Post by magicmuggle01 on Feb 22, 2019 10:48:14 GMT
During a supply run to AR-558, Sisko finds the defending Starfleet unit with over two thirds of the troops dead and the remaining soldiers' morale extremely low. When the Defiant comes under attack, Sisko, Bashir, Dax, Nog, and Quark choose to remain on the planet, which is about to come under attack by a much larger contingent of Jem'Hadar soldiers.
Summary
In Vic's lounge, Rom auditions for a "gig", singing "The Lady is a Tramp" – and not very well. Vic tries to let him down easy, reminding Rom that a singer would be a poor opening act for another singer. Dr. Bashir enters the lounge, and retrieves a recording Vic has made for him to give to the Starfleet soldiers on AR-558.
Meanwhile, Odo finds Captain Sisko in the wardroom, where Sisko is looking over the ever-growing list of casualties from the Dominion War. He mentions to Odo that at the start of the war, he tried to memorize the names of the fallen, as if to pay tribute to them, but as the list grew, the names seemed to blur together. Kira interrupts them over the comm to inform Sisko that the USS Defiant is ready.
Quark mopes in the mess hall of the Defiant, wondering why Grand Nagus Zek would want him to go on a "fact-finding mission" to the front lines of the war. Ezri tries to comfort him, believing the Nagus wants a Ferengi perspective of the war. Unfortunately, her efforts to cheer him up are in vain, and even more so as the Defiant shakes from Dominion fire. Ezri rushes to the bridge, but Quark follows after her, not wanting to be alone. He runs into Worf, who tells him that the Dominion is pushing hard to reclaim the Chin'toka system from Federation control.
Quark nervously enters the bridge behind Worf, just as the Defiant succeeds in destroying a Jem'Hadar fighter with quantum torpedoes. Sisko tells Miles O'Brien to keep an eye out for more enemy ships. Once the immediate threat is over, Quark's presence on the bridge becomes rather obvious, and he quickly excuses himself. Embarrassed, Nog assures Sisko that his uncle will not disrupt their work again.
When the Defiant reaches AR-558, Sisko relinquishes command to Worf and he, Ezri, Bashir, Quark, and Nog beam down to the planet's barren surface, armed with phaser rifles. Once there, they come under immediate phaser fire.
Act One
The phaser fire is Federation, and stops when the ranking Starfleet officer, Lieutenant Nadia Larkin, orders her men to hold their fire. One of them, Vargas, who believes they are all doomed, is a bit of a hothead and mistook Sisko's party for Jem'Hadar. Sisko is surprised at the state of the garrison: the troops have been stranded for five months (when regulations require forces to be rotated off the front line every ninety days), without reinforcements or supplies. Of the original one hundred fifty soldiers, only 43 are left. The other 107, including Captain Loomis and the XO, Commander Parker, have been killed in action.
After seeing to the garrison's most serious injuries, Bashir pulls Sisko aside and warns that the soldiers' health, not to mention their morale, are both dangerously fragile. In the cave the Starfleet forces are defending, Larkin shows Sisko the object of all the fighting: a captured Dominion communication array which, if the engineers can figure out how it works, would allow the Federation to tap into enemy comm traffic all over the sector. As they talk, a muffled explosion is heard, and Larkin curses as another of her men is claimed by a "Houdini," Dominion anti-personnel mines that hide in subspace and appear at random. They have been trying to find a way to expose or eliminate them, without success. Reese, one of the most hardened soldiers, acerbically tells the others not to waste their breath explaining their situation to Sisko, who will be leaving the planet with his crew shortly.
When the Defiant is forced to leave while coming under attack by Jem'Hadar fighters, Sisko's conscience kicks in and he informs Worf that they intend to stay. As the commanding officer on the ground, Sisko now has only one order: hold.
Act Two
Sisko orders Ezri to work with one of the few surviving engineers, Crewman Kellin, to find a way of unmasking the mines. Though she is no longer an engineer or science officer, Ezri has the benefit of her previous hosts' experience. She and Kellin quickly get to like each other.
Jem'Hadar soldiers later beam down and attack, but something is wrong; they do not fire, and they seem to walk into the line of enemy volleys, ignorant of their casualties. Sisko orders his men to hold as he realizes the Dominion trickery. Almost immediately, the attackers vanish. The soldiers weren't real; they were holograms intended to assess the enemy strength without firing a shot, and they have just succeeded. Between that and the Houdinis, things are looking grim. Sisko has his hands full trying to shore up the morale of the tired soldiers. Aside, Quark explains to Nog that, for all their civilized ways, Humans can become just as savage as bloodthirsty Klingons, if they go too long without food, sleep, or creature comforts.
