After the events with the Syndicate and the successful operation to push them out, Hecate still had a long road ahead to meet the standards an average Starfleet station should represent. Many plans were set in motion to provide support for the people on Hecate Station. Regaining the trust of the civilians and merchants onboard would take time, but Command already knew this and intended to put forth every effort. One of those plans, which had been shelved for a long time and only recently rediscovered by the command team, was the Pilgrim Program. This program would serve as a starting point for cadets to experience the frontline.

Taking a deep breath, a young girl stepped out of the airlock. Her gaze swept across this new environment, a station with a rich history and only recently burdened by pain and fear. She wore a teal uniform, and four golden marks on her collar indicated the rank of Cadet Senior Grade. Suddenly, she felt an arm around her shoulder and looked over to see a smiling young man. “Eli.”

“Come on, Liss. We just arrived and you’re already looking to help someone?” Eli noticed his friend’s behavior and teased her with a grin. He let go of her shoulder, aware that being overly touchy with Liss could lead to discomfort. Turning his head to look back at the other cadets, he called, “Come on, guys!”

Was she really already letting her urge to help take over? Liss placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart pounding. The desire to help was in everything she saw around her. She looked at each of the cadets who had arrived with her. Her eyes fell first on an Andorian woman, intense and highly passionate about defending Starfleet in security and tactical matters. Alara zh’Rekkath was regarded as their leader.

Quietly, Liss followed the rest. Next was a younger Tellarite man known as Threx dal Khelan, aiming to improve his command and starship operations skills. Though blunt and confrontational, over the years Liss had come to know him as someone with deep values and respect for those around him. Shifting her attention again, she observed Shaari th’Vorek, who was here to explore diplomacy and interstellar law, quite warm yet very idealistic.

Sneaking along at the back, checking every corner, was Rhixa Norrin, a Bajoran woman who seemed suspicious and guarded, focusing on intelligence. Liss presumed the scars of the Dominion War had shaped her outlook. Then there was Verrik, the Vulcan among them, coldly logical and detached from the group, who viewed this class as a requirement for his own goals. Verrik was focused on scientific pursuits.

Hearing laughter directed at Eli made Liss glance at him briefly. This “brief” guy, friendly, everyone’s friend, was laid back with his assignments. However, whenever something involved engineering, he would vanish from the rest of the class until he figured out how it worked. Then there was the warm, enthusiastic, and energetic Jorven Relkar, the Bolian who excelled in Operations and Logistics. Liss took a deep breath and followed the class through Hecate’s promenade, noticing small shops thriving with happy customers, drunk Klingons, and people locked in debate.

She folded her hands behind her back as they entered a turbolift en route to their barracks. The group made its way to registration, where Liss stepped forward. “Cadet Senior Grade Lissara Nohr.”

“Cadet Nohr, medical specialty. We could use more of you,” the petty officer said with a smile, then looked at the rest of the class. “Welcome to Hecate Station, Pilgrim Flight.” He noticed another petty officer nod at him and grinned. “Form up. You have an introduction to do.” The cadet squad formed up and followed him into the next room.

The cadets quickly moved to their respective spots and stood at attention before the officers gathered there, three officers who would change their lives. Liss looked at them, muttering, “The big three.” Her eyes landed first on Commander Adrián Valerio, Hecate Squad Engineering Specialist and Captain of the USS Himalaya. Then she shifted her gaze to Captain Silina Ruslanovna, Hecate Squad Medical Specialist and Captain of the USS Gemini. Finally, her eyes fell on Fleet Captain Sazra Kobahl, Hecate Squad Commander and Captain of Hecate Station.

Sazra nodded to Silina, then addressed the cadets. “Welcome to Hecate Station. I’m sure you know who I am and who these people are.” She motioned to Silina and Adrián at her sides, ignoring the fact that Adrián was busy tinkering with a holographic display. “The Pilgrim Program is a new method, but an old idea. You can spend hours in class, studying every kind of situation recorded in Federation history, but you need to experience it firsthand.”

Her gaze swept across the room, taking in each cadet who listened carefully. “Hecate is the frontier; we’re here to give you real lessons on what you might face. This isn’t Sol, this is truly the frontier.” Sazra smiled softly. “Questions?” She noticed some hands go up. “You. Name and question.”

Taking a deep breath, Liss stepped forward. “Cadet Nohr. The USS Gemini recently came back from a dreadful situation. I was wondering what the current political stance is between the Romulan Republic and the Federation after those events?” Her eyes shifted to Silina.

