'The Loss' (Story Code 184) by Hilary J. Bader, Alan J. Adler and Vanessa Greene Story by Hilary J. Bader

The U.S.S. Enterprise detects a strange pattern of plane-polarized objects in its path, which quickly vanish; Captain Picard and his crew then discover that they are being pulled off course by an unknown force. Concerned that his ship is unable to break free Picard convenes an emergency meeting amongst the senior officers; but when he asks Counselor Troi if she can sense a life form, Troi suddenly realises that her empathetic powers have vanished. Doctor Crusher examines her, but believes that Troi’s powers may be gone for good. The counselor is unable to cope with the loss of her empathy; finding it difficult to relate to patients without her abilities she begins to panic, lashing out at her friends in frustration. Meanwhile, Lieutenant LaForge and Lieutenant Commander Data discover that the force drawing the Enterprise is actually the gravitational wake of a cluster of two-dimensional lifeforms; these creatures are heading towards a cosmic string - a force similar to a black hole - and unless they can find a way to escape, the ship will be completely destroyed…

Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander William Thomas Riker), LeVar Burton (Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Security Chief Lieutenant Worf), Gates McFadden (Doctor Beverly Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Councelor Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Lieutenant Commander Data), Kim Braden (Ensign Janet Brooks), Mary Kohnert (Ensign Tess Allenby), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan)

Directed by Chip Chalmers
Produced by David Livingston
Co-Produced by Peter Lauritson
Executive Producers Michael Piller, Rick Berman and Gene Roddenberry

TX:
31st December, 1990

Notes:
*Featuring Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Thomas Riker, Chief Engineer Lieutenant Geordi La Forge, Security Chief Lieutenant Worf, Doctor Beverly Crusher, Councelor Deanna Troi, Lieutenant Commander Data and Guinan