Sacrifice of Angels (episode)

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"Sacrifice of Angels"
DS9, Episode 6x06 Production number: 40510-530 First aired: 3 November 1997
←	128th of 173 produced in DS9	→
←	128th of 173 released in DS9	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 173 released in DS9 Remastered
←	488th of 726 released in all	→

Written By Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler Directed By Allan Kroeker
Unknown (2374)
←	Arc: Dominion invasion (7 of 7)
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Following a bloody battle to retake Deep Space 9 from the Dominion, and with the minefield destroyed, Sisko has no choice but to ultimately take the Defiant into the wormhole and confront a fleet of Jem'Hadar ships alone.

1 Summary
2 Memorable Quotes
3 Background
4 Links and references

[edit] Summary

Operation Return has begun: the Federation attack fleet has encountered a massive Dominion blockade force – outnumbering the Starfleet vessels two-to-one. Elim Garak, confident, notes that the absent Klingons will miss "a very interesting fight" – O'Brien thinks it is more likely that the fleet will miss the Klingons. As the Defiant crew survey the task ahead of them, Sisko prepares his strategy – groups of Federation attack fighters will launch against the Cardassian ships, and only the Cardassians, hoping to provoke them into breaking formation, and opening a hole in the Dominion line – the only chance the Federation has of reaching Deep Space 9 before the minefield is taken down. O'Brien and Bashir quote from "The Charge of the Light Brigade", sensing the historical analogy, something which only makes a nervous Nog more agitated. Finally, Sisko gives the order to attack, and the battle is joined.

The Federation fleet advances

The Cardassians stand their ground in the first assault, and Sisko orders further strikes. On the station, safely back from the front line, Dukat and Weyoun survey the developing battle. Dukat recognizes Sisko's strategy almost immediately, planning to give the captain his opening, then closing it on him. As for the minefield, it will be down in eight hours, he promises to the Female Changeling, something Weyoun says he will hold Dukat to. As the Founder and her Vorta commander leave, Damar sneers at their arrogance and egotism, Dukat noting that they are their allies – for now. Damar then raises his concern that Federation-loyal elements may seek to sabotage the station again, hoping to damage or disable Terok Nor before the minefield is deactivated. Damar suggests that they are arrested until the situation is resolved – Dukat notes that the Bajorans could object to such an act, and rewords Damar's idea – they are being "held for questioning". In Quark's, said "elements" are plotting exactly that – Kira suggests severing the computer core's power connections – using a bomb. Before they can fully flesh out their plan – with unhelpful remarks from Quark – Damar arrives to take them to the security office, leaving Quark behind, uncertain as to what to do.

Sisko continues to press the Cardassians – the ninth wave of fighters proves just as ineffective as the previous eight. But Dukat is now prepared to spring his trap. He orders half a dozen squadrons to pursue the next group of attacking ships, pulling them out of formation. As O'Brien and Garak note the movement, Sisko is more pessimistic as to its success – Dax noting two Galor-class vessels moving into cross-fire positions, and Bashir concluding that it is indeed a trap. However, Sisko notes it is also an opportunity to break through, one they may not get again. He orders two wings of Galaxy-class starships to engage the Galors. "All other ships, head for that opening. Anyone who gets through doesn't stop until they reach Deep Space Nine." The Federation fleet leaps forward, weapons blazing, and the two Galors are quickly dispatched. The Defiant, flanked by two Miranda-class vessels, heads into the heart of the blockade fleet, taking multiple hits. The battle descends into a frantic melee as Dominion ships close around the Starfleet vessels and begin jamming fleet communications with a rotating EM pulse. Sisko's orders cannot get out to their intended recipients.

