Stealth and Awe pt 2

Posted on Wed Jun 1st, 2022 @ 5:20pm by Staff Sergeant Colton Renth & Captain Samuel Woolheater

Mission: Rejoinder
Location: Starbase 1, and various places on the USS Elysium
Timeline: MD1 2030 hours
2861 words - 5.7 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

Colton had retrieved his modified TR-116b sniper rifle, and his pet project from SCE and was taking a final account of gear before heading abord the Elysium when saw the damaged freighter docking. Others saw it as well.

"I wonder what the hit." one officer said while another replied, "probably a drunken helmsman smacked and satellite of nav beacon."

"Respectfully sirs you're both wrong, judging by the size and shape of the hole I'd say the ship was struck by a torpedo, likely a mark 4, the thing must have been dud else there wouldn't be a ship left to dock."

the officer turned, to see who was bold enough to tell them the wrong ready to through their fresh minted ensign pips around. when saw Colton they looked rather irritated until saw his name tag on his BDUS "Renth I heard stories about you, so you think it was a torpedo." the man said with a hint of admiration.

"Sir, I'm 98.6 certain of it, as for stories you heard about me, the best advice I can give you about them and any like them is believe none of what you hear and only half of what see," Colton replied going back to chacking his gear.

=== CREW GANGWAY ===

Woolheater, still damp from Tuleberry wine and happy to be off of the merchant ship, Backpack on his back and duffle bag in his felt hand, waked the gangway and onto the Starbase. It felt good to be here. He was that much closer to making it to the Elysium. He was getting looks. His uniform was a mess, he looked dirty. The Tuleberry wine stained his skin and hair. His uniform looked wet and smelled; it stank.

He heard people talking about what caused damage to the merchant ship and he just quietly slipped away from them. He recognized the marine BDU's and saw the Staff Sergeant stipes on the collar. He approached, most marines were going to be cool. At least in professional courtesy. Sam wasn't wearing his bars. Technically, he was out of uniform. But, he didn't want to draw attention to himself or his method of conveyance. So, he had removed the bars. Until he could find a shower and a clean uniform, they'd stay off.

"Excuse me? Staff Sergeant?" has asked the man. "Can you tell me where the barracks are around here? If you know? I need a clean uniform." Sam said.

Colton looked up from bags for a moment, "So I take the big hole in the side of the ship is your doing, Come I'll take ya to the quartermaster for a fresh uniform, and ya might hit a sonic shower while you're at it. ya look like ya went 6 rounds with a Klingon and rolled in their blood for an hour." Colton replied gesturing for the other Marine to follow him as he picked up his gear and rifle case. "So why the rush, I haven't seen the torpedo transport method in years." Colton as they walked toward the Quartermaster officer.

Sam was relieved. The first kind soul in days. Sam looked over his shoulder as the other marine stood up. Answering his question, he winced at how obvious it was, "Yeah. That was me." Turning back, he followed and noticed the gear and the rifle. "Semper Gumby. Always flexible to get the job done. A shower sounds so good right now. Almost fifteen hours in that tube." He looked over at the Staff Sergeant, noticing the name, "Renth" he knew that he knew that name. He continued talking, "Fuckin'...personnell or troop logistics got my orders screwed up. I was on my way to Starbase 201. In the Loki system, like...three days away. We had just left the Sol system and I wanted a ride back. Couldn't convince anybody that a shuttle could be spared. That torpedo was the only thing left that the skipper was willing part with. So...into the coffin I went and here I am. Guess that nobody on Elysium got the memo. That's my ship I need to report to." The corridors were massive and still there were gobs of people.

Sam asked, "What's your story man? I see the gear and the rifle. You a grass-man?"

"Yep, got selected for Scout sniper school right out of SOI, been doing it ever since, Served the majority of my time as Force Recon, scout/sniper, and last few years the Raiders seems to a lot of orders getting screw up lately, I was actually commissioned as a second lieutenant for all 13 hours, till some at HQ realized they skewed the pouch. So you got the Elysium too, Small galaxy I guess." Colton as they walked before pulling a PADD If ya want to put you unform since here I'll grab ya a new uniform was ya hit the showers, just down the hall to left." Colton said with heavy southern drawl.

Sam listened and heard the words, 'Force Recon'. He looked over at the marine and started to put it together, "Renth? I've heard of the Raiders from the Lance Corporal underground. Buuuut..." Sam got a better look and said, "Are you the Renth that qualified at 400 meters?" Sam knew who he was now. "Holy shit! You are huh? You're Colt Renth?!"

"That would be me, don't start gushing all over me now, people might start to think I'm spoken for." Colton replied with a grin.

