[Corridor]

PICARD: We must take care that while he is with us, Commander Kurn is accorded all the rights and responsibilities due the first officer of this ship. If he should feel patronised in any way
RIKER: I'm sure we'd know. One does not patronise a Klingon warrior.
PICARD: Your experience on board the Pagh will prove invaluable during the commander's tour. Be sure that the crew is prepared for any unusual orders.
RIKER: The Klingons are very thorough. I'm sure Commander Kurn has studied for his assignment just as I did when I served with them.
PICARD: I understand that he requested the Enterprise specifically.

[Transporter room]

CREWWOMAN: Commander Kurn is ready for transport, Captain.
PICARD: Energise.
(a tall Klingon arrives, disrupter pistol hanging from his belt)
PICARD: Welcome aboard the Enterprise, Commander. I'm Captain Picard. This is Commander William Riker. He will be yielding the first officer's position to you during your tour.
KURN: You are relieved. May I take my station, Captain?
RIKER: I thought that I might show you your quarters first.
KURN: I am ready for duty, sir. I ask that I be allowed to take my station.
PICARD: Very well. If you will accompany us to the Bridge.

[Bridge]

KURN: I am Kurn, commander rank, Klingon Defence Force. You will address me as Commander or sir at all times. I am fully aware of all Starfleet regulations and they will be strictly adhered to by all personnel while I am in command. It is my intention to bring a sense of discipline that you may not be accustomed to. With your permission, of course, Captain.
PICARD: Oh, by all means, Commander.
KURN: I have studied all of your service records. Impressive. We shall see if you live up to your reputations. Do you wish to speak, Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher?
WESLEY: No, sir, Commander, sir.
KURN: The crew awaits your orders, Captain.
PICARD: Then take us to the outer cometary cloud, Commander.
KURN: Set course one one four mark two three zero, one third impulse power.
WESLEY: Aye, sir.
KURN: Execute.
WESLEY: Engaged. Increasing to one third impulse power, sir.

[Ten Forward]

RIKER: Mind if I join you?
WESLEY: No, sir.
RIKER: Is there something wrong, Wes? Commander Kurn perhaps?
WESLEY: He just doesn't seem to like me. I can't do anything right for him. Every time I respond to an order he jumps down my throat. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
RIKER: Problem, Geordi?
LAFORGE: Yes, sir. It's our new first officer.
RIKER: I take it he found something wrong in Engineering?
LAFORGE: Just the entire section. He pulled a surprise inspection in the middle of a maintenance cycle! I tried to explain it to him
RIKER: But he wouldn't listen.
LAFORGE: We're all going to be doing double shifts down there just to ready for the next inspection.
RIKER: His style of command is just different. Klingons believe in obedience and a strict formality of command.
LAFORGE: Yeah, but this isn't a Klingon vessel. He's going to have to loosen up, Commander.
WESLEY: It's not just us. He's been leaning into everybody pretty hard, except
LAFORGE: Except the one guy who wouldn't really mind it.

[Bridge]

WORF: Sensors picking up asteroidal debris ahead, Commander.
KURN: Can you identify the coordinates, Mister Worf?
WORF: Bearing zero zero one mark point oh three. Range, three hundred thousand kilometres.
KURN: Excellent. Please scan the asteroid field for me, Lieutenant, and report.
WORF: Approximately two thousand small objects. None in our direct flight path, sir.
KURN: So, no course correction is necessary. Is that what you are saying?
WORF: It should not be needed, sir.
KURN: Very good, Lieutenant. You handled that well.
(Worf starts to square up to him)
KURN: Yes?

[Turbolift]

RIKER: Commander. Captain's mess?
KURN: Yes.
RIKER: Resume.
RIKER: Your knowledge of our systems and procedures is very impressive, Sir. I would like to make one suggestion, sir.
KURN: A suggestion?
RIKER: When I served aboard the Pagh, the hardest part for me was recognising and adapting to the demands of the crew. They needed an iron hand. I imagine it must be very difficult for you to work with a crew that is so different. I would be happy to guide you in that regard, if it would be helpful.
KURN: No, Commander. It wouldn't.

