Tacking into the Wind

"Tacking Into the Wind" is the 172nd episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The episode was written by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Mike Vejar.^[1]

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet-managed space station Deep Space Nine near the planet Bajor, as the Bajorans recover from a decades-long occupation by the imperialistic Cardassians. The later seasons of the series follow a war between the United Federation of Planets, allied with the Klingons, and an expansionist empire known as the Dominion, which has already absorbed Cardassia; the Dominion is ruled by the shapeshifting Changelings.

This is the sixth episode of the nine-episode concluding story arc of the series, which brings the Dominion War and other story elements to a close. In episodes preceding this one, the Cardassian leader Damar has launched a rebellion against Dominion rule, and Bajoran officer Kira Nerys has been sent to aid Damar's rebellion; the Dominion's allies, the Breen, have developed a weapon that can disable Federation ships, leaving the Klingons the only line of defense against the Dominion; and the Federation's shadowy black ops agency, Section 31, has infected the Changeling Founders of the Dominion with a deadly virus, using DS9's security chief Odo, a rogue Changeling, as a carrier. In this episode, Kira and Damar attempt to steal a Breen energy weapon for the rebellion, while the Klingon chancellor Gowron orders his fleet into dangerous missions that risk the war effort.