In Purgatory's Shadow: Part 1 of 2 (episode).

Garak and Worf investigate a message which suggests that Cardassian spymaster Enabran Tain is still alive. Upon their arrival, not only do they find Tain, but also General Martok… and someone they did not expect. (Part 1 of 2)



Summary

Major Kira is helping Odo reorganize his living quarters. Odo ponders on how much, as a solid, he enjoyed sleeping in a bed. Kira suggests that if he enjoyed it so much he should keep the bed and continue using it. Odo points out, however, that he reverts to a gelatinous state when he falls asleep and slides off the bed, so keeping it would be pointless. Kira then stumbles upon a PADD entitled Finding and Winning your Perfect Mate by Dr. Jennings Rain. Odo snatches the PADD away and lowers his head, trying to explain its purpose. Kira suggests that he continue reading the PADD, given that he is a solid 18 hours a day. Dax contacts Odo over the comm.

A Gamma Quadrant listening post has just picked up an encoded Cardassian transmission. Unable to decode the transmission, Odo suggests allowing Garak to attempt to decrypt the transmission. At the station's Replimat some time after, Elim Garak explains to Tora Ziyal and Dr. Bashir that the transmission was nothing more than a five-year-old planetary survey report. Garak brushes off the transmission as unimportant. Bashir responds that he is surprised that Garak isn't at all enthusiastic about a Cardassian transmission coming from the Gamma Quadrant, considering it could have been from the survivors of the joint Cardassian-Romulan attack fleet that was lost there.

Garak states that he has long given up on the idea of finding any survivors, to which Ziyal states "I never saw you as the giving-up type." Then Garak sneaks on board a Federation runabout; as he approaches the controls one of the chairs swivels around to reveal Bashir pointing a phaser at the tailor. "Going somewhere?" the doctor asks pointedly.

Act One

"I really must remember to stop underestimating you," says Garak, who then reveals that the transmission was really a distress call from Enabran Tain, the former head of the Obsidian Order. The Cardassian tailor admits that he and Tain were "very close," and despite their tumultuous history, feels obliged to find him. Garak offers to bring Bashir along with him on this rescue mission. Bashir appears to agree at first, but then aims the phaser back at Garak and orders him to Captain Sisko's office.

At Sisko's ready room, Garak reveals that the transmission code sequence was designed by Tain and himself. No one else could decrypt it. Garak portrays his rescue attempt as a "mission of mercy," suggesting to Sisko that there might be other survivors of Dominion attacks imprisoned with Tain – including Federation citizens. Sisko is still naturally suspicious, but agrees to let Garak go… but only if Commander Worf goes along with him.



Ziyal expresses her feelings for
Garak

In his quarters, Dax is furious that Worf did not inform her of his involvement in Garak's mission. Worf brushes it off, saying it would not be the Klingon way to "explain why [he] chooses to face danger, not even to his par'Mach'kai." Jadzia's anger changes to nonchalance as she takes Worf's Klingon operas, intending to enjoy them while he is away. Worf seems perturbed by the thought, worried that Dax might misplace them. They then kiss passionately and Dax coyly invites him to hurry back.

Over at Quark's, Tora Ziyal tries to express her feelings for Garak but the tailor simply brushes it off, embarrassed. Nonetheless, he promises that no matter what happens, he "will come back." They share a moment before it is interrupted by a furious Dukat, who rushes in and threatens to throw Garak over the railing if he ever touches Ziyal again. Despite Garak's snide remarks, Quark intervenes and threatens to call security while Ziyal pleads with her father, who finally relents. Garak, seemingly unaffected by the whole incident, chips in a final retort and says, "You do have a lovely daughter; she must take after her mother." Dukat explains to Ziyal that he is here for repairs and to spend time with her. Looking in Garak's general direction, he continues, "I can see we have a lot to talk about."

Sisko accompanies Worf to the airlock, reiterating that this is a reconnaissance mission and to avoid Dominion ships at all costs. Worf doesn't seem too happy about working with Garak, remarking to Sisko that at the first sign of betrayal, he will kill him. Sisko assumes Worf is joking, to which he states "We will see."

