~*~*~
1700, arrival of Romeo squad.
Razak's Roughnecks had made sure they had the best bunks, if there were such a thing; they had taken the right hand row of barracks leaving the newly formed Romeo squad with the left hand ones. The new squad arrived at 1705, entering with their kit bags and talking loudly, there were only two Roughnecks there - Gossard and Doc. They said nothing in greeting, poring over a new report from Razak. They had Sim training in about an hour and they were going to meet up with the others.
The two left barracks and headed to the mess hall to meet the others, even T'Phai and Ellen were there. "So what are they like?" Dizzy asked, she was the most curious; this lot had turned her out of her room.
"Well you know how some squads will play up to a name ." Goss started.
"They wear pink right?" Rico asked the others gave a laugh.
"No, they do have stupid pink hearts on their uniforms mind you; what about the Skinnie?" Gossard told them, turning his question to T'Phai.
"No, she seems too distant to do so."
"That's his little way of saying, stupid human custom." Ellen insisted, she poked T'Phai in the arm. "There's no way a Skinnie would do that,"
"She still has the markings on her uniform from being in Foxtrot squad," He told her simply. "It is a fox with small red horns, T'Alos has the same marking on his suit too.
Gossard stifled a laugh, T'Phai had just practically pulled the 'nah nah, you were wrong' on her. "So besides these stupid pink hearts what were they like?" Rico queried, he was leading the conversation effectively.
"Well there were four of them,"
"Four? That means two women, not counting T'Alos as one of them, I wonder if they're all hard nuts like Dizzy," Rico said, she hit him hard. "Why aren't you keeping an eye on you things?" Diz gave him the 'don't be so childish look.'
Higgins, holding his camera recording the whole thing spoke up. "Well one Skinnie too," Ellen looked to T'Phai, spoke in his language and gained a reply; the other Roughnecks looked at them with odd looks on their faces. They all knew that Ellen could speak Skinnie but there was no need to rub it in.
"Sorry, joke at your expense Higwig." She teased slightly, "Skinnie females do count as women you know,"
"I didn't mean . well . I uh ." Higgins tried to correct his slight error but failed.
"Ellen is just teasing you, I saw what you meant." The conversation dried up considerably, until they said that it would be best to wait the hour or so until training in their barracks, or in Ellen's case T'Phai's, because her quarters were on the other side of the ship.
~*~*~
Higgins
I know how hard it is to be accepted into a new squad but I'd never witnessed the merging of two squads; I mean we had to get used to T'Phai's being around and such but never a whole squad. It was worse for Dizzy, she's always shared with the other Roughnecks but now she had to share with other women, which she didn't seem to like doing.
We all entered the barracks, Romeo squad were having a sort of conference too, they had an LT who wasn't present but over all Razak was in charge, which made us the ones he'd trust more. Carl had become an honorary Roughneck again, he would be staying with us after all and he and T'Phai seemed to bare no grudges so that was fine. I don't know what went on there, I guess the two had words but I missed that show; mores the pity it would have made a great arc conclusion, the principle cause of the damage done to Carl and Carl willing to say that it was ok.
Dizzy had joined us, sitting on Rico's bunk that was furthest from the door, I'd drawn the short and was now by the door so that if an alarm went I should be first up. Romeo squad noticed Dizzy and one of the stood to challenge it. The person was about my height, which, concerning the fact that he was challenging someone as tall as Doc and Gossard was stupid and badly matched. He had brown eyes and wild ginger hair, which was a scruffy mess definitely against regulation. "No girls in these barracks,"
"What are you doing here then?" Carl sniped; I chuckled with the others, that was a good comment and I was glad I'd caught it. We all looked to him; the ginger haired boy was steaming.
"Dizzy doesn't count as a girl, she's a Roughneck." Rico insisted, "She's probably more masculine then you are!" Again we laughed, even Dizzy who agreed with what was being said. A bleeper went and we looked to the comm besides my bunk, the others then looked to me.
"I'll go then," I muttered, shifting to the door. I opened the link to meet Razak's visage.
"Collect T'Phai and Flores and get your cans in gear, Sim training immediately!" He ordered.
