HAVE YOU EVER DANCED...
I keep hearing that Battlestar Galactica is the best science fiction series on television now, and this does not surprise me. Although its cheesy 1970's predecessor was mainly remembered for being remembered by.... well, people who thought that Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was too highbrow, this Battlestar, from what I have seen with my own eyes, is no slice of cheese. It is meaty, topical, brawny and intelligent.
And why shouldn't it be? It is produced by Ronald D. Moore, who started working in the science fiction television universe as a staff writer for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Moore, who, unlike "the braintrust" of TNG (Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, the late Michael Piller), understood what made both great television AND great Star Trek: The Next Generation (and classic Star Trek) (the aforementioned trio, alas, never understood the appeal of TOS, or how the medium of television could harness the allegorical qualities of science fiction, shunned both TOS bold storytelling and inventive science fiction parable plottingit like the plague, and this attitude reflected a work product that was often timid, tepid and dull). Moore served as co-producer of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the best of all six of the Star Trek shows on a show by show, minute by minute basis.
Moore has also written many "Battlestar" episodes. BSG, deals with, in a science fiction setting, stories that Star Trek has often prided itself on telling, but, if one looks at Star Trek's actual record, has not actually been quite as succesful in telling as in telling the world it has told, so to speak. These stories (the BSG ones) include (since the entire premise of the show is that Earth and its remnants are under siege by an alien enemy and what is left of Earth as we know it basically consists of a military government) include tales about the military chain of command, cloning, eugenics, the morality of torture - tales with obvious parallels to our own time - but the stories are told subtly both as stories, and as allegories.
To give you an idea of the kind of work Moore presided over, consider this DS9 episode, "In the Pale Moonlight." The teleplay is listed as being by Peter Allen Fields, a great writer in his own right, but Moore did an uncredited rewrite. The epsiode, coincidentally, aired on my birthday eight years ago.
At the end of the description of the episode, just think about if/when this country ever fights the proverbial good fight. I think it has before, and will again. Even some people within this abomination we call a war are doing so now, which is what makes "Moonlight," though written even before the Project to Wreck - er, Project for the New American Century was conceived, such a classic - indeed, some call it the best DS9 episode, if not the best Star Trek episode ever. Out of all 715 Star Trek episodes, it's in the top ten. It's that good. View it, if you get around to doing so, with "The Drumhead," a description of which was posted earlier.
In the Pale Moonlight
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
Series:
DS9
Season:
6
Original Airdate:
1998-04-15
Production Number:
543
Year:
2374
Stardate:
51721.3
Story by:
Peter Allan Fields
Teleplay by:
Michael Taylor
Directed by:
Victor Lobl
Sick of the losses the Federation ("the good guys") is taking in the war (against an emeny on the other side of the galaxy), Sisko ("the good Starfleet captain") enlists Garak's ("the shifty, can you or can't you trust him character")help to persuade the Romulans (bad guys who are neutral in the war in question) to join the Federation against the Dominion. Sisko soon learns that in order to save the Federation, he must abandon the values it stands for.
Captain Benjamin Sisko is recording a log entry and begins by discussing his dreaded weekly posting of the Federation casualty report, listing the dead, wounded, and missing for that week. This particular week, Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax discovers that a longtime friend, Leslie Wong, was lost with all hands on board the USS Cairo. The Cairo was ambushed by a Dominion patrol that passed through Romulan space, a common occurrence, because the Romulans have a non-aggression pact with the Dominion. At this point, Sisko decides he is going to bring the Romulans into the war.
Initially, this objective seems unattainable, as it's clearly in the Romulans' best interests to stay neutral. When Dax plays the Romulan devil's advocate in a mock debate, Sisko determines how to get them into the war on their side. It becomes evident that Sisko needs "solid proof" to convince the Romulans that the Dominion is planning on conquering them after they are done with the Federation Alliance.
Sisko makes the deal with Garak.
Sisko contacts Elim Garak because of his "skills" at retrieving highly secret and guarded information (namely, "secret war plans" that Sisko could use). Garak reluctantly agrees, after noting that it would involve him calling in all of his favors, and that the outing may end up being a rather "messy" business. However, Sisko is not shaken and is prepared to do anything to accomplish the goal, as noted in his log.
