'The Pegasus' (Story Code 264) by Ronald D. Moore

Admiral Eric Pressman of Starfleet Intelligence comes aboard the U.S.S Enterprise with details of a secret assignment. Pressman was Commander Riker's first commanding officer; twelve years ago, their old ship, the U.S.S. Pegasus, was lost with most of its crew and sensitive prototype equipment on board; however, it has now been located in the Devolin system by the Romulans, and it is up to Captain Picard and his crew to prevent its cargo from falling into the wrong hands. Arriving in the system, the Enterprise encounters a Romulan Warbird, supposedly exploring the region. Riker soon learns that Pressman is planning to restart the secret experiment that caused the disaster aboard his ship; the admiral then informs him that there are written orders for him from Starfleet Intelligence located in the computer, but he is not to reveal the nature of the mission to anyone - not even Picard. Lieutenant LaForge detects a resonance signature emanating from an asteroid, which indicates that the Pegasus has been pulled into one of its fissures. When the Warbird reappears, Riker proposes destroying the asteroid rather than let the Romulans locate the vessel; Pressman objects and so Picard suggests blanketing the asteroid with ionising radiation to mask any trace of the ship's warp-core radiation. The plan is successful and the Romulan ship leaves, but Picard decides to continue on a false search pattern to allay any suspicion. After being berated by Pressman over his suggestion to destroy the Pegasus, Riker then talks to Picard; questioned about a mutiny aboard the Pegasus, he reveals that the crew objected to Pressman endangering the ship with engine tests, but he, a fresh-faced officer straight out of the Academy, remained loyal to his captain, and they both managed to escape before the disaster. However, when Riker refuses to give any further information, Picard is outraged, and tells him that his career will be in jeopardy if his actions endanger the Enterprise. When the ship returns to the asteroid, Pressman pulls rank and overrules Picard's objections to taking the vessel inside the rocky fissures. Then the mystery surrounding the Pegasus deepens when they find its wrecked hull - somehow fused into the very rock that surrounds it...

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), Nancy Vawter (Admiral Blackwell), Terry O'Quinn (Admiral Pressman), Michael Mack (Sirol)

Directed by LeVar Burton
Produced by Ronald D. Moore and Peter Lauritson
Co-Produced by Brannon Braga
Executive Producers Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller and Rick Berman

TX:
10th January, 1994

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 and Lieutenant Commander Data