"Captain's Log, Stardate 57324.6: With the Yridian drug runners in custody, we've tracked their last visit to the Federation colony on Bovina VIII. It appears the Yridians weren't just smugglers, but users of the Orion's cargo."

While exploring the currents in the Briar Patch, the Excelsior crew realize the Tholians have a greater presence in the patch than previously thought. An ambush on a planet surface leaves Barrett racked with guilt and it's up to his friends and colleagues to rally round him. Meanwhile, a diplomatic conference with the Tholian Ambassador raises more questons than answers.

Learn what life is like aboard Deep Space 12, as Excelsior's crew copes with the stress of battle ever looming on the horizon. This episode is primarily focused on character interaction; however, it can be said to contain three separate "threads" running in parallel.

To better understand the tetrahedrons operation, an interrogation of the Orion Syndicate pirate Mason is conducted. When he reveals the location of another tetrahedron key, a mission is set up to retrieve it, with his help. But one of the officers will not return, and the others will be left reeling at the loss of one of their own. Shelby encounters a few ghosts of her own, when assigned to assist a Romulan fleet make the necessary adjustments to traverse the Patch, and runs into her former lover, Captain Mackenzie Calhoun.

In preparation for the major attack the Alliance is about to undertake, Knapp promotes Naros to the command of the USS Helena, while taking command of the fleet itself from Excelsior. Realising Siroc may try anything to get to the Grey Dyson Sphere, Naros realises not is he a target, but so are Elbrey and Artim, while Shelby works on making sure her senior staff deal with the raw emotion of the loss of one of their own. Meanwhile, Siroc sets his own plan in motion to disrupt the incoming attack forces.

The battle has been lost, and now the crew of the USS Excelsior struggles for their lives. With the battle plan shattered, and the enemy manuvering to annihilate them, no one is safe from the clutches of Siroc and the Tholian Assembly.

Captain Shelby's leadership of the Allied forces is questioned, and Shelby is ordered to rest. Corey and Nevin consider an affair. Admiral Knapp, Pelas, and Lieutenant McFarland continue the search for Traya with no luck. S'Tal and Lieutenant McCabe miss Andrew. Captain Naros and Jorian Zen continue the search for Tesla Mor.

Old enemies, old friends, and old ideas are shaken up as Siroc's plans shift ever closer to their devestating conclusion; things are collapsing right under the feet of the Allies as he draws nearer to his victory.

Meanwhile, Shelby has to face up to the toughest challenge of her career with less help than she's ever had, Dao must face his past if he has any hope of going into the future, and the prisoners must make their stand if they hope to survive the seemingly mindless brutality of Siroc and his henchmen.

Shelby's recovered the hearts and minds of Starfleet's allies against Siroc and the Tholians - but it may be too late. With the return of an old friend and the loss of new ones under tragic circumstances, Excelsior is in a desperate race to get back to her home station, as the entire patch has suddenly gone deathly silent.

If things weren't bad enough, it has come down to the wire for Naros' race to beat Siroc to the Dyson Sphere and stop him from carrying out his mission. With Ro's capture, Siroc's entire checklist for his final plan is complete, and using the stolen memories from Counselor Elbrey, all that's left is getting there first.

The stunning conclusion to the Star Trek: Hidden Frontier series.

The Station is under siege by the Grey once more, as the crew of the USS Helena struggle to catch Siroc before he arrives at the Dyson Sphere. While the battle rages outside, Shelby and Lefler are leading a skeleton crew of 93 in a desperate ploy to restore the USS Excelsior and rejoin the fight to protect the station's civilians.

With time completely gone, all hope lies in Admiral Knapp, Martinez, Jorian (Zen) Dao, Corey Aster and Jenna McFarland being able to figure out how to use the Hybrid ship; but things are far more different - and deadly - than they seem.

With Ro as their captive and unwilling source of the technical data needed, Siroc and Betras arrive on the Dyson Sphere, and Siroc will stop at nothing to get to the secrets of the Dyson Sphere. Tolian Naros, along with Faisal, Henglaar, Elbrey, and others also arrive to try to rescue Ro Nevin and stop Siroc from bringing on the potential destruction of the universe.