And l've downloaded the new docking procedure checklist for bay 6.
- That's the only bay using it. - Got it.
Monitor the power fluctuations in the secondary fusion core.
- There are some kinks. - l will care for it like it was my child.
When l get back l'll run a diagnostic...
We are capable of running this place by ourselves for a week.
You can reach me on subspace.
Go on vacation and get out of our hair.
Miles. Have a good time.
Right. Thanks, yeah.
l feel relaxed already.
- ls he gone? - Finally.
Good. He's been driving me crazy.
Commander...
l forgot to tell you l added a new subroutine...
- Chief O'Brien. - Yes, sir?
You're on leave. Please disembark the station.
Aye, sir.
lt's OK.
Boone!
Miles O'Brien. We served on the Rutledge.
Of course! O'Brien.
lt's been a long time. How are you doing?
l'm just fine. l work on this station now. Chief engineer.
How long you been out of Starfleet?
Eight years. l settled on Volon lll.
That's on the Cardassian side of the Demilitarised Zone.
Yes. The new treaty puts us in harm's way
but l run a ladarium mining sluice.
The Cardassians need ladarium so l'm OK.
After what we went through l don't know how you can live there.
- You were at Setlik lll? - That's why l left Starfleet.
Really? That's why l stayed in.
My wife is waiting and she hates it when l'm late.
- l'll be back in a month or two. - Let me know when.
Miles O'Brien. We served on the Rutledge...
Miles? Didn't you bring the holocam?
- Was l supposed to? - You said you would.
Did l?
Last night when we went over the list in bed.
Not me, l was dead as soon as my head hit the pillow.
You talked to me for half an hour.
No, there must have been someone else in bed with us.
What's this?
Some new technical update manuals.
Our first vacation in five years
and you brought technical update manuals?
Maybe we should have brought Molly with us.
Will she be OK with the Petersons?
She likes the Petersons more than she likes us. She's fine.
We could swing back, pick up the holocam and Molly
and still only lose about half a day.
Or we could pick up the holocam when we get there.
- How many did you bring? - What?
Tech update manuals?
Just a few.
Computer, play something by Minezaki.
Do these chairs recline?
l wish they did.
You're an engineer. Do something about it.
l'll make it worth your while.
Vessel approaching. Bearing 191, mark 6.
ldentify.
Cardassian patrol ship, Hideki-class.
Shields up!
Try to send an emergency subspace signal to the station.
l can't. They're jamming all subspace frequencies.
They're hailing us.
This is Miles O'Brien of starbase Deep Space 9.
- State your business. - We've spoken before.
My name is Evek. Shut down your drive and stop.
We're beaming an inspection team aboard.
We're nowhere near the border. You've no authority here.
We'll argue about authority later.
Comply or we will take pre-emptive action.
Warning. Sensors are reading photo lock-on activation.
You have ten seconds.
Don't worry. We haven't done anything.
Thank you for your cooperation.
l have orders to arrest you. Search the ship.
What are the charges?
Refusal to answer questions may be construed as guilt.
l demand to know what l'm being accused of.
You deny all knowledge of this crime?
- What are you talking about? - You do not deny all knowledge?
We are Federation citizens and we have rights.
All your rights as defined by Cardassian articles of jurisprudence
will be protected.
l demand to speak to my commander.
We will contact your commander
and see that your wife is returned home.
You will be taken to prison on Cardassia Prime to await trial.
l'm not going anywhere with you.
Miles!
Miles!
No!
Miles! Miles!
Look to the children.
They are the future of Cardassia and they will lead the way.
lnvest in their minds.
Teach them carefully...
Remove your clothes.
My name is Miles O'Brien.
My rank, chief of operations, Starfleet. l'm a Federation citizen.
Remove your clothes.
My name is Miles O'Brien.
My rank is chief of operations, Starfleet. l'm a Federation citizen.
Would you care to make a confession?
My name is Miles O'Brien. My rank is chief of operations, Starfleet.
l am a citizen of the Federation!
Process him.
My name is Miles...
O'Brien...
My rank is...
chief of...
...operations.
- Has he been processed? - He has.
You were told he was not to be harmed.
He had to be restrained.
l apologise for the way you've been treated, Mr O'Brien.
l'm Makbar, chief archon.
l want your stay here to be as comfortable as possible.
l've scheduled your trial to begin in two days.
You've been assigned the Venerable Kovat as public conservator.
- As what? - Your lawyer.
Many feel that he's the best counsel in all Cardassia.
What do l need a lawyer for?
