The Red Path, Part 4

The Red Path, Part 4
Cover by Mike Feehan.
Attribution
Series:	IDW Star Trek No. 10
Miniseries:	The Red Path No. 4
Writer(s):	Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing
Penciller(s):	Mike Feehan
Inker(s):	Mike Feehan, Manuel Brachhi
Colorist(s):	Lee Loughridge
Letterer(s):	Clayton Cowles
Editor(s):	Heather Antos
Publication information
Publisher:	IDW Publishing
Published:	12 July 2023
Omnibus:	Volume 2: The Red Path
Chronology
Date:	2378
Cover by Philip Murphy.

"The Red Path, Part 4" is a comic, the tenth issue of the un-subtitled Star Trek series from IDW Publishing, released on 12 July 2023.

Description

Lieutenant Shaxs receives visions from the Bajoran Prophets. He sees his past and his future, and he sees the trial of Benjamin Sisko. The crew of the Theseus must fight their way back together after being separated across Cardassian space before their Captain's fate is set in stone and Kahless can carry out his promise of more bloodshed...

Summary

Log entries

Captain's log, supplemental.

Once again, I find my feet on solid ground. These strange walls I learned to call home. The certainty of my time in the Celestial Temple has faded away, replaced by the unpredictable delight of family, old and new. And with each passing day, I find myself more comfortable in this place. This skin. This moment in time.

So, why, even after I have done the will of the Prophets once again in this moment... do I find myself dreading the next? Kira delights at the recovery. She sees order in the Prophets' plan — a weapon to fight that which Kahless has stolen. Data sees a mystery. I see a light behind his eyes. The game's afoot. Scotty sees an engine of unknowable power, unlimited generative capacity. T'Lir sees a perfect echo of the Orb of Destruction. And so, as is logical, they call it the Orb of Creation. The Vedek Council sees another prophecy fulfilled by the Emissary. The Bajoran people see a miracle returned to its rightful people.

But I... I see a temptation. An ending I'm not sure I ever want to come. As so I take the time I have... and I spend it the only way that feels right. I hold my daughter's hand. I eat my son's cooking. And in its every scent and taste, I feel my father's presence. I repair what I can with Kasidy. And remind her of my promise. I take off the uniform and close the blinds. I allow myself to be just... Benjamin. Just for a small while. And I enjoy the loving simplicity of home. Because I do not need to feel the flowing currents of the future... to know they will soon, once again, sweep me away.

References

Characters

Beverly Crusher • Barada Damar • Data • Descheeni • Elim Garak • Kira Nerys • Tom Paris • Aholialili Sato • Montgomery Scott • Shaxs Drazon • Benjamin Sisko • Jake Sisko • Sarah Yates Sisko • T'Lir • Worf • Kasidy Yates • Yeor • Zero (Jem'Hadar) • unnamed Changeling

Referenced only

Corat Damar • Kahless II • Joseph Sisko

Starships and vehicles

USS Defiant (Defiant-class warship) • shuttle • USS Theseus (Discovery-class experimental cruiser)

Referenced only

Quv vo'Kahless • unnamed Romulan starships

Locations

Alpha Quadrant • Cardassia Prime • Deep Space 9 • the galaxy • Tong Beak Nebula • Tong Beak Nor (Nor-class space station)

Referenced only

Beta Quadrant • Qo'noS (First City) • Rondak III

Races and cultures

Andorian • Android • Bajoran • Cardassian • Changeling • Human • Jem'Hadar • Klingon • Organian • Prophets • Vorta

Referenced only

Orion • Romulan

States and organizations

Cardassian First Order • Cardassian Reclamation • Cardassian Third Order • Cardassian Ninth Order • Cardassian Union • Dominion • Federation • Founders • Klingon Empire • Red Path • Starfleet • Vedek Council

Science and classification

biobed • Cardassian disruptor (pistol • rifle) • cloaking device • combadge • communications • displacement field • disruptor • holosuite • laser pistol • manacles • medical tricorder • medscanner • orb • phaser • Tears of the Prophets • transporter

Occupations and titles

captain • doctor • Emissary of the Prophets • first speaker • officer • soldier • tyrant

Other references

The Adventures of Captain Proton • bat'leth • biogenic virus • blood • blood wine • capital city • captain's log, USS Theseus • city • civil war • cloning • culture • engineering • execution • firing squad • god • government • history • ketracel-white • knife • log entry • nebula • Orb of Creation • Orb of Destruction • orbit • quadrant • race • revolution • sickbay • spear • Starfleet uniform (early 2380s) • sword • trial • universe • war • weapon

Appendices

Related media

• DS9 episode: "The Changing Face of Evil" – Corat Damar called upon Cardassians to resist "until the last Dominion soldier has been driven from our soil."
• DS9 episode: "When It Rains..." – Section 31 exposed Odo to a morphogenic virus to infect the Founders.
• DS9 episode & novelization: What You Leave Behind – The Cardassian sky was "filled with fire". Barada Damar believed Klingons drank bloodwine in devastated Cardassian cities after the Battle of Cardassia ended.

Background

• Contrary to the publication's description, T'Lir saw visions from the Prophets.

Images

Cover gallery

Cover "A" edition cover image by Mike Feehan.

Uncolored retail incentive cover image.

Cover "B" edition cover image by Philip Murphy.

Cover "C" edition cover image by Justin Mason.

Retail incentive cover image by Malachi Ward.

Unlabeled retail incentive cover image.

Other images

Legate Corat Damar (2375).

Yeor.

Founder (Tong Beak Nor).

Founder formed.

Yeor killed the Founder.

Timeline

previous comic: The Red Path, Part 3	Star Trek (IDW 2022)	next comic: Day of Blood, Part 3

External link

The Red Path, Part 4 article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.