To Boldly Sew is a recap of DS9 episodes, with a specific focus on the fashions of the many aliens and other characters that make up the series. Feel free to discuss matters of plot and general Star Trek things in the comments.
All screenshots come from trekcore.com, which is the same place as the original TNG fashion blog (http://sttngfashion.tumblr.com/).
Sisko is in his office and Kira comes in. Sisko wants next month’s duty roster. She says he’ll have it first thing in the morning. She has been busy talking to a minister about irrigations. He knows because she was shouting about it. She says she gets frustrated…beyond frustrated…with the ministers and their bureaucracy.
She leaves the office and O’Brien tells her that Quark has been searching for her urgently.
At Quark’s a guy with a musical instrument is playing what sounds like a woodwind version of the show’s theme song. Everyone is listening and enraptured, except Quark. Even Morn has the sniffles over it, and is being comforted by a Starfleet officer.
Quark is wearing his dark green upholstery jacket. Nothing to see there. I’m fascinated by Morn’s gloves, though, which I’ve never noticed before. I like the shiny beads or gems on the cuffs.
Kira comes in and doesn’t see an issue. She says that the musician, Varani, is playing a lovely sonata and everyone is enjoying it. Quark says they are mesmerized, and not eating, drinking, or gambling. He is upset about his hourly projections indicating lower profit, even though he’s only been there for a day. Kira thinks the music will draw new customers. Quark is skeptical.
Kira reminds him he promised to have the guy play for a month. He agrees, but wonders if he couldn’t play something more bouncy.
The song ends and everyone applauds. Kira goes to talk to him.
Varani is wearing a red and dark red striped shirt under a…sweater? Jacket? With short sleeves and plaid coloring. Despite the clashing patterns, it works for him.
Varani says he loves having his work appreciated again, and doesn’t mind that it’s a smaller venue than the exhibition halls he used to play. Kira tactfully says that Quark would like more variety to the music. He seems amenable.
Kira says she’d like him to play in a more appropriate setting. He wonders if she’s spoken to a minister about rebuilding a forum. She says she talked to him but he’s busy. Varani wants Bajorans to reclaim their artistic heritage.
Back in Ops, Kira returns. O’Brien reports a ship coming through the wormhole. They watch it come through.
Kira says there are four life-forms on board, and O’Brien notes a plasma leak in the engine core. Sisko orders them to hail them, but they don’t respond and life support is barely functioning, so they beam them all out.
Four people appear on the transporter pad. Sisko introduces himself and tells them all that they are on a Bajoran space station, and they mean no harm.
The woman is dressed in a kind of tie-dye theme, with a long outer outfit in a silky material draped over a darker dress. She’s tending to a male with a blue headband and dark green outfit, that seems to also have a tie-dye affect to it.
Behind them, two other men are dressed in similarly tie-dyed materials – one in a mud green and gray and the other in an orange that reminds me of a prison jumpsuit.
CUE THEME
Sisko says they’re going to bring in the ship and hopefully fix it. He offers medical assistance for the wounded man.
The wounded man starts shouting in a foreign language and gets to his feet. The woman calms him down and tries to speak to Sisko.
The guy with the blue headband is also wearing an outfit that looks a bit like it’s pretending to be overalls, with a random horizontal strap connecting the vertical ones. His shirt looks green and subtly striped.
I can’t figure out the woman’s hairdo. It’s bright red and BIG. I have to figure there’s some sort of frame beneath it to get it to reach such heights.
No one can understand any of them, so Sisko concludes something is wrong with the universal translator. O’Brien says it’s working but having trouble with these people because their language and syntax is unlike anything in the computer’s database. Sisko figures they need to keep talking until the computer establishes a translation matrix.
The woman keeps trying to speak to them, pleading. Sisko suggests that Kira try to lead them to the infirmary. They get on the turbolift, and Sisko calls Odo on the way and has him meet them on the Promenade.
They get to the Promenade and Kira coaxes them out of the turbolift cautiously. The Promenade is busy and crowded and they are all fascinated. They have trouble keeping the group together.
The woman’s dress is quite purply-pink, and the thing overtop of it is short-sleeved. The colors kind of clash a little. Not garishly, but it’s probably not something I’d wear together.
The guy in orange has a jacket thing similar in style to Varani, the Bajoran musician. His pants are tucked into his boots, and his sleeves short in a way that reminds me of a Shakespearean player.
The guy in the headband, meanwhile, reveals that what I thought was an overall top is actually just…a vest? Maybe? I have no idea how to describe his top.
