™
4
$4.99US COVER A
SEGURA ROSENLUND JORDAN ECKLEBERRY
COVER BY BAILIE ROSENLUND
™
As Dax, Worf, and O’Brien grapple with the whims of the godlike Blade of Jeraddo and play a game that could cost them their lives, Captain Sisko and Kira find themselves in a pitched battle with two Maquis ships. Can Odo and the crew stop a violent takeover in time to help their friends, or will it all be for naught if the omnipotent Blade has their way?
Alex Segura
Bailie Rosenlund
JP Jordan
Jeff Eckleberry
Writer
Colorist
Artist
Letterer
Neil Uyetake
Heather Antos
Thea Cheuk
Cassandra Jones
Design/Production
Senior Group Editor
Editor
Associate Editor
STAR TREK created by Gene Roddenberry. Special thanks to Risa Kessler, Marian Cordry, Dayton Ward, and John Van Citters of Paramount Global for their invaluable assistance.
STAR TREK: HOLO-WEEN II #4. OCTOBER 2026. FIRST PRINTING. ™ & © 2026 CBS Studios Inc. Star Trek and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. IDW Publishing, a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC. Editorial offices: 14144 Ventura Blvd, Suite 210, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. The IDW logo is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Any similarities to persons living or dead are purely coincidental. With the exception of artwork used for review purposes, none of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without the permission of Idea and Design Works, LLC. IDW Publishing does not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories, or artwork. Davidi Jonas, CEO • Andrew DeBaker, CFO • Gregg Katz, General Counsel • Tara McCrillis, President Pub Ops/Associate Publisher • Aub Driver, VP Marketing • Gregg Katzman, Sr. Publicity Manager • Kim Estlund, Publicist • Anthony Mauro, Talent & Events Manager • Ryan Balkam, Director of Sales • Warren Buchanan, Licensing Manager • Heather Antos, Sr. Group Editor • Jake Thomas, Sr. Group Editor • Alonzo Simon, Group Editor • Lauren LePera, Sr. Managing Editor • Shauna Monteforte, Sr. Director of Manufacturing Operations • Jamie Miller, Director Publishing Operations • Jasmine Gonzalez, Director Ecommerce Operations • Alison Quin, Sr. Director IT • Nathan Widick, Director of Design • Neil Uyetake, Sr. Art Director, Design & Production • Darran Robinson, Sr. Art Director • Ted Adams and Robbie Robbins, IDW Founders. For international rights, contact licensing@idwpublishing.com. To purchase ad space contact adsales@idwpublishing.com. Printed in Canada.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER DAX’S LOG. SUPPLEMENTAL. IT’S NOT A STRETCH TO SAY WE’RE IN TROUBLE.
PART OF THE CREW HAS BEEN MAROONED IN ONE OF THE HOLOSUITES AT THE WHIM OF A BEING CLAIMING TO BE THE BLADE OF JERRADO. THE SAME “WEAPON” CAPTAIN SISKO AND KIRA WENT THROUGH THE WORMHOLE TO FIND--JUST AS DEEP SPACE 9 KICKED OFF ONE OF THE FEDERATION'S BIGGEST PEACE SUMMITS.
WHOEVER THIS BEING IS, JERRADO OR NOT--THEY ARE VERY POWERFUL.
AND THEY’VE ALREADY COST US ONE CREWMEMBER.
WHICH, AS BENJAMIN WOULD SAY, IS “ONE CREWMEMBER TOO MANY.”
TRAVEL SWIFTLY, WARMOTH.
AND | CAN'T FIGHT THE SINKING FEELING THAT…
…WE MAY NEVER FIND OUR WAY BACK TO OUR LIVES ON DEEP SPACE 9.
THE DEFIANT.
THE MAQUIS? RIGHT AT OUR DOOSTEP?
NOT THE WELCOMING PARTY | WAS EXPECTING, CAPTAIN SISKO.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE--
“--THEY’RE OPENING FIRE!”
YOU LOOK WHITE AS A SHEET--ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?
THE HOLOSUITE. WHAT IS IT, COMMANDER DAX?
|--| THOUGHT…| THOUGHT | SAW SOMETHING. A SIGN, GENTLEMEN. THAT THE GAME HAS BEGUN.
