Overall Rating: 8.7
This two-part story was originally on our feature list, but after second viewing, I think there are just enough problems with certain plot elements and just enough reasons to be a tad bit skeptical to keep this one off the 9.0 pile. Still, a very well-written and enjoyable episode.
Plot Synopsis:
The Federation is rocked by news of a bombing on Earth - a bombing which video evidence reveals was perpetrated by a changeling infiltrator. As no trace fo the changeling was found in the debris, it is assumed that it survived the explosion and escaped. Now certain that changelings have reached Earth, Sisko heads back to Earth with Odo to convene with Starfleet Security and aid in beefing up security measures on the homefront. At first, Sisko's recommendations meet with resistance from president Jarish-Inyo and from his own father who refuses to allow himself to be screened (and suffers a mild stroke from the stress of his confrontation with his son thanks to his stubborn refusal to take better care of himself). Popular opinion seems to be that the changeling threat is not serious enough to warrant rolling back civil liberties and ramping up security all over Earth.
However, when all power relays on Earth suddenly fail, leaving the mother planet defenseless, Sisko puts two and two together and warns that a Dominion invasion may be imminant. The wormhole had been acting strangely (opening and closing without any vessels passing through) before he left for Earth, and he fears that there were actually cloaked ships entering the Alpha Quadrant. All too eagerly, Admiral Leyton (who was, himself, replaced by a changeling temporarily before the blackout) offers the services of his ship to deploy armed forces in Earth's major cities. Reluctantly, Jarish-Inyo authorizes the declaration of a state of emergency and declares martial law.
Four days later, power is fully restored and there's been no invasion, yet Leyton still believes his troops are necessary. And once armed troops have fortified Earth, it's going to prove difficult to remove them. Sisko, now feeling that his previous assumptions have been false (particularly when he notices how strongly public opinion has swayed in favor of martial law), does a little investigating and realizes that Red Squad - an elite group of Cadets at Starfleet Academy was deployed during the blackout. Chasing a hunch, Sisko orders Nog to reveal a name from Red Squad and tricks the young soldier into admitting his role in sabotaging Earth's power relay network. As soon as Leyton realizes that Sisko is onto his scheme, he orders Sisko to return to DS9 and Sisko refuses, saying he's got leave coming up and he wants to take it. He communicates with Kira, gets her to begin an investigation back on the station to locate the officer responsible for tinkering with the wormhole and bring him to Earth to expose Leyton's duplicity. Unable to get Sisko out of the way, Leyton fakes a blood screening and convinces Jarish-Inyo that Sisko is a changeling!
But...it's Odo to the rescue! He breaks Sisko out of prison and the two of them storm Leyton's office and demand that he resign. A stand-off ensues when Leyton informs Sisko that the Defiant will not be allowed to reach Earth since his own ship has been armed to the teeth and told that the Defiant's entire crew has been replaced with Changelings. When Captain Benteen reports that they are unable to disable to Defiant, Leyton orders her to destroy it and Sisko assures her that if she does, she'll be murdering 50 starfleet officers. Seeing the madness in Leyton's orders, Benteen surrendors to the Defiant and Leyton finds himself without a choice but to resign his commission. With the very civil war that the Founders wished to instigate narrowly averted, Sisko and the rest of his cohorts at Starfleet Headquarters resolve that if the Founders want to destroy Earth, they'll ahve to do it themselves.
The Skinny:
I think this episode provides a vital service to those who paint the erosion of civil liberties in this nation as dire and requiring immediate opposition. With the changeling threat on the rise, Sisko - an imminently reasonably man - makes a series of suggestions regarding security on Earth that, at the time, seem like no-brainers (though I do have a quibble with one of his new security measures). He begins by requiring all Starfleet officers and instillation officials (and their families) to undergo random blood screenings and to subject anyone and their belongings to a low-intensity phaser sweep before they are allowed into a Federation facility. This is "no duh" territory. Earth should have been doing this a long time ago. In fact, when the lights go and there is a potential Dominion attack threat, it's an absolute slam-dunk no-brainer to declare martial law and arm the soldiers to the teeth.
Where things go wrong here is not at the declaration of martial law but at the slow response to changing conditions. Why were the soldiers still on the streets four days after the order was given when the power had been restored and mobilization of troops was once again a simple matter? Earth was not defenseless...why continue with martial law? For that matter...a full week after the initial orders by Jarish-Inyo, when it was blinkin' obvious that there was no invasion coming, why did the Federation President need overwhelming evidence of Leyton's duplicity to take down the guards? A good politician would have lifted martial law and explained to the people that an invasion was likely not, as they had thought, occurring, and that Earth's defenses were now on full alert if they needed to be deployed. Point being...our civil liberties are only in danger if we stop paying attention and holding our leaders accountable for their reaction to changing conditions.
