Gest

Gest was a female Bolian archaeologist in the 24th century.

In 2368 she was part of an expedition lead by Dr. Marjorie Devarona to investigate recently discovered ruins on the planet Rajatha Prime. Shortly into the team’s time on the planet they discovered a crashed 22nd century shuttlepod. And near by, in the possession of a corpse, Gest found a collection of valuable harmonic diamonds. Unknown to any of them at the time the diamonds stimulated areas of the brain associated with primitive emotions, including anger, envy, and greed. There effects began as soon as Gest touched them, she became quite possessive of the gems, however that night the decision was made to split them between the team, only Jean-Luc Picard opted not to care for one.

The next morning Gest contacted her ship to arrange to be collected and then sabotaged the expedition’s comm unit. She killed Dr. Devarona, throwing her into a gorge and then stole her diamond, stashing it in her canteen. When the rest of the team discovered Devarona's body Gest tried to suggest there may be someone else on the planet to have committed the deed.

Later that day back at the ziggurat where the shuttlepod had been discovered Gest killed another member of the expedition, Kob, and then attacked one other Hoyle, killing him with a phaser in full sight of Jean-Luc Picard. Then explaining how Hoyle had killed the rest of the party she agreed to help Picard move the shuttlepod, believing she had him convinced of her innocence.

Behind the shuttlepod the two found a Rajathan ceremonial entrance to the underworld, a pristine chamber of untold value not seen by anyone in two millennia. Acting in awe she attempted to convince Picard she is only interested in the archaeological value of the planet and offered him her harmonic diamond.

Picard called her bluff, well aware, having observed that she had stopped drinking from her canteen since discovering the diamonds, that she had the entire collection in her possession. Infuriated Gest armed herself with a Rajathan blade and backed out of the chamber, confident her ship would be soon be awaiting her.

However, she backed straight into the butt of William T. Riker's phaser, the Enterprise having been altered to unusual goings on by the lack of scheduled contact with the team since the comm was disabled. The gems fell into possession of Jean-Luc Picard, who, per Dr. Devarona's final wishes, had them used to fund archaeological digs across the quadrant. (TNG comic: Captain' Pleasure)