Dukat and Weyoun confer

Back on the station, Dukat and Weyoun discuss what the Cardassian considers their inevitable victory. Weyoun is much more pessimistic — noting that five hours still remain before the Dominion reinforcements can come through the wormhole – but he too considers the ramifications of conquering the Federation – a vast occupation force, and constant vigilance against the inevitable resistance. And the key to that resistance is Earth. Weyoun considers the only way to eliminate the threat is to eradicate the planetary population – something Dukat strongly objects to. The only way to achieve victory is to make the enemy see they were wrong to oppose them in the first place. "Then you kill them?" "Only if it's necessary." Dukat's thoughts turn to the Occupation of Bajor – his one regret is that the Bajorans never saw him for who he really was – a protector, not a dictator; a carer, not an oppressor – and then to Sisko, whom he considers to have the same flaw, a lack of respect for Dukat. Weyoun is somewhat amused by his contemplations.

The Majestic and the Sitak are lost

The Female Changeling comes to Odo, regaling him with their success in the battle so far. He cannot see it the same way – people he knows, people he considered his friends, are fighting and dying. She retorts that they are only Solids, and that the Link means more. Odo isn't sure, and she realizes the reason behind his indecision – Kira and his feelings for her. The Female Changeling reveals Kira's arrest, and that she is to be put to death, so that Odo can regain the clarity she had attempted to provide. Odo is horrified, and turns away from her. She notes that Odo cannot help her, or any of his friends. It is too late for them. The Defiant remains in the center of the battle, as its two Miranda escorts (Majestic and Sitak) are blown away by a concerted assault. Communications are restored, but the enemy numbers are too great – Sisko orders evasive maneuvers.

The Defiant is pursued by three Jem'Hadar fighters. Aft shields are down, forward shields are failing, and the cloaking device is off-line. Sisko orders all power to weapons. Just then, a fleet of Klingon ships emerges from the blinding light of the system's sun, hammering into the Dominion fleet. Worf apologizes for being late – convincing Gowron to spare ships for the mission was not easy. With the Klingons reinforcing the assault, a real opening has appeared in the enemy lines, and the Defiant weaves its way through the battle, emerging alone beyond the last Jem'Hadar cruiser. Three hours remain before the detonation of the minefield, as Sisko gives the command to warp to Terok Nor. Weyoun orders pursuit, but Dukat notes that the station's defenses are more than enough to deal with one small ship, and Sisko's attack is nothing less than suicide.

Quark and Ziyal attempt to free the Resistance

Meanwhile, Quark grabs Ziyal in her quarters, and asks her if she knows how to make hasperat soufflé. Ziyal is intrigued. The two then go to the security office, and attempt to take the soufflé to Kira. The Cardassian on guard is suspicious, and begins to disassemble the meal – only to be stopped by a hypospray wielded by Ziyal. In the holding cells nearby, Rom contemplates his imminent execution – with ninety minutes remaining, he expects to be dead two hours after. Just then, Quark and Ziyal enter, Quark armed with a pair of Cardassian disruptors. He tells the Jem'Hadar on guard not to move, then demands they open the cells. Ziyal points out the flaw in his request, and as Quark restates his order, the Jem'Hadar raise their weapons. Acting on instinct, Quark fires first, killing both soldiers. Stunned, Quark can only stand and watch as Ziyal takes down the force field, and frees the Resistance members. The Female Changeling continues to try and persuade Odo to link with her, only to be interrupted by Weyoun informing them of the escape. He recommends they go to Ops, where they will be safer, but Odo states he will remain behind. Kira and Rom head for the main computer and attempt to shut down the power systems, pursued by Dominion forces. Pinned down in a cargo bay, Rom reacts in surprise at the sound of Bajoran phaser fire felling the Jem'Hadar. Odo has assembled his security force, and outflanked the enemy. As he escorts them to an access conduit, Kira asks why he changed his mind – Odo notes that the Link was paradise, but he isn't quite ready for paradise yet.

The Defiant is closing on the station – a mere eleven minutes away, cutting it a little close, O'Brien notes. Rom works frantically at the main computer core, Kira sitting helplessly watching. As she asks how the work is going, Rom realizes he won't make it in time. Kira suggests cutting power to the station's weapons array instead – without weapons, the minefield cannot be detonated, at least not before the Defiant can get there. Rom resumes his work. In space, the battle has begun to turn the way of the Allies. The Klingons have outflanked the Dominion blockade fleet, and their lines are starting to crumble. Dukat is undeterred – with the minefield about to be taken down, thousands of ships wait on the other side to reinforce their position. His only hope is that the Defiant arrives in time for Sisko to see it. And his wish may be coming true. Dax suggests to Sisko that he might want to come up with an alternate plan. Rom is severing the final connections to the ODN relays. But time has run out.

