“Gambit, Part I” is episode four of season seven of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
An out of uniform Troi is flirting with the owner of a bar and asking about a 2-metre-tall smooth headed human. He denies knowing anything but Troi says he’s lying. He explains that people expect a certain degree of anonymity. Riker finishes chatting to some people and Worf tells him there’s a Yridian Worf thinks knows something. Anyone who visits the ruins comes here eventually. Riker goes to speak to the Yridian, who says he has a sister too. Worf told the Yridian that the man they’re looking for impregnated Riker’s sister.
The Yridian wants money to tell and the owner is going to throw him out when Dr Crusher pulls a phasor on him. Riker says his sister has a vicious temper. The owner threatens the Yridian who asks Riker if he has a ship and to take him with them, as it’s more dangerous talking than he thought. The man was here a few weeks ago. Aliens attacked him and he incapacitated three before being knocked down. The doctor scans the area. There’s Starfleet uniform and DNA, though badly distorted by a high energy discharge. Worf suggests a weapon. The Yridian continues. After the human was knocked down, an alien pulled out a weapon and vapourised him. Troi confirms the Yridian is telling the truth.
Dr Crusher has confirmed that the DNA is Captain Picard’s. He’s dead. Troi joins Riker in his quarters to talk about the memorial service. Riker is angry and plans to stay angry until he finds who’s responsible for the captain’s death. Troi angrily calls him selfish. They are all hurting. He has to take responsibility for the crew, not indulgence in personal revenge. Riker says it’s justice, not revenge. The captain died in a bar fight and someone has the answer as to why. Then he can mourn.
Riker, as acting captain, gets a transmission from Admiral Chekote. He takes it in the captain’s ready room and explains he wants to investigate Captain Picard’s death. The admiral agrees. Riker then heads to see the Yridian to get more information. The Yridian wants a shuttle craft. Riker offers in exchange not to take him to the Klingon Empire, where he has outstanding warrants. The Yridian says the killers were alien mercenaries operating in the area, heading for the Barradas system.
The system has one M class planet, supposed to be unpopulated, but emissions that may indicate a base or ship have been detected. There was a Debrune outpost on the planet 2,000 years ago and ruins on the surface. Riker will lead the away team. Data questions this, as Riker would have questioned Picard, but Riker is going anyway.
On the planet, Geordi reports interference with their scans. And a recent indentation with the same microcrystalline damage the doctor detected in the bar on Dessica II. Worf calls Riker over; they’ve found something. Artefacts, it seems. Then the crewman examining them is shot. Communications are jammed and the Enterprise can’t get a transporter lock. A Romulan grabs the artefacts under covering fire. Riker is hit whilst trying to encircle the attackers, and he’s beamed away with them.
The Enterprise detects a vessel leaving orbit. It fires as it passes, doing no damage, and heads off slower than the Enterprise. Data orders pursuit, but it disappeared from long range sensors. That ship matches one linked to raids on other planets, and it’s coated in an energy absorbing material. It can be seen, but it’s virtually undetectable to long range sensors.
Data, who was right not to tell Riker to go on the away mission, is now in command. Riker is now a captive of the mercenaries and gets a bit of a shock. The Enterprise is trying to work out just what the mercenaries are doing. The story continues in the next episode, “Gambit, Part II”.