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Someone sure stripped this place.
The reactor is gone.
No wonder they didn't answer our hail for two days.
Nothing here to answer with.
Commander, I'm detecting life signs from behind that door.
RIKER: Worf.
CRUSHER: Commander, take a look at this.
Blood.
Yes, but not human.
I'm gonna have to do some analysis on it.
[WORF GRUNTING]
It's jammed.
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.
The two scientists are suffering from phaser stuns.
I'd guess several hits each.
Several?
It'll take us a while to bring them around, but they will recover.
We found a sample of blood.
It's a rare iron-copper composite.
Unique to one humanoid species, the Acamarians.
Acamarians?
Then that would suggest the Gatherers.
It is a likely hypothesis.
The nomadic marauders who refer to themselves as Gatherers
have raided other outposts in neighboring sectors.
They've never come out this far before.
Mr. Crusher, set course for the Acamar System.
WESLEY [OVER COM]: Aye, sir.
PICARD: Captain's log, stardate 43421.9.
In an effort to put an end to the Gatherer raids,
we have come to the Acamar System
to enlist the aid of Marouk, the Sovereign of Acamar III.
PICARD: Their raids have made this sector unsafe.
They've ransacked our research facilities,
our trade routes have been disrupted.
The Gatherers are elusive.
We've only managed to capture a handful of them.
But with the Starfleet's help—
Hunting them down is not what I am proposing.
Reconciliation with the Gatherers is impossible.
It's been tried.
Every time we've offered amnesty, they've rejected it.
- When was the last attempt made? - Eighteen years ago.
Eighteen years?
For almost a century now, they've been parasites,
moving from star system to star system,
living on what they could find or steal.
- They're still your people. MAROUK: No.
Captain, you have to understand our history.
A hundred years ago,
before the Gatherers split off from our culture,
we were a savage, violent race.
Clans battled clans, bloody, vengeful feuds that lasted for generations.
But we overcame those ways, all except for the Gatherers.
After a century of wandering, they may be ready to come home.
Despite your progress, you are a divided society,
and so it will remain until the Gatherers return to Acamar.
The attempt may be futile.
But there is so much to gain, and there is so little to lose by the effort.
This problem affects us all. It cannot be ignored.
Sovereign Marouk, welcome to the Bridge.
Thank you, captain.
How soon will you be ready to leave Acamar?
I'm ready now, captain.
I need only bring aboard two more servants.
I'll see to that, and to your accommodations.
I have reason to believe there is a Gatherer encampment
somewhere in the Hromi Cluster.
Mr. Data?
The Federation has charted but not explored
several Class-M planets in that area.
Any one of these planets might serve well as a base.
Mr. Crusher, set course for the Hromi Cluster.
Aye, sir.
[MAROUK GASPS]
- A fine ship, commander. RIKER: We're all very proud of her.
Yuta, a light meal in 20 minutes.
May I be shown the kitchen, commander?
- You're the chef? - Yes.
I'll prepare all meals for the sovereign and her servants.
We can provide you with a kitchen, but it won't really be necessary.
These food dispensers can synthesize anything that you may need.
I'll show you. Sovereign, may I offer you a drink?
Yes, thank you. Cold water.
Computer, a glass of water, five degrees.
[COMPUTER BEEPS]
YUTA: Please.
- You're also the food taster? - That's part of the cook's duties.
I'm sure the sovereign will wish to sample
many of the cuisines your ship has to offer,
but there are some Acamarian dishes that she will insist upon.
I'll arrange for a technician
to help program your recipes into the computer.
Of course, I'll have to try some of them.
- What's your specialty? - I have none.
Don't be modest.
You can't tell me that you haven't come up with a few culinary delights.
- There is a spiced parthus dish. - Parthus?
A green vegetable with fleshy roots.
Parthus à la Yuta.
I look forward to tasting it. Sovereign.
Chef.
Now entering standard orbit of Gamma Hromi II, sir.
Captain, I am detecting life readings from the planet's surface
as well as several small areas of thermal radiation
and carbon dioxide emissions indicative of combustion.
Campfires, Data.
Is that not what I said?
- It's worth a look. - Make it so.
