The Siege ( episode ) Sisko tries to prevent the Circle from taking the station ; Kira and Dax take proof that the Cardassians are the real force that is arming the Circle to the Bajoran government . ( Part 3 of 3 ) Summary . Teaser . As the Bajoran assault vessel s approach Deep Space 9 , Sisko convenes with his crew in Ops and announces his intention to stay and defend the station . He will allow anyone who wishes to leave to evacuate along with the station ' s civilian population , but the entire crew volunteers to stay with him and fight . Act One . Various station residents react differently : Quark decides to sell seats on the evacuation vessels to desperate civilians , by bribing less desperate ones ( starting with his brother , Rom ) to stay behind and wait for the later vessels to depart . Jake Sisko and Nog realize that they will be leaving on separate runabout s bound for two different colonies , but are determined to stay friends . Keiko O ' Brien urges her husband , Miles to leave with her and Molly , but to no avail . In Ops , Li Nalas suggests that the Lunar V base may have Bajoran raider s that can deliver the pad evidence to the Chamber of Ministers . Unfortunately , it was ten years ago that his forces hid them from the Cardassians during the Occupation of Bajor . It ' s unclear they are there and fly . Kira is willing to be dropped off so she can try , and Dax can help her with the technology . Just then , Odo drags Quark in to explain his plan . Sisko angrily grabs him , but then Dr . Bashir calls in to report the consequences of Quark ' s dealings . A flood of passengers surround the docking bay , thanks to his careless booking . Sisko goes and unsuccessfully tries to calm them , but Li steps forward and manages to calm the crowd by making an appeal for Bajoran unity . As the last evacuation vessel departs , Quark rushes to the airlock , dragging a trunk filled with latinum and insisting that Rom is holding his seat for him . Bashir calmly informs him that Rom gave his seat away to a dabo girl , and has escaped the station and left Quark behind . Act Two . Once the occupation force from the Bajoran Militia arrives , the station appears deserted , with no sign of a Federation presence , but General is highly suspicious . His forces set up a base in Ops , and find that the security net is disabled and the Federation crew is unaccounted for , leading him to believe they are still aboard . In particular , he tells the crew to scan the air ducts for organic matter , knowing all about Odo and his shape - shifting abilities . The drops Kira and Dax off on Lunar V and , after a while , locate one of the raiders . They get to work immediately . Dax mentions she is intent not to have to get stuck eating the local palukoo , as she finds she is allergic . Minister Jaro hails the station , and Krim ' s over - confident lieutenant , Colonel Day Kannu , proudly informs him that the station has been captured , intact and without casualties . Krim takes over and tells Jaro that their victory is not complete until the station ' s crew has been accounted for . Jaro orders Krim to capture Li Nalas alive , knowing that he will be an invaluable ally if they can win him over to their side , but dead , he would be a martyr . Back on Bajor , Minister Jaro promises Winn that if the Circle ' s coup succeeds , he will ensure she is elected kai . Act Three . Kira and Dax manage to get the craft working , and Dax thanks Tobin Dax , whose knowledge she leaned on . Dax judges the engine not to be able to come back on again , so they quickly seat and start to take off . In Sisko ' s office , Krim considers his position , and that of the hiding Starfleet forces . Day wants to take them head - on , and argues with him . Just then , the station ' s sensor array is sabotaged . Krim ' s suspicions are confirmed , and the soldiers begin a sweep of the station . Meanwhile , the Starfleet crew , in civilian clothes , breaks with rations and waits for movement . Odo reports a team moving toward cargo bay 6 . Sisko orders Bashir ' s team to meet them , and they successfully capture their first five prisoner s of war . Over the skies of Bajor , Dax is disoriented by the antiquated state of the technology , to which Kira tells her they are flying by the seat of their pants . Fighters intercept them and a dogfight ensues . Kira takes the dangerous route of going into the atmosphere in order to level the playing field . Act Four . O ' Brien is working on a security panel while Li covers him . One of Krim ' s forces pins them in , but Sisko ' s group comes from the docking corridor to cover them with phaser fire and a smoke screen . O ' Brien and Li escape the other direction where Odo is waiting to turn into a tripwire . Meanwhile , Kira ' s plan successfully forces the two attackers to go to thrusters . Dax finds the phaser targeting lock is dead , so she ' ll have to aim manually . Kira flips the ship around and Dax eventually fires down one of the attackers . Unfortunately , the other one is still behind them and , with a hit to a plasma conduit , they are forced to land . Krim ' s second - in - command , Day Kannu , corners Sisko , Li and O ' Brien in one of Quark ' s holosuite s . However , it is quickly revealed to be a trap , as Sisko and others are merely holograms . The door locks behind Day and his men , and Sisko ' s voice informs the soldiers of the Cardassians ' involvement in the Circle . Day is beamed back to Ops so he may pass the information on to Krim , but Day chooses not to reveal the information . A scan for Federation communicator s reveals they are somewhere in the conduit s . Act Five . Kira was injured in the crash , and so orders Dax to get the evidence to the Chamber of Ministers herself . Dax refuses to leave her , so they hide from the search parties . Kira goes unconscious . On the station , Odo informs Sisko that the soldiers intend to flood the conduits with anesthizine gas . They have some time , so Sisko reveals his plan to have Li sway Krim from the " wrong side , " and therefore the coup ' s chance of success . Li needs a little convincing , since he ' s not sure of his ability . Bashir and Quark ' s