History Recap / StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS06E19InThePaleMoonlight

** The highly-controlled bio-mimetic gel they end up having to trade for the rod can be used for illegal genetic experiments and building biogenic weapons of mass destruction. It is therefore not legally available for purchase or trade at ''any'' price.

* NoteMeThisTime: While we don't actually see it on-screen, Garak's analysis in the penultimate scene states this ''will'' happen and that the Dominion will insist they had nothing to do with Vreenak's murder. The irony, of course, is that they ''are'' innocent for once in the series (not that the Romulans believe them).

* HopeSpot: Midway through the episode, it looks like Sisko's plan has gone off without a hitch: They've created a perfect counterfeit on an unassailable medium and delivered it to the right person to do something about it. But everything falls apart when Vreenak delivers his WhamLine: "It's a fake!"

-->'''Garak''': The Romulans will enter the war!
-->'''Sisko''': There's no guarantee of that!
-->'''Garak''': Oh, but I think that there is! You see, when the [[StateSec Tal Shiar]] finishes examining the wreckage of Vreenak's shuttle, they'll find the burnt remnants of a Cardassian optolythic data rod, which somehow [[ContrivedCoincidence miraculously survived]] the explosion. After painstaking forensic examination, they'll discover that the rod contains a recording of a high level Dominion meeting at which the invasion of Romulus was being planned.
-->'''Sisko''': And then they'll discover that ''it is a fraud!''
-->'''Garak''': No, I don't think they will, because any imperfections in the forgery will appear to be ''a result of the explosion''. So, with a seemingly legitimate rod in one hand, and a dead Senator in the other, I ask you, Captain, what conclusion would ''you'' draw?
-->'''Sisko''': That Vreenak obtained the rod on Soukara, and that the Dominion [[HeKnowsTooMuch killed him]] to prevent him from returning to Romulus with it.
-->'''Garak''': ''Precisely!'' And the more the Dominion protests their innocence, the more the Romulans will believe they're guilty, because it's ''exactly'' what the Romulans would have done in their place!

-->'''Garak:''' That's why you came to me, isn't it, Captain? Because you knew I could do those things that you weren't capable of doing. Well, it worked. And you'll get what you wanted: a war between the Romulans and the Dominion. And if your conscience is bothering you, you should soothe it with the knowledge that you may have just saved the ''entire'' Alpha Quadrant, and all it cost was the life of one Romulan senator, one criminal -- and the self-respect of one Starfleet officer. I don't know about you, but I'd call ''that'' a bargain.

-->'''Sisko:''' Perhaps I didn't make myself clear, Doctor. This is not a request, it's an order. You will package eighty five litres of biomimetic gel for interstellar transport and deliver them to Cargo Bay 3. Is that understood?\\
'''Bashir:''' Yes. I'd like this order in writing, please, sir.\\

* TranquilFury: You can see Sisko just barely keeping it in when he realizes what really has happened when Worf reports on Vreenak's death.

* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: Both aspects are played straight. The plan that Sisko and Garak discuss step-by-step backfires miserably, while the plan that Garak keeps secret from Sisko (and, by extension, the audience) works perfectly. The latter part is [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as Garak knew that Sisko would've never gone along with it.

** The genuine Cardassian optolythic data rod Sisko and Garak require for their scheme is usually only manufactured by the Cardassian government on an as-needed basis. Garak tells Sisko it took him "a small miracle" to find one anywhere else.
** The highly-controlled bio-mimetic gel they end up having to trade for the rod can be used for illegal genetic experiments and building biogenic weapons of mass destruction. It is therefore not legally available at ''any'' price.

* WhamLine:

** Bashir is clearly taken aback by Sisko's insistence on surrendering the bio-mimetic gel; sounding disbelieving, he insists on receiving Sisko's orders in writing and makes it clear he'll be filing a formal protest with Starfleet.

** Garak points out Sisko's hypocrisy or self-delusion, saying (almost word for word) that deep down Sisko ''knew'' that Garak was going to do something ruthlessly amoral to get the Romulans into the war, and that's the entire reason he hired him in the ''first place''.

-->'''Garak:''' I've locked him in his quarters. I've also left him with the distinct impression that, if he attempts to force the door open, [[SomebodySetUpUsTheBomb it may explode]].
-->'''Sisko:''' I hope that's just an impression.
-->'''Garak:''' It's best not to dwell on such minutiae.

->"''[[TheStinger Computer – erase that entire personal log.]]''"

