Covenant ( episode ) Kira is abducted by a cult that worships the Pah - wraiths and is led by their " Master " - Dukat . Summary . Teaser . Ezri Dax , Julian Bashir and Odo are sitting in Quark ' s ordering drinks . Quark comments that Odo doesn ' t drink and wonders why he ordered Bajoran springwine . Odo explains that he ordered it for Kira who will be joining them after she finishes attending services at the temple . When Kira arrives the group briefly discusses religion and the concepts of faith and forgiveness when Odo makes a comment he wishes he did believe so they could go to services together . Later , Kira is visited in her quarters by Vedek Fala , one of Kira ' s teachers from during the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor , and she greets him warmly . The two catch up on old times and Fala presents Kira with a gift . The gift turns out to be a homing transponder to transport her to the abandoned outpost Empok Nor . There , she is greeted by a Cult of the Pah - wraiths who have chosen Dukat as their leader and referred to as Master by the other residents of the community . Act One . Dukat dismisses the group and proceeds to attempt to convince Kira to believe in the Pah - wraith s , with the argument that the Prophet s stood by and did nothing during the Occupation . This doesn ' t phase Kira , as their path is not easy and hard to fathom . He explains that the Pah - wraiths only wanted to take a more active role in the Bajorans ' lives , and for that they were cast out and imprisoned . Only wanting to love the people more , they should be considered the true gods . Dukat calls himself the Emissary of the Pah - wraiths and says they speak to him , and " opened his heart . " He has pierced his ear with an earring symbolic of a covenant between himself and the people there . He admits that , when he first allowed himself to be possessed , he only wanted revenge on Benjamin Sisko , but now he ' s a changed man and regrets the death of Jadzia Dax . He maintains his front that he wasn ' t responsible for the Occupation , but now , he justifies it by saying he was simply walking the path of the Prophets . Now , he ' s going to follow the plan for the Pah - wraiths to reclaim the Celestial Temple . Furthermore , he wants Kira to see their community and convince her because he wants her at his side . She blatantly refuses to believe him , responding that the people don ' t love him ; he has some kind of hold over them . Act Two . On Deep Space 9 , the crew has become aware of Kira ' s disappearance . Chief O ' Brien has been able to establish how she was abducted , but tells Captain Sisko there is no way to find out where she went . Odo is also unable to establish who Kira met with in her quarters before she disappearance , as her visitor left the station immediately after on a regular transport to Bajor , meaning the crew are left at a dead end . Kira , being kept in quarters , is met by Fala . She is very disappointed in him while he admits that he joined the cult years earlier because he had lost faith in the Prophets . Kira is shaken by her friend ' s admission , and can ' t believe he abandoned all the people he helped . Fala defends the " cult , " taking issue with each of Kira ' s characterizations of their group . He also explains that the individual who tried to kill Sisko acted alone . He believes Dukat has been " washed clean " by the Pah - wraiths and has forgiven his past . He then shows her the community they have built to show her she has nothing to fear . She meets a young pregnant woman named Mika . She congratulates her , but then oddly finds out she needed permission to have a baby with her husband , Benyan . Fala explains that it is part of their covenant with Dukat to take vows of abstinence , reflective of ancient Bajoran traditions . Kira is skeptical . She meets Benyan , who doesn ' t respond to Kira ' s subtle disagreement . Later , she ' s taken to a prayer meeting . As everyone else closes their eyes and chants , Kira takes the opportunity to grab a weapon from another member of the cult and threatens Dukat . However , several cult members shield Dukat from danger , showing their belief . She tries to back out but someone knocks her unconscious . Act Three . Kira awakes to find Dukat taking care of her . She is outraged at his faux concern , since looking at the bruise on her back gave him an opportunity to undress her . After another argument wherein she accuses Dukat of using his follower ' s religious devotion to build another empire complete with subjects who are devoted to him on the station , she is determined to expose his fraud . Dukat has had a meal prepared for Kira and Kira briefly considers trying to kill him with the cutlery on the meal tray . But , Dukat points out that even if Kira could kill him ; there is no way she can escape and Kira would only make a martyr out of him . She cannot believe his followers are willing and that he is as changed as he sounds . He also points out that Kira ' s mother really loved him , but she responds she convinced herself of that since he had control over her real family . Mika soon goes into labor , so Dukat brings Kira to the infirmary . However , when her child is born , it is half - Cardassian , shocking the two parents . Dukat also feigns shock , but , without a beat , excitedly declares that the Pah - wraiths have sent them a sign of their covenant . Mika ' s face shows she clearly doesn ' t believe this " miracle . " Kira doesn ' t believe either , of course , but the rest of the congregation , including Fala , accept Dukat ' s explanation . He starts to lead them in prayer , and Kira is utterly shocked . Act Four . Kira immediately confronts Fala with this turn of events , appealing to his intelligence . Fala defends Dukat ' s words , arguing that a miracle is a possibility that cannot be ruled out . Indeed , if the Prophets can disappear an entire fleet of Dominion ships , they are capable of anything . Kira , on the other hand , knows Fala too well to believe that he would accept this without question . When Kira pushes him hard enough , he admits to suspect her version of the truth , but he asserts that he has faith in his beliefs and that he wants to follow where his faith leads him . Her further conversations with Benyan make it obvious that Benyan has serious doubts about Dukat ' s version of events . Meanwhile , Dukat and Mika meet in secret to discuss the situation and Dukat asks her why she didn ' t tell him her child was his . Dukat apologizes to Mika and it is revealed that they had sex during a prayer session ( it is never explicitly stated , but context implies this was not consensual ) . After he gets her forgiveness , learns of her husband ' s disbelief and her unwillingness to lie , he traps her in the airlock they were speaking in and flushes the air out , refusing to make eye contact with her as she goes unconscious . Kira and Fala who are looking for Mika to ask her about the " miracle , " save her just in time . Mika is taken to sickbay and treated for her injuries . Dukat claims it was an accident , Kira loudly objects stating the obvious truth . Dukat sends her to her quarters and leads the onlookers in prayer . Benyan looks on skeptically . Later , Dukat prays alone in his quarters and asks for guidance . He states that the truth will come out and the covenant will dissolve . Later , at a sudden prayer meeting , Dukat then makes a great announcement : the Pah - wraiths have asked everyone to shed their corporeal existences to help reclaim the Celestial Temple . To accomplish this , he says that everyone , including him , will commit suicide . Kira listens in her quarters surprised . Act Five . Dukat visits Kira and informs her that he has contacted Deep Space Nine ; they will send a ship within a day . Kira does not believe he will die with them . He reassures her that all of their deaths will be painless , thanks to Promazine , a pill used by the Obsidian Order operatives to commit suicide in the event of capture and the bodies become dust in hours and so he does not fear it . He will be with the Pah - wraiths , and that is his salvation . Kira is finally convinced he believes what he ' s saying . As the ceremony begins , Kira manages to escape from her cell . She rushes into the hall from the second level , and knocks down Dukat as he holds his tablet , knocking over a pedestal containing dozens . He starts searching in vain for his particular tablet as she is restrained . When Fala hands Dukat another tablet , he cannot accept it . Kira realizes Dukat ' s original pill was a fake and he never intended to kill himself . When she calls him on his duplicity , and the crowd becomes restless , Dukat protests that he alone must live to show others the light of the Pah - wraiths . None believe him , and the order falls apart ; Benyan finally realizes the truth of his child ' s birth and turns on Dukat . As he loses control , Dukat shouts to them that the covenant