[VaBeachGuy]

Empok Nor

Empok Nor was sort of like Deep Space Nine's version of TNG's "Lower Decks". In this episode DS9 is experiencing problems with Cardassian equipment that can't be replicated. Chief O'Brien leads an away mission to the abandoned Cardassian space station named Empok Nor in order to salvage the equipment they need. His team includes Garak, who is taken in order to help foil any cardassian booby traps that may have been left behind. Cadet Nog is also on the team as well as 4 other members of Chief O'Briens engineering staff.

When they arrive at Empok Nor Garak sets about securing the station of traps and restores power so the rest of the team can board the station. When power is restored it triggers 2 stasis tubes that were left behind when the Cardassians left. Inside the stasis tubes are Cadrassian soldiers that have been altered with massive amounts of a drug designed to make them more aggressive. The Cardassians begin killing members of the away team one by one and Garak, who has become infected by the same drug begins to hunt for the soldiers.

The longer Garak is exposed to the mind altering drug the more aggressive he becomes until he finally turns on his friends and begins to hunt them as well as the rogue Cardassian soldiers.

Garak captures Nog, the last living member of Chief O'Brien's away team and holds him captive in order to force O'Brien to try to save him.

Click the spoiler to read the official episode synopsis from startrek.com or visit http://www.startrek.com.

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With Deep Space Nine in disrepair, O'Brien is unable to replicate the Cardassian materials he needs to fix it. He assembles a team of engineers and leads a salvage mission to Empok Nor, an abandoned Cardassian space station, bringing along Garak to foil any security measures. They soon enter the eerie, deserted station and begin to work. Garak is disturbed to find two stasis tubes have recently been activated, each large enough to contain a Cardassian adult. Meanwhile, Nog, sent back to the runabout, is shocked to see the ship drift away and explode.

The two Cardassian occupants of the stasis tubes are apparently on the loose. O'Brien and the group must modify some of Empok Nor's systems to send out a distress signal — forcing the team to split up and make themselves more vulnerable. The Cardassians soon locate two of O'Brien's crew members and kill them.

Garak decides to track down the Cardassians. Killing one of them, he returns to the group and reports that the dead Cardassian was under the influence of a drug designed to make him aggressive. O'Brien speculates that the drug made the two uncontrollable, forcing their former comrades to leave them behind in the stasis tubes. The wary group returns to work in teams, but two of them are soon attacked. Garak eliminates the remaining Cardassian just after one of the two crew members is killed. Then Garak turns to the surviving man, Amaro, and stabs him viciously.

With his dying breath, Amaro tells O'Brien that Garak stabbed him. Grimly, O'Brien realizes that Garak has also been exposed to the drug. Left alone with Nog, they must find and stop Garak, even if it means killing him. But Garak soon captures Nog and challenges O'Brien to save him.

O'Brien is forced to take on Garak, man-to-man. Both initially bring weapons, but discard them and begin the battle, with the bound Nog watching helplessly. O'Brien is soon overpowered, and it looks as if he will lose the fight and his life. But a simple tap to his com-badge makes him the winner — the signal triggers a phaser he has rigged to explode, knocking Garak unconscious. He survives the explosion, however, much to O'Brien's relief. The drug is removed from Garak's system and Deep Space Nine is repaired.

[Sirius]

A really spooky episode.Andrew Robinson delivered a great performance as a xenophobic Garak.I was almost certain watching this episode that Nog and Chief O'Brien had no chance against DS9's exiled "tailor".Just seeing the effects of the paranoia-inducing drug on Garak and the Cardassians makes you wonder how fierce Cardassians could be in hand-to-hand combat?There's a thought to keep Federation colonists along the DMZ up nights.

[Makurosu]

One of my favorites. I do have one minor nitpick besides the usual "I did all of these horrid thing, but it's ok....I was under the influence of drugs/mind ray/genetic mutation, etc." Actually this episode did much better in that Garak did show some remorse at the end.

Anyhoo, those Phasers that have the big ol' flood light would be terrible to use like he was doing. Not just for the sake of giving away his position, but the station was extremely dark. His eyes would have had to adjust everytime he flipped that light on and off. Red would be a much better color. He could throw the light on and back off, and then have his eyes still adjusted to the darkness.

[VaBeachGuy]

Anyhoo, those Phasers that have the big ol' flood light would be terrible to use like he was doing.  Not just for the sake of giving away his position, but the station was extremely dark.  His eyes would have had to adjust everytime he flipped that light on and off.  Red would be a much better color.  He could throw the light on and back off, and then have his eyes still adjusted to the darkness.

After my experience in the Army this was about the biggest blaring error I saw in this episode. Anyone that had ever reqally been in combat would NEVER use a floodlight on the end of their rifle like that unless they had a death wish.