Ever since they introduced Odo's back story it was apparent he was going to someday learn the truth about what he is. This episode doesn't go all the way, but it does start down that path. I really wish they had decided that the Dominion was going to be a thing earlier in the show because they could have hinted at it in episodes like this, but because they didn't I have to assume they hadn't come up with the idea yet. It is nice to learn that even Mr. Law and Order Odo is willing to bend the rules when it is clearly the right thing to do.
The episode opens with Odo confronting Quark about some possibly hostile aliens on the station. Quark pretends to know nothing but has to rush off when two alien twins arrive and have a business meeting in the holodeck. They are trying to sell a stolen artifact when Croden, the guy Quark and Odo were discussing at the beginning bursts in with a phaser. He kills one of the twins and is about to keep fighting when one of the glasses on the table turns into Odo who shuts down the whole thing. The other twin, Ah-Kel is infuriated that he isn't allowed to just kill Croden, but Odo insists they must have a trial. In the holding cell Croden is unrepentant but also surprised to find a Changeling in the alpha quadrant. He knows more about Odo's people than anybody Odo has ever met but Odo refuses to believe him until Croden shows him a shapeshifting pendant he has around his neck. Bashir confirms it is of the same nature as Odo but Odo still doesn't listen to much Croden has to say.
Sisko goes through the wormhole to find Crodens people and they are happy to take him back. He has apparently been convicted in absentia and will face execution upon his return, but since Bajor would rather return him Sisko doesn't have much choice. However Ah-Kel is still trying to kill Croden so they decide that Odo will return Croden in secret using a runabout. But Ah-Kel gets word something is happening and gets Quark to hack into the computer to find out what has happened. Ah-Kel leaves with station without permission and pursues them through the wormhole. Odo's ship is attacked outside the vortex, an unstable region of space filled with explosive gas and asteroids. It is also where Croden claims a colony of changelings lives.
Odo is forced to trust Croden enough to let him take the controls and he lands at the supposed colony. But it turns out Odo was right and he has been lying all the time. He has instead landed to save his daughter and explains he is a political criminal on his world and doesn't even know what he has allegedly done. The cave starts collapsing and Odo is knocked unconscious but Croden saves him. They get back to the ship and use a pocket of the explosive gas to destroy Ah-Kel's ship. A passing Vulcan vessel hails them to offer assistance and Odo gets them to take Croden and his daughter back to Vulcan.
Review: A pretty average episode that might have been helped by a little more than the tiny trinket of information about Odo's history, but maybe they hadn't worked out where he came from at this point.
5 out of 10
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