[Corridor]

RIKER: This is not a Klingon ship, sir.
KURN: No, Commander, it is not. If it were a Klingon ship, I would have killed you for offering your suggestion.

[Captain's Mess]

(Picard is carving a roast turkey for the buffet)
KURN: How long has the bird been dead? It appears to have been lying in the sun for quite some time.
LAFORGE: It's not dead, it's been replicated. You do understand that we cook most of our foods.
KURN: Ah, yes. I was told to prepare for that. I shall try some of your burned replicated bird meat.
(He rips off a leg and plonks it on his plate)
PICARD: I have attempted to select a menu that will allow you to sample a variety of dishes, Commander.
CRUSHER: Try some caviar.
KURN: The odour is not palatable. What is it?
DATA: The unhatched eggs of a large scaleless
PICARD: Later, Data. A fish, Commander. A delicacy from the Caspian Sea on Earth It's a favourite of mine. Our replicator's never done it justice, but I managed to store a few cases for special occasions.
KURN: I am honoured, Captain.
(They all sit round the table)
TROI: Are you adjusting to your new environment, Commander?
(Kurn starts eating. No one else is)
KURN: I find the constraints a bit difficult to conform to. Just a short while ago, I had to stop myself from killing Commander Riker. I believe he was trying to communicate the crew's sense of discomfort with my style of command. Under different circumstances, I would consider that a challenge to my authority.
PICARD: One of the aims of the exchange programme, Commander, is for all of us to learn tolerance. As for my crew, it may be healthy to shake up the status quo occasionally.
RIKER: The Commander certainly appears to have the crew on its toes
LAFORGE: And then some. No offence, sir.
KURN: None taken. I never kill anyone at the supper table, Mister La Forge.
CRUSHER: Don't you like it, Commander?
KURN: Our food has much more taste to it. While I'm sure this is well prepared, it is far too bland for the stomach of a Klingon.
LAFORGE: It seems to agree with Worf.
KURN: Yes.

[Kurn's quarters]

KURN: Enter.
(Worf is at the door)
KURN: 'el.
WORF: Permission to speak freely, sir?
KURN: For what purpose?
WORF: I have questions I wish to pose.
KURN: Are your quarters so comfortable?
WORF: They serve me.
KURN: This entire ship seems built on comfort, relaxation, being at ease. It is not the ship of a warrior, not the ship of a Klingon. You cannot ask these questions within the boundaries of protocol?
WORF: They are of a personal nature, sir.
KURN: Permission granted. Pose your questions.
WORF: I wish to know if I have given you offence.
KURN: I am not human. If you had given offence, you would not need to ask.
WORF: Perhaps I have not performed my duties to your satisfaction?
KURN: I find you to be a capable Starfleet officer. A credit to your ship.
WORF: Yet you dishonour me at every opportunity.
KURN: Have I? I did not know that being polite to a Starfleet officer would bring dishonour on him.
WORF: I am a Klingon.
KURN: Really? Perhaps your blood has thinned in this environment. I simply don't want to hurt you.
(Worf throws a chair across the room in rage)
KURN: mev yap! So your blood is not so thin after all.
WORF: I am a Klingon! if you doubt it, a demonstration can be arranged.
KURN: That is the response of a Klingon. The response I would expect from my older brother.
(collective gasps and a quick advert break)
KURN: I was barely a year old when you left for the Khitomer Outpost. You, our mother and father were not going to stay long. It was decided that I did not need to go. I was left to stay with our father's friend, Lorgh, until you returned. You never did.
WORF: The Starfleet officer that rescued me was told by the Klingon High Command that I had no living relatives.
KURN: They assumed that I was killed with the family at Khitomer. Lorgh had no sons. He took me into his family. It was not until I had reached the Age of Ascension that I was told the truth.
WORF: So you asked to serve aboard the Enterprise to watch me.
KURN: It was an excellent opportunity to see what kind of Klingon you were, or if you were Klingon at all.
WORF: Your deception offends me, brother.
KURN: It should. But it was required.
WORF: To satisfy your curiosity.
KURN: No. Much more. You are the eldest son. The challenge is yours to make.
WORF: Challenge?
KURN: The Klingon High Council has judged our father a traitor to the Empire.

