With Deep Space 9 in disrepair, O'Brien is unable to replicate the Cardassian materials he needs to fix it. He assembles a team of engineers and leads a salvage mission to Empok Nor, an abandoned Cardassian space station, bringing along Garak to foil any security measures. They soon enter the eerie, deserted station and begin to work. Garak is disturbed to find two stasis tubes have recently been activated, each large enough to contain a Cardassian adult. Nog, sent back to the runabout, is shocked to see the ship drift away and explode, leaving O'Brien and his team stranded on Empok Nor with the mysterious occupants of the Cardassian stasis tubes.

Andrew Robinson (Garak)
Aron Eisenberg (Cadet Nog)
Tom Hodges (Pechetti)
Andy Milder (Boq'ta)
Marjean Holden (Stolzoff)
Jeffrey King (Amaeo)

• Empok Nor is located in the Treva System in the Cardassian Union, about 3 light-years from Deep Space Nine ("Terok Nor"). Empok Nor was abandoned a year earlier by the Cardassians.
  
• Empok Nor rotates on its side to visually differentiate it from Deep Space 9.