The Star Trek Deep Space 9 Episode Guide
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This Guide is for the television show "Star Trek Deep Space 9".
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Written By: Steve Mount
Source: Episode Viewing, Mark Woodward's Deep Space 9 Episode List and The Official Star Trek Site.
Episode order shown is Production Order.

Program Note: The seventh season was Star Trek: Deep Space 9's last.


Key terms and characters

Bajor
A peaceful planet, recently released from Cardassian occupation; DS9 is stationed near Bajor
Bashir, Julian
Starfleet, DS9's doctor
Cardassia
A planet near-by to Bajor, a war-like race
Dax, Ezri
A Trill, who gets the Dax symbiont after Jadzia's death
Dax, Jadzia
A Trill, whose previous host, an old man, was a friend of Sisko's
Defiant
Starship assigned to DS9
Damar
Cardassian; Dukat's adjutant, later Gul and Leget of Cardassia
The Dominion
DS9's main nemesis, and a threat to the Federation - they rule over the entire Gamma quadrant
Dukat
Cardassian; Gul, later Leget of Cardassia, later in exile
Eddington, Michael
Former head of Starfleet security on DS9, later a Maquis leader
Founders
Shape shifters, leaders of the Dominion
Garak
Cardassian; tailor on DS9, former member of the Obsidian Order
Jem'Hadar
Warrior race controlled by the Founders
Kira Nerys
Bajoran, Major, then Colonel, liaison to Starfleet on DS9
Maquis
A group of people disaffected by the Federation/Cardassian treaty, fighting for independence from both groups
Martok
Klingon General, assigned to DS9 for the Dominion War
Nog
Son of Rom, Jake Sisko's friend, Starfleet ensign
O'Brien, Keiko
Chief O'Brien's wife, a botanist and school teacher
O'Brien, Miles
An NCO, Chief O'Brien keeps DS9 running
Odo
A shape-shifter (changeling), head of station security
Quark
Ferengi, owner of a bar on the station
Rom
Ferengi, Quark's brother
Ross, Admiral
Federation Admiral assigned to DS9 during the Dominion War
Sisko, Benjamin
Commander of Deep Space 9, Captain of the Defiant
Sisko, Jake
Son of Benjamin Sisko
Vorta
Diplomatic race controlled by the Founders
Weyoun
Vorta representing the Dominion in the Alpha Quadrant
Winn Adami
Vedek, and later Kai, religious leader of the Bajorans
Worf
A Klingon raised by humans
Wormhole
A stable passage between the Alpha and Gamma quadrants - the wormhole is maintained by beings who live inside it
Zek
Ferengi; Grand Nagus, leader of the Ferengi
Ziel
Dukat's half-Bajoran daughter


[ Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6 | Season 7 ]

Season 1

Emissary
After the Cardassians pull out of the Bajoran system, Starfleet is asked to step in and help. Taking command of an old space station, Commander Benjamin Sisko must confront his past in order to go forward.

Past Prologue
An old friend of Kira seeks political asylum on the station, but is it a cover for more violence by him and his extreme terrorist

A Man Alone
When a man is murdered in a holosuite with no visible way for the killer to have escaped, the blame falls on the shape shifting security chief Odo.

Babel
A device is set off that causes a form of fatal aphasia throughout the station. The crew must battle the symptoms to find a cure before people start dying.

Captive Pursuit
The first visitor from the Gamma Quadrant arrives on the station, but he is hiding something and is determined to leave the place.

Dax
Jadzia Dax is accused of capital crimes carried out during the lifetime of her previous host, Sisko must stall the trial while he tries to get to the bottom of the case.

Q-Less
Vash and Q return from the Gamma Quadrant just as a series of accidents hits the station; is Q to blame or is he really telling the truth this time?

The Passenger
Rescuing a damaged Kobliad ship, Bashir and Kira find a security officer and a dead prisoner. The officer is convinced that the prisoner is still alive in some way and will go through with the crime he was planning.

Move Along Home
A delegation of Wadi from the Gamma Quadrant arrive on DS9 and head straight to Quarks, but their games take on a more serious nature when four senior officers go missing.

The Nagus
Grand Nagus Zek of the Ferengi alliance visits the station for a meeting of all the top Ferengi, and he brings surprising news for Quark.

Vortex
A criminal from the Gamma Quadrant may hold the secret to Odo's past, but can Odo trust someone who constantly lies?

Battle Lines
On a quick trip into the Gamma Quadrant for Kai Opaka, a runabout crash lands on an inhabited moon. The inhabitants are involved in a centuries long war and Sisko does not want to get caught in the middle.

The Storyteller
Sent to Bajor on an urgent mission O'Brien finds himself thrown into the role of the religious leader of a small village, a role he is not cut out to deal with.

Progress
On the eve of a major energy project on Jeraddo, the fifth moon of Bajor, three residents refuse to leave even though staying will mean certain death.

If Wishes Were Horses
Dreams become reality for the crew of DS9, but one threatens to destroy the station and there seems only one way to stop it which might only quicken the destruction.

The Forsaken
During a visit to the station by an number of Federation Ambassadors, including the exuberant Lwaxana Troi, an alien probe causes havoc with the computer systems.

Dramatis Personae
A Klingon cruiser is destroyed just outside the station and one officer beams over to proclaim victory seconds before his death. Suddenly events start getting out of hand as civil war breaks out on the station.

Duet
Gul Darhe'el, a notorious Cardassian war criminal, is caught on DS9 and Kira must face one of her greatest enemies while trying to sort out some curious discrepancies.

In the Hands of the Prophet
When Vedek Winn proclaims Keiko's teachings to be a blasphemy, the station is becomes a focal point for religious tensions.


Season 2

The Homecoming
Kira risks all to rescue the greatest war hero in Bajoran history, and someone who might be able to bring stability to a rapidly declining Bajor.

The Circle
Recalled to Bajor, Kira is kidnapped by the Circle to find out how Sisko reacts when their plans are set into motion.

The Siege
With the station in the hands of the Circle, Sisko must play a stalling game while Kira and Dax try to put a stop to the coup.

Invasive Procedures
During a plasma storm, with a skeleton crew on board, the station is taken by a group of terrorist who want to steal the Dax symbiont.

Cardassians
When a Cardassian orphan turns up on DS9, events rapidly become tense in the tangled web of Cardassian politics.

Melora
Ensign Melora Pazler is from a low gravity world and needs to use a wheelchair to move around. When Bashir finds a cure, can she turn her back on all she has ever known for a dream?

Rules of Acquisition
While negotiating an important business deal with a Gamma Quadrant race, Quark becomes friends with another Ferengi who hides a deep secret.

Necessary Evil
The attempted murder of Quark reopens a 5 year old investigation by Odo into the death of a Bajoran while the Cardassians ruled the station.

Second Sight
For the first time since his wife died, Sisko falls for a charming young woman who keeps disappearing without a trace.

Sanctuary
A whole race comes through the wormhole seeking refuge and a new world to settle on, their legendary home of Kentanna.

Rivals
Marta, a charming Elorian, sets up a rival casino on the Promenade using a strange alien gambling machine that seems to defy the laws of probability.

The Alternate
Dr. Mora arrives with news for Odo about a possible link to his past, but a monster seems have been set loose on the station.

Armageddon Game
O'Brien and Bashir are pronounced dead in an accident during work with a race to destroy their supplies of a biological weapon called the Harvesters.

Whispers
O'Brien returns to the station to find that everyone has somehow changed and are working behind his back; he must get to the bottom of the problem before it threatens upcoming peace talks.

Paradise
Sisko and O'Brien find an inhabited planet nearby and when they beam down to investigate, all their technology stops working and they cannot get back.

Shadowplay
Odo tries to help a small village where the people are slowly disappearing and finds that all is not as it appears.

Playing God
While tutoring a Trill initiate, Dax brings a small anomaly back to the station which may destroy the entire system and then the universe as we know it.

Profit and Loss
A Cardassian dissident and old flame of Quark arrives on the station and the Cardassian Central Command is determined to have her.

Blood Oath
When three old Klingons arrive on the station they find that Curzon Dax who they made a blood oath with is dead, but will Jadzia go through with the oath and all that it entails.

The Maquis (two parts)
A Cardassian freighter is sabotaged as it leaves DS9 by a militant group called the Maquis. Sisko travels with Dukat to the Demilitarized Zone to find out what is happening. Dukat is taken hostage by the Maquis and Sisko is determined to get him back, even if the Cardassians do not want him back.

The Wire
A part of Garak's past is brought to light when he falls ill and Bashir fights to save his life.

Crossover
An accident in the wormhole transports Kira and Bashir into a parallel universe where Terrans are slaves to the Bajorans and the all powerful Klingon-Cardassian Alliance.

The Collaborator
With the election of the new Kai imminent, a dark secret from Bareil's past threatens to destroy his future.

Tribunal
While on holiday with Keiko, O'Brien is taken by the Cardassians and put on trial. A trial where the guilty verdict and death sentence has already been determined.

The Jem'Hadar
On a school project in the Gamma Quadrant, Sisko and Quark are captured by the evil Jem'Hadar and Jake and Nog must work together to escape and get help.


Season 3

The Search (two parts)
With the threat of Dominion invasion looming over DS9, Sisko returns from Earth with a dangerous mission and a little surprise. Returning to DS9, Sisko finds negotiations underway between the Dominion and the Alpha Quadrant powers. Odo and Kira are getting nearer to the truth behinds Odo's people.

House of Quark
When a Klingon warrior dies in Quarks bar, Quark takes the credit in order to increase his trade. But then the widow turns up and take Quark to Qo'noS, the Klingon Home world.

Equilibrium
A piece of music sparks a memory in Dax and she must be taken to the Trill Home world before she rejects her symbiont and dies.

Second Skin
Journeying to Bajor to look into evidence she was at labor camp she has no recollection about, Kira wakes up on Cardassia, as a Cardassian, and is told she is an undercover operative named Iliana Ghemor.

The Abandoned
A child is found in the wreckage of a ship from the Gamma Quadrant. Showing a rapid growth and other unusual abilities, what is the deadly secret behind the youth.

