Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994): Season 6, Episode 23 - Rightful Heir - full transcript

During Worf's crisis of faith on Boreth, Kahless the Unforgettable makes his promised legendary return, but Klingon leader Gowron challenges his authenticity.

- Good morning, commander.
- Data.

Interesting night?

I found it extremely interesting.

The lateral sensor arrays
ran three separate spectral analyses

on the Alwanir Nebula,
on three distinct frequencies.

I'm sorry I missed it.

DATA:
I will have the report sent to you, sir.

We are still on course
for the Gariman sector.

Our speed is warp 6,
ETA 1300 hours.

Sickbay reported one minor injury
in the exobiology department

at 0420 hours.



Very well.

Isn't Lieutenant Worf scheduled
to replace Ensign Torigan?

Yes, sir.

I was not informed
of any change in the duty roster.

He's never late.

Riker to Lieutenant Worf.

Computer, locate Lieutenant Worf.

COMPUTER:
Lieutenant Worf is in his quarters.

Something's wrong.
Mr. Data, you have the Bridge.

Security team, meet me on Deck 7,
Section 25 Baker.

MAN [OVER COM]:
Aye, sir.

[DOORBELL CHIMES]

[DOORBELL CHIMES]

Computer,
override security lock on this door.



Authorization, Riker Alpha 60.

[WORF SPEAKING IN KLINGON]

Worf, what the hell are you doing?

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

PICARD:
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.

[DOORBELL CHIMES]

Enter.

Captain.

On your feet, lieutenant.

Sir.

Mr. Worf, your personal affairs
are strictly your own concern,

until they interfere
with the operation of this ship.

You have now crossed that line.

As your captain, I want to know
exactly what is going on.

It is difficult to explain.

Try.

Ever since I returned
from the Carraya system,

I have felt empty.

Does this have something to do
with the Klingons you rescued

from Carraya IV?

They were young.
They knew nothing of their heritage.

So while I was there,
I tried to teach them.

Teach them about their people,
their culture.

I told them our ancient stories,

instructed them in our customs,
explained our beliefs.

And then I told them about Kahless,

how he had united our people
long ago,

how he gave us strength and honor,

and how he promised
to return one day and lead us again.

Is that what you're doing here?

Trying to recapture those feelings?

Yes, I was trying to summon
a vision of Kahless.

Better that you didn't try the holodeck
instead of setting fire to your quarters.

Using the holodeck
would not have been appropriate.

Everything had to be real
if Kahless were to appear.

But all this is for nothing.

He did not come to me.

I gave Toq and the others
a belief in Sto-vo-kor,

the life which lies beyond this life,
where Kahless awaits us.

When I saw the power
of their beliefs,

I began to question
the strength of my own,

and I found it wanting.

Have you lost
your faith in Sto-vo-kor?

To lose something,
one must first possess it.

I am not sure
I ever had a true belief.

But I should not have allowed it
to interfere with my duties.

- My behavior has been--
- inexcusable.

And understandable.

It may be
that what you are looking for

cannot be found
here on the Enterprise.

Perhaps you need to immerse yourself
in Klingon beliefs

in order to discover
if they can hold any truths for you.

Is there something you could do?

Is there somewhere you could go

to explore your faith more fully?

Boreth.

The followers of Kahless
await his return there.

To Klingons,
there is no more sacred place.

Boreth is only 12 days from here
by shuttle.

As of this moment, Mr. Worf,
you are on leave.

Thank you, sir.

But when you set foot
on this ship again,

I expect you to perform your duties
like a Starfleet officer.

Yes, sir.

And, Mr. Worf...

I hope you find
what you're looking for.

Thank you, sir.

[KLINGONS CHANTING
IN KLINGON]

[CHANTING IN KLINGON]

Kahless!

I see Kahless!

He is standing before me
with a sword.

He wants something.

Me.

He wants me.

He wants me to go with him.

[ALL MURMURING]

It is a powerful vision you have had,
Divok.

Kahless wants you to join him
in Sto-vo-kor.

You are only 19,

and yet your place among
the honored dead is already secure.

Take him back to his chamber.
Let him sleep.

You're leaving us?

It has been ten days, Koroth.

I have had no visions.

I have received no insight.

There is nothing here for me.

What is the story of the Promise,
Worf?

When Kahless had united our people
and gave them the laws of honor,

he saw that his work was done.

So one night
he gathered his belongings

and departed for the edge of the city
to say goodbye.

