DS9 Returning Adversaries PT 5: Gul Dukat, Kai Winn, and the Pah-Wraiths

One of the most awesome villains in all of Trek is the former overseer of the ore mines on Terok Nor from Cardassia Prime called Gul Dukat.

Dukat saw himself as the long suffering do-gooder who went out of his way to make the Bajoran slave laborers more appreciative of him. But what thanks did he get?

Always striving to be liked by one of his nemesis on the former Terok Nor (now Deep Space 9) named Kira Nerys, he more often than not missed his mark and just ended up pissing her off.

In a classic moment, Dukat boards DS9 with the good intentions of helping the crew stop an auto destruct sequence--but only in exchange for a permanent presence back on the station. Kira is having none of it. In "Civil Defense," he attempts to leave and return in time to shut off the lasers that are tearing through the station in order to give Kira enough time to change her mind.

There's just one hitch---his attempt to leave activates another part of the auto destruct. He's prevented from leaving and told by the automated voice recording that he's bound to stay on the station and die like a man rather than take off in an act of cowardliness.

After having regained a powerful position in the newly formed Cardassian government, he brokers a peace treaty with the Dominion in exchange for their protection and influence in the Alpha Quadrant.

He eventually goes insane after the death of his daughter and ends up on a spiritual quest to find a way to absolve himself of his resentment and self-pity by teaming up with a wormhole entity---the arch enemies of the prophets called the Pah-Wraiths. His primary goal is to destroy those ungrateful Bajorans once and for all!

Later, Dukat goes to a plastic surgeon to be made into a Bajoran. He then visits the egotistical and power hungry spiritual leader of Bajor, Kai Winn.

Winn, like Dukat, craves admiration and respect and will even sabotage her own people's best interest to get it. We learn early on that one way she does this is to use her influence on a devotee to get her to assassinate a rival for the position of Kai. This attempt fails but she is later nonetheless made Kai with the help of another power hungry politician named Jaro who himself is hellbent on taking over the government. Winn betrays him when the truth about their alliance is about to become public knowledge.

Winn and Dukat end up joining forces through the influence of the Pah-Wraiths. At first, Winn assumes Dukat, disguised as a Bajoran farmer, is sent by the prophets to usher in a new era for Bajor.

That's true, but not in the way she thinks. She freaks out when her aid reveals Dukat's true identity but Dukat uses his gift of persuasion to convince her the prophets have done nothing for her or for Bajor. The Pah-Wraiths will giver her the power she desires in exchange for her allegiance.

She takes the bait but meets her fate when the two ill-fated megalomaniacs conjure up the evil spirits in the fire caves. Winn's greatest adversary, Bajor's Emissary Ben Sisko, shows up to stop the fiery ghosts from burning Bajor to a crisp. Winn is eaten by the fire and Dukat, possessed by the Pahs, is consumed by fire after he and Sisko exchange fisticuffs and go sailing off the edge of a cliff.

The Pah-Wraiths are contained in their fiery prison in the caves.

Best of Star Trek: DS9---Strange Bedfellows

"Strange Bedfellows" is the 19th episode of the 7th season and was written by Ronald D. Moore.

The final dozen episodes of the last season have a continuing theme that deal with the Dominion's stranglehold on the Alpha Quadrant, which is only strengthened by a newly formed treaty with the Breen. The leader of the Cardassian alliance, Damar, is having serious second thoughts as he drinks away his guilt and hates looking at his own reflection. Being occupied by allies like the insufferable founders and the creepy Vorta doesn't sit too well with him.

He changes course after Ezri and Worf are captured after a crash landing in a runabout rescue and offered to the female Founder as a gift by the Breen. Damar aids in their escape and tells them to inform Captain Sisko that he's now on their side.

The most fascinating story line here however is the relationship between Kia Winn and Gul Dukat. Dukat has surgically altered his appearance to become Bajoran after encountering the evil version of the wormhole aliens called the Pagh Wraiths in the episode "Tears of the Prophets," which was also the last appearance of Jadzia Dax. Dax is killed by Dukat after he secretively enters the station and encounters Dax about to open the orb of contemplation. Dukat then opens it and his Pagh energy is released and all the orbs go dark.

Now disguised as a Bajoran farmer named Anjohl Tennan, he seeks out the Kia to play to her ambitions and get her to open the book of the Pagh Wraiths in order to release them and bring about the "restoration."

In her own vision, Winn first thinks that the prophets have spoken to her about a farmer restoring the land. When Tennan introduces himself, she believes he is the guide to help her with the restoration. Ultimately, they become more than just spiritual buddies. They become bed buddies as well.

In her second vision, the prophets reveal to her their true identity and she freaks, demanding Tennan (Dukat) get her the orb of prophesy. Too bad for her, they are in no mood to talk to the power hungry egomaniac.

Desperate, she consults Kira Nerys for advice. Kira explains to Kai that her troubles began when she took power. If she wants the prophets forgiveness, she must step down as Kai, give up her political power and walk the path of the prophets.

Kai Winn is having none of it. "Bajor needs me" she asserts. Later, after Tennan reminds her she will continue to walk in Sisko's shadow, she decides to seek out the Pagh Wraiths. Afterall, what have those other prophets given her?

"I'm a patient woman, but I have run out of patience. I will not serve gods who give me nothing in return."

I reserve some judgement here, as I can see her point. The wormhole aliens, AKA prophets, were useless in helping the Bajorans during the occupation of the Cardassians.

I've enjoyed the way the last episodes are breaking up the story lines. We go from the Dominion ship with Damar and Weyoun, to the trials of a newly formed friendship between Worf and Ezri (who is carrying Jadzia's former symbiot),  Captain Sisko and his conflict between walking with the prophets and his new marriage to Kasidy, and best of all, the return of Gul Dukat and his relationship with the equally deranged Kia Winn.

Best of Star Trek DS9---Shakaar

"Shakaar" was written by Gordon Dawson and was the 24th episode of the 3rd season.

Do religious right wing politicians give you the creeps? If so, there's everything to be freaked out by Kai Winn, who has just been made provisional government leader of Bajor.

Academy Award winner Louise Fletcher gives a performance that's smarmy and reeks of false charm on the surface but delves deeper into a sort of sociopathic megalomania.

In sum, she's insane. Even Commander Sisko notices this when he confronts her on her decision to enact martial law over the refusal by villagers to return two soil reclamators that were promised to them for the planting of crops by the former, and now late, provisional leader. She asks Sisko to provide Federation security along the borders to prevent civil disobedience. Sisko in turn tells her that her response to this rather minor incident is an overreaction. She in turn tells him she wants to maintain law and order and keep Bajor from turing into anarchy and chaos.

One villager, a man named Shakaar (and good friend of Kira who fought with her during the occupation), refuses to give back the equipment until the end of harvest season. Kira tries to set up a meeting between Kai and Shakaar to reach a compromise, but Kai has him arrested instead.

Kai insists the equipment is needed for a land project that will yield plentiful crops for trade, but as Sisko discovers, the actions taken by Winn aren't really about that and could lead to a civil war.

"This is a test by the prophets to see if I'm worthy to be first minister and Kai" she tells a stunned Sisko.

To put the matter to rest, Shakaar calls a truce to Bajor security and he and Kira inform the security commander of what Kai's true intentions are.

The episodes ends with Skakaar deciding to run for provisional leader in a fair election with the backing of the security forces, giving crazy Kai a run for her money.

In the end, reason wins out over religious tyranny.