Touring the Facilities, part 5: Flight Control/Starfighters (part 2)
Posted on Mon Nov 27th, 2023 @ 5:07am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Lieutenant Commander Kurumi Ebisuzawa & Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair & Captain Taiga Aisaka & Lieutenant Karen Kujo 'Union Jane'
Edited on on Mon Nov 27th, 2023 @ 5:08am
1,092 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Operation Tokyo Return
Location: Shuttlebay, Deck 3
Timeline: After 'Touring the Facilities, part 4: Flight Control/Starfighters (part 1)'
Previously, on Star Trek: Myogi:
"Finally," Jane said, "we also keep our team members well trained, both individually and as a unit. We have the means to activate the shuttles' flight controls in a training mode and display simulation data to the pilots, allowing us to train in flight operations either one at a time or, occasionally, all of us at once. Just before launch, we did an evacuation test, where we simulate all auxiliary craft filling to capacity and launching inside three minutes and then corralling escape pods away from the Myogi inside of five minutes before a warp core breach."
She took a deep breath, grinning, after her presentation was over. "Any questions?"
And now, the continuation:
"Don't you find it unusual you have Starfighters on a vessel this size?" Taiga asked. "What exactly do you use them for?"
“I consider them an asset, ma’am,” Jane answered. I can think of a number of missions we might take on where having two highly maneuverable and well armed secondary craft gives us an advantage.” She heard the door open and looked to see a familiar face. “Perhaps that’s a question best posed to one of our fighter pilots. Here comes one now, Lieutenant Karen Kujo.”
"I am curious that's all. I regularly use our sixty Starfighters on the Tokyo. So it seems strange to see a cruiser with such craft," she explained giving her a small smile.
"Hoy!" the tall, muscular blonde greeted as she drew up to the quartet. "What sort of commotion have we got ourselves over here?
"Just a routine inspection of shuttlebay, Lieutenant." Maho said. "Though perhaps you might be able to indulge Captain Aisaka's curiosity and explain the purpose behind our rather tiny starfighter wing?"
"Target saturation, extra firepower..." Karen shrugged. "Though, if you ask me, I'm starting to think this whole fighter wing is largely here as an overkill measure; likely the sort of idea cooked up by a radgie who's compensating for a tiny wang and all that..."
"You know, Captain, some of the things that made the Armitage class so successful, including its stupidly large fighter wing, had to be tested elsewhere on other ships first." Maho further elaborated. "Sure, we had the Dwight D. Eisenhower to thank for converting the Akira class into a carrier, but other classes of ships were also tested for their viability as carriers, including the New Orleans class, thanks in part to Captain Miyahara's persistence during Project Jomo."
“My first posting was a Vesta that was refit to hold a Starfighter wing,” Jane said. “Forty-eight craft, mostly Valkyries but also some McCall strike bombers. I didn’t fly them myself but I was happy to have them providing cover when needed. Space can be dangerous, and having the asset do escort, or long range patrols, or anything can make the difference between success and failure, life or death. My next posting was a Theophrastus class science vessel working on Project Full Circle. We had no fighters and they were definitely missed.”
She moved so she was standing next to Karen and gave her a high five. “And really, like so many things, it comes down to this: better to have it and not need it...”
"Than to not have it and need it." Maho completed.
Taiga pondered on their words for a few moments. "It seems that Starships needs the extra firepower these days." She commented. "You should request a better deployment system though." She told them both. "This bay is big enough to have a fighter catapult installed. Once we get to Beta Antares I'll have the specs sent over should you want to install one. It would make for quicker launching..."
"That... Would actually be appreciated." Maho said in a sincere tone. "Miyahara was always looking for a better fighter deployment system, and having a catapult installed would help further his vision to make older spaceframes competitive with contemporary designs."
Taiga didn't say anything in response, just gave her a small nod opting to remain silent.
Jane didn't disagree with the idea. She'd seen the catapult launch systems -- they had one on the Shanghai -- and they worked wonders, and they hid nicely under the deck plating when not in use.
Truthfully though she just didn't understand the relationship these two Captains had with Miyahara. Her only experience with him was through his efforts to undermine Federation democracy, and here Captains Aisaka and Takahashi were, talking about his vision. Then again, good ideas could come from bad places.
"We would need to work out the exact layout, all standard operating procedures and day to day protocols," Jane said. "I would advocate against a system where fighters are on standby on a launch catapult at all times, since while we can accommodate a catapult system, at a glance I'd expect it would result in at least a partial block of the main door. In an evacuation situation, where seconds might mean the difference between life and death, we don't want to waste time moving the fighters to get shuttles full of evacuees out. But if we're going somewhere expecting a fight, having the fighters pre-loaded and ready to launch in seconds instead of minutes...that's smart."
"Wey-Aye," Karen nodded in agreement. "Like she says, we wouldn't be able to have the fighters on standby at all times, as that could prove detrimental in an emergency situation, but were we to be flying the Myogi into a combat scenario... I could see it proving useful in getting our birds up in the air."
Taiga nodded in agreement. She didn't really have much to add to the matter..
“Well,” Jane said, clasping her hands together after a momentary silence. “If there’s nothing else, my team needs a bit more help with the Reopon’s engine. Karen, we could use your help, if you have a few minutes to spare.”
"You can count on me," Karen grinned.
"Well, we'd best be getting back to the tour ourselves." Maho said. "We might only have 18 decks, but there's still a lot to see."
Posting By (In Order Of Appearance):
Captain Maho Takahashi
Commanding Officer, USS Myogi (NCC-65918)
Captain Taiga Aisaka
Commanding Officer, USS Tokyo (NCC-91101)
Lieutenant Junior Grade Jane Sinclair
Chief Flight Control Officer, USS Myogi (NCC-65918)
Lieutenant Karen Kujo
Nightkids Squadron Leader, USS Myogi (NCC-65918)
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