Picard’s Covert Rite of Passage on Dytallix B
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Picard materializes into the narrow, dark tunnel bathed in vivid red sunlight with howling wind outside; three shadowed figures emerge, immediately aiming phasers at him, establishing immediate threat and tension.
Keel tests Picard's identity with a cryptic question about their first meeting; Picard answers smoothly, maintaining composure despite intimidation.
Keel’s confusing claim about a brother sparks Picard’s suspicion and impatience, revealing cracks in trust and foreshadowing deeper deception.
Weapons lower as Picard proves his identity; introductions to Captains Scott and Rixx establish a covert alliance and heighten intrigue.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Tense and watchful, prepared for confrontation but cooperative in the urgent matter at hand.
Captain Rixx stands alongside Keel, phaser raised in cautious readiness, participates in the identity verification through probing dialogue and subtle gestures, and supports warnings about unusual Starfleet activity and evacuations.
- • Verify Picard’s identity
- • Convey seriousness of the threat
- • Maintain group cohesion and secrecy
- • Starfleet command is acting irrationally
- • Trust must be verified due to infiltration
Skeptical and troubled, masking exasperation yet maintaining resolve to understand the conspiracy and protect the Federation.
Captain Picard beams down alone into the perilous, red-lit mining tunnels and faces immediate hostility from armed captains. He maintains composure, uses sharp wit and detailed shared memories to prove his identity, navigates the tense interrogation, and listens with cautious skepticism to the dire warnings of a parasitic infiltration threatening Starfleet.
- • Prove his identity convincingly to avoid confrontation
- • Gather intelligence about the conspiracy
- • Gauge trustworthiness of captains
- • Maintain control of the situation
- • Starfleet is trustworthy until proven otherwise
- • The threat may be exaggerated or unclear but warrants investigation
Gravely concerned and resolute, balancing urgency with a personal plea to an old friend, masking underlying fear of betrayal.
Walker Keel leads the armed captains confronting Picard, initiates a cryptic identity verification using shared memories, warns urgently of strange behaviors and deaths within Starfleet, and appeals for covert cooperation to combat a parasitic infiltration.
- • Confirm Picard’s identity and allegiance
- • Warn Picard about the threat infiltrating Starfleet
- • Secure Picard’s cooperation and secrecy
- • Protect Federation integrity
- • The parasitic infiltration is real and pervasive
- • Starfleet’s core command is compromised and vulnerable
Confident and assertive, tinged with frustration at Picard's skepticism, driven by conviction in the threat.
Captain Tryla Scott confidently flanks Keel, confidently aims a phaser at Picard initially, and participates in the interrogation with scorn and directness. She warns of strange Starfleet commands, unexplained deaths, and the imminent targeting of Enterprise, displaying certainty and authority.
- • Assert the reality of the threat
- • Intimidate Picard into taking warnings seriously
- • Protect Starfleet by rallying allies
- • The conspiracy is an existential threat
- • Skepticism weakens Starfleet’s defense
Tense and commanding, balancing aggression with necessity to ensure safety and secrecy.
The unidentified Bolian stands tense and authoritative, phaser aimed at Picard as a tool of intimidation and pressure, insisting on answers during the identity verification, embodying the role of enforcer within the covert alliance.
- • Force truthful answers from Picard
- • Maintain control of the encounter
- • Prevent infiltration by imposters
- • Security requires harsh measures
- • Trust must be earned through proof
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The phasers are held at the ready by Keel’s companions as a means of immediate threat and control during the tense identity verification, symbolizing the fragile trust and danger. Their presence underscores the high stakes and suspicion permeating the meeting.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The mining tunnels of Dytallix B serve as a hostile, isolated, and secretive meeting place where Picard is tested and briefed about the conspiracy. The vivid red sunlight and howling wind create an oppressive and tense atmosphere that reflects the danger and suspicion enveloping the captains' clandestine alliance.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Picard’s beam down to Dytallix B initiates the direct meeting with Keel and others, setting the secret alliance and revealing the conspiracy’s scope."
"The hostile initial standoff on Dytallix B contrasts with the later cooperative but deceptive reunions, highlighting the theme of appearances versus reality and the precarious nature of trust."
"The hostile initial standoff on Dytallix B contrasts with the later cooperative but deceptive reunions, highlighting the theme of appearances versus reality and the precarious nature of trust."
"The hostile initial standoff on Dytallix B contrasts with the later cooperative but deceptive reunions, highlighting the theme of appearances versus reality and the precarious nature of trust."
"The hostile initial standoff on Dytallix B contrasts with the later cooperative but deceptive reunions, highlighting the theme of appearances versus reality and the precarious nature of trust."
"Keel’s final words about distrust echo in the sarcastic dismissals from Aaron, illustrating the persistent theme of mistrust and hidden threats undermining Starfleet’s facade."
Key Dialogue
"KEEL: Tell me Jean-Luc -- where did we first meet?"
"PICARD: On Tau Ceti III. It was a bar -- Quite an exotic one at that."
"KEEL: My brother introduced them. PICARD: You know full well I hadn't even met Beverly then. You introduced them. KEEL: My brother introduced them. PICARD: You don't have a brother -- two sisters, Anne and Melissa. Now what the hell's this all about?!"
"KEEL: Some of us have seen strange patterns emerging. Unusual orders... High-ranking officials backing irrational proposals --"
"TRYLA: And what about the deaths? Mckinney... Ryan Sipe... Onna Karapleedeez..."
"PICARD: All dead?"
"TRYLA: A series of "accidents"."
"KEEL: Dammit Jean-Luc, I tell you that some of Starfleet's top command people are changing! This could affect the very core of our organization."
"KEEL: My first officer hasn't been the same since we stopped off at Earth. Our medical officer says he's perfectly normal, but I don't think I trust him either."
"KEEL: Stay in touch with us -- covertly. This meeting never took place as far as Starfleet is concerned."
"KEEL: Please... I'm asking you as a personal favor."
"KEEL: Tell Beverly... I said hello."
"RIXX: And watch your back, Picard."