The Most Toys
When the Enterprise is forced to acquire a rare substance from a Zibalian trader Data finds himself kidnapped by the greedy collector, Kivas Fajo, who wants to add the android to his collection of unique artifacts.
The USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, is tasked with obtaining hytritium to neutralize a water supply contamination on Beta Agni Two. The Enterprise procures the material from the Zibalian trader, Kivas Fajo. During the transfer, Data is unexpectedly incapacitated and abducted by Fajo. The Enterprise crew believes Data was killed when the shuttlecraft explodes shortly after departure.
Onboard Fajo's ship, Data awakens to find himself in a room filled with rare and priceless artifacts. Fajo reveals that he has added Data to his collection of unique items. Data attempts to escape, but Fajo uses a personal force field that impedes Data's positronic brain, and the vault-like door is unbreachable. Data refuses to cooperate with Fajo, causing him to grow increasingly frustrated.
Back on the Enterprise, Geordi La Forge refuses to accept Data's death and conducts multiple analyses of the shuttle explosion. He discovers that Data did not transmit the standard protocol message confirming the shuttle's departure from the bay, suggesting the transmission was cut off prematurely due to foul play.
Fajo attempts to force Data to accept his captivity, but Data manages to subtly resist when Fajo presents him to a guest, Palor Toff. His actions humiliate Fajo and entertain Toff, and when Fajo gets angry, he inadvertently gets close to Data, briefly activating his defensive field. He tips over, clanking harshly as he hits the floor, prompting Palor Toff to call the android's sentience into question.
Geordi shares his concerns with Picard and Riker, and the Enterprise heads to the location of the shuttle explosion. Meanwhile, Fajo grows impatient with Data's noncompliance. Fajo threatens Varria with a disruptor to force Data to obey him. To save Varria's life, Data reluctantly agrees to sit in a chair and comply.
Picard, Riker, and Worf investigate. The colony discovers that the tricyanate in the water was deliberately introduced. Riker questions Fajo's convenient arrival with the hytritium. Realizing that Data may still be alive, the Enterprise sets course to locate Fajo.
On Fajo's ship, Data is unable to let Varria be hurt and stands. She also says she's sorry for her part in his capture as she's guarding him. Varria reveals she'll help him if he takes her with him. They attempt to escape, but Fajo catches them. He then kills Varria as an example of the consequences of his actions. Data is stunned as Fajo tries to justify his brutality. The trader suggests he will simply replace Vaaria, then orders Data to return to being a display. Data picks up Fajo's disruptor, but is unable to kill him due to his programming. Data then vanishes, beamed away by the Enterprise.
Data rematerializes on the Enterprise transporter pad, where Riker and O'Brien await. O'Brien detects an energy discharge from the weapon Data is holding. Data reports Fajo's crimes and hands over the Varon-T disruptor as evidence. Fajo is apprehended by the Enterprise crew, and all of his stolen possessions are seized to be returned to their rightful owners.
In the brig, Fajo declares that the circumstances will change. But Data informs him all of his possessions have been confiscated. Fajo is stunned at the extent of his loss. Data exits, stating that the lack of Fajo's pleasure does not bring him pleasure as he is only an android.
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
The USS Enterprise, under Captain Picard's command, faces a critical mission: acquire 108 kilos of hytritium to neutralize a sudden, severe water contamination on the Federation colony of Beta Agni Two. This unstable substance necessitates Lieutenant Commander Data's repeated shuttle runs from the Zibalian trader Kivas Fajo's vessel, the Jovis, to the Enterprise. During what is intended to be his final transfer, Data is presented with a padd by Varria, Fajo's associate, for a routine acknowledgement. However, upon pressing his thumb to the ID panel, the padd emits a powerful blue electrical discharge, instantly incapacitating Data. Varria then uses a tricorder-like device to scan Data's inert form, meticulously cataloging his component elements, which a technician records. This covert operation suggests a premeditated act. The technicians then swiftly load a shipping case, presumably containing Data's components, onto the shuttlepod. Moments after the shuttle departs the Jovis and is visible on the Enterprise's viewscreen, it violently explodes in a massive ball of fire. The Enterprise crew, including Picard, Riker, Worf, Geordi, and Wesley, witness the catastrophic event with expressions of profound shock, believing Data has been tragically killed in a hytritium explosion. This dramatic inciting incident not only establishes the immediate crisis on Beta Agni Two but also introduces the enigmatic and seemingly ruthless Kivas Fajo, setting the stage for the narrative's central mystery and conflict.
