When the river wakes, stirred once more to Janir's side, three vipers will return to their nest in the sky... when the vipers try to peer through the temple gates, a sword of stars will appear in the heavens, the temple will burn and the gates will be cast open.
The above prophecy is Trakor's Third, and it is because of this prophecy that a Bajoran cleric by the name of Yarka travels to the station and begs Sisko to halt joint Federation and Cardassian attempts to establish a means to communicate with ships in the Gamma Quadrant. Yarka informs Sisko that the river has indeed finally returned to Janir and expresses his belief that the "three vipers" of the prophecy are the Cardassian scientists who will soon be arriving to assist with the project. Sisko is skeptical - for one thing, only two Cardassian scientists are on their way - and he tells Yarka he has no intention of stopping the project. Yarka urges Sisko to reconsider; he believes the Cardassians will destroy the Celestial Temple.
Ulani Belor and Gilora Rejal, both representatives of the Cardassian science ministry, arrive shortly after Yarka delivers his warning, and they turn out to be incredibly amiable and cosmopolitan (hilariously, later in the episode, Gilora even comes on to O'Brien in a great example of cross-cultural miscommunication). This prompts Sisko to remark that Ulani and Gilora are just about the friendliest "vipers" he's ever met. Then Ulani tells Sisko that a third colleague of hers will be arriving later that day. This stops Kira short. "There are going to be three of them," she breathes.
When Sisko and the others head out in the Defiant to deploy the communications array in the Gamma Quadrant, other elements of the prophecy apparently come true. Almost as soon as they arrive in the Gamma Quadrant, for instance, sensors detect a rogue comet that is on course to narrowly miss the mouth of the wormhole. Kira identifies this comet at once as the "sword of stars," prompting a reprimand from Sisko. In their private conversation, Kira admits that she does believe Sisko is the Emissary of the Prophets and tries to persuade him that the "wormhole aliens" (as Starfleet calls them) - as beings who exist outside of linear time - could certainly have communicated knowledge of the future to a Bajoran named Trakor. Sisko replies that Trakor's prophecy is open to interpretation and apologizes for his disbelief.
Then, later, as the Cardassian scientists are attempting to make contact with the communications array back on DS9, one of their carrier waves radically increases the gravity well of the wormhole, altering the comet's course so that it will now directly impact the wormhole itself. If this impact takes place, Dax and Ulani warn, the wormhole will collapse. When the science team discusses the new developments amongst themselves, it is decided that O'Brien will modify the Defiant's phasers so they can emit a wide beam that will evenly vaporize the comet. This plan fails, however; Dejar, the third Cardassian - who is revealed to be a member of the Obsidian Order - sabotages the main emitter coupling, causing the entire weapons relay to blow in the middle of their attempt to destroy the comet. The comet shatters into three pieces that are still on course to hit the wormhole.
Sisko and Kira then go out in a shuttlepod to surround the three comet fragments in a warp bubble and guide them safely through the wormhole. Some of the silithium in the comet's core leaks during Sisko's trip through the wormhole, however, and this trail of silithium effectively wedges the wormhole open. When Sisko comes out on the other side, O'Brien discovers that DS9 is receiving the test signal from the communications array in the Gamma Quadrant. On the shuttlepod, Kira and Sisko realize that the prophecy has come true after all - just not in the way they expected. The "three vipers" are the three comet fragments, and the silithium in these fragments caused the temple to "burn," casting open "the temple gates."
Overall: 8.7
Like In the Hands of the Prophets, Destiny is in many ways quite groundbreaking for Trek.
Writing: 9.0
One thing I particularly like about this episode is the fact that no character is given short shrift, even if their beliefs are quite different from the writers' own. The scene that perhaps best illustrates the writers' extraordinary fair-mindedness is Yarka's scene at the end of the episode. Yarka's interpretation of the prophecy, of course, turns out to be wrong, but the writers don't portray him as a dogmatic idiot. Instead, they portray him as thoughtful and ready to admit his mistakes and his biases.
Acting: 8.0
Performance-wise, Destiny is a solid outing across the board. I particularly enjoy watching Nana Visitor's reactions as the episode unfolds. For example, watch Kira's face when Yarka tells her to spend more time studying the ancient texts. You can see in that moment that Yarka's admonishment has cut to the quick. Also outstanding is Kira's reaction to Ulani's announcement that a third Cardassian will be joining their team - or Kira's reaction to the discovery of the rogue comet. In each of these scenes, Nana Visitor very effectively conveys her character's deep faith.
Message: 9.0
But in the end, the most astonishing thing about this episode is the fact that the writers permitted a prophecy to be fulfilled - that they opened their minds to the possibility that religious texts may contain within them something that is true. As I noted in the beginning, this is a monumental leap for Trek.
Some other things I like about this episode:
1) The writers' attitude toward Sacred Scripture is very Catholic. One thing this episode continuously emphasizes is the fact that Scripture, because it is written in the literary forms of the ancients, is often difficult to interpret. There is, in reality, no "plain sense" of the Scripture that an individual can discover without an interpretive tradition to back him up.
However, since God speaks in sacred Scripture through men in human fashion, the interpreter of scared Scripture, in order to see clearly what God wanted to communicate to us, should carefully investigate what meaning the sacred writers really intended, and what God wanted to manifest by means of their words. - Dei Verbum
2) We also have this fantastic scene between Sisko and Odo (highlighted below) in which the writers acknowledge that the Starfleet worldview can color one's perceptions of events just as thoroughly as can any religious worldview. A similar acknowledgment was made in In the Hands of the Prophets, and it is nice to see it repeated here. Too often, folks of the secular humanist persuasion entertain the illusion that somehow they are the only ones who are assessing the universe impartially - that they are the only ones who are putting together the facts without being influenced by "philosophy" or "faith". In reality, everyone has to base their conclusions on a set of unprovable assumptions, among them the idea that the laws of the universe are accessible to the human senses and are consistent no matter where you are.
3) Lastly, we once again see religious people behaving in wholly rational, logical ways. We have Yarka's admission at the end of the episode, which I described above, but we also have the entirely sensible argument Kira presents to Sisko regarding the legitimacy of Trakor's prophecy - an argument whose logic not even a Starfleet officer can casually dismiss as religious raving.
Bottom line, this episode once again highlights DS9's more respectful treatment of religion - and it is pretty clever to boot.
Highlights:
DAX: Where did you get real Kanar?
QUARK: I've had three cases in my storeroom since the occupation. There hasn't been much call for it the past few years, but that's about to change.
SISKO: There are only two Cardassians coming to the station. How much Kanar do you think they can drink?
QUARK: There may only be two for now, but there'll be more, thanks to the peace treaty.
DAX: And as the thirty fourth Rule of Acquisition states, peace is good for business.
QUARK: That's the thirty fifth Rule.
DAX: Oh, you're right. What's the thirty fourth?
QUARK: War is good for business. It's easy to get them confused. (Heh.)
ODO: It turns out that Vedek Yarka is no longer a Vedek at all. He was stripped of his title two months ago.
SISKO: Why?
ODO: Officially, for teachings not in keeping with the Bajoran faith. But according to my sources, he was defrocked because he led a series of protests against the Vedek Assembly when they endorsed the peace treaty with Cardassia.
SISKO: So Yarka may be using this prophecy as a way to scuttle the peace treaty.
ODO: That would seem to be his agenda. And it's probably coloring his view of the prophecy, just as your agenda colors how you see it.
SISKO: I don't have an agenda, Odo. I want this project to succeed because I want the peace treaty to succeed. If I thought for a moment there was any possibility that this communications relay could cause damage to the wormhole, I'd put a stop to it right now.
ODO: That's not the agenda I was referring to, Commander.
SISKO: Oh?
ODO: I was referring to your desire to distance yourself from the title of Emissary. It's just an observation, of course, but it's always seemed to me that you've never been comfortable with it.
SISKO: I can't deny that. Are you suggesting that I'm dismissing this prophecy too easily because I don't want to be the Emissary?
ODO: I'm not suggesting anything. But it's been my experience that all humanoids have an agenda of some sort, and that their agendas can influence them without their even realizing it.
SISKO: The Sword of Stars?
