One after another, a number of Starfleet ships are overwhelmed by a mysterious alien aggressor, who appears to possess an intimate knowlege of the technology of the vessels under attack. The young Captain Jean-Luc Picard, with his first command, the USS Stargazer, finds himself in the front line of defence. As he and his crew prepare to make a desperate stand against an invincible enemy, it seems that nothing can stop the alien's headlong plunge into the very heart of the Federation.