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Sisko and Kira play host on the
space station to the leaders of two rival Bajoran factions — the
Paqu and the Navot. Sisko has stepped in to mediate their land
dispute in an effort to avert civil war. But he and his first
officer are surprised when they meet Varis Sul, Tetrarch of the
Paqu, and see that she is a 15-year-old girl. Meanwhile, Bashir
and O'Brien, in response to an emergency, beam down to a Bajoran
village from their orbiting Runabout. Warned that the entire
village is in grave danger, they meet Faren Kag, the magistrate,
who takes them to a deathly-ill, bedridden older man known as
the Sirah, being tended to by Hovath, a young Bajoran male.
Learning that the Sirah is the only person who is ill, Bashir
and O'Brien are told that if he dies, the entire village will
die.
Sisko and Kira bring together
Varis with Woban, the large, gruff Navot leader, for an informal
discussion about their dispute before official negotiations
begin, a talk that only serves to show how far apart the two
sides really are, resulting in a frustrated Varis storming out.
Jake and Nog see her walking through the Promenade, and the
Ferengi boy becomes instantly infatuated with her, telling Jake
that he must meet her. Back at the Bajoran village, the Sirah
stirs from his sleep, takes O'Brien's hand, and voices
satisfaction that the prophets haven't failed. Bewildered by
this, O'Brien and Bashir meet with an anxious Faren, who is told
that the Sirah is dying of old age. Faren tells them that the
Sirah is needed to protect the village from the Dal'Rok, a
terrible creature that appears every year for five nights, and
that this is the fourth night this year. If the Sirah cannot
even get out of bed tonight, the village is doomed.
That night, against Bashir's better judgment, the Sirah walks
into the village square and onto his platform. As the Bajorans
gather below, the Dal'Rok, a large, ominously rolling energy
cloud, appears in the sky, bringing a harsh wind that whips at
the village. Above the wind, the Sirah shouts a story about the
Dal'Rok, with the crowd below responding as a unit to his words.
Particles of white light rise up to the cloud, causing it to
shrink slightly. But the Sirah suddenly collapses, the white
lights disappear, and all havoc breaks loose as the Dal'Rok lets
out a beam of destruction into the panicked village. Bashir and
O'Brien run to the Sirah's aid, but the dying man pulls O'Brien
close, instructing him to tell the story.
Eventually, the Dal'Rok is driven away. However, the Sirah
finally dies. But as far as the villagers are concerned, O'Brien
is now the new Sirah. He is at a loss for words. Back on the
station, Varis shares with Jake and Nog her frustrations — she
has land that the Navot faction wants, but she doesn't want to
give it up. The infatuated Nog tells her she can turn this
problem into an opportunity if they have something she wants.
This prospect gives her thought.
The morning after the Sirah's death, O'Brien and Bashir have no
idea how the Dal'Rok was stopped — or what will happen when
O'Brien is expected to lead the story again. Faren then leads a
group of villagers to O'Brien, who is showered with gifts. Faren
stays behind, telling a reluctant O'Brien that he must once
again tell the tale tonight. The Bajoran is so secure in his
faith, O'Brien knows that nothing he can say will change his
mind. He and Bashir choose to uncover what the Dal'Rok really is
and try to destroy it before nightfall. Their analysis of a wall
destroyed by the energy cloud reveals a neutrino trace — which
is odd if the Dal'Rok has no physical substance. But villagers
then approach the two, wanting the blessing of the new Sirah.
Not comfortable with this, O'Brien goes into the Sirah's
chamber, where he encounters Hovath, who was the apprentice of
the older man. But Hovath won't answer O'Brien's questions about
the Dal'Rok, and instead tries to kill him. Bashir comes in and
helps disarm Hovath, who says that O'Brien isn't the true Sirah
— Hovath is.
Bashir and O'Brien learn from Hovath that the Sirah allowed him
to tell the story one night, but he failed to control the
Dal'Rok, and several people were injured. He shows them the
Sirah's bracelet, which has mounted into it a fragment of an orb
from the celestial temple — it channels the villagers fears and
creates the Dal'Rok. The first Sirah did this as a way of
uniting the people, who at the time were divided by hate. Having
a storyteller helps the villagers to focus their thoughts, which
creates the white lights that defeat the energy force. This
secret has been kept for years. O'Brien is ready to let Hovath
tell the story, when Faren steps in, saying Hovath has already
failed, and only O'Brien can lead the people. O'Brien can't find
any way out of this.
On the station, Varis — after talking with Nog and Jake again —
approaches Sisko with an opportunity — one that may make both
sides happy. Meanwhile, in the Bajoran village, O'Brien
awkwardly tries to tell a story to the villagers. The Dal'Rok
appears, but he can't control it. The villagers begin to panic,
but Hovath steps in, calms everyone, and tells the story. The
lights appear, and the Dal'Rok is defeated for another year. A
relieved O'Brien suggests to Bashir they leave before the
villagers change their minds. Back at the station, Sisko and
Varis prepare to go back to the negotiating table, sure that she
has devised a solution that will please both sides in the
dispute. But before they go in, she thanks Nog for his
suggestion — with a kiss on the cheek. |
