Shooting the Shet-

Posted on 18 Jul 2026 @ 2:03am by Lieutenant JG K'Rin "Tiger" C'Tinu & Master Chief Petty Officer Harrison Madrie

979 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: USS Tomcat — Flight Deck

ON:



The flight deck was alive with the familiar rhythm of a fighter squadron preparing for another day. The low hum of power couplings, the hiss of maintenance drones, and the occasional call from the deck crew blended into the background noise that Raider pilots knew better than any music.

Raider 4 sat beneath the open access gantry, its hull still carrying faint scoring from the last training sortie. Master Chief Petty Officer Harrison Madrie leaned against the fighter’s landing strut, a mug of synth-coffee in one hand and a diagnostic padd in the other. His flight suit was half-zipped at the collar, sleeves rolled just enough to expose the scarred knuckles of a pilot who fixed as many problems with his hands as he did with a tool kit.

Across from him stood Lieutenant JG K’Rin “Tiger” C’Tinu, inspecting the maintenance readout of Raider 5.

The Caitian towered over most of the flight crew, her golden-tan fur catching the overhead lights while her darker mane framed her face. She ran a clawed finger over the display, her iridescent green eyes narrowing slightly.

“Your thruster response time is still three percent slower than mine,” she said, glancing toward Harrison. “Again.”

Harrison looked up from his coffee, raising an eyebrow.

“Three percent?” He looked personally offended. “Tiger, I think you’re just making excuses because you don’t want to admit Raider 4 is the better bird.”

K’Rin’s ears twitched. “Your fighter has been modified beyond Starfleet specifications.”

“A harsh way of saying ‘improved.’” He retorted sipping his coffee.

“It is a polite way of saying ‘you are a problem for maintenance crews.’” She shot back.

Harrison gave her his trademark dry smirk. “I don’t break rules, Lieutenant. I test their elasticity.”

K’Rin shook her head, though the faint movement of her tail suggested amusement. “You know, Madrie, most pilots try to impress their flight leaders with skill.”

“I have skill.” He said with a mock pout.

“You try to impress them by making engineers threaten to eject you from the airlock.” She said her nose wrinkling.

“Also a skill.” He pointed out not sure what her point was but having fun arguing nonetheless.

The Caitian let out a low rumble that was dangerously close to a laugh.

Harrison noticed and leaned slightly closer, lowering his voice. “There it is.”

“There what is?” She quipped , her eyes narrowing.

“That almost-smile.” Mandrie said with a wink

K’Rin looked back at him he was incorrigible today. “Do not even start.”

“Start what?” He asked innocently. Though the gleam in his eyes was anything but.

“Whatever this is.” She growled

Harrison glanced around the busy flight deck before looking back at her. “I’m having a professional conversation with a superior officer.”

“With a grin.” She felt stupid saying it. Still...

“A professional grin.” He chuckled.

“With your reputation?” Her ears flattened and she turned away from him.

“Especially with my reputation.” Harrison said with a nod enjoying the effects of his words on her.

K’Rin turned back to him and crossed her arms. “You flirt with everyone.”

“Incorrect.” He said quickly

“Incorrect?” She nearly hissed this in her frustration with the little man.

“I flirt with people who are interesting.” He returned smoothly.

The Caitian tilted her head slightly. “And I am interesting?”

Harrison took a sip of coffee, pretending to consider.

“You’re six feet tall, can outfly half the squadron, have scared three engineers into requesting transfers, and you call yourself Tiger.” A pause. “Yeah. Pretty interesting.” He decided

Her ears flicked again. “You forgot stubborn.”

“That was implied.” He added taking another sip.

“And reckless too.” She threw out.

“Also implied.” He remarked enjoying that he had gotten her to engage.

“And impossible.” She huffed seeing that gleam return to his eye. So annoying'.

Harrison smiled. “Now you’re just describing me.”

For a moment, the two pilots simply stood there watching the flight deck operations. Despite the teasing, there was an unmistakable familiarity between them the kind forged by countless hours in cramped cockpits, trusting the person flying beside you when everything went wrong.

K’Rin finally looked back at the diagnostic padd. “Your maneuvering compensators need recalibration before the next sortie.”

Harrison sighed dramatically. “See? This is why I like you. You insult me and then save my life.”

“I maintain your fighter.” She stated her tail whipped lightly in frustration.

“Same thing.” He muttered

“It is not.” She shot back.

“Feels like it.” He smirked at her

The Caitian stepped past him toward Raider 5, but paused.

“Madrie.”

“Yeah?” He looked over at her.

She looked over her shoulder. “Try not to modify anything today.”

Harrison placed a hand over his chest in mock offense. “I am wounded you would even suggest that.”

K’Rin stared at him. A long silence. “…Yesterday you installed an unauthorized targeting algorithm.”

“It was a very good algorithm.” He said with out any sign of regrets.

“The computer called it ‘aggressively irresponsible.’” She accused.

“Computers lack imagination.” He said with a shrug.

She shook her head and continued toward her fighter.

Behind her, Harrison watched with a grin. “Admit it, Tiger. You’d miss me if I were to stop.”

Without turning around, K’Rin replied. “Perhaps.”

Harrison blinked. That was closer to a confession than he expected.

Then she added: “Mostly because someone has to keep you from destroying Raider 4.”

The grin returned. “Still counts.”

K’Rin’s tail flicked once in amusement as the flight deck returned to its normal controlled chaos. Two pilots. Two fighters. Two very different personalities. But in the air, they trusted each other completely.


OFF:




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Lieutenant JG K'Rin "Tiger" C'Tinu
Flight Leader 2nd Flight (Raider 5)
NCC TomCat

 

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