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Birthright: Part 2

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 dishonor his sons and their sons for three generations.

Even Alexander would bear the burden of guilt.

So you're willing to ignore the possibility because you're concerned about dishonor?

My father is dead.

That Yridian is selling lies.

This is a homing device.

It will allow you to find my ship when I return.

You are Klingon. Where did you come from?

That does not matter.

I have come to take you home.

He must leave at once.

No, it is too late for that now. He would bring others.

Vang ghaH!

We are not leaving here and neither are you.

And now, the conclusion.

Take his pack.

Are you afraid to die while escaping?

We are dead, Worf.

We died at Khitomer.

We were captured. It was worse than death.

Well, why did you allow it to happen?

We had no choice.

We were defending an outpost on the perimeter.

The Romulans took out our shields.

The next blast rendered us unconscious.

And 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 Commander, Tokath, thought he was being kind.

The Romulans hoped to trade our lives for territorial concessions, but the Klingon High Council refused to negotiate.

They would not acknowledge that their warriors had been taken prisoner.

And when it was clear that we would be of no use to them,

Tokath offered to let us go.

But we knew that our families believed we had fallen in battle, so we did not wish to return to dishonor them.

We asked Tokath to let us stay and he took pity on us.

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

But what of your own?

There is no honor in remaining prisoners.

We lost our honor when we were captured.

It does not matter what happens to us.

All that matters is that our families are not dishonored.

Why did you come here, Worf?

If you had found your father, you would have found only dishonor.

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.

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.

( quiet conversations )

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 here.

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 have to say, Klingon.

I've got work to do.

Hello again, Worf.

They say you've come to stay with us.

Not by choice.

Well, 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.

And that's why our parents came here-- to make a safe home a place where they could raise their children in peace.

I should think you'd be relieved to get away from the fighting, 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 as they choose.

So are we.

Tell your father that you would like to leave.

Tell him that you would like to visit the Klingon homeworld.

See what he says.

Why would I want to go there? It's dangerous.

Not any longer.

WOMAN: Ba'el. Come here.

Yes, Mother.

You are not allowed to leave the compound?

Then I suppose I won't be seeing you at the pond again.

I told you not to speak with him.

I'm sorry, Mother.

( faint beeping )

( beeping stops )

( sighs softly )

( knocking at door )

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 dishonored them.

By not slitting their throats when we found them unconscious?

I do not expect you to understand.

You are a Romulan.

( sighs )

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

He hated me.

All the Klingons did.

And 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 did you 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 you see, when I warn you not to disrupt our lives here,

I'm not speaking just as a jailer, but as a man protecting his family.

Do not test my tolerance.

( singing softly ) ♪ Bagh Da tuH moh ♪

♪ ChojaH Duh rHo ♪

♪ Ylja'Qo' ♪

♪ Ylja'Qo' ♪

Do you know what that song means?

No. I just like the melody.

Stop!

There.

Captain's Log, Stardate 46759.2:

The Yridian vessel Lieutenant Worf boarded at Deep Space Nine

has 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 before he left the station.

It's the only chance we have 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 centers the body.

No. Like this.

First, you must 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'll 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 things.

They're Klingon, aren't they?

Yes.

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

This is a warrior's armor.

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 things 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.

BA'EL: 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.

What are you saying? They love each other.

Romulans are treacherous.

Deceitful.

They are without honor.

My father is a good man.

He is kind and generous.

There is nothing dishonorable about him.

He took part in a cowardly attack at Khitomer.

Thousands of Klingons were massacred, many of them women and children.

I don't know what you're talking about.

My father came here to escape the wars.

He would never kill anybody.

Ask him. Ask your mother.

Tell them you want to know the truth.

What is it, Number One?

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

He gets around.

He's been to three different systems in this past week.

He could have left Worf at any one of them.

Are any of these systems near Romulan space?

Two of them-- the Nequencia and the Carraya systems.

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

( knocking )

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 if that offends you.

No.

It is hard to explain.

Klingons and Romulans are blood enemies.

Have been 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, too?

Can't you accept me as I am?

I, I do not know.

It's set. It's set.

Come on.

MAN: Come on, Toq.

Hey!

WOMAN: Nice.

MAN: Very good.

Who's next? Who's next?

MAN #2: It's Toq again.

MAN: Toq again?

MAN #2: Uh-huh.

Here, Toq.

MAN #2: Okay?

Let's see.

MAN: Try again, Toq.

WOMAN: Pick it up!

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 is a ritual that 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.

Ka'la!

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 like an old man.

I must practice 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 that 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 your 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.

Oh, 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.

( rustling )

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, I...

Don't worry, my friend.

They'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?

( footsteps approaching )

Ka'la!

( angry muttering )

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.

( men laughing )

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.

Bagh Da tuH moh.

Fire streaks the heavens.

ChojaH Duh rHo.

Battle has begun.

♪ Bagh Da tuH moh ♪

♪ ChojaH Duh rHo ♪

♪ Ylja'Qo' ♪

♪ Ylja'Qo' ♪

♪ Ylja'Qo' ♪

♪ MajoQ'oDu ♪

♪ Jih Dok maju' ♪

♪ Pah ok chabah ♪

♪ BuraQ chuQo ♪

♪ Teblaw'nghu ♪

♪ Mughato'Du ♪

♪ Ylja'Qo ♪

Ba'el.

♪ Ylja'Qo ♪

♪ Ylja'Qo... ♪

♪ Van'aj javDich... ♪

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 in his life, he felt powerful, and that is what he has been denied living here.

And that is what you have tried to take away from him.

Now, you may be content to sit here in the jungle and wither to old age, but Toq and the others have tasted what it is to feel truly alive and 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 honorable.

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

( knocking at door )

Enter.

Thank you.

I will remove the tracking device.

Then you can go over the wall and hide in the jungle.

Why are you doing this?

My father is wrong.

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

I am not going to run away, Ba'el.

They will kill you.

Yes, but they will not defeat me.

I don't understand you.

A Klingon does not run away from his battles.

Is that really the lesson you want us to learn?

You've taught us a great deal, awakened something inside us that we never knew existed, 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... that you care for me.

Am I wrong?

You talk so much about being a warrior, about honor 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.

Well, 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 is anything that I've 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 here,

these Klingons will not accept me for what I am.

Why did you come here?

We were so happy.

We didn't know that there was anything missing in our lives.

Ba'el...

Good-bye, Worf.

( door closes )

( murmur of conversation )

I know that there are those among you who may question what I am about to do, and you would not be wrong to do so.

I have questioned myself.

I have 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 and 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 here in this camp.

The truth is a threat to you.

Enough.

Stand ready.

Raise your weapons.

Father... TOQ: 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 others.

You will have to kill us to keep us here.

You see, Tokath... it is already too late.

I'm 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 dishonoring our children on the homeworld, but perhaps over the years, we lost sight of our children that we raised here.

This is our prison.

( sighs )

It should not be theirs.

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

Today, they do so again.

For that, we must honor them.

You must promise them never to reveal their secret.

No one must know of this place.

A supply ship is 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 Lieutenant Worf was cut short

when we received a cryptic message from him

requesting a 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 thorough checkup in Sick Bay.

Thank you, Doctor.

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

Picard to Bridge.

Signal the Romulan ship that the last group is on board. BRIDGE: 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 in the Carraya system four years ago.

No one survived Khitomer.

I understand.