Several years prior to 2367, Acost Jared, the Ventaxian head of state, began to be obsessed with the legend of Ardra.  The demonic woman had long ago become part of his world's fundamental theology and mythology, and the day of Ardra's predicted return is now fast approaching.  According to legend, Ardra's arrival is to be heralded by visions and city-devastating earthquakes, and will come to pass 1,000 years to the day after her first appearance on Ventax II.  The day before the deadline, the catclysmic prophecies have come true, sending the Ventaxians into a panic.

Jared is ready to turn his people over to the striking woman, but Captain Picard challenges her, believing her to be a powerless con artist, expecially after she requests an accounting and census of the Ventaxians, with emphasis on productivity and economic forecasts.  Ardra demonstrates her power of instant teleportation, and shapechanges into demonic forms before the eyes of Picard's crew.  She even makes the Enterprise briefly disappear from space in an attempt to convince the captain -- whom she finds increasingly attractive the more he rejects her -- of her authenticity.

Finally agreeing to an arbitration wherein she will gain Picard's soul if she wins, Ardra presents a powerful case, demonstrating her powers again.  But those demonstrations allow engineer Geordi La Forge to track her cloaked ship, from which all of her technological "miracles" emanate.  Ardra is revealed as a notorious con artist who has been deceiving people in the sector for years, under twenty-three different aliases!  As she is led away by Ventaxian security, Ardra promises Picard that they will meet again.