impressed. The Enterprise regroups and prepares to attack the Hathaway when sensors report another intruding ship – a Ferengi marauder. Picard realizes too late that this ship is not a sensor trick, and the Ferengi attack leaves the Enterprises phasers locked in simulation mode and unable to return fire. The Ferengi commander, DaiMon Bractor (Armin Shimerman), is unaware of the wargames and suspicious of the behavior of the two Federation ships, concluding the Hathaway must be valuable, and demands that Picard surrender it to him. Picard and Riker devise a risky plan, where the Enterprise fires photon torpedoes at the Hathaway, with the Hathaway using their short warp burst to jump to safety an instant before the torpedoes detonate. The Ferengi, believing their prize has been destroyed, turn their attention to the Enterprise, but Worf tricks their sensors into detecting another Federation ship approaching, and the Ferengi flee. With the wargames over, Data challenges Kolrami to a Strategema rematch. This time, Data is able to hold Kolrami in check; Kolrami grows more and more frustrated as the match progresses, ultimately throwing down his controls in disgust and storming off. Data explains that he altered his strategy, giving up opportunities for advancement in order to maintain a stalemate, which he believes he could have maintained indefinitely. He initially regards the result as a draw, but after prodding from Pulaski, admits his success. Production This episode is noted for featuring special effect sequences with a Constellation-class starship in outer space. This design was used previously on the show in the first-season episode "The Battle" and appears in several other episodes. Reception At its original broadcast, the episode was seen by 9.4% of American households, as estimated by the episode's Nielsen Rating. Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+, calling it a "solid entry" that allows "nearly every major character a moment to shine." Keith R.A. DeCandido of Tor.com rated the episode 7 out of 10. In June 2019, ScreenRant rated "Peak Performance" the 8th best episode of all Star Trek up to that time. ScreenRant points out that Riker is in command of a decades-old spacecraft called the Hathaway and must face off against Captain Picard in the Enterprise 1701D, with one of the themes being leadership. They note it has a famous Captain Picard line, "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose." In 2020,