STF

Eleanor Carnegie and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Posted May 23, 2019, 11:46 a.m. by Major Krin "Hannibal" Lardel (CAG) (James Sinclair)

Posted by Mar. Captain Eleanor “Iron Lady” Carnegie (Recon Squadron CO/Pilot) in Eleanor Carnegie and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Posted by Major Krin “Hannibal” Lardel (CAG) in Eleanor Carnegie and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Posted by Mar. Captain Eleanor “Iron Lady” Carnegie (Recon Squadron CO/Pilot) in Eleanor Carnegie and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Posted by… suppressed (11) by the Post Ghost! 👻
It took a grand total of 14 hours, 23 minutes and around 9 seconds for the Chimera’s Executive Officer to find out that one of the very first pilots to touch down on the Fleet’s newest Mega Carrier had had backed a 350 million credit Recon bird into the forward bulkhead hard enough to actually dent the damn wall. On her first on-deck walk through, the TOPGUN Recipient and Ace pilot in her own regard, Halloway looked up after taking approximately a dozen steps into the Bay and saw it. It was in that moment that a half dozen deck crew seriously considered requesting emergency beam outs as the redheaded pilot blew a gasket on the bird in question’s Crew Chief.

“I don’t give a damn what time it is! You tell that hack to get his ass to my office IMMEDIATELY and bring his frackin’ Squadron Skip with him! I only wanna say this once!” For a trim woman, the Commander projected like a Marine and had a near frightening look in her eye as she snapped. “I said now dammit! Now move your ass!” And with that, she was gone… and not a soul said so much as a word as they all quietly went back to their duties.


Eleanor was late. It wasn’t like she was complaining about the previous night. It was just that it had made her lose track of time and she had left Dawkins’s quarters later than she had expected.

She was finishing putting on her uniform when the call came through, and even if it had put her even more behind schedule, Carnegie was happy she had taken the detour by her quarters to take a shower and put on some clean clothes.

=A= Um, Captain… Peterson here… XO wants you & Smoke in her office… like now.=A= Staff Sergeant Luke Peterson sighed as he paused and then continued. =A= I just got handed the biggest ass chewin’ of my career… over Smoke backin’ into the damn bulkhead. I’m sorry Ma’am… I didn’t see the witch coming till she was standing there starin’ at the dent. =A= He swallowed hard and added. =A= I will get Smoke on his way but I should warn you… she’s not just a stuff-shirted Fleeter that thinks she knows what she’s talkin’ about. She was sportin’ a Flight Jacket… full of patches… including a TopGun patch on the right chest trimmed in gold. You know what that means, right Captain? She won the Trophy… she might be an ass but she’s no joke… which means she will NOT go easy on either of you. Hope she don’t shake up Smoke too bad. He’s a good kid… just a little over zealous. Good luck ma’am. Sorry again… Peterson out. =A=

Eleanor sighed, and for a moment she wondered if the subject would ever go away. Tapping her commbadge she replied.

=/\= Thank you Peterson. I’m sorry you had to be on the end of that. I’ll take care of it. Tell Smoke I’ll meet him at the XO’s door. =/\= There was a pause as she took in all the information that Peterson had relayed to her. =/\= I’ve briefly met with her yesterday. But thank you for the heads up. Carnegie out. =/\=

So, this was going to set her schedule back even more. Carnegie sighed and shook her head, before passing a comb through her hair and putting it back up, pressing her glasses against her nose and heading out the door.


When Eleanor arrived at the XO’s office, Smoke was already there waiting for her.

“Morning Ma’am. I’m so sorry…” But Eleanor cut him off almost immediately.

“It’s too late for apologies, Smoke. You know better than to back up like that. I hope this teaches you a lesson.”

“Yes Ma’am. I’m sorry Ma’am.” He was visibly shaking.

“Come on. Let’s get this over with.” Straightening her uniform one last time and adjusting her glasses on her face, Eleanor took a deep breath and pressed the chime.

When the door hissed open to the Executive Officer’s personal office, the walls were covered in awards, plaques and certificates… and sure enough… directly behind her centered on the wall was the coveted TopGun Trophy just above a rather large wooden plaque featuring a pair of gold Master Aerospace Wings dated four years before. For Eleanor, it would be highly unnerving as the woman looked barely older than she was.

Halloway, XO

Without realizing it, Eleanor held her breath as the pair walked into the office. Her gaze landed on the multiple awards and certificates that filled the wall. And sure enough, the Top Gun Trophy was the center piece of the collection.

Clearing her throat and standing at attention, Eleanor greeted the Chimera’s Executive Officer. “Captain Carnegie and Lieutenant Thunderhawk reporting as ordered, Ma’am.”

Eleanor’s gaze held straight forward never meeting Halloway’s. Smoke eyed the visitors chairs.

Carnegie, Sentinels CO and Smoke, Sentinel Five

Halloway’s eyes slowly, hauntingly panned up from the PaDD she was reading and as they did, the tops of the woman’s ears… exposed thanks to her hair being up in a braid… began to glow an angry red. The Chimera’s XO caught the glance at the chair and said sharply. “Don’t even think about it San Diego, those chairs are for pilots… not morons that wreck their craft on a fracking basic Carrier landing!” Her voice getting louder toward the end of the statement as she stood, both hands flat on the large, mahogany desk.

Carnegie had expected a lot of things. Being yelled at was one of them. But this was a little too excessive.
“Ma’am, that’s just–“

The second Eleanor opened her mouth, Halloway’s eyes snapped to hers and a raised hand pointed a finger right at her. “You stay the hell out of this Carnegie!” The words cracking from the woman like a whip. “You’re here for one reason and that’s so this frackin’ dunderhead doesn’t go report my ass for something I didn’t say!” It was at that moment, Halloway noticed Eleanor’s glasses. “And take those stupid looking things off your face when you’re addressing a superior officer… this ain’t a goddamn fashion show!”

Eleanor’s gaze went back to the wall behind Halloway, but she could see Smoke staring horrified at her. Slowly and without a word, Carnegie took her right hand to her face, folded her glasses and put them in her pocket. The world faded back into the dull shades of yellow and blue she had grown up with.

Her gaze came back to Smoke like the snap of a rubber band. “Now you listen to me you frackin’ Crayon muncher…” The veteran pilot growled as she spoke, her stare burning a hole through the man’s soul. “If you so much as scratch MY flight deck… I’ll have your dumbass flyin’ toilet paper shipments twice a week to Titan and you will never see another carrier for as long as you live!” Her voice was now booming into the hall and the ship’s new crew were actively avoiding the area and the Commander looked as though she was trying not to come across the desk at the man.

Smoke’s face was growing paler with every word uttered by Halloway. Not to mention, she had just shut up his own commanding officer. He was on his own and he was desperately trying not to cry.

“In my entire career, I have seen some pretty stupid, boneheaded stunts pulled with craft but I will not tolerate such nonsense from aviators under my command!” Slamming her fist on the desk top, Halloway glared at both Carnegie and Thunderhawk. “Do either of you jackasses have even the foggiest damn clue how much a Recon-kitted Ranger even costs!?! Much less the damn bulkhead you nearly destroyed!?”

Smoke jumped as Halloway’s fist came into contact with the desk’s surface. He opened his mouth to reply but didn’t have the time, which was probably a good thing since he realized the question might have been rhetorical.

“I refuse to have a bunch of showboating Jarheads wreck one of the finest carriers that Starfleet has ever built on my watch. Now…” Halloway’s arm flew from the desk and her hand pointed to the door. “… get out!” She boomed, her hand shaking as she pointed.

Halloway, XO

(OOC: Please note, this was a planned interaction approved by Joana in advance and the exchange from a certain hotheaded XO was approved prior to posting. - Condor)

Thunderhawk looked at Eleanor as without so much as a glance on his direction she spoke to him in the coldest tone he had ever heard. “Wait for me outside, Lieutenant.”
He didn’t need to be told twice, and with a short nod, Smoke was gone.

