Watching them disembark as I scratched the ghost scar of the burn I probably shook my head at those pressed uniforms and  the super keen expressions of this latest crop of eager, virgin graduates. Most of them fresh from Academy , still bouncing from their cadet cruises. Vim and vigour pouring out of ‘em.

More than half still quietly convinced they’d be the next ‘Youngest Captain’ in the fleet, or going to make some incredible breakthrough or other in the next few months…

A few maybe had more modest or even pedestrian goals, just make mom proud or just earn that sense of worth. Maybe just have a wanderlust or.. I stopped going down that rabbit hole. Not a counsellor.

By introduction I’m senior security crewman Coda. Born Mars, in my 2nd decade of service with the fleet. Im a career starman you might say.

No, not an officer or Academy graduate, and yes maybe I am a little resentful of the bushy tailed bright eyed brigde that come bounding out of the Ivory towers of that luminous body.

But, I’ve served under some very fine officers, and seen some damn fine ones too so don’t be thinking that I’m some embittered soul.

I enjoy my job, can’t imagine doing different.

And part of that job is mentoring a clutch of our new Officer class.

So I’m a non commissioned (Petty) officer within the fleet, specifically within security, and under the Operations department generally.

My specialities are Extra Vehicular Activities and Fieldcraft, fancy names meaning I spend a lot of time outside of whatever starship or base I am rotated to.

Being assigned to a starship places you in a situation with risks. You start floating or running around outside the ship that is even riskier.

So my job is to instill in these gifted, self confident, school smart ubermensch a sense of their own mortality.

I mentioned the ear? I’m newly back on duty after a damage control incident. Fires aboard a starship are a serious matter and I recently took a team onto some civilian (Tellarites) to assist with the management of such a fire,

No one died, but there were some nasy injuries and I got a little charred myself pulling out a couple of the engineering crew.

Saw me in medbay for a couple of days.

But, getting back to my monologue proper.

This was my first time observing and encoutering Lieutenant K’Ren. He was on the data slate, Id noted him, Betazoid, Lt(jg) High Honours and did a double take on the Security assignment.

Sure physically he was perfectly up to the job, but it isn’t super common for Betazoids. They are … more people orientated. They tend to gravitate to sciences, medicine and the more academic or social roles.

This one seemed to be on the pugnacious side looking at his interests.

My own big boss had put him in my creche. Obviously Lt K’Ren was one of a section of newbies I was going to be inducting and taking through EVA and Away Team but he is one of those that stood out.

I guess he also made me feel edgy, between you and me, I’m not that comfortable around Telepaths. Dosen’t sit well with me. We all have secrets right? Unworthy thoughts that intrude, I mean when I was on that Tellarite freighter  I had to make myself head into that burning section- a big voice was screaming at me to just seal the compartment and vent it.

But I’m a simple guy. I know my job. I do what I need to do and thats all folks.

So, the assembled rookies were lined up and got their Welcome Aboard from the braid. Then their department bosses said their piece and down the line it went until we instructors made our introductions and handed out our schedules .

R’ken stood out again, he was one of the handful that looked at his instructors, properly looked as in connecting with a sense that he was interested and asessing us as people.

A lot of Academy graduates don’t really see enlisted. We’re like .. “the help”.. I think thats what they used to call household servants snd menials back then.

So he was one of those that made an impression even at that early meeting.

Though you want to know about the arm incident don’t you?

TBC