September 26th, 1993, "The Homecoming"
Let me say up front that I don't think the Circle trilogy turned out very well. A valiant attempt at serialization, but it was way too early in the show to try something like this.
Fiver by Marc
The Episode
ODO: You're up to something.
QUARK: Why would you say that?
ODO: Because you're always up to something.
Odo gets a lot of mileage out of this "you're acting like yourself, this is not a surprise" joke, doesn't he?
QUARK: Must I quote you the seventy-sixth Rule of Acquisition?
ROM: The seventy-sixth rule?
QUARK: Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies.
A very wise rule.
JAKE: I've got some great news.
SISKO: You passed your algebra test.
JAKE: Better than that.
SISKO: You learned out how to hit Bob Gibson's fast ball.
JAKE: No, even better.
Chakoteya was nice enough to link to Gibson's entry at baseball-reference.com. Gibson was a pitcher for the Cardinals in the sixties and seventies. Someone on the staff must've been a fan, because I'm shocked they didn't invoke Buck Bokai again.
JAKE: I was just wondering if you had any ideas what we could do. I was thinking of taking her to the holosuites.
SISKO: The holosuites? I don't think so.
JAKE: Why not?
SISKO: Because you're too young to take a girl to the holosuites.
I must question Sisko's position. The implication that all holosuite programs are sexual by default is something that might've made sense a year ago, but Quark has had plenty of time to obtain family-friendly programs.
I hope this isn't a general "I won't let you be alone with a girl, who knows what kind of hanky-panky you'll get up to" thing. He's taught Jake better than that.
SISKO: One Raktajino with a jacarine peel.
I can't imagine Klingon coffee would taste good with a fruit flavor added. We know that Klingons enjoy tea, couldn't Sisko order one of those?
SISKO: One icoberry torte.
I was surprised at how seldom icoberry tortes are mentioned on the show. As in twice, with a third mention in the form of icoberry juice. They make Jadzia's spots itch, you know...
KIRA: I need to borrow a runabout.
SISKO: For what?
Like I've already said, Kira should have a ship at her disposal as the liason officer. This is just a clunky way to provide an excuse for exposition.
KIRA: You really don't want to ask me that.
SISKO: It's too late. I already asked.
KIRA: You don't want to know the answer.
SISKO: Major, I can't loan you a Starfleet runabout without knowing where you plan on taking it.
KIRA: To Cardassia Four to rescue a Bajoran prisoner of war.
SISKO: You're right. I wish you hadn't told me.
Hehe.
KIRA: His body was never found. Look, Commander, I wouldn't be asking this if I thought there was another way to rescue Li. But Bajoran ships don't have the manoeuvrability or defensive capabilities to get me safely in and out of Cardassian territory.
I find the notion that there isn't a single Bajoran ship in the system that is as capable as a runabout absolutely ludicrous. And as I've mentioned before, the Bajoran Militia on the station should've been a given a runabout by now.
KIRA: Commander, you and I both know the provisional government is made up of political opportunists too busy fighting among themselves to care what happens to Bajor. Since the loss of the Kai, the situation has only gone from bad to worse. There are reports of factional fighting in half a dozen districts, religious riots have spread throughout the southern islands. Bajor needs a leader. Someone the people will listen to. Someone they can trust.
It's been a year and things haven't improved at all? Sure the loss of Opaka would be a setback, but I can't believe that things are still this bad. Furthermore, I would expect there to be ONE faction that would want to put as many Resistance leaders into positions of power ASAP.
O'BRIEN: The Circle, huh. What gives them the right to mess up our station?
ODO: They're an extremist faction who believe in Bajor for the Bajorans. All other species are inferior and should be expelled from the planet.
Ugh. UGH. Once again, something that would fit better in the first season. Has it not been proven yet that if the Federation left Bajor Dukat would be here with a fleet the next day?
SISKO: Supposing I do help, and she does rescue Li Nalas. What do we say to the Cardassians?
DAX: The question is, what do they say to us? They swore they released all their Bajoran prisoners.
This is a key problem. Suppose you prove that Cardassia still has Bajoran prisoners, then what? The Federation has made clear that they can't afford another war, there is no threat that Sisko can make that would not speed up said war.
SISKO: Now, is there any way we can prevent the Cardassian sensors from picking up the runabout's signature?
O'BRIEN: I could modulate the engine's power emissions, reconfigure the deflector shield grid, and install field buffers around the subspace emitter coil. By the time I'm done, the Cardassians will think they're reading a Lissepian transport.
Or, y'know, you could ask for Quark's help to obtain the use of a REAL Lissepian transport. It would be easier.
SISKO: You're an excellent pilot, Major, but Mister O'Brien here is better.
"He's even able to manually dock the Enterprise!"