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The Battle

Captain's log, Stardate 41723.9.

In response to a Starfleet order,

we are in the Xendi Sabu star system

having rendezvoused with a Ferengi vessel

which has requested a meeting.

Although we arrived here

and made appropriate signals to the Ferengi three days ago

they have so far responded only with the message,

"Stand by, Enterprise."

( door chime )

You sent for me, sir?

Yes, doctor.

Sit down.

Um, look... this, perhaps, may be nothing but I've been feeling a bit odd of late.

Uh, fatigued.

And now I've got this damned headache.

A what?

Headache, headache.

Surely you know what a headache is.

Of course.

But I don't often encounter them.

The reason is obvious, of course.

What are the Ferengi up to?

"Stand by, Enterprise."

Stand by for what?

I don't see a thing wrong.

No, neither can i-- unless they're baiting some kind of trap.

With your head.

I see nothing physically wrong.

But I want to run some additional scans in Sick Bay.

Doctor, all I've got is...

Is an order to report to Sick Bay from the only person aboard this ship who can give you an order.

RIKER: Captain from first officer.

They're finally sending a message.

On my way, Number One.

Sorry, doctor.

Duty calls.

RIKER: They're prepared to talk, sir.

Have they given any hint of what they've been waiting for?

Negative, captain.

They've identified their commander as Bok.

DaiMon Bok.

You'll be able to see him now, sir.

They're willing to communicate on visual.

Open hailing frequencies.

TASHA: Frequencies open, sir.

Ferengi vessel, this is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise.

We are transmitting visually.

Is this the Captain Picard?

Do we know each other?

I know you, Picard.

Then you have the advantage of me.

Is this Bok?

I am Bok, DaiMon of the Ferengi.

I have asked you here to discuss a mutual problem, Captain.

What problem is that, DaiMon Bok?

I insist on speaking of that matter in person.

Shall we meet on your vessel or mine?

Hailing frequencies closed.

Captain, I sense considerable deception on Bok's part.

And danger!

Then we should meet him here.

Keep him under our control.

Now open, sir.

I appreciate your offer, DaiMon Bok.

We would like you to be our guest here?

As you wish, Picard.

Perhaps this will begin a new era of cooperation for both our people.

In one Earth hour, then?

In one hour, DaiMon Bok.

End transmission.

I can't believe they're coming here.

They did agree a bit easily.

In one hour, we shall know why.

Space, the final frontier.

These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise.

Its continuing mission--

to explore strange new worlds

to seek out new life and new civilizations

to boldly go where no one has gone before.

Are you always accustomed to getting your own way, Doctor?

Only when my way makes sense, Captain.

There's still 40 minutes until the Ferengi beam over.

I'll have these scans done in 10.

Seems an awful lot of effort for something as simple as a headache.

As simple?

You should not have a headache unless there's something wrong, sir.

It may be true that headaches were once quite common.

That was in the days before the brain was charted, before we understood the nature of pain.

When we were suffering from things such as the common cold.

So what's the cause of my headache?

I haven't the slightest idea.

Feel better?

The pain's gone.

Medical fakery.

The pain is actually still there.

It's just cloaked.

I'll want further exams.

Doctor...

When the Ferengi matter is settled.

Commander, you'll soon be getting an intruder alert.

What? Wesley, if you've something to report...

If you'll scan heading 44 mark 163, Lieutenant, you'll find...

TASHA: Intruder alert, sir.

I've got something, sir.

It's an old-style starship, sir.

Constellation class, heading this way under impulse power.

Says who?

Ensign, answer the first officer's question.

Says the long-distance sensors, sir.

I was in Engineering, playing around with boosting the sensor output...

Boosting it?

How?

We will discuss this later.

I'm reading it now, sir.

It's a constellation class starship heading this way under impulse power.

Sending no call letters, sir.

The correct procedure...

What's wrong, sir?

Oh, it's nothing. Just a... just a mild headache.

The correct procedure, Ensign, would have been to signal the bridge of your finding immediately.

