A Bajoran man arrives on DS9 with his adopted son, a young Cardassian who was abandoned when his people withdrew from Bajor. This draws the attention of the Cardassian government, particularly Gul Dukat, who claims he is eager to solve the dilemma of Cardassian war orphans left behind on Bajor. DS9's resident tailor, Garak, seems to find Dukat's sudden pledge to resolve the abandoned children's situation ironic, since the boy in question is really the son of one of the civilian assembly who voted to pull the Cardassian military out of Bajoran space - one of Dukat's political adversaries. Sisko and Dr. Bashir, aided and abetted by Garak's cryptic advice, must decide the fate of the Cardassian youth, possibly deciding the end result of an internal power struggle whose combatants couldn't care less about the boy's situation.
