The Best Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 5, Episode 1 Quotes

Toral: The Duras family will one day rule the Empire!
Gowron: Perhaps. But not today.

Sela: Enough, Lursa. You have failed. I need to know the strength and capabilities of the Federation fleet. I don't have time for this!

[Commander Sela has claimed to be Tasha Yar's daughter]
Guinan: How much do you know about what happened to the last ship called Enterprise?
Captain: Enterprise-C? It was lost at the battle of Narendra III, defending a Klingon outpost from the Romulans.
Guinan: And the survivors?
Captain: There were stories of prisoners taken back to Romulus, but these were only rumors.
Guinan: No. There were survivors. And Tasha Yar was one of them.
Captain: Guinan - that was 23 years ago. Tasha Yar was only a child.
Guinan: I know that. But I also know she was aboard that ship. And she was not a child. And I think... you sent her there.
Captain: How can that be?
Guinan: I don't know. I just know that you did.
Captain: Tasha died - a year before you came on the Enterprise. You never met her.
Guinan: I know that.
Captain: If you have only a vague intuition...
Guinan: You can't just dismiss this. If I'm right, then you are responsible for this whole situation.
Captain: I think it's time that I met Commander Sela.

- Set course, 250 Mark 015.
- Shields failing.
- Outer hull temperature exceeding design limit.
- Captain!
- Maintain course.
- They're closing on us.
- Stand by.

- against the duras family.
- The time for debate is over.
- We are klingons.
- He is our leader.
- If that is not enough for you, then perhaps you made the wrong choice when you put on that uniform.

- Worf is not like his brother.
- No. He tries to be.
- But he's still unsure of himself.
- Perhaps he needs something to help restore his confidence.
- I think he'll find our offer appealing.
- I'll make sure he does.

- This boy has done me no harm, and I will not kill him for the crimes of his family.
- Then it falls to kurn.
- No, you gave me his life, and I have spared it.
- As you wish.

- and be detected.
- I'll have to clear this with the federation council.
- In the meantime, assemble your fleet, captain.
- Nicely done.
- I hope we know what we're doing.
- So do I, number one.

- Exactly, but when they try to bring their ships through, the enterprise and the tian nan men will swing around, close the gap catch them in the act.
- Very nice.
- I'd better get back.
- Good luck, will.
- Good luck, captain.

- That is a uniform of a klingon.
- The capital city is neutral ground, and larg's men are all around us.
- As are mine.
- Good to drink with you, kurn.
- May you die well.
- Die well, larg.

- But you know that's impossible.
- She would have been a child when that battle occurred.
- But you claim that it is possible.
- That you're the daughter of Tasha yar.
- Yes, she was on that ship
- 24 years ago.
- She was sent there, by you, from the future.

B'Etor: Worf is not like his brother.
Lursa: No. He tries to be, but he's still unsure of himself.
B'Etor: Perhaps he needs something to help restore his confidence.
Lursa: I think he'll find our offer appealing.
B'Etor: I'll make sure he does.

Lt. Commander Data: Captain, I wish to submit myself for disciplinary action. I have disobeyed a direct order from a superior officer. Although the result of my actions proved positive, the ends cannot justify the means.
Captain: No, they can't. However, the claim 'I was only following orders' has been used to justify too many tragedies in our history. Starfleet doesn't want officers who will blindly follow orders without analyzing the situation. Your actions were appropriate for the circumstances. And I have noted that in your record.
[Data acknowledges with a nod and turns to leave]
Captain: Mr. Data... Nicely done!

[Worf has criticized Gowron for placing his own pride before the good of the Empire]
Kurn: I did not wish to follow Gowron. You came to me and insisted that we support Gowron against the Duras family. The time for debate is over. We are Klingons. He is our leader. If that is not enough for you, then perhaps you made the wrong choice when you put on that uniform!

- The time for glory is here.
- It is not a time to worry about stabilizers.
- It is a time to celebrate.
- For tomorrow, we all may die.
- Come, let us, the sons of mogh, live this night as if it were our last.
- Huh? Huh?
- Huh?

- The council appreciates your report, captain.
- The information on the romulan supply ships will prove very useful.
- Before you leave, there is one last matter to attend to.

Lieutenant: You drink with our enemies?
Kurn: How many are Gowron's men? How many are Duras'? Does it matter? When we meet in battle, we will fight to the death, but here, here we're all warriors, all Klingons.

- Picard: Mr. Data, you were ordered to rendezvous with the fleet at gamma eridon. Acknowledge.
- Stand by, captain.
- Mr. Hobson, prepare to fire.
- Didn't you hear captain picard?
- Fire.
- Fire.

[Data has been assigned to command the USS Sutherland]
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hobson: Excuse me, sir. I'd like to request a transfer.
Lt. Commander Data: May I ask why?
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hobson: I don't believe I'd be a good first officer for you.
Lt. Commander Data: Your service record to date suggests you would perform that function adequately.
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hobson: No, no, no, that's not what I mean. I don't think I'd be a good first officer for *you*.
Lt. Commander Data: Why?
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hobson: Frankly, sir, I don't believe in your ability to command this ship. You're a fellow officer and I respect that, but... no one would suggest that a Klingon would be a good ship's counselor or that a Berellian could be an engineer; they're just not suited for those positions. By the same token, I don't... think an android is a good choice to be captain.
Lt. Commander Data: I understand your concerns. Request denied.

