“Rocks and Shoals” is episode two of season six of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
In the previous episode, “A Time to Stand”, Sisko’s attack on the facility that contained the majority of the ketracel-white succeeded, which will lead to problems for the forces of the Dominion in the Alpha Quadrant. The Jem’Hadar attack ship they used to attack the facility was damaged in the explosion, and they no longer have warp drive. According to Dr Bashir, they are over 17 years from the nearest Federation outpost at sublight speeds (which frankly sounds more than a little on the low side, as by the sounds of that the facility was not that deep in Cardassian space and that the attack ship possesses a significant sublight max speed).
The ship still lacks main power and there are two Jem’Hadar fighters heading for them, and they aren’t going to do well without main power. They have no weapons or shields, are unable to restore power and are under attack. There is an unmapped dark matter nebula nearby that they head into, but during the attack Dax – both the host and the symbiont – were injured. Inside the nebula, the ship is out of control and heading for an emergency landing – crash – on an uncharted planet.
Also on the planet is a crashed Jem’Hadar ship, one which crashed two days earlier. The Vorta is seriously injured and the Jem’Hadar have lost troops, and are out of contact with the Dominion. They are also short of ketracel-white. Sisko’s ship is definitely unusable as it has crashed into the ocean. Neither side knows of the existence of the other – yet. Then Garak and Nog stumble across some Jem’Hadar soldiers. Garak tries talking his way out of it. This doesn’t work, but the Vorta wants a doctor. Well, needs.
The Jem’Hadar are low on white, which is causing problems for them. The Federation has something they need. Sisko tries to break the Jem’Hadar’s Dominion brainwashing but the Vorta makes him an offer that will help them both, but at a moral cost. Is it one that Sisko is willing to pay?
On DS9, it seems that the station is now in better condition after the sabotage of it that was carried out at the end of “Call to Arms”. Jake is still trying to report his stories, but Weyoun is still blocking his reports. Dominion Vorta ‘facilitators’ are heading down to Bajor, as since the Dominion moved in, Bajor has been cut off from everyone else. Not everyone on Bajor is happy with the Dominion’s occupation of the station, and their unhappiness may cause problems. Major Kira certainly wants the Dominion and the Cardassians gone, but doesn’t know how this can be done.