 While leaving for a vacation with
Keiko, O'Brien encounters Boone, a former crewmate from the
Rutledge. The two exchange pleasantries and O'Brien hurries off,
eager to start his trip. In his haste, O'Brien fails to notice
that Boone has recorded his voice. Later, as he and Keiko head
toward their destination in a Runabout, they are stopped by a
Cardassian vessel. To Keiko's horror, Gul Evek beams aboard and
arrests O'Brien, taking him back to Cardassia Prime without
telling him what he has supposedly done.
O'Brien is "interrogated" by
his captors until he meets Makbar, who will represent the state
in the case against him. However, she refuses to tell O'Brien
what charges he faces. Later, on the space station, Sisko is
contacted by Makbar, who tells him that, as with all Cardassian
trials, O'Brien's serves only a ceremonial function — he has
already been proven guilty and will be executed. Odo, who served
the Cardassians during the occupation, volunteers to serve as
O'Brien's Nestor, or advisor, then Odo and Keiko set off for
Cardassia.
O'Brien meets Kovat, the lawyer assigned to him by Cardassia,
but he is only interested in obtaining a confession, and O'Brien
still has no idea what crime he has allegedly committed.
Meanwhile, Sisko and his officers discover that several warheads
have been smuggled off the station — possibly to a group of
Federation colonists-turned-terrorists known as the Maquis. Kira
shows them that O'Brien's voice is on the security log
requesting access to the weapons locker. Later, Odo arrives on
Cardassia to advise O'Brien, and immediately questions him about
the warheads, but O'Brien denies any knowledge of the weapons.
Back on the space station, Dax and Bashir determine that the
security log recording of O'Brien's voice has probably been
fabricated. When Kira arrives and tells them that O'Brien was
seen talking to Boone just before the weapons were stolen, Sisko
orders him brought in for questioning. Boone admits to nothing,
even though he is promised protection from the Cardassians. They
seem to be at a dead end, until a Maquis member secretly
approaches Bashir and tells him that Boone is not one of them.
At O'Brien's trial, both Makbar and Kovat continue to convince
him into confessing, but the defendant remains firm. Odo
attempts to introduce the evidence that will clear him, but the
court refuses. Meanwhile, at the station, Sisko orders Boone to
submit to a medical examination. Soon afterward, just as the
Cardassian court prepares to move forward on the guilty verdict,
Sisko escorts Boone into the courtroom, and Makbar suddenly
announces that she will release O'Brien into Sisko's custody. As
they head home, Sisko explains that Bashir discovered that Boone
was really a Cardassian surgically altered to look like him.
When Makbar saw him, she knew Sisko had the evidence needed to
publicly embarrass Cardassia, so she let O'Brien go. O'Brien and
Keiko express their relief, and Sisko sends them off on their
well-deserved vacation.
See Also: Image Captures |
