star trek deep space nine keiko

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

• Memory Beta articles sourced from novelizations
• Memory Beta articles sourced from eBooks
• Memory Beta articles sourced from websites
• Memory Beta articles sourced from short stories
• Memory Beta incomplete articles
• Humans (24th century)
• Deep Space 9 residents
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) residents

Keiko O'Brien

• View history
• 1.1 Early Life
• 1.2 The Enterprise
• 1.3 Deep Space 9
• 1.4 Earth and Cardassia
• 2.1 Parallel universe
• 2.2 Alternate timeline
• 2.3 Alternate reality, 2233
• 3.1 Connections
• 3.2 Appearances
• 3.3 References
• 3.4 External link

Biography [ ]

Early life [ ].

Keiko, a native of Japan on Earth , was born Keiko Ishikawa to her father Hiro Ishikawa and her mother (born November 2269) who lived in the city of Kumamoto . ( TNG episode : " Disaster "; DS9 episodes : " Emissary ", " Dax ")

Keiko was close to her family and in her childhood used to help her grandmother, who she called Obachan , with her calligraphy. ( TNG episode : " Violations ")

Circa 2352 , she had a friend called Kiyoshi . In 2367 , she remarked that Ensign Reggie Tanaka resembled Kiyoshi. ( TNG novel : Imbalance )

The Enterprise [ ]

In the 2360s Keiko was assigned to the USS Enterprise -D as a botanist in the ship's arboretum, where she befriended Lieutenant Commander Data . At some point, Data introduced Keiko to Miles O'Brien . In the Q -created reality experienced by Jean-Luc Picard of 2370 , the couple met when they collided after Picard called for condition red alert while the Enterprise was still at Earth Station McKinley . Keiko was carrying b'lednaya flowers at the time, which got broken in the collision. ( TNG novelization : All Good Things... , TNG episode : " Data's Day ")

In 2367 the couple married and Data served as father-of-the-bride. ( TNG episode : " Data's Day ")

In 2368 Keiko gave birth to her and Miles' first child Molly in the Enterprise' s Ten Forward lounge, due to a ship-wide systems failure. Worf served as midwife. ( TNG episode : " Disaster ")

In 2369 , Keiko was involved in a shuttlecraft and transporter accident that resulted in her body being returned to that of her childhood self. A cure was eventually found to restore her to her adult form. ( TNG episode : " Rascals ")

Deep Space 9 [ ]

Later in 2369 , Miles transferred to Starbase Deep Space 9 and Keiko and the family went with him. With little use for a botanist, Keiko opened a school on the station. Later that year the school became the subject of a dispute over how the children, Federation and Bajoran, were being taught; some Bajorans taking offense at the Bajoran wormhole being explained as a scientific anomaly rather than for its theological value to the Bajoran people. This dispute eventually resulted in the school being bombed , fortunately when no one was in attendance. She briefly visited Earth with her husband Chief O'Brien on stardate 46910.1 to celebrate her mother's 100th Birthday. ( DS9 episodes : " Emissary ", " A Man Alone ", " In the Hands of the Prophets ", " Dax ")

The next year Keiko was still wary of upsetting the Bajoran faith and was careful to make sure her students were mindful and respectful of each other's diverse beliefs. As she was trying to explain the Vulcan idiom of the IDIC to a Tellarite student a lost baby Horta burrowed into the class, inciting panic. Whilst the students fled Molly starting feeding the Horta a computer which seemed to keep it satisfied for a time, Keiko followed her daughter's example to keep the Horta happy. ( DS9 novel : Devil in the Sky )

In 2371 , Keiko took on the role as chief botanist on a six-month agrobiology expedition on Bajor. ( DS9 episode : " The House of Quark ")

The following year Keiko became pregnant with her and Miles's second child. However, after she was injured in a shuttle accident, the fetus had to be transplanted into the womb of Kira Nerys in order to save Keiko's and the child's life. The baby, Kirayoshi , was born the following year on DS9. ( DS9 episodes : " Accession ", " Body Parts ", " The Begotten ")

For a period of time in the Dominion War , Keiko and her children returned to the relative safety of Earth. They had returned to residence on the station by the end of 2374 . ( DS9 episodes : " Call to Arms ", " Change of Heart ", " Time's Orphan ")

Earth and Cardassia [ ]

In 2375 , following the end of the Dominion War, Keiko and her family left Deep Space 9 to live on Earth where Miles had taken a position at Starfleet Academy . ( DS9 episode : " What You Leave Behind ")

Keiko had hoped that on Earth, Miles would be able to spend more time with her and their children, but even on Earth emergencies always drew him away. ( SCE eBook : Aftermath )

In late 2376 , Keiko received an offer from the Interstellar Agricultural Aid Commission to be the project leader of agricultural planetary renewal for post-war Cardassia . She turned down the position at first, but changed her mind after talking it over with Miles. ( DS9 novel : Unity )

In early December, shortly after the O'Briens relocated to Cardassia, Keiko was amongst a group of hostages taken by representatives of the Cardassian group calling themselves the True Way , who were attempting to destabilize the fledgling government of Alon Ghemor . The situation was brought to a peaceful conclusion and Keiko continued her work on Cardassia. ( DS9 novel : Cardassia: The Lotus Flower )

In 2378 , while on Cardassia Miles was approached by the now-adult Rugal Pa'Dar - a Cardassian boy the O'Briens had hosted in 2369 . Pa'Dar, who wished to become a Federation citizen and formally adopt the human orphan Hulya Kiliç , would ask Miles and Keiko how to go about this. It was decided he should travel to Earth and formally apply there. Keiko would accompany Rugal and Hulya, accompany them to the Cardassian Embassy on Earth and speak at Rugal's citizenship trial. ( DS9 novel : The Never-Ending Sacrifice )

From 2379 to 2380 , Keiko was tasked specifically with running the Andak project . ( ST website  : The Path to 2409 )

In 2383 , Keiko had taken a position with the University of Ashalla . In 2385 , Keiko was considering moving to the second Deep Space 9 , where Miles was already stationed. ( ST - The Fall novel : Revelation and Dust )

Alternate timelines and realities [ ]

Parallel universe [ ].

In a parallel universe , Keiko and Molly were both killed in 2371 when a Dominion taskforce attacked Deep Space 9. ( DS9 comic : " The Looking Glass War ")

Alternate timeline [ ]

In an alternate timeline , Keiko and Miles married and had Molly before the Borg Incursion of 2366-2367 . During the invasion, the Enterprise's saucer section was destroyed. Molly and Keiko were among those killed. ( TNG comic : " The Worst of Both Worlds ", TNG comic : " And Death Shall Have No Dominion ")

Alternate reality, 2233 [ ]

Keiko O'Brien in the alternate reality

In an alternate reality created by Nero and Q , Keiko was captain of the USS Defiant alongside her husband Miles. ( TOS comic : " The Q Gambit ")

Appendices [ ]

Connections [ ], appearances [ ], references [ ].

• ↑ 1.0 1.1 date given for an alternate reality's Keiko in TOS comic : " The Q Gambit, Part 4 "

External link [ ]

• Keiko O'Brien article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Keiko O'Brien article at the Star Trek Timelines Wiki .
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 The Chase
• 3 Preserver (race)

The Assignment (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Story and script
• 3.2 Reception
• 3.4 Remastered version
• 3.5 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also Starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Co-stars
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stunt doubles
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8 References
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

In Quark's , the day has started and Quark is busy. Rom enters, just off the night shift. Quark makes him his usual, puree of beetle , but Rom says today he'd rather try bacon and eggs with corned beef hash , a favorite of O'Brien's. Quark disapproves of the Human choice of dinner but begrudgingly makes it. As he normally does, he further questions Rom's choice of job, but Rom likes his job, despite being assigned to the graveyard shift fixing the waste extraction system.

Meanwhile, Miles O'Brien has discovered that Julian Bashir has accidentally killed Keiko 's Idran hybrid bonsai trees that O'Brien was caring for while she was away visiting the Fire Caves on Bajor for the last five days. Bashir had dropped by the O'Brien's quarters and saw that the plants were dry, so he watered them. Unfortunately, too much water rots the roots. Upon spotting the ruined trees, Miles and Keiko's daughter Molly informs her father that " Mommy's going to be mad. " Later, he welcomes Keiko home and immediately begins apologizing. However, as soon as she gets off the transport, Keiko informs Miles that she's not Keiko, but someone who has taken over her body. Whoever is inhabiting Keiko threatens Miles with his beloved wife's life and the life of their innocent daughter Molly claiming that they'll kill them both if he doesn't do exactly what she wants. O'Brien at first thinks that his wife is trying to play a joke on him, but is quickly persuaded otherwise when the entity causes her to choke. It stops choking Keiko just as easily to warn O'Brien off from calling the infirmary through his combadge .

