Meeting the Marine CO

Posted on 28 Jun 2016 @ 12:46am by Lieutenant Colonel Cassandra Blackburn & Lieutenant Commander Magdalena "Maggie" Doyl

1,713 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Errand of Mercy
Location: Marine Country

ON

Maggie had a great deal of respect for the Starfleet Marines, and liked to work with them whenever possible. As she wasn't sure what Major Blackburn thought about working with Starfleet Security, she thought it a good idea to meet the woman and find out.

She checked where the Marine CO's office was located, verified that she was in her office, and headed for Marine Country.

Cassandra Blackburn didn't particularly like her office. It was located near the Marine flight deck, miles away from her quarters, and had a single window which offered a glorious view of the port nacelle, blocking the starfield beyond. Like her quarters, it was barren, as she didn't see the need to decorate it as she intended to leave as quickly as she was released from the Corps. A few padds and unpacked crates littered the room, dumped there unceremoniously by Marines days ago.

She was sat on the frame of the window, the front of her tunic undone, drinking from a mug and reading a padd. It's message was concise and to the point - the Corps was removing her from the accelerated promotion scheme due to "failure to uphold the standards of the programme". She shrugged - the scheme had been her life during her career and she had worked very hard to get accepted on it, and it had in turn led to her early promotion and posting to the Redemption in what seemed a lifetime ago. Now that all seemed abstract: a pointless distraction from another life.

The door chimed. Blackburn grunted, she was still tired from her latest argument with Rhyan and she was in no mood to talk to anyone. She ignored it. The door chimed again. She sighed. "Come" She said loudly.

Magdalena walked in and took a quick look around, making a quick assessment of both the office and the woman. "Hello. I'm Maggie Doyl, the new Chief of Security. Do you have a minute?"

Blackburn hesitated, attempting to think of an excuse. Coming up empty, she shrugged and tossed the padd onto the table without moving from the window. "Sure. Several if you want. Want a drink? Apparently this is green tea." She closed one eye and examined the sludge at the bottom of the mug with the other. "It's crap" She said into the mug.

"I think I'll pass, thanks," Maggie said, trying not to smile. "I'm sure we'll be working together from time to time, and I wanted to know what ideas you had for security and the Marines working together."

"Oh, in that case... I'm Blackburn. I apparently lead this intrepid expedition." She gestured to herself, as if Maggie didn't know who Blackburn was talking about despite being the only person in the empty room. "As for the SFMC, we'll do what we do best, I guess. We'll deploy valiantly, charge valiantly; get butchered valiantly. Then twenty years from now old men will thump their chests and say what a valiant charge it was." She paused. "The Starfleet Corps of Marines: Hey diddle diddle, straight up the middle!" She raised her mug in salute as she said it, before taking a sip and grimacing at the taste.

"Well, I hope you don't get butchered," Maggie replied, "But the Marines have definitely earned their reputation. I have no intention of standing in your way, but I do want us to work together for the benefit and protection of both our forces."

Blackburn got up from the window and put her mug down on the desk. She sat on the chair, spinning on it for a moment. "Well, my illustrious command currently consists of a handful of uniform wearing computer hackers with a boy officer leader, a few supporting specialists, and a Sergeant Major who'd be happy to see me shore side. I have three knackered air frames to put us on the objective, whatever that would be. We're about as combat effective as a chocolate fireguard. In terms of force protection, I think you have us beat there - my line companies are still on Luna."

"Will they be joining us?" Maggie asked.

"I, uh, don't know. Depends if they can get the fleet assets to move them, I guess." Blackburn hadn't actually asked Starfleet this obvious question, and was starting to feel a little embarrassed. She coughed awkwardly. "Look, Maggie, you don't know me but I'll be honest with you. I intend to resign my commission after this mission and leave Starfleet. I'm probably not the best example of dedicated senior officer on this ship." She paused for a second. "Well, at least better than Rhyan, anyway." She said quietly, as an afterthought.

Maggie raised an eyebrow. "Why?" she asked bluntly.

Blackburn looked down at the desk for a moment, before looking back up again. "Personal reasons." She said, equally bluntly. "But I'll give you some advice. Nothing but pain and torment follow this ship. Wherever she goes, people die. Watch yourself."

