The Maquis , Part I ( episode ) When a Cardassian freighter explodes at Deep Space 9 , the Cardassians blame Federation colonists in the new Demilitarized Zone . Summary . Teaser . While a Cardassian freighter , the " Bok ' Nor " , is docked at Deep Space 9 , a Human posing as a Starfleet maintenance worker tampers with a nearby wall panel . Shortly thereafter , the freighter explodes while leaving the station . Act One . A subsequent investigation reveals no signs of explosive devices or other obvious methods of sabotage , but traces of mercassium , a compound unique to the United Federation of Planets , are found in the debris of the " Bok ' Nor " . Although the explosion may have been an implosive protomatter device , O ' Brien informs Sisko that he cannot be sure . Starfleet has sent Calvin Hudson , the ranking officer and attaché in the Demilitarized Zone along the Cardassian border , and an old friend of both Sisko and Dax , to the station to investigate the possibility of retaliatory attacks . After a few introductions , they talk in Sisko ' s office . He briefly catches up with Sisko , but the gravity of the situation comes back . He admits his belief that his presence on the border is a joke ; his assignment has been to help colonists , whose land the Federation gave to Cardassia , adjust to the new circumstances . He believes the Federation is abandoning them due to a bad treaty , clearly in disagreement . Contrary to Starfleet ' s belief , Hudson is sure the Cardassians will not retaliate , but he guarantees a response will come . Meanwhile , a covert meeting takes place between the saboteur and a Vulcan on the Promenade . Pretending to read a sign , the Vulcan whispers that he has quarters while a ship arrives for him to escape . The Vulcan then visits Quark to offer him a business proposition . He assumes it ' s due to an earlier bad deal he made with the Vulcans , but , when she assures him that ' s not the case , he ' s immediately excited . Introducing herself as Sakonna , she insists it should be a private meeting , so they plan to meet for dinner . However , Sakonna and the saboteur were observed from above by a Peliar Zel native couple . Later , they abduct him in the habitat ring as he goes to his quarters . Act Two . When Sisko returns to his quarters that evening , he finds Gul Dukat waiting for him . Sisko immediately asks where Jake is , saying bluntly he believes Dukat is capable of anything . Dukat says he ' s hurt by that , so Sisko calls for Kira to find him , but does not alert her to Dukat ' s presence for the moment . Dukat explains that Cardassian Central Command is unaware of his presence on DS9 , as he came unregistered on a cargo ship . He has come unofficially to help Sisko find the truth about the destruction of the freighter , for he believes he knows what happened – renegade Starfleet officers . In order to find the truth , the two of them must take a runabout to the Volan colonies in the demilitarized zone , which Dukat describes as " not so demilitarized I ' m afraid . " Sisko agrees to go , taking Dukat ' s intentions at his word . On the way , Dukat continues conversation , politely challenging the fact he is not able to help pilot the runabout and not able to even see his controls ( they ' re not illuminated ) , preventing as much knowledge of its operation from Dukat ' s memory . They also talk about aspects of Cardassian education , obviously more intense than Federation , at the expense of having free time . Sisko barely responds to him , but then he gets a distress call from a Federation merchant ship , attacked by two Cardassian attack vessels . Dukat says they are not authorized to violate the treaty , and must have come from Cardassian colonies . He tries two direct hail s , but they do not disengage . Before the runabout can intervene , another Federation vessel arrives and quickly destroys the Cardassians . Sisko doesn ' t recognize the ship , as it appears to have been modified . They discover there has been fighting going on without the two governments knowing about it . Act Three . Back on the station , Quark has arranged a " business " dinner with Sakonna . She is eager to begin negotiations but he quotes one of the Rules of Acquisition : " Never begin a business negotiation on an empty stomach . " When he describes the Rules of Acquisition , she finds them logical and " quite reassuring . " Once Quark is ready to discuss business , he is surprised to hear she is looking to acquire weapons : she wishes to acquire a continuous supply of " " gun s , phaser bank s , photon torpedo es , troop transport s , and a number of cobalt - thorium device s , " " among others . In the demilitarized zone on Volan III , Gul Evek , the Cardassian attaché to the demilitarized zone , is in a heated debate with Cal Hudson and the colony ' s council when Dukat and Sisko enter the room . Evek appears to not have been aware of Dukat ' s involvement . When they describe the incident they observed , both sides seem to feel that their colonists were justified . Evek then produces a confession from the " Bok ' Nor " saboteur , William Patrick Samuels , but claims that Samuels committed suicide shortly after giving it . One of the colonists present named Amaros attacks Evek and must be restrained . Act Four . Later that night , Hudson warns Sisko that the Cardassians have no intention of allowing the Federation colonists to stay and tells him the " Bok ' Nor " was likely transporting weapons to Cardassian colonists . He concedes that Samuels might have destroyed the freighter but claims the colonists have the right to defend themselves . Furthermore , the authorities themselves are involved in the conflict , arming their civilians . Sisko says if it ' s true , the Federation can use diplomatic channels , but Hudson scoffs at that , saying they ' ll find discrete ways of supplying them . Sisko then mentions the Cardassian ' s supply of weapons to Bajoran extremists , suggesting the " Bok ' Nor " could have carried