i don't like this. the more i read starfleet's reports on the sabotage of the powow relays the more unanswered questions i have. how were the changelings able to infiltrate the division of planetary operations? where did they get the codes for the division's computer control network? and how did they manage to disable wer relay on earth at the same time? captain, have you ever heard of a group called red squad? every student at the acade they're an elite team of starfleet cadets. my wants to be a part of it. oh. well, that explains it. explains what? well, according to this transporter log a group called red squad was beamed back to starfleet academy 26 minutes after the state of emergency was declared.

why would they demobilize red squad? that's why i brought it up. but if they're cadets, i suppose starfleet wanted to get them out of harm's way. if that's true, how do you explain this? three hours later, starfleet command issued an order assigning the entire corps of cadets to field duty. which means they weren't bringing red squad home for their protection. so the question is only to mobilize them again threrehours later? lights. are you sure re-opening the restaurant is a good idea? jake, it's been four days since the power outage. have you seen any dominion invnvion fleet? no. neither have i. besides, at my age i don't have time to waste sitting at home being bored.

oh, i've got plenty ofofustomers. just look outside. all i see are security officers. and i bet not one of them has had a good meal in four days. ( chuckling ) now, you do your grandfafaer a favor and start chopping up the okra. captain sisko, is there something i can do for you? i need t ttalk to you about red squad. go on. are you aware there's a transporter record of red squad being returned to the academy not long after the power outage? are you saying that's in the official records? that's right. is this a secure line? it is at my end. one moment. sorry, captain, but i think

solutely. does admiral layton know about this report? he hasn't mentioned it to me. listen to me, captain. i want that record erased before anyone else can see it. is that understood? i'll take care of it immediately. good. that report could cause us trouble. i'm glad you spotted it. so am i. i'd hate to see the members of red squad get into any trouble. they're fine young men and women. when layton talked about using them i thought it was a mistake performed their mission admirably. i appreciate yoyo call, captain. i'm in your debt. well... that certainly raised more questions than it answered.

[captioning sponsored by the u.s. department of education

what did i tell you? as human as i ever was. benjamin: you seem pretty jovial today. well, is there a problem with that? it's just... well, you didn't seem too happy about being tested a few days ago. well, that was before the changelings sabotaged the e wer grid. i know, but you have to admit, you were pretty damn adamant. i don't understand you. when i didn't want to be tested, you made it an issue.

, dad. then what is it? i'm m t sure. maybe i'm just paranoid. captain, jake said you wanted to see me. yes, i do. uh, you two talk. i'll go chililsome tube grubs. what can i do for you, sir? it's about red squad. red squad? did you get me in? not just yet. oh, too bad. those guys are the best. ly people who aren't afraid of the dominion. why is that? i don't know. thth're not scared of anything, i guess. you seem to know them pretty well. jake told me i should try to get to know them better-- show them that i'm a good guy. and so far, it seems to be wororng. the truth is, i think they only like me because i know you. is that so? you're their hero-- the man at the front line in the war with the dominion.

i'm sorry. i can't do that, sir. the names of red squad members are supposed to be secret. but you know who they are. it's not easy keeping secrets from a ferengi. but i feel funny telling anyone else. besides, if they found out i told you who they were i'd never get in. cadet, you are obviously under the mistaken impreseson that i am asking a favor. i want a name, and i want it now, and that is an order. understood, mr. nog? s, sir. cadet shepard reporting as ordered, captain. riley aldrin shepard... starfleet service number c953o4699427 a third-year student at starfleet academy with a specialty in tactical operations. yes, sir. cadet, i have been reviewing a record of red squad activities on the night of the 23rd-- the night of the poweweoutage.

are you contradicting g , cadet? no, sir. who told you there wasn't to be a record? the briefing officer, sir. i want that officer's name. she didn't give us her name but she said there'd be no record of our actions and our role would go unrecognized for now. maybe if you'd done your job better, it would have. but you fouled it up, didn't you? you cadets did some sloppy work-- some damn sloppy work. with all due respect, sir... that's not true, sir. easier than simumutions. if you think by lying to me you'll save your own hide, you'd better forget it. mistakes were made, and i will find out who's responsible. i was at planetary operations the whole time. if anything had gone wrong, i would have known about it. is that so? all right, cadet, let's go over this step by stetp from the time of your mission deployment

on the night of the 23rd. yes, sir. we assembled on the eastern quad at 1700 hours on the evening of the 23rd. i assume by "we" you mean red squad. yes, sir. after assembly, we were beamed aboard the lakota. once aboard, we received our equipment and the necessary codes anantransported to the division of planetary operations. at what time? 0400 hours, exactly-- local time, of course. go on, cadet. uter control network. we were give n bypassed security lockouts and downloaded disordering protocols into the network. and from there, the protocols spread to every power relay on the planet. it was a pretty impressive sight, sir watching those relays wink out one e ter another. i'm sorry i missed it. after that, all we had to do was sabotage the restart sequencers and get out.

