The leader of a band of mercenaries who stole ancient artifacts and controlled his crew with pain-inducing implants.
Arctus Baran commands a mercenary ship that raids archaeological sites for relics. He controls his crew with neural implants that let him inflict pain on any of them at will.
In Gambit and Gambit, Part II, Picard is captured by Baran's crew and poses as a smuggler named Galen. Riker is later taken aboard as well, and the two officers work to uncover the purpose of Baran's search for the pieces of an ancient weapon. Baran is ultimately killed by his own crew member Tallera, who had been using him for her own goals.