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Karo Veras

Making the Team Part II of IV

Corporal Jean Donovan was sitting on the bench, brush and polish in hand. It was a standard Marine function, polishing ones boots. It was one of the first things you were taught how to do at Basic. To some Marines, it had become an art form, for others a nuisance. However, for everyone it was a necessity to pass inspection.

 

Karo spied the Corporal from the weapons locker door. She was the next one that he was going to approach about the impending operation. Karo glanced back down at his personnel PADD. On paper, there was not much that stood out about the Corporal. Her service record was solid, with above average ratings on her previous assignments, including her Recon training. Yet, her experience in terms of the amount of conflict she had participated was extremely slim compared to others.

 

Born in Snohomish, Washington on Earth, Jean was in her first year at Harvard University when the Soltans attacked. Her parents died in the attack while on vacation in France. Afterwards, young Jean reassessed her life's path, and abandoned her studies at Harvard and her potential career as an astrophysicist and decided to enlist in the Marines. It was during her Basic Training that she caught the eye of Recon Instructor extraordinaire Master Sergeant Victor "Paris" Ennios. Although Recon training was usually done by volunteer, MSgt Ennios always kept an eye on incoming Basic classes and hand-selected any individuals that he believed had "what it took". Like Karo himself, Donovan was handpicked by Ennios. That alone was enough to pique his interest in her for this assignment. Although she lacked the actual hands-on experience of some of the others in the Platoon, Karo trusted the MSgt's judgment enough to bring her along.

 

Karo approached the Corporal non-chalantly, so as to try and not draw any attention from any of the other Marines. Her locker was just two away from his, so there was nothing unreasonable or odd about his approach. He opened his locker and shuffled around a few things. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the Major, who was chatting with the quartermaster at his doorway. Karo held his gaze until he caught the Majors eye. He glanced down at Corporal Donovan, then back at the Major, who understood Karo's silent question. Without a break in his conversation, began walking towards the gym, with the quartermaster in tow. Karo now had a place where he could talk to the Corporal in private.

 

He shut the door to his locker and took a few steps towards the office. "Corporal" he said, his voice calm and decidedly casual for his normal manner of speaking, "May I have a word with you?"

 

Donovan looked up from her boot, as if caught by surprise by the question. "Sure thing, sir." She said, setting her boot, brush, and polish on the bench.

 

Karo took a few more steps towards the office. "Let's do this in the Major's office," he told her. Giving her a few seconds to stand up, he led the younger Marine into the vacated Major's office. He closed the door behind them and motioned to the visitors chair, taking a seat of his own in the Major's chair.

 

"So you trained under Paris too, right?" Karo asked, his voice maintaining that abnormal casual edge that almost made Kid himself uncomfortable.

 

The Corporal nodded "Yes, sir."

 

"He's a good one, ain't he?"

 

"The best, sir."

 

Karo nodded in agreement. Everyone who spent some time with the Master Sergeant thought that way. It was people like Paris that made Recon the elite force that it was. The Corporal had the steely edge that most of the Master Sergeant's hand chosen possessed, including Karo. He looked down at his PADD, studying Donovan's file and then looked back up to the Corporal. They called her "Catch", and it wasn't difficult to figure out why. She was extremely attractive, and equally as fierce if someone dare attempt to come on to her. The nickname actually came about from a fellow recon trainee who dared attempt to put his arm around her in a vain attempt to be suave. Said trainee quickly found himself on his back. When asked by another trainee about Donovan, the wannabe heartthrob replied "She's a real catch." The name stuck.

 

The silence hung in the air for a few long seconds before Karo spoke again. "The Agincourt is heading into Soltan space as we speak" he told her. "We've been tasked with procuring a Soltan vessel in lieu of one of their subspace drives. I'm leading a team of Marines, and we're heading in with in with a Starfleet security team, a pair of fleet engineers, and a pair of medics."

 

The Corporal nodded and spoke "I'm assuming the purpose of this meeting is to inform me that I have been selected to be a part of that team, sir?"

 

Karo eyed the Corporal, "Correct." 'Unless you take issue with it' Karo thought to himself. Those were the words he wanted to say, but knew he couldn't say it. The were Marines, and orders were orders. They'd follow them no matter what.

 

The Corporal nodded again. "So what's the plan?" she asked.

 

"We're heading up to the security office in an hour to hash that out. . .You, me, Czar, Rider."

 

Catch looked down towards the top of table as if deep in thought, then back up at Karo. "Thank you for the opportunity of this assignment, sir."

 

Karo allowed a chuckle to escape his lips. "Let's make it through this thing alive," he told the younger Marine "Then you can get around to thanking me." He finished, drawing a little bit of a smile out of Catch.

 

"Now get your letter prepped and to the Major." He told her. "We're heading up to security in an hour."

 

The Corporal snapped a salute as she stood up, which Karo returned from his seat. She made her way back to the bench where she was sitting to stow her boots. A few moments later, the Major walked back into his office.

 

"So that's two so far, isn't it Kid?" he asked the younger officer.

 

"Yes, sir." He replied. "One more to go."

 

"Have you identified your final member?"

 

"Yes, sir. Sergeant Williamson."

 

The Major nodded, grabbing the PADD from the top of the desk and pulling up the Sergeant's file. "Any particular reason for choosing him?"

 

"Czar spoke very highly of him, sir. I believe the served together on the Princeton during the attack."

 

The Major nodded, not looking up from the PADD. "That they did." He confirmed for Karo. "Having at least two people familiar with each other is definitely a plus."

 

"Yes sir, that was my thought." Karo said, putting his elbows up on the table, and rubbing his face with his hands. "They both seem to have a good head on their shoulders. As does Catch. I needed a team full of smart Marines, people who can keep their cool in a scrap."

 

The Major nodded, finally looking up from the PADD. "Czar and Rider most certainly have proved that, given their service records. Given your reasoning, I am kind of surprised to see you choose a Corporal."

 

"I chose Corporal Donovan because of her background with Paris, sir," he said, not knowing if he should be taken aback by the apparent questioning of his judgment. "I went with my instincts on her."

 

The Major nodded, studying him. "That's as good a reason as any, in my book. If you can't trust your instincts, or those of the man fighting next to you, then you might as well not fight at all."

 

"Agreed, sir."

 

The Major looked outside towards NNC proper, staring out there for a few seconds. "Rider just came back from the showers, did you want to use my office again?" he asked.

 

"Negative, sir." He told the Major. "I'll find another place to talk to him."

 

"If that's the case," the Major started, turning his gaze back to Karo. "Then get the hell out of my chair." He said, a with a flash of a smirk.

 

"Yes, sir!" Karo said, a smile escaping his lips "Sorry, sir!" he said, flashing a quick salute before making his way towards the door. He made his way in the general direction of Sergeant Williamson. One more to go. He thought to himself as he walked. One more.

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