Shattered Mirror (episode)

Professor Jennifer Sisko uses Jake to lure Sisko to the "mirror universe" to help the rebels build another starship Defiant.

Summary
$𝜇$ from the mirror universe visits Captain Sisko's quarters. Jake Sisko, although he knows Jennifer is not his mother, becomes very affectionate to her. Benjamin is then called to duty, and he is forced to leave the two alone.

When he returns, he discovers they have left the station, leaving behind a multidimensional transporter device. Sisko tries to follow this trail, accompanied by Major Kira and Chief O'Brien, only to discover the device was programmed to transport him to the mirror universe alone.

On $𝜇$ (which the Terran Rebellion had captured from the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance), $𝜇$ explains they have built a copy of the USS Defiant (2370) based on the data and schematics that Smiley downloaded from Deep Space 9's computers. Like the original, this copy has structural problems, and the rebels need Sisko's help to prepare it for an upcoming battle with the Alliance. Smiley is willing to transport the Siskos back to their universe before the battle begins, but only after the modifications are complete. Benjamin agrees to help them and starts working hard. Meanwhile, Jake spends most of his time with the counterpart of his mother.

The Alliance attack, commanded by Regent $𝜇$, is expected in four days – likely not enough time to finish the modifications to the Defiant. To stall for time for the much needed repairs, Bashir and $𝜇$ pilot a smaller ship to intercept the Klingon ships. Jennifer approaches Sisko and offers to send Jake back home immediately, even though Sisko has not yet finished the repairs he promised. Sisko agrees that Jake should get home to his universe as quickly as possible. As Jennifer and Jake make their way through the airlock, they are trapped by Intendant $𝜇$. Kira had been captured by the rebels when they took control of the station but was freed by $𝜇$ as a thank you for Kira earlier killing Quark and Rom, allowing Nog to inherit the bar. Kira shot Nog to ensure he wouldn't tell anyone that she was heading for Bajor; taking advantage of the rebels' being distracted by the battle against the Alliance, Kira was heading to her ship when she captured Jake and Jennifer. Jennifer agrees to go with Kira to Bajor as long as Jake isn't forced to go; planning to eliminate Jake as she did with Nog, Kira shoots at him, only for Jennifer to jump in front of the blast. Kira spares Jake's life once she realizes that he is Sisko's son. She tells Jake to give his father a message – that Sisko is now in her debt for sparing his son's life, and it is a debt on which she intends to collect.

At the suggestion of $𝜇$ (who fled Terok Nor and is now kept in chains by the Regent), Worf opts for a faster transfer and arrives on the second day of repairs, while the Defiant's modifications are barely installed. Sisko then resolves to command the Defiant himself, which Smiley gladly accepts. In battle, the Defiant makes quick work of the smaller Klingon Birds-of-Prey and inflicts heavy damage on the larger cruisers. Although the small Defiant was heavily outgunned by the Regent's flagship, under the piloting of Captain Sisko the Rebel ship inflicted major damage on the massive warship while avoiding most return fire. The small ship commanded by Bashir and Dax arrives just in time to assist the Defiant in the skirmish, and together the two ships force the Regent's fleet to abandon his goal of taking Terok Nor and retreat from the battlefield.

Sisko returns from the battle to find Jake in the infirmary with Jennifer, who is clinging to life. With her last words, Jennifer tells Sisko that she knew they were still connected, to which he responds, "always." Sisko and Jake share an emotional hug, and Sisko suggests that they return home to Deep Space 9.

Memorable Quotes
"You remember Captain Bashir."

"Captain?"

"Captain Bashir, Captain O'Brien, Captain Sisko. We may not have enough weapons or troops or ships but we have plenty of captains."
 * - Mirror O'Brien and Sisko

"This time, I will deal with the rebels myself."
 * - Mirror Worf, referencing Darth Vader's line from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

"When we first met, there was a... a connection between us. Now because of what I've done it's gone, isn't it?"

"I'm not sure it was real to begin with."
 * - Mirror Jennifer and Sisko

"That Cruiser has us in weapons range. Do we make a run for it?"

"We run alright, right at it!"

"Ahh! Pattern suicide."
 * - Mirror O'Brien and Captain Sisko

"You know, I bet if we put our... heads together, we could create a little excitement for ourselves."

"You sentenced my wife to death."

