In the Pale Moonlight
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| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode | |
| "In the Pale Moonlight" | |
Captain Sisko and Garak scheme against the Dominion. |
|
| Episode no. | 143 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 543 |
| Airdate | April 15, 1998 |
| Writer(s) | Michael Taylor |
| Director | Victor Lobl |
| Guest star(s) | Andrew Robinson Stephen McHattie |
| Year | 2374 |
| Stardate | 51721.3 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "Inquisition" |
| Next | "His Way" |
"In the Pale Moonlight" (working title: Patriot) is the 19th episode of the 6th season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The episode has an average rating of 4.8/5 on the official Star Trek website (as of March 1st, 2008), making it the highest rated episode on the website (including all of the Star Trek series).[1]
Sick of the losses the Federation is taking in the war, Sisko enlists Garak's help in getting the Romulans to join the Federation against the Dominion. Sisko soon learns that in order to save the Federation, he must violate the values for which it stands.
The exploration of compromising morality to achieve safety for the United Federation of Planets is especially poignant when juxtaposed with the previous episode: "Inquisition", where the ethical consensus is condemnation of Section 31's illegal strategies also in protection of the Alpha Quadrant, if not Federation values.
[edit] Episode summary
The episode is structured as an entry in Captain Benjamin Sisko's (Avery Brooks) log, allowing him to narrate. The captain has a lot on his mind: the war with the Dominion has been costly for the Federation and its allies; with every weekly casualty report, the number of dead climb higher. Sisko, who helped start the war, feels their deaths quite keenly.
As yet another casualty list is posted by Sisko for public viewing by the crew, he realizes that the list is likely to grow far longer; the Federation seems headed for defeat. During this posting, Sisko spontaneously decides to get the neutral Romulan Empire to join the Federation against the Dominion. To this end, Sisko enlists the help of the station's resident tailor and former Cardassian spy Elim Garak. The initial plan is to use Garak's Cardassian contacts to obtain evidence of Dominion plans to eventually conquer the Romulan Empire. Shortly after the Dominion unexpectedly conquers Betazed, Sisko checks back with Garak, who informs him that the people he contacted have all been killed.
Sisko, disappointed at the failure of his "long shot" plan, is ready to call it a day, but Garak believes that there might be another way. His new plan calls for the construction of fake holographic records, depicting Dominion leaders discussing an invasion of Romulan territory. Sisko is told that the data rod containing these records will be genuine, and the forgery indistinguishable from the real thing. Garak suggests Sisko show it to Vreenak, a Romulan senator who is the strongest advocate of remaining neutral.
To construct the holographic recording, Sisko secures the release of Grathon Tolar, an expert forger and con artist who is on Klingon Death Row. Tolar quickly proves himself as troublesome as he is skilled when he gets into an altercation with local bartender Quark, and Sisko must bribe the Ferengi to keep things quiet. Quark, amazed at the human's willingness to commit a Ferengi-like ethical breach, smugly quotes Rule of Acquisition 98 to Sisko: "Every man has his price." This, and having to use dangerous bio-memetic gel to acquire the rare data rod makes Sisko continue to question his actions.
Garak shows Sisko the recording Tolar has prepared, which includes Damar doubting the competency of the Founders' strategic abilities when Weyoun announces their plan to invade the Romulan Empire. Once the counterfeit rod is completed, Sisko informs Garak that Vreenak is on his way to DS9.
Vreenak's shuttle arrives in secret. Garak says he will sneak onto the shuttle for reconnaissance while Vreenak meets with Sisko. After enduring some insults, Sisko makes his pitch that the Dominion is planning to take over Romulus after the Federation and Klingons. Vreenak asks for proof, and receives the fake datarod. Sisko feels keenly the balance of fates he is playing with: if worst comes to worst, the Romulans may be so insulted that they ally with the Dominion instead; Sisko's actions will either save the Federation or doom it. After careful study, Vreenak confronts Sisko, his only comment being the hissed statement, "It's a fake!"
Sisko has failed. He tries to move on with his regular duties, posting another casualty list. Unexpectedly, Vreenak's shuttle is bombed as he crosses into Romulan space. Sisko confronts his first suspect, Garak, who confesses, but claims that he has in fact salvaged the mission. He explains that now, when the Romulans investigate the "accident" and find the remnants of the data-rod, the flaws in the recording will be interpreted as damage from the explosion, and thus the data rod will "prove" to the Romulans that the Dominion was plotting to attack them and they killed Vreenak to keep the secret.
In the final scene, Sisko reveals the plan worked, and the Romulans joined the Federation and the Klingons. He attempts to come to terms with the reality of what he has done and why:
| “ | So... I lied. I cheated. I bribed men to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all... I think I can live with it. And if I had to do it all over again, I would. Garak was right about one thing, a guilty conscience is a small price to pay for the safety of the Alpha Quadrant. So I will learn to live with it. Because I can live with it. I can live with it... Computer, erase that entire personal log. | ” |
[edit] Guest stars
- Andrew Robinson as Elim Garak
- Stephen McHattie as Vreenak
- Howard Shangraw as Grathon Tolar
- Jeffrey Combs as Weyoun
- Casey Biggs as Damar
[edit] External links
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