The Adventures of the USS: Yokohama

Chapter one.

Year: 2409.

Star fleet academy, Sol system.

Time: 0800

My name? Cadet Emily De Hallan, it's difficult to believe that four years have passed since I joined Starfleet. Sometimes it still feels like I'm just starting my first year, not just about to graduate.

I stretch myself as I get out of bed, and get dressed in my uniform pinning my cadets pinn to the collar. Taking hold of a breakfast bar on my way out.

Class of 2409. I specialized in engineering from freshman year, brought out of my attention from one of my only friends at the academy, a large part of my own shyness, Elisa Flores, we grew up together on a small island 24 hours outside Tokyo Japan.

She is the reason I joined Starfleet in the first place, I would never have had the confidence to become one on my own. We joined together, I kept her out of trouble while she kept troubling me… most of the time. Now four years later, while I have no longer acting on my own will.

'Finally Emily! What took you so long to get out of bed? You haven't forgotten what day it is?!.' She practically yelled one my ear, as much as I wished she didn't, as it drew far too much attention.

I can't help but smile a little, 'Difficult to forget with you reminding me every day for the past month,' I reply with a smile, she always finds a way to brighten my mood. 'Have you gotten your assignment yet?'

'Of course! I was first in line!' She replied with a predatory grin that made me swallow a little nervously. 'Oh! Before I forget' she continued 'I think Razkii wanted to see you, Something about the astrometric final? He is just up the path.'

With that Scott drew her attention back, I swear he has a crush on her. Though it is far from my place to talk about it.

I bit my lip nervously, I had helped Razkii study, but I have no idea if it actually helped or not. As I approached he seemed to be holding a very animated discussion with Zarva an underclassman.

He smiles when his gaze shifts having spotted my approach 'There you are! I really wanted to thank you for helping me pass the astrometric final, and all the other times you have helped.

'It's been my pleasure Razkii I…' I start replying but I'm cut off when he continues to speak.

'Hellen, I've always admired you… I… I really hope Starfleet recognizes everything you have done to lead our class.

My cheeks start to feel uncomfortably warm, I'm not sure what he's talking about. I'm far from being any type of leader. I'm unable to reply though I'm saved from trying to find one when Zarva the underclassmen joins in.

'Hey, Hellen you're also starting your cadet cruise today right! Do you know what your assignment is yet!? What ship did you get!?'

I take a deep breath trying to fight down my far too obvious blush. She always seemed to find me like a lost puppy bubbling with questions.

'N-no I've haven't received my assignment yet.

Razkii smiles at me knowingly,

'Good luck, Oh, and before you go and talk with Lt. Ferra, you need to find T'vrell, she wanted to talk to you as well.

T'vrell? I have seldom spoken to her, T'vrell often keeps to herself, she raven-haired Vulcan, I don't know her well, leaving Razkii to continue what seemed to be an impromptu lecture about warp theory, I find T'vrell up the path speaking with a first-year cadet I do not recognise of African decent

'Greetings Hallan, I thank you for finding me so promptly.' She replied cutting off the conversion she had with the first year, having gestured him towards the dorms.

'Razkii mentioned that you wanted to speak with me,' I replied with a nod.

'Ah. Yes, I wanted to thank you for encouraging me to retake my linguistics final.'

Honestly, it wasn't much, she had just seemed so exhausted as if she hadn't gotten enough sleep… I could only guess that she couldn't have done too well with her original score.

'I… I was willing to accept my original result, You, you were one the few who happened to notice that, I, I well wasn't at my best… with my new attempt, I managed to increase it with 12.8 per cent! Well within my standard norms and allowed me to qualify as a linguistics officer alongside communications.' She continued.

Just beyond her shoulder, I spy Morak who is trying to catch my attention.

'I, I'm happy I was able to help.'

T'vrell nods with a small smile, a rarity of her normally stoic personality. 'Live long and prosper' she replies before walking toward the dorms presumably to finish packing.

Continuing along the path, I reach the view of the Golden Gate Bridge, long sense decommissioned after the support structure started to fail, and wheel driven vehicles were things of the past.

I found Morak in a conversation with my dorm mate Anne Potter.

It seemed that Captain Taggart, who would be running the cadet cruise hadn't yet selected his bridge officers. Before I spend too much longer In conversation

I give a wave to Anne. She blushes cutely,

'I've been assigned helmsman onboard Captain Taggards ship. I really hope he selects you as well. It would be great if we were on the same ship.' She replies smiling. She then got a strange smiling faraway look in her eyes. I bet you would make a great bridge officer Emily, I know I'd serve under you.

I don't even manage a stammer I don't know what to do, as I left staving off another blush this time I feel down to my chest. 'I… I'm really not that good,' I managed to mumble eventually.

I then check the time on my personal tablet… I really need to check in with Lt Ferra to find out my assignment.

I find him standing in the main office. Pad in his hands at the ready he looks up as I approach.

I give a salute as I come up to him.

'Sir. Is this where I receive my training cruise assignment?'

He nods, 'I have the details here, Name and rank?'

'Cadet Emily De Hallan, Sir.'

He scrolls a moment before coming to halt, taps, scrolls down a little, taps again before giving poise.

'Hmm, Interesting… You will need to report to Captain Taggart, he is in the office behind me' Lt Ferra replies.

Captain Taggart. He has been my inspiration for me since my first year, I can't help but wonder though I would be sent to him about this. 'Is- Is there a problem sir?

'You'll have to ask him Cadet.' He replies before gesturing to the office to allow the next cadet behind me to get an assignment.

Taking a deep breath I strutted out my uniform standing outside the door, hesitantly rigging the buzzer.

'Enter' the voice of my inspiration replies.

