DS9 Stories/News: Bajoran Life Part (2)

BAJORAN LANGUAGE

Established words and phrases 

• Amoran – banished (DS9: “The Assignment“)
• Bantaca – name for a traditional spire made out of thousands of interlocked stones, marked with the coordinates of the town or city they represent (DS9: “Rapture“)
• D’jarras – ancient Bajoran caste system (DS9: “Accession“)
• Duranja – lamp for the dead: candle suspended by chains from four pillars (DS9: “Shakaar“)
• Ha’mara – religious festival to celebrate the arrival of the Emissary of the Prophets (DS9: “Starship Down“)
• Itanu – ceremony carried out when a child reaches the age of fourteen (DS9: “Accession“)
• Kosst – to be (DS9: “The Assignment“)
• Pagh – the life energy or soul of a person (DS9: “Emissary“, et al.)
• Pagh’tem’far – a sacred vision granted by the Prophets (DS9: “Rapture“)
• Peldar Joi – greeting used during the Gratitude Festival (DS9: “Fascination“)
• Shawn – swamp, rhymes with Irish name Seán (DS9: “Let He Who Is Without Sin…“)

Site: http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Bajoran_language

Religious terms Edit

• Ranjen – a monk, usually a title given as an honor (DS9: “The Reckoning“)
• Prylar – a monk or priest (DS9: “The Collaborator“)
• Vedek – a senior member of the Bajoran clergy (DS9: “In the Hands of the Prophets“)
• Kai – a leader of the Bajoran clergy (DS9: “Emissary“)
• Kosst Amojan – also known as Koss’moran, another name for the Pah-wraiths; translates as the banished ones (DS9: “The Assignment“)
• Pagh – the eternal soul (DS9: “Emissary“)
• Pagh-tem-far – a spiritual vision sent by the Prophets (DS9: “Rapture“)

Measurements

• Kellipate – a measure of distance (DS9: “Progress“)
• Tessipate – a measure of land area used on Bajor (DS9: “Progress“, “Children of Time“)
• Kerripate – a fraction of a tessipate (DS9: “Children of Time“)

DS9 Stories/News: The Federation Leaders In the Dominion War (1)

Site: http://dominion.tvheaven.com/fedpers.html

Capt. Benjamin Sisko

The plucky if somewhat unstable commander of Deep Space 9 and the USS Defiant, and emissary of the Bajoran prophets, Sisko is considered the Federation’s key military commander in the Alpha Quadrant War. Because of the strategic importance of Sisko’s command, he has played a pivotal role in many of the Dominion’s skirmishes with the Federation Alliance. Despite Sisko’s dogged tendency to survive his encounters with the Dominion’s usually invincible Jem’hadar soldiers, these successes are attributable mainly to luck, and it is his connection with the worm hole aliens known to the Bajorans as “the prophets” which is considered most significant. Sisko’s rapport with these guardians of our only gateway to the Alpha Quadrant led to the destruction of hundreds of Dominion ships during our first offensive against the Federation Alliance. Sisko was last reported seen in the Bajoran fire caves and is reported by some (mostly unreliable) sources to have “ascended” to the “temple of the prophets.”

Admiral Ross

Fleet commander for the Federation forces arrayed against the Dominion, Ross usually has a terrific view of Starfleet vessels being disemboweled by the Dominion from his comfy office, well behind the lines. Though the nominal commander of the Federation forces, Ross acts, in truth, as little more than a mouthpiece for Sisko’s ideas.

Commander Worf

Sisko’s slow-witted right hand man, Worf is the Federation’s token Klingon officer, easy to anger or confuse. This thundering lummox previously served as chief of security aboard the USS Enterprise before transferring to DS9 during the brief Federation-Klingon war in order to sell out his people. Captured by the Breen, briefly held by the Dominion at our installation on Cardassia Prime, and ultimately freed by the traitorous Legate Damar, Worf is at large in the Alpha Quadrant but considered to be of little threat.

Dax

Joined Trill, once science officer and current counselor on DS9, former mate to Worf, and long time friend and mentor to Sisko, the Dax symbiont has been hosted by both Ezri and Jadzia Dax during the course of the Alpha Quadrant War. Despite its extreme longevity, Dax seems to have learned little during its long life. Jadzia was slain by former Dominion ally Legate Dukat during one of several ill-fated associations with the Bajoran pah-wraith, Costa Mogen. Ezri received the Dax symbiont following this incident during an emergency transplant and has proven emotionally unstable and generally unfit as a host. She is currently stationed aboard DS9.

DS9 Stories/News: So You Want To Watch Star Trek: DS9? – Season 2

Source: http://directgeek.com/2011/11/so-you-want-to-watch-star-trek-ds9-season-2/

Previously: A primer on the series, and a guide to season 1.

At first glance, the second season seems like a bit of a mixed bag.  For good reason, though! The first season introduces you to the cast, the governments, and the societies of the show. The second season asks you to question your assumptions about them.  Cowardly Bajorans, socially progressive Cardassians, brave Ferengi, and at one point Jake wears a good-looking jumpsuit.

LOL, j/k.

It’s gonna blow your mind.

