You Are Cordially Invited ( episode ) The matriarch of the House of Martok challenges Worf and Dax ' s marriage . Summary . Teaser . Captain Sisko looks out on the second level of the Promenade with satisfaction as the flags of the Federation , the Klingon Empire , and Bajor are unfurled side by side from a rail , and the commerce of the Promenade resumes heartily , populated by the station ' s civilian population , and a mix of officers from Starfleet , the Bajoran Militia , and the Klingon Defense Force . Even though the Federation is still at war with the Dominion , the celebrations over Starfleet ' s return to the station are continuing and the atmosphere on the station is a happy one . In Ops , Sisko arrives for work and he and Major Kira warmly wish each other a good morning , noting how happy they are to be working together again . However the captain has a lot of work in front on him , beginning with General Martok waiting in his office . Martok , who has just been appointed Supreme Commander of the Ninth Fleet , is more angry than honored , ranting about the amount of paperwork that comes with the position . Sisko , who recommended him for the position , smiles and offers his congratulations , and offers to arrange quarters for the general aboard his new headquarters . Martok declines , preferring to keep his cramped berth aboard the " Rotarran " , so that he can at least feel like he ' s still " in the war . " He requests Sisko ' s permission to have Worf continue serving as his principal intelligence officer , and Sisko agrees . The conversation then drifts to Worf ' s son Alexander , whom Sisko hasn ' t met before . Martok , choosing his words carefully , calls Alexander a fine boy with " the heart of his father , " but admits he isn ' t much of a warrior . In Quark ' s Bar , Alexander is sharing a drink of bloodwine with his father and Jadzia Dax , telling her about one of his memorable screw - ups aboard the " Rotarran " ( flooding an entire deck with superheated hydraulic fluid ) . He says that , despite his clumsiness , he has become surprisingly popular among the " Rotarran " s crew , who have come to see him as a sort of " good luck charm . " He then surprises his father by mentioning that he has received new orders to transfer to the cruiser at the end of the week . When Alexander leaves to get more blood wine , Quark approaches the two and asks if they have reconsidered having their wedding in Quark ' s . Worf tells Quark firmly that the wedding will be held on Qo ' noS after the war is over , however Jadzia , after looking thoughtful during the conversation , suddenly jumps in and agrees to Quark ' s request . Worf is surprised , but Jadzia explains that this way Alexander can attend the wedding before he leaves . When Alexander returns , Worf informs him of their change in plans and asks Alexander to be his " Tawi ' Yan " ( " swordbearer " ) , the Klingon equivalent of a best man . Alexander is so happy about this that he accidentally knocks over a tray of drinks . Act One . Dax and Kira are discussing the wedding , with Dax mentioning Worf has been planning everything for three months . Kira comments the wedding seems to be dominated by what Worf wants , but Dax is all right with that knowing it ' s what Worf has wanted since he was a boy , and she ' s already had several weddings . As they talk , they almost run into Odo , but he sees them and abruptly changes direction to avoid meeting them . Kira tells her it is because of what happened during the occupation of the station , of which Dax has no idea , but she doesn ' t feel like getting into it at the moment . Later , Worf meets with Sisko , Martok , Miles O ' Brien , and Julian Bashir . He asks them to join Martok and himself in " Kal ' Hyah " , a mental and spiritual journey that lasts for four nights before a Klingon wedding . Martok advises the four to get a good night ' s sleep before entering . Later , Sisko and Martok go to one of the upper pylons to greet Martok ' s wife Sirella , who has arrived on a ship . By marrying Worf , Jadzia will become a member of the House of Martok . As a of a Great House , Sirella approves all the weddings conducted by its members . Sirella greets Martok by telling him he has put on weight – and his hair is going gray . After Sirella tells him she expected him to be in his grave , he tells her he will attempt to die soon – before the year is out if possible . After being introduced to Sisko , she asks where Dax is and goes alone . Martok is in awe of her , though Sisko a tad confused . Worf