To the Death ( episode ) Following a hit and run attack on Deep Space 9 by a band of rogue Jem ' Hadar , Sisko and his crew are joined by the Dominion on a mission to locate the rebels who have discovered another Iconian Gateway . Summary . Teaser . Dax and Chief O ' Brien are sitting in the mess hall aboard the discussing Molly ' s habit of coming to sleep in bed with her parents as Dr . Bashir gets a drink and approaches . Unknowingly , Bashir sits in Commander Worf ' s favorite chair , and when advised to choose a different seat by Dax and O ' Brien , chooses to remain in the chair . Worf then enters the mess hall , gets an extra - large prune juice from the replicator , and walks towards his favorite chair . He slows for a moment when he sees Bashir in it , but only completes the distance to the table and silently waits while looking at him . Pretending to have just noticed him , Bashir holds the look for a few moments , then with amusement politely relinquishes the chair to the commander . Worf thanks him but just as he is sitting down , a red alert sounds and all senior staff are called to bridge by Captain Sisko , where they find out that Deep Space 9 has been attacked and an upper pylon has been destroyed . On the attacked portion of the station , a panicked Quark is looking for his brother Rom , and finds out that he is fine and working with the damage control team s headed by Kira Nerys . Sisko then arrives demanding to know what happened , and Odo reports that a Jem ' Hadar strike team beam ed in from a civilian transport , set off a bomb in upper pylon 3 before the crew could respond , stole some items from the science labs and left through the wormhole . So far eighteen people are confirmed dead with thirty - one missing and over a hundred injured . They left only forty - five minutes ago , meaning their ion trail can still be detected . Deciding that the Jem ' Hadar must pay for this unprovoked attack , Sisko decides to leave immediately and pursue them . Bashir stays behind to assist the wounded , while Odo leaves with the rest of the " Defiant " crew . Act One . The Jem ' Hadar used a magneton pulse to hide their trail , and the " Defiant " has trouble locating them , but stumbles upon a badly - damaged Jem ' Hadar attack ship on the verge of exploding . Worf notes that the Jem ' Hadar that attacked the station came from a civilian transport and not an attack ship , so this can ' t be the same group Sisko has the surviving crew beamed aboard the " Defiant " without their weapons , which consists of six Jem ' Hadar soldiers and their Vorta commander , Weyoun , who orders his men to stand down and asks for a word in private with Sisko . In the " Defiant " s mess hall , Weyoun says that their ship was attacked by the same Jem ' Hadar who attacked Deep Space 9 . These Jem ' Hadar are renegades , and Weyoun has been tasked with eliminating them , but he needs Sisko ' s help . Sisko is disbelieving , saying that the Dominion could send a fleet of warships to eliminate the renegades , but Weyoun says they don ' t have the time . Several months ago , a Dominion science team discovered the remains of an Iconian gateway on a remote outpost world , Vandros IV . Unfortunately , the science team ' s Jem ' Hadar guards rebelled and seized control of the gateway . Weyoun guesses that the equipment stolen from Deep Space 9 could be used to repair the gateway – which , if made operational , could enable the renegades to teleport , instantaneously , to any world or solar system in the galaxy . Dominion experts have already predicted that if the renegades convince the rest of the Jem ' Hadar to revolt , they could take over the entire Dominion in less than a year . Though moved , Sisko claims that that isn ' t his problem , but Weyoun begs to differ : if the Jem ' Hadar seize control of the Dominion , they will almost certainly declare war on the Federation , and with the gateway , they could invade any Alpha Quadrant world at will , even if the wormhole were shut down . Sisko is shaken , but still not entirely convinced . He asks why the Founders cannot simply order the renegades to stand down – since , after all , obedience to the Founders has been genetically hard - wired into the Jem ' Hadar ' s make - up . Weyoun , shifting uneasily , admits that the degree