The Enterprise’s mission to acquire hytritium from Kivas Fajo’s Jovis reaches its climax—and its betrayal—when Data, tasked with piloting the final shuttlepod of the precious substance, is ambushed mid-transfer. Varria, …
The Enterprise’s bridge erupts in controlled chaos as Data’s shuttle—carrying a critical cargo of hytritium—explodes mid-transport, leaving the crew stunned and Picard momentarily paralyzed by grief. The explosion, however, is …
The Enterprise’s mission to acquire hytritium from Kivas Fajo’s Zibalian freighter Jovis takes a devastating turn when Data’s shuttle—loaded with the critical resource—explodes mid-transport, seemingly killing him. The crew’s shock …
Following the shuttle's destruction, the Enterprise crew grapples with Data's presumed death. Captain Picard interrogates Kivas Fajo, who maintains his innocence and transmits sensor data that Picard suspects is unhelpful. Picard, needing to complete the mission to Beta Agni Two, accepts the limited hytritium supply. Meanwhile, Data awakens on Fajo's ship, finding himself in a lavish den filled with rare artifacts. Fajo, accompanied by Varria, reveals he orchestrated Data's abduction, considering him the unique "crown jewel" of his collection. Data attempts to escape, but Fajo demonstrates a personal force field that impedes Data's positronic brain, and the room's vault-like door proves impenetrable. Data expresses his desire to leave and his Starfleet duties, but Fajo dismisses his objections, openly admitting his actions are illegal and immoral, yet he has "learned to live with it." Data is left in captivity, pondering his new, unwelcome reality, while the Enterprise remains unaware of his true fate, focusing on their primary mission.
In this emotionally devastating confrontation, Varria—Fajo’s ruthless enforcer—delivers the psychological coup de grâce to Data’s fragile hope of rescue. With clinical precision, she reveals the staged shuttle explosion that convinced …
In the claustrophobic opulence of Fajo’s Den, Data’s unyielding defiance collides with Varria’s brittle loyalty, exposing the paradox of their shared confinement—one enforced by chains, the other by fear. When …
The Enterprise crew grapples with Data's loss. Geordi La Forge and Wesley Crusher sort through Data's quarters, reflecting on his unique nature and their friendship. Geordi, particularly affected, obsessively reviews the shuttle's telemetry, unable to reconcile the explosion with Data's meticulous protocols or any technical malfunction. He expresses his disbelief to Picard and Riker, hinting at a deeper unease, though he cannot articulate a concrete theory. Concurrently, on Fajo's ship, Varria informs Data that his abduction was meticulously planned, with his components planted in the shuttle's wreckage to simulate his death, ensuring the Enterprise would cease its search. Data attempts to find vulnerabilities in Varria, suggesting they are both Fajo's captives, which visibly affects her. Fajo, growing impatient with Data's noncompliance, attempts to break his will by dissolving his Starfleet uniform with a solvent and ordering him to wear civilian clothes and sit in his display chair, threatening further humiliation if Data refuses to entertain an upcoming guest. This act highlights the contrasting realities of Data's captivity and the Enterprise's grief, setting up Geordi's eventual breakthrough.
