called the Batris adrift in space, heavily damaged. Riker leads a team aboard, where they discover three Klingons are the only survivors. One of the men is close to death, but despite the disintergrating condition of the freighter the away team manages to get them back to the Starship in the nick of time.

In sickbay, Crusher tries to treat the injured Klingon but warns that his wounds are critical. The other two announce themselves as Commander Korris and Lieutenant Konmel, and claim that they were travelling aboard the Batris when a Ferengi cruiser attacked without warning. The captain, having no combat experience, allowed the two to take command of his ship and they were able to lure the ship into dropping its shields before destroying it. They mockbut in fact Klingon. The three are outcasts from Klingon society because they hate the peace which reigns in the modern Empire, and seek a return to the old ways of conquest. Worf is horrified by their actions, but he can't deny that he feels the pull of his Klingon heritage and appears tempted to join the two.

On the bridge, Data detects a Klingon warship approaching. Picard contacts its commander, K'Nera, and is told about the renegades. he sends Yar to confine them, which she duly does despite their appeal to Worf for help.

As the Klingon ship arrives Worf begs its captain to allow the fugitives to go free so that they can die honourable deaths in combat, but K'Nera refuses. Whilst the ship prepares to transfer them