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"In the Pale Moonlight" (working title: ''Patriot'') is the 19th episode of the 6th season of ''''. Sick of the losses the Federation is taking in the War , Sisko enlists Garak's help in getting the Romulans to join the Federation against the Dominion . Sisko soon learns that in order to save the Federation, he must violate the values it stands for. The title of the episode refers to a quote from 1989's '' Batman '': "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" EPISODE SUMMARY The episode is structured as an entry in Captain and its allies; with every weekly casualty report, the number of dead climb higher. Sisko, who helped start the war, feels their deaths quite keenly. As yet another casualty report makes its way to his desk, he realizes that the list is likely to grow far longer; the Federation seems headed for defeat. Sisko decides that, if he can, he's going to do something about it. After deliberating with his old friend Jadzia Dax , he comes to realize that the only way to defeat The Dominion is to get the Romulans to abandon their neutrality (they recognize a stalemate war when they see one) and join the Federation and its allies. To this end, Sisko enlists the help of the station's resident spymaster, Garak . His experience as a high-ranking member of the Obsidian Order makes for a long list of useful contacts back on Cardassia Prime . The initial plan calls for Garak's operatives to infiltrate the Dominion's stronghold on Cardassia and obtain evidence of plans to eventually conquer the Romulan Empire. Unfortunately, Dominion security is highly efficient and all operatives are eliminated within a day of being contacted. Sisko, though disappointed at the failure of his "long shot" plan, is ready to call it a day, but Garak believes that there might be another way. His new plan calls for the construction of fake holographic records, depicting Dominion leaders discussing an invasion of Romulan territory. Sisko is told that the data rod containing these records will be genuine and indistinguishable from the real thing. To construct the recording, Sisko and Garak secure the release of Grathon Tolar, an expert forger and con artist who is currently on Klingon Death Row. Tolar quickly proves himself as troublesome as he was skilled when he gets into an altercation with local bartender Quark , and Sisko must bribe the Ferengi to keep things quiet. Quark, amazed, quotes a Rule Of Acquisition to himself: "Every man has his price." Tolar eventually gets so problematic that Garak has him silenced... In a rather permanent fashion. Once the Counterfeit rod is completed, Sisko invites high-ranking Romulan Senator Vreenak to drop by DS9 on his way home to Romulus. He makes his pitch and, when Vreenak asks for proof, hands over the fake datarod. Sisko feels keenly the balance of fates he is playing with: if worst comes to worst, the Romulans may be so insulted that they ally with the ''Dominion'' instead; Sisko's actions will either save the Federation or doom it. After careful study, Vreenak emerges, his only comment being the hissed statement, "It's a fake!" Sisko has failed. Unexpectedly, Vreenak's shuttle explodes as he crosses into Romulan space—an explosion Garak seems very smug about. Sisko is, at first, incensed, striking Garak, but Garak successfully defends his unexpected addition to the plan: the bomb he planted was similar in nature to Dominion explosives; and the datarod, floating in space but damaged enough to cover its counterfeit nature, will be discovered and taken at face value. The Romulans will believe that Vreenak managed to obtain the Dominion's invasion plans, and that the Dominion killed him rather than allow him to return home. All goes as Garak has predicted, and the Romulans join the war effort and destroy a number of Dominion installations near their territory. This event marks a turning point in the Dominion War, with the Cardassian-Dominion alliance never quite regaining its initial momentum. When Sisko shows ambivalence about his actions, Garak consoles him with a short monologue notable in ''Star Trek'' history: ''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.'' "So, I lied," Sisko admits, alone in his room as his computer records his log entry. "I cheated. I bribed men to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all... I think I can live with it. And if I had to do it all over again, I would. Garak was right about one thing: A guilty conscience is a small price to pay for the safety of the Alpha Quadrant. So I will learn to live with it. Because I can live with it. I can live with it. "Computer, erase that entire personal log." The screen blanks. The credits roll. Conclusion This episode is considered a ''Star Trek'' classic, both because it is extremely well executed and because it stands as a prime example of ''Deep Space 9'''s frequent rejection of Federation idealism in favor of more ruthless, or at least more practical, solutions, and debating the ethical dilemmas that result. The episode raises questions about the nature of our morality. The concepts of Moral Relativism versus Moral Absolutism are at play in Sisko's mind as he recounts the episode's events to his private log (or maybe Graded Absolutism ). It is clear that Sisko's actions have been morally reprehensible, his culpability increasing steadily throughout the episode. However, as Garak reminds him, Sisko's actions have potentially saved trillions of lives, and can be considered morally acceptable as well under the extreme circumstances. Quark, aghast upon accepting Sisko's bribe, quotes one of the Ferengi Rules Of Acquisition : ''"Every man has his price"'', rejecting the notion of absolute integrity or morality. It could be argued that moral relativism has triumphed over moral absolutism in this episode, with the only character willing to uncover and reject falsehood, Senator Vreenak, perishing while the more duplicitious Sisko profits by his deceptions. Ironically, it is the ''Romulans'' who are known as the most treacherous and untrustworthy denizens of the Alpha Quadrant; Vreenak's role as the episode's only "honest" man is not only a peculiar role reversal, but a potential commentary on just how far Sisko has fallen. The Machiavellian Garak acts as though the ends justify the means, and by his remarks at the end of the episode, we see that Sisko is resolved to accept this as well. Sisko could well be viewed in this episode as having made a Faustian Pact with Garak, the devil whom he has danced with, securing victory for the Federation at the cost of his own integrity. GUEST STARS
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