CAPTAIN'S LOG
A Joint RPG Newsletter of the Star Trek Universe
Issue 11: July 1st, 1999    

"All things considered, I think I'd rather be on Risa."
~ Ezri Dax to Benjamin Sisko, Final Episode of Deep Space Nine

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

    1. A Different View: Borg Ain't So Bad
    2. Subscribing Fleet News
    3. Meet the Members: Becky Manes of Tango Fleet
    4. Neophite News: What is Diplomacy?
    5. The Many Faces of the Federation: My Favourite Alien
    6. Trek Trivia (attached)
    7. Classifieds
    8. Fan Fiction: New Frontiers

IMPORTANT NOTE

For those of you who are unaware of the fact, DeForest Kelley passed away on Friday, June 11, 1999.  The entire Star Trek world will mourn the loss of the actor who gave us Dr. McCoy.

A Different View: Borg Ain't So Bad
by Julian Machin

A feature film and numerous episodes would lead you to believe that the Borg are bad dudes. Nah, sorry, I have concluded in fact that the Borg are nothing more than 24th Century geeks in skin tight leather with cables and nothing better to do than find the ultimate peripheral to upgrade with. Sure they have conquered countless worlds, assimilated cultures. Acquired technologies
wiped out the odd race scattered some across galaxies. Heck they made the Nexus-seeking Soran go into the scud missile business just to get away from them. But when you really analyze the Borg you notice a few things, which really do put them into perspective.

So, just to recap, the Borg have traveled light years capturing and assimilating worlds. You now have the technical 'superiority' to upgrade your granny to run Windows 98, make your toaster download your email, or you could assimilate and make your cat design a multi plexing beacon. So you would think that the Borg Star Ship design department with years of technological expertise could develop a little more on 'cube' or 'sphere' as their primary ship design shapes. Even a cow catcher or bullhorns would be an improvement. Who are they trying to kid? If a Borg Cube or Sphere fell out of warp in my solar system I would just think that something had fallen off a space ship and ended up here by accident.

Then when you communicate with them you realize that personality; diplomacy, fashion, and general skin care did not feature high on the Borg assimilation wish list.

Data managed to outwit a would-be Borg attacker by pulling a small rubber hose out of his neck. He also hacked into their website and asked them if they could go to sleep at Wolf 359. Assimilation of half a quadrant can't even come up with a defense from a Worf wielding Bat'Leth. All those combined networked minds should be able to kick some butt right? I can't help wondering if they are a network router short, or if the Y2K bug got to them before their I.T. help desk could. What are they doing about ship interior design?  It looks like the inside of my PC in there. Heck, assimilate an interior designer quick.
 

Subscribing Fleet News
 

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: If you are a subscribing member and did not get your RPG news included in this month's issue, please send us a brief summary of important events that you would like to see posted in the August issue by the regular deadline for article submissions. If anything major happens after that point you can contact us and we will try to add it to the newsletter as events happen. I look forward to getting news from more fleets for next month!

Amy Lindeman
Editor in Chief
Captain's Log Newsletter

Echo Fleet News
by Jeff Johnson, Fleet Commanding Officer

Well, with Echo Fleet's Development at full throttle, we're gaining speed with each passing day. And with the Fleet's first successfully started colony (Iridani), we're very optimistic. We have even jump started the Red Squadron Project,
giving people a chance to complete missions from a red squad Cadet's viewpoint. Captain McNeill has handled this project wonderfully, while Commander Calista O'Hira is taking command of the Cadets.

The Webpage is STILL not up, but we are working on developing JavaScript for it, as well as many detailed graphics and animation. It promises to be a wonderful project.

We also (for the first time) brought our Fleet's population to 100. A time for celebration to be sure! Echo Fleet's Role Playing Lists will be shut down from July 1st to September 15th so that all of our members can enjoy the summer.

To conclude; we wish all people a happy summer. Spend some time away from the computer, go to the lake and spend time with your families.  Good journeys!

Gamma Fleet Bulletin
by Will Haywood, Gamma Fleet Consultant

Hello again. This month Gamma Fleet has undergone some command changes. Due to lack of time Fleet Admiral Bills has stepped down from CIC of Gamma Fleet. Vice Admiral Rawlens has also stepped down from the position of GF Executive Officer, and has taken the position of GF Second Officer. Vice Admiral Young previously GF Second Officer has been promoted to Fleet Admiral and is now Gamma Fleet Commanding Officer. I have also been promoted to Rear Admiral, and I am now the Gamma Fleet Executive Officer.

Gamma Fleet has been through a rough time recently, and hopefully this will sort out the problems. I am currently working on a new Gamma Fleet website, and I will hopefully have it online shortly. Well that's about it for this month, so until next time, see y'all.
 

Meet the Members: Becky Manes of Tango Fleet
by Sebastian Reese, Associate Editor

<Reese> Today we have the opportunity to chat with one of the most important people in Tango Fleet: Acting Game Manager, Division Manager, and CO of the Bismark, Becky Manes.  Welcome Becky!

<Becky> Hi, but I don't consider myself one of the most important people in Tango Fleet. Everyone is important in the fleet.

<Reese> Well, funny you said that.  Why is it that each fleet needs not only a strong admiralty, but also a strong group of junior officers?

<Becky> The strong admiralty keeps the game running smoothly, but it's the junior officers who keep it going. Each person in the fleet brings to the fleet a new set of ideas. Without those new ideas, the game would get boring really fast.

<Reese> Very true.  What exactly does your job as a Game Manager/Division Manager encompass?

<Becky> I have five ships in my division. I make sure that the ship is running smoothly and sometimes moderate discussions between people. I guess that I read 100 posts a day or more from about nine ships, which includes the ones that I am a member.   I belong to the Executive Committee which makes decisions affecting Tango Fleet.

<Reese> Over 100!?!  I have trouble keeping up with my two in Tango Fleet.  That's quite a job... How do you manage?

<Becky> I'm online a lot--generally six to eight hours a day. I have people contacting me about this or that. Each message and email is very important to me, since it lets me know what is on everyone's mind. If it's something that I feel to be really important, I send out an email to the rest of the Executive Committee for discussion. Of the five ships in my division, I'm an active crew member of two.

<Reese> You recently became a Commanding Officer, what was the transition like?

<Becky> Well, I was the Executive Officer of the USS Atrius. For a month and a half, I was the Acting Commanding Officer when Andy went on vacation. I did some of the jobs that a CO has to do but I always had him to ask questions or get suggestions about this or that.  Then when I got my own ship, that responsibility became mine. I have gotten a lot of help from my division manager, John Gresham.

