"Captain's Log, Stardate 43930.7." "The Enterprise has been in attendance at the biennial Trade Agreements Conference on Betazed." "For the first time, the Ferengi are present and I have reluctantly consented to their boarding the Enterprise for the closing reception." "Check and mate." "Perfect." "The Queen's Gambit, finished off with the Aldabren Exchange." "Unfair." "I-I couldn't concentrate with all that noise." "Noise?" "It's Algolian ceremonial rhythms." "A toast to the success of the Trade Conference, Reittan." "I must admit..." "I had some doubts when you invited the Ferengi." "They made a profit and behaved themselves." "What more could one ask?" "Still, they trouble me." "We Betazeds are uncomfortable with species like the Ferengi whose minds we can't read." "Perhaps your telepathic skills are ineffective owing to the anomalous construction of the Ferengi brain, which is composed of four different..." "Thank you, Mr. Data." "It was thoughtful of you to invite Lwaxana Troi to be part of the Betazed delegation." "Yes, Lwaxana and I go way back." "Her first husband and I were old friends and I've known Deanna since she was a child." "I'm sure Counselor Troi appreciates the opportunity to spend time with her mother." "Little One, you could at least pretend you're happy to see me." "Mother, we're among non-telepaths." "It's impolite not to speak aloud." "You mean talk with my mouth full?" "Deanna, please." "Well, all right." "You want me to say something aloud." "Have you ever considered, if you'd stayed on Betazed you might have been a happier person?" "Let's not guess what might have been." "I love my work on the Enterprise." "Yes, of course you do but it's all business and no play." "You've got to enjoy life, relax." "Like I do." "Find yourself the right man." "Think of your future." "Think of my future." "Lwaxana, Deanna." "Anything I can do for you?" "Could I...?" "She's as repulsive as the rest of them." "Repulsive?" "I find her exotic." "And what an advantage her telepathy would be in our negotiations." "To read our competitors' minds." "Yes, that would be valuable." "But she'd never agree to use her powers to help us." "I'm not so sure." "Lwaxana Troi of Betazed, I believe." "I am DaiMon Tog of the Ferengi vessel Krayton." "May I join you?" "I was just going to see" "Captain Picard." "Excuse me." "oh, Jean-Luc." "Jean-Luc!" "Come have a drink with me." "Tell me what you've been up to." "Perhaps later, Lwaxana." "Mr. Data and I were about to show Reittan Grax the, um... the, um... the new door mechanisms on the aft turbolifts." "If you'll excuse us." "Lwaxana Troi, I desire you." "What?" "You see, your Betazoid skills would be very useful to me and I find you very attractive." "I am willing to pay handsomely for you." "I don't believe this." "You must be aware that every female has her price." "Let's get one thing straight, little man." "I am not for sale." "And if, by some chance, I were to become available" "I would rather eat orion wing-slugs than deal with a toad-faced troll like you!" "So, go away and find yourself somebody else to become your property." "As you wish." "Now that you've totally humiliated us may we return to our vessel?" "She is exhilarating, isn't she?" "And now I want her more than ever." "Lwaxana Troi, you will be mine." "Space, the final frontier." "These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise." "Its continuing mission-- to explore strange new worlds to seek out new life and new civilizations to boldly go where no one has gone before." "Are we at war with the Ferengi yet?" "DaiMon Tog has returned to his vessel and the Ferengi have left orbit." "My mother will be relieved." "I hear she handled the situation quite skillfully." "An admirable woman." "I'll be sure to tell her you said so." "Come in, Little One." "Mother?" "Mother, please." "oh... oh, after that awful little Ferengi insulted me" "I needed to center myself." "Can you imagine that dreadful little creature talking to me like that?" "Doesn't he realize that I am the daughter of the Fifth House of Betazed" "Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx?" "The Sacred Chalice of Rixx is an old clay pot with mold growing inside it." "oh, well, perhaps one day, when you're