TREKCORE > DS9 > EPISODES > THE MAQUIS, PART I > Synopsis

Episode Synopsis by Tracy Hemenover

At an airlock where a Cardassian freighter, the Bok'Nor, is docked, a man named William Samuels, dressed in a Starfleet uniform, opens a panel in the ship's hull. A bit later, the Bok'Nor requests permission to depart, and Dax acknowledges as she and Kira chat about her dinner plans with a Gallamite named Captain Boday. As the ship moves away from the station, Dax notices something on her console, and urgently warns the Bok'Nor to shut down its engines, but it's too late. The ship explodes, with no survivors.

O'Brien and Kira go out in a runabout to analyze sensor readings on the debris, and find nothing unusual immediately; Kira can't believe the Cardassians have waited this long for an official explanation. Sisko asks if he can at least tell Starfleet it looks like an accident, and O'Brien says he wouldn't do that quite yet. Bajoran outposts have been put on alert for retaliatory strikes, and the provisional government has made a statement disavowing responsibility. O'Brien finds traces of a mercassium compound -- a synthetic composite used in shield generator construction by the Federation, who hasn't shared the technology with anyone.

Dax realizes that the explosion must have been caused by an implosive protomatter device, designed to match the ship's impulse signature. Just before the explosion, she picked up a sudden increase in their fusion rate, and there is no sign of a malfunction in the ship's engines. O'Brien will get a high resolution spectra of the impulse debris to confirm it.

Lt. Commander Calvin Hudson arrives; he is Starfleet's attache to the Federation colonies in the new Demilitarized Zone, and an old friend of both Sisko and Dax. Hudson says they haven't seen any unusual deployment from the Cardassians along the border. He and Sisko chat a little in the commander's office before getting down to business, and Hudson comments, "You can't imagine how my life has changed since the Federation abandoned these colonies." He says his presence there is a joke. "I'm supposed to help these colonies function under the terms of the new treaty. Now Ben, what the hell does that mean?"

Sisko says he thought the colonists wanted to stay. Hudson tells him that the treaty gave away their land to the Cardassians, land that they had invested their lives in. They couldn't leave. The treaty was a bad trade, Hudson feels. The Cardassians were happy to leave their colonists on the Federation side, because they knew the Federation would protect them, but they won't do the same in return for the Federation colonists on their side. Sisko tells him the two of them are supposed to assess the potential risk to the treaty posed by the destruction of the Bok'Nor. Hudson says there is none: the Cardassians like what they got from the treaty, and won't risk it by sending forces into the Demilitarized Zone.

On the Promenade, Samuels meets with a Vulcan woman named Sakonna, who tells him quarters have been arranged, and to keep a low profile until his ship arrives. But as Samuels moves away, two aliens follow him. Sakonna heads off to Quark's and approaches the Ferengi, who thinks at first she's here to arrest him, but instead she has a business proposition. Quark perks up; Sakonna says it's a private matter, one she'd prefer not to discuss here. Quark offers to do so over dinner later, and she agrees. As she walks off, Quark says to himself, "And by the way, I'd love to melt that cold Vulcan heart of yours." Meanwhile, Samuels is abducted by the two aliens.

Sisko enters his quarters, expecting Jake to be there, but instead finds Gul Dukat, who says he's here as a friend. Concerned that something's happened to Jake, Sisko calls Kira to have her locate him, as Dukat tells him he arrived as an unregistered passenger on a Kotakian freighter and slipped in by using his knowledge of the station. Kira calls back to say that Jake is with Nog and he's fine.

Reassured, Sisko asks what Dukat is doing here. "You have a problem," says Dukat. He is here unofficially, without even the knowledge of Central Command, to help him find the truth about the Bok'Nor. Dukat says he already knows who's responsible: "You are. Oh, not you personally, Commander. I know you to be an honorable man. You're not one to sneak around attaching implosion devices to impulse engines. But, believe it or not, there are those of your brethren who are willing to do such things -- morally superior human beings and other members of the Federation." Sisko asks if he's supposed to take Dukat's word for that, and Dukat says, "Of course not. It's my job to convince you, so you can clean up your own house, instead of forcing us to do it for you -- which would certainly endanger the new treaty." He tells Sisko they'll need a runabout; they're going to the Volan colonies. "The Demilitarized Zone?" asks Sisko, surprised, and Dukat smiles ruefully. "Not so demilitarized, I'm afraid."

