“Allegiance” is episode eighteen of season three of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Enterprise is in orbit after completing a mission to stop a plague and will shortly be leaving for a rendezvous with the USS Hood. Captain Picard is in his quarters relaxing and falls asleep. Something appears in the air above him and he seems to be beamed away.
On the bridge, Data reports an abnormal energy reading in the captain’s quarters to Commander Riker. Riker attempts to contact the captain to get no reply. Worf heads there with a security team. Elsewhere, the captain wakes up in a chamber with two others there; one awake and one apparently asleep. Word arrives at the captain’s quarters and is about to override the door when the captain himself answers it.
The real captain is checking the pulse of a Bolian in a Starfleet uniform. She wakes; she is Mitena Haro, a Starfleet cadet. The other suggests that the captain can explain this. He cannot. The other is Kova Tholl, a Mizarian. Haro has been there about 3 days; Tholl maybe 12. Their captors never show themselves. There’s a fourth, empty, bed. Tholl demonstrates an item in the centre; it contains discs that are edible but Tholl would not call it food. He warns the captain not to touch the panel by the door; the combination is too complex to be guessed and when Tholl tried, he was punished with severe pain.
The fake captain arrives on the bridge and is told the Hood has arrived at the rendezvous point. Not-Picard asks Data about the nearest pulsar, then asks Wesley how long it would take to get there. Minutes, at warp 7. Not-Picard orders a course at warp 2. This will take 31 hours. Riker asks if they may be delayed meeting the Hood. They may, but Not-Picard belays an order to contact the Hood. No further communications off the ship without his authorisation. Not-Picard speaks to Riker in the captain’s ready room. He warns Riker that he may not be as communicative for the next few days. Riker and the crew are ready.
The captain is tapping out prime numbers on the door panel, trying to communicate with their abductors and find out what they want. Yes, they want them, but why? Hara says she isn’t special and doubts her species’ enemies would be responsible. Tholl says his people have no enemies. Picard states Tholl’s planet has been conquered six times. Yes; they survive by not resisting. A fourth individual appears and grabs his knife. The captain recognises the fourth as a Chalnoth, having visited his planet 12 years ago, and talks him down.
Not-Picard arrives at the poker game and asks Geordi about the engine efficiency status. 93%. Not-Picard says he would like to increase that to 95%. Not an order; he doesn’t want to disrupt the poker game. Geordi’s luck has gone so he leaves anyway. Not-Picard is invited to join but declines. After Troi wins the hand, he speaks to her privately about the crew and how far their trust will go.
The Chalnoth is Essoq, which means fighter, and is displeased that their captors have taken Haro, who he considers to be only a child. The captain asks if they have a common enemy. Essoq has enemies, and some would kill him if they could, but not kidnap him. He has no enemies of consequence, though; he has slain the ones that mattered. Tholl suggests the Romulans, but Picard sees little to suggest them. Essoq tries the food; not only would he not call it food, it seems he cannot eat it at all. He can manage 3-4 days without food. After which it looks like he might eat Tholl.
Not-Picard has visited sickbay for a check-up. Dr Crusher says he’s in great shape. But why has he come? His annual physical isn’t due for another month. Not-Picard thought he’d save the doctor the trouble of having to remind, badger and finally order him to talk it. Then asks if she’d like to have dinner. In his quarters.
Captain Picard, meanwhile, is trying to get the others to help them escape. The rather passive Tholl wants no part of it. The first attempt does not go well. Soon, events make the captain suspicious. Meanwhile, Not-Picard is starting to make everyone else suspicious, as he’s acting rather out of character. And giving increasingly dangerous orders.