Odo falls for a mysterious woman who has been targeted for murder by the Orion Syndicate.

Takeny Ghemor, who considers Kira to be his daughter, arrives on DS9 and confesses that is dying. Ghemor wishes to commence the Shri-tal with Kira, a Cardassian ritual in which a dying person reveals their closest secrets to the rest of the family. But the experience dredges up Kira's memories of her own father, who suffered a fatal injury during the Occupation of Bajor.