The Last Outpost (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
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| Star Trek: TNG episode | |
| "The Last Outpost" | |
 The first contact with the Ferengi. |
|
| Episode no. | 4 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 107 |
| Airdate | October 19, 1987 |
| Writer(s) | Herbert Wright Richard Krzemien |
| Director | Richard Colla |
| Guest star(s) | Armin Shimerman, Jake Dengel, Tracey Walter, Darryl Henriques, Mike Gomez |
| Year | 2363 |
| Stardate | 41386.4 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "Code of Honor" |
| Next | "Where No One Has Gone Before" |
"The Last Outpost" is a first-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is episode #4, production #107, first broadcast October 19, 1987. It was written by Herbert Wright, based on a story by Richard Krzemien, and directed by Richard Colla. It is the first on-screen appearance of the Ferengi. Guest cast is Armin Shimerman, Jake Dengel and Tracey Walter. An unknown force immobilizes the Enterprise while encountering a new alien threat.[1]
[edit] Plot
On stardate 41386.4, the USS Enterprise pursues a Ferengi vessel suspected in the theft of a T-9 energy converter from an unmanned Federation outpost. The ships enter an unexplored system and stop above a cloudy planet. As the Ferengi ship comes into view, Data and Geordi pore over sensor information noting their new alien enemy seem to be on an equal technological footing with the Federation. Suddenly, the Ferengi ship turns to attack and the Enterprise experiences a loss in power, prompting Captain Picard to suspect a secret weapon aboard the Ferengi ship.
Geordi tries a slow decrease in power, then a quick burst to full to break the Enterprise free, but when the "surprise" escape commences, nothing happens and the ship remains stationary with their enemy looming before them. The Ferengi finally respond with their captain identifying himself as Daimon Taar and the bridge crew get a first look at their opponent's orange skin, goblin-like faces and oversize ears. Picard discusses surrender which the Daimon misinterprets as meaning "the Ferengi's" surrender and announces they will fight to the death. Picard then realizes the Ferengi are in the same predicament as they are and focuses his attention on the world below.
A probe is sent down to the planet while Data goes over information he has uncovered — the ancient star charts of the "Tkon Empire" which has been extinct for 600,000 years — the apparent victims of a supernova explosion of their home world's star. The charts indicate the planet below, Gamma Tauri IV, was one of their outposts. During his discussion, Data humorously becomes stuck in a Chinese finger trap left behind by children who had visited the observation lounge.
Information from the probe arrives showing that both the Enterprise and the Ferengi ship are being held in a force beam projected from the surface of the planet. Picard contacts the Ferengi to confess the truth of the situation — that both ships are being held by an outside force under neither ship's control. The Ferengi have already figured it out and withdraw their surrender which leads to an argument over the theft of the energy converter to which Taar claims the device was placed on one of their worlds. Picard decides to argue territorial claims later and Taar agrees to send a party down to assist in the release of the ships.
A party consisting of Riker, Data, Geordi, Worf and Yar, beam to the planet's surface but the party materializes in scattered locations. Riker looks for the others and eventually finds Data who believes the force field scrambled their arrival coordinates. The two find Geordi stuck upside down in a tree and as they try to free him, they are attacked by Ferengi wielding energy whips who overpower them.
The away team awaken finding themselves surrounded by three stunted Ferengi. Letek, the dominant Ferengi, accuses the away team of planning an ambush. Riker retorts stating the Ferengi have broken their agreement to peacefully assist in freeing the ships. Data and Worf observe that the Ferengi's enormous ears are sensitive to loud noise as thunderclaps from the sky disorients them.
Back on the Enterprise, the situation grows dim with life support rapidly failing and the crew slowly freezing to death on all decks.
On the planet, the away team jumps the disoriented Ferengi, but two manage to flee. Yar gives chase firing her phaser but her beam arcs in the air and is absorbed by a crystalline "tree" nearby. The Ferengi reacts with his energy whip, but is dumbfounded when its energy diverts to the tree as well. Data is inquisitive, believing the crystal trees are energy collectors and possibly work on the same principals that hold the ships.
Suddenly, a humanoid entity appears and identifies itself as "The Guardian". It indicates that the group has activated "Portal Six-Three" and asks if they wish to petition entry into the Tkon Empire. Data informs the guardian that the Tkon Empire was destroyed during the Age of Makto when their central star destabilized. The Guardian, having been asleep for hundreds of thousands of years, seems unaware of this. Hoping to gain an upper hand, Letak announces that the humans are known for their treachery and claims they are destroyers of legal commerce who selfishly keeping advanced technology from backward worlds — and who despicably clothe their females — a perverted act in the Ferengi's eyes.
To the bewilderment of all present, Riker claims "guilty" to all of Letek's outlandish charges. Riker further admits that the Federation has allowed planets to fall to their enemies, let the violent and strong dominate, and willingly held back the advancement of lesser worlds. The Guardian steps forward readying a bladed weapon and approaches Riker calling him a "barbarian". When it takes a fighting stance, Worf tries to defend Riker, but is ordered by Riker not to engage the portal.
The portal decides to test Riker's moral wisdom and demands an answer to its challenge. Riker finally answers, "Fear is the true enemy, the only enemy". Seemingly satisfied with Riker's response, the entity turns rather friendly and responds, "Know your enemy and know yourself and you will always be victorious." which it gathered as words of Sun Tzu from Riker's mind. The being claims that normally he would have destroyed both battling vessels on first sight, but sensed something different from them when it realized the two were eventually willing to work together. The entity frees the Enterprise, then offers to destroy the Ferengi. Riker declines, saying that by destroying them they will have learned nothing. The portal vanishes and the away team returns to the Enterprise.
Before leaving, the Ferengi return the energy converter and Riker makes a request to send a box of Chinese finger traps over to the Ferengi vessel as "thanks" for what they tried to do.
[edit] References
- ^ STARTREK.COM : Episode - The Last Outpost. StarTrek.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-08.
[edit] External links
- The Last Outpost article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki
- The Last Outpost (Star Trek: The Next Generation) at StarTrek.com
- Review of episode by TNG actor Wil Wheaton
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