 While traveling in a Runabout,
Kira and Odo learn that a Maquis ship has ambushed a Lissepian
vessel. They pursue the attacking ship to a deserted moon, where
it crashes. Kira and Odo land on the moon, which is virtually
uninhabitable and rocked by seismic activity. They split up
within a group of caverns where the fugitive may be hiding, but
Kira soon summons Odo with a distress call. He hurries to her
side to find a crystal formation growing around Kira's foot,
trapping her.
The crystal, which Odo cannot
break, rapidly grows to just above Kira's knee. Atmospheric
interference makes it impossible for him to either free her with
the Runabout's transporter or send a distress signal back to the
station. Odo then returns to the caverns to hear the sound of
phaser blasts. Kira says that she just exchanged shots with the
Maquis fugitive, but both missed. This, however, is the least of
her problems — both her legs are now entirely covered in
crystal.
Tremors shake the cavern while the crystal continues to grow
around Kira. Odo brings in equipment to build a makeshift
ultrasonic generator in an attempt to shatter the crystal. It
has now grown to cover Kira's rib cage, making it difficult for
her to breathe. Odo realizes that finding the right frequency
might take longer than the few hours left before Kira is covered
completely, but he is determined not to leave her stranded, and
they betray just a bit of emotion toward each other. Then,
suddenly, the cavern is shaken by a powerful tremor.
Odo morphs into a dome to shield Kira and the generator from the
falling debris. But after trying every possible frequency, the
crystal remains intact and grows to reach the middle of Kira's
chest. Realizing there is nothing more Odo can do, Kira orders
him to leave and save himself.
Odo refuses to go, despite Kira's reminder that if he stays, he
will die along with her. But Odo says he cannot leave — because
he is in love with Kira. After a moment, Kira shocks Odo by
replying that she is in love with him, too. The increasingly
suspicious Odo remains virtually silent for an hour, while the
crystal grows up to Kira's neck. But when Kira then admits she
isn't really in love with him, Odo realizes that she would never
risk their friendship by lying. He points a phaser at her and
demands to know what happened to the real Kira. The woman and
crystal then morphs into the female shapeshifter Odo met when he
discovered his homeworld. Knowing Odo's feelings for Kira, she
planned the entire scenario to trick Odo into believing Kira
died, hoping this would prompt him to return home. Angry, Odo
makes her reveal Kira's location, and he then rescues his
friend. They then return to the station, with Odo's deepest
feelings still a secret from Kira.
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