"The Dominion has solidified its hold in the Kalandra Sector." "They want a supply line to go through Betazoid space into the Argolis Cluster." "If they succeed, they will be able to launch an attack against Vulcan." "Starfleet's going to try to cut them off near the Tibor Nebula." "The Seventh Fleet will engage the enemy in the morning." "The Seventh Fleet is at half-strength." "They had losses at Sybaron." "Let's hope they get the job done." " But I do have a bit of good news." " That makes a change." "The Romulans have forced the Dominion to retreat from the Benzite System." "That is good news." "But will the Romulans be willing to leave Benzar after the war is over?" "Once they capture territory, they rarely give it up." "We need to concentrate on beating the Dominion." "We'll worry about the Romulans later." "As some of you know, Major Kira, Jake and I leave for Bajor at 2200." "There's a war." "No time for a vacation." "The archaeologists excavating B'hala found something to show the Emissary." "We'll be returning tomorrow night." "That's all, people." ""Will the Romulans leave Benzar?"" "You love to bring up the worst-case scenario." "Somebody has to." "Besides, everyone expects me to be dour and suspicious." "I don't want to disappoint them." " lf only they knew the real you." " That is the real me." "At least as far as everyone else is concerned." "We are so pleased to have you visit, Emissary." " Glad to be here, Ranjen." " Don't call me Ranjen." "I'm a monk." "My order is informal." "You've been busy." "Last time I visited, none of these tunnels were cut." "It's been a lot of work, but we do it gladly." "Excavating the holy city is a privilege." "Our efforts are an expression of our faith in the Prophets and the Emissary." "It's very inspiring to see." "Something wrong, Jake?" "No, but my dad seems to be taking his role as Emissary very seriously." "You say that like it's a bad thing." "You have to admit it's a long way to come to see old ruins." "They may have found some important religious artefacts in these "old ruins"." "Otherwise I don't have a story." "Try to look like you're enjoying yourself." "Your father needs this." "It's good for him not to think about the Dominion for a while." "Don't let the bats bother you." " Don't worry." "They rarely bite." " Rarely?" "We're directly below the temple of B'hala." "These walls predate the ancient city by 10,000 years." "Who built this place?" "We don't know much about the first inhabitants, but it appears they abandoned this site some 25,000 years ago." "Over time, sediment buried the ruins." " Then B'hala was built on top of them." " Precisely. ln here." "It's over 30,000 years old." "These inscriptions..." "They look like ancient Bajoran, but I can't quite make it out." "Neither can we, though we've been able to piece together a few of them." "The syntax is unusual, but all forms of Bajoran share certain root ideograms." "You may recognise this one." ""Welcome."" "Here's where it gets interesting." "I see you recognise it." " What..." "I don't." " lt says..." ""Welcome, Emissary."" "Now you know why I asked you here." "The Sisko has come." "The circle is complete." "The reckoning must begin." "The reckoning?" "Much will depend on the Sisko." "He is corporeal." "Limited." "He is the Sisko." "He will not waver." "He is of Bajor." "He will bring the reckoning." " What is it you expect of me?" " lt will be the end." "Or the beginning." "I don't understand." "The Sisko will know." "Dad?" "Are you OK?" "Yeah." "The Prophets..." "They were here." "They spoke to me." "You had a vision, Emissary." "We saw nothing." " What did they say?" " Something about a reckoning." " ls that part of a prophecy?" " Not one that I know of." "Let's get out of here." "It's all right." "We'll go soon." "I have got to find out what those inscriptions say." "We don't have the resources to translate them more quickly." "Fortunately, we do." "I had a good idea what this was the minute I laid eyes on it." "That confirms it." "It's a stone slab with writing on it." "Dax..." "What do you want me to say, Benjamin?" "I'm not picking up any residual energy readings." "Nothing to explain how it threw you across the room." "I want you to translate the inscriptions." "I was afraid you were gonna say that." "The Ranjen's translation program." "It's not complete, but at least it's a start." "Good luck." "Services are about to begin." "Captain, services are about to begin." " Ops to Captain Sisko." " Go ahead." "We received a communication from Bajor." "Kai Winn is on her way to the station." "Welcome to Deep Space 9, Your Eminence." "Thank you, Emissary." " What brings you here?" " That should be clear." "You removed an artefact from an archaeological site without consulting the