SISKO: Captain's Personal Log, Stardate 51247.5.
It's been a week since our return to Deep Space 9
but the mood of celebration continues.
We're still at war, and the station's
been designated headquarters for the Ninth Fleet.
That, plus our strategic position
guarding the wormhole, makes DS9
one of the most tempting targets
in the entire quadrant.
But for now, at least, the war seems very far away.
Morning. Good morning.
Morning, Major.
Good morning, Captain.
Do you know how much I missed
hearing you say that?
Do you know how much I hated saying
"Good morning, Dukat"?
I can imagine.
What's on the agenda?
USS Potemkin has completed her repairs
and is rejoining the fleet later today.
Exeter, Sutherland and Agaki
have submitted resupply requests
and there are about 1,000 messages
from Starfleet Command
awaiting your "eyes-only" attention.
Anything else?
General Martok is waiting in your office.
Oh, I'll start with the General.
I thought you would.
Have I mentioned that it's good to be home?
Once or twice.
All right.
You knew about this, didn't you?
Oh, I had a pretty good idea.
And you did nothing to stop it.
No.
In fact, I recommended you for the position myself.
Allow me to offer my congratulations
to the new Supreme Commander
of the Ninth Fleet.
Do you have any idea how much paperwork
a Supreme Commander has to do?
You're welcome.
( growls )
May I arrange quarters for you on the station?
No, I'll keep my flag aboard the Rotarran.
It may be cramped
but at least I'll feel like I'm still in the war.
By the way, I'd like Worf to continue functioning
as my principal Intelligence Officer.
I don't see any problem with that.
He's the only officer I know who can never get enough work.
( cackles )
Well, at least if he's busy
he'll stop going on about this wedding of his.
Oh, there were times aboard the Rotarran
he nearly drove me mad.
Until his son arrived, it was all he could talk about.
Then Alexander became all he could talk about.
The man is nothing if not single-minded.
I haven't met Worf's son yet.
What's he like?
He's a fine boy...
dedicated, eager.
He has the heart of his father
but he's not the best soldier I've ever seen.
But when he ordered me to bring the system back on line
I thought he was still talking
about the hydro-static system, so...
You didn't engage the pumps
while the check valves were open.
He did.
I flooded the entire deck
with super-heated hydraulic fluid.
It took me three days to clean it up
but, I swear, it still smells like burnt dog hair in there.
Remind me to keep you away from the Defiant.
You're a menace.
The Rotarran's crew
actually thinks of me as a good luck charm.
You know, the more mistakes I make, the safer they feel.
I hope the Ya'Vang's crew feels the same way.
The Ya'Vang?
I got new orders this morning.
The battle cruiser Ya'Vang took heavy losses
in their last engagement
so most of the Rotarran's crew are being transferred there
at the end of the week, including me.
Uh, more bloodwine?
Why not?
No. Not for me.
Handsome young man.
He must get his looks from his mother's side.
What do you want?
Have you had a chance to reconsider my offer?
We are not getting married in this bar.
The ceremony will take place on the Klingon homeworld
after the war.
Worf, let's do it here, this week
before Alexander leaves.
QUARK: Perfect.
I'll handle all the arrangements.
Wait. I thought we had agreed.
We did, but I would hate for Alexander
to miss his father's wedding.
It would mean so much to him
and besides, it may be a long time
before you see him again.
What's going on?
Our wedding plans have changed.
We are getting married here on Deep Space 9
and I would like you to be my Tawi'Yan.
"Sword-bearer."
It's sort of like a best man.
Me?
Really?
Oh, that's great!
( yelping )
I'll put that on your tab.
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DAX: It doesn't leave much time
to make all the arrangements
but fortunately, there isn't that much left to do.
Worf's been planning the ceremony
for the last three months.
He has everything figured out
right down to the color of my shoes.
No offense, Jadzia, but it seems like this wedding's
all about what Worf wants.
Uh, Habitat Ring, Section 51 Gamma.
