Two Captains? Oh My

Posted on Sun Feb 28th, 2021 @ 4:13am by Captain David Hawkins & Captain Brenda Sinclair

Mission: A New Legacy
Location: Captain's Ready Room, Deck 1
2129 words - 4.3 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

With a coffee thermos in hand, complete with a USMC seal printed on the metal - Brenda Sinclair meandered her way through the ship. Wanting to start to learn her way around the kilometer long, 37-deck flying behemoth that was the ship. She had already managed to get herself lost a couple of times. At least a mountain range had a goddamn North. Finding a Turbolift, Brenda set foot inside. "Bridge."

If she couldn't figure out her way around, she could at least make the acquaintance of the ship's CO. One Captain - Fleet, not Marine - David Hawkins. As the lift ascended through the ship, Brenda picked at an imaginary spot of lint. She had changed out of the usual camo fatigues common for Marines on Taurus III, in favour of the standard uniform. It wasn't something she was used to wearing, and it felt odd.

The lift came to a stop, and Brenda stepped out, initially stunned at the cavernous oval she now stood in. "Goddamn." She muttered, casting her eyes across the room. If the ship as a whole had seemed imposing, the Bridge itself was something else. Crossing from the Turbolift to the Captain's Ready Room, Brenda chimed the door, waiting.

"Easy there, marine," a voice spoke up from behind the young marine standing before his office. David Hawkins held a pad in his hand while resting his hand in his pocket. "Is it time for my new baby sitter to brief me on how it will be while I am off my ship and in the field?" He started off as he watched to see her reaction.

Arching an amused eyebrow at his choice of words, Brenda took a sip of her coffee. "I wouldn't call it 'babysitting'. More like... Career protection. Yours, and mine." She looked around the Bridge again. How could anyone wrap their head around this place? "I've never had a shipboard posting before. This is all still kind of new."

For a moment, he picked up the obvious stance she held when she was 'attacked' but took it well. She wasn't wanting to dwell on his statement and move on. So she was showing capability of redirecting to prevent further conflict with him. At least this was how he was seeing it. This made him smirk slightly as he walked by her. "Yeah, for someone that is used to being out there in the field, and get all that kind of training, its a shift in how to handle things," he started as the door opened and two German Sheppard dogs shifted what they were doing and stood up.

"Down you two," the voice of another man already in the room sat up from his laying stance on the couch. He wore a marine uniform and all he could do was wave with his free hand while the other held his body up a bit. "Well hello, Davy... and new ... ground pounder?"

"Feet off my new couch," David called as he waved Brenda in. "Captain Brenda Sinclair, meet Lieutenant Colonel John Hayter. He was looking over the marine detachment restructuring on Arcadia for me when I took command about a month ago." He paused and stopped at the desk, grabbed his mug and topped it off with fresh coffee. "You need a top off Captain?"

Brenda, caught somewhat off-guard at the appearance of a half-colonel did the only thing a Marine could think to do. She shifted the thermos from her right hand to her left, and then rendered a salute to the man. Only then did she unscrew the lid and set the thermos on the desk. "Yes, thank you. Never turn down a fresh coffee."

Returning her focus to Colonel Hayter, Brenda answered his earlier inquiry. "Yes, Sir. Rifle Company. Formerly attached to 3rd Battalion, 66th Regiment, out on Taurus III, by the Cardassian border. Someone in Fleet Command decided to haul my entire Company - and the equipment to go with - onto the Arcadia in a single redeployment."

"Uh... yeah..." John replied waving the salute with his hand as he sat himself up and relaxed up right. He looked between Hawkins and Sinclair before he clearing his thought. "That was me."

""So that was where you got the marines so quickly," the captain stated as he topped off the marine captain's mug before returning it back to its heating element. He rounded his desk and sat down while taking a sip of his coffee. The hot liquid was a good reminder to his body to wake up. With the lack of sleep, he was struggling staying awake at points through the day.

"They were going to move the unit from the Cardassian boarder to the romulan sectors which are under question," the colonel shrugged. "Plus you told me to grab the best candidates."

David looked the captain over. "Tell us more about yourself, Captain. You seem young, so why are you the best candidate?"

Contemplating the colonel for a moment, Brenda wondered if there was a little spook in him. If her unit had originally been slated for Romulan space, and then he had come in and essentially got them re-directed here... it was a slick move. One she'd expect from an S-2 Intelligence Officer. A moment, though, was all the speculation she could afford. The Captain had asked a damn good - and bloody annoying - question, and she needed an answer.

