- [due to a ship-wide power drain, life support on the Enterprise is failing]
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Where's Wesley?
- Doctor Beverly Crusher: He's in our quarters. I was tempted to give him a sedative.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: You shouldn't.
- Doctor Beverly Crusher: I know, but he's my son. I love him.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: He has the right to meet death awake.
- Doctor Beverly Crusher: Is that a male perspective?
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Rubbish!
- Commander William T. Riker: One final request, sir. Permission to beam a box of Data's Chinese finger puzzles over to the Ferengi? A thank you, for all they tried to do.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Make it so.
- Portal: [referring to the Ferengi] What of them? Shall I destroy them?
- Commander William T. Riker: Then they would learn nothing.
- Portal: A most interesting conclusion, but... what if they never learn, Riker?
- Commander William T. Riker: Is this a test also?
- Portal: Hm. In life, one is always tested.
- Capt. Jean-Luc Picard: [after the enterprise fails to move away from the planet's orbit; disappointed] Merde!
- Commander William T. Riker: Yankee traders. I like the sound of that.
- Lt. Commander Data: Well, sir, I doubt they wear red, white, and blue or look anything like Uncle Sam.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Data, what are you doing?
- Lt. Commander Data: [struggling a finger trap] Apologies, Captain. I seem to have reached an odd... functional impasse. I am, uh... stuck.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Then get unstuck and continue with the briefing.
- Lt. Commander Data: [continues to struggle] Yes, sir. That is what I am trying to do, sir, but the... solution eludes me.
- Lieutenant Geordi La Forge: My hero.
- [laughs]
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Sometimes, Riker, the best way to fight is not to be there.
- Commander William T. Riker: [citing Sun Tzu] Yes, sir. "He will triumph who knows when to fight and when not to fight."
- Lieutenant Tasha Yar: What have bright, primary colors got to do with it?
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Ah, I understand the allusion. Colors representing countries at a time when they competed with each other. Red, white and blue for the United States, whereas the French... more properly used the same colors in the order blue, white and red.
- Lt. Commander Data: And the German nation red, black and gold, the Italians green, white and red, the British...
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: That's enough, Data!
- Lt. Commander Data: It was you who...
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: We were discussing the Ferengi.
- Lt. Commander Data: With this power drain, we may have trouble communicating with the Enterprise, sir.
- Commander William T. Riker: Understood. Anything else?
- Lt. Commander Data: Due to this force field, there is presently no way to beam us back, sir.
- Lieutenant Geordi La Forge: Oh, you had to ask...
- Letek: [of Humans] They shamelessly clothe their females.
- Mordoc: Inviting others to unclothe them, the very depth of perversion.
- Lieutenant Tasha Yar: Paws off, Ferengi!
- Portal: The Empire is forever.
- Commander William T. Riker: Your Empire fell prey to a supernova.
- Portal: We are forever.
- Portal: You have a single chance for life - one only. What is the answer to my challenge? I offer a thought. "He will triumph who knows when to fight and when not to fight."
- [he lifts his halberd over his head]
- Portal: You are being tested, Riker. What is the answer?
- Cmdr. William Riker: How do you know my name?
- [Portal swings his halberd around his head, gradually picking up speed as he inches closer to Riker. The swinging climaxes when the Portal stops the blade, just an inch away from Riker's shoulder. Riker stands his ground, composed]
- Portal: Ah, you face fate with composure. But what is the answer to my challenge.
- Cmdr. William Riker: Fear... is the real enemy, the only enemy.
- Portal: [impressed] Unlike the little ones who close their minds, your mind contains interesting thoughts.
- Cmdr. William Riker: [Riker and Data are exploring the planet's surface when Riker sees something] What's that?
- Lt. Cmdr. Data: What, Commander?
- Cmdr. William Riker: [points] That.
- [They realize who it is...]
- Cmdr. William Riker, Lt. Cmdr. Data: Geordi!
- [Riker and Data run over to Georgi who is hanging upside down, suspended from a tree branch]
- Cmdr. William Riker: Are you conscious?
- Lt. Geordi La Forge: Do I *look* conscious?
- Commander William T. Riker: [the Enterprise is immobilized] Obviously, we've underestimated their technology, Captain.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Considerably. It appears the Ferengi have us right where they want us: in their sights.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: I regret, DaiMon Tarr, that I can no longer negotiate unless it is conducted visually.
