Stardate 41798.2: On the search for the lost starship USS Drake, Riker, Data and Tasha beam down to Minos, the now devastated home of former arms dealers. Riker encounters a projection of Captain Rice of the Drake, which turns out to be a part of a self-improving aed weapon system that encloses Riker in a forcefield and begins to attack Tasha and Data with increasing strength. Picard and Beverly beam down to help Riker, but they fall into a cavern, and Beverly is severely hurt. In the meantime the Enterprise is attacked too, and Geordi's command decisions are challenged by Chief Engineer Logan. Geordi, however, remains undeterred. He orders a saucer separation, returns with the stardrive section and successfully fights the weapon after motivating his inexperienced battle bridge crew. On the planet, Picard learns that the attacks are nothing but a demonstration, and he ends it by simply agreeing to buy the weapons.

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