Preston sat there in the audience, surrounded by his fellow Cadets. This was the crowning accomplishment that topped the last four years. Four years of work, worry, studying, and testing designed to mold them into the best that Starfleet could offer. Starfleet Academy had been specially formulated to help break each Cadet down and then rebuild them into the future of the Federation.

From his chair, Preston watched as the Commencement Speaker spoke about duty, honor, and the bonds forged here at the academy. The reality of the speech was that it was a thirty-minute recruitment speech for the younger siblings in the crowd. Preston didn’t care, though; he was glad this was over. It hadn’t been easy. It had been hell. His only saving grace was the friends that he had made.

However, amongst all the celebrations, there was a hint of sadness, as every graduating Cadet knew what would happen next. After this assembly, they would earn their commission as an Ensign and then receive their first assignment. Those friendships made over the last four years would end, and from here, they would each go their separate ways. Sure, everyone promises to stay in touch; they will send letters and communications, but the reality is that after some time, those too will end.

As if the speaker knew what Preston was thinking, the man leaned into the mic and stated, “Life moves on.” Preston knew he would get his assignment, say goodbyes, and make a new family. Preston looked up at the stage as the Commandant of the Academy stood. His speech was much shorter, more of a pep talk. Then he uttered the words that ended it all, “Congratulations, Ensigns.” There was no turning back.

With all the pomp and circumstance that Starfleet could muster, their academy life ended in a glorious event. From here, they were filtered into a line, congratulated, and given a padd containing the information on their first official assignment.

Preston just stood there looking at the padd; his mouth gaped open. He was in a state of shock, out of all the possibilities he was assigned to, he hadn’t finished his internal discussion when he was interrupted by someone looking over his shoulder.

“Starbase Bravo,” the voice commented, “congrats Ensign, the pride of the fourth fleet. It is an impressive assignment.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Preston replied, almost frozen, “my sister is stationed there.” Before Preston could say anything else, he was grabbed from behind as several of his fellow Cadets seemed overly excited.“Did you get Bravo, Pretzel?” one of them shouted. 

The collective excitement seemed to drown out the moment. It was a small group, but Preston took comfort in the fact that a few of his fellow Cadets, now Ensigns, were getting assigned to the station. He wouldn’t be alone. Preston felt a surge of emotions as he realized that his first assignment would be at Starbase Bravo, where his sister was stationed. It was a mix of relief, excitement, and a tinge of nervousness. 

He was looking forward to seeing his sister again, but he also knew that this would be a significant step; he hadn’t seen her in several years. He would be serving in the fourth fleet, which came with its responsibilities and challenges. But was he ready for it? He had been trained for this moment and was determined to make the most of it. Ready or not, their future started today. Now was time for them to shed the mantle of the Cadet and grow into the rank pip that would soon be on full display for all to see. It was a big step, but one that Starfleet had dumped a lot of training and preparation into. 

Preston looked up as his friends started to run off, “come on,” one of them shouted, “let’s go pack up our stuff.”  

Preston smiled with a laugh like they had much to pack.  “Let’s go, Pretzel,” one of the group shouted back. “Our shuttle leaves in a few hours; we don’t have much time.”

Preston shook off the internal monologue as he ran to catch up with his friends. He couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. While excited about his first assignment and the following opportunities, he also felt apprehensive about seeing Kay again.  Would she be happy about this placement there? The weight of the entire situation was visible, but he knew that one way or another, he had to be ready for whatever happened. The journey ahead was full of promise and adventure.