Star Trek: 10 Riker Romances That Were A TOTAL Security Risk

10. Dangerous Liaisons

We don't necessarily doubt the sincerity of Riker's feelings in The Vengeance Factor. But it is the perfect example of how the first officer mixing business with pleasure can get really messy.

The Gatherers are wreaking havoc, and the Enterprise finds itself in the middle of a highly delicate and risky diplomatic mission to assist the violent splinter group's reintegration with the Acamarians.

The perfect time for a romance with one of the parties involved, eh?

Enter Yuta, an enchanting chef who works for the Sovereign of Acamar...and is exactly Riker's type. The flirtation begins almost as soon as she comes aboard, because there's clearly nothing more important to worry about...and Riker is technically in charge of HR.

But Yuta has a secret. A pretty big one at that.

After a Gatherer is found dead, Crusher informs Riker that he was murdered using a tailored microvirus. His next course of action as the situation gets ever more dangerous and complicated? Seduce the chef.

Only, it turns out that Riker's date for the evening has a peculiar speciality dish: microvirus a la Yuta. That's right, Riker's trying to hook up with an assassin. An assassin he ends up having to vaporise.

While he had no way of knowing that Yuta was the murderer, it really is a lesson in why getting romantically involved with random guests who arrive for hazardous peace talks is a terrible idea. Sometimes, the smart thing to do is to go and take a cold sonic shower.