"25.000" " What can I get for you?" " A Til'amin froth." "Romulan ale, Quark." "A glass of spring wine." "Since when do you drink spring wine..." "or anything else, for that matter?" "It's for Kira." "She's getting out of services." "Well, here she is." " How was it?" " Beautiful." " Ranjen Telna gave a moving sermon." " What was it about?" "How important it is to forgive the people who've wronged you." " Two hours on forgiveness?" " lt's a complicated subject, Odo." "Hm." " What's wrong?" " Nothing." "It's just that you spend so much time in services." "Sometimes it makes me wish I were a believer so we could go together." " That's so sweet." " l'd love you to come, but you won't get much out of it if you don't believe in the Prophets." "Perhaps if I had an Orb experience?" "No." "Faith has to come first." "That's too bad." "It must be very comforting to believe in something more powerful than yourself." "If you feel that way, there are other faiths." "Would it bother you if Odo believed in Klingon religion?" "Not if he got something out of it." "He'd get to eat his enemies' hearts." " And go to "Sto'Vo'Kor" when he dies." " Go on a vision quest." "But then I wouldn't get to go to services with Kira, would I?" " That's the whole point." " That is so sweet." "Yes." "Vedek Fala!" " Nerys!" " What are you doing here?" "I came to see you." "Come in, sit down." "Let me get you some tea." "The university said you were on a spiritual retreat." "You know me - always searching for answers." "That's what makes you different from other vedeks I know." "To you, faith is a journey." "Thank you." "And one that never ends." "You're a colonel now." "It seems like yesterday you were a little girl, squirming in your chair during instruction." "We didn't have any chairs at the camp." "We sat on the floor." "Which was good for discipline and made me seem more imposing." "As if you needed help. "Nerys, what are the keys to enlightenment?"" " And the answer?" " Charity, humility and faith." " You remember." " You were a good teacher." "Without you, I'm not sure I'd have survived camp." "I brought you something." "What is it?" "Welcome to Empok Nor." "Empok Nor?" "That's impossible." "It's a long way from Deep Space 9, but this transponder allowed us to beam you here." "Those red armbands..." "You're members of the "Pah-wraith" cult?" " We worship the True Prophets." " Why did you bring me here?" "That is a question best answered by the Master." " And who exactly is the Master?" " l am." "Dukat." "You?" "You're the leader of the "Pah-wraith" cult?" "I'm sure you have many questions, Nerys. I intend to answer them all." "Leave us, please." "First, let me apologise for bringing you here without your permission." "It's all right." "I always wanted to see Empok Nor." "is the Dominion aware that you've set up a temple here?" "This station has been abandoned a long time." "There's no reason why they'd object to us putting it to use." "Your hair..." "You changed it." "Your ear..." "You've pierced it." "A symbol of the Covenant I've made with my new family." "Your new family... lt makes sense these people chose you as their leader." "They worship evil." "The "Pah-wraiths" are not what you think, Nerys." "And neither am I." "Have you ever wondered why the Prophets stood by and did nothing when Cardassia took over Bajor?" "Have you ever asked yourself how they could allow your people to suffer?" "The Prophets have a plan for us." "It's not always easy to see it." "Even as you speak those words, you must know how hollow they sound." "No, there's a much better explanation." "One that makes perfect sense." "The Prophets are not the true gods of Bajor." "The "Pah-wraiths" are." "They were cast from the Celestial Temple because they wanted to take an active role in Bajoran life." "Their only crime was that they cared about your people." "But they were not allowed to help them because they lost the battle for heaven and had to flee." "I guess the ancient texts were wrong." "Come now, Nerys!" "You know as well as I do that history is written by the victors." "But rest assured." "There will be another chapter." "The "Pah-wraiths" are determined to reclaim their place in heaven." "And how would you know that?" "They speak to me in visions." "I am their Emissary." "I don't know if you believe what you're saying, or if you're faking it, or if you're just insane." "I have been touched by the hand of a god." "I'm a changed man." "I admit, when I first allowed myself to become a vessel for the "Pah-wraith,"" "it was purely out of self-serving reasons." "I wanted to help it enter the wormhole so it could force the Prophets out." "It was nothing more than a way to exact vengeance on Sisko." "But I had no idea the effect it would have on me." "It was only inside of me for a very short time, but it opened my heart." "Would that be before or after you killed Jadzia?" "That was most unfortunate, but it couldn't be helped." "The Celestial Temple was at stake, and she was in the way." "Ah, Nerys." "Nerys, I wish I had the words to describe to you what it was like to have the "Pah-wraith" within me." "I could feel its love..." "for me, and for the Bajoran people." "It made me realise I still have a role to play in Bajor's destiny." "You mean besides overseeing an occupation that killed tens of millions?" "You have no idea how much it pains me to know I caused so much