Breckinridge: U Haul We Haul Pt 1
Posted on 20 Aug 2022 @ 8:58pm by Senior Chief Petty Officer Lex Navine & Command Master Chief Tāne HaiRoa & Master Chief Petty Officer Callan McNeil CallSign: FishSmoke
Edited on on 06 Feb 2024 @ 10:47pm
Mission:
M3 - Into the Deep
Location: Flight Control Tower
Timeline: M3 D07 0800Hrs
1868 words - 3.7 OF Standard Post Measure
McNeil and his crew gathered in the flight crew briefing room for their assignment for the day. The room was full this morning, besides the entire Breckenridge Flight of four ships and sixteen personnel, there were also a dozen more crews from one of the general transport squadrons.
The two groups hassled each other good naturedly over flight assignments and work details.
"So, Fish, we hear Breckinridge is now shoveling buffalo dung and changing baby diapers, that right?"
Before McNeil could respond Bell jumped in. "Sure is! We don't have anyone to go find and rescue 'cos they don't let you pukes fly more than half a light year away due to the alert!" she replied.
"Classy as always Jingles." McNeil grinned
"Thanks Fish." She winked back
When SCPO Lex-Navine entered he didn't make any fuss about it, but the flight personnel settled down and straightened up quickly. Lex sipped from his morning brew and marveled, wishing all of his kidlings could give him even a modicum of the same respect. Somehow, even under yellow alert, work was less stressful than home. "Greetings and good morning," he said as he set his mug safely aside and looked out over the rows of pilots and crew leaders presenting themselves. In his head he was doing a rough personnel count, even though the computer's check-in affirmed everyone called was present. He stroked his beard absentmindedly for a moment before giving a satisfied grunt and motioned for his assistant to pass out small data chips. "I know normally we just have general assignments, transferred to your project scheduling map, but under yellow alert conditions, all ship movement information and flight planning is considered sensitive knowledge, so these are bio encrypted to the team leaders. No one is to reveal their specific flight plans outside of your own team."
The crews sat quietly while Navine ran through the first part of the briefing. The bio-encryption was new and there a brief buzz of quiet comments amongst the group, as the crew chiefs accepted the data chips, then they settled down again.
The door opened and a short Human male in red came in; his appearance distinctive by his uniquely tattooed face, although he entered mostly unnoticed. He stood quietly at the back and let the briefing continue without interruption.
With no real urgency, pointing and selecting through a display menu in a hunt and peck fashion, Lex-Navine pulled up a regional multi system UFP border map stretching into deep space. It was colored into zones. "In addition to those of you assigned to regular in system runs and escort duties, some of you will be tasked to rendezvous with Starfleet vessels in order to ferry all their on board families, cadets, and non-essential personnel back here to Obsidian Command. The current alert extends to all of these regions and Starfleet has deemed it wise to protect civilian population from the as-yet unstated threat." Lex himself had not been read in on what that threat might be, but he seemed patently unbothered by the lack of knowledge as he plodded through his explanation. "You will be loaded with requested gear and supplies, and return with the passengers, then receive new ferrying orders. The movements are being further coordinated as we speak. Don't expect any down time between runs."
There was another murmur of comments. McNeil and Bell exchanged a look. There had been some discussion the alert was some elaborate extended drill, that no seemed unlikely.
"MCPO McNeil," Lex addressed the man who, though he outranked him, was serving in the department Lex had been assigned to direct. The fact seemed to mean very little to the old goat who licked a dry upper lip and blinked his goat eyes with their squarish pupils, regarding him. "I've selected Breckinridge group to remain here for a high-volume task. While the rest of the teams are transferring persons to the station, you will be transferring some off of the station, to the planet."
"Understood Chief" McNeil acknowledged "We're ready"
"It appears a diplomatic solution was reached for the Refugee population, and most of them will be relocated to the Itonian Bajada, " Here he took another painfully long pause to peck his way through the menus calling up the map of the planet. The topographical illustration of the planetary location extended holographically out of the display in undulating waves beyond the toothier form of the taller mountains. "...The Itonia Bajada being these steppes to the south east of the Taragi-shar range. It is a region of land allotted to an el Aurian settlement project. They have extended their allotment to include refugees from Romulan space, whose applications they accept."
McNeil nodded, he knew of the settlement, although so far none of the Breckinridge Flight craft had been there. At least it would have a landing zone and hopefully some form of flight control, that would be a little easier than some of the bush flying they had been doing recently.
"There are currently two hundred seventy-four accepted persons waiting to be resettled from the encampment on the environmental deck. It is not the entire... guest list, but it is the majority of them. Security checks must be completed before they board so there are not any unapproved applicants or persons considered otherwise unwelcome by the el Aurian settlement authorities."