The people wept.

They did not want him to go.

Then Kahless said:

"You are Klingons.
You need no one but yourselves.

I will go now to Sto-vo-kor.

But I promise one day I will return."

Then Kahless pointed
to a star in the sky and said:

"Look for me there,
on that point of light."

So here we are,

on a world circling
that distant point of light.

It has been 15 centuries
since he made that promise,

and still we wait.

What are ten days in the life
of one Klingon compared to that?

Is the son of Mogh
really so easily discouraged?

You came to us seeking answers.

But this is a place of questions.

Open your heart to Kahless.

Ask him your questions.

Let him speak to you with your mind
unclouded by doubt or hesitation.

Only then can you find
what you are looking for.

If you cannot do that,

then perhaps
you should return to your starship.

[KLINGONS CHANTING
IN KLINGON]

[CHANTING IN KLINGON]

I see Kahless.

[WORF GASPS]

I am Kahless.

And I have returned.

What are you doing?

Who are you?

It is Kahless.

I have returned.

You doubt me.

Who here knows the story
of how this sword was forged?

No one knows.
It is not written in the sacred texts.

I went into the mountains,

all the way to the volcano at Kri'stak.

There I cut off a lock of my hair

and thrust it
into the river of molten rock

that poured from the summit.

The hair began to burn.

Then I plunged it
into the Lake of Lusor

and twisted it into this sword.

And after I used it to kill Molor,
I gave it a name.

Bat'Ieth, the sword of honor.

You know.

The story of the sword
is known only to the high clerics.

It was never written down
so that if he returned,

we could be sure it was Kahless.

I have returned because
there is a great need in my people.

They fight amongst themselves
in petty wars

and corrupt
the glory of the Klingon spirit.

They have lost their way.

But it is not too late.

I have returned.

And I will lead my people again.

[CHANTING IN KLINGON]

[ALL CHANTING IN KLINGON]

What is it you are doing?

I was getting my tricorder.

Tricorder? Is it a weapon?

No, no, it is a tool.

I intended to use it to see--

To see if I was real.

Proceed.

Use your tricorder.

[CHUCKLES]

Well?

You are Klingon.

What else could I be?

There are many possibilities:

a shapeshifter,
a holographic projection.

So you are a skeptic, Worf.

I like that.

How do you know my name?

We have met before.

I appeared to you in a vision
in the Caves of No'Mat.

You were just a child then.

I told you
that you would do something

that no Klingon had ever done before.

You still do not believe it is me,

do you, Worf?

I want to believe.

That is a beginning.

Gowron is the leader of the council.

He commands
the entire defense force.

If he chooses to oppose you--

Do not worry.

We are on the threshold
of a new era for our people.

Klingons from all over the empire
will flock to my banner.

And yet

something still weighs heavy
on the brow of the son of Mogh.

Are you contemplating
yet another question for me?

After three days,
I'm beginning to wonder

if you know how to do anything else.

Questions are the beginning
of wisdom,

the mark of a true warrior.

Do not forget that a leader need not
answer questions of those he leads.

It is enough that he says
to do a thing and they will do it.

If he says to run, they run.

If he says to fight, they fight.

If he says to die, they die.

If the commander
is worthy of that trust.

[SPEAKING IN KLINGON]

[BOTH GRUNTING]

[CROWD MURMURING]

[LAUGHING]

What is wrong?

Is there only anger
and bloodlust in your souls?

Is that all that is left
in the Klingon heart?

We do not fight merely to spill blood

but to enrich the spirit.

Look at us.

Two warriors locked in battle,

fighting for honor.

How can you not sing for all to hear:

We are Klingons!

[KAHLESS LAUGHING]

Yes. Let it out.

Let the joy in your heart be heard.

We are Klingons!

- We are Klingons.
KAHLESS: Ha-ha-ha.

ALL [CHANTING]:
We are Klingons! We are Klingons!

We are Klingons!

We are Klingons! We are Klingons!

We are Klingons!

PICARD:
Captain's log, stardate 46852.2.

The Enterprise is to proceed
directly to the planet Boreth

to take aboard
a very unusual guest.

Did you take
any other tricorder readings?

An anatomical profile
or a neurophysiology scan?

No.

It's going to be very difficult
to eliminate any possibilities

at this point.

He may be a coalescent being
taking Klingon form

or a bio-replicant

or even a Klingon who has been
surgically altered to look like Kahless.

