The Last Outpost ( episode ) In pursuit of Ferengi marauders , the " Enterprise " and its quarry become trapped by a mysterious planet that is draining both ships ' energies . Summary . Teaser . The is in pursuit of a Ferengi vessel suspected of stealing a Federation - owned T - 9 energy converter from Gamma Tauri IV . The mission is also an opportunity to encounter the Ferengi , who have never established visual contact with the Federation . The pursuit ends when the Ferengi ship gets close to a planet in the Delphi Ardu system and goes to sub - warp speed , possibly suffering a power surge and damage to their engines . After a while , it opens fire on the " Enterprise " , causing her minimal damage . Captain Picard chooses not to return fire , arguing that the Ferengi are just reacting to the pursuit . Soon after , however , the " Enterprise " also suffers a power system failure , becoming immobilized with phaser s and shields off - line . Act One . The crew members believe their ship is trapped by the Ferengi . In the attempt to understand more of their enemies , Data summarizes what is known about them : they are traders , and value profit above all , not unlike Yankee traders of 18th and 19th century North America . Riker and La Forge envisage a way to escape the trap , by jumping abruptly to maximum warp and taking advantage of the relatively slower reaction of the force field . To catch the Ferengi off guard , Picard hails them , asking for the restitution of the stolen equipment , but receives no answer . The " Enterprise " then attempts the warp jump , but the plan is not successful . Furthermore , the computer data banks are being accessed by some unknown external source . Troi points out that all the attention has been devoted to the Ferengi , neglecting the possible role of the planet . A conference is held in the observation lounge among the senior officers , and , after discarding the hypothesis of fighting , they decide to try contacting the Ferengi again . Picard hails them , reluctantly asking to present their terms . Act Two . After a moment , the Ferengi DaiMon Tarr replies . Much to the astonishment of the " Enterprise " bridge crew , he says that he is ready to discuss surrender , but not unconditional surrender : he will return the energy converter and offer the lives of the second officers . It is now clear that both ships are trapped , and that the Ferengi are not the actual source of the energy field . The " Enterprise " senior officer s convene again in the observation lounge . There , Data explains what is known about the mysterious planet , but not before becoming stuck with a Chinese finger trap left in the room by a couple of children , and Pola . Thanks to the help of Picard , Data gets his fingers released and explains that the planet might be one of the most distant outposts of the Tkon Empire , an ancient and powerful space federation that existed over 600 , 000 years in the past and was now extinct due to their star going supernova . During the meeting , a probe launched from the " Enterprise " transmits its information , revealing that indeed both ships are trapped in a force field emanating from the planet ' s surface . Act Three . Picard again contacts the Ferengi , who have also discovered the true nature of the trap . After some confrontation with DaiMon Tarr over his deception , Picard suggests to exchange information in order to solve the common problem , which is endangering both ships . They each decide to send a joint away team of Starfleet officers and Ferengi down to the surface . Despite the apparent risks , including a loss of communication and no way to beam back on board the " Enterprise " , Riker , La Forge , Data , Worf , and Yar beam to the planet . On the surface , the " Enterprise " members are initially separated and try to rejoin . The planet surface is full of crystalline tree shapes and the sky is beset by thunder and lightning . Worf , Riker , Data , and La Forge are attacked by the Ferengi away team , armed with energy whips , rendering them unconscious . Act Four . On the " Enterprise " , the situation is getting critical , as life support is failing . All energy is diverted to the family decks to extend their survival . It is getting colder and very dark . Picard and Beverly Crusher discuss whether she should give a sedative to her son , Wesley , or if he should keep awake waiting for death . Picard thinks Wesley has the right to greet death while awake , which Crusher considers to be a simple male perspective . The Ferengi on the planet have the " Enterprise " away team ' s weapons , and examine Riker ' s combadge , wondering whether it is gold , while the crew gradually recover their senses , and they begin to argue . With an acute sense of hearing , the Ferengi are disturbed by the planetary thunderclaps . Taking advantage , Worf attacks , and the resulting fight is resolved when Yar intervenes with a phaser . The Ferengi show their surprise for the way Humans work together with their females and keep them clothed . Suddenly , a mysterious figure materializes and is very loud , sending the acutely hearing Ferengi trio into agony . Act Five . The newly arrived entity declares himself as Portal 63 , a guardian of the Tkon Empire , and asks the away teams whether they want to enter the Empire . The aged guardian is then told by Riker and Data that the Tkon Empire does not exist any longer , and that several ages have passed . Portal 63 has been asleep for a very long time : hundreds of thousands of Earth years . The Ferengi try to strike a friendship with the Portal , asking for control of their ship , and promising