Antimatter (novel)

Introduction
From the back cover: The Bajoran shipyard is assigned to build an engine for a new starship -- a project which could be instrumental in revitalizing the planet's war-ravished economy. As Commander Sisko awaits the arrival of a tanker containing the antimatter that will power the starship, a band of hijackers captures the extremely valuable cargo and escapes through the wormhole.

When the hijacking spurs a political debate, Major Kira struggles to mediate the dispute between the opposing factions. Meanwhile, Sisko makes a desperate move to retrieve the antimatter. With the stability of the Bajoran economy at stake, Sisko, Dax, and Odo infiltrate the hijackers -- a move that could have deadly consequences for them and the planet Bajor...

Chapter 1
Commander Benjamin Sisko and Major Kira Nerys are checking the progress of the construction of the starship USS Hannibal at the Okana Shipyards on Bajor. While there, a bomb explodes nearly causing Sisko and Kira to fall to their deaths. After being rescued by transporter, the two speak with Director Amkot Groell and Minister Roser Issa, who give their assurances that the project will proceed as scheduled. After Sisko and Kira beam back to the Mekong, they worry that Amkot and Roser do not realize the danger they are in. Meanwhile, aboard Deep Space 9, Odo reviews information on the shipment and handling of antimatter in preparation for the shipment of twenty antimatter storage pods destined for the Hannibal. Chief Miles O'Brien informs Odo that he should worry more about thievery than an accident involving the antimatter. The two head to Quark's but O’Brien is summoned to check some seals in cargo bay one, where the antimatter pods will be stored. Odo continues by himself and warns Quark that if anyone conspires to steal the pods, those involved will be thrown off DS9 permanently. As Odo leaves, he notices Quark and another Ferengi arguing about something.

Chapter 2
Jadzia Dax is in her quarters when Major Kira calls and invites her to Quark’s. In Ops, Sisko orders O’Brien to Bajor to investigate the explosion site. O’Brien asks to take Keiko along and Sisko agrees. At Quark’s, Kira and Dax discuss the bombing and the incoming antimatter shipment. Dax notices Quark eavesdropping, but he denies it. Sisko then summons the two to Ops, but before leaving Dax asks Quark inform them of anything he hears. He agrees (as long as there is something in it for him). At the explosion site, Keiko finds some crystallized remains. As Sisko prepares to take a nap he receives a call from Keiko. She informs him that the crystallized traces were a substance known as deveride, which Bajorans chew much as humans used to with chewing gum and tobacco. Apparently it was used as an adhesive for the bomb. However, deveride dissolves in the air after two hours, which means the bomb was placed shortly before the explosion. Later, as the crew is gathered in Ops awaiting the arrival of the convoy, Dax picks up an increase in the neutrino level. This is followed by an influx of plasma and heat readings. The station’s communications are then jammed, preventing them from hailing the convoy. Just as Dax discovers that there at least two cloaked ships in the area, the convoy begins to drop out of warp.

Chapter 3
As the convoy drops out of warp, two Klingon Birds-of-Prey decloak and fire on the two cruiser escorts. One cruiser is disabled and the other retreats into warp. A Bird-of-Prey locks onto the tanker with a tractor beam. Dax discovers that the Klingon ships are renegades. As Sisko, Dax, and Odo prepare to chase the Klingons in a runabout, O’Brien reveals that the disabled cruiser was playing possum. As it fires on one of the Birds-of-Prey, the other cruiser drops out of warp and fires on the other Bird-of-Prey. When the runabout Mekong reaches the tanker, they see that one of the Klingon ships is firing its phasers at the tanker. Sisko hails the Bird-of-Prey and warns them that the destruction of the tanker will kill them all. The Klingon commander tells Sisko to have the tanker lower its shields. The Starfleet cruisers sit idle as they divert power and the second Bird-of-Prey retreats. The tanker, Phoenix, sends out a mayday but is boarded. Someone declares over the comm that the ship is secure for Bajor. The tanker then heads for the wormhole, but the station is unable to stop it. Sisko follows them, letting Kira take care of the cruisers. In the Gamma Quadrant, the Phoenix heads for an uncharted star system as the Mekong continues to ghost it. When they arrive at the third planet, Dax discovers three other ships in orbit; one is a Ferengi Marauder. A small party beams down from the Phoenix. Sisko and Dax follow suit.