"But LT you said we had until 1800!" Dizzy spoke up; a dangerous look crossed the LT's face, he glared at her.
"I told you not to go into those barracks Flores; do I need to remind you of that?"
"It's my fault LT; Dizzy was just collecting a book." Rico insisted, I could tell from the looks on the others faces that they were all equally ready to jump in with a comment; after all, I was ready too. The comm cut and we all stood, grabbing our weapons from the locker, each grabbing our helmets. We left Romeo squad discussing Carl's cut down of the Ginger one.
~*~*~
After training, Girl's barracks.
Dizzy
I threw my kit down on my bunk; I start to wonder just what T'Phai does to make himself such a damn good shot because he can hit more accurately then anyone else. I looked around suddenly to notice my new room mates, both girls had short hair because it was regulation and they were poring over something on one of the bunks, far away from my own!
I went to comm device and keyed it, I was going to ask T'Phai how he was such a good shot, I wanted a strait answer after all and if I asked Ellen I could never be sure is she was telling the truth! "Is T'Phai around?" I asked the young Skinnie on the view; this had to be the mysterious T'Alos.
"Yes I am T'Alos; and yes T'Phai is around, he is just coming." He informed me, confirming his excellent psychic prowess. "Why thank you, T'Phai does not know that you are here, I can tell him if you would like."
"Yeah sure, whatever."
He left the view briefly and I heard him speaking with someone else, I smiled despite the girls behind me; I could see why Ellen had so many Skinnie friends they had so many funny ways. "That was not a nice thing to think!" T'Alos yelled at me.
"What?" I snapped back unaware that he could read my thoughts with his back to the viewer; the girls laughed at me. I turned on them.
"Do not do what you are contemplating Flores," Another voice spoke up and I turned back to meet T'Phai's visage. "I do not need to be psychic to know what you were planning. Did you want something?" I nodded slightly; I stifled my grin at his knowing what I was planning.
"Yeah, how the hell can you shoot so well? No Human can beat you."
"I dare say one of you could,"
"Don't joke me, I know what you want to be saying,"
"Oh?" I looked into his maddeningly calm black eyes and saw no hint of anger or hatred in them. "What would that be?" T'Alos muttered something behind T'Phai in their language and a short look of delight crossed the Skinnie's face as I watched.
"That you come from a species that are superior, you said it yourself 'Humans are a weak and pitiful race'." I realised all of a sudden what I had said and a look of slight pain crossed his face. It wasn't T'Phai who had said that but the bug inside the back of his neck at the time; I'd just stirred up a wasps nest in his head and he blinked back some emotion. "I'm sorry that was cruel, stupid, I didn't mean it; I was just messing with you. I know it wasn't you who said it!"
T'Alos moved to T'Phai's side so he could watch, T'Phai made no effort to send him away. "She means it," He told T'Phai simply, "Alright I'll go," He left and I couldn't help but feel a little scared of the young being.
"It has nothing to do with my species Diz, it is more to do with practise and training; I am sorry to end this conversation so soon but I have to prep my suit, Razak has ordered us ready for combat training against Romeo squad by 1930 hours." I cut the link and started to check over my own suit, feeling the other girls watching gaze on my back, what I would've given for the chance to punch one of their faces in!
~*~*~
1930, Sim training suit one, Briefing.
"This is not a live ammo exercise, when you are down an electro charge will keep you down. I case you other Apes get ideas, touching a fallen squad mate will also shock you. This is not a competition, neither squad is better then the other and to assure this I am splitting both units up, you have a few minutes to get used to your new team mates." Razak explained, both squads gave scowls, except the two Skinnies who remained indifferent.
The other LT stepped forward; an auburn haired man of Razak's age, he had surprisingly compassionate green eyes and freckles; he was holding a data reader. "Team one; Sergeant Brutto, Corporal Gossard, Corporal L'Meariea, Privates Flores, Higgins, Mikwell, and McKenzie. Which leaves team two as; Sergeant Perez, Corporal LaCroix, Corporal Zaphod, Privates Jenkins, Rico, Lee and T'Phai. Team two have a slight time deduction due to the fact that they have a psychic."
