Last time on ''Star Trek - Deep Space Nine''...
We must go into the Gamma Quadrant
and find the leaders of the Dominion, the Founders.
What is wrong with Starfleet? How could they do this to him?
This has been a long time coming.
Starfleet has never been happy with the Constable.
l want him to stay as much as you do, but he has to want to stay.
Ever since we've come into the Gamma Quadrant
l've had this feeling of being drawn somewhere,
to a specific place.
The Omarion Nebula.
The last time l saw the Defiant
she was dead in space and surrounded by Jem'Hadar ships.
- Sisko? Bashir? - l don't know.
Welcome home.
And now the conclusion.
You really are just like me, aren't you?
Yes.
You're saying this is where l'm from?
This is your home.
l wish l could remember it.
lt's understandable that you cannot.
You were still newly formed when you left us.
You mean l was an infant?
An infant, yes.
l suspected as much.
Tell me, do l have any family at all?
Of course.
l'd like to meet them, if that's possible.
You already have.
We are all part of the Great Link.
ls that all of us, or are there others?
Odo, this isn't a police investigation.
- l'm aware of that, Major. - Then stop interrogating these people.
This is the moment you've been waiting for all your life.
Enjoy it.
He really is happy to be here.
Aren't you?
Yes, of course.
lt's just that this is all very sudden.
And you have many questions.
Yes.
Please...
What exactly is this Great Link?
The Link is the very foundation of our society.
lt provides a meaning to our existence.
lt is the merging of form and thought,
the sharing of idea and sensation.
ls something wrong?
l've lived a very solitary life.
That's unfortunate, but necessary as you'll learn in time.
But now that part of your life is over.
- You're home. - What are you doing?
- Take it. - But it's not time.
- He isn't ready. - He's been gone too long.
He needs to remember, if only for a moment.
Don't be afraid.
Odo.
- What have you done to him? - l allowed him to experience the Link.
Odo.
Yes, Major.
Are you all right? What happened?
l'm not sure.
But l know one thing -
she's right.
l am home.
Commander's log, supplemental.
lt's been six days
since we had to abandon the Defiant
after the Jem'Hadar attack.
We still don't know what happened to the rest of the crew.
Doctor Bashir and l have plotted
a course back to the wormhole.
Whether the shuttle can get us there
is questionable at best.
Our engines are failing,
our sensors are barely functioning
and life support systems
are at 20% and dropping.
But other than that
we couldn't be in better shape.
l thought you were sleeping.
From the sound of things l wish l were.
lt could be worse.
l believe you.
ls it a tractor beam?
Could be.
l wish these sensors were working.
Now what?
Don't shoot. We surrender.
- Chief. Dax. - l don't believe it.
We thought you'd been captured.
We had doubts about seeing you again.
We've been searching for you.
What about the others?
No sign of them yet,
but we have ships looking for them.
Our orders are to get you back to DS9.
There are big things happening there.
You're in for a surprise.
This is beautiful.
How long will they make us wait here?
We've only been here a few hours.
l finally return home, and they still treat me like an outsider.
Believe me, you're not the outsider here. l am.
- You? - l'm the one they don't trust, not you.
How perceptive, Major.
lf our history has taught us anything,
it's to avoid contact with solids whenever possible.
Solids?
Our name for mono-forms,
who'll never know the joys of the Great Link.
l don't intend to stay long.
Sisko and the others may have survived. l'll try contacting them.
You can't send any communications from the planet's surface.
They could be traced back here. We value our isolation.
Yes, of course.
Tell me, Odo, have you made good use of the arboretum?
ln what way?
By assuming the various shapes surrounding you.
Why would l do that?
To become a thing is to know a thing.
To assume its form is to begin to understand its existence.
Understand it? How?
Living among the solids has damaged you worse than l realised.
lt has left you ignorant of the gifts you possess.
Then teach me what l need to know.
l'll do what l can.
But in the end...
this is another journey you'll have to make on your own.
When it's over you will be ready to take your place in the Great Link.
Odo.
l'd like to be alone if you don't mind.
All right.
lf you need me, l'll be in the shuttle trying to contact Sisko.
Don't worry. When l was in the resistance
l learned to camouflage subspace messages.
l taught the method to Commander Sisko.
lf anyone intercepts the signal
all they'll read is elevated levels of background radiation.
