04x09 - The Inner Fight

[bunniefuu]

♪ ♪

[SCREECHING]

All right.
That new power relay

should keep your energy barrier
up for at least a year.

Thank you. We still have
much to learn here.

What is the area
of your research?

The most fascinating creature
on Persioff :

the venomous tremble lizards.

How venomous we talking?

Their skin's drenched
in neurotoxin,

and their blood
is a corrosive acid.

Oh, and if you touch them,

your eyes sh**t
out of your head!

Whoa! [CHUCKLES]
Well, we don't want that.

You know, if you served
in Starfleet,

you'd get to study a new alien
every other week

and not just, like,
one creepy creature.

I'm in an academic romance
with the tremble lizards.

They are my passion.

- [ALARM SOUNDING]
- [GASPS] The fence.

Oh, no! Those monsters are
going to [BLEEP] k*ll us all!

What?
I thought you loved them.

Only when the fence is up.

[SCREECHING]

[EXCLAIMS]

BOIMLER: Uh,
okay, everybody, just stay calm.

We're gonna have to put
on our antivenom suits.

- I've got this.
- Mariner!

Get back here
and put on a venom suit!

At least the pants.

- [SCREECHING]
- SCIENTIST: My word,

she must love
outpost scientists.

Yeah, no, she thinks
you're weirdos.

SCIENTIST: Then why is she risking
her life to save us?

It is illogical.

[GRUNTING]

Whoa!

[GRUNTING]

Whew.
That was a close one,

but, uh, I think
I got all of 'em.

And with the fence repaired,
I'm back to respecting

these noble creatures.

What the hell was that about?

You know, saving everybody.
No biggie.

Uh, can I get some baking soda

or anything with
a pH above seven?

I think I got blood acid
on my shirt.

- Aah!
- [WHIMPERS] My eyes!

Oh, ugh, he wasn't kidding
about the eye thing.

BOIMLER: I got him.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

- Mr. Boimler.
- Hey, T.

Another violent away mission

- with Mariner, huh?
- Indeed.

Her cavalier behavior
has grown increasingly dangerous

since your mission
to Ferenginar.

Yeah, she's been off the rails
for weeks.

Hey, guys, the
captain called for us.

- Us, too.
- Whoa.

This has never
happened before, weird.

Especially since it appears

that Lieutenant Mariner
was excluded.

Why is my daughter
trying to get herself k*lled?

- Uh, you noticed that, too, huh?
- Ugh.

We've all been inspired to be
a hero every once in a while,

but she's just out of control.

Last week
she jumped out of a shuttle

to fight what
she thought was a Borg.

It was just a pile of junk,
but still.

We have also detected
this behavior.

Yeah.
She seems really wired up.

Maybe we should ask her
to talk to Dr. Migleemo.

I'm afraid there's no time.

Command has new intel
on the att*cks

from the last couple of months.

They've all been
non-Federation ships,

but now, someone's targeting
ex-Starfleet officers.

Command has a list of civilians

that need to be located
and escorted back to Earth.

Seven of Nine, Beverly Crusher,
Thomas Riker and Nick Locarno.

Oh, my God, we're gonna meet
Beverly Crusher?

FREEMAN: No.
The Vancouver has her covered.

We have to find Locarno.

Who?

Mr. Locarno was
drummed out of the Academy

for getting
another student k*lled

during a prohibitive
flight maneuver.

Now he's a pilot for hire.

You are concerned
that he will precipitate

more dangerous behavior

- from Mariner.
- Exactly.

Which is why I need
your help distracting her.

She'll see it coming a mile away
if she hears it from me.

Ooh! There's an old space buoy
in the Sherbal system

that stopped transmitting data.

It-It's, like,
the safest mission ever,

but, we can play it up
as super dangerous.

Perfect.
While we look for Locarno,

the rest of you are ordered
to the Sherbal system.

And...
Thank you.

MARINER: Hell yeah.
Girls trip, plus Boimler.

Man, I hope this thing doesn't
blow up before we get there.

I wouldn't get too excited.

This mission could go south
at any second.

- What thr*at level we talking?
- Oh, um...

It will be . times
more perilous

if you remain uninformed
of the details.

You're right.
Nobody tell me anything.

Bring it on, danger buoy!

Ugh.

Since when is repairing

an old-ass weather
satellite dangerous?

Uh, oh, at any moment, we could

be hit by space
debris, or a solar flare.

