To Boldly Sew is a recap of DS9 episodes, with a specific focus on the fashions of the many aliens and other characters that make up the series. Feel free to discuss matters of plot and general Star Trek things in the comments.
I’m getting all these screenshots from trekcore.com, which is the same place as the original TNG fashion blog (http://sttngfashion.tumblr.com/).
Bashir gets a drink and sees Garak at the replimat, so he joins him. They know which drinks the other is drinking.
Garak seems to favor green and blue striped shirts, as I’m fairly certain this is the same one he was wearing in his last appearance. I’m not sure what’s going on with his collar, though – is he wearing a vest under the shirt?
Garak says he has had a hard day with a difficult Bajoran customer. Bashir says he’s always wondered who his customers are and can’t imagine Bajorans coming to his shop frequently. Garak says he hopes his expertise and willingness to please overcome any other hesitance the customers might have. Bashir says he also assumes that this attitude helps to garner trust, and once they trust him, they tell him things. Garak laughs and says he is not a spy and Bashir is letting his imagination run away with him.
His eye is caught by a group of visitors coming in and having a seat.
The old man is a Bajoran with a permanent sort of frown. His shirt seems like Classic Bajoran Style, with an odd emphasis on the shoulders and a very stiff shape, leading me to believe that this shirt is made of an old carpet. Compare him to the man in the Bajoran uniform behind him and you can see they are clearly similar design.
With him is a young Cardassian. The crochet sweater is something we’ve seen on Bajorans before, and also seems to be part of their fashion. Underneath is a yellow and white striped shirt and an orange over-shirt. Vest? Overalls? Not sure.
The young Cardassian looks toward Garak with nervousness. Bashir wonders if Garak knows them, but Garak says he’s never seen them before in his life.
Garak then gets up and goes over to the new visitors. He compliments the young Cardassian to the grumpy old man, saying that he is a handsome young man, and places a hand on the young Cardassian’s shoulder. The young man bites Garak’s hand.
Garak screams in pain and recoils. Bashir gets up to help him. The young Cardassian hugs the grumpy old man.
From this angle, it looks more like a vest. But I’m still confused.
Sisko is holding a meeting in Ops, in the middle of everything so I assume no sensitive information is being discussed. Bashir is late because of the incident with Garak, so he relates the story to the others.
Sisko says he didn’t know there were any Cardassian children on the station. Bashir says he just arrived on a Bajoran transport with an adult Bajoran who says he’s his father. Kira assumes he’s an orphan left behind after the Cardassians left; they had no choice but to take care of them.
A transmission from Cardassia is coming in. It’s Gul Dukat. Sisko goes to take it in his office.
Gul Dukat says that he’s learned Garak, the only Cardassian living on DS9, has been assaulted. Sisko is surprised he learned so quickly. Gul Dukat asks for details. Sisko confirms.
Gul Dukat says that he’s feared this. War orphans are being raised to hate their own kind and this is proof. Sisko says he’s assuming a lot from one incident. Dukat wonders why, then, would the kid attack Garak, who he describes as an “amiable fellow.” Sisko says he can try to find out. Dukat says he appreciates it and wants to know what’s going on with the boy so he can use the story in his fight to bring the orphans back to their homeworld.
Sisko talks to the Bajoran father. He asks if Garak has filed a complaint. Sisko says no, but the officials have asked him to look into the incident.
Part of the old man’s shirt is ribbed, reminding me even more of a carpet. I can’t tell if he’s wearing a blue t-shirt beneath his blue carpet shirt, or if his shirt has two collars. Either way, it looks uncomfortable.
The father says he wishes they’d shown as much concern when they left the boy and dozens like him behind. Sisko asks how he came to adopt the boy. He says his wife and he felt that Rugal shouldn’t suffer for crimes committed by others.
Sisko asks why he would attack another Cardassian. The man grumbles that he should have minded his own business. Bashir says Garak was only trying to be friendly, but the boy seemed terrified of him on sight. Sisko relates Dukat’s concern that the orphans are being raised to hate their own people.
The father says it shouldn’t be hard to hate Cardassians. They told him the truth about what Cardassia did to Bajor, and he makes no apologies. To him, the boy isn’t even one of them, he’s a Bajoran, not a Cardassian, and they love him as if he was their own flesh and blood.