Yes, sir.

Bringing it here personally-- perhaps with the idea of being on hand for the Ferengi beam over, might have imperiled this vessel had it been something hostile approaching.

Yes, sir.

We are receiving no signal at all from the approaching starship, sir.

Time, sir.

Time?

Oh, for the Ferengi beam over.

Do you see any problem connected with this old starship coming in, Number One?

Suggest it would be safer, sir, to have the Ferengi here whatever happened.

Hmm, concur. Stand by.

Hailing frequencies open, sir.

Welcome in peace to the Enterprise, DaiMon Bok.

It is our pleasure, Captain Picard.

Might I introduce my first officer, Kazago and my second, Rata.

This is my first officer, Commander William Riker.

Second in command, Data.

Counselor Troi...

We have heard that you use females.

Clothed females!

Most interesting.

They are that, sir.

And the android was mentioned, too.

What is its price?

We should like to purchase it.

He is not for sale.

Commander Data is, um... is, um...

Is secondhand merchandise. You wouldn't want him.

Secondhand, sir?

Oh, of course, a human joke.

Excuse me, Captain.

But the unidentified starship is coming in.

Still no signal at all.

Think nothing of it.

It is under our control.

One of our starships under your control?

Do not be alarmed, Captain.

It is a gift from us with which we honor the hero of Maxia.

Who?

Why you, Picard, of course.

Do you not remember the Battle of Maxia?

I'm sorry. I do not remember it, DaiMon Bok.

Data?

Captain, he may refer to an encounter which occurred nine years ago in the Maxia Zeta star system, in which an unidentified starship...

Unidentified?!

That fine vessel was Ferengi.

Which you destroyed, sir.

The Battle of Maxia.

I've never heard it referred to so dramatically before.

My sincere regrets, Bok, but that vessel refused to identify itself.

It simply attacked us. We defended ourselves.

Such mistakes happen in space.

Hardly a mistake, sir.

Your report shows that it deliberately attacked.

TASHA: Do you want arriving vessel on main viewer, sir?

It's only 1,000 kilometers away now.

Put it on your viewer.

Main viewer.

There is no one aboard it.

The logs will be downloaded into the Enterprise's records... at a price.

No price!

No price?

What is the purpose of this?

What...

I just felt something too, Captain

Perhaps it is... his conscience.

Bridge to Sick Bay.

No, no, I'm fine.

It felt as if... as if it were something from your past.

It's all right. I'm fine.

What is all this about?

It is about the battle I mentioned, Captain.

A gift in honor of that occasion.

Look at that ship closely.

Magnify please, Lieutenant La Forge.

Aye, sir.

Why?

That's the Stargazer.

That's my old ship.

How did you find it?

It was a derelict.

Adrift in space on the far side of this star system.

How it got there is none of my business, Captain.

But now that vessel is yours if you wish to have it.

We are not selling it to him.

Consider it an act of friendship.

At no cost?!

Oh, ugly.

Very ugly!

Captain's log, supplemental:

Bok and his officers have returned to their vessel

inviting us now to officially take possession

of the Stargazer.

Like before?

No, it hit with more impact.

Hit?

I'm sorry, but anything could be important.

You said you felt something yourself.

I believe so.

Like a thought but rather mechanical in nature.

Are you sure it wasn't one of my thoughts?

At that moment, I was remembering being at the helm of the Stargazer.

A maneuver was being made.

We were hit.

Something's burning.

I can smell smoke. Can you smell it?

There's nothing burning, Jean-Luc.

That was just part of my memory.

Memory or nightmare?

Well, it was strong, whatever it was.

You ready, Number One?

Staff's waiting, if Dr. Crusher approves.

I'll do better than that.

I'll go along.

We were traveling at warp 2 through the Maxia Zeta system and this unidentified starship suddenly appeared and fired on us-- point-blank range.

RIKER: Where did it come from?

It must have been lying in some deep moon crater.

First attack damaged the shields.

In the confusion, they hit us a second time.

