I Don't Like You Much, Colonel

Posted on 10 Jul 2018 @ 4:34am by Captain Gabriel Barron M.D. & Lieutenant Colonel Cassandra Blackburn

2,724 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Empty Creche
Location: Captain's Quarters
Timeline: ED1: 0900

ON:

Gabriel Barron, the new commanding officer of the Redemption was in his quarters. They were barren as the previous commanding officer had cleared out his personal effects before taking his new post at Star Fleet Headquarters. The few boxes that littered the living quarters were in various stages of unpacking. This mission and this assignment had been foisted upon him unexpectedly after the loss of his previous ship to a surprise attack by the combined forces of the sixth fleet and the confederacy of the underdark he was sure that he would be riding a desk. War time Star Fleet apparently awarded commanders that took risks where as a peace time Star Fleet would have censured him for loosing his ship. He sighed as he arranged the few decorations around his quarters. His MD diploma from Washington and Lee University. The various orders of his promotions through the ranks. The chime to his quarters went off and he called out over his shoulder absentmindedly.

"Come."

Blackburn was wearing plain civilian clothes - she had packed what little possessions she had on board ready to disembark once her papers had come through from the Corps administration division. Despite recent events, she fully expected the president to respect their deal. She was therefore surprised that the new Commanding Officer wanted to see her, as her plan had been to slip quietly away. She had been tempted to ignore the request, but with her new future so close, she decided to play the game a little longer.

She entered the ready room to see that the furniture had already been rearranged. She took in the presence of the new Captain with little reaction, other than to state the obvious. "You're a Klingon."

He didn't respond at first but kept unpacking and arranging his decorations and military awards won during the war and since. He turned and took in the woman then smiled when he saw the civilian attire.

"And you're out of the Corps." He replied walking over to his new desk and offering her a PADD with her discharge orders on it. "As I can see you're not interested I won't go into great detail about our new mission. I'll just say we're going after the Sixth and her intelligence operatives. Good luck."

Without comment she took the PADD, which represented everything she had fought for in the last two years, and turned to leave. She made a mental effort to ignore the comments from the Captain. As she approached the door she stopped, having lost the battle between her curiosity and her common sense. Closing her eyes in partial regret, she turned back towards him.

He turned to look at her, a small shadow box in his hands. "No Ms. Blackburn," he emphasised her lack of rank "take your discharge and leave the war to the real service." His tone was dismissive at the best.

She smiled. "You clearly don't know me, do you? You're welcome to your little war, I'm done with it. Goodbye, Captain."

He grinned "No I don't, and I don't wish to. Now I'll give Mr Fursman your regards, Miss Blackburn, goodbye." He turned away from her and moved to a shelf beside his desk and placed the shadowbox down keeping his back to her.

She stood stoney faced for a moment, before moving back from the door. "You have my attention" She said without emotion.

He sighed and muttered a curse under his breath at the Admiral for looking up and speaking to Blackburn again.

"Wait a minute there friend, I see something in your eyes I don't like. Take your discharge and leave." His voice fell flat on the last word.

"I couldn't give a damn what you don't like. Either tell me what you want or stop wasting my time." She replied curtly.

He snorted "I want your civilian ass off my ship so I can find a Marine commander worthy of the uniform."

"Ah." She said, waving her finger. "This is the bit where I get angry and shout at you that I am worthy, that I earned the uniform, and so on. Well, I've spent the last four years being played for a pawn by Starfleet so why should you be any different? I have no intention of getting myself killed. No doubt you've read my record and therefore know that I've dealt out my fair share of unspeakable violence in the name of the Fed. As far as I'm concerned, this entire war is lunacy. I'm sure there are many starry eyed young officers you can find to take my place." She paused. "Shall we cut to the chase, Captain, or should I leave now and end this?"

"You're only partially right. I want you to get angry, not about the uniform, no you don't deserve that, but angry enough to leave. I don't want you on my ship. Yes, I've read your folder and I don't think your a good fit for this crew. God only know what kind of impression you made on the admiral that made him make me promise to dangle that bit about Fursman in your face."