[Ready room]

PICARD: What are the allegations, Worf?
WORF: My father is accused of aiding and abetting the Romulan attack on the Khitomer outpost.
PICARD: The attack in which he himself was killed? But why now, after twenty years?
WORF: I do not know, Captain. I will hear the evidence when I arrive. The charge has been made by Duras, the son of my father's greatest rival. Our family name will be disgraced for seven generations. It is my responsibility to clear his name or answer for his crimes.
PICARD: Answer for them?
WORF: The family of a Klingon warrior is responsible for his actions and he is responsible for theirs. If I fail in my challenge, I will be executed. Will you grant my leave, Captain?
PICARD: No. If I understand correctly, a Starfleet officer, a respected member of my crew, could be accused of a capital crime. Your actions in this matter will reflect on this ship and on the Federation. Therefore, it seems only appropriate that your captain should be at your side while you make your challenge. I'm sure you would do no less for me.

[Bridge]

PICARD: Commander Kurn
KURN: Sir.
PICARD: We're changing course. Set coordinates for the First City of the Klingon Imperial Empire.

[Ten Forward]

KURN: We arrive within the hour.
WORF: Yes.
KURN: The Council will receive you at high sun in the Great Hall of
WORF: I know the procedure for the challenge.
KURN: You'll need a cha'DIch to defend you. While you are accused, you will not be allowed combat. I would be honoured if you chose me.
WORF: I ask you to stand with me, to be my cha'DIch.
KURN: jIlajneS. ghIj qet jaghmeyjaj. The two sons of Mogh. Together, we will restore the family honour.
WORF: No. For the proceeding, you will not reveal your true father.
KURN: I must.
WORF: You will not.
KURN: Because it would mean my death as well if you fail? A Klingon's honour means more to him than his life. Perhaps your human values have clouded your judgment. I insist.
WORF: On this ship, you are my commander, and I obey. In Council chamber, you are my cha'DIch. You do not insist. You obey.
KURN: Yes, brother.

[Great Hall]

(Everything is done by shouting here)
WORF: I am Worf, son of Mogh. I have come to challenge the lies that have been spoken of my father.
K'MPEC: Worf, son of Mogh, you have challenged the judgment of the council. Are you prepared to answer for this if you fail?
WORF: Yes. With my life.
K'MPEC: Why do you come before us, Commander?
KURN: I am Kurn, son of Lorgh. I will stand by Worf's side. I am cha'DIch.
(He is handed a ceremonial something)
DURAS: You claim a birthright you have forsaken?
WORF: I have not forsaken my heritage. I am Klingon. My heart is of this world. My blood is as yours.
DURAS: Yet you come to us wearing a child's uniform, and you bring outsiders to our Great Hall.
PICARD: I am here at my own request. I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise.
DURAS: Your words mean nothing here.
K'MPEC: Duras, let him speak.
PICARD: Lieutenant Worf has served under my command with distinction. He has earned my admiration and my respect. It is my greatest wish that this Council, in its wisdom, will clear his family name and return him to duty.
K'MPEC: The trust of a commanding officer is admirable. The council has noted it. Speak the accusation.
DURAS: For many turns, the truth about Khitomer has lain dormant. Unknown. Now the truth has been revealed. The traitor Mogh sent the defence access codes to the Romulan patrol ships, allowing them to destroy the outpost. Thousands died on Khitomer. My father died on Khitomer. Their deaths must be avenged. Your father was a traitor. By posing this challenge, you are a traitor.
(Duras tears off Worf's baldric)
DURAS: You will not wear the emblems of our people. You are a fool and your challenge can only result in a fool's death.
WORF: It is a good day to die, Duras, and the day is not yet over.
K'MPEC: The council stands in recess. We will return for the Mek'ba, when the evidence will be presented. Qapla'

[Bridge]

PICARD: Mister Data, find out everything you can about the destruction of the Khitomer outpost. Cross reference with Romulan tactics and strategic information on the region, and request access to the Klingon central information net. Computer, presentation overview of Klingon custom and law pertaining to familial accountability.
COMPUTER: Accessing.
PICARD: In my ready room.

