Cargo Bay One

[First Lieutenant Yadira]

//Yadira, I'd like for you to meet me in Cargo One. I'll be there shortly.//

She looked up from her terminal and rolled her eyes. If he had even bothered to check he would have known she was already here. She had been here since they had arrived at their destination.

Yadira took her job seriously and she and her team had been in the cargo bay checking out all the equipment just in case it would be needed on the planet below.

She made this same check every week. Her people knew this equipment like the back of their hands. She drilled them all the time.

Yesterday she'd taken them into the holodeck and had them disassemble and reassemble their phaser rifles in zero G, because no matter how far they went or what planet they landed on every Marine was first and foremost a rifleman. Any other billets they happened to fulfill were simply additional duty.

She'd hovered off the bulkhead keeping station as she watched them. Hands flew as the Marines snatched pieces out of the air, each movement precise, smooth, and almost machinelike in its control. They were reassembling their rifles, and the number of floating stray parts steadily dwindled.

One Marine, Sergeant Ostrowsky, completed the drill and brought her assembled rifle to port arms with a sharp slap as her hand smacked the stock. Two more finished up -- slap - slap! and instant later, and then all of the Marines were bringing their rifles up to signal completion in a raged chorus of skin on plastic. It was a remarkable demonstration, but she wasn't satisfied and made them do it again.

But now? Now she waited for their R&D specialist to wreak new havoc on their time honored traditions by bringing them new toys.

Tag Dameon

[xDameon Ropalski]

Dameon strode into Cargo One, eyes moving around in a compulsive habit, making sure everything was in the right place. As he walked by his desk, his fingers deftly repositioned a few small articles. He took a seat, and looked up, a cup of orange juice in hand. "Alright, then. You're still here. That's good. How've the Marines been coming along? Ours and theirs," he clarified, leaning back. He sipped at the orange juice, his expression distasteful.

"Now, I've got a couple ideas." He slid a PADD out of a semiconcealed pocket on his bodyglove, and slid it across the table, carelessly scattering a few things from its' path.

On its' display were, side by side, an analysis of various, temporary skin dyes, and information about the tribal tattooing common on Evadne, including the blue 'spots', and their significance.

"I'm thinking of infiltrating someone. A Marine, of course. Just in case." His tone was almost amused. Just in case. Everything they did was just in case.

"Read it all up, and tell me what you think."

He set the orange juice aside, and proceeded to completely ignore it.

Tag: Yadira

[First Lieutenant Yadira]

"Alright, then. You're still here. That's good. How've the Marines been coming along? Ours and theirs,"

She preferred to think that they were one command under the Colonel rather than ours and theirs. She was a Marine first and felt she should be under the command of a Marine. As much as she respected Dameon’s intellect and abilities, he seemed not to understand that point. Nor did she fully trust his ethics, he like to hare off on his own and she was fairly sure he would to just that… it was only a matter of time.

“All the Marines are progressing as expected.” She replied in a neutral tone.

"I'm thinking of infiltrating someone. A Marine, of course. Just in case." ‘and there it is’ she thought with an internal smile. Of course he could always surprise her and actually use a Marine.

She took the offered PADD and began to review the information. She knew she wasn’t as quick as he was by any stretch yet she wondered if he had run this little plan by any of the Ship’s Senior officers. “This is good information” she said. “I’ll need a little time to process it all though, if you don’t mind.” She wanted to study the information prior to giving her opinion.

Tag Dameon

[xDameon Ropalski]

He shrugged, slightly. "Rather hoping we could keep this one quiet until we have something more conclusive to come forward with... But I figured it'd be a step in the right direction. Is crate six open yet? I've assigned Tara Mack to the MFKR," he added, pronouncing out each letter of the acronym. "She seems to like her rifles. I think she'd be a solid pick for it... Got anyone in mind for the Nibbler?" He used the nickname for that particular firearm.

He thumbed through a second PADD thoughtfully, inspecting the various ratings for the various marines at the yet more varied drills, tests, and examinations.

"You're doing a good job with them, Yadira," he spoke, after a moment, his tone absently complimentary, thoughtful.

Tag: Yadira

[First Lieutenant Yadira]

”...Is crate six open yet? I've assigned Tara Mack to the MFKR,"

She didn’t habitually leave any of the crates open. But in the last two weeks she had inspected it all. “It’s been inspected.” She began and lead the way to the numbered crate. Mack was a good choice she thought.

"She seems to like her rifles. I think she'd be a solid pick for it... Got anyone in mind for the Nibbler?"

She smiled “She is a Marine… we all like our rifles. We are first and foremost riflemen.” She had thought about that very question yet there were no standouts in her mind. She gave him her couple of suggestions though she wasn’t fully satisfied.

She nodded at his compliment yet it was not more than she was responsible to accomplish. It was her job to train her command and make sure they were as ready as possible for any eventuality.

Her people were not going into a hostile situation unprepared.

Tag Dameon

[xDameon Ropalski]

"Hn," he murmured speculatively. "We'll see. Run them both over small-arms drills for the next couple days, and let me know which does better. Start Mack on the long-arms drills. Get her used to the strange form of the weapon... And to reloading it. We've got enough crystals not to worry too much on burning through ammo. I'd rather she go in knowing how to shoot."

He scrolled the PADD through once more, and his lips closed to a thin line. "What do you think; Should we start them on melee drills soon? I'm not sure if they'll need them, but it might not be a bad idea... Your call on that one. I've had the sensors do a thorough scan of the city... And compile a 3D of a two-mile long corridor that'll take them from LZ to Objective - THe local Government building. I want to run them through that sim in place of the normal drills for today. That work?" He smiled, and, without waiting for a response, nodded. "Good. I'll put the message out. Meet me in the Holodeck in one hour."

He turned from the room, his steps light and quick, and motioned one of the Marines at the door with him, giving him a list of names, and a message.

End: Dameon