Honour Among Thieves

DVD, DS9 S6 (Honour Among Thieves)

They did it again, surprising us with another episode in the anthology style where a character is taken out of the regular setting and barely interacts with their usual co-stars, instead being whisked off into a world of their own that could have been done even if the words 'Star Trek' weren't on the front end. Some may see that as a criticism, the writers not being 'true' to Trek, telling a generic TV story rather than utilising it as its own unique thing, but I think it shows a maturity to the franchise that they can go so far from the standard setup we expect on a weekly basis (starship or space station), and present us with a meaningful and affecting story. And it's not like it has no connection to the Trek world, with an array of links and connections, even if it does owe more to 'Star Wars' in its version of a seedy bar set in a backwater planet and populated by weird aliens that are that little bit more unsettling than we're used to. But let's not go too far, these aren't the 'Star Wars' aliens, remaining true to the general rule of representing humanoids in a humanoid galaxy, but they do retain an unbalanced sense of danger and exoticism about them. Take Flith for example, Bilby's shifty-eyed, Ming-moustached henchman. He has a distasteful tautness about him, a wily, deceptive and totally untrustworthy air - you can imagine he enjoys torturing small mammals for sport. He proves as untrustworthy as he seemed, executed for conducting business on the side and not paying his 'fare' on the profit.

That's the other thing that impresses with this episode: they manage to pull off another group of characters that we're interested enough to follow, even caring about Bilby's fate at the end. It must have been difficult enough to create original stories with the main cast after five and a half years, but to be able to put totally new personalities in there and have them be as compelling as those we knew we were tuning in for, is quite an achievement. You could look at it from the other angle and say that it's easier to introduce new creations of your own because you're not bound by continuity or expectations and can do whatever you want with them as you see fit, but arranging all this within the confines of a Trek episode is the constraint, and pulling it off is admirable. This season saw a surge in writing for groups of guest characters, the genetic savants of 'Statistical Probabilities' starting the trend (and being the most successful), while 'Who Mourns For Morn?' and now this one, continued it. I would also direct people to this run of episodes if they complain, erroneously, that 'DS9' never went anywhere, since we've had three top episodes in a row that barely took place on the station at all, and the next one would be off-station for the majority, too!

The reason this episode came out so well, aside from the obvious of starring the great Colm Meaney in his first solo episode of the year (and arguably the next in the 'torture O'Brien' sub-category of the series), was the setting and the casting. Farius Prime is this steaming underbelly of crime and destitution, we only see a few people, but they're all criminals or prostitutes, all part of a shady underworld run by the Orion Syndicate. The planet itself is a character, and that's a far cry from some of the identikit destinations starship crews have visited (even using the same matte painting to depict their surface, on occasions!). The lighting is stark, the shadows deep, and steam curls through the back alleys of this rundown neighbourhood. Maybe there's another side of Farius that we never got to see, with rich people enjoying a happy, safe life, but that's the key: we didn't see it. All we see is grimy and beaten up (hence the 'Star Wars' feel), only members of the Syndicate have fine clothes. I couldn't say whether it actually ran the planet, and I'd suggest it's unlikely since they might have had an easier time carrying out their plan of assassinating the Klingon Ambassador if so, but they certainly have a hold on it, and members are treated with respect (such as the Dopterian getting out of the way as soon as he's told Bilby's group is going to use the combooth).

We've seen these kind of places before, and to my mind the closest comparison would be Nimbus III from 'Star Trek V,' the so-called 'Planet of Galactic Peace,' and all its crime and poverty. It was also the fact that this planet has a Klingon Ambassador, much to O'Brien's surprise, as it's regarded as a low-down, no-good kind of place. It makes me wonder how Bilby came to be there, as he looks human. It could have originated as a human colony, I suppose, but it may just have been that that was where the Syndicate sent him to work. The most interesting thing for me is the Starfleet Intelligence and Orion Syndicate cold war that's apparently going on, which makes you wish for more spy-type episodes. The Syndicate have killed a number of Starfleet's agents, which is why O'Brien's sent in in the first place. Why would the Chief be picked for such a mission? It's never stated definitively, but as Sisko says to Bashir, he knows how to look after himself, and perhaps with his long and distinguished career (and his nonspecific connection to Starfleet, being part of it, but not in the same way as a standard officer), might have played a part in the decision. It may also be his honest, open face ('uncomplicated,' as the savants thought him), and his working man's ability to fit into the social system - Bashir might have made a better choice for an agent (as Section 31 would tell him in only three episodes time!), his genetic abilities allowing him to react quicker or formulate a better plan, but his accent, demeanour (and the fact of O'Brien's 'fix-it' man skills, as Bilby calls him), would have been against him. So the Chief was the ideal man for the job.

