In the year 2293, the Excelsior-class Enterprise-B is launched from Earth's orbital drydock. Nearly completed, the starship leaves Earth on its maiden voyage through the Sol system under the command of Captain John Harriman. Also aboard the Enterprise-B are several journalists and three guests of honor – Captain Montgomery Scott, Commander Pavel Chekov and Captain James T. Kirk. The test cruise quickly becomes a rescue mission, however, as the Enterprise-B answers a distress call from two El-Aurian refugee ships. The ships have encountered a mysterious energy ribbon, called the Nexus. Although the new Enterprise is still missing several key systems, Captain Harriman reluctantly orders the ship to warp. The two refugee ships, the SS Lakul and the SS Robert Fox are being crushed by the gravimetric distortions generated by the ribbon. The Enterprise-B tries to free them by venting drive plasma, but the Robert Fox is destroyed by the ribbon, presumably killing all 265 on board. Meanwhile, Lakul remains trapped in the Nexus. Desperate for help, Harriman seeks Captain Kirk's assistance. Kirk suggests that the crew of the Enterprise maneuver their ship into transporter range of the remaining El-Aurian vessel. Since the Enterprise has no medical staff on board, Chekov and several of the journalists leave the bridge to attend to the passengers of the Lakul as they are beamed aboard. The USS Enterprise-B in 2293, caught in the gravimetric distortions created by the NexusHowever, the Enterprise crew discover that the passengers of the Lakul are in a state of temporal flux and cannot be easily transported. With Scotty's assistance at the transporter, the Enterprise crew manages to save 47 of the 150 passengers aboard the Lakul, before it also explodes. Moments later, the Enterprise becomes trapped in a gravimetric field emanating from the edge of the ribbon. Meanwhile, Chekov attempts to provide medical aid to the El-Aurian survivors. Among the patients are Dr. Tolian Soran and the mysterious Guinan. Soran is sedated by Chekov after insisting that he be returned to the Nexus. On the bridge, Scotty suggests that the anti-matter discharge from a photon torpedo might disrupt the field long enough for the ship to break free. Unfortunately, photon torpedoes are also expected to be installed when the Enterprise returns home. Scotty theorizes that if the main navigational deflector was modified to simulate a photon torpedo blast, the ship would be able to escape. Harriman offers command of the ship to Kirk and heads for the deflector relays, in an effort to implement Scotty's plan and save his ship. However, before Harriman has left the bridge, Kirk insists that Harriman stay on the bridge of his ship, and enters the turbolift that will take him to the deflector control room. Eventually, Kirk arrives at the deflector control station, which he modifies to emit a resonance burst. Moments after the burst is fired from the Enterprise's main deflector dish, an energy tendril violently collides with the starship. The tendril rips through the exterior of the engineering hull, where the deflector control room is located. However, Kirk's attempt to save the Enterprise is successful and the ship finally breaks free of the energy ribbon. On the bridge, Ensign Demora Sulu reports a hull breach in the engineering section of the ship. Scotty attempts to contact Captain Kirk, but he does not respond. Scott tells Demora to ask Chekov to meet him in the engineering section, and heads there with Captain Harriman. When Chekov meets Harriman and Scott, the Russian is shocked at the extent of the destruction, and asks if there was anyone in the deflector control room when the hull was torn open. Scott, who presumes that Kirk was killed by the energy ribbon, sadly replies "Aye". In 2371, 78 years later, the crew of the USS Enterprise-D celebrate the promotion of Lieutenant Commander Worf on board a holographic sailing ship, also named Enterprise. The formalities include an ancient sailing tradition called "walking the plank". The android Data fails to understand the humor which the human crew find in this routine and after an explanation by Dr. Crusher, he attempts to emulate it by pushing her into the sea. Picard and Riker's conversation on the subject of being a sailor in ancient history is disturbed by a call from the bridge, informing Picard that he has received a personal message. After he receives it in the arch of the holodeck, he hastily leaves the simulation. The empathic Counselor Troi senses that something is very wrong, although the rest of the senior staff continue to celebrate, unaware of Troi's perceptions. The Enterprise-D