Previously on Strange New Worlds...
M'BENGA: Years ago, I was stationed on the moon of J'Gal.
ROR'QUEG: If you had served on J'Gal,
you'd be dead.
We both served in the Klingon War.
A hundred million Federation bodies, slaughtered.
- What does this mean? - I don't know.
Shut up.
Learn when to leave people alone, Spock.
Sorry. I'm working on that.
You sure you want to do this again?
M'BENGA: Again? No.
The war is over, Joseph.
Yes, but how can it ever be?
Captain's Log stardate 1875.4.
The Enterprise has arrived at the Prospero system
for a rendezvous with the Kelcie Mae
in order to pick up a special visitor.
Prospero has been under Starfleet jurisdiction
since the end of the Klingon War.
After years of infighting, all three planets
have finally reached a cease-fire agreement,
negotiated by a unique Federation ambassador.
Enterprise has been tasked with
transporting the ambassador to Starbase 12.
Our orders are to make him feel welcome.
However...
our esteemed guest is a Klingon,
a former general who defected to our side.
Most of my crew didn't fight in the war,
but some did.
Ambassador Dak'Rah,
Son of Ra'Ul, it is my honor
to welcome you aboard the USS Enterprise.
It's just Rah.
Formal Klingon names are a mouthful.
What is that peculiar device?
Ah, the boatswain's whistle.
An old Earth custom from the time of ships at sea.
It's become somewhat of a tradition here on Enterprise
for our most distinguished guests.
Uh, I see.
Kind of like rolling the red carpet out?
Yes.
Yes, exactly like that.
We want to extend every courtesy the ship has to offer.
- Mm. - My head of security
is ready to escort you to quarters.
Captain Christopher Pike, if you wouldn't mind,
I've heard so many great things about the Federation flagship.
Could I trouble you for a brief tour of the ship?
The Summit of Scorpi Ten,
the Klingon Free-Trade Agreement,
negotiating the Perez Accords.
Sure, he's done some stuff.
He's an effective voice
in spreading Starfleet's message for unity.
A former enemy speaking on our behalf?
It's incredible.
Or it's a long con to gain access to Federation secrets.
Just because he's Klingon...
Trust me, I know Klingons.
This guy with the peace treaties, that's not Klingon.
So you don't trust Ambassador Rah
because he believes in peace?
That's not what... Mm.
Ha ha.
The slaughter at Lembatta Five.
The siege at Starbase Zetta. Athos...
I didn't mean to hit a nerve.
It's okay. You're right.
I don't really know what he's about.
All I know is the stories,
like that he killed his own men to cover his retreat.
There's a reason other Klingons call him the Butcher of J'Gal.
Captain on the bridge.
What an amazing view.
A Bird-of-Prey isn't built to take in its surroundings.
Klingons will never admit it,
but the Federation has much better ships.
Well, our ships are designed primarily for exploration.
Ah, but this one,
I bet, is fun to fly.
Lieutenant Erica Ortegas here is our senior officer at the helm.
A beautiful ship, Lieutenant.
And I'm sure it's in good hands.
Thank you, sir. I do my best.
Captain, may we continue the tour?
I don't want to distract your bridge crew from their duties.
As you were.
This one's cold.
It is a simple matter of coding.
We will have ample time to work out the inconsistencies
before presenting this to the ambassador.
Not as much time as you think.
My science officer has been preparing a small surprise
to make you feel more at home.
Mr. Spock?
Ambassador Rah, it is an honor.
In anticipation of your visit, we are attempting to produce
a popular caffeinated beverage from Kronos.
On a recent mission,
Spock was able to parley with a Klingon captain
and procure a recipe.
I must admit, it has ignited a curiosity in me,
a desire to experience more of your culture.
There's nothing to experience.
They're a warmongering race limited by ideology.
I have breached a complicated subject.
Please accept my apology.
No, no, no. I... apologize.
My distaste for the past colors my words.
No, I appreciate this kind gesture,
and I would love to try the raktajino.
Ah!
I think perhaps we should let this cool a bit.
We are still working out the coding.
- This is entirely my fault. - I'm fine.
One good thing about Klingons,
we have a high tolerance for pain.
Still, if you would indulge me.
Right this way, ambassador.
