Skin of Evil ( episode ) A rescue operation to save the lives of a shuttle crew becomes complicated thanks to a malevolent entity , and one " Enterprise " - D crew member pays the ultimate price in their rescue . Summary . Teaser . The is traveling through the Zed Lapis sector where it will rendezvous with shuttlecraft 13 , carrying Counselor Deanna Troi , who is returning from a conference , along with the shuttle pilot , Lieutenant Ben Prieto . As the engineering crew is conducting maintenance of the ship ' s dilithium crystal s , the ship is flying at impulse , with the main engines deactivated . On the bridge , Lieutenant Worf tells Lieutenant Natasha Yar that deep space probe s have picked up no vessels within three light year s . Worf then shifts the conversation towards the martial arts competition on the " Enterprise " - D in three day s . He asks Yar if she is ready . She replies that she needs some practice with the Mishiama wristlock and break , and if she can use it on Worf , she can use it on anybody , an assumption Worf assures her is valid . He then asks who she is facing , and Yar says her first opponent is science officer Swenson . Worf says that she will easily defeat him . However Yar is more concerned about being beaten by Lt . Minnerly , a skilled kickboxer . Worf then boosts her confidence by telling her that she is favored in the ship ' s pool to win . Yar asks Worf if he placed a bet on her . Worf replies that it is a sure thing . Yar then looks at Worf with a smile . Worf , embarrassed , moves away . Helmsman Lieutenant Geordi La Forge reports to Captain Picard that the " Enterprise " - D will meet up with the shuttle in just over an hour . Picard comments how it will be good to have Troi back aboard , a sentiment Commander Riker agrees with . Suddenly , Worf receives an emergency distress call from the shuttle . The shuttle ' s computer is severely damaged and impulse engine s are off - line . Prieto can ' t even tell where they are . Picard calls down to main engineering and asks chief engineer Lieutenant Commander Leland T . Lynch how long it would take to restore warp drive . When Lynch complains that he ' s in the middle of re - aligning the dilithium crystals , Picard tells him there is an emergency and they need warp drive . Lynch initially says it ' ll be more than twenty minutes , and Picard berates him , telling Lynch that they don ' t have that much time . Lynch promises to re - align the crystals by hand to get warp drive restarted immediately . La Forge then tells Prieto that he ' s coming dangerously close to a planet , which Prieto confirms . Lieutenant Commander Data reports that the shuttle is near Vagra II , an uninhabited planet . Picard calls down to engineering again and Lynch tells him that although he offers no guarantees , he ' s working on it and it ' ll be about three minutes . Just then , Prieto reports that the shuttle is now out of control and has been caught in Vagra II ' s gravity . Act One . In engineering , the engineers are frantically trying to restore the " Enterprise " - D ' s warp drive . Lynch , along with his engineering crew , quickly re - align the dilithium crystals into the warp reactor and Lynch decides to ignore the final safety check , telling the computer to restart the warp drive . When the ship ' s computer begins the checklist , Lynch overrides the checks and they go directly to startup . As the warp reactor comes back online , Lynch calls Picard and tells him that they now have minimum warp drive . When La Forge reports course for Vagra II is laid in , Picard orders warp eight . Over the intercom , Lynch tells Picard he recommended " minimum " warp drive . Picard then tells Lynch he heard his command and to make it so . Shortly thereafter , the " Enterprise " - D arrives at Vagra II , although the ship is not reading the emergency signal from the shuttle . Data runs a scan of the planet . There is no vegetation and no lifeform s on the planet , but the atmosphere is breathable for Human s . Worf locates the shuttle on the planet . It appears to be buried under debris . Picard asks if they can beam up Troi and Prieto ; however , the debris appears to be blocking the ship ' s sensors . Picard , seeing this as strange , orders Riker to prepare an away team . He chooses Data and Yar . Picard signals Doctor Beverly Crusher to join them . On Vagra II , the shuttle ' s nacelle has been ripped off and the shuttle itself has been embedded within a rock face . The away team materializes on the barren surface of the planet . Dr . Crusher notes that the signals inside the shuttle are weak . The away team begins to walk over to the shuttle , but a giant black liquid pool is blocking the way . Dr . Crusher asks the away team to walk around it , just to be on the safe side . However , the black substance follows the away team to the right side . Yar suggests that they go to the left , but the substance still follows them . Crusher prepares to step over a narrow part of the pool , but Riker stops her . He then asks if the creature has a skeletal structure . Data scans with his tricorder , however , he cannot confirm Riker ' s question . Picard asks Data if the black