- Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher discover things about one another when they are captured by an opposing alien race, due to the fact that the Enterprise has come to allow the planet's other civilization the choice of being part of the Federation.—Matthew Olson
- The Enterprise travels to Kesprytt III, where the majority Kes race requests associated Federation membership but not the secluded, xenophobic Prytt. Instead of beaming Kes ambassador Mauric aboard, Picard wakes up incarcerated with Dr. Crusher, both fitted by the Prytt (who fear a military Kes-Federation alliance against them) with an implant communicating their thoughts to each other, so they intensely examine their relationship. This forces the pair to stay close after they find and follow escape clues delivered by undercover Kes operatives. Denied diplomacy by the Prytt, Commander Riker invites Mauric's help, but he sets up shop aboard with suspicious paranoia, while promising to extract the hostages.—KGF Vissers
- Enterprise is at planet Kesprytt III to evaluate them for membership of the Federation. Their request is to admit half the planet and leave the other half out of it. Kes are 75% of the planet and want in, Pyrtt are remaining 25% and want out. Picard says that the fact that the planet is not unified says something about the way they handle their social and political differences. Picard says that maybe the planet is not ready for membership of the Federation.
Kes ambassador Mauric (Robin Gammell) invites Picard and Beverly for talks, but they are abducted mid-transport by the Prytt. Prytt security minister Lorin (Lenore Kasdorf) informs Picard that Prytt will not tolerate a military alliance between the Ken and the Federation. They have implanted Picard and Beverly with brain devices that will allow to get them proof of exact Federation plans and thwart them.
Worf & Data figure out that a tractor beam was used to deflect the transporter beam and beam Picard and Beverly to a different location on the planet. The tractor beam originated somewhere in the Prytt alliance. Riker reaches out to Mauric for help. Mauric visits the Enterprise.
Mauric wants to launch a rescue mission, but Riker wants to talk to Prytt first. Mauric says the last contact with the Prytt was a 100 years ago and they are xenophobic. They simply would not communicate. Riker wants to try to communicate with the Prytt, before sanctioning the use of force.
Meanwhile a prison guard hands over Beverly's Tricorder with an escape map and Picard and Beverly follow it. While escaping Picard and Beverly realize that the implants in their brains allow them to read each other's thoughts. If they move apart, they are overcome by a wave of nausea, but they are fine if they stay together.
Mauric tells Riker that if Picard and Beverly follow the map, they will be picked up by Prytt spies working for the Kes and delivered across the border. Mauric requests Riker to let him set up a base of operations on the ship and keeps adding more and more equipment.
Meanwhile Picard and Beverly find Prytt agents on their route and don't know whether they are friend or foe and decide to avoid them. Beverly learns that Picard sometimes isn't sure of his decisions, but just appears sure. Picard learns that despite the outward appearance of calm, Beverly is quite insecure inside about many things. They both like simple breakfasts, while Beverly was making him elaborate meals every morning, thinking he liked variety, while he only hated it.
Beverly realizes that Picard still has feelings for her but had pushed them deep down. He loved Beverly from before he marriage to his best friend. But then when she got married, he felt guilty, and the guilt grew after her husband died. Picard tried to avoid Beverly from serving under him.
Kes thinks Picard and Beverly are in cahoots with the Prytt and this is why they didn't get to the rendezvous point, and this was an elaborate ploy to expose Prytt spies working for the Kes. Riker kicks them off the Enterprise. Riker gets both Mauric and Lorin into the room to get them to work together to find his officers. He threatens Mauric that Kes would never be admitted to the Federation and threatens Lorin that if Picard dies, 10s of star ships would arrive and want some serious answers
Picard and Beverly get to the border, where Beverly uses her Tricorder to push Picard through the energy barrier before she is caught by Prytt guards. But both Picard and Beverly are transported to the Enterprise. Beverly removes the implants. She advises Picard against hooking up, but Picard wanted to. He blows the candles out from the dinner that he had prepared for Beverly.
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