Into the Fray

[Cassie Granger 0]

SOCCENT* Alpha Quadrant

Aquiri Station

Office of the Commandant

Seven Days Pre-Deploy

 

At precisely 1400 hours, Marine Warrant Officer Cassidy Granger entered Colonel Tigard's office and came to attention in front of his desk.

 

"At ease, Sundance," he said, waving a hand. "Have a seat."

 

Tigard never was one for keeping strict protocol, but Cassie did anyway. Marine training? Force of habit? Respect? All of the above. She dropped into the chair while he gathered his notes and leaned back to give her the once-over he always did after debriefing.

 

"Good job on Operation Cobra, Sunny," he said finally. "Bit the head off that one."

 

"That we did, Sir. Thank you, Sir," she said, mirroring the colonel's satisfied grin.

 

"Got another one for you and wanted to fill you in myself." He paused. "It's long term, and it could be touchy, depending on how you play it."

 

"Sir?" It wasn't like him to label anything touchy. Dangerous, hazardous, life threatening maybe - but hell, pretty much everything they did was all that and more. Touchy?

 

"Not... in the terms of the operation. In terms of the CO you'll be working with." He rocked to a stand, his hand pressing an area of the desk on the way up. On a portion of the wall behind him the formal ID portrait of a Starfleet captain materialized. He turned to face it. "Ashton Marie Calestorm, Captain of USS Comanche Creek, Border Patrol. Code name 'Crash.' Eyes like a hawk. Temper like a wildcat. Know her?" He pursed his lips to glance over his shoulder for Cassie's reaction.

 

"Only by reputation, Colonel. 'Creek's Black Sheep. Heard they're inbound from a nasty mission that should've been diplomatic. Lost a shuttle. Took some hits."

 

Tigard nodded and returned to his desk as the image faded. "Exec and CAG took it hard. Captain not so bad. Still, helluva situation." The hefty biceps clearly visible beneath his uniform flexed in tandem with his clenching jaw as he leaned over a PADD on the desk. He paused for a second to run a hand through his close-cropped hair, silver with age. Cassie wondered if he'd take first again in the Sector Games coming up next month.

 

"Captain Calestorm." He drew her name out like she was some kind of legend, but anyone who'd stick it out on the edge for any length of time tended to generate legends. His arms crossed, a wistful look spoke of some kind of... connection? Not her place to ask.

 

"They call her a renegade, but I'll tell ya, Sunny... she's a powerhouse," he said, sliding the PADD across the desk towards her before rounding the desk to perch on its corner. "She's a straight shooter. Knows her stuff. Won't stand for any bull and can dish it out when she needs to. If she's a renegade, hell! We need more renegades like her out here. She's good stock. Good breed. Remember that."

 

Definitely some kind of connection there. After a quick read she handed the sketchy bio back.

 

"And now you're asking yourself why I'm telling you all this," he said, bouncing the PADD in his hands a few times before tossing it on the desk where it fell with a muffled thump. "Just a heads-up is all. You're their new navigational officer."

 

The hell?

 

"And SPECOPS liaison. Operation Shadowbox. More on that later.

 

"Cale's tough, Sunny - but justifiably so. My concern? Your profiles are too similar. You're too much alike. But in the end, if you can put up with each other you'll find out that you two have more in common than either one of you is willing to admit.

 

"Her exec?" He moved back to his chair, taking a moment to settle in and check out the ceiling. "Commander Audraya Wesley. Orion. Academy grad attached to a Marine wing for a while, so she knows the ropes, including ground operations; commanded a platoon on Sherman's Planet during a skirmish with the Klingons there. That's not saying she has any love for the Corps, only experience with it. Hell, it may have even put her off, made her hostile to it - I don't know. Hot temper, but not as quick as it used to be. Damn good exec."

 

That look again. So, not a connection to them, personally, but to their mission. Missing the action. An office at SOCCENT instead of combat? Hard trade for a career Marine.

 

"You'll meet the ship at New Topeka. Mission is need-to-know, so you'll get your briefing when they do. Shipboard doesn't mean you leave your toys behind - take 'em all. Wheels up at 1800. Docking ring A, USS Hesperus. They're due on the rim, going to drop you off. Dismissed."

 

At precisely 1430 hours, Marine Warrant Officer Cassidy Granger snapped from her chair, came to attention in front of the commandant's desk, gave a sharp salute, spun on one heel and strode through the office door, bound for New Topeka and the USS Comanche Creek.

 

*SOCCENT - Special Operations Command Central

*SPECOPS - Special Operations