History Recap / StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E14HeartOfStone

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Sisko's face when Nog confesses his reasons for wanting to join Starfleet looks utterly ''devastated-'' he'd refused to consider that Nog was up to anything more than [[FantasticRacism another greedy Ferengi scheme]], until he forced the boy to admit that [[LoserSonOfLoserDad his father is a failure and he doesn't want to end up the same way]]. He was utterly ashamed of himself.

* WhatHaveIDone: Commander Sisko after Nog reveals the reason he wants to join Starfleet: he's ashamed of his father. Commander Sisko looks like he got a GutPunch from himself for not believing him and making him reveal it.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Jadzia invokes this trope on Nog, bringing him to the cargo bay and giving him hours of inventory work to do. Her point, of course, is that Starfleet, for all the adventure and discoveries, is often just hard work. Subverted when Jadzia reports back to Sisko that Nog finished the inventory in record time, '''and''' he found some things that previous reports missed! It seems that all the time Nog put in at Quark's bar actually paid off.

* NotHelpingYourCase: Nog starts his application for Starfleet by formally offering Sisko a bribe to become his mentor, as per Ferengi tradition. One could generously describe it as a payment, but know Ferengi, it could go either way.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Sisko is as skeptical as everyone else about Nog's sudden desire to attend Starfleet Academy, but when Nog makes it clear that he is deadly serious about it, he goes out of his way to give Nog a chance to prove himself before making up his mind.

Before his eyes, Kira transforms into the Female Changeling he's already met. She explains that this whole episode was a test to see why Odo was so committed to siding with the humanoids. She assures him that Kira is nearby and unharmed. Odo demands that she hand over Kira. As no changeling has never harmed another, Odo is allowed to leave. He retrieves Kira from a stasis pod, and they return to the station. When Kira asks what tipped Odo off that the changeling wasn't her, Odo will only say that it was a "slip of the tongue" and dismisses it.

* TheTrickster: The Maquis vessel was the female Changeling all along. She lured Odo and Kira out to the Badlands, then kidnapped Kira and impersonated her in an attempt to get Odo to come join the Dominion.

Before his eyes, Kira transforms into the female changeling he's already met. She explains that this whole episode was a test to see why Odo was so committed to siding with the humanoids. She assures him that Kira is nearby and unharmed. Odo demands that she hand over Kira. As no changeling has never harmed another, Odo is allowed to leave. He retrieves Kira from a stasis pod, and they return to the station. When Kira asks what tipped Odo off that the changeling wasn't her, Odo will only say that it was a "slip of the tongue" and dismisses it.

* ContinuityNod: O'Brien's kayaking hobby, first mentioned in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E25Transfigurations "Transfigurations"]] is mentioned by Odo. This includes how often he dislocates his shoulder.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Odo is unable to get a good reading on the crystal that's slowly encasing Kira, and notes that it's almost like the crystal is mutating continuously to keep them from finding out what it is. That is exactly the case.

* YouWouldntShootMe: The Female Changeling says this when Odo points a phaser at her, reminding him that [[ApeShallNeverKillApe no Changeling has ever harmed another]]. Odo's response? "There's always a first time."

* ArmorPiercingResponse: Sisko goads Nog into finally coming clean about his reasons for wanting to join Starfleet, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him while asking "Qhy?!" Nog finally admits that [[IAmNotMyFather he's afraid that he'll wind up failing like Rom.]]

Before his eyes, Kira transforms into the female changeling he's already met. She explains that this whole episode was a test to see why Odo was so committed to siding with the humanoids. She assures him that Kira is nearby and unharmed. Odo demands that she hand over Kira. As no changeling has never harmed another, Odo is allowed to leave. He retrieves Kira from a status pod, and they return to the station. When Kira asks what tipped Odo off that the changeling wasn't her, Odo will only say that it was a "slip of the tongue" and dismisses it.

Sisko summons Nog and tells him that he is denying Nog's request, saying he can't risk Nog screwing up and damaging his reputation. Nog again gets irate and begs Sisko to reconsider, but Sisko demands that Nog explain why he wants this so much. Nog finally down and admits that he doesn't want to end up like his father. Rom is a genius engineer but never pursued it because Ferengi culture values profit over all. Like his father, Nog has no lobes for business, so he want to become great in some other way. Sisko agrees to help Nog join Starfleet, and Nog assures him that he's ready to do whatever it takes.

