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I thought you said you'd started straightening this place up.

You should have seen it before.

Look, Keiko's shuttle will be here before we know it.

We should have left the holosuite hours ago.

What, and let the Jerries cross the Channel? Never.

It is sort of a shame to pack this stuff away.

Wish we didn't have to. It's like a sculpture a monument to your year as a bachelor.

Ah, I suppose it is.

Who are we to dismantle this piece of art?

I don't know.

But if we don't, Keiko'll dismantle me.

Daddy.

Hi, sweetie.

Oh!

Hi.

The one good thing about going away is coming home.

I never want to be apart like that again.

Daddy, Daddy! I have a little brother

Really? Is that him?

No. He's in there.

Surprise.

A baby?

Yeah. I--I thought you'd be happy. I mean, we talked about it and decided we'd start trying.

Oh, I know. We--We--Well, but your last visit, you were only here the one night, and...

I thought it'd take a couple of nights.

To be honest... a lot more nights.

I guess we just got lucky this time.

I guess so.

-Vedek Porta. -Nerys.

So, this is where you are when you're not at the Temple.

Very impressive.

Haven't you ever been to Ops?

What business would an old monk have here, except maybe helping a young couple to meet the Emissary?

Are you sure this is a good time?

I think he'll be able to fit you in.

Thank you so much for doing this, Major.

Oh, I'm glad to.

They can take the Rubicon.

( door chimes )

Come in.

Vedek Porta's here with the young couple that just got married.

They're hoping to get the Emissary's blessing.

Bring them in.

You remember the words? The marriage blessing?

-Mm-hmm. -I think so.

Emissary, we're very grateful to you for seeing us.

Not at all.

Now, if you'll just join hands...

Zhia'kala, tar'eh anu suur...

te'von, aka'lu rez... ka'vor

mat'ana kel.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Your accent is getting much better, Emissary.

I'm glad to hear it.

( sighing )

It isn't that bad, is it, being the Emissary?

A few ceremonies, an occasional blessing.

I didn't say it was that bad.

It's just hard getting used to being a religious icon.

-DAX: Really? -I think I'd like it.

Kira to Sisko.

-Go ahead. -You'd better get out here.

There's something coming through the wormhole.

A lightship.

KIRA: I don't know where it came from.

According to remote sensors, it never entered the wormhole.

From these readings, I'd say that ship's about 300 years old.

SISKO: Life signs?

There's someone on board,

-a Bajoran. -Try hailing them.

KIRA: No response.

DAX: Whoever's in there could be injured.

Tractor the ship into transporter range and beam the passenger directly into the Infirmary.

( moaning )

He's a little disoriented.

I'm Captain Benjamin Sisko.

You're aboard a Federation space station near Bajor.

This is Kira Nerys, my First Officer.

Who are you?

I am the Emissary.

I was headed back to Bajor. My lightship was caught in an ion storm.

{\an8}It nearly tore it apart.

{\an8}A girder came loose from the bulkhead and impaled me through the shoulder, here.

{\an8}I remember thinking I was going to die alone in space

{\an8}when a strange opening appeared in the sky.

{\an8}AKOREM: I was terrified at first, and then, I realized what was happening.

{\an8}The Prophets were opening the gates of the Celestial Temple

{\an8}and drawing me to them.

{\an8}What happened then?

{\an8}AKOREM: It's difficult to describe.

{\an8}They took the form of people that I know, my grandfather, my brother,

{\an8}AKOREM: so they could communicate with me.

{\an8}-You spoke to them? -I didn't have to.

{\an8}I could sense their understanding, their grace.

{\an8}I've never felt such bliss. And then they healed me.

{\an8}A light washed over me, and then my wound was gone.

{\an8}They gave me back my life. I felt reborn.

{\an8}When exactly did you leave Bajor?

{\an8}Oh, it couldn't have been more than a few days ago.

{\an8}What was the year?

{\an8}9174.

{\an8}That was over 200 years ago.

{\an8}200 years?

{\an8}My wife...

{\an8}My parents... they're gone.

BASHIR: If you give us your name, maybe we can contact your descendants.

Let them know you're... alive.

Akorem. Akorem Laan. But I have no descendants.

My brother died last winter, and my wife and I never had children.

Akorem Laan, the poet?

I'm a poet, yes.

You wrote Kitara's Song and The Call of the Prophets?

You know my work?

You're considered one of the greatest poets of Bajor.

Every schoolchild can recite Gaudaal's Lament from memory.

People still read my work, after all this time?

Perhaps, that's part of the Prophets' plan for me.

Their plan?