With a nod from Sazra, Silina answered, “The diplomatic relationship between the Romulan Republic and the Federation is neutral-good. Lieutenant Palema, our squadron diplomat, is currently in talks with them.” Silina caught the concern in Liss’s expression and continued, “The medical care we provided was critical. We had to set aside cultural differences to work together, and we succeeded.”

“Next,” Sazra said, and Liss stepped back in line.

The young Tellarite stepped forward. “Cadet dal Khelan. The USS Himalaya found a derelict station that activated, forcing the ship to retreat. Do you regret that decision?” He looked toward Adrián, who was kneeling by the holo-display.

Sazra directed her attention toward Adrián, who sighed and stood up. “First, it wasn’t ‘derelict’ in the true sense of the word. A derelict station implies it was in very poor condition, as though neglected, which wasn’t the case. We pulled back because the Himalaya wasn’t equipped to take on a station of that capacity, especially not with the distortions near the Grim Wall.”

Rolling her eyes slightly, Sazra clearly didn’t want him to share too many details, but she should’ve expected it. “Final one…”

With Threx stepping back, Shaari came forward. “Cadet th’Vorek. With the Syndicate issue resolved, what’s your main focus now?” They looked to Sazra.

Sazra narrowed her eyes a bit and crossed her arms. “Restoring faith in this station’s civilians and merchants in both Starfleet and the Federation. Are all the issues truly resolved? No. I believe there are still some rotten apples hiding in the shadows, but we’ll deal with them in time. After that, we’ll address the region as a whole. The Klingons are on the other side of the Grim Wall, and they require particular attention.”

“Sir,” Alara spoke up, stepping forward. The way Sazra looked at her made Alara feel unexpectedly warm, which she tried to ignore. “I believe Starfleet is showing too much restraint in dealing with external problems. The Gemini, Ukiah, and Hecate should have taken direct action.”

“Cadet, you weren’t given permission to speak,” Silina snapped back, narrowing her eyes. “I believe there’s a code of mutual respect, especially for those above your rank.” She walked over to Alara, studying her. “Do you have a problem with that, being so bold as to speak your mind when no one asked for it?”

Alara shrugged, knowing full well she was in the wrong. “I apologize; I just think that…”

“That we lack the willpower to act,” Sazra finished Alara’s sentence, causing the Andorian to blush slightly. Sazra took a deep breath. “Follow me.” With that, she walked out, trailed by the confused cadets.

Stopping by Adrián’s side, Silina murmured, “She’s not going to do what I think she is, right?”

“You sleep with her, you know her better,” Adrián quipped, before Silina smacked him on the shoulder. “The hell?”

“Respect applies to you too,” she retorted irritably, following the class to the holodeck. “Ah, shit. She’s really doing this,” she added, seeing her girlfriend take off her jacket.

Sazra tossed her jacket to Rhixa. “Hold onto that, Cadet… what was it?” She turned her attention to Alara.

“Cadet zh’Rekkath.” Alara honestly didn’t know where to look; the Captain’s athletic build was more distracting than she’d anticipated. “What is the meaning of this, Captain Kobahl?” she asked carefully.

“Attack me,” Sazra said calmly, gesturing for Alara to engage.

Alara glanced uncertainly at Silina, who stood with her arms crossed, pointing shakily at Sazra. “She’s serious?”

Silina offered only a nod. “Better attack, Cadet, or she will,” she warned.

Alara looked back at Sazra. The posture of her idol stood before her. She noticed the other cadets whispering, eyes on her. She had to set an example, just not in a way she’d expected. Taking a deep breath, she rushed forward.

Without any real plan, she charged. Suddenly, her vision spun as the room flipped, and Alara felt her back slam against the holodeck floor. Gasping for air, she realized Sazra was above her, pinning her down.

“I think she’s enjoying this,” Eli whispered to Liss. The entire class knew Alara, tough and brave though she was, had a soft spot for her idol, Sazra Kobahl.

Sazra let go and offered Alara a hand. “Learn from this experience. You want to rush into things you don’t understand, but if you stay calm, you’ll see more opportunities to tackle your problem.” Sazra took her jacket back from Rhixa and nodded. “Your instructor will be here soon, there are still some things to finalize. But for now… welcome to Hecate Station.” With that, she walked out of the holodeck, Silina and Adrián following in her wake.

“Nice going, Alara… need some help?” Eli mocked, grinning widely.

Alara ashamed of her sudden drop to the floor, grunted “Shut it” She gets on her feet rubbing the back of her shouder still feeling the places Sazra had touched her and felt another wave of warmth through her body.