 On the first active duty mission for the crew of the Enterprise-D, they are stopped by an omnipotent being known only as Q. He puts them on trial as the representatives of a species of violent savages. The only way for the crew to prove their accuser wrong is to continue their mission and discover the secret of a mysterious base on a distant planet, seemingly built by a civilization that does not have the technological skill. Furthermore, they have to solve the puzzle in a truly civilized and enlightened manner.