<Reese> Do you have any advice for those people who are about to make the transition?

<Becky> You have to be diplomatic at all times or you won't have a crew. Don't be afraid to ask other people like people you consider to be good COs or division managers for advice. Involve your crew in such things as coming up with a mission or who they think deserves a promotion/commendation. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know how to do this".

<Reese> Good advice.  What the most difficult part of being a CO for you?

<Becky> Mission ideas.

<Reese> One of the things I like to ask all the time is: What got you interested in Star Trek?

<Becky> I honestly don't remember. But I didn't get into Star Trek too heavily until 1987, when the Next Generation came out on TV. At first I was skeptical and thought that it would never work, but that soon changed. Then came DS9, and the fascination grew. Since I have seen only a few episodes of Voyager, I really didn't get into it like I did the others. I read the novels when I can get my hands on them.

<Reese> It was pretty much the same for me.  Finally, what do you think the future holds in store for Star Trek, Tango Fleet, and Becky Manes?

<Becky> Tango Fleet will continue to grow. There have been some ideas tossed around that I think will be an asset to the fleet. Since January, we have lost two ships but we have gained five. Star Trek will continue to take everyone where no one has gone before. As for me? I just want to become an Admiral one day in the future, and continue to be division one manager.

<Reese> Well, thank you for your time and I hope all of your predictions come true.  Now that wasn't so bad was it?

<Becky> *mumbles something in Trill and Bajoran about being interviewed*

<Reese> *Laugh*  Thanks again!
 

Neophite News: What is Diplomacy?
by Amy Lindeman

New and old, experienced and not, a common thread in most RPGers is a need for diplomacy.  At the beginning of your RPG career you will naturally lead toward diplomatic conversations with your superiors, not wanting to step on anyone's toes.  When you have been playing for a little while you will be diplomatic in hopes of gaining a promotion and more responsibilities within
your ship, as well as welcoming the new, prim and proper ensigns, who are in the stage that you remember so well.  When you take on more responsibility, diplomacy becomes a necessary tool to keep the peace and make the game flow as smoothly as possible.  The problem with that is that as consistently as we all strive to be diplomatic, we sometimes have trouble putting into words what that is.

A group of friends and fellow RPGers have worked with me to develop a list of exactly what diplomacy is in the Never-Never Land we call RPGs.  Here it is for you:

What is Diplomacy?

Diplomacy is the difficult way to insist on your opinion without blaming another person.
Diplomacy is the smile on your face when you have to announce bad news.
Diplomacy is to treat another person in the way you wish to be treated by him.
Diplomacy is to give someone a hint so that he thinks it had been his own idea.
Diplomacy is being able to phrase things or temper your actions so no one is offended a great deal.
Diplomacy is to deal with persons and getting them to agree or to find compromises.
Diplomacy is the process of coming to solutions by a peaceful means in order to prevent, or avert violence.
Diplomacy is telling a Klingon you like his forehead.
Diplomacy is to be friendly to everyone and never let them know that you don't like them.
Diplomacy is to swallow down harsh words from time to time.
Diplomacy is turning the other cheek.
Diplomacy is to ignore your own pride and listen to someone else's opinions.
Diplomacy is calling the Admiral Amy when she threatens to kill you if you use her rank.
Diplomacy is complimenting a Ferengi on his wonderful lobes.
Diplomacy is treating your enemy like you treat your friends.
Diplomacy is accepting differences rather than condemning people for them.
Diplomacy is saying you're sorry.
Diplomacy is admitting you're wrong.
Diplomacy is gently reminding someone of the rules instead of yelling at them for messing up.
Diplomacy is the institution which allows for the unification of different peoples so that they can unite to reach common goals.
Diplomacy is correcting someone else's errors without gloating that they were wrong.
Diplomacy is compromising, sometimes even when you think you're right.
Diplomacy is getting to know different people, and accepting that their opinions have worth.
Diplomacy is being able to talk with people and not make them mad, angry, or sad.
Diplomacy is the skill of handling affairs without arousing hostility.
Diplomacy is laughing -- even if the joke is not funny.
Diplomacy is the difficult way to make another person feel welcome.
 

The Many Faces of the Federation: My Favorite Alien
by John Walton, a.k.a. Rear Admiral Dirien, Bravo Fleet

Everyone has a favorite character that they play, and it's not necessarily their most senior. One of the best things about role-playing games is that they allow you the freedom to create fantastical characters -- the human you always wanted to be, or the alien who fascinated you from the very first time you watched Star Trek. Everyone has their favorite race, for whatever
reason, and mine are listed here.

EL-AURIAN: On Bravo Fleet's Starbase 565, I play an El-Aurian Chief Engineer, Pendragon. He's over 2400 years old (the name comes from the pre-Arthurian King of Dumnonia, Uther Pendragon), and as such gets all the cracks about being an "old man", Jadzia Dax notwithstanding. His foil, or 'nemesis', is the Chief of Science, Tory Galloway, a human who looks like a
Romulan due to some Romulan blood in her. Pendragon, despite his age (about 35 when compared to a human), doesn't act his age, and is renowned on the starbase for making Tory's replicator go into "Explosive Chocolate Pudding Mode".

TELLARITE: Arvil Lomax is the Chief Security and Tactical Officer on the Excelsior-class USS Nimitz in Bravo Fleet's Task Force 72. As a Tellarite (a race we haven't seen a whole lot of in Star Trek), he comes across as insulting -- but on Tellar, being insulting is actually polite. For instance, "Good morning, Captain, you're looking fat in that uniform" would be regarded as a social nicety. Of course, the goodwill of the captain (my very good friend Clare, who incidentally plays Tory Galloway [see above]) is necessary... otherwise one might get removed from the ship PDQ!

HORTA: Granite serves aboard the USS George Washington, flagship of Task Force 38 in Bravo Fleet. As a Horta, he needs a specially made "backpack" which is attached to the top of his carapace, containing a Universal Translator and a pair of mechanical manipulator arms ending in fully functional hands. As a Horta, he does not refer to himself using personal pronouns (I, me, my etc.) but rather in the third person (Granite, Granite's, etc.). The sight of "Everybody's Favorite Rock" trundling down the corridors can prove somewhat disturbing (especially when he's going at high speed [20 m.p.h.]), but the crew of the GW have grown used to him.

HUMAN COLONIST: My most senior character, Rear Admiral Dirien Ged Jolin, commands the USS Hornblower, flagship of Task Force 67 in Bravo Fleet.  Coming from Forester XII, a colony world about 3 days from Earth at warp 9, he appears completely human (and has a human genome) but his psychology is somewhat different. Foresterians are more open and welcoming than Terrans, and their society more liberal. Everyone is accepted, no matter their appearance or beliefs, and Dirien's personality reflects this. As a CO, he runs a "primus inter pares" (First Among Equals) bridge crew, and is respected when he does make executive decisions.

