Dr. Bashir plans to attend a conference on Romulus to give a symposium about "the Blight" (the infection first introduced in the episode "The Quickening," for which Bashir developed a vaccine.
While he lay in bed sleeping, Julian gets a visit from Mr. Sloan (played brilliantly by William Sadler), a secret agent in the mysterious "Section 31," who first made an appearance in "Inquisition." Sloan has a job for Bashir--gather intelligence information about candidates to the Romulan Senate, particularly one named Koval, who introduces himself to Bashir in a funny exchange at the conference.
Bashir: It's a pleasure to meet you.
Koval: Why?
A stumped Bashir is even more intrigued when Koval wants to know if Bashir has the know-how to introduced the Blight on an unsuspecting population. Sloan reveals to Bashir that he suspects Koval has Tuvan Syndrome, a fatal disease with no cure. He asks Bashir how they could quicken the illness to prevent Koval from getting a seat on the committee.
Not wanting to be part of a murder plot, the good doctor asks the advice of Admiral Ross. Ross tells him that Sloan may have an accomplice on the Romulan Senate and to sit tight and see what else he can figure out. However, the next morning Bashir learns that the admiral has taken ill from an aneurysm and he suspects Sloan.
Feeling nowhere else to turn, he enlists the aid of Federation alliance supporter Cretak, another Romulan Senate candidate. He tells her about Section 31 and the plot to kill Koval. He asks Cretak for classified information about Tal Shiar members.
Too bad for Cretak. She is found out and arrested for treason. Dr. Bashir is tortured with a Romulan mind probe for more information. Bruised and bloodied, he is brought before the Senate with Cretak and an even more bloodied Sloan. The Senate believes Bashir and he is allowed to leave on his ship. Cretak will be sentenced later and before they can take Sloan back to be further interrogated, he disarms a guard and is about to shoot when he is vaporized.
Later, Bashir confronts a now recovered Admiral Ross about his role in the plot. He knew Sloan, a man who can easily slip by sensors without being detected, would not be caught so easily at a conference surrounded by Romulans. Bashir believes Sloan to still be alive. Ross reveals that he and Sloan were part of a plot to get Cretak off the candidate's list because her profile showed her to be a true patriot who may turn against the Federation and the alliance and that would put the alliance at risk.
I found this episode intriguing, suspenseful, and full of interesting turns. It also highlights the moral conscientious nature of Julian Bashir, a man dedicated to saving lives first over saving a federation, particularly one ready to blur the lines between duty to one's fellow men and duty to preserving the Federation at any cost.
The episode's title comes from an exchange between Bashir and Admiral Ross in which Ross quotes a line from "Cicero." It's translation: "In Times of War, the Law Falls Silent."
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