Aft Station Gambit
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Riker reports that sensors show no life signs aboard the Yamato, introducing unsettling uncertainty; Worf insists the surprise tactic remains sound, and Riker accepts, issuing the final command: Aft Station.
Riker orders phasers set to stun; the phasers are set, Riker commands 'Energize' to the Transporter Chief, and Riker and Worf dematerialize—action replaces planning as they depart for the ghost ship.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Professionally detached while maintaining awareness of the mission's unusual nature
The transporter chief confirms system readiness and executes precise coordinates for the beam-in to the Yamato's aft station, maintaining professional efficiency throughout the high-stakes operation.
- • Maintain transporter system integrity under unusual conditions
- • Execute precise beam-in as ordered by senior officers
- • Technical precision can mitigate unknown risks
- • Follow command decisions without unnecessary questions
Alert and calculating, with underlying warrior's excitement masked by professional discipline
Worf stands ready on the transporter pad, advocating for a tactical beam-in to the Yamato's aft station. His recommendation reflects Klingon combat philosophy, emphasizing surprise despite the lack of detected threats.
- • Ensure tactical advantage during the boarding operation
- • Apply Klingon combat strategies in a Starfleet context
- • Surprise is always tactically advantageous, regardless of apparent circumstances
- • Starfleet sensors may not detect all potential threats
Professionally composed with underlying concern about the unusual mission parameters
Riker coordinates with the transporter chief before joining Worf on the pad. Though skeptical of unseen threats, he defers to Worf's tactical recommendation while maintaining Starfleet protocol with the stun setting order.
- • Balance operational safety with mission objectives
- • Harness Worf's tactical expertise while maintaining Starfleet standards
- • Visible threats aren't the only dangers in space exploration
- • Klingon tactical instincts have value in uncertain situations
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The transporter console is actively monitored and operated by the chief as senior officers finalize their boarding strategy. Its display confirms the unusual lock on the Yamato despite its empty status, heightening the mission's tension.
The transporter pad serves as both literal platform and metaphorical gateway between known safety and unknown danger. The glow of its activation sequence is the last thing Riker and Worf see before dematerializing toward potential peril.
The phasers serve as both physical weapons and symbolic representations of the mission's escalating danger level. Riker specifically orders them set to stun, balancing defense needs with Starfleet restraint as they face the unknown.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The transporter room serves as the crucible where command decisions turn into action. Its clinical efficiency contrasts with the primal unease of beaming toward an empty ship, embodying Starfleet's technological confidence facing cosmic uncertainty.
The Yamato's aft station becomes the tactical choice for boarding despite all logic suggesting no need for stealth. Its selection represents both military pragmatism and subconscious dread about what might be waiting unseen aboard the ship.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The away team's dematerialization onto the Yamato directly leads to Riker's realization on-site that the environment is wrong ('This isn't the bridge')—the beam-in action flows into the disorientation beat."
"The away team's dematerialization onto the Yamato directly leads to Riker's realization on-site that the environment is wrong ('This isn't the bridge')—the beam-in action flows into the disorientation beat."
"The away team's dematerialization onto the Yamato directly leads to Riker's realization on-site that the environment is wrong ('This isn't the bridge')—the beam-in action flows into the disorientation beat."
"The away team's dematerialization onto the Yamato directly leads to Riker's realization on-site that the environment is wrong ('This isn't the bridge')—the beam-in action flows into the disorientation beat."
Key Dialogue
"WORF: I am acquainted with the Yamato, Commander. Recommend the Aft Station of their bridge. When in doubt, surprise them."
"RIKER: Them? Who's them?"
"WORF: Whoever may be there."
"RIKER: Sensors show no life signs. WORF: Still, the tactic is sound."