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Posted on 12 Jan 2025 @ 7:39pm by Lieutenant Callisi Veera & Captain Easton Lawe & Commander Kristiana Petrova

1,915 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Miranda
Location: Sickbay

Callisi stood at the threshold of Sickbay, already having cleared the Captain's condition with the head charge nurse. A PaDD under her arm which she used to organize the data she looked to present and offer. Her suggesting was wild, and to a point she didn't even know why she was doing it. "Why am I doing this?" she pondered aloud, and the lack of answer said it all.

Odin.

The Odin entity was gone, their life given freely to save everyone on the ship that bore the name. An act that struck a chord with the Rabbitess. She knew the value of sacrifice, though she never was called to make the ultimate sacrifice. Just the kind you live with forever.

She entered sickbay, heading to the recovery ward to find the Captain. Conscious, but still recovering. "Captain." she started, "I should have visited more often." she started with a light bit of humor. "There's a project I would like to undertake, with your permission and the oversight of the ship second. Should I call her or outline the project first?"

Easton was at least conscious and in no state of incoherence, even if his was not ambulatory. That was taking a lot to adjust to, since he was not a man accustomed to being trapped in such a way, but...well, there was a lot to get used to now. That was evident with the PADD in his hand and the message it contained from the convoy's representative from Starfleet Medical. Until that time, however, he had a ship to oversee...as best he could.

He lifted his head when his chief of operations came in to the captains small corner of sickbay. She would find him sitting up and alert, though there was one of those atrocious standard-issue blankets over his lower half and presently useless legs. "Hello, Lieutenant," he said with a small nod and faint smile. "It's good to see you." He considered her questions for a moment, thinking about the gap in command soon to occur.

"Let's call the good commander in now and then you can explain your project to us both." He tapped his comm badge on the side table beside him. "Lawe to Petrova, could you please join me and Lieutenant Veera here in sickbay?"

"Certainly. On my way," was Petrova's simple and brief reply. True to her word it was but a moment before she walked into sickbay. It seemed she had been nearby already, on her rounds. "Captain, Lieutenant," she offered a nod to both. "How are you holding up, Captain?"

"Commander," Easton greeted in return. "I'm as well as can be expected." There was plenty more to it, but he chose to not get into that at the moment. He gestured to Veera. "It seems that the lieutenant has a project to discuss with us." He nodded to her. "Please, the floor is yours, as it were."

Callisi gave a nod to Petrova as she arrived, staying back for a moment to give the two the chance to exchange pleasantries. Once the floor was hers, though, she took the step forward to become the center. She handed the PaDD she was carrying over to both of them for inspection. It contained the flight history of one Ensign Kat Walker. Callisi wasn't the biggest fan of a synthetic intelligence being given an armed fighter craft so her evaluation wasn't biased or kind, but what it was was precise. Combat sorties, non-combat deployments, mission profiles across the board and the results there in. Successful return. Successful return. Damaged. Damaged. Downed.

"This... is Ensign Kat Walker's flight record. I've marked in blue the time that Odin stepped in to assist with mentorship. There's an improvement in the record but there's still room to improve. Kat is coasting by, but a fifty percent damaged return rate on its last four sorties are embarrassing numbers. Rookie numbers." Callisi's pride in her old unit back in the war was starting to show.

"If its going to be a continued asset to the Odin, and if it is going to continue to be part of our strategies and intel, part of our forward observation, hell even part of our threat assess and response, improvements will need to be made. It will need someone to take the mantle of instructor. For that, I volunteer."

"You won't find anyone on the Odin with as much time in a fighter as I've logged. I'll train the whole fighter wing if I have to sirs. I refuse to sit by while there's a fighter wing on deployment whos numbers are just Adequate." she stated. "This is the project I'd like to undertake, with your approvals. I realize it's extra work, harder hours, and none of my expected duties will be eased up. But I can't just let this continue." there was an unspoken part. This wasn't just ego or pride, it sounded in parts like an obligation, a duty. To herself, to the memory of herself, or to Odin... was another question.

"To be fair to the Ensign," Petrova began as she perused the logs and details on the PaDD. She had known about the frankly exorbitant number of man- hours that had gone into repairing Ensign Walker's spaceframe and subsystems over the past few weeks, but hadn't really dived into detail about the root causes for each of the Ensign's less than successful sorties. "Both times she was down was because of unexpected attacks from a hostile force she had not could have foreseen, am I correct? Though it could be argued that as Federation Officer and combat pilot she should be expected to deal with the unexpected as it comes up. What precisely do you have in mind, Lieutenant?"

