The Collaborator ( episode ) Kira ' s lover is accused of collaborating with the Cardassians during the Occupation . Summary . Teaser . In an orb experience , Vedek Bareil exits the Bajoran temple on Deep Space 9 to find the Promenade conspicuously deserted . He wanders around until he finds the corpse of an anonymous Prylar hanging limply from the second level . Unsettled , Bareil passes by a non - functioning computer terminal and finds Major Kira Nerys near the stairway to the second level , dressed for springball and bouncing a ball against the wall with her paddle . " " Wanna play ? " " she offers , although he is dressed in his Vedek robes . He looks back at the Prylar ' s body and desperately asks Nerys to help him . " " All right , " " she replies in an impatient tone . Kira runs up the stairs to the second level of the Promenade and approaches the rope from which the corpse is hanging . As she cuts the rope , the corpse falls to the ground and Bareil recognizes Prylar Bek . However , Nerys disagrees , claiming it is Bareil as the orb experience ends . He closes the orb and looks distraught . Act One . Bareil stands shirtless in his guest quarters on Deep Space 9 gazing at the star s , when Kira wishes him good morning as she embraces him from behind . He remarks that he thought she would sleep until noon after which Kira reminds him he is " supposed " to be relaxing . He reassures her he is very relaxed and asks how she is feeling . She claims she is miserable because she wishes he could stay longer ; after pretending to consider the issue for a moment , Bareil declares that he will do so for a few more days . However , the election of the Bajoran Kai is at hand – an election Kira is sure Bareil will win . After all , it is common knowledge that Bareil was Kai Opaka ' s hand - picked successor . Hearing Opaka ' s name seems to weigh on Bareil ' s mind . He reassures Kira that he can never replace Opaka , for without Opaka , Bajor would not have survived the Occupation . Whatever is on his mind , it is lost on Kira . As she embraces Bareil , she realizes that the two of them will not have nearly as much time together once he becomes Kai . Bareil reassures her that he will always make time for her , although he acknowledges that doing so will not always be easy and promises Kira he will never lose her . On the Promenade , near the temple , Vedek Winn finishes talking to a group of young children , telling them , " " Honor the Prophet s and they will love you , " " as Bareil and Kira approach . Bareil politely reminds Winn that the Prophets ' love is unconditional and they ask for nothing in return . Winn thanks him , with equal politeness , for reminding her how easily the sacred texts can be misinterpreted . The tension between the two of them is evident as Winn remarks that she was unaware of Bareil ' s presence on the station but , on observing Kira , adds that she is not surprised . Bareil claims he would not try to surprise her and Winn notes that she has been watching him closely . Winn sees nothing wrong with this , as the eyes of all of Bajor are on the expected future Kai . Kira jumps in on hearing this and eagerly asks if Winn is announcing her intention to concede the race for Kai . Winn however points out that the Choosing is still two days away and the Prophets may still have a surprise in store . Kira suspiciously asks what the purpose of Winn ' s visit is to be , but Winn politely responds that had she wanted Kira to know she would come , she would have told her . In any case , Kira plans to warn Constable Odo to increase station security . When Winn reassures Kira that she believes she will be quite safe , Kira counters by clarifying that the extra security is not for Winn ' s protection . An indignant Winn asks what Kira is implying , but Bareil reassures her it was nothing . Knowing when to back down , Kira agrees that her comment was innocent . Winn acknowledges Kira ' s belief that she orchestrated the attempt on Bareil ' s life the year before , but she says she prays the major will " be cured of this unfortunate misconception " – a prayer Kira reassures Winn will never be answered . Meanwhile , an elderly Bajoran man walks along the Promenade . Another Bajoran , Eblan , bumps into him and apologizes for the mistake before looking back with recognition . He gently grabs the older man ' s arm , identifying him as Kubus Oak , a traitor who worked for the Cardassian s during the