That night, Sisko learns that the Dominion has conquered Betazed (moore "good guys," namely, a planet full of pacifists) in a matter of ten hours, placing the Dominion in a strategic position to hit several key worlds (including Earth, Andor and Vulcan - all more good guys, relatively defenseless against the Dominion). This makes Sisko even more determined, and after three days, he asks Garak about his progress. Garak had spoken to several Cardassians (he is a Cardassian; his people are currently allies with the Dominion; therefore he is a pariah among his people now) who were willing to help, but they were all dead within a day. Garak proposes that they manufacture the evidence they need instead. Sisko is at first appalled at the thought but, as he indicates in his log, he went along because he "knew it was right".
Garak proposes that Sisko invite Senator Vreenak to Deep Space 9, since he will be passing by in a few days. Vreenak negotiated the Romulan non-aggression pact with the Dominion and is an outspoken supporter of it, and has quite a low opinion of the Federation. The idea is that if Sisko can convince him to join the war, the whole Romulan Senate will follow. They formulate a plan to show him a fabricated recording of a secret, high-level Dominion meeting in which the Dominion discusses the plan to conquer the Romulans. In order to ensure that Vreenak believes it, they will use a genuine Cardassian optolythic data rod, as well as a good cover story about how Starfleet (the military arm of the Federation, an alliance of planets to which Sisko's Earth belongs)obtained it. Starfleet approves the plan.
The first thing that Sisko needs to do is to get Grathon Tolar, who is an expert in holographic forgery, released from a Klingon (more good guys - by this point in Star Trek history, anyway) prison. Gowron (Klingon Chancellor) pardons him, and Sisko tells Tolar that the conditions of his release are to create a holographic program for him. Tolar realizes the nature of what he has to do when he learns that Garak is involved. Tolar agrees, as the alternative is to face execution by the Klingons.
Later, a glitch tests Sisko's will to go through with the plan. Tolar gets drunk at Quark's (Quark is the bartender of Sisko's space station, Deep Space Nine. Quark is a Ferengi. The Ferengi are a race of, for purposes of this story, one word will do nicely: profiteers), and, in the ensuing bar fight, stabs Quark. Odo (station constable) cannot release Tolar unless Quark decides not to press charges. Sisko bribes Quark into not pressing charges. Sisko agrees to compensate Quark's for his lost profits and damaged clothes as well as to let some illegal merchandise pass security. Quark loves the idea, not just because of his economic gain, but that Sisko reaffirms Quark's faith in the 98th Rule of Acquisition: every man has his price. As Sisko says in his log, he begins to second guess the endeavor, until he receives another casualty report.
The next step in the plan is to obtain a genuine Cardassian data rod. Garak, by some "minor miracle", finds a seller of one; unfortunately, the price is quite high - 200 liters of bio-mimetic gel, a very dangerous and controlled substance. Sisko at first rejects the idea, but Garak tells him that finding another will be impossible, so Sisko reluctantly agrees to the trade, and they negotiate the quantity down to 85 liters. Doctor Bashir is appalled at the thought of having to prepare the gel, and only does so after demanding written orders, endorsed by Starfleet, and even then over his explicit objection and protest. (Dcotor Bashir, by the way, the station's doctor, it is noted, has parents, who, we learned the season before, illegally obtained the services of a doctor to perform genetic enhancements upon him when he was 5. Nothing was wrong with him; his parents were the kinds of pushy types who think that if their child isn't composing concertos at age 5, he is a retard. These kinds of parents, of course, are no geniuses, themselves. The penalty for those who traffic in or solicit genetic enhancement services is a long time in jail. Any individual who is the product of such enhancements cannot serve in Starfleet. Bashir, of course, then, since he knew of the enhancements since he was a child, would seem to be ineligible to serve. Yet, his father "took the fall" for him, so to speak, serving the prison time for him. The point of this little side story is that it is ESPECIALLY the people who have their own ethical and moral hangups who would know when to try and act out Dramatics 101 when they think others are trying to pull an ethical/moral fast one over them).
The "team" of Sisko, Garak, and Tolar obtain the rod and begin preparing a convincing recording in which Weyoun and Damar (Dominion henchmen) plan the invasion of Romulus (Romulan homeworld) making sure to have the two squabble with each other and appear as "real" as possible. The program is recorded onto the rod, and the forgery is complete. In order to ensure that the fake will pass, Sisko threatens Tolar with an unpleasant execution at the hands of Gowron if the forgery is flawed.
Sisko shows Vreenak the program.
