The Ladies of Multiple Star Trek Series
Gwyneth Walsh as B'Etor in
Star Trek: The Next
Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
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Star Trek: The Next
Generation Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
B'Etor is a member of the politically powerful Duras family, and the younger of Duras' two sisters. Duras killed Ambassador K'Ehleyr in 2367, and was subsequently killed by Lieutenant Worf. B'Etor and her sister Lursa immediately began to conspire with the Romulan operative Sela to overthrow Gowron's leadership of the Klingon High Council, even before he was installed as Leader of the High Council. The USS Enterprise arrives at the Klingon homeworld to see Gowron installed as Leader of the High Council, since Captain Picard is the chosen arbiter of succession (Redemption). Lursa and B'Etor interrupt the installation of Gowron and produce Toral, Duras' bastard son, who claims the right to succession. This halts the ceremony until Picard can decide if the child has a legitimate claim. He decides that Toral does not have a valid claim; he has won no battles and achieved no honor; maybe later, but not now. Gowron is installed as the Leader and the council is split, with some following Gowron and some following Toral, who we discover is backed by the Romulans. The Romulans and the family of Duras make plans that will drag the Federation into the war. The Duras family initially appears to be winning; but Captain Picard believes the Romulans are aiding Duras. He convinces Starfleet that the Romulans may be involved and gets permission to set up a blockade at the Romulan border to prevent supplies from reaching the Duras forces. The blockade is successful and confirms the Romulan involvement, and they desert the fight, leaving the Duras forces to their own devices. Lursa and B'Etor beam to their ship and disappear. They stay out of sight for almost two years, until 2369 when they attempt to raise capital by selling bilitrium explosives to the Kohn-ma, a Bajoran terrorist organization with operatives on Deep Space Nine (Past Prologue). Captain Sisko and his crew thwart the transaction and Lursa and B'Etor disappear again. A holodeck celebration of Worf's promotion to lieutenant commander aboard the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D is cut short by a personal communique to Captain Picard and a distress call from the Amargosa Solar Observatory. The Enterprise rescues a few survivors from the observatory, including an El-Aurian, Doctor Tolian Soren. An investigation determines that the attackers were searching for trilithium, a vital component in a new and highly destructive explosive device. Doctor Soran escapes from the Enterprise back to the observatory, claiming he wants to continue his work. He launches a probe from the observatory into a nearby star, the star explodes, leaving only minutes before the stellar shock waves reach and destroy the Enterprise and the entire solar system. Doctor Soran escapes the away team from the Enterprise by capturing Lieutenant Commander LaForge and beaming to a Klingon Bird of Prey commanded by Lursa and B'Etor (Star Trek VII: Generations). The Enterprise tracks down the Duras sisters' ship, and Captain Picard agrees to exchange himself for Commander LaForge as a hostage so he can try to stop Soran from launching another probe and destroying a star in his mad attempt to get to the nexus where time is meaningless. Commander LaForge is returned to the Enterprise with an undetectable transmitter that sends his VISOR's input to Lursa and B'Etor on their Bird of Prey. They use information he sees inengineering to disable the Enterprise's shields and launch an attack. Lieutenant Commander Worf discovers a weakness in the Bird of Prey's defenses, and manages to destroy the ship and kill the Duras sisters
Gwyneth Walsh, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is best known, at least to the world of Star Trek, as B'Etor, the younger of the two Duras sisters; Klingons who have followed in their father's footsteps and conspired with the Romulans at every opportunity to achieve their personal ambitions, regardless of the consequences to the Klingon Empire. Gwyneth's screen credits include Jessica in Crossing Fields (1998); Martine Quiller in 2103: The Deadly Wake (1997); B'Etor in Star Trek VII: Generations (1994); Captain Brock in Soft Deceit (1994); Liv Forrester in The Crush (1993); Helen Schroeder in The Portrait (1992); Doctor Robert in The Jeweller's Shop (1988); and Doctor Rachel Carson in Blue Monkey (1987). She has also appeared in numerous made-for-television movies, Patty in Final Descent (1997); Lydia Sawyer in Justice for Annie (1996); Ann Lucca in The Limbic Region (1996); Vicky Cooke in Stand Against Fear (1996); Pearl Dixon in Falling from the Sky: Flight 174 (1995); Jake's Mother in Shock Treatment (1995); Jenine in Without a Kiss Goodbye (1993); Sandra in Darkness Before Dawn (1993); Janet David in My Son Johnny (1991); Maria Sorrento in Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster (1991); Lee Kingsley in Passion and Paradise (1989); Angie Daniels in The Challengers (1989); and Betty in The Christmas Wife (1988); as well as Patricia Da Vinci in the series, Da Vinci's Inquest (1998). Gwyneth Walsh has also been busy guest starring a various television series episodes, including Madeline Strong in the Twice In a Lifetime episode, Sixteen Candles (1999); Emma Shetterly in the Millennium episode, Anamnesis (1998); Margaret Jeffers in the Melrose Place episode, The Doctor Who Rocks the Cradle (1994); Tessa Starl in the Robocop episode, Corporate Raiders (1994); The Hunter in the Forever Knight episode, Hunter (1994); Kiki Rice in the Matlock episode, Last Laugh (1993); Pam Weldon in the The Commish episode, Escape (1992); Rachel Rockwell in the Sweating Bullets episode, Alive and Kicking (1992); Montana in the MacGyver episode, High Control (1991); Marissa in the Sweating Bullets episode, Marissa (1991); Sandra Hopkins in the Matlock episode, The Blackmailer (1990); Anne Hathaway in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode, Driving Under the Influence (1989); Reatha Wilkerson in the Friday the 13th episode, 13 O'Clock (1989); Elaine in the The Twilight Zone episode, Cat and Mouse (1988); St Clair in the Street Legal episode, Take My Jokes, Please (1987); and Jennifer Christie in the Adderly episode, A Change of Mind (1986). She is of course best known to visitors to this site as B'Etor in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, Firstborn (1994) and the two-part Redemption (1991) and the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode, Past Prologue (1993); and the lesser-known Nimira in the Star Trek: Voyager episode, Random Thoughts (1997).