As well, in our own society, there are those who believe the Constitution is closer to absolute destruction than to enforcement. They are wrong. In WWII, liberal hero Franklin D. Roosevelt threw thousands and thousands of innocent American citizens into concentration camps and - before that - tried to rig the Supreme Court! During the 19th century, things like Sedition Acts and government-prodding of journalism were all the rage...the Constitution survived those attacks too. Compared to that, George W. Bush's Patriot Act is a drop in the bucket. And it has since been repealed (because we responded to changing conditions, realizing that the terrorism threat could be handled perfectly efficiently by our intelligence and law enforcement agencies if we listened to their recommendations - something we failed to do prior to 9/11). Vigilance is key, but so is perspective. Not every minor infringement of civil liberties marks the beginning of a slippery slide into a dictatorship. Only those that have no logical basis for being implemented or that cease to be needed but are still employed. If there's a power-hungry man at the helm, and he takes a free nation to the brink of tyranny, the earmarks will be in laws that are unnecessary.
Overall, I think DS9's portrayal of the overarching social concerns regarding the erosion of civil liberties in this modern age was both prescient (remember, this came out long before 9/11) and balanced. I do think some of Sisko's decisions as acting head of Starfleet Security were unnecessarily far-reaching. For example, what is the point of blood-screening every family member in their places of business? Why not just require you to get blood screenings before allowing you to enter a Starfleet/Federation facility above a certain security clearance level? The U.S. government doesn't subject us to medal detector sweeps when we are mowing our lawns...only when we enter a high security area. But I can't argue with their basic conclusion at the end of the episode.
As for the production elements...
Writing: 9.0
The script is very lively and I just LOVE the Sisko family. Love 'em to pieces. Grandpa Joe as the stubborn old koot who won't take his damned medicine and see the doctor...ah...brings back memories of my late grandfather Marlin. The plot clips along nicely, and at no point do I feel as though I'm being bashed with a 2X4 of liberal self-righteousness, which would have been impossible in an analogous TNG episode. There are some minor plot holes, but almost every scene was highlight-worthy.
Acting: 8.5
Avery Brooks definitely chews some scenery awkwardly in places...I actually think Robert Foxworth (Leyton) did a better job than Brooks (the one time Leyton actually chewed scenery, it was probably justified). Colm Meaney was awesome in his bit parts, though. As the creepy changeling impostor AND as a fly boy in the service of Britain! :)
Message: 8.5
The final message is hard to argue with...we can't go fighting amongst ourselves when the enemy is out there hoping for that very reaction. Terrorism is designed to instill terror...reacting to it with genuine terror and doing things that make our nation less free is not the proper response. If we give up certain freedoms, it must been done with a cool and rational thought process and it must be done with a natural time limit. Thus far, our government has not strayed too far from those rules. Let's hope it stays that way.
Highlights:
ODO: Quark!! Where is she?
QUARK: What can I do for you, Constable?
ODO: Where's Dax?
QUARK: She's not here. Is there anything else I can do for you?
ODO: I won't tolerate this any further. She's rearranged my quarters...again!
QUARK: Is that what this is all about?
ODO: You know very well what this is all about. You and her probably planned this together! I've seen you two scheming and plotting! This is the seventh time this month! Moving one item three centimeters to the left, the next four centimeters to the right...
QUARK: And what's so bad about that?
ODO: Every...item...in my quarters is painstakingly placed in its' proper order. Dax knows this and yet she insists on taking some perverse pleasure in throwing my quarters into chaos!
QUARK: I'd hardly call three centimeters chaos.
ODO: Maybe it's not important to you, but it's important to me. You humanoids simply don't take the same pride in keeping order. And Dax is the most...humanoid...person I know. (LOL...wow...calm down, Odo!)
JOE: It'll be nice to have you home for a while. Jake too.
BEN: Now Dad...you know this isn't exactly a vacation. I have a lot of work to do with Starfleet Security. Everyone's pretty nervous about the Changeling threat.
JOE: Whatever you do during the daytime is your business. You just make sure you get your butt down to New Orleans for dinner. No son of mine is going to eat that slop Starfleet calls food. Not if I have anything to say about it.
BEN: You won't get any argument from me. So Dad...how are you feeling?
JOE: Oh now let's not start that again?
BEN: It's just a question. You're looking a little tired. How's the new aorta holding up?
JOE: The doctors say I'm a medical marvel. At the rate I'm going, in two or three years I won't have an original organ left in my body! (laughing) They'll write me up in the medical books!
BEN: You just make sure you take care of yourself.
JOE: Well you hurry home...your rooms are always ready for you.
BEN: We'll be there before you know it. (Joe smiles and hangs up - Jake walks in) Hey, Jake-o! You just missed Grandpa Joe.