KLINGON: In Bravo Fleet's Klingon Task Force, TF 44, Kahr'Hadj HoD (Captain Kahr'Hadj) serves as XO  to Hen'r'ech (Brigadier Hen'r). A tall Klingon, he has grown to respect his somewhat shorter CO as a fearsome warrior and an adept tactician. It is extremely challenging to play a Klingon, as the normal reactions we have as humans do not necessarily apply in their opinions, and a simple friendly punch in Klingon would floor most humans.

BORG: Perhaps the most vilified race in RPGs. I don't actually play any Borg characters, but thought I might include them here just to give an opinion. My belief is that we have to take all Borg characters with a pinch of realism -- players should make their characters believable at the very least, and any cybernetic implants should be monitored to avoid "superhero syndrome".
 

Classifieds
Captain's Log Editing Staff

 ITO NEWS ALERTS: Often times rumors will escalate to a status where they will pit different role playing organizations against each other because of one fundamental lie that was started by an unknown prankster. In an effort to prevent this kind of thing from happening, we have established ITO (an acronym for "In The Open") as a way of getting these things out in the open so that everyone is aware of potential disturbances, and can thereby prevent anything from every coming of it. If you know somebody who has been disruptive to your RPG group, or perhaps an anonymous person who has been spamming your ship, things like that, please e-mail these reports to [email protected] and we will be happy to post such reports to the ITO alert sent to all subscribers of our newsletter! All that we ask is that you please do not abuse this service as a way of getting back at people you don't like. Also, please note that the contents of this column are purely submissions we recieve from concerned readers, and in no way represents Captain's Log taking a side on any inter-fleet disagreements. To become a part of this ITO alert chain, simply subscribe to our newsletter at http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3200/subscribe.html.

CONSULTANTS NEEDED: Dear readers, in order for us to better service you, we need consultants from our subscribing RPG groups that can supply information and news on your RPG group to be added to the upcoming issues of Captain's Log! If you think you would be interested in this position, or know somebody else who would be, please talk to your fleet commanders about it and if they agree, check out the Captain's Log Staff page to see if the consulting position for YOUR fleet is open, and if it is, email us at
[email protected] and let us know what you would like to do!!

SUBSCRIBE YOUR RPG: In our effort to include as much of the Trek RPGing community as possible, Captain's Log is continuing to accept subscriptions for Trek RPG Groups that are interested in being listed as Subscribing members of this newsletter! We are no longer accepting charter members, however, anyone who wishes to subscribe their RPG group is ALWAYS welcome to do so! Just email us at [email protected] or see our webpage at: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3200/fleets.html for more information!

WRITERS NEEDED: As always, anyone interested in writing a column for Captain's Log, submitting a piece of fan fiction, or even submitting an article describing something that you would like to share with your fellow Trek/RPG community, we would LOVE to hear from you! Drop us a line at [email protected] and let us know!!! Deadline for all submissions to be placed in the upcoming issue is the 20th of the month.

PLACE YOUR ADD HERE: Is there something you're dying to share with the rest of our readers? Submit your classified add to [email protected] and we will add it to this column in next month's issue, as long as it follows all of the submission guidelines
listed at http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3200/rules.html
 

Fan Fiction: New Frontiers
by Robert Williams

The Unknown

"EPS conduits on decks five to ten are back online" shouted O'Brien through his communicator.

"Thanks chief, I'll see to the Ops systems" Kira replied while slamming her hand over her com badge.  She slowly walked up to the replicator and mumbled some words into its microphone. The machine beamed a bowl of steaming hot soap onto its tray, Kira picked it up and took it to a vacant table.

"You, all right Kira, you look distracted," said Dax while pulling a chair out from under the table.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine," Kira said trying to hide her surprise from the sudden voice breaking her thoughts.  Dax leaned her head over Kira's soup and smelt it.

"Smells lovely, is it Bajoran?"

"No, its Cardassian actually, I was brought up on it in the occupation and I have grown to like it, I guess its my 'Cardassian'
side," Kira said keeping her eyes on the bowl.

"You, a Cardassian side, now that's a first, I always thought you hated everything Cardassian," Dax whispered trying to prevent passerby from listening in.

"I suppose there's a first for everything.  Anyway I heard that the Cardassians are paying for the cruelty they did to my people, " Kira said, trying to change the topic of the conversation.

"That's true, the Cardassian Empire was almost destroyed after the Klingon invasion and since then, revolts have been in progress constantly, they haven't had time to rebuild their economy or their military," Dax said. She was about to tell Kira about the current revolt but was interrupted by a voice through her comm.

"Dax report to Ops NOW".

* * *

Sisko greeted Dax in Ops. "Dax we have picked up unusual warp emissions on long range sensors but we can't get rid of the interference preventing us from accurately pinpointing its origin." Sisko left the situation in her hands and walked to his office and sat at his desk.  He punched some commands into his computer and looked up as he heard the turbolift clunking into operation.  Kira walked out of the lift to her console, Sisko watched her. The way she worked was unusual compared to the rest of the senior crew, she was determined, not satisfied unless the job was completely accurate and until everything was perfect. To Sisko she was a perfectionist but he wouldn't dare say that to her face.  Today she seemed different, she seemed to have something else on her mind and this worried Sisko.

* * *

Dax turned to O'Brien, "Can you trying running a radionic beam?  I think that if we isolate the deflection shadow then the actual warp emission will be hidden underneath." O'Brien ran to the controls and punched in the commands he activated the beam and walked to Dax's console.

"Yes, it's working.  The beam is isolating the warp emission. I'm locking on a sensor sweep." Dax's face lit up with enthusiasm.  She loved completing tasks with a certain air of mystery and this task certainly had that.

"It seems to be different from any warp emission we've seen before; its origin is unknown.  Maybe if we run a Tachyon scan that might detect the ships warp matrix, as each race has its own warp matrix then we will be able to identify its origin". O'Brien shuffled over to his previous console and worked at the controls.  Dax looked at O'Brien and laughed, she wasn't the only person who was obsessed with mysterious tasks.

"I've found the ships origin.  It's Cardassian" O'Brien sounded surprised.  His message stunned the rest of the crew and a silence
fell upon Ops.

Dax tried to contain her shock as if she had already known. "You'd better tell Sisko, I think he'll want to know".

* * *

"The Cardassians, I thought they had been in isolation." Sisko sounded surprised, but it was possible to hear that he was hiding it under a strong, controlled voice.