Act One [ ]

Miles is ordered to reconfigure certain parts of the space station but is not told to what end. The alien convinces him that she can use Keiko's knowledge to know that Miles has already come up with a plan and will try to talk to the crew, however, it also assures him it will kill Keiko instantly, even if those plans have some success. They go back to their quarters , and Miles gets some more details. The alien is also determined to keep up appearances with their friends, answering the door when Bashir comes in, and promising to hold a birthday celebration for Miles, as Keiko had planned earlier before leaving for Bajor.

Soon, Rom is excited about being called to a meeting on the "swing-shift" to replace Duarte , an ill worker. He tries to fit in by asking what they drink on the shift, and asking where the ill worker normally sits, but the other workers treat him coldly. Unphased, he goes to the replicator and gets a raktajino . Just then, O'Brien appears on the monitor and assigns the engineers their jobs for the day, a change of plans. He gives a short description of what he's doing, and says he'll be working alone, asking them not to bother him unless it's absolutely necessary.

As O'Brien works, he has the computer scan Keiko to confirm her identity, which it does. He then asks the computer how long it would take to knock out Keiko through various means; however, all would take too long as the entity only needs a fraction of a second to kill her. " God help me, " O'Brien says as he then gets to work.

Act Two [ ]

During Miles' birthday celebrations, the inhabitant draws on Keiko's memories to flawlessly act like Keiko, and no one other than Miles knows any different. Captain Sisko is especially impressed by the Q'parol that she served, showing that the alien has access to all of her memories and talents. Jake Sisko asks Keiko if she saw any Pah-wraiths while in the Fire Caves, prompted by Odo 's sharing of Bajoran legends. The inhabited Keiko teases Odo for believing in "the wraiths," which Odo denies. O'Brien has trouble keeping pleasant, and finally breaks his glass when he sees the alien kneeling down with Molly. With everyone else disturbed, he leaves to the other room and the alien follows. O'Brien insists he's done everything it wanted, but the alien admits that was just a test – the real work is to come. That night, Miles insists the alien tell him what to get done, but the alien is making the rules. It refuses and makes O'Brien sleep in the bed, for fear Molly will have a nightmare and come in.

In the morning, the alien hands him a PADD with his instructions. Miles finally decides to warn Sisko about what is happening, but before he can get to Sisko, he hears Keiko call out his name and watches in horror as the inhabitant forces Keiko to throw herself over the railing on the upper level of the Promenade . She lands in front of the Bajoran temple while Miles runs over and looks over Keiko helplessly.

Act Three [ ]

Dr. Bashir treats her injuries in the infirmary while Sisko and Odo question O'Brien about the incident and about why he was on the Promenade. O'Brien evades the questions by telling them he was planning on having lunch at the replimat and insists to Bashir that he visit Keiko at her bed. The evil inhabitant gives Miles an ultimatum: complete the reconfigurations in thirteen hours or it'll kill Keiko and Molly. O'Brien agrees, and leaves, starting a countdown clock to stay aware of the deadline. The alien asks O'Brien to give it a kiss , which he reluctantly does while Bashir stands nearby.

As he starts to get to work later, Rom comes to the chief, having finished his work already. Miles is very impressed that Rom got his workload done so fast and gets an idea. He decides to enlist his help to get the modifications done, claiming it's a secret assignment that Sisko and the senior staff know all about (while also warning him not to mention it to them). With the help of Rom, Miles manages to complete most of the work, however, as he is working in Ops in the early morning, Commander Dax pulls him away, having discovered anomalies in the station's systems. She shows what she's seen to him, and he brushes it off as minor deviations, but Dax suspects sabotage and intends to alert security and wakes Sisko.

Act Four [ ]

In the wardroom , Sisko calls a meeting of O'Brien, Odo, and Dax to discuss the sabotage. They eliminate other factors, and lead to one of the maintenance crew. Desperate to throw the officers off his scent and needing a distraction, O'Brien leads Odo to Rom, still working in a junction. Odo takes him to a holding cell, and O'Brien shares a knowing glance with him as he goes. Miles stays to survey the "damage" and then continues it.

" For the first forty minutes, it was like pulling teeth even getting him to admit his name. "

During the interrogation, Rom refuses to tell Odo anything (even his name), instead calling for O'Brien. Odo calls him to the security office, and pressed for time, O'Brien is forced to override security measures for the holding cell Rom is in, so that no one can listen in. He also has the computer reconfigure gravitic sensors , intending to be back within ten minutes. O'Brien goes to see Rom, who is concerned about the intensity of the interrogation, but also assures O'Brien he will stick to their "mission." However, Rom then asks why O'Brien's modifications are converting the station into a gigantic chroniton emitter. O'Brien is surprised he guessed it. Rom believes the intent is to kill the wormhole aliens , and asks why they are doing that. O'Brien is stunned.

Act Five [ ]

O'Brien hadn't realized the effect of the chronitons on the wormhole aliens, having been so on edge. He wonders aloud about this, making a connection between the wormhole aliens and the Pah-wraiths. Rom, having been educated in Bajoran myths by Leeta , explains that according to the Koss'moran , the Pah-wraiths were cast out of the Celestial Temple by the Prophets. O'Brien now knows that Keiko's intruder can only be a Pah-wraith from the Fire Caves, and that it is planning to use a chroniton beam to kill the Prophets. O'Brien asks Rom to play dumb for awhile and rushes out.

He gets back to work on the junction, with a newfound purpose, however, the newly-solid Odo confronts him. He knows that O'Brien was behind the modifications, so O'Brien knocks him out. He finishes the station modifications, and takes the Keiko/Pah-wraith to a runabout , coldly telling it that he figured out its plan but doesn't care about the Prophet/Pah-wraith conflict: he only wants his wife back. Once in position near the wormhole , O'Brien activates the emitters on the station, but as the Pah-wraith eagerly anticipates the death of the Prophets, he targets the runabout instead of the wormhole, the deranged Pah-wraith screaming in pain as it dies. Keiko and Miles embrace. When they return, Sisko asks Miles for an explanation.

Back in their quarters, Keiko reveals that she was conscious the entire time, but the Pah-wraith was in complete control of her body. Her mind was a helpless observer, "like being stuck in sand and squeezed" whenever she tried to move, hearing and feeling herself speak and unable to affect any of it. She was, however, able to feel its emotions sometimes, but there was only a cold rage. Keiko tells Miles that she doubts the Pah-wraith would have spared either of them. Anxious to spare her feelings, Miles tells her she doesn't have to go on, but she says talking about it helps - and besides, being conscious of everything that was happening made her very aware that Miles moved heaven and earth to save her life.

The next day, a tired but excited Rom enters Quark's. Quark warns him that the night shift is obviously too much for him, but Rom explains that he wasn't working, rather he was out celebrating his now permanent promotion to the day shift; his reward for helping O'Brien. Quark sighs as Rom then proceeds to order pancakes , sausages , and pineapple : the breakfast of the day shift.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Is there something wrong, Chief? I can work slower if you want me to. "

" Culpable deniability. I understand. Don't worry about me, Chief. My lips are sealed. Nobody will get anything out of me. Not even my name. " " Rom, everybody on the station knows your name. " (confused) " Right. " (a pause) " But I won't confirm it. "

" Everyone has enemies. Even the Prophets. " " That's right. They're not just wormhole aliens; they're Prophets. Part of Bajoran mythology, just like the Pah-wraiths of the Fire Caves. So what have those wraiths have to do with the wormhole aliens? " " Kosst Amojan. " " What? " " It's a Bajoran legend. From the verb Kosst, meaning 'to be', and Amojan, 'banished'. Leeta's been telling me all about Bajoran legends. She can go on for hours. She says I'm a good listener. "

" According to Leeta, the Pah-wraiths used to live in the wormhole. They were part of the Celestial Temple. " " They were Prophets?! " " False Prophets. They were cast out of the Temple, exiled to the caves where they were imprisoned in crystal fire cages and forbidden to ever return lest they face the wrath of the true Prophets. " " So if these false Prophets were to return to the Celestial Temple… " " I don't think they'd be welcomed. "

" Well, Rom, I'm glad things are going so well for you. " " No, you're not. But thanks, anyway, brother. "

Background information [ ]

Story and script [ ].

