Code of Honor (TNG episode)
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"Code of Honor" is a first season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is episode #3, production #104, first broadcast October 12, 1987. It is written by Katharyn Powers and Michael Baron, and directed by Russ Mayberry.
Guest cast is Jessie Lawrence Fergusson, Karole Selmon and James Louis Watkins.
Quick Overview: Lt. Yar is abducted by the leader of a people who abides by a strict code of honor.
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On stardate 41235.25, the Enterprise arrives at the planet Ligon II to acquire a vaccine needed to combat an outbreak of Anchilles fever on Styris IV. The planet's culture is reminiscent to the native tribes of Africa and the Federation knows little about them, except that they Ligonians follow strict codes of status and honor.
Upon arrival, the Ligonians signal the Enterprise, insisting they will beam themselves aboard the ship with their own transporter. The Ligonians arrive in a cargo hold, and offer Captain Picard a sample of the vaccine. As a precautionary measure to the captain's safety, Yar quickly intercepts the transaction to which Lutan's bodyguards, especially Hagon, take offense and quickly ready weapons.
Lutan backs his guards down, showing interest in Lt. Yar, especially about the fact that a female holds a position of security. Lutan apologizes and indicates that on his world the women own the land while the men rule and protect it. Picard offers a tour of the Enterprise, but Lutan insists that Yar lead the way. He is most interested in seeing the holodeck, and wishes a demonstration of Yar's fighting abilities. Yar shows them a defense training program “Akido 1” where she spars with a holographic opponent. Lutan's is most impressed at Yar's performance.
As Lutan and his men prepare to leave, Lutan approaches to personally thank Lt. Yar for her tour. He fakes a friendly embrace, grabbing her arm and activating a transport beam. He disappears along with his men and the Lieutenant. Picard rushes to the bridge and orders Red Alert. He calls down to Lutan announcing the kidnapping of a Starfleet officer is an act of war. He fires a spread of photon torpedoes to detonate in the atmosphere as a show of force, but Picard receives no reply for the rest of the day.
In the meantime, Picard has Counselor Troi and Mr. Data surmise on the reasoning behind Tasha's abduction. Data believes Lutan is "counting coup", by taking something of value from the enemy and fleeing; an act that some ancient tribes of Earth considered extremely heroic. Troi agrees, sensing Lutan has an abnormally high level of achievement, risking everything for honor; and Tasha, being chief of security, represented the riskiest prize.
The next day, Lutan establishes contact. Picard "asks nicely" for the return of Lt. Yar. Lutan indicates he will return Tasha at a banquet Picard is invited to attend in his honor. Picard accepts the invitation and beams down with Troi, who assures that Lutan, having achieved the courtesy and recognition he desired, should now be willing to return Yar. At the banquet, however, Lutan announces that he will take Yar as his “first one” (wife) which leaves shocked expressions on all, especially Yareena, a Ligonian woman who is already supposed to be Lutan's wife. Yarenna challenges Yar to a duel to the death to keep her prize, to which Lutan shows arrogant delight.
Picard objects to the combat, stating that Yar need not fight for Lutan since she clearly has no desire to marry him. Lutan threatens that if Yar does not fight, there will be no deal for the vaccine. Picard tries other options, but once informed by Dr. Crusher that the vaccine cannot be synthesized and the infection rate on Styris IV is rising, he sees no other alternative short of violating the Prime Directive. For the procurement of the vaccine, Tasha is willing to fight Yarenna, and accepts the challenge.
Yar prepares for battle with confidence that her Starfleet combat training is far superior to whatever training Yareena has been given, despite a warning from Yareena that Ligonians are always ready to defend their property. To ensure Tasha's safety, Picard has Geordi La Forge and Data inspect the various weapons the Ligonians use for their duels. They find the weapons are coated in a poison which causes death within seconds. Tasha selects a particularly wicked looking gauntlet covered with poisonous spikes. Picard makes preparations to have Tasha beamed directly to sickbay in the event that she is ever injured by Yareena.
The duel begins, and Tasha and Yarenna face off on a platform surrounded by light beams that mark off the arena boundaries. It is shown that the beams sear whatever passes through them, making escape impossible. Melee ensues with Tasha dodging Yareena's attacks. Hagon cheers on Yareena who glances over at the warrior proudly. In one round, Yareena loses her footing glancing a blow off the light beams which sends her gauntlet into a crowd of spectators instantly killing a man. Picard cringes at how quickly the poison kills. Lutan halts the duel and Yareena's weapon is returned.
The fight resumes. Yarenna charges Tasha who leaps to the side and gets a lucky hit against her opponent. Yarenna looks down and sees blood flowing from her leg. She swallows hard, knowing her time is over. Suddenly, both combatants are transported to the Enterprise to the angry outbursts of the spectators. Lutan rises quickly, enraged at Picard's interference. Back on the Enterprise, a medical team stands by. As soon as Yareena materializes, she collapses to the floor and Dr. Crusher rushes to administer an antitoxin. It appears too late as Crusher pronounces the woman dead.
Back on the planet, Lutan and Hagon demand to know what happened to the women, and more importantly if Yarenna has died. Picard offers to transport them to the Enterprise to see for themselves. The two are taken to sickbay where they are astonished to see Yareena is alive and well. Lutan becomes furious, stating the combat is forfeit since Tasha failed to kill Yareena, but Crusher interjects stating that "on the record", Yareena was confirmed dead, but she was able to bring her back. Yarenna reminds Lutan by law, at the instant of death, a mating agreement is dissolved.
Lutan refuses to outcome, denying to hand over the vaccine, however Yareena rips Lutan's status medallion from him, indicating that only through his marriage to her, was he able to keep his rule. She offers the medallion to Hagon, who she claims as her new “first one”, knowing the warrior supported her far greater than Lutan has. Stripped of his status, Lutan is put into position of “second one” and Yareena fulfills the agreement to offer the vaccine supplies to Picard.