101 - Learning to fly - #1 (BACKPOST)

Posted on Wed Oct 15th, 2025 @ 1:46am by Lieutenant JG Aurania (Rani) Anderson MD & Major Kett V'Laass & Warrant Officer Seona Davar

Mission: Season 6: Episode 6: Conglomerate
Location: Holosuite 4
Timeline: after: Who Needs Logic When You Can Fly #2
2096 words - 4.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Rani looked forward to her lessons with Kett with a great deal of enthusiasm but not a lot of skill yet accrued. She made up for her lack of knowledge with an excess of energy, fully applied. She didn't really know why all these sequences were so superimportant but she took his word for it that she was making progress, albeit slow and not with a huge amount of natural ability either.

On one such holosuite bookings, after completely nose-diving and writing off a beautiful plane, although Rani was grateful for it being a simulation, she was embarrassed that she had done such an almost irreparable job on the lovely flyer and was dreading what Kett must be thinking and more than that, what he was about to say to her.

Kett tapped on what was left on the cock pit canopy glass in greeting, then popped it over. "Believe it or not Rani..." said the Vulcan without feeling "You are improving."

Rani's surprise was profound and obvious. "I am?" she asked, not able to believe that could be true. "But I just wrote off that lovely model." she confessed, not that he hadn't been well aware of what she'd done as he had been there himself to witness the outcome.

"Are you happy to continue to teach me then? I was expecting you to say it's a waste of your time?" she added with superhonesty and full-declaration.

"Indeed. You should be....what is the word...?" said the Vulcan with feeling "ah yes. You should be proud of yourself. After all you damaged a lot less of the plane when you crashed it this time. A marked improvement in your calibre of flying skills"

"That's kind of you to say" Rani accepted the oddly worded, back-handed compliment on the back of it having been well meant and shrugged a form of acknowledgement. She smiled warmly at Kett and put her arm through his as they closed the holosuite program and went back to 10-forward for a drink which would either be to celebrate, or to steady their nerves. ~Most likely both~ Rani thought.

As Kett got them some hot relaxing tea like drinks at the 10-foward bar, he advised "You should know, that i too have crashed my craft on multiple occasions. Not only in the simulator in training, but also in combat, so it happens to the most efficient of us too."

Rani stared at Kett. "Now you're just saying that to make me feel better, aren't you?" She asked incredulously. Somehow, in her mind's eye, she had imagined he was such a natural from the get go, that he would have had a few mandatory lessons and then just got on with masterful flying, straight away. She was suddenly aware that she was actually staring, mouth open at him.

“Indeed. If you recall. Once graduated from Starfleet Academy and on my very first mission as a shuttle pilot I crashed the shuttle.”

"I couldn't possibly have remembered that...... unless I had been scouring your medical records to gain information about you for personal reasons which I am - as all medics are - expressly forbidden to do!" Rani protested. "But it's very reassuring to know that even experts like you have to make initial mistakes. I do find that very encouraging and hopeful. Thank you for........... wait..... were you hurt? ........ was anyone?" Rani suddenly thought about how dangerous and potentially awful that could have been.

Before Kett could reply, or continue recounting his experience, there was a disturbance in the room and a lot of turning of heads as Kett's ex arrived, flirting outrageously with men she approached (or even just passed by) on her way in. WO Seona Devar was notorious for never coming into any group, event, gathering or even simply any kind of social situation without garnering any and all the attention she could muster or grab by force. She was currently holding a young cadet with a scarlet face by his ear and rubbing his hair into a ruffle in a pretence at having a laugh with him. It was more at his social vulnerability and youth, overwhelmed by this fabulous but overbearing bombshell of a woman, twice his age and four times his level of confidence and twenty times the experience needed to devastate him with her unkind teasing.

Rani shuddered with empathetic embarrassment for the lad and her insides turned somersaults in dread that the harpy might start on herself next. Focussing her full attention as if they were the only two people in the room, Rani protected herself the only way she knew how. She ignored the rest of the room completely and carried on talking to Kett. She couldn't know how much of a provocation that outward appearance of not being affected nor even interrupted by Devar's arrival and powerful resonance on others, was seeming to have no ripple at all on Rani and Kett. It even seemed to Seona that the two must be so totally absorbed with one another that they hadn't even noticed her. That was 'red rag to a bull' as the ancient saying went. She approached. Almost in slow motion. Releasing her current victim and sashaying across the room in an impressive, head turning slinky manner and immediately slithering her arm around Kett's shoulders as if he were her personal possession, pulling him into a theatrical air-kiss on both cheeks. "Here you are! I have MISSED you!" she exclaimed. She had thought to perhaps purr it and make it seem more intimate, relying on Kett - Vulcan that he was - not to react, thus making it seem like they were always this affectionate, but she decided to make it a loud declaration to gain as many witnesses and reactions as she could.