suffering." "But I'm not responsible for the occupation." "The Prophets are." " You have no right to say that." " They abandoned Bajor." "I was simply walking the path they laid out for me." "Now I walk with the true Prophets." "I'm building a community here, Nerys." "I brought these people to Empok Nor so we could purify ourselves to be ready for when the "Pah-wraiths" reclaim the Celestial Temple." "What's supposed to happen when that day comes?" "The "Pah-wraiths" have a plan." "When the time is right, they will reveal it to me." "Something tells me their plan involves you being ruler of Bajor again." "You're still so full of anger toward me." "I can only hope that one day you'll let it go." "I brought you here because I want you to be a part of our community." "I want you to share in the love these people have for one another." " ln the love they have for me." " They don't love you." "You have some kind of a hold over them, but they don't love you." "Nerys, open your heart to me." "We're bound together by destiny." "You belong at my side." "Chief." "When did you realise she was missing?" "This morning." "She usually comes by my office." " Did you check the entry log?" " She had a visitor after 1900 hours." "Whoever it was only stayed about ten minutes." "Anything?" "Only one ship has left the station since last night." "The morning transport to Bajor." "Kira was not aboard." "I'm picking up traces of tachyon energy." " A transporter beam." " With a Dominion signature." " Any chance of tracing it?" " No." "The signal's already dissipated." "Their transporters operate over long distances." "What's the maximum range?" "If the homing transponder was in place, up to three light years." "There was a homing transponder, all right. lt was wrapped in this." "Three light years." "For all we know, she could be in Dominion space by now." "I had a feeling you'd turn up sooner or later." "I know you're angry with me." "Angry?" "I feel sorry for you." "Letting yourself be duped by Dukat into joining this cult." "I was a member of this "cult", as you call it, long before Dukat." "I came to it toward the end of the occupation." "It's helped me make sense of the suffering we all had to endure." "In the camp?" "You kept us together." "Your faith in the Prophets got us through." "How could you turn your back on them?" "They turned their backs on us long ago." "The path the Prophets laid out for us isn't always easy, but that's no reason to turn to hate and fear." "Hate and fear!" "How often have I heard those words used to describe us?" "Nothing could be further from the truth." "The "Pah-wraith" cult tried to kill the Emissary." "Dukat wasn't involved." "The boy who attacked Sisko was acting out of his own misguided beliefs." " We're a peaceful people." " Then prove it." "Let me go." "The Master brought you here because he cares about your spiritual wellbeing." "The Master!" "He's using you." "He's twisting your beliefs to suit his own purpose." "You're so stubborn." "That's always been your problem." "Your problem is you're too trusting." "When Dukat first came to us, I didn't want to accept him." "I realised the "Pah-wraiths" had taken this man of evil and washed him clean." "What is more wondrous than that?" "How can you forget all the friends we lost during the occupation?" "How can you forget all the millions Dukat murdered?" "You disappoint me, Nerys." "Of all the things I tried to teach you, the most important is the need to forgive." "Some things can't be forgiven." "Let me show you how we live." "I want you to see the community we're building here so you'll know you have nothing to fear from Dukat, or from us." "Only one of the fusion generators is operational, so we don't have power for things like replicators." "Where do you get food?" "We've turned the lower levels into hydroponic bays." "What about medical supplies?" "Do you bring them in from Bajor?" "We have a few cargo shuttles." "We're well aware that you may try to leave us." "You should know that the docking bays are being guarded." "As is the transporter we used to bring you here." "Am I free to move around, talk to people?" "Of course. lt's the Master's hope that you'll come to see this as your home." "Mika, this is Nerys." " Welcome." " You're getting close." "It could be any time now." "Mika and her husband are the first to get the Master's blessing to bear children." "You have to get permission from Dukat to have a baby?" "Vows of abstinence are part of our covenant with him." "Exceptions are granted when he sees that a husband and wife have demonstrated a true spiritual bond." " l see." " But you don't approve." "In ancient times, Bajorans understood the value of denying worldly pleasures." "Ironic, isn't it, that a Cardassian would lead us back to the old ways?" "Especially a Cardassian whose appetite for worldly pleasures is legendary." "That was a long time ago, before he felt the kiss of the "Pah-wraith."" "That was some kiss." "Striking, isn't it?" " Benyan is Mika's husband." " Oh." "Congratulations." "I understand it isn't easy to get permission to have a baby." "The Master said you wouldn't approve of our ways." " He said to be patient with you." " Don't go out of your way." "I don't see why he brought you." "We work hard for what we have." " We don't need you to approve of us." " Fair enough." "Don't misunderstand. I hope you come to feel the love of the "Pah-wraiths."" "But if you don't, it's your loss." " No offence." " None taken." "I've always found that when people try to convince others of their beliefs, it's because they're really trying to convince themselves." "I know what I believe." "And that's what scares me." "No offence." ""Kosst no'valt Amojan," my children." "Kosst no'valt Amojan." "Let us open our hearts and pray." "Don't." "Dukat." "Stay where you are." "The rest of you, get down on the floor." "I said down on the floor!" " Step aside." " No." "Enough, Nerys, unless you're willing to kill us all." "Now do you understand how much they love me?" "Careful." "No sudden moves." "I removed it so I could tend to your bruise." "I had a meal prepared for you." "Come now, Nerys." "You haven't eaten anything since you arrived." "I know what you're thinking." "But really, what good would it do to try to kill me?" "If you succeeded, it wouldn't get you off Empok Nor." "You'd only make a martyr of me." "You're right." "I don't want anything to happen to you." "Not until your followers can see what a fraud you are." "I love these people, Nerys." "And they love me." "I should think that after what happened in the temple, you'd realise that." "It always comes back to that, doesn't it?" "Your desperate need to win the Bajoran people's love." "You never understood why we didn't appreciate you." "If it weren't for me, the occupation would've been much worse." "You want a thank you?" "You were working people to death in the ore processing centre, but it didn't stop you picking out Bajoran women to take to your bed and believing they wanted to be there." "Your mother did want to be there." "You took her from her children." "She did what she had to do so that we could survive." "She loved me." "Maybe she convinced herself she did, which is a very different thing." "Perhaps you're right." "And if I did indeed cause your mother any pain, I deeply regret it." "Just as I regret many things I did in those years." "That's why I'm so glad the "Pah-wraiths" have given me an opportunity to redeem myself with your people." "How?" "By recreating some kind of idealised version of the occupation?" "You have your station back, Bajorans to serve your every whim." "And the best part is, this time they really do love you." "As misguided as that is, they love you." "I'm so glad you're here, Nerys." "You embody everything I most admire about the Bajoran people." "Your passion, your spirit." "I can see now why the "Pah-wraiths" want you at my side." "Why is that?" "If I can open your heart to them, then surely I can open the heart of any Bajoran." "Your anger is a challenge." "I welcome it." "Because in the end, it will only help me better serve the "Pah-wraiths."" "Yes." "It's Mika." "She's gone into labour." "Come, Nerys. I want you to be a witness at this blessed event." "Ah." "This is a great day for us, Benyan." "You should be honoured to father the first child born to our community." "I hope we live up to the faith you have in us." "I have no doubt that you will." "Your family will be the first of many." "Think of it." "Someday Empok Nor will ring with the laughter of children." "You don't approve." "Not of children being raised to follow the "Pah-wraiths."" "This is a special moment." "I won't ruin it by arguing with you." "You believe the Prophets are the gods of Bajor, I believe the "Pah-wraiths" are." " Let's just leave it at that." " l'd like to, but we can't both be right." "The "Pah-wraiths!"" "They've sent us a sign!" "My children, good news." "Something wondrous has happened." "This infant, born of the love between Benyan and Mika, was transformed in her womb into a living symbol of the covenant I've made with you." "What a blessed day this is!" "There can no longer be any doubt that the "Pah-wraiths" are smiling upon us." "Let us give thanks and praise." "Fala, I don't understand this." "You're an intelligent man." "How can you believe Dukat's story?" "It's obvious he's the child's father." "What's obvious is you hate him so much, you can't even entertain the possibility that a miracle has occurred." "Are you so blind that you will just believe anything he says?" "I have faith. I would think you'd understand what that means." "is it impossible that the "Pah-wraiths" have sent us this child as a sign?" "They have powers beyond our understanding." "Your Prophets made an entire fleet of Dominion ships vanish into thin air." "What's one child compared to a miracle like that?" "You know what the miracle is?" "That Mika didn't cry in front of her husband." "She was terrified he wouldn't believe Dukat's performance. I could see." "You saw what you wanted." "If you believe that this really is a miracle, then you'll let me talk to the happy couple." "What's wrong?" "Afraid of finding out the truth?" "I know the truth. I just don't want you making unfounded accusations." "I'll be discreet." "It's coming along nicely." "Maybe you should make one of the children half-Cardassian." " To commemorate what happened." " lf l'd known, I would've." "It must be an honour to be part of such a miraculous event." "It is." "Obviously Dukat did the right thing giving you permission to have a baby." "We prayed together many times." "He wanted to be sure." " Did you ever pray with him alone?" " Yes." "Did Mika?" "Yes." "Nerys, let's let Benyan get back to work." "I want to find Mika." "I