older and wiser you'll understand." "Come on, Little one, sit down." "Talk to me." "We spend so little time together." "That's true." "I'm sorry, and I didn't mean to get so upset with you at the reception." "oh, no." "Deanna, try to understand." "You're all I have." "My only concern is for your happiness." "I am happy." "Why can't you believe that?" "oh, I wish I could, but how much happiness is there in always being there for someone else and never being there for yourself?" "I get a great deal of satisfaction out of my work." "oh, well, I'm sure you do." "I'm sure it's very rewarding in its way, but what about a family?" "This is my family-- my friends, here on the Enterprise." "All right, in case I have to spell it out for you" "I am talking about finding a husband, having a child." "That's what made me happy." "At least, until now." "Mother, look, perhaps someday, I will marry but you have to let me make my own choices" "live my own life, and not the life that you would choose for me." "You had your chance with Commander Riker." "Look how you ruined that." "I did not ruin anything." "We've become very good friends." "Well, all the better." "You certainly wouldn't want to marry an enemy." "I see we can't talk about this." "Very well, have it your own way, Little one." "Little one?" "!" "You called me that when I was five." "Now, stop demeaning me and address me as an adult." "I'll be home on Betazed if you need me, Little..." "Deanna." "Adding preprocessors to the neutrino counters boosted efficiency by 1 1%." "of course, Commander La Forge and Commander Data did most of the work..." "Not so fast, Wesley." "Reprocessing the data with an optical chip was your idea." "That is correct, sir." "Although Commander La Forge and I designed the chip" "Mr. Crusher derived the equation governing its operation." "The point is, you completed the upgrade well ahead of schedule." "Very impressive." "Indeed." "Fine work." "We shall miss you, Mr. Crusher." "As you've guessed, final entrance examination scores from Starfleet Academy have arrived." "Congratulations." "As soon as you have completed the oral exam you'll be formally admitted." "We'll have you back at Betazed in plenty of time to meet up with the Academy transport ship." "Thank you, sir." "That'll be all." "Number one, a moment." "Yes, Captain?" "You'll agree that this is a fairly routine mapping mission?" "Yes, sir." "Counselor Troi had the good sense to ask for shore leave." "I can see I'm going to have to suggest it to you." "Have a good time, Number one." "...your mother." "I think it's around here somewhere." "Well, maybe it died." "It has been a few years." "Muktok live for hundreds of years." "Here it is." "oh!" "oh... oh, it's lovely." "I remember that sound and all the good times we had." "I remember a certain junior officer meeting a very serious psychology student." "The best part about being assigned to Betazed." "Ah, this is the perfect spot." "Put the food down over there, Mr. Homn." "oh, isn't it a beautiful day for a picnic?" "oh, they'll be joining us in a moment." "No, no, not that." "Here, l-l-l..." "Put the food over there." "No, no, you can go back..." "Mother, how did you know about this place?" "Your father used to bring me here." "Sit down." "And you even brought provisions." "Very thoughtful." "Here, Will, Deanna." "Try an oskoid." "They're delicious." "You see, that sap running through the veins helps keep it warm." "Very tasty." "So, tell us, Lwaxana, the last time we met you were looking for a husband." "Have you had any luck?" "Alas, no, but what happens to me isn't important." "I am much more concerned with other people getting on with their lives." "Mother." "Mr. Homn" "I noticed some uttaberries back along the path." "Pick some." "Well, Mr. Homn and I could go back home if you two would like to be alone." "It's, uh, such a romantic setting." "Mother, stop it!" "Darling, you have been so excitable lately." "Have you ever thought of a leave of absence?" "I could talk to Jean-Luc." "Try the oskoid." "Very different." "What the...?" "oh." "For one whose beauty surpasses even these pericules." "DaiMon Tog" "I thought the Krayton left orbit hours ago." "It did." "But when I tried to get the image of Lwaxana Troi out