the weapons to a third party before it was destroyed . Hudson has to leave to tell Samuels ' wife about him , and briefly reminisces about their time at New Berlin . Sisko then asks if something bigger is going on , but Hudson says he ' s not aware . On the way back to Deep Space 9 , Dukat again makes conversation , noting Sisko is quiet , now , angry at the reckless actions taken that will eventually hurt the treaty . Sisko then guesses that Dukat knew of Samuels ' confession . Dukat admits it , but says he knew nothing of the " suicide " – in fact , he told Evek he would be a fool if he let him die as a good interrogator . Furthermore , Dukat swears on the lives of his seven children that the " Bok ' Nor " was not transporting weapons , despite the fact that it could have rendezvoused with a third party in order to do so . Back on the station , Sisko gives Dukat quarters and security before he is transported back home . In Ops , O ' Brien has confirmed what Sisko believed : The bomb that destroyed the " Bok ' Nor " was of Federation origin . As Sisko prepares to contact Starfleet , Kira starts a heated argument in his office , as she believes that the Federation should be protecting their own colonists ahead of their treaty with the Cardassians , which she believes will be violated at every opportunity . Meanwhile , Sakonna requests that Quark move the weapon shipment schedule forward to that night and he complies greedily . Later on , her and a man posing as a Starfleet security guard subdue the guard posted to Dukat ' s quarters with a Vulcan nerve pinch . They lead him to an airlock under false pretenses and are joined by Amaros and another of the colonists . They kidnap Dukat by phaser . Act Five . Sisko and the rest of the crew determine the course the kidnappers most likely took . A Galador freighter left , but Dax confirms the registry was forged , as the Galadoran s don ' t have a ship in the sector . It was heading toward Farius Prime , but now they know it is a false route . Just as he , Kira and Bashir leave Ops to go back to the demilitarized zone , Kira reports an anonymous transmission from there attributing the bombing of the " Bok ' Nor " and the recent kidnappings to a group calling itself the Maquis . On the runabout , O ' Brien reports that fortunately a Klingon ship reported the freighter ' s location . They follow the Maquis into an area called the Badlands with which Bashir is unfamiliar . Kira explains that it is an area of the Cardassian border with frequent plasma storm s , which pilots generally try to avoid . " " Sounds like the perfect place for a hideout , " " he observes . They beam to the surface of an Class M asteroid , where the armed Maquis members emerge from nearby foliage – followed by Hudson , now out of . TO BE CONTINUED . . . Memorable quotes . " " He happens to be brilliant , his brain is twice the size of yours and mine . " " " " I know , I ' ve seen it . " " " " It ' s not his fault Gallamites have transparent skulls . " " " " Do you deny that the Federation is engaging in organized terrorist activities against the Cardassian people ? Deliberately attempting to undermine this treaty ? " " " " The Federation does not conduct secret wars . " " " " Then perhaps you can explain where the Federation ship came from , the one outfitted with photon torpedoes . " " " " Explain why your ships were armed with Galor - class phaser banks . " " " " They have a right to defend themselves against organized terrorist activities . " " " " If Starfleet is unwilling to defend their people in . . . " " " " They chose to live with the Cardassians ! " " " " Well , I didn ' t ! But I lived with them for 26 years before the liberation came ! Every Bajoran lived with them in constant fear ! I know what those colonists are going through . Most of all , I know that the Cardassians can ' t be trusted to keep their side of the bargain in this treaty . " " " " Commander , we just received a general subspace transmission from somewhere in the Demilitarized Zone . A group there is taking credit for the kidnapping of Dukat . They ' re calling themselves the Maquis . " " " " I ' m glad to see you had no trouble finding us , Ben . It seems that one disaster after another keeps bringing us back together again . " " " " I ' ve got every admiral within subspace range on my back . Can I at least tell them it looks like an accident ? " " Links and references . References . admiral ; Alpha Quadrant ; Badlands ; Badlands asteroid ; Bajor ; Bajoran s ; Bajoran Provisional Government ; Bajoran sector ; Bajoran transport ship ; Bajoran wormhole ; Bardeezan ; Bardeezan merchant ship ; beer ; Bergen ; Boday ; " Bok ' Nor " ; Bolian vessel ; Cardassian ; Cardassian border ; Cardassian Central Command ; Cardassian pursuit vessel ; Cardassian shuttle ; cobalt - thorium device ; code of behavior ; ; deflector grid ; Demilitarized Zone ; distress signal ; dogma ; Earth ; Farius Prime ; farmer ; Federation ; Federation merchant ship ; Ferengi ; Ferengi wine ; Galadoran ; Galador freighter ; Galador II ; Gallamite ; " Galor " - class phaser bank ; golside ore ; gun runner ; hat ; ; gun ; impulse generator ; impulse signature ; jumbo Romulan mollusk ; kelindide ; Klingon freighter ; Kotakian ; Kotakian starship ; latinum ; Lissepian s ; long range sensor scan ; Mazurka Festival ; mercassium ; metric ton ; New Berlin ; Nog ; Norway ; Occupation of Bajor ; phaser bank ; photon launcher ; photon torpedo ; plasma storm ; plomeek soup ; Promenade ; protomatter ; proximity scan ; Quark ' s ; ramscoop ; receipt ; Regulon system ; Rest and Relaxation ; rodinium ; Ropal City ; Rules of Acquisition ; runabout ; Saltah ' na clock ; ; sausage ; Second Order ; shield generator ; ; ; Soltok IV ; SID ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Command ; subspace transmission ; suicide ; three - dimensional chess ; toast ; troop transport ; Volan colonies ; Volan II ; Volan III ; Vulcan s ; ; Vulcan Bill of Rights ; Vulcan port ; warp signature ; Yridian s