Twos Company

Posted on Sun Aug 19th, 2018 @ 5:17am by Major Alexandria Somers & Master Warrant Officer Vestara Stronghold
Edited on on Sun Aug 19th, 2018 @ 10:02am

Mission: A Day in the Life
Location: Same cafè
Timeline: Way Before Storm

[ON]

It was the end of her shift and she’d managed to get away from Bennen, not easy when as he seems to know where she is before she does sometimes. It is creepy, but she knows he won’t hurt her, occasionally he gives her flowers or sweets. Vestara would never tell him but she brightened and smiled a little more because of those thoughtful gifts.

Making her way to one of the major cafès on the promenade Ves entered and got a milkshake with crushed chocolate pieces that floated on the top. She glanced around and found a spare seat next to a lady she hadn’t met before. Vestara approached and gestures to the empty chair.

Alex was sitting in a café drinking a mug of tea when a shadow loomed over her, she looked up to see a warrant officer standing there "can I help you Chief?" Somers asked, she knew it was not exactly the correct term, but she was never sure how to shorten the Master Warrant officer like you could with a Chief Warrant Officer, so she went with what she knew.

“Mind if I join you?”

*pointing at the seat opposite her* "please do, Master Warrant Officer...?" Somers asked, she was still getting used to the names on this base, as she was still technically new to the area.

"Vestara Stronghold, a boatswain, thank you," the unjoined Trill woman answered and sat down in the indicated chair. She noticed the rank of the other woman and offered a quick small salute. "Major," she added.

Returning the salute "as you were Mr, now what brings you to me on this fine day! want to meet the new officer? or just to be friendly? as I am up for both" Somers said and called a waiter over "two cold glasses of lager, the real stuff please" Somers said with a smile and handed over two Latinum strips, the waiter nodded and after accepting the payment he left to go get them. She looked at the Warrant officer, "relax they only serve the drink in half pint glasses and it is partially watered down, so it should have little or no effect" Somers said.

"Both, I'm still meeting new people every couple of days," Vestara said then blinked. "Mister? Did you just call me a mister?" She raised one eyebrow.

"I know we are marines, but I was using the Fleet term regardless of gender, I did a stint as a Fleet Officer and it kinda stuck with me, it takes all my willpower not to formally address people the way diplomats do. Being the daughter of a prominent ambassador I have been trained in the niceties of social circles that go above Fleet Admiral positions, I have been trained to mix with the cream da la creme of Federation society, so I chose to join the marines. So if I use terms that seem a bit uncomfortable for you, at least you know why, I too am new here, I am the commander of G Company codename Omega, but at the moment marine power is not required so I am stuck twiddling my thumbs, what is your assignment Master Warrant Officer Stronghold?" Somers asked nodding to the waiter who brought them their drinks, she took a sip.

"That must have been a lot of pressure to be proper, well I better rephrase that, to be diplomatic at all times. What kind of Fleet officer where you?" Vestara asked before taking a sip and coughed before adding in a husky voice. "Whoa, pungent stuff," she took another sip and the cough following wasn't as painful.

In a semi husky voice, Vestara continued. "Master is acceptable Major or just Stronghold. How did your parents take the news that you joined the Marines? It seems the opposite of how you were raised," she put the drink down on the table and waited for the after effects to subside.

Indicating Strongholds drink with her head "It is real Lager, not as strong as Bloodwine, but quite strong in of itself, as, for the upbringing, my family was influential what would in old terms be considered wealthy with connections to high Government, my father is a retired Marine Colonel who is now one of the more *uses a quotations sign with both hands* influential Ambassadors to the Klingon Empire. My family has a long warrior tradition, it was my mother who was the original diplomat, she stepped down to become an Aide to a high Senator on the Federation Council, so yeah my upbringing was privileged I learned how to move in social circles above my station long before I joined the Marines" Somer paused.

"My pops was a little disappointed in my actions, but he understood and eventually accepted things, my mother she took even longer to accept my choices, both wanted me to go into politics, but having grown up watching what happens, I kinda said screw it and went to the recruiting centre" she said and took a sip of her drink.

"Would it surprise you to note that I joined the Marines as an enlisted Marine! Yeah I did the OCS training and apparently, I passed third in my class, but I chose the enlisted ranks. If I had known what my future would hold back then, I would have accepted a commision and gone to the Academy. But I stuck it out as a grunt and by the time I made Corporal I had made another friend her name was Annabel Graves we were the same rank and we struck up a fast friendship, then we got sent on some black ops mission and I lost her, that broke me and took me some time to recover, when I did I went back to a regular line unit where I was eventually given a field commission" as she said this she became thoughtful and wiped a tear from her eye, but then recovered and continued.

*Smiling* "So I know all the layabout tricks marines pull, hell I pulled most of them myself when I was a Corporal * self-deprecating laugh* but I have been enlisted so I know the score, more then a year or so back I tried out of a new unit, this unit was a recommissioned unit called the 95th Rifles. My Cousin Captain Jasmine Somers got it going again and the largest presence of the Rifles is on the Tomcat. I got in and earned this" she said pointing at the white band at the base of both shoulders "this is the updated version of the White Cord, an honour bestowed upon those who originally passed advanced training, to other units it is a white band, to me it signifies an achievement. I hear that my Cousin now only gives the honour to those who have earned it in a mission" she paused here to let what she said to sink in and take another drink.