of the Founders ' control over the Jem ' Hadar has been " somewhat overstated , " but insists that the Dominion is , and will always be , stable . Sisko , after considering the threat the gateway poses to both their sides , agrees to help Weyoun destroy it and the rebel Jem ' Hadar . Act Two . Aboard the bridge , Sisko informs his staff about their mission . Worf interjects that he was part of the away team from the that discovered the Iconian homeworld in the Romulan Neutral Zone and was forced to destroy the gateway they found there to keep it out of the hands of the Romulan s – so Worf fully appreciates the danger the gateway poses . Dax and O ' Brien expresses some unease about working with Weyoun ' s Jem ' Hadar , especially since they are as likely to revolt if they learn about the gateway , which could help liberate their entire race . For that reason , Sisko warns , they have to keep it a secret from them . In his quarters , Sisko summons First Omet ' iklan , the Jem ' Hadar commander . Omet ' iklan makes no secret of his contempt for the Federation , but agrees that that dislike is trumped by his duty to punish the renegades . Sisko makes clear that , for the duration of the mission , Omet ' iklan and his men are under his command , not Weyoun ' s . Omet ' iklan appears to accept this , but adds , ominously , that after the mission is completed , " " we shall see . " " There is a joint briefing in the mess hall . Since the ziggurat that the renegades are using as a base ( where the gateway is housed ) is composed of solid neutronium , it cannot be destroyed from orbit with quantum torpedo es , which means they have to do it " the hard way , " with a ground assault . Omet ' iklan reports the number of the renegades as around 150 , and several of the Starfleet officers remark that they don ' t like the odds . When Worf remarks that silencing all nine guards outside the ziggurat before one of them raises the alarm will be difficult , the Jem ' Hadar Second , Toman ' torax , taunts him that the much - touted Klingon bravery is a sham , and he will look forward to the day when the Dominion invades the Klingon Empire and massacres its people . Worf launches himself at the Jem ' Hadar , but the two are pulled apart by Sisko and Omet ' iklan . Act Three . During a simulated assault Dax , O ' Brien , Odo and Worf storm into main engineering ( acting as their " objective " ) , neutralize two Jem ' Hadar guards and prepare to set simulated explosives . However they hesitate , the room isn ' t secure as they have not found the third guard they were expecting . As they look for him the lights blink on , signifying that , had that been real , the room ' s auto - defense systems would have engaged and vaporized them all . Omet ' iklan reveals there was no third guard , as nothing is certain in battle and if the crew can ' t secure the room then they should detonate the explosives then and there to ensure success . Obviously , the crew aren ' t thrilled about the prospect of possibly having to sacrifice themselves on the mission . He , Sisko , and Weyoun enter a turbolift , Omet ' iklan insisting that their mission cannot succeed as long as the Federation ' s officers value their lives over success . Sisko disagrees , saying that a healthy fear of death does wonders for keeping officers on their toes . Omet ' iklan recommends that the Jem ' Hadar train in mixed teams with the " Defiant " ' s crew , but Weyoun starts to overrule him ( concerned for the secrecy of their objective ) . Omet ' iklan interrupts , informing Weyoun that he and his men know all about the gateway . Weyoun may believe that the Jem ' Hadar ' s loyalty is bought with deceptions and " the white , " but the truth is that their loyalty to the Founders is inherent , unwavering , and stronger than the Vorta ' s ever will be . If the renegades disagree with this , then they deserve death . Sisko agrees that mixed teams will be used , but makes clear that he does not intend for this to be a suicide mission . A short time later , Dax is put off by a Jem ' Hadar , Virak ' kara , assigned to her squad , who has been staring at her for hours on end , trying to learn more about her " patterns . " Conversing with him , Dax learns some new ( and unsettling ) facts about the Jem ' Hadar ' s way of life : She shares these findings with Worf and O ' Brien over a meal , and they are further disturbed to witness another one : Weyoun is eating by himself in a corner , when the Jem ' Hadar enter with his white dispenser and he grudgingly interrupts his meal to unlock it and pass out their next dosage . After this is done , Toman ' torax swaggers over to the officers ' table and threatens O ' Brien , starting a fight with Worf which quickly escalates into a massive brawl between the Starfleet officers and the Jem ' Hadar before Sisko and Omet ' iklan arrives and breaks things up . Both Worf and Toman ' torax admit to starting the fight , with the Second admitting that he has failed to obey orders . Omet ' iklan punishes him by snapping his neck . He is then amazed , and outraged , when Sisko punishes Worf by confining him to his quarters while not on duty before angrily ordering the other officers to clear the room . Omet ' iklan says that Sisko is weak , that Sisko should have been killed in the place of Worf , and that when the mission is over , Omet ' iklan will make sure that he does . Act Four . Weyoun confronts Odo in a hall and tells him that his people still love him , and that they want him back . Odo says that he does not love them back , and that he does not want to return . As the " Defiant " approaches Vandros IV , O ' Brien is recording a farewell message for his wife and daughter . He confides to Dax that it is the eleventh time he has done so , and every time he does , he is afraid that it will be the message they end up hearing . Dax assures him that her many years of experience tell her that he will die of extreme old age , peacefully in bed , and surrounded by loving friends and relatives . Then she adds that she will file his farewell message along with the one she has recorded to her mother , " just in case . " Before going to his quarters as ordered , Worf approaches Sisko and warns him to stay on the ship during the battle , so Omet ' iklan cannot make good on his threat to murder him . Sisko declines , and Worf tells the captain to be watchful , " reassuring " him that , even if Omet ' iklan succeeds in killing Sisko , Worf will make sure he does not live to brag about it . In response , the Captain smiles slightly and says that it is " very comforted " by Worf ' s " reassurance . " As the " Defiant " is approaching the planet , O ' Brien hands out phaser rifles to the crew and the Jem ' Hadar . Sisko tells the strike force to prepare to beam down , but Omet ' iklan tells him to wait , and intones a Jem ' Hadar battle chant , ending , " " Remember : victory is life . " " On the planet , the teams are approaching the ziggurat , when Omet ' iklan angrily whispers that they have been betrayed , their weapons have been sabotaged . The " Defiant " officers check their weapons , and also find them non - functional . Dax theorizes that the gateway is generating some kind of dampening field . At that moment , several Jem ' Hadar materialize and ambush the crew with melee weapons . Act Five . The team overpowers the Jem ' Hadar , losing two " Defiant " crewmen in the process . Omet ' iklan guesses that , without energy weapons or the element of surprise , Sisko will abort the mission . Sisko says , " " Guess again ! " " , picks up a kar ' takin , and leads the team towards the ziggurat . The teams storm into the ziggurat , killing several of the renegades , until O ' Brien , Sisko , and Omet ' iklan reach the chamber where the gateway is . After they kill the two Jem ' Hadar on guard , O ' Brien starts to set the explosives ( which have a chemical backup detonator unaffected by the gateway ' s interference ) . Sisko notices a decloaking Jem ' Hadar lunging at Omet ' iklan and pushes him out of the way , receiving a wound in his arm for his trouble . Omet ' iklan is stunned that Sisko would risk his life to save his , even after being threatened . They all exit the ziggurat and make their way to a safe distance by the time the bombs explode . With the gateway destroyed , their phasers are functional again . Weyoun beams down with a " Defiant " security officer and offers his congratulations to everyone , and asks to inspect the remains . Instead , Omet ' iklan turns his rifle on the Vorta and vaporizes him , as punishment for doubting the Jem ' Hadar ' s