occupation . Kubus angrily tries to get past the younger man , but Eblan loudly announces Kubus ' identity to the entire Promenade . Odo intervenes as a crowd begins to form and asks what is going on ; upon seeing Kubus , Odo recognizes him immediately . Odo claims he was under the impression Kubus was living on Cardassia , but Kubus says he has simply decided to return home . " " Welcome back , " " Odo greets him sarcastically . " " You ' re under arrest . " " As Odo escorts Kubus to the security office , he seems to recognize Vedek Winn , who has observed the incident intently . Act Two . In another orb experience , a group of Vedeks are gathered on Bajor as Bareil , newly elected Kai of Bajor , emerges from a nearby doorway . " " The Prophets have spoken ! " " proclaims Winn . " " All blessings on the new Kai ! " " The other Vedeks echo her sentiments in unity , chanting a blessing to Bareil . Bareil seems pleased if somewhat unsure of himself until Kai Opaka appears in a flash of light . Opaka tells him he must be strong now more than ever . Bareil asks why Opaka left him , to which she tells him all is as the Prophets will it to be and asks him to follow her . Before he can do so , Winn warns him that Opaka ' s path is a narrow one . Although Bareil does not believe he deserves to walk in Opaka ' s path , Opaka warns him that such is his destiny . He walks toward her slowly as Prylar Bek approaches carrying a small , round box . Telling Bareil the box is a gift from the Prophets , he opens it to reveal a venomous snake . Bareil hesitates shortly , but Opaka assures him the snake ' s venom will make him strong . He removes the snake to find a noose , and as he does so , the orb experience ends . Secretary Kubus sits in a holding cell as Odo informs him that extra security was needed to prevent a mob from forming outside . Kubus tells him he always was good at his job , Odo counters by pointing out that Kubus was equally skilled at his job as the liaison officer between the Cardassian forces and the " government " of Bajor . Defending his actions , Kubus claims that the situation on Bajor would have been ten times worse if he and the other officials had not cooperated with the Cardassians . However , Odo fails to see how Kubus , who spent most of his time aboard Terok Nor , would know . Although Kubus claims he could not stand Gul Dukat , describing Bajor ' s former prefect as an arrogant tyrant , Odo reminds him that Dukat once described Kubus as his favorite Bajoran . Obviously burdened by the weight of his actions , Kubus admits that he should never have left Bajor . " " But you did , " " says Major Kira as she interrupts their conversation . " " And you ' re going to have to live with that decision . " " Odo introduces Kira as the highest - ranking Bajoran on the station , and when Kubus requests an audience , she tells him to make it quick as she does not enjoy talking to collaborator s . Kubus asks that he be allowed to return home , a request Kira denies . The Ilvian Proclamation exiled all Bajorans who were part of the Bajoran occupational government , and Kubus ' name was the " fourth " on that list . Kira adds that she personally believes that Kubus and the others got off too easily . Kubus pleads with Kira , seeing no harm in allowing him to live out his few remaining years on Bajor . On hearing this , Kira angrily confronts Kubus with the fact that his signature was on numerous work orders , which were essentially death sentences , forcing Bajorans to mine ore for the Cardassians . As such , allowing him to return to Bajor would dishonor the memory of every Bajoran who died working in the mines . Vedek Winn visits Commander Sisko in his office to inform him with some hesitance that some on Bajor believe the relationship between the two of them is " not all it should be . " According to Winn , she finds such inaccurate perceptions to be most disturbing . Sisko coldly asks whether such perceptions " are " inaccurate , although Winn does not seem to think there is any reason for Sisko to believe otherwise . Sisko points out that Winn once claimed he was sent to destroy Bajor . In an attempt to downplay this point , Winn explains that she only meant Sisko was sent to test the faith of the Bajoran people , although she concedes that she was concerned about Bajor ' s petition for Federation membership . However , when Sisko asks directly whether Winn now supports the petition , Winn simply replies