Sisko decides it is imperative that they discover the location of the Jem'Hadar encampment and assess their strength. He orders Nog (with his superior Ferengi hearing) to accompany Larkin and Reese on the scouting mission, a decision Quark objects strongly to. Sisko says that Nog is only doing his duty, and Quark retorts that Sisko wouldn't send Jake out there so casually. Sisko responds that his son is not a Starfleet officer, but this argument doesn't convince Quark.
Act Three
Using his lobes, Nog successfully leads the scout team to the Jem'Hadar camp, where two columns of Jem'Hadar are preparing to attack. Hearing the sounds of a patrol, Nog signals for them to withdraw, but as they are returning to camp, they are ambushed by Jem'Hadar. Larkin is killed, and Nog's left leg takes a direct strike below the knee.
Meanwhile, Dax successfully modifies a tricorder to cut through the jamming signals, enough to scan the whole compound. Kellin excitedly takes it and states the next step: recalibrating it to find the mines in subspace. When Dax suggests to cross-link its optronic and isodyne relays, Kellin is further impressed and briefly asks about her experience with nine lifetimes of memories to sort through. Dax relates that she remembers battles from past hosts. He reassures her she'll be fine when the time comes.
Reese runs back to camp carrying the injured Nog, and Quark is stricken to see his nephew wounded. Reese gives credit to Nog for making it as far as they did. When Captain Sisko tries to check on Nog, Quark reveals that he is going to lose his leg.
Act Four
Later, Doctor Bashir is able to successfully remove Nog's leg to prevent further injury, but whether it can be regenerated is unclear; he needs to visit a Starfleet Medical facility.
Quark takes out his fury on Sisko, accusing him of regarding Nog as expendable "cannon fodder." Sisko, equally furious and getting fed up with Quark, retaliates by saying that he cares deeply about the lives of every person under his command, including Nog.
The captain goes to visit Nog in his hospital bed. Nog begins to apologize for falling into the ambush, but Sisko says he has accomplished his mission, and Sisko is very proud of him. He glances at Nog's wound, and Nog reassures him that it doesn't hurt. Then, Nog's confident facade cracks a little bit, and asks Sisko to reassure him that the communications array, for which so many people have died, is really worth it. Sisko says he hopes to God it is.
There is some good news for the officers as Ezri and Kellin find a way to reveal the Houdinis' locations. Once it is put into effect, hundreds of the dreaded killers pop out throughout the defenders' positions. But instead of disarming them, Sisko says he plans to use them against the Jem'Hadar. Based on Reese and Nog's report, the Starfleet forces are hopelessly outnumbered, unless they find a way to even the odds. The irony of the situation is not lost on Ezri: a few hours earlier, the Houdinis were an inhuman weapon, the kind only the Dominion would use; now, with their position so desperate, "they seem a whole lot friendlier."
Reese reports that the Jem'Hadar will need to approach the Federation camp through a narrow ravine, so that is where the mines are placed. Once this is done, Sisko and his crew take position behind the barricades, phasers ready. Trying to relieve some of the tension, Bashir plays Vic's recording of "I'll Be Seeing You" over the sound system. Quark, the only civilian, stays by Nog's side in the makeshift infirmary, doing his best to keep his nephew comfortable.
In the distance, they hear muffled explosions as the Jem'Hadar trip the mines – and then nothing. In the tense silence that follows, Vargas nervously wonders whether the Jem'Hadar have all been killed, or else decided to retreat. But then the Jem'Hadar come charging towards the barricades, yelling war cries. Sisko yells for the Starfleet forces to open fire.
Act Five
Dozens of Jem'Hadar go down under phaser fire, but dozens more jump over the barricades and the battle becomes a desperate melee. Vargas and Kellin are killed. Quark, alone in the infirmary, is the only person available to defend it, and he is forced to kill an enemy soldier with his phaser in defense of Nog. Sisko is knocked out. The last thing he sees is a Jem'Hadar soldier standing over him with a disruptor. When he awakens, Reese is standing over him, asking if he is alive. Sisko gets up and looks around. Many of the officers he knew are now dead, and there are few soldiers left, but as he puts it, "We held."
