The Dogs of War ( episode ) Kira , Damar , and Garak are ambushed on Cardassia ; Quark receives a message from Grand Nagus Zek appointing him the next leader of the Ferengi Alliance . ( Part 8 of 9 ) Summary . Teaser . Admiral Ross presents Captain Sisko with a new starship , the . On the surface , the ship looks identical to the , recently destroyed in the Second Battle of Chin ' toka . However , this new vessel is equipped with cutting - edge Starfleet technology to counteract the Breen energy dampening weapon . As the crew become acquainted with their new " friend , " Ross also leaves Sisko special orders to rename the vessel " Defiant " , in honor of their recently lost ship . Aboard Damar ' s attack ship , Kira , Elim Garak and Damar approach Cardassia Prime . Leaving the ship in Seskal ' s hands , they beam down to the planet to meet with Gul Revok and Legate Goris , both of whom have agreed to join Damar . However , the trio arrive at the beam - down coordinates on a cave ledge , overlooking a massacre : Cardassian resistance fighters are being shot dead by Jem ' Hadar troops . Gul Revok has betrayed them . Kira hails the ship for beam out , but in orbit , Seskal reports that they ' re under attack and has the shields up . He does his best to fight back , but the vessel is quickly destroyed by Breen warship s . On losing contact with him , Kira realizes the three are stranded on Cardassia Prime ; they carefully start making their getaway . Act one . The three decide to stealthily proceed to the Cardassian Capitol , to the house where Garak grew up . His father , he reveals , was the head of the Obsidian Order , who never publicly recognized Garak as his own son . Mila , the head of housekeeping , provides them a safe haven in the basement ; they politely ask her for a communication device , and begin cleaning their new headquarters . In the Infirmary on Deep Space 9 , Doctor Bashir certifies Odo fit for duty , however he feels the need to inform him that Section 31 infected him with the morphogenic virus that is plaguing his people , the Changeling s , and that Odo had transmitted the virus to " them " , not the other way around . Odo expresses his disgust with the situation with which Bashir is in complete agreement . Odo then asks what the Federation intends to do about it . In his quarters , Captain Sisko tells Odo that after considering the issue , the Federation Council decided not to give the Founder s the cure to their disease . Odo thinks that the Federation is simply abetting genocide , but Sisko reminds Odo that while Section 31 might have been responsible for the virus it was the Founders that started the war , and that giving them the cure would only strengthen their hand , something unacceptable given that millions of people are risking their lives fighting the Dominion . Sisko then asks Odo to promise him he won ' t take matters into his own hands . Odo gives the Captain his word , but before he leaves notes that while the Federation is officially condemning Section 31 ' s ethics and tactics they are more than happy to turn a blind eye when they need dirty work doing . Sisko doesn ' t like the facts very much , but can ' t deny the truth of Odo ' s statement . As Leeta and M ' Pella , another Dabo girl , decide to ask Quark for a pay raise , Quark retires into his bar ' s backroom to answer an incoming call from Grand Nagus Zek on Ferenginar . The Nagus , over a shaky , tenuous communications channel , informs Quark that he is retiring to Risa with Ishka , Quark ' s mother . He then shocks Quark by apparently naming Quark his successor as the next Grand Nagus , in between static breakups of his transmission . Act Two . Bashir and Ezri Dax , who have been tiptoeing on eggshells around one another , finally get a chance to speak to one another openly ; they express their common attraction to one another , but agree to remain just friends . As Quark revels in fantasies of wealthy extravagances , Brunt appears without his usual swagger at Quark ' s . Quark confirms the rumor of him being the successor to the Nagus . Brunt , completely out of character , kneels and begins repeatedly kissing Quark ' s hand , heaping praise upon " his " new Nagus . Meanwhile , on Cardassia Prime , Weyoun broadcasts to all the population the news of Damar ' s " death , " even as Damar listens to the message from the basement cellar . Weyoun ' s report that the Dominion has destroyed " all 18 " Cardassian rebel bases is a bitter pill for the trio to swallow . With a smile , Weyoun states this is the first step to the Dominion ' s final victory . Also , the trio are unable to contact the Federation to be retrieved , as a signal strong enough to reach DS9 would be easily traced in a matter of seconds . The news devastates Damar ; Kira , unwilling to spend the rest of the war in a cellar , tries to stir Damar to action , to no avail . Act Three . Brunt , who is graciously giving Quark a pedicure , shocks Quark by informing him of recent social reforms on Ferenginar , including the introduction of taxes to finance welfare programs such as universal health care and retirement pensions for the elderly . Quark vows to enact sweeping changes , but is informed by Brunt that the position of