History Recap / StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS07E09Covenant

Ezri, Bashir, and Odo are sitting at Quark's, having a pleasant chat. Kira, in high spirits after the service at the Bajoran shrine, joins them. They talk about the subject of the sermon -- the importance of forgiveness -- and Odo expresses regret that he is unable to share the sense of faith that is obviously so important to her. Maybe Odo could give Klingon religion a try, Ezri suggests? Nah. Odo doesn't eat, so how could he devour the hearts of his enemies?

Later, Kira is pleasantly surprised by a visit from Vedek Fala, one of her favorite teachers from when she was young. He's brought her a gift: a tiny gemstone. When Kira holds it in her hands, it transports her to Empok Nor, the abandoned sister station to [=DS9=]. Only it isn't abandoned anymore. She is greeted by several Bajorans, whom Kira recognizes as Pah-wraith cultists, and their leader... [[WhamShot Dukat]].

He apologizes for kidnapping her and gives her the Pah-wraith sales pitch, claiming that they are the true, benevolent gods of Bajor, and that he is a changed man who only wants to carry out their plan. Kira is not at all receptive to these claims, least of all coming from him.

->'''Kira:''' I don't know whether you believe what you're saying, or if you're faking it, or if you're just insane.

[[BrokenPedestal She is especially angry at Fala]], who admits that he has been a part of the cult since long before Dukat arrived. He believes fully in their new leader's sincerity, whatever his past crimes, and insists that they do not deserve their reputation for violence and hate. He encourages Kira to stay (not that she has a choice) and learn more.

Her first introduction is to Benyan and Mika, a young couple who are expecting a child soon. Mika is friendly to Kira, though Benyan seems more wary. If she had any doubts about their loyalty to Dukat, they are soon dispelled. During a service on the promenade, Kira swipes a phaser from an armed cultist and aims it at Dukat. Benyan and several others are quick to interpose themselves to protect him.

Still, there are cracks showing in his CultOfPersonality. The first appears rather suddenly when Mika goes into labor and gives birth... to a [[ChocolateBaby half-Cardassian baby]]. [[OhCrap Dukat's face says it all]]. He tries to play it off as a miracle from the Pah-wraiths. Most of them buy it, including Fala, but it's clear that Benyan is holding on to some serious doubts, which Kira is ready to press him on.

->'''Kira:''' Obviously Dukat did the right thing in giving his permission for you to have a baby.\\
'''Benyan:''' We prayed together many times. He wanted to be sure.\\
'''Kira:''' Did you ever pray with him alone?\\
'''Benyan:''' Yes.\\
'''Kira:''' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion Did Mika?]]\\
'''Benyan:''' ...Yes.

Mika is also having trouble sharing in the lie. In private with Dukat, though he acts pious and regretful over his "mistake", he is quick to stick her in the airlock after she expresses doubts about her ability to keep up their charade. Unfortunately for him, Kira and Fala arrive moments later and rescue her before she suffocates.

Dukat is in a bind now. It's too late for him to finish the job and Mika is sure to give him up once she regains consciousness. His solution is to announce a suicide pact with his followers, whom he claims have been invited by the Pah-wraiths to shed their corporeal forms in their service. He has some [[CyanidePill promazine pills]], a product of the Obsidian Order made for captured spies, that are perfect for the occasion.

Kira is convinced by now that Dukat [[BelievingTheirOwnLies really thinks he's the good guy]], but she knows better than to think he's honest about actually committing suicide. During the final ceremony, she tackles Dukat from the upper level, spilling the tray of promazine pills in the process. The one he was about to swallow gets lost in the pile, which seems to distress him a great deal.

Everyone calms down when they realize no one was hurt. Fala brings Dukat a fresh pill, but it seems he's had a sudden change of heart...

->'''Kira:''' What's wrong, Dukat? Take it! They're all the same, aren't they?

Dukat has at last run out of explanations. He makes a few perfunctory appeals, but it's clear that his followers have turned on him. Under a tide of angry jeers, he flees in a rage by activating a transporter. Only Fala has remained silent, and despite (or perhaps because of) what has just happened, swallows his pill before Kira can stop him. All he says by way of explanation, as he dies in her arms, is "Faith..."

What he meant by that, Kira will never know for certain. The ''Defiant'' arrives to rescue Kira and repatriate the cultists, but even seeing Odo again is small relief. Dukat, she knows, is still out there, twisted by his new faith and more dangerous than ever.

* NeverMyFault: Dukat continues to trot out his position that he was a good governor of Bajor and that he protected Bajorans from the worst of the Occupation and that he is actually a good man. Also, when Kira points out a Pah-Wraith cultist attempted to kill Sisko, he claims to have had nothing to do with it.

* PetTheDog: Dukat promises Kira he'll contact [=DS9=] to pick her up after his cult commits suicide.