to destroy the " Enterprise " and its crew . They describe the Humans as savages and barbarians , and misrepresent Humanity by noting their non - interference with other civilizations as proof of being against legal trade . Also , their allowance of females to wear clothing as proof of their " insanity " . The " Enterprise " team , however , accepts the Portal ' s trial , ready to prove their innocence . Riker is challenged first . Riker is surprised that the Portal knows his name ( Portal 63 can read Riker ' s mind ) . The Portal guardian attacks him with his sharp , bladed spear and is impressed by the composure with which Riker faces his fate after the blade lands perilously close to his right ear . Riker replies that , " " Fear is the true enemy , the only enemy . " " The Portal is pleased by Riker ' s thoughts , unlike those of the deceptive Ferengi . The Portal says to Riker that he wants to know more about Sun Tzu and Earth history , as it is similar to the Tkon ' s . Then at Riker ' s request , he immediately releases the " Enterprise " , restoring its power just in time to let the crew recover from what looks like their slumber , but is their point of death . The Portal explains to Riker that he would usually destroy both ships since they were fighting , but then he saw that they were curiously trying to cooperate . The Portal askes Riker if he wants him to destroy the Ferengi , but Riker asks him to release them , since they are similar to ancient Humans : they have much to learn , but they can grow . Portal 63 asks " " What if they never learn , Riker " ? " Riker says his values , and that of the Federation , require them to face the possibility of the Ferengi learning how to destroy them . When Riker asks what the Portal will do now that his Empire is gone , Portal 63 says he will sleep until needed again and then disappears in a flash of lightning . On board the " Enterprise " , the energy converter has been regained . Picard congratulates the away team for the success of the mission . Riker , with a devilish grin , then asks him permission to beam aboard the Ferengi ship Data ' s box of the Chinese finger traps as a " " thank you for all they tried to do " " . After Picard commands " " Make it so " " , the two ships leave orbit but not before La Forge has his fingers caught in a finger trap , at which Data enters the course on the helm for him . Memorable quotes . " " We offer the lives of our second officers as required by the Ferengi code . " " " " Fortunately Starfleet has no such rules involving its second officers . " " " " What ' s our acceleration delay between slow reverse impulse and top warp - speed ? " " " " Well it ' s point three hundred milliseconds , but . . . Oh , I see where you ' re going , we shift down then kick hard into warp nine ! Yeah , come back fighting , WOO - WEE ! " " " " It appears the Ferengi have us right where they want us ; in their sights . " " " " Hello , stranger . " " " " Yes , the ugliness of the Human was not an exaggeration ! " " " " Your alien images again shock us ! " " " " Immobilised by the damn Ferengi ? " " " " If he moves , kill him ! " " " " It looks like gold . It tastes like gold ! " " " " It " is " gold . " " " " The universe exists to me to create life . I shall sleep , until needed again . " " " " Pygmy cretins ! " " " " They admit the evil that they " DO " ! " " " " You work with your females , arm them and force them to wear clothing . " " " " Merde . " " " " Data , what are you doing ? " " " " Apologies , captain . I seem to have reached an odd functional impasse . I am . . . stuck . " " " " Then get un - stuck and continue with the briefing ! " " " " Yes , sir . That is what I am trying to do , sir , but the solution eludes me . " " " " My hero . " " ( laughing ) " " Permission to beam over a box of Data ' s Chinese finger puzzles over to the Ferengi . A thank you , for all they tried to do . " " " " Make it so . " " Links and references . References . accumulator ; Ages of Tkon ; " " ; assassin ; automatic scanner ; " Bastu " ; battery ; ; British ; capitalist ; Chinese finger puzzle ; " Cimi " ; class M ; communicator ; computer ; crystalline tree ; DaiMon ; Delphi Ardu IV ; Delphi Ardu system ; ; Earth ; electromagnetic pulse ; Emergency Manual Override station ; energy whip ; Ferengi ; Ferengi Alliance ; Ferengi Code ; fingernail ; France ; French ; fusion generator ; Gamma Tauri IV ; Germany ; gesture ; gold ; half a million years ago ; Human ; Human history ; Italy ; kilometer ; Latin ; LCARS ; lifeform ; life support ; " Makto " ; Milky Way Galaxy ; monitor post ; murder ; number one ; orbit ; observation lounge ; painting ; phaser ; primary color ; red alert ; reserve power ; sensor probe ; shuttle ; star ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; startime ; Sun Tzu ; supernova ; T - 9 energy converter ; Tarr ' s Marauder ; tattoo ; Tkon Empire ; transporter room ; tricorder ; type I phaser ; type II phaser ; " Uncle Sam " ; United Federation of Planets ; United States of America ; unnamed plants ; viewscreen ; VISOR ; Vulcan ; " Xora " ; Yankee trader Other references . Library computer references : 61 Cygni ; Alpha Centauri ; Barnard ' s Star ; Bayard ' s Planet ; concussion ring ; ; " Diana " ; Epsilon Eridani ; Epsilon Indi ; ; extra galactic probe ; " " ; great bird of the galaxy ; ; Groombridge 34 ; Klingonese ; ; Lalande 21185 ; light year ; Luyten 789 - 6 ; Martian insect ; ; Phi Puma ; Procyon ; Proxima Centauri ; Ross 154 ; Ross 248 ; sector ; Sirius ; Sol ; supernova ; Tau Ceti ; Type 7 shuttlecraft ; ; Wolf 359 Script references . Age of Fendor ; Age of Ozari ; " baktun "