Starship Mine

TNG Season 6 Episode 18
Air Date: March 29th, 1993

When a ship is travelling at warp, it builds up radiation in the hull. Periodically every starship needs to go through a baryon sweep to remove the radiation. While the Enterprise is going through it's baryon sweep, a group of pirates sneak aboard to steal trilithium resin from the Enterprise's warp core, a substance that can be used to create a dirty bomb.

Picard decided to go back to the Enterprise to get his saddle before the sweep started since he found out there were horses on the planet below, but also to get out of Cmdr. Hutchinson's cocktail party. It is during this return that Picard discovers the plot and uses his knowledge of the Enterprise to stop the pirates. Every pirate ends up dying, most to the baryon sweep.

The episode makes sure to show that Picard isn't actively killing the pirates but rather there actions get them killed. The final pirate died after escaping with the trilithium resin, but Picard modified the container so when it is extracted it would explode. If the pirate left the resin as Picard told her to, she would have lived.

There is a second part of the episode where the Enterprise senior staff at Cmdr. Hutchinson's cocktail party are taken captive. Lt. Cmdr. La Forge gets injured and Cmdr. Hutchingson is killed. They never really mention his death but after he is shot we never see him again. He does wear a red uniform.

One thing I thought was interesting about the episode was the first scene was a long cut with multiple people coming to Captain Picard as he walked through the Enterprise. Each interaction was about the evacuation of the ship, but each interaction showed that Captain Picard was irritated or maybe depressed. By the end of the episode it seemed he got over it, but I wonder if this will show up again.

Tim Russ, who played Lt. Cmdr Tuvok in Star Trek Voyager, played one of the pirates in this episode. He played a human.

Quotes

"It has been quite a day. Has it not?" - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Yes, it has." - Captain Picard
"However, a change of routine is often invigorating, and can be a welcome diversion after a long assignment." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Exactly." - Captain Picard
"I understand that Arkaria has some very interesting weather patterns." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Mr. Data? Are you all right?" - Captain Picard
"Yes, sir. I am attempting to fill a silent moment with non-relevant conversation." - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Ah. Small talk." - Captain Picard
"Yes, sir. I have found that humans often use small talk during awkward moments. Therefore, I have written a new subroutine for that purpose. How did I do?" - Lt. Cmdr. Data
"Perhaps it was a little, too non-relevant." - Captain Picard

"Captain! Request permission to be excused from Commander Hutchinson's reception." - Lt. Worf
"Permission granted. I wish I could excuse myself as well." - Captain Picard
"Er, Captain, permission to be" - Lt. Cmdr. La Forge
"Mr. La Forge, I cannot excuse my entire senior staff! Mr. Worf beat you to it." - Captain Picard

"It is very good to see you both again! Beverly... May I call you Beverly? Beverly, have you noticed that the mean temperature here on Arkaria is slightly higher than normal for human comfort levels? I have found that humans prefer a body temperature of 21 degrees Celsius in order to operate most efficiently. However, there are several cultures who actually prefer that their body temperature is identical to the temperature of the room in which they are standing. The Sheliak for example" - Lt. Cmdr. Data

"Captain, you keep a saddle on board?" - Lt. Worf
"Mr. Worf, I'm surprised at you." - Cmdr. Riker
"Anyone who is an experienced rider naturally has his own saddle." - Doctor Crusher
"It's perfectly normal." - Counselor Troi
"Actually it came in handy. I only wish I'd had the opportunity to use it on a horse." - Captain Picard
"Of course.." - Lt. Worf