- After being fired upon by a Cardassian vessel, Picard races against time to find out the facts behind the Cardassian commander's claim that the Federation attacked one of their outposts.
- The Federation is on the verge of war with the Cardassians after a Starship under the command of Captain Benjamin Maxwell attacks a Cardassian science outpost, destroying it and killing everyone there. Captain Picard is ordered to find Maxwell and take whatever steps necessary to stop him. The Cardassians are cautious and their captain, Gul Macet, doesn't quite believe Picard will hunt down one of his own. Picard for his part will do his duty but finds it hard to believe that a Starship captain would attack without reason. Chief O'Brien served with Maxwell and knows that his family was killed many years before in a Cardassian attack. He also knows that Maxwell is a very able captain who would not seek revenge. When Maxwell destroys a Cardassian cargo ship, Picard realizes he must be stopped before there is all-out war.—garykmcd
- Federation and Cardassians are at peace for a year since the end of a long conflict between the 2. Enterprise is on a mapping survey near Cardassian sectors. Out of nowhere, a Cardassian ship starts attacking the Enterprise. After damaging their shields, Picard opens a channel and learns that The Federation is on the verge of war with the Cardassians after a star ship Phoenix under the command of Captain Benjamin Maxwell (Bob Gunton) attacks a Cardassian science outpost in the Cuellar system (2 days ago), destroying it and killing everyone there. Captain Picard is ordered to find Maxwell and take whatever steps necessary to stop him. He will also have to take a Cardassian delegation with him, as a show of good faith. The Cardassians have offered a safe passage to the Enterprise through their space.
The Cardassians are cautious and their captain, Gul Macet (Marc Alaimo), doesn't quite believe Picard will hunt down one of his own. Picard for his part will do his duty but finds it hard to believe that a star ship captain would attack without reason. Phoenix is unreachable and won't answer any hails from Starfleet command. The 3 observes from Cardassians are Gul Macet, Glin Telle (Marco Rodríguez) and Glin Daro (Time Winters).
Chief O'Brien served with Maxwell and knew that his family was killed many years before in a Cardassian attack. He also knows that Maxwell is a very able captain who would not seek revenge. Picard finds the Phoenix and is on an intercept course. He refuses to share the exact details of the Phoenix with Gul Macet, who says that Cardassian ships in the sector can find him a lot faster. Picard finds Phoenix pursuing a Cardassian cargo ship. Picard realizes he must be stopped before there is all-out war.
He orders Worf to share the Phoenix codes with the Cardassians. With these codes they can dismantle the shields. The Phoenix will have no chance to survive. But even after this, the Phoenix prevails in battle and destroys the Cardassian warship and the supply ship, killing 650 people in total.
When Telle is found near an Enterprise computer terminal, Worf apprehends him and accuses him of trying to gain access to Enterprise weapons information. Macet disapproves and confines Telle to his quarters for the duration of the expedition.
Enterprise finally intercepts the Phoenix and Maxwell beams on board the Enterprise. Maxwell tells Picard that the Cardassians are arming again. The science station was a military supply port. He has no proof. Maxwell never reported to Starfleet. Picard is not convinced that Maxwell had an urgent need to take drastic action. Picard accuses Maxwell of trying to avenge his family's death. He orders the Phoenix to return to star base 211. Once back on board, Phoenix changes course to attack another Cardassian supply ship. Enterprise pursues. Maxwell wants Picard to board the Cardassian ship to determine if it's a military supply vessel, as he claims, or not.
Miles offers to beam over and try to talk to Maxwell to stand down. Miles tells Maxwell that there is no war, and it has been over for a year. Maxwell was avenging his family's death. He was grieving. Maxwell stands down and is placed in a brig while Phoenix is taken to star base 211 by its first officer. Picard tells Gul Macet that Cardassains had no business planting a science station an arm's length away from 3 federation sectors. Also supply ships don't run on high energy subspace generators that jam sensors. Cardassians are indeed arming for war. Picard tells Macet that while what Maxwell did was wrong, Federation will be watching.
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