How long were Dukat and Winn in the Fire Caves?

[James T. Vader]

So early in the morning the Allied fleet set out for Cardassia and according to Weyoun got there the following night.

Then we have the battle, the rush to Cardassia and the siege of the planet, the occupation, the withdrawal and surrender of the Dominion, brining everyone back to the station for th signing ceremony and the Goodbye\Victory party at Vics.

So how long were Dukat and Winn in the Caves?

 

[Timo]

Possibly all of fifteen minutes, if we don't assume that the scenes we saw spliced in with the war were actually taking place at their seeming slots.

If we do assume that a Fire Caves scene shown between two space battle scenes really took place between those two space battle events, then our duo enters the caves some time before the Axis of Alpha fleet engages the Dominion ships for the first time. So, at least two days, I guess: half a day for all the fighting, one full day for the journey back, half a day for the rather rapidly conducted signing and celebration, and then the obligatory two to six hours from DS9 to Bajor, before Ben Sisko can join the duo.

But apparently about half of that was spent going from the mouth of the caves to the place where there actually was fire, again per the ordering of the scenes. Then half the remainder is for chanting, after which Dukat is poisoned. Beyond that point, we're essentially dealing with immortals and there's nothing wrong with the remaining stay taking, say, a week. During that week, the Dominion would stand down, Cardassia would be occupied by the Axis, and the Female Founder would be taken to DS9 for the signing, and then the celebration would start.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[LiLiKitty]

Well done, Timo! Thanks for the reminder that immortals were involved which can give some allowance regarding time. I find the timing of the various story lines of the Final Chapter to be frustrating because they don't quite line up with each other.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I always explained it--though unfortunately the problem is just poor pacing decisions by the writers--as being the result of time dilation due to proximity to the Fire Caves themselves, so that time inside the caves was proceeding at relativistic speeds. So only a short time for them, but a long time for everyone else.

 

[Timo]

There's also the oddity of Winn and Dukat taking forever to get from the mouth of the caves to the Pit of Doom chamber, whereas Sisko seemingly gets there in a jiffy. Was Winn deliberately walking Dukat in the long way, for some sadistic reason of hers?

Of course, Sisko would have had the runabout's transporter available for taking a shortcut, even though we see him walking to the scene rather than beaming in. Perhaps the transporter could penetrate less rock than those of large starships, and Sisko had to do some walking as the result? IIRC, there was no establishing shot of the Fire Caves exterior when Sisko arrived, just a shot of his runabout, perhaps supporting the "straight in" theory.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Sindatur]

"In the Fire Caves"?...

Is that what young people are calling it these days?

 

[Amaris]

"In the Fire Caves"?...

Is that what young people are calling it these days?

Only if you don't use protection.

Anyway, I just assumed we were seeing it all spliced together, and paid no mind to the time difference.