History Recap / StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS02E02TheCircle

* BotheringByTheBook: Sisko is ordered to evacuate the station by his Starfleet superiors, but they forget to specify that he has to complete the evacuation within the timeframe the Bajorans have given them. He orders that every single piece of Starfleet equipment be painstakingly removed, which of course can't be done before the Bajorans arrive.
** Earlier, after learning that Kressari traders are transferring weapons to The Circle, the crew uses the excuse of a manifest computer incompatibility to search a docked Kressari vessel. This leads to Li Nalas being forced in his role as Deep Space Nine's executive officer, to talk to the Kressari captain to [[BlatantLies reassure him that the manifest issues will be resolved momentarily]].

Word of the kidnapping has reached Sisko and crew. As they discuss what to do, "Deputy" Quark enters with more info. He's tracked the headquarters of the Circle to a series of caverns under the Parrichian Peninsula. Gathering Bashir, Dax, Li, and two RedShirt security members, they launch a successful rescue mission.

Not surprisingly, the slow life of the monastery isn't really agreeing with her, as Bareil discovers when he sees her adjusting a random stepping stone for the umpteenth time. She tells her she doesn't always need to worry about being "useful" and takes her to see something special: an Orb. It's the third one, the Orb of Prophecy and Change. Gazing into the orb, Kira has a vision of being mocked by the council and then having an erotic encounter with Bareil, but the vision ends before getting too spicy for network TV.

* PassiveAggressiveCombat: Vedek Winn is back to her old tricks of very mildly and politely hurling abuse at Kira and Bareil. When it's clear that Kira might be hanging around indefinitely, Winn mildly states that Kira should feel welcome for as many days as she likes, "even a week if necessary."

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Odo is pissed with Kira for simply accepting her fate and not living up to her ChaoticGood persona.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: Given what was happening in the world during TheNineties, it's no surprise the Crisis of the Week involves a CivilWar fueled by nationalist sentiment, with weapons covertly supplied by foreign powers hoping to manipulate events to their advantage.

* PlotHole: In the previous episode, O'Brien and Kira couldn't just beam up every Bajoran in the labor camp, because [=DS9=]'s runabouts were said to be capable of teleporting only two people at a time. But in this episode the five-men rescue team for Kira, plus Kira herself, are all beamed to a runabout simultaneously.

Sisko can barely contain his rage as Minister Jaro explains Kira isn't being replaced. She's being "[[KickedUpstairs promoted]]". And that Li Nalas, what with all the Circle violence on Bajor, will be safer on [=DS9=]. And as if his day isn't going swell enough already, Jake calls him to their quarters to reveal that the mark of The Circle has been [[TheVillainKnowsWhereYouLive painted on their door]].

Kira meanwhile has begrudgingly accepted her "promotion". Odo hasn't. He lectures her on how accepting this mockery is basically giving up, something he'd never expect out of her. They are soon joined by Dax, then by Bashir as well. Then O'Brien. And then ''Quark''. In the middle of the numerous, confusing discussions, they get another visitor: [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E20InTheHandsOfTheProphets Vedek Bareil]]. He's heard about Kira being replaced by Li Nalas, so he invites her to visit his monastery on Bajor before beginning her new job. With not much else to do, she accepts. As she takes one last solemn stroll around Ops, Sisko promises to get her back as she departs.

Not surprisingly, the slow life of the monastery isn't really agreeing with her, as Bareil discovers when he sees her adjusting a random stepping stone for the umpteenth time. She tells her she doesn't always need to worry about being "useful", and takes her to see something special: an Orb. The third one, specifically, the Orb of Prophecy and Change. What follows is a bizarre (and [[{{Fanservice}} naked]]) vision of Kira being mocked by the council, and ends as she and Bareil are about to bang.

Back on [=DS9=], Odo discusses the worsening situation on Bajor. The military is imposing martial law, and descending upon the capital to apparently destroy The Circle. After hanging up, Quark drops by, naturally concerned about the situation after the attack he suffered. This whole situation has him advising Odo that they need to beat it and quick. Odo is dismissive of his whining, but Quark also has information - specifically, on who has been supplying The Circle with weapons. To Odo's surprise, he implicates the Kressari, a race of botanical DNA traders who don't even have a military. And it just so happens that they have a ship due in 36 hours. With not much else to go on, Odo deputizes Quark (with a little blackmail of course) and orders him to track ''where'' the weapons are going.

While Sisko visits the Bajoran military command and Odo stows away on the Kressari ship as a rat, Kira is kidnapped by several masked Circle members. Coming to in their headquarters, their leader is revealed: Minister Jaro. He wanted Li Nalas off Bajor when he launched a coup against the government, so he had him stuck on [=DS9=]. And he tells Kira he has methods to make her talk while she's here.

