A science outpost is attacked by the Gatherers, a band of Acamarian renegades. Picard talks with Marook, the Sovereign of Acamar Three, who wants to hunt the Gatherers down and destroy them. Picard convinces her to attempt to negotiate first and she and her cook board the Enterprise to travel to a Gatherer outpost to open talks. While there, the leader of the group is killed by a mysterious assassin.
