Last time on "Star Trek: The Next Generation".
We have to move quickly to be successful.
- Successful? - Yes.
In preventing a Klingon civil war.
I would speak with you.
I do not hear the words of traitors.
It was Duras's father
who betrayed our people to the Romulans at Khitomer, not mine.
We have discovered that our brother did indeed have a son and heir.
Follow me, and I will show you honour.
Your blood will paint the way to the future.
If we aid the Bortas, we'll drag the Federation into a civil war.
You both fought as warriors. I return your family honour.
Mr. Worf, your responsibilities as an officer are incompatible
with remaining on a Klingon ship during war.
Then I resign my commission...
..as a Starfleet officer.
Picard has rejected Gowron's plea for help.
The Enterprise has left orbit.
We should not discount Jean-Luc Picard yet.
He is human.
Humans have a way of showing up when you least expect them.
And now, the conclusion.
Maintain course. Status of warp engines?
Warp engines at 50 percent.
Status of shields?
Aft shields buckling.
Transfer auxiliary power to shields!
Aft shields are gone.
We cannot win. We must withdraw.
Keep your place.
New course!
307, mark 275.
But that is dangerously close to...
We are entering the star's corona.
We will reach the photosphere in 30 seconds.
Stand by to interwarp on my command.
Set course 250, mark 01 5.
Shields failing! Hull temperature exceeding design limit.
- Captain! - Maintain course.
They are closing on us.
Stand by.
Captain's log, star date 45020.4.
We have arrived at Star base 234.
I've taken the opportunity to make a proposal to Admiral Shanthi.
There have been three engagements in two weeks,
all won by ships loyal to the Duras family.
None of which is our concern, Jean-Luc.
The Klingon civil war is, by definition,
an internal matter of the Empire.
Agreed. But if the Duras are aided by the Romulans, it is our concern.
The Romulans have been attempting to destroy our Alliance for 20 years.
At the same time, the Duras have been conspiring with the Romulans.
Doesn't it seem odd that the Duras can field
such a force against Gowron that they outmatch him at every turn?
Some would call it good leadership.
And some would say they must be getting help.
The Romulans take enormous risks for an advantage over the Federation.
Can we seriously believe that now,
with the future of the Empire in the balance,
they are content to stand by and watch?
What is it you propose, Captain?
We must stop the flow of supplies and equipment
to the Duras from the Romulans.
What I propose is that we send a fleet to the Romulan-Klingon border.
We'll take no offensive action.
But we can expose Romulan supplies that attempt to cross the border.
- A blockade? - Exactly.
But how would you overcome the Romulan cloaking device?
My chief engineer has developed a system
that should nullify that advantage.
Each ship will send out an active tachyon beam
to the other blockading ships.
In theory, any cloaked vessel
that attempts to pass between our ships must cross that beam
and be detected.
I'll have to clear this with the Federation Council.
In the meantime, assemble your fleet, Captain.
Nicely done. I hope we know what we're doing.
So do l, Number One.
Captain's log, star date 45021.3.
Convincing Starfleet Command to establish a blockade was painless.
Implementing that plan is proving more troublesome.
Starfleet is stretched thin in this quadrant.
There are 12 ships within a day's travel.
The only other ships are in for repair or under construction.
Most don't have full crews yet.
We could scare up seven, eight ships.
Mr. La Forge, can you implement your grid with 20 ships?
It's possible, but the more ships, the bigger the net.
Alright.
I want to add the Tian An Men, the Sutherland and the Hermes,
whether they're ready or not.
Mr. Data, select Enterprise-experienced officers
- to augment the ships' crews. - Aye, sir.
Will, I want you to command the Excalibur.
Her crew has been reassigned.
- Geordi, you will be first officer. - Aye, sir.
I want the fleet under way by 0900.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Yes, Mr. Data?
May I ask a question of a personal nature?
Yes.
I am confused.
Why have I not been assigned a command?
I felt that you would be needed here. Why do you ask?
You commented on the lack of senior officers available.
I believe my 26 years of service qualifies me.
However, if you do not feel the time has arrived
for an android to command a starship, perhaps...
