“Welcome back, Cadet Harris.”  The transporter officer accepted her PADD, glancing at the transfer orders, “The Commodore wanted to see you upon your arrival.  You remember the way?”

Natalie’s smile was thin, and she accepted the PADD’s return with a nod, “Been there a few times my freshman year, Lieutenant.  Thank you.”  She skittered off, taking slow breaths to calm her nerves.  The cadet uniform was a mild irritation, but she would adapt as she had before.  This time, she was going to last.  She would graduate and get back to the stars.  The conversation with her mother last month had been hard and fraught with memories of her childhood and her brother.  They’d both cried.  Rachel Harris had given her blessing in the end and asked for regular calls home.

She stopped at the administrative assistant’s desk, and he gestured to the chairs, “Commodore Bale will be within you shortly.”

Harris leaned back, closing her eyes.  Ison had been her exit interview when she’d decided to leave at the end of her freshman year.  He was firm but fair.  She remembered what he had told her, and it had sat in the back of her mind since.  She admired the 70-year-old Commodore for many reasons.  That he had chosen the Academy at Mellstoxx III as his corner of space to remain was one of them.

“He will see you now, Cadet Harris.”

Commodore Ison Bale stood at his window, looking out.  He was rarely in his office and had made a note of a cadet’s return to ensure he was here to receive her.  She entered and walked to stand at attention in front of his desk, “Cadet Natalie Harris reporting as ordered, Commodore Bale.”

He turned, taking her in.  She was young, and her eyes betrayed her nerves.  There was a tumultuous air about her that was hard to ignore.  Ison had read her file and connection to the former Captain Harris and her mother’s company.  He gestured to the chair and sat down on his own.  “Cadet Natalie Harris.  Your application for readmission was accepted pending this interview.”  He looked up at her, her reaction placid.  “You’ve asked to be placed in the engineering specialty.  Your grades from your freshman year meet the marks.” He tapped at the PADD, “You’ve collected quite the list of letters of recommendation.”

She fought the urge to fiddle with her hands, “I worked at Harris Transport in a few positions…I didn’t ask for those letters, sir.  I was worried they would create a perception.”

Bale eyed her, “And yet…you included them.”

Natalie chewed on her bottom lip.  He was right.  She had.  “I…to be honest, sir…I promised each of them that I would include them in my application. They…really cared for me and wanted me to succeed in my reapplication.  It’s hard for me to lie, sir…I’m too damn honest for my own good.”  She covered her mouth as the last part of the sentence flew out of her mouth unbidden.  She apologized through her fingers, “I’m rwelly sworry, sir.”

The Academy Commodore chuckled lightly, “Honesty and truth are admirable qualities in a cadet, Ms. Harrris.  The journey through your time here is not one to take alone. Family and friends from home will be a part of your team that pushes you to succeed here.”  He tapped his PADD again, “I have the reports from Starfleet Counseling and a local counselor in Montana.  What can we do to support you?”

Natalie blinked.  Twice.  She had wondered if it would come up in the interview.  He hadn’t mentioned her brother by name or position.  Was this his gentle way of asking without directly asking?  She replied, “I was going to set up an appointment with the Academy Counseling departm…”

He ran his hands over his console, and it beeped in the affirmative, “I’ve put a referral in for you, Cadet.  They’ll reach out to you tomorrow morning.”  He shifted in his chair, the commodore’s eyes resting on her, “I’ve been there, Cadet.  You’re not alone in that either.”  He pointed to the various paintings in his office, “Each of those ships represents lives saved…and lives lost.”  

She gave up trying to avoid playing with her hands and fiddled with them while she tried to find the words to speak.  She couldn’t.  Harris frowned and searched within.  She found a question among her words, “How did you get through them, sir?”

Bale looked at the ships that adorned the walls in his office.  He answered, “Time, Cadet Harris.  Time and together with others.”  He gestured at his desk, “You don’t get to a place like this without it.”  He tapped the PADD one more time, “Your reapplication is accepted.  Classes start tomorrow at 7 am.  The schedule will be sent to you tonight.”

She stood, “Thank you, Commodore Bale.”

He gave her a nod, “And Cadet?  Let’s keep these meetings in my office to a minimum this year?”

Her eyes went wide, and he chuckled.  She meekly responded with a  “Yes, sir” as he dismissed her.

Her walk from his office to her dormitory was a flurry of sound and images.  She fought her breath as she stepped through the doors.  Three years lay ahead of her.

She couldn’t wait to get started.