It's not clear to me yet why they made me their Emissary, but I know they gave me back my life for a reason.

Akorem, a great deal has happened since you've been gone.

Maybe Major Kira can spend some time filling you in.

"Major Kira"?

That's right.

But your family would be part of the artist D'jarra.

D'jarra?

Bajor used to have a strict caste system.

A person's work was dictated by what family they were born into.

You no longer follow your D'jarras?

When the Cardassians occupied Bajor, we gave up the D'jarras, so that we could fight them.

We all became soldiers.

The Cardassians occupied Bajor?

For over 50 years.

It seems you're right, Captain.

A great deal has happened since I've been gone.

If you look at the prophecies about the Emissary, a lot of them make much more sense with Akorem in the picture.

Really?

Every text I've read says that the Prophets will name their Emissary by calling him to them, that he would find the Celestial Temple that there, the Prophets would give him back his life.

Go on.

They didn't give me back my life.

Not literally, but they did help you get your life back together.

True enough, but I wasn't the first one to find the wormhole, or to meet the Prophets.

Akorem was.

Benjamin, I thought you didn't believe in the prophecies.

I don't.

Then why are you using them to justify giving up your position?

I guess I was looking for something to convince me that I was making the right decision.

So your mind's made up? You're going to step aside?

Akorem will make a far better Emissary than I ever was.

He's Bajoran.

He's a revered poet, and he wants the job. Besides, Starfleet will be thrilled.

They never liked the idea that the Bajorans saw me as a religious figure.

How do you know the Bajorans will accept Akorem as their new Emissary?

I talked to Vedek Porta.

He seems to think that as long as I make it clear that I'm stepping aside voluntarily, they will.

So you're off the hook.

How does it feel?

It feels, uh... good.

No more ceremonies to attend.

No more blessings to give.

No more prophecies to fulfill. I'm just a Starfleet officer again.

All I have to worry about are the Klingons, the Dominion and the Maquis.

I feel like I'm on vacation.

Chief!

Congratulations, Dad.

-You heard? -Great news, my friend.

-Come have a drink. Celebrate. -I really should be getting home.

Oh, just one.

All right.

Quark, did you hear?

Chief O'Brien is having a baby.

I thought your females carried your young.

My wife. My wife is having the baby.

Congratulations.

I remember when my nephew Nog was a baby.

Cutest thing you ever saw.

You know babies.

Every little thing they pick up goes straight into their ears.

Oh, I used to love reading to him.

You know, "See Brak acquire. Acquire, Brak, acquire."

Just think. Soon there'll be two little O'Briens scampering about underfoot.

Hard to believe, isn't it?

Mind you, they do say the second one is easier, since you've already been through all the diapers and the endless crying and the sleepless nights.

-Yeah. -Cheers.

Oh... cheers.

Is something wrong, Chief?

No. Nothing at all. I couldn't be happier.

QUARK: Did you hear? Keiko's going to have another baby.

Now?

No.

Seven months.

I see.

-Worf delivered Molly, you know. -Really?

The Enterprise was damaged.

Keiko and he were trapped together when her time came.

Oh, well, I'll, uh, be sure and call you when she's ready to deliver. You can lend a hand.

Seven months?

Unfortunately, I will be away from the station at that time.

( chuckles )

Far away.

Visiting my parents... On Earth.

Excuse me.

( both laughing )

I don't know who's more anxious about this baby, you or Worf.

The thing is, Julian, now that Molly's a little older,

I was hoping to be able to spend some time with Keiko again.

I thought we could... I don't know... go out at night. Don't get me wrong.

I know once I hold my little baby in my arms,

I'll be the happiest man in the world, but...

I wasn't expecting it to happen so soon.

-How about a game of darts? -Don't you have to go home?

Yeah.

Major, come to see Akorem speak?

The Emissary's first public appearance? I wouldn't miss it.

I'm surprised to hear you call him that.

Why?

Akorem Laan was... is a great man.

He's been with the Prophets for over 200 years, and now they sent him back to us.

Yes, but two days ago, you believed Captain Sisko was the Emissary.

Well, he made it clear, he wants to step aside.

Does that mean he never really was the Emissary?

No.

But they can't both be.

I don't know. What do you want from me, Odo?

Forgive me, Major. I don't mean to be difficult, but your faith seems to have led you

-to something of a contradiction. -I don't see it as a contradiction.

I don't understand.

That's the thing about faith, if you don't have it, you can't understand it, and if you do, no explanation is necessary.

( applause )

Ever since the Prophets returned me to my people,

I've asked myself the same questions over and over again.

