Better Here Than Back Home

[Owen Matthews 0]

Owen entered the mess hall and let his gaze wander over the crowd. Alpha shift had just ended so this was probably the busiest time of day. After a few seconds he made out the person he was looking for but decided to get himself some food before walking over to the table where she was sitting alone. A few moments later he stood next to the Lieutenant. "Mind if I join you, Junior?"

 

Caine looked up and grinned as she saw Owen ambling over to her table. "Just can't keep away from me, can you, Buddha?" she asked cheerfully, kicking out the chair across from her and gesturing for him to sit down. "Make yourself at home."

 

Grinning Owen sat down and leaned across the table, answering in a conspiratorial whisper. “Can’t fool you, Junior, can I?” Then he leaned back and took a big bite of his chicken sandwich. “So, heard the big news yet,” he asked.

 

Caine speared a bite of her salad and raised an eyebrow up. "Which big news? The news that we are heading deep into Rihan territory? The news that no one seems, at the moment, to have turned blue yet? The news that our nacelle isn't going to fall off?"

 

“Nooo,” Owen shook his head. “The news that, and now be grateful that you’re sitting down, Lieutenant Colonel JoNs is our new Marine XO effective immediately.” He observed Caine closely for her reaction to this surprising piece of information.

 

Caine's other eyebrow went up slightly. "Ahh...yes, she was not in Fleet uniform when I saw her on the bridge, but it wasn't the first time I'd seen her wearing the jacket; didn't think much of it at the time. So she's defected, has she?" the half-Vulcan deadpanned.

 

Owen snorted with laughter. “That’s one way to put it. Though she didn’t seem overjoyed. I thought she looked a bit…tense when she informed us. Well, and she hasn’t left her office once since then. Bet she’s trying to get whoever is responsible for this on the horn. Gee, how I wish I could listen in on that conversation.” Still chuckling, Owen took another bite of his sandwich.

 

Caine smirked faintly. "Yes, she doesn't seem the type to suffer in silence, does she?"

 

“I’m not sure she’s suffering all that much. I mean she was almost one of us anyway. They just made it official. I have a hunch that what irks her is that no one asked her, that’s all.” Buddha wiped his mouth with a napkin as he finished the sandwich. He was still grinning broadly.

 

Caine nodded. "Understandable, though Personnel's never been a very touchy-feely department in my experience. Not too keen on asking permission."

 

"Well, however that may be, you won't hear me complain. I mean we've had our disagreements and such but she's a good officer and she'll make just as good a Marine."

 

"Aye, I'm sure she will," Caine said agreeably. Stabbing another bit of lettuce into her mouth, she leaned back in her chair and glanced at the windows, watching the Rihan stars stream by. "Got a little time to settle her in, hopefully, before things start rocking about again. Though who knows what we're about to wander into."

Owen shrugged. "There's nothing like combat to get to know your people. Besides, she's seen action alongside the Marine battalion. It's not like she's all new. She knows us, we know her. And once she's tried it she'll love playing with the big guys now."

 

Caine's head angled back around and she gave him a mock-glare, her eyes crinkling in amusement. "The 'big' guys, huh? Watch your step, ground pounder, some of us Fleeters aren't so small they can't take you down a peg or two to our level."

 

The grin was back on Owen's face. "Is that a threat, Junior," he asked amused.

 

"Just a fact, Buddha," Caine answered blithely, crunching down on a crouton.

 

"A fact? Maybe you should prove that to me one day. I don't mind a challenge."

 

Caine smiled. They'd already been through this once, and the fact was that she and Buddha were more or less equally matched; she knew that he knew it too, and she doubted he was any more serious than she was about the banter. "Nah...I'd hate to see you demoted again for having to admit a Squid kicked your rear."

 

"Just the idea of you trying to kick my rear is worth the risk, Junior." Owen still remembered their last sparring fight and he had to admit that she was good.

 

Caine laughed. "Brave but foolish, young grasshopper. No matter; I intend to finish my salad before I do any ego-deflation today." She shook her head slightly. "I'll pencil you into my schedule though."

 

“How very nice of you, Caine,” Owen replied dryly, pointing a finger at her. “But you don’t really believe you’ve got a chance now, do you?”

 

Caine slowly set her fork down and looked at him, steepling her fingers in a deliberately Vulcan manner. "To further debate the question is...dare I say it...illogical," she said, and then smirked. "Insofar as neither of us would ever deliberately give ground."

 

Owen grinned and leaned back. “Yeah I guess you’re right. So how about tonight 1900 hours at the gym? I’m gonna teach you a lesson or two.”

 

Caine smiled faintly at the young man's eagerness. "I have work to do; we're in unfamiliar territory right now, which means my job ramps up."

 

“Ah yeah, the job. I’ve looked at the tactical scans and actually they are not very helpful. We know hardly anything about this part of space.”

 

"Tell me about it," Caine said grimly, picking up her coffee and sipping at it. "Not to mention the fact that things are apparently even more complicated than usual here right now, though better fighting the blue-skins in unfamiliar territory than on our own turf."

 

Owen frowned as he considered Caine’s words. “I really don’t know what to make of this, Caine.” He shook his head to emphasize his words.

"Make of what?"

 

"Of this whole mess. The Soltans, us being ordered to Romulan space...all that. But I guess you're right. Better fight them here than back home."