Training--it's what we do

Posted on Fri Sep 27th, 2019 @ 4:19pm by Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea & Lieutenant Commander S'hib

Mission: Mission 3: Masquerade
Location: Cargo Bay Three
2483 words - 5 OF Standard Post Measure

Naxea looked at the assembled squad. These were mostly new Marines assigned to her attachment. Being aboard a ship rarely offered the chance for a full detachment exercise. She was dressed in Marine Assault Armor, along with a pulse phaser rifle and ruck sack. She looked at each member before locking eyes with a Cardassian that Gallia Norris had informed her of during the staff meeting that had joined her squad. She stepped up to the man who stood half a foot taller than her. "Who are you, Spoonhead?"

"PFC Durak, ma'am," the man replied instantly, trying not to dwell on being called a spoonhead by his CO nonetheless.

"Durak, huh? You better keep up, PFC Durak. I expect complete obedience to my command--any hesitation and I'll personally throw your sorry spoonhead ass out the nearest airlock. Now are you going have any trouble taking orders from a Bajoran?"

"No ma'am!" Durak replied instantly. "I was raised by hu--"

"I didn't ask for your life story, PFC Durak!" Naxea screamed at him, her voice reverberating thoughout the nearly empty cargo bay. "Nor do I care! I only care that you keep your mouth shut and simply follow orders!"

"Aye, ma'am!" Durak replied.

The cargo bay doors sliding open caught Naxea's attention as she turned toward the doors behind her.

“I hope I’m not intruding Ma’am.” S’hib said as he came to a stop, pulse rifle pointed to the floor and at ease. “But I was wondering If I could join your exercise.” he added keeping his eyes focused on Naxea, ignoring the sideways glances of everyone else.

He did look slightly out of place however, barely fitting under the door frame. But to his credit he had come prepared, Wearing white wrappings around his ankles and lower legs. Knee length combat pants and a marine rucksack strapped around his bare chest.

The sight of Ensign S'hib eased her anger some and took the heat at least for the moment off of PFC Durak. The sight of S'hib in the modified armor made Naxea grin as it reminded her of pictures of what terrans called pack mules. "Ensign S'hib, you weren't expected but if you're up to it, you're welcome to join us for our exercise."

"Thank you." S'hib said with a gentle nod before walking forward. "I only ask that while I'm here, you treat me the same as your marines." He added firmly, stopping in line with the rest of the group.

Naxea was curious about S'hib. Most security officers trained with their own department or only when required and yet S'hib was volunteering to train with her detachment. "Very well, ensign. "Alright, this will be a simple five kilometer formation run through the ship with combat gear and a ruck sack," she informed the group. "Squad, Attention!" she ordered the new Marines and S'hib. "Forward, march!" Naxea marched the squad out of the cargo bay and begin down the corridor. Double time, mark!" she ordered as the Marines began to run in formation down the corridor.

Falling in pace with the marines seemed almost natural to S’hib, his hooves clicking in rhythm, long bounding strides sending his slender but large frame down the corridor. ~I hope they don’t mind me being here.~ He thought, keeping his breathing level as he watched everyone up ahead running along.

Rhodes was the last one in, he'd been burning up the lines with Sgt. Major Daskowitz trying to get a couple of replacement Sergeants and trying to get that damn spoonhead out of the unit before the Captain got herself into trouble, ~Must be serious for Norris to drag her sorry redheaded butt to Marine country to tell me about it. Poor kid's worried sick about her...~

Naxea glanced back to see that everyone was staying in formation. 'Good so far,' she thought as they rounded a corner, spotting several crew walking in the corridor. "Make a hole!" Those who served aboard a ship knew to get against the bulkhead instantly--those who were new and hesitated often learned the hard way as one of the crew did. A part of her enjoyed giving out these lessons as she shoulder checked the poor crewman, sending him reeling into the bulkhead. "Next time make a hole!" she replied as she kept running.

Looking down as he ran past S'hib almost hesitated to help the dumbstruck crewmen on the floor. ~Not wearing yellow S'hib, keep running.~ He thought to himself as he picked up the pace before Naxea noticed.

A kilometer into the run, Naxea opened a Jeffries tube hatch. "In here! I want everyone to learn this ship inside and out! Your life may depend on it someday," she ordered as she proceeded to climb up the ladder rungs.