Sisko at this point is getting very nervous, as Senator Vreenak comes to the station in a cloaked Romulan shuttle and egotistically dresses down Sisko when the two meet. Meanwhile, Garak plans to inspect the Senator's ship (for anything "useful"), and to stop by Tolar's quarters (to say "hello"). Sisko and Vreenak discuss the fate of their respective worlds over a bottle of kali-fal, at which point Sisko tells Vreenak that he has learned that the Dominion are planning a surprise attack on the Romulans. Vreenak, naturally, demands proof, at which time Sisko presents his forgery. Vreenak demands to inspect the data rod.
Vreenak, in typical Romulan fashion, takes his time inspecting the rod, during which time Sisko, as he indicates in his log, is very anxious. The fate of the entire Alpha Quadrant hangs on whether or not his forgery passes Romulan scrutiny. Sisko attempts, in vain, to calm his worries, until Vreenak finally calls Sisko to pronounce his judgment.
"It's a fake!"
Vreenak furiously confronts Sisko, declaring the rod to be an absolute fake, and promises to expose Starfleet's treachery and deception to the Romulan Senate, which could easily drive the Romulans to the Dominion's side, dooming the Federation for good.
Fortunately for Sisko and the Federation, two days later Sisko learns that Vreenak's shuttle has conveniently exploded, killing him. Sisko quickly realizes that Garak was behind this, and he confronts Garak in his shop, with a fist to the face. Garak demands a chance to explain and outlines the actual plan...
Realizing that the forgery may well not pass Vreenak's inspection, Garak had planted a bomb on the Romulan shuttle, and he had made its destruction look like Dominion sabotage. To the Tal Shiar (Romulan intelligence) it will appear that the Dominion destroyed the shuttle. And in the wreckage they will find a badly-damaged data rod containing damning evidence that the Dominion was going to betray the Romulans, the damage to the rod masking the imperfections in the forgery. It will appear that Vreenak was on his way to expose the Dominion before being blown up. As for Tolar, the forger, Garak describes him as a "casualty of war". In other words, he eliminated him.
Sisko toasts "the good guys".
Sisko is quite furious, and does further damage to Garak's face, before realizing the real plan was a very good and necessary one. In fact it succeeds. The Romulans declare war on the Dominion the next day, and all Sisko has to do now is to wrestle with his conscience. He soon justifies his actions, stating that the lives of a few innocent men, and his own self-respect, are a tiny price to pay for essentially saving the Federation, along with potentially billions of lives. After coming to terms with his actions, Sisko erases the whole log.
Memorable Quotes
"It...will...pass."
- Grathon Tolar to an angry Benjamin Sisko
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions"
- Joseph Sisko via Benjamin Sisko
"Or we can just forget the whole enterprise."
- Garak, perhaps referring to the fact that Sisko is undertaking a plan that neither Kirk nor Picard would ever have
"So you're the commander of Deep Space 9. And the Emissary of the Prophets. Decorated combat officer, widower, father, mentor... Oh and yes, the man who started the war with the Dominion. Somehow I thought you'd be taller..."
"Sorry to disappoint you."
"To be honest, my opinion of Starfleet officers is so low that you'd have to work very hard indeed to disappoint me."
- Vreenak, Benjamin Sisko
"You are persistent, I'll grant you that, captain. But I'm afraid dogged determination isn't enough to change the reality of your situation. Time is definitely not on your side. The Dominion shipyards are working at one hundred percent capacity, your facilities are still being rebuilt. The Dominion is breeding legions of Jem'Hadar soldiers every day -- you're experiencing a manpower shortage. But more important, the Dominion is resolved to win the war, no matter what the cost."
- Vreenak
"It's a fake!"
- Vreenak
(And, a speech for the ages - and for the pantheon):
"That is why you came to me, isn't it, captain? Because you knew I could do the things you weren't capable of doing yourself? Well, it worked. And you'll get what you wanted -- a war between the Romulans and the Dominion. If your conscience is bothering you, you should soothe it with the knowledge that you may have just saved the entire Alpha Quadrant. And all it cost was the life of one Romulan senator, one criminal, and the self-respect of one Starfleet officer. I don't know about you, but I'd call that a bargain."
- Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson, who was the recipient of Dirty Harry's line "Do you feel lucky, punk?")
"At 0800 Hours Station time, the Romulan Empire formally declared War on the Dominion. They have already struck 15 bases along the Cardassian border. So this is a huge victory for the good guys! This may even be the turning point in the entire War. So I lied, I cheated, I bribed men to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the damndest thing is ... I think I can live with it. Garak was right about one thing, my 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 (precise equal emphasis on both capitalized words). Computer, erase that entire personal log."
