Red Eye Flight [3/6]

Posted on Sat Apr 11th, 2026 @ 10:02am by Captain Jaro & Lieutenant Harinarayani Khatri

817 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Episode 0: 48 Hours and Counting
Location: Aerowing Shuttle Dock / Deck 9 / USS Amazônia
Timeline: T -42 hours (04:25)

It was, Raya decided, proof that Jaro was either exceptionally adaptable to spontenous opportunity or very adept at keeping tabs on his crew's whereabouts. Both had implications that veered on a pendulum back and forth between admirable and questionable, she followed him as much out of curiosity to know which as from the inevitable imperative to simply follow a superior officer's lead. When it came, the Denobulan Captain's explanation at least made sense, the problem being a design-flaw amongst many that Raya herself had raised questions about during her training. In fact, it was a documented tenacity for carving out a list of the Fleet's major design oversights when it came to shuttle logistics that left Raya deeply suspicious of the convenience of Jaro's request. As far as dilemmas went, it was well within the purview of her role, but she thought it probably a little too far-fetched to ignore the likelihood that her new Commanding Officer had already pegged her as the dubious recipient of a few credited maneuvers, at least half of which were still officially listed as "not recommended."

He was testing her. That much at least was pretty standard.

Agreement came in the guise of a lack of argument, the pilot followed the Captain towards the shuttle with the singular focus of one already sizing up her quarry from the outside. "Her last performance report included recommendations," she remarked, both an effort to prove she'd done her research on the way over and a reminder to herself that the list of priorities she'd already started to make would have to take effect sooner rather than later. "Given our updated departure date, the stabiliser refit will need to be set back." With her bag slipping from her shoulder to land on the floor, Raya paused by the docking terminal to bring up the shuttle's current status report. "The rest of it can be worked on once we're underway." The tap of a button prompted the boarding sequence, at which point Raya spared enough attention to turn back to Jaro and fix him with an expectant look. "Was there anything in particular you wanted to check for while we're out there?"

Jaro's grin only widened as she rattled off the technical specifics. He reached out, helping her secure the rucksack in one of the lockers as they began to ascend the rear ramp. "I see you've already been making friends with the maintenance logs. Excellent."

Stepping into the interior, the 2403 refit was immediately apparent. With a total length of twenty-five meters, there was ample room for the Muko to serve its dual purpose. The entire rear half of the vessel was dedicated to diplomatic efforts, featuring a luxurious lounge with wood-grain accents, soft recessed lighting, and a compact but high-end galley—an environment clearly designed to put planetary dignitaries at ease during long-range transfers. Moving forward past the midpoint, the luxury vanished, replaced by a dense, high-tech multi-purpose bay. Here, the advanced planetary survey suite and secondary command post were integrated into a single, highly reconfigurable space; holographic displays currently dark were capable of shifting from geological mapping overlays to tactical command grids at the touch of a button. The aesthetic here was strictly utilitarian, filled with communication arrays and sensor-linkage terminals. Finally, they reached the bow, terminating at a cockpit that felt like a bespoke, premium evolution of a runabout. It retained that familiar, robust layout but was appointed with superior materials, integrated touch-surfaces, and high-contrast, wraparound displays that spoke of a craft intended for much more than simple transport.

Jaro moved towards the secondary console of the cockpit, his fingers flowing across the interface as he authorized their departure with DS4 flight control. "To answer your question, Lieutenant: I want to see if she has a soul. Or, more scientifically, I want you to tell me how she handles. There are a few gas giants in this system—the third one has a particularly nasty high-pressure band of metallic hydrogen in the upper troposphere. I’d like to see how those stabilizers you mentioned handle a bit of actual turbulence."

He began initiating the cold-start sequence for the life support systems, but his efforts were merely supportive, deferential to her space. He pointed toward the pilot's seat. "I’m merely the co-pilot. Here to assist, observe and, perhaps, provide some witty commentary if we find ourselves upside down. The Muko is yours, Lieutenant. If we’re going to spend the next several years relying on this craft for the jobs the Amazônia is too shapely to manage, I want our helmswoman to be comfortable handling her."

He paused, looking at her from the side. "After all, anyone can fly in a straight line surronded by emptiness. And wouldn’t that be a boring state of affairs."

[TBC]

Captain Jaro
Captain
USS Amazonia

Lieutenant Harinarayani Khatri
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Amazônia

 

RSS Feed