Stardate 46379.1: Just over two years ago, the Borg took Captain Jean-Luc Picard from the U.S.S. Enterprise and made him one of their own. Unable to stop what was to come, Picard watched helplessly as 39 ships and almost 11,000 lives were lost at the Battle of Wolf 359. One of the destroyed ships, the U.S.S. Saratoga, carried Lieutenant-Commander Benjamin Sisko. Over two years later, with the commencement of peace talks between the Cardassians and the Federation, the Cardassians have ended their occupation of the planet Bajor, leaving behind a space station. The Federation, acting as administrators until the Bajorans are able to govern themselves, sets up command at the station, dubbed Deep Space Nine, with Commander Benjamin Sisko put in charge of the station's operations.

Stardate 46392.7: Just after the U.S.S. Enterprise leaves Deep Space Nine, a Cardassian ship commanded by Gul Dukat, the former prefect of Bajor, arrives. In so many words, the Gul makes it known that he would like to see the orb that Sisko had been shown by Kai Opaka. Sisko balks for the moment, which gives him some time to meet with Lieutenant Dax and find out that the Denorios Belt, a plasma center in space, may lead to the answers they are looking for about the Tears of the Prophets.