SCORE:
Bashir is going to be heading to Romulus for a conference (and DS9’s Romulan attaché, Senator Cretak, will be joining him). He’ll be there to talk about Dominion bioweapons, ketracel white, and the transfer of Federation hospital ships to Romulan control. Garak wonders if someone from Starfleet Intelligence will be joining them on this mission, but Bashir is appalled at the suggestion they violate the good will of their allies to spy on them. (As if the Romulans would have any compunction.)
Garak is not the only one with this thought, though. Bashir is woken in the middle of the night by a visit from Sloan, our favorite Section 31 agent. He wants Bashir to “take the pulse,” so to speak, of particular individuals in Romulan leadership. Bashir, of course, wants nothing to do with Section 31, but Sloan seems confident his curiosity will get the better of him and the only way he can glean more secrets from Section 31 is to play ball. Sisko agrees with Sloan’s assessment and wants Bashir to take the assignment. Admiral Ross will be going along as well so Bashir can coordinate with him and report his findings.
En route to Romulus, Senator Cretak uncorks some Romulan ale for Ross and Bashir; with their alliance in place, the trading embargo has been lifted and Romulan ale is now legal. Of course, that never stopped most Starfleet officers from trying it on occasion, but Admiral Ross never had, and can’t quite handle it. Bashir is surprised when Sloan himself makes an appearance in the mess hall, using an alias. Both he and Ross are unsure how Sloan managed to get assigned to the conference and Ross believes he may have another operative he’s collaborating with.