Stardate: 42923.4 Enterprise participates in a battle simulation between Enterprise and an 80 year old starship, to be capt'.d by Riker. A Zakdornian is assigned to oversee the mismatched simulation. The Zakdor is also a master of the game Strategema. Learning this, Dr. Pulaski pushes Data to challenge the Master to a game. Data relents and plays the game and loses. Stunned, Data removes himself from duty, feeling he must be malfunctioning.

The battle simulation then takes place, but it is interrupted by a Ferengi attack on the Enterprise, as they think there must be some profit Enterprise is seeking from the weaker Starfleet vessel. The question is can Riker, in the weaker vessel, save Enterprise from the Ferengi attack.