Civil Defense
Modifications to the ore processors sets off an old Cardassian alarm system and the station attempts to kill everyone, no matter what they try to do.

Meridian
On a survey mission, the crew witnesses the appearance of a planet from another dimension. Dax falls for one of the residents and quits Starfleet to join him.

Defiant
Commander William Riker comes to DS9 on route to Risa. But when Riker hijacks the Defiant, it is discovered that this is not William T. Riker, but W. Thomas Riker, Riker's transporter double. Determined to emerge from his double's shadow Tom has sided with the Maquis, and is on a mission to terrorize the Cardassians.

Fascination
During the Bajoran Gratitude Festival, the crew of DS9 start acting strangely and end up falling for each other. Odo must find the cause while trying to avoid Lwaxana Troi.

Past Tense (two parts)
Returning to Earth for a debriefing, Sisko, Dax and Bashir are transported into the past just days before a major pivotal point in history. With Sisko taking the place of Bell, the leader of a rebellion of "quarantined" people, he struggles to keep the hostages alive and preserve history and the future.

Destiny
When a Cardassian-Bajor science project is announced, a Vedek arrives on DS9 claiming that the project will bring destruction and the permanent closure of the Wormhole.

Prophet Motive
The Grand Nagus returns to the station with a revised set of Rules of Acquisition, ones that proclaim that the greed of the Ferengi is over. Quark is determined to find out what's "wrong" with Zek - it turns out that Zek acquired an Orb of the Prophets, which "changed" him.

Life Support
On the eve of peace talks between Bajor and Cardassia, Bareil is seriously injured and Bashir must take unprecedented and potentially unethical measures to save him.

Heart of Stone
While chasing a Maquis operative, Kira becomes trapped in a crystal formation. Unable to save her Odo must deal with his feelings for her. Odo later finds out the Kira is really a changeling, sent to help him see what he'd become, in hopes of returning him to the Link.

Visionary
Following an minor accident, O'Brien finds himself jumping into the future to witness his own death and the destruction of the station.

Distant Voices
Bashir is attacked and put in a coma, he must rely of different facets of his personality to survive.

Through the Looking Glass
Sisko is kidnapped by O'Brien from the Mirror Universe. They need Sisko to complete a mission their Sisko was on, but he is now dead. Sisko's wife Jennifer is working for the Cardassian/Klingon/Bajoran alliance against the rebellion by the Terrans. Sisko was to convince her to come over to the rebellion, or to kill her. Since his Jennifer was killed by the Borg at Wolf 359, Sisko is intrigued to see her again. But his Jennifer and theirs are not the same woman.

Improbable Cause
When Garak's shop is destroyed, evidence points to a Romulan plot to kill members of the Obsidian Order. Garak and Odo team up to find the truth.

The Die is Cast
The joint Romulan and Cardassian fleet nears the Home world of the Founders and Enabran Tain orders Garak to torture Odo for information.

Explorers
Sisko and Jake build an ancient Bajoran starship to prove an old legend. When an accident happens they must rely on each other to survive.

Family Business
Quark must return to Ferenginar, the Ferengi Home world, to stop his mother who is breaking the law by wearing clothes and earning profit.

Shakaar
Kira is sent to track down one of her former colleagues and oldest friends from her days in the resistance.

Facets
Jadzia performs an ancient Trill ceremony to meet her previous hosts, one of them takes Odo's body and will not give it back.

The Adversary
A Dominion spy is on the Defiant and threatens to drag the Federation into war. Can Sisko stop an enemy he cannot find.


Season 4

The Way of the Warrior
When the Klingons break their Alliance with the Federation, Lieutenant Commander Worf is sent to DS9 to act as a liaison with the crew in these difficult times.

Hippocratic Oath
Bashir and O'Brien find a planet in the Gamma Quadrant where a group of rebel Jem'Hadar live. Bashir has all his ethics put to the test by the tense situation.

The Visitor
When an experiment goes wrong and Captain Sisko is apparently killed, Jake Sisko travels in time to the distant future where he is a noted writer.

Indiscretion
Kira and Dukat travel to Bajor to look into the situation of war orphans. But Kira suspects Dukat has come along for a far more sinister reason.

Rejoined
A former wife of Dax arrives on the station but Trill rules prevent the two new hosts from becoming as acquainted as they want to be.

Starship Down
Trying to rescue a ship inside a red giant's atmosphere, the Defiant is disabled by the Jem'Hadar. Dax and Bashir are trapped in the turbolift while Kira cares over a dying Sisko.

Little Green Men
Quark, Rom and Nog are transported to Roswell, New Mexico, where they are captured as the infamous aliens.

The Sword of Kahless
Kor and Dax embark on a mission to find the legendary weapon of the original Emperor Kahless.

Our Man Bashir
Bashir goes on the holosuite where he plays a Secret Agent in British Intelligence of the 20th Century. The program goes wrong and Bashir must play out the drama or risk killing everyone.

Homefront
Sisko finds evidence that the Changelings have infiltrated Earth and so sets off with Odo to try and stop a major incident.

Paradise Lost
While trying to stop the Changelings on Earth, Sisko uncovers another conspiracy in which a Starfleet Admiral intends to seize control of the planet.

Crossfire
Odo is place in charge of the security of First Minister Shakaar during his tour of the station. When Shakaar makes a move on Kira, Odo is torn between his duty and his heart.

Return to Grace
A demoted Dukat once again teams up with Kira, after a Klingon raid kills all the diplomats at a Cardassian and Bajoran conference.

Sons of Mogh
Worf's brother Kurn arrives on the station. Unable to bear the disgrace of their family an longer, he asks Worf to kill him.

Bar Association
Finally having enough of his brother, Rom rallies the bar staff of Quark's into a union to demand better pay and conditions.

Accession
A legendary Bajoran hero returns through the wormhole and challenges Sisko as to which of them is the true Emissary.

Rules of Engagement
After destroying a Klingon ship while in command of the Defiant, Worf finds himself brought before a court martial for his actions.

Hard Time
Taken prisoner O'Brien is mistaken for a murderer and as punishment has 20 years of memories placed in his mind.

Shattered Mirror
Sisko must follow Jake into the Mirror Universe where a tyrannical alternate Worf is endangering the sector.

Muse
Lwaxana Troi returns to the station with some surprising news for Odo. She is pregnant and is on the run from her husband.

For the Cause
Evidence mounts that there are Maquis sympathizers on board the station and Sisko is forced to deal with the situation.

To The Death
Sisko must join forces with the enemy to stop a rogue group of Jem'Hadar from destroying everything in sight.

The Quickening
Bashir attempts to cure a Gamma Quadrant civilization that has been infected with a terminal disease by the Jem'Hadar.

Body Parts
Quark is diagnosed with a fatal illness and arranges the sale of his body, but when the prognosis turns out to be wrong the buyers do not want out of the deal.

Broken Link
Odo must return to the Founders to face the charge of murdering one of his own kind.


Season 5

Apocalypse Rising
Sisko must infiltrate the Klingon Empire in order to expose the actions of a Changeling at the highest level of the Klingon government.

The Ship
An injured crewman lies dying as Sisko battles the Jem'Hadar and a wily Vorta over a crashed Jem'Hadar warship.

Looking for Par'Mach in all the Wrong Places
Worf reluctantly helps Quark to romance his ex-wife Grilka when she returns to the station.

...Nor the Battle to the Strong
Trapped with Doctor Bashir on a Federation colony under Klingon attack, Jake panics and puts the situation in jeopardy.

The Assignment
An alien entity possesses Keiko and forces Miles to undertake a mission to secretly modify systems all over the station.

Trials and Tribble-ations
Sisko and the crew travel back in time to a pivotal moment in the history of the original Starship Enterprise. The U.S.S. Defiant is returning from Cardassian space with the Bajoran Orb of Time. A Klingon named Arne Darvin, surgically altered to look human, has come aboard as a passenger. He uses the Orb to send the U.S.S. Defiant more than one hundred years into the past -- near the original U.S.S. Enterprise as it orbited Deep Space Station K-7. Records reveal Darvin was a spy then, and that he was caught having poisoned a shipment of grain on the station. Darvin is out to change history, possibly by killing Captain James T. Kirk, who originally exposed him as the spy.

He Who is Without Sin
On a holiday to Risa with Dax, Bashir, Quark and Leeta, Worf gets himself involved with an extremist terrorist group.

Things Past
Sisko, Dax, Odo and Garak find themselves back on Terok Nor under Cardassian control and Odo must face his past or allow his friends to be executed for a crime they did not commit.

The Ascent
En route to a court appearance, Odo and Quark crash land on a deserted planet and must rely on each other to survive the ordeal.

Rapture
Sisko becomes captivated by the story of an ancient Bajoran lost city and becomes determined to find its location.

The Darkness and the Light
Members of the Shakaar resistance cell are being killed, and Kira must try and find the killer and stop them.

The Begotten
We view the trials and tribulations of Kira's birth of the O'Brien's child - for a Bajoran woman, everything must be perfect for labor to happen, and perfection is not easy to attain. Quark sells Odo an infantile changeling. Odo is intent on bringing up the young one himself. The return of Dr. Mora, and pressure from Starfleet, complicates things, but Odo is determined to raise it kindly and gently. The changeling makes progress, but was damaged by radiation in space - as it begins to die, Odo holds the changeling in his hands, and the changeling integrates itself into Odo - restoring Odo's shape-shifting abilities.

For the Uniform
Sisko goes on the offensive against the Maquis and the former Starfleet officer Eddington.

In Purgatory's Shadow
Sisko learns of an upcoming Dominion invasion when Garak and Worf go on a mission to the Gamma Quadrant. Garak and Worf are captured, and find Dr. Bashir, Tain, and Klingon General Martok among the prisoners. On DS9, Bashir's changeling replacement engages in sabotage.

By Inferno's Light
The station prepares for the assault while Worf tries to escape from his captivity. We learn that Garak is Tain's son. Worf, Garak, Bashir, and Martok escape and try to warn DS9 about the oncoming invasion - but the invasion turns out to be the beginning of an alliance between the Dominion and the newly remilitarized Cardassian government.

