Children of Time ( episode ) Investigating a planet surrounded by a powerful energy field , the crew of the " Defiant " discovers their own descendants , and learns that in two days they will crash two hundred years in the past . Summary . Teaser . Odo , Kira Nerys , and Jadzia Dax sit having breakfast in the mess hall of the . Lieutenant Commander Dax states that she can ' t wait to sleep in her own bed , remarking on the uncomfortable bunks on the " Defiant " . Major Kira says that she could use a visit to the Golian Spa . Dax comments that Kira and Shakaar should both go , to which Kira says that she and Shakaar aren ' t seeing each other anymore . Odo , who has had feelings for Kira for a long time , asks about the breakup . Kira says that she and Shakaar went to the Kenda Shrine on Bajor to ask the Prophet s if they were meant to walk the same path . Upon hearing that the Prophets said no , Dax remarks that Kira makes it sound final . Kira responds that people are either meant to be together or not . Dax states that any relationship can work if the partners really work at it . Odo , still contemplating the ramifications of the conversation , says that he has no opinion on the subject and hastily leaves . Kira wonders if he is all right and Dax reminds her that the subject of relationships has always made Odo uncomfortable . Later , on the bridge of the " Defiant " , mugs of " raktajino " are being passed around to everyone . Captain Benjamin Sisko declines , saying that he is trying to cut down . Chief Miles O ' Brien then begins talking about a doll house he is making for Molly ' s birthday , lamenting the fact that even with a micro - lathe he might not get it done in time . Commander Dax then begins to get some readings on her console . An energy barrier of some kind is encasing the fourth planet of a nearby star system . Major Kira begins scanning and states that there could be lifeform s on the surface of the planet , but the interference from the energy barrier is making it difficult to be certain . Dax seems more interested , wanting to know how the lifeforms adapted to the quantum fluctuation s in the barrier . While it is an intriguing scientific possibility , O ' Brien wants to push off an investigation until the next time they go by this planet . Dax says that the interference is intensifying so that in a few weeks , a probe would not make it through the barrier . Dax knows that everyone wants to go home , but this is the only chance . After ordering modifications to the shields , Sisko gives the go ahead . As the " Defiant " enters the barrier , the ship starts to shake . Dax tries to adjust the shields , but the shaking gets more violent . Energy begins to arc across the bridge consoles and Major Kira is struck by a discharge . While caught in the energy , it appears as if there were two Kiras , slightly out of phase with each other . After a moment , the energy dissipates and the ship is through the barrier . Sisko calls Dr . Julian Bashir to the bridge to check on Kira . O ' Brien then tells the captain that the inertial damper s are off - line and the gyromagnetic stabilizer s have depolarized , stranding the " Defiant " in orbit for a few days . Suddenly , Lieutenant Commander Worf says that they are being hail ed from the surface . Upon scanning the surface he also reports that there are several settlements on the planet , with approximately eight thousand inhabitants – Human inhabitants . Stunned , Sisko answers the hail . A Human woman and a Trill man welcome them to Gaia , calling Captain Sisko by name . The woman says that they have been expecting them . The man speaks up , saying it is a long story . He invites them to beam down and talk about it over some " raktajino " , and then catches himself . " " I forgot . You ' re trying to cut down . " " Sisko , Dax , Worf , and O ' Brien beam down into a cluster of adobe - like buildings , surrounded by farmland . Children who were playing a game with a ball stop and stare at the newcomers . The two people who made the hail introduce themselves as Miranda O ' Brien and Yedrin Dax . Sisko asks for an explanation . Miranda tells them that the settlement was founded by the crew of a Starfleet vessel that crashed on the planet two centuries prior . She reveals that the ship that crashed was the USS " Defiant " . In two days , when Captain Sisko tries to leave orbit , Miranda says that they will be thrown back two hundred years into the past . The people they see now are the crew ' s descendants . Act One . Yedrin sees that the Starfleet officers are skeptical and tells Jadzia to scan him . With her tricorder , she finds the symbiont in Yedrin . It was passed down to Jadzia ' s descendants for three generations . He also tells her to scan Miranda . Jadzia finds that Miranda ' s DNA is similar to Miles ' , making her an O ' Brien . Miranda also states that she is also a Tannenbaum , a descendant of Rita Tannenbaum , an ensign on the " Defiant " s engineering crew . Miranda then relates to Miles that they were trapped two hundred years in the past without any chance of seeing their families or friends . Yedrin says that Miles was the last to give up hope , but he eventually married Rita ten years after the " Defiant " crashed . Yedrin still sees doubt on Sisko ' s face and offers to tell him something that only Curzon would know . He begins a story about a dancer on Pelios Station , but Sisko cuts him off as both Yedrin and Jadzia smile knowingly . A young boy named Gabriel asks Worf if he is the son of Mogh and if he can kill someone just by looking at them . Worf responds " " Only when I am angry . " " The boy ' s eyes get wide and he runs off . Miranda then directs them into a nearby structure . As they enter , two girls are sitting at a table near a viewscreen , salvaged from the bridge of the " Defiant " . The girls are doing schoolwork with the help of the image of Quark . Yedrin says that Jadzia designed the educational program , saying she thought Quark would make a great math teacher . Jadzia comments on one of the girl ' s spots . says that most people don ' t have them as most of their ancestors were Human . She says that they make her special . The other girl , Molly , says it is just genetics , like ' s cranial ridge s . Miles is taken aback at the name of the girl and Yedrin says that the name was passed down through the O ' Brien line . Worf asks if they ever tried to send out a distress call . However , being two hundred years in the past and in the Gamma Quadrant , it was never done . Lisa then says that their ancestors decided to make the planet their new home , naming it Gaia . Molly gets in on the story saying that their ancestors needed to build a shelter quickly before winter came . The structure they are in was built and all forty - eight crewmen had to sleep in it . Sisko seizes on the number and confronts Yedrin . Yedrin explains that the energy discharge that struck Kira damaged her neural pathways . The " Defiant " doesn ' t have advanced enough medical equipment that Bashir needs to repair the damage , and therefore Kira died a few weeks after the crash . Miranda tells the girls to leave , to spare them from an adult conversation , and sends them to their parents to help with the planting . Sisko states that they need to get Kira back to the station as soon as the " Defiant " is repaired . Yedrin agrees . Worf says that if they escape from the planet , the inhabitants ' timeline will collapse and everything will cease to exist . Yedrin , however , says that he has a plan . The key was Kira . The energy discharge caused a subspace doubling effect . He says that for an instant , every molecule in Kira ' s body had a corresponding quantum duplicate . If certain modifications to the " Defiant " s systems were made , they could amplify the doubling effect and duplicate the entire ship . One ship would be sent back in time and one would pass through the barrier unaffected . From the logs he retrieved , Yedrin says that the " Defiant " encountered a temporal anomaly thirty - nine hours after arriving in orbit . Yedrin says that there are eight thousand people on the planet and this plan is their only choice . Sisko orders Jadzia to evaluate the plan and , if it is sound , begin the modifications . Yedrin thanks Sisko , to which Sisko says " " Anything for you . . . Old man . " " Back aboard the " Defiant " , Kira is resting on a bio - bed while Bashir is scanning a vat containing Odo . He puts Odo into a stasis device , telling Kira that because of the quantum fluctuations in the barrier , Odo can ' t hold his shape . Bashir says that Odo will be fine , but Kira needs to undergo a complete neural pathway induction when they get back to the station . Kira says that she feels fine . As he turns to leave , Kira asks where he is going . Bashir states that he wants to go down to the planet and meet his descendants . Kira looks at the stasis device , and turns when the doors open to admit a person who looks like Odo . He is dressed like the colonists and his facial features are more defined , but it is Odo , two hundred years older than the one sitting in the device . Odo explains that he learned to counter the barrier ' s effects and that he has gotten better at shape - shifting over the years . Odo then says that she is as beautiful as he remembered . Kira is somewhat shocked by this , and is even more shocked when Odo says that he loves her and has always loved her . Act Two . Kira begins questioning Odo about this revelation , saying that she never knew . Odo did everything he could to make sure she didn ' t find out . Kira begins saying how hard it must have been for him every time she came to him for advice about Bareil and Shakaar . Odo says that he wanted to be a good friend . He has been waiting two hundred years to say this , and all he wants is for Kira to spend some time with him on Gaia . Back on the planet , Sisko is meeting some of his descendants , holding a baby . Miranda says that the child has Sisko ' s eyes . Jadzia then calls Sisko with good news : she has gone over the sensor logs and Yedrin ' s plan will work . Sisko then holds the baby over his head and talks to her " " Everything ' s going to be all right . " " Nearby , Worf is inspecting the town well as Bashir walks up to him . Worf is making a survey of the settlement ' s infrastructure at the captain ' s request so that they can leave behind supplies . Bashir says that he was doing the same at the clinic . Bashir appears overly pleased with himself . He has met one of his descendants , his great - great - great - great - granddaughter – the doctor of the settlement . Suddenly , Gabriel comes running up to them shouting that " " They ' re here ! " " The Klingon s have arrived . Three people are standing in the street , holding spears and wearing knives . Two of the Klingons appear Human , while the other only has faint forehead ridges . Brota greets Worf and states that they are the Sons of Mogh . They are Worf ' s descendants , some by blood and some by choice . They live as warriors . Gabriel then says that he wants to become a Son of Mogh , to which Parell says that when he is older , he can prove himself and take a Klingon name . Brota says that the Sons of Mogh are gathering to celebrate Worf ' s return . Worf honors them by saying he will feast with them . In engineering , Jadzia and Yedrin are working on modifying the " Defiant " s systems . Yedrin smiles as Jadzia adjusts her hair , remembering that the summer after the crash , Jadzia cut it short and that Worf hated it . Yedrin then remembers promising to grow it back for the wedding , which Sisko performed . As they talk about the wedding , Jadzia asks if they were happy . Yedrin says that Worf is a good man , and that she will learn to handle him . Back on Gaia , Miles is installing a new pump for the town well as Bashir stands talking with him . People from the " Defiant " are talking with their descendants , which disturbs him . Bashir is going on about his descendants and says that he ends up with Ensign Angie Kirby , a new crewman who just transferred aboard . Bashir then begins to talk about Miles and Rita Tannenbaum . Miles rounds on Bashir and states he doesn ' t want to talk about it . " " I have a wife and kids back home . " " Seeing that he has touched on a sensitive subject , Bashir leaves Miles to his work , while Lisa and Molly look and laugh at him nearby . Elsewhere on Gaia , Kira is praying over her own grave while Odo looks on . As Kira finishes , she comments " " Praying over your own grave . . . that ' s got to be a new one . " " Odo says that if the Prophets were listening , they might be confused . Kira then talks about Yedrin ' s plan , saying that it is a little strange . She has always believed that people have one path and now , they are using technology to circumvent that . Odo says that he is in favor of the plan , Kira would get her treatment and the Gaia ' s timeline would get preserved . He then goes on to say that even though the plan won ' t change anything for him , the Odo on the " Defiant " won ' t have to lose her . Kira is touched by this . Back at the settlement , Sisko and some children are tossing a around . Jadzia walks up with a PADD and doesn ' t look happy . She presents evidence to Sisko that Yedrin faked the logs so that they would think that his plan would work . There was never going to be a duplicate " Defiant " , just one . If Jadzia hadn ' t figured it out , they would have been stranded and Kira would have died . Act Three . In the meeting hall , Sisko and Jadzia have confronted Yedrin . Jadzia accuses Yedrin of betraying them . Yedrin asks what they will do . When Sisko tells him , Yedrin pleads with him saying that if the " Defiant " doesn ' t go back in time , eight thousand people will cease to exist . Sisko explains that he can ' t deliberately maroon his crew . Yedrin tells Sisko to look around , see all of the things that his crew and their descendants will build . Jadzia asks about Kira , to which Yedrin asks if one life is too much to ask if it would mean saving eight thousand . Sisko explodes at Yedrin , demanding to know how he can make that decision . Yedrin replies saying that he is responsible , and looks to Jadzia . She was the one that insisted that the " Defiant " investigate the planet . She knew that she should have been more careful , but she wanted to make a huge discovery . And because of that , the " Defiant " was sent to the past , Kira died , and forty - eight people were stranded . Yedrin tells of guilt that has been passed down through Dax . He says that the community is his responsibility , and that for two centuries he has watched it grow . Sisko is moved by Yedrin ' s plight , but says that his people have a right to go home to their families and no one has the right to ask anyone to die . Later that night , Worf and Kira are sitting near a fire pit . They both do not like what is going to happen . Although the colonists are milling around , the mood is somber . Only the children seem unaffected . Kira comments that everyone is going to die because she has to get treated for something she can ' t even tell she has . Worf tells her not to blame herself . Kira moves off to return to the " Defiant " . Nearby , Miranda is tending some plantings and seedlings . Gabriel mentions that everyone is quiet and asks what is wrong . Miranda tells him it is nothing to worry about , not able to tell him the truth . As Gabriel leaves , the Klingons approach Worf and tell him that there will be no feast . Worf asks them to join him at the fire . He tells them of the honor to know that his legacy has thrived . Brota tells of a beast that he killed with Worf ' s own " mek ' leth " . They then tell him that their ceasing to exist will not earn them a place in " Sto - vo - kor " . They all then unsheathe their daggers and ask Worf to kill them . Worf hesitates , but then tells them that he will do what they ask tomorrow . Kira is back at her grave . Odo finds her and asks her why she came back . She wanted to be sure that this was where she belonged . As she looks at him , she says that the path the Prophets have laid out for her ends on Gaia . Odo protests , but Kira stops him . She can ' t let the captain go through with his plan if it means that eight thousand people will cease to exist , even if she has to . Act Four . Sisko , Jadzia , Worf , Bashir , and Miles are sitting in the " Defiant " s mess hall , hearing what Kira has said . Bashir reminds her that if she doesn ' t go back to the station , she will die . Kira says that she has accepted this and if they don ' t take the " Defiant " back in time , they would be cheating fate . Miles dismisses this , saying he has a wife and children back on the station who need him . Kira states that the Prophets will take care of them , but Miles responds that he doesn ' t believe in them . Worf then comments that their families will survive either way , but the colonists will not . He says that if Kira is willing to sacrifice her life , he would be willing to remain on Gaia . Miles still refuses to consider staying and tells Worf that it would be easy for him , he never sees his son . Worf bristles as he tells Miles that he is afraid to face his destiny . As Miles continues to get exasperated , he turns to Jadzia , Bashir , and Sisko . He tells them that no one has the right to tell him that he can ' t go home to his family . When Sisko says that he is hearing what everyone has to say , Miles asks if they are actually considering going back in time . Sisko seems unsettled by the arguments , but finally turns to Kira to say that they are not . Kira protests , but Sisko is adamant as he dismisses them . As Jadzia and Worf are walking through the settlement on Gaia , they contemplate what they are going to do . They come upon Sisko who is getting one last look around . Suddenly Gabriel comes running around the corner , almost hitting Sisko . When asked where he is going , Gabriel tells them that he is going to the fields for the planting . As the three Starfleet officers round the next corner , they see several colonists getting ready to go to the fields . Yedrin sees them and says that planting day was always important . Out in the fields , the colonists and most of the " Defiant " s crew are working at the various tasks of farming ; plowing , fertilizing , planting and watering . Miles walks up , not doing any of the work , to give Sisko a status report . He says that the " Defiant " is ready to leave orbit . Molly , who is nearby , asks Miles if he is going to help . Miles says that he is busy , to which Molly says that he doesn ' t look busy . Sisko hands Miles a farming tool and tells him to get to work . People all around then notice that Worf is leading some of the Klingons towards them . Parell and Brota say that they do not see any enemy to fight , as Worf had told them . Worf says that they are trying to plant their fields before the sun sets and that time is their enemy . The Klingons exchange a look , and realize that Worf is offering them a challenge . The Klingons then join the colonists in their toil . As Miles is working , he tells Molly that he has a little girl with the same name . When Molly asks if she can meet her , Miles looks sad knowing it can never happen . Moved by Molly , Miles goes to find Sisko and Kira . Miles tells them that they can ' t leave , they can ' t let all these people die . Sisko nods in agreement after a moment while Kira smiles sadly . Act Five . After their labors in the field , Sisko and Jadzia have told Yedrin and Miranda about their decision . Yedrin hands Jadzia a PADD which contains the navigational logs from the original crash . All