Long Overdue

Posted on 06 Aug 2015 @ 1:19am by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal & Sergeant Major Arcenio Velez & Gunnery Sergeant Jason Frey & Commander Travis Stone & Major Richard Sharpe

1,750 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: M13-B: The Big Goodbye
Location: USS Achilles
Timeline: While at DS9

Frey moved passed the line of Marines as they prepared to accustom themselves to the new weapons; or at least holographic replicas of them. As he distributed ammo he noticed the rank on one particular Marine. He hesitated momentarily and then slapped the magazines into his hand with a sharp nod.

Later that day he walked into the command office with the training schedule for his team and waited for the Sergeant Major to look up; "Here you go Top," he said holding out the padd.

Setting his own work aside he looked up. "What's this?"

"The training schedule for my team."

The corner Velez's mouth curled a bit. "What are you really here for? You could have submitted that via the computer like you've done many times before.”

Jason smirked a bit. "I noticed an...over-site. Seems Eirias is still a PFC for some reason and if he's still going to be a member of my team..."

Velez nodded. "I'll look into it. Dismissed." No sooner had the door closed and Velez was reviewing Eirias's profile and requesting a meeting with Captain Sharpe and the XO.

For his part, Captain Sharpe was not really doing any sort of 'command' work. He was down at the range, playing with the new weaponry. It was something in his character that demanded excellence not just from his people, but from himself. If he didn't rate 'marksman' or better with these new weapons, he would find it hard to command his men to do the same - at least in his eyes. He'd already achieved 'sharpshooter' with the new assault rifle, and was now working on the side-arm.

"Cap'n sir!" A marine barked over the noise of the firing range. "Sergeant Major's compliments, can you join him for a meeting!"

Richard put the pistol down, made it safe, then removed the ear defenders. "Well, if the Sergeant Major insists..."

The beeping of his console drew his attention from the complex warp equations he had been looking over. "Velez wants a meeting? Why the devil would he want me in a Marine meeting. Saines, you have the chair, call me if anything goes wrong." Travis called out to the relief and headed down to Marine country, and wished this was after shift so he could go in green instead of red.

[Marine area conference room]

Velez sat waiting on the XO and Sharpe while double checking his dates and Eirias's service.

Stepping up to the office door, Travis cleared his expression and straightened his uniform before pressing the chime. Some habits could never really be unlearned.

Given that it was his conference room on his part of the ship, Sharpe didn't have to knock. He spotted the XO and gave a cheery wave. "You too huh?" He asked, as he walked past the Commander and into the room without tapping the chime. "Well, don't just stand there, you're letting in a draft." Sharpe said to the XO as he walked into the room.

Travis waived back, and was relieved the greeting was pleasant this time. Waiting for Sharpe to enter first, Travis followed in and waited till the door hissed closed. "Me too indeed, though I don't know why I'm here. The message was a little bare of information, as usual. Any clues you care to drop while we wait?" Travis asked with a confused grin.

Velez shock his head. "Thank you for coming gentlemen, no need for clues. The reason I called for both of you is that an embarrassingly prolonged error has been brought to my attention. It seems that our repeated involvement in ...shall we say...high profile matters, has aloud some of the most routine items to be over looked." Sliding PADDs towards each of them.

"You'll see on those those PADDs the bio of one person in particular. He joined this unit shortly after the Kzinti War and is a PFC still today."

Travis had to work to prevent a laugh. "I'm sorry Sergeant Major, I'm Corps raised and trained. I've heard the comments about terminal Lance's, but a terminal PFC? His bio shows no deficiencies, no infractions, this marksmanship rating can't be right for a PFC, nor can these test scores...why is he enlisted and why an Infantry Marine, shouldn't he have been stuck in comms?"

"That's what he chose. Prior to the first Achilles' destruction he was to be assigned to SSgt. Frey's recon team as a sniper; if he passes the training. If he still is willing we can start that training or if he want's another assignment he can request it. Come to think of it Frey is up for promotion as well.