What about you?
A traditional Klingon wedding with all the trimmings
is something Worf's been thinking about
since he was a boy.
It probably has something to do with being raised
by human parents.
In any case, when it comes to Klingon tradition
Worf is very sentimental.
Worf?
All men are sentimental.
They just cover it up with scowls and clenched jaws.
There are times when Worf literally gets misty-eyed
talking about Klingon rituals.
So, uh, that's why you're letting him
make the plans for the wedding?
Mostly, but the truth is
I've already been through five
Trill ceremonies—
three as a bride, two as a groom,
and I'm a little bored with it.
Is it my imagination
or did Odo just try and avoid us?
I didn't notice.
( sighs )
We've been avoiding each other
ever since the Dominion left the station.
I think we're both afraid of talking
about what happened during the occupation.
What do you mean?
Oh, to tell you the truth
it's nothing I want to talk about right now either.
Thank you for coming.
As you probably know by now
Jadzia and I will be married here on the station in six days.
than a wedding on DS9 in springtime.
When the neutrinos are in bloom.
By tradition, the Klingon man spends
the four nights before his wedding
on a mental and spiritual journey.
It is called Kal'Hyah, "The Path of Clarity"
and he is accompanied by his closest male friends.
You cannot imagine the experience that awaits us—
four long nights filled with song and fellowship.
A time of unbridled pleasures.
Are we talking about a bachelor party here?
It is a similar ritual.
Sounds good to me.
Me, too.
Count me in.
We will meet in the holosuite
tomorrow night at 2100 hours.
MARTOK: I advise you all to get plenty of rest.
Four nights at a Klingon bachelor party.
Just think of the possibilities.
Thank God Keiko's not here.
I wonder what Dax will be doing
while we're traveling down Kal'Hyah.
She will be taking a different journey...
with my wife.
Your wife?
By marrying Worf
Dax will be joining the House of Martok.
Since the mistress of a great House
must approve all marriages
Sirella will spend the next four days
evaluating Jadzia.
My lady.
You've put on weight...
and your hair is going gray.
My deterioration is proceeding apace.
I thought you would be in your grave by now.
( chuckling )
I shall endeavor to die—
this year, if possible.
Allow me to present Captain Benjamin Sisko
Commander of Deep Space 9.
Captain, may I present
the mistress of the House of Martok, my wife
and the mother of my children...
Sirella, daughter of Linkasa.
Welcome to Deep Space 9.
Thank you, Captain.
Where is she?
Jadzia's quarters are in the Habitat Ring
Section... 25 Alpha.
Shall I escort you?
It's quite far away.
I'll find my way.
If you'll excuse me.
Magnificent, isn't she?
Are those real var'Hama candles?
Yes, Worf, I traveled to Kronos.
I captured three targs in the Hamar mountains
made the ritual sacrifice at dawn
came back to the station
asked Quark to boil their shoulders into tallow.
Then, I spent two days molding them into candles
with my own hands.
I was just asking.
You were criticizing again.
Relax. She's not going to reject
a prospective daughter
because the var'Hama candles
in her welcoming display were replicated.
( door chimes )
Come in.
Tug son bosh mok A'Beh, Sirella koH.
E'Gagh vet moh.
What is he doing here?
I meant no disrespect.
Then leave.
Your worthiness to join our House will now be judged
according to the traditions of my family.
I am prepared, my lady.
I doubt that.
A Klingon woman would find it difficult to gain my favor.
For... an alien
it will most likely be impossible.
I like a challenge.
I will not have my authority challenged by you.
That's not what I meant.
If you cannot say what you mean, say nothing at all.
The evaluation
will begin tomorrow morning.
Have the traditional meal prepared before I arrive.
And in the future
if you cannot trouble yourself to make real var'Hama candles
try not to use such obvious fakes.
You never told me that your wife was opposed to this marriage.
Sirella is a woman of strong convictions.
She believes that by bringing aliens
into our families, we risk losing our identity
as Klingons.
