The Enterprise reaches Boraal Two after Worf's foster brother Nikolai sends a distress signal. They find that the atmosphere is being wiped out by plasmonic reactions, and that the planet will be dead in less than 38 hours. Worf, seeing possible signs of a deflector shield in caverns near Nikolai's observation post, beams down (after alteration to look like a Boraalan) to look for Nikolai - but he finds not only Nikolai, but a group of Boraalans looking for Nikolai and Worf to save them as well!

Worf and Nikolai, pretending to return to the surface, return to the Enterprise, where Nikolai argues in favor of saving one Boraalan village, despite the gross violation of the Prime Directive everyone else believes it to be. Picard refuses outright to approve Nikolai's request to create an atmospheric shield, and orders Nikolai to stay off the planet, retrieving his research only via Enterprise comm-link.

Nikolai finishes his retrieval just as the final stages of the atmospheric dissipation commence, and leaves the bridge in disgust. Shortly thereafter, Worf's security grid picks up a power drain, and he takes a team to investigate. He finds a holodeck in use, and inside - is Nikolai, who shows Worf that he's made a reproduction of the Boraalan caverns, and beamed the village up into it!

Worf, not surprisingly, feels that Nikolai's actions have brought them both complete disgrace. Picard doesn't even look on it that fondly, demanding to know what Nikolai possibly thinks they can do now. Nikolai suggests finding a new world to settle this village on, and altering the holodeck in the course of a "journey" to resemble this new world. With no other options presenting themselves, Picard grudgingly agrees - but orders Worf to go back into the holodeck with Nikolai to keep an eye on him.

Nikolai and Worf prepare the Boraalans for their "journey", but problems quickly develop, as damage from the plasmonic bursts begins to destabilize the illusion created by the holodeck. Some quick thinking by Worf turns an appearance of the grid into "the sign of LaForge", an omen blessing their journey, and they prepare to depart. As the Enterprise heads for Vacca Six to resettle the Boraalans, however, the Boraalan chronicler, Vorin, accidentally finds the exit to the holodeck - and exits.

He finds himself on the Enterprise, quickly making his way to Ten-Forward, where Troi and Riker help comfort him and put him at ease. Unfortunately, his mind is such that Beverly cannot erase his memory, leaving Vorin with some difficult decisions. Picard meets Vorin and explains the situation to him, but Vorin is unenthusiastic about resettlement. "How can we grow," he asks, "if everything that made us who we are is gone?"

As the Boraalan "journey" continues, Worf and Nikolai continue to argue, set off in particular by Vorin's departure. The arguments are a continuation of strife between them since their childhood: Worf sees Nikolai as wild and irresponsible, always looking for others to get him out of messes he creates; while Nikolai sees Worf as too much a slave to duty. Worf eventually stalks off. Later that evening, however, a Boraalan woman, Dobara, asks Worf to settle his feud with Nikolai and become part of the family - after all, she points out, Worf will be the uncle of her unborn child!

The Enterprise reaches Vacca Six and is nearly ready to beam the Boraalans down, but by now the holodeck simulation is hanging by a thread. Picard leaves the bridge to find out if Vorin's decided what to do. Unfortunately, Vorin seems to be trapped without options: he can't tell his people the truth without ruining their lives or being considered a madman, and he can't live a lie. He asks for more time.

In the holodeck, Worf and Nikolai argue again, this time about Dobara and Nikolai's refusal to leave these people. Just as their squabbling reaches a head, the holodeck simulation begins to completely destabilize, creating a "reality storm" of sorts. Nikolai orders everyone into the tents to protect them from "the storms", and while they're there the Enterprise beams them down to the planet. They emerge on what appears to be the very campground they were just on, and are pleased to hear that the storms are gone for good.

Although the Boraalans' fate has turned out well, there are difficulties in the end. Vorin is dead, a suicide; and Worf has to deal with Nikolai's decision to stay with the Boraalans for good. In the end, he decides to leave Nikolai on Vacca Six, and says that he will tell their parents "that you are happy."

Highlight Listing:

"Homeward" - Worf's foster brother violates the Prime Directive in an effort to save a doomed alien race.

Advertising Headline:

BROTHER VS. BROTHER! Worf clashes with his foster brother over the fate of a doomed alien race!

TV log listing:

Worf's brother fights to save alien race/STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION.

Technical design, graphic design, interactive features, HTML & CGI programming by Andrew Tong. || All materials Copyright © 1987-1995 by their respective authors. || Document created: January 28, 1995 || Last Modified: November 09, 2010