"Where One's Heart Is..."

"These are the memoirs of the Starfleet Officer Mischa; her continuing mission to explore strange new feelings, to seek out new love and new companionship's, to boldy go where no Leveson-Scott has gone before..."

"This is the first log entry I've made since assuming my new role aboard the Gainsborough. As always with a new assignment it has been an exhilarating time; the new places, the new people, the new things to see and do - I find them all accumulating in a wealth of life experience which I find most agreeable."

"What has been most overwhelming of all is surely the pace at which the bonds of friendship seem to form amongst officers out here on the frontier - and I don't just speak with reference to my shipmates - many of the station personnel and even those attached to other vessels have proven to be, well... to describe them merely as sociable would not do their character justice."

"One such officer would be Tabi - Captain Caine of the USS Hurricane - I have no explanation as to why; but in the short time I have been assigned to this region, she has fast developed into a good friend. So much so that we even went riding together, and I do not mind admitting that it was thoroughly enjoyable to share the experience with someone - even if it was her first time, though one could hardly tell given the speed at which she learns new skills, I wonder if this is a natural aspect of her personality or augmented by her high level of Borg adaption?"

"I had never envisaged a Starfleet Captain forming such a close bond of friendship with a junior officer - let alone one who is not under their command - but this trait would seem to shared amongst many of the commanding officers I have met, not least of which is my own CO; Captain Lazard."

"I must confess; I was somewhat taken aback by his announcement calling staff to the holodeck, or more specifically by the sight which we were greeted by upon arrival. As it would transpire; the Captain - Mal - specializes in ancient Earth martial arts instruction and held a class - not just for the crew of the Gainsborough - but open to all personnel attached to the station. It was nice to see Tabi join us too, if nothing else for the fact that she was equally skilled in said arts and provided an excellent benchmark for me to measure my own learning against."

"It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I reveled in the opportunity to adapt myself to a new skillset; I think Mal was impressed with the speed at which I learned the skills he taught us, at least I hope he was."

"But Mal's surprises did not cease there. More recently - in the aftermath of some troubling revelations on board the station - I found him in what can only be sympathetically described as a sorry state in his quarters. We talked at length about what had transpired and I genuinely feel that my words helped him out of that brief slump. As his demeanor improved we joked with increasing frequency - mostly about the fact he was hosting a guest whilst barefoot - until finally he took the most obscure tangent from the conversation in saying 'I have something for you'; to say my interest had been piqued by this would be a sever understatement!"

"I watched as he crossed the room and began rummaging through a cabinet on the far side, led by curiosity I followed and as I approached he turned and presented me with the most beautiful painting of an elegant white castle nestled in a wintery hillside. I suspect the look on my face said it all at that point as he was quick to explain that he did a lot of painting in his free time and after one of our previous encounters in which we discussed my homestead - possibly the launch ceremony during the Gainsborough's maiden voyage (?) - he painted his imagining of said home.

"My looks of surprise, shock, gratitude and admiration quickly gave way to one of entertainment; 'you don't seriously think I grew up in place like that do you?' I joked with him. Of course he knew it was not an accurate reproduction, I think more an expression of the elegance and grandeur he must have associated with my stories of back home. Does he see me as a fairytale princess? Was this a ritualistic prelude to a courtship attempt?"

"I honestly do not know the answer to either of these questions; a fact which weighs frustratingly heavy on my conscious - even if I do highly doubt either case. But all things said and done, when I was out for my morning jog around the ship, I looked around and I smiled almost uncontrollably; for this is where my heart is - this is my home."