569 - Strange Bedfellows

Data Stellare Sconosciuta: Worf e Ezri vengono trasportati a bordo di una nave Jem'Hadar, dove la donna changeling e Thot Gor, i leader della nuova alleanza tra il Dominio e i Breen, si preparano a firmare un trattato che porterebbe alla distruzione della Federazione e alla fine della guerra. Damar, tuttavia, ha delle riserve, in quanto alcune concessioni riconosciute a Thot Gor potrebbero mettere Cardassia in serio pericolo. Nel frattempo, Kai Winn e Gul Dukat stringono alleanza per la restaurazione di Bajor.

In questo episodio...

• Muore Weyoun 7 e viene attivato Weyoun 8.
• Worf ed Ezri chiariscono la loro situazione sentimentale.
• Kai Winn passa dalla parte dei Pah-wraiths.

Note

• I nomi (provvisori o definitivi) dei primi due episodi che compongono questo arco vengono usati in astronomia per identificare la parte più chiara (Penumbra) e più scura (Umbra) dell'ombra creata da un'eclisse (Eclipse).

Citazioni

Ezri: I hate to say it... but this is doing wonders for my back. [T:10:02]

Ezri: You can't be serious.
Weyoun: I'm always serious. [T:14:03]

Worf: Leave me!
Ezri: Oh, shut up! [T:21:14]

Worf: You never listen!
Ezri: Look who's talking! [T:21:18]

Ezri: Worf, we're not gods of prophets, we're people. We make mistakes. [T:37:26]

Worf: It appears all we have left to do is to be executed.
Ezri: Sounds like a lazy day to me. [T:38:10]

Worf: Why should we trust you?
Damar: You can either trust me... or you can stay here and be executed.
Ezri: I vote for option one! [T:38:54]

Scene tagliate

Nel teaser, prima della scena di apertura, era prevista la seguente scena:

1    INT. JEM'HADAR BRIDGE

 Continuous from the end of "Umbra." EZRI and WORF
 are facing WEYOUN, DAMAR and the Breen General, THOT
 GOR. N.D. Breen and Jem'Hadar as needed.

     WEYOUN
   Commander Worf... I hope you'll
   accept my deepest sympathies
   regarding the approaching demise
   of the Klingon Empire.

     WORF
   The Klingon Empire will outlive
   the Dominion by many centuries.

     WEYOUN
   Your loyalty to a hopeless cause
   is admirable.
    (turning his
    attention to Ezri)
   You must be Ezri Dax. My
   predecessors -- Weyoun Four and
   Five -- had a high regard for
   your predecessor, Jadzia.

     EZRI
   I assure you, the feeling wasn't
   mutual.

     WEYOUN
   How unfortunate. After all, you
   and I have so much in common.
   We're both merely individual
   links in a long chain.

     EZRI
   And that's where any similarity
   ends...

     WEYOUN
    (sighs)
   I hoped we could have an amicable
   relationship.

Nello script originale, dopo che Ezri e Worf vengono catturati dai soldati cardassiani durante il loro tentativo di fuga, era prevista la seguente scena:

24A  EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL)

 Re-establishing.

24B  INT. QUARK'S - SECOND LEVEL

 Kasidy and Kira are having drinks at a table.

     KASIDY
   ... and I've always wanted to see
   the mountains of Andoria. I know
   there's no way we're going to get
   away before the war's over, but
   after that -- I'm taking my
   husband on a honeymoon even if I
   have to kidnap him to do it.

     KIRA
   I'll help tie him up if that's
   what it takes.

 QUARK comes over to the table with a festive-looking
 bowl of Bajoran food.

     QUARK
   Koganka pudding.

     KASIDY
   I didn't order this.

     QUARK
   Compliments of Ranjen Surfan and
   his wife.
    (whatever)
   It's traditional or something.

 Quark looks across the room and Kasidy follows his
 gaze.

29C  KASIDY'S POV

 An N.D. Ranjen and his Wife raise their glasses in
 silent toast.

24D  RESUME

 Kasidy smiles and waves back at them.

     QUARK
   Enjoy.

 And with that, he EXITS.

     KIRA
    (smiling)
   Better get used to it.

     KASIDY
    (with a rueful
    smile)
   Just call me Mrs. Emissary... Do
   you know I've had complete
   strangers stop me on the
   Promenade and ask me to ask the
   Prophets to bless their children,
   their crops, their homes...

     KIRA
   It must be a little overwhelming.

     KASIDY
   Ridiculous is what it is.
   I don't talk to the Prophets -- I
   don't even believe in the
   Prophets.

 Immediately, Kasidy realizes what she's just said
 and who she's said it to.

     KASIDY
   Not that there's anything wrong
   with believing in the Prophets...