"Wherever they've been, they sure have been working hard.  The deflection device they used to hide their ships signature was very advanced, even our sensors couldn't detect what origin it was."

O'Brien took a deep breath and turned to Sisko. "The Cardassians could have stolen it from the Romulans, but it's different from anything I've ever seen; it's almost as affective as a cloaking device, but in a different way".

"The Cardassians, barely have a military or an economy. Constantrevolts and civil riots have stunned the Cardassians from rebuilding and advancing.  It's highly unlikely that they would have designed a device with these capabilities so quickly," Dax said, walking up to her assigned console.

"I suggest we hail the 'unknown' vessel and find out if it is Cardassian or officially 'unknown'.  For all we know it could be a Jem'Hadar ship fooling us with a holographic projection," Sisko said in an orderly fashion.

"It's possible, but I doubt that a holographic projection would produce these emissions." O'Brien knew that it couldn't be a vessel of another origin but decided not to disagree with the captain's suggestion.  "Ensign hail the vessel".
 

Cardassians

        "This is the Federation Station Deep Space Nine. Can we be of assistance to your vessel in any way?" Sisko waited for a reply but nothing happened. "Chief did the vessel get my message?".

"Yes sir, the ship should have received your message." O'Brien frowned and thought about anything that could interfere with the message but he affirmed his answer and nodded his head towards Sisko.  Sisko moved his hand, signaling O'Brien to hail the vessel again.

"Putting you through" O'Brien said.

"This is the Federation station DS9 can we be of any assistance to you?" Sisko looked at O'Brien, O'Brien gave a reassuring smile as if to say 'I don't know... W are you loking at me?'.

A picture of a Cardassian female flickered on to the screen.  She was wearing a brown uniform with a small communicator in the design of the Cardassian symbol.  She was standing at the front of the bridge, where there where several other Cardassians all wearing the same type of clothing.  "Hello, Captain. I'm Gul Macet of the Cardassian vessel Kloarn." The voice sounded welcoming but with a hint of slyness and evil.

"I'm Ben-" Sisko was cut off by the women's harsh voice.

"I know who you are and I am not here to make friends.  I am simply here because you kept bothering me and my crew".

"We hailed your vessel because your ship was giving out some emissions and when we discovered it was Cardassian we were-" Sisko was again interrupted.

"You were thinking: How could the Cardassians design such an advanced piece of equipment? and I bet you still are." The Cardassian leaned closer towards the screen. "Well let me tell you, the rumours you have heard about civil wars, and revolts are completely untrue, actually it has been quite the opposite. After the war with the Klingons the Cardassians have grown a lot more powerful and our technology has advanced significantly since we last met." The Cardassian stepped back and smiled, the
screen flicked and went black.

There was a strange silence over Ops again, it was possible to hear the clicking of the brains, thinking about the message they had just received. Sisko broke the silence. "Well, it looks like the Cardassians have been busy." Sisko was glad
to remove the sheet of uneasy silence that had fallen upon Ops.

"But maybe they were lying.  For all we know they could be trying to keep us away. It's impossible for the Cardassians to have advanced significantly even if they didn't suffer any revolts. It would be highly unlikely that the Cardassians could have advanced faster than Starfleet or the Klingons" Dax said from behind her conn.

"Sir, there are two Cardassian vessels coming out of warp, and they have their shields and weapon systems charged" O'Brien said with an air of fright in his voice. "Shall we raise our shields sir?"

"No, I don't want to prove a threat." Sisko watched the screen with great anxiety waiting for the moment when they would fire their weapons.

"They're hailing us," Dax said.

"On screen".

"Hello again Sisko, have I surprised you? Bringing two ships along probably is a shock to you and your crew".

"Yes, your incursion towards DS9 is a shock and I demand to know why your weapons are charged!" Sisko's voice began to lose its control.

"Just a precaution Captain, you never know." The woman grinned and turned towards the window behind her. "You know Captain, the Cardassians never used to explore, we always used to fight and acquire our technology from violence and barbaric behavior, but that was such an inefficient way.  Now we have improved.  Now we are more efficient and less brutal. Captain you should not fear us, for we are your allies." The Cardassian smiled at Sisko and her eyes glinted.

"I'm glad to hear that." Sisko sounded uneasy.

"Good. Now why don't you allow my people to come aboard your DS9 so we can rest and take advantage of your recreational facilities." The screen flicked and went black.

"I guess she didn't want an answer," O'Brien said to Sisko.

"I guess not," Sisko said in reply.
 
 

The Enemy

"Who are these people?" Quark said while watching another Cardassian stroll into his bar. "They're acting as if they own this place".

"They are Cardassians, Quark, can't you tell" Odo said in a sarcastic voice.

"I know that, but they don't seem the same. They're too quiet, as if they are up to something.  Trust me, my lobes are tingling and that means something's up," Quark whispered into Odo's ear.

"Quark, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a Cardassian and a Thorlian Wolf." Odo turned, raised his eyes, and stood up.

"Fine, think what you like, but don't came running to me when a Cardassian pulls a phaser out and starts killing everyone."

"Don't worry I won't" Odo smiled and walked out of the bar.

"He'll need me one of these days," Quark mumbled to himself, while taking a glass from under the bar to attend to an impatient
Cardassian.

* * *

The station was crowded with Cardassians, all demanding service.  Most shops had closed due to their fear of them and frequent brawls between Cardassians and Bajorans created an uneasy atmosphere in the station.  Sisko could sense this, but was unable to intervene, as he knew that would only add to the already unstable atmosphere.  All Sisko could do was wait until they left, and provide as good a service as he could for his 'guests'.

"Captain, I'm sure you are not happy with our presence here, but don't fear as, we mean no harm.  This visit is merely a bit of shoreleave for my people.  Oh, and Captain, I'm sure you can see we are harmless," the women said while taking her hands off Sisko's baseball.

"Yes, I can see this, but for the Bajorans it's a nightmare.  Your people are scaring them and reports from security say that there are constant fights between the two." Sisko picked up his ball checking that it hadn't been tampered with by the Cardassian.

"Bajorans, they have only been a nuisance.  I don't see why you defend them.  What have they done for you except take up valuable space on this station and keep it for their own kind. Captain I am very surprised that you have let them onto this station." The woman knew she was bringing up one of Sisko's sensitive sides.

"Gul Macet, if you can recall this station is Bajoran, it's up to the Bajoran Provisional Government who does what!" Sisko turned around and looked out of the window.

