IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT
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IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT:
This episode starts off with Sisko sitting in his quarters, doing his logs. The entire episode is from his recollection while doing his logs.
Every Friday morning, he would post casualty lists from the war, and that turned Friday into the most feared day of the week.
Dax sees that a friend of hers has been lost while patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone. It's "about the millionth time" that a Jem'Hadar ship had crossed the zone and attacked the Federation.
While Dax, Worf and Bashir were looking over the list, Sisko then knew what he had to do. He had to bring the Romulans into this war.
Sisko decides the only reason the Romulans would join the war would be for their best interests, and he has to find something that would be in their best interests. Him and Dax have a mock peace talk, and nothing happens. Dax (acting as a Romulan) says that Sisko needs proof, just as the Romulans would. Sisko comments that she was a good Romulan, but she "prefers spots to pointy ears."
They figure out that any evidence that they planned to attack Romulus or Remus lies deep inside the bowels of Cardassia Prime, not the most accessable place in the galaxy.
"But there is someone on this station who specializes in gaining access to places he's not welcome."
Sisko goes to Garak's, and Garak says how no one wants to see the Dominion destroyed as much as him. Garak contacts some colleagues on Cardie Prime and they see what they can do. In the middle of the night, Sisko recieves a message from Starfleet Command. The Dominion has invaded Betazed. The 10th Fleet was supposed to protect Betazed, but was off on training exercises. The planet was theirs in less than ten hours.
Kira points out that with Betazed in their hands, the Dominion could threaten Vulcan, Andor, Tellar, Alpha Centauri, and Earth.
Sisko goes to Garak to see how the plan's going, but all of Garak's friends on Cardie Prime had been killed. Garak then suggests a backup plan.
Garak suggests that they manufacture the evidence, and Sisko agrees. He later says that he should have just said, "Thank you Mister Garak," but he didn't. Garak pulls out a photo of a Romulan senator, Senator Vreenak. He's the secretary of the War Plans Council, Vice Chairman of the Tal Shiar, and one of Proconsul Neral's closest advisors, not to mention he negotiated the Non-Aggression pact with the Dominion.
Garak then says that he will be taking a trip to a planet for a diplomatic meeting with Weyoun. Garak suggest that Sisko could persuade him to come to Deep Space Nine. Garak then says that Sisko could show him a fake hologram of Weyoun, Damar and a few others planning the attack on Romulus. He will be using a tech rod, straight from Cardie Prime. The alien who will make the forgery, Tolar, is in a Klingon jail, and Sisko manages to get him out.
Sisko is in his quarters when Odo comms him. Tolar appearently tried to kill Quark in a drunken brawl. He had a few drinks, and then started trying to pick up a dabo girl, and Quark intervened, and was struck with a knife.
Quark decides to press charges until Sisko bribes him not to.
Garak finds a man who will sell him the rod to record it on, but it will require 200 liters of bio-memetic gel.
Sisko has to go to Bashir to get the gel. Bashir gives it to him, but files a complaint with Starfleet. Sisko now realizes how incredibly screwed up and wrong this is, but he keeps it up. In a holosuite Damar, Weyoun and two Legates are talking about the conquest of Romulus. Garak freezes the program, and Garak, Sisko and Tolar all agree on the
program, and program it into the rod.
Vreenak's shuttle uncloaks, and he steps out. Vreenak says how his opinion of Starfleet is so low it would be hard to disappoint him.
Sisko and Vreenak begin there negotiatons, and Vreenak isn't getting anywhere. Sisko gives Vreenak the rod, and Vreenak inspects it. He finds that it's a fake, and leaves.
Dax talks to Sisko, and Dax suspects that Sisko is using clandestine operations with the Romulans. Sisko all but admits it, and Dax leaves in a huff.
Vreenak found that it was a fake, and went to the Dominion conference. When he leaves it, his ship is blown up, and the Tal Shiar suggests the Dominion did it. They think that he stole the rod, and had to leave immediately. Any imperfections on the rod could be blamed on the "accident."
When Sisko hears that the ship was blown up, he goes to Garak, who admits he really planted the bomb on the ship.
The Romulans declare war on the Dominion, but Sisko is lost. Garak tells him "You just traded the Alpha Quadrant for a Romulan Ambassador, A Criminal(Garak kills Toral), and a Starfleet Officer's Morale, Honor and Conscience. All together I think you got a bargain."
The Romulans destroy 15 different bases along the Cardie border, and a combined Federation-Romulan-Klingon command structure may be in the works.
Sisko comes to the conclusion that he can live with himself after lying, cheating and bribing just for that. He erases the log, and the screen fades to black.
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Guest Cast:
Andrew Robinson as Garak
Jeffrey Combs as Weyoun
Casey Biggs as Damar
Howard Shangraw as Tolar
Stephen McHattie as Vreenak
Creative Staff:
Story By: Peter Allen Fields
Teleplay By: Michael Taylor
Director: Victor Lobl
Other Info:
Airdate: April 15, 1998
Stardate: Unknown
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