- Daimon Tarr: Your complete message not received, Enterprise, but visual communication is against our custom.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: And it is against Starfleet orders to accept a surrender otherwise. Do you withdraw your surrender?
- Daimon Tarr: [after a moment of dead air] You give us no choice, Enterprise. May we have a visual on you, as well?
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: [nonverbally giving Tasha the order] Agreed, DaiMon Tarr. You should be able to view us now. Are we on your screen?
- Daimon Tarr: [his image appears on their viewer] Yes, the ugliness of the hu-man was not an exaggeration. I do not know how your twisted alien culture has paralyzed our vessel, but I concede your Enterprise is superior. We will return your worthless T-9 device and we offer the lives of our second officers as required by the Ferengi code.
- Lt. Cmdr. Data: [whispering to Geordi] Fortunately, Starfleet has no such rules involving its second officers.
- Daimon Tarr: Is this to your satisfaction, Picard Captain?
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Your offer may be inadequate, but I will discuss it with my staff. Stand by for further communication.
- Lt. Commander Data: Captain, I think you had better see this.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: What's wrong?
- Lt. Commander Data: Someone is reading every file, every bit of information stored in the Enterprise memory banks.
- Lt. Geordi La Forge: They can do that?
- Lt. Commander Data: And more, perhaps.
- Counselor Deanna Troi: Captain, if I may recommend. With our attention on the Ferengi vessel, we have ignored the planet.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Data, consult the charts on this planet. See what we've got on it.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Captain's log, stardate 41386.5. It is with a heavy heart that I have offered to meet whatever reasonable and necessary terms are demanded by the Ferengi. I fear for my people and my vessel in the event the unknown Ferengi ask the unreasonable. How can I oppose even unreasonable demands?
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: [catching up to a Ferengi marauder] Very impressive design.
- Commander William T. Riker: Anything on that design, Data?
- Lt. Cmdr. Data: Nothing specific, sir. As you know, Ferengi technology is estimated to be generally equal to our own.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: But that does not mean identical, however.
- Lt. Cmdr. Data: Correct, sir. We are no doubt advanced in some areas, they in others.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Captain's log, stardate 41386.4. We are in pursuit of a starship of Ferengi design. Our mission is to intercept and recover a T-9 energy converter which the Ferengi stole from an unmanned monitor post on Gamma Tauri IV, a theft which automatic scanners recorded, providing us with the long-awaited opportunity to make close contact with a Ferengi vessel. If we succeed in this chase, it will be Starfleet's first look at a life-form which, discounting rumor, we know almost nothing about.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Attention, Ferengi starship. This is Captain Picard. It is obvious that we are in a situation here which needs resolving, and we are willing to do whatever is... required. Whatever is necessary. I would like... I would request that you present your terms to us.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: So, while we still have some power left, it's time for difficult decisions. Opinions, please?
- Lieutenant Tasha Yar: I say put all available power into a full-out, combined phaser and photon torpedo salvo. Destroy their ability to sustain this force field, sir.
- Lieutenant Worf: Yes! Hit them hard and hit them fast.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Impractical. And provocative. Even assuming that we have the power to sustain such a tactic.
- Lieutenant Tasha Yar: But, Captain, isn't firing on us an act of war?
- Counselor Deanna Troi: The facts are the Ferengi did fire on us, but we were chasing them. Since then, all they've done is search our computers trying to learn who and what we are.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Your point, Counselor?
- Counselor Deanna Troi: Let's talk to them.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: It's been tried. No response.
- Counselor Deanna Troi: But did we tell them anything they wanted to hear?
- Counselor Deanna Troi: I'm sensing nothing from them, sir. Which could mean they can shield their thoughts and emotions from others.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Which still makes it our move.
- Counselor Deanna Troi: Sir, they may know as little about us as we know about them.
- Commander William T. Riker: Except that they know that they've got us in deep trouble.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: If so, then the question becomes what do they do with that knowledge? Data, do you have any information touching this on any file?
- Lt. Cmdr. Data: None, sir. Only hearsay and third-hand reports, most of which conflict.
- Commander William T. Riker: Which reports do not conflict?