KIRA: It certainly looked like that to me.
SISKO: That's open to debate. But what is not debatable is that this prophecy has no place on the Bridge of the Defiant, especially in front of the Cardassians. At the moment they are not even aware of it, and I want to keep it that way.
KIRA: You're right. It won't happen again.
SISKO: I take it, Major, that you believe the prophecy is coming true?
KIRA: Yes, I do.
SISKO: So you think I should call this mission off?
KIRA: Look at what's happened already. The river has returned to Janir, the three vipers, now the Sword of Stars. Each of them predicted by Trakor's prophecy. And then there's you, the Emissary. You're here. You have a decision to make just like in the prophecy.
SISKO: Do you really believe that I'm the Emissary?
KIRA: I guess I always have. I never wanted to admit it to myself. It's hard to work for someone who's a religious icon.
SISKO: I hope I don't offend your beliefs, but I don't see myself as an icon, religious or otherwise. I'm a Starfleet Officer, and I have a mission to accomplish. If I call it off, it has to be for some concrete reason, something solid, something Starfleet.
KIRA: All right, how about this? The Prophets, the aliens who live in the wormhole as you call them, exist outside of linear time. They know the past, present, and the future.
SISKO: Agreed.
KIRA: It seems perfectly reasonable that they could've communicated knowledge of the future to a Bajoran named Trakor. He wrote down that knowledge in the form of a prophecy and now, three thousand years later, we are seeing those events unfold. To me, that reasoning sounds concrete, solid - I'd even call it Starfleet.
SISKO: But that all hinges on how you interpret an ancient text that's been translated and re-translated over the centuries - words that were couched in metaphor to begin with. I'm sorry, Major, but where you see a Sword of Stars, I see a comet. Where you see vipers, I see three scientists. And where you see the Emissary, I see a Starfleet Officer.
GILORA: What are you doing now?
O'BRIEN: I'm decoupling the servos so they don't lock up.
(Gilora leans against O'Brien and grabs his arm.)
GILORA: You have very steady hands.
O'BRIEN: (uncomfortable) Well they get the job done, I guess. And right now, the most important job is bypassing the plasma emitter.
GILORA: I assure you I'm quite fertile.
(O'Brien straightens in surprise and bumps his head.)
GILORA: I could provide you with many healthy children, if that's your concern, but quite frankly I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself.
O'BRIEN: Children? What are you talking about? I already have a child - and a wife!
GILORA: You're married?
O'BRIEN: Yes, happily!
GILORA: Then why have you been leading me to believe that you wanted me?
O'BRIEN: I haven't! All we've done since we met is argue!
GILORA: I took your overt irritability toward me as a signal that you wished to pursue some physical relationship.
(A light comes on.)
O'BRIEN: Of course! That's how Cardassians, er, do things.
GILORA: Oh, my. I'm afraid this is a case of cross-cultural misunderstanding.
O'BRIEN: I think so. I'm not remotely interested in you. (Gilora looks insulted.) That's not what I meant. No, you are very attractive, and I'm flattered of course --
GILORA: Please, Mister O'Brien, there's no need to continue. You've made your feelings clear. (ROTFL!)
O'BRIEN: I don't believe it.
DAX: What is it, Chief?
O'BRIEN: I'm picking up the test signal from the communications relay.
SISKO [OC]: How is that possible?
DAX: I'm not sure. We're reading a subspace filament leading back through the wormhole. It's acting like some kind of a carrier wave.
O'BRIEN: The comet fragments. They must've left a silithium trail in the wormhole.
(On the shuttlepod.)
SISKO: It's almost like the wormhole was wedged open just a crack - just enough to let subspace signals through.
KIRA: (in awe) The prophecy came true. All of it. We just misinterpreted Trakor's words. The three vipers. He wasn't talking about the Cardassians. He meant the three comet fragments.
SISKO: The communications relay. In a sense we've been trying to peer through the temple gates.
KIRA: The silithium ignited the wormhole, burning the temple gates.
SISKO: So that they never close again.
KIRA: And it's all because the Emissary used the Sword of Stars.
SISKO: And Trakor saw it all three thousand years ago.
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