The Defiant returns to AR-558 along with the USS Veracruz, which will pick up the survivors and transport the injured officers as well as Nog and Bashir to Starbase 371. Worf tells Sisko that they achieved a great victory, however Sisko can only think of what this victory cost. A fresh batch of officers start beaming down from the Veracruz. Reese notes that the newcomers are young, to which Sisko responds that they'll grow up fast.
Back aboard DS9, the next casualty list comes in. When Sisko asks how many, Kira replies the number is 1730, including those lost on AR-558. Kira states that it's "...a lot of names" but Sisko, feeling the weight of his recent experiences, tells her that behind every name is a person and it's important not to forget them or the sacrifice they've made.
Memorable quotes
"You know, pally? Some times being a hologram can be a real pain in the asymmetric photons."
- Vic Fontaine
"Remember the 34th rule of acquisition: War is good for business."
"Only from a distance! The closer you get to the front lines, the less profitable it gets."
- Ezri Dax and Quark
"Welcome to paradise, captain."
- Larkin sarcastically remarking about the situation.
"Sir, what are your orders?"
"There's only one order, lieutenant. We hold."
- Larkin and Benjamin Sisko
"Let me tell you something about Hew-mons, nephew. They're a wonderful, friendly people – as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts... deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers... put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time... and those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people will become as nasty and violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon. You don't believe me? Look at those faces, look at their eyes..."
- Quark
"Well, haven't you got anything to say?"
"I feel sorry for the Jem'Hadar."
- Quark and Nog
"I'm sorry captain, but I'm an engineer, not a magician."
- Kellin (See also: I'm a doctor, not a...)
"Captain... the kid did all right."
- Reese, after bringing a wounded Nog back to camp.
"How is he?"
"It's a little late for you to care about that, isn't it?"
"Quark - "
"He's going to lose his leg! Does that answer your question?"
- Benjamin Sisko and Quark
"The communications array... it's worth it, right?"
"I hope to God it is."
- Nog and Benjamin Sisko
"We held."
"Those were our orders, sir."
- Benjamin Sisko and Reese, after the battle.
"This was a great victory. Worthy of story and song."
"It cost enough."
- Worf and Sisko
"Children."
"Not for long."
- Reese and Sisko as the relief troops arrive.
"They're not just names, it's important we remember that. We have to remember..."
- Benjamin Sisko
Summary
In Vic's lounge, Rom auditions for a "gig", singing "The Lady is a Tramp" – and not very well. Vic tries to let him down easy, reminding Rom that a singer would be a poor opening act for another singer. Dr. Bashir enters the lounge, and retrieves a recording Vic has made for him to give to the Starfleet soldiers on AR-558.
Meanwhile, Odo finds Captain Sisko in the wardroom, where Sisko is looking over the ever-growing list of casualties from the Dominion War. He mentions to Odo that at the start of the war, he tried to memorize the names of the fallen, as if to pay tribute to them, but as the list grew, the names seemed to blur together. Kira interrupts them over the comm to inform Sisko that the USS Defiant is ready.
Quark mopes in the mess hall of the Defiant, wondering why Grand Nagus Zek would want him to go on a "fact-finding mission" to the front lines of the war. Ezri tries to comfort him, believing the Nagus wants a Ferengi perspective of the war. Unfortunately, her efforts to cheer him up are in vain, and even more so as the Defiant shakes from Dominion fire. Ezri rushes to the bridge, but Quark follows after her, not wanting to be alone. He runs into Worf, who tells him that the Dominion is pushing hard to reclaim the Chin'toka system from Federation control.
Quark nervously enters the bridge behind Worf, just as the Defiant succeeds in destroying a Jem'Hadar fighter with quantum torpedoes. Sisko tells Miles O'Brien to keep an eye out for more enemy ships. Once the immediate threat is over, Quark's presence on the bridge becomes rather obvious, and he quickly excuses himself. Embarrassed, Nog assures Sisko that his uncle will not disrupt their work again.
When the Defiant reaches AR-558, Sisko relinquishes command to Worf and he, Ezri, Bashir, Quark, and Nog beam down to the planet's barren surface, armed with phaser rifles. Once there, they come under immediate phaser fire.