Data. Worf.
Artonian lasers.
Tonkian homing beacons. Quite a collection.
Noranium alloys, sir. Its salvage value is quite low.
Looks like these Gatherers weren't too discriminating about what they steal.
WORF: Commander.
[METAL CLANGS]
Ambush!
Rigellian phaser rifles, sir. Not particularly powerful.
RIKER: Powerful enough.
We came to talk.
[SIGHS]
Your words are wasted, commander. They understand only this.
We're here to establish a dialogue, Worf.
[GUNFIRE]
Data, tell me about Noranium.
- It vaporizes at...? - 2314 degrees, sir.
- Of course, Noranium carbide— - Thank you, Data.
Setting seven ought to do it.
Three, two, one, now!
RIKER: Enterprise, four to beam up.
Cowards!
Your ambushes would be more successful if you bathed more often.
We've brought the Sovereign of Acamar.
- Marouk? Here? - With an offer of amnesty.
MAROUK: Full dispensation will be extended to all Gatherers
who are willing to return to Acamar III.
BRULL: You don't trust me, Marouk.
- Should I? - But you expect me to trust you.
Maybe you just poisoned it yourself.
Taste this, Temarek.
[MEN LAUGHING]
- Barbarians. This is futile. PICARD: Sovereign.
Btu".
Go home, old woman.
You people haven't changed in a hundred years.
You should know. You were there.
Sit down!
Please.
Now, we're here to talk.
It's a waste of time, captain.
They don't care about how they live.
Am I supposed to believe that you care how we live?
Yes.
Brull, she's here, isn't she?
Maybe you forced her to come, Picard.
Nobody forces me anywhere, Brull.
What is there for us on Acamar III?
A life. A home.
You can end your wanderings, your miserable existence.
[LAUGHS]
Do I look miserable to you?
[MEN LAUGHING]
The clan wars are over, Brull.
It is a past we're ashamed of.
It is why you had to leave.
Now it is time to come home.
I want to speak privately with Sovereign Marouk and Picard.
Everyone else, get out.
Any insights?
Brull's ready to negotiate.
He just wants privacy so that he won't appear weak
in front of the other Gatherers.
[CHUCKLES]
You are the clan Lornack.
What of it'?
- I've seen you before. - Yes.
But it's impossible.
No. Look closer.
I am Yuta of the clan Tralesta.
[GASPS]
[GROANING]
I am the last of my line.
But my clan will outlive yours.
Marouk's offer has value.
Commander.
BRULL: But still, I don't know.
But you'll agree, it is enough to present to your leader.
Chorgan is a better judge of these matters.
I will take it to him. You'll hear from me in 20 days.
Brull, in 20 days I hope to be very far from here.
With all due respect, Brull,
I would like to make the offer to Chorgan myself.
We'll gladly take you with us on the Enterprise.
How many of your men do you want to accompany you?
I'll come alone.
- If this is a trap— - Oh, it isn't.
Mallon, you'll be in charge while I'm gone.
- If I'm not back in 10 days— TEMAREK: Brull! Brull!
Volnoth.
Away Team to Enterprise. Medical emergency.
Volnoth was an old man. There's nothing to be done.
There's a chance that our doctors can do something.
- You found him? TEMAREK: Yes.
There are no other members of the Lornack clan here.
- So I claim his possessions. - Granted.
Have you no respect for the dead?
BRULL: What's there to respect about a corpse?
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
Temarek, no. Calm down.
- He's been dead too long. RIKER: How?
Cardiac arrest.
You don't sound convinced.
No, he died of a heart attack, all right, but I can't find the cause.
His cardiac muscle is strong and there's no sign of arterial occlusion.
Brull, will you show Mr. Crusher the course to set to the Hromi Cluster?
Heh, a child?
This doesn't inspire my confidence.
This is our present position.
Set a heading for 343-mark-72.
That's gonna take us through the center of an asteroid belt.
Hey, heh, what's the matter, kid?
Can't you fly yourself around a couple of rocks'?
[CHUCKLES]
Sure I can.
But if we take this heading, we can avoid the belt completely,
and only lose 12.1 minutes at warp 7.
Have it your way, kid.
