History Recap / StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS06E21TheReckoning

[[caption-width-right:350:A Prophet and a Pah Wraith let slip the [[BeamOWar beams of war]].]]

Winn is furious over the tablet's destruction, but Sisko believes that the Prophets wanted him to smash it. Before they argue any further, they are summoned to the Promenade. There, Kira stands in the doorway of the Bajoran temple with blue electricity arcing from her hands. She has been possessed by the blue energy discharge, which is actually a Prophet. The Prophet informs Sisko that the Emissary has completed his task, and now it is time to await the Reckoning. Winn explains further: the Reckoning is a battle between the Prophets and Pah Wraiths. Should the Prophet win, it will usher in the Golden Age of Bajor, in which the Bajorans will be prosperous for a thousand years. Winn tries to talk to the Prophet for guidance but the Prophet ignores Winn.

Sisko orders the evacuation of Deep Space Nine. However, Winn and several Bajorans insist on staying on the station to pray for the Prophet's victory. As Sisko and Winn bicker, the Prophet announces that the Pah Wraith has chosen its host: Jake Sisko. Sisko pleads for it to leave his son alone and take him as a host. The Pah Wraith is merely amused and throws Sisko across the Promenade before facing off with the Prophet. Energy beams appear from their host bodies, blue for the Prophet and orange for the Pah Wraith. They converge on each other and cause massive energy outbursts. Dax detects that the outbursts are reaching critical levels and that it could result in the destruction of the station. Sisko insists on staying behind and orders Winn and Dax away from the confrontation. In the ensuing chaos, Winn slips away unnoticed.

The Prophet starts to overwhelm the Pah Wraith, but just before it can win, the station is bathed in a blue light. Someone is interfering with the Reckoning, and it's Winn. Standing in Ops, she says, "May the Prophets forgive me." The beams stop, and the Prophet and Pah Wraith leave their host bodies.

Bashir later evaluates both Kira and Jake. Kira appears to be fine, but Jake is in rough shape and will need to stay in the infirmary for some time. After feeling the evil presence of the Pah Wraith, Jake now understands his father's role as Emissary. Kira spends some time with Odo, being thankful that Odo respected her beliefs and allowed her to be the Prophet's host. While escorting Winn to a Bajoran transport, the Kai states her actions likely saved the station and that the geological instabilities on Bajor have stopped. Kira is having none of this and chews into Winn for her lack of faith, in which Sisko, a non-Bajoran, was willing to sacrifice his son to help the prophets win the Reckoning, whereas Winn is solely driven by ambition and jealousy. With this battle now unresolved, there is no way of telling what the future holds for the Bajoran people.

* BeamOWar: The Prophet and Pah-Wraith do battle with energy beams. And the Prophet's beam almost wins before Kai Winn screws everything up.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Jake previously spoke of [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E05TheAssignment his desire to see a Pah-Wraith]]. He gets his wish and then some.

* BlackAndWhiteMorality: A Prophet vs a Pah-Wraith right on the Promenade... and it's awesome.

** Dax's idea of using Chroniton Particles to force the Prophet and Pah Wraith to leave echoes [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E05TheAssignment O'Brien's actions]] when a possessed Keiko tried to force O'Brien to convert the station to a giant Chroniton emitter.

** The Pah-Wraith accuses Sisko of this in response to TakeMeInstead.

* DemonicPossession: Jake controlled by the Pah-Wraith, complete with RedEyesTakeWarning.

* GoodColorsEvilColors: BlueIsCalm for the Prophet versus RedEyesTakeWarning for the Pah-Wraith.

* HeroicSacrifice: Not that he has a choice in the matter, but Jake is willing to let himself be killed if it means [[TakingYouWithMe the Pah-Wraith is also destroyed]].
* HonorBeforeReason: Odo knows Kira would willingly give herself to the Prophets, which is why he doesn't object to what happens. Also, when TakeMeInstead fails, Sisko doesn't try to stop the confrontation. Jake later says that Sisko was right--noting that the Pah-Wraith was truly evil and had to be stopped no matter the cost.

* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode: This is the first episode that demonstrates the relationship -- or rather, the lack thereof -- between Kai Winn and the Prophets. Winn mentions that she never had a vision from the Prophets, and when one of the Prophets takes Major Kira as a vessel, they completely ignore Winn. She then deliberately denies them their victory over the Pah-Wraiths because, as Kira deduces, she can't stand that Sisko's faith in them is stronger than hers. The Prophets' indifference towards Winn would have dire consequences come the climax of the final season.

** Kira chews Winn out for interrupting the battle between the Prophet and the Pah Wraith, and says that her faith is not as strong as Sisko's. However, Winn just met a Prophet in person, offered herself for its service, ''and'' led other Bajorans in a prayer ceremony for their victory, and the Prophet didn't even acknowledge their existence. Plus, it had no qualms trying to kill the Pah Wraith when it had possessed the Emissary's son. Winn not only has good reason for her faith to be shaken, but by association, there's no guarantee that the Prophet would have defeated the Pah Wraith or that its victory would have meant anything for Bajor.

* OhCrap: Sisko's reaction to the Pah-Wraith possessing Jake.

* SealedEvilInADuel: The Prophet and the Wraith are both trapped in the tablet; releasing them allows them to finish their fight. [[SpannerInTheWorks Or at least, that was the plan.]]

** Played straight with Jake as he understands why the Prophets have chosen his father to do their bidding, as well as understanding how evil the Pah Wraiths can be.
* SpannerInTheWorks: The Prophet is within a few moments of defeating the Pah-Wraith... then Winn stops the fighting due to her jealousy of Sisko.
* TakeMeInstead: [[PapaWolf Sisko]] offers himself to the Pah-Wraith to save his son. Doesn't go over well.
* TantrumThrowing: Sisko destroys the tablet in a fit of rage. This releases the Prophet and Pah-Wraith inside, leading to the Reckoning. This is essentially played with when Sisko realizes that the Prophets wanted him to smash the tablet.

** The Prophet in Kira announces the Pah-Wraith has finally chosen a host. Enter Jake.

** Before that, Winn gives Sisko one for shattering the tablet, even though it was necessary to release the [[SealedGoodInACan Prophet]] and [[SealedEvilInACan Pah-Wraith]].

* YouDidTheRightThing: Stated verbatim by Jake at the end to his father, when the latter expresses regret over allowing him to be put in danger. Jake could see for himself just how evil the Pah-Wraith was, and he knew it had to be defeated even if the price was his own life.

* SpannerInTheWorks: The Prophet is within a few moments of defeating the Pah-Wraith...then Winn stops the fighting due to her jealousy of Sisko.

* EitherWorldDominationOrSomethingAboutBananas: The computer's translation of the tablet says that the Bajorans will either suffer horribly...or eat fruit. Sisko and Dax figure on the former, though Kira is later seen eating fruit salad.

* BlackAndWhiteMorality: A Prophet vs a Pah-Wraith right on the Promenade ... and it's awesome.

* NeverGiveTheCaptainAStraightAnswer: Odo calls Sisko to the promenade and says he'll "let [Sisko] be the judge" of whether or not what's going on is a problem. Somewhat {{Justified}} in that only The Sisko knows whether or not a Prophet possessing Kira is a problem.

* AGodAmI: This episode ''really'' plays up Sisko's importance as part of Bajoran mythology. Prophets speak directly to him, both in a vision and while possessing Kira. His faith is shown to be stronger than that of Kai Winn. Kira even mentions at the end that [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Sisko was willing to sacrifice his only son to save the world]].

* YouDidTheRightThing: Stated verbatim by Jake at the end to his father, when the latter expresses regret over allowing him to be put in danger. Jake could see for himself just how evil the Pah-Wraith was, and he knew it had to be defeated even if the price was his own life.

* WhatTheHellHero: Kira chews Winn out for (once again) letting her ambition and jealousy override her service to the Prophets.

* AmbitionIsEvil: Kira hits Winn ''hard'' over her interference of the Reckoning by pointing out her ambitious tendencies and how they affected her judgement, in sharp comparison to Sisko's willingness to allow the Reckoning to continue at the cost of his son's life.

Sisko provides the latest war report to his senior offiers now that the Romulans have joined the fight. He annonces that he, Kira and Jake are going to visit B'Hala on Bajor at the planet's request. Bajoran archaeologists show Sisko a tablet, one that bears the inscription "Welcome, Emissary." When Sisko touches the tablet, he gets a vision from the Prophets. They tell him that he's completed a very important task but there is another task he must do to bring about the Reckoning. Back in the cave, Sisko is thrown back and knocked unconscious.

** Kira chews Wynn out for interrupting the battle between the Prophet and the Pah Wraith, and says that her faith is not as strong as Sisko's. However, Wynn just met a Prophet in person, offered herself for its service, ''and'' led other Bajorans in a prayer ceremony for their victory, and the Prophet didn't even acknowledge their existence. Plus, it had no qualms trying to kill the Pah Wraith when it had possessed the Emissary's son. Wynn not only has good reason for her faith to be shaken, but by association, there's no guarantee that the Prophet would have defeated the Pah Wraith or that its victory would have meant anything for Bajor.

** Kira chews Wynn out for interrupting the battle between the Prophet and the Pah Wraith, and says that her faith is not as strong as Sisko's. However, Wynn just met a Prophet in person, offered herself for its service, ''and'' led other Bajorans in a prayer ceremony for their victory, and the Prophet didn't even acknowledge their existence. Plus, it had no qualms trying to kill the Pah Wraith when it had possessed the Emissary's son. Wynn not only has good reason for her faith to be shaken, but by association, there's no guarantee that the Prophet will defeat the Pah Wraith, and even if it that it will bring a thousand years of peace to Bajor.

* JerkassHasAPoint: When Sisko takes the tablet without consulting Bajoran religious leaders or the government Kai Winn goes to [=DS9=] in order to remind Sisko that many Bajoran cultural and religious artifacts were taken by the Cardassians without Bajoran consent and ask for the tablet's return. Sisko has to concede that she has a point but tells Winn that he'll return the tablet in due course. [[ObnoxiousEntitledHousewife True to form]], Winn immediately complains to Starfleet Admirals over Sisko's refusal to immediately return the tablet. What is surprising though is that First Minister Shakaar backs her up in her complaint to Starfleet, marking the first actual cooperation between the two.