2. He Would Cross The Line To Do What Needed To Be Done
Episode Evidence: In The Pale Moonlight
Sure, every Starfleet Captain has made decisions that were against Starfleet morals or rules, but none more so than Captain Sisko's actions in the stunning season six episode 'In The Pale Moonlight'. We had already shown that Sisko was willing to cross the line to achieve results by launching the missile at the Maquis-inhabited planet in 'For The Uniform', but a year later the Captain of Deep Space Nine did something wholly unexpected in an effort to turn the tide of the Dominion War. Sisko had reasoned that with the fall of planets like Betazed the Federation and Klingons needed the Romulans to join their side if they ever hoped to turn back the enemy forces. And so he enlisted wily Garak, a former member of the Obsidian Order to uncover information that would convince the Romulan Star Empire that the Dominion meant to attack them. A desperate measure for sure, but nothing our other Captains probably wouldn't have done in the same situation. Again, it's about Sisko using the resources and people around him to achieve results. But when those measures fall short, Sisko makes the ultimate decision, with Garak's aid, to show fabricated evidence that proves the Dominion meant to attack the Romulans. No longer is this about proving to the Romulans that the Dominion is their enemy. Now it is about lying to them to convince them to lend their resources to the good guys. As it turns out the Romulans discover the information is a fake but are killed when their ship explodes...another friendly act by his ally Garak. The Romulans believe the Dominion to be behind the murder and so join the Federation / Klingon alliance against them. Any other Captain may have admitted his guilt over the lies and murder to achieve such ends. But Sisko knows the cost otherwise. He knows they need the Romulans to win the war. And so in the end, a very heavy conscious aside, he stays quiet. It is an action that helps to turn the tide of war...and something no other Starfleet Captain may have ever been able to achieve. KIRK: He broke Starfleet regulations to save Spock on Genesis, but would he have ever gone so far if he had faced the same situation as Sisko? PICARD: Again, looking to the Borg, he broke Starfleet decisions by returning to Earth and destroying the Borg, but I find it hard to imagine his conscience would have allowed him to stay silent in Sisko's place. JANEWAY: She stole Starfleet technology and broke regulations to travel back in time to get her ship home. Of all the Captains, I think it is she who may have been the only one with the guile to do what Sisko did. ARCHER: Seems too much of a nice guy to ever do what Sisko did.