The Abandoned ( episode ) Quark finds an abandoned Jem ' Hadar child , and Odo is the only person who can control him . Summary . Teaser . In Quark ' s , Okalar is making a killing at the dabo table . He ' s about to leave the table a winner when Mardah , the dabo girl , entices him to make one final – and losing – spin at the wheel . Mardah leaves the dabo table and walks over to a table in the bar where Jake is seated , and she explains that Jake ' s father has invited her to dinner on the following evening in the Sisko ' s quarters , which startles Jake . However , he recovers and says , " " It ' ll be great , " " and that Mardah will enjoy the food . Just then Quark is at the bar , when a Boslic captain walks up behind him and the two start negotiating the sale of salvage from the Gamma Quadrant . She wins the negotiations after putting her feminine charms to effective use . Next , Quark is in a cargo bay , rummaging through the salvage he ' d bought for three bars of latinum . After a few moments he hears the cries of a baby , and walks toward the source of the noise only to discover a stasis chamber . . . which holds the crying baby . Act One . In the infirmary , Quark is with Dr . Bashir and Commander Sisko , and the infant is lying on a biobed . Sisko berates Quark for failing to inspect the salvage before purchasing it , and just then Dax walks into the infirmary to announce that the chances of finding the Boslic captain approach nil . Dr . Bashir , meanwhile , tells Sisko that the infant is growing at rates Bashir has never seen outside of a laboratory , and that the infant ought to be kept on hand for more medical tests . Sisko then asks about the salvage , and Dax replies that O ' Brien will be examining it . Quark offers a fruitless protest against the sequestering of his property , and promptly leaves the infirmary when Sisko shoots him a look . Before Dax and Sisko leave the infirmary , Sisko picks up the infant to hold him , and Dax offers to find an orphanage on Bajor for the infant . Shortly thereafter Sisko gives the infant up to Dr . Bashir and leaves the infirmary with Dax , who teases him about the change in his demeanor when he was holding the baby . Sisko then explains that he actually feels nostalgia for Jake ' s early childhood – notwithstanding the hassles of fatherhood – because he misses the days when it was easy to make Jake happy . Sisko then returns to his quarters , where Jake is writing on a PADD while lying on the sofa . He asks Jake for a hug , but Jake turns away and expresses dismay at the fact that his father gave so little warning of the plans he ' d made with Mardah . The commander excuses himself by pointing out that some time ago , he ' d threatened to invite Mardah to dinner if Jake didn ' t – and Jake backs down , reminding them both that it " will " be " just dinner . " Sometime later Commander Sisko enters the infirmary , where Bashir announces that the child taken from the salvage is " not a baby . . . anymore . " Act Two . Sisko then looks through a nearby doorway , only to see a child on the table who appears to be eight or nine years old . Bashir then explains that his tests reveal the boy to be no more than two weeks old , in fact , which is mystifying since the only organisms ordinarily capable of growing as fast as this boy are small and simple , not " anything as complex as a humanoid . " The boy chooses that moment to announce clearly that he is hungry , which Bashir says is no surprise . Sisko introduces himself and Bashir to the boy , tells him that they are on a space station , and asks the boy if he knows what that is . He replies , " " No , but I want to learn . " " Sisko and Bashir then go into the next room , where Bashir explains that the only rational explanation for what they are seeing is some sort of advanced genetic engineering . Next Sisko goes to the cargo bay containing the salvage , where O ' Brien explains the stasis chamber – which implies that " someone " wanted to forestall the boy ' s maturation while aboard ship – and says that the wreckage was likely from some sort of transport . Before Sisko leaves the cargo bay he asks O ' Brien spare someone to give the replicator s in his quarters some attention , and O ' Brien mentions that he ' d heard from Jake about Commander Sisko ' s dinner invitation to Mardah . Sisko expresses his reservations about the fact that his sixteen year old son is romantically involved with a twenty - year - old dabo girl , and confides to O ' Brien that in the face of his discomfort he " " wanted to see what [ he was ] up against . " " O ' Brien then asks , " " What if it turns out you like her ? " " Sisko answers that he doesn ' t want to like her . Next , Major Kira is at the entrance to Odo ' s new quarters , with a plant in hand . She offers the plant to Odo , which he guesses is for the sake of decoration . He thanks her with his typical reserved tone , and shares his supposition that she would like to see his quarters . She says , " " Everyone wants to see your quarters ! It ' s called curiosity ! " " They go in , and Odo tells Kira that he ' s not finished setting things up , that he ' s just started turning the space into a place where he can " truly explore what it means to be a shapeshifter . " Kira points out that he doesn ' t need an entire set of quarters just to sit in his bucket , and he announces that he doesn ' t need the bucket anymore , but that he keeps it as a memento to remind himself of the life he led before getting his own quarters . He then goes on to explain that with the new space , he can more easily regenerate and explore his true nature in private , which leads Kira to catch herself and apologize for intruding on Odo ' s personal space . Odo brushes off her apology , and says that she ' s always welcome . Kira then looks around , and asks where they should put the plant she brought . Odo walks over to his bucket and puts the plant into that , which Kira says is " perfect . " Later Bashir and Dax are in the Replimat , where Bashir is explaining that the boy is missing a critical enzyme , notwithstanding the fact that he ' s genetically engineered . . . and Bashir can ' t understand why someone would be engineered to have " " such an obvious flaw . " " At that moment Bashir is asked to come to the infirmary immediately , and there is disruption on the Promenade . The boy , who is now an apparently teenage humanoid , is stalking around causing people to back away in apprehension . Bashir tries to pacify him by saying , " " No one is going to hurt you , " " but the boy punches him in the face . Dax taps her combadge in a call to security , and then Odo steps out of his office , ordering the boy to stop . As the boy runs down the Promenade Odo blocks his path and changes to an amorphous but upright form just as the boy collides with him . When Odo re - assumes his humanoid form the boy is on his knees , looking up at Odo in a state of obvious distress , but also with reverence . At that point , Dax calls Sisko on her combadge and tells him , " " I think we ' ve solved the mystery of our young visitor , Benjamin . He ' s a Jem ' Hadar . " " Act Three . In the wardroom , Odo , Kira , Dax , and Bashir are waiting when Commander Sisko comes into the room and announces that on orders from Starfleet , the Jem ' Hadar is to be taken to Starbase 201 for research purposes . Kira agrees enthusiastically , but Odo is not pleased , knowing from personal experience that the Jem ' Hadar will be nothing more than a " well - treated specimen " once Starfleet gets their hands on him . Bashir sides with Odo , arguing the boy is a sentient life form , not some random genetic sample to study . Kira points out that with all of the genetic engineering that ' s gone into him , the Jem ' Hadar may be nothing more than a killing machine . At that point Odo takes personal responsibility for the Jem ' Hadar , insisting that as a Changeling he ' s the best person to find out if the Jem ' Hadar ' s makeup will or will not allow him free will as a normal sentient lifeform would exercise it . At that point , Commander Sisko asks to speak with Odo privately . Once they ' re alone , Sisko points out to Odo that there ' s no real obligation on Odo ' s part to make up for the things that the Founder s did to this Jem ' Hadar , but Odo stands fast , pointing out again that he knows what it means to be a research subject against his will , and that he doesn ' t want to inflict that on the Jem ' Hadar . Commander Sisko concedes and promises to temporize with Starfleet , but reminds Odo to be careful . In security , the Jem ' Hadar is flinging himself against the force field of a holding cell while Bashir is attempting to explain to the Jem ' Hadar his need for the enzyme that Bashir explained to Dax in the Replimat . Just as Odo walks in , the Jem ' Hadar demands to be left alone , then takes a step back when he sees Odo , who orders the force field lowered and says , " " Everything is under control now . " " Odo orders the Jem ' Hadar to sit down and asks about his condition . The Jem ' Hadar admits to being nauseous and