“Concerning Flight” is episode eleven of season four of Star Trek: Voyager.
The episode opens on the holodeck and a damp Leonardo da Vinci and Captain Janeway enter his workshop with the sound of jeers following them. It seems they tested Leonardo’s flying machine design. Fortunately, as it didn’t work, they tested it over the river. A precaution against death but not humiliation. Leonardo is upset and plans to leave Florence for France. The captain says he’s giving up again, and mentions the works he hasn’t finished. She wants to know why; Leonardo avoids the question. Then the room shakes and the bridge says they are under attack.
On the bridge, they don’t know who is shooting or why. Harry reports a slight destabilisation in the shield perimeter. B’Elanna is working in engineering when something vanishes. She reports this to the bridge and more stuff disappears, including the Doctor’s mobile emitter. Harry reports dematerialisations on all decks. The captain orders Tuvok to fire at will. He has the will, but not the means. Targeting is down. Harry reports the main computer processor is gone. They’ve lost weapons, navigation and propulsion. Weapons come back on line so the captain orders manual targeting. One ship is destroyed and the others retreat. Tome feels like they’ve been mugged. Not an inaccurate description.
In the senior staff briefing, Tuvok reports that the transporter beam was designed to locate objects of technological value and remove them. A lot of things have gone – Tom feels the emergency rations are no great loss. The Doctor interrupts about the most important thing – his mobile emitter. He’s stuck in sickbay. Janeway says the most important thing is the main computer processor, and they need to come up with a defence.
First, they need to track the attackers. Harry heads to see Seven of Nine. She has no time to fraternise. No; Harry wants to track the ships and he’s reached the limits of the sensors. Seven of Nine had the same idea; use the deep space imaging system to extend the sensors. She’s been working on it for several hours. Harry wants a look. No, he isn’t doubting her abilities, he’s offering to help. Then do so. Now. Or leave. Harry suggests Seven learn how to phrase things more diplomatically. She does not.
It takes ten days to track the thieves to a planet. The main computer processor looks like it’s in a city on the northern continent, but there are Starfleet signatures coming from both continents. Tuvok says there are nearly 27 types of alien ship; the planet looks like a centre for commerce. They should have no difficulty placing a team. The captain and Tuvok will look for the core; Neelix and Tom will head to the southern continent.
On the planet, Janeway makes a comment about how trade is born. Tuvok thinks theft is more accurate; the materials of the city have come from numerous sources and he’s having problems tracking. He has detected a Starfleet signature and it’s coming closer. The signature is Leonardo, who is wearing the Doctor’s mobile emitter. Leonardo thinks he’s in America, though has no idea how he got there. He asks the same about how the captain did. Long story; we’ll speak on it later. Leonardo has a new patron, the prince of the city. Tuvok wonders how Leonardo is here; Janeway suggests it was because she was running the program when the processor was taken.
Leonardo invites them to see his new workshop; the equipment has been provided by his new patron. Leonardo likes his patron, mostly for his generosity in supplies and, frankly, he doesn’t sound any worse than the princes of Italy the real Leonardo would have known. He wants the captain to meet the prince.
Tom and Neelix have returned with a trader who has Starfleet technology and uniform. He thought Chakotay was going to buy; Tom said he could talk to Chakotay. The trader is convinced to tell them that he got the material from Tau, who steals technology with a translocator device that he also stole. He’s rich.
Janeway and Tuvok are at a gathering hosted by Tau; they may have to do business with him. Janeway asks Tuvok to distract Leonardo with small talk. Vulcans do not do small talk. It shows. Leonardo asks where Tuvok is from. Scandinavia. Leonardo looks doubtful. Leonardo is willing to talk about himself though. Then he says he’s as dry as Vulcan. Vulcan? An island of Sicily; has Tuvok been there? Tau, meanwhile, is willing to sell the computer to Janeway. For a warship.
Captain Janeway and Tuvok return to Leonardo’s workshop to find out where Tau keeps the stolen technology. There are several possibilities. Tuvok is impressed with the maps Leonardo has drawn. Janeway talks about people in history who have had theories about him – and how Captain James T. Kirk claimed to have met him (in TOS episode, “Requiem for Methuselah”), but the evidence is less than conclusive. Tuvok wants to return to the ship. Janeway is going to stay on the planet. Tuvok is concerned about leaving her with Leonardo; he’s a genius, but also a tad unreliable.
Much of the episode is around Leonardo, who is frankly enjoying himself. Unlike the Doctor, who is going stir crazy in sickbay and tries pumping Seven of Nine for gossip. Not the best choice. Gossip is irrelevant.