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<TITLE>Firstborn</TITLE>
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<TD WIDTH="245" VALIGN=CENTER ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#99CCFF" SIZE="3" FACE="Arial, Helvetica, Comic Sans"><B>'Firstborn'</B><BR><BR><FONT SIZE="3">(Story Code 273)<BR>by René Echevarria<BR>Story by Mark Kalbfeld</TD>
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Lieutenant Worf prepares for his son’s forthcoming Rite of Ascension, an important ceremony in which a young Klingon declares his intention to become a warrior; however, his excitement turns to disappointment and shock when Alexander tells him that he has no intention of becoming a warrior. Following Captain Picard’s advice, Worf takes his son to Maranga IV to attend the festival of Kot'baval, in the hope that such the display of Klingon heritage will change the boy’s mind. After participating in a Klingon opera telling the story of Kahless and the tyrant Molar, Alexander seems more enthusiastic; however, it is not long before he and his father find themselves surrounded by three Klingon assailants. They are rescued by K'mtar, a close friend of Worf’s family, who has been sent by his brother to protect them; a dagger left behind by the attackers indicates that they were sent by the Duras sisters, Lursa and B'Etor; Worf decides to track down the two sisters, although K'mtar doubts that the <I>Enterprise</I> crew will be able to help. On learning that Alexander has shown little interest in becoming a warrior, K'mtar offers to help Worf convince him of the importance of his heritage; they recreate the previous day's attack using the Holodeck, but although Alexander is initially able to fight well, he is unable to bring himself to kill one of his assailants; K’mtar becomes angry at him, and he runs away. The <I>Enterprise</I> arrives at Colla III, where an away team finds Gorta, a miner abandoned by the Duras sisters; he reveals that Lursa and B'Etor are now heading to the Ufandi system to sell ore to a Yridian trader. Meanwhile, K'mtar suggests sending Alexander to a Klingon training academy - and when Worf refuses, he threatens to invoke ya'nora kor, so that he can take custody of the boy away from his father…

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Patrick Stewart (<B>Captain Jean-Luc Picard</B>), Jonathan Frakes (<B>Commander William Thomas Riker</B>), LeVar Burton (<B>Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge</B>), Michael Dorn (<B>Security Chief Lieutenant Worf</B>), Gates McFadden (<B>Doctor Beverly Crusher</B>), Marina Sirtis (<B>Councelor Deanna Troi</B>), Brent Spiner (<B>Lieutenant Commander Data</B>), James Sloyan (<B>K'mtar</B>), Brian Bonsall (<B>Alexander</B>), Gwynyth Walsh (<B>B'etor</B>), Barbara March (<B>Lursa</B>), Joel Swetow (<B>Yog</B>), Colin Mitchell (<B>Gorta</B>), Armin Shimerman (<B>Quark</B>), Michael Danek (<B>Singer</B>), John Kenton Shull (<B>Molor</B>), Rickey D'Shon Collins (<B>Eric</B>), Majel Barrett (<B>Computer Voice</B>)

<BR><BR><B>Directed by Jonathan West 
<BR>Produced by Ronald D. Moore and Peter Lauritson
<BR>Co-Produced by Brannon Braga
<BR>Executive Producers Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller and Rick Berman
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<BR><BR><B>TX:</B>
<FONT COLOR="#99CCFF" SIZE="2" FACE="Arial, Helvetica, Comic Sans">
<BR>25th April, 1994

<BR><BR><B>Notes:</B>
<BR>*Featuring Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Thomas Riker, Chief Engineer Lieutenant Geordi La Forge, Security Chief Lieutenant Worf, Doctor Beverly Crusher, Councelor Deanna Troi and Lieutenant Commander Data 

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