JAKE: Did you tell him we were staying in San Francisco.
BEN: Eeehh...I didn't exactly get around to it.
JAKE: Dad! You know if we stay at home, Grandpa'll put me to work in the kitchen!
BEN: Is that so bad?
JAKE: Chopping vegetables for nine hours isn't exactly my idea of a vacation.
BEN: Jake, you're an adult now! Grandpa will not expect you to chop vegetables. (beat) He'll want you to wait tables! (Jake slumps down in vexation and Ben laughs...great family scene)
O'BRIEN: (cockney accent) Barkeep.
QUARK: So, what can I get you two flyboys.
BASHIR: A Scotch, neat, and a pint of your finest bitter for my mate.
O'BRIEN: And make it quick. The cabbage crates'll be coming back over the briny any minute now.
QUARK: All right, all right. I'd hate to let the Jerries strafe that green and pleasant land of yours while the two of you were taking time out to get a drink.
BASHIR: No choice, man. Ritual, you know.
0'BRIEN: To Clive. The best bloke ever to prang his kite into the Channel.
BASHIR: Got to keep a stiff upper lip.
O'BRIEN: Hear, hear.
BASHIR: Down the hatch.
(They drain their glasses in one - that was not a full pint anyway - and make to smash them.)
QUARK: Ah! Ah! Ah! Now remember what I said about throwing glasses. (LOL!)
O'BRIEN: So, you want to go back up have another crack at the Jerries?
BASHIR: I don't know. To tell you the truth, my heart isn't in it.
QUARK: Aren't you taking Clive's death a little seriously? After all, he was just a holosuite character.
O'BRIEN: (normal voice) It's not Clive. It's Earth. You probably wouldn't understand this, Quark, but when you care about a place and it's in trouble, and you want to do something about it and you can't, it's very frustrating.
QUARK: I know exactly what you mean. When the Great Monetary Collapse hit Ferenginar, I was hundreds of light years away, serving as a ship's cook on a long haul freighter. I can't tell you the heartbreak I suffered, knowing that rampant inflation and currency devaluation were burning like wildfires through the lush financial landscapes of my home. It still depresses me even today. I remember thinking my accounts needed me, and there was nothing I could do. I felt so, so helpless. So you see, I do understand.
O'BRIEN: Somehow, you telling me that doesn't make me feel the least bit better.
QUARK: Humans. All you care about is yourselves. (ROTFL)
WORF: When was the last time the wormhole opened?
KIRA: Twelve hours ago.
WORF: Perhaps it has returned to normal.
KIRA: I suppose so.
O'BRIEN: You sound disappointed, Major.
KIRA: I guess I am. Part of me was hoping that the Prophets were behind it. That they were finally going to show themselves to the Bajoran people.
WORF: I prefer Klingon beliefs.
KIRA: I suppose your gods aren't as cryptic as ours.
WORF: Our gods are dead. Ancient Klingon warriors slew them a millennia ago. They were more trouble than they were worth. (wow...)
KIRA: I don't think I'll ever understand Klingons.
O'BRIEN: Don't worry about it, Major. Nobody does. That's the way they like it. (LOL!)
JOSEPH: This is one beautiful fish. Seems a shame to eat a trout this pretty. Why, you should thank me for the privilege of simply looking at it. Well, go on, take a bite. It won't bite you back. Now, I don't want to see anybody studying the dessert menu. If you order anything but the bread pudding soufflé, you'll be making a mistake you will regret the rest of your lives.
SISKO: You should listen to him. The man knows his bread pudding.
JOSEPH: Benjamin!
SISKO: Dad.
JOSEPH: Jake-o.
JAKE: Hey.
(Hugs all round.)
JOSEPH: When are you going to stop growing? If you keep this up, you'll be bumping your head on that alligator before too long.
JAKE: I remember when you used to tell me that alligator was just in stasis, and you let it out at night to guard the restaurant.
JOSEPH: I had to stop doing that. It got to be too much trouble wrestling it back up to the ceiling every morning. (LOL...I love this family. :) )
SISKO: Well, aren't you going to eat anything?
JOSEPH: I ate before you got here. Son, don't look at me that way.
SISKO: You've lost weight.
JOSEPH: You think so?
JAKE: The doctors said you have to keep your weight up.
JOSEPH: Don't you start, too. I have a vat of crayfish in the back that needs cleaning and it's got your name on it. Now I'm going to say this one time and one time only. I am fine. I'm happy, I'm healthy, and I'm planning on celebrating at least fifty more birthdays. Satisfied? (LOL...stubborn old koot!)
JARESH-INYO: Precautions may be advisable, but I will not disrupt the lives of the population. Despite what happened at Antwerp, I believe the changeling threat to be somewhat less serious than Starfleet does.
LEYTON: Mister President, I assure you the threat is real.
JARESH-INYO: For all we know, there was only one changeling on Earth, and he may not even be here anymore.
SISKO: But if he is here, we have a problem. There's no telling how much damage one changeling could do.
JARESH-INYO: Forgive me for saying so, Captain, but you sound a little paranoid.
SISKO: Do I?
(Sisko's briefcase morphs into Odo)
ODO: Forgive the intrusion, Mister President, but as you can see, Starfleet has every right to be concerned.
SISKO: Allow me to introduce Odo, my Chief of Security.
JARESH-INYO: A very effective entrance, Mister Odo. (indeed)
SISKO: Activate the phaser.
(A device above the door sweeps the room for several seconds. Eventually the swiss cheese plant surrenders.)
SISKO: That's enough. How do you feel?
ODO: That time I definitely experienced discomfort.
SISKO: What was the setting?
BENTEEN: Three point one. If we set the phasers at three point four, we should be able to stun any changeling we hit and force them back into a gelatinous state.
ODO: I'd push it to three point five just to be on the safe side. But if you want to do any more tests, you'll have to get another guinea pig. I've been shot quite enough for one day.
SISKO: Three point five it is. I want these units installed in every room at Starfleet and Federation Headquarters, then start working on the orbital stations.
BENTEEN: We'll have them in place by tomorrow night. I want to thank you, Captain.
SISKO: Thank me? For what?
BENTEEN: For convincing the President to implement these security measures. It feels like we're finally on the right track. (Benteen leaves.)
ODO: Huh. You'd think she would have thanked me as well. I'm the one who got shot thirteen times today. (heh)
NOG: I want to join Red Squad.
SISKO: Red Squad?
NOG: What do you think?
SISKO: I don't know what to think. I've never heard of it.
NOG: It's an elite squad of cadets at the Academy. You know, the best of the best. They get special classes, simulated missions, off-campus training sessions, all kinds of things.
SISKO: A group of elite cadets? They never had anything like that when I was at the Academy.
NOG: It's pretty new. It's a way of rewarding excellence among the cadets. I have the grades to qualify, but I need to be sponsored by a high-ranking officer.
SISKO: And you want me to put your name in for consideration?
NOG: All I'm asking for is a chance to prove myself.
SISKO: I'm kind of busy right now, Nog. But if I get the chance, I'll see what I can do.
NOG: Thank you, sir. This means a lot to me.
SISKO: I can see that. Dismissed, Cadet.
NOG: Yes, sir.
JOSEPH: Well, look who's here. Come in, stranger.
SISKO: Sorry. I haven't been around much lately. Things have gotten a little busy.
JOSEPH: You want to tell me about it?
SISKO: I'm afraid I can't.
JOSEPH: You'd think that Admiral could spare you for a few hours a day to visit your father. With you in San Francisco and Jake off visiting that school in New Zealand, it's like the two of you aren't even here.
SISKO: You know, Dad, you could come and visit us at the station once in a while.
JOSEPH: Don't start that again. Earth's my home. It's where I belong. Besides, what would happen to the restaurant if I went gallivanting around the galaxy? You think Nathan can handle this place on his own?
SISKO: Nathan will be running things around here sooner than you think if you don't take better care of yourself. I had a talk with your doctor and he tells me that you haven't been in to see him for eight months.
JOSEPH: The man's an idiot. He's lived in New Orleans twenty years and can't tell the difference between Creole food and Cajun food.
SISKO: Maybe not, but he can tell the difference between a healthy body and one with progressive atherosclerosis. He says that if you don't come in for vascular regeneration therapy, that this restaurant will be looking for a new owner.
JOSEPH: Ben, at my age, staying healthy is a full time job, and I am too old to work two jobs. Now, how long until you're due back at Starfleet Headquarters?
SISKO: I've got about an hour.
JOSEPH: Just enough time to take a walk to Audubon Park. You up for a stroll with your old man?
SISKO: I can't think of anything I'd rather do.
JOSEPH: Nathan, don't forget to stir the gumbo.
LEYTON: How did you know he wasn't me?
ODO: I'm not sure exactly. It's as if I could feel the changeling's hostility toward me.
SISKO: You're the only changeling who's ever harmed one of his own people. I'm sure that hasn't made you many friends.
LEYTON: What I'd like to know is, why was he imitating me?
BENTEEN: You have access to all our security procedures, all our protocols. That makes you a logical target.
LEYTON: I suppose so.
BENTEEN: The bottom line is a changeling infiltrated the grounds of Starfleet Headquarters, imitated the Admiral, and got away scot-free. Our security measures aren't working.
SISKO: We're doing everything the President will let us do.
BENTEEN: Maybe that's not enough.
ODO: We could talk to the President again.