Maggie nodded, once. "I'll take that under advisement. In the meantime, I plan on doing my best to keep people alive. To do that, I need your help."

Blackburn half smiled. "Don't give up, do you? Well, in the past the Marines and Security have worked together - we retook the ship once when she lost all power and was boarded - but we kind of did our own thing until we ran into each other. No real co-ordination, especially when the first officer took over - bit of a Redemption tradition, that. Luckily we didn't shoot each other. As it stands I have little to work with so I imagine your people will do a lot of the grafting when the plasma start flying - and it will. I'm happy to liaise with you wherever you feel it is necessary." She almost added another quip about her lack of faith in the ship, but felt she'd laid it on thick enough, and Maggie didn't exactly seem impressed.

"I'm a bit tenacious," Maggie admitted with a grin. "I'm not the image of what you would consider a security officer to be. But I would like to coordinate with you and make plans for how we want to operate in times of crisis. I also would appreciate suggestions on how to switch up procedures on the ship. I would hate anyone who used to be on this ship to come back and be able to slip past security simply because we're too predictable."

"Oh?" Blackburn's interest in the conversation increased considerably. Had someone told Maggie about Jon Marshall? Or the Sarah-Ee hybrid? Blackburn leaned forwards, watching her carefully. "What makes you say that?" She asked.

"A conversation I had," Maggie said vaguely. "I believe it would be prudent to have the element of surprise on our side."

"Yes, prudent indeed." Blackburn said slowly. She wasn't sure what to disclose to Maggie - she didn't know her - and she felt that she had to be cautious, particularly with Jon Marshall onboard. "I'll write some ideas down and send them to you."

Maggie could sense that the other woman was holding back, but she wasn't sure why, or about what, and she wasn't going to pry. But perhaps there were other questions she could ask. "Part of the problem is that I really don't know what I need to protect against -- or who. That makes it more difficult."

"Well," Said Blackburn, carefully, "Starfleet intelligence has known to work on this ship. And there's always the risk from the Ee - I'm no doubt you've been briefed on Sarah- who is now one of them." She paused for a moment, considering. "Rhyan was emotionally attached to her. It's caused.... issues in the past."

"Yes, I'm aware of her and the potential harm she can do," Maggie said. "But when you mention Intel, I assume you mean more than simply the Intel department?"

"There's been more than that on the ship, yes." Replied Blackburn cryptically. She didn't want to disclose anything about Marshall just yet. "Certain individuals have been on board in the past. More than that, I couldn't say."

Maggie knew she was keeping something from her and wondered why. Did the Marine not trust security, or was it Maggie herself? Maggie wasn't sure, but she had no reason to push further at this time. "All right. Then I will let you get back to what you were doing. If you have any suggestions, or information you think I may need to do my job, please let me know."

"Yes, I will. I'll get back to busily drinking this sludge." Blackburn eyed the mug on the desk for a moment. "Just... one more thing. During your time in Starfleet Security, did you know - I mean, uh, did you ever come across a security officer by the name of Joe Fursman?"

The name was vaguely familiar. Maggie thought hard for several seconds, trying to place where. "Isn't he part of Sixth Fleet?" she asked, not unaware of the wave of emotions that accompanied the query.

"Yes... he's their head of intelligence. Do me a favour, please. If you come across him, let me know." Blackburn picked her mug up from the table. "I intend to kill him." She said, deadly serious.

Maggie raised an eyebrow. From what she'd heard, he'd done plenty to warrant a death sentence. "Okay," she said, not asking why. "But you may want to switch that sludge for something palatable." She began to walk towards the door and stopped. "I can still use your help while you're here. Let me know if you get any ideas." Then she grinned. "You know, I might actually like working with you."

"Ah, but I come with a health warning." Replied Blackburn. "Most of my friends and colleagues on this ship end up mad, bad or in a box."

"I'll take my chances," Maggie said impishly. "Besides, who says I'm not already mad?" With that she nodded to the Major and headed out the door.

"Must be, to be on this ship." Blackburn said to herself, looking at the mug and downing the contents.
____
OFF

Major Cassandra Blackburn
Marine Commanding Officer
USS Redemption

&

Lieutenant Commander Magdalena Doyl
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Redemption

 

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