- Captain Benjamin Sisko
-fade to black
And why shouldn't it be? It is produced by Ronald D. Moore, who started working in the science fiction television universe as a staff writer for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Moore, who, unlike "the braintrust" of TNG (Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, the late Michael Piller), understood what made both great television AND great Star Trek: The Next Generation (and classic Star Trek) (the aforementioned trio, alas, never understood the appeal of TOS, or how the medium of television could harness the allegorical qualities of science fiction, shunned both TOS bold storytelling and inventive science fiction parable plottingit like the plague, and this attitude reflected a work product that was often timid, tepid and dull). Moore served as co-producer of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the best of all six of the Star Trek shows on a show by show, minute by minute basis.
Moore has also written many "Battlestar" episodes. BSG, deals with, in a science fiction setting, stories that Star Trek has often prided itself on telling, but, if one looks at Star Trek's actual record, has not actually been quite as succesful in telling as in telling the world it has told, so to speak. These stories (the BSG ones) include (since the entire premise of the show is that Earth and its remnants are under siege by an alien enemy and what is left of Earth as we know it basically consists of a military government) include tales about the military chain of command, cloning, eugenics, the morality of torture - tales with obvious parallels to our own time - but the stories are told subtly both as stories, and as allegories.
To give you an idea of the kind of work Moore presided over, consider this DS9 episode, "In the Pale Moonlight." The teleplay is listed as being by Peter Allen Fields, a great writer in his own right, but Moore did an uncredited rewrite. The epsiode, coincidentally, aired on my birthday eight years ago.
At the end of the description of the episode, just think about if/when this country ever fights the proverbial good fight. I think it has before, and will again. Even some people within this abomination we call a war are doing so now, which is what makes "Moonlight," though written even before the Project to Wreck - er, Project for the New American Century was conceived, such a classic - indeed, some call it the best DS9 episode, if not the best Star Trek episode ever. Out of all 715 Star Trek episodes, it's in the top ten. It's that good. View it, if you get around to doing so, with "The Drumhead," a description of which was posted earlier.
In the Pale Moonlight
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
Series:
DS9
Season:
6
Original Airdate:
1998-04-15
Production Number:
543
Year:
2374
Stardate:
51721.3
Story by:
Peter Allan Fields
Teleplay by:
Michael Taylor
Directed by:
Victor Lobl
Sick of the losses the Federation ("the good guys") is taking in the war (against an emeny on the other side of the galaxy), Sisko ("the good Starfleet captain") enlists Garak's ("the shifty, can you or can't you trust him character")help to persuade the Romulans (bad guys who are neutral in the war in question) to join the Federation against the Dominion. Sisko soon learns that in order to save the Federation, he must abandon the values it stands for.
Captain Benjamin Sisko is recording a log entry and begins by discussing his dreaded weekly posting of the Federation casualty report, listing the dead, wounded, and missing for that week. This particular week, Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax discovers that a longtime friend, Leslie Wong, was lost with all hands on board the USS Cairo. The Cairo was ambushed by a Dominion patrol that passed through Romulan space, a common occurrence, because the Romulans have a non-aggression pact with the Dominion. At this point, Sisko decides he is going to bring the Romulans into the war.
Initially, this objective seems unattainable, as it's clearly in the Romulans' best interests to stay neutral. When Dax plays the Romulan devil's advocate in a mock debate, Sisko determines how to get them into the war on their side. It becomes evident that Sisko needs "solid proof" to convince the Romulans that the Dominion is planning on conquering them after they are done with the Federation Alliance.
Sisko makes the deal with Garak.
Sisko contacts Elim Garak because of his "skills" at retrieving highly secret and guarded information (namely, "secret war plans" that Sisko could use). Garak reluctantly agrees, after noting that it would involve him calling in all of his favors, and that the outing may end up being a rather "messy" business. However, Sisko is not shaken and is prepared to do anything to accomplish the goal, as noted in his log.
That night, Sisko learns that the Dominion has conquered Betazed (moore "good guys," namely, a planet full of pacifists) in a matter of ten hours, placing the Dominion in a strategic position to hit several key worlds (including Earth, Andor and Vulcan - all more good guys, relatively defenseless against the Dominion). This makes Sisko even more determined, and after three days, he asks Garak about his progress. Garak had spoken to several Cardassians (he is a Cardassian; his people are currently allies with the Dominion; therefore he is a pariah among his people now) who were willing to help, but they were all dead within a day. Garak proposes that they manufacture the evidence they need instead. Sisko is at first appalled at the thought but, as he indicates in his log, he went along because he "knew it was right".