Dr. Bashir, I Presume
When Doctor Bashir is studied as the model for a new holographic doctor simulation it threatens to reveal a hidden secret from his past - his parents had him genetically modified when he was young, a crime for which he could be removed from Starfleet.

A Simple Investigation
A woman who says she is fleeing from the Orion Syndicate comes to the station. She has a data crystal with her, but she does not know what is on it. Odo keeps close tabs on her, as she wants to escape the Orions permanently, but doing so puts her life in danger. Eventually, the two fall in love and Odo has his first sexual experience with a solid. The woman, Arissa, sends a message to her former boss - she will exchange the crystal for her life. Meanwhile, an Irdian comes to Odo to tell him that Arissa is an undercover agent, and that the crystal contains all of her past memories - the Orions use telepaths to scan new members of the Syndicate, and this was the only way to infiltrate it to break it. Arissa meets with some Orions to trade the crystal, but they try to double cross her - Odo is able to foil their attempt. After the crystal is dumped into her head, she comes to Odo and tells his that Arissa loved him, but this "restored" woman has a life, was a husband - her name is not even Arissa. She tells him she does not know if they will ever see each other again.

Business as Usual
When Quark is offered the chance to erase all his debts by his cousin Galia, he ends up working for an arms dealer.

Ties of Blood and Water
Tekeny Ghemor returns to the station to visit Kira.

Ferengi Love Songs
While visiting his mother on Ferenginar, he learns that his mother and Grand Nagus Zek are seeing each other. Quark sees an opportunity to regain his status in Ferengi society, but only by breaking up their relationship.

Soldier of the Empire
Working with the Klingons, Worf starts to doubt that General Martok is fit to command. But Work risks his life in a fight with Martok, which eventually causes Martok to lose his fears of the Dominion and the Jem'Hadar.

Children of Time
The crew find a colony on a planet surrounded by an odd energy field. They are in a real quandary when they discover that the colony is made up of their own descendants; their choice is to go home safely and ensure the colony never existed, or crash land on the planet after traveling through a temporal rift which will sling them back 200 years into the past, saving the colony, but costing Kira her life.

Blaze of Glory
Sisko must convince Eddington to stop a Maquis attack that could tear the Federation apart. The attack, though, was a deceit from the start, a way of pulling Eddington from prison and rescuing what could be the last of the Maquis.

Empok Nor
To replace a failed part that cannot be replicated, O'Brien, Nog, and an engineering team travel to Empok Nor, a Cardassian station recently abandoned. To counter any booby traps left behind, Garak accompanies them. When the station's systems are activated, a pair of altered Cardassian soldiers are awakened, and the team is quickly all but killed off... and Garak is overtaken by the same mind-altering drug.

In The Cards
With the Dominion threat intensifying, Jake notices his father getting more and more sullen and depressed. When he hears that Quark will be holding an auction, including a vintage Willie Mays baseball card, he and Nog bid for it -- but he is beaten out by a Dr. Giger. Nog and Jake try to convince Giger to let them buy the card. He does offer a trade of the card for some technical and medical equipment. Giger reveals that he intends to invent a cure for aging with the equipment. They gather up all the items Giger wants, but when they come to him with the last of it, he is gone. They confer with Odo who has no record of Giger. Meanwhile, Kai Winn meets with Weyoun on the station to discuss a Dominion-Bajoran non-aggression pact, which Sisko opposes. Jake and Nog later see Giger speaking with Winn. They confront Winn and are confined to quarters by Sisko. They are suddenly transported to the Jem'Hadar ship and Weyoun confronts them, asking why they are so interested in Winn and Giger, suspecting a plot of some kind against him. He does not believe their baseball card story, but when Jake tells him a whopper about being in Starfleet Intelligence, he decides he believes the baseball card story after all. Weyoun reveals he is interested in Giger's work. He lets them take the card and transport back to DS9. The card has its intended effect on Sisko, who has no idea the trouble the boys went through.

A Call To Arms
On-going Dominion convoys to Cardassia prompt the Federation to mine the entrance to the wormhole. The mines, designed by Rom, are self-replicating, making clearing very difficult. The mine field prompts Dominion response in the form of a major attack. Sisko convinces the Bajorans to sign a non-aggression pact with the Dominion, to protect the planet. The station is able to occupy the Dominion/Cardassian task force long enough for a Federation/Klingon assault on a Dominion shipyard to succeed, and then the station is evacuated. Rom and Leeta marry, and we discover Jake is working for the Federation News Service. Dax accepts Worf's marriage proposal. Jake stays behind on DS9 to report on the war, to Sisko's chagrin.


Season 6

A Time To Stand
The station long-since abandoned, Sisko captains the Defiant through the war effort. Federation/Klingon losses are heavy, and Admiral Ross comes to Sisko with a secret plan - take the Jem'Hadar ship Sisko and company had captured a year ago, and attack the main production plant of the Jem'Hadar's white. Without the white, the Jem'Hadar in the Alpha Quadrant will all die. The ship is difficult for humans to pilot, so Garak goes along to help. Soon they find their undercover ship under attack by the Federation ship Centaur. Unable to give up the mission, Sisko has the ship's weapons array destroyed, and as three other Jem'Hadar ships approach, the Centaur limps home. The three ships pass them without challenge, and they head for the production facility. They beam down a white distribution unit for "refilling", but it is laden with explosives. They are unable to escape, however, when a security net goes up around the facility. Timing the explosion just right, they are able to escape the main blast - but the ship is heavily damaged, and without warp drive.

Rocks and Shoals
The commandeered Jem'Hadar ship is damaged in a fire fight, and it and another Jem'Hadar ship crash land on a deserted planet. Jadzia's symbiont is injured, as is Jadzia herself, but Bashir says they'll live. The Jem'Hadar's Vorta Keevan is injured and exchanges Sisko for Nog and Garak, who were captured as they prospected for water. Keevan is almost out of white, and he fears that the Jem'Hadar will turn on him when it runs out, so he betrays them - he tells Sisko that the his contingent will attack them the next day. Sisko is waiting and tries to convince the Jem'Hadar leader to mutiny against Keevan, but he refuses, and the whole squad is killed. Keevan brings his commo gear to be repaired by O'Brien, and surrenders as a prisoner of war. Meanwhile, on DS9, a vedek kills herself in protest of the Dominion, and their plan to send "advisors" to Bajor. Kira laments that she has become a collaborator, and she and Odo begin to plan for a new resistance.

Sons and Daughters
Sisko and crew are rescued by General Martok; Worf is his first officer, and he and Dax have a short reunion before the Starfleet crew is delivered to a Starbase. A small set of replacements are brought aboard Martok's ship, including Alexander, Worf's son, whom Worf has not seen in some time. Last Worf knew, Alexander had no interest in being a warrior. When Worf tries to get him transferred off the ship, Alexander confronts his father about his childhood and his feelings of abandonment. Alexander is accepted into the house of Martok. On DS9, Dukat brings Ziel aboard. She has a surprise for her father and Kira. She has found her talent in art, combining elements of Cardassian and Bajoran art. Some of her pieces are accepted for display by a Cardassian art academy. Though happy for Ziel, Kira does not attend the celebration - she tells Ziel that she does not have to choose between her and Dukat - he is her father, after all. Kira and Odo continue to plan their resistance, and Jake tries to talk his way into the local cell.

Behind the Lines
Sisko is promoted to the Admiral's adjutant, and Dax now captains the Defiant. Sisko must deal with the fact that the Defiant is no longer his ship. Kira and Rom help create a rift in the alliance between the Cardassians and the Dominion with a small slight of hand. The female Founder comes to DS9, to be with Odo. He is surprised, since the last time they met, he was changed to a solid. He confesses to her that he still loves Kira, and it affects his judgement. She offers him "clarity", and they join. When Kira finds out, she makes him promise not to link again. Quark finds out that Damar has come up with a way to deactivate the mines holding the Dominion behind the wormhole. The resistance come up with a plan to foil the clearing of the mines, but it fails when Odo links with the Founder again, and forgets the plan - Rom is captured, and Kira is livid.

Favor the Bold
Rom is scheduled to be executed for his attempt at sabotage; Kira enlists Ziel's help to have him pardoned, but Dukat tells her that enemies of the state may have no mercy. Damar tries to convince her to speak with her father again, but he won't take no for an answer - Kira knocks him unconscious. Sisko plans a massive strike on DS9, to move forward in the war, as well as to help boost morale. He must move quickly though, since Damar's tests to deactivate the minefield are coming along, and he expects it to fall within a week. They have to strike with fewer ships than they had hoped, and their 600 meet with a Dominion/Cardassian fleet twice their size. Odo and the Founder spend more time together; Odo is distressed that he is out of touch for several days, when he thought it was just several hours. The Founder tells him to forget about the need for time. Nog is promoted to Ensign.

The Sacrifice of Angels
Sisko's plan is to send small fighters in to attack only the Cardassian ships, and anger them enough to cause them to pursue, opening a hole in the D/C defensive line. But Dukat sees the strategy and plans to use it against the Federation fleet. But the late arrival of a Klingon task force allows Sisko's plan to happen by accident, though only the Defiant is able to break free of the fighting to advance to DS9. Meanwhile, Kira, Jake, and Lyta are jailed; Quark asks Ziel to help him free them. She does, and Kira and Rom move to disable DS9. Rom takes the weapons offline, but not until after the one shot needed to destroy the minefield is released. With no other choice, the Defiant enters the wormhole and prepares to engage the first of the 2800 ships waiting to come through. Sisko is taken by the Prophets who are displeased that his course is suicidal. They eliminate the Dominion fleet, and say that Sisko will have penance to pay, though we are unclear what they mean. As the D/C forces abandon DS9, and the 200 remaining Federation ships advance on DS9, Dukat goes to look for Ziel. When she confesses to him that she helped the saboteurs, Damar fires on her and leaves them both behind. Ziel dead, Dukat has gone mad.

You Are Cordially Invited
A week after retaking DS9, Alexander is about to be transferred to another ship - Dax presses Worf to push the wedding date to before his departure. Worf asks Martok, Sisko, Bashir, and O'Brien to participate in his pre-wedding ceremony, along with Alexander as his best man. Dax, meanwhile, is placed under the scrutiny of Martok's wife Serilla, who must approve of Jadzia... she does not, and effectively cancels that wedding when Dax attacks her during her bachelorette party. Worf insists that she apologize to Serilla, but she refuses, until Sisko reminds her that she should act her age. Serilla grants her approval and they are married. Jake's book of his experiences under Dominion rule is published; Kira and Odo, who have been avoiding each other, talk out their differences.

Resurrection
Bareil returns to DS9, but it is not the Bareil Kira knows - he has come from the mirror universe, a thief, trying to escape the Alliance. Kira quickly falls in love with this new Bareil, though he differs from her Bareil in many ways, from mannerisms to dress. Kira takes him to temple where he sees the Bajoran religion for the first time. He seems genuinely impressed. He views the Orb of Prophesy and Change; when he returns to his quarters, the alternate universe's Kira, the Intendant, reminds Bareil that his purpose is to steal the Orb to help unite his Bajor to fight against the Alliance. Though Kira is convinced that Bareil's conversion is genuine, Quark reminds her that he is a thief, and may be planning to steal the Orb. When he does, Kira is waiting for him - but the Intendant appears and tries to talk Bareil into stealing the Orb. He refuses, and stuns the Intendant. Though he feels love for Kira, he does not feel worthy of her, and goes back to his universe with the Intendant.

Statistical Probabilities
A group of genetically-enhanced people are brought on board DS9 to visit with Dr. Bashir. Their enhancements all lead to some mental difficulty, and their doctor feels that being with a "mutant" who is "normal" will be helpful in their treatment. The mutants and Bashir watch a speech by Damar, newly named a Gul and leader of Cardassia. Without knowing anything about them, they intuit his story, and feel his calls for peace have underlying motives. Damar and Weyoun come aboard DS9 for peace talks with Sisko, and the mutants view a holographic transcript. They determine their willingness to give up so much is to allow them access to raw materials for the Jem'Hadar's white. They recommend Starfleet accept the offer, because to deny them would cause the Dominion to attack. Further analysis indicates that the Federation has two long-term options - fight a losing war and lose 900 billion lives, or surrender and wait five generations for a quadrant-wide rebellion against the Dominion. When Sisko rejects any surrender, some of the mutants plan to give the Dominion Starfleet's battle plans, as a rout by the Dominion would only cost 2 billion lives. But Bashir is able to stop them, and the talks continue.

The Magnificent Ferengi
Moogie is captured by the Dominion and the Nagus offers Quark a reward to get her back. Quark organizes a rescue party, including Nog, Rom, and Quark's cousin Gaila. Their first thought is to go in shooting, but after dismal failures in the holosuite, they decide to negotiate for her release. Apprised of the situation, Starfleet allows Quark to take the Vorta Keevan as one half of a prisoner exchange. Quark arranges for the exchange on Empok Nor. After the Jem'Hadar and a Vorta named Yelgrun arrive, Quark negotiates - all but two Jem'Hadar are to leave, to allow them to escape after the trade. When Yelgrun agrees, the Ferengi celebrate, and Rom lets it slip that the reward is 50 bars of latinum, and not 20. Feeling cheated, the other Ferengi become enraged, and in the blasting, Gaila kills Keevan. Nog attaches neural stimulators to Keevan so he can operate his body, and the exchange proceeds. After Moogie is away, Yelgrun realizes that Keevan is dead, but the Ferengi kill his Jem'Hadar and take him prisoner.

Waltz
Dukat, in recovery from his mental breakdown, is being transported to a Federation war crimes tribunal. Sisko is on the ship, and is in the brig speaking to Dukat when the ship is attacked by a Cardassian task force. A few escape pods and a shuttle are able to escape - the shuttle carries Dukat and a wounded Sisko. Dukat sets up a distress signal. On DS9, a small search party is established, with the Defiant given a very small window of time to find survivors. On the planet they landed on, Dukat suffers from delusions, while Sisko discovers that Dukat has disabled the distress signal. He gets it working, but Dukat discovers his handiwork and destroys the transmitter. Dukat defends his position as prefect of Bajor before Sisko, and while he comes to the conclusion that he should have killed all of the Bajorans, Sisko escapes. A struggle on board the shuttle ensues, and Dukat escapes after beating Sisko down. The Defiant picks up a signal from Dukat, and Sisko is rescued, but Dukat is gone, vowing to destroy Bajor.

Who Mourns for Morn?
Everyone on the station is mourning the death of Morn, DS9's resident barfly. Quark laments his unpaid bar tab until Sisko informs him that Morn's will leaves everything to Quark. All Morn seems to have, though, is several shipments of rotting beets, until Quark goes to Morn's quarters and finds Larell, who claims to be Morn's ex-wife. She asks Quark about the 1000 bars of latinum Morn won in a lottery - she would help him find it for a cut. Soon, though, two other claimants, brothers Krit and Nahsk, and security agent Hain lay claim as well. Quark soon learns that all four stole the latinum, with Morn, years ago, and the stature of limitations had just run out. Quark finds the latinum and has it shipped to DS9, where the five of them will split it - but when it comes time to split it, the four turn on each other, fire at each other, and are arrested. Quark has all the latinum to himself; but he soon finds that all the latinum has been extracted from the worthless gold, and he has nothing. Morn reappears; he faked his death so that his partners in crime could not take the latinum - he's hidden it in his second stomach all these years, and he gives Quark some for his efforts.

Far Beyond the Stars
Sisko begins to have problems with his brain, as he'd had the year before while investigating a lost Bajoran city. This time, though, his hallucinations bring him back to Earth, in 1950's New Orleans. There, he is a staff writer for a science fiction magazine; the other staff members are all humanized versions of the DS9 crew. The next issue is to have photos of the writers, though Benny and the female staff writer are told to sleep in that day. This, and prompting from a street preacher who looks like Sisko's father, prompts Benny to write a story about a space station called Deep Space Nine, whose captain is a black man. The story is rejected by the editor as too unbelievable; but when told from the point of view of a dream, it is accepted. The issue, though, is scrapped by the publisher after printing; Benny flies into a rage and seizes; when he awakes, Sisko is back in sick bay, Bashir unable to explain how his neural pathways were repaired. Sisko wonders aloud to his father, visiting DS9, if perhaps all of DS9 is really Benny's dream - is Sisko the dreamer or the dreamed?

One Little Ship
Dax, O'Brien, and Bashir take a runabout out of Defiant and enter a spatial anomaly, shrinking to the size of a toy in the process, secure in the knowledge that they will return to normal size when they exit properly. The Defiant is attacked by the Jem'Hadar, though, and is quickly overtaken. The runabout exits the anomaly abnormally, and does not return to its proper size. The runabout crew watches as the Jem'Hadar force the crew to repair the Defiant's warp drive, damaged in the fighting, so they can take the ship home as a trophy. The crew, sabotaging the repairs at every turn, are unaware of the runabout's presence. They work to transfer command of the ship to engineering while infecting the computer system with a virus; catching on to their plan, O'Brien and Bashir beam into a console on the bridge and, dwarfed by the immense isolinear chips, wend their way to a crucial junction. When they disable it, control passes to engineering, and the crew is able to subdue the Jem'Hadar. Once back under control, the runabout returns to the anomaly and exit properly, returning to normal size.

Honor Among Thieves
O'Brien goes undercover for Starfleet Intelligence. On the planet Farius, he slowly works his way into a small group aligned with the Orion Syndicate. His mission is to find out who in Starfleet is working for the Orions. He makes quick friends with the local leader, Bilby. He gets Bilby talking and gets enough information about the informant to satisfy his mission. But he learns that the Orions are working with the Dominion when Bilby's contact Raimus brings a Vorta to Farius. Bilby is to use Klingon disrupters to kill the Klingon ambassador, who is advocating a break-off in hostilities with the Dominion, and a fall-back to Qo'noS to defend the home world, a position the Dominion would like to see be made policy, and which Gowron is firmly opposed. O'Brien, revealing himself, tries to convince Bilby to turn himself in, but he fears for his family and does not. O'Brien blames himself for Bilby's death at the hands of the Klingons, tipped off to the assassination attempt.

Change of Heart
Worf and Dax are sent on an away mission to pick up a Cardassian spy working for the Federation - he has information about the whereabouts in the Alpha quadrant of all Founders. They must pick him up on one of his trips to a remote planet, as he feels that he is under suspicion and may not again be allowed to leave Cardassia. They set down the runabout and hike to the rendezvous point, but Dax is hit by a Jem'Hadar disrupter when they are surprised by a patrol. They push on despite Dax's grave injury. Worf leaves her to finish the mission, but has a change of heart and rushes back to her, abandoning the spy. Back on DS9, Dax recovers, but Worf is officially censured; though officially, Sisko must restrict them from ever going on an away mission together again, he tells Worf he'd have done the same for Jennifer. O'Brien teaches Julian how to play tongo, but Quark is able to beat even the enhanced Doctor.

Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night
Kira gets ready to celebrate her late mother's 60th birthday. Dukat calls her to tell her that her mother, Kira Meru, did not die in a refugee camp - she died as one of his mistresses. Kira asks Sisko, as The Emissary, to recommend she be allowed access to the Orb of Time. He agrees and she goes to Bajor. The Orb returns her into the past as a friend of the Kira's. As she arrives, Nerys and Meru are taken as comfort women aboard Terok Nor. Dukat greets them and takes a liking to Meru, and he has her move into his quarters. Kira does not see Meru for 2 weeks. When she returns, she and Dukat act as lovers. Kira has a few choice words for her mother, concluding in her calling Meru a collaborator. Kira joins a resistance cell and plots to kill Dukat and Meru, but she has a change of heart when she sees her watch a message from her husband, detailing how much she'd helped her family. Kira is taken back by the Orb. She tells Sisko that she hated collaborators, but now, it is not quite that simple.