The Orion Syndicate first entered the Trek world back in Season 5's 'The Ascent' (if it weren't for the weak link of 'A Simple Investigation' I could have said that every episode connected to the Syndicate was a winner…), which was only last season, but they feel like an organisation that's been around much longer, probably due to the name. The Orions were created for 'TOS,' though not used with great regularity, and in fact we never even saw one (except Marta in 'Whom Gods Destroy'), until 'Enterprise,' decades later. So the Orions were part of the bedrock background, something waiting to be taken up and explored. This wasn't really the episode to do that, as all they share is the name. I like to imagine Orions are behind the organisation, as the name suggests, but we didn't get to see one of the green-skinned brood here. Unless Raimus had secretly coloured his skin to alter his identity… Actually, he and Flith had similar Roman noses, so they may have been of the same race. Ironic then, that Flith gets shot by Graife, the resident barman and assassin, a thin, pasty-looking Bolian (I wonder what he made of his patrons robbing the Bank of Bolias?). That's not the only racial link - arms dealer Yint, who sold Bilby defective Klingon rifles (though they still call them Disruptors), had the same bone across the mouth from nose to chin, as Quark's former business partner, Fallit Kot, from 'Melora' (although he had hair and no prominent skull ridge). The variety of aliens is another thing I love about the episode, perhaps my favourite being Raimus' unspeaking, unmoving bodyguard with his large skull-like head, eye sockets shadowed thanks to the lighting.

The other side of the secret organisation coin is Starfleet Intelligence, something that's been mentioned here and there, but had little in the way of substance. In Chadwick we have a duplicitous example of their operatives, lying to O'Brien to keep him from worrying about side issues. He should have foreseen the Chief would form a true bond with a man like Bilby, that compromised his position, but he wasn't a bad sort, feeling guilty enough (presumably), at the way O'Brien was used that he didn't include the part about the man decking him, in his report! He had that furtive attitude and slightly gravelly, low voice that you might expect of a secret agent, but he wasn't quite Section 31 level of compromised - for one thing he wasn't wearing black, it was more of a dark grey or brown, so that's something! I find it intriguing Starfleet Intelligence should be used for a story, somewhat brought out of the shadows (if you can call illicit meetings in dark alleyways such), so close to the introduction of Section 31. Did this episode help to inspire the latter organisation, seeing as the whole concept worked well here? It did work - putting someone undercover was a great idea. Not a new one, but one worth exploring again, especially as it was more than just a secret agent action-fest. The story's quite a deliberate, slow-burner in the same way as 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' (not to be confused with 'Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy' from 'Voyager'!). They could have shown Bilby's raid on the Klingon Embassy, had him die in slow motion set to sad music, but it wasn't necessary. It was enough that he leaves O'Brien with his faith shattered, and the Chief's subsequent guilt.

Was O'Brien an accessory to murder? He could easily be cleared of sending Bilby to his death for the fact that he came clean and warned him, but he fixed the weapon used to kill Yint. It was with horror that he watched his work used to execute, even if it was a nasty arms dealer (live by Disruptor, die by Disruptor, as the saying goes), and though he does show his displeasure, trying to shake Bilby out of it, he has little sway in the matter. I guess it would be argued the Chief wouldn't have known they'd be used in that way, but what other function would a Klingon rifle have, but to kill? It's a tricky question to answer and the story was too short for every questionable thing to be dealt with (it would have made a good expanded novel), but the moral greyness is often at the centre of undercover stories, drawing us in so much. Seeing our heroes forced into tough decisions and how they deal with situations like that is the fascination. O'Brien knows he could have done more, and it haunts him (not so much Yint, as setting up Bilby to take the fall). He's a character that often has to be taken through harsh mental passages in which his good nature is pushed to the limit, taken furthest in 'Hard Time' when he was almost pushed to suicide for guilt, something that may have prepared him for this later assignment. Chadwick made it sound like he hadn't had much choice in being recruited for this weeks-long mission, yet he wasn't under duress - this wasn't Section 31 threatening his life or his family, as the shadow of the Syndicate threatened Bilby's.

One thing I was thinking during the obligatory scene at the beginning in which most of the cast appear together just so they can remind us that they exist (which is fine by me), was why O'Brien's Engineering team (including Rom!), couldn't put Humpty Space Nine together again without the Chief's help. But they answered that logic problem promptly, explaining that only he knows the secret to keeping the Cardassian and Federation systems functioning in relative harmony. The station breaking down used to be a running theme, especially in early seasons, always keeping O'Brien up to his neck in repairs, but as time went on things seemed to settle down so it's become quite rare for equipment failure to be part of a story, even if this was only a small part of the episode - the crew certainly learn to appreciate Miles when he's not there. On a side note, it's great to witness the timing from Rene Auberjonois and Armin Shimerman as they both besiege Kira at the exact same moment, just as they'd both stepped down in unison at the end of the previous episode! Kira handles the complaints well - she'd make an excellent Captain and has really come into her own this season, if not before, the Captain quite happy to leave her to sort out the mess, only Bashir taking it to Sisko's level, and only then because he was covering his concern for the Chief's wellbeing, another touching moment, not just that Bashir would do that, but Sisko would recognise that he was.