WORF:
There is another possibility.

He could be the real Kahless.

He may have actually returned
as he promised.

The appearance of Kahless
in the lava caves

is consistent with the stories
found in the Klingon sacred texts.

Worf, no offense,
but I have trouble believing

that the man that I escorted
from Deck 8 is supernatural.

I did not say that he is.

I merely think we should not
completely reject the possibility.

Look, we have no reason
to rule out anything.

We're not ordered to investigate
the origins of our guest,

nor to tell anyone
what they should believe.

We are simply to transport Kahless
to the Homeworld.

And while he's here with us,

he will be treated
as an honored guest.

Lieutenant.

May I ask a question?

In the absence of empirical data,

how will you determine
whether or not this is the real Kahless?

It is not an empirical matter.

It is a matter of faith.

Faith.

Then you do believe Kahless
may have supernatural attributes.

As an android,

I am unable to accept
that which cannot be proven

through rational means.

I would appreciate
hearing your insights on this matter.

Perhaps some other time,
commander.

I do not believe I can provide
much insight at this moment.

Welcome aboard, Gowron.

Where 'vs he, Heard'?

I assume
that you are referring to Kahless.

I am referring to the filthy petaQ
who is using his name.

Well, the person in question
is in his quarters at the moment.

GOWRON: What have you learned
about him so far?

What kind of medical analysis
have you made?

Do you have any theories
about his true origin?

We haven't done any analysis.

What kind of fools
do you have working for you, Picard?

The impostor's been aboard
for nearly a day.

If you had wanted
to run tests on Kahless,

you should've sent
a Klingon ship for him.

And have him begin spreading
his poisonous lies

through a ship of loyal Klingons?
Never.

If he really is an impostor,
you have nothing to worry about.

Kahless has been dead
for a thousand years.

But the idea of Kahless is still alive.

Have you ever fought an idea,
Picard?

It has no weapon to destroy,
no body to kill.

The idea of Kahless' return
must be stopped here, now,

or it will travel
through the empire like a wave

and leave nothing
but destruction behind.

So Gowron has come aboard
in order to test your claim.

Hmm. Gowron knows
that his days are nearly over.

Now he comes crawling aboard
with some kind of test.

We do not have to prove anything
to Gowron.

What is this test?

He has brought a knife with him,

a knife that is supposed to be stained
with the blood of Kahless.

Gowron has brought
the Knife of Kirom?

No one is permitted to remove it
from the sacred vault.

Gowron does not care
about what is sacred.

He wants to run a genetic analysis
on a sample of the blood and on you.

That should tell us
if there is a biological match.

Now, if you agree to the test,

I will make
the Enterprise facilities available

to ensure
that it is conducted impartially.

Perhaps it is time to settle the doubts
of those who still do not believe.

I will allow this test.

There. That should do it.

Computer, run a genetic comparison

on this blood sample
and the tissue belonging to Kahless.

COMPUTER:
The genetic patterns are identical.

But how?

How can this be?

It is true.

Kahless has returned.

KAHLESS:
Mm. Ah.

Ah.

I am sorry. Our replicators
do not do justice to Klingon Warnog.

Hmm.

It's been so long
since I have tasted any food or drink.

There are many things
I have forgotten.

Kahless.

May I ask you about death?

And Sto-vo-kor?

Tell me,

what awaits us beyond this life?

I do not have those answers.

I am merely a traveler, someone
who has journeyed back and forth

between this world and the next.

While I am in this form,
I know only about this world.

And there is much work
for me to do in this world.

- And you will be part of it, Worf.
- Me?

It was your purity of heart that
summoned me back from Sto-vo-kor.

And Koroth has told me
about the respect you have earned

in the Federation and the empire.

I want you to have a place
at my side

as we restore honor to our people.

Let me tell you
about this new empire we will forge.

It will be glorious.

- It will be war.
- No.

You are not a fool, Worf.

Do you really think
that every Klingon in the empire

will bend his knee
and grovel before this man

just because
Koroth says he is Kahless?

He is Kahless.

Your own test proved it.

I will not hand over the empire
to Koroth because of one test.

It is not Koroth, it is--

Of course it is Koroth.
Open your eyes.

Koroth and the other guardians
have always opposed me.

This is nothing more than a ploy
for them to finally seize power.

Even now,

there are warriors on my own ship
who want to see Kahless.

There are others
who believe he is an impostor.