"This is a basic exercise, working as a team you will advance towards the other base and capture the flag, which is green for team one and blue for team two you then have to return it to your own base." He finished by explaining the drill. "The first unit to do this will have the reward of a bar of chocolate for each team member. Am I making myself clear?"
"Sir yes sir," They yelled.
"Team one, briefing in this room, team two, this one you have a quarter of an hour to discover the strengths of your team mates! Move out!" Razak ordered, motioning two rooms for them to brief in, after they had left the two lieutenants looked to one another, Orson shrugged and they went to the observation window.
~*~*~
Team one, Briefing.
"Flores I want you guarding that flag, Higgins stick close to her and Goss I want you on point." Brutto ordered sorting out his own squad mates first. "Which of you lot can shoot well?" He turned to his bunch from Romeo squad, best to seem as if he were vaguely professional.
Mikwell, one of the girls from Dizzy's earlier incident rose. "I can sir, and L'Meariea would be an excellent choice for point work, I think she'd do a better job then corporal Gossard."
"Yeah well we'll have to see, Gossard you keep point. I'll take L'Meariea with me, sounds as if your squad has high praise for you so you can't be that bad and if T'Phai's shooting's anything to judge by then you are going to be an alright shot!"
"What about me sir?" McKenzie asked, he was a pale, thin boy who was about Higgins age; he had black hair and dark eyes which shone with delight at the thought of combat.
"I don't know Private what can you do well?"
"General really sir,"
"Alright then, you can bring up our rear."
~*~*~
Team two, briefing
"Zaphod I want you watching that flag like a hawk, shoot any other being who goes anywhere near it; Lee your with me, I want you taking point. What about you lot?" The Sergeant ordered before turning to the group he had been assigned from Alpha squad. He was a fair-haired man with a scar across his chin and blue unforgiving eyes.
"T'Phai's a great shot," Rico spoke up, unafraid to speak to the Sergeant before him. "Better then your man Zaphod and that's a given." Zaphod was the ginger haired male from earlier; Rico had already decided that this man was the one member of Romeo squad he hated the most.
"You exaggerate Rico,"
"He doesn't," Perez said with a slight chuckle. "I saw you training yesterday, three bugs to three shots. You're staying here, Rico I want you to come with me, bringing up the rear."
"Doc's better at that then I am," Rico insisted.
"Alright private, you are to stay with me and Jenkins, I want you to stay with Zaphod, give our shooters warning of anyone coming."
The psychic nodded but he was clearly thinking on something else at the time. "Why isn't T'Alos taking part?" Jenkins asked, his own eyes watching the Sergeant. "I thought he was going to be here."
"I don't know Private, doctor Baxter took him." He looked to T'Phai, "Where is he private?"
The Skinnie did not give much of a sign of being shocked but the others from the Roughnecks caught the slight jump in his shoulders as the sergeant had questioned him. "Ellen, I mean Doctor Baxter came to see him this morning, he was not well last night."
"Right are we all clear on what we're doing?"
"Sir yes sir!"
~*~*~
Base one, Team one.
"We'll be back before you know it, alright team move out!" Brutto ordered, he and the others who were supposed to be leaving did so, leaving Higgins, Flores and Mikwell by the flag; it was atop the bunker and they had taken up positions inside it.
"Well this is going to be fun," Dizzy muttered her weapon was still ready but she was not, leaning against the wall casually next to Higgins. "What do you reckon they're trying to prove by doing this? That we've got two good little Sergeants who do what their LT's tell them without thinking about it!"
"Speak for your own sergeant but Sergeant Perez is an excellent tactician!" Mikwell muttered, she was a rather beefed up muscular person with dark blue eyes and sandy hair. "I don't know how he'll react to the fact that he doesn't have L'Meariea - I mean he'd rather have her over your man LaCroix."
Dizzy did not rise to the bait and just bit back, "She's a Skinnie, Skinnies are better all round when it comes to shooting," Higgins pointed out. "Hi, I'm Robert Higgins," The reporter introduced himself politely, seeing no need in annoying all of Romeo squad.
"Well I knew your surname already it's plastered on your suit,"
"There was no need for that; he was trying to be polite," Diz stood up for the young reporter, "Look out of us lot you're a minority so shut up and watch for the others."
