History Recap / StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E19TiesOfBloodAndWater

Kira is abuzz with excitement for the arrival of Tekeny Ghemor, from "[[{{Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E05SecondSkin}} Second Skin]]." Dax explains to Worf that the pair met when the Obsidian Order kidnapped Kira and tried to convince them both that she was Ghemor's daughter. They've kept in touch, and Ghemor's criticism of Dukat's military regime has made it too dangerous to stay on Cardassia. Ghemor and Kira greet each other warmly as surrogate daughter and father. Kira looks forward to Ghemor using his influence to become the leader of the Cardassian resistance, but Ghemor reveals that he's too ill with Yarim Fel syndrome and will die soon. Instead, he wants Kira to participate in the Shri-tal ritual, in which a dying Cardassian reveals their closest secrets to a family member. Kira is the closest thing he's got. After some consideration, Kira agrees.

* YouAreNumberSix: Weyoun explains that the clone Sisko met in "To The Death" was the fourth incarnation whereas he is the fifth.

As Ghemor receives treatment in sick bay, he begins dishing all the hot goss on the Cardassian bigwigs that he's got. Kira can't help but flash back to tending to her real father on his death bed in a Bajoran cave, shot by Cardassians. But their plans haven't gone unnoticed. Gul Dukat arrives in a huge Dominion warship and demands that Ghemor be turned over. Sisko refuses but allows Dukat and his attache Weyoun to meet with him. Dukat tells Ghemor that he knows where his true daughter, Iliana, is located, but Ghemor doesn't believe him and refuses all their other gambits to lure him back to Cardassia. Before leaving, Dukat gives Kira a PADD proving that Ghemor served in the military operation that killed her father.

* HopeSpot: Ghemor's arrival on the station is one for Kira. Ghemor's still one of the leaders of the Cardassian dissident movement and even on the run he's still popular and liked by the Cardassian populace. So, Kira rightly concludes he's the perfect man to lad a Cardassian government-in-exile to oppose Dukat and the Dominion occupation. It's, however, a short-lived hope once Ghemor reveals he's terminally ill.

* HoistByTheirOwnPetard: Cardassia's long history of strained diplomatic relations with the Federation bites Dukat in the ass when he first tries to get Ghemor by legally extraditing him. Sisko cheerfully reminds Dukat that the pre-Dominion Cardassian government ''never'' formalized extradition treaties with Earth or Bajor. So, he ain't getting Ghemor back ''that'' way (not that it would've worked for Dukat anyway, as the Federation officially refuses to recognize the new Domiminon-backed regime as a legitimate government).

* BittersweetEnding: Ghemor dies never reuniting with his daughter (or even knowing for sure if she's still alive), Kira learned he was a soldier in the occupation and probably killed Bajorans like any other Cardassian, and Dukat plans to "announce" to Cardassia that he admitted he was wrong on his deathbed and died supporting the Dominion. But Ghemore was able to die with dignity in the presence of the closest thing he had to family, Kira was able too come to terms with her grief and guilt for her father's death, and Ghemor turned over a substantial amount of intelligence on Cardassia to the Federation that will surely be useful.

* HoistByTheirOwnPetard: Cardassia's long history of strained diplomatic relations with the Federation bites Dukat in the ass when he first tries to get Ghemor by legally extraditing him. Sisko cheerfully reminds Dukat that the pre-Dominion Cardassian administrations ''never'' formalized an extradition treaty with Earth (or with Bajor). So, he ain't getting Ghemor back ''that'' way (not that it would've worked for Dukat anyway, as the Federation officially refuses to recognize the new Domiminon-backed regime as a legitimate government).