After several skirmishes in which the Defiant is able to destroy Dominion ships, only to be told to fall back, Dax takes Sisko to task over the low morale that the crew is under. Aware of the situation, Sisko has formulated a plan to retake Deep Space Nine. When he presents his plan to Starfleet brass the next day, they express concern about how lightly defended Earth would become. Sisko, however, insists that the Wormhole is the key to controlling the Alpha Quadrant, and that whoever controls Deep Space Nine controls the wormhole. The Starfleet brass approve the plan, but the Klingons are not yet on board, so Martok and Worf leave in hopes of convincing Gowron.
Meanwhile, on Terok Nor, all attempts to get Rom free from imprisonment are not going well. He's been labeled an enemy of the state and will soon be executed. Quark vows to do whatever it takes to free his younger brother. When Kira tries to campaign Weyoun, the Vorta casually rebuffs her. Meanwhile, Odo has spent the last three full days linking with the Female Changeling, oblivious to the outside world.
Kira then contacts Ziyal to see if she can convince her father Dukat to pardon Rom. Ziyal agrees and tries to argue that, by freeing the spouse of a Bajoran, Dukat can create a reputation for himself as a savior of Bajor. Dukat balks at the idea, and the pair descend into a bitter argument, causing Ziyal to storm away.
Later on in Quark's, Damar confides that his tests have worked, and the minefield will go down within a week. When Quark tells Kira about Damar's news, she wants to alert Starfleet, but there's a communication blockade. Luckily, Jake has already recruited Morn to smuggle a message to his father, so they approach him to send a new message. By the time Sisko receives it, the minefield will go down in three days. The Federation has no time to wait for reinforcements. They must leave now to take the station with only a Starfleet force.
Damar reports on the recent build-up of ships around Starbase 375. Dukat, however, is pre-occupied with Ziyal and orders Damar to talk some sense in her. Damar locates Ziyal, but the conversation quickly gets insulting, and Kira unleashes a can of whoopass on him in retribution. The battered Damar reports back to Dukat, demanding that Kira be arrested, but Weyoun nixes that idea, preferring to concentrate their effort to stop the Federation Fleet, now on its way to Deep Space Nine. Dukat proceeds to draw forces to counter the immediate threat.
Elsewhere on the station, Odo and the Female Changeling ponder the fate of the Solids. Odo takes a sympathetic approach, while she insists that they must be completely dominated by the will of the Dominion. Taken about by her comments, Odo goes off to try to make amends with Kira, but Kira will have none of it, retorting that with the minefield due to come down, the Dominion is on the cusp of its final victory against the Alpha Quadrant.
Sisko leads his fleet in the Defiant. Several hours away from Deep Space Nine, they detect that the Dominion has 1,254 ships, a 2-to-1 advantage against the Federation. The battle to retake Deep Space Nine is about to begin. A grim Sisko announces, "There's an old saying: 'Fortune favors the bold.' Well, I guess we're about to find out."
This episode provides examples of:
- Affably Evil: Weyoun just can't help but be affable to his enemies even when they're not around. When he learns that Sisko received a promotion, Weyoun responds with a hearty, "Good for him!"
- All There in the Manual: "Operation Return" is never referred by name, which comes from the DS9 Technical Manual.
- All Up to You: With time running out, Rom urges Quark to finish what he started and says billions are counting on him. Quark remarks they're likely to be very disappointed.
- Batman Gambit:
- The Defiant crew fake damage to the ship in order to lure some Jem'Hadar ships into an ambush.
- Martok's plan to convince Gowron to commit KDF assets to Operation Return. Even as the Chancellor's most trusted General, Martok knows his recommendation alone isn't enough to persuade Gowron to sign off on such a risky action. So, he convinces Worf — still out of favor with Gowron and considered an enemy — to accompany him to make the plea. As Martok reasons, if a personal ally and personal enemy are both telling him the same thing, it'll have more weight with the Chancellor and is more likely to persuade him. Next episode will prove Martok's instincts were right.