Turning to Halloway and moving closer to the desk, Carnegie started in the same cold tone as before. “I don’t know who you think you are, Commander, but I will not tolerate you addressing me or one of my own like this.” Her tone was far from a yell. She was almost growling at the woman. “I don’t know if you have a personal beef with Starfleet Marine Corps or if you just have anger issues, or both. But I don’t care who you are, for how long you have flown, or how many trophies you have won over the years, what you said was disrespectful and insulting to say the least, just because the kid made a mistake on his first assignment. Have you never made mistakes, Commander? Let me tell you, we’re not as perfect as maybe you are.” Eleanor paused to breathe but continued almost immediately terrified that Halloway might cut her off again. “Oh, and by the way, you were so worried that Lieutenant Thunderhawk might report you for something you didn’t say that you brought me here with him. You don’t have to be afraid of him, he wouldn’t hurt a fly. However, I don’t have any problems going up the chain and reporting you for what you did say.” Leaning forward, she pressed one finger on the desk’s surface. “This is unacceptable, and you know it.” Eleanor’s eyes seemed almost on fire.

Carnegie and Thunderhawk

Rage flashed behind Halloway’s eyes as she leaned slightly forward on her hands, which were now palms down on the desk’s surface. “I don’t know just who the hell you think I am… Captain…” It was the first in Carnegie’s life that she had ever heard the use of her own rank like an insult. The veteran aviatrix behind the desk looked as though she might yank Carnegie over it as the woman glared back at her, her voice frighteningly flat compared to moments ago. “… but I will address people that do stupid things the way people that do stupid things ought to be addressed. I have found…” Halloway straightened back up, hands behind her back. “… that generally, hitting someone over the head very hard in private makes a point with them that pulling flight hours and assigning… unsavory duties… just doesn’t do.”

Carnegie raised an eyebrow. One thing was hitting people over the head, the other was just plain insulting them. Not to mention, she hadn’t just insulted Smoke. She had insulted the whole Marine Corps which happened to include Eleanor as well.

The Commander then turned, her eyes clearly on the trophy in the center of her wall. “And no, Ms. Carnegie. I haven’t an issue with the Marine Corps at all. My ex-fiancee was a Marine, my best friend and the woman I shared this very trophy with is a Marine as well as a mutual best friend of us both… who happens to be a starship commander over in Fleet 3.” The woman then turned back to face Carnegie as the Commander lowered herself into her chair. “What I do have a problem with is the lackadaisical attitude some pilots seem to think is perfectly fine these days. It’s reckless, stupid and most significantly… Captain…” Her tone a bit more level now. “… it’s dangerous. And while I may be one of the best pilots you’ll ever interact with personally, I can assure you Ms. Carnegie… we’re all just as flawed and can make mistakes. But if you think what I just said to that kid was insulting and too mean…” Halloway smirked slightly. “… then you got a long career ahead of you, young lady. Most of that was using a bit of temper… which yes… I do have, to get my point across.”

Halloway seemed to have all the qualities Eleanor despised in most pilots. She was beyond cocky and behaved as if she was better than everybody else around her, even if that was actually the case. “Commander, I agree with you on the attitude some pilots have nowadays, and how dangerous they are.” Eleanor’s tone seemed to level as Halloway’s did. “But you didn’t even give me the time to talk to him. To personally address it, as his superior officer. I addressed it briefly at the time, and exchanged a few words about it with Major Lardel. You could have addressed it with me if you saw fit, but in no way is it your place to meddle before Lieutenant Thunderhawk’s Commanding Officer even had the time to do so.” Somehow, Eleanor’s frustration seemed to be showing a little more.

At that point, Halloway’s eyebrows popped up just a bit. “I can promise you, Thunderhawk will be much more observant moving forward and I doubt he’ll ever score less than 95 on flight testing for the rest of his career. It’s usually only necessary to bust a pilot’s ass once in his or her career and he just received his. Now…” Her tone suddenly ice cold. “… if you want to push an issue that I said my piece on and honestly doubt I’ll ever have to mention again, I can and will revert to The Book on this and you know what that means. Strip the kid of flight status for a month… putting you down to four pilots, Form a Board of Inquiry… which he will lose, and have an unnecessary Disciplinary Finding in his permanent record that will haunt him the rest of his career.” There was no sympathy in her voice.

It was as if her words were falling into deaf ears. “That won’t be necessary, Ma’am.” Carnegie said in a defeated tone.

“I know what it means to a pilot to have their wings taken away, Carnegie…” There was emotion behind her words that Eleanor just couldn’t quite put a finger on. “… it’s devastating. I’d much rather jump Smoke’s ass in my office than drag him before a Board and possibly derail a promising career. Now, you wanna report me… go ahead. It’s Halloway… two a’s, one o. But understand Captain, an inquiry into my actions will lead into an inquiry of his and then it’s no longer in my hands. There will be nothing you can do to stop the Board from grounding your man.”