Nagus is now on equal terms with a " Congress of Economic Advisors , " which must ratify any legislation " proposed " by the Nagus . Quark worries about the future challenges facing the next Nagus . On Cardassia , Kira , Garak and Damar lie on their cots in dejection and lament recent events to Mila when she brings them food . They consider themselves to have been stupid to have ever believed that they had a chance of toppling the Dominion and that everyone will be glad they ' re dead . Mila tells them that the citizens of the capital don ' t believe they ' re dead , and there are whispers going around of their survival . While Damar doesn ' t think this amounts to much , Kira realizes they still have a chance . The resistance might be gone , but they can create something far more powerful . . . a revolution ! Kira and Garak attempt to stir Damar to action . It works : he asks how to start , and Kira asks for directions to the nearest Jem ' Hadar barracks . Weyoun introduces Legate Broca , the new leader of the Cardassian people . He pledges his loyalty to the Founder s and the Breen . The Female Changeling announces that Starfleet has developed a countermeasure against the Breen weapon , and thus a new strategy is required . She orders a fighting withdrawal , insisting to the Breen Thot Pran that it is " not " a surrender , just a chance to regroup and eventually redouble their shipbuilding and replenishment efforts . Act Four . Quark is back in his bar venting to Rom about Zek ' s new regulations that he will inherit . He ' s frustrated that these regulations are stifling the Ferengi entrepreneurial spirit . Rom listens , but is only concerned with Quark ' s bar . Quark can ' t get his mind off of it , and , as a consequence , spontaneously sells his Bar to him for 5 , 000 bars of latinum , without haggling over the price . When he suddenly realizes this , and also that he has been allowing his staff to keep their tips and was considering Leeta ' s request for a raise , Quark has to accept that he himself has been becoming softer and more lenient while eschewing traditional Ferengi practices . He compares this to the reforms which have " come to ail " Ferenginar , pledging a return to the old , traditional ways once he gains power . If Zek refuses to let him do so , he will in turn refuse the job , despite the wealth it will bring him . Meanwhile , on Cardassia , Damar and Kira wait for Garak , who is planting an explosive device in a Jem ' Hadar barracks , but he is detained by Jem ' Hadar guards while attempting to leave . There ' s only seconds left . Act Five . With a three - minute fuse delay , Damar and Kira come to Garak ' s rescue , killing one guard ; Garak quickly slips a knife through the other Jem ' Hadar guard ' s throat . The blast from the explosion draws a crowd , who quickly recognize Damar . . . the man the Dominion couldn ' t kill ! He unites the throng with a speech , stirring them to join the rebellion against the Dominion , then retreats . Julian and Ezri , still agreeing to remain friends , both board the turbolift for Ops ; but by the time they reach Ops , they are locked in a passionate embrace , obviously disregarding their " friends - only " stance . As heads turn throughout Ops to watch Ezri and Bashir making out , Worf cuts the spectacle short by pressing a button at his console , sending the turbolift back down to the Habitat Ring . When Grand Nagus Zek and Ishka arrive at Quark ' s , they are befuddled by Quark ' s statements ; disregarding him , they turn to Rom , and announce " him " as the next Nagus . ( Zek , in the garbled transmission a few days earlier , had mistakenly thought he was speaking to Rom , not Quark . ) Rom is to be the next Nagus – and Ishka takes the credit for the idea , reminding Quark how he has always underestimated his brother . It seems her influence over Zek has spread to more than just social reform . Quark is astounded at the sudden turn of events , even more so when Rom happily gives Quark the bar back for free . Quark realizes that Rom is the perfect leader for the new Ferengi society , and that his bar will stay exactly the same . The drinks will continue to be watered down , the dabo tables will still be rigged , the staff will continue to be underpaid and overworked . Quark ' s will be the last outpost of the old Ferenginar . Nevertheless , Quark cannot help but be delighted for his brother . While Quark returns to running the bar , the unassuming Rom begins his new tenure as Grand Nagus . His son Nog escorts the unabashed Brunt away from him , to stave off Brunt ' s corrupting influence . As his loving wife Leeta embraces him and wishes him good luck , Rom is left pondering his uncertain future as he tries out the Cane of the Grand Nagus for the first time , offering only a soft - spoken " Wow " . In the DS9 ' s wardroom , Sisko , Ross , Romulan Sub - Commander Velal , and Klingon Chancellor Martok discuss the Dominion ' s pullback and their new defensive perimeter . While Velal believes that containment will weaken the Dominion , Martok counters that the Dominion now has less territory to defend and retreating allows them to shorten supply lines . Sisko also argues that the Dominion can sit happily behind their