- Good luck. - You too.
lt appears your mission was an even greater success than we hoped.
So l'm told.
Has the delegation from the Founders arrived?
They're meeting with representatives from the Federation Council
and other Alpha Quadrant alliances.
We're hoping to have a treaty signed within days.
We have you to thank for it.
Lieutenant Dax and Chief O'Brien deserve most of the credit.
The Jem'Hadar handed us over to the Founders.
We convinced them that we were serious about peace.
l suppose the only question is, can we trust them?
lt's a risk, l know,
but the Federation Council and Starfleet Command
believe it's one worth taking.
One of the Founders asked to see you when you arrive on the station.
- Asked to see me? - lf you're not too busy.
l suppose l could spare a few minutes.
Commander Sisko, come in.
l've looked forward to meeting you. l am Borath.
- And you're one of the Founders? - That's correct.
- You seem surprised. - Not really.
Only l hadn't realised until now
that l've already met one of your people.
You're referring to Eris, of course. Yes, she's one of us.
Though she couldn't very well admit it while you were pointing a phaser at her.
l'm glad you're not holding one now.
- Do l need one? - Not at all.
- You seem sceptical. - Can you blame me?
No. l realise you have no reason to trust the Dominion,
but you must understand that we were only trying to defend ourselves.
From what?
We felt threatened by your incursions into the Gamma Quadrant.
And now?
Commander, you risked your life
to bring us a message of peace and friendship.
We chose to accept your offer.
Would you rather we refused?
No.
Good. Because believe me, Commander,
an alliance between the Dominion and the Federation
will be beneficial to both our people.
Doctor, welcome back.
Thank you, Garak. lt's good to be back.
- Business keeping you busy? - The tailoring business?
Or the spy business?
- l'm joking, of course. - Of course.
l've missed you. l've been concerned for your safety.
Lunch hasn't been the same without you.
lt's very kind of you to say so.
Hopefully things will start getting back to normal around here.
- l doubt that very much. - And why is that?
There's a saying on Cardassia, ''Enemies make dangerous friends.''
l fear the Dominion will make a very dangerous friend.
You're referring to the peace talks.
Exactly. These treaty negotiations are a mistake we'll live to regret.
ls that your opinion or the opinion of the Cardassian Central Command?
The former. The Central Command is in favour of this treaty,
which, as far as l'm concerned, only justifies my fears.
l, for one, hope you're worrying about nothing.
Subcommander T'Rul, are you all right?
l'm fine.
l had a disagreement with some Starfleet security officers.
They wouldn't let me speak with the Federation's negotiating team.
- What did you want to talk about? - l wanted to protest the exclusion
of the Romulans from the treaty negotiations.
l wasn't aware they had been excluded.
Every great power has been invited to participate except for us.
There must be some mistake.
The mistake is thinking the Romulans
will allow such a betrayal to go unchallenged.
Believe me, if a treaty is signed without our approval,
it will mean war.
Do you still feel that l'm worrying about nothing, Doctor?
Computer, transmit a subspace signal using a narrow theta band frequency
shifted into a background radiation domain.
Working.
l hope you're out there, Commander.
Unable to transmit signal due to external interference at all frequencies.
ldentify source of interference.
lnterference generated by radiation from a subterranean power source.
Locate power source.
Power source located four kilometres beneath the planet's surface,
coordinates 1 27, mark 3.
Can you identify?
Unable to identify due to an unknown polymetallic substance
within the surrounding rock.
- Any luck, Major? - No.
A power source is interfering with my signal.
- Do you know what it can be? - l haven't a clue.
Are you all right?
l have spent the last two hours shape-shifting.
Rocks, flowers, trees...
l've been everything in that garden.
- And? - And nothing.
l can become a rock all right,
but l have no more of an idea
what it is to be a rock than l did before.
l'm not really sure what that means.
l'm not sure either, and that's...unfortunate.
Now, if you'll excuse me, l have to return to my bucket.
Commander. Admiral Nechayev is here to see you.
Send her in.
You asked to see me, Commander?
The Romulans haven't been invited to the peace talks.
- That's correct. - What prompted that decision?
The Founders requested their exclusion.
Why?
They felt the Romulans would be a disruptive influence.
More disruptive than the Cardassians?
They seemed to think so. Do you have a problem with this?
That isn't the point. lt's the Romulans we have to worry about.
