Troi suddenly awakens
from a restless sleep to discover that she has somehow
been transformed to look like a Romulan officer.
Learning that she has also been transported aboard one
of their warbirds, she is told by N'Vek, the vessel's
Romulan Sub-Commander, that if she hopes to return to
the U.S.S. Enterprise alive, she must pretend to be
Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar, the Imperial Intelligence.
Her instructions: to instruct the warbird commander to
proceed to the Kaleb sector with a mysterious cargo.
N'Vek then introduces Troi to Commander Toreth, who
tries unsuccessfully to intimidate her. Undaunted, Troi
orders a course for the new destination.
Back on the Enterprise, Stefan DeSeve, a Starfleet
ensign who defected to the Romulans years ago, is beamed
aboard after risking his life to return to Federation
space. Commander Riker immediately places him under
arrest for treason. DeSeve says it is urgent that he
speak with Captain Picard. The ensign tells Picard that
Ambassador Spock would like the Enterprise to rendezvous
with a Corvallen freighter and take its cargo back to
Federation territory. Unbeknownst to Picard, the
rendezvous point is in the same sector where Troi has
ordered the Romulan warbird.
Meanwhile, N'Vek
reveals the contents of the secret cargo to Troi. Inside
the containers are a high-ranking member of the Imperial
Senate and his aides, being held in stasis. They are
defecting to the Federation, and N'Vek is part of the
Romulan underground. Major Rakal was killed in order for
Troi, a Starfleet officer, to replace her. Troi
continues with the impersonation, aware now that she is
part of an important mission.
As planned, the
warbird meets up with the Corvallen freighter. Troi
senses deception from the mercenary captain of the
freighter, and N'Vek suddenly destroys it, claiming that
Major Rakal (Troi) ordered him to do so. A furious
Toreth informs Troi that she is responsible for the
deaths. Troi demands that the warbird hold position,
engage its cloaking device, and wait.
At the same time,
Picard is puzzled because the Enterprise does not
encounter the Corvallen freighter. Picard then discovers
from DeSeve that the rendezvous message did not, in
fact, come from Spock, but from a member of the Romulan
underground. Picard orders Data to initiate a search
pattern for the missing freighter.
On the warbird, Troi
chastises N'Vek for destroying the freighter so hastily.
N'Vek, remorseless, instructs Troi to set their course
for a Starfleet base on Draken IV. Troi follows his
orders and tells Toreth to set the course. Suddenly, the
warbird's sensors detect the presence of another vessel
— the Enterprise. Anxious to return to her home ship,
Troi threatens to eject N'Vek into space if he doesn't
allow the Enterprise to track the warbird's course.
Naturally, Picard
directs the Enterprise away from the warbird, and Toreth
attempts to open fire. Troi orders Toreth not to, and
assumes command of the warbird herself. She then
communicates with Picard, asking to be beamed aboard the
Enterprise. The Enterprise shields are lowered, and Troi
orders N'Vek to fire disruptors at the ship. As Picard's
officers react to the attack, the three Romulan
defectors, still in stasis, materialize on the Bridge.
Realizing that the
ineffective disrupter fire was merely a diversion to
conceal the transporter beam, Toreth watches while a
fellow pilot vaporizes the attacking N'Vek. Toreth
attempts to hold on to Troi, but Worf activates his
transporter lock on her and replaces her safely aboard
the Enterprise. She is relieved to have lived through
her mission, but saddened by the loss of N'Vek. Picard
comforts Troi by assuring her his death was not in vain.
|