Vedek Assembly." "I meant no disrespect." "You can understand how we would be sensitive to such matters." "During the occupation, the Cardassians plundered Bajor's historical treasures as if it were their right." "I never imagined that you would behave in such a manner." "I assure you the artefact will be returned when I finish studying it." "I was not aware that you had expertise in Bajoran history." "I don't." "Why not leave the artefact in the hands of those who do?" "Scholars on Bajor have devoted their lives to the study of such things." "Yes, but I brought it here because I believe that's what the Prophets want." "I see." "Then I take it this has something to do with your vision?" "Exactly." "Sorry. I didn't realise the Prophets told you to bring the relic here." "Well, they didn't..." "Not in so many words." "I see." "Then exactly what did they say?" "It's difficult to explain." "The Prophets are not always clear." "Since they have never spoken to me, I'll have to take your word for it." "All I know is, for now, it belongs here." "Who am I to argue with the Emissary of the Prophets?" "And then she contacted Starfleet and lodged a formal protest." "is that why Admiral Ross wanted to talk to you?" "How did it go?" "He told me to stop meddling in Bajoran affairs and return the damn tablet." "You know how Starfleet feels about this Emissary thing." "It makes them uncomfortable that the Bajorans view you as a religious icon." " lt used to make you uncomfortable too." " Not any more." "I guess the Prophets have spoken to me one too many times." "I remember when you used to call them "wormhole aliens"." "Wormhole aliens or Prophets, it really doesn't matter." "The fact is, they exist out of time, and over the centuries they've given the Bajorans glimpses of the future which the Bajorans have written down to help guide succeeding generations." "If whatever is written here can help me avoid mistakes, I'd be a fool to ignore it." "Fair enough, but I will continue to think of them as wormhole aliens." "All I know is that they have a relationship with Bajor that stretches back over a thousand years." "They care what happens to Bajorans." "They kept the Dominion fleet from coming through the wormhole." "Didn't you have to talk them into it?" "Didn't they say they would exact a penance for helping you?" "Yes, but they listened, and they saved Bajor and the rest of the Alpha Quadrant." "Now they're asking for something in return." "I don't know what it is, and I won't return the tablet until I do." "It's the key. I can feel it." " l hope you're wrong about that." " What have you got?" "The computer translated part of the inscription." "It probably lacks the eloquence of the original, but you'll get the gist of it." "Here it is in modern Bajoran." ""The time of reckoning is at hand." ""The Prophets will weep." ""Their sorrow will consume..." ""...the gateway to the temple."" "Tell me I'm wrong, but isn't the gateway to the temple Deep Space 9?" "I told you what the translation said." "I did not say I believed it." "I'm not worried." "You can find a Bajoran prophecy for almost anything." "The ancient texts are a tangle of vague contradictions." "This one is anything but vague, and Bajoran prophecies have a way of coming true." " You believe in this stuff?" " Odo believes in preparing for the worst." " True." " He's as bad as the Bajorans." "Business hasn't been this slow since the Dominion was here." "I feel I have a civic duty to do something about this doom and gloom, so I've extended happy hour." " Extended it?" " Now every hour is happy hour." "At least until business picks up." " Eat, drink and be merry." " For tomorrow we die." "So what does the Captain say about this?" "He's reserving judgment until the computer has finished the translation." "The rest of the tablet probably says, "Go to Quark's. lt's happy hour."" " l like the way you think." " This is ridiculous." "Nothing will happen." "Someday we'll look back on this and laugh." "What was that?" "How did that prophecy go again?" " You don't have to do this, you know." " Do what?" "Sit here, watch me eat." "I don't mind. I rather enjoy it." "You eat with such gusto." " Most of the time." " Not today." "I wish we knew more about the reckoning." "We'd have a better idea of what the Prophets want." "I think if the Prophets want the Bajoran people to follow a given path, they should provide more specific directions." " lt doesn't work like that." " Maybe it should." " The Kai would say that you lack faith." " And you would agree." "I don't know how people make it through the day without it." "We manage." "Besides, I have faith in some things." " Such as?" " You." "I'll try not to disappoint you." "No doubt you've heard the latest news from Bajor." "About