Commander, if this treaty is signed, and l'm confident it will be,
we'll never have to worry about the Romulans again.
- Are you sure? - Quite sure.
What chance would they have against the power of our new alliance?
They wouldn't have much of a chance.
l'm glad we agree.
The Federation carefully weighed all the options
before entering into these peace talks.
l realise that.
Then we have nothing further to discuss, do we?
Why do you dislike humanoids so much?
They have their flaws, but many of them are kind, decent people.
- Like Major Kira? - Yes, like Major Kira.
Then you've been more fortunate than most changelings.
- Changelings? - You recognise the term?
l've been called a changeling on occasion.
lt's a name given to us by the solids.
They meant it as an insult,
but in defiance we took it and made it our own.
Go on, please.
The Great Link tells us that many years ago our people roamed the stars,
searching out other races, so we could add to our knowledge of the galaxy.
We went in peace,
but too often we were met with suspicion, hatred and violence.
Why?
The solids feared our metamorphic abilities.
We were beaten, hunted and killed.
Finally we arrived here.
And here, safe in our isolation, we made our home.
Tell me, why was l sent away?
Even in our isolation we desired to learn more about the galaxy.
You were one of 1 00 infants sent off to gain that knowledge for us.
How could you be sure that we'd find our way back here?
You had no choice.
The urge to return home was implanted in your genetic makeup.
Now, thanks to the passageway, you're the first one to return to us.
- We weren't expecting you so soon. - When were you expecting me?
Not for another 300 years.
How long was l away?
A long time.
But now all that matters is that you're here.
lt's different than l imagined it would be.
Whatever you imagined, l promise it will be better.
Odo, are you here?
Odo, l'm going to try to track the source of the interference.
lf l can't find it and neutralise it,
l'm going to have to leave here and try to find Sisko and the others.
l'm really glad you made it home, Odo.
l know everything is going to work out just fine.
l don't believe it. l'm talking to a tree.
You're probably not even here, are you?
Why would shape-shifters need a door?
Kira to computer.
Scan the area dead ahead of me for 1 00 metres.
Unable to penetrate due to interference.
Excuse me.
Pardon me.
After you.
Look out. Coming through.
Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen.
That's two synthales, on the house.
What's put you in such a good humour?
l have inside information that the peace agreement is about to be finalised.
Did you get this information from a friend on the Federation Council?
lf you must know, l overheard two Jem'Hadar officers.
- And you believed them? - l don't see why not.
l know we got off to a rocky start, but they're not so bad, really.
- l think they have the gene. - What gene?
The gambling gene. They've been on the station a week,
and they can't drag themselves away from the dabo table.
How fortunate for you.
How fortunate for all of us.
You see, l have a dream.
A dream that one day all people,
human, Jem'Hadar, Ferengi, Cardassians,
will stand together in peace around my dabo tables.
- You're a regular visionary, Quark. - l am, aren't l?
You're in my way.
Sorry.
Now look...
Gentlemen, please. Remember my vision?
That's enough.
All right, what's going on here?
He addressed me in a disrespectful tone.
- That's a lie. - Easy, Doctor. We're all friends here.
Tell him that.
- l'll see this doesn't happen again. - l expect you will.
ls that it? You're just going to let him walk away?
Our orders are to give the Jem'Hadar a wide berth.
He attacked Chief O'Brien. We have rules against that sort of thing.
l'm aware of station regulations. However, the Jem'Hadar are not.
We have to allow them to get used to our customs.
ln the meantime, they're free to do whatever they want?
Remember that before you get into another brawl with them.
Dad, pass me the potatoes.
Dad?
- Yes, Jake. - The potatoes?
- Dad, is something wrong? - Not really.
l'm just a little preoccupied, that's all.
- lt's these Dominion negotiations. - What about them?
lt's all happening behind closed doors.
l guess l just feel out of the loop.
- There's something going on. - Like what?
You tell me.
Come in.
- Benjamin, did you know about this? - Know about what?
l'm being transferred to the Lexington. l'm their new Science Officer.
- There must be some mistake. - The orders are right here.
Let me see this.
l don't believe it.
- Bashir to Sisko. - Go ahead, Doctor.