'I make my way inside the office I had spent so much time inside, over the course of the past four years.'

'Cadet Emily De Hallan Sir! You wanted to see me.' I salute trying to keep my appearance as stoic as possible, god I envy T'vrell with how easy she made it seem.

'I have' he replies, 'I've been following your progress here at the academy, and I must say that I'm impressed.'

I give in my eyes wide, hurt thumping, 'th-thank you sir.' Though I can't help but wonder why he would choose to follow me, My time here couldn't have been all that expressive.

'I've been studying your final exam results… however it seems you haven't taken the advanced phaser training program. Care to explain why?'

'I- I was falling behind in my exams sir, and needed to drop one of them.'

'Understandn bable, however, I want every member of my senior staff to have run the program, no exceptions. I expect good results from you.'

'Senior staff sir?'

I take a few breaths, senior staff? Why… I'm very sure that kind of position was well beyond my ability… the responsibility… I very nearly miss what the captain says next.

He nods, 'I want you on my senior staff, your ability would be wasted elsewhere, however, I can't have you until you have run the program, and gotten the results I want. 'I'll have to ask my tactical officers to run the simulation for you.

'Who's your tactical officer, sir?

'Cadet Flores, almost matches your scores, though she seems to have a few… blemishes. Still. Given time I'm sure she will settle down and become a damn fine officer.'

I have spent a few nights looking after my best friend after she had taken Fridays out In the cities vibrant nightlife, where she had earned those blemishes, drinking several to many drinks, but when she isn't drunk she has tactical mind under her red hair, very fit for the possession.

'Meet Flores out in the quad, Dismissed!'

I give a salute turn sharply on my heel and match out only after the door closes that I let my composer fall.

Senior staff?!

How on earth could I be good enough to become part of the senior staff, others in my class surely would be far more suited.

Shaking my head. I make my way out focused on the task ahead, trying to remember everything about phaser training as I make my outside once more, soon finding Elisa.

'I forgot to say, I got exactly what I wanted, Tactical Officer... What about you?'

'Senior staff,' I manage to breathe out, still not fully believing those words.

'Uh… Captain Taggart mentioned that I need to run through the advanced Phaser program.

'You're on the senior staff? The message I got a few minutes ago from the captain makes sense now. Why didn't you already take it?

'I… I never expected to be made on the senior staff.' I reply trying to refocus my mind back in phasers.

Elisa gives me a light hug, You'll do great Emily, your a born leader, even if you don't see it yourself yet.' She assures me, but still not believing a word of that, T'vrell would make a better Bridge officer than I.

'Let's get to the holodeck,' she continues steering me by the shoulders.

I catch one final long look at the Golden Gate Bridge, before we turn and enter another building, Requisitions and where all the classrooms are.

As we make our way inside we stop at a console

'I'm setting you up for Holodeck two, we just need to get you a phaser pistol and we will all say,' Emily says.

I'm too tense to listen much, what if I do poorly… no stay focused you can do this.

I take a pistol in my hands, as we pass a weapons locker.

I've done this many times before, I know I can do this… just not as well as Elisa… Ug, why am I being made part of the senior staff?

We made to the holodecks, stepping inside into the centre when it turns into the inside of Klingon a warship.

I've done this before, I can do this.

My foes are on the other side the door, I ready my pistol,

Lasers start flying towards me as the doors slide open, Phaser fire replies instantly, I don't take another second to return fire taking careful aim taking out one Klingon at time.

First Klingon taking cover by the table, down.

Two more phaser rounds pass me over my head, very close to giving my hair a trim.

Second Klingon is standing in the open, I hit him in the chest.

A phaser round hits me on the knee though my personal shield absorbs the simulated damage there is a sharp sting.

The third one is behind a console, down.

Just one on one now, I line up my shot firing off a phaser, missing him as he ducks behind cover, I move behind a console, to steady myself, striking the last Klingon cleanly. Ending the simulation ended, where to my surprise I found the captain having watched me.

'Well done cadet Hallan, not record-breaking admittedly, however, it's well beyond qualifying.'

I wonder if he missed me being hit in the leg, no senior officer would let that happen in a combat situation right?

'Th-thank you, sir.' I managed to reply biting my breath wondering about my position but not daring to ask.'

'I have no qualms' he continues 'about my new first officer Cadet Hallan, I'm expecting on the bridge well before departure.' Elisa and I salute as he depart as I start to bleach white as a ghost.

'F..first officer?'

Out of all positions.

'Breath Em, you'll do great.' she soothes 'First Officer... I told you freshmen year that it would be you, didn't I?

'I… I…' words are lost on me as Elisa guides me to my dorm room to finish my packing. The last to be packed is a picture of my late mother and father along with my younger sister and myself.

It's a few minutes later that Anne, Elisa and I return to the main building for the ceremonial send-off.

There I find the Captain,

'come joins us, Cadet,' he says, handing me a glass full of the finest Rum. A long-standing naval tradition, as far as I understand.

'You are joining Starfleet, we are young to the galaxy,' he starts.

'You're in the same possession now as the first people to travel beyond our solar system, onboard the first USS Enterprise, whose five-year mission was to go out to meet new life, and to boldly go where no man had gone before, you have inherited that legacy as have all members of Starfleet before you, you are the class 2409… from here on out, this will be your story.

I toast to your class, to the class of 2409!

Now it is your turn to boldly go where no man or other being has gone before.'

I couldn't help but smile at the end of his toast, for now.

I'm first officer Emily De Hallan, for better or for worse the captain has chosen to put his faith in me.

The Rum burns as I swallow, the liquor fuzzing my mind a little, we board the shuttle, with an untold future lying ahead. I just pray I don't mess everything up.