borders building vessels and cloning soldiers for the next few years , until they eventually launch a new offensive that would spell certain defeat for the Alliance . Starfleet and the Klingon Empire vote to attack , and Velal , in light of the argument , agrees despite the cost that a full - scale invasion will incur . After the briefing , Benjamin returns to his quarters to find his wife Kasidy still awake on the couch . She is pregnant , she announces . While happy , she is unsure of the future , given the Bajoran Prophet s ' warning to Benjamin , the Emissary of the Prophets , to walk his path alone . The loving couple comforts one another , while on the horizon is the end of the Dominion War , and the release of the Pah - wraith s . . . Memorable quotes . " " I hate the carpet . I do . " " " " I don ' t get it . He ' s interested , she ' s interested . . . what ' s the problem ? " " " " He is an overgrown child and she is very . . . confused . " " " " It could still work . " " " " The " glamour " of being a revolutionary . " " " " My greed has to be a shining light to everyone , a testament to the rewards of avarice . " " " " Hello , ship . " " " " Interesting , isn ' t it ? The Federation claims to abhor Section 31 ' s tactics , but when they need their dirty work done they look the other way . It ' s a tidy little arrangement , wouldn ' t you say ? " ' " " " It ' s never too early to suck up to the boss ! " " " " You should hear the stories . " Damar ' s alive , my cousin saw him on Kelvas Prime . ' ' He faked his own death . ' ' He ' s plotting a new offensive from his secret mountain hideaway . ' " " " " You never told me you had a secret mountain hideaway . " " " " I was going to surprise you . " " " " We are not spending the rest of this war in this cellar ! Are we ? . . . Are we ? " " " " Perish the thought ; the Dominion has never surrendered in battle since its founding 10 , 000 years ago . " " " " Once the new perimeter is established , we will redouble our shipbuilding efforts and increase production of Jem ' Hadar troops . Retreat may prolong the war , but in the end , we will emerge stronger , and in a far better position to take the Alpha Quadrant once and for all . " " " " Taxes go against the very foundation of free enterprise ! That ' s why it ' s called ' free ' ! " " " " Whatever happened to the survival of the fittest ? Whatever happened to the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer ? Whatever happened to pure , unadultered greed ? " " " " Greed . " " ( spoken in unison with Quark ) " " I won ' t preside over the demise of Ferengi civilization ! . . . The line has to be drawn here ! This far , and no further ! " " " " Citizens of Cardassia , hear me ! The Dominion told you that the rebellion has been crushed . What you have seen here today proves that that is yet another lie . Our fight for freedom continues ! But it will take place here in the streets . I call on Cardassians everywhere to rise up , rise up and join me ! I need you to be my army ! If we stand together , nothing can oppose us . Freedom is ours for the taking ! " " " " This is insane . You ACTUALLY want Rom to be Nagus ? " " " " I didn ' t know we were getting another " Defiant " - class ship . " " " " That ' s what happens when you miss staff meetings . " " " " In fact , as far as I ' m concerned , the Ferenginar that I knew doesn ' t exist anymore . No , I take that back , it WILL exist : right here in this bar . This establishment will be the last outpost of what made Ferenginar great : the unrelenting lust for profit ! " " " " You ' re my brother . " " " " And YOU ' RE an idiot ! But I love ya . " " " " If we do nothing the Dominion could sit behind that perimeter for the next five years rearming themselves . And when they ' re ready to come out . . . God help us all . " " Links and references . References . 47 ; abetting ; Alpha Quadrant ; Atbar Prime ; bankruptcy ; Breen ; Breen Confederacy ; Breen warship ; Blessed Exchequer ; bribe ; Cardassian cousin ; Cardassia Prime ; Cardassian s ; Cardassian Rebellion ; Cardassian Union ; Cardassian space ; carpet ; Chief of Starfleet Operations ; command code ; comm unit ; Congress of Economic Advisors ; dabo girl ; dabo table ; Deep Space 9 ; ; ; democracy ; Divine Treasury ; Dominion ; Dominion War ; electrostatic cloud ; Emissary of the Prophets ; energy dampening weapon ; Federation ; Federation Council ; Ferengi ; Ferenginar ; financial advisor ; ; Founder ; free enterprise ; genocide ; Goris ; Grand Nagus ; Grand Nagus ' staff ; infirmary ; Jem ' Hadar ; Jem ' Hadar attack ship ; Jem ' Hadar battle cruiser ; Kelvas Prime ; Klingon ; Klingon Empire ; latinum ; liquidator ; Nagal Residence ; Office of the Admiralty ; orbit ; orbital traffic control ; monopoly ; morphogenic virus ; Obsidian Order ; pedicure ; power plant ; Pran ; Prophet s ; Quark ' s ; Quinor VII ; receipt ; reform ; Regulak IV ; retirement benefit s ; Risa ; Romulan ; Rules of Acquisition ; ; Section 31 ; Seltan ; shield generator ; sickbay ; Simperia ; social program ; special dispensation ; Starfleet Headquarters ; street ; ; tax ; thot ; tip ; Tower of Commerce ; United Federation of Planets ; wage subsidy ; waste extraction fixture ; weapons depot