~*~*~
Two hours later, Base two.
T'Phai had his weapon pointed squarely at L'Meariea, who had her own weapon pointed at him; T'Phai did not lower his weapon but started to speak with her in common tongue. "I think that we are in a stalemate," He stated the obvious, L'Meariea had shot both Zaphod and Jenkins and he had managed to hit the two left with her.
"What do you recommend we do?" She queried, not moving her own grasp on the weapon. She was a higher rank then him now but she was paying the respect to his Tophet based rank that she felt he still deserved.
"Nothing, we are on opposite ." He started but finished mid sentence as if he had had a revelation. "Set up a truce between the two of us, they did not say that we could not do that." She nodded and on a count of three, both lowered their weapons and shook on a truce.
"I hear the others of your team approaching," She told him, sitting herself on the ground, as did he. "They will not be pleased with what you have done."
"I have done nothing wrong,"
"I do not like chocolate either,"
He looked to her, having to turn his head to her fully so she could see the hint of a smile playing with his features. "That is not why I am holding a truce with you; it seemed like the right thing to do." He insisted, "Though chocolate is not a particularly motivating reason for me to keep with my team." She gave a slight chuckle, and a nod of agreement.
"Indeed,"
"Do you know what is wrong with T'Alos? I was a little worried when Ellen took him away this morning."
In her position as his guardian L'Meariea had known T'Alos for nearly a year and offered up the logical explanation for his illness. "He is just getting jittery; he did so whenever we arrived anywhere." She said with a fond half smile. "His youth is a problem in this instance."
He nodded; he heard a Human crash through the undergrowth, drawing close to them. "Their approach is not very stealthy, it is very hard to see how they approach anything quietly," She commented in their own language.
"They can be," Rico and Perez approached the latter carrying the flag which sported their colour triumphantly.
Perez glared at the seated Skinnie, who stood at attention as the gaze caught his face. He was expecting what he gained, used to most forms of 'chewing out' what with being a colonel on Tophet. "What's going on here Private?" Perez demanded not yet setting down the flag.
"We called a truce sir; neither of us will harm one another."
"That was not in the mission briefing,"
"I saved lose of life sir,"
Rico shifted unhappily, he did not feel that Perez had a right to be chewing out a Roughneck, especially when the alien had done nothing wrong. "Just plant the flag Sarge," Rico insisted. "You can bend his ear after the drill," Perez placed the flag into its podium and the Sim ended, leaving the four of them on the plain hard deck and their squad mates reviving around them.
~*~*~
Debriefing, Concerning Sim exercise.
Higgins
I think I'm past getting embarrassed now when I'm shot first, but to my delight I wasn't the first one down - no one was more surprised by this then I was. "Private Lee was the first down," Razak announced, "An impressive shot by Sergeant Brutto in managing to hit a moving target from afar."
"Team Two won, with only Corporal L'Meariea surviving until the end for team one and due to a truce called between herself and Private T'Phai. As he smartly pointed out this was not against the rules and it did mean that there was one less body to revive at the end of the exercise."
I looked across at the two Skinnie's, who were now standing side by side at the back of the group; T'Phai acknowledged the praise with a nod. Whilst we were not willing to accept the Human members of Romeo squad he had no qualms about the other members of his own kind; I suppose that's what comes of being the only member of your kind in unit. "Corporal Gossard had the fantastic idea of shielding the flag but couldn't get back to implement his idea," Lieutenant Orson admitted, he smiled at Gossard slightly and I noticed the difference in the two LT's styles. Orson was openly caring for his men, allowing them to see him smiling and being relieved; Razak on the other hand I've only rarely seen smile and whilst he cares for us all he seems to have more weight with the squads.
"Right, team two can collect their prizes now. Your all dismissed, I recommend you hit the sack soon, we arrive on Tophet at 0800 tomorrow!" Orson roared, we all left or collected their prizes and then left, I hung back slightly and waited for everyone else to leave.
"Private T'Phai, Corporal L'Meariea a minute." Razak said as they were leaving, I passed through the door and couldn't help but wonder what he had to say.