Sam grinned and laughed. Sam took the offered PaDD and keyed in his uniform specs. "You're a HOG (Hunter of Gunmen) Renth. Holy shit." Sam said as he finished the sizing and handed the PaDD back. "Just a little starstruck I guess SSgt. You have like...what...thirty kills?" Sam smiled. He did look like shit. Sweaty and stained. He stowed his gear, clearly happy that his new budd was on the same posting.

"Something like that, but thanks to our friends in intel." the disgust and resentment in his voice plainly evident as he spoke, "the official count is 7 the other 23 or so a blocked but so many security seals and red tape, people know more about Krik time traveling, Pikes exploit as captain of the Enterprise, and all the shit that when down with USS Discovery, than OP where got those kills." he said as Took PADD and headed to get Sam's new uniform.

"Damn them!" he called after Colt.

As Colton Headed into the quartermaster's office, the young crewman at the desk asked "can I help you staff Sargent?"

"Yes, emergency uniform requisition," Renth said as handed the crewman the PADD with Sam's uniform specs on it

The crewman looked the PADD over, and looked a Colton "Sargent there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with your uniform." the crewman said

Colton sighed "Son don't ask questions, just get the damn uniform, kind on a time crunch."

"Sargent regulation clear s...."

Colton cut the man off "look here, crewman I'm 3 ranks above ya so consider it an order and hurry up." Renth said rather annoyed

"aye, aye Sargent." the crewman nervously replied as he quickly went and got the required items." and returned to counter were Renth signed for and headed back toward the showers


=== LATER ===

The sonic shower felt so good. Dressed and feeling a hell of a lot better, Samuel thanked Colt as he left the shower and barracks. Sam was back in a fresh, clean uniform. His bars, back on his collar. He spotted Colt and asked, "Hey? SSgt? just wanted to say thanks for being, y'know, helpful n' shit. I appreciate it. I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other since we got the same ship? You up for some grub? I need to report in but man, I'm starved."


Colt snapped to attention seeing the Bars, "Sound good to me sir." Colton replied

Sam said, "Thank you staff sergeant. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but if its all the same to you; I won't salute if you won't? It's hard being the new guy y'know? And...lately...I been through some bad times. I could use a friend; you're prolly going to get a command of your own anyway as soon as the CO sees your record. So...what do you say? When it's just you and me; we can cut out the 'Semper I' yeah? I know its not strictly the motarded way. But, despite the bars, I still work for a living." Sam was pretty straight up forward. And in many ways Renth with his force recon experience would be very valuable to have a guy like Colt on your side. "Where shall we go eat?"

Colton Relaxed some "You the boss, as for my own command I think not I'm best left in the field behind a scoped rifle, the command requires ability and desire while I've likely got the ability, I differently don't have the desire, no on the important matter of where to eat, do you like southern earth BBQ?" Colton asked with a grin.

Sam was relieved too and relaxed. "Yut! Thanks Colt. I checked in with the computer. First time I've probably been early for anything." Sam had an infectious grin. The kind that made you feel welcome and friendly, "I would love some BBQ. I'm so hungry, I don't remember that last time I ate real food. I'm starved. They started to walk together and out into the starbase, "I recognize the accent. From the southern part of North America? I heard it many times. Most recently at Camp Margrave. You know I'm a bush wookie too yeah? Just got my recerts too. They took my spotter though. I had a good spotter too."


"Yep, South Florida to be exact, Stealth and awe, nice mee a fellow bush wookie, I know fellin', I've lost a couple of good ones." a flash of rage and sorrow passed over his face as he spoke, "anyway I think this the spot." the sign read Highway's pit and smell of BBQ filled the air the walked over sat at a table, and a young human woman came over to take their order."

Marksman can be a lonely job. When one gets a good spotter and you develop trust and report with with them, you anticipate them and can read them and they you. That takes time. And in that flash that crossed Renth, Sam knew that he had lost good spotters too. It was almost to the point that you'd rather just go solo than lose another brother.

The BBQ joint smelled good and looked inviting. "Highway's Pit" and it looked good. "South Florida...got some good beaches down there. Need to get down there and work on my tan" Sam joked. Taking a seat, Sam didn't need a menu, "Hi ma'am. This place sure smells good. I would love to have some of those ribs. With as much BBQ sauce as you are allowed to legally give me. You got those chicken...uhh...half-chickens? Whole half things? I'd like some of that. Some slaw or sweet corn if you got it. Mac n' cheese too, lil scoopp of that. And a pitcher of lemonade and big ass tall glass with ice." Sam looked over at Renth, "And whatever he's having? It's all on my tab please?

Colton looked at Sam "Alright, now to gorge yourself to the point I gotta roll ya on the ship" I'll have a full rack of ribs, with sweet bbq sauce, a side of collards, and some pulled pork, with a large glass of Coke, oh and Tell Tom that guy that outshot him is here." He said with a devilish grin.

The young woman nodded and went to put in the orders. "Thank you ma'am" Sam said as he got a cloth checkered napkin. "Outshot Tom? Is he the owner? You know him?"

"Yes I do, Retired Gunnery Sargent Thomas Highway, He was the Company gunny on my first assignment out of Scout sniper school, about a or soo in he set up a shooting competition, if anyone outshot him he retire and put a letter of recommendation in their file. long story short I won, and never miss a chance to rub a little salt in the wound." Colton replied

"Ha!" Sam said and give Colt a fistbump. Over the next ten minutes, some food was delivered. Sam was hungry and he just about inhaled the mac n' cheese. As more food arrived, he asked Renth, "So, how'd you get in Force Recon? That's pretty....you know....you gotta be hot shit to get in that outfit."

"After a couple of OPS with some infantry outfits, some took note of my skills, and I got selected for the indoc, it was the hardest stuff I'd eve been through guys quit every day. But I made it through. And they wanted scout snipers as they had a hard time getting after the Dominion war. Colton said before biting into one of the ribs and striping it to the bone one a few seconds and moving on to the next one, till he had eaten the entire rack.

Sam dug into the ribs and then the half-chicken. The food tasted so good. Smothered in a great sauce too. Who knows when they'd get to eat like this again. And how often do you get back to Starbase One anyhow? Sam listened to Colt and then said, "My grampa was SFMC. Did a few tours and got out before they killed him. My old man didn't want to follow in his Dad's footsteps. And, y'know, I get that. He became an line engineer. Building subs, boats, underwater craft back on Pacifica. But after the Borg, things changed. I don't really remember them. But I do remember it was marines who helped get us out. I want to get more field assignments. Y'know? That's where I feel...I don't know. The best I guess." Sam guzzled some more lemonade and then sat back. "You know...??? My whole transfer to Elysium is...weird. I'm glad for it. Don't get me wrong. I hated doing fire watch at Embassies. But...they said, when I got my transfer and a promotion too, that they thought I'd be good at front line duty. Well....what front line?"

Colt finished up his food and coke, "Ship full diplomats, and politicians, bound to attract the wrong kind of attention, besides politicians are the worst, like the Cradis and ROMs all rolled into one." Colton said just then an elderly man approached their table. "If you brarin was half as fast moth skunk stool ya be 20-star general by now." the man said

"If I were as ugly as you I'd a poster boy for profalaictic." Colton replied

"Still a mean and nasty little cus aren't ya, still bragging about that one lucky shot." the old man said with a grin.

"Lucky, you about missed whole dam target, I put my sot so close to the bullseye it nicked the flea's ass., nice ta see Again Tom," Colton replied.

Sam couldn't help but grin and laugh with them as the banter went back and forth. Woolheater sat back in the chair and pulled one over for the older man named Tom. After they chatted, Sam introduced himself, "It's a pleasure to meet you Gunny. Colton has mentioned a few times. You guys go way back to when he was just a pup?"

The old man sat down "yeap he was 19, and though he the next davy Chris Kyle or something, but he was and still is one the best natural shooters I've ever seen, even if is a bit cocky about, any ways nice to meet ya booth, and don't worry about the tab it's on the house." the old man said as got up and headed back to the kitchen.

"Welp finish up ya grub LT we gotta get moving else they might leave without us, and ya wouldn't want a repeat of the last time," Colt said with a smile never gonna to let Sam live it down.

Sam didn't have a lot of credits, but since the tab was free, he left what he would have paid for the kind waitress. "Yeah...that was good" he said as they left. I think I'm going to walk around some more. Walk-off the million calories I just ate. Hey? Thanks for the company. It's not often that a guy arrives in a torpedo case smelling like Tuleberry wine and doesn't get asked a lot of nosey questions or starts raising suspicions. I'll see you around huh? If you remember where the briefing room is on a starship?" Sam teased

"I can remember, and I'm never gonna let live that arrival down," Colton replied as grabbed his gear and headed for the ship



OFF:

Staff Sargeant Colton Renth
62nd Maine Detachment Scout sniper USS Elysium

1st Lieutenant Samuel Woolheater
“Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas”
Division VI, MARDET 62nd Company "Spartans", 2nd Platoon CO
=/\= USS ELYSIUM - NCC-89000 =/\=
(signed off by Renth)