Call to Arms (episode)
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| This article is written from the Real World point of view |
 |
| "Call to Arms" | ||
|---|---|---|
| DS9, Episode 5x26 Production number: 40510-524 First aired: 16 June 1997 | ||
| ← | 122nd of 173 produced in DS9 | → |
| ← | 122nd of 173 released in DS9 | → |
| ← | 475th of 726 released in all | → |
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| Written By Ira Steven Behr & Robert Hewitt Wolfe Directed By Allan Kroeker | ||
| 50975.2 (2373) | ||
| Arc: Dominion invasion (1 of 7) | → | |
- For the CCG expansion by a similar name, please see CCG: Call to Arms.
Sisko attempts to prevent more Dominion ships from entering the Alpha Quadrant by mining the wormhole; Gul Dukat responds by launching a massive assault fleet against the station. What ramifications will the attack have on the future of the galaxy? (Season Finale)
Contents |
[edit] Summary
[edit] Teaser
On Deep Space 9, Rom and Leeta study a PADD with images of various wedding dresses from Tellarite modern to Risian traditional, but have disliked all of them. Ziyal persuades them to let Elim Garak design one for them. Garak tells her that he finds her adoration both "flattering and disturbing". Rom and Leeta see Captain Benjamin Sisko walking along the Promenade and approach him.
Miles O'Brien is telling Sisko that his wife and children have left for Earth due to the dangers of being on the front line. Rom and Leeta ask Sisko to officiate at their wedding that is to be held in three weeks time, to which Sisko agrees. After they leave, Sisko and O'Brien move to one of the Promenade windows where a large crowd has gathered. O'Brien states that "maybe they're not coming", to which Sisko replies "that would be a nice surprise". Suddenly, the wormhole opens and several dozen Dominion starships enter the Alpha Quadrant on their way to Cardassian space. This is the fifth Dominion convoy to enter the Alpha Quadrant in as many weeks. Sisko predicts that an attack will occur soon.
[edit] Act One
Jake Sisko arrives at his father's quarters for his first home-cooked meal since the last time he visited his father. Sisko curtly hands Jake a PADD, telling him to read the headline. It reads "Bajorans Continue Negotiations with the Dominion", "station commander opposes non aggression pact" and the by-line reads "by Jake Sisko". Jake reveals that this is his first article for the Federation News Service.
Meanwhile Jadzia Dax, Kira Nerys and Odo are in a cargo bay checking several crates. The crates hold several thousand containers of yamok sauce. Kira realizes that Quark has smuggled them in, believing the Cardassians will soon retake the station. Odo asks what they want to do with it, to which Kira makes no reply. Jadzia tells him to dump it. Jadzia asks her what is going on between her and Odo, to which Kira reveals that Odo has feelings for her and that she only found out about a month previously.
As Nog brings Sisko his morning beverage, he asks if the rumors about the Romulans are true. Sisko has no idea what he is talking about and inquires further. Nog tells him that he was talking to several Orion free traders in Quark's the previous night and they said they heard from a Vulcan diplomat that the Romulan Star Empire had signed a non-aggression pact with the Dominion. Sisko tells Nog not to believe the rumors and to remember the one hundred and ninetieth Rule of Acquisition – "Hear all, trust nothing." However, after Nog leaves, Sisko contacts Dax and tells her to put him through to Starfleet Intelligence.
Later, in the wardroom Sisko reveals that the Romulans have indeed signed a non-aggression pact with the Dominion, joining the Tholians and the Miradorn who have already done so. The Bajorans are still debating the pact as they were also recently offered it, but Kira assures everyone that they will never sign it or any form of agreement with the Dominion. Sisko also reveals that Starfleet Command has decided no more Dominion ships can be allowed into the Alpha Quadrant. A minefield will be deployed at the mouth of the wormhole to stop the Dominion convoys. Odo comments that by doing so they could start a war to, which Sisko replies that, since they are losing the peace, a war might be their only hope.
[edit] Act Two
In Dax's quarters, Jadzia, O'Brien and Rom are trying to come up with the best type of mine to deploy in the minefield. O'Brien suggests using pulse mines but the Dominion ships could simply wait at the mouth of the wormhole and destroy them. He then suggests cloaking them, but it would weaken the mines. Rom, while in the midst of complaining about his upcoming wedding, then realizes that if the mines are to be small they will need a lot of power and a way to replace them. Each mine could be equipped with a replicator unit and would swarm detonate, with at least twenty mines homing in on one ship. The main draw back is that the entire minefield will have to be deployed before it can be activated, or premature detonation could occur.