[Great Hall]

(in a side colonnade)
K'MPEC: Worf. I would speak with you. Alone.
(Kurn leaves them and is handed a message by a woman. He leaves)
K'MPEC: You should not have brought the challenge. There was no risk to you. What does it matter?
WORF: I am Klingon.
K'MPEC: Of that I have no question. But your life in the Federation would not be affected by this judgement.
WORF: My father
K'MPEC: Is dead. He died long ago. I knew your father, served with him. This is not how I wanted to remember him. We must let the past be and protect what we have now. If you leave before the Mek'ba, no shame will come on you. Return to your ship. Go back to your life. The challenge will be forgotten.
WORF: Why would you ask me to lay aside the honour of my father, my family? Are these the words of the council?
K'MPEC: I will not be questioned by you! Leave, now, or you too will be condemned as a traitor.

[Bridge]

RIKER: What Federation starship was closest to Khitomer at the time of the attack?
DATA: The USS Intrepid was the first ship on the scene, sir.
RIKER: Contact Starfleet, request all logs of the Intrepid. Riker to Doctor Crusher.
CRUSHER [OC]: Crusher here.
RIKER: Doctor, I want you to look over the medical records from all the rescue vessels that responded to the Khitomer massacre. See if there's any information on the aftermath that might help us.
CRUSHER [OC]: Understood.

[Pedestrian tunnel]

KURN: I should have known. Worf was right. It is a good day to die.
DURAS: The time has not yet come. It does not have to come for many turns. I know who you are, Kurn. Son of Mogh.
KURN: What?
DURAS: It was a wise choice to hide your family name. Do not err by embracing it again, for you only embrace death.
KURN: We will see.
DURAS: Worf has made a choice and he will die for it. You can still be safe. Let him stand alone.
KURN: He is my brother. I will not betray him!
DURAS: Then you will die for him.
(Duras leaves and a pair of assassins approach, one from each end of the tunnel. Kurn fights well, but is finally stabbed in the stomach)

[Sickbay]

CRUSHER: What kind of a weapon makes a vicious wound like that?
WORF: It is a kut'luch. The ceremonial weapon of an assassin.
CRUSHER: Fortunately his metabolic recovery is phenomenal. He will be all right
WORF: It does not matter. We should have let him die. Now that Duras knows his bloodlines, we will both be executed.
CRUSHER: You sound like you've already lost, Worf.

[Bridge]

DATA: Commander, I have discovered the basis of the charges against Worf's father. Apparently the Klingons recently captured a Romulan ship with logs that provided new information on the Khitomer attack. They clearly indicate a transmission from the outpost to the Romulan ship moments before the shields went down.
LAFORGE: From Worf's father?
DATA: They do correspond to Mogh's personal security code.
RIKER: How can we be sure these records haven't been falsified?
LAFORGE: We can cross check them against the Intrepid's sensor logs.
DATA: I will try, but the Intrepid was at the edge of sensor range during the attack and we cannot be sure if the scan was complete.
LAFORGE: Looks like a pretty good match-up, Data
DATA: Both the Intrepid and Romulan logs show a series of distress signals from Khitomer.
RIKER: What happened there.
LAFORGE: Those are gaps in the Intrepid's logs. Missing information due to the range.
DATA: That is where Mogh's alleged transmission should be.
RIKER: Right in the middle of the gap?
LAFORGE: Wait a second, Data. Back up. Just before the Intrepid's gap begins, the timebase of both files are in perfect sync. But look. Look at what happens to the signal after the shields are dropped.
DATA: They are no longer synchronous.
LAFORGE: Commander, somebody's been rewriting history.

[Ready room]

PICARD: I do not pretend to fully understand the nuances of your world's law or culture, Lieutenant, but I do understand when somebody is trying to hide something.
WORF: K'mpec urged me to drop my challenge, abandon my family honour. It was impossible to believe I was hearing a Klingon speak
PICARD: Obviously, they did not expect and never wanted this challenge. You're getting close to something, Lieutenant. Something they care a great deal about protecting.
WORF: If it is true, it is not just Duras but the High Council itself that is my enemy. Captain, I must choose another cha'DIch. I would like your permission to ask one of the crew.
PICARD: Well of course, Lieutenant. Choose whomever you wish.
WORF: Then I would ask you to stand with me. You may refuse with no dishonour.
PICARD: Thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate the gesture, but I know that there are stronger and younger men from whom to choose.
WORF: I can think of no one I would rather have at my side.
PICARD: jIlajneS. ghIj qet jaghmeyjaj. I accept.