They pass a shop where the woman is fascinated by a display of a dress and the men keep picking up things. Odo tries to get them to put them back. Kira tries as well. Finally the woman yells at them and they put things down.
I’m not sure what’s going on with these two guys’ headbands. At first I thought they were their hairstyles, but then I realized they are actually kind of floppy headbands made of small pieces of fabric kind of tied around their heads.
In the Infirmary, two of the men are arguing and the woman yells at them to shut up. Bashir examines the wounded man – it’s a plasma burn and the dermal regenerator should be able to fix it easily. The woman doesn’t want Bashir to do it, and tries to hand the device to Kira, but they manage to convince her that Bashir is more qualified.
They go to some empty quarters where the visitors can rest. Kira starts to give the usual welcome spiel, and then realizes they don’t understand her.
Sisko goes to the replicator and orders seven maaza stalks, thinking they will understand that. He tries to indicate that it’s food, and Kira demonstrates by eating one, then hands the plate to the woman, who tries one herself, hesitantly, but then passes it to the others, who each take one of their own and approve.
The woman tries to speak some more, but it’s still not working. Then it sounds like she says the word “need.” Then “My people,” and then “save them.” Kira encourages her to keep talking and they finally understand that her people are the skrreea and they need help and there’s no time to waste.
She says her people on the other side of the Eye, the wormhole. There are about 3 million of them. She wants to bring them through the Eye.
At Ops, the woman is a little nervous. Kira asks if something is wrong, and she says that Skrreean men don’t usually involve themselves in situations like this, and she’s not used to them being there. Dax asks if all the women are leaders. Yes.
She says men are too emotional to be leaders – they’re constantly fighting among themselves. It’s their favorite thing to do. She apologizes saying she hopes she hasn’t offended anyone.
The men are all like this:
Sisko comes out of his office, apologizing for being late. Dax says that Haneek was telling them the Skrreea are a female dominant society.
Haneek says they love their men and don’t be offended. Sisko asks if she is one of the leaders of her people. She says no, she’s a farmer who was lucky. She was the first one to find the Eye of the Universe – the wormhole.
They’d heard of a great tunnel – the Eye of the Universe that would lead them to Kentanna. The legendary home of the Skrreeans, always portrayed in their sacred text as being just beyond the Eye of the Universe. A planet of sorrow, where the Skrreean will sow seeds of joy.
Sisko says they will help them to find a home. They have sent some runabouts to look for their ships on the other side of the wormhole. Haneek says it will be difficult as they are all spread out, looking for the Eye.
Odo wonders what to do then – the station will only hold 7,000 people, and they have 3 million Skrreeans. Kira says most people will have to stay on their ships. Haneek says she understands.
Sisko asks if there is a particular person or people they should be looking for – a leader? She says that most of their leaders were killed by the T-Rogorans. Bashir asks who they are. For 800 years the Skrreeans have lived under their rule, working as laborers and servants. They escaped when the T-Rogorans were invaded and conquered.
Odo asks who conquered them. She says she doesn’t know their name, just that they were members of something called “The Dominion.”
The others exchange serious glances.
It’s dark when the door chimes, and Haneek gets up and goes to the door to find Kira waiting. She apologizes for waking her. Haneek invites her inside. Kira says she can come back, but she refuses. Two of her companions come to the door as well, and she shoos them off to bed.
Even their night clothes are tie-dye style. Haneek’s outfit seems to be just a purplish bathrobe type wrap.
Curious, Kira asks if the men are Haneek’s husbands. She doesn’t know the word, but says they are bonded to her. Kira asks if she sleeps with them both. Of course, don’t you sleep with your males? Kira says she doesn’t have any males. At the moment, anyway. Haneek says they’re very useful.
Kira says she wanted to let her know that they found a few of their ships, and several hundred Skrreeans should be arriving today. They thought it would be a good idea to greet them. Haneek protests, but Kira convinces her, and also gives her a gift.
She opens it and finds it is the dress they saw in the Promenade earlier. It’s kind of a neon pink thing, with silvery sleeves. I wonder if anyone ever wears it later. I’ll have to keep an eye out for it in the future.
Haneek apologizes and says she actually thought it was the most hideous thing she’d ever seen. Kira agrees, and they laugh over it together.
On the promenade, Jake and Nog are talking.
Jake is wearing my least favorite of his jumpsuits – a three colored monstrosity made of two shades of green and teal. Ick.
