Kira Nerys
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| Kira Nerys | |
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| Species: | Bajoran |
| Gender: | Female |
| Eye color: | Dark brown |
| Home planet: | Bajor, Dahkur Province |
| Affiliation: | Bajoran Militia, Starfleet |
| Posting: | Deep Space Nine Bajoran liaison officer/executive officer USS Defiant executive officer |
| Rank: | Major Commander (temporary) Colonel |
| Portrayed by: | Nana Visitor |
Colonel Kira Nerys, portrayed by Nana Visitor, is the first officer and Bajoran liaison officer on the titular space station in the fictional science-fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Per Bajoran custom, her surname, Kira, precedes her given name, Nerys.
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[edit] Overview
Kira Nerys was born 2343, in Dakhur province, Bajor, during the 50-year Cardassian occupation of the planet. She was raised in a labor camp, where her only enjoyment was a game of springball. Her family were members of the artisan caste, though Kira herself has repeatedly shown a lack of any artistic talent. At the age of 12, Kira was recruited into the Shakaar resistance cell, part of an underground movement which carried out terrorist attacks against Cardassian military and civilians with the ultimate goal of ending the occupation. Her background gave her a certain disrepect for the rules.
One of Kira's favorite poets on her homeworld was Akorem Laan. ("Accession (DS9 episode)") Originally, she remembered that Akorem's epic poem, The Call of the Prophets, was unfinished (Akorem had died before completing it), but when the Bajoran Prophets returned Akorem to his own time, he was able to finish the masterwork. Kira was surprised that she remembered both timelines - one in which Akorem did not finish the work, and one in which he did.
For a long time, Kira believed that her mother Kira Meru had died when she was a child (she also had two brothers, Reon and Pohl, seen briefly as infants during the series. Their ultimate fate was unknown). Later, Kira used the Orb of Time to travel back in time (in the episode "Wrongs Darker than Death or Night"), and discovered that her mother was taken as a comfort woman by the Cardassians. Meru had even willingly been the lover of Kira's arch enemy Gul Dukat, who treated her with kindness. Learning that fact now as an adult, Kira became resentful toward her mother. Calling herself "Luma Rahl", she joined the resistance cell on the station and planted a bomb in the quarters shared by Dukat, in the hope of killing him, then setting Meru free. At the last minute she changed her mind and urged Dukat, as well as Meru, to leave the room. In the end, Kira realized that although her mother enjoyed Dukat's love and attention, everything she did kept the rest of her family together, and safe from the Cardassian soldiers.
After Cardassia withdrew from Bajor, at age 26, Kira became an influential figure in its reconstruction and the politics of the region, due to her assignment (and holding the rank of major) to Deep Space Nine, and her closeness to Captain Benjamin Sisko, 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 United Federation of Planets. 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 has been an invaluable help to Starfleet, especially during the Dominion War. When the Dominion captured Deep Space Nine at the start of the war, Kira remained aboard the station as liaison officer as part of Bajor's non-aggression pact with the Dominion. Her role allowed her to organize a resistance cell, including Rom, Quark, and Jake Sisko. They smuggled intelligence to the Starfleet that the Dominion had begun to dismantle the minefield preventing Dominion reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant. She also managed to sabotage the weapons systems to allow Starfleet to retake Deep Space Nine.
Kira's experience in the Bajoran Resistance earned her a Starfleet field commission as Commander in order to assist the Cardassian Resistance against the Dominion. Kira, Odo and Garak were smuggled into Cardassia to teach Damar the tactics of organizing a resistance movement with a decentralized command. Their resistance cell managed 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 took command of DS9 after the disappearance of Sisko. She was promoted to Colonel sometime earlier in 2374.
Kira Nerys also existed in the mirror universe first discovered by James T. Kirk in the classic episode "Mirror, Mirror." In the DS9 episode "Crossover," Kira encountered her mirror self, who is Intendant of Terok Nor, with Garak as her first officer. She convinced the mirror-Sisko to rebel against the Intendant and start the Terran Resistance. This group was later successful in taking command of Terok Nor and capturing the Intendant, but she managed to escape with the help of the mirror-Nog. She spends the rest of the series scheming for a return to power. The bisexual mirror-Kira fell in love with the "real" Kira, and counted the mirror universe versions of Benjamin Sisko, Bareil Antos and Ezri Dax among her lovers.
[edit] Relationships and friendships
Major Kira had a relationship with Vedek Bareil Antos until his death during important treaty negotiations with the Cardassians. The two had seen one another in their visions during orb encounters, and he became pivotal in helping her to overthrow the corrupt prime minister of the Bajoran Provisional Government. After being severely wounded in a shuttle accident, Dr. Julian Bashir managed to keep him alive long enough for him to guide Kai Winn Adami through the negotiations. Already antagonistic of Winn for her power hunger and political manipulations to become Kai, Kira became even more embittered against Winn, who took all the credit for the subsequent peace treaty between the Bajorans and Cardassians.
