A Morning Game

Posted on Wed Jun 5th, 2013 @ 11:56am by Lieutenant Amanda Owens & Lieutenant Susan Halton

Mission: Episode 1.2 - "A Friend in Need..."
Location: Holodeck I, USS Yorktown
Timeline: MD01, 1000

ON: [[Holodeck I, USS Yorktown, MD01, 1000]]

“You certainly picked a nice place,” Susan (PNPC) said as she limbered up on the opposite side of the tennis court. “I take it that you based this on a real location?”

“Yeah,” Amy (PNPC) replied, also doing a few stretches so she wouldn’t pull anything in the game. “This bluff’s about three hours from my home, on foot. I always enjoyed the hike up here, but my brother never had the inclination to do anything more than hike out and back. Of course, there isn’t an actual tennis court there, either, but I like the view.”

The view was pretty spectacular. They were on an outcropping of rock (which Amy had replaced with a full tennis court via the computer) that overlooked a clearwater lake. The lake lay at the bottom of a valley between several bluffs and stretched away out of view beyond the bluff Amy and Susan stood on. Around the lake, tree-laden slopes rose gently from the water, with patches of fallen rock dotting the landscape. Beyond the nearer bluffs, more stretched on to the seemingly endless horizon. While not the most breathtaking view Amy had experienced, it was still one of her favorites and offered a feeling of peace.

“Well, you ready?” Amy asked, stepping up to the line. “We can start off with a few volleys to get warmed up if you want.”

“Sure,” Susan agreed, moving forward as well. She altered her stance as Amy gently lobbed a ball over, and they started a light volley that got them moving but didn’t really challenge them.

“So how’s life in Sec/Tac?” Susan asked after a while as the small yellow ball bounced back and forth across the net.

“Same old, same old,” Amy said with a grin. “Just drills, drills, and more drills.”

“Could be worse,” Susan pointed out. Amy nodded.

“Yeah, I know,” the older woman agreed. “At least we don’t have to do those drills for real. Ready to start?”

“Sure,” Susan said again. She lowered her stance into a ready position. “You can go first.”

“Alright,” Amy said, catching the returning tennis ball with her free hand. Positioning herself, she looked across the court at her opponent. “Love-love.” Tossing the ball up into the air, Amy whipped her racquet in an arc that struck the ball with a sharp pop! and sent it speeding over the net. The ball was low but didn’t clip the net, so when it struck the opposite court it was legal; it was such a good serve that Amy was surprised when Susan managed to get behind it and return it with some decency. Amy was so surprised that she almost missed returning the ball, but she managed it and a volley got going.

“You’re pretty good,” Susan acknowledged as she danced around her side of the court. It seemed that her reflexes were just as good outside a starfighter as in it.

“Thanks; you’re not too bad yourself,” Amy replied, and it was true. While Susan lacked some of the finesse and planning that Amy did, the pilot’s quick reflexes allowed her to respond to sudden changes in direction without missing a beat. Amy had to work hard to even score the first point, but she finally managed it. “Fifteen-love.”

“So where are you and the squadron going after this?” Amy asked as she served again. This time her serve wasn’t as fast, which only made it easier for Susan to return it. “I mean, this is just a field test, right? I don’t think the Yorktown is really designed to support even a single flight like this.”

“Yeah, we’re definitely not staying here,” Susan said, managing to get a cross-court hit that sent Amy scrambling. “I mean, not that we–“ Susan stopped to catch Amy’s barely-returned hit. “–don’t like it here. But you’re right – the Yorktown really isn’t the place for us. We’ll probably get assigned to a starbase or something.” This time, Amy couldn’t get to the ball in time, and Susan grinned at her first point.

“Wouldn’t you feel…I don’t know, tied down?” Amy wondered, setting up for another serve.

Susan shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “As long as I’m in the cockpit, I’m happy. You could always come with us, you know.”

Amy shook her head as she moved forward to push an advantage. “I still have a lot I can do here on the Yorktown,” she said. “Besides, I don’t get to just jump in a starfighter and fly around whenever I want.”

“Then maybe you should become a starfighter pilot,” Susan said with a laugh. Amy laughed along with her, and the two moved on with their game.

OFF

A Post By

Lieutenant Amanda Owens
Assistant Chief Sec/Tac Officer, USS Yorktown
Played By: LTCMDR Thompson

Lieutenant Susan Halton
Fighter Pilot, Phantom Squadron, USS Yorktown
Played By: LTCMDR Thompson