approaches the Amargosa observatoryWhen the Enterprise-D intercepts a distress call from the Amargosa observatory, the senior staff leave the holodeck and are asked to come to the bridge. Upon arrival at the Amargosa observatory, the Enterprise-D crew discovers that the station has been attacked, and has incurred extensive damage. An emergency away team consisting of Riker, Crusher, Worf and a security detail beam on board the observatory. They soon locate Romulan corpses and a survivor, Doctor Tolian Soran, who hasn't aged at all since we first saw him, 78 years earlier on board the Enterprise-B. Soran claims ignorance of the attack, and Worf discovers a Romulan corpse. In Data's quarters, Data and La Forge discuss Data's behavior on the holodeck. Data decides that the time has come for him to install the emotion chip Dr. Soong had built for him. La Forge agrees to assist. In Picard's ready room, Riker informs Picard that they have discovered two dead Romulans, and that Dr. Soran would like to speak with him. In Ten Forward, Guinan gives Data a new drink, which produces an emotional response in him: he hates it, and requests another. Soran asks Picard for permission to return to the observatory to finish a time-sensitive experiment. Picard initially declines, but Soran gives him an intense look: "They say time is the fire in which we burn," he says. Picard is visibly affected, and tells Soran that he will see what he can do. Analyzing the Romulan tricorder found at Amargosa observatoryIn engineering, Worf informs Riker that the Romulans' tricorder indicates that they were searching for trilithium, an unstable substance which can be used as an explosive. Riker tells him to have La Forge and Data search the observatory for trilithium. They do so. Data recalls a joke Geordi told him during the Farpoint mission seven years earlier; he's having trouble with his newly installed sense of humor. La Forge discovers a hidden doorway, which Data opens using an axial servo in his wrist. The hidden room contains a solar probe with a possible trilithium signature. Data, who has been joking nonstop, is overcome with a flood of emotions; the emotion chip is overloading his neural net. Soran appears behind the pair, and after exchanging a few words suddenly attacks La Forge. Data is overcome with fear. Deanna Troi discovers Picard looking over a family album in his quarters. Picard reminisces about his brother Robert and nephew René, and begins to cry: Jean-Luc reveals that Robert and René have died in a fire. He tells Deanna that as a child he was told about famous Picards of the past; until his brother married and had a son, Jean-Luc felt pressure to continue the family line. Now, with Robert and René dead, Jean-Luc believes there will be no more Picards. Picard's musings on mortality are interrupted by a sudden change in the Amargosa star; he goes to the bridge, where Riker informs him that a quantum implosion has occurred, breaking down all nuclear fusion in the star. Worf reveals that the observatory launched a solar probe into the sun; it will collapse within minutes, and a level-12 shockwave is heading towards the observatory and the Enterprise. Picard sends Riker and Worf to retrieve Data and La Forge, who are still aboard the observatory. A female voice orders Soran to transmit his coordinates. He does so, but is interrupted by the arrival of Worf and Riker, whom he greets with several shots from his disruptor. A Klingon Bird-of-Prey decloaks near the observatory. Riker encourages Data to reach La Forge, who is unconscious; however, Data is still paralyzed with fear. The Bird-of-Prey beams Soran and La Forge aboard and cloaks. As soon as Riker, Worf and Data are aboard, the Enterprise warps away from the shockwave, which destroys the observatory. Aboard the Klingon ship, Soran greets B'Etor by hitting her in the face. "I hope, for your sake, you were initiating a mating ritual," she purrs. Soran rebukes her for being careless when she and her sister Lursa stole the trilithium from the Romulans. Soran has promised the sisters a weapon with which they can re-conquer the Klingon Empire. In exchange, Lursa and B'Etor are working for him. Soran orders the ship to the Veridian system at maximum warp. Back on the Enterprise, Dr. Crusher has discovered that Soran is an El-Aurian, a survivor of the Borg's destruction of their homeworld. She reveals that he was aboard the Lakul when it was destroyed, along with Guinan. Picard speaks with Guinan in her quarters. She explains to him that Soran is seeking to return to the Nexus, which she describes as a doorway to a paradisaical place, "like being inside joy." She also