The Arsenal of Freedom

"The Arsenal of Freedom"
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
Data, Riker, and Yar are attacked by the commercial weapons program on planet surface.
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 21
Directed by	Les Landau
Teleplay by	Richard Manning Hans Beimler
Story by	Maurice Hurley Robert Lewin
Featured music	Dennis McCarthy
Production code	121
Original air date	April 11, 1988 (1988-04-11)
Guest stars
Vincent Schiavelli - Minoan peddler Marco Rodríguez - Paul Rice Vyto Ruginis - Logan Julia Nickson - Lian T'Su George De La Pena - Orfil Solis
Episode chronology
← Previous "Heart of Glory" Next → "Symbiosis"
List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes

"The Arsenal of Freedom" is the 21^st episode of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Overview

The demonstration of an advanced planetary defense system turns deadly.

Plot

The Enterprise is searching the Lorenze Cluster for the USS Drake which had mysteriously vanished while surveying the planet Minos, the long-abandoned home of arms merchants who were known for their highly advanced weaponry. When the Enterprise reaches Minos, they are greeted by a pre-recorded holographic figure advertising "The Arsenal of Freedom", inviting the ship's crew to the surface.

Captain Picard sends an away team, consisting of Commander Riker, Lt. Commander Data, and Security Chief Yar, to explore the surface. They encounter a holographic projection of the Drake's captain who asks Riker what ship he is from. Riker realizes the captain should have known this information, and lies to it, saying "The Lollipop, its a good ship." The hologram reveals it is part of the Arsenal's program by continuing to question "What is the armament of the Lollipop?" Exposed by Riker, the hologram disappears revealing a floating sentry probe that fires a stasis beam around him before Data and Yar can destroy it. The field prevents the Enterprise from beaming up the away team. Picard opts to go to the surface himself along with Dr. Crusher to try to revive Riker, leaving La Forge in charge. As the two met up with Data and Yar, another sentry appears and begins firing on them, anticipating and dodging the crew's counterattack. The group disperses to draw its fire, but Picard and Dr. Crusher fall into a deep hole in a clearing; Dr. Crusher is severely injured. Unable to communicate with the away team or the Enterprise, Picard attempts to tend to Dr. Crusher's wounds using the limited materials from the planet. Meanwhile, Data and Yar review the sentry's tactics. Recalling the tactics of previous Minosian devices, Data is able to find a means to free Riker from the stasis field.

The away team searches for Picard and Dr. Crusher, and are attacked by another sentry, this one heavily shielded. Data postulates that whatever is creating them is able to upgrade them in response to the away team's tactics, and they may not be able to defeat the next one that appears. In orbit, the Enterprise is attacked by a cloaked sentry capable of destroying space vessels. The powerful device changes location between volleys, severely weakening the starship's shields. La Forge takes a small team to control the Battle Bridge, separating the Enterprise to allow the saucer section to escape while they take on the sentry.

Picard, while finding materials to treat Dr. Crusher, discovers a computer terminal. When he actives it, the hologram reappears, explaining that they are witnessing a demonstration of the "Echo-Papa 607," a system of intelligent weapons which are able to upgrade in response to any enemy threat. "The Echo-Papa 607 is invincible," the automated salesman beams, "the perfect killing system." Picard surmises that the Minosians - as well as the Drake - were destroyed by the weapon: "You poor fools; your own weapon destroyed you!" He unsuccessfully attempts to coerce the hologram to end the demonstration. Data is able to find an air shaft leading to Picard's location, and jumps down to try to examine the computer, realizing that while he could set the sentries to target their own power source, the explosion would probably take out the whole area - including the away team. Picard attempts to negotiate again with the hologram, eventually agreeing to buy the weapons system. Satisfied, the hologram disappears, and the computer system shuts down.

Meanwhile, having returned to Minos, La Forge in command of the stardrive section of the Enterprise is able to destroy the last sentry by entering the planet's atmosphere; turbulence exposes the cloaked sentry to the Enterprise's sensors.

After the destruction of the orbital sentry, the away team safely returns to the Battle Bridge before it rendezvous with the saucer section and leaves the system.

References

• Star Trek The Next Generation DVD set, volume 1, disc 6, selection 1.

External links

• The Arsenal of Freedom at the Internet Movie Database
• "The Arsenal of Freedom" at TV.com
• The Arsenal of Freedom at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• The Arsenal of Freedom at StarTrek.com
• The Arsenal of Freedom rewatch by Keith R.A. DeCandido