Best of Star Trek DS9---Call to Arms

"Call to Arms" is the last episode of the 5th season and was written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe.

Dominion ships are entering the Alpha Quadrant on a daily basis and  militarizing Cardassian outposts. Captain Sisko makes a call to Starfleet Central Command when he learns of a rumor from Nog that the Romulans have signed a nonaggression treaty with the Dominion. This shows that the Dominion are making inroads in the Quadrant. Bajor is even in negotiations with them for a peace treaty. Sisko, acting as both Commander of the station and Emissary, tells Major Kira that Bajor should consider it because there's no guarantee that the Federation will be able to protect them during a war with the Dominion.

For some reason Sisko can't reveal, Starfleet can't spare many Federation ships to the area. He tells Kira and Dr. Bashir that the reason why is classified.

Meanwhile, Commander Dax is leading the Defiant in a maneuver to plant mines at the entrance of the worm hole to prevent any more Dominion ships from passing through. Rom suggests they create replication mines to prevent them from all detonating and running out. When the creepy Vorta Wayoun finds out about their plot, he confronts Sisko that if they proceed, they can expect DS9 to be taken over by them.

General Martok patrols the borders and is reporting on any Dominion activity. One transmission is interrupted by Gul Dukat who tells Sisko that he's ready for battle.

Sisko orders an evacuation of the station including all Bajorans who are now no longer involved in the Dominion war. The crew's task now is to reinforce shields to the station while protecting the Defiant from Dominion attacks.

The season ends when Sisko announces to those remaining on DS9 that he plans to be back before boarding the Defiant. He leaves his treasured baseball behind as a message to Dukat that he will return.

The episode also contains the forming and separation of relationships. Rom and Leeta are married in a brief ceremony; Odo and Kira are remaining just friends during the crisis in order to concentrate on the mission; Dax tells Worf that she will marry him when the battle is over, and Garak says farewell to Ziyal as she leaves for Bajor.

Jake stays behind on the station, against his father's wishes, to give daily reports on the frontlines in his new job as a Starfleet reporter.

The episode was action packed and put in a lot in just under 45 minutes. It was a spectacular way to end the 5th season. The last scene shows ships, both Federation and Klingon, entering the area of DS9.