group distracts the bulk of the Bajoran forces by making some noise and surrendering . Krim orders them captured and brought to him , then retreating to the office , after which Li and Sisko capture Krim in an attempt to reason with him . Meanwhile , Kira wakes up at Vedek Bareil ' s monastery . Bareil had sent out search parties for them and helps them disguise themselves as vedeks to allow them to travel to the Chamber of Ministers . Once there , Jaro immediately attempts to dismiss Kira as a troublemaker . However , she confronts him and everyone there about the Cardassian involvement , at which point Vedek Winn insists on examining the new evidence . Jaro , despite realizing that if the evidence is correct then the Circle is finished , announces that he will cooperate with any investigation . Kira stands expecting more of a resistance . Upon learning of the Cardassian involvement , Krim furiously berates Colonel Day for withholding vital information from him and informs his subordinate that he is returning to Bajor to meet with the Ministers where he believes he will be asked to resign . Krim gives control of DS9 back to Sisko . However , Day refuses to surrender , and attempts to shoot Sisko ; Li Nalas jumps in front of him , taking the full blast . He dies from his wounds , remarking that he ' s off the hook after all . Sisko , O ' Brien and Kira reflect on recent events after things return to normal . Kira is devastated as she believed that when Li returned things on Bajor would get better and wishes there were more heroes like him . Sisko reminds her that she ' s a hero herself , but Kira can ' t bring herself to appreciate the compliment and leaves the celebration . O ' Brien questions the image that Bajorans have of Li Nalas , that everyone seems to remember him as larger than life and a military genius and yet the Li Nalas he fought with was an ordinary man . Sisko interrupts O ' Brien and states that Li Nalas was the hero of the Bajoran resistance , a man who showed amazing acts of courage , fought for his people and died to ensure their freedom . That ' s how the Bajorans will remember him and that ' s how Sisko will remember him . . . he deserves to be remembered that way . With that , the two officers then leave to reunite with their returning families . Memorable quotes . " " Hey ! Odo ! You ' ll miss me . You know you will – say it ! " " " " I ' ll miss you , Quark . " " ( stunned ) " " You said it ! " " " " Whoa ! What ' s that , is that a spider or a dog ? ! " " " " Has there ever been one of your kind and one of my kind who were better friends ? " " " " Never . " " " " And if our fathers couldn ' t break us up , no stupid coupe day . . . c – coop day . . . " " " " Coup d ' état . It ' s French . " " " " Well , no stupid French thing will either . " " " " I may have overbooked , slightly . " " " " All right , let ' s see if we can get out of here without bouncing off any walls . " " " " We can ' t just let the Cardie s have the wormhole ! " " " " They can have the whole Gamma Quadrant , for all I care ! " " " " You Starfleet types are too dependent on gadgets and gizmos . You lose your natural instincts for survival . " " " " My natural instincts for survival told me not to climb aboard this thing ! I ' d say they were functioning pretty well . " " " " Can you see any openings where we can put down ? " " " " Six kilometers ahead at 2 o ' clock . " " " " Uh , anything a little closer ? " " " " How " much " closer ? " " " " How about . . . right here ? " " " " You ' re being a fool , Dax ! " " " " Don ' t talk to your elders that way . " " " " This is Commander Benjamin Sisko . Please listen carefully . The Cardassians are supplying weapons for this coup . " " " " Ridiculous ! No Bajoran would ever accept help from them . " " " " Jaro doesn ' t know . The Cardassians are using the Kressari to deliver weapons to the Circle . " " " " That is a Federation lie ! " " " " The proof is on its way to Bajor . Once this evidence is presented , the coup will end . " " " " This is a manifest PADD from a Kressari vessel . It bears the thumbscan of a Cardassian Gul who transferred weapons to that ship . Those weapons were taken by the Kressari to the Circle . This coup will deliver Bajor back into the hands of its greatest enemies . Are you willing to live under Cardassian rule again ? " " " " I assure you , there is nothing to these accusations . " " " " Then you should have no objection to an inspection of this manifest , Minister . " " " " I ' ve done everything I can to help . I ' d die for my people , but – " " " " Sure you would – dying gets you off the hook . Question is , are you willing to " live " for your people – live the role they want you to play ? That ' s what they need from you right now . " " " " Off the hook , after all . " " " " Use your eyes , not your pants , Lieutenant . " " " " Chief , Li Nalas was THE hero of the Bajoran Resistance . He performed extraordinary acts of courage for his people and died for their freedom . That ' s how the history books on Bajor will be written , and that ' s how I ' ll remember him when anyone asks . " " Links and references . References . Alliance for Global Unity ; amnesty ; anesthizine ; Antican ; Bajor ; Bajoran s ; Bajoran assault vessel ; Bajoran capital ; Bajoran interceptor ; Bajoran Provisional Government ; Bajoran raider ; Bajoran Resistance ; Bajoran sector ; Bajoran wormhole ; Bilecki ' s fiance ; Bajoran project partner ; broker ; candy bar ; Cardassia IV ; Cardassian ; Cardie ; Chamber of Ministers ; " coup d ' état " ; dabo girl ; ; emergency ration s ; evasive maneuvers ; Federation ; Federation - Cardassian War ; Ferengi ; fracture ; French language ; French onion soup ; ; Gamma Quadrant ; gul ; Hanolan colony ; hip ; holosuite ; Ishka ; isotope ; Jeraddo ; Kelly ' s daughter ; Korat system ; Kressari ; Kressari freighter ; latinum ; liaison officer ; Lunar V base ; Navarch ; navigational sensor ; Occupation of Bajor ; ; overbooking ; palukoo ; pet ; Quark ' s ; replicator ; ; Rules of Acquisition ; runabout ; science fair ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Medical Academy ; stipend ; thorium ; tricorder ; Trill ; vole