The Enterprise arrived back at Earth Spacedock not exactly in the same condition when she left. She entered the bay doors and took position inside the ship bay. Only an Akira class and a Steamrunner class occupied the bay. The ship was going to be repaired and Kyou had to report to Admiral Janeway. She, Ryou, Ava and Zoe beamed aboard ESD and headed for Janeway's office. Kyou felt a little nervous at the thought of speaking with the higher brass. She felt she hadn't done anything wrong and felt equally sure she made the best decisions possible. It could be that she just felt a little intimidated by Admiral Janeway since the Admiral is widely known and respected.

The four of them entered the office to see Admiral Katheryn Janeway sitting behind her desk. Kyou's nervousness faded when she saw the admiral's warm smile appear on her face.

"Please come in and sit down," Janeway said. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Admiral, I am Cadet Kyou Zofchak and these are my officers. My sister and chief medical officer, Ryou Zofchak, my operations officer Zoe Merriell and Ava Allensworth, formerly assigned to Vega Colony."

"Allensworth?" Janeway asked with a bit of surprise. "Any relation to Jermaine Allensworth?"

"Yes, ma'am. He was my father."

"I was sorry to hear about what had happened to him. He was a valued member of my crew and a great captain."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am."Ava said.

Janeway turned her attention to Kyou. "I received a message from Captain Vo'Lok. He says he gave you a battlefield commission to give you command of the Enterprise. As a cadet, you were assigned to the academy training cruise under Captain Sijael, correct? As acting first officer?"

"Yes, ma'am. That is correct," Kyou said.

"From the reports, you've faced off against Klingon raiders and a Borg invasion force all within hours of leaving Starfleet Academy. That's a bit unusual. In your own words, tell me what happened."

Kyou went on to explain the events that occurred after leaving the academy with supporting statements from the other three. Janeway's attention never faltered. She kept her eyes locked onto Kyou the entire time as she gave her report.

"That's a hell of a story, cadet."

"I agree, ma'am. But that's how things happened. Not exactly how I imagined my first day out."

"I thought the same thing when I first took command of Voyager. First day out and I'm flung seventy thousand light years away from Earth and into the Delta Quadrant. Being part of Starfleet means that weird and the unexpected become part of your daily life. I have supporting statements from Captains Vo'lok and Yim as well as the administrator from Vega Colony. All three of them cite your bravery and command skills, as well as you and your crew's willingness to put yourself in harm's way to preserve the lives of others."

"Yes, ma'am. It's part of the duty of being a Starfleet officer and as a child to two officers, that has been part of my upbringing."

"And you're exactly the type of officer Starfleet needs," Janeway said. "I think you've proven yourself capable of sitting in the captain's chair."

"Ma'am?"

"Under normal circumstances, it would take you years of hard work to get your own command. But these are not normal circumstances. We're at war with the Klingon Empire and the Borg have returned. I'm losing more trained officers and ships than I can spare. Ships we can build but leaders with courage and honor, those are harder to find. I need someone who can handle themselves in a crisis and get the best out of their crew. Even though you're young, I think you're that person. I hereby promote you to the rank of captain and give you command of the Enterprise."

Kyou, as well as the other three, looked in shock at Janeway's statement. Janeway leaned back in her chair and let a small smile appear on her face. Kyou came back to her senses, a bit embarrassed, and straightened her posture.

"Thank you, ma'am. I won't let you down. What will happen to Vega now?"

Janeway leaned forward again and clasped her hands on her desk. "Unfortunately, the Borg have taken it but we will be gathering resources to launch an attack on the Borg in an attempt to retake Vega." Her attention shifted to Ava. "Since you were previously assigned to Vega and that position no longer exists, how would you like to be transferred to the Enterprise?"

"That will be fine, ma'am," Ava said. "I was hoping to get that assignment."

"From my understanding, all of your parents served on the Alexandria so it seems fitting for all of you to serve together."

"What is our next assignment?" Kyou asked.

"Eager to jump into the fire are we?"

"No ma'am. Just eager to matter and make a difference."

"At the moment, I don't have anything. Besides, the Enterprise took a beating from the Klingons and the Borg so she'll be here for a little while for repairs. Until then, rest up and get things situated. You're the captain now so figure out exactly who you want as your senior staff and rest of your crew."

"Yes ma'am."

