Kira Nerys - Story

Story

Kira is assigned as the senior Bajoran Militia officer aboard Deep Space Nine, acting as the station's executive officer under the Starfleet officer posted to command the facility. In the early episodes of the show after Cardassia withdrew from Bajor, the recently-ranked Major Kira, now at age 26, became an influential figure in Bajor's reconstruction and the politics of the region, due to her assignment to Deep Space Nine, and her closeness to Benjamin Sisko then a full Commander in Starfleet, whom the Bajorans believed to be an emissary from the Bajoran Prophets.

Initially, Kira was opposed to the Federation presence on DS9, feeling that the Bajoran people should have nothing to do with the Federation. Over time, her sentiments changed and she became one of the strongest supporters of Bajor joining the Federation.

Though she is a member of the Bajoran Militia, Kira is an invaluable help to Starfleet, oftentimes commanding Starfleet personnel directly through her authority as DS9's executive officer. Indeed, during the first year of the Defiant's commission at the station, she also serves as the ship's first officer, a situation that only alters upon the arrival of Lt Commander Worf, who assumes the role as the next most senior Starfleet officer of command grade. When the Dominion captures Deep Space Nine at the start of the war, Kira remains aboard the station as liaison officer, as part of Bajor's non-aggression pact with the Dominion. Her role allows her to organize a resistance cell, including Rom, Quark, and Jake Sisko. They smuggle intelligence to Starfleet which indicates that the Dominion has begun to dismantle the minefield preventing Dominion reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant. She also manages to sabotage weapons systems, which then allows Starfleet to retake Deep Space Nine.

Kira's experience in the Bajoran Resistance earned her a promotion to a rank equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel, which is also equivalent to a Starfleet field commission of Commander in order to assist the Cardassian Resistance against the Dominion. Kira, Odo and Garak are smuggled into Cardassia to teach Damar the tactics of organizing a resistance movement with a decentralized command. Their resistance cell manages to infiltrate a Dominion shipyard and steal the Breen weapon that Federation ships were defenseless against. Their actions allowed Starfleet engineers to develop shields that could counter the weapon. At the conclusion of the war, Kira takes command of DS9 after the disappearance of Sisko. She is promoted to Colonel sometime earlier in 2374.

With the help of Vic Fontaine, Kira forms a romantic relationship with Odo, who had pined after her for years. They remain involved even after Odo leaves to rejoin the Great Link - he returns to the station during the events depicted in the novel "Unity" disguised as a Trelian woman named Wex. Having revealed himself to Kira during a conflict at one of the temples on Bajor, the two pick up where they left off even when Odo has to leave again.