Commander.
I believe the Starship Sutherland will need a captain.
I can think of no one better suited than you.
Thank you, sir.
You always did have fools working for you, Larg.
Now you don't have as many.
You were lucky, Kurn. But luck runs out.
Someday I'll stand over your corpse
and drink to the victory of the Duras!
Worf.
Worf, good. This piece of baktag is Capt Larg.
He commanded the squadron that tried to destroy us yesterday.
The infamous Worf, son of Mogh.
What is that you are wearing? The uniform of a Klingon!
The Capital City is neutral ground and Larg's men are all around us.
As are mine.
Good to drink with you, Kurn. May you die well.
Die well, Larg.
You drink with our enemies?
How many are Gowron's men? How many are Duras?
Does it matter? When we meet in battle, we will fight to the death.
But here, here we're all warriors, all Klingons.
Repairs to the Hegh'ta are proceeding. The stabilizers...
Is there nothing in your heart but duty?
It is my responsibility.
We all have responsibilities and duties.
But you and I are warriors fighting in a great war.
Think of it. You and I will fight battles that others only dream of.
The time for glory is here.
It is not a time to worry about stabilizers.
It is a time to celebrate. For tomorrow, we all may die!
Let us, the sons of Mogh, live this night as if it were our last.
- Worf is not like his brother. - No.
He tries to be. But he's still unsure of himself.
He needs something to help restore his confidence.
I think he'll find our offer appealing.
I'll make sure he does.
Keep this mixture above 90 percent or we'll never leave orbit.
Thank you, Mr. Krags.
- I am Lt Cmdr Data. - Lt Cmdr Christopher Hobson.
By order of Starfleet, I hereby take command.
Please note the time and date in the log.
Excuse me, sir. I'd like to request a transfer.
May I ask why?
I don't believe I'd be a good first officer for you.
Your service record suggests you would be.
No, that's not what I mean.
I don't think I'd be good for you.
Why?
Frankly, I don't believe in your ability to command this ship.
You're a fellow officer. I respect that.
But no one would say that a Klingon would be a good counsellor,
or that a Berellian could be an engineer. They're not suited.
By the same token, an android isn't a good choice to be captain.
I understand your concerns. Request denied.
The Endeavour has cleared the dock.
- All ships standing by. - Good.
Course 118, mark 357. Full impulse power.
Signal the fleet. We'll enter warp once we're clear of the system.
Engage.
The Romulan convoy is late. We need those supplies.
Gowron has suffered another loss in the Mempa system.
His forces will not threaten you for some time.
- But if... - The convoy will arrive soon.
The Federation fleet has left Star base 234,
heading for Klingon territory.
- How many? - At least 20 starships.
- Who is commanding this fleet? - Picard!
What does it mean? Is the Federation entering the war?
Should we attack first?
Silence the child or send him away. Movar.
Return to Romulus immediately.
Have all available ships at these coordinates in two days.
Yes, Commander.
20 starships aren't enough to wage war.
Starfleet must be bluffing.
Perhaps.
Our forces in the Mempa sector are in full retreat.
They will need to regroup near Beta Lankal.
We destroyed their supply bases in that sector three weeks ago.
How can they continue to fight?
They must be getting help.
Maybe they have better leaders.
I say you have failed as our leader, Gowron.
There is no time for this.
We must make plans before they reach Beta Lankal.
How can we oppose the Duras if we fight each other?
Gowron must answer this challenge.
Stop! Do we fall upon ourselves like Ferengi?
The enemy is the Duras.
We are at war!
Now the war... can continue.
We're entering Klingon territory.
Signal the fleet to maintain yellow alert.
Aye, sir.
Begin scans of the Romulan border.
No uncloaked ships in sensor range.
A few subspace anomalies.
Those anomalies could be cloaked ships.
Could be, sir.
Open a channel to the Excalibur.
Excalibur. Riker here.
Deploy the fleet, Will. It's time to spread our net.
Yes, sir.
We've arrived at the designated coordinates.
All stop. Notify the flagship that we have assumed station.
Starboard power coupling is overloaded.
