Stardate not given: While the Defiant is investigating an energy barrier around a planet in the Gamma Quadrant, Kira is struck by a plasma discharge. The crew discover a colony on the planet, led by a certain Miranda O'Brien and entirely populated by descendants of the Defiant crew. This is possible because upon their departure from the planet, the Defiant would enter the energy barrier again, would be hurled 200 years to the past and crash land. Trapped on the planet named Gaia, the crew would have to begin a new life and have several generations of children. Yedrin, the current Dax host on Gaia, claims to be working on a plan to duplicate the Defiant of which one would crash and one would make it through the barrier. But he has no hope that it could work, and his actual plan is to let the crash happen in order for his colony to continue to exist. Although Sisko's initial decision was to escape in order to save his first officer and to allow everyone to return to their families, he changes his mind after spending some time with the people on Gaia. He ultimately rules in their favor, with the approval of most of his crew. But the Odo of Gaia, who is still alive and still in love with Kira, changes the ship's course in a way that it would be able to cross the energy barrier unscathed. The people on Gaia cease to exist.

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