“Gambit, Part II”
Written by Naren Shankar and Ronald D. Moore
Directed by Alexander Singer
Season 7, Episode 5
Production episode 40276-257
Original air date: October 18, 1993
Stardate: 47160.1
Captain’s Log: We get the salient portions of Part 1, and then we discover that Picard put disruptors on minimal power. While both nacelles are struck, no damage is done. Assuming that Riker did something to the weapons (which is half right), Data plays along, setting the ship adrift, cutting power to six decks, and reducing phaser power to 25% before returning fire. The Enterprise still does damage, though (possibly helped along by Picard), and Tallera convinces Baran (using logic, interestingly enough) to withdraw while they still can.
Data lets the ship go, despite Worf’s concern that their sheath will keep the Enterprise from tracking them once they go to warp. Data has Troi and La Forge look for some kind of hint that Riker may have sent, either through body language or via the transmission he used to send his command codes. Troi has no luck, but La Forge finds a coded message. It indicates a flight plan to the Hyralan sector. Since the Enterprise is faster than the mercenary ship, they head there at warp nine.
[Will, you always seem to be after my job.]