Fresh Faces and New Gear (New Marines+Command)

[Edward, Z.]

Edwards was glad when Stone stopped and turned around and walked towards the other officers. The two Engineers took out a key and unlocked the suitcase from his wrist. Edwards grabbed his wrist where the cuff sat tight and snug. "Bloody time you get here.. You bring  the  anti radiation pills?"

 

'We're sorry were late. Yes we have them, this should help protect your body from your internal radiation levels. Wish you could join us in Engineering.' One of the men said. Edwards pulled out the canister from his duffel bag leaving only his data pad and one spare change of clothes and placed the big black bottle of pills in the duffel bag.

"I wish but I highly doubt they would consider a transfer..."  He was cut off by Stones continuing threats. "See you around guys."

He found the armory and received his gear and wrote the serial numbers to a shotgun. Picking up the shotgun felt good, bringing only a couple of good memories. "I'll take a shotgun over a assault rifle any day." He said smiling. He was also surprised how only one person took care of everything there. The guy gave him his billet. Edwards took the paper and walked out of the armory after putting the weapon back where he got it from.  "Fire Team Point Man... Awww Shit.. ..." Folded the paper and placed it in his pocket.

"Medical... lets get it over with..." He knew they were only going to find a lot of radiation.

[Durant, M.]

1400 Hours, July 15, 2542 (MILITARY CALENDAR) /
B-Deck, Berthing Area, aboard UNSC Vengeance,
in orbit above Reach, Epsilon Eridani System

Lieutenant Durant led the parade of new arrivals through the maze of corridors that comprised the interior of the UNSC Vengeance. The replacements had undergone full medical evaluations, administered by the corpsmen in sick bay, and aside from an odd case of elevated radiation levels in Lance Corporal Edwards, all personnel were given a clean bill of health. Michael glanced back at them, noticing Sergeant Stone had taken position as the rear of the group, and grinned.

He had a ragtag assortment of Marines from all walks of Marine Corps life. The vast majority had at least some combat experience under their belts, while the rest were in for a rude awakening come their first contact with the Covenant hegemony. However, all of them seemed capable, and that's what he preferred to see. While he had no real reason to, he felt more optimistic about this batch than he had with others in the past. While good ol' Murphy enjoyed throwing curve balls at Marines at the worst of times, the Lieutenant felt that this group had a better overall chance of survival than what had been previously seen before.

Captain Flannigan was absent from the group, having returned to his office to handle... whatever it was that company commanders had to do after events such as this. Michael was still relatively green to command, and found the company commander billet to be sort of an enigma. He knew the basics of the position as any officer should, but the intricacies of it were lost on him. In a way he was glad to be oblivious.

The job of a company commander was by no means an easy one.

Pushing the thought to the sidelines, Durant led the group around a sharp curve and stopped halfway down the hall. They had finally arrived at Second Platoon's billet, and it was time for him to divide them up and send them on their way. Eventually he would return, as they were all slated for the freezers at eighteen hundred, but, for now, they could relax and acclimate with each other and their new quarters.

Durant turned on his heel, turning around to face the new blood that rounded the corner, and instinctively clasped his hands behind his back. "Behind me are the billets for Second Platoon," he started, gesturing with his noggin to the doors behind him, "and the place that you will know as your home away from home aboard the Vengeance."

He turned his gaze towards Gunnery Sergeant Sabre and nodded at him. "Your berth is directly to my left, across the hall from my own, and it is yours and yours alone, Gunnery Sergeant." The grizzled SNCO broke formation and entered his room, the door hissing shut behind him. Durant nodded. This was probably a typical affair for him.

He turned around and marched down the hall until he came upon the door to First Squad's berth. The Lieutenant turned back around and smirked at Sergeant Stone, whom he knew would be assuming control very shortly. "This is the berth for First Squad, and it comprises a "common room" that you will step into when you walk through that hatch, and there separate berthing compartments for the three fire teams that make up the Squad."

"My billet is ta the rear of the berth," Sergeant Stone interjected to the newbies. "If I catch one of y'all in my billet without my express permission, yer gonna regret it."

The Lieutenant shook his head ever-so-slightly at the remark and chose to continue. "You all have until eighteen hundred to familiarize yourselves with your berths and get to know the people that will be on your team. Unfortunately, you will not have the opportunity to meet everyone that will comprise your teams, as they are currently in the freezers. At eighteen hundred, you will be joining them."