"Captain, are you telling me you are merely a worker of the Bajorans?  I'm surprised I thought you had control and authority
over these pathetic people, you have proven me wrong Captain and let me down." The women knew she was offending Sisko, but kept it up to try and discover his hidden weakness.

"I see this as of no importance to you or the Cardassians, it is a Bajoran matter," Sisko said in a harsh tone.

"Fine Captain, I can tell you have no liking for my people on your station." The women stood up and touched a device around her wrist.  Suddenly a flash of light surrounded her and she disappeared.

Several seconds later Dax's voice broke through Sisko's communicator. "Captain, all the Cardassians have gone".

"They have gone from here too.  Dax meet me in Ops." Sisko's door clunked open just as Kira and Dax appeared from the turbolift.

"What happened?" Kira sounded surprised but her faced seemed relieved that they had finally left.

"The Cardassians just disappeared without warning," Dax said.

"I was talking to Gul Macet and I seem to have offended her.  She must have activated the device on her wrist and transported the rest of her crew from aboard the station." Sisko seemed embarrassed at his mistake, but relaxed when Kira thanked him.

"Thank goodness they've gone" Kira said.  The human expression sounded natural on her lips.

"Sir, the ships are moving into an attack formation," O'Brien shouted from the center of Ops.

"They're hailing us," Dax called.

"On screen." This time Sisko sounded nervous.

"We have tolerated your attitude towards us long enough.  It's such a shame, we could have been great allies".  The screen flickered off.

"Sir, the ships hulls are opening? Dozens of smaller vessels are coming towards the station," Kira said.

"Raise shields and power all weapons" Sisko sounded strong, as if this were his favorite part of being Captain of an immensely powerful station.

"The ships are preparing for their first attack".  The violent sounds of red alert echoed across the station and the lights dimmed. The Station shuddered under the first attack of the fighters.

"Shields holding," O'Brien shouted over the sound of red alert.

"Fire!" Sisko roared.  One of the fighters was hit; its shields fluctuated.  A second volley of fire from the fighters rocked the
station.  "Report," Sisko called.

"Shields around the pilons are at sixty percent," O'Brien sounded surprised.

"Already?" Dax said while trying to maintain hull integrity.

* * *

On the promenade, masses of people ran to the bunkers.  At the entrance stood Bajoran soldiers signaling people to hurry.  Another hit rocked the station, the mass of people fell and women screamed.

* * *

"Captain, the Cardassian ship's hull is opening again, a smaller vessel is coming out.  It's moving into position under the station,"
Kira's voice expressed the pain of her arm, which was injured during the first attack.

"Concentrate all fire power upon that vessel," Sisko's powerful voice had broken and he sounded weaker.

The vessel's shields absorbed the phaser and the torpedo hits like arrows hitting a tank.  It continued moving until it was directly
under the station.  Then with a flash of light a huge beam radiated from the ship.  The beam's destruction was immense, it ripped through the shields and shredded up the station's hull. The station's shields fell and a fire lit up Ops.

"Sir, their shields have adapted to our weapons.  Our weapons... they are useless," O'Brien's voice stuttered but under the noise of the explosions it was hidden.

"Reroute all power to the shields" Sisko was running out of options and his voice was giving it away.  "I'm going to evacuate the station. Dax you organize the evacuation. Take the civilians and the rest of the crew to Bajor." The idea of
the escape pods being destroyed crossed his mind but it was his only available option.

Dax ran towards the turbolift and she disappeared below Ops.  Suddenly the whole station tipped and an explosion at the
back of Ops threw the crew forward.

"Report!"

"Shields have collapsed, weapon systems are offline, there are hull breaches on decks three through twenty and there are casualty reports coming from all over the station. Power-" Kira was cut off as O'Brien was catapulted from his console with the volley of hits from the fighters.

Suddenly it went quiet; all firing and explosions had stopped. O'Brien forced himself to his console and reported.

"Sir, the ships have stopped their attack, and they are hailing us." O'Brien's face was severely cut and his injured arm was clutched by his healthy arm.

Sisko shook his head to clear his blurred vision. "Put them through."

"Captain, you have disappointed me again. I thought your station would put up more of a fight than that.  I was sure Starfleet would have advanced more than this, you-" the women's voice was cut off.

"The vessels have gone into warp," Kira said sounding relieved.

"O'Brien, I want all repair teams on the damaged systems, or what's left of the repair teams.
 

Recovering

        All around the station repair teams worked. The promenade and other civilian areas were closed and a sense of defeat was present among the inhabitants, but to Quark there was sense of lost profit.

"I knew this would happen! I told you the Cardassians were up to something, but nooo, nobody would believe Quark," Quark moaned but O'Brien only frowned and walked away.

"We'll need several back up conduits for this power generator," a woman's voice called from under the floor.

"I'll get them once I've reactivated the replicator" someone replied from across the Promenade.

"Is anyone listening to me?" Quark walked to follow O'Brien but was thrown to the floor by a sudden burst of energy.

"What's going on? Can't a person get to his own establishment without being stunned by a force field?" Quark jerked back up and rubbed his hands.

"Sorry, but this areas shut off to civilians due to unstable debris," O'Brien shouted, from behind the safety of the field.

Quark hobbled over to his brother who was watching the repair teams. "Can't you do anything better than watch these, these human idiots?" Quark stuttered trying to find an appropriate name for the humans working on the Promenade.

"I... I like watching them work, it's relaxing." Rom felt shy talking to his brother, but plucked up the courage to walk away and sit several meters out of his brothers eyesight.

"Everyone's crazy on this damn station, the only thing they can think about is work," Quark mumbled to himself and retreated from the Promenade.

* * *

        In Ops, Sisko was discussing the procedures he should use to defend the station from another Cardassian attack.

"I don't understand why the Cardassians retreated, they could have destroyed this station," Dax sounded confused but was not only person who didn't understand the events that had taken place.

"The Cardassians could have easily destroyed us, they wouldn't have left unless it proved a tactical advantage" Worf said whilst coming out from behind Sisko's office.

"I suggest we don't discuss what they could do, but rather how we can prevent it from happening again," Sisko suggested.

"I don't see how the Cardassians could have advanced so much since we last met." Dax again brought another uneasy question to the agenda.  Sisko looked at her and her eyes fell.

"It's possible the women was telling the truth that they had advanced significantly," Kira said whilst walking out of the turbolift.  All heads turned towards the sudden change in opinion.

"She's correct," Worf agreed. "The Cardassians could have advanced and if this is true then the Alpha Quadrant is at great risk."

Sisko nodded his head and sat down, the rest of his crew followed his actions and watched his expressions changing.
"This station has the most advanced defenses and weaponry available to Starfleet, but they proved to have no effect against the
Cardassian technology. " Sisko stood up and walked to the nearest computer terminal.  As Sisko entered the pass code the computer hummed to life.

