Wesley Richter

[Zapp]

And so he was at the ceremony where he got a medal shaped like a pair of wings pinned to the lapel of his uniform. He was as proud as an under-sized rooster, though he looked like an over-sized flamingo. Then a few of the other graduates lifted him up and put him in his new Wrath, pushing it over to the launch area. Wesley was a little worried, but decided to trust them. The Wrath got on the pad, everyone ran, and the flight deck launched him. How rude, he thought, taking control of the ship and flying it away from the battleship.

What they had failed to tell him was that it was part of the ceremony, and that he was supposed to do a loop around the battleship and dock.

~ ~ ~

Whats that new guy doing? one of the flight deck operators asked, looking at the radar.

I dont know. Didnt anyone tell him that this was part of the ceremony? another replied.

The first man grimaced. I dont think so

~ ~ ~

Eventually they got Wesley back on the battleship, but not before he got a dressing down by the Admiral over the comm line. Attempts to explain that he hadnt been informed of the tradition were overridden by the Admirals raspy voice, carrying all the authority his rank and age brought with it. Eventually, as punishment, he was denied the [RM] prefix to his call-sign that was visible to all, as well as being bumped down a rank. He invented the rank just so Wesley could occupy it. And so Wesley joined the Rheinland Military, the newest screw-up.