Shakaar (episode)

Kira's old Resistance leader refuses a government order to return some farming equipment.

Summary
On Deep Space 9, Commander Sisko comes to Major Kira's quarters. He sees that she has been praying, and inquires about the lamp she has lit in her shrine. She explains that it is a duranja, or lamp for the dead. She reveals that she has been praying for the deceased Vedek Bareil Antos. Then Sisko drops a bombshell on her: Kalem Apren has died, and her archenemy, Kai Winn Adami, has become the new First Minister of Bajor.

She almost immediately causes an incident over soil reclamators, that were on loan to farmers in Dahkur Province. Winn demands that they be returned, so that the government can use them to prepare ground to plant crops for exporting and trade in Rakantha Province. She sends Kira Nerys to try to convince Shakaar and his group to return the reclamators. Shakaar refuses, though, saying that the reclamators were loaned to them for one year after a three year wait, and says Winn shouldn't go back on previous promises. Kira spends an enjoyable day talking with Shakaar, Furel, Lupaza about old days fighting the Cardassians. The next day, Kira attempts to arrange a meeting between the Kai and Shakaar. However, Winn betrays Kira, and sends the Militia to capture Shakaar and retake the reclamators. That leads to Kira and Shakaar, along with Furel and Lupaza and other members of the old Shakaar resistance cell escaping into the Dahkur Hills. The old cell spends two weeks in the hills, evading the civil police. Winn summons Commander Sisko down to Bajor from Deep Space Nine, in order to request assistance. Sisko refuses, saying that she has declared martial law and disrupted the ways of life of the people in the Hill Provinces. Winn then becomes upset, and implies that his refusal to help will not bode well for relations between Bajor and the Federation, and she even threatens to withdraw Bajor's application for Federation membership. Sisko responds that would be an overreaction, just like Winn's response to the entire incident. He admonishes her for possibly allowing a civil war over a couple of soil reclamators, however she considers it to be a test from the Prophets to prove she can handle the position.


 * "This is a test...a test by the Prophets. They want to see if I'm worthy of the role they've given me as First Minister and Kai. I will not fail them. I will stop Shakaar... by any means necessary."

Shakaar and his group manage to lead the civil police into a trap: a canyon from which there is no way out. Kira recognizes the leader of the police, Colonel Lenaris Holem. Shakaar orders Kira to shoot, but, in the end, neither of them can kill fellow Bajorans. The two of them go into the canyon to talk to Lenaris, and they begin to speak about how Lenaris had basically walked into a trap. Shakaar says it's an easy mistake and one he might have made in Lenaris' place. He then asks Lenaris to let him take his people home. When Lenaris first refuses, Shakaar tells Lenaris that he didn't fight the Cardassians for twenty-five years so he could start shooting other Bajorans to which Lenaris agrees.

Kira, Shakaar, and Lenaris enter the office of the first minister, where Winn has taken up residence. She refers to Kira and Shakaar as "gifts" from Lenaris. Lenaris tells Winn they are not his prisoners. With that, Shakaar announces his intent to run for the office of First Minister in the upcoming election. At first Winn scoffs at the idea of this, but Lenaris tells her that the army commanders have given Shakaar their full support, and Kira warns Winn that should she stand in the election then the fact she was willing to allow a civil war over some farm equipment will be made completely public. Back on the station, Kira and Sisko discuss the election. Kira says that Winn has publicly expressed her support for Shakaar's campaign and that one or two others have entered the race, but as Shakaar's support is as large as it is, it is likely he will triumph in the election.

Memorable quotes
"Commander, is the Chief in here?"

"He's over there... 'in the zone'."
 * - Julian Bashir and Benjamin Sisko, after Sisko plays darts with Miles O'Brien in Quark's

"''I'm in the zone! I just need..." ''

(O'Brien cries out in pain after lifting the arm he just dislocated)

"I just need surgery..."
 * - O'Brien, not giving up

"''I believe the house is paying fifteen to one?

"All I did was hand him a drink..."
 * - Syvar and Quark, after Chief O'Brien has forfeited the game

"It is one of my observation that one of the prices of giving people freedom of choice, is that sometimes they make the wrong choice."


 * - Odo to Kira.

