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Lenzia is the femslash ship between Lenara Kahn and Jadzia Dax from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fandom.
Canon[]
Season 4[]
REJOINED
While entertaining Quark and Bashir with a magic trick, Jadzia is called to Sisko's office. When she arrives, Sisko tells her that a Trill science team is being stationed briefly on DS9 to conduct a research project involving creating artificial wormholes. Jadzia mentions that she heard about it earlier and that it sounded interesting. Sisko then tells her that he feels he should warn her that the head of the team is Dr. Lenara Kahn, an ex-wife from a previous host of Jadzia's. He offers that she take her logged vacation time while the team is at the station. She tells him that she'll stay and that she'll be fine to be around Lenara. She thanks him for looking out for her before leaving.
Jadzia joins Kira and Worf to meet the team at their docking bay when they arrive to the station. The head of the Trill Science Ministry steps out first, and introduces Lenara and her brother. Jadzia and Lenara make eye contact immediately and then somewhat awkwardly shake hands. Jadzia only says that it's been a long time since they saw each other. Lenara agrees, before Worf offers to show the team to their respective quarters. Jadzia and Kira watch them go, and Kira remarks that Lenara and Jadzia seemed to share history. Jadzia tells her that the two used to be married, before going off to follow them, leaving Kira shocked.
Later that day, Kira and Bashir have a discussion in Quark's bar about the encounter. They briefly have a Dax history lesson with Quark, where they go over the fact that the Kahn symbiont was previously married to the Dax symbiont when they both had different hosts to Lenara and Jadzia, so in reality Lenara and Jadzia know of each other only through their symbionts' memories. Kira and Bashir then leave to have a more private conversation, where Kira asks Bashir why Lenara and Jadzia can't pick up where they left off in their previous relationship if they were to be interested in each other. Bashir explains the taboo hinted at with Jadzia's and Sisko's conversation earlier in the episode. It is considered taboo and highly irregular in Trill society to start a relationship with a previous partner that a previous host had, and this taboo is called "reassociation." If two Trill with symbionts were to reassociate, they would be exiled from the Trill home planet, meaning that they would die without being able to pass the symbiote onto someone else and the symbiote would die with them. As a Trill's duty in life is to host and care for the symbiote, reassociation is a serious offense.
Sisko comes to check on Jadzia in her quarters that night as they get ready to attend the reception party to welcome Lenara's team. They joke about Dax always being late, before Sisko seriously asks Jadzia for a second time if she's sure about being around Lenara for so long, telling her that it's not too late to back out and take her vacation time. She appreciates his concern, but tells him that she has to get used to being around her since they'll be working together on the research project for the next week. She assures him that she'll be fine, as she puts her com badge on crooked. He fixes it for her. At the actual party, Jadzia watches Lenara from across the room as Sisko gives a toast. When Jadzia approaches the table with food, Lenara comes up behind her to join her. They attempt to make small-talk about the Bajoran food present, and quickly notice as they interact that the room is staring at them. Lenara makes a joke that they should throw themselves at each other just to not disappoint their audience. The two joke that the other two Lenara came with would freak out. Lenara says that her brother's been extremely nervous since they boarded. Jadzia murmurs that she knows how he feels. Lenara tells her that they're both adults that can handle the situation maturely, so she shouldn't worry. Lenara remarks that the room is still watching them, and Jadzia tells her that they'll probably have to get used to it. They thank each other to appease their audience before Lenara walks off. Jadzia is about to leave when she looks back at Lenara, and they make eye contact.
The next day, Jadzia and Worf join the team on the Defiant for the testing of the ship for their research. Jadzia notices a bit of data being lost in the transfer from the Trill systems to the ship's. The other head scientist says that he has something in his quarters to fix the issue, and says he'll get it himself when Jadzia offers to have someone else bring it for him. When he leaves, Lenara notices another issue. Jadzia comes over to where she is sitting to look at the problem and tells Lenara not to panic, as it's something common. The two then mention their pasts together with their previous hosts, that Dax's previous host would always tell Kahn that she was panicking and it bothered her. When they talk about their past together for a moment, Lenara says that she's never had so much trouble separating her own feelings from a previous host's. Jadzia tells her that she's felt the same. Lenara tells her that their issues are another reason they shouldn't spend too much time together, stating that they would just "get lost in the past." A tension hangs in the air as they stare at each other before Jadzia breaks it to go back to her seat. They start to get back to work, when Jadzia mentions something else from their past together that soothes a stressor Kahn had been holding since the previous Dax host died. They again try to get back to work when Jadzia asks Lenara to dinner that night. Lenara agrees.
