“Shadows and Symbols” is episode two of season seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
In the previous episode, “Image in the Sand”, Sisko had received a vision from the Prophets, one that showed him a woman’s face. A woman who, as it turned out, was his actual mother, and had died some time ago. A woman who also had an item with ancient Bajoran writing on it, writing referring to the Orb of the Emissary. All the other Orbs are dark, so perhaps this is one that hasn’t been affected. So Sisko, accompanied by Jake and his father, Joseph, were heading off planet to the world Sisko saw in his vision, when a young Trill ensign arrived who knew him, one who Sisko didn’t know – or at least thought he didn’t. For the ensign is Dax – Ezri Dax.
Ezri Dax is rather verbose and doesn’t seem to have fully adjusted yet to having lots of memories from lots of people yet. Sisko is still glad to see her. Ezri never wanted to be joined, but got joined by accident. Which, as is pointed out, is a heck of an accident. On the trip back to Trill, the symbiont took a turn for the worse and needed a host – and Ezri was the only Trill on board. So, instead of having years of training the before receiving a symbiont, Ezri got 15 minutes. And not even from a Trill. Ezri Dax took a leave of absence to meet Sisko and try to cope, and decides to leave with them.
A Bajoran member of the Cult of the Pa-Wraith had stabbed Sisko in the previous episode so, when Sisko hears what sounds like a message over a hospital tannoy in the runabout as they are about to beam down to the planet, it raises the question as to whether he has been released from the hospital yet. Or whether he’s having a vision caused by his injury. Then something weird happens.
Worf had been grieving the loss of Jadzia, unusually so for a Klingon. This, as O’Brien found out, was because he believed she wouldn’t get into Sto-vo-kor, having been murdered rather than died in glorious battle. There is a way Word can redeem her – by winning a hopeless battle in her name. Which is dangerous to say the least. General Martok has recruited Worf as his first officer for a mission to destroy a shipyard with a solo ship that has so far been failed by a lot more than a single ship. Despite Quark asking why Jadzia would want to go to the Klingon afterlife in the first place, Julian is also going on the mission. So O’Brien is too. Then, not exactly surprisingly, Quark volunteers too. He is not impressed when the first thing they have to do is slice open their palms. And that’s the easy part.
Colonel Kira discovered that the Romulans had secretly added weapons to the hospital they had been allowed to build on one of Bajor’s moons. She, and the council of ministers, were not happy about this, and demanded that either the Romulans remove their weapons or have them removed. However, the Bajorans lack the ability to drive the Romulans off by themselves, and Admiral Ross says that Starfleet won’t help, as the Romulans are simply too important at the moment. More important than the Bajorans, as Kira points out. As the weapons are not yet active, and are still awaiting parts, Kira says that they can blockade the moon so that the missing parts can’t be received. Odo is rather pessimistic about their chances against the Romulans. Things have the potential to get very tense. Especially as neither Kira nor the Romulan senator on DS9 plan to back down.