Later that day, Kyou sat in the grass on the Starfleet Academy campus with a PADD in her hands. It was a roster for her ship's crew. She had most of the empty spots filled with available officers. The only spot open was the first officer slot. She didn't know who would be suitable for that spot. A shadow loomed over her and it broke her concentration. She looked up to see her mother standing there.

"Figured I'd find you here," Hoshi said. "Your sister said it was your favorite place to study." She sat down next to her daughter and glanced around the area. "This place has changed since I was at the academy. Granted I was at the academy a couple hundred years ago technically." She looked at Kyou who was still fixated on the PADD. "Problems?"

Kyou nodded. "I can't figure out who to make my first officer."

"Why not Zoe? She's second officer right? That would put her next in line."

"Yeah and I've already talked to her about it," Kyou said. "She declined telling me she was comfortable at Ops. I also wanted to keep her there because that's where Captain Sijael assigned her. That is where she is most valuable."

"Don't assign people just because Captain Sijael put them there. The Enterprise is your ship now. I understand your logic in this. You want someone who is qualified and with some experience as well, right?"

Kyou nodded. "Yeah, not to mention I would like a male on the bridge because I just noticed that all of my senior staff is female."

"There's nothing wrong with not having a completely diverse crew. When I served on the Enterprise, we had only had two non Humans on board, Phlox and T'Pol. It's okay if you only have one male senior officer. Besides, most bridge crews are mostly male, even if the captain is female." Hoshi said with a comforting smile. "And be proud. You are the second female captain of the Enterprise."

"Wouldn't T'Pol count?" Kyou asked.

"I was referring to this timeline. T'Pol was captain in my timeline before Trip took command."

"Speaking of the Enterprise," Kyou said. "Something I find funny is out of the eight ships that have been named Enterprise. This family has served on four of them. That's half. And Dad was in command of the E for a few years before they decommissioned it and he retired. It makes me feel that getting command of the Enterprise is part of my destiny."

"It could be," Hoshi said. "It seems to be a common element in this family. You and your crew will add to the legacy. You will write your own page in history."

A man stepped off the turbolift and onto the bridge of the Enterprise. He could feel the eyes of everyone around him lock onto him as he made his way to the captain's ready room. It was something he should have been used to by now but with each new assignment, these uneasy feelings would resurface. He pressed the chime button and then the captain's voice a moment later, allowing him to enter the room. He stepped into the room to see Captain Zofchak behind her desk.

"Commander Ryan Grandon reporting for duty, sir."

Kyou stood up and walked over to Grandon with a hand extended. "Welcome aboard, Commander."

Grandon took the hand and shook it. "Thank you, sir. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve aboard the Enterprise."

"Judging by your service record, you seem to have earned it. Your past commanding officers have given you a lot of praise for your service. In fact, your last captain, Captain Mirra, didn't want to give you up."

Grandon fought a smile. "Permission to speak, sir?"

"Go ahead."

"One thing I am worried about Captain, is my presence on the bridge. You don't think it will affect anyone's performance or their willingness to follow my orders will it?"

Kyou leaned against her desk and folded her arms. "To be honest, I don't think many will be bothered by the fact that we have a former Borg drone serving as first officer. One officer comes to mind but I believe she will perform her duties regardless of who gives them. Her issues with the Borg will have to be dealt with on her own. Besides, there have been several former drones coming back to Starfleet."

"Yes, but most of them have been able to have their implants removed. Some have a few but they're not completely noticeable. Me on the other hand, this implant on the side of my face has fused to my brain and can't be removed and would leave me blind in this eye. It's hard for me to hide the fact that I was once a drone that helped in the assimilation of other species."

Kyou looked at the metallic robotic implant that covered a portion of the left side of Grandon's head, including his left eye.

"Regardless of how you look and your past, you are still Ryan Grandon, first officer aboard the Enterprise and the crew will follow your orders. They will get past your appearance and your future actions will dictate how the crew will come to see you."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, I believe it's time we get underway."

Kyou and Grandon walked out onto the bridge and took their respective chairs. Everyone was manning their stations, ready for orders.

"Dowey, have we been given clearance to leave?"

"Yes, sir. Awaiting for your orders, Captain."

"Well, then. Set course for Vulcan. We have to pick up an Ambassador Sokketh and take him to P'Jem. It should be an easy mission, unlike our last one."

"Course laid in, sir."

"Engage."