Duet

Kira and Dax chat about their childhood in Ops when a Kobheerian freighter hails… they request clearance to dock and then mention that they have a passenger requiring medical assistance. Kira suggests they beam him directly to the infirmary, the freighter captain advises he has Kalla-Nohra syndrome.

Kira reacts to this, she mentions to Sisko that the only cases of Kalla-Nohra are of Bajorans freed from the Gallitep, a forced labour camp that she helped liberate. She heads to the infirmary only to discover that it’s a Cardassian, Aamin Marritza… In Sisko’s office, he receives a call from the Bajoran Minister for State, who insists that Marritza be handed over to them.

In the replimat, over a cup of raktajino, Kira pleads with Sisko to allow her to investigate Marritza. Sisko agrees, seeing how much Kira wants to learn the truth. In his holding cell, Kira and Marritza discuss the Gallitep camp… the Cardassian says he was just a filing clerk and has an answer for everything.

Back in Sisko’s office, he is on subspace with Gul Dukat… who insist that Marritza be released. After several veiled threats and innuendo, Dukat “hangs up the phone.”

On the upper level of the promenade, Dax approaches Kira… who asks what she’s looking for. Kira admits that she wants him to be something more than a filing clerk, but if he was at Gallitep then he is guilty. An impartial Dax says that if Marritza is convicted without reason, it won’t mean anything.

In Ops, O’Brien and his apprentice work on the computer while Odo and Sisko discuss their prisoner… who is teaching filing as he said, and that he was a file clerk at Gallitep. A file transmitted from the Bajoran archives is an image… and the caption shows that the Marritza in the holding cell isn’t him at all, in actual fact – the prisoner is really Gul Darhe’el.

In the holding cell, Darhe’el baits Kira about there never really being a war… Bajor never resisted, they surrendered. Darhe’el seems to enjoy teasing Kira about the camp, he did what had to be done – Gallitep was the most productive labour camp. He admits his atrocities, and mentions the Shakar resistance cell (for the first time.) Darhe’el says the “dead will still be dead.” He seems very eager to admit his guilt.

In the front security office, Odo provides an ear for Kira… as she sips a strong drink from Quark’s private stock she unloads about how hard it was to listen to Darhe’el. She mentions how he belittled everything she stood for, Odo asks how did he know about Kira? He wouldn’t have had all those details, not as the commander of a labour camp.

Kira marches back to the holding cell, she asks him about how he knew about her but Darhe’el says that it was all thanks to Marritza’s filing system. Darhe’el wants to ask Kira some questions, and she takes a seat… watching him. Outside his office, Odo notices several survivors of Gallitep waiting for Darhe’el’s extradition. The Constable moves to the infirmary and asks Bashir to review Marritza’s medical file.

Meanwhile, Dukat has answered Odo’s call… but he says that he can’t give Odo Darhe’el’s file… but Dukat says Darhe’el is dead. So who is in the holding cell? Dukat says that half of Cardassia saw Darhe’el’s body at his funeral. Odo coerces Dukat into giving him access, to try and prove if this is a plot to embarrass the government.

|n the holding cell, the conversation between Darhe’el and Kira gets very heated – to the point of the Gul saying that genocide was just a way to get things done. Odo walks in and tells Kira that this man wanted to be caught.

In Sisko’s office, Odo explains his theory… and according to Cardassian records Darhe’el was on Cardassia receiving a medal, so he never contracted Kalla-Nohra. The man they have in holding cleaned up all his old ties on the colony he was living at. Bashir walks in, and notes that 5 years ago he started taking massive does of a drug that helps stabilise the skin after cosmetic surgery. The man changed his face to look like Darhe’el.

Kira walks back into the holding cell and shows her cards. She confronts him about the records at the time of him receiving a medal… he says the records were wrong. The man says that he wanted to kill everyone, he is the butcher of Gallitep. But Kira finally believes that Darhe’el died, and the man is really Marritza.

This breaks Marritza, he cries as he recalls his nights hiding under his bunk as countless Bajorans cried out for mercy. He couldn’t bear to hear those screams. After a moment, Kira lowers the forcefield and allows him to leave.

Marritza says that Cardassia will only survive if they stand in front of Bajor and admit the truth, all of them are guilty and deserve to punished. Kira says she won’t help to kill another innocent man. As they walk along the promenade, Kira explains a new life is waiting for him on the colony… but a Bajoran runs up behind him and stabs him.

Kira asks him why? And he says “because he’s a Cardassian” something Kira now believes isn’t enough motive to kill.