[Bridge]
(Inside the wormhole.)
SISKO:
Full stop. Chief, divert all power to forward shields and weapons.
DAX:
Captain, I'm reading multiple warp signatures ahead.
SISKO:
On screen.
Maximum magnification.
(Here comes the enemy fleet, but no more than three abreast in the narrow tunnel.)
SISKO:
Lock phasers.
Prepare to launch quantum torpedoes.
[Limbo]
SISKO:
Why have you brought me here?
Show yourselves.
What do you want?
[Promenade]
ODO:
The Sisko has returned to us.
[Quark's]
JAKE:
He arrives with questions.
[Ops]
KIRA:
There are always questions.
SISKO:
I didn't ask to come here.
[Captain's office]
DUKAT-PROPHET :
You desire to end the game.
SISKO:
What Game?
I don't understand.
[Wardroom]
WEYOUN-PROPHET :
You seek to shed your corporeal existence.
[Bridge]
DAMAR-PROPHET :
That cannot be allowed.
[Promenade]
ODO-PROPHET :
The Game must not end.
SISKO:
The Game? You mean My Life?
Is that what this is about?
You don't want me to die?
DUKAT-PROPHET :
The Game must continue.
WEYOUN-PROPHET :
You are The Sisko.
SISKO:
Believe me, I don't want to die,
but I have to do everything I can to prevent the Dominion from conquering the Alpha Quadrant.
If that means sacrificing my life
and the life of my crew,
so be it.
JAKE-PROPHET :
We Do Not Agree.
KIRA-PROPHET :
We find your reasoning flawed.
ODO-PROPHET :
Insufficient.
SISKO:
I'm flattered you feel that way,
but it doesn't change anything.
Now send me back to my ship.
[Bridge]
SISKO:
This isn't what I meant.
I want to return to my reality.
DAMAR-PROPHET :
You are The Sisko.
SISKO:
I am also a Starfleet Captain.
I have a job to do and I intend to do it.
WEYOUN-PROPHET :
The Sisko is belligerent.
DUKAT-PROPHET:
Aggressive.
DAMAR-PROPHET:
Adversarial.
SISKO:
You're damn right I'm adversarial.
You have no right to interfere with my life!
[Ops]
KIRA-PROPHET:
We have every right.
SISKO:
Fine. You want to interfere, then interfere. Do something about those Dominion reinforcements.
ODO-PROPHET:
That is a corporeal matter.
DUKAT-PROPHET:
Corporeal matters do not concern us.
SISKO:
The Hell they don't.
What about Bajor?
You can't tell me Bajor doesn't concern you.
You've sent the Bajorans orbs and Emissaries.
You've even encouraged them to create an entire religion around you.
You even told me once that you were of Bajor.
So don't you tell me you're not concerned with corporeal matters.
I don't want to see Bajor destroyed.
Neither do you.
But we all know that's exactly what's going to happen if the Dominion takes over the Alpha Quadrant. You say you don't want me to sacrifice my life? Well, fine, neither do I.
You want to be Gods,
then be Gods.
I need a miracle.
Bajor needs a miracle.
STOP Those SHIPS.
WEYOUN-PROPHET :
We are of Bajor.
DAMAR-PROPHET :
But what of the Sisko?
ODO-PROPHET :
He is intrusive.
DUKAT-PROPHET :
He tries to control the game.
JAKE-PROPHET :
A penance must be exacted.
WEYOUN-PROPHET :
It is agreed.
DUKAT-PROPHET :
The Sisko is of Bajor,
but he will find no rest there.
KIRA-PROPHET :
(touches Sisko's left ear)
His pagh will follow another path.
SISKO:
What path is that?
[Bridge]
(Back to reality.)
O'BRIEN: Phaser banks fully charged.
NOG: Forward shields at a hundred percent.
O'BRIEN: Torpedoes ready. Targets locked.
DAX: Here they come.
SISKO: Fire on my command.
NOG: There must be thousands of them.
GARAK: And half of them have locked targets on us.
SISKO: Steady, people. Make every shot count.
DAX: Benjamin.
(Energy crackles in the wormhole and the Dominion fleet vanishes.)
O'BRIEN: They've cloaked.
DAX: I'm not picking up any neutrino emissions.
GARAK: Then where did they go?
SISKO: Wherever they went, I don't think they're coming back.
(The ultimate Deus ex Machina cop-out.)
[Ops]
DAMAR: Sir, the wormhole is opening.
(WHOOSH)
DAMAR: The Defiant.
DUKAT: Our reinforcements must be right behind.
(The wormhole closes.)
DAMAR: No, sir. There's no sign of them.
WEYOUN: That's impossible. Check our listening posts in the Gamma Quadrant.
DAMAR: They're not there either.
DUKAT: But they entered the wormhole. Where are they?
DAMAR: I don't know.
(BOOM)
DAMAR: The Defiant has opened fire on us.
WEYOUN: Obviously.
DUKAT: Can you get our weapons back online?
DAMAR: Not for a while. Sir, two hundred enemy ships have broken through our lines. They're headed this way.
WEYOUN: Time to start packing.
FOUNDER: Contact our forces in the Alpha Quadrant. Tell them to fall back to Cardassian territory. It appears this war is going to take longer than expected.
WEYOUN: We'll meet you at airlock five.
(The Founder and Weyoun leave. Dukat's jaw is still on the floor.)
DAMAR:
Sir?
DUKAT:
Victory was within our grasp.
DAMAR:
We have to evacuate the station, sir.
DUKAT:
Bajor, The Federation, the Alpha Quadrant, all lost.
DAMAR:
We have to go now, sir.
DUKAT:
Go?
DAMAR:
The Federation ships, they'll be here soon.
We have to get back to Cardassia.
DUKAT:
I have to find my daughter.
DAMAR:
I'll send someone for her.
DUKAT:
That won't be necessary.
DAMAR:
You're wasting your time.
DUKAT: Promenade.
DAMAR:
She won't go with you.
[Bridge]
O'BRIEN:
Sir, the Dominion forces are leaving the station.
SISKO:
Let them go.
We're in no shape to stop them.
BASHIR:
Captain, we're getting a message from the Cortez.
The Dominion fleet has broken off the fight.
They're in retreat.
SISKO:
Tell the Cortez and the rest of our fleet to rendezvous
at Deep Space Nine.