• In Robert Lederman and David R. Long 's original version of this story, Keiko O'Brien is on a biological expedition to a planet inhabited by non-corporeal beings. When she returns to the station, one of the beings accompanies her, and has her under its control as a hostage. René Echevarria changed the premise of the story to be more focused on the possession aspect than that of the hostage situation. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 388))
• After Ira Steven Behr assigned David Weddle and Bradley Thompson to compose the teleplay for this episode, they were unsure as to what direction to take it in until Hans Beimler pointed out to them that this was another 'O'Brien must suffer' episode. Beimler also summed up the tone of the show as " everyone comes over for a party when you're having a huge fight with your wife and she acts as if everything is perfectly normal ." After talking with Beimler, Weddle and Thompson had no problems writing the teleplay. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 389))
• This episode was also the first produced teleplay for David Weddle and Bradley Thompson , who had pitched the story for the fourth season episode " Rules of Engagement ". Furthermore, this episode is also the first episode with music by Gregory Smith .
• This was the first episode to mention the Pah-wraiths , the demons of Bajoran religion who are the enemies of the Prophets . O'Brien mentions the Fire Caves , where Kai Winn later attempts to summon the Pah Wraiths in " What You Leave Behind ". However, although this episode represents the first time the Pah-wraiths are mentioned, the origin of the concept can actually be dated back to the first season episode " The Nagus ". While developing "The Assignment", René Echevarria was trying to come up with a concept that would tie into the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine mythology. He didn't want the being who possesses Keiko to simply be some random entity, but rather something that would fit into the overall scheme of the show. Ultimately, he suggested that perhaps the aliens in the wormhole weren't all good, and that there were in fact some evil members of the race. That sparked an idea for Robert Hewitt Wolfe , tying it into something he had had in mind for several years. In the episode " The Nagus ", Sisko and Jake are supposed to visit the "Fire Caverns" on Bajor , and there was a line in the original teleplay where Sisko is told jokingly to "watch out for the Pagh-wraiths." Wolfe pictured them at the time as a "cool, gobliny kind of thing that superstitious people might believe could be hiding in the fire caves." It was only when Echevarria was trying to find some connection between "The Assignment" and previous episodes that Wolfe had the opportunity to revisit the idea. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 389)) Of course the Pah-wraiths went on to play a huge role in future Deep Space Nine storylines, especially towards the end of the seventh season .
• According to Wolfe, the common spelling of Pah-wraiths is actually a misspelling, and his original 'Pagh-wraiths' is the correct form; however, David Weddle disagrees, jokingly arguing that 'Pah' is correct if the term comes " from ancient Bajoran. The g' s were added centuries later, when the seventh hemisphere became more influential ." ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 389))
• In this episode, Rom tells O'Brien of the myth of the Koss'moran , which comes from the Bajoran verb "kosst," meaning "to be," and "amoran," meaning "banished." According to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 389), Koss'moran is the same thing as Kosst Amojan – they both mean "to be banished". The phrase Kosst Amojan appeared in the episode " The Reckoning ", but it was not revealed as meaning anything specific. Any assumption that Koss'moran and Kosst Amojan are two different concepts is incorrect according to the Companion , they represent exactly the same idea. René Echevarria simply altered the name because he didn't like the sound of Koss'moran , fearing that it would be pronounced 'moron'.
• Nana Visitor ( Kira Nerys ) does not appear in this episode because she went into early labor during production. This is the first episode of the series in which she does not appear. Originally, the party in the O'Brien's was going to be for a Bajoran religious holiday, but when producers discovered Visitor was unavailable, they did a quick rewrite of the scene and turned it into a birthday party, while also ensuring to explain Kira's absence. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 389))

Reception [ ]

• Colm Meaney enjoyed the episode. He commented: " That was great. Roz's performance in that, I thought, was spectacular. It was the first time she really had an opportunity to do her thing. You got to see her range in way you hadn't before, playing Keiko and the alien horror. From my end of it, it was good writing, good drama. It was a solid idea to have Miles do something against his will, to have him be coerced. It was a good episode, very strong ". ( The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine  issue 24 , p. 45)
• This was Allan Kroeker 's first Star Trek directing job. Kroeker would go on to direct almost forty episodes across DS9, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise including the finales of the fifth , sixth and seventh seasons of DS9, the finales of the sixth and seventh seasons of Voyager , and the finales of all four seasons of Enterprise .
• This episode went into production after " Trials and Tribble-ations ", but it aired the week before, presumably due to the lengthy post-production on "Trials and Tribble-ations".
• During the party, Jake Sisko says that he has always wanted to meet a Pah-wraith. A year later he is possessed by one in " The Reckoning ".
• Keiko's possession by a Pah-wraith differs from later episodes. When Jake and Dukat are later possessed by Pah-wraiths their eyes glow red and their voices take on a metallic, echoing effect. Neither of these physiological changes occur to Keiko. It may be possible the Pah-wraith deliberately concealed this, as such changes would've undoubtedly garnered unwanted attention.
• Since O'Brien's birthday was revealed to be in September in " Whispers ", this episode is set in September 2373.
• This episode features an alien officer called Abdon , who bears a strong resemblance to a Kobali . However, the two make-ups are not identical.
• Five years earlier, Miles O'Brien was possessed by an alien consciousness in a similar way to his wife Keiko in this episode. ( TNG : " Power Play ")
• After Keiko's fall on the Promenade, Bashir diagnoses her with a "hairline fracture of the right parietal lobe," which is actually part of the brain . The scripted line was bone .
• This was the first of three episodes of the show to be scored by Gregory Smith , who usually worked as the orchestrator for frequent Star Trek composer Jay Chattaway .

Remastered version [ ]

• Remastered footage from the episode is featured in the documentary What We Left Behind .

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 5.3, 24 February 1997
• As part of the 35 Jahre Star Trek German VHS release
• As part of the DS9 Season 5 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Avery Brooks as Captain Sisko

Also Starring [ ]

• Rene Auberjonois as Odo
• Michael Dorn as Lt. Commander Worf
• Terry Farrell as Lt. Commander Dax
• Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
• Colm Meaney as Chief O'Brien
• Armin Shimerman as Quark
• Alexander Siddig as Doctor Bashir
• Nana Visitor as Major Kira

Guest stars [ ]

• Rosalind Chao as Keiko O'Brien / Pah-wraith
• Max Grodénchik as Rom
• Hana Hatae as Molly O'Brien

Co-stars [ ]

• Patrick B. Egan as Jiyar
• Rosie Malek-Yonan as Tekoa
• Judi Durand as Cardassian Computer Voice
• Majel Barrett as Federation Computer Voice

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Bill Blair as Yridian visitor
• Byrne as Bajoran Ops crew
• Uriah Carr as operations officer
• Brian Demonbreun as civilian
• Kathleen Demor as operations officer
• Steve Diamond as Bajoran civilian
• Dorothy Hack as Bajoran woman
• Jasmine Gagnier as operations officer
• Terry Green as operations lieutenant
• Wade Kelley as operations officer
• Mary Mascari as Bajoran woman
• Robin Morselli as Bajoran command officer
• Bill Thomas Miller as command officer
• Chuck Shanks as operations lieutenant
• Mark Allen Shepherd as Morn
• James Lee Stanley as Bajoran security deputy
• William Steinfeldt as Bajoran ops officer
• Alien with head tentacles
• Bajoran deputy

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Jennifer Caputo as stunt double for Rosalind Chao
• Dennis Madalone as stunt double for Colm Meaney

Stand-ins [ ]

• John Lendale Bennett
• Cathy DeBuono
• Mark Lentry
• James Minor
• Robin Morselli
• Randy Pflug
• William Smith for Max Grodenchik
• Brenda-Jean Wright

References [ ]

anesthetine gas ; bacon ; Bajor ; Bajoran ; Bajoran language ; Bajoran mythology ; Bajoran spiny basil ; Bajoran wormhole ; bar ; bed ; birthday ; birthday cake ; blood vessel ; " bloody "; bonsai tree ; brain ; brain hemorrhage ; breakfast ; butter ; Cardassians ; Cardassian vole ; cascade feeder ; Celestial Temple ; " Chief's Special "; chocolate ; chroniton beam ; coffee ; com-link ; corned beef hash ; couch ; crystal fire cage ; culpable deniability ; dabo girl ; Dahkur Province ; data banks ; Davis family ; day shift ; Deep Space 9 levels ; deflector grid ; Delavian chocolate ; dermal regenerator ; Diagnostic and Repair Technician, Junior Grade ; Duarte ; eavesdropping device ; eggs ; EJ7 interlock ; emotion ; exile ; eyebrow ; fashion ; femur ; Ferengi ; fiber optic relay ; Fire Caves ; flow regulator ; " For He's a Jolly Good Fellow "; frequency ; fungi ; God ; gravitic sensor ; hairbrush ; hairline fracture ; haunted ; heart ; hostage ; iceberg ; Idran hybrid ; imaginary patient ; impulse thruster ; Irish whiskey ; inertial coupling port ; isolinear chip junction ; isolinear rod ; Joow ; junior engineering chief ; kiss ; Koss'moran ; laser torch ; Leeta ; Lentry, Mark ; level 3 diagnostic ; level 3 stasis field ; listener ; Litana ; lunch ; Lupi ; magnetic constrictor ; maintenance technician ; night shift ; nightmare ; nosebleed ; operating table ; optronic integrator ; orange juice ; pah-wraith ; pancakes ; parietal lobe ; Pflugg, Randall ; phase shift ; phaser ; physical intimacy ; pineapple ; polarity ; Promenade ; Prophets ; puree of beetle ; purple ; Q'parol ; Quark's ; radiometric anomaly ; raktajino ; raw ; repair log ; Replimat ; root ; rot ; Rudellian brain fever ; runabout ; sabotage ; sausage ; Shakaar Edon ; shock ; shoe ; Starbase Sierra Tango ; slug liver ; staff meeting ; stun setting ; supernatural being ; swing shift ; Tellurian mint truffle ; temporal disruption ; verb ; walkway ; waste extraction system ; water ; wideband filter protocol ; worker ; wormhole alien ; wrath ; Yridian

External links [ ]

• "The Assignment" at StarTrek.com
• " The Assignment " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " The Assignment " at Wikipedia
• " The Assignment " at the Internet Movie Database
• " "The Assignment" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast

• Advanced Search
• Hell on Wheels
• Next Generation
• Deep Space Nine
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Keiko O’Brien

Wife to Miles O’Brien, Keiko holds several roles throughout the series, including teacher and botanist.

