As theU. S. S. Titanventures beyond the outermost reaches of known space, the telepaths in her crew—including Diplomatic Officer Donna Troi—are overwhelmed by an alien cry of distress, leading the ship to the scene of a shocking act of carnage: a civilazation of insterstellar “whalers” preying upon and exploiting a familiar species of sentient spacebource giants.
Appalled but reluctant to rush to judgement, Captain William Riker and his crew in investigate, discovering a cosmic spawning ground in a region of active star formation—the exosystem for a bewildering array of diverse but similarly vast life-forms. While attempting to negotiate an end to the victimizeation of these creatures, Riker’s crew inadvertently grants them the means to defeat their hunters’ purpose…only to learn that things are not exactly as they seem.Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) focuses on the twenty-fourth century adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard aboard theU.S.S.Enterprise(NCC-1701-D). This incarnation of the famous starship is much larger than the one captained by James T. Kirk a century earlier, and, accordingly, it carries a larger crew complement: 1,012 men, women…and, surprisingly, children. This era’s Starfleet Command believes that men and women are more likely to sign up for long-term exploratory missions if they think of their ship as home. Thus, Picard’s crew enjoys many of the comforts they’d have otherwise left behind, including a wide variety of recreational opportunities, “replicated” food dishes to suit every palate, and quarters large enough to share with spouses and offspring. There are schools for the children and a bar (stocked with synthetic alcohol, or synthehol) where the adults can unwind. However, the ongoing mission—no longer limited to a mere five years—remains virtually the same as it was during Kirk’s timelăI