Officer's Call
Posted on Wed Oct 23rd, 2024 @ 6:32am by Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble & Captain Edmund Merrick & 1st Lieutenant Jeksyne Vale & Sergeant Major Lachlan Barr & 1st Lieutenant Edward O'Rourke & Staff Warrant Officer Rommie & Warrant Officer Mercy Ryan
Edited on on Thu Oct 24th, 2024 @ 12:24am
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Conference Room - Deck 3 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD001 0800
Neil mused at the files floating in his holo-display and considered the ramifications for the Pioneer.
The Cure.
And especially for him.
They were getting new Marines aboard.
That was normal in the structure of Federation vessels and the FMC.
Transfer ins. Transfer outs.
But the Cure had gotten another junior line officer and that told Neil all he needed. It was a time for the more changes and he might as well get a jump on things and get his house in order. Glancing over at Rommie, he didn’t say anything.
Neil didn’t need to. At a slight nod from him, Rommie activated the comms and an archaic bugle call sounded before she said, “Attention Captain Merrick, Lieutenant Vale, Lieutenant O’Rourke. Officers' call. Sergeant Major Barr, please attend as well. Major Tremble is in the conference room on Deck three.”
Neil had mulled on holding this meeting outside of Marine Country and ultimately had went with his gut. Rommie had taken the effort to have the Federation and FMC flags crossed on a wall adding something of a military theme to the wall but that was all. She took up a parade rest stance near the hatch and waited.
Things were changing.
Edward was sparring in the gym with Mercy. "When you said you wanted to spend some time together, this is not what I imagined." He said as he dodged the Warrant Officer's kick.
"Well, when I kick your ass, you'll take no for an answer." Mercy said lashing out with a right to the face.
He deflected it. "Hey, not the face." He said.
"Well, shut your mouth , and it won't be such an obvious target." She said coming at him with right left combo.
He deflect the first, but the second connected with his chest knocking the breath out of him.
He made the Time out gesture as he fought to gain his composure.
Mercy laughed. "Maybe you should have kept your eyes on my hands and not my chest." She said.
Before he could respond to his taut, his comm made a bugle sound. Tapping it he acknowledged he'd received the message and headed for the locker room. "Sorry, Mercy, duty calls."
"Well I guess that makes it a win for me." She shouted after him.
Later having showered and put on a fresh uniform, Edward entered the conference room. "1st Lieutenant Edward O'Rourke, reporting as ordered, sir."
At the sound of the bugle, Edmund's head snapped up from the padds he was perusing. He marked his place on the file he was reading, grabbed his beret and quickly headed for the briefing room. He was curious as to what Neil wanted, lending speed to his stride. Edmund entered shortly after Edward had done so.
"Major, Lieutenant, good morning." Edmund taking a seat.
Not necessarily a "junior" officer in the sense of the word but in rank, Jeksyne Vale entered the conference room next, Saluting the major as he stood in the threshold of the door.
"First Lieutenant Vale, Reporting." He spoke, crisp and clear. He was built like a linebacker, strong, fit. He wasn't some 20 something fresh 1st Lieutenant, but aged more like someone who had seen a lot of action, the hallmarks of a mustang, an enlisted man given an officer's commission.
Glancing over his officers as they arrived, Neil kept his seat and gestured toward the chairs he'd arranged: four in a vague circle facing one another without a desk or table in between. They didn't really need one for this and he wanted to keep it more or less informal.
"Grab drinks if you want them and seats," Neil said by way of greeting. "We're going to keep this fairly informal and since we're on the brink of shore leave, this won't take all that long."
Rommie kept her spot near the door but cocked her head towards the Colonel, then toward the door.
Neil caught the look and said, "I'm sure the Sergeant Major will be joining us. Being in command of a starship is taxing and he claimed to have been behind in his other duties. So we've got a minute."
Glancing around, he said, "I hope you all are going to take advantage of shore leave while we're here. No telling what's Fleet will send down the pike next. Any firmed up plans?" Neil picked up the coffee cup he'd set next to the leg of his chair and pulled at it before replacing it. The smell of caff slightly filled the air and he leaned back in his seat.
"I'll be visiting my mother, she's a civilian doctor who helps out in the Infirmary on Empok Nor." Edward said.
Who wanted to command a starship? Not Lachlan. He enjoyed command to a degree but this was never one of his ambitions. That's what officers were for and why he always stayed where he was and on numerous occasion refused the offers to go into officers training and receive a commission. He felt he got more respect being a Sergeant Major, First Sergeant of the Cure and Chief of the Boat of the Pioneer.