They leave together, and banter a bit about Sisko's unwillingness to illuminate the controls at Dukat's seat. Long range sensors pick up a distress signal from a Federation merchant vessel, under attack by two Cardassian ships. Dukat says that's not possible. His people would not violate the treaty. Sisko can't raise the merchant ship, and sets course to the coordinates. The Cardassian ships appear to be shuttlecraft of some sort. Dukat seems baffled that Cardassian shuttles would attack a Federation ship; he guesses that they're from the Cardassian colonies in the Demilitarized Zone. Angry, he has Sisko open a channel, and orders the shuttles to disengage, but there is no response. He threatens to open fire on them, and they still don't answer.

Another ship approaches, one with a Federation signature, yet Sisko doesn't recognize the configuration. They don't answer hails either. The new ship fires on the Cardassian ships, and destroys them. "Now do you begin to see, Commander," Dukat says grimly, "that without any help from either one of us, they've managed to start their own little war out here."

Sakonna arrives for her dinner with Quark, who has strived to give the setting a certain romantic ambiance, though he claims it's meant to be conducive to business. Sakonna says she will respect his cultural idiosyncracies. "I will drink the wine. But I won't dance." "Come on," Quark cajoles. "Somewhere inside that cool, controlled exterior of yours, there's a wild woman screaming to get out." They discuss the similarities between the Rules of Acquisition and the Vulcan Bill of Rights as the food is served, and Quark toasts her, then finally asks what her business proposition is. When she tells him she wishes to procure weapons, he chokes. "You're a gun runner?!" Not seeming to notice, Sakonna says she is prepared to pay in latinum and will need a continual supply. "You're not like other Vulcans, are you?" Quark says shakily.

As Sisko and Dukat enter the meeting house on Volan III, Gul Evek is there, justifying the Cardassian ships' actions to Hudson and a few of the colonist leaders, including a woman named Kobb and a man named Amaros. Evek says the Federation ship was carrying weapons through the Demilitarized Zone; Hudson says it was taking medical supplies to Soltok IV. "Do you deny that the Federation is engaging in organized terrorist activities against the Cardassian people?" Evek says. "Deliberately undermining this treaty?" "The Federation does not conduct secret wars," Sisko puts in. The argument continues, until Evek says they have a confession from the "Federation terrorist" responsible for the destruction of the Bok'Nor. He produces a PADD and a data clip. On it, Samuels appears, looking very much like a tortured prisoner of war as he reads off a statement of confession.

Hudson says they'll want to talk to Samuels, and Evek calls to have him brought in. Two Cardassians enter with a body bag on a stretcher. "Unfortunately, he committed suicide in his cell," Evek says. The meeting dissolves into chaos.

Left alone with Sisko, Hudson says sadly that he knew Samuels, who farmed his land for twenty years until the Federation told him to give it all to the Cardassians. Sisko says it was people like him who made both sides realize that some accommodation had to be made so that the colonists could stay. "The Cardassians have no intention of allowing these people to stay," Hudson argues. "They will either force them out, or they will kill them. It's already started. Not a day when there's not some random act of violence against our people. Every Federation colonist knows you do not go out alone at night. Can you imagine living under that kind of fear?" And the Cardassian authorities won't help; they actually joined a mob that stoned two Federation colonists three days ago. Sisko says the Federation can take that up with the Cardassians at the highest levels. "Well, that will help a lot," Hudson says sarcastically. "The word is the Cardassian High Command is arming their colonists to the teeth." He wonders if the Bok'Nor was transferring weapons to someone else for the Cardassian colonists. Sisko says if it was, the transfer was made before the ship reached DS9; the cargo holds were empty.

Thinking about Samuels, Sisko asks, "Is there something larger going on here, Cal? Are these colonists organizing some kind of terrorist campaign?" If they are, Hudson says, they aren't going to tell him about it. "But I'll tell you one thing, Ben, between you and me. Those people have every right to defend themselves. When the Federation said goodbye to them, they left them no other choice."