- Berserk Button: Do NOT manhandle Tora Ziyal in front of Major Kira.
- Better than Sex: The Female Changeling concludes that linking is far superior to sexual intercourse as practiced by solids.
- Big Brother Instinct: As Rom becomes resigned to his fate:Quark: Besides, do you think your big brother would let anything happen to you?
Rom: What can you do?
Quark: I'm not sure, but I will think of something. No matter what it takes, no matter what I have to do, I'm going to get you out of here. - Broken Pedestal: Ziyal finally sees past her father's self-aggrandizing claims of being a merciful man and regretful tyrant and refuses to speak with him after he refuses to release Rom.
- Capital Offensive: Damar says that Starfleet has disengaged a fleet from fighting along the Vulcan border, indicating that the Dominion has broken deep into the Federation core worlds. One of the admirals is also worried that the Dominion might ignore Sisko's counterattack at Deep Space Nine and instead launch an attack on Earth.
- Character Development: This episode has Sisko declaring his love for Bajor, along with his intention to build a house there once the war is over. Quite a long way from the man who was treating the posting at Deep Space 9 as just another assignment.
- Chekhov's Gun: Morn visiting his mother.
- Condescending Compassion: Odo and the Female Changeling both lament that Solids are bound to only a single perspective. Driving the point home, they're literally looking down on a progression of people as they say so.
- Continuity Nod: Sisko has his Yoruba mask hanging in his new office.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Damar's fight with Kira is painfully one-sided; Damar only manages to get in one hit before Kira beats him senseless.
- Darkest Hour: The Federation learns the minefield will soon come down, allowing a massive Dominion fleet to come through the wormhole. Lacking the time for additional Starfleet ships or Klingon support to arrive, Sisko has no choice but to take a limited fleet into battle.
- Death or Glory Attack: Discussed by Admiral Ross and Sisko. The plan to retake DS9 will either give the Federation the initiative in the war, put the Dominion on the defensive, and eliminate the threat of further reinforcements from the wormhole or it will cost every ship they have and likely spell all out defeat for the Federation.
- Dumb Muscle: Kira describes Nausicaans this way and reasons that they'd be no use in breaking Rom out of jail.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Weyoun gets a hint of this when he puzzles over Ziyal's painting and admits that his species was never given an ability to appreciate aesthetics. He sometimes wishes that he could carry a tune.
- Face Death with Dignity: Rom doesn't think there's any way out of being executed, so he urges Quark to focus instead on stopping the Dominion from bringing down the minefield. When Quark asks what'll happen if he gets caught, Rom proudly says they can die together. Naturally, Quark doesn't particularly like that idea.
- Field Promotion: Nog goes from Cadet to Ensign after spending months on the front lines. O'Brien jokes (though not really) he didn't know the war was going that badly.
- Flaunting Your Fleets: We see the Federation fleet around Starbase 375 get larger and larger as the episode progresses, before flying off to retake Deep Space Nine. Then the Dominion sends an even larger fleet to block them at the end of the episode.
- Gondor Calls for Aid: Sisko's plan hinges on Klingon involvement, but Gowron is reluctant to commit so many ships when they're having trouble defending their own territory. Martok and Worf leave to convince him in person, because, as the General says, an ally and an enemy telling him the same thing will surely convince the Chancellor.Sisko: Gentlemen, I need those ships.Worf: And you shall have them.
- Heel Realisation: When the Female Changeling starts talking about "breaking" people of their need for freedom, Odo starts to realise (or, more accurately remember) exactly what the Dominion stands for.
- "Hell, Yes!" Moment: When Jadzia says they need a big victory to turn the war around, Sisko tells her he intends to propose a major plan to the brass."We're going to retake Deep Space 9."
- Hidden Depths: As it turns out, Weyoun would like to be able to carry a tune.
- Hidden in Plain Sight: The Federation receives word that the minefield around the wormhole is coming down from Morn - Kira's Resistance cell had it encoded on the ribbon he used to wrap his mother's birthday present.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Damar believes that Quark is a typical Ferengi, one who puts profit and greed above all else (including family). He fails to see that Quark does have a conscience and is firmly not on the Dominion's side.
- Hypocrite: The Female Changeling expresses pity for Solids being trapped in a single form and a single perspective. Her idea of a solution? Break them of their need for freedom and put them into the service of the fascistic Dominion.
- Lack of Empathy: The Female Changeling's lack of regard for anything that's not another changeling shines through; when Odo describes the solids' love for freedom, she remarks that the Dominion will need to "break" them of that. She brushes it off as a poor choice of words (naturally, the result of solids' language being too imprecise, rather than any fault of her own), but it's enough to start weakening her hold over Odo, who isn't yet too far gone.
- Literal-Minded: When Kira tries to appeal to have Rom released, Weyoun jokingly says that there's no logic in releasing a man before he's executed.
- Momma's Boy: The day is saved because Morn is giving his mother so many birthday presents that he can easily smuggle a message out.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Realising that he's allowed the Female Changeling to influence him, Odo is overcome with regret and tries to apologise to Kira.
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Ziyal is only half-Cardassian, but she's disgusted at her father's belief that "enemies of the state do not deserve mercy", nor is she moved by Damar's attempt to appeal to her patriotism.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Kira delivers one to Damar.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Damar's reaction upon learning that the Federation fleet is heading for the station. Of course, Dukat is more immediately concerned with what happened with Ziyal.
- Quark gives a very subtle reaction when Damar tells him that the minefield will be taken down in only a week, clearing the way for the Dominion's final victory.
- Pet the Dog:
- Quark's integrity is on display in this episode as his Big Brother Instinct kicks in hard. He convinces Zek to offer to buy Rom's freedom and later hires some Nausicaans to try to bust him out, though Kira nixes that idea.
- Rom talking about how he's as good as dead brings Leeta to the verge of tears. Quark tells him to stop upsetting her.
- Please Spare Him, My Liege!: Ziyal pleads with Dukat to pardon Rom. He refuses, and their relationship starts breaking down again.
- Race Against the Clock: The Federation has just three days to get to the station and destroy the anti-graviton emitter.
- Rejected Apology: Odo trying to apologize to Kira for what happened last episode:Kira: We are way, way past "Sorry."
- Shout-Out: Admiral Coburn objects to Sisko's plan out of fear that the Dominion will ignore the defense of the wormhole and instead launch an attack on Earth. This is taken from a scene in Midway, in which an admiral expresses concern that Admiral Nimitz's plan will leave Hawaii vulnerable to the Japanese. For bonus points, the Starfleet admiral shares his name with James Coburn, who played the skeptical admiral in the film.
- Skewed Priorities: Damar lampshades this when Dukat orders him to take care of the matter with Ziyal, especially when they've received word that the Federation has just redeployed an enormous fleet. Weyoun likewise remands Dukat for putting his family issues ahead of the war effort, but neither repudiation does a thing to change Dukat's mind.
- Spanner in the Works: Sisko and Ross obviously had no way of knowing the Dominion had finally figured out how to disable the minefield when they planned out Operation Return. Once they received Morn's smuggled message, it throws the entire plan into disarray and Sisko's forced to launch early with only half the intended Starfleet ships (and none of the hoped-for Klingon reinforcements).
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork:
- The Bajoran deputy is more than a little uneasy at having to stand guard with a Jem'Hadar.
- Damar tries to appeal to Ziyal by saying that her father knows Cardassia's alliance is dangerous and they'll become the Dominion's scapegoats if they show weakness.
- Title Drop:Sisko: There's an old saying: "Fortune favors the bold." Well, I guess we're about to find out.
- You Are a Credit to Your Race: Damar says this to Quark word-for-word, "complimenting" him on valuing good business above his brother's life in true Ferengi fashion.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: During the Cold Open, the Defiant was loudly pretending to be critically wounded (sending out distress signals, taking their phasers offline, setting their shields to 30%, and venting warp core plasma behind them) to lure out Dominion ships so a nearby cloaked Rotarran can take them out.
