Captain Kirk, accompanied by Chekov and Scotty inspect the Enterprise-B, under the command of Cpt. John Harriman. During a 'quick run around the block' they intercept a distress signal from the Transport ship Lakul. They are trapped in some sort of energy distortion. The Enterprise is the only ship in range.

The Enterprise warps to the rescue, but it is ill-equipped for the task - it has no photon torpedos or a tractor beam. Cpt. Harriman is inexperienced and calls in Captain Kirk to help.

Kirk moves the Enterprise in closer to rescue the El-Aurians - amongst them Soren and Guinan. However, the ship is caught up in the energy ribbon..

Scotty comes up with a plan to simulate a torpedo burst from the main deflector dish, it might just disrupt the ribbons hold on the ship. Kirk heads to Main Engineering to put the plan into action.

Kirk is successful and the Enterprise-B is freed from the distortion, not before being hit by the ribbon. Engineering is badly damaged and Kirk is thought to be dead...

78 years into the future, Lt. Worf is undergoing a promotion to Lt. Commander. This takes place aboard the holodeck on a seafaring Enterprise. During the activities, Dr. Crusher is pushed into the sea by Data who is 'trying to get into the spirit of things'. Crusher is not amused.

Picard gets an incoming message from Earth, his brother Robert and nephew Rene burnt to death in a house fire. Picard goes off to contemplate the news.

The Enterprise gets a distress call from the Amagosa Observatory, which is under attack. The Enterprise goes to offer assistance..

When they arrive, the attackers have fled. The strain on Picard from the tradgic news is beginning to show. Riker leads an away team, evidence found on the station indicates the Romulans were the attackers. Worf and Riker rescue survivors, among them Dr. Tolian Soren.

In Data's quarters, Data wants Geordi's help to install his emotion chip. The pair head down to Ten-Forward where Data tries out his emotion chip on a new beverage from Frocus III, which he finds he hates.

Riker meets Picard in his ready room, he tells him of the Romulan threat and Picard orders him to contact Starfleet command, Riker is surprised. Riker also informs Picard that Dr. Soren wants a word.

Picard enters Ten-Forward looking for Soren, who wants to get back to the observatory to continue a critical experiment on the Amagosan sun. Picard tells him he can return once his investigation is complete.

Worf has analysed the Romulan tricorder, they were looking for Trilithium - an experimental compound that could stop nuclear fission. Geordi and Data go over to check out the observatory for trilithium.

Whilst on the observatory, Data finally gets a joke that was told to him during the Farpoint Mission. They also discover a hidden entrance with a solar probe which is configured strangely..

When Data's positronic relay is overloaded by the emotion chip, Geordi tries to beam him back to the Enterprise, but a dampening field is in place. When Soren appears Geordi asks him deactivate it but instead he knocks Geordi out and threatens Data with his weapon. Data experiences fear, and can do nothing but watch.

Picard is in his quarters gazing into his family photo album. He is interupted by Deanna, who wants to know what is the matter. He explains about the house fire and the death of his relatives. Deanna tries to comfort him but he says that these things happen. After an emotional outburst, he admits that his family history is very important to him, and now there will be no more Picards..

An explosion inside the Amagosan sun makes Picard and Deanna head back to the bridge. Once there they discover that a solar probe was launched and that the nuclear fission inside the sun is breaking down. It will produce a level 10 shockwave that will destroy everything in this system.

Picard is informed that Data and Geordi haven't returned and Riker is sent to retrieve them.

Once on the Observatory, Riker is met with phaser fire from Soren. Soren transports himself and Geordi aboard a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, Data is too frightened to be any help. Data and Riker beam aboard the Enterprise, which warps away. The shockwave hits the observatory and destroys it.

On the Klingon-Bird-Of-Prey Soren assaults B'Etor, and she warns him that he had better be initiating a mating ritual. Soren explains how the Romulans came looking for their missing trilithium, and if the Enterprise hadn't intervened, they would have found it. The Duras sisters don't care, all they want is their weapon so that they can reconquer the Klingon Empire.

Soren then pays a visit to Geordi, who is being held captive. He wants to know what he knows about trilithium.

Whilst looking throught the medical records, they discover that Soren knew Guinan from the mission where Kirk was killed.

Picard pays a visit to Guinan, hopefully she can help. She informs Picard that Soren is obsessed with getting back to the 'Nexus' - the energy ribbon the Enterprise-B encountered. She tells him that it is a doorway to a place which is like being inside joy.

She warns Picard that if he goes, he won't care about the Enterprise or her, he will just want to stay in the 'Nexus'.

In Stellar Cartography, Picard and an emotionally troubled Data plot the course of the ribbon. They discover that Soren destroyed the Amagosan sun to alter the ribbons path, meaning his next destination would be Veridiian III - but this would destroy the inhabitants of Veridiian IV with a shockwave similar to that of Amagosa .

