“Attention on deck.” 

A sudden hush filled the squadron-ready room as some of the younger officers stood while the rest of the massed group slowly looked around and followed suit as they realized that something was going on. 

An older human officer wearing a red tunic’d top of someone in a leadership role entered the room from the rear and slowly walked to the front of the room.

“Take a seat, gentlemen,” he grumbled as he turned and faced the group from the front of the room. 

He pulled an antique Old English tobacco pipe from his mouth and looked around the room.

“Welcome to the 612th Mission Support Squadron “Fallen Angels”. I am Lieutenant Commander Ian Thornton, the squadron commander. The Executive officer is Lieutenant  Mecih Rozo.” A Bajoran Lieutenant wearing a black flight suit trimmed in operations yellow stepped forward joining the commander at the front of the room. 

Placing the pipe back in his mouth. “If you haven’t guessed by now, this squadron and its mission is not one that most of us are used to. It is not a fighter squadron nor is it a bomber squadron, we are here to support the mission in all phases. You lot have been assigned to this squadron because someone somewhere put in your records that you have an uncanny knack to fly just about anything or because you are supposedly known to be a team player. We will find out if either of these is true. If you can’t keep up you will be gone, if you don’t play well with others you will be gone, if you do not work as a team you will be gone.” he pulled the pipe from his mouth again. “Let me make this perfectly clear, if you don’t live up to or meet my standards you will be gone. I will not ask anyone in this squadron to do something that the XO or myself have not already done or are not willing to do ourselves. ” Replacing the pipe he nodded toward Lieutenant Rozo.

“Gentlemen, if you have any doubt in your abilities then leave now. ”He held up a PADD.”Believe me, we have others who will be more than happy to fill that seat.” He waited a moment to see if anyone left, nodding as no one did.

 “Now let’s get down to business. I hope you like to train because we will be doing a lot of it over the next couple of months. If you are not eating or sleeping you will be training. Don’t plan on getting much free time anytime soon.” He looked up and made a come-forward mission to someone in the rear of the room, a group of crewmen moved up the three aisles pushing a cart stopping at each row and handing a black flight crew bag to each of the sitting officers. A low murmur goes across the room as the officers accept the bag, setting them down beside them.

The lieutenant nodded at the crewman beside him as the crewman tapped a button on the small console he was seated at, dimming the lights the view screen came on with a rotating patch appearing in the middle of the screen. “ When you meet our standards you’ll get the patch, till then we train.” he smiled as he said that taking a seat on the corner of the table. 

Taking the cue from the dimming lights the officers reach down, open the bags, and pull out the PADD inside. 

Commander Thornton noticed this, removed the pipe, let out a small chuckle,  leaned against the wall, and then replaced the pipe and continued to watch the amassed group of officers in front of him.  

“I’m sure many of you are wondering why those with a knack of being able to fly different ships was something that was noted in your records. If you were listening you would have heard the commander give you the answer earlier, plus it’s in the name. As a mission support squadron, we will not fly one ship type, we will be flying three. All officers will be fully mission capable in these three ships.” The screen divides into three parts two on top and one below showing three ships, the top right is the Peregrin, the top left is the Aspara and the bottom shows the Orion class runabout.

Several grains are heard as the images appear, with more than a few raised eyebrows.

The commander stood and walked over beside the XO. “Gentlemen, If you don’t like it or feel that these ship choices are beneath you, “ he pulled his pipe from his mouth and pointed towards the door in the rear of the room. “There’s the door.” he looked around the room.

“If you haven’t noticed there are more of you in here then what is needed. I expect several will fail to meet my standards. Let that be a warning.” he replaced the pipe in his mouth, nodded at the XO, and took a seat on the other corner of the table.

Several hours later. “Okay gentlemen, training starts tomorrow morning at 0500. We will meet here.” The XO stood and the crewmen beside him tapped another button on his console as the lights came back on.

The commander stayed sitting and removed the pipe. “Don’t be late, ever. If you’re late your orders will be waiting for you when you arrive.”

*********************

240101.12

Kr’Antren finished his briefing with the Task Force forty-seven command team. Letting out a deep breath he tapped on his combadge. Lieutenants Talibah, Skagath, and Doctor M’gok. Captain Kr’Antren. Please join me in my ready room as soon as possible.” He looked out the portal behind his desk.

As the three officers entered the captain’s ready room, he nodded at each and motioned for them to take a seat as he finished up some work on his console. As he finished he turned toward the three of them. “We should be reaching Bravo station tomorrow. Be that as it may, I have just finished a meeting with the task force forty-seven command staff. Looks like some changes are coming our way. Lieutenant Talibah it is my duty to inform you that upon the arrival of the Osiris tomorrow at Bravo Station you will assume the duties and responsibilities of Captain of the Osiris. Congratulations Lieutenant, you may want to start thinking of who you want as your XO before one is assigned.”

She looked at him wid-eyed, but with a puzzled look on her face as she came to realize what he told her. “Sir ?” she looked over at Skagath.

“Sorry Lieutenant, but not him or the doc here.” he pointed at the two of them. “The three of us are to report to Commodore Ekwueme’s office upon our arrival and handing over of the proverbial keys to the Lieutenant here.”

Doctor M’Gok sat back in her chair and looked at him and then over at Lieutenant Skagath. “Orders ?” she asked

“That is what I would assume, though from what command just told me we are still assigned to them.” he shrugged his shoulders.