At dinner, the two exchange stories for hours about past hosts. Lenara mentions their past hosts that were involved, and Jadzia remarks that the irony is that Jadzia and Lenara have more in common than their past hosts ever did. Jadzia notices Lenara's earrings and accurately guesses that they're of Klingon origin. Lenara explains that they were given to her by a previous Klingon science team she worked with. She then takes them off and gives them to Jadzia, saying that she doesn't suit them because they're Klingon. Lenara says that they suit Jadzia better when she tries them on, and then tells her that it's good to see her again. She talks about how weird it feels to say that, since she's talking to Dax but sees a different face than when the two talked last, but that she knows it's the same symbiont she's always known. Jadzia agrees with the experience and holds Lenara's hand. The head scientist working with Lenara has a table above them, and watches, disgusted, as they hold hands and talk.
On the Defiant the next day, the group is getting ready for the first official attempt of creating an artificial wormhole. Jadzia approaches Lenara's station to talk to her and check on something. The two get touchy and Lenara's brother and the other head scientist notice. They talk amongst themselves across the room about how close Lenara and Jadzia have been getting. The scientist tells Lenara's brother that he saw them at dinner the night before holding hands. As reassociation is so taboo, the two men don't even say the word, and Lenara's brother accuses the scientist of implying that Lenara and Jadzia are reassociating without using the word itself. The attempt to create the wormhole works for a few seconds, and the crew celebrates. Jadzia wraps her arm around Lenara's shoulders and tells her that she's proud of her. Watching them, Lenara's brother begins to understand what the scientist was talking about.
After the success of the research attempt, Lenara and her brother have a meal on the station and discuss the results. Her brother tells her about their next goal for the project, and Lenara remarks that she had already been talking to Jadzia about it. Her brother is slightly offput by the declaration, and asks for details. Lenara reveals that Jadzia was at her quarters the night before and they talked about the project there. As he asks more questions, Lenara realizes that her brother is suspecting that the two are involved. Insulted by the idea, she storms off and he runs after her. He stops her and apologizes, telling her that they're siblings, and he'll believe her that nothing is going on between her and Jadzia if she'll only tell him that. She does, and then leaves to go to Jadzia's quarters. She walks in as Jadzia is exercising, anxiously rambling about the encounter with her brother. She tells her that she assured him that they're just friends, and Jadzia says that maybe they should stop seeing each other unless it's absolutely necessary to avoid this kind of reaction. Lenara then complains that maybe they are more than friends, and that this situation has gotten out of hand. The two have a slight argument about how it feels like the same kind of situation that separated them in the first place, where Dax is stubborn and defiant, and Kahn is left picking up the pieces when things inevitably go wrong. Jadzia approaches Lenara and holds her hand, telling her that she doesn't want to do anything to hurt her again like she did the first time, and that this is her fault again, like the last time they saw each other. Lenara assures her that she knew the risks going into their relationship the first time, and Jadzia asks if she knows the risks now. Lenara admits that she thought she had gotten over Dax, but she realized the more time they spent together that she hasn't. She starts choking up and Jadzia pulls her in, pressing their cheeks together and whispering how much she missed her, before the two briefly make out. When they pull away, Lenara says that she should go, and Jadzia agrees. She watches Lenara leave, shocked at herself for going through with the kiss.
Jadzia goes to Sisko for advice. He asks her what she wants to do, and she tells him that she wants to throw herself at her in disregard for Trill society, referencing what Lenara proposed when they spoke at the reception party. Jadzia sees that Sisko doesn't think she should pursue the relationship any further, and asks why. He reminds her that her last host was completely against reassociation, and she argues that she's not that host anymore. He rebutes that she's also not the previous host that married the Kahn symbiont, so she should push past the feelings so she can be her own person, not living in the ghost of a previous host. She gets mad at him for that advice for a moment before he reminds her that she asked for his advice, so that was what she was getting. She apologizes, and Sisko tells her that he knows how she feels, and that he only wants her to really think about what will happen to her and the Dax symbiont in the future if she goes through with the reassociation. She understands and says that she still believes in reassociation being bad for her, but tells Sisko that she's still in love with Lenara. He tells her that he would probably do the same if he was in her position. However, he says that he would be completely sure of his decision before committing to it. He stands up to face her to tell her that if she's really sure about this decision, then he'll always be on her side. She thanks him for being such a good friend and hugs him.