Sisko heads back to DS9 with Dukat, who admits to knowing about Samuels' confession, but not about his death. "I told Evek he was a fool to let Samuels die. A good interrogator doesn't allow his subject to die. You lose the advantage." "That's all you're interested in, isn't it?" Sisko shoots. "The advantage." Dukat reminds him that Samuels was responsible for the deaths of 78 crewmen on the Bok'Nor. Sisko asks what the Bok'Nor was transporting, and Dukat says it had delivered 14 metric tons of golside ore to the Regulon system. It didn't go anywhere near the Demilitarized Zone. Sisko points out that they could have rendezvoused with somebody. "Commander," says Dukat, "I know you'd love to find some justification for this mass murder to ease your Federation conscience. But if the Bok'Nor was carrying weapons, I would know. And on the lives of my children, I swear to you, it was not."

Quark tells Sakonna that her merchandise will be ready tomorrow, but she says she must leave the station tonight. Her plans have changed. Quark says then his source will have to have the merchandise ready earlier than expected. Sakonna will have the latinum brought to his quarters.

Back on DS9, Sisko tell Dukat he can stay in a guest suite while arranging passage back to Cardassia. A Starfleet security guard will meet him there. Sisko returns to Ops, where O'Brien confirms that the Bok'Nor was destroyed by an implosive device from the Federation. Frustrated about the whole situation, Sisko goes into his office, and when Kira follows, tells her there is no threat of Cardassian reprisals to Bajor.

Kira asks if they're facing a war here; Sisko only knows that the colonists have to be stopped. She wonders whether he might be playing into the Cardassians' hands. "I've got people out there killing people, Major," he retorts. "You suggest I turn a blind eye to that?" The colonists chose to live with the Cardassians, Sisko argues. "Well, I didn't!" Kira argues right back. "But I lived with them for twenty-six years before the liberation came. Every Bajoran lived with them, in constant fear. I know what those colonists are going through. Most of all, I know that the Cardassians can't be trusted to keep their side of the bargain in this treaty."

"So you'd suggest the Federation not keep our side of the bargain either," Sisko says. Kira retorts, "I can tell you one thing for certain. The Cardassians are the enemy, not your own colonists. And if Starfleet can't understand that, then the Federation is even more naive than I already think it is."

The guard outside Dukat's quarters is approached by Sakonna and a man named Niles, in a Starfleet uniform, claiming to be his relief. Sakonna then neckpinches the guard. Niles tells Dukat that he has a message from Sisko. They are to escort him to an airlock; another bomb has been found and disarmed on a Cardassian freighter. Dukat follows them. They are met at the airlock by Amaros and another colonist. Dukat realizes what's going on, and attempts to escape, but he is stunned by a phaser, and dragged off through the airlock.

The DS9 officers discuss the situation while Sisko speaks intensely to an admiral in his office. When he comes out, Kira tells him the guard has described his assailants. Odo is trying to find anyone they might have contacted here. Two ships left the station last night, a Bardeezan merchant ship, which went through the wormhole, and a Galador freighter, which is on a trade route between Galador II and Farius Prime. Guessing Dukat's abductors would be taking him back to the Demilitarized Zone, Sisko has Dax check the Galador ship's registry. O'Brien finds its warp signature; it was still headed for Farius Prime when it left sensor range. He transmits the signature over subspace, in hopes that someone might spot them. Dax announces that she has found the ship's registry to be forged.

That's all Sisko needs to hear. He prepares to leave for the Demilitarized Zone with Bashir and Kira, telling Odo to send a message to Hudson. Kira picks up a general transmission from the Demilitarized Zone, where a group is taking credit for Dukat's abduction. The group calls itself the Maquis.

Sisko, Bashir, and Kira head out. O'Brien gives them the news that a Klingon freighter has spotted the ship in question, which has changed course for the Badlands. The Badlands are an area along the Cardassian border, avoided by ships due to frequent plasma storms. Bashir asks what they will do if they catch up to the ship, and Sisko replies they will get Dukat back by any means necessary. "Even if we have to fire on our own people?" Bashir asks, and Sisko is silent.

The warp signature leads to a Class M asteroid, where Bashir detects human lifesigns, but no Cardassians. They beam down, to what looks like a campsite in a jungle, where several colonists have congregated. Phaser rifles are aimed at the newcomers. Then Hudson, out of uniform, emerges, signalling the others to disarm Sisko and company. "I'm glad to see you had no trouble finding us, Ben," he says. "It seems that one disaster after another keeps bringing us back together again."

To be continued...