in pain , while Bashir explains the enzyme . Bashir goes on to say that he ' d like to perform more tests , with the goal of replicating the enzyme . The Jem ' Hadar first refuses but is persuaded by Odo to change his mind . Bashir then leaves , and Odo asks the Jem ' Hadar what he wants to do , which is to " fight " as it turns out – not with Odo , but instead with the others on the station . . . and it appears that anyone will do . The Jem ' Hadar asks if what he wants is wrong , and Odo tells him that they " " need to find other interests for [ the Jem ' Hadar ] to pursue . " " Odo asks the Jem ' Hadar to relax , to smile , and demonstrates to the confused Jem ' Hadar what a smile is . The Jem ' Hadar attempts to mimic Odo , but what comes across his face is more of a grimace , and Odo says , " " We ' ll work on that . " " Meanwhile , in Commander Sisko ' s quarters the dinner appointment with Mardah is just beginning . Jake insists that while the food may be spicy , she ' ll enjoy it , and as Commander Sisko brings the last of the serving dishes to the table and seats himself , he asks Mardah to tell him about herself . She explains that her parents were killed during the Occupation , that she was brought up by neighbors until she was thirteen , and that she went out on her own thereafter . She goes on to say that she has a brother and sister , but that she hasn ' t " " spoken to them in years , " " apparently because they took issue with her decision to work as a dabo girl . She closes by pointing out that it is amazing how some people will judge others based on profession as opposed to character , and just then Jake throws a " see - I - told - you - so " glance at his father . They go on to discuss writing – Jake ' s in particular – and Mardah says that his " poetry " won her over . She also announces that Jake ' s quite the dom - jot hustler , which takes his father by surprise . Jake then excuses himself from the room , and after Mardah points out that Jake is more than meets the eye , she and Commander Sisko agree that they have in common the fact that they both care a great deal about Jake . . . and the smile on Commander Sisko ' s face suggests that he " might " just be warming up to Mardah after all . Later Odo and O ' Brien are in the cargo hold containing the salvage in which the Jem ' Hadar was found , and O ' Brien shows Odo an artifact which he says defies analysis . Odo suggests that the artifact is likely a repository for vials of the Jem ' Hadar ' s " missing enzyme , " and goes on to say that this genetically engineered " addiction " is probably another mechanism for ensuring the loyalty of the Jem ' Hadar to the Founders . O ' Brien tells Odo that he finds this cold - blooded , and Odo reminds the chief that his people do " not " have blood . Odo takes the vials to the infirmary , and Bashir starts an apparatus to deliver some of their contents into the Jem ' Hadar ' s carotid artery . After a few moments the Jem ' Hadar announces that the result of this treatment is positive , and Odo starts to leave , only to be asked by the Jem ' Hadar if he can come along . Act Four . The two of them go to Odo ' s quarters , where Odo explains how he mimics the objects in the room as a way of honing his shapeshifting abilities . He says that taking humanoid form is especially difficult , and the Jem ' Hadar asks why he bothers , since Changelings are better than humanoids – including himself . Odo rejects that assertion , saying instead that Changelings are not " better " than humanoids , just different , and that the Jem ' Hadar ' s instincts lead him wrongly . In confusion the Jem ' Hadar announces that Odo " must " be right , and Odo ' s response is that the Jem ' Hadar must learn to think for himself , to make decisions based on his own needs and desires – rather than those of the Changelings – and then asks what the boy wants . It turns out that the Jem ' Hadar wants to find his people , and Odo says that he understands that very well , adding that what he found was " not very pleasant . " Odo then shows the Jem ' Hadar footage from the boarding of the ; during its previous journey through the Gamma Quadrant . The Jem ' Hadar fixes on the playback , saying that the men attacking the " Defiant " s bridge crew are his people . Odo confirms this , adding , " They ' re a race of brutal warriors . " Odo then tells the Jem ' Hadar that he doesn ' t need to be " brutal " , since there are other ways to work out his aggression . The two of them then go to a holosuite , where Odo has created an adversary