SD241812.22 - Joint Plot Log - CAG (NPC) & SCO - "Inbound"

Posted on Fri Dec 21st, 2018 @ 11:21pm by Brigadier General Jonathan Grey & Lieutenant Yarinna "Fanthom" Hawkins
Edited on on Sat Dec 22nd, 2018 @ 10:00am

1,253 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Tremor Trouble
Location: Versailles
Timeline: Current

=^= Fighter Bay 1 =^=

For once, the bay was entirely silent. No repairs were in progress, no drills were occurring, and no fighters were here either.

Reaching the end of their long service life, the previous generation of fighter craft had been mothballed. Packed into storage and shipped out, the bay was now kept intentionally empty in readiness for the new craft being sent their way, along with the new CO for Alpha Squadron.

In the bay itself were twelve carefully-marked spaces for the fighters, six on each side of the bay. At one end were a set of thick double-doors that could open to space, while the other end was dotted with windows. The mess hall for the pilots and ground crew was on the other side of those windows, with the pilot quarters above that, and the briefing room above that. The idea was that, in the event of a red alert, the pilots would have almost zero distance to travel to reach their fighters.

Since anyone leaving their quarters or the briefing room would have to reach ground floor quickly to enter the bay, a pair of antigravity lifts had been installed on either side of the windows. A pilot in a hurry would simply exit their quarters and jump into the glowing air above a hole in the floor. They would be lowered down to ground level, where the bay could be quickly accessed via a pair of double doors either side of the mess hall.

It was basically a high-tech version of the old-style fireman's pole, except without the pole.

Up in the briefing room, Lieutenant Commander Grak (the station's CAG) stared out impassively into the bay. The hard work required to vacate this area had required a great deal from the ground crews, and they were now enjoying some well-earned downtime while the new fighters were en-route.

Ultimately, they didn't even know which sort of fighters were being sent to them (courtesy of an inventory mess-up from the dispatch teams), so it was impossible to begin assembling the repair and maintenance platforms for the new fighters until they actually arrived.

Until then, he awaited word.

Yarinna, leading Banshee Squadon, was thinking about doing her simulated flight formations and tactics before they arrived at the station. While it was known about the SF tactical formations and so forth, Yarinna had her people flying outside the box, so to speak.

"Fathom to Banshee squadron, lets go over my formations before we arrive", she said. "Form up inline formation", she said. Watching the 11 remaining fighters fall in behind her, this gave the appearance that there was only one fighter coming at you. It was a great way of fooling until somebody veered ever so slightly exposing everyone. This is why she had everyone working on it. "Form Goose formation, break...break..." she ordered, watching the fighters spread into a 'V' position. This was their most formidable formation as it was designed to split up incoming groups of fighters.

So far, Yarinna was pleased with her pilots, "Well done everyone, we have one more exercise before we enter station airspace. Arrowhead formation...break...break", she said quickly. Since they were already in a semi arrowhead, the raptors moved off in pairs to either side of the four gryphons, who also spread into a semi-tight -'v' midway center. This formation, when seen, was to give the heavy bombers better protection on the inside tight, on the way to a target. "Great job group, break...break...into standard flight formation. We are entering station air space", she said smiling.

=^=Station Airspace=^=

"Banshee Squadron to Versailles Station, incoming squadron of 4 Raptors, 4 Gryphons, and 4 Valkyres. Have you made our beds? Lieutenant Yarinna "Fanthom" Hawkins, Banshee Squadron leader reporting in", she said, smiling.

"Banshee squadron, this is Flight Control." said a tired Ensign in the Flight Control Center. "Your Friend-or-Foe transponder codes are valid. I am uploading a flight path to Fighter Bay 1 in the Outer Ring. Spots have been marked out for twelve fighters. Advise that the maintenance crews will be running a full diagnostic on your fighters, so your people will need to completely power down and vacate their craft upon landing."

Meanwhile, the Ensign was prodding buttons on her terminal. The spaghetti monster of flight paths around the station gained another strand as a safe path was carved out for the incoming war machines. Civilians got antsy if military craft came too close to them, so the route was a little circuitous. Eventually though, the end of the strand came to rest against the outer Ring of the station, where a little glowing symbol indicated that the doors were already opening to admit them.

"Versailles flight control understood", Yarinna said happily that everyone of her squadron had a bed.

"Banshee Squadron, form up in pairs and land in Fighter Bay 1 and for heavens sake don't scratch the paint on your way in!", Yarinna said chuckling, as she led her fighters in.

The CAG watched from the briefing room as various shapes glided through the forcefield and entered the bay. Each one turned on a sixpence as they found their spots, descending neatly into the dozen squares marked out on the hanger bay floor. Glowing impulse drives and thrusters faded to black as engines were switched off, and one cockpit after another glided open.

"Commander Grak to Lieutenant Hawkins. Report to Fighter Bay 1 briefing room." said the CAG, attempting to discern the Lieutenant's fighter from among the many.

Yarinna and Mandy stepped down off their fighter and instantly began their inspection of the hull and her armaments. On the newest of the Valkyers, there were added pods and sensor arrays as well as her weapons payload, which Yarinna demanded that her crews inspect after flying. Her head came around slightly when her combadge drew her attention. "Understood Cmdr. Grak. On my way", she said, half turning towards Mandy, her gunner. "Mandy finish up the inspection and note it for the maintenance crews to repair. The boss wants to chat", Yarinna said.

Mandy, friends for about forever, was her gunner and a damn good one..."Sure Yarinna, go chew his ear off while I put her to bed",she said with a slight chuckle.

Taking the short stairs up, she arrived in front of the CAG, " Lt. Yarinna "Fanthom" Hawkins, reporting in with Banshee Squadron", she said nodding as she smiled. "Thankyou for making our beds and glad to be home", she added.

Commander Grak turned his one good eye onto the new squadron leader in front of him, and offered a hand, if not a smile. Desk-bound due to injury, this Klingon was frequently disgruntled over that fact, though too professional to take it out on the new pilots.

"Welcome to Versailles." he grunted. "Your rooms have been allocated in the quarters downstairs. The mess hall is beneath that. No alchohol. No fights. No fun of any kind. If you break these rules, you will be punished. But only if you get caught." he added, his lips pursed in grim dominance, and only the slightest twinkle of humour in his eyes.

Yarinna smiled as Commander Grak stated that if we got caught....knowing all to well that there was no way would she allow herself to be caught and her position be put in jeopardy. "Understood sir", she said, smiling as she headed downstairs to her people.

=^= End of Log =^=

Lt. Yarinna "Fanthom" Hawkins
Banshee Squadron Leader
Versailles Station

Commander Grak (NPC Sails)
CAG
Versailles Station

 

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