Gambit Part II

*** (3 stars out of 5)

Enterprise and Baran's raider play laser tag until "Galen" convinces Baran to flee. "Galen", you'll secretly recall, is secretly Picard, who secretly sent the smuggler's flight plan to the Enterprise. SECRETLY! he shouted.

Worf is fed up with Data's plodding, methodical command. Yet they resolve it like champs. Well done, all. Way to use your words. Of course, Worf is well aware that Data is one bad day away from a killing spree this year, so he sensibly holds his tongue.

Tallera's actually T'Paal of the Vulcan security service. Some Vulcan isolationists believe aliens ruin their purity, and want them removed. Because of their towering racism, they seem to be ignoring their famous credo of diversity. Still, if logic prevailed we'd have no villain today, and no big, bad weapon. The Stone of Gol (a psionic death resonator) is not mythology and only needs reassembly. Like a set of 2000-year-old poisonous Lego. Or the exact opposite of the Care Bear Stare.

Enormous Koral is curt Klingon minding his own giant business, exercising his right to freely cross Federation space. Data, Worf and Dr. Crusher exercise their right to rifle through his stuff as "a health and safety inspection". Koral had a piece of the weapon, but Galen's Goombas steal it, dropping off stunned Riker instead.

Galen brings the stone back to the pirate ship. With a side order of mutiny! Baran presses his kill button... and dies, since crafty Galen switched their transponder codes when no one was looking. SECRETLY!

Riker gets a call from Vulcan Security: Say, there's no secret pointy-eared operative gal on that pirate ship. Whatchoo talkin' bout, Will?

T'Karath Sanctuary, empty for centuries since the last Vulcan civil war (oh, say, around 2154)
contains the final weapon shard, and with it Naughty Tallera thinks her mercenary underlings to death. It's a devastating device that will not be stopped by shields. Tallera once saw 'The Adventures of Pluto Nash' and its very name has become a Killing Word.

Without violence in your heart, the Stone has nothing to kill you with. It would drop Rage-Fueled Data in a heartbeat, of course. But even Mr. Worf is capable of peaceful thoughts when it suits him. Raindrops, roses, whiskers on kittens. Strangling the Romulan who pilfered his mittens!!!

Back in command, Picard casually jokes that Data should toss the mutinous Riker in the brig. So Data moves to carry out this order. (Even more hilariously, Data conducted a full court martial, then blasted Will out an airlock. Thomas Riker got his promotion and transferred back to Enterprise, and the show carried on next week as though nothing had happened. Oh, Data! You funny, funny murderer.)

By now it's become clear that "Gambit Part II" has nothing whatsoever to do with that charming Remy Lebeau from the X-Men.