Lieutenant JG Meris: At Your Discretion
Meris/Brian
((Deck 7, Main Shuttlebay, USS Thor))
Once the hatch to the Magni sealed behind them, the noise and activity of the shuttlebay faded away, replaced by the familiar hum of powered systems and the quiet rhythm of preflight preparations. Sitting beside Ral at the copilot's station, Meris felt the earlier awkwardness and warmth of the shuttlebay settle into something calmer and easier to manage, their attention narrowing naturally toward diagnostics, checklists, and flight readiness. There was comfort in the orderly cadence of system confirmations passing between the three of them, each response another reassurance that the shuttle was stable again and that their work had mattered.
By the time departure clearance arrived and the warning lights began flashing across the bay outside, anticipation had quietly replaced uncertainty. For Meris, there was always something grounding about the moments just before launch, when every system hummed in harmony and the stars waited just beyond the doors.
Meris: We have clearance to depart, Lieutenant. You may take us out at your leisure.
Ral: Try not to judge my flying too harshly, Lieutenant. ::smiling::
The J'naii officer looked to Ral and opened their mouth to respond when their words were cut off by Lieutenant Commander Kreshkova.
Kreshkova: Ve each haf our areas of strengzh and veakness, Mister Ral. Ve are in no place to sit in judgment. Unless ve zhink you’re going to hit somezhing. But I haf confidence zhat you won’t.
Meris closed their mouth without a word.
oO That... wasn't what I was going to say. Oo
The Magni eased gracefully out from the Thor’s shuttlebay and into open space under Ral’s control. Through the forward viewport the massive Vesta-class starship slowly drifted away, behind them, her running lights glinting against the darkness while the stars beyond stretched outward in every direction. Meris felt their posture relax almost imperceptibly as the shuttle cleared the immediate traffic lanes and Ral guided them farther from the ship to begin maneuver testing.
Ral: How’s the systems looking?
Kreshkova: All systems are in zhe green.
Meris kept their attention on the copilot’s console, fingers moving steadily across sensor and diagnostic controls as they monitored the Magni’s performance. Though they listened to the ongoing conversation, they intentionally limited their own responses to information directly relevant to the flight. Commander Kreshkova remained the ranking pilot aboard, and despite the informal atmosphere, Meris maintained the sterile cockpit discipline drilled into them since early flight training.
Ral: She’s handling well.
Sasch chuckled.
Kreshkova: Zhat’s because ve treated her like a lady, made sure she vas taken care of.
Meris resisted the urge to roll their eyes.
oO This again... Oo
Instead, they focused on a small sensor anomaly blinking briefly across their console.
Meris: I am detecting a pocket of abnormal space approximately one hundred meters off to starboard. I suggest we give it a wide berth.
Ral: How rigorous a test had you in mind, Lieutenant?
Meris glanced sidelong toward the engineer.
Meris: The Magni is currently cleared for a Class-Three post-maintenance flight evaluation... however, you are the pilot in command. The flight profile remains at your discretion.
Later, Meris would wonder if they had imagined it. But, in that moment, they could have sworn they saw a distinctly mischievous grin spread across Ral’s face. A fraction of a second later the shuttle rolled hard to starboard, the stars outside the viewport spinning in a dizzying arc as the Magni completed a full barrel roll. The inertial dampeners compensated admirably, but the maneuver still earned a tightening of Meris’ jaw as they instinctively braced one hand against the console.
oO Give them an inch… Oo
Behind them, Kreshkova appeared considerably less alarmed than Meris felt appropriate.
Kreshkova: Let’s stress a few more systems and see how she responds.
Meris exhaled slowly through their nose.
Meris: I feel compelled to point out that shuttlecraft diagnostics generally do not require the piloting equivalent of cowboy diplomacy.
Ral: Still within tolerances?
Meris studied the fluctuating readouts dancing across the display.
Meris: Systems are... of course, fluctuating. But they remain within acceptable tolerances.