~*~*~
1700, arrival of Romeo squad.
Razak's Roughnecks had made sure they had the best bunks, if there were such a thing; they had taken the right hand row of barracks leaving the newly formed Romeo squad with the left hand ones. The new squad arrived at 1705, entering with their kit bags and talking loudly, there were only two Roughnecks there - Gossard and Doc. They said nothing in greeting, poring over a new report from Razak. They had Sim training in about an hour and they were going to meet up with the others.
The two left barracks and headed to the mess hall to meet the others, even T'Phai and Ellen were there. "So what are they like?" Dizzy asked, she was the most curious; this lot had turned her out of her room.
"Well you know how some squads will play up to a name ." Goss started.
"They wear pink right?" Rico asked the others gave a laugh.
"No, they do have stupid pink hearts on their uniforms mind you; what about the Skinnie?" Gossard told them, turning his question to T'Phai.
"No, she seems too distant to do so."
"That's his little way of saying, stupid human custom." Ellen insisted, she poked T'Phai in the arm. "There's no way a Skinnie would do that,"
"She still has the markings on her uniform from being in Foxtrot squad," He told her simply. "It is a fox with small red horns, T'Alos has the same marking on his suit too.
Gossard stifled a laugh, T'Phai had just practically pulled the 'nah nah, you were wrong' on her. "So besides these stupid pink hearts what were they like?" Rico queried, he was leading the conversation effectively.
"Well there were four of them,"
"Four? That means two women, not counting T'Alos as one of them, I wonder if they're all hard nuts like Dizzy," Rico said, she hit him hard. "Why aren't you keeping an eye on you things?" Diz gave him the 'don't be so childish look.'
Higgins, holding his camera recording the whole thing spoke up. "Well one Skinnie too," Ellen looked to T'Phai, spoke in his language and gained a reply; the other Roughnecks looked at them with odd looks on their faces. They all knew that Ellen could speak Skinnie but there was no need to rub it in.
"Sorry, joke at your expense Higwig." She teased slightly, "Skinnie females do count as women you know,"
"I didn't mean . well . I uh ." Higgins tried to correct his slight error but failed.
"Ellen is just teasing you, I saw what you meant." The conversation dried up considerably, until they said that it would be best to wait the hour or so until training in their barracks, or in Ellen's case T'Phai's, because her quarters were on the other side of the ship.
~*~*~
Higgins
I know how hard it is to be accepted into a new squad but I'd never witnessed the merging of two squads; I mean we had to get used to T'Phai's being around and such but never a whole squad. It was worse for Dizzy, she's always shared with the other Roughnecks but now she had to share with other women, which she didn't seem to like doing.
We all entered the barracks, Romeo squad were having a sort of conference too, they had an LT who wasn't present but over all Razak was in charge, which made us the ones he'd trust more. Carl had become an honorary Roughneck again, he would be staying with us after all and he and T'Phai seemed to bare no grudges so that was fine. I don't know what went on there, I guess the two had words but I missed that show; mores the pity it would have made a great arc conclusion, the principle cause of the damage done to Carl and Carl willing to say that it was ok.
Dizzy had joined us, sitting on Rico's bunk that was furthest from the door, I'd drawn the short and was now by the door so that if an alarm went I should be first up. Romeo squad noticed Dizzy and one of the stood to challenge it. The person was about my height, which, concerning the fact that he was challenging someone as tall as Doc and Gossard was stupid and badly matched. He had brown eyes and wild ginger hair, which was a scruffy mess definitely against regulation. "No girls in these barracks,"
"What are you doing here then?" Carl sniped; I chuckled with the others, that was a good comment and I was glad I'd caught it. We all looked to him; the ginger haired boy was steaming.
"Dizzy doesn't count as a girl, she's a Roughneck." Rico insisted, "She's probably more masculine then you are!" Again we laughed, even Dizzy who agreed with what was being said. A bleeper went and we looked to the comm besides my bunk, the others then looked to me.
"I'll go then," I muttered, shifting to the door. I opened the link to meet Razak's visage.
"Collect T'Phai and Flores and get your cans in gear, Sim training immediately!" He ordered.