that she will not oppose the will of the Prophets . Sisko requests that Winn tell the same to Bajor , so she suggests a joint appearance . Although Sisko knows she is attempting to garner support for her bid to become Kai , he agrees — suggesting an appearance the following week . Winn benignly asks why they should wait , as the Vedek Assembly would allow them an immediate audience if the Emissary of the Prophets requested it . Sisko points out the obvious : that such an appearance now could be construed as support for Winn , and as a Federation officer , he is not permitted to interfere in internal Bajoran affairs . " " What an enlightened philosophy , " " Winn replies . They both agree to an appearance the following week , although it is unclear whether either intends to follow through on it . Odo interrupts Kira to inform her that Secretary Kubus is about to leave for Bajor , because Winn has granted him . Kira immediately contacts Dax , who is about to clear Winn ' s ship for departure , and tells her not to release the docking clamp s . Proceeding to the security office , Kira learns that Winn spent approximately ten minutes talking with Kubus before requesting the use of Odo ' s computer to access the library system . Although Odo is unsure of what Winn looked up , she proceeded to contact the Bajoran Provisional Government and informed them of her intent to grant Kubus sanctuary . They discover that Winn requested information on Prylar Bek , the liaison between the Vedek Assembly and the Cardassian occupational forces and a known associate of Kubus . On a hunch , Kira tells Odo to check whether Winn accessed information on the Kendra Valley Massacre , which she did . Odo suggests that perhaps Kubus told Winn something new about the massacre , but Kira is not sure what could be new ; in the massacre , 42 Bajoran Resistance members died , including Kai Opaka ' s son , because Bek gave the Cardassians the location of their cell . Bek later hanged himself , detailing what he had done in his suicide note . As Kira is explaining this , Winn enters the office . Asking to speak with Kira in private , Winn confronts her about detaining her ship and " suggests " that Kira allow her to depart immediately . Kira , who knows she cannot legally detain Winn , assures the Vedek that she is free to go , but informs her that , in light of public sentiment toward Kubus , no ship carrying him can be allowed to depart without a " thorough " security sweep — including scans for nanotechnology , which could take days or even weeks . Both of them know the real reason for Kira ' s scans , so Winn reveals to Kira that in exchange for sanctuary , Kubus has agreed to give her the name of the man responsible for the Kendra Valley Massacre . It is common knowledge that Prylar Bek revealed the location of the encampment , but Winn informs Kira that Vedek Bareil ordered him to do so . Act Three . Outraged at Winn ' s accusation , Kira warns her that no one will believe the word of a convicted traitor such as Kubus . However , Winn tells her that she never claimed to believe him ; she simply wants to protect the sanctity of the Bajoran faith . Winn claims her intention is not to grab power but to protect Bajor , for as adamant as Kira is that Bareil is not a collaborator , were he elected Kai and later revealed to be one , Bajor would be devastated . While Winn has not yet condemned Bareil , she did not know who to trust with such a delicate investigation until now ; however , she believes Kira is the perfect choice . Kira begrudgingly agrees to conduct the investigation so long as Winn promises not to make the allegation public until it has concluded . In exchange , Kira promises to give Winn her findings , whatever they may be . Kira , Winn , and Kubus are gathered in a cargo bay when Kira asks Kubus if , during his association with Prylar Bek , he knew the man was a collaborator . Kubus insists that Bek was not a collaborator , only a messenger between the Cardassians and the Vedek Assembly . In the weeks prior to Bek ' s suicide , Kubus observed that he had become erratic and was in constant communication with a then - unknown source within the Assembly . The day after the massacre , however , Vedek Bareil visited Bek for several hours , during which time Kubus could hear shouting through the station ' s bulkhead s , coming from Bek ' s quarters . Bek hanged himself on the Promenade shortly thereafter . Based on this , Kubus