Dangerous and Disturbing

Posted on Mon Oct 13th, 2014 @ 10:39pm by Lieutenant Colonel Jillian "Phoenix" Sullivan

1,801 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Mission 86 - Discovery
Location: The Cadet Simulator Room - Starfighter Command Spaces

"Dangerous and Disturbing"

Captain Jake 'Atin' Yamaguchi
Cadet Rachael Yamaguchi
Major Jill 'Phoenix' Sullivan

Music Soundtrack - Long Night of Solace - Halo Reach

***** The Cadet Simulator Room - Starfighter Command Spaces *****

Rachael marveled at the orbital space above Kaleb Four as she did a quick check of all of her systems, for this hop she was flying an older Peregrine as there were several hundred still in service around the Federation. The mission was to escort a damaged Federation ship to a small base nearby to be fitted with a new driver coil to replace the one that had been damaged during a previous engagement. "Stay Frosty Eight, tighten it up." Rachael said quietly.

"As ordered." came the response.

Rachael checked her ordinance, she had six warheads, armed and ready to fly at their various targets, she spotted the orbital Starbase along with a half dozen other ships orbiting the planet, she then turned her head as she spotted her wing-mates, flying tandem with her.

This was all an elaborate simulation as Jake Yamaguchi looked at phoenix. "Whats her Callsign Major?" he inquired gently.

"Noble Six is her unit designation," Phoenix told Jake.

He smiled. "Fitting, I think." he tapped the display before him. "Noble Six, this is Atin." came an unexpected voice. "Welcome to Operation: UPPERCUT. I'll be serving as your control from this point."

"Understood sir...Captain Yamaguchi?"

"Yes dear." came her fathers voice, she could almost see her father smiling at her as Rachael smiled. "Just checking sir. Do you have orders for me?" she didn't want to get yelled at by the Major for letting her father distract her.

"Yes, Rendezvous with USS Savannah and walk her over to the Anchor Nine outpost.. Watch for Typhon pact forces while en route. Intell says a decent sized force is in the area. proceed with caution."

Meanwhile in the control room. Captain Jake Yamaguchi smiled as he tapped the 'mute' button so Rachael wouldn't hear him talking. "She does have a certain grace about her, wouldn't you say Major?" he commented as he turned his head to regard Phoenix.

"Grace, yes.... Iron sight? No," Phoenix admitted. "Aim comes with practice though."

"I'm getting the impression that something is going on with Torilla and with Rachael but, neither will tell me whats going on."

"Aint my place to get involved with families that aint mine," Phoenix cautioned. "But your instincts are right."

Jake nodded. "Well.. I've always known that Torilla was going to be stubborn." he sighed. "She was like this while being pregnant with Rachael but I have my ways of getting her to talk..."

"You might want to get her to relax over getting her to talk," Phoenix corrected.

Jake looked at the display before him, he could see Rachael was getting close to her destination. "USS Savannah, our wings may be clipped but we've got your back.." came the voice of the Commander of the Savannah.

Jake smiled as he added. "I've stuck my neck out on this one Cadet."

Rachael's response was prompt. "We'll get it done sir. Six out." she looked over the lines of the Centaur class starship as the four peregrine's approached.

"So why you turn from rock jock ta space brass?" Phoenix asked Jake while she looked over Rachael's flight readouts.

"Well I was wounded flying against several Jem'Hadar fighters in a short but interesting fur ball a few days before he battle of Coridan, we were helping to evacuate a small outpost and we got jumped by a dozen or so Jem'Hadar and Cardassian ships, we lit up and got six of them in the opening minutes as the Cardssian's seemed to like shooting at everything." he smiled. "I was hit of course.. breathed in a couple of lungfulls of god knows what... so I wasn't fit to fly during the fight... I was able to sit at Conn on the Courageous however so I still got to fight.." he sighed softly. "During the battle, the Courageous was hit, The Exec was killed and the Captain was mortaly wounded... he asked me to take command since I was the ranking officer on the bridge." he paused. "only three of us survived on the bridge, everyone else was killed so I assumed command from Engineering and a week or so later, Starfleet promoted me to Captain and gave me the Courageous, she's been mine ever since."

"Don' think I'd ever leave my stick for a plush chair," Phoenix remarked simply.

"The Courageous has been my home for the last fifteen years... I've raised my children aboard her and now I'm raising my grandson there too while his parents finish at the academy." he smiled. "Rachael has improved."

"Sorta... I told her not ta worry 'bout stats this run. She's lettin' out steam," Phoenix spoke guardedly.

"Well.. they reached their first waypoint, shall we spring our first surprise?"

"Sure. Her readouts read green across all boards for engagement," Phoenix confirmed.

Yamaguchi smiled as he tapped the display before him once, as sure as gravity Rachael's voice came over the com system. "Command, Nobel Six, looks like we have a Romulan Bird of Prey that just emerged from Warp, its challenging us... and the Savannah, Captain says his name is Korris... orders?"

Yamaguchi looked at the Major as this was a simple training oversize that he was sitting in on.

"Give the BOP your identification and ask it's intentions. Inform them they are in Federation Space," Phoenix told Rachael.

"Romulan Vessel, This is Nobel Leader, you are in Federation space, please state your intentions?"

"Human fighters, do not toy with me.... or I'll just shoot you all and be done with it..."

Rachael blinked, this was a surprise. "Romulan Vessel. You are in Federation space... please state your intentions.... I will not ask again.."

Jake Yamaguchi looked to Phoenix. "Who programmed him?" he inquired.

"Mellow drama speaks of Siaxx, I think." Phoenix snickered to herself, more than anyone, then cleared her throat. "Noble Lead, do not fire on him unless he fires first."

"Confirmed." was Rachael's response as Rachael herself smiled under her mask. "It could be that he's just trying to piss us off.... but lets not take this lightly." she commented to her other three pilots, a Trill woman she was getting to know, a human and a Tellerite who for once didn't argue with her.

"Good head on her shoulders," Phoenix remarked to Jake after she muted her mic. "...She's bein' given too much responsibility at home. Stressed about a number of things. So this may just be one of the few activities she has that's fun for her at the moment."

Jake nodded his head. "I'll discuss it with Torilla." he paused. "If I take her with me on the Courageous, will she be able to continue with her training?" he inquired. "I've watched her fly before and she's never had this level of skill.." he admitted. "but I will sort out things at home for her..."

"Your ship aint the type of flyin' she wants to do, when she gets older," Phoenix pointed out simply. "I offered Siaxx and I's couch to her and that made her relax some. So maybe I could room her an' Aryssa together in our office room - which we never use... Might do 'er some good, livin' in a different environment for a few months, without havin' ta remove her from her friends."

Jake nodded, clearly he thought it was a good idea. "I like it. Gets her away from Torilla for awhile considering her mom is pregnant and her mind is about to fly all over the place, I remember how she was the last time... it wasn't pretty and this time she's got a hundred times the minds to worry about..." Jake paused. "Funny things happen when Halanans become pregnant..."

"Alls left is ta ask Rachael," Phoenix agreed.

Jake regarded the Major. "I'll ask her after her mission." he commented as a smile appeared on his face.

"Sitrep, Cadet," Phoenix asked as she turned her mic on again.

"Command, Nobel Leader, The Savannah is dealing with the Romulan's sir. The Bird of Prey got a little too close and the Savannah warned them off... the Klingon's seem to have withdrawn sir... but since they cloaked, we don't know where they are at present."

Jake listened as he nodded. "Remain on your guard cadet."

"Aye Captain." Rachael's voice was crisp and clear.

Again, Phoenix set the mic off and smiled. "She needs ta kill crap. Set the bar to things just barely below her ability an' let her go until she gets bored."

Jake nodded as he did as the Major requested. "Alright... " he commented. "The Romulan Bird of Prey is returning... along with a Romulan Carrier.... A Mogai variant, nothing too insane..." he added. "Nobel Lead, this is Nobel Control, go what those new arrivals are up to?"

"Nobel Lead, confirmed. we're outbound. Noble Flight stay with me...I have a bad feeling about these new arrivals..."

Jake smiled. "Try not to assume things before they happen Six."

"Apologies Captain." Rachael's voice came back.

Jake muted his mic. "The Carrier won't engage directly, it'll deploy fighters in groups of four, an even match for Rachael... the difficulty is set just below her level of skill... but what of the other pilots with her?" Jake inquired with a smile. "will they be up to this challenge?"

"Set their skills lower than the bogies?" Phoenix suggested with a shrug. "Best to let her rack up kills, more than improving her stick right now."

Yamaguchi nodded. "Done and... done." he made a few adjustments to the system as he watched the first of the fighters launch off of the Klingon Carrier.

"Nobel Five, this is Atin. Status?"

"Romulan's are challenging us to a duel. Our pilots versus theirs..." came the response from Rachael.

"Accept the challenge... but don't fire on them unless they fire first. Think of it like a game of chicken," Phoenix suggested into her com.

Jake was expecting his daughter to comment on it or question the order from Phoenix but the response was simple. "Confirmed. We're on it." Rachael commented.

Rachael smiled as she commed the other three pilots with her. "Guys stay with me, form up into the shield trios, Four... you're my com specalist, keep our line open to command in case that Carrier starts trying to cut off our coms.."

"Copy sir." came a male voice.

Jake turned to Phoenix, after muting his com. "Does Rachael get along with her fellow pilots.?"

"She's way above them in ability, but they have not together yet. So I can't really say for sure," Phoenix answered as honestly as she could.

***** Here's where the fun begins - Anakin Skywalker *****

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