1168. Gods of WarPUBLICATION: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #25, Malibu Comics, July 1995
CREATORS: Dan Mishkin (writer), Leonard Kirk and John Montgomery (artists)
STARDATE: Unknown (follows the last issue)
PLOT: As the Aresians prepare to invade the Alpha Quadrant in search of their stolen orb, Sisko allies with the Cardassians to defend the Wormhole. The Warlords manage to destroy a Cardassian ship thanks to information sold to them by the roguish Lance Crockett who promptly gets shot by a Cardassian for his treachery. While battle rages outside the station, Kira undergoes a crisis of faith and has a orb experience. She then asks to speak to the Warlords and tells them what was revealed to her - that the Prophets evidently chose them as well, and while she may not agree with their path, hers has not been stellar either. She gives the Aresians their orb back and they leave, perhaps having learned that the goal may be more important than the means.
CONTINUITY: See previous issues (Orbs, Kai Winn). Morn scores a cameo. Kai Opaka appears in Kira's vision. Dukat appears (in reality).
DIVERGENCES: None (though I'm surprised Winn gave up an orb so easily).
PANEL OF THE DAY - The Aresian flagship
REVIEW: This double-sized issue has lots of nicely put together space battles, but at the heart of the story is Kira's faith. Mishkin asks a relevant question about Bajoran morality and how it was shaped by the Prophets. After all, for all their spirituality, they're still an unruly mob and formed a violence resistance. Is an "Orb of War" so far fetched then? The trilogy has given us a Bajoran cultural episode, an episode full of hand-to-hand action, and this space opera/moral fable, and I'm confident in saying it might have made an interesting DS9 two-parter for tv. Too bad about Crockett getting killed. I thought the writer liked him a lot more than that.
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