The EnterpriseĀ journeys to Lorca, a beautiful world where the inhabitants wear masks to show their rank and station. There, Captain Picard and an away team begin a quest for the planet's ruler and the great Wisdom Mask that the leader traditionally wears. Their mission: establish diplomatic relations.
But Picard and his party lose contact with the ship, and Commander Riker leads a search party down to the planet to find them.
Both men are unaware that their searchs are part of a madman's plan. A madman who is setting a trap that will ensnare both landing parties, and leave him poised to seize control of the awesome Wisdom Mask...
And the planet Lorca itself.
I love the characters in this story (and not just the Enterprise crew). I really enjoy the culture of Lorca with the masks and the duels and the feudalism. And the plot is very well done in the way it comes together. It's not entirely surprising but it is satisfying.