This comic farce, demonstrates the idiocy and gullibility of two of the less talented members of the DS9 crew, O'Brien and Bashir. Taken prisoner by a band of Jem'Hadar foolishly attempting to defy the will of the Dominion and release themselves from their ketracel-white dependence, Bashir is ordered by the leader of the band to help them find a cure for their addiction. Bashir and O'Brien initially defy the wishes of the Jem'Hadar soldiers, attempting to escape, but Bashir becomes convinced that they should help them escape their dependence. O'Brien, however, disagrees with the doctor's decision, recognizing the innate warrior nature which is a part of all Jem'Hadar. O'Brien then hatches a successful escape plan (which, doubtless succeeds only due to the diminished capacity of the Jem'Hadar suffering from Ketracel White withdrawal.) Bashir continues with his experiments while the Jem'Hadar hunt down his companion. O'Brien then returns to help Bashir escape and, when the doctor refuses, destroys his experiments. Returning to find the two humans, the misguided Jem'Hadar First allows the two to return to their ship.
This chapter in the DS9 chronicle demonstrates the debilitating effect which the Dominion has had on the Federation without ever firing a shot. An explosion on Earth believed to have been caused by the Dominion leaves the Federation terrified that the Founders have infiltrated their homeworld. The great mind of Starfleet Command summon the redoubtable Sisko and ask him to take control of Starfleet Security. Sisko then convinces the president of the Federation to implement blood screening procedures throughout the population, a draconian measure to which the president reluctantly agrees. When Earth's power grid is subsequently sabotaged, Sisko panics, fearing that a Dominion attack is imminent and convinces the president to declare a State of Emergency, paving the way for Starfleet's thugs to take control of the planet.
This installment details the conclusion of Starfleet's brief foray into the role of military dictator. Nog, Starfleet's only Ferengi and one of the more pitiable members of Sisko's motley crew, learns of an organization of Starfleet cadets known as Red Squad which is responsible for Earth's power outage. Reporting this to his commander, Captain Sisko surmises that Red Squad may be under the direction of Admiral Leyton, who is attempting to seize control of the Federation by instilling an unreasoning fear of the Dominion in them. When Sisko challenges Leyton's attempt to have martial law declared on Earth, Leyton has Sisko relieved of command. Sisko presses his charges against Leyton, ultimately forcing the corrupt admiral to have Sisko arrested as a Founder (a most laughable accusation.) In the mean time, Sisko has dispatched the Defiant to Earth to stop Leyton's plot to seize control of the Federation, but it is intercepted by the Lakota, sent by Admiral Leyton. However, when Leyton insists that the Lakota destroy the Defiant, her crew turns against him. Realizing that his supporters have deserted him, Leyton surrenders his ambition. This constitutes a brilliant episode in the DS9 chronicle as it features the near downfall of Earth, with not a single member of the Dominion involved in the plot. Such is the stupidity of the Alpha Quadrant creatures that they can be conquered with only a minimal output of resources on the part of the Dominion. Ultimately, their own inferiority will lead them into chains.
This minor entry into the DS9 chronicle is hardly worthy of discussion. In large measure it features only the ludicrous actions of the Defiant's crew which are unworthy of any close analysis. However, this episode is note worthy in that it introduces the unfortunate consequences of attempting to defy the Dominion. The plague visited upon the backwards inhabitants of this planet, known as the Blight, serves as warning to all of those foolish enough to buck the wishes of the Dominion.
Here we see a painful and tragic chapter in the history of the Dominion, in which the Founders, in their infinite wisdom were forced to call their wayward son to account for his grievous actions. Odo takes sick after a virus planted in him by the Founders to force him to return home, causes him to begin to lose his ability to maintain solid form. Stricken by this disease, Odo resolves to find the answers to his dilemma with his people. Acquiescing to Odo's desires, the crew of the Defiant take him into the Gamma quadrant. Naturally, upon entering Dominion space, the Defiant is immediately braced by Jem'Hadar warships. After reaching his homeworld, Odo is permitted to speak with the Founders but is told that for committing the crime of murdering another of their kind, he will be punished by being forced to live out the rest of his days as a solid. Diminished and humiliated, having been cast out from godhood, Odo returns to DS9.
