Kilana

Species:	Vorta
Affiliation:	Dominion
Status:	Alive (2373)
Played by:	Kaitlin Hopkins

Kilana was a female Vorta in service with the Dominion during the late-24th century.

History

Like all Vorta field supervisors, Kilana was the Dominion official in charge of a Jem'Hadar unit.

In early-2373, she commanded a unit of Jem'Hadar soldiers sent to rescue a wounded Founder from a Dominion ship that had crashed on Torga IV. After seeing the wreckage Captain Sisko and his crew attempted to secure it for themselves, unaware that a Founder was on board.

When Kilana and her unit arrived, they attacked Sisko's runabout, killing its crew and forcing the Starfleet away team to take refuge in the crashed ship. After making contact with Sisko, Kilana requested he give up the ship promising that no harm would come to him or his team, but he refused. Kilana used this meeting to allow a Jem'Hadar to secretly board the vessel, creating more distrust between her and Sisko.

After a series of attacks, Kilana asked for another meeting. She told Sisko that he could have the ship if he let her retrieve a hidden item on it. Sisko asked what it was, Kilana would not tell him since she didn't trust Sisko to bring her the item, and he did not believe that Kilana would give him the ship. He refused her request which resulted in further attacks. The Founder then died.

Kilana's Jem'Hadar soldiers, having failed to save the Founder, committed suicide soon after. Captain Sisko allowed her to remove a portion of the Founder's remains, remarking that if they had trusted each other, her soldiers, his crewmates and the Founder would still be alive. (DS9: "The Ship")

Memorable quotes

"Your photograph doesn't do you justice. You're quite striking in person."
"Look, I'm a little busy, so let's skip the flattery."
"Weyoun's report on you was right. You are direct. I like that."

- Kilana and Benjamin Sisko

"It seems we're approaching an impasse."
"We've already arrived."
"How unfortunate. Then negotiations have ended."

- Kilana and Benjamin Sisko, just before Kilana is beamed away

"All that mattered to me was the Founder."

- Kilana

"Do you have any gods, Captain Sisko?"
"There are things I believe in."
"Duty? Starfleet? The Federation? You must be pleased with yourself. You have the ship to take back to them. I hope it was worth it."
"So do I."

- Kilana and Benjamin Sikso

Appendices

Background information

The costume worn by Hopkins was later sold for $158.50

Kilana was played by actress Kaitlin Hopkins in her first of two Star Trek appearances. The costume (described as a "...cranberry colored blouse and skirt with a corduroy design on the abdomen, an uneven, pleated, floral pattern in several shades of blue on the collar...") as worn by Hopkins was later sold of in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction for $158.50, complete with faux jewelery. [1]

The script for "The Ship" describes Kilana as "empathetic and seductive; she is sincere, understanding and completely manipulative [...] a disquietingly attractive female Vorta with a drop-dead gorgeous body and intelligent eyes." [2]

In coming up with the character of Kilana, producer Ira Steven Behr admitted that the production staff couldn't help but compare her to Jeffrey Combs' Weyoun, "There's not an actor among our many actors who is more beloved by the writing staff than Jeff Combs,", he said, "Jeff can do no wrong. He plays a fabulous Brunt, and he plays a fabulous Weyoun. So every time it comes to casting a Vorta, we want to put Jeff in there. And it's really tough not to put Jeff in there, and it's really tough to find actors who can play the many colors that he gives it." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p.372)

It was Rick Berman who suggested the character be a female one. Actress Molly Hagan (Eris in "The Jem'Hadar") was first choice for the role but she was unavailable. As the producers sought an alternative, many of the actresses that auditioned had trouble getting the character right. "They tended to play it straight and obedient, or too strong," Behr said, "Kaitlin [Hopkins] gave it a very game try. She tried very hard." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p.372)

In his review of "The Ship", author Keith R.A. DeCandido wrote of the character, "Unlike the last female Vorta we saw, Kilana has the sex appeal turned up to 11: she’s wearing jewelry and makeup and her outfit emphasizes her cleavage. Her entire affect is obviously intended to play on stereotypes of male humans responding to weak and helpless females." [3]

Apocrypha

The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Millennium short story "Inferno" reveals that Kilana once had a relationship with Weyoun's second clone.

In the Star Trek: Myriad Universes short story "Places of Exile" set in an alternate timeline, Kilana's clone and her Jem'Hadar are transported to the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker, after which she attempts to rejoin the Dominion by returning to the Gamma Quadrant. In 2374, she is found by Kathryn Janeway and after a deal with the Voth proves unsuccessful, she finds herself trapped in fluidic space.

External links

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