* MortonsFork: Garak sets up a rare heroic (well, [[TheUnfettered mostly heroic]]) example for Senator Vreenak, unbeknownst to him. Either Vreenak accepts the recording as genuine and gives it to his superiors, ensuring that Garak's plan works and Romulus enters the war with the Dominion, or Garak kills him to convince Vreenak's superiors that [[HeKnowsTooMuch the Dominion killed him to cover up the secret]], ensuring that [[XanatosGambit Garak's plan works and Romulus enters the war with the Dominion.]]

Sisko and Dax reason out that before the Romulans will take a side, they'll demand concrete proof that they will be next in the Dominion's crosshairs. Sisko enlists Garak to use his connections to find proof on Cardassia. While Garak works, the Dominion invade Betazed, making the situation worse than ever. Worse still, Garak reports back that all of the operatives he's contacted have then, when his sinisbeen swiftly assassinated. The former spy says that their only option is to manufacture evidence themselves. In spite of his misgivings and the catastrophe that would result if their ruse fails, Sisko agrees to this desperate plan.

Sisko and Dax reason out that before the Romulans will take a side, they'll demand concrete proof that they will be next in the Dominion's crosshairs. Sisko enlists Garak to use his connections to find proof on Cardassia. While Garak works, the Dominion invade Betazed, making the situation worse than ever. Worse still, Garak reports back that all of the operatives he's contacted have been swiftly assassinated. The former spy says that their only option is to manufacture evidence themselves. In spite of his misgivings and the catastrophe that would result if their ruse fails, Sisko agrees to this desperate plan.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Of the concept of SpaceOpera warfare, and to a certain extent, the entire ''Star Trek'' franchise. In order to win a desperately needed victory against a [[TheEmpire murderous alien empire]], our brave captain will: enlist the help of criminals? Order his crew to break protocol without telling them why? Bribe people to keep quiet? Instead of using [[AppliedPhlebotinum space magic]] to save the day and retain his principles at the same time, the brave Starfleet hero will ''forge evidence'', which then ''[[FromBadToWorse breaks]]'' and is discovered to be fake, and, then, when his sinister spymaster [[HeKnowsTooMuch silences the witnesses]] in a FalseFlagOperation, he'll do nothing? '''Yikes.'''

** The Dominion War is going ''very'' badly for the Federation, with heavy casualties on multiple fronts and no end in sight. It gets worse when news comes in that the Dominion has conquered Betazed (Deanna Troi's homeworld and the residence of her mother Lwaxana).

** After Vreenak discovers the forgery, Sisko describes in his log how furious the senator was, before adding ''"I can't say I blamed him; I'd've reacted the same way."''

* WonTheWarLostThePeace: One of the ways Sisko tries to appeal to Vreenak, by pointing out that if the Dominion wins and ends up controlling the Cardassian Union, the Federation, and the Klingon Empire, then the Romulans will find themselves facing the same opponent on each side. The term for that? "Surrounded."

** After the data rod is ready, Garak calmly tells Tolar that he'll be paying him a visit later. Next we hear of it, Tolar is dead.

The senator promises to tell everyone on Romulus about Sisko's ruse. So the captain must accept that not only were his conscience-testing efforts AllForNothing, but they will all but destroy any hopes for diplomacy with the Romulans. Next Friday, as Sisko grimly delivers the weekly casualty reports, Worf comes in to report one specific casualty: Senator Vreenak, whose shuttle exploded after "leaving Soukara." It doesn't take very long for Sisko to realize that Garak [[SomebodySetUsUpTheBomb hid a bomb]] on the senator's ship while it was docked. In a fury, he rushes over to Garak and punches him out.

* AllForNothing: After Vreenak discovers that the recording of the Damar/Weyoun meeting is a ''faaaaaaake'', Sisko laments that all the wheeling and dealing and moral compromises amounted to nothing. {{Subverted}}, however, when Garak pulls one more rabbit out of his hat that Sisko ''never'' saw coming and which salvages the entire plan.

** Senator Vreenak, the SmugSnake pro-Dominion senator. He knows he's on the winning team, and constantly rubs it in Sisko's face.
* AssInAmbassador: Vreenak is a real piece of work and insults Sisko and all of Starfleet ''to his face'' in [[KickTheDog their very first conversation together]].

