Welcome to the Fold

Posted on Fri Oct 26th, 2018 @ 9:30pm by Major Cornelius Tremble
Edited on on Fri Oct 26th, 2018 @ 9:50pm

923 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 5 - It Would Be Their Pleasure
Location: Marine Country, CO's Office
Timeline: MD001 0900 hrs

It had been a long week. He was almost willing to verbally acknowledge that he was still screwed up with Hoyle’s memories and he been keeping himself busy. Given sleep was filled with faces he couldn’t identify, work was much preferred. Neil shifted in his desk chair, trying to force it into a more comfortable shape as he eyed coffee cup sitting empty and cold on his desk, debating if more was a good idea. A reminder sounded on his console and he glanced down and hit the comm, “Gunnery Wilson, join me in my office when you get a chance?”

Wilhelmina made her way into the Lieutenant's office clearly having just finished combing her hair putting a comb away as she came in.

Neil had given into temptation and was refiling his cup at the replicator as she entered and he smiled, “Help yourself to something and take a pew, Gunny.”

She starting to give him a salute, but then aborting it as she was told to have a seat, she stopped in front of the replicator. "Replicator, Wilson's Brodie tea." The replicator obliged making a cup of what smelled like rather strong tea, with a clear smell of nutmeg in it. Talking over and sitting down across from Cornelius.

Resuming his seat, he got to business. “ I’ve been reading through all the reports from the past week and your account. Good work, there Gunny. We really haven’t had a chance to sit down, officially and this is mere formality. You seem to know your job and I intend to let you do it. Any thoughts or concerns?

"Thenk ye very much, as far as thoughts an' concerns? well we hav a fine group ay marines here, that's mah first thoughts. as fur concerns? hmm. weel Ah this is mah first assignment as a first sergeant. an' Ah must admit 'at most most of mah wark sae far has bin in special operations an' such', not 'that Ah don't thin Ah can dae it, it's jist a bit it out of mah comfort zone." She took a drink before adding in "But aam sure i'll come up tae speed in nae time."

It took a few beats for his brain to process her accent, then he grinned at her. "No choice but to hit the ground running. We're a small detachment and have lots of irons in the fire. Which you already know. I was in your seat..." he trailed off, trying to do the math and hedged.

"Maybe a year and a half ago here? It might benefit you to keep my rear end healthy. I'm still not sure I made the right choice." Knowing Wilson only by reputation and her jacket, Neil cleared his throat and got back to business, "Push group training for the next few cycles. That year or so has shaken things up, and not in a good way."

"Weel then it shoods be a learnin' experience fur all of us reit? so crew trainin'? anythin' in mind'? ship board action, planit side? or jist a mix of th' loch."

"Everything and anything. We need to all keep sharp and keep training cert's up. We can skip EVA training and focus on groupsticles for the next couple of cycles. Plus, as always, we need to be doing it better and faster than the fleet. I know it sounds counter productive, but I've always thought that we work better when they're a little uncomfortable around us."

Neil smiled at that, and leaned back slightly, "Tell me about your last assignment, Gunny?

She perked a eyebrow. "my last assignment? it was tha' USS honeyweel. Bonny wee ship she is, Norway class, Captain Tillerman fine Englishman, Ah was part ah a small four Marine detachment escortin' a political dignitary aroond th' beta quadrant. only lasted a few months, so nae much tae teel afair... Before tha' Ah spent two years as cadre at th' special operations trainin' center in amman Jordan on earth, was still recoverin' f'rm a injury at th' time." She paused and gave a ever so slightly nervous smile.

"Most ay mah time in th' corps i've spent attached tae Star fleet intelligence an' wi' special operations task forces. sae aam afraid ye would need tae ask more specific questions." It was a more or less polite 'need to know answer'

Neil percolated on that for a moment and nodded, "I've found myself in Dark Waters on occasion, so I get that. For some reason, the Pioneer feels like it's at the tip of the spear, and for Marines that's a good place to be."

"You've had your own trials, but you didn't suffer the Temporal mixer the rest of us attended, so I'll depend upon you to keep an eye on our people. Don't hesitate to sit any of them down for sick call if they start flaking out."

"And if you notice it in me, well they call that eccentricity in CO's", he grinned at her.

She finished her tea. "Eya, well I have plenty eccentricities to spare. But I'll keep me eyes open Sir."

"Keep up the good work and Welcome to the Cure, Gunnery Sergeant," Tremble told her.

A Joint Post By

Second Lieutenant Cornelius Tremble
Marine Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer

Gunnery Sergeant Wilhelmina Wilson
First Sergeant/Rifle Fire Team 2 Leader, USS Pioneer

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