“The Maquis, Part II” continues the exploration of difficult and complex issues at the heart of why people go to war. Both sides feel justified. And some even become addicted to the idea of it. But what makes this story so unique is its focus on those who fight beyond the scope of governments – the personal, and still deadly, conflicts of ideological and territorial struggles. What’s truly remarkable is how well the episode conveys the different aspects of such struggles, allowing it to serve allegorically for what the writers knew of in the 1990s, as well as current 21st century conflicts. For this particular installment, there’s still plenty of that deeper resonance to the story. But the pacing is quicker, there’s a bit more suspense. And the climactic space battle is remarkably well choreographed and executed to be both personal and exciting.

Part II picks up exactly where Part I leaves off. We follow Sisko and Hudson as they spar, verbally, over Hudson’s change in loyalties and allegiances. Hudson tries to recruit Sisko. Sisko declines. And so the search for Dukat begins anew. Along the way, Sisko must confront both sides to the conflict. There is the growing armament of the Maquis, as well as the continued smuggling of weapons by the Cardassian Central Command. The pieces of the puzzle are there, and the episode makes very good use out of how Sisko and his team finally put them all together. It’s in this process – in exposing the complicity on both sides of the conflict – that the episode is most successful in continuing its exploration of deeper moral issues and themes.

There is, of course, the search for Dukat which begins with the arrival of a member of the Cardassian Central Command, who implicates Dukat in the shipment of Cardassian arms – implicitly admitting the act is ongoing. For his part, Dukat, grateful for his rescue by Sisko, and dismayed at losing favor with his Command, makes a deal with Sisko to stop the arms shipments if Sisko will help stop the Maquis. This bit of cloak-and-dagger intrigue is well-played by the episode.

There is also the further investigation of the Maquis, which leads to one of the episode’s most iconic moments: a brief, impassioned soliloquy by Sisko. Prompted by Admiral Nechayev to open a “dialogue” with the Maquis, Sisko launches into a series of statements which, essentially, indict Starfleet Command of the Ivory Tower syndrome. He says:

“On Earth, there is no poverty, no crime, no war. You look out the window of Starfleet Headquarters and you see Paradise. Well, it’s easy to be a saint in Paradise, but the Maquis do not live in Paradise. Out there in the demilitarized zone, all the problems haven’t been solved yet. Out there, there are no saints — just people. Angry, scared, determined people who are going to do whatever it takes to survive, whether it meets with Federation approval or not!”

Powerful stuff. And notable for its much more pragmatic look at conflict than what Trek had typically portrayed up to that point.

After using Dukat’s help to positively identify and embargo a weapons smuggler (Dukat has a great scene where he uses the general belief that Cardassians are ruthless to get the freighter to stand down), the investigation turns to stopping the Maquis. Quark, identified as a potential collaborator with the Vulcan woman ends up sharing a cell with her. And it’s his logic, and Rule of Acquisition #3 (“Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to.”) which provide some critical information. In fact, Quark’s scene is thoroughly fascinating. It’s a great deal of fun – and enlightening, too, about Quark – to see him lecture the Vulcan on both logic and the relatively cheap price of peace, before an escalation makes the whole process infinitely more costly. It’s this notion that peace *now*, rather than later, after death and suffering and loss of resources, is imperative that underscores the primary message of the two-part episode.

Ultimately, Sisko does indeed learn about the impending Maquis attack and sets off to intercept his former friend. The space battle gets high marks for its thrill value and special effects. But it’s the personal battle between Sisko and Hudson that makes it truly suspenseful. In the end, Sisko wins the day – but Hudson escapes, much to Dukat’s displeasure. Kira congratulates Sisko’s efforts in averting open war … but in true DS9 fashion, Sisko goes a step further and acknowledges that he may merely have forestalled the inevitable …

“The Maquis, Part II” is a fantastic episode. Indeed, taken together, this two-part set is of immeasurable value to the series. Once again, DS9 is able to flesh out a complex moral, ethical and philosophical story with character development, suspense and action. The concept of the Maquis are established. Sukat’s character has become much deeper and far more interesting than before. And the political repercussions of the tensions between the Maquis and the Cardassian settlers, between the Federation and the Cardassian Empire, are left to provide more stories in the future. As with all strife, rarely does victory mean an end to conflict.

Filed under: Deep Space Nine