// Personal Log, Stardate 99202.17 Ensign Emyo… that is going to take some getting used to.

To say that the past two days have been emotional would be an understatement. Yesterday was my graduation ceremony, the culmination of the past four years. It was one of the few times when the entire class had been all together, and with the addition of parents, guardians, friends and family, the auditorium was packed. Even my parents had made the trip to watch my graduation. It took all my willpower to keep my composure as I received my new pip and seeing how proud my parents looked.

After the ceremony was completed my mother treated us to lunch where I had a lovely catch up with them. Sadly they were not able to stay overnight and so fighting back tears we said our goodbyes as they boarded a shuttle. This goodbye was harder than when I departed for the academy, as I don’t know when I shall see them next.

I spent the rest of the evening packing my belongings, ready for my departure today. It is strange, seeing everything you own, your entire life essentially, packed into a single bag. //

Troh cast his eyes around the room, giving one final check to ensure that he had packed everything, not that he had much to pack. He had lived a relatively spartan life during his time at the academy which had made packing a swift affair.

As he stepped out of the room that had been his home for the past year, Troh let out a faint sigh. It had not always been easy and at times he had considered giving in, but he had finally made it. He had graduated from the academy and was now an Ensign within Starfleet.

His orders had come through early yesterday, informing him that he was being assigned to the USS Discovery, a Century class starship, that was currently in operation in the Delta Quadrant, under the command of Captain Lucas Rider. That was about as much as he knew about his new posting, at least for the moment, and Troh was planning on reading up as much as he could about both the Discovery and the Delta Quadrant during his transit. Troh reached down, wrapping his fingers around the handle of his duffel bag.

Troh was almost trampled by another graduate as he stepped out into the hall. The Bolian woman offered a passing apology as he continued along the corridor. The majority of Troh’s graduation class were departing the academy today resulting in a lot of frantic activity on campus. Those students that remained would have a few days reprieve before a new class started and the chaos began again.

He made his way through campus to the hangar where he would begin the first part of his journey to his new assignment. The hanger was a hive of activity with at least a half a dozen shuttles positioned along the walls, with newly graduated ensigns waiting to climb the steps to their transports.

Troh scanned the room, searching for his shuttle and hurried towards the aft of the hanger as he spotted it. After showing his pass to the attendant Troh climbed the steps to the waiting shuttle. Troh stowed his bag and walked through the type-11 shuttle. There were only a handful of passengers and Troh offered a brief smile as he passed them before taking an empty seat towards the rear of the shuttle.

He had just settled into the seat when the deck began to vibrate, no doubt the engines being powered up, and he felt a subtle shift as the shuttle lifted off and glided out of the hangar. A few minutes later the shuttle jerked forward, pushing Troh into his seat. Although there was a lack of windows, Troh could tell that they had now left Earth’s atmosphere and were heading towards a point where they would go to warp.

Troh turned his attention to his book. As he flipped open the worn cover he was reminded of the day his mother brought him the book. The book held many memories with Troh. His mother had read this same book over and over to her son until she could speak to him in its words and he had memorised each word, every sentence, each line of text, and even the beginning and end of the story. His mother had taken pride in her son’s ability and patience. She had been the one to teach Troh about the Federation.

The journey to the Delta Quadrant and the Discovery had been uneventful, with Troh taking the opportunity to study as much about his new assignment as he could. The Discovery was an impressive ship with an equally impressive record and Troh was relieved to have been assigned to such a ship as his first assignment. The Delta Quadrant in particular was an interesting area of space, that even now they still knew little about.

Troh moved seats and was now afforded a view of the Discovery through the cockpit windows as they approached. The pilot did a flyby of the Discovery, allowing Troh the opportunity to take a good look at his new home. The Discovery loomed overhead, casting a shadow over the shuttle as they approached the shuttlebay.

There was a gentle thud as the shuttle touched down. Troh rose from his seat and smoothed down the front of his uniform, wanting to look presentable for his first impression on the Discovery. He thanked the pilot who was in the process of finalising their checks, before grabbing his bag and stepping off the shuttle. He took a moment once he was on the deck of the Discovery to look around at his new home. The shuttlebay was much quieter than the hangar he had departed, with a couple of crew working on a nearby shuttle.

Troh glanced at his PADD which listed his orders. Tucking his PADD under his arm, Troh turned his attention to the doors to his right which led to the corridor outside of shuttlebay. Troh paused momentarily as he watched a young Ensign step out of a nearby shuttle. The Ensign was carrying a large metallic box, which he placed on the ground beside him. Troh watched as the ensign pulled out a small device and pressed a button on it, before making their own way out of the shuttlebay.

Troh quickly followed the Ensign and entered the corridor, pausing for a second as he looked about the area. The hallway was quiet with only the occasional sounds of boots against the hard surface accompanying the silence. The corridor stretched ahead of him before ending with a set of double doors – a turbolift. Troh nodded his head at the young Ensign who stood a bit to his right and pushed the call button. Soon enough a door slid open revealing a lift, with the pair boarding the lift. Troh stared as the doors closed. A moment later the turbolift whirred to life, zipping through the interior of the Discovery.
When the turbolift came to a stop, it opened on a different level, Troh exited and headed out in the opposite direction he came in the lift. Troh passed a number of doors that read the names of various departments or personnel within.

After what felt like an eternity of turning corners and making a number of turns Troh upon what he presumed was his quarters for the foreseeable future, at least. He checked the PADD once again to confirm.

“Well I guess this is home.”

Troh pressed the chime, the doors to his new quarters sliding aside a moment later. Being a junior officer, a newly assigned fresh-faced Ensign at that, Troh had shared quarters, something that he was used to from his time at the academy. Troh stepped further inside, surveying his surroundings. The main room contained two sofas with a coffee table between them, a replicator on the far wall and two doors leading to the individual rooms. Although comfortable enough it lacked a certain flair, and could certainly use some more decor. He headed over to his room assignment, finding a rather spartan room, consisting of a bed, wardrobe, a small desk and a private bathroom.

“It will do for now.”

He flung his bag onto the bed and took up a seat next to it, allowing himself to fall backwards with a dull thud. He lay there in quiet contemplation for a few moments, wondering what life in the Delta Quadrant held in store. Finally, he sat upright, rubbed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

“Better unpack I guess.”

With that said he unzipped his duffle bag and began unpacking his belongings. The civilian clothes he had brought with him, a couple of uniforms that he would be wearing for the duration of his time aboard the Discovery went into the wardrobe. Then there were the few personal items that he laid out on the desk, which he would sort out later. Eventually, he finished and leaned back on the edge of the bed, watching the stars shine through the small window behind the desk.

“Home, sweet home.”