     KIRA
    (smiling, no offense
    taken)
   It's all right

     KASIDY
   It's just that I have my own set
   of beliefs. Beliefs that I was
   brought up with. That's why I
   don't feel right about what Ben
   is asking me to do.
    (off Kira's look)

   He wants me to stand up in front
   of a group of Bajoran women and
   ask the Prophets to give them
   children.

 Kira considers this, then offers:

     KIRA
   My father was never a religious
   man, but once he got married, he
   attended services every day
   because it was important to my
   mother.

     KASIDY
   That's very sweet... I guess I'm
   just afraid that if I do this for
   Ben -- if I start down that road --
   where will it all end? I don't
   want to lose sight of the things
   I believe in.

     KIRA
   I can understand that.

     KASIDY
   I mean, didn't it bother your
   father to do something he didn't
   believe in just because your
   mother did?

     KIRA
   I asked him that once. You know
   what he told me? That that was
   as good a definition of marriage
   as he'd ever heard.

 Kasidy takes a moment to think about Kira's words.
 Just then Quark reappears with another bowl of
 Koganka.

     QUARK
   The Bajoran couple at table four.

 Quark moves off. Kasidy looks down at the plate
 thoughtfully, then looks up to Kira.

     KASIDY
   I love Ben... and I want to make
   him happy. But how much Koganka
   can I eat?

 And as Kasidy contemplates her own question --

Dopo che Ezri e Worf, ricatturati dai cardassiani, litigano per l'ennesima volta e prima della scena in cui i due finalmente si chiariscono, era prevista la seguente scena:

35   EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL)

 Re-establishing.

36   INT. SISKO'S QUARTERS

 A small group of N.D. Bajoran Women has gathered in
 Sisko's living room. They're all sitting in chairs
 which have been arranged for them. Sisko is
 standing before them and trying to put the best face
 on the situation.

     SISKO
   First of all, let me welcome all
   of you to my home.
    (beat)
   Now, I know that many of you had
   requested that my wife conduct
   today's ceremony, but--

 Suddenly the door OPENS and Kasidy ENTERS.

     KASIDY
   Sorry I'm late.

 She walks right up to Sisko and gives him a hug.

     KASIDY
    (sotto)
   You owe me one.

     SISKO
    (sotto)
   I won't forget.

 Sisko steps aside and Kasidy turns to the women.

     KASIDY
   All right, let's see a show of
   hands -- who wants boys?

         CUT TO:

37   INT. INFIRMARY

 Bashir is working at a console when O'Brien ENTERS.

     BASHIR
   You're up early today.

     O'BRIEN
   I didn't get much sleep.

     BASHIR
   Something wrong?

 O'Brien hesitates for a moment and Bashir realizes
 that something's eating at his friend.

     O'BRIEN
   It's about Ezri. And you.

     BASHIR
   I'm not sure I'm following...

     O'BRIEN
   If she does come back -- and I
   hope to god she does -- I don't
   want to see you hurt her.

     BASHIR
    (shocked)
   Hurt her?

     O'BRIEN
   I know you'd never do it
   intentionally.

     BASHIR
   Wait a minute. You make it sound
   like we're involved.

     O'BRIEN
   Would you like to be?

 Bashir tries to shrug off the question with a smile.

     BASHIR
   Are you asking my intentions, old
   boy?

     O'BRIEN
   I suppose I am.

     BASHIR
   She's not your daughter, Miles.

     O'BRIEN
   Well, for some reason, I feel
   protective of her. Maybe it's
   because I spent time with her
   family, maybe it's because I know
   she's had a hard time adjusting
   to being joined.

     BASHIR
   Do you realize that, technically
   speaking, she's older than both
   of us combined?

     O'BRIEN
   Stop avoiding the question. Are
   you interested in her?

 Bashir takes a beat, then finally admits it.

     BASHIR
   I suppose I am sort of...

 O'Brien considers how he wants to handle things for
 a beat.

     O'BRIEN
   She'd be furious if she knew that
   I was in here acting like her
   father, but what the hell.
    (firm)
   Treat her right, or you'll have
   to answer to me. Understood?

 Despite himself, Bashir finds himself feeling a bit
 cowed.

     BASHIR
   Yes, sir.

     O'BRIEN
   All right, then.

 A beat.

     BASHIR
   That was good practice.

     O'BRIEN
   For what?

     BASHIR
   For when Molly grows up.

 The thought is like a kick in O'Brien's stomach.

     O'BRIEN
   Oh, God. Don't even say it.

 O'Brien turns and EXITS, shaking his head against
 the inevitable. Bashir tries to go back to work,
 but after only a moment, his mind wanders away from
 the console in front of him and he sits back in his
 chair, thinking of...