First Minister Shakaar pays a visit to Deep Space Nine to begin talks for entrance into the Federation. Unfortunately, a Cardassian dissident group called the True Way has planned an attempt on Shakaar's life. With security stepped up and Odo and Worf on the job, the Minister's life seems to be in good hands. That is, until Odo notices Shakaar becoming closer to Major Kira.
When the Cardassian occupation of Bajor ended in 2369, the mining space station Terok Nor was left abandoned, its systems ripped out. By invitation of the Bajoran provisional government, Starfleet stepped in to oversee the rebuilding and day-to-day operations of the newly christened Deep Space Nine.
The years of Starfleet's nonintervention into Cardassian matters, however, had taken its toll on relations with the Bajorans. Consequently, Starfleet's position was a tenuous one; many Bajorans, suspicious and hostile as a result of decades of Cardassian oppression and brutality, did not greet the Federation's presence with open arms. The Federation's assistance is put to the test as DS9 becomes a center of travel and commerce that stretches into the Gamma Quadrant.