DIRECTED BY
AIRED ON
March 28, 1994
RUNTIME
45 minutes
STARRING
VIEWS
186
LAST UPDATE
2024-09-11 20:29:14
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Version 1
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SUMMARY
Stardate: 47751.2. Under the terms of the new Federation/Cardassian alliance, Picard is ordered to evacuate a colony of native Americans, but protests from Wesley hamper the process. Wesley's destiny is finally revealed to him when the Traveler returns.
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REVIEWS
Excellent
Written by
Pike on 2018-05-20
★
★
★
★
Once again, an excellent in an equally excellent season, who seems to be my favourite one so far.
The last scene is quite powerful and very elegantly executed.
SUMMARY
An excellent episode. I give it 7 out of 10.
TRANSCRIPT
Captain's log, stardate 47751.2. The Enterprise has arrived at Starbase three one zero for a meeting with Fleet Admiral Necheyev. This visit will also give us the opportunity to pick up a member of the family.
[Wesley's quarters]
CRUSHER: Here you are, your very own quarters. They're as far away from mine as possible, so you don't even have to see me if you don't want to.
WESLEY: Mom, you know that's not why I asked for my own quarters this time.
CRUSHER: You don't have to explain. There comes a time in a young man's life when he doesn't want to stay with his poor senile mother. I understand.
WESLEY: I'll come visit you in the old Doctor's Home every Sunday.
(doorbell)
WESLEY: Come in.
LAFORGE: So, is there a runaway cadet in here?
DATA: If so, we may have to call Security.
LAFORGE: Welcome back, Wes.
WESLEY: Thanks.
LAFORGE: So, how's life at the Academy?
WESLEY: (sigh) It's great. It's great but it's good to have a break.
DATA: I was of course not serious about calling Security. It was a joke.
WESLEY: I got it, Data.
LAFORGE: So, are you just going to lounge while we all have work to do around here?
WESLEY: I'm sure I can find some time to help you, sir.
LAFORGE: Wes, enjoy your vacation. I'm sure you've earned it.
WESLEY: Thanks.
CRUSHER: Well, I think we'd better let you settle in.
LAFORGE: Yeah, that's a good idea. Say, Wes, don't sleep your whole vacation away, all right?
DATA: Goodbye, Wes.
(Data and Geordi leave)
CRUSHER: It's good to have you home, son.
WESLEY: Thanks, Mom.
CRUSHER: Really.
(Beverly leaves, Wesley sighs and sits on his bed, obviously unhappy about something)
[Observation lounge]
(tea and nibbles is being laid on)
RIKER: Admiral Necheyev has just beamed aboard. She's being escorted right here.
PICARD: Good.
RIKER: Earl Grey tea, watercress sandwiches and Bularian canapés. Are you up for a promotion?
PICARD: I am trying to establish a new relationship with the Admiral. There has been a certain amount of tension between us in the past.
RIKER: Tension is hardly the word I'd use.
PICARD: Well, I am trying to get things off on a better note this time. I want to make her feel at ease. I want her to feel that she's welcome aboard the Enterprise.
RIKER: Is there any reason she shouldn't feel welcome here?
PICARD: We don't have to like her, Will, but we have to follow her orders, and maintaining this atmosphere of confrontation serves no purpose.
(a security officer and the tiny woman enter)
PICARD: Admiral Necheyev, welcome aboard the Enterprise.
NECHEYEV: Thank you. You may leave, Commander Riker.
RIKER: Thank you, Admiral. Captain.
(Riker and Security leave)
PICARD: May I offer you some refreshment?
NECHEYEV: I'll come right to the point, Captain. There is a situation that's developed on the Cardassian border that. (double-take) Are those Bularian canapés?
PICARD: As a matter of fact, they are. I spoke with your aide, Commander Wrightwell, and he said that you were particularly fond of them.
NECHEYEV: That was very thoughtful, Captain. Thank you.
PICARD: Please. You were saying about the Cardassians?
(Picard pours the tea)
NECHEYEV: Yes. The Federation has just completed a very long and drawn-out series of negotiations regarding the final status of our border with the Cardassians. These will be the official boundaries.