warns Picard that anyone who enters the Nexus will never want to leave it. In the bowels of the Bird-of-Prey, Soran has removed La Forge's VISOR and prepares to torture him. The Veridian systemDr. Crusher informs Picard that Data's emotion chip has become fused into his neural net, and cannot be removed. However, she believes him to be fit for duty. In Stellar Cartography, Picard and Data study the Nexus, which will soon pass through this sector. Data is distracted by feelings of guilt for having failed to save La Forge aboard the observatory. He discovers that the gravitational forces in the sector have been altered by the destruction of the Amargosa star. Still overwhelmed by remorse, Data asks to be deactivated. Picard refuses, and orders him to perform his duties. They discover that the star's destruction has changed the course of the Nexus ribbon, in order to bring the ribbon to Soran. The ribbon will now come close to Veridian III — but if the Veridian star were destroyed, it would meet the planet. This would also destroy the planets in the Veridian system. Veridian III is uninhabited by humanoid life, but Veridian IV has a pre-industrial civilization: population 230 million. Picard orders the Enterprise to the Veridian system at maximum warp. In the meantime Soran finishes his interrogation of La Forge and returns to the bridge of the Klingon ship. An awkward silence follows as Soran finishes making modifications to La Forge's VISOR. A female Klingon asks of his progress with his captive human starfleet officer. He informs the ships' commanders, the Duras sisters, Lursa and B'Etor, that "No, his heart just wasn't in it." Soon afterwards the Klingon ship arrives in orbit of Veridian III. Soran is eager to beam down to the surface to finish his work. B'Etor angrily demands to know when they will receive their "payment" for helping him. Soran informs the sisters that he has placed all his research on how to make a trilithium weapon on a computer disk. The catch is that it has been encoded and the decryption sequence will not be sent to them until he is safely on the surface. Suddenly the Klingon helm officer informs them that a Federation starship is entering the system much to Lursa's surprise. The Enterprise hails the still cloaked Klingon vessel. Captain Picard informs them that they know their intentions and that they will destroy any probe launch towards the Veridian star. He also demands the return of his chief engineer and for the vessel to leave to the system immediately. Soran is dismayed at the delay and demands the Duras sisters "eliminate" the Enterprise. B'tor tells him that their ship is no match for a Galaxy-class starship. Soran cryptically suggests returning La Forge's eyesight. The Enterprise-D enters orbit of Veridian IIIWhile they wait for the Klingons to reveal themselves, Worf informs the captain that any probe launched from the surface would take 11 seconds to reach the sun. Unfortunately, it would take 8-15 seconds for their weapons systems to lock onto the probe. Commander Riker and Picard agree that they don't like that margin of error. The Enterprise is then hailed by the unknown Bird-of-Prey. The Duras sisters reveal themselves and Picard demands to speak with Soran. Picard is informed Soran is already on the surface. Picard asks to beam aboard their ship so he may do down to the surface and speak with him. Picard offers himself as a hostage in exchange for the return of La Forge and being beamed to the surface to talk with Soran. After the exchange is made, Picard is beamed down to a mountain platform on the desert like surface of Veridian III to negotiate with Soran. Soon after, the Enterprise is fired upon. The Duras sisters find the Enterprise's shield frequency by spying through La Forge's VISOR, which Soran altered earlier. They continue to fire on the defenseless Enterprise inflicting heavy damage. The Enterprise-D is attacked by a D12-class Bird-of-PreyRiker asks Worf if the D12 ship has any weaknesses. Worf observes that it is a D12 Bird-of-Prey, which were retired from service due to defective plasma coils. Riker asks if this can be exploited. Worf mentions the plasma coil is part of their cloaking device. Data, using an ionic pulse, is able to force the activation of Duras' Bird-of-Prey's cloaking device and Riker fires one aft torpedo. The Bird-of-Prey is destroyed by one hit, but the Enterprise is severely damaged, and the warp core is about to breach. The saucer is separated before the warp core breach and crash-lands on Veridian III with only light casualties. The saucer section, landed on Veridian IIIMeanwhile, Picard and Soran emerge in a fight, in which