WHOEVER THIS “BLADE” IS, THEY’RE IN CHARGE, AND WHATEVER GAME THEY WANT US TO PLAY IS BEHOLDEN TO THEM ALONE.
THE KEY IS POOR WARMOTH. SOMEONE MANAGED TO MURDER HIM IN A HOLOSUITE.
“AND | HAVE A STRONG FEELING…
“…THAT THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE… YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!
|’M TEMPTED TO CALL MY ATTORNEY IMMEDIATELY.
“…IS IN THIS ROOM.” | LIKE HER.
WORF, CAN YOU AND CHIEF O’BRIEN INTERVIEW OUR SPECIAL GUESTS? GET A SENSE OF WHERE THEY WERE WHEN WARMOTH WAS KILLED?
CERTAINLY, BUT MY EXPECTATIONS ARE LOW.
HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE A HOLOGRAM? THEY’RE PROGRAMMED TO DO WHATEVER THE MODULE TELLS THEM TO DO.
| KNOW, CHIEF, BUT OUR ONLY HOPE IS TO WIN THE GAME, AND FOR US TO DO THAT, OUR HOST HAS TO PLAY FAIR. NOW GO-|’LL GIVE WARMOTH A MORE THOROUGH ONCE-OVER.
WHAT A BRUTAL WAY TO GO--AS IF MAULED BY SOME KIND OF ANIMAL… BUT WHY?
SO, WHAT WAS IT, LIEUTENANT? A BEAST, OR…
WHAT KIND OF MONSTER…
…WEARS CLOTHES?
…SOMETHING ELSE?
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW LIEUTENANT WARMOTH?
WAS THAT HIS NAME? POOR CHAP--WHAT A WAY TO GO.
DON’T YOU CARE, MAN? SOMEONE DIED A FEW FEET FROM YOU. YOUR FRIEND WAS ATTACKED BY SOME KIND OF CREATURE--
--NOT A REFINED INDIVIDUAL, SUCH AS MYSELF. YOU, HUGHES, AND DAPHNE WERE THERE--AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. WHO ELSE WOULD WE NEED TO SPEAK TO?
ISN’T IT OBVIOUS?
WELL…
OR HAVE YOU ALREADY GIVEN UP ON THE GAME?
WHO ELSE DO YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO? WHO ELSE INDEED.
THE ANSWERS ARE JUST OUTSIDE THIS WINDOW.
“WITH OUR DEARLY DEPARTED COMMANDER FOX…”
THIS IS WHAT WE GET FOR TRUSTING A CON ARTIST LIKE VERAD. “| KNOW THE LOCATION OF THE BLADE, TRUST ME.”
NO MATTER, HE’LL BE DEALT WITH. ONCE | GET MY BEARINGS IN THIS SLUDGE AND SLOP…
…COULD HAVE SWORN THE HOUSE WAS BACK THIS WAY. BUT WHERE?
WHAT WAS THAT?
|'LL JUST HEAD IN THIS DIRECTION. WE'RE IN A DAMN HOLOSUITE.
NOTHING-JUST THE WIND. YOU’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORM, FOX, RELAX.
IT HAS TO END SOMEWHERE.
“IT IS ONLY LOGICAL TO ACCEPT, DOCTOR BASHIR, THAT THERE IS AN END TO ALL THINGS.”
EVERY TIME | TRY TO GET OUT OF THESE CONSTRAINTS… |’M JOLTED WITH ELECTRICITY…
TRULY, DOCTOR SELAR, IS NOW REALLY THE TIME FOR--
QUARK! IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENED ON THIS STATION.
|’M NOT SURE |’D CALL THIS GOOD, DOCTOR.
BUT HOW DID YOU FIND US?
--YOU HAVE A FUNNY WAY OF SAYING “THANK YOU.”
KNOCK, KNOCK…
HELLO TO YOU, TOO, ODO--
A BARTENDER SEES EVERYTHING, DOCTOR-BUT THERE’S NO TIME TO EXPLAIN. WE HAVE TO GO.