Sisko talks with Starfleet Command and relays their judgment to Kira and Worf that Starfleet's forces are needed elsewhere and will be unable to assist in the deployment of the minefield. Their orders are to deploy the minefield and prepare for a Dominion attack. DS9 will also have to defend the Defiant, as she will be alone while deploying the minefield.
Kira meets with Odo and agrees to his plan of stopping all outgoing communications. They also decide to put their personal feelings for each other aside until the crisis has abated.
The Defiant begins to deploy the mines but the Dominion becomes aware of it almost immediately. A Dominion ship arrives with Weyoun aboard. He leaves behind all of the false pleasantness that he has always used before in his meetings with Sisko, and bluntly issues an ultimatum – remove the mines, or the Dominion will take control of DS9 and remove them themselves.
[edit] Act Three
Sisko stubbornly tells Weyoun that the mines will stay and he will not allow any more ships through the wormhole. Weyoun then returns to his old ways – a mask of reasonableness and sincerity. Weyoun tells Sisko that it is the Cardassians who are pushing for the convoys, saying that they want the security that the Dominion brings. Weyoun then offers to limit the convoys to cargo ships, construction units and civilian aid if Sisko will remove the mines.
Later Sisko tells his senior officers and General Martok that the Dominion will attack as early as tomorrow. He tells them that his conversation with Weyoun was all words and an attempt to lure the other side into a "false sense of security". Sisko did not believe it and is sure Weyoun didn't either. Sisko asks Martok to take the Rotarran to the Cardassian border and watch for the Dominion fleet. Sisko also tells Kira to contact the Bajoran Council of Ministers for an immediate meeting, as he plans to use his position as Emissary to endorse the nonaggression pact. Kira doesn't understand why he would want the Bajorans to sign the pact, therefore Sisko tells her that the only way Bajor will survive the war will be to do what the Romulans did, and sign the pact to keep them out of the fighting. He is convinced that by not doing so, the past five years of their work will be undone.
The Bajorans sign the pact and First Minister Shakaar orders all Bajorans to leave DS9 for their own safety. Kira arranges for Ziyal to stay with several of her friends. Later, Sisko marries Rom and Leeta in a traditional Bajoran ceremony. Rom then tells her to go to Bajor, and not look back.
As Sisko prepares Program Sisko 197, General Martok contacts the station with a report of a large Dominion fleet heading their way. However, his transmission is jammed by the Dominion and Dukat, Weyoun and Damar appear on the viewscreen. Dukat asks Sisko if he wants to surrender and avoid "unnecessary bloodshed". Sisko tells him no, to which Dukat happily replies that he was hoping Sisko would say that. Sisko orders his crew to battle stations.
[edit] Act Four
The Dominion fleet will enter weapons range in twenty minutes. Unfortunately, the Defiant has an hour of work left before the minefield can be activated. Jake helps Doctor Bashir and his medical staff with medkits. He tells Bashir that he promised the Federation News Service a first hand account of the battle. Bashir tells him he will get it and that his name is spelled with an 'I'.
Garak meets Odo on the Promenade, praising his composure and calling him "an island of tranquility in sea of chaos." Odo's entire Bajoran staff has been evacuated to Bajor. Garak tells Odo that during the Klingon attack on the station, almost two years previously, when he and Dukat were defending the members of the Detapa Council, Dukat turned his back to him. Garak considered killing him but realized he could not fight the Klingons by himself. He tells Odo that by the time this day is over, everyone on the station will regret his failure to kill Dukat.
The Rotarran approaches DS9 and Sisko tells Martok to protect the Defiant. Worf then activates the weapons array. Kira arrives in Ops and protests Starfleet's refusal to turn the station over to her government. Sisko notes her protest and Kira reports for duty.
The Dominion fleet approaches the station. On the flagship, Dukat tells Damar he has been waiting for this moment for five years. Damar tells him that they will reclaim Terok Nor and Bajor. Weyoun chastises them, reminding them of the nonaggression pact. The fleet enters weapons range and Dukat gives the order to fire.