"What are you looking for Captain?" Kira said (speaking for the rest of Ops).  Sisko never replied only looked at the flashing screen.

"Sisko, I think we should evacuate the civilians to Bajor, like we planned earlier, just in case they attack again," Dax said.

"Make it so," Sisko said without taking his eyes off the computer.

Kira moved behind Sisko's back and looked over his shoulder. "Sir, why are you looking up all previously known contact with the Cardassians?" Kira moved backwards to allow Sisko to look up.  Sisko finally raised his head.

"I'm checking to see what state the Cardassians were in before the period of isolation." Sisko lowered his head and looked at the flickering screen again.  Ops fell silent.  The beeping of a computer broke the silence; Kira ran to it and activated the main screen.

"Captain I have heard the reports of what happened to your station yesterday," the voice of an old man came out of the speakers.  "Can you fill me in with the details?"  Sisko looked up, deactivated his computer, and stepped towards the screen.

"Admiral, what a pleasant surprise." Sisko sounded uneasy.  "Yes, yesterday our station was attacked by the Cardassians".

The old man moved closer towards the screen, the light reflected off his silvery hair and his bushy eyebrows grew larger.
"Cardassians? I thought they had been in isolation?" the old man's surprise created deep burrows across his forehead.

"Admiral, I was just as surprised as you were when I heard the news myself.  It was shock to all of us." Sisko felt relieved that he wasn't the only high ranking officer that was surprised at such an event.

"Captain, I want you and your crew to meet in the Defiant at these coordinates." The man moved and his golden com badge reflected the light from Earth's sun, Sisko's mind melted at the thought of being at home with his family.

"Captain is that all right" the old mans croaky voice cut through his thoughts like a knife.  Sisko nodded and replied.

"Yes, sir"

"Admiral Jenkins out".  Sisko looked at the black screen thinking about the happy times that he had on Earth, for Sisko it would be a treat to go back home.

"Captain, are you okay?" Kira's warm voice was a nice change from the strict voices of Starfleet

"I hope so," Sisko said.
 

Interlude

        Sisko sat back admiring the bridge of the Defiant in his comfortable captain's chair, the Defiant wasn't a luxurious ship but compared to the cold Cardassian station it seemed like heaven. Sisko adored the Defiant, in many ways because it was his very own, DS9 was half-Bajoran and he didn't have complete authorization over his crew, but within the Defiant he had command and had the power of a warship at his fingertips. He felt safer in the Defiant, mainly due to the fact that it could move and wasn't limited to its own mass like DS9.

"Entering coordinates from Admiral Jenkins computer," Worf's cold Klingon voice called from behind his chair.  Sisko turned himself around and acknowledged his request.

"Take us out, maximum warp.  The admiral said it was urgent and I suggest we take him up on that" Sisko turned back around and nodded towards Dax, she punched the commands into her console and the ship jumped into warp.  Sisko considered cloaking but decided against it, as he wasn't in any danger, yet.

"Sir we have reached the designated coordinates," Dax's tireless voice woke Sisko from a deep dreamless sleep.

"On my way," Sisko forced his words out trying to hide the fact he hadn't been awake.

"Enjoy your sleep?" Dax sniggered as Sisko walked onto the bridge.  Sisko never replied, but smiled to show he had acknowledged her comment.

"Sir, we have reached Admiral Jenkins coordinates, but we are unable to detect any ships on long range sensors." Kira turned around towards Sisko's chair and waited for an answer.

"Scan for debris of any kind, just in case the Cardassians have already been here," Sisko said.

Kira worked at her computer for several seconds activating scans and readings. "There is no debris or any life signs within thirty parsecs," Kira said.

Sisko looked long and hard towards the screen as if looking for anything the sensor could have missed.

"Sir, there are two ships coming out of cloak" Worf stood up with shock, but his Klingon emotions took over and he sat back down.

"Is there a problem Worf?" Sisko said whilst keeping his head fixed towards the screen.  Worf rose his lip and muttered to himself.

"Sir, those ships they're... they're-" Dax's surprised voice was cut off suddenly by Sisko.

"They're Defiant Class," Sisko said finishing Dax's sentence.

"One of the vessels is hailing us."

"On screen," Sisko ordered with anxiety.

"Welcome, captain, I'm so glad you made it safely," the old man's face appeared on the screen.

"What are these?" Dax asked.

"These are Defiant class attack ships, and are beginning assigned to work with you," the face of a younger man appeared upon the screen.

"To defend us against the Dominion, I suppose," Sisko sounded let down at the fact that these ships would be sitting lifeless to defend against a presumed Jem'Hadar invasion.

"No, no, no that would be a waste, no we want you to use them to sneak into Cardassian territory and find out what's going on. I myself am surprised at the sudden advancement in technology."

Sisko seemed relieved at the old man's joint opinion with him.  Sisko rubbed his hands and looked around his bridge.

"Admiral what exactly do you expect us to do?" Dax asked.

The young man steeped forward and his eyes opened. "We want you to use these ships to infiltrate Cardassia and, in disguise
as Cardassians, find your way into their headquarters."

"What? That would be suicide!" Worf stood again and his dark Klingon voice echoed across the bridge.

"Ah Mr. Worf, the Klingon. I thought you would have something to say about this matter." The Admiral used Worf's Klingon heritage against him.  Worf looked around the bridge then quickly fell to his chair. "Good, now that we have settled that, I presume you will all want to get prepared.  You have a long mission ahead of you." The old man's face smiled just as the view screen went black.

"I've never liked him," Dax moaned.

"Dax, this is no time to go against our own kind," Sisko walked over to Worf.

"You took that well," Sisko reassured Worf, keeping in mind that he was an aggressive Klingon.  Worf wasn't sure how to react, but thanked Sisko with a neutral nod.

* * *

"How do I look?" Dax said whilst admiring her Cardassian features in a mirror.

Kira moved over to Dax and frowned.  "I can't say you look bad, or good".

Dax remembered about Kira's history with Cardassians and decided to rephrase her question. "Well imagine you were a Cardassian, how do I look now?" Dax said.

"Dax, how can you expect me to imagine myself as one of them after what they did?" Kira turned around and looked at the ground.

"I didn't mean it like that," Dax said in shameful tone.

"No, I'm sorry I guess I'm getting a bit carried away with all the things that have happened lately" Kira recited as she turned again to face Dax.

"I understand why you don't want to go on this mission," Dax said finally speaking to Kira's face.  Kira was easily offended when it came to dealing with Cardassians, but Dax had finally adjusted to her unusual temperament.

