History Recap / StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E01ApocalypseRising

Sisko goes to meet Odo, who is [[DrowningMySorrows drowning his sorrows]] over having been turned into a human. Sisko tells him that he needs his security skills for the upcoming mission in spite of his lack of shapechanging. The pair then join O'Brien and Worf in a debriefing session to go over the attack. They will use modified polaron emitters to force Gowron to revert to liquid form. Failing that, they'll just kill him, which will also expose his true nature. To get at him, they'll modify their appearances to look like Klingons and hitch a ride in Dukat's Bird-of-Prey so they can meld into a gathering to recognize new commendations into the Order of the Bat'Leth.

Martok confronts the agents, and Sisko reveals the purpose of his mission. In spite of himself, Martok admits that Gowron's warmongering behavior has been out of character. In fact, Martok has suspected that he might be a Changeling for months. Sisko suggests challenging Gowron to a duel, but Martok has another idea: He breaks the four out of prison and helps kill Klingon guards all the way back to Gowron's chamber, where Worf attacks Gowron. As the crowd draws weapons, Gowron orders them back and duels Worf man to man.

Martok forbids Odo from entering the chamber, claiming to be unsure of the former Changeling's loyalties. However, Odo begins to pick apart Martok's story, noting how odd it is for a Klingon general to refuse to duel a suspected spy. He also notes that Gowron, in dueling Worf, is behaving exactly like a Klingon rather than a spy. The true spy is Martok. As Worf defeats Gowron and has the emperor at his mercy, Odo and Martok brawl their way into the chamber, and Odo shouts that Martok is the true spy. As Odo gets tossed to the ground, the Changeling reveals its nature by lassoing his throat with a liquid appendage. The crowd of Klingons promptly kill the spy in a barrage of disruptor fire.

In the aftermath, Gowron and the agents discuss how the Founders attempted to manipulate both their nations into destroying each other. Martok was the one who pressed for war. The best thing to do would be to end it and join forces against their common enemy, but Gowron warns that once Klingons go to war, they never want to back down and "talk." Sisko points out that this is exactly the attitude desired by the Founders, so Gowron reluctantly agrees to use all his influence over the High Council to push for a ceasefire. Before the agents leave, Gowron sternly tells Worf that he won't get a second opportunity to kill him.

Back on the station, Worf is happy to return to his human form, though he "misses the fangs." Odo is up next, and Bashir tells him that he can give the former changeling any face he desires, but Odo opts to return to his old face.

* BlackTieInfiltration: The team infiltrates the Order of the Bat'leth initiation ceremony as inductees in order to unmask Gowron as a changeling. They're only half-right.

* WhamLine:
--> '''Odo:''' ''Martok's'' the changeling!

In the aftermath, Gowron and the agents discuss how the Founders attempted to manipulate both their nations into destroying each other. Martok was the one who pressed for war. The best thing to do would be to end it and join forces against their common enemy, but Gowron warns that once Klingons go to war, they never want to back down and "talk." Sisko points out that this is exactly the attitude desired by the Founders, so Gowron reluctantly agrees to use all his influence over the Klingon council to end their war. Before the agents leave, Gowron sternly tells Worf that he won't get a second opportunity to kill him.

* [[CantHoldHisLiquor Can't Hold His Bloodwine]]: By Klingon standards -- after Gowron arrives, one overserved warrior is carried out.

* FangThpeak: A likely inadvertant example, as Sisko seems to be fitting in perfectly as a Klingon in spite of Avery Brooks clearly struggling to speak around his new teeth.
* FumblingTheGauntlet: Sisko has the right attitude for a Klingon (unlike O'Brien and Odo, who struggle to achieve the same level of swagger and confidence), but during the rehearsal Sisko accidentally challenges Worf to a DuelToTheDeath by backhanding him rather than striking him with the fist. Thankfully, Worf realizes this trope is in play and simply corrects Sisko.[[note]]This contradicts a number of occasions in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E17SinsOfTheFather "Sins of the Father"]] where Worf and Duras backhand each other and the recipient just has to take it without complaint, so it's possible Worf was just messing with Sisko here. Alternatively, it may be that that ''specific'' context changes the meaning slightly (it's still a challenge of sorts), and Worf was describing the ''default'' meaning of the backhand.[[/note]]

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Or at least WorthyOpponent of another story. This is a ceremony for honoring [[ProudWarriorRace Klingon]] [[UpToEleven war heroes]]. Every Klingon attending the ceremony is by definition a badass, except possibly the caterers and service staff. Or, knowing Klingons, possibly not even [[BattleButler that exception]].