"We can't just promote him to Corporal as that promotion requires specific MCI's and a leadership evaluation. My recommendation is promotion to Lance Corporal, put him through recon training and then put him in charge of the range instruction for the other junior Marines. If he's a good leader he'll be able to boost qualification scores and deal with any...disciplinary issues. That should give him time in grade and then we promote him to Corporal, if he doesn't earn a meritorious promotion."

Velez looked to his CO, nodding with a gesture. "If you approve of course."

"Damn right I approve." Sharpe replied, cursing himself somewhat for overlooking this young marine. Up until a while back, he'd been the unit's XO, responsible for keeping the paperwork in line. This kind of thing was an embarrassment to him, not to mention the subsequent time since then as CO. People did slip through the cracks, but this was just cruel.

"Ok...so this is a Marine matter. Why am I here?" Travis asked in a slightly confused tone.

"Its going to need command approval, dingbat." Sharpe sighed at the XO. "You're also the ships XO, responsible for all personnel evaluations and promotions. Nothing happens on this tub without your say-so. Also, if I remember correctly, and correct me if I'm wrong Sergeant Major, but the Commodore has standing orders that all promotions go through him first."

Velez remained silent as the two officers had their little tit for tat, wondering if these two were ever going to get along. If not this was going to be a verrry long trip. "That's affirm sir....well not so much and order but he does like to have the final say on thing out of the ordinary, and this definitely qualifies as that."

Travis held his hands up in a gesture of futility. "There's no way he can review over twenty-five hundred personnel worth, nor can I. That'd take most of our time and we'd have nothing else we could do. We have to rely on the supposed intelligence of our department heads to disinter it down to a level we can handle. Obviously some won't be up to that." His face took on a frown, and it was clearly not meant for the Marines, but their Chief Engineer. It was becoming very well know that Travis was not impressed by Fanvo.

"I told you all before at the meeting, and you were there fel-hound, I am not going to micromanage how you all run your departments so long as I get a reasonable report without too many issues in it. To be frank, I was an Infantryman, not Recon. So you two put together something reasonable, I'll probably sign it with little or no fuss. However you two want to proceed, do it. I can create justifications if needed to push the red tape along."

Velez shook his head as he stood. "With all due respect Commander personnel matters are under your purview. Regardless of the number of personnel. If you need to put a staff together to manage things that's your choice." Glancing from one officer to the other, "I have served under the Commodore longer than either of you and I KNOW he would want to know about this. Run of the mill and routine matters granted can be handled in house...but this is not a run of the mill situation.

"How do think he would react when MCPO Nelson gives him the PADD with Eirias's promotion and happens to explain the situation...having not been informed by anyone? Or how would he react if the Captain and I had just taken this matter to him without going through you per protocol?

Travis did the only thing sensible he could. He walked over to the wall, and started hitting his head against it medium-hard. Would it cause a concussion, no. After a few moments, he stopped and faced the Marines again. "You all are going to give me an ulcer. So here's how it'll work with you Marines from now on. Issues like this, prepare me a brief. We'll meet once a month to go over any major details unless an emergency arises, then come right to me. Your plan sounds sensible, and reasonable, which means something will have to go wrong or my faith in Murphy will be shot. Put it to them and get me some finalized answers. I'll then brief the Commodore on this. Oh, and Sergeant Major, you just appointed yourself to the newly formed enlisted paperwork council. Any questions?" Was he serious, absolutely.

Velez glanced to Sharpe who was silent, probably from frustration, and spoke. "That won't be a problem Commander, as to the current situation...I would like to take full responsibility. As the units senior NCO, both now and before, I should have never let things get to this point. So when you talk to the Commodore I'd like to be there."

"Good enough. Responsibility for this isn't so much a concern to me as making sure it doesn't happen again. I'll set the appointment once you get me those answers and we have a plan finalized to bring to the Commodore, unless you plan to comm them right now and ask?" Travis asked curiously.

Velez stood; there was no point in waiting. "I'm ready now."

"Let’s get this done, Commander." Sharpe said, finally getting in on what was going on. The XO was a loony toon, there was no doubt about it. He made a mental note not to let this man loose on weaponry unsupervised.

Travis made a mental note after that comment to find Sharpe as much paperwork as he could and try to bury the Marine in it. See how he liked it after a few weeks.



TBC

 

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