trust you'll be more discreet than you were with Benyan." "I'm sorry." "Why didn't you tell me the baby was mine?" "I didn't know. I was hoping it wasn't." "Mika, I'm so sorry about what happened that night." "I was weak..." "and you were so beautiful." "I've forgiven you." "You know that." " Have you told anyone?" " No." "Not even Benyan?" "He wants to believe it was a miracle, but I know he has doubts." "If he ever asks me, I don't know if I can lie to him." "Thank you." "He said Mika went this way." "Don't worry." "Everything's going to be all right." "Wait here until I'm gone, then go back to your quarters and pray for strength." "Mika?" "Mika." "You got to her just in time." "How is she?" "The depressurisation caused swelling in her meningeal tissues." "I'll keep her sedated until morning." " But she will recover?" " She'll be fine." "Brin." "Seal the docking ring." "Check all the airlocks." "Let's make sure we never have another accident like this." "An accident?" "What happened, Dukat?" "Would Mika have said you're the father of her child?" " You tried to kill her." " Enough!" "Fala, it's all right." "Nerys is upset." "She doesn't know what she's saying." "Mika won't lie for you any more." "Take her to her quarters." "She needs to rest." "Keep him away from her." "Let us all pray for Mika's recovery." "I failed you." "Forgive my weakness." "Forgive me for letting temptation obscure the path you laid out for me." "When Mika awakes, and I pray she does, your children will learn the truth." "They will turn away from me." "They will turn away from you." "The covenant will be broken." "Don't let that happen." "Tell me what to do." "Please." "Please." "It's not time for services." " l'll stay with her if you want to go." " No." "You go." ""Kosst no'valt Amojan," my children." "Kosst no'valt Amojan." "Tonight, as I prayed, the "Pah-wraiths" sent me a vision." "They told me it was the last I'd ever receive from them." "There's a reason." "A wondrous reason." "My children, the "Pah-wraiths" have asked us to join them in their holy quest to reclaim the Celestial Temple." "To become warriors in this great battle, we must transform ourselves." "Our corporeal bodies are not suitable for the task, so we must leave them behind." "In a few hours, at the beginning of a new day, we will gather together here for the last time." "We will shed the flesh that ties us to this world and deliver ourselves into the waiting arms of the "Pah-wraiths."" "I sent a message to Deep Space 9." "They should be able to have someone here for you within a day or so." "I know you're desperate to keep your followers. I know you'd kill them." "But I can't believe you'd be willing to die yourself." "You just don't understand, Nerys." "The "Pah-wraiths" are calling me home." "You should be happy." "Happy?" "50 people are going to die." "I assure you, our deaths will be painless." "Promazine." "Developed by the Obsidian Order for use by their operatives in case of capture." "Not only is death swift, but it reduces the body to dust within hours, making it unidentifiable to the enemy." "Dust." "That's all that will remain of my passage through this misbegotten universe, Nerys." "But it doesn't bother me." "Because I know I'm going to be with the "Pah-wraiths."" "You really believe that." "Goodbye, Nerys." "My children, the time has come for us to leave this world behind us." "As we embark on this journey, our hearts are not heavy, but joyful." "Because we know we'll be together in the holy light of the "Pah-wraiths."" "This is a great day for us." "We have proven ourselves worthy of the "Pah-wraiths"" "and they are calling us home." "This is the means of our deliverance." ""Kosst no'valt Amojan," my children." "Kosst no'valt Amojan." "Be not afraid. I love you all." "Dukat!" "Don't you see why he's doing this?" "He doesn't want you to find out the truth!" "Are you all right?" "Everyone, please." "Let us not allow anything to disturb this holy moment." "What's wrong, Dukat?" "Take it." "They're all the same, aren't they?" "My children, listen to me." "Tell them you never had any intention of dying with them." "My time here is not finished." "The "Pah-wraiths" want me to continue bringing others into their light." "This is his child!" "That's why you tried to kill Mika." "The "Pah-wraiths" have forgiven my sin." "They've given me their absolution." "Who are you to presume they're wrong?" "Who are you to judge me?" "Then it's done." "Our covenant is broken." "None of you will ever know the love of the "Pah-wraiths." None of you!" "Fala, no!" "Why?" "Faith, Nerys." "Faith." "I'm sorry about Vedek Fala." "I keep going over what he said when he died." "I don't know if he meant he never lost his faith or he felt betrayed by it." "I suppose you'll never know." "One thing is certain." "These people have been betrayed." "Now they have to pick up the pieces and move on." "I thought Dukat was claiming to share their faith because he wanted them to love him." "But it was more than that." "He's changed." "If you hadn't stopped him, he would've killed them all, and nobody would have known that his body wasn't there." "That sounds like the old Dukat." "I know this is going to sound crazy, but I think he convinced himself he was doing what the "Pah-wraiths" wanted." "Who knows?" "Maybe he was." "Either way, he believes." "And that makes him more dangerous than ever."