Walking into the conference room. "Sorry sir. The sooner you and Malbrooke take command back my normal duties will get back on track." he rubbed the side of his head as he moved into the room. "What've we got?" he asked in reference to why the meeting was called.
Grinning, Neil told the Sergeant Major, "What fun is that, Top?" Neil waited until Lachlan found a chair then looked them over and said, "Ok, some changes are being implemented through this shore leave cycle and I wanted you all to hear about it from me."
Neil slipped into a chair of his own and said, "First and foremost, the Corp is migrating me into a Battalion Commander position. Primarily, I'll be in charge when any two or more Detachments are fielded together away from their duty assignments within Pioneer's and the Brigades AOR."
Pausing, he took a drink from his mug and continued. "That doesn't happen all that often. My day to day will be mostly administrative while wearing that hat. I'm still XO of the Pioneer. Along with my duties changing, so will some of yours. Captain Merrick," he said meeting Edmund's eyes, "You are now field commander of the Cure."
Smiling, Neil shifted his eyes to Jeksyne, "Lieutenant Vale, you are appointed as executive officer of the Cure and in command of Team One."
Jeksyne nods, stern and professional.
"Aye, Sir."
Moving his eyes again, to take in Lachlan's and Edward's he said, "Sergeant Major you'll be retaining field command of Team 2 and Lieutenant O'Rourke will remain part of the the HQ element due to your engineer specialties."
Leaning back he said, "Congratulations. I imagine promotions will trickle down with those added responsibilities at some point, but for now you only get the added responsibility. Questions?"
Edmund was astonished at this news, the shock at this news was evident. his mouth opened and closed no words coming out. A few blinks from him then Edmund stammered out. "Uh f-field commander Sir?" feeling like he had been knocked for a loop. He quickly gathered his wits, "Thank you, I will do my best to not let you down. " his mind all awhirl, Edmund didn't have any questions.
"Congrats, Edmund." Edward said giving him a salute.
Edmund chuckled, giving Edward a nod. "Thank you. And congratulations for all of you as well." Edmund was a little bit worried in the back of his mind, however the set up that Neil had created in order for how the marines were being run, a solid base will help to make things successful.
"I don't envy you, Vale, I'm sure Edmund will agree, Team 1 are an 'interesting' bunch."
"I think I can handle 'interesting', sir." Jeksyne allowed himself a small chuckle but quickly reverted to his stern stance, an NCOs stance, his past showing.
"Aye Colonel." Lachlan nodded. "Congratulations on your promotion sir, but I'll happily take my demotion from ship's CO and defer back to your impeccable judgement in all things." he teased. "My job is not to have fun but to make sure the marines and enlisted do their jobs. Fun is overrated." he made comment back to Neil's initial reply to him when he entered the room.
"Top, between you and me, you know being CO of a Fleet ship is a demotion for a marine non-com like you," Neil joked. Glancing at his assembled officers he said, "Right. Not all of you may be aware, but I have an AI functioning as an aide. Warrant Rommie will be handling a great deal of administrative liaison work between me and Brigade as well as much as I can get away with aboard Pioneer. The Commodore is no great fan of AI's, but she's proven herself capable and reliable." Neil gestured with his chin toward where Rommie stood.
Rommie nodded to the Cure's officers and Master Sergeant Lachlan as they glanced at her, wondering why she felt a bit self-conscious. And if it was actually consciousness as most humanoids felt or just a sub-routine. It had to be the latter but she still felt her cheeks glow a bit at hearing the Colonel thought her capable and reliable. She was again dressed in the 2360's skant with FMC green panels and knee boots.
"Only thing I have beyond that," Neil said, "Captain, start thinking of a training mission you would like to run. Get to planning and we'll see about implementing it as the schedule allows. There is no rest for the wicked."
Edmund watched Rommie for a moment having an amused expression in his eyes, turning his attention back to Neil, he gave a nod. "You've got it, Colonel."
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Battalion Commander, The Cure
Captain Edmund Merrick
Company Commanding Officer Officer, The Cure
USS Pioneer
First Lieutenant Edward O'Rourke
Combat Engineer, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Warrant Officer Mercy Ryan
Sniper, Team 1, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Sergeant Major Lachlan Barr
Chief of The Boat, USS Pioneer
First Sergeant, The Cure
First Lieutenant Jeksyne Vale
Company Executive Officer, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Staff Warrant Officer Rommie;
Artificial Intelligence, The Cure;
USS Pioneer;
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