Our dermal regenerator will patch that up in no time.
It will be good as new.
I'll handle this.
General Dak'Rah.
Space.
The final frontier.
These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise.
Its five-year mission:
to explore strange new worlds...
...to seek out new life
and new civilizations,
to boldly go where no one has gone before.
Roger, shuttlecraft 12648.
You're clear for descent. Copy, I've got approach.
Taking her down around the east side,
approaching from the south.
Lowering blast shields.
Where are the landing pads?
It's too hairy down there,
so we drop you in transit.
It's the safest way to get you on the ground.
FOB's a mile from the front, so don't wander out.
Good luck down there.
Christine Chapel.
Welcome to J'Gal.
Commander Martinez, thank you.
- Everyone calls me Buck. - Okay.
Whatever you need, we probably don't have it,
but ask anyway.
I'll run it up the flagpole and see if it quacks.
- Right. Sounds good. - You could also ask Joseph.
Uh, Joseph?
I'm the Chief Medical Officer, but Joseph,
he does a lot around here.
Watch your feet.
Oh, that reminds me.
We do not have an internal organ regenerator.
I keep putting in requests,
but apparently a watched pot doesn't get the oil.
This needs to be scrubbed.
- Right away, Buck. - Uh, where's the head nurse?
- I should report in. - You haven't heard?
Congratulations, Head Nurse Chapel.
Me? I just got here.
Well, you have the most experience
of anybody on the staff.
We couldn't wait for roster rotations,
so I did what I had to do to get you assigned.
Cost me a case of Romulan ale.
Did we just take fire?
You get used to it.
We scramble sensors,
but the Klingons know we're here.
It's only a matter of time before they get a lock on us.
We call it Tent City.
I think you see why.
It's not home, but it'll do.
You've been assigned Echo 25.
It's down there somewhere.
Uh, I'll put down my things and get started right away.
Enjoy your downtime.
See a show.
You'll figure out the rest.
Who's that?
That's Joseph.
Incoming transport.
Bills and bows, people! Bills and bows! Let's go!
Let's go!
You're late!
Incoming transport. Incoming transport.
Burns. Um, this way.
Incoming transport. Incoming transport.
Get him to surgery.
- Treat him for shock. - Yes, Doctor.
Incoming transport. Incoming transport.
Nurse, over here.
Look after these two.
Doctor! I need a doctor!
Hey, buddy, what's your name?
- Stay with me. - Alvarado.
Alvarado. Excellent.
He needs immediate attention.
Incoming transport.
M'BENGA: Internal bleeding,
massive damage to every major organ.
- Let's prep him. - No regenerator.
Right. So, what, we just...
A morphine drip and let him die?
Incoming transport. Incoming transport.
We need to get him off the pad.
If we don't, more people will die.
When the convoy gets here,
the starships will have a surgery bay.
Just hang tight, Alvarado, okay?
We need to do something.
Load his pattern into the buffer.
We can keep him suspended in there
- until the starships arrive. - You can do that?
- Show me. - I do it all the time with the bad ones.
Load the bio-data
as a backlog with a pending transport.
Once he's in, delete the transport.
We can recall the backlog later.
Just hold on.
Incoming transport. Incoming transport.
M'BENGA: Chief Medical Officer's Log,
USS Enterprise,
stardate 1875.8.
Biobed two has shut down again.
Ever since the Gorn attack at Finibus Three,
it hasn't been the same.
Dr. M'Benga.
Chris.
Do you have any more of that Deltan parsley
in your apothecary?
Careful.
Deltan parsley is deadly in excessive amounts.
And in small amounts, delicious.
You could have just called.
Or sent a yeoman.
Mm-hmm. I wanted to check in with you.
Because of our Klingon visitor?
I know you and Chapel were both stationed on J'Gal,
where Rah earned his reputation.
Apparently, there was...
a minor protest during his last transport,
so we have direct orders.
Klingon War veterans need to interact with Rah.
We have to make him feel welcome here,
and we will, but I don't want that
to come at the personal expense of anyone on the crew.
I'm fine.
As for Chapel...
Oh. Hey.
All good here, too, Captain.
Great. Good to hear it.
Ultimate goal of the Federation
is to make peace with our enemies.
True, but it's also an organization
that waged war with the Klingons.