Story and script

 * This episode serves as a sequel of sorts to the episode and it contains numerous references to the death of Vedek Bareil and the signing of the Bajoran-Cardassian Treaty.
 * An early idea for this episode was to have a museum on Bajor reopened to protests from Shakaar and others who believed it would be better to use the resources to feed the Bajoran people. No one was happy with the state of the screenplay however until Ronald D. Moore came up with the idea that Kai Winn could attempt to become political leader of Bajor, as well as its spiritual leader. This injected some much needed conflict into the plot, and everything else fell into place after that. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
 * Robert Hewitt Wolfe commented "We developed the idea of doing an episode based on Zapata, who rose up to overthrow the unjust government of Mexico and then put in a government that he rose up to overthrow as well. He kept fighting well after the war was won. I think that was the idea here, just to see Kira's mentor and the fact that it's not easy to end a war even when your side has won. (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages p 97)
 * Gordon Dawson and Ira Steven Behr had previously worked together on the television series . Indeed, Dawson had actually given Behr his first writing assignment. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
 * In a possible deleted scene, Syvar mentioned he was the science officer of the USS Garuda. The script called for the Garuda to be depicted by stock footage of the USS Prometheus (NCC-71201) from, although the script described it as being a Prometheus-class starship, rather than . The script specified for the Garuda to appear twice. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion - A Series Guide and Script Library)
 * The prayer which Kira recites for Bareil at the start of the episode is a request to the Prophets that Bareil be guided and protected on his journey to the gates of heaven. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)

Production

 * The exteriors in this episode were shot in Bronson Canyon, but the weather was so cold that a number of scheduled shots were never completed, and were instead rewritten so they could be filmed in the studio. Indeed, so many shots were dropped that the crew ended up with some free time while at the canyon, so they went into the real caves at the canyon and shot the cave scenes scheduled for shooting in the studio. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
 * Director Jonathan West describes Shakaar as "a good leader and a good killer," and he explains that while filming, "we had to give him that edge." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)

Reception

 * Ira Behr commented "Without a doubt, an episode that was severely truncated by time. It ended way too abruptly, and I thought that hurt the show. I do, however, think that Duncan Regehr is a much worthier love interest for Kira than Bareil. I also think it was one of Louise Fletcher's best performances, and Jonathan West did a nice job directing". (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages p 97)

Trivia

 * This episode marks the first appearance of Duncan Regehr as Shakaar Edon.
 * This episode is Jonathan West's directorial debut.
 * This is the first episode of the series to have music composed by Paul Baillargeon.
 * The Bajoran phaser rifle appears for the first time. About ten rifles are seen in the scenes set on Bajor.
 * William Lucking and Diane Salinger make their first appearance as Furel and Lupaza, respectively, in this episode. Furel and Lupaza would be seen again in Season 5's.
 * John K. Shull would later play Klingon Captain K'Temang in the fourth season episode.
 * Sherman Howard previously played Endar in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode.
 * Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko) does not appear in this episode.

Apocrypha

 * Lenaris Holem appears in several of the the Deep Space Nine relaunch series.

Video and DVD releases

 * UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 3.12,
 * As part of the DS9 Season 3 DVD collection

Starring

 * Avery Brooks as Commander Benjamin Sisko

Also Starring

 * Rene Auberjonois as Constable Odo
 * Siddig El Fadil as Doctor Julian Bashir
 * Terry Farrell as Lieutenant Jadzia Dax
 * Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
 * Colm Meaney as Chief Miles O'Brien
 * Armin Shimerman as Quark
 * Nana Visitor as Major Kira Nerys

Guest Stars

 * Duncan Regehr as Shakaar Edon
 * Diane Salinger as Lupaza
 * William Lucking as Furel
 * Sherman Howard as Syvar
 * John Doman as Lenaris Holem

Special Guest Star

 * Louise Fletcher as Winn Adami

Co-Stars

 * John Kenton Shull as a Bajoran security deputy
 * Harry Hutchinson as a Bajoran trooper

Uncredited Co-Stars

 * Brian Demonbreun as a Starfleet science officer
 * Dennis Madalone as a Bajoran trooper
 * Mark Riccardi as a Bajoran security deputy