Why did they keep me with them for so long?

Why did they return me to my people now?

I now know the answers.

Bajor suffered a great wound while I was with the Prophets,

the Cardassian Occupation.

The Bajor that I've returned to has lost its way.

People no longer follow the path the Prophets have laid out for them.

They no longer follow their D'jarras.

Artists have become soldiers. Priests have become merchants.

Farmers have become politicians. We must heal the wounds of the occupation.

We must return to our D'jarras.

We must reclaim what we were and follow the path the Prophets have laid out for us.

It is their will that farmers return to their land, painters to their canvasses, priests to their temples.

If we do this, if we follow our D'jarras, then Bajor will flourish again and become the green and peaceful land I remember.

It will be as if the occupation never happened.

By returning to our D'jarras, we will have erased it forever.

( applause )

I wanted to talk to you before you left for Bajor.

Of course.

I was surprised by your speech.

I had no idea you were going to advocate change on such a massive scale.

It's what the Prophets want for Bajor.

It's why they sent me.

Are you sure of that?

Absolutely.

The Emissary knows that what he's proposing will be difficult for some people to accept.

He doesn't expect things to change overnight.

So you're not going to ask First Minister Shakaar to step down and go back to farming?

No, of course not.

But frankly, by the next election,

I doubt very many people will be left on Bajor who would elect a farmer to political office.

We hope that, eventually, the people will support enforcement of the D'jarras by legal sanction.

So, if someone defies their caste?

Society will have appropriate remedies at its disposal, such as deportation.

You realize that caste-based discrimination goes against the Federation Charter. If Bajor returns to the D'jarra system,

I have no doubt that its petition to join the Federation will be rejected.

Kai Winn and I have already discussed it.

We're willing to make that sacrifice in order to follow the will of the Prophets.

I had a feeling Winn would see it that way.

Well, the Emissary's transport leaves shortly.

As a Starfleet officer, I am bound by oath not to interfere with Bajoran affairs, but... as a friend to Bajor,

I have to say giving up Federation membership would be a mistake.

Oh.

Your pagh is strong.

I see now why Kai Opaka believed you were the Emissary... and why Winn fears you.

Good-bye, Captain.

Good-bye, Emissary.

Morning.

Guess I'll have to take my raktajino with me.

Please, sit here.

You're not finished.

I'll find someplace else to sit.

You don't have to get up for me.

You're Ih'valla.

I'm te'nari.

It's been going on all morning... whenever someone with a higher-ranking D'jarra comes in.

I guess I'll have to get used to being treated like that.

I remember when I got promoted to Lieutenant, it took me a while to get used to being called "sir" by my friends who were still Ensigns.

But that's different.

You'd earned the right to be treated with respect.

I haven't done anything.

Sounds like you have some reservations about bringing back the D'jarras.

I have some questions, sure.

The Emissary is asking something very difficult of us, but we have to have faith that he's guiding us towards something.

Even if what he's guiding you towards doesn't include the Federation?

It's not our place to question the Emissary.

No matter what?

Maybe you never realized this, Captain, but we would have tried to do whatever you asked of us when you were Emissary, no matter how difficult it seemed.

I'd better get to Ops.

( gasping )

( rustling )

( rustling )

Who are you?

Kai Opaka.

Who are you?

What are you doing here?

How did you?

Who are you?

Don't you know me?

OPAKA: Know you?

How can I know someone who doesn't know himself?

I think you had what the Bajorans call an "Orb shadow."

Sometimes, people who have been exposed to the Orbs of the Prophets experience hallucinations weeks, even months later.

-What triggers them? -An excess of neuropeptides.

I can give you an inhibitor to make sure it never happens again.

Of course, if I do, you risk never finding out.

Finding out what?

The Bajorans believe you only have a shadow experience when you ignore what the Prophets have been trying to tell you during an Orb encounter.

Interesting.

So... any idea what they might have been trying to tell you?

Sure.

That I have too many neuropeptides rolling around in my head.

( sighs )

( sighs )

A bird is a difficult thing to sculpt.

Maybe you should have started with something simpler.

Come in! Come in! Services are about to begin.

But I can tell I have no aptitude for it.

That's because you didn't give yourself over to what you were doing.

How can you say that? I was up half the night.

I have a, a flock of flightless birds in my quarters.

But you're still wearing that uniform.

You're still clinging to a false life.

You must do what the Emissary has asked and follow your D'jarra with all your heart, because if you give yourself over to the Prophets, they will guide you along the path they've chosen for you... and you'll know more joy than you ever thought possible.

