You must be kidding me...

Posted on Tue Jun 9th, 2020 @ 8:06am by

Mission: Season 3: Episode 4: Cause and Effect
Location: Embassy
655 words - 1.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Anje had been expecting many things that day, but Tim Rhodes walking into the embassy looking madder than Hell was not high amongst them, "Hi, Tim." She smiled, "What can I do for you?"

"You can tell your looney ass aunt to stay out of my business." Rhodes snarled, handing Cdr. Brett the padd he'd just received, "Would you look at this shit?"

Anje took the padd and did as he asked, reading it thoroughly and smiling, "Tim, this is great!" She exclaimed, "They want to make you a Warrant Officer!"

"How is that great, Commander?" Rhodes groaned, "I don't like officers, one, they're all assholes and two, there's nobody who can replace me as First Sergeant yet. That's the most vital link in the chain of command in a Marine Detachment, we can't leave that unfilled. The worst part is there's nothing in there about what my duties will be or even where they'll be, only that I'm being offered Warrant Officer based on your aunt's recommendation."

"Well, surely they'll keep you here." Anje said, though she had no way of knowing if that was the case or not, especially if Lovejoy might have his hand in it, "I can't see them taking you off of the Elysium, not right now anyway. And don't assume a new assignment with the promotion, don't pack for a transfer that hasn't been sent yet."

"Right, right." Rhodes nodded, "When I saw this I thought they had finally gotten approval for my Master Sergeant's stripe, this was... all the way out of left field."

"I'm sure it was." Anje replied, "But, if you really don't want it, just turn it down."

"Are you crazy?" Rhodes fired back hard, "You never turn down anything in the Corps, the first time you tell 'em no they never call you again."

"Then it looks like you're going to have to take it and make the best of it." Anje shrugged, "Maybe it's an error though."

"No, I checked it out." Rhodes shook his head, "I'm the first one to find out, at least. Hopefully we can avoid any parties or other assorted foolishness."

"Or you could let your friends celebrate your good fortune." Anje suggested in counterpoint, "Like a normal person does."

"Friends? When the hell did I get friends?" Rhodes growled.

"Well, there's Fernando, Heather, Milla, Me..." Anje counted off the people she knew liked Tim, even counting her family the number was low, "Tallia, you've got friends."

"Okay, fine, fine." Rhodes agreed, though grudgingly at best, "Just keep it to the few of you and I'll be fine with it. I don't want a big embarrassing spectacle like I'm some jackass eating dinner at Chili's for his birthday and a bunch of out of tune busboys are coming over to humiliate me with the happy birthday song."

"Right, nix on the singing busboys." Anje laughed, then added sheepishly, "And it wasn't Auntie, Tim. It was me. Naxea needs a competent XO who will have her back, and you've always been there for everybody. You've always been there for me and I'm outside of your chain of command and you barely tolerate me."

"Well, a lot of that is your aunt's fault." Rhodes chuckled, "But I get you, you're forgiven, princess. Remember, keep the party small! And one more thing."

"What's that?" Anje asked, though she had a sneaking feeling she knew what it was.

"Since when do you give a dead dog's last shit about the Major?" Rhodes asked flatly, "Last I heard you and the entire detachment except me were on the outs."

"Things change, Tim." Anje shrugged, though she hadn't been around Naxea since the original fight about Quinn, "Besides, we're all on the same team here."

"Right." Rhodes nodded, "Okay, guess I better start beating the bushes for a new top Sergeant for this circus."

"Right." Anje nodded, "You're dismissed, Warrant Officer."