[ALL CHATTERING]
For centuries, my planet was in chaos.
Loyalty to one's clan was absolute.
The slightest injury to one member demanded violent retaliation.
And these blood feuds could last for decades?
MAROUK: The obsession with vengeance would be passed
from generation to generation.
And with each act of retribution, the violence would escalate.
It's not unlike much of the history of my own planet.
Your pardon, sovereign. May I be excused briefly?
Commander Riker requested that I prepare him an Acamarian dish.
Of course, Yuta.
- What are you doing? - Homework.
- Heh, what is this? - Math.
I can see that, but what does it mean?
This is the locally euclidean metrization
of a K-fold contravariant Riemannian tensor field.
You any good at it?
You don't like me.
- I didn't say that. - No problem.
I have many friends that don't like me.
But what do you know about me?
You're a thief.
I steal to survive, not because I enjoy it.
We Gatherers value our freedom.
We do what we want and we answer to no creature.
Then why are you helping Sovereign Marouk to change all that?
Maybe because I want something better.
For me and for my children.
- You have children? - Yeah, two sons.
One's just about your age.
He's not any good at math.
[CHUCKLES]
[TROI CHUCKLES]
Parthus à la Yuta?
With the help of one of your food stations.
It's wonderful.
- Truly excellent. - Thank you.
RIKER: Would you care to join us?
I don't want to intrude.
You're not.
I was just leaving anyway. Please, sit down.
It really is delicious.
I am glad it pleases you, commander.
I'm not your commander. My name is William.
- I will call you William if you prefer. - I do.
When you say "commander," you say it like you say "sovereign" to Marouk.
As a servant.
You're an excellent commander, but you'd make a poor sovereign.
Why is that? Not that I disagree.
- You're not comfortable with servants. - No, I prefer the company of equals.
So you treat me as an equal.
And you're not comfortable with that?
I'm not used to it. I've always been a servant.
Not that I'm complaining. The sovereign treats me well.
I have all that I could want.
What about freedom?
I can never have that.
Because you're the property of the sovereign?
No, I'm not her slave.
I can leave whenever I wish.
- But you have no place to go? - Just the opposite.
My path is all too clear.
Yuta, you're an excellent chef, but you speak in riddles.
I've never been very good at conversation.
MAROUK: Yuta.
I believe the sovereign wants me to return. Enjoy the parthus.
[OVER COM]: Sickbay to Riker.
I've discovered something interesting, Will.
On my Way-
You're scowling, doctor.
- Heh, I'm thinking. - And?
The old Gatherer on the planet?
I know what caused his heart attack.
The medical tricorder almost missed it, but there was a microvirus in his body
blocking his autonomic nerve impulses.
And that stopped his heart?
But here's the really interesting part.
This microvirus will only attach itself
to cells with a very specific DNA sequence.
How specific?
Without knowing more about their genetic makeup, I can't be sure.
But my guess is this virus would only kill one Acamarian in a million.
- Pretty single-minded bug. - Too single-minded.
I can't believe it's a naturally occurring virus.
Meaning someone engineered it?
Meaning Volnoth was murdered.
[SIGHS]
DATA COM]: Commander Riker,
Acamar III has agreed to your request for access to their databases.
They are now being transmitted into our computer over subspace link.
Good. Notify Dr. Crusher when Acamar's medical database is online.
Riker out.
[DOOR BEEPS]
Come in.
I'm disturbing you.
Not at all.
As...
the sovereign has no further need for my services this evening,
she suggested I might spend some time with you.
What a charming suggestion.
She appreciates the affection you've shown me.
Was I that obvious?
Yes.
Well, I've already dined.
Maybe you know a good Acamarian dessert recipe.
Does that not please you?
Tell me what you want, William. I will do anything you wish.
Wait a minute.
I don't understand.
Don't you want me to give you pleasure?
Not as a servant.
I told you, I prefer equals.
Even in the matters of love?
Especially in matters of love.
I've offended you.
No, I only wanna make you as happy as you wanna make me.
You're entitled to that.
- No, I'm not. - Yuta.
I do not feel pleasure or passion.
I haven't been able to for a long time.
I don't know who did this to you,
or why.