is broken , and transports out . Fala , despite all this , sits down and ingests his tablet . Kira holds her friend as he dies and wants to know why he did it , his only answer is " Faith . " The arrives and picks up Kira and the other cult members . Kira tells Odo about Fala ' s last words , not knowing he had lost his faith or still believed in the Pah - wraiths . Also , she admits that while she originally believed that Dukat was only pretending to believe in the Pah - wraiths to get the Bajorans to follow him , she is now convinced he does truly believe in them , despite his continued despotic patterns and that everything he did was in their service . Odo also notes the possibility that Dukat really did receive the suicide order from the Pah - wraiths . Either way , he is far more dangerous now than ever . . . Memorable quotes . " " Faith has to come first . " " " " That ' s too bad . I have a feeling it must be very comforting to believe in something more powerful than yourself . " " " " I ' ve always found that when people try to convince others of their beliefs it ' s because they ' re really just trying to convince themselves . " " " " The Prophets are not the true gods of Bajor . The Pah - wraiths are . They were cast out from the Celestial Temple because they only wanted to take an active role in Bajoran life . Their only crime was that they cared about your people . But they were not allowed to help you because they ' d lost the battle for heaven and were forced to flee . " " " " So I guess the ancient texts had it all wrong , then . " " " " Oh , come now , Nerys . You know as well as I do that history is written by the victors . But , rest assured , there will be another chapter . The Pah - wraiths are determined to reclaim their place in heaven . " " " " I have been touched by the hand of a god . I ' m a changed man . Oh , I admit that when I first allowed myself to become a vessel for the Pah - wraith , it was purely out of self - serving reasons . All I wanted was to help it enter the wormhole so it could force the Prophets out . It was nothing more than a way to exact vengeance on Sisko . But I had no idea of the effect it would have on me . It was only inside of me for a very short time , but it opened my heart . " " " " Would that be before or after you killed Jadzia ? " " " " That was most unfortunate , but it couldn ' t be helped . The Celestial Temple itself was at stake , and she was in the way . " " " " The Master told us you wouldn ' t approve of our beliefs . He said we should be patient with you . " " " " Don ' t go out of your way . " " " " You believe the Prophets are the true gods of Bajor . I believe the Pah - wraiths are . Let ' s just leave it at that . " " " " I ' d be happy to . There ' s just one problem : we can ' t both be right . " " " " I have faith . I would think you ' d understand what that means . Nerys , is it beyond the realm of possibility that the Pah - wraiths have sent us this as a sign ? They have powers beyond our understanding . Your Prophets made an entire fleet of Dominion ships vanish into thin air . What ' s one child compared to a miracle like that ? " " " " You want to know what the miracle is ? That Mika didn ' t break into tears in front of her husband . She was terrified because he wasn ' t going to believe Dukat ' s little performance . I could see it in her eyes . " " " " This " is " his child ! That ' s why you tried to kill Mika ! ! " " " " The Pah - wraiths have forgiven my sins ! They ' ve given me their absolution ! Who are you to presume they ' re wrong ? ! Who are you to judge me ? ! ! Then it ' s done ! Our covenant is broken ! None of you will ever know the love of the Pah - wraiths ! ! None of you ! ! " " Links and references . References . Bajor ; Bajoran assassin ; Bajoran s ; Bajoran Ancient Texts ; Bajoran earring ; Bajoran cargo shuttle ; Bajoran transport ; Bajoran wormhole ; Cardassia ; Cardassian s ; Celestial Temple ; Covenant ; Cult of the Pah - wraiths ; ; ; Dominion ; ear ; Emissary of the Prophets ; Empok Nor ; faith ( religion ) ; fusion generator ; god ; homing transponder ; hydroponics ; Kira Meru ; Klingon religion ; master ; murder ; Obsidian Order ; Occupation of Bajor ; orb ; Pah - wraith ; piercing ; promazine ; Promenade ; Prophet s ; Quark ' s ; ranjen ; replicator ; Romulan ale ; sermon ; springwine ; " Sto - vo - kor " ; Telna ; tachyon energy ; Til ' amin froth ; tea ; transporter ; tricorder ; University of Bajor ; vedek ; vow of abstinence ; welder