Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994): Season 6, Episode 17 - Birthright, Part II - full transcript

In seeking his father, Worf discovers a prisoner-of-war camp that has evolved into a Klingon/Romulan haven - an Eden where Worf becomes their serpent.

Last time, on "Star Trek:
The Next Generation".

Not all the Klingons at Khitomer
were killed during the massacre.

Many were captured
by the Romulans

and placed in a prison camp
on a remote planet.

Your father was among them.

If my father were alive, it would
dishonour his sons and their sons.

Even Alexander would bear the burden.

So, you're willing to ignore
the possibility because of dishonour?

My father is dead.
That Yridian is selling lies.

This is a homing device.
It will allow you to find my ship.

You are Klingon.
Where did you come from?



That does not matter.
I have come to take you home.

He must leave.

It's too late. He would bring others.

We are not leaving here
and neither are you.

And now, the conclusion.

Take his pack.

Are you afraid to die escaping?

We are dead, Worf.
We died at Khitomer.

We were captured.
It was worse than death.

Why did you allow it?

We had no choice. We were defending
an outpost on the perimeter.

The Romulans took out our shields,

the next blast
rendered us unconscious.

When we awoke, we were prisoners,
unarmed and shackled.



We were interrogated
for three months.

We tried to starve ourselves
but they kept us alive.

The Romulan Cmdr Tokath
thought he was being kind.

The Romulans hoped to trade our lives
for territorial concessions.

The Klingon High Council
refused to negotiate.

They would not acknowledge that
warriors had been taken prisoner.

When it was clear we were of
no use, Tokath offered to let us go.

But we knew that our families
believed we had fallen in battle.

We would not return
to dishonour them.

We asked Tokath to let us stay.
He took pity on us.

I understand your desire
to preserve your family's honour.

But what of your own? There is
no honour in remaining prisoners.

We lost our honour
when we were captured.

It does not matter
what happens to us.

All that matters is that
our families are not dishonoured.

Why did you come here, Worf?

If you had found your father, ...

..you would have found
only dishonour.

If he had been captured, as you were,

if I had found him here,
I would be glad to see him.

There is no room
in my heart for shame.

I can only hope
that if my son came here, ...

..he would be Klingon enough
to kill me.

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Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.

Space, the final frontier.

These are the voyages
of the Starship Enterprise.

Its continuing mission,
to explore strange new worlds,...

..to seek out new life
and new civilizations,...

..to boldly go
where no one has gone before.

- This is a gin'tak spear.
- What of it?

Have your parents
taught you nothing?

This is used for battle,
not tilling soil.

We have no need for weapons.
The war is far away.

What war?

The war our parents
came here to escape.

That war was over many years ago.

I'm not interested in what you've got
to say. I've got work to do.

Hello again, Worf.

They say you've come to stay with us.

Not by choice.

Aren't you happy
to have escaped the war?

The war...

Yes. We've heard the stories
all our lives.

How people are slaughtered
in terrible battles,

forced to fight
whether they want to or not.

That's why our parents came here,
to make a safe home,

a place to raise
their children in peace.

You should be relieved.
You're safe here.

A place can be safe
and still be a prison.

Where I come from,
people are free to come and go.

So are we.

Tell your father
that you would like to leave.

Tell him that you want to visit the
Klingon Homeworld. See what he says.

Why would I go there? It's dangerous.

Not any longer.

Ba'el.

- Come here.
- Yes, Mother.

You are not allowed to leave
the compound?

Then I won't see you
at the pond again.

- I told you not to speak with him.
- I'm sorry, Mother.

Enter.

I am Tokath.

I can return later
if I'm disturbing you.

It is a strange thing

when the jailer concerns himself
with his prisoner's comfort.

Mine is a strange prison.

You robbed the Klingons
of who they were.

You dishonoured them.

By not slitting their throats
when we found them?

I do not expect you to understand.
You are a Romulan.

You're just like L'Kor was
20 years ago, proud and angry.

