The office was getting slowly shaped into Sazra’s new place. People who would have seen her office at her previous command would see the resemblance in this office. Sazra placed another book in the cabin. She had found a passion in reading books as it brought her calmness, and something about turning a page was great. The chime went off as Sazra looked at her side to the door, “Come in,” looking back into the cabin at the number of books.

A Caitian walked into the office and snapped into attention, “Ensign K’Nala reporrrting for duty ma’am, sirrr…Captain” She was nervous about meeting her new Captain. How was she? How would she react? What would she think of her?

Blinking a few times, hearing to say that, she looked at the ensign. “Captain is enough. At ease. You don’t have to be so uptight with me, Ensign” Sazra walked back to her desk and sat down. “Welcome on board the USS Damascus, Ensign K’Nala. I am your Commanding Officer, Sazra Praugol” She gave her a friendly smile.

Relaxing a bit, she nodded to Sazra. “Thank you si….I mean Captain. I will be yourrr new pilot forrr the Damascus. I look forwarrrd to flying herrr. She looks amazing, and I bet she has quite some juice in herrr” K’Nala spoke fondly of the ship as if she was her best friend already “I have checked her systems, and she is ready to take us anywherrre you wish us to go”

Giving the nod, “Well, that is good to know, Ensign. We have not given any mission description yet from Starfleet Command. But I presume they will start soon and give us some time to settle in this new command. The ship has been in service before, but the previous crew got reassigned with their Captain to their new command. It is pretty common for some Captains to do that, of course. Are you brief on what to expect in the Typhon Frontier?”

K’Nala nodded, “The Commanderrr has briefed us on what to expect therrre. The spacial anomalies are the verrry thing I requirrre to pay attention to while flying thrrrough these sectorrrs. I don’t expect any resistance from the navigational systems.”

Sazra leans a bit back in her chair, “The Typhon Frontier is vast. It still surprises us with what it has to offer. At the same time, it terrifies us what lurks in the darkness. Many Starfleet vessels come in trouble when entering those areas because they get ahead of themselves, getting trapped in situations they didn’t predict. So what I am trying to say is stay alert of your surroundings and alert us if you think something is off. The senior staff has experience with this, and we know by now what to look out for”

“I shall stay alerrrted by my surrroundings Captain” K’nala gave a firm nod as she bald her hands “I look forwarrrd to explorrre the unknown with such experrrienced crrrew” 

It was kinda cute to see such a young person being so motivated to explore the unknown, being inspired by the explorers of old. Sazra wonders what it feels like to be inspired by another role model she might look up to. There were enough people out there that would be classified as great explorers and Captains. 

“Captain?” K’Nala looked at Sazra. A bit surprised that the Captain had dozed off.

“Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts,” Sazra smiled at K’Nala “Do you have any other questions for me? If not, I look forward to working with you, Ensign” 

“Not really Captain…” K’Nala spoke and now showing a bit troubled as if she wanted to talk about something.

“Something wrong, Ensign?” Sazra narrowed her eyes looking at her.

“Well…I gave the reason to join the USS Damascus as I wanted to explorrre the Typhon Frontierrr, but I didn’t want to begin on a big ship as the chance for a frrresh Ensign to be at the helm was not as big as a smallerrr ship. But that was not the whole reason why I wanted to join this ship,” K’Nala spoke, looking now at her Captain, who was looking a bit puzzled. 

“Oh” Sazra was indeed curious, she had read most of the applications and transfers to her ship, but a change of reasoning was not something she was expecting. 

“Yes, my main reason to join this ship, was because of you Captain” K’Nala spoke scratching behind her head a bit “My aunt was on the USS Liberty when they met you. What you did made herrr realize that what she was doing wrrrong all a long and sacrrrifice herrrself to give you time to escape” K’Nala shrugs a bit.

Looking a bit surprised at that confession, Sazra slowly nods trying to think back “Commander Mrorri, she upheld a mutiny on that ship to give us time” Seeing K’Nala nodding to that name “Well, I am sorry for your loss even if it was quite some time. It is not something anyone should witness. Your aunt was noble and honorable woman”

“Thank you Captain. Because of that event, I chose in the academy to join yourrr ship whateverrr ship that would be” K’Nala smiled proudly “ I wanted to repay the debt of what my aunt had to endurrre in herrr time of deception by Captain Vance and serrrve the person that made herrr realize what it means to be a Starrrfleet officerrr” 

Nodding to K’Nala “Thank you Ensign I appreciate your dedication in this and your loyalty” Sazra smiled at her “Well that being said, I do have to continue to get the ship ready” She winks at her.

“Oh yes, sorrry Captain” K’Nala snaps to attention once more and walks off out of the office.

Seeing the Ensign leave, Sazra looked outside “Commander Mrorri….almost forgot her sacrifice in this whole journey of my career” Sazra shrugs “I better remember her now that I got her niece here”