With that, he brought up the updated platoon roster via his neural lace, and recited off the team assignments. "On Second Fire Team, Lance Corporals Edward and Mihaylov, and PFC Chambers. Your fire team leader is Corporal Faust. As for Third Team, Privates Torngate and Winters; you'll meet Private Jun out of cryo at a later date. Your FTL is going to be Lance Corporal O'Reilly, as the previous FTL was transferred out to another unit that needed NCOs. Those are your assignments. For your specific billets, you will have to meet up with your team leaders at a later date for that information. O'Reilly, you should have access to that now. Dismissed."

With that, Durant walked off to return to his quarters. Now that the replacements had arrived, he had paperwork to do.

((OOC: This is your chance for some character interaction and socialization amongst each other. There is no posting order and you can post until I make another post leading you all to cryo, which won't be for a while. So have at it and have fun!))

[O'Reilly, C.]

O'Reilly followed the rest of the troops through the standard procedures. Everyone was given a clean bill of health, save for the Marine who had fallen out of line earlier. That man's day just kept getting worse. She took this moment to look around. They seemed to be from all walks of life, her new comrades. Not one looked like your standard Marine. Not that there was really anyone to base a standard off of. One thing she did notice however, was the fact that most of them seemed green, like her. Maybe a few of them had seen combat, but not much.

When they were introduced to their billets, she gave a weary look around. She made a mental note of the billets that should never be entered, such as that Sergeant from earlier. Not that she could see herself in there for any reason. She watched as a combat hardened Marine was shown to his private billet.

"Privates Torngate and Winters; you'll meet Private Jun out of cryo at a later date. Your FTL is going to be Lance Corporal O'Reilly, as the previous FTL was transferred out to another unit that needed NCOs. Those are your assignments. For your specific billets, you will have to meet up with your team leaders at a later date for that information. O'Reilly, you should have access to that now. Dismissed."

O'Reilly nodded, checking for her team's billet. It was in the back of the berth. She looked around, looking for her new teammates. "Alright. Tornagate, Winters, on me." she called. When they got over, she would lead them to their billet.

[Torngate, D.]

Torngate grabbed his bags which he had set behind him the group had halted, but swung it over his shoulder as he was dismissed, putting his other hand behind him to prevent the bag from swinging and hitting the man next to him. Medical check had gone smoothly, nothing out of the ordinary and, as he'd expected, he had a clean bill. He turned toward his new assigned home, but was sidetracked at the voice of the Lance Corporal. He moved over and nodded to the officer. "Sir." was all he said, looking straight ahead and awaiting his orders.

He processed the information, writing a mental layer of code that would remind him never to enter certain billets. His DNI would now hopefully remember it. He likely put too much stake in his DNI but it never hurt. He looked around, with his eyes, trying to isolate which area was to be his new home. He waited to see what the Lcpl would say.

[Edward, Z.]

After they were completely dismissed this time with free time, Edwards went up to an empty table in the commons room and sat down. The duffle made a clinking sound when he placed it on the floor. He glanced around the room taking in the surroundings.

'This is going to be home for a while...' He thought to himself.

He just sat there thinking, he knew that he was already disliked but he wasn't going to let it get to him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out wireless earphones and with his data pad he put on some heavy metal. Pulled out a three inch thick book and opened the book to the book marker and started to read.

"Chapter 42, Calibration."

[Chambers, T.]

His comment on the navy medical personnel found something within the Russian Lance Corporal who was near him. "Best looking women are vampires, Just think of pretty face while they steal soul." He smiled and nodded. "Nurses are the best looking, but for my soul, they'd have to ask the the Corp for it." The corp owned him until he was dead or this war was over, the corp might disagree with him though.

They then made their way to medical it was always fun to stand around awkwardly and await your turn to 'examined' why they did this all the time he couldn't tell, maybe it was sort of test to see what tours of duty and combat did to the human body, probably it was to make sure they didn't get the whole crew sick with something and for fun, those doctors needed something to do.

Quickly enough they'd all be moved on to go and get situated in their berths, all he wanted was the lower rack, that would keep him happy for a while, it wasn't fun to fall out of a top rack or be thrown out of one as a prank that was for sure.

