Penumbra ( episode ) Sisko plans to marry Kasidy Yates ; Worf is missing after a battle with the Dominion . ( Part 1 of 9 ) Summary . Teaser . During a quiet evening , Benjamin Sisko reveals to Kasidy Yates that he has recently purchased twelve hecapate s of land on Bajor , in the Kendra Province . He plans to build a home there , for his retirement years . They reminisce about the past , marveling at how much has changed in Sisko ' s seven years on DS9 . They are a couple , very much in love . Kira informs everyone that Worf is missing in combat , and is presumed dead . Worf had been in command of the Klingon vessel , which was destroyed by a Dominion patrol near the Badlands . Although six of its escape pod s were recovered , Worf wasn ' t aboard any of them . Act One . Searching the area for three days , the can find no trace of Worf ; back at the station , Quark tries to cheer up a demoralized Ezri Dax . Later that evening , the " Defiant " calls off the search in the face of a dozen approaching Dominion ships . Instead of pursuing the " Defiant " , the Dominion ships are diverted by Weyoun to Devos II to protect the Son ' a ' s ketracel - white facility . When Weyoun questions Damar ' s drinking of kanar , Damar turns the tables and questions the health of the Founder s . Weyoun dismisses his queries , and orders the installation of a new subspace , secretly - encoded communication channel for the Founder on Cardassia . Walking past Worf ' s now - empty quarters , Dax overrides the lock and enters . She sees the " bat ' leth " given to Jadzia by Worf , and begins to reminisce about Jadzia ' s relationship and marriage to Worf . She suddenly feels more than ever a part of the symbiont , so she borrows the runabout to search for Worf on her own . Act Two . At first , Sisko tries to persuade Ezri to turn back the ship , however he eventually lets her go to try to find Worf . Sisko supplies her with their search logs from the " Defiant " to improve her chances . While studying the ship ' s logs , Ezri discovers that the six recovered escape pods had all been launched from the starboard side of the ship . Assuming Worf made it to a port - side escape pod , Ezri uses the ship ' s computers to calculate the pod ' s trajectory , and follows it in the runabout . Disregarding the computer ' s warning that such a maneuver could be dangerous , she even powers down the ship ' s thrusters , to more closely simulate a drifting pod in the Badlands currents . Sisko , who is constructing a scale model of his prospective house on Bajor , is discussing some of its design details with Kasidy , when suddenly he proposes marriage , even producing an engagement ring from a table in the model house . She accepts , and the joyous couple embrace . Ezri ' s plan succeeds : she locates an escape pod , captures it with a tractor beam , and transports its sole occupant – a disoriented Worf – aboard safely to her runabout . Soon , he realizes she ' s alone and she admits she came without Sisko ' s permission . As Ezri helps Worf to a chair and starts to tend to his wounds , getting closer to him , she almost gives in to Jadzia ' s feelings for Worf . Worf stops her hand and , a little embarrassed , she goes back to pilot the ship back to DS9 . Act Three . On Cardassia , the Founder finds the newly - installed communication system adequate . However , she seems more concerned with Weyoun ' s news regarding their search for a vaccine . The latest batch of vaccine failed to accomplish its goal of finding a cure for the sickness infecting the Great Link , so she tears off a piece of herself , giving it to Weyoun as a tissue sample for future experimentation by the next round of Vorta medical clones . She insists on keeping the sickness a secret from the Cardassian s , whose suspicions have already been aroused . Benjamin asks his son Jake to be the best man at his wedding ; Jake eagerly accepts , noting with delight that his duties also include planning the groom ' s bachelor party . On their way back to DS9 , Worf and Ezri soon grow tense and stand - offish with one another , until Ezri tries to break the ice . She gets Worf to admit that he had been singing the Klingon opera " Gav ' ot toh ' va " before she rescued him . When her inquiries regarding Worf ' s son Alexander get too personal , they begin to argue , but their argument is interrupted by two incoming Jem ' Hadar fighters . Attempting to hide in the Goralis system , they emergency - transport to the surface of a planet , moments before the " Gander " burns up in the planet ' s atmosphere . They immediately discover that they are without their communications gear , and therefore have no way to contact home . Act Four . While planning their nuptials , which they both expect to be an intimate affair , Sisko and Yates are approached by Saghi , a young Bajoran girl , who congratulates them and asks if she can be a dais bearer . The question prompts confusion in Ben and Kasidy , but Sahgi simply says that she understands they can only pick fifty - one girls for the position but it would be such an honor for her . Now Ben and Kasidy are really confused , but Sahgi tells them it ' s going to be the biggest wedding Bajor has ever seen . It is not just Ben Sisko getting married , but the Emissary of the Prophets . Then the couple notice a crowd of Bajorans on the Promenade , all marveling at the sight of the Emissary and his wife - to - be . The two realize their wedding will be far more difficult than most . On Cardassia , Dukat pays an unexpected visit to Damar . Dukat is unconcerned with the failure he demonstrated to Weyoun earlier , as he has " felt the love " of the Pah - wraith s . Damar initially sees it as a front , but Dukat gives him a look that gives him pause . He asks for a favor , to which Damar says he ' ll do what he can . Still marooned on the planet , Worf and Dax quickly get on each other ' s nerves . Their arguments , about their current predicament as well as their past , lead them to nearly come to blows – only to wind up in one another ' s embrace . Later that night , still sleeping side - by - side , they are stunned by the Breen and taken prisoner . Act Five . Worf and Dax find out they are on a Breen ship and that the ship is moving , leaving orbit . They ' re confused as to why they would kidnap them , or why they were on Goralis . Worf also asks if Dax regretted last night , due to Trill customs about getting involved in past hosts ' lives . Weyoun and Damar are discussing the War when Weyoun realizes Damar isn ' t paying attention . Damar doesn ' t explain it , and is soon called back to his quarters . He finds Dukat appearing Bajoran after meeting with the plastic surgeon Damar recommended . Dukat reveals that he needs this appearance for a plan without elaborating on it further . Sisko experiences another vision from the Prophet s , urging him to accept his destiny as the Emissary of the Prophets . The Prophet which embodied his mother , Sarah Sisko , reappears , hinting that he must fulfill his destiny alone , without even Kasidy . Despite Benjamin professing his love for Kasidy , the vision tells him to walk his road alone , and that his biggest trial is about to begin . Memorable quotes . " " Personally I don ' t know what Jadzia ever saw in the man . " " " " Well , his brains . " " " " Does Weyoun know you ' re here ? " " " " Ah , I see he still has you under his thumb . " " " " My concern is for you . The last time you saw him you made certain promises , promises you weren ' t able to keep . " " " " I may have failed to re - open the wormhole , but I assure you , I have no regrets . You see , I ' ve come to know the love of the Pah - wraiths . " " " " You almost sound as if you believe it . " " " " I do . " " " " Don ' t turn your back ! Talk to me , you coward ! " " " " Do not call me a coward ! " " " " I can ' t believe I ' m stuck here with you ! " " " " Perhaps you would rather be back on the station with Captain Boday , you sli ' vak ! " " " " Captain , we have a problem . It ' s Ezri . She ' s gone . " " " " Gone ? ! " " " " There ' s a runabout missing . " " " " She must ' ve gotten it into her head to go looking for Worf . " " " " What could she be thinking ? " " " " She ' s a Dax . Sometimes they don ' t think . They just do . " " " " Cut it out , old man ! I ' m not buying it ! " " ( Ezri continues to feign subspace interference ) " " I gave you an order , Lieutenant ! " " " " Don ' t worry , sir . I ' ll find him . " " " " Sir , do you think there ' s any chance she ' ll be able to find him ? " " " " I wish I could say ' Yes ' . " " " " Then may I ask why you ' re letting her do this ? " " " " Because she needs to . And because she ' d never forgive me if I stopped her . " " " " Do you swear to stand with him against all who would oppose you ? " " " " I swear . " " " " If you think I don ' t know what you ' re up to , you ' re a bigger fool than Dukat . " " " " Dukat ? " " " " He used to entertain lady friends as well . " " " " Guilty as charged . " " " " You are the Sisko . You are part of me . " " " " If that ' s true , if you really do care about me , if you consider me your son , then let me have this ! " " " " It is not for you to have . There are many tasks still ahead of you . Accept your fate . Your greatest trial is about to begin . Don ' t be afraid . All will be as it should be . " " " " Mother . . . " " " " Stay on the path , Benjamin . " " Links and references . References . bachelor party ; Badlands ; Bajor ; Bajoran s ; Bajoran wormhole ; bar tab ; " bat ' leth " ; best man ; bloodwine ; Boday ; Bolian ; bone ; brain ; Cardassia ; Cardassian s ; communicator ; creek ; dais bearer ; ; Devos II ; Dominion ; Dominion War ; duranium ; Emissary of the Prophets ; Emissary ' s Special Reserve ; engagement ring ; Federation ; field ration s ; forest ; Founder s ; Gallamite ; ; " Gav ' ot toh ' va " ; Goralis system ; great - great - grandfather ; guest list ; hatchery ; hecapate ; kava ; Kela ; Kelvan ; Kendra Province ; ketracel - white ; kitchen ; Klingon opera ; ; maneuvering thruster ; marriage ; meadow ; ; Moba tree Mogh ; ; " Old Man " ; Oram ; plasma flare ; Promenade ; Prophet s ; Quark ' s ; Rakantha Province ; ; ; ; runabout ; saucepan ; sensor log ; " Shevok ' tah gish " ; Sirella ; ; Sisko ' s great - great grandfather ; Sixth Fleet ; skull ; Son ' a ; space sickness ; springwine ; " Sto - vo - kor " ; subspace com - link ; tenor ; tractor beam ; tooth ; Vorta doctors ; Yates family ; ; Yolja River Unreferenced material . 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