Look Who Crashed The Party

Posted on Tue Jul 24th, 2018 @ 3:59am by

1,413 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Emerald Road
Location: Hanger Bay / CAG's Office

Hanger Bay

Zan was sat at a table with a smattering of documents dressed in coveralls there were dirty, there were soo many new faces around the hanger now that sometimes it was hard to pick out those he knew.

Not many spoke of what happened but the newer additions seemed to revel in it, young hot shots keen to be serving on a ship this size thinking it was nothing more than a stepping stone to glory. He'd not really managed to meet many of the new people because of the shotgun assignment to the Indefatigable and not all of his pilots could transfer over. He hoped they would return when the Dreadnought was repaired.

It caused no end of frustration as tasks went unfinished and some rather important. Rumour had it that most of the new recruits to the squadron were from the same class, a well preforming one Zan had to admit. The test scores were high, evaluations on team work and efficiency were just as high so it was good to have a well bonded and coordinated group of people in the team. The problem was, in a department such as this, the bigger fish ruled and sometimes the new arrivals liked to test that with strength of numbers.

The 'group' had just walked in through the doors were some of the pilots, assigned to the 'Indy' from elsewhere, they all laughing at something and Zan was not in the mood for it, he was trying to make the best of a disrupted situation. The group had taken a stroll around the hanger looking at the craft and talking to one or two of the ground crews, nothing unusual there, that was until they started heading his way. He was alone at the table so gathering up the documents he was interrupted.

"Hey..."

Zan ignored it as he continued to pile the documents up into one easy to carry pile thinking they were talking to someone else.

"Hey, I'm talking to you."

"Hey, when the Lieutenant speaks to you, you answer."

Ohh really? Zan thought. He stood up and but didn't turn as he picked up the pile. He turned his head to see a single Lieutenant flanked by 5 Ensigns. "There a problem?"

"I'm Lieutenant Will Baker, I command these guys here, I was told the boss was somewhere around here, not seeing anyone that matches the description." The Ensigns laughed as clearly the alpha male walked all over this individual before them.

Zan sighed, was he like this when he graduated? Did he do this on his first assignment? He couldn't recall but very may well have. "Sure, he's in his office, that way through the doors. If he's not there just wait, he shouldn't be long." Zan had to bite his tongue a bit, such arrogance in this group of nuggets.

CAG's Office.

Zan walked in and straight away saw the Lieutenant lurking around his desk, the others were taking a good look around the walls at the pictures of fallen friends, comrades, parts of fighters of old.

"Hey, where is he?" Baker called perched on the end of the desk.

"Hey check out the broad, she's pretty fine."

Zan knew he was talking about Nine, his friend. "Don't touch the wall." Zan spoke.

"Hey, I asked you a question." Baker asked.

"Get off the desk." Zan spoke as he walked towards the desk only to be blocked by an Ensign.

"He asked you a question."

"He, is about to be grounded, the CAG is right here." Zan spoke as he pushed the Ensign aside and walked to his desk dropping the documents on it. "I said get off my desk Baker." Zan took a seat. "First things first, I am Lieutenant Zan Luthar, I am the CAG which means I am in command on this deck so stand in front there and you can stick what ever superior than thou, god complex, best pilot in Starfleet ego you have Baker and blow it out the airlock along with your wings and you..." Zan looked at the Ensign that blocked him off.

"You talk to me or a ranking officer like that again and I'll take your wings so fast it will make a low orbit free fall look like childs play to a 10 year old." Zan looked at them all in turn. "Just because you are good pilots does not mean you can walk in here like your the hottest thing since flight school and walk all over everyone here because you are a group. I would not put it past you that you think just by being here you think your destined for glory because your your hoping to get assigned to the Ascension class most of us boarded from. Guess again gentlemen." Zan stood up and walked to the wall that had been violated by these egotistical morons. "For the record, that broad was a friend and she died last mission saving more lives. Something I seriously doubt you are capable of unless your ego depended on it."

"Sir, relax yeah, we didn't mean anything by it." Baker tried to recover.

"By what Baker, by walking in here acting like your some hot shit, best thing to sit in a fighter since ever? That you could treat people like they were under you and your goons here to back you up regardless of rank?" Zan started. "By the way, I dare you to try that with Commodore Hood, especially in the mood hes in, I really do, I'd pay to see how that one turns out. So try your antics with him Ensign, I dare you." Zan looked at Baker.

"Guys I honestly dont know what you are expecting here, an easy ride maybe, quick promotion but rest assured I will be putting this incident into file, which goes to the First Officer and ultimately the Commodore. Trust is earned here and just because you six rock up trying to push everyone around, well that just isn't going to float here. So, now that you have made an incredibly bad first impression with the man in charge, tell me Baker, since your Mr Hot Stuff, The Man, Alpha Male, what is your plan now?"

Silence.

"Well damn, looking like the fool huh, not so big now are you?" Zan half expected this to go on one ear and out the other by the time the doors shut after they leave. "Simply put fellas I don't know how you got on board this ship but god I'll be sure as hell to make sure you get off it when we get back to Earth. The Commodore is the Alpha on this ship, he's the one in charge and make no mistake about it, you step out of line, you pull the same shit you just did with me with someone else and he will stomp on you so hard you will wish you never joined Flight School." Zan paused.

"Each of you I see have craft and role preferences backed up by evals and scores, fine, but I'm breaking you six up. You will earn the trust of the others you fly with, you can make a start by going out there and apologising to those you walked on because those guys keep your fighter in the air." Everyone knew, the ground crew were worth the weight in Latinum. "Your craft have been assigned to you, I suggest being nice to your ground crews because I hear everything that goes on out there, treat them poorly and I will hear about it. We are a team here, us in here and out there on deck, not just you six. Now, because I used to be just like you, I'm going to let you walk out there to rethink your approach to others and then when your ready you can report back to me and maybe give this another go.....okay......now get out."

"And Baker, First Officer in the morning, you can talk to her about getting your wings back." Zan watched them leave, not so high and mighty now. Probably came down on them a bit hard and perhaps he was like that when he got on board but time and experience tempered that, for them it was their first assignment, no real combat experience at all, whole lot of hot air and nothing to back it up.

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