believes that Bek wanted to confess his betrayal but Bareil forbid him to do so which led to his suicide , a theory Kira regards as incredible . There could be a dozen explanations for Bareil ' s contact with Bek — and as Winn points out it is Kira ' s job to find which of them is true . Visibly troubled , Kira contacts Bareil through her desktop monitor , who admits coming to the station to meet with Bek on the day in question . While he denies any involvement in the massacre and seems sure Winn will not be able to prove anything , Bareil cannot reveal what he and Bek talked about due to confidentiality between monks and their Vedeks . She solicits Odo ' s help , but as the Cardassians removed all communications logs on their withdrawal from Bajor , Odo must establish a link with the Bajoran Central Archives . As he does so , he observes how troubled Kira is ; while she insists that she knows Bareil is not guilty , she admits she is still afraid he might be . Kira is deep in thought as Odo contacts the Bajoran Central Archives . After a few seconds , she admits to both Odo and herself that she loves Bareil . As she says this , a pained look appears on Odo ' s surprised face , although Kira is facing the wall pensively and fails to notice . He stutters with his response and Kira turns to him , wondering if something is wrong , but he covers his true feelings with one of his usual observations on the frivolity of humanoid relationships . " " I was just wondering when you were going to figure that out , " " he explains of her feelings for Bareil . Once Odo accesses the archives , he discovers that the records between Prylar Bek and the Assembly for the week prior to the Kendra Valley Massacre have been sealed . However , he is not able to determine who sealed the records , only that there is a security seal present . One thing is certain : only a Vedek could have placed the seal there . Act Four . Kira and Odo visit Quark ' s , against Kira ' s better judgment , where they find the Ferengi entrepreneur paying one of his dabo girl s . As Quark counts out ten strips of latinum , the busty woman gives him a look and he is forced to add four more , after which she kisses his bald forehead and walks off . " " I hate payday , " " he comments to himself before he realizes Kira and Odo are standing behind him . Grasping his latinum container , Quark says , " " Whatever she told you , I didn ' t do it . " " The two of them take perverse pleasure in Quark ' s visible discomfort at seeing them . When Odo tells Quark to relax , the Ferengi claims to have developed a persecution complex because of them , asking what they want and how much trouble it will cause him . Kira reassures him that they only want him to break a security seal and it will cause no trouble at all , to which Quark asks in a rhetorically innocent tone , " " Isn ' t that illegal ? " " He refuses to help them and cites the 285th Rule of Acquisition : " No good deed goes unpunished . " On hearing this , Odo grabs Quark by the shoulders and leads him over to the computer terminal behind the bar with an air of sibling rivalry . Quark removes a panel on the computer as Odo tells him he can gain access to the Vedek Assembly files via the Central Archives , a strategy Quark dismisses as amateurish . As he inserts a data rod into the computer and begins to configure it , Odo leans in to observe . Giving the Changeling an indignant look , Quark grabs Odo by the shoulders and escorts him from behind the bar , shooing both him and Kira away , as it will take time for him to break the security seal . Outside Quark ' s , Odo brings Kira to the spot where Bek hanged himself , observing that , while he did not know Bek well , he thought he was a good man . Kira points out good men do not betray their own people , but Odo tells her that given the fact of extreme circumstances , even the best humanoids are capable of committing horrible acts . Quark interrupts their conversation as he gestures them over to announce that he was able to break through the security seal . However , upon doing so , he discovered the files in question were empty as someone had erased all of the message logs . Chief O ' Brien helps Kira search for a way to retrieve the lost data contained in the erased logs . While data is still stored in the computer memory after deletion , the data fragments could hypothetically be unscrambled and pieced together . He warns her that to do so would take more