Starfleet decide against sending the Soyuz class Brunel into the line of battle again, and, after transferring Loras Veltr'a back on and Petersen off to, order it back home. Cmdr. Mortimore is only mobile with a hoverchair, but takes command anyway.
Stadi and Ashok run into Weyoun on their return to DS9, and exchange terse words.
Whilst the Dominion launch an offensive on a broad front, the seriously damaged Brunel detects two unknown vessels heading in its direction. Using a dark nebula for cover, it identifies them as Dominion and Cardassian, and heading for the Federation ally world Nelor IV. Facilitator Tarana of Nelor IV seems prepared to surrender to the Dominion rather than fight an unwinabble fight - but another official, Leader Essen, appears eager to put up a fight. Reinhardt researches the culture, and discovers that men and women on Nelor IV are restricted to gender-assigned professions, and are governed by two, separate, gender-specific governments. M'Kress and Loras Veltr'a prepare an ambush with the (male) Nelor planetary forces.
Ashok, seeing that Quark is remaining, does not join the last civilian transports out of DS9. Stadi is temporarily assigned to DS9's infirmary whilst the station comes under attack from the Dominion. After the Bajoran wormhole is successfully mined, Stadi leaves with the remaining Starfleet personnel.
The battle of Nelor is won with the loss of two (out of eight) planetary defence ships, and the Brunel's Warp capability. The grateful citizens of Nelor lend the Brunel a warp tug to get them home. Elsewhere, the Klingon and Starfleet forces slow the Dominion advance.
This is the first story that doesn't feature New Lhasa, and the end of the "Eve of War" arc.

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