As I mentioned, we have orders from pretty up high.
I'm hosting a dinner tonight in honor of Ambassador Rah.
It would mean a lot...
I'll be there.
Totally. Me, too.
Thank you.
I appreciate you both being there.
See you tonight.
Great.
- We can still ditch this. - No.
Chris needs us there.
I've handled worse than polite conversation.
Plus...
...I don't want to give Rah the satisfaction
of chasing me away from the captain's table.
Joseph.
We got this.
Dermal team!
He's in cardiac arrest.
We're losing him.
- Manual stimulation. - What?
Grab his heart and start pumping.
It's not working.
Eyes up. We got this.
We got this.
Say it with me.
- We got this. - We got this.
That's right. Continue stimulation.
He's back!
Dermal team, now!
Incoming transport. Incoming transport.
Bills and bows, people! Bills and bows! Let's go!
WOMAN [over P.A.]: Attention, all personnel.
Tactical reviews have been updated
and are available on your personal datapad.
M'BENGA: Erica.
Everything all right?
No. The Butcher of J'Gal is in there,
and everyone's acting like he's the freaking Dalai Lama.
I've got a bad poker face when I don't like someone.
I need to bail.
Why didn't you just tell the captain no?
Why didn't you?
There's a chance General...
...Ambassador Rah has genuinely reformed.
No, he's pretending.
I sense it, and I don't want to play along.
Sometimes you pretend something long enough...
...it becomes the truth.
So let's pretend the war doesn't bother us,
at least for tonight.
Put on the Starfleet face?
It's a good face.
Plus, Pike made jambalaya.
Ooh, jambalaya?
With Deltan parsley.
There were eight delegates from three separate planets,
and everyone thought I was crazy.
And maybe I am.
The ally ambassador must have many interesting insights
on delicate matters of diplomacy.
Why did the Federation send you there alone?
Joseph, Erica, welcome.
Uh, you met our helmsman earlier,
and this is our CMO, Dr. M'Benga.
The honor is all mine.
Ambassador.
I hope you're enjoying our ship.
- Christine? - What?
Oh, you're doing the word game. Um...
I'm sorry, I don't really have one right now.
- You are under duress. - Hmm?
Oh. Yeah.
Is it true that all peace negotiations
must include drinking bloodwine in excess?
Peace is not a destination.
It's a journey. It's a state of mind.
The Klingon need to feel...
Quite understandable.
I do not know much about your service in the war, but...
I am available to you if you ever feel the need to share.
Yeah, I don't, so let's just change the subject, yeah?
Convincing Prospero Alpha
to agree to an armistice was like getting a Tellarite
to give a compliment.
I just wish he would shut up for one second
about all this amazing peace he's managed.
I can help with that.
He's not wrong.
I was stationed near Prospero.
They are pretty stubborn.
They are stubborn. Correct.
- Often badly. - Ambassador Rah,
are you familiar with the ancient Earth text
Sun Tzu's The Art of War?
A most inspired human masterpiece.
I would love to hear your views on its comparison
with the Klingon manuscript mL' parmaq Qoj.
This is a most excellent topic of conversation,
Mr. Spock. Yes.
All Klingon children
learn mL' parmaq Qoj practically from birth.
I was introduced when I was seven.
My father taught me war and bloodshed,
but my mother taught me to see and feel...
Better make that two.
- Mine's a double. - Even better.
Why are we here?
You know why.
Our captain needs us.
Why is it so hard to explain to people who weren't there?
General Dak'Rah.
- His men wouldn't let me die. - That was then.
Now you're here.
Got it?
Focus on getting better.
How's your chest feeling?
Like someone squeezed my heart with their fingers.
Someone did.
Where are you from, Ensign?
New Angeles.
Terra Luna?
You're a long way from the shipyards.
We all just call it the Moon.
I have to go check on other patients.
When I come back, I want to hear more about the Moon.
The answer is no.
And tell them to stop sending people.
Nobody sent me.
In fact, they said you'd turn me down if I tried.
Good.
We're done here.
General Dak'Rah, son of Ra'Ul.
I need help taking him out.
Intel says he's head of the house here on J'Gal,
running the entire operation for the Klingons.
M'Benga, they're killing civilians.
