A New Chapter Begins

[Capt Muon Quark 0]

Muon sat in her office on the station. She was gazing out the window, lost in thought. She was, for the first time, a little scared. Very soon the station would be ready to move to Breen space. It was hard enough to move a military facility but it was even harder to move your home. Aegis had been home for more than 6 years now and her mind was filled with memories of those years here on Aegis. She remembered Moog and defending him in a trial with Ayers as opposing council. She remembered when they found the El Aurian ship and discovered that Ayers knew about it. He had almost lost his commission then. She remembered when the Admiral broke her nose. ::slight smile:: Muon still mourned the loss of the Pandora's Box. ::wry grin:: She remembered the plague.... She remembered everything.

 

They would not only be going on to a new assignment for Starfleet, but they would also be heading to a new home. Would they find friend or foe as their next door neighbor? Perhaps they would find both. The intel reports were still inconclusive. There was still no sign of what the Breen were up to. Were they still there? Were they still planning an attack on the Federation? What other species would they find in this new unexplored area of space? Granted it had been chaotic these last few months but Muon was sure that the crew was up to whatever new challenges they would find in Breen space.

 

Muon glanced down at the padd on her desk. It had their proposed route to Breen space. She picked up the padd and glanced at the route for what seemed like the hundredth time. The only part of the of the route that had Muon concerned was the Lextel nebula that was about halfway on the route. It was notorious for it's energy emissions and radiation. Science and medical would need to keep a close eye on it and make sure the crew was safe. They had plotted a route that safely bypassed the nebula but you never knew when the nebula would act up.

 

Glancing back out the window, she saw the tug Thor maneuvering one of the last platforms from the defense grid into it's hold. For several years the defense grid had been a major part of the security for this area. Now it was gone. There had been talks about placing a similar system around Cardassia but Muon wasn't sure it would ever come to be. The Cardassians were proud and wanted to stand on their own and plus they were not a member of the Federation. Who knew what effect moving the defense grid would have for Cardassian space. If only they were a member of the Federation, then perhaps.... ::sigh::

 

She glanced up at the computer screen and laid her padd back down on the desk. The latest report from the medical department was up on her screen. It appeared that the virus that had infected the Cardassians was all but gone now. They were well on their way to recovery. Muon couldn't help but wonder what would happen to the Cardassians if something like this occurred again. Who would come to their aid next time? Who would risk their career to go back in time to get a cure for the Cardassians? Again, if the Cardassians were able to join the Federation, then it wouldn't even be a question. They would have all the help they needed. But since they weren't a member.......

 

She pushed a button on her console and another report came it. Communication buoys had already been set it place by the Cardassians to work in conjunction with Federation buoys. The Cardassians would now have to contact someone else, not Aegis. Unfortunately the Federation would now be many light years away unless a ship happened to be nearby. That meant a significant delay in assistance if the Cardassians ever requested assistance. Also, the Cardassians had agreed to allow the Federation to install several listening posts. It wasn't much but, it was something at least.

 

She pushed another button and reviewed a report from engineering on the separation of the station. The first pylon had been successfully detached and they were starting on the next section. It was time for Muon to move to the Mercury. All personnel had been moved to the Mercury with the exception of the skeleton crew that would remain on the three sections of the station to monitor things. The stress on the hull of the station was going to be massive and they needed a team to monitor it constantly. Again, her mind wandered back to the Cardassians. They would have no further engineering support from the Federation. They would have to see to their own engineering requirements, which for the most part they have been doing for the past few years. Still, there would be no one nearby to assist if an emergency came up.

 

Let's face it. Muon would worry for the Cardassians. This a critical time for them. What saying did the humons use for a situation like this? It was "do or die"? Yes, that was the saying. The Cardassians would either make it or they wouldn't. Muon's biggest concern was that the Dominion or some other hostile race would consider this a prime time to attempt an invasion of Cardassia once the Federation moved out. ::sigh:: But Muon had to quit worrying about the Cardassians. Perhaps someday she would be able to do that. When she knew they were safe and strong and able to stand on their own and an ally of the Federation. Until then, she would have her worry.

 

Sighing she stood and powered down her console. Her last official act before heading to the Mercury. She had already sent her "goodbye" messages to Cardassia and there wasn't anything left to do here on the station. Admiral Johansen had already given the go ahead to move once they were ready. For the next few months the Mercury would be their home while the station made it's way to Breen space. The station would arrive several weeks after the Mercury and Portland. Plenty of time for the Mercury to scan, search and check out their new home. It also allowed them a chance to halt the tugs in case there was trouble. It was a very expensive station after all. The Ferengi would never forgive Muon if she let something happen to the station.

 

Sighing, Muon moved away from her desk to the middle of the room. She glanced around the room one last time....

 

+MERC+ "Quark to OPS. One to beam to up." ::shimmer::