The bridge of the USS Cardinal was a warm space. Metallic bronze-champagne trim gleamed across dark-tan walls with blue paneling. Along the rear of the curved walls, a row of stations hummed with glowing LCARS displays.

A raised crescent platform ringed behind the central command space forming a higher level of the bridge which the stations formed around. Three seats sat perched atop a much lower raised platform outlined in low blue light within the ring of the crescent. The bridge’s large forward viewscreen showed the silhouette of Deep Space 11 underneath them. Beneath their feet, the deck was carpeted in a calm blue-gray weave.

Captain Raku Mobra sat quietly in the center chair. The Bajoran’s long, angular features were softened with excitement. His dark hair was brushed neatly back. Mobra wore a jacket for the departure, grey undershirt worn underneath the heavier red and black coat. “Status reports,” he said in a low but commanding tone.

Lieutenant M’kath’s eyes ran across the interface in front of him. The Klingon’s sandy brown hair was pulled into a ponytail. He shifted slightly, standing directly at the peak of the bridge crescent behind the command section at one of two forward facing stations. “Weapons systems are green. Phaser array alignment is complete. Torpedo bays are sealed.” he added with a low rumble.

Raku gave him a warm glance. “Very good, Lieutenant. Let’s keep our teeth sharp and ready.”

M’kath flashed a pointy grin as he nodded. “Of course, Captain.”

Lieutenant T’Naagi tapped at the Science console towards the edge of the bridge’s raised laevel. Copper hair was pulled into a tight braid. The green-gold Orion’s almond-shaped eyes studied spectral readings on the large display. “Our systems are ready to adjust for any stellar drift compensations needed along the route. Sensor calibration status is complete. Subspace looks pretty quiet, for now.”

“Let’s hope things stay quiet,” Raku said tiredly. “Engineering? Bridge to Moon.”

The comm channel crackled as the voice of Lt. Moon answered urgently. “Moon here. The warp core is holding like a dream. All EPS relays are balanced, with no vibrations in the secondary couplings. We’re tracking about twenty-five micro-variances, but that’s kind of, uh… Normal. This lady’s running beautifully.”

Raku smiled faintly. “Thank you, Lieutenant. Keep her steady.”

Near the starboard rear of the bridge, Lieutenant JG Itata sh’Zeles looked up from her console. The pale blue Andorian’s bob of stark white hair swayed as she turned. “Encryption matrices are set. Passive monitoring is aligned with our outbound trajectory. Nothing anomalous is to be expected around here. Sensors are primed and ready.”

One antenna angled toward Raku, the other toward the console.

“Always keep that sensor pod searching. We’ll run some deep scans at warp to test it out,” said Raku as he looked back to face her.

“Hopefully we can investigate some galactic phenomena along the way”, T’Naagi added excitedly. “We’re no Grissom, but I bet we could run such a detailed study on something like a neutron star.”

“I don’t know, Lieutenant”, Commander Smythe interrupted. “Collapsed supernovas make me nervous. Even at the Cardinal’s sensor range.”

The Chief Science Officer smiled quietly in response before she turned to study the target of her specific sensor. The red giant Arbazan loomed large on her massive display. Nebula-class vessels like the Cardinal were equipped with a row of sensors that ran along the sides of the vessel. Each station currently utilized a different one of these sensors to study different areas of their environment. The massive sensor pod attached on a U-shaped platform to the rear of the starship boosted and refined input to each of these, while also functioning as a massive search instrument.

Lieutenant JG M’Row’s claws clicked softly as he adjusted his Operations panel. The sandy-furred Caitian narrowed his multicolored red-blue gaze as he spoke. “Communications are synchronized, Sir. Internal systems report full status. The Cardinal’s orbital telemetry is still linked with the station. We’re ready to run.”

“Indeed we are,” Smythe said playfully from his seat alongside the Captain. Marlon’s dark skin appeared polished like obsidian. He sat tall with a militant posture. His short, military fade made him look ten years younger. “All systems green, Captain. We are finally at liberty to get moving.”

Ensign Crismarlyn Ruiz adjusted her posture at helm. Tan-gold fingers held poised above the navigation inputs. “Shall I set course, Sir?” Her eyes stared forward, expression eager.

Raku nodded. “Set it. We’re headed between Cait and Caelum Station to Eldor III.”

Ruiz’s hands moved smoothly as she spoke. “Our course is laid in. Plotting looks stable. Our flight vector is clear. There are a few gravity eddies along the corridor, but they should be minimal.”

The Bajoran captain watched the viewscreen carefully as he said, “Proceed at one-half impulse.”

“Aye, sir. One-half impulse engaged.” Crismarlyn angled the Cardinal away from Deep Space 11 in a banking course. The viewscreen changed to show the route ahead.

The glorified saucer pivoted with elegance despite her chunky frame. The rounded sensor pod rose from the aft like a lighthouse against the blackness of space. Two strobe lights flashed in unison, one just behind the bridge and another top-center of the smaller dome.

