Trial by Fire: The Coy Method pt IV

Posted on Fri Sep 5th, 2025 @ 7:00pm by Commander Rosa Coy

451 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: Character Development
Location: USS Sunfire

Stars streaked past as the Peregrines accelerated into formation, Bajor’s ochre-hued surface rising beneath them. Rosa’s fighter cut through the void with surgical precision. The cadets trailed behind, each pair finding their rhythm.

“Eagle Two and Three,” she said over comms, “check throttle response and vector stability. Maintain ten meters lateral spacing. Do not overlap or cross blind spots.”

Arven and Threx jerked slightly on the sticks, overcompensating for subtle turbulence from Bajor’s upper atmosphere. Jeyna and Dalkor followed more methodically, though Jeyna’s movements were almost too deliberate. Veylin and Sira Lenar glided with quiet grace, but Rosa noted Sira lagging slightly on recovery rolls.

"Not bad. Not great," Coy murmured, amused. "They’re green but eager. Too eager, maybe. That human thinks he can barrel-roll through every obstacle. The Trill’s overthinking will get them killed if you push them hard. You've got to guide them, like you did with Powder last night."

Rosa’s eyes flicked to Arven. His grin faltered under her stare. “Throttle down. Precision, not bravado.”

“Roger, Commander,” Arven replied, tone grudging. Threx shot him a glare, then corrected her vector.

The drones were light in this stage — basic target signatures drifting in pre-programmed loops around Bajor’s second moon, Luma, and an asteroid field nearby. “Engage lightly,” Rosa instructed. “We’re testing maneuvering, not destruction.”

Arven over-committed on a pass, his nose clipping slightly too close to a rock spire. Threx barked a warning. Rosa’s voice cut across the comms, crisp: “Eyes on the objective, Eagle Two. Avoid improvisation. That asteroid will chew you up before the drone has a chance.”

Coy whispered, low and playful, “Careful, Rosa. That Andorian likes to show off. Bet she’s imagining a barrel roll that would break her neck.”

Rosa didn’t answer aloud. She simply watched, noting each cadet’s flight style: Arven aggressive but sloppy, Threx combative yet precise, Jeyna cautious, Dalkor argumentative in coordination, Veylin smooth but conservative, Sira hesitant but adaptable.

The light drones gave them a taste of pressure, weaving in minor evasive maneuvers, forcing the cadets to anticipate, react, and communicate. Rosa silently evaluated: who maintained formation, who compensated poorly, who panicked.

After several passes, she called over comms:
“Exercise complete. Debrief in five minutes. Assess your partner’s weaknesses. Identify errors without excuses. We move to full-intensity engagement in thirty minutes.”

It was short, sweet, but intense, like a warm-up session or some foreplay outside the bedroom. Every bit of it was raw, messy, and in need of refinement. But it was sessions like this one that made one appreciate the crafted finesse of the long session to come.

TBC

 

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