It begins when Captain Sisko and Odo get summoned to Earth to help find a Changeling that is believed to be involved in the bombing of a Federation conference in which several people were killed. On Earth, they meet up with Admiral Leyton and Federation President Jaresh-Inyo to discuss detection techniques, with Odo's help, and new security measures including blood screenings.
Everyone is suspicious, including Sisko's own father who refuses to take the blood test. He becomes enraged that his son would suspect him and he suffers a minor stroke.
Meantime, Jake has accompanied his dad on the trip and they meet up with Nog, who is now a cadet at the Academy. He tells Jake about an elite group called The Red Squad and he begs the Captain to help him get a shot at being a part of the squad.
Earth's power stations are sabotaged and inoperable and it's believed the Changelings are responsible. Sisko, the Admiral, and Odo convince the President to declare a state of emergency until the matter is resolved. Starfleet security is stationed on every street corner.
"Paradise Lost" was written by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler and is the conclusion of "Homefront."
Captain Sisko is trying to figure out how the Dominion were successful in this sabotage. The more he looks into it, the more questions arise. Seems the Red Squad were demobilized and sent back to Starfleet Academy shortly after the power went off line. Sisko contacts Starfleet Academy for an explanation and he is told to erase the information he found because it's classified but that the squad performed their assignment perfectly. Which leaves Sisko with even more questions.
He enlists the help of Nog, or rather, commands him to give him some names of Red Squad members in order to find out what they did. He learns that Admiral Leyton ordered them to tamper with the grids in order to create an atmosphere of panic in order to speed up the process of enacting martial law and even taking over the federation presidency.
When Leyton learns of Sisko's inquiries, he has Sisko arrested. He escapes with the help of Odo and confronts Leyton with knowledge of his plan.
Fortunately too, one of Leyton's top loyal deputies disobey's an order to fire upon the Defiant, which is en route to Earth. Odo exposes Leyton's plans to Jaresh-Inyo and Leyton resigns in front of Sisko, leaving behind his rank bars.
What I liked about this episode was touching upon the idea of giving up freedom in exchange for security--a topic brought up five years before the attack on New York that brought down the World Trade Center towers and six years before the Iraqi invasion.
One highlight was when Sisko is met by Miles O'Brien in an unexpected visit. Sisko is surprised to learn that the Defiant is already in orbit. "I didn't come here on the Defiant" O'Brien says. It's then Sisko realizes he's not talking to Miles O'Brien, but a Changeling. The Changeling tells Sisko that he's amused at the panic only four shapeshifters that have come to Earth can cause. It won't be the Changelings that will ultimately destroy Earth society, but Earthlings themselves.
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