| “ | How little you understand what you're facing, Captain. You're used to fighting enemies like yourself. People on ships with defence shields, energy weapons, warp drives. But this is unlike anything you've ever faced. This is the power of the mind. | „ |
| ~ T'Paal to Jean-Luc Picard. |
T'Paal is a Vulcan who serves as the primary antagonist in the Star Trek: The Next Generation two part episode "Gambit".
She was portrayed by Robin Curtis, who had played Saavik in the third and forth Star Trek films.
Biography[]
In the late 2360s, she was a member of the Vulcan Isolationist Movement. The VIM broke into a Vulcan museum and stole parts of the ancient Vulcan psionic resonator weapon called the Stone of Gol. Using the alias Tallera, she posed as a Romulan mercenary and joined a raider vessel under the command of Arctus Baran in order to retrieve the remaining parts of the Stone of Gol.
A year later Jean-Luc Picard, using the alias Galen, infiltrated Baran's ship. After a while T'Paal realized that the man calling himself "Galen" was no smuggler and confronted him. T'Paal decided to reveal her true name to Picard, and told him that she was a member of the V'Shar - the Vulcan security service - in order to convince him to work with her. She and Picard led a mutiny and seized command of Baran's ship.
Finding the final part of the stone the raider headed to Vulcan. Picard asked Riker to contact the V'Shar and inform them that he and their operative T'Paal were on the way to Vulcan, but the V'Shar informed Riker that T'Paal was not a V'Shar agent and they had no operatives working on mercenary ships.
Arriving at Vulcan T'Paal betrayed Picard to the mercenary crew and they beamed down to the T'Karath Sanctuary. There T'Paal reassembled the Stone and killed the other mercenaries with the Stone. Picard realized the way to defeat the resonator was to empty his mind of all aggressive thoughts so the resonator had no effect on him, nor did it have an effect on the Enterprise away team that arrived to rescue Picard. Even Worf was unaffected by the resonator after managing to empty his mind of violent thoughts.
T'Paal was then taken into custody by Vulcan security, and all three parts of the Stone of Gol were destroyed. The V'Shar began efforts to find the remaining members of the VIM.
Quotes[]
| “ | T'Paal: Baran wants to see the analysis of the last lot. He thinks you're moving a little slowly. Picard: You can tell Baran if he wants the analysis done faster, he can do it himself. If he wants it done correctly, he can wait. T'Paal: Do you enjoy living dangerously, Galen? Baran can kill you in an instant if he activates his control device. Picard: I doubt that he'll do that. I've increased the accuracy of the identification process by a factor of ten. I'm the best person to analyse these artefacts. Baran knows that. T'Paal: He may need you now, but I know Baran, and I can tell you he's not going to back down forever. You accomplish nothing by provoking him. Picard: I don't like operating in the dark. If I knew what the point of this mission were, why I was analysing these relics. T'Paal: If Baran felt it were wise to let the crew know that, I'm sure he would have. Picard: Do you know what all this is about? T'Paal: What Baran knows, I know. Picard: Then what's going on here. Why are we risking our lives taking these artefacts? Who wants them? T'Paal: I see no reason to tell you anything, but you can rest assured I don't necessarily share everything I know with Baran, either. This conversation, for example, will stay between us. Picard: You can tell Baran every word that I've said. He knows that I don't think much of him as a leader. T'Paal: He's been in charge of this crew for a long time. Picard: Baran wouldn't last five minutes as captain if he didn't have that control device. The crew follow him because they have no choice. Baran's power is based on fear and intimidation. T'Paal: That almost sounds like a prelude to mutiny. Picard: If someone were to challenge him, the rest of the crew would follow. T'Paal: I was right. You do like living dangerously. I like you, Galen. I can tolerate a lot from someone like you, but only to a point. I intend to complete this mission successfully and get what's been promised me. If it looks as though you're getting in the way of that, I'll deal with you myself. |
„ |
| ~ T'Paal under her Tarella blanket, speaking with Picard. |