Inquisition
A Starfleet security officer arrives on the station and has all the senior officers confined to quarters - someone inside DS9 has been passing secrets of the Federation war effort on to the Dominion. Bashir endures a short interview, but learns that O'Brien had been interrogated for several hours - about Bashir. The officer, Sloan, tells Bashir that he suspects that during the Doctor's incarceration, the Dominion may have messed with his mind, something perhaps made easier by his genetic engineering. Bashir balks, but Sloan is convinced of his theory and has Bashir locked in the brig. Sloan reminds Sisko that Bashir and his "mutant" friends has recently suggested surrendering to the Dominion, and had lied for years about his engineering. When Sloan comes in the night to take Bashir to a starbase, he is transported away by a Cardassian ship, where Weyoun meets him and confirms Sloan's suspicions. The Defiant attacks the ship and Bashir is taken back - but something's not right about the people -- a holographic simulation ends, and Sloan stands before Bashir. Sloan reveals he is part of secretive Section 31, that uncovers security threats - and Bashir passed. He is invited to join 31, but refuses. Upon his return, Bashir tells Sisko the story - Sisko thought he was away at a medical conference. Sisko insists that the next time he is invited (and he will be), he should join, as a spy for Sisko.

In The Pale Moonlight
After posting yet another list of people killed in the war, Sisko decides to somehow get the Romulans to break their non-aggression treaty with the Dominion and bring them into the war. To get them in, he must convince them, prove to them, that once the Dominion finishes with the Federation and the Klingons, Romulus is next. He recruits Garak to help. Dominion invasion of Betazed places new urgency on the plan. Garak's contacts on Cardassia are killed as quickly as Garak can find them. He proposes a new tact - manufacture the evidence. But the machinations needed bring Sisko into a shady world of bribes, deceit, and trafficking, a world he is quite uncomfortable in. Sisko shows the evidence to Romulan Senator Vreenak, but on examination, he discovers it is a forgery and leaves in a fury. Vreenak's shuttle is later destroyed and evidence points to the Dominion. Sisko suspects Garak; he confirms that the forged evidence was not his plan but the death of Vreenak was. Soon, the Romulans are convinced of Dominion duplicity, and begin to attack their bases. Sisko grapples with the knowledge of all he did and the knowledge that he would do it again.

His Way
After Kira goes to Bajor to meet with Shakar, Odo asks for advice from Vic Fontaine, one of Bashir's favorite holograms. Vic tells him he needs to warm up, get some personality. First step is a turn at the piano. Second step is a holographic look-alike. But Odo is not up to the task and backs out. Vic visits Kira in one of her programs and tells her that he's crazy about her. He sets up a date between them, but Odo thinks Kira is a hologram. When he realizes she is the real McCoy, he bolts. Kira takes the initiative and they make quite a scene of themselves as the kiss on the Promenade.

The Reckoning
An archeological dig on Bajor uncovers a relic that mentions the Emissary - Sisko is called to the planet and has a vision of The Reckoning, which "must start now". Sisko brings it to DS9. Dax and the computer translate the glyphs on the tablet - they portend the destruction of DS9 as a part of The Reckoning. Disturbances in the wormhole rock the station, lending credence to the prophecy. Kai Winn meets with Sisko - Bajor is also being affected by the disturbances. She thinks the Prophets are angry the relic has been taken from Bajor and she formally requests its return. Sisko reluctantly agrees. Kira notes to Sisko that Winn is jealous of him and his relationship with the Prophets. Jake tells Sisko that he is worried about him. Sisko breaks the relic in a rage after another sleepless night and releases "spirits". Winn is aghast until Odo calls them to the Promenade - Kira has been taken over by a Prophet. It says it is time for the Reckoning. It awaits a banished wraith - in the battle, Bajor will be reborn or destroyed. Sisko orders DS9 evacuated. The wraith takes Jake's body as its vessel. Sisko refuses to leave as the two beings clash. Winn triggers a chronoton burst that forces the beings to leave prematurely. As she leaves, Kira calls Winn's motives into question and wonders aloud what the consequences will be for Bajor.

Valiant
Nog and Jake are in a runabout when a Jem'Hadar ship attacks them - outgunned, Nog tries to outmaneuver it; as the runabout's shields begin to fail, a Defiant-class ship, the Valiant, rescues them. The ship is crewed by Red Squad, an elite corps of cadets. Their crew of regular officers has all been killed when the ship was caught behind enemy lines at the war's outbreak. The Valiant is under radio silence, so the crew's condition is unknown to Starfleet, but it continues to get orders - they are in pursuit of a new Dominion battleship. The cadet captain Watters appoints Nog chief engineer to expedite engine repairs. Watters asks Jake to observe the Valiant and her crew but not to interfere. They are able to find and scan their target once Nog fixes the engines, accomplishing their mission. But Watters wants more - he wants to take the ship down. Jake stirs up trouble when he publicly doubts their plan will work, but with cries of "Red Squad!" they proceed. Watters has Jake confined to the brig. The Valiant makes her run and hits her target, but they do not destroy the ship. The Valiant takes heavy fire - only one escape pod makes it out, with only three aboard, including Jake and Nog. They are rescued by the Defiant. Jake weighs whether Watters failed as a captain or if his crew failed him.

Profit and Lace
Zek and Moogie arrive on DS9. Zek has amended the Ferengi Bill of Opportunity to allow women to wear clothing, claiming doing so will mean increased profit for everyone. Zek is deposed as Grand Nagus, and Brunt is chosen to take his place. Zek and Moogie ask Quark, Rom, and Nog to help them gather support to reinstate Zek before Brunt's appointment is made permanent. Of the more than 400 calls they make, only one person, influential Nilva, agrees to come to hear Zek and Moogie out. Quark and Moogie have an argument, and Moogie has a heart attack. Bashir is able to replace her heart, but she will not be able to meet with Nilva. Quark is volunteered to take her place, surgically altered to appear to be a female. Brunt arrives to gloat over Zek's deposition, aware that Nilva is on his way. Nilva arrives early and has dinner with Quark, who is very convincing, from both a financial and sexual stand point. Nilva makes a pass at Quark, when Brunt barges in and announces that Quark is a male. Quark shows off Bashir's handiwork, which convinces Nilva he's a woman. Smitten, he agrees to support Zek, both as Grand Nagus and in his position on women's clothing.

Time's Orphan
The newly-reunited O'Brien family goes for a picnic on Galano, a Bajoran colony. Molly falls into an energy field and disappears - the field is a time field, and Molly has been pulled 300 years into Galano's past. They are able to pull Molly back, but something goes wrong, and Molly is now 18, 10 years older. She is a wild child, seeming to have lost her memory and speech. But Miles and Keiko work with her, and she slowly begins to come around. They take he into a holosuite of Galano, and when the program ends, she goes on a rampage, almost killing a patron. She is held in the brig, and Sisko tells Miles she may have to go to a special care facility. Miles and Keiko break her out of jail and take her back to Galano; they plan to put her back in the past, where she was happy and safe. When they send her back, though, the older Molly finds the younger on the other side. The young Molly goes back through, and the older disappears into time, saying "Molly home". Worf tries to prove he can be a good parent to Dax by helping to take care of Yoshi while Miles and Keiko worked with Molly. He sees his attempts as a failure until it is clear that Worf was beginning to leave an impression on Yoshi.

The Sound of Her Voice
On the way home from escorting a convoy, the Defiant picks up a distress call from Captain Lisa Cusak of the Olympia, a long-range ship out of contact with Starfleet for eight years in the Beta Quadrant. The ship encountered a planet and on a routine scan, an energy surge knocked the ship out of the sky. Bashir tells Cusak to ration her triox supply in the carbon-dioxide atmosphere; at six days journey, she'll need it. Several of the crew talk with her over the sub-space link to keep her company; Miles laments that his inner circle of friends is growing apart because of the war; Sisko laments that his relationship with Kasidy Yates is suffering because she's on missions with him as Convoy Liaison. Cusak runs out of triox earlier than expected, and they rush to find her. When they do, she is at least three-years dead. The energy surrounding the planet time-shifted their subspace transmissions. They bring her back to DS9 for burial. Quark occupies Odo's mind by bringing up Odo and Kira's one-month anniversary. Quark plans to use the time Odo is distracted to do some business on the side. After all plans are made, Odo changes his, ensuring that Quark will be caught in illicit dealings. When Odo uncovers the truth, he changes his plans again to allow Quark's deal to go through, a secret thank-you for helping get him together with Kira.

Tears of the Prophets
Starfleet decides to go on the offensive, starting with the poorly-defended Chin'toka system. The prophets appear to Sisko and warn him not to go into Cardassian space; despite his request not to lead the attack, Starfleet gives him an ultimatum to choose between being a captain and being the Emissary. Sisko decides to lead the attack, leaving Dax in charge of DS9. Sisko and General Martok convince the Romulans to help in the attack. When the forces arrive, they find the planet heavily defended after all, but the defenses are not yet online. The single-point power source for hundreds of orbital defense platforms is found and destroyed, and the planet is taken, giving Starfleet a much-needed victory. On DS9, Dukat has a plan to get back into good graces - he will destroy the prophets. He is possessed by a pah wraith, critically injures Dax, and destroys the orb housed on the station. The wormhole implodes, and Sisko suddenly gets an uneasy feeling. Bashir summons Sisko and crew back to DS9, where they say their goodbyes to Jadzia; Bashir is able to save the Dax symbiont. All orbs on Bajor have gone dark, and Sisko worries the prophets have abandoned Bajor. He feels he's failed as a captain and as the Emissary. He takes a leave of absence and goes back to Earth with Jake.