of my mind, I could not succeed." "This is ludicrous." "You mean, you came all the way back to Betazed for me?" "Why continue to search for perfection once you have found it?" "I don't believe this." "Now, look, demon Tog or whatever you call yourself" "I am the daughter of the Fifth House" "Holder of the Scared Chalice of Rixx" "Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed and unless you want to create an interstellar incident you had better beam back to your ship." "Returning to my ship is exactly what I had in mind." "Krayton, transport four immediately." "No, Tog..." "Pawn takes Knight, King's Level." "Bishop takes Knight, King's Level." "Rook to Queen Four." "Lwaxana?" "oh..." "Deanna?" "Where are we?" "From the smell of things" "I'd say we're aboard a Ferengi vessel." "The Ferengi can't do that." "You're Starfleet officers." "Well, Tog must not have read that chapter in the Ferengi Book of Etiquette." "Enterprise?" "Must be too far out of range." "oh..." "DaiMon, they have regained consciousness." "Very good." "I should have known." "Even their transporters can't be trusted." "Why have you removed our clothing?" "Females do not deserve the honor of clothing." "They're as bad as humans." "Look at that leer on his face." "No, his is an expression of revulsion but it is a feeling that I do not share, Lwaxana." "oh, uh..." "Well, it's cold in here." "Do you want me to become ill?" "You must forgive the Doctor." "He is not accustomed to dealing with Betazoid females." "Now, Lwaxana" "I have a, uh, business proposition for you." "Thanks, but I'm not interested in any of your propositions." "Hear me out." "Your telepathic powers could bring us both great profit." "Huh." "Why would I want to bring you profit?" "In order to keep your daughter alive and healthy, for one." "There is no need for threats." "Lwaxana is a sensible female." "I don't like the sound of this, Mother." "I believe I can control him, Little One." "I'm sure that, uh..." "we can talk about this." "Just the two of us." "A wise choice." "Farek, leave us." "Wel..." "And you may rejoin your friend." "Mother, are you sure?" "I'll be fine." "And now, Lwaxana Troi..." "let us talk." "15 hours from Gamma Erandi and already the subspace static is playing hell with the communications." "Just what you'd expect from a stellar nursery." "Wesley, congratulations on passing your Starfleet written examination." "An excellent achievement." "Thanks, Data." "Now, if I can just do as well on the oral exams." "Not to worry, you will." "And when you return we'll be gaining the best Ensign in the fleet." "There is no guarantee that Wesley will be reassigned to the Enterprise." "91% of Starfleet graduates are not posted to Galaxy-class starships on their first assignment." "I never thought of that." "I always assumed I'd be coming back to the Enterprise." "Well, I'm sure Captain Picard will request you." "That is, if he's still commanding the Enterprise when you graduate." "I never thought of that, either." "I never thought I'd feel this way about leaving you guys and the Enterprise." "Is that not part of the human experience?" "Growth and change?" "Well, I suppose so, but..." "Listen, Wesley, I felt the same way when I left my family to go to the Academy but it was one of the best times of my life." "You're going to meet new friends and have adventures that you can't even imagine yet." "I hope you're right, Geordi." "Oh, Little One" "Tog's given me something perfectly hideous to wear." "He says it flatters my beauty." "So far, Mother's in no danger." "I hope she knows what she's doing." "Well, she's bought us some time." "Let's make the most of it." "I wouldn't do that." "I don't need your help." "The hell you don't." "You're two moves away from being mated." "See?" "You should have listened to me." "Now you've only got one possible escape..." "That wasn't it." "You should have moved the bishop." "Ridiculous!" "The bishop was pinned." "Don't listen to me." "Forget the fact that I beat you in 30 moves." "Pure luck." "I was being polite." "I could have won in 20." "Then prove it." "Pawn to Queen Four, King's Level." "Pawn to King's Bishop Three, Queen's Level." "I must admit, when you, uh, first approached me aboard the Enterprise, I