The Jem’Hadar

Stardate not given: Sisko decides to take Jake and Nog to the Gamma Quadrant so they can survey an unexplored planet for a school science project, but is not so happy when Quark tags along to try to curry favor with the station commander. But even Quark becomes a minor inconvenience when a female of an unknown species stumbles across Sisko’s camp while the boys are off collecting firewood. Alien warriors known as the Jem’Hadar appear out of nowhere using personal cloaking devices and take Sisko, Quark and the fugitive Eris prisoner. Eris reveals that the Jem’Hadar are the most feared and ruthless soldiers in the Dominion, a Gamma Quadrant government which has oft been spoken of by those from the other side of the wormhole, but has yet to make a personal appearance. One of the Jem’Hadar visits the station and delivers an ultimatum to Kira – the Dominion will no longer tolerate unwanted guests from the Alpha Quadrant in their territory. Starfleet sends the Galaxy class starship Odyssey to retrieve Sisko and the others, but even the tallest ship of the fleet cannot withstand the brute force of the Jem’Hadar.

written by Ira Steven Behr
directed by Kim Friedman
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Avery Brooks (Commander Benjamin Sisko), Rene Auberjonois (Odo), Siddig El Fadil (Dr. Julian Bashir), Terry Farrell (Lt. Jadzia Dax), Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien), Armin Shimerman (Quark), Nana Visitor (Major Kira Nerys), Alan Oppenheimer (Captain Keogh), Aron Eisenberg (Nog), Cress Williams (Telon), Molly Hagan (Eris), Michael Jace (1st Officer), Sandra Grando (2nd Officer), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

Notes: Eris’ ability to generate a coherent burst of energy from her own body to use as a weapon was never seen again in other Vorta; either this ability was unique to her, or it was part of the charade. The use of a Galaxy class starship to demonstrate the Jem’Hadar’s offensive power was deliberate; producer Ira Steven Behr has commented that even the Enterprise-D probably would have been destroyed if it had shown up in the Odyssey’s place.