Face of the Enemy ( episode ) Troi is captured and forced to masquerade as a Romulan intelligence officer in a plot to aid the defection of several high - ranking Romulan officials . Summary . Teaser . Deanna Troi slowly awakens in a dark room , and is shocked to discover when she activates the room ' s light above a mirror that she has been surgically altered to appear Romulan . She doesn ' t know why or even where she is . Act One . A real Romulan , Sub - Commander N ' Vek , suddenly enters , and immediately begins giving her instructions . He explains she is on the Imperial Romulan Warbird " Khazara " , but refuses to answer any more of her questions , insisting that there is no time for a full explanation . He instructs her that she must act as Major of the Tal Shiar , and she must tell the captain of this vessel , Commander Toreth , to alter course to the Kaleb sector . When Troi refuses to comply with his instructions and demands answers , he contends that her best chance of survival is to do what he says . Troi senses no deception from him through her empathic senses , so she decides to go along with his plan for now . When Troi meets Toreth , Troi is at first demure , and fails to display the commanding assertiveness of a Tal Shiar agent . The commander soon begins to press Troi for answers , and begins to get angry . This forces Troi to also become forceful . When Toreth backs down , Troi realizes that maintaining her cover means also maintaining this harsh facade throughout the ordeal . Act Two . Ensign Stefan DeSeve , a Human who had defected to the Romulan Empire , is beamed aboard the . He is immediately put under arrest by Riker for treason and confined to quarters . Riker demands he change out from his Romulan uniform and into civilian clothing . DeSeve insists on speaking to the captain almost immediately . Riker promises he will tell him . When Captain Jean - Luc Picard sees him , DeSeve explains that Ambassador Spock is performing some " cowboy diplomacy , " and that he wants Picard to rendezvous with a freighter in the Kaleb sector , and return its cargo to the Federation . After DeSeve explains his reasons for returning , Picard is willing to believe in his accuracy in delivering the message . He sets a course right away at warp factor eight . Meanwhile , on the Romulan ship , N ' Vek explains to Counselor Troi what is in the cargo containers : Vice - Proconsul M ' ret , one of the highest - level officials in the Romulan government , and his two top aides . N ' Vek explains that he is part of Spock ' s underground , and is attempting to create a way for many dissidents to escape . The plan is to have this warbird rendezvous with a Corvallen freighter , where she and they will be taken to Federation space . She is there , instead of another Romulan , because if something goes wrong , a Starfleet officer is their only guarantee of success . In the meantime , Troi maintains her harsh Tal Shiar attitude . Over dinner , when Commander Toreth repeatedly attempts to flirt with notions of distaste and distrust of the intelligence service , she repeats her loyalty and service to the Romulan Empire , while critiquing the food , particularly the viinerine . When they arrive at the freighter , Troi senses that its captain is lying when he says the cargo will be delivered . She quietly informs N ' Vek of this fact , and he simply destroys the ship without orders . Toreth is furious , and demands an explanation . N ' Vek explains that Major Rakal ordered him to open fire . Act Three . When pressed for an explanation , Troi does once again the only thing she can do : she threatens Toreth to justify her actions . She orders the commander to cloak and wait . Meanwhile , the " Enterprise " arrives at the coordinates specified to find no ship , or any within three light year s . Picard has DeSeve brought to his ready room by Worf and demands an explanation from DeSeve , who cannot provide one , but reiterates his certainty of the information . He does add , however , that the freighter is old , and its speed and range is limited . Back on the Romulan ship , Troi engages in a heated argument with N ' Vek . He justifies his actions by saying there was no alternative , and a lot of people have already died for this mission . He instructs her to go to the Federation outpost on Draken IV and use her Federation access code s to bypass the gravitic sensor net . When she explains this to Toreth , the commander is quite skeptical , and believes it is tactically unsound . Troi does the only thing she can , and pulls rank once again . Her plan will be acted upon . Before they can go to warp and head for Draken IV , however , the " Enterprise " appears in the area . Act Four . Troi decides to change the plan and have the ship hold position . Toreth ignores her , and slowly begins to maneuver out of the debris field to avoid detection . Troi allows this to happen . The " Enterprise " , meanwhile , has been examining the debris . It is the remains of a freighter , one like they were supposed to meet . Commander Data ' s analysis concludes the freighter was destroyed by Romulan weapons within the last 4 . 