प्लॉट

Under an Officers Exchange Program, Riker serves aboard a Klingon ship, whose aging captain seeks an unwarranted bloody retaliation for suspected Enterprise treachery.

When the Federation promotes an officer exchange program, Commander Riker decides to accept an assignment aboard a Klingon war ship. As the first Federation officer to serve aboard a Klingon vessel, Riker has to gain the trust of his new shipmates and particularly that of his irascible captain. As part of the same exchange program, the Enterprise welcomes aboard Ensign Mendon from a culture that is forever seeking to improve operational efficiency. When he discovers a bacteria attacking the integrity of the ship's hull, he searches for a solution on his own rather than reporting it. When the same bacteria affects the Klingon ship, its Captain believes the Enterprise is responsible and orders an attack.—garykmcd

When the Federation promotes an officer exchange program, Commander Riker decides to accept an assignment aboard a Klingon war ship. Worf tells Riker that one of the duties of the first officer in a Klingon ship is to assassinate the captain, when he or she grows weak or unable to perform. The 2nd officer will assassinate the first officer for the same reasons. Worf gives Riker an Omni-directional emergency beacon for cases of emergency. As the first Federation officer to serve aboard a Klingon vessel Pagh, Riker has to gain the trust of his new shipmates and particularly that of his irascible captain Kargan (Christopher Collins). Riker takes an oath to follow Kargan's orders while he serves on the Pagh. Klag (Brian Thompson) is the 2nd officer, and he does not trust Riker at all. Riker beats up Klag when he challenges Riker's authority in front of everyone. Klag has to agree to take orders from Riker.

As part of the same exchange program, the Enterprise welcomes aboard Ensign Mendon (John Putch) from the planet Benzar. It is a culture that is forever seeking to improve operational efficiency. Mendon discovers a bacterium attacking the integrity of the Pagh ship's hull (he discovered it on the Pagh, when Enterprise was transferring Riker to them, and the Enterprise had performed a full scan of the Pagh, but Mendon did an additional specific scan of the area of the Pagh infected by bacteria). Mendon searches for a solution on his own rather than reporting it.

Eventually Worf finds the bacteria on the Enterprise. Data figures that this bacteria doubles in size every 15 mins. Mendon admits he found the bacteria on the Klingon ship but didn't report it as he is still analyzing it. Meanwhile Vemka (Laura Drake) a female on the Pagh declares her intention to "have" Riker. Riker learns that in Klingon an honorable death in battle is considered more precious than dying of old age. Riker and Klag even share a few laughs while having a meal together. Klag shares with Riker that his father was captured by Romulans and not allowed to die. He eventually escaped and now lives on the Klingon home planet awaiting a natural death. Klag is bitter about this, since there is no honor in a natural death.

Data and Mendon figure that the bacteria can eat through certain compounds on the hull and by this time the Pagh would have a 12 centimeter hole in it. Picard changes course to find the Pagh and warn them.

When the same bacteria affects the Klingon ship, Kargan believes the Enterprise is responsible and orders an attack. The Pagh has 8 hrs before it loses hull integrity. Riker is not able to explain the 2 minutes scan the Enterprise did on the specific section of the Pagh, which is now infected with bacteria (This was the scan done by Mendon without reporting it to anyone), at their last encounter and can't argue against Kargan.

Klag tries to convince Kargan that Riker would not have come on board the Pagh knowing the Enterprise was going to attack it. But Kargan is enraged when he finds the Enterprise is on an intercept course with them. Kargan wants Riker to reveal the weak spots of the Enterprise, but Riker refuses to break his oath to the Enterprise and says he will die with the Pagh with Kargan's crew instead.

Mendon completes his analysis and tells Picard that the bacteria can be removed with a neutrino beam. Picard also hails the Pagh with this message. But Kargan has cloaked his ship and refuses to believe Riker that Enterprise is there to help.

Riker initiates an emergency beam that Worf gave him, and hands it over to Kargan. Worf identifies the signal, and he beams over the person on those coordinates, but it turns out to be Kargan. With Kargan gone, Riker is in command of Pagh. Riker calls off the attack and decloaks the Pagh. The Enterprise returns Kargan and starts the repairs on the Pagh. Kargan slaps Riker and sends him back to the Enterprise.