Ooh, just look
at Sherbal V up there.

So many electrical storms.

Huh.
No wonder it needs a buoy.

Huh, that's weird.

This looks like someone tampered

with the communication relays.

It studies weather
in the middle of nowhere.

Who would care?

Starfleet.

SHAXS: Oh, New Axton.

Twice as lawless as Old Axton
without any of the charm.

FREEMAN: A favorite of every
troublemaker in the quadrant.

Mr. Locarno's known
to peddle his services

in the capital city.

This is a planet
with no respect for law.

We'll have to think
like criminals

if we want a chance
of completing this mission.

What do you think you're doing?

Oh. [CLEARS THROAT]

I am Captain Carol Freeman.

You can't just park
that thing in orbit

like it doesn't impact
our thermosphere.

We got rules.

But I thought you famously
don't have rules.

Just because we don't smooch
Federation butt,

- we're all trash, huh?
- No. I...

Park that thing by
the second moon.

There's a shuttle
every three hours.

Transporting would only take...

Yeah, yeah, hang on a
sec. Shh, shh, shh, shh.

[GARBLED ELECTRONIC SPEECH]

Yeah, you're good.
Come on down.

[GARBLED ELECTRONIC SPEECH]

Why doesn't he have to park
on the moon?

Oh, don't worry about him, lov.

Now, why don't you be
a good little Starfleet captain

and turn that ship around?

[GRUMBLES]
Set a course for the moon.

TENDI: I just need to upload

the buoy updates,
and we'll be done.

This sucks.

Where's an unexplained,
high-stakes space anomaly

- when you need one?
- Oh, I thought it was fun.

- Whoa!
- [ALARM BLARING]

- A Bird-of-Prey?
- They're locking weapons.

- Everyone, hang on.
- [YELPS]

- Our shields are inoperable.
- This is your fault.

- You wished for this.
- Nuh-uh.

Activating emergency transport.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

- [BOIMLER SHRIEKS]
- [TENDI PANTS]

- Oh, we're alive.
- [TENDI CHUCKLES]

- That was a close one.
- [BOIMLER SIGHS]

It was fortunate we were
within range of the planet.

Something doesn't add up.

We're nowhere
near Klingon territory.

- [YELLING IN DISTANCE]
- Shh.

- Someone's here.
- [YELLING CONTINUES]

TENDI: Sherbal V's
supposed to be uninhabited

because of all the
electrical storms.

Don't worry.
I'm ready for anything.

- You hear that? Bring it!
- Oh. Shhshh.

Perhaps we should find shelter
before anything is brought.

You're right, shelter will
give us the upper hand.

Uh, we aren't going to actively
seek out danger, though, right?

Mariner? Mariner?

[SIGHS]
You guys rest.

- I'll keep watch.
- How's your adrenaline still so high?

Mine wore off, like,
two panics ago.

Somewhere out there
there's an apex predator,

and I want it to know that

I'm the new apex predator
around here.

What?
What are you talking about?

I downloaded all sorts
of information from the buoy.

Maps, weather, flora and fauna.

That tips the odds in our favor.

We should be able to survive

until a search party
can locate us.

Shh, shh, shh.
Somebody's coming.

[PANTING]

- [GRUNTS]
- [YELLS]

I finally got you,
you big-eared freak.

Don't skewer me.
I have latinum.

VREK: I don't want latinum.
I want information.

Where are we?

I don't know.
We were stunned by some ship.

- I woke up here.
- So did I.

[LOW GROWLING]

That's right.
Just a little closer.

[GROWLS, GROANS]

[SCREAMS]

Ha, ha!
I told you it would work.

Yes, yes, you're so smart.

Now shut up and
help me k*ll this thing

before it gets free.

BOIMLER: What the hell's going on
on this planet?

We better stay hidden until...

- [MARINER GRUNTS]
- Starfleet?

Not so tough when you
haven't tricked someone, huh?

[GRUNTS]
Okay, okay, you're still tough.

[GRUNTS]

I don't know
how you're involved in this,

but you'll pay dearly.

The only thing I'm involved in
is kicking your Romulan ass.

[BOTH GASP]

- [GRUNTING]
- [MARINER GROANS]

Ugh.
My back.

That moon shuttle took forever.

Locarno was last seen
at a drinking establishment

in the Pickpockets District.

- This way.
- Well, joke's on them

because these pants
don't even have pockets.

[GASPS] Wait, they do!

