Hermeticus 2--a planet so shrouded in secrecy that few in the Federation even know of its existence. When a Romulan spy learns of the world, a Romulan plan is hatched to claim the planet as their own. On patrol near the Neutral Zone, the U.S.S. Enterprise discovers an advanced Romulan warbird prototype adrift. Soon Captain Picard is drawn into a plot that threatens the very foundation of the Federation.