Cardassians
- FIRST SHOWN (US)
- 24 October 1993
- ON
- First-run syndication
- STARDATE
- 47177.2
- DIRECTED BY
- Cliff Bole
- PRODUCTION NO.
- 425
WRITTEN BYTeleplay by James Crocker; story by Gene Wolande & John Wright
A Cardassian boy raised by Bajoran parents bites Garak on the Promenade, and the incident draws Sisko and Bashir into a tangled custody battle with political stakes.
Red alert: the full plot, ending included. Haven't watched yet?REVEAL SYNOPSIS
When Garak greets a Cardassian boy, Rugal, the child bites him. Rugal is one of many Cardassian war orphans left on Bajor and adopted by Bajorans, and he has been raised to hate his own people. Garak hints that there is more to the story, and Gul Dukat soon takes a keen interest, presenting himself as the champion of the abandoned orphans. Rugal stays with the O'Briens for a time, forcing Miles to face his own feelings about Cardassians. Encouraged by Garak, Bashir follows the trail to Bajor and discovers that Rugal's father is alive: Kotan Pa'Dar, a member of the Cardassian civilian government and a political rival of Dukat. At the custody hearing, Bashir shows that Dukat arranged for the boy to be left behind years earlier so he could humiliate Pa'Dar when the time was right. Exposed, Dukat leaves, and Sisko returns Rugal to his father.
- 01The first reference to Terok Nor, the station's name under Cardassian rule.
- 02Garak's second appearance, after “Past Prologue”, and the first sign of the hostility between him and Dukat.
- 03Una McCormack's novel “The Never-Ending Sacrifice” follows Rugal's life after this episode.