for the Jem ' Hadar to fight – with the understanding that outside of the holosuite , the Jem ' Hadar must restrain himself from aggression . Odo starts the holosuite program . After a few moments the Jem ' Hadar " kills " his adversary and asks Odo to increase the skill of his opponent . Odo does so , and the program restarts . While the fighting continues , Kira walks into the holosuite and asks to speak with Odo . The two of them leave but the holosuite is left in frame , where the Jem ' Hadar increases the difficulty level of the program from three to five . On the mezzanine of Quark ' s , Kira is beside herself at the news that Odo has allowed the Jem ' Hadar to move in with him . Odo says that it is alright , that the Jem ' Hadar trusts him . Kira is unconvinced . " But can you trust him ? " she asks , wondering if the Jem ' Hadar can be controlled indefinitely . Odo says that he ' s not " trying " to control anyone , but instead is trying to give the Jem ' Hadar a third option apart from being sequestered in a laboratory or fighting alongside the other Jem ' Hadar . Kira is still skeptical , pointing out that the Jem ' Hadar is a custom - designed killing machine . Odo offers a rebuttal by pointing out that in certain ways both he and Kira are acting contrary to their own " typical " inclinations . Kira ultimately relents , but like Commander Sisko in the wardroom , she intently asks Odo to be careful . Odo then goes back to the holosuite , orders the program discontinued , and takes the Jem ' Hadar out onto the Promenade . Once out on the Promenade the Jem ' Hadar remarks that all of the onlookers are afraid of him , and Odo adds that they are curious " and " afraid . The Jem ' Hadar suggests that they " should " be afraid , because he can kill any of them , and Odo asks if he ' s capable of thinking of anything else . " I don ' t think so , " the Jem ' Hadar replies . Odo goes on to say that there plenty of other things to experience , but the Jem ' Hadar is unimpressed . . . and just as he ' s about to explain his attitude , Commander Sisko orders Odo to come to his office . Odo orders the Jem ' Hadar back to his quarters . Once Odo is in Sisko ' s office , Sisko explains that Starfleet is coming for " the boy " in a matter of hours whether Odo likes it or not , and in spite of any agreements that had been made . At that moment the Jem ' Hadar steps out of camouflage and points a phaser at Sisko , insisting that he will not be sent anywhere at the demands of Starfleet . Act Five . The Jem ' Hadar demands a runabout , insisting that Odo come along since the inhabitants of DS9 are not " his " people , either . Odo agrees , and promises that nobody will interfere with them . The Jem ' Hadar promises that he will kill anyone who " does " attempt to interfere . When they reach the docking ring of the station Odo and the Jem ' Hadar debate the latter ' s course of action , but the Jem ' Hadar cannot be restrained from his objective – he is a Jem ' Hadar , he wants to be with his people , and there is nothing to debate . The Jem ' Hadar goes on to assert that Odo ' s time with " other humanoids " has " done something " to him , and finally says , " I don ' t know what the other Changelings are like , but I know they ' re " not " like you . " When Odo and the Jem ' Hadar arrive at the airlock they find Commander Sisko waiting for them with a security team , but Odo asks Sisko to back down , saying that the Jem ' Hadar will be lethal trouble aboard ship , and that he will not keep Odo from coming back to the station . Sisko lets them go , and promises to hold off the fire of Starfleet , noting that Admiral Nechayev will not like this . On the Promenade , O ' Brien asks Sisko why he isn ' t ordering Jake to end his relationship with Mardah . Sisko tells him that dinner with the two of them granted him new insights about his son , before warning the chief not to get into any games of dom - jot with Jake . Later , Kira is sitting at a table working on some PADD s in the Replimat , when Odo walks up to her . " " About the boy , " " he says to her , " " You were right . " " Memorable quotes . " " You are evil . " " " " Who , me ? " " " " He was going to walk away a winner ! " " " " First rule of dabo is , watch the wheel , " not the girl " . " " " " You bought a child ? " " " " I just thought that I was buying some wreckage . How was I supposed to know that there was a baby in there ? " " " " Maybe you should inspect the merchandise before you make the deal . Or isn ' t there a Rule of Acquisition for that ? " " " " There is , and I do . Usually . " " " " Now , wait a minute ! I paid good money for that wreckage and . . . now it ' s yours . Enjoy . " " " " I was talking about an orphanage ? " " " " . . . Oh , right . Have Major Kira make the appropriate arrangements . You ' ll keep me informed about him ? " " " " Yes , sir . " " " " You are positively glowing ! I haven ' t seen that look on your face since . . . " " " " . . . Since Jake stopped wearing diapers . " " " " Sixteen years old , and dating a dabo girl . Godspeed , Jake . " " " " What sort of ' specialists ' are we talking about , commander ? " " " " There will be a team of xenobiologists and exopsychologists waiting for him . " " " " So . . . they ' re going to study him . Like a laboratory specimen . " " " " Well , he ' ll be very well treated . " " " " So , he ' ll be a well - treated specimen . " " " " Poetry ? You – you write poetry ? " " " " Well , sort of . " " " " Jake seemed like just another teenage boy , at first . . . but there ' s more to him than that . " " " " I ' m beginning to realize that , myself . " " " " I care about him very much . " " " " . . . And so do I . Now , tell me more about my poet - hustler son . " " " " I still don ' t understand why they would engineer someone to be addicted to a certain chemical . " " " " I suspect it ' s another way of ensuring the loyalty of the Jem ' Hadar to the Founders . If your soldiers are addicted to a drug that can ' t be replicated and only you can provide , that gives you a great deal of control over them . " " " " Seems a pretty cold - blooded thing to do . " " " " My people don ' t have blood , chief . " " " " He trusts me ! " " " " But can you trust him ? How long do you think you ' re going to be able to control him ? " " " " I ' m not trying to control any - . . . anybody . I ' m just trying to give him some choices other than becoming a laboratory specimen or a Jem ' Hadar soldier . " " " " I never thought I would say this to you , Odo , but you are listening to your heart , not your head . That boy was created in a laboratory ! His body , his mind , his instincts , are all designed to do one thing . . . to kill . " " " " My body , mind , and instincts were designed to be a Founder . You were trained to be a terrorist . But each of us chose to be something different . I just want to give him the same chance we ' ve had ! " " " " All right . Give him a chance . Just don ' t forget : he is a Jem ' Hadar . He ' s dangerous ! " " " " I ' m well aware of the risk , Major . " " " " I hope so . " " " " If he boards the " Constellation " when it arrives , he ' ll either kill a lot of innocent people , or be killed himself . " " " " What makes you think he ' ll let you come back ? " " " " I don ' t believe he could injure a Changeling . " " " " When the Constellation arrives , I ' ll tell them that I couldn ' t stop you from leaving . That I would ' ve had to kill the boy to keep him here . Admiral Nechayev won ' t like that answer , but it has the virtue of being the truth . " " " " He was afraid of me . I could see the fear in his eyes . " " " " Commander Sisko was trying to do what ' s best for you . He was trying to help you . " " " " He ' s not my friend , he ' s my enemy ! And I now know that anyone who is not a Jem ' Hadar is my enemy . " " " " Does that include me ? " " " " I thought you were going to lower the boom on those two . " " " " Well , I was , but some things came up at dinner I didn ' t expect . " " " " Got to know her a little better , and decided you liked her after all ? " " " " No , actually I got to know Jake a little better . Have you ever played dom - jot with him ? " " " " Nope . " " " " Don ' t . " " Links and references . References . addiction ; Bajor ; Bajoran s ; blood ; Boslic s ; carotid artery ; cellular kinetics profile ; Changeling ; chemical formula ; chest pain ; constable ; ; court martial ; Creole food ; DNA ; dabo ; dabo girl ; ; dessert ; diaper ; dinner ; dom - jot ; exopsychologist ; Founder s ; Gamma Quadrant ; genetic engineering ; holosuite ; hustler ; isogenic enzyme ; Jem ' Hadar ; " karjinko " ; Koran ; latinum ; Mandalay sauce ; Mardah ' s parents and guardians ; Milky Way Galaxy ; mitosis ; muscle spasm ; ; ; Occupation of Bajor ; Odo 1 ; Promenade ; Quark ' s ; replicator ; Replimat ; Risa ; Rules of Acquisition ; runabout ; Sarjeno ; security log ; shrimp creole ; ; Starbase 201 ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Command ; stasis chamber ; time index ; triglyceride ; transport ; xenobiology Deleted references . Berellian s