Picard is unable to stop Soran from completing his objective. The probe is launched with nothing able to stop it. The Veridian star is destroyed and the Nexus ribbon engulfs Soran and Picard. The resulting shockwave from the explosion destroys the system along with the Enterprise. In the Nexus, Picard's greatest wish and "reality" is the family he never had due to his career in Starfleet. The Nexus provides him with an illusion of a Victorian Christmas with a wife, three children (including a son), and the nephew he had just lost. It is all too good to be true. An "echo" of Guinan, a part of herself which she left behind in the Nexus 78 years ago, appears within Picard's "reality". His own unconscious resistance and Guinan's "echo" help bring him back to the task at hand: stopping Soran and saving the Veridian star system. Guinan, her echo unable to leave the Nexus, explains the reality of the Nexus and its many possibilities to Picard. He explains that he needs to stop Soran, but he can't do it alone. Guinan suggests that such a person is already in the Nexus. Due to the time bending nature of the Nexus to the person's perception he just arrived as well. Picard finds Captain Kirk, who was thought to be killed in 2293. Picard greets Kirk as he makes his way through his own idealized Nexus "reality" at his ranch on Earth. It was 9 years before the Enterprise-B's encounter with the Nexus and the day before he told his partner Antonia he was returning to Starfleet. Eventually Picard and Kirk's own empty feelings convince him of unreality of the Nexus. Picard explains his situation to Kirk. Feeling useless in retirement, he is excited at the possibility of making a difference again. Kirk agrees to help Picard stop Soran. He and Kirk travel back in time to Veridian III just before Soran plans to launch the probe into the Veridian star. Back in time, both Picard and Kirk confront Soran. Kirk eventually engages in a fight with Soran and then returns to Picard. In his attempt to escape the two captains and in order to protect his missile launcher, Soran uses his control pad to activate the launcher's cloak. The rope Soran is rappelling the mountainside with gives way and he drops it. Kirk goes after the remote on the metal bridge between platforms where it came to rest, but Soran destroys the bridge with his disruptor before he can get to the device. The bridge buckles in half and Kirk almost falls to his doom, but is saved at the last minute by Picard. Picard returns to the launcher while Kirk attempts, again, to get to the control pad which is now on the other side of the weakened bridge. Kirk makes it to the other side. Sadly, that side of the bridge gives way. Kirk sustains mortal internal injuries from the fall, but luckily he manages to deactivate the probe launcher's cloaking device moments before the bridge's collapse. This gives Picard a chance to lock the clamps to the firing mechanism on the launcher. Picard is then forced back by Soran, who is desperate and panicked. Soran attempts to launch it in a rush without checking for any alterations. Then, the probe launcher explodes as the Nexus ribbon passes harmlessly overhead. Kirk diesPicard goes down to help the dying Kirk. Picard begins to move the wreckage and twisted metal of the bridge to get to Kirk. It is soon apparent that there is little hope in saving the great captain. Picard reassures Kirk that they made a difference. "Oh my" are Kirk's final words before he dies. Picard then buries Kirk on top of the mountains with his old badge on the rocks as its only marker. Picard pays his respects silently soon after a shuttlecraft arrives to pick him up. The USS Farragut, a Miranda-class and an Oberth-class starship leave orbit of Veridian III with the Enterprise crewMeanwhile, at the Enterprise-D saucer section, Starfleet workers attempt to recover anything salvageable. At the same time, Enterprise crew members are helping each other to get their belongings out of the debris. Data recovers his cat Spot and is overjoyed to tears, thanks to his new found emotions. Meanwhile Picard recovers his family album with Riker in the remains of his ready room. He reflects and comes to terms with mortality as they prepare to leave. Riker admits his ambition to sit in the captain's chair of the Enterprise-D, and that he is disappointed that the ship went before her time. Picard replies that he doubts that it will be the last starship to bear the name. Picard and Riker are beamed out from the crippled bridge of the Enterprise-D saucer section. Three starships, the USS Farragut, a Miranda-class and an Oberth-class starship, leave Veridian III at maximum warp.