(she hands over a PADD)
PICARD: I see.
NECHEYEV: You'll notice a demilitarised zone has also been created along the border. Neither side will be permitted to place military outposts, conduct fleet exercises, or station warships anywhere in the demilitarised area.
PICARD: This border places several Federation colonies in Cardassian territory and some Cardassian colonies in ours.
NECHEYEV: This agreement is far from perfect. Neither side got everything they wanted, but every side got something. And as someone once said, diplomacy is the art of the possible. Those colonies finding themselves on the wrong side of the border will have to be moved.
PICARD: Well, the colonists are not going to be happy about that. Some of them have been there for decades.
NECHEYEV: It won't be easy, but it's a reasonable price to pay for peace. Your mission will be to evacuate the colony on Dorvan Five.
PICARD: Dorvan Five? Isn't that where the group of North American Indians settled?
NECHEYEV: Yes. They've been there for about twenty years. They've established a village in a small valley on the southern continent. Is something wrong?
PICARD: Admiral, centuries ago these North American Indians were forcibly displaced from their ancestral lands. These settlers on Dorvan Five originally left Earth more than two hundred years ago in order to preserve their cultural identities.
NECHEYEV: I am aware of that, Captain.
PICARD: You see, Admiral, there are some very disturbing historical parallels here. Once more, they're being asked to leave their homes because of a political decision that has been taken by a distant government.
NECHEYEV: An Indian representative was included in the deliberations of the Federation Council. His objections were noted, discussed, but ultimately rejected. Captain, the Indians on Dorvan are a nomadic group that have settled there only twenty years ago, and at that time they were warned that the planet was hotly disputed by the Cardassians. The bottom line is they never should have gone there in the first place.
PICARD: Granted, but to go to them now after twenty years later and ask them to leave what is now their home.
NECHEYEV: I made that same argument with the Federation Council. But it took three years to negotiate this treaty. Some concessions had to be made, and this is one of them.
PICARD: What if these Indians refuse to be evacuated?
NECHEYEV: Then your orders will be to remove them by whatever means are necessary. I understand your moral objections, Captain. If you wish, I can find someone else to command the Enterprise for this mission.
PICARD: That will not be necessary, Admiral.
NECHEYEV: I don't envy you this task, but I do believe it is for the greater good.
PICARD: I understand.
NECHEYEV: And Captain, thank you for making me feel welcome.
PICARD: You will always be welcome aboard this ship, Admiral.
[Engineering]
(Wesley is not in uniform)
LAFORGE: Thanks, Ensign. Hey, Wes! There you are. Come here for a second. I've got something I want to show you. Come on, come on. You've got to take a look at this. Now, remember how we always used to talk about improving quantum efficiency by creating a new plasmadyne relay? Well, take a look at this.
WESLEY: You've only got one microfusion interrelay in there? Your converter interface'll never hold up.
LAFORGE: Hey, I ran these diagnostics myself. This little baby will withstand over five hundred Cochranes of warp field stress.
WESLEY: I don't think so. You better put a secondary phase inverter in there. Look at your subprocessor matrix. It needs an overhaul.
LAFORGE: Well, that may be your opinion, Cadet, but I stand by my work.
WESLEY: Read the latest paper from Doctor Vassbinder. He has brilliant new theories on warp propulsion inter-relays. He's say all this stuff is obsolete.
LAFORGE: I don't know what's gotten into you, Wes.
WESLEY: Look, do you want my help or not?
LAFORGE: With this kind of an attitude, absolutely not. You're dismissed.
Captain's log, supplemental. The Enterprise has arrived at Dorvan Five and I have spoken to the Leader of the Tribal Council. He has agreed to meet with us this afternoon to discuss the situation.
[Meeting room]
(the five members of the tribal council are sitting around the table)
PICARD: Anthwara, there's very little I can do. The decision about this planet was made at the very highest level of Starfleet.
WAKASA: (a young man) Do you know how long we have searched for a home? Almost two hundred years. Then we found this world. Can you blame us for not wanting to give it up?
PICARD: I understand and I respect your people's long journey, but I believe that I can help you to find a new home.
