DS9 Season 7 Episode 9 Covenant
Plot
Kira is visited by Fala, a Bajoran cleric who taught her when she was a child. He gives her a gift that turns out to be a transponder that beams her to Empok Nor, a formerly abandoned Cardassian space station. Empok Nor is now inhabited by 50 Bajorans who believe that the Pah-wraiths are the true Prophets of Bajor; the leader of their cult is none other than Dukat. The Bajorans' faith in Dukat is so strong that when Kira threatens to kill Dukat with a phaser, many of them place themselves in Kira's line of fire. Fala introduces Kira to cult members Mika and her husband Benyan. Mika is pregnant, and the station's populace eagerly awaits the first child to be born into the cult. When the baby turns out to be half-Cardassian, Dukat improvises a speech in which he calls the baby a "miracle" from the Pah-wraiths, a sign approving their faith in Dukat. Kira is immediately certain that Dukat is in fact the biological father of the child, and plants a seed of doubt with Benyan by asking him if Mika and Dukat had spent time alone together. Mika tells Dukat she is not sure she can lie to Benyan about the child's true parentage. Dukat opens an airlock, attempting to blow Mika out into space; but Mika survives, and the doctor reports that she is likely to recover from her injuries. Dukat calls the incident an "accident", but prays to the Pah-wraiths, concerned that his followers will discover what he has done. Dukat decides to have the Bajoran believers commit mass suicide, using pills that will reduce the body to dust. Kira is locked in her quarters, but escapes just in time to reach the suicide ceremony. She knocks Dukat's pill out of his hand and onto the floor with other pills. Dukat scrambles to find his pill amongst the others; Kira accuses him of using a placebo, having no intention of dying himself. With this revelation, the Bajorans turn against him. Dukat beams out, and Fala takes a pill and swallows it, explaining his decision with the word "faith". The starship Defiant arrives and takes Kira and the cultists back to Deep Space Nine. Kira ponders the meaning of Fala's last words and acknowledges that Dukat may truly believe in what he was doing, making him more dangerous than ever.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments