“When It Rains…” is episode twenty-one of season seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
In the previous episode, “The Changing Face of Evil”, the combined forces of the Federation, Romulan Empire and Klingon Empire came off very badly in an attack against the Dominion and the Breen at Chin’toka. The Breen had a energy dampening weapon that disabled the attacking ships and many of them, including the Defiant, were destroyed.
On Bajor, Kai Winn was failing to decipher the forbidden texts related to freeing the Pah-wraiths when Solbor told her that Dukat was not the Bajoran he pretended to be but Dukat. Solbor tried removing the texts, but the Kai stabbed him in the back. Solbor’s blood, when it fell onto the currently blank volume, caused the text to appear. Things are looking bad.
The sole current bright spot is that Damar has instigated a rebellion against the Dominion on Cardassia. One of the first things to be destroyed was the cloning facility where the Weyouns are created. The current Weyoun realises he may be the last, and doesn’t believe this was a coincidence. Given Damar’s opinion of him, Weyoun is probably right in his belief.
The episode opens on the station. Chief O’Brien is giving a briefing to Sisko, Admiral Ross, General Martok and the Romulan Velal. 311 ships of the combined fleets lost power due to the Breen’s weapon. One Bird of Prey did not. The chief engineer made an adjustment to the reactor prior to combat. The Klingon ships are going to be adjusted, but the Romulan and Federation ships cannot.
The Klingon fleet is the only thing standing between the Dominion and Breen and everyone else. The Klingons will have 1,500 ships quickly adjusted. Which still leaves them outnumbered 20 to 1. Half of Damar’s troops were killed in their attack, so the sole bright spot seems pretty dim.
The Cardassian resistance needs some successes to get more Cardassians on their side. So they need to adjust their tactics. Damar is a regular soldier and has no experience in using the tactics that are needed. So they need someone who does have experience. Colonel Kira.
Kira will need to teach the Cardassians how to be resistance fighters. She is not terribly happy with the idea, and she does not like Damar after he killed Ziyal in “Sacrifice of Angels”. Sisko suggests she talk to Garak as well.
Dr. Bashir is talking to Odo about synthetic organs and how the holy grail is to create organic tissue that can be injected and become whatever organ is needed. So, Julian wants to borrow a cup of Odo, so that he can study it and see if the data can be used to create this tissue. He promises to give it back – when Odo returns, as he is going with Kira and Garak.
Garak says that Damar, if he takes a Bajoran officer as an advisor, will have his authority amongst the Cardassians undermined. Colonel Kira is still the best suited for the job. So she is given a Starfleet commission. Garak also says that Odo will need to change his uniform, which he does. Garak says his appearance is a little drab, but Odo says that this is the appearance he had when he worked for the Cardassians.
Damar’s subordinate Gul Rusot (John Vickery, who has also had roles in The Next Generation, Enterprise and Babylon 5) is not happy about Federation help and Kira arriving. Damar is more willing; he says he can no longer afford the luxury of hating Kira. There is a bit of a clash between the Cardassians and Kira, especially when they are told what tactics they need to use.
Chancellor Gowron arrives at DS9 to induct General Martok into the Order of Kahless. And taker personal command of the Klingon fleet. Although Gowron makes out that this is a favour to Martok, it clearly isn’t. Even worse, Gowron has very little experience of the type that is needed to actually command the fleet, and has a good chance of leading it into disaster.
During Dr. Bashir’s scan of Odo’s tissue, he discovers that Odo is infected with the same disease that is killing the Founders. There is clearly something else going on as well; what it is and who is doing it is no surprise. Julian has also been trying to find out why Ezri has been avoiding him, but she doesn’t get a chance to tell him the feelings that she realised she has for him.
On Bajor, Kai Winn is saying that Solbor has disappeared. She tells Dukat that she regrets having to kill Solbor. It seems that the Kai is still deluding herself to a degree. The states that the Pah-wraiths will save those they find worthy, and the others are of no consequence. Winn will also not let Dukat study the text on freeing the Pah-wraiths; he has other ideas but they do not go well.