What am l charged with? Who's accusing me?
All in good time, Mr O'Brien.
All in good time.
Starfleet has ordered the Enterprise, the Prokofiev and the Valdemar
to the Demilitarised Zone.
When the Cardassians see that they are risking the treaty...
ln the meantime, my husband is being violated.
Every shred of his humanity is being violated.
- lsn't that true? - We don't know...
Don't lie to me! They're torturing him as we sit here.
lt is standard for the Cardassians to use torture in their interrogations.
You are correct, Mrs O'Brien.
You don't know how many times Miles spoke about
what the Cardassians did to the prisoners at Setlik lll,
what they were like afterwards.
The thought of it, it disgusted him.
lt scared him. We can't leave him there.
We don't know where he's being held on Cardassia Prime.
When we have more information l'll do everything in my power...
Commander, you have a subspace transmission from Cardassia Prime.
On, screen.
l'm Benjamin Sisko, commander of Deep Space 9.
My name is Makbar.
l'm the archon representing the Cardassian empire
in its case against Miles O'Brien.
- May l speak with him? - No.
May l see him? ls he being treated properly?
Mr O'Brien is being treated with great care and respect.
Good. lf he is not, l will hold you personally responsible,
and if that sounds like a threat, it is.
Gul Dukat's told me about you.
You live up to your reputation, Commander.
That's right, l do.
What are the charges against Chief O'Brien?
They will be announced when the trial begins,
as is customary in Cardassian Jurisprudence.
How can we prepare if we don't know the charges?
- Mrs O'Brien, l take it? - Yes.
There's nothing to prepare.
Your husband's guilty verdict has already been determined.
The trial will reveal how this guilt was proven
by the most efficient criminal investigation system in the quadrant.
You may, if you desire, attend this trial, which begins in two days' time.
- We'll be there. - l'm sorry.
This is a privilege enjoyed solely by the spouse of an offender.
And his nestor?
His counsel and his nestor will be assigned by the court.
- Nestor? - Advisor to the offender.
Madam archon, l volunteer to serve as nestor in this trial.
The nestor must be an officer of the court.
l am an officer of the court.
Chief of security Odo. l served Gul Dukat on Terok Nor.
l was designated an officer of the Cardassian court four years ago
in order to testify in criminal cases.
lf this is true, you may accompany Mrs O'Brien and serve as nestor.
May l ask, what penalty does Mr O'Brien face?
His execution is scheduled for next week.
How can you schedule an execution before a trial even begins?
We believe in swift justice.
Mrs O'Brien, we should leave immediately.
Begin a security sweep of the station and chief O'Brien's activities.
Find out if there's anything out of the ordinary that might explain this.
O'Brien's attitude towards the Cardassians is hardly a secret.
What if he has done something?
Then we need to know that, too, don't we?
Miles O'Brien?
Yes, of course, you are.
l'm Conservator Kovat.
l've been told that l've already been charged,
indicted, convicted, and sentenced.
What would l need with a lawyer?
Mr O'Brien, if it sounds immodest of me, l apologise,
but the role of public conservator
is key to the productive functioning of our courts.
l'm here to help you concede the wisdom of the state,
to prepare you to accept the inevitable with equanimity.
Ha!
There is an old Cardassian expression:
''Confession is good for the soul.''
But it's also good for the populace to see people confess.
lt makes them feel better, makes their lives more bearable.
That's what this is all about?
Make the people of Cardassia feel better?
No, no, no, but that's... that's not a bad side effect.
Now then, we have your biographical extracts,
we have your Starfleet records...
All this will be very useful.
What am l being charged with?
No need to worry about that at this point.
This is insane!
Whatever you've done, whatever the charges against you,
none of that really matters in the long run.
What does matter?
This trial is to demonstrate
the futility of behaviour contrary to good order.
Everyone will find it most uplifting.
- Not everyone. - Justice will be done.
Our lives will be reaffirmed, safe and secure.
Here on Cardassia, all crimes are solved,
all criminals are punished, all endings are happy.
Even our poorest subjects can walk the streets
in the dead of night in perfect safety.
You're only one man,
but your conviction will be a salutary experience for millions.
Now then...
The trial opens tomorrow.
Do you have any questions, anything you want to say?
Only that l am not guilty of any crime
and that l hold this entire procedure with nothing but contempt.
That's good. Maintain that level of arrogance in the courtroom
and we shall put on a very good show indeed.
- l do have one question. - Yes, certainly.
Have you ever won a case?
Winning isn't everything.
Are they all like this?
Yes. There isn't a photon warhead left in here.
How could somebody transport two dozen warheads
without the perimeter sensors picking it up?
The metal in these crates has the same mass.
A transporter could be programmed to switch the two.
The sensors could have been fooled.
- lt would require a transporter expert. - l don't like your implication.
Neither do l, but there is more.
According to the logs, O'Brien was in here
just minutes before his runabout left.
Computer, play security log entry stardate 47944.2,
weapons locker.
Request access weapons locker 4, Miles O'Brien, security level 1.
The computer confirmed his voiceprint lD and let him in.
When the door opened, a field saturation device
froze all the security scanners in the room.
l want a full analysis of that voiceprint.
Make absolutely sure it was O'Brien.
But it doesn't make sense. What would he do with photon warheads?
We had an advisory two weeks ago that a Maquis ship
disabled a Bolian freighter near the Demilitarised Zone
and stole a supply of photon launchers.
- Launchers but no warheads? - Launchers but no warheads.
You're suggesting that Miles O'Brien took his wife on a romantic vacation
as an excuse to deliver warheads to the Maquis?
lf these warheads were in the runabout, they'll be used as evidence.
We'll soon find out soon enough.
lf they were there, how did the Cardassians know?
That's the one question l want an answer to.
l also want to find out who the other guy was.
The one who was waiting for these warheads.
l'll have Starfleet intelligence pick up Maquis suspects for questioning.
Let's see if we can lD possible Maquis members
who have been on the station recently. Dismissed.
Tell me you're here to take me home.
l'm sorry.
- How have they treated you? - Not so bad.
They did some dental work when l got here that was no fun.
All Cardassians are required to give the Bureau of ldentification a molar.
lt's usually extracted at age ten.
Keiko... ls she all right?
- She came with me. - She's here now?
lt's not permitted for family members
to visit offenders in confinement.
She'll be at the trial tomorrow.
The Cardassians always invite families to trials and executions...
so that the public can see them weep.
No. l don't want her there. l don't want her to see me like this.
l think that's a mistake.
My lawyer has already told me
it's all over but the execution.
l don't even know what l'm charged with.
- Did they tell you anything? - No. But we have an idea.
What?
Have you ever had any dealings with the Maquis?
Dealings? No. l'm not sure what you mean.
- Do you know any Maquis? - No.
Ever supplied any of them with weapons?
No!
Are you here to interrogate me, Constable?
Will anyone tell me what l'm supposed to have done?
Commander Sisko informed me
that 24 photon warheads are missing from the station.
They may have been in your runabout's cargo bay,
intended for the Maquis.
The Cardassians did find something in the hold.
- You know nothing about it? - No.
You didn't transport them from weapons locker 4?
- No. - Were you in weapons locker 4?
- No. - Why does the log say you were?
Why was it your voice releasing the security lock?
- My voice? - Your voice.
l don't know.
You don't know me very well, but l...
l've been in service to the Federation, Starfleet,
all my adult life.
No one has ever questioned my loyalty.
No one in my life has ever had cause to ask,
''Miles O'Brien, are you a criminal?''
l took an oath...to defend the Federation and what it stands for.
l don't steal from them, l don't lie to them.
l'm no angel,
but l try to live every day as the best person l can be.
l need my little girl to wake up
and look up at me and see a man she can respect.
Until now, she always could.
Being accused of a crime is not a disgrace, Chief.
Some of the great figures of history have shared the honour with you.
l didn't figure on dying a martyr.
Not all of them were martyrs.
Not all of them died.
Some of them were just innocent men like you.
l've got myself named to your defence team. l'll be there tomorrow.
Your wife will be there but she won't be weeping and neither will you.
l want the archon to see the clear, unwavering eyes of an innocent man.
ls that understood?
Yes, sir.
Guard!
- l'll see you tomorrow. - Odo...
Thanks for being here.
The voice modulation patterns don't match up.
The peaks are out of phase.
So it wasn't O'Brien who entered the weapons locker.
lt's O'Brien's voice, but the sentence was reconstructed sound by sound.
12 people from the Demilitarised Zone were on the station that day.
Raymond Boone, human, lives on Volon lll.
Three merchants saw him talking to O'Brien.
- And recording his voice perhaps. - Recording?
Someone doctored Chief O'Brien's voice to get into the weapons locker.
l'll have him picked up.
The offender, Miles O'Brien, human,
officer of the Federation Starfleet,
has been found guilty of aiding and abetting acts against the state.
