XO the Intro

Posted on 28 Jul 2021 @ 5:09pm by Captain Patrick Jackson & Captain Mazal Falk

2,525 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: Starbase 51 Marine Office
Timeline: Day after Tomcat's arrival

[ON]

Patrick sat in his office. It was sparsely furnished with almost no personal touches. There was a banner for the 95th Rifles on the wall and the Marine flag next to the Federation's, but other then those items, it was blank and sterile. He was fine with that, although he was not apposed to making things a little more unique to him. Part of that issue was time. He was only at the Starbase a few days prior to the Tomcat launching on this mission. Hard to liven up an office when you are only there a few days a month, if that.

Maybe a plant? Looking around he found a place or two that would be good for a plant. He could have any of the base staff keep it alive for him whole he was gone. Not much, but it was a start. Those that were not Marines tended to be put on edge when in a fully steril room. He also did not want to alienate all the staff either. Looking around he grabbed one of the PADDs closest to him.

He was waiting for his new Executive officer to arrive so he could get to know her. Her file showed she was an experienced Marine and this would be her first time in command of a big outfit. He smirked. She was going to be in good company then. While he waited, he sifted through more paperwork that was coming in with enlisted transfers, ordinance and equipment changes and requests from the armory, and a dozen other things he wanted to burn through so he could take his customary trip to the bar to start his limited leave.

Checking her PADD for the map to where she needed to go, Mazal stopped to get her bearings then found her way to Jackson's office. Pausing to smooth down an errant piece of hair, Mazal determined that she hopefully passes muster. Stepping in, Mazal took a look around at the office then towards her CO.

"Hello, welcome back from your mission, Sir." Mazal stated, getting a good look at Jackson, dark brown eyes, black hair, doesn't know how tall Jackson is currently with him seated. Though in her estimation he was probably close to her height or maybe taller, just by the way he sat at the desk.

Mazal shifted the basket she was carrying, a faint clink coming from the basket as the remaining two bottles of wine touched each other. "How are you doing, sir and I'm Second Lieutenant Mazal Falk, your new XO. Of course you already know that sir."

Looking up he took her in. She was very attractive and had featured that would make most females highly jealous. Patrick hoped he had the right file sent to him. On paper she sounded strong and would do well here. He hoped she was as tough as she was beautiful. She would get walked all over if she didn't. He figured he better play hardball to start, just to see if she was up for this.

He let the silence linger in the air for a moment after noting the basket. "Are you planning on saluting me or does the ranking officer start the salute?"

Mazal raised an eyebrow, shifted her basket to the other arm smartly saluting him. "Sorry sir, was just assessing your height compared to mine. If my estimates are correct you are taller than I am by possibly two inches. If we were in a combat mission, the difference in height would make it easier for you to see something that I wouldn't see at first. If you need something to angle a shot, my shoulder would be possibly the right height to do so. If you would indulge me for a moment sir. Come stand behind me and then pretend you are utilizing a rifle and you need to take a careful aim, and maybe your arm is tired and you need maybe just a small amount of support, just to make that one shot, the shot that is needed to save our skins."

Mazal moved to place the basket upon a chair then turned her back to her CO, then looked back over her shoulder. "What do you think. Care to try it out?"

Patrick suppressed a smile. She was trying to return the tables. He tried to catch her off guard and she was trying to do the same, or so he thought. New officer trying to prove her salt, he appreciated that, which also meant this was more than likely a setup. Prone was always the most stable and a shoulder shot would normally be done kneeling. oO She's got a surprise up her sleeve. Better be ready.Oo he thought.

Patrick returned her salute and stood up. "I'll indulge Lieutenant." He said and got behind her. She was taller than he guessed, but still a couple inches shorter. He stood behind her left shoulder and assumed a shooting position with his left arm on her shoulder and subtly shifted weight to his back leg just in case.

"Most times a knelt shoulder shot works best, even prone but the last group I was with, we had to do something rather different. One of us had to do the iron horse stance, like this." And she lowered herself in that pose, then raise herself just a tad. "It depended on the angle our shooter needed, talk about a human tripod though, right?" then Mazel stopped as she had felt him changing his footing. "Are you getting ready to literally sweep me off my feet?" and just in case of that, she did a tuck and roll away from him and spun around to face Jackson.

Patrick let a smile slowly creep across his face. Something that had not happened since the first away mission. "At ease Lieutenant. You're observant and a forward thinker. I appreciate that." He said and walked forward to her and stretched out his hand. "Captain Patrick Jackson, CO of the 95th Rifles. Welcome aboard XO, I'm glad to have you on."

Shaking his hand firmly Mazal smiling. "You are welcome, oh and before I forget, I brought a gift." Walking over towards the basket she had brought. "Hope you like a fine wine. My uncle finding out that I got a promotion decided to send some gifts." She picked up the basket and opened up. "One bottle for me and one for you. You get your pick. And believe me this isn't cheap wine." the dark haired Marine grinning ear to ear.

The CO picked up a bottle of the red wine. "Was your uncle in the service? Must known alcohol goes a long way to butter up a Marine." He smiled reading the label. "Tell your Uncle that I'm sorry he wasted good wine on a leather neck who would not be able to tell fine wine from canned wine, but the gesture is not lost on me. Thank you very much." He said and turned back to his desk and offered her a seat.

"Thank you by the way for the welcome home." He said sitting down. "It was touch and go for a couple hours but no final letters were sent out. Something to drink? He asked indicating the replicator.