** When Worf comes in with a message from Starfleet, we're expecting that Vreenak has exposed Sisko's deception. Instead, it is about Vreenak's shuttle exploding.
* BarBrawl: Off-screen, but recounted in detail by Odo.

* BlatantLies: While protesting Sisko's [[MovingTheGoalposts modification of their deal]], Tolar has the gall to say that he's done nothing wrong, despite having harassed a dabo girl and trying to kill Quark for intervening.
* BriefAccentImitation: Not quite "accent", but when Dax pretends to be the Romulan proconsul, her voice takes on a very Romulan tone.

* TheChessmaster: This episode firmly cements Garak's position as one of the finest players in the franchise's history.

** [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E10ChainOfCommand Jellico's ship returns, but this time under a new captain.]] It does not survive the Dominion War.

* CurbStompBattle: Not surprisingly, the flighty bohemian planet that is Betazed, with its antiquated defense systems and the nearest fleet caught off-guard, stood no chance against the Dominion. The entire planet was conquered in 10 hours.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Of the concept of SpaceOpera warfare, and to a certain extent, the entire ''Star Trek'' franchise. In order to win a desperately needed victory against a [[TheEmpire murderous alien empire]], our brave captain will: enlist the help of criminals? Order his crew to break protocol without telling them why? Bribe people to keep quiet? Instead of using [[AppliedPhlebotinum space magic]] to save the day and retain his principles at the same time, the brave Starfleet hero will ''forge evidence'', which then ''[[FromBadToWorse breaks]]'' and is discovered to be fake, and, then, when his sinister spymaster [[HeKnowsTooMuch silences the witnesses]] in a FalseFlagOperation, he will do nothing? '''Yikes.'''

** Starfleet did not anticipate the attack on Betazed would come through the Kalandra sector, as it was deemed too far from the Dominion's supply lines. The Tenth fleet being out of position on a training exercise also counts.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Sisko attempts to [[WhatTheHellHero really let it rip on Garak]] about his assassination of Vreenak, as if he firmly believes he has these. Garak goes out of his way to point out that this entire plan and operation, everything Sisko did to try to get it to work, and even ''hiring Garak himself'', was a complete and utter compromise of those supposed standards -- and it got the job done, even if Garak had to take matters into his own hands. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Hence the entire point of Sisko's self-loathing log entry.]]

** When Bashir is protesting Sisko's order to hand over the bio-memetic gel, mentions that it can be made to manufacture explosives. Garak ultimately uses explosives of some sort to blow up the senator's shuttle.

* FramingTheGuiltyParty: DoubleSubverted. It's not at all unlikely that the Dominion ''would'' someday invade Romulus, either because they sided with the Federation or [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness after they'd served their purpose as allies]], so Garak forges evidence that shows Dominion leaders planning that very thing. Unfortunately, the Romulan senator they give it to discovers that it's a fake and threatens to expose it, potentially driving the Romulans ''closer'' to the Dominion rather than farther away. So Garak blows up his shuttle, making it look like the Dominion killed him [[HeKnowsTooMuch for finding out the truth]], ensuring that Garak's plan ultimately [[XanatosGambit succeeds either way.]]

* GoodIsNotNice:

** The point of the whole episode. Sisko does many despicable things and would do them again if he had to. The concluding monologue comes very close to HeelRealization.

* GrayAndGreyMorality: Probably the messiest moral dilemma in all of ''[=DS9=]'', and quite possibly all of ''Star Trek.'' Sisko willingly enlists the assistance of unsavory individuals, suppresses evidence of a FalseFlagOperation attack on a politically neutral state, and chooses to do nothing about the [[HeKnowsTooMuch elimination of witnesses]], all so that said politically neutral state will join his side, condemning them to terrible causalities in order to minimize his own (which are already terrible and getting worse ''daily''). [[BlackAndGreyMorality On the other side]] is a relentless and insatiable alien empire with superior weapons, technology, and numbers, led by a genocidal former dictator and unwilling to respond to diplomacy, that is conquering peaceful planets by the day and putting ''billions'' at stake. Sisko's monologue at the end lays it out brilliantly.

--->'''Sisko:''' That was my first moment of real doubt, when I started to wonder if the whole thing was a mistake. So I went back to my office; and there was a new casualty list waiting for me. People are ''dying'' out there, ''every day''! Entire worlds are struggling for their freedom! And here I am still worrying about the finer points of morality! No! I ... I had to keep my eye on the ball! Winning the war, stopping the bloodshed, ''those'' were the priorities! So I pushed on. And every time another doubt appeared before me, I just found another way to shove it aside.

