| Doctor Mora Pol. | |
| Name: | Mora Pol |
| Gender: | Male |
| Species: | Bajoran |
| Occupation: | Scientist |
| Actor: | James Sloyan |
Doctor Mora Pol (played by James Sloyan) was the Bajoran scientist who was assigned to study the Changeling who would become known as Odo after he was discovered. Mora's parents were still alive as of 2373.
Mora studied and taught Odo at the Bajoran Center for Science during the Occupation of Bajor from 2358-65. When Odo assumed the shape of a humanoid, he imitated Dr. Mora's hairstyle. (DS9: "Necessary Evil", "The Forsaken")
As the Center for Science was controlled by the Cardassians, Odo was labelled as an "Unknown Sample", which a Cardassian overseer translated as "Odo'ital" in Cardassian. (DS9: "Heart of Stone")
However, Odo resented Mora as he failed to realize that Odo was sentient. Under pressure from the Cardassians to get answers, some of Mora's methods of experimenting were questionable. Odo left the institute two years later.
When Odo was to be shown to the Cardassian High Command, Dr. Mora persuaded him to practice and perform the "Cardassian neck trick". Mora made him practice it for weeks. (DS9: "Necessary Evil")
In 2369, Doctor Mora provided Doctor Julian Bashir with his data on Odo's physiology soon after the United Federation of Planets began assisting the Bajoran recovery after the Occupation. (DS9: "When It Rains...")
In 2370, Dr. Mora learned of DNA patterns like Odo's being detected on L-S VI, a planet in the Gamma Quadrant, from the data sent back by a Bajoran science probe. He and his assistant Dr. Weld Ram later visited Deep Space 9, hoping Odo would be able to convince Commander Sisko to let him use a Starfleet runabout instead of making a request to the Board of Ministers for access to a ship, which would take several months.
Upon arriving on L-S VI in the Rio Grande, the team found a stone tablet. An earthquake later released a gas which rendered Dr. Mora, Dr. Ram and Jadzia Dax unconscious.
Upon arriving back on Deep Space 9, exposure to the gas began to transform Odo into a dangerous creature. Mora later lured Odo onto the Promenade after which Odo was changed back to normal. Dr. Mora later helped Doctor Julian Bashir to remove the traces of the gas from Odo. (DS9: "The Alternate")
In late 2372, Doctor Julian Bashir sent Doctor Mora his data on an illness that Odo was suffering. Mora wanted Odo to come to his laboratory on Bajor so he could run further tests. (DS9: "Broken Link")
In 2373, Doctor Mora travelled to Earth to help Starfleet find new ways to detect Changelings. (DS9: "The Begotten"
Mora and Odo would not reconcile their differences until 2373, when Mora arrived on Deep Space 9 to assist Odo in treating and educating an infant changeling. (DS9: "The Begotten")
Odo planned to visit Dr. Mora later that year, but decided not to after a large increase in crime on Deep Space 9. (DS9: "In the Cards")
In 2375, Section 31, via Starfleet Medical, sent Bashir a copy of Doctor Mora's original medical file on Odo. (DS9: "When It Rains...")
Appearances
- DS9:
Background Information
It was planned for Rene Auberjonois to play Mora Pol, although James Sloyan was cast when the role was substantially increased and the character given more lines.
An early plot of "Extreme Measures" had Doctor Mora revealed to be involved in the creation of the morphogenic virus. Ronald D. Moore said "Initially, our thought was to have Odo going into Sloan's mind and having a surreal adventure where he eventually ran into Dr. Mora and learned that it was his own "father" who created the changeling disease".