"But LT you said we had until 1800!" Dizzy spoke up; a dangerous look crossed the LT's face, he glared at her.
"I told you not to go into those barracks Flores; do I need to remind you of that?"
"It's my fault LT; Dizzy was just collecting a book." Rico insisted, I could tell from the looks on the others faces that they were all equally ready to jump in with a comment; after all, I was ready too. The comm cut and we all stood, grabbing our weapons from the locker, each grabbing our helmets. We left Romeo squad discussing Carl's cut down of the Ginger one.
~*~*~
After training, Girl's barracks.
Dizzy
I threw my kit down on my bunk; I start to wonder just what T'Phai does to make himself such a damn good shot because he can hit more accurately then anyone else. I looked around suddenly to notice my new room mates, both girls had short hair because it was regulation and they were poring over something on one of the bunks, far away from my own!
I went to comm device and keyed it, I was going to ask T'Phai how he was such a good shot, I wanted a strait answer after all and if I asked Ellen I could never be sure is she was telling the truth! "Is T'Phai around?" I asked the young Skinnie on the view; this had to be the mysterious T'Alos.
"Yes I am T'Alos; and yes T'Phai is around, he is just coming." He informed me, confirming his excellent psychic prowess. "Why thank you, T'Phai does not know that you are here, I can tell him if you would like."
"Yeah sure, whatever."
He left the view briefly and I heard him speaking with someone else, I smiled despite the girls behind me; I could see why Ellen had so many Skinnie friends they had so many funny ways. "That was not a nice thing to think!" T'Alos yelled at me.
"What?" I snapped back unaware that he could read my thoughts with his back to the viewer; the girls laughed at me. I turned on them.
"Do not do what you are contemplating Flores," Another voice spoke up and I turned back to meet T'Phai's visage. "I do not need to be psychic to know what you were planning. Did you want something?" I nodded slightly; I stifled my grin at his knowing what I was planning.
"Yeah, how the hell can you shoot so well? No Human can beat you."
"I dare say one of you could,"
"Don't joke me, I know what you want to be saying,"
"Oh?" I looked into his maddeningly calm black eyes and saw no hint of anger or hatred in them. "What would that be?" T'Alos muttered something behind T'Phai in their language and a short look of delight crossed the Skinnie's face as I watched.
"That you come from a species that are superior, you said it yourself 'Humans are a weak and pitiful race'." I realised all of a sudden what I had said and a look of slight pain crossed his face. It wasn't T'Phai who had said that but the bug inside the back of his neck at the time; I'd just stirred up a wasps nest in his head and he blinked back some emotion. "I'm sorry that was cruel, stupid, I didn't mean it; I was just messing with you. I know it wasn't you who said it!"
T'Alos moved to T'Phai's side so he could watch, T'Phai made no effort to send him away. "She means it," He told T'Phai simply, "Alright I'll go," He left and I couldn't help but feel a little scared of the young being.
"It has nothing to do with my species Diz, it is more to do with practise and training; I am sorry to end this conversation so soon but I have to prep my suit, Razak has ordered us ready for combat training against Romeo squad by 1930 hours." I cut the link and started to check over my own suit, feeling the other girls watching gaze on my back, what I would've given for the chance to punch one of their faces in!
~*~*~
1930, Sim training suit one, Briefing.
"This is not a live ammo exercise, when you are down an electro charge will keep you down. I case you other Apes get ideas, touching a fallen squad mate will also shock you. This is not a competition, neither squad is better then the other and to assure this I am splitting both units up, you have a few minutes to get used to your new team mates." Razak explained, both squads gave scowls, except the two Skinnies who remained indifferent.
The other LT stepped forward; an auburn haired man of Razak's age, he had surprisingly compassionate green eyes and freckles; he was holding a data reader. "Team one; Sergeant Brutto, Corporal Gossard, Corporal L'Meariea, Privates Flores, Higgins, Mikwell, and McKenzie. Which leaves team two as; Sergeant Perez, Corporal LaCroix, Corporal Zaphod, Privates Jenkins, Rico, Lee and T'Phai. Team two have a slight time deduction due to the fact that they have a psychic."
"This is a basic exercise, working as a team you will advance towards the other base and capture the flag, which is green for team one and blue for team two you then have to return it to your own base." He finished by explaining the drill. "The first unit to do this will have the reward of a bar of chocolate for each team member. Am I making myself clear?"
"Sir yes sir," They yelled.
"Team one, briefing in this room, team two, this one you have a quarter of an hour to discover the strengths of your team mates! Move out!" Razak ordered, motioning two rooms for them to brief in, after they had left the two lieutenants looked to one another, Orson shrugged and they went to the observation window.
~*~*~
Team one, Briefing.
"Flores I want you guarding that flag, Higgins stick close to her and Goss I want you on point." Brutto ordered sorting out his own squad mates first. "Which of you lot can shoot well?" He turned to his bunch from Romeo squad, best to seem as if he were vaguely professional.
Mikwell, one of the girls from Dizzy's earlier incident rose. "I can sir, and L'Meariea would be an excellent choice for point work, I think she'd do a better job then corporal Gossard."
"Yeah well we'll have to see, Gossard you keep point. I'll take L'Meariea with me, sounds as if your squad has high praise for you so you can't be that bad and if T'Phai's shooting's anything to judge by then you are going to be an alright shot!"
"What about me sir?" McKenzie asked, he was a pale, thin boy who was about Higgins age; he had black hair and dark eyes which shone with delight at the thought of combat.
"I don't know Private what can you do well?"
"General really sir,"
"Alright then, you can bring up our rear."
~*~*~
Team two, briefing
"Zaphod I want you watching that flag like a hawk, shoot any other being who goes anywhere near it; Lee your with me, I want you taking point. What about you lot?" The Sergeant ordered before turning to the group he had been assigned from Alpha squad. He was a fair-haired man with a scar across his chin and blue unforgiving eyes.
"T'Phai's a great shot," Rico spoke up, unafraid to speak to the Sergeant before him. "Better then your man Zaphod and that's a given." Zaphod was the ginger haired male from earlier; Rico had already decided that this man was the one member of Romeo squad he hated the most.
"You exaggerate Rico,"
"He doesn't," Perez said with a slight chuckle. "I saw you training yesterday, three bugs to three shots. You're staying here, Rico I want you to come with me, bringing up the rear."
"Doc's better at that then I am," Rico insisted.
"Alright private, you are to stay with me and Jenkins, I want you to stay with Zaphod, give our shooters warning of anyone coming."
The psychic nodded but he was clearly thinking on something else at the time. "Why isn't T'Alos taking part?" Jenkins asked, his own eyes watching the Sergeant. "I thought he was going to be here."
"I don't know Private, doctor Baxter took him." He looked to T'Phai, "Where is he private?"
The Skinnie did not give much of a sign of being shocked but the others from the Roughnecks caught the slight jump in his shoulders as the sergeant had questioned him. "Ellen, I mean Doctor Baxter came to see him this morning, he was not well last night."
"Right are we all clear on what we're doing?"
"Sir yes sir!"
~*~*~
Base one, Team one.
"We'll be back before you know it, alright team move out!" Brutto ordered, he and the others who were supposed to be leaving did so, leaving Higgins, Flores and Mikwell by the flag; it was atop the bunker and they had taken up positions inside it.
"Well this is going to be fun," Dizzy muttered her weapon was still ready but she was not, leaning against the wall casually next to Higgins. "What do you reckon they're trying to prove by doing this? That we've got two good little Sergeants who do what their LT's tell them without thinking about it!"
"Speak for your own sergeant but Sergeant Perez is an excellent tactician!" Mikwell muttered, she was a rather beefed up muscular person with dark blue eyes and sandy hair. "I don't know how he'll react to the fact that he doesn't have L'Meariea - I mean he'd rather have her over your man LaCroix."
Dizzy did not rise to the bait and just bit back, "She's a Skinnie, Skinnies are better all round when it comes to shooting," Higgins pointed out. "Hi, I'm Robert Higgins," The reporter introduced himself politely, seeing no need in annoying all of Romeo squad.
"Well I knew your surname already it's plastered on your suit,"
"There was no need for that; he was trying to be polite," Diz stood up for the young reporter, "Look out of us lot you're a minority so shut up and watch for the others."