loyalty . There is a tense moment , as the " Defiant " crew and the Jem ' Hadar stand off against each other , but Omet ' iklan lowers his weapon , saying that there has been enough killing for one day . He announces that he and his men will stay on the planet to hunt down and kill the remaining renegades . Sisko wishes him luck , but Omet ' iklan warns him that , though they fought well together , they will be enemies the next time they meet . With that , the Jem ' Hadar cloak and vanish and the weary Starfleet officers beam aboard the " Defiant " . Memorable quotes . " " Has anyone seen my brother Rom ? ! He told me he was gonna be working on one of the upper pylons today ! " " " " He ' s fine , I saw him with one of the damage - control teams on Level 5 . " " " " Oh , what a relief . . . Wait ' til I find him , I ' ll kill him for scaring me like that ! ! " " " " Omet ' iklan , control your men . These people saved our lives . " " " " And for that we shall take advantage of their mistake . " " " " Couldn ' t the Founders just order them to surrender ? From what I know , the Jem ' Hadar have been genetically - engineered to obey them ? ! " " " " The Founders ' ability to control the Jem ' Hadar has been somewhat . . . overstated . Otherwise we never would ' ve had to addict them to the white . " " " " Sounds like the Dominion isn ' t quite as stable as you ' d like us to believe . " " " " The Dominion has endured for two thousand years , and will continue to endure long after the Federation has crumbled into " dust " . . . but we ' ll leave that to history . " " " " So let me get this straight , we ' re going to work with the Jem ' Hadar fight the Jem ' Hadar ? " " " " There ' ll be a joint briefing session at 1900 hours . " " " " Followed by a get - to - know - you buffet at 1930 . " " " " And I forgot my dress uniform . " " " " I was on the mission that discovered the Iconian homeworld . We were forced to destroy the Gateway we found there rather than let it fall into the hands of the Romulans , and Starfleet Command supported our decision . " " " " Get back to your stations or go to your quarters . Either way , I want this room cleared . " NOW ! " " " It is as you said . The Klingon will to fight pales in comparison to our own . " " " " Yes . He has the look of a warrior , but the heart of a coward . " " " " No sleep , no food , no women – no wonder you ' re so angry . After thirty or forty years of that , I ' d be angry , too . " " " " No Jem ' Hadar has ever lived thirty years . " " " " How old are you ? " " " " I am eight . " " " " I would have guessed at least fifteen . " " " " Few Jem ' Hadar live that long . If we reach twenty , we are considered honored elders . . . . How old are you ? " " " " I stopped counting at three hundred . " " " " You don ' t look it . " " " " Thank you . " " " " First Omet ' iklan , can you vouch for the loyalty of your men ? " " " " We pledge our loyalty to the Founders , from now until death . " " " " Then receive this reward from the Founders , may it keep you strong . " " " " I am First Omet ' iklan , and I am dead . As of this moment , we are all dead . We go into battle to reclaim our lives . This we do gladly , for we are Jem ' Hadar . Remember , victory is life . " " ( in unison ) " " Victory is life . " " " " Such a delightful people . " " " " I am Chief Miles Edward O ' Brien . I ' m very much alive and I intend to stay that way . " " " " Amen . Let ' s get it done ! " " Links and references . References . addiction ; Ahjess ; Alpha Quadrant ; Amen ; Bajoran ; Bajoran wormhole ; battle drill ; birthing chamber ; Breen ; chief of staff ; confined to quarters ; Constable ; cranial meninges ; dampening field ; ; Dominion ; Dominion history ; Dominion Intelligence ; EPS power stabilizer ; Federation President ; field supervisor ; Free Haven ; garrison ; Honored Elder ; Iconia ; Iconian ; Iconian gateway ; ion trail ; Jem ' Hadar ; Jem ' Hadar warship ; ketracel - white ; Klingon ; Klingon Empire ; magneton pulse ; " mek ' leth " ; microfusion initiator ; neutronium ; ; ; photonic amplifier ; pediatric medicine ; phaser rifle ; privateer ; prune juice ; psychographic profile ; quantum torpedo ; Rom ; Romulan s ; senior staff ; short - sightedness ; transporter protocol 5 ; Vandros IV ; Weyoun 4 ' s attack ship ; ziggurat