Eleanor didn’t want to think about losing her wings. She had already given up on her dream of being a fighter pilot for something she had no control over, she couldn’t even imagine not being able to fly at all. Something she knew very well would have happened, had she been born a few centuries earlier.

“Are we on the same page now, Carnegie?” There wasn’t a drop of anger behind her words but the hope a point had been equally made with her.

“Yes, Ma’am.” The defeated tone was still there. Carnegie didn’t feel like she had lost her wings, but she most definitely felt like she had lost her authority with her own crew.

“Dismissed.” Halloway said flatly as she nodded to the door.

Halloway, XO

Without another word, Eleanor turned around and left.

Carnegie, Recon Squadron CO


The next morning, at exactly 0630 hours, Samantha Halloway pursed her lips as she sat at her desk. Looking to her comm panel on her right, she tapped the key.

=A= XO to Captain Carnegie… can you report to my office at your next available convenience? =A= Her tone was a level, even tone. Not a drop of anger as she spoke.

Halloway, XO

Eleanor groaned in her sleep when the call came. Her body sweetly tucked in Malcolm’s arms. As she looked at the chronometer on his bedside table, Eleanor almost had a heart attack.

Sitting up, she searched for her commbadge set by the bed the night before. =/\= Carnegie here. I’ll be there in about forty-five minutes. =/\= Falling on the bed again, she looked at the ceiling for a moment. Was this about the damn bulkhead again? She had already yelled at her… what else was she going to do now?

Nudging Malcolm gently, she finally tried to wake the fighter pilot up. “Malcolm… it’s past 6:30… we need to get up. And I need to run to my quarters to get ready…”

It didn’t take long before Eleanor was running through the corridors, and found her quarters. Shower, clean uniform, quick breakfast, done.

It was exactly forty-five minutes since the commcall when she approached the XO’s door. Adjusting her glasses on her nose, she raised her index finger to press the chime, before retracting it abruptly. Taking her glasses off and putting them back in her pocket, Carnegie finally pressed the chime.

Carnegie, Recon Squadron CO

The smooth soprano of the USS Chimera’s Executive Officer sounded almost alien to Carnegie after the ass chewing the woman had handed her the previous day. “It’s open.”

With lighting set to the early morning 85% and the windows ringed in sunshine simulators that made it look as though the room was being bathed in the first light of day, the room seemed warm and inviting. As Halloway looked up, a warm soft smile crossed her face. “Good morning Eleanor… I hope I didn’t wake you too early. Please grab a seat. Would you like a cup of coffee… tea maybe?”

Walking in, Eleanor took in the same room she had been called to the day before, that yet it looked so different. For a moment, Carnegie froze in place, thrown off by the completely opposite manners of the Chimera’s XO.

Giving Halloway a forced smile, she walked to the chair and sat down. “Thank you. I’m good though.” What was happening? Was this the same woman she had talked to the previous day? Was she getting ready to kill her? By this point, Eleanor was sure the drinks would have something in it, so she decided not to take that chance.

On the desk near her right hand were three PaDDs, two standard ones and one that Carnegie would immediately recognize as a Service Record Reader. The Commander took a sip from a cup of the most glorious smelling tea, a light floral with the distinct scent of honey.

The scent of the tea was wonderful, and made Eleanor’s mouth water slightly. Focus, Carnegie. That’s exactly what she’s trying to do. Eyeing the pile of PaDDs, the Service Record Reader didn’t go unnoticed to Eleanor, and she gulped wondering why the woman was reading what she could only assume was her file.

“First and foremost, I owe you an apology Captain.” A frown broke the woman’s warm smile and she continued. “I did mean what I said yesterday that people make mistakes and I made one yesterday dragging Lieutenant Thunderhawk over the coals.” She sighed and picked up one of the small PaDDs. “I didn’t realize that you hadn’t had a chance to speak with Smoke at any length before a certain loudmouthed brunette decided to poke her nose where it didn’t belong.” Glancing at the PaDD, the XO sat it back in almost the exact same spot. “Ya did a hell of a report on something that, once cameras were rolled back… was literally a very small overshoot.”