Portrayed By: Rosalind Chao

Race: Human

Duration: Seasons 1-7 (on DS9; Recurring)

Relationships

• Spouse: Miles O’Brien

More Content

• 5-10: 61 Degrees Post
• Collis Huntington Character
• 3-03: The Paradise Syndrome Post
• 2-10: Sanctuary Post

• Sample Page
• Star Trek Movies Index
• Star Trek: Enterprise
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Season Index
• Star Trek: The Original Series
• Star Trek: Voyager

Copyright © 2012 Max Mag Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by Wordpress.

• Show Spoilers
• Night Vision
• Sticky Header
• Highlight Links

Follow TV Tropes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E05TheAssignment

Recap / Star Trek Deep Space Nine S 05 E 05 The Assignment

Edit locked.

O'Brien has accidentally killed Keiko's bonsai trees while she's been away on a five-day trip to Bajor. When he reunites with Keiko, she's casually chomping on chocolates and brushes off his concerns. Then she tells him that she's not actually Keiko but an incorporeal entity inhabiting Keiko's body and holding her hostage. If O'Brien doesn't do exactly as she says, she'll kill Keiko. To prove her point, she stops Keiko's heart for a moment before reviving herself. Shocked, O'Brien agrees to do whatever she says as long as it doesn't put the station or residents at risk.

All the entity wants O'Brien to do is alter some sensors. However, she has all of Keiko's knowledge and memories, so she knows that O'Brien is planning to tell his crewmates about his predicament and science up a solution at the first opportunity. She warns him that she can kill Keiko in a fraction of a second if he tries. O'Brien believes her and sets to doing her bidding. He gives out assignments to his swing shift, which includes Rom filling in from the night shift.

The entity wants to keep up appearances with the rest of the crew, so she forces O'Brien to attend the birthday party that Keiko had planned before leaving. The entity plays Keiko's role perfectly, while O'Brien is tense. Jake asks Keiko if she saw any Pah-wraiths in the Fire Caves of Bajor, and the entity dismisses them as legends. After accidentally breaking a glass in his fist, O'Brien catches the entity alone and reveals that he's finished her assignments. But the entity replies that those were just a test, and the real work will now commence. In the morning, she gives him a datapad with his new assignment.

O'Brien has been running through possible ways to escape his predicament but cannot come up with anything. With a look of sudden resolution, he spots Sisko and starts marching toward him but gets stopped when Keiko calls his name and hurls herself off the second floor of the promenade, causing O'Brien to rush to her side. In Sick Bay, the entity says it could tell that O'Brien was about to confess. It threatens both Keiko and Molly should O'Brien show any more resistance.

O'Brien folds and makes the changes required by the entity. Along the way, Rom bumps into him requesting more work, and O'Brien enlists his help in his assignment, telling the Ferengi that the changes are part of a secret mission and that even the highest station officers will pretend not to know about it. Rom agrees to keep the secret. But things go awry when Dax notices the changes that O'Brien has been making and realizes that a saboteur is involved. The whole command staff recruit O'Brien into identifying the saboteur, and O'Brien reluctantly accuses Rom, who's promptly thrown in the brig.

O'Brien scrambles the brig's sensors to meet with Rom, who asks the chief why he wants to use a chronitron blast to kill the Prophets in the wormhole, since that's the only explanation for the changes he's requested. Thunderstruck, O'Brien wonders who would want to kill the Prophets and mentions the Pah-wraiths. Rom, who has been educated on Bajoran legends by Leeta, explains that the Pah-wraiths were cast out from the Celestial Temple by the Prophets. Now with the full story, O'Brien figures out a course of action. When Odo confronts him, having figured out that he's the real saboteur, O'Brien simply decks him.

• And I Must Scream : At the end of the episode, Keiko confides that she was awake and aware the whole time, but unable to do anything to stop the Pah-wraith from controlling her body. While she was terrified of the experience, she does tell Miles, "I don't ever want to forget how hard you fought for me."