The Copernicus-class station hung just below the horizon as the ship departed. Deep Space 11 was a mushroom of functionality that lacked the grandeur of the grand Spacedocks. Stark lines and support struts framed the six modular pads that jutted like arms. Six runabout-sized landing pads extended from the starport, three above and three below.

On the bridge, an unmistakable thrum of excitement passed through the officers.

Smythe let out a low breath beside the captain. “It’s great to see this old girl move.”

“This ship was meant to fly,” Raku said. “Not sit under mothballs or skeleton crews.”

T’Naagi tilted her head. “Interesting. I’m reading a slight radiation spike emanating from Arbazan. It’s nothing dangerous. I’m just curious.”

M’Row flicked an ear. “Noted. I can issue a warning to ships in the area.”

As the bridge returned to silence, Smythe spoke again. “So this is the first departure of many.”

“Let’s hope the quiet holds,” M’Row rumbled. His ears fell flat, pointing outward horizontally.

“Hope is useful,” said sh’Zeles at the Intelligence station. “But so is preparation.” Her LCARS display monitored targeted data from the pod itself. She could also tailor what percentage of the pod’s power individual sensors utilized.

Itata added with a smirk, “We do both.”

Captain Raku leaned back into his chair as the Cardinal carved away from DS11.

“Okay, course is laid in… Let’s set speed at warp 6.6.” The Captain’s tone was almost reverant. “Engage.”

Ensign Crismarlyn Ruiz responded with a sharp nod. “Aye-aye, Captain. Warp 6.6 ahead.”

Her fingers danced across the glowing controls of the Helm console. Auburn-dyed hair shifted slightly as she leaned into the task. Eldor III was a desolate Class L planet. “Course verified and engaged,” she said as the viewscreen stretched into motion. Crewmembers felt the increase in inertial dampening that rocked the ship upon launch.

The USS Cardinal surged forward with liquid grace. Warp nacelles flared blue and red as the ship disappeared in a streaking flash. Stars outside of the forward display snapped into long streaks of light. The Cardinal leaned gently as it caught the warp current and settled into its heading.

Commander Smythe broke the momentary stillness with a thought. “Eldor III.” The mahogany man glanced toward the forward display as if he could conjure up the planet’s appearance. “An old terraforming initiative. The Class L world has a thin, but breathable atmosphere. No native wildlife, just some flora. Starfleet Science is tasked with long-term ecological monitoring and development.”

T’Naagi turned slightly as she began. “They’re focusing on an insect. A tough little thing. It was introduced a few years back from the deserts of Vulcan.”

M’kath let out a short grunt from Tactical. “We are traveling halfway across the sector to study a bug?” Expressive light brown eyes widened.

Smythe turned to give the Klingon an amused look. “It’s a foundational bug. Integral… Essential even.”

Lieutenant T’Naagi turned fully in her chair, almond eyes glimmering with delight. “Te’dran rahl. Little sand burrowers. They metabolize silicates and excrete nutrient-rich residue. Their waste turns into a fertile soil layer that promotes microbial growth. One day we’ll hopefully kickstart the planet’s ecosystem through these beauties.”

The Klingon raised an eyebrow, still unimpressed. “It is still a bug.”

“An ecosystem engineer,” T’Naagi corrected as her vibrant pink irises confidently stared down the Klingon.

“Think of them as tiny warriors,” Smythe offered in his typical dry humor. “They are conquering the plant, if you think look at it that way.”

M’Row lifted his ginger-furred head from a comms display. “I, for one, am looking forward to the climate. I saw there’s a dry heat there with almost no humidity. I bet there’s a nice, warm breeze too.” He smiled with a flick of one ear. “it sounds like the perfect place for a good nap.”

T’Naagi turned in the opposite direction to face the Caitian sitting up front alongside helm. “You nap through storms.”

“Storms are calming.” M’Row chirped a mew alongside his words. His striped tail flexed behind him.

“We won’t just be chasing bugs”, said the Captain. “Security can conduct training exercises on the surface. I think we’ll set up a camp, so that should include setting a perimeter and conducting patrols. Honestly, some time on the planet’s surface should do some good for all. We have the time.”

“Physical training would also be a good idea”. Commander Smythe leaned back and crossed his right leg over his knee. “The heat and thin air are great for conditioning.”

From the Intelligence station, Itata sh’Zeles leaned back over her seat. “A mission with no hostile contact reports sounds refreshing. The most dangerous lifeform on Eldor III might be the science officers after three days of bug watching.”

“Let’s not tempt fate,” Raku said cautiously. “Anything can happen out here.”

The bridge settled into a calm motion. After the horrors in what has officially become known as ‘The Blackout’, the crew’s morale has shifted into an orchestral blend of focus and optimism.

The USS Cardinal moved away from Deep Space 11 at what the galactic compass marks as a ‘trailing’ vector.