Prophecy (episode)


 * You may also be looking for the article on Bajoran prophecy.

Voyager becomes a battleground for the descendants of a group of Klingon zealots, some of whom believe that B'Elanna Torres's child is their savior.

Teaser
USS Voyager is being attacked by a ship which just decloaked and then recloaked. They are all surprised when a disruptor they were hit with had a Klingon signature. A hail to the cloaked ship gets no response. They discover it is a D7 class cruiser, retired decades ago. With the age in mind, Voyager uses a metaphasic sweep to locate the ship, and fires.

Aboard the Klingon ship, the cloak has failed. The captain orders his crew to answer the hail to buy time to repair the cloak. When Captain Kathryn Janeway asks them to stand down, they refuse to surrender to an enemy of the Klingon Empire.

Act One
Janeway tries to explain that the Federation and the Klingon Empire signed a treaty 80 years earlier, but the captain won't believe it. Janeway states that she isn't lying, but even if she were not, the Klingons are no match for her ship. She says to prove it to them she will introduce him to "a Klingon serving on board", referring to B'Elanna Torres, though she doesn't divulge that Torres is half-Klingon. Kohlar agrees.

Once aboard Voyager, Captain Kohlar refuses to answer any questions until he meets Torres. They arrive in the ready room, and immediately he asks about her child. He suddenly wants to return to his vessel, accepting the PADD containing the Khitomer Accords in passing, and even gives his word not to fire on Voyager again.

Back on his ship, he defends the information to his comrades, citing religious scrolls and signs that this is true. Kohlar's second-in command, T'Greth, expresses skepticism over whether the Federation and the Empire are at peace and if Torres' child is the one they're looking for, insisting on further investigation. Kohlar rebukes him, reminding him that their ancestors had nothing but their faith when they began this voyage. He declares that the day of separation has arrived.

Suddenly, the Klingon ship's warp core begins to overload, and Kohlar asks for emergency transport. Since their crew outnumbers Voyager's, Tuvok puts all the Klingons in the shuttle bay behind force fields as a security precaution. Once they are aboard, Voyager goes to warp to escape the blast.

Kohlar shows up in the ready room to thank the captain, but Tuvok points out the containment failure was caused by a self-destruct mechanism, not damage. Kohlar explains it is a sacred duty to be here, and there was no other way to get everyone aboard. He explains that his great-grandfather was part of a sect that believed the Empire had lost its way. It told them to journey to a distant region of the galaxy, to find the savior of his people, the kuvah'magh. He has determined that is the unborn child of Lieutenant Torres.

At the staff meeting, Tom Paris and Torres can't believe it. Paris makes jokes, and Torres resents the whole thing. Tuvok is concerned about the security risk, but the captain allows the Klingons to live in normal quarters with extra security; the officers can double up. Despite Chakotay's suggestion they would never harm their messiah, she also has round-the-clock security put on Torres.

Act Two
In the mess hall, Neelix begins serving gagh, and after Captain Janeway consults him, she concludes everything seems to be going well – but not for long. Two Klingons fight over their food, and security has to break them up. Harry Kim, part of the detail, is told by the female Klingon he would make a good mate.

Neelix returns to Tuvok's quarters, and informs him that these were the only quarters not doubled up.

Torres is ambushed during her shift by groups of Klingons who just want to admire her, and has to transport herself to her quarters to avoid them. After all that, the captain asks her to speak with their council of elders, because ten of the Klingons have started a hunger strike.

When she arrives with Paris, the first thing they notice is she is not fully Klingon. T'Greth gets angry, believing she can't be the mother of the kuvah'magh. But Kohlar puts him back in line, saying it is written nowhere the messiah's blood is pure. When Paris says he is the father, T'Greth can't believe it, and storms out. That's when Kohlar asks for her help to stop a holy war.

Act Three
Back in the ready room, he explains that, whether she believes her baby is a savior or not, she must help him convince his people it is. His people have suffered enough. He doesn't know whether her child is it, but he wants them to stop looking for it, since they have found nothing but hardship before. He asks for her to review the scrolls and create a "creative interpretation" to present before the council.

They end up studying all night, but she argues for her not being the messiah, as he argues for it. Getting annoyed with her, he asks her if she honors any of their ways, and she says no. But he tries to build common ground; he suggests they say a plea for the dead together, and she remembers the words from her childhood.

Harry Kim shows up in sickbay with a mark on his cheek. The Doctor doesn't believe he cut himself shaving, and recognizes it as a bite mark, indicative of a Klingon mating ritual. Harry wants to know how he can get out of this, but The Doctor says the only other way is to kill her. Since that's unacceptable, he hands Kim an authorization for intimate relations for an alien species, pending the captain's approval.