He hated me. All the Klingons did.

I had no love for them,
I won't deny it.

When I informed the High Command

that the Klingons
wanted to remain here,

I was told that unless I stayed
to oversee them myself

they would be killed.

My decision ended
my military career.

Why do it?

I don't expect you to understand.
You're a Klingon.

But I do expect you
to understand this.

We've put aside the old hatreds.

Here, Romulans and Klingons
live in peace.

I won't allow you
to destroy what we have.

Do not deceive yourself.

These people are not happy here.

I see the sadness in their eyes.

That's not what I see
when I look in my wife's eyes.

I married a Klingon.

So, when I warn you
not to disrupt our lives,

I'm not speaking just as a jailer,

but as a man protecting his family.

Do not test my tolerance.

Do you know what that song means?

No, I just like the melody.

Stop.

There.

Captain's log, stardate 46759.2.

The Yridian vessel Lt Worf
boarded at Deep Space Nine

failed to arrive
for our scheduled rendezvous.

It is now 12 hours overdue.

Still no sign of them
on long-range scanners.

Contact DS9. Find out what they know
about this Yridian trader.

Hopefully, he filed a flight plan.

It's our only chance of finding Worf.

We haven't had to use one of these
for a long time.

It implants a small boridium pellet
underneath the skin.

We can use its energy signature
to track you.

In time, you will grow accustomed
to life here.

Never.

He is one of yours.
Deal with him however you like.

But I warn you,
if he becomes a disruption,

I will not be so tolerant.

Toq.

You guard him.

He is free to move around
inside the compound.

But make certain
he does not cause trouble.

- What are you doing?
- This is the Mok'bara.

The form clears the mind...

..and centres the body.

No. Like this.

First, learn how to breathe.

Stand tall, as tall as you can.

- Now, take a wider stance.
- You must stop.

These forms are the basis
for Klingon combat.

You would be wise to learn them.

I will teach you. Join us.

We will see
what L'Kor thinks of this.

Mother?

She's not here. Come in.

This is what I wanted to show you.

I don't know why, but
I'm not supposed to look at these.

- They're Klingon, aren't they?
- Yes.

I thought you might be able
to tell me about them.

This is a warrior's armour.

And this is a d'k tahg.

It should not be allowed
to rust like this.

Isn't it beautiful?

That is a jinaq.

It is given to a daughter
who has come of age,

old enough to take a mate.

Ba'el.

- Mother.
- Put that away at once.

Why is she forbidden
to know what these are?

They are not needed here.

Go!

Kahless held his father's
lifeless body in his arms.

He could not believe
what his brother had done.

Then his brother threw
their father's sword into the sea,

saying if he could not possess it,
neither would Kahless.

That was the last time
the brothers would speak.

What happened to the sword?

Kahless looked into the sea
and wept.

For the sword
was all he had left of his father.

The ocean filled with his tears
and flooded over the shore.

That is impossible.

For you, perhaps.

Not Kahless. He was a great warrior.

You're making it up.

No. These are our stories.

They tell us who we are.

It is late. It is time to sleep.

Worf.

You never answered my question.

Did Kahless ever find
his father's sword?

Yes. He found it.

The stories that you tell,
are they true?

I have studied them all of my life,

and find new truths in them
every time.

This Kahless,
did he ever take a mate?

That is another story.

Tell me.

You are Romulan.

Tokath is my father.
I thought you knew that.

How could your mother mate
with a Romulan?

- Why shouldn't she?
- It is an obscenity.

They love each other.

Romulans are treacherous. Deceitful.

They are without honour.

My father is a good man.

He is kind and generous. There is
nothing dishonourable about him.

He took part
in a cowardly attack at Khitomer.

Thousands of Klingons were
massacred, many women and children.

I don't know what you're talking
about. My father escaped the wars.

- He would never kill anybody.
- Ask him.

Ask your mother.
Tell them you want to know the truth.

What is it?

We've received the Yridian's flight
plan from Deep Space Nine.

