Waltz ( episode ) Following the destruction of the starship " Honshu " , Sisko is severely injured and trapped alone on a deserted planet with Dukat , who becomes increasingly unstable . Summary . Teaser . Aboard the , Captain Benjamin Sisko thinks about the man he is on his way to visit in the ship ' s brig . When he arrives , the man inside the brig is Gul Dukat . After some small talk , Dukat engages Sisko in a discussion regarding the appearance that Sisko will be making before a special Federation Grand Jury . Sisko tries to assure Dukat by explaining that in the Federation , he is presumed innocent until proven guilty . Dukat then asks Sisko his opinion on Dukat ' s innocence , but Sisko ducks the question by saying that he has not read all the charges . Dukat then points out that it is not like him to equivocate . Sisko informs Dukat that he will not be tried until the end of the Dominion War and that his appearance before the special jury is just a formality . Still suspicious , Dukat reminds Sisko that he is going to be the prosecution ' s witness . Sisko tells him , " " I ' ll tell them what I know . " " Sisko then offers his sympathies over the death of Dukat ' s daughter , Tora Ziyal . Still suspicious of Sisko ' s motives , Dukat then asks , " Do I detect the fine hand of Dr . Cox at work once again ? " Sisko explains that he just wanted to offer his condolences , with Dr . Cox ' s permission . Dukat realizes Sisko is sincere and apologizes . Dukat explains that Dr . Cox has encouraged him to speak of Ziyal whenever possible , since it was her death that led to his momentary instability . Sisko then informs Dukat that they will reach Starbase 621 tomorrow , and he ' ll see him at the arraignment . As Sisko leaves , Dukat thanks Sisko , as well as Major Kira Nerys , for caring for Ziyal over the past few years . Sisko responses that it was a pleasure to have Ziyal with them and she was a wonderful young woman . Sisko then asks Dukat if he can get him anything , and Dukat jokingly asks for one bottle of Kanar and an Orion slave girl . Suddenly , the ship shakes and a red alert is sounded . Act One . Kira walks out of Sisko ' s office with Odo on Deep Space 9 and informs the rest of the senior staff that the " Honshu " was just destroyed by a wing of Cardassian destroyers . She also tells them that so far Starfleet has picked up the distress beacon s from three escape pod s and one shuttlecraft . The only available ships to search for survivors will be the and the , because of Dominion activity along the border . Additionally , the " Defiant " will only have 52 hours to search , as it must leave to guard a troop convoy near the Badlands . Despite objections from the senior staff , Starfleet ' s orders stand . Worf orders an immediate departure , but before he departs , Kira reminds him of the deadline . Sisko awakens and finds himself lying by a campfire in a cavern , with Dukat . Dukat tells Sisko of how they arrived on the planet in the first place – ironically , it seems that Cardassian destroyers shot them down . Sisko was heading to engineering when a plasma conduit exploded fifteen meter s down the corridor from the brig , resulting in plasma burn s on the left side of his body . Dukat then informs Sisko that he and Lieutenant McConnell found Sisko when the order came to abandon ship . When Sisko asks where McConnell was , Dukat reveals he died when a piece of shrapnel hit him in the head just as they were carrying Sisko into the shuttle . Sisko is told that the engines for the shuttle were damaged from the shock wave s and it is grounded . Dukat also sets up a distress beacon , which broadcasts on a neutral frequency . Sisko agrees this is fair . He finds that his broken arm is held together by an improvised cast that Dukat has made , since he does not know how to use the bone regenerator in the medkit . Dukat excuses himself to search for food , since they only have a week ' s worth of rations from the shuttle . " " What are you planning to do with him ? " " inquires Weyoun , to which Dukat replies that he and Benjamin Sisko have a lot to talk about . Weyoun then reminds Dukat about the time spent in the hospital , where he had to be sedated . This recounting enrages Dukat , and he fires a phaser at Weyoun , only to leave a smoldering hole in the rock wall behind him ; Weyoun is just a hallucination . Act Two . Sisko wakes up to find Dukat preparing soup . The two discuss what happened the previous night and Sisko ' s bout with nausea , for which he apologizes . Dukat assures him the mess was nothing compared to his days as a newly minted Glinn aboard the " Kornaire " , reminiscing about an incident involving three men in an compartment that had gone through an explosive decompression . Uncomfortable , Sisko tells Dukat to change the subject and in turn , Dukat sarcastically proclaims " " the has spoken . " " Dukat insists that Sisko should have a sense of humor about their predicament , pointing out the possibility they ' ll be rescued by the Dominion and commenting on how their universe can be amusing when it allows radical shifts in fortune . Sisko refuses to see any humor in their situation , but asks Dukat why he was looking around . Dukat claims it must have been the wind that he heard , offering Sisko a sip of his soup . As the two work on improving the flavor of the meal , they have another conversation regarding Deep Space 9 . Dukat asks about Kira , Odo , and Quark , attempting to convince Sisko that they never gave him a chance and that his policies toward the Bajoran s were actually quite generous . Dukat continues to press , claiming it was his intention to rectify the mistakes between Cardassia and Bajor . Sisko casually side - steps him by inquiring about the next ingredient for their soup . While Dukat adds salt to the soup , he questions Sisko whether or not he ' ll give him the benefit of the doubt . Sisko responds with a question of his own , asking Dukat if he really does care about what he thinks . Dukat counters with another question , asking him if he cares about what his friends think of him . Sisko realizes Dukat is implying that they are friends , and makes clear that they are not friends and even though he is grateful for Dukat ' s saving his life , that ' s as friendly as they can be , and no more . Again , something catches Dukat ' s attention with Sisko asking him whether he ' s sure nothing ' s out there . Dukat assures him that it was the wind , but goes out to the caverns to double - check . Somewhere deeper in the caverns , Dukat now takes to arguing with a hallucination of Damar , who attempts to convince Dukat to kill Sisko now and escape to assist Cardassia in its victory . While Dukat converses with Damar , Sisko checks the transmitter and discovers that though the outside display indicates the system is online , its secondary display on the inside reveals the systems has been offline the whole time . When Dukat returns , Sisko tells him there may be something wrong with the com system . Dukat first checks the outside display , reporting the unit to be fine . Sisko suggests that the casing should be taken off and they should run a full diagnostic just to be sure . Dukat complies and checks the inside of the transmitter but pretends to run a diagnostic , assuring Sisko that there is nothing to worry about and the unit is working . Sisko then realizes Dukat has quite intentionally been leaving it turned off . Act Three . Alone in the cave , Sisko works on the transmitter with one of the tines he has broken off his fork . After some tinkering , Sisko manages to reset the unit ' s systems and bring the Distress signal back online . Hearing Dukat ' s approach , Sisko diligently covers up his work and hides his altered fork underneath his sheet . Dukat returns with a couple of cushions salvaged from the shuttle , shining his flashlight on Sisko , who appears to have just woken up . As Dukat helps Sisko get settled against his new cushion , the Captain comments that it appears he is planning a long stay . Dukat explains that he only wants the both of them to be comfortable as they await their rescuers . Once Dukat settles on his own cushion , he tells Sisko about an idea that occurred to him while he was out at the shuttle . Dukat muses about how confused the Bajoran s would be if they found both of them sharing the same hardships , calling himself the evil Gul Dukat , and Sisko the Emissary of the Prophets . Dukat points out that it is just the two of them , all alone , that no one is there to judge them , insisting that they both be honest with one another . He presses Sisko for his opinion on him , but is interrupted by another hallucination in the form of Kira who whispers a rather contrary opinion of her own over his shoulder . She tells him that she thinks he is an evil , sadistic man who should have been tried as a war criminal years ago – put up against a wall and shot . This opinion prompts Dukat to question Sisko whether he agrees with Kira on how she feels about him . Sisko tells Dukat that he doesn ' t see any reason for discussing the matter any further . Dukat disagrees and continues , telling Sisko that his name and reputation have been slandered and twisted after the Occupation of Bajor . He states he has been wrongfully vilified throughout the Alpha Quadrant for six years and wonders out loud if Sisko is one of his detractors . Sisko insists that he cannot really pass judgment on him because he was not there during the Occupation , nor did he witness the matters with which Dukat had to struggle day after day . The Kira hallucination warns Dukat that Sisko does not want to tell him the truth because it would upset him . Sisko watches as Dukat talks over his shoulder at the air , realizing that Dukat is delusional and hallucinating . Dukat believes that Sisko is not being entirely honest , pointing out that he ' s not a man who hesitates to make snap judgments when the situation calls for it . Sisko tells Dukat he is right about being judged unfairly , that he himself judged Dukat unfairly , and that he probably had good reasons for everything he did on Bajor . Dukat agrees with Sisko , and claims that some of his harsher acts were forced upon on him by Central Command . He then explains to Sisko that he wanted to use entirely different tactics with the Bajoran s , that he wished to have ruled with " a softer hand . " Sisko assures Dukat that he understands , stating that he was a soldier and was only carrying out orders . Dukat eagerly agrees with this assessment only to be laughed at by Kira , who calls him a fool and tells him he is being patronized , for which Dukat yells at her . Sisko manages to return Dukat ' s attention to himself , suggesting that they ignore Kira and pretend she is not there . As the " Defiant " picks up a distress signal and beams up two additional " Honshu " survivors ( who turn out not to be Sisko and Dukat ) , Dukat wildly fires his phaser at his hallucination of Kira . Dukat later discovers Sisko ' s hidden fork and notices one of its missing tines , concluding after he checks the transmitter that Sisko must have repaired the unit behind his back . Outraged , Dukat destroys the transmitter , cutting the signal the " Defiant " picked up moments earlier , and from the debris of the transmitter he dislodges a metal bar , which he uses to attack Sisko . Act Four . Despite subspace interference over the viewscreen , Kira reminds Worf he must follow his original orders to end their search soon so they can assist the troop convoy in the Badlands . Both Doctor Bashir and Miles O ' Brien disagree with the Major ' s orders , trying to pretend they are unable to understand the message through the interference . Worf and Dax however know full well what Kira was trying to tell them , and Worf feels that ignoring the orders would be dishonorable . When Bashir openly remarks that he doesn ' t consider Worf ' s honor to be worth Captain Sisko ' s life , Worf dismisses him from the bridge and orders helm to lay in a course for the third planet and continue their search for the remaining time . Sisko awakens with his head bleeding to see Dukat standing over him wiping blood from a metal pole in his grasp . Dukat tells Sisko that he brought the damage upon himself , with the groggy captain making a mention of victims that must have suffered as he has . Dukat begins to name all the things he has been called , sarcastically calling Sisko the " " supreme arbiter of right and wrong in the universe " . " A frustrated Sisko demands what Dukat wants from him and Dukat explains that he wants no further pretenses , only their expression of their true thoughts . Sisko takes Dukat up on his challenge and begins a fierce barrage of questions – true and false , of Dukat ' s role in the Occupation . The murder of over five million Bajorans on his watch is Dukat ' s responsibility . Dukat adamantly claims otherwise , explaining that he tried to save lives during his administration . Sisko then demands evidence . Dukat says the Occupation had already been going on for almost 40 years , but the planet was not ready for full - scale colonization . He tells Sisko that Central Command wanted the situation resolved and they didn ' t care how it was done . Dukat reminds Sisko that he wanted to use " " a gentler hand " " when dealing with the Bajorans – reducing the output quotas by fifty percent . Dukat begins to list admirable orders he gave during his tenure , for acts such as reorganizing the camps , abolishing child