The bridge crew looked at battle before them with smiles, handshakes of congratulations and cheers. Kenyon turned from the forward viewscreen to his sensor panel and looked on. Something didn't look right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He saw the eleven Galor class cardassian cruisers as they returned to an orbital formation around Cardassia Prime. Something else was wrong... and once Kenyon was unsettled about something, he wouldn't give up until he discovered the problem. It didn't take him long. "Commander," he started, trying to get his voice above the other five, who were congratulating each other and reminiscing about different points of the battle. "Commander!" he repeated loudly.

Instantly, the group was quiet. Kirk looked over to the second officer. "What's up, Richards?" Kirk attempted to hide any potential concern expressed by Richards' face.

"I'm missing one, Sir," Kenyon replied. His concern grew as he returned to his sensor panel.

"You're missing one what?" Kirk asked perplexed.

"I'm missing a Dominion ship, Sir. I count only seven. One of the cruisers is missing from the body count."

Kirk darted for the captain's seat as the remainder of the crew jumped into theirs. He pointed to Commander Richards. "Start the tachyon bursts and don't stop until you've located him. There won't be any third act to THIS play." Kirk's look was determined. After everything they've been through, to have even one ship escape would defeat their entire purpose. He wasn't going to let anything escape... not ANOTHER mistake.

Kenyon quickly complied as he continued staring at his panel. "Cardassian space is pretty big, Sir. Our burst doesn't cover much."

Kirk considered the statement as he rapped his fingers against the arm of the seat. He snapped his fingers. "Kenyon, get your eyes on Cardassia. Is the Vorta still in the council building?"

Kenyon smiled, then looked back at his panel. It was an excellent idea. In the absence of a Founder, creatures the Dominion revered as gods, the Vorta were the next best thing. Unable to get a good look at the planet's surface, he shook his head. "I'm too far away from Cardassia Prime to get a look. I need us closer."

Kirk quickly spun over to Tyler Bristol, who was already banging away at his navigation console. "Tyler, get us over to..."

"I'm already on it, Sir!" he yelled excitedly. Tyler wasn't about to get accused of being too slow this time. The great ship completed its swing around Cardassia's only moon and sped towards the tan and brown planet. Kirk nodded. He hoped his gamble worked.

Several precious minutes passed by as the image of Cardassia Prime grew larger. A muffled, high-pitched ding from Richards' sensor panel went off at the same time he pounded the panel with his fist. "He's still there!"

Stephen smiled grimly. "They won't leave without him. That cruiser's around here somewhere," he announced. "Keep your eyes open and the bursts coming. Tyler, plant us right above the council building."

"Aye, aye, Sir," Tyler replied obediently.

Elaine turned around. "Commander Kirk, I have Gul Nethek of the cardassian cruiser Likell on the line. He wants to know what you're doing."

"Tell him," he started quickly, then stopped short. What if the missing ship was monitoring communications? He had to come up with something quickly... something that might fool the remaining ship into revealing itself. "Ooo... tell him that our transporters are losing power but we need to beam aboard the vorta as a bargaining chip."

"I beg your pardon?" Elaine asked.

Kirk looked insistent. "Just do it. I'll explain in just a second." Lieutenant Davies nodded reluctantly, then returned to her console to relay the message. Stephen turned to T'Nia. By the expression on her face, she had already guessed the ploy. "T'Nia, load up a torpedo and get ready to drop the shields. Kenyon, I need you to bang away at that tachyon emitter on my mark."

"I understand your strategy," T'Nia offered, "but what if the Dominion vessel left to get reinforcements?"

"No chance," Kirk countered. "There's no way they'd leave this system without him." He paused for several seconds. "T'Nia, drop the shields," Stephen paused for several more moments. "Please, Lord," he thought to himself, "let me be right." He turned to Richards. "Now!"