The divisions are already forming.

But it does not have to be this way.

We could all join together
and welcome Kahless,

as a united people.

Don't you see?

This is exactly why
they want you to join them.

Because your brother
sits on the council,

and your voice carries weight
in the empire.

They want you to influence others
to follow them.

Worf, we fought together once,
side by side,

to keep the empire
from being torn apart.

Will you stand by

and let these impostors destroy
all that we fought so hard to protect?

Renounce him, Worf.

Stand with me.

And we can hold the empire,
together.

You do not understand.
Kahless is our future.

Only with his help can we revive
the pure warriors within ourselves.

Listen to him, Gowron.

Open your heart. Hear his words.

He will restore your faith
as he has restored mine.

Give him a chance to lift your spirit

GOWRON:
Koroth.

I see that not all fools die young.

[GOWRON LAUGHS]

KLINGON:
Kahless.

Kahless, may I present Gowron,
leader of the High Council?

Kahless.

Long ago, a storm was heading
toward the city of Quin'lat.

The people sought protection
within the walls.

All except one man,
who remained outside.

I went to him
and asked what he was doing.

"I am not afraid," he said.

"I will not hide my face
behind stone and mortar.

I will stand before the wind
and make it respect me."

I honored his choice
and went inside.

The next day, the storm came.

And the man was killed.

The wind does not respect a fool.

Do not stand before the wind,
Gowron.

What was his name?

What?

If you were really there,

you should be able to tell us
the name of the man outside the walls.

Describe him to us.

What was he wearing?

How tall was he?

What color were his eyes?

I do not remember.

It was long ago
and in another lifetime.

What matters is, I have returned
to restore faith and hope to my people.

To lead them back
to the way of honor.

And the glory that once was theirs
and can be again.

Is that what you oppose, Gowron?

L OPPOSE you.

- I say you are not Kahless.
- Uch.

And I will not bend my knee to you

as long as I can draw breath

or pick up a blade.

[GRUNTS]

- No!
- Koroth!

[GOWRON & KAHLESS GRUNTING]

- Good try, Gowron, but not enough.
- Grr.

[KAHLESS LAUGHS]

You have no joy, Gowron.

Is your heart so full
of mistrust and suspicion

that you've forgotten
what it means to be truly Klingon?

Kahless,
the greatest warrior of them all.

[LAUGHING]

Everything will be all right.

We will say that Gowron used
a dishonorable tactic

in his fight with Kahless.

- That he cheated.
- That is a lie. He did not--

We do not need to hear any more
from the son of Mogh.

None of this would have happened
if you had not brought them together.

I am Kahless. I am the strongest,
the bravest warrior.

You must think of the future,
of the empire.

There is no future here.

No glorious new era for our people.

Gowron was right.

You did not know the name
of the man who faced the storm.

You do not even know
what real Warnog tastes like.

And you certainly are not
the greatest warrior of all.

[SCOFFS]

Whoever you are,
you are not Kahless.

You have said enough. Now get out!

You are using the name of Kahless
for some twisted game.

For that alone, you should die.

And if you do not tell me what
you have done, I will kill you right here.

[KOROTH slel-ls]

The problems with your memory
are the result of the way you returned.

What do you mean?

We, the guardians, have been
awaiting your return for centuries.

But we did not have the technology
to bring you back until now.

We were able to use
an organic sample of the first Kahless

to give you life.

The first Kahless?

A clone.

He is a clone.

What is a clone?

A being created in a laboratory

by using genetic material
from another being.

You are a copy, a fraud.

You are not just a copy.

We gave you more
than the body of Kahless.

We found a way

to imprint specific information
in your neurosynaptic patterns.

We gave you memories,
and not just any memories.

We gave you
the experiences of Kahless

as written in the sacred texts.

So

I did not do
any of the things that I remember.

I was never in the city of Quin'lat.

I never went to the Kri'stak Volcano.

You were not awakened
until we transported you into the cave

and you appeared to Worf.

Before that time,
you were unconscious in a laboratory,

where we accelerated your growth,

corrected any genetic anomalies
that occurred,

gave you the wisdom
and memories that...

[WORF CHUCKLING]

They grew you in a test tube
like some kind of fungus

and programmed you
like a machine.

You are twisting the truth.

You talk to me of truth.

You, who have brought to life this lie
and called it Kahless.

It is not a lie.

Genetically, he is Kahless.

And he is needed by our people.