Both eyebrows rose on Eleanor’s brow. What? Was she hearing it correctly? “Uh… thank you.” She finally managed to say. “I did briefly talk to Lieutenant Thunderhawk right after the fact, but since we had just flown in and docked on the Chimera, I didn’t have a chance to actually speak to him at length. I was planning to do so yesterday morning when you called us in, Ma’am.”

“I wanted to personally apologize to you for going mega bitch on you yesterday. To be frank, Eleanor… do you mind if I call you Eleanor?…”

Eleanor was getting more and more suspicious by the minute. “Of course, Ma’am.”

”… this is my first Command level posting on an actual Capital Ship… and…” The blush was unmistakable. “… and I got seriously carried away thanks in part to the stress such a posting can bring on a person.” Picking up the larger PaDD, Halloway activated it and after looking at it for moment, glanced back at the Marine. “Ya know Eleanor… I thought you had some nerve for standing up to my overbearing ass yesterday. Then I read this.” Halloway laid the PaDD down on the table in front of Eleanor, where she could clearly see the first page of her own Personnel Jacket.

A soft smile came over Eleanor’s features. She could definitely relate to the stress of a new commanding position. Then she placed the PaDD in front of her and she could see her own personal file. Her heart sunk and her smile dissipated, as she expected the worst.

A smile crossed Halloway’s face as she tapped the PaDD a few times with the tip of her finger. “But this chick right here…” Halloway’s smile broadened. “… this chick’s a frackin’ badass! Do you know how many colorblind pilots fully qualified on Templars since their introduction into service…?”

Her smile… her smile meant something good, right? And then she tapped the PaDD and called her a badass. Not that Eleanor felt particularly as such… she just had a dream that she would never be able to achieve, so she contented herself in staying as close to it as she possibly could.

“No Ma’am…” She finally said. Eleanor hadn’t even thought someone was keeping count.

“I’m not surprised cause I had to dig up the stats. The answer is three Eleanor… three pilots have qual’ed on the Tempies while dealing with colorblindness. You’re the only female.” The woman looked genuinely impressed. “Passed over for Combat Deployment Waivers three different times and finally took on Recon with some serious gusto cause the bastards wouldn’t let you fly… and to this day maintain your flight hours on the Tempie. You are one hell of a dedicated individual, Captain Carnegie. Certainly one that didn’t deserve the thumpin’ she got yesterday.”

The question in Eleanor’s mind was how many colorblind pilots did Starfleet even have. If the answer was three, than… it wasn’t that big of a statistic to be proud of. Carnegie smiled nervously. “Thank you, Ma’am… I’m just doing my job. And… I really enjoy flying Tempies…”

“Listen, anyone that can face the political nonsense you have and keep swinging deserves to not get ridden by a crotchety old flier like me. You tell that kid of yours to keep his nose down and focus and he’ll be fine. Use me as a bad guy or tell him I’m just an old blowhard that likes to pick on people but my bark is worse than my bite… your choice Eleanor.” The smirk was a rather playful one.

The nervous smile remained on her lips. “I’ve already given him training hours, Ma’am. Holodeck time and in Bay practice when possible. I’ll be personally overseeing some of them. I have asked my squadron’s XO, to oversee what she can from the remaining ones. It won’t happen again, Ma’am.”

“Lastly, anyone that went to C.A. Riley is fine by me…” Halloway beamed as she offered her hand. “… Corps Exec… Class of ‘81.” She then nodded with a smile “Go Mids!”

Halloway, XO

Eleanor’s surprise was apparent in her face. Her smile a little more pronounced. “Go Mids.” She managed to say, even though nervousness covered any excitement she was trying to show. Taking Halloway’s hand, Carnegie shook it. “I was the Corps Executive Officer as well… although I’m sure you know that by now.” She said motioning to the PaDD with her head.

Taking a deep breath, Eleanor finally said. “I just would like to add something to yesterday’s conversation, Ma’am.”

Halloway smiled warmly and laughed slightly. “I had a feeling you might… please, go ahead Eleanor.”

