Why Deep Space 9's security failed so badly in Tear of the Prophets?

[BohandiAnsoid]

Tear of the Prophets has one of the most jarring acts of security failure in entire tar Trek. Yes, there were many such acts before, buit they were mostly on TNG and rarely caused the death of a major charatcer. But, in Tears of the Prophets, Deep Space 9's security allowed a know enemy commander to beam onto the station, assasinate the station's current commander, perform an act of sabotage and then escape without being even noticed.

And yes, I know Dukat had a Starfleet shuttle, but shouldn't Starfkleet know already that this one shuttle was under enemy command? And didn;t they detect a transporter beam? Weren't shields up (and adjusted to Dominion technology)?

Or was it only because plot demanded it (so Jadzia can be killed off)?

 

[USS Firefly]

I thought we never saw Dukat in a shuttle going to or from the station

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

Yes, but, when he contacts Weyoun and Damar afterwards, you can clearly see Federation shuttle interior behind him.

 

[Farscape One]

Dukat beamed in using a Dominion transporter. Their transporters can beam in and out from MUCH greater distances than Federation or pretty much everyone else's transporters. (Light years away, as stated in dialogue in another episode.)

Considering Dukat had intimate knowledge of DS9's layout, he would have no trouble beaming in and out like he did because he knew exactly where to transport. (Even if Dax was able to call security, it would still take at least a short time to get to the temple. Enough time for Dukat to do what he did anyway.)

Shields aren't typically kept on at all times for likely various reasons, not the least of which being power consumption. There would be no reason to have the shields up at the time right before he beamed in.

 

[somebuddyX]

Yeah.... I hated that scene and I hated that nonsense visual effect. Just stab her with a knife or something.

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

This scene honetly looked like something from Star Wars.

 

[CoveTom]

That was the beginning of the end for me and DS9. Oh, I watched season 7, and it had some good moments, but like TNG before it and VOY after, during S7 it felt as though it had run out of steam.

Dukat was one of the most interesting and complex characters ever created by Star Trek until he became the space devil. He was absolutely ruined as a character beginning with Tears of the Prophets and continuing throughout S7.

 

[somebuddyX]

I guess I don't mind where Dukat went as a concept, because I love him as such a Sisko wannabe he ended up as the Pah Wraith Emissary to a bunch of Bajorans with his own knockoff DS9 station (and I went even further in my fanart with that concept). I just don't really like how it all ended up with magic books and a field trip into the mountains. Worf should have gone after Dukat himself as revenge for murdering Jadzia. Sisko and Dukat should have ended up fighting in the ruins of B'Hala or somewhere iconic out in the open instead of another goddamn cave set. Dukat seducing Winn was something though.

 

[kkt]

That was the beginning of the end for me and DS9. Oh, I watched season 7, and it had some good moments, but like TNG before it and VOY after, during S7 it felt as though it had run out of steam.

Dukat was one of the most interesting and complex characters ever created by Star Trek until he became the space devil. He was absolutely ruined as a character beginning with Tears of the Prophets and continuing throughout S7.

There were some great things about season 7 and I feel like it could have gone longer... but Dukat as mustache-twirling villain wasn't one of them.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Well, as Odo once pointed out to Worf, Deep Space 9 is an open port, and even in a time of war security won't be as tight as it would be on a starship.

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

Yes, but petty thefts are one thing, assassination and sabotage are something else.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Yes, but petty thefts are one thing, assassination and sabotage are something else.

Deep Space 9 is replete with assassination and sabotage attempts on the station. What happened in this situation was not an isolated incident. It comes from being an open port.

And this sums up the situation nicely.

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[BohandiAnsoid]

Maybe I am just bitter because of what thgis security breach caused.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Maybe I am just bitter because of what thgis security breach caused.

Oh, believe me, we all are.

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

And it would be a second time a woman involved with Worf died beacuse of a security breach.

 

[Lynx]

That was the beginning of the end for me and DS9. Oh, I watched season 7, and it had some good moments, but like TNG before it and VOY after, during S7 it felt as though it had run out of steam.

Dukat was one of the most interesting and complex characters ever created by Star Trek until he became the space devil. He was absolutely ruined as a character beginning with Tears of the Prophets and continuing throughout S7.

I wasn't that fond over what Dukat became from Tears Of The Prophets and onwards in season 7.
But he was still a good villain.

I found season 7 good. The only thinks I didn't like was that Gowron was killed off and the split-up of the gang in the last episode when O'Brien and Odo left and Sisko went away to the Prophets in the wormhole. I would have liked to have Gwron, O'Brien, Odo and Sisko available for possible movies and future books.

 

[DonIago]

If there was anyone capable of doing what Dukat did, it would be Dukat as the former prefect. Security isn't airtight on DS9 (or anywhere else we've seen in the franchise), and even if security was alerted the moment Dukat beamed aboard (and most likely they weren't), it's questionable whether they would have gotten there in time to make a difference...and if they had, it might have just meant a bunch of dead security guards in addition to Jadzia. Saying that station security "failed" implies that they bear responsibility for what happened, and I find that a dubious allegation.

 

[Farscape One]

Exactly.

Dukat's proven he can get himself aboard DS9 with no one noticing previously. In "THE MAQUIS, PART I"... he's sitting in Sisko's quarters when Sisko walks in. He was able to get in from a freighter, walk and bypass all security cameras and measures across many levels, and enter Sisko's quarters without anyone finding out. Granted, that was long before the Dominion War, but it certainly shows off his knowledge of the station.

Add in the range of Dominion transporters and it's easy to see how he can get in and out of DS9 quickly.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Exactly.

Dukat's proven he can get himself aboard DS9 with no one noticing previously. In "THE MAQUIS, PART I"... he's sitting in Sisko's quarters when Sisko walks in. He was able to get in from a freighter, walk and bypass all security cameras and measures across many levels, and enter Sisko's quarters without anyone finding out. Granted, that was long before the Dominion War, but it certainly shows off his knowledge of the station.

Add in the range of Dominion transporters and it's easy to see how he can get in and out of DS9 quickly.

Agreed. By chance, I just rewatched that episode and Dukat just beamed in did what he had to do and beamed out. The only way that could have been prevented is if the station's shields had been up at the time and there was no need for them to be.

 

[at Quark's]

Why?

Because the Power of Plot compelled them! The Power of Plot compelled them! The Power of Plot compelled them!