TROI: As you can see, there are three other planets in this sector that have environmental conditions similar to those here on Dorvan Five. They're all uninhabited and could be colonised immediately.
PICARD: And if none of these worlds meet with your approval, then we'll find you other choices.
ANTHWARA: (a lovely mane of white hair) You do not understand, Captain. The choice of this world was not only because of environmental conditions. There were other more intangible concerns as well. When I came here twenty years ago, I was welcomed by the mountains, the rivers, the sky.
WAKASA: Anthwara, he's laughing at you. He thinks you're talking about old superstition and nonsense.
PICARD: This is not true. I have the deepest deal of respect for your beliefs and the meaning that they hold for your people.
ANTHWARA: Then you can respect the fact that this planet holds a deep spiritual significance for us. It has taken us two centuries to find this place. We do not want to spend another two hundred years searching for what we already have.
TROI: Captain, I suggest we adjourn. Allow us all time to think about what's been said.
ANTHWARA: Agreed. We will reconvene tomorrow.
PICARD: And in the meantime, I would like to invite you all to join us this evening on the Enterprise.
ANTHWARA: Thank you. We look forward to it.
[Wesley's quarters]
CRUSHER: Ever since you've come on board you've been moody, sullen and rude. What's going on?
WESLEY: Nothing. I just want to be left alone.
CRUSHER: That incident in Engineering was inexcusable.
WESLEY: That is my business. I don't need you telling me how to behave.
CRUSHER: I shouldn't have to. You're a fourth year Starfleet cadet. You should have a certain level of maturity.
WESLEY: Maybe I am sick of following rules and regulations. Maybe I am sick of living up to everyone else's expectations. Did you ever think of that?
[Ten Forward]
PICARD: I have been fascinated looking into the history and traditions of your people, and I was very interested to learn that your grandfather, Katowa, was the man who first led the group of Indians from Earth initially more than two hundred years ago.
ANTHWARA: There was great deal of opposition. Even my own father was against it. But when Katowa made his decision, it was final. My father never said another word.
PICARD: It's never easy to leave one's home, the safe and the familiar. But there are times when the greater good demands that certain sacrifices are made. I'm sure that was something that your grandfather understood.
ANTHWARA: So does his grandson. There are also times when a people sacrificed too much. When a people must hold on to what we have, even against overwhelming opposition. What do you know about your family, Captain?
PICARD: Well, a great deal actually. My father was a strong believer in passing on the traditions and history of the family.
ANTHWARA: I would like to know more about your family. We have very strong ties to our ancestors. We believe their actions guide us even now. Knowing more about your family might help me to better understand you. Besides, it is always good to understand one's adversary in any negotiation.
PICARD: I hope that by the end of this matter, you will no longer look at me as an adversary. My family. Well, our roots in Western Europe go back to the time of Charlemagne.
WESLEY: I'm sorry I'm late.
CRUSHER: We'll talk about it later.
(Wesley goes and sits at an empty table)
LAKANTA: Wesley Crusher?
WESLEY: Yes?
LAKANTA: I am Lakanta.
WESLEY: It's nice to meet you. Can I get you a drink or something.
LAKANTA: I have known that you were coming to us for the past two years. Two years ago, I went into the Habak and began a vision quest. While I was there I saw many things, talked to many animals, many spirits. And I saw you.
WESLEY: I don't think I understand.
LAKANTA: I know why you came to us, Wesley. To find the answers that you seek.
[Picard's quarters]
CRUSHER: I just don't know what to do, Jean-Luc. It's as if somebody took my son away and left this stranger in his place.
PICARD: But in a sense, that's exactly what happened. Wesley left the Enterprise three years ago he was a boy, and now he's returned a young man. And that can't be easy for a mother or a son.
CRUSHER: It's gone beyond just the two of us.
PICARD: Yes, I heard about the incident with Geordi.
CRUSHER: Have you heard what happened at the Academy? I called Admiral Brand today. She said his grades are dropping, that he's becoming remote and defensive. If he's not careful, he's going to wash out next term. Maybe you should talk to him, Jean-Luc. Maybe it's the kind of thing a boy, a man needs to discuss with another man.
