Darmok (thing)

Picard is forced into a dangerous encounter with the captain of an alien starship. Because previous attempts at communicating with the alien race have failed, the aliens decide to take matters into their own hands by putting the two captains in a situation where they will have to work together to survive. The alien captain is killed, but the attempt is otherwise successful, as Picard finally understands how to communicate with them.

The alien race communicates using only allegorical references. For example:

Sokath, his eyes uncovered = a moment of understanding; an epiphany
Shaka, when the walls fell = failure
Kiteo, his eyes closed = "You don't get it"
Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra = uniting against a common enemy

These are very loose translations; visit the related links for more detailed info.

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