LEYTON: I'm afraid that would be a waste of time. Jaresh-Inyo would be a fine president in peacetime, but we have a war on our hands. He doesn't seem to understand that. All he cares about is not upsetting people. But humans are tougher than he thinks. We've created a paradise here and we're willing to fight to protect it.
SISKO: And you think the President isn't willing to fight?
LEYTON: I think the President is a long way from home. This isn't his world. We can't expect him to care about it the way we do. (cue ominous music...)
SISKO: What's going on here?
OFFICER: Captain, we never meant for things to get out of hand.
JOSEPH: (in the kitchen area) What did you think would happen? Storming in here and accusing me and my grandson of being a couple of shape-shifters.
OFFICER: We never accused you of being a shape-shifter, Mister Sisko. We were just carrying out our orders. All family members of Starfleet personnel are required to submit to blood screenings. No exceptions.
JOSEPH: That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of. Do you believe that?
SISKO: I should. I signed the orders myself.
JOSEPH: Now why would you go and do a stupid thing like that?
SISKO: Dad, it has to be done.
JAKE: Grandpa, look, I'll take the test first. Go ahead.
(So the young officer takes his blood. It's okay.)
SISKO: Now me.
OFFICER: Sir, that's not necessary.
SISKO: Do it anyway.
(He's okay too.)
SISKO: it's your turn.
JOSEPH: Jake, do you think I'm a shape-shifter?
JAKE: Come on, Grandpa.
JOSEPH: Answer the question.
JAKE: No, I don't think you're a shape-shifter.
JOSEPH: At least somebody in my family has some sense.
SISKO: Dad!
JOSEPH: I don't want to hear about it. You take these two vampires and tell them to either sit down and grab a menu or get out of my restaurant.
SISKO: Jake, get them a menu.
OFFICER: But sir.
SISKO: I would recommend the shrimp Creole. Look, Dad
JOSEPH: I don't want to hear it.
(Sisko joins Joseph in the kitchen.)
SISKO: Listen to me. You have got to take the test.
JOSEPH: Why should I? If I were an enemy spy looking to replace someone, I think I could come up with better choices than an old chef.
SISKO: Yeah, you're probably right. But this isn't about you. We've got civilian families living on starships and Starfleet installations all over the Federation. The only way we can secure those facilities is to test everyone there, whether they wear a uniform or not.
JOSEPH: I'm not living on a Starfleet installation.
SISKO: Dad, if we're going to test the family members of one Starfleet officer, we must to test them all.
JOSEPH: You may want to test everyone, but that doesn't mean we all have to cooperate. I didn't take an oath to Starfleet. Neither did Jake or your sister or anyone in your family. We have rights, Ben, including the right to be as stubborn or thickheaded as we want.
SISKO: Damn it, Dad. Can't you cooperate just one time? You don't take your medication, you don't go to the doctor, you won't let Judith help you in the restaurant. Just one time, please do what you're asked.
JOSEPH: I wish I could, but what you're asking me to do is wrong. You can't go around making people prove they are who they say they are. That's no way to live and I'm not going to go along with it. Now, if you want to make yourself useful, start some water boiling for the shrimp.
SISKO: Come on, Dad. Don't be this way. If I have to, I will get a warrant
JOSEPH: And what? Hold me down and force me to give you my blood? Because that's the only way you'll get. Damn it. Now look what I've done.
(Joseph has cut his finger with his chopping knife. He puts it under the tap as Sisko stares at the blood left on the knife.)
JOSEPH: Jake?
JAKE: Yeah?
JOSEPH: I've got a dermal regenerator under the. Benjamin Lafayette Sisko. What the hell has gotten into your head? You actually thought I was one of them, didn't you?
SISKO: I don't know. I wasn't sure.
JOSEPH: This business has got you so twisted around you can't think straight. You're seeing shape-shifters everywhere. Maybe you ought to think about something for a minute. If I was a smart shape-shifter, a really good one, the first thing I would do would be to grab some poor soul off the street, absorb every ounce of his blood, and let it out on cue whenever someone like you tried to test me. Don't you see? There isn't a test that's been created a smart man can't find his way around. You aren't going to catch shape-shifters using some gadget. The only thing you can count on in this life is (Joseph gasps in pain.)
LEYTON: Mister President.
JARESH-INYO: How did you people get here?
SISKO: We contacted the Lakota and used their transporters. Mister President, as acting head of Earth Security, I must advise you to declare a State of Emergency.
JARESH-INYO: You're serious. With the exception of the Borg incident, there hasn't been a State of Emergency declared on Earth in a century.
SISKO: I am aware of that, but I have reason to believe that a Dominion warfleet may be in the Alpha Quadrant headed for Earth.
JARESH-INYO: Do you have evidence to back this up?
SISKO: Just before we left Deep Space Nine, the wormhole was exhibiting some unusual behaviour, opening and closing for no apparent reason.
