Pilot Wings
Posted on Sat Jun 6th, 2026 @ 10:18am by Staff Sergeant Shayla Kunadt & Lieutenant Junior Grade Galen Trellis & Brigadier General Seamus O'Rourke
Edited on on Sat Jun 6th, 2026 @ 10:41am
1,980 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 18 - The Edge of Darkness
Location: Shuttle Bay - Deck 10 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD002 1300 hrs
Lieutenant Junior Grade Galen Trellis stood in the main shuttlebay, PADD in hand, reviewing the maintenance logs for the Churchill, Xeres, the Bolian shuttlebay manager, had flagged a minor issue with the port thruster assembly—nothing critical, but worth addressing before they departed for Camp Nostromo with their VIP passenger.
The bay hummed with quiet activity. A few technicians worked on routine maintenance, the soft clanking of tools and low conversation creating a familiar backdrop. Galen had fallen into a comfortable rhythm over the past few days—checking flight readiness reports, coordinating shuttle rotations, ensuring everything under his command was running smoothly.
It was... satisfying, honestly. After waiting on Empok Nor and days of uncertainty about where he fit on the Pioneer, having concrete responsibilities and a well-organized department to manage felt like solid ground under his feet.
Shayla strode up to Galen. She finished her work on the Hawkeye and was now due for assignment. She had heard the scuttlebutt about the General touring the ship. "El T. I am all set with the Hawkeye. You need me to do anything else before the top brass runs the white glove through here?"
Galen looked up from his PADD as Shayla approached, her easy demeanor a welcome contrast to the formal tension that had settled over the shuttlebay since word had spread about the General's arrival.
El T, he mused to himself. He liked it. It brought him a sense of familiarity that Dorian always found comforting.
"White glove inspection from a General?" Galen said, his tone carrying just enough edge to be recognizably sarcastic. "Easy. Just stand at attention, agree with everything he says, and throw in a few 'Yes, sir's and 'Outstanding observation, sir's. Works every time." The Helmsman said. Dorian had made it through dozens of inspections that way without actually changing a damn thing.
Shayla let out a guffaw. "You better be careful with that kind of mentality we may mistake you for a Marine." She made her way to the replicator to retrieve a uniform jacket and changed out of her work shirt. "Truth is I am not sure what the General would want to see down here."
Galen snorted softly at Shayla's comment about being mistaken for a Marine. "Well, I do carry around the memories of one who spent nineteen years in the Corps. Some of the cynicism tends to rub off."
He set the PADD down and leaned back against the workstation, his expression thoughtful. "As for what a General wants with inspecting a shuttlebay? Honestly, I have no idea. We've got a decent complement—a few Type-9s, some Type-8s, the Aerowing, and a Delta Flyer over there." He pointed to the other side of the bay. "All standard issue, nothing experimental or classified. Not exactly the kind of hardware that typically draws flag officer attention." The Helmsman said.
Seamus entered into the Shuttlebay with his aide in tow. Being a pilot herself Captain X'tal was interested in flight operations aboard the Pioneer.
Lieutenant Trellis was mid-sentence, gesturing toward the Delta Flyer on the far side of the bay, when a voice cut sharply through the ambient noise of the shuttlebay.
"ATTENTION ON DECK!" The call came from a young crewman near the entrance—barely out of the Academy —whose eyes had gone wide at the sight of the general's insignia.
Lieutenant Trellis' body reacted immediately. Spine straight, shoulders back, arms at his sides, eyes forward. The PADD he'd been holding clattered forgotten onto the workstation behind him. Every technician in the shuttlebay followed suit within seconds, tools set down, conversations halted mid-word, everyone coming to rigid attention as Brigadier General Seamus O'Rourke entered with his aide.
Shayla snapped to with Marine precision. "Welcome to the Pioneer. General Sir!"
"Thank you, Staff Sergeant." Seamus said.
Shayla remained at attention until the order to be at ease was given. "Sir, perhaps you would like to see the Hawkeye. She is an Argo Class multi purpose craft given for the Cure's use." She was excited to meet the General but found the silence to be unsettling. So, she decided to step in and try to ease the tension. Shayla hoped that the Lieutenant would not feel as if she stepped on their toes.
"I would like to see it, Staff Sergeant." Feren X'tal said. "I was a pilot before I transferred to admin."
"Well right this way Captain." Shayla said with a smile and pointed to the Hawkeye. "The Argo Class is a multi mission platform. Capable of holding nine crew members in the cockpit and up to twenty in the rear. The rear compartment can also be reconfigured for different mission objectives. This includes the use of the all terrain vehicle, which is currently parked next to the Hawkeye."
"Interesting, but I what I really want to know is, how does it handle and how fast can it go?" Feren said.
"In terms of speed the Argo Class was not built to be too quick. She is designed as a drop ship, and atmospheric transfer ship. So, cruising speed is warp 3, she can be pushed to 3.5 if needed and will do warp 4 sustained for 12 hours. In terms of maneuverability, she gets the job done. I managed to outpace a number of defense batteries with the Hawkeye." Shayla wanted to talk about Wren IX but knew that she couldn't. She also hoped that Galen did not think that she was stepping on his toes at all.
"Interesting." Feren said. Unlike their ancestors on Vulcan, her people did not embrace Surak's teachings, but she maintained a clinical attitude on duty. "Which armaments does the Hawkeye possess?" She asked.