But it can change.
I wish it could.
Tonight most of all.
I'm sorry.
[ALARM WAILING]
[SHIP RUMBLES: THEN YUTA GASPS]
Your people have prepared a warm welcome.
That's Chorgan's ship.
- Shields holding. - Mr. Worf, contact Chorgan.
Tell him Brull has brought us to talk.
[COMPUTER BEEPS]
Chorgan is not responding.
Mr. Worf,
can we knock out their shields without seriously damaging their ship?
I believe we can, sir.
Prepare phasers and open a channel.
WORF: Phasers locked. Channel open.
Chorgan, this is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterpri-
All right.
Let's focus their attention.
Mr. Worf, fire phasers.
Their forward shields are inoperative.
Well done, lieutenant.
[COMPUTER BEEPS]
- We are being hailed, sir. - That's better.
On screen.
Brull, you traitor!
You have led them here to destroy me!
Chorgan, if I had wanted you destroyed,
you would not be talking to me now.
Obviously I wanted something else.
And what is that?
I have on board Sovereign Marouk of Acamar III.
I want you to hear what she and Brull have to say.
She's worth listening to.
CHORGAN: I don't wish to listen to either of you.
You have no choice. Prepare to receive us.
We are beaming on board. Picard out.
Cancel red alert.
Tell Sovereign Marouk to meet me in Transporter 3.
WORF: Aye, sir.
- You're going alone, captain? - The danger is minimal, Number One.
Chorgan is unlikely to do anything rash
with the Enterprise's phasers trained on his ship.
RIKER: There are still risks.
For these negotiations to succeed, I must be a mediator, not an enforcer.
You have the Bridge, Number One.
Brull.
Chorgan, this is Sovereign Marouk.
You may sit.
CHORGAN: Oh.
Chorgan, I think you will find Marouk's proposal—
You know, Picard,
I could take you prisoner, heh.
Oh, don't worry. I've no intention of doing so.
I know what trouble it's been for you to get here.
And I'm curious why.
Then let's proceed.
Quite simply, I'm proposing amnesty for every Gatherer.
Amnesty?
[LAUGHS]
You mean slavery.
Chorgan, if you want to know what I think—
I don't.
Say what you came to say, but I doubt I'm going to believe you.
I didn't believe this very persuasive Federation captain
when he suggested we could reconcile our differences.
I'm convinced now it is the right thing, not just for you, but for us too.
We need you back.
I've brought some Acamarian brandy, heh.
I'm sure it's been a long time.
Hmm. No. You have spent a century hunting us down.
She is trying to put an end to all that.
Yes, and luring us back and putting us in prison.
No, by accepting you back as free men.
CHORGAN: Will you feed us? And clothe us too?
No, of course, I won't.
What I will do is give you the means to feed and clothe yourself.
We've set aside some land and you can use it to—
[LAUGHING]
Land?
Do we look like farmers to you?
Then don't farm. Use the land as you wish. It's yours.
And the moment you set foot on it, you'll be better off than you are today.
You won't be running any longer.
- We will need autonomy. - Autonomy?
PICARD: Sovereign, we can at least acknowledge
that Chorgan appears willing to discuss your offer.
There are many levels of autonomy.
Certainly your region would have certain rights.
Yes.
And those rights will be spelled out before I agree to anything.
Commander, I am afraid the only entry we have on Volnoth
in the Acamarian database is a birth record.
Probably one of the last of the Gatherers to be born on their planet.
CRUSHER Commander,
I've been digging through the medical database from Acamar III for hours.
And I have found another victim of the same microvirus that killed Volnoth.
But only one.
Fifty-three years ago, a Gatherer named Penthor-Mul.
Data, anything in your file on Penthor-Mul?
Yes, sir. He was a member of the Lornack clan.
He was captured while leading a Gatherer raid
on an Acamarian outpost.
He died of a heart attack before his trial ended.
RIKER: Display Volnoth's birth record again.
Lornack, the same clan.
The only two recorded deaths by this microvirus, both from the same clan.
What does that tell us, doctor?
If these microbes were engineered for murder,
I'd say somebody could be going after a whole family.
