The Darkness and the Light (episode)

A hidden enemy systematically murders Kira's old Resistance comrades.

Teaser
Six vedeks are holding a ceremony. One of them, Latha Mabrin, is killed when the ceremonial candle issues a disruptor blast at him, throwing him back several meters and killing him instantly.

On Deep Space 9, Major Kira Nerys is examined by Doctor Bashir, who complains that she hasn't been taking the makara herb he had prescribed. She complains that it tastes "like it crawled out of Quark's ear", and that it counteracts sedatives. He says that she claimed she didn't need sedatives, and she gives a weak answer.

On returning to her quarters, she receives a mysterious message just showing a picture of Latha, a former resistance companion of hers, and saying That's one.

Act One
While the investigation is started, a Bajoran woman, Trentin Fala, contacts Kira because she is afraid of being killed as well. Kira arranges for her to be transferred from Bajor to DS9 but she dies while being beamed up because a remat detonator was planted on her.

Act Two
Kira reveals that Trentin was never really part of the Shakaar resistance cell, but she provided information to them. Kira receives a that's two message, and then a that's three with the picture of Mobara, another resistance companion.

Act Three
Things begin to develop as Kira's former comrades Lupaza and Furel arrive without warning, beaming directly into the O'Brien's quarters. They had brought her some Makara herb from Bajor. They are as determined as Kira is (and not hindered by pregnancy as she is) to uncover the assassin, but they are killed when a hunter probe explodes near the window of the room where they are.

Act Four
It is obvious that the killer has kept a personal grudge against the resistance cell, and against Kira in particular. He is also an expert in computers and remote killing devices. Using this information and his contacts on Cardassia, Odo manages to build a list of only 25 suspects and plans on trimming it further down. Kira steals the list in order to pursue the killer herself. After eliminating the first three names on the list, she eventually visits Silaran Prin. Prin is the mysterious murderer and he manages to capture Kira and confine her with a restraining force field.

Act Five
Prin was a Cardassian civilian at the time of the Occupation, and he was disfigured by a bomb used to assassinate Gul Pirak. That bomb was placed by Kira herself, working with her former cell, and based on information given by Trentin Fala. Prin has grown more than a little insane since his understanding that war could also hurt innocents: he carries long monologues about darkness and light, explains that he was cautious in his murders to not hurt innocent bystanders, and that he logically intends to deliver Kira's baby before killing her. Prin feels that Kira is a murderer because she killed Cardassian civilians on Bajor along with soldiers. Kira responds by saying that Cardassians didn't ever own Bajor, and even the Cardassian civilians were guilty.

Prin prepares to deliver Kira's baby by cutting it out of her, but consents to administer a sedative to Kira first. When he is satisfied that the sedative has taken effect, he approaches, and Kira, upon whom the sedative had no effect because of the makara herbs that she has been taking lately, quickly overpowers him and kills him.

Later, when a group from DS9 arrives to rescue her, she is initially unresponsive, and Doctor Bashir finds a large amount of sedatives in her system, which had been counteracted by the makara herb. When she finally talks, she does so in the same manner Prin had, claiming that he hadn't realized that the light requires darkness, and innocence is just an excuse for the guilty.

Memorable Quotes
"Those herbs taste like something that crawled out of Quark's ear."
 * - Kira

"None of you belonged on Bajor. It wasn't your world. For fifty years you raped our planet, and you killed our people. You lived on our land and you took the food out of our mouths, and I don't care whether you held a phaser in your hand or you ironed shirts for a living. You were all guilty and you were all legitimate targets!"

"And that's what makes you a murderer. Indiscriminate killing... no sense of morality... no thought given to the consequences of your action. That's what makes us different."

"I was a soldier. You're just a bitter old man out for revenge."

"I am bringing the guilty to justice. And unlike you, I take care to protect the innocent."
 * - Kira and Prin

"You know the Rules of Acquisition?"

"I am a graduate of Starfleet Academy. I know many things."
 * - Dax and Worf

Story and script

 * For this, his first episode, writer Bryan Fuller originally based it on the 1939 novel  (also known as  Ten Little Indians). (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)

Reception

 * Of all the Deep Space Nine episodes Ronald D. Moore worked on, this is one of his favorites; "It really came across as I intended it, and in some ways, much better, a powerful, dark piece of television that ends in a really unexpected way." Moore particularly likes the moral ambiguity of the debate between Kira and Silaran Prin. Of this scene, he comments, "both are right and both of them are wrong." Moore was also very happy that the fact that Kira remains fundamentally Kira in the scene with Prin, that she doesn't apologize and acknowledge her own guilt. According to Moore, "typically, when you get into a scene like this in television or even film, your heroine is confronted by the man from her past who's been wronged by her in some way, and usually she'll say 'You know what? I feel bad, too. You're right. I wish I didn't have to do those things that I did. Can't we all just get along?' But that would have been so phony, especially in this situation. So I respect the fact that Kira looked at Prin and said 'Screw you! You expect me to feel sorry for you? Fifteen million Bajorans died in the Occupation. You people were on our land, you didn't belong there, and you were all guilty!' I mean that's pretty bold. You can't say whether it's right or wrong – it's the stance of a terrorist. But it's what I felt Kira absolutely believed at the core of her being." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
 * When Tony Dow directed, he was instructed to watch "The Darkness and the Light", as he was told it was "really the only other show of this type that they'd done." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 649)

Trivia

 * The themes touched upon in the scenes with Prin and Kira are similar to several scenes in, in which a captured war criminal confronts her about her own crimes during the Occupation.
 * Sisko's combadge flips above and below his grey shoulder pad in between scenes in this episode due to the mixed use of the incorrectly made jacket from and the new correct one that would be used for the remainder of the series.
 * Referenced Rules of Acquisition: #111 ("Treat people in your debt like family...exploit them")
 * This episode is the second time we see the characters of Furel and Lupaza. Both had been introduced in the third season episode, and although they both die in this episode, Furel would be seen in flashbacks in the episode.
 * Randy Oglesby, who plays Silaran Prin in this episode, previously played the Miradorn twins in the first season episode, and would go on to play Degra in several episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise.
 * Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko) does not appear in this episode.
 * This is the first Star Trek episode to be directed by Mike Vejar since TNG: "Coming of Age", his only TNG directorial credit, almost nine years earlier. From this point onwards, he would remain one of the franchise's regular directors until the cancellation of Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005.

Video and DVD releases

 * UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 5.6,.
 * As part of the DS9 Season 5 DVD collection.

Starring

 * Avery Brooks as Captain Sisko

Also starring

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

Guest stars

 * Randy Oglesby as Silaran Prin
 * William Lucking as Furel
 * Diane Salinger as Lupaza
 * Jennifer Savidge as Trentin Fala
 * Aron Eisenberg as Nog

Co-stars

 * Matt Roe as Latha Mabrin
 * Christian Conrad as Brilgar
 * Scott McElroy as Guard
 * Judi Durand as the computer voice

Uncredited co-stars

 * Brian Demonbreun as a Starfleet science officer
 * Chester E. Tripp III as a Starfleet security lieutenant

Additional References
Adam Buckner; Bernay Prime; Cardassia Prime; Dan Curry (Gul); Judy Elkins; Faralos III; Kristi Fernandes; Galloway sector; Ed Hoffmeister; Gary Hutzel (Gul); Laura Langmatz; Lauritson Nebula; Peter Lefebvre, Posell VI; Regent Lipsett; April Rossi; David Stipes (Gul); Eddie Williams