When Captain X'tal asked about armaments, Lieutenant Trellis felt something shift. This wasn't just an administrative inquiry anymore. A pilot asking about weapons systems was asking about tactical capability, about the vessel's role in actual combat operations.
"The Hawkeye carries a respectable tactical package, Captain," Lieutenant Trellis said, his tone shifting subtly from the casual enthusiasm of a pilot to something more measured and operational.
"Phaser Type IV Array—four units distributed across the hull for optimal firing arcs. She's got a micro-torpedo launcher configuration with two active tubes and twelve micro-photon torpedoes in reserve, plus another twelve micro-quantum torpedoes." The pilot explained.
He paused, his expression becoming more analytical. "On paper, it doesn't sound like much. But that loadout is specifically designed for a drop ship operating in contested airspace. The micro-torpedoes give you precision strike capability without the collateral damage of full-scale ordnance. The phaser arrays let you suppress defensive positions and cover extraction routes."
"It's not a gunship, ma'am," He said to Captain X'tal, "But she's great for when you need to give the enemy a busted lip while moving in and out of a hot zone." He said contently.
"That makes sense for its mission profile. It is an efficient use of space and weight." X'tal said. "I would like to take her out for a 'ride', if there is time." She added a brief smile crossing her lips and the prospect of being a pilot once more.
Lieutenant Trellis blinked, caught slightly off-guard by the request. He'd been expecting Captain X'tal to ask more tactical questions, maybe review maintenance logs or flight performance data. Not... actually request to pilot one of his shuttles. He glanced at the Hawkeye, then back to Captain X'tal with a professional smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
He kept his expression professionally neutral, but internally there was a flicker of something between reluctant acceptance and protective instinct. These shuttles were his responsibility—every system, every component, every flight log. Letting an outside officer, even a former pilot, take one out meant relinquishing control over something he'd just started managing.
But she was a Captain and he was just a mere Lieutenant junior grade, so he was well familiar with how that dance would play out.
"How long were you thinking for the flight, ma'am?" He asked, masking his hesitation.
"Ten minutes at most, Lieutenant." X'tal said.
Shayla was going to step into the conversation on tactical systems. However, she could sense through tone and body language that something had shifted. She was not sure why the Captain seemed interested in flying the Hawkeye. It could be she was bored, but then again it could be that something worked above Shayla's proverbial pay grade. For the moment she thought it best to remain quiet and allow the Lieutenant to handle this, whatever it was.
Lieutenant Trellis nodded slowly, his shoulders relaxing just slightly at the brevity of the request. Ten minutes was manageable. Barely enough time to get past the immediate vicinity of the ship, run through a few basic maneuvers, and return to dock. Not exactly enough time to cause serious problems.
There was a brief pause—just long enough to be noticeable—before he responded.
"Ten minutes, ma'am. That's. . .workable," he said, his tone shifting to something more accommodating, though his posture remained tense. He turned toward the work station where SSGT Kunadt was reviewing maintenance logs. "Staff Sergeant, prep the Hawkeye for departure. Get Captain X'tal fitted with whatever she needs. Full systems check before she takes her out."
"Yes sir." Shayla replied. Before she set about those orders something had occurred to her. "Shall I accompany the Captain sir? A co pilot is warranted in this situation." In the time that they had worked together Shayla had developed a less formal approach to conversation with Galen. However, given the situation, the whatever was happening here, a more formal approach seemed appropriate.
While Captain X'tal was examining the Hawkeye, Seamus talked with Xeres, the Bolian shuttlebay manager.
Lieutenant Trellis nodded at SSGT Kunadt's suggestion. "Good thinking, Staff Sergeant. Yes, accompany Captain X'tal as co-pilot."
He watched as she moved toward the Hawkeye to begin preparations, then his attention shifted. Brigadier General O'Rourke had been observing the entire exchange with quiet attention, standing with Xeres near the shuttlebay operations console.
Lieutenant Trellis straightened slightly as he turned toward the General Officer. "Sir, is there anything in particular you'd like to see?" he asked, his tone respectful and accommodating.
Please just want a tour, Galen thought with quiet desperation. Please don't ask to fly anything.
He gestured around the shuttlebay, careful to keep his expression neutral. "Or if you're interested in specific systems or operational capabilities, I'm happy to explain those, sir."
Shayla took the Captain and made her way to the Hawkeye. The preflight should not take too much time. She tapped her comm badge before boarding the Hawkeye. "Kunadt to Bridge. The Hawkeye will be departing for a ten minute training flight. Stand by to receive flight plan and clear the bay."
At the moment Seamus was slightly distracted having been rushed around the ship all day. He watched as the Staff Sergeant took his Aide on a flight when Galen's question brought him to the present of sorts. "Actually, now that you mention it. If the Pioneer had to assist in the defense of an installation or station how would you go about it?" He asked and began to walk the bay with Galen.
A Joint Post By
Staff Sergeant Shayla Kunadt
EVAC Specialist HQ, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Brigadier General Seamus O'Rourke
Commanding Officer, Camp Nostromo
Captain Feren X'tal
Aide-de-Camp, Camp Nostromo
Lieutenant Junior Grade Galen Trelis
Chief Flight Control Officer, USS Pioneer
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