"Well he clearly wants me to go after him, doesn't he?" She said, ignoring the personal attack. The truth of the matter was that she would do nearly anything to find Joe Fursman - the man responsible for all her suffering - even delaying her discharge for the chance for revenge. "Tell me where he is and then I'll get off your ship. Win-win for everyone, huh?"

The Klingon threw back his head and laughed, a deep rolling thunderous laugh that lasted for a full minute. He flipped over a PADD and tossed it at her.

"He's there, or will be within the next three days. I think I'd enjoy watching you get your ass handed to you. In your condition you couldn't fight your way through a hologram much less a combined Armada of Sixth and Confederacy ships."

"Whatever." She mumbled, her mind focused on reading through the PADD. Despite everything her analytical method was still there - she processed the report quickly despite the brief read. After a few moments she looked up. "I'm about to become a civilian, so why are you showing me this? Classified secret, too."

Gabriel snorted "As you said let's stop wasting each others time. Admiral Ashcart knew just what he was doing when he had me tell you about Fursman he knew that bit of information would be just what you needed to stay aboard. That thing I didn't like in your eye, that was a look of revenge, the thirst and hunger for it that will drive a person to do damned near anything to get it. I shared that information because I know you will stay and throw away those discharge orders. You're no more going to be a civilian than I am, so let's dispense with the bull." he paused and looked down at his desk the holographic projector that cycled through images sat on the edge of his desk. The images all had one unifying theme, in the picture was a dog at various ages going from puppy to full adulthood. He picked up the projector and looked at it for a few moments before speaking.

"You know, I had a dog once, raised her from a puppy." he extended his hand so the images could be seen easier by Cassandra "Her name was Dixie. Have you ever had a blue nose pit?" he continued with out expecting an answer "They are fiercely loyal, intelligent, loving, playful and extraordinarily protective animals. Dixie was my friend, always there while I was growing up she never feared me even when I was going through the rather violent hormonal changes an adolescent klingon goes through. She was my hunting partner, constant companion, and self appointed protector of the family." he sighed heavily as his mind went back in time to a day long ago and his face softened slightly "She used to disappear into the forests of our farm for hours on end, she like me would never be late for chow though so she would always come back. One day she disappeared for several days, we found a dead coon on the edge of the field in the back sixty. My mother had trained as a veterinary assistant and had specialized in animal husbandry, working on a farm that came in handy. She came out and looked over the body of the dead coon and figured out that it had been infected by rabies. You ever heard of that disease? It's a terrible one it gets in the cerebrospinal fluid and addles the brain. Causes you to attack everyone, even those you love no matter how loyal or how great the bond. It turns you into a drooling, mad animal lashing out at anything that moves." he took a breath then continued "About two days after we found the coon, Dixie showed up at the house. My sister didn't realize something was wrong and went out to pet my dog. Dixie growled at her, slobber dripping out of her mouth in foamy waterfalls and she charged. We were lucky, I was close enough to get in front of Alisha and take Dixie's charge in my chest. I wrapped my arms around the dog and rode her to the ground my arms around her back coming up and grabbing her throat to control her head. It was a close thing if I hadn't of been able to control her head she would have gotten to my throat and might have ended me but Momma got out there as soon as she had seen Dixie come back. She knew just by a glance out the window that Dixie had been infected and that she would attack the family. She had brought a hypo loaded with a sedative and as I held my sweet Dixie down my mother sedated her so I could get her away from the family. Momma told me that she was infected, and from readings she got from her tricorder that there was no treatment that we could give her to bring her back. All that would happen would be that she would suffer."

He swallowed and looked down at the pictures as they flipped through showing both the dog and the klingon male growing up and filling out. After the picture changed again he spoke "I know that look you had in your eyes, your staying and your staying to get back at them, I hope you'll prove me wrong take that PADD and get off my ship and never come back. If you don't, your not going to get a free ride, I'm not going to treat you with kid gloves I'm going to ride your ass until you get that Detachment up to fighting form and you turn into, or back into an Officer worthy of the uniform and able to lead those men and women in to war. If you fail in that I really don't give two damns how good of an officer you were when you got on the Redemption or how high your connections go I'll kick your scrawny ass out the closest air lock and say it was a malfunction. I wont let you jeopardize the lives of your people or mine because Fursman got in your head and messed you up. So you have two choices stay and get your revenge, my way by the book, or you can go. It's up to you, there all the cards are on the table."

