Peace talks between two light-based species falter until the delegates' children offer a surprising solution.
The Cerritos hosts peace talks between two photonic peoples, the Cubes and the Orbs. Mariner befriends Ensign Olly, a descendant of the alien the ancient Greeks worshipped as Zeus, and the two investigate the disappearance of the delegates' son and daughter, though Olly's anxiety about her weak lightning powers and her fear of being thrown out of Starfleet get in the way.
The talks collapse into war with the Cerritos in the middle, until Olly uses the tractor beam to subdue both sides. The missing children turn out to be in love and to have a hybrid child of their own, which revives the talks. Boimler, trying to copy his more successful alternate self, attempts to befriend Dr. T'Ana.