Trama

When the crew of the Enterprise learn of a Federation conspiracy against the inhabitants of a unique planet, Captain Picard begins an open rebellion.

While on a mission to observe the peaceful Ba'ku race, Lieutenant Commander Data suddenly behaves as if having to fear for his existence. The immortal Ba'ku, whose planet offers regenerative radiation, and therefore incredible lifespans, live in harmony with nature and reject advanced technology. Their planet and their culture is secretly researched by the Federation associated with an alien race called the Son'a. But the Son'a intend to abduct the Ba'ku in order to take the planet for themselves and for the Starfleet officials who all would like to regenerate their bodies. But they did not think of the loyalty of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E to the Prime Directive.—Julian Reischl <julianreischl@mac.com>

Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his Next Generation crew are back. From the beginning of the Federation, the Prime Directive was clear: no Starfleet expedition may interfere with the natural development of other civilizations. But now, Picard is confronted with orders that undermine that decree. If he obeys, six hundred peaceful residents of Ba'ku will be forcibly removed from their remarkable world, all for the reportedly greater good of millions who will benefit from the Ba'ku's Fountain of Youth-like powers. If he disobeys, he will risk his starship, his career, his life. But for Picard, there's really only one choice. He must rebel against Starfleet, and lead the insurrection to preserve Paradise.—Robert Lynch <docrlynch@yahoo.com>

While observing the peaceful Ba'ku people on their planet, Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) (on secondment to the duck blind mission there) appears to malfunction, revealing the hidden presence of the joint Federation and Son'a task force to the Ba'ku. The task force is located very close to the Ba'ku village and was cloaked by an energy field. Data fires on the entire structure and makes it visible to the Ba'ku people. Admiral Matthew Dougherty (Anthony Zerbe) requests the help of the starship USS Enterprise-E to help capture or disable Data. Their planet is peace personified, where people live with each other without crime and disease. However, the entire Ba'ku population on their planet amounts to 600 people.

Admiral Dougherty's allies, the Son'a, are a weakened race using various medical techniques to cheat death, excessive cosmetic surgeries giving them a mummified appearance. After stopping Data, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) becomes suspicious of Dougherty's insistence that the Enterprise is no longer needed and orders the cause of Data's malfunction investigated. The crew discovers that the Ba'ku are technologically advanced with warp capabilities but have chosen to live in harmony with nature. Due to unique radiation or "metaphasic particles" emanating from their world's rings, they are essentially immortal. The Enterprise crew also begins to experience the rejuvenation effects of the planet; Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) finds his eyes have regenerated, and he no longer requires implants, William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) rekindle their long-abandoned relationship, and Picard develops a romantic relationship with the Ba'ku woman Anij (Donna Murphy).

Picard and his team discover a cloaked Federation ship containing a gigantic holodeck recreating the Ba'ku village; Data's malfunction was caused by a Son'a attack when he previously discovered the vessel. Confronting Dougherty with his discovery, Picard learns high-ranking Federation officers and the Son'a plan to relocate the Ba'ku on the holoship while they collect the planet's radiation to further Federation science, destroying the planet in the process. Dougherty orders the Enterprise to leave, but Picard defiantly retorts that the radiation's medical benefits do not justify his plans for the Ba'ku and that they violate Starfleet's Prime Directive. Picard orders Riker to allow the Federation to know what is occurring while he and others beam down to the planet and evacuate the Ba'ku.

The Son'a send out robotic probes to tag and transport the fleeing Ba'ku, while their leader Ahdar Ru'afo (F. Murray Abraham) convinces Dougherty to allow two Son'a ships to attack the Enterprise. Riker is able to narrowly stop their attack and escape. With their plan exposed, Ru'afo insists that they must begin to harvest the radiation immediately, only to have Picard deliver a revelation: the Son'a and the Ba'ku are the same race. The Son'a are a breakaway faction of younger Ba'ku who a century earlier, wanted to abandon their bucolic existence and re-embrace the use of technology. Tensions escalated until they attempted to take over the colony, but when the Son'a failed, the elders exiled them from the planet and its regenerative radiation, dooming them to perish slowly. The Son'a have spent the past century trying (and failing) to preserve their lives through artificial means and now seek revenge. This accounts for their mummified appearance and reckless attempt to harvest the radiation. Dougherty is killed by Ru'afo when he refuses to allow his scheme to continue with the collection.

Picard, Anij and several Ba'ku are transported onto the Son'a ship. After convincing one of the Son'a, Gallatin (Gregg Henry), to help him, Picard masterminds a ruse to transport Ru'afo and the Son'a to the giant holoship, delaying the destructive metaphasic process. Ru'afo discovers the trick and transports to the radiation harvester ship to start it manually. Picard follows him and manages to activate the self-destruct, destroying the harvester and killing Ru'afo. The remaining Son'a are welcomed back by the Ba'ku who forgive their actions; Picard arranges a meeting between Gallatin and his mother. The crew takes a moment to enjoy their rejuvenated selves before returning to their previous mission.