Act One
The phaser fire is Federation, and stops when the ranking Starfleet officer, Lieutenant Nadia Larkin, orders her men to hold their fire. One of them, Vargas, who believes they are all doomed, is a bit of a hothead and mistook Sisko's party for Jem'Hadar. Sisko is surprised at the state of the garrison: the troops have been stranded for five months (when regulations require forces to be rotated off the front line every ninety days), without reinforcements or supplies. Of the original one hundred fifty soldiers, only 43 are left. The other 107, including Captain Loomis and the XO, Commander Parker, have been killed in action.
After seeing to the garrison's most serious injuries, Bashir pulls Sisko aside and warns that the soldiers' health, not to mention their morale, are both dangerously fragile. In the cave the Starfleet forces are defending, Larkin shows Sisko the object of all the fighting: a captured Dominion communication array which, if the engineers can figure out how it works, would allow the Federation to tap into enemy comm traffic all over the sector. As they talk, a muffled explosion is heard, and Larkin curses as another of her men is claimed by a "Houdini," Dominion anti-personnel mines that hide in subspace and appear at random. They have been trying to find a way to expose or eliminate them, without success. Reese, one of the most hardened soldiers, acerbically tells the others not to waste their breath explaining their situation to Sisko, who will be leaving the planet with his crew shortly.
When the Defiant is forced to leave while coming under attack by Jem'Hadar fighters, Sisko's conscience kicks in and he informs Worf that they intend to stay. As the commanding officer on the ground, Sisko now has only one order: hold.
Act Two
Sisko orders Ezri to work with one of the few surviving engineers, Crewman Kellin, to find a way of unmasking the mines. Though she is no longer an engineer or science officer, Ezri has the benefit of her previous hosts' experience. She and Kellin quickly get to like each other.
Jem'Hadar soldiers later beam down and attack, but something is wrong; they do not fire, and they seem to walk into the line of enemy volleys, ignorant of their casualties. Sisko orders his men to hold as he realizes the Dominion trickery. Almost immediately, the attackers vanish. The soldiers weren't real; they were holograms intended to assess the enemy strength without firing a shot, and they have just succeeded. Between that and the Houdinis, things are looking grim. Sisko has his hands full trying to shore up the morale of the tired soldiers. Aside, Quark explains to Nog that, for all their civilized ways, Humans can become just as savage as bloodthirsty Klingons, if they go too long without food, sleep, or creature comforts.
Sisko decides it is imperative that they discover the location of the Jem'Hadar encampment and assess their strength. He orders Nog (with his superior Ferengi hearing) to accompany Larkin and Reese on the scouting mission, a decision Quark objects strongly to. Sisko says that Nog is only doing his duty, and Quark retorts that Sisko wouldn't send Jake out there so casually. Sisko responds that his son is not a Starfleet officer, but this argument doesn't convince Quark.
Act Three
Using his lobes, Nog successfully leads the scout team to the Jem'Hadar camp, where two columns of Jem'Hadar are preparing to attack. Hearing the sounds of a patrol, Nog signals for them to withdraw, but as they are returning to camp, they are ambushed by Jem'Hadar. Larkin is killed, and Nog's left leg takes a direct strike below the knee.
Meanwhile, Dax successfully modifies a tricorder to cut through the jamming signals, enough to scan the whole compound. Kellin excitedly takes it and states the next step: recalibrating it to find the mines in subspace. When Dax suggests to cross-link its optronic and isodyne relays, Kellin is further impressed and briefly asks about her experience with nine lifetimes of memories to sort through. Dax relates that she remembers battles from past hosts. He reassures her she'll be fine when the time comes.
Reese runs back to camp carrying the injured Nog, and Quark is stricken to see his nephew wounded. Reese gives credit to Nog for making it as far as they did. When Captain Sisko tries to check on Nog, Quark reveals that he is going to lose his leg.
Act Four
Later, Doctor Bashir is able to successfully remove Nog's leg to prevent further injury, but whether it can be regenerated is unclear; he needs to visit a Starfleet Medical facility.
Quark takes out his fury on Sisko, accusing him of regarding Nog as expendable "cannon fodder." Sisko, equally furious and getting fed up with Quark, retaliates by saying that he cares deeply about the lives of every person under his command, including Nog.
The captain goes to visit Nog in his hospital bed. Nog begins to apologize for falling into the ambush, but Sisko says he has accomplished his mission, and Sisko is very proud of him. He glances at Nog's wound, and Nog reassures him that it doesn't hurt. Then, Nog's confident facade cracks a little bit, and asks Sisko to reassure him that the communications array, for which so many people have died, is really worth it. Sisko says he hopes to God it is.
