<div class="floatleft">(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmQ5OGUyMmQtMmRmZS00MDc0LTlmMzUtZTgzMjY0NjE5NzUxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzQ2MDUxMTg@._V1_UY317_CR104,0,214,317_AL_.jpg)</div><strong>Character Name:</strong>Kroken Liara<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Starfleet Academy Engineering<br/><strong>Tagging/Mentioning:</strong><br/><strong>NSFW Warning:</strong><br/><br/>Liara had to admit she was beaming as she walked through the halls of the academy.  Her old world, so many adventures, so many problems.  She'd grown up so much since that young petulant child who had come from the hustle and bustle of DS9 so many years ago.  Since then the Dominion War had ended, the Federation had grown in it power and influence in the quadrant and the technological innovations that had come out of the war with such a devastating enemy had pushed Starfleet forward in innumerable ways.<br/><br/>For Liara much of that time had been spent either at the academy or<em>Utopia Planetia</em>working on their propulsion projects team.  She'd seen a lot in the past few years since graduating from the Academy, things that even some of the most seasoned Captains haven't seen yet regarding the advances in new designs and capabilities.  That was part of the reason for being back at the Academy.  One of the new fleet of cruisers coming on line was built around a warp drive system she'd helped design.  Granted much of the design work on the warp drive and the propulsion system incorporated with it had already been done when she'd arrived, some key aspects of the advances in capability had been a part of her teams research.  The first cruiser to test the new drive, The<em>USS Redemption</em>had experienced problems with the drive in the initial functional trials prompting Starfleet command to suggest an engineer familiar with the system join the ship on it's maiden voyage after being checked out at dry dock.<br/><br/>Of course that wasn't her reason for being on Earth, that was a more personal trip.  She couldn't help but grin as she walked into the room the computer had told her she could find Chief Miles O'Brien.  Even as renowned engineering instructor at the Academy, the Chief still couldn't resist getting his hands dirty.  That was where Liara found him, splayed out under a console tinkering with a power conduit.<br/><br/>"You know I'm sure there are probably technicians who can do that stuff Chief."  She commented, standing against the console Miles O'Brien was working under.  A muffled<em>Ooomph</em>and the hollow sound of something hitting the console turned Liara's attention before the pale skinned Irishman pushed himself out from under the console.<br/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/images/d/de/Miles_O%27Brien%2C_2375.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120329223424&amp;path-prefix=en)</div><br/>When he stood to see who had addressed him, O'Brien stood dumbfounded for a long moment.  Certainly it had been a couple of years since they'd seen each other.  Liara had been about to graduate from the Academy when O'Brien arrived at the Academy, and being that it had been his recommendation that she attend the academy, Liara felt it only fitting that he be the one to pin her officer rank on at graduation.  Now here they were, mentor and student.<br/><br/><strong>"Liara.  What ar' ya doin here."</strong>O'Brien said with a grin in his soft Irish accent before giving her a friendly hug.<strong>"I'm sorry Lieutenant."</strong>O'Brien apologized quickly realizing he'd forgotten his place.<em>"How've you been?"</em><br/><br/>"Please Chief, don't worry about it."  She waved off the failure of decorum.  Their relationship had always been very familiar, even in the year she had been a senior cadet in his classes.  "I'm supposed to be meeting the<em>USS Redemption</em>today, but I couldn't come back to Earth without seeing my favorite engineer."  She demured with a grin<br/><br/><strong>"Right, the new Warp Core you were working on at <em>Utopia Planetia</em>."</strong>O'Brien remembered with a nod as she started sorting through a stack of PADD's on his console.<strong>"Well she's a good, new ship.  And that drive you built's gonna change the quadrant if you can ever get it working right."</strong>O'Brien teased, bringing a bright twinkle to Liara's eyes.  The man before her had always been considered a miracle worker and he'd taught her everything he knew, it was time for her to transfer his torch to the next generation.<br/><br/>"You have class?  Having spent enough time in his office the last year she was at the academy, she'd come to many of his routines and watching him collect up his PADD's usually signalled a class coming up.<br/><br/><strong>Aye, Warp Theory, second year.  You have time to sit in?"</strong>He asked genuinely.  She could see the pride in his eyes when he asked the question.  To imagine one of his greatest protege's sitting in on one of his classes as a testament to his tutelage over the years.<br/><br/>"I'll walk with you to class but I have to get up to spacedock to meet the<em>Redemption</em>.<br/><br/><strong>"Fair enough."</strong>He said with a grin and a nod before heading into the corridor.<strong>"Have you spoken to your father recently?"</strong>He asked as they walked.  Her father had been a simple farmer, but had close ties with the Bajoran monks that served at the temple on DS9 which was how Liara and O'Brien had come together.  Wanting a better life for his daughter than the daughter of a farmer, he'd asked Chief O'Brien to take her on as a part of the Bajoran engineering team.  Even after many weeks of stalling O'Brien eventually relented.<br/><br/>"He's doing ok.  Older now, much less able to work the farm the way he could when you first met him, but the village takes care of him."  Liara said with a gentle sadness in her voice.  She'd spoken to him only a few days ago, but hadn't been back to see him in almost a year and with her new posting on the Redemption, she wasn't sure when she'd be able to again.<br/><br/><strong>"Well he's stubborn."</strong>O'Brien replied seeing the sadness in her eyes.<strong>"It's a family trait I think.  I'm sure he'll be farming for years go come."</strong>He said with a wry grin.  As they reached the door to his classroom, O'Brien pulled Liara against the wall.<strong>"I don't imagine you'll be able to stay the whole class so I wanted to say.  You've got a keen mind Kroken Liara.  You're not my daughter, but if ya were know I'm proud of ya and I'm sure your father is just as proud.  Do good things Lieutenant and learn a lot."</strong><br/><br/>"Thank you Chief."  Liara replied, her eyes watering with tears.  Before O'Brien could move away, she jumped up and hugged him.  She knew it probably wouldn't have been looked at a appropriate, but if there was one thing for sure, Liara had never been one to do what was appropriate.  A few of the cadets walking into the class room were staring as Liara wiped tears from her eyes.<br/><br/>O'Brien gave her one last nod and a reassuring squeeze on her arm before turning into the classroom.  She waited until the flood of students had filtered into the class before following them in, standing at the back of the room near the door.<br/><br/><strong>"Settle down, take yer seats."</strong>O'Brien ordered to the class taking one last chance to look up and catch Liara's eye before he started his lecture.  She lingered for a moment longer before turning out the door with a grin on her face.<br/><br/>Walking through the halls of academia one last time, she savored the memories and emotions before she reached the transporter room.  "<em>USS Redemption</em>main transporter room please." She requested of the transporter technician before stepping on to the pad.  It was time to start a new chapter.