That is a prejudiced, xenophobic view.
We are Klingons, Worf.
We don't embrace other cultures.
We conquer them.
If someone wishes
to join us, they must honor our traditions
and prove themselves worthy
of wearing the crest of a Great House.
Jadzia is worthy.
Of course she is.
She's an honorable woman and a formidable warrior.
You should say that to Sirella.
That's not such a good idea.
I don't want her to think
that I'm interfering in her domain.
Perhaps I should speak with her.
Coming from me, it would not seem like a challenge
to her authority.
I wouldn't do that if I were you.
Why?
Well, um...
the truth is...
she doesn't like you that much either.
Me.
Don't let that
bother you.
I had every right to bring you into the family
and she's accepted the fact
that there's nothing she can do about it.
How comforting.
( chuckles )
( laughing )
And they say that you have no sense of humor.
( laughing )
Phew. I could do without the heat.
I can't, uh, say much for the decor either.
Well, it can't be all fun and games.
I'm sure there has to be some sort of ritual
we have to go through before the party begins.
There is going to be a party, isn't there?
You're asking me?
I can barely say my name in Klingon.
MARTOK: Prepare yourselves, my friends
for a journey you won't soon forget.
These...
are Ma'Stakas.
What, uh, what do we do with them?
At the conclusion of the wedding ceremony
you will use them to attack Worf and Dax.
Obviously. Don't you know anything?
The tradition dates back
who were nearly killed by Molor's troops
moments after they were married.
Until the ceremony,
you should keep these with you at all times.
SISKO: I trust
this combat is non-lethal.
It is a symbolic attack only.
Oh.
That food is not
to be eaten.
Then what is it for?
It is there to tempt us to break our fast.
Fast?
There are six trials
we must face on the path to Kal'Hyah.
This is the first— deprivation.
We now begin a fast that will continue
until the day of the wedding.
Well, th-that's four days away.
MARTOK: It is a short time
I know, but we must make the best of it.
SISKO: What are
the other five trials?
Blood, pain, sacrifice, anguish...
and death.
Sounds like marriage, all right.
How would you know?
It is time to begin.
QUARK: Need more flowers on the banister.
MALE: We're ready with the banner, boss.
( whistles )
Raise it.
You're up early.
I thought writers slept late.
Not always.
I sold my first book today.
Really? How much did you get for it?
It's just a figure of speech.
The Federation News Service
is going to publish a book of my stories
about life on the station under Dominion rule.
And they're not paying you?
No.
Well, then you have my sympathies
and the first round of drinks is on the house.
Really?
No. It's a figure of speech.
Look, I want to tell my dad about the book.
Is he still in the holosuite?
Oh, yeah. They're still up there.
What are they doing?
It's a Klingon bachelor party.
You're a writer.
Use your imagination.
BASHIR: Alexander.
Grandma?
Guess again.
We're still on the...?
The road to Kal'Hyah, day 500.
Maybe we should turn down the heat
you know, for Alexander's sake.
Oh, no, it's okay.
I, uh...
I just need some water.
Now, you don't want to push yourself too hard.
You know, turning down the heat might be a good idea.
The whole point is to push yourself
to the limits of your endurance.
( panting )
I will.
I want to travel the entire path to Kal'Hyah.
Stoke the fire again!
As you wish.
Of course, we cannot expect you non-Klingons to...
have the same stamina as we do.
If you wish to quit, no one will think
any less of you.
Who said anything about quitting?
Not me.
I like the heat.
That's the spirit.
♪ Kaaa vek ko lee ko ♪
♪ eh to che maH lo ♪
♪ TaH oo-wah kaH esh to pah deH ah reee! ♪
♪ YaH Bosh-ah! ♪
♪ YaH Bosh tomaH! ♪
Al'qoch
mensaH
t'lang
cho.
Again.
I've done it three times already.
You continue to rush through the ceremony,
your body position is poor,
and the placement of the braziers
on their pedestals is sloppy.