the flooding in the Rakantha Province, yes." "There was also an earthquake in the Kendra Valley last night." "This morning, a tornado struck Tamulna." "Our sensors indicate Bajor is affected by the instability of the wormhole." "How comforting." "Tell me, do your sensors have an explanation for the instability itself?" " No." " Then I'll give you one." "You have angered the Prophets by taking the tablet from Bajor." "As the spiritual leader of the Bajoran people, I'm asking you to return it." "As the Emissary of the Prophets, I ask you for more time to study it." " l believe it is the will of the Prophets." " l disagree." "This is a request from the First Minister for you to turn over the relic to me." "You must have been very persuasive." "This is the first time you've agreed on anything." "If you deny his request, it will damage relations between Bajor and the Federation." "The tablet will be on its way to Bajor on the morning transport." "As will I." "You're sending it back?" "I was starting to have fun." "I'm not letting you off the hook." "I need those inscriptions translated." "I can work off the holo-recordings I took yesterday." "Have you made any more progress?" "Good news or bad?" "That depends on what this ideogram means." "The computer gave two possibilities." "During the reckoning, the Bajorans will either suffer horribly or eat fruit." "Eat fruit?" "Given the tone of the rest of the inscriptions, I would bet on horrible suffering." " What else do you have?" " You'll love this." "It's about you." ""Once the reckoning begins, the Emissary will..."" " Go on." " l was hoping you could tell me." "The rest of the inscription's damaged." "That figures." " l wish the wormhole would stop that." " So do I." "Keep at it." "Do me one favour. lf you talk to the Prophets again, ask for a dictionary." "Please." " l'll see what I can do." " Thank you." "Captain, I have a message from General Martok." "Three Klingon cruisers are bolstering the defence of the Durala System." "Good. I just hope they can hold out until Starfleet sends reinforcements." "Klingons will hold out." "Martok will see to it." " Long day." " They seem to get longer." "You'll feel better in the morning." "Once the Kai is off the station." "She may be the spiritual leader of millions of Bajorans, but she is not an easy woman to like." " l don't think she likes you either." " l've known that for a while." "I should have consulted her before I brought the artefact to the station." " She'd have tried to stop you." " That's why I didn't ask her." "In a way, I feel sorry for her." "She spends her whole life in service to the Prophets." "Then one day, after years of self-sacrifice and commitment, she gets her reward." "She's elected Kai." "Should've been the greatest moment of her life." "But my being the Emissary spoiled it for her." "The Kai's always been the spiritual leader of Bajor, but Winn has to share that role with you." "And you're an outsider, a non-Bajoran." "She can't forgive you for that." "That's why she made an issue of the whole thing." "She's jealous of you and of your relationship with the Prophets." " l'm a little envious myself." " Why?" "You speak with the Prophets." "They listen to you." "That's..." "That's a rare gift." "Certainly nothing I asked for." "That's why I don't resent you, but the Kai does." "I'll keep that in mind." "is something wrong, Eminence?" " What makes you say that?" " You seem troubled." "Not at all." "I am relieved the Emissary has decided to do the right thing." "You didn't leave him much choice." "I suppose you think I enjoyed forcing his hand." "I assure you I did not." "I wish the situation had been resolved more amicably." "Next time we have a disagreement, he'll consider my wishes more thoughtfully." "Next time?" "You're anticipating more disagreements?" "I merely meant to express my hope that in future we can work together for the good of Bajor." "Of course." "You are on the same side, aren't you?" "Naturally." "We both serve the Prophets." "There is no higher calling." "Yes?" "Jake-o." "You're up late." "So are you." "What's on your mind?" "I don't know." "I wanted to see if you're all right." "I'm fine." "And since when did you become a worrier?" "I don't know." "It's this Emissary stuff." "It scares me a little." "Twice now...twice in one year..." "Dr Bashir's called me to the infirmary to tell me something was wrong with you, and there you were, lying unconscious on a bio-bed, having visions." "And there..." "All I could do was stand there and wonder if you would ever wake up." " l know it hasn't been easy." " l don't want it to happen again." "You know, I didn't ask to be the Emissary..." "But for better or worse, I guess that's what I am..." "Except for being your dad." "Why