Garak proposes that Sisko invite Senator Vreenak to Deep Space 9, since he will be passing by in a few days. Vreenak negotiated the Romulan non-aggression pact with the Dominion and is an outspoken supporter of it, and has quite a low opinion of the Federation. The idea is that if Sisko can convince him to join the war, the whole Romulan Senate will follow. They formulate a plan to show him a fabricated recording of a secret, high-level Dominion meeting in which the Dominion discusses the plan to conquer the Romulans. In order to ensure that Vreenak believes it, they will use a genuine Cardassian optolythic data rod, as well as a good cover story about how Starfleet (the military arm of the Federation, an alliance of planets to which Sisko's Earth belongs)obtained it. Starfleet approves the plan.
The first thing that Sisko needs to do is to get Grathon Tolar, who is an expert in holographic forgery, released from a Klingon (more good guys - by this point in Star Trek history, anyway) prison. Gowron (Klingon Chancellor) pardons him, and Sisko tells Tolar that the conditions of his release are to create a holographic program for him. Tolar realizes the nature of what he has to do when he learns that Garak is involved. Tolar agrees, as the alternative is to face execution by the Klingons.
Later, a glitch tests Sisko's will to go through with the plan. Tolar gets drunk at Quark's (Quark is the bartender of Sisko's space station, Deep Space Nine. Quark is a Ferengi. The Ferengi are a race of, for purposes of this story, one word will do nicely: profiteers), and, in the ensuing bar fight, stabs Quark. Odo (station constable) cannot release Tolar unless Quark decides not to press charges. Sisko bribes Quark into not pressing charges. Sisko agrees to compensate Quark's for his lost profits and damaged clothes as well as to let some illegal merchandise pass security. Quark loves the idea, not just because of his economic gain, but that Sisko reaffirms Quark's faith in the 98th Rule of Acquisition: every man has his price. As Sisko says in his log, he begins to second guess the endeavor, until he receives another casualty report.
The next step in the plan is to obtain a genuine Cardassian data rod. Garak, by some "minor miracle", finds a seller of one; unfortunately, the price is quite high - 200 liters of bio-mimetic gel, a very dangerous and controlled substance. Sisko at first rejects the idea, but Garak tells him that finding another will be impossible, so Sisko reluctantly agrees to the trade, and they negotiate the quantity down to 85 liters. Doctor Bashir is appalled at the thought of having to prepare the gel, and only does so after demanding written orders, endorsed by Starfleet, and even then over his explicit objection and protest. (Dcotor Bashir, by the way, the station's doctor, it is noted, has parents, who, we learned the season before, illegally obtained the services of a doctor to perform genetic enhancements upon him when he was 5. Nothing was wrong with him; his parents were the kinds of pushy types who think that if their child isn't composing concertos at age 5, he is a retard. These kinds of parents, of course, are no geniuses, themselves. The penalty for those who traffic in or solicit genetic enhancement services is a long time in jail. Any individual who is the product of such enhancements cannot serve in Starfleet. Bashir, of course, then, since he knew of the enhancements since he was a child, would seem to be ineligible to serve. Yet, his father "took the fall" for him, so to speak, serving the prison time for him. The point of this little side story is that it is ESPECIALLY the people who have their own ethical and moral hangups who would know when to try and act out Dramatics 101 when they think others are trying to pull an ethical/moral fast one over them).
The "team" of Sisko, Garak, and Tolar obtain the rod and begin preparing a convincing recording in which Weyoun and Damar (Dominion henchmen) plan the invasion of Romulus (Romulan homeworld) making sure to have the two squabble with each other and appear as "real" as possible. The program is recorded onto the rod, and the forgery is complete. In order to ensure that the fake will pass, Sisko threatens Tolar with an unpleasant execution at the hands of Gowron if the forgery is flawed.
Sisko shows Vreenak the program.
Sisko at this point is getting very nervous, as Senator Vreenak comes to the station in a cloaked Romulan shuttle and egotistically dresses down Sisko when the two meet. Meanwhile, Garak plans to inspect the Senator's ship (for anything "useful"), and to stop by Tolar's quarters (to say "hello"). Sisko and Vreenak discuss the fate of their respective worlds over a bottle of kali-fal, at which point Sisko tells Vreenak that he has learned that the Dominion are planning a surprise attack on the Romulans. Vreenak, naturally, demands proof, at which time Sisko presents his forgery. Vreenak demands to inspect the data rod.
