Battle Lines (episode)

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For the Pocket VOY novel, see Battle Lines.

A runabout carrying Kai Opaka crashes on a planet of eternal war, where it is impossible for the combatants to die.

Summary

Dax and O'Brien tell Sisko about finding the personnel files kept by the previous DS9 prefect. O'Brien tells Sisko he should probably warn Kira about her file before she can see it. Kira walks in at that moment and asks what should she be warned about, Sisko tells Kira he might find her file disappointing, Kira assures him she can handle it, only to storm out of the room immediately after seeing it. In the meantime, Bashir tells Sisko that Kai Opaka is at the station and wishes to have the tour of the station that Sisko offered her once. After showing her around the station, Sisko takes her into the wormhole after she subtly expressed she wanted to see it. While they are there Kai Opaka insists on investigating a narrow band subspace signal they pick up in the runabout USS Yangtzee Kiang while they're in the Gamma Quadrant in 2369. Following the arrival at an inhabitable moon, Benjamin Sisko, Kira Nerys, Julian Bashir and Opaka are then shot down by an automatic orbital defense system orbiting the moon. The Kai dies on impact.

While the are there they meet the Ennis, a faction of a humanoid species, and the mortal enemies of a rival faction the Nol-Ennis. They both live on that moon, that is actually a kind of penal colony to which The Ennis and the Nol-Ennis were banished to after their home world's mediators weren't able to negotiate any kind of peace between the two factions, they decided to make and example out of them and banished them there. Part of their punishment is to not be able to die, since artificial microbes on the moon bring their bodies back to life after they die, which makes Opaka alive again, since she died on the planet.

Sisko tries to negotiate something between the two sides, and manages to get their attention after saying he could transport both of the factions to different planets, where they could live and if possible die, in peace, when Sisko's people come back to try rescuing and the rest of the team from the moon. In the meantime, Bashir is trying to fix the computers on the Yangtzee Kiang so that he can study those artificial microbes more closely. Sisko begins negotiations between the factions, but they refuse to believe him and the fighting breaks out again right in the middle of negotiations, while on the fight Bashir pushes Sisko out of the way of a weapon that was coming towards him, he then tells Sisko that he found out that the bodies of the revived people can't survive in any other environment besides the one the moon has, which also means Kai Opaka can never leave again, Kai herself doesn't seem preoccupied and tells Kira that ever since she entered the wormhole, she sensed that she would not return, she asks Kira to tell the others that she has answered the calling of the prophets, and that she was brought there because it is time for the people on the planet to begin their healing process, just as Kira was brought there started hers.

In the meanwhile, O'Brien and Dax who were searching for Sisko and the others, arrive and try to find a way to beam them out of there, O'Brien manages to find a way to beam the marooned crew away by distracting the satellites with a probe. Before they leave, Sisko tells the Kai that if they ever find a way to bring her back, Kai interrupts him and tells him that her work is now on the moon, but that her and Sisko's 'pagh' will cross again. The crew gladly returns with Dax and O'Brien, leaving the Ennis and Nol-Ennis behind and knowing the Kai has a lot of work to do if she really wants to finally bring them together. Kira remains grief stricken, pondering why the Kai would have stayed, even if she could have returned with them.

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Memorable quotes

"You might want to warn Kira before she sees her file."
(Walking in) "Warn me? About what?"
"Oh, uh, Dax and Mr. O'Brien discovered some of the last Prefect's personal files. There's a file on you, but you may find it disappointing."
"I'm a big girl, Commander."
(Later, storming out) " 'A minor operative whose activities are limited to running errands for the terrorist leaders' ?!"
"Major, when you're through feeling underappreciated, perhaps you'd join me in welcoming the Kai aboard."

- O'Brien, Kira, and Sisko.

"The magnetic deflection of a runabout's hull is extremely weak. The probes will never be able to detect it."
"They will if I outfit them with a differential magnetomer."
"A differential magnetomer?"
"Mm-hmm."
"I've never heard of a differential magnetomer. How does it work?"
"I'll let you know as soon as I finish making one."

- Dax and O'Brien

"I've discovered we can't afford to die here. Not even once."

- Bashir

"Nice work, Julian."

- Bashir to himself after fixing one of the runabout's computer.

