Please do not ask authors when the next update is coming, this is against forum rules.
"Where Are We Going This Time": The Golden Age of Science Fiction
- Thread starter Timelordtoe
- Start date
BRING IN THE MODS, THAT'S THE SECOND THREAD BIGGIECHEESESTEAK HAS DONE THIS!
Doesn't matter if he's a newcomer or not.
As folks have said, this is against forum rules.
But it has been a bit, so I'll let you all know we're just trying to get the final story worked out. We've got a bullet-pointed plot and notes, but finding time we can both sit down and work is proving difficult right now. We're nearly there, though - I swear!
Here's a snippet from earlier in the season to tide you all over for the last little bit here:
Reparations
Following a ceremony for Dax’s promotion to lieutenant commander in the wardroom, Ambassador G’Kar comes to see Sisko and Kira. They adjourn to G’Kar’s office. The ambassador asks for DS9 to be the site of the Narn’s negotiations with the Cardassians over reparations. The two reach out to their governments, both give their okay, and the Cardassians surprisingly agree to negotiate.
Into this comes Dukat, who has managed to worm his way back into some minor good graces – enough to make a claim for the position of Cardassian ambassador. The Bajoran government is outraged, and demands another option be sent forthwith. One soon arrives in the form of the dashing, gallant Ostreum “Ost” Nicilan. He makes quite the impression with his good humor, manners, and willingness to lend out books from his extensive collection. (Sisko remarks that he could give the station’s library a run for its money.) Ost informs Dukat that if talks succeed, he will likely be posted to the station as the permanent Ambassador to the Federation for the Cardassian Union.
In other news, I noted that some of the old guard of Doctor Who internet fandom writers are still around... and I'm friends with more than a few. Along with some professionals, like Joe Lidster. All of whom would certainly have written for the show ITTL. I've tentatively asked Joe to provide a brief episode synopsis for a future season, but he's a bit "snowed under" (his words) at the moment. Stephen M. Wolterstorff (known from his old fanfic series, plus the Trenchcoat/Ninth Aspect fanzines) leapt at the offer to provide stories, so expect his additions to show up as of the next Doctor Who update, with Joe's probably starting around 2002/2003 in-universe if he proves interested.
Somewhat relatedly, I'm considering starting a series of Doctor Who round-robins ala the old Internet Adventures. Interested parties would write five to ten pages, then pass it along to the next person to continue the story. If anyone's interested, DM me, I guess!
Thank you guys so much for bearing with us. We truly appreciate each and every one of you!
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Who wants to bet this causes Dukat to get jealous and sabotage the talks?
This is all good stuff.
(However, BIGGIECHEESESTEAK still needs to be disciplined)
Just finishing up the second half of the finale!
This is when everything changes.
It's done.
Just have to proofread all 69 pages for errors and fill in the recurring cast, guest stars, notes, etc.
We're hoping for a release this Sunday!
Just have to proofread all 69 pages for errors and fill in the recurring cast, guest stars, notes, etc.
We're hoping for a release this Sunday!
Adding guest stars and such added a full two more pages! We're genuinely unsure if this will all fit into a single post!
Chapter XXXI: The Production of Season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Timelordtoe
Monthly Donor
Chapter XXXI: "Signs and Portents"
“When we saw the order for the five extra episodes, we initially thought it was a joke or a misprint or something. They [the network] clarified that it wasn’t, so we took it as a challenge. That proved to be a mistake, frankly; one that nearly killed us. In retrospect, though, it worked. This is when our story really began to dig its hooks into the audience.”
“When we saw the order for the five extra episodes, we initially thought it was a joke or a misprint or something. They [the network] clarified that it wasn’t, so we took it as a challenge. That proved to be a mistake, frankly; one that nearly killed us. In retrospect, though, it worked. This is when our story really began to dig its hooks into the audience.”
– J. Michael Straczynski on the expanded episode count
It had been standard practice for Star Trek seasons to be 26 episodes long since its 1987 return to television (the second season of TNG and the first seasons of DS9 and ODY notwithstanding). This was in line with almost every other televised drama on American screens, including the franchise’s friendly rival, Doctor Who.
However, this was not a guarantee.
While it’s never been made clear who specifically ordered the five extra episodes, it is clear why they did. The Bob Saget sitcom Detective Nose Gold and Mary Jane the Monkey got pulled from the airwaves in the middle of episode three – “The Father, the Busty Third Cousin, and the Holy Plantains” – putting Saget, Glenn Shadix, Nell Carter, Nicola Bryant, and several trained chimps out of work. (“And that was just the writers room!” some remarked about the last point.) There was nothing to fill the gap. Thus, something had to be done. While reruns of other programs would work most of the time, the last five weeks of the sitcom’s intended run would instead be filled by Deep Space Nine at a slightly later hour. (The sitcom would go on to be considered an “unsung gem” by a devoted fanbase numbering in the low dozens. If you or people you know have information about the unaired 15 episodes and the scripts for the remaining 13, please contact [REDACTED]@aol.com).
To say that production wasn’t happy with this would be an understatement. While DS9 was going strong, concerns were rife about the amount of characters the program had. Franchise executive producer David Gerrold, urged by Paramount suits, informed executive producers Ira Steven Behr and J. Michael Straczynski that a main cast of 10 and a recurring cast of 33 was too much. The number had to be pared down by the end of the season. The production team wholeheartedly agreed, feeling too many characters were getting short shrift.
Some of these characters were already in the team’s sights. From the get-go, the departure of Anna Sheridan was planned due to Kirsten Dunst’s burgeoning film career. Bareil’s fate came about because production found the character increasingly boring, some internal memos dubbing him “the millstone.” Philip Anglim was assured that he personally was not a subject of ire – the character simply wasn’t working out as hoped. Ironically, his final performance was noted as being one of his best, if only because now there was something to give the character “some bite,” as Michael Piller put it.
Moreover, Alexander Siddig found himself exhausted. He’d been working tirelessly for seven seasons over both Doctor Who and Star Trek. Enough was enough, and the actor was burnt out. To that end, he agreed to appear in the contracted 26 episodes on the condition that Dr. Bashir was written out, declining the extra five.
Marina Sirtis was also keen to pursue other ventures, and throughout the season increasingly felt that Troi worked far better as a recurring or guest character than as a member of the main cast. As with Bashir, she would be written out after season five, though with the door left open for her to return in a recurring capacity.
Much like Dunst, Famke Janssen was getting film offers which she had to keep turning down. Missing out on being the female lead in several large projects over the last year – including Alex DeWitt in the upcoming Green Lantern film – prompted her request to leave. Notably, hers was the only one denied… but more on the specifics of that next time.
Perhaps more concerning for the production team was the lack of certainty that Laurence Fishburne would continue on in his role as Sisko. Fishburne was yet another case of a cast member pursuing a film career, with him scheduled to appear as John Stewart in Green Lantern. To accommodate his required leave from the show, Sisko would be written out as being on leave for an arc immediately following the four-part Borg arc that would close out the first third of the season.
This would also give the production team a chance to gauge how well the audience would respond to the possibility of another character taking Sisko’s place as commander of Deep Space Nine. The two frontrunners for this position, as far as the writers were concerned, were Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Kelly (Christian Slater) and Captain John Sheridan (Peter Capaldi). As such, both would have turns running the station in the season, during which time, the writers would be active on online forums to gauge the response.
The season would mark the first appearance of the Borg in Deep Space Nine, as part of a tie-in with the film Star Trek VII: Future’s End that would be released during the season. The writers were originally apprehensive to do such an arc, as it would reduce the amount of stories for the main arc that could be told, but the mood shifted when the increased order of episodes came in, especially given the opportunity it presented for writing Sisko out for a short time.
As with previous seasons, the show would come under fire from some conservative pundits at the increasing number of same-sex relationships depicted on the show. During the season, both Bashir and Kelly would end up in relationships with other men, namely Garak and Norvo Odan respectively. Kelly’s case would be of particular note to the fans, as this would not be the first time that the two had been in a relationship, albeit with Odan in a different body. Kelly’s arc would also see him come to terms with his own sexuality. (Note: While contemporary sources would refer to Kelly as gay or bisexual, the cast and crew of the show have in more recent times used the term pansexual to describe his sexuality. When asked what Kelly’s sexuality was at a 2019 panel, Christian Slater simply replied, “He’s just attracted to who he’s attracted to. I don’t think they’d put labels on that sort of thing in the Federation.”)
The outcry was largely ignored. It was by no means the first time that Star Trek would attract media attention for such things, and it would certainly not be the last. Though some executives were wary that the depictions would turn audiences away, the statistics showed that very few people actually stopped watching the show because of the same-sex relationships depicted, and that it actually drew some audiences in. Deep Space Nine would continue to win awards from advocacy groups for the positive representation of the LGBT community, with special praise being given to the fact that such relationships were rarely given much fanfare in-universe, being treated as something entirely normal.
As Deep Space Nine progressed, each season experimented with increasing serialization. Season Five would be no exception, as the show had longer and longer arcs, with the season as a whole having a clear throughline. In reference material, each episode in an arc would be granted a numbered suffix, even when an episode itself consisted of multiple parts. This would lead to instances such as “Saratoga, Part II (Part 3)” appearing in guides to the show. These suffixes were not present in the episodes as broadcast.
The serialization was well-received critically and popular with the fans and staff for its ability to tell larger stories than the episodic format. That said, it did bring some issues, however. Deep Space Nine was becoming increasingly impenetrable to outside audiences in a way that Odyssey was not. Though this concerned the executives, the production team was less worried. Deep Space Nine had developed a clear core audience that would tune in for every episode, and they numbered more than enough to justify the show’s continued existence. Furthermore, the show was consistently appearing on critics’ “Best Of” lists at the end of the TV season. Provided that this could be maintained, the production team felt little concern that the show would continue to go on.
But there was still a desire to bring in new audiences. The show would continue to advertise heavily, especially on the internet. The lead-up to the season finale, the double-length story “Flashpoint” marked a particular intensification in marketing, as the website banners and TV spots promised that “This Is Where Everything Changes.”
It was no secret that the season was building to a war between the Dominion and the Federation, the question for the fans was primarily how it would go about doing this. Fan theories ran wild, especially as guest and recurring cast members were announced. Prevailing theories involved a Dominion false flag attack or an incident with the Maquis.
The possibility of a Star Trek show displaying the Federation at war was not an uncontroversial one, and the writers room was well aware that they needed to sell the arc to win over fans who felt that such a thing was betraying the core ideals of the show. Many fans, however, were excited to see how the Federation actually worked while at war, given that the franchise had mentioned wars in the Federation’s past, but generally held back from showing them.
The finale would also introduce a new “hero ship”, the USS Brigid, an Athena-class ship which would be Sheridan’s new command. Envisioned by the writing team as “the Excelsior, but on steroids,” it would follow the classic Federation ship design but with an unusual four nacelles. Though it would not see combat until the next season, J. Michael Straczynski was clear that from when it first appeared, it should be clear to the audience that it was a ship built to “kick the Dominion’s ass.”
The USS Brigid (NCC-93876) as seen in the 2010 game Star Trek: New Frontiers II, developed by Eclipse Interactive.
The Brigid would be the first “hero ship” to not have a physical model, instead being fully CGI-rendered. As such, it would generally appear in the background of shots or with a number of other ships so as to hide the lesser level of detail it had compared to other ships like the Valiant or the Odyssey. For interior shots, the ship would generally re-purpose sets from other ships so as to save on cost – namely the Enterprise’s bridge and the Odyssey’s sickbay. In-universe, it would be justified by Starfleet adopting a uniform design for ship interiors as they shifted to a war footing.
To the fans, one thing was clear. Star Trek was about to change dramatically. Now only time would tell if it would all be worth it.
Next Time: "Everything Changes" - The Release of Season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
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Chapter XXXII: The Release of Season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Timelordtoe
Monthly Donor
Chapter XXXII: "Everything Changes"
"We really were worried that the audience was just going to disappear after everything we pulled this season. But the move to Saturdays really helped with the ratings, not to mention how much work the advertisisng department was putting in for us. A lot of the fans consider Season 5 to be the peak of the show, and the viewer numbers don't disagree with that."
"We really were worried that the audience was just going to disappear after everything we pulled this season. But the move to Saturdays really helped with the ratings, not to mention how much work the advertisisng department was putting in for us. A lot of the fans consider Season 5 to be the peak of the show, and the viewer numbers don't disagree with that."
- Ira Stephen Behr on his worries for how the season would be received.
Season 5 of Deep Space Nine was promising to take everything to the next level. Higher stakes, more action, and perhaps most notably, more episodes. The fanbase were largely looking forward to the increased amount of time they would get with the characters, though for many there was a touch of melancholy as the announcements came regarding which actors would not be renewing their contracts for further seasons.
The season-long buildup to the Dominion War was, as writer J. Michael Straczynski put it, a delicate balancing act. The show would need to present the Dominion as a threat the likes of which Star Trek had not seen before, while not making the odds so insurmountable as to prevent a way out for the heroes. The season as a whole was a gamble, and one that would have dire consequences if it did not pay off.
Season 5 would mark the high point of the show's ratings, averaging in at 11% of US households tuning in. While the show continued to be a critical hit, the lack of a good "jumping on point" for new viewers would make the show increasingly inaccessible for the latter half of the series' broadcast.
List of Episodes of Season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine:
- Homefront, Part II – First Broadcast: Saturday, September 20th, 1997 @ 7:30pm
- Reparations – First Broadcast: Saturday, September 27th, 1997 @ 7:30pm
- When Clouds are Seen (Part One) – First Broadcast: Saturday, October 4th, 1997 @ 7:30pm
- For the Uniform (Part Two) – First Broadcast: Saturday, October 11th, 1997 @ 7:30pm
- I Know It When I See It – First Broadcast: Saturday, October 18th, 1997 @ 7:30pm
- The Ship – First Broadcast: Saturday, October 25th, 1997 @ 7:30pm
- Program 359 (Part One) – First Broadcast: Saturday, November 1st, 1997 @ 7:30pm
- Saratoga, Part I (Part Two) – First Broadcast: Saturday, November 8th, 1997 @ 7:30pm
- Saratoga, Part II (Part Three) – First Broadcast: Saturday, November 8th, 1997 @ 7:30pm
- Jennifer (Part Four) – First Broadcast: Saturday, November 15th, 1997 @ 7:30pm
- Comfort Levels – First Broadcast: Saturday, January 3rd, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Family Matters – First Broadcast: Saturday, January 10th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Kira Nerys and the Holy Grail – First Broadcast: Saturday, January 17th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- In Purgatory’s Shadow (Part One) – First Broadcast: Saturday, January 24th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- By Inferno’s Light (Part Two) – First Broadcast: Saturday, January 31st, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- To Heaven’s Redoubt (Part Three) – First Broadcast: Saturday, February 7th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Role Models – First Broadcast: Saturday, February 14th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Love and Disgrace – First Broadcast: Saturday, March 7th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Living Beyond Yourself – First Broadcast: Saturday, March 14th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Creatures of Emotion – First Broadcast: Saturday, April 4th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- The Tzenkethi Extradition – First Broadcast: Saturday, April 18th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- The Oralian Way – First Broadcast: Saturday, May 2nd, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Doctor Bashir, I Presume? – First Broadcast: Saturday, May 9th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- La Douleur Exquise – First Broadcast: Saturday, May 16th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Business as Usual – First Broadcast: Saturday, May 23rd, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Diplomatic Incredulity – First Broadcast: Saturday, May 30th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Ladies’ Night – First Broadcast: Saturday, June 6th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Sanctity of Life (Part One) – First Broadcast: Saturday, June 13th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- The Damned (Part Two) – First Broadcast: Saturday, June 20th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Flashpoint, Part I (Part Three) – First Broadcast: Saturday, June 27th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
- Flashpoint, Part II (Part Four) – First Broadcast: Saturday, June 27th, 1998 @ 7:30pm
Main Cast of Season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine:
- Capt. Benjamin Sisko (Laurence Fishburne)
- Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois)
- Lt./ Lt. Cmdr. Jadzia Dax (Famke Janssen)
- Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton)
- Chief Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney)
- Quark (Armin Shimerman)
- Doctor (Lt.) Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) *
- Counselor (Cmdr.) Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) *
- Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Kelly (Christian Slater)
- Major/Lt. Col. Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor)
Recurring Cast of Season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine:
- Ishka AKA “Moogie” (Cecily Adams)
- Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo)
- T’Preike (Mädchen Amick)
- Kai Bareil Antos (Philip Anglim) †
- Gul Damar (Casey Biggs)
- Ambassador Norvo Odan (Jonathan Brandis) ✬
- Capt. John Sheridan (Peter Capaldi)
- Keiko O’Brien (Rosalind Chao)
- Cmdr. Arpad Tigan (Bryan Cranston)
- Cadet First Class Nog (Aron Eisenberg)
- Navarch Winn Adami (Louise Fletcher)
- Ambassador Delenn (Mira Furlan)
- Rom (Max Grodénchik)
- General Martok (J.G. Hertzler)
- Commander Solaris (Linda Hunt)
- Female Changeling (Salome Jens)
- Kasidy Yates (Penny Johnson Jerald)
- Ambassador Ostreum Nicilan AKA “Ost” (Matt LeBlanc) ✬
- Lt. K’Rene (Virginia Madsen)
- Lt. Cmdr. Michael Eddington (Kenneth Marshall)
- Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson)
- Lt. KulinXap sh’Var AKA “Kulin” (Katey Sagal)
- Kai Opaka (Camille Saviola) ✾
- Grand Nagus Zek (Wallace Shawn)
- Tora Ziyal (Melanie Smith) †
- Molly O’Brien (Brenda Song)
- Mildred Jean Kelly AKA “Gramma Millie” (Betty White)
- First Omet’iklan (Clarence Williams III)
- Lt. Ezri Perim (Reese Witherspoon)
- Prof. Lennier (Bill Mumy)
- And Jeffrey Combs as various characters – mostly Weyoun!
✬ Denotes a new character
✾ Denotes a character that returns
The season would run from September 20th, 1997 to June 27th, 1998, with a break between November 15th and January 3rd. The season received positive reviews, with some critics hailing it as the best Star Trek had ever been.
The gamble had paid off, for now at least. Now all that remained was to see that the show continued its success. Season 6 would be the last of the seasons the show had been guaranteed by the original order, though discussions with executives had made a seventh and eighth season all but certain.
Next Time: "To Boldly Go Where No Brick Has Gone Before" - LEGO Star Trek
Overview of Season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Part 1
Timelordtoe
Monthly Donor
Overview of Season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Part 1/3
"Ben? Jake? I was having the most awful dream..."
"Ben? Jake? I was having the most awful dream..."
- {REDACTED] dies once more.
Homefront, Part II
In response to Gardener asking Sisko if he’s willing to stomach what’s to come, the captain hesitates. An aide rushes in and hands Sisko a PADD. Andor and Kashee IV have seceded in response to the attack. Tellar and Arbaz are weighing their options. After Gardener presses the question, Sisko finally lays it all out.
What Gardener is doing is not going to help. He’s already driven Vulcan from the Federation and blood has been spilled. Two more have now left as a result of that, and more are considering it. This is all pulling the Federation apart when it needs to stand together. They’re playing into the Dominion’s hand with this! Gardener is quiet for a long moment, then calls security. He explains that he knows what’s best – he and no other. If Sisko won’t stand with him, then there’s a cell waiting for him; there will be one for all those who cannot see Gardener’s vision. When security arrives, they’re hesitant to arrest Sisko. Using this to his advantage, Sisko manages to defeat the team and throw Gardener into a wall before fleeing. Gardener declares Sisko a fugitive and demands a team of Federation security officers be assigned to hunt him down.
Over in Dearborn, Jake is arrested. O’Brien stops Nog from interfering. As they watch Jake get dragged away, O’Brien says that something’s gone wrong with the Federation; they’ll be needed outside to figure things out. Besides, Nog shouldn’t risk his position at Starfleet Academy. Nog inquires if there will even be a Starfleet without the Federation. O’Brien tells him he doesn’t know, but he has hope this will all be resolved. He also briefly bemoans that he was supposed to be on vacation and resolves to make sure Keiko and Molly are okay over in Mifune before they do anything else.
In Scotland, the Sheridans are able to put aside their differences for the time being (despite Dr. Sheridan’s mutterings that he always knew Starfleet would eventually do this). Sheridan leaves Anna with his parents as he decides to investigate why Starfleet personnel are beaming in and establishing martial law. He is able to get into a nearby Starfleet facility by pulling rank and calls Captain Robert DeSoto, in command of the USS Hood, which is one of the many ships in orbit of Earth. Sheridan asks him if he knows what is happening, but DeSoto replies that he does not, only that the orders came in from Starfleet Command and that he is following them. This answer only angers Sheridan, who resolves to get to the bottom of the situation.
Meanwhile, as Sisko flees from Starfleet Headquarters, he finds Kelly and Francine’s cells, freeing them after stunning the guards to their cells. The three of them make their way to the city itself, reasoning that they should be able to find somewhere to lay low there, narrowly avoiding a patrol on their way. Odo joins them in the shape of a dog, as Starfleet has turned on him.
The group finds a communications terminal, using Starfleet credentials to override the lockdown. They contact Nog and O’Brien, who inform them of Jake’s arrest. Sisko asks them to send out a coded message to Deep Space 9 on a special Bajoran frequency Odo knows of, as their fugitive status will prevent them from accessing any of the more powerful transmitters.
O’Brien and Nog send the message out, then join up with a nearby patrol. The troops deployed to the planet, all enlisted personnel, seem to have little idea as to why they are being ordered to enforce martial law. Earth is under a total media lockdown, though rumors are still filtering through. One of the crewmen (lowest enlisted ranks) mentions that they heard talk that Vulcan has seceded, which prompts the other troops to share the gossip that they heard. The petty officer in charge of the patrol orders them to be quiet. Nog counters that if they’re being given orders that go against the ideals of the Federation, don’t they deserve to know why? O’Brien comments that if this really is just because there was another terrorist attack and the President is incapacitated, bringing in martial law is an extreme overreaction.
In Scotland, the Sheridans watch as people take to the streets to ask the Starfleet personnel what is happening. The troops order them to return to their homes, but do not explain why they must. This frustrates the civilians, who start to protest against the media blackout and martial law. Scenes like this start appearing across Earth, with Sisko, Kelly, and Francine joining up with a protest in San Francisco. The deployed troops seem unsure what to do with the protestors, but they do manage to form up and prevent them from going any further. DeSoto’s executive officer, Commander Eleanore Tierney, privately contacts Sheridan and asks what he knows. Sheridan tells her all that’s happened on his end, which disquiets Tierney. She urges him to get to the bottom of the matter; Sheridan assures her that he fully intends to.
Back in Dearborn, a similar scene is unfolding, though O’Brien and Nog’s units are refusing to stop the protestors. Tensions are rising between Starfleet and the protestors, when an order comes in through a PADD to force the protestors back into their homes. Lethal force is authorized in the event of any refusals. For many of the enlisted personnel, this is a step too far, especially as this has come with no explanation. Most lay down their arms to join up with the protestors.
Meanwhile, Bashir has gotten Sulu stabilized and conscious, leaving him with a specialist. As he goes to take a breather, a senior officer arrives. He introduces himself as Luther Sloan, Deputy Director of Internal Affairs, commends Bashir’s medical talents, and says he’s been watching Bashir with some interest. Bashir is nonplussed as Sloan begins to explain something, but is cut off. The specialist informs Bashir that Sulu wishes to speak to him immediately. Sloan encourages him to go perform his duties, assuring him they’ll talk later when the time is right.
President Sulu wants to know what’s happening outside. He has an awful feeling that something bad has happened. Bashir explains that Gardener has taken over, but he doesn’t know much more than that. Sulu turns on the news, which immediately informs them that Vulcan, Andor, and Kashee IV have declared their intent to secede, and Arbaz, Bolia, and Coridan are expected to follow. Tellar is still weighing its options, as is Xelatii II. The news anchor does note that these are declarations rather than binding legal acts, but even so, Bashir and Sulu are still horrified, with the president murmuring, “My God, what has he done?”
Sheridan beams into Starfleet Headquarters, hellbent on finding Admiral Gardener to finally get an explanation as to what is going on. He finds Starfleet Headquarters fully militarized, and is initially detained for his unexpected arrival. However, he is soon freed on Gardener’s orders. The admiral reasons that Sheridan’s recent battlefield experience may make him more open to the plans that he has.
To Gardener’s annoyance, Sheridan proves just as opposed to his vision as Sisko was. Sheridan asks him how many people were in on the plan, to which Gardener reveals that it was just a “handful,” but that he had few worries, as “the rest, they’ll happily follow the orders that I give them.” Sheridan rebuts this by pointing out the window onto the grounds of Starfleet Headquarters. The protestors have advanced, led by Sisko and the Kellys, and joined by an increasing number of Starfleet personnel. Angered, Gardener boasts that he still has the loyalty of the fleet, and that if needed, he can use them to “make an example of the protestors.”
Sheridan concedes that Gardener has the support of a large portion of Starfleet, but he questions whether he has enough. On cue, a communication comes in for Gardener from the fleet in orbit, revealing that the Valiant has arrived from Deep Space 9, bringing with it a small fleet of ships still loyal to President Sulu. Not enough to win a battle, but enough to send a message. Sheridan gives Gardener an ultimatum: step down, or face a civil war. Gardener refuses, calling for security to come and arrest Sheridan.
