The Palasa Syndicate is asking for help.  For what, they won’t say over the communication channels.  Only that they are in fear of something bigger than themselves.  Rumors of Ghost Ships flying through the expanse and attacking other Syndicate ships, or even converting them to this new enemy.  Worried that they’ve lost contact with a world at the far end of their territory, they ask Starfleet for a rare cooperative mission to discover what is taking their ships and has silenced one of their worlds.  The USS Mackenzie is tasked to help assist.