He's been to three systems
in the past week.

Worf could be at any one of them.

Are any of them near Romulan space?

Two of them. The Nequencia
and the Carraya Systems.

- Let's head for the closer one.
- Aye, sir.

What do you want?

I am sorry if I upset you.

I was surprised.

I became angry.

But I do not blame you.
You cannot help being what you are.

There is nothing wrong
with what I am.

What I mean is, it is not your fault.

What, being born?
I'm sorry that offends you.

No.

It is hard to explain.

Klingons and Romulans have been
blood enemies for centuries.

Not here. Here, we live in peace.

But I don't live here.

Worf, before you knew,
you were attracted to me.

Can't you leave the hatred behind?
Can't you accept me as I am?

I do not know.

Come on, Toq!

Who's next?

OK? Try again.

- Ka'la!
- That is not how you play this game.

The qa'vak is not a game.
It hones the skills of the hunt.

The hunt?

We have replicators here.

Klingons do not hunt
because they need food.

The hunt reminds us
of where we come from.

I know where I came from. Right here.

It is a difficult skill to master.
Perhaps you are too young.

Your arm is strong.

But you need practice.

Hold your other arm like this
and aim along it.

Roll.

You learn quickly.

Perhaps it is time
to put your skills to the test.

What do you mean?

Come. I will take you on the hunt.

You are not allowed
to leave the compound.

They won't allow it.

I think they will.

Hunting?

Have you lost your mind?

The boy can come with me.

I cannot sit in the compound.
I must practise my skills.

We can't let you out.
You've already tried to escape once.

I give you my word, as a warrior.
I will not try to escape.

Leave us. We have work to do.

Tokath.

He gave his word.

Are you seriously suggesting we open
the gates and let him wander free,

with only a boy as his guard?

23 years ago, I gave you my word.

In all this time,
have I ever broken it?

I told you he was yours to deal with.

If you want to take this risk,
the responsibility is yours.

You will go with him. Take a weapon.

If he breaks his word
and tries to escape, ...

..kill him.

He is there.

The wind has shifted. We must wait.

- Why? We're so close.
- Never approach prey from upwind.

The breeze will carry your scent.

The wind is shifting again.

I can't smell anything.

- He is there.
- How can you...?

Yes.

I can smell it.

Remember the scent. More than
anything else, it will guide you.

It is strong.

I cannot believe
I couldn't smell it before.

Let it work its way into your blood.

- I can feel my heart pounding.
- Yes.

This is the moment
where life and death meet.

This is what we are.

Warriors.

I was never taught that.

There is much you were never taught.

Aren't you hungry, L'Kor?

Or are you upset because
your prisoner has not returned?

I should not
have sent the boy with him.

- If he has been hurt...
- Don't worry, my friend.

He'll come back. After all, a warrior
keeps his word. Isn't that so?

Father?

If I wanted to visit Romulus
or the Klingon Homeworld,

would I be allowed to go?

What is that?

Tonight, we eat well.

Get that off my table.

You do not kill an animal
unless you intend to eat it.

Get rid of it.

I intend to, Tokath.

But not until it's cooked.

Today, I learned the ritual hunt.

But that is not all I learned.

I discovered that warrior's blood
runs through my veins.

I do not know how or why,
but we have forgotten ourselves.

Our stories are not told.

Our songs are not sung.

Tonight, as we came home,
we sang a song of victory.

A song known only to me as a lullaby.

But it is a warrior's song.

Fire streaks the heavens.

Battle has begun.

Ba'el.

Well, Worf, you've had quite
an effect on the young people.

I have done nothing more than
show them who they are.

No. You have shown them
what you want them to be.

Tell me this.

Do you know of any place,
any time in history,

when Klingons and Romulans
have lived together in peace?

We have despised each other,
fought each other, for centuries.

Except here, on this remote planet,

Romulans and Klingons
live together in harmony.

No government, no leader, has
ever done what I have done here.

And what about Toq?

I saw what happened to him

when he caught
the scent of his prey on the wind.

