A medical emergency summons the Enterprise to the Federation outpost of Tanis. There, two of the lab's three researchers are dead. The sole survivor has a secret that will rock the foundations of Starfleet.
What starts out as a friendly starship race between the various intelligent races in the galaxy, becomes a struggle for survival for the Starship Enterprise when a Romulan warship joins the race and attacks the Enterprise.
Past and future merge as the captains of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 and NCC-1701-D, Kirk and Picard, embark on separate resuce missions and end up with the fate of each other's starships on their hands.
Captain Kirk is suspected of stealing top-secret Federation technology. With the aid of Mr. Spock, Lt. Cmdr. Piper begins a desperate search for the very real and very dangerous traitor.