A security team led by Sisko, Kelly, and Francine enters the room, phasers in hand. “Admiral David Gardener,” Sisko says, “you are under arrest for treason against the United Federation of Planets.” Gardener attempts to fight back, damaging much of his office in the process. During this, he cries that he didn’t bomb the Antwerp conference, blame the Changelings, and cause a worldwide power outage just to have his coup fail within a day. In the end he is apprehended and dragged from the room while shouting almost incoherently at how his plans have unraveled. He declares that Sisko, Sheridan, and the Kelly family will pay dearly for what they’ve done. Kelly remarks that it’ll most likely be the other way around.
Several days later, President Sulu has recovered and is back in office, though Bashir argues that he should still be resting. Footage of Gardener’s meltdown has been leaked to the news and is playing on loop. The Federation has been shaken to its core at how close it came to falling from its ideals. Those arrested for breaking curfew have been released, and Gardener’s co-conspirators have been apprehended and are awaiting court martials. But things have not gone back to normal. Vulcan, Coridan, Kashee IV, and Tellar all refuse to stop their secessions from the Federation, arguing that even though the rightful president is back in power, the mere fact that Gardener’s coup happened at all is proof that the Federation is not what it used to be. (Andor, Arbaz, Bolia, and Xelatii II have remained, thankfully.)
Before the Valiant departs for Deep Space 9, Nog asks Sisko what he would have done had Starfleet not joined the protestors. Sisko reveals that he was planning on returning to the station and contacting officers he knew he could trust to form a resistance, though he remains quiet when asked whether he thought it would work. Nog goes to say goodbye to Jake, who remains shocked not only that he was arrested, but that Nog and O’Brien did nothing to stop it. The two try to explain, but Jake doesn’t want to hear it. As far as he’s concerned, he and Nog are no longer friends. He storms off to the ship, leaving a tearful Nog in his wake. Odo and Kira, meanwhile, have a quiet word comparing their experiences about life on the run.
While returning to Deep Space 9 on the Valiant, Bashir receives a private communiqué on a secure channel. It’s Sloan, who explains that he needs Bashir to pay close attention to an information leak when he gets back to Deep Space 9. The future of the Federation depends on it.
Recurring Cast: Peter Capaldi as Capt. John Sheridan and Aron Eisenberg as Cadet Nog
Special Guest Stars: George Takei as Federation President Hikaru Sulu, Pierce Brosnan as Admiral David Gardener, and Kirsten Dunst as Anna Sheridan
Guest Stars: Kate Mulgrew as Commodore Francine Kelly, Phyllida Law as Nancy Sheridan, Richard Griffiths as Dr. David Sheridan, Michael Cavanaugh as Captain Robert DeSoto, Viola Davis as Commander Eleanore Tierney, and James Spader as “Luther Sloan”
Note: In an allusion to the tagline of 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Art Hindle cameos as a Starfleet commander who looks at the bedlam caused by Gardener and remarks, “The seed is planted… terror grows.” This commander is later seen amongst the baying crowds outside Starfleet HQ. Hindle received no on-screen credit for his appearance, but many fans expressed their delight online.
Reparations
Following a ceremony for Dax’s promotion to lieutenant commander in the wardroom, Ambassador G’Kar comes to see Sisko and Kira. They adjourn to G’Kar’s office. The ambassador asks for DS9 to be the site of the Narn’s negotiations with the Cardassians over reparations. The two reach out to their governments, both give their okay, and the Cardassians surprisingly agree to negotiate.
Into this comes Dukat, who has managed to worm his way back into some minor good graces – enough to make a claim for the position of Cardassian ambassador. The Bajoran government is outraged, and demands another option be sent forthwith. One soon arrives in the form of the dashing, gallant Ostreum “Ost” Nicilan. He makes quite the impression with his good humor, manners, and willingness to lend out books from his extensive collection. Ost informs Dukat that if talks succeed, he will likely be posted to the station as the permanent Ambassador to the Federation for the Cardassian Union.
Dukat and Ost have never met and on the surface seem to get along… but, as Garak points out, they’re actually quite disgusted with each other. Dukat doesn’t like the fact that his government is apparently acceding to the Bajoran government’s “unreasonable and prejudiced demands,” (a phrase that everyone else rolls their eyes at) and he sees Ost as the face of this personal insult. Ost, for his part, sees Dukat for exactly what he is: a conniving and unlikeable fascist who gives Cardassians as a whole a bad name. Dukat defacing one of Ost’s most prized tomes out of spite just further exacerbates the situation.
G’Kar, for his part, quickly grows frustrated with the two men’s constant sniping, arguing, and one-upmanship. His fellow ambassador Na’Toth quite agrees, and both threaten to leave as the dispute continues to make the talks fly into a tailspin. It may be up to Ziyal, Kira, and Troi to set things right before any chance of the Narn receiving their well-deserved reparations goes up in smoke.
Meanwhile, Sisko is approached by T’Preike, who says she has been recalled to Vulcan due to the intended secession. She is conflicted. Despite the fact that it’s logical for her to obey her superiors, she doesn’t want to leave. In fact, she has come to enjoy her time on DS9. Sisko advises her that just because her planet is seceding doesn’t mean she has to go with it. There are options for her if she wishes to continue as a diplomat.
Additionally, it’s noted that the more prominent members of the Lakota’s crew, namely Cmdr. Tigan and Lt. Kulin, have been reassigned to DS9 for the time being. Kulin has been posted to O’Brien’s engineering team, while – rather conspicuously – Tigan is listed as performing a different job by each person who brings it up. Sheridan, meanwhile, has been buried in paperwork on administrative duties.
Recurring Cast: Marc Alaimo as Dukat, Matt LeBlanc as Ambassador Ost Nicilan, Mädchen Amick as Ambassador T’Preike, and Mira Furlan as Ambassador Delenn
Special Guest Star: Bob Saget as Ambassador Dalotta Fillith
Guest Stars: Andreas Katsulas as Ambassador G’Kar, Caitlin Brown as Ambassador Na’Toth, Melanie Smith as Tora Ziyal, and F.J. Rio as Crewman (first class) Enrique Muñiz
Absent: Alexander Siddig as Dr. Julian Bashir
When Clouds are Seen
Quark’s is expanding their holo-suite section. The Ferengi tries to capitalize on Jake and Nog’s falling out by offering a bigger role in the business to Rom. This is in hopes that it will show Nog that attending Starfleet Academy is a fool’s errand and get him back to the station. Rom is initially interested, but upbraids his brother when he finds out the reasons behind the offer. Quark decides that perhaps he should just shut up about it, despite his feelings. To do otherwise might start cutting into his profit margins should Rom decide to leave for good because of his actions.
Meanwhile, Kira is contacted by Harben, the ex-Cardassian ambassador (now a gul once again) investigating a recent attack on the Lazon II prison camp, during which Thomas Riker escaped. Given that Kira was present during Riker’s hijacking of the Valiant, the gul feels that she would prove a valuable asset in tracking Riker’s movements, and has requested her assistance. Kira reluctantly agrees to assist on the condition that Riker is not sentenced to death on his re-capture, and that she be accompanied by Troi, who has much more experience in dealing with Riker. Commander Solaris requests to come along as well, citing “disturbing reports from that area.”
While on the runabout to rendezvous with Harben, Kira and Troi analyze the data that he has sent over, noting that it paints a clear picture. Solaris notes, however, that there are certain omissions. It appears that the attack on Lazon II was orchestrated by the Maquis, who Troi notes have only been getting more ambitious and extreme since Eddington’s defection.
The trio arrive at the rendezvous point, where Harben and his subordinate Dal Maazia explain the situation to them in more detail. They have been tracking the attack ship’s warp trail, but at their current location, it inexplicably diverges. Both trails lead into the Demilitarized Zone, to two planets that are both known to be hotbeds of Maquis activity. Recognising that Riker has made a similar move during their previous encounter, Kira has Maazia identify each trail’s subspace harmonic signature and compare it to the trail they have just followed to identify which trail is fake. To everyone’s surprise, neither trail is real. At which point, the attack ship decloaks above them and fires on Harben’s vessel, the CDS Bievid, landing a debilitating blow. No one can figure out how the Maquis have acquired cloaking technology, though Solaris doesn’t seem especially insulted by the dal’s insinuation that it’s of Romulan origin. Regardless, the ship is out of commission for at least five hours while repairs are affected… but the runabout still works.
As Solaris runs an analysis of the cloaking signature, Troi sends a message using an encrypted subspace signal. One that only those she’s close to know – namely O’Brien and Riker. She contacts O’Brien and, in coded language, asks for his help with a specific warp engine part that Riker once had an issue with on an early posting. She does this knowing full well that if Riker is nearby, he’ll listen in and know she’s there. She’s counting on his love for her keeping them safe. Kira and Solaris commend her on her quick thinking.
The Maquis ship departs under cloak, and the trio follow it in the runabout. Before they leave, Harben asks to beam aboard while his crew continue to repair the Bievid. They reluctantly accept his request, and set off. While underway, Kira and Solaris question Harben about the data he omitted from the documents he sent them, namely that there seems to be no record of what work actually happens at the Lazon II camp. Harben explains that that information was “of no practical use” to the investigation, and refuses to elaborate further, though Troi can tell that he is lying.
Kira sends a message to the cloaked ship requesting a parley. Otherwise, she will have Harben send additional Cardassian ships to intercept, as now they have identified the ship’s ion trail, the cloak is of limited use. Harben objects to “negotiation with terrorists,” but Kira explains that talking now reduces the possibility of a violent confrontation in which Cardassians might be killed. The Maquis ship stops, decloaks, and hails the runabout.
Tom Riker appears on screen. He explains that the Lazon II labor camp was being used primarily for the mining and processing of delictunite. Solaris is horrified and explains the refined form of this mineral is delictox gas, “a nerve agent so intense it makes sarin gas seem like a spa treatment. It incinerates most species’ nervous systems, killing in the most painful way possible. Not even the Tal Shiar would stoop to such needless brutality.” Riker further explains that the Cardassians have been preparing large quantities of delictox gas. Found out, Harben explains that the chemical weapon stockpile was only to be used as a last resort, in the event of a war that threatens Cardassia’s very existence. Riker, however, reveals that the Maquis have evidence that the Cardassians were planning on using it to attack Maquis colonies in the DMZ and claim the entirety of it for themselves. He goes so far as to speculate they might use it against Bajor and even Earth if given the chance, though admits there’s no confirmation of this.
Despite this revelation, Troi and Riker are unable to agree to a deal that will satisfy both the Maquis and Cardassians. The Maquis ship cloaks once more and makes a run for the DMZ. Harben demands that they pursue, but the other three decline, citing how outgunned the runabout is. Furthermore, they’re obligated to report the Cardassian chemical weapons program to their respective governments. Harben maintains that the weapons were to be used purely in self-defense, though none of them believe him.
Soon, Harben’s ship arrives. He beams back to it to give chase to the Maquis ship, though it has long since disappeared. The three women return to Deep Space 9 in the runabout to reveal what they have uncovered.
Sisko is outraged, both at the Maquis possessing a cloaking device and the Cardassian chemical weapons. Solaris confirms to him that the device is not of Romulan origin, though there are similarities. She postulates that it may be a case of reverse engineering, but she’d need to look at the actual mechanism to be sure. After she leaves, Sisko summons Ambassador Ost, who appears to genuinely have no knowledge of the delictox gas program’s existence. Sisko laments that the conflict between the Cardassians and Maquis is reaching a tipping point, and that sooner or later, one side is going to do irreparable damage to the other. Ost concurs, then takes his leave.
To Sisko’s surprise, moments after Ost’s departure, Troi rushes in with a PADD. On it is Riker, who announces the Maquis lied to him and that he wishes to defect. However, he cannot send more information, even over this secure frequency. He signs off, leaving the coordinates of a rendezvous point with the message, “Please rescue me.”
To be continued…
Recurring Cast: Linda Hunt as Commander Solaris, Matt LeBlanc as Ambassador Ost Nicilan, and Max Grodénchik as Rom
Special Guest Star: Jonathan Frakes as Thomas Riker
Guest Stars: Adrian Paul as Gul Harben, Vernee Watson-Johnson as Dal Maazia, with Dann Florek as Edgar Ackhurst and Lynda Boyd as T’Preva Seghers (Maquis members)
Absent: Alexander Siddig as Dr. Julian Bashir
For the Uniform
Sisko arrives at Riker’s coordinates on a barren planet in the Badlands. Riker himself is well, but is clearly terrified. On the way back to Deep Space 9 in the Valiant, Riker explains that he had not been given the full story about the attack on Lazon II. While ostensibly the Maquis intended only to rescue their captured members, but had also stolen large quantities of delictunite for their own use. Now, Riker believes, they have synthesized enough delictox for a viable weapon to be created, and likely used on a Cardassian colony within the DMZ.
Riker further explains that a more hardline faction, led by Michael Eddington, has come to power in the Maquis recently, and that they believe that the entirety of the Demilitarized Zone should belong to them. He relays the story to Starfleet Command, who are somewhat skeptical of his claims, but authorize Sisko to investigate nonetheless.
While Sisko and Dax work on finding a workable lead from Riker’s data, Riker himself struggles to adjust to the station. He receives the cold shoulder from almost all Starfleet personnel. Even his “twin” William has disowned him, as Thomas’ defection had brought William’s own loyalties into question. Going to work out his frustrations in the holosuite, he is unexpectedly joined by Garak, with whom he shares a conversation about whether it is more important to do one’s duty or what they believe is right.
As Sisko and Dax continue to work, Kira arrives in ops with an urgent message. One of the Cardassian colonies in the DMZ has been attacked by the Maquis. Sisko takes Kira, Dax, Solaris, and O’Brien with him on the Valiant to investigate, with Riker accompanying to monitor Maquis communications. Arriving at the colony, they encounter a Maquis ship still in orbit, which hails them. The image of Eddington appears on the newly installed holo-communicator.
Sisko and Eddington argue about whether the latter’s methods are justified, but Eddington explains his faction’s intentions outright. They intend to provoke the Cardassians into taking drastic action. That will likely result in the Federation’s intervention to protect those who they still view as their own citizens, especially given the recent uproar over the alleged existence of Cardassian chemical weapons.
This explanation does not satisfy Troi, who is able to sense that Eddington is lying, but cannot tell what he is concealing. Riker chimes in that the Maquis comms chatter he is hearing is rather strange, as though they are preparing for something big. Eddington comments on Riker’s presence, referring to him as a traitor, which sets Sisko off. Who the hell is Eddington to call Riker a traitor after all he’s done? Eddington simply retorts by comparing himself to Jean Valjean, with Sisko as Javert. He sends over a copy of Les Miserables with the comment, “I know it’s a long book, but you’ll have the time to read it.” Just then, the main power in the Valiant shuts off. The data in the book has triggered a cascade virus Eddington had planted in the ship’s computers before his defection.
All too late, the crew realizes the truth. The attack on the colony was a distraction to get the Valiant out of the way while the real operation took place. O’Brien is barely able to get the ship back online, but internal communications are still down, with the crew relying on people ferrying messages back and forth between the bridge and engineering to coordinate actions.
As the long-range sensors come back online, Solaris notes an odd subspace signature, typical of a ship traveling under a cloak that is underpowered for its size, and on a course heading directly for Cardassia Prime. A horrified Kira says that she thinks she knows what is happening. It is remarkably similar to a plan thought up by an extremist faction of the Bajoran Resistance during the occupation: send a high-yield missile to Cardassia Prime under cloak as a decapitation strike and force the Cardassians to withdraw. The delictox the Maquis were synthesizing is likely the payload.
Sisko orders for the Valiant to intercept and disable the missile, but Kira reveals there is a problem. With the limited power O’Brien has been able to restore, there’s no way for them to intercept the missile before it reaches Cardassia Prime without forgoing their cloak. However, requesting access into Cardassian space will require explaining the situation to them, which risks losing precious time. Solaris proposes a hybrid solution, as they may be able to send only a small amount of power to the cloak while still moving fast enough to intercept the missile. They will still be detectable by most Carsaddian sensors, but it should confuse the readings enough to buy them the time they need.
The Valiant crosses over into Cardassian territory, though as they approach the missile, a Cardassian patrol also moves to intercept them. Just barely in time, the Valiant manages to knock the missile out of warp and disable its cloak before beaming it aboard for analysis, then cloaking. The Cardassian patrol lingers for a moment, not having seen the Valiant itself.
Returning to DS9, Sisko and O’Brien examine the missile, confirming that the payload was, in fact, delictox. Not enough to poison the entire planet, but it would take out a large portion of a continent. The targeting computer’s coordinates reveal it was aimed at the capitol. The explosion and subsequent release of the gas would likely have been attributed to an industrial accident by the Alpha Quadrant powers, especially since the Cardassians had just been found to have been manufacturing and stockpiling the gas themselves. Meanwhile, Solaris has confiscated the missile’s cloaking device on the grounds of the Treaty of Algeron, sending it back to Romulus for analysis.
Sisko reports to Admiral Nechayev, who reprimands him for entering Cardassian territory without permission, but also praises him for stopping the terrorist act. Riker, in acknowledgement of his cooperation, has his sentence greatly reduced, though he admits to feeling conflicted at having just “saved Cardassia.” Troi reminds him that the vast majority of Cardassian civilians are innocent in this conflict, and don’t deserve to die. He admits she has a point. Nechayev also informs Sisko that the events of the past few days will be classified to prevent a diplomatic incident with Cardassia and/or possible reprisals against the Maquis should they discover what really happened.
A few days later, as Riker is preparing to be taken to the New Zealand penal colony, a Maquis ship emerges from the Badlands unexpectedly, carrying Michael Eddington. Ackhurst, the captain of the ship, reveals that there has been a sudden change in the leadership of the Maquis in the aftermath of Eddington’s plan’s failure. As a show of good faith, they are handing him over to Starfleet. Sisko and Eddington have a brief confrontation once more, but it is clear that this has only furthered Eddington’s own views of himself as a “Valjean.”
In a surprising upset, however, Riker is beamed away by Ackhurst and his partner. Sisko demands an explanation. Ackhurst merely states that after Riker’s actions, they wish to keep him where they can see him… and where he can’t tell the Federation all of their secrets, his partner adds. (Eddington is too proud to tell the Federation anything.) Before anyone can stop them, they abscond with Riker. Troi glumly notes that this likely won’t do much to help his sentence once this whole mess is over.
Recurring Cast: Kenneth Marshall as Michael Eddington, Andrew Robinson as Garak, and Linda Hunt as Commander Solaris
Guest Stars: F.J. Rio as Crewman (first class) Enrique Muñiz, Dann Florek as Edgar Ackhurst, Lynda Boyd as T’Preva Seghers (Ackhurst’s partner), and Natalia Nogulich as Admiral Alynna Nechayev
I Know It When I See It
Quark’s expansion has been completed and already there’s a furor over the content of the new holo-suites. Many of these are functionally holo-brothels. Kai Bareil remains curiously silent on the matter, much to the consternation of Major Kira and the fury of Navarch Winn. The latter is leading the charge against the holo-brothels, and is putting religious pressure on Kira to stand up to Sisko and get them shut down. This fails, though Kira privately admits to Sisko and Dax that she nominally agrees with Winn. Sisko still refuses to shut Quark down – he will not concede to a moral panic, and is surprised that the major would. Dax points out that if people have an issue with the holo-brothels, then they don’t need to patronize them. Forcing their morality on others just makes them heavy-handed and unreasonable.
Rom is concerned about a possible fault in Holo-Suite 47. Quark continually dismisses his brother’s worries, telling Rom he’s overreacting. Besides, that’s the most popular suite – to remove it from the roster, even for a while, would mean less latinum! Any repairs can wait until business has leveled off again. With his brother completely blinded by profit, Rom is left to try to appeal to the engineering staff.
Meanwhile, Keiko also finds herself firmly against the holo-brothels. After failing to convince O’Brien to sabotage them, she finds Winn willing to lend a sympathetic ear. The navarch apparently tries to smooth things over with Keiko, given their rocky past…. When we next see Keiko, she is convincing an equally uneasy Muñiz to do the deed. He relents and agrees to help them. En route, he meets Rom, who allows him entry without any reservations after he agrees to look at the problem.
To their surprise, the suite is already occupied. Trill ambassador Dalotta Fillith is running an Orion sex slave program. Rom tries to leave, but Muñiz insists they can sneak in and get out before they’re noticed as the ambassador is “extremely preoccupied.” They nearly succeed. However, at a critical moment, one of the Orion hologram’s legs flies out and kicks Rom in the head. He receives a horrendous shock, which also surprises Fillith at the worst moment. His heart gives out and, to the horror of everyone (even the holographic woman) he dies as the room shuts down. Muñiz stares in gobsmacked horror at the scene… then Quark storms in, followed by Odo. They both stare in shock for a moment before Odo calls in immediate medical attention for Rom and Fillith.
Later, in Sisko’s office, both O’Brien and Sisko demand an explanation for what happened. An utterly mortified Rom and Muñiz explain. Rom is dismissed, with O’Brien resolving to give Quark a stern talking-to about station maintenance. Keiko is called in, and O’Brien notes she’s seemed out of sorts for the last day or so. In the end, Kira finds out that Winn hypnotized Keiko, exacerbating her reservations about the holo-brothels in an attempt to achieve Winn’s own ends. Sisko is furious. He now has to explain to the High Echelons of Trillius Prime exactly how their ambassador “expired mid-coitus,” which he is not looking forward to.
Summoning Winn, he tells her that unless she wants the government to know exactly what she’s been doing and cause an interstellar incident with the Trill (as it’s ultimately her fault all this occurred), she will agree to his terms. Namely, she will not come to the station without at least two weeks’ prior notice (except during emergencies), she will be escorted by non-Bajoran security officers at all times when she is on DS9, and all personnel she assigns to the station will be given background checks by both Odo and a Starfleet officer. Winn balks, pointing out that DS9 is a Bajoran station, not a Federation one, so she has every right as navarch to come here unimpeded. Sisko reminds her that the Bajoran government asked the Federation to run DS9 and he has done so very capably. Furthermore, he informs her that he has no problems whatsoever with banning her outright and dealing with the fallout by revealing her gambit here. Backed into a corner, Winn mulishly agrees to the terms.
Meanwhile, O’Brien makes good on his decision, and Quark is ordered to allow Rom to conduct regular maintenance unimpeded. Furthermore, he is to restrict the amount of adult programs offered in his holo-suites and the times they’re available until the station’s night cycle. “That won’t be a problem,” he notes. “What happened in there didn’t just kill the ambassador – it also killed business!” For their part, Keiko and Muñiz agree to attend therapy with Troi for the violations they experienced.
Recurring Cast: Louise Fletcher as Navarch Winn Adami and Max Grodénchik as Rom
Special Guest Star: Bob Saget as Ambassador Dalotta Fillith
Guest Stars: F.J. Rio as Crewman (first class) Enrique Muñiz, Kelly Monaco as the Orion sex slave hologram, and Alex Rice as Miriam Runningdeer
Note: Winn’s inexplicable powers of hypnotism, left over from an earlier draft with a different character, were conveniently never mentioned again. The writers agreed with fans that her being “a half-rate Bajoran Svengali” didn’t suit the character (though that core concept would see use down the line as a separate individual). Louise Fletcher would later admit that she was grateful for that.
The Ship
Temporarily commanding the USS Valiant while waiting on the USS Brigid, Capt. Sheridan welcomes the break from administrative duty, while Kelly – acting as his first officer – is keen to see more of the Gamma Quadrant. Starfleet has given them an assignment to inspect Torga IV in the Gamma Quadrant. Scans suggest the planet is rich in cormaline, which would be very useful, and Starfleet is considering mining the world pending the Valiant’s report. As Dax notes that the veins of cormaline detected below are some of the most plentiful and accessible she’s ever seen, a ship drops out of warp and crashes onto Torga IV. Gathering an away team, Sheridan takes a shuttle down to the surface to investigate.
It is a downed Jem’Hadar fighter, and Sheridan is determined to secure it for Starfleet to inspect. He plans to tow it back to the Alpha Quadrant. However, before this can occur, another Jem’Hadar fighter surprises the Valiant. Solaris insists that the cloaking device must be taken out of harm’s way as per the agreement with the Romulans. In order to avoid an intergalactic incident, Kelly orders the ship to retreat, intending to return for the away team after eluding the Jem’Hadar. Down below, a platoon of 20 Jem’Hadar led by the Vorta Kilana arrives and besieges the away team….
Recurring Cast: Peter Capaldi as Capt. John Sheridan, Katey Sagal as Lt. KulinXap sh’Var, and Linda Hunt as Cmdr. Solaris
Guest Stars: F.J. Rio as Crewman (first class) Enrique Muñiz, Kaitlin Hopkins as Kilana, and Hilary Shepard Turner as Hoya
Program 359 (Part One)
Kelly and Troi happen upon a program that Sisko has been running in one of the holosuites. It replays the incidents of the Battle of Wolf 359 aboard the USS Saratoga. They find themselves in command – presumably Sisko would be the one in command usually. Kelly decides to play it out while Troi advises him, both musing about whether this is wise – both as it could be read as an invasion of Sisko’s privacy and because they will know far more about what happened to the late Admiral Hanson’s fleet (the Enterprise having just missed the actual battle). However, the end result is the same, no matter what commands Kelly gives and what advice Troi offers him.