• Book Ends : The episode opens with Rom getting the breakfast of choice for the night shift crewman. And ends with him getting the breakfast of choice for the day shift crewman.
• Brick Joke : Rom promises that if he's caught, he won't even reveal his own name (which everyone knows anyway). Later Odo grumbles that after being arrested, Rom refused even to give his name.
• Brought Down to Normal : O'Brien lays out Odo with a single sucker punch when the latter finally catches on to what he's doing. Yet another reason for Odo to miss being a Changeling.
• Chekhov's Gun : Remember those fire caves that Jake wanted to see in Season 1? We finally learn what's in them.
• Deal with the Devil : The Pah-wraith forces O'Brien into this—saying he'll get Keiko back if he performs a series of tasks.
• Demonic Possession : If you consider the Wormhole Aliens spirits, anyway.
• Didn't See That Coming : The Pah-wraith possessing Keiko goes to meet O'Brien in the runabout to go to the wormhole, even though O'Brien has figured out what it is and what it wants. It doesn't pick up that this means O'Brien has figured out how to outsmart it.
• The Dog Bites Back : After everything the Pah-wraith puts him through in this episode, O'Brien gets the last laugh by destroying it with the very weapon it sought to kill the Prophets with.
• Early-Installment Weirdness : Later episodes would show that those possessed by the Pah-wraiths get Red Eyes, Take Warning . Of course, this Pah-wraith may have suppressed that in order to blend in. The Pah-wraith in this episode is also Faux Affably Evil and very coldly calculating, whereas subsequent episodes show that the Pah-wraiths are Large Hams and Always Chaotic Evil .
• "Eureka!" Moment : When Rom reveals to O'Brien that the system modifications they're doing is to turn the station into a chroniton array to fire at the wormhole, that such a beam would likely be lethal to the Prophets, and some relevant Bajoran lore, O'Brien is quickly able to piece together that the entity controlling Keiko is a Pah-wraith who wants to destroy the Prophets, as well as a third option to his dilemma.
• Exact Words : O'Brien lets the Pah-wraith know that he knows what it's up to, but he doesn't care about the conflict between the Prophets and Pah-Wraiths; he just wants his wife back. The Pah-wraith thinks this means that he's done as the Pah-wraith asked. Instead, the chroniton array O'Brien has just finished targets the runabout instead of the wormhole, driving out the Pah-wraith possessing Keiko—getting Miles his wife back in the process.
• Faux Affably Evil : The Pah-wraith is remarkably cheerful and casual for an Eldritch Abomination , and pours on the charm for O'Brien, but it never hesitates to remind him that bad things will happen if he doesn't behave. Keiko also believes it wouldn't have spared either of them if it succeeded.
• A Glass in the Hand : O'Brien is compelled to act normally at a party. The stress becomes too much for him when the Pah-wraith shows mock-affection for his daughter, and he shatters his whiskey glass.
• Hard-Work Montage : When O'Brien and Rom really get down to business.
• Hidden Depths : We'd heard from Nog before that Rom was a mechanical genius (in defiance of Odo's assessment that Rom was an idiot who "couldn't fix a straw if it was bent", which really testifies to how well-hidden his depths are) but this episode was the first one where we got to see how damn good he really is.
• Hired to Hunt Himself : O'Brien is asked by Sisko if he knows of anyone who is capable of doing all these adjustments to the station.
• Hoist by His Own Petard : The Pah-wraith controlling Keiko has O'Brien reconfigure the station to fire a chroniton beam at the wormhole, which will destroy the Prophets. However, since O'Brien has learned a quick bit of Bajoran mythology from Rom, he knows that the same beam is also lethal to the Pah-wraith itself, and fires the beam at their runabout instead, destroying it.
• I Have Your Wife : This "O'Brien Must Suffer" episode has a twist — instead of directly targeting the Chief, the Pah-wraith takes control of Keiko. For a family man like O'Brien, that's far worse.
• Rather than help O'Brien tell Keiko that her plants died while she was away, Bashir claims that he has to be in the infirmary performing an operation. O'Brien: On who? Bashir: I'll find someone.
• Followed by Molly retreating from the scene.
• Innocuously Important Episode : The first appearance of the Pah-wraiths, who go on to be a lot more than just another Monster of the Week .
• Ironic Birthday : Just to make things even harder on O'Brien. Not that anyone else knows that anything is wrong.
• Leave No Witnesses : Keiko is sure that the Pah-wraith planned on killing both her and O'Brien once its mission was achieved in spite of its promises to the contrary.
• Not Herself : Keiko casually gobbles down chocolates and brushes off O'Brien's concerns about her dead bonsai trees upon being reunited with her husband, signaling to the audience, if not her husband, that there's something off about her. However, the Pah-wraith is perfectly capable of doing a spot-on impression of Keiko when necessary.
• Out-Gambitted : The Pah-wraith, once Rom helps O'Brien figure out what's going on.
• Recycled Premise : The TNG episode " Power Play " had an evil spirit possessing Miles and threatening Keiko and infant Molly. This time, Keiko gets possessed and threatens Miles and Molly.
• Sadistic Choice : O'Brien spends the episode struggling with this: help a dangerous alien (whose goal is revealed to be to kill the Prophets) or lose his beloved wife. Fortunately, he finds a way to Take a Third Option — make the chroniton beam as instructed, but turn it on the Pah-wraith .
• Scotty Time : O'Brien says he can finish the work in thirty six hours. The Pah-wraith gives him thirteen. He succeeds with Rom's help. A Justified example, as not only does O'Brien have every reason to be trying to stall as much as possible, but even taking his highballing into account, having Rom on his side would double his productivity.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here : Bashir and Molly have the good sense to make themselves scarce when they realize someone will need to explain to Keiko why her beloved plants are dead.
• Smarter Than You Look : Rom begins to show his true talents, now that he decided to stop trying to be a "good Ferengi", caring about nothing but profit. Rom finishes his tasks long before his shift is over, so he approaches O'Brien for more to do; O'Brien puts him to work on some modifications to the station's deflector array that the Pah-wraith gave him. Rom instantly puts it together saying "Why are we trying to kill the wormhole aliens?"
• Jadzia's habit of studying some spacial phenomena when she can't sleep led her to find the entire array has been put out of place, nearly exposing the full extent of the possessed Keiko's plan.
• Rom's revelation that the chroniton emitter would kill the wormhole aliens, plus his knowledge of Bajoran folklore and theology from his conversations with Leeta ("She says I'm a good listener.") gives O'Brien the clue he needs to save Keiko from the Pah-wraith.
• Stepford Smiler : The possession coincides with O'Brien's birthday, so he has to act like everything's fine during the party.
• Technobabble : O'Brien pulls some on Odo when confronted about everything he's been up to. Odo doesn't buy any of it.
• The Tell : As his wife, Keiko has noticed that her husband has a small facial cue when he's about to ask a question. As the Pah-wraith possessing her has all her knowledge, it notices too.
• Tempting Fate : O'Brien dreads having to tell Keiko that he failed to take proper care of her plants. Well, "Keiko" doesn't care about that—prompting a relieved O'Brien to say everything's fine. Then he learns that everything is most definitely not fine.
• Undying Loyalty : Rom to O'Brien, even when O'Brien admits he's not actually doing a top-secret project for Starfleet. O'Brien repays him for it in the end with a promotion.
• The Unreveal : O'Brien asks why the entity has possessed Keiko rather than O'Brien himself. It's about to tell him when Bashir arrives, interrupting them. The topic doesn't come up again.
• Wham Line : From Rom of all people: Rom: The new frequency of the deflector grid is set to turn the station into a massive chroniton array aimed directly at the wormhole. So I just wanted to know... why are we trying to kill the wormhole aliens?
• Would Hurt a Child : The Pah-wraith warns O'Brien to behave by "accidentally" pulling on Molly's hair.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness : Keiko notes in the coda that she is certain the thing in her wouldn't have allowed either O'Brien live to tell what happened.
• Star Trek Deep Space Nine S 05 E 04 Nor The Battle To The Strong
• Recap/Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine S05 E06 "Trials and Tribble-ations"

Important Links

• Action Adventure
• Commercials
• Crime & Punishment
• Professional Wrestling
• Speculative Fiction
• Sports Story
• Animation (Western)
• Music And Sound Effects
• Print Media
• Sequential Art
• Tabletop Games
• Applied Phlebotinum
• Characterization
• Characters As Device
• Narrative Devices
• British Telly
• The Contributors
• Creator Speak
• Derivative Works
• Laws And Formulas
• Show Business
• Split Personality
• Truth And Lies
• Truth In Television
• Fate And Prophecy
• Edit Reasons
• Isolated Pages
• Images List
• Recent Videos
• Crowner Activity
• Un-typed Pages
• Recent Page Type Changes
• Trope Entry
• Character Sheet
• Playing With
• Creating New Redirects
• Cross Wicking
• Tips for Editing
• Text Formatting Rules
• Handling Spoilers
• Administrivia
• Trope Repair Shop
• Image Pickin'

Advertisement:

• The Inventory

The Best Moment in Deep Space Nine 's Greatest Episode Is a Punch Left Unthrown

And all it took was the life of one romulan senator, one criminal, and the self-respect of one starfleet officer..

Twenty-six years ago today, Deep Space Nine delivered the knife under its cloaked examination of Star Trek ’s morals in wartime with all the delicate precision of a sewing needle: the incredible “In the Pale Moonlight,” not just one of DS9 or Star Trek ’s finest hours , but one of the all time greatest episodes of TV ever made. But the finest moment in an already immaculate piece of television is all about the ways to enact violence without lifting a single finger.

Related Content

“In the Pale Moonlight,” framed around a maudlin Captain Sisko recounting recent events in his personal log after a long, long day, is about the increasing moral compromises he is willing to make as one of Starfleet’s vanguards in the increasingly dire war against the Dominion. Seeing an opportunity to bring one of the Federation’s coldest enemies, the secretive Romulans, into a war they’ve stayed neutral in, Sisko finds himself drawn into the charismatic orbit of the simple tailor and occasionally master of all sorts of spycraft, Garak the Cardassian clothier , as the two plot to artificially construct evidence of a Dominion plot to invade the Romulan Star Empire, and pass it along to a Romulan senator.

The episode layers on its tension through each circle of hell Sisko is willing to put his soul through. Even the first step of simply working with Garak on such a plan is already heinous enough for the high and mighty values of Starfleet’s officer class, but bit by bit, Sisko begins to see the proverbial river of blood he must wade into to come out of the other side with even a chance of Romulus entering the Dominion War. Using criminals to fake evidence, crafting the perfect deception, planting it in Senator Vreenak’s hands, all this would be tantamount to the gravest of moral costs our hero could pay... and then it all blows up in his face when Vreenak calls Sisko out on his bluff, realizing the data rod he’s been handed showcasing the Dominion’s supposed plans is counterfeit.

It’d be here that any other Star Trek show would plant its flag as the lowest moment one of its heroes could sink to: they played dirty, and now must face the consequences of taking the low road. But Deep Space Nine is not any other Star Trek show , and so it prepares to thrust its knife. The next day, as senior staff monitor casualty lists and Sisko braces for his fall, a Starfleet Intelligence report comes through confirming the death of a Romulan Senator in a shuttlecraft explosion the Star Empire is laying at the hands of Dominion subterfuge. It’s Vreenak: he’s dead, the secret of Sisko’s moral cost with him, and Sisko knows exactly who’s to blame for the explosion.

As Sisko storms down to Garak’s shop, we get it: the finest moment in all of Deep Space Nine . Time and time again in the show, in ways small and large, we’ve seen up to this point that Benjamin Sisko is not a man who pulls punches, metaphorically or otherwise. From laying out Q the moment he tries to cast the then-Commander as another Picard, to his dogged determination to root out the anti-Cardassian guerrillas of the Maquis, Sisko has always acted as he does here: to come in swinging. He decks Garak, sending him clean across the room. He yells his accusations at Garak—he killed Vreenak, he killed the criminal they used to forge that data rod; all along, he’s knowingly brought the Romulans into the deadliest war the Alpha Quadrant has seen in generations on a falsehood. Even without the punch, this isn’t Sisko passionate or dogged or determined. He is furious , something we have seen simmering in him before, but now fully unleashed.

