Change of Heart (episode)

"Change of Heart"
DS9, Episode 6x16
Production number: 40510-540
First aired: 28 February 1998
←  138th of 173 produced in DS9  →
←  138th of 173 released in DS9  →
←  508th of 911 released in all  →

Worf and Dax head for a dangerous rendezvous with a Cardassian informant in Dominion-controlled space.

Summary

On Deep Space 9, tongo has recently been going well for Quark. He has won two hundred and six straight games in the last month. Even Dax can't keep up with him and she makes Worf lose a bet against Miles O'Brien, even if the Klingon claims that he would rather lose betting on his wife than win betting on Quark.

In the middle of the following night, Kira calls for Worf and Dax regarding an emergency transmission from a Cardassian starfleet operative. Since most of the runabouts and the USS Defiant are off on exercises with the Ninth Fleet, the couple must embark on a trip into the badlands (where they will be able to contact the Cardassian) aboard the USS Shenandoah.

On their way to the badlands, the two discuss plans about their honeymoon. Worf easily concedes for Casperia Prime. After that, the conversation orients itself on a discussion about Worf's sense of humor and various habits and tolerance to change of the two of them. Nothing very deep, but the scene is a good development on the bond between the two of them.

Back on the station, Bashir arrives at O'Brien's quarters for another of their holosuite adventures, but the chief has set his mind to a new challenge: to end Quark's Tongo streak. When he realizes that he won't be able to change O'Brien's mind, the doctor accepts to help his friend.

Soon after they arrive at the coordinates in the badlands, Worf and Dax receive a transmission from the Cardassian operative, Lasaran. The spy informs them that he is not secure anymore and wants out immediately. He sends them a rendezvous point near a Dominion base on Soukara. It seems like one of his last chances to get out and the trip is a one way, effectively forcing Worf and Dax into an urgent secret mission. The two are then on to a trip in Soukara's jungle, thanks to transporter scramblers, to recover the informant.

Back on the station, the doctor and O'Brien are finally ready to challenge Quark. Even if the Ferengis are reluctant to admit humans to their table at first, they eventually accept. Eventually, there is only Bashir and Quark left at the tongo table, the bartender congratulating the doctor on his fast learning. Nevertheless, Quark has another card in his sleeve and soon begins a conversation about Bashir's past feelings for Dax and is able to distract the doctor long enough to drag him into a ruining confrontation against what finally reveals to be a total monopoly.

On Soukara, Dax and Worf are slowly progressing, but are eventually taken almost by surprise by a patrol of 3 Jem'Hadar. They are able to kill all 3 Jem'Hadar, but Jadzia is hurt by a disruptor burst that left an anti-coagulant in her system. In the following course, Jadzia becomes more and more weak and Worf is eventually forced to leave her behind to continue the mission. Even if their officer training is able to make them accept the fact that another patrol could find Dax before Worf is back, the Klingon eventually finds himself totally unable to continue his mission while knowing his par'Mach'kai is in danger. He finally decides to pull back.

Back on DS9, Jadzia gets the health care she needs. However, things do not go as well for her husband: since his actions lead to Lasaran's death, the commander will have a permanent note in his service record, even if the secrecy of the operation will save him the court-martial, and Benjamin Sisko extrapolates that Worf will probably never have a command of his own after this incident. The captain ends the conversation saying he can still understand what Worf did, even if he must officially disapprove.

Memorable Quotes

"I didn't expect you to surrender so quickly."
"Surrender?!"
"Bad word."
"Very bad."

- Dax and Worf

"Worf, you're practically easygoing. What's next? A sense of humor?"
"I have a sense of humor! On the Enterprise I was considered to be quite amusing."
"That must have been one dull ship."
"That is a joke. I get it ... it is not funny, but I get it."

- Dax and Worf

"How are you enjoying your honeymoon? Suffering enough?"
"Enough."
"Anything I can get for you?"
"More pain, less cold. "

- Dax and Worf

Background Information

• Rene Auberjonois (Odo) and Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko) do not appear in this episode.
• This episode marks the début appearance of Deep Space 9's newest Danube class runabout, the USS Shenandoah, and the Dominion held planet of Soukara, which is later referenced in "In the Pale Moonlight".

Links and References

Guest Star

• Todd Waring as Lasaran

References

Americans; Andor; asteroid; bloodwine; Cardassia Prime; Cardassians; darts; USS Enterprise-D; Founders; Horvian Cluster; Istanbul; kayaking; latinum; MI5; O'Brien, Keiko; plasma; Queen of England; Risa; Romulan; Rozhenko, Nickolai; Rozhenko, Sergey; Scotch whiskey; USS Shenandoah; Soukara system; Soviets; Starfleet Bureau of Information; Starfleet Intelligence; stasis chamber; USS Sutherland; Ural Mountains; Vorta; Vulcan's Forge; West Berlin; Yeager-type starship.

Previous episode: Honor Among Thieves

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 6

Next episode: Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night