The Best Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 3, Episode 10 Quotes

Lt. Commander Data: I am told by various crew members that this viewport is their favorite on the ship.
Admiral: [as Setal] Hm... I thought it would bring me some comfort. But these are not my stars. Even the heavens are denied me here.

[last lines]
[Admiral Jarok has committed suicide]
Commander William T. Riker: [handing a data PADD to Picard] A letter to his wife and daughter.
Lt. Commander Data: Sir, he must have known it would be impossible for us to deliver it.
Captain: Today, perhaps. But if there are others with the courage of Admiral Jarok, we may hope to see a day of peace when... we can take his letter home.

- But she will grow up.
- If you act, picard.
- If we stop this war before it begins.
- I can't.
- And I won't.
- Unless I have unequivocal cooperation.

Admiral: Lieutenant Worf, I like him. To be more accurate, I understand him. A warrior, proud, fearless, living only for combat. Exactly the type that will get us all killed if we're not careful.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge: I don't know, Data, my gut tells me we ought to be listening to what this guy's trying to tell us.
Lt. Commander Data: Your gut?
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge: It's just a... a feeling, you know, an instinct. Intuition.
Lt. Commander Data: But those qualities would interfere with rational judgment, would they not?
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge: You're right, sometimes they do.
Lt. Commander Data: Then... why not rely strictly on the facts?
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge: Because you just can't rely on the plain and simple facts. Sometimes they lie.

- You can reach me through the companel.
- Later we'd like to ask you a few more questions.
- Computer, water.
- Automated voice: Temperature?
- Twelve onkians.
- Automated voice: This system is calibrated to the celsius metric system.
- Any temperature at all on the cold side of whatever your system is.

Admiral: Do you... have any children, Captain Picard, a family?
Captain: No.
Admiral: Hmm... Then you have sacrificed too much for your career.
Captain: Yes, this is all very interesting...
[Jarok raises a hand to silence him]
Admiral: There comes a time in a man's life that you cannot know. When he looks down at the first smile of his baby girl and realizes, he must change the world for her - for all children. It is for her that I am here. Not to destroy the Romulan Empire, but to save it. For months, I tried desperately to persuade the High Command that another war would destroy the Empire. They got tired of my arguments. Finally, I was censured, sent off to command some distant sector. *This* was my only recourse. I... will never see my child smile again. She will grow up believing that her father is a traitor. But she will grow up - if you act, Picard. If we stop this war before it begins.

- Mr. La forge, prepare to extend our shields around the romulan scout ship.
- At that range, the shields won't be able to take much punishment, captain.
- Five kilometers, sir.
- All stop.
- Extend shields.
- Geordi [over com]: In place.
- We've got the scout ship, captain.

- It does appear unlikely you will ever be allowed to return to your planet.
- The cold reaction of an Android.
- But perhaps we can bring romulus to you.
- Computer: Program complete.
- Run program.
- After you.

Commander William T. Riker: [as the Enterprise approaches a suspected Romulan base] I don't like it. I would've expected a greeting party.
Captain: You echo another noteworthy commander in similar circumstances, Number One. A countryman of yours - George Armstrong Custer, when his Seventh Cavalry arrived at the Little Big Horn.
Commander William T. Riker: May we have better luck.

- Listen to what Shakespeare is telling you about the man, data.
- A king who had true feeling for his soldiers would wish to share their fears with them on the Eve of battle.
- Sir, will I be able to schedule a performance for the crew in the near future?
- Let's not rush it, shall we?
- Data: Hmm.

Admiral: [as Setal] You're the android. I know a host of Romulan cyberneticists that would love to be this close to you.
Lt. Commander Data: I do not find that concept particularly appealing.
Admiral: Nor should you.

