(Re)Qualifying... Again

Posted on Sun Jan 9th, 2022 @ 10:36am by Lieutenant Alisha Reno

2,679 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Handling the Fallout
Location: Security Office
Timeline: Day One

It was a PADD. It was ALWAYS a PADD that she carried, one that was a bit thicker than most, because it had everything on it. Personnel files, the daily download, the little bits of information that could come in handy on any given day. And Alisha Reno ALWAYS carried it wherever she went, because after all, it was her job. She knew things.

Life as an Intelligence officer was different than most, but she wasn't the 'Bond' type, no, not the run and gun and kiss and shoot the bad guys. She was an analyst and she was good at it. Of course, she could also do something no James Bond type of officer could do as well: She could become someone else, with enough time, makeup and most especially the information about a person. That didn't mean she didn't need to be a decent shot, which was why she was now standing outside the security office.

Alisha took a deep breath and glanced down over herself. Grey Intelligence piping and blocks rather than the yellow of security, or the red of command, or the blue of medical or other departments. It made people distrust her at first meeting, which she couldn't blame them for, but she had charisma, always had. And a skirt. It wasn't a flowing skirt, it was pleated and had some give to it so she could run if needed, but it lay neatly down to her knees and she watched as she stepped forward into the sensors that opened the door in front of her. That first step taken, she moved in as if she'd been moving the entire time, the illusion of momentum and stopped several feet in, glancing around to see her target, the Bolian with Lieutenants pips, and resumed her walk over towards him, "Lieutenant Satt, I presume?" She asked him, no expression on her face whatsoever.

Tugging on his collar, Satt looked up at the new entry to his office, 'you would presume correctly,' he said in his mudgravel voice. 'I'm not aware of any appointments in my calendar, Lieutenant, but how can I help the Intelligence Department today?' Unlike most, Satt had no deep dislike of Intelligence Officers, having worked with them in the past when combating pirates and smugglers.

The non-expression went into a half-smile in a flash and Alisha walked into the office and extended a hand, the other holding tight to the PADD, "No appointment, sir, I'm just new to the Myogi. Lieutenant jay gee Alisha Reno, S-F-I, new head of section. I decided I'd start making the rounds today and I'm coming up on needing to requalify with both rifle and hand phasers. Still a couple months away, but always better to get it out of the way ahead of time, don't you think?"

Satt pulled his characteristic sour half-smile. 'You're the second non-Security Officer who's keen on their phaser certification.' He looked down at his own PADD and scrolled through some data. He looked up again, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance Lieutenant Reno. We're both in the same boat regarding being new to the Myogi. But I'm sure you already knew that. There is time free on the holodeck now if you want to get to business?'

"Absolutely, sir." Alisha confirmed, though it wasn't obvious if she were referring to that she knew he was new or whether to get things started right away, "I may not be a Security officer, but as a member of Intelligence, we're expected to be one of the sources of backup for your section, Operations to a degree, as well as whatever we find ourselves being asked to do. That is, of course, in addition to our primary duties, which is information gathering and analysis." She gave a non-committal half-shrug, "I'll admit I'm nothing special, but there have been a couple times that it's come in handy for me."

'I find Intelligence usually excels at information gathering and analysis,' replied Satt pointedly. 'In my experience paper analysts have proved a hindrance in the field without the proper training.' He flashed his strained half-smile again as he got to his feet. 'Nevertheless, Lieutenant, we'll always welcome operational support from Intel. It comes in handy when done right.' He waved a hand to the door she had come in, 'after you?'

“Why thank you, sirrah.” Alisha laughed as she went into a deep and proper curtsy, left foot crossing over right to do it, before she preceded the Bolian, “It does help that I’ve been on several undercover assignments, none of them… Well, one required me to use violence, but I try to get by through guile rather than brute force. I can hold my own in hand to hand, half decent with a knife, but very few occasions except for practice, to use a phaser on the field.”

Satt raised an eyebrow at the curtesy as he followed her out. 'I think It's reasonable you seldom use a phaser in the field. If you're with a security detachment something will have gone wrong with the op. Moreso if you're forced to use your knife.' He pointed down the corridor, 'it's just a short walk.'

