DS9 more than any other Trek is in love with multi-part episodes. So much so that they largely do away with the convention of describing them as Part I and II. This is solid example of that, and one that works especially well since it actually feels like a complete episode that is going to lead directly into something else. It also pays off on the secret in the Orias for early this season by explaining that he secret fleet being assembled there is a joint Obsidian Order/Tal Shiar plan to strike at the heart of the Dominion. And as much as they maybe shouldn't be hiding it from their governments it does seem like somebody should do something about the aggressive and advanced star empire on the other side of the wormhole.
We begin with Garak and Bashir having their usual lunch but Julian seems distracted and says he has to leave. Garak also leaves with his plate still full of food. As Bashir makes his way along the upper promenade level the station is shaken by an explosion, and it came from Garak's shop. Bashir rushes in and finds Garak injured by not critically. O'Brien and Odo start investigating the explosion and find traces of a micro-explosive on the energy relay behind the way. Garak of course refuses to give any useful information but they do discover that the remains of a device that detonates the explosives only in the presence of specific races, a device usually used by Flaxian assassins. There is a Flaxian on board so Odo brings him in for questioning and discovers his perfume trade is a cover for a set of carefully concealed toxins. O'Brien plants a tracker on the Flaxian ship and Odo prepares to follow but is surprised to find Garak also on his runabout. The two follow the Flaxian ship but it explodes as soon as it goes to warp.
The Flaxian ship appears to have been sabotaged by Romulans so they contact the Romulan government who claim the Flaxian was a convicted criminal in the Romulan Empire and the execution was legal. This only raises further questions so Odo contacts someone he knew from the Cardassian occupation who informs him of the untimely deaths of 5 other Obsidian Order operatives that same day. When he returns Garak is actually shocked by this information which is when Odo drops the bomb that he knows Garak bombed his own shop to get Odo on the case. Garak realizes if his colleagues have been killed his former boss Enabran Tain is in trouble so he convinces Odo to let him borrow a runabout to go try and save him. When they arrive at the Cardassian planet though a Romulan bird of prey decloaks above them and brings them in with a tractor beam. Tain is there and tells them he is behind all this, they are preparing to strike against the Dominion and after much back and forth Tain offers Garak a position in the Obsidian Order and Garak agrees.
Review: Why this is such a successful first part is that it tells its' own complete story while also setting up mysteries for the next episode. DS9 succeeds where the other shows fail I think partly because the whole series is in some ways one long story rather than a bunch of standalone episodes. Also I suspect VOY isn't going to be as satisfying either.
7 out of 10
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