The battle begins and the station manages to destroy several Dominion ships plus several that were closing on the Defiant. Damar and Weyoun are surprised that DS9's shields are holding, to which Dukat tells them he has found it wise never to underestimate the Federation's technical skill and Captain Sisko's resourcefulness.
The Defiant comes under attack but is saved by the Rotarran. The enemy fleet targets their weapons on the outer docking ring, penetrating the station's shields. Main power to the shields is lost and the auxiliary power will not last long. However, the Defiant reports in, telling Sisko the minefield has been deployed. Jadzia activates the field and returns to the station. The Dominion fleet prepares for a final assault on the station, with Dukat calling the activation of the minefield a "minor setback". Sisko decides there is nothing more they can do and orders all Federation personnel to evacuate.
[edit] Act Five
As the evacuation begins, Dax says goodbye to Worf, who has been assigned to the Rotarran, and agrees to marry him when the war is over. Sisko addresses the station population who are remaining behind. He tells them that although the station has been lost, the attack on the station allowed the Federation and the Klingons to attack and destroy the Dominion shipyards on Torros III. He also tells them that no victory can make this moment any easier for him, and promises he will not rest until he stands with them again. Sisko is then transported to the Defiant.
Garak is already aboard, and asks Captain Sisko for permission to remain and for once tells the very simple truth – he has no where else to go. Captain Sisko agrees, and heads for the bridge. The Defiant and the Rotarran leave the station, fire a few last shots, and cloak before they can be destroyed.
Kira and Odo arrive in Ops and transmit a message to the Dominion fleet, welcoming them to Deep Space 9. Kira then activates Program Sisko 197, which disables the station.
Quark, removing all aspects of the Federation's presence, tells his staff to break out the kanar and find some yamok sauce. Rom reports for duty in his old job as Assistant Manager for Policy and Clientèle. He is now a spy for Starfleet. As Rom starts work he finds Jake, sitting nearby. He has stayed behind to report on the Dominion occupation. He theorizes that the Dominion will not harm him, the son of the Emissary of the Prophets, lest they alienate their new Bajoran allies.
On the Defiant, Sisko finds out and is angry, but he cannot risk the entire crew for one person, even if he is his son. The Defiant and the Rotarran continue on their course to rendezvous with the Federation/Klingon task force. Nog states that now they will make the Dominion "sorry they ever set foot in the Alpha Quadrant."
The Dominion boards DS9 and Odo, and Kira and Quark arrive to meet them. Weyoun tells Odo he is honored that he remained behind. Dukat and Weyoun visit Ops and the station commander's office where Sisko has removed all of his personal items, except one. Dukat finds Sisko's baseball still on the desk, a message from Sisko.
On the Defiant, Sisko sits in contemplation of the impending war that will sweep across the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The Defiant and the Rotarran de-cloak and move to join the large Federation and Klingon fleet.
The Dominion War has begun.
[edit] Memorable Quotes
"Any marriage where the female is allowed to speak and wear clothing is doomed to failure."
- - Quark
"It's ironic. When the Klingons attacked the station, Gul Dukat and I were fighting side by side. At one point, he turned his back to me and I must admit that for a moment, he made a very tempting target."
"You'd shoot a man in the back?"
"Well it's the safest way, isn't it?"
- - Elim Garak and Odo
"...one thing's for certain. We're losing the peace. Which means a war could be our only hope."
- - Benjamin Sisko
"Would you marry me... I mean us? I mean... would you perform our wedding ceremony?"
- - Rom to Benjamin Sisko
"You've got to go, Leeta. The problems of two newlyweds are but a small thread in the tapestry of galactic events. You might not understand that today, or even tomorrow. But someday you will. So get on that shuttle. And don't look back."
- - Rom
"As I see it, you have two choices. Either remove the mines... or we will take this station from you... and remove them ourselves."
- - Weyoun
"Let me tell you a story. I once knew a Cardassian, a dashing, handsome young man with a promising career. And then one day, through no fault of his own, he found himself exiled and alone, with nowhere to turn. But did he give up? No. Instead he struck upon a brilliant plan. Rather than fleeing for the rest of his life, he sought shelter in the one place no one expected him to go. In a stronghold of his people's most hated enemies. There, surrounded by hostile strangers, he built a life. And there, against all odds, against the merciless logic of the universe itself, he thrived."
"By becoming the greatest tailor in the galaxy."
- - Garak and Ziyal
"Captain Sisko. I don't suppose you'd like to surrender and avoid unnecessary bloodshed?"