Vreenak, in typical Romulan fashion, takes his time inspecting the rod, during which time Sisko, as he indicates in his log, is very anxious. The fate of the entire Alpha Quadrant hangs on whether or not his forgery passes Romulan scrutiny. Sisko attempts, in vain, to calm his worries, until Vreenak finally calls Sisko to pronounce his judgment.
"It's a fake!"
Vreenak furiously confronts Sisko, declaring the rod to be an absolute fake, and promises to expose Starfleet's treachery and deception to the Romulan Senate, which could easily drive the Romulans to the Dominion's side, dooming the Federation for good.
Fortunately for Sisko and the Federation, two days later Sisko learns that Vreenak's shuttle has conveniently exploded, killing him. Sisko quickly realizes that Garak was behind this, and he confronts Garak in his shop, with a fist to the face. Garak demands a chance to explain and outlines the actual plan...
Realizing that the forgery may well not pass Vreenak's inspection, Garak had planted a bomb on the Romulan shuttle, and he had made its destruction look like Dominion sabotage. To the Tal Shiar (Romulan intelligence) it will appear that the Dominion destroyed the shuttle. And in the wreckage they will find a badly-damaged data rod containing damning evidence that the Dominion was going to betray the Romulans, the damage to the rod masking the imperfections in the forgery. It will appear that Vreenak was on his way to expose the Dominion before being blown up. As for Tolar, the forger, Garak describes him as a "casualty of war". In other words, he eliminated him.
Sisko toasts "the good guys".
Sisko is quite furious, and does further damage to Garak's face, before realizing the real plan was a very good and necessary one. In fact it succeeds. The Romulans declare war on the Dominion the next day, and all Sisko has to do now is to wrestle with his conscience. He soon justifies his actions, stating that the lives of a few innocent men, and his own self-respect, are a tiny price to pay for essentially saving the Federation, along with potentially billions of lives. After coming to terms with his actions, Sisko erases the whole log.
Memorable Quotes
"It...will...pass."
- Grathon Tolar to an angry Benjamin Sisko
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions"
- Joseph Sisko via Benjamin Sisko
"Or we can just forget the whole enterprise."
- Garak, perhaps referring to the fact that Sisko is undertaking a plan that neither Kirk nor Picard would ever have
"So you're the commander of Deep Space 9. And the Emissary of the Prophets. Decorated combat officer, widower, father, mentor... Oh and yes, the man who started the war with the Dominion. Somehow I thought you'd be taller..."
"Sorry to disappoint you."
"To be honest, my opinion of Starfleet officers is so low that you'd have to work very hard indeed to disappoint me."
- Vreenak, Benjamin Sisko
"You are persistent, I'll grant you that, captain. But I'm afraid dogged determination isn't enough to change the reality of your situation. Time is definitely not on your side. The Dominion shipyards are working at one hundred percent capacity, your facilities are still being rebuilt. The Dominion is breeding legions of Jem'Hadar soldiers every day -- you're experiencing a manpower shortage. But more important, the Dominion is resolved to win the war, no matter what the cost."
- Vreenak
"It's a fake!"
- Vreenak
(And, a speech for the ages - and for the pantheon):
"That is why you came to me, isn't it, captain? Because you knew I could do the things you weren't capable of doing yourself? Well, it worked. And you'll get what you wanted -- a war between the Romulans and the Dominion. If your conscience is bothering you, you should soothe it with the knowledge that you may have just saved the entire Alpha Quadrant. And all it cost was the life of one Romulan senator, one criminal, and the self-respect of one Starfleet officer. I don't know about you, but I'd call that a bargain."
- Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson, who was the recipient of Dirty Harry's line "Do you feel lucky, punk?")
"At 0800 Hours Station time, the Romulan Empire formally declared War on the Dominion. They have already struck 15 bases along the Cardassian border. So this is a huge victory for the good guys! This may even be the turning point in the entire War. So I lied, I cheated, I bribed men to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the damndest thing is ... I think I can live with it. Garak was right about one thing, my 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 (precise equal emphasis on both capitalized words). Computer, erase that entire personal log."
- Captain Benjamin Sisko
-fade to black
posted by EnterCenter at 5:13 PM
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