* IdiotBall: After Odo calls out to Sisko that Martok is a changeling, the Changeling immediately uses his shapeshifting powers to try and strangle Odo in view of everyone. Aside from the idiocy of confirming Odo's accusations in a room full of armed Klingons, he doesn't even try to talk his way out of it even though he knows that Sisko and his crew have no way to ''prove'' he's a Changeling.

* JurisdictionFriction: Worf and Kira get into a spat in the beginning over whether or not to take the ''Defiant'' to look for the overdue Sisko and Dax. It never gets resolved as Sisko shows up and renders the argument moot, but both have good points. They're equal in rank[[note]]Per U.S. military protocol, which the Bajoran and Starfleet ranks seem to follow, a major and lieutenant commander are equivalent[[/note]], and while Kira may be Sisko's executive officer on the station, she has no say over the ''Defiant'', which Worf is technically in command of whenever Sisko's not around.[[note]]O'Brien - an enlisted crewman - makes a point of agreeing with Worf, and Kira has enough respect for him that she doesn't pull rank on ''him'' to shut him up, but it's clear she's not letting any notions of democracy sway her either.[[/note]]
** On the other hand, Kira makes it very clear that Captain Sisko left explicit orders for the Defiant to remain on station to defend Bajor if necessary. And considering that the station can only protect itself and interdict traffic through the Wormhole, taking the Defiant out of play means Bajor is left uncovered. Worf doesn't have any clear reason to leave except that he's worried Sisko is a little overdue, arguably shifting him over into [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight Screw the rules, I'm doing what I think is right]] territory.

* MythologyGag: This episode marks the second time Creator/ReneAuberjonois appears as a character disguised as a Klingon, after [[spoiler:Starfleet Colonel West]] in ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry''. Amusingly, their characters had opposite motivations. In ''Star Trek VI'', [[spoiler:West]] was trying to ''start'' a war between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. In this episode, Odo is trying to stop the Klingon/Federation War.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Odo pulls this both ways when he realizes Martok is the Changeling, not Gowron. If Gowron was a Changeling, he would have his bodyguards just shoot Sisko and the others rather than accept Worf's challenge to an honorable one-on-one duel. On the other hand, Martok refused the idea of challenging Gowron himself and insisted that they kill him by shooting him. A ''real'' Klingon wouldn't hatch such a cowardly and underhanded scheme.

In the aftermath, Gowron and the agents discuss how the Founders attempted to manipulate both their nations into destroying each other. The best thing to do would be to end their war and join forces against their common enemy, but Gowron warns that once Klingons go to war, they never want to back down and "talk." Sisko points out that this is exactly the attitude desired by the Founders, so Gowron reluctantly agrees to use all his influence over the Klingon council to end their war. Before the agents leave, Gowron sternly tells Worf that he won't get a second opportunity to kill him.

With war heating up between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, Sisko, Worf, O'Brien, and Odo undertake a risky mission to the heart of Klingon space to expose Gowron as a changeling.

* ApeShallNeverKillApe: While not openly stated, Martok!Changeling's final actions are to try and kill Odo as well shows, in the eyes of his people, Odo is no longer a true Changeling and thus open for being killed like any solid for the good of the Dominion.

* BatmanGambit: The Changeling's plot is to trick Odo, from the last season's episode, into believing Gowron is a changeling. This will push the Federation to kill him and when they find out he isn't one, removing a good leader from the Klingons and allow Martok!Changeling to take the role of EvilOverlord and rule the Klingons, pushing them harder against the Federation and weakening both so a Dominion Conquest would be that much easier.

** A disguised O'Brien and Changeling!Martok meet and speak of a battle that happened during [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E26S5E1Redemption the Klingon Civil War]].

** Changeling!Martok's refusal to challenge Gowron to honorable combat, and his confusion over why Worf is fighting him with a bat'leth [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim instead of just shooting him]] (as well as why Gowron accepts Worf's challenge instead of letting his bodyguards deal with him), allow Odo to figure him out.

* FangThpeak: Klingon!Sisko clearly has some trouble with his new teeth.
* FumblingTheGauntlet: Klingon!Sisko has the right attitude for a Klingon (unlike O'Brien and Odo, who struggle to achieve the same level of swagger and confidence), but during the rehearsal Sisko accidentally challenges Worf to a DuelToTheDeath by backhanding him rather than striking him with the fist. Thankfully, Worf realizes this trope is in play and simply corrects Sisko.[[note]]This contradicts a number of occasions in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E17SinsOfTheFather "Sins of the Father"]] where Worf and Duras backhand each other and the recipient just has to take it without complaint, so it's possible Worf was just messing with Sisko here. Alternatively, it may be that that ''specific'' context changes the meaning slightly (it's still a challenge of sorts), and Worf was describing the ''default'' meaning of the backhand.[[/note]]

* IdiotBall: After Odo calls out to Sisko that Martok is a changeling, Changeling!Martok immediately uses his shapeshifting powers to try and strangle Odo in view of everyone. Aside from the idiocy of confirming Odo's accusations in a room full of armed Klingons, he doesn't even try to talk his way out of it even though he knows that Sisko and his crew have no way to ''prove'' he's a Changeling.

* LargeHam: Klingon!Sisko really goes to town. After all, a Klingon party is a WorldOfHam.

* WreckedWeapon: Worf manages to shatter Gowron's bat'leth at the end of their duel.
* YouLookFamiliar: InUniverse -- Changeling!Martok almost recognizes O'Brien under his Klingon makeup, only for O'Brien to bluff his way through it by acting pleased that the general recognized him. He then successfully recognizes Sisko.

* IdiotBall: Changeling!Martok blows his cover by being confused why Sisko and the others don't just shoot Gowron, and then in front of a hall full of Klingons uses his shapeshifting abilities to strangle Odo right after being accused of being the real Changeling.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** Odo remarks that for a great general like Martok, handling a bat'leth and challenging the impostor to a personal duel to the death, would be in character of a Klingon. The fact he is acting with subterfuge and encouraging Worf, Sisko, and O'Brien to just kill Gowron quickly, helps Odo's deductions.
** Inverted with Gowron, as Odo notes. A Changeling would likely have no real competency with fighting using Klingon blades and would use his bodyguards to handle a direct threat. The fact Gowron is taking on Worf, challenging him personally and refusing to allow his guards to help, shows Odo he is acting well within character.

* TemptingFate [[spoiler: In the penultimate scene, Gowron mocks Worf for not killing him while he had the chance and promises he'll not get another one. Ironically, Worf ''will'' get one more chance in the closing episodes of the series.]]

* JurisdictionFriction: Worf and Kira get into a spat in the beginning over whether or not to take the ''Defiant'' to look for the overdue Sisko and Dax. It never gets resolved as Sisko shows up and renders the argument moot, but both have good points. They're equal in rank[[note]]Per U.S. military protocol, which the Bajoran and Starfleet ranks seem to follow, a major and lieutenant commander are equivalent[[/note]], and while Kira may be Sisko's executive officer on the station, she has no say over the ''Defiant'', which Worf is technically in command of whenever Sisko's not around.

* TemptingFate [[spoiler: In the penultimate scene, Gowron mocks Worf for not killing him while he had the chance and promises he'll not get another one. Worf ''will'' get another chance in the closing episodes of the series.]]

* Irony: Gowron and the Empire justified their invasion of Cardassia by trumpeting charges of Changeling infiltration and takeover. Now, a year later, they found out it was ''their'' government that got infiltrated by the Dominion. Oops.

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Changeling!Martok's refusal to challenge Gowron to honorable combat, and his confusion over why Worf is fighting him with a bat'leth [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim instead of just shooting him]] (as well as why Gowron accepts Worf's challenge instead of letting his bodyguards deal with him), allow Odo to figure him out.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Gul Dukat isn't known for his sense of humor, but he finds Sisko and company made up to look like Klingons hilarious.
* ApeShallNeverKillApe: While not openly stated, Martok!Changeling's final actions are to try and kill Odo as well shows, in the eyes of his people, Odo is no longer a true "Changeling" and thus open for being killed like any solid for the good of the Dominion.

--> '''Odo:''' Tell me, ''General'' - did Gowron destroy the polaron emitters, or did ''you''?

* {{Beam Spam}}/{{More Dakka}}: When the Changeling is revealed, every Klingon with a clear line of fire [[MultipleGunshotDeath pulls out their disruptor and doesn't stop shooting until it]] ''[[DefeatEqualsExplosion explodes]]''. Qualifies as both tropes because, while the disruptor pistols are energy weapons, they fire distinct bolts instead of continuous beams.

