“What You Leave Behind: Part I” is episode twenty-five of season seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the first part of the two part season and series finale.
In the previous episode, “The Dogs of War”, much of Damar’s resistance movement had been wiped out, but on Cardassia Prime it seemed there might still be hope as the Cardassian citizens had had enough of the Dominion. The Dominion had withdrawn their forces closer to Cardassia to regroup, in the expectation that the Federation would not attack, and without the Federation the Romulans and Klingons would not be a threat. Chancellor Martok favoured attack and so did Sisko. When Admiral Ross agreed, the Romulan representative agreed also, so the Dominion’s hope for a reprise has failed. Kasidy has told Sisko that she is pregnant and Julian and Ezri have finally got together.
The episode opens on DS9, first in Julian’s quarters, where he is with Ezri. They are going to leave on the Defiant shortly. O’Brien is in his quarters, saying goodbye to Keiko and his children (although Molly wants to play with O’Brien’s model of the Alamo – which Miles says isn’t a toy). Keiko wants to know if Miles has spoken to Julian yet. He hasn’t, which leads Molly to believe that they aren’t going to Earth after all – O’Brien has had an offer from Starfleet to take a teaching role at the Academy.
Sisko is with a pregnant Kasidy who is really not enjoying morning sickness and Jake has come to say goodbye too, and Odo joins Worf on the walk to the Defiant. A very large combined fleet is leaving the station for Cardassia.
On Cardassia Prime, Weyoun tells the female Changeling that the fleet will arrive in about a day, when news comes that Damar is still alive. This is not met with happiness. Damar, Garak and Kira are planning to cut the Dominion fleet off from its ground support, leaving it to fight without help. And on the Defiant, Sisko receives a vision from the Prophets.
On Bajor, Dukat has returned to Kai Winn’s quarters after she cast him out in “When It Rains…” after the Pah-wraiths struck him blind. His sight has now returned, and Dukat wants to know is the Kai has discovered how to release the Pah-wraiths. She has, but she has not gone to the Fire Caves yet, instead waiting for Dukat – because she needs his help.
On DS9 Quark is in Vic’s simulation, because business is not good, as so many have left for the attack. Vic does lend a sympathetic ear, and says that bartending can be a lonely job.
So, the combined fleet is heading for Cardassia, which results in a large space battle. On Cardassia Prime, the Dominion has had enough of the Cardassians, and vice versa. And on Bajor, Winn and Dukat are going to free the Pah-wraiths. Not surprisingly, nothing is concluded in this episode and things continue in the series finale, “What You Leave Behind: Part II”.