“Reunion” is episode seven of season four of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Enterprise is investigating radiation anomalies when a Klingon attack cruiser decloaks. The cruiser hails them and Ambassador K’Ehleyr, met in “The Emissary”, states she has an urgent matter to discuss, asking for permission to come aboard. Captain Picard tells Worf to receive their guest; Worf tries to beg off as his dishonour, from “Sins of the Father”, may dishonour the ambassador. The captain is not having any of that. Worf arrives in the transporter room. Two are beaming across. K’Ehleyr and a young Klingon boy.
The boy, Alexander, is dropped off and in the turbolift Worf mentions his dishonour. K’Ehleyr doesn’t care. Worf states she may not respect their traditions, but he does. K’Ehleyr apologises; she thought they might talk. It looked like Worf had a question. Must Worf ask it? He must. He isn’t going to.
K’Ehleyr briefs the senior staff that the Klingon Empire is on the verge of civil war. The usual excuses. Data says excuses implies ulterior motives. K’Ehleyr states two factions are trying to seize power. As to whether this is a threat to the Federation, problems rarely remain confined to the empire and will drag in neighbouring polities. Only K’mpec, the head of the council, has maintained peace and he is dying. K’mpec is aboard the cruiser and wants to meet with Picard alone.
The captain heads to the cruiser; he offers K’mpec the Enterprise‘s medical help. It’s too late. For months, K’mpec has been poisoned in small doses. In the wine he’s still drinking. There’s no cure. After K’mpec dies, he wants Picard to act in his name. Arbitrate the struggle for power. No-one on the council can be trusted. K’mpec has his reasons for wanting an outsider. Picard is an accomplished mediator; this is no different. The captain disagrees and declines. K’mpec says this would be an insult from the Federation to all Klingons. Besides, he’s already told everyone and the faction leaders are coming. K’mpec didn’t ask first because the captain would have said no.
By tradition, the two strongest fight for the right to succeed; as mediator, Picard will designate them. Yes, there are only two people to choose from, but K’mpec wants Picard to discover who killed him. Gowron… or Duras. Yes, him. A Klingon who would use poison is capable of anything. Including war with the Federation.
Worf recovers Alexander from childcare and leads him to K’Ehleyr’s quarters. When they get there, Worf is upset because Alexander knows nothing of their ways. K’Ehleyr says Alexander is her son, and she is half human. She didn’t tell Worf because he would take the oath. Worf cannot acknowledge Alexander because of his discommendation. K’Ehleyr wants to know why he accepted it, sure there is more, but Riker summons them.
Two Birds of Prey have arrived. Duras is on one and contacts the Enterprise. He isn’t pleased the captain is involved. Picard says the ceremony will take place in an hour. Duras wants to know why the delay. No delay; that is the time Picard has chosen.
The captain has a word with Worf in his ready room. He is aware of the discomfort Worf is under. Worf wants to speak freely. Duras should not be allowed to lead the council. Not personal; he’s a traitor. Under Klingon tradition, yes, the son is guilty of the crime of the father, but the captain says Duras’s crime is to lay that on Worf’s father. Picard will not forget that, but Worf chose to accept it. The issue now is whether Duras killed K’mpec. Who was murdered by poison. Word states Klingons do not use poison. K’mpec believed it was Duras or Gowron. Worf knows little of Gowron. Duras, he knows. His heart is not Klingon.
On the cruiser, the captain and K’Ehleyr are with K’mpec’s body. Duras and Gowron arrive and the captain, followed by them, jab the body to prove K’mpec is dead. Picard states they will proceed according to the traditions and precedents set down in Klingon law. They want to finish, here and now, but an explosion stops them.
Captain Picard wants more time to look into the murder and now the explosion and seeks out K’Ehleyr’s aid. K’Ehleyr has heard enough about Worf’s discommendation, and the fact that people won’t discuss it, that it makes her dig deeper into the matter.