Commander, l need to talk to you about the Jem'Hadar.
l want to know what is going on.
l don't appreciate your barging in here.
l want to know why my Science Officer's been transferred,
why my Chief of Operations is lying in the infirmary
while the Jem'Hadar who beat him walks the station,
and why the Federation is risking a war with the Romulans
to form an alliance with people we hardly know and barely trust.
- Are you finished? - l haven't even begun.
Admiral, you should tell Commander Sisko what he wants to know.
All right. l suppose he deserves to be the first to hear the news.
- What news? - We are pulling out of this sector.
All Starfleet personnel on DS9 will be reassigned to other posts.
- Yourself included. - What about Bajor?
Our plans for Bajor are on hold for the time being.
Bajor will be the Dominion's responsibility.
They'll run this station.
- The Bajorans have agreed to this? - They'll have no objections.
And if they do object, what then? You send them the Jem'Hadar?
The Jem'Hadar are used only against our enemies.
Bajor will be protected, Commander. We'll see to it.
What about the wormhole? Will they get to protect that too?
lt's the price of peace.
Well, if you ask me, the price is too damned high.
What is the Federation supposed to get out of all this?
Our friendship. lsn't that enough?
And you, Benjamin, get a promotion. Captain Sisko.
lt's a step toward that admiralcy you've always wanted.
l want to speak to the negotiating team before this treaty is signed.
lt's too late for that. The treaty was signed late this afternoon.
lt's the beginning of a new era, Commander.
And you helped make it possible. Congratulations.
Odo.
- l've been waiting for you. - Major.
l have just had the most remarkable experience.
For a few moments l actually felt
what it was like to be an Arbazon vulture.
The air currents beneath my wings,
the exhilaration of soaring above the treetops...
lt was all very stimulating.
- l'm so happy for you. - l know you are.
So, l guess this means you'll be staying here a while?
l've enjoyed working with you, Major.
l've enjoyed working with you too, Odo.
But before we say goodbye, l need your help one last time.
Certainly.
Remember that power source?
The one preventing you from contacting Commander Sisko.
- l've found it. - What did it turn out to be?
l couldn't tell. A door was blocking my path.
- l need you to help me open it. - What kind of door?
lt's composed of a metal that the tricorder couldn't identify.
Other than that it's an ordinary door.
That's odd. My people have no need for doors.
- They dislike taking humanoid form. - l know.
Then who could be using it?
Commander. l was hoping to see you before you left.
l wanted to tell you how impressed l've been with you
during the past two years.
You've run this station with strength, dignity and compassion.
Well done.
Thank you, Mr Garak.
l'm sure you'll be back before long.
Though from what l've heard, it'll be to fight against Bajor.
l've heard the same rumours.
That Bajor has forged a pact with the Romulans
to stand against the Jem'Hadar and their allies.
The Bajorans have fought for their freedom before.
lt makes sense that they'd fight for it again.
- So much for my ''peace'' mission. - Do l detect bitterness in your voice?
l wouldn't be surprised.
lf it means anything to you,
l happen to share your feelings about this Dominion treaty.
l've thought about it a great deal, and the only explanation l can find
is that our leaders have simply gone insane.
lt seems that way.
Unfortunately, there's nothing you or l can do about it.
l suppose not.
After all, you have your orders, and as for me,
l wouldn't dream of opposing the wishes of the Central Command.
A pity.
l agree...
that it's a pity.
l thought you would.
Mr Garak, l never knew we thought so much alike.
Life is full of surprises, Commander.
Commander Sisko!
There she is.
No.
- Can l help you? - We're here to see Commander Sisko.
- No one can see him. - We're here on urgent business.
Talk to Admiral Nechayev. She's in charge until the Jem'Hadar...
l'm afraid you have a loose thread right here.
l'm sorry, but we are pressed for time.
- l'll get Sisko. - Doctor, if you'd take his legs.
lf l didn't know better, l'd say you were enjoying yourself.
After years of hemming dresses,
a little action is a welcome change of pace.
l hope you'll still say that in an hour.
We need to get our hands on a runabout.
lt's already taken care of, Benjamin.
The Chief is waiting for us at landing pad C
with photon torpedoes.
How did you know we'd need photon torpedoes?
You want the Dominion to stay on their side of the galaxy.
We must collapse the entrance to the wormhole.
This means the end of our Starfleet careers.
l wouldn't worry about that.