The minefield detonates

Damar has neutralized the last mine, and the field is ready for detonation. Rom strains to make the last adjustment, as Dukat gives the order.

With a brilliant flash, the array of mines is wiped out. Rom was too late, and the Defiant too. Sisko and his crew watch in horror as the shock wave from the detonations blossoms around the station. He orders Dax to enter the wormhole – one last stand against the Dominion fleet. As the Female Changeling communicates to the Dominion reinforcements, Damar detects the approaching Defiant, and Dukat gives the order to destroy her. But Rom's work has been successful, and the station's weapons are off-line. The Defiant enters the wormhole.

Sisko orders the ship to a halt – all power diverted to weapons and forward shields – as the Jem'Hadar fleet is seen on the viewscreen. The crew silently prepare themselves, when Sisko is suddenly pulled into the realm of the Prophets. They challenge his decision to end "the game" – they cannot allow him to die. Sisko tells them that the only way for them to save his life is to prevent the Jem'Hadar fleet from entering the Alpha Quadrant. The Prophets dismiss his demands – they are not concerned with corporeal matters, but Sisko rounds on them. What about Bajor? Their influence over that world is entirely a corporeal matter – and Bajor will be destroyed if the Dominion reinforcements arrive. "You want to be gods? Then be gods!" The Prophets agree, but note that a penance must be exacted for Sisko's interference. The Sisko is of Bajor, as the Prophets are, but he will find no rest there – he will follow a different path. Before he can find out what they mean, Sisko is returned to the Defiant, as the Dominion fleet enters weapons range.

The Dominion fleet Disappears in the wormhole

Suddenly, the Jem'Hadar vessels are enveloped in waves of energy, and disappear completely. Dax cannot detect any neutrino emissions – the ships are just – gone. On Terok Nor, Dukat watches in horror as the Defiant emerges alone, the reinforcements are nowhere to be seen, and two hundred enemy ships break through the blockade. The Defiant opens fire on the still-defenseless station, and Weyoun orders an evacuation. Dukat remains completely aghast at his sudden change in fortune, and his slim grasp on reality begins to crumble. As Damar organizes the evacuation, Dukat's sole thought is with Ziyal – he must find her. Sisko lets the Dominion forces evacuate – the Defiant is in no shape to stop them. Bashir relays a message from the USS Cortéz – the Dominion forces are in retreat. Smiling, Sisko gives the order for the fleet to rendezvous – at Deep Space 9.

Sisko returns to Deep Space 9

A disheveled Dukat wanders the Promenade, searching for Ziyal. Weyoun and the Female Changeling depart the station – Weyoun asks if Odo will be joining them; the Female Changeling says no, but it is only a matter of time. With one final look at his prize, Weyoun enters the airlock. Dukat has reached the Habitat ring, and finds Ziyal looking for him. Dukat wants her to come back to Cardassia with him – she's all he cares about, all he has. But Ziyal doesn't want to leave. Dukat is insistent, the enemy is on its way; Ziyal says that they aren't her enemy – she's one of them, she helped Kira and the others escape. She belongs here on the station, and bids him goodbye. As she leaves, she turns back to tell Dukat she loves him – only to be shot by an overhearing Damar. Shattered by grief, Dukat runs to his dying daughter and tells her he forgives her, angrily shoving aside Damar as he tries to get him to leave.