~I... don't know If I can fit.~ S'hib thought as he climbed into the Jefferies tube, his Hooves struggling to get a grip on the grated floor as he pulled himself towards the ladder ahead.

"This is precisely why I didn't do engineering at the academy..." He mumbled, climbing the ladder slowly while struggling to get a foothold on the bars with his hooves.

"Lieuten... Ensign," Rhodes began, he didn't communicate with fleeters much, so he would sometimes address Ensigns as Lieutenant, "Might be best for you to make your arms the biggest part of that exercise, Sir. Kind of like a modified chin-up, pull yourself up, then plant your feet."

S'hib stopped mid-climb as if dumbstruck by the suggestion. "I don't climb much..." He muttered, changing his grip on the bars. "Also, I'm not on duty..." He said, pulling his bulk up and placing his hooves on the next rung on the ladder. "Call me S'hib... She's your boss, not me." He added, looking up the ladder.

"Good, you're getting it." Rhodes said with a smile, if he could only get some of his own knuckleheads to listen as well as this Fleeter did.

After climbing three decks, Naxea opened the access door and exited the Jeffries tube. "Let's go!" she ordered as the Marines filed out of the tube. "Down the starboard corridor! Your ass better be towards the front, PFC Durak!" she said, waiting for everyone to clear the tube as Durak passed by her..

~I hate climbing.~ S’hib thought as he fell out the Jeffries tube with little to no grace, his arms feeling much heavier than they did ten minutes ago. ~Running I can do though.~ He thought to himself as he got up onto his hooves, Pushing them into the floor as he propelled himself into a sprint with every intention on being at the front.

As the last filed out, Naxea nodded at Rhodes. "Let's keep them moving Gunny. Ensign S'hib is doing well...I'm beginning to think he chose the wrong branch."

"Damn right he did." The Gunny smile/snarled, "Leave it to the goddam fleeters to waste a perfectly good war horse..."

Naxea sprinted off, joining the front. She saw S'hib at the front with Durak two Marines back. "PFC Durak...I believe I said the front," Naxea looked at him as she kept pace.

"I...I'm trying...ma'am," Durak replied.

"Try?! Marines don't try! We do or die! Now move your ass!" Naxea yelled as she pushed harder and moved to the front next to S'hib. "Good work but don't tire yourself out," she complimented with a grin.

“I thought the whole point was to make us tired Ma’am.” S’hib snorted teasingly through a grin of his own, pushing past the comfortable trot he was in. Powerful legs propelling him down the corridor in long bounding strides, accelerating him just ahead of Naxea one more.

Rhodes was passing a few of the Marines here and there, stopping along the way to get into a few of the slackers' asses, though he kept his eye mainly on Durak; the kid was really putting out, might be the Captain was so wrapped up in the horror of the occupation that she was missing out on a talented Marine.

Naxea only chuckled in response. Three kilometers into the run, they were over the halfway point with only a kilometer to go, when Naxea pushed ahead and slapped the door leading to another Jeffries tube. "Alright, three decks down!" she called out as she entered the access hatch first and began to quickly descend down the rungs. The muscles in her legs were burning as sweat dripped down her face. Yet through years of experience, she pushed through, despite her footing slipping a few times from fatigue.

Now fully immersed in the exercise S'hib started to wonder if anyone else was enjoying this as much as he was. "Keep up Marines..." He snorted diving into the Jeffries tube with a little bit too much enthusiasm. "You're losing to a fleeter!" He shouted, scrambling down the narrow tunnel after Naxea as his voice echoed out the hole.

Quickly reaching the ladder S'hib looked down, white foamy sweat forming over the straps on his rucksack. "Come on! your captain is almost down a deck already!" S'hib barked at the squad while lowering himself into the hatch, Adrenaline surging through his heart as he let his hooves dangle off the rungs.

One thing was for sure, If he was going to do this again he would need to put some serious effort into upper body workouts. ~Shit... that's a drop.~ He thought, moving down the ladder one hand at a time.

Going down three decks was a lot easier than their three deck climb up. The squad seemed to still be close together and she was impressed to see Durak still towards the front despite looking a bit pale. "Don't you die on me, PFC Durak! Not yet anyways!"

"Aye, ma'am!" he replied.

"Alright, home stretch!" Naxea called out. "Last Marine to finish cleans the lavatories!" She took off at a fast sprint. Unknown to the others, she had set a nice surprise for the group at the end and had made sure that section would be clear of other crew.

The speed of the small human female surprised S’hib, wondering if she has been holding back this entire time so as to not outrun the squad. Even still, she was no Sequus ~ and S’hib was quickly gaining on her heal.

“Make a hole!” He said teasingly as his loud hooves clacked down the hallway behind her.

Rhodes was keeping pace in the middle of the pack, trying to motivate any stragglers near the rear, "Alright, maggots, crawl faster before you become puss on the bottom of my boots! Wait until we get into some serious physical training around here! Some real work would wreck most of you like a kleenex at a snot party! Let's GO!"

Passing past Naxea with a thunderous beat of his hooves S'hib barely had time to think, a flicker of phaser fire whizzing past his face made his ears perk up in alarm. ~Too damn busy showing off he thought to himself as his rifle raised on instinct and fired back.

The shot hit home, the flickering holo target vanishing just as more shots rang down the corridor towards him. "I thought you normally put up ribbon at a finish line." He shouted, skidding to a halt and throwing himself against the wall on his left. ~ firing back at the targets up ahead.

Naxea kept running as the holograms were designed not to target her. "That would be too easy," she jested as she slowed to a stop and turned to watch how the squad would react. PFC Durak threw himself to the deck and returned fire, hitting a hologram.

Rhodes sprinted past the targets to the Captain, laughing so only she could hear him, "That tactic belongs in a museum, "Sir."

Naxea grinned at Rhodes' comment. "Keep moving! Push forward!" she ordered. "When you engage an enemy aboard ship, you make contact, close with, and destroy them! Speed is life in close quarters combat!"

S'hib still high on adrenaline from running, pushed out from the door frame at Naxea's order and fired. Two jets of mist puffed out of his nostrils as he quickly crouch walked across the hallway, rifle shouldered the entire time as he acquired a new target. "Squad move up!" He bellowed, kneeling and firing as one of the holo targets hit him in the shoulder. ~The phaser lance was weak but still made him grit his teeth, the corner of his vision going dark as he fired back.

Durak pushed to his feet as he continued to fire, hitting another target. The rest of the squad took out the remaining two holograms and pushed forward as PFC Durak assisted S'hib in moving forward.

"The effects of the hit will wear off soon, Ensign S'hib. "I'm impressed with your performance."

“Don’t worry, not the first time I’ve been hit.” S’hib smirked, leaning his head round to glance at Durak. “Come on, were almost done.” He added reassuringly before moving into another short sprint towards the finish, Durak close behind.

She turned to PFC Durak, as he was doubled over, coughing. "Are you dying on me, PFC Durak?" she asked, walking over to him.

"N--no, ma'am," Durak replied, standing up straight, still trying to catch his breath.

Naxea allowed a grin to form. "Good job as well for giving it your all and helping Ensign S'hib to finish. Squad, you're dismissed. Hit the showers and grab some chow."

She then turned back to S'hib as the squad began to disperse. "How are you feeling, Ensign?"

“Definitely in need of a shower Ma’am.” S’hib said while panting, his hooves twitching up and down excitedly like a dog. “But I also feel like doing that again.” He added, looking down at Naxea with wild eyes and a big smile.

Naxea laughed at the comment. "It was once again a pleasure having you join us," she replied. "You're free to go as well. I need to shower as well and then take care of some personnel work."

“It’s been a pleasure for me as well Captain, definitely more fun than the treadmills.” He said running a hand over his face, bringing his mane back over the back of his head. “Have a good rest of your day Ma’am.” He added before turning and moving off, slowly transition into a gentle canter as he paced down the corridor.

Naxea watched S'hib leave. "That is one fleeter that should have joined the Marines," she said to Rhodes.

"I'll write the transfer papers if you can get him to sign 'em." Rhodes offered, thoroughly in agreement with his CO about this subject.



Ensign S’hib
Security officer

Captain Naxea Azhul
Marine Detachment Commander

Gunnery Sergeant Timothy Rhodes, Sr.
Marine Detachment First Sergeant