- That's easy for you to say. - You misunderstand me.
lt's foolish to worry about your careers at a time like this,
when there's a good chance we're about to be killed.
lnteresting. Judging by this locking mechanism,
the purpose of this door is not to keep people out,
but rather to keep whatever's on the other side in.
Do you think you can get it open?
We'll see.
- Halt. Put down your weapons. - l have them.
By all means, do as they say.
- Garak? - You heard me, Doctor.
l'm glad the plan is going as scheduled.
- What plan is that? - You mean no one told you?
You see, l pretend to be their friend,
and then l shoot you.
- Well done, Garak. - Just something l read once in a book.
l'm sure.
Garak!
Doctor, l'm afraid l won't be able to have lunch with you today.
We've got to go. Come on.
- Move it, Lieutenant. - l'm right behind you.
- Get us out of here, Chief. - What about Garak?
- He's not coming. - l see.
Hang on. We'll reach the wormhole in 30 seconds.
Prepare to launch photon torpedoes.
We're being hailed. lt's Admiral Nechayev.
l'm ordering you to stand down. Return to the station immediately.
l have to refuse that order.
Please, don't make us send the Jem'Hadar after you.
Go ahead.
But warn them not to expect any reinforcements for about 70 years.
- Attack pattern theta. Hard aport. - Yes, sir.
Step back, Major.
Please, come in.
Commander?
- They can't hear you. - What have you done to them?
- Nothing harmful, just an experiment. - What kind of experiment?
To see their response to an attempt by the Dominion
to gain a foothold into the Alpha Quadrant.
We were curious to see how much they'd sacrifice to avoid a war.
What have you found out?
They're proving to be just as stubborn as l'd feared.
- l'm glad to hear it. - You are?
Well, that is a problem.
But, thankfully, it's not one l have to solve.
But l do.
l don't understand. You knew about this?
- Yes. - But how could you allow it?
You belong to the Dominion, don't you?
Belong to it? The changelings are the Dominion.
You're the Founders.
lronic, isn't it?
The hunted now control the destinies of hundreds of other races.
Why control anyone?
Because what you can control can't hurt you.
Many years ago we set ourselves the task
of imposing order on a chaotic universe.
ls that what you call it? lmposing order? l call it murder.
What you call it is no concern of ours.
How do you justify the deaths of so many people?
The solids have always been a threat.
That's all the justification we need.
These solids have never harmed you.
They travel the galaxy in order to expand their knowledge.
- Just as you once did. - The solids are nothing like us.
No, l suppose they're not.
And neither am l.
l've devoted my life to the pursuit of justice,
but justice means nothing to you, does it?
lt's not justice you desire, Odo, but order. The same as we do.
We can help you satisfy that desire in ways the solids never could.
You will understand once you've taken your place in the Great Link.
No.
l admit this Link of yours is appealing.
But, you see, l already have a link with these people.
Remove those devices and bring them their combadges.
We can't allow them to leave.
And l can't allow you to keep them here. They're leaving.
And so am l.
lt's taken you many years to find your way back home.
Are you really leaving it again so soon?
Unless you stop me.
No changeling has ever harmed another.
Whatever you do to them you're going to have to do to me.
- They're free to go. - Thank you.
The next time, l promise you, we will not be so generous.
Major?
- Constable? - What happened to the Rio Grande?
We collapsed the wormhole.
l was shot by some Jem'Hadar soldier.
l'm sure it all seemed very real, but you've been here
since the Jem'Hadar brought you here from the Defiant.
- What is going on here? - Your ship is in orbit.
- You may transport back to it. - l'll be along shortly.
- l'll see that he gets back to the ship. - Another shape-shifter.
You must leave now. l'll explain everything later.
l'll look forward to it.
Sisko to Defiant. Five to beam up.
l hope that one day you'll return to us, Odo,
and take your rightful place within the Dominion.
l don't think that's possible.
Your link to the solids won't last.
You will always be an outsider.
Being an outsider isn't so bad.
lt gives one a unique perspective.
lt's a pity you've forgotten that.
Then perhaps one day l'll come visit you.
The Alpha Quadrant seems wracked with chaos.
lt could use some order.
lmposing your type of order on the Alpha Quadrant
may prove more difficult than you imagine.
We are willing to wait until the time is right.
We will miss you, Odo,
but you will miss us even more.
Odo?
Ready, Major.
Kira to Defiant.
Two to beam up.

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