do you always have to be so damned mysterious?" "Answer me." "I am tired of your riddles!" "If there's something you need me to do, say so!" "Let me guess." "You accidentally knocked it over." " Not exactly." " l didn't think so." "So what did happen?" "I just had this uncontrollable urge to smash the tablet." "I get those urges all the time." "Of course, I never act on them." "I'm not reading any residual energy signatures." "That's impossible." "Check the station's internal sensors." "Nothing." " l saw something." " We believe you." "Please, Constable, don't patronise me." "Sisko to ops." "Report." "We just experienced a power drain." "We're trying to determine the source." "Keep me informed." "It's possible the power drain is related to this energy discharge you saw." "I'm starting to think the same thing." "Benjamin, you're not getting another urge, are you?" "No." "I've done what I needed to do." "I know this might sound strange, but I think the Prophets wanted me to shatter the tablet." "Try explaining that to Kai Winn." "I can't believe you'd be so petty as to destroy the artefact rather than give to me." "That's not why I did it." "You expect me to believe the Prophets wanted you to destroy a priceless piece of Bajor's history?" "That's exactly what you have to believe." " Why would they do that?" " l wish I had an answer." "Well, I'm sure you'll come up with something." "You and I haven't always seen eye to eye, but we have one thing in common." "We believe that the Prophets have a plan for Bajor." "Sometimes it's not easy to see the path they've laid out for us." "Right now, I don't know what they want from me, but I'll take a leap of faith and I'm asking you to take that leap with me." "There's no need for a leap of faith, Emissary." "The Prophets have made it quite clear." "Two thirds of the Rakantha wheat harvest was destroyed by floods." "Earthquakes have devastated Kendra Province, leaving hundreds homeless." "Bajorans are suffering because of you." "They're paying the price for your act of sacrilege." " Odo to Captain Sisko." " Go ahead." "You'd better come to the Promenade." " ls there a problem?" " l'll let you be the judge of that." "I think we've found the source of the power fluctuations." "When I talked to her, she ignored me." "You...are the Sisko." "Keep your hands off your weapons." "It's a Prophet." "Why have you taken this woman's body?" "This vessel is willing." "The reckoning..." "It is time." "The reckoning..." "What is it?" "The end..." "Or the beginning." "I don't understand." "I await Kosst Amojan." "The Evil One." "A "Pah-wraith" banished from the Celestial Temple." "You're saying a "Pah-wraith" will take corporeal form as well?" " The battle will be joined." " This battle, is it to be fought here?" "Bajor will be reborn." "Shabren's Fifth Prophecy." "The rebirth." "If the Evil One is destroyed, it will bring a thousand years of peace." "The golden age of Bajor." "If it is destroyed?" "Who will prevail is not known." "What do you want from me?" "Am I supposed to help you?" "The Sisko has completed his task." "Forgive my blindness." "Prophet, hear me." "I am the Kai of Bajor." "I offer myself to you as your humble servant." "I await their vessel." "Speak to me." "Tell me what I should do." " We're evacuating." " You can't be serious." "This battle could destroy the station." " Don't let it be fought here." " l don't have any choice." "Yes, you do." "We can flood the Promenade with chroniton radiation." " Are you suggesting we kill a Prophet?" " l won't do that." "You don't have to. lf you ramp up the chroniton levels slowly, the wormhole alien can leave Kira's body without getting hurt." "Everything's rigged and ready to go." "Just say the word." " No." " Benjamin." "DS9 is critical to the Federation's defence." "We cannot risk destroying it." "When the Dominion fleet was about to come through the wormhole, I asked the Prophets for help." "They gave it to me." "Now they're asking for my help." "They need to fight this battle here, now." "I'm not going to jeopardise my crew, but I'm not going to obstruct the Prophets." "What if the Prophets lose?" "Are you willing to sacrifice Kira?" "The Prophet said she was willing to be their instrument." " You believe that?" " l do." "I know how important her faith is to her, and I have no doubt she would let the Prophets use her as their instrument." "I'll notify Starfleet that we're abandoning the station." "Begin the evacuation immediately." "Hurry along, now." "Hurry along." " ls this transport full?" " There's room." "I'll check the Promenade for stragglers." "Odo, you should've helped us persuade the Captain to end this." "I had to respect Kira's wishes." "If it were Dax, I'm not sure I'd have done that." "Be grateful