But Garak never fights back. He takes Sisko’s punch, and all the rage, goes to block the second swing, but he doesn’t match Sisko’s braggadocio. He waits. And then in cold, calculating form, he turns Sisko on himself—laying out all the evidence that the Romulans will now have, from a dead senator to an imperfect, damaged rod containing even the faintest traces of evidence of a Dominion plot, and guides Sisko along the way to a conclusion that was there from the beginning of the episode. Sisko would see what Garak predicts the Romulans will see, and would enter the war against the Dominion , just as they will. Garak doesn’t even have to say it, he just lets Sisko work through it out loud himself, not even having to push him... because for all his posture, for all the fists swinging, they think exactly the same. And if anything, Sisko is even dirtier than that, because he already knew that in going to Garak he would get someone who willing to dirty their own hands on his behalf, and leave him with the victory he wanted—at any cost, no matter what he’d claim otherwise.

And so, with Sisko at the lowest depths of hell at last, he and Garak are locked as kindred spirits in this game of spycraft and moral theater. It’s a remarkable moment, one that has rightly stuck with Star Trek for the two and a half decades since it first broadcast, because of the way it skewers the franchise’s legacy of purported enlightenment in such an elegantly compelling way . For years before this, Starfleet and its officers have been depicted as above this kind of underhanded manipulation—that our heroes talk their ways out of fights, that they maintain the moral high ground, and that even when they falter, when they play a little dirty, it’s with a roguish charm, and in the manner of a hero, the small, innocent prices paid, for a greater good that is always worth it. It’s never meant to stain their soul, because in the end, it always works out in the hero’s favor—and their righteous view of the universe.

Sisko’s greater good is hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of beings slaughtered to prevent the complete destruction of the Alpha Quadrant powers as we know them, predicated on a lie. In the end, he got it, not in the noblest of manners as the heroes before him might have, but through cloak and dagger deception and knives in the dark. Because, back against the wall, he was always willing to throw that punch—and because Garak knew it too, he himself never had to.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .

Advertisement

‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Best Crossover Character Changed the Show Forever

It also results in some of the best relationships within the Star Trek universe.

The Big Picture

• Worf's arrival on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine deepened the exploration of Klingon culture and his personal identity.
• Worf's relationship with Jadzia adds depth to his character and highlights his humanity.
• Worf's struggles adjusting to life on DS9 test his loyalty, friendship, and honor.

Worf, son of Mogh ( Michael Dorn ), is a beloved character initially introduced to audiences in Star Trek: The Next Generation , known for his battle-hardened stoicism and the comedic relief that his upright and rigid demeanor brings. Worf crossed over to Deep Space Nine in the fourth season, much to the delight of Star Trek fans. Initially, his arrival on DS9 allowed the show to explore the Klingon Empire in-depth by extrapolating his inner conflict between his roles as a dutiful Federation Officer and a fierce Warrior of The Klingon Empire.

However, Worf's presence on DS9 would also forever change the series , allowing a deep exploration of the machinations of the Empire through its saga with Gowron ( Robert O'Reilly ). His relationship with Jadzia ( Terry Farrell ), a Trill learned in the ways of the Klingon, would help highlight Worf's humanity, act as a romantic counterpoint to his rigidity, and provide context for the curious observer. Jadzia and Worf are similar in some respects, as they both have multiple identities to reconcile. Jadzia would be the first non-Klingon woman that Worf could be with in the traditional sense, giving a vulnerability to the character that would carry on throughout the series and provide a deep richness to DS9 that helped cement it as a critical series in the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy.

What Is 'Deep Space Nine' About?

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the fourth series in the Star Trek universe, created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller . Deep Space Nine ran from January 3, 1993, to June 2, 1999, for 176 episodes over seven seasons. It was the first Star Trek series to be created without the involvement of series founder Gene Roddenberry , the first to be set on a space station, and the first to boast a Black captain in Benjamin Sisko ( Avery Brooks ). The series follows the exploits of a hybrid crew of Starfleet and Bajoran officers on the titular space station, in orbit above Bajor and adjacent to a wormhole leading to the distant and mysterious Gamma Quadrant. Starfleet has come to oversee the transfer of power from the oppressive Cardassian Empire to the Bajoran civilian government, which has been under the heel of the Cardassians for some time.

The series is much darker than its predecessors . At one point, Major Kira Nerys ( Nana Visitor ), the first officer of Deep Space Nine, is a Cardassian prisoner of war, and even Sisko himself saw his wife killed during a Borg raid on a space station. The currents of trauma that run through the ensemble invoke feelings of loneliness, desperation, and fear, which the characters must overcome in typical Starfleet fashion. The well-roundedness of the characters makes them very compelling and adds a layer of sophistication to the series, which, while present in its predecessors, came into its own during DS9 and became a recurring theme on the show.

One particular theme that runs through Deep Space Nine is the duty to one's station and the duty one has towards one's individuality. This exploration of where duty and individuality meet is present in many characters. Take Odo ( René Auberjonois ) , for example, a Founder separated from his people and planted firmly in the camp of the Alpha Quadrant. In contrast, his people wage war on the planets of the Federation. Odo must choose between his people, Starfleet, and his cultural identity and individuality. So, too, must Kira, whose hatred for the Cardassian is a defining feature of her character, and who has to learn to overcome this so that it does not interfere with her duties to Starfleet. This war between the Founders, their allies, and Starfleet is the primary conflict in the series . They are a formidable race of shapeshifters backed by the Jem'Hadar, a warrior race of beings whose soul existence is to crush opposition. They are a tough, genocidal race, terrifying in their methods and fearsome enough to give the Klingon Empire a run for its money.

Worf's Arrival Changed 'Deep Space Nine' for the Better

Worf joins the crew of Deep Space Nine during the feature-long premiere episode of Season 4 in "The Way Of The Warrior." At the beginning of the episode, the Klingon Empire, led by Gowron, shows up at the space station to aid them in their fight against the Founders. This is a serious boon for Starfleet and the Alpha Quadrant, as the Klingons are such fearsome and brutal fighters that they may tip the balance of power throughout the war. But they push things too far, illegally searching Bajoran ships and starting a war with the Cardassians, whom they believe to be comprised of the shapeshifting Founders. Worf is brought to gather intelligence by reaching out to the Empire. He is very close with Gowron, who has absolved Worf and his family of their generations-long disgrace. Worf learns of the Klingon plans to invade Cardassia and must choose between fulfilling his duties to Starfleet or joining Gowron in battle. Worf's choice to maintain his honor by remaining in Starfleet is a moral choice that tests his individuality against those of his bloodthirsty cultural traditions.

Throughout the series, Worf meets Deep Space Nine's chief science officer, Jadzia Dax, a Trill and the host of the symbiont that once belonged to Curzon Dax . Due to the Dax symbiont carrying all its previous hosts' memories, Jadzia can tap into Curzon's familiarity with Klingon customs. The characters are exciting foils to one another. Worf is glib, stoic, and utterly humorless, while Jadzia is more irreverent and open, owing to the many past lives she recalls through her symbiont. However, the two also have more in common than one might think ; they are both people who have multiple identities. The critical difference is that Jadzia has reconciled her identities, while Worf remains at odds with his.

Jadzia is the only person aboard Deep Space Nine who can genuinely understand Worf , and it is this factor that blossoms their innocuous meeting into what may be one of the most fantastic love stories ever told in the Star Trek universe. Their connection is marvelous as their conflicting natures are both points of contention that allow for humorous moments where Jadzia's tenderness assuages the beast within Worf. It is delightful to watch Worf babysit chief operations officer Miles O'Brien's ( Colm Meaney ) daughter, paving the way for the couple to conceive a child of their own — which is made all the more tragic by Jadzia's murder and Worf's spiral into despair.

Worf Had a Difficult Time Adjusting To Life On Deep Space Nine

Initially, Worf has his former Enterprise crewmate O'Brien to help ease his transition into life on the space station. The two were close, and their relationship strengthened on The Next Generation , after Worf helped O'Brien's wife Keiko ( Rosalind Chao ) give birth to their daughter. When Worf joins the crew of DS9, O'Brien is among the first to receive him to help him acclimate — introducing him to Doctor Julian Bashir ( Alexander Siddig ), a rival suitor for Jadzia's affections and eventual boyfriend to Ezri ( Nicole de Boer ), who becomes the host of the Dax symbiote after Jadzia's untimely death.

O'Brien is the only person Worf can genuinely confide in after the death of his wife, and he heartbreakingly confesses to his friend that he fears Jadzia's soul may never make it to Klingon heaven because she hadn't eaten the heart of her enemy after a night of too much blood wine. Worf longs to be with his wife in the afterlife, making Ezri's relationship with Bashir a sore point for the commander. But Worf eventually becomes a friend to Ezri, who, in effect, helps Worf to properly grieve Jadzia's death so that he can move on and step up to be the man that the Klingon Empire needs.