TASHA: No clue who they were?

No names, no reason.

Can you identify them, Vigo?

If they come in a second time with our shields damaged...

Sir, who's Vigo?

He's my weapons officer on the Stargazer.

Hey, I'm getting quite caught up in this.

Your shields were failing, sir.

Mm-hmm, I, uh, improvised.

With the enemy vessel coming in for the kill,

I ordered a sensor bearing and when it came into the return arc...

You performed what Starfleet textbooks now refer to as

The Picard Maneuver.

Well, I did what any good helmsman would have done.

I dropped into high warp, stopped right off the enemy vessel's bow, and fired with everything I had.

And blowing into maximum warp speed you appeared for an instant, to be in two places at once.

And our attacker fired on the wrong one.

"I did what any good helmsman would have done."

You did it first, sir.

It was a save-our-skins maneuver.

We were finished, on fire.

We had to abandon ship.

We limped through space in shuttlecraft for weeks before we were picked up.

Well, I haven't thought about this for years.

Sir, the Ferengi are standing by for us to take possession of the Stargazer.

I want to go over to her.

I understand, sir.

As soon as my people have made certain that she's safe.

And after I have another look at you, Captain.

U.S.S. Stargazer.

Constellation class, Starfleet registry N.C.C. 2893.

I activated the emergency power cells.

Amazing they still work.

The rest of the ship is clear of surprises, Lieutenant Yar.

You know, when I read about this ship at the academy,

I never dreamed I'd ever be on her.

Yar to Enterprise. All clear, sir.

Hello, old friend.

You'll find this most intriguing, sir.

What did you find, Data?

Last entry dated nine years ago, sir-- by you.

"We are forced to abandon our starship.

May she find her way without us."

Apparently she did, sir.

How do you feel, Captain?

Oh, I'm fine, Doctor.

Lieutenant Yar, run a structural analysis on the Stargazer for impulse tow.

Data, download all computers to the Enterprise and file.

I'm... I'm going to look at my old cabin.

Try this... hero of Maxia.

No!

Captain.

Another headache?

This really worries me.

I want you back on the Enterprise.

But my things.

I'll see they're sent to your Enterprise quarters.

Enterprise now taking possession of Stargazer, Kazago.

Permission granted, Riker.

Actually, it was quite a bargain, Kazago.

I thought the Ferengi always made a profit on things.

( snarl )

Set sub-warp speed for towing, La Forge.

Aye, sir.

Starfleet has responded to our request, sir.

A tug will rendezvous with us and tow the Stargazer back to Xendi starbase nine.

Very well, Data.

How was it, Captain?

Very strange, Number One.

Like going back to the house you grew up in but no one's home except phantoms of the past.

It has troubled you.

Not half as much as this damned headache.

Take over, Number One.

Aye, sir.

What's wrong?

I wish I could say.

Shields weakening, Captain.

Torpedoes armed.

Where are they?

Oh, my God, sir!

Fire. Fire!

What is it, Data?

Why all the mystery?

The records of the Stargazer, sir.

What the Ferengi call the Battle of Maxia.

It seems the captain's personal log contains a much different version of that conflict than the official historic account.

What are you saying?

It would appear that the starship which Captain Picard attacked had in fact been under a flag of truce.

What?!

And apparently, the captain destroyed the ship without notice or provocation.

Impossible-- well, what about the fire aboard the Stargazer?

An accident in Engineering.

And what proof?

It is logged in his own voice, sir.

Would you care to hear it, sir?

Sir?

This is a confession given by me,

Jean-Luc Picard, commanding U.S.S. Stargazer.

What does this mean?

I don't know, sir. It sounds like your voice.

It is, Number One.

But I refuse to believe you ever said that.

I admit I must have mistaken their subspace antenna

for a weapon's cluster.

Unfortunately, I fired our main phasers and our direct hits

destroyed the unknown vessel.

I've assumed they've simulated your voice somehow.

I've already put Data to work on it.

Thank you, Will.