Sisko enters and upbraids the pair for this invasion of his privacy. They were worried about his mental state, Troi explains. Kelly admits that they were wondering whether or not to submit a medical report. Sisko refuses to engage with them and storms out.
After a heart-to-heart with Jake, Sisko speaks to them again. According to him, going through the scenario and trying everything has been his way of trying to deal with losing Jennifer and the battle. Troi tells him it’s not healthy, and Sisko concurs. All it’s proved to him is that nothing else could be done. Despite it all, everything he did to save Jennifer proved fruitless. At Kelly’s urging, he deletes the program.
While ruminating on his decision, Sisko is contacted by Admiral Hadobin, the same Vulcan he connected T’Preike with earlier on. Hadobin explains that a diplomatic breakthrough has been made with the Vorlons. Initially, Sisko mishears him and thinks he said Vorgons; he’s quite surprised. Hadobin clarifies he means Vorlons… and Sisko is even more surprised. The Vorlons are renowned for being secretive in a way that puts even the Breen to shame – some even say xenophobic. A Vorlon ambassador will be arriving to take up residence on Deep Space 9 within the year. Sisko acknowledges this, though inquires as to where he’s even going to put another ambassador. Hadobin informs him that will become clear in time.
Several days later, the USS Endeavor docks at the station, bringing with it two old members of the Saratoga crew, Counselor Dr. Constance Barnes and Warp Core Specialist Lt. Esteban Lopez. Sisko and Barnes are polite with each other, but Sisko begins to avoid her, which she finds disheartening. Lopez doesn’t mind at all. He gets out a “nice to see you, Ben; tell Jake I said hi,” then makes a beeline for Quark’s. There, he takes up a spot at a dabo table and within minutes begins losing scads of cash. Dax notes that it’s almost impressive how tremendously bad a gambler the man is. O’Brien wonders where the hell he’s getting all the latinum.
Meanwhile, Kira speaks with Troi about Sisko being out of sorts as of late. Kelly, Sheridan, and Jake come to her about it as well, as does Dr. Bashir. When her fellow psychiatrist Dr. Barnes also mentions it, Troi decides to immediately confront Sisko in his office. She tells him they’re going to work out a way to get him on a healthy path forward because practically the entire senior staff is worried about him. Initially resistant, Sisko finally acquiesces.
According to Barnes, they’re commissioning a new Saratoga, which Sisko knew about from his friends at Utopia Planitia. All the survivors of the old Saratoga’s crew are invited to attend the launch ceremony in several weeks. Sisko had been avoiding the idea, but now decides to confront this portion of his trauma head-on. He resolves to attend the ceremony.
Odo, meanwhile, has tossed Lopez into a holding cell for public drunkenness… and because Quark begged him to get the man out of his bar. While he didn’t mind the cash flow one bit, the man’s incredibly bad gambling luck was starting to turn other patrons away. They thought the tables were rigged. Odo points out that they are rigged, which Quark says is a) not provable in a Bajoran court of law, and b) not as rigged as Lopez made them seem! He does have some standards, thank you very much!
In her quarters, Barnes dictates a log about what’s been happening. She then admits that she hopes “dear old Ben” will forgive her for what she did. However, she does not save the log and instead retires to bed for the evening.
To be continued…
Recurring Cast: Peter Capaldi as Capt. John Sheridan
Guest Stars: Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Constance Barnes, Esai Morales as Lt. Esteban Lopez, Brock Peters as Admiral Hadobin, George Murdock as Vice Admiral J.P. Hanson (on screens in hologram), and Reggie Lee as Ateel (unnamed, uncredited)
Saratoga, Parts I and II (Parts Two and Three)
Sisko is making preparations for his trip to Utopia Planitia to attend the launch of the USS Saratoga-A. He has invited Sheridan, Kira, and Jake to come along, in addition to his plus-one: Kasidy Yates, newly released from her stint in jail after aiding the Maquis. They will be taking the Valiant with a minimal crew, so Dax is along for the ride. O’Brien stays behind at Keiko’s request – Molly has a recital coming up and wants him there. Sisko, ever the family man, insists O’Brien not miss out on his daughter growing up. Kelly will also not be coming; instead, Sisko has given him temporary command of the station, which Kelly is very honored to take on.
Barnes’ behavior around Sisko is very awkward, and the crew slowly come to avoid her during the trip. This just exacerbates the issue. Kasidy decides to speak with her one-on-one. Dr. Barnes tries to downplay and sidestep the issue, speaking in riddles and vague non-answers. Eventually, Kasidy simply gives up. Making things worse is Sisko, who has largely clammed up when he isn’t simply off in his own little world. While Kasidy is understanding, she grows frustrated that he won’t talk to her about it. Jake commiserates with her.
Lopez is similarly acting strange, but this goes largely unremarked upon as he just sticks to his quarters. Inside, however, he speaks over a triple-encrypted subspace channel to a mysterious partner. He assures them that he’ll do all they ask of him; there’s nothing to worry about at all.
At Utopia Planitia, the survivors of the Saratoga-A meet up. After an awkward reunion, the new Saratoga is unveiled. Sheridan in particular is pleasantly surprised. It will be an Athena-class warship, an improvement upon the USS Valiant’s own design and the same class as his upcoming new command the USS Brigid. Sisko and Dax, meanwhile, are deeply concerned about the Federation’s increased militarism. Lopez doesn’t care, though Dr. Barnes shares their concerns. One voice advocating for furthered militarism is the Bolian former-tactical-officer-turned-captain, Hranok Zar. In his opinion, if the late Captain Syvyk had been more inclined to engage sooner and more directly, things could have been different. Sisko is surprised at Zar, and the two are soon in a debate about it. Zar even goes so far as to say that it’s a good thing that Vulcan is seceding. Seeing that neither man will be swayed, Kasidy leaves to accompany Dax and Jake to meet a mutual old friend who works at the shipyards. Before long, several engineers (including some Bynars) come to collect Sheridan to have him inspect his new vessel and personalize his ready room. Kira and Bashir note that both Lopez and Barnes have vanished, and decide to investigate.
Meanwhile, Troi, Kelly, and O’Brien discuss the Battle of Wolf 359 and how it has affected the Federation. Much like Sisko and Dax, Troi has misgivings about the Federation’s slowly rising militarism, pointing out the ongoing secessions of Vulcan, Coridan, and Kashee IV. (Tellar is noted as having had a change of tune following a few persuasive arguments.) O’Brien, a veteran of the Cardassian Wars, has fewer objections – though he doesn’t feel that the level Admiral Gardener wanted is acceptable. Kelly’s somewhere in between, though ruminating on Gardener has him concerned.
Kira and Bashir find Lopez and Barnes arguing in a cargo bay. Listening in, Barnes expresses that she cannot abide by what she did to the other survivors for Lopez and “[his] Retizian buddies.” The lieutenant sharply corrects her – they’re no buddies of his. He also reminds her that he “knows what [she] did” and will reveal it if she doesn’t follow his orders. Barnes protests, but Lopez stands firm. Barnes storms out; Kira and Bashir narrowly avoid being seen by her and Lopez. They hurry to find Sisko and tell him what’s transpiring behind the scenes.
On DS9, Kelly comes to wonder if he’s truly capable of being in charge of the station in the long-term – should that happen – or another station, or a starship. What would that kind of power do to him as a person? He’s disquieted by how easily he could see himself coming around to thinking like Gardener. These are only amplified as a Dominion delegation comes to the station unannounced. The Female Changeling, accompanied by Weyoun and Omet’iklan, explains they have come to speak with the Bajoran ambassador about a non-aggression pact. Despite his reservations, Kelly is unable to stop them as he does not have authority within the Bajoran government. The Female Changeling further explains that before they do so, she would like to have a discussion with Kelly. Flummoxed, Kelly asks what about. The Female Changeling explains it’s about the future of the station and the Dominion’s relationship with the Federation. Due to his ongoing anxieties, Kelly is reluctant. Against his better judgement, he agrees to speak with her.
Back on Utopia Planitia, Sisko and Zar – the two remaining senior officers from the ship – are not speaking. Sisko has closed off again, and both Kasidy and Jake are at their limit. They’re both about to leave when Kira and Bashir arrive with their news. Kasidy identifies the Retizians – one of the native sophonts of Thetalian Prime alongside the Jha F’Kha and the Glamdi-i. Retizians are noted for their pale, mottled skin and having porcupine-like quills instead of more traditional hair and fur. Sisko tasks Kira with investigating the matter, suggesting she contact the Retizian Gambling Oversight Division (RGOD). Bashir, meanwhile, is sent to wheedle information out of Barnes. Sisko plans to talk to the other Saratoga crew members and get them to submit to medical scans. Bashir suggests keeping his comm line open when Sisko speaks to the others, but muting Sisko’s end, so they can hopefully have her reveal her treachery to everyone.
Kelly speaks with the Dominion delegation in private. The Female Changeling expresses concerns that given the recent events within the Federation, that Bajor may decide that the Federation is unable to provide the requisite security for the station. She suggests that the Dominion be allowed to station a contingent aboard, to assist in the security of the station. Such a proposal would provide Bajor with additional assurances and provide an opportunity for a détente between the Federation and Dominion, Weyoun insists. Omet’iklan is less tactful, questioning whether the Federation would even be able to keep the Dominion out of the Alpha Quadrant if they tried. Kelly, rather than giving an outright refusal, states that as Acting Commander, he has no real authority to agree to a deal, and suggests they take any proposal to the Bajoran government instead. As the other two leave, Weyoun remarks that if Sisko was here, they’d likely be leaving the quadrant – not just the station. He all but declares Kelly a piss-poor substitute before the Female Changeling orders him to her. Kelly slumps in Sisko’s chair, feeling defeated.
Afterwards, he meets with Odo to discuss the meeting, expressing his fears that the Bajoran government might agree to the deal if the Dominion were to propose it. On the surface, at least, it seems to be a win-win, and any opposition from the Federation would likely come across as an unwillingness to give up a position of power, which could damage relations with Bajor. Odo muses that the Dominion may not be intending to offer the deal at all, but rather arrived only to “size [him] up.” As a well-known officer and the Starfleet second-in-command for the station, were anything to happen to Sisko, the Dominion would likely be dealing with him instead. The notion of this does little to assuage Kelly’s fears.
Kira and Dax have a contentious meeting with the head of the RGOD. After some creative incentive, he confirms to them that several Starfleet members have outstanding debts upon which the RGOD intends to collect. Dax has him send them over, after which he cuts the connection with prejudice. They hurry the info to Sisko, who notes that Lopez has the highest outstanding debt.
The captain is able to gather his former crewmates, including Lopez, in a lounge overlooking the Saratoga-B. Zar is truculent, and a few other members are siding with him. Sisko asks that they simply listen. Bashir manages to outfox Barnes easily, and she confesses that Lopez had her implant certain cells into each former crewmate. The cells would turn into cancerous tumors chock full of corlandium, an otherwise quite rare substance prized by the Retizians as an aphrodisiac. She did this because Lopez blackmailed her with her darkest secret. Barnes has secretly loved Sisko for years and resented that Jennifer got him first. During the Battle of Wolf 359, she had ample opportunity to save Jennifer, being in the next room over, yet knowingly left her to die so that she could take up with Sisko in their mourning. Overcome by guilt, she instead took a job on a remote research station on Ghamad IV until recently accepting an offer to be chief psychiatrist on the USS Endeavor, and never acted upon her feelings.
Lopez attempts to shoot Sisko for revealing this, but is hit by a whole room of phasers set to stun. Sisko is similarly stunned, but only because he now knows his wife could have been saved had it not been for one woman’s jealousy. Cries for forgiveness from Barnes are shouted down by Kasidy as security arrives. Both she and Lopez are arrested. As they’re taken away, even while Lopez groans for her to shut up, Barnes again pleads for forgiveness from Sisko; he turns his back on her, hugging Jake tightly. The young man gives Barnes a look cold enough to freeze a polar bear, which finally does silence her. Zar apologizes for his behavior. Sisko doesn’t accept it, but he agrees to be cordial with the Bolian. The launch of the Saratoga-A goes off without a hitch… as does Molly O’Brien’s recital.
Recurring Cast: Peter Capaldi as Capt. John Sheridan, Penny Johnson Jerald as Kasidy Yates, Rosalind Chao as Keiko O’Brien, Brenda Song as Molly O’Brien, Salome Jens as the Female Changeling, Jeffrey Combs as Weyoun, and Clarence Williams III as First Omet’iklan
Guest Stars: Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Constance Barnes, Esai Morales as Lt. Esteban Lopez, Stephen Davies as Capt. Hranok Zar, Annette Helde and Iva Lane as 1011 and 0100, Glenn Shadix as the Head of the Retizian Gambling Oversight Division, and Michael Blackman and Tom Morga as the Retizians
Jennifer (Part Four)
The Valiant is en route back to DS9, though Sheridan has remained behind to discuss the upcoming launch of the USS Brigid with Starfleet Command. Along the way, they come across a mysterious ship adrift in space. The only occupant stuns Sisko and Jake: it’s Jennifer, seemingly alive and well. They beam her over and begin checking her out. Due to the reduced crew, the medical staff are only able to confirm that the DNA matches – it is, as far as they can determine, the real Jennifer. Privately, however, Bashir notes that the bio-scans are almost too perfect. Most of the crew are suspicious… except Jake.
The young man is beyond elated that his mother isn’t dead, though Sisko has severe reservations. He saw her broken body trapped under rubble on the Saratoga. The notion that she miraculously survived isn’t unreasonable given what is known from Starfleet history (read: this is Star Trek; ludicrous bullshit is part and parcel of the whole shebang), but he seriously doubts this is his wife. Sisko and Kira, against Jake’s vehement objections, decide to question Jennifer; Jake and Dax watch remotely. Jennifer answers all their questions perfectly, but… Sisko cannot help but feel something’s still wrong, even after everyone else is satisfied. He has a security detail placed on her at all times.
On DS9, Kelly decides to call Sheridan for some advice. He expresses his doubts to Sheridan as to whether he is up to the task of holding a command position, despite it having been his chief desire since joining Starfleet. Sheridan reminds Kelly of when they were stranded following the destruction of the Lakota, and how Kelly took charge of the situation. As far as Sheridan is concerned, Kelly will make a fantastic commander once he accepts that he has the skill, though Kelly remains unconvinced. Sheridan accepts Kelly’s insecurity, saying that there is no shame in admitting defeat as long as one is prepared to learn from it. That, he says, is the chief skill of a good Starfleet officer – a willingness to constantly learn.
Meanwhile, Bashir runs more tests on Jennifer, who takes it with seeming good grace. Finally, one of his medical technicians notices a persistent discrepancy. And it’s then that Jennifer drops her holo-projection and reveals she’s been turned into a Borg. There’s a struggle, and Jennifer’s implants are briefly disabled even as she infects the technician. It’s revealed the security detail has been infected at a low level to turn a blind eye to such things, but she cannot infect the computer due to incredibly complex anti-Borg encryption. She resumes the holo-projection as Bashir and more security rush in, with Jennifer and her detail claiming they found the technician like this.
Jennifer keeps trying to meet with Sisko, but gets rebuffed each time.
On the bridge, Sisko is perturbed. Jake is not speaking to him, spending his time with Jennifer. The rest of the crew are sympathetic to his feelings, but ultimately worried about him after the rollercoaster he’s experienced over the last week. It’s then that Dax notes they have a tail. Sisko demands a scan, and Dax replies that they’re being scanned right back… and a homing signal has been logged coming from within the Valiant. A familiar one, at that.
It’s Borg. Their tail and the signal are both Borg.
Sisko orders full red alert as a ramshackle Borg ship cobbled together partly from Wolf 359 ship remains decloaks behind them. The Valiant turns to face it… and finds the Saratoga’s hull front and center among the repurposed wreckage. Borg-ified shuttlecraft fan out around them lightning quick, forming a forcefield that traps them. The Borg hail them, and the main voice is that of Captain Syvyk. Despite everyone else’s concern for him, Sisko refuses to falter and orders Jennifer to be secured. He then addresses the Borg.
What the hell do they want?
This group of Borg were presumed deactivated after the Battle of Wolf 359 and have formed their own separate collective. They intend to assimilate the Valiant and the crew, learning all of Starfleet’s anti-Borg measures and circumventing them. From there, they will proceed to Sector 001 and assimilate the Earth, then the Federation, and then rejoin the main Borg Collective in the Delta Quadrant. As this is explained, Kira notes that the forcefield net is growing smaller.
Sisko informs them that he’d sooner die than allow this to happen.
“Dead or alive, you will be added to the Collective,” is all the Borg say to that.
So Sisko orders a self-destruct sequence, but deliberately keeps the time to himself. The Borg do not panic, but instead attempt to disable the Valiant’s shields and tractor it in. They fail. Sisko goes to see Jennifer.
Jennifer feigns ignorance to begin with, but drops the facade and the hologram once Sisko asserts that he knows she is involved. Sisko is horrified to see what has become of his wife and orders security to confine her to quarters under guard until they reach DS9 (as the Valiant has no holding cells). Suddenly, the security detail falls unconscious as Jennifer advances.
“If this ship cannot be taken from outside, then it will be taken from within,” she states.
Sisko and Jennifer briefly fight, though Sisko manages to get away and raise a forcefield to stop her from accessing any computer terminals. However, she instead escapes through the ducting, crawling through the Jeffries tubes. Sisko runs back to the bridge to keep track of her using the ship’s internal sensors.
At the bridge, Sisko and Bashir have a quick conversation about Jennifer. Sisko wonders whether it would be possible for them to remove Jennifer’s Borg implants and to “get [his] wife back”. Bashir says it wouldn’t be possible. Though people have been de-assimilated before, the subjects have always been alive at the time of assimilation. If Jennifer is as Sisko says, she is only “alive” through the Borg implants, and removing them would just kill her again.
Speaking of Borg implants, several are growing out of the infected technician despite Bashir and the other med-tech’s best efforts to keep them from forming. He reports that they may soon have two Borg to deal with. The situation looks increasingly grim.
Sisko keeps track of Jennifer while Kira and Dax try to find a way out of the forcefield net before it crushes the ship. Unexpectedly, Jennifer does not go to engineering or the bridge, but rather towards the crew quarters. Sisko runs to intercept her, realizing that she is going for Jake.
Sisko arrives at Jake’s quarters, coming face to face with Jennifer again. She threatens to murder then assimilate Jake if she is not given access to the computer systems. Sisko thinks for a moment, then reluctantly acquiesces to her demands, providing her with the codes to access the computer. She releases Jake, then interfaces with the computer. The Valiant’s power fluctuates for a moment, then the shields drop.
The ship shudders as the Borg tractor beam takes hold. On the bridge Kira and Dax are trying to keep control of the computer systems. They manage to put up partitions to slow Jennifer down, but Kira explains that they only have a few minutes before she breaks through and takes control of the ship entirely. Dax suggests that they use Jennifer’s interfacing with the ship against her, and trick her into activating the weapons systems while the shuttle forcefield is down. Sisko tells her to do it.
Jennifer takes control of more of the ship’s systems, when suddenly the ship shudders as it fires a salvo of torpedoes at the Borg ship as she falls into Dax’s trap. The Borg ship is greatly damaged by the attack, and it seems to have adversely affected Jennifer as well. Dax takes advantage of this and forces Jennifer out of the computer system. With the ship back under their control, Sisko gives an order to destroy the Borg cube. “Let’s show them what this tough little ship can do,” he says. The makeshift cube, already damaged, fares poorly, as the Valiant flies around it, unleashing phaser blasts and torpedoes.
At last, the cube explodes, taking its collective with it. Before the crew can celebrate, however, Dax reveals that Jennifer is attempting to access the ship’s systems again. Sisko decides to travel down to face off with Jennifer one last time, and Jake insists on coming with him.
Jennifer is furious, but clearly dazed as her collective has been destroyed. On seeing Sisko, she attacks once more, but he easily overpowers her. Sisko is poised to fire the killing shot from his phaser, but cannot bring himself to do it. “It’s okay, Dad. That’s not mom anymore,” Jake says. Sisko shoots Jennifer, though a little life seems to be left in her.
She looks up at Jake and Ben with a look of recognition in her eyes, a human look, then she dies.
The Valiant arrives back to DS9, though Sisko is worse for wear, having had to see his wife die again, this time performing the act himself. What’s worse is that Starfleet has ordered him to hand Jennifer’s body over for study, denying him the chance to bury her. He takes a little solace in the knowledge that the work Starfleet will do will save future lives, but it is cold comfort in the face of all he had to go through.
Shortly thereafter, Sheridan returns by runabout. Unaware of all that has transpired, he jovially asks Kelly “What did I miss?” Kelly quickly gets him up to speed.
In recognition of recent events, Sisko is granted medical leave to recover. Kelly expresses his doubts in his ability to run the station well during Sisko’s absence, and suggests to Starfleet Command that Sheridan be put in charge until Sisko returns. This is accepted; both Sisko and Jake depart for Earth, with Jake remarking to Anna that he might reach out to his maternal grandparents after some of the shock has worn off.
As the Siskos leave aboard the USS Boxer, Jake stares mournfully out a window at the retreating view of the station. Sisko assures him that it’s not permanent. They’ll be back soon enough. For now, they both need time to heal. Jake agrees.
Recurring Cast: Peter Capaldi as Capt. John Sheridan and Penny Johnson Jerald as Kasidy Yates
Special Guest Stars: Kirsten Dunst as Anna Sheridan
Guest Stars: Felecia M. Bell as Jennifer Sisko and J.G. Hertzler as Captain Syvyk (credited, as in Emissary, as “John Noah Hertzler”)
Overview of Season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Part 2
Timelordtoe
Monthly Donor
Overview of Season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Part 2/3
“If I do decide to be with Odan again, will you think any less of me"
“Andy, what kind of friend would I be if I thought less of you for choosing love"
“Thanks, John. I’m glad you’re my friend"
“Believe me, the feeling’s mutual.”
“If I do decide to be with Odan again, will you think any less of me"
“Andy, what kind of friend would I be if I thought less of you for choosing love"
“Thanks, John. I’m glad you’re my friend"
“Believe me, the feeling’s mutual.”
- Kelly and Sheridan discuss the former's dilemma about his relationship.
Comfort Levels
Sisko has taken a leave of absence following the emotional rollercoaster that was the last few weeks. Sheridan has been placed in charge of the station in his stead. Things are, for the first time in a while, quiet on Deep Space 9… but not for long.
Both Ezri and Kelly are flummoxed by a newcomer to the station. Ezri wasn’t expecting to see her brother Norvo having become Joined, while Kelly is wrong-footed by the fact the symbiont is Odan, who he knows of old. Norvo is now representing the Trill government as the official ambassador aboard the station. Ezri is clearly unhappy about seeing her brother again, to the confusion of many except Dax and Tigan.
Kelly is dealing with conflicting feelings. He still loves Odan, but finds himself unsure of taking up a romantic relationship with a man. This doesn’t prevent a sexual tryst between the two that ends with Kelly in a panic about his sexuality, not to mention the Trill taboo about Reassociation. Norvo himself is uncertain as to what he should do. He finds that the symbiont is leading when he thinks about Kelly, and is worried that it might cost him his job. Worse still, his sister is either curt with him, brushes him off, or ignores him completely. Kelly’s in much the same boat with her, as her feelings about Norvo turn into anger at Kelly, too.
Things grow even more tense when Ibagy Talecct, a representative of the Symbiosis Commission, arrives to monitor the recently joined Norvo. To a lesser extent, he’s also collecting minor information to update the Commission’s file on Dax. Tigan, being an exile, finds himself subject to Talecct’s contempt. For his part, the commander doesn’t seem to care and curtly reminds Talecct that they both have work to do.
Talecct quickly becomes suspicious of Norvo and Kelly’s relationship. Of course, it doesn’t help that every time Norvo and Kelly attempt to talk things out they end up passionately making out. Ezri, unfamiliar with the specifics of what happens to Reassociated Joined Trill, tells Talecct she has evidence of the pair’s relationship, but needs time to collect it. They agree to have a meeting the next morning.
Talecct, who seems to think Norvo is too young for the ambassadorial position despite the symbiont’s history, comes to Sheridan about the situation. Sheridan assures him that he’ll look into the matter, though advises that his responses may be limited due to the looming prospect of war with the Dominion. Starfleet feels it needs all the people it can get right now. Additionally, it’s pointed out that due to the Trill caste system they are not Federation members. Their embassy is a courtesy, not a right. Talecct concurs. On the note of war, he confides in Sheridan that he’s worried what might happen if one does break out. Particularly what Dominion scientists might do to the Trill symbionts. Sheridan replies that so long as the Federation stands, it will fight for what’s right. Talecct appreciates Sheridan’s commitment to those values, then tells him that they must do the same regarding Norvo and Kelly.
