The ball slammed hard against the wall, then ricocheted back. It missed the outstretched glove of the smaller woman, hitting the wall behind her and bouncing back to smack her hard in the thigh. She went down with a yelp. The taller woman quickly moved to her side and crouched to help her sit up.

“That does it!” Dax groaned breathlessly, dropping her glove and leaning on her friend. “I’m through with springball! I will never get the hang of this game and I’ll only kill myself trying!”

Kira laughed and pushed sweat-soaked hair off the side of her face. “Jadzia used to play. It’ll come back to you, if you keep trying.”

“Jadzia also enjoyed Galeo-Manada style wrestling and married the first man to break her ribs,” Dax reminded her, rubbing her throbbing leg. “And Curzon loved bare-fisted juro counterpunch and Rujian steeplechase, and Emony was a galaxy-class gymnast. But I am not Jadzia or Curzon or Emony. And I am going to have a bruise on my leg the size of the station by tonight. And I ache in places I’d forgotten I had. Where’s Julian when I really need him?”

“Colonel Kira,” echoed a voice through the court’s comm speaker.

Kira made a face. “Here, Kuhlman. What is it?”

“We have a ship arriving at Docking Port Two in about four minutes, Colonel.”

Her brow furrowed quizzically. “Ships arrive every day, Ensign.”

“It’s a Bajoran military courier ship, sir, and General Krim is aboard. The captain implied that the general expected you to greet him personally upon his arrival.”

A pause.

“Thank you, Kuhlman. I’ll be there.”

“General Krim,” Dax murmured. “Wasn’t he here with Minister Jolorn last month? What’s he doing back on the station?”

“I guess I’ll find out in a couple of minutes.” Kira tugged at her arm. “Here, let me help you up — that bruise already looks nasty, can you walk?”

“I’ll manage,” Dax assured her, taking an experimental couple of steps.

“Good. I don’t want to keep the general waiting.”

Dropping off her glove, Kira left the springball court. She all but sprinted through the crowds in the Promenade, and reached the airlock just as docking procedures were completed. Less than thirty seconds later, when she’d barely caught her breath, the double airlock cycled open, and the general appeared.

General Krim Junco stood as ramrod straight as a man could. Kira knew he was over sixty years old, but he carried those years well, despite all he’d lived through during the occupation and his time as a resistance fighter. There was a touch of gray at the temples of his dark hair. His facial features were sharply defined but otherwise only lightly marked with the years. He was muscular and fit. Unlike some of the resistance leaders who had turned to other occupations after the liberation, he had stayed in the militia; the military life had suited his personal philosophies and dedication to Bajor.

Krim glanced around the Promenade, his sharp gaze taking in details that Kira suddenly became convinced she’d missed in the past eight years.

“General, welcome back to Deep Space Nine.”

The general’s dark eyes studied her springball attire and sweaty, disheveled appearance. “Colonel Kira, you’re out of uniform,” he stated precisely.

“I was off-duty when I heard of your arrival. If I’d known you were coming, I would certainly have been more appropriately attired,” she said, apologizing and subtly rebuking at the same time. “If you’re going to be here for a time, I can shower and change while you settle in, then we can meet—”

“It’s of no consequence,” he brushed it away. “You can shower and pack while my aide offloads my personal effects.”

She stared at him. “Pack? Wait a minute, what are you talking about?”

He held out a PADD. “By order of Defense Minister Jolorn Ramee, I’m taking command of this station, Colonel, effective immediately. You’ve been recalled to Bajor.”

She was too stunned to reply. Around them, whispers rippled across the Promenade, followed by silence.

Kira was numb as she cleaned up, changed, and began throwing her things together. It was completely unexpected, with no reason that she could see. She kept asking herself why. Shakaar hadn’t said anything about it when they’d last spoken — but then, this order had come from Defense Minister Jolorn, in charge of all Bajoran military forces. Maybe Shakaar didn’t know anything about it....

No, she thought, he had to know. Even Jolorn, with his propensity to presume he knew what people thought and how they would react, wouldn’t have recalled the commander of Deep Space Nine without Shakaar’s consent.

“Nerys, it can’t be true—“ Dax rushed in without even knocking. “They can’t be calling you back!”

“Jolorn can, and he has,” she replied.

“Jolorn did it?” Dax perked up. “Then Shakaar will undo it — you have to call him, talk to him, get this straightened out—“

“I thought about it,” she admitted. “But I’m sure Shakaar knows about the recall.”

“On what grounds? Why would he allow it?” the Trill persisted, following Kira into the bathroom as she stuffed personal items into the bag.

“I don’t know—“

“Colonel!” she heard a voice at the still-open door. It was Nog, lisping more than usual in his excitement. “General Krim’s in your office, he says he’s in charge now! Kaoron’s calling Bajor to find out if it’s true—”

“Tell him don’t bother. It’s true.” She threw her toiletries bag into the larger duffel. “Krim’s taking over. I’ve been recalled to Bajor.”

“But why?”

“She doesn’t know,” Dax interjected, “but she’s going to talk to Shakaar, right? And find out why?”

“Shakaar’s intervening?” said an eager third voice — Quark, hurrying in with as little notice as everybody else. “Well, then everything will be back to normal in a few hours and we’re all getting upset over nothing.”

“But Shakaar knows,” Dax said, “and he’s allowing it!”

“Shakaar recalled her?” Nog was astounded.

“Then Shakaar’s an idiot,” Quark concluded. “Of course, considering he let my fool brother set up shop here on the station—“

This was all starting to sound confusingly familiar to Kira. She held up her hands. “Stop it, everybody!”

They all turned attentively toward her.