She later had a brief romantic liaison with her former cell commander, later first minister of Bajor, Shakaar Edon. During this time, she also agreed to carry, then give birth to the baby of Miles and Keiko O'Brien, when Keiko was wounded and nearly miscarried during an away mission (actress Nana Visitor was pregnant in real life). Doctor Bashir monitored her condition closely, as well as that of the baby. Bashir had concerns over the baby's gestation, because of the differences between human and Bajoran physiology. She gave birth to the O'Briens' son Kirayoshi in 2373. She and Shakaar later broke up after consulting the Prophets and learning that they were not meant to be together.
She then began a relationship with Odo during the Dominion War, which continued until the end of the series. At first she was extremely uncomfortable after learning that her close friend had feelings for her, but with the help of Vic Fontane, the two finally began dating. Their relationship was a source of both strength and stress during the war, finally culminating in Odo's decision to leave the station and return to the Founder's homeworld to share his experiences and end his people's distrust of Solids.
Kira also developed a close friendship with Dax. She and Jadzia began to get close when they traveled to Bajor to deliver evidence of Cardassian involvement in The Circle, which threatened to end all ties between Bajor and the Federation. Kira had developed a very harsh and stubborn personality due to her experiences during the occupation, but Jadzia's love of fun and adventure eventually helped to soften Kira. Jadzia would sometimes take Kira to the holodeck, which Kira had difficulty taking seriously because she had difficulty getting past the idea it was fake. However, Kira eventually got past her objections and is seen frequenting the holodeck in later seasons. Jadzia became a great confidant of Kira, especially during her romantic struggles and turmoils. After Jadzia's death, Kira did not become close to Ezri Dax.
Kira had a close friendship with Tora Ziyal, Gul Dukat's half-Bajoran daughter. She first met Ziyal when she and Dukat went to find a missing Cardassian transport ship that had been carrying Bajoran prisoners. After learning that Dukat had gone with her to kill his illegitimate daughter, Kira persuaded him to spare her. When Dukat captured a Klingon Bird of Prey during the Klingon-Cardassian War, Kira offered to care for Ziyal on Deep Space Nine, saying the girl should not be involved in his personal vendetta. Ziyal saw Kira almost as a mother-figure, and Kira in turn was very protective of her. At the onset of the Dominion War, Kira arranged for Ziyal to stay with her friend on Bajor and study art at a university. Though Kira continued to despise Gul Dukat for his role in the Cardassian Occupation, she never let her hatred for him interfere with her friendship with Ziyal.
[edit] Trivia
- When DS9 was first conceived, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" character Ensign Ro Laren was to have played a major role in the new series. "Major Kira" was created when actress Michelle Forbes declined the offer to appear in the new series.
- Nana Visitor and Alexander Siddig (formerly called Siddig El Fadil), who plays Dr. Bashir on the show, were married during the series's run. Nana's pregnancy with their child, Django El Tahir El Siddig, was written into the story when Kira accepted the O'Briens' unborn child into her womb after an accident aboard a runabout. The actors have since divorced.
- Kira is considered the best springball player on the station.
- Although it is standard practice in most militaries to refer to a Lieutenant Colonel as simply 'Colonel', when Kira was promoted she adopted the rank insignia of a full Colonel (the Bajoran rank pin for a lieutenant colonel - or 'field colonel' as it is known in the Bajoran militia - is similar to Kira's pin but partly black in color; Kira's insignia of full Colonel was all gold in color). Thus, Kira was promoted two steps in rank.
- In the non-canon DS9 relaunch, Colonel Kira remains in command of the station following Captain Benjamin Sisko's disappearance. Commander Elias Vaughn arrives to replace her as first officer and commander of the USS Defiant. She plays a key role in the events leading to Sisko's return from the Celestial Temple. Following Bajor's integration into the Federation, Starfleet absorbs the Bajoran Militia; Kira receives the Starfleet rank of Captain. Additionally, due to Kira's actions during a Bajoran civil war, Kira is excommunicated from the Bajoran faith, and becomes an outcast in Bajoran society.
- Kira Nerys has appeared on a Star Trek: Hidden Frontier season 6 premiere "Countermeasures".
[edit] External links
- Kira Nerys article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
- Mirror Kira article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
- Star Trek.com: Kira Nerys
| Regular characters on Star Trek | |||
| The Original Series | Kirk | Spock | McCoy | Scott | Uhura | Sulu | Chekov | Chapel | Rand | ||
| Animated Series | Arex | M'Ress | ||
| The Next Generation | Picard | Riker | Data | La Forge | Worf | B. Crusher | Troi | W. Crusher | Yar | Pulaski | ||
| Deep Space Nine | B. Sisko | Kira | J. Dax | Odo | Bashir | O'Brien | Worf | J. Sisko | Quark | Rom | Nog | E. Dax | Garak | Martok | Damar | Dukat | Weyoun | Winn | ||
| Voyager | Janeway | Chakotay | Tuvok | Paris | Torres | Kim | Doctor | Neelix | Seven | Kes | ||
| Enterprise | Archer | T'Pol | Tucker | Reed | Phlox | Sato | Mayweather | ||