"Absolutely not."
"I was hoping you'd say that."
- - Dukat and Sisko
"Just remember, Bashir is spelled with an 'I'."
- - Julian Bashir
"Captain, as a major in the Bajoran Militia, I must officially protest Starfleet's refusal to turn over this station to my government."
"Your protest is duly noted."
"Good. Now that that's out of the way... Kira Nerys reporting for duty."
- - Kira Nerys and Benjamin Sisko
"I've been waiting for this moment for five years."
"First we reclaim Terok Nor, then onto Bajor."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Or must I remind you that the Dominion just signed a non-aggression pact with Bajor?"
"The Dominion might have. I never did."
"The Dominion will honor its treaty. And as a member of the Dominion, you will honor it as well."
"Where the Dominion leads, I will follow."
"I never doubted it."
- - Dukat, Damar and Weyoun
"I've found it wise never to underestimate the Federation's technical skill or Captain Sisko's resourcefulness."
- - Dukat
"When I first took command of this post, all I wanted was to be somewhere else. Anywhere but here. But now, five years later, this station has become my home. And you've become my family. Leaving this place, leaving you, is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do... I promise, I will not rest until I stand with you again. Here. In this place. Where I belong."
- - Benjamin Sisko
"I assume Captain Sisko has removed or destroyed everything of value."
"Not everything."
(Dukat is holding Sisko's baseball)
"What is that?"
"A message. From Sisko."
"I don't understand."
"He's letting me know... he'll be back..."
- - Weyoun and Dukat
[edit] Background Information
- This episode features the Second Battle of Deep Space 9.
- This episode is the last of the series to be co-written by the departing Robert Hewitt Wolfe (although he would also write the seventh season episode "Field of Fire" as a freelancer). He appears as an injured Starfleet officer boarding the USS Defiant as Dax tells Worf she will marry him, an image of which is seen in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion. Also in the Companion, as well as in an issue of Star Trek Communicator, is a photo showing the DS9 cast (in character) sitting around a table in the wardroom. They are all looking at the camera and holding little signs that say "(sad)" (except for Michael Dorn, who's holding his upside down). Ronald D. Moore explained: "This was part of a gag we did for Robert Wolfe when he left the show. We re-wrote a scene from the final episode where the entire cast was talking in the Wardroom about Robert leaving the show. The final bit in the scene was each of them holding up a sign saying "(sad)" which is an inside joke having to do with our use of parenthetical instructions to the actors (i.e. (with feeling) or (with humor) or (angry)). They were all supposed to be (sad) about Robert leaving the show." [1]
- Ronald D. Moore commented that historical parallels brought up during the story discussions included the events depicted in the 1865 Leo Tolstoy novel War and Peace, the fall of the Philippines to Japan in 1942, and the evacuation of Dunkirk by the British army in 1940. [2]
- The idea for Sisko to leave his baseball behind as a message to Dukat that he planned to return was Ronald D. Moore's. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) Interestingly, Sisko's baseball played a pivotal role in the final scenes of both seasons six (where he takes it with him to Earth) and seven (where Kira carries it out into Ops).
- This is one of Ira Steven Behr's all-time favorite Deep Space Nine episodes. He sums the episode up as being simply about goodbyes, and he wanted to make sure that the audience understood this so that they would be ready for what was to come in season 6 ; "It was the big hint to the audience. I knew that we were going to do something very bold the following season, and I wanted to prepare people for it, because we were already thinking of having this multipart episode the next year that was going to turn the show around." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) Indeed, the episode contains four major farewell scenes: 1) Sisko's heartfelt farewell to the crew remaining on Deep Space 9, 2) Dax's romantic farewell to Worf, 3) Rom's rushed farewell to Leeta, and 4) Garak's gentle farewell to Ziyal.
- This episode is also a personal favorite of Ronald D. Moore, who ranks it as his favorite season finale of any Star Trek show, "The Best of Both Worlds" included. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
- According to Robert Hewitt Wolfe, the Deep Space Nine writers preferred non-cliffhanger season finales that left things open as to how they could begin the following season, as opposed to cliffhangers which locked the writers into tackling a specific problem. Open-ended non-cliffhangers left the writers free to change things around if they wished come the start of the next season, and the writers liked this sense of freedom; "It's like setting a table for yourself. You're not setting up a cliffhanger where you have to solve a certain problem. You just have to put out some beetlesnuff. You know, something to set up the solution." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) Indeed, none of the seven seasons of Deep Space Nine end with a cliff-hanger.