Do you know how heavy those things are?
A Klingon woman would not complain.
You wouldn't make a Klingon woman
do it three times in a row.
I wouldn't have to.
She'd have done it correctly the first time.
End this now, Jadzia.
Go back to your own people.
They will tolerate your weaknesses
and your failings in a way that a Klingon family
never will.
In our House, you would always be an alien—
an outsider.
At best, you'd be an object of pity
but you'd never be accepted
never an equal
because you can never truly be one of us.
Ko'ma tlang'goS ak-bay
Hava'dak croosh tovaH
Ko'ma Kahless
Ko'ma Kahless.
But the Second Dynasty ended when General K'Trelan
assassinated Emperor Reclaw.
For the next ten years, the Empire was ruled
by a Council elected by the people.
Modern-day Klingon historians
refer to this as "The Dark Time."
But it's interesting to note that this first and only
experiment in Klingon democracy
actually produced several reforms...
You are straying from the saga.
Am I?
Your task is to recite the complete chronicle
of the women in my family.
I just thought I'd give you
a broader historical perspective along the way.
I am familiar with Klingon history.
Now, return to the story of my 23rd maternal grandmother
Shenara, daughter of Emperor Reclaw
in the Second Dynasty.
Well, that's where we run into a little bit of a problem.
You see, I did some research
and when Emperor Reclaw was killed
all of the members of the Imperial Family
were put to death, including Shenara.
When the Third Dynasty was founded ten years later
a new group of Klingons were given the titles
and the names of the original Imperial Family...
to create the illusion of an unbroken line.
So, the woman that you think of
as your 23rd maternal grandmother...
isn't related to you at all.
Your real ancestor's name was Karana
a concubine living outside the Imperial Stables.
My grandmother's name was Shenara.
That may be what's been passed down
from generation to generation, but it has no basis in fact.
But who cares about facts?
The chronicle says that you have Imperial blood in your veins
and that's exactly what we'll keep telling everyone.
Continue with the saga.
Hey, Major.
Is it true Dax is having a party tomorrow night?
Ah, news travels fast.
Well, is it by invitation or...?
I'm sure you're welcome.
And you can tell Nog the same goes for him, too.
Great.
Oh, I understand congratulations are in order
to our newest published author.
Thank you.
What was all that about?
Nothing.
There they go.
KIRA: They look so serious.
It's all an act.
They don't want the rest of us to know
what kind of debauchery they're up to.
Like what?
It's a Klingon bachelor party.
Use your imagination.
WORF: Now begins the Trial of Blood.
MARTOK: Let rivers flow from our veins.
Who will be first?
I did not expect it to be you, Doctor.
Neither did I.
Do not worry.
The pain will last for only a moment.
Ta-hoo!
( loud, rapid drumming )
Isn't that grand?
Yeah! Whoo!
( applause and cheering )
All right! He's unbelievable.
He's something.
Lieutenant Manuele Atoa
from the Starship Sutherland.
I've never seen anything like that.
Neither have I.
Let's get something to eat.
A woman of many talents.
It's a shame she's about to waste them all
on that walking frown she calls a fiancé.
She's too good for him.
I've said that from the beginning.
Are you jealous?
There's no profit in jealousy.
That's not a denial.
It's not to be quoted either.
Oh, don't worry.
So when did you first realize
you had these feelings for Dax?
Quark, wait.
Miles?
Yeah?
It's working.
I've had a vision...
about the future.
I can see it so clearly.
What is it?
I'm going to kill Worf.
That's what I'm going to do.
I can see it clearly now.
I'm going to kill him.
Kill Worf.
( coughs )
Kill Worf.
( loud drumming and conversations continue )
I've been getting complaints about the noise.
Someone even mentioned a fight?
Oh, there was a scuffle
between Morn and one of the Bolians
but they worked it out.
How long will this...
party continue?
This party will continue until further notice
on the personal authority
of this station's First Officer
who just happens to be me.
