To Fight for Flight

Posted on Tue Feb 19th, 2019 @ 7:58pm by Lieutenant JG Siobahn Fallon & Captain Michelle Bartlett

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/5
Location: CO's Quarters

Siobahn was hesitant as she stood outside the Captain's private quarters. She was very acutely aware of exactly how improper this was, yet here she was. Taking a deep breath and steeling herself for what she expected to be her being thrown out on her backside, she rang the annunicator anyway, waiting.

Michelle had just been quietly reading, trying to keep herself distracted and to recharge from everything that had been going on. "Come." she called out.

It was only after the door was open that Siobahn allowed herself to breath ever so slighhtly. "Captain, I am really sorry about intruding on your personal time..." her voice trailed off and she looked up at her Commanding officer, the gravity of her current situation suddenly weighing on her. She was an Ensign, a brand new Ensign at that, and she had somehow decided that she should directly approach the Captain? "If you're going to do it, you may as well own it," she muttered to herself, glancing down before looking back at Michelle again.

Straightening her back and holding her head high, she addressed the CO as calmly as she could manager. "Captain, I'm Ensign Siobahn Fallon from Medical. We've met before... but right now I need to speak with you. Please."

Michelle looked up, a bit concerned... "Of course. What's going on?"

"I need to speak to you about Cally, I mean, Lieutenant Calypso Skyie... your pilot." Siobahn said calmly. "She is one of the best pilots in the universe and her skills are being wasted sitting behind the helm station of a starship full time. She wants to be a fighter pilot and she needs you to make it happen. I already looked into it," she pulled a PADD out from behind her back and handed it across to Michelle. "You can make a discretionary call to have her begin training here on the job. All the information is right there." Clearly Siobahn had thought this through and done her homework on the situation.

Ordinarily, Michelle would be taken aback by the idea of an Ensign suggesting a Lieutenant for promotion... But... at least it appears to have been researched. She reviewed the PADD quietly, letting out the occasional "Hmmm" and "Mm-hmm..."

"I was unaware that Lieutenant Skyie had an interest in this." Michelle responded after some time. "You are technically correct, however. She could begin training should she wish. How long has this been a thing for?"

"Ma'am, all she's ever wanted was to be a fighter pilot. There were... well... let's just say there was a couple of incidents that resulted in her being removed from the program, but she was different then... and as her treating physician I'm willing to attest to the fact that she is stable and sound and in a good place, and she NEEDS to be given this chance." Siobahn finally stopped and drew a breath, watching the Captain hopefully.

"Incidents?" Michelle asked. "Of course I can check her record, but... what kind?"

Siobahn paused, fidgeting nervously for a moment. "Well... uh... she may have kind of crashed a couple of fighters... you know, just slightly... but that could totally happen to anyone! Right? And like I said, she's different now."

Michelle's eyebrow raised considerably. Almost enough that a Vulcan would be impressed. "I'm sorry, Doctor. Did you say she crashed a couple fighters?" she added. "I, uhh... I'm not entirely sure that inspires confidence."

"Well it should," Siobahn countered quietly. "Captain, at the risk of overstepping my bounds, Cally is the BEST pilot you have on this ship, she'd give any one of the fighters a run for their money and then some. The ONLY reason the Marine's came back alive from the Shalti is because of Cally, but none of that will ever be written down on any official record somewhere. But if you're going to judge someone's potential just by what's written on a record somewhere than... well..." She shrugged slightly. "Captain, everyone makes mistakes, and anyone who says that they haven't is not being honest, including yourself."

Michelle nodded a bit... Of course the doctor was correct in this instance, though she would still need to clear it through any official channels. Hell, they were heading back toward New Earth anyway... There's no reason she couldn't complete the qualifying exams on base.... "You do perhaps have a point... I'll have to run it by Commodore Myers, though I can't guarantee he's going to jump at the opportunity. Mostly because there's already been a lot of moving around personnel wise."

"Captain, have her do the exam in her own time," Siobahn suggested, her tone a little more relaxed this time. "Use that as an argument to support her case. She won't disappoint you, she just needs you to give her a chance."

Michelle sighed a bit.. "All right." she added. "But I'm not making any promises." she added. "I'll still talk to the Commodore about it."

“Any other commanding officer would likely have me relieved of duty, or worse, thrown out an airlock for confronting you the way I have Captain, but circumstance has taught me one thing. Life is short and nothing is ever guaranteed to anyone, so you should seize what ever moment you can when it is handed to you. If I didn’t believe in all that there is no way I would be standing here now having this conversation with you. Even as I speak I am telling myself how insane I am for potentially putting my career on the line for what some might think is a whim... but I believe in Cally... if I didn’t I would be back in my quarters right now, curled up with a bowl of ice cream and a damn good book, yet here we both are.” She managed a smile. “But you should know Cally has no idea I am here, neither does Hailey or anyone else. It as my decisions to approach you and mine alone. So just keep that in mind, please?”

She drew a sharp breath and offered a nervous smile. “Thank you Captain, I appreciate your time, and your tolerance.... and I guess I will leave you be now... I likely have a shuttle to pack for.”


=/\=


Captain Michelle Bartlett
Commanding Officer
USS Wellington


Ensign Siobahn Fallon
Medical Officer
USS Wellington