Nog, meanwhile, has an outfit that I don’t think we’ve seen before. Bright red pants, and a kind of checkered top and a weird collar over mustard yellow sleeves. It kind of looks like a clown outfit. I’m trying to figure out if the checkered part is shiny. Maybe?
Jake went on a date with a Dabo girl without telling his dad or Nog, and Nog wants the details. He says he told his dad he was helping someone with her homework. Nog is sad he can’t use that lie.
Jake says it’s not a lie – Mardah is studying entomology and asked for his help. Nog is skeptical. Nog then asks what entomology is – the study of bugs. Oh, she wants to be a chef! Jake just shakes his head.
They catch sight of one of the Skrreeans at the replimat. He waits until a pair of diners has left, and then goes over and eats scraps off their plate. The man sees Jake looking at them. Jake waves, and the man runs off. Nog scoffs, saying he should know what a replicator is for. Then asks Jake if Mardah has any sisters.
Back at Ops, they watch the Skrreean ship come in. Sisko says it’s time for Haneek to welcome her people to the Alpha Quadrant.
Haneek’s outfit looks a bit more fanciful now. She’s still going with the tie-dye look, but the dark purple looks a bit more formal, and the collar a bit mature. She looks now a bit less like a refugee.
She helps them all on board at the airlock, and the crowds come into the promenade, mumbling amongst themselves at the sights and sounds. More airlocks open and more people come out. They joyfully greet each other and crowd the hallways.
Odo is concerned about the crowding and the people who are running on the promenade. Sisko thinks it’s worth it for the Skrreeans to experience freedom.
The men seem to be into the floppy headbands. The layers of tie-dyed inspired clothing make them look like refugees. It’s a good, subtle way of making it clear who they are.
Nog is running through the Promenade, being chased by the Skrreeans. Odo stops him, citing the No Running Rule. He also ran past Jake, who wonders about a smell. One of the Skrreeans says to ask Nog.
Nog says that they stink. The Skrreean says it’s because Nog sprayed a vapor on them. Odo asks if this is true. Nog says No. Odo is skeptical. Nog says it was a joke. He thanks the Skrreeans for bringing it to his attention and drags Nog off.
The Skrreean says it’s not over yet, calls Nog “Big Ears” and heads off with the others, leaving Jake holding his nose at the smell.
Nog is in the Security Office, looking over the Wanted Posters on the wall. He asks Odo about someone called Plix Tixiplik, who Odo says is a Reegrunion. Wanted in 7 star systems for illegal weapon sales. Nog says Quark told him it’s quite profitable.
What would Quark know about illegal weapons sales? Odo asks. Nog stammers over his words as Quark enters, saying he knows better than to get involved in something so disreputable. Odo says he wanted Rom to come and see him. Quark says that Rom is doing an inventory and he doesn’t want to interrupt him.
Nog says this is all a misunderstanding. Odo explains the crime of smelling the Skrreeans with a foul smelling vapor. Quark asks what he has to say for himself. Nog says he’s sorry? Quark says he’s overcome with guilt and will be punished severely. He wants Nog to tell Odo he will never do it again.
Nog says he won’t. Odo says see that he doesn’t. He is dismissed.
Quark says they can’t blame the boy as the Skrreeans are nothing but trouble, looking and touching everything. He also says they flake, and you can see little pieces of Skrreean skin all over the bar and the floor. Odo says they won’t be there long.
Quark says he’s hoping they leave soon as they are driving his customers away.
At Quark’s the Skrreeans and others are listening to the musician from earlier.
A group of women (including Haneek) are having a discussion at a table.
They all have the same big hairstyle, although the gray-haired woman’s is not quite as tall as the others.
One of them says they had a discussion and their feelings were unanimous. Haneek discovered the Eye of the Universe, so she must lead them the rest of the way. Haneek is obviously concerned, but agrees to do the best she can. The other women all leave.
Kira comes in and says the conversation looked serious. Haneek looks around at her people and says she’s never seen them so happy, but she feels trapped that they expect her to lead them. Kira says it’ll be okay, and Sisko will find them a place to live.
Varani, the musician, comes over, and Kira introduces them, saying that he is the greatest musician Bajor has ever known. He’s wearing the same outfit as before.
He says that as a Bajoran, he knows what it’s like to be displaced and would like to give her something as a token of friendship. He sets down a black disk, and a small hologram pops up of him playing music. He says it’s from an old concert.
In her quarters, Haneek sets the disk down on the table with happiness. One of the boys who was arguing with Nog comes in. She calls him Tumak and asks where he’s been. Nowhere. Where is he going? To wash. She seems confused by his reaction.