Captain, did you know
we have pockets?

FREEMAN: Mudds is a notorious dive

for all sorts of
unsavory rogues.

I aced my Hoodlums
and Racketeers seminar

at the Academy.
Let me do the talking.

Bup, bup, bup, bup.

- Can I help you?
- Don't worry about it.

Me and my g*ng are here

for a drink and some trouble.

Yeah, uh-huh.
Do you have a reservation?

Oh.
Uh, well, we don't...

We're just a-a
classic roving g*ng.

Look, I know you're Starfleet.
You're in full uniform.

You can't just walk in because

you think you're
better than everyone.

Oh, no, I don't think that.

Can you just put us on the list?

Sure, but it's a two-hour wait.

Seems pretty empty.

[SQUEAKS]

We don't have two hours.

Well, you could go
across the street to Zorkys,

but it's got way worse drinks.

Plus the black market intel's
less reliable.

Captain, we need a solid lead.

Aah!

You're good.

Did he have a reservation?

Bounty hunters
get priority seating.

Well, what if he buys the same
information we're looking for?

Oops. Looks like your wait
just went up by minutes.

- Ugh.
- Did this come up in your seminar?

No, it did not.

Hey, come on in.

Jippers are half price
for tripeds today.

I've never seen a Romulan
look so strung out.

It's got
to be that Bird-of-Prey.

The Klingons
are up to something.

Just like when they att*cked us
with the Pakleds.

You were in that battle?

Yeah, w-wait.
Were you?

- [EXCLAIMS]
- Aah!

Die, Starfleet cur.

[YELLS]

[WHIMPERS]

We must find shelter
to avoid more att*cks.

- [WHIMPERS]
- Ooh, I think I found the perfect spot.

Follow me.

I could've handled
that Cardassian, you know.

I have no doubt
you would have tried.

[STAMMERS, GRUNTS]

Ow!
I got sticks in my boots.

TENDI: I don't like
the look of that storm.

Sherbal V has all sorts
of strange...

Wait.

If we could find the monitoring
station that's linked to the buoy,

we can repurpose it
into a distress beacon.

There.

BOIMLER: Campfires.

If we want to be safe, we should
go around the long way.

I'm not afraid of
a little combat.

I've seen Tendi swordfight, and
T'Lyn can clearly throw down.

- We got this.
- Well, uh, actually, uh...

The captain specifically ordered
us to keep you out of danger.

What?
Why?

Mariner, come on.
You've been acting really weird.

- No, I haven't.
- You have repeatedly demonstrated

a negligent attitude
towards your own well-being.

- We're worried about you.
- What's wrong?

Nothing's wrong. Sometimes
missions just get dangerous.

What... You know, whatever.
Fine, we'll go the long way.

- Mariner...
- Let's get some rest.

We can tackle this tomorrow when
everyone's not being a d*ck.

Mm. Teach me how to tap-dance,
Beverly Crusher.

[GRUNTING]

This is my domain.

Be gone.

Oh, that's weird.
This doesn't look like Qo'noS.

Maybe you're confused.

I said go.

Why don't you make me?

I'm not intimidated
by some tore-up petaQ.

[SPEAKING KLINGON]

[BOTH YELLING AND GRUNTING]

What are you waiting for?

Fight me, you coward.

[GRUNTS]

Chay'?

[GASPS]

Glass storm!

[MARINER AND MA'AH PANTING]

[SIGHS]

Stupid Kn*fe rain.

This planet...
[GROANS]

Has no honor.
[GRUNTS]

Yeah?

Well, it was your Bird-of-Prey

that forced us down here.

You were att*cked by cowards,

who betrayed and
abandoned me here.

I will drive my d'k tahg
into their hearts!

[SIGHS]

Ugh.
Let's just fight here.

It is too confined
for proper combat.

We will resume
when the storm passes.

Ugh.

You are Starfleet.

Yeah.

But you are also a warrior.

[CHUCKLES]
No, I'm not. I...

My mind clears up when
something's trying to k*ll me.

Mm...

You wage w*r with yourself.

You're real chatty
for a Klingon, you know that?

[MA'AH GRUMBLES]

[SIGHS] Well, I guess...

One
of us will be dead soon anyway,

so it doesn't really matter
what I say.

Not too long ago,
I got a promotion I didn't want.

I tried to get demoted,
but my commander won't do it.

[CHUCKLES]
You must hate Starfleet.

