O'Brien shouts fall on deaf ears as he watched Ensign Paul's body suck until it was a dry husked and discarded as it floats away from the station. The cocoons explode as the creature emerges from it with its sights set on O'Brien.

Kira is on the monitor duty as she goes over the incoming vessel schedule for the day when she hears a familiar voice shouts her name.

"Ops 1 for emergency transport now, right now!"

Kira reacts quickly, and in a matter of seconds Miles O'Brien materializes on the floor of ops, at the same time the lift elevator bringing Sisko, Dax, and Bashir arrives on ops. Dr. Bashir immediately rushes to O'Brien side and helps him remove his helmet.

"Chief what happen?"

"Commander," Miles began to speak but grasping for air at the same time trying to force the words out of his mouth."We were attacked while doing work on the pylon."

"We?" Sisko ask.

"That's right Ensign Paul was working with the Chief," Dax replied.

"O'Brien what happen to Ensign Paul?"

"Commander, sir please let me catch my breath for a moment. We were attacked out there by that thing."

"Sensors are not picking up anything on the surface of the station."

"Thanks, Dax, Chief can you tell us what it was you saw?"

"Commander, he is in shock. Let me take him to sickbay to treat him, and I'm sure he can answer our questions in a little while."

"No Julian, Commander you need to hear this. We both notice some cocoon outside underneath the pylon away from viewing port. When Ensign Paul approach it, he was attacked, and it killed him. It all happen so fast there was nothing that I could do. Commander, I think it was the assassin, that thing that can change its' shape. It was nothing like Odo, it was..."

"Ok that is enough, we are going to sick bay. I'm sorry commander."

"No doctor please take Mr. O'Brien to sickbay. He told us what we needed to know."

"Commander."

Everyone turns around, and Odo was standing on the turbo lift, who arrive in time to hear what happen outside.

"This does not sound like anything that I have ever heard of before. I know that I have to regenerate once every twenty-four hours in my bucket, but a cocoon. That is entirely different from me. Commander, we need to find out what we are dealing with here, and I think I know someone who might be able to help. Can I use a Run About?"

Dax and Kira went to Quarks after checking on O'Brien in medical. Quark gave Dax his usual charm trying to more friendly advances toward the Trill. After receiving a hard look for disgust from Kira, Quark takes a hint and leaves them at the table.

"Don't you ever get sick of Quark."

"No, he is cute, and I like the attention he gives me."

"I will never understand you, and your fascinations with that troll."

"Kira, what do you think attack Miles out there?"

"I don't know; I still think its' something from Cardassian. Their hatred from Bajor runs deep; they are still furious about losing the occupation once the Federation step in. My gut tells me that they are behind all of this."

"I'm not sure if I agreed with you."

"What do you mean, you think the Cardassians are not capable of this?"

"No, it is not that, it is just the Cardassians are not this messy if it were them we would never know it. It would not be this obvious. I think we have someone new involve."

Sisko return's to his quarter's where his son Jake is there waiting.

"Dad we heard that the chief was attacked by some monster. Is he ok?"

"Yes Jake, the chief is doing fine, but no he was not attacked by a monster. We have a new shapeshifter on board the station."

"You mean like Odo?"

"No son, not like Odo, and in fact Odo is not even sure of what to make about this. He is following up on a lead that I hope will help us."

"Dad if this new shape changer is like Odo, it could be anything on the station and hiding in plain site. How do you catch something like that?"

"Jake, you just came up with an idea." Sisko touches his com badge, "Sisko to Dax, meet me back in ops I have an idea on how to isolate our new guest."

After hugging Jake, Sisko heads toward the turbo life. He wonders if they can catch this thing before it hurts anyone else on the station. He knows even after they catch it; then the hard part will begin. That is trying to figure out who send it.

Despite Siko's and Odo's assurances, Kira was still worried about the safety of First Minister Aar, especially after what happen to O'Brien. As she marches down the corridor to the First Minister's quarters, she was somewhat relieved to see two Bajoran security officers with two additional Starfleet security. At least she thought they were taking her concerns about security seriously. She knew all too wells from her time in the underground how a motivated person could easily carry out an attack despite the best security if they had time to plan properly.

As she walked into his quarters, she bows, as Aar rose to his feet to greet her. Standing in the rear of his quarters was his personal bodyguard as well.

"Please rise my child. I am glad to see you."

"First Minister, I just wanted to stop by to make sure that you are doing alright. We had another attack on the station."

"Oh my, was anyone hurt?"

"Yes we lost a crew member this time to the assassin, but I want to assure you that we are doing everything in our power to find this person."

"Major, does the Emissary have any idea who this person could be?"

"Nothing for certain yet First Minister, but we do have some promising leads. If you ask my opinion, I say this has Cardassians written all over it. They are still bitter over the occupation ending."

"Major I know you were very young during the occupation, and you lose many people that were close to you, but we cannot hold hate in our hearts. You must learn how to forgive my child."

"First Minister, I mean no disrespect, but you lose your wife and family during the occupation. There were rumors that you even lead some of the fierce resistance movements during the occupation. That was of course before the prophets gave you another way."

The First Minster rises from his seat and walks over to the view port staring out into space.

"Yes, that was my past Major, there is no denying of the person that I used to be. The prophets change me and heal my pah, not I to know a better way. It is time for my meditation; I thank you for checking in on me. We will talk again soon."

As Kira turns to leave, Aar keeps staring out of the window for a short while even after she left. Before looking at his personal guard and gives him the nod. The personal bodyguard's body begins to melt away into a red gelatin substance before reforming into the Changeling Assassin, and bowing down at the First Minister before he speaks.

"What is your wish father?"