2×01-03: The Homecoming, The Circle, and The Siege

Internet, I tried. I watched them again with an eye to “can I let the Internet skip these? Can I really?” And I couldn’t decide. I leave you to make your own choice, but I want it to be an informed decision.

The cons:

• Garak isn’t in these episodes.
• You have to watch Vedek Bareil, and he’s really boring. Plus he wears a lot of orange. He shouldn’t do that.
• Bajoran politics and Bajoran religion are deeply intertwined, and Bajoran religion is insufferable.
• The events in these episodes do not permanently affect the status quo on the station. Things end up pretty much where they began.

The pros:

• There are some Cardassians.
• Hollow folk heroes are the best folk heroes! I’m a big fan of the way these episodes deal with the willful misinterpretation of history.
• 
• The Siege is an actual siege, and a siege episode is always fun.

Choose wisely. If you only watch one of them, I’d say watch 1×03. It’s got the least yadda yadda and the most action.

2×04: Invasive Procedures

Also known as The One Where Lionel Luthor is a Trill. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then consider me duly embarrassed for admitting to you that I watched Smallville.

If you don’t have the benefit of years of Smallville knowledge and experience, then you may not realize that this episode establishes many of its themes and life lessons. Namely:

1. Don’t date a Luthor.
2. Don’t allow a Luthor to undergo any sort of medical procedure whatsoever.
3. Your friends will one day shoot you.

2×05: Cardassians

I swear I’m gonna skip some episodes soon, but come on. Come on. It’s called Cardassians. I’m constitutionally incapable of skipping it, and furthermore it’s rather worthwhile.

I want to point out two important things about this episode. First, the people who are milling around in the background during the opening scene.

This is why I love you, Star Trek.

The second is the fact that you should never, ever bite Elim Garak. There is an entire book written about why you should never do this.

In any case, this is the first of many episodes about why Garak is the best. He survives a biting, conducts political shenanigans, changes out of his watermelon outfit, does volunteer computer maintenance for an orphanage (what a guy!), surreptitiously trains Dr. Bashir to be a vicious political operative, and then he changes back into his watermelon outfit. It’s a busy day for him.

2×08: Necessary Evil

This is about how Odo got his job during the Cardassian occupation. I don’t consider it a particularly strong episode, but if you’re super into Odo (he has his puddingy appeal), then this is an episode for you. But, to be frank, you should really just skip to 2×12.

2×10: Sanctuary

The “Dominion”, you say? Why, that does sound menacing!

2×12: The Alternate

In case you didn’t guess this within one minute of meeting Odo, I’ll spoil it for you: Odo’s pseudo-dad is a creepy asshole.  In this episode we meet creepy dad, and Odo’s distant cousin, Plant-Mold-Thing! Plant-Mold-Thing is reportedly silicon-based, canonically proving that Odo is related to the Horta.

Captain Kirk meets Mrs. Odo.

2×17: Playing God

You don’t absolutely have to watch this one, I just want you to know how cute Cardassian voles are.

?

Okay but for real, this is an episode about how Jadzia Dax would be the best, were it not for Garak. As it stands, she is a very, very close second best.

Oh, also the station adopts a baby. A baby universe. As you do.

2×18: Profit and Loss

You need to believe me when I tell you that Quark is the romantic lead of this series. The main event of this episode, however, is Cardassians.

Cardassians.

Because, while Bajoran politics are as much fun as single barrel of dead monkeys, Cardassian politics are twenty barrels of AMAZEBALLS.

Whatever, Garak, you know what I mean.

Romance! Dissidents! The threat of imminent interstellar war! Subterfuge! Garak hitting on Sisko! Betrayal! The longest, most stretched-thin fashion-as-politics metaphor you will ever witness! Garak doing things! Garak saying things! Garak standing around silently! Speaking of which…

2×22: The Wire

This episode is better than the entire television series of the same name. [Ed. note: Gabby has never seen the HBO series "The Wire".]  

When beginning this post, I was aware of the danger of writing a thousand-word love letter to this episode. So I’m just going to tell you to focus on the way Andy Robinson (Garak) enunciates “stimulate”.

Stiiiiiiimulate.

Watch this or else, Internet.

2×23: Crossover

If you’re new to Star Trek, then you may not be familiar with something we locals call The Mirrorverse.  It’s a lot like the universe you’re already familiar with, only with more dramatic lighting and orgies. Ever seen the episode(s) of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer in which they visit an alternate universe where everyone is really slutty? It’s like that. Everyone is really slutty in Mirrorverse.

Everyone.

2×25: Tribunal

I care about Miles O’Brien once a season. This episode is that once.

2×26: The Jem’Hadar

Second time I’m gonna say this: a strange choice for a season finale. I promise the third season finale makes more sense in tone. Except for Jake’s outfit.

Spoilers: nobody knows wtf is wrong with Jake.

Technically speaking, you should watch this episode. It explains some basic Gamma Quadrant stuff, and Sisko and Quark are forced to hang out together for an entire episode. There is some space battle, and you get to see ships shaped like beetles.  It’s okay. It’s the gateway to the third season.

In the next post: Planet: Pudding! Quark’s wife! Species-swap! Sex pollen! Time travel! Dreamscape! Moar Mirrorverse! Garak’s daddy issues! Quark’s mommy issues! Jadzia’s Curzon issues!