time than they have . However , he thinks he might at least be able to pinpoint who erased the information . The accompanying retinal scan was deleted along with the logs , but like the logs , it is possible to piece the scan together from data fragments . Kira is obviously lost as he shows her the mathematical representation of the data fragments while the computer attempts to form an image . After O ' Brien finishes , the computer finds a match and fills in the missing pieces of the retinal scan to reveal who erased the logs : Vedek Bareil . Act Five . Bareil has an another orb experience , in which he revisits the image of his inauguration as Kai . His vision flashes back to the Bajoran temple aboard DS9 , where Bek confronts him accusingly . " " You ! " " the Prylar exclaims . " " I trusted you . I " needed " you . You let me die . " " Now Bareil is in his quarters just as he was earlier , with Kira ' s arms again embracing him from behind . He turns around to kiss her , only to discover he has kissed a naked Vedek Winn . With a grin , she tells him he will be rewarded . He suddenly finds himself on Bajor as Kira comes toward him seductively , claiming she has a gift from the Prophets . Bareil seems cautiously yet pleasantly surprised , but as she is closing in , she stabs him in the stomach . As he collapses , Kai Opaka catches him . " " May the Prophets comfort you , my child , " " Opaka tells him softly . " " May they comfort us all . " " Kira and Opaka watch as Bareil loses consciousness and awakens from the orb experience , as there is a knock on his door . It is Kira , who is obviously in pain and has come to find the truth . The truth , Bareil concedes , is not always easy to recognize . Kira tells him that she recognizes it , but she does not like what she sees , desperately asking why he erased the transmission records . " " Please , don ' t make me do this , " " Bareil begs her , but she sees no other choice . She still seems to maintain some hope that Bareil is innocent , confronting him with the charges against him : ordering Bek to reveal the location of the base , thereby killing forty - three Bajorans , including Kai Opaka ' s son . On hearing this , Bareil turns away and relates how the Cardassians were determined to wipe out the resistance in the Kendra Valley , being prepared to kill 1 , 200 innocent Bajorans in the area ; he felt he had no choice . Kira , near tears , says Winn will destroy him now , but he corrects her : He has destroyed himself . Solemnly entering Ops , Kira asks for a status report and O ' Brien tells her everything is under control . Dax reports that Vedek Winn is waiting for her on an urgent subspace frequency , and as she already knows what the message is about , Kira accepts it in Ops . Vedek Winn has been waiting for a response , but before Kira can say anything , Winn congratulates her on a job well done . She already knows the result , as Bareil has made a surprise announcement in which he withdrew himself from the Bajoran Choosing Ceremony . Acknowledging Kira ' s pain , Winn reassures her that what she did was for the good of Bajor and adds , " " Whoever is chosen tomorrow to be the new Kai will owe you a debt of gratitude . " " As she realizes the ramifications of Bareil ' s actions , Kira seems to be deep in thought . Dax asks if she is all right , but Kira points out that the scenario does not make sense . Soliciting O ' Brien ' s help , she accesses the Vedek Assembly archives once more . Back on Bajor , while the Vedek Assembly performs the choosing ceremony , Kira waits outside impatiently , already knowing how it will end . A number of Vedeks exit the building , followed by a pair of Prylar s escorting Kai Winn . Grasping Kira ' s ear , Winn says Kira ' s pagh is strong and reassures her that , in time , she will no longer see her as an enemy . " " I hope that ' s true , " " Kira says solemnly . " " I know you do , " " Winn replies , adding that she must postpone her planned appearance with the Emissary of the Prophets , at least for now . She walks away as the rest of the Vedeks exit the building . Once the crowd has cleared , Vedek Bareil emerges , surprised to see Kira . Having finally discovered the truth , Kira reveals that in his quest to purge the evidence of after the massacre , Bareil forgot about the transit files . He is unsure of what she means , so Kira tells him that transit files for the time surrounding the Kendra Valley Massacre " prove " he was not a collaborator . During the time in question , Bareil was on a personal retreat at the Dakeen Monastery during which time he had contact with virtually no one . She has even verified the transmissions log from the monastery and confirmed that the sole transmission was an incoming one recalling Bareil to Bajor " after " the incident . Thus , without any doubt , Bareil could not be the traitor . He tries to stop her as she speaks , but Kira refuses to be silenced . The real traitor had to have been someone dear to Bareil — someone more important than Kira herself or his desire to become Kai . Bareil pleads with her as she continues , but as they both know what she is talking about , Kira sees no reason not to say it . The only person that dear to Bareil was Kai Opaka herself . As Kira speaks , Bareil looks down at his feet . Opaka logically knew where the base was located because her son was a member of that resistance cell . She sacrificed him and 42 other Resistance members to save the lives of 1200 people . " " So , " " Kira says , " " Now we have Winn to lead us . " " Taking on a tone mockingly reminiscent of that which Winn often uses , Bareil replies , " " It is the will of the Prophets . " " Kira wonders where Winn will lead the Bajoran people , and Bareil admits that the future is uncertain . Whatever the future holds in store , Winn will need their help . When Kira asks what this means for her relationship with Bareil , he counters by asking where she wants it to go . She replies by embracing him , and after a few brief kisses , the two of them walk away together to go pay their respects to the new Kai . Memorable quotes . " " Secretary Kubus . Last I heard , you were living on Cardassia . " " " " I decided it was time to come home . " " " " Welcome back . You ' re under arrest . " " " " You " had " to know that those authorizations were death sentences . Did you ever " once " refuse to sign them ? " " " " No . " " " " And that ' s why you can never be allowed to set foot on Bajor again . Because if you do , it will dishonor the memory of every person you sentenced to death . " " " " Don ' t tell me that you yourself , Emissary , believe that you and I are . . . How shall I put it . . . " " " " Enemies ? " " " " At odds . " " " " Well , let ' s see . How could I have come to such a conclusion ? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the last time you were here at this station , you claimed that I was a danger to Bajor , that I was here to destroy your people . " " " " Oh , and child , one last thing , I know you ' re under a terrible strain . . but if you ' re wise , you will never speak to me with such disrespect again ! ! " " " " Well , now that I know that you ' re here , I will be sure to inform Constable Odo to increase station security . " " " " That won ' t be necessary . I feel quite safe here . " " " " No , it wasn ' t " your " safety that concerned me . " " " " I hate payday . " " " " Relax , Quark . No one ' s accusing you of anything . " " " " The day ' s still young . " " " " All right , what ' s going on ? You want something from me , don ' t you ? " " " " How ' d you guess ? " " " " It ' s simple : We ' ve been here more than a minute and we haven ' t insulted him , threatened him , or arrested him . " " " " Exactly . So what is it and how much trouble is it going to cause me ? " " " " We need access to certain communications files in the Vedek Assembly records . " " " " Perfect . Not only is it illegal , it ' s sacrilegious . " " " " Spare us ! " " " " I believed in you . I defended you . And Winn was right all along . And now she ' s gonna destroy you . " " " " No . I ' ve destroyed myself . " " Links and references . References . authorization subroutine ; Bajor ; Bajoran s ; Bajoran Central Archives ; Bajoran Choosing Ceremony ; Bajoran Occupational Government ; Bajoran Provisional Government ; Bajoran religion ; Bajoran Resistance ; Bajoran temple ; Cardassia ; Cardassian s ; collaborator ; constable ; dabo girl ; Dakeen Monastery ; docking clamp ; Dukat ; Emissary of the Prophets ; Federation ; humanoid ; Ilvian Proclamation ; kai ; Kendra Province ; Kendra Valley ; Kendra Valley Massacre ; latinum ; liaison officer ; nanotechnology ; Occupation of Bajor ; Opaka ; " pagh " ; payday ; Promenade ; Prophet s ; prylar ; Quark ' s ; retinal scan ; Rules of Acquisition ; ; Sacred Texts ; ; springball ; subspace ; Tolena ; tyrant ; vedek ; Vedek Assembly