Season 7

Image in Sand
Kira has been promoted to Colonel as she continues to command DS9 after Sisko's three month absence. She is told that Romulan Senator Cretak will be setting up a small Romulan contingent on DS9. Cretak asks Kira for permission to construct a hospital on the Bajor moon Derna. Bajor agrees, but it is soon detected that the Romulans are building up weaponry there. Bajor demands the removal of the Romulans. Work still mourns Jadzia - because of how she died, she is not, and may never be, in Sto'vo'kor, Klingon after-life. O'Brien and Bashir try to cheer him, but only volunteering for a dangerous mission with General Martok lifts his spirits. The Dominion and the Cardassians are holding the Alliance forces at bay, giving Damar reason to celebrate. Finally, Sisko gets a vision from the prophets - that of a woman's face buried in the sand on Tyree. Ben discovers the woman's face is that of Sarah, his real mother. Told this secret for the first time, he is angry, but intrigued when his father gives him a locket Sarah wore - it bears Bajoran script. It says "Orb of the Emissary." Sisko decides to go to Tyree to search, but a Bajoran pah-wraith worshipper stabs him. Quickly healed, he begins to set out for Tyree with his father, Jake, and a new arrival - the "new" Dax symbiont.

Shadows and Symbols
Ezri Dax explains that Dax was on the way back to Trill when it took a turn - it had to be implanted quickly, and Ezri, ship's counselor, was the only Trill aboard. Unprepared by the normal years of training, she's been thrust into her new life. She and the Siskos leave immediately for Tyree. Though Ben has no idea where the Orb might be, he lets his feelings take over and treks across the Tyree desert. Meanwhile, Bajor has issued the Romulans an ultimatum - leave Derna or face a blockade. The Romulans refuse to leave and Col. Kira sets up a blockade with a dozen small ships, all Bajor can afford to spare. Admiral Ross tries to negotiate a settlement, but Cretak and Kira cannot agree. The blockade is tested when the Romulans send a group of warbirds to "deliver" medical supplies to the hospital. Meanwhile, Bashir, O'Brien, and Quark embark with Worf to fight the battle that will admit Jadzia into Sto'vo'kor. They intend to destroy the shipyard at Monac by setting off a plasma pulse in the Monac sun. They arrive and attempt to set off the pulse, but the first attempt fails, giving the Jem'Hadar a chance to catch up to them. They set off the pulse at the last second, and barely escape the pulse themselves. On Tyree, Ben finds the Orb and is tempted by the Kosst Amojen, the pah-wraiths, to relive his life - to not be the Emissary. He resists the temptation and opens the Orb, releasing it. Quickly, the wormhole opens and the pah-wraiths are driven from it. Bolstered by its reappearance, the Bajorans stand firm; the warbirds back off, after Ross decides to back the Bajorans. The Prophets appear to him in the form of his mother, Sarah. They tell him that they took over Sarah's body, forcing her into marriage with his father. They also forced Ben's conception. He has always been the Emissary. Sisko returns to DS9, a hero to the Bajorans for restoring the Prophets. Worf and the others are surprised by Ezri's appearance.

Afterimage
Ezri tries to adapt to her new surroundings, but is determined to continue her career on the Destiny as a counselor. Sisko asks her to stay on DS9. She says she does not know how to deal with Worf. Sisko asks her to talk to Garak. He's been having attacks of claustrophobia ever since he started decoding Cardassian transmissions for Starfleet. His work is crucial, and his decision to stop is of major concern to Starfleet. She determines he is reliving youthful punishments of being locked in a closet. He tries to pound his way out an airlock, and she goes to Sisko to tell him she's a failure; she cannot help Garak, and cannot even help herself. O'Brien tells Worf that Ezri can tell him how Jadzia would feel about his treatment of Ezri. Ezri and Garak speak, and determine that he is feeling guilty that his work is killing his people. Once he knows why, he can deal with the symptoms. Worf speaks with her, and they decide to respect each other's space, until Worf is ready to talk. She decides to stay on DS9 and is promoted to full counselor.

Take Me Out to the Holosuite
Solok, captain of an all-Vulcan ship docked at DS9 for repairs, challenges Sisko and his staff to a game of baseball. Solok and Sisko are old rivals from their academy days. Sisko, of course, accepts, and starts knocking a team into shape, even going so far as to arrange for Kasidy to have a few weeks off. He asks Odo to umpire the game. Sisko fixates on the training, leading to dissention in the ranks. He explains to Kasidy that he'd challenged Solok to a wrestling match and had been badly beaten. Ever since then, Solok had used the match as an example of Vulcan superiority to humans in numerous published papers. After a few weeks of practice, the game is held, and the Niners are losing badly in the 8th to the Logicians, 10-0. Sisko sends Rom in, who bunts inadvertently and bats in a run. It is the only one the Niners get, but they celebrate as if they'd won, which, to Sisko's joy, visibly irritates Solok.

Chrysalis
Bashir's genetically enhanced misfit friends arrive on DS9. They want him to try a new procedure on Sarina. She was enhanced to be able to process information more quickly, but she can process it faster than her body can bring it in, putting her constantly out of sync, leading to her near-catatonic state. He operates and for days there is no improvement, but then suddenly, she awakens, speaks, and sings. He tells her that she is doing so well, she need not go back to the institute with the others. She tells Julien she is afraid of reverting back to her former state. He assures her she won't, and a romance blossoms. He awaits her for dinner and she never shows - when he finds her, she is unresponsive again. He takes her to Patrick, Jack, and Lauren, hoping familiar surroundings will help. They tell Julien that she is faking. He asks her why - she does not know how to deal with the feelings she has for him, on top of being able to see the world clearly. He sets her up with a job and sends her off, to give her time to adapt to her new clarity.

Treachery, Faith and the Great River
Odo is called away by Gul Russol, one of his informants on Cardassia, thought to be dead. When he arrives, Weyoun is there; he was tricked. But Weyoun is there to defect to the Federation. Odo is cautious but takes him aboard his runabout and they head to DS9. En route, they get a message ... from Weyoun. Turns out Odo's Weyoun is Weyoun Six, one of a number of cloned Weyouns. The other Weyoun tells Odo his Weyoun has gone mad. Damar convinces Weyoun to order an attack by the Jem'Hadar; Weyoun is reluctant because Odo is a Founder, but he eventually orders the attack. Weyoun Six helps Odo destroy the fighter. Damar sends more ships. Meanwhile, Weyoun tells Odo that the Founders are dying - something has infected the Great Link. Soon, Odo may be the only Founder left. It will be a perfect time for Odo to take charge of the Dominion and change it from a mission of conquest to one of cooperation. When the fleet of Jem'Hadar ships arrive, the runabout has little chance, but Weyoun Six kills himself, and the attack is called off. Odo contemplates losing his people so soon after finding them, despite his exile. O'Brien gets into everyone's good graces, eventually, when Nog volunteers to do some trading to get a new stabilizer for the Defiant.

Once More Into the Breach
Kor, the Dahar Master, comes to DS9 to visit with Worf and commensurate about Jadzia's death. He tells Worf that over the years he has gained few friends, who might be willing to help him get one last command in his waning days. Worf agrees to help - but at the mere mention of his name, Martok is enraged. Kor slighted him as a young soldier, forcing him on a round-about route to the officer corps. But he acknowledges Worf's need to keep his word and agrees to make Kor a third officer. Martok proposes a series of "cavalry raids" on Jem'Hadar outposts - quick, hard strikes. Kor growls as his crew fawns over Kor. As the battle nears, Kor starts to lose his memory, and when Martok and Worf are disabled in the attack, he takes command, ranting about an attack on a Federation base. Martok relieves him of duty as the small force escapes to hit its next target. But a Jem'Hadar fleet pursues them, and they will be in attack range before the Klingons reach reinforcements. Worf devises a plan to stall the Jem'Hadar, a suicide mission. Kor disables Worf and takes over the mission. He dies in a glorious battle that allows the task force to escape safely.

The Siege of AR-558
The Defiant goes on a fact-finding mission to the Chin'toka system, with Quark on board to report the progress of the war back to the Grand Nagus. The crew goes to check on the troops stationed on AR-558, site of a captured Dominion communications array. The troops have sustained heavy losses to Jem'Hadar attacks and new sub-space mines dubbed Houdinis, which appear out of no where and explode. While a landing party is on the ground, the Jem'Hadar launch another attack and Sisko orders Worf to take the Defiant away to safety. Ezri and Kellin, a tech assigned to the array, devise a way to detect the Houdinis; once they are exposed, they are used against the Jem'Hadar; when they attack, the mines blow up their own troops. The rest of the Jem'Hadar are dispatched in phaser battles and hand-to-hand combat, though Federation casualties are heavy. Nog loses a leg, and many of the ground troops are hurt or killed.

Covenant
One of Kira's old teachers, Vedek Fala, comes to visit her, and gives her a gift. As she opens it, she is transported away - away to Empok Nor, where the Bajoran followers of the Pah Wraiths have moved in. She is shocked to discover that Dukat is their leader. He tells Kira he is the Emissary of the Pah Wraiths. The Prophets abandoned Bajor; the Pah Wraiths wish to help Bajor. She refuses to join him, and asks Fala how he could come to be in this place. He tells her he has followed the Wraiths since before the end of the occupation. He takes her on a tour of Empok Nor, and though all looks peaceful, the birth of the station's first baby leads to trouble - he is an obvious Bajoran/Cardassian hybrid. Though Dukat tells his followers it is a clear sign from the Pah Wraiths, Kira sees it as a sure sign that Dukat is up to his old tricks. Dukat decides that he and all of his followers need to leave their bodies and join the Pah Wraiths in spirit, and gives them suicide pills. Kira exposes him, and as the followers turn on him, he transports himself away. Fala takes the pill anyway, telling Kira it is a matter of his faith.

It's Only a Paper Moon
Nog tries to comes to grips with the loss of his leg and his new prosthetic. According to Starfleet regulations, he can choose any rehabilitation he wishes, and he decides to spend some time in the Vic Fontaine holosuite program. Ezri is wary, but she and Bashir approve the treatment. She informs Vic of the situation and tells him that Nog's continued use of a cane is a psychological need, not a physical one. Vic gradually weans Nog from his cane and keeps Nog occupied by having him review his bookkeeping. Jake and a new girlfriend come to visit Nog, but an argument ensues and Nog hits Jake. Ezri tells Vic and Nog it is time to come out of the holosuite, but Nog refuses. Nog proposes that Vic build a casino, and Ezri gives his a little more time. When Vic realizes that Nog's beginning to lose touch too much, he shuts down the program himself. After some time trying to restart it, Vic appears to Nog. Nog tells Vic he is not ready to accept the real world again, but some sage advice from Vic makes Nog realize that there are no guarantees in life, and that if he stays in the program, he will definitely die.