For the first time, he felt powerful.

That is what he has been denied
living here.

That is what you have
tried to take away from him.

Now, you may be content
to sit here and wither to old age,

but Toq and the others have tasted
what it is to feel truly alive.

- They will not give that up now!
- Enough of this.

We could talk all night
and not convince each other.

I offer you a choice.

Live with us as one of us.

- Or?
- Or I will have you put to death.

Then that is what
you will have to do.

Worf, consider this carefully.

That death will be honourable.

The young people will see
what it is to die as a Klingon.

Enter.

Thank you.

I will remove the tracking device.

You can go over the wall
and hide in the jungle.

- Why are you doing this?
- My father is wrong.

No matter how I feel about you,
you don't deserve to die.

I am not going to run away.

- They will kill you.
- Yes.

But they will not defeat me.

I don't understand you.

A Klingon does not run away
from battles.

Is that the lesson
you want us to learn?

You've taught us a great deal,
awakened something in us.

But I don't understand
what we can learn from your death.

Then you do not yet understand
what it is to be Klingon.

Worf.

In spite of everything
that's happened,

I still sense that you care for me.

Am I wrong?

You talk so much
about being a warrior,

about honour and death.

Is it so hard to speak of love?

Worf, please.

I would not have thought
it possible to love a Romulan.

But you do.

Yes.

If you've come that far,
can't you take it one more step?

Can't you stay here with us? With me?

If there were a way,
I would take you away with me.

If there's anything
I have learned from you,

from your reaction to me,
it's that I have no place out there.

Other Klingons will not accept me
for what I am.

And if I stay, these Klingons
will not accept me for what I am.

Why did you come here?

We were so happy. We didn't know
there was anything missing.

Ba'el.

Goodbye, Worf.

I know that there are those among you

who may question
what I am about to do.

You would not be wrong to do so.

I have questioned myself, spent
the night considering my decision,

challenging myself to justify
whether it is right.

And I have reached the conclusion
that it is absolutely necessary

to put this man to death.

What we have built together
would be destroyed by this man.

I cannot allow that to happen.

I give you one last chance
to accept our way of life.

Those are eloquent words, Tokath.

But the truth is, I am being executed

because I brought something
dangerous to your young people.

Knowledge.

Knowledge of their origins.

Knowledge of the real reasons
you are in this camp.

- The truth is a threat to you.
- Enough!

Stand ready.

Raise your weapons.

- Father!
- Stop this.

If you kill him,
you will have to kill me.

Step aside, Toq.

Worf would rather die
than accept this way of life.

And so would I.

I want to leave, as do many of us.

You have to kill us to keep us here.

You see, Tokath?

It is already too late.

I am warning you. Move aside, now.

Stand ready.

Toq, move away.

Take aim.

- Ba'el.
- Tokath.

Long ago, when your captives
asked to stay here, ...

..our hope was to avoid dishonouring
our children on the Homeworld.

But perhaps, over the years,

we lost sight of our children
that we raised here.

This is our prison.
It should not be theirs.

Years ago, your parents made
a great sacrifice for their families.

Today, they do so again.

For that, we must honour them.

You must promise them
never to reveal their secret.

No one must know of this place.

A supply ship's due in a few days.
They will take us.

When they arrive,
Tokath will explain it to them.

Then we will start a new life.

Captain's log, supplemental.
Our search for Worf was cut short

when we received a message from him
to rendezvous with a Romulan vessel.

He has informed us
we will be taking on passengers.

It's good to see you.

He seems fine.

We're giving everyone
a check-up in sickbay.

Thank you, Doctor.

- Welcome home, Mr. Worf.
- Thank you, sir.

Picard to bridge. Signal
that the last group is on board.

Aye, sir.

You found what you were looking for,
Mr. Worf?

No, sir. There was no prison camp.

Those young people are survivors

of a vessel that crashed
four years ago.

No one survived Khitomer.

I understand.

(ENGLISH)

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.