QUARK… YOU DID THIS?
FOREVER UNDERESTIMATED, IT SEEMS.
PATIENCE, ODO.
WE NEED TO GET TO OPS. BEFORE THE MAQUIS COMPLETELY TAKE OVER THE STATION.
FIRST, LET YOUR FRIEND QUARK FREE YOU FROM THE SHACKLES OF FORCED CONFINEMENT, EH?
| WOULD TEND TO AGREE WITH THE CONSTABLE.
HANDS DEEP SPACE 9 UP, FEDERATION BELONGS TO THE BOOTLICKERS. MAQUIS NOW. WILL YOU JUST HURRY UP?
NICE THROW, DOCTOR…
WE MUSTN’T ALLOW THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO WASTE.
YOU HEARD THE DOCTOR!
TO OPS. HURRY.
DOCTOR, GET TO THE COMMS STATION.
CONSIDER IT DONE!
ENSIGN TALRIK! HE’S INJURED!
SURPRISING.
|’M-|’M ALL RIGHT…| THINK…
FAR FROM IT, ENSIGN, BUT AT LEAST YOU’RE ALIVE!
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, DOCTOR?
SHORTRANGE SENSORS ARE INCONSISTENT, BUT---THERE APPEARS TO BE A PITCHED BATTLE BETWEEN YOUR CAPTAIN’S SHIP, THE DEFIANT, AND TWO MAQUIS VESSELS. BUT | AM GETTING A STRANGE--AND UNEXPECTED--READING.
AN ARRAY OF DISTRESS SIGNALS--
“--FROM STARFLEET COMBADGES. A STARSHIP’S WORTH.” THE CREW OF THE VARELA!
THEY’RE ALIVE.
THE HOLOSUITE.
THE ENTITY RUNNING THIS GAME IS GIVING US ROOM TO PLAY--AND SETTING OUT LIEUTENANT CLUES FOR US TO WARMOTH BEING ONE FOLLOW. OF THEM.
THEY WANT US TO THINK THAT WARMOTH WAS MAULED BY SOME KIND OF CREATURE-A MONSTER.
HOLOSUITE OR NOT, WORF--| HAVE TROUBLE BELIEVING IN GIANT CREATURES ROAMING THE COUNTRYSIDE. ESPECIALLY ONES THAT WEAR CLOTH. AND WHATEVER STRUGGLE HAPPENED AFFECTED THE ATTACKER, TOO.
YOU’RE SKEPTICAL, COMMANDER?
IT’S...TRUE... DESPITE YOUR DOUBTS...
WHOEVER... IS PLAYING THIS GAME...HAS UNLEASHED...A MONSTER...
VERAD!
UNNNGGHHH...
HIS BREATHING IS RAGGED.
…|’D BE CELEBRATING THIS MOMENT…SAVORING YOUR PAIN.
AND HE APPEARS TO HAVE SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES.
OH JADZIA, EVER THE STALWART HERO.
IF | WERE THE MONSTER YOU BELIEVE ME TO BE… THE PERSON WHO STOLE YOUR CHANCE TO JOIN WITH MY OWN SYMBIONT…
WHERE'S "COMMANDER" FOX, YOUR MAQUIS BENEFACTOR?
ENOUGH WITH THE RIDDLES, MAN! IF WE DON’T FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET OUT OF THIS DAMNED HOLOSUITE, WE’RE ALL DOOMED.
LET US HELP YOU.
AND WHAT ATTACKED YOU?
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE, DAX? A CREATURE--PROBABLY THE SAME MONSTER WHAT WILL IT THAT MURDERED YOUR TAKE FOR YOU TO BELIEVE, DEAR WARMOTH. DAX, THAT WE’RE NOT ON SOLID GROUND ANYMORE? WE’RE AT THE WHIM OF SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER THAN ANY OF US.
HELP ME? |'D RATHER DIE THAN GET HELP FROM YOU. |'M FINE… | JUST NEED TO GET TO MY FEET.
LATER…
“WE CAN FIND FOX TOGETHER.”
| WOULDN’T HAVE WISHED THIS ON MY WORST ENEMY.
UNTIL WE SOLVE THE MYSTERY. THE ENTITY HAS STUCK TO THEIR WORD.
AND WHAT, THEN? WE CHASE DOWN THIS MONSTER AND ASK IT WHY IT DOES WHAT IT DOES?
THE LONGER THE GAME IS PLAYED, THE MORE OF US WILL DIE.
PERHAPS.
WORF, UP FOR A WALK? | THINK THERE MIGHT BE A FEW CLUES PAST THAT CLEARING.
OF COURSE. CHIEF, PLEASE KEEP VERAD IN YOUR SIGHTS.
|’D SAY, “WITH PLEASURE,” BUT |’D BE LYING.
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, COMMANDER?
ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE. EVEN THE MOST CREATIVE HOLOSUITE PROGRAMS REQUIRE DIRECTION.
AND | CAN’T SHAKE THE FEELING THAT THE ENTITY IS TRYING TO NUDGE US ALONG.
YOU WOULD BE RIGHT, JADZIA DAX. DAPHNE?!
HOW’D YOU GET OUT HERE?
WHAT COULD YOU OFFER US?
WE’RE ALL TRAPPED HERE TOGETHER.
|’VE WATCHED YOU ALL…FROM THE BEGINNING. |’VE RECORDED YOUR REACTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS. SO, | COME TO YOU WITH A CLEAR PROPOSAL.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT. | COME WITH AN OFFER. AN ESCAPE POD, IF YOU WILL.
YOUR LIVES, OR THEIRS. YOU CHOOSE.
“|’M NOT SURE WHETHER TO LAUGH OR CRY, CAPTAIN.” THE SHIPS ARE ACTING STRANGELY. ONE OF THE MAQUIS SEEMS TO BE HANGING BACK, AS IF GUARDING THE WORMHOLE.
BUT THE OTHER SHIP SEEMS TO BE THE WORST SHOT THIS SIDE OF TALOS IV.
THEY’RE FIRING, BUT NOT TRYING TO MAKE WAIT-CONTACT… MAJOR KIRA, CAN WHY? YOU RECORD THEIR FIRE?
RECORD THEM, SIR? | DON’T FOLLOW…
LISTEN TO THE BLASTS-THEY’RE NOT TRYING TO HIT US.
THEY’RE TRYING TO TALK TO US.
ANYTHING?
NO TIME FOR A DETAILED ANALYSIS, SIR, NOT WITH THE OTHER SHIP HOVERING---BUT THE PHASER FIRE SEEMS TO MATCH WHAT STARFLEET CODE 3. IS IT SAYING, MAJOR?
IF MY TRANSLATION IS CORRECT, CAPTAIN, IT’S SAYING… “HELP US… VARELA CREW… ONBOARD… DO NOT FIRE…”
GET BETWEEN THOSE SHIPS, MAJOR-NOW.
AYE, SIR.
KEEP TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE STATION.
“WE NEED THEM TO BEAM OUR PEOPLE OFF THAT SHIP.”
EXPLAIN YOURSELF, DAPHNE. WHAT ARE YOU OFFERING?
CONSIDER IT A SHORTCUT OUT OF THIS DAMNABLE GAME.
WITH A WORD, THE GAME WILL END. YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS WILL BE RETURNED SAFELY TO YOUR HOMES.
THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN OFFER THAT IS THE GAMEMASTER HERSELF, NO? WHICH MAKES ME WONDER…WHO ELSE HAVE YOU OFFERED THIS SHORTCUT TO?
ISN’T IT ENOUGH TO KNOW YOU’VE WON? NOW YOU CAN REAP THE FRUITS OF YOUR VICTORY--AT THE EXPENSE OF THOSE YOU HATE.
YOU NOT ONLY GET TO BE FREE--BUT YOU CAN LET ME HAVE VERAD, A MAN YOU DESPISE.
YOU'D WIN, DAX…
NO, WE'D ALL LOSE. REAL WINNERS DON'T KILL TO DEFEAT THEIR OPPONENTS. THEY WORK TOGETHER.
NOT EVERYONE AGREES WITH YOUR PERSPECTIVE, COMMANDER.