ODO: We didn't detect any ships coming through at the time, but the Dominion might have been using some kind of cloaking technology.
JARESH-INYO: I wasn't aware the Dominion had cloaking technology.
ODO: The combined Cardassian and Romulan fleet that the Dominion destroyed in the Gamma Quadrant was equipped with cloaking devices. Who knows what my people might have taken from the wreckage?
JARESH-INYO: How long until the power relays are fixed?
LEYTON: From what we can tell, the changelings infected the system with some kind of self-replicating computer protocol. It jumped from one power relay to the next, disrupting every system it came in contact with.
ODO: The only way to correct the problem is to shut down the entire grid, purge all the operating systems, and restart the relays.
LEYTON: And that could take days.
SISKO: Which is why it is imperative that you declare a State of Emergency.
JARESH-INYO: What good will that do when we have no way to defend ourselves?
LEYTON: Mister President, we can use the Lakota's transporters and communications system to mobilise every Starfleet officer on Earth in less than twelve hours. We've been preparing for something like this for a long time. We have stockpiles of phaser rifles, personal forcefields, photon grenades, enough to equip an entire army. I can start getting men on the streets immediately.
JARESH-INYO: What you're asking me to do is declare martial law.
LEYTON: What I'm asking you to do is let us defend this planet. We don't know what the changelings will do next, but we have to be ready for them. Ben, tell him.
SISKO: Sir, the thought of filling the streets with armed troops is as disturbing to me as it is to you, but not as disturbing as the thought of a Jem'Hadar army landing on Earth without opposition. The Jem'Hadar are the most brutal and efficient soldiers I've ever encountered. They don't care about the conventions of war or protecting civilians. They will not limit themselves to military targets. They'll be waging the kind of war that Earth hasn't seen since the founding of the Federation.
ODO: At the same time, my people will continue to undermine Earth's defences in any way they can. This power outage is only the beginning.
JARESH-INYO: I never sought this job. I was content to simply represent my people on the Federation Council. When they asked me to submit my name for election, I almost said no. Today I wish I had.
LEYTON: We appreciate your feelings, Mister President, but we don't have time for regrets. You accepted the job and now it's yours.
ODO: Mister President, there are people all over this planet right now huddled in the dark, terrified about what might happen next. They're waiting for a sign, something to reassure them that everything will be all right. But they won't wait long. Fear is a powerful and dangerous thing. And if you don't act, if you don't show them that they're not alone, then fear will surely take over.
SISKO: Give us the authority we need, Mister President, and we will take care of the rest.
(There's a long pause, then Jaresh-Inyo taps his PADD - 4567 security codes.)
JARESH-INYO: Earth is in your hands, gentlemen. Do what needs to be done.
LEYTON: Thank you, sir. You've made the right decision.
JARESH-INYO: I hope you're right, for all our sakes. (dun dun DAAAAHHHH!!!!!)
JAKE: Grandpa! Grandpa, wake up.
JOSEPH: I'm not sleeping. I'm checking my eyelids for holes. (ROTFL!)
JOSEPH: Lights.
JAKE: Are you sure re-opening the restaurant is a good idea?
JOSEPH: Jake, it's been four days since the power outage. Have you seen any Dominion invasion fleet?
JAKE: No.
JOSEPH: Neither have I. Besides, at my age, I don't have time to waste sitting at home being bored.
JAKE: You know, there's hardly anyone on the streets. You're not going to have any customers.
JOSEPH: Oh, I've got plenty of customers. Just look outside.
JAKE: All I see are security officers.
JOSEPH: And I bet not one of them has had a good meal in four days. Now you do your grandfather a favour and start chopping up the okra. (LOL!...Jake's look here is priceless)
COMMANDANT: Captain Sisko, is there something I can do for you?
SISKO: I need to talk to you about Red Squad.
COMMANDANT: Go on.
SISKO: Are you aware that there's a transporter record of Red Squad being returned to the Academy not long after the power outage?
COMMANDANT: Are you saying that's in the official records?
SISKO: That's right.
COMMANDANT: Is this a secure line?
SISKO: It is at my end.
COMMANDANT: One moment.
(The Academy logo pops up then the Commandant is back.)
COMMANDANT: Sorry, Captain, but I think you'll agree that this is a time for caution.
SISKO: Absolutely.
COMMANDANT: Does Admiral Leyton know about this report?
SISKO: He hasn't mentioned it to me.
COMMANDANT: Listen to me, Captain. I want that record erased before anyone else can see it. Is that understood?
SISKO: I'll take care of it immediately.
COMMANDANT: Good. That report could cause us a lot of trouble. I'm glad you spotted it.
SISKO: So am I. I'd hate to see the members of Red Squad get into any trouble.