** [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E14HeartOfStone Ensign Vilix'pran]] is mentioned to be [[MisterSeahorse having another litter of kids]]. He also apparently got promoted to lieutenant in the span between episodes.

* [[CantHoldHisLiquor Can't Hold His Bloodwine]]: By Klingon standards--after Gowron arrives, one overserved warrior is carried out.

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Or at least WorthyOpponent of another story. This is a ceremony for honoring [[ProudWarriorRace Klingon]] [[UpToEleven war heroes]]. Every Klingon attending the ceremony is by definition a badass except possibly the caterers and service staff. Or, knowing Klingons, possibly not even [[BattleButler that exception.]]

* JurisdictionFriction: Worf and Kira get into a spat in the beginning over whether or not to take the ''Defiant'' to look for the overdue Sisko and Dax. It never gets resolved as Sisko shows up and renders the argument moot, but both have good points. They're equal in rank [[note]]Per U.S. military protocol, which the Bajoran and Starfleet ranks seem to follow, a major and lieutenant commander are the same[[/note]], and while Kira maybe Sisko's exec on the station, she has no say over the ''Defiant'', which Worf is technically in command of whenever Sisko's not around.

** Inverted with Gowron, as Odo notes. A changeling would likely have no real competency with fighting using Klingon blades and would use his bodyguards to handle a direct threat. The fact Gowron is taking on Worf challenging him personally and refuses to allow his guards to help shows Odo he is acting well within character.

* PragmaticVillainy: When Dukat arrives at Klingon headquarters to drop them off, he tells Sisko he's not sticking around (especially not with his holofilter malfunctioning). He then points out that if Sisko is successful, then the war will be over and they won't need him to return to [=DS9=]. If not, then they'll be executed as spies before Dukat can help them.

* UnfinishedUntestedUsedAnyway: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]--they never get a chance to field-test the polaron gizmos before they're destroyed.

** When smuggling the infiltrators in, Dukat's ship is challenged by a picket ship. The plan was to send over a premade holographic disguise but the mechanism fails. Dukat says effectively,"To heck with that" and fires a photon torpedo destroying the ship.

'''Odo:''' I have a better question. Why isn't Gowron letting his bodyguards kill Worf? I'll tell you why: Klingon honor, a concept you should be very familiar with. My people, on the other hand, don't care about honor. How did you put it? "There will be no honorable combat, no formal challenges." Hardly the words of a Klingon. Tell me, ''General'', did Gowron destroy the polaron emitters or did ''you''?

* YouLookFamiliar: InUniverse--Changeling!Martok almost recognizes O'Brien under his Klingon makeup, only for O'Brien to bluff his way through it by acting pleased the general recognized him. He then successfully recognizes Sisko.

** [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E14HeartOfStone Ensign Vilix'pran]] is mentioned to be [[MrSeahorse having another litter of kids]]. He also apparently got promoted to lieutenant in the span between episodes.

* FumblingTheGauntlet: Klingon!Sisko has the right attitude for a Klingon (unlike O'Brien and Odo, who struggle to achieve the same level of swagger and confidence), but during the rehearsal Sisko accidentally challenges Worf to a DuelToTheDeath by backhanding him rather than striking him with the fist. Thankfully, Worf realizes this trope is in play and simply corrects Sisko.[[note]]This contradicts a number of occasions in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E17SinsOfTheFather "Sins of the Father"]] where Worf and Duras backhand each other and the recipient just has to take it without complaint, so it's possible Worf was just messing with Sisko here.[[/note]]

* FumblingTheGauntlet: Klingon!Sisko has the right attitude for a Klingon (unlike O'Brien and Odo, who struggle to achieve the same level of swagger and confidence), but during the rehearsal Sisko accidentally challenges Worf to a DuelToTheDeath by backhanding him rather than striking him with the fist. Thankfully, Worf realizes this trope is in play and simply corrects Sisko.

* CurbStompBattle: Worf pretty quickly has Gowron on the ropes during their duel, and is on the verge of killing him (after managing to shatter Gowron's bat'leth) before Odo is able to out Martok as the Changeling. A nice bit of {{Foreshadowing}} to when Worf will ''actually'' duel Gowron to the death during the series finale; when it finally happens, he manages to kill Gowron fairly quickly. Justified because Gowron is a politician, not a warrior (though he puts up a pretty damn good fight).

* {{Foreshadowing}}: {{Inverted}} and coupled with {{Irony}}--Gowron promises that Worf "won't get another chance" to kill him. [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS07E22TackingIntoTheWind Yeah, about that...]]