King of the Hill Part II
Posted on 04/27/2021 @ 12:49am by Colonel Jack Patton & 2nd Lieutenant Erin Inferson & Master Sergeant Robert Schiano & Staff Sergeant Brian Cancielleri & Sergeant Alicia Reilly & Lance Corporal Brian Zapata & 1st Lieutenant Anthony Hill
3,318 words; about a 17 minute read
Mission: Mission 21: The Trouble with Technology
Patton had to admit he was both scared and impressed. Scared that for a minute there Hill may have not made it in time. Impressed that he got it done that quick. It took him five minutes to do what it took most engineers 10 minutes to do. Patton had purposely skewed the test for Hