1175. Sole Asylum, Part Two / Enemies & Allies, Part TwoPUBLICATION: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #30, Malibu Comics, November 1995
CREATORS: Mark Paniccia / Mark Paniccia and Tim Russ (writers), Rod Whigham and Terry Pallot / Rob Davis and Aubrey Bradford (artists)
STARDATE: Unknown (follows the last issue)
PLOT: A Cardassian scientist takes pity on Tom Riker and tells him he's an individual and that using the transporter cloning technique to create duplicate soldiers would be wrong. She is overheard by another, but that scientist agrees with her. The Cardassians don't want to trade Riker for Sisko's offer of a mineral-rich planet, an offer that makes them think there IS a secret to this Riker. The scientist invents a story about him being from an alternate universe instead (which may well be true, after all), confirmed by her unknown ally. Sisko knows he can't win, so he leaves. All this makes the Cardassians think Riker ISN'T special after all, and they stop experimenting on him, sending him to a labor camp instead. In the back-up, the data chip under Mirror Tuvok's skin is extracted and consulted, but it only contains lies and a virus that immobilizes the Klingon ship. Tuvok and Bashir escape with the help of some Klingons who think their corrupt Alliance is about to die.
CONTINUITY: See previous issue (Thomas Riker, Mirror Universe).
DIVERGENCES: See previous issue (Thomas Riker).
PANEL OF THE DAY - Some Cardassian fauna and flora.
REVIEW: Part II of Sole Asylum is disappointing. It takes more than 10 pages before anything new happens as various characters tell different character what they were told last issue, and recaps of relevant episodes abound. The end is good and doesn't disrupt any television stories that might have yet to be written (they never were), but it's a bit of an anti-climax. Should have been told in a single issue. The back-up story is rather talky, but more active than the the previous installment. I saw the Trojan horse a mile away, but the final twist of Klingons rebelling against a decaying Empire reminded me of Mirror, Mirror, which is an interesting way for it to go. So one story goes south, but the other goes... uhm... north.
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