A scheme by a Vulcan isolationist, working within a mercenary crew that looted archaeological sites, to reassemble the Stone of Gol, an ancient weapon that kills by amplifying thought.
In the two-part Next Generation story Gambit, Picard is apparently vaporised in a bar while on an archaeological trip. Riker's search leads to mercenaries under Arctus Baran, who kidnap him. Aboard their ship he finds Picard alive, posing as a smuggler called Galen; the crew are raiding sites in the Taugan sector for Romulan artefacts, and Baran controls his people with pain implants.
The pieces belong to a psionic resonator from Vulcan's violent past. A crew member, Tallera, tells Picard she is T'Paal of Vulcan security, sent to stop it reaching isolationists. In truth she is one of them, and wants the weapon to drive outsiders from Vulcan.
Picard takes over the ship by mutiny and the trail ends on Vulcan, where T'Paal assembles the Stone and kills two mercenaries. Picard reads its inscription: it has no power over a peaceful mind. The away team calm themselves and she is arrested.