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---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.

Gul Dukat Gets His Comeuppance in Civil Defense

In "Civil Defense," an old security system is reactivated while O'Brien does routine maintenance, making the computers think a Bajoran terrorist attack is in progress. Gul Dukat arrives at the station after getting an automated message from himself about the security breach. He offers Major Kira a deal--allow permanent Cardassian presence on the station in exchange for information on how to deactivate the auto destruct sequence. But there's one thing he didn't anticipate...

Best of Star Trek: DS9---Necessary Evil

"Necessary Evil" is the eighth episode of the second season and was written by Peter Allan Fields.

SUMMARY

A woman named Vaatrick Pallra offers Quark five bars of Latinum for retrieving something left by her late husband hidden on the station. She won't go to the station herself because she doesn't want to face Odo again. Years before, Odo had suspected her of murdering her husband but found no supporting evidence.

When Quark, with the help of Rom, retrieves the box, a man hired by Pallra to follow Quark, gets the box from him and then shoots him with a phaser, seriously injuring him. Quark and Rom did have a chance to see the contents of the box beforehand---a list of names, all Bajoran.

Now Odo must investigate the attempt on Quark's life while retelling the original investigation, through flashbacks, on how he was hired by Gul Dukat to investigate the murder of  the woman's husband.

Here, we get more background story of the space station during the occupation and Odo's and Kira's first meeting. Turns out Kira knew the victim.  His wife suspected an affair, but Kira has a different story. Odo senses she knows more than what she's telling, but is she telling the truth when Odo checks logs and confirms her alibi at the time was that she was committing an act of sabotage of an ore processor?

But as the investigation unfolds, Odo is conflicted about where the case is taking him and whether or not he wants to go there. "There's no room in justice for loyalty, or friendship, or love. Justice, as the humans like to say, is blind. I used to believe that. I'm not sure I can anymore."

And what about that list? It contained names of collaborators to the Cardassians. Pallra's late husband was part of that group. She was running out of funds and decided to use the names for blackmail to maintain her lifestyle.

Dukat hired Odo because of his neutrality, being neither Bajoran or Cardassian. Dukat wanted to protect the names of his collaborators.

What I liked about his episode is 1) it was fun watching the mystery unfold---like a detective novel in space. 2) we get more character development here, particularly in the back stories of Odo and Kira. We also learn of their great fondness for each other. Kira questions Odo, after her involvement with the murder is revealed, whether or not Odo can ever trust her again. He assures her that they are still friends. But apparently, trust is something she will have to earn again.   

Best of Star Trek: DS9---Duet

"Duet"" was the next to last episode of the first season and was written by Lisa Rich and Jeanne Carrigan-Fauci. Teleplay by Peter Allen Fields.

SUMMATION

A ship arrives at the station carrying a passenger suffering from Kalla Nohra syndrome. It's extremely rare, caused by a mining accident at a Bojoran labor camp. When Major Kira seeks the patient out, she sees it's a Cardassian and wants him jailed for war crimes.

Commander Sisko is contacted by a Minister of Bajor who congratulates him for the capture. But Sisko tells him he wants to do an investigation before handing him  over.

He also reluctantly agrees to put Kira in charge of the investigation after she assures him she will conduct herself worthy of her post.

The investigation begins to determine if Marrizza is who he says he is--a lowly filing clerk. He worked for the military commander Gul Darhe’El.

Gul Dukat contacts the station to inquire why a Cardassian citizen is being held. Sisko tells him they are verifying his identity and Dukat informs Sisko that if anything happens to their citizen that he’ll have to answer for it.Images on file, that the Cardassians didn’t destroy, show the file clerk Marriza in the same image as Gul Darhe’El---one problem---the names are switched!

Marriza, AKA Darhe’El, tells Kira that he withheld his true identity at first because he wanted to give her the satisfaction of learning the truth for herself. Then he lays it on thick and heavy, how he was a magnificent leader of the labor camp, he maintained disciple, and everyone looked up to him. Putting him before a tribunal and sentencing him to death won’t undo what he already did---eliminate Bajoran scum. “The dead will still be dead…what you called genocide, I called ‘a day’s work.‘”Kira takes off with her dander up.

Later, Odo is curious how Darhe’El knew Kira had been part of Shakaar's army. Odo discovers a subspace transmission was sent to Marriza 3 weeks prior. Odo contacts Gul Dukat who informs him that Darhe’El is dead and that he in fact was at his memorial service. Dukat agrees to release some files to affirm that Darhe’El is dead. When the mining accident that spread the disease occurred, Darhe’El was back on Cardassia. Further, Marriza resigned his post, put his affairs in order, and requested passage to DS9. In addition, Dr. Bashir found traces of a treatment used to maintain skin resilience after cosmetic surgery.

Haris Yulin's performance was just amazing! As Marriza, he breaks down to Kira, admitting the truth of how the cries and screams of the victims tormented him at night. It haunts him still and he wants justice. He tells Kira they were all guilty and if he could be put on trial as Gul Darhe'El, Cardassia would finally have to face the truth of its atrocities and Bajor can begin to heal. Kira tells him that too many good people have died already and one more murder won't bring them back.

Sadly, Marriza gets his wish to die, but not in the manner he wished. A Bajoran sees him walking down the promanade and stabs him through the back through the heart.

"Why?!" Kira screams. "He was a Cardassian. Isn't that enough?" responds his killer.

"No!"

This episode shows another side to Cardassians, that they're not all made from the same cloth. Some posses a conscience. Too little too late for the victims of the labor camp however. It's like that old saying that the worse evil is when good men do nothing. It's a cautionary tale that speaks to our human past.