was... intrigued." "You mean revolted." "Perhaps a little." "Do you forgive me?" "Yes." "But, with your powers, we could be a formidable team." "My, you have great strength in your hands." "And you like that?" "I have always admired strong males." "You are beautiful." "It is impossible for me to resist you." "Then, uh... don't." "Initial scans of ionization patterns complete, sir." "Now correlating sensor readings." "It's almost incomprehensible-- the amount of energy being expended." "Actually, it is 5.34 times ten to the 41st watt, sir." "Well within the norm for this type of phenomenon." "Yes, yes, yes, perhaps, Data." "But that takes away none of the wonder." "Check." "I'm sick of this game." "of course, now that you are losing." "Who's losing?" "I'm just tired of standing up." "You can't resign now." "It's hard to play from in here." "I can't even see the whole board." "Ah." "Then you'll finish the game if I let you out of the cell?" "I might." "Clever, human, but I'm not that foolish." "What, do you think I'm going to try to escape?" "What would that get me?" "You've already got her." "Besides, where would I go?" "I do not trust you." "Fine." "Thanks for the game." "Come out here." "Now save your rook, if you can." "...and that was my first husband." "Not much of a conversationalist but, uh... what a lover." "Well, then I met..." "I do not want to hear about your other romances." "It makes me jealous." "My, my, what, uh..." "big ears you have." "Has anyone ever told you how attractive they are?" "Some females think they are my best feature." "No one has ever given me oo-mox like this before." "Oo-mox?" "There's no translation but the ear is one of our most erogenous zones." "Those Ferengi have iron jaws." "Little One, if Tog were a kitten, he'd be purring." "Good work, Mother." "According to Mother" "DaiMon Tog is extremely relaxed at the moment." "Tell Lwaxana to keep him relaxed while we call in the cavalry." "Access to communications denied." "All transmissions to be authorized by DaiMon Tog." "Let's see just how relaxed DaiMon Tog is." "Mother, we're out of the cell and we're trying to contact the Enterprise but we can't do it without Tog's access code." "Do you think you could manage to..." "Say no more, Little One." "Lwaxana, you and I are going to make such a wonderful team." "With your telepathy and my cunning, I foresee..." "A very profitable future." "Subspace interference is subsiding, sir." "Communications have been restored." "Good." "Contact Commander Riker on Betazed." "Message coming in from Betazed, sir." "Priority one." "on screen." "Captain Picard, at last." "We have been trying to reach you for two days." "our communications have been blocked by the nebula, Reittan." "Is there a problem?" "I'm afraid so, Captain." "Lwaxana, Deanna and Commander Riker have disappeared." "I knew I wanted you the moment I saw you." "You have fulfilled all of my expectations." "How sweet." "Farek thought it was a bad idea, but I knew better." "How clever." "I knew best." "I always know best." "How repugnant." "What?" "oh, I said, "How romantic."" "I can't resist a man who knows what he wants and goes after it." "That's me and that's why I am DaiMon of this ship." "I take charge in every situation." "More to the left, woman." "Whatever you say." "My darling, would you care for something to drink?" "Mmm." "You're so attentive." "Does your food synthesizer know how to make an Arcturian Fizz?" "I don't think so." "They have certain pleasure-enhancing qualities." "Hmm." "Uh..." "let me teach your computer how to make one." "oh!" "I'll need your access code." "Yes, my beloved." "Computer, access code Keh-ee" "Yoor-ee Dah-teh-ee..." "Tog, be silent!" "I knew you were not to be trusted." "Doctor Farek, I was just going to make DaiMon Tog a drink." "Save your lies for this fool." "B-But he's..." "But, oh, please, don't listen to him, don't." "No, he's misunderstood." "No, Tog." "You have misunderstood." "You have been tricked by a sly female who finds you repulsive." "She was only trying to serve me a drink." "You almost gave her complete access to the ship's computer-- a security breach severe enough to cost you your command." "It's time you took my advice." "Let me study her." "Study her?" "Your mind probes could kill her." "You brought her aboard for her telepathic powers." "If I can determine what neural configuration gives her those powers" "I may be able to duplicate them." "We could still profit from this." "I don't know." "A true DaiMon would not be blinded by lust." "Give her to me or I may be forced to report your transgressions." "Very well." "oh..." "Take her." "When you're finished here, survey in that direction." "Aye, sir." "I wish I had some answers for you, Lieutenant Worf." "Mr. Homn was no help?" "None." "He last saw them as he was leaving this clearing." "When he returned, all three of them were gone." "Lieutenant Foley discovered this in the pond." "The species is Zan Periculi." "It is not indigenous to Betazed but to Lappa iv, a Ferengi world." "Now we have a reasonable hypothesis as to whom." "The difficult question is where." "The Ferengi ship is almost as fast as the Enterprise." "She could be anywhere by now." "Commander Riker will assume we'll be searching for them." "He'll find some way to send us a message." "Mr. Worf" "I want continual monitoring of Ferengi subspace frequencies." "Mr. La Forge, can you extend our sensor range?" "If I narrow the band and tie in the long-range sensors to the subspace scanners, I can boost the gain." "Make it so." "Do you wish to leave orbit, sir?" "Not until we have some place to go." "I've done everything I know how." "It's no use." "Without Tog's security code" "I can't get near their communication system." "We're running out of time." "Farek's about to begin the neural scan on Mother." "Maybe I'm going about this in the wrong way." "If I pick a minor subsystem, something non-essential..." "Like this-- warp field phase adjustment." "All this does is suppress the subspace interference generated by the warp engines." "Meaning what?" "Meaning, if I set up a simple oscillation" "I can send out a signal." "The trick is to create a message the Enterprise will understand but the Ferengi will think is just normal subspace static." "oh..." "What's wrong?" "Mother." "Will... we have to help her." "Thanks for your help, Wes but you'd better get aboard the Bradbury." "They were ready to break orbit an hour ago." "As soon as I'm sure this works." "Initiating scans now, Captain." "Can you locate the Krayton?" "Ferengi transmissions are routinely scrambled and encoded, sir." "Without breaking the code, we will be unable to identify any specific Ferengi vessel." "Ferengi codes are damn near impossible to break." "Gentlemen, I have the utmost confidence in your ability to perform the impossible." "Captain, the Bradbury is hailing us." "They can no longer delay their departure." "Mr. Crusher, now." "No lengthy farewells." "Good luck." "Thank you, sir." "The repetitive nature of the subcarrier pattern implies a modified Huffman- Greenlaw encoder scheme..." "Deck six." "Wesley." "Take care." "You too, Mom." "Something the matter?" "We've been scanning Ferengi transmissions trying to locate the Krayton." "one of the signals was..." "I don't know, familiar somehow." "Something in the message?" "No, the message was scrambled." "It was the static!" "Where are you going?" "Captain." "The Bradbury has informed us they can no longer wait for Mr. Crusher to come aboard." "Wesley." "Captain, I think there's a pattern to the subspace interference" "I heard in one of the Ferengi messages." "Wesley, unless you leave immediately you're going to miss the Bradbury." "The interference itself could be a message." "If I could just hear a replay of the subspace scans." "Signal the Bradbury they may leave." "Play back the Ferengi transmissions." "Wait, repeat that one." "Put it on continuous replay." "Hear that popping noise?" "Data, can you filter out everything but that sound?" "That's Cochrane distortion-- a fluctuation in the phase of the subspace field." "All warp engines generate that kind of interference." "But listen to the pattern." "It's the Algolian ceremonial rhythm that the musician played at the reception." "Mr. Crusher is correct, sir." "There is a temporal correlation." "Then it is a signal from Commander Riker." "Ingenious." "He selected a signal we'd recognize but one the Ferengi would dismiss as static." "Signal source located, Captain." "Plot