Station log: stardate 51408.6

Ronald D. Moore pens this episode that first aired on 8 January, 1998. Captain Sisko (Avery Books) is on assignment, escorting Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) to trial, for war crimes during the course of the ongoing Dominion War.

Dukat is a changed man, he’s lost control of his empire, been ousted from his position, and his daughter has died. He’s practically psychotic. And Sisko is about to find out how much so.

The ship they are aboard, the Honshu, comes under attack by Cardassians, and the pair end up marooned on a distant planet, attempting to survive, while the Defiant hunts for survivors.

As Sisko spends more time with Dukat on the planet, he begins to realize how mentally ill the former ruler is, and Sisko begins a dangerous game to keep himself alive.

Loved this episode!

There are a pair of ticking clocks, even as Dukat suffers hallucinations, the Defiant has orders to meet a convoy of ships and Dukat is close to blowing and having a complete break.

Dukat gets a chance to explain his point of view, justifying his actions, and it’s a horrifying speech as he unloads on Sisko. He truly doesn’t seem to understand why the Bajorans didn’t simply accept their rule.

And while Dukat escapes at the end of the episode, leaving him as a continuing threat, the captain is rescued, and sees his enemy in a new way.

Moore has always been a talented writer, and it is on full display in this episode.

Station log: stardate unknown

Mark Gehred-O’Connell pens this episode, which first aired 4 February, 1998. It’s about the supporting character, Morn, who has never said a word through the course of the series, on screen at least, apparently off screen he’s quite the talker.

Sisko and Dax (Terry Farrell) bring Quark (Armin Shimerman) and the rest of the crew news that Morn has been killed, and the Ferengi learns that his loyal barfly has left him his entire estate.

Some of Morn’s associates are less than thrilled by this, including Morn’s ex-wife, Larell (Bridget Ann White), and come seeking their perceived share of Morn’s estate. All of this leaves Quark less than impressed, despite the connection he seems to have with Larell.

This ends up being a bit of a fun episode, and it’s always a good time when Quark gets to take center stage. Not only does it give us a break from some of the heavier plot lines and stories, it shows us that sometimes the Trek universe still isn’t perfect, but it is getting closer, sometimes despite our best efforts.

The Human Adventure continues next week as I continue to explore Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Complete Series on DVD, now available from Paramount Pictures.

Boldly go…