Day of Reckoning

Posted on Sat Feb 5th, 2011 @ 12:29pm by Commodore Samantha York & Colonel Damon Raine & Major Leroy Mangalia & Lance Corporal Jennifer Guntold

2,031 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: The Forests of Mythraeli
Location: Marine CO's Office
Timeline: Before arriving at Mythraeli [BACKPOST]

[Marine CO's Office]

ON

Samantha had asked to be present when Damon and Leo spoke to Guntold. Delon's report was in and, although it clearly showed that Guntold had shot without provocation, the guards weren't civilians as first thought. They were part of the mercenary group that was holding the prisoners. There was also the matter of the bodies being spirited away -- with a hint of foul play. So, the matter was complicated. Still, she'd promised to let the Marines deal with this. So, she sat in a chair at the side of the room and watched.

Leo walked into the office and saw the Captain. "Sorry Ma'am, I thought that there was a meeting in here." Spinning on his heel, he made to leave the room. He didn't want to get between Damon and Sam, that would cause bad blood no matter what.

"There is a meeting in here," Sam said, forestalling his departure. "I'm simply an observer. Come in and have a seat. Damon will be back in a moment."

Leo nodded, turned back and took a seat with apprehension. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but then again, it wasn't his place to know. "How are you finding your ship after your unwanted vacation Captain?"

"It's very nice to be home," she told him. "I'm still trying to get everything back on track. How are you holding up? I know you took over the Marines while Damon took over the Calypso."

"I'm alright, a little fight every now and again keeps the blood clean." Shrugging he looked over as the doors opened, and Jennifer walked in. She was silent, and cuffed, two security officers flanking her, but stopping at the door. "Captain, what's this about?" Leo said looking at Sam. "What is she doing in manacles and with two armed guards?"

"That's for Damon to explain," Sam said. Then she looked at the two gards. "Take off her manacles. You won't be needed here."

One of the guards stepped forward, unlocking the manacles from Jennifers wrist and stepped back. They stepped back again in unison, and the door slid shut. Jennifer continued to stand there, looking at the wall off to the right of the Captain, and said nothing. She knew when she was going to be in deep, she just didn't think that the whole firing squad would come to do it.

"Have a seat," Sam said pleasantly. "We're not going to shoot you."

Leo wanted to chuckle, but kept his face straight as the Lance Corporal rigidly took a seat, then jumped back up. "Sorry Ma'am, I can't," she said softly. "I can't sit around Officers." Now Leo did smile as he unclipped his rank, and gestured for the Captain to do the same.

"I don't see any stupid officers," Leo said, tossing his rank on the table. "Now are you willing to sit?" She smiled and sat back on the seat that she had originally chosen. "Good, now once The Colonel gets here, I can find out why we're all here."

"I should think why you are hear is all but too apparent, Leo." Damon said as he walked into the room. "A Marine contravened orders on weapon use resulting in the killing of two guards." He sat down at the table. "I think that merits your attention as well as mine." He handed out copies of the action report to everyone at the table, including the Lance Corporal.

Leo and Jennifer both picked up the after action report and only Leo sighed. "Alright, this is about the actions that the Lance Corporal took while on the away mission attempting to rescue the Captain. But I would like to remind both of you, I did say I was going to take full responsibility for her actions."

Sam looked at Damon, choosing to say nothing at the moment.

"It isn't your responsibility to assume, Leo. She needs to be held accountable for her actions. We cannot allow this kind of action to slip by based on our willingness to take the punch in her stead. If it was you who dissobeyed a dirrect order like this and killed two civillian targets without provocation, I would have you before the board in a heart beat."

"As it is." Damon continued. "It turned out that these civillians were, in fact, mercenary's who assaulted government officials and kidnapped a Starfleet officer. And it is only that remarkably thin grey line that brings us here now. He looked at the Corporal. "Make no misstake, I would offer you and myself up to the board if it turned out any differently."

Jennifer shook her head and then looked down. "While yes, I did fire on what seemed to be Civilian targets guarding a facility believed to be holding the Captain, I fired at non vital area's. The knee, shins, the shoulder where the arm and shoulder connect. I didn't fire at the head or center mass of any of the targets that I took. This was while the other part of the Away Team was working it's way down to said facility. What I did was to protect the fleeters." Looking at the Captain, Jennifer blushed. "No offense Ma'am."

"Why should I take offense?" Sam said. "I've used the term fleetie myself a time or two. As for taking the shot, you were told to use non-lethal force. Your shots hit right where you meant them to hit. And two of the guards were killed. If you'd used a stun rifle as ordered, we wouldn't be here now." She looked apologetically at Damon. She hadn't intended on chiming in.

He nodded at her comment, as much showing that he agreed with it as he was for Samantha's input. "Was the order for non lethal contact in any way not clear? If so, I can't reason why anyone would bring a TR over a carbine or phaser rifle with variable settings."

"I often miss with a phase rifle," Jennifer said, looking down. "With anything firing phase energy, I over aim, over think, over shoot, over do everything with it."

Looking over Leo shook his head. "Why is this just now coming to our attention? When you came aboard, you should have told me, or the Colonel. We would have done everything in our power to help you with that."

"How could you pass your annual marksmanship recertification?" Sam asked. "You'd need to re certify with a phase weapon as well as a projectile weapon. It would have shown up in your records if you were that bad a shot. Everyone gets lucky once in a while, but you've gone way beyond luck."

"I hit enough of my targets that I wouldn't fail," she said dejectedly. "It wasn't luck, but pure determination. I didn't want to take a weapon I know I'm shoddy with, and give away our position. So I did what I thought had to be done." Sighing, Jennifer unclipped her rank and laid it on the table. "If you need to drum me out, no harm no foul."

"I won't have any quitters serve under me, Corporal. You had better re-think where your pip is really quick." Damon shook his head and refused to look at the insignia. "As for hidding the fact that you perform poorly with a phaser, that is unnaceptable. In a situation where there would be no option but to use one you would end up being a danger to every Marine around you, least of all yourself. Keeping secrets is dangerous and self serving."

Damon stopped and stared off at the wall, this was turning out worse than he had thought. If he was back in war time he would have dealt with her actions in a severe fashion. This wasn't war time, though, and he had to remind himself of that before speaking again.

"The reason we are here is to determine what to do with you now Corporal. I'm willing to field suggestions before making my final decision." He looked at both Leo and Samantha to offer suggestions.

"She did shoot to kill without provocation," Sam said. "However, later information showed that they were mercenaries and may have caused the away team more trouble if they'd called for backup." She looked keenly at Guntold. "The question is, will she learn from this and become a better Marine?"

Leo looked between the two women and kicked his chair back, the legs scraping across the floor. He wasn't going to get involved if anything came of it. He had been in the middle of fights between women, and he didn't want to relive the experience.

"I can try," Guntold said. "While learning for the experience is easy, trying to cope with the problems that I do have with certain weapons is for the Lieutenant and the Colonel to try and help me with." Looking down, she seemed dejected. "But I don't know what you want to happen Captain."

"To be honest I have no idea how you managed to bluff your way through your marksmanship qualifications. You should have been sent back for remedial training in boot camp if you can't shoot. And there's no way you'll be using any sort of weapon on my ship until you can out shoot me." Sam's eyes narrowed. "I am a very good shot."

"Ma'am," Leo said leaning forward. "I have several training programs for basic training in the off chance that we get embroiled in the same stuff that the Typhon Marine unit is in. If we need to draft people from local out posts and the like, they're set up in the holodeck. They also do weapons training, making the weapons in the holodeck and there alone. Would she be allowed to use them?"

"That's up to Damon," Sam said. "I have no problem with it. But I want a complete investigation to find out who let her slide for this long without being able to pass the basics." She paused. "And she'll still need to out shoot me -- and Damon -- before she's allowed to do anything more than paperwork. That's after any punishment the Colonel wants to give her for her wanton disregard for a direct order."

"Well for starters, the Corporal is grounded until further notice." He looked directly at her. "You will be restricted to remedial duties and have to pass a mandatory re-certification. You will be expected to post better than average numbers and times before I'll allow you to go back in the field. You are banned from using TR series weapons henceforth, barring an attack by the Borg. In addition, for disobeying a direct order on weapons use, you are demoted one rank to Private First Class. If you feel these restrictions are overly harsh you may feel free to appeal them with the board of inquiry."

Damon looked to Leo. "Anything to add?"

Leo thought over the punishment and held up a finger. "No objections, but I want to add that she'll also have to pass remedial basic training, all of it, before I'll allow her to even start using the shooting tools. This includes BRM and everything else." Looking over at Damon Leo pursed his lips. "I also want a psychological evaluation of the PFC before she can do any of what we've set forward."

"I think speaking with the counselor is an excellent idea," Sam said. "She can set up an appointment with Erin as soon as she leaves here." Sam made eye contact with Guntold and waited until the Marine nodded.

Sam looked at Damon and then Leo. "I think we can leave her in your hands for now," she told Leo.

"Yes Ma'am," Leo said standing, and waving for Jennifer to do the same thing. As they walked out, he sighed and looked at Jennifer. "I don't know what you want me to do, but I'm trying to save your career."

OFF:

1st Lieutenant Leroy Mangalia
Marine XO
USS Calypso

PFC Jennifer Guntold (PNPC)
Marine
USS Calypso

Lieutenant Colonel Damon Raine
Marine CO/Acting XO
USS Calypso

Captain Samantha York
Commanding Officer
USS Calypso

 

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