I never made that log entry, of course.

But it still leaves you with a duty to perform.

I know, sir. I must report to Starfleet.

That's at least one full day subspace communication to reach there.

And one more full day for their answer to return.

I'd like to have the truth of this by then.

I'd hate to have to prepare a formal defense.

I can't believe they'd ask for your command.

Why wouldn't they?

With the Ferengi making these friendship overtures,

I could become a severe embarrassment to Starfleet.

I'm certain the Ferengi are behind the fake log.

No wonder they're waiting out there.

Headache back, sir.

Damn!

I'll call the doctor again.

There's no wonder with all this going on.

Try to relax.

This is a confession given by me,

Jean-Luc Picard, commanding U.S.S. Stargazer.

In the hopes that my belated honesty

will be taken into account by Starfleet,

when judging my actions during a confrontation

with an unidentified vessel...

Open hailing frequencies, Geordi.

Opened, sir.

I'll take them in the ready room--

Secure channel, La Forge.

Secure, sir.

Starship Ferengi, this is Commander Riker here.

I'd like to speak to First Officer Kazago.

A problem, Riker?

Are our channels secure on your end?

It is now.

Are you aware of the details of the Battle of Maxia?

Captain Bok has just made me aware of it, Riker.

The infamy of your Picard is now fully known.

Infamy?

I would call the wanton destruction of an unarmed vessel infamy.

And if I produced evidence that Captain Picard's log entry was falsified to indicate that--

I can hardly imagine you contacted me to discuss an ancient battle.

What do you want of me?

Just one question.

As you humans say, "I'm all ears."

First officer to first officer, Kazago.

If your Captain Bok knew about this, then why this peaceful meeting to present us with the Stargazer?

We freely give you back your derelict warship, and now you accuse us of crime, Riker?!

I can bear no more insults.

Yes, who the hell is it?!

Not resting, Captain.

More like dying, Doctor.

Over here.

What is wrong with me?

I wish to hell I knew, Captain.

But something unusual has definitely been happening to you.

The doctors always say the obvious as though it's a revelation.

Why do captains always act like they're immortal?

No.

( chuckling )

You didn't tell me it had been this bad.

It wasn't this bad, but it's getting worse.

This should help a little.

It's got to be some kind of emotional pressure connected with the Stargazer.

I got this headache long before I even knew my old ship still existed.

Still, perhaps you're partly right.

Want to talk about it?

I'm here.

A fight, Maxia.

I destroyed an entire vessel... an entire crew.

Did you have a choice?

I don't know anymore--

I just don't know!

Commander Riker's told me about the altered log if that's what's troubling you.

The last three nights, I... have heard these voices.

I'm on the bridge of my old ship.

And there's fire all around me.

The klaxons, smoke... and then I give the order.

And now the Stargazer is really here.

And that that log...

Now am I going crazy?

How do I know I was in my right mind at Maxia?

How do I know I'm in my right mind now?

What was that?

Something to let you sleep.

Sleep...

Sleep...

Shields weakening, Captain.

Torpedoes armed.

Where are they?

( chuckling )

And now, my dear captain, you are ready to live the past.

Where did he come from?

Phasers, sir.

Sir?

Sir?!

What should we do, sir?

Should we fire back?

Fire, Captain.

Fire!

You will injure yourself as you once injured me.

Sir!

Damage report.

Fusion generator under surge control, sir!

Power systems failing!

Sensor beam bearing on hostile ship!

7 mark 19, sir.

Phasers, sir?

Sir?

Ready phasers, and lock!

Stand by on warp nine.

Heading...

7, 7 mark 20.

Engage!

Steady...

Now! Reverse and stop!

Phasers fire! Torpedoes away!

Fire...

Fire.

By comparing the Stargazer's main computer log with Captain Picard's personal log

I found checksum discrepancies, sir.

What does that mean?

All information is time-coded by entry.

And the bits, when totaled, produce an aggregate amount...

I don't want a computer science lesson, Data!

Bottom line?

