Another episode with some very personal stories. Also the first appearance of the Breen, I am pretty sure they were mentioned at some point in TNG, but this is their first actual appearance on screen. It is also another episode that deepens the character of one of the shows ongoing villains, Gul Dukat. We see that despite the political problem of him having a half Bajoran daughter that after some prodding from Kira he takes her home with him to Cardassia. If there is one thing the Cardassians care about more than anything else it is their families and it is good to see this in action rather than just in their words.
For once we begin with the A story as Kira is contacted by an old friend from her days in the resistance. He has some salvage from a Cardassian ship that went missing with the man who recruited Kira into the resistance and she is eager to follow up on the lead. As she prepares to leave to begin the search Sisko drops by and tells her the Cardassians are sending someone to go with her on the expedition, she agrees to wait two days, but if they aren't there by then she is leaving on her own. Sisko runs into Kasidy and is overwhelmed by the news that she is taking up a job with the Bajoran's and that she may even be moving onto the station. He heads to Ops and is in for another surprise when the Cardassian representative arrives, Gul Dukat.
Kira and Dukat set off and contact her old friend with the salvage. He isn't pumped to be helping a Cardassian, but can't say no to Kira. The two follow the lead to a seemingly empty planet. Back on the station Kasidy is over for dinner with Sisko and tells him she got the job and he can only reply that it is a, "big step," which causes her to accuse him of being afraid of commitment and storm out. The next day Sisko talks with Bashir and Dax about it and they are supportive, but not particularly helpful. Back with Kira and Dukat they have found the planet, a desert world with significant ionic interference making sensors useless. They locate the wrecked ship and while Kira finds no evidence of her old colleague Dukat finds the bracelet of his former lover, a Bajoran woman. Kira quickly figured out that he had a daughter with her and he admits that he is going to have to kill his daughter if he finds her since it might ruin him if her existence was known on Cardassia which obviously outrages Kira.
There is a trace of radioactive material left by a resistance fighter that Kira and Dukat are able to follow to what turns out to be a Breen prison work camp staffed by both Cardassians and Bajorans. Dukat spots his daughter and refuses to wait for help. Him and Kira storm the prison and manage to kill enough guards to arm the rest of the prisoners. The Bajorans are shocked to be rescued by a Cardassian and Bajoran working together but the news that the occupation is over makes them all pretty happy. Dukat finds his daughter and is about to shoot her when Kira stops him. His daughter Tora pleads with him and eventually tells him that she would rather die if she can't live with him now which is too much and he drops his weapon and embraces her. Back on the station Sisko apologizes to Kasidy and the two of them seem to be on the right track again. Dukat stops Kira and tells her Tora is headed back to Cardassia and he seems willing to put up with whatever political problems she will cause for him.
Review: Despite being a very emotional episode this one fell just a bit flat for me. Not bad and actually above average for Trek overall, but a little weak for DS9. The scene with Dukat getting a thorn in the butt is clearly gold though.
7 out of 10
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