Vestara offered a respectful nod. "Losing friends is hard, I can't only imagine the pain. I don't have many friends, I focused on my schooling and my goals. May your friend rest in peace," she said and offered a moment of silence for the dead.

After she took another sip and this time only a small cough followed. "I too decided to be non-commissioned as I prefer instructing but I am trained to lead and work in the operations department if need be. My parents wanted me to do the Initiated program and join the family technician business." Vestara said then frowned, "I wanted to get out in space."

*nodding her thanks* "I can understand that the only time I saw my papa upset was when I turned down a Fleet commission to join the enlisted Marine ranks. Trust me, if you work hard enough at it, you to could earn a Battlefield Commission, sad thing is getting to Major is easy, anything higher is extremely hard, I rose through the ranks quickly for reasons I do not know to this day, but I never look a gift horse in the mouth as they say. So what is the unit you are assigned to on this quaint starbase?" Somers asked with a smile.

"They should have looked at the gift horse in the mouth, then the city of Troy would still be alive," Vestara said shaking her head in disgust. "Why didn't they look inside the horse? I mean even for the learning of how it was built and did not one greek fart that whole time or burp or a cough, would be nice to go back in time and just observe that piece of history on Earth." She said taking another sip. "I'm the starbase's Boatswain, it's an operations position, I've not known if there has ever been more than one assigned to one base or ship."

Looking puzzled "what is a Boatswain anyhow, I have heard of them and know of them, but I have never fully understood their job? As for the Greeks, they loved their trophies, but that is the old world, this is the present" Somers responded.

"Right," Vestara nodded. "My job is to train and supervise personnel in how to do things in Operations. If they do the tasks and efficiently then I can certify them to be able to take on those tasks in their regular duty roster." She explained.

Taking a drink of her beverage "interesting it must make for an interesting job, I got a similar duty in making sure my Marines are trained too, apart from Colonel S'er'ine who is the CAG I am the only other senior ranking marine on this station, so after the last abortive unannounced exercise I have been keeping my marines on light duties and downtime, perhaps we can work together at some time on a combat exercise to give your trainees some basic combat training, what do you think to this?" Somers asked.

Vestara frowned. "Unfortunately that is something you will have to take up with the Chief Operations Officer as the training is not Operations-related." She smiled a moment later. "I do think all of us should have regular combat drills."

"Have you met anyone else on the senior staff?" Vestara added.

"Only Marine Captain Jeff Smith and First Lieutenant Jasmine Allen, I have had personal interactions with those two, Smith was here when G Company was known simply as Omega and commanded by my predecessor Major Naomi Griffiths. With this storm looming, I have my marines on standby to assist Security as Riot Police, hopefully, it will not be needed, I have met the CO briefly but interacted more with the Acting Chief of Security Lieutenant Mark Madigan, but no one else" Somers answered.

"What storm?" Vestara asked.

She looked at Stronghold "there is a high-class storm coming in and Security has been getting ready to move all personnel both civilian and serving personnel to shelters, I do not have the complete details as for some reason they have chosen to leave out the marines on this station" Somers responded.

"Unless the storm can come inside the station, why are there shelters? I should go and check in with the Chief of Operations to see how I can help prepare the station." Vestara said, she took another sip of her drink. "But first I will finish this, the taste is growing on me."

"Real lager usually does, there are shelters on the station I myself have not been here long, but a Lieutenant Madigan will know where the designated shelters are, the storm I think is one that would disrupt systems etc, but safety of the inhabitants come first and security will be on high alert should looters try anything" Somers responded.

"As part of Operations, I'll be helping with making sure the storm's effects won't disrupt too much. Actually, I have an idea. I better go and see if it will work. Will you excuse me?" Vestara said pushing her chair back slowly and standing with a slight wobble. She grabbed the table with both hands and took a few moments to focus. "Ugh," she moaned.

*Smiling* "Careful there, I would visit an aid station to get an antitoxin medication, or simply drink a Raktajino Coffee, that is a strong coffee, or perhaps a strong human coffee, the choice is yours" Alex said, as she was used to drinking strong alcohol, the lager did not affect her like Stronghold and this is why she found it amusing. "Perhaps next time we get together, what say we stick to non-alcohol beverages huh?" She asked.

Vestara gave a tick motion in the air towards Somers showing her agreement as things settled and she smiled. "Until next time my friend," she gently made her way to the exit. Her first objective to get the medication then a raktajino on her way to Ops.

Somers smiled at the Departing Master Warrant Officer "that is one girl who cannot hold their drink!" she said to herself, then paid for the drinks and stood up "Okay not as bad, but a Raktajino coffee it is *burp* whoa!" she said and headed straight to her quarters.

[OFF]

Major Alexandria Somers
G "Omega" Company
14th Battalion Commander
Starbase 332

Master Warrant Officer Vestara Stronghold
Operations Boatswain
Starbase 332