She asks the computer to show her a chart of the star system, and then gets an idea.
Jake and Nog are walking on the promenade. Jake asks what Nog’s dad said about him getting in trouble. Nog says he was very angry. He’s always angry when he gets caught.
They see the Skrreean boys coming toward them and Nog abruptly turns to walk the other way, saying that he has some errands to run for his uncle. Jake says he’ll have to face them sooner or later.
Tumak says he was very funny. Nog laughs. Tumak says no one is laugh. Jake says that no one was hurt and he thinks his friend is really sorry for what he did.
Nog says, meekly, “I suppose,” which does not convince the Skrreeans, who throw Nog into the center of their ring and prepare to beat him. Jake pulls Tumak away before he can throw a punch, and they fall to the ground. Nog and the other two also fall down, Nog squealing and struggling to get away.
The whole incident draws a lot of eyes, of course, and Quark comes running over. Nog is squealing and whining about how sorry he is.
Quark comes over and breaks it up, pulling the Skrreeans off Nog. They growl at him, he hisses back. Quark is upset they are fighting. Tumak says he thought they were welcome. Quark says to make himself welcome somewhere else. Tumak says he doesn’t want anything to do with any of them, either, and he and his friends depart. Quark comments on how the Skrreeans don’t teach their children manners.
Meanwhile, Sisko says that he and Dax are coming through data on every uninhabited planet in the sector and they think they’ve settled on Draylon II. It has a stable orbit, temperate climate, and very low surface radiation. Also good soil and a long growing season.
At Haneek’s, the door chimes and Sisko, Kira, and Dax come in to find a meeting of other women already present.
The other women have the same hairstyle, but their clothing is duller, giving them more the look of refugees than Haneek, presumably because they arrived more recently.
Kira says that they’ve found a good planet for resettlement. Haneek says they appreciate the hard work but it was unnecessary. They’ve found Kentanna. A planet of sorrow – is Bajor.
Sisko updates the station log to inform us that O’Brien is overseeing repairs to the Skkrrean ships. Meanwhile, Minister Rozahn and Vedek Sorad have arrived from Bajor to officially respond.
Kira is on the way to the meeting when Varani comes up to her and asks that she tell Haneek that his heart goes out to her and he’s sorry they will be refusing the request. She asks if he’s being premature. He says he knows what the Provisional Government’s answer will be. He says that Bajor is in shambles and they can’t help them.
In the meeting, a very serious female official who I assume is Minister Rozahn, says that they are taking the request for immigration very seriously. The debate became quite heated. A decision was reached.
Vedek Sorad is a pretty boring Vedek, with normal orange robes and nothing fancy about him.
Minister Rozahn is dressed kind of professionally, in a jacket that’s half dark blue and half gray. Her hairstyle is pretty fancy, though, and I wonder if she borrowed from Princess Leia.
She says that the ministers, in accord with the Vedek assembly, have decided to deny the Skrreeans’ request. The Vedek says that they cannot absorb 3 million refugees at this time. The minister says they can barely take care of their own.
Haneek says they are not asking them to take care of her people.
The Vedek says that the decision is not based only on Bajoran self-interest. Such a huge increase in population would be tragic to both people.
Haneek says that Bajor has more than enough space. The plains of the Northwest Peninsula are practically uninhabited. The land is ideal for farming. The minister says it used to be, until the Cardassians got their hands on it. Haneek says that the Skrreea are farmers. Give them the land and they’ll make it thrive again.
The minister says under ideal circumstances, yes. But what if there’s a long winter and the crops fail? What if the famine that’s been plaguing Bajor continues to spread? What then? Haneek says they will take that risk. The minister says they aren’t. The results from the projections were not encouraging.
Sisko says Haneek should considered Draylon II as an alternate to Bajor. The winters are mild and there is plenty of farmland.
Haneek says that projections can be wrong. The Vedek says what if they’re not? What is Bajor to do if her people start dying? She reiterates that they don’t expect help.
The minister says they wouldn’t be able to stand by and do nothing. They’d feel obligated to help with food, clothing, and whatever it would take. The Vedek asks where the aid would come from when their resources are depleted – helping them would mean depriving their own people.
Haneek pleads with Kira and Sisko to tell them they’re wrong. Kira says she can’t. She thinks they’re right. She wishes they were wrong but they’re not. Sisko again suggests Draylon II.
The Skrreeans are lining up for the replicator, getting food. Jake goes up to Tumak and suggests a particular dessert.