an intercept course." "Course plotted and laid in, sir." "Well done, Mr. Crusher." "Warp eight." "Aye, sir." "Engage." "Get away from her." "What do you think you're doing?" "Standoff, Commander." "DaiMon Tog, can't we strike a bargain?" "All I am concerned about is my daughter's safety." "What happens to me isn't important." "What are you suggesting?" "Well, let me be candid, DaiMon Tog." "Deanna's of no use to you." "She's only half Betazoid." "And if you keep Riker" "Starfleet will never stop chasing you." "Release them." "Release them and I will stay with you willingly." "I'll even use my telepathy to aid in your negotiations." "A tempting offer." "I would like to believe you." "The offer is genuine." "I give you my word as a daughter of the Fifth House of Betazed." "Lwaxana, don't." "I've made up my mind." "I can't let you do this." "William, I am a grown woman." "I can make my own decisions." "Mother, we can't just leave you here." "Yes, you can." "And before he changes his mind." "Please, Little one, do this for me." "Just this once." "Do we have an agreement?" "I give you my word." "I will release your daughter and the Commander." "DaiMon, a Federation ship approaching at high warp." "The Enterprise has found us." "Slow to impulse." "Raise shields." "Inform the Enterprise that two of our guests are ready to return." "The other will be staying with us at her own request." "I must protest, DaiMon." "Lwaxana has given her word." "Oo-mox is only the beginning." "Are you both all right?" "None the worse for wear." "My mother bought our freedom, Captain." "She doesn't want to stay with Tog." "Hail the Krayton." "Frequencies open." "DaiMon Tog responding." "on screen." "Captain Picard, so good of you to meet us." "We were on our way to Betazed to return our guests." "of course you were, DaiMon." "But you're still holding Lwaxana Troi." "When will you get it through your thick head that it's over between us, Jean-Luc?" "I think I know what she's doing." "You have to fight to get her back, Captain." "open." "Um, uh, uh... it's not over between us, Lwaxana." "Um, uh..." "you're mine and, um..." "I-I will not let you go." "I-I insist you return to my side immediately." "You mean, you still care?" ""My love is a fever, longing still for that which longer nurseth the disease."" "Tell me more." ""ln faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes" ""for they in thee a thousand errors see" ""But 'tis my heart that loves what they despise" ""Who, in despite of view, art pleas'd to dote." ""Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" "Thou art more lovely and more temperate..."" "You didn't tell me that you and Captain Picard were..." "You said you didn't want to hear about my other romances." "I have a new love, Jean-Luc." "And you can't keep killing all my lovers." "Now, that simply has to stop." "Killing?" "oh, he's insanely jealous." "Listen, Tog, I must possess Lwaxana and if that means destroying your ship in the process so be it." "Captain, I had no idea Lwaxa..." "Don't let him threaten you." "You can defeat him." "The only way you'll ever get me back is over Tog's dead body." "That can be arranged." "Mr. Worf, arm phaser banks and photon torpedoes." "If Lwaxana Troi is not in my arms in ten seconds throw everything you've got at the Krayton." "But you will destroy Lwaxana." ""When I have pluck'd the rose" ""l cannot give it vital growth again." "It needs must wither."" "Nine, eight..." ""'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."" "Seven... six..." "No, wait." "Five... four..." "Beam her to their Bridge now." "Two... one..." "You wonderfully jealous fool, you." "Captain..." "I-I trust there will be no further action taken against us?" "Such as my reporting this incident to your superiors who may question your competence as DaiMon?" "I will think about it." "Screen off." "Thank you, Jean-Luc." "You were most convincing." "You certainly convinced me." "I am truly grateful, Mrs. Troi that you risked your life to save my people." "I'll have you home in a few hours." "oh, no, no, no, no." "That won't be necessary." "I'd just love to hear more of your poetry." "Ah..." "Perhaps another time." "Please." "Mr. Crusher." "Set course for Betazed." "Warp nine."