[SIGHS] That's the thing, I...

Don't.

Back at the Academy,
my dream was to be a captain.

I modeled myself
after this perfect friend.

Sito was, everything
I wanted to be.

I mean, she made some mistakes,
but she rallied.

She graduated ahead of me,

and was stationed
on the Enterprise.

The Enterprise?

I have heard tales
of its triumphs.

Oh, yeah. So did she.

And it got her m*rder*d
by Cardassians.

[SNIFFLES]

She didn't sign up
to be a spy, she...

She-she wanted
to explore. She...

It destroyed me.

[SNIFFLES]

Then,
before I knew it,

the Vorta, the Jem'Hadar...

The Jem'Hadar?
You fought the Dominion?

Ah...

The shapeshifters sent
many warriors to Sto-vo-kor.

- I wish I could have seen it.
- No, you do not.

There was no honor,
just massacres.

But, in the end,
you were victorious.

Starfleet is supposed to be

about puzzling together
the mysteries of life,

not fighting wars.

I don't want to be a general.

I don't, I don't want
to send my friends off to die.

I just want to be an ensign.

If it was good enough for Sito,

then it's good enough for me.

In the past
Klingons believed humans

to be weak and easily defeated.

But your species has proved
its toDuj.

Sito was a warrior.

- You do not honor her.
- You didn't know her.

Do you follow every order
from your commanders?

- No.
- Sito made her choice.

You want to solve
puzzles and mysteries?

Your friend gave her life
to protect that.

[SCOFFS]

She would not approve
of your actions.

You're...

You're right.

She'd...

She'd say I'm
acting like an idiot.

A biHnuch.

Okay, but Starfleet
can do better.

I'm not wrong to call out
bull[BLEEP] when I see it.

[SPEAKING KLINGON]

Honor your friend,

slay your enemies,

and study your...

What is it...
Plants?

Yeah, I mean...
Yeah, sometimes it's plants.

- My name's Beckett.
- I am M'aah.

The storm is over.
We can resume our battle.

There is a clearing
over there that... [GROANS]

Remove yourself.
What is the meaning of this?

- I'm hugging you.
- K-Klingons do not hug.

We're both trapped
on this planet,

surrounded by various aliens.

- We should work together.
- Wait. Uh, no.

We must finish the fight.

You already said
I proved my toDuj.

M'AAH: I said humanity
proved its toDuj.

- We are not allies.
- Yes, we are.

M'AAH: We are not!

♪ ♪

Oh, look.

There's a snake guy smoking

some green liquid
over there. [LAUGHS]

- This place is great.
- We're out of time.

We need to find the information
broker

and get out of here
before someone else

tracks down Locarno.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Captain Freeman and
Lieutenant Shaxs and Rutherford,

you dare approach me?

- How do you know I'm...
- I am the information broker.

Question me
and face destruction.

[STILTED LAUGHTER]

[GASPS]

I just need to know the location
of Nicholas Locarno.

I do not care what you want.

I am the information broker.

You have two minutes
to vacate this bar

or I will destroy you.

Captain, this guy's
freaking me out.

Hmm. Something's not right.

I've seen this before.

Ah, an ancient trick.

That's not an alien.

- It's a puppet.
- [GASPS]

By the Prophets,
how can you tell?

Someone is trying
to frighten us.

You now have one minute
until your doom.

Sorry, Mr. Broker,

but I'm not intimidated
by a puppet.

- [CROWD GASPS]
- I'm being att*cked!

- Who's pulling the strings?
- You're hurting me.

- [GROANS]
- Now tell me who your master is,

- you fake puppet piece of [BLEEP]!
- [GASPS]

RUTHERFORD: That's not a puppet.

He's got all sorts
of internal organs.

- [GROANS, WHIMPERS]
- [FREEMAN GROANS]

I am so sorry.

It's hard to tell
who is and isn't a puppet.

I look nothing like a puppet.

You know, I wasn't going to sell
anyone information on Locarno,

but you Starfleet
people think you can just

pick up and shake
anyone you want?

- No. I... [STAMMERS]
- Now I will sell the information,

just not to you.

- Who wants it?
- [GARBLED ELECTRONIC SPEECH]

Please, I'm trying to protect
Locarno from people like this.

You should have thought of that
before you called me a puppet.

[GARBLED ELECTRONIC SPEECH]

BOUNCER: Aw, Starfleet.

