Defiant (DS9 episode)

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
"Defiant"
The Defiant is stolen
Episode no.	55
Prod. code	455
Airdate	November 21, 1994
Writer(s)	Ronald D. Moore
Director	Cliff Bole
Guest star(s)	Jonathan Frakes as Riker Shannon Cochran as Kalita Marc Alaimo as Dukat Tricia O'Neil as Korinas Robert Kerbeck as Cardassian Soldier Michael Canavan as Tamal
Year	2371
Stardate	48467.3
Episode chronology
Previous	"Meridian"
Next	"Fascination"

"Defiant" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the ninth episode of the third season.

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

William T. Riker shows up on Deep Space Nine and proceeds to charm the crew, especially Major Kira. She takes him on a tour of the station and its new ship, the Defiant. Once aboard, he pulls a phaser on her, stuns her, and steals the ship.

Back on the station the crew realizes it is not Will Riker but his duplicate Thomas Riker. Tom Riker had been created in a transporter accident and stranded on a planet nine years earlier and was rescued about two years ago. He is now suspected to be a member of the Maquis, and thus wanted by the Cardassians. Riker has stolen the powerful Defiant to strike a heavy blow on Cardassian forces in the name of the Maquis.

Commander Sisko is placed in a difficult position. He wants the Defiant taken back and returned to his station, but would prefer that the ship would not be destroyed. He eventually travels to Cardassia Prime to oversee and assist the operation to hunt Riker down. After doing considerable damage, the Defiant is eventually located by Cardassian starships, and Riker surrenders the ship to them.

Much of the tension created in this episode comes from the moral dilemma that Sisko has to deal with. Much of the combat is seen on a display screen, similar to the Next Generation episode "The Wounded", wherein Captain Benjamin Maxwell had to be stopped from destroying Cardassian ships and stations, which would have upset the delicate peace.