Past Prologue ( episode ) A Bajoran terrorist tests Kira ' s loyalties to the Federation when he attempts to rid Bajor of the Federation for good . Summary . Teaser . Garak , a Cardassian tailor on Deep Space 9 , unexpectedly stops by Doctor Julian Bashir ' s lunch table at the Replimat to introduce himself . With little tact , Bashir suggests that Garak is a Cardassian spy . Bashir rushes to Ops to report the encounter , but Commander Benjamin Sisko is busy trying to head off a Cardassian attack on a Bajoran scout ship . With the ship breaking apart , the sole occupant is beamed to DS9 . Recognizing Major Kira Nerys , he identifies himself as Tahna Los and requests political asylum ; he is taken to the infirmary . Act One . Gul Danar , commanding the " Aldara " , demands he be released to them immediately as a Kohn - Ma criminal terrorist ; Sisko pledges to investigate the matter before proceeding and invites him aboard the station , later having O ' Brien stall him with docking regulations . Kira goes with him to the infirmary , along the way in the turbolift explaining she and Tahna worked together in the Bajoran Resistance , and she sympathizes with his cause . Sisko warns her he can ' t have a divided loyalty under him , and she indignantly declares a loyalty to Bajor . She also points out that splinter groups , like the Kohn - Ma , will need to be repatriated if the government is going to be rebuilt . When Sisko questions Tahna , it ' s clear Kira is on his side and Sisko dismisses her . Alone , Tahna admits to carrying out brutal acts against Cardassians , even after the end of the occupation of Bajor but hints that his days of violence are a thing of the past . He ' s obviously been subjected to Cardassian torture . Meanwhile , Kira goes over Sisko ' s head , asking Starfleet Admiral Rollman to intervene but the Admiral immediately reports Kira ' s actions back to Sisko , noting that he has a problem with her insubordination . Soon , Danar arrives in his office , angry at the docking delays , and demands the fugitive ; Sisko politely denies him , saying he would have a problem with Bajor if he gave him up . He grants asylum to Tahna Los and Danar says nothing and leaves . Act Two . Kira shows Tahna to quarters , and they soon debate Bajoran politics ; Tahna wants a completely free and independent Bajor , whereas Kira sees the need for the Federation ' s involvement , at least for the time being , until they can fully exploit the wormhole commercially . Tahna is skeptical , and Kira understands with all their people have been through . She wants Tahna to take a leadership position to bring more people together , but he doesn ' t see the government as valid and sees her as having adapted to her misguided role . Kira promises her help and support in getting amnesty for him and any who follow him on Bajor , as long as he is no longer with the Kohn - Ma , which he assures her is true . Elsewhere , the Klingon sisters Lursa and B ' Etor of the House of Duras arrive on DS9 . Unwilling at first to relinquish their weapons on the Promenade , they are tacitly convinced by Odo to do so or leave . He promptly notifies Sisko of their presence , currently just sitting around at Quark ' s . However , unknown to him , Garak , and soon Bashir , are observing their " outfits " closely , merely for tailoring purposes , he tells Bashir . They observe Tahna arriving , and immediately the sisters leave with him to meet in a private location , demanding payment for a deal they had made . Odo , disguised as a rat , observes the entire illicit exchange . Act Three . Kira has arranged an amnesty hearing in the Ministers ' Court on Bajor for Tahna . She informs Sisko , and also tells him of two other former Kohn - Ma agents who are also seeking asylum . Sisko promises to protect them as well , and Kira , surprised and relieved , tells him his help is greatly appreciated . Sisko thanks her , then bluntly warns her to never go over his head again to the admiralty . When Sisko hears from Odo , however , about the dealings between Tahna and the scheming Klingon sisters , he reserves judgment and keeps this information from her for the moment . Meanwhile , Garak receives the Duras sisters in his shop . After he gives a few lines about fashion , the sisters immediately get to the point of selling Tahna to the Cardassians , believing he still represents their interests . Garak eventually negotiates with them . Kira happily informs Tahna that she has the necessary votes in the Ministry for his amnesty ; Tahna is not interested , though . He reveals the fact that he knew Kira was on the station before he got there , and announces his pride at " still " being a Kohn - Ma . He promises her that he wasn ' t lying when he said he has renounced the use of violence , but needs for a small ship with warp speed to carry out his latest plan , which he can ' t tell her . Kira asks how he can know she won ' t go straight to Sisko . Tahna just smirks and says that will only confirm what she so adamantly denied before : that she has turned her back on her friends and her own people , and become a willing puppet of the Federation . Act Four . Garak finds Doctor Bashir on the Promenade , but dispenses with pleasantries . He notes the two recently arrived Kohn - Ma terrorists , which immediately worries Bashir . Garak , however , convinces him to come to his shop that evening at " exactly " 20 : 55 hours to " buy a suit . " Bashir eventually understands and leaves . Unsure of what to do , Bashir asks Sisko for advice . Sisko recommends that he keep his appointment , as he understands it is a means for unofficial communication . They may be signaling a common enemy . Sisko also asks Kira about the two terrorists , but Kira doesn ' t reveal what she ' s learned . Unsure of whom to support , she asks for Odo ' s advice . In his office , Odo senses that she is torn between loyalties , but also that she knows what she wants to do and is afraid to do it . He gets her cleverly to say it out loud , including that , even if she refuses to help Tahna , he will still find a way to complete his plan . He convinces her to divulge everything to Sisko by simply calling him down to security since " someone " wants to talk to him . Bashir , arriving two minutes late to Garak ' s , is quickly herded into a back stall , where he is allowed to overhear the Klingon sisters agreeing to sell a small cylinder of bilitrium to Tahna in the Bajor system in four hours . Once they have departed , Bashir asks what bilitrium is , and Garak informs Bashir that it is a rare crystalline element , the atoms of which can release a tremendous amount of power . Garak also happens to know that Tahna was fleeing from the Cardassians for the theft of an Antimatter converter . Combined together , Tahna would have the ingredients for a bomb of " significant destructive capability . " Act Five . Kira , under orders from Sisko , provides Tahna with the runabout and accompanies them to the rendezvous ; Sisko and O ' Brien are nearby in the , lurking behind Bajor VIII ' s moon , reconnoitering the rendezvous area for the illegal weapons deal . After the bilitrium is exchanged for 13 kilograms of gold - pressed latinum , Sisko gives chase to Tahna and Kira . Tahna finally sees through Kira ' s act ; he strikes her to the floor , and then combines the bilitrium he just purchased with an antimatter converter , activating the biogenic weapon . They go to warp and head toward DS9 . With the " Ganges " and the " Aldara " closing fast , Kira learns that DS9 is " not " the target of the weapon ; the target is the wormhole . By collapsing the entrance to the wormhole , and shutting it forever , Tahna seeks to remove Bajor from prominence in the Alpha Quadrant , so that Bajor will be left alone by both the Federation and the Cardassians . At the last second , however , Kira steers the " Yangtzee Kiang " straight " into " the wormhole , just as they drop to impulse power and release the weapon . But the weapon is deployed in the Gamma Quadrant , on the " other " side of the wormhole . Following them through the wormhole , Sisko confronts Tahna via the communicator . Tahna angrily says he still has Kira as a hostage , but Sisko informs Tahna that his choices have been reduced to two : surrender now , or be captured by the Cardassians . Quaking visibly , Tahna chooses the former . Tahna is taken back aboard DS9 and incarcerated by Odo . Although Kira has lost Tahna ' s friendship , she has begun a new one with Commander Sisko . Memorable quotes . " " You ' re very kind , Mister Garak . " " " " Oh , it ' s just Garak . Plain , simple Garak . " " " " Go over " my " head again , and I ' ll have " yours " on a platter . " " " " That damned Cardassian ' s firing on a Bajoran scoutship in Bajoran space ! " " " " You won ' t " believe " who sat down next to me in the replimat ! " " " " Commander , the Cardassians are hailing us . " " " Now " they want to talk ! " " " " They ' re hopping mad . " " " " Why don ' t I . . . lock them up and call the Klingons to come get them ? " " " " Odo . . . " " " " You ' ve never fought Cardassians , have you ? " " " " No . " " " " Well , you wouldn ' t wanna turn a man . . . any man . . . over to their tender care , sir . You just wouldn ' t . " " " " They went straight to Quark ' s , but not for the gambling . . . and certainly not for the food . " " " " You know , Cardassian rule may have been oppressive but at least it was . . . simple . " " " " We have specific regulations . You can leave the weapons , or leave the station . Your choice . Please make it now . " " " " Who are you ? " " " " I ' m the one giving you the choice . " " " " Welcome to DS9 . " " " " Well , what do you want me to do ? " " " " I think , doctor . . . you could definitely use a new suit . " " " " Ah , an open mind . The essence of intellect . " " Links and references . References . " Aldara " ; Alpha Quadrant ; amnesty ; antimatter converter ; assassination ; Bajor VIII ; Bajoran Intelligence ; Bajoran Intelligence net ; Bajoran Provisional Government ; Bajoran scout ship ; Bajoran system ; Bajoran wormhole ; bilitrium ; bomb ; Cardassian ; Cardassian warship ; clothier ; clothing shop ; concussion ; conspiracy ; crime ; dance instructor ; Duras sisters ; Duras sisters ' Bird - of - Prey ; evasive maneuvers ; Federation ; First Minister ; ; Gamma Quadrant ; ; glinn ; gul ; Haru outposts ; House of Duras ; isolinear rod ; Joranian ostrich ; Klingon s ; Klingon Bird - of - Prey ; Klingon Civil War ; Klingon High Council ; Kohn - Ma ; Kraus IV ; latinum ; lingerie ; Ministers ' Court ; Occupation of Bajor ; political asylum ; prefect ; Promenade ; Quark ' s ; rat ; repatriation ; replimat ; runabout ; second - degree burn ; short - sightedness ; splinter group ; spy ; structural integrity field ; suit ; Tarkalean tea ; terrorist ; tractor beam ; warp engine s ;