Human and Klingon, it doesn't matter.
This General Dak'Rah,
he's ordering his men to kill on sight
anyone that isn't a Klingon soldier.
After they torture them.
What are you doing, hiding behind the wire?
Everyone knows the stories.
The most hand-to-hand kills confirmed.
I'm just a doctor now.
I prefer saving lives to taking them.
And I need quick and silent.
I need you.
I gave you my answer.
Protocol 12.
It was discontinued.
Starfleet won't make it anymore, but I heard you still have some.
- You heard wrong. - You designed it, right?
Make more.
Even if I could, I wouldn't.
It turns out that pumping your body
full of adrenaline and pain inhibitors
is bad for your health.
I'd rather die tomorrow than today.
Come on, be reasonable. My team needs an edge.
The negotiations almost fell apart
when the chancellor said to me,
"How is it that a Klingon
is speaking on behalf of the Federation?"
That's a good question. How did you respond?
I simply told him the truth.
Who I am and who I was.
And what the Federation did for me.
It saved my life.
J'Gal changed me.
J'Gal changed a lot of us.
You were on J'Gal?
I was.
The final conflict.
And the massacre of Colony Athos.
Then you both know my pain all too well.
Those were difficult times.
After what happened on Athos, my ideals shifted.
The fighting was without merit.
It was pointless.
War is never the ideal option.
Is it true?
The story about what you had to do to escape?
We were all pushed to our limits.
To the survivors of J'Gal.
"We are Klingon, may we endure"?
"Remain Klingon."
Remember that?
It was our battle cry during the war.
"Remain Klingon" is much easier to shout in our language.
"Remain Klingon," all over the comms,
and then...
Boom. All your friends are dead.
Lieutenant Ortegas, stand down.
Captain?
Let us all
step back.
I...
I've heard worse.
Now I am simply hoping to make up for my past,
and...
and connecting with others who need healing like you.
Okay, I am gonna go see if she needs anything.
My sincere apologies, Ambassador Rah.
None are needed, Captain.
As I said, I bear no grudge.
Uh, sh-she will find her own way to peace.
Your perspective,
it bears a remarkable similarity to Aenar existentialism.
Yes.
I love the Aenar.
Brilliant pacifists.
Doctor, maybe you should check on Erica as well.
Chapel might need a hand calming her down.
Aye, Captain.
Your security officer, La'An, she tells me that
the two of you are practicing full impact Mok'bara,
and I was wondering if we might arrange a session.
I'll check my schedule.
Thank you.
You should be in bed.
What are we doing here, Doc?
Why did you join Starfleet, Ensign?
To explore.
Learn.
I don't know-- none of the stuff that I've been doing lately.
I joined to find new ways of healing people.
With Starfleet, you learn
how the rest of the universe treats its maladies.
And this war, it's a disease
eating at the heart of the Federation.
If we let the Klingons conquer every colony in the sector,
they won't stop.
They won't go back to Kronos.
All of us have to remember
what we love most about back home.
We fight for them.
We fight hoping it doesn't change us.
Hoping...
...don't come home different.
But if we don't fight,
we don't win.
The disease takes over.
And none of us have a home to go back to.
I just wish we could stop this without all this dying.
We have to fight
so the people we love can have a chance to live in peace.
That's Starfleet.
Why are we being briefed?
Lieutenant Va'Al Trask, special forces.
He just got orders.
For the entire outfit?
I just heard the whole stinking thing.
You know, for being black ops, these guys talk super loud.
You don't sound happy.
Command thinks this is our chance to take control of J'Gal.
Trask's team is going dark to find the local generals,
while ground units mount a huge offensive
near Colony Athos to provide cover.
All they need is meat for the grinder.
My platoon is leading the charge.
Fighting is one thing, but this...
This is the mission, remember?
I don't question orders.
It's a suicide run.
I can put you down for mandatory convalescence.
- Where's your C.O.? - Don't.
Forget before.
It was the drugs. I was tired.
Thanks for the patch up job.
Stay low.
Fight hard.
I'm a soldier, Doc.
This is what I do.
Eyes up, people!
We got the word, and the word is now.
Check the battle plans, check assignments.
We all know the drill.
I want to apologize
for my part in last night's dinner.
You don't need to apologize.
