The Last Outpost (TNG episode)

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Star Trek: TNG episode
"The Last Outpost"
The Enterprise makes first contact with the Ferengi, in The Last Outpost.
Episode no.	5
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 #5, production #107, first broadcast October 19, 1987. It is written by Herbert Wright, based on a story by Richard Krzemien, and directed by Richard Colla.

Guest cast is Armin Shimerman, Jake Dengel and Tracey Walter.

Overview: An unknown force immobilizes the Enterprise while encountering a new alien threat. It is the first on-screen appearance of the Ferengi.

[edit] Plot

On stardate 41194.6, the Enterprise is in hot pursuit of a Ferengi vessel that is suspected in the theft of a T-9 energy converter from an unmanned Federation outpost. The ship lingers in the unexplored Delphi Ardu system and drops to sublight speed above a cloudy planet. The Enterprise closes in, with Captain Picard wary of the fact that little is known about their adversary. This is really the first time any Federation ship has gotten a close look upon their new enemy.

The crescent-shaped Ferengi ship comes into view while Mr. Data and Lt. La Forge pore over the newly-acquired sensor information. They are impressed with the design and place the Ferengi at an equal technological footing with the Federation. Sensor scans are interrupted when the Ferengi ship turns about and attacks the Enterprise. Picard does not return fire, instead he orders to keep their distance, trying to establish communications first.

The Enterprise then experiences a loss in power and is involuntarily pulled into orbit of the planet. Picard fears the power loss is caused by a secret weapon aboard the Ferengi ship. He asks for assessments from his bridge crew; Counselor Troi reports feeling nothing from the captain of the enemy ship, indicating the Ferengi may be able to shield their thoughts. Data states that third hand accounts indicate the Ferengi are traders; reminiscent of "Yankee Traders" of eighteenth and nineteenth century America. They search for mercantile and territorial opportunity with a more nefarious, capitalist manner.

Down in engineering, La Forge and Commander Riker try to regain control of the ship. Geordi reports that any attempt to increase power is drained away by equal compensation. They push, the force pushes back, however Geordi detects a .3 millisecond delay in the effect and believes a slow decrease in power, then a quick burst to full, will allow the Enterprise to break free. Picard approves the plan still curious to what the Ferengi likewise plotting. With weapons at the ready, Picard initiates the "surprise" escape, but to everyone's dismay, nothing changes; the Enterprise remains stationary along with their enemy looming before them.

Still with no response from the aliens, Picard orders an emergency meeting with all department heads to evaluate the situation. Troi believes they should focus attention on the planet below, and suggests the Ferengi aren't behind the immobilization. Picard orders Data to dig up whatever information is available on the planet below, while Lt. Worf and Lt. Yar recommend a total attack on the Ferengi if, and when, weapon power becomes available. Picard notes their suggestions and dismisses everyone except Riker, who he orders a full annihilation of the Enterprise as a final alternative to capture.

Picard and his crew take their places on the bridge, with minimal weapon power, Picard attempts another contact with the aliens. He announces a peaceful surrender and that he is willing to hear their terms. After a short while of static, the Ferengi finally respond, with audio only at first. The Ferengi captain identifying himself as Dai Mon Taar. A video channel is eventually established, and the bridge crew get a first look at their opponent's bright orange skin, goblin-like faces and over sized ears.

Picard discusses surrender to which the Ferengi misinterpret as meaning "their own" surrender. Taar declares it unacceptable, announcing they will fight until the last Ferengi falls. Picard realizes Troi's hunch was correct; the Ferengi think the immobilization effect is a weapon caused by the Enterprise, and that they too are in the same predicament.

Picard orders a probe down to the planet. The bridge crew meet again and Data debriefs them on the information he as uncovered. The records show the ancient star charts of the "Tkon Empire", which has been extinct for 600,000 years; the victims of an apparent supernova explosion of their homeworld's star. The charts indicate the planet below, Gamma Tauri IV, was one of their outposts, which formed a defensive ring around their territory. In the meantime, Data humorously becomes stuck in a Chinese finger trap he has been playing with. Picard helps him remove the trap and allows him to continue.

Information from the probe arrives, which shows both the Enterprise and the Ferengi ship are being held in a force beam projected from the surface of the planet. Picard decides to send an away team down to investigate the source of the beam, while Riker contemplates on the possibility of the Ferengi discovering the true nature of the situation and how they will react. Picard suggests they may have to "team up" with them, to which the others become unnerved by the idea.

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. Picard learns that the Ferengi have already figured it out on their own, and promptly withdraw their surrender, however Taar agrees to assist in getting the situation resolved. Picard is delighted at the more "productive" relationship, however Taar would rather prefer a more "profitable" one. Picard and Taar's discussion leads to argument over the theft of the energy converter, to which Taar, annoyed at being called a thief, claims the device was placed on one of their worlds. Picard decides to discuss territorial claims later, in the meantime Taar agrees to send a party down to assist in their release of the ships.