In the sterile confines of the Captain’s Ready Room, Geordi La Forge—exhausted, emotionally raw, and clinging to the last threads of hope—confronts the unthinkable: the possibility that Data’s death was …
In the sterile confines of the Captain’s Ready Room, the emotional fallout of Data’s presumed death collides with the cold logic of Starfleet’s operational demands. Geordi La Forge, raw with …
In the sterile confines of the captain’s ready room, the emotional fallout of Data’s presumed death collides with the unyielding demands of command. Geordi La Forge, exhausted and emotionally raw, …
In Fajo’s opulent den—a gilded cage of artifacts and ego—Data stands as the sole living contradiction to the collector’s worldview: a sentient being who refuses to be owned. The confrontation …
In a calculated act of psychological warfare, Kivas Fajo dismantles Data’s constructed identity by dissolving his Starfleet uniform with a corrosive solvent, forcing the android into a brutal choice: comply …
In a scene dripping with psychological warfare, Kivas Fajo systematically dismantles Data’s sense of self by dissolving his Starfleet uniform—a symbolic act of stripping away the android’s identity, autonomy, and …
Geordi awakens with a sudden realization: Data's final audio transmission from the shuttle omitted a standard protocol message confirming the shuttle had cleared the Jovis cargo bay. This subtle deviation from Data's usual meticulousness convinces Geordi that something was amiss, suggesting foul play rather than an accident. He shares his findings with Picard and Riker, sparking their renewed investigation. Meanwhile, Fajo attempts to showcase Data to a guest, Palor Toff, but Data maintains passive resistance, refusing to speak or move, humiliating Fajo and prompting Toff to question Data's sentience. In a fit of anger, Fajo inadvertently gets too close to Data, activating his proximity field and causing Data to clank to the floor like a suit of armor, further embarrassing Fajo. Back on the Enterprise, the crew successfully neutralizes the contamination on Beta Agni Two. However, Worf discovers that the tricyanate was artificially concentrated, suggesting deliberate sabotage. This revelation, combined with Geordi's findings, shifts the Enterprise's focus from accident to a deliberate plot involving Fajo. Fajo, enraged by Data's noncompliance and the humiliation, escalates his tactics, threatening Varria with a lethal Varon-T disruptor to force Data to obey, which Data reluctantly does to save her life.
This event unfolds across three interwoven narrative threads, each exposing the psychological and emotional fractures left by Data’s disappearance. The corridor exchange between Deanna Troi and Worf reveals how the …
This event unfolds across three critical threads, each revealing deeper layers of the narrative's conspiracy. In Main Engineering, Geordi La Forge and Wesley Crusher meticulously dissect Data's final shuttle transmissions, …
In a masterclass of psychological warfare, Data executes a calculated act of passive resistance that exposes Kivas Fajo’s fragility as a collector and a tyrant. When Fajo parades Data before …
This pivotal moment unfolds in two parallel yet thematically intertwined threads: the Enterprise’s discovery of deliberate sabotage on Beta Agni Two and Data’s silent rebellion against Kivas Fajo’s control. On …
In Fajo’s opulent den, the Zibalian collector’s attempt to assert dominance over Data spirals into farce as the android’s passive resistance—an unblinking, motionless defiance—exposes Fajo’s fragility before his guest, Palor …
On Beta Agni Two, Riker, Beverly, and Worf investigate the source of the tricyanate. They discover that the contamination was artificial, not natural, and designed to require hytritium for neutralization. This realization, coupled with Fajo's convenient and exclusive supply of the rare substance, leads the Enterprise command staff to deduce that Fajo orchestrated the entire crisis. Their new theory posits that Fajo's true motive was not profit from the hytritium sale, but rather to acquire Data, who is a unique and irreplaceable "rare object" for his collection. Picard, now convinced Data is alive and held captive, orders the Enterprise to set a course to locate Fajo's ship. Meanwhile, on the Jovis, Varria, deeply affected by Fajo's brutality and Data's quiet resilience, expresses remorse for her part in Data's capture. She offers to help Data escape, but only if he agrees to take her with him, seeking her own freedom from Fajo's control. Data, after assessing her sincerity, agrees. They attempt to access Fajo's safe to retrieve the Varon-T disruptor and plan their escape, but Fajo, monitoring them, reveals he knows of their intentions, ending the act with their attempt compromised.