None of this is about you.
You just see me going through something,
and our closeness makes you feel responsible.
You're not.
I understand.
That is not true.
I am having difficulty
watching you experience such obvious distress.
I want to help.
But it would appear all that I am doing is making it worse.
War, it doesn't leave you. It...
It can, it can bury itself, but it's-it's always there.
I researched J'Gal.
It was a forward operating base.
The data suggests the loss of life was disproportionate...
J'Gal is not a statistic, Spock.
J'Gal is what it is.
War, it makes sense if you've been there,
but it will never make sense.
Like I've been trying to tell you,
I just need some personal time.
I understand.
You require personal time away from me.
Incoming transport.
- You good? - No, no, I'm good, I'm good.
- Go, go. - Incoming transport.
Where's all the wounded?
General Dak'Rah is sending all he's got.
They hit our power supply.
Auxiliary generators are up.
We got a lot people in the field who can't make it out.
All we need is one transporter, right?
I'm trying to get one online now.
Use all the auxiliary power, override the redundant systems,
route everything to the pads.
It'll purge the backlogs, but it should work. Do it.
Incoming transport. Incoming transport.
Wait, wait, wait. No, no.
Um, the transport buffer. Alvarado's in there.
If we purge the logs, he'll die.
Uh...
Pattern deleted.
Power restored.
Transport initiated.
No. What did you do?
We saved lives.
Incoming transport. Incoming transport.
I must admit, I thought you might decline my invitation.
It crossed my mind.
But Klingon Judo is good exercise.
Are you sure you're up for full impact?
I am more virile than I appear.
I see there's more to you than what's on the surface, Rah.
Most people who see me see a Klingon, bringer of death.
They do not believe that I am reformed.
No.
You actually seem like
you're able to put the past behind you.
In fact, you make it look easy.
You don't put something like J'Gal behind you.
But you learn from it.
I have a proposal.
If the two of us, direct enemies on the battlefield,
can find a way to work together,
that would be a powerful message.
So you want to be my friend?
We don't need to be friends, just allies.
The combat veterans on this ship,
they look up to you.
And I believe many others in Starfleet will, too.
Consider joining me for my next peace conference.
You and I together can advance Klingon-Federation relations
by leaps and bounds.
You ask a big favor of me,
but I still want to know about you.
Ask anything you want.
Did you really kill your own men?
We were under attack.
The leaders under my command
decided that all tactical options were viable.
Most of the casualties on Athos were civilians.
I am aware.
And...
yes, I...
...killed my own men
because I was appalled by those atrocities.
You against three Klingon warriors.
Impressive.
Who fought the hardest?
Kiff.
He almost ended me.
But witnessing so many nameless victims,
I had to fight on.
The nameless?
You did it for them?
I stood up for what is right.
And for that, my Klingon brethren
call me the Butcher of J'Gal.
J'Gal changed you. It changed me.
Wars change people.
This has been invigorating.
I look forward to our next session.
M'BENGA: Computer, set sonic shower to full.
Incoming transport. Incoming transport.
Over here!
Children.
They're killing children.
I need pediatric medical assistance.
Incoming transport. Incoming transport.
M'Benga, they're killing civilians.
General Gra'val, Commander Kiff, Captain Ruh'lis
and General Dak'Rah.
I need quick and silent.
M'BENGA: It's a massacre.
They're killing everyone. This is a bloodbath.
M'BENGA: Entire families.
They're killing everyone.
You're the Ghost.
I need you.
Number One.
What's this?
A course through the Chantico Nebula.
Gets us to Starbase 12 by tomorrow.
Chantico?
We need to get Rah off this ship.
Crew morale is low.
How can we represent a Federation
that believes in peace if we say
some people aren't allowed to make up for their past?
I agree with you, in the abstract,
but the people he hurt,
some of them right here in this crew,
might not find forgiveness so easily.
It isn't fair for us to ask them to just let it go.
Federation or not,
everyone is on their own journey.
Okay, change course,
cut through Chantico Nebula and arrive early.
Aye, Captain.
People are looking for you.
You're going out there.
Someone has to finish the mission.
J'Gal is burning.
We're all leaving. The convoy is warping in.
You can use this to find me.
Don't beam me out until you have to.
