CAG in the Bag

Posted on Sun Nov 25, 2018 @ 6:00am by Lieutenant JG Logan Hunter & Commodore Michael Aravan

Mission: On Slippery Ground
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: MD 1 || 0800 Hours

Michael stood in his ready room looking over crew reports and saw that he was missing several key personnel. Two had transferred out after returning from the Romulan mission and now he had new roles to fill. Rather than look for new recruits from Starfleet, he decided to look over the roster for personnel already on the ship.

The first order of business was getting a new Squadron leader as Lieutenant Cheshire had transferred back to her old command and the person that stood out the most was Ensign Logan Hunter. He had performed in an exemplary manner, but his rank was holding him back and Michael decided to do something about both.

"Ensign Hunter, report to the ready room please," Michael called over the comm system.

Logan was in the main fighter bay when the call came down. He was doing a simple systems check of the cockpit controls. He secured the controls and climbed out of the cockpit and stepped onto the ladder. He looked at the side of his fighter as he descended.

Stenciled there was five silhouettes denoting the number of mercenary small craft he'd shot down during the battle at the nebula. It had made him a combat ace, something to be proud of, but it also meant that a number of sentient beings had lost their lives. Twelve souls to be exact. He shook the thought from his head and hopped off the ladder. He stripped out of the coveralls over his duty uniform and five minutes later was entering the bridge.

The duty officer of the watch noted Logan's arrival and informed Michael of the ensign's arrival.

"Send him in," Michael called as he finished setting up a fresh pot of coffee.

"You can go in, Ensign," the duty officer said.

Logan stepped up to the door, which opened on his approach. He stepped inside the ready room and came to attention before Michael's desk. "Sir, Ensign Hunter reporting as ordered."

"Have a seat, Ensign" the Commodore said as he indicated the plush faux leather seats around the conference table. "Coffee?"

Logan sat in the indicated chair. He swallowed a bit hard. Other than the wedding he had never even met the Commodore. He was at a loss as to why he was even here. "Thank you sir, but I've already had two this morning."

"What's the state of the squadron, Mister Hunter?" the other man asked, a question which should be asked of the CAG.

Logan took a moment to think about the answer to the Commodore's question. "Two birds are down for engine overhauls, but the biggest issue currently is pilots. Rotation cycles have nearly a third of flight personnel transferring out of the air wing and at least two to three weeks before the next group rotates in." He paused for another moment. "I once saw a similar thing happen when I was stationed aboard the USS Ascension during my enlisted days."

"What would you recommend we do about that?" Michael asked as he poured a cup of coffee and added two gold pips of sugar to it.

The question caught Logan somewhat off-guard. It was something a flag officer might ask of the CAG or Wing Commander, perhaps even a senior squadron commander. Not a fighter pilot that had only spent a few days as serving as flight leader. "Well, sir. Without a pilot in the CAG billet I would promote the senior squadron commander to the position of Wing Commander. I would consider redistributing the pilots from full strength squadrons to the seriously depleted squadrons. Starfleet Aviation Command recognizes a squadron can maintain their designation at a strength of twelve fighters. Current billets aboard Triumphant is six squadrons with sixteen planes apiece. Reassigning pilots to other squadrons and transferring the pilots from the command flight would allow us to still field six squadrons with twelve fighters in each. Well for the most part anyway."

"Then I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade, and you are also promoted to the role of CAG," Michael said formally before he entered the information into the computer, along with his new data and security access. He gave Logan the codes he would need, then looked at him. "I know it's a big jump from being a pilot to being in charge of the squadron, but I have faith in you. Cheshire's reported very favorably of you and I know you can do this. Get me a report on proposed changes and I'll approve them."

Logan sat in the chair as the Commodore's words sank in. He blinked several times in near disbelief at what he just heard. He finally found his voice after what must have been a full ten count of stunned silence. "Aye sir. I'll have the proposal drafted for you my lunch time. Any thing else sir?"

"That'll be all, Lieutenant," Michael said as he replicated a fresh hollow gold pip and presented it to him. "Now get in proper uniform and do me and the squadron proud."

Logan took the rank pip from Michael and looked at it for a moment. He looked up Michael and nodded his head as he affixed the rank pip to his collar. He couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed as he left the Ready Room. He wasn't sure if he was up to the job, but evidently the Commodore thought he was. He crossed the bridge and entered the turbolift, he had a lot of work to do and a little under three hours to get everything accomplished.