is with Dax as she prepares to meet Sirella . He ' s a bit concerned about the var ' Hama candle s being replicated , but Dax responds that he is just criticizing and that the meeting will go fine . Then Sirella enters . Dax gives a Klingon greeting , but she responds immediately asking Worf to leave . Then , she continues to be hostile . Sirella tells her that it would be difficult for a Klingon female to impress her and that for an alien it will almost be impossible . Dax says she enjoys a challenge . Sirella demands she prepare the appropriate meal for the following day , and finally , comments on the candles being fake before abruptly leaving . Act Two . Worf confronts Martok asking him why he never told him Sirella was opposed to his marriage to Jadzia . Martok tells him Sirella believes that by allowing aliens into the House of Martok , they risk losing their Klingon identity . Martok does not want to interfere in Sirella ' s affairs , either . Worf wants to talk to her , but Martok reveals that Sirella does not like Worf either . Meanwhile , Sisko , O ' Brien , Bashir , and Alexander begin the " Kal ' Hyah " in one of Quark ' s holosuite s , all eager for what they assume will be four days of Klingon debauchery . Worf shows them the " Ma ' Staka s " , that are to be used at the conclusion of the wedding in a ceremonial " attack " on Worf and Dax . This tradition stems from Kahless and Lukara ' s wedding when they were nearly killed by Molor ' s troops . Worf also mentions that the food sitting nearby is not to be eaten , it is there to tempt them to break their fast . This is the first trial on the path to " Kal ' Hyah " – deprivation ( with the other trials being blood , pain , sacrifice , anguish and death ) . Everyone realizes that they are in for four days of hell . At the same time , Dax is undergoing a trial of her own . She is holding two braziers and lifts them onto a column , conducting a recitation . Sirella is unimpressed and orders her to do it again . Dax is frustrated , since it has been the third time . Sirella then tells her to end her attempt as she believes the House will not tolerate her weakness and she will always be considered an outsider , clearly expressing her opinion to her . Dax reacts angrily to this and lifts the braziers again . Act Three . Jadzia ' s next trial is to recite the history of all the women in Sirella ' s family . Dax is recounting the end of the Second Dynasty , but then tells her that one of Sirella ' s ancestors who was apparently the daughter of the Klingon emperor Reclaw was in fact a concubine through a little - known fact . This infuriates Sirella , who orders Jadzia to continue with the " correct " history . While this is happening , Kira congratulates Jake Sisko on having his stories of life under the Dominion occupation published by the Federation News Service . Odo approaches but once again avoids Kira , who then has Jake ignore it . Kira and Jake then see Sisko , Bashir , O ' Brien , and Alexander enter the holosuites again , on the second night of their path to " Kal ' Hyah " , appearing quite serious . This trial is the shedding of blood . Sisko , O ' Brien , and Alexander take a step back before Worf and Martok turn around . Although Worf is surprised to see that Bashir has " volunteered " to go first , Bashir is even more surprised . Worf tells the doctor not to worry , as the pain only lasts a few seconds , and approaches him with the knife . Act Four . Meanwhile Dax is hosting a raucous party in her quarters with many people including Kira , Nog , Quark , Rom , Leeta , Morn , and Jake . She ' s invited Lieutenant Manuele Atoa from the to perform a fire dance . It ' s a big hit with everyone . Meanwhile , Bashir and O ' Brien are chained to the ceiling above a floor covered with hot coals . Bashir tells O ' Brien he is having a vision – he is going to kill Worf . O ' Brien agrees with him . Odo arrives at the party after receiving complaints about the noise and that he also heard there was a fight . Kira is first at the door , and now he is forced to talk to her . Kira tells Odo the fight was between Morn and a Bolian , but the two are getting along fine now and that she is authorizing the party to continue . Odo turns to leave but he and Kira finally realize they have to talk about what happened during the occupation . Allowing his deputies the rest of the night off to enjoy the party , Odo and Kira leave to talk in private as Dax begins to flirt with Atoa following his act . Soon , Sirella arrives , ignoring everyone there , and tells Dax it is time for the " Bre ' Nan " ritual . Fed up with her , Dax sternly tells her she is busy . Sirella insults her , calling her a Risian slut . Sirella orders her to come with her , or she will cancel the wedding . After Dax refuses , Sirella pulls a " d ' k tahg " and Dax disarms her . Sirella leaves and Dax forces the party to resume . The next morning , Dax wakes up with a monumental hangover and , after kicking out the party - goers ( Morn and Atoa ) who ended up crashing for the night sluggishly orders a raktajino from the replicator . Worf arrives and tells Dax they " have " to talk ; Sirella has canceled the wedding . Dax tries to sleep instead , but is prodded . She begins to explain what happened when the two hear voices coming from the adjoining room . Opening the door , they find Odo and Kira , who are " still " talking . Dax tells the two that it ' s 10 : 30 , and the two quickly leave as they ' re both meant to be on duty . Worf tells Dax to go to Sirella and beg for forgiveness , to which she reacts angrily and tells Worf that all they should do is go to Captain Sisko and he can marry them instead . Worf is upset that Jadzia has so little regard for his traditions and feelings and sadly leaves , telling her that Sirella was right – there should be no wedding . Act Five . O ' Brien and Bashir enter Quark ' s bar where they see the Klingon banners being removed . Quark tells them that the wedding has been canceled . The two are sorry for Worf and Dax for a couple of seconds . . . then immediately order dinner . Martok goes to speak with Worf who is brooding aboard the " Defiant " and tells his friend he has made a mistake . Worf can ' t help but feel that Martok is right , but recent events have made it clear just how different he and Dax are - he is serious while she is fun , she has many marriages behind her while he is preparing for his first , he can ' t stand Quark while she plays Tongo with him , among many other things . As a result , Worf feels that love may not be enough in this case . Martok admits that Sirella is nothing like the woman he imagined he would marry ; she has too much pride and vanity for his tastes , and yet he loves her with all his heart . Martok reminds Worf that honor and glory , things that Klingons prize above everything else , are worth nothing without someone to share it with . O ' Brien and Bashir are just about to eat a huge meal , when Sisko , Martok , and Alexander enter , telling them that the wedding is back on as Worf is apologizing to Jadzia . Sisko tells Quark to remove the food , that there should be no food for those on the path to " Kal ' Hyah " . Quark tells them there are no refunds for those on the path to " Kal ' Hyah " either . However , Worf enters and tells them that Jadzia has refused to be married so the wedding is stil off . Sisko decides to go and talk to his friend , telling the others to make sure Bashir and O ' Brien don ' t eat anything . Sisko goes to Jadzia ' s quarters where she is rearranging her items angrily . Jadzia finds the notion of apologizing to Sirella insulting , as she says she was once the Federation ambassador to the Klingon Empire and that she negotiated the Khitomer Accords before Worf was born . Sisko , determined to snap Jadzia out of her stubborness , sternly reminds his friend it was Curzon who negotiated the accords , not her , and that she should go to Sirella and do whatever it takes to be forgiven , even if it involves grovelling . Sisko also tells Jadzia that if she cares so little for Klingon traditions she should never have fallen in love with Worf in the first place . Jadzia tells Sisko that her life was completely mapped out ; friends , a career , but then one day a certain Klingon came aboard the station and all of a sudden she found herself falling in love with him . Jadzia realizes she has to apologize to Sirella , and thanks her old friend asking him whatever happened to the ensign she used to know . Sisko simply tells her he grew up . In Quark ' s , several Klingons begin to beat Klingon drum s . The marriage service is almost opera tic . It relates the creation of the Klingons by the god s , who were later killed by their own creations . After Worf and Dax recite their vows , swearing to join with each other against all that oppose them , Sirella pronounces them married , and they kiss . Jadzia makes a gesture of respect to Sirella . Sirella then embraces Jadzia , welcoming her to the House of Martok and calling her " my daughter . " Bashir and O ' Brien , still smarting after their grueling