Best of Star Trek: DS9---Duet

"Duet"" was the next to last episode of the first season and was written by Lisa Rich and Jeanne Carrigan-Fauci. Teleplay by Peter Allen Fields.

SUMMATION

A ship arrives at the station carrying a passenger suffering from Kalla Nohra syndrome. It's extremely rare, caused by a mining accident at a Bojoran labor camp. When Major Kira seeks the patient out, she sees it's a Cardassian and wants him jailed for war crimes.

Commander Sisko is contacted by a Minister of Bajor who congratulates him for the capture. But Sisko tells him he wants to do an investigation before handing him  over.

He also reluctantly agrees to put Kira in charge of the investigation after she assures him she will conduct herself worthy of her post.

The investigation begins to determine if Marrizza is who he says he is--a lowly filing clerk. He worked for the military commander Gul Darhe’El.

Gul Dukat contacts the station to inquire why a Cardassian citizen is being held. Sisko tells him they are verifying his identity and Dukat informs Sisko that if anything happens to their citizen that he’ll have to answer for it.Images on file, that the Cardassians didn’t destroy, show the file clerk Marriza in the same image as Gul Darhe’El---one problem---the names are switched!

Marriza, AKA Darhe’El, tells Kira that he withheld his true identity at first because he wanted to give her the satisfaction of learning the truth for herself. Then he lays it on thick and heavy, how he was a magnificent leader of the labor camp, he maintained disciple, and everyone looked up to him. Putting him before a tribunal and sentencing him to death won’t undo what he already did---eliminate Bajoran scum. “The dead will still be dead…what you called genocide, I called ‘a day’s work.‘”Kira takes off with her dander up.

Later, Odo is curious how Darhe’El knew Kira had been part of Shakaar's army. Odo discovers a subspace transmission was sent to Marriza 3 weeks prior. Odo contacts Gul Dukat who informs him that Darhe’El is dead and that he in fact was at his memorial service. Dukat agrees to release some files to affirm that Darhe’El is dead. When the mining accident that spread the disease occurred, Darhe’El was back on Cardassia. Further, Marriza resigned his post, put his affairs in order, and requested passage to DS9. In addition, Dr. Bashir found traces of a treatment used to maintain skin resilience after cosmetic surgery.

Haris Yulin's performance was just amazing! As Marriza, he breaks down to Kira, admitting the truth of how the cries and screams of the victims tormented him at night. It haunts him still and he wants justice. He tells Kira they were all guilty and if he could be put on trial as Gul Darhe'El, Cardassia would finally have to face the truth of its atrocities and Bajor can begin to heal. Kira tells him that too many good people have died already and one more murder won't bring them back.

Sadly, Marriza gets his wish to die, but not in the manner he wished. A Bajoran sees him walking down the promanade and stabs him through the back through the heart.

"Why?!" Kira screams. "He was a Cardassian. Isn't that enough?" responds his killer.

"No!"

This episode shows another side to Cardassians, that they're not all made from the same cloth. Some posses a conscience. Too little too late for the victims of the labor camp however. It's like that old saying that the worse evil is when good men do nothing. It's a cautionary tale that speaks to our human past.