In the shimmering, mineral-rich caves of Beta Agni Two, Riker, Beverly, and Worf materialize to investigate the tricyanate contamination—only to discover the water has already been neutralized, far sooner than …
In the shimmering, mineral-rich caves of Beta Agni Two, Beverly Crusher, William Riker, and Worf materialize to investigate the tricyanate contamination—only to discover the water has already been unnaturally neutralized. …
In the eerie, mineral-lit caves of Beta Agni Two, the Enterprise crew—Riker, Beverly, and Worf—materialize to investigate the neutralized tricyanate contamination. Worf’s tricorder reveals an unsettling truth: the substance was …
In the Enterprise's observation lounge, the crew—Picard, Riker, Worf, Beverly, and Geordi—converge on a chilling realization: Kivas Fajo’s timely arrival with hytritium was no coincidence. Riker’s suspicion that Fajo created …
In the aftermath of Fajo’s cruel psychological experiment—where he forced Varria to seduce Data as a test of the android’s humanity—Varria, shattered by her failure and Fajo’s public humiliation, returns …
In a moment of calculated psychological manipulation, Varria—acting under Fajo’s unspoken orders—attempts to seduce Data as a test of his humanity, exploiting his curiosity about human intimacy. The scene begins …
The Enterprise quickly tracks Fajo's ship, the Jovis, to Lya Four and sets an intercept course, confirming Data's location. Onboard the Jovis, Data and Varria initiate their escape plan, heading for a shuttlepod in the cargo bay. An alarm sounds, and technicians attempt to stop them. Data, using his android strength, easily dispatches the technicians. However, Fajo appears, catching Varria as she attempts to retrieve the dropped Varon-T disruptor. In a horrifying display of power and to punish Data for his defiance, Fajo brutally murders Varria with the disruptor, her screams echoing as she dematerializes. Data is stunned by the cold-blooded act. Fajo, justifying his brutality, orders Data back to his display chair, but Data instead picks up the dropped disruptor and aims it at Fajo. Fajo confidently taunts Data, believing Data's programming, which prohibits harming living beings, will prevent him from firing. Data, however, raises the weapon, and Fajo's confidence shatters into genuine fear, realizing Data might actually fire. Just as Data is about to make a choice, he is beamed away by the Enterprise. Data rematerializes on the Enterprise transporter pad, still holding the disruptor, which O'Brien detects as having discharged. Data reports Fajo's crimes, and Fajo is apprehended, his entire collection confiscated. In the brig, Data confronts Fajo, informing him that all his stolen possessions will be returned to their rightful owners, leaving Fajo stunned by the extent of his loss. Data concludes by stating that Fajo's suffering brings him no pleasure, as he is "only an android."
In the Jovis’s cargo bay, Varria and Data execute a desperate bid for freedom, hijacking a shuttlepod to escape Kivas Fajo’s clutches. Their plan unravels violently when Fajo’s technicians intervene, …
In a desperate bid for freedom, Varria and Data attempt to hijack a shuttlepod from the Jovis’s cargo bay, but their escape is violently interrupted by Fajo’s technicians. As chaos …
In a psychological duel of existential proportions, Kivas Fajo—now the apparent prisoner in Enterprise’s detention cell—orchestrates a final, desperate inversion of power. By activating the forcefield and declaring himself Data’s …
In a final, devastating confrontation, Kivas Fajo—now imprisoned in the Enterprise’s detention cell—attempts to reclaim psychological dominance over Data by inverting their roles: he declares himself the 'captive' while taunting …