Act Two

While on their way through the Gamma Quadrant, Garak tries his best to convince Worf to support his application to Starfleet Academy. Worf finally gives in, only to realize the Cardassian fooled him the whole time. Garak points out that lying, as any skill, must be practiced constantly.

Dukat confronts Major Kira, accusing her of betraying him by letting Ziyal fraternize with a personal enemy of his. He swears never to forget it; Kira only replies that "if that's a threat, I'm not impressed."

Worf stops the runabout, having decided that the source of the signal is too deep in Dominion space and that the risk of stumbling over Jem'Hadar forces is too high. Garak can convince him that by going through an interstellar nebula, they can come closer to the source without appearing on the Jem'Hadar's sensors. However, shortly after they enter the nebula, a large Dominion fleet appears.

Act Three

Worf tries to get away, but the runabout is trapped in a tractor beam and boarded by a group of Jem'Hadar soldiers. Never deterred, Garak says, "Are we glad to see you! Could one of you point us in the direction of the wormhole?" one of them knocks him unconscious.

Dax and Kira talk about Kirayoshi O'Brien's progress in recognizing people only a month after his birth when a distress signal from Worf arrives. They can only understand part of it, but the words "Jem'Hadar," "buildup," and "imminent," together with the fact that two of Starfleet's listening posts in the Gamma Quadrant are suddenly destroyed, makes everyone realize that the long-feared Dominion invasion is about to begin. Sisko orders Dax to notify Starfleet, put the station on yellow alert and "make sure everyone knows this is not a drill." He then sends Kira and the USS Defiant to the Gamma Quadrant to find Worf.

Garak and Worf are beamed inside Internment Camp 371, a Dominion prison facility located on an asteroid orbiting a gas giant. Ikat'ika, the Jem'Hadar first in charge of the camp identifies them as enemies of the Dominion and points out that there is no other release from his facility than death.

Act Four

Another listening post is destroyed and a ship exits the wormhole. It turns out to be the Defiant. Sisko hails Kira and asks her what she found. "Trouble," she answers.

Gul Dukat meets his daughter in front of the Bajoran shrine. He tells Ziyal that a Dominion fleet will arrive soon and that he wants her to leave for Cardassia. She is visibly unhappy about that decision.



Internment Camp 371

Worf and Garak are confined to Barracks 6, where they meet General Martok, a high-ranking Klingon officer who had been replaced by a Changeling impostor two years earlier. The General, who has lost his left eye, is being used as an opponent in brutal hand-to-hand combat training for the Jem'Hadar. Ikat'ika ends the match but tells Worf, for him, it's just beginning. It turns out Martok has been waiting for them, as has Enabran Tain, who is in bad health and only has days to live due to heart problems. He greets them roughly, which does not seem to surprise a bitter Garak, who says he would have at least hoped for something like "thank you, Elim." Tain replies that all Garak did was to doom them both.


Dukat arrives to a briefing with DS9's senior staff where Sisko makes it clear that the Dominion have picked the perfect time to invade the Alpha Quadrant: the war with the Klingons and the frequent skirmishes with the Maquis has left the Cardassian military in shambles, the failed Obsidian Order/Tal Shiar invasion of the Founders homeworld in the Omarion Nebula has left the Romulan Empire not much better off and between the hostilities with the Klingons and the recent Borg invasion of Federation space, Starfleet is spread thin as well. The only chance to fight back the Jem'Hadar invasion fleet, Sisko believes, is to seal the wormhole without damaging it or harming the Prophets, by using a series of phase-conjugate graviton beams (a method invented by Trill scientist Lenara Kahn). Kira objects to the sealing of the Celestial Temple, but Sisko overrules her.



Dr. Bashir… the real Dr. Bashir,
at Internment Camp 371

Martok informs the newly arrived prisoners that Tain modified the life support system of their prison cell to send the subspace message to Cardassia, when a female Romulan prisoner arrives and tells Martok that "he" has been released from isolation. Worf asks who she is talking about, to which Martok replies: "A friend." A few seconds later, a Jem'Hadar pushes another prisoner, a Human wearing the previous style of Starfleet uniform, into the room, who, to Garak's and Worf's great astonishment, turns out to be Dr. Julian Bashir.