O'BRIEN: That a girl. Good shot, Molly!

-Did I win? -We're just practicing.

-We'll play a game later. -Try another one.

KEIKO: Miles?

Oh, uh...

That's mine. Don't worry... I only wear it in the holosuites.

I suppose Julian has one, too.

You two certainly spent a lot of time in the holosuites.

Well, you should be glad. It kept me out of trouble.

( chuckles )

Remind me to thank Julian next time I see him.

Mmm...

Want to try for twins?

I don't think it works that way. You'd better brush up on your biology.

Teach me.

Look, I drew a pony.

Oh.

Let's see.

-Does your pony have a name? -I don't know.

Miles, I still have a lot of specimens I've got to catalog for the survey.

Go ahead. I'll play with Molly.

Oh, Miles, it's good to be home.

Come on, Molly, let's play darts.

Now, remember what I said about the right way to stand?

O'BRIEN: Let's try again.

I don't want to.

Can Daddy color, too?

I'm coloring.

The four-shift rotation also seems to be improving performance.

Less mistakes due to fatigue.

Fine. Let's make the change permanent. Anything else?

I was wondering if, in the next few days you would have the time to meet with Major Jatarn.

Sure.

Is something wrong, sir?

I'm sorry.

I just received a communiqué from Starfleet Command responding to my report on the Bajoran situation.

That bad?

Not yet, but I can read between the lines.

I was sent here to help bring Bajor into the Federation.

That doesn't look like much of a possibility anymore.

As far as Starfleet is concerned,

I have failed my mission.

That's not fair. It's not your fault.

It is from where they're sitting.

The irony is, Starfleet was always trying to get me to distance myself from this Emissary business.

And now that I have...

Maybe I could talk to First Minister Shakaar about sending Starfleet a communiqué explai--

-Thanks. -It--it'll blow over.

It's not that.

I guess I'm just feeling...

I did fail.

Sir...

Anyway, why did you want me to meet Jatarn?

( sighs )

We can talk about that another time.

What is it, Major?

I think he'd make an excellent First Officer.

As soon as you can find someone to take my post,

I'm going to resign my commission.

( sighs )

To follow your... D'jarra.

I'm planning to move back to the Dahkur Province.

There are a lot of artists who live in the capital, and I have a friend there who's willing to apprentice me.

I'm sorry.

The last thing I want to do is to add to your problems.

This is something I have to do.

( sniffles )

If, um...

If you don't hit it off with Major Jatarn, um,

I can think of a few other people.

It shouldn't be that hard to find someone to replace me.

I don't doubt that I can find someone to fill your post...

But to replace you?

( door opens, closes )

Computer, time.

1921 hours.

Where's Dr. Bashir?

Dr. Bashir is in Quark's bar.

Well, I'm chasing a triple 17 and a bull, Morn.

Got some catching up to do.

Chief!

Excuse me.

Julian.

How have you been?

Not bad. You?

Oh, you know, all right.

I was heading home. Thought I'd stop in for a quick pint.

( sighs )

It's been a while, eh?

Ha. Seems like weeks.

I see you found someone to play darts with.

Oh, uh...

I've set a board up in our quarters so Molly and I can play.

Well, Morn's, um... he's pretty good.

So's Molly.

-It's not the same. -It's not the same.

I mean, Molly's just a kid. You know, we've been playing with magnets.

Morn couldn't hit a Yridian yak at five paces.

We were evenly matched.

We had a good rivalry going on.

Yeah, kept us sharp.

Exactly.

You're late.

What do you mean?

It's Thursday, and I've got your usual holosuite reserved.

Didn't you cancel?

Actually, I was, um, hoping maybe...

No, no, I--I--I got to get home.

What about you, Doctor? The Battle of Britain awaits.

And you know my policy on cancellations, no refunds.

Go ahead.

Maybe Morn's better in the cockpit of a spitfire than he is at darts.

Ah, it wouldn't be the same.

Um... You're right.

Morn probably doesn't even know where England is.

( laughs )

I'll see you.

Odo to Sisko.

Go ahead.

You'd better come down to the Promenade. Someone's been killed.

-What happened? -We don't know yet.

He fell from the second level. His neck was broken on impact.

-Did anyone see it happen? -I did.

Was it an accident?

I pushed him.

His family name is Imutta. Their D'jarra is unclean.

They prepare the dead for burial.

I asked him to set the proper example and resign from our order.

He refused.

You killed him because of his D'jarra?

I had to. If a Vedek can't do what the Emissary has asked of us, how can we expect anyone else to?

Get him out of here.

