Tacking Into the Wind

ST episode
series = Deep Space Nine
name = Tacking into the Wind


Kira and Gul Rusot
ep_num = 170
prod_num = 572
date = May 12, 1999
writer = Ronald D. Moore
director = Mike Vejar
guest = Andrew J. Robinson
Jeffrey Combs
Casey Biggs
J.G. Hertzler
Robert O'Reilly
John Vickery
Salome Jens

stardate = Unknown
year = 2375
prev = When It Rains...
next = Extreme Measures"Tacking Into the Wind" is an episode from the seventh season of "", the sixth of the ten final chapters. The production code of the episode is 572. First aired May 12, 1999. Written by Ronald D. Moore. Directed by Mike Vejar. The episode was very well received by fans, mostly because of the ending of the Klingon story arc, and has an average rating of 4.5/5 on the official Star Trek website (as of April 13th, 2007). [http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/DS9/episode/106068.html]

Plot

In the previous episode, Kira Nerys, Odo and Garak went to Cardassia to help Damar in his rebellion against the Dominion, while Bashir tried in vain to find a cure for Odo's illness.

Worf suspects that Gowron's new military strategies are meant to humiliate Martok, with no thought of the consequences for the Klingon Empire as a whole. He urges Martok to challenge Gowron, but Martok refuses to even talk about it.

Garak tells Kira that Odo has been hiding the true extent of his illness; Kira says she knew but wants to let Odo put on a brave front. They go with Damar to a Jem'Hadar shipyard with the intent of stealing the Breen energy dampening weapon. En route, Damar receives word that his family was captured and executed by the Dominion. Kira responds to his outrage at the slaughter of innocent civilians by reminding him that the Cardassians did exactly the same thing during their occupation of Bajor, but retracts her statement after Damar had left as stupid; Garak, though, points out that Damar still has a romanticism about the past, and this incident along with her words may be what he needs to give those views up and focus on freeing Cardassia from the Dominion. On board a Jem'Hadar ship Odo takes the form of the female changeling, complete with skin damage, and despite a delay, they successfully steal a ship equipped with the Breen weapon. In the process, Rusot, Damar's friend and second in command, tries to convince him to take the weapon for themselves and not give it to the Federation. Damar is forced to kill Rusot, giving up his vision of restoring the old Cardassia and instead aiding the Federation in the hope of creating a better one.

Miles O'Brien suggests to Julian Bashir that he announce that he has found a cure to the changelings' illness as a way to lure someone from Section 31 to DS9.

Worf discusses Gowron's actions with Ezri, who points out that when men as honorable as Martok and Worf knowingly allow corruption at the highest levels, there is no hope for the empire as a whole. Worf muses on this during a High Council meeting in which Gowron presents a suicidal plan of attack against the Dominion. Worf challenges Gowron to a duel and kills him. By Klingon law, this makes him the new Chancellor, but Worf refuses the Chancellor's robe and hands it to Martok instead.

External links

* [http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/DS9/episode/106068.html Tacking into the Wind] at StarTrek.com