Troi, Tigan, and Sheridan intervene that evening, handling Ezri, Norvo, and Kelly, respectively. Ezri admits her plans to Troi, who inquires as to why Norvo being joined is so offensive to her. Ezri explains about her upbringing on Lokate, outside orthodox Trill society. Her family has always been looked down upon Joined Trills due to a longstanding bigoted belief. (The fact she is from the Unjoined caste doesn’t help.) According to Ezri, in the earliest days of the Symbiosis Commission, one of her ancestors – Sallevus Perim – applied to be Joined, but was rejected on multiple occasions. Sallevus developed an animus which continued down the family line and led the Perim family to be part of the Unjoined Pride movement. She is quick to emphasize the Pride part; relatives who joined Unjoined Supremacist terrorist groups were disowned for going too far.
Ezri isn’t even as extreme as her family, but still considers Joined Trills worthy of contempt. She feels her brother has become a sellout and a traitor despite the fact she still loves him. By outing Norvo and Kelly, Ezri hoped to force Norvo to leave the station and perhaps get him to reconsider his life choices. Troi reminds her that Joining is permanent; the only way Norvo and the symbiont are coming apart is if one of them dies. She needs to either make peace with the fact she was raised by bigots and unlearn the hatred, or act like an adult and leave Norvo alone to live his life as he chooses.
Tigan and Norvo discuss their experiences with Reassociation, with Dr. Lenara Kahn arriving to help. She mentions that several hosts ago, Zulinia Kahn and Esepheus Odan had “a spark of something,” which Norvo remembers. He bashfully admits Esepheus had an enormous crush on Zulinia and nearly didn’t get married to his eventual wife Nisam after he and Zulinia drifted apart. But ultimately, he was so glad he did.
“Now imagine that no one else after you gets to experience those memories,” Tigan tells him. “Or the ones we’re making right now. That’s the decision you have to make. If you and Kelly enter into a romantic relationship again and the government finds out, you’re effectively killing the Odan symbiont.”
Norvo explains that in this case, the symbiont is the one pushing for this, not him. He’s along for the ride, in a sense. Nervously, he wonders if this is normal and if the Joining went wrong. Dr. Kahn dismisses his concerns, reminding him that if something was wrong he would have died within 96 hours of becoming one with Odan. Sometimes the symbiont is especially willful, and Odan has always been like that. She’s surprised the Guardian who was in charge of transferring the symbiont out of Luzcan didn’t inform him.
Regardless, the choice is clear. He can deny Odan and, in part, himself this desire and play it safe. Or he can go for it, thereby jeopardizing his job, ensuring his own exile, and condemning the symbiont to death. Dr. Kahn passes on the same advice she was given before marrying Tigan: “Be sure you’re ready to pay the price before acting.” He thanks them and takes his leave.
In Sisko’s office, Sheridan and Kelly discuss what’s been happening. Kelly confirms he’s aware of the possible ramifications, but is more concerned that he isn’t totally opposed to the idea of a relationship. While he doesn’t want the death of the Odan symbiont on his conscience, he does have feelings for Odan… if not necessarily Norvo, yet. But he rejected the last host, Luzcan, in spite of those feelings. Sheridan asks if Kelly assumed Odan would eventually forget him and move on. Kelly confirms this, having figured Luzcan would have a long, fruitful life instead of dying after being stung by a Trakenite lime grove wasp (as mentioned by Norvo earlier in the episode).
What really bothers Kelly is that he loves Odan, but he isn’t sure if he can actually fulfill any sexual component in a hypothetical relationship because of the male body. (Though kissing is fine… more than fine. Norvo is apparently an amazing kisser.) Sheridan tells him that sex isn’t the only component to a relationship – it should not be the be-all, end-all to a romantic partnership. Romantic love can exist without it, and if he and Odan approach this as adults, then the absence of sex shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.
However, more to the point, Sheridan warns Kelly that Starfleet would take a dim view of him knowingly violating the Reassociation taboo. The repercussions wouldn’t be as severe as those Norvo would face, but he doubts Kelly would make captain in that scenario. However, he says that making an informed decision is always the right choice, time permitting. Kelly thanks him, but wants to know one thing.
Talecct calls a meeting with Norvo and Kelly. He demands an account of what is going on between them, demanding the truth. Norvo’s job and continued acceptance in polite Trill society is on the line. After exchanging a look, the two lie through their teeth and insist that nothing is happening between them. Talecct smugly informs them he doesn’t believe them and calls Ezri in. Norvo tries to keep his cool, but can’t help the despair that fills his visage as she begins to speak.
Ezri proceeds to tell a very flummoxed Talecct that she made her report up. Norvo is so relieved that Kelly has to make sure he doesn’t slide out of his chair onto the floor. With nothing else to do, Talecct informs Norvo that everything seems fine otherwise and reminds him that he is representing all of Trill society here. He better not mess that up. Talecct will be back. Norvo merely says he looks forward to the return visit; Talecct leaves.
Kelly requests an explanation from Ezri, who states that she let her anger at her brother’s actions cloud her judgement. She refuses to be hateful to someone she loves who has done nothing inherently wrong. Norvo embraces his sister. There are no illusions between them – she has a lot to unlearn and her actions before lying to Talecct were a betrayal… but she’s going to try to be better and she does love him very much. That’s what really matters.
Speaking of loving very much, Kelly and Norvo finally talk things out in Norvo’s quarters. They both agree that a romantic relationship right now isn’t appropriate. However, Kelly does confirm that he wants to get to Norvo as a friend. And, provided they’re discreet, he would very much like it if they could kiss now and then. Long-term Reassociation will be tabled until such a time that they’re comfortable “paying the price,” so to speak. Norvo agrees to his terms… then Kelly kisses him before asking him to join him for lunch the next day.
“As friends?”
“Yeah. Something like that.”
Recurring Cast: Jonathan Brandis as Ambassador Norvo Odan, Reese Witherspoon as Lt. Ezri Perim, and Bryan Cranston as Cmdr. Arpad Tigan
Guest Stars: Charles S. Dutton as Ibagy Talecct, Daphne Rubin-Vega as Diplomatic Attaché Lima Ecine (Norvo’s chief of staff), and Susanna Thompson as Dr. Lenara Kahn
Absent: Alexander Siddig as Dr. Julian Bashir
Notes: This story was initially quite different, and was intended for Kelly and Ezri. However, the idea of Odan coming back and him being played by Jonathan Brandis proved too delightful to pass up. And for you Big Finish Doctor Who fans out there, the Trakenite lime grove wasp is a shout out to The Mutant Phase.
Family Matters
Sheridan informs Kelly that a Talarian ambassador will be arriving in two weeks, along with a delegation. They are looking for an alliance against the Dominion, or so they say. It’s Kelly’s job to ensure the new Earth ambassador can determine what they’re really after. This is news to Kelly – both the Talarian situation, and the replacement of the current ambassador, Hywel Ormond. More perplexing is the choice to send a woman as the replacement given the intensely patriarchal and androcentric Talarians’ refusal to acknowledge women as anything other than breeding stock. The final icing on the cake is the name of this new ambassador: Midori Ishikawa, Keiko’s mother.
Keiko and her mother are overjoyed by the reunion, as is Molly. Chief O’Brien, meanwhile, is not pleased at all. Midori has never approved of him, but won’t outright say it. The friction is palpable, and O’Brien’s attempts to stay out of the way merely make his mother-in-law more critical of him. Bashir suggests family therapy, a notion Troi is more than happy to help with, but O’Brien stubbornly refuses.
A mysterious man arrives just as the Talarian delegation does, and quietly ducks out of sight. The delegation is led by none other than Jono. Born Jeremiah Rossa, he was adopted by Talarians after they murdered his parents while laying waste to the Galen IV colony. Troi, O’Brien, and Kelly warn Sheridan and Midori about that situation. Midori doesn’t know anything about it, and denies having been assigned to this post by Admiral Connaught Rossa, Jono’s grandmother. In fact, they’ve never even met. Troi affirms that she’s telling the truth. Furthermore, Troi has been requested as an attaché for these negotiations due to her Betazoid empathic abilities and her skill at calming a room. The latter is a necessity when dealing with the nocuous Talarians, Starfleet feels.
Jono’s aide-de-camp, Mortsk, is appalled that Jono is willing to speak to a woman during negotiations. The feeling amongst the other Talarian diplomats isn’t much better. Curtly, Jono reminds them that they cannot force their views onto other cultures, especially if they are seeking to be allies. While it’s distasteful, it’s a necessary evil. Despite obviously feeling otherwise, the rest of the delegation subsides… for now. Discussions begin. It soon becomes obvious to Troi and Midori that the Talarians are quite willing to side with the Dominion if that proves to suit them better, and Troi says as much to the rest of the senior staff.
During a break in the negotiations, Jono notices the mysterious man following him. He tries to act nonchalant, but Mortsk notices as well and tries to chase the man down. After causing a huge scene, Odo is able to snare the Talarian, though the man gets away in the confusion. Odo demands to know what’s going on, but Mortsk brushes him off as “a mere imitation.” He’ll only speak to “real people.” Jono intervenes and explains, requesting that Odo not arrest his aide, but release him into Jono’s custody. Odo isn’t happy about it, but agrees nonetheless. (Though he does later remark, “If Mr. Mortsk’s opinions are any indication of Talarian views on Changelings, then they’re in for a nasty surprise when they meet their new allies.”)
Afterward, Troi explains to Midori and the senior staff that while Jono was being truthful during the negotiations, his entourage was not. He’s also conflicted about the notion of allying with the Dominion. She’s about to continue when she senses a presence in the ducting. It hurries away, but Odo is able to capture the culprit – the mysterious man who got away before. He identifies himself as “Adalbert Hynes,” but refuses to explain anything about his presence. Odo searches far and wide, but no one by that name is on any registry or in any database. This man is a ghost. When Kelly asks if he works for Admiral Rossa, he refuses to answer. Troi confirms that he’s surprised and a little bit frightened by the question.
Odo isn’t surprised when Mortsk arrives, demanding that “Hynes” be given over to the Talarians. Mortsk doesn’t wish to deal with Odo, and isn’t interested in the Changeling’s terse explanation that “merely following someone” isn’t a crime under Bajoran law, nor Federation law. Eventually, the Talarian huffs away. Odo places extra security around the cell “Hynes” is in.
Meanwhile, as they’ve met before, Kelly has invited Jono to dinner. The two men talk. Kelly describes how his relationship with his mother was an acrimonious one for much of his childhood, which is in stark contrast to the loving relationship Jono enjoyed with his adoptive father until his return from the Enterprise. They compare their childhoods for a bit before Jono asks Kelly to cut to the chase. Why has he invited Jono here? Kelly explains that he believes Jono’s grandmother may be attempting to exploit the negotiations in some way. Perhaps to bring him back to her.
To his credit, Jono doesn’t lose his temper. Instead, he leans back in his chair and gives a deep, world-weary sigh. He admits that he isn’t surprised by this. Part of him actually hoped this would occur, if for no other reason than he wishes to tell the admiral to leave him alone.
“Jeremiah Rossa is dead,” he says. “I am Jono, and I wish to stay that way, for good or for ill.”
Kelly offers to get Sheridan to call her up on subspace, but Jono declines. He wishes to do it in person or not at all. The impact would be lost over subspace, he says, to which Kelly agrees. Jono thanks Kelly for dinner, saying that if they meet again he hopes it will be as friends, then excuses himself.
Further negotiations with the Talarians fall apart as Jono realizes he’s not getting the full picture. He genuinely wished for better relations with the Federation, while his cohorts knew it was a sham from the start. All they wanted was a believable pretense to latch onto the Dominion and get better technology out of the deal. Jono is disgusted, and voices his frustrations to Midori before he leaves. She asks what he intends to do about it. Jono isn’t sure, but he’s starting to think that Talarian culture needs a change.
“Then be that change. Next time we speak, I want a full update,” she tells him. Jono agrees, and they bid each other adieu.
As the Talarians go, Mortsk makes a remark to one of the others about Jono: “I always knew that Human weakling wasn’t truly Talarian at heart. He’s too soft.” This earns him a brutal punch from Jono that knocks him to the ground. Raucous laughter and cheers erupt from the rest of the delegation (and a nearby K’Rene). Mortsk finds he’s missing some teeth. Jono merely asks if Mortsk still thinks him “too soft.” Mortsk doesn’t respond; he instead clambers to his feet and bolts to their vessel’s med-bay.
Kelly feels as though he failed his mission. Sheridan assures him that if he was set up to fail, then he shouldn’t feel bad about it. He did the best he could given the circumstances.
To no one’s great surprise, “Hynes” vanishes around the same time the Talarians leave.
Recurring Cast: Rosalind Chao as Keiko O’Brien, Brenda Song as Molly O’Brien, and Virginia Madsen as Lt. K’Rene
Special Guest Stars: Nancy Kwan as Ambassador Midori Ishikawa and Chad Allen as Jono
Guest Stars: Misha Collins as Mortsk, Thom Barry as Ambassador Hywel Ormond, and Peter Frechette as “Adalbert Hynes”
Kira Nerys and the Holy Grail
Ambassador Delenn, accompanied by a visiting Prof. Lennier, approaches Sheridan on the Promenade, wondering why he isn’t preparing to meet the “distinguished visitor” arriving shortly. Sheridan is confused and mentions that the Vorlon ambassador isn’t due to arrive for quite a while. (By which time Sisko will hopefully be back, as the Vorlons give Sheridan the heebie-jeebies.) Delenn explains that this is someone else entirely. Sheridan wasn’t informed of any such person arriving. However, he agrees to collect Kelly and Kira to join the two Minbari and some of the other ambassadors in welcoming this newcomer.
On arrival, the “distinguished visitor” is revealed to be a man by the name of Sir Aldous Gajic, a human who is on a quest for the Holy Grail. Sheridan welcomes him, but remains skeptical. He and Kelly discuss the matter with the others, explaining that the Holy Grail is a myth, and that most humans do not believe it exists. Lennier believes Gajic to be a “true seeker,” a revered person within the Minbari religion who devotes themselves to a quest. Kira sympathizes with him, given her own religion, and reminding Sheridan that the idea of the Celestial Temple being a real place was dismissed by many until Sisko discovered the wormhole four years ago.
Kira offers to show Gajic around the station, and he soon takes a liking to her, discussing his plans. Gajic is the last member of an order devoted to finding the Grail that has existed for centuries, and he reasons that as the order had searched everywhere on Earth, he should take his quest to the stars. He has come to DS9 in order to ask the various ambassadors if they have any records of the Grail. “In many ways,” he notes, “Professor Lennier is correct about me.” Kira simply says to not let Lennier actually hear him say that. Gajic further notes that he envies the Bajorans – they have access to (most) of their Orbs, which have genuine powers, plus they know their gods are real. Relict Christians such as him have comparatively little in the way of religious paraphernalia following the Third World War and Post-Atomic Horror. Kira empathizes with him, relating tales of what the Cardassians did to some Bajoran religious sites during the Occupation.
Meanwhile, Odo and Bashir call Kelly to help them in an investigation in which they are embroiled. There have been a series of cases of people being mindwiped, the latest victim of which was shopkeeper Miriam Runningdeer (previously seen in I Know It When I See It). She was a key witness in a case against a suspected Chandir (“Tailhead”) crime lord known only as “Deuce” due to his mutation giving him a second head-tail. That won’t happen as she is now a drooling vegetable. The mindwipe has not been carried out by a machine, so they search for a lifeform that is capable of doing so. They find one match, the Na’ka’leen Feeder, a creature native to what is now Tzenkethi space that the Ferengi encountered during their initial colonization efforts. Odo decides to ask Quark what he knows about them.
Upon hearing that there may be one aboard the station, Quark unexpectedly leaves the bar in the hands of Rom, and confines himself to his quarters in terror. Rom does the same, as does every Ferengi in the line of succession (even the absent Nog replies that he will delay his return home until the Feeder has been dealt with). The bar is eventually left in the hands of the sole Bajoran dabo boy – Ateel. The boy admits he was hired because he’s “attractive to certain customers,” not for his smarts; he has no idea what to do with the bar. Dax, presumably with Sheridan’s permission to take the time off, steps in to help Ateel out.
Deuce meets with a creature in an encounter suit lurking in one of the cargo bays, who expresses a desire to feed on “more minds! Older! Wiser!” Deuce agrees to provide them. The creature resumes its hiding spot.
Gajic and Kira meet with Lennier, who regrets that the Minbari have no record of the Grail, but assures Gajic he will put out the word to his people and other Federation worlds. T’Preike likewise has no records of the Grail, and believes it illogical that an item with such properties as the Grail could exist. She does admit to being intrigued by the possibility, however (which presages Creatures of Emotion later in the season).
Olkob Addus, the visiting Chandir ombudsman who is to preside over Deuce’s case, goes missing, too. Odo elects to take this on himself, leaving Kelly and Bashir to continue pursuing the Feeder.
Kira asks Gajic how he started his quest. He reveals that he lost his wife and children in a shuttle crash in which he was only injured, and was consumed by his grief until he met a member of the order he is now in. When that man died, he took up his quest.
Gajic reveals that he has only one person left to meet, an ambassador for the Vorlons. Kira explains that the Vorlons have not arrived yet, but Gajic says he has been contacted by one who has information. To Kira’s surprise, when they meet, the “Vorlon” is accompanied by Deuce, whom she recognises. The stolen Vorlon encounter suit opens, revealing an octopoid beast, the Feeder, and Deuce opens fire. Kira calls for backup from Odo and Kelly, who soon arrive with security.
During the firefight, Kira and Gajic discover Addus, the missing ombudsman, and free him though his head-tail was torn off during his struggle with the Feeder. Bashir rushes him to sickbay as Odo disables the Feeder. He arrests Deuce while Kelly arranges for the docked USS Carson to return it to its homeworld. Gajic prepares to leave, a little disappointed that none of the ambassadors were able to help, but Delenn arrives with a parting gift, a Minbari nightstone which will “light his way.” Lennier asks to accompany him to his next port of call “as a research trip,” and Gajic accepts.
Odo goes to tell Quark that as the Feeder has been dealt with, he is safe to leave. Quark believes he is lying to him in order to get his mind wiped. The Changeling reminds him that for as long as all the Ferengi are in hiding, Ateel is in charge of the bar. Quark instantly leaves his quarters and rushes back to his business, bellowing for the others along the way.
A week later, Kira is contacted by an impressive-looking woman over subspace who claims to be looking for “a reliable squire to accompany [her] in [her] quest for the Ark of the Covenant.” Kira emphatically turns her down. This prompts Kelly to remark that she “is beginning to attract some very strange individuals.” Kira merely replies, “Commander, you have no idea how many offers I turn down in a week,” which leaves Kelly wondering as the episode ends.
Recurring Cast: Peter Capaldi as Capt. John Sheridan, Max Grodénchik as Rom, and Melanie Smith as Tora Ziyal
Guest Stars: Bill Mumy as Prof. Lennier, David Warner as Sir Aldous Gajic, Reggie Lee as Ateel, James Callis as “Deuce,” Doug Jones as Olkob Addus, Alex Rice as Miriam Runningdeer, and Kathleen Turner (uncredited) as the voice of the Na’ka’leen Feeder and the Ark of the Covenant Seeker
Notes: Gajic’s remarks about Christians in post-WW3 society drew ire from some corners, and many bile-filled letters were sent to UPN. The “impressive-looking woman” played by an uncredited Kathleen Turner was memorable for the purple skin, eyepatch, and a Time Lord collar borrowed (with thanks) from Doctor Who, leading to many questions as to who and what she was. Turner also remarked, “Well, now I can say I’ve voiced an evil psychic octopus. I’m sure that will look great on my résumé, even if it doesn’t sound great!”
In Purgatory’s Shadow (Part One)
DS9 picks up a coded message through the wormhole. Garak recognises it as being a distress call from his former mentor Enabran Tain, whom he thought dead after the destruction of the Cardassian-Romulan fleet. Garak asks Sisko for permission to investigate, and he agrees, on the condition that he be accompanied by K’Rene.
Garak and K’Rene, along with Solaris (who snuck along), arrive in the Gamma Quadrant, encountering a large Dominion fleet which seems poised to invade. They attempt to flee, but their runabout is caught in a tractor beam and a group of Jem’Hadar beam over. They manage to send out a warning signal before they are incapacitated.
DS9 receives the message and prepares to close the wormhole permanently to prevent the invasion. Garak, Solaris, and K’Rene wake up in an internment camp, along with Tain, the real Martok, and to their shock, Tigan, who reveals that he was taken about a month prior. The Tigan on DS9 is a Changeling. Tain is dying. Garak talks to him as he passes, finally being acknowledged as his son.
DS9 activates the graviton emitter to seal the wormhole, but it has been sabotaged by the Changeling Tigan and fails. The wormhole opens wider, allowing the Dominion fleet to pass through, entering the Alpha Quadrant.
To be continued…
Recurring Cast: Marc Alaimo as Dukat, Peter Capaldi as Capt. John Sheridan, Bryan Cranston as Cmdr. Arpad Tigan (and Changeling Tigan), J.G. Hertzler as Gen. Martok, Virginia Madsen as Lt. K’Rene, Linda Hunt as Cmdr. Solaris, and Andrew Robinson as Garak
Special Guest Star: Triple-H as First Ikat’ika
Guest Stars: Paul Dooley as Enabran Tain and Carrie Stauber as Centurion Kalenna
By Inferno’s Light (Part Two)
The Dominion fleet immediately departs for Cardassia, and shortly afterwards a broadcast comes from Cardassia Prime. On it Dukat announces that Cardassia is joining the Dominion, with immediate effect. He promises to restore Cardassia to glory and remove the Maquis from their territory. Meanwhile, DS9’s senior staff discuss the wormhole, discovering that it has now been strengthened to the point of being unable to be closed. The Changeling Tigan suggests that a Changeling may have sabotaged the emitter array.
K’Rene, Solaris, Tigan, Garak, and Martok plan their escape from the internment camp. Garak will work on an electrical panel in an enclosed space they can access from their cell in order to get the runabout to transport them out, though he struggles with his claustrophobia. K’Rene is forced to fight various Jem’Hadar, buying them time. Solaris, meanwhile, manages to work her way to the office of Deyona, the Vorta in charge of the station, offering her untold riches from Romulus in exchange for an alliance.
DS9 gets sensor readings of a Dominion fleet approaching, and assembles a Federation fleet to face it down and defend the station, assisted by a Klingon force sent by Chancellor Gowron. Kira attempts to find the saboteur, but has no luck. Sheridan asks Odo to increase security on the station.
As K’Rene struggles in her final fight, Garak succeeds in contacting the runabout, beaming them all away. Just before Solaris is beamed away, she slits Deyona’s throat and steals some of her files, leaving the internment camp’s administration in tatters. They flee in the runabout, sending a message to DS9 ahead of their return, and to warn them that the Tigan on the station is a Changeling.
DS9 receives the message, but the Changeling Tigan is not aboard. A scan reveals that one of the runabouts has been taken and is headed for the Bajoran sun. Kira takes the Valiant, performing a short-range warp jump and stopping the Changeling. Kira and Dax surmise that the Changeling had rigged a device to induce a supernova within the Bajoran sun and destroy the Federation and Klingon fleets. Just then, the runabout explodes, and almost immediately after, the sensor readings of the approaching Dominion fleet vanish.
Garak, Solaris, K’Rene, Tigan, and Martok return. Martok elects to stay on DS9 as a liaison for the Klingons, to help coordinate actions with Starfleet before “the inevitable, glorious war with the Dominion.” Solaris says nothing about her captured intel, instead informing Attoqe, her Tal Shiar contact, that she’s “acquired some rather eye-opening particulars about the ‘erstwhile problem’ in the Gamma Quadrant.”
To be continued…
Recurring Cast: Marc Alaimo as Dukat, Casey Biggs as Gul Damar, Peter Capaldi as Capt. John Sheridan, Bryan Cranston as Cmdr. Arpad Tigan (and Changeling Tigan), J.G. Hertzler as Martok, Virginia Madsen as K’Rene, Melanie Smith as Tora Ziyal, Linda Hunt as Cmdr. Solaris, and Andrew Robinson as Garak
Special Guest Star: Triple-H as First Ikat’ika
Guest Stars: Carrie Stauber as Centurion Kalenna, Annette Toutonghi as Deyona, Robert O’Reilly as Chancellor Gowron, and Michael O’Keefe as Attoqe
To Heaven’s Redoubt (Part Three)
Tensions are running high at DS9 as the Dominion solidifies its control over Cardassia. Ambassador Ost notes that many dissidents have already been silenced, but that the public is largely supportive, as Dukat’s revanchist rhetoric has enthused the Cardassians. Ost himself feels adrift, as his family has bought into the revanchist groundswell and excommunicated him. Only his ambassadorial position is keeping him sane, he confides in Kira. She tries to comfort him, and this leads to another romantically tense moment.
A Dominion fleet enters the Demilitarized Zone, with Dukat noting that as the Cardassian Union is defunct, it no longer technically exists. This means that any prior agreements with other governments will be reviewed. The treaty with the Federation has been found to be lacking, and so the DMZ no longer exists so far as Cardassia is concerned. The fleet begins to attack Maquis and suspected Maquis settlements. Starfleet, which has many officers who have Maquis sympathies, is concerned with this development, and asks Sisko to return to duty and formulate an action plan.