It isn't an easy transition for Worf after he accepts the commission of Special Operations Officer on Deep Space Nine — yet Captain Sisko has incredible foresight when he offers Worf the position. He sees Worf as a profoundly knowledgeable and capable military strategist whose intuition and extensive knowledge of warfare, particularly Klingon warfare, would greatly benefit the station and Starfleet. This position puts Worf in direct opposition to his people and weighs heavily on his mind. By siding with Sisko over Gowron, Worf again sees himself as an outsider among his people . His frustrations are palpable, but he can sublimate these into his work and subsequently earn a place of deep respect in Sisko's heart. It is summed up rather nicely between the two with a hearty handshake when Worf accepts the role of Ambassador to the Klingon homeworld.

Until this point, Worf wants to restore his family's honor, and ironically, he loses it again while pursuing what he believes to be honorable. Here is the show's crux: how far someone is willing to go to do what they believe to be correct. Sisko tests the bounds of his morality while making difficult choices about defeating the Founders. Odo turns his back on his people. On the fringes of the known universe, a brave crew of deeply traumatized heroes will learn exactly that. Worf's crossover on Deep Space Nine marks the point where the series descends into a dark rabbit hole spurned on through the fog of war, but it also results in some of the best character relationships within the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Watch on Paramount+

Dailymotion

Star Trek Deep Space Nine Cast: Where Are They Now?

Posted: April 24, 2024 | Last updated: April 24, 2024

It's been over 20 years since DS9 wrapped: what have the cast been up to since?

More for You

‘A big mistake’: Ex-Trump White House lawyer reacts to Trump’s mention of Charlottesville

30 food items that you might not know are banned in America

45 Details Movies and TV Shows Got Hilariously Wrong

The greatest German car engines ever made

10 most ‘overpriced’ tourist attractions in the world – and three are in the US

‘Robbed of all chances’ – Helmut Marko latest to hit out at ‘unbelievable’ Lance Stroll

We Ordered 7 Fast-Food Breakfast Sandwiches to Find the Best One

Tesla announces mass layoffs across three US states

Best Mods For Dragon’s Dogma

7 Things To Do With Your Old Smartphone

50 of the oldest actors still working today

Remove A Tree Stump With One Common Household Ingredient

3 lies women have been told about their bodies, according to a female doctor

Buying and selling a home will change soon. Here’s what you need to know.

Final 2024 NFL mock draft by Dane Brugler: Caleb Williams No. 1, five QBs in top 13

Culver's Vs Five Guys: Which Burger Chain Is Better?

Meta loses nearly $200 billion in value after Mark Zuckerberg announcement

The most expensive state to live in isn't California or New York, based on data. Here are the top 10.

25 'True Story' Movies That Weren't True At All

Liz Cheney Issues Warning About GOP After Trump Ally Indicted

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Jan 30, 2024

The Hardships of Miles Edward O’Brien

An examination of the inexplicably painful Starfleet career of the galaxy's unluckiest Irishman.

StarTrek.com

The life of a Starfleet officer can be fraught with danger.

As Captain Kirk put it, "Risk is our business." But what about the life of a non-commissioned officer? As it turns out, the Starfleet grunts bear the brunt of that risk business. None more so than Senior Chief Petty Officer Miles Edward O’Brien, whose career is a resume filled with an unfair excess of pain and suffering. So why is Chief O’Brien so unlucky?

It’s time we get to the bottom of Miles’s monumental misfortune. With a thorough exploration of several of the chief’s most harrowing experiences, perhaps we can determine the possible causes of his undue grief, and maybe even put his cursed career into the larger context of his life to truly determine if Miles Edward O’Brien really is as unlucky as we give him credit for.

So, let’s take a look at that time Chief O’Brien was…

Shoved into a Jefferies Tube with Spiders

" realm of fear ," star trek: the next generation.

"Realm of Fear"

During a mission on Zayra IV, the arachnophobic chief was forced into a Jefferies tube overrun with Talarian hook spiders.

If the thought of slipping into a tight, coffin-shaped (emphasis on "coffin") tube filled with giant spiders fills you with dread, then just imagine the shear terror that erupted in poor O’Brien — who grew up with a morbid fear of spiders — when he was told that the mission relied on him becoming an unwilling contestant in Fear Factor: Starfleet Edition !

"All’s well that ends well," wrote William Shakespeare, a man whose plays usually didn’t end well for their characters. However, for O’Brien, this terrifying session of exposure therapy did succeed in freeing him of his phobia. Aboard the Enterprise -D, he kept a Lycosa tarantula named Christina. Still, I’m not sure the reward was equal to risk. Crawling through spiders is not where most Starfleet recruits sign up to "boldly go."

Nearly Killed by a Biogenic Weapon

" armageddon game ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Armageddon Game"

After O'Brien helps to disarm stockpiles of a deadly bio-mechanical weapon known as Harvesters, he is accidentally infected and faces a painful death.

No good deed goes unpunished. That thought was surely on the chief's mind when, moments after helping to end a centuries-long war by destroying the bio-weapons, he and Dr. Bashir are ambushed by Kellerun soldiers determined to make sure the secret of the Harvesters dies with everyone in the room. Though they survive the attack, O'Brien discovers that he’s been infected and now faces the prospect of dying alone with a babbling Bashir. As Miles tells Keiko later, "It was hell…you can see for yourself, the man never stops taking!"

The poor chief can't even die in peace. And as if that’s not enough, mere moments from a firing squad, O’Brien let slip that serving with Bashir was an honor. How will he ever live that down?

Replaced by a Replicant

" whispers ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Whispers"

While on a mission to the Parada system, Chief O'Brien is captured and replaced with a replicant programmed for peace conference mayhem.

No, technically this hardship isn’t Chief O'Brien's. Still, it's further proof that Miles is so unlucky that even copies of him must suffer. Xerox-O'Brien is a perfect clone, with no idea he's a fake. So, when his friends and family begin to act strange around him, he assumes it’s a conspiracy and becomes a paranoid wreck.

Because the counterfeit chief wholeheartedly believes himself to be the real deal, it's heartbreaking when he takes a fatal phaser blast and discovers the truth. His last words, "Keiko…tell her I love—" could easily have been uttered by the genuine O'Brien. A pretty raw deal when you consider that Commander Riker's double, Thomas Riker, gets to live out his days at a sunny Cardassian labor camp. Life can be so unfair.

Framed and Imprisoned on Cardassia

" tribunal ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Tribunal"

On the way to some R&R with the wife, Chief O'Brien is framed and imprisoned by the Cardassians.

Yes, even on vacation, the chief can't catch a break. Within minutes of arriving on Cardassia, O'Brien is stripped naked, slammed into a chair, and has a molar painfully ripped from his mouth with pliers — and that’s just the booking process. Worse, in the Cardassian’s Law & Order & Unwanted Dental Surgery legal system, the trial is just a formality. O’Brien's execution has already been scheduled.

Thankfully, back on Deep Space 9 , Miles’ crewmates succeed in uncovering the Cardassian conspiracy and secure his release. Still, to put O'Brien’s brutal week on Cardassia in perspective, three years later when Dr. Bashir is captured and held prisoner by the Dominion for more than a month, he makes it out without losing a single tooth! Hardly seems fair.

Killed and Replaced by a Future O’Brien

" visionary ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Visionary"

Yes, you read that right — O'Brien ACTUALLY DIED.

Thanks to a workplace accident involving radiation and a cloaked Romulan warbird, O'Brien is pulled into the future. Every time he time jumps, O'Brien gets a glimpse of DS9’s impending destruction. The only way to save DS9 is one more jump to the future. Unfortunately, that final jump is one too many, and the Miles we’ve known and loved is killed by radiation. No last minute medical miracles or techno-babble resurrections, just a reluctant swap with the O’Brien from that future.

While future-O’Brien's presence succeeds in keeping DS9’s crew manifest from being short one "living O’Brien," it’s little comfort for ex-O’Brien, who’s shuffled off his mortal coil and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible. That O’Brien never sees his family again. The poor stiff doesn’t even get a memorial plaque for saving the station. Rough.

Mentally Imprisoned on Argratha for 20 Years

" hard time ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Hard Time"

O’Brien is arrested and implanted with the memories of a savage 20-year prison incarceration. Back on the station, Miles returns to his normal routine but has difficulty coping. O’Brien’s haunted by the memories of his cellmate, Ee’Char, whom he killed in cold blood. Overwhelmed by guilt and rage, Miles snaps at his friends, assaults Quark, and nearly hits his daughter, Molly. Terrified of the man he’s become, the chief swipes a phaser from a weapons locker and presses it to the soft flesh beneath his trembling chin. With his eyes clenched shut, Miles is ready to end his life.

