The Ensigns of Command

"The Ensigns of Command" is the second episode of the third season of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 50th episode overall, first broadcast on October 2, 1989.

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet crew of the Federation starship Enterprise-D. In this episode, Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) must convince a reluctant colony of more than 15,000 to prepare for immediate evacuation while Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) attempts to negotiate a three-week reprieve from aliens intent on colonizing the planet themselves in four days and wiping out any humans found there.

Plot
The Federation starship Enterprise, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), receives a message from the Sheliak: Remove the humans on their planet Tau Cygni V within three days, or the Sheliak will exterminate them.

The Enterprise sends android Second Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Data (Brent Spiner) to the planet to coordinate the evacuation, but the colony's leader Gosheven (Grainger Hines) refuses. He argues the colonists have worked too hard to establish the colony and would rather fight the Sheliak than leave. A female colonist, Ard’rian McKenzie, helps Data find a way to convince the colonists to evacuate the colony. While Data communicates with the Enterprise about the situation, Ard’rian overhears the conversation and suggests Data use reverse psychology to convince the colonidts to leave, then she kisses him, saying to Data’s inquiry as to why she kissed him, that he seemed like he needed it. Gosheven uses the colony's aqueduct as proof of the colonists' ability to overcome adversity. As a show of force, Data destroys the aqueduct with a phaser and informs the colonists the Sheliak are even more powerful, even capable of destroying them from orbit, and the colonists would die never seeing their killers. Gosheven reluctantly agrees to the evacuation. Data tells a disheartened Gosheven that the aqueduct is “just a thing,” and “things can be replaced, but lives cannot.”

Due to hyperonic radiation rendering the transporters useless, the evacuation would require three weeks, but the Sheliak insist the treaty only allows for three days. In response, Picard exploits a loophole in the treaty and offers the Sheliak a choice: either wait six months for third-party arbitrators, or give Picard three weeks to evacuate the colony. Outmaneuvered, the Sheliak agree to the three weeks. As Data prepares to return to the Enterprise, Ard’rian comes to say goodbye, confessing that she will miss him, to which Data responds by kissing her. When she asks why he kissed her, he says she appeared to need it. She concludes that he saw she was unhappy, and did what he concluded would make her feel better; Data agrees and boards the shuttle and returns to the Enterprise.

Aboard the Enterprise, Picard comments on Data's fusion of two very different music styles in a musical performance, as well as his creative approach to convincing the colonists. Data concedes that he has become more creative.

Reception
The A.V. Club gave it B+. Tor.com gave it 7 out of 10.

Releases
The episode was released with Star Trek: The Next Generation season three DVD box set, released in the United States on July 2, 2002. This had 26 episodes of Season 3 on seven discs, with a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. It was released in high-definition Blu-ray in the United States on April 30, 2013.

This was released in Japan on LaserDisc on July 5, 1996, in the half season set ''Log. 5: Third Season Part.1'' by CIC Video. This included episodes from "The Ensigns of Command" (also "Evolution") to "A Matter of Perspective" on 12-inch double sided optical discs. The video was in NTSC format with both English and Japanese audio tracks.