Psychology and Pilots

Posted on Thu Dec 12th, 2019 @ 1:39pm by Avalon [ADMIN NPC]

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Main Shuttlebay
871 words - 1.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Lt. Vaii examined her new recruits. They were green, but the last group of cadets proved themselves and became combat pilots. This group was just as green as the last.

Rosalyn hung back for a couple of moments when she'd arrived. Taking a few, rare moments, to observe Jessica in her natural setting. With her large padd in hand, she leant against the wall as the Lieutenant addressed her cadet cadre.

"Welcome onboard the Elysium, Pilots. My name is Lieutenant Jessica Vaii. They call me 'Valkyrie' because I fight with the skill and the wrath of Grunhilda herself." Jessica noted. "Twelve cadets. I got twelve cadets the last time the academy sent me cadets. Four of them were skittish, and soft little snowflakes who transferred to botany and are now watering plants. Two of them are dead, and you'll find out how soon. The remaining six are now battle hardened aces who actually paid attention to me, looked at me in the eyes, and somehow, by the four goddesses, managed to earn a little bit of respect from me."

She turned towards them. "You however, are turds. The Academy sent you to me so *you* could become fighter pilots? I'd rather put monkeys into these fighters and teach them to be pilots rather than to let you turds anyway near a Valkyrie Space Superiority Starfighter. I'll tell you this right now; You turds are never going to become Starfighter Pilots. And somehow through some level of dumb luck that you actually succeed. I'll let all of you fly my spitfire at my house on Earth. Which will NEVER HAPPEN. But if you want to prove me wrong; Which six of the last cadets miraculously managed to accomplish. You will earn more than your wings from me, and a chance to fly a classic." She gave a smirk.

Rosalyn seized the moment and made her way towards Jessica, "Lieutenant, you're scheduled in for a mandatory counselling review," the Elysium's chief counsellor interrupted, quietly enough that the cadets couldn't hear.

Jess nodded. "Dismissed, get out of here before you make me pray to the four goddesses for deliverance." She watched as the cadets dispersed. "Apologies. I didn't know we had a new Counselor. The Counselling department has been somewhat lacking recently. Not that it isn't needed. Commodore Mountbatten's stooges managed to get this whole crew on edge. It happens when we have too many higher-ups on the bridge." Jess noted. "I'm Lieutenant Jessica Vaii; Callsign Valkyrie. Some people think I'm the best pilot here, and you wanna know what? They're lying. I'm good at surving and knowing how to fly."

Rosalyn nodded, jotting down notes on her PADD, "I've been fortunate enough to have been given authority over a team of very capable therapists, I can assure you the new team will be nothing like the predecessors", Rosalyn explained, "would you mind giving me a basic update on all things Jess? How are you doing, giving recent events?"

"Last two assignments it's been nothing but Romulans shooting at us, and people getting killed." Jess mentioned as she looked at a shot up Valkyrie on the flight deck. "The Romulans are getting bold and desperate. I lost two of the flight cadets because I had to put them on the flight-line. Goddesses dammit, Counselor. Maybe they decided to put the uniform on, but their uniforms were cadet uniforms. And here I am surviving. I suppose you could say if they weren't there, more would have died." She sat down near a cooler and handed the counselor a drink. "Not the first time I lost a pilot, but damn... what a waste of life.."

Rosalyn smiled sympathetically, "The loss of any life is a waste, but it always seems so much harder to swallow when that life was young. Sounds to me like they died doing what made them the most alive," Rosalyn offered as she accepted the drink, "How have you been managing your stress?"

"Kicking a punching bags ass, chewing out flight cadets, fixing things, flathatting in the holodeck, only thing I haven't gotten around to is drinking, and that's a good way to die in my profession, Counselor." She noted and smirked. "And if I died, while drunk in a fighter, the Goddesses would probably have my ass for dying stupidly."

"Excersize is definitely the right approach," Rosalyn said "have you considered therapy? It can be much more than sitting in a stuffy room on a sofa, i prefer to tailor my sessions to the individual" Niamh suggested, it was clear to her that it could be beneficial for Jessica to work through her past. In the end though, it wasn't something she'd make an order, so the choice was down to Jess.

"You ready for what I'm carrying on my shoulders. Some people live normal lives... Me? I do snap-rolls in my sleep." Jess noted.

"I'm sure we can handle anything you need to discuss" Rosalyn assured her, "I'll schedule that in soon," she promised, "but first, would you be as kind as to answer a few questions I have?" the counsellor asked.

Tag

(Flathatting: Pilot slang for unauthorized low-level flying and stunting--thrilling, sometimes fatal, usually career-ending if caught. )