Lieutenant Jack Kessler - What a Horse Ride
Joel Cannistraro
((Flight Deck, Runabout Sojourn, USS Ronin, Ross-580 Gas Giant A, Moon Sigma))
Jack made his way from sickbay to the Ronin's flight deck after being requested to join Commander Tucker on an away mission. Jack was thankful the call to report to Tucker had come in when it did. The discussion with Dr. De la Croix about their guests was less than professional in Jack's mind and he was really having a difficult time biting his tongue with the Chief Surgeon. He found very few people could push him to lose his cool with their attitudes but the Chief Surgeon was doing a bang up job of it.
Tucker had called Jack to report to the Sojourn and as Jack stepped out onto the Ronins flight deck his eyes darted across the bay to the waiting Volga-Class Runabout. He had not been in a Volga-Class to this point and took a brief moment to admire its design as he approached it.
The Volga-Class was smaller than a Dabube-Class, but could hold forty passengers in an emergency and held seating for a normal compliment for ten if needed. Stepping aboard the craft Jack noted the interior layout, making sure he was familiar with where emergency equipment and defensive measures were stowed. He had looked over the design of the craft when he first transferred to the Ronin but engineers loved to change things up once the actual build was completed so for Jack, eyes on the actual thing was far better than what he had read in a tech manual.
Tucker: Chief, good to finally meet face to face.
It was the first time he had actually met Tucker face to face. Hard to believe considering he'd been aboard the Ronin for a while now but for some reason their paths had not yet crossed. Perhaps that was a good thing. As Tactical Officer, Jack was directly responsible for the Ronin's offensive and defensive systems. Those systems required direct partnership with the engineering teams and Jack loved his systems being 100%. He had butt heads with the Chief Engineer on the Butler a few times when they did not agree on certain allocations for defensive and offensive systems but in the end everyone always seemed to find that happy balance.
Kessler: Commander ::nodding with a slight smile:: Pleasure is mine.
Jack turned back to see who was approaching as footfalls announced the entrance of multiple parties. He gave a nod to each. Tess Evinrude and Sybil Nemes. He recognized them both from his review of the security profiles. Both from Operations and based on their department heads reviews, well suited for a mission as this one.
Nemes/Evinrude: Response
Tucker pointed to the rear compartment obviously noting the pack Jack carried with him.
Tucker: You can settle your gear back there. I’ve had the ship loaded with those environmental suits, the hazardous ones.
Tucker moved to an aft console and pulled a case from underneath one of the consoles and set it on top.
Tucker: Command code Tucker - Alpha - Pie
The lid popped open, revealing four red wristbands of sorts. On top of it was an LCARS interface. The bracelet itself was rather thick and they were red, which matched their hazard suits. He pulled one out and handed it to Kessler, then one to Nemes and Evinrude.
Kessler: ::taking the device:: Interestingly bulky. What is it.
Nemes/Evinrude: Response
Tucker: What are they? They are wrist tricorders that will go on the outside of the suit and can withstand most radiation. They’ve been out of circulation, but I fixed them up and refitted them. They’re all up to date with Starfleet standards.
Jack eyed the device, rolling it around in his hands as he looked it over and inspected it. How long had this unit been out of circulation, he was not certain but he knew it had not been something used by Starfleet in the past ten years or so. He had never seen one on his father's ship or since he joined the Academy and was assigned to his previous posts.
Kessler: I like the thought process Commander. Wearable versus carried.
Nemes/Evinrude: Response
Hicks: Sojourn, this is flight, you’re a go.
Tucker: Thanks, flight. ::turning to the group:: stow your gear and let's get out of here. Tess, take the engineering station, sciences for Lieutenant Nemes, Mr. Keller, if you wouldn’t mind being the copilot.
Jack nodded to Tucker and slid into the copilot's seat and began to go over the flight information Tucker had already input into the flight systems. As he confirmed the vessels flight readiness, loading ramp secured, main hatch secured and cabin pressurized, the others found their seats and Tucker began the lift off sequence.
((Runabout Sojourn, Ross-580 Gas Giant A, Moon Sigma))
To say the flight wasn’t without issues, most of them atmospheric in nature, was a clear understatement. Even with the inertial dampeners, things weren’t going well. The vessel, for its part, was staying together, but it was a far more bumpier ride than he had anticipated. As Tucker tried to maintain the vessel, Jack worked over the secondary controls trying to find a better deflection angle for a more stabilized flight. As the Sojourn made its way through the atmosphere, Jack felt like he was back on Earth, at Michele Winters's families ranch helping break in one of their prized horses. Thankfully this ride was a little less spine jarring, though his neck felt like he might need an alignment when they got back to the Ronin.
Tucker: Alright, we’re coming in a little hot, Mister Kessler. Can you try to keep us steady for just five minutes so I can set this bucket down?
Kessler: On it Commander.
Jack worked the stabilizers to the best of his ability while Tucker made his preparations to bring the vessel in.
Nemes/Evinrude: Response
Tucker: That should do it. We’re about to set down, Mister Kessler, if you would put us into the landing cycle, please.
Jack eye'd Tucker and nodded as he rolled the Sojourn and began their landing cycle.As they reached closer to the surface Jack noted the sensor readings, and it seemed it wasn’t as windy on the surface as the upper atmosphere. Tucker spun the craft three-sixty and set the Sojourn down with a loud BANG as a shudder ran through the Sojourn. Jack looked over to Tucker who was already looking in his general direction with a smile.
Kessler: ::grinning, sarcastically:: Ouch.
Jack looked back to Evinrude and Nemes. They appeared in one piece but he knew they most likely felt like they had been inside a blender versus a shuttle ride.
Nemes/Evinrude: Response
Tucker: Look, any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. Alright let's get suited up.
Kessler: Aye sir. ::entering several commands:: Securing the ship from flight and scanning surface conditions now.
As the scans started, Jack stood and moved back to the rear of the Sojourn so he could suit up with the others.
Nemes/Evinrude/Tucker: Response
Kessler: ::securing his wrist tricorder:: Not as heavy on the arm as I was expecting.
Jack moved to a wall locker, opened in and retrieved a tactical belt for each of them. Passing them out he then pulled a Type-II phaser from the security locker and checked the power cell before holstering it on his hip. One by one he pulled three more phasers, checked the power cells and then passed them out to the others. Last he pulled a med-kit from the locker and secured it to his back.
Nemes/Evinrude/Tucker: Response
Kessler: ::looking to the others who were closer to the consoles with the sensor scans:: What are the sensors says about the surface conditions?
Nemes/Evinrude/Tucker: Response
Jack eyed the officer and then looked to Tucker and threw him a glance indicating they were ready.
TAGS/TBC