The Klingons
took advantage of this and set up a secret base. A couple of years
later, a Federation survey ship discovers the Klingon presence and the
Federation demands the Klingons withdraw. The Klingons claim that the
Axanarians are members of the Klingon Empire, and so the Four Years War
erupts. The Federation eventually wins and a cultural mission is set up
on Axanar to teach the Axanarians about the Federation.
So the Discovery heads to Arcanis, where the Professor works. There was
a bit of a mix up in the communication, the Professor wanted some
materials from Axanar, not to go to Axanar. Still, they convince him to
go with them and they set off at high warp. A couple of breakdowns
later and they reach Axanar, the ship's warp engines strained but still
working. Meanwhile, they've entered the jurisdiction of Star Base 14,
commanded by an angry Tellarite who wants daily reports from Krystal.
In Axanar they once again meet Tom Paris, exiled here after that little
incident with the Romulans. A couple of weeks are spent poring through
the records (they're looking for evidence of a secret Klingon base on
Axanar, one set up before the Four Years War). No evidence is found and
the Tellarite is fed up with their fruitless search, ordering them back
to Star Base 14 for a full report.
But, as they're getting ready to leave, a young Axanarian kid steals
Gonar's combadge and runs off with it. Gonar goes to Clancy and they
have the ship beam them over to Gonar's combadge. They end up in the
little thief's lair, and he makes some exclamations in Klingonese,
something about the gods returning. Clancy talks to the kid: "have you
seen any Klingons?" Just the Ice Man, says the kid. How did you learn
Klingonese? The teaching box, replies the kid. Can you take us to this
teaching box? Sure, it's in the hills.
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Meanwhile, the
Discovery gets a distress call from a nearby freighter. Krystal orders
everyone beamed aboard and stalks off to the bridge. When Gonar and
Clancy are suddenly beamed on to the Discovery, Clancy orders them both
back down, telling the transporter chief to relay a cryptic message to
Krystal. Not realizing that the two are still back on the planet, the
Discovery leaps to the rescue.
Naturally, it's just a diversion. The freighter is badly damaged and
there are casualties, but no enemy ship. A fresh warp trail leads back
to Axanar. Stopping long enough to drop off some engineers and patch up
the wounded, the Discovery sets off in hot pursuit. But the strain of
the last journey was too much, as the warp engines break down. Some
emergency patchwork by Jon and Venor get the ship moving again.
Back on Axanar, Clancy and Gonar head into the hills. Clancy falls down
a crevice and finds a frozen Klingon, dead for a few years. They
continue and the kid leads them to a cave. Inside the cave are a bunch
of Klingon documents and the teaching machine. Not wanting to brave the
teaching machine (which killed two of the kid's friends when they tried
it), Clancy instead goes back outside to signal the ship, which is
hopefully back by now.
Clancy stepped outside, just in time to see a group of Klingons, led by
the Klingon from the last episode, climbing up to their cave. What to
do, what to do? First make sure the kid gets away, then tell Gonar to
hide the documents. Wait, better plan. Seal off the cave entrance,
that'll buy us some time. Gonar meanwhile takes the opportunity to use
the teaching machine. He survives the ordeal and learns some Klingonese.
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