Preemptive Strike (Star Trek: The Next Generation) Preemptive Strike (Star Trek: The Next Generation) "Preemptive Strike" is the 176th episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series "". It is the 24th episode of the , and penultimate episode of the series overall, directed by cast member Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard). Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Federation starship USS "Enterprise"-D. In this episode, the recurring character Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes), a court-martialed Starfleet officer who first appeared in the episode "", finds her loyalties divided between Starfleet and a group of resistance fighters who oppose
Descent (Star Trek: The Next Generation) of the set of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", which included an opportunity by Hawking to sit in the captain's chair. Freedman told the show's executive producer, Rick Berman, that Hawking would appear on the show if asked. Hawking accepted the ensuing offer, marking the first time a guest star played himself on an episode of any "Star Trek" series. After he was sent the script, he made some modifications to it, including improving a humorous line of dialogue to make it funnier, which Berman called "delightful". Later, when actor Brent Spiner, who appeared in the scene with Hawking, first