Prodigal Daughter
When Morica Bilby goes missing, O'Brien goes to New Sydney to investigate. Ezri heads to New Sydney, where her family has a business, to introduce them to Dax and to look for Miles. Her brother Norvo is a bookkeeper for the Tigan family mining business, and an aspiring artist. Her other brother, Janel, runs the business with her mother, Yanas Tigan. Janel worries about the sabotage of some of their equipment by the Orion Syndicate. An officer brings in a beaten O'Brien; he found Morica's body and was rescued by local police as he was being beaten by a pair of Naussicans. While he recovers, Yanas asks O'Brien to take a look at their sabotaged equipment. As O'Brien works on the equipment with Janel, Bokar, of the Syndicate, tells Janel that O'Brien was looking for Morica. O'Brien notes that Janel reacts oddly. He gets suspicious when Janel presses for Ezri and O'Brien to leave. They look through the Tigan financial records and discover Morica worked for the family. Her pay had increased several times until she disappeared. Ezri brings the data to the family; Janel tells them he hired Morica at the Syndicate's request. She repeatedly asked for more, never satisfied with what she was getting. Yanas asks Janel if he killed her - he denies he did. Norvo confesses it was he, trying to protect the business.

The Emperor's New Cloak
Moogie calls Rom and Quark - Zek is missing. Before they can think much about it, Ezri corners Quark in his quarters, but it is soon clear to Quark that this is not his Ezri - she is from the alternate universe. She demands a cloaking device in exchange for Zek, whom she has prisoner. Quark and Rom steal the device from Martok's ship and insist on accompanying Ezri back to get Zek. When they transport to the alternate universe, Bashir and Smiley are there to greet them - and arrest them. Ezri is working for the Alliance. They take the device, and place the trio in a cell. Ezri's partner, Brunt, helps them all escape and steal back the device. They set course for the Regent's ship, on which the Intendant Kira has Zek, and the Regent Worf awaits his new weapon. When they arrive, Worf has Rom and Quark jailed with Zek, who admits he came to the alternate universe to try to set up trade. Worf summons Rom to install the device; when the Resistance comes after the Regent's ship, it is cloaked. But when it comes out of cloak, the ship shuts down; Rom sabotaged the circuits. The Resistance take the ship. Ezri has a change of heart and frees all the Ferengi, who transport back home

Field of Fire
Alario, a new helmsman on the Defiant, is found dead in his quarters. He was shot by a projectile weapon, not a phaser - unusual in itself - but there are no powder burns that jibe with the apparent closeness of the bullet when the gun was fired. Dax is upset, since she had just been with Alario the night before - just minutes before he died, in fact. She decides to try to track down the killer, and thinks about calling forth Joran, one of the Dax hosts - but he has been suppressed for a long time, because he was a cold-blooded killer. She is hesitant until another crewman is killed. O'Brien explains that Starfleet had developed the TR116 rifle, to be used in environments that phasers would not work - but it was a prototype only. He also detects that the bullets left no burn because the TR116 can be outfitted with a micro transporter. The assassin could track his target from elsewhere in the station with a device that can see through walls. Dax and Worf speak, and he tells her that she will do what is required to find the killer, it is her nature. She calls Joran, whom she sees only in her mind; he helps her work out the mind of the killer; after another person is killed, she wonders if the killer is a Vulcan - all of the victims had emotional photos in their quarters. She investigates all the Vulcans, but a chance meeting with one in a turbo lift narrows her focus. She investigates Chu'Lak, who was one of a handful of survivors of a Jem'Hadar attack. She tracks him with a TR116 rifle and sees him aiming his weapon at her. She fires and hits his shoulder. She sends Joran back into her subconscious.

Chimera
Odo and O'Brien are intercepted in their runabout by a being of some sort - it enters the runabout and forms in front of them - it is a changeling. Back on DS9, Bashir analyzes it; it is not a Founder. Odo presumes it is one of the Hundred, the infant changelings seeded throughout the galaxy as Odo had been. Odo gets permission from Sisko to allow it out of confinement. The changeling tells Odo he was named Laas by the Varala, the solids who occupied the planet he was found on. He does not care for solids, and his willingness to make this fact known makes for an uncomfortable scene in Quark's bar. Odo tells Laas that he does not care for the Founders or their principles, and he has decided to live among the people of DS9. Odo shows Laas the Link; the experience makes Laas want to go out and find more of the Hundred; he asks Odo to join him. Odo turns Laas down, but asks Laas to stay on DS9 for a while. Laas agrees, but when Laas casually kills a Klingon, his welcome is quickly worn out. Martok demands Laas be extradited for trial on Qo'noS. Odo wonders aloud to Kira if he really should be out in space, exploring, searching. Kira goes to Laas and helps him escape. She tells him she will send Odo to him, and they can explore together. When Odo meets with Laas, he tells Laas he will be staying with Kira. His love for her is stronger than the call of the changeling.

Badda-Bing Badda-Bang
In the Vic Fontaine holonovel, Frankie Eyes arrives and takes over - Eyes is a gangster working for Carl Zeemo, from the East Coast. He and his gorilla, Tony Cicci force Vic out of the business. Julian and Miles try to figure out a way to delete the Eyes character, but learn that he is an essential part of the program, put in to spice things up after any lull in the action. To get rid of him, they need to play along. The entire command staff, except Worf and Sisko, get together to devise a plan; even Kasidy Yates helps out. She asks Sisko why he does not wish to participate. Sisko reveals that he objects to the Fontaine novel because in the 1960's Las Vegas of the program, blacks were not welcome. Kasidy convinces him that the novel is based on how things should have been, not how they were - Sisko decides to help. They decide to get rid of Eyes, they need to make Zeemo get rid of him. They will steal the casino's take and that will be the end of Eyes. With Kira distracting Eyes, Kasidy and O'Brien distracting the guard, and Vic and Sisko distracting the crowd, Odo and Nog will break into the safe and steal all the money. Though the plan does not go exactly according to plan, they are able to pull off a reasonable facsimile, and barely make it out in one piece. Once they do, and Zeemo carts Eyes off, Vic's returns to normal.

Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges
As Bashir readies himself for a conference on Romulus, Section 31 agent Sloan returns and asks Bashir to go do some information gathering for him. He consults with Sisko, and after Sisko consults with Admiral Ross, they all concur that he should do what Sloan asks. Ross and Bashir are later surprised to see Sloan attending the conference; Ross advises Bashir to continue with the plan. Sloan briefs Bashir on the Romulan leadership, focusing on Koval, head of the Tal'Shiar. Sloan suspects Koval is ill; he opposes the Alliance, and is vying for a seat on the Continuing Committee, along with Senator Cretak, an ally of the Federation. At the conference, Bashir speaks with the secretive Koval; he confirms that from his brief external examination, he may indeed have the fatal Tuvan Syndrome. Bashir meets with Ross, who wonders if Sloan might have a confederate in the Romulan hierarchy who might help Sloan accelerate the disease. Bashir fears the worst, and when Ross is later unavailable, he goes to Cretak to help prevent Koval's murder. She agrees to help. Koval takes Bashir into custody and brings him in front of the Committee; there, Cretak is being interrogated. Bashir relates his story to help clear Cretak of treason charges. Koval brings in a beaten Sloan, whom Koval says is not a member of any Section 31, but who works for Starfleet Security, and who made up the entire thing to get revenge on Koval for the death of an Admiral. Sloan escapes and is shot by Koval. Cretak is stripped of her office and Bashir is returned to his ship. Later, Bashir goes to Ross, after he realizes that the whole thing was a setup. Ross confirms that Koval is a Starfleet mole, and that the act was meant to reinforce his position in the leadership. Sloan later appears alive and well to Bashir, saying that his deceit helps keep the universe safe for honest people like Julian.

Penumbra
Sisko buys a plot of land on Bajor and plans to build a house there for his retirement. He reflects on his destiny, laid out by his mother and the Prophets. He starts to design his house, and asks Kasidy to marry him. She accepts. They plan a small ceremony, with Jake as best man, but when word gets out among the Bajorans that they're to marry, a huge ceremony is expected. Ben has a prophet vision - they tell him not to marry Kasidy, it is not in his destiny, not part of the plan. Worf's ship is damaged in a battle, and he is not rescued. Ezri steals a runabout and goes out looking for him. She eventually finds him in an escape pod, drifting in the badlands. She takes him aboard and they head for home. A pair of Jem'Hadar ships attack and they crash land on a planet, but without a transmitter, they must just wait. Tension is high as Ezri tries to avoid talking about Jadzia, but eventually their arguing leads to kissing, and they sleep together. As they sleep, they are captured by a Breen scout team. Weyoun and the Founder work toward finding a cure for the sickness in the Link, but success eludes them. They continue to keep her condition a secret from the Cardassians. Dukat pays Damar a visit; he has a plan. He is surgically altered to resemble a Bajoran.

'Til Death Do Us Part
Kai Winn arrives to speak with Sisko, to offer her services to preside over his wedding. As she leaves his office, she has a vision. The vision tells her "the Sisko has faltered", that she must prepare for the restoration; and that a guide will come to her to help her. Sisko tells Kasidy of his own vision, and that he cannot go against the Prophets. She gives him back his ring, though he later reconsiders and she reaccepts his proposal. They decide to marry immediately, in a civil ceremony. During the ceremony, he has another vision telling him not to marry her, but this time he refuses to listen. In his vision, Sarah tells him that she cannot change what is to come. Worf and Ezri wait out captivity on the Breen ship. He contemplates their coming years together as a couple, but her dreams reveal her true feelings, for Dr. Bashir. Worf feels betrayed. Dukat arrives on DS9 and immediately goes to meet with Kai Winn. When he talks to her in farming parables, she realizes he is her guide. A Jem'Hadar ship with the ailing Founder meets the Breen ship; Ezri and Worf are turned over to her as a gift to celebrate a new alliance between the Dominion and the Breen.

Strange Bedfellows
The Dominion plans the final fate of the Federation Alliance by allying itself with the mysterious Breen. In the treaty, Cardassia gives up much of its territory to the Breen, which enrages Damar. Dukat continues to impersonate farmer Anjohl Tennan. He plants the seed of dissent against Sisko and the Prophets. She has a disturbing vision of the Pah Wraiths and consults the Orb of Prophecy - but she sees nothing. Dukat tells her that he has been in touch with the Pah Wraiths, and encourages her to investigate them. Frustrated by her years of service to the Prophets without once had a vision of them, she decides to turn on them and tells Dukat she is ready to learn about the Pah Wraiths. Ezri and Worf are taken to Cardassia to be tried as war criminals unless they agree to defect - they refuse. The Breen start to direct some of the war, using the Cardassian troops as cannon fodder. Damar helps Worf and Ezri escape, in exchange for giving the Federation a message - they have an ally in him.

The Changing Face of Evil
The Breen join in on the attacks on the Alliance, and on Earth itself. Damar works with some trusted allies to organize a rebellion against the Dominion. Weyoun notices Damar's renewed confidence and thinks it is because of the Breen victories, but it is in fact due to his plan to attack Dominion forces. As the attacks progress, Damar announces to Cardassia that he is breaking from the Dominion. Kai Winn begins to debate Dukat about the Pah Wraiths. Anjohl encourages her to release them, to start the restoration. To do so, she must read the Kosst Amojen, the book of great evil. She has her aide, Solbor, bring it to her. He expresses concern, and doubts about Anjohl, but she dismisses him. The text is blank, and she studies other texts to determine how to make the words appear. Solbor brings her evidence that Anjohl is Dukat; she kills Solbor and drips his blood on the book, making the words appear. Worf and Ezri try to determine if she is in love with Bashir. Admiral Ross tells Sisko of a powerful new weapon the Breen have, which disables ships leaving them defenseless. They decide to try an offensive at the Chin'Toka system; but the battle goes badly and the Defiant is destroyed.

When it Rains
Still trying to figure out a way to counter the Breen weapon, the Klingons discover that some of their ships are impervious to the weapon. Sisko asks Kira to go with Garak and Odo to help train Damar and his forces in the ways of guerrilla warfare. She is commissioned into Starfleet so that the other Cardassians will be more willing to follow her. The small group starts to attack Jem'Hadar outposts. Odo begins to show signs of the Changeling Disease. While working on a small sample of Odo, Bashir realizes that Odo was infected by Starfleet's own Section 31, as a way of spreading the disease to the Great Link and all of the changelings. He resolves to find a cure. Gowron arrives on DS9 to induct Martok in the Order of Kahless, and to take over direction of the Klingon efforts for the Alliance. Martok is not happy with Gowron's efforts, but tells Worf he will follow Gowron, in spite of their folly. Kai Winn continues to read the Kosst Amojen, but forbids Dukat to read it; when he tries to anyway, the book strikes him blind.

Tacking into the Wind
Odo's condition worsens - the more he shape shifts, the worse it gets. One of Damar's lieutenants, Rusot, challenges Kira, though he eventually backs down - Garak advises her to kill him before he kills her. They plan an assault on a Jem'Hadar ship that has been equipped with the Breen weapon. They take the ship, but the weapon is not yet fully installed, so they wait; when Odo loses his control and Kira rushes to his side, Rusot uses the opportunity to turn on Kira - but Damar kills Rusot, saying that his Cardassia is dead. Once the weapon is installed, they head for DS9 with it. Sisko and Worf discuss Gowron's strategies, which are failing miserably. Worf thinks Gowron's sole purpose may be to humiliate Martok. Worf tells Martok that he must challenge Gowron, but Martok refuses. When Gowron proposes a particularly bad idea, Worf challenged him - they fight, and Worf kills Gowron. Though the cloak of the chancellorship rightfully belongs to Worf, he hands it over to Martok. Julian and Miles try to devise a way to lure Section 31 to DS9 so that they can try to cure Odo's disease.

Extreme Measures
Odo's condition worsens, and Kira brings him back to DS9 for treatment. Julian can only relieve his pain. Odo asks Kira to leave him, he does not want her to watch him die. She reluctantly agrees. O'Brien and Julian tell Sisko that they suspect the mutagenic virus was planted by Section 31 and of their plan to lure someone from Section 31 to DS9. He agrees with their plan; after he sends a message to Starfleet that he found a cure, Sloan shows up. Bashir immediately immobilizes Sloan and brings him to a clandestine lab. He intends to hook him up to a set of Romulan mind probes to find the cure; but Sloan bites a suicide pill first; Bashir rushes to save him and his brain. He establishes a link to his damaged memories, and with O'Brien in tow, goes inside Sloan's mind. Inside, they meet a cooperative, contrite Sloan, who vows to help them find the cure. But a darker Sloan catches up to the them and traps them in his deteriorating mind. He tricks them several times, but O'Brien and Bashir eventually track down the last remaining fragments of memory, including the cure. Sloan tempts Julian with Section 31's darkest secrets, but a grounded O'Brien helps Julian resist the temptation. They pull out of his mind just as it goes for good. Bashir has the data he needs and creates a cure. He gives it to Odo, and though painful, it appears to work.

The Dogs of War
DS9 awaits the replacement for the Defiant, a Defiant-class ship, the Sau Paulo. Admiral Ross delivers her himself, along with special permission to change the ship's name to Defiant. She is equipped with new shields to counter-act the Breen energy weapon. Kira and Damar go to Cardassia to try to gain new allies, but they are betrayed - their ship and all hands are destroyed in orbit, leaving just they and Garak alive on Cardassia. They find shelter from Mila, Enabrim Tain's old housekeeper. They hit the Dominion in small attacks, but their forces take heavy losses. They lament their situation until Mila tells Damar that his name is resonating through the populace; the time is ripe for an uprising. Bashir releases Odo for duty, and tells him about Section 31. Sisko tells Odo that the Federation has decided not to give the Founders the cure. Quark gets a transmission from the Grand Nagus - he is retiring, and has chosen Quark to succeed him. Brunt arrives to grovel at Quark's feet at the news, though Quark is less than happy to learn of many of the reforms Zek has instituted, and plans to reverse them when he takes power. But when Moogie and Zek arrive, they tell Rom that it is he who is to succeed Zek, not Quark (to Quark's disgust). Bashir and Ezri finally decide to go out. Kasidy tells Sisko that she is pregnant, but she fears the warning of the Prophets.

What You Leave Behind (Part 1)
As Julian and Ezri consummate their relationship, Miles must think of a way to tell Bashir that he has been offered a teaching position at the Academy, which he intends to take after the war ends. The new Defiant leaves DS9 with a large Alliance fleet, on its way to Cardassia. On Cardassia Prime, reports circulate that Damar may be alive ... as he is, and he plans a small-scale rebellion. On the Defiant, Sisko is visited by the Prophets; they tell him his journey is nearly complete, but that the end lies behind him, not before him. Kai Winn continued to study the Kosst Amojen; Dukat returns, and though she does not forgive him, she does need him to release the Pah Wraiths and strike at Sisko. As the Dominion work on defense plans, a black-out plunges the capital into darkness. Weyoun and the new Cardassian Leget, Broca, decide to punish not just the rebels, but the people; Lakarian City, housing two million people, is incinerated. Kira plans an all-out assault on the headquarters. Meanwhile, the Alliance fleet prepares an all-out assault on the Dominion/Breen/Cardassian force. At Mila's home, a security force finds Kira and Damar, and attempt to take them into custody; but the Cardassian half of the patrol turns on the Jem'Hadar, foreshadowing a greater rebellion. The Alliance attacks, but the power of the Dominion forces and the defensive advantage prove a match for the Alliance -- until Cardassian ships begin to join with the Alliance. The Founder orders the extermination of all Cardassians and the retreat of all forces. Martok and Sisko recommend the Alliance pursue the retreating forces. On Bajor, Winn and Dukat search the Fire Caves, and when they find the right spot, Winn turns on Dukat, offering him as a sacrifice to the Pah Wraiths.

What You Leave Behind (Part 2)
As the fleet approaches the defense perimeter, the Breen commander leaves to join the fight and the Founder falters further. As the Jem'Hadar brings Broca out to be executed, the rebels storm the building. In the fire fight, Damar is killed; the rebels take the control center with Weyoun and the Founder inside. Garak kills Weyoun and they threaten the Founder, but she refuses to surrender. Kira contacts the Alliance and Odo volunteers to try to talk to the Founder. He links with her and cures her. She orders the Jem'Hadar to stand down. The Founder is arrested for trial. Odo tells Kira that he will be returning to the Great Link, to tell of what has happened. In spite of his feelings for her, he must return, and will probably never be back. The final tally is 800 million dead on Cardassia Prime. Garak laments the lost people and the lost culture. The Federation appoints Worf to be ambassador to Qo'noS. Sisko and the entire DS9 crew retire to Vic Fontaine's for a final evening out. On Bajor, the Pah Wraiths take over Dukat's body, returning it to its Cardassian state. Sisko feels compelled to go to the Fire Caves and when he arrives, the Emissary of the Prophets faces the Emissary of the Pah Wraiths. Winn, defeated and abandoned by both sides, tells Sisko that the Kosst Amojen is the key to the power of the Pah Wraiths. As she is killed, Sisko and Dukat struggle and fall over a precipice. Dukat falls to his death, taking the Kosst Amojen and the Pah Wraiths with him. Sisko, though, is taken to the Celestial Temple. He pulls Kasidy in with him. He tells her he must stay, but that he will be back, though he does not know when. This is what the Prophets had warned of. Kira drops Odo off in the Gamma Quadrant, then takes command of DS9.


Last Modified: 27 Sep 1999
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