Captain Sisko learns of a Maquis plot to drop and detonate missiles on Cardassia. Now that Cardassia and the Dominion have joined forces, this could lead to an all-out retaliation and interstellar war. Sisko goes to Michael Eddington, a former security officer under his command who betrayed his trust and was/is working for the Maquis, to get more information. Eddington was caught by Sisko in the episode "For the Uniform" and is now in Federation custody.
Despite his reluctance, Eddington ends up going with Sisko to the badlands to find the launching site and deactivate the missiles. What follows is an engaging and entertaining banter between the two on their shuttle ride. It's a battle of wits as Sisko tests Eddington's death wish and sits back and watches Eddington squirm as two Jem'Hadar warships head straight toward them.
Eddington: Where are you going?
Sisko: To get a Raktajino--throat's a little dry.
Eddington: Now? You're crazy. They're almost on top of us.
Sisko: One thing I will say about these replicators, they sure know how to make Klingon coffee.
Sisko sees his death wish isn't that serious as Eddington takes the helm and maneuvers around a plasma filament. Upset about this turn of events, he swears to Sisko that when it's all over, he will kill him.
They end up at an abandoned base---abandoned so they thought. Jem'Hadar are already there. Eddington keeps them occupied with phaser blasts as Sisko rushes through them.
Eddington: Attacking two Jem'Hadar soldiers with a lead pipe. That's a brilliant plan.
Sisko: It could be worse!
Eddington: Yeah, it could be me holding the pipe.
Sisko: Exactly!
Then the two men discover several bodies of Maquis fighters as they make their way to the launch site.
There, Sisko meets a small band of survivors, including Eddington's wife, who reveals there were no missiles. It was a ploy to get Sisko involved in order to evacuate them off the planet.
Little do they realize, there are more Jem'Hadar waiting in the wings. Eddington dies a hero warding them off as Sisko leads the rest to the shuttle.
This was a good adventure story as well as being a story of two men on opposite sides of a conflict who end up working together against a common enemy. It's funny, tragic, and heroic. Officer Michael Eddington goes out in a blaze of glory, just as the title says. He wasn't the bad guy after all, just an idealist who wanted to help refugees get back to their homeland. He played the hero in his own mind before becoming one in reality.
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