COMMANDANT: They're fine young men and women. When Leyton talked to me about using them I thought it was a mistake, but I must to admit they performed their mission admirably. I appreciate your call, Captain. I'm in your debt.
(Transmission ends)
ODO: Well, that certainly raised more questions than it answered. (yes...yes it did)
NOG: What can I do for you, sir?
SISKO: It's about Red Squad.
NOG: Red Squad? Did you get me in?
SISKO: Not just yet.
NOG: Too bad. Those guys are the best. They're the only people I know who aren't afraid of the Dominion.
SISKO: Why is that?
NOG: I don't know. They're not scared of anything, I guess.
SISKO: You seem to know them pretty well.
NOG: Jake told I should try to get to know them better, show them I'm a good guy. And so far it seems to be working. The truth is, I think they only like me because I know you.
SISKO: Is that so?
NOG: You're kind of their hero. The man at the front line in the war with the Dominion.
SISKO: I'd like to meet some of these cadets. You think you could introduce me to one of them?
NOG: I'm sorry. I can't do that, sir. The names of Red Squad members are supposed to be secret.
SISKO: But you know who they are.
NOG: It's not easy keeping secrets from a Ferengi. But I feel funny about telling anyone else. Besides, if they found out I told you who they were, I'd never get in.
SISKO: Cadet, you are obviously under the mistaken impression that I'm asking a favour. I want a name, and I want it now. And that is an order. Understood, Mister Nog?
NOG: Yes, sir. (awww snap...Sisko got tough. :) )
ODO: And are you sure that this cadet is telling the truth?
SISKO: He admitted to committing acts of treason against the Federation. If he was going to lie, I think he would have made up a better story.
ODO: I take it that you gave him a blood screening.
SISKO: I tested him myself. He's human.
ODO: Well then, let's say he is telling the truth, that his superior officers ordered him to sabotage the power relays. That still doesn't rule out Dominion involvement. For all we know, his superiors have been replaced by changelings.
SISKO: I thought about that. But if it were changelings, what have they accomplished? There's been no invasion and power's been restored.
ODO: And Starfleet has fortified Earth. I see your point, Captain. So let's say you're right. Starfleet officers have sabotaged the power grid. What are you going to do about it?
SISKO: That is the bottom line, isn't it? What am I going to do? These aren't evil people, Odo. These are people I've worked with. They're my friends, people I respect. How can I turn against them?
ODO: It seems to me, if they have committed treason against the Federation, the Federation that you swore to protect, you won't be turning against them. They will have turned against you.
LEYTON: Mmm. Somehow replicated coffee never tastes this good. I'm afraid I owe you an apology, Ben.
SISKO: The way I see it, you owe a lot of people an apology.
LEYTON: I wish I could have told you the truth from the beginning, but somehow I suspected we wouldn't see eye to eye on this thing.
SISKO: Then why did you bring me here?
LEYTON: Because I needed someone who knew how to fight shape-shifters, and that's you. And I suppose on some level I hoped that when you saw what we were accomplishing, you'd join us. You've always had a strong sense of duty.
SISKO: My duty is to protect the Federation.
LEYTON: That's what we're trying to do.
SISKO: What you're trying to do is to seize control of Earth and place it under military rule.
LEYTON: If that's what it takes to stop the Dominion.
SISKO: So you're willing to destroy paradise in order to save it.
LEYTON: Remember when we were on the Okinawa fighting the Tzenkethi? That time when I wanted to take the ship into an asteroid belt to chase down those three raiders.
SISKO: And I said it was an unnecessary risk.
LEYTON: You spoke your mind. Which is exactly what a good executive officer is supposed to do. But I overruled you. After the staff meeting you followed me into my ready room and tried to argue your point again.
SISKO: That's right, I did.
LEYTON: And remember what I told you?
SISKO: That a good officer must respect the chain of command. There comes a time when you must to accept the orders of a superior officer, and carry out those orders whether you agree with them or not.
LEYTON: I also told you when you became a CO, you'd feel the same way.
SISKO: And you were right. About going after the Tzenkethi, and about me.
LEYTON: Without the chain of command, Starfleet would cease to function and we wouldn't stand a chance against our enemies. I'm still your commanding officer, and now more than ever I need you to respect my authority.
SISKO: And I cannot do that! Not this time.
LEYTON: Then as of now, I'm relieving you of your post as temporary head of Earth Security and sending you back to Deep Space Nine. Go home, Ben. You don't belong here.
O'BRIEN: Beautiful evening, isn't it?
SISKO: Chief, how'd you get here?
O'BRIEN: You don't look so good. You've got a lot on your mind, I bet. How is your father?
SISKO: There's no way the Defiant could get here so soon.
O'BRIEN: I didn't say I came on the Defiant. Tell me the truth. Do you really believe that phaser rifles will do any good against shape-shifters?