Word of the kidnapping has reached Sisko and crew. As they discuss what to do, "Deputy" Quark enters with more info. He's tracked the headquarters of The Circle to a series of caverns under the Parrichian Peninsula. Gathering Bashir, Dax, Li, and two RedShirt security members, they launch a successful rescue mission.

Odo returns not long after the rescue with shocking news. While disguised on the Kressari ship, he discovered the true suppliers of the Circle: Cardassia. Yes, The Circle are being armed by their mortal enemy. With the xenophobic Circle potentially driving the Federation out, it would leave Bajor open for the Cardassians to occupy again.

The info appears to have arrived too late. All communication to Bajor has been cut off, and two assault vessels are headed for Deep Space 9, giving all non-Bajoran personnel seven hours to scram. Or else.

Sisko contacts Admiral Chekote (not ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Chakotay]]'', despite sounding alike) and the news isn't good: This is an internal Bajoran matter. The Prime Directive requires Starfleet stay out of it. With that, he orders Sisko to evacuate the station.

The time it would take to evacuate the station? A few hours. The time for a ''complete'' evacuation of ''all'' Federation members and technology? A few ''days''. And the vessels are drawing close.

* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: Odo deputizes Quark because he needs the Ferengi's underworld contacts to gather information on who's supplying weapons to The Circle. Quark finds this ActuallyPrettyFunny until Odo points out the alternative--[[EmptyCopThreat he locks up Quark for obstruction]] at a time when Quark might need to get off the space station in a hurry.
* AntiVillain: The Circle view the provisional government as weak, something even Kira doesn't deny, and want the Federation gone so Bajor will truly be independent. Aside from being in conflict with our main characters, they are unknowingly playing into the hands of the Cardassians who plan to retake Bajor after the Federations leaves.

* {{Blackmail}}: As per usual, this is how Odo gets Quark to be useful.
* BotheringByTheBook / ExactWords: Sisko is ordered to evacuate the station by his Starfleet superiors, but they forget to specify that he has to complete the evacuation within the timeframe the Bajorans have given them. He orders that every single piece of Starfleet equipment be painstakingly removed, which of course can't be done before the Bajorans arrive.

* AntiVillain: The Circle view the provisional government as weak, something even Kira doesn't deny, and want the Federation gone so Bajor will truly be independent. Aside from being in conflict with our main characters, they are unknowingly planning into the hands of the Cardassians who plan to retake Bajor after the Federations leaves.

* InstantSedation: Kira's kidnappers use the [[Website/SFDebris off-button hypospray]] on her.

* ShipTease: The vision Kira sees in the Orb of Prophecy appears to become a NotWearingPantsDream until Bareil also appears naked and they [[AlmostKiss are about to kiss before the vision comes to an end.]]

* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: Odo deputizes Quark because he needs the Ferengi's underworld contacts to gather information on who's supplying weapons to The Circle. Quark finds this ActuallyPrettyFunny until Odo points out the alternative--he locks up Quark for obstruction at a time when Quark might need to get off the space station in a hurry.

* AlienNonInterferenceClause: The conflict is an internal Bajoran political matter, even if the Cardassians are involved.

** Kira appears to be KickedUpstairs by Jaro, but he's actually getting rid of Li Nalas, who doesn't want a rival figurehead in the capital diverting the attention and loyalty of the Bajorans while he's launching a coup.

Sisko can barely contain his rage as Minister Jaro explains Kira isn't being replaced. She's being "[[KickedUpstairs promoted]]". And that Li Nalas, what with all the Circle violence on Bajor, will be safer on [=DS9=]. And as if his day isn't going swell enough already, Jake calls him to their quarters to reveal that the mark of The Circle has been [[ImpliedDeathThreat painted on their door]].

Sisko can barely contain his rage as Minister Jaro explains Kira isn't being replaced. She's being "[[KickedUpstairs promoted]]". And that Li Nalas, what with all the Circle violence on Bajor, will be safer on [=DS9=]. And as if his day isn't going swell enough already, Jake calls him to their quarters to reveal that the mark of The Circle has been painted on their door.

* PlanetOfHats: Lampshaded by Odo, who says that it doesn't make sense that the Kressari would be supplying the Circle because they're botanical DNA traders.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: Given what was happening in the world during TheNineties, it's no surprise the Crisis of the Week involves a CivilWar fueled by nationalist sentiment, with weapons supplied by foreign powers hoping to manipulate events to their advantage.

* AnOfferYouCannotRefuse: Odo deputizes Quark because he needs the Ferengi's underworld contacts to gather information on who's supplying weapons to The Circle. Quark finds this ActuallyPrettyFunny until Odo points out the alternative--he locks up Quark for obstruction at a time when Quark might need to get off the space station in a hurry.