To Sisko’s surprise, he receives an offer of assistance from the imprisoned Michael Eddington. He offers to help repatriate Maquis members in exchange for their assistance against the Dominion during the inevitable war, plus less jail time. This is accepted, but Sisko and Starfleet make sure to keep Eddington under very close watch.
Making use of the Valiant’s cloak, they travel into the DMZ, heading for one of the Maquis’ “final redoubts,” as Eddington describes it. On the way, they encounter a Cardassian patrol, which they manage to evade thanks to Eddington’s expertise. Sisko finds himself begrudgingly accepting that they make a formidable team – perhaps, Eddington remarks, in another timeline they were CO and XO of a starship….
They arrive at the redoubt, where they are received coolly. Despite the Maquis’ desperate situation, they are still suspicious of Starfleet, even when Sisko promises that the Federation has offered clemency. Rather than flee, the general consensus among the remaining Maquis cells is that they should fight to the last, and that Starfleet, if it does involve itself, should join only on the Maquis side.
Sisko explains that the Federation is preparing for a war against the Dominion, believing it a certainty. Furthermore, it cannot help the Maquis directly as it is currently outmatched. Help from the Maquis, though, could help to strengthen Starfleet for the war.
A patrol arrives and begins to siege the redoubt, with Sisko urging the Maquis there to “come with me and fight another day, or stay here and die in a losing battle!” Most choose to go with him, though Eddington stays behind to fight off the patrol and buy Sisko time. The two part ways, admitting that they formed a formidable team. Sisko flees with the Maquis in the Valiant, while Eddington seemingly perishes in the battle.
Despite their differences, Sisko admits that he did respect Eddington’s commitment to his beliefs. Privately, he mourns the man and his own friends who perished fighting for the Maquis cause, like Cal Hudson. The episode closes on Sisko in therapy with Troi, admitting that he needs to work through this grief… after all, things are only going to get more difficult from here.
Recurring Cast: Marc Alaimo as Dukat, Casey Biggs as Gul Damar, Kenneth Marshall as Michael Eddington, and Matt LeBlanc as Ambassador Ost Nicilan
Guest Stars: Dann Florek as Edgar Ackhurst and Lynda Boyd as T’Preva Seghers
Role Models
“Quark, would you please kick my father out? He’s been in here for three days now.”
“Are you kidding? With the amount of drinks he’s bought for attractive ladies, he’s responsible for half this week’s profits alone! You should bring him here more often!”
“Are you kidding? With the amount of drinks he’s bought for attractive ladies, he’s responsible for half this week’s profits alone! You should bring him here more often!”
- O’Brien asks Quark to deal with his father.
A week after Eddington’s sacrifice, Sisko, Sheridan, and O’Brien’s fathers all arrive on a transport from Earth.
Kira expresses surprise that Sisko’s father is here, given that he had, until this point, only referred to his father in the past tense. Sisko explains that while his father hadn’t really died, he was “dead to [him]” after the elder Sisko blamed Jennifer’s death on his son being in Starfleet. Since then, they haven’t spoken, even while he was on leave. O’Brien’s relationship with his father, Oscar, is similarly strained, his “old man” being a lech who has barely left Quark’s since his arrival.
Sisko’s father, Joseph, has come to try to mend his relationship with his son, and meet his grandson again after nearly a decade without contact. Unfortunately, he and Benjamin soon come to blows once more over old disagreements. Jake, however, spends some quality time cooking with his grandfather, and begins planning a meal for the senior staff and their families to help mend relationships, with the help of Troi and Keiko. Kira is roped into this as well, remarking she has a few simple Bajoran recipes from her days in the Resistance. Jake is eager to give them a New Orleans twist.
“Who doesn’t love fusion cuisine?” he remarks.
Sheridan’s father, in contrast, is visiting for purely business purposes. Deep Space 9 is playing host to a conference on the political development of Bajor post-Occupation, for which Dr. Sheridan is a guest speaker. John has his hands full with administrative work as the USS Brigid, the replacement ship for the USS Lakota, is getting ever closer to launching. New senior staff members need to be interviewed and chosen. Sheridan’s using this as an excuse to avoid his father, who seems similarly uninterested in socializing.
Jake starts sending out the invitations to the big meal with the help of Anna Sheridan. Anna reveals that she has been accepted to Cambridge University, but is worried about telling her father, as it will involve spending more time with her grandfather. Jake assures her that her father will accept it if it’s what she really wants.
The meal comes about, and though the mood is tense at first, things ease a bit after Troi shares the story of how she and her mother reconciled (per Dark Page). After the meal, Ben and Joseph speak again. The elder Sisko reveals how much anxiety he has knowing that his son and grandson are off in a distant corner of space on what may become the front lines in a major intergalactic conflict any day now. He also apologizes for what he’s previously said about Jennifer’s death. Ben reluctantly forgives him. Joseph says that having seen Ben’s senior staff, he understands now why he chooses to be out here, comparing the station to a restaurant. His son, having grown up working in that restaurant, admits to using similar methods of management.
“You might say I learnt from the best,” he says, and the two embrace, chuckling fondly.
Back in their quarters, Anna tells her father that she wants to move back to Earth to attend Cambridge. To her surprise, John admits that he had been considering sending her back to Earth to stay with his parents anyway, believing that if war were to break out, Earth would be much safer. Before Dr. Sheridan leaves for Earth, they’ll ask if she can live with him.
O’Brien and Bashir chat as they walk back to their quarters, O’Brien musing that his father probably didn’t come because he was still at Quark’s. As he says this, they come across Quark, Kelly, and Odo arguing. Oscar O’Brien is now in a cell to sober up after Mildred Kelly filed a formal complaint about his attempts to woo her. Kelly is furious with the elder O’Brien and with Quark, who is trying to negotiate his release. Quark expects O’Brien to help. O’Brien, however, says to leave him there and goes back to his quarters, leaving a smug Odo and Kelly, plus a squawking, indignant Quark in his wake. Bashir wisely says nothing.
The next day, John and Anna speak with Dr. Sheridan. He is, in fact, more than happy to look after Anna during her time at Cambridge. The idea of spending more time with his granddaughter delights him. The two elder Sheridans have a heart-to-heart after Anna leaves to pack. It’s not a full reconciliation, but the two come to a tentative understanding.
As the transport back to Earth prepares to leave, Sisko speaks to his father once more. He is glad they are back on speaking terms, and the two agree to stay in contact, if sporadic. Dr. Sheridan prepares to leave with Anna, her father giving her a teary goodbye. His own father simply nods understandingly and pats his back, promising to take good care of her “just as you have, my boy.” Surprisingly, Sheridan is not the only one with tears in his eyes. Quark has come to mourn the loss of Oscar – “The best source of profit a bartender could ever ask for!” Meanwhile, O’Brien and Keiko have come to make sure that Oscar is really gone, for both their peace of mind and the Kellys’.
The transport departs. Sisko and Sheridan both take a moment to properly thank Jake for arranging the meal. Jake comments that he will be lonelier now that Anna has gone, but hopes that she will come to visit when she has time. When O’Brien gently tries to make amends, however, Jake abruptly walks out. Keiko muses that not everything can be fixed so easily.
Recurring Cast: Rosalind Chao as Keiko O’Brien, Brenda Song as Molly O’Brien, and Max Grodénchik as Rom
Special Guest Stars: Kirsten Dunst as Anna Sheridan, James Earl Jones as Joseph Sisko, and Frank Kelly as Oscar O’Brien
Guest Stars: Richard Griffiths as Dr. David Sheridan and F.J. Rio as Crewman (first class) Enrique Muñiz
Love and Disgrace
With Quark’s closed due to a renewed infestation of Cardassian voles, the Ferengi is left at loose ends. All his attempts to bring in supplementary profit are stymied by Kelly, Kira, Odo, or Sisko. At Rom’s suggestion, he takes a sabbatical to Ferenginar to visit his mother, Ishka. What he doesn’t expect is to find Grand Nagus Zek (and, as always, Maihar’du) in his closet. Even more shocking: he and Ishka have been dating in secret for months!
A flummoxed Quark is contacted by the Grand Nagus’ once-disgraced son, Krax. He says that while he may no longer be heir-apparent to the throne, he has wormed his way back into his father’s good graces nonetheless. Krax is disgusted by the relationship. Well, if only because Ishka is not a traditional Ferengi female (that is to say, forever naked and broke) and because she’s related to Quark, whom Krax has no interest in being related to. But he’s not above getting Quark to poison the well and cause the relationship to end.
Quark refuses, but Krax bribes him handsomely so he changes his mind. However, things start to not add up. Krax’s money seems like gold-pressed latinum, but oddly light. His comings and goings are at odd intervals and he’s forever looking over his shoulder, refusing to be seen by others. Finally, Quark gets the truth – but not from Krax. Liquidator Brunt of the Ferengi Commerce Authority has made a deal with Krax. If he could get Quark to ruin his own mother’s relationship, Brunt would help restore his status within Ferengi society. (All that Krax told Quark earlier was a lie; he’s still a pariah and his father considers him a skinflint loser with no business acumen.) Brunt believes Ishka’s presence threatens the very foundations of Ferengi society… and he still wants to force her into indentured servitude for not being broke and naked.
With this in mind, and despite his reservations about his mother’s conduct, Quark flatly refuses. Brunt threatens to blacklist Quark the same way Krax has been, which gives him pause. However, even as he goes to do the right thing, Zek finds out about the whole scheme. Brunt decides his principles can take a backseat to saving his own skin and manages to convince the doddering old man that it was all Krax and Quark’s idea. In response, Zek has Krax taken into custody and blacklists Quark – all his assets are forfeit and his bar can no longer legally operate within the Ferengi Alliance’s economic sphere. Ishka refuses to intervene, but assures Quark that she knows he didn’t actually do anything wrong. She promises to slowly convince Zek of this, too.
Quark returns to DS9 to find Brunt already there, posting signs declaring his establishment unauthorized and clearing out every last thing that isn’t nailed down. They even try to take Rom, but Odo and Kira very firmly tell them that would constitute kidnapping and create a political incident. Sisko and Kelly stop them cleaning out Quark’s furniture and knick-knacks, but Brunt still takes the clothes off Quark’s back. Left in only his underwear and trousers (neither of which anyone actually wanted) in a bare bar, Quark despairs as Rom tries to comfort him. He has nobody and no one except Rom.
Then, something happens to show Quark that he’s wrong.
The community on DS9 comes together to restock and refurnish Quark’s. Within a couple of hours, the bar is essentially back to its old self again. Rom tells Quark that while he may not have any monetary assets, he does have friends and family – the greatest asset of them all. Quark is so overcome that he’s left speechless.
Recurring Cast: Jeffrey Combs as Liquidator Brunt, Wallace Shawn as Grand Nagus Zek, Tiny Ron as Maihar’du, Cecily Adams as Ishka, and (many more)
Guest Stars: Lou Wagner as Krax and Reggie Lee as Ateel
Absent: Alexander Siddig as Dr. Julian Bashir, Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko, and Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
Living Beyond Yourself
Sisko remarks to Sheridan that Lt. Kulin has been ornery lately. (“Ornerier than usual, you mean?” Sheridan remarks.) The other captain concurs. He’s just about had it with her attitude, frankly, and resolves to order her to attend therapy with Troi. This goes about as well as he expected, and a very truculent Kulin is soon in session with Troi, who makes slow and steady progress.
It transpires that there is a reason for the decreased numbers of Andorians in Starfleet. Reproduction among Andorians requires groups of four individuals, each of a different sex. Zhens and shens are approximately female, while chaans and thaans are approximately male (with shens and thaans being the more androgynous of the lot). If all four are not involved in procreation, the process doesn’t have enough genetic material. Due to the large number of Andorians leaving their homeworld, numbers have dwindled precipitously. To offset this, in 2357 all Andorians were required to return home to… well, not to be indelicate, but… to hump like rabbits! This is not widely advertised to prevent exploitation by unsavory parties (like the Ferengi or, now, the Dominion) and due to certain political problems.
There are ongoing issues resulting from this, with plenty of individuals suffering from depression due to their lives being curtailed solely for sex. When Kulin accidentally lets slip in front of the rest of the crew, she begrudgingly explains why she’s in a worse mood than normal. It’s due to the fact her mother, a prominent politician back on Andoria, has been ramping up attempts to get her to come home and help with the breeding effort. This came about as her brother, Gyrs, has left to protest the Federation’s prohibition on genetic engineering. If repealed, genetic engineering could be a godsend for the Andorian people and prevent genetic collapse. This was among the aforementioned “certain political problems.”
The big issue with her mother’s insistence on Kulin returning is that the chief engineer can’t actually help. Bashir manages to weasel out of her that she’s sterile due to the events that transpired with the destruction of the USS zh’Deneed. Her family, however, doesn’t know. She is embarrassed by it and feels like less of a woman, even though she never wanted kids at all. Troi, Kira, and Dax firmly tell her that is not the case, encouraging her to speak to her mother about the matter.
Kulin excuses herself. In her absence, the crew has a serious discussion about the Federation’s stance on genetic engineering. Sheridan muses on whether or not it’s necessary to be so restrictive at all. The ban is over 200 years old and predates the Federation; the only reason it’s on the books is because one of humanity’s stipulations for creating the Federation was a near-ban on the practice. Dax opines that the fear of new Augments is a weak justification for banning something that can do a great deal of good, and is mostly a dated human fear to which the Federation has turned a blind eye. Bashir is hostile to the notion of loosening restrictions, which perplexes Kelly and some others. Tigan points out that there are already exceptions to the rule – the Arcturians are a cloned race – plus, it’s been very gradually loosening over time. A reluctant Troi mentions the experiments conducted on Star Station India, which raises many eyebrows. Finally, Sisko orders the discussion tabled to prevent things becoming too heated.
“This is a matter for a time when the Dominion isn’t slavering at our proverbial door,” he says.
“Will there even be an Andoria left if we end up in an active conflict with them?” O’Brien asks. “If not now, when?”
No one has an answer to that.
In the end, Kulin speaks with Millie, who gives her a pep talk. She’s undergone menopause and can’t have children, either. Does that make her any less of a woman? No! It’s a little different for Kulin, sure, but that doesn’t make her an embarrassment or defective or anything else. She’s just different, and that’s okay. Heartened by the talk, Kulin talks to her mother. Her mother sympathizes, and explains that she’s also become sterile, to Kulin’s shock.
Freed from any immediate duties to her species, Kulin’s attitude improves. As she puts it in a session with Troi, no longer feeling like she has to “live beyond [herself]” is a great relief, and feels she can live for herself instead. However, the looming threat of Andorian extinction still remains in the backs of everyone’s minds, with a political reckoning doubtlessly on the horizon. Sheridan muses to Sisko that just once he’d love to see the galaxy be peaceful and uncomplicated, to which his fellow captain replies, “John, why the hell would you ever want the galaxy to be that boring?”
Recurring Cast: Peter Capaldi as Capt. John Sheridan, Bryan Cranston as Cmdr. Arpad Tigan, Katey Sagal as Lt. KulinXap sh’Var, and Betty White as Mildred Jean Kelly
Guest Stars: Nan Martin as Rho-Avna zh’Var (Lt. Kulin’s birth mother), Richard Mulligan as MardeLothan ch’Var (Lt. Kulin’s primary father), and Ethan Embry as Gyrs-Ek th’Var (Lt. Kulin’s little brother)
Creatures of Emotion
T’Preike’s work has become markedly more difficult in the months following Vulcan’s secession from the Federation, as the Federation officially continues to refuse to recognise Vulcan independence. Bajor, however, was quick to recognise the new Vulcan state, a matter which has caused some friction between the Bajoran and Federation governments. T’Preike has officially remained as the Vulcan Ambassador to Bajor, a position which the governments can at least agree on. T’Preike has also been having difficulty maintaining control of her emotions, though they aren’t to the usually suppressed Vulcan extremes. She is keeping this very quiet, with only some people (including Norvo and Troi) noticing.
The latest disruption comes in the form of a pro-independence protest outside of T’Preike’s office. After Odo and the security forces make them disperse, he questions her. She reveals that the Vulcan government has been incredibly divided since seceding, with both the pro-Federation and pro-independence factions accusing the other of acting on emotion rather than logic. Complicating matters further are rumors of Changeling infiltration on both sides.
In the chaos, a third faction has emerged which proposes reunification with the Romulans. Though small for the moment, their growing presence has worried the Vulcan government, the Tu-Surak Confederacy (“Tu-Surak” meaning “the Path of Surak”). The Confederacy remains opposed to reunification with the emotional Romulans. One member of this group is Stirteth, who has been a particular thorn in T’Preike’s side these past few weeks. T’Preike, who has fallen on the pro-Federation side of the conflict, suspects Stirteth is in fact a Changeling intending to weaken Vulcan and damage its standing on the galactic stage.
DS9 is about to host a conference on agriculture in arid environments, for which T’Preike is representing the Vulcan government. Though the conference starts smoothly, talks on a joint research project are stalled when the Brakiri unexpectedly pull out after meeting with Sirteth, stating that they refuse to work with T’Prieke. Reasoning that they now also believe that she is a Changeling, T’Prieke asks Odo to intervene and limit Sirteth’s access. He notes that she is noticeably stressed and asks if she’s alright. She insists that she is.
Odo continues, noting that Stirteth has not done anything strictly illegal, and therefore the Changeling cannot stop him from speaking to the visiting dignitaries. He does, however, warn them of Stirteth’s beliefs and not to trust what he says. “The only Changeling on the station is me,” he explains to one diplomat. The rest of the conference goes smoothly, with the Brakiri eventually returning and apologizing to T’Preike.
T’Prieke reasons that Stirteth, as someone who is pro-unification with the Romulans, must have Romulan contacts. She confronts Solaris, who reveals to T’Preike’s surprise that she is against Vulcan and Romulus reuniting, believing that the two have diverged too far culturally to ever be one again.
“Consider it the first steps towards proper and much-needed speciation,” she says. This is a shocking revelation. Even among the Romulans, considering themselves to be an entirely separate species from Vulcans is an extremist view. While Solaris seems to be on the more level-headed side of the camp, it’s still something not often spoken about.
The two end talking at length about their respective cultures, with Solaris revealing how the Romulans view the split between the two peoples. To the Romulans, she reveals, the situation is now remembered as an epic, of a people who were forced to flee their new home on a voyage across the stars, eventually founding a new and brilliant state where they would be free to express themselves emotionally without the constraints of Surak’s doctrine. The two eventually agree that the truth of what really happened is probably lost to time, as both the Vulcan and Romulan stories are seen through the lenses of their respective cultures, rather than being an objective account of the events (despite what many Vulcans might say).
T’Preike leaves and seeks out Troi, something weighing heavily on her mind. As she explains to the counselor, there is a little-known second school of thought from one of Surak’s contemporaries, Jateth. She and her followers believed that total embracing of logic at the expense of emotional expression wasn’t the right thing to do. One could live logically and not be utterly stoic. Her teachings, Tu-Jateth, lost out culturally and the adherents of which became outcasts known pejoratively as v’tosh ka’tur (“Vulcans without logic,” but originally meaning “ancestors”; also an ancient Vulcan term for the Romulans). To this day, they exist in small numbers, usually in secret. They are not allowed to practice on Vulcan or its associated worlds, a prejudice which the Federation at large has always turned a blind eye to. Troi wants to know why T’Preike is telling her this. The ambassador explains that she feels she can no longer embrace Tu-Surak, and wishes to change to Tu-Jateth. However, this would mean giving up her entire life, which she fought so hard to keep after Vulcan’s decision to secede.
Troi asks T’Preike if she knows of any Tu-Jateth followers personally, to which she says that she doesn’t know for sure, but she suspects that someone she knows at least has sympathies. T’Preike contacts Admiral Hadobin, and expresses the same concerns that she showed to Troi. Hadobin seems sympathetic to her worries, but later that day, T’Prieke receives a message from the Vulcan government informing her that she has been removed from her post with immediate effect as a result of her following “an illogical philosophy that renders [her] a poor representative of the Vulcan government.” To her horror, she realizes that Hadobin led her on before contacting Vulcan and informing them of her feelings.
Now jobless, T’Prieke is lost. Sisko suggests that with tensions rising across the quadrant, there are many posts available for a diplomat as skilled as she is and requests that she remain on the station for the time being. During this, Sisko receives the message that the Vulcan government has declined to nominate a replacement, instead closing their embassy on DS9. This is something they had apparently been considering for some time, according to T’Preike. Sisko admits that it’s actually a bit of a relief. Now he finally has a space free for the Vorlon ambassador when they open their embassy on the station. T’Preike inquires about it, and all Sisko knows is that the ambassador goes by Kosh.
On the Promenade later that evening, T’Preike sits down to eat and is joined by Stirteth, who unexpectedly shares his sympathies. If T’Preike was a Changeling intending to destabilize Vulcan, after all, it would have been illogical to get herself removed from a post where she had some level of sway. While he still disagrees with her pro-Federation position, as a pro-Romulan he is at least open to the idea of Vulcans being more willing to express emotion. The two part ways amicably, despite their past.
The following morning, Odo wakes T’Preike with a message. Stirteth has been killed by a group of pro-independence extremists. Odo has already arrested the perpetrators, and T’Prieke speaks to them. Their leader, Ejjal, rationalizes their actions as the “only logical course of action to prevent emotional radicals like him from getting power.” They demean T’Preike as “a sentimental failure” who is beneath them. T’Preike snaps back – although Stirteth caused her many problems, he ultimately wanted what he thought was best for the Vulcans. He did not deserve to be killed for doing what he believed was right. T’Prieke openly rejects Tu-Surak and embraces her emotion, condemning the extremists having acted not out of logic, but out of being “creatures of emotion in denial,” and leaves. Ejjal and his cohorts remain impassive, merely remarking that in human parlance, one might say “that young woman has put an enormous target on her back.”
Recurring Cast: Mädchen Amick as T’Preike and Linda Hunt as Commander Solaris
Guest Stars: Daniel Dae Kim as Stirteth, Joel Hatch as Ejjal, and Brock Peters as Admiral Hadobin
Overview of Season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Part 3
Timelordtoe
Monthly Donor
Overview of Season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Part 3/3
“I mean, the very idea that I would’ve killed poor Ziyal – and out of jealousy, no less! Dukat has some very unusual ideas about our relationship, eh, Garak?”
“Your obliviousness is adorable, doctor. However, I don’t think I can keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“What do you mean?”
“Julian, would you please do me the honor of a proper first date?”
“Garak, that- that’s not funny! Just because Dukat had the wrong idea-”
“No, he very much had the right idea. I’ve simply been waiting for you to recognize my feelings. Very patiently, might I add!”
“I… well… I suppose one date couldn’t hurt.”
“Splendid! Tomorrow evening after your shift ends?”
“Sounds fine to me! Though, I must ask… am I really that dense when it comes to romance?”
“YES!”
“I mean, the very idea that I would’ve killed poor Ziyal – and out of jealousy, no less! Dukat has some very unusual ideas about our relationship, eh, Garak?”
“Your obliviousness is adorable, doctor. However, I don’t think I can keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“What do you mean?”
“Julian, would you please do me the honor of a proper first date?”
“Garak, that- that’s not funny! Just because Dukat had the wrong idea-”
“No, he very much had the right idea. I’ve simply been waiting for you to recognize my feelings. Very patiently, might I add!”
“I… well… I suppose one date couldn’t hurt.”
“Splendid! Tomorrow evening after your shift ends?”
“Sounds fine to me! Though, I must ask… am I really that dense when it comes to romance?”
“YES!”
- Garak, Kira, and Ost express their exasperation at Bashir's cluelessness.
The Tzenkethi Extradition
Braas’Nuth Selm-B-Yun, the Supreme Prophet of the Divinely Anointed Tzenkethi People’s Accords (DATPA), arrives on DS9 to meet on neutral ground with the Cardassians. She is requesting the extradition of the former Tzenkethi Autarch for trial. Dukat arrives, being the other head of state in this process, much to Ost’s chagrin. Curiously, however, Dukat doesn’t remove Ost from his position.
Things go poorly, and then the Autarch is reported as dead. With no heir apparent, the old Tzenkethi government is now dead for good. However, this does not translate to good news for Dukat. Braas’Nuth opens a new dialogue with the Federation and officially cuts all ties with Cardassia due to Dukat’s “deplorable conduct” during the negotiations. Meanwhile, Nog is back from Starfleet Academy and his new outlook is causing friction between him and Jake. Jake seeks out assistance from Sisko and the rest of the senior staff. In doing so, he finds himself reconciling with O’Brien.
Recurring Cast: Marc Alaimo as Dukat, Aron Eisenberg as Cadet Nog, and Matt LeBlanc as Ambassador Ost Nicilan
Guest Star: Karen Shallo as DATPA Supreme Prophet Braas’Nuth Selm-B-Yun
The Oralian Way
Following a quiet day on DS9, Bashir goes to finish up in the sickbay for the night, letting the other staff leave early while he puts everything in a low-power mode. “If there’s an emergency, they can always wake me up,” he says. As he goes to leave, he runs into Tora Ziyal, who he is surprised to see up so late. Ziyal seems uncomfortable when questioned, but mentions needing to run by Garak’s to pick up a dress.
