On the Carpet

Posted on Wed Sep 20th, 2017 @ 12:25am by

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/3
Location: Muller's Office
Timeline: 15 Minutes after "The Bitch in the Back Seat"

ON:

To say that Cobra was mad would be a massive understatement. She was positively seething with anger - and the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Of all the unmitigated gall - how DARE she pull such a stunt? Who did she think she was to alter a program that had been specifically set up to test her abilities as a pilot? 'calm down Muller...' she told herself. 'You need to deal with this in a calm and rational manner.' 'Calm and rational my ass! Screw that!' She ha6d been pacing ever since arriving back in her office as she waited for Hawkeye to arrive, so in an attempt to calm herself, she went to the replicator. "Tea, Earl Grey, 50c..." she called out. When the drink appeared, she carried it carefully to her desk and set it down, then dropped into her chair. "What am I going to do with this pilot...?" she muttered to herself s she massaged her temples with her fingertips. Next, she took a slow sip of the tea, then leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes...

Storming from the holodeck...red faced...tear stained cheeks...Hawkeye raced for her quarters and didn't give a damn who the hell saw her. Yes she had been cut to the quick by what Cobra said and wuld have gone syraight after her and stormed into her office but, her Vulcan logic stopped her. She let out a blood curdling scream..."You selfish...cold hearted...cruel BITCH!! I will get you for this one way or the other!..." Throwing her tunic on the bed she replicated a steaming cup of English breakfast tea and sat down to cool her jets. She needed to cool off before she even thought about speaking to Cobra again. She was not about to allow herself to get busted for insubordination...not now and not here...and definitely by HER! This was not the way to approach this situation...and certainly not with Lawson pulling the strings. No...she would have to do this the smart way, the Starfleet way. Showering...putting on a fresh uniform...headed out the door for Cobra"s office and an inevitable showdown of words. She hit the door chime.

Kat slowly opened her eyes at the sound of the chime. She sat forward in her chair and took a deep breath, then blew it out in exasperation. She knew the person at her door would be Hawkeye and she also had a strong feeling that this was not going to be a pleasant meeting. "Enter...!" she called out sharply.

Stepping into her office...placid look on her face..."Cobra...how dare you...how dare you say that to me! First of all I don't have anything going on with Hot Dog for you to even think that. Remember, I was pulled from the ship before you pulled the Morton from the nebula. Second, I didn't know HE was here until yesterday...so how the hell can you say what you said", and then finally sat down and waited. She swore silently under her breath...'Don't go there...'

Kat studied Bishara for about half a minute before speaking. When she did speak, it was in a slow, measured tone. "As far as anything with Cooper is concerned, let's just say that word gets around - especially in a close-knit group like the ones who served together on the Pathfinder. And the word was that you had a thing for him back then. But don't think for a minute that I'm holding him blameless - oh no. Because the word was out on him as well. From what I heard he'd screw anything with a XX chromosome. Even tried it with the captain's yeoman and damn near got himself killed. But I wouldn't concern myself overmuch with Gordo were I you - because right now he is the least of your problems..."

Maintaining her facial features, she calmly asked, "Well, please explain what problem or problems are you referring to..." Hawkeye knew she had found out.

"What the hell did you mean by altering he program I had set up specifically to gauge your abilities as a Starfleet pilot? Just who the f..." she hesitated a beat before starting again. "Who do you think you are? James T. Kirk? Did you think you could change my program and I wouldn't notice? Did you think you could make it easier and get by with it? Tell me,Lieutenant..." she said, putting a heavy emphasis on the rank. "Just exactly what were your thought processes and what made you think you could get away with it? Or is the problem that you weren't thinking at all?"