Act Five

Bashir performs a blood screening on himself to prove to his fellow inmates that he is not a Changeling, although everyone knows that the screenings aren't totally trustworthy anymore. After that, he describes how he went to sleep after a conference about a month ago and woke up in the internment camp the next morning. Martok describes how the same happened to him after he was abducted from Qo'noS while hunting saber bear on Kang's Summit, and expresses disdain towards the Changeling who replaced him, calling it a "grave dishonor" to have had so many Klingons die because of his double. Worf assures the general that none of the dishonor is his, as Bashir worries about what the Changeling who replaced him on the station is up to. Worf says they must find a way to warn Captain Sisko before the Changeling can carry out whatever mission he has.

This very Changeling arrives at Ops at the same time, bringing sandwiches for Dax and O'Brien, who are working on the modifications on the graviton emitter controls. He tells them to let him know if they need anything.

Dukat is waiting in front of an airlock when Ziyal arrives and tells him that she will not leave DS9. Her father gets furious, telling her that things on Cardassia will change soon and that Garak is probably dead already. Ziyal still refuses to go, so Dukat rushes off, telling her to "stay here and be damned."

Martok informs Garak that if there is anything left he wants to say to Tain, he'd better do it soon. Garak and Bashir make their way to their prison cell, where Tain has already gone blind. He asks Garak if they're alone, and Garak lies about Bashir's presence, telling Tain that there's no-one else there. Tain then asks Garak about his enemies, to which his former protégé assures him that they have all been taken care of. Tain than advises him to stay alive and avenge his death. Garak says he will do so if he asks him this favor not as a mentor or a superior officer, but as a father. Tain replies that he is not his son, but Garak interrupts him: "Father, you're dying. For once in your life, speak the truth." Tain finally admits the truth, talking of his regret that he didn't kill Garak before he was born as he regarded him as a weakness. Garak begs for Tain to allow him to be his son even if only for a few moments. Tain recalls a day in the country when a five-year old Garak kept falling off a riding hound but never gave up and kept getting back on, recalling that despite everything he was very proud of him that day ("the only day," according to Garak). Tain finally dies, and Garak tells Bashir and Worf that his business in the camp has finished. The three then start planning their escape.

Meanwhile, all the Gamma Quadrant listening posts have been destroyed meaning the Dominion invasion is imminent. With no time left and, despite knowing they're trapping Worf and Garak in the Gamma Quadrant, the DS9 crew tries to seal the wormhole. However the station's graviton emitter array has been sabotaged and fails to destabilize the wormhole's graviton matrix. The wormhole opens moments later and a massive Dominion fleet enters the Alpha Quadrant…

TO BE CONTINUED…

Memorable quotes

"You know, I think that actually helped my back."

- Garak, after being held over a rail by Dukat.

"I just don't see why these runabout replicators can't provide a more varied menu. I'd like to get my hands on that fellow Earl Grey and tell him a thing or two about… tea leaves."

- Garak

"What about Garak?"
"I want him back, too. I suppose I don't have to tell you to keep a close eye on him."
"At the first sign of betrayal, I will kill him. But, I promise to return the body intact."
"I assume that's a joke."
"We will see."

- Worf and Sisko, regarding Garak

"Garak promised me that he would come back."
"Listen to me, Ziyal. He's never coming back. He's probably dead already. And even if he isn't, the Federation is going to seal the wormhole. Garak will be trapped on the other side!"
"He made a promise, and so did I. I said I would wait for him, and I will!"
"Is a promise to an enemy of your family more important than obeying your father? So be it. Stay here if that's what you want. Stay here and be damned!"

- Ziyal and Dukat

"We must warn the station. There is only one reason for the Dominion to hide such a large fleet this close to the wormhole."
"You think they're planning to attack the Alpha Quadrant?"