You know better than anyone
the corruption and dishonor

that is destroying the empire.

They need him.

They do not need a false god.

How do you know this was not the way
the prophecy was to be fulfilled?

Who is to say
that what we did was wrong?

I am.

I will not let this fraud continue.

Worf!

You cannot tell Gowron of this.

Do not give me orders, Koroth.

All right, but consider this.

If you tell Gowron
what we have told you,

it Will destroy him.

And With him,

the last chance
to restore hope to our people.

It's your choice.

DATA: They have been sitting here
for three hours, 17 minutes.

They refuse to return to their ship
with the rest of Gowron's men.

They insisted upon waiting here
until they see Kahless again.

Their faith appears to be unaffected
by his inability to defeat Gowron.

They still believe.

Then they are fools.

Does that mean you no longer believe
this is the real Kahless?

Yes.

I am curious.

Do you still think
the real Kahless will return someday?

Or has this experience
only deepened the spiritual crisis

which originally sent you to Boreth?

I do not know.

I understand your dilemma.

I once had what could be considered
a crisis of the spirit.

You?

Yes.

The Starfleet officers who first
activated me on Omicron Theta

told me I was android,

nothing more than a sophisticated
machine with human form.

However, I realized
that if I were simply a machine,

I could never be anything else.

I could never grow
beyond my programming.

And I found that difficult to accept.

So I chose to believe
that I was a person,

that I had the potential to be more

than a collection
of circuits and subprocessors.

It is a belief which I still hold.

How did you come to your decision?

I made a leap of faith.

The man who appeared to me
on Boreth is not Kahless.

He is a clone.

A clone?

WORF:
Yes.

Did you really think

you could get away
with this kind of fraud, Koroth?

I will have you
and this abomination put to death.

It does not matter, Gowron.

You will still not be able
to stand against him.

What? He's not real.
You just said so.

I said he was not Kahless.

But in the minds of our people,
he can be just as powerful as Kahless.

Even now,

two members of your own crew
are sitting on our holodeck,

waiting for him to return.

I do not care what they think.

WORF:
But they are not alone.

Like many of our people,
they need something to believe in,

just like I did.

Something larger than themselves,

something that will
give their lives meaning.

They need Kahless.

But when they find out the truth--

WORF:
It does not matter, Gowron.

Despite the facts,

they will still believe.

They will make a leap of faith.

And there will be others
just like them.

Not everyone.

But enough to plunge the empire
into civil war if you oppose them.

What are you saying?

That I should just hand over
the empire?

No, no,
that would be unwise as well.

Then what are you proposing, Worf?

You were right about one thing,
Koroth.

Our people are becoming decadent
and corrupt.

They need moral leadership.

Kahless can be that leader.

As emperor.

There hasn't been an emperor
in three centuries.

The political power
will remain with the High Council.

Kahless would be a figurehead.

But he will have the ability
to rally the people,

to lead by example,

to guide them in spiritual matters.

The title is meaningless
without the power to back it up.

Real power
comes from within the heart.

You would have the power
to mold the Klingon heart.

You could return them
to honorable ways

according to the original teachings
of Kahless, which are within you.

It would be a great challenge
if you have the courage to accept it.

And what will we tell the people
about their new emperor?

That he appeared in a cave,
or a laboratory?

We will tell them the truth.

All of the truth.

But we will tell them
that even if he is not the real Kahless,

he is the rightful heir to Kahless.

And if I refuse to go along with this?

Then my brother and those
who support him on the council

will fight you, and I will fight you.

And the empire
will fall back into civil war.

What do you say about this, Koroth?

What I say is unimportant.

It is acceptable.

Join with me, Gowron.

Let us usher in
this new era together.

[SPEAKING IN KLINGON]

Kahless.

Farewell, Worf.

Good bye.

What's wrong?

You should be proud
of what you've accomplished.

I went to Boreth to find my faith.

For a time, I thought I had.

But my heart is empty again.

I do not know what to believe.

You doubt the real Kahless
will return one day.

You doubt
that he is still waiting for you

in Sto-vo-kor.

Kahless left us, all of us,
a powerful legacy,

a way of thinking and acting
that makes us Klingon.

If his words hold wisdom
and his philosophy is honorable,

what does it matter if he returns?

What is important
is that we follow his teachings.

Perhaps the words
are more important than the man.

Q'apla, son of Mogh.

Q'apla, Kahless.

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