and are you sure that this cadet is telling the truth? he admitted to committing acts of treason against the federation. if he was going to lie i think he would have made up a better story. i take it that you gave him a blood screening. i tested him myself. he's human. well, then let's say that he is telling the truth-- that his superior officers ordered him to sabotage the power relays. doesn't rule out dominion involvement. for all we know his superiors have been replaced by changelings. i thought about that. but if it were changelings, what have they a aomplished? there's been no invasion and power's been restored. and starfleet has fortified earth. i see your point, captain. so, let's say you're right.

what are you going to do about it? that is the bottom line, isn't it? what am i going to do? ( sighs ) these aren't evil people, odo. these are people i worked with. they're my friends... people i respect. how can i turn against them? to me... if they have committed treason against the federation-- the federation that you swore to protect-- you won't be turning against them.

captain, i've been in politics for 70 years. i'm no stranger to overstatement and exaggeration but the idea that starfleet would plot to ovovthrow the federation government is the single most astonishing accusation i have ever heard. sir, if you'll hear us out. as i intend to but you'll forgigi me if i remain somewhat skeptical. now, you should start at the beginning. several months ago, i learned from one of my people that changelings had infiltrated the federation. not long after i gave this information to starfleet reports indicate that admiral leyton led a contingentntf high-ranking officers to meet with you and recommend implementation of sweeping security measures meant to protect earth. and i rejected their suggestion as extreme. it's no secret that leyton disagreed with you, and despite your calls for calm his concern about the dominion threat continued to grow.

inced that the changelings posed a greater threat to earth than you were prepared to admit. and so admiral leyton approached me again this time with you two at his side and i agreed to his proposals. some of his proposals. we believe admiral leyton and his supporters weren't satisfied with the limited security procedures you authorized. they were convinced extraordinary measures were needed to counter the changeling threat. they were determined how vulnerable earth was to a dominion takeover. so they sabotaged the global power grid... starfleet officers committing sabotage?! i know exactly how you feel, but it's the truth. i find that difficult to believe. admiral leyton may be somewhat t ating and inflexible at times but a man of his accomplishment, a man of his distinguished record to commit treason?

he and hisisupporters think that their actions are both necessary and justified. not to mention effective. the power grid fails and the next thing you know, starfleeeesecurity officers are on the streets of every city armed with phaser rifles blood testing citizens at random. your story has a certain logic to it, gentlemen but what it lacks is proof. you want proof? order admiral leyton to withdraw his troops from the streets. see what he does. order from his commander in chief? if he orders his troops to stand down then i'm wrong, and i'll offer my resignation but i don't think that's going to happen. with thoho troops in place, admiral leyton controls earth and he's not going to give up that control until he's convinced that he has ended the dominion threat. he may nototave to give up anything. if what you say is true-- if the power outage was part of leyton's plan-- then it's worked perfectly.

curity. if i try to remove those troops over leyton's objection i'll have a planetwide riot on my hands. what if we bring you the proof? hard evidence linking leyton could force leyt to the sabotage of the power grid? on to stand down, make him withdraw the troops. i promise i'll use i if what you say is true, i'll have his resignation. t. sorry i'm late. where's cadet shepard? that's a good question. what do you mean you couldn't find him? i mean, he's gone. so is every other member of rededquad. the rumor is they've all been sent on some kind of training exercise. ( door slams ) i'm afraid cadet shepard won't be returning to o rth any time soon. admiral leyton, it's...

ben... i think you and i have to talk... in private. i'll be in the next room if you need me. mind if i get a cup of coffee? help yourself. i haven't been getting a lot of sleepepately. too much to do. maybe you need a vacation. ( chuckling ) mmm. somehow, replicated coffee never tastes this good. ( sighs ) i'm afraid i owe you an apology, ben. the way i see it you owe a lot of people an apology. i wish i could've told you the truth from the beginning

e eye to eye on this thing. then why did you bring me here? because i needed someone who knew how to fight shapeshifters, and that's you. and i suppose on some level i hoped that when you u w what we were accomplishing you'd join us. you've always had a strong senen of duty. my duty is to protect the federation. that's what we're trying to do. what you're trying to do is to seize control of earth if that's what it takes to stop the dominion. so you're willing to destroy paradise in order to save it? remember when we were on the okinawa fighting the tzenkethi? that time when i wanted to take the ship into an asteroid belt, chase down those three raiders? and i said it was an unnecessary risk. you spoke your mind which is exactly what a good executive officer is supposed to do.

ing ) after the staff meeting you followed me into my ready room and tried to argue your point again. that's right, i did. and remember what i told you? that a good officer must respect the chain of command fice that there comes a time r and carry out those orders whether you agage with them or not. i also told you that when you became a c.o. you'd feel the same way. and you were right-- about going after the tzenkethi and about me. without the chain of command starfleeeewould cease to function and we wouldn't stand a chance against our enemies. i'm still your commanding officer and now more than ever

and i cannot do that! then as of now i'm relieving you of yououpost as temporary head of earth security and sending you back to deep space nine. go home, ben. you don't belong here. beautiful evening, isn't it? chief, how'd you get here? yoyodon't look so good. you've a lot on your mind, i bet. how is your father? no way the defiant could get here so soon. i didn't say i came on the defiant. tell me the truth. do you really believe that phaser rifles will do any good against shapeshifters? you're not o'brien. oh, luckily no. the thought of being locked

it's... it's unnatural. don't bother calling for help. it'll only cut short our conversation and i do enjoy your company. if you have something to say to me, say it. oh, you solids, you are so impatient. i thought we could sit here for a while. maybe go to a bar, have a pint, throw some darts. i don't think so. let me ask you a question. how many changelings do you think are here on earth going to play any guessing games with you. ah. what if i were to tell you that there are only four on this entire planet? huh? not counting constable odo, of course. think of it. just four of us and look at the havoc we've wrought. how do i know you're telling me the truth? oh, four is more than enough.

we do not fear you the way you fear us. in the end it's your fear that will destroy you. are you finished? finished? ( laughing ) we've barely begun.

i recognize that look. what look? the one you're wearing-- the one that says, "something's bothering me and i don't know what to do about it." oh. that look. do you want to tell me about it? i wish i could. oh, i see. it's a neffie beumont- kind of thing. neffie beumont... whoo! what a crush i had on her. not that you'd admit it. you just sat around for weeks brooding and pining away, trying to sort it all out until your old man finally sat you down one day and gave you some advice. "there comes a time in every man's life when he must stop thinking and start doing." and the next day you finally went over to young neffie's house and asked her out. and she turned me down.

brooding anymore and when zoey phillips moved into the neighborhood a few weeks later, you asked her out before her parents were done beaming in the furniture. and dated her for three years. i guess what you're telling me is that i must stop brooding and make a decision. exactly. thank you, dad. don't mention it. ( sighs ) make sure you turn out the lights on your way out. i wonder whatever happened to zoey phillips? ( whispering ): zoey phillips. captain, why are you transmitting

iscuss i don't want anyone else to hear. what's your status? everything here is fine, no sign of dominion activity. what about the wormhole? dax: it's acting normally again. it stopped opening and closing at random not long after you left. if any dominion ships did sneak through they're not giving us any trouble. listen closely. there's something i need for you to do. it's all yours. i suggest you hurry. i doubt it'll take them very long r that we're here. i never knew it was so easy to break into classified starfleet files. everything i know i learned from quark. looks like leyton's been a busy man. he's reassigned over 400 officers in the past three weeks. do you recognize any of these names? a lot of them. daneeka, mcwatt... snowden, orr, moodus. all of them were officers on the okinawa when i was leyton's x.o. as far as i can tell, every officer on this list

arth. or commanding ships somewhere in this sector. it says here he's ordered another set of transfers. take a look at these dates. odo: they all take effect on the 14th. a day before the president's speech. do you think there's any connection? ( sighs ) maybe admiral leyton doesn't intend for the president to make his speech. hmm. i better get a copy of this. odo, if admiral leyton is planning some kind of takeover on the 14th i want to make sure that jake and my father are safe. we should get them off earth as soon as possible. ( door chimes ) come in. captain. i'm surprised to find you here. just cleaning out some of my files. i'll see you later, constable.