where do you want me to put this? anywhere you can find room. i bet you can't wait to put all this together so you can start shape-shifting around the room again. oh, i suppose. though i did enjoy sleeping in a bed. there's nothing to stop you from sleeping in a bed. except that now when i'm asleep i tend to revert to my gelatinous state and slide onto the floor. no. the bed goes. i'm a changeling, not a solid there's no use pretending otherwise. i guess we can put all this in storage. what about these padds? finding and winning your perfect mate by doctor jennings rain.

i thought i was going to be a humanoid for the rest of my life. there were certain things... you don't have to explain, odo. i only read the first three chapters. maybe you should finish it. why waste my time? romance is for solids. well, you are a solid, 18 hours a day. i'm sure there are plenty of women on this station who would be very interested in you if you gave them a chance. i'll keep that in mind, major. right now i'd be satisfied just getting this room in order. dax to kira and odo. go ahead, commander. there's something we'd like you to take a look at in ops. we're on our way.

nt picked this up a few minutes ago. it looks like a cardassian military code but the computer doesn't recognize it. it's cardassian, all right. i didn't think there were cardassians in the gamma quadrant. none that we know of. not elgol-red or fifth order military encryption. try courier code five-nine. odo: strange. most cardassian codes use a recursive encryption algorithm but this has a completely different coding system. why don't you send it to them? we did, as soon as it came in. we still haven't heard from them. it may take some time. if someone's sending coded cardassian messages from the gamma quadrant i want to know what they're saying, now! we do have an expert in cardassian codes living on the station. you're right. dax, get me mr. garak. good to see you again, cara.

well, how did it go? i'm afraid i disappointed them. i think they were hoping the message they picked up would contain the key to defeating the dominion. you should have seen the looks on their faces when i explained that it was a five-year-old planetary survey report. "planetary survey report"? that's the look, exactly. i would have thought you'd be a little disappointed, too. it could have been from a survivor of the cardassian fleet lost in the gamma quadrant. oh, i'd given up hope really? i never saw you as the giving-up type. there comes a time when one must face reality, my dear. those people are gone and are never coming back. well-- my young friends i'd like to stay here and chat all day but i have dresses to make, trousers to mend... it's a full life, if a trifle banal. and do tell captain sisko that i'd be more than happy

my dear. my father would be furious to hear me say this but... there's something about garak i find... fascinating. yes, he has his moments. ( knocking )

[captioning sponsored by the u.s. department of education

i must remember to stop underestimating you, doctor. how did you know? that you were lying about the contents of the message? you said you'd given up on the cardassian survivors lost in the gamma quadrant. well, ziyal was right. you're not the giving-up sort. very good, doctor. from the naive young man i met five years ago. you've become distrustful and suspicious. it suits you. i had a good teacher. what did the message really say, garak? it was a call for help... from enabran tain. tain? but you said you'd seen his ship destroyed by the dominion. i did, but tain was head of the obsidian order

i have to find him, doctor. i owe it to him. you don't owe tain anything. he had you exiled from cardassia. yes, but aside from that, we were very close. he was... my mentor and i'm not going to turn my back on him. if it'll make you feel any better you can come with me. all you have to do is come up with an excuse why you need the runabout, and we could leave immediately. so let me get this straight. you want me to lie to my commanding officer violate starfleet regulations and go with you on a mission into the gamma quadrant which will probably get us both killed. i'm ready when you are. in that case... let's go... ...to captain sisko's office. ( sighs ) how do you know that the message isn't a fake? that it was really sent by tain? the code sequence was personally designed

no one else knows it. now, somehow he got that message out and i have to follow it back to its source. did the message contain any coordinates? no. most of it was identification code. the rest of it was just one word, "alive"-- repeated over and over again. so it should be easy enough to triangulate the source. captain... tain might not be alone. there could be others-- troops from the cardassian-romulan fleet survivors from the dominion attack on new bajor and even crew members from those federation ships that disappeared in the gamma quadrant. this is a mission of mercy. you can't ignore it. i'm still not totally convinced that it's a genuine message. but i suppose there's only one way to find out. captain you can't let him go. it's too dangerous. your concern is touching but i assure you, i can take care of myself.

