Kira Nerys had attended services at the shrine, as was her usual custom, and stayed after to unburden herself to a very patient Ranjen Shayl.

�And he had to get into yet another brawl with the Klingons! Quark�s bar is a shambles! That Ferengi wants Starfleet to replace a wall panel, the door to one of his holosuites, two dabo wheels, a dom-jot table, and the clothes for one of his dabo girls � I don�t want to hear the reasons for that!� She gestured in disgust. �Emyn had to commandeer one of the cargo bays for brig space! Girani and Monrow had to set up two separate triage stations to keep the fight from spilling over into the infirmary! Nog almost lost an ear! One of the Klingons tore the ring out of Kalcheb�s nose! And Quark swears it costs more to clean Tellarite blood out of the carpet! Even Morn got involved, and you know how peaceable he is � Emyn�s still trying to piece together who broke that chair over his head! Why is it that every time the K�Voln shows up, Alden and Lintak tear up Quark�s?�

�I am sure Lintak was hoping for just such a reaction from the commander when he insulted him.�

�Which is why Alden should have steered clear of the whole Klingon crew!� She shook her head. �I�m not going to have any hair left if he stays here � and maybe not much of a station, either! Quark certainly isn�t going to have much of a bar!�

�The Prophets will not ask more of us than we can endure,� Shayl assured her calmly.

Kira sucked in a deep breath. �Even Alden?� she demanded skeptically.

�He was sent here for a reason,� the ranjen observed.

�Yes, and that reason is Admiral Ross,� she complained. �Why didn�t I take advantage of the general�s offer?�

�It was a Starfleet admiral who was the hand of the Prophets in bringing the Emissary to us.�

She muttered something more under her breath, then capitulated, for the moment. �All right, there must be a reason � I just hope it�s for more than a test of my faith and patience!�

Shayl bowed; in his sharp profile, she could see he barely concealed a grin. �All will be as the Prophets will it. At least the K�Voln has departed the station.�

Kira found a small, reluctant smile, then sighed. �Thank you for your time and insight, Ranjen Shayl. As always, I appreciate it.�

�Even if it was not what you wished to hear?� He tucked his hands into his sleeves. �May the Prophets walk with you this day, Colonel.�

�And with you....� Kira headed for Ops.

Ops was a little subdued that morning. Several of the crew had been involved in the brawl the evening before. She could spot a few bruises on Kuhlman, and she knew that Nog was still in the infirmary. She exchanged a few nods and quiet greetings with some of the on-duty crew, then headed up to her office to review the schedule for the day.

She had barely settled into her chair and begun mentally reorienting herself for the day, when her combadge chirped.

�Colonel Kira?�

Kira tried to smother the flare of irritation at the immediate interruption. �Yes, Kaoron?�

�I am at the docking ring. The Bajoran transport that just docked � Vedek Hatha is aboard.�

�Vedek Hatha! I�ll be right there. Did he say what he wants?�

�Actually,� the science officer replied, �the vedek is here to see Ranjen Shayl, and he�s already on his way to the shrine.�

Kira felt taken aback. �He is?�

�Yes. He has a box with him. One of those Orb arks, I believe they are called.�

Stunned, Kira felt the blood drain from her face. �An Orb ark.... He brought an Orb to the station? Thank you, Kaoron.�

She was already moving. In Ops, she didn�t even stop as she instructed, �I�ll be at the shrine. Call me if there�s an emergency....�

Dax had overslept, and had to rush to her first counseling appointment. Afterward, her stomach rumbling, she decided to grab a quick breakfast. On impulse, she turned into the newly reopened Klingon restaurant.

The chef greeted her with a boisterous howl of delight that echoed across the promenade.

�Dax! You are here!�

Massive Klingon arms swept her off her feet in a rib-groaning clutch before depositing her, breathless, at the nearest table.

�And I am back too! It will be like old times. It has been too long since we sang together! But I will bring your favorite breakfast, and we will talk!� he announced in his deep voice, hurrying away before she could say anything.

�Wait, Loron, I��

He didn�t stop.

�I hope he doesn�t expect me to sing,� she muttered to herself nervously.

Loron reappeared long before she expected it, or had figured out what she would possibly have in common with this huge Klingon except memories of Jadzia, or even why she had stopped here.

He laughed deep in his throat as he all but threw the plate in front of her. �Here, the best in my kitchen � for my young Trill friend who continues the unforgettable Dax.�

She stared in horror at the brown, wriggling racht amid the orange, moldy-looking sections of zilm�kach.

�Did you hear about the brawl last night?� he boomed as he sat opposite her. �It was glorious....�

�I�m going to be sick....�

A crowd had already gathered in front of the station shine, having followed the procession of monks and the ark. Kira made her way through that crowd with some difficulty; even her rank and recognized features didn�t part the Bajorans who whispered with excitement and craned their necks to see what was happening.

Kira found Kaoron observing the crowd.

