Louvois' Return — Old Wounds Reopened
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
The Enterprise docks and the high-tech restaurant frames Picard alone at a table; a solitary cup sits before him, projecting quiet routine and personal solitude.
Picard's posture tightens as a poised WOMAN in a Starfleet uniform enters, her eyes lock on him and an ironic smile flickers—her presence ruptures the calm and announces a charged reunion.
Picard rises and closes the distance with a mordant greeting—he names her Phillipa Louvois, stunned that she's back in uniform, the words edged with their history.
Phillipa snaps back with dry, personal barbs—her retort reframes the reunion as antagonism rather than affection, sharpening the emotional undercurrent between them.
Picard deliberately leans into the old friction—he frames their exchange as 'picking up the threads of old fights,' signaling that their relationship carries unresolved history and mutual provocation.
Phillipa delivers a mordant, playful closing line—'Ain't love wonderful'—both defusing and puncturing the moment, leaving tension unresolved as the scene heads to fade.
Textual stage direction signals the formal end of the teased confrontation—'FADE OUT' marks the scene's boundary and preserves the unresolved friction for the acts to follow.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Controlled amusement masking purposeful provocation; she appears confident and slightly ironic, using charm as a strategic tool.
Phillipa enters poised and professional in uniform, scans the room until she locks eyes with Picard, offers an ironic smile, and deploys a deliberately teasing, slightly provocative line that reframes the meeting as both personal and institutional.
- • To unsettle Picard subtly and reclaim influence in their dynamic
- • To signal her return to formal Starfleet authority while keeping the encounter ambiguous
- • Reintroducing personal history can be an effective lever in forthcoming institutional disputes
- • Maintaining professional composure amplifies the sting of personal barbs
Surface composure with an undercurrent of surprise and guarded vulnerability; an officer switching instantly from private repose to controlled formality.
Picard sits alone, cradling a private meal, then straightens and rises when he recognizes Phillipa; he approaches with a thin edge in his voice and trades barbed, familiar lines that conceal a deeper unsettlement.
- • To manage the encounter with decorum and emotional control
- • To test Phillipa's intentions and re-establish boundaries after an unexpected reunion
- • Personal history with Phillipa matters and complicates professional interactions
- • Appearances and protocol must be maintained even when personal emotions are provoked
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Picard's cup anchors the scene's intimacy and solitude; it visually marks his private moment and the abruptness of its rupture when Louvois arrives, underscoring the shift from quiet reflection to charged exchange.
Phillipa's Starfleet uniform is a narrative object: it announces institutional authority, contrasts with their past intimacy, and sharpens her provocation. The uniform converts personal history into an encounter framed by rank and allegiance.
The table serves as the physical stage for Picard's solitary posture and the initial barrier between him and Phillipa; its small, public footprint converts a private dinner into a visible encounter that other patrons could witness, increasing the social pressure of the exchange.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Starbase 173 restaurant provides a publicly neutral, quietly high-tech setting where private and institutional worlds collide. It allows for a casual meal yet is implicitly monitored space, making the reunion both ordinary and liable to become an official matter.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
No narrative connections mapped yet
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Key Dialogue
"PICARD: My God, if it isn't Phillipa Louvois, back in uniform."
"PHILLIPA: Don't gloat, Picard. It's almost more irritating then when you're being self-righteous."
"PHILLIPA: Ain't love wonderful."