✧04

[bi_otic]

Who: Kaidan Alenko
Broadcast: Fleetwide video!
Action: Vaguely planetside, if desired
When: Today!

[The second Kaidan turns on the feed, the sound is distant and barely controlled chaos. He's moved into a side room near one of the space ports in the area, and the air is filled with the buzzing and chiming of a great many comm feeds going off in rapid succession, the constant chatter of traffic controllers almost a drone of noise over the top of it all. In addition, the noise outside can just be made out - the terrified shouting of civilians and the low whir and roar of engines as shuttles come and go.

Kaidan doesn't look scared at all. Strained, at best, but his gaze on the camera is one of steely focus.]

I've done what I can to reach out the Lyukite military to help coordinate their efforts down here. I'm sure most of the captains are ready and willing to lend their ships, but if we deploy our shuttles we can double our efforts.

I need a count of how many operational shuttles we have in the fleet, their capacity, and the names of a pilot for each that's willing to do some heavy duty for the next couple of days, and then I'll patch that list over to the command center down here so they can add us to the schedule of evacuation and supply runs.

The more smoothly this runs, the better.

I've had to stand by and watch a world get destroyed because I couldn't do anything about it. [His voice cracks, just a little] But not this time. Not a chance.

Comments

[mongoosecrow]

Not a pilot but you need someone to fly them and someone else to keep them fueled and working. I can do the second part. I can help make sure we can keep the shuttles running as quick and hard as we need them. To keep things smooth as we can.

[scanninggaydis]

[Felix turns on his camera to respond, and it's clear from the noises that he could easily be physically nearby to where Kaidan is broadcasting from. It's the same scene, though probably (actually) at a different spaceport.

He's turned himself slightly away from a computer to answer, and there are maps on the workspace in front of him, spreadsheets on the monitor of the computer. Way in one corner of his video, there's an elbow and part of an arm, indicating that whatever he's doing, he's not doing it alone.]

The Vanquish has 3 shuttles with a capacity of 3 people each. I don't know about the rest of my crew, but I'm absolutely willing to pilot one.

[The look on his face, the entire way he holds himself, is tense but steady. It mirrors Kaidan's behavior, in a way, which probably shouldn't be a surprise. He hasn't done this before, not an evacuation, but the chaos and stress are familiar. At the very most, there's something lurking in the back of his gaze. Not fear, but worry.

He pauses to lean off-screen for a moment, speaking in low tones to whoever's in the room with him, and then comes back into view.]

I've already started helping with coordination efforts myself, and I'd like to keep doing that as well, but I'm ready to do as much as needed.

[Sleep can happen when this is all over.]

[Audio]

[tough_love]

[She's a little distracted right now, but from the ambient noise alone it's safe to say she's airborne. With periodic alarms blaring from the controls as her piloting is...well, not so much "reckless," but she's definitely an aggressive pilot.]

The Bishop is out of commission, as our pilot has managed to disappear at the most inopportune moment possible!

[Is she angry about that? She's angry about that. The Atroma seem hell-bent on giving her as many reasons to want to strangle the life out of them as possible, why would this situation be any different?]

We have two additional shuttles, deploy them as needed. If my crew won't handle it themselves, pick someone. I will hardly be choosing now as the time to be possessive over them! They will carry two passengers apiece, three if you force someone in as cargo.

[So, probably best to pair them up, given the limited capacity.]

audio.

[astrobleme]

I'm-- [Shinji almost stops himself, but the line is already open, and he's determined to do something to make things better. Even his personal fear of screwing up can't get in the way of this.] I'm Shinji, [he says, with a firm but youthful voice,] and I'm the pilot of the SS Heron, and I have three shuttles available here. They're pretty small, unfortunately, just a few seats each, but I'm willing to use one and lend out the others... [Maybe he should get permission from his captain first. Too late now.

Even more earnestly:] I'll fly out as many times as I have to. I don't need to--sleep, or anything. I can do whatever needs to be done.

audio.