- How can we oppose the duras when we continue to fight amongst ourselves?
- Gowron must answer this challenge to his authority.
- Stop it. Do we fall upon ourselves like a pack of ferengi?
- The enemy is the duras.
- We are at war.

- Worf, this child's family wrongly took your name and your honor from you.
- In return,
- I give his life to you.

- But nothing in my experience can persuade me that what you have told me is true.
- And I do know one thing.
- It will not affect my judgment at our next encounter.
- You have 14 hours, captain.
- I suggest you use them wisely.

- Or had her appearance surgically altered.
- But why? What possible advantage could there be to the romulans?
- As this now stands,
- I don't think this will have any impact on our present strategy.
- We'll continue the blockade, leave the next move to them.
- Thank you.

- Phasers and torpedoes are back online.
- What should we do, sir?
- You will take the phaser and torpedo units off-line, and begin repairs of the starboard power coupling.
- Thank you, sir.
- You heard the captain, everyone.

Kurn: You and I will fight battles that others can only dream of. The time for glory is here. It is not a time to worry about stabilizers; it is a time to celebrate! For tomorrow we all may die! Come! Let us, the sons of Mogh, live this night as if it were our last!

- They're changing course heading back to romulan space.
- Make a full report to the flagship.
- Take the main phasers off-line and begin radiation cleanup of the affected decks.
- Yes, sir.
- Captain.

Captain: Good to drink with you, Kurn. May you die well.
Kurn: Die well, Larg.

- However, if you do not feel the time has arrived for an Android to command a starship, perhaps
- I should address myself to improving...
- Commander...
- I believe the starship sutherland will need a captain.
- I can think of no one better suited for that task than you.
- Thank you, sir.

- 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.

- All ships standing by.
- Good.
- Course 118 Mark 357, full impulse power.
- Signal the fleet to get underway.
- We'll enter warp once we're clear of the system.
- Aye, sir.
- Engage.

[Picard has asked Sela about her mother, Tasha Yar]
Sela: One night, when I was four years old, she came to me. She bundled me up, and she told me to stay quiet as we left the compound. I realized she was taking me away; she was taking me away from my home, my father... So I cried out. My father offered her life; he gave her a home; he gave her a child, and how did she repay him? By betrayal. They executed her!
[she turns away and looks out the window for a moment, then turns back]
Sela: Everything in me that was Human died that day with my mother. All that's left now is Romulan. Never doubt that.
Captain: [smiling] Doubts? I'm full of them. But nothing you have told me today can convince me that what your are saying is true.

- And once the romulan connection has been exposed, support will fall away from lursa and b'etor.
- Very well. I will make preparations.
- One thing more, picard.
- Worf has been captured by the duras.
- I hope he dies well.

- All ships to fall back and rendezvous at gamma eridon.
- We'll reestablish the net there.
- Aye, sir.
- All federation ships proceed at maximum warp to gamma eridon.
- Acknowledge the signal.
- Ensign, lay the course and engage at warp 9.3.
- Aye, sir.

[after a skirmish between opposing Klingon factions]
Kurn: You always did have fools working for you, Larg. Now you don't have as many!
Captain: You are lucky, Kurn, but luck always runs out. Someday, I will stand over your broken corpse and drink to the victory of the Duras!

- Starfleet doesn't want officers who will blindly follow orders without analyzing the situation.
- Your actions were appropriate for the circumstances, and I have noted that in your record.
- Nicely done.
- Sir.

- Our forces in the mempa sector are now in full retreat.
- They will need to regroup near beta lankal.
- We destroyed their supply bases in that sector three weeks ago.
- How can they continue to fight?
- They must be getting help.
- Kulge: Maybe they have better leaders.

[Picard has managed to persuade Starfleet Command to establish a blockade against the Romulans]
Commander William T. Riker: Nicely done. I hope we know what we're doing.
Captain: So do I, Number One.

Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hobson: [to Data; who, after giving an order to move the ship to Gamma Eridon, is looking up something in the Science and tactical station] What are you doing?
Lt. Commander Data: In disrupting the detection net, the Romulans may have caused a residual tachyon signature to form around their ships.
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hobson: But we have no way of detecting it.
[Data finds what he is looking for and stands up and addresses the Conn officer]
Lt. Commander Data: All stop.
Ensign: Aye, sir. All stop.
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hobson: [genuinely shocked] What? The fleet's been ordered to the Gamma Eridon!
Lt. Commander Data: The tachyon signatures will not last long. By the time the fleet is redeployed, it will be too late. Begin to reconfigure sensors to detect ionized particle traces.
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hobson: This entire area's been flooded with tachyon particles! We'll never be able to find what you're are looking for.
Lt. Commander Data: I am well aware of the difficulties. Please bring the phasers back online.
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hobson: [Hobson is starting to lose temper] That will flood three decks with radiation!
Lt. Commander Data: We will initiate radiation protocol when necessary.
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hobson: [snaps accusingly] You don't give a damn about the people whose lives you're about to throw away! We're not just machines that you can...
Lt. Commander Data: [interrupting; with a stern finality never seen before] Mr. Hobson! You will carry out my orders or I will relieve you of duty!
[after a tense pause, Hobson backs down]

- Defeat.
Toral: How? Where are the romulans?
- They never came.

[last lines]
Lieutenant: Request permission to return to duty, sir.
Captain: Granted.