Starbase Bravo, Advanced Tactical Flight Training Squadron – 391 Offices
November 2401

The Andorian commander sat on the edge of his desk still wearing his flight suit from this morning’s training flight, an unlit cigar hanging from the corner of his mouth as he looked at the display on the wall displaying the results of the training flight and next to that the updated class rankings. Looking at the PADD in his hands he mumbled as he reread the message for the hundredth time this afternoon.

Walking over to the replicator he couldn’t help but notice the line of lieutenants standing outside the office’s glass walls.”Twenty down twenty more to go and somehow I’m supposed to five more whose dreams of flying in a squadron formation will be pushed aside for the needs of the fleet.” Sitting down behind the desk, he looked at the wall again and shook his head. He knew who was next in line, looking out the glass wall she was hard to miss, he looked at the picture standing on the corner of his desk, reached over, and laid it facing down.

“Next”

He watched as the green/blue skinned, white hair tightly pulled back into a ponytail walked into his office, coming to an abrupt stop exactly three paces from his desk. He looked her over as she came to a stop, he couldn’t help but feel a moment of pride in the woman and officer she had become.

“Lieutenant Shrishe Sh’thehlohr reporting as ordered.”
The wall beside her changed as she announced herself showing her pertinent information along with a running loop of flight recordings, and gunnery practice. As she stood there waiting for the commander, she couldn’t help but notice the items on his desk, particularly the framed photo that was now lying face down in its usual spot. “Shit!!” She thought to herself knowing from the past several months that he only did this when he needed to keep certain thoughts or feelings to himself.

“At ease Lieutenant” as he looked at the wall quickly, already knowing what was there. He put the cigar down on a small square plate that sat slightly in front of the now face-down picture.

“Well at least he did that, always hated when he tried to talk with that in his mouth.” she thought to herself. She watched as he looked through a stack of PAADS till he found the one that had her name across the top, he looked at it and took a deep breath. “Oh crap, are the rumors true? Are they sending some of us to the fleet, but why me? I’ve been at the top of the class since we started.” She thought to herself.

The commander stood and walked from behind the desk and approached the Lieutenant. “Congratulations Lieutenant, top three in the class. You should be proud of all that you have accomplished, Star fleet expects good things from you in the future.”He looked down at the PADD and took another breath. “Now ordinarily this is where I would offer you your choice of assignments, a privilege for those that rank in the top five of each class. But as we know these are not ordinary times, especially after the Frontiers Day happenings, Star fleet needs helmsman, and more importantly…”

She looked toward the commander, antennae twisting. “Sir, can we cut the speech.”

The commander nodded. “Just like her mother, always wants it straight.” He thought to himself. “Very well then, Lieutenant, I’ll cut to the chase. “You are being assigned to the USS Chawla, Sagan class. You are to report to Captain Rigras onboard the day after tomorrow.” he handed her the PADD containing her orders.

She took the PADD but felt a momentary reluctance on his part to let go. “Sir, off the record?”
He nodded as a reply, halfway expecting it.
“This is you trying to keep me safe, is it? Trying to keep me out of harm’s way? I’m not that little girl anymore.”
“I’m very aware Shri of just who you are, or at least who you think you are. You still have a lot to learn, things to experience, things that will change you. As for your two questions, No. The decision was made to best benefit the fleet. I’ll clue you in on something, the Chawla is assigned to Task Force forty-seven.” He watched as her antennae twisted left and right knowing this was a sign that she was thinking about what he had just said, her cloudy grey eyes looking at him trying to read something on his face that was not there.

“Thomar Expanse?”

“Correct, now knowing what you know from your classes does that sound like I’m trying to keep you safe? I’m willing to bet you will be seeing more than your classmates who did get assigned to squadrons. Shri, this decision was not easy for me. I went back and forth on it many times this afternoon. In the end, I had to decide what I thought was best not only for the fleet but for you.”

“You thought I would be better serving as a glorified bus driver than sitting in the seat of a Valkyrie or even an Aspara?”

“I don’t think anyone would think a Sagan class is a glorified bus, they are one of the most technologically advanced ships in the fleet and I think you will be surprised. Listen, Shri, you have a lot to learn and in some ways a lot of growing up to do, you will come to realize that this was the best decision I could have made for you.”

“I doubt that, sir. Permission to leave.” she took a step back from the tall Andorian Commander.

The commander nodded to himself and went back to his seat behind the desk, he slid a rather ornate wood box towards the lieutenant. “An old earth tradition. We don’t use such things these days but my commander presented them to me when I graduated and I have kept the tradition alive. You are dismissed, lieutenant.”

She picked up the box feeling the embossed stylized wings on the lid. She quickly turned and made her way toward the door.

“Lieutenant, one more thing. Your mothers asked me to remind you of the family dinner tonight at 2000 our quarters. Your brothers and sister will be there. We have also asked your husbands and wife to attend. Maybe the last time in a long while that we can get everyone together.”

She stopped as she approached the door, not turning to face the commander. “That may be kind of hard, last I heard from her she was still on Andor attending some advanced trauma seminar at the academy. When did Jhaviass arrive? “

“Lieutenant Commander Zh’iqethral arrived this morning and Cadet Zh’thehlohr arrived planetside a week ago.”

“What??? When did she join Star Fleet? We had discussed it of course, but she said she would wait till the four of us could be together in one place before she made up her mind.” She rounded on the Commander with her antennae twitching “Damn it, father. You told her, didn’t you? I bet you told Ibahl and Oshrybiahr too. Hold on, if Avremiah had time to put in a request to transfer into Star Fleet and get accepted, that means you knew, you had this planned for some time, didn’t you?

The Commander gave the lieutenant a shrug. “How else would they have had time to put in their requests? So what do I tell your mothers?”

“I’ll be there, I guess.”As she walked out the room’s doors and strode past the waiting lieutenants. None of them said anything to her as they could see the anger on her face as she quickly walked out of the room. She stabbed her combadge. “Computer, location of Lieutenant Commander Zh’iqethral.”

“Lieutenant Commander Zh’iqethral is currently located in quarters Delta level – ring two – Room H5687”

“Of course she would be.” As she briskly walked toward the closest set of turbo lifts.