New Quarters, New Challenges
Posted on Wed Aug 7th, 2024 @ 6:43pm by Captain Edmund Merrick & Gunnery Sergeant Tessia T'Lar
Edited on on Sat Aug 17th, 2024 @ 7:38pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 15 - The Evil That Lies Beneath
Location: Various - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD001 1100 hrs
After spending the past two weeks aboard Poseidon Station, Tessia eagerly anticipated stepping foot aboard the USS Pioneer. Her previous assignments were characterized by a high-speed environment where things happened quickly—from mission drops to briefings, training, deployment, and finally extraction. However, the fleet operated differently, often adopting a "hurry up and wait" approach.
She looked around, waiting patiently for her turn to use the transporter—another example of Starfleet Operations' efficiency, she thought. Finally, it was her turn. With a backpack in tow, she stepped onto the transporter pad and dematerialized.
Moments later she materialized in the transporter room aboard the USS Pioneer.
“Welcome aboard.” The Transporter Chief greeted.
Tessia nodded in acknowledgment. “Thank you.” She said stepping off the transporter.
She was about to ask where she could find the Marine Detachment when the Chief spoke up. “You’ll want to head to ‘The Snake Pit,’ it’s on Deck 9.”
At least there’s some efficiency here, she thought. “Thank you again,” she said with a warm smile, then headed out of the transporter room.
She was already familiar with the vessel's deck plan, having made it a point to study the ship before stepping aboard. It was good practice to know her surroundings. A few moments later, she arrived on Deck 9. Stepping into "The Snake Pit," she began looking for Captain Edmund Merrick.
A marine directed the new arrival towards the training area for the Marines. At the moment Merrick was working out on the heavy bag, patches of sweat darkened the grey tank top he wore, both on the front as well as the back. He had just done a round house kick which sent the heavy bag to swaying. Taking a moment Merrick walked over to get a drink of water from the bottle he had nearby squirting the liquid into his mouth, then mopped his brow with a dark green towel that he had placed upon a small bench there.
Tessia nodded to the marine and made her way to the training area. She observed Captain Merrick for a moment, impressed by his focus and form, then approached him as he made his way over to grab some water.
“Captain Merrick, I presume?” she said, stopping several feet away from him. She wore the green Marine uniform, tailored slightly tighter than the standard issue for practical reasons. While it wasn’t her goal to attract attention, the fit accentuated her figure and often did. Her long blonde hair was neatly pulled back into a ponytail, and she looked at the captain with her icy blue eyes.
“I’m Gunnery Sergeant Tessia T’Lar,” she introduced herself, extending her hand. She said nothing more, assuming he knew she was assigned to his team and had been expecting her.
After mopping off his arms and hands Edmund held out a hand to shake hers. "Glad you made it." draping the towel over one shoulder with the other. He only had given a briefest of glance at her as a whole then concentrated upon her face. "I am going to go hit the showers, then I'll be out for us to go grab something to eat if you're of the mind to do so and we can chat."
Tessia shook his hand firmly, nodding in acknowledgment. “Sounds good to me. I’ll just…” She glanced around the training area briefly before finishing, “…wait here.” She was eager to familiarize herself with the space, knowing she would likely be spending a lot of time there.
"I'll be back soon." Edmund replied then headed for the showers. A few minutes passed by and Merrick came out, dressed in a fresh uniform. He paused for a moment to see what her perception was about the training area .
While Edmund was gone, Tessia wandered around the room, examining various pieces of training equipment and the different sections designated for various exercises and routines. She paused at the heavy bag he had been working on earlier, recalling the roundhouse kick he performed just as she entered the room. A grin appeared on her face as she set her pack aside. Approaching the bag, she effortlessly executed a roundhouse kick, sending the bag swaying away from her.
Following the roundhouse kick, Tessia transitioned into a swift spinning back kick. The heel of her foot connected solidly with the heavy bag, sending it swaying even more forcefully. As the bag swung towards her, she stepped to the side and followed up with a series of jabs and punches. A few moments later, Tessia stopped the heavy bag, noticing Edmund had returned. She smiled and said, "Couldn't help myself," as she walked over to her bag and picked it up.
"It is there to be used." Edmund responded, with a smile. "Lets get you situated in some quarters then we'll get some grub. " Leading the way out of the training area. "Even though there is an area here called the barracks, we don't sleep there." he pulled out his padd and checked to see where she was going to be sleeping. "Looks like you will be on Deck Six." heading towards the turbo-lift.
Tessia adjusted the straps on her pack as she followed Edmund to the turbo-lift. "Will I have shared quarters or individual ones?" she asked upon hearing she'd be on Deck Six.
Merrick took a look at the listing then gave a nod."You will have your own private quarters. Will that be good for you?" when they stepped inside the lift he spoke, "Deck Six." the door closing quietly behind them and the feeling of the movement upwards.
Tessia nodded. "That’s fine with me," she replied, a hint of excitement in her voice. Having spent most of her career in environments that required close quarters with her team, the idea of having her own space was thrilling. She looked over at Merrick. "How long have you been aboard?" she asked, curious to learn more about her new commanding officer.
"Maybe a year or more? I am not truly certain." Edmund giving a chuckle, "Days seem to flow into each other when one gets into a routine. I think though it has been over a year now."
“They sure can,” Tessia said, reflecting on her previous year and her assignment to the USS Wellington. It had been her first full-time ship assignment, and adjusting to life aboard a starship instead of being punted from one mission to another, from one planet to another, had been challenging at times. Life aboard a starship was certainly different.
"What drew you to the Marines? Family tradition? A friend or family member who inspired you to join?" Edmund asked as he set a course for where her quarters were at.
“Life circumstances,” Tessia replied matter-of-factly. She had gotten herself in trouble by dealing with questionable characters and was captured during a Marine operation on her homeworld. A Marine commander took pity on her and took her in. It wasn’t something she liked to discuss; it was personal to her. “How about you, sir?” she asked, hoping to shift the focus of the conversation onto him instead.
"It wasn't any of the reasons I tossed out there, I decided to make a career change from security to the Marines." he had taken note of the slight change in her voice, and wasn't going to pursue that line. He thought back as to why he left StarFleet security. "The corps gave me what I needed when I needed it the most." Edmund added.
Tessia understood what he meant by his last statement. The corps had also given her what she needed when she needed it the most. It had saved her life, and she would always be grateful for that. “I can relate to that,” she said.
Edmund gave an understanding nod. "There are quite a few good people on this ship, people who you can count on to dig a person out of the hole they are in." he continud on to where they came to a stop in front of the door of her quarters. "Both of StarFleet and of the Marines."
Snap out of it, Tessia, she thought to herself, realizing her mind had drifted back to her last mission with PhantomClaw. Despite maintaining a strong exterior, certain triggers sent her mind whirling. There was no physical indication of her struggle, but her thoughts told a different story. She took a moment to collect herself before responding, not wanting to appear broken. Finally, she smiled. “That’s reassuring to hear,” Tessia replied, appreciating the sentiment. “Do we get sent on a lot of missions?” she asked, wanting to keep the conversation flowing as she patiently waited for the door to open.
"with this ship being a blend of Star Fleet as well as Marines, I can only say it depends on what is going on at the time. Before shore leave we went on a mission to solve a mystery of why feet were being found floating in the water." he paused long enough to enter her code of authentication and the door opened. "That was truly a bit of a sticky wicket. A group of us had gone on the Serenity where we investigated an underground, what seemed to be an abandoned laboratory. We found something that- was frightful to behold and we had a heck of a time getting away from there." Edmund slightly shivered, feeling icy chills going across him as his mind went to that thing they had encountered.
Listening intently, Tessia raised an eyebrow at the mention of feet being found floating in the water. She shivered at the thought as she stepped through the now-open door. She was glad she missed that mission but then again, she had plenty of her own disturbing and frightful missions. “That sounds very unpleasant,” she remarked, glancing around the room.
"Indeed it was." Merrick regarded Tessia silently for a moment then he said. "Here you go, home sweet home. I will take my leave, get yourself settled and later on you will get to meet with the others."
Tessia nodded. "Thank you. I'll get everything sorted here. Looking forward to meeting the rest of the team." She gave him a respectful nod before stepping inside her new quarters, ready to make herself at home.
A Joint Post By
Gunnery Sergeant Tessia T'Lar
Sniper, Team 1, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Captain Edmund Merrick
The Cure Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
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