Battle Lines

In Sisko’s office, Dax and O’Brien show the Commander several files that were just found in the computer… they had easy encryption to break, so they assume the Cardassians wanted them to be found. O’Brien suggests to warn Kira about hers, but she walks in half way through the conversation and everyone leaves to let her review it.

Bashir calls Sisko from a docking port… the Kai has arrived on the station to take SIsko up on a tour of the station. Kira comes marching out of the office, “a minor operative… left to running errands”!

On the Promenade, Bashir, Sisko and Kira follow Kai Opaka as she leaves the Bajoran temple. She walks to a viewport and while looking out to the stars she seems very preoccupied. Sisko offers her a ride in a runabout, and they depart for the Gamma Quadrant.

Once on the other side, Opaka insists they explore a little bit before returning. Conveniently an odd subspace signal comes in, and after some insisting from Opaka, Sisko agrees to investigate.

Arriving, they detect lifesigns but have to get closer to identify them. A satellite attacks the runabout and they crash on the surface. Unfortunatley, the Kai does not survive. After a brief moment of moarning, the officers are captured by a group known of the Enis.

The leader of the Enis explains that two groups, the other being the Nol-Enis, were brought here to demonstrate the futility of war for the homeworld. In a moment with Kira, that demonstrates what Bashir will become, Bashir lends a sympathetic ear to the Bajoran’s devastation.

Sisko and Bashir agree to lend medical aid in exchange for protection. Suddenly, the Nol-Enis attack and almost everyone is killed. Kira picks up a phaser and drives the attackers away. After looking over the devastation, Kai Opaka walks into the cave! Bashir can’t explain it, and then the Enis begin to stir and wake up too.

In another runabout, Dax and O’Brien search for the missing team. They track power readings, that could only be Starfleet, to a binary star system. On the moon, Bashir discovers that there are microbs in the atmosphere… he heads back to the runabout to try and get the computer on-line to analyse readings.

The Enis agree to try and establish a truce with the Nol-Enis, while Kira try to explain her past to the Kai. She does most of the talking, and breaks down when she realises that violence has consumed her… it’s all Kira has known since she was a child.

Back in the runabout, now in the system – with dozens of planets and moons – Dax and O’Brien are searching for a needle in a haystack when they discover more power readings from a moon orbiting the third planet.

On the moon, Bashir has the computer on-line and he confirms that the microbs are artificial. As the Enis gather to meet the Nol-Enis…the leader of the Enis tells the Nol-Enis leader that Sisko has agreed to take them away from the moon. But, the meeting goes nowhere as neither leader trusts the other… leading to another battle.

Diving to save Sisko from a spear to the head, Bashir tells him that they cant afford to die even once. In the runabout, a satelite makes a run at them but O’Brien manages to evade it. While he figures out a way to make contact with the surface, Bashir explains that the microbs are designed for this environment only – and that after only one death the body becomes dependant on them.

O’Brien makes contact with Sisko, who explains they are working on a way to beam them up… the Enis wake up and begin to move back into the cave. Inside, Sisko explains the situation.

Kai Opaka decides that her place is on the moon, with her last words to Sisko being “our paghs will cross again…” and then Sisko, Bashir and Kira are beamed up.