While packing, Kira is surprised by the arrival of Dukat, who was demoted by his superiors and disowned by his family after returning to Cardassia with his illegitimate half-Bajoran daughter Ziyal. His new job is to carry freight and escort people (including Kira) but he doesn't blame her or Ziyal and feels he will soon get his rank back.
On the freighter, Kira reunites with Ziyal, who has been getting along well with Dukat but having trouble fitting in on Cardassia, what with the whole bastard half-breed thing and all. A battle drill cuts short their conversation, and they arrive at the bridge soon enough to watch Dukat blow up an asteroid, but the former gul is grumpy at how ill-prepared his ship and crew are for combat.
That evening, Dukat wines and dines Kira. Dukat is still head-over-heels in love with Kira as ever, and soon the conversation drifts to Kira's love life with Bareil and Shakaar. Although Kira respects Dukat more now that he's spared his daughter, she still cannot forgive his former crimes and loathes the thought of him as a lover. Before things get too awkward, an the alarm sounds again, and this time it isn't a drill.
They're approaching the outpost, but it's been destroyed, with no survivors. A Klingon vessel appears and scans the freighter but doesn't attack. As it starts to move away, Dukat orders his crew to fire on it. Kira thinks this is suicidal, but he fires anyway, and the shot does no appreciable damage. Luckily, the Klingons don't bother to fire back and instead just warp away.
Dukat and Kira are united in their desire for vengeance, but there are no Federation or Cardassian ships nearby. It's up to them. In spite of her earlier caution, Kira thinks like a resistance fighter and comes up with a plan to hunt down the Klingons. She suggests getting rid of the cargo, putting some disruptors from the outpost in there, and repairing them with power from tractor beam. Dukat is impressed and gets excited that this project will bring him and Kira closer.
They make the modifications and test-fire on an asteroid, but the modifications cause all sorts of problems on the ship. Dukat has his crew make repairs. As his crew sets to work, Dukat imagines that taking out the Klingons will restore his reputation. He also makes another pass at Kira, but she rebuffs him even more strenuously, saying she's only working with him to get revenge. Dukat relents but does not give up.
Kira gives Ziyal combat training, teaching her about various energy rifles. In the process, Ziyal tries to broach the subject of her father and stand up for him, saying that his past crimes haunt him and that he's become a better man. Kira states that his remorse won't take back his actions, and she'll never forgive him. Before things get too heated, they drop the subject and return to weapon training.
Back on the bridge, Dukat and Kira try to anticipate where the Klingons will attack next, and Dukat points to an outpost called Loval. The Klingons' previous targets have all revealed that their intelligence network is sound, so they'll probably know about the secret munitions factory there. They lure in the Klingons by pretending they're helpless and have dilithium. Once the Klingon ship appears and starts to tractor them into transporter range, Dukat orders a salvo from the disruptors, but it only damages the bird of prey. The Klingons return fire, critically damaging the freighter. Improvising, Kira beams herself and Dukat aboard the bird of prey, takes control of its engineers, and uses its transporters to swap the two ships' crews. On the bird of prey, Dukat fires on the freighter, destroying it and all the Klingons on board, which Kira finds excessive.
Dukat's success has restored his reputation on Cardassia, but he's appalled that his people want to seek a diplomatic solution with the Klingons, which he feels is an insult to the empire's former glory. He declares he will fight a one-ship resistance against the Klingons and asks Kira to join him. She refuses but asks his permission to bring Ziyal back to Deep Space Nine to spare her the horrors of war. Dukat agrees, pleased to have Kira once again intertwined in his life. Ziyal and Kira arrive at the station safely, and Kira promises to tell Odo all about it later.
Tropes
- Abhorrent Admirer: Dukat has long since left behind his low-key yearning for Kira and moved on to constant and unwelcome flirtation. Perhaps due to Cardassians' unique views on romance, his appetite for rejection seems inexhaustible.
- Boarding Party: Kira and Dukat beam aboard the Klingon Bird of Prey to seize control of their transporters and beam the Klingons onto the freighter while bringing Dukat's crew aboard the Bird of Prey.
- Blood Knight: Dukat only gets close to convincing Kira to join him when he offers her a long fight against impossible odds, instead of her padd-punching job on Deep Space Nine.
- Boring, but Practical: Major Kira explains that the Cardassian disruptor rifle lacks many of the Federation phaser rifle's impressive features, but it's simple and reliable, which makes it a better field weapon.
- Break the Haughty: Dukat has been demoted to the captain of a cargo ship, and when he tries to fight the Klingons finds that they consider him Not Worth Killing. He does manage to get his position back by capturing a Bird of Prey with Kira's help, but to his disgust he finds the Cardassian government won't use it. He states his position as a military advisor is meaningless when nobody listens to him.
- Bullying a Dragon: Dukat, knowing full well that his freighter is laughably outmatched, fires on a Bird of Prey. The Klingons considering the puny vessel and its crew as Not Worth Killing is the only reason Dukat's actions didn't get everyone killed.
- Call-Back: This episode reveals the fallout of "Indiscretion." Dukat did promise to let Kira know what happens at the end of that episode.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Dukat's main crewman is Damar, who will play an important role in later seasons.
- Even Evil Can Be Loved: Ziyal adores her father despite his actions during the Occupation.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Dukat never blames Ziyal for his fall from grace and openly treats her as his daughter.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Dukat doesn't blame Ziyal or Kira for his demotion and accepts it was all his fault.
- Expy:
- The comparison between the Federation rifle and the Cardassian rifle sounds an awful lot like the comparison between the M-16 rifle and the AK-47
. Kira even says the Cardassian rifle will fire after you drag it through the mud. - Dukat's freighter once it has installed the disruptor cannon into the cargo bay is basically a space Q Ship.