"More opportunities for knifework than shooting." Alisha preceded him by about a half step, "If only to try to keep the alarm from getting out, but again, not much experience with it except in practice. It's always best to just not be noticed, get in, get out, blend in."

'If only all operations would go as smoothly,' Satt chuckled sourly as he unconsciously rubbed a hand over the other. 'It's not far now,' he said abruptly pulling himself from his reverie. 'So you're new to the Myogi as well are you?' he asked by way of distraction, and estimation of the new officer. So far as he had worked out, all the officers he had met were holdovers from the previous Commanding Officer's time.

"I am indeed, sir," She confirmed, "Courtesy of the Virgil, since she was in the area and decided they could spare me from their own lists. It's my first departmental command, but with only a single N-C-O to look after, I suspect I'll be doing most of my own footwork to get things done." Alisha chuckled slightly, "Such is the life of Intel, but I'm looking forward to it. A New Orleans-class isn't a bad first section command, and given Myogi's positioning, I don't expect to see much actual action, I just expect myself to be prepared for it."

The Bolian cocked his head. 'You'd be surprised,' he said after a moment's thought, 'we're never really far from the action, even if we think we're in for a quiet assignment.' He shook his head, 'I expect Security and Tactical will be working closely with you, then, if you've only got the one NCO in your department.' Satt looked at her and grinned, 'you can expect our full cooperation with anything you need.' Best make a friend now in case it all goes down the pan he thought to himself pessimistically.

He knew his implicit assignment following the downfall of the previous Commanding Officer. Keep an eye on the crew and any Miyahara holdovers. 'Ah, here we are,' he said, almost brightly, in his mudgravel voice. He keyed an access code and the holodeck opened before them. 'I assume you're familiar with standard Starfleet requirements for phaser recertification?' Satt asked as he stepped across the threshold.

He didn't know, but that was one of the assignments Alisha had as well, though she didn't know he had it as well. "Seventy percent target hit rate on static targets, minimum forty percent on mobile targets and qualifier's judgement on the situational, if I remember correctly?" She left it open to re-interpretation, because some ships and stations's security officers were stricter, some were more lenient.

'If the officer is going by the book, yes,' replied Satt dryly as they rounded a corner and came upon the holodeck entrance. 'And I am a by the book officer - you can't fairly assess everyone's skills if you change the criteria willy-nilly for officers you like.' The Bolian motioned towards the door, 'after you, Lieutenant.'

“Why thank you.” Alisha grimaced as she entered the blank Holodeck hoping she’d pass this test. If she had a chance to settle in, get the weapon on target in the static targets and she could rinse and repeat with that same ‘setting’, but it was really the moving targets she was worried about. Those she had lots of trouble with, so she stepped to the side to let the security officer catch back up, “I’m just… Not that great with these, I’ll be the first to admit it.”

'The targets?' Satt considered a moment as he keyed in the instructions to the program and the holotargets shimmered into being. 'The secret, really, is to relax. Calm and center yourself, and remember your training.'

In front of them, a holographic compression rifle and hand phaser materialized as well and looking somewhat away from Satt, Alisha made a face at the weapons. She didn't particularly like them, but it was required. Her hand hovered above the two, going back and forth until she finally settled it on the smaller weapon, picking it up and checking it over as she should, "Let's go with the hand first... I'm more confident with the rifle, I'd rather get this out of the way."

Satt said nothing, but noted her aversion to the hand phaser privately. The Bolian wondered if it was simple preference, or something deeper.

Alisha took a deep breath and settled herself into her combat stance. Her feet were shoulder width apart, but her knees were bent and her right foot was behind by about half a step. The weapon was held with both hands with her elbows also bent to bring the weapon into her sights. Her heartbeat was increasing with a little anxiety, but she fought those and began a slow process of firing. Once every couple seconds, since this wasn't a rapid fire rules test. Of the fifty shots fired, only one was in the center ring, having been her thirteenth shot, then none of the rest were even close to the center, but thirty-six made it onto the targets, the last three missing entirely as the relief of her counting the shots was evidence of her nerves.

