Object

Riker's Personal Phaser

A standard-issue Starfleet phaser weapon used by Riker in a confrontational capacity, specifically to destroy Farek's Neural Probe and enforce compliance during the Ferengi standoff.

2 appearances

Purpose

Handheld directed-energy weapon for stunning, disintegrating targets, or destroying devices.

Significance

Escalates confrontation into pivotal bargaining chip; enables threat neutralization, amplifying Riker's defense of Deanna and facilitating Lwaxana's sacrificial deal amid Ferengi greed.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S3E24 · Menage a Troi

Lwaxana’s Gambit: A Mother’s Sacrifice and the Cost of Agency

Riker’s Phaser is the decisive weapon in this scene, used to destroy Farek’s neural probe and threaten Farek into compliance. Its humming energy underscores the standoff’s peril, and its precision shot disrupts the Ferengi’s exploitation of Lwaxana. Later, Riker surrenders it to Tog as part of the bargain, symbolizing his temporary disarmament—but also his trust in Lwaxana’s negotiation. The phaser’s glowing charge reflects the tense power struggle in the lab, where force is met with cunning.

Before: Charged and ready, drawn by Riker as he enters the lab. Its energy hum is a constant threat, reinforcing Riker’s military precision and protective instincts.

After: Holstered by Tog after the bargain is struck. Riker is disarmed, but the phaser’s symbolic weight remains—it represents the shift from confrontation to negotiation, even if the underlying tension persists.

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S3E24 · Menage a Troi

Lwaxana’s Gambit: A Mother’s Sacrifice and the Cost of Betazoid Honor

Riker’s phaser is the equalizer in this high-stakes standoff. He uses it to destroy Farek’s neural probe, freeing Lwaxana, and later levels it at Tog in a futile attempt to stop Lwaxana’s bargain. Though Tog ultimately holsters his own phaser, Riker’s weapon remains a symbol of Starfleet’s authority—and his own frustration at being powerless to alter the outcome. Its charged hum underscores the tension, but its role is ultimately ceremonial in this negotiation, where words and telepathy hold more weight than firepower.

Before: Charged and ready in Riker’s hand, used to disable the neural probe and assert control.

After: Holstered or lowered, its threat neutralized as the negotiation shifts to verbal and telepathic maneuvering.

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