- The comparison between the Federation rifle and the Cardassian rifle sounds an awful lot like the comparison between the M-16 rifle and the AK-47
- First-Name Basis: Dukat tries to chum up with Kira by addressing her by her given name. Unlike Dukat, Ziyal does have permission to call her Nerys.
- Gunboat Diplomacy: When Dukat's ship gets waylaid by a Klingon ship, its captain K'Temang makes it clear that he's not going to take no for an answer.K'Temang: I'm confiscating your ship and its cargo.
Dukat: On whose authority?
K'Temang: (Slasher Smile) On the authority of the Klingon Empire, and the disruptors I have pointed at your vessel. - Half-Breed Angst: Ziyal's Cardassian peers gave her grief for being half-Bajoran.
- How the Mighty Have Fallen:
- Dukat is now captain of a military supply freighter. His mother has disowned him and his wife has left him — this is Serious Business given the Cardassian emphasis on family.
- Dukat feels that the entire Cardassian Union has fallen dramatically, disgusted at the Detapa Council's preferring to negotiate with the Klingons rather than fight back. He laments that there was once a time when Cardassia was feared, but now, they've become weak, defeated, and afraid. Even Kira, hearing this assessment, is surprised at what's become of the Cardassians.
- I Don't Think That's Such a Good Idea: When Dukat orders Damar to fire on the Klingon vessel, Kira tells him that it's dangerous and may get them killed.
- I Have No Son!: Discussed. Dukat's mom apparently disowned him.
- Improvised Weapon: Kira tells Dukat he's got to start thinking more flexibly. "When you need a hammer and you don't have one, use a pipe!" So they install a ground-based disruptor cannon from the destroyed outpost in the cargo bay. The cargo ship's systems really can't handle firing it either.
- Indy Ploy: Kira improvises a solution to their fight with the Klingon ship.
- Kick The Son Of A Bitch: Kira's ploy has made the Klingons helplessly stranded on the Cardassian freighter, but Dukat decides to blow them up anyway. Kira thinks it was excessive, but no one cries over it.
- Manipulative Bastard: Kira says that Shakaar took her out to dinner and gave her a massage before asking her to volunteer for the liaison meeting with the Cardassians. Dukat in turn enjoys dropping tales of Shakaar's reputation as The Casanova in an attempt to turn Kira against her current beau.
- No-Sell: The first volley from Dukat's freighter can't scratch a bird-of-prey, even when its Deflector Shields are down.
- Not so Dire: Dukat has his freighter crew doing weapons drills on asteroids.
- Not Worth Killing: Dukat gets depressed when the Bird of Prey just flies off after being fired upon, not even bothering to destroy them. Despite this meaning that he and his crew live to fight another day, Dukat's pride is badly bruised by the incident.Dukat: I suppose... to the Klingons... there's no honor in destroying a worthless freighter.
- Pet the Dog: Dukat has lost everything because of Ziyal, but he refuses to hold this against her.
- Power is Sexy: Dukat suggests that Kira, having dated both Vedek Bareil and now First Minister Shakaar, is attracted to powerful men, and this might be a good incentive to get his own rank back. Kira just laughs.
- Reassigned to Antarctica:
- Dukat has gone from being the military advisor to the Cardassian civilian government...to captain of a supply freighter.
- Dukat has this planned for his estranged wife's new beau, Gul Marratt. He tells Kira that once he's regained his former authority, Marratt will be assigned to the Cardassian embassy on Breen.I hear it's bitter cold on Breen. And we Cardassians do despise the cold.
- Shock and Awe: Kira kicks a Klingon into a sparking instrument panel.
- Skewed Priorities: Rather than consider himself lucky to be alive after attacking a Bird of Prey, Dukat is more insulted by the Klingons deeming his freighter Not Worth Killing.
- Snark-to-Snark Combat: Dukat can't help making some snide comments about Shakaar, but Kira doesn't let him get to her.
- Take No Prisoners: After beaming the Klingons to his own vessel, Dukat blows it up.Kira: Was that necessary?Dukat: You're the terrorist. You tell me.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Dukat delivers one on his own species when the Detapa Council opts for a diplomatic solution.Dukat: There was a time when the mere mention of my race inspired fear. And now... we're a beaten people. Afraid to fight back because we're afraid to lose what little is left.Kira: That's not the Cardassians I know.Dukat: What Cardassians? Don't you see, Major? They're paralyzed. They're beaten and defeated. I am the only Cardassian left, and if no one else will stand against the Klingons, I will.
- This Is Unforgivable!Kira: What your father wants is forgiveness. And that's one thing I can never give him.
- Uncertain Doom: There are no life signs at the outpost, so Dukat and Kira presume everyone's dead, but some of them may have left.
- Vehicular Turnabout: Dukat seizes control of a bird-of-prey and begins using it in his own war against the Klingons.
- Villainous Valor: Dukat is willing, even eager to take the fight to the Klingons despite the odds being drastically against him.
- Vomit Discretion Shot: After Dr Bashir injects Kira with a vaccine, warning her that it'd make her nauseous, she runs off saying she'll "be right back".
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Ziyal, to the point that she wants to go into battle with her father. Kira convinces her that staying on DS9 is a safer idea, which Dukat agrees with.
- Your Approval Fills Me with Shame: Kira is understandably not psyched about all the praise she gets from Dukat.
- You Remind Me of X: Kira takes Ziyal with her back to Deep Space Nine, because she reminds Kira of herself at that age, and Kira doesn't want her to go through what she did.