“I’ve been recalled. I don’t know why. General Krim is now in command of the station. That is all I know. And I hope I can count on all of you to ensure that there are no wild rumors about the situation.” Her eyes bored into Quark.

“Hey, why are you looking at me?”

“Because every rumor on the station passes through your bar — and most of them start there!” she retorted.

The Ferengi quickly changed the subject. “So, how do you want us to handle this general? Make life so miserable for him that he asks to leave again? Find out his weaknesses so we can blackmail him? Hey, that’s not a bad idea—”

“No, Quark,” Kira stated precisely, while Nog rolled his eyes and Dax shook her head. “You are not going to do anything to make General Krim miserable — other than being your normal self, which is irritating enough.” She glanced at the other two. “I trust I don’t need to tell you to set a good example and maintain the standards that were set by Captain Sisko. I don’t know why I’ve been recalled, but if I hear of any trouble here, I might have to come back.” She managed a wan smile at the last. “Now, if you all don’t mind, I need to finish packing.”

There was a momentary silence that grew more awkward by the second.

“Well, then, I guess I’d better get back to the bar. Good bye and good luck, Colonel,” Quark commented, sending what was no doubt intended to be a significant but private glance at Dax before scurrying out the door.

“Nog, you’d better get back to Ops, and let Kaoron know,” Kira said more gently. “I expect General Krim will want to meet the ... his senior staff, and you don’t want to get off on the wrong foot. Besides, I really do need to finish packing. Krim’s ship is waiting for me.”

“Not wasting any time, is he?” Nog said, looking and sounding disheartened.

“No.”

“Well ... good luck, Colonel. It’s been an honor serving with you....”

“It’s been an honor serving with you,” she echoed.

She held out her hand; he shook it, then turned to the door and left, still looking downcast.

That left the two women.

“Nerys,” Dax began tentatively, “when you said Krim’s ship was waiting for you—“

“I mean it’s waiting for me right now. The captain wants to leave in half an hour.” She smiled. “From that look of Quark’s, I imagine you had a farewell party in mind?”

“Well, I didn’t really have time to plan anything, but I did mention to Quark, on my way here, that you were leaving unexpectedly, and he ... sorta said he’d take care of the details,” she returned somewhat apologetically. “I guess there won’t be time....”

“Not really.” A pause. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.”

They hugged for several long seconds. Then:

“I’ve really got to go....” Kira said.

“I know.” Dax hesitated. “Nerys, what ... what about Endar?”

Kira blinked. “What about him? I’m not taking him with me, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No....” She seemed to search for words.

The colonel deliberately turned back to her duffel bag. “Alden will have to deal with Krim on his own terms.”

“I ... don’t suppose you could put in a word about ... giving him a break?” Kira was surprised to hear Dax actually sounding uncertain.

“I won’t say anything one way or the other. Alden will have to deal with the consequences of his own actions,” she replied quietly. “Whether he impresses Krim for good or ill, it’ll be his own doing.”

“Nerys—“

“I have to go, Ezri. And I’d really rather not spend my last minutes here thinking about the problems I may be leaving behind.”

Rebuffed, Dax left.

It didn’t take Kira long to finish packing. She stared around her quarters for a moment, recalling the years she had spent on the station, and all the changes of those years. Then, with a deep breath, she turned her back and walked out.

The first minister stared out over the capital, watching the lights and trying to let the quiet peace of dawn bring matching peace to his thoughts.

The decision had already been made. After debate ad nauseam, the council of ministers had confirmed it. Bajor was going ahead with building a manned relay station on the other side of the Wormhole. It would be established under the auspices of the Commerce Ministry, which had general control over all off-world colonization and commercial activities, and the Defense Ministry, whose purpose was self-evident. The joint control would make it clear that the relay had multiple purposes, and that Bajor was taking it very seriously.

Shakaar couldn’t disagree with the decision. Whether to build the relay hadn’t been the divisive issue. The relay was necessary, for security and to maintain communications through the Wormhole. There was even logic to it being a manned station, to lessen the likelihood of the kind of sabotage that had resulted in the isolation and destruction of the Gamma listening posts during the Dominion War.

However, he disagreed with the attitude of some of the ministers, the suggestion that the Wormhole should be closed to any but Bajoran traffic. They might speak of ensuring that only the Faithful communed with the Prophets, but he could clearly and cynically see some of them expected a commercial bonanza now that there was peace with the Dominion, and that they wanted control over any colonization in the Gamma Quadrant.

“Minister, you shouldn’t be out here alone.”

He didn’t bother turning at the melodious voice. “For fear of assassination? I thought you’d taken care of that, Colonel. Or is there a new plot?”

Rig stepped alongside him, her eyes sweeping the city skyline, then the slowly brightening sky, as if expecting something to appear at any second. Her one hand never seemed to be more than a quarter heartbeat from her weapon. He’d been able to leave that habit behind, after some effort. Rig never would; it wasn’t just a lifetime in the resistance, it was her current occupation as his security chief.

“In any event, I’m not alone. You’re here, and I suspect Taymon is at the outer door, with half a dozen others in the hall and monitoring the sensors.”

She didn’t respond, but he caught her sideways glance.

“Sometimes I think I was safer when it was just the Cardassians hunting me,” he mused.

Rig turned.

Shakaar heard the light footsteps too.

His adjutant was back. “We have word from the Sesrata; they’re in orbit.”

“Thank you, Sarish. Let me know when Kira arrives.”

A clipped nod, and the thin older man retreated.

“Colonel, you’ll see to things?”

“Of course.” Rig followed Sarish out.

The first minister continued his study of the city.