'Reunion' and that wristbomb

[JesterFace]

I just watched 'Reunion' after a while and started to wonder, what might have been the point of the bomb in the Sonchi seremony where it was made clear that K'empec was dead.

No one who had any power to decide the next leader of the Klingon empire was hurt.
None of the rivals to be the next leader was hurt...

Was it just a bombing gone wrong?

 

[Timo]

Well, the bomb was in the arm of Duras' man; Gowron indicated surprise when the heroes said the bomb had Romulan bits; and Duras was associated with Romulans.

What to make of that? Using a Romulan bomb would be a fine way to implicate Duras; using it so that assuredly only worthless goons die would be a good ploy from Gowron, then, pointing the finger at Duras and highlighting how Romulans are no good for the Empire.

Putting the bomb in the arm of a Duras bodyguard would be easier for Duras than for Gowron. But since the device was so small, all it takes is an innocent little stab... I could well see one of Gowron's men wearing a rigged glove and giving his counterpart a brotherly squeeze.

The actual act of bombing achieved little. Both parties wanted the son'chi ceremony to be done with, but it had indeed already ended. Neither party lost or gained anything directly from the deaths or the interruption. Yet whichever party was responsible, that party also was in control: the bomb went on where and when it was supposed to, there being no real variables.

It doesn't matter much whether Duras or Gowron did the bombing, but Gowron would benefit more and in the end did triumph. This in turn has some implications: the bomb would now be an underhanded trick rather than an honorable suicide attack, and therefore the true culprit might also have shamefully used poisons. And Gowron was the one with a motivation to poison K'Mpec, while Duras would only have benefited from the old bastard's continuing rule and the protection this offered to his House and the shady deals with the Romulans...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Paradise City]

It was just a bombing that went wrong. Duras and his immediate entourage aren't the brightest targs in the kennel, so they screwed it up. The brains behind the Duras outfit are probably the two sisters. I'd say they were happy enough to get their dizzy brother out of the way. They certainly didn't hold grudges when they later tried to smooch Worf.

 

[Marynator]

I don't understand, I don't see any way at all Gowron could've been behind the bombing, that makes absolutely no sense to me at all, I feel it's completely out of his character, and he also didn't know Duras had involvement with Romulans since that was all such a secret. Duras was volatile and untrustworthy, I don't feel it's really any stretch of thought to think he'd want K'mpec out of his way so he could try to take over, he might have figured he was at his height right then and things could possibly only go downhill. Either he was like trying to kill Gowron and his guard totally botched it, or maybe he wanted to cause a disruption to help his case move forward or something, who knows? But I'm really quite certain it definitely wasn't any of Gowron's doing.

 

[Mojochi]

Yeah, it was probably just an attempt at Gowron's life that missed & got one of his men instead. The whole notion of K'empec choosing to have a Starfleet captain mediate would surely have sat poorly with the Duras clan & their Romulan supporters, which is why K'empec did it. He knew a delay, which involved Starfleet, & Picard to boot, would very likely draw out more foul play from the assassin, which I have to assume he already suspected was Duras, given the family history... a history unknown to Gowron nor anyone else, besides K'empec, Worf & Picard.

K'empec being poisoned is also an assassin method that doesn't frequently happen by Klingons. It too rings of Romulan involvement. So you're K'empec, & some underhanded swine kills you with poison, like a Romulan, & Duras, who is secretly known to have family links to Romulans is conspicuously vying to be your replacement. Your best play is to throw some curveballs that frustrate him, & see if he bites. He did.

Using a Romulan bomb would be a fine way to implicate Duras; using it so that assuredly only worthless goons die would be a good ploy from Gowron, then, pointing the finger at Duras and highlighting how Romulans are no good for the Empire.

That's an unbelievable bunch of duplicity for a Klingon who isn't Duras, & how would he get a Romulan bomb? It's a really thin theory imho

And Gowron was the one with a motivation to poison K'Mpec, while Duras would only have benefited from the old bastard's continuing rule and the protection this offered to his House and the shady deals with the Romulans.

Not true. K'empec is certainly not a fan of hiding Duras' family dishonor. He only did so to prevent the entire empire from crumbling, which could very well be a temporary fix. As long as K'empec is alive, that secret can surface, if ever he wants to do the honorable thing. Even Duras moments before Worf kills him, makes the claim that now that K'empec is dead, only he (Duras) is able to clear his name now

Plus, if he can successfully grab the throne, then he can kill the secret unquestionably. Nah... it's some pretty savvy Romulan chicanery going on.... & it took involving Picard to keep it from going tits up imho lol

 

[Timo]

That's an unbelievable bunch of duplicity for a Klingon who isn't Duras

Hmh? Why would any other Klingon vying for this position be any better? Gowron is a Klingon, too - he just likes alliances with the Federation more than with the Romulans.

& how would he get a Romulan bomb?

From the Romulans? It's not as if they'd have a reason not to sell.

Not true. K'empec is certainly not a fan of hiding Duras' family dishonor. He only did so to prevent the entire empire from crumbling, which could very well be a temporary fix.

Offing him would make it even more temporary, though, which is why Duras shouldn't be doing it. K'Mpec is an old fox; he'd have a sealed envelope somewhere... But that's besides the point, as follows:

Plus, if he can successfully grab the throne, then he can kill the secret unquestionably.

How so? The Council, rather than just the Chancellor, knew it was Ja'rod who opened the gates to the Romulans - K'Mpec directly states as much. Were the knowledge to become public, it would "shatter" the Council, which apparently has its share of pro-Durasians/pro-Romulans, as seen later on, but also their opponents. At best, Chancellor Duras could continue K'Mpec's balancing act; letting K'Mpec continue that act himself would seem the obvious course of inaction.

Unless somebody forced Duras' hand, that is. It need not be Gowron, but it being Gowron simply seems likely.

Timo Saloniemi