We've got a radiation leak on decks ten through 12.
The backups are not functioning.
There wasn't enough time to test them.
Terry, I want you in Engineering working on a new coupling.
You have taken the phaser and torpedo units off line.
- Keith, you and l... - Mr. Hobson.
It is inappropriate for you not to consult your commanding officer.
I was trying to safeguard the people on those decks.
But you're right. Belay those orders, everyone.
Phasers and torpedoes are back on line.
What should we do, sir?
You will take the phaser and torpedo units off line and begin repairs.
Thank you, sir. You heard the Captain, everyone.
We're ready, sir.
How long will it take the Romulans to detect the tachyon field?
Not long. Romulan sensors are as good as ours.
Very well. Energize the network.
Commander, there's an increase in tachyon emissions
from the Federation fleet.
They're using the beams as a detection field.
If we try to cross it, they'll see us, even cloaked.
Issue orders to begin work on penetrating this field.
In the meantime, we have to convince Picard he should leave.
Captain, I'm picking up something directly ahead.
Romulan ship de-cloaking.
- Shall I raise shields? - Not yet.
- They're hailing us, sir. - On screen.
Tasha?
No, Captain. My name is Cmdr Sela.
The woman you knew as Tasha Yar was my mother.
Deploying an invasion fleet along our border is an act of aggression.
It will not be tolerated.
You have 20 hours to recall your ships and return peacefully.
So you believe her?
I'm not saying we should accept her claim at face value.
But I sensed no deception.
She believes she's the daughter of Tasha Yar.
No matter what she believes, Sela can't be her daughter.
Tasha's records give no indication that she was ever pregnant.
Tasha was a child when this woman was born.
- Sela could have been cloned. - Or been surgically altered.
Why? What advantage could there be to the Romulans?
As this now stands, it won't have any impact on our strategy.
We'll continue the blockade, leave the next move to them.
- Am I intruding? - No, not at all.
Is something wrong?
News travels fast.
I heard that Tasha Yar's daughter is aboard the Romulan ship.
I think the Romulans are just hoping to create a distraction.
They want to keep us off balance.
How much do you know about the last ship called Enterprise?
Enterprise-C? She was lost in the battle of Narendra III,
defending a Klingon outpost from the Romulans.
And the survivors?
There were stories of prisoners taken back to Romulus.
But these were rumours.
No. There were survivors.
And Tasha Yar was one of them.
Guinan, that was 23 years ago. Tasha Yar was only a child.
I know that. I also know she was aboard that ship.
And she was not a child.
And I think you sent her there.
How can that be?
I don't know. I just know that you did.
Tasha died.
A year before you came on the Enterprise.
- You never met her. - I know that.
If you have only a vague intuition...
You can't just dismiss this.
If I'm right, then you are responsible for this whole situation.
I think it's time that I met Cmdr Sela.
We are at war.
Gowron should forbid challenges until we are victorious.
A Klingon does not postpone a matter of honour.
A Klingon should place the Empire above his own pride.
Now Gowron no longer suits you?
Perhaps you wish to challenge him for leadership?
- No! - Then do not speak of this!
I did not wish to follow Gowron.
You came to me and insisted that we support Gowron
against the Duras family.
The time for debate is over.
We are Klingons. He is our leader. If that is not enough for you,
perhaps you made the wrong choice when you put on that uniform.
Well, Captain, what is this urgent matter we need to discuss?
Won't you sit down?
I'm afraid you have misinterpreted our presence here.
I assure you that we have no hostile intention.
So then I can tell my superiors
that a fleet of 23 Federation starships is on our border for what?
Humanitarian reasons?
It is our intent to prevent any external power
interfering in Klingon affairs.
Nor do we have any plan to do so.
But, if for any reason, we chose to enter Klingon territory,
how would you stop us?
With our cloaking devices, we can slip by you.
Then why don't you just take your ships across?
You sound eager for us to try.
Perhaps you've discovered a method in detecting our ships?
However, I don't think you want to discuss our military situation.
Alright. Why did I invite you?
You want the answer to the only question on your mind.