[Great Hall]

WORF: My challenge will proceed. No threats, no treachery will stop it. Not even a trap set for my cha'DIch by a coward.
K'MPEC: Duras!
DURAS: I will not hear lies from the son of a traitor.
(Picard steps between Worf and Duras)
DURAS: Keep your place, Picard!
PICARD: This is my place.
WORF: He is now my cha'DIch.
DURAS: This is not your world, human. You do not command here.
PICARD: I'm not here to command.
DURAS: Then you must be ready to fight. Something that Starfleet doesn't teach you.
PICARD: You may test that assumption at your convenience.
(He is handed the ceremonial baton or whatever it is)

[Bridge]

CRUSHER: I've got something. Worf was not the only survivor of the Khitomer massacre.
RIKER: Another child?
CRUSHER: No. A Klingon woman was found with Worf.
(She calls up the record on a monitor)
RIKER: Kahlest. Who was she?
CRUSHER: I don't know, but the report said she was severely injured, was transferred to Starbase twenty four for treatment. That was when she was separated from Worf. And after her recovery, she returned home.
RIKER: We've got to find her, if she's still alive. Data, scan the Klingon central net. See if there's any record of her.

[Great Hall]

DURAS: The Romulans lowered the outpost shields themselves. They were given the defense access code! The record clearly show the Romulan patrol ship receiving a personal transmission from Mogh seconds before the shields fell.
RIKER [OC]: Riker to Captain Picard.
PICARD: Stand by.
DURAS: The Khitomer commander noted in his log that Mogh had been acting suspiciously.
(Picard moves away to take his call privately)
PICARD: Go ahead, Number One.

[Bridge]

RIKER: We've located another survivor of the Khitomer massacre, Captain a woman who was found with Worf. Her name is Kahlest.

[Great Hall]

RIKER: She resides in the Old Quarter of the First City.
PICARD: Well done. Picard out.
DURAS: Another witness has testified that Mogh often spoke of his admiration for the Romulans. Their culture. Their women. Mogh betrayed us, and four thousand Klingons died on Khitomer. Only the son of Mogh survived.
PICARD: K'mpec. May we have a short recess?
K'MPEC: Len'mat.
(K'Mpec gets up and walks out)
PICARD: Have you heard of a woman named Kahlest?
WORF: She was my ghojmoK, my nurse.
PICARD: It is possible she was an eyewitness to your father's activities on Khitomer.
WORF: But she died in the attack.
PICARD: No, she survived. She's living in the Old Quarter. I'm going to find her.
WORF: It is too dangerous. You must not go alone.
PICARD: Hey, I'm your cha'DIch.

[Kahlest's home]

(Picard wears a long robe and hood to disguise his race and uniform)
PICARD: Kahlest?
KAHLEST: What do you want?
PICARD: Your help.
KAHLEST: No.
PICARD: You don't even know what I want.
KAHLEST: You are cha'Dich. I know.
PICARD: Then you also know that Worf's life is at stake.
KAHLEST: I cannot help. I am dead. A long time dead.
PICARD: Were you with Worf's father just before the attack on Khitomer?
KAHLEST: No. My life ended on Khitomer. I served a proud family, a strong house. All that is gone.
PICARD: Worf is not gone. The family you served needs you again.
KAHLEST: I cannot help.
PICARD: Was his father a traitor?
KAHLEST: No. Mogh was loyal to the Emperor. Mogh suspected someone of plotting with the Romulans and followed them to Khitomer.
PICARD: Who? Who was the traitor?
KAHLEST: I do not know.
PICARD: Then we have no way to prove Mogh's innocence, and Worf will die as the son of a traitor.
KAHLEST: You must leave now, cha'DIch. I am dead.

