JP: Cadet Nilsen, Cadet Blackwood, Cadet Williams - Echo Squad Pt.1 - The Breaking Point

[Lhandon Nilsen]

((Echo Lounge, Mayweather Wing, Flight Training Center, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco - Stardate 239803.12 ))

Cadet Nilsen's favourite activity in the world was finding ways to annoy Cadet Blackwood. One day, this involved waiting until Blackwood's back was turned before stealing one of the many well-organized PADDs the cadet had on his table. He went into the settings of the PADD and changed the language readout to Klingon before placing it back onto Blackwood’s desk.

The cadets were unsupervised, at least for the moment, as they were awaiting their instructor/commanding officer. 

This was never a good thing.

Nilsen was the tallest and leanest members of Echo Squad. Standing at 6’4 with curly hair, he stood above most humans, and a rugby player build developed both from his love of the sport and also the origins of his call sign “farmboy.” Most gave Nilsen a wide berth, for as he didn’t mind Farmboy as the callsign but one cadet did try to call him Cornstalk. Nilsen decked that person. The cadet didn’t report it. 

Harrison Blackwood was of average height, standing around 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) with a slim and athletic build kept from the many years of training as an athlete in his youth. Born and raised in London, England on the planet Earth, Blackwood came from a StarFleet Family.  He shared a similar drive and ambition to Cadet Nilsen with the exception that Blackwood was uncompromising when it came to rules and regulations, often citing them to other's annoyance.

If the two weren’t so outwardly opposite they might have been good friends. Alas, Blackwood’s callsign was “Prince”, for his self-important upbringing and pedantic character, granted to him of course by Nilsen.

Despite this Blackwood was a good pilot, accepted into Echo in his second year. Now he was in his third year at the academy and most people knew he was gunning for squad leader. 

Blackwood: ::Sigh:: Nilsen, what in the blazes did you do to my PADD? 

Nilsen: ::Smirking:: What? Can’t you read a little Klingon? be'nI'rup! 

A smattering of laughter echoed from those who understood Klingon. Nilsen’s home planet, Gault, had not been too far from the Klingon/Federation border, which resulted in the old farming world having more than its fair share of Klingons visiting on business.

Suzanne couldn’t help but smirk at the prank, she may not have agreed with the boyish pranks those two pulled but she was often amused by the antics. Suzanne had been assigned to Echo squad when Lhandon came in, while she didn’t always understand his need for machismo there was something she found cute about the tall farmboy.

Harrison continued to play around with his PADD’s settings, a scowl etched onto his features, he gave up with it for the moment and set it back down, making sure it was code-locked.

Blackwood: You’re halfway through your training, Nilsen, do us all a favour and wise up a bit. 

Williams remained silent, making eye contact with Lhandon and she rolled her eyes. 

Nilsen: ::to Williams:: What? I did nothing. I'm just helping him with his languages ::sniggering::

Williams was also a second year cadet, which was said a lot about their young squad’s skills, it wasn’t often that 3 Echo squad members were accepted in their second year and served at the same time on the Squad, it was often an honor reserved for third year cadets. But Williams wasn’t one to boast about her skills, she preferred to have the skills speak for themselves and keep the accolades to a minimum.

Suzanne Williams was born and raised on Luna Colony and when you’re born on a rock with only 16% the gravity of Earth you learned quickly how to broaden your horizons. Many of her classmates explored other worlds on their breaks from school, she preferred to be behind the stick of a Class 1 Lunar Exploration Skiff owned by her father. Having been a Lunar transport pilot for over five decades she was often his co-pilot and, when authorities weren’t paying attention, his 9 year old pilot when he needed a break. Her skills were honed towing over 100 metric tons of materials to and from Lunar colony, but little of this did her squad mates know, she preferred it that way. She missed her father.

Nilsen: Besides, I'm the wisest guy here anyway ::laughs:: 

Sh’mais: No you’re not, you’re an idiot farmboy. 

Sh’mais was an Andorian who Nilsen thought to be a nepo baby. Her father, an admiral probably had great things in mind for her. She was around the same height as Blackwood but had white hair that threatened the flop over her eye if she didn’t keep it regulation.

Blackwood: Attention on deck! Commander Norton arriving!

The hijinks came to a sudden and silent end as the door to the classroom opened and Blackwood sprung up from his seat. Nilsen stood with less enthusiasm, Sh’mais and the others all followed suit. 

Nilsen: o0 of course Prince is up first 0o

Commander Norton: Line up, cadets. We’re going through today’s training scenario. 

Blackwood remained stoic and silent. He lined up first in front of the commander, as usual. Nilsen ended up next to Blackwood. Williams was never last to rise for an entering officer but always last to step forward or take the limelight, unlike her gloating squad members.

A veteran of the Dominion War, Norton looked half-dead. Norton’s injuries and treatment were on show; the right side of his face had been transformed into a stoic expanse of metal, serving as a somber half-mask where his skull had been reconstructed. His voice was meaningful, measured, and not a breath wasted, he left no room for superfluous words.

Commander Norton: You’ll be flying the Kuiper Belt, our very own asteroid belt in Neptune’s backyard.

As the commander spoke, A holographic display of the circumstellar disc appeared behind the commander before that image zoomed in on a particular sector where their operations would be taking place. The area was filled with asteroids and rock but there was still plenty of space to fly. A flight path was then shown.

Commander Norton: Your task is simple, locate the fourth years who are playing the victims in our little exercise. Establish pattern locks and beam them out. Be careful, however, there are a number of hostile drones who will be playing the role of an enemy force. 

The display changed to show the assignments.   

Commander Norton: Blackwood, you’ll be the lead flying escort in the attack fighter. Nilsen, Sh'Mais, and Williams, I’ve got you three down for the evac shuttles. The rest of the squadron will run guard.

Blackwood: Understood, commander.

Williams: Yes sir.

Nilsen: o0 urgh, evac shuttle. 0o

Commander Norton: This should be a simple operation, get in, avoid the bad guys get out. Blackwood, as you are squad leader for this operation, I leave the final details to you. If any of you frack this up, I will personally murder you and your firstborn. You ship out at 16:00. Dismissed.

The commander left the room and the members of Echo Squad were left to their own devices. 

This is not a good thing.

Nilsen: Aww look at you prince, they finally worked out that you’re better than us. Who did you screw to get that lead position?

Blackwood: oO Here we go again. Oo You think it should be you?

Nilsen: Yeah, I do. You're so by the book, we may as well put autopilot on. They shoulda put  me at the front, at least I've got an imagination.

Blackwood: Imagination. You’ve got imagination alright, that and some more. Starfleet doesn’t need trigger-happy flyboys like you in the lead, you’re impulsive and dangerous. So is that it? 

Nilsen: I dunno, you got a problem with me, your highness. 

Nilsen smirked, he was getting a rise out of Blackwood.

Blackwood: Drop this before I drop you. 

The two got face to face, they were staring each other down and a tense moment arose. o0 Go on, hit me 0o Nilsen thought. 

Nilsen: Drop what? Drop you on the head like your ma did when you were a baby.

Williams: Come on boys!

Blackwood: Really? oO What the hell. Oo

The next action was unlike Harrison, but it happened. Without warning, his arm shot out, delivering a swift and unexpected sucker punch to Lhandon’s side.

Nilsen wasn’t quick enough to defend the punch and instead grabbed his side. He was winded a little but still got out a curse.

Nilsen: You fracking dickhead.

Williams: Ok this is going too far!

Blackwood: That might teach you to not run your mouth.

With that all said and done, Harrison stormed out in the direction of their ships and left Willams and Nilsen to their own devices. 

Williams: You’re as guilty as him.

Nilsen: ::To Williams:: He hit me! I did nothing

Williams: Listen, I’m not saying he was right to do that, but you were coaxing him on. (Beat) besides scars can be cute ::smirking::

Nilsen: Really? 

Lhandon smirked to himself, he could see how scars would be attractive, he had no intention of getting some of his however, even if Willams did use this to lighten the mood some…and also she secretly always thought Nislen was cute.

[End Scene - To Be Continued]

Cadet Lhandon Joseph Nilsen

Echo Squad 

Starfleet Academy 

O240007LN1

He/Him/His (Both player and character)

Cadet Williams

Echo Squad

Starfleet Academy

Writer ID.: O239910TA4

Cadet Harrison Thomas Blackwood

Echo Squad

Starfleet Academy

A240007HB2