The following morning, he is woken up by a call from Odo. Tora Ziyal is dead with a phaser wound to the chest in the sickbay. Odo wants to ask him a few questions.
A worried Bashir arrives at Odo’s office, where it is revealed that he is the last person that was seen with her, and that the security footage from the sickbay during the night has been completely wiped. Bashir explains what he saw that night, that Ziyal left for Garak’s after their conversation. Odo explains that Ziyal never made it to Garak’s tailor shop, but that at least if Bashir’s story is true, he can narrow down the time of murder.
While Odo goes about questioning people who were on the promenade that night, Kira and Sisko discuss how they are going to break the news to Gul Dukat. As troubled as their relationship had been at times, Dukat was still Ziyal’s father, and he had shown time and again that he did love her. Meanwhile, on having the news broken to him, Garak is conflicted, commenting that though it was clear that Ziyal had feelings for him, “I never could understand why. I suppose now I never will.”
Garak approaches Odo with an offer to help with his investigation. Odo tentatively accepts. However, he warns that he will keep a close eye on Garak and won’t let him anywhere near sensitive material. “Naturally, constable. All sensible precautions; I would expect nothing less from you!”
Dukat arrives, and seems to be anything but himself. He initially acts even colder than usual, before breaking down upon seeing Ziyal’s body. Dukat rages, blaming Bashir for her death. He claims that the doctor did it so that he could have Garak “all to himself” before storming back to his ship. Bashir professes his innocence and his confusion that people seem to think he and Garak have romantic feelings for each other.
Kira offers to examine Ziyal’s belongings with Dukat, which he accepts. As they go through her quarters, with Kira telling him what life was like for Ziyal on the station and drawing particular attention to her paintings, he discovers an item that shocks him. It is a copy of a holy book, but not a Bajoran one. It’s for the Oralian Way, an ancient Cardassian religion that dates to the times before the military dictatorship. Dukat is disgusted that his daughter would take part in “archaic ritual nonsense,” the practice of which is banned in Cardassian space.
Ost explains to Kira and Odo at this point that the Cardassians only took on their current name relatively recently. It occurred after the success of the fascist Galor Cardas movement in the wake of the Hebitian civilization’s collapse in 2152. Prior to that, they called themselves the Oralians, and were ultimately known as the Kamoy at first. Such information is not shared often with outsiders, if at all.
Garak and Odo continue their investigation, though Dukat now protests at Garak’s involvement. He claims that it was due to his influence that Ziyal had become interested in the Oralian Way, and that he would “not have the same man who tried to corrupt [his] daughter investigating her murder.” Garak claims ignorance, though he does give Odo a series of phrases to look out for in Ziyal’s recent communications that may be related to the Oralian Way. Odo questions how he knows these phrases, to which Garak replies, “Oh, just some phrases I overheard in hushed conversations back on Cardassia.”
Odo finds matches for a few of the phrases in Ziyal’s communications, figuring out that she was due to meet another Oralian initiate that night. It’s not hard to figure out her contact. It’s Ost. Kira offers to interrogate him, which Odo agrees to. In the process, Ost proves his innocence and somehow ends up setting himself and Kira up on a date. Odo is annoyed (due to his crush on Kira), while Garak is pleasantly surprised. “That man is as smooth as the finest Kamoy syrup,” he remarks. “I must begin taking notes….”
Bashir is allowed to return to sickbay, his involvement now being seen more as a “wrong place, wrong time” affair. He discovers that one of the maintenance hatches has been left slightly open. Verifying that it was none of his staff or the maintenance crew, he calls Odo in, who discovers traces of Cardassian DNA on it, but Ziyal, nor Garak, nor Ost match, and the station logs appear to show that there should have been no other Cardassians on the station at the time – not even Ost’s small team.
Odo, Garak, and Ost reason that the killer was likely an operative of the Obsidian Order who had arrived by stowing away aboard one of the ships docked at the station. They masqueraded as Ost to lure Ziyal out. The ships currently docked are scanned and searched, but no stowaways are found. Two ships previously left during the night Ziyal was killed, meaning the killer was likely aboard one of those. Both ships are contacted and advised to search for stowaways, but neither reply. For all intents and purposes, the killer has entirely disappeared.
Dukat prepares to leave, dissatisfied with Odo’s inability to find his daughter’s killer. He tells Ost he considers him and his “filthy pagan delusions” the reason his daughter was killed.
“With Ziyal’s death, the last bit of warmth has disappeared from my heart,” he warns. “Do not count on mercy should we meet as adversaries once more.”
As they begin their date, Kira fears for Ost’s job, but he assures her that Dukat will want “a more personally satisfying sort of vengeance.” Kira doesn’t find it all that reassuring, but decides to file it away for later. A few tables over, Garak and Bashir sit down to have lunch once more. Bashir comments on the absurdity of Dukat’s theory that he killed Ziyal out of jealousy. Garak, for his part, replies to this by commenting that Bashir’s obliviousness is adorable.
Recurring Cast: Marc Alaimo as Dukat, Andrew Robinson as Garak, Matt LeBlanc as Ambassador Ost Nicilan, and Melanie Smith as Tora Ziyal
Doctor Bashir, I Presume?
Dr. Lewis Zimmerman meets newly promoted Lt. Cmdr. Reginald Barclay on Deep Space 9 to work out a new Long-term Medical Hologram (LMH). This could revolutionize medicine for remote outposts, deep-space exploration, and ongoing combat situations. It would negate the need to put valuable living medical professionals in harm’s way, and prevent posting them so far out of the way that their skills become inaccessible if needed elsewhere. Both Dr. Zimmerman and Barclay are convinced their model for this new advancement ought to be Dr. Bashir.
Bashir is flattered, but declines the offer. Troi is confused, as are the rest of the senior staff. She and Barclay prevail upon Bashir to accept. Garak also encourages him to do so. Finally, Bashir relents… on the proviso that Garak do something for him that he would otherwise never ask someone to do. He also swears his new boyfriend to secrecy. Delighted (and somewhat turned on) by how devious Bashir is acting, Garak wholeheartedly agrees. The next day, however, Bashir is horrified to see his parents have arrived aboard the station. Richard and Amsha have been estranged from their son for some time, by his choice. An outraged Bashir demands to know why they’re here and his parents explain that Dr. Zimmerman invited them when he decided to use Bashir as the basis for the LMH. He said he needed to interview them in person to “get to know them, and by extension you, properly.”
It soon comes out that Richard and Amsha had Bashir genetically augmented at age six, enhancing his intelligence. Previously, he was a special needs child who was lagging far behind his peers. Dr. Zimmerman immediately declares him unfit for purposes and contacts the authorities over Barclay, Dax, and Troi’s objections. Sisko is obliged to order Odo to arrest Dr. Bashir and his parents. The elder Bashirs are horrified, and attempt to explain why they did what they did. Sisko tells them to save it for the trial.
Later, Odo inquires as to why this revelation means the Bashirs had to be arrested. Sisko explains that it’s not that Bashir is genetically enhanced – that is, in itself, not illegal. It’s that it was done outside of the Federation’s strictures on such procedures and performed on a child, who cannot consent by definition. In addition, such procedures are almost never sanctioned as they tend to produce super-geniuses who grow selfish and self-important, shying away from their humanity.
Kira quietly opines to Dax that such a thing should never have been done at all. Dax concurs that the Bashirs should never have violated their son’s consent. Curiously, Kira doesn’t openly agree with her friend, but stays mum.
Legal proceedings are soon underway, to be presided over by Rear Admiral Tennant, the Judge Advocate General of Starfleet, who appears via holoprojector. With the entire J.A.G. office currently sick with Rigelian fever and the replicators mysteriously sabotaged, rendering them unable to make ryetalyn, Bashir is prepared to represent himself. That said, he may be enhanced, but outside of medical law, he has no real legal knowledge. However, before things can really get going, Richard makes Tennant an offer. He will personally take life imprisonment in the Federation’s New Zealand penal settlement in exchange for his wife receiving no charges, Bashir keeping his commission and medical license, plus “this all being swept under the rug.” Bashir is touched, but his attempt to argue for a lesser sentence is quashed by his mother.
Richard is informed that life imprisonment isn’t necessary, but he will still be spending the next decade in prison. The Bashir family finally reconciles while exchanging tearful goodbyes. The rear admiral later explains to Sisko that while he was indeed moved by Richard being willing to give up his freedom in exchange for his son’s, Tennant only agreed due to extenuating circumstances. The Federation is deeply concerned about an open war with the Dominion many see on the horizon. “Dr. Bashir will be an invaluable asset during such an eventuality,” he says. Sisko is outraged, and informs the admiral that Bashir is “more than a mere asset,” that he’s human and deserves to be seen as such.
Tennant callously replies, “Given what his father did to him… does he really deserve to be called that anymore?” Before Sisko can retort, Tennant ends the call. Once again, Federation prejudice against genetically altered individuals looms large over the station. In Bashir’s quarters, Garak assures him that “no matter what, my darling doctor, you’re perfect in my eyes.” Bashir thanks him, and considers his beloved, careworn childhood bear, Kukalaka, given to him by his father.
Recurring Cast: Andrew Robinson as Garak
Special Guest Stars: Robert Picardo as Dr. Lewis Zimmerman and Michael Jeter as Lt. Cmdr. Reginald Barclay
Guest Stars: Brian George as Richard Bashir, Fadwa El Guindi as Amsha Bashir, and Moses Gunn as Rear Admiral Clay Tennant
Notes: Dedicated to the memory of Moses Gunn, who died on April 1st, 1998 – exactly one month before the episode was broadcast. Gunn’s character had previously appeared in TNG’s eighth season. (In OTL, Gunn died of asthmatic complications in 1993, which was averted ITTL.)
La Douleur Exquise
Thomas Riker arrives on DS9 in disguise as a Yolu trader to visit Troi, much to her surprise. However, also present is William Riker, who has also come to visit Troi. Tom begs Troi not to out him to Will and the crew, and she agrees against her better judgement. A romantic comedy of errors ensues with Troi trying to handle both Rikers, one of which is unaware of the other.
Meanwhile, Odo and Kira find that one of Ost’s subordinates, Hyda Julati, has apparently been leaking information to the Obsidian Order. Ost apologizes profusely and, once again, manages to talk his way into a date with Kira. (Kelly remarks to Odo that Ost would be quite the playboy if it wasn’t for the fact he doesn’t seem to know how he sweet talks potential partners. Odo replies that he wouldn’t know anything about that.) The date ends up going nowhere, but Odo finds some discrepancies in Julati’s subspace comm logs, prompting him and Kira to investigate further.
Finally, O’Brien’s father Oscar has also returned to DS9. Despite the younger O’Brien’s best efforts, Oscar is given a great deal of alcohol by Quark, who’s overjoyed that his best customer ever (Morn notwithstanding) is back! Furthermore, Oscar decides to pursue none other than Mildred Kelly… who actually seems interested! Kelly and O’Brien put their heads together to figure out how to stop this. (“Your gran and my old man dating? Forget a Dominion invasion, that would be worth the Federation going to war over!”) They try everything – pleading with Grandma Millie, the O’Briens having a bar fight that nearly wipes out Quark’s, trying to keep them both so occupied they can’t spend time together. Nothing works until they finally call in O’Brien’s Auntie Margaret. She arrives, hauls Oscar home in short order, and scares Quark almost to death in the process. (“I never want her or him in my bar ever again! And you’re on thin ice, too, chief!”)
Troi eventually has a night of passion with both Rikers, one after another. Tom departs before the next morning, leaving Will none-the-wiser. Meanwhile, Julati is found not to be a member of the Obsidian Order, but a personal operative working for Gul Damar, likely on behalf of Dukat….
Recurring Cast: Betty White as Mildred Kelly and Casey Biggs as Gul Damar
Special Guest Stars: Frank Kelly as Oscar O’Brien and Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker and Thomas Riker
Guest Stars: Brenda Fricker as Margaret O’Brien-Gallagher, and Dey Young as Hyda Julati
Absent: Alexander Siddig as Dr. Julian Bashir, Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko, and Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
Business as Usual
Three of Quark’s recent investments have met with failure, and after Dax cleans him out at tongo, he’s broke. While bemoaning his failure as a Ferengi, Quark receives an unexpected visitor – his cousin Gaila. He offers Quark a share of the profits from his weapons business in exchange for Quark doing what he does best. That is, showing any customers a good time. Additionally, the holosuites can be used to demonstrate all the highly illegal weapons without ever actually bringing them onto DS9, thereby avoiding legal ramifications. After seeing that the five percent cut Gaila’s offering would get him enough money that the FCA would beg on hands and knees for him to be reinstated, Quark agrees.
Keiko, meanwhile, is on Bajor studying a variety of flower called the Prophets’ dream-lily. Dax has joined her as science officer, while Prof. Lennier has come along as an informal religious attaché. The dream-lilies are used by a relict sect of the Bajoran religion, the Originalists, to achieve what they claim is a direct link to the Prophets. This has yet to yield anything substantial, unlike what legends claim happened in the distant past. However, as the Originalists’ leader, Illito Ukama, details to Lennier, this has recently changed. The Minbari is suddenly all atwitter and can’t keep his excitement to himself. Keiko and Dax are likewise intrigued, especially as the followers will no longer allow them to take any of the dream-lilies for study. Ukama tells them that they will need to wait “some time, perhaps a week” for the necessary beverage to ferment. In the meantime, they are urged to avail themselves of the Originalists’ “traditional Bajora hospitality.” (Note the more archaic “Bajora” in lieu of the modern “Bajoran.”)
Quark takes to selling weapons like a duck to water, being familiar with the Tholians Gaila’s working with already. This changes once he meets Gaila’s newest client – he smug, supercilious Hagath. Once unobserved, Hagath drops her Dopterian holo-cloak, revealing himself to be an anhinga-like Tansardre. The Tansardre are an unscrupulous species whose territory sits on the outskirts of the ongoing war between the Kingdom of Palamar and the Tholian Assembly, abutting Talarian space. Hagath and Gaila note the tightrope act that is supplying weapons to both sides of a war. If walked correctly, however, it’s incredibly lucrative. It’s all a matter of whom you speak to and what you tell them. Quark laughs along, but is beginning to have doubts.
Odo soon cottons onto what’s happening and tries to arrest Quark for dealing illegal weapons. However, as Quark points out, there are no weapons onboard DS9 fitting his descriptions. Furthermore, as Hagath (in her Dopterian disguise as the Tansardre sided with the Cardassians during the Occupation) used to arm the Resistance, the Bajoran government orders Odo to stay out of it. After all, they owe that woman a great debt. While they can’t do anything to Quark for this, Sisko, Kelly, Kira, and Odo all make it very clear that if he so much as thinks about littering on the Promenade, they will nail his ass to the wall.
The Originalists are fermenting the dream-lilies into a hearty tea. Keiko inquires as to what comprises the mixture, but is initially rebuffed by the second-in-command, Edifimm Kaiul. Kaiul is then called away. The woman she leaves to monitor the mixture, Hensoju, is happy to explain exactly what’s in the mixture to Keiko… though she does not mention measurements.
Federation customers slow down to a measly trickle at Quark’s. Then Hagath fires one of her lackeys and blows his ship up. Quark, now on high alert, tries to back out of the deal with Gaila. However, before he can say so, his cousin reveals he’s planning to retire and intends to have Quark replace him as the supplier in the Tholian-Palamarian conflict. Quark would be so rich he could buy his own planet and start his own Commerce Authority, the Ferengi government be damned. Once again, Quark subsides and allows things to continue. Now Rom, Nog, and Morn are giving him a wide berth, and Ateel reveals he’s considering tendering his resignation, as are several dabo girls. The gunrunners give them the creeps. It seems the richer Quark stands to become, the lonelier he’s getting.
Odo speaks to the Tholian ambassador, Xorava, about the situation with Quark. Xorava is aware of Hagath, but believes she is a harmless – if annoying – Dopterian. Besides, she supplies weapons to the Assembly… or so Xorava has heard. It’s a rumor, of course (wink, wink). Odo informs her that Hagath may be playing both sides. Xorava is incensed, but tells Odo that she will act if he finds incontrovertible proof.
That night, Quark is visited in the bar by the ghosts of his former friends, including children like Molly, representing the people who have been killed by the weapons he is selling. As a dead Sisko spins the dabo wheel and tells Quark “you lose,” the Ferengi wakes up screaming. He tries to dismiss the dream, but can’t….
On Bajor, the Originalists all partake in a highly fermented tea made from the dream-lilies as Keiko, Dax, and Lennier observe. Keiko is determined to get hold of a dream-lily and manages to snag one as the Originalists all begin to sway. It seems to simply be a bunch of Bajorans all getting high as Brindandes sky-whales… until Ukama’s eyes turn blood red and he speaks in a metallic snarl, declaring that his form is now a vessel of the Shadows. Keiko and Dax are able to fall back outside the Originalist yurt, but Lennier isn’t and becomes a hostage.
Dax reasons that the Originalists could have their link severed with the Shadows if they can analyze the dream-lily and simulate the fermentation process. That will determine the mind-altering substance within it so they can deactivate it. Using their equipment, Dax is certain this can be done. Keiko sets to work simulating the fermentation process. Meanwhile, Lennier is attempting to maintain a dialogue with the Shadows to gather as much information as he can, to mixed results.
Back on the station, the Regent of Palamar has arrived. Quark is catering the meeting with the only help he can get anymore – holograms. Gaila advises him to shape up, as he looks like a wreck. Quark snarkily replies that he can’t imagine why that might be.
The Regent’s protégé, General Nassuc, has recently declared her intent to rule Palamar without him. Seeing this as the ultimate betrayal, the Regent intends to make an example of her and her followers by utilizing one of Hagath’s weapons. Gaila inquires as to a bodycount, and the Regent says eight million. Quark stops what he’s doing and pales. Then the Regent continues by saying he wishes the bodycount to rise – as he climbs to sixteen, twenty-four, thirty-two, and finally forty million dead, Quark becomes more and more horrified. He objects, which angers the Regent until Hagath fobs off Quark’s objections as “typically unfunny Ferengi humor.” Gaila pulls Quark outside and says he can’t retire if his successor is “too weak” to stomach the job. Quark protests that the Regent is a murderous madman – to arm such an individual would be tantamount to killing all forty million people themselves! Quark wants money, yes, but he refuses to commit genocide to do so!
Lennier continues to speak with the Shadows, questioning what they want. Shadow-Ukama replies that they want to help the Bajora, and to a greater extent all the galaxy, “grow.” However, the Shadow philosophy is one of “strength through chaos,” believing that strife and conflict is obligatory for any kind of growth.
Quark informs Ambassador Xorava that the Regent of Palamar is on the station to hash out a trade deal with Hagath, providing her with copies of the correspondence between the two. Xorava thanks Quark and promises to repay him for his help, and asks him to signal for her when the next meeting takes place. Quark tells Gaila that he has “come to his senses” and is willing to go through with the deal.
“After all,” he says, “if [they] don’t sell the weapons, someone else will, so [they] may as well be the ones to make the money.” Gaila is happy at Quark’s seeming change of heart, and tells him that the next meeting with the Regent will be tonight. There, they will hopefully finalize the deal.
Meanwhile, the fermentation simulation finishes and the active component is identified. Keiko figures out a neutralizing agent that should break the link with the Shadows, and quickly synthesizes a hypospray of it for Dax to use. Dax hurries back to the yurt to stop the Shadows.
Quark attends the meeting, quietly sending a message out to Xorava, who asks for a little time to prepare her response. Unfortunately, the finalization of the deal seems to be a mere formality at this point. Despite Quark’s insistence, the Regent seems uninterested in any of Quark’s hospitality, just wanting the deal to be done so that he can crush any rebellion. Quark continues to attempt to stall, to no avail. As the deal is being signed, however, the PADD reveals itself to be none other than Odo in disguise! Gaila attempts to shoot Odo, but Odo quickly incapacitates him before he can get the shot off. He ends up face-down in a large cake.
Xorava enters the holo-suite as well, accompanied by a security detail, now fully aware of Hagath’s double crossing. She informs Hagath that the Tholian Assembly will no longer do business with her. The Regent is similarly outraged, but is more concerned at the sudden presence of the Tholian ambassador and the security officers. Hagath is exposed, and is forced to go on the run as the Tholians will now be after her. She swears vengeance on Quark and Gaila. Likewise, Gaila is taken into Federation custody while cursing Quark’s name from Bajor to Ferenginar and back again. The Regent also attempts to escape, but one of Xorava’s agents acts, stealing all their important information and placing an explosive in their engine. As the Regent and his retinue get a suitable distance from DS9 in his corvette, it explodes, killing them all instantly.
Odo asks Quark the reason for his sudden change of heart, asking if he has finally grown a moral compass. Quark shrugs him off, insisting that it was purely pragmatic. “Anyway, sabotaging one deal in exchange for saving millions of lives? C’mon! You’d think you’d know by now that I know a good deal when I see one, Odo.”
Dax returns to the yurt, hypospray in hand. Shadow-Ukama attacks her, knocking the hypospray out of her hand, though Lennier grabs hold of it and uses it on Ukama, purging the Shadow from his body. Dax injects each of the rest to be sure that the Shadow does not simply move bodies, then commends Lennier for stalling for time. Lennier explains what the Shadow told him, but questions what its true motive was. Dax reasons that it may simply have been to scare the Originalists and stop them from using the tea to speak with the Prophets. If word got out that the Shadows were able to possess religious leaders through these ceremonies, it could cause widespread discontent, which would be exactly what the Shadows would want. Lennier promises to keep his mouth shut.
A week later, it becomes clear the recent turn of events on Palamar is unacceptable to the Federation. They’d hoped to oust the Regent themselves and work the world into the Federation for the presumptive war effort with Nassuc as the leader. This has instead given the Tholians enough insight to overrun and annex Palamar. Several Starfleet officers are now dead, as are Nassuc and her followers. The Federation gets into a dispute with the Assembly over this and tensions rise ever further.
Recurring Cast: Max Grodénchik as Rom, Aron Eisenberg as Cadet Nog, Rosalind Chao as Keiko O’Brien, and Brenda Song as Molly O’Brien
Special Guest Stars: Lawrence Tierney as the Regent of Palamar and Peter Hansen as Illito Ukama
Guest Stars: Josh Pais as Gaila, Bill Mumy as Prof. Lennier, Cree Summer as the voice of Ambassador Xorava, and Nicola Bryant as Hagath (Dopterian disguise and voice of Tansardre form)
Diplomatic Incredulity
A surprise comes to DS9 in the form of Dr. Szyall, a representative of the Teloshi Science Presidium. The Presidium is an old power, presumed by Federation experts to be ailing as far as anyone can tell. It hasn’t been relevant since the Teloshi-Federation War of the 2150s. (In fact, Dax notes that until 2355 they’d been assumed extinct after refusing Federation aid during a plague in the 2160s.) The war was precipitated by the original SS Enterprise (XCV 330) liberating Tiburon from the Teloshi Dr. Zora “of Tiburon” in 2129; in doing so, it was badly damaged and had to be decommissioned. Dr. Szyall, incidentally, is a descendant of Dr. Zora.
The doctor explains to the senior staff that she has arrived to intercept an experimental weapon stolen from the Institute for Innovations in Liquidation on Teloshus. (“An entire institute to develop new forms of mass murder,” Odo sums up, to Szyall’s irritation.) She has reason to believe it will be handed off to a buyer here on DS9 within the week. The perpetrator is none other than Thelarim, the legendary Tiburonian arch-criminal. A man infamous for arms trading, grand larceny, money laundering, racketeering, murder, and much, much more. Even Quark won’t have anything to do with him (especially not after last week’s episode).
Odo begins beefing up security, and even asks for Eddington’s role as Chief of Starfleet security to be filled once more (the position having remained vacant due to the man’s betrayal and Odo’s insistence that he could do the job himself). Sisko acquiesces and George Primmin – now lieutenant commander – returns to fill the gap. He’s glad to be back and immediately sets to work with Odo, this time on a more even footing. As Thelarim is also wanted by the Klingons, Martok offers some of his own staff to the security team until Thelarim is dealt with. Odo thanks him for the offer, but doesn’t believe it necessary.
To everyone’s surprise, Thelarim arrives by beaming directly onto the Promenade in front of Quark’s. Rom dives for cover, while Quark stares at the man, eyes wide. When Odo and Primmin come to arrest him, Thelarim takes the double-tipped Orion cigar out of his mouth, gives a delighted laugh, and explains that he’s the new Tiburonian liaison for the station. Odo and Primmin are suspicious, but Thelarim produces his credentials, which the two officers easily identify as authentic. Primmin in particular is horrified. Rom is confused as to why this changes things, and Primmin explains that this means Thelarim has diplomatic immunity. He’s untouchable.
An incredulous Sisko protests strongly to Starfleet Command, the Diplomatic Corps, and the Tiburonian government, but is shut down. While no one likes this (except Thelarim, who perhaps likes this too much), the ongoing secessions have many key figures in high places spooked. They refuse to make a stink about this and allow Tiburon, “one of the Federation’s greatest success stories,” to secede. In addition, the looming prospect of war means they will need all hands on deck should a conflict break out.
