From: rneces@mastnet.net (Lynnaea AelCaymarth) Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 13:06:28 -0600 (CST) Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: When Unstoppable Force Meets Immovable Object...
SD 90404.2230 GMT
MD 04.1510
Scene: MCO's Quarters
______________________
----From a Previous Post:
> Aelyria Keyrin rang the door chime, awaiting permission to enter.
> After a pause, a voice gruffly said, "Come."
>
> The door opened and Aelyria strode inside. "Hi. I'm Ensign Aelyria
> Keyrin, the Chief Security Officer. I thought it might be a good idea if I
> introduced myself."
----New Material:
David stood up from his computer terminal and blanked the
screen quickly from whatever he'd been reading. He didn't
come any nearer, just looked at the Security Chief appraisingly
from where he was. "David Shachor," he replied, a bit grudgingly.
"I suppose it would."
Aelyria was uncertain of what to do next. He didn't seem...
as friendly as Anne, nor even as open as Stavay. But she needed to
work with him. She grit her teeth, determined to see this through.
"How are you settling in?"
David shrugged. "All right I guess."
"I thought we might discuss things you might need for your corps...
if there's anything my department can help you or work with you on."
"My corps," David answered bluntly, "is a horrible mess and
I don't blame them at all. Have you seen the Londonderry's
records about them?"
*Uh oh. This does not sound good.* Aelyria was growing
concerned... this MCO seemed like a very unhappy man. "No, I haven't...is
there something wrong?"
David hesitated. "Printout," he said finally, to the computer,
which began spitting out paper. The full report was eight pages
long, and he walked over and handed it to Aelyria. "It's confiden-
tial," he warned, "but you'd better see it. You need to know how
you can count on us and how you can't, and for a little while,
'can't' may be more operative."
Aelyria skimmed through the report quickly. It was enough
to get the idea. The three-platoon company had served together
on a respectable ship; the second platoon had been placed
under one of the rare total madmen to get by the psych tests
somehow. He had turned his platoon into a gruesome private
harem with physical activities and psychological twistedness
to rival the Marquis de Sade. It had taken several months before
word had leaked to the other platoons, who were less terrorized
by Lt. Andersen than his own and more willing to blow the
whistle. The court-martial had been brief and clear-cut, and
Andersen was far away and in custody now -- the two other
platoon leaders of the time had also been dismissed for being
too reluctant to turn in their colleague, who might or might not
have paid them for the privilege; it was unproven. The trauma-
tized company had been given, except for David, leaders out
of their own ranks; the only officers they would trust now. They
had been kept for four months in psych treatment and offered
the option of honorable discharge. Provided they could stay
together, they had said as one, they would stay. After four
months, with a passed-with-reservations medical warning on
the entire group and extensive notes about the damaged
platoon, they were sent back into service because nothing
else would do them any further good by then.
And given to David, and by extension, to Aelyria. They had
been a good unit before the trauma, and were still a proud
and a brave one; they would never have stayed on otherwise.
But what an officer could do to gain their confidence...
*Dear God.*
Stunned, Aelyria stood perfectly still. She'd never heard
of such brutality within Starfleet, and it disturbed her to the
core. How could this have gone on so long? She felt incredible
spite for Lt. Andersen, and unfathomable respect for these marines
who had carried on in spite of so much -- and stayed a coherent unit.
She looked at David. "You've got quality men and women
serving with you," she said quietly. I'll be proud to help in any
way I can. And this information shall remain confidential.
"Just to bring you up to date, SEC/TAC's been running drills --
several of them unannounced." The CSO grinned wryly. "Though the
unannounced part, as was somewhat expected, was not appreciated by some
of the ship brass. We train weekly in Holodeck... and, other than that,
it's been pretty dull. The XO might expect a department status report,
but check with him first... Brennan's a decent sort. Easy to get along with."
David nodded. "I've met him. I may ask to rotate some people
into your holodeck training, though I'm also organizing my own --
I want to wean them out of needing to do *everything* together,
and mixing with some healthy colleagues ought to be good for
them. In addition, if you can encourage your enlisted staff to
socialize with the Marines a bit off-hours, it would probably be
good for everyone. From what I've seen of the security records,"
he added dryly, "and meaning no offense to your leadership, my
Marines are a bit more disciplined than some of your people seem
to be."
Aelyria grimaced. *Damn, how I wish my department had a decent
reputation. Jaezus. He hasn't been here two days and he knows we're
all skitzy.*
*A reflection on the department chief?* came the unbidden thought,
before Aelyria violently ground it under a mental boot heel.
"That sounds like a good idea," she conceded. "Otherwise...
that's about it. We're still waiting for a mission briefing, so
there's nothing critical you've missed... anything else you'd like
to know?"
"Well, eventually I'd like to sort out with you exactly how
you see a company of Marines fitting into your security plans," David
replied, "but that can wait. To be honest, I don't see us fitting very well
into anything for a little while. They need confidence: a lot of drill
they can handle but that will keep them on their toes, a lot of
chance to remember what living and working normally is like. I
don't know enough to ask you much yet, but I expect to keep in
close touch -- besides," he grinned, much friendlier than he'd been
at the start, "I have to have something to do with my time and I
don't dare intrude on my troops off-hours yet except for emergencies."
Aelyria rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Your department and mine
may be able to switch minor duties -- where appropriate and feasible --
to break routine, once we're underway on the mission. And I'll definitely
encourage my men to get to know yours better."
Sensing the meeting was basically concluded, and satisfied with
the results, she began to draw the conversation to a close. "At any rate,
I'll be happy to work with you."
She flashed him a brief smile and shook his hand. "We'll talk
soon," she said, and left.
Respectfully submitted,
Naomi Rivkis Lynnaea AelCaymarth
1LT David Shachor ENS Aelyria Keyrin
MCO, USS CHESAPEAKE CSO, USS CHESAPEAKE
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