Commander, Chorgan, the present leader of the Gatherers,
is also from the Lornack clan.
I wanna know how this clan was involved
with the Acamarian blood feuds.
And I'd like to know any clue as to who their enemies were.
How could this virus have been transmitted, doctor?
More ways than I can count.
And it's perfectly safe to the carrier
as long as he doesn't have the same DNA patterns.
Tailor-made for their enemies.
Commander, 80 years ago,
the Lornacks massacred a rival clan, the Tralestas.
It ended a feud that had lasted for 200 years.
Ended it?
According to these records, there were no survivors.
The Tralestas were annihilated.
CRUSHER: Something tells me they weren't all wiped out.
There must be a missing link here.
Computer, any members of the Acamarian delegation
from the Tralesta clan?
AUTOMATED VOICE: Clan affiliation is not within provided records.
Sir,
I believe I have found a correlation between the two deaths.
Your missing link.
That is Penthor-Mul being led from his trial.
I don't see the connection.
Behind him and to the left, sir.
Computer, scan left and magnify.
The computer can extrapolate and reconstruct the rest of the face, sir.
Do it.
But that photograph was taken over 50 years ago.
Fifty-three years ago, and she hasn't aged a day.
Three seats on the ruling council?
If we're going to be subject to your law, we want a part in making it.
Well, I agree you're entitled to representation,
but not on the ruling council.
Unacceptable.
The real power is in the council.
You are shutting us off already.
No, you're trying to take too much!
No group has three seats on the council!
I don't care what others have!
You only care about what you can take!
Sovereign, if the situation were reversed,
I'm sure you would be demanding equal levels of representation.
You're right, captain.
I apologize for my temper.
Perhaps a brief pause would be helpful.
I agree.
Hmm.
Maybe a little touch of that brandy.
Yuta.
You know— Thank you.
—It is remarkable how very much alike the two of you actually are.
CHORGAN: That's ridiculous. MAROUK: Really, captain.
No, I'm quite serious.
You are both able negotiators, strong leaders—
We don't obey weak leaders.
We have nothing in common at all. We haven't agreed to anything.
You're wrong, Chorgan.
We have agreed to have some brandy together.
RIKER: Don't move. - A Federation trap!
Chorgan, I assure you, my first officer has a very good reason for his actions.
You do, Number One?
Yuta, move away from Chorgan.
- Do it. - Why?
Because of a man you once knew named Penthor-Mul.
Penthor-Mul?
- How do you know Penthor-Mul? - Tell him, Yuta.
I don't understand.
RIKER: You were with Penthor-Mul when he died.
- It was 50 years ago. How could I—? - I know, Yuta.
Stop! Chorgan, keep perfectly still.
Your life is in danger. Step back, Yuta.
- William, this is not your concern. - It is now.
You're about to commit a murder.
It isn't murder! It's justice.
Who are you?
Yuta of the clan Tralesta.
There are no more Tralestas.
Five survived the last Lornack raid.
But on that day a century ago,
my life ended and my search began.
I was the one chosen, transformed.
My cells were altered, my aging slowed,
enough to finish my task.
You used me in order to get to the last few you couldn't reach.
Yes, sovereign.
You will never leave this ship alive.
You're the last.
Once you're dead, what happens to me doesn't matter.
The wars are over, Yuta.
- You cannot understand. RIKER: You're right, I can't.
Because I've seen the part of you that regrets what you've become.
Listen to me. You don't have to do this anymore.
I have no choice.
You do.
William, I...
I'm sorry.
RIKER: Stop!
[YUTA GROANING]
[GROANS]
RIKER: Yuta.
Don't do this.
[SCREAMS]
Commander, I am in your debt.
Oh, yes, thank you.
New orders from Starfleet.
The rendezvous— Nothing, thank you.
Rendezvous with the Garda has been postponed.
- In the meantime? - Starbase 343.
We're gonna take on medical supplies for the Alpha Leonis system.
Sounds pretty routine.
Well, with the Gatherer truce in effect, it certainly should be.
Oh.
We won't require a full ship's complement.
I'm going to extend short leave on the starbase to anyone who wants it.
I'll pass that along to the crew, captain.
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