When discussing the matter with Kelly, all that reasoning gets out of him is a curt: “Forgive me if I’d rather not put my life in the hands of a Tiburonian.” Sisko reprimands him for such a reductive attitude, though Kelly points out that the vast majority of Tiburonians live life solely for pleasure and have robots do anything of great importance.
“What good would they be on the battlefield, unless the pleasure they find is from brutality and murder? And, frankly, who’d wanna serve on the battlefield with someone like that? Not me!”
“In times of war, we don’t get to pick and choose our allies, Mister Kelly!”
The two cannot come to a consensus on the issue, and both leave the conversation feeling the other has dropped in their esteem.
Around this time, Odo is called to Bajor. Despite protests from Sisko and Szyall, he’s unable to give any reason as to why he needs to go. Primmin is left in charge of the investigation.
Thelarim proves to be the epitome of a gentleman criminal. He’s urbane, pleasant to talk to, has a variety of curious hobbies and eccentric quirks. In various conversations, he claims to have taken up smoking his signature double-tipped Orion cigars “for the sheer panache,” that he began sharpshooting initially to impress a married couple he wished to bring into his bedroom (“Ooh, when I tell you they drove me wild, Mr. Kelly…!”), and more. Norvo admits to Kelly that he can’t help but like the man, and a couple other ambassadors have been similarly charmed despite knowing of the Tiburonian’s reputation and crimes.
As Norvo says this, a Chandir man steals from an Ajestrik woman’s plate at a nearby table. As he runs, he slams right into Thelarim, who’s standing in his path. The Tiburonian tears the food from the thief’s hands before yanking him back to the table by his head-tail. Slamming the Chandir’s face into it, he angles the thief to face his victim.
“Apologize to the nice lady. Or else I rip this unsightly appendage off your puny head.”
The thief stammers out an apology. Thelarim smiles before tossing him to the ground. He then informs the man if he’s ever seen on the station again, he won’t live to regret coming back. The Chandir runs for his life. Norvo stares, agog, as Thelarim returns to the terrified woman her stolen food. Kelly points out that for all Thelarim’s good qualities, he is ultimately a ruthless criminal.
Later, Dr. Szyall asks for Kelly and Primmin’s help in investigating Thelarim, and both agree. Frustratingly, Thelarim’s activities aboard the station all appear to be above board. He’s none too pleased with Szyall’s snooping on him, accusing her of distrusting him purely because of her ancestor’s history with Tiburon. (Dr. Zora having used the pre-warp Tiburonians as lab rats before the Enterprise put a stop to it. Tiburon became United Earth’s, then later the Federation’s first protectorate.) This does not get the reaction he hoped, but Szyall’s outrageous eyebrows twitch a little. Kelly decides to change tactics and get to know Thelarim better, hoping that he can get a better idea as to why the criminal is really aboard DS9.
The Tiburonian claims to have turned over a new leaf, and that while he is still “[his] own magnificent self,” he is an honest man. Kelly is unconvinced. He asks Thelarim why he became a diplomat. Thelarim says that the Tiburonian government asked him to, as he “[has] the right skill set.” After all, according to him, so many of his crimes would have been legal if he had simply been doing them on behalf of his government. Kelly calls this out as a bald-faced lie, to which Thelarim merely says they have a “difference of opinion” about it. Kelly leaves, quietly commenting to himself that now he knows how Bashir feels with Garak.
He returns to Szyall, frustrated at not having made headway. Anxious at how soon the weapon is supposed to be handed off, but she is no closer to proving that Thelarim is involved. Primmin asks what’s so important about the piece of technology anyway, and Szyall is suddenly on the defensive, insistent that it is purely Teloshi business.
Thelarim, meanwhile, has found that he enjoys Kelly’s company and begins to show up unannounced to spend time with him. He even insists at one point that the young officer bring his “famous grandmother” to dinner in the Tiburonian’s quarters (Kelly declines, claiming Mildred is ill). Norvo remarks that the interest the criminal’s showing almost has him jealous. Kelly reminds him they’re not actually dating, to which Norvo remarks, “Not officially, yeah, but… Andy, c’mon. We have lunch together almost every day.” He doesn’t get a proper response to that.
A couple days later, as Primmin is looking through Thelarim’s schedule, he makes a breakthrough. Thelarim has space booked out for the exact length of time that a freighter due to pass through the wormhole will be docked tomorrow evening. The handover will likely take place then. He informs Szyall and Kelly, and they agree to keep tabs on Thelarim.
As expected, the next evening Thelarim goes to meet with the freighter captain. Szyall, Kelly, and Primmin, accompanied by a security team, also go to the cargo bay the two are meeting in, ready to ambush them and stop the deal the moment it takes place. They may not be able to arrest Thelarim, but they can at least recover the stolen tech. And if Thelarim is caught in the act, it may provide Kelly and Sisko the leverage they need with the Tiburonian government to remove Thelarim from his position.
Thelarim arrives as expected for the handover, providing the captain with a briefcase. Szyall storms in, despite Primmin urging her to stay put until they have incontrovertible evidence. The doctor snatches the briefcase, opening it to reveal… nothing except a note that simply says, “Better luck next time!” She’s gobsmacked, rounding on Thelarim and the captain, the latter of whom oh-so-sweetly points out there’s nothing illegal about carrying a briefcase with a mocking note inside.
Szyall tries to demand they both be arrested anyway for merely being suspicious, which is apparently illegal on Teloshus. Primmin escorts her away, stating that suspicion is not enough for Federation or Bajoran law. Thelarim admonishes Kelly for only getting to know him to ambush him. Kelly protests that given the man’s past, it wasn’t unreasonable to be suspicious, to which Thelarim concurs. He shakes Kelly’s hand and commends him for “not being a complete moron.”
Thelarim says he needs to speak to the freighter captain, so Kelly goes to ops. As the senior staff look on, the freighter detaches the docking clamps on its own, pulls away from the station despite not having clearance, then cloaks before jumping to warp. Kelly remarks that he feels as though they’ve all been had. Sisko concurs, and contacts the Tiburonian government once again.
After explaining everything, it’s revealed that Thelarim got the ambassadorial position through a lot of threats and well-placed gifts. Apparently, there never was a weapon. Thelarim knew the Teloshi wanted him dead, so decided to have fun with duping them and making a clean getaway. To do so, he needed diplomatic immunity and “took advantage of several weak spots in [the Tiburonian Diplomatic Corps’] organization.”
That evening, Kelly returns to his quarters to find a box on his dining table with an attached envelope. While suspicious, Kelly finds nothing untoward about the box other than its abrupt appearance. The card inside the envelope is nondescript, and the note handwritten in immaculate Tiburonian cursive.
“Andrew,
“Let me extend my thanks to you for making my week aboard Deep Space 9 so memorable. I enjoyed our conversations and find you to be a most interesting individual. While I took the ambassadorial position under false pretenses, I must admit that in another life I feel I could have come to enjoy that career. However, my path took me elsewhere. It’s not a dark side; not to me, anyway. I hope you do not think less of me for my actions.
“Please find inside the box the truth of the matter. While I did not intend to hand off a weapon, I do have evidence that the Teloshi Science Presidium is still up to its old tricks, but with new and far more dangerous technology. I may sit at odds with the long arm of the law, but even I can see that dealing with the Dominion will only end with the Alpha and Beta Quadrants being brought to their knees.
“We’ll meet again, Andrew. Hopefully as friends, as I would hate to have you as an enemy. Oh, and please enjoy the other contents of the box with Ambassador Odan. While the horizon may be darkened by clouds, I am a firm believer that we must find sources of light around us. In Odan, you have such a source. Stay in the light until next we meet, won’t you?
“Warmest regards,
Thelarim H. Quolaan IX”
As the letter is read out, we see Kelly look inside the box and retrieve a PADD. His eyes widen as he reads the contents, then he runs to ops. He shows Sisko, Dax, O’Brien, and Kira the information – the Teloshi are working clandestinely with the Dominion to provide them with portable, on-demand wormhole technology. Then, as the letter finishes, we see Kelly retrieve a top-of-the-line bottle of Bajoran springwine from the box as Norvo arrives. They kiss, then gaze at each other lovingly as the main letter is finished, the screen cutting to black before the valediction is read as well.
Recurring Cast: Jonathan Brandis as Ambassador Norvo Odan, James Lashly as Lt. Cmdr. George Primmin, and J.G. Hertzler as Gen. Martok
Guest Stars: Michael Clarke Duncan as Thelarim H. Quolaan IX, Karin Konoval as Dr. Szyall, Dan Hedaya as Erdine Shayf (Sisko’s Tiburonian contact), Ian Bohen as the Chandir thief, and James Hong as the Tiburonian freighter captain
Ladies’ Night
Mildred Kelly attempts to invite her grandson to dinner one evening, only for him to decline. Kelly explains that Kira has been promoted to lieutenant colonel, and they’re celebrating that night. Mildred is overjoyed and invites herself along. Kelly doesn’t protest, as Kira and his grandmother get along quite well.
At the party, a curious thing happens. Kelly leaves to cover the night shift due to the usual officer being sick. Bashir and O’Brien have tottered off someplace by themselves, though Bashir notes that Kira’s acting rather cold towards him as of late. Sisko left hours before with a stomach ache. Jake and Nog left for the holosuites. Soon, only the women on the station (and Rom) are left. Mildred declares “Girls – and Rommy – it’s time for a good, old-fashioned ladies’ night! TO THE BAR!”
The assembled ladies (and an initially very bemused Rom) are soon utterly shitfaced and raising hell across the Promenade. It doesn’t help that two Orion enforcers – the Ajestrik Tumgori and the Orion H’Bel – have shown up, yet again for Mildred’s gambling debts. Quark is overwhelmed, especially when Rom starts laying into him for all his shortcomings. He soon escapes to get Primmin… who is thankfully already at the door. Mildred attempts to ply him with tranya like she did with Tumgori and H’Bel following the enormous bar fight they started, but to no avail. The ladies, Rom, and the enforcers are rounded up and thrown in the drunk tank for the evening… except for Kira and Delenn.
Kira has staggered off to pour her heart out to a very sleepy and confused Ost. She’s been thinking about her relationship with the Cardassian and declares that she knows what she wants. They fall into bed together despite his protests that it’s too soon and she should reconsider.
Delenn, meanwhile, runs into Ambassador Xorava and begins to tell her exactly what she thinks of the Tholian Assembly. Over the course of the discussion, she manages to insult Xorava, her child Vexaan, and the entire Tholian way of life so thoroughly that the ambassador packs up Vexaan and their things, then leaves. Primmin proceeds to wrangle Delenn into the drunk tank, too.
In the morning, the ladies are horrified to find out that Quark’s is a wreck and the Tholian Assembly has cut diplomatic ties with the Federation pending a declaration of war. Mildred and Delenn are brought before Sisko to explain themselves, which results in Delenn narrowly avoiding recall to Minbar and Mildred being sternly told to refrain from drinking actual liquor while on the station. Kelly blames himself for telling his grandmother about the party, and Sisko can’t bring himself to tell Kelly he’s wrong.
Ladies’ nights are declared canceled for the foreseeable future by Mildred. Everyone agrees that it’s for the best. Especially Rom and the Orions, the latter of whom close out the episode in their corvette, complaining about having to pilot it while hungover and swearing that next time they’re asked to deal with Mildred they will “just say NO!”
Recurring Cast: Betty White as Mildred Kelly, Rosalind Chao as Keiko O’Brien, Penny Johnson Jerald as Kasidy Yates, Katey Sagal as Lt. KulinXap sh’Var, Virginia Madsen as Lt. K’Rene, Mädchen Amick as T’Preike, Mira Furlan as Ambassador Delenn, Matt LeBlanc as Ambassador Ost Nicilan, Max Grodénchik as Rom, Aron Eisenberg as Cadet Nog, and James Lashly as Lt. Cmdr. George Primmin
Guest Stars: Cree Summer as the voice of Ambassador Xorava, Tress MacNeille as the voice of Vexaan, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Tumgori, and Richard Gant as H’Bel
Sanctity of Life (Part One)
Bashir has been adjusting to living his life as “an ‘out’ Augment,” but finds there is a distinct “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. He finds this distasteful and wishes to change it. Over videochat, his father firmly tells him to leave it alone and live his life. Garak believes it to be a “shining example of humanity's inherent insecurity,” which doesn’t please Bashir at all.
He attempts to simply exist, but finds Kira is acting strangely around him. Norvo, who’s come in for a checkup on his symbiont, opines that he doesn’t think any less of the doctor. Though his family thinks less of him for having been Joined. Bashir, having been unaware of the issue, is confused. The Trill explains about his family’s prejudices and that he was disowned for getting Joined. Bashir sympathizes, and gives the symbiont a clean bill of health. Kelly meets the ambassador at the door to take him to lunch and Bashir twigs that they’re an item.
Later, he tries to discuss it with Kira, who is busy preparing for a visit from Kai Bareil. She begins to ignore him after a few sentences, prompting Bashir to make the bitter remark, “Well, I can tell when I’m not wanted. Good day, colonel.” Kira deflates, but does not follow him as he leaves.
Kira tries to put on a happy face for Bareil’s arrival, despite previously sleeping with Ost. When the kai arrives, he looks quite pale and is walking with a pronounced limp, assisted by a cane. Kira’s shocked, but Bareil insists that it’s nothing to worry about. He wishes to speak to Sisko, but Kira informs him that Sisko has yet to return from his trip to Starbase 71 (regarding the new Tholian situation). However, he should be returning within the next five hours. Bareil elects to wait. Kira, still somewhat enamored with him, helps him to his quarters.
Bashir mentions offhandedly to Ezri that Kelly and her brother make a cute couple. She’s horrified and runs off, thinking they’ve been exposed, leaving a confused Bashir in her wake. Confronting Kelly and Norvo in Sisko’s office, she asks if Norvo’s been outed as Reassociating. The pair are confused, and Ezri explains. Norvo and Kelly assure her that while Bashir may have the right idea, he’s not privy to their history. Kelly resolves to have a quiet chat with him. Ezri is still distressed, but Norvo chides her for acting like their worrywart brother-in-law, Culdmor, which she disputes. Kelly’s never heard of him and inquires. Norvo chuckles and describes their sister and brother-in-law’s marriage as “rocky, with a very loud love language… but ultimately strong and passionate. Well, last I checked.” Satisfied, Ezri subsides, and is roped into helping Kelly move some of his things out of Sisko’s office.
Sisko returns and immediately meets with Bareil despite the kai’s protests that he should take the night to rest. Bareil explains that certain details of the Shadow incident with the Originalists is making its way through the rumor mill. To improve morale, Bareil wishes to have Sisko make an appearance as the Emissary to quell any such rumors. Sisko protests on the grounds that a) he won’t tell bald-faced lies to make people feel better, and b) he is not the Emissary! Bareil is unwilling to hear this answer in his weakened state, and argues both points with Sisko until Bareil keels over. Sisko orders Bashir to come at once, but Bareil weakly hisses that the “unclean” doctor is not to touch him as he’s taken to the infirmary.
Bashir explains to the senior staff and Navarch Winn (flanked by Primmin and a Rhaandarite security officer, as per Sisko’s earlier terms) that Bareil has a blood clot that has reached his brain. Blood clots are especially serious in Bajorans. If it’s not taken care of soon, it could easily cross the blood-brain barrier and enter interstitial fluid, resulting in a fatal cerebral hemorrhage. Thankfully, this can all be fixed by a medical procedure that’s trivial thanks to the new piece of equipment recently installed. The problems are that the other medical staff don’t have enough skill with the new instrument to use it properly. Winn demands to know why the doctor hasn’t done it yet, and he explains the other problem: Bareil insists that Bashir is “unclean” and won’t let him operate.
Winn’s gaze flits to Kira and they share a brief, knowing look. Sisko catches this and orders them to explain. Winn refuses as she’s not a member of Sisko’s crew. Even Kira is reluctant, but finally explains that certain schools of the Bajoran religion, including one that Bareil belongs to, believe that genetic augmentation is a cardinal sin. Bashir points out that genetic augmentation isn’t even outlawed on Bajor, nor has anyone else had an issue with him… except Kira. She admits that she is part of another denomination that believes similarly, and that’s why her behavior towards him has changed. Bashir is disgusted as Kira explains she has been trying to, borrowing human parlance, “love the sinner, hate the sin.” Troi says that perhaps now isn’t the place to have this out, but the doctor ignores her. He points out that he didn’t ask to be augmented. It was done to him. Does that automatically make him not worthy of being Kira’s friend? Of not saving Bareil’s life when the operation is trivial? Kira can’t answer… but Winn can, at least on the latter point.
Bareil’s wishes must be upheld, as far she’s concerned. If Bashir operates on the kai, then he will be prosecuted by the Bajoran government for violating his religious rights… and if he lets the kai die, he will be prosecuted by the overall Bajoran religious body. Winn suggests he train one of his Bajoran team to use the device. Bashir informs her that there isn’t enough time and storms out.
Kira visits Bareil, who tells her not to worry. This is the will of the Prophets. She disputes this and pleads with him to let Bashir perform the operation. No matter how much she begs, her words fall on deaf ears. Bareil refuses to budge. He kisses her forehead, then has his vedeks remove her. Kira, distraught, seeks out Sisko for advice.
Meanwhile, before she goes, Winn speaks to Bashir. While the doctor is dubious of her intentions, he does invite her in, assuring the Rhaandarite security officer that he’ll be fine. (The officer waits outside nonetheless.) Over cups of jumja tea, Winn explains that she doesn’t envy Bashir his position. He is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. Bashir can’t very well disagree. However, Winn notes, he did take an oath when he became a doctor to save lives no matter what.
“While I’m in no way condoning anything,” she notes, “if I was in your position, I’d say it’s better to be damned for doing. Uphold your oath and save the kai’s life. I would say that’s a better outcome than forsaking your vow, letting a man die, and being damned anyway.”
Bashir is stunned. “Navarch, why are you telling me this?”
Winn stares past him for a long moment before responding. “I wanted to be kai myself, you know. I still do. Part of the role of kai is to advise those in crisis. Perhaps this is my way of saying to the Prophets that I am worthy of the position.” She shifts uncomfortably, finishes her tea, then takes her leave, wishing Bashir well. The doctor slumps in his chair, bemused, as he tries to digest the advice.
In Sisko’s office, Kira’s sat on his couch, having just explained why she’s come to see him. While not unsympathetic, informs her that these outdated beliefs are precisely the issue. She’s entitled to her religion and the ideals thereof, but he will not have her adherence to them causing issues amongst his crew.
“Colonel, your religious freedoms end where your colleagues’ rights begin,” he tells her.
Kira protests that she cannot flout this belief, but Sisko disputes this. He looked up her denomination’s beliefs and noted she commits at least five of their most cardinal sins monthly, and most assuredly violated those beliefs during her time in the Resistance. Enraged, Kira tells him he has no right to judge her or anyone else for what they did during the Occupation, especially as he himself is a coward who refuses to accept his role as the Emissary. She immediately regrets it, but Sisko nevertheless suspends her from duty.
The Bajoran government is outraged by this. A particularly ballsy minister threatens to dismiss Starfleet from the station and declare Bareil a hostage, but even Winn calls him an idiot for that idea (if not in so many words). However, Bajor promises that they will be speaking with Starfleet about this “massive overreach.”
In sickbay, Bashir orders his team to bring Bareil in for surgery. They hesitate, but he reminds them that they all took an oath. Are they going to sit idly by while the most important religious figure in the system dies? That gets everyone into action. Bareil protests and tries to struggle, but finds himself too weak to manage. Bashir hits him with a hypospray and fires up the new instrument.
Outside, word gets around about what Bashir is doing. Kira thinks about what’s happened – about how the man she loves is likely going to die, how her religious freedoms have been violated, how she’s been removed from duty… and she makes her decision.
Just as there’s a notification about a short-range subspace transmission in ops, the pads are lighting up.
Inside Bareil’s head, there’s nothing to find. With growing horror, Bashir realizes that the clot has passed the blood-brain barrier. In moments, Bareil suffers a massive cerebral hemorrhage. All sound falls away except for Bareil’s vitals skyrocketing before being replaced by an electronic drone. He’s dead. The Kai of Bajor is dead.
Bashir steps out of the operating theater to find Bajoran security officers and two vedeks waiting for him. They announce that the doctor is under arrest for the death of Kai Bareil Antos and the violation of his religious rights. Bashir is dragged through the Promenade and straight to ops, beaming away to an uncertain fate.
It’s then that Dax uncovers the source of the transmission.
It came from Kira’s quarters.
Recurring Cast: Louise Fletcher as Navarch Winn Adami, James Lashly as Lt. Cmdr. George Primmin, and Andrew Robinson as Garak
Guest Stars: Philip Anglim as Kai Bareil Antos and Ken Watanabe as Gomu Tekava (Winn’s assistant)
Absent: Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
Notes: Having been cast in a film role for Steven Spielberg that fell through, this proved to be Ken Watanabe’s first American broadcast appearance.
The Damned (Part Two)
Less than a week later, Bashir is due to be brought to trial. Dax comments on the “disturbing alacrity.” Sisko has managed to get the trial held on the station, with Els Renora once again presiding, though it took a lot of work. A day prior to the trial, O’Brien speaks to the captain. He explains that many of the Bajorans on his team – even if they don’t agree with the idea of genetic augmentation being a cardinal sin – want the judge to throw the book at Bashir for “killing” Kai Bareil. Sisko points out that he cannot change their minds overnight, though O’Brien says that if he acts as the Emissary, he might. Once again, Sisko refuses to countenance such an idea, insisting he isn’t the Emissary of the Prophets. O’Brien implores him to do something, leaving Sisko to ponder his options. This is upset by Bajor taking this time to announce that they will be signing a non-aggression pact with the Dominion – with ongoing negotiations for possible membership and giving the administration of the station over to the Dominion. They assure the populace that this will not result in a renewed occupation, but many – particularly the Bajor for Bajorans nativist movement – are not convinced. The announcement in particular does little to assuage the tumult of guilt in Kira’s mind. Her protests to the government go unheeded, with one minister – Greyhm – advising her to “shut [her] mouth and enjoy [her] newfound celebrity.”
Bashir is in a dingy cell on Bajor. He receives a visit from his court-appointed lawyer, Orolin Deld. The man speaks candidly. He doesn’t actually believe Bashir can beat the charges, and frankly only sees him as the man who murdered the kai. This will be a zero-effort trial so far as he’s concerned. Bashir begs to at least have people speak on his behalf, which Orolin groans about, but agrees to nonetheless. He departs and Bashir despairs.
As stated earlier, Kira is not having a great time. She attempts to talk with Kelly, but he ignores her and keeps walking. Dax at least speaks to her, but only to tell her that nothing Kira can say right now will get her any kind of forgiveness. However, several religious extremists commend her for her actions, saying the Prophets must have guided her hands. Kira demurs and leaves. Disquieted by the prospect of the Prophets making her hurt her friends and frustrated about being frozen out by everyone except religious extremists, Kira asks to speak to Troi. Troi is more sympathetic and lends Kira an ear. Over the course of their discussion, they decide to head down to Bajor and go looking for Odo.
Starfleet is in an uproar over this debacle. They demand to know how Sisko could have allowed this to happen. The captain argues that this entire farago is ridiculous. Even putting aside that Bareil should have sought out treatment earlier, if they’d simply allowed Bashir to operate immediately, then none of this would be happening. He’s then chided for suggesting that they should have ignored Bareil’s religious beliefs. Sisko is annoyed by this, and points out that cultural relativism has to have sane limits. This is skirted around by Admiral Agapa (a Benzite).
The long and short of it is that Starfleet is now in even more of a pickle. DS9 is critical to the war effort, and it may soon be out of their hands. Sisko notes that they’re speaking as if a war with the Dominion has already begun. Agapa remarks that, from a certain point of view, it has. Regardless, the point is that concessions must be made to the Bajorans to keep DS9 in Federation hands. Even if Bashir is cleared of all charges, he will have to be replaced – likely by a Bajoran doctor as a show of good faith. Sisko protests, but is flatly overruled.
On Bajor, Solaris comes to visit Bashir in his cell. They discuss the matter at hand, with Solaris offering – through euphemisms and coded language – to spring him from jail, though he’d certainly never be allowed back in Bajoran space again. Bashir declines, pointing out that he’s dating Garak, who’s just about the only person who could give Solaris a run for her money. If the Cardassian hasn’t offered yet, why would Bashir bother with her? Ultimately, Solaris is asked to leave, as visiting hours have concluded for the day. She tells Bashir the offer has been retracted, then leaves.
Outside, Solaris passes Kira and Troi. They inquire as to why she’s here, and she simply avoids the question before departing. While suspicious, the two continue with what they’re doing. Kira explains that a local vedek knows where Odo’s gone, and gave her directions. Based on what Kira relates, Troi believes Odo was summoned by a doctor. They hire transport and set off; it will be a long journey.
Bashir is brought to DS9 as the trial begins. It goes poorly, as expected, as the prosecutor needles Bashir for violating Bareil’s religious beliefs and for killing him as a result. Bashir’s protests that there was not enough time to train someone else on the equipment fall on deaf ears; the jury has clearly made their minds up already. Even Bashir’s character witnesses do little to help. Many have refused to testify out of fear of worsening relations with their Bajoran colleagues. Kelly is amongst them, but hates himself for his cowardice, and the rest of the senior staff aboard – who do testify – aren’t very happy with him.