Why was she the best candidate? If this turned out to be political, she would wind up killing someone. "Only as good as the Company, Sir. I got a crack Gunny backing me up, and Lieutenants I trust to run their Platoons. We've had our share of engagements, nothing spectacular. We got in, got the job done, and got out. If you're after a singular event, we were deployed into Cardassian space itself. A Starfleet shuttle had gone down on some moon. The Cardassians were looking for it as well, hence the need for marines as the Ex-fil team. We got in some trouble, but managed to get the shuttle crew out. Had to blow the shuttle itself - there were security concerns of the information on the computer." She wasn't doing the tale much justice. "Three days hiking through mountains and trees, avoiding enemy patrols, then a fire-fight to secure the landing site and evac out. Lost a couple of marines - that never gets easy." She had written the letters herself. It had never felt like enough. "We got out, though."

"Why don't you tell us about yourself and what makes you worth being an officer on my ship? You obviously didn't choose this position. Do you prefer planet side assignments?" David asked as he took a sip of his coffee before looking over at the other marine. He may not have been wearing his marine uniform as he used to, but he was still one deep down.

A small rush of panic ran through her for a microsecond. Was he digging for something specific? 'Herself' was not a subject she liked. It often led to family, which was not where she had thought this would go. Casting a look at Hayter again, Brenda couldn't suppress the paranoid idea he had done this just to get 'her' onto a Starship. Pushing it aside, she had to answer the question. "Not much to tell, about my personal side. Hated home, and wanted out of there." Not a lie, though it was specifically her mother, rather than home in general. "The Fleet didn't appeal to me." In truth, it had too many connections with the Diplomatic Corps, in whose circles her mother had influence. "So I opted for the Marines instead. Went into Infantry - never had a talent for flying - though I did pass my shuttle quals... barely, tanks were just too cramped for my liking, so Aviation, Artillery, and the Armoured Cav were out. Infantry it was. You're right in that I prefer to be planet side. You always know where home is."

"Ah... Family issues," John remarked with a nod as he looked her over. "So daddy issues or Mother to clingy?"

"Ignore his prying. He likes to see how people tick and what pushes their buttons. Of course, he rarely rushes this quickly to test someone out," the ship's captain countered as he looked over at the colonel. He wasn't quite upset with him, but more curious as to why he had a desire to rush. "You do realize that the Gladiator has already left the area and you aren't getting a shuttle to head back. You are stuck with us for a bit."

The colonel looked at the man and blinked. That honestly wasn't planned, at least not with him. He huffed slightly and leaned back in the couch before waving at the female marine. "I'll pry later at the training range. Always a good time to toy with people when there is a loaded gun."

Relaxing, albeit a hair, Brenda let out a small breath slowly. "You know, Colonel. One thing I was taught as a child. Never hunt for sport. I shoot you, you stay down." She flashed him a small grin. "But you're welcome to join me on the range."

"Oh... I like her," Hayter perked up as he slightly grinned as he quickly looked over at David. "I can now retire happy."

"Oh I bet you like her," the captain countered as he looked over the marine. "So you do understand that I will push you hard in this position. So if I give you an order you do not agree with, what should I expect from you?"

That gave Brenda a cause to blink. Not many CO's directly asked if she would challenge them. "That... would depend." She chose her words carefully. "If time, and the situation permits, I would raise my concerns. If the orders still stand, I will do my duty. Should the situation not allow, I will follow orders, and find a moment afterward to raise my concerns - for future reference. If I feel the order is a gross misjudgment, with the very serious possibility of needlessly endangering my Marines, this crew, or civilians we are sworn to protect... I would likely disregard your orders, protect said lives as best I can, and face the consequences thereafter."

"So..." David glared at her and gave her his full attention. "... you are telling me that you are willing to disrespect me, my orders, and your career just like that? So you think you know better then people that have years of experience and knowledge over your people and this ship?"

"You asked how I would handle orders I disagreed with, Sir. And for the record. You have zero experience of my Marines. Of my Company. 'Following orders' has been used as an excuse for far too many operations being fucked up. That would be an extreme edge case, when shit has well and truely hit the fan. I would, of course, as I said, prefer to voice my concerns with you."

There was a long glare between the two before he smirked slightly and nodded in agreement. "Works for me. I do not like the idea of yes men. If and when I send people out in the field, I expect my officers to be the ones to not sit there kissing ass, but actually doing the mission and looking out for those that the are in charge of," David agreed as he stepped up to her and looked her over one more time. behind him, the dogs made their way up to him in his shadow and it was clearly heard their panting. But their focus was on him and the new arrival. He looked down at them.

"Good pups. Friend. Stand down," the captain ordered the working dogs before looking at her. "You will do as my Marine Department Commander. But if you take this position, I expect this kind of attitude no matter what."

Coming to attention, Brenda offered the man a salute. "Aye aye, Sir. I don't bullshit."

"Aye Aye?" John remarked as he smirked at the response from her statement but stood up as well out of respect as well.

But all David could do was to respond in kind. He finally gave the captain a salute in return. Once they lowered their hands, he asked one final question. "Do you have any questions for me with this assignment?"

"Not right at the moment, Captain. If I do, I will be sure to let you know."

"You say that now..." the colonel smarted off in the back ground.

"Then you are dismissed, Captain and welcome aboard, Captain. You are dismissed."