A party consisting of Riker, Data, Geordi, Worf and Tasha, beam to the planet's surface. They experience a twilight world of overcast, turbulent skies arcing with lightning. The party materializes in scattered locations. Worried he is alone, Riker runs around to look for the others. To his relief, he runs into Data, who believes the force field has scrambled their arrival coordinates. The two look for the others, finding Geordi stuck upside down in a tree. As they try to free him, the group is attacked by a Ferengi wielding an energy whip.

Meanwhile, six hours have gone by since the away team was sent. The Enterprise, now operating on power reserves, is quickly expending life support.

Back on the planet, Riker awakens next to his unconscious companions to find his group surrounded by three stunted Ferengi, two of which drag Worf into the pile. The aliens scoff at the group's golden communicator pins. Letek, the dominant Ferengi, accuses Riker's group of planning an ambush. Riker retorts stating the Ferengi have broken their agreement to peacefully assist in freeing the ships. Data and Worf come to and observe their situation. It is quickly discovered the Ferengi's enormous ears are sensitive to loud noise. Every thunderclap disorients the aliens, giving the away team a chance to overpower them. Despite having been captured, the Ferengi are more startled at the fact that humans allow their females to carry weapons and worse, wear clothing.

Back on the Enterprise the situation grows dim, with life support rapidly failing and the crew freezing to death on all decks.

On the planet, Letek and his cohorts plan an escape. Two flee but Tasha gives chase firing her phaser. She is stunned when she sees the beam arc 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; possibly working on the same principals that hold the starships. Tasha is confused about their weapons working fine when they first arrived, and mentions something must have changed.

Suddenly, a humanoid entity appears to which Geordi "sees" with his visor as an energy accumulation; the source of the power drain upon the starships. The entity responds in a booming voice, identifying itself as "The Guardian" and indicates that the group has activated "Portal Six-Three", asking if they petition entry into the Tkon Empire. Data informs the guardian that the Tkon Empire is extinct; destroyed during the Age of Makto when their central star destabilized. The Guardian however, having been asleep for hundreds of thousands of years, seems unaware of this.

Letak takes the opportunity to step forward; announcing that the humans are known for their treachery and encourage the portal to not believe them. Letak offers his petition to serve the Empire in exchange for the release of their Ferengi ship (at no profit, of course). The Ferengi go on making claims that the humans are destroyers of legal commerce, selfishly keeping advanced technology from backward worlds and despicably clothe their females (a perverted act in the Ferengis' eyes).

The rest of the away team breathlessly await Riker to come to their defense, but to the bewilderment of all present, he claims "guilty" to all the outlandish charges. Riker admits that the Federation has allowed planets to fall to their enemies, letting the violent and strong dominate, and willingly held back the advancement of lesser worlds. Despite a clear upper hand, Letak goes on, pointing out the proof of human barbarianism, gesturing to the away team's communicators, stating they even adorn themselves with gold, a despicable use of such a rare and valuable metal.

The portal figure forms into a hooded figure wielding a bladed weapon. It approaches Riker calling him a "barbarian" with its thundering voice. It takes a fighting stance to which Worf tries to defend but is forcefully thrown back. Tasha wisely keeps her ground. The portal decides to test Riker's moral wisdom; as is customary to test all savages the Tkon Empire encounters. The portal demands an answer to its challenge. Riker finally answers: "Fear is the true enemy, the only enemy".

Satisfied with Riker's response, the entity turns rather friendly. It repeats "Know your enemy and know yourself, and victory will always be yours." which it gathered from Riker's mind and inquires who this Sun Tzu is. Riker explains he was a philosopher from Earth's past to which the guardian places his wisdom on par with its own.

The being claims 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. Riker requests the entity to free the Enterprise, which it does. Then it asks what of the Ferengi; offering to destroy them. Riker states by destroying them they will have learned nothing to which the portal agrees is a wise decision. The portal returns to its slumber and the away team returns to the Enterprise where everyone is relieved to be breathing again.

Before leaving, the Ferengi return the energy converter, and Riker makes a request to send a box of Data's Chinese finger traps over to the Ferengi vessel as "thanks" for what they tried to do.

[edit] Continuity

This episode marks the first appearance of the Ferengi as a new menace to the Federation since peace was established with the Klingons. The Ferengi were indeed initially intended to replace the Klingon empire as the "enemy" race of the Federation in TNG. However, viewers found their comic behavior and appearance underwhelming. As a result, Paramount negated these plans; throughout TNG the Ferengi shared the role of menacing alien with a wide variety of enemies, most notably the Borg, the Romulans, and the Cardassians.

[edit] Casting

The role of Letek was played by Armin Shimerman. Shimerman has since become famous for playing the role of Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Shimerman also appeared in other roles in the Star Trek Franchise. Shimerman appeared as the Wedding Gift Box on the episode "Haven". He was DaiMon Bractor in the episode "Peak Performance". Shimerman eventually became one of eight actors to appear in three different Star Trek series, those being Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager.

Preceded by: "Code of Honor"

Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes

Followed by: "Where No One Has Gone Before"