Riker accepts Baran’s murder order
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Baran probes Riker about his future plans and gauges his interest in joining the mercenary crew, carefully assessing Riker's potential value and loyalty.
Riker seeks more information about the mission's profitability, signaling his growing interest and shifting his allegiance from Starfleet's ideals to potential financial gain.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Excited yet cautious—Baran’s confidence in the mission’s progress is tempered by his deep-seated paranoia, which drives him to test Riker’s loyalty through a morally repugnant request. His surface charm masks a ruthless pragmatism, as he calculates how to eliminate threats like Picard while securing Riker’s compliance.
Baran lounges in an overstuffed chair in his decadently furnished quarters, holding a drink as he engages in a tense conversation with Riker. He reveals his plan to eliminate Picard ('Galen') once the final artifact is secured, testing Riker’s loyalty by offering him a future in the crew if he proves himself by killing Picard. Baran studies Riker closely, expressing suspicion and caution, and discusses the 'profitable mission' while sipping his drink. His body language—leaning back, taking long drinks—conveys a mix of confidence and paranoia.
- • Eliminate Picard ('Galen') to remove a perceived threat and complete the mission.
- • Secure Riker’s loyalty to the crew by offering him a share of the profits, ensuring his compliance in future tasks.
- • Riker’s past actions at Calder Two make him a potential ally, but his true motives remain unclear.
- • Galen (Picard) has allies among the crew who could pose a problem if he is killed, necessitating Riker’s infiltration of his circle.
Unseen but implied to be vigilant and strategic—Picard’s absence creates a sense of impending danger, as Baran’s plan to eliminate him hinges on Riker’s compliance.
Picard is mentioned by Baran as the target for elimination once the final artifact is secured. Baran describes him as a 'loud-mouthed fool' but also 'perceptive,' implying that Picard’s observations about Riker have raised Baran’s suspicions. Picard’s absence from the scene is felt through Baran’s dialogue, as his perceived threat looms over the interaction between Baran and Riker.
- • Protect Riker from Baran’s suspicion and ensure their undercover mission remains intact.
- • Prevent Baran from reassembling the telepathic weapon, which could ignite interstellar war.
- • Riker is trustworthy and will find a way to outmaneuver Baran without compromising their mission.
- • Baran’s paranoia and ruthlessness make him a dangerous adversary who must be handled with precision.
Feigned calm masking deep anxiety and moral conflict—Riker’s surface compliance hides his revulsion at the idea of killing Picard, while his internal struggle between his undercover role and his duty to Starfleet creates a palpable tension.
Riker sits tense on a couch in Baran’s quarters, feigning enthusiasm for Baran’s offer while subtly probing his motives. He reacts with feigned compliance to Baran’s request to kill Picard ('Galen'), masking his true allegiance to Starfleet. His body language—standing to leave but being stopped by Baran—reveals his internal conflict between duty and survival. Riker’s dialogue is calculated, blending disillusionment with cautious curiosity about the 'profitable mission.'
- • Maintain his undercover role to protect Picard and complete the mission.
- • Gather intelligence about Baran’s plans and the 'profitable mission' to report back to Starfleet.
- • Baran’s suspicion of him is a threat that must be managed carefully to avoid exposure.
- • His loyalty to Starfleet and Picard must remain absolute, even if it means playing along with Baran’s demands for now.
Professionally detached—Tallera’s tone is matter-of-fact, focusing on the logistics of the mission without emotional inflection. Her role in this event is purely functional, reinforcing the crew’s coordination under Baran’s leadership.
Tallera’s voice is heard over the communicator, confirming the delivery of an item (likely the final artifact) to Baran’s quarters. Her dialogue is brief but functional, indicating her role in coordinating the mission’s progress. She does not appear physically in the scene but is referenced as a key operative in Baran’s crew.
- • Ensure the smooth delivery of the final artifact to Baran’s quarters.
- • Support Baran’s plan to eliminate Picard ('Galen') by maintaining mission efficiency.
- • The mission’s success depends on precise coordination and loyalty to Baran’s leadership.
