View source for Akorem Laan

{{sidebar individual
|image         = Akorem Laan.jpg
|caption       = Akorem Laan
|image2        = Akorem's lightship exits wormhole.jpg
|caption2      = Akorem emerges from the wormhole
|species       = [[Bajoran]]
|occupation    = [[Poet]] 
|status        = Returned to the [[22nd century]]
|sibling       = [[Akorem's brother 001|Mr. Akorem]]
|mstatus       = [[Married]]
|spouse        = [[Akorem's wife 001|Mrs. Akorem]]
|children      = None
|datestatus    = 2372
|actor         = [[Richard Libertini]]
}}

{{aquote|&hellip;why did you send me into the future?''"<br>"''For the Sisko.|Akorem Laan''' and '''[[Prophet|The Prophets]]|2372|Accession}}

'''Akorem Laan''' was a [[male]] [[Bajoran]] who lived during the Bajoran year [[Bajoran history|9174]] ([[22nd century]] on the Earth calendar), and was considered one of [[Bajor]]'s greatest [[poet]]s. His work, ''[[Gaudaal's Lament]]'', would be something Bajoran schoolchildren would learn by heart. Akorem was [[Akorem's wife 001|married]], with no children.

Before he departed his [[homeworld]] in a [[Bajoran lightship|lightship]] in the Bajoran year 9174, [[Akorem's wife 001|Akorem's brother]] had died in the [[winter]]. Their parents were still alive at the time of the flight.

Akorem's [[spacecraft]] was damaged in an [[ion storm]], and drifted into the [[Denorios belt]], where he opened the [[Bajoran wormhole]] and entered the realm of the [[Prophet]]s, who healed his injuries. They then returned him to the [[Alpha Quadrant]] in [[2372]], two hundred years later, in order to ensure that [[Benjamin Sisko]] remained as their {{Emissary}}. Upon emerging from the wormhole, Akorem believed himself to be the Prophets' Emissary, and his presence allowed Sisko to give up the role. However, Akorem believed in the ''[[D'jarra]]'' caste system that Bajor had used prior to the [[Occupation of Bajor|Cardassian Occupation]], intending to bring it back to Bajor.

Despite knowing this massive change in Bajoran society would prevent Bajor's entry into the [[Federation]], Sisko stepped aside; it was only when [[Vedek]] [[Porta]] killed a man for not following his ''D'jarra'' that Sisko realized he must intervene. Akorem and Sisko entered the wormhole together, where the Prophets revealed that Sisko was their true Emissary. Akorem's presence in the [[24th century]] was for Sisko's benefit: to convince the captain to accept his own role as Emissary. At the urging of Sisko, the Prophets then returned Akorem to his own time, to be reunited with his wife and parents, with no memory of his trip to the future.

One minor [[temporal paradox]] resulted from this action: in the prior timeline, Akorem's greatest work, ''[[The Call of the Prophets]]'', was left unfinished after the twelfth stanza; but upon his return, Akorem finished the poem &ndash; something [[Kira Nerys]] found confusing, as her memories of the incomplete poem remained. As Sisko amusingly put it, "''The Prophets work in mysterious ways.''" ({{DS9|Accession}})

{{bginfo|Akorem Laan (pronounced "uh-KOR-uhm LARN") was played by actor [[Richard Libertini]].|Originally, the {{s|DS9}} [[Performers considered for DS9 roles|production staff approached]] actor [[David Warner]] to play the role of Akorem Laan, prior to the casting of Richard Libertini for the part. [[Ira Steven Behr]] commented, "''Personally, I wanted David Warner as Akorem. He wanted to do it, but his wife talked him out of it because he was on vacation and she didn't want him to work. To this day I still wish David Warner was in it.''" (''[[Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages]]''{{page cite}})|In the second draft script of "Accession" (then [[working title|titled]] "The Other Emissary"), Akorem Laan was described thus; "''He's a Bajoran male around Sisko's age, with a gentle face.''" He was also referred to as being in his fifties and having had children in the 22nd century. However, much of these details were changed so that, in the final draft of the script, he was described as being older than Sisko and the details about him having "a gentle face" and children were omitted. {{st-minutiae|resources/scripts/489.txt}}}}

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