** Sisko calls out Garak for blowing up Vreenak's shuttle. Garak rightly points that Sisko earlier said he's prepared to do whatever it takes to bring the Romulans into the war, he knew that Garak was going to do whatever he felt was neccessary, that's why he went to him in the first place. Likewise Garak points out the deaths in the assassination of Vreenak and Sisko feeling guilty are a small price to pay in exchange for defeating the Dominion. Sisko even admits at the end that Garak was right and his own guilt is a small price to pay.
* KansasCityShuffle: Elim Garak expected from the start the Romulan senator would realize the recording was a fake, and planted a bomb on the senator's ship as soon as he arrived. And in fact, after the senator departs with the fake recording to expose the perceived con on himself, Garak promptly blows up the ship. The real con was having the senator's superiors discover the recording in the wreckage of the ship of a member of their government coming back from a meeting with the Dominon, as now all the imperfections in the forgery will be assumed to be a result of the explosion instead. With a seemingly legitimate rod in one hand, and a dead senator coming from a meeting with the Dominion in the other, the Romulans promptly join the war against the Dominion, as Garak and Sisko wanted.

* KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade: In addition to blowing up Senator Vreenak and his bodyguards, Garak arranged for his forger to die as well, leaving himself and Sisko the only people who know the real story.

* NoodleIncident: Tolar has quite the history that is not elaborated in this episode. Not only did he do something that warranted his execution from the Klingons that is never revealed, but his reaction to Garak being on Deep Space Nine suggests that something else went down between the two.

** The look on Sisko's face when Vreenak holds up the data rod and says, "It's a ''faaaake''!"

** Just one episode after Sisko virtually declares war on Section 31 for following the philosophy that the ends justify the means, Sisko must himself indulge in any underhanded tactic he can to save the Alpha Quadrant.
** This also factors into Dax's roleplay of how the Romulans are thinking—they know that the Dominion's long-term goals include conquering their Empire as well, but between the damage done to long-term rivals in the Alpha Quadrant (the Fed and the Klingons), the significant military might of the Dominion, and the lack of concrete evidence that the Dominion will betray them in the short-term, they stand to gain nothing by joining the war against the Dominion and a lot to gain by waiting to see how the war will play out.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Senator Vreenak is a SmugSnake, but he is at least willing to listen to Sisko's points and it's implied that had the data rod passed muster, he would've supported Romulus entering the war to help the Federation. Might not sound like much, but this is a [[CommanderContrarian Romulan government official]] we're talking about. Most wouldn't even have bothered to stop to listen a Starfleet officer -- though he does point out Sisko is the one who ''started'' the war in the first place, and he takes a lot of time to gloat about it.
* RememberTheNewGuy: Vreenak is a key Romulan politico and the architect of the nonaggression pact with the Dominion, yet he's never been mentioned before this episode. Justified, as the Romulans have stayed out of the War since the beginning and the Federation and Klingons have understandably been focused on the Dominion and the Cardassians rather than the pointy-eared backstabbers.

** Garak implies that, to keep Tolar holed up in his quarters, Garak pointedly gave Tolar the impression that, if he tried to force his door open and escape, it would blow up in his face. Sisko asks Garak if "that's just an impression", to which Garak replies that "it's [[YouDoNotWantToKnow best not to dwell on such minutiae]]".

* SpannerInTheWorks: In-universe example when Garak blows up Vreenak's shuttle. Garak sets up the 'miraculous' survival of the data rod to be this for the Dominion 'plot' to silence Vreenak.

** The point of killing Grathon Tolar after the forgery is finished, along with KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade.

* EveryManHasHisPrice: The 98th Rule of Acquisition, verbatim. Quark is pleased to see it even applies to usually high-and-mighty Starfleet officers, and takes the rare opportunity to rub it in Sisko's face.

* {{Realpolitik}}: Just one episode after Sisko virtually declares war on Section 31 for following the philosophy that the ends justify the means, Sisko must himself indulge in any underhanded tactic he can to save the Alpha Quadrant.

* WhamEpisode: Sisko takes a big step into morally ambiguity, while the Romulans and change the dynamic of the war by allying with the Federation.

* RememberTheNewGuy: Vreenak is a key Romulan politico and the architect of the nonaggression pact with the Dominion, yet he's never been mentioned before this episode. Justified, as the Romulans have stayed out of the War since the beginning and the Federation and Klingons have been understandably been focused on the Dominion and the Cardassians rather than the pointy-eared backstabbers.