There is some good news for the officers as Ezri and Kellin find a way to reveal the Houdinis' locations. Once it is put into effect, hundreds of the dreaded killers pop out throughout the defenders' positions. But instead of disarming them, Sisko says he plans to use them against the Jem'Hadar. Based on Reese and Nog's report, the Starfleet forces are hopelessly outnumbered, unless they find a way to even the odds. The irony of the situation is not lost on Ezri: a few hours earlier, the Houdinis were an inhuman weapon, the kind only the Dominion would use; now, with their position so desperate, "they seem a whole lot friendlier."
Reese reports that the Jem'Hadar will need to approach the Federation camp through a narrow ravine, so that is where the mines are placed. Once this is done, Sisko and his crew take position behind the barricades, phasers ready. Trying to relieve some of the tension, Bashir plays Vic's recording of "I'll Be Seeing You" over the sound system. Quark, the only civilian, stays by Nog's side in the makeshift infirmary, doing his best to keep his nephew comfortable.
In the distance, they hear muffled explosions as the Jem'Hadar trip the mines – and then nothing. In the tense silence that follows, Vargas nervously wonders whether the Jem'Hadar have all been killed, or else decided to retreat. But then the Jem'Hadar come charging towards the barricades, yelling war cries. Sisko yells for the Starfleet forces to open fire.
Act Five
Dozens of Jem'Hadar go down under phaser fire, but dozens more jump over the barricades and the battle becomes a desperate melee. Vargas and Kellin are killed. Quark, alone in the infirmary, is the only person available to defend it, and he is forced to kill an enemy soldier with his phaser in defense of Nog. Sisko is knocked out. The last thing he sees is a Jem'Hadar soldier standing over him with a disruptor. When he awakens, Reese is standing over him, asking if he is alive. Sisko gets up and looks around. Many of the officers he knew are now dead, and there are few soldiers left, but as he puts it, "We held."
The Defiant returns to AR-558 along with the USS Veracruz, which will pick up the survivors and transport the injured officers as well as Nog and Bashir to Starbase 371. Worf tells Sisko that they achieved a great victory, however Sisko can only think of what this victory cost. A fresh batch of officers start beaming down from the Veracruz. Reese notes that the newcomers are young, to which Sisko responds that they'll grow up fast.
Back aboard DS9, the next casualty list comes in. When Sisko asks how many, Kira replies the number is 1730, including those lost on AR-558. Kira states that it's "...a lot of names" but Sisko, feeling the weight of his recent experiences, tells her that behind every name is a person and it's important not to forget them or the sacrifice they've made.
Memorable quotes
"You know, pally? Some times being a hologram can be a real pain in the asymmetric photons."
- Vic Fontaine
"Remember the 34th rule of acquisition: War is good for business."
"Only from a distance! The closer you get to the front lines, the less profitable it gets."
- Ezri Dax and Quark
"Welcome to paradise, captain."
- Larkin sarcastically remarking about the situation.
"Sir, what are your orders?"
"There's only one order, lieutenant. We hold."
- Larkin and Benjamin Sisko
"Let me tell you something about Hew-mons, nephew. They're a wonderful, friendly people – as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts... deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers... put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time... and those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people will become as nasty and violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon. You don't believe me? Look at those faces, look at their eyes..."
- Quark
"Well, haven't you got anything to say?"
"I feel sorry for the Jem'Hadar."
- Quark and Nog
"I'm sorry captain, but I'm an engineer, not a magician."
- Kellin (See also: I'm a doctor, not a...)
"Captain... the kid did all right."
- Reese, after bringing a wounded Nog back to camp.
"How is he?"
"It's a little late for you to care about that, isn't it?"
"Quark - "
"He's going to lose his leg! Does that answer your question?"
- Benjamin Sisko and Quark
"The communications array... it's worth it, right?"
"I hope to God it is."
- Nog and Benjamin Sisko
"We held."
"Those were our orders, sir."
- Benjamin Sisko and Reese, after the battle.
"This was a great victory. Worthy of story and song."
"It cost enough."
- Worf and Sisko
"Children."
"Not for long."
- Reese and Sisko as the relief troops arrive.
"They're not just names, it's important we remember that. We have to remember..."
- Benjamin Sisko