Dukat, driven mad

The last Dominion ship has been routed, Starfleet has returned to Deep Space Nine, and Sisko sets foot upon his home once more to a cheering crowd of Bajorans and happily reunites with Jake. Martok arrives just afterward, noting that Sisko has won his wager with him – a barrel of bloodwine for the first of them to step aboard the station. Worf and Dax are reunited, and O'Brien and Bashir are too – with Quark's holosuites. Nog relates his promotion to his father and Leeta, remarking that this makes him Rom's superior officer. As Garak searches the Promenade, Sisko asks after Kira. The Major is in the Infirmary – with Ziyal. Garak reacts, and heads for the medical facility, finding Kira standing over the young woman's body. He remarks that he could never figure out why she loved him, and now he never will.

Dukat is still aboard the station, a shattered wreck of a man. Babbling to himself and an illusory Ziyal, he is helped out of a holding cell by Odo, handing Sisko's baseball to him as he does. Sisko regards the object for a moment, as Dukat is led away.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"Cannon to the right of them, Cannon to the left of them, Cannon in front of them, Volley'd and thunder'd."
"Storm'd at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Into the Jaws of Death, Into the mouth of hell... Rode the six hundred."

- O'Brien and Bashir quoting from "The Charge of the Light Brigade"

"How does that poem end, chief?"
"You don't want to know."

- Garak and O'Brien, just as all seems lost

"You can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because! A true victory is to make your enemy see they were wrong to oppose you in the first place; to force them to acknowledge your greatness."
"Then you kill them?"
"Only if it's necessary."
"I had no idea."

- Dukat and Weyoun, discussing the potential plan of eradicating Earth's population

"Congratulations, captain! You wanted them angry, they're angry."

- Garak

"Time to start packing!"
"Contact our forces in the Alpha Quadrant and tell them to fall back to Cardassian territory. It appears this war is going to take longer than expected."

- Weyoun and Female Changeling, on the Dominion's loss of Terok Nor

"One ship against an entire fleet... That's a helluva plan B."

- Dax

"To the conquerors of the Federation."

- Dukat

"Never underestimate the element of surprise."

- Odo

"Victory was within our grasp...! (...) Bajor... The Federation... The Alpha Quadrant... All lost!"

- Dukat

"Incoming message from the Cortéz. The Dominion Fleet have broken off the fight—they're in retreat."
"Tell the Cortéz—and the rest of the fleet—to rendezvous at DEEP SPACE 9."

- Bashir and Sisko

"We'll go back to Cardassia and be happy."

- A shattered Dukat, talking to dead Ziyal

[edit] Background

[edit] The six-episode arc

When the multi-episode arc was originally conceived, it was four episodes long, but once the writers started to develop ideas and decide where specific plot points needed to go and how things needed to develop, Ira Steven Behr changed it to a five-episode arc. For a considerable amount of time it remained a five-episode narrative, even getting to the stage where titles were being assigned. At that point, "Favor the Bold" was the final episode, and encompassed the final space battle, the rebellion on Deep Space 9 and the Federation's reacquisition of the station. After Behr and co-writer Hans Beimler began to run into trouble trying to fit everything into forty-four minutes however, Behr realized that one episode simply could not contain all that was needed to finish off such a large narrative arc. As such, he and Beimler basically split the last episode into two, and began to fill it out, thus creating a mini two-parter to conclude the overall six-parter. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
That the six-episode arc was extremely successful is illustrated by Ira Steven Behr; "ultimately everyone agreed that it was tremendously successful, and one of the best things the show ever did." Similarly, that it marked an important turning point for the show is hinted at by Hans Beimler, "It showed us the possibilities and the excitement that could be garnered, and in the end, we liked it so much that we decided to do the ten-episode arc at the end of the series." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)

[edit] "Sacrifice of Angels"