"Well, he wasn't in the service but he married a Marine. My Aunt Mary, her code name was Scary Mary. She was into demolitions." Mazal replied, setting the basket down near the door on another chair and took a seat. "Hmmnn a drink. I'll take some peppermint tea for now, slightly sweetened with lemon. And thank you." she watched Jackson while he moved to the replicator. "I'm glad you didn't have to send any final letters out this time." Leaning back in the chair and interlocking her fingers together. "Final letters are not fun, nor are informing a family about their loss." Mazal remembered having to inform Dante's family about him not coming home and also escorting his body.

Patrick ordered the beverage and a black coffee for himself. Sitting back at his desk he slid the mug over to Mazal. "That is indeed hard. Worse when you don't have a body to bring back and everything is top secret so all they get is killed in action." He took a drink. "Mine will at least be an easy one to deliver." He said taking a drink. "Scary Mary huh? Must be a heck of a man then. Oh, and that salute thing was also just show. Closed doors we can throw out the ceremony and I'd want you to feel free to speak freely. With the rest of the Rifles we can go by the book, but just us I want honesty over protocol."

"Well you were right, I should have done the salute anyway. A sign of respect." picking up the mug of tea and feeling the warmth of it heating her hands, taking another look at Jackson. "Tell me, since we are throwing out ceremony, and protocol. How do you want me to address you? Your given name, or your last name? Or both?" then picking up the mug to sip at her tea.

"I'm good with Patrick, Jackson, or boss. Dealers choice. What do you want me to call you?" He said looking at his coffee. "How much combat combat experience do you have? Not training, but actually in the firefight?"

"I've been in a few firefights." Mazal didn't continue on until she drank down some of her tea. "I was in one a week or so ago. Lost a good man, Dante'. Fastest son of a gun you ever did see. He was our good luck charm even until the very end. He even had his one last wish." She laughed slightly, having a bit of a distant look in her eyes. Mazal blinked then focused on back on Jackson. "He was rather cheeky." then she answered his other question. "You can call me Mazal, or Falk but don't call me late for dinner."

"Sorry to hear that." Patrick said raising his coffee mug and taking a drink in salute. "That's never easy, but you're still up and running so that's good. Loss is the hardest part I think." He said and made a quick noise like he remembered something. "Earlier you said I was going to sweep you off your feet. Well, I know just the thing to do that." He reached into his desk and dangled a black bracelet. "I've been told women like jewelry." He said offering it to her.

Mazal swallowed hard, her dark brown eyes widening. She'd not been able to get a bracelet like that as of yet. She also liked Jackson's sense of humor, Dante' would have liked him. Reaching out, Mazal placed her mug on the desk and then rose from her seat. She placed one hand upon the desktop and leaned towards Patrick, with a playful smile, "Well, well, you do know how to sweep a woman off her feet." Placing a finger on his bicep of the hand he was holding the bracelet, and tracing along it to the fingers and claimed the bracelet from him. Then Mazal made her way back to her seat, her playful smile broadening to a grin. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I know what ladies like. Jewelry and ordinance." He said widening a smile and holding his other hand up and displaying a matching bracelet on his wrist. "It's not very advanced tech, but useful. Scrambled frequency positioning system. Just you and me. During an engagement, if our communication is broken, this is a low frequency, low power guidance so we can home in on each other. Kind of a redundant system for our communicators."

"Oh I like jewelry that has more than one purpose." Mazal breathed out impressed with the display. She slipped her own bracelet on her left wrist, "I like this, multifunctional, looks stylish and also is practical." holding her hand up and admiring it. "It will go with anything I wear." flashing a grin. "Also smart thinking as well."

He nodded. "Thanks. First thing anyone would do is remove the weapons and communicator. Transmits a good distance and is traceable, but having a matching pair makes things easier to decode." He said and got a little look in his eye. "How much EVA training have you done?"

"I've done a bit in my years and years of being a marine." a little bit of tongue in cheek, giving Patrick a bit of a wink. "All joking aside I am familiar with EVA, enough that at times I wish I could have a deodorizer in it." Giving a bit of a wrinkled up nose, and waving a hand as if to fend off a foul odor. Mazal then laughed.

He chuckled. He understood the need. "Yes, the air recycling does not hold up well over time." He paused and then looked at her in the eye. "There are a number of trainings I'd like to run the troops through but needed someone to help organize it, which is where you come in."

"I am here to help!" Mazal giving a grin. "And yes lets get some practice in with the EVA, together." she picked up her mug to drink the rest of her tea which by now, was lukewarm. She didn't mind, and wasn't about to waste it either. "You and I also will need to do some sparring so we can work out what we can do together. Especially to see about us matching our skills, and become a well oiled machine as it were. And also, get to know what we do on our personal time. Habits, quirks, that sort of detail." It was something that was instilled in her due to how she was raised.

"I do appreciate the help." Patrick said standing up. "Let's head over to the ship and go out through airlock 18. Be a good time to do some EVA while we are docked." Finishing his coffee, he put a oadd into his desk and stood up. "Well find a rhythm soon enough. We'll be able to get the rifled in top shape before anyone knows it."

Mazal rose from her chair as well, and walked over to put her cup in the recycler. "Let's get to it, Jackson. And if you don't mind, I'll leave my bottle of wine here." Looking about for a place to put her basket. She was ready to get into action and get to work. Mazal wasn't one to just sit around and wait for things to happen.

Patrick was glad she was a go getter. That's what he needed. "Nobody should bother it or the basket." He said and secured the office as they left. It would be a little bit of a walk through the station to the ship, but they used that time to begin to figure put how they would make a team and make the 95th into something of legend.

[OFF]

Captain Patrick Jackson
Marine Commanding Officer

2nd Lieutenant Mazal Falk
Marine Executive Officer

 

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