Slowly choosing the words carefully..." The simulation you had programed were not, in my opinion, the correct sim in this case. What you had programed was to simple and it was designed for a third year cadet in the academy. To test one's flying ability out here in the delta quadrant, would require a more...advanced manner of flying. We are in a new area of space and with respect to that, a pilot's skills have to be put to the test under more pressure than one would under ordinary circumstances. With reference to the Captain Kirk changing the Kobayashi Maru scenario, it was not my intention to circumvent your authority, only to prove my point. That point being that out here, after flying so many missions, you sometimes have to quite literally fly by the seat of your pants. What we were taught at the Academy sometimes doesn't make a hell of a lot of difference out here. You learn from your own mistakes and from those that others make and it is up to you o learn from it and not make those mistakes while you are flying. I have learned from that and I have never left any wing man alone or for that matter any other fighter in an uneven fight", she said. Now she said what was logically sound in her mind. She only hoped it had come across in the same manner.

"First of all, when I set up a test or a sim, I have a specific reason for it and because of that I expect it to be followed to the letter. To. The. Letter." she said, enunciating the last three words separately. "Is that in any way unclear?"

"No...", she said.

"Good. Now on to the next subject. What you think of me personally I don't give a damn about. Your opinion of me is your opinion and it won't change who or what I am or the way I am one iota. However, what you think of me as your squadron leader matters to me greatly because goddammit Lieutenant THAT'S WHAT I AM! Starfleet, for whatever their reasons may be, has seen to put me in this position. My job is to lead you people, and to bring you back safely from missions if at all possible - and to make sure that you know how to do your jobs and do them well. I intend to do this and if it makes me the unholiest bitch in the quadrant then that's just the way it will have to be. After you left the Pathfinder, our Assistant CAG was Rachel Silverstone - Maverick - and she was the biggest bitch I have ever had the privilege of serving under, but she brought us back from every mission she led and she taught me well." She paused for a moment for a breath before continuing. "In order to see what your abilities are, I have to observe and test you in a controlled situation and if you change the rules of that test, what does it show me other than the fact that you are willing to cheat in order to gain your own objectives?"

"My intentions were not to cheat but to show you that here, in this situation I too am Starfleet and it is my job to serve and protect not only those I serve with but to protect those out here I fly with. If it was you in that fighter with me earlier, what would you have thought? Would you have thought that I was some sort of rookie that had no thought about my wingman, that the only thing I wanted was glory? Then tell me, why did I flame the one that hit you...damaged you...and then get the one that got away? You don't let your enemy go...you destroy him", she said evenly. Her anger was building, but she had to maintain control because this could quickly become out of control.

"You're right. You pursue the enemy until your mission is fulfilled. But..." Kat said in an effort to make her point, "...I have to know that you will follow orders when you are expected to and to be perfectly honest, I don't know that yet. You showed an inclination to go off on your own when we flew together on the Pathfinder. Are you still that way? You say you are not but my grandfather taught me long ago to not believe anything I heard and only about half of what I saw. I hope in the intervening five years you HAVE changed but that is something you will have to prove to me. And I'm not saying you are out to grab glory for yourself - I'm simply saying that there are things that you are going to have to prove to me. You are going to have to earn my trust, and that is going to take time." She looked away for a moment, thinking about what she wanted to say next. "By all rights, for your altering my sim, I should ground you for a few days - but I'm not going to do that because quite honestly I don't think it would get my point across. What I'm considering doing is having you run sims for the next few days - unaltered sims, that is. And whether or not you think they are for third-year cadets, I don't give a damn. When I set up a sim, it has a purpose, whether or not you understand it. That is why I question whether or not you can follow orders. Now, before we are finished here, do you have any questions?"

Biting her tongue..." No Commander"...clearly peeved...she stayed the urge...and chilled.

"In that case I think we're done. I will let you know if I decide to have you run sims," she said, looking directly Bishara. "Dismissed..."

Without a further word...she got up...turned...walked out the door. 'That was better than I had expected. At least I didn't get busted back to cadet!' she thought as she headed back to her quarters to get quietly intoxicated.


LtCommander Katrin Muller
Squadron Leader
USS Wellington

Lt. T'Rylea Hawkeye Bishara
Flight Leader
USS Wellington