Picard orders a course alteration to Veridiian III.

In orbit of Veridiian III is the Duras sister's Bird-of-Prey. Picard hails the Klingons, they respond by decloaking. Lursa tells Picard that Soren has already beamed down to the surface.

Picard offers himself for Geordi as long as the Klingons let him beam down to Soren first...they agree. Picard is beamed down and Geordi is returned.

On the surface, Picard talks with Soren in order to pursuade him to stop his horific plan but has little success. Soren is surrounded by a forcefield and Picard is unable to get to him.

Geordi awakens in sickbay, and thanks to the alterations made to his Visor by Soren, the Duras Sisters can see exactly what Geordi sees. This includes the shield frquency of 257.4.

With this new information the Klingon-Bird-of-Prey is able to fire it's weapons through the Enterprise's shields causing a great amount of damage. Riker comes up with a plan and the Klingon ship is destroyed

Unfortunately, the Klingons attack has caused a warp core breach. Riker orders a saucer seperation, but before the saucer can get away, the battle section explodes, producing a shockwave that causes the Saucer to crash on the planet.

After discovering a small hole in the field, Picard climbs through and a physical struggle follows. Unfortunately Picard is too late to stop the solar probe from launching, and the nuclear fission in the Veridiian sun breaks down. The ribbon engulfs Picard and Soren. However, the shockwave destroys the Veridiian System, including the crew of the crashed Enterprise.

Picard finds himself disorientated, but once the blindfold is removed he sees a Christmas setting and a family that he has never had time to make.

Picard discovers an 'echo' of Guinan. She tells him that what he is seeing isn't real, but Picard doesn't seem to care. He has a wife and children.

Glancing into a christmas ornament, he is reminded of the explosion of the Veridiian Sun. He has remembered what he needs to do, but he needs help to do it. He wants Guinan to help him, but she can't leave. However, she knows someone who might...

Picard discovers a very much alive Captain Kirk chopping wood. Picard finds out that Kirk has gone back to a time when he was content - with Antonia. Picard attempts to explain what has happened but Kirk believes he has done enough for Starfleet. Kirk carries on with the events that have hapened before, but this time he plans to propose to Antonia, instead of telling her he was going back to Starfleet.

Picard follows Kirk upstairs, but instead of Kirk's bedroom, he find's Kirk's Uncle's Barn in Idaho. Kirk is delighted and rides off on his horse. Picard has little choice but to follow him.

After jumping over a ravine, Kirk discovers that Picard was telling the truth, this wasn't real. Once Picard arrives, he explains about his mission. Kirk tells Picard that it wasn't the empty house that bothered him, it was the empty seat on the Enterprise - he couldn't make a difference anymore. Picard invites Kirk to come back with him, and he agrees.

Events unfold like they did before and the Enterprise crashes on Veridiian III.

Instead of Picard fighting Soren, Kirk does, and Picard rushes off to stop the probe. Kirk knocks Soren off a cliff but he is able to cloak the probe. His rope then gives, resulting in Soren dropping the remote

The two Starfleet Captain spot the remote on a bridge and Kirk races to retrieve it. However, Soren fires at the bridge which then breaks, luckily Picard is there to save Kirk. With the remote on the other side, Kirk offers to get it alone whilst Picard goes to the probe.

Kirk jumps the gap and decloaks the solar probe. Unfortunately the bridge gives and Kirk falls.

Picard is able to lock the probe so that it cannot launch, but Soren appears and demands that Picard get away from his launcher. Picard complies and runs behind a cliff. Soren checks out what Picard has done, and the probe explodes in his face, killing him.

Picard races to the place where Kirk fell. Kirk wants to know if they made a difference. Picard explains it worked and thanks him. Kirk replies by saying it was the least he could do for the captain of the enterprise.

Picard rushes to Kirk's battered body, where he utters 'oh My' before he dies. Picard buries Kirk and mourns over the loss of a friend and a legend. He is interrupted from his mountainside contemplation and is intercepted by a shuttlecraft, that returns him to his crashed and battered ship.

Luckily the casualties are light but unfortunately, the Enterprise herself can't be salvaged.

Data and Troi are in the process of looking for survivors. Data tells her that he believes that he can handle his emotions. But when Deanna finds Spot, Data is overcome. Because he is happy but is crying he believes that his emotion chip is malfunctioning, Deanna tells him that it is working perfectly.

In the remains of the captain's ready room, Picard and Riker are searching for his family album. Riker is disheartened at not being able to sit in the captains chair, Picard assures him that this won't be the last ship name Enterprise. The two men beam up to the USS Farragut.

© 2001-2 Emma Rouse-Deane