"Two-Seventy-Four?" McNeil echoed. The standard Arrow had a capacity for up to sixty passengers, if you crammed them in. But the Search and Rescue configuration of the Breckinridge ships dropped that down to around twenty-eight comfortably. Although they could pull out the bio-bed module and increase that to thirty-eight, with everyone getting a seat. The atmospheric conditions were too unpredictable to have people standing or sitting on the deck.
"Yes. That is Correct," Lex confirmed with a nod.
"Okay Chief, we'll adjust the configuration for maximum routine transport capacity, be about eight trips or so" McNeil replied "They have luggage too? Stores, supplies, equipment?"
"Just some sheep and chickens!" Some wag from a transport crew threw out there, there was laughter all round and few Baaas and Clucking noises.
Jingles stuck her tongue out at them and McNeil smiled. Breckinridge Flight was going to be the butt of the jokes for a while, until somebody else screwed up or did something memorable and they became the new target of the humor and banter
Continuing to outline the unrestricted flight plans in system, Lex gave a few other reminders and crew reassignments, in a kind of bland organizational tone before he came to the end of his morning briefing and then looked up again, blinking to let his eyes adjust between the near vision and the distance looking back over the heads of the crew leads. It was then he took notice of the new Command Master Chief who had joined the briefing and gave pause.
Once the briefing was starting to wind down HaiRoa walked up to the front. He needed to find his way around the station, to get to know people and have them get to know him, quickly. Not one to sit in an office he made it a point of visiting enlisted personnel where they worked. This morning he was starting with Flight Control, he had seen this briefing was scheduled and stopped by.
He nodded to the Grazerite Flight Control Chief, not a species to set the galaxy alight, but solid, reliable and methodical, he liked that. He had also consulted the personnel roster on the PaDD he carried and learned the man's name "Good morning, Senior Chief Lex-Navine" He said "CMC HaiRoa, if you're done, I have a few words"
"Let us give the Command Master Chief our undivided attention." He intoned, with a special glance to some of the rowdier members of the assembly.
HaiRoa turned and faced the assembled flight crews, he turned his head slowly, scanning the group and letting them get a good look at his tattoos. It was a technique he had learned to was effective when meeting numbers of personnel. Let them get the gawping over with, then they would pay attention.
"I am Command Master Chief Petty Officer Tane HaiRoa. I arrived yesterday. I am here to strengthen the chain of command. My job is to keep the Commanding Officer appraised of any existing or potential situations that may develop; as well as procedures and practices which affect the mission, readiness, training, discipline, welfare and morale of all Starfleet Enlisted personnel aboard this command.
As you maybe be aware, Captain DeHavilland is undertaking operations off the Station. Admiral Sepandiyar has personally assumed Command in her absence, Commander Zayne continues as Executive Officer. So, what does that mean for you?
Not a damn thing!
Because I expect and require, every single one of you to do the task you are trained for at the best of your abilities at all times; whether we have an Admiral aboard of not!
Do that and you will have my total and unwavering support. If you make a genuine mistake, own up, deal with it and fix if fast. If you need help, ask for it. I and your other eNCeOhs will help you. There may be consequences but we will work through those and we will move on, as a team, together.
But screw around, slack off, ignore your training and orders; get lazy, slovenly, don't pull your weight, try stupid stunts and embarrass yourself, your division, your officers, me, Commander Zayne, Captain Dehavilland and this Command...
... then you will find yourself in a whole world of hurt! Am I clear?"
He looked around, making eye contact with many of them, getting the nods and affirmations he needed that they understood his message.
"Very well, now we know where we stand." He moved on. "As the Senior Chief mentioned, we are at a Sigma Yellow Alert, with special additional security requirements. Those will be undertaken at all times.
I am not able to brief you on the reasons for this alert. Those reasons remain classified. I can assure you this is not a drill, but even if it were, I still expect your best performance.
As, when, and if, you need further information to complete your assigned missions, I will see to it that you are given it. For now, do not engage in idle speculation or scuttlebutt, carry out your tasks in the professional and competent manner I know you are capable of.
Any questions?" He looked around them again, slowly, but if there were any, no one voiced them.
"Very well. For the unasked one... they are called Tā moko" He turned to Lex-Navine "Carry on Senior Chief"
"Thank you , Command Master Chief." Lex-Navine acknowledged.
HaiRoa nodded to the crews and departed.
"You are all dismissed to your assignments." Lex declared simply before watching them organize and file themselves out of the briefing room. "Peace and presence be with you all," he blessed them quietly as the last were filtering out. He stroked his hand over his head covering and hoped that none of them would run into much trouble and all would be returned safely...
