Cadet Robinson by Lt. Commander Robinson Paul walked into the lounge where his mother was folding up clothes. "Mum?" he said cautiously. "Yes dear, what is it?" she replied, not looking up from what she was doing. "Mum, I've got to tell you something," he hesitated, "I'm going into Starfleet Academy, I start next week." There I said it. Paul watched as his mother gently placed down the t-shirt she was folding and slowly brought her head up to look at her son. She coughed slightly, clearing her throat. "I'm sorry Paul, I must have misheard you," she said laughing nervously, "I thought you said you were joining Starfleet." The look on her son's face told her she'd heard correctly. "You promised me!" she said, narrowing her eyes at him, the tone of her voice beginning to anger. "You promised you wouldn't do this to me, not after your father?" she broke off into mild sobs. Paul had been prepared for this. His mother had been against him joining Starfleet ever since the death of his father, Glenn, four years ago. Glenn had been part of a covert mission to a planet just inside the neutral zone. According to Starfleet records, a Romulan Warbird had de-cloaked off of the ships bow and immediately opened fire. His father's ship had been destroyed with all hands lost. Only the families were allowed access to this information to avoid a scandal. The ship should not have been there. Paul's mother had vowed never to let her only child join Starfleet and even resigned her own commission. She had made Paul promise that day to never join up. What Maria was not aware of was that Glenn had been coaching Paul on Starfleet protocols from a young age. He had supplied his son with basic training manuals to read from the age of eight. Paul still had these secured in his bedroom and had been re-reading them each day, fuelling his desire to join the Fleet when he turned 17. Now the time was here and his application had been successful. He was determined to go. "Mum," Paul said edging towards her, "this is what Dad wanted me to do." He paused at the sight of fear in hi mother's eyes. "I have been accepted on to the pilot's programme. I'm going to be a runabout pilot, short range. I'm not interested in being a helmsman. I can't see any danger in this. I really want to go Mum," he continued, holding her chin in his hand and encouraging her to meet his eyes. "I really want your blessing on this." Maria considered her son's words. She knew Glenn had wanted him to join Starfleet when he came of age. At least as a short range pilot he was unlikely to be assigned a deep space mission. She knew she couldn't refuse him; she didn't want to estrange her only son. "Paul," she eventually replied, "I love you and don't want to lose you too. However, I can't stop you from doing this. I want you to realise that I'm not completely happy about it, bit you have my blessing." Paul hugged his mother and then suggested they eat out in order to celebrate his acceptance into the Academy. Mother and son on a farewell dinner, neither realising then what the future had in store for them.