Ruby and Saladin
Posted on Sun Aug 11th, 2024 @ 1:15am by Warrant Officer Mercy Ryan & Gunnery Sergeant Tessia T'Lar
Edited on on Sat Aug 17th, 2024 @ 7:51pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 15 - The Evil That Lies Beneath
Location: The Snake Pit - Deck 9 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD002 1000 hrs
Tessia had been informed that her rifle had arrived and would be in the Armory on Deck 9. So, after her morning workout, breakfast, and various other routines, she made her way to the Armory. To her annoyance, the Armory was locked. She didn’t have access, nor was anyone nearby to let her in. As she was new to the ship, she didn’t know whom to call for assistance. She decided to make her way to The Snake Pit, hoping Captain Merrick would be there and could point her in the right direction.
Tessia strolled into The Snake Pit wearing the green Marine uniform, tailored slightly tighter than the standard issue. The uniform fit accentuated her figure, drawing attention, but she didn’t care as she wore it for practical reasons more than to attract people. Her blonde hair was neatly pulled back into a ponytail, and she looked around the area with her icy blue eyes.
She didn’t see Captain Merrick but noticed another Marine in the area. She observed the person for a moment before approaching them. “Excuse me, do you know how I can get into the Armory?” Tessia asked.
"You'll need an authorization code, Gunny." Mercy replied. "Or a working knowledge of electronic locks. Luck for you, I happen to have both. Warrant Officer Mercy Ryan at your service." She said with a smile.
Tessia smiled. “I had considered causing a ‘malfunction’ with the lock, but being my second day aboard, I thought better of it.” She had recognized Mercy from her file and was looking forward to meeting her, especially since Mercy was the other sniper on the team. Tessia was curious about how their dynamic would play out. “But it seems I got lucky finding you.” Tessia extended her hand towards Mercy. “I’m Tessia T’Lar.”
Mercy accepted the offered hand and shook it. "So, you're the one come to take my place?" Mercy teased. "I take it they locked away your weapon in the Armory, I keep 'Ruby', my weapon, in my quarters, I feel a little uneasy not having 'her' close."
Tessia accepted the friendly banter, holding onto Mercy's hand for a few seconds longer and replying with a smile. “I had hoped we’d work together, but if you're offering your place, I'll take it,” she teased, finally letting go of Mercy’s hand. Tessia was used to competing to be the best and fighting for her place, but she genuinely hoped they could work together. “They wouldn’t let me bring my weapon aboard myself and told me it would be delivered to the Armory.”
"Well you can't be without your rifle, so let's rectify that problem." Mercy said with a smile. Follow me."
Tessia followed Mercy to the Armory.
At the Armory door, Mercy said. "Computer, unlock Marine Armory, authorization Ryan-Mu-Three-Seven-Four-Beta."
"Thank you, Warrant Officer Mercy Ryan. Please approach for retinal scan."
The Sniper did so and a laser scanned her right eye.
"Authorization confirmed. Door unlocking. Have a good day, Warrant Officer Ryan."
The magnetic locks disengaged and the door began to open.
Tessia stood by waiting patiently as Mercy unlocked the door, and then waited for the door to open.
Once the doors were open, Mercy led Tessia inside. "Try to stay away from and crates labelled 'Sergeant A. Thompson', the Sergeant besides being a corpsman, is also a botanist and uses some experimental plant based weapons. They don't always behave." Mercy said.
Tessia followed Mercy inside, looking around the armory. “Does he feed them blood?” Tessia asked, recalling an old Earth movie about a peculiar plant named Audrey II that only fed on human flesh and blood.
"Nothing like that, it's just sometimes they get a bit 'handsy' with their tendrils." Mercy said. "Thompson is a woman, her code name is 'Poison Ivy' named for a fictional Earth villain who could control plants."
Tessia nodded. "Seems fitting," she said in agreement with the code name. Although she wasn't familiar with the fictional villain, she tried to imagine what the character might look like and why she had earned that name. As they stepped deeper into the armory, Tessia began searching for the container holding her rifle. She didn't spot it right away but saw plenty of other weapons, some standard issue and others more unique. "How long have you been aboard?" she asked, continuing to look around.
"About a year and a half." Mercy said. "My previous assignment was aboard the Mountbatten when it came under attack by Klitane raiders, it seems we had accidentally encroached into their space. They didn't accept our apologies and sent two attack squads to wipe us out, so their engineers could use the Mountbatten for parts. I worked with Security and my fellow Marines to repel the invaders." The sniper paused. "Not many outsiders have encountered them, but they appear to be an insectoid race, where they are genetically altered to serve different functions. From what I saw their squad leaders were lithe and agile while their grunts were larger and slower, with thicker carapaces that were resistant to phaser fire." Mercy sighed thinking about the good people that died that day. "Once we dispatched their attack squads, they ignored us and let us leave the system."
Tessia listened intently as she continued her search for her equipment. "That must have been one hell of a fight," she remarked, her eyes scanning the room. Spotting a familiar case, she checked the tag and confirmed it had her name on it. She picked up the rifle case and set it on a nearby table.
"It was." Mercy said solemnly. Changing the subject, she said. "Oh, you found it? Does it have a name?"
“I did,” Tessia replied, tapping the case with her fingers. ”He does.” She looked over at Mercy, then back down to the case as she unlocked it. Opening the case, she revealed a sniper rifle. “This is Saladin,” she said proudly, looking back at Mercy.
Mercy studied the sniper rifle. "He looks great. Welcome to the Cure, Saladin." She said.
Tessia took a few moments to thoroughly inspect the rifle and all the accessories in the case. Once satisfied, she closed the case and securely locked it. Looking over to Mercy, she smiled. “How often does our unit get deployed?” she asked, curious about the frequency of their missions.
"That's up to the Brass, but if something's too hot for Security, they send us in our shiny EVA suits." Mercy said. "But you know the story, if you're not deployed you're prep'ing to deploy."
Tessia nodded with a hint of understanding. Her previous assignments had been fast-paced, always moving from one mission to another. Maybe this change of pace was exactly what she needed. “So, you mentioned you keep your weapon in your quarters? We’re not required to keep it in the armory?”
"Well, I had get permission and have a sophisticated gun safe installed in my quarters." Mercy said. "Plus, nobody touches 'Ruby', but me."
Tessia sighed. “I suppose I’ll need to get permission as well,” she said, glancing down at the case holding her rifle. “This will be your home for now,” she added softly to Saladin.
"I'd start with Captain Merrick, he's our element leader." Mercy said.
“I will do that,” Tessia said, looking at Mercy. “Thank you for letting me in.”
"No problem, Gunny." Mercy said. "After you get settled, I'll introduce you to Ruby." She added.
"Looking forward to it." Tessia said.
A Joint Post By
Gunnery Sergeant Tessia T'Lar
Sniper, Team 1, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Warrant Officer Mercy Ryan
Sniper, Team 1, The Cure
USS Pioneer
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