substance is a lifeform . Again , Data cannot confirm . When asked finally if it is possible that this pool is alive , Data says it is but again , he has insufficient information . Then they hear an ominous voice calling Data " Tin Man " and a figure begins to slowly arise from the black liquid . Picard asks Riker what he sees , and Riker simply replies , " " Trouble . " " Act Two . Picard signals Riker and comes to the conclusion that the placement of the creature and the shuttle ' s crash landing cannot be a coincidence . Picard asks Riker to try to communicate with the creature . Riker greets the creature . The creature states that his name is Armus . He asks why the crew is there . Riker explains that they mean no harm and they have injured crewmembers on the shuttle . He asks permission to pass over . Armus states that he still has not given him a good enough reason . Riker states that preserving life is important to all Humans . Armus suggests the " Enterprise " - D crew leave the planet . Yar walks up to Armus and says that they will not leave without their crew and that they will not harm him . Yar begins to walk over to the shuttle and is hit by a blast of energy from Armus and knocked away . Riker and Data react quickly and fire their phaser s at Armus . Dr . Crusher rushes over to Yar , followed by Riker and Data . Picard asks for a report on the situation . Data says they fired on Armus , but their phasers had no effect on him . He seemed to feed off their energy . Armus retreats back into the black liquid . Picard inquires about Yar ' s condition . After scanning her body , Dr . Crusher grimly reports that Yar is dead . Picard tells the transporter chief to beam up the away team quickly . The away team rematerializes on the transporter pad . Dr . Crusher reports that they will have to get Yar to sickbay immediately if they are to revive her . Picard tells Worf to put the ship on yellow alert and leaves the bridge for sickbay . In sickbay , Dr . Crusher and her medical assistants are desperately trying to revive Yar . Picard asks for a report on Yar ' s condition . Crusher reports that it is unchanged . Riker and Data stand in the back , joined by Picard , waiting and watching . Dr . Crusher puts Yar on total life support , but Yar is still not responding and her synaptic network is breaking down . Dr . Crusher , seeing no other choice , decides to go for direct reticular stimulation . The energy goes into Yar ' s body , but she is still flatlining . Dr . Crusher then pronounces Yar officially dead , and that Armus sucked the life right out of her . On Vagra II , Armus moves toward the shuttle . Inside , Lieutenant Prieto is unconscious , lying down on his console . Troi is uninjured . She taps her combadge and tries to contact the ship . Armus is blocking the communication . She can feel Armus ' presence . Armus taunts her by saying that her friends deserted her and even killed one of them . Troi says she knows , she felt her die . Armus then says that he wanted to kill Yar to amuse himself . Troi tells him that he thought it would amuse him , but it did not . Troi senses he has a great need for something . Troi asks Armus to let her and Prieto go , and that the crew of the " Enterprise " - D will not give him what he wants , to break their spirit . Armus replies that if breaking their spirit amuses him , he will do it . In the conference room on the " Enterprise " - D , the senior officers are arguing and talking over each other about Yar ' s death and how she did nothing to provoke Armus . Only Worf and Picard remain silent . Picard taps the table with his finger . Picard tells the crew that Yar ' s death is painful for all of them , but they will have to put it aside until the crisis is resolved . Picard makes Worf an acting chief of security . Worf accepts . Picard asks about the condition of the shuttle crew . Crusher says the life sign s are faint , but the sensor readings are fluctuating , which means they may not be accurate . Riker asks to go down to the planet again . La Forge volunteers to join the away team ; his VISOR may see something in Armus that the other crewmembers may not see . Picard agrees . Riker asks Worf to join them , but Worf believes he will be better used at tactical . Act Three . The away team sees Armus stretched out on the shuttle . Armus is surprised that the away team came back for Troi and Prieto . Troi senses something in Armus , that he was abandoned by his kind . Troi says he cannot hide the emptiness he feels from her . Armus goes back to his liquid state . Back on the " Enterprise " - D , Worf and acting ensign Wesley Crusher are monitoring Armus from a science station . Worf notes that Armus ' energy went down when he enveloped the shuttlecraft . Picard asks them to chart it and to see if there is a pattern . The away team beams down again . Armus returns to his humanoid state and speaks with Riker . La Forge examines Armus with his VISOR discreetly as Riker pleads with Armus to see their injured crewmembers , with Dr . Crusher making an impassioned plea to Armus . Armus says she can , but only if she says please . Crusher submits to Armus ' strange request and he allows