The Last Place You Look

The episode opens with Fleet Admiral Garrison still not having heard from Ambassador Larkin, Lt. Commander K'Rak and Lt. Sith attempting to track down unauthorized break-ins into the main computer, and Dr. Gao Gent-al, the station's Chief Medical Officer, ordered to see Counselor Rasin after several reports have come in of him acting strange.

In an Alliance prison camp on Cardassia Prime, Larkin is interrogated about Federation plans. While being taken back to his cell he sees Captain Hiram Benson of the USS Domtar walking down a corridor without restraints. Later Larkin manages to escape and make it to the shuttle bay. He steals a Cardassian scout ship and escapes.

Back on the station, Major orders heavier security after another break-in occurs. But Sith notices yet another break-in, and with the new security this narrows the list of guilty parties down to the senior staff. Sith begins interviewing the senior officers about the break-ins, and notices strange behavior from Gao. K'Rak is informed of another break-in while he is in the starbase's bar. T'Kila and Tanik are also in the bar, removing them as suspects. K'Rak orders a total lockdown of the computer.

On the scout ship, Larkin is being pursued by Cardassians and realizes he won’t make it back to Starbase 001, so he instead sets course for Bajoran space. Under attack by the Cardassians he enters Bajoran space and is protected by a Bajoran cruiser. Larkin boards the cruiser. He sends a message to Hardgrove asking for transport back to 001 in a few days. He is then taken to Bajor to attempt to open talks between Bajor and the Federation.

Aboard his ship, the USS Gambit, Hardgrove receives Larkin's message. He orders Commander Halliwell to take the Pollux and meet him outside Bajoran space.

Back on the station it is revealed to the reader (but not to the station crew) that Gao is responsible for the break-ins. He is an Alliance spy. Halliwell admits she used to be married to Hardgrove, and Garrison orders her to comply with Hardgrove's request. Major and K'Rak rush to the scene of another break-in and find a dead crewman next to a terminal. Gao performs an autopsy, knowing he is responsible since he had rigged the terminal, which contained evidence linking him to the break-ins, to explode. He decides to stop spying for the Alliance and sends a message to the Alliance telling them that. With the full lockdown in effect K'Rak and Sith are alerted immediately, and upon further investigation find Ferengi DNA on a terminal.

On Bajor, Larkin is told the scout ship he stole contains records of frequent trips to the Gamma Quadrant. He suspects the Alliance is involved with the Dominion. The Bajorans agree to exchange ambassadors as a first step towards an alliance. Larkin and the ambassadors beam aboard the Gambit, and Larkin gives Hardgrove the information about the scout ship's trips to the Gamma Quadrant.

Aboard 001, K'Rak and Sith go to arrest Gao, who momentarily escapes but is soon captured. K'Rak recommends to Major that they offer Gao asylum in exchange for everything he knows about the Alliance. Major speaks with Garrison, who leaves the decision up to him. Major decides to offer asylum. Larkin arrives back on the station and has dinner with Garrison, but is clearly holding back something.

As the episode concludes, Garrison is puzzling over what could be bothering Larkin and he sends a message to Hardgrove, telling him they need to talk. In the brig, Gao decides to accept the offer of asylum but always be on the lookout for a chance to escape, to get away from both the Federation and the Alliance.

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