At the second attempt to make another wormhole, the drone used in the project explodes unexpectedly, sending shrapnel and shockwaves into the Defiant and damaging it. The engine room is massively damaged, where Lenara happens to be. Hearing this, Jadzia brings a team with her to the room to see if she can rescue Lenara. She is able to use a forcefield to get over to Lenara, who is still alive but injured, and successfully pulls her into a safe compartment so that the engine room can be evacuated and vented into space. When they safely make it into the compartment, Jadzia cradles Lenara as she says that she thought she lost her. Lenara says that she thought the same as she clings onto Jadzia.
After her injuries, Lenara must rest in her quarters and her brother looks after her. Jadzia arrives to ask how she's doing. Rather awkwardly, Lenara's brother thanks Jadzia for saving Lenara's life. He says that Lenara means a lot to him. Jadzia says that Lenara means a lot to both of them. He leaves the room to give the two some privacy. When he's gone, Jadzia produces a gift of Risian perfume and they discuss the aftermath of the failed attempt. Jadzia tells Lenara to stop feeling bad about the damages because it wasn't her fault. Jadzia holds her hand and reminds her how big of an achievement Lenara's already made by being the first person in history to create an artificial wormhole. Lenara accepts what Jadzia is saying and remarks that she'll have a lot of work to do analyzing the data when she gets back to Trill. Jadzia offers that Lenara stay on-board to analyze the data instead. Lenara is hesitant, saying that staying with Jadzia would mean that they were reassociating. Jadzia says she doesn't care, but Lenara isn't so sure. Lenara even says that her brother had been lecturing her before Jadzia arrived that she needs to come back to Trill instead of staying any longer with Jadzia. Jadzia is annoyed by that, and Lenara says that he's only trying to look out for her. Jadzia complains that everyone has always been trying to look out for them during this entire process, and that she wants to be able to do something of her own volition instead without worrying about the consequences. Lenara, on the other hand, explains that she thinks the consequences are too great to risk everything. Lenara says that she feels empty and incomplete when Jadzia isn't around, but that the penalty for reassociation is too great for her to go through with staying on the station. This angers Jadzia and she asks if Lenara can really walk away from what they've created in the short week they've spent together. Lenara says that she's not impulsive and rule-breaking like Dax is, that she needs to follow rules. Lenara offers that she could think it over back on Trill and possibly come back later, but Jadzia knows that as soon as she leaves, she won't come back. Jadzia then leaves, leaving Lenara alone.
The next day, Lenara's shuttle gets ready to leave. Jadzia watches from the catwalks above the Promenade as Worf leads Lenara's brother and the other scientist to the shuttle bay, but Lenara is not among them. Lenara then follows shortly after and says goodbye to Worf. As she is about to board, she looks around at the Promenade, and notices Jadzia watching from above. They stare at each other for a few moments before Lenara steps onto the ship, leaving Jadzia heartbroken.
Fanon[]
"Rejoined" aired on October 30, 1995, and was instantly boycotted by some for the supposed "explicitness" of a same-sex female kiss on-screen. Even in production, the writers were questioned by studio executives about if a same-sex kiss was really necessary to the story being told, until they were finally given the go-ahead. Affiliate studios in the American South refused to air the episode or aired the episode with the kiss scene removed because they were so appalled by the content. Both Terry Farrell and Suzanne Thompson, the actresses for Jadzia and Lenara respectively, said individually that the episode was groundbreaking and important to show on television.[1] Terry Farrell specifically has said that "Rejoined" remains one of her favorite episodes of the series because of its message and because of how appropriate it feels to Jadzia's character as an alien that has always been perceived as both male and female.
Fandom[]
FAN FICTION
- Jadzia Dax/Lenara Kahn tag on AO3
FAN ART
- Lenara Kahn tag on Tumblr
Trivia[]
- "Rejoined" was the first Star Trek episode boycotted in the Southern United States since The Original Series, when the show's episode "Plato's Stepchildren" showed the first interracial kiss on television.
- Lenara Kahn was originally supposed to be a male character, but the episode's writers thought it would be more impactful to the message of deep societal taboo if Lenara was a woman.[2]
- Certainly due in part to this episode, Terry Farrell has explained before that she views Jadzia as pansexual.[3]
