[usstempest] "Cadet Robinson" by Lt. Cmdr. Robinson

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.

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