Object
Ten-Forward Tray of Hors d'Oeuvres
A low, polished Ten-Forward service tray heaped with bite-sized savory canapés — tiny toasts, folded meats, cheeses, jewel-bright relishes and skewered olives — arrayed on paper doilies and passed through Ten‑Forward by uniformed waiters. Warm crusts steam faintly, sauces glint under the lounge lights, and patrons reach and nibble while conversation and charged glances ripple across the table.
2 appearances
Purpose
To carry and present small, ready-to-eat savory appetizers to Ten‑Forward patrons; to allow servers to circulate food and to provide tactile social props during introductions and informal diplomacy.
Significance
Functions as the social lubricant for the diplomatic gathering: it frames introductions, offers excuses for touch and proximity, and punctuates moments of attraction and rivalry (Troi/Ral, negotiators). The tray's circulating presence helps stage interpersonal maneuvering amid the public spectacle of the wormhole reveal.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used