Lt. Cmdr Kirsty Carpenter - Flight or Fight

[LuxaLorana]

I'm a big fan of @Kirsty L. Carpenter writing from day one on the Ronin and this sim just displays why. The characterization and the building of tension just hits the spots here! 

 

Quote

 

((Flight OPS Centre, Deck 7, U.S.S. Ronin.))

 

Singh:  The Captain's plan to draw the enemies attention may have been slightly too effective.  How do we intend to recover our people after rousing this nest of vipers?  

 

Kirsty kept a brave face. Not that she didn't believe in her own idea. But she was more than realistic about it. Years of orbital drop ops and countless "bug-hunt" breaching runs would do that to a person. In her experience, plans were the first things that usually got burnt up in upper atmo once things actually started in motion. Just about the time one of the droppers was losing their lunch.

 

But there was something about this crew, this ship...that told her that they might be due for a little impossible. I would have you see this very well, o friends and neighbors. A woman, scarred by the universe and wounded in a way that she still cannot articulate. Yet...optimistic, devil-may-care, and even, dare we say, complexly confident in the officers in front of and around her. And though desperately worried and fearful for the people still committed to the void of stars, she still finds herself...uncomfortably cognizant of their own skills and wills. A far (and welcome) cry from the woman who thought she was being punished after her abrupt, but apparently much needed transfer. 

 

She motions with her cup, keeping her hands moving to obturate the still creeping nervousness of her lack of control.     

 

Carpenter: That's where you flyboys come in. I'm thinkin' a tight, two pronged sweep up. ::she sets her mug down and uses her gloves hands to illustrate:: One end to get XO Raga and whoever else they've recovered, the other for Chief Alieth's crew.

 

After a beat and draining the last of her cup, she notices slightly they have an audience of sorts now. She sets the cup down with a soft thump and motions with her gloved hands. She wants the whole picture to be allowed to the assembly. So, as she was want, she talked with her hands. A two-fold goal. One to keep the noise of her mind from her limbs and the other to illustrate the whole of the plan to the other officers. 

 

She doesn't want a single moment of it lost in the translation. 

 

Singh: That is certainly possible, Major, but the damage to the main shuttlebay doors will make flight operations under combat conditions challenging.  That said, I know my pilots are up for it.  Aside from shepherding the runabouts home is there anything else I should task my people with?  

 

Carpenter: Original objective. We draw focus for whoever might show up in our wake until we can come about, get everyone home, and bug the hell out.

 

She thought for a moment, wondering if she should also pass along the word that this was only because comms were down, as was general long-range transporting options, and this was the quickest way to get them all home without both, but thought better of it. Singh and her pilots would likely establish "radio" contact once they got them in visual range, so Kirsty would only be telling the fellow Major how to do her job.

 

She would rather die, frankly. But the look of stormy concern that passed the handsome woman's face brought a lesser one to Kirsty's face in turn. 

 

Singh:  There is one small matter, Major.  I believe that our stores of microtorpedos were recently raided as part of the ships...distraction plan.  I do not believe we have the time or resources to replace that ordinance.  The fighters have their energy weapons but their effectiveness will be seriously compromised if it comes to a standup fight with a squadron of those Tholian attack craft.  

 

Kirsty blushed silently and violently. They had bought them precious time and space in conjunction with Chief Corelli's "slobberknocker charges" (a moniker Kirsty had drummed up in her mind after the second set had exploded and brought to mind some of the hellishly fun color commentary on the ancient wrestling holos she had found of her dad's in the basement; keeping them deadly secret from Ma, if you kennit, for if Ma ever found out that she had found them, Scratch hiself wouldn't be able to contain the hell that would befall the Carpenter land). 

 

But...

 

Carpenter: Honestly? I'm hopin' y'all will be movin' fast enough to have time'ta shoot. Or even be shot AT. ::she drops her voice slightly:: Also, I'll owe ya' for the ordnance. I, uh, didn't think those "quick shot" tubes were quite that quick...

 

But she turns to the rest of the officers. They had fresh eyes here, no point in not usin' 'em. That was that "CO's prerogative" that Cap Faraday was always yakkin' about she was sure. 

 

Carpenter: What about you two? If you've got ideas, I would hear them. 

 

Ico: RESPONSE

 

The Bajoran might have been meek, but the idea was anything but. Kirsty's eyebrows arched gamely and with great interest. Maybe that feeling that the Ronin could, in fact, "do it all"...maybe that wasn't too naive after all. 

 

Singh:  That's an interesting suggestion, Ensign, but do you think we can possibly get that done in time? 

 

The other officer, Zoyara was her name Kirsty finally connected in her head (Ico was the other, she had thought, but wasn't sure enough to say it out loud), looked to the other, passing some unseen thought between the pair. Kirsty looked on in interest, but slightly growing impatience. Not at the people in front of her, no, but at the situation itself. They were under all sorts of pressure here and it was only going to get worse from here. They had to jump and jump quick. 

 

Vailani: We would need to make adjustments to the fighters containment field. The power distribution would be off … massively. :: thinks and looks to Ico :: If we removed power to the non essential systems? 

 

Ico: RESPONSE

 

Kirsty hated the idea of sending the birds out without bells and whistles that would likely help keep them safer, but also...she still needed them to fly. She looked with slitted eyes toward Singh.

 

Carpenter: Can your people fly like that and fly faster still?

 

Singh: RESPONSE

 

Kirsty couldn't help but smiling. Her biggest in...probably years if she had time to think about it. She was really starting to like this Major Snowball. 

 

Ico: RESPONSE

 

Vailani: In any case we don't have time. Those cannons are almost charged. I don't think the Ronin could survive twelve of those Sencha blasts?

 

She wasn't wrong, but at the same time...the energy of the ship, the eagerness and nervousness of the youth in front of her, making her feel simultaneously ancient and capable of anything at all...

 

Carpenter: They won't get the chance again. I'm done lettin' them control this board. 

 

Singh: RESPONSE

 

She turned with a snap of her boots to Ico and Vailani.

 

Carpenter: You two start makin' the adjustments to the fighters. It don't have to be pretty, it just has to be done. Any flak you get, send 'em my way. 

 

Ico: RESPONSE

 

Vailani: RESPONSE

 

With another snap, she turned to the flight commander.

 

Carpenter: The second they are done and the doors are open, get out and get our people back. I'll call it from the Bridge once I get done.

 

She started toward the door, almost stomping with a curious purpose and direction.

 

Singh: RESPONSE

 

She turned back with an uncharacteristic zeal.

 

Carpenter: I'm gonna open the door. 

 

Without waiting for their reply, she swept from the compartment. THIS...was something she could do. 

--

TAG/TBC

--

Lieutenant Commander 

Kirsty L. Carpenter

//\\

Chief of Security & Tactical

Starfleet SAR

(Marine Rank: Major)

//\\

U.S.S. RONIN

 NCC-34523

ID: E239512QC0

//\\

F.N.S. CONTRIBUTOR

(SB118 Forums) 

 

 

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[Kirsty L. Carpenter]

Thank you so much, Science Cat Friend! This transfer has been a real treat for me. I’m glad y’all are enjoying it as much as I have!