Background Information

Origin

The original concept involved a group of Humans and Cardassians, although this was changed to the Ennis and the Nol-Ennis so it would not look like the main characters had chosen sides. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
The writers had also considered creating a new character to be killed and resurrected (see redshirt) but this was changed to Kai Opaka as she was considered to be the most expendable recurring character. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
The original series episode "Day of the Dove" was one source of inspiration for this episode for the late Hilary J. Bader, although mainly due to it showing the futility of war, not as a new concept. Indeed, the primary focus of Bader's pitch was to expose war as utterly pointless. This is emphasized in the fact that the Ennis and the Nol-Ennis don't even remember why they are fighting. According to Bader, "there must have been a more meaningful cause for this battle, but it's so long ago that it's not the issue anymore; it's not what they're fighting about. They're fighting about "You're this and I'm not!"...the point was that it didn't really matter why they fought. The act itself is more important than the issue that started it." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
Bader also commented that "there are certain themes that reoccur in Star Trek, and the fact that war is pointless is one of them." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
This episode seems to draw on the legend of Hedin and Högni from Norse mythology. ^{(citation needed • edit)}

Behind the scenes

The production design team decided to reuse an existing conical prop in place of constructing an accurate Danube-class nacelle for the crashed runabout Yangtzee Kiang.
"Battle Lines" is one of the stunt performer crew's favorite Star Trek episodes. (Star Trek Monthly #127)
Dennis Madalone directed the majority of the fight scenes in this episode over two days. (Star Trek Monthly #127)
Tom Morga designed the weapons in this episode. He did so by taping together a cardboard blade, a ball and an old tool handle. (Star Trek Monthly #127)
This episode marks the first time Hilary J. Bader and Richard Danus worked on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Bader later worked on the episodes "Rules of Acquisition", "Meridian" and "Explorers" while Danus wrote the story of "The Sword of Kahless".
In an outtake shown on Ultimate Trek: Star Trek's Greatest Moments, Avery Brooks says "We'll be entering the wormhole in about an hour" instead of a minute. Brooks smiles and Camille Saviola says "Well, I ain't got that long, I've got about fifteen minutes!"
This is the final Star Trek episode to be directed by Paul Lynch.

Continuity

Kai Opaka leaves the Alpha Quadrant in this episode, making her final 'real' appearance in the series. She does appear later in "The Collaborator" and "Accession" in orb experiences and orb shadows.
This episode marks the first time a DS9 runabout is destroyed. The Yangtzee Kiang was later replaced by the Orinoco.
This episode was one of the first to state exactly what the United Federation of Planets is. Commander Sisko's response to Zlangco's question was that it "is made up of over a hundred planets who have allied themselves for mutual scientific, cultural and defensive benefits. The mission that my people and I are on is to explore the galaxy". Jean-Luc Picard later says something similar to Lily Sloane in Star Trek: First Contact.
Although it was not specified in the episode, the Prefect to whom Sisko refers is Gul Dukat.
Armin Shimerman (Quark) and Cirroc Lofton (Jake) do not appear in this episode.

Apocrypha

Opaka returns to Bajor in the non-canon DS9 relaunch novels, after being encountered by Jake Sisko.
S.D. Perry's novel Rising Son is a sequel of sorts to this episode. It reveals the changes that have happened among the Ennis and the Nol-Ennis by 2376.
The earring that Opaka gives O'Brien for Molly was not seen or mentioned in the series again, although O'Brien tells Joseph and Judith Sisko about it in Robert Simpson's novel Lesser Evil.

Video and DVD releases

UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 7, 8 November 1993.

The video sleeve appears to render this episode's title as "Battlelines", although the small case font makes it difficult to tell for certain.

As part of the DS9 Season 1 DVD collection.

Links and references

Starring

Avery Brooks as Commander Benjamin Sisko

Also Starring

Guest Stars

Camille Saviola as Kai Opaka
Paul Collins as Zlangco

And

Jonathan Banks as Shel-la

Previous episode:
"Vortex"

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Season 1

Next episode:
"The Storyteller"

Battle Lines (episode)

Contents

Summary

Memorable quotes

Background Information

Origin

Behind the scenes

Continuity

Apocrypha

Video and DVD releases

Links and references

Starring

Also Starring

Guest Stars

Co-Star

Uncredited Co-Stars

Stunt doubles

References

External links

Fan Feed