PICARD: I don't think he wants either of us to talk to him right now.
CRUSHER: But he needs out help.
PICARD: Beverly, he's got to want that help. If he doesn't, then any efforts on our part can only push him further away. He's got to work this out for himself.
[Village]
WESLEY: How long have you been watching me?
LAKANTA: Since you beamed down.
WESLEY: Well, I'm here. What should I do?
LAKANTA: I don't know.
WESLEY: I thought you were going to help me find some answers.
LAKANTA: Answers to your questions.
WESLEY: Tell me about this Habak. You said you had some kind of a vision there?
LAKANTA: The Habak is holy to us. We hold our rituals and our ceremonies there. It's sacred to us. What's sacred to you, Wesley?
WESLEY: I don't know. I mean, I think a lot of things are important, I have a lot of respect for things. But I don't really consider anything sacred.
LAKANTA: Look around us. What do you think is sacred to us here?
WESLEY: Maybe the necklace you're wearing? The designs on the walls?
LAKANTA: Everything is sacred to us. The buildings, the food, the sky, the dirt beneath your feet. And you. Whether you believe in your spirit or not, we believe in it. You are a sacred person here, Wesley.
WESLEY: I think that's the first time anyone's used that particular word to describe me.
LAKANTA: So, if you are sacred, then you must treat yourself with respect. To do otherwise is to desecrate something that is holy.
WESLEY: Is that what you think I've been doing?
LAKANTA: Only you can decide that.
WESLEY: I guess I haven't had a lot of respect for myself lately.
LAKANTA: Then perhaps it's time for your own vision quest to begin.
[Meeting room]
PICARD: Anthwara, I deeply regret that we have not been able to reach an agreement. But, and I must be blunt, I cannot take no for an answer. This planet will be handed over to the Cardassian government in accordance with the terms of the border agreement. I am very sorry, but you will have to leave.
WAKASA: And if we do not?
PICARD: Then I will be forced to remove you by whatever means are necessary.
ANTHWARA: We know you will not take us from this land, Captain.
PICARD: I may regret doing it, but I am not able
ANTHWARA: When you first came to us, we did not know why you were sent by the Federation but we knew there must be a good reason. To us, nothing that happens is truly random. So we searched for the true reason you were sent. We did not find it until last night. Are you familiar with the Pueblo Revolt of sixteen eighty?
TROI: I am. Several Indian tribes rose up to overthrow their Spanish overlords and drove them out of what is now called New Mexico.
ANTHWARA: Ten years later, the Spanish returned to reconquer the area. They were brutal. I would use the word savage. They killed hundreds of our people. Thousands more were maimed. The name of one of the soldiers was Javier Maribona-Picard. Your ancestor.
PICARD: I'm not aware of this incident or of the man you named, and this happened seven hundred years ago. I do not see what bearing it can have
ANTHWARA: That is why you have come to us, to erase a stain of blood worn by your family for twenty three generations.
[Village]
PICARD: Mister Worf, what is going on?
WORF: We have unwelcome visitors, sir.
(the Cardassians have arrived)
PICARD: I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise.
GUL EVEK: I am Gul Evek. What are all these people still doing here? The evacuation should be well underway by now.
PICARD: May I have a word with you, alone?
GUL EVEK: As you wish. Wait here.
PICARD: It was my understanding that there would be no Cardassian presence here for another six weeks. Your arrival here may have upset some very delicate negotiations.
GUL EVEK: Negotiations? The status of this planet has been settled. What are you negotiating?
PICARD: I would be very happy to explain that to you, but for now I must ask you and your men to leave immediately.
GUL EVEK: Captain, we have been sent here to perform a preliminary survey of all the buildings and equipment being left behind. I have no intention of leaving until our mission is complete.
PICARD: Very well. Complete your mission. But remember, this is Federation territory, Gul Evek, and until that changes, these people are under my jurisdiction and I will protect them.
GUL EVEK: Is that a threat?
PICARD: It's a fact. Bear that in mind while you conduct your survey.
[Habak]
(entered by a ladder through a hole in the floor)
LAKANTA: This is the Habak, the focal point of our lives. Strangers are not welcome here.