[paraclete]

Oh, yes. I have a ship. [He says this like he's just thought to say it, although he has been thinking it for a while. He pauses—although his own voice is quiet, there's a lot going on in the background. Then, thoughtfully:] It's the Vanquish. I can probably help with some repairs, if anyone would like to bring some faulty vehicles my way. But I'm not sure I'm ready to leave where I'm sitting.

[He's quite gentle, pretty soft, but curiously cloudy—that is, he doesn't really seem urgent. Calmer than this might allow for most, really. A state of peace, despite the cacophony that does sound very close to him.]

[bi_otic]

[Kaidan lets out something that sounds like a breath a relief because thank god someone he knows has an idea of what they're doing. Which isn't to say that other people in the fleet don't, but a lot of that has to do with augments and not actual experience with the particulars of space flight]

I don't necessarily need pilot augments for the shuttles, but we could absolutely use someone down on the ground for maintenance. We're gonna be putting a lot of wear and tear on these ships in the next couple of days.

[bi_otic]

[Kaidan appears to note this information on something of screen (his omni-tool), nodding minutely]

I'll put you down and make sure and make sure they put you on slightly lighter rotation so you can keep up the dialogue. If you see anyone else on your ship making shuttle runs, just point them may way. It's better if we keep most of this running out of the same LZ's.

[He glances back behind him for a moment]

How is it going, so far?

audio

[bi_otic]

[Part of him feels he should be Concerned but there's really not time for that.]

We need more than just civilian evacs. The station needs supplies as well, and those don't care so much about how comfortable the seating is. I figure we can double or triple the seating capacity as needed, considering these are short trips. Just, uh...as long as you keep everyone in one piece. [Mentally side-eyeing her driving here]

Maybe if you're lucky the Bishop will be assigned a new pilot before the impact. Though...[He makes a small sound of amusement]...I feel sorry for whoever that is.

audio

[bi_otic]

If you're a pilot, we need you at the helm of your ship more than a shuttle, unless the Heron has more than one pilot. The fleet ships can handle quite a bit more cargo than the shuttles, but we can at least double our efficiency if we add the shuttles to the mix.

[If it were under any other circumstances, he'd insist that Shinji not strain himself more than necessary, but this wasn't an ordinary circumstance]

At least get in a nap every once in awhile. A pilot falling asleep mid-flight won't be any help either.

audio.

[bi_otic]

[It does raise some questions, but some people deal with a crisis better than others. At least he's willing to help? That's...something]

If you can bring Vanquish down for evacuations then you can sleep in your chair if you like. We have plenty of boots on the ground to handle loading and unloading.

How many shuttles does your ship have in operation.

[astrobleme]

I'm the Heron's only pilot, but... I know there are ships with like, three pilots, even, so I was going to see if I could borrow one... but if you're handling the logistics of that, I'll defer to you instead, definitely. I'm not trying to step on any toes over here.

[Shinji sighs audibly, then. He's already stressed out and the really hard stuff hasn't even started yet. Among other things, he's worried about midair collisions resulting from the thick snarls of traffic all around him. Evacuating an entire planet is kind of an insane undertaking.]

I'll be fine, and that won't be a problem. But you're, uh... which ship are you on? I'm sorry, I don't think we've spoken before...

[tough_love]

I am well aware.

[She had been helping load those supplies not long ago, after all.]

But proper ships can handle far more cargo than these. It would be far more efficient to use the shuttles to transport those who could not fit onto one of the larger ships, and prioritize supplies in the larger vessels.

[Not exclusively of course, then they'd hardly save anyone at all, but they should definitely avoid trying to make the biggerer ships allot an equal amount of space, in her mind.]

Forgive me if I'm not eager for more luck.

[You know. Pilot goes missing, giant ball of death headed for the planet- so far the luck has all been the kind she can do without.]

If you discover any ship with an extra pilot, send one over. Perhaps it will respond to their commands, and we will be able to deploy all our assets to this endeavor.

