CHAPTER ONE

                "Checkmate."

                Worf looked at the tri-chess board, and then at Counselor Troi, seated across the table from him. Behind her, the window showed the colorful star streaks of the Enterprise traversing space at warp speed. He scowled, "I concede the game to you, Deanna."

                The Betazoid smiled and reached for the game pieces, beginning to reset the board. "Let's see. That's three. Shall we try again?"

                Worf stood. "Perhaps another time, Counselor. I obviously am not having a good day."

                Deanna stood up, too. "Don't fret, Worf. I was the All-District chess champion at my high school."

                "So you've mentioned ... many times."

                She raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. "Funny, I don't recall. Let's get a bite to eat, I'm starved." They walked out of the rec room together. Deanna was glad to have this time to spend with Worf, ever since their duty schedules matched up so they were off-duty together. Worf had been through some emotional hardships lately concerning his late father. He had been quite reserved. Geordi and Data asked her to look after their friend. She didn't need to be asked.

                They arrived at Ten Forward to find a small group of officers and civilians huddled near the bar. At the center of the huddle was Dr. Beverly Crusher helping Guinan to her feet. Worf and Troi rushed over, pushing their way through the crowd.

                "Step back," Worf barked as people automatically stepped away.

                "Beverly," Troi said. "My God, what happened?"

                "I just got a little... woozy," Guinan said as Crusher helped her onto a bar stool.

                "Guinan fainted dead away," Beverly clarified. "One of her assistants called sickbay and she was still out when I got here. Frankly, Guinan. I'm concerned. We should get you to sickbay."

                "Nonsense," the barkeep said. "I'm fine now."

                The Doctor waved a medical sensor up and down the length of Guinan's body. "No unusual readings. Well, I can't force you to come with me. Just take it easy."

                "Certainly." Guinan said. "Maybe I'll end my shift a little early."

                The crowd had backed away and the others had given her breathing room. Guinan got up and stepped into the sanctuary of her office behind the bar.

                Once inside, she fell onto the oversized couch facing the large viewport. Her brow wrinkled as she tried to decipher the images and feelings which temporarily robbed her of consciousness.

                "Q, here! I guess I was stupid to think we would ever escape from that clown's grip," Miles O'Brien sank his teeth into a mutton shank.

                "He's gone now." Keiko sat across from him in the dinning area of their quarters on the Bajoran space station Deep Space Nine. "Well, how is it?"

                Miles took the napkin from his lap and swapped at his face. "It's absolutely delicious. How did you get those bloody Cardassian replicators to do it?"

                "I didn't. I bought the meat from Quark."

                "What?!"

                "He told me he knew a supplier of Earth delicacies and he would sell it to us at a discount. Said something about owing you a favor for help at his bar."

                Miles shook his head. "Honey, you should know Quark is not to be trusted."

                "Not usually, I guess. But when I discovered I had the chance to fix your favorite meal, I couldn't say no."

                "Ahh, that's nice sweetheart." He took another bite of his dinner. "And since Quark needs me to help keep his computers up, he probably wouldn't poison me."

                Miles laughed at the look of shock that crossed his wife's face.

                The perimeter alarms rang through Ops. Major Kira Nerys, the officer on duty, called for sensors. "Is a ship coming through the wormhole?"

                "Negative," said the Starfleet man sitting at Dax's usual station. "Neutrino readings are normal."

                "Then what?," Kira said frustratingly. The perimeter alert alarms meant something was approaching the station.

                "Unknown," the man said.

                "Raise shields! Scan for cloaking device signatures and get me Commander Sisko," Kira took a step toward the overhead viewer which was normally focused on the wormhole. All appeared quiet, but the damn alarms were still blaring in her ears.

                The familiar hydraulic sounds of the turbolift cut through the alarms and Kira spun to see Sisko, Dax and

O'Brien disembarking onto the deck.

                "Report, Major," Sisko's deep voice demanded. Even though the tone was harsh it had a surprising calming effect on Kira.

                "I can't explain it, Sir. The sensors obviously think something's there but they won't tell us what it is."

                Sisko walked up behind Dax, who had taken her spot at the science station. "What can you tell me, Lieutenant?"

                Dax shook her head slightly, "Kira's right. The sensors are confused. But I can tell you it is more than one thing approaching us."

                "Approaching us from where?," Sisko said.

                Then the viewscreen changed and five Federation starships  suddenly orbited Deep Space Nine.