K'mak's warning to Torlek allows some of Chang's fleet to escape. After this incident, knowledge of this penultimate treachery by Melkor makes his victory by conventional means all but impossible. He completely turns himself over to Romulan support and sets a trap for Chang in the newly formed Tal'Ihnor Nebula, calling him out to a blood duel to avenge his brother's death. Chang accepts, reasoning that even if it is a trap he will still die an honorable death against a hated foe, but is shocked to find Melkor's Romulan support so large that he's poised to lead a mass assault into Klingon space. Chang implores Torlek to gather whatever forces he can, stop the Romulans and kill Melkor by any means necessary. Torlek turns to Gorkon for assistance; their joint fleet halts the Romulans, but fails to kill Melkor. Due to Gorkon's assistance, Chang now owes a blood debt to him and cannot fight him or his peaceful policies, assuring Gorkon's ascension to the Chancellorship. A furious Chang demotes Torlek and sends him on routine patrol duties along the Federation Neutral Zone. During his first patrol, Torlek discovers a ruse by forces still loyal to Melkor. They create the appearance of a Federation invasion to draw Chang and the bulk of the Klingon fleet away from Qo'noS, while a massive Romulan invasion force seizes the homeworld and forces Gorkon from power. Chang's deep-seated hatred of the Federation leads him to fall for the trick, but Torlek convinces him to place the needs of the Klingon people first. They warp back to Qo'noS together, defeat the Romulans a second time and, with the nearby presence of a then-captain K'mpec, finally kill Melkor. The final cutscene shows the Klingon Empire stabilized under Chancellor Gorkon but desperate for energy production. Following the Tal'Ihnor Gates incident, they are ravaging the Klingon moon Praxis for more energy. Chang's last meeting with Torlek forebodes the dark turn of events in Star Trek VI. He assigns his "conscience" - Torlek - to a long-term mission searching for new sources of energy, so that he may be free to enact a treacherous conspiracy of his own: to assassinate key interstellar figures and ultimately plunge the Federation and Klingon Empire into full-scale war. Torlek holds his mentor in high regard even after these tragic events come to pass. In the future Torlek dies a glorious and honorable death,