The sentence is death. Let the trial begin.
Conservator Kovat, is the offender ready to face his judgement?
- He is, madam archon. - Let him enter.
Mr O'Brien, you can spare your family and the Federation further humiliation
by dispensing with this proceeding and confessing now.
No thanks.
Very well.
The nestor and Mrs O'Brien may enter.
Mrs O'Brien, this court recognises the disgrace
your husband has brought to you.
As is prescribed in the Cardassian articles of jurisprudence
we hereby offer you the opportunity to disassociate yourself from his actions
by testifying against him.
l have no intention of testifying against my husband.
Call the first witness.
Madam archon, may l confer privately with the conservator?
This is the first time you are serving as nestor,
so perhaps l should explain that you have no authority to address this court.
You assist the defendant, that is all.
l beg the court's indulgence.
All of Cardassia is watching these proceedings.
Private conferences are not good viewing.
You should have done this before we convened.
Very well. Make it quick.
Please don't ruin this. l'm only a year away from retirement.
We have new evidence to prove O'Brien's innocence.
lf O'Brien is accused of stealing warheads, he didn't do it.
He's been found guilty.
Someone manipulated a recording of his voice.
l can produce that recording.
No evidence can be submitted after the verdict has been reached.
l was hoping that the most renowned conservator in all of Cardassia...
You flatter me, sir, you flatter me,
but we want justice, not chaos in this court.
- l will have no part of this. - Enough!
Are you ready to proceed, Conservator?
May l address the court?
l said that you may not.
lf our conservator refuses to bring up new evidence...
of a manipulated recording of the offender's voice.
- You are out of order! - What can l do?
You are supposed to respect our judicial procedures.
You would ask us to respect your rules in your court.
Which raises my next point. l move for a change of venue to my court.
No crime has been committed against Cardassia.
lt was committed at a Bajoran space station.
l am extremely humiliated. l ask to be relieved of this assignment.
No! Sit down!
And you, sir...
Do not try the patience of the Cardassian people.
lf this court finds you in contempt
you will find the punishment very unpleasant.
l regret that l have no teeth to offer your Bureau of ldentification.
As for new evidence, yes, l fully expected the Federation
to come up with new evidence in an attempt to free Mr O'Brien.
l am sure your experts can create all sorts of evidence
to confuse the issues.
That may work in your courts, but not here.
There will be no new evidence considered.
Call the first witness!
Look, we're not after the Maquis.
We're just trying to help an innocent man.
l don't know what you're talking about.
People saw you talking to O'Brien just before he left.
Since when is that a crime?
We're old friends from the Rutledge.
Doesn't it bother you that an old friend will be executed?
Of course it does. l wish l could help.
He has a wife and a five-year-old daughter.
l can assure you that we won't turn you over to the Cardassians.
l haven't done anything. l have no need to worry.
Hold him for further questioning.
Computer, lights.
Don't turn around, Doctor.
There's nothing here you could want.
You have a man in custody suspected of arranging the theft of warheads.
- Raymond Boone. - That's right.
l'm here to tell you he is not one of us.
- You're from the Maquis. - That's correct.
Why should l believe you?
We knew nothing about the theft and this man is not one of us.
That's all l can tell you.
You're not just trying to protect him?
Who else would want photon...
warheads?
The Maquis are Federation-born killers!
They live to terrorise and murder innocent Cardassians
as evidenced by these weapons we confiscated from O'Brien's ship.
These Maquis are based in the Demilitarised Zone?
They are all from Federation settlements
inside Cardassian occupied territory.
Frankly, the situation is becoming untenable.
How many more innocent people must die
before the situation becomes clear?
How do you know these warheads recovered from the offender's vessel
were intended for the Maquis?
According to reliable sources, the Maquis arranged the theft.
- l object! - Madam archon, please!
l thought we went over this yesterday. What is it now?
Gul Evek has tied the Maquis to this plot by quoting reliable sources.
l think we deserve to know who these reliable sources are.
Can you provide any details?
That information cannot be revealed without risk to national security.
That's acceptable.
Might we know how Gul Evek learned the warheads were in the runabout?
Of course. We learned about them from reliable sources.
- Are you satisfied, nestor? - Madam archon...
Enough! This is already the longest trial in the history of Cardassia.
Let's try to speed things up, shall we?
Proceed, Mr Kovat.
As you wish, madam archon.
l'll try to be as brief as possible.
What is this?
l'd like you to have a physical to help us answer questions about you.
What?
For example, why you haven't spoken to your parents in eight years.
What's that got to do with anything? We didn't get on.
That's not what they said.
You left your wife eight years ago.
You'd been married a long time. Almost 15 years.
This is none of your business.
At the same time you were discharged from Starfleet
after failing several reviews.
All of this seemed to happen shortly after Setlik lll.
Bring him over here.
Some romantic vacation l took you on.
We'll have other chances.
- l don't want you there next week. - lt isn't over yet.
- Don't give them the satisfaction. - You can't...
l mean it.
Court will resume.
The offender will step forward and testify.
l have nothing to say to this court.
Under Cardassian law, you are compelled to testify. Step forward.
This would be a good time to advise the offender.
Advise him to do what?
To confess. To throw himself on the mercy of the court.
l never heard of a Cardassian court showing mercy.
That is not the point.
Think of the children, sir.
Allow them to see a glimmer of enlightenment...
as the offender realises that the end is near.
Let him use his last breath to show remorse.
Do you wish to advise the offender, nestor?
- No, madam archon. - Very well. Proceed, Mr Kovat.
Mr O'Brien, were you abused as a child?
- What? - Were your parents abusive?
Did you hate them very much?
l loved my parents.
l see.
Spousal abuse, perhaps?
Was your wife causing you severe psychological stress?
My wife is the most wonderful person l've ever known.
Excuse me for asking, l'm merely trying to establish
why a fine man like you could turn into a criminal.
Perhaps you could help me.
Sorry, l can't help, because l'm no criminal.
Well...l tried.
Tell me, Mr O'Brien, how many Cardassians have you killed?
Killed? None. Since the war, that is.
lncluding the war, how many Cardassians have you killed?
Madam archon, what relevance does Mr O'Brien's war experiences have?
His past criminal record is relevant to these proceedings, sir.
Answer the question.
- l'm not sure. - That many, eh?
Both sides did things they had to do.
Tell me, Mr O'Brien, now that we are at peace,
do you have a warm place in your heart for your Cardassian neighbours?
Or are you deeply prejudiced against Cardassians?
Do you not, in fact, hate Cardassians?
Have you not on several occasions,
publicly stated your opposition to the treaty
because, and l quote ''the bloody Cardies can't be trusted''?
l decline to answer that.
Under Cardassian law you may not decline.
Answer the question. ls it an accurate quote or not?
lt is.
Madam archon, at this time,
it seems the offender's guilt has been clearly established
and l see no other alternative but to concede the verdict.
- l do not concede! - You may stand down.
l am not guilty! l've committed no crime
and l do not concede to this court or the Cardassian empire!
Madam archon, l apologise,
but l appear to have lost control of my client.
You've done your usual eloquent job on his behalf, conservator Kovat.
Thank you, madam archon. This has been a most difficult case,
but it is an honour to serve your court.
l object to this. Madam archon!
How can you continue to tolerate these intrusions?
Return to your seat.
Once again the Cardassian system of jurisprudence
has worked to protect its people.
A guilty man has been brought to justice.
But never let it be said that there is no room in this system for compassion.
l sense in Mr O'Brien, a man with strong family ties,
the potential for rehabilitation.
And he has gained a new appreciation of Cardassian law
through this difficult process.
Therefore, l am pleased,
in the spirit of furthering Cardassian-Federation relations,
to hereby set aside the verdict and to release Mr O'Brien
into the custody of his commander, Benjamin Sisko.
What happened? What...
- You won. - l...
They'll kill me.
Then the Maquis told you about Boone.
Dr Bashir discovered that Boone was missing his first molar.
The DNA analysis confirmed that he was Cardassian.
He was surgically altered?
To replace the real Raymond Boone,
who was taken prisoner and apparently killed in detention.
How did you figure it out?
His ex-wife said he came back from captivity a different man.
She blamed it on the treatment he received,
but it started us thinking.
So he was spying for the Cardassians even when he was on the Rutledge?
Why would they frame Miles?
This trial was never about your husband.
lt was designed to discredit the Federation,
to show that the Maquis had their sanction.
Gul Evek's testimony made it clear that the situation had become untenable.
Next, they would have demanded the Federation colonies disband.
Exactly. When Makbar saw Boone in the courtroom
she realised we could embarrass the high command
in front of the entire populace.
l'm just glad it's all over.
- l'm ready to get back to work. - No.
l used my influence to extend your accommodations at the lagoon.
- We'll drop you off. - We haven't any bags, no holocam.
- l've nothing to read. - Perfect.

---

---