#Meanwhile DAX is not at all trying to be subtle about how mad he is lol

[sysig]

Chill, Sub-Commander (Patreon)

[weerd1]

Star Trek DS9 Rewatch Log, Stardate 1909.05: Missions Reviewed, “A Time to Stand,” “Rocks and Shoals,” and “Sons and Daughters.”

“A Time to Stand” picks up three months after the Dominion seized Deep Space Nine in “Call to Arms.” Dukat has been unable to bring down the minefield at the mouth of the wormhole, but neither is the war going well for the Federation/Klingon alliance. The Defiant crew heads to starbase while waiting for word from the Seventh Fleet, which is undertaking a major offensive against the Dominion. Word does come: out of 112 ships, 14 have survived. On DS9 things remain civil, but Kira is unable to convince Dukat to allow Bajoran security to patrol the ship again.

 Jake is writing stories for the Federation, but Weyoun refuses to send them out due to their “bias.” Benjamin meanwhile is taken out of command of the Defiant and the sector admiral, Admiral Ross, assigns him to the starbase pending further orders.  They are not long in coming though as the Jem’Hadar ship Sisko captured the year before (in “The Ship,”) has been refurbished. The Defiant crew are to take it and destroy the main ketracel white production facility in the Alpha Quadrant. On the way, they end up glad they brought Garak as the Command interface is giving Sisko a migraine. 

After narrowly escaping a Federation ship that doesn’t know who they are, they get to the facility, intending to beam a bomb down in the empty White container. They are locked down though, and Bashir uses his genetically enhanced brain to devise and escape velocity that will keep them ahead of the bomb but not bounce them off the shields. The bomb detonates early though, and the ship is damaged; their warp drive gone, Bashir estimates it will be 17 years to get back to base.

Season six starts off strong with a very contiguous story arc. The first six are actually very serialized, but we have reached peak Deep Space Nine. All of the major players are in place, and the writers and actors all know who they are playing and how. The stakes are high and we are now examining humanity facing an existential threat. Great use is made here of Doctor Bashir’s mental talents, and for the first time we allude to his believing there is a good chance the Federation will fall. Kira is also well represented here as someone who has to bide her time and seemingly assist the people who she is sure will try to capture her world. The tension between the Dominion represented by Weyoun playing the long game, and the Cardassians represented by Dukat and Damar ready to be the tyrants they were before Cardassia “lost its way: is very well presented. The Cardassians are licking their lips at the possibility of re-occupying Bajor, but the Dominion’s tactics are so much more subtle.

“Rocks and Shoals,” has the damaged Jem’Hadar worship with Sisko and crew on the run. Chased by other ships, they duck into a dark matter nebula to avoid the enemy fire that has already severely wounded Dax. Out of control in the nebula, they are pulled into the atmosphere of a planet lurking within. On the station, things have fallen into a routine, and Odo, Quark, and Kira admit that this is a far more peaceful “occupation” than under the Cardassians.  Odo approaches Weyoun to restore the Bajoran security force, which Dukat wants to deny. Weyoun immediately concedes, in exchange for Odo joining the station’s “ruling council.” Jake asks if this move somehow gives legitimacy to the occupiers. He also asks Kira if she will stop the Vedek led protest planned for the next day. Kira goes to Vedek Yassim, an older woman, to get her to back off for now, to bide her time because “this isn’t like with the Cardassians.” The Vedek asks how it is different, and then is the only person who appears to protest the next day: she hangs herself on the Promenade after declaring “Evil must be opposed!”

 Kira begins to see herself as a collaborator, and she and Odo decide it is time to begin some form of resistance. On the planet where Sisko and crew have crashed they are stranded but find there is a Jem’Hadar crew already stranded there with a wounded Vorta. 

The Vorta negotiates with Sisko to have Bashir save him, and then tells them that they must kill the Jem’Hadar. There is only one remaining vial of ketracel white, and when it is gone, the 10 soldiers will go mad with withdrawal and kill everything they see. In exchange, the Vorta has a subspace transceiver O’Brien can repair.  Sisko talks to the leader of the Jem’Hadar about how they can be put in stasis and all saved, but he refuses, leading his men into Sisko’s attack, all of them dying. The Vorta brings the radio, and Sisko has to fight the impulse to kill him as well.

The juxtaposition for Kira here as the young angry freedom fighter, to the person biding her time, to someone who can no longer just wait and has to take an active role is fantastic here, as is the desire of Sisko to try to solve this situation without just murdering ten Jem’Hadar soldiers.  The Vortas continue to be smarmy and conniving with Kivas on the planet being as bad as Weyoun. The Vedek’s protest feels like a Buddhist monk in Vietnam setting themselves on fire, and Yassim’s appearance may be brief, but it is striking  and memorable.  Parts of Bajor are coming to the realization that a benevolent occupier is only benevolent when the occupier is happy with you.

“Sons and Daughters” begins when Dukat brings Ziyal back to the station. Ziyal wants to have dinner with Kira and Dukat to share something important to her.  Kira is resistant (literally as part of the resistance) but gives in to Dukat’s request. 

Martok’s Klingon ship the Rotarran brings Sisko and crew home from the Dark Nebula with their Vorta prisoner, and Worf goes back out on mission with the Klingons. New crew arrives including Alexander, Worf’s son, who has decided to try to live as a Klingon.  He is small and weak and timid however, and has a real problem finding his place, also finding much conflict with his father. Alexander feels his father has abandoned him as Worf feels he was only protecting his son. Ziyal reveals she has become and artist and is going to be exhibited on Cardassia. Dukat decides to throw a party for her, and Kira is invited.  She is willing to go for Ziyal’s sake, but when Dukat sends her a dress as a present, Kira goes to him returning it and tells him that she simply cannot have any part of a relationship with Dukat beyond her station duties, believing Dukat to be an opportunistic despot. She leaves, and Ziyal enters asking who it was. Dukat tells her it was a delivery, bringing them the nice new dress he got his daughter for the party. The next day Ziyal asks Kira where she was and Kira says she knows Ziyal can’t choose between them but she will not be part of Dukat’s game.

 On the Rotarran, Alexander continues to bungle things, but then when the ship is damaged in a skirmish, dives in to do what must be done to save it…before accidentally locking himself in the compartment. Worf accepts that Alexander must choose his own path and reconciles, while Alexander accepts the name “son of Worf” and is inducted into the house of Martok.

For Kira the occasional hint that there might be some reconciliation with Dukat ends here. She is done, even with Ziyal in the middle, and this defines how the two will act toward one another the rest of the show. A little strange having a young but adult Alexander here, as timeline wise he should only be about eight or nine years old having been born late in TNG’s second season. This acceleration was done for dramatic reasons, but that now means that Klingons must mature and grow quickly. This seems at odds with Worf hitting normal human milestone when he grew like high school and entering the Academy at 18 but…space man, it’s outer space.  Perhaps time dilation plays in as well.

NEXT MISSION: The DS9 resistance learns the minefield may soon fall and a Founder comes to the station in “Behind the Lines.”