WESLEY: When I asked to come here, you said it would be
LAKANTA: You're not a stranger. I told you, I've seen you here before.
WESLEY: What are those figures?
LAKANTA: They are Mansara. Dolls that represent the different spirits that come to this place.
WESLEY: This one looks like a Klingon.
LAKANTA: Yes. Our culture is rooted in the past, but it's not limited to the past.
(He scatters sand around the fire)
LAKANTA: The spirits of the Klingon, the Vulcan, the Ferengi come to us just as the bear and the coyote and the parrot. There's no difference.
WESLEY: What should I do?
LAKANTA: Start the fire. Then sit and wait.
WESLEY: What am I waiting for?
LAKANTA: This is your journey, Wesley. I can open the door, but only you can go through it.
[Ready room]
PICARD: Admiral, the Indian Councils is adamant. They refuse to leave Dorvan Five.
NECHEYEV [on monitor]: Is there any indication that the Tribal Council will change their position in the near future?
PICARD: No, sir.
NECHEYEV [on monitor]: Then I see no other choice.
PICARD: Admiral, I have every reason to believe that they will resist any attempt to remove them. I strongly urge you to request an emergency session of the Federation Council. The issue of Dorvan Five must be reopened.
NECHEYEV [on monitor]: Captain, I made that request two days ago. The answer was no. I'm sorry but you have your orders. Starfleet out.
RIKER: So much for your reprieve from Starfleet.
PICARD: Anthwara believes that I am responsible for the crimes of one of my ancestors against his people.
RIKER: Do you believe that?
PICARD: No, of course not. I respect his belief, but I do not see how it can have any bearing on this mission. But even so, I can't help wondering if a dark chapter in my family's history is about to be repeated. If those people take up arms against us, then I cannot foresee the consequences. Mister Worf, will you come in here for a moment?
WORF [OC]: Aye, sir.
(Worf enters)
PICARD: Mister Worf, will you begin preparations to remove the inhabitants from Dorvan Five.
WORF: Aye, sir.
[Habak]
(the room is smoky and Wesley is getting dizzy. Lakanta vanishes)
[Village]
(the fire is still between Wesley and the figure)
JACK: Wesley.
WESLEY: Dad?
JACK: You've reached the end, Wesley.
WESLEY: The end of what?
JACK: This journey. The one you started a long time ago, when I left you and your mother.
WESLEY: You mean when you died.
JACK: You set out on a journey that wasn't your own. Now it's time to find a path that is truly yours. Don't follow me any further.
WESLEY: I don't understand.
JACK: Yes, you do. It's just hard for you to accept. Goodbye, Wesley, and good luck.
WESLEY: Dad, wait!
[Habak]
(the fire has gone out)
[Village]
WORF: Mister Crusher. Are you all right?
WESLEY: Yeah, Worf, I'm fine.
WORF: (to security woman) Lay out a confinement beam trace along the southeastern side of the village. Be discreet. We do not wish to alarm these people.
SECURITY: Yes, sir.
WESLEY: Worf, what are you doing?
WORF: We are laying out transporter coordinates for a security perimeter. It may be necessary to remove these people by force.
WESLEY: Worf, we can't do this. These people deserve better than to be removed from their homes.
WORF: I understand, but now is not the time or the place to
WESLEY: (shouts) Do you know what they're trying to do? They're preparing to beam you away and take you to their ship. You're not going to let them do that, are you?
WAKASA: No, we won't. Leave now.
[Observation lounge]
PICARD: Inexcusable. You defied the orders of the ranking officer on the scene. You put the lives of the entire away team in jeopardy, and you made an already tense situation worse. Your actions reflect very badly on this ship and on that uniform. Now, I want an explanation, Mister Crusher, and I want it now.
WESLEY: What you're doing down there is wrong. These people are not some random group of colonists. They're a unique culture with a history that predates the Federation and Starfleet.
PICARD: That does not alter the fact that my orders are to
WESLEY: I know Admiral Necheyev gave you an order, and she was given an order from the Federation Council. But it's still wrong.
