Stardate 47751.2: Wesley Crusher, on a sabattical from Starfleet Academy, has returned to the Enterprise in an attempt to recoup his energies in time to graduate. He is troubled by something which he has yet to reveal to anyone, but more pressing matters are on the mind of Picard and the crew as Starfleet orders the Enterprise to evacuate or otherwise remove a colony of Native American Indians who have settled on an isolated planet to preserve their culture. This planet is now due to be handed over to the Cardassians according to the terms of a treaty which realigns the borders of Federation and Cardassian space, and the Indian colonists will no longer be welcome. Tired of their history of being displaced by territorial bureaucracy, the Indians of Dorvin V decide to reshape the borders themselves to protect what they hold sacred – and they find a sympathizer in Wesley, who jeopardizes his Starfleet career to help them and learn more about them.
written by Ronald D. Moore
based upon material by Shawn Piller and Anatonia Napoli
directed by Corey Allen
music by Jay ChattawayGuest Cast: Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Tom Jackson (Lakanta), Natalija Nogulich (Admiral Nechayev), Ned Romero (Anthwara), George Aguilar (Wakasa), Richard Poe (Gul Evek), Eric Menyuk (The Traveler), Doug Wert (Jack Crusher)
Notes: The creation of a demilitarized zone encompassing several Federation and Cardassian colonies has repercussions in the two-part Deep Space Nine story The Maquis, which itself provides a lead-in to Preemptive Strike and Star Trek: Voyager. This is Wil Wheaton’s final appearance in the TV series, though he returns – without explanation – in the background of Riker and Troi’s wedding at the beginning of Star Trek: Nemesis.
LogBook entry by Earl Green