"Isn't that a coincidence? I was hoping you weren't married."
 * - Intendant Kira and guard

"Make it so!"
 * - Mirror Worf, using one of Jean-Luc Picard's famous lines

"Forgive me my Regent, but perhaps the moment has arrived to remove your august presence from the battlefield!"
 * - Garak (mirror)

Production

 * Director James L. Conway says of the mirror universe, "It's dark and sexy, and there's no subtlety over there." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
 * Each of the actors who portray their mirror universe counterparts in this episode had their own distinct interpretations of the differences between the usual character and the mirror character. The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion lists some of them:
 * Nana Visitor says of $𝜇$, "she and Kira are exactly the same person. But the Intendant's ego has been warped, so that everything that Kira would do for her people, The Intendant does for herself. She's self-serving with a capital S!"
 * Alexander Siddig says of his mirror universe counterpart, "I want him to be the inverse of Dr. Bashir, like a doppelgänger, the animus to his anima. Bashir wouldn't hurt a fly, but this guy is unstable, difficult, and stupid."
 * Colm Meaney says of Smiley, "I picture him as being a bit dirty and scuzzier than the regular O'Brien, just because of what he's had to go through. He's a trickster, and there's something sort of seedy about him. Miles, on the other hand, is straight as an arrow."
 * Aron Eisenberg says of $𝜇$, "He was obnoxious and rude, so I played him like an edgy Quark."


 * Aron Eisenberg, a trained martial artist, did all of his own stunts for this episode.

Reception

 * Rene Echevarria commented "We got great reaction to Worf's character, so he might be the focus of the next "crossover" episode. Just a show filled references. The Jake angle was a great one, realizing that there would be a mirror Jennifer and that he would be drawn there". (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages p 118)
 * Of the first three mirror universe episodes, Nana Visitor favoured "Shattered Mirror". Visitor commented "It was the darkest. I think I found a darker place for her, because of the way they wrote it, and I liked it". ("Introducing the Intendant", Star Trek Monthly, issue 28)

Trivia

 * The mirror universe version of $𝜇$ makes his first appearance in this episode. Michael Dorn was originally to appear as Worf in, but he was unable to do so because he was shooting at the time. All of his dialog was given to $𝜇$, and the dialog that had been intended for Garak was used to create the character of Telok.
 * $𝜇$ is the third Ferengi to die in the mirror universe. $𝜇$ was killed by $𝜇$ in and $𝜇$ was killed by $𝜇$ in.
 * This is the only episode in DS9's mirror universe arc where Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko) appears. This episode establishes that Jake was never born in the mirror universe.
 * Dennis Madalone makes his third appearance as the Terran marauder. We learn he is a widower.
 * The weapons locker from which Kira gets the phasers in the teaser is a reuse of the prop from which was shot directly before this episode. You can recognize the number 47 on its label.
 * For this episode's first terrestrial release in the UK, the scene in which Garak is stabbed by Worf was slightly edited.
 * This episode marks the last on-screen appearance of any incarnation of Jennifer Sisko, and thereby actress Felecia M. Bell.
 * Prior to the establishment of the history of the televised mirror universe, a mirror version of Worf appeared in the novel Dark Mirror, depicting a mirror universe in which the Terran Empire had survived well into the 24th century with Klingons being one of their many slave races. That version of Worf was a slave aboard the ISS Enterprise (ICC-1701-D) in 2367.

Video and DVD releases

 * UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 4.10,
 * This was one of only two volumes of DS9 (the other being 4.12) to receive a, due to the violent scenes in this episode and the preceding one, .


 * As part of the DS9 Season 4 DVD collection
 * As part of the Star Trek: Fan Collective - Alternate Realities collection

Starring

 * Avery Brooks as Captain Sisko

Also starring

 * Rene Auberjonois as Odo
 * Michael Dorn as $𝜇$
 * Terry Farrell as Lt. Commander Dax and $𝜇$
 * Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
 * Colm Meaney as Chief O'Brien and $𝜇$
 * Armin Shimerman as Quark
 * Alexander Siddig as $𝜇$
 * Nana Visitor as Major Kira and $𝜇$

Guest stars

 * Felecia M. Bell as $𝜇$
 * Aron Eisenberg as $𝜇$
 * Carlos Carrasco as a Klingon officer

Special guest star

 * Andrew Robinson as $𝜇$

Co-stars

 * James Black as a helmsman
 * Dennis Madalone as a guard

Uncredited co-stars

 * Leslie Hoffman as a Terran rebel
 * Mark Lentry as a Starfleet command officer

Stunts

 * Jeff Cadiente as stunt double for Alexander Siddig
 * J.D. David
 * Chester E. Tripp III