As the last shot connected, the stationary holotargets shimmered out of existence. Satt consulted his PADD as the results were tabulated. He flipped it around to show the Intelligence Officer. 'Seventy-four per cent. Well within the acceptable hit percentage for a non-Security Officer.' He shrugged, carried on his in his mudgravel voice and smiled, 'with a few sessions in the range you could up that, transfer to Security.'

"Not a chance, sir." Alisha said with a smile and a shake of the head, "We're already shorthanded over here in Intelligence, besides, I enjoy what I do. Some people can't read a detailed report and pull little bits out of it that make a difference, more can't read through that same report three times and come out with additional bits." She shrugged, "I seem to have that ability along with being able to do some other unique things. So while I appreciate the offer, I'll pass, sir."

He chuckled as he set up the program to begin the mobile target simulation, 'that was a poor joke, Lieutenant. I'm sure you're as devoted to your work as I am to mine.' The targets hovered into view and he held the PADD more officiously. 'Now, do you have any questions relating to the next challenge? I'm sure you're familiar with the standard set?'

"I am most definitely familiar with it." Alisha watched her feet as she began to practice a few steps that were intended to assist with her motions to follow the moving targets, "This is the one I'm most concerned about. I'm not the best at tracking and leading the targets, but I usually do find a way to manage."

Satt nodded, and held a finger poised above his PADD. 'The key, once again, is to be calm and collected and remember your training.' He nodded in her direction. 'If you are ready to begin?'

Alisha took the safety off of the phaser and took a deep breath and exhaled it once again, "Yes, sir." He pressed the button and she was off and going again. Her first shot came very quickly, nailing the target she was aiming at, then continuing with her firing, pivoting on her front foot as she'd been trained to do. Once again it was fifty shots and even before she'd fired her last three shots, each of which hit a target, she knew she'd missed the goal. As the targets stopped and vanished, she reset the safety on the phaser and lowered it. "Damn..."

'Take a moment, Lieutenant,' said Satt reassuringly as he waited for the score to tally. 'I'm sure you're disappointed,' he said as he saw she had failed by the barest whisker. 'If a couple of shots had landed differently you would have been home free. As it is ... if you leave now, you'll not be cleared to use your sidearm.' He sighed, 'you are of course entitled to retry the scenario up to three times in the same re-qualifying test, if you wish to go again. No mark against you if you'd like to try it fresh another time, though.'

"Three times..." Alisha grimaced hard at the thought of trying to do this twice more. This was really the worst part of her training, she'd been taught to never rely on the weapon, but it was still a necessary part of being an Intelligence officer on shipboard duty. "I.. Can't walk away from this." She admitted with a sigh, "I'll try it again." She waited until he'd reset the scenario, then nodded at him to begin it again.

This time she waited for a few seconds before firing her first shot... And nothing happened. Her face went beet red as she deliberately disengaged the safety on the phaser and subsequently missed her first actual shot. She fought the embarrassment the best she could as she went slowly and deliberately around the targets, losing a mental track of how she was doing. It came as a surprise when the last shot went out and the scenario ended, targets vanishing, and she re-engaged the safety before looking hopefully at Satt, the question in her eyes.

Satt's expression twisted into a grin. 'A pass, but barely.' He sucked air in through his teeth before asking. 'The forgetting to disengage the safety, is that a one-time thing or do you have similar tics in pressure situations?'

"As Captain Martine told us even on the first day of my Academy Intelligence courses, sir, we're not James Bond. The probability of us using a phaser on one of our own missions is minuscule, so we don't get much practice with them." Alisha looked down at the phaser as she gently placed it down, I'd say that I tend to practice maybe once every couple of weeks at best, so call it inexperience if I'm being honest. And nerves. I wasn't looking all that forward to this, truth be told."

In the end, the two went through the same basic tests with the rifle, but on that bit of equipment, she performed much better, passing with more ease than with the smaller weapon. A brief conversation and she was gone, there were always other things to do.

END:

Mission Post By:

Lieutenant (JG) Alisha Reno
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Myogi

and a late shout-out to:
Lieutenant Satt
Former Chief Security Officer

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