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When a ramshackle alien vessel is
detected making its way through the wormhole, the ship's four
passengers are transported to Deep Space Nine. The humanoid
aliens, led by a female named Haneek, are unable to communicate
with the crew since the universal translator has trouble with
their language, but they instinctively trust Kira. Because of
this, she leads the group to the Infirmary, reassures them as
Bashir treats their wounds, and shows them to their quarters.
There, the translator begins making sense of Haneek's words, and
Kira discovers that Haneek's people, the Skrreeans, need help
immediately. With Kira's encouragement, Haneek communicates that
there are three million of them on the other side of the
wormhole who must be brought through.
Haneek meets with the crew to
discuss her problem, and is surprised to see men in positions of
authority — all Skrreean leaders are women. She explains that,
while she is just a farmer, she is the first of her people to
find the legendary "Eye" (the wormhole) that supposedly leads to
Kentanna, the mythical home of her race. Most of her leaders
were killed by the T-Rogorans, who conquered their people and
have since been conquered by the Dominion. Sisko promises to
help the displaced Skrreeans find a homeland, and soon
afterward, Kira informs Haneek that several Skrreean ships have
been located. She suggests that, as the first through the
wormhole, Haneek should greet them, and the visitor welcomes a
large group of refugees who soon overrun the Promenade, enjoying
their first taste of freedom.
While her son Tumak is taunted by Nog, Haneek is made leader of
the search by her grateful people, but privately tells Kira she
fears that she will not find Kentanna. However, her confidence
soon strengthens, and she requests a map of the sector to help
locate her homeland. Later, Nog attempts to apologize to Tumak,
but he starts a fight that Quark breaks up, making disparaging
remarks about the Skrreeans that obviously hurt Tumak. Luckily,
Sisko has found a planet, Draylon II, that will make a good home
for the aliens. He, Kira, and Dax break the good news to Haneek,
but she has news of her own — she has found her Kentanna, and it
is Bajor.
 Sisko and Kira meet with Haneek and Bajoran officials Minister
Rozahn and Vedek Sorad, and Rozahn tells Haneek that the
Skrreeans' request for immigration has been turned down. She
cites Bajor's own problems as a reason, but Haneek pleads with
her, promising that her people only wish to settle in a deserted
area and transform it into farmland — something that could help
Bajor, which is in the midst of a famine. Still, Rozahn is
afraid of being forced to "take care of" the refugees, and when
Haneek asks Kira for support, she is shocked that Kira agrees
with Rozahn. Later, Kira attempts to explain herself, but Haneek
refuses to forgive her. Their tense meeting is interrupted by a
summons from Sisko — Tumak has taken a ship and is headed for
Bajor.
Sisko tells Haneek that Tumak's ship has a dangerous radiation
leak, but Tumak will not respond to their hails. Haneek attempts
to communicate with her son just as two Bajoran ships detect the
Skrreean vessel. Kira begs them to let Tumak land, pointing out
that he is only a boy, but the Bajorans refuse, saying they have
strict orders to refuse access to all Skrreean ships. Sisko
hails Bajoran General Hazar, who agrees to tow Tumak if he turns
off his engines. But as Haneek again implores her son to do so,
he fires on the Bajorans. They return fire before Hazar gives
the order to refrain, and while their phasers miss the Skrreean
vessel, the fire interacts with the radiation leak and the ship
explodes. Later, as the Skrreeans begin to relocate to Draylon
II, Kira meets with Haneek again. Hurt and angry, Haneek tells
Kira that the Bajorans have made a mistake based on fear and
suspicion. As she leaves the station behind, Kira is left
wondering if perhaps she is right. |