 * "Chief engineer's personal log, stardate 54518.2. I've spent the last two days reviewing the sacred scrolls in preparation for my appearance before the Klingon council. Kohlar also suggested I prepare a few colorful stories to help win them over."

She tells them exaggerated stories, and Kohlar applauds, but T'Greth is unconvinced. Stories are not the issue, he says; it is whether or not she carries their savior. She recites the scroll well, but T'Greth believes (correctly) it is Kohlar doing the talking, and makes a remark which insults Paris. Since the scrolls also say he should be an honorable warrior, T'Greth challenges him to a fight to the death, and he accepts.

Act Four
Paris later justifies his decision to the captain, in the observation lounge. He says that if he had said no, they would have had a riot. Torres asks the captain to put a stop to it, and she agrees. She has Kohlar and T'Greth come in and explains to them he is willing to fight, but she is the one preventing him from doing so. T'Greth calls them all cowards, but Kohlar says there is a compromise. Emperor Mur'Eq instituted a non-lethal form of combat so his warriors would kill their enemies and not each other. T'Greth considers this cowardly as well, but finally accepts, since he has no other way to prove Paris' lack of honor.

Kim continues to hide from the female Klingon, officer Ch'Rega. Fortunately, Neelix takes her off his hands by making him appear weak, and threatening to disembowel him if he eats that much food again.

Meanwhile, the competition begins, both combatants wielding blunt bat'leths. However, after much dancing around and swinging to no avail, T'Greth suddenly becomes weak, unable to stand, and collapses. Kohlar identifies it as the nehret, a disease which kills those not fortunate enough to die in battle. After moving him to sickbay, The Doctor identifies a retrovirus which attacks the cytoplasm of the cells. When he scans all of the Klingons, he finds they are all carriers. It is not contagious, except to Klingons. His next examination is of Lieutenant Torres. He finds that both she and the baby have the virus.

T'Greth awakens, and returns to the council. He tells them Torres and her child have the disease, which is not what the scrolls say. He convinces them that Kohlar will not believe them, and they have to take control by force.

Act Five
Seven of Nine is scanning planets in astrometrics where they could settle, and T'Greth asks to go along, saying he believes Kohlar. Meanwhile, another Klingon asks Kim how the transporters work, especially the way of transporting so many targets. When the first team is ready for transport, consisting of many Klingons and Chakotay, they all knock out him and Harry Kim.

As Tuvok detects phaser fire and goes with a team, the Klingons try to transport all of Voyager's crew down to the surface. While a force field was erected around the bridge, they manage to transport crews from engineering and most of the ship. By the time Tuvok catches them, they have beamed onto the bridge. After a fire fight, all of the Klingons are down, and the crew is transported back aboard.

T'Greth wakes up in sickbay, not Sto-vo-kor, because The Doctor synthesized an antivirus from the child's hybrid stem cell antibodies. T'Greth is surprised, but begins believing again: the child has indeed saved his people.


 * "Captain's log, stardate 54529.8. While we're helping the Klingons into their new home, life aboard Voyager is gradually returning to normal."

The injured Neelix tries to clean up Tuvok's quarters after "saying goodbye" to Ch'Rega, but Tuvok orders him out immediately. Kohlar also gives Torres a bat'leth owned by his great grandfather as a gift for her daughter and asks for her promise to tell her daughter about him and his people.

Log entries

 * "Chief engineer's personal log, stardate 54518.2. I've spent the last two days reviewing the Sacred Scrolls in preparation for my appearance before the Klingon council. Kohlar also suggested I prepare a few colorful stories to help win them over."


 * "Captain's log, stardate 54529.8. While we're helping the Klingons into their new home, life aboard Voyager is gradually returning to normal."

Memorable Quotes
"I've been studying Klingon etiquette. You shouldn't quarrel over food.  Save your strength for battle, to fight those who would challenge you."
 * - Neelix to Ch'Rega and the Klingon Crewman

"You're going to get yourself killed!" "What makes you so sure I'd lose?" "Oh, please."
 * - Torres to Paris

"Today would be a very bad day to die."
 * - Torres to Paris, before the match

"I see fear in your eyes, human."

"The only Klingon I'm afraid of is my wife after she's worked a double shift."
 * - T'Greth and Paris, during the match

"Grant me a warrior's death, I beg of you."

