Quest of the Prophets (PG-13)

[La Forge]

The Operations Center of the Bajoran/Federation space station, Deep Space Nine, or OPS for short, was silent except for the constant "beeps" and "boops" of the computer consoles that lined the walls of the huge room. None of the Bajoran or Starfleet officers spoke, as they went on about their daily duties; a regular day aboard Deep Space Nine.

Many people came and went, to and from OPS, via the Turbolift, to the back of OPS. Many people bustled about, handing reports and such to their superiors and whatnot.

However, the bright, multi-colored lights of the many computer consoles that were dotted around the large room would distract one from the busy, almost drone-like officers scattered about the room. The blinking lights were almost hypnotic, with their rhythmitic flashing and the high-pitched sounds that the computers made every so often.

But, besides all of that, it was a regular, dull day aboard DS9...However, that was soon to change.

Outside of the station, visible via the huge, odd-shaped viewscreen above the Commander's Office, one could see the Wormhole...the Bajoran Wormhole. Well, one would see the Wormhole open and expand if someone came through or went into the Wormhole...Something that hasn't happened in what seemed like centuries...

After the War...the Dominion War...no one had entered or exited the Wormhole. It had been a whole two years since the end of the war and still no one would dare to enter the Wormhole...out of fear. Fear of the Dominion.

Yes, the Dominion, the Federation's primary enemy in that great and devastating war. No one in the Alpha Quadrant had heard anything about the Dominion back in the Gamma Quadrant. What happened to them after the war? What had happened to them after that terrible disease had ravaged the Founder's? What had happened to them after that devastating attack on the Founder's homeworld? What had happened?

No one knew the answer to these questions. Only the Dominion, themselves, knew the answers. No one in the Alpha Quadrant knew of what had happened to the Dominion after the war. In fact, no one wanted to know...

The war had been terrible. No one cared about the Dominion, not after what they had done. Betazed was still recovering from its occupation at the hands of the Dominion. Millions of people had been killed. The most ever in Federation history. Most people had just tried to forget the whole thing had ever happened...a hard thing to do, with so much destruction...so much devastation...so much death. Meaningless deaths...at the hands of the Dominion and their conspirators.

Major Kira Nerys was one of the ones that had tried to forget, but, couldn't. So much had happened to her during and after the war. She had made friends, just to see them die in the War, like Jadzia, or in Sisko's case, disappear, possibly, forever.

And, then, there was Odo...Odo...How she had loved Odo. Sadly, she feared that she would never see him, again. He was off in the Gamma Quadrant, helping to rebuild the Dominion...to help build a "new" Dominion...a Dominion without war...without oppression...without violence...a peaceful Dominion. A new Dominion.

However much Kira had missed Odo, she knew that, wherever he was, he was doing the right thing. Things needed to change in the Dominion. The Founder's homeworld had been devastated. The Founder's, themselves, had been devastated, with the disease that Section 31 had inflicted upon them in the war. The Dominion had suffered heavy losses, right alongside the Federation and almost anyone who had been involved in the war. Right now, the Dominion needed a leader. Kira knew in her heart that Odo was destined to be just that...a leader. She knew that he could help turn things around. She knew that he could do it. She had known him for years. Odo was a good man...a reliable man...a strong man...a leader...

While Kira was absorbed in thought, a young Andorian engineer rushed forward, PADD in hand.

"Colonel Kira!" the young Andorian Ensign exclaimed, pointing down at the PADD that he carried with his blue finger. His odd blue antennaes had risen up in all of the "excitement". "Command-Level replicators are down, again." the Andorian explained, excitedly.

This must have been his first assignment. No one else would have gotten so excited over a replicator malfunction. Kira could tell by the spunk in his eyes...He was young...inexperienced...yet to face the dangers and horrors of the real world. Things would change for him, though...soon.

Kira smiled, faintly, at the young Ensign, something that she had rarely done these days. She had nothing to smile about...not after the war.

"That's nothing major, Ensign. The replicators have been on the fritz, on and off, for the last week. I'll have Chief O-" Kira began, leaving her mouth hanging after the "o". She was about to say "I'll have Chief O'Brien check them out, immediately," but, she had thought better of it.