- Lt. Cmdr. Data: That the Ferengi are... well, the best description may be "traders".
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: What kind of traders?
- Lt. Cmdr. Data: A comparison modern scholars have drawn from Earth history likens the Ferengi to the ocean-going Yankee traders of 18th- and 19th-century America, sir.
- Commander William T. Riker: From the history of my forebears; Yankee traders.
- Lt. Cmdr. Data: Who, in this case, sail the galaxy in search of mercantile and territorial opportunity.
- Commander William T. Riker: And are these scholars saying that the Ferengi may not be unlike us?
- Lt. Cmdr. Data: Hardly, sir. I believe the analogy refers to the worst quality of capitalists. The Ferengi are believed to conduct their affairs of commerce on the ancient principle caveat emptor: "let the buyer beware".
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Ferengi vessel, we await your response.
- Lieutenant Tasha Yar: Suggest first strike, sir. Our shields now only have 63 seconds of power left before lowering.
- Lieutenant Worf: If the Ferengis' ship sensors can read us, sir, they will be waiting until we are most vulnerable.
- Commander William T. Riker: I'm afraid I agree, Captain. They have not responded...
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: We will wait a bit more, Number One.
- Lieutenant Tasha Yar: 50 seconds.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Patience. Patience.
- Daimon Tarr: The quicker we can come to terms, the better, NCC-1701-D.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Who is speaking?
- Daimon Tarr: I am Tarr, DaiMon of the Ferengi. You wish to discuss surrender, Captain Picard?
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: What I said, DaiMon Tarr, is...
- Daimon Tarr: Unconditional surrender, I warn you, is totally unacceptable. We will die to the last one of us before such dishonor.
- Lieutenant Tasha Yar: [Picard gives her the "cut it" gesture] Hailing frequencies closed, sir.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Something has seized their ship, too. They're in the same predicament as us. Launch a sensor probe. Set it to search for the source of... whatever this "something" is that is holding both ships.
- Commander William T. Riker: Bottom line, La Forge.
- Lieutenant Geordi La Forge: Uh, it's not good, sir. The Ferengi force field that holds this ship compensates almost as fast as we can increase power.
- Commander William T. Riker: Almost?
- Lieutenant Geordi La Forge: Well, there's a .372 millisecond delay between the use of our power and the neutralizing counterforce of the Ferengi. See, we push and they push back with equal force, sir.
- Commander William T. Riker: [wandering over and glancing at the warp core] What's our acceleration delay between slow-reverse impulse and top warp speed?
- Lieutenant Geordi La Forge: Well, that's .300 milliseconds, sir, but there's... ah, I see where you're going. We shift down, then kick hard into warp nine. Yeah, come back fighting! Whoo-ee!
- Commander William T. Riker: Can we do it, Geordi?
- Lieutenant Geordi La Forge: Ask me after it's done, sir.
- Commander William T. Riker: [as the Enterprise is fired on] Shall we return their fire, sir?
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Negative, Number One. They're just responding to our close pursuit. Fall back a bit, but stay with them.
- Lt. Commander Data: They are slowing, too, sir.
- Lieutenant Tasha Yar: They may be turning to fight.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Open hailing frequen... why are we gaining on them? Don't anticipate.
- Lieutenant Geordi La Forge: I'm not, sir. Something's wrong.
- Commander Riker: When Riker quotes Sun Tzu's, "Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will always be victorious," the actual quotation is more, "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." Sun Tzu, The Art of War
- Cmdr. William Riker: [while fighting a Ferengi] I got this one!
- Lt. Cmdr. Data: [while holding a flailing Ferengi up with one arm] Be careful, commander. They are a lot stronger than...
- [the Ferengi whom Riker is fighting with, punches Riker in the face. Riker falls to the ground heavily. Data winces in chagrin and shakes his head]
- Letek: [inspecting Riker's Starfleet communication badge] It looks like gold... tastes like gold...
- Cmdr. William Riker: [catching the Ferengi by surprise] It IS gold.
- Letek: [to his fellow Ferengis; about any of the subdued members of the Starfleet landing party] If he moves... kill him.
- Portal: Barbarians all, but this one first. In the fashion the empire has always challenged savages.
- Lieutenant Worf: No! For battle come to me!