At Quark’s, people are gambling, including the guy who came in with the Cardassian boy. Quark is depressed that there is a winning streak.
Quark is wearing a new jacket! It looks like a stained glass quilt and I love it. He’s also wearing matching pants in a sort of teal-blue shade and I love them, too. I’m sad he doesn’t have a bigger part in this episode, and this is the only view of his outfit we get.
Also, the Dabo girl is dressed in shining silver instead of gold and I think I like that, too.
Bashir goes up to the table and talks to the man, who says that Dabo is a passion of his.
I have no idea what’s going on with his jacket. It kind of looks like it’s covered with mousetraps or some sort of electronic components. We never get the man’s name, which is a shame because now we can’t learn where he bought his clothes.
He asks about Garak and how he is recovering. Bashir says he’s lucky there were no broken bones, and he’s never seen a boy take a bite out of a man’s hand like that.
The man says Rugal is a strange boy. Bashir asks if he knows the family well. He says it’s none of his business. Bashir says he’s a witness and he just wants the info for the medical record. The man doesn’t want to answer. Bashir doesn’t understand – he just asked if he knew them well.
He says “well enough.” He heard the father was looking for a new job a few months ago and he offered to help. He visited them on Bajor several times. Bashir asks if he found anything troubling. He says it must be torture for the boy to live like that, hated by the people he thinks of as his parents, told that he’s worthless Cardassian scum. Beaten if he looks the wrong way. Rugal is their revenge against all Cardassians.
Bashir and Sisko confront the father, who insists it is not true and Rugal will say the same. Sisko says they can go over things in detail, but for now they’d like Rugal to stay with Mrs. O’Brien. If he doesn’t agree, he’ll ask security to remove Rugal from their quarters.
The man goes into another room and talks to Rugal. They can be heard distantly arguing.
The old man is cursed with Bajoran short boots. Sigh.
Rugal comes out and says he didn’t do anything wrong. Sisko says he’s not being accused of a crime and he’s not being arrested. He introduces himself and says it should all be straightened out in a day or two and Rugal can visit his dad tomorrow. The old man tells him to go on and they won’t hurt him.
The orange part of Rugal’s outfit looks like an over-shirt of some sort, and he also has a belt around the waist, giving him a vaguely medieval look. He does at least have dark pants, which balances out the colors he’s got up top.
Rugal reluctantly steps forward, and Sisko and Bahsir head out. Sisko pauses to look meaningfully toward the father.
Bashir is treating Garak, saying that at least something good has come out of it all, as they’ve discovered Rugal’s situation and might be saving his life. Bashir mentions that Dukat was worried about the war orphans and how this all might help his crusade. Garak knows nothing about this.
Ok, so he’s wearing some shirt with green and blue vertical stripes, and then over that he’s wearing the red vest, and then over that he’s wearing some other horizontal striped thing?
OR: He’s wearing some sort of red undershirt, and then the green and blue shirt (with vertical striped arms and horizontal striped chest, and then also a red vest that matches the red undershirt in coloring and fabric exactly.
Maybe?
Bashir says that Dukat called Sisko right after the incident and was concerned about Garak’s well-being, and he was surprised because Garak never mentioned they were friends. Garak laughs. Bashir is confused.
Garak asks if there is a single trait he would ascribe to himself and his fellow Cardassians. Perhaps attention to detail? He asks if Bashir thinks they simply forgot about the orphans, and they simply slipped from their minds? And who was in charge of the withdrawal.
Gul Dukat thanks Sisko. Sisko says that they may return the boy to his parents. Dukat says that after the accusations made by the businessman, they would not take kindly to the boy being returned to them, but he has confidence in their ability to settle the matter. Sisko says that it might be useful to find out if the boy has any living relatives on Cardassia in case they determine he should be returned there. Dukat suggests forwarding them a sample of his DNA. Sisko agrees.
Bashir has arrived in the middle of the call, and now he speaks up to ask a question of Dukat, who is surprised. Bashir asks if Dukat was in charge of the withdrawal from Bajor. Dukat confirms. So wasn’t it his job to confirm that the orphans were part of that evacuation, but he chose to leave them. Why?