PICARD: That decision is not yours to make, Cadet. I don't know what has got into you lately, and frankly right now I don't care. But I will tell you this. While you wear that uniform, you will obey every order you're given and you will conform to Starfleet regulations and rules of conduct. Is that clear?
WESLEY: Yes, sir, it is. But I won't be wearing this uniform any longer. I'm resigning from the Academy.
(Wesley puts his comm. badge on the table and leaves)
RIKER [OC]: Riker to Captain.
PICARD: Go ahead, Number One.
RIKER [OC]: Gul Evek wants to meet with you to discuss the situation on the surface.
PICARD: Let him come aboard. I'll see him in here.
RIKER [OC]: Aye, sir.
[Wesley's quarters]
(Wesley is packing his bag)
CRUSHER: Why are you doing this?
WESLEY: I told you, Starfleet isn't for me.
CRUSHER: Look, I may not be able to stop you from throwing away your entire life, but you are going to stand here and explain it to me first. You owe me that much.
WESLEY: I saw Dad today. He told me not to follow him.
CRUSHER: You what?
WESLEY: I was participating in an Indian ritual and I had a vision. Dad came to me and told me not to follow him. He said I had to find my own path.
CRUSHER: Is that what this is all about? A vision told you to leave the Academy and now you're packing your bags?
WESLEY: No. No, it's more than that. I've known I've needed to do this for a long time. I just haven't been able to admit it to myself.
CRUSHER: But you always said that being at the Academy was the best thing that ever happened to you.
WESLEY: I know. For a while it was. But as time went on and graduation got closer, I started feeling really depressed. I thought maybe it was the workload or the stress of being away from home, but it didn't go away. It just got worse.
CRUSHER: Why didn't you ever say anything?
WESLEY: I didn't want to disappoint you or Captain Picard or my friends. You guys were all so proud of me.
CRUSHER: I'd be proud of you no matter what you were doing, Wesley. I love you.
WESLEY: I know, Mom. I guess the truth is that I was afraid of disappointing myself. I never questioned the fact that I'd be in Starfleet. But when Dad said not to follow him, it just made so much sense. Everything is so clear now.
CRUSHER: Maybe it is partly my fault. We didn't realised the kind of pressure we were putting on you to be exactly what we expected you to be
WESLEY: I don't blame you at all. It is my decision. It always has been.
CRUSHER: You know that alien from Tau Ceti, the one who could control warp fields with his mind?
WESLEY: The Traveller.
CRUSHER: He told Captain Picard a long time ago that you were very special, like Mozart, and that you were destined for something quite different from the rest of us. Maybe this is the first step. I love you.
WESLEY: I love you too, Mom.
[Village]
WAKASA: You shouldn't be here, Wesley.
WESLEY: Why?
(the locals are taking the Cardassians prisoner)
INDIAN: Get down.
WAKASA: Bring them over here.
WORF: Why have you taken these men prisoner?
WAKASA: This is not their world. They have no right to be here.
WORF: The terms of the treaty gives them the right to survey this planet.
WAKASA: We don't recognise that treaty.
WORF: Worf to Picard. An armed group of Indians has taken two Cardassian prisoners. The situation is extremely volatile.
[Observation lounge]
WORF [OC]: Request instructions.
PICARD: Stand by, Mister Worf. Have your ship lock on to your people and beam them out of there before something happens.
GUL EVEK: My people? What about these Indians of yours? They've taken hostages. This is our planet, Captain. We will not be chased away by some unruly crowd. Gul Evek to the Vetar.
TELAK [OC]: This is Glin Telak aboard the Vetar. Go ahead.
GUL EVEK: Two of our men on the surface have been taken prisoner. Prepare to send an armed squad of troopers to rescue them and to occupy the village.
PICARD: Gul Evek, those people are Federation citizens and I am sworn to protect them. If your troops attack that village, my security forces will respond.
GUL EVEK: I hope you realise the consequences of Federation officers firing on Cardassian troops.
PICARD: Oh, yes, I do. That is why we must to stop this now, before it's too late.
[Village]
WORF: I cannot allow you to hold these men as prisoners.
WAKASA: You have no authority here.
