“Soldiers of the Empire” is a good Klingon episode that tilts slightly toward the melodramatic. Still, despite the heavy-handed approach to its central conflict, it nonetheless tells the tale of how far two men would go to save the honor of the other. In that sense, it’s a fine tale, worthy of being told. In many ways, this is Deep Space Nine‘s version of TNG’s “A Matter of Honor.” And while the TNG installment fares better, DS9 has, shall we say, an honorable followup.

When a Klingon battle cruiser goes missing near the Cardassian border, General Martok is given command of a Klingon Bird of Prey, the Rotarran, and ordered to search for survivors. Because of his bond with Worf (it’s established early on that Worf is helping Martok refine his combat skills, dulled by time in the Dominion prison camp), Martok asks Worf to join him as First Officer. Worf agrees because, he says, in the Dominion prison camp, Martok gave him the courage to continue fighting. But all is not well on board the Rotarran. The crew is demoralized after a series of Jem’Hadar defeats. When Worf’s dubious status in the Klingon Empire and Martok’s cautiousness are added to the mix, the result is a volatile mix.

Much of the episode is spent laying the foundation for the discontent on the Rotarran. In many ways, the story draws upon old sea tales of crews who begin to believe that there is a curse upon their ships. It’s a nice nautical touch which lends a great deal of plausibility to the state of affairs on the Klingon Bird of Prey. And there are some nice character exchanges here, too — especially from Dax, who uses her experience from Curzon to great effect.

But there are some issues with how far the episode goes to portray the Klingons, individually. As expected, they often tout catchphrases like “honor” and “glory” and “duty” but the angst with which they do so diminishes them. Put simply, they often come across as juvenile and petulant, rather than noble and of high ideals. This is most evident when the Klingons are at their most vocal. A bit of restraint in the portrayals would have gone a long way here.

Be that as it may, Martok’s continuing reluctance to engage the Jem’Hadar — including letting a scout ship go free — bring the simmering tensions on board ship to a boil. Worf realizes that the crew has no confidence in themselves, and even less in their new captain. It’s up to Worf, then, to set things right. His solution is equal parts bravery, ingenuity and audacity. First, he quells a minor mutiny, without bloodshed and follows that, immediately, by challenging Martok for control of the ship.

As the episode conveyed early on, Martok is no match in battle against Worf. And, certainly Worf quickly gains the upper hand. But he does not kill Martok. Instead, Worf deliberately lowers his guard, allowing Martok to stab him — thereby securing control over the ship and raising the spirits of the crew. They go on to rescue the survivors and defeat a Jem’Hadar ship.

But in the episode’s best moment, the reality of events is not lost on Martok. Instead of simply making him another fire-breathing victorious Klingon, the episode (finally) switches to a more subtle approach. Martok recognizes that Worf’s actions were done purely to allow Martok to consolidate control over the crew. And Martok rewards Worf by offering to have Worf join the House of Martok, as a warrior … and a brother. It’s a touching, appropriate conclusion, solidifying the bond between the two men.

“Soldiers of the Empire” gets high marks for its portrayals of Worf and Martok. Where it loses some steam, though, is in its use of the Klingon crew. Fortunately, Dax is used effectively and the result is a classic.

Filed under: Deep Space Nine