One of these two logs is a forgery, sir.

Correction.

The log just found aboard the Stargazer is a forgery.

As I said.

That is one of them, is it not?

Captain!

You are looking better, sir.

A little sleep, thanks to the good doctor, works wonders.

What report on the logs?

Yes, sir.

Whoever tampered with your personal log was clever.

GEORDI: But a bit clumsy.

It's definitely a fabrication, sir.

Number One,

I'd like you to take a look at this brain scan graph...

What are you doing here?

I thought I was captain of this starship.

Of course you are, but I...

Thank you for the confirmation, Doctor.

But now, except for Riker,

I would like you all to return to your stations.

Is that clear?

Sir.

You, too, Doctor.

I have business with the commander.

Under protest, sir.

You have orders for me, sir?

Release the Stargazer from the tractor beam, Number One.

Sir?

The tractor beam.

Sir, are you abandoning?

No. But her inertia will carry the Stargazer along with us.

Or did you sleep through the academy lecture on the conservation of tractor beam power?

No, sir.

I'll release her, of course.

BEVERLY: Obviously there's some sort of thought-process disorder here.

But I can't find a physical reason for it.

Anything?

I'm puzzled, too.

I keep sensing random thoughts, but two sets of them-- as if they were his, but intermixed with other thoughts which are also his.

I'm busy at the moment, Wesley.

I know, Mom, but this is important.

When I went back to the main sensors in Engineering to try some more sensitivity experiments...

TROI: Does this have to do with Captain Picard?

Yes, ma'am.

If this is what you're talking about here.

I don't know much about brain scans.

But I glanced at these when you were studying them and I noticed that these patterns are the same as those picked up from the low-intensity transmissions from the Ferengi ship.

I went back and checked.

And they're exactly the same.

What kind of transmissions?

I don't know.

Engineering has nothing like it on record.

Let's get to the captain.

No, they might be affecting the captain.

To Riker.

You're welcome, ladies.

Adults.

The captain, Commander?

Resting in his quarters after ordering both of you to return to your duty stations.

TROI: There have been some...

Did he say low-intensity?

Mm.

Some unusual low-intensity transmissions from the Ferengi vessel.

Did who say?

My son.

Transmissions which exactly match certain anomalies found in the captain's brain scans.

Something over there is affecting the captain's thought patterns.

Computer, give me a location on Captain Picard.

Captain Picard is in Transporter Room 3.

What?

Computer, emergency order to Transporter Room 3.

New information.

Captain Picard is no longer aboard the Enterprise.

Welcome back, Captain.

What is happening?

Shields up, computer.

What are you doing?

Collecting on an old debt.

Stargazer! Captain, respond!

Shields up, sir.

No way to beam over any help.

Commander, I'm reading something very strange here.

A low-intensity beam of intermittent pulse inside this starship.

I have a fix on it, sir.

Inside Captain Picard's quarters.

You transferred some of his belongings from the Stargazer?

Yes, including a fairly heavy chest.

RIKER: Go take a look, fast!

Commander... the Stargazer is now powering up, sir.

I have been waiting a long nine years for this, Picard.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Do you not, human?

Can you not remember the crime you committed against my very blood?

You murdered my only son!

Your son?

He was commander of the ship you destroyed on his first voyage as DaiMon.

The ship... the Ferengi vessel that attacked me.

Or is it about to attack me?

And I have spent these years searching, seeking, a proper blood revenge.

And I found it!

I am rich, Picard.

Yet two of these cost me the profits of an entire life.

You are back in command of the Stargazer, Picard.

These computers will answer your orders.

Die well, Captain!

First Officer's log:

Captain Picard has beamed himself to the Stargazer,

which is now moving away from us under its own power.

Enterprise to Stargazer, please respond!

Enterprise to Captain Picard aboard Stargazer, please answer!

Mr. Data, what was Stargazer's condition?

Considerable fire damage to interior surfaces reported, sir.

But none of her main systems are crippled.

Armaments, Lieutenant Yar?

