So These Are Your Birds?

Posted on Fri Jan 11th, 2019 @ 5:58pm by Petty Officer 3rd Class Leo Carpenter
Edited on on Fri Jan 11th, 2019 @ 6:00pm

Mission: The First Step...
Location: Shuttle Hangar
Timeline: 2388/08/26 0800 (August 26 2388 8:00am)

ON:

Braden had walked around dufflebag in hand just looking the place over. His first time truly on his own, and only the second planet he was ever on. It looked like a lot of wilderness here and he wondered if hunting trips were legal? As he meandered like a tourist he just naturally drifted toward the small craft hangar. He looked around and saw no one at first so walked inside.

"Can I help you kid?" Leo asked as he looked around the side of the shuttle he'd been working on at the sound of Braden's footsteps echoing through the hangar.

"Hello, just looking over the boats you have. Say maybe you can? I heard they hire cadets to work part time here. You have any openings here in the hangar, I grew up in a place not unlike this." Braden was confident but not really cocky. He walked over to Leo as he spoke. "I am one of the cadets as I am sure you already figured out. "Braden MacCloud, Mr. Carpenter." He had read the name tag but seen no rank on the coveralls.

"You wanna job in here?" Leo looked surprised but then maybe the kid was going to be an engineer, "If you do then you know it'll just be grunt work right?" he added, wanting to know that Braden understood what he was letting himself in for.

"That works, running for parts, cleaning up, diagnostics, routine maintenance stuff." Braden touched one of the shuttles, "no telling when I will get a chance to fly again but this way at least I will be in a familiar area for a few hours a week anyway. Should be interesting as well you have a lot of boats here I have only read tech journals about." Braden's demeanor was confident but not haughty, his tone deferred respect but still retained the confident quality.

Braden continued speaking "I am here to be a fighter pilot, like my Dad before me. He taught me that to be a competent pilot one must know the craft he flew inside and out. I hope to be flying some of these so this job will be helpful to me. I never do anything part way sir. I get the job I will do the job to the best of my ability." His eyes were on Leo's faces intent on his reaction.

"Sounds like your dad was a smart man." Leo replied, cocking his head slightly to appraise the boy before him. "Well...I guess that we'd better run this all by Bannerman and Mallory to make sure they're okay with it." then Leo grinned and added "Though Jake creates a lot of work around here given how he treats his bird." He gestured towards the fighter over in the corner that Jake seemed to enjoy battering every chance he got.

With his keen eyesight and even from this distance Braden could see that this Bannerman liked to shot rocks. "I guess he was a fighter pilot before coming here? He obviously enjoys blasting meteorites. I can see several sections of ablative armor need replaced. Probably a diagnostic needs run on the second maneuvering thruster on this side, I can see some scarring from here." Braden looked back at Leo, "I agree, my Dad was very intelligent. He was a survivor as well, I hope to make him proud."

"He doesn't really talk about what he did before he came here." Leo shrugged, "And something tells me that I don't want to know either." he grinned, "But I've seen him fly and he's one hell of a pilot that's for sure. He just about on the sane side of crazy if you know what I mean though I guess all great pilots are."

"I can relate a little to that. Maybe some day people will refer to me like that." Braden's tone was a bit wistful as his mind drifted to ripping across the black of space. Just him and the machine he was flying. Life just did not get much better then that. He drifted back to reality with a smile. "Most of what you have here is newer then what I worked on, but I imagine with a little guidance I can pick up speed quickly. If you are busy I can leave? If not maybe you could tell me a few things? The Type-6 I have worked on, but like the Razor there I have only read about?" His grin took on a mischievous glint as he obviously wanted a closer look.

Grabbing a rag off the top of a nearby toolbox, Leo wiped his hands as he said "You wanna look huh? Knock yourself out...I'll show you her but you'd best run if Bannerman turns up. Normally only I'm allowed to touch her." he grinned as he led the way.

Braden nodded "I won't touch, I respect other folks property. Is just seeing something you only read about is so cool." Braden followed Leo to the fighter and he never got close enough to touch the Razor. He pointed out various equipment, sensors, navigation antennae, pointing with near reverence as he rattled off numbers and book type information. His Father's stories drifted into the critique more then a few times. Braden knew this fighter inside and out and it was obvious he was in awe.

Leo chuckled at the cadet's enthusiasm as he said "You know your ships Mr MacCloud. Consider me impressed."

Braden was a bit embarrassed "I guess I sound like a tourist. Just my Dad flew Peregrines and then these Razors. Back then the Peregrines were single seaters, now they are two-seaters. They are being replaced though with newer fighters. The Razor is still in service and the little single seater sort of speaks to me." Braden made eye-contact "I know the big picture there would be and Element lead, flight, maybe even a squadron and a mother-ship. I still like the idea of my piece of the picture is just me and my fighter against whatever faced. I guess that sounds crazy."

"Not crazy at all." Leo smiled, "I envy anyone who can do that...kind of lucked out on it all myself." he added wistfully.

"Being infatuated by these small boats is not something a lot of folks understand. With the majesty of the Sovereign, the capabilities of the Galaxy, the striking power of the Akira, all those ships and others people seem to be able to notice the potential. Not many look at a fighter, a Delta, or a Danube and see their value." Braden saw a type-11 shuttle torn down in a bay off to the side. "Cool those are speed-boats, can you tell me what happened? Looks like some structural damage on the left wing area?"

"The deflector malfunctioned." Leo replied, "Damn thing hit a small asteroid." he added shaking his head, "Brand new too. I guess that you can't trust those people in the shipyards."

Braden did not like to place blame without knowing and he frowned, "Might have been a part that scanned true, and had an unseen defect? Then again if you are not careful some of those routing chips can be inserted crooked? My Dad always said those things should have alignment tabs. Then that increases the need for standardization." Braden raised his hands in surrender, "Falls to guys like you to make things right in the end no matter who was at fault. Maybe I get hired I can help you repair that?" Braden's smirky grin appeared, "Thanks Mr. Carpenter, I appreciate your time and I will be back to see the shuttle-bay Boss." He offered his hand to shake feeling he had taken enough of the man's time.

"I'll put in a good word for you." Leo smiled at the kid as he took his hand and shook it, figuring that it might be good to have someone around here who knew his ships.

OFF:

PO3 Leo Carpenter
Shuttlebay technician
Magellan Campus

&

Cadet Freshman Grade Braden MacCloud
Flight cadet
SF: Magellan Campus

Commander Jacob Bannerman's fighter:




Razor Interceptor
Crew: 1 pilot
Warp speed:
Cruising Velocity: Warp 2
Maximum Velocity: Warp 3
Emergency Velocity: Warp 4 (for 6 hours)
Dimensions:
Length: 6 metres
Width: 4.5 metres
Height: 4 metres
Decks: 1
Defensive Systems:
Ablative Armour, fighter shielding system.
Weapons:
Type VI Pulse Phaser canons x 2
Micro-Torpedoes: Torpedo Casings in Wings: 8


Highly manuverable with several maneuvering thrusters on the small frame. Quick acceleration and de-acceleration at impulse speed along with decent firepower and defenses make this aging Interceptor still one of the best first response Interceptors in the Galaxy