"In respects to that, when a pilot's craft is damaged they can still fly while their unit is being repaired. In Ensign Kat's case, that's not an option. Any damage to it takes it off the roster, where a living pilot could press on." She turned to face Petrova directly, either out of courtesy, or to bring her dead eye to full forward display. A demonstration, or an example. "'I didn't see it' is not an excuse, especially for something as in tune to its own sensors as it should be. But we can discuss merit for days. My proposal is simple: I want to start a makeshift academy for the fighter wing. I want to give them the same training I received. put them up against the same routines I was put through. Make simulations and sorties to test them, to mold them into something I can tolerate being called a star wing. I want whoever is in charge of the starfighter wing to *earn* their Red. Earn their call sign. Earn their wings."

Easton arched a brow, but he kept most of his initial thoughts to himself. He reviewed the PADD again before speaking, not looking up as he did so. "This began as a proposal to work with Ensign Walker, but now it sounds like you want to take on the entire air group," he said, now lifting his eyes. "So, you want to take on the air group command role to train them and Ensign Walker particularly?"

Callisi gave the question some thought. "Ensign Kat is part of the starfighter wing. If I bring them up to spec, that would include it. This began as the need to train it to make it more efficient and reliable. The request roll balled into the desire to improve the working of the starfighter wing. Doing one benefits the other, so ... Yes. If my service to the Odin is better used in training the starfighter wing over scientific observation, then so be it."

"Overseeing the starfighter wing is a near full-time position," Petrova considered. "Won't leave much time for your normal Operations duties, unless you're willing to give up all your downtime - but I think Medical might have a thing or two to say about that. Are you suggesting a change in department, at least for the foreseeable future?"

"Not that I'm doing much with my downtime at the moment." she offered, more as a consideration than a counter. "Though hamstringing two departments to save one is pointless." she saw the logic in that at least. How much could she accomplish in the starfighter wing? How much was she accomplishing here in Operations? At least until it was less embarrassing than it was now... "For the foreseeable, yes. My work in operations is important, but getting that Starfighter wing up to competence is vital. Otherwise, they'd be disbanded." a pause, "If you see the merit in it, if Odin saw the merit in it, then I should try to turn it into something worth the hangar space."

Easton nodded slightly, wondering why Ensign Walker's numbers were being used against the entire air group, but he knew that this was not entirely his decision to make now... "You've brought an interesting proposal forward, however, I will not grant full dispensation to enact it just yet. It has nothing to do with yourself, Lieutenant, but this." He held up the other PADD he'd been holding. "I'm not going to be walking out of this sickbay. I'm being transferred to Starfleet Medical's ship for treatment. They are not sure how well it will take or how long it will take, so they are reassigning a new captain. Effective almost immediately.

"Lieutenant Veera, I would like you to expand this--" He held up the PADD she'd brought that contained Walker's record and history. "--to include a detailed plan for how you intend to evaluate the CAG and air group, and Ensign Walker, according to your own experiences. Also please include your own history regarding fighter experience. I will pass on my recommendation to the new captain, but you will need to meet with them as well. They should be arriving within forty-eight hours, according to this."

Callisi reclaimed the PaDD with a nod, "Consider it done, sir." knowing that Easton was going to be leaving the ship, potentially before anyone else knew, felt privledged. She'd not exploit it. "You'll be back up and running in time, sir. Trust me."

"I appreciate the recommendation. I'll ensure the project is detailed and prepared for their inspection." Forty Eight hours. Two terran days. Plenty of time. Not like she went out drinking with her co-department after shift. Or anyone. "You will not be let down."

"Alright, that works for me. I'll get the paperwork prepared." More work for Kristiana. Like she didn't have enough of it already, with the captain down.

Callisi gave a nod, "I'll leave you to your recovery and transfer prep, sir." she straightened, not like she hunched or slouched normally.

Easton nodded. "Thank you, Commander. Lieutenant. It's been a pleasure serving with you both."`

A brief moment's hesitation, before Petrova rested a hand on Lawe's shoulder. As much of a gentle gesture as she would allow herself. "Honor was mine, Captain. We'll speak again before you ship out," Not waiting for a reply she turned to Callisi. "I look forward to reading your plans for the fighterwing," and with that she turned to leave. Always busy, always things to do.

"An honor and a distinction, sir. You will not be let down." Callisi's comment was soft, honorable, and respectful. To Petrova, simply a nod. It was time to leave, and time to begin.

 

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