New Flyboy Lands

Posted on Fri Jan 14th, 2022 @ 4:48am by Lieutenant Johnathan Anderson III & Captain Ivan Petrov & Commander Cyrus Cain

Mission: S1 Episode 1: Caretaker, Part I
Location: ISS VENGEANCE, Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD 2 - 1545 hours
1388 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

After coming aboard, Johnathan had his belonging taken to his quarters. He was very excited to be on the VENGEANCE. She was a brand new ship, which by naval tradition, made him a plank owner. After piloting an aging Miranda, he was looking forward to piloting a top-of-the-line warship.

After leaving the transporter room, he queried the computer as to the Captain's location. After seeing that both the Captain and the Executive Officer were in the Captain's Ready Room, the young pilot quickly made his way there.

A few moments later, he was stepping onto the bridge for the first time. He paused to take in the sheer beauty of it all, then, he focused and made his way over to the closed ready room door. Reaching up, he pressed the chime.

The two senior officers had been meeting to discuss the particulars of their command when the chime rang. It had not been a comfortable meeting by any stretch, so having it interrupted was annoying for both men, particularly the XO. He stood from his seat in front of the Captain's desk and opened the door. He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned, his black leather gloves balling under his armpits.

"What is it?" he asked tersely, his brow furrowed.

If Johnathan was surprised by the appearance of the angry XO, he was smart enough not to show it. He quickly saluted the senior officer and replied. "Sir! Lieutenant JG Johnathan Quincy Anderson the Third, reporting for duty as the Chief Flight Officer for the VENGEANCE, Sir!"

Cyrus looked at the man for a split second, trying to get his barings on him when the CO spoke up from his seat behind his desk.

"Come in, Lieutenant. We were just finishing up." said Ivan Petrov, his own gloved hand grasping at one of the hairs in his prodigious beard. "Welcome aboard the Vengeance."

The Captain offered a smile that seemed almost plastic behind perfect teeth which seemed slightly out of place on him. Laugh lines creased his face for a short while before it began to fade.

"I trust your journey was comfortable?" he asked, gesturing to one of the seats across from the desk.

Johnathan moved past the XO, as the Captain bade him inside. "Thank you, Captain." He saluted the man respectfully, then chose the seat that put his back to the door the least amount. "Yes, Sir, Thank you for asking. I jumped onto the first shuttle that was coming this way, then beamed over as soon as we were close enough." Though he sat in the offered chair, he remained perched on the front edge of it, sitting at attention, as he was not told to make himself comfortable.

Johnathan had heard of Captain Petrov. Who hadn't? The man was a legend in the Academy. His legend only increased after his apparent departure from the Empire, only to later receive a full pardon, by the Emperor himself! Johnathan hoped that he performed his duties beyond the Captain's expectations.

"That's very good Lieutenant. Very good, indeed." the Captain said, searching his memory about his new lead pilot. "Let's see...before you were transferred here you were assigned aboard the Ishiguro, but this is your first experience with department leadership, is that correct?"

As Petrov asked his question, Cain approached and stood beside the captain's desk with his hands behind his back. His irritation had sense abated and now he was listening and watching the interaction between the two other men. Captain Petrov was more informal than Cain was accustomed to; he seemed more an aristocrat than a military man, despite his status as an Imperial Captain of note.

Worried that the Captain might think he was correcting him, Johnathan took a moment, then cleared his throat. "Officially, yes, Sir. Unofficially, No. As I was the only surviving bridge officer, following the catastrophe that ended the Ishiguro, I was in charge of the remaining survivors, until we were rescued, Sir." He dearly hoped that his answer was taken as he hoped.

“So, in other words, command experience in a crisis.” Said the XO, looking between the Lieutenant and the Captain. “That’s a good sign, sir.”

“Indeed, it is.” Petrov said, leaning back in his chair and appraising the Lieutenant with interest. “Tell me, Anderson, what drew you into the Imperial Fleet in the first place? Tell me what you’re doing here in the first place.”

"My father was a pilot, Sir, as was his before and his before Jim as well. My mother was a nurse. They were both killed shortly after I was born, when our colony transport was attacked by the Alliance. I, and several hundred civilians were taken by the Alliance attackers to be sold into slavery, only to have that ship attacked by responding Imperial vessels."

"We were rescued and brought home to Terra. As I had no living family left, I was sent to a state orphanage. There I stayed, until I turned seventeen and the Imperial Military testers came looking for new recruits. Following my tests, it was discovered that I had a knack for the schoolwork needed to be a pilot. So, I was sent to the Academy to train and become an officer."

"While there I was chosen to join Red Squad, then later, ended up leading it. After graduation, I shipped out to the Ishiguro. I continued to train and learn how to be both a better shuttle pilot, starfighter pilot and starship helmsman. I continued to ace my proficiency exams and was nearing time for promotion...when disaster struck, Sir." His expression seemed to fade out and go hollow as the memories flashed back in his mind.

"I can still hear the screams, Sir, if I stop and allow my mind to look back. The screams and that sickly-sweet smell. They will never leave me, Sir."

“And you shall hear countless more before your career is over.” The Captain said, his expression serious. He himself had murdered millions of people in order to return to the home he loved. He would kill millions more in order to glorify that same home. “This war we are fighting to reclaim our dominion over the cosmos, it is an epochal war where the glory of the Empire will be known again or will be snuffed out completely. We will fight like dogs for every system, and we need men like you in order to do it.”

Petrov cleared his throat, looking deep into the man’s eyes.

“We must show the entire universe the unshakable power of Terran resolve.”

Regaining his focus, Johnathan looked directly in his commander's eyes and nodded. "You can count on me, Sir! I won't let you, or the ship, down."

“Of course you won’t, Lieutenant!” Captain Petrov said most assuredly, his eyes fixated on the man. Cain, on the other hand, seemed less certain. He looked to the Lieutenant with a starkly unimpressed expression, maintaining his skepticism.

The XO leaned in, preparing to give the department head a rundown of his professional duties.

“As a department head, you will be on Alpha Duty shift, but your daily department report will be due to the Command Yeoman no later than 06:00 and you must be present at our 07:30 Daily Morning Briefings a half hour before your duty assignment begins. You may prepare the briefs the evening before and have them delivered to you for a final check by your gamma shift team, but regardless it needs to be accurate and promptly given. Your office is on Deck 11 within the Shuttlebay holding area. Your department will have two additional officers, five enlisted personnel, and three slaves. Make good use of them all.”

Nodding confidently, Johnathan replied. "Aye, Sir. Do you have any initial orders for me, Sir?" He was excited to start the work.

"Not at this time, no." Cyrus responded, then turning his attention back to the Captain who stood and gave the Imperial Salute. Cyrus followed his lead.

"Long live the Empire. Dismissed." Captain Petrov said, and then resumed his seat.

Johnathan jumped to his feet, snapped to attention, and did the customary salute in response. "Long live the Empire!" He then dropped the salute, turned and quickly exited the ready room. He was nearly vibrating with excitement.

~OFF~