This episode contains the largest battle ever seen in Star Trek, topping "The Way of the Warrior", which itself had topped "The Die is Cast". It is also the first Star Trek episode where CGI is used extensively. Digital Muse handled the first half of the battle; Foundation did the second half (with the USS Defiant breaking through the lines and the arrival of the Klingons). Visual effects supervisor David Stipes explains that traditionally, scenes like this were done on the sound stage with models via motion-control rigs, but that was not an option this time, due to the immensity of the battle; "the problem is that motion control is about shooting one ship at a time , one pass at a time. There was just no way we could have done it. We just didn't have enough time or money." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
As the Defiant makes its run past the Dominion warship, there are three Klingon Birds-of-Prey flying nearby, one flanking each side of the Defiant, and one just out in front. If you watch closely, it appears as if the Bird-of-Prey ahead of the Defiant is destroyed by friendly fire from the Bird-of-Prey on the Defiant's right.
Dan Curry and Bradley Thompson, who was once a pilot, both consulted on the battle sequence because the producers wanted to do something with specific military tactics as opposed to just two fleets shooting at one another. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
This episode marks the death of Tora Ziyal (Melanie Smith) and the onset of Gul Dukat's descent into madness, however, Ira Steven Behr maintains that Dukat was well on his way to madness long before Ziyal's death' "The difference between Dukat and someone like Sisko - it's one of the ultimate differences of this show. A healthy human being like Sisko knows himself. That doesn't mean he doesn't have limitations. It doesn't mean he doesn't make mistakes. But he knows himself. Dukat is a totally self-deluded person. He's a deeply, deeply screwed up Cardassian who doesn't understand his own motives. He loved Ziyal, but like the true sociopathic personality he is, he wasn't above using her, or lying to her." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) Dukat's motives, his madness and his delusions would next be addressed in the episode "Waltz".
Of the death of Ziyal itself, Hans Beimler says, "We understood the ramifications on all the characters. We'd built up her relationship with Garak. The girl who always told the truth had fallen in love with the guy who never tells the truth - or all of the truth. It made for a nice tragic love story, and her death served to motivate Garak in his future actions." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
The Prophets' description of Sisko's life as "the game" is a reference back to the series premiere. There, Sisko explains linear existence to the Prophets using a baseball game as a metaphor. They also referred to 'the game' when explaining to Quark why they had taken away Zek's greed in the third season episode "Prophet Motive" - because he wanted to know the outcome of the game before it was over.
When Sisko says to the Prophets, "You once told me you were of Bajor", he is referring to the fourth season episode "Accession". After "Emissary" and "Accession", this episode represents Sisko's third visit to the Prophets.
At the end of the episode, Sisko gets the Prophets to help him, but there is a price to pay; an idea with many mythic and biblical precursors. Hans Beimler says, "It's tragic hero stuff. A hero takes on things for others, but doesn't necessarily find any peace himself in the result." In relation to this, Ira Steven Behr compares Sisko to Moses (who guides his people to the Promised Land, but who isn't allowed to enter himself) and Ethan Edwards (the John Wayne character in the 1956 John Ford film The Searchers who reunites his family but cannot enter the house with them). (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
Both the Prophets assertion that although Sisko is "of Bajor", he will find no peace there, and the Female Changeling's claim that Odo will one day join the Great Link ("it's only a matter of time") will prove to be true, with both coming to pass in the series finale "What You Leave Behind".
When this show aired, there were some criticisms of it having a deus ex machina ending, something which infuriated Ira Steven Behr; "I felt it was the perfect next step in the evolution of the relationship between Sisko and the Prophets that began in the pilot. Hearing people refer to it as some dopey deus ex machina is really annoying because I would think they'd give us more credit for being on the ball. We didn't have to end it like that, we chose to end it like that. Because we wanted to say that there was something going on here. And ultimately, that would lead to our finding out that Sisko is part-Prophet. They wouldn't have done this for just anyone. This was the man going out into the wilderness and demanding God to interfere, to do something for crying out loud. The corporeal characters had done so much in the episode; surely they'd earned the help of the gods." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
The poem quoted by O'Brien and Bashir on the bridge before the battle is "The Charge of the Light Brigade", a narrative poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson about the Crimean War, written in 1854.
Quark's amusingly contradictory orders to the Jem'Hadar during the holding cell breakout are reminiscent of a bank heist scene involving John Goodman in the 1987 Coen Brothers film Raising Arizona.
The story document for this episode was distributed around Paramount with a typo on the cover – instead of being entitled "Sacrifice of Angels", it was entitled "Sacrifice of Angles". Ira Steven Behr has jokingly said that he prefers the 'Angles' title. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)