3 hours . On the Romulan vessel , Troi is talking strategy with N ' Vek . She wants to know if there is a way to allow the " Enterprise " to track them . N ' Vek says that if there were , he wouldn ' t do it , because he wants to get them to a Federation base . Using more than the forcefulness of the major , furious for what he did to her , she shouts that they will now follow her plans , or she will pull rank and get him ejected into space for being a traitor . He then suggests there is a way , and has the ship ' s engineer , a sympathizer to the cause , misalign one of the warbird ' s nullifier core s . Sure enough , the " Enterprise " begins to pick up a moving magnetic distortion off their port side , which reappears and disappears . DeSeve believes that it could be a Romulan ship based on his understanding of their cloak ing technology and their power source : an artificial quantum singularity . A system in less - than - perfect condition could produce detectable readings . Picard has the " Enterprise " head for the distortion . Toreth notices their movements , and isn ' t sure of their intent . She then orders a course directly under their hull ; if the " Enterprise " moves , then they have detected the warbird , and she will attack and destroy them . Act Five . The " Enterprise " detects the distortion moving towards them . Picard and DeSeve are baffled by this behavior , as Romulans only perform suicide attacks when the situation is desperate . With ninety seconds until impact , Picard concludes that they should move . When Commander Toreth gives the order to drop cloak and fire , Troi countermands her , declaring that such an attack would be foolish . The commander stands up for her abilities , causing Troi to order her removal from the bridge . Troi explains to the otherwise loyal junior officers that their families , as well as they , will bear the punishment of refusing to follow her orders , and takes command . Toreth steps down , and N ' Vek is the first to take the major ' s orders . Troi suggests that they use discretion instead of a bold attack . She explains that she will offer a diplomatic solution , and destroy them after their shields are down . When the ship de - cloaks , and Troi addresses Picard on the viewscreen , the bridge crew restrains their surprise . Once she explains the attack in basic terms , she then suggests that she be beamed over to the " Enterprise " to discuss the matter . The " Enterprise " drops shields , and when N ' Vek fires , he encodes a transporter beam inside the disruptor , and beams M ' ret and his aides to the bridge . When the pilot reports that the " Enterprise " is undamaged , N ' Vek claims that their disruptor has malfunctioned , but a suspicious Toreth investigates and discovers that the disruptor has , in fact , been deliberately sabotaged to conceal a transporter beam . The pilot tracks the beam to the cargo bay . Toreth declares that the major and N ' Vek are both traitors . N ' Vek points his weapon at her , but the loyal Romulan pilot vaporizes him . Toreth disarms Troi and demands to know what was in the cargo containers . When Troi refuses to answer , Toreth says they will eventually learn the truth and then execute her . As the warbird prepares to go to warp , they drop shields and cloak the ship . Just in time , the " Enterprise " beams Troi aboard . Troi is welcomed back aboard by Geordi La Forge , who takes her to sickbay . The " Enterprise " quickly leaves the area at Warp 9 . After Doctor Beverly Crusher undoes her cosmetic surgery , Picard informs Troi that M ' ret is grateful for her efforts . Troi is glad to be back , but cites N ' Vek as the hero , who sacrificed himself to save her . Picard assures Troi that N ' Vek ' s efforts will not be in vain . Memorable quotes . " " Listen to me carefully . You are no longer Deanna Troi . You are Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar – the Imperial intelligence . " " " " Your only chance to get off this ship alive is to do as I say . " " " " The man acted dishonorably . He " is " a traitor . " " " " I ' ve smelled better viinerine on prison ship s . " " " " Your opinion of the Tal Shiar is quite clear , commander . " " " " I hope so . " " " " We ensure the loyalty of the people . Do you believe the Empire would be better off without our protection ? " " " " Protection ? From what ? How is the Empire threatened by the words of an old man , a devoted citizen who was merely trying to speak his mind ? How did the Tal Shiar protect the Empire by dragging him , my father , out of his home in the middle of the night ? " " " " Clearly , your father was a traitor . " " " " No . He was just an idealistic old man . I never saw him again . " " " " I don ' t need your devotion , commander . Just your obedience . " " " " And that ' s all you have . " " " " Contrary to the propaganda that your superiors would have us believe , Starfleet is neither weak nor foolish . " " " " People blame the military for the wars that we are asked to fight , but I think it is your kind , Major , that will be the death of us all . " " " " We ' re not playing it your way anymore , N ' Vek ! I have been kidnapped , surgically altered , put in danger ! I ' ve gone along with all your plans . Now " you " are going to listen to me ! You find a way to let the " Enterprise " track us , or I will go to Toreth and tell her I ' ve discovered you ' re a traitor ! I ' ll have you ejected into space ! Is that clear , sub - commander ? ! ! " " " " Well , that about does it . How does it feel to have your own face back ? " " " " Just right . Thank you . " " Links and references . References . aide ; ; antiproton ; artificial quantum singularity ; " As You Like It " ; Bokara VI ; civilian clothing ; cloaking device ; Corvallen ; Corvallen freighter ; court martial ; ; defector ; disruptor array ; disruptor pistol ; dizziness ; Draken IV ; Draken system ; Federation ; gravitic sensor net ; hypospray ; Imperial Senate ; Imperial War College ; Kaleb sector ; ; Konsab ; Military History ; neuropsychology ; nullifier core ; number one ; Rakal ( alias ) ; Rakal ( Major ) ; red alert ; Research Station 75 ; Research Station 75 planet ; Romulan ; Romulan Intelligence Academy ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; Romulan Star Empire ; Romulan underground movement ; Romulus ; Sotarek Citation ; Spock ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet Headquarters ; stasis ; tachyon detection grid ; tachyon scan ; Tal Shiar ; Toreth ' s father ; vice - proconsul ; " viinerine " ; vorcha ' ak ; warbird