The station picks up a mysterious coded message from the Gamma Quadrant that appears to be Cardassian. Garak reveals that the message is some sort of distress call from his mentor Enabran Tain, the former head of the Obsidian Order, who was presumed to be dead. Garak convinces Sisko to allow him to travel to the Gamma Quadrant to search for Tain, and Sisko sends Worf along as a "chaperone." When Garak and Worf are captured by the Jem'Hadar, the station learns of an impending Dominion invasion.

Andrew J. Robinson (Garak)
Marc Alaimo (Gul Dukat)
Melanie Smith (Tora Ziyal)
Paul Dooley (Enabran Tain)
J.G. Hertzler (General Martok)
James Horan (Ikat'ika)

• Continued in the next episode "By Inferno's Light".
  
• The movie Star Trek: First Contact occurs just before this episode.
  
• The Bashir-changeling replaced the real Bashir at least four weeks ago.
  
• Worf and Garak find General Martok, who was replaced last year. He is now missing an eye.
  
• This episode shows the first on-screen appearance of a Breen.