Captain: On what basis, Admiral, am I to decide? Hmm? Your good word? Are you willing to help us overpower the Romulan B-type warbirds we may encounter? Are you prepared to help us detect them through their cloaking shields?
[the Admiral doesn't reply]
Captain: Well, you see my problem, Admiral. You ask us for faith, in circumstances which are hardly possible to believe, compounded by lies and your refusal to tell us what you know.
Admiral: I cannot betray my people!
Captain: You already betrayed your people, Admiral! You've made your choices, sir! You're a traitor! Now, if the bitter taste of that is unpalatable to you, I am truly sorry. But I will not risk my crew because you think you can dance on the edge of the Neutral Zone. You've crossed over, Admiral. You make yourself comfortable with that.

- Aye, sir.
- You find something amusing?
- Lieutenant worf. I like him.
- To be more accurate,
- I understand him.
- A warrior. Proud, fearless, living only for combat.
- Exactly the type that will get us all killed if we're not careful.

Admiral: [as Setal] This. This is my home now, my future. I have sacrificed everything. It must not be in vain. Arrange a meeting between myself and Captain Picard. Tell him Admiral Jarok wants to see him.

- Aye, sir.
- Take us back, number one.
- I did it for nothing.
- My home.
- My family.
- For nothing.

- There is no doubt in my mind that this will eventually fall on your shoulders, Jean-Luc.
- You've got him.
- You must decide if he's telling the truth.
- For now, I suggest you proceed along the neutral zone border toward a federation position proximate to nelvana III.

Admiral: One world's butcher is another world's hero. Perhaps I am neither one.

- Destroy the base now and the threat is over.
- Well, I'm sure you are fatigued by your ordeal and you require medical attention.
- Lieutenant worf, will you conduct sublieutenant setal to the sickbay?
- We will attend to your quarters.
- No doubt you will wish to question me further.

Admiral: How do you allow Klingon pahtk to walk around in a Starfleet uniform?
Lieutenant: You are lucky this is not a Klingon ship. We know how to deal with spies.
Admiral: Remove this tohzah from my sight!
Commander William T. Riker: Your knowledge of Klingon curses is impressive. But as a Romulan might say, only a veruul would use such language in public.

- An entire legion was assigned to this section.
- Is it possible they could have been feeding you disinformation?
- You said that you had been censured, reassigned four months ago.
- They knew of your dissatisfaction.
- Could all this have been to test your loyalty?
- It's impossible.

Admiral: I did it for nothing. My home... my family... For nothing.

Captain: [quoting Shakespeare's "Henry V"] Now, if these men do not die well, it will be a black matter for the king, who led them to it.

- All systems are going off-line, including life support.
- Transporter 2, prepare to beam the occupant of the scout ship directly aboard.
- O'brien [over com]: Aye, sir.
- Mr. Worf.
- Mr. Data, lock onto the scout ship.
- Take it in tow.
- Energize.

Admiral: [as Setal] Oh, what a fool I've been - to come looking for courage in a lair of cowards.

- How is the crew's spirit?
- They are concerned, of course, captain, but confident.
- Do you not see that, sir?
- Data, unlike king Henry, it is not easy for me to disguise myself and walk among my troops.
- That'll be all.

[Data is intently observing "Setal"]
Admiral: [as Setal] I take it you have never seen a Romulan before.
Lt. Commander Data: That would be an incorrect assumption.
Admiral: Then why do you invade my privacy?
Lt. Commander Data: I was attempting to ascertain what my 'guts' tell me about you.

[Picard's secret backup of cloaked Klingon warbirds has materialized surrounding the Romulans]
Captain: What shall it be, Tomalak?
Commander: You will still not survive our assault.
Captain: And you will not survive ours. Shall we die together?

Captain: There is much to be done. We have less than 48 hours to prevent a war - or perhaps... to start one.

- What about the planet's surface?
- Reading nothing but barren rock.
- I don't know.
- They might be able to hide a base from our probe. Its capabilities are limited.
- The only way we'll know for sure is if we go down and take a look for ourselves.
- That will be all, gentlemen.

- Setal [over radio]: Federation ship, do you read?
- I require urgent assistance.
- This is captain Jean-Luc picard of the USS...
- Setal [over radio]: Federation ship, please, help me.
- Requesting asylum. Under pursuit.
- Pursuit?
- Visual range. On-screen, captain.

- 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.