Chief O'Brien was gone. He had been gone for two years. He was back on Earth, serving as a Professor of Engineering at Starfleet Academy. And, in Kira's eyes, he was probably a damn good one.

Nog was the Chief Engineer of DS9, now. While Kira considered Nog to be an excellent officer and a skilled engineer, Kira had come to know Mister O'Brien, after working alongside hime on countless occasions.

Kira wished that she could see him, again. She had missed the Chief, with his funny Irish accent and all. She had spoken to him over subspace on several occasions. From what Kira could tell, Miles had lost some weight. Good for him...

What was this!?! Kira had been lost in her thoughts, again. How silly of her. What was wrong with her today?

"I'll have Lieutenant Nog fix them, right away." Kira said, at length. She nodded to the Andorian. "Thank you for informing me of the situation, Ensign."

The Andorian, filled with pride, nodded in return to the Colonel, before turning around and returned to his post. As he walked away, it looked like he was walking on air...his attitude would change before long...

As Kira was about to return to her post, as well, she had heard another officer shout out. It was a Trill science officer, who was sitting at one of the multiple science stations to Kira's right. The shout had stopped Kira dead in her tracks.

Deep within Kira's mind, she could only hear one thought...

"What now?"

And, yet, Kira couldn't help but wonder...

"Is it Sisko?!? Has he returned!?!"

"Commander!" the Trill officer had exclaimed, in a shocked tone of voice. "There are...there are increased neutrino readings near the Wormhole..." the Trill woman had explained. Seconds later, she continued. "Someone is coming through the Wormhole!!!"

[Pah-Wraith]

I like it, keep writing.

[La Forge]

Quark stood behind the long marble bar counter of his rather empty bar. In his wrinkly brown hand, Quark held a dirty wine glass. In his other hand, Quark held a damp white washcloth of which he was currently using to clean the glass that he held in his other hand. As he cleaned the glass, his big brown eyes peered out over the counter at his empty bar.

Things had been moving slowly since the end of the war. Rule of Acquisition #34: "War is good for business". Then, again. Rule of Acquisition #35: "Peace is good for business." Although, Quark didn't know if he could believe that last one. Business had been slow since the end of the Dominion War. By slow, business was slow...really slow. Quark's profits had dropped considerably recently.

At present, the only customer that he had at the moment, besides Morn, of course, who, for once, had finally shut up after his last glass of root beer, was an old Klingon man, sitting in the back of the bar, happily drunk. Before him, many empty wine glasses were scattered across the tabletop. These glasses had once been filled with Klingon blood wine. Now, most of the wine was either in the Klingon's belly or spilled across the table and floor.

For the last hour and a half, the Klingon man had just sat there, alone, drinking down glass after glass of Klingon blood wine. All the while, the Klingon would shout and sing of days long gone and battles long past. Every once and a while, the Klingon would let out a roaring, hearty laugh, loud enough to break a wine glass and more than loud enough to cause a Ferengi's sensitive ears to throb in pain.

Quark didn't have the courage or nerve to ask the old drunk Klingon to leave, despite the trouble that the Klingon was causing Quark. The last time Quark had asked a Klingon to leave the bar, Quark had spent the next week in the Infirmary, listening to Doctor Bashir talk of the Battle of Britain. Quark didn't want to risk that, again.

If Odo were still around, Quark would have called him down to deal with the problem, but, seeing as Odo was now in the Gamma Quadrant...However, the new security chief, a Bajoran woman, wasn't that bad....looking, that is. Vera Anara was her name. A lieutenant-colonel or a Field Colonel, in the Bajoran Militia. A very beautiful woman, Anara was...Although, Quark would have still preferred a nice Ferengi woman over a Bajoran woman, any day. Anara was pretty good at her job, too. However, Quark wouldn't call her down. Despite the trouble that this old Klingon had been causing Quark, this Klingon was making Quark a hefty profit, a drastic increase, as of late. The Klingon had gone through what seems like hundreds of drinks,w ith no apparent end in sight. This Klingon had been Quark's best customer, besides Morn, of course.

Anyways, Quark wouldn't risk losing his best customer in weeks. Quark didn't even know his name, although, Quark didn't know the name of half of the people who came into his bar. However, Quark this Klingon man's exploits. The old man had been telling Quark his life story since he had came in to Quark's Bar and ordered his first drink. The Klingon had told Quark of how he had fought in both of the Federation-Klingon Wars. The man said that he had been the Captain of several Klingon vessels, including the I.K.S. Gorkon, of whcih he was quite found of the Gorkon. How the Klingon had seemed to have loved the Gorkon. The Klingon man spoke of ferocious space battles, packed with explosions and death...a Klingon's idea of a good old time. Quark found the Klingon's ideals barbaric and brutal. Quark wondered how someone could actually welcome death. Quark would do anything in his power to prolong his death. Quark cared nothing for honor but for profit, as any smart Ferengi male should. Honor was for fools...like the Klingons.

Despite whatever Quark thought of the Klingons, one thing that's true is the fact that Klingons can drink...and by drink, one means drink. Quark had never seen anyone drink so much Klingon blood wine in his life...not even that Worf...or even that Kor. Although...Worf had preferred prune juice to Klingon blood wine...Prune juice...Almost as bad as root beer. Klingons were brbaric in any sense...

"...and I fought in the Battle of Klach D'Kel Brakt!" the old Klingon man cried, downing yet another glass. "The battle was intense, but, I...we...prevailed..." the Klingon continued, his words slurred due to the effects of the strong Klingon blood wine.

The Klingon was obviously drunk. However, despite his drunkeness, the Klingon continued his speech.

"After the battle, the Klingon High Council made me a Dahar Master. That day is still fresh in my mind, even though it was...oh...one hundred years ago...I can still remember it like it was yesterday...The pride...oh...What a wonderful day..." the old Klingon was lost in his memories, apparently talking to himself. Quark had lost interest when the old Klingon had started talking about the Gorkon.

Quark finished cleaning the glass that he had held and set it back on the counter. Quark placed the now dirty rag inside of the glass. With his hands free, Quark placed his hands on his wide hips and let out a heavy sigh.

"What to do, now...?" Quark thought to himself, his ugly yellow fangs bared, as he pondered on what to do next. "Maybe I should see what my good friend, Colonel Kira, is up to..." Quark thought, at last, with a sinister smirk.

Quark knelt down and scrounged throughout a couple of drawers and cabinets beneath the bar. Quark was looking for his access keys, which allowed him to break into classified files and the like of the station. After several minutes of searching, Quark found the red tubes that he had been searching for, lying in a big metal tray in one of the top drawers.

Quark grinned, happy to have found the keys. He so rarely used them, nowadays. There was no juicy news lately...Not since the end of the war. The last time that he had heard something interesting, it had had something to do with the U.S.S. Voyager or something...Lost in the Delta Quadrant...Who cares?

"There you are, my little beauties!" Quark thought to himself, as he pulled the tray out and placed it on the marble table top. Quark examined several of the tubes, looking for the key that would allow him to access the files that he wished to view. After a second or two, Quark found the correct key. He cautiously plucked the long red tube from the tray and warily walked over to a computer console near one of his many replicators. Quark fumbled about for a bit before inserting the kin into one of the several tube-shaped openings below a blank computer screen.

With the key inserted, a message reading "Deep Space Nine" and an image of the station, along with the Federation and Bajoran symbols appeared on the screen. Suddenly, the screen changed, revealing the files that he had been looking for...Station logs...The important kind. These files were only to be viewed by people with Security-Level One access. Over the years, Quark had learned how to bypass the system.

Quark grinned, happily, when the screen appeared.He pressed a few keys, browsing through the hundreds of files, searching for something of interest, reading of the days activities and whatnot. However, when Quark came to the most recent file, the most recent station log, Quark's mouth dropped, in shock and awe.

"Sisko?!?" Quark muttered, under his breath, obviously suprised by the news...