Meridian ( episode ) Jadzia falls in love with a scientist on a planet whose inhabitants shift between this universe and a plane of pure energy , re - emerging every sixty years . Back on DS9 , Quark tries to obtain a holo - image of Major Kira for an erotic holosuite program for a wealthy patron . Summary . Teaser . In the station ' s Replimat , Major Kira is sipping a hot cup of replicated coffee when Odo walks up to her . They discuss the sensuality of food and drink , and the difficulty that Odo has in appreciating that sensuality by virtue of the limitations imposed by his Changeling physiology . Just then Tiron approaches Kira and explains that he regretted her early departure from Quark ' s the night before . However , Kira ' s unimpressed and clearly anxious to make Tiron go away . . . so she tells Tiron that Odo is her lover . Hands are held , eloquent platitudes are exchanged all around , Tiron bids Kira farewell before leaving the Replimat crestfallen , Kira thanks Odo enthusiastically for playing along , and Odo is left staring at the hand Kira held after she leaves for Ops . The is in the Gamma Quadrant on an exploration mission cadged from Starfleet notwithstanding the threat of Dominion attack . Gravimetric distortion s are detected in the nearby Trialus system , so Commander Sisko orders Jadzia in to take the " Defiant " into the system for a closer look . When the " Defiant " enters the system Dax discerns that the distortions aren ' t coming from the system ' s star . A few moments later , a planet comes into view and the distortions cease . Act One . When Jadzia scans the planet in order to determine where it came from , they discover a settlement on the southern hemisphere of approximately thirty people , which shortly hail s the " Defiant " . Sisko responds and describes his confusion ; the woman at the other end of the connection introduces herself as Seltin Rakal , explains that her planet exists largely in a separate dimension that intersects with that of the " Defiant " and its crew , and invites the senior staff of the " Defiant " to the surface . Once on the surface Sisko , Jadzia , Bashir and O ' Brien sit down to eat with the inhabitants of the settlement . After some pleasantries , Sisko and Jadzia discuss with Seltin and Deral the nature of the planet ' s dimensional shifts . It is explained that the cause of the dimensional shifts is unknown but thought to be related somehow to the behavior of the system ' s sun . Seltin and Deral go on to explain that after each dimensional shift the planet , named , ceases to exist in normal space and its inhabitants become beings of " pure consciousness " until things shift back after 60 years , at which point everything is " just as [ they ] left it " since the planet is not subject to the normal passage of time while it is dimensionally shifted . Back on the station , Tiron melodramatically explains to Quark that he couldn ' t stand his time in the holosuite s and isn ' t likely to , but describes what he " really " wants : a holosuite program built around Kira . Quark suggests that such a thing will be very expensive , and in response Tiron offers a bar of latinum and one of the rings from his left hand as payment . Deeply impressed by the suggested price , Quark remarks on the difficulty of the task , to which Tiron responds by baiting Quark over his reputation for getting things . Quark hesitates briefly , but promises to deliver the holosuite program Tiron ' s asked for . However , Tiron refuses to pay until the program is completed and deemed acceptable . On Meridian , Deral explains to Jadzia that the inhabitants of the planet are descendants of an expedition that was stranded there a millennium earlier , and that their numbers have dwindled since they can only reproduce when they ' re not shifted out of the " normal " dimension , and those spells are growing progressively shorter , with the current phase lasting only 12 days . Deral goes on to explain that eventually the planet will be too unstable to shift back , at which point the planet and all of its inhabitants will cease to exist . Act Two . Later , Sisko promises Seltin that he will do everything he can to help . Jadzia and Deral announce that they are beaming up to the " Defiant " to scan the system ' s sun . Kira walks into Quark ' s only to discover that she ' s been declared the millionth customer . Quark tells her that she ' s won a number of gifts , one of which is a free hour in the holosuite . Kira ' s quite pleased with herself since she ' s never won anything . However , she points out that she doesn ' t like holosuites and tells Quark that she ' s going to give her free holosuite time to Ensign Quintana since it is his birthday . On the bridge of the " Defiant " , a probe is being sent into Meridian ' s sun . Once the launch goes off Deral , who ' s been steadily romancing Jadzia since she first came to Meridian , gives her an invitation back down to the planet for some quality time . . . which she accepts with mock bashfulness , as Sisko and O ' Brien observe them from the other side of the bridge . Once on the surface of Meridian , Deral explains to Jadzia that he ' s a widower who ' s been " " waiting for the right woman to fall out of the sky " " – and that Jadzia is that right woman . Deral leads Jadzia into a tree and moments later they lean in to kiss , but Jadzia loses her balance and they climb down , instead . However , after a little more time they finally do kiss . Act Three . Later Sisko contacts Jadzia to announce that they ' ve obtained more telemetry from the probe , and throws in a few good - hearted jibes about her acceptance of Deral ' s affections . With the telemetry data , Jadzia is able to work out a way to keep Meridian in normal space for more than thirty years , once it has shifted out and back again . Meanwhile , at the station Odo is with Kira on the Promenade , and spies Quark attempting to take a holo - image of Kira from the mezzanine of his bar . Once he ' s been caught Quark tries to weasel his way out of the situation , but Kira simply throws Quark ' s holo - imager over her shoulder and down onto the main level of the bar . She warns Quark that if she catches him again taking a holo image of her , she will make him eat the imager . Back on Meridian , Jadzia explains that her idea will work , and will in fact " equalize " the time between dimensional shifts – but that the needed changes won ' t be completed until Meridian has already shifted back . This is at odds with Deral ' s desire to start a relationship with Jadzia , which she ' s entirely willing to reciprocate , so he offers to leave Meridian with her . Act Four . In Quark ' s , Tiron is waiting impatiently for Quark to finish the new holoprogram . Quark has obtained the encryption key for Kira ' s personnel file , and with this development he assures Tiron that he ' ll be able to finish the new program before Tiron leaves the station in two days . However , Quark ' s efforts have not gone undetected by Odo . In his office , Odo informs Kira of the security breach and that he traced it back to the Ferengi bartender . He offers to arrest Quark or have Kira do it herself , but the major has a better idea . . . Back on Meridian , Jadzia and Deral are cuddling , but a distracted Deral concedes that he ' d stay on Meridian if he could have Jadzia there with him . She offers to use the transporter buffer to make her physiology compatible with the demands of the dimensional shift , which greatly pleases a shocked Deral . Act Five . Later Jadzia goes back to the " Defiant " to put in a request to Starfleet for a 60 year leave of absence , which Sisko supports in spite of the fact that the prospect tugs on his heartstrings . The commander tearfully tells Dax how much he will miss her , and she emotionally tells him the same . Again in Quark ' s , the Kira holoprogram is complete . Tiron goes into the holosuite to inspect his purchase . However , the Kira character has been altered . . . the body is Kira ' s , but the head and voice are Quark ' s ! Tiron storms out of the holosuite and thence out of the bar , promising to do his best at ruining Quark ' s reputation . As soon as Tiron stomps out Odo and Kira step in , asking Quark if he ' s gotten " another satisfied customer . " Finally , after many emotional goodbyes , Jadzia is ready to beam down to Meridian and undergo the dimensional shift . Once it begins , however , something goes wrong – the others are shifting , but Jadzia " isn ' t " , and the bridge crew of the " Defiant " determines that the anomaly is threatening to tear Meridian apart . O ' Brien goes to transport a dying Jadzia back to the " Defiant " . . . which allows the planet to complete its dimensional shift . Later , Jadzia is in her quarters , beside herself with grief . Sisko comes in offering remorse , but Jadzia says that she ' ll " just need some time . " After Sisko leaves , she sits down in a corner and says , " " just sixty years or so . " " Memorable quotes . " " Odo , I know you don ' t need to eat , but did you ever try it anyway ? " " " " Once . Not long after I was first able to assume the humanoid form . " " " " And . . . ? " " " " . . . And since I don ' t have taste buds it was very unsatisfying . Not to mention " messy " . " " " " Messy ? ! " " " " I ' d rather not talk about it . " " " " . . . We were having such a pleasant conversation . " " " " As I recall , you were the one doing all the talking . " " " " I wish we ' d had time to beam down to the surface and take a closer look . " " " " Yeah , but I ' d hate to have run into a Jem ' Hadar patrol while we were down there picking flowers . " " " " The gravimetric distortions are intensifying , but they don ' t seem to be coming from the star itself . " " " " But where else " could " they be coming from ? There aren ' t any planets in this system . " " " " There are now . " " " " I was admiring . . . your markings . Are they decorative ? " " " " No . Are yours ? " " " " No . . . . If you don ' t mind me asking . . . how far down do they go ? " " " " All the way . " " " " It ' s delicious . " " " " Especially if you ' ve been looking forward to it for sixty years . " " " " That ' s a long time between meals . " " " " Oh , for that kind of money , you can move into a holosuite . Now , what is it you want ? " " " " I want . . . " Major Kira " . " " " " Kir - What are you going to do with Kira in a holosuite ? . . . No . Don ' t tell me . I don ' t want to know . " " " " After eight lifetimes as a humanoid , existing as pure consciousness . . . might be interesting . " " " " Next time we see each other , I ' ll probably be a great - grandfather ! " " " " Good , then I can call " you " Old Man . " " " " Do you think you ' ll be done overhauling the station by the next time I see you [ sixty years hence ] ? " " " " I doubt it . " " Links and references . References . 2368 ; 47 ; 14th century ; 2371 ; Alpha Quadrant ; Andorian ale ; Bajoran Military Academy ; Bolian ; Cardassian ; cloaking device ; coffee ; contract ; corona ; dabo ; ; ; decryption protocol ; Deral ' s wife ; dessert ; dimension ; Dominion ; Federation ; first meal ; flower ; forest ; Gamma Quadrant ; gamma radiation ; gravimetric distortion ; helio - seismic scan ( helio - seismology ) ; hemisphere ; holopicture ; holosuite ; ionization trace ; Ishka ; isolinear rod ; Jem ' Hadar ; Kandora champagne ; Keshara ; kilometer ; Kylata system ; Kylata II ; last meal ; latinum ; M - class ; ; money ; Morn ; non - corporeal life ; Old Man ; ops ; pattern buffer ; Peliar Zel native s ; personnel file ; " " ; probe ; Promenade ; psychiatric profile ; quantum fluctuation ; quantum level ; quantum matrix ; Quark ' s ; Renar ; Replimat ; retinal scan ; sector ; Serilian s ; singularity ; spectral scan ; Seltin Rakal ' s species ; Starfleet ; taste bud s ; " tongo " ; tree ; transporter ; Trialan sun ; Trialus system ; Tuesday ; " vajhaq " ; vintage ; vertigo ; voiceprint Unused production material . Serilian s