"Warrant Officer Devar" said Kett with polite nod, but also politely giving himself space between them. "I trust you are well? I believe you know Lieutenant Anderson..." said Kett with a level of formality and professionalism reserved only for those who broke relationships.

Rani noticed the formality of Kett's response. Where Devar had placed her arm around Kett's shoulders, he had adeptly and subtly but firmly removed himself from the intrusion into his personal space. Devar wasn't one to be so easily dismissed however and she moved closer again and replaced her arm - not going so far as to rest it on his shoulder again but putting it under his elbow and resting it on his forearm, making it as if she had "taken his arm" and was about to lead him somewhere.

True to the first part of this manoeuvre, she used the momentum to turn him slightly as if to direct - and accompany - him towards the bar. She dismissively shot a side look at Rani when he introduced her and made some slight acknowledgementary noise - not unakin to a grunt - and immediately looked away dismissively. "I was hoping to show you - well initiate you - into a new cocktail I've been introduced to - it's totally superdivine and I KNOW you're going to Love the taste. I'll even let you buy me one as well and we can see how much you wish you'd found out about it before now." she purred, undeterred by any resistance he put up against being bulldozed across towards the bar. Making it easier for her own progress and hard for his resistance, Devar wound through between several other officers and enlisteds who were also in the crowded bar and who had to move aside to allow her to steam through.

Rani stood where she had been left, shaking her head softly in astonishment. A friendly face beside her muttered about how rude "that woman" was and she just shrugged and nodded politely in agreement, the other person, unknown to Rani until now, continued on. "I've come across her before. She's so pushy. I understand she and that senior pilot are in a relationship. Well, you can see that, can't you! But there's no need to be so rude."

"I understand that they USED to be in a relationship but that's apparently in the past" Rani replied, happy to be distracted into a conversation with someone else, so that she didn't feel so odd at suddenly finding herself standing alone in a crowded room. She had no reason to be uncomfortable but she did feel a bit at a loss so having someone to make small talk with, was a preferable option. "I'm Rani. Aurania Anderson." she introduced herself. "Medical" she added with a shrug, her teal accoutrements to the uniform she was still wearing, obviously having declared the department she was from and making that added comment rhetorical.

Before the other person could respond to Rani's introduction with one of her own, their attention, as all attention in the room, was distracted back to Kett and Seona.

In the distance Kett looked Like he was trying to politely get disentangled, the better word being escape, he looked over the crowd at Rani who had already began talking to someone else.

Rani continued her conversation with her new acquaintance, determined not to give any clues to anyone looking at her, as to her turmoil inside watching Seona's behaviour towards Kett and his apparent inability to disentangle himself. She knew he was too polite and emotion free to be feeling as threatened or as unhappy as she was and she wasn't going to let Seona win points by making it obvious that she, Rani, was rattled. Imitating Kett's infuriating politeness, Rani thought of all kinds of mundane small talk to try to keep the sudden conversation going but when it ran its obviously very short course, she looked around for someone else to seem to engage with, trying to be patient as she awaited Kett's solution to their mutual problem.

Kett was a Vulcan and as such could not lie. However he was able to exaggerate. So with great effort he was able to untangle himself, literally as Davar's arm seemed to have somehow found its way to his waist and was still descending! So with a not so deft twirl and a twist he had disengaged himself and had advised that it was of the utmost importance that he provide Rani with the ceremonial and traditional clothing that a crash pilot receive. So he headed to the nearest replicator.....paused trying to think of something to replicate, because although this was some far flung tradition Kett really had no idea. He clicked his fingers. Retrieved the object and headed over to Rani. He proffered her the gift a dainty and delicate silver tiara. "It is traditional that you were this head piece doctor as a sign of......." Kett struggled to make something up "your progress"

Rani's eyes opened wide. "Really?" she had no idea either but she was very happy that Kett had gone to so much trouble so she put it on and gave him a hug. Seona meanwhile, miffed to have been abandoned by Kett was watching his visit to the replicator and return to Rani. She watched him present her with the Tiara although she couldn't hear what he said, but when Rani put it on, Seona burst out laughing very loudly and began to talk in an aminated way to anyone prepared to listen, pointing at Rani, seeming to be helpless with amusement and making snide and probably unkind comments, parading up and down, imitating someone who was showing off in a way that she, Seona, clearly thought was hilariously inappropriate and, judging by the way some of those around her were happy to to join in with her, she was successfully working her audience.

Rani, struggling but managing to maintain her "doctors' blank facial expression", put her arm in Kett's and put up her chin. She held her head AND her tiara high, and passed them all disdainfully, grateful for some encouraging smiles from her companions of earlier, who seemed to approve of her maintaining her best dignity as she left the room with the two prizes: i) her lovely Tiara and more importantly and the greater victory, ii) Kett himself.

It was indeed a very effective victory for Rani as their sweeping exit made Devar's lips curl with annoyance even as she was trying to disguise this as a smiling face, forcing more false laughter out in an attempt to cover her own disappointment.

END