Bashir’s mother arrives to testify, defending her son by pointing out that he had no choice in his augmentation and that he was in an impossible position. Furthermore, she questions whether this trial would be being held at all had Bareil survived. The judge reminds her that the trial is about the violation of religious rights as well as wrongful death, but she is unconvinced.
The trial eventually comes to a close, with the jury going into deliberation, though Bashir suspects they won’t take long to reach a verdict.
Kira and Troi arrive at a remote homestead. They find Odo inside, who is annoyed that they’ve followed him. He begrudgingly introduces them to the man who discovered him, Dr. Mora Pol, who is disabled and confined to a wheelchair. Dr. Mora Kinse, his daughter, also lives here as his caretaker. It’s revealed that Starfleet Intelligence has contacted the elder Dr. Mora, and tried to make him help them create a viral agent that would kill all Changelings. However, he has continually been unable to make it work, and the covert organization is becoming annoyed with him. He contacted Odo to help him get out of the situation, which they’ve spent the last several days debating.
While the station waits for the verdict, O’Brien is trying to distract himself at Quark’s bar. To his surprise, he is joined by Garak. O’Brien is uneasy at first, but realizes that Garak truly cares for Bashir, and the two share a drink while they discuss what they will do without Bashir. O’Brien asks Garak what he thinks about the situation between the Federation and Bajor right now. Garak comments that if he were still in the Obsidian Order, he couldn’t have asked for a better situation.
O’Brien hears this and takes his leave, thanking Garak as he does so. He heads straight for Sisko, asking him if this whole situation could have been manufactured by the Dominion. Sisko immediately contacts Kelly, Solaris, Garak, and Primmin to examine all traffic in and out of Bajor over the last year – both official and (especially) unofficial.
Despite the testimonies, Dr. Bashir is convicted of all charges. Orolin actually cheers, much to Bashir’s disgust. Thankfully, the death sentence is avoided. Els Renora informs him that he is instead banished from the Bajoran System. He may not enter it for the remainder of his life, or until the banishment is lifted – whichever comes first.
The court additionally notes that Kira’s suspension was unjust under Bajoran law. It informs Sisko that upon her return she must be reinstated. Sisko, remembering Admiral Agapa’s insistence that the situation be salvaged, agrees.
Just then, a battered ship emerges from the Wormhole and docks with DS9. To the astonishment of everyone, Kai Opaka and the Faa-Ennis emerge from the airlock. Orolin faints of shock, while Els simply remarks that she’s had enough excitement for one day, welcomes Opaka back, and goes to her quarters to lie down.
Opaka takes stock of the situation and, acting as kai, says Bashir did the right thing and his banishment is null and void. This is immediately countermanded by Minister Greyhm. Opaka was declared legally dead several years ago and therefore it’s not clear if she’s still kai, will have to run again, is ineligible, or what. Her proclamations bear no weight. This soon gets out and many people amongst the Bajoran populace dispute this.
In his quarters, Bashir and Garak have a long talk about their future. Bashir has been given ten days to gather his effects and put his affairs in order before leaving. Additionally, Starfleet initially planned to post him to the furthest reaches of the Beta Quadrant on a research station with a crew of 15. He declined and has decided to take a leave of absence. The doctor asks Garak to come with him, but the tailor declines. While he loves Bashir, he cannot leave the station. Frustrated, Bashir walks out… only to be surprised by Luther Sloan. Sloan explains that men of principles like Bashir have a special place in Starfleet, and he’d like to show Bashir exactly what he means by that. When Bashir protests, Sloan hits him with a hypospray and has two flunkies beam him to a waiting runabout. Sloan joins them after flashing an enraged Garak a mirthless smile along with a little wave.
With Opaka’s return and the repudiation of her position as kai, Bajor is in even more of a furor than before, with the populace taking sides between various religious factions, Opaka, and the government. Sisko is contacted by Admiral Nechayev – chief amongst his orders when given this posting was to prep Bajor for Federation membership. This bedlam happening now? This ain’t it, chief. In fact, she reveals this has spooked the Vorlons and they have retracted the ambassador they intended to send – Kosh. Sisko is to prepare for a performance review the next day.
That evening on Bajor, Kira and Troi realize that whatever’s happening with the elder Dr. Mora’s research, it’s sabotage. As they ponder who it could be, his daughter enters. They explain what they’ve found, whereupon she reveals herself to be a Changeling and attacks them.
Recurring Cast: Camille Saviola as Opaka, James Lashly as Lt. Cmdr. George Primmin, Linda Hunt as Cmdr. Solaris, and Andrew Robinson as Garak
Special Guest Stars: Roddy McDowall as Admiral Agapa and Paul Williams as Minister Greyhm
Guest Stars: Anne Haney as Els Renora, Natalia Nogulich as Admiral Alynna Nechayev, Peter Davison as Orolin Deld, James Spader as “Luther Sloan,” James Sloyan as Dr. Mora Pol, Sherilyn Fenn as Dr. Mora Kinse, Fadwa El Guindi as Amsha Bashir, Jonathan Banks as Golin Shel-la, and Don Murray as Siger Onand (the prosecutor)
Flashpoint, Parts I and II (Parts Three and Four)
Part I
Dr. Mora Pol wheels into his lab after his daughter cries out for him. He finds Kira and Troi tied up and gagged. Kinse explains they were sabotaging his research and she secured them. Pol is suspicious, but agrees to call the authorities. As he goes, the Changeling impersonating Kinse gloats to Kira and Troi that they cannot break through their bonds. After all, they’re part of the Changeling, which is an advanced form that can break into several quantumly entangled parts. Even if they do somehow manage to escape, the Changeling will know instantly and be able to sound the alarm.
Vulcan officially secedes from the Federation. T’Preike finds herself at Quark’s, where the Ferengi asks her what’s wrong. She explains that her family has asked her to come home to Vulcan, but T’Preike knows that the government informed them of her new status as a v’tosh ka’tur. They will attempt to wear her down and force her to stop engaging with emotion once again; she doesn’t want that. So now she’s left here, jobless and amongst people who see her as an embodiment of the Federation falling apart. Quark sympathizes, having been cast out from Ferenginar under dubious circumstances. To alleviate her unemployment, he offers the Vulcan work as a dabo girl. She declines, but inquires about being a bartender. Quark hems and haws, but eventually agrees. He’ll train her himself. “And besides,” he remarks, “I know you’re already friendly with the clientele.” They both look over to Morn, who gives T’Preike a flirty little wave, which she returns.
Meanwhile, Garak and Primmin begin an investigation into Dr. Bashir’s abduction.
At Sisko’s performance review, the assembled admirals – led by Agapa and Nechayev – read off every failure that has occurred over the preceding season. His attempts to explain himself are silenced; he’s being railroaded. In the end, he’s informed that the upper brass has lost faith in him. They’re going to pull him out after the signing of the Dominion non-aggression pact, then he will be placed on desk duty back on Earth. This is non-negotiable. Nechayev privately apologizes, informing Sisko she thinks he navigated the situation as best he could given the circumstances. It’s cold comfort, and he tells her as much.
Numb, Sisko goes to the Bajoran temple on the station, whereupon he has a vision from the Prophets. They warn him that if Bajor falls to the Dominion, then their existence is threatened, and may “cease.” He must avert it. Sisko vows to try… then, curious, he asks them if they see him as their Emissary.
“The Sisko is of Bajor, but not by our design,” they explain. “The term means nothing to us, but you may use it as you see fit.” The vision ends and Sisko leaves with renewed purpose. While he’s not convinced he’s the Emissary, Sisko decides to use the title to hopefully make Bajor see reason. The signing of the NAP will occur in three days. Sisko has to work quickly. He elects to take a brief leave and go down to Bajor, leaving Kelly in charge.
For his part, Kelly is offered an immediate promotion to commander with the intent to have him replace Sisko. Still wracked with guilt, he declines. He was already fast-tracked onto the Enterprise; he doesn’t relish the idea of an unearned promotion. Agapa appreciates his integrity, though Kelly is warned to not take Riker’s example and continually turn down promotions lest he become trapped at his current rank. Kelly promises to take the advice to heart.
In preparation for the signing of the NAP, Weyoun, Dukat, First Omet’iklan, and the Female Changeling arrive on Bajor. As they wait for the arrival of Greyhm and Winn, the Changeling asks Weyoun how their “field operative” is performing. Weyoun responds that they are performing admirably, and that a successful completion of the mission is imminent. The Changelings’ continued survival is assured. The Female Changeling curtly orders him to not make such rash and sweeping assumptions. Things could always go wrong still.
Greyhm and Winn arrive, and the final negotiations begin. Winn and Greyhm express discomfort at the presence of Dukat and Damar, though Weyoun assures them that they are present as representatives of the Dominion in the Alpha Quadrant, not the Cardassians. Greyhm asks whether the two are not one and the same. The Female Changeling merely states “for now.” The rest of the meeting goes much smoother, as the group confirms the provisions of the pact. The Dominion will take over the military administration of Deep Space 9, though the station officially will remain Bajoran. In addition, the Dominion will promise to protect Bajor’s independence. To that end, Dukat dispatches Damar on some “previously discussed business.”
Winn and Greyhm depart and promise to inform the Dominion immediately once the government has ratified the NAP. Dukat comments that he looks forward to returning to Terok Nor, though Omet’iklan states that no administrator has been chosen for the station as of yet. Dukat retorts that given his experience, there can be no other choice. Weyoun states that Dukat’s “experience” may be a very good reason to not grant him the post, so as to not damage relations with the Bajorans. The discussion is tabled as Dukat seethes.
Dax and O’Brien wonder if they too should accept other postings. Dax has been offered the position of chief science officer of the USS Excelsior. O’Brien has been asked to be chief engineer aboard the USS Farragut-D. Both are flummoxed by the absence of so many of their friends and colleagues. With good advice in short supply, they decide to act as best as they can. Dax agrees to her offer. O’Brien, meanwhile, does not. However, he begins to look into positions on Earth – preferably somewhere with sufficient flora for Keiko to continue as a botanist.
Damar arrives on DS9 and meets with Ost. He informs the ambassador that his services will no longer be required – Damar will be taking his position and office. Ost objects, but Damar produces a PADD showing the orders come direct from Dukat. Unable to handle this, Ost retreats to his quarters.
Elsewhere, Bashir is introduced to the alleged “true identity” of the man who called himself “Luther Sloan” – Erasmus Dow. He does not work for Starfleet Intelligence, but instead for the mysterious organization known only as 1331. Bashir asks why that name was chosen, but Dow ignores his question. He informs Bashir that Bajor is a thorn in the Federation’s side. It is necessary for the world to join the Federation going forward – Bashir makes a disparaging remark about soothsayers on the payroll, to which Dow simply says “yes” very matter-of-factly. Without Bajor, the Federation will fall. As such, the NAP must not be signed. Dow tells Bashir very plainly that unless he finds a way to stop the signing, billions upon trillions will die.
At the Mora residence, Odo is arguing with Pol about Troi and Kira’s situation. Kinse tries to mediate, and ultimately the two decide to continue their argument outside after Kinse agrees to keep watch over Troi and Kira. Outside, they both agree that something is amiss and that it all comes back to Kinse. Odo correctly intuits that she may very well be a Changeling, and reminds Pol of their need to return to liquid after a time. They resolve to pretend everything’s fine and “wait for the authorities,” (which Pol did not call) until the Changeling begins to break down.
Sisko arrives on Bajor with Jake and Nog in tow. The two young men begin speaking with locals and vedeks, telling everyone to spread the word that the Emissary wishes to address the Bajoran people in three days’ time. It will be broadcast, but as many people as possible are to get to the capitol to see him in person. This will be something no one will want to miss. Opaka is informed of this; she is intrigued, deciding she will attend his speech.
Bashir goes over what Dow wants him to do. No matter how many times he thinks about it, he cannot bring himself to violate his hippocratic oath. Dow continues to pressure him, and the stress of the last few weeks finally makes Bashir crack. He hallucinates Garak, who assures him everything will be alright. Reassured, the doctor relaxes in his lover’s presence and asks him about what he should do. In a security hub, Dow and his people watch the feed in bemusement as Bashir begins having an animated discussion with thin air.
“Sir, I think we might’ve broken Bashir’s mind.”
“So it would seem. How interesting. I wonder whom he thinks he’s talking to? Turn up the volume a bit, Enchak; this may be very enlightening indeed.”
Part II
The Dominion cadre hear of Sisko’s actions. The Female Changeling dispatches Omet’iklan to investigate, while Winn orders Greyhm to go with them. The two women continue their discussions, both agreeing it’s much easier without those distractions. It’s then that Dukat arrives with suggestions for how to secure the signing of the pact against “eventualities.”
It looks like the Federation’s administration of DS9 is up against a wall. Primmin has preemptively packed up his office, and many of the ambassadors are likewise starting to get their affairs in order. T’Preike inquires as to her job security, while Quark assures her that he’ll vouch for her as she’s proven to be a hit with customers. The novelty of an emotional Vulcan bartender is a big draw – who knew? Rom, meanwhile, is anxious about working under the Dominion. Quark dismisses his concerns until Rom points out that they may funnel all his earnings to the Karemma. Or worse, oust Quark and have the bar be a joint Karemma-Dosi operation with the Wadi operating the holosuites! Every single one operating that damned Allamaraine game! A horrified Quark immediately contacts Nog and tells him that they need to be absolutely sure that the NAP is not signed. For the sake of Quark’s precious latinum! A bemused and annoyed Nog tells Quark that’s what he’s been doing.
While packing up his quarters, a surprised Kelly is personally invited to be the first officer of the USS Noordung by her new captain, Orfil Quinteros (last seen in TNG’s 11001001). This is his mother’s old ship, and he remembers it fondly. He asks to have some time to think about the offer. Quinteros agrees, but requests an answer within the next two days. Increasingly aware of the time crunch, Kelly goes to Norvo and Ezri for advice.
The Changeling Kinse finds herself unable to get time alone, with Odo and Dr. Mora keeping her reasonably occupied. Eventually, Kira and Troi’s bonds begin to break down and they escape out the window with Odo’s help. An increasingly haggard Changeling Kinse lays into Dr. Mora about how slow the authorities are being… whereupon he and Odo reveal they’ve figured her out. The Changeling attempts to attack, then escape, but it’s too weak and dissolves. Dr. Mora secures it in a special jar of space-worthy glass. Odo isn’t sure that will actually work long-term.
Bashir and his hallucination of Garak debate the ethics of the assassination 1331 wants him to carry out. Bashir insists their reasoning isn’t backed up by anything except prognostication which the doctor himself cannot verify. Garak points out that despite those concerns, if it ensures that untold trillions won’t die and that the Dominion will be defeated, well… the ends justify the means here. Bashir chews on this.
In the field behind the Mora property, Kira and Troi find a dirt mound a little ways from the property. Troi senses a presence underneath and they begin digging. A hand punches through the dirt and the coffin beneath, and they pull out Dr. Mora Kinse – the real one, this time. She explains that she was experimenting with expanding lung capacity and survival in low-air environments when she was replaced, allowing her to survive being buried alive by the Changeling. Kira and Troi make sure Kinse is alright, then the three debate how to handle things back at the Mora residence… whereupon Odo shows up and explains it’s alright now. Kira and Troi vouch for him, and the group heads back as the sun begins to set.
That evening, Sisko, Jake, and Nog are met by Weyoun, Omet’iklan, and Greyhm at the local temple. Greyhm expresses surprise at seeing Sisko there, noting that “for our supposed Emissary, you’ve never seemed particularly devout.” Sisko states that one does not need to be a regular attendant to believe. Greyhm is unconvinced, pointing out that Sisko only seems to accept his position as the Emissary when it is convenient for him. He also reminds him that the Bajoran people kept their faith even when they would have been treated better by the Cardassians had they abandoned it. Weyoun expresses delight at their verbal sparring, though Sisko states that he was just about to leave. In a parting shot, Greyhm expresses interest in what Sisko will say at his upcoming speech to the Bajoran people, remarking that he, along with Weyoun and Omet’iklan, will be there. “I would advise you to watch what you say, captain.”
On the station, Kelly, Ezri, and Norvo are joined by Primmin and O’Brien. Ezri is concerned about how the NAP will affect things when Sheridan, Tigan, and Kulin return with the USS Brigid. Norvo believes the Dominion will allow them to evacuate, while Primmin isn’t as sanguine. He wants to be one of the first on the evac vessels. O’Brien concurs with him. Kelly brings up his offer from Quinteros. Ezri urges him to take it, while O’Brien says to do what he feels is best. Primmin and Norvo say nothing, but for different reasons. It doesn’t take an empath to recognize that Norvo is worried his budding relationship with Kelly will be cut down before it has a chance to properly develop if this happens. As he steps out, everyone else urges Kelly to follow the Trill.
In the hall, the two have a hushed, heated discussion about their future, which ends with Kelly kissing Norvo and assuring him that he won’t take the offer. He’d much rather be with Norvo – officially. Returning to the room, Kelly explains, and everyone congratulates them. Before they can continue the discussion, Dax calls O’Brien to ops. Kelly and Primmin join him.
Once there, Dax shows them a sensor blip. It’s irregular in pattern, but the shape is distinct to it each time. O’Brien recognizes it as a cloaked ship, but not of a design he can immediately recognize. While Primmin ponders aloud if it’s a Dominion vessel, a voice from behind them announces that it isn’t. They’re all taken off guard when the Female Changeling, accompanied by Weyoun, leaves the elevator. She requests to speak to Kelly in Sisko’s office.
Solaris comes to see Sisko, explaining that she’s been quietly helping his operation. He asks her why, and she responds that it’s in the Romulan Empire’s best interest to keep the Dominion out of the Alpha Quadrant. After all, if they conquer Alpha, Beta – of course home to the Empire’s nucleus – will be next. Jake points out she’s being unusually candid; Solaris merely concurs with him, blank-faced. After she leaves, Nog admits that he can never get a read on her and always feels like he’s been played. The Siskos remark that’s probably exactly what she wants.
Dow comes to see Bashir. The doctor agrees to carry out the assassination. His captor feigns surprise, then hands Bashir off to his handler for the operation. The audience doesn’t see his face, but both Bashir and the hallucinated Garak are both shocked, simultaneously crying out, “YOU!”
The others help Pol destroy his research. However, as he does so, he is shot. Kinse tearfully declares him dead. Odo does a quick search, but cannot find any evidence of a sniper. However, he assumes it was either the Dominion or the Federation. It is about this time that a nearby radio reports on the Emissary addressing the Bajoran people the next day at the same time as the signing of the NAP. The group realizes they need to get to the Bajoran capitol. Thankfully, Kinse has an easy mode of transportation (though, due to her immense grief, Kira will need to drive). It is essentially a rocket car, which Kira drives like a madwoman into the night, her cries of excitement mingling with the others’ cries of fear.
The Female Changeling and Kelly sit down in the office. The Changeling reveals that she has taken an interest in Kelly, and believes him to have a great deal of potential. Potential that, she feels, Starfleet is unwilling to utilize. Kelly asks where she is going with this. The Female Changeling then offers Kelly an opportunity. If he defects to the Dominion, then he will be made Prefect of the station, with “all the power [he] could dream of.” Kelly bursts out laughing, flat out calling the Changeling “a complete moron.” Weyoun is incensed and demands that Kelly apologize to her at once. Kelly tells him to shut up and orders them both off the station. He’s not interested in power! If they can’t realize that, then they’re even stupider than he thought. The Female Changeling brittly informs him that he will regret this, with Weyoun declaring that he’ll personally see to it. The Changeling has to pull him out of the room and off the station. The rest of the crew are astonished.
“What the hell did you say to her, Kelly?” Primmin asks, agog.
“Nothing she wasn’t well overdue to hear,” Kelly replies simply. “Let’s get back to work.”
Along the road to the capitol, Ost is walking toward the Mora residence. The rocket car screeches to a halt and the window rolls down. “Get in, handsome. We’re going to stop the government from making a huge mistake,” Kira says. Ost beams and jumps into the trunk.
The next day, the remaining DS9 senior staff beam down to the NAP signing along with Solaris. She is the official observer for the Romulans, while Admiral Agapa is the official observer for the UFP. Everything seems to be going all too well… but as the Female Changeling and Navarch Winn go to sign the document, Sisko bursts in with his hordes of followers. Omet’iklan is ready to order his troops to fire, but first Dukat, then Weyoun orders him to stand down. The intruders occupy the room, with Sisko explaining he’s had a vision from the Prophets. He “now understands” that he is the Emissary and that if Bajor signs that document, the Prophets will abandon the planet, leaving it defenseless against the Shadows.
After much thought, Bashir ultimately changes his mind. He is unable to go through with it. The handler is furious, but Dow is sanguine about it. He has Bashir sedated and brought to a 1331 base for “training.” The handler is ordered to carry out the mission in Bashir’s stead.
The ministers are split on whether or not to believe Sisko, with Greyhm decrying it as “political theater.” Admiral Agapa is furious and declares that he will have Sisko’s commission for this. Sisko tells him that if he was listening, he’d know that Sisko is doing the right thing for both Bajor and the Federation! Opaka and the Faa-Ennis begin an impassioned defense of Sisko when Odo, Troi, Kira, Kinse, and Ost rush in. They are about to reveal what Starfleet Intelligence has secretly been up to when Primmin notices a red dot on Sisko’s head. He rushes to tackle Sisko out of the way, only for Opaka to beat him to it. She is shot instead. The situation dissolves into utter bedlam as Odo, Primmin, and Omet’iklan all charge up to secure the sniper. Despite his best efforts to evade them, he is captured.
He is taken to DS9, where Odo and Sisko identify him as the clone of Ibudan (last seen in Season One’s A Man Alone). An inquiry begins to figure out why this clone was allowed to go free in the first place. It’s all for nothing, as the clone manages to break out of containment and is shot by Omet’iklan.
With all that’s gone on, and Bajor now on the precipice of a major religious and political schism courtesy of Opaka and Sisko, Winn refuses to sign the NAP. She instead demands both the Federation and the Dominion leave – they have done quite enough; arguably more than the Cardassians ever did. Pleas that this whole thing can still be resolved fall on deaf ears. Not willing to take this lying down, the Dominion invades and occupies Bajor at Dukat’s suggestion. He is once again made Prefect of Bajor.
The USS Brigid, commanded by Captain Sheridan, arrives just in the nick of time to help evacuate DS9. Many people are still shot by Jem’Hadar and Cardassian insurgents, while the retreating Starfleet manage to vaporize Weyoun (no one on the Dominion side really cares; Damar even laughs). Unfortunately, not all are able to make it off the station. Jake, Quark, T’Preike, Rom, and Grandma Millie are left behind, while Kira and Ost are stuck on Bajor. Kelly and Norvo nearly suffer the same fate when, to their surprise, they’re beamed off the station amidst all the chaos. Kelly demands to know who’s saved them and why when Thelarim emerges from the shadows and welcomes them.
In Sisko’s office, Dukat finds the baseball still on the desk. Omet’iklan asks why Sisko would leave it behind. Dukat smiles.
“I should’ve thought that was obvious. He’s letting me know… he’ll be back.”
And indeed, aboard a renegade Valiant, Sisko confirms to his crew (along with Lt. Cmdr. Primmin, Garak, Nog, and Dr. Mora Kinse) that whether Starfleet wants him to or not, he will take back Deep Space 9. If he does nothing else in this new war, he will manage that. For now, they need to plan….
SO BEGINS THE DOMINION WAR.
Recurring Cast: Peter Capaldi as Capt. John Sheridan, Bryan Cranston as Cmdr. Arpad Tigan, Jonathan Brandis as Ambassador Norvo Odan, Reese Witherspoon as Lt. Ezri Perim, Rosalind Chao as Keiko O’Brien, Louise Fletcher as Navarch Winn Adami, Camille Saviola as Opaka, Max Grodénchik as Rom, Aron Eisenberg as Cadet Nog, Mädchen Amick as T’Preike, Marc Alaimo as Dukat, Matt LeBlanc as Ambassador Ost Nicilan, Salome Jens as the Female Changeling, Jeffrey Combs as Weyoun, Clarence Williams III as First Omet’iklan, Linda Hunt as Cmdr. Solaris, and Andrew Robinson as Garak (and Bashir’s hallucination of him)
Special Guest Stars: Roddy McDowall as Admiral Agapa and Paul Williams as Minister Greyhm
Guest Stars: James Spader as Erasmus Dow, James Sloyan as Dr. Mora Pol, Sherilyn Fenn as Dr. Mora Kinse, Ken Watanabe as Gomu Tekava (Winn’s assistant), Jonathan Banks as Golin Shel-la, and Michael Clarke Duncan as Thelarim H. Quolaan IX
Notes: In a very early draft of the story, called R.S.V.P., Odo remarked, “The Dominion can’t conquer the Federation if there isn’t one left to conquer.” Nobody else except Garak and Solaris was amused by this.
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Any further errors can wait!Timelordtoe
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I hope that this update has been well worth the wait. I'm going to bed as it's 3.30am and we've been working since 10pm last night just to get this finalised.
I think I might try to rein us back in a bit for future seasons.
I think I might try to rein us back in a bit for future seasons.