~*~*~
Two hours later, Base two.
T'Phai had his weapon pointed squarely at L'Meariea, who had her own weapon pointed at him; T'Phai did not lower his weapon but started to speak with her in common tongue. "I think that we are in a stalemate," He stated the obvious, L'Meariea had shot both Zaphod and Jenkins and he had managed to hit the two left with her.
"What do you recommend we do?" She queried, not moving her own grasp on the weapon. She was a higher rank then him now but she was paying the respect to his Tophet based rank that she felt he still deserved.
"Nothing, we are on opposite ." He started but finished mid sentence as if he had had a revelation. "Set up a truce between the two of us, they did not say that we could not do that." She nodded and on a count of three, both lowered their weapons and shook on a truce.
"I hear the others of your team approaching," She told him, sitting herself on the ground, as did he. "They will not be pleased with what you have done."
"I have done nothing wrong,"
"I do not like chocolate either,"
He looked to her, having to turn his head to her fully so she could see the hint of a smile playing with his features. "That is not why I am holding a truce with you; it seemed like the right thing to do." He insisted, "Though chocolate is not a particularly motivating reason for me to keep with my team." She gave a slight chuckle, and a nod of agreement.
"Indeed,"
"Do you know what is wrong with T'Alos? I was a little worried when Ellen took him away this morning."
In her position as his guardian L'Meariea had known T'Alos for nearly a year and offered up the logical explanation for his illness. "He is just getting jittery; he did so whenever we arrived anywhere." She said with a fond half smile. "His youth is a problem in this instance."
He nodded; he heard a Human crash through the undergrowth, drawing close to them. "Their approach is not very stealthy, it is very hard to see how they approach anything quietly," She commented in their own language.
"They can be," Rico and Perez approached the latter carrying the flag which sported their colour triumphantly.
Perez glared at the seated Skinnie, who stood at attention as the gaze caught his face. He was expecting what he gained, used to most forms of 'chewing out' what with being a colonel on Tophet. "What's going on here Private?" Perez demanded not yet setting down the flag.
"We called a truce sir; neither of us will harm one another."
"That was not in the mission briefing,"
"I saved lose of life sir,"
Rico shifted unhappily, he did not feel that Perez had a right to be chewing out a Roughneck, especially when the alien had done nothing wrong. "Just plant the flag Sarge," Rico insisted. "You can bend his ear after the drill," Perez placed the flag into its podium and the Sim ended, leaving the four of them on the plain hard deck and their squad mates reviving around them.
~*~*~
Debriefing, Concerning Sim exercise.
Higgins
I think I'm past getting embarrassed now when I'm shot first, but to my delight I wasn't the first one down - no one was more surprised by this then I was. "Private Lee was the first down," Razak announced, "An impressive shot by Sergeant Brutto in managing to hit a moving target from afar."
"Team Two won, with only Corporal L'Meariea surviving until the end for team one and due to a truce called between herself and Private T'Phai. As he smartly pointed out this was not against the rules and it did mean that there was one less body to revive at the end of the exercise."
I looked across at the two Skinnie's, who were now standing side by side at the back of the group; T'Phai acknowledged the praise with a nod. Whilst we were not willing to accept the Human members of Romeo squad he had no qualms about the other members of his own kind; I suppose that's what comes of being the only member of your kind in unit. "Corporal Gossard had the fantastic idea of shielding the flag but couldn't get back to implement his idea," Lieutenant Orson admitted, he smiled at Gossard slightly and I noticed the difference in the two LT's styles. Orson was openly caring for his men, allowing them to see him smiling and being relieved; Razak on the other hand I've only rarely seen smile and whilst he cares for us all he seems to have more weight with the squads.
"Right, team two can collect their prizes now. Your all dismissed, I recommend you hit the sack soon, we arrive on Tophet at 0800 tomorrow!" Orson roared, we all left or collected their prizes and then left, I hung back slightly and waited for everyone else to leave.
"Private T'Phai, Corporal L'Meariea a minute." Razak said as they were leaving, I passed through the door and couldn't help but wonder what he had to say.
~*~*~