Stardate 44995.3/45020.4: Picard returns to Qo'noS to fulfill his duty as Arbiter of Succession. Gowron intercepts the Enterprise and tells Picard that the Duras family is still strong and is plotting something. Lursa and B'Etor, the sisters of Duras, present his son Toral as their candidate for the throne. Picard denies Toral's challenge, but he also denies Gowron the help of the Federation in this internal affair. Worf, who wants to restore his family's honor, resigns from Starfleet and joins Gowron and his brother Kurn in the now unavoidable civil war. The Enterprise leaves Qo'noS. In Lursa and B'Etor's quarters a Romulan woman shows up. She bears a striking resemblance to the late Tasha Yar! When it becomes clear that the Duras family receives support from the Romulans, Picard plans to take starships to the Klingon/Romulan border to act as a blockade. Various Enterprise officers are assigned to other ships, most noticeably Data as commander of the Sutherland, whose crew initially mistrusts an android captain. Commander Sela demands that Starfleet leave the border. She is the daughter of the parallel Tasha Yar, who returned to the past on the Enterprise-C. Sela tries to slip past the Sutherland, but Data foils the plan and the Romulans are exposed and forced to retreat, leaving Lursa and B'Etor helpless. They escape and abandon Toral, leaving him to Gowron. Gowron offers Worf a chance to slay Toral, but Worf chooses to spare the helpless boy. He rejoins Starfleet.

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