Looks like your little
mission has failed.

Now get out of here!

- Boo!
- Get out of here!

- See you later, Starfleet!
- Starfleet sucks!

[GRUNTING]

I told you
to stay away from us.

But this is the only area
where the trees have fruit.

You should have thought of that
before you tried to steal ours.

- [GRUNTS]
- [SPEAKING BYNAR]

Back off, or the Bynar gets it.

I don't care about that thing.

[BOTH GRUNTING]

- [GRUNTING]
- [SPEAKING BYNAR]

If we approach from the north,
we can take out the Orion.

She is not to be underestimated.

The others will scatter.
They already fear me.

No!
We can't att*ck.

- We have to do something harder.
- Wha...?

- Aah!
- [WHISTLES]

Yo.
Hello, hey.

Everybody stop.
I'm calling a time-out.

Time-out?

Starfleet trickery.
att*ck her!

[GRUNTS]
She will speak.

- [OTHERS GASP, SPEAK BYNAR]
- MARINER: Look,

I know we're all hungry
and pissed off to be stranded,

but that's what they want.

Does anybody know
who did this, by the way?

- [GROANS]
- Someone fed lies to my lower officers.

They mutinied
and shut down our systems.

[GASPS] The same thing
happened on my ship.

[SPEAKING BYNAR]

Too true, man.

Look,
I don't know who did this to us,

but we aren't the enemies here.

If we want to
get off this planet,

we all have to stop
fighting over resources,

and work together.

[CHUCKLES] I refuse
to bend the knee to Starfleet.

- You're worse than the Romulans.
- Hey.

It will be an honor
to die with you.

I'm not fighting.
No, there's been enough of that.

Then accept my thanks
for making this easy.

[GRUNTS]
Captain Cosmia, stand down.

[GASPS] Mistress
of the Winter Constellations.

This is my friend.

Harming her is an att*ck
on my entire house.

Uh, uh, of course.
We would never...

Thanks, T.

Look, we don't have
to like each other.

But until we're
off this [BLEEP] planet,

we need to work together.

- [GRUNTING]
- How else are you gonna get revenge

on whoever did this?

Each, and every one of you,

comes from a species that
chose to travel into space,

and all the danger
that comes with it.

We've survived worse.

If we can work together,
nothing can stop us.

Hmm. I know a good deal
when I hear it.

[SPEAKING BYNAR]

I'm not joining anything,

but we will cease aggression.

For now.

If we're all done trying
to prove how tough we are,

that station can be updated
to a distress beacon.

This planet is so remote,
it could take a while.

Oh, they'll find us.

We are getting out of...

- Aah!
- Mariner!

- [SPEAKING BYNAR]
- What is she up to?

She has been transported
off planet.

- This is a trap.
- [CLAMORING]

Enough!

Beckett is honorable.

She would not betray us.

Orion, finish your work.

I have a plan.

Sorry the mission
was a failure, Captain.

Who knew a bunch of criminals
would hate Starfleet?

I did, which is why
the mission was a success,

as I knew it would be.

It was? But we didn't
get the information.

Oh, yes, we did.

[GARBLED ELECTRONIC SPEECH]

[LAUGHING]: Ooh. Wow.

- What?!
- Billups?!

Do you know
how sweaty and uncomfortable

a full-face helmet gets?
[CHUCKLES] Terrible.

You totally tricked those guys.

I knew walking in there,

wearing our uniforms
would just make us targets,

so I used their bias
against them.

Now let's find Locarno
before it's too late.

Ugh. There's a distress call
coming from the planet, Captain.

Locate the source now!

The signal is coming
from that structure there.

- Destroy it!
- It's shielded,

by those rock formations.

I don't care.
Take us closer.

- For the empire!
- [ALL SHOUTING]

Mr. Locarno.

Fan out.

[GRUNTING]

Captain,
someone's on the hull.

Get us back into orbit now.

[GRUNTING]

It's too late!

- Stay back. This is my ship.
- [GRUNTING]

No...

It is my ship.

- Mariner's not here.
- Then...

Then where is she?

Nick?
Nick Locarno?

We're Starfleet.

We need to take you
into protective...

RUTHERFORD: Captain.

Oh, my God.

[GASPS]

[PANTING]

What in the
minimalist hell is...

[GRUNTING]

[LAUGHING]: Whoa! Hey, relax.

Nick? What the hell
are you doing here?

We're gonna cause
some trouble together.