Jake has switched from the brightly colored jumpsuit of before to the brown and orange jumpsuit. It’s still hideous, but at least it isn’t garish.
Tumak asks if the big-eared troll is really his friend. Jake says yeah. He says he’s an idiot. Jake says he’s not the first to say that, but he’s not so bad once you get to know him. Tumak says he’s not planning on being around long enough to find out.
Jake says they’re probably going to Draylon II, and it sounds like a nice place. Tumak asks if he wants to move there. No. Neither does Tumak. He turns around, leaving Jake feeling kind of insulted.
Kira goes to see Haneek.
She is back to wearing the lighter colored outfit that she wore when she first arrived on the station.
Haneek says she doesn’t understand why Kira pretended to be her friend. Kira says that she is her friend. Haneek says that Kira is a friend until she needs Kira. Kira says she’s trying to help. Haneek says she’s had enough of her help.
Kira says that Sisko has found her a wonderful home. Haneek says she betrayed her. Kira says that she did not; she believes the Provisional Government made the right decision for Bajor and the Skrreeans. Haneek says she has nothing more to discuss.
Kira says she wants to still be friends. Haneek says she is looking for forgiveness – she does not forgive her.
Kira goes to leave, and Sisko calls right then. He says she and Haneek must come to Ops at once: Tumak has taken a ship and is heading for Bajor.
Haneek and Kira arrive in Ops. O’Brien says they are not responding to hails.
Kira asks how this has happened. Sisko says the station is so crowded they didn’t know the ship was gone until the Bajorans contacted them. He asks Haneek to talk to him.
O’Brien says there is a radiation leak on the ship. He’s tried to make them aware of it, but Tumak refuses to acknowledge them. Kira goes to open a channel. Haneek tells Tumak to listen to her, and the ship is in danger. Sisko tells her to tell him to turn off the engines. He’s not responding. She tells him that their lives are in danger.
Dax notes that two Bajoran vessels are approaching the Skrreean ship. Sisko asks O’Brien to patch us into the Bajoran interceptor. They hear the Bajoran ship telling Tumak to stop, as he is entering restricted space.
Kira jumps in and identifies herself. She tells them that the communications on the ship might be damaged and he should allow the ship to land. He says that’s impossible, as they have strict orders not to allow any Skrreean ships to land. Kira says the pilot is a boy and the ship is barely operational. He apologizes and says he has orders from General Hazar.
Sisko tells Dax to get him General Hazar on Bajor, it’s an emergency and he wants to talk to him immediately.
The general comes up on screen.
He says he’s given orders to have the ship turned back. Sisko explains it’s being flown by a child and is leaking radiation. The general says to tell them to turn off the engines. Haneek pleads with Tumak again. Meanwhile, they hear phaser fire.
Kira asks the interceptor ship what’s going on. He says they’ve opened fire on them and he is taking evasive action. They’ve been hit and are returning fire. The general tells them to break it off, but it’s too late.
The ship exploded. He didn’t think they hit it. O’Brien concludes that the phaser beam must have ignited the radiation leak. The general apologizes. Haneek starts to cry.
The Skrreeans somberly leave the station, heading back through airlocks to their ships.
Kira says she wishes Haneek the best of luck, and she still thinks it’s the best choice. Haneek asks if she believes they would have been a burden to her people? Kira says yes.
Haneek thinks they’ve made a terrible mistake. Maybe they could help each other. She says they are farmers and Bajor has a famine. They’ll never know. She thinks 50 years of Cardassian rule has made them suspicious. She is right, Bajor is not Kentanna.
Then she leaves, and the doors of the ship close behind her, leaving Kira alone in the airlock.
Stray Thoughts:
* This is the second mention of The Dominion this season. Nice, slow burn there.
* I thought some more culture clashes might come up with regard to the Skrreeans’ matriarchal society, maybe especially compared to the Ferengi. Is this why Quark has a low disregard for them? You can kind of see the men squirming a little in the beginning there – but then it’s dropped.
* Similarly, the multiple husbands angle is briefly mentioned and then forgotten about. It would have been interesting to see what the more traditional inhabitants of DS9 thought about that – when combined with a matriarchal society. Surely polyamory is common amongst other species. I wonder what the Bajorans – especially the more orthodox followers of Kai Winn, for example – think of that.
* I can definitely see both sides of the settling Bajor argument. Especially if the culture differs so greatly from traditional Bajorans. I wonder if that factored into the discussion amongst the ministers.
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