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The Collaborator (DS9 episode)
Encyclopedia
"The Collaborator" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
, the 24th episode of the second season. It was the last Star Trek Deep Space Nine episode to air while Star Trek: The Next Generation
was still airing.
Quick Overview: A Bajoran who aided the Cardassians during the occupation wants to return home.
s are about to select a new Kai, the supreme religious leader of all Bajor, now that the popular and respected Opaka (the incumbent Kai) is gone. Kira had hoped to see Vedek Bareil become the spiritual leader of Bajor, but he is running against a formidable opponent: Vedek Winn. Major Kira
has recently started a romance with Bareil. She loathes Vedek Winn, both for her politics and her personality, and has a strong suspicion she is responsible for a recent assassination attempt on Bareil.
Meanwhile, Odo has arrested a Bajoran man called Kubus Oak, who has been exiled for collaborating with the Cardassians during their occupation of Bajor. Vedek Winn relieves Odo of the criminal and offers Kubus sanctuary in exchange for information about the Kendra Valley Massacre that occurred on Bajor during the war. The massacre claimed the lives of 43 Bajoran militia members (including Opaka's own son), and it is rumored that it was a Vedek who tipped off the Cardassians. Winn is eager to find evidence that this Vedek was Bareil. Winn gloats to Kira that she is about to ruin Bareil's chances for becoming Kai.
The crew analyzes some records and the evidence is there: Bareil was responsible. In disbelief, Kira confronts him. He admits to being the Vedek who provided the Cardassians with the location of the militia. He then explains that if he had not done this, the Cardassians would have destroyed village after village until they were certain they had wiped out the militia. Bareil gave them the information to save a thousand villagers, at the cost of the 43.
Kira is crushed. Soon after, she hears that Bareil has withdrawn his nomination for Kai, clearing the way for Winn to take the post. With further investigation, Kira makes another confusing discovery: proof that Bareil was not the source of the information. He had covered up for someone else. When she asks him about it, he admits to her that it was the revered Opaka who had been the "collaborator". She had sacrificed the militia, along with her son, to save the villagers. Bareil had covered for her because the Bajorans needed to believe in her during this painful time in their history.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
, the 24th episode of the second season. It was the last Star Trek Deep Space Nine episode to air while Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
was still airing.
Quick Overview: A Bajoran who aided the Cardassians during the occupation wants to return home.
Plot
The BajoranBajoran
In the Star Trek science-fiction franchise, the Bajorans are a humanoid extraterrestrial species native to the planet Bajor. They were first introduced in the 1991 episode "Ensign Ro" of Star Trek: The Next Generation and subsequently also featured in episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and...
s are about to select a new Kai, the supreme religious leader of all Bajor, now that the popular and respected Opaka (the incumbent Kai) is gone. Kira had hoped to see Vedek Bareil become the spiritual leader of Bajor, but he is running against a formidable opponent: Vedek Winn. Major Kira
Kira Nerys
Kira Nerys , played by Nana Visitor, is a main character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Backstory:Per Bajoran custom, her family name, Kira, precedes her given name, Nerys. She has two brothers , and her parents' names are Kira Taban and Kira Meru...
has recently started a romance with Bareil. She loathes Vedek Winn, both for her politics and her personality, and has a strong suspicion she is responsible for a recent assassination attempt on Bareil.
Meanwhile, Odo has arrested a Bajoran man called Kubus Oak, who has been exiled for collaborating with the Cardassians during their occupation of Bajor. Vedek Winn relieves Odo of the criminal and offers Kubus sanctuary in exchange for information about the Kendra Valley Massacre that occurred on Bajor during the war. The massacre claimed the lives of 43 Bajoran militia members (including Opaka's own son), and it is rumored that it was a Vedek who tipped off the Cardassians. Winn is eager to find evidence that this Vedek was Bareil. Winn gloats to Kira that she is about to ruin Bareil's chances for becoming Kai.
The crew analyzes some records and the evidence is there: Bareil was responsible. In disbelief, Kira confronts him. He admits to being the Vedek who provided the Cardassians with the location of the militia. He then explains that if he had not done this, the Cardassians would have destroyed village after village until they were certain they had wiped out the militia. Bareil gave them the information to save a thousand villagers, at the cost of the 43.
Kira is crushed. Soon after, she hears that Bareil has withdrawn his nomination for Kai, clearing the way for Winn to take the post. With further investigation, Kira makes another confusing discovery: proof that Bareil was not the source of the information. He had covered up for someone else. When she asks him about it, he admits to her that it was the revered Opaka who had been the "collaborator". She had sacrificed the militia, along with her son, to save the villagers. Bareil had covered for her because the Bajorans needed to believe in her during this painful time in their history.
Arc significance
- It is revealed that Kai Opaka was a collaborator, though her motives were noble in that she sacrificed her own son, to save over a thousand civilians.
- Bareil takes the blame and removes himself from the Kai race. As such, Vedek Winn is elected Kai.