psychological victory, allowing Geordi's escape and the Enterprise to break away for Picard's urgent surgery.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

4

Geordi snaps the cue—"Now!"—and Grebnedlog yanks the weapons lever as a blinding crimson wash engulfs the bridge.

anticipation to alarm

Geordi feigns panic—"Oh no! Too late!"—while Reginod proclaims victory; Geordi pins the turn on a "crimson force-field" the target used.

panic to premature triumph

A low groan rolls out of the weapons bay; Grebnedlog checks the meters and admits the weapon never fired.

triumph to confusion ['weapons bay']

Geordi seals the bluff—"Their crimson force-field disarmed us"—and the Pakleds fold into humility as Reginod murmurs "They are smart" and Grebnedlog concedes, "We are not strong."

confusion to humility

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Reginod
Ship's Engineer
 primary

Initially confident and triumphant, then quickly impressed, humbled, and disoriented by evidence that undermines earlier certainty.

Reginod declares success confidently when the red wash appears, then quickly shifts to awe and reluctant admiration when the meters indicate no shot and Grebnedlog concedes, verbally acknowledging the opponents' cleverness.

Goals in this moment
  • • To affirm the effectiveness of their weapon and secure dominance
  • • To validate the success of their operation through instrumentation
  • • To follow Grebnedlog's lead and solidify group consensus about the outcome
Active beliefs
  • • Visible proof (meter readings, light displays) is incontrovertible
  • • Following leadership directives leads to victory
  • • Opponents who produce unexpected defenses must be clever and thus pose a different kind of threat
Character traits
performative confidence impressionable deferential to leadership curious about technology
Follow Reginod's journey
Geordi La Forge
Chief Engineer
 primary

Urgent and controlled on the surface; resigned but purposeful underneath — using apparent failure to protect the Enterprise and his crew.

Geordi initiates the timed action, shouts the countdown, reacts to the red wash with urgent resignation, and supplies the explanatory line that reframes the failure as a defensive miracle, pivoting the scene from technical threat to psychological victory.

Goals in this moment
  • • To neutralize the Pakleds' offensive capability without direct combat
  • • To buy time and create a credible explanation that will deflate the attackers
  • • To create an opening for escape/rescue of hostages and for the Enterprise to withdraw
Active beliefs
  • • Perception can be as decisive as firepower
  • • The Pakleds will accept visible instrument evidence as truth
  • • Subtle sabotage and misdirection will better protect the ship and crew than overt confrontation
Character traits
resourceful calm under pressure tactically deceptive concise communicator
Follow Geordi La …'s journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
Crimson Bussard Shaft (Bridge-Bluff Effect)

The crimson force-field manifests as a sudden, blinding red wash — a visual effect presented as an impenetrable defensive barrier. Whether real or staged, it functions narratively as the explanation that neutralizes the attackers' belief in their weapon's efficacy.

Before: Dormant or non-evident; no visible field is present …
After: Perceived as active and effective by the Pakleds; …
Before: Dormant or non-evident; no visible field is present prior to the red wash.
After: Perceived as active and effective by the Pakleds; becomes the accepted rationale for weapon failure and is credited with disarming the attackers' offense.
Pakled / Mondor Weapon‑Force Meters and Indicator Lights

The weapons-force meters serve as the decisive physical evidence: they groan and present null impact data at the moment the Pakleds believe they fired, converting instrument failure into a convincing sign that the target was protected. Their readings shift the scene from technical action to psychological collapse.

Before: Mounted and active on the armament rig, indicating …
After: Groaning and reporting no evidentiary impact; readouts indicate …
Before: Mounted and active on the armament rig, indicating weapon charge and ready status with steady readouts.
After: Groaning and reporting no evidentiary impact; readouts indicate the weapon did not fire, providing the Pakleds with a humiliating, visible confirmation of failure.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Mondor Bridge

The Mondor Bridge is the claustrophobic arena where technical theater and psychological warfare intersect. Its cramped consoles, glaring forward viewscreen, and jury-rigged armament station focus attention; the sudden crimson wash and groaning meters play out under harsh lighting, intensifying shame and surrender among the Pakleds.

Atmosphere Tension-filled and suddenly deflated — from high-alert technical urgency to stunned, embarrassed quiet as confidence …
Function Battleground and stage for confrontation; a contained space that amplifies spectacle and makes instrument readings …
Symbolism Represents a makeshift, adversarial theater where perception can equal power; symbolizes the vulnerability of brute …
Blinding BRIGHT RED LIGHT/crimson wash sweeping the bridge A low groan from the weapons bay as systems register failure Weapons meters with analog needles and LED bars visibly spiking then reporting no impact Mismatched consoles and a forward viewscreen framing the Enterprise

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 4
Callback

"Geordi later confirms he disabled the Pakled photons—paid-off when the weapon fails during the crimson bluff."

Crimson Bluff and the Clean Rescue
S2E17 · Samaritan Snare
Callback

"Geordi later confirms he disabled the Pakled photons—paid-off when the weapon fails during the crimson bluff."

Restraint and Rescue: Riker's Moral Bluff
S2E17 · Samaritan Snare
Causal

"Geordi slips into the weapons bay to ‘adjust’ the arsenal; moments later, the Pakled weapon fails to fire."

Riker's Calculated Bluff to Save Geordi
S2E17 · Samaritan Snare
Causal

"Geordi slips into the weapons bay to ‘adjust’ the arsenal; moments later, the Pakled weapon fails to fire."

Countdown Bluff: Riker's Nonlethal Rescue
S2E17 · Samaritan Snare
What this causes 2
Callback medium

"Geordi’s ‘crimson force-field’ explanation of the bluff is later spelled out by Riker as harmless hydrogen exhaust."

Crimson Bluff and the Clean Rescue
S2E17 · Samaritan Snare
Callback medium

"Geordi’s ‘crimson force-field’ explanation of the bluff is later spelled out by Riker as harmless hydrogen exhaust."

Restraint and Rescue: Riker's Moral Bluff
S2E17 · Samaritan Snare

Part of Larger Arcs

Enterprise command and crew (Riker, Data, Worf, et al.) vs. the Pakleds (Grebnedlog, Reginod): a staged distress call that becomes a hostage-and‑technology theft crisis resolved through deception and tactical bluff.

Key Dialogue

"REGINOD: We have fired! They will be destroyed."
"GREBNEDLOG: It did not shoot."
"GEORDI: Their crimson force-field disarmed us."