Blood Oath (DS9 episode)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Blood Oath" is the nineteenth episode of the second season of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Original airdate: March 27, 1994. Written by Peter Allan Fields. Directed by Winrich Kolbe.

Quick Overview: Jadzia Dax honors an oath made by Curzon Dax to a group of Klingons.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Koloth is not amused to find Kor imprisoned and highly intoxicated.

Quark complains to Odo that a drunken Klingon named Kor is ruining his holosuite and Odo takes the man to a holding cell. Koloth, one of Kor's friends, comes to release him; however, when he sees Kor is still quite drunk, he tells Odo to keep him. Dax overhears Odo telling Kira about the incident and has Kor released. She reveals to him and to Koloth that she was Curzon Dax, or at least the symbiont inside her was. Kor and Koloth realize that another friend, Kang has set this meeting up on purpose

Kang informs the other three that he has found "the Albino," a man whose heart all four swore a blood oath to eat. However, while Kor embraces Jadzia immediately and Koloth slowly accepts her, Kang is skeptical of her involvement in the mission. He cites that Trill hosts have no obligation to honor past commitments and tells her that she is released from Curzon's oath. Confiding in Kira, Dax nonetheless feels obliged to fulfill it.

Dax talks to Kor, who is as joyful as ever. His response to her desire to participate is, "Oh, of course you should come! The splendor of fighting and killing, a bloodbath in the cause of vengeance — who wouldn't want to come!" After a bat'leth duel with Dax, Koloth tells her that her presence will do honor to their cause. Kang remains adamant but Dax presses the matter. After all, Curzon was the godfather of Kang's son whom the Albino killed, and he cannot deny her right to vengeance. Finally, begrudgingly, Kang agrees to allow her to come but does not approve.

Sisko beats Dax to the punch and comes to her quarters to tell her she may not have a leave of absence to kill the Albino. He does not understand the concept of murder in the name of vengeance. When Dax begs him not to make her disobey a direct order, he does not directly give her permission to go but does not stop her either.

On the way to the Albino's hideaway, the Klingons and Jadzia discuss the logistics of their surprise assault. Koloth and Kor march out of the room triumphantly, but Dax stays to confront Kang. While the others may be blinded by their loyalty to Kang, she is able to see that the plan is doomed and demands to know why Kang wants to commit suicide. Finally, Kang reveals that when he first learned the Albino's location, he visited the system to see if it was true and was contacted by the Albino. The Albino offered Kang a "glorious" battle against forty of the Albino's best warriors and Kang accepted, believing that if he could not kill the Albino, he could die trying.

Claiming Klingons embrace death far too easily, Dax helps Kang and the others come up with a new strategy. By using a disruptor field to disable energy weapons, they force the Albino's warriors to fight using traditional methods and storm the compound. Koloth dies during the attack and the Albino manages to mortally wound Kang, but Dax pins the Albino so he is at her mercy. He dares her to kill him believing she will not; she does not, instead allowing Kang the honor. "It is a good day to die," Kang utters before dying.