(the fight starts with a Cardassian and Indian struggling for a weapon, which keeps firing into the air. Then others join in. Wesley runs forward)
WESLEY: No!
(and everything stops, including the Cardassian falling after being shot in the chest. Lakanta walks over to Wesley, the only two still moving)
WESLEY: What happened? Did you do this?
LAKANTA: I didn't do anything. You did.
WESLEY: I did?
LAKANTA: You pulled yourself out of their time. You took the first step, Wesley.
WESLEY: My first step to where?
LAKANTA: To another plane of existence, another way of thinking.
WESLEY: I don't understand.
LAKANTA: You've found a new beginning for yourself. The first step on a journey that few humans will ever take.
WESLEY: Who are you? (Lakanta transforms) The Traveller.
TRAVELLER: I've been waiting a long time for this moment, Wesley.
WESLEY: So all those things I saw in the Habak, my father, and the things he said to me, that was your doing?
TRAVELLER: I merely opened the door for you. What you experienced came from your own mind, your own spirit if you wish. I hoped that you would open your mind to new possibilities, and you did. You pulled yourself out of time, don't you see? You've evolved to a new level you're ready to explore places where thought and energy combine in ways you can't even imagine. And I will be your guide, if you would like.
WESLEY: What about them? I can't just leave them like this.
TRAVELLER: They must find their own destinies, Wesley. It's not our place to interfere.
WESLEY: But
TRAVELLER: Have faith in their abilities to solve their problems on their own.
[Bridge]
(Red alert)
RIKER: The Cardassian ship is powering its weapons and it's transporters.
TELAK [OC]: This is the Vetar to Gul Evek. Our troops are under attack. They're requesting immediate assistance. What are your orders?
PICARD: Evek, the last war caused massive destruction and cost millions of lives. Don't send our two peoples back down that same path again. Not like this. Now the future lies in your hands right now. Give us one last chance for peace.
TELAK [OC]: Gul Evek! What are your orders? Can we open fire?
GUL EVEK: Evek to the Vetar. Lock on to our troops on the surface and beam them aboard.
TELAK [OC]: But, sir, they've been fired upon.
GUL EVEK: Those are my orders! Carry them out.
TELAK [OC]: Yes, sir.
PICARD: Beam up the away team immediately.
CREWMAN: Aye, sir.
GUL EVEK: I lost two of three sons in the war, Captain. I don't want to lose the last one.
[Observation lounge]
PICARD: Anthwara, I want to make absolutely sure that you understand the implications of this agreement. By giving up your status as Federation citizens, any future request you or your people make to Starfleet will go unanswered. You will be on your own and under Cardassian jurisdiction.
ANTHWARA: I understand, Captain. And we are prepared to take that risk. Will the Cardassian government honour your agreement here?
GUL EVEK: I believe I can convince them that this is an equitable solution. I cannot speak for every Cardassian you may encounter, but if you leave us alone I suspect that we will do the same. Will this be acceptable to the Starfleet Command?
PICARD: It will not be easy, but with Admiral Necheyev's support, I think they will go along with it in the end.
GUL EVEK: Then if there's nothing else, I will return to my ship. I have a rather long report to write. Captain. Anthwara.
(Evek leaves)
ANTHWARA: I was right, Captain. You did not take us from our land and you have wiped clean a very old stain of blood.
Captain's log, stardate 47755.3. The Enterprise is preparing to leave Dorvan Five, but former cadet Wesley Crusher will be staying behind.
[Transporter room]
PICARD: Where will you go?
WESLEY: The Traveller said that my studies would begin with these people. He said that they're aware of many things. I can learn a lot from them. That's just what I need. More studying.
CRUSHER: Somehow I think you'll manage.
WESLEY: Me, too.
PICARD: Well good luck, Mister. Good luck, Wesley.
WESLEY: Thank you. For a lot of things.
(Beverly and Wesley have a big hug)
CRUSHER: Now you be sure and dress warmly on those other planes of existence.
WESLEY: I will. Bye, Mom.
CRUSHER: Goodbye.
PICARD: Energise.
2024-09-11 20:29:14 -
Pike:
Added the transcript.
