Object

Riker's Hand Phaser

A palm‑sized Starfleet handheld phaser with a matte‑black alloy casing, ergonomic grip and a small circular emitter that hums when charged. In Riker's quarters it sits within reach, briefly flaring as a red‑alert discharge rocks the ship — a sharp crack of energy that violently severs an intimate exchange. Characters startle, conversation breaks off, and the weapon’s ready posture propels the scene from private confession to immediate command response.

4 appearances

Purpose

Handheld directed-energy sidearm designed to deliver controlled energy discharges across variable settings (stun through lethal) for defense, incapacitation, or destruction.

Significance

Functions as the pivotal piece of purported physical evidence: Krag’s Tanugan-overlay appears to show this phaser fired by Riker seconds before a reactor explosion, converting personal motive into apparently objective proof and crystallizing the investigation into potential criminal charges.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

4 moments

S3E9 · The Vengeance Factor

Junkyard Ambush — Gatherer Trap and Act-One Cliffhanger

Riker arms his standard away-team handheld phaser while taking cover; the weapon is a visible sign of readiness to return fire and protect the team even as the situation shifts from inspection to combat.

Before: Carried by Riker as part of standard away-team equipment while inspecting salvage.

After: Held at the ready against a rock; available for defensive or retaliatory use following the ambush.

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S3E14 · A Matter of Perspective

Sanctuary Breach — A Threat Made Visible

Riker's hand phaser appears in Krag's hypothetical replay as the instrument used to fire a focused energy pulse at the reactor; in the reconstruction the phaser is the visual pivot that converts private argument into apparent lethal action.

Before: Not shown in the original frozen guest‑quarters hologram; nominally holstered or off-screen in reality.

After: Appears in the speculative recreation as drawn by holographic Riker and fired at the reactor; in the real timeline its use is denied by Riker.

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S3E14 · A Matter of Perspective

Holodeck Confrontation — From Personal Rupture to Damning Reconstruction

Riker's phaser appears in Krag's hypothetical reconstruction as the lethal instrument — it is drawn, aimed behind Apgar, and fired at the reactor in the staged visualization, becoming the pivot from domestic altercation to alleged sabotage.

Before: Not present in the original frozen domestic recreation; introduced in Krag's alternate holoprogram as an evidentiary prop.

After: Left frozen in the Krag program pointing toward the reactor, visually connecting the weapon to the explosion timeline.

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S3E14 · A Matter of Perspective

Krag's Holographic Indictment: Riker at the Reactor

Riker's handheld phaser is the pivotal piece of alleged evidence: in Krag's hypothetical replay the holographic Riker produces the phaser and fires a focused pulse at the reactor, visually linking the weapon to the subsequent explosion and converting a disputed action into an apparent causal trigger.

Before: Physically present on the station during the original incident (inferred); in the holodeck recreation it is represented as drawn by the hologram.

After: Rendered in the simulation as discharged; in real time the physical weapon's status is not shown in the scene and remains evidentially ambiguous.

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