Of All the Starships in All the Quadrants

Posted on Sun Jan 9th, 2022 @ 6:04am by Gunnery Sergeant Nenaa [Sthilg] & Captain Natacha Patani

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Marine biff.
1861 words - 3.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Nenaa had been having a good day. After her usual early start, three-mile run in full combat load, breakfast and two hours workouts in the gym the well-tonned Orion was now leaning back against the metal of the weight bench feeling very good with herself.

She breathed in as her lungs filled with oxygen and she wiped the sweat from her head. She still did look out of place. The green woman wearing a black jumpsuit with her gym fatigues over that. But she was a very unusual marine.

On the opposite side of the free weights area, a small group of marines were watching as the detachment's new Ex Oh indicated that she wanted another set of twenty kilogram plates added to the weights she already had on the bar. The slight woman had no problems pressing the added weight, keeping a steady rhythm as the other Marines counted out her reps.

Dabbing her head with a towel the Orion walked over to investigate what was going on. With her species agility that earned them the title animal women, she squeezed between to of them. She'd not seen the woman before, but this must be the new Ex oh.

"Two more plates," Natacha ordered, as she flexed her fingers before gripping the bar again.

" Yes ma'am." the orion replied as she picked up another of the weights and added it to the captain's weight bar.

Again, Natacha pumped out another set of reps with no problem. Sitting up, the Marine Captain took a drink from her bottle. Eying the Orion, Natacha asked, "Gunnery Sergeant Nenna, correct?"

" That's me." The orion said as the marine crowd began dispersing. " Nice to meet you, captain."

"You as well, Gunny," Natacha answered as she leaned back down to do another set. "You have an impressive record. I appreciate a Marine who can reach out and touch someone when needed." Natacha pumped out another set after making that observation.

" Just doing my job captain. " Replied the orion. " The local religious nutters did help in that regard. Some of the thought if they believed hard enough then the phaser blasts would vanish. No seeking cover just charge forward screaming at you."

"Cosnicos Two," Natacha Two observed as she sat up again. Seeing the look of confusion on the gunnery sergeant's face, Natacha elaborated. "One of those systems out on the fringe of things, towards the Gamma Quadrant. The locals are just now starting to settle and exploit their star system. The natives are belligerently secular. In battle, they rush the enemy lines without hesitation. Their scientific community argues that the survivors of these confrontations provide the best genetic material for the next generation." Natacha shrugged. "Apparently unbalanced beliefs come in all varieties. Add a couple more plates and spot me if you would, Gunny. This is my last set, and I want to make it a heavy one."

The orion nodded as she picked up two sets of two plates before she added them to the weight bar. After checking they were properly secured she took the position. " Ready to go when you are." She said happily.

Natacha begin pressing out the weight, grunting out the number of each rep. When she got to the tenth, her arms were wavering, but she shook her head when she thought the sniper was going to help her. With a "TEN!" Natacha got the bar back in its place.

"Thanks," Natacha told the Orion as she sat up. Natacha finished off her water bottle before continuing the conversation. "So I don't know much about Orion culture. By which I mean, novels, operas, that sort of thing. Is there anything you would recommend?"

" I wouldn't really know ma'am," Nenaa replied honestly. " I was raised in the federation after I was found in a box labelled for general wholesale on an orion cargo ship with around ten others for the slave markets. Got adopted by my dad and my moms and was raised on marine bases with my brothers and sisters. Joined the corp as soon as soon as I could. "

The Orion let out a chuckle. " Ironically what I know of Orion culture comes from an Andorian roommate I had at boot camp. She was big into Orion dancing. She a handmade outfit and everything. I can recommend before the fall by doctor T'vork of the Vulcan archaeological society which covers the Orions before the fall of are first civlsation and the rise of the syndicate."

"I'm more of a cultural insight person," Natacha answered as she moved to a leg press machine, gesturing for the Orion to follow her. "The Klingon opera based on Titus Andronicus taught me more about Klingons then any history book ever could." Natacha scowled as she began putting plates on. "I just wish I had the range to sing the part of Tamora. So are there any novels you would recommend, Gunny? A novel from any culture."

" Have you read tears from a frozen sea?" It's a semi-historical novel series about early Andorian space travel and their war with the Vulcans? " the andorian suggested.

"No I haven't," Natacha said as she positioned herself in the sled. "Tears from a Frozen Sea, you said? Computer, add that to my reading list." With that instruction given, Natacha did her first set of leg presses. "I'm not keeping you from your own workout, am I, Gunny? I could rely strictly on Medical to prevent atrophy in this low gravity environment, but there's no substitute for honest sweat. Or as they would say on the world I grew up on: better to sweat on rhe polyethylene than to bleed on the sand." With that pronouncement, Natacha pumped out another set of leg presses.

" May I ask what your homeworld was like ma'am?" the orion inquired. Her own homes had been marine bases on federation inner worlds all very safe.

"I am a honest to devata denizen of a lost colony world," Natacha said with a harsh laugh. She took a drink from the bottle the computer had refilled when her attention was turned elsewhere. "One of those planets that got settled two centuries ago, when everything was happening on Earth, and colony ships were being launched then promptly forgotten. I understand there were quite a few badly written holonovels on the phenomena."

Natacha took another swallow from her bottle before she asked, "Just so you know, Gunny, I am one of those Marines who considers everyone in the Corps, past, present and future, as my sisters and brothers. As such, family gets forgiven for asking the wrong question, just so long as they stop asking when told to. So my question is, and tell me to mind my own business if you want to, how does an Orion not know her own culture?"

" As I said captain I wasn't raised by Orions. My parents are humans who adopted me after my culture was trying to sell me as a slave. They gave me the best life three jarheads could give a girl as well as my brothers and sisters. They offered to let me learn about it, but I never really saw a reason. One of my bigger regrets. I've started reading about it more now." The green gorl replied with a look of regret on her face.

"I do envy you growing up in a Marine family," Natacha remarked as she kicked out another set of leg presses. As she finished, she added, "And I do appreciate you reading. I'm a firm believer that if a conscious Marine doesn't have a rifle or a pugil stick or a weight bar in their hand, they need to have a book in them. If all this ship needed was someone to hold phasers and point them in the right direction, it's got a Security Department full of red shirts who can do that. Or orange shirts. Or yellow shirts. Whatever color they're wearing over there these days. Put a couple more plates on each side, would you, Gunny?"

Nenaa nodded as she walked to the racks and began loading up two more plates for Natacha.

"Thank you, Gunny," Natacha said as she grunted out another set. Sitting up and finishing her water bottle for the second time, Natacha continued, "My point is, a Marine needs to use that grooved up mass between their ears for more than thinking about thumping when their on duty and humping when they're off. We're Marines. We adapt, we improvise, we overcome. And you do that by working all the muscles, including the one in your skull." Natacha abruptly changed the subject by asking, "Is that a suppressant suit of some kind under your fatigues?"

The orion had been thinking a reply before her boss changed the subject. " Yes, ma'am I'm one of the two per cent of Orions the pheromone suppressors has negative side effects in my case it causes my glands to start bleeding, Without the suit, this place would be swimming in phearmones," she explained.

"Must human females get headaches when exposed to Orion pheromones," Natacha observed. "Me, my skin gets a little scaly between my shoulder blades. You know that place you can never reach yourself, and rubbing it against an open door frame never helps? Fortunately, you can always replicate a wooden back scratcher." Standing up, Natacha toweled off the leg press sled before turning back to Nenaa. "I'm going to grab some steam. You're welcome to join me. Sealed and self-contained, so you don't have to worry about spreading the pheromones."

" Sounds great lead on." The orion replied. " Do you mind if I ask where you grew up captain?" she inquired

"Randder Three," Natacha answered. "One of my Federation tutors called it the outer ring of the Seventh Level of Hell. A literary reference to the writings of Dante Alighieri." As the pair entered the steam room's antechamber, Natacha made sure she and Nenaa were the only two in the steam area before locking the doors behind them. Before she began undressing, she had the replicator produce a wooden backscratcher. "No offense intended, Gunny," Natacha said, momentarily brandishing the tool before beginning disrobing.

" None taken ma'am." The orion replied with a grin before she began disrobing leaving her gym clothes in one of the dressing rooms storage slots before hitting the small notch on the back of her suit before carefully pealing off the outfit from her frame.

Natacha watched the Orion woman remove her clothing while pulling her own shoulders back. When Natacha didn't feel the need to scratch, a half smile appeared on her face. "Nothing so far. Maybe I'm just allergic to Orion women not in the Corps. Gunny, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Natacha observed as she opened the door to the steam room proper for the Orion non-com.

" I think it is captain." Replied the Orion as she stepped into the room allowing the heat to flow over her breathing new life into her tired muscles. Taking a seat next to the officer on the bench she let out a sigh of relief. This truly was the life.