Best of Star Trek: DS9---Necessary Evil

"Necessary Evil" is the eighth episode of the second season and was written by Peter Allan Fields.

SUMMARY

A woman named Vaatrick Pallra offers Quark five bars of Latinum for retrieving something left by her late husband hidden on the station. She won't go to the station herself because she doesn't want to face Odo again. Years before, Odo had suspected her of murdering her husband but found no supporting evidence.

When Quark, with the help of Rom, retrieves the box, a man hired by Pallra to follow Quark, gets the box from him and then shoots him with a phaser, seriously injuring him. Quark and Rom did have a chance to see the contents of the box beforehand---a list of names, all Bajoran.

Now Odo must investigate the attempt on Quark's life while retelling the original investigation, through flashbacks, on how he was hired by Gul Dukat to investigate the murder of  the woman's husband.

Here, we get more background story of the space station during the occupation and Odo's and Kira's first meeting. Turns out Kira knew the victim.  His wife suspected an affair, but Kira has a different story. Odo senses she knows more than what she's telling, but is she telling the truth when Odo checks logs and confirms her alibi at the time was that she was committing an act of sabotage of an ore processor?

But as the investigation unfolds, Odo is conflicted about where the case is taking him and whether or not he wants to go there. "There's no room in justice for loyalty, or friendship, or love. Justice, as the humans like to say, is blind. I used to believe that. I'm not sure I can anymore."

And what about that list? It contained names of collaborators to the Cardassians. Pallra's late husband was part of that group. She was running out of funds and decided to use the names for blackmail to maintain her lifestyle.

Dukat hired Odo because of his neutrality, being neither Bajoran or Cardassian. Dukat wanted to protect the names of his collaborators.

What I liked about his episode is 1) it was fun watching the mystery unfold---like a detective novel in space. 2) we get more character development here, particularly in the back stories of Odo and Kira. We also learn of their great fondness for each other. Kira questions Odo, after her involvement with the murder is revealed, whether or not Odo can ever trust her again. He assures her that they are still friends. But apparently, trust is something she will have to earn again.