doctor? i think you've just volunteered. dr. bashir isn't going anywhere. but i do have someone else in mind. i don't know what makes me angrier-- that you agreed to go into the gamma quadrant with garak or that i had to hear it from sisko. i was going to tell you. when? on your way out the airlock? a klingon warrior does not have to explain why he chooses to face danger, not even to his par'machkai. so in other words you were afraid i'd make a scene... that i'd embarrass you, maybe even cry. you are capable of anything. don't worry, worf. i won't be shedding any tears over you. then you came to wish me a good death in battle. no.

my klingon operas. you won't be using them for the next few days. somebody might as well enjoy them. what? something wrong? you have a tendency to misplace things. and you're afraid yes. it's a distinct possibility. if i were you, i'd hurry back. that is, if you want to keep your collection intact. have a glorious death... or don't.

the gamma quadrant? you can't go to the gamma quadrant. oh, i can... and i will. i have to. but if something were to happen to you, i... i don't know what i'd do. not that you'd have to. i fully intend to return. it's not just the meals. yes, i know. i'm the only other cardassian on the station. it's not that, either. you know that. it's just that... you're intelligent and cultured... and kind. my dear, you're young so i realize that you're a poor judge of character.

perhaps because i find them a bit, uh, misguided? if this is what you think why do you spend so much time with me? because i'm exiled... and alone, and a long way from home. and when i'm with you it doesn't feel so bad. i'm glad i could help. ziyal... no matter what happens things may look i promise you i will come back. you have my word. i believe you. dukat: take your hands off her! you touch my daughter again i'll kill you. father... let him go. please! go ahead. kill me. she'll never forgive you, you know. quark: gentlemen!

to act like a pair of klingons. i'll act as i please, ferengi. then you'll excuse me while i call security. i'm sure odo will get a big thrill out of having you locked up in one of his holding cells. father... please. public opinion seems to be running against you. ( grunts ) you know... i think that actually helped my back. buy you a drink. a pleasure... as always, my dear. you do have a lovely daughter. she must take after her mother. you're wrong about garak, father. he's a good man. you have no idea how much it pains me to hear you say that.

it's good to see you, too, father. what are you doing on the station? oh, i had a little skirmish with a klingon battle cruiser. my ship was damaged, so i came here for repairs and to spend some time with you. ( chuckles ) and i can see... we have a lot to talk about. remember, this is a reconnaissance mission. you are to avoid dominion ships at all costs. what about garak? i want him back, too. i suppose i don't have to tell you to keep a close eye on him. at the first sign of betrayal, i will kill him but i promise to return the body intact. i assume that's a joke.

you want me to sponsor your application to starfleet academy? what do you think? i think it is a bad idea. i'd write the actual letter myself. i just need you to sign it. find someone else. you're a klingon. nog is a ferengi. starfleet academy is a very accepting place. you are not just a cardassian. you are a spy, an assassin and a saboteur. i know i've done some unfortunate things in the past, and i regret them. that's why i want to join starfleet why i need to join starfleet. i'm looking for a fresh start a way to make up for all the damage i've done.

but i need your help your support to start me on my way... to redemption. if that is how you feel i will... consider your request. that's all i ask. frankly, i think i can be quite an asset to starfleet. with my extensive experience i could skip the lower ranks entirely and begin my career as a commander. maybe you should suggest that in your letter. tell them you'd be honored to serve under me. do not play games with me. you have no desire to join starfleet, do you? no, i'm afraid i don't. then why all of this deception? because lying is a skill like any other and if you want to maintain a level of excellence, you have to practice constantly. practice on someone else. mr. worf

major... you and i have to talk. dukat, i've had a busy day. i just want to drink my coffee... i left my daughter in your care. you promised me you would look after her. i trusted you. listen, if this is about taking ziyal to services at the bajoran shrine... i'm not talking about exposing her to your backwards superstitions. i'm talking about garak. what about him? she's in love with him! i wouldn't call it love. so you've known about this all along and you've done nothing to stop it? she was lonely. the last time i checked he's the only other cardassian living on the station. the man is a heartless, cold-blooded killer. like i said, he's a cardassian. your daughter is a grown woman

i'm not fond of garak, and i... may even think that their friendship is a mistake but, the way i see it, that's her prerogative. you did this on purpose, didn't you? did what? allowed my daughter to associate with a man you knew was my enemy. stood by while he whispered poison in her ear and all under the guise of doing me a favor. no, no. dukat, let's get one thing straight. i didn't bring ziyal to the station for you. i did it for her because i knew it would be better for her to be here than being a soldier fighting in your private little war with the klingons. save your excuses, major. you've betrayed me and i promise i won't forget it.

i'm not impressed. there was a time when bajorans took cardassian threats very seriously. not anymore. good day, major. good day. garak: i just don't see why these runabout replicators can't provide a more varied menu. i'd like to get my hands on that fellow earl grey and tell him a thing or two about tea leaves. we've just dropped out of warp. is there something wrong? we can go no further. what do you mean? my readings indicate the source of that coded signal is deep in dominion space. i have strict orders to avoid unnecessary risk. we must turn back. well, i certainly don't want to take an unnecessary risk but our sensors show no sign of jem'hadar warships

ill increase from this point on, and my orders were very clear. but we've come all this way. to turn around now without an answer-- it seems so... un-klingon. i am also a starfleet officer. why don't we go through this nebula? we can avoid detection, and get light years closer to the source of the transmission. our shields would be useless in that nebula. so would jem'hadar sensors. the answer is out there, commander. and remember, it's not just tain we're looking for. the maryland, the proxima, the sarajevo-- starfleet ships that have been lost in the gamma quadrant for years and their crews-- brave soldiers warriors of the federation-- unaccounted for. we owe it to them to do everything in our power to find them and bring them home. it's the honorable thing to do. you use that word, but you have no idea what it means.

setting course for the nebula. there's a pocket of toh-maire gas ahead of us. bringing her to 031 mark 355. steady as she... now what could that be? worf: whatever they are they are coming right at us.

you still haven't lost them. i know that. there are four more jem'hadar ships in close pursuit and two ahead on an intercept course. we must warn the station. there is only one reason for the dominion to hide a large fleet close to the wormhole. you think they're planning to attack? i'm certain of it. your message is transmitting but it's hard to tell we've got to get clear of the nebula. what happened? we've just come to a dead stop. they have us in a tractor beam. repolarize the hull. try to shake us loose. ah... are we glad to see you. could you point us toward the wormhole? ( grunting ) i'm telling you, he knows exactly who i am.

he doesn't recognize his own fingers. he spent seven months inside my belly listening to my heartbeat hearing my voice. there's a connection there. every time i walk into the room, he smiles. it's probably gas. thanks. you always know just the right thing to say. how's my baby boy? he recognized me. did he? hold on-- i'm getting a priority one distress signal from the gamma quadrant. dax to sisko: you'd better come out here. what is it? i've got a message from worf but it's badly garbled. maybe i can clean it up. it says "jem'hadar" and then some coordinates i can't make out. "build up" and then... go on. it ends with "imminent." "imminent"? we just lost contact

in the gamma quadrant. the dominion. they're coming. notify starfleet command. put the station on yellow alert. make sure everyone knows this is not a drill. major take the defiant into the gamma quadrant. locate mr. worf. find out what the hell's going on. and if an invasion is on the way? then get back here as soon as possible and god help us all. ah, good. you look like the man in charge. i was trying to explain to your colleagues that this is all an unfortunate misunderstanding. cardassians are all alike. you talk too much. let him go. i give the orders here. release me... or die. worf...

( gasping ) this is internment camp 371. you are here because you are enemies of the dominion. there is no release, no escape

another listening post has gone dead and the one closest to the wormhole is detecting a ship. increase in neutrino levels-- something's coming through. shields fully charged. weapons ready. the wormhole's opening. on screen. o'brien: it's the defiant.