I told myself,
I don't want to go home different.
My family deserves better.
I see now that's impossible.
Go stop them.
Save as many as you can.
And when you find whoever's in charge,
you make them pay.
Protocol 12.
It helps you fight.
If the Klingons breach the wire, use it to get out.
Good luck.
I've just been informed that my time on the ship
is being cut short.
We don't have as much time as I had hoped
to get to know one another.
I'm okay with that.
I don't need to know any more than I already do.
Now...
please go away.
I thought that as victims of the horrors of J'Gal, that...
Stop!
I know why you're here.
You want me to make you feel okay.
To say you've done enough.
You misunderstand me.
Oh, I understand you,
General Dak'Rah,
son of Ra'Ul.
Perhaps you do.
I sense that we are the same.
You're letting your pain cloud your judgment.
Please.
Leave me alone.
Don't let hate ruin your soul.
You gave the order!
Anyone not a Klingon soldier is the enemy.
You gave the order.
Yes, this is true.
But I've been doing the best I can
to make up for my transgressions.
Kiff didn't fight the hardest.
It was Captain Ruh'lis.
He held me back while you made your escape.
You turned me into a monster.
I told you I was there.
I am the Butcher of J'Gal.
No.
All of this time...
All of this time, you've said nothing.
You let me take credit.
Because, unlike you, I am ashamed of that night.
I am ashamed of my cowardice.
I looked for you.
And now here you are,
using the blood on my hands to make yourself a saint.
I only wanted Starfleet to trust me.
Look at the work that I've done.
People need saints.
They need belief.
If people knew the truth, my work would be undone.
Your work is built on lies.
You never paid for what you did.
When I was at my lowest, the Federation was there.
I need it, and they need me.
I have a purpose now.
Why did you have to come?
Why couldn't you leave me alone?
M'Benga, I'm here to provide healing.
Please, let me have a chance to help you heal.
M'BENGA: I said no.
RAH [grunting]: Don't be stupid.
M'BENGA [grunting]: You're a war criminal.
Don't you see it? - M'BENGA: Get your hands off!
So selfish a human!
M'BENGA: Don't!
I was there.
Saw the whole thing.
Rah wanted to talk, but Joseph was done.
He told Rah he didn't want to be involved with a war criminal.
Guess hearing that set him off.
I can't believe he would do something like this.
Commander Kiff, Klingon, deceased.
Captain Ruh'lis,
Klingon, deceased.
Ambassador Dak'Rah, Klingon, deceased.
The knife belongs to the Butcher of J'Gal, right?
Starfleet records tell us
the DNA belongs to the three warlords he killed.
And I checked the logs, tracked movements.
They corroborate the timeline.
I'm just shocked
that Rah would attack him like that.
I guess it just goes to show,
no one ever really knows
what goes on in anyone's heart.
Joseph.
La'An's submitting her report.
Uh, there's likely to be an inquiry, but...
Oh, we've known each other...
- How long? - Too long to count.
Yeah, I'd like to think,
if you did instigate the fight with Rah,
if it got away from you somehow, you could talk to me.
I'd be on your side. We'd work it out.
I didn't start the fight, Chris.
This whole situation, it's...
it's complicated.
Is it?
Rah was living a lie.
I saw his true face.
What if I told you he murdered children?
Not his men.
He did it.
What if I started the fight then?
Would that be so bad?
Even if he had secrets, there's due process.
That's why we have tribunals.
The Diplomatic Corps knew who he was,
and they still let him represent the Federation.
The Federation believes everyone deserves a second chance.
What about justice?
What about the victims?
Doesn't everyone deserve to pay for their actions?
So who decides, hmm?
Who pays and who gets redemption?
Where's the line?
You're right, Chris.
We've known each other for a very long time,
see eye to eye on most things.
But you haven't lived my life.
You have the privilege
of believing in what's best in people.
Me?
I happen to know there are some things in this world
that don't deserve forgiveness.
What are you saying?
I told you, I didn't start the fight.
But I'm glad he's dead.
M'BENGA: Chief Medical Officer's Log, stardate 1877.5.
Biobed two is working again.
At least for now.
But I know it's only a matter of time
before it shuts down again.
Some things break in a way that can never be repaired.
Only managed.
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Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org