The U.S.S. Enterprisehas been sent to Cardassia Prime, where Captain Jean-Luc Picard is involved in discussions over the removal of the small number of remaining Starfleet forces left over from the end of the Dominion War. Also present is the Cardassian Ambassador to the Federation, Elim Garak. All parties involved are keen to see Starfleet leave Cardassian soil, not only because the Cardassians are now allies of the Federation, but because Starfleet has been badly overstretched in recent years and the resources are needed elsewhere. With so much goodwill at the highest levels, this meeting should be a formality. However, within a few days of the arrival of the Enterprise, a Bajoran Federation officer is found murdered. The crime may be racially motivated: an ultra-nationalist organization called "Cardassia First" has been stirring up anti-Federation feeling across Cardassia over the past year, and a Bajoran is an obvious target...