Dax's fingers tapped against the smooth surface of her console in Ops. She blinked only intermittently, her mind deep in concentration. She was busy working on reconstructing the smallest trace of a file O'Brien had managed to find hidden away deep in the ship's computer. Kira, pacing behind her, looked over her shoulder with a mix of frustration and curiosity.

"Are we certain this is going to lead anywhere, Jadzia?" Kira asked, her voice tinged with skepticism. "This feels like a wild targ chase."

"It's a slim chance, but it's the only trace we have," Dax responded, not taking her eyes off the screen. "If there's something hidden in this ship's computers, this could be the key to uncovering it."

"If there's something." Kira murmured. "N'ivryn's story may be odd, but what if she's telling the truth? We can't detain her indefinitely."

Dax paused, looking up to meet Kira's eyes. "I know. But something about her story doesn't add up. This fragment is buried so deep, it's like someone wanted to make absolutely sure it was never found."

"You really think she's hiding something?" Kira's voice softened, a note of concern creeping in.

"I do. And if she is, we need to know what it is," Dax replied, her voice filled with determination.

Kira moved closer, peering at the screen. "What is that file, anyway?"

"Hard to say. It's heavily encrypted, and only a small part was recoverable. I'm working on piecing it back together."

Kira's expression grew more serious. "I hope it's worth it. We're running out of time, and Sisko's patience is wearing thin."

Just as the silence began to feel almost oppressive, the console let out a series of optimistic beeps and chimes. Dax's eyes widened, and a triumphant smile spread across her face.

"Major! I've got something!" she exclaimed, her fingers moving even faster over the console.

Kira hurried over, leaning in to see what had Dax so excited. "What is it? What did you find?"

Dax's eyes were wide with disbelief as she looked up at Kira. "It's the ship's identification number. At least, part of it. I can't believe it! Of all the files to find, this is exactly what we needed."

Kira's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That's incredibly lucky. Can we use it?"

"It's still fragmented," Dax explained, her voice trembling with excitement. "But I think I can piece it together. If we can get the complete identification number, we'll have a solid lead to trace the ship's history."

Kira moved to her own console, calling up the relevant Starfleet database. "All right, read the digits to me as you get them. We'll see if we can narrow it down."

Dax began to work, piecing together the fragmented data. She read out the numbers and letters one by one, her voice tinged with excitement as the identification string started to take shape.

"Got another one," Dax announced, "T, 7, B, 9..."

Kira inputted the digits as Dax continued to reconstruct the file. The list of matches began to shorten.

"Okay, that's all I can get for now," Dax finally said, looking slightly frustrated. "Is that enough to give us something to work with?"

Kira quickly scanned through the matches. "I think I've got it. There's only one match that fits a Serelia class scout ship. This has to be the one."

Dax rushed over to Kira's console to confirm. "That's it. That's our ship."

Kira's fingers paused as they delved deeper into the records related to the ship. Her expression, initially one of triumph, turned to confusion and then disappointment.

"What's wrong?" Dax asked, sensing a shift in Kira's mood.

She shook her head, frustration creeping into her voice. "The ship was definitely commissioned by the Andorian Imperial Guard, but everything beyond that is classified. It's like hitting a wall."

Dax hovered closer to the screen, studying the limited information they had managed to uncover. "Classified? By whom?"

"The Andorian government," Kira replied, her brow furrowing. "This doesn't make sense. Why would they classify the information about a decommissioned scout ship?"

"They would've shared all their military records with Starfleet after the formation of the Federation. Maybe this was unintentional– a clerical error or something."

Kira looked at Dax, skepticism in her eyes. "A clerical error that just happens to surround this specific ship that it's been nearly impossible to gain any information about?"

Dax shrugged, a perplexed look on her face. "It's unlikely, but not impossible. We'll need to reach out to the Andorian authorities to clarify this. It could just be a bureaucratic mix-up."

Kira nodded, still not entirely convinced but willing to pursue the more mundane explanation. "Alright, let's follow that lead. But I'd keep an eye out for anything unusual. This entire situation feels off to me."

"Dax to Sisko," Jadzia said, tapping her combadge. "We've got something for you in Ops, Benjamin."