Flying High

Posted on 17 Feb 2019 @ 11:20pm by Captain Akio Tachibana & Lieutenant Commander Rafe Cassidy (Jan 2389 - TRNSFR After Gorn War)

Mission: Ka Hakaka Maikaʻi - The Good Fight
Location: Deck 7
Timeline: After 'The Aubrey's Keys'

"Sir!" Rafe broke into a jog once he was out of the shuttlebay, hurrying down the corridor to catch up with Tachibana. "Was wondering if I could have a word."

"Of course, Lieutenant," Akio said. "Is everything alright?" He wondered since the pilot was jogging.

"Nothing serious, doesn't need to be in private." Rafe fell into step as they headed for the turbolift. "We can walk and talk." Despite having said that, he hesitated, fiddling with his uniform sleeve, and didn't yet press on.

Akio started walking, nodding. "What is on your mind?"

The young pilot glared at the walls with unusual venom, entirely out of frustration with himself and the topic ahead. "This might be a bit stupid, sir, so cut me off and send me on my way if that's the case. It's about being third officer. It's not a role I was really expecting, especially not on a ship as big as a Sovereign." He rubbed the back of his neck and made himself look at the captain. "Obviously I took all my deck officer qualifications at the Academy, you've got to for Helm, but only a couple years ago I was flying as a test pilot and thought that was going to be my career." His voice trailed off a bit, apprehensive and uncertain, and he clearly hadn't got to the main point.

"Lieutenant, this war has caused us all to step into roles we did not expect so soon," Akio said, referring to his own command. Just a couple months ago, he was a Lieutenant Commander, yet his meteoric rise, by all accounts, was very much a product of the Gorn War.

"Sure," Cassidy agreed. "I'm not saying I don't want it. The job or the chance, I mean. Go back six months and I'd have said it was crazy, I never wanted command track, all that, never my kind -" He was babbling so he didn't have to get to the point and stopped himself, lips thinning. "I don't want to screw it up, sir. Kind of the opposite - I want to keep doing this, I want to be good at it. But I know I'm inexperienced and haven't been on the command fast track. So I wanted your advice, sir, on how to make up for this. Any bridge officer courses I can do from here. Or - mentorship scheme or... something."

"If anything, I think you are clearly on the command fast track, Lieutenant," Akio smirked. "I understand what you are getting at though. I will keep an eye on your performance and will give you feedback. I will let the rest of the command team know the same," Akio paused in thought. "I think there does exist some holoseries on bridge courses, yet really, the best experience is just that... being in the center chair, leading away teams, and making decisions. You will not always be right, yet with the right team, you will rarely be wrong, as long as you listen to your people."

"I guess a lot of it's taking my experience with a team - a department, a flight crew - and just... extrapolating. Thinking bigger." Cassidy gave an awkward bob of a nervous smile. "Thanks, Skipper. I don't mean to be hysterical, I know I'm only third officer. But the way things have been going around here, I can't help but be aware when I'm one spot of bad luck away from having to step up, only temporarily. I don't want to let the crew down. Or embarrass myself entirely. Mostly, you know, complete missions and not get people killed, but it's a bit that I don't want to make a tit of myself."

Akio did not understand the idiom Cassidy ended with, yet he understood what the Lieutenant was worried about.

"Your flying has saved countless lives, so far, Lieutenant. I do not think you asking for mentorship is being hysterical at all. Part of command is confidence. You will learn," Akio smiled for once and gestured ahead.

"I remember the first time I had bridge duty..." Akio launched into a story as the two kept walking back to the bridge.

OFF:

Akio Tachibana, CAPT, SF
CO

Rafe Cassidy, LT, SF
CONN