On the station, Nog and Rom are getting bullied by Quark to fix the replicators that broke due to his own negligence. When Nog learns that Jake told Sisko that his desire to join Starfleet was a joke, he becomes irate and insists that he was serious. Nog bumps into Sisko and reiterates his interest, but Sisko is still dubious, noting Nog's mediocre grades and brushes with security. Nog begs for an opportunity to prove himself, so Sisko assigns him to inventory a cargo hold with no one looking over his should as a test. Dax gives a glowing report of Nog's inventory, saying that he finished in record time and found things even the previous report missed. But there still remains the mystery of ''why'' Nog wants to join Starfleet.

On the station, Nog and Rom are getting bullied by Quark to fix the replicators that broke due to his own negligence. When Nog learns that Jake told Sisko that his desire to join Starfleet was a joke, he becomes irate insists that he was serious. Nog bumps into Sisko and reiterates his interest, but Sisko is still dubious, noting Nog's mediocre grades and brushes with security. Nog begs for an opportunity to prove himself, so Sisko assigns him to inventory a cargo hold with no one looking over his should as a test. Dax gives a glowing report of Nog's inventory, saying that he finished in record time and found things even the previous report missed. But there still remains the mystery of ''why'' Nog wants to join Starfleet.

Odo and Kira are returning to the station after attending a security conference. Kira discusses security measures over the recent Bajoran-Cardassian peace treay, but Odo is testy because Kira turned down a dinner request without consulting him. Their awkward conversation is interrupted when they stumble across a Maquis attack in progress, which threatens the treaty. They give chase to an unstable moon that is impenetrable to sensors, so they beam down to resume the chase on foot.

* RealityEnsues: Jadzia invokes this trope on Nog, bringing him to the cargo bay and giving him hours of inventory work to do. Her point, of course, is that Starfleet, for all the adventure and discoveries, is often just hard work. Subverted when Jadzia reports back to Sisko that Nog finished the inventory in record time, '''and''' he found some things that previous reports missed! It seems that all the time Nog put in at Quark's bar actually paid off.

* {{Paperworkaholic}}: Jadzia invokes this trope on Nog, bringing him to the cargo bay and giving him hours of inventory work to do. Her point, of course, is that Starfleet, for all the adventure and discoveries, is often just hard work. Subverted when Jadzia reports back to Sisko that Nog finished the inventory in record time, '''and''' he found some things that previous reports missed! It seems that all the time Nog put in at Quark's bar actually paid off.

** Nog is finally given a character trait that is distinct from simply being a juvenile Ferengi: He wants to be a Starfleet officers and not simply a flunky like his father.

Back on the unstable moon, Odo and Kira run through a network of caves after the Maquis, but seismic activity makes falling rocks a perpetual hazard. They separate, and Kira calls for Odo's help. She's gotten her foot stuck in a crystal of some kind. It seems harmless at first, but they quickly realize that no amount of force seems to dislodge it, and it's growing. Odo tries to beam Kira out of it, but the moon's atmosphere makes it impossible. He can't even send a message to the station. Instead, he has to send out a probe that will take at least two days to reach the station. Kira doesn't have that long.

On the station, Nog and Rom are getting bullied by Quark to fix the replicators that broke due to his own negligence, threatening to take all losses out of Rom's pay. When Nog learns that Jake told Sisko that his desire to join Starfleet was a joke, he becomes irate and demands that he assure Sisko of his seriousness. When Nog bumps into Sisko, however, Sisko expresses his dubiousness, noting Nog's mediocre grades and brushes with security. Nog begs for an opportunity to prove himself. Sisko assigns him to inventory a cargo hold with no one looking over his should as a test. Dax gives a glowing report of Nog's inventory, saying that he finished in record time and found things even the previous report missed. But there still remains the mystery of ''why'' Nog wants to join Starfleet.

* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: Odo to Kira. Except it turns out that it isn't really Kira.
* ArmorPiercingResponse: Sisko is going mad trying to figure out what Nog's angle is in joining Starfleet. Finally he gets so frustrated he physically shakes Nog, ''demanding'' a reason... only to immediately regret it when Nog tells him that [[IAmNotMyFather he's afraid that he'll wind up failing like Rom.]]

* BatmanGrabsAGun: Odo doesn't use weapons as a rule, and dislikes the idea of carrying phasers on principle, but when he sees through the fake Kira's story, his response is to grab a phaser, aim it at the imposter, and demand to know where the real Kira is. Even when the imposter reveals herself as the Female Changeling, Odo doesn't lower the weapon, ignoring her assumption that he wouldn't harm one of his own people.
* CallBack: O'Brien's kayaking hobby, first mentioned in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E25Transfigurations "Transfigurations"]] is mentioned by Odo. This includes how often he dislocates his shoulder.
* CharacterDevelopment: One of ''Deep Space Nine's'' most stunning examples. Literally one episode ago, Nog was just being a typical Ferengi male chauvinist to the point that he was embarrassing Jake in public. All of a sudden, he reveals his deepest fears to Sisko, and we can never look at him the same again.
** Similarly, Sisko has always been openly disdainful of Nog to various extents, treating him with at best a sort of cavalier indifference. When he suddenly realizes that Nog's issue is one of a divide between him and his father, the pain and regret is obvious on his face as he listens to Nog speak. It would later turn out that Ben is someone who fully understands the pain that a divide between father and son can create. After this he would take a somewhat more paternal approach to Nog.

* HiddenDepths: While Rom has been fixing the odd broken replicator in the bar, this is the first time that it's mentioned he's actually a mechanical genius who could have been chief engineer of a starship had he been given the opportunity. Season 4 would clearly demonstrate this instead of it just being an InformedAbility.
** Odo gets this as well. In addition to the aforementioned AnguishedDeclarationOfLove, Odo reveals that he enjoys Kayaking on the Holodeck with Chief O'Brien and reading detective novels.

* [[ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe I Can't Believe a Girl Like You Would Notice Me]]: Odo doesn't believe that Kira would look at him that way, and it's what tips him off that it's not really her.

* MandatoryLine: Bashir appears briefly to talk about one of the officers on the station (see MisterSeahorse below), a conversation which is completely unrelated to the rest of the episode.
* MisterSeahorse: Sisko and Bashir discuss an upcoming baby shower for one Ensign Vilix'pran, who is about to become a daddy.

* NotHelpingYourCase: Nog starts his application for Starfleet by offering Sisko the requisite bribe, as per Ferengi tradition. Subverted slightly since Nog was trying to ''purchase'' an apprenticeship, one could look at it as a fee. Of course, [[DistinctionWithoutADifference given how Ferengi society works...]]

While pursuing a Maquis vessel, Odo and Major Kira wind up trapped on a small moon in the Badlands. Kira's foot is caught in some kind of growing, expanding crystal that will eventually overtake her entire body, and Odo isn't able to remove it or transport her back to the runabout, being forced to helplessly watch as the situation grows more and more desperate.

Meanwhile, back on [=DS9=], Nog seeks a recommendation from Commander Sisko for his application to Starfleet Academy.

* RealityEnsues: Jadzia invokes this trope on Nog, bringing him to the cargo bay and giving him hours of inventory work to do. Her point, of course, is that Starfleet, for all the adventure and discoveries, is often just hard work. Subverted when Jadzia reports back to Sisko that Nog finished the inventory in record time, '''and''' he found some things that previous reports missed! It seems that all the time Nog put in at Quark's bar actually paid off.

** When Odo threatens the female Founder, she doesn't believe he could hurt her, as "[[ArcWords No changeling has ever harmed another]]," but Odo replies that there's always a first time. In the season finale, Odo does in fact become the first changeling to ever harm another.

** Odo gets this as well. In addition to the aforementioned AnquishedDeclarationOfLove, Odo reveals that he enjoys Kayaking on the Holodeck with Chief O'Brien and reading detective novels.

''({{beat}})''\\\
'''Kira''': I can't think of any either.