Q Revealed: Riker’s Trial and the Granting of Q Power
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Data turns around to reveal he is actually Q impersonating Data, warning Riker to act quickly as enemy soldiers aim their weapons at Geordi.
Q fires phaser blasts that carve a furrow in the ground; Riker reacts swiftly, firing his phaser to dematerialize two hostile animal soldiers.
Q commands Riker to save his team by sending them to the ship, granting him the power of 'Q' to do so, emphasizing urgency and immense responsibility.
Riker uses his newly granted 'Q' power, gesturing to make Data, Geordi, Troi, and Worf disappear in a flash of blinding light, ending the act with tense anticipation.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Calm and composed, momentarily overshadowed by Q’s deception but regaining presence immediately after.
Initially observing and scanning the enemy movements, Data’s form is revealed to be Q in disguise. The real Data arrives just as Q departs and is among those transported to safety by Riker’s newly granted power.
- • Assist in gathering tactical data on enemy forces
- • Stay safe and support the team’s survival
- • Data’s identity and abilities can be used strategically
- • Q’s intervention disrupts normal operations but offers new challenges
Alert and combative, motivated by honor and duty to shield his comrades.
Worf aggressively engages the enemy with his phaser, warns his allies, and responds to Riker’s phaser discharge. He stands protective and alert during the critical transfer of Q’s power to Riker.
- • Defend the team against the advancing enemy threat
- • Support Riker’s leadership and adapt to new challenges
- • Honor requires direct engagement with threats
- • Trust in the chain of command is essential
Anxious yet determined, burdened by the sudden responsibility of wielding godlike power, balancing fear with leadership resolve.
Riker leads the away team under extreme pressure, draws and fires his hand phaser to neutralize attacking enemy soldiers, and accepts an extraordinary power granted by Q. He decisively uses this power to transport his vulnerable comrades to safety, embodying a reluctant godlike authority.
- • Protect the away team from the advancing enemy threat
- • Understand and effectively use the power granted by Q to save his crew
- • The survival of his team depends on quick, decisive action
- • Q’s powers come with great responsibility and potential consequences
Apprehensive and alert, deeply aware of the emotional and physical stakes for the crew.
Present with the away team, Troi senses the rising danger and reacts with apprehension. She remains close yet vulnerable until Riker uses Q’s power to remove her from harm’s way, disappearing from the scene.
- • Support the team emotionally during the threat
- • Survive the hostile situation by trusting Riker’s leadership
- • The situation is more dangerous than it appears
- • Riker’s decisions will be crucial to their survival
Alert and focused, concerned for his teammates’ welfare under imminent threat.
Geordi actively scans enemy positions and reports tactical information to Riker. He takes cover under fire and is present during the moment when Riker uses Q’s power to transport the crew to safety.
- • Provide accurate tactical intelligence on enemy movements
- • Survive the encounter and support team safety
- • Advanced technology outmatches primitive weapons but caution is needed
- • Team cohesion and quick action are vital for survival
Playfully mocking yet pressing urgency to push Riker into a cosmic game with high stakes.
Q masquerades as Data to deceive the crew, urgently warning Riker and granting him a fraction of Q’s omnipotent power. He mockingly challenges human limitations and then abruptly departs after transferring power.
- • Test the crew’s resilience and moral fibre
- • Force Riker to bear the responsibility of wielding godlike power
- • Humans are fragile and easily overwhelmed by true power
- • Only through extreme trials can humanity prove its worth
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Riker and Data’s hand phasers serve as the crew’s primary offensive tools in the hostile environment. Riker tests his phaser’s functionality with a powerful blast, then uses it to effectively eliminate the immediate enemy soldiers threatening the team, highlighting the stark contrast between advanced Starfleet technology and primitive enemy weapons.
The loose rock on the Quadra Sigma III plain provides vital cover for Geordi and others as they face the enemy’s approach, a fragile sanctuary amid the stark, open battlefield.
The enemy soldiers wield powder and ball muskets representing a primitive but deadly threat. Although technologically inferior to phasers, these muskets mark the approaching danger and set the stage for Q’s intervention and Riker’s transformation.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Q storms off after declaring Picard lost, leading directly to Riker using his newly granted Q power to save his team by transporting them back to the ship."
"Q storms off after declaring Picard lost, leading directly to Riker using his newly granted Q power to save his team by transporting them back to the ship."
"Q storms off after declaring Picard lost, leading directly to Riker using his newly granted Q power to save his team by transporting them back to the ship."
"Worf's shock upon seeing the fanged soldiers in French uniforms links his initial scouting with his ongoing role as tactical officer confronting the surreal enemy threat."
"Worf's shock upon seeing the fanged soldiers in French uniforms links his initial scouting with his ongoing role as tactical officer confronting the surreal enemy threat."
"Riker's use of Q power to rescue the crew precedes the bridge crew's restoration and the revelation of their healed state aboard the Enterprise."
"Riker's use of Q power to rescue the crew precedes the bridge crew's restoration and the revelation of their healed state aboard the Enterprise."
Key Dialogue
"RIKER: Can you still see Worf?"
"Q" (DATA): Think fast, Commander Riker. And move fast... !"
"Q" (DATA): You have only one chance to save them, now. Send them to your ship!"
"Q" (DATA): I've given you the power of the "Q". Use it!"