you didn't have to make that choice." "For your sake, I hope the Prophets are victorious." "They will be, if Kira has anything to do with it." "Come on." "Report." "We'll have a skeleton crew within the hour." "What did Starfleet say?" "I convinced them we couldn't afford to defy the Prophets." "They're keeping the Dominion from coming through the wormhole." "But there's no guarantee the Prophets will win this battle." " Odo to Sisko." " Go ahead." "A group of Bajorans on the Promenade is refusing to leave." "The last transports are standing by." "Eminence." " Emissary." " These people have to go." "We're offering prayers for the Prophets' victory." "The Prophets will hear your prayers wherever you are." "It isn't safe here." "Then why are you still here, Emissary?" "The Prophet told you your task was done." "I am Captain of this station and I will do all I can to save it." "Now, are you going to tell these people to go or shall I?" "My children, the Prophets have heard your prayers." "You must go." "Take them to the transports." "All right." "This way." "Congratulations, Emissary." "Thanks to you, the Prophets' victory is at hand." " l hope you're right." " Where is your faith, Emissary?" "You don't think the Evil One will be victorious?" "Rest assured, the golden age is upon us." "The Prophets and the people will be as one." "Think of it." "There will be no need for Vedeks or Kais or even Emissaries." "Kosst Amojan has chosen its vessel." "Let it begin." "Leave my son and take me instead!" "Your Emissary offers himself to us." "His faith wavers." "Emissary, we must go." "Benjamin, Worf is standing by in ops." "He can trigger the chroniton generator at your command." "You can end this." " l've got to play this thing out." " That is your son." "I know that!" "The Prophets will protect him." " They're trying to kill him." " No." "They're destroying the "Pah-wraith." They won't let anything happen to him." " How do you know that?" " l know." "We've got to get out." "The energy between them could explode at any second." "I'm not leaving Jake here." " We must go, Emissary." " Get out of here!" "Get off the station!" "That's an order!" "Come, child." "We must go." "Dax to Worf." " Go ahead." " Meet me in airlock 8." "We're going." "Go on ahead." "Airlock 8 is down to the right." "This way." "Move quickly." "Let's go." "Come on." "Hurry up." "It's OK, it's OK." "No!" "Chroniton levels at 37% and rising." "May the Prophets forgive me." "Jake." "Captain's log, supplemental." "The station's population has returned and repairs are under way." "Major Kira has recovered from her experience, but my son is still in the infirmary." "It will take a few days, but he'll be all right." " May I see him?" " Oh, yes." "Jake." "Dad." "How are you feeling?" "Could be worse." "You'll be up and about in no time." "I don't know what to say." "Say you're happy to see me." "You know I am." "I wish I... I want to explain what happened... but I'm not sure that I can." "You don't have to explain." "When the "Pah-wraith" was inside me, I could feel its hatred and I knew that no matter what, it couldn't be allowed to win..." "Even if it meant I had to die." "You did the right thing." " How was the prayer service?" " l didn't pay that much attention." "I'm still trying to make sense of everything." "Of all the people on this station, the Prophets chose me." "I'm not sure I know why I deserve that honour." "Perhaps that's why." "You have faith and humility." "I heard that you told the Captain I'd give my life to serve the Prophets." "I appreciate that you respect my beliefs." "I wouldn't have minded if the Prophets chose someone else." "I have to go." "I'll drop by security after I take the Kai to her shuttle." "The Emissary couldn't escort me himself?" "He's with his son." " l would think he'd want to thank me." " For what?" "I prevented the destruction of this station." "I saved the Emissary's life and the life of his son." "Don't pretend you did it for the Captain." "I did it for Bajor." "If you haven't heard, the flood waters have receded and the earthquakes have stopped." "And you're going to take credit for that?" "It's a sign I did the right thing." "You defied the will of the Prophets because you couldn't stand the fact that a human, an infidel, had a stronger faith than you." "The Emissary was willing to sacrifice his own son to serve the Prophets." "My faith is as pure as the Emissary's." "I think you're confusing faith with ambition." "I'm not confusing anything, child." "You are." "The Prophets chose you as their instrument." "That doesn't mean you can speak for them." "Because of your interference, the reckoning was stopped." "The evil still exists and I'm not sure if even the Prophets know what that will mean for Bajor."