"Behind me are the billets for Second Platoon, and the place that you will know as your home away from home aboard the Vengeance." The LT then directed a Gunnery Sergeant to his quarters before addressing the rest of them. They then moved down the hall a bit to their Berth's, first squad.

"This is the berth for First Squad, and it comprises a "common room" that you will step into when you walk through that hatch, and there separate berthing compartments for the three fire teams that make up the Squad. You all have until eighteen hundred to familiarize yourselves with your berths and get to know the people that will be on your team. Unfortunately, you will not have the opportunity to meet everyone that will comprise your teams, as they are currently in the freezers. At eighteen hundred, you will be joining them." The fact most of the company was in cryo had been addressed earlier, that was either one hell of a clerical error this company of marines was real trouble to the navy or was undergoing some kind of punishment, not that he ever understood how cryo could be punishment unless you were one of the people who struggled with it.

"On Second Fire Team, Lance Corporals Edward and Mihaylov, and PFC Chambers. Your fire team leader is Corporal Faust." He didn't bother listened to the assignment of the others, he was thinking about what it might cost him for a bottom rack. "Those are your assignments. For your specific billets, you will have to meet up with your team leaders at a later date for that information. O'Reilly, you should have access to that now. Dismissed." Great, he thought, he was in a fire team with the idiot. 

As they moved into their space Edward stayed in the common area. He headed into their berth, 'don't claim your rack first...' he thought. As they went in he checked the racks for signs of possession and finding them free he placed his hear on one of the bottom ones, he'd sort it out later, it was coming up to smoko time but first he wanted to introduce himself a little less ceremonially. He went to the Russian Lance; "Chambers," He said introducing himself. "Ever been on a ship before mate?" He wasn't sure, but hopefully if he hadn't they could wander around look for a spot for him to have a smoke.

[Mihaylov, D.]

"I was not knowing the Corps issued souls," Dmitrii said with a chuckle before they went into medical. At least someone around here had a good sense of humor.

Medical was the same as always. Dmitrii had struck up a conversation with one of the navy nurses, making her laugh at his accent and casual demeanor. It was the same everywhere, and Dmitrii's same bag of tricks worked with a nurse as well as a beach bunny. Speak innocently, pretend to care about their topic, feign sexual disinterest. He now had someone on the ship to spend an evening with if the occasion called for it. Sometimes women were far too easy to figure out.

The Lieutenant finally got them to their housing block and read off the team assignments. Dmitrii was not happy when he found out he was paired up with Edwards. That guy had POG and trouble written all over him. At least the PFC he had been joking with up in the armory and medical was on his team. Now it was just a matter of meeting their team leader, a certain Corporal Faust. Hopefully Sergeant Stone, their Squad leader and another reason to not want to be associated with Edwards, hadn't rubbed off on her too much.

Entering the common area, he saw Edwards sit down at a table and relax, rather than join the team. He just shook his head and ducked into what was supposed to be their room. Faust's bed was clearly marked, and he could see Chambers waiting to pick, knowing he was the junior marine. The man also introduced himself. Dmitrii was sure he and the PFC would get along fine.

"Almost," Dmitrii said with a smile, nodding to the PFC. "Dmitrii Mihavlov. And don't worry, I'm not russian tyrant, just marine."

Dmitrii chuckled at his own joke, hoping it had translated to English well enough. Slinging his seabag down on the bottom bunk. Let someone else climb up and down. He wasn't on a power trip here. He just wanted to get his gear stowed and ready before they hit the freezer. Must be a helluva unit if they were on ice while the rest of the ship was up and moving. 

"What job you think you do on team," Dmitrii asked as he started to unload his seabag and get his gear straight.

[Edward, Z.]

Edwards finished a few pages and looked up and saw no one. He closed his book and put his things away in his duffel bag. "Guess I'll see what everyone's up too."He grabbed his bag and walked into their designated berth.

As the door slid open, he was greeted by two sets of glaring eyes. He knew no one wanted to be around him and he didn't blame them. Looking at the small room he saw one bunk on the top unclaimed and put his duffel bag on it.  "Wow hadn't seen one of these in half a year." he chuckled lightly to himself. Even if the bed was small it was always better than the floor of the pelican.

Taking off his jacket, he placed it folded on his pillow. He took out the card again, hoping that it would say something different this time. It didn't so he just laid it next to the jacket. Taking one black pill out of the pill bottle and chased the pill with some water from a canteen from his bag. "One day, I'll never have to take these again..." He said quietly to himself.