How could Tasha be my mother?
It's been suggested that she was on the Enterprise-C 24 years ago,
that she was one of the survivors,
and you're a product of a union between her and a Romulan.
But you know that's impossible.
She was a child when that battle occurred.
But you claim it is possible, that you're the daughter of Tasha Yar.
Yes, she was on that ship 24 years ago.
She was sent there, by you, from the future.
She was among those few who survived.
They were to be executed after interrogation.
But a Romulan general saw her and became enamoured with her.
So a deal was struck.
Their lives would be spared if she became his consort.
I was born a year later.
I want to meet your mother. Can you arrange that?
One night, when I was four, she came to me.
She bundled me up and she told me to stay quiet.
I realized she was taking me away, from my home, my father.
So I cried out.
My father offered her life. He gave her a home, a child.
And how did she repay him?
By betrayal.
They executed her.
Everything in me that was human died that day.
All that's left now is Romulan. Never doubt that.
Doubts? I'm full of them.
But nothing can persuade me that what you have told me is true.
And I do know one thing.
It will not affect my judgement at our next encounter.
You have 14 hours, Captain.
I suggest you use them wisely.
Is something wrong?
Welcome, Worf, son of Mogh.
- What do you want? - The same as you.
Personal honour. Glory for the Empire.
Your family has never valued honour.
You only knew our brother. We are not like him.
Our brother made many mistakes.
One was to make you an enemy.
We would rather be your friend.
Then you should not oppose Gowron.
Gowron is nothing!
Toral is Duras's only son.
And he will be the leader of the Council.
In your heart, even you know that.
- But Toral needs guidance. - A firm hand.
A father figure.
That could be you, if you were mated to B'Etor.
The rewards could be greater than you can imagine.
Nothing will stand in our way.
We could rule the Empire together.
Join us. Usher in a new era for our people.
An era where honour has no meaning?
Where Klingons trade loyalties in dark rooms?
And the Empire is ruled from Romulus?
Enough, Lursa. You failed.
I need to know the strength of the Federation fleet.
I don't have time for this. Turn him over to the guard.
B'Etor can have him when they're finished.
Come!
In 13 hours, we'll be forced to withdraw or fight the Romulans.
Neither alternative is acceptable.
We must expose their involvement before the deadline.
What is it you propose?
If you launch an attack now,
then the Duras fleet will call for supplies.
Lursa and B'Etor will call for help.
The Romulans will try to run the blockade. We'll be ready.
Once the Romulan connection has been exposed,...
..support will fall away from Lursa and B'Etor. Very well.
I will make preparations.
One thing more, Picard.
Worf has been captured by the Duras.
I hope he dies well.
Qapla'!
When Gowron attacks, we will make our move.
Excalibur will fall back with engine problems.
You take the Akagi and the Hornet here
to open a gap in our detection net.
If the Romulans know of the field, they'll run the blockade.
Exactly. But when they do,
the Enterprise and the Tian An Men will swing around,
close the gap and catch them in the act.
Very nice.
I'd better get back.
- Good luck, Will. - Good luck, Captain.
We've received a message from Lursa and B'Etor.
Gowron's forces attacked in three sectors.
The Duras are nearing defeat.
You mean they were caught unprepared and they're crying for help.
Have the science sections found a way to circumvent the grid?
We think so.
Just before we cross, we send out a massive tachyon pulse.
A burst that large should disable a part of their network.
Good.
One of their ships is moving off the blockade.
Their warp drive is failing.
Picard is redeploying the fleet to compensate for the missing ship.
- There's a gap in the net. - He doesn't have enough ships.
If we act quickly, we can move through.
- Commander! - No.
- I don't think so. - It's what we've waited for.
I know. And so does Picard.
He's giving us what we need. He expects us to take it.
No. We won't step into Picard's trap.
We will disable part of his network here, where they're weakest.
We'll direct the energy burst at the ship with the android captain.
Sir, the net is picking up activity from the Romulans.
15 cloaked ships spreading out along the border.
- Signal the fleet to stand by. - Aye, sir.
Now!
Come to course 080, mark 295.
