Riker's team concludes that the missing Captain Picard must be dead, since Dr. Crusher identified the debris as his DNA; he gets a free hand from Starfleet while in temporary command of the Enterprise to go after Picard's killers. After further bribery of the alien who tipped them off in the first place fails, Riker resorts to threatening with expulsion to cruel Klingon justice and learns it's the work of mercenaries who head for the Barradas system. Data works out the only plausible planet is Barradas III, now uninhabited but rich in archaeological remains of the Debrunes, a Romulan-related race. Indeed his party finds Picard's traces there, but is attacked by three mercenaries, who capture Riker on board their ship, and implant a pain-control device. To his surprise another implantee is none other than Picard. He was pressed into joining the crew on account of his skills, especially in archaeology. Picard tells Riker to win the pirate captain's trust, by pretending to be Picard's enemy, as he is disliked.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
While investigating the apparent death of Capt. Picard, Riker is abducted by a group of intergalactic archaeological thieves, only to find Picard has apparently joined their ranks.