[bi_otic]

[Interacting with Wrex has at least slightly prepared him for being yelled at as a replacement for talking. That on top of the situation means he's doing his best to not take it personally.]

I'm not going to bet on it. Just saying it's possible. I'll do what I can to locate any spare pilots for you.

[He lets out a breath]

Have you had any sleep yet?

[bi_otic]

[It really IS insane, and making sure the movement of those ships is coordinated is exactly what Kaidan is concerned about.]

Kaidan Alenko. I run security on the First Breath. I'll be taking shuttle rotations once I get all this sorted with the people in charge.

[There's little else he can do. Shooting at the meteor isn't an option, sadly. He asked.]

[astrobleme]

Okay. Got it. It's good to meet you, sir, in spite of the circumstances. Just so you know, you can... Anytime, you can send me a message, and I'll answer as soon as possible. I'll be making myself available, no matter what.

[There's a longer pause here, one where Shinji might say goodbye or else ask a few pertinent questions, but...]

Hey, you said... in your original message, you watched what happened before, when you couldn't do anything... [...] It's the same for me, too. Pretty much the same thing. So that's why I want to do something this time. Anything I can do. At all. [Shinji isn't sure why he's confessing his deep shame to a stranger, other than to underscore how serious he is about being useful.]

video

[interstices]

I'm one of the pilots on the Red Fish. We have four shuttles that can carry three people each.

[Not that she's the captain, but it's always easier to volunteer than bother asking for permission. Asuka's expression might be severe enough, but bubbling just underneath is adrenaline and pure excitement. It's been months since she's had to use any skills like this.]

I'll help with whatever's necessary.

[bi_otic]

[He notes this down!]

One of, huh? I heard there were a few extra pilots around. Listen...I got word the Bishop is down a pilot. Would you be open to sitting in there, unless Atroma sends them a replacement? Anyone can man a shuttle.

[interstices]

[Sitting in for them is pretty far from her idea of a proper rescue mission, and it's definitely enough for her to wrinkle her nose on camera. But when push comes to shove--]

Yeah, sure. I don't expect Atroma to be that generous.

[Video]

[goldenglasses]

The Twin Roses has five shuttles and I'm a pilot. I can't fly all six ships, but I'm willing to land the Twin Roses on the planet to pick up as many people as possible. And loan out the other shuttles of course.

video

[the_tailor]

The Blameless has three pilots, and two shuttles. Someone's probably going to have to stay and pilot the actual ship, though, so...

All I know is that I'll be in there ferrying people till the last fricken minute.

[scanninggaydis]

You know. People are scared.

[Felix also looks around, scanning his general vicinity as if to see how everyone's functioning. As if he doesn't already know.]

Kind of feels like barely organized chaos but...I think people are finding their stride. [It's clear he's talking about the people in charge of organization, and it becomes crystal clear in a moment.] Outside, though... Well. Civilians.

[It isn't an insult, and he doesn't make it sound like one. But still. Most people are used to just going about their lives. Most people don't have training for this. People panic.]

Everyone's working really hard, though. I think they have a chance.

[bi_otic]

[Kaidan nods, knowing what Felix is getting at. People do panic. It's what makes them people, and even soldiers can lose their cool under fire. At least, the one who haven't been through this kind of thing before...]

Yeah. Me too. I was worried all the superstitions were going to hold them up, but they see what's at stake here. Kind of hard not to. At least on a global level. There's going to be a few stubborn people, but we'll deal with that when the time comes.

[bi_otic]

[He respects that she's willing despite her obvious hesitation at the idea. There's more at stake here than personal pride.]

I'm not placing any bets either, believe. I know these runs won't be quite as rapid fire as shuttle missions, but they're more important in the long run.

[bi_otic]

You won't be alone...

What are the names of your other pilots?

[bi_otic]

Five shuttles. Wow. That's great. If you have anyone else on your crew that wants to take shifts, point them my way? Or...well, I'm sure I could find some volunteers down here that would be willing to borrow them. If, uh...if you think that will be ok with your captain.