"Evening."

[Chambers, T.]

The Russian he had been conversing with most of the way through induction seemed to be good enough so when he introduced himself in the berth it was pretty easy. "Almost, Dmitrii Mihavlov. And don't worry, I'm not russian tyrant, just marine." He smirked, they'd get on a good sense of humour. "Tom, nah mate I wasn't thinking that, I'm not some boneheaded station boy from the outback neither, as for the souls we spoke of earlier, the corps doesn't issue them, they take take ownership of them, if I had one at all that is." He smiled. 

The Russian Lance Corporal then asked what his billet was on the team. "Gave me a M247, so I imagine Auto Rifleman, you had what a DMR or Battlerifle back there?" he asked, as he put his bags on one of the free racks, he was still seriously wondering what kind of hell they were in for being in a fire team with Edwards.

"You call me out on it mate?" he paused. "Coz I'm itching for a smoke, needa find me a spot for a cheeky one, maybe go cruising for some chow or go visit your girlfriend down in the infirmary." he said hoping he wasn't going to be reported along with a friendly jab based on a casual observation. he looked to the door as it opened revealing Edwards coming in. "Wow hadn't seen one of these in half a year." He didn't want to say anything. "Just don't drag us down with ya mate." He said walking out. "You coming?" He asked hoping Mihaylov would follow him, smoking alone was sad as well as more dangerous, no look outs.

[Mihaylov, D.]

"Yes, battlerifle," Dmitrii said with smile. "Good shot, sometimes. You strong like bull then? You look more like mosquito with littel wings. Hopefully rifle gives you big bite, eh?"

Dmitrii was laughing at his own joke when Edwards finally walked in. The man was odd, but given that he hadn't spent time with real marines yet, Dmitrii was willing to give him a chance. Chambers, so it seemed, wasn't so inclined. The PFC grumbled at the man before starting out to try and find a place to smoke. If they were all going to survive, they would need each other, and Mihaylov, as the senior member here, wasn't about to let this start out that poorly.

"Not like that," he said, grabbing Chamber's attention. "We're team, like it or no. As team, we lift up, not leave behind. And Lance Corporal still outranks you so you give respect, eh?"

Edwards seemed to be in his own world, which was worrisome, as was the bottle of pills he was taking. Dmitrii didn't know much about the man, but he knew he hated pills. He had lost several of his surfing buddies to drugs back home, and he was worried the problem had followed him here. He would give him some time though. The man had earned his BB guns, even if it wasn't on the front line.

"Besides, I doubt we have chow time," Dmitrii continued. "We do have time for smoke. Light up here. Someone in squad already smokes in rooms. I can smell. Besides, team won't tell, right Edwards?"

Dmitrii tapped the side of his nose with a knowing smile, before passing a conspiratorial look between them all. With any luck, this would be the first step of building them together, and most importantly it was done without an NCO. Dmitrii had seen combat, and he wanted to make sure he came home. He would need a trusted team to do that, and these were the best chance he had for now.

[Chambers, T.]

As they began to swap their positions on the team it was somewhat comforting to know Edwards wasn't the marksman in the fire team. "Yes, battlerifle, Good shot, sometimes. You strong like bull then? You look more like mosquito with littel wings. Hopefully rifle gives you big bite, eh?" He smirked. "Nothing to it really, point and shoot, besides someones got to have the big gun, It's more the ammo load than the weapon." He said.

Then Edwards came in and he said what he meant, however what the Russian said next was party correct, they'd need to work together or they'd all die. "Not like that," Chambers turned back to face Mihaylov "We're team, like it or no. As team, we lift up, not leave behind. And Lance Corporal still outranks you so you give respect, eh?" He gave shrug before turning back to the POG.

"Sorry Lance Corporal, don't want to get onto the Sergeants bad side, that's all." He turned back to the Russian. "Besides, I doubt we have chow time, We do have time for smoke. Light up here. Someone in squad already smokes in rooms. I can smell. Besides, team won't tell, right Edwards?" Taking the pack from the thigh pocket of his trousers he opened the top and pulled one out before offering one to Mihaylov and then to Edwards. "There's always something on offer in the mess, usually." He took his lighter from the same pocket and lighting his own before offering to the others if they took one.

Taking in a drag as he got it going he slowly let his breath out. "Much better..."