She joined him. �Did you see...?�

�They have gone inside,� the science officer replied with deceptive calm, keeping a visibly curious, observant eye on the oval, arched entrance.

Constable Emyn appeared as if from nowhere, half-a-dozen harried deputies trailing behind her. A few quick gestures, and they were taking positions around the shrine and pushing back the crowd. Emyn took a stance beside her commanding officer, making no moves toward the inviting entrance.

�Thank you, Emyn,� Kira muttered to the tall redhead.

The constable responded with a clipped nod and continued studying the crowd as if expecting trouble.

Her path cleared, Kira stepped up and entered the shrine.

Behind the lighted panel that screened the vestibule of the sacred space, Vedek Hatha Trund and Ranjen Shayl Merot were exchanging greetings. She waited respectfully, containing her impatience for a few seconds and watching the two men of the Prophets. They were close in age, but very different in appearance and impression. The senior rank was dark of complexion, middle-aged and rugged, with something wild about his visage and aura, clad in robes of brown and gold that suggested a muted autumn forest. The other was fair-skinned, athletic, and projected a more tranquil pagh; the ordinary robes of his monastery were a sedate shade of orange, but trimmed in exuberant red and gold to celebrate the Prophets.

Then as the monks moved away from the dais and began lighting candles before the life-size relief figures to either side, her attention focused on the box, and she caught her breath.

It was indeed an ark, the carrying case of the sacred Orbs of the Prophets. The ornately jeweled and shaped case rested on a simple curved pedestal before the Mandala that represented the Bajoran faith. There had been no Orb on the station since the Emissary�s departure and the rituals of grief that had followed it; the Vedek Assembly had taken the Orb of the Emissary across Bajor and to Peri�ketra in ceremony.

Unable to take her eyes off the ark, Kira suddenly realized, in a flash of puzzlement, that she didn�t recognize the intricate, gem-traced filigreed markings on the case. She knew the small variations in design and ornamentation that differentiated each of the arks, that told which protected the Orb of the Emissary, which carried the Orb of Time, which held the Orb of Prophecy, and those that contained the other Orbs that had been recovered since the end of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor.

Her eyes widened. She did not know this one. How could she not recognize an ark?

There was only one explanation she could think of.

�Have we recovered another Orb?� she babbled as the two men turned to acknowledged her arrival, unable to contain her excitement any longer. �Did the Cardassians return it? How come we haven�t heard anything about it publicly?�

�I have the same questions,� acknowledged Shayl respectfully, tucking his hands into his sleeves and facing the Orb. �What Orb is this? Where did it come from?�

�As all Orbs, it is a gift of the Prophets, whose visions are not to be ignored,� Hatha replied, not answering directly. He glanced at the ark, his expression introspective and strangely intimate, then smiled. �What is to be revealed, will be understood in its own time.�

�You�ve experienced a pagh�tem�far,� Shayl surmised.

�I believe the Prophets have made their will known to me.�

Kira suddenly felt awed and intrusive. Assuming the vedek�s comment meant he intended to stay on the station for a while, and that he and the ranjen had things to discuss, she excused herself, saying, �We�ll have quarters prepared for you, then....�

Hatha nodded graciously.

�You believe you have been given understanding of Shabren�s Third Prophecy?� she heard Shayl suggest, low-voiced, as she all but tiptoed out of the shrine.

�Yes. That which is hidden will be brought forth, into light and fire.�

At that, Kira almost stayed, hoping to hear more, but the men were moving toward the Orb, and even the swish of their robes muted their words enough so she couldn�t listen without being obvious.

Reluctantly stepping out onto the Promenade, she caught Emyn�s eye and joined her a dozen meters from the entrance.

�Yes, Colonel?�

�Keep the crowd out,� she said quietly. �I think Shayl and Hatha have a lot to talk about.�

The constable nodded efficiently and moved to give orders to her deputies.

It was exhilarating, and a little frightening, to think she might see prophecy come to life. She was eager to learn what was going on, and what it would mean for Bajor, that Hatha brought an Orb to the station and spoke of understanding the ancient and murky predictions of Shabren.

And yet, Captain Sisko, the Emissary, had been their ultimate prophecy. She had lived through his time on the station, working beside him on an everyday basis, seeing the culmination of thousands of years of visions and contemplation. It had been a heady experience. What could be greater?

Shabren�s Third Prophecy was less well known than his Fifth Prophecy, which had involved the Emissary�s role in the Reckoning. Before Sisko came, the Bajorans had yearned for the arrival of the Emissary and the anticipated golden age he would bring. With Sisko�s arrival and proclamation by Opaka, the vedeks had scoured all the ancient prophecies for even the most obscure references to the deeds of the much-anticipated Emissary. Schoolchildren memorized the words; adults like her avidly read, contemplated, and debated their meanings.

But at the moment, Kira couldn�t even remember the general details of the Third Prophecy, and felt a little ashamed about it. Study of the ancient writings was another thing that should have been part of her daily routine, but which she seemed to have no time for, now. She quietly decided that, no matter what else came up, she would spend her evening reading Shabren�s prophecies and any commentaries on them in the databanks.

Her combadge chimed, interrupting her thoughts. �Colonel?�

She jabbed the badge. �Yes?�

�In the past five minutes, we�ve received communiques from Vedek Ungtae and Vedek Carn.� Kuhlman sounded more than a little harried. �They�re both on the way to the station, and should each be arriving within two hours.�

�Together?� She was nonplused.

�Separately, I think.�

�Did they say how long they�d be staying?�

�No.� A pause. �Shall I order quarters prepared for them?�

�Yes.�

The day just kept getting more and more out of her control.

Ezri hesitated at the door to Lt. Commander Alden�s quarters, then touched the entry chime. �Endar?�

After a second, the door slid open. She stepped inside.

For any other Starfleet officer, the chambers would have been austere, with plain walls and only the basic furnishings, no personal items to show the personality and history of the occupant. But the austerity seemed appropriate for the commander. Which, of course, said something about Alden.

�Endar?� she repeated.

The man appeared at the door to his sleeping chamber. �Yeah?�

�Am I disturbing you?�

�No, I was just ... putting some things away,� he replied. �What are you doing here? It�s not the usual time for my counseling session � or did you think I needed an extra hour on the couch?�

She ignored the mocking tone. �Are you all right, Endar?�

�Why? Shouldn�t I be?� he turned the question on her.

The Trill counselor sighed. �I heard about your ... brawl ... last night.�

Endar shrugged airily. �I can take care of myself in a fight.�

�Seventeen people had to be treated for assorted bruises, broken bones, concussions, and other injuries.� She tried to be severe.

�Nice to know you care, but I wasn�t one of them.� He smirked.

Exasperation pulled her mouth into a frown. �I expected to find you in the brig,� she admitted.

�You thought Kira�d have me locked up? I�m kinda surprised myself.�

�Well��

Alden waved off her concern. �The K�Voln left the station when the constable told the captain she was gonna keep his crew locked up as long as they were here. With them gone, she said there were no reason to keep any of us locked up, in spite of Quark�s squawking. So we were all released on our own assurances of good behavior. And so far, the Colonel�s been too busy to order otherwise. And I already know it was stupid to let Lintak get to me again, so I don�t need a lecture about it.� He plopped down on the couch, then after a second�s thought, shifted and lay down, his feet hanging over the armrest. �If you�re going to interrogate me, I might as well assume the position.�

�Endar��

�Is anyone home?� a richly feminine voice called from the door. �May I come in?�

Dax stiffened. �Dr. Monrow....�

Alden all but leapt off the couch into a fighting stance. �You left the door open,� he hissed.

Catching sight of Ezri, the newcomer�s expression chilled several degrees, and when she spoke again, her tones were distantly professional.

�Commander Alden, you were supposed to check in at the infirmary after Constable Emyn released you.�

�I wasn�t injured,� he replied flatly.

�I believe that�s a medical diagnosis I�m a little more qualified to make than you are,� the doctor reproved archly.

�I think I�m qualified to know if I hurt anywhere � and I don�t. So there was no need for me to go to the infirmary or to see you or any of your cohorts.� Endar�s voice was turning sullen. �If I do happen to give myself an owie, I know where to find you.�

�Commander��

�Forget it.�

For a few seconds, they glared at each other.

Then Monrow shrugged. �If you prefer,� she said briskly. She touched her PADD, noting aloud, �Patient denied injuries, refused examination.�

�I�m not your patient!� he interjected loudly.

Monrow glanced up for a second. �I have injured people to tend to. I�ll be in the infirmary if you decide to get checked out.� Turning on her heel, she vanished, having managed to avoid acknowledging Dax at all.

�She makes it sound like I asked her to come here,� the man grumbled. �She�s got no right to act so put out when nobody invited her in the first place.�

�She�s ... just doing her job,� Ezri replied through gritted teeth.

�You don�t like her either.�

�What?�

�I don�t like her and I don�t trust her. And you don�t like her either.�

�You don�t like any doctors,� she reminded him, ignoring the personal remark about her own poor relationship with Monrow.

Endar shrugged. �I like Doc Bashir. But she�s not him.�

�Nobody else is,� Ezri agreed, then shook herself. �Well, if you�re all right � and you�d better be, after throwing Dr. Monrow out like that � I�ve got things to do. I�ll see you at fourteen hundred hours.�

�Same bat time, same bat couch, eh?�

�What?� She blinked.

He opened his mouth, then stopped, his expression confused. �Umm.... Meant to be funny, I don�t remember where I heard it.�

�Oh?�

�Hey, it�s just an old joke! Not everything I say has to be evidence of deep psychological trauma!�

�If you say so. Maybe we�ll talk about it later.� She nodded, preoccupied, and turned to the door. �I�ll see you then, Endar.�

�Right.�

She didn�t see his thoughtful gaze follow her out.