Mm-hmm.
You're in a good mood.
Well, it's a good party.
Well...
Odo...
I think we have a lot to talk about.
I agree.
So let's talk.
Now?
Don't you think we've put it off long enough?
Enjoy yourselves.
Let's, um...
find someplace a little quieter.
( yells )
Thanks for the show.
Thanks for getting me the day off.
Captain Shelby owed me a favor.
Actually, owed me several.
In fact, how would you like to have
another two days off?
Two?
What do I have to do?
Not much.
Just give me something fun to look at
for the rest of the evening.
Anything else?
I'll let you know.
SIRELLA: You!
Leave her or I'll cut your head off
and hang it from my belt.
I'll take care of this.
( drumming and conversations stop )
You weren't invited.
It is time for the Bre'Nan ritual.
I'm busy.
Busy acting like a Risian slut.
I'm only going to ask you to leave once.
You will come with me now and perform
the Bre'Nan ritual to my satisfaction
or I will cancel your wedding.
Toruk-DOH!
NOG: Ladies, please.
SIRELLA: Mok'Ta vor
kash a'VEH!
Why is everyone standing around?
The party's just getting started.
Play something!
( drumming resumes )
Double raktajino, extra sweet.
( groans )
What time is it?
1030 hours.
Come on.
Wrong door.
Excuse me, sir.
Jadzia
You're mad.
I am concerned.
Yeah, well, I'm hung over.
Can we talk later?
We have a very serious problem.
Sirella has canceled the wedding.
She doesn't waste any time, does she?
She said you attacked her.
She pulled a knife.
You are forbidden to join the House of Martok.
So I won't be invited to the family picnics.
I'll live.
I cannot believe how you're taking
this so lightly.
Do you hear that?
What?
( muffled voices )
It sounds like voices.
Hi.
ODO: Is the party over?
You could say that.
It's 10:30.
In the morning?
I'm on duty.
So am I.
It was a great party.
Thanks.
We must deal with the situation now.
Stop yelling.
My head hurts.
You must go to Sirella and beg her forgiveness.
I don't beg.
You are allowing your pride to blind you.
Look who's talking.
You want me to go crawling to some old hag
just so you can have your traditional Klingon wedding.
This is about more than just tradition.
You and I have embarked on a spiritual journey
one that will bind us together
through this life and into the next.
You cannot turn back now.
Maybe you're on a spiritual journey, Worf
but I just want to get married.
So why don't you go back to sweating and bleeding
with your friends in the holosuite
and when you're done
meet me in Benjamin's office
and he'll perform the ceremony.
If that is your attitude...
perhaps Sirella was right about you.
There should be no wedding.
That's fine with me.
( door opens, closes )
( whistling )
What's going on?
Haven't you heard?
The wedding's off.
Off? Why?
She says it's because he's a pig-headed, stubborn man
who puts tradition before everything else.
He says it's because she's a frivolous
emotional woman
who refuses to take him or his culture seriously.
You can see the problem.
They're both right.
Exactly.
Well... there's only one thing for it.
Dinner.
I'll get the menu.
( door chimes )
Enter.
Worf...
you've made a grave error.
Perhaps.
Do you still love her?
Of course.
However, in this case, that...
may not be enough.
Anyone can see that we are hopelessly mismatched.
She is a Trill; I am a Klingon.
She has had five marriages.
This would be my first.
When she is laughing, I am somber.
When I am happy, she is crying.
She plays tongo with the Ferengi bartender.
I can barely stand him.
She mocks everything...
while I take everything seriously.
She is nothing like the woman
I thought I would marry.
We are not accorded the luxury
of choosing the women we fall in love with.
Do you think Sirella is anything like the woman
I thought that I'd marry?
She is a prideful, arrogant, mercurial woman
who shares my bed far too infrequently for my taste.
And yet...
I love her...
deeply.
Hmm.
We Klingons often tout our...
prowess in battle...
our desire for glory and honor above all else...
but how hollow is the sound of victory...
without someone to share it with?