her to communicate with Troi via combadge . Troi responds and says she is fine . Armus is angered when the crew continues to ask him about going over and helping their crewmembers , which he views as ungrateful . He then rises up again , but taller than before . Armus uses his powers to throw Data ' s phaser and La Forge ' s VISOR away . La Forge , blinded , falls to his knees looking for his VISOR . Data directs him towards the VISOR , but Armus moves it away . Data then refuses when Armus demands that he try to help La Forge again , knowing he will just keep moving the VISOR away anyway . Angry that the crew won ' t amuse him , Armus allows Data to retrieve the VISOR then leaves . Armus re - envelops the shuttle , and on further probing from Troi , reveals how he came to be . The original inhabitants of Vagra II devised a process via which all their negative drives would be physically manifested as a " dank and vile " second skin , which could then be shed . This left them as " " creatures whose beauty now dazzles all who see them " , " who then left the planet , while the parts that they left behind coalesced into the singular being that is Armus . Troi expresses sympathy for him , but this causes Armus to temporarily lose cohesion . He becomes enraged again , he shakes the shuttle , then moves over to the away team . Suddenly , Riker falls to the ground and is dragged toward Armus ' liquid state . Riker screams for Data ' s help , but Armus threatens to kill Riker if any of them touches him . The first officer is sucked into the slick and disappears beneath the surface . Picard orders the away team to return to the ship , but Armus warns that if they leave , Riker and the crash survivors will be killed . Data , Geordi and Beverly gasp as Riker ' s lifeless face briefly surfaces , wracked with pain , before disappearing back into the pool . Act Four . Picard , after seeing the grave danger his crewmembers are in , decides to beam down . Troi , feeling her " imzadi " , Riker , in pain , pleads with Armus to let him go . Armus continues taunting Troi , with her begging him to let the away team go . He considers it , but then realizes that Picard has beamed down . Picard asks if Riker is still alive . Data surmises that , since death can no longer alleviate Armus ' boredom , then Riker is , indeed , still alive . Picard asks to see his crewmembers , and Armus asks Picard to entertain him , but Picard refuses . Armus replies that he will have to provide entertainment for himself . Data , under Armus ' influence , takes out his phaser and points it at Crusher and then Picard . Armus asks Data how he would feel if he was responsible for the death of Captain Picard . Data notes that he is not in control of himself , thus he would not be an instrument of his death . Armus then makes Data point the phaser at Dr . Crusher , then La Forge , then finally , has Data point the phaser at his own head . Armus finally has Data drop the phaser from his hand . Data feels that Armus must be destroyed , since he is capable of cruelty and sadism and he cannot be redeemed . Picard then asks Armus if he can see Troi and Prieto . Armus lets Picard see one member of his crew , Commander Riker , covered in black , who is finally brought up to the surface by Armus . Act Five . Picard tells Armus that this is now between him and Armus . He tells Armus to let the " Enterprise " - D beam up the remaining members of the away team . They are beamed back to the ship ; Picard is finally allowed to see Troi and is taken there by Armus . Picard , in the shuttle , checks Prieto ' s pulse and finds that he ' s still alive , while Troi asks if they were able to revive Yar . Picard , regretfully , tells her that they weren ' t . Troi is saddened by the loss of her friend , but Picard is able to find out about Armus ' s past , and works out how to distract him long enough for Troi and Prieto to be rescued . Armus brings Picard back outside the shuttle , and asks to be taken aboard the " Enterprise " . He makes it clear that he wants to find Vagra II ' s original inhabitants and avenge himself upon them . Picard attempts to sympathise with Armus , who irately dismisses his attempts and taunts him over Yar ' s death . On the " Enterprise " , Worf and Wesley notice that Armus ' s energy field has almost weakened enough for Troi and Prieto to be transported , and set the computer to automatically beam them out when the field weakens sufficiently . In response to Armus ' s claims to be the embodiment of evil , Picard says that true evil would be allowing Armus to force them into giving him what he wants . Armus threatens to kill Picard and the shuttle crewmembers , to which Picard points out that if Armus murder s them , he will still be immortal and alone , forever , on Vagra II . Armus lets out an angry scream , and is distracted enough and the " Enterprise " - D beams out Troi and Prieto from the shuttle . Finally , Picard announces he will not take him anywhere , at which Armus yells out an enraged scream as the " Enterprise " - D beams up Picard , once again leaving Armus as the only life - form on the entire planet . Back on the " Enterprise " - D , Picard orders that the shuttle be destroyed with a photon torpedo fired from the ship so that Armus will not have a chance to leave Vagra II and declares the planet off - limits . Still , as Picard notes in his log , the damage has already been done . On the holodeck , a funeral on a grassy knoll with a bright blue sky for Yar has begun . All of the senior staff — Worf , Data , La Forge , Beverly and Wesley Crusher , Riker , Troi and Picard — attend the service . To begin the service , a hologram of Yar is played , with her noting all of the exceptional qualities that each member of the crew possess and what she learned from them . The service concludes when the hologram of Yar fades away . Everyone leaves the holodeck , except Data and Picard . Data notes that , during the service , he was not thinking about Yar , but how empty it will be without her . He asks if he missed the point of the service , but Picard assures him that he understood it completely . Memorable quotes . " " Data , something ' s got me ! " " " " Lieutenant Yar ' s death is very painful for all of us . We will have to deal with it as best we can for now . Until the shuttle crew are safely beamed aboard the ship , our feelings will have to wait , is that understood ? Lieutenant Worf , you ' re now acting chief of security . " " " " I will do my best , sir . " " " " You wanted her to suffer . You have a great need . " " " " I need " nothing " . " " " " Liar ! " " " " I think you should be destroyed . " " " " She said you ' d be back . " " " " I would guess that death is no longer sufficient to alleviate its boredom . " " " " If any of you leave now , he dies . . . and so do the survivors of the crash . " " " " Save your compassion ; it ' s revolting . You offer it like a prize , when it ' s an insult . " " " " A great poet once said " All spirits are enslaved that serve things evil . ' " " " " You say you are true evil ? I will tell you what true evil is . It is to submit to you . It is when we surrender our freedom , our dignity , instead of defying you . " " " " I will kill you , and those in there . " " " " But you will still be here . In this place . Forever . Alone , immortal . " " " ( Armus begins growling loudly ) " " That ' s your real fear : Never to die . Never again to be united with those who left you here . " " " ( Armus begins screaming ) " " I ' m not taking you anywhere . " " " ( Armus screams continually as Picard beams out ) " " " We are here to honor our friend and comrade , Lt . Natasha Yar . Coming to terms with the loss of a colleague is perhaps the most difficult task we must face in the work we have chosen to pursue . We will all find time to grieve for her in the days that are ahead . But for now , she has asked that we celebrate her life , with this . " " " " Will Riker , you are the " best " . " " " " Ah , Worf . We are so much alike , you and I : both warriors , orphans who found ourselves this family . I hope I met death with my eyes wide open . " " " " My friend Data , you see things with the wonder of a child . And that makes you more Human than any of us . " " " " Captain Jean - Luc Picard . I wish I could say you ' ve been like a father to me , but I ' ve never had one so I don ' t know what it feels like . But if there was someone in this universe I could choose to be like , someone who I would want to make proud of me , it ' s you . You who have the heart of an explorer and the soul of a poet . So , you ' ll understand when I say : death is that state in which one only exists in the memory of others ; which is why it is not an end . No goodbyes , just good memories . Hailing frequencies closed , sir . " " " " Au revoir , Natasha . . . " " " " Sir , the purpose of this gathering confuses me . " " " " Oh ? How so ? " " " " I find my thoughts are not for Tasha , but for myself . I keep thinking , how empty it will be without her presence . Did I miss the point ? " " " " No you didn ' t , Data . You got it . " " Links and references . References . aikido ; away team ; blood ; blood pressure ; bridge ; central nervous system ; cloud ; conference room ; cortical stimulator ; crash landing ; death ; debris ; dilithium ; dilithium articulation frame ; dilithium assembly ; dilithium crystal ; direct reticular stimulation ; distress call ; flight control computer ; French language ; funeral ; " Galaxy " - class decks ; hate ; holodeck ; hologram ; holographic duplicate ; hypospray ; " imzadi " ; intermix ratio ; internal organ ; kickboxer ; last will and testament ; main engineering ; martial arts ; matter - antimatter reaction assembly ; medical tricorder ; medkit ; microvolt ; Minnerly ; Mishiama wristlock ; neural stimulator ; neuron ; non - humanoid ; norepinephrine ; number one ; observation lounge ; painting ; psychology ; pulse ; ready room ; respiration ; sadism ; science officer ; science II ; ; ship ' s pool ; shuttlecraft 13 ; sickbay ; skant ; spirit ; status report ; Swenson ; synapse ; transporter room ; tricorder ; turbolift ; type 2 phaser ; Type 7 shuttlecraft ; unnamed plants ; utility uniform ; Vagra II ; viewscreen ; VISOR ; vital signs ; warp drive ; z - particle ; Zed Lapis sector Unused production references . Zed Lapis system