She stood in silence for a few moments, turning the PADD over in her hands. "Since we're lecturing each other, do you know where my name comes from? Earth Greek mythology. Cassandra was given the power of prophecy but was cursed by Apollo so that no one would believe her predictions, no matter how right she was. Apt, for me, given recent events." She paused in thought for a minute, making her decision. It was never really an option - the opportunity for revenge was too overwhelming. "I'll play your game a little longer, but in exchange, when the time comes, I get Fursman. Then I go."

"I am more than familiar with Greek mythology and the curse of Cassandra. But you don't set terms on this Blackburn, if you're in you're in all the way and that discharge disappears. Fursman goes down by the book as does all the others, and what's more if he can be taken alive he shall be as I've heard rumors that our own intelligence branch wants him for..." he paused, cleared his throat and received the next few words verbatim "enhanced interrogation. I believe your familiar with them?"

"Yes, I am." She said simply, a thought process working it's way through her mind. If she behaved, she could get to Fursman. From there, well, she would cross that bridge when she got to it. One thing still wasn't clear though. "Why do you want me here then?" She asked directly.

He raised an eyebrow and the look he gave her expressed his doubt as to her intelligence. "I thought I had made myself clear that I do not in fact want you here at all. I'm doing this as a favor to the Admiral that has chosen the Redemption as his flag ship. I have every intention to drum you off this ship the first time I see you shirk your duty. If you fail to get the detachment up to fighting standards or behave in a manner that is unbecoming to the uniform I'll have your ass off this ship quicker than you can say 'Where am I going?'"

"Oh, you're one of those." She thought to herself, dismissing him in her mind as blindly Corps pissed. He reminded her a lot of Colonel Moore, who at least had proved himself true to his word during the last mission. She resisted the immense temptation to tell him where to go, suppressing her disdain for the very organisation she was about to commit herself to yet again - at least to the point where she found Fursman. This new Captain didn't need to know that last part, however.

"I think we understand each other. Sir." She said, intentionally keeping her expression blank and placing the PADD with the discharge papers back onto his table.

He moved, revealing the dress chevron's of a Marine medic as well as several battle ribbons, a few Marine medals and the name G. Barron underneath the rest. All in the small shadow box he had placed on the shelf. He picked up the PADD and sighed "Suit yourself Colonel." He picked up a different PADD thumbed it on and passed it to her. "Pick up your oak leaves at a replicator I don't have any to give you. Dismissed."

She was genuinely shocked. "Hang on, one moment you want to boot me off the ship and the next you want to promote me? ME? Of all people - is this a joke?"

He sighed "I don't authorize promotions for the Corps. That is your higher ups idea of a bribe. I don't care if they make you Commandant of the Corps so long as your ass is off my ship."

"I don't need or want a bribe. Rank isn't important to me." She replied - it had been, once, when she went through the accelerated promotion system all those years ago. Not anymore.

"Tell that to the Generals that authorized it. Dismissed Colonel." He said again with finality in his tone.

"Yes. Sir." She said, with a tilt to her head. She turned and walked out quickly, not quite as the civilian that she had planned to be.

As the newly minted Lieutenant Colonel left Barron's quarters he sighed heavily and gritted his teeth. He dreaded to find out what kind of rapsacallions had infested the detachment with such lax leadership as the good Colonel had mustered from under the chip she wore on her shoulder.

"Computer, summon the Senior most Marine NCO to my quarters immediately."

OFF

Gabriel Barron
Captain
Commanding Officer
USS Redemption

&

Lieutenant Colonel Cassandra Blackburn
Commanding Officer Marine Detachment
USS Redemption

 

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