“I know you thought both me and Smoke were two novice pilots that had no idea how much the equipment in our hands costs. Well… he may be a novice pilot, but he’s a good kid, and he’ll learn with experience. But… my dad runs logistics for Holloway Heavy Industries… I have quite the solid grasp on how much these birds are worth. Not to mention, I have pretty high standards for my crew. After all, they don’t call me Iron Lady for nothing.”

Carnegie, Recon Squadron CO

Samantha laughed once more and walked around her desk to Eleanor’s side. “I had a sneaking suspicion you were from that family when I read your file. Cool call sign though…” She winked and continued. “… bet you probably picked it up from a history buff.”

Eleanor stood up as Halloway circled the desk. “Yeah. I think I know who started it.” Her expression reflected the nervousness she still felt.

“I just wanted you to come by so we could talk without me being an overbearing ass.” Halloway sighed once more. “I am very sorry for that and you should know that I am always available should you need anything. Now…” The warm smile still across her face. “… I’ve said my piece and I’m sure you have more important things to do than listen to me, so unless you have something else… I’ll bid you a good day Captain Carnegie.”

Halloway, XO

“Oh. Of course. Don’t worry about it, Ma’am. Thank you.” She smiled. “Have a good day, Commander.”

As she left the office, Eleanor couldn’t help but thinking that had been the strangest encounter she would have that day. No matter what, she knew that Halloway’s chewing would stay with Smoke until the day he retired. She was also certain, she would make sure not to cross Halloway again. It seemed like she was on Eleanor’s side now, but that didn’t mean she didn’t fear the woman.

Putting her glasses back on, Carnegie walked to the Flight Deck, hoping no more complications would arise.

Carnegie, Recon Squadron CO

As Carnegie arrived at the flight deck, the CAG came through the main doors to the hangar area. The Zakdorn Major looked at Carnegie and said “Captain. I was just looking for you. Mind telling me what the XO wanted? Twice?” His tone was flat, professional, normal. But they had served together just long enough for the small idiosyncrasies of the Marine Aviator. He was not pleased, and the target of his anger was not the Captain in front of him.

Maj. Lardel, CAG

Deep in her own thoughts, Eleanor almost jumped when Lardel spoke to her. How did he seem to know everything? Still slightly taken aback, Carnegie tried to regain her composure as fast as she could. “Uh, yes, Sir… It was nothing special, really… She called me and Smoke in yesterday because of the bulkhead incident. She wanted to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.” Eleanor paused for a moment trying to make sure she didn’t bad mouth the XO to the CAG. “She might have been a little… uh… forceful… in the way she expressed herself. But I think she realized that this morning and called me in to apologize. It was nothing really, Sir.”

Carnegie didn’t really appreciate the way Halloway had handled the matter. However, the woman had been polite enough to acknowledge the fact and apologize. Not to mention the immense praise she had given her. So Eleanor didn’t really feel comfortable sharing much more. Lardel might have been able to sense some of that hesitation in her demeanor.

Sighing, Eleanor finally said. “Commander Halloway is a veteran pilot, Sir. She won the TopGun trophy… it’s… impressive to say the least. I think she expects high standards from us. I just couldn’t pinpoint exactly how much she expects. We’re good. I just hope we are good enough for her. However, she also seems to acknowledge her mistakes. I appreciate that. As far as Smoke’s incident… I hope you know I also have high standards for my Squadron and I can assure you, it will not happen again, Sir.”

Carnegie, Recon Squadron CO

Lardel looked at Carnegie. “Captain. The Top Gun Trophy is a meaningless shelf decoration. Anyone can fly well in simulated combat. That’s why I give it no credence whatsoever. All that says is that she can, or could at some point, fly better than the others in her class.” He then set a hand on her shoulder and said “I want you to know something and to take it to heart. I understand standards. I understand holding individuals to those standards. And I know and trust that your standards are commensurate with mine and the needs of this Squadron.” he said, looking her straight in the eye. “A mistake was made. It was addressed. No one… and I mean no one… dresses down my Aviators without going through me first. And I expect you, Captain, to hold to that standard for your own team. No one berates your flight, not even me, without speaking to you before.” and he dropped his hand and said “We clear, Iron Lady?” with a look of understanding and familiarity that he had not shown before.

Lardel, CAG


Posts on USS Chimera

In topic

Posted since


© 1991-2024 STF. Terms of Service

Version 1.15.9