- The massive final shot for this episode proved to be exceptionally popular among viewers, who felt that it really set the stage for the upcoming season. The producers however, reacted differently. According to Ira Steven Behr, "What we'd written for that scene was, 'Lots of ships, two little ships coming to join them.' But what the effects people shot was, Lots of ships, two little ships coming, turning around, joining them, and then coming back together. It went much farther than we wanted. It told the audience that we were attacking now, like, 'Okay, we're marshaling our forces and here we are to join up,' which was never the idea. That changed the entire opening to Season 6. We'd already written the opening of the first show, and René said, 'Guys, this doesn't work, because the effects people have made the audience think that something a lot bigger has happened. We have to address that.' Anyway, we changed the opening of Season 6 to have all those ships we saw in "Call to Arms" battered and beaten and leaking plasma." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
- The fleet scene at the very end of this episode was the very first indication that the Defiant-class had entered production, as two other unnamed Defiant-class vessels are seen among the Federation and Klingon vessels - they are however definitely not either the USS Valiant, which was caught behind enemy lines, or the USS São Paulo, which had not been commissioned at that point in the series. This scene is also the first of three times that more than one Defiant-class vessel appears on-screen at any one time - the others being the Star Trek: Voyager episodes "Message in a Bottle" and "Endgame". Both the Defiant and the Valiant are featured in "Valiant", but the ships never actually appeared together.
- Some of the damage and battle footage during the Second Battle of Deep Space 9 was re-used from "The Way of the Warrior", "Emissary", and VOY: "Caretaker", with different ships or backgrounds. Some shots of the USS Defiant being attacked by Jem'Hadar attack ships were re-used from "The Search, Part I".
- In a captain's log entry, Sisko says, "As someone once said, 'These are the times that try men's souls." This quote is from Thomas Paine's revolutionary pamphlet The American Crisis published in 1776. In the original 1983 V mini-series, a character says these same words while comforting another character.
- Rom's farewell speech to Leeta is a paraphrase of Rick Blaine's (Humphrey Bogart) final speech to Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) in the 1942 Michael Curitz film Casablanca: "If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life."
- The non-aggression pact signed between the Romulan Star Empire and the Dominion in this episode would be in place until the sixth season episode "In the Pale Moonlight", where Sisko would lie to the Romulans about the Dominion's intentions so as to ensure they enter the war on the side of the Federation.
- Leeta looked at over 150 designs for a wedding dress. She liked #38.
- Referenced Rules of Acquisition: #190 ("Hear all, trust nothing")
- The final moments of this episode are novelized in book two of Star Trek: The Dominion War.
[edit] Video and DVD releases
- UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 5.13, 20 October 1997
- As part of the DS9 Season 5 DVD collection
[edit] Links and references
[edit] Guest stars
- Andrew J. Robinson as Elim Garak
- Jeffrey Combs as Weyoun
- Marc Alaimo as Dukat
- Max Grodénchik as Rom
- Aron Eisenberg as Nog
- J.G. Hertzler as Martok
- Chase Masterson as Leeta
- Melanie Smith as Tora Ziyal
- Casey Biggs as Damar
[edit] Uncredited co-stars
- Uriah Carr as an operations division officer
- Cathy DeBuono as M'Pella
- Brian Demonbreun as a Starfleet science officer
- Kathleen Demor as a Starfleet security officer
- Judi Durand as the Computer Voice
- Leslie Hoffman as a Defiant crewmember
- Randy James as Jones
- David B. Levinson as Broik
- Tom Morga
- Mark Allen Sheperd as Morn
- James Lee Stanley as a Bajoran security deputy
- Susie Stillwell as a Bajoran security deputy
- Robert Hewitt Wolfe as a wounded Starfleet science officer
- Unknown actor as an operations division lieutenant
- Unknown actress as a dabo girl
[edit] References
asparagus; Bajorans; Bajoran transports; Battle of Torros III; Bolians; Council of Ministers; Dominion War; Federation News Service; Ferengi; Prinadora; Risians; Second Battle of Deep Space 9; reporter; Tellarite; yamok sauce; Yridians
[edit] External links
- Call to Arms (episode) at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Call to Arms (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) at Wikipedia
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