"Sorry, no mercy killings on my bridge."
 * - T'Greth and Janeway

"When I say you're limited to two servings of brak't, that's all you get! Do you understand me, Ensign?"
 * - Neelix to Kim

"The child cured me?"

"Well, I was the one who devised the treatment."

"Doctor."

"Yes, of course, the child cured you."


 * - T'Greth, The Doctor and Janeway

"Where are the images of Kahless? Where's your family crest?"

"They clashed with the carpet."
 * - Kohlar and Torres

(Harry Kim walks into sickbay with a towel to his cheek)

"What happened to you?"

"I cut myself shaving."

(Kim removes towel)

"Is that a bite mark?"

"One of the Klingons attacked me."

"Did you do something to provoke him?"

"Not him... Her. And she wasn't provoked, she was... aroused."

"Ah..."
 * - The Doctor and Harry Kim

"I salute you, Captain. You did more damage to our vessel than my engineer thought."
 * - Kohlar, hailing Voyager after activating the self-destruct.

(Hailing the Klingon cruiser)

"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager. Stand down."

"We will not surrender to sworn enemies of the Klingon Empire."
 * - Janeway and Kohlar

"The scrolls say 'You will find me, when two warring houses make peace.' Our people and the Federation, our greatest enemy, are at peace."


 * - Kohlar, after reading the Khitomer Accords

"T'Greth, there is precedent for an honorable compromise. A non-lethal bout fought with blunted Bat'leths. Victory for he who knocks his opponent to the ground 3 times."

"A coward's rule!"

"Was Emperor Mur'Eq a coward? He was the one who instituted that rule to ensure that his warriors would kill their enemies and not each other!"


 * - Kohlar and T'Greth

"Gentleman, I'm afraid Lieutenant Paris had no authority to accept this challenge - there will be no deathmatches aboard my ship."


 * - Janeway to Kohlar

"Is that how you remember it?" "Exaggeration is a big part of Klingon story telling. She's doing great."
 * - Paris and Neelix, while Torres is telling the Klingons about a battle and making herself sound like the hero of the day.

"Then maybe you can tell me how to convince a female twice my size that I'm not interested!" "Hmm. You probably can't." "Great."
 * - Kim and the Doctor about a female Klingon

Background information

 * The episode was originally scripted to open with a scene aboard the Klingon cruiser, where Kohlar ascends to the captaincy following the death of the previous captain as a result of the nehret. This scene was filmed on, but was cut for time. (Star Trek Magazine issue 151)
 * Sherman Howard previously played Endar in and the Vulcan Starfleet officer Syvar in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode . Paul S. Eckstein also guest-starred in DS9. He played Limara'Son in  and an unnamed Jem'Hadar in.

Awards

 * This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling For A Series.

Video and DVD releases

 * UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 7.7,.
 * As part of the VOY Season 7 DVD collection.

Starring

 * Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway

Also starring

 * Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay
 * Roxann Dawson as Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres
 * Robert Duncan McNeill as Lieutenant Junior Grade Tom Paris
 * Ethan Phillips as Neelix
 * Robert Picardo as The Doctor
 * Tim Russ as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok
 * Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
 * Garrett Wang as Ensign Harry Kim

Guest stars

 * Sherman Howard as T'Greth
 * Paul Eckstein as Morak
 * Wren T. Brown as Kohlar

Co-stars

 * Peggy Jo Jacobs as Ch'Rega
 * Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited co-stars

 * Mary Alexander as a Klingon crewman
 * Paul Ambrose as a Klingon crewman
 * Patrick Barnitt as a Klingon crewman
 * Bill Blair as a Klingon crewman
 * Tara Bordes as a Klingon girl
 * Michael Braveheart as a Klingon crewman
 * Tarik Ergin as Ayala
 * Ken Gruz as a Klingon crewman
 * Grace Harrell as a Klingon crewman
 * Clynell Jackson III as a Klingon crewman
 * Dennis Madalone as a Klingon crewman
 * Louis Ortiz as a Klingon crewman
 * James Pearson as a Klingon crewman
 * Stephen Pisani as a security officer
 * Keith Rayve as a Klingon crewman
 * Katie Rowe as a Klingon crewman
 * Pablo Soriano as a Klingon crewman
 * Gregory Sweeney as a Klingon crewman
 * J.T. Taylor as a Klingon crewman
 * Chester E. Tripp III (stunt actor)
 * Unknown performers as
 * Klingon boy
 * Klingon crewman
 * Second Klingon crewman

External link


Die Prophezeiung (VOY) Prophecy Prophecy Prophecy