Object

Lonka Pulsar

A celestial pulsar with lethal radiation fields, serving as the *object* of the Enterprise’s dangerous detour in 'Allegiance'. Distinct from any visual representations of it (e.g., bridge viewscreens).

1 appearances

Significance

This pulsar drives the bridge crisis: False Picard's suicidal command to approach it unmasks his imposture, shatters crew obedience, and empowers Riker's takeover with Wesley's defiant 'Engage' to evade doom.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

1 moments

S3E18 · Allegiance

The Bridge Divides: Riker’s Defiance and the Crew’s Reckoning with False Picard

The Lonka pulsar looms as a silent, malevolent antagonist in this event, its swirling magnetic fields and radiation bathed in intermittent light that casts an eerie glow over the bridge. False Picard’s order to ‘move us closer’ turns the pulsar into a metaphor for his self-destructive authority—an irresistible force that the crew must resist at all costs. Its presence amplifies the stakes, making Riker’s defiance not just a rebellion but a life-or-death decision. The pulsar’s danger is the catalyst that forces the crew to choose between blind obedience and moral survival.

Before: A looming, deadly threat on the viewscreen, its magnetic fields and radiation already taxing the Enterprise’s shields.

After: Receding in the distance as the Enterprise executes its new course, its threat neutralized but its symbolic role as a test of loyalty enduring.

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