Who: Galan; Open Earth Date: April 5, 2382 Where: Shuttlecraft enroute to Odyssey What: Final Destination Rating: PG-13 Status: In Progress
Droplets of frozen green blood floated in space, followed by a slaughtered Romulan with a cemented look of terror on his face. You could only assume the gore was the result of Klingon brutality. Panning out further, a heavily damaged Romulan Warbird was in the distance. The bodies of other Romulans drifted outward. This was the image that Galan so frequently saw in his dreams, before waking up in a cold sweat to the computer stating the current time. It was a horrible feeling that seemed to be a trend as recent events unfolded. Most people awoke feeling refreshed, Galan on the other hand, woke to wet sheets and the complete sense of hopelessness, an over-the-top 'emo' state that he tried very hard to suppress. It was a reality that sometimes his human side got the best of him.
After cleaning up and putting on his neatly pressed uniform, he took his time saying goodbyes to his mother. She couldn't seem to give enough hugs or turn off the sprinklers, but Galan understood. He was her only son and this was the first time he was actually leaving Earth for such a long period of time, longer than his summers on Romulus anyway. His father, gave his words of wisdom the night before over a subspace message and told Galan that no matter how far he travels, to never forget where he came from.
"I'll be alright Mother. I'll be on the best ship with the best crew in Starfleet, you have nothing to worry about," he reassured her.
After escaping his mother's death grip, he finally left the confines of his home and headed toward his assigned shuttle field for transportation to the Odyssey. Of course, he already saw the ship during orientation and plenty of specs and photos, but this was different. A certain nostalgia would ensue once his shuttle cleared Earth's atmosphere and the image of the sleek vessel was illuminated by the sun. It was going to be home, for hopefully years to come.
The Ensign sat side-by-side with other officers, some commissioned others enlisted. He examined their facial expressions noticing that some were filled with excitement while a select few had looks of apprehension. Galan certainly had his own, but would never let that be known. He wasn't so much worried about what they would encounter in the depths of the unknown, but worried about what was left behind in the known. Some of Starfleet's best officers were leaving the sector at a time when stability was of the utmost importance. But he realized he had no choice, he was under the wings of Starfleet Command now and had a duty to carry out. Buckling in, he waited for the shuttle to lift off towards his future.