Heart of Glory

*** (3 stars out of 5)

"Heart of Glory" is the foundation for a lot of cool Klingon adventures to follow. Unrest in the Empire, warriors disgruntled to be at peace with the Federation. Vaughn Armstrong makes a great Klingon and Star Trek will make regular use of him for nearly twenty years.

The cargo vessel Batris is found in the Neutral Zone: a crumbling beater leaking toxic gas. Rather like myself after popcorn and peanuts.

The away team test the visual acuity transmitter: a profoundly advanced device allowing Picard on the bridge to see what Geordi sees. Yes, nearly 370 years later, Data and Geordi have invented the camcorder! Only with a horrible picture that constantly cuts out. It will be chucked in the bin and never mentioned again after today.

Yar beams the away team back just ahead of the fiery explosion. Rather like myself after popcorn and peanuts.

Captain Korris and Lt. Konmel of the Klingon Defence Force spin a web of lies about their battle with a Ferengi, but they were actually fighting other Klingons.

As their comrade Kunivas dies, they hold his eyes open and roar to warn the dead. Rather like I trumpet a warning after I eat... never mind.

Worf, so far as he knows, is the only Starfleet Klingon.

"Does it make you gentle? Does it fill your heart with peace?" Konmel mocks his 'brother lost among infidels'.

Infant Worf was rescued from the rubble of the Romulan attack on Khitomer outpost by a human Starfleet officer and raised on the farming colony of Gault. Worf's human brother dropped out of the Academy, but Worf remained.

The bumpy-headed set are poets as well as fighters. "...You cannot relent or repent or confess or abstain..."... "This alliance is like a living death to warriors like us!"... "They traded our birthright so they could die in their sleep."

Worf joins in, too. "Perhaps your dreams of glory no longer fit the time. They belong buried with the past."

Commander K'nera has Federation wallpaper. He's one of those sleepy birthright salesmen our renegades are railing against.

Worf tells Yar that Klingons are not hostage-takers.

Dennis Madalone takes a horrible tumble, gunned down as Lt. Ramos- he will serve Trek well for decades, too.

Worf pleads with K'nera to allow the rebels to die fighting instead of dishonourable execution. But Korris holds a rickety-looking lego and pixie-sticks phaser up to the warp core- taking the ship... oh, hostage, I guess you'd call it.

Korris wants to seize the battle bridge, light up the galaxy, and make 'the traitors of Kling' pay.

But Worf prizes duty, honour, and loyalty above conflict itself. He shoots Korris down and howls for his soul.

Traitors of Kling?