[Street]

(Picard is jumped by two Klingons. He manages to draw the dagger and stabs one of them. Kahlest gets the other one in the back)
PICARD: My appreciation, madam.
KAHLEST: You are brave, cha'DIch. Worf chose well.
PICARD: Kahlest, would they recognise you? Would they know who your are?
KAHLEST: K'mpec would remember Kahlest. I caught his eye back then, but he was too fat.
PICARD: Come back with me. They won't know how much you know. You may shake loose the truth.
KAHLEST: I will come.

[Great Hall]

DURAS: The evidence is clear. I would ask that the judgment stand. That Worf be condemned as the son of a traitor to the Empire.
K'MPEC: Worf, son of Mogh, the judgement of
PICARD: K'mpec!
(Picard enters with Kahlest)
PICARD: The Mek'ba is not complete. I bring an eyewitness to the Khitomer massacre, one who has new evidence, K'mpec.
KAHLEST: Mogh was innocent.
K'MPEC: Len'mat.

[K'mpec's Chamber]

DURAS: What is it you think you know, old woman?
PICARD: Do not answer. It is the rule of the Mek'ba that evidence be presented in open council.
DURAS: She will die before she gives evidence.
K'MPEC: Be silent, Duras. Would you kill an old women to cover your dishonour?
PICARD: Yes. It is your dishonour we are protecting here, isn't it, Duras?
DURAS: I have no reluctance to kill you, human.
PICARD: Are you prepared to hear her evidence in open council?
K'MPEC: Obviously, we would not. Kahlest, you can go now. It is good to see you again.
KAHLEST: You are still fat, K'mpec.
(Kahlest leaves)
K'MPEC: I asked you to leave, to let this challenge go unanswered, but you did not hear my words. And now it's come to this.
WORF: Why did you judge my father guilty when you knew he was not?
K'MPEC: Someone had to be blamed. The warriors who captured the Romulan ship had learned of the treachery, but only the Council knew whose security code had been transmitted. Ja'rod, father of Duras.
WORF: This ha'DIbaH should have been fed to the dogs!
K'MPEC: His family is powerful. If the truth were known, it would shatter the Council, most certainly plunge us into civil war. You were in Starfleet. We did not expect you to challenge the judgment, nor did we know there was another son of Mogh.
PICARD: Worf's challenge is successful. The honour of his family must be restored.
K'MPEC: You do not understand. His challenge was defeated before he ever made it. You will not be allowed to present this evidence. The judgment stands. You will be condemned. So will your brother. There is no other way now.
PICARD: You admit the truth and yet expect him to accept punishment? What does this say of an Empire who holds honour so dear?
K'MPEC: The Empire will not be destroyed for one family's honour.
PICARD: Unacceptable, K'mpec.
DURAS: You have no say in this, cha'DIch!
PICARD: I speak now as the Captain of the USS Enterprise and Lieutenant Worf's commanding officer. You will not execute a member of my crew, nor will I turn his brother over to you.
K'MPEC: This is not the Federation, Picard. If you defy an order of the High Council, the alliance with the Federation could fall to dust.
PICARD: The alliance with the Federation is not based on lies, K'mpec! Protect your secrets if you must, but you will not sacrifice these men.
WORF: I will die for the Empire.
PICARD: Lieutenant.
WORF: The cha'DIch will be silent. Allow my brother to return to his life. Only you need know his true bloodline.
DURAS: Not acceptable. His honour would demand revenge.
WORF: If you allow him to live, I will give you something that will serve your purpose far more than my death. I will accept discommendation.
DURAS: You would do this in open council?
K'MPEC: It would be the same as admitting your father's guilt, Worf.
WORF: So be it.
K'MPEC: Your heart is Klingon. It will be done. What has been said here will never be spoken of again.
WORF: You are the son of a traitor.
(Worf slaps Duras' face)
WORF: Now I am ready.

[Great Hall]

KURN: Why is he doing this? I was prepared to die.
PICARD: Worf wants you to live. The name of your father must someday be cleared. He needs you alive with your honour intact.
KURN: But to do this
PICARD: There will be another day, Commander. Do not forget what he does here today. Do not let your children forget.
WORF: tlhIH ghIj jIHyoj.
K'MPEC: biHnuch.
(one by one, the Klingons cross their arms and turn their backs on Worf)
WORF: You must also, brother.
(Kurn turns his back, and Worf and Picard walk out of the hall)