AWD #035: Fresh Fish Nuggets
Fresh Fish Nuggets
Summary: Kelsey gives her decision to Zachary. He sends her through the gates of Hades.
Date: 11/02/2013 (OOC Date)
Related Logs: Without Breaking a Few Eggs
Zachary Kelsey 
CAG's Office
A nine foot by none foot office. Most of the floorspace is taken up by a desk and filing cabinets.
11 February 2005

Currently on the telephone with the S1, Zachary is sighing. "Look, I know that they are legally married, but they're also seperated and she doesn't want to use his last name. Just make the change, so I don't have another mess on my hands." A pause and after a few words on the other side of the phone. "She requested the callsign Gypsy. BeeJay just sounds juvenile. Make the changes, thanks." As he waits for confirmation, he hears the knock on the door and waves Kelsey in, pointing to a chair for her to park in while he finishes up. "Great, thanks for adding Lieutenant Kane to the ranks. Appreciate it."

With that, he hangs up the phone and turns towards Kelsey. "Petty Officer?" he offers with a smile. "What can I do for you?" he asks as he considers the young woman and cracks open a fresh bottle of water to drink out of.

The hatch opens and Kelsey steps inside in her greens. She spent some very serious time on this, too. The excess thread has been policed and clipped from the seams. The creases are ironed and starched. The boots look like she traded someone temporarily to make sure hers were scuff-free and shined to reflection. Showered, cleaned, and what was probably a conscious decision to lay off the fragrances, Kelsey steps in and shuts the door behind her. She stands at parade rest in front of his desk and looks at the wall behind Zachary. "Major Sheperd, its been thirty days, sir."

There's a moment where Zachary looks a little confused for a moment, and then lifts a brow. "I thought we had this talk a few days ago?" he asks her, looking for acknowledgement as he gestures to the seat. "Please, be seated, Kelsey. At ease."

"Thank you, sir." Kelsey keeps it official and serious, sitting down in the chair carefully. Don't scuff the boots. She's about to cross her legs and thinks twice about it, the movement a little awkward since she doesn't try to play it off. She's probably nervous. "We did, sir. But you also placed a requirement on me. You wanted to know where my decision would take me. My opinions on the matter, I suspect, are irrelevant. What /is/ relevant is that I hate failing, sir. So thirty days, I have an answer, if you'll hear it, Major." The more she talks, the more apparent she is that she is quite nervous, but she's doing her best to plow forward.

There's a faintly jerky nod of her head in appreciation. She takes a breath to steel herself, a slow blink going with it. A swallow, then, "Sir, I'd like to volunteer for flight training. I want to fly Raptors and Predators." She looks right at him as she says it, but she's still young. Twenty. Most pilots are still immature when they pop into their first assignments three years her senior. This cannot possibly be lost on her. Nor the danger involved. She's cleaned the blood out of a few cockpits already. And all of that is in her eyes in that nervous tension.

"I see." Zachary says, as he stands up and brings his bottle of water with him. He makes it a point to walk by the names already on the wall that have been struck through. Casualities. All of them. "You want to fly? Not ECO." he asks her, making sure that she is making clear her intentions at this point.

The list. Augh. Kelsey looks away from it and back towards teh empty chair. It shakes her nerve for a moment and the girl has to force herself to think of something else. Zach provides that when he asks her to be sure she clarifies. "Yessir. Fly Raptors, not ECO. My gramma was an ECO, sir. Sometimes I got the idea she wished she flew. I want to make my family proud, sir." Fight for Picon.

"Alright." Zachary says finally. "I wished you had said Viper, I had two Captains I could have thrown at you. Raptor, however? That means you're going to have to train under me, and most of your training will be on the job. I have to juggle the Squadron, the Wing, and you - guess which one I will drop first if it doesn't keep up. Am I clear?" he asks her, and studies her expression.

"Vipers are fine, sir, but I know Raptors better. I think I'll be more effective there. But that's just my opinion." But as he continues, Kelsey's eyes widen a bit as realizations start to settle in. Zach is going to take her on. She's really doing this. Oh Gods. "Like Leonesian crystal, sir. Very clear. I hate failure, Major. I'll do my best." She takes a deep, but quick breath. "…On the job? Like, sitting in a real cockpit and training and flying and-" Kelsey realizes she is babbling nervously, but there's some restrained excitement.

"Yes, starting with the remaining recon missions - I have to take one of them myself since we're short handed, so you will be my co-pilot." Zachary comments as he goes to sit back down. "See the S1 about the transfer paperwork, I'll sign off on it and you can move into the barracks as soon as it's cleared. Welcome to the Ghosts, Nugget. This is your shot, you make it worth it."

Kelsey just stares like a deer in the headlights. That was fast. "Okay." Swallow. "Thank you, sir." Her throat sounds a little dry suddenly. "I'll get you your paperwork. Should I-" Ahem. "Should I move in right away? Do I go to work on the Deck, still? What.." Kelsey trails off. She has no idea how this works.

"If you're going to train to be a pilot, Petty Officer, you're only going to need to train to be a pilot. I can't have your attention torn between duties. If this is what you want, you need to set aside your previous career and focus only on this one." Zachary says evenly. "We're at war, and I don't have the time to coddle you between Deck and Air to lower you in slowly. You're just going to have to hop on and hang on."

"Understood, sir," Kelsey says, doing her best to keep her voice up and strong. She idly wonders if he can hear her heart pounding away. "I just wasn't sure." Swallow. "I'll get a flightsuit and stuff." Her eyes drift away as she looks at the desk absently. Just like that, everything changes. After a moment, her eyes dart back. "Will there be anything else? Anything I should know? What I should be doing?"

"That's it. I'll have Lennox moved to a side bunk, you will be bunking with Ygraine. She likes you, so she'll help you." Zachary says. "Other than that, pull the pilot draw from the quartermaster, get the books from the library." he says. "Anything else that you need from me?" With no response, Zachary dismisses Nugget and sends her on her way.

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