Kira Nerys
Colonel Kira Nerys, played by Nana Visitor, is a main character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Per Bajoran custom, her surname, Kira, precedes her given name, Nerys.
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. 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.
After Cardassia withdrew from Bajor, now at age 26, the recently-ranked Major Kira 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 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 Federation. Over time, her sentiments changed and she became one of the strongest supporters of Bajor joining the Federation.
For a long time, Kira believed that her mother Kira Meru had died when she was a child. Later, Kira uses the Orb of Time to travel back in time (in the episode "Wrongs Darker than Death or Night"), and discovers 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 becomes resentful toward her mother. Calling herself "Luma Rahl", she joins the resistance cell on the station and plants a bomb in the Dukat's quarters, in the hope of killing him, then setting Meru free. At the last minute she changes her mind and urges Dukat, as well as Meru, to leave the room. In the end, Kira realizes 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.
Though she is a member of the Bajoran Militia, Kira is an invaluable help to Starfleet, especially during the Dominion War. 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 earns her a Starfleet field commission as 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 allow 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.
Alternate universe
Kira Nerys also exists in the mirror universe. In the DS9 episode "Crossover," Kira encounters her mirror self, who is Intendant of Terok Nor, with Garak as her first officer. Kira convinces the mirror-Sisko to rebel against the Intendant-Kira and start the Terran Resistance. This group is later successful in taking command of Terok Nor and capturing the Intendant, but she manages to escape with the help of mirror-Nog.
Relationships
Major Kira has a romantic relationship with Vedek Bareil Antos until his death during important treaty negotiations with the Cardassians. After previously being severely wounded in a shuttle accident, Dr. Julian Bashir manages 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 becomes even more embittered against Winn, who took all the credit for the subsequent peace treaty between the Bajorans and Cardassians.
She later has a brief romantic liaison with her former cell commander, later first minister of Bajor, Shakaar Edon. During this time, she also agrees 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). Kira gives birth to the O'Briens' son Kirayoshi in 2373, but she and Shakaar later break up after consulting the Prophets and learning that they were not meant to be together.
She then begins a relationship with Odo during the Dominion War. At first she is extremely uncomfortable after learning that Odo has feelings for her, but with the help of Vic Fontane, the two finally began dating. Their relationship is 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.
Kira was a close friend of Jadzia Dax. 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. Jadzia also had become a confidant of Kira, especially during her romantic struggles and turmoils. After Jadzia's death, Kira does 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. Ziyal was later killed by Damar.
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, who plays Dr. Bashir on the show, were married during the series' run. Nana's pregnancy with their child, Django Siddig, was written into the story when Kira agrees to carry the O'Briens' unborn child, after an accident aboard a runabout. The actors have since divorced.
- 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 appears in the Star Trek: Hidden Frontier season 6 premiere episode "Countermeasures".