History Recap / StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E19Duet

* BatmanGambit: Marritza's plan to be captured, tried, and executed, to force Cardassia to admit its atrocities. He surgically alters his face to that of a known war criminal and deliberately books passage to Deep Space 9 after putting his affairs in order. He at first tells the truth about his identity but lies about a medical condition, knowing it will lead to an investigation and a picture of Gul Darhe'el, who he resembles. The gambit only fails at the end because Odo notices that the situation is too perfect.

* BoringButPractical: Marritza's position of filing clerk is an unglamorous but useful position. It also helped give him access to the files he needed to provoke Kira in order to face charges.
* TheButcher: Gul Darhe'el is known as the "Butcher of Gallitep" because of the mass murder and torture that occurred at the labor camp.

With this loose thread to sort out, Odo gets in contact with Gul Dukat, who provides surprising information: Gul Darhe'el died six years ago and was buried under one of Cardassia's largest military monuments in a state funeral (which Dukat attended). Further investigation reveals that Darhe'el was not even on Bajor the day of the mining accident and so could never have contracted Kalla-Nohra. But why would someone lie about being Darhe'el? Odo digs even deeper and discovers that their mysterious prisoner spent a considerable amount of time researching Kira, and he has been taking medication for the aftereffects of [[MagicPlasticSurgery surgical alterations]].

* HateSink: Invoked. Marritza portrays Darhe'el as the most repulsive, arrogant, sadistic, and ''obnoxious'' man possible in order to make "his" eventual punishment more cathartic.

* YoungerThanTheyLook: While his plastic surgery as "Darhe'el" makes him looked middle-aged, Marritza's actual appearance in an visual recording reveals him a much younger man.

* ImposterForgotOneDetail: Two details, actually. First, that Darhe'el wasn't present during the mining accident to contract Kalla-Nohra. Second, that Darhe'el had been dead for several years already. Marritza was counting on the Bajorans doing things the Cardassian way -- execute the suspect and ''then'' investigate the issue.

* ImposterForgotOneDetail: Two details, actually. First, that Darhe'el wasn't present during the mining accident to contract Kalla-Nohra. Second, that Darhe'el had been dead for several years already. He was counting on the Bajorans using a Cardassian style trial, i.e. executing the suspect and ''then'' investigating the issue.

'''Bajoran''': He's a Cardassian. [[FantasticRacism That's reason enough]].

Kira and Dax are chatting casually when a ship containing a passenger (Creator/HarrisYulin) suffering from [[SoapOperaDisease Kalla-Nohra syndrome]] docks at the station. That disease is only suffered by people who were at the Gallitep work camp during the occupation of Bajor, so Kira heads down to pay her respects. She's shocked to discover that the patient is a Cardassian, so she promptly arrests him as a war criminal.

...And then he breaks down, admitting his identity as Aamin Marritza and his motives: he believes that he deserves to die for his cowardice, while Cardassia needs to confront and acknowledge its crimes with a very public trial of one of their most wicked war criminals. Despite Marritza's pleas that she help him see his plan through, a moved Kira refuses and releases him, saying that enough good people have died, and [[CharacterDevelopment she won't help kill another]].

Kira arranges transport for Marritza to return to his home, saying [[HopeSpot Cardassia needs good men like him if it's ever to reform]]. As they head for this transport, the drunken Bajoran from earlier comes up and stabs Marritza in the back. As Kira cradles him as he dies and demands to know why the murderer did it. He proclaims that simply being a Cardassian is reason enough to kill them. Kira tearfully states, "No... it's not!"

--->'''Kira''': As far as I'm concerned, if he was at Gallitep, he is guilty. They're all guilty. His punishment will let Bajor feel some... satisfaction.
--->'''Dax''': It sounds like you're trying too hard to believe what you're saying. You already know if you punish him without reason, it won't mean anything, and you already know [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty vengeance isn't enough]].
* AesopAmnesia: This episode, unfortunately, started the trend of Kira learning, then forgetting, then learning again that no single people, particularly the Cardassians, is completely evil (or good).

* CruelTwistEnding: This could be the cruelest ''Star Trek'' ending since "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E28TheCityOnTheEdgeOfForever The City On The Edge Of Forever]]". All Marritza's meticulous planning and showy performances, then his chance at redemption by another means after Kira learns the truth, only to be unceremoniously murdered in cold blood by a drunken lunatic, right in the middle of the promenade.