Star Trek Online started a new Featured Episode series based on a Deep Space Nine storyline this past Saturday.  It deals with a Dominion fleet that comes through the wormhole and captures DS-9.

This first episode, "Second Wave", begins with a diplomatic mission involving a cross-faction conference about uniting against the Borg threat.

Yeah, I know, sounds a bit boring, but it's surprisingly fun.  Hey, they needed an excuse to get you to DS-9!

This episode has everything.  There are four different short diplomatic missions (three of which are optional), there are three optional Duty Officer assignments, ground AND space combat, a bunch of cutscenes, lots of voice-overs, and it moves along fast enough that it doesn't seem too grind-y.

The combat missions are challenging.  I don't have tricked out builds, and both my Brigadier General (Science) and my Vice Admiral (Science) each had to respawn in both the ground and space missions.  Ordinarily I don't have problems in PvE missions of Normal difficulty and I don't have top-of-the-line gear.  Don't go in thinking this is a cakewalk.  The Jem'Hadar can take down your shields in nothing flat and your health/hull will follow soon afterward.

All in all, a fun episode and a great kick-off for a new series.