Dukat says he did not choose to leave them behind, he was ordered. Bashir asks by whom. He starts to say civilian leaders. Bashir interrupts. He says that if he understands the Cardassian political system correctly, civilian leaders have no authority over military leaders. Dukat asks who has been tutoring him in Cardassian social studies.
Bashir says his old friend Garak. Dukat says to remind Garak that the decision to withdraw was made by civilian leaders, which he opposed, and they made the decision to leave the orphans behind, which he has regretted ever since.
He hangs up. Bashir thinks he’s lying. Sisko asks if he has evidence to support that theory. Bashir says Garak thinks there’s more going on than they realize. Sisko wonders what he thinks is going on. Bashir admits he’s not sure. Sisko is clearly unhappy that he interrupted the conversation. Bashir apologizes.
Sisko says not to apologize, as it’s been the highlight of his day. But don’t do it again.
Dax asks why Garak would want to undermine Gul Dukat. Bashir says he’s not sure. Sisko says he wants to talk to Garak and tells him to bring him to his office.
At O’Brien’s quarters, he finds Rugal sitting in a chair looking at some device. He says hello to his wife and then takes some plates from her to set the table.
He notes there are only three table settings and says he assumes she sent Molly to someone else’s place. Keiko says she’s asleep after playing with Rugal all afternoon and he wore her out. O’Brien is shocked they played together after Rugal bit someone’s hand. Keiko says she was with them all afternoon and he was quite gentle.
O’Brien thinks Cardassians can’t be gentle. Keiko says he said something ugly. He starts to repeat himself and she says she doesn’t need to hear it twice. O’Brien is confused. Keiko calls Rugal to dinner.
Rugal sets down whatever he was doing and comes to eat. Keiko starts to hand him a plate but he pauses to pray before he does so.
Keiko is also wearing a vest. She’s got a dark red tunic with a rope-type belt, and then an interesting multicolored vest over top. I’ve never seen her wear this outfit before and I think I like it.
Keiko gives them the food. She says it’s a Cardassian recipe – a stew made with zabo meat. Neither Rugal nor O’Brien look thrilled about eating it. Keiko has a bite and seems pleased.
It kind of looks like cream of mushroom with some leaves thrown in. I wouldn’t refuse it without eating it, but I don’t know what it smells like.
O’Brien makes a more cautious attempt and then sets his spoon down and pushes the plate away. Rugal doesn’t even try to eat it, but pushes the plate forward. His plate bumps into O’Brien’s.
O’Brien is working on the computer in his living room. Rugal comes out of another room and sits on the couch. It’s night, I assume, as he asks Rugal if he can’t sleep.
Rugal has removed his over-shirt thing and vest and is now wearing just his yellow shirt. Or else he has an identical yellow shirt that he sleeps in. Maybe he’s just a fan of yellow. I’m not sure it does good things for his skin tone but okay.
Rugal asks what they’re going to do with him. O’Brien says he’s not sure, but he might have something to say about that. He should tell Sisko what he wants. Rugal says he wants to go home. O’Brien says he’ll understand that – he’s a Cardassian and they should have taken him when they left.
Rugal says he means home – to Bajor. O’Brien turns off his machine and walks over to sit on the couch. He asks if living on Bajor is tough since he’s a Cardassian. Rugal yells that it isn’t his fault and he was born that way.
O’Brien says there’s nothing wrong with being a Cardassian. Rugal says there is. O’Brien asks who taught him that. He says it’s the truth and everyone knows it. O’Brien asks how his parents feel about Cardassians. Rugal says they hate them. O’Brien asks why he would want to live with someone who hates him. He says they hate other Cardassians, but not him, and they’ve never done anything wrong.
O’Brien says he got his bottom whacked by his dad once or twice. Rugal says no, his parents follow the teachings of the Prophets. He asks what O’Brien thinks of Cardassians. O’Brien hedges and says you can’t judge a race of people – you can’t hate all Cardassians or all Klingons or all humans. He’s met some Cardassians he didn’t like and some he did – like Rugal. Rugal says that the Cardassians murdered over 10 million Bajorans during the occupations. They had a test on it in school. He wishes he wasn’t Cardassian.
Bashir sleeps.
At first I thought the thing over his head was a stained-glass kind of decoration, but now I think it’s just a bunch of computer panels, probably for adjusting the firmness of the mattress or something. He’s sleeping in boring blue pajamas.
He rolls over in bed. Suddenly he sits up and finds Garak standing over him.
Garak says to get dressed – they need to be going. Bashir is confused and asks where. Garak says to Bajor.
Garak looks pretty creepy here.
Sisko is annoyed to be awakened by Bashir asking for a runabout.
Sisko also has blue pajamas, with a kind of purple trim. He’s also got a dark red bathrobe with a really interesting low-cut collar. It looks good on him.
Sisko wants a reason. Bashir says that Garak wants to go to Bajor but he wouldn’t say why.
At that moment he gets a call from Ops saying that there’s an urgent communication from Dukat. He goes over to his computer. Dukat says that they’ve discovered the boy is the son of a very prominent politician named Kotran Pa’Dar. Sisko asks when he was on Bajor. Over 8 years ago. He was Exarch for a settlement, and the boy was believed to have died.
Sisko asks if he’s been told the boy is alive. Of course! He’s overwhelmed with joy and on his way to the station to reclaim him. Sisko says it’s not that simple. The boy wants to go back to Bajor. Dukat is surprised, given that his adoptive parents were so brutal. Sisko says he can’t find any evidence to support that accusation, and can’t even find the man who made it.
Dukat thinks the boy will change his mind when he finds out his real father is alive, and even if he doesn’t it’d be in his best interests. Sisko says they’ll see what happens when Pa’Dar gets there.
Bashir doesn’t think it’s a coincidence. Garak must have heard about Pa’Dar before he woke him up. What is he looking for on Bajor? Sisko says there’s only one way to find out.
They take the runabout to Bajor. Bashir and Gark come upon a woman who is sitting at a table with two children.
Neither of the kids are wearing jumpsuits! In fact, their outfits look pretty normal and are not in garish colors!
The kids run off as they come up, and the woman gets to her feet. Bashir asks if it’s the Tozhat Resettlement Center. Bashir introduces himself and says he’s trying to find information on a war orphan.
This woman, who seems supremely bored and uninterested in helping them, is wearing a long-sleeved red shirt and a purple sleeveless robe thing.
The woman says they’ve opened their hearts to many orphaned children. Bashir says the boy is named Rugal and his adoptive father is Proka Migdal. She doesn’t recognize the names, and asks what they want to know about them. Bashir doesn’t know, so he asks Garak.
Garak says they want to know the circumstances surrounding the young man’s adoption. It took place about 8 years ago. She says the Cardassians were still there then and they won’t find any information from that period. Garak says the Cardassians are meticulous record keepers. They’ve taught many worlds how to keep records and he finds it hard to believe there were no records from that time period. She says she wasn’t there then.
Meanwhile, Garak is wearing a more interesting outfit. I’m not sure how to describe the pattern on his sleeves, but I like it. His jacket sort of feels to me like part apron and part Asian-influenced outfit. I like the darker colors.
Bashir asks if they can check the computers. She says the computers don’t work. She can’t get a tech to come out. Garak volunteers his service. Bashir is surprised. Garak modestly says it’s a hobby of his.
He starts working. Bashir says he underestimates Garak, who says it’s no more difficult than sewing on a button. He then says the files aren’t there, so it’s either been misfiled under a wrong name or it’s the wrong resettlement center. Bashir says he doesn’t want to go to another district, but Garak says it won’t be necessary. They can access all the files and download them to a data clip. It’ll be tens of thousands of files.
While they’re talking, a Cardassian girl comes out and watches them. Other kids join her. Garak gets up to leave with his data clip and the girl asks if she’s come to take him back to Cardassia. He says he’s afraid not. He tells the woman her computers are functional now.
The purple color of this girl’s outfit works with her hair and skin tones. I like it! I’m not quite sure what’s happening with the top layer, but the colors work, so I’ll focus on that. Good job, orphan Cardassian girl!
On the runabout, Garak tells the computer to set up a data bank. Bashir cancels the request and tells the computer to shut down the engines.
Garak says he’s sorry he’s upset about the orphans. Children without parents have no status in Cardassian society. It’s unfortunate but he doesn’t make the rules.
Bashir says he does play the game and there is a game being played and he doesn’t have the slightest idea what the game is about and he wants to know. He tells Garak to tell him what’s going on or they’ll sit there until they rot.
Garak asks him why he thinks the Cardassians left Bajor. He says Dukat told him the civilian leaders decided it. Isn’t it interesting that one of Cardassia’s most notable civilian leaders has entered the scenario. Rugal’s father? Pa’Dar was involved in the decision to evacuate Bajor?
Garak confirms. Bashir notes that this makes Pa’Dar a political enemy of Dukat’s, who lost his job as Prefect of DS9 when they withdrew. And out of nowhere, Dukat takes an interest in an orphan boy who arrives on the station. And then afterwards, with Dukat’s assistance, we realize he’s not really an orphan but Pa’Dar’s long lost son. A coincidence?
Garak says he believes in coincidences. They happen every day. But he doesn’t trust them.
Kotran Pa’Dar arrives at Miles O’Brien’s quarters. He invites him to have a seat. Pa’Dar asks where Rugal is. O’Brien says he is with his wife, and thought it might be a good idea to have a talk first.
Pa’Dar is now the third Cardassian (after Garak and Rugal) whom I’ve seen wearing a non-uniform outfit. He’s gone with an all-maroon outfit, and the wide lapels remind me of a smoking jacket or bathrobe. I feel like he ought to have added an ascot to the outfit.
Pa’Dar is happy that they did not change Rugal’s name. He has a seat. O’Brien asks when he last saw his son. On Bajor, he’d just had his fourth birthday. He probably doesn’t remember him, does he? O’Brien says he thinks Rugal spent most of his life trying to forget his father.
Pa’Dar says he doesn’t understand. O’Brien says Rugal hates everything he is. He hates Cardassians and hates being a Cardassian. Pa’Dar says he’s heard these stories and it’s understandable after growing up among Bajorans. But now he’s back in his life!
O’Brien says Rugal may not want Pa’Dar back in his life. Pa’Dar says he is his father.
He says he knows little about human culture and how they view their families. O’Brien says we do almost anything to protect our families. He has a daughter who is four. Pa’Dar says he can imagine what he is feeling – on Cardassia, family is everything. They care for parents and children with equal devotion and in some households, four generations eat at the same table.
He has failed in his responsibility to his family. O’Brien says he had no way of knowing his son was alive. Pa’Dar says he should have tried harder. He should have looked everywhere. To abandon his son and allow him to be raised by a Bajoran, he has disgraced everything a Cardassian believes in.
The door opens and Keiko comes in, then gestures for Rugal to enter as well.
Keiko changed outfits, and is now wearing a sort of shiny shirt with a red and pink vest. I like the pattern here, and it matches her pants. Way to go with the color coordination, Mrs. O!
Meanwhile, Rugal has also changed clothes, and is now wearing a simple red short-sleeved sweater under his crocheted yellow short-sleeved sweater. He looks a bit older now, and his shoulders look wider.
They look at each other for a long moment. Pa’Dar says hello. He asks if he remembers him, even a little. Rugal does not. Pa’Dar offers to show him some photos of him from when he was a child. Rugal does not want to see him. He tries to leave, but Keiko stops him.
Pa’Dar says that there was nothing left of the house after the attack. His mother was dead and Pa’Dar cried for Rugal and missed him, and could not stay on Bajor because it was too close to the happy memories of him.
Rugal says it was Pa’Dar’s own fault and he deserved it. He’s a Cardassian. What the Bajorans did they had to do. Pa’Dar says he understands. Rugal says he can’t understand. He’s a Cardassian butcher and they killed his son for his crimes. He says Pa’Dar is not his father and he’ll never go back to Cardassia. Then he leaves, leaving Pa’Dar astonished.
In Sisko’s office, Pa’Dar says he’s not going to allow a Bajoran court to rule on the custody of his son. Proka, the Bajoran adoptive father, says he gave up custody when he abandoned Rugal. Pa’Dar says Rugal is his natural born child and starts to quote Cardassian law. Proka says there is no Cardassian law on Bajor.
Pa’Dar is wearing a sweater under his smoking jacket. Not quite as impressive as an ascot, but still interesting. It would have been more interesting if it was in a different color.
Sisko interrupts and says they need an arbitrator. Proka says the person must be neither a Cardassian or a Bajoran. What about Sisko? Sisko agrees but asks of Pa’Dar would object because of the Federation’s relationship with Bajor? Pa’Dar says no, because Sisko is a father.
Sisko starts to say that he’ll schedule something but Odo calls to interrupt. He says Gul Dukat has arrived. Neither Proka nor Pa’Dar seem happy about that.
Sisko updates his log to say that Dukat powers his suspicion that they’re being manipulated in some unseen manner. Bashir and Garak are searching for relevance in the adoption files, but see nothing.
Sisko tells Dukat that he’s come a long way for a custody hearing. Dukat says Pa’Dar is an important member of the civilian assembly, and the matter has generated a lot of interest in the highest levels of government. He says he’s not there as a government official, though, but representing all the children who were abandoned on Bajor.
Sisko says he’s sure Pa’Dar appreciates his support, but he thought they were political adversaries. Pa’Dar admits they’ve disagreed in the past, but…. Dukat interrupts and says the past has no relevance here. What are they going to do about the children?
Dukat of course is wearing his usual uniform. It reminds me of chain mail in a way, as the upper torso section seems to just sit over a more form-fitting long-sleeved shirt.
Sisko tells Pa’Dar he’d like to go over the events that led up to Rugal’s disappearance 8 years ago.
Meanwhile, Garak comments to himself how foolish he is. Bashir says not to tell him he was wrong after searching through 7,420 files for a misspelling. Garak says Dukat is smarter than that. He wouldn’t have left a file to be found.
Would he have purged the file, Bashir asks. Garak says he would have. Bashir concludes that there was something in the file he didn’t want anyone to see. Garak agrees. They have one last chance – to find the person who wrote the file in the first place.
How do you hope to find him, Bashir wonders. Her, Garak corrects. He’s found her name – Jomat Luson.
Back at the hearing, Sisko asks Rugal if he remembers anything from back then. Rugal says no.
Sisko asks if he remembers being adopted. No.
Sisko asks what is the first thing he remembers. Rugal looks toward Proka and says his father teaching him how to swim. They both smile at the memory.
Bashir and Garak are talking to a woman – presumably Jomat Luson – on a screen.
I can’t even begin to describe her hair. At first I thought it was just some curls at the top of an otherwise shaved head, but now it looks like it might be a braid. Maybe a fancy updo is hidden behind her head. She’s otherwise kind of boring, though, in a gray checked blazer with a dark pattern on one side, over a gray-blue t-shirt.
She says she knows the one they’re talking about. Bashir is surprised. She says he was the only Cardassian boy they had at the time. They had several girls. Bashir asks if she’s sure his name was Rugal. She says that’s what they were told. Someone told them his name?
Yes, that was the unusual thing about his arrival. Almost all the other Cardassian children turned in were found on the streets by Bajorans, but Rugal was brought in by a Cardassian. A military officer, Bashir asks. Yes, she was. A woman? Jomat Luson doesn’t recall her name, but she was attached to the command post at Terok Nor.
O’Brien is relating the story of Pa’Dar and Rugal’s first meeting.
Bashir and Gark come in. Bashir asks if he can ask a few questions. Sisko backs off and sits down.
Bashir asks Chief if Pa’Dar told him about the humiliation he is feeling. O’Brien says yes, he said he had disgraced everything a Cardassian believes in.
Bashir asks Pa’Dar if news of Rugal’s discovery is public on Cardassia. Pa’Dar says the government has not yet released it to the public. What happens if it is revealed? Pa’Dar says it will be the end of his political career. Bashir says this is a shame given the timing.
Pa’Dar is confused, what timing? Bashir asks if there’s supposed to be an inquiry into Cardassians who were involved in the attempted military coup on Bajor. Pa’Dar says yes. Isn’t Gul Dukat one of the key witnesses?
Dukat stands up. He says it’s irrelevant and insulting and Sisko has lost control. Sisko agrees. Dukat says they should return to the issue of the children.
Bashir agrees. He asks Dukat if he’s been to the Tozhat Resettlement Center on Bajor where Rugal was adopted. Dukat says no. Bashir notes that Tozhat is the province where Pa’Dar was stationed 8 years prior. Dukat says he knows this.
Bashir says he’s been trying to find records of Rugal’s adoption but they’re missing from the files. Dukat says this is unfortunate. Bashir then says they found someone working there when Rugal was brought in. Do you know a Bajoran social volunteer named Jomat Luson? Dukat says no.
Bashir says that Jomat Luson remembers Rugal being brought in by a Cardassian military officer – a woman who seemed familiar with Rugal and knew his name. Dukat, annoyed, asks if there’s a question. Bashir says the question is whether this officer deliberately left the son of Kotran Pa’Dar there with the knowledge that he was not an orphan. Perhaps with the hopes of humiliating Pa’Dar some day.
Dukat says he wouldn’t know. Bashir asks if he knows of a base during the operation called Terok Nor. Dukat says, yes, that was this space station. Bashir says that the officer who brought in Rugal was attached to Terok Nor.
Dukat says nothing. He looks at Garak and then goes to leave the room. Bashir calls after him and asks who was the commanding officer of Terok Nor eight years ago. Dukat doesn’t answer, and leaves.
Bashir tells the room that, for the record, the commanding officer of Terok Nor eight years ago was Gul Dukat.
Sisko updates his log to say that after long and difficult deliberations he’s decided to allow Pa’Dar to take his son back to Cardassia. Although he’s convinced his Bajoran foster parents treated him with love, Rugal is the clear victim. It’s time for his healing to begin.
Pa’Dar tells Sisko that Bashir has given him the leverage he needs. Dukat will never allow the events to be made public and he won’t choose to discuss them. He can salvage his political career now. Sisko says that maybe he can use his influence to help other orphans on Bajor? Pa’Dar says we’ll see.
O’Brien is coming with Rugal. He says that if he wants to come back and visit, he’ll arrange it. Pa’Dar goes up and asks if Rugal is ready to go. Rugal doesn’t answer, and walks away. Pa’Dar says to O’Brien that he supposes it will take time. They both enter the airlock to leave.
Having a drink with Garak, Bashir says that there’s one question he hasn’t figured out. Why did Garak want to expose Dukat? What’s the truth about them?
Garak says truth is in the eye of the beholder; he never tells the truth because he doesn’t believe there is such a thing. He prefers the simplicity of cutting cloth. He says that Bashir doesn’t need him to tell him, just notice the details that are scattered like crumbs over the table they regularly share.
Stray Thoughts:
* Sisko tells Rugal that he’s not in trouble and he hasn’t done anything wrong. I think biting someone on the hand counts as doing wrong?
* Dukat kept going on about the children so much that even if I knew nothing about his character I’d think he was full of hot air. Yes, let’s return the topic to the children.
* Sad that there wasn’t a good-bye scene between Rugal and his Bajoran father. Although I suppose that would have just been heartbreakingly terrible, and made for a bad ending. But, while I’m on the topic, why were they at DS9 in the first place? Did they intend to move there? It’s never discussed.
* I was kind of surprised that Sisko ruled in favor of Pa’Dar. But in thinking about it, I guess it is for the best that Rugal be on Cardassia, as maybe then he won’t hate himself so much, because he’ll learn that there are others of his own kind who are nice people. And I guess it would be kind of difficult to do any sort of joint-custody arrangement between Bajor and Cardassia.
* Keiko’s response to her husband’s comment on Cardassians was basically the perfect response to bigotry. O’Brien occasionally throws out some kind of racist (speciesist?) comments on occasion, so I wasn’t really surprised by the comment, but Keiko’s response was basically the best. He doesn’t seem to really believe that all Cardassians are horrible, for example, as he’s okay with talking to Rugal, and the speech he gives to him about judging all the members of a race is pretty not-racist, but he still throws out some kind of, as Keiko said, ugly comments. I’m glad she called him on it.
* This is only Garak’s second appearance – his first was all the way back in Episode 2 (or 3 if you’re watching on Netflix), Past Prologue but he feels like a fully fleshed out character. Some of that is undoubtedly due to the acting chops of Andrew Robinson, who slips into the role with ease, and lets us believe that these drinks with Bashir are a regular occurrence, even though we’ve never seen one before.
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