Julian, who’s been keeping a keen eye on his friend, finds and convinces Miles to put the phaser down and get help. O’Brien returns to his family and embraces Molly. All of this for showing a little interest in Argrathi technology. The chief may want to reconsider ever leaving his quarters again.

Stuck with a Pah-Wraith Possessed Wife

" the assignment ," star trek: deep space nine.

"The Assignment"

O’Brien’s wife Keiko returns from Bajor’s famed Fire Caves with a stowaway — she’s been possessed by a Pah-wraith, the ancient nemeses of the wormhole aliens that the Bajorans' refer to as the Prophets.

The Pah-wraith commandeering Mrs. O’Brien is hellbent on killing the wormhole aliens. To complete its mission, it gives Miles a detailed list of modifications to make to the station. Any deviation from its plan and the Pah-wraith will kill Keiko. With Keiko held hostage in her own skin, Miles must convince his daughter and friends that everything is normal or risk becoming a widower.

Worse? The chief’s only hope at survival might be Rom.

Marriage is difficult under the best circumstances, but when your significant other is possessed by a Bajoran demon? Somehow playing house with a sadistic spirt seems like just another day for unlucky O’Brien.

Berated by James T. Kirk

" trials and tribble-ations ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Trials and Tribble-ations"

O’Brien travels through time and gets to meet the legendary Captain Kirk, only to be reprimanded by him.

The DS9 crew travel back to 2268, to stop an incognito-Klingon named Arne Darvin from exacting revenge on Kirk with a tribble-time-bomb. In the process, O’Brien and Bashir are swept into a brawl with Klingons onboard Space Station K-7. Every Enterprise crew member involved in the melee (including the two masqueraders from the future) are lined up for a chest-puffed-to-attention dress down from Kirk, who rips into his crew for fighting.

They say never meet your heroes. It’s easy to see why. When pressed directly for an explanation, O’Brien, who’s blushing redder than his 23rd Century velour uniform, is forced to lie to Kirk. While Dax shares a playful shrug and Sisko gets a friendly chat, O’Brien meets Kirk with all the dignity of a pup caught chewing on a shoe.

Invited to a Klingon Bachelor Party

" you are cordially invited ," star trek: deep space nine.

"You Are Cordially Invited"

O’Brien jubilantly accepts an invitation to Worf’s bachelor party only to discover that Klingon and Human bachelor parties are tragically light years apart.

Kal’Hyah is Klingon for "the path of clarity." We can safely assume that some vital information was lost in that translation, because what’s touted as a mental and spiritual journey for the groom-to-be and his closest (or unluckiest) friends, could easily be a deleted scene from a Saw movie. While on the path to kal’Hyah , O’Brien endures searing heat, starvation, and an itinerary that includes ample bouts of hanging from a ceiling above hot coals.

At the end of Worf’s four-day "bachelor party," the chief’s only solace is beating the groom senseless with a ma’Staka , the traditional Klingon wedding-bludgeon. When measured against Dax’s wild bachelorette party, it’s hard to see Worf’s stag party as anything but abject suffering. O’Brien better hope Worf never remarries.

Donnie-Brasco-ed by Starfleet Intelligence

" honor among thieves ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Honor Among Thieves"

Enlisted by Starfleet Intelligence to infiltrate a crime ring known as the Orion Syndicate, the success of O’Brien’s mission means the death of the mobster he’s befriended.

The Orion Syndicate rules Farius Prime, but among its operatives, in a seedy bar, waits Miles O’Brien. Posing as a "fix-it-man" named Connelly, O’Brien befriends a low-level mob man named Liam Bilby. The two quickly strike up a friendship and trust that O’Brien uses to gain access to the criminal organization. Because Bilby vouched for him, when O’Brien’s true identity is revealed, Bilby is destined for death. Miles can’t help him and must live with the consequences of his undercover mission.

Undercover work is hard enough without the added stress of an impossible, damned if you do, damned if you don’t success. Even when he wins, O’Brien loses!

Forced to Raise a Feral Teenager

" time’s orphan ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Time's Orphan"

During a picnic on Golana, O’Brien’s daughter Molly falls through a time portal and is marooned in the past. When the chief beams Molly back, she’s lived alone for a brutal decade and emerges a wild, barbaric teenager.

The teenage years are considered the most difficult for parents, so naturally, Miles’ first brush with the experience comes as dad to a manic, bite-happy teen who sleeps in trees. Without a copy of, What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Feral Teenager on hand, the O’Briens do the best they can to re-assimilate Molly to life on Deep Space 9 . Then an epic meltdown and rampage at Quark’s sends Molly to the DS9 equivalent of juvie — Odo’s holding cells.

While returning feral Molly to the time portal brings eight year-old Molly home, one can’t help but wonder why even an O’Brien family picnic has to be an agonizing affair.

24th Century Martyr?

" what you left behind ," star trek: deep space nine.

"What You Left Behind"

Miles O’Brien, a man who plays darts against a genetically-enhanced opponent, and whose idea of a peaceful retirement is returning to Earth to teach. So, at the very least, he’s a glutton for punishment. But is he unlucky? Now that we’ve strolled through the daily trauma of the chief’s life in Starfleet, what’s the verdict? Does Miles live a charmed or cursed life?

In examining only the valleys of O’Brien’s life, it’s easy to get lost in shadows, but when taken with the peaks, we get a fuller portrait of a life that isn’t so unlucky after all. While he surely suffers more than your average Starfleet officer, O’Brien’s achieved something that’s eluded many of Starfleet’s finest — Miles found time for a family. A caring wife and two beautiful children whose love and unwavering support pull him through each undeserved hardship. Isn’t that worth a little blood, tears, and pulled teeth?

Indeed, we’re fortunate to have lucky O’Brien. In the chief, we have a flawed man who suffers, goes home to the waiting arms of his family, and then wakes up and does it all again. A 24th entury reflection for many of us 21st entury chumps. That’s a comforting notion, to know that even in Gene Roddenberry’s perfect future society, there’s room for imperfect blokes like Miles Edward O’Brien — and us.

Get Updates By Email

This article was originally published on April 24, 2020.

Andy Bray (he/his) is a husband, father, and co-author of the memoirs, Making Fake Star Trek and Making More Fake Star Trek. He developed his unhealthy obsession with Star Trek as an embryo. In his twenties, he acted in an official Star Trek production no one’s ever heard of: “Spock’s Brain,” the stage play. After cultivating a collection of obscure credits on his IMDB page, Andy now spends his days writing and embarrassing his children. You can follow him on Instagram at @AndyBrayAuthor and on Twitter at @TheAndyBray. 

• Cast & crew
• User reviews
• Episode aired Feb 26, 1996

A man claiming to be the emissary comes through the wormhole. Sisko is happy to give up his position. Meanwhile Keiko returns and O'Brien stops spending time with Bashir. A man claiming to be the emissary comes through the wormhole. Sisko is happy to give up his position. Meanwhile Keiko returns and O'Brien stops spending time with Bashir. A man claiming to be the emissary comes through the wormhole. Sisko is happy to give up his position. Meanwhile Keiko returns and O'Brien stops spending time with Bashir.

• Gene Roddenberry
• Rick Berman
• Michael Piller
• Avery Brooks
• Rene Auberjonois
• Michael Dorn
• 7 User reviews
• 5 Critic reviews

• Captain Benjamin 'Ben' Sisko

• Constable Odo

• Lt. Cmdr. Worf

• Lt. Cmdr. Jadzia Dax

• (credit only)

• Chief Miles O'Brien

• Doctor Julian Bashir

• Major Kira Nerys

• Keiko O'Brien

• Vedek Porta

• Molly O'Brien

• Akorem Laan

• SF Cmd Lieutenant jg
• (uncredited)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Kira's line "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" is a paraphrase of a quotation from St. Thomas Aquinas , which reads "To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible."

Quark : Did you hear? Keiko's gonna have another baby!

Lt. Commander Worf : [alarmed] Now?

Chief O'Brien : No! Seven months.

Lt. Commander Worf : I see...

Chief O'Brien : [to Bashir] Worf delivered Molly, you know.

Doctor Bashir : Really?

Chief O'Brien : The Enterprise was damaged. Keiko and he were trapped together when her time came.

Doctor Bashir : [to Worf] Oh well, I'll, uh, be sure and call you, when she's ready to deliver; you can lend a hand.

Lt. Commander Worf : Seven months? Unfortunately I will be away from the station at that time... Far away... Visiting my parents, on Earth... Excuse me.

[leaves in a hurry]

• Connections Featured in Inside the Extras Studio: Trekkie Cult Leader (2016)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Main Title (uncredited) Written by Dennis McCarthy Performed by Dennis McCarthy

User reviews 7

• Oct 24, 2018
• February 26, 1996 (United States)
• United States
• Official Site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 46 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed