After Action/Wackamole
Posted on Tue Sep 22nd, 2020 @ 11:41am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Major Cornelius Tremble
Edited on on Tue Sep 22nd, 2020 @ 12:38pm
1,952 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 10 - New Home, Same Pioneers
Location: Captain's Ready Room - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD006 1300 hrs
Neil entered the bridge and looked around for a moment, making sure everything was as it should be then he stepped to the hatch leading to the Captain’s ready room and auto-keyed the annunciator with is contact. The door’s system’s accepted the hand-shake and the door opened without the Marine needing to break stride.
“Captain,” Neil said, stopping the prescribed distance in front of Malbrooke’s desk. “Reporting as ordered, sir.”
"Have a seat Neil. I think it about time you catch me up on the wild time you and the gang had." Tyler said with a smile as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.
Neil slid into he indicated chair, sighed, and said, "Well sir, it was a fairly routine op. I heard Intel thinks it's possibly Breen sponsored but I can't speak to that, though I think it might be short sighted to focus on them. I can tell you whoever put that LP there had resources enough to include a small starship and putting in a sophisticated listening post that we only came upon by that stray telemetry spike."
The marine squeezed the bridge of his nose, gathering his thoughts and said, "The casualties are to be expected but they speak to whoever is behind it. In hind sight, I probably should have left Amari and the other non-marines aboard the Hawkeye in orbit and insisted an overt stance from the Fleet Air Arm, but...it wasn't my mission."
Neil paused again and said, "At any rate, everyone did a good job and I'll be putting forth several names for promotion. More than a couple are over-due so that should push morale as we do more cross training with the RDF forces."
Tyler sipped his coffee and nodded as Niel spoke. "Yes I tend to agree about the promotions. Have them on my desk and I will see to them. As to whoever did this. Do we have any ideas? Is there anything to show for these casualties?" Tyler more than most people knew that there was no real price on a life. However, there had to be something, something to make their deaths not in vain and the mission worthwhile.
"Well sir," Neil said, "We did shut down the site and Intel got computer dumps from the systems there. There was a single prisoner taken by Rifle Team 1 and we have pretty good telemetry on the ship that dusted off their team. All in all, a mission success as we accomplished the goals set to us. As to who, it's debatable. All of the material we scanned is generic. My mind automatically turns to the Romulans or one of their clients, but we'll have to see what intel shakes out."
Tyler nodded and made a slight grunt. "Make sure that the prisoner is well taken care of. I think if we kill him with kindness before we put the screws to him that might be best. As to the Romulans, I fear you may be right. While they have extended the hand of friendship there are many factions that would put a stop to that. I just hope that whatever we gain from this prisoner. It turns out to be worth the cost. Any loss of life is priceless..." Tyler allowed himself to stop before he got up on his soapbox. He knew that there were differences between the Corps and the Fleet and one of those differences was collateral damage.
"All intel was shared with the RDF, but the prisoner and hard intel is in the Pioneer's brig and the SCIF respectively and turned over to intel. It'll be interesting to see what Ms. Masters can make of it," Neil stated. "So interrogation techniques are out of my hands."
The marine rubbed the back of his neck then and said, "Which reminds me, I may requisition the corp for a subject matter expert for this area. Rifle Team 2 is short so maybe an intel specialist wouldn't hurt. Especially if we get more missions handed off like this."
"That would be fine. The only other option is to take one of Masters' field agents should the need arise. Then there is also Ms Brown to consider. Any one of those three paths would be a good one. I know we now have Sirius' Marines at our disposal. However, I would prefer to handle most if not all things in house as it were." Tyler had faith in Tremble, if the man said he needed something then Tyler would not question him too much.
Neil scratch the back of his head again, wondering if he needed a shower and said, "I prefer to have anyone like Jenn's gang or Ms. Brown added as mission specialists as we need them. Which we usually do. With the casualties, we're down a shooter and I'd like to make sure the rifle teams are all at capacity. I'll poke around Sirius and see who I can lure over. It seems I've served with a number of the marines here this time."
The marine took a moment then added, "And, if with our own S2 section, we can cross verify some of the intel we get. I'm not saying we don't get the straight dope, but once in a while I wonder if someone someplace hasn't spun things before Jenn gets to see it."
Shrugging then, Neil smiled slightly, "Maybe I'm getting paranoid in my old age, sir."
"No Neil you are not getting paranoid, you are becoming a commander. It takes paranoia to command often. Paranoia is my reasoning behind wanting to keep much of the work in house. There is something going on in the fleet right now, and i cannot put my finger on it. However, I do not like it too much. As such all cards must be played close to the vest." Tyler responded. His tone of voice and entire demeanor changed as he began to speak again. "Anyone who you recruit over must be vetted before the transfer is approved. We have to make sure that the people we have here can be trusted."
"That's why I thought I'd use the gunny's network sir," Neil replied. "There's several good non-com's I know on Sirius that getting someone trustworthy shouldn't be too hard."
"That would be great. Once you have someone in mind I will handle the official paperwork. Admiral Lancaster is willing to get me what I need to get what he needs done. So at least we have that going for us...." Tyler sipped his coffee and tilted his head. It had become time to pick the Second Officer's brain. "Niel these fast changes in the fleet have a lot of people including myself reeling. I am trying to get ready for anything and everything. Not much if anything is known about the state of the Romulan people. What I would like to know is what do you think their tactics are going to be? Romulans are not known for ground assaults of any type. Your thoughts?"
Neil shifted in his chair, collecting his thoughts for a few beats and then met Malbrooke's eyes. "Well sir, you know I've been going through the Field Officers training and now that we're at Sirius, I've been reading through some of the tabletop exercises the RDF has been doing. I also read through what General Sobel's S2 gave me before we left Empok.
Rubbing at his temple then, he said "The Brigade has been doing Red Fleet tabletops on the Romulans. Based on all of that, I think that the Romulans will stay at what they're good at. Working in the shadows, sowing doubt, showing strength and trying to create and or exploit situations that will make them look stronger to those watching."
"Because, sir," he said dryly, "They know everyone's watching. Wackamole could indicate they're working through intermediaries to cause trouble and get us running off in all sorts of directions. Or getting wild accusations with no real base of proof being flouted around to make the Federation as a whole look addled. Having found the LP, there's a question how that will look to Federation members and critics of Star Fleet wondering how such a facility could be built under our noses."
"If I were running a Red Fleet exercise, I'd be exploiting that and pushing the more nervous members of the Federation and our allies into wondering if we can be trusted to hold up our end."
Then the Marine grimaced. "Or it could be someone totally out of left field trying to fox us. Getting us to look at what they're doing with one hand while the other is picking our pocket. For that scenario, I think it's important to remember what we teach in Sniper school. Keep an eye on your target, but have a spotter who's watching the whole field to make sure you don't get someone up your six."
"And that is why you are the best of the best. With what know of Romulan fleet tactics they favor boarding ships and taking them over. I would like you to train with Commander Myles' teams in repelling boarding procedures. One can never be too careful. I would hate to admit it but if the Romulans are up to their old tricks again that would be a large worry." Tyler said and then paused as he thought about something else.
"Neil, is the same thing that is happening in the fleet happening in the corps. The fleet is consolidating and pulling back to its boarders. This is something that is putting a bad taste in my mouth. I have to know if the Corps is operating under these new parameters as well." Tyler spoke candidly now. The tone in his voice indicated that this was more personal then business.
Meeting his CO's eyes, Neil said, "You've probably heard me refer to the Corp as the FMC more often than any reference to the Starfleet Marine Corp that so many people flop about? There's a reason for that. From the Commandant down there's a cadre that firmly believe that the corp belongs to the Federation, even if Fleet has overall command."
"Some might call it semantics, but most of the senior officers have the blessings of the Commandant. Those that don't...favorites that are pushed through by members of the Fleet get held at arms length and watched. To see if they sprout a second head or something," Neil related.
"In case you wondered why I was hesitant to take the leap from Gunny to Officer, despite what I said then, there's always that look you're going to get from the corp for a while to make sure you aren't. Neil shrugged slightly then and continued, "If you'll forgive me, sir: in the Fleet's pocket."
Tyler smiled that was all he needed to hear. Tremble, like Tyler, like Quinn served the Federation, not the Fleet, not the Corps, but the Federation as a whole. He knew now more than ever they would be able to fight whatever was going on together. "That is all I needed to hear Neil. I am glad that we are on the same page. I fear that we will be called upon more and more to serve the Federation as opposed to the Fleet or the Corps in the time to come."
A joint post by;
Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
Captain Cornelius Tremble
Marine Commanding Officer/Second Officer, USS Pioneer
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