march on the path to " Kal ' hyah " , have been hovering anxiously with their " Ma ' Stakas " . Martok gives the word as soon as Sirella hugs Jadzia , and they bellow hearty war cries and charge the altar with their " Ma ' Stakas " held high . Memorable quotes . " " Handsome young man . . . he must get his looks from his mother ' s side . " " " " As you probably know by now , Jadzia and I will be married here on the station in six days . " " " " There ' s nothing more romantic than a wedding on DS9 in springtime . " " " " . . . when the neutrinos are in bloom . " " " " You ' ve put on weight . . . and your hair is going grey . " " " " My . . . deterioration is proceeding apace . " " " " I thought you would be in your grave by now . " " ( laughing ) " " I shall endeavor to die , this year , if possible . " " " " Sirella is a woman of strong convictions . She believes that by bringing aliens into our families we risk losing our identity as Klingons . " " " " That is a prejudiced , xenophobic view . " " " " We " are " Klingons , Worf . We don ' t embrace other cultures , we conquer them . " " " " I had every right to bring you into our family , and she ' s accepted that there ' s nothing she can do about that ! " " " " How comforting . " " " ( bellowing with laughter ) " And they say you have no sense of humor ! " " " " We now begin a fast that will continue until the day of the wedding . " " " " That ' s four days away ! " " " " It is a short time , I know , but we must make the best of it . " " " " I sold my first book today . " " " " Really ? How much did you get for it ? " " " " It ' s just a figure of speech . The Federation News Service is going to publish a book of my stories about life on the station under Dominion rule . " " " " And they ' re not paying you ? " " " " No . " " " " Well , then you have my sympathies , and the first round of drinks is on the house . " " " " Really ? " " " " No . It ' s a figure of speech . " " " " Miles . . . it ' s working . I ' ve had a vision , about the future . I can see it so clearly . " " " " What is it ? " " " " I ' m gonna kill Worf . I ' m gonna kill Worf . That ' s what I ' m gonna do . I can see it clearly now , I ' m going to kill . . . him . . . " " " " Kill Worf ? " " " " Kill Worf . " " " " Kill Worf . . . Kill Worf ! " " " " We are not accorded the luxury of choosing the women we fall in love with . Do you think Sirella is anything like the woman I thought that I ' d marry ? She is a prideful , arrogant , mercurial woman who shares my bed far too infrequently for my taste . And yet . . . I love her deeply . We Klingons often tout our prowess in battle , our desire for glory and honor above all else . . . but how hollow is the sound of victory without someone to share it with ? Honor gives little comfort to a man alone in his home . . . and in his heart . " " " " This is Worf ' s fault ! Worf and his traditional Klingon wedding ! " " " " Well , he may have let this wedding business go to his head , but you are 356 years old . Compared to you , Worf is just a kid . And if you can ' t abide by Klingon traditions , then you never should have let yourself fall in love with him in the first place ! And you " are " in love with him . " " " " I wasn ' t looking to fall in love . I was perfectly happy with myself . I had friends , a career , adventure . Then one day this Klingon with a bad attitude walked into my life and the next thing I know , I ' m getting married . After 356 years and 7 lifetimes , I still lead with my heart . " " " " To this very day , no one can oppose the beating of two Klingon hearts . . . Not even me . " " Links and references . References . [ sic ] ; Alpha Quadrant ; Altair sandwich ; assassination ; Bajoran shrimp ; Bajoran wormhole ; " Bre ' Nan " ; The Dark Time ; Dax ( symbiont ) ; ; ; " d ' k tahg " ; Dukat ; ; fast ; Federation ; Ferengi ; gesture ; good luck charm ; Hamar Mountains ; holosuite program ; holosuite ; hydrostatic system ; " Kal ' Hyah " ; Kahless the Unforgettable ; Karana ; kava ; kava juice ; K ' Ehleyr ; Kela ; Khitomer Accords ; kiss ; Klingon ; Klingon Empire ; Klingon mythology ; Klingon wedding ; K ' Trelan ; linguini ; Linkasa ; " Ma ' Staka s " ; " mapa " bread ; ; ; Mogh ; Morn ; mushroom s ; mustard ; Ninth Fleet ; ; " Old Man " ; prejudice ; ; Promenade ; Qo ' noS ; Quark ' s ; raktajino ; Reclaw ; ; ; ; Samoan firedance ; Second Dynasty ; ; Shenara ; ; slut ; spitting ; spring ; stable ; Starfleet Fleets ; steak ; ; " targ " ; " Tawi ' Yan " ; ; tongo ; " Toruk ' DoH " ; var ' Hama candle ; wedding ; ;