Jadzia has to do is download them into the ship ' s auto - pilot and it should send the " Defiant " back to the right point in time . On the " Defiant " , Odo is saying goodbye to Kira . Odo is trying to talk Kira out of her decision . She says that her decision isn ' t based on her , it is about all of the colonists and their descendants . Odo asks about the descendents that won ' t be born if the " Defiant " doesn ' t return to DS9 but seeing he can ' t change her mind , asks that if Kira knew about his feelings years ago would she do things differently . As Kira says that it maybe would have , she kisses him and turns to leave . On the bridge , the crew is at their posts . Sisko asks if everyone has had a chance to record a message to their families . Everyone nods and Miles says that he has downloaded the recordings into a class 4 probe that will start transmitting a locating signal as soon as it clears the barrier . As the probe launches , Sisko orders helm control to be transferred to auto - pilot . The shields are raised as the " Defiant " breaks orbit . Scans show an unusual temporal signature , the anomaly that will take them back in time . The seconds count down as the " Defiant " heads towards impact when suddenly the ship veers away . The auto - pilot can ' t be overridden and the ship clears the barrier . Miles consults his console and reports that someone changed their flight plan , and that he didn ' t do it . Sisko orders a scan of the surface and Kira reports that there is no sign of the settlement or the inhabitants . Everything is gone . Sisko and Jadzia are walking down a corridor as they discuss what happened . Whoever changed the flight plan knew their way around the " Defiant " s security systems . Jadzia says that it must have been one of the crew . Sisko then says that it could be someone who used to be part of the crew . This leads to them suspecting Yedrin , but Jadzia states that all he cared about was the settlement . Sisko supposes that he could have changed his mind . When Jadzia voices her lament that everyone they had met never existed , Sisko corrects her saying " " They existed . And as long as we remember them , they always will . " " An upset Kira is lying on her bed in her quarters when the door chimes . In walks Odo , who says that the other Odo came up to the ship and linked with him . Now he knows everything that the other Odo had told Kira . She remarks on his reactions from earlier when she talked of Shakaar . Odo had come to accept the fact that Kira was involved with someone else when suddenly all of that changed . Odo then tells her something else that the other Odo wanted her to know . He was responsible for changing the flight plan so that Kira didn ' t have to die . Kira is shocked by this and Odo says that the other Odo did it because he loved her . When she asks if that makes it right , he replies that he doesn ' t know but the other Odo thought so . Odo leaves her quarters as she considers everything that has happened . Memorable quotes . " " I ' ve always thought Quark would make a great math teacher . " " " " Praying over your own grave . That ' s got to be a new one . " " " " Are you the son of Mogh ? " " " " Yes , I am . " " " " Is it true you can kill someone just by looking at them ? " " " " Only when I am angry . " " " " They existed . As long as we remember them , they always will . " " " " You said there was an enemy for us to fight . " " " " They are attempting to plant their fields before the sun sets . Time " is " their enemy . We should help them defeat it . " " " " There ' s something else the other Odo wanted you to know , he was responsible for changing the " Defiant " s flight plan . " " " " Why ? " " " " So that you wouldn ' t have to die . " " " " I cant believe it ! Eight thousand people ! " " " " He did it for you , Nerys , he loved you . " " " " That makes it right ? ! ? " " " " I don ' t know . He thought so . " " " " Alright we ' ll make a quick survey , but if all we detect is some fungus , we ' re not beaming down . " " " " What if it ' s smart fungus ? " " Links and references . References . Alpha Quadrant ; auto - pilot ; Bajor ; Bajoran wormhole ; Bareil Antos ; chattel ; class 4 probe ; ; DNA ; dollhouse ; flight plan ; fungus ; furniture ; Gaia ; Gamma Quadrant ; gelm bread ; gift ; Golian Spa ; grandfather ' s great - great - great - grandfather ; gyromagnetic stabilizer ; inertial damper ; Kenda Shrine ; kerripate ; ; marooning ; " mek ' leth " ; meter ; micro - lathe ; Mogh ; navigational log ; neural pathway ; neural pathway induction ; neural tissue ; ; ; ; " Old Man " ; operating table ; Pelios Station ; Prophet s ; quantum duplicate ; quantum fluctuation ; " raktajino " ; replicator ; ; Shakaar Edon ; shield generator ; shield harmonic s ; ; Sons of Mogh ; southern peninsula ; Southern peninsula settlements ; " Sto - vo - kor " ; tessipate ; torga ; tricorder ; ; winter ; yar - bear ; yelg melon