Wyatt seemed to interpret that statement less as reassurance and more as a challenge. The shuttle surged forward under sudden acceleration before Ral abruptly executed a full emergency stop while simultaneously throwing the Magni into a sharp one-eighty-degree turn. The inertial dampeners strained briefly before stabilizing, leaving only the faintest tug of momentum behind.
Meris stared silently at the console for a long moment.
Kreshkova: I barely felt zhat, Lieutenant. And ve didn’t stall, vhich means Meris did a great job chasing zhat variance down. Let’s try a short jaunt at varp to make sure zhat’s functioning as vell.
The Helmsperson narrowed their eyes slightly at the Commander’s praise.
oO Unnecessary theatrics. She is clearly attempting to flatter me so I do not object to the engineer abusing this shuttle. Oo
Still, despite themself, they felt a small spark of pride at the clean diagnostic returns.
Meris: Structural integrity remains stable across all flight conditions observed thus far. Warp power coming online.
Ral: Response
Kreshkova: Vonce she's in varp, let’s leave here zhere for about zhirty seconds before ve drop her out.
Meris adjusted the navigational display and highlighted a recommended vector.
Meris: Recommend course heading three-one-zero to avoid traffic around Deep Space 14, Lieutenant.
Ral: Response.
The stars stretched suddenly into brilliant lines as the Magni slipped to warp. Meris monitored the warp field geometry closely, fingers dancing across the controls while the shuttle settled smoothly into superluminal flight. For a few brief moments everything felt stable again.
Then Kreshkova spoke.
Kreshkova: Oh... no!
Meris immediately turned halfway in their seat, pulse quickening at the tone in the Russian’s voice. From where they sat, they could not yet see the information displayed on her console.
Meris: Commander? Is everything all right?
Ral: Response.
Kreshkova: Our comms - and I’m sure zhe Zhor’s bridge - has just received an SOS message from Captain Promontory.
The words struck harder than Meris expected. For an instant their thoughts flashed backward to their counseling session with Sevantha Saa, and to the uncomfortable realization that they had never actually spoken to Promontory about their indiscretion late in the prior year. Whatever unresolved uncertainty had lingered there was abruptly swallowed beneath a far more immediate concern.
The atmosphere inside the shuttle shifted instantly. The earlier warmth and humor vanished beneath sharp professional focus.
Sasch turned toward the duo at the fore of the shuttle cockpit.
Kreshkova: Mister Ral, drop us out of varp, turn us around, and take us back to zhe Zhor.
Ral: Response.
For a brief moment, Meris considered taking control of the shuttle from Ral. But then, what would that really have accomplished? The Engineer seemed more than capable of getting them back to the Thor and Meris doubted the difference of a few seconds in their return would make an great deal of difference to the Captain’s situation, whatever it might be. So instead Meris’ hands moved across the communications controls before the shuttle had fully altered course.
Meris: I will arrange priority clearance for us to land.
As they opened a channel to Shuttlebay Operations, the calm cadence of their voice returned almost automatically, every trace of earlier levity compartmentalized behind procedure and efficiency.
Meris: Thor Shuttlebay Operations, this is the shuttlecraft Magni requesting immediate recovery clearance under priority conditions.
The response came back quickly enough to confirm that the situation aboard the Thor had already changed as another shuttle had been moved into the launch position in the main bay.
Meris: The main bay is unavailable. It will take them several minutes to make room for us or, if we want to land immediately, they are recommending using the fantail landing area. They'll then recover the Magni via the fantail lift.
Ral/Kreshkova: Response.
Meris gave a short nod and relayed the Commander’s decision back to flight control as the Thor rapidly grew larger in the forward viewport.
Meris: Shuttlebay Operations confirms we have immediate clearance to land on the fantail.
Ral/Kreshkova: Response.
((Tags/End Scene for Meris))
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Lieutenant JG Meris
Helmsperson
USS Thor
A240207M14