The Circle (Star Trek)
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"The Circle" is a fictional political entity on the planet Bajor featured in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
"The Circle" was the name used by the Alliance for Global Unity, a faction that attempted to seize control of the Bajoran government in the year 2370, about a year after the Federation's arrival. The group held a xenophobic philosophy that all non-Bajorans were inferior and should be expelled from Bajoran territories.
Their activities increased after Major Kira lead an armed rescue to Cardassia IV to rescue Li Nalas, a famed leader of a resistance cell in the Bajoran underground.
The group provided the story line for a three episode arc ("The Homecoming," "The Circle", and "The Siege") which opened the second season of the series.
Their presence was first made known by vandalizing various places and spraying their symbol. At first it was limited to the planet but eventually the graffiti began to appear on Deep Space Nine as well. A group of robed members of The Circle wearing masks assaulted Quark in his bar after closing. Several of them grabbed him from behind and held him down while one of them branded his forehead with their symbol.
Odo describes them as "a bunch of hooligans who use violence to get attention."
The leader of The Circle was Jaro Essa, one of the ministers of the Bajoran provisional government. Jaro is an extreme nationalist who feels that Bajor is a doormat to the great powers of the galaxy because of the Cardassian Occupation. He views the Federation as just another occupying force.
He was assisted by Vedek Winn, a conservative member of the Vedek Assembly with aspirations of becoming the next Kai after Kai Opaka was lost.
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[edit] Arms Stockpile
Through some contacts of Quark's, it was discovered that The Circle was being supplied with a large cache of weapons and explosives by the Kressari. As the Kressari are botanic DNA traders and have no military, Odo began an investigation to trace the real source of the weapons. He also deputized Quark and ordered him to find out where the shipments were going.
Clashes with the Bajoran Militia began to occur but each time actual fighting seemed eminent, the military would withdraw. Commander Sisko went to share the information about the Kressari with the General in charge of defending the Bajoran capital, Krim. Sisko noted the continual withdrawal of the military to which General Krim replies that no one can appreciate the fact that the conflict was Bajoran against Bajoran.
[edit] Kidnapping of Major Kira
After Li Nalas's return to Bajor, Kira was recalled to Bajor and Li placed in her former position. Ostensibly Kira's removal from Deep Space Nine was to honor her for her rescue of Li Nalas. However Jaro knew he needed to keep Li Nalas out of the fighting and placed him on Deep Space Nine.
At the request of Vedek Bareil, Kira went to one of the monasteries where Vedek Winn later learned of her presence. Shortly after a visit from Sisko, a group of masked Bajorans, much like the group that assaulted Quark, kidnapped Kira and took her to the cavern where The Circle was headquartered and she learned that Minister Jaro was its leader.
Jaro had Kira abducted in order to obtain any information she might have about Sisko. In particular he was interested in what actions Sisko would take to stop The Circle once its objective, a coup d'etat, became known. Kira refused to divulge any information so Jaro ordered her to be tortured as the Cardassians did during the occupation.
Quark was able to find the location of the cavern and Sisko led and armed rescue mission that retrieved Kira.
[edit] Cardassian Connection
In an attempt to find evidence of weapons, a Kressari freighter docked at Deep Space Nine is delayed on the basis of confusion between the Kressari manifest interface with the station inventory system. When the captain became more and more annoyed, Dax tpöd Chief O'Brien to cease work and let the freighter go since it would be back soon and they could finish later.
During the inspection, Chief O'Brien carried Odo aboard disguised as a panel. When the station crew left the ship and the captain ordered departure, Odo changed form into a mouse. The Kressari rendezvoused with a Cardassian ship and a Gul along with another shipment of weapons. After the Kressari Captain scanned the shipment, the unnamed Gul placed his thumb scan on the pad and returned to his ship.
The Deep Space Nine Crew presumed the Cardassians involved themselves with The Circle in order to facilitate the removal of the Federation. Without a Starfleet presence, they could reclaim Bajor again and control the wormhole.
[edit] Siege of Deep Space Nine
After Kira's rescue, Odo returned to the station with the manifest pad he stole to prove the Cardassian involvement. Jaro began to make his move as well.
Kira suggested letting Li Nalas address the Council of Ministers as he was the only force who could derail Jaro. When they attempted to contact the council, Dax informed them that all communications to Bajor had been jammed. Additionally, attack ships were on their way issuing warnings that all non-Bajorans were to leave the station in seven hours.
Admiral Chekote (no relation to Chakotay from Star Trek: Voyager) ordered Sisko to evacuate the station citing the Prime Directive as the revolution, while supported by the Cardassians, was an internal affair of Bajor's. Sisko got around the order by extending the evacuation to include all Starfleet property as well as personnel.
After the civilian population was evacuated, various systems were sabotaged to prevent their detection when the militia members, lead by General Krim, arrive. With Odo acting as a watch, the teams began capturing the militia members sent out to find them.
One group led by Krim's adjutant, Colonel Day (played by Steven Weber), was captured in one of Quark's holosuites. Through the communication system, Sisko told Day about the Cardassian involvement and told him to inform Krim. Day was then transported to Ops where he told Krim that Sisko was still on the station and he lied about offering Sisko and company amnesty in exchange for letting him go.
Eventually Sisko, Li Nalas, and the rest of their team went into Sisko's office and told Krim about the Cardassians.
[edit] Defeat
Prior to the siege of Deep Space Nine, Kira and Dax boarded one of the evacuation transports which dropped them off on one of Bajor's moons where Li Nalas said old pre-Impulse Drive ships were hidden during the occupation. Their mission was to get to Bajor and present the Cardassian evidence to the Council of Ministers.
While en-route, they came under attack by two fighters presumably sent by Jaro. Kira and Dax managed to eliminate one of the fighters but were shot down and crash. They evaded Jaro's men and were found by a search party Bareil sent out after seeing their ship go down.
Disguised as members of a religious order and accompanied by Bareil, they made it into the chamber and presented the evidence to the council members.
Back on the station Krim emerged from the office with Sisko and chastised Colonel Day for withholding the information. Day said that the Cardassian involvement was a lie but he was rebuked when Krim told him that the Council of Ministers was in recess while it considered the evidence Kira presented.
As the provisional government prevailed, Krim turned the station back over to Sisko. Colonel Day, obviously a member of The Circle, attempted to kill Sisko but Li Nalas jumped in the way and took the phaser blast and died.
[edit] External link
Alliance for Global Unity article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