labor , improving medical care , and increasing food rations , for which as a result the death rate decreased by twenty percent . Dukat also explains that he had reason to punish the Bajorans as well : on his anniversary , an orbital drydock was blown up , killing over two hundred Cardassians . He explains that he then rounded up two hundred Bajoran Resistance members and executed them , claiming this retaliation was for the sake of justice rather malevolence . He goes on to mention that he also executed several more Bajorans in retaliation for a failed assassination attempt . As Dukat continues his stories , his hallucinations of Weyoun , Damar , and Kira each support every statement in their own sardonic manner . When Dukat asks Sisko if he understands what he ' s saying , Sisko pretends to have been moved by his stories and posits that what happened to the Bajoran s was not Dukat ' s fault but their own . Dukat eagerly agrees with Sisko ' s empty revelation as Sisko plays along , asking Dukat why the Bajorans failed to appreciate the kinder and gentler oversight he offered them . Dukat insists that the Bajorans were small - minded , ignorant fools , that the Cardassians were clearly the superior race , and they did not choose to be so – fate handed them that role . At the height of his furious insanity , Dukat now confesses his hatred for the Bajorans and everything about them , from their religion and their Bajoran earring s to their " " broken , wrinkled noses . " " He is most infuriated by their wishes for equality to the Cardassians . Sisko , still playing along , suggests to Dukat that maybe he should have killed them all . Dukat agrees with this assessment quite enthusiastically , proclaiming he should have " " turned their planet into a graveyard the likes of which the galaxy has never seen ! " " Suddenly , Sisko strikes Dukat from behind with the same metal pole Dukat used on him and declares , in his most bitingly sarcastic tone , " " And that is why you ' re NOT an evil man . " " Act Five . Sisko finds his way to the shuttle through a sandstorm , discovering that it is still operational . As Sisko is about to depart , however , Dukat attacks Sisko and a fight ensues . Dukat then forces Sisko out into the sandstorm while brandishing a phaser . Before Dukat departs , he thanks Sisko for their time together , promising they will not be seeing each other for awhile , and vowing " " from this day forward , Bajor is dead ! All of Bajor ! " " As the doors to the shuttle close , Dukat with his hallucinations of Weyoun , Kira , and Damar all keeping him company , smiles over an unconscious Sisko lying in the sandstorm . It is finally time for the " Defiant " to leave the system in order to rendezvous with the troop convoy . As Worf orders the course set , the ship suddenly receives a hail from Gul Dukat , who lets the crew know where Captain Sisko is located . Dax awakens Sisko , reporting that she notified Starfleet of Dukat ' s last known position and insisting that they ' ll find him . Sisko disagrees about the possibility of his capture and begins to discuss life , about how it seems complicated and that it sometimes appears everything is a shade of gray , that there is nothing truly good or evil . He then explains to Dax that after spending some time with Dukat , he has come to realize there that there is truly unambiguous evil . Dax points out that realizing the truth is one thing , but doing something about it is another . Sisko then makes clear what he is going to do about it ; he makes a vow to stop Dukat from destroying Bajor . Memorable quotes . " " You and Major Kira took care of her for almost a year . I want to thank you for that ; it was very generous . " " " " Ziyal was a very special young woman . It was a pleasure to have her with us , even if it was only a short time . " " " " A short time was all she ever had . " " " " Whose signal are you transmitting ? Starfleet ' s , or the Dominion ' s ? " " " " I ' m sending out a general distress call . Whoever gets here first will find one comrade in arms , and one prisoner . That ' s fair , isn ' t it ? " " " " The " Emissary " has spoken . " " " " Benjamin , just a few hours ago I was a prisoner on my way to trial and you were my dear old friend come to visit me in my cell . Now look at us . I ' m free , and you ' re a prisoner of your own battered body and there ' s a good chance we ' ll be rescued by the Dominion . You ' ve got to laugh at a universe that allows such radical shifts in fortune , Benjamin . " " " " I will laugh when a Federation starship arrives and puts you back in a cell . " " " " You brought it on yourself , you know . " " " " Just like all your victims . " " " " All my victims . It always comes back to that , doesn ' t it ? All my crimes . I ' m such a monster , such an evil man . Behold . . . Benjamin Sisko : supreme arbiter of right and wrong in the universe . A man of such high moral caliber that he can sit in judgment on all the rest of us . " " " " What the hell do you want from me ? ! My approval ? Is that what this is all about ? You want me to give you my permission to cause more suffering and death ? Well , if that ' s what you ' re after , you might as well pull out that phaser and end this right now because I will never give it to you ! " " " " Good ! ! Good ; I like this . No more pretense , no games . Just you , me and the truth . " " " " What do you know about the truth ? You bend the truth into whatever shape suits you . " " " " The Bajorans understand a clenched fist , not an open hand . " " " " Being reasonable only made us bolder . " " " " The Dominion would ' ve killed every man , woman and child on Bajor long ago . " " " " From the moment we arrived on Bajor it was clear that we were the superior race , but they couldn ' t accept that . They wanted to be treated as equals , when they most certainly were not . Militarily , technologically , culturally – we were almost a century ahead of them in every way . We did not choose to be the superior race . Fate handed us that role and it would have been so much easier on everyone if the Bajorans had simply accepted their role . But no . . . day after day they clustered in their temples and prayed for deliverance and night after night they planted bombs outside of our homes . Pride . . stubborn , unyielding pride . From the servant girl that cleaned my quarters , to the condemned man toiling in a labor camp , to the terrorist skulking through the hills of Dahkur Province . . . they all wore their pride like some . . . twisted badge of honor . " " " " And you hated them for it . " " " " Of course I hated them ! I hated everything about them ! Their superstitions and their cries for sympathy , their treachery and their lies , their smug superiority and their stiff - necked obstinacy , their earrings , and their broken , wrinkled noses ! " " " " You should have killed them all , hm ? " " " " Yes ! Yes ! ! That ' s right , isn ' t it ? ! I knew it . I ' ve always known it . I should ' ve killed every last one of them ! I should ' ve turned their planet into a graveyard the likes of which the galaxy had never seen ! I should ' ve killed them all . " " " " And " that " is why you ' re not an evil man . " " " " I ' m so glad we had this time together , Benjamin , because we won ' t be seeing each other for a while . I have unfinished business on Bajor . They thought I was their enemy . They don ' t know what it is to be my enemy , but they will . From this day forward , Bajor is dead ! All of Bajor ! ! And this time , even their Emissary won ' t be able to save them ! " " " " Sometimes life seems so complicated , nothing is truly good or truly evil . Everything seems to be a shade of grey . And then you spend some time with a man like Dukat , and you realize that there is such a thing as truly evil . " " " " To realize that is one thing . To do something about it is another . So what are you going to do ? " " " " I ' ll tell you what I ' m not going to do , I ' m not going to let him destroy Bajor . I fear no evil . From now on , it ' s him or me . " " Links and references . References . Alpha Quadrant ; arbiter ; assassination ; Badlands ; Bajor ; Bajoran s ; Bajoran Resistance ; bone regenerator ; brig ; Cardassia ; Cardassian s ; Cardassian border ; Cardassian Central Command ; Cardassian destroyer ; Cardassian Empire ; Cardassian orbital drydock ; cast ; child labor ; ; Cox ; Dahkur Province ; death rate ; distress beacon ; distress call ; dizziness ; Dominion ; Emissary of the Prophets ; escape pod ; explosive decompression ; Federation ; Federation Special Jury ; Federation troop convoy ; field ration s ; Glinn ; ; kanar ; kindling ; " Kornaire " ; medkit ; meter ; Milky Way Galaxy ; murder ; Occupation of Bajor ; " Old Man " ; Orion slave girl ; pepper ; plasma conduit ; plasma field s ; Prefect ; Prophet s ; radio silence ; ration pack s ; sadism ; salt ; Shakaar government ; shrapnel ; ; soup ; spitting ; Starbase 621 ; Tora Ziyal ; tricorder ; Type 6 shuttlecraft ;