Writer Mark Gehred-O'Connell was inspired by the Oklahoma City bombing to write this episode . Specifically , he recalled how in the days following the bombing , suspicion fell upon people of Middle Eastern descent as the culprits , when in fact , the true culprit was Timothy McVeigh , a white American . Gehred-O'Connell decided to write a story in which Deep Space Nine was the target of a terrorist attack , after which suspicion fell upon the least likely person , Kasidy Yates , as the prime suspect . As the story evolved , the attack upon the station was dispensed with , and the trust between Kasidy and Sisko became the thematic focus of the episode . The episode 's story would be followed up later in a sequel episode , " For the Uniform "
Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
For the Cause (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)