EPILOGUE. NEW HORIZONS

Three days later, the Europa left Deep Space 9 with new orders from Starfleet Command: utilising the space base for future resupply, it was to provide protection to an area of space a few light years from it. Captain T’Vok had agreed to make a small diversion to take Dr. Bejal Otner to Trillius Prime: the scientist had almost risked a heart attack and intensive care when his sister had told him that she would not be returning with him home.

After a heated discussion, in which words had been exchanged, thrown across the room in anger and concern, the Trill had left rather furiously, narrowly missing Jadzia’s return from her shift. Which, all things considered, was fortunate for both of them: it would certainly have ended badly for him and, by virtue of that, Dax would have found himself facing a court martial. When, however, Lenara had told Jadzia about her conversation with her brother, the other Trill had been remarkably clear-headed and had pointed out to Kahn that Otner’s reaction was not so out of the ordinary. She had even offered to go and find him before he boarded the Europa to try and talk some sense into him, but Lenara had talked her out of it, telling her that her intervention would probably only make things worse.

Ferrari had resumed duty the day after the incident in the holosuite, coordinating with the various departments for last-minute needs and, from the outset, had proved herself equal to the task and promotion, just as R’Mau and Leeda had predicted would happen. She was one of the last people to leave the base on the day of departure, and it was not only the commitments of her new job that held her back. When she arrived at the boarding gate located along the lower ring of the Promenade she found Worf doing the final paperwork: they exchanged a few words and a few thanks for the time they had spent together training in Quark’s holosuites. Before turning into the connecting tunnel, Ferrari allowed herself one last glance at Deep Space 9 and, lifting her gaze, found Jadzia and Lenara standing on the upper level balustrade. The three women exchanged a smile and the two Trills smugly raised their intertwined hands, showing how well everything was proceeding. Ferrari nodded at them and then walked towards Europa.