Fixing the Fourth, part 2

Posted on Sat Jun 5th, 2010 @ 9:26am by 1st Lieutenant Kara Melo & Major Leroy Mangalia & Private 1st Class Trent Kushner

1,053 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Transitions
Location: Holodeck on Typhon
Timeline: Current

ON

[OLD]

Watching the Fourth scramble, he looked back inside. "Since I'm sure we have a few minutes, I wanted to properly introduce myself to at least you Marines. First Lieutenant Leroy Mangalia. I'll be helping to run the unit obviously. Do you have any questions?"

[NEW]

"No, sir. No questions," Kara replied. Nothing really new about any of this.

"Ok. This is to all of you. Any complaints, gripes, moans, idea's, or anything like that?" He shook his head. There never were any questions, but he might as well always set up a box for all the idea's that get thrown at him. "And I mean absolutely anything." Looking them up and down he frowned, looking at the weapon that one of the marines was carrying. "Marine. Why are you carrying that?"

"Yea," Kara said, stepping forward. "I have a comment." She looked the Lieutenant in the eye. "If you treat us like idiots you'll lose our respect. I know you don't care about that, but we work a lot harder and do a lot better if we actually respect the person we're working for. If you want us to bust our butts for you, give us the courtesy of respect -- until we prove otherwise."

Leroy smiled and chuckled. "Respect? You would like for me to give you the common courtesy of respect. Do-able. But only after you EARN it." He was still smiling, his features soft and unlike how he usually looked. "Once your unit has earned my respect, and I mean the entire unit, then you'll have that courtesy. I'm sorry Marine, but something so heavy cannot be given lightly. Why don't we go see what the Fourth is doing?" Turning, he moved away from the First, down the halls. He expected to see none of the men that he had ordered at their doors, actually where he had ordered them. And he wasn't surprised in the least when his prediction came true. Shaking his head, and rubbing that spot on the bridge of his nose between his eyes, he sighed. "Any suggestions on what we do to them?"

"Meaning no disrespect, sir," Kara said, "Since you don't respect me or my men, why respect anything I have to say?" She was just glad she'd worked directly with Captain Raine. She was going to request that she NEVER have to work with the new XO. He'd already lost any respect she may have had for him.

Walking to the first room, he looked inside and sighed. "Fail," he said, looking at the two Marines standing inside, half-way standing as they were picking up. "Everyone in this Platoon has failed! Everything in the halls now!"

The Marines of the Fourth struggled to comply as fast as possible with the Lieutenant's orders. A number of them seemed to lose their place in the line and were forced to wedge themselves in among others.

The platoon leader simply shook his head, embarrassed by the display. They had started to show some promise as a working unit, but, it had become painfully apparent that a lot needed working on yet. As this was his unit, he was responsible for their actions, both good and bad.

Leroy looked at the line up and down the hall and shook his head. "I've been tasked with making this platoon a cohesive, fighting unit. Does anyone know where that begins?" he asked aloud, not really wanting them to answer. "It starts in the mind. It starts with simple tasks like a clean bunk, a clean weapon. In order to be an effective marine, you have to be an effective person. I'm going to give you two hours to not only clean your bunk area, but to place everything back inside per SOP. Your bunk will be spotless, as will be your person." Looking up the right side of the line, then back down the left he shook his head. "I don't enjoy making Marines laughing stocks. It makes me look bad. It makes YOU look bad."

Looking at each Marine, Leroy smiled slightly, wanting to chuckle. "Two hours men, to get everything spotless. If someone asks for help, and your done, then you help them. If it looks like your going to fail, keep working. I'd rather see someone trying to pass, then someone who's looking at a room stupidly as if they don't know where to begin. Every man standing in this hall is a Federation Marine. We're not fleeties, and we don't need to act like them. Get started, and over the next two hours, I will be checking, so I suggest that you keep working." Dismissing them with a look, Leroy turned on his heel and walked back to the holodeck, wondering if they were salvageable. Wondering if they were even worth the effort.

"Sir?" Trent asked as the Lieutenant entered the holodeck. "Did you actually want to do anything with us? We were scheduled to start our training exercise today for ship borne combat. The Captain told us instead to assist you in helping out the Fourth. I somehow doubt watching them clean their bunks is doing them a service."

Leroy shook his head. "No, watching them clean isn't doing anyone a service. But then again, something to help them get in the mood to actually be a Marine is in order. Private, how do you and yours feel towards a little war game?"

Trent looked around at his fellow Marines and noted nods and smiles, a few of them were even trading light punches of encouragement. He couldn't resist the urge to smile himself, he still felt the scales needed to be balanced after the punishment he and the rest of the platoon received for the Fourth's late appearance. "Oh, I think we might be in agreement to that...for the good of the Fourth, of course." He smirked.

Leroy resisted the urge to laugh, and was failing. "Everyone gear up. Go get weapons from the armory, whole nine yards. And tell the Fourth when you pass them, we don't want them being late again. When you get back, I'll have the scenario ready for both sides."

OFF

1st Lieutenant Leroy Mangalia
Marine XO
USS Calypso

Staff Sergeant Kara Melo (NPC)
Squadron Leader
USS Calypso

Private Trent Kushner (NPC)
Marine
USS Calypso

 

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