That, and "Encounter at Farpoint" already established that this greebly in fact was an emitter for energy beams... It's too bad that it wasn't used for the same purpose in, say, "Mindscape", and the new effects associated the energy beam with the phaser strip instead. With the original, warp-less specs, it wouldn't have been much good in that role. Adding warp would nicely turn it into an overgrown shuttle, yes - but leaving it out could give the machine a different mission altogether. The less engines and other nonessential stuff aboard, the better the Yacht would serve as a detachable Embassy or Consulate, a comfortable hut from which the crew could conduct diplomacy while their big starship did things she was better suited for. Timo Saloniemi