Star Trek: 10 Greatest Captain Sisko Speeches

In The Pale Moonlight has almost become overdone in the Star Trek fandom. There is a very good reason for this - the themes delivered in this episode would not only set the scene for much of the darker stories in the years to follow, but it is one of Brook's finest moments.

The entire episode is told in flashback as Sisko recites his captain's log. He recounts the disturbing story of he, and of course Mr. Garak's, attempts to bring the Romulan Empire into the war with the Dominion on the side of the Federation. Never before had Star Trek ventured into so dark a territory. We had seen captains make hard calls before and we had even seen good people killed in the line of duty.

So… I lied. I cheated. I bribed men to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all… I think I can live with it. And if I had to do it all over again, I would.

This simple passage encapsulates many of the things that, strictly speaking, were antithetical to what many believed Star Trek to be about. A captain of a starship, or station in this case, was openly admitting to not only heinous crimes, but that they were, in essence ok with it. It was a truly Machiavellian statement to make, immediately pushing Sisko out of the light of the angels and into the murky waters beyond.

So I will learn to live with it. Because I can live with it.

It is difficult today to truly explain how it felt to hear Sisko deliver those words in the late 90s. One thing was clear: Star Trek would never be the same again.