Soldiers of the Empire (DS9 episode)

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Soldiers of the Empire is the twenty-first episode of the fifth-season of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Directed by Levar Burton and written by Ronald D. Moore, it originally aired on April 28, 1997.

In this episode, Martok, Worf, and Dax go on a mission aboard a Klingon ship.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

After receiving orders from the Klingon High Council to search for a Klingon vessel, General Martok departs Deep Space Nine along with his newly appointed First Officer, Worf. Jadzia Dax joins them as the ship's Science Officer. This is Martok's first command since his escape from the Dominion prison camp, and he is dismayed to find that the crew are anything but happy; instead, it is an embittered ensemble whose morale has been destroyed by a series of punishing losses at the hands of the Jem'Hadar.

The crippled ship is found just across the Cardassian border, but Martok, fearing that the Jem'Hadar left it behind as a trap, refuses to enter Cardassian territory. Worf realizes Martok is paralyzed by fear. Reluctantly, he decides to challenge Martok for control of the ship. A knife fight ensues for control. Worf sees that Martok's fear is gone and allows him to win the fight, sustaining a nasty wound just as a Jem'Hadar ship approaches. The revitalized crew defeats the enemy, rescues the survivors, and returns Deep Space Nine as victors for the first time. Martok is forever grateful to Worf for reminding him of his duty as a Klingon warrior.

Preceded by:
"Ferengi Love Songs"

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes

Followed by:
"Children of Time"