- • Riker’s role in infiltrating Picard’s circle is critical to avoiding potential crew unrest.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Baran’s communicator is activated at the beginning of the event, facilitating Tallera’s confirmation of the artifact’s delivery. The device serves as a tool for coordination, bridging Baran’s suspicions and commands to his crew. Its brief activation underscores the tight-knit, high-stakes nature of the mercenary operation, where loyalty and efficiency are paramount. The communicator symbolizes Baran’s authority and the crew’s reliance on his leadership to execute the mission.
Baran’s drink (in a glass) functions as a prop that symbolizes his confidence and control. He takes long, satisfying sips between lines of dialogue, using the drink as a pause to study Riker and assert his dominance. The act of drinking reinforces Baran’s relaxed yet calculating demeanor, as he tests Riker’s loyalty while enjoying the luxuries of his position. The glass itself is a subtle reminder of the power dynamics in the room—Baran is in command, while Riker is the one being evaluated.
Baran’s overstuffed furniture—particularly his lounging chair—serves as a prop that emphasizes his authority and comfort in his role as the mercenary leader. The plush cushions and heavy upholstery create a stark contrast to the sparse, utilitarian design of the rest of the ship, symbolizing Baran’s self-indulgence and the privileges of his position. As Baran lounges in the chair, sipping his drink and engaging in the tense conversation with Riker, the furniture reinforces his confidence and the power dynamics at play. It also highlights the discomfort of Riker’s position, seated on a couch as he navigates Baran’s loyalty test.
The final artifact is implied but not physically present in the scene. Baran references its impending delivery as the catalyst for eliminating Picard ('Galen'), framing it as the capstone of the mercenaries’ profitable mission. The artifact’s absence creates a sense of anticipation, as its arrival will trigger the next phase of Baran’s plan—testing Riker’s loyalty and setting the stage for Picard’s elimination. Its symbolic role as the key to the mission’s success looms over the interaction, driving Baran’s urgency and Riker’s internal conflict.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Baran’s quarters serve as the tense meeting point for this event, where the power dynamics between Baran and Riker are laid bare. The opulent, decadent setting—filled with overstuffed furniture and gaudy sculptures—contrasts sharply with the utilitarian design of the rest of the mercenary ship, symbolizing Baran’s self-indulgent command. The quarters function as Baran’s private lair, where he tests Riker’s loyalty and reveals his plan to eliminate Picard ('Galen'). The space is closed-off and restrictive, reinforcing the high-stakes nature of the conversation and the isolation of the characters involved. The atmosphere is one of paranoia and calculation, as Baran’s suspicions and Riker’s feigned compliance collide.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Starfleet is invoked indirectly through Baran’s reference to Riker’s past actions at Calder Two and his implied disillusionment with the organization. While not physically present, Starfleet looms as a source of conflict and tension, representing the ideals and protocols that Riker has ostensibly abandoned. Baran’s offer to Riker—a future in the mercenary crew—is framed as an alternative to the rigid structure and moral constraints of Starfleet, highlighting the organization’s role as a point of tension and disillusionment in Riker’s undercover role. The dialogue underscores the ideological divide between Starfleet’s principles and the mercenaries’ ruthless pragmatism.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The test of loyalty escalates from identifying Galen's allies to ultimately killing Galen."
"The test of loyalty escalates from identifying Galen's allies to ultimately killing Galen."
"Baran expresses suspicion regarding Riker's motivations, this progresses where Baran proposes a test of loyalty."
"Baran expresses suspicion regarding Riker's motivations, this progresses where Baran proposes a test of loyalty."
"The test of loyalty escalates from identifying Galen's allies to ultimately killing Galen."
"The test of loyalty escalates from identifying Galen's allies to ultimately killing Galen."
"Baran expresses suspicion regarding Riker's motivations, this progresses where Baran proposes a test of loyalty."
"Baran expresses suspicion regarding Riker's motivations, this progresses where Baran proposes a test of loyalty."
Key Dialogue
"BARAN: We have only one more artifact to find... and once Galen confirms it's genuine, his usefulness on this ship will come to a very sudden end."
"RIKER: I can't say I'm sorry to hear that."
"BARAN: When the time comes, I want you to kill Galen."
"RIKER: Okay."