What it means to serve (Pt.4)

Posted on Wed Nov 15th, 2023 @ 7:01am by Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Starfleet Marine Academy; 2384
937 words - 1.9 OF Standard Post Measure

The sonic shower was turned to medium as the machine's sonic pulse vibrations cleansed Naxea's aching body as she slumped against the wall of the shower. How had things gone so wrong? It was her Junior Year at the Academy, and Arev had decided that it was in their best interests to end their relationship, and earlier in the morning, she had taken a bad fall during Parisis Squares practice, breaking her leg. The medic had healed it with a bone knitter, but it still ached.

Her mind went back to Arev. After four years together, he had ended their relationship. Hell, they had known each other ever since she, her mother and her half-brother had moved to New France. The thought angered her as she felt betrayed. He had told her it was because of him joining the Fleet and she the Marines with the likely risk that they would be stationed far apart. She knew it was true, but she had her suspicions it had to do with another cadet that he had formed a friendship with at the Fleet Academy.

Out of frustrations, she slapped the power panel to the sonic shower off, and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her. She stepped out into her dorm room where her roommate and friend Chen Li was getting dressed in her utility uniform and donning her gear.

"Hey Nax," Chen grinned. "Gonna miss you at the assault course today."

"Like hell. I'm going," Naxea said bitterly as she took the towel off and grabbed her nearby utility uniform hanging in her closet.

"But what about your leg? The doc said you should take it easy for a few days," Chen said, surprised.

"The bone is healed. I'll deal with the pain," she said pulling her underwear on.

"Ok, but you better hurry, and hope Instructor Teral allows you to participate," Chen warned as she finished donning her gear, watching Naxea get dressed with a worried expression.

****

"Cadet Azhul, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Instructor Teral yelled as she stormed up to Azhul, who stood in formation.

"Taking part in the Leader Assault Course, ma'am!" Naxea replied.

"Did you or did you not break your leg, Cadet?" Teral placed her hands on her hips.

"Yes ma'am!"

"And did the doc tell you to take it easy the next few days or not?" Teral asked, keeping her eyes and antennae locked on Naxea.

"He did, ma'am!" Naxea said.

"So what makes you think you're going to take part in the Leader's Assault Course?" Teral now crossed her arms.

"Because the bone is healed and I can take the pain, ma'am! There may come a day when I may have to fight while injured, ma'am!"

Teral was silent as she looked at Azhul. She could only admire her for wanting to go through with the Assault Course in her current state and after all, Azhul was right about fighting when injured. It was something Teral knew all too well. She had been wounded during both battles of Chin'toka. She truly hoped Naxea would never face such situations but with space, the odds were against that notion. Space, on the outer edges of Federation Territory was far more dangerous than the average civilian or even Starfleet Officer realized and took for granted. It was the reason she pushed these young cadets so hard during their first year--there were rarely any second chances and easy day in a Marine Detachment on deep space deployment. "Ok, Azhul. Let's see what you've got."

"Aye, ma'am!" Naxea replied, grinning.

******

The air was heated as phasers and disruptors streaked through the air above as Naxea sprinted through the trench. The key to the assault on the fixed enemy position was speed--not allowing the enemy time to form a solid defense.

"Keep moving!" she ordered her squad that were holographically created as was the enemy, catching two Jem H'dar by surprise as they had been busy setting up a mobile turret emplacement. Her shots were true, hitting the two Jem H'dar as they fell and disappeared from view. With her adrenaline rushing, she hardly felt the pain in her leg as she sprinted down the trench. The attack was standard study of tactics that had infamously earned then Lieutenant Winters a Silver Star on Earth's D-Day attack on Brecourt Manor in World War 2. She found it impressive that four-hundred and forty-four years later his actions were still being studied in military tactics.

Reaching the first disruptor turret, she didn't see any of the others of her squad. "Shit," she cursed under her breath just as two bloodied Starfleet Marines rushed to the turret, causing Naxea to breathe a sigh of relief. "Plant the plasma explosive and let's move!"

"Yes maa'm," one of the Marines replied as they attached the explosive to the turret.

The three continued down the trench as the explosive went off, destroying the gun. Even though it was holographic, Naxea could still feel the heat from the explosion.

******

Teral looked down at the PaDD in her hand and then back at Azhul, crossing her arms in the process. "Well, Cadet Azhul, not perfect, but you passed. You failed to keep tabs on all of your teams as one got bogged down and took heavier casualties as a result. This may be just an exercise but treat each one as if it were real. Someday it will be. Good job, nonetheless, Cadet Azhul."

"Thank you, ma'am!" Naxea replied through the throbbing pain in her leg as she waited for Chen to complete her run of the Leadership Assault Course.


TBC...