"Coming up on Borg vessel. Intercept time: thirty seconds."

"Phasers charged, forward torpedoes ready. Photons loaded. Quantum torpedoes in reserve. I can remodulate shield frequency on command, sir."

"DS-Nine reports alert level four. They're ready to upgrade to red alert if necessary."

The veritable barrage of reports came at Sisko from all stations. He merely nodded in acknowledgement as each one was delivered, to save time and keep himself calm. According to preliminary scans, the Borg ship was not a cube, so they wouldn't be facing certain death. However, it was a parallel universe version of the Borg, and so he could not base his assumptions on his previous experience: indeed, this ship looked almost diminutive compared to his expectations. Dax throttled down to impulse and threw an image of the vessel up on the viewscreen for all to see.

It was shaped almost like a sharp-edged torpedo. Long and flat, it resembled a flying lozenge that was covered in a technological kudzu. Green light shimmered faintly from behind various bits and pieces of metal. As Dax had reported earlier, it was approximately the same size as the Defiant, and wouldn't have had a 'crew' of more than a hundred. Sisko hoped that this fight would be short.

"Allied Colonel Kira. Can you tell me anything about this vessel?" he asked, eyes riveted to the strange ship on the screen.

The Kira-replicate, seated at the science console, slapped her hands against the sides of her legs. She didn't seem fazed by the Borg vessel: her manner was that of one who knows the outcome of an event already, and wishes only to see it through to its obvious conclusion. "Well, sir, if I'm right, that's a Borg probe/interceptor ship. As near as we can tell, their primary purpose is to scout uncharted territory, locate and investigate possible targets for assimilation, and sometimes supplement cargo transfer or even war fleets." She shrugged.

"A Borg herald," Sisko muttered reflectively. "We can't allow this ship to return to the Collective. Dax, are you reading any subspace transmissions from the ship?"

Dax worked her controls for a moment, then shook her head. "I can't pick up any of the usual signs that they're communicating with the Collective. Perhaps they can't transmit across the anomaly." She shrugged. "If that's the case, then they're going to have to cross back through to report back to the Borg."

This conversation had brought Worf's interest to bear. He was seated at Tactical I, glancing at the readouts of their opponent every few seconds for any sign of a change. "Shall I fire weapons, sir?" he asked, with more than a little Klingon battle drive. Sisko entertained the possibility in his head, but decided that it might be risky. "No, Worf. Hold your fire. Has there been any change in Borg readings since we arrived?"

"No, sir," admitted Worf, a little sullenly.

"They haven't probed us yet: perhaps they don't think of us as a threat. In which case, I'd like to use this opportunity to learn all we can. Kira number two?" he asked, referring to the Bajoran from a parallel universe. "Do you think the Borg would object if we beamed a small party to their vessel?"

"I'm not sure, sir," she replied. "If they recognise your transporter signature, it'll be as a threat, then they'll make every effort to either drive you out or assimilate you. But we've sent teams over before without causing a fuss. It's just when we start poking and prodding that they get all riled up." She pushed away from the science console. "Permission to lead the away team, captain?"

Sisko looked up at her, and nodded. "Permission granted. Take our Worf with you, as well as your Dax. I have a feeling you might need her. Send your Worf up here to replace ours at Tactical I — I might feel safer with a Klingon on the trigger. Will you be needing any special equipment?"

"Each member of the team will need at least one weapon capable of rotating frequencies in case we get caught. A few tricorders wouldn't go astray, either. I don't suppose you've developed any form of portable cloaking technology, by any chance?"

"I wish we had, Colonel. Go to it."

"Aye, sir," she said, and disappeared down a hatch with Worf in tow. Moments later, an almost identical Worf appeared out of a turbolift and took the Tactical I console: Sisko thought for a moment that his Klingon lieutenant had shirked his duties and somehow lost the Allied Colonel Kira in the narrow hallways of the ship. But then he remembered his own orders, and settled back into the chair, staring at the Borg ship as though forcing it to give up its secrets merely by the power of his gaze. It remained obstinately quiet and still. We're in for a long wait…