Returning Home

Posted on Sun 10th Sep, 2017 @ 1:32pm by Lieutenant Colonel Brooklyn Wellington

678 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: For The Uniform

The Warspite and her fighter escort dropped out of warp as they powered down their warp engines. The distant sight of Starbase Vanguard was a welcoming one to Captain Wellington. It was a lighthouse guiding them home after a long voyage. For the umpteenth time, she flexed her legs--contracting and relaxing her muscles. After three days couped up in her Valkyrie Class fighter cockpit--it would feel good to finally be able to walk and stand. In holding patterns around the station were freighters, Federation Starships of various classes, and civilian passenger vessels.

"Tellarite to traffic control," Wellington opened a channel to Vanguard. My flight, along with the Warspite are inbound at Sector Foxtrot Speed is Full impulse."

"Roger, Captain. I have you on sensors. Proceed on course. Traffic pattern is holding. You are cleared for landing, and welcome home," came a man's voice.

"Acknowledge, Control, and thank you. Tellarite, out." Wellington closed the comm as the fighters broke off from the Warspite, on course for the fighter bay while the Warspite headed for a port in the docking ring. She then opened a channel to the other fighters. "Alright Valkyrie Two, Four, and Five, land in assigned order and I'll follow in from behind."

"Aye, ma'am," came her wingman's reply as the fighters positioned themselves in order and prepared to land.

From her position, she watched as the other fighters made a perfect approach and landing. She grinned as the last fighter touched down--they were well trained and the complaining on the long trip had been at a minimal, which impressed her. Her department had come a long ways since those perilous first days. "Control to Tellarite. You are cleared for landing."

"Acknowledged Control," Wellington replied as she turned her fighter towards the fighter bay. A moment later, her fighter came to halt on the flight deck of the fighter bay. She taxied the fighter into the recovery area that was designated for flight crews to conduct post flight inspections before returning to the flight line. The rush of fresh air--even though it was still artificial station air was a welcoming relief to Wellington as the cockpit opened. Undoing her harness that strapped her to the seat, she stood slowly, bracing herself on the side of the cockpit until her legs regained their full strength.

"Welcome back, ma'am!" came the enthusiastic celtic voice of the department's adjutant Lieutenant Rose O'Malley.

Wellington smiled at the woman before starting to make her descent to the flight deck from the ladder that had been placed there by the flight crew for her to disembark. "O'Malley, it's good to see you. How have things been?"

"It's been pretty quiet. One of the Razors had a control malfunction but we were able to diagnose and fix the problem," O'Malley replied, happy to have her boss back aboard the station.

With her feet now planted on the deck, she took a few slow steps alongside O'Malley as they made their way towards the Flight Offices. "I really do hate those long missions," Wellington complained.

"You didn't need to go, ma'am. Anyone of the other pilots could have gone in your stead," O'Malley replied. "You are after all, the CAG."

Wellington knew O'Malley was right but she hated the idea of placing such an assignment on another and to have to sit and monitor things from an office or control center. She had always preferred to lead from the front. Although she was the CAG, she was still first and foremost a pilot--she belonged in the cockpit. "Perhaps, but I needed the flight hours, and CAG's prerogative," she smirked at the other woman.

O'Malley let out a sigh. "Ay, Heaven help me," she commented which caused Wellington to burst into laughter.

Wellington gave O'Malley a friendly pat on the back. "I'm going to shower, grab chow, and take some time to rest and relax. I'll see you tomorrow morning for PT."

"Aye, ma'am," O'Malley replied as she watched her commander exit the door. Honestly, she worried about her commander pushing herself so hard on assignments.

 

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