Six photon torpedoes short, sir.

Probably used when the captain destroyed his Ferengi attackers 9 years ago.

Otherwise, fully armed.

What do you make of it, La Forge?

Seems to be a network of miniature circuitries, sir, incredibly complex.

Maybe... maybe an amplifier.

Where was it in the captain's quarters, Mr. Worf?

His chest from the Stargazer, sir?

Just where I had left it, he hadn't yet unpacked.

So he may not have even known it was there?

And if this can pick up or magnify thought-altering transmission--

It could have prepared him for whatever is happening now.

Let's find out... or try to.

Contact the Ferengi vessel, Lieutenant.

Hailing frequencies open, sir.

Enterprise to Ferengi vessel, we transmit visually.

Do you respond?

Why is our gift to you under power, human?

I will discuss that with your captain.

He is working in our ship's laboratory.

Where is your captain?

He's beamed himself aboard the Stargazer.

And I'm wondering if this has something to do with it.

How do you have possession of that?

It was found in our captain's chest, which was brought over from the Stargazer.

It is a forbidden device-- a thought maker.

If your captain is criminal enough to own one--

Kazago!

You know who controls those spheres.

Now I ask you again, first officer to first officer, what's going on?

It is not seemly to question one's own DaiMon, Riker.

I am not prepared to do that.

Sir! I have the Stargazer.

Switch, now!

Enterprise to Picard.

Do not attack again!

We are on a peaceful mission.

Give your identity!

You force us to defend ourselves!

Phasers full up! Arm torpedoes!

Why aren't the shields at full power?

We've lost him, sir.

When he put up the shields, sir.

Damn!

I said get the fusion generators under surge control.

You're moving much to slowly!

Arm the torpedoes, man!

Vigo! Get a fire control party up here!

Shields weakening, Captain.

Fusion generator online.

Weapons report!

Phasers coming to full charge, sir.

Torpedoes armed!

Who are they?

Identify them!

They're turning for a third pass at us, sir!

We can't take another hit, Captain!

Sir?

I now feel anger from our captain.

Fury over whatever it is he is reliving out there.

The Battle of Maxia, sir, that's what it is.

The Picard Maneuver!

What is the defense against that, Data?

There is no defense, sir.

Then devise one, fast!

First Officer Kazago to human Riker.

Not now, Kazago!

We do not wish to become involved in what has become clearly a Federation matter.

Fine, fine!

Enterprise out!

You should also know that DaiMon Bok no longer commands this vessel.

His first officer has confined him for engaging in this unprofitable adventure.

Good luck, First Officer Riker.

I have computed a possibility, Commander.

Since even deep space contains trace gases, a vessel in the Picard Maneuver might seem to disappear, but our sensors could locate any sudden compression of those gases.

And use it as an aiming point to blow our captain to bits?!

This class starship has enough power to use our tractor beam on it, sir.

Seize it, limit its field of fire.

Right!

Concentrate shields at that point.

Make it so!

I hope you're right, Data.

No question of it, sir.

Stand by!

Lock on tractor beam!

Ready phasers.

Captain Picard! Listen to me.

Vigo, is that you?

It's Commander Riker, sir.

Captain, hear me!

Look around.

The Ferengi are using their thought devices on you.

Stand by.

Who is this?

It's Riker, sir!

Your number one!

Look for a silver sphere!

Destroy it with your phaser!

Phaser...

Sphere...

Bok, used it.

Destroy it!

Phaser...

Destroy the sphere...

Destroy the sphere.

Are you all right, Captain?

Captain?

Captain! Are you all right?

Captain, are you all right?!

Where am I, Number One?

Aboard the Stargazer, sir.

The sphere you destroyed, it's been controlling your--

Bok!

Where is Bok?!

Removed from command, sir.

And placed under guard for his act of personal vengeance.

Seems there was no profit in it.

In revenge there never is.

Let the dead rest.

And the past... remain the past.

Enterprise, lock on.

Beam me home, Riker.