Chapter 4
Sisko and Dax materialize in a room with a computer terminal. As Sisko approaches, he notices large bugs crawling around. The interface informs them that they are in Hive III on the planet Eco, and the bugs are called Ecocids, which make up a hive mind. The interface tells them to relinquish their phasers if they wish to leave the room. They do so and the interface pays them ten bilbok for each. The interface offers them a map of Hive III for twelve bilbok, but they decline. Upon leaving the room, they discover many crisscrossing corridors with color-coded lines serving as guides. When they are unable find the Ferengi or Bajorans, Sisko consults another interface and receives directions. They reach a store and see three people who appear to be strangers. Sisko and Dax follow them into a restaurant. The three men, Bajorans, then sit down with some Ferengi. Sisko bumps into an interface and it asks why he does not greet his friends and offers assistance, Dax tells it they do not need help. Dax comes up with a plan to drop a communicator under the Ferengis' table so they can listen to the conversation. Apparently, the Bajoran terrorists and the Ferengi were partners in the hijacking of the Phoenix. Now the Ferengi want to keep the antimatter but the Bajorans want to renegotiate. Sisko and Dax approach and introduce themselves as Marcus Garvey and Jade Dixon, private arbitrators. The lead Bajoran, Rizo, does not trust them and asks the interface how long the two have been there. It lies by telling him they have been there for six days. Rizo agrees to let the two arbitrate. He contacts the Phoenix and beams up. Sisko thanks the interface for lying; it explains its reason for lying is that it wanted a peaceful outcome. An Ecocid returns the communicator to Dax. Sisko and Dax beam back to the runabout, but before doing so the Ecocid jumps into Sisko’s pocket.

Chapter 5
Dr. Julian Bashir is tending to the crewmembers of the USS Regal, on of the Starfleet cruisers, while O’Brien repairs the other cruiser, USS Valor. Captain Jon Rachman approaches Bashir wishing to know when O’Brien will be there. They get into a heated discussion because Rachman wants to go after the Phoenix, despite his ship being damaged and his crew injured. Back on DS9, Jake Sisko arrives in Ops after being summoned by Major Kira. Kira tells him that his father went after the Phoenix, but she does not know what his current situation is. Meanwhile, Sisko and Dax beam back down to Eco. When they reach the emporium again, Dax sees a low-cut golden dress that may serve as a distraction during the negotiation. Dax buys the dress for eighteen bilbok. Rizo finally shows up along with two Bajoran women, Elaka and Petra. The Ferengi soon join them and they all go to a private conference room. There, Gimba explains that the Bajorans were business partners. They wanted the shipyards out of business, and the Ferengi wanted the antimatter. Gimba was going to pay the Klingons after he sold the antimatter. But now the Bajorans want to keep the antimatter because they are upset about the people they lost. Gimba believes the Ferengi should get the antimatter because they planned and organized the entire heist. Elaka suddenly jumps behind Gimba and puts a cord around his throat threatening to kill him. She tells Sisko and Dax that she must listen to the Bajorans’ side first.

Chapter 6
Rizo calms Elaka down and she releases Gimba. Dax suggests that she and Sisko listen to the cases separately. Rizo chooses Dax to hear his side, but Elaka doesn't want her on the Phoenix so they stay on Eco. Sisko and Gimba beam to the Marauder. Gimba tries to bribe Sisko by taking him to his harem. Sisko tries to leave, but is unable to escape the naked Ferengi females. Rizo tells Dax the reason they stole the antimatter was to stop the launch of the Hannibal and embarrass the government in an effort to make the Federation leave Bajor. He believes his people are entitled to the antimatter because of the lives lost in the hijacking. He then tells her something disturbing: the only way to rid Bajor of the Federation is to destroy the wormhole. Sisko extricates himself from the Ferengi women by telling them he is a Vulcan, but promises to return during pon farr. He goes to the bridge and tells Gimba he is already inclined to help him, in exchange for some antimatter. They go to a lounge where Sisko outlines his plan to double-cross the Bajorans, in exchange for three pods of antimatter. He and Dax will work out an agreement to give the Bajorans the tanker and some latinum. When the storage pods are transferred to the Marauder, only three people will be present: Gimba, Dax, and Rizo; everyone else will stay on the planet. Gimba will have to stay aboard his ship during the transfer and Dax must overpower Rizo aboard the tanker. Gimba excitedly agrees but warns Sisko against cheating him. Later, Sisko discusses the plan with Odo and Dax. Odo suggests deceiving the Ferengi as well. When Dax (along with a “coat” or “handbag”) and Rizo are alone on the tanker, she will convince him to overpower Gimba and hijack his ship, giving the Bajorans two ships, the antimatter, and any loot on the Marauder. In exchange, she and Sisko will get a few pods of antimatter. Sisko and Dax reluctantly agree, noting that it will require split-second timing to prevent Gimba or Rizo from beaming up reinforcements. Dax sees something move along the floor but attributes it to fatigue. Odo beams down to Eco in the hopes of overhearing the Ferengi or Bajorans.

Chapter 7
Major Kira and Director Amkot go back to Bajor on the Rio Grande. She asks him who tried to kill her and Sisko. He tells her it was remnants of the Circle. He will not give any names for fear of being killed. They told him who to hire and fire, and allowed him to build the Hannibal only to hone the skills of the workers. He regrets what he did, but did it for the one thing he is proud of, the Hannibal. He agrees to tell her who threatened him after the Hannibal launches. On Eco, Odo follows a red line down a corridor. The farther he goes the more Ecocids there are. The corridor narrows in height and width. Eventually, Odo cannot proceed any further without killing dozens of Ecocids. He sees a large hump of insects swarming over something. At the end of the corridor, he sees some unevenly spaced black holes about the size of a fist, with bugs crawling in and out. The hive mind warns him visitors are prohibited in the inner hive; it cannot be responsible for his safety. On Bajor, Major Kira meets with several Bajoran dignitaries: Minister of Public Works Roser Issa, Minister of Commerce Tanar Maya, Minister of the Interior Wistod Emen, council members Kawa Lerdo and Tagen Nico, two assembly members, and a vedek. They grill her about losing the antimatter and the Federation’s carelessness, but she rebukes them for passing judgment on people who do actual work rather than just talking. She will contact Starfleet Command to find out when another shipment of antimatter will come. On the Regal, Captain Rachman keeps pestering O’Brien about when the repairs will be complete. O’Brien tells him he has to find out the parts they need and then get them from Starfleet. Major Kira enters the bridge, and Rachman tells her to leave. He does not realize she is second in command of DS9 until O’Brien tells him. They then contact Admiral Alynna Nechayev. She blames Rachman for his carelessness, but O’Brien explains what happened and she agrees that Command may not have fully considered the instability near Bajor. She informs them that it will take about five days to send another shipment of antimatter and the parts needed to repair the cruisers. She is also sending replacements for Sisko and Dax. Rachman apologizes for his attitude to O’Brien and Kira. Kira asks him to accompany her to speak to Jake. When they reach Jake’s quarters, Nog is impressed by Rachman and excited about the battle. When Nog leaves, Kira tells Jake about the replacement officers. Rachman manages to calm Jake down. When Jake becomes interested in what Rachman is saying, Rachman asks to bunk with him. Jake thanks Kira for telling him in person. She leaves and heads to Quark’s Place.

Chapter 8
After resting, Odo tells Sisko and Dax about the entrance to the inner hive. On Eco, Dax and Sisko inform Rizo of the deal to give him the Phoenix and some latinum, and the Ferengi the antimatter. Dax tells Petra to stop recording and then tells Rizo about the plan to take over the Marauder. Rizo will consider the plan, but in the meantime, Petra will take a poll to see if they should accept the deal. Dax convinces Sisko to leave her alone with Rizo. Rizo kisses Dax and tries to do more, but she breaks away and starts talking. After opening up about his past, he gets angry and tells her to leave. When she meets up with Sisko, Dax recounts what Rizo told her, and concludes that he is mentally unbalanced. Sisko tells Dax that Gimba thinks he can hide additional people on his ship undetected. This, and Dax’s revelation about Rizo nearly causes Sisko to call off the plan. However, Elaka approaches and notifies them that they accept the Ferengi’s terms. As Dax and Sisko leave to tell Gimba the Bajorans have accepted, the interface terminal addresses them. It uses Sisko’s real name and reveals that it knows who he is. The interface then demands a “piece of the action.”

Chapter 9
Major Kira follows a Cardassian into Quark’s where he joins other Cardassians. Kira exchanges words with them and they go back to their ship. She asks what they wanted and Quark tells her information. He also offers a piece of information: the Ferengi were involved in the hijacking. Kira contacts Ops and says to monitor the Cardassian’s communications. O’Brien tells her they just sent a message and requested to undock. She tells O’Brien to keep them there and decode the message. She asks Quark what the Cardassians are up to and he tells her they are scavengers. O’Brien informs Kira that four Cardassian fighters are heading for the wormhole. Kira tells him to warn them away. On Eco, the interface tries to blackmail Sisko and Dax; if they will not give it anything, it will attempt to make a profit from the Bajorans or Ferengi. Sisko gets frustrated and stalks off. Dax asks him if that was wise but he says if she and Odo do not get on tanker, they have failed anyway. While Rachman, Jake, and Nog enjoy a holoprogram of Arizona’s Sabino Canyon, O’Brien contacts Rachman and informs him about the Cardassian fighters. O’Brien tells him they can restore fifty percent of the Regal’s shields. It will not be able to do much; it just has to look like it. Kira interrogates the Cardassians but when they do not admit to anything, she tells them to leave, and if they come back, she will shoot any Cardassian vessel she sees. Commander Sisko dreams that he is in a salmon colored desert. Wind and erosion reveal some writhing black sand. As he falls into the sand, he realizes that it is a collection of Ecocids. He lets out a scream as they eat him alive.

Chapter 10
As Dax and Odo enter his cabin, Sisko discovers he really is covered in Ecocids. Dax and Odo help rid him of the insects, which all manage to burrow out of sight. Odo discovers that the Ecocids produce small amounts of electricity and act like tiny processors to form a computer. Sisko wonders if the Ecocids have a queen like most Terran insects. After finding and studying the Ecocids onboard, which turn out to be sexless soldiers, Dax determines the hive likely has a queen. Odo goes planet side to search for the queen. He assumes the shape of one of the Ecocids’ servants, a hairy humanoid species, in order to get close to the hive entrance. Odo then transforms himself into an Ecocid soldier and crawls into one of the fist-sized holes he saw earlier. He follows the dark chute downward. He discovers there are slivers of metal in the passageway, which act as contacts to the hive mind’s interface. He follows a drone down a side passage and begins to elongate himself, but two nursemaids latch onto his legs, so he morphs into a Bajoran daugu. As he reaches the queen, he changes into his humanoid shape, grabs the queen, hits his combadge, and the two beam away. Later, Dax discovers that if they do not return the queen soon she will die, and the Ecocids may be unable to produce another. Sisko decides to return the queen if the Ecocids promise not to interfere. Dax arrives on Eco to find the interface unresponsive to someone else. However, when Dax addresses it, it replies; it wants to know what happened to the queen. Dax agrees to return her in four hours if the interface agrees to stay neutral in the meantime. It agrees, and tells her the Bajorans left a message asking to meet her in the conference room. Dax arrives in the darkened conference room and finds Elaka there. Elaka offers her a cup of coffee but throws it in Dax’s face when she reaches for it. The two fight viciously for a few minutes. When Dax bashes their heads together giving Elaka a bloody face, Elaka becomes furious. She pulls out the cord she nearly killed Gimba with, and threatens to hang Dax’s head from the bridge of the tanker.

Chapter 11
Elaka gets the cord around Dax’s throat, but Dax manages to get a hand under it. After she overpowers Elaka, Elaka divulges that the Ecocid interface told her Dax mated with Rizo. Dax tells her the Ecocids lied because they wanted a piece of the deal. Elaka warns that Dax better not be lying. Elaka then compliments her on her fighting and leaves. After Dax beams back to the runabout Odo patches her up and the two get some rest. Meanwhile, a skeleton-crewed Regal goes on a shakedown cruise around the Bajor system, during which Rachman confesses an interest in Major Kira. While Gimba beams down his crew, Elaka approaches Dax and asks about her “bag”. Elaka searches the “bag” but finds nothing so Rizo beams Dax up. She meets Rizo on the bridge and asks him if he is going to take the Marauder, but he says no; he does not want to put his people at more risk. They hail Gimba and the ships begin scanning each other. They detect an area of the Marauder’s engine room emitting interference. However, when Rizo asks Gimba why he is interfering with the scan, Gimba asks about some possible life-form readings in one of the Phoenix’s cargo bays. Rizo reveals that they are the dead bodies of the former crew and there is no atmosphere in the bay. Gimba says there are tests for radiation leaks running in the engine room, and they may affect sensors. Rizo decides to go ahead with the docking procedure. During the procedure he reveals to Gimba Dax’s true identity. Gimba does not believe him, so Rizo points a phaser at Dax and orders her to tell Gimba the truth. Dax does not deny that she is a Starfleet officer, but instead says that it does not matter who she once was. Rizo is not pleased…so he shoots her.

Chapter 12
Odo maintains the form of Dax’s purse and waits for the moment to make his move. Gimba asks if Dax is dead, but Rizo only stunned her. Dax wakes up and tells Rizo that if she does not contact Sisko soon he will start firing. Rizo allows her to speak to Sisko but holds the phaser to her head in case she says the wrong thing. During the conversation, Dax gives Sisko the secret message indicating something has gone wrong: “I drank too much coffee.” Rizo allows Dax to walk off her headache. She maneuvers so that Rizo’s back is to Odo. Odo takes humanoid form, morphs his hands into a mallet, and knocks Rizo unconscious. After tying Rizo up, Odo asks if his explanation about the dead bodies in the hold was true. Dax is not sure so she seals off the cargo bays and Odo watches the turbolift. The tanker is too close to the Marauder to fire weapons, so Dax contacts Sisko and informs him of what he needs to do, but words it in a way so the Ferengi won’t get suspicious. Dax lays in a course for the wormhole and Gimba demands to know what she is doing. Sisko fires phasers at the Marauder and Gimba’s image disappears. Dax takes the tanker into warp. Gimba tries to negotiate with Sisko, but Sisko leaves. After Rizo wakes up he warns Dax that the resistance has many friends and she will not make it back to the Federation. Dax and Odo discuss his options for punishment: Federation treatment or Bajoran penal settlement. He refuses to rot in a cell, and tells Dax to kill him, but she stuns him instead. After a near miss from a torpedo, Sisko hails Dax and orders her to continue to the wormhole but she ignores him and doubles back. After evading the Marauder for some time, Sisko fires a microtorpedo which causes no damage. Nevertheless, Gimba still tries to negotiate for the antimatter. Sisko activates the self-destruct and sets a collision course to the Marauder. Just as the Phoenix arrives, Sisko fires another microtorpedo. The Phoenix then fires phasers on the Marauder. Sisko tells Dax to head for the second rendezvous point. The Phoenix retreats into warp and Sisko cancels the self-destruct. On the Phoenix, Odo hears a thud beyond the turbolift. Rizo says the ghosts are coming after them. Dax brings up schematics of the ship for Odo to study so that he can look for intruders. Rizo continues to babble about the ghosts of the dead and tells Dax that like the ghosts, they will not escape.

Chapter 13
When the Ferengi fail to pursue, Sisko informs Dax that he is going back to find out why. He tells Dax to proceed to the wormhole. Rizo interrupts and rambles on about ghosts. Dax tells Sisko that the “ghost” may actually be an intruder on the Phoenix. Dax and Odo decide to stop at the rendezvous point and search for the intruder; they will also check on the antimatter and look for a secure place to put Rizo. The three of them head to the cargo bays on deck three. After searching in vain for some tricorders, Dax fills bays two and three with atmosphere. They enter bay three, the smallest of three, and decide to leave Rizo there. After vaporizing the circuitry for the bay, Dax and Odo leave and Dax makes sure the bay is secure. The two then enter bay one and check on the antimatter pods; everything appears to be in order. Then they enter bay two, the one with the bodies. There they discover a spacesuit, which someone could have used to hide in the room without the atmosphere. Just as they realize that they are not alone, the door begins to shut behind them. Meanwhile, Sisko arrives at the Marauder’s location to find it under attack by four ships. The Ferengi manage to disable one of the fighters, but the other three are able to overtake the Marauder. The Ferengi captain sends a distress call and warns Sisko to get away because he cannot help them. Right after he alerts Sisko that the other ships are Cardassian, the Marauder explodes. The fighters head for Sisko and he quickly jumps to warp.

Chapter 14
As the cargo bay door closes, Dax draws her phaser and fires on the door’s seals, sensors, and control panel, jamming it partly open. Odo discovers that someone went into bay one and activated the freight turbolift. He and Dax go to bay three and find Rizo and Petra embracing. Dax tells Petra she can stay there and displays some sympathy towards them. After leaving and disabling the freight turbolift, Odo reminds Dax that the two are murderers. Meanwhile, Sisko hails the Cardassian vessels and Gul Nerwat of the Yaro responds and asks to search the runabout. Sisko refuses so Nerwat gives him ten seconds to stop and let them board. Sisko closes the communication and opens a channel to Dax. As Sisko describes his situation to Dax, the Cardassians fire a torpedo at him. He manages to evade and damage one ship with phasers. They return fire and disable the Mekong’s shields and weapons. Just then, the Phoenix drops out of warp and disables another fighter. The remaining fighter begins firing on the tanker. Sisko hails Nerwat and warns her to cease fire, but she instructs him to make the tanker lower its shields or they will destroy it. Sisko asks to speak with the tanker’s captain, and Nerwat gives him five minutes. During the conversation, Odo gives Sisko the idea to use antimatter pods as depth charges. Sisko speaks to Nerwat again and tells her the Phoenix’s crew needs five minutes to disable some safety precautions; she reluctantly agrees and permits him to leave. In the meantime, Dax asks Rizo for help and he is more than happy to kill some Cardassians. However, she asks him for his word that he will not turn on them. He tells her that he does not want to be captured by Cardassians; he will be happy if he dies fighting them. They go to the bridge where Dax sets a course for Odo and instructs him to relay the speed and distance of the fighters. The Cardassians hail them and Dax orders Odo to lower the shields and tell them to make their approach. Dax and Rizo head for cargo bay one where Dax begins reconfiguring one of the pods to shut down its magnetic field after a set time. When the ships close to five hundred kilometers, Odo takes the tanker to impulse. Dax finishes setting the timer and Rizo activates the procedure to eject the pod through the ship’s docking nose. Dax alerts Odo and he raises the shields. The pod soon explodes, causing Dax to fall but Rizo pulls her to a clear area. Odo informs them that there are no traces of the fighters and Dax orders him to go to warp. As she starts to get up Rizo pushes her back down, pulls out a phaser, and tells her she is not going anywhere.

Chapter 15
Dax manages to kick Rizo away and hide among the antimatter pods. Dax calms Rizo down by talking to him and gets him to relinquish his phaser. Meanwhile, Captain Rachman gets the date he wanted; he and Major Kira share some drinks in Quark’s. Their conversation is interrupted when O’Brien informs Kira that something is coming through the wormhole. Kira tells him to check for other unusual readings, such as cloaked ships. She then heads for Ops and Rachman goes to the Regal. As Kira arrives in Ops, the Phoenix and Mekong emerge from the wormhole. Just then, the two Birds-of-Prey decloak. The Phoenix does not respond, but the Klingons hail DS9. Kira orders it on screen and demands what they are doing; a Bajoran responds by telling her they are going to destroy the tanker and the wormhole. As the Phoenix continues toward them, the Klingon ships power up their weapons. Meanwhile, the Mekong heads for the docking ring. The Birds-of-Prey fire on the tanker and it explodes. However, the explosion is not as devastating as it should have been. As they wonder where the antimatter is, Ensign Pertwee in docking port three announces that the Mekong has docked and it is crammed with antimatter pods. Kira orders Rachman to get rid of the Klingon ships. As the Regal approaches them, they streak off into warp and the Regal returns to the station.

Chapter 16
The crew celebrates the return of the antimatter in one of Quark’s holosuites. Sisko relates why they transferred the antimatter: as a precaution against whatever may be waiting for them in the Alpha Quadrant. Sisko then toasts the crew of the Phoenix, who went down with their ship. Later, Sisko speaks to Necheyev and tells her that his replacement is unnecessary. She tells him that Commander Shelby will be disappointed. Dax enters his office and tells him about Rizo and Petra’s punishments. Petra will go to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Rizo came up with his own sentence: convert one of the old Cardassian prisons into a factory for ship components. Convicts would be allowed to work for Bajor, even from a prison. However, he will still receive a life sentence. Sisko and Kira later join several VIPs to watch the launch of the Hannibal. The Hannibal soon launches and quickly recedes into the sky. Kira then hails Amkot Groell but there is no response. After speaking with Chief Engineer Daken, they find out that Amkot retreated to his private office just after the launch. When Sisko and Kira arrive at his office, they find Daken trying to override the door. Amkot is not responding to Daken, even though the computer says he is in the room. Kira quickly disables the door control using her phaser. They find Director Amkot slumped over his desk, a blackened hole in his head and a phaser near his hand. As Daken calls for help, Siko checks for Amkot’s pulse, but he is dead. Kira then tells Sisko of how Amkot had set them up to be killed, and how he sold his soul to build the Hannibal. As Kira and Sisko leave, they agree that it is a victorious day, especially for Amkot.

Main
Benjamin Sisko/Marcus Garvey • Kira Nerys • Jadzia Dax/Jade Dixon • Julian Bashir • Miles O'Brien • Odo • Quark • Jake Sisko

Recurring

 * Nog
 * Rom
 * Keiko O'Brien
 * Alynna Nechayev

Other

 * Amkot Groell
 * Roser Issa, Minister of Public Works
 * Hage
 * Redac
 * Gimba
 * Rizo
 * Elaka
 * Jon Rachman
 * Petra
 * Tanar Maya, Minister of Commerce
 * Wistod Emen, Minister of the Interior
 * Kawa Lerdo
 * Tagen Nico
 * Jukal
 * Nerwat
 * Pertwee
 * Daken

Referenced
Curzon Dax | Hannibal | Louis XVI | Opaka Sulan | Perez | Jean-Luc Picard | Elizabeth Shelby | Zot

Starships
USS Hannibal (Ambassador class) • USS Mekong (NCC-72617) • Phoenix • USS Regal • USS Rio Grande (NCC-72452) • USS Valor (24th century) • Yaro USS Enterprise-D

Starship classes
Referenced:
 * Antimatter tanker
 * Cardassian fighter
 * Ferengi Marauder
 * Klingon Bird-of-Prey
 * Ferengi Marauder
 * Klingon Bird-of-Prey

Locations
Referenced: Alpha Centauri | Alps | Arizona | Bajoran wormhole/Celestial Temple | Earth | France | Great Lakes | Hannibal, Missouri | Kansas | Napa Valley | Rome | Sabino Canyon | Wolf 359
 * Bajor
 * Okana Desert
 * Okana Shipyards
 * Deep Space 9
 * Operations center
 * Promenade
 * Quark's
 * Eco
 * Hive III

Species
Referenced: Borg | Crayfish | Daugu | Elephant | Orion | Pugabeast | Regulan eel bird | Romulan | Vulcan
 * Bajoran
 * Cardassian
 * Changeling/Founder
 * Ecocid
 * Ferengi
 * Human
 * Klingon
 * Trill

States and Organisations
Referenced: Alliance for Global Unity | Bajoran Ministry of Commerce | Bajoran Resistance | Klingon Empire | Klingon High Council
 * Bajoran Militia
 * Starfleet
 * United Federation of Planets

Other

 * Ancient west
 * Antimatter
 * Antimatter pod
 * Betel nut
 * Bilbok
 * Bounty hunter
 * Casino
 * Chewing gum
 * Coffee
 * Convoy
 * Dabo
 * Deveride
 * Fixed-wing aircraft
 * Flux generator
 * Fried chicken
 * Grilled cheese
 * Gulliver's Travels
 * Harem
 * Holosuite
 * I'danian spice pudding
 * Inertial damper
 * Klingon death ritual
 * Native American
 * Occupation of Bajor
 * Operations manual
 * PADD
 * Pon farr
 * Replicator
 * Sarium krellide
 * Shipyard
 * Tellarite fizz
 * Terran
 * Tobacco
 * Trefethen

Information

 * John Vornholt got the idea for this novel after reading the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual. (Voyages of Imagination)

Related stories

 * This novel features several members of the Circle, which was featured in the.