Stardate: 52902.0. As the war careens toward a final showdown on Cardassia, Sisko's definitive action as the Emissary draws near.

Stardate: Unknown. Sisko leads, what he hopes will be, a final all-out assault on Cardassia Prime. Kira and Garak mount a suicidal assault on the Cardassian headquarters occupied by the Dominion, who in turn kill innocent women and children village by village in retaliation for the Resistance's attacks.