Stardate: 2398040.7

The ship was large, far larger than she was used to. Glancing around at this bright and clean ship around her, she felt so small within its vast corridors. It was almost alien to her, but this was going to be her new home for the foreseeable future. She frowned as she drew in a breath through her nose. Even the air aboard a Federation ship smelled clean. Still, she had never seen a ship like this one before. Sure, she had visited Deep Space Nine as a little girl, and saw a large collection of ships there, but none this large. She wondered if it were more like a city in space than a ship. That was the feeling she had as a little girl, and now she was a grown woman and even still she was impressed by the ship.

She half wondered how the Space Guard would fair if they had such large warships under their command. She wondered if they would still need Star Fleet to patrol their region of space if they had such ships like the Viking. She couldn’t help but be filled with pride as the Space Guard would parade such ships before a grateful people of Bajor. The Bajoran Space Guard Fleet was all that remained of the once proud Bajoran Militia. When Bajor joined the Federation, most of the best and brightest cadets went off to join Star Fleet. Her frown held as a wave of bitterness washed over her. She resented them for joining Star Fleet instead of protecting Bajor. Now the defense of Bajor had been left in the hands of loyalists like herself.

‘Who am I to be bitter, now,’ she wondered as she stood waiting to be received by her new Commander. She let out a soft sigh of defeat as she had now joined the ranks of those who had abandoned Bajor and the Militia. ‘No,’ she thought. She hadn’t abandoned Bajor. Instead, she had been exiled to this ship, to Star Fleet. Her frown deepened, her crime, she felt her heart ache, she had survived.

‘No,’ her mind snapped her back to her military protocols. she wouldn’t allow her baggage to embarrass her family, or her settlement. She was Laju, and that meant something.

Ensign Laju stood at ease outside the door to Lieutenant Forgrave’s office. She had arrived only an hour ago, but the ship was so large for her that finding her way here had been more difficult than she had first expected.

She hadn’t been late of course, her orders from Colonel Zadu had her on the next supply ship. He had suggested that she take a few months off, to return home. To heal and recover. She had tried.... She really did. But she couldn’t just sit at home. Not anymore. It took some coaxing, bribing, and downright threatening to get her on the next supply ship to this....the USS Viking.

‘Eghinea,’ the voice echoed in her memories. The past, her past, invaded her world as she closed her eyes and allowed herself a moment to remember him.

‘Yes, Lieutenant’ her own voice echoed in her mind as the scene continued to play out in her memories.

‘You can drop the official talk. We are off duty,’ Breeje said with a smile. ‘Father wants to know if you will be returning home after this patrol,’ the Bajoran officer asked softly. He took two steps from his small desk to his bunk and set down, ‘Eghinea, you are about to be an aunt.’ The small room, his room, was the only single bunked room aboard their small Kendra Class Corvette. And this room belonged to her Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Laju Breeje, who happened to be her brother. For that matter, nearly half of the seventy-five crewmembers were blood related in some manner or fashion.

‘Sir,’ she said holding on to her military tradition. ‘I have trials in less than a month, I have to continue to practice and train,’ she protested.

He laughed, ‘Eghimea, you will pass your trials and if I know father, you will have your own command in a couple of years.’ He waved his hand, ‘now, don’t make me make this an order. Return with me after the patrol and get ready to become an aunt.’ There was that smile she had always hated. That smile that told her that he would have his way.

She rolled her eyes, ‘fine,’ she moved to take a step, ‘I need to return to the bridge,’ she paused then ensured she made her last word clear, ‘Sir.’

The hissing sound of the door next to her snapped her back to the moment. She felt a hint of chill on her cheek and quickly wiped the tear from her face before snapping to attention. She waited to be called upon by her new commanding officer.

(OOC: I edited in a stardate to flow with the background I just posted)