Starship Mine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Star Trek: TNG episode | |
| "Starship Mine" | |
 |
|
| Episode no. | 144 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 244 |
| Airdate | March 29, 1993 |
| Writer(s) | Morgan Gendel |
| Director | Cliff Bole |
| Guest star(s) | Tim deZarn Marie Marshall David Spielberg Tim Russ Glenn Morshower Patricia Tallman Tom Nibley Arlee Reed Alan Altshuld |
| Year | 2369 |
| Stardate | 46682.4 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "Birthright (Part 2)" |
| Next | "Lessons" |
Starship Mine is a sixth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This action-packed episode features Picard in a one-man battle with mercenaries who invade the evacuated Enterprise.
[edit] Plot Summary
The Enterprise is evacuated in preparation for a baryon sweep, a space-age decontamination procedure with a deadly beam that combs through the entire ship.
Picard and other members of the crew are invited to a cocktail party by Commander Calvin "Hutch" Hutchinson, an officer who is notorious for his ability to engage in small talk. Cornered by Hutch, Picard sees an opportunity to escape the party by going horseback riding nearby, and "urgently" ducks out to retrieve his saddle from the Enterprise before the decontamination beam reaches his quarters. Before he can beam out again, he is captured by some civilians on the ship. They are mercenaries that are collecting particles from the warp reactor to be sold to another group; particles whose obvious purpose is to be used as the explosive in a powerful bomb. Picard escapes and plays a ruthless game of cat-and-mouse with little more than a crossbow and his wits against a well-stocked platoon. It is one of the most ferocious adventures of the series: Picard takes no prisoners, killing every single mercenary. Future Star Trek: Voyager costar Tim Russ (Tuvok), Babylon 5 regular Patricia Tallman (also a busy Star Trek: TNG stuntwoman) and Babylon 5 Gropos episode featured character Marie Marshall (PFC Elizabeth 'Dodger' Durman) are among the mercenaries.
Data provides comic relief in the hilarious opening scenes as he learns small talk tips from the smarmy and garrulous Commander Hutchinson (David Spielberg). The two excitedly trade trivialities throughout the cocktail party ("I had no idea anyone could talk about nothing for so long," exclaims an exasperated Riker).
Tim Russ taunts Picard by saying, "You're Starfleet. You won't kill me." Picard manages to anesthetize him. Later, Picard lets the mercenary die from the Baryon sweep.
[edit] External links
- Starship Mine article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
- Starship Mine at StarTrek.com