Kira was about to answer Dax's original question, but was interrupted by O'Brien's mellow Irish voice.  "Dax report to the bridge immediately".

"I guess it's goodbye." Dax said.

"For now," Kira said, trying to lighten the mood of the conversation.
 

Detection

"Dax, enter a course for Cardassia," Sisko said whilst scratching his newly formed flesh.

Dax entered the coordinates into her computer and as she turned she caught a glimpse of her Cardassian face, she
jumped back but then recalled her situation. "Course laid in," Dax said whilst trying to prevent catching her
reflection in the computer.

"Activate cloaking device."  Slowly the ship's lights dimmed and the noise of the computers muted. "Engage, maximum warp".

Dax's hands flew across the computer like a talented pianist playing a piano.  The ship flew into warp followed by the rest of the fleet.

"Are the ships following?" Sisko asked.

"Yes, at maximum warp" Worf replied leaning his new Cardassian head against the chair.

There was an eerie silence among the crew, maybe because they all looked like Cardassians or maybe because the mission they were about to execute was suicidal.  Sisko was itching for an adventure but nothing as dangerous as this.  He had prepared for a Dominion invasion and fought the Klingons many a time in the past, but this time he felt scared and for a Starfleet captain at the edge of the Federation that was unusual, but this mission, he had no idea how to go about it.

"Sir, we are about to enter Cardassian territory" Dax said to the rest of the crew.

"Slow to impulse," Sisko ordered.  Both Sisko and Worf frowned at Dax's hesitation to slow down which she seemed to ignore.

"Contact the other ships and tell them we have reached Cardassian space and that we plan to proceed unless we are intercepted by the Cardassians." Sisko had confidence in Dax more than any crew member aboard, partly due to the fact that he had known her most of his time in Starfleet; he trusted most of his crew but not as much as the 'old man'.

"The ships have received our message," an ensign called from the back of the bridge.  Sisko turned to acknowledge him.

"There are two ships on long sensors at bearing two, five, seven mark nine, four, one," Worf said.

Sisko pulled his chair around to face him. "Have they detected us?" Sisko said finishing his voyage to face Worf's console.

"I doubt it, they haven't changed their course to match ours," Worf replied.

"Good.  Continue on our course." Sisko yawned and put his hands over his Cardassian face.  " I think I'm going to my quarters for a rest."  Sisko stood up and walked towards the door.  "Dax you have the bridge."  Sisko felt nervous about leaving the bridge at a time like this, but backed himself up when he considered Dax's capabilities and qualifications.

"Dax to Sisko, Dax to Sisko." Sisko woke up suddenly, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and tapped his com badge.

"Sisko here".

"We have picked up a ship coming towards our position."

Sisko envied her calm and fresh voice. "I'm on my way." Sisko tapped his com badge and walked to the sink he touched the cold water tap and splashed it against his pudgy face.  He gasped for breath under the coldness of the water.  As he looked in
the mirror he jerked back at the shock of the unusual face he saw then stepped forward again.  He ran his fingers down his nose and forehead, it was bumpy and jagged, he couldn't wait to have his old face back.  As he walked onto the bridge Dax quickly stood up and walked to her assigned console.  "Report," Sisko said.

"We have detected one Cardassian vessel heading towards our position," Worf said.

"Speed?"

"Warp 9," Dax said quickly preventing Worf from getting in.

Sisko looked around the bridge looking for crew members with any suggestions, but most of them had their heads fixed down towards their consoles.

"Bring the ship to a halt and cut off all power, let's try the old stealth tactic." Sisko turned to face his chair as the lights dimmed
again then went out.

"Have you contacted the other ships?" Sisko said sitting down.

"Yes, we warned them but they already knew," Dax said.

"The other vessels are lowering their power to match ours" Worf reported.  Suddenly all went quiet.  No one talked, no computers hummed and the engines slowly silenced.

"Sir, the ships have entered our sector," Dax whispered as if the ships would be able to hear her talking.  Sisko never replied only looked towards the screen.  Suddenly the shipped dipped.

"What happened?" Sisko shouted ignoring the silence.

"The Valiant has been hit," Worf said, keeping his calm voice under control.

"What, how could the ship detect us?" Sisko asked.

"I have no idea, but I suggest we raise our shields."

Sisko stood up. "Power up phasers, deactivate the cloak and raise shields," Sisko said with practiced ease.  The ship's lights came back on and the sounds of red alert echoed. "What's the condition of the Valiant?" Sisko said walking to Dax's console.

"She has several hull breaches, her shields are offline, cloaking device is down, and phasers are inoperative." Dax didn't sound
concern about the vessel, but she was talented at hiding her feelings. Suddenly the ship dipped and bucked.  Sisko braced himself on his control with the heels of both hands.

"Report," Sisko said.

"Shields are holding." Worf shifted his hand onto another console, almost losing his balance. "Sir, from our former knowledge of Cardassian weapons I expect that that was a warning shot. I suspect that was just to let us know they know we're here," Worf said with his Klingon confidence.

"Sir, the ship is hailing us," a young woman's voice called from beside Dax's console.

"Put them through," Sisko ordered.
 

Confrontation

        A picture of a Cardassian man flickered onto the screen. "This is the Cardassian vessel Pracktor, you and your fleet are
violating Cardassian territory, if you do not leave now then I will be forced to open fire".

"I am Captain Ben Sisko of the Federation Starship Defiant." Sisko sat back down as if showing the Cardassian he was at ease with the situation.

"I have no concern of who or why you are here." The small view screen turned black.

"Well, they were friendly," Dax joked, but her comment didn't seem to lighten the hearts of the rest of the captivated crew.

"This time I think we should  make the first move." Worf wasn't certain his theory would work but before he could change his mind Sisko had stood up and decided to prepare to attack.

"Ready arc number launchers," Sisko said wishing he had changed course when he first detected them. "Fire!" Sisko ordered.
The ship rocked under the immense amount of power being fired from the ship.  Sisko watched the torpedoes glide towards the Cardassian vessel.  Sisko clutched his fist as the torpedoes suddenly vanished off the screen.

"Sir, the torpedoes, they have just disappeared," Worf's Klingon voice broke under the sheer surprise of the incident.  The Cardassian vessel moved closer towards the fleet then a huge beam of energy locked onto the ship directly above the Defiant.

"Dax, what are they doing to the Renegade?" Sisko asked.

"They seem to be firing some sort of energy weapon.  The Renegade's shields are being drained.  Fifty percent, forty, thirty, twenty."  Dax's drone like voice was cut off by a huge explosion that shook the bridge and her crew forward.