I regret what happened here today as much as you do, but change is never easy.

The road that the Prophets have asked us to walk won't always be a smooth one.

And forcing people to follow their D'jarras won't make it any smoother.

What happened on the Promenade was just the beginning.

Must I remind you, Captain?

I'm merely fulfilling the will of the Prophets.

How do you know that?

I'm the Emissary.

And what you've done with the position has made me wish I had never given it up.

But you did, and it was the right decision.

You never truly accepted the role in the first place.

I'm willing to accept it now.

You're challenging my claim.

You've left me no choice.

If we went to the people and asked them to choose between us, it would be chaos.

I don't want to divide Bajor any more than you do.

It wouldn't be divided for long because in the end, the people would choose me.

My claim was foretold in the ancient texts.

I was the first to find the wormhole. I was the first to be with the Prophets.

They gave me back my life.

We're not going to settle this by arguing over ancient texts.

Then how?

There's only one way to be sure which one of us is the Emissary.

We have to go to the wormhole and ask the Prophets.

Going to half thrusters.

( sighs )

Now what?

We wait.

( thudding heartbeat )

You are the Sisko.

This is the one that was injured.

Yes, I was. And you gave me back my life, just as the texts foretold.

Why are you here?

To... prove to this nonbeliever that you sent me to put Bajor back on the right path.

Please, tell him you chose me to be the Emissary.

Tell that him that I fulfilled the ancient prophecies, that I was the first to find the Celestial Temple.

I was the first to meet with you. He came to you centuries later.

First...

Later...

They have no meaning to us.

SISKO: The Bajorans believe that you are their Prophets.

That you have chosen one of us to be your Emissary.

We... are of Bajor.

Go on.

They are linear.

It limits them.

They do not understand.

But we want to understand.

That's why we're here.

You saved his life. Why?

He was injured.

We kept him with us.

So that I would be spared the occupation.

So that I could bring the D'jarras back to Bajor.

Is that true?

Is that what you want?

The D'jarras are part of what the Sisko would call the past.

The Sisko taught us that for you, what was can never be again.

If the D'jarras belong in the past, why did you send me into the future?

For the Sisko.

For me?

You're saying that he's your Emissary.

He is the Sisko.

Then I've been wrong...

About everything.

You should have let me die.

We still can.

We can return him to the moment we found him.

Allow him to die.

No.

Why not return him to his own time as he is now, uninjured, so that he can get back safely to Bajor?

He would remember nothing of what has happened.

I could be with my wife and family.

I'm ready to go home.

Why?

Why do you stay here?

Because I still have questions.

We are of Bajor.

What does that mean?

You... are of Bajor.

You know, Molly really loves that book Jake gave her.

She made me read it to her three times before she fell asleep.

( sighs )

I'm going to be working another few hours.

-Well, that's okay. -I'll, uh... I'll read.

If you want to go do something...

No. I'm fine.

( sighs )

Miles, I promised I wouldn't say anything, but it's about Julian.

What about him?

I ran into him the other day, and he seemed depressed.

He'd never admit it, but he really misses you.

Poor guy.

No family to come home to every night.

Maybe you should go find him. You know, cheer him up a little.

-Depressed, is he? -Very.

Maybe I should go spend an hour with him.

Maybe two.

I'm a lucky man.

Keiko to Dr. Bashir.

Go ahead.

Julian, it's about Miles.

I promised I wouldn't tell anyone, but he's been really depressed lately.

Oh.

I want you to have this.

It's an original Kira Nerys. It could be very valuable one day.

I hear she didn't make many.

( both laughing )

I thought your speech went very well yesterday.

It was the right thing to do.

I wanted everyone to know what happened to Akorem and that the Prophets said nothing about returning to the D'jarras.

Just about everyone was relieved to hear it.

-It's your own fault. -I can't believe you didn't cover me.

How was I to know you were going to insult the King of Leinster?

-Ah! -In his own keep!

( laughing )

I was just reading one of Akorem's poems, The Call of the Prophets.

Oh, that's one of my favorites.

It's a shame he never finished it.

He did. Look.

This is confusing.

The last time I read this poem, it ended after the 12th stanza.

If the timeline's been changed, then why do I remember things the way they used to be?

The Prophets work in mysterious ways.

MALE: Excuse me, sir.

Yes?

Sorry to bother you, but tomorrow after evening services in the Temple, we're having my daughter's ih'tanu ceremony.

She's turning 14.

Happy birthday.

We were wondering if there's any chance you could come and give her your blessing.

It would mean so much to us.

I'd be happy to.

Thank you, Emissary.

You're welcome.