* MortonsFork: Garak sets up a rare heroic (well, [[TheUnfettered mostly heroic]]) for Senator Vreenak, unbeknownst to him. Either Vreenak accepts the recording as genuine and gives it to his superiors, ensuring that Garak's plan works and Romulus enters the war with the Dominion, or Garak kills him to convince Vreenak's superiors that [[HeKnowsTooMuch the Dominion killed him to cover up the secret]], ensuring that [[XanatosGambit Garak's plan works and Romulus enters the war with the Dominion.]]

* KansasCityShuffle: Elim Garak expected from the start the Romulan senator would realize the recording was a fake, and planted a bomb on the senator's ship as soon as he arrived. And in fact, after the senator departs with the fake recording to expose the perceived con on himself, Garak promptly blows up the ship. The real con was having the senator's superiors discover the recording in the wreckage of the ship of a member of their government coming back from a meeting with the Dominon, as now all the imperfections in the forgery will be assumed to be result of the explosion instead. With a seemingly legitimate rod in one hand, and a dead senator coming from a meeting with the Dominion in the other, the Romulans promptly join the war against the Dominion, as Garak and Sisko wanted.

** The ''USS Cairo'' was the ship commanded by Captain Jellico before his temporary transfer to the ''Enterprise'' in Next Generation's episode [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E10ChainOfCommand Chain Of Command]]. Jellico was no longer on the Cairo at that point the ship was destroyed.

* GallowsHumor: Bashir calls Jadzia's reporting of a "friend of a friend" on the casualty list with none on his end as some "good news".

* GrayAndGreyMorality: Probably the messiest moral dilemma in all of ''[=DS9=]'', and quite possibly all of ''Star Trek.'' Sisko willingly enlists the assistance of unsavory individuals, suppresses evidence of a FalseFlagOperation attack on a politically neutral state, and chooses to do nothing about the [[HeKnowsTooMuch elimination of witnesses]], all so that said politically neutral state will join his side, condemning them to terrible casualities in order to minimize his own (which are already terrible and getting worse ''daily''). [[BlackAndGreyMorality On the other side]] is a relentless and insatiable alien empire with superior weapons, technology, and numbers, led by a genocidal former dictator and unwilling to respond to diplomacy, that is conquering peaceful planets by the day and putting ''billions'' at stake. Sisko's monologue at the end lays it out brilliantly.

* AwakenTheSleepingGiant: With the Romulans freshly joining the war on the Fed-Klingon side, the Dominion advance into the Alpha Quadrant is rapidly blunted, helping turn the tide of the war.

* {{Hypocrisy}}: Garak calls out Sisko for acting moral, because if he were ''truly'' moral, he wouldn't have enlisted the most amoral man on the station to do the dirty work.

* ArmorPiercingSlap: After learning that Vreenak has been assassinated, Sisko storms into Garak's shop and sucker-punches him, then does it again as they argue.

'''Sisko:''' ''(pushes Tolar up against a bulkhead)'' I'm making a new agreement. If that program passes inspection, you walk free, but if there's even the ''slightest'' flaw, the I will send you back to that Klingon prison and tell Gowron to [[ToThePain take his time while he executes you]].\\

* PoisonousFriend: Garak is brought on board the scheme to play this role. When Sisko complains about the assassination, Garak calls him on it.

Senator Vreenak makes a clandestine arrival on Deep Space Nine on his way back from Soukara. [[AssInAmbassador Already declaring the war against the Dominion to be a lost cause]], he insists on seeing evidence of a Dominion betrayal just as Sisko and Dax predicted. While Garak pokes around Vreenak's ship, Sisko shows him the fake recording, and the dubious senator insists on inspecting the rod further before making any decision. Sisko knows that the fate of the Alpha Quadrant rests on whether Vreenak buys the deception. When the senator summons Sisko again, he holds up the rod and snarls, "It's a fake!"

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: A variation. This is why Garak is confident the Romulans won't believe the Dominion's protestations of innocence in Vreenak's murder. Garak knows the Romulan mindset well: Paranoid, secretive and ruthless. They would've responded to a threat like Vreenak the same the Dominion supposedly did. It would ''never'' occur to them to consider alternate, non-Romulan perspectives...like, say, the possibility that the Dominion ''might'' just actually be telling the truth and that somebody set them up.