Honor gives little comfort
to a man alone in his home...
and in his heart.
One steak with mushrooms
baked potato, sour cream and chives.
I should have had that.
One double Altair sandwich, no mustard...
two bowls of linguini
Bajoran shrimp with extra cheese.
One loaf of mapa bread.
Quark, where's the kava juice?
They're still squeezing the roots
unless you want replicated.
We'll wait.
SISKO: What do you think you're doing?
The wedding's been called off.
It's back on.
Worf is apologizing to Jadzia
at this very moment.
Quark, take it all away.
No food for those on the path to Kal'Hyah.
No refunds for those
on the path to Kal'Hyah as well.
Sorry.
Father, what happened?
She refused to change her mind
and the wedding is still off.
( sighs )
Where is she?
In her quarters.
I'll go talk to her.
Just... keep them away from the food?
( door chimes )
Come in!
Save your breath.
Worf's gone too far, and now it's over.
Do you know what he wanted me to do?
to beg her forgiveness.
Beg her! Me!
I was once
the Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire.
I negotiated the Khitomer Accords
before Worf was even born.
Curzon negotiated the Accords!
And I've got news for you, old man.
You're not Curzon anymore.
And what the hell is that supposed to mean?
It means that you can't expect Sirella
to treat you like Curzon
just because you carry his memories.
To her, you're just a young woman
who decided to marry into her family.
If it means you have to bow down
and kiss her boots
that's exactly what you have to do, and you knew that.
The moment you decided to marry Worf
you knew that sooner or later you'd have to bow down
and show her the respect that she's due.
This is Worf's fault—
Worf and his traditional Klingon wedding.
Well, he may have let this wedding business
go to his head, but you are 356 years old.
Compared to you, Worf is just a kid
and if you can't abide by Klingon traditions
then you never should have let yourself
fall in love with him in the first place.
And you are in love with him.
I wasn't looking to fall in love.
I was perfectly happy by myself.
I had friends, a career, adventure...
Then one day...
this Klingon with a bad attitude
walked into my life
and the next thing I know, I'm getting married.
After 356 years and seven lifetimes...
I still lead with my heart.
You know, that is
what I've always loved about you.
And I think that's why Worf loves you, too.
( sighs )
Whatever happened to that young, callow Ensign
I used to know?
The one who used to turn to me
for advice all the time?
You know, the one with hair?
I grew up.
I guess it's time I grow up, too.
Mmm.
With fire and steel
did the gods forge the Klingon heart.
So fiercely did it beat
so loud was the sound, that the gods cried out
"On this day we have brought forth
"the strongest heart in all the heavens.
"None can stand before it without trembling
at its strength."
But then the Klingon heart weakened
its steady rhythm faltered and the gods said
"Why have you weakened so?
"We have made you the strongest
in all of creation."
And the heart said...
I am alone.
And the gods knew that they had erred.
So they went back to their forge
and brought forth... another heart.
But the second heart beat stronger than the first
and the first was jealous of its power.
Fortunately...
the second heart was tempered
by wisdom.
If we join together, no force can stop us.
And when the two hearts began to beat together
they filled the heavens with a terrible sound.
For the first time, the gods knew fear.
They tried to flee, but it was too late.
The Klingon hearts destroyed the gods
who created them
and turned the heavens to ashes.
To this very day
no one can oppose the beating of two Klingon hearts.
Not even me.
Worf, son of Mogh, does your heart beat
only for this woman?
Yes.
And will you swear to join with her
and stand with her against all
who oppose you?
I swear.
Jadzia, daughter of Kela
does your heart beat only for this man?
Yes.
And do you swear to join with him
and stand with him
against all who would oppose you?
( whispering ): I swear.
Then let all present
here today, know that this man and this woman
are married.
( applause )
Now?
Not yet.
Now?
Patience.
My Lady.
Welcome to the House of Martok...
my daughter.
Now, Doctor!
( yelling )
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