VERAD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
GET BACK HERE!
| BET YOU WERE OFFERED A DEAL BY THE BLADE, TOO.
BUT YOU TOOK IT. SOMEONE NEEDED TO PLAY THE ROLE OF THE MONSTER, AFTER ALL. YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW ME SO WELL, VERAD. THAT BY JUST JOINING WITH MY SYMBIONT BRIEFLY, YOU COULD UNDERSTAND HOW | THOUGHT. HOW | FELT.
YOU WERE CERTAIN |’D TAKE THE BLADE’S OFFER. AND THEN | WOULD HAVE WON.
BECAUSE ALL LIFE HAS MEANING.
AS LONG AS THERE’S LIFE-THERE’S HOPE. EVEN FOR SOMEONE LIKE VERAD, WHO HAS ONLY DONE HARM, SPREAD HATE, AND BETRAYED EVERYONE AROUND HIM.
WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE WHO DESERVES MORE TIME IN THIS UNIVERSE?
| MISJUDGED YOU, JADZIA DAX. THE HATRED BETWEEN YOU AND VERAD WAS POWERFUL. YET YOU WOULD…SACRIFICE YOURSELVES…RATHER THAN SEND YOUR ENEMIES TO THEIR DEATHS? WHY DO YOU CARE ABOUT THESE PEOPLE--THOSE WHO WISH YOU DEAD? THOSE ARE SOME OF THE IDEALS WE LIVE BY--IN STARFLEET, THE FEDERATION, AND BEYOND. TO SEEK OUT THE THINGS THAT CONFUSE AND BAFFLE US, TO UNDERSTAND THIS ENDLESS UNIVERSE.
IF WE CAN’T ALL FIND OUR WAY OUT OF THIS GAME-THEN IT WASN’T A FAIR ONE TO BEGIN WITH.
AND TO DO IT WITH EMPATHY.
HM.
| AM LEGEND. MYTH. AN ANCIENT PIECE OF HISTORY TO MANY PEOPLE. A WEAPON. A FORCE OF NATURE. BUT ALWAYS SEEN BY THOSE WHO WOULD MANIPULATE ME AS A TOOL TO BE WIELDED IN COMBAT.
A FINAL ASSURANCE THAT | COULD LEAVE THIS PLANE AND LET YOU ALL DESTROY YOURSELVES.
| WANTED TO CONFIRM THIS BELIEF--THAT ALL SENTIENTS, AT THEIR CORE--WERE SELFISH AND CRUDE. NOT DESERVING OF MY POWER OR HELP.
BUT NOW… NOW | DOUBT MYSELF.
THE GAME IS OVER.
A FEW DAYS LATER. ROOM FOR AN OLD FRIEND?
DON’T REMIND ME. | WAS HOPING WORF WOULD’VE AT LEAST HANDLED THAT. BUT IT CAN WAIT.
OH, BENJAMIN. DON’T YOU HAVE A SUMMIT SPEECH TO GIVE? THE CREW OF THE VARELA ARE SAFE AFTER THE MAQUIS TRIED TO GET THEM KILLED IN BATTLE. THE MAQUIS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED. VERAD, TOO. THE SUMMIT IS ON TRACK. | SHOULD FEEL…RELIEVED.
| FEEL… EMPTY.
WE LOST PEOPLE. IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST… | MISSED MY CHANCE. NOT ONLY TO SAVE LIVES, BUT TO COMMUNE WITH SOMETHING POWERFUL.
SO TELL ME…HOW ARE YOU, OLD MAN?
BUT?
YOU STOOD THERE ARE NO CLEAN VICTORIES, DAX. WE WILL MOURN THOSE WHO UP FOR WHAT HAVE FALLEN AND CONTINUE ON IN WE ALL BELIEVE THEIR NAMES. BUT YOU ALSO SAVED IN--WHEN IT COUNTED. THE ENTIRE STATION.
| GUESS |’M YOU’RE RIGHT. BUT | NOT SURE DO HAVE ONE NAGGING IF YOU CAN ANSWER IT. QUESTION.
“CAN YOU MAKE WORF GIVE THE OPENING REMARKS ANYWAY?”
WHAT IS IT?
THE END!