SISKO: You're not O'Brien.
O'BRIEN: Luckily, no. The thought of being locked in the one shape all the time. (shudders) It's unnatural. Don't bother calling for help. It'll only cut short our conversation, and I do enjoy your company.
SISKO: If you have something to say to me, say it.
O'BRIEN: You solids. You are so impatient. I thought we could sit here for a while, maybe go to a bar, have a pint, throw some darts.
SISKO: I don't think so.
O'BRIEN: Let me ask you a question. How many changelings do you think are here on Earth right at this moment?
SISKO: I'm not going to play any guessing games with you.
O'BRIEN: Ah. What if I were to tell you that there are only four on this entire planet. Not counting Constable Odo of course. Think of it. Just four of us, and look at the havoc we've wrought.
SISKO: How do I know you're telling me the truth?
O'BRIEN: Four is more than enough. We're smarter than solids. We're better than you. And most importantly, we do not fear you the way you fear us. In the end, it's your fear that will destroy you.
SISKO: Are you finished?
O'BRIEN: Finished? We've barely begun. I'll be seeing you. (this scene is just freakin' creepy!)
SISKO: I hear congratulations are in order. Your promotion. Captain of the Lakota.
BENTEEN: Thanks, but it's still a few days away. The Lakota won't be done with its refit until the fourteenth.
SISKO: I guess that'll make the fourteenth a special day.
BENTEEN: I'm looking forward to it. Too bad you won't be around for the ceremony.
SISKO: Who knows? I might be able to fit it in.
BENTEEN: I thought Admiral Leyton ordered you back to Deep Space Nine.
SISKO: He did, but I've got some leave coming and I've decided to take it. After all, I don't get much time to spend on Earth, and it is so pleasant here. With a Starfleet officer on every corner, paradise has never seemed so well-armed.
BENTEEN: You're a very interesting man, Captain. I'm sorry we didn't get to work together longer. (Heh!!)
SISKO: Admiral, do you realise what's going on here? Even if you win, even if you do manage to oust Jaresh-Inyo, you still lose. We all lose.
LEYTON: I can't say I agree with you.
SISKO: Do you think other Federation worlds are going to sit back and let their President be replaced by a military dictatorship?
LEYTON: Hardly a dictatorship, Ben.
SISKO: Overthrowing a legitimately elected President and giving Starfleet direct control over the government? It sounds like a dictatorship to me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks so.
LEYTON: There will be some dissenters at first, but they'll fall in line once they realise that strengthening Earth is the first step toward strengthening the Federation.
SISKO: And what if they don't agree? What then? Are you willing to risk a civil war? If the Lakota fires on the Defiant, you will be opening up a Pandora's box that may never be closed.
LEYTON: Then contact the Defiant and tell them to stand down.
SISKO: I won't do that.
LEYTON: I didn't think so. But don't kid yourself, Ben. This Pandora's box of yours, we're opening it together.
LEYTON: Ironic, isn't it? When you came on board the Okinawa, you were more interested in engineering and ship design than command. But I promoted you to lieutenant commander, gave you the post of executive officer, and taught you everything I knew about being a leader.
SISKO: You were a good teacher.
LEYTON: I only wish I'd taught you more about the importance of loyalty.
SISKO: You want to talk to me about loyalty? After you broke your oath with the Federation, lied to the people of Earth, ordered one of our own starships to fire on another! You don't have the right.
LEYTON: You don't understand me at all, do you?
SISKO: I used to think I did. I used to think that you were a man of principles, a man of honour. I see that I was mistaken.
LEYTON: I'm sorry you feel that way.
SISKO: So am I.
SISKO: What's your status, Mister Worf?
WORF [on viewscreen]: The Lakota has powered down its weapons and is allowing us to proceed to Earth.
SISKO: Casualties?
WORF [on viewscreen]: Bartlett and Ramsey are dead, sir. Seven others seriously injured. Captain Benteen thinks there may be as many as twenty four casualties on the Lakota.
SISKO: Get here as soon as you can. The President's expecting you.
WORF [on viewscreen]: Aye, sir.
(Transmission ends.)
LEYTON: That was a mistake, Ben, talking to your ship from my office. Now that security knows you're here, you'll never make it past that door.
SISKO: It doesn't matter whether I get out of here or not. By now, Odo is talking to Jaresh-Inyo. The President will have all the evidence he needs to stop you. It's over.
LEYTON: It's not over! I have enough loyal officers to make a fight of it.
SISKO: Who will you fight? Starfleet? The Federation? Don't you see, Admiral? You're fighting the wrong war. And as for your loyal officers, Benteen's already abandoned you. And she was closer to you than anyone. You've lost. Don't make anyone else pay for your mistakes.
(Leyton takes off his rank insignia.)
LEYTON: I hope you're not the one making the mistake.
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