Meeting the Marines

Posted on Friday 21 September 2018 @ 21:47 by Captain John "Apollo" Barstow, M.D. & 1st Lieutenant John Kayhill

Mission: The New Collective
Location: Sickbay
1732 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Barstow was trying his best to relax as his mind raced thinking about what happened. They were expecting a counselor, however, they wouldn't arrive until next Thursday, "the one time we could one...." he said to himself and sighed.

The Borg werent your standard Borg, attacking for retribution not assimilation. The event of the 9th Fleet Task Force were before his time, however, he knew they had struck a massive blow to the cybernetic beings. They must have wandered for years disconnected from the collective until they found new purpose. The problem was where was that new purpose coming from. The only similar situation he could think of was from the 2360's where a group of Borg had been disconnected from the collective and taken advantage of by an android named Lore, that had ended with Lore dismantled. Was there yet another homicidal android? Or had the Zybor, another android and cybernetic race bent of the livings destruction, pointed them to this course of action? So many unknowns, "I hate being blind," he growled, "and stuck...."

"Well, it gives you time to think", Kayhill replied, sitting down on his bio-bed as he had been re-ushered back into sickbay. I think my training Gunny said, 'Catch a wink whenever you can as you never know when you won't get to sleep for days.' It could also be worse. You are on the right side of the ground as my Uncle used to say. I'm Lieutenant Kayhill, Starfleet Marines."

"Ah, you're the one who reverse psychologied the shit out of getting rescued," Barstow replied with a smirk as he looked over, "Captain John Barstow, Merlin's ce oh," he added and extended his hand, "and aye, you're, but there's some things from the corps that stick with you, like hating feeling lazy," he added with a chuckle.

Kayhill shook the Captain's hand and said, "I wasn't going to let any civilians come in. The colony had just found a large dilithium deposit and was entertaining bids for the processing of it. There were five ships supposed to arrive in the next few days. I didn't want them coming into this. Plus, I figured there would be a few captains who would want to come bust my tail for trying to give them orders, so it worked out in the end. Not sure if it was worth it. We are less than one percent of the colony. The borg got the rest."

"If it saved lives it was worth it, Lieutenant, every time," the elder John replied, "and yeah, some of us ce oh's have don't leave anyone behind drilled so far into us we don't know any other way," he replied with a chuckle, "I think that part of my personality is going to make my crew gray haired before their time," he added with a laugh, "so, tell me, Lieutenant, what happened down their? Any indication why the Borg went homicidal?"

"Well if this was twenty-years ago", Kayhill said. "I would say it was a rogue node. There were a handful of reports from that time frame that had interactions with the Borg that didn't end in violence, such as the Enterprise."

He snorted derisively at the reference to the Enterprise before continuing.

"However, the information the Voyager brought back from the Delta quadrant shows the Borg are getting a lot less tolerant of that. Research shows that rogue nodes are now treated like viruses and destroyed before they can infect the rest of the collective. So, given the advances Starfleet has made strategically and tactically against the Borg and their losses, I would say there is a grudge amongst the Borg. Don't forget, even though they are quasi-artificial beings, they all still have an underlying personality, it's just repressed. So, I think we have two options, that we can only look at from a high-level perspective given the information at hand. The first option is this node has either broken free from the collective and hasn't been noticed yet and they are acting on their underlying emotions. Second, an even scarier thought, the collective as a whole is taken a much darker and deadlier strategy, which includes a level of psychological warfare they haven't achieved before."

The Captain just nodded, "the second one is where my thinking is and that is a very scary thought," he replied and rubbed his face before looking down, "trying to be a hero and not get treated, Lieutenant?" he asked and motioned to where the mans hand should have been, "I'm calling a briefing in the morning and I'd like you there to give your observations....after medical gives you a hand with that," he added with a small smirk, knowing it may have been to much, but, needing to break the mounting thickness of the air as they talked.

"Not a hero sir", Kayhill answered. "It is just that the civilians and my troops come before me. And assuming that your doctors don't disarm me as well, I will be at the meeting. At what time do you want me to hand-off the information."

He smirked slightly, playing along with the Captain's puns.

"And to be truthful sir", Kayhill continued. "My thinking is going to the second option as well and that makes our struggle against the Borg even so much harder."

Barstow chuckled and then nodded,staying silent in contemplation for a minute, "I'd like you to note your observations and join our briefing in the morning. If it is what we think this may just be the beginning," he replied finally, "I'd also like to recruit you," he added.

"I'll be at the meeting as long as their is coffee. Just let me know when and where", John replied. "And just what do you want to recruit me for? I hear the two-handed Marine model is more in style this time of year."

He snickered a little bit.

The Captain couldn't help but laugh, "you still have one hand, two legs and teeth, you're fully equipped to me," he replied with a grin, "I'd like to give you command of the MARDET here on Merlin, my TAD commander got pulled out last second, so, I need someone to take the reigns....til you die or I find someone better," he added, a joke that had been around his Marine unit every time someone got a post promotion.

John smirked and then a serious look crossed his face and he asked, "Would I have to report to that Commander Llewellyn at all? I don't really care for his attitude towards Marines."

"Sometimes, but, I expect my officers to work together and put prejudices behind them," the elder John replied, "he'll get past it, it took him a minute to warm up to me too, he came on when I'd been transferred from the Corps to take command," he added, making a mental note to pull Cale aside to have a word with him, "you're still early in your career, but, you're going to find you spend as much time proving that Marines are just as needed as navel personnel are as you spend in combat and training, you need to just let their attitudes go or it'll eat you up."

"I'll work with anyone sir", John said. "Just make sure that my bunk is as far away from the good Commander's as possible please. Also, my team. They kicked some major butt on the planet. I'd love it if they got an opportunity for an assignment on a ship such as this one, if they want that is. After today, it wouldn't surprise me if some of them took early retirement."

"I think we can arrange their transfers," Barstow replied, not saying anything about the first statement, "alright, get the docs to get you patched up and report in the morning, I'll get the exec to get you access to quarters and the Marine sections."

"Yes, sir", Kayhill said. "Besides all the damage due to the fight sir, anything in-particular I should know about the ship and crew?"

Apollo grinned slyly, "probably, but, it's no fun giving you a heads up, about the crew at least. Call it a test of your recon skills," he said, "the ship, though, is the command ship for Task Group Alpha, the Musketeers. She's been my home sine I was a First Lieutenant in the fighter wing, so, treat her nice," he added and smiled as he patted the biobed, "we're set up for pretty much anything that can be thrown at us in deep space, but, first and foremost she's still an exploration ship. That said, I don't see our military arm as strictly point and shoot. I expect you and all your Marines to be able to be....well, at least semi-diplomatic. The MARDET will be sent ahead sometimes and will be answering defense request calls, as such you'll all be the first representatives of the Federation some of these races we encounter see. So, make sure you add that to your skillset. If you do I'll make sure you don't have to sit with your thumbs up your asses while we wait for you to have something to shoot at."

"My Marines will be anything you want or need them to be sir", Kayhill replied. "and they will do it well or they won't be serving on your ship sir. Although, I do recommend the counseling and science experiments be handled by the real McCoy. Something just take more time to teach than others. Regardless, you will not have a contingent of rabid dogs. After all, you can't keep 180 people alive and somewhat calm, spelunking through caves and being chased by Borg by acting like neanderthals."

"No, I didn't think you were, if so I'd never have asked you to join," the CO replied then grinned, "and aye, we have a hard enough time getting Marines near med deck let alone being here head shrinking," he said with a chuckle, "but, I wanted you to know what my expectations were, That way I can turn into a D.I. later," he joked then extended his hand to Kayhills good hand, "welcome to Merlin, el-te."

"Oorah Captain", Kayhill said shaking his hand.




Captain John "Apollo" Barstow
Commanding Officer
USS Merlin
Task Group 47-A Commanding Officer
Task Force 47

1st Lieutenant John Kayhill
Marine Battalion CO
USS Merlin