There's a disruption in the tachyon detectors.
It's localized to this segment of the net.
Open a channel to the Sutherland.
Data here, sir.
We're reading a disruption of the net in your area.
The Romulans released a high-energy burst.
The net is no longer effective in radius of 10 million kilometers.
That's where they're going through. Send a signal.
All ships to Gamma Eridon. We'll re-establish the net there.
Aye, sir.
All Federation ships proceed at maximum warp to Gamma Eridon.
Acknowledge the signal. Ensign, engage at warp 9.3.
Aye, sir.
What are you doing?
In disrupting the net, the Romulans may have caused
a tachyon signature around their own ships.
- But we have no way of detecting it. - All stop.
Aye, sir. All stop.
Sir! The fleet's been ordered to Gamma Eridon.
The tachyon signatures will not last long.
By the time we deploy, it will be too late.
Reconfigure the sensors to detect ionized particles.
The area's been flooded with tachyon particles!
We'll never find what we're looking for.
I am aware of the difficulties. Bring the phasers on line.
That will flood three decks with radiation!
We will initiate radiation protocol.
You don't give a damn about people's lives! We're not machines!
Mr. Hobson! You will carry out my orders or I will relieve you.
Yes, sir.
The Sutherland isn't heading for the rendezvous point.
She's come to a full stop.
Open a channel.
The Enterprise wants to know the reason we've stopped.
Display sensor schematic.
Display sensor sweep, maximum range.
Are you going to answer the Enterprise?
Open a display with tachyon emissions.
Highlight any tachyon signatures which show inertial displacement.
Concentrate a sensor sweep in that area.
This is pointless. Those readings could be anything.
There's no way to be sure the Romulans are there.
Reconfigure photon torpedo warhead yields.
Set for high-energy burst level six.
- Level six? But that won't even... - Do it!
Torpedoes ready.
Another message coming in. It's Capt Picard.
Mr. Data, you were ordered to rendezvous at Gamma Eridon.
Acknowledge.
Stand by, Captain. Mr. Hobson, prepare to fire.
- Didn't you hear Capt Picard? - Fire.
Fire!
They have discovered us.
Reverse course. Order the fleet back to Romulan territory.
The Duras need this convoy! Without supplies, they cannot win.
We've been discovered. It's over.
What should I tell Lursa and B'Etor?
Tell them... they're on their own.
They're changing course, heading back to Romulan space.
Make a report to the flagship.
Take the phasers off line and begin a radiation clean-up.
Yes, sir.
Captain.
- Defeat! - How? Where are the Romulans?
They never came!
Kill him!
No!
Toral, the next leader of the Empire.
Gowron is looking forward to seeing you again.
Captain's personal log, star date 45025.4.
With profound relief,
I have ordered the fleet back to Federation territory
following the Romulan withdrawal and the news of Gowron's victory.
We have arrived at the Klingon Homeworld,
where I will present the High Council a full report on our encounter.
Come.
Captain, I wish to submit myself for disciplinary action.
I disobeyed an order from a superior officer.
Although the result of my actions proved positive,
the ends cannot justify the means.
No, they can't.
However, the claim, "I was only following orders,"
has been used to justify too many tragedies in our history.
Starfleet doesn't want officers who blindly follow orders
without analyzing the situation.
Your actions were appropriate for the circumstances.
I have noted that in your record.
Mr. Data.
Nicely done.
Sir.
The Council appreciates your report, Captain.
The information on the Romulan supply ships
will prove very useful.
Before you leave...
..there is one last matter to attend to.
Bring him.
Toral, son of Duras.
You stand convicted of treason.
The Duras family will one day rule the Empire!
Perhaps.
But not today.
Worf.
This child's family wrongly took your name...
..and your honour from you.
In return,...
..l give his life to you.
What's wrong?
Kill him!
No.
But it's our way. It's the Klingon way.
I know.
But it is not my way.
This boy has done me no harm.
I will not kill him for the crimes of his family.
It falls to Kurn.
No.
No, you gave me his life. I have spared it.
As you wish.
Request permission to return to duty, sir.
Granted.