"That's it." Sisko walked over to the tactical console and entered several coordinates, suddenly without hesitation the ship shuddered into movement.  After several seconds of moving around the Cardassian vessel the Defiant rapidly fired.

"Nice one," Dax said praising Sisko's talent.

"Oh, just a trick I learnt fighting the Jem'Hadar."

The Defiant continued moving further away from the vessel as if preparing for an explosion, as the phasers hit the ship, its shields glowed but there were no explosions.

"The ship's shields have adapted," Worf said trying not to let the frustration into his voice.

Sisko growled under his breath and turned to Dax's shoulder. "Try firing a configured torpedo that changes frequency on impact."  In Sisko's voice it was possible to hear he was rapidly looking for options.  Dax's hands flew over the console and a torpedo appeared on the view screen, as it shrunk the crew watched it.

"The torpedo had no effect." Sisko shook his head and stepped back.  Then from below them flew the Valiant. "What's that ship up to? Dax put me through.  This is Sisko, what are you doing?  You're going to get yourself killed out there."  There was
no reply.  As the ship moved past the vessel another energy beam locked onto it within a matter of seconds it blew up.

"Dax prepare to get us out of here, maximum warp".

"Aye, aye." Dax seemed let down at their instant defeat but continued entering in the coordinates.  As the ship moved into warp the Cardassian vessel locked onto it.  The Defiant buckled under the pressure.  As the Defiant was being slowly pulled towards the vessel the Renegade used this opportunity to escape; it turned around, but as the ship entered warp the Cardassian vessel locked onto it and the Renegade suddenly exploded.

"Sir, the Cardassian vessel has locked onto us, and the Renegade has been destroyed." Dax raised her eyebrows with warning and looked at Sisko.

Sisko ignored her warning.  "Modulate shield frequency, maybe that will discharge the weapon," An ensign beside him worked at the console but nothing happened.

"Sir it had no effect," the ensign reported.

"Shields, they are at 30 percent and falling.  We have a hull breach on decks two and three," Worf reported.

"Sir, what's going on?  We almost have a warp core breach on our heads down here," O'Brien's angry voice interrupted the stressful moment.

"We have been attacked by the Cardassians and they are draining our shields. I'm sending Worf down there to help." Sisko pointed at Worf and signaled him to hurry.

"Right Captain." Sisko tapped his console and the door slide shut as Worf quickly moved out.  The ships lights dimmed and the sound of Red Alert morphed.

"Sir, our shields have collapsed."  Then without warning the Cardassian vessel stopped its beam of destruction and left.

"The vessel has stopped firing and-" Sisko raised his hand cutting off Dax's report.

"They've done it again." Sisko scratched his face, reminding himself he was still dressed up as a Cardassian.  He looked hard at the screen and frowned.

"Why?  They could have destroyed us," Sisko said softly.
 

The Message

As Sisko walked to engineering he crossed the path of many repair teams and injured crewmen.  Sisko felt disappointed at their defeat; three ships capable of mass destruction by taking advantage of the 'latest' Federation technology available and it was all destroyed in a matter of minutes.  He was determined for revenge but didn't have the chance to acquire it, not for a long time.

"What's going on down here?" Sisko shouted over the hiss of disrupted plasma tubes.

O'Brien walked over to Sisko and signaled an engineering team to take over his job. "We have fixed the core breach, but I still have problems with the cloaking, shields, and even the phasers.  We sure took a battering!"

"We are a sitting duck to the Cardassians.  Hopefully if they continue the way they have been then we should be safe, but I want the shields and cloak back on line as soon as possible,"  Sisko said as he walked back to allow an engineer carrying a damaged console past.

"I can't say how long it'll take, but I can assume that the cloak will take approximately 48 hours to repair and that's being
optimistic," O'Brien said trying to keep the captain happy.

"I don't care how hard it is, we need shields," Sisko shouted over a large explosion from behind a smoking console.

"I can't promise you anything for at least another 2 or 3 days," O'Brien called whilst turning his head to see the explosion from
behind his back.  Several engineers ran to the console carrying fire extinguishing units.

"You have 24 hours," Sisko said as he walked towards the turbolift.  O'Brien raised his hand to protest but it was too late.

* * *

On the bridge Dax and Worf were trying to fix power losses and navigation errors caused by the loss of the navigation deflector. "I'm going to try and reroute all auxiliary power to the secondary navigation array," Dax called from behind her assigned console.  She tampered around with several pads and executed her plan.  "Damn!" She called as she fused the console power.

"I don't see how the Cardassians could have advanced so quickly without help from outsiders," Worf said ignoring his assigned task.

"What's that?" Dax said cradling her burnt hand in her palm.

"I said, I can't see how the Cardassians could have advanced so quickly," Worf said, sounding annoyed at having to repeat his sentence.

"Maybe they just advanced," Dax said still rubbing her hand.

"That's impossible.  My people destroyed most of their means of recovery, and most of their leaders.  It is clearly impossible that they could have discovered technology with these capabilities and a fleet of an admirable size within a short period of time."

"I have no idea.  I suggest we try and find a way of getting out of here as quickly as possible," Dax said trying to encourage Worf to start working.

"And why didn't they destroy us when they had the chance?  If I were them I would have destroyed us the first time at DS9," Worf said, still not concentrating on the job in hand.  Worf turned around and turned his head to look under a damaged console as he raised his heavy head he knocked it against the edge. "Arrgh! I hate these Cardassians!" Dax chuckled to herself as she saw Worf cursing to himself.

* * *

As Sisko walked towards his quarters Kira's voice cracked through his comm.

"Kira to Sisko".

"Sisko here".

"Captain, The Federation want to talk to you, it's a priority secured message".

"On my way," Sisko said as he tapped his badge.

Once Sisko reached his quarters he sat at his desk and turned the computer to face him  He entered his security pass and accessed his waiting message.  The screen flickered and the President of the Federation appeared on  the screen.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Kira said as he stepped onto the bridge.

"I've not been given permission to tell, but I have orders to go to DS9 as soon as we can."  Sisko turned away from Kira and pressed his comm.  "Sisko to O'Brien".

"O'Brien here".

"We need warp now!"  Sisko said trying to sound as authoratative as possible.

"Sir we only have a maximum warp of two and that will be straining the engines. I can't do anything until we get the warp core
plasma-flux online," O'Brien called from engineering.

"You have one hour, if not then I'm using warp two."  Sisko tapped his badge not allowing O'Brien to reply.  He turned to Kira and from his eyes she could tell that he was clearly determined to reach DS9 soon, but she didn't know for what reason.

* * *