Technology plays its part in O'Brien's side of the story, too, as you'd expect. About the only strong link (and we have a pun!), between this and a previous Orion Syndicate episode is the use of the dataports, as seen in 'A Simple Investigation,' and used both times for illegal uses, hacking into computers with the mind, in this case by one of Bilby's associates, Krole (played by Carlos Carrasco who'd made his mark on 'Voyager' as owner of the space station at the edge of the Nekrit Expanse in 'Fair Trade' - he'd also been on 'DS9' before as a Mirror Klingon in 'Shattered Mirror'). It's a dangerous pastime, with the possibility of getting spiked (something I think may have been mentioned in the former episode), and the way in which O'Brien is able to get into Bilby's cell. I was impressed that they managed to make the stationary bank robbery from a computer terminal so exciting, just with simple graphics that gave an impression of what was happening, the running commentary, with urgency and warning tone in the dialogue, and of course, the excellent music, all adding up to a more tense experience that some guys standing around a computer should be capable of! It was also interesting that the way of identifying the Starfleet informant was that he was in charge of the weather control system on Risa a year ago. This technology was detailed in 'He Who is Without Sin…' and Worf, Dax and the others' visit could have been around the time this informant was there.

The thing that keeps this episode from being completely isolated in its own little world is the revelation that the Dominion is playing dirty (no revelation there!), by dealing with the Syndicate. It's an underhand thing to do, but the Changelings are quite happy to use any method in their desire for the destruction of the Alpha Quadrant powers, and it makes you think there could be a number of these small plots to undermine the security of the Federation going on all over the place. The Dominion representative, well introduced by stepping out from behind Raimus, is the Vorta Gelnon, whom we'd seen in just the previous episode (good job, then, that O'Brien had been one of those shrunk and hidden in the Runabout or he might have been recognised!). In fact 'Far Beyond The Stars' was made between 'One Little Ship' and this, so I imagine the actor had to work one week, then leave, only to come back another week, not that his scenes would have taken more than a couple of days, I would have thought. Gelnon gets around, doesn't he? He'd been off to Coridan the last time we saw him, and now (a few weeks later since that's how long the Chief's been undercover), here he is popping up on Farius. But what do I know, Farius Prime might be close to Coridan, we don't tend to get much definitive astronomical positioning, or, on the other hand, a cloned hand, there may be more than one Gelnon. I've never been certain about the status of Vorta clones since I think we've only ever seen Weyouns, and you get the idea that there's only one of him at a time. But the Founders could have multiple copies running around if they chose. Gelnon is another in the majority of Vorta that remain unmemorable, not through any fault of their own, but because they don't measure up to the exquisiteness of Jeffrey Combs' portrayal. He's too businesslike, lacking charm, though he is seen to wield power since he keeps Raimus, whom Bilby looks up to as a powerful man, on a leash.

The plot to rile up the Klingons by framing Gowron sounds a bit like the civil war of the 'Redemption' two-parter on 'TNG' - shame the Duras sisters were no longer with us, or they might have become the figurehead for the Dominion plots. You have to wonder how intelligent these collaborators are, though. Does the Orion Syndicate not realise that the Dominion aims to enslave the quadrant? That once they've served their purpose they'll be just as lame a duck as the Maquis, who were hunted down and eradicated by the Jem'Hadar. Maybe the Syndicate has its hands in larger pies than the Maquis, its goals greed and power rather than freedom of independence for themselves, or destruction for the enemies, as was the Maquis' case. The Cardassians are in a similar position, having signed up to be part of the behemoth, and it would cost them dearly, too. All these threats have probably given Starfleet greater sanction to carry out nefarious secret activities as they do here, morally dubious actions that don't appear to be in line with the 'enlightened' vision Roddenberry supposedly proposed. But his future was never purrrfect - just look at poor Chester the cat. Such a good actor, and yet I'm not sure it was ever heard of again. Maybe it knocked over one of Keiko's prize Bonsai? Molly was growing out of stuffed toys by this time, too…

Would the episode have had more punch if O'Brien had come back to his family? I'm not sure, because returning to his empty quarters must have driven home the point Bilby made: family the most important thing, and their absence would have resonated with O'Brien's guilt at being responsible for a permanent gulf between the man and what he held most dear. If Keiko had been there to support him, and Molly had climbed on his knee as happened so often in the past, it would have softened the blow. With Bashir there as his friend to tell him the truth, and help him stop beating himself up, it gives some solace, but, though far from empty words he does remain alone once Bashir's gone, with only the cat, a constant reminder of the man he betrayed, for company. I can't deny that I miss the Chief's family life playing out on the station, one of the few gaps in an almost universally satisfying series, but to underscore the meaning of this episode, that it was all about O'Brien and what he went through, it probably makes it a stronger resolution. That O'Brien has a family at all was Bilby's last victory, a small consolation for the other hard truths he had to learn. There's something about a character lingering in a doorway before leaving for the last time, that stays in the memory with a bittersweet taste. It makes me think of Trip's last appearance on 'Enterprise.' And Bilby was a great character to lose (much more memorable than the other character Nick Tate played in 'TNG' - the scruffy shuttle pilot of Wesley's 'Final Mission'). Honourable to his family and friends even though he had a violent streak, the true gangster culture reflected in his ways. He and the other character, Farius, in which we are fully immersed, not dipping back to DS9 or a ship, making it a real place, is what makes this a real episode. A really great one, that is.

*****