"INCOMING transmission from Bajor. Private channel."

Major Kira's eyes jerked open. She hated being interrupted in mid meditation.

"Put it through," she snapped.

"Nerys! Is that you?"

It was the voice of First Minister Shakaar, sounding urgent and strained.

"Edon! What's the matter?" asked Kira. She dashed over to her communications console to see the face of her old friend, leader and erstwhile lover, lined with worry, on the screen.

Shakaar glanced over his shoulder as if afraid someone was listening. "Look, I don't have much time. I need a one-to-one briefing on the war with the Dominion. Kai Winn is trying to persuade the Council of Ministers that Bajor should take a ... more active part. I think it's suicide but I can't get any accurate information on the war. Especially not out of the Kai. It's undermining my position. I don't know who I can trust here and who I can't - half the Council of Ministers seems to be gathering behind her. But I know I can trust you! Please, Nerys, help me! Come as soon as possible!"

Kira thought quickly.

"OK. I'll check with the Capt - the Emissary but I should be able to come tomorrow."

He looked mightily relieved. "Thank you, Nerys. This could mean - my career." He flashed off the screen.

Kai Winn again, thought Kira. What's she up to now? We're in the middle of a war, Bajor is supposed to be neutral and our esteemed religious leader is still playing stupid power games with her own government!

She left her quarters and headed for Ops.

"Captain, can I speak to you for a moment?"

Captain Benjamin Sisko and Lt Cmdr Jadzia Dax, Science Officer, looked up from the plan they were studying on the Captain's desk.

"I need to go to Bajor tomorrow. The First Minister needs a private briefing on the Dominion war."

The Science Officer raised her eyebrows. "Private briefing? That sounds like fun," she said, with a wicked twinkle in her eye.

Kira ignored the innuendo. "Kai Winn's up to her tricks again," she said exasperatedly. "She's trying to persuade the Council of Ministers that Bajor should take - a more active part in the war, whatever that means! Shakaar needs to consolidate his position. He can't trust anyone in his own government at the moment. I'll need to take at least three days."

"Very well, Major, you should go," said Sisko. "If it means the stability of Bajor, we can do without you for a few days."

Something else occurred to Kira. "Obviously – for security reasons - no-one else needs to know that I'm going to see the First Minister. Not even the rest of the senior staff."

"Obviously," said Sisko. "All right, Major. Good luck."

"Security reasons," muttered Dax as she followed Kira out of the Captain's office.

Kira sighed. "You know what I – " she began, only to be interrupted by Dr Bashir as he bounced out of the turbolift.

"Miles! You free this evening?" he yelled at the chief of operations, who was bending over a control panel.

"Honestly, Julian, you should know by now that while Keiko's on Earth I'm free every evening," grunted O'Brien.

"Want to come and try Felix's new holosuite program?" The young doctor was waving a small tube around, his dark eyes sparkling with excitement.

"What is it?' asked O'Brien, not looking massively enthusiastic. 'Not another spy scenario? I'm fed up with playing Falcon, I always get shot."

"No, this is a completely new one. Las Vegas, 1962. It's great! Casinos, crap tables, beautiful girls and great music - a guy who would give Sinatra a run for his money."

"Sinatra who?" asked Kira. "Doctor, what are you talking about?"

"Why don't you come and find out, Major?" said Bashir. "21:00 this evening - I've only got an hour before I go back on duty but that should be long enough."

"Sounds interesting," said Dax, looking over Kira's shoulder.

"Hrmphh," muttered Lt Cmdr Worf, husband of Jadzia Dax, from the other side of Ops.

"He means he'll come too," said Dax mischievously. "Come on, Nerys. It'll be fun."

"You know how I feel about holosuites ..." began Kira uncertainly.

"Come on. You could ask Odo along." There was an edge to Dax's voice that only Kira noticed.

"I don't know," she replied doubtfully. "He likes that sort of thing even less than I do.'

"You and the Constable have a great deal in common," pronounced Worf. Kira and Dax both looked up at the Klingon with surprise, but he carried on studying his workstation as if he hadn't said anything out of the ordinary.

"OK then - I'll see you all in Quark's at 21:00," said Bashir, jumping back into the turbolift. "Level 10!"

Dax sidled up to her husband and whispered "Sometimes, you can be very perceptive - you know that?'

"Hrmphh', said Worf.

Security Chief Odo was watching the promenade from his habitual vantage point on the upper level. There was always someone to watch. There were at least two suspicious individuals loitering near the merchandise stalls outside Quark's bar, not to mention Quark himself, who was hovering near the door as if he were waiting for someone.

Then his delicate senses caught a flicker of movement off to his right. A warm wave of pleasure rippled through him.

Nerys.

Long before she spoke, he knew she was approaching. He knew the exact length of her stride, the sound her boots made on the floorcovering, the slight click in her right knee - something, he prided himself, even a Ferengi wouldn't hear. Well, they might hear it, but they wouldn't notice it.

As she drew level with him he glanced briefly at her, nodded brusquely, said "Major" and went back to watching Quark.

"Odo. You doing anything this evening?" she asked casually.

"Nothing in particular," he grunted, ignoring the sudden surge of excitement rising inside him.

"Julian's got a new holosuite program he wants to show us," Kira went on. "He's arranging to meet us at Quark's at 21:00."

Odo noted her use of us with satisfaction. "What sort of holosuite program?" he asked, keeping his tone firmly neutral. "Not another of those spy adventures?" He'd almost let himself be talked into getting involved in one once, and what an embarrassment that would have been.

"I don't really know. It's another 20th century Earth scenario. He said something about music. And gambling."

"Sounds just like Quark's," said Odo with careful sarcasm. "What does he need a holosuite program for?"

"Anyway ... I said I'd go if you did." Kira's smile rendered Odo completely defenceless. The thought of spending an hour with her anywhere, even with other people around, was more tempting than he could say.

"Well, in that case – I suppose I'd better come," he said.

"Great." She slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "I'll see you at Quark's."

Odo made sure she was some distance away before he turned to watch her go. One day, I'll do it, he thought. One day, when I'm ready. One day, when the time is right and I've finally worked out what I'm going to say and do. One day ...