Posted by Major Malcolm “Astro” Dawkins (CAG) in The New CAG - Promotion

Posted by Mar. Captain Eleanor “Iron Lady” Carnegie (Recon Squadron CO/Pilot) in The New CAG - Promotion

Posted by Major Malcolm “Astro” Dawkins (CAG) in The New CAG - Promotion
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Halloway sat and looked at the orders for a few moments. The sudden and unexpected departure of such a quality officer in the CAG slot on the Billet Chart which was usually such a difficult one to fill almost always equaled a headache for the officer tasked with finding his or her replacement. However, this was not the case this time around. In a stroke of luck, the current CO of the Vikings had put in his promotion packet a month prior and had just three days ago received the green light for his first ever CAG assignment.

There was needed restructure and Halloway hoped the kid wouldn’t give her too hard a time implementing the changes needed before deployment. Reaching for the button on her desk, she tapped the CommPanel and spoke with smile.

=A= XO to Captain Dawkins… report to my office as soon as possible. Commander Halloway out.=A=

Dawkins sighed. It was his turn to worry if he was in trouble and following the fastest shower of his life, the Marine dressed in the traditional Black & Greens of the Corps and headed up into Fleeter County. Less than twenty minutes after the call, Malcolm tugged his tunic straight outside the Commadner’s office and was reaching for the chime when Halloway opened the semi-transparent door for him.

“Please come in Captain.” Halloway said with a smile. “Grab a seat.” Doing as he was told, Malcolm took a seat in the right chair in the room… as was his custom… and awaited the Commander’s reasoning for his visit.

“Captain Dawkins, as I am sure you are by now aware, Major Lardel was transferred from the Chimera late last night in order to assist with a top secret mission even I’m not in privy to know about. That, of course, leaves a pretty big hole in the leadership of the Wing.”

“Yes ma’am” Malcolm said politely, not knowing what she could want with him here on such a topic.

“So that you are aware…” Sam continued as she picked up a PaDD from the desk, and for the first time Malcolm noticed the small hunter green velvet box on the desk next to it. “… we are set to depart in less than 48 hours, which puts me and the Captain in a tight spot…” Malcolm nodded and began to open his mouth but was cut off. “… or, at least it should have.” The smile grew wide across Halloway’s face and Malcolm was puzzled, not knowing where she was going with this. “Thankfully…” Sam continued. “… I was pleased to find we had the perfect candidate for the post on board all along.” With that, the XO stood from her side of the desk and walked around to Malcolm.

“Please rise.” The Commander’s smile was unmistakable and Malcolm stood in shock, knowing what was coming but still not believing it. “From Admiral Rebecca Loveland to Captain Malcolm Edward Dawkins…” Halloway began, reading from the PaDD in her hand. “… you are hereby directed by The President of the United Federation of Planets and the Federation Council, on this day, to report to the Three Hundred and Ninety-Ninth Marine Aerospace Wing… aboard the Federation Starship USS Chimera NCC-Nine-Eight-Seven-A and there take upon yourself the duties and responsibilities of Air Group Commander. In concordance with this order, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Major… Starfleet Marine Corps, effective immediately. By order of Fleet Admiral Alexander Courvosier Commander in Chief of Allied Federation Forces, at the direction of the President, United Federation of Planets.”

Malcolm stood, thunderstruck, as Sam rested the PaDD on the desk and opened the small box, removing the shiny golden oak leaf of a Major. Pinning it his collar, Halloway smiled. “Always wanted to be the one reading one of those… thanks for making my first an Aviator Major.” As Halloway stepped back, Malcolm instinctively saluted and Halloway returned it before offering her hand. “Congratulations Major” With a stammer, Malcolm replied simply. “Thank you Commander.”

After a few quiet pleasantries and an exchange of the formal copy of orders, Major Dawkins left to return to the flightdeck… this time as CAG.

Halloway/Dawkins

---

Malcolm walked with a bit of a skip in his step as he returned to Fighter Country. When he stepped off the Turbolift, he could only think of one person he wanted to tell but he wanted to have some fun with it. As he neared the door to… his… CAG Office, the door automatically hissed open for it’s new occupant. The furniture and general office trappings were still there but any evidence that Major Lardel was there or even existed in the space at all were long gone. He quickly grabbed his Captain’s bars from his pocket and reattached them to his collar and put the Major’s oak leaf in the top desk drawer. Malcolm then replicated a fancy wooden desk plate that read:

Major Malcolm “Astro” Dawkins
Commander - Air Group

And sat it face down on the desk. Punching up Ellie’s CommBadge on the Communications Panel in the desk, Malcolm disguised his voice and said in a gruff tone. =A= CAG to Captain Carnegie (the name was purposely mispronounced), I need you to report to my office at once. CAG out. =A= Then, Dawkins walked to the opposite side of the desk from the CAG’s chair and settled in the chair on the right. There… he waited.

Dawkins

Eleanor had been in the middle of yet another heated discussion with 1Lt. Sloan, her Flight Engineer. This time the man had lost it when one of his PaDDs had floated off mid training. Carnegie had been more interested to know why Sloan had brought PaDDs on board when he had a full console with numerous displays. The escalating argument was brought to a sudden halt when a gruff voice neither of them knew came through the comms.

“We’ll finish this discussion later.”

“Aye, Ma’am. We will.”