| “ | T'Paal: I'm trying to decide if you're incredibly stupid or incredibly smart. Why didn't you continue to fire on the Enterprise when their shields dropped? Picard: You were there. The disruptors lost power. Computer, reset for diagnostic of new sample. Begin scan. T'Paal: I've watched you handle the weapon systems before. You know exactly how to bypass a problem like that. And why do you continue to argue with Riker? It should be obvious that by alienating Riker you also alienate Baran, and yet you continue to do so. Why? |
„ |
| ~ T'Paal begins to distrust Picard. |
| “ | T'Paal: Who are you? Picard: What? T'Paal: You're no smuggler and I don't think your name's Galen. You will tell me who you really are and what you are doing on this ship or I will kill you right here. Picard: What are you talking about? T'Paal: I will not play games with you. I found the message you sent to the Enterprise. When Riker was using his command codes to drop their shields, you sent them a transmission on the same carrier wave. You're a Starfleet officer. Do not deny it. It is the only logical conclusion. My name is actually T'Paal, and I am a member of the V'Shar. Picard: Vulcan Security? T'Paal: That is correct. I infiltrated this ship a year ago posing as a Romulan mercenary. I'm here to investigate a possible threat to Vulcan. Picard: What sort of threat? T'Paal: First things first, Galen. Who are you? Picard: I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise. T'Paal: Very well. To answer your question, for several years now, there has been a small but growing movement of extreme isolationists on Vulcan. A group that believes contact with alien races has polluted our culture and is destroying Vulcan purity. This group advocates the total isolation of Vulcan from the rest of the galaxy and the eradication of all alien influences from our planet. Picard: That sounds like an illogical philosophy. T'Paal: Agreed. But extremists often have a logic all their own. Picard: Tell me, Tallera, what are these artefacts we've been collecting? I know that they are Vulcan in origin. T'Paal: I am sure you are familiar with the ancient history of my people, before we found logic, before we found peace. Picard: You were much as my people once were. Savage, warlike. T'Paal: There was even a time when we used our telepathic abilities as a weapon. A time when we learned to kill with a thought. Picard: The Stone of Gol! T'Paal: You know of it? Picard: I know the story from Vulcan mythology. T'Paal: The Stone of Gol is real, but there is nothing supernatural or magical about it. It is a psionic resonator, a device which focuses and amplifies telepathic energy. It is one of the most devastating weapons ever conceived. Picard: But according to the legend, the Stone was destroyed by the gods when the Vulcan people found the way to peace. T'Paal: The resonator was believed to have been destroyed during the Time of the Awakening. Only one piece is known to have survived and it was placed in a Vulcan museum under heavy guard. A year ago, that piece was stolen from the museum. Soon after, mercenary ships began raiding archaeological sites across the quadrant. We believe a member of the isolationist movement is attempting to reassemble the resonator. Picard: A telepathic weapon. T'Paal: My orders are to find that assassin and stop him. Picard: It would seem that Baran has to deliver these artefacts to the assassin in order to get paid. Therefore, you and I should continue our masquerade. T'Paal: Agreed. But Captain, I cannot allow the resonator to be assembled. If necessary, I will destroy this ship, its crew, all of us to prevent that from happening. |
„ |
| ~ T'Paal reveals her real name but lies about his real motives to Picard. |
| “ | Picard: The resonator amplifies violent feelings and emotions. And that's why you wanted me to pick up the phaser. That's how you were able to kill Narik and Vekor. But I can see the symbol on that third artefact, and it is the Vulcan symbol for peace standing between the symbols for war and death. It's a warning that the power of the resonator can be overcome by peace. T'Paal: You are about to see how wrong you are. Picard: Empty your minds of violent thoughts. [Picard's men repressed their aggressiveness, rendering the resonator useless against them.] T'Paal: No! |
„ |
| ~ T'Paal's defeat. |
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