* CreepyChild: During production, the showmakers decided an animatronic baby would be less trouble than a real one. And decided to hire, of all people, the creators of ''[[Film/ChildsPlay Chucky]]'' to make it. The results were predictably creepy. And a real baby was used in the end.

* AgreeToDisagree:

* BrokenPedestal: Kira can't believe that Vedek Fala turned his back on the Prophets after preaching the faith in the refugee camps.

* ConvertingForLove: Odo seriously considers taking up the Bajoran faith with Kira.

* TheExtremistHasAPoint: Dukat questions Kira on why the Prophets never intervened to stop the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. And while Kira can't offer any answer past "They always have a plan for us", he is correct in saying if they'd wanted to, the Prophets had the power and means to stop Cardassian atrocities within weeks if they had chosen to act.

** Dukat's flock turns on him when they realise his "suicide pact" only applies to them.

** Kira mentions [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS07E01ImageInTheSand the Pah-Wraith cultist who tried to kill Sisko]].

* DontCreateAMartyr: After a failed attempt to kill Dukat, Kira decides to let him live long enough for him to be exposed as a fraud.
* DrinkingTheKoolAid: Dukat has the people of Empok Nor following him obediently and unwaveringly, right up until Kira revealed that he planned to trick them all into killing themselves while escaping scot-free. And even then, Vedek Fala still believes so much that he killed himself.

* HaveYouToldAnyoneElse: Not only does the mother admit she hasn't told anybody the truth, she also [[TooDumbToLive confesses that she doesn't think she can lie to her husband. While standing alone with Dukat in an airlock]]...
* HistoryRepeats: Dukat's CultColony is an idealized version of the Bajoran Occupation, with him serving as the kindly "master" of a new Terok [=Nor/Deep=] Space Nine with a flock of loyal Bajorans who worship him as their [[DarkMessiah Emmissary of the Pah-Wraiths]]. But just like the original Occupation, his affair with a married Bajoran woman produces a secret half-Cardassian [[ChocolateBaby love child]] that he attempts to cover up with [[MurderIsTheBestSolution a murder]], which ends up dragging him down, exposing him as a self-obsessed tyrant, and ends with him running away in disgrace.
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: Dukat tries to murder his mistress Mika in an airlock, lest she reveal their affair to her husband and the rest of the flock. When that fails, he convinces his followers to commit mass suicide before she recovers, lest they turn against him.

* PetTheDog: Dukat contacts [=DS9=] to have them pick up Kira after his cult commits suicide.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: As Dukat's plans go belly-up right before his eyes, he teleports off the station in a huff.

Later, Kira is pleasantly surprised by a visit from Vedek Fala, one of her favorite teachers from when she was young. He's brought her a gift: a tiny gemstone. When Kira holds it in her hands, it transports her to Empok Nor, the abandoned sister to [=DS9=]. Only it isn't abandoned anymore. She is greeted by several Bajorans, whom Kira recognizes as Pah-wraith cultists, and their leader... [[WhamShot Dukat]].

* ChocolateBaby: [[BlatantLies Dukat tells his followers that the half-Cardassian baby is a sign from the Pah-Wraiths]].

* HaveYouToldAnyoneElse: Not only does the mother admit she hasn't told anybody the truth, she also [[TooDumbToLive confesses that she doesn't think she can lie to her husband. While standing alone with Dukat in an airlock]].

* TheExtremistHasAPoint: Dukat questions Kira on why the Prophets never intervened to stop the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. And while Kira can't offer any answer past religious mumbo-jumbo, he is correct in saying if they'd wanted to, the Prophets had the power and means to stop Cardassian atrocities within weeks if they had chosen to act.

[[caption-width-right:350:Dukat tries a new evil plan: Televangelism.]]

An old friend of Kira's takes her by surprise by transporting her to Empok Nor, where she finds Dukat has gathered members of the cult of the Pah Wraiths.

* PetTheDog: Dukat contacts DS-9 to have them pick up Kira after his cult commits suicide.

** Dukat reminds Kira of [[recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS06E17WrongsDarkerThanDeathOrNight his relationship with her mother]].

* DrivenToSuicide: One of the cultists willingly swallows his promazine pill, even though it's been revealed that Dukat is a fraud.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: As Dukat's plans go belly-up right before his eyes, he teleports off the station in a huff.

* PetTheDog: Dukat contacts DS-9 to have them pick up Kira after his cult commits suicide.

* HaveYouToldAnyoneElse: Not only does the mother admit she hasn't told anybody the truth, she also [[TooDumbToLive confesses that she doesn't think she can lie to her husband. While standing alone with Dukat in an airlock]].

* HaveYouToldAnyoneElse: Not only does the mother admit she hasn't told anybody the truth, she also [[TooDumbToLive confesses that she doesn't think she can lie to her husband]].