3. Sons and Daughters

Captain Benjamin Sisko and his crew have been rescued from the planet upon which they were marooned in the previous episode, by the Klingon general Martok 's ship, the Rotarran, on which Worf is first officer. After dropping off Sisko's crew, the Rotarran picks up some new recruits, including Worf's estranged son Alexander, who has joined the Klingon Defense Force without his father's knowledge.

Worf and Alexander argue about Alexander's motivation for joining the military. Worf tells Alexander that he had accepted that his son does not have the heart of a warrior, and he is now confused by Alexander's determination to fight. Later, another member of the crew taunts Alexander about having been raised by humans, and a fight breaks out. Worf breaks up the combat, afraid that Alexander will be injured or killed; Alexander resents Worf's interference, and Martok reprimands him for it. Later, Alexander humiliates himself further when he mistakes a simulation program for an attack on the ship.

Worf attempts to train his son in combat, but the training session quickly breaks down into an argument. Alexander asks if his father plans to send him away yet again, and says that Worf will be glad when he is dead. In an attempt to quash the tension between Worf and Alexander, Martok reassigns Alexander to a transport ship, which provokes another confrontation. This is interrupted by an attack on the Rotarran by Dominion ships.

Alexander distinguishes himself in the ensuing battle by stopping a plasma leak, though he somehow gets himself locked in a room and needs to be rescued. Worf gains a new respect for his son, as well as an understanding that Alexander must choose his own path, and says that he will try to be a better father. The episode ends with Alexander joining the House of Martok, as Worf had done.

Meanwhile, on Deep Space Nine, Dukat brings his daughter Ziyal on board, hoping to use Kira's affection for Ziyal to bring her closer to him. When Ziyal's art is accepted into a prestigious exhibition, Dukat invites Kira to a party to celebrate, sending her a beautiful dress as a gift. Kira is briefly tempted by Dukat's offer, but finds that she cannot face herself in the dress and angrily returns it to him. Ziyal asks Kira not to make her choose between her and Dukat, but Kira tells her there is no choice; Dukat is her father.