- Worf and Elim Garak

"You want me to sponsor your application to Starfleet Academy?"
"What do you think?"
"I… think it is a bad idea."

- Worf and Garak, who had no intention of actually applying

"Lying is a skill like any other. And if you want to maintain a level of excellence, you have to practice constantly."

- Garak, to Worf

"This is Internment Camp 371. You are here because you are enemies of the Dominion. There is no release, no escape, except death."

- Ikat'ika, to Worf and Garak

"It's the honorable thing to do."
"You use that word, but you have no idea what it means."
"Maybe not, but you do."

- Garak and Worf

"The man is a heartless, cold blooded killer."
"Like I said, he's a Cardassian!"

- Dukat and Kira, talking about Garak

"Save your excuses, Major. You've betrayed me, and I promise I won't forget it."
"If that is a threat, I'm not impressed."
"There was a time when Bajorans took Cardassian threats seriously."
"Not anymore."

- Dukat and Kira

"Ah, good. You look like the man in charge. I was just trying to explain to your colleagues here that this is all an unfortunate misunderstanding."
"Cardassians are all alike. You talk too much."

- Garak and Ikat'ika, grabbing Garak by the throat

"When were you brought here?"
"Over a month ago. I was attending a burn treatment conference on Meezan IV. I went to bed one night, and woke up here."
"The same thing happened to me, except… I was hunting sabre bear out on Kang's Summit. Little did I know I was being stalked as well. And now I'm told the Changeling that replaced me has caused the deaths of countless Klingons. It is a grave dishonor."
"You are not to blame."
"I can only imagine what my replacement is up to on the station."
"We must escape and warn Captain Sisko before that Changeling carries out his mission."

- Garak, Bashir, Martok, and Worf

"Ziyal, you have to trust me. Things are going to change on Cardassia."
"What things?"
"I don't have time to explain. You're leaving now!"
"I can't go!"
"It's him, isn't it? That despicable tailor! You don't want to leave because you're waiting for him!?"

- Dukat and Ziyal

"I should have never have come here. I should have let that monster die forgotten and alone."
"Well frankly I'm glad you came, misery loves company."
"All my life, I've done nothing but try to please that man. I let him mold me, let him turn me into a mirror image of himself. And how did he repay me? With exile. But I forgave him. And here, in the end, I thought maybe, just maybe, he could forgive me."
"From what I've seen of him over the past month he doesn't come across as the forgiving type."
"I've been a fool. Let this be a lesson to you, doctor – perhaps the most valuable one I can ever teach you. Sentiment is the greatest weakness of all."
"If that's true, it's a lesson I'd rather not learn."

- Garak and Bashir, talking about Tain

"A Dominion invasion of the Alpha Quadrant will affect Cardassia every bit as much as it's going to affect us. Besides, we need all the help we can get. The Dominion picked a perfect time to invade. The Cardassian fleet is in shambles, the Romulans are not much better off, and between the Klingon war and the recent Borg attack, Starfleet's spread pretty thin."
"Then we're going to have our hands full. There are at least 50 Dominion ships headed our way. For all we know, that could be just the first wave."

- Benjamin Sisko and Kira Nerys

"Elim. Promise me one thing."
"I'm listening."
"Don't die here. Escape. Live."
"Let me guess. So I can make the Dominion pay for what they've done to you."
"You wouldn't deny an old man his revenge, would you?"
"I'll do as you ask, on one condition…That you don't ask me this favor as a mentor, or a superior officer… but as a father asking his son."
"You're not my son."
"Father, you're dying. For once in your life, speak the truth."
"I should have killed your mother before you were born. You have always been a weakness I can't afford."
"So you've told me. Many times. Listen, Enabran. All I ask is that for this moment, let me be your son."
(a pause) "Elim, remember that day…in the country. You must've been almost five."
"How can I forget it? It was the only day."
"I can still see you, on the back of that riding hound. You must've fallen off a dozen times. But you never gave up."
"I remember limping home…You held my hand."
"I was very proud of you, that day."
- Tain's dying words to Garak