In a hurry, slipping her arms through the sleeves of her flight suit previously tied around her waist, Eleanor walked the distance between the flight deck and the CAG’s office, as she wondered what the new CAG could want with her and her alone.

As she approached the office to press the chime, the doors opened automatically, revealing a bare room with a single occupant inside.

“Mal?” Eleanor said surprised as she recognized her fellow pilot and… sweetheart? sitting on a chair. “What are you doing here? Were you called as well?”

Carnegie

Mal just shrugged and smiled at the young woman who had stolen his heart… and would likely want to kick his ass in a few moments. “I was about to ask you if you were having deja vu as well. I guess we’ll just have to wait till he gets here.”

“I guess…” Sitting in the same chair she had occupied in their first meeting with Lardel, Eleanor waited in silence. Her eyes not daring to dart to Malcolm afraid that their new superior officer might arrive at any moment.

After a few moments, Mal stood with a cocky grin. “Guess we lucked out though…” He began as he walked behind the desk and sat down. “… since the new CAG has arrived.”

Dawkins

Eleanor looked confused. “What? Where? What are you doing? Malcolm, come on. This isn’t funny. You’re going to get yourself in trouble… and I’m going to laugh.”

Carnegie

With an even bigger smirk, Malcolm leaned forward and rolled the desk plate facing Ellie. “Who said I was being funny? And I can assure you, the only person I think I’ll be in trouble with today is you!” As he laughed, he leaned back in the chair and a huge grin crossed his face.

“Malcolm… anyone can replicate a desk plate.” Eleanor said as she examined the wooden object. “Come on. I’m not that gullible.”

“I’m serious Ellie…” His tone more genuine this time. “… Halloway promoted me to the post twenty minutes ago.” Reaching into the desk drawer, Mal slid the shiny gold oak leaf across the desk to Ellie. “While she did pin me already, I figured you’d like to do the honors here… just the two of us.”

Dawkins, CAG

Eleanor placed the desk plate back on the table and took the gold oak leaf in the palm of her hand. With an eyebrow raised, she examined the pin carefully, somehow still thinking that this was a prank pulled by the Marine for his own enjoyment.

However, there was something about his tone. She couldn’t exactly tell whether he was being serious or just trying to trick her into thinking so. Finally, lifting her eyes from her hand and looking up at him, Eleanor said. “You know… if you think this is something that is going to lead us to bed you’re sorely mistaken. I mean, I’m all for roleplaying one’s fantasy’s in the bedroom, but at least you could have used the Holodeck for that… How do I know this is not replicated?”

Carnegie

A playfully raised eyebrow met Ellie’s gaze and then Malcolm gave a wink. “Honey… I don’t need shiny new brass on my collar to get you in bed. Hell…” He grinned. “… I think I just need a day that ends in ‘y’. Although…” He looked as though he was just barely holding composure. “… the bedroom fantasies do sound fun!”

Eleanor rolled her eyes.

“As for the insignia…” Malcolm looked more confident in his words. “… I’m surprised you didn’t know. Similar to the hollow pip on the Fleet side, if you don’t currently have a rank… except for butterbars… your credentials won’t let you replicate the insignia. If you have the rank, you can replicate it and all ranks below… for the purpose of promotion ceremonies… but that’s it.”

“Well, someone else might have replicated it for you, then.” Carnegie crossed her arms over her chest. Her expression, half playful, half annoyed. Almost as if she was confused between both and didn’t know which one to choose.

He then smiled widely once more and propped his feet up on the corner of the desk. “Face it Babe…” He grinned directly at Ellie. “… you’re sleepin’ with your boss!”

Dawkins

For a moment, Eleanor stared in silence at the oak leaf in her hand. And then slowly back at Malcolm. She was sure he could see the gears working in her head. On the one hand, he was qualified for the position, and Malcolm knew it. So he could plausibly have been promoted after Lardel had left. On the the other hand, he seemed too proud of himself. Almost as if Eleanor was about to fall for his joke and he was the only one that knew it. Part of her wanted to believe him, part of her didn’t want to risk it. Even though that, the longer they stayed in the room, the more apparent it was that the gruff “CAG” that had summoned her was not going to walk in the door.

“You know Halloway thinks I’m the best thing since replicated bread, right? I can just go and ask her.” Eleanor quipped, still turning the small gold leaf pin in her hand.

“Or…” It was as if an idea popped in Eleanor’s mind. “Computer.” She spoke out loud. “Locate the Chimera’s Air Group Commander.”

“Major Malcolm Dawkins is in the Air Group Commander’s office in Deck Eleven.”

Eleanor’s eyes widened, never leaving Malcolm as the computer’s reply came through the speakers. Could he have altered the computer reply anticipating her question? That would have been too much forethought for a simple prank.

“Oh my God.” A smile appeared on her lips as she realized what Malcolm was telling her. “You are the new CAG!”

Walking around the table, Eleanor wrapped her arms around Dawkins and squeezed him tightly. “I can’t believe it! I’m so proud of you!” Her lips found his in a loving kiss. “This needs celebrating then! Tonight, my quarters. What do you think?” Carnegie said with a suggestive wink. “Or wait… is that allowed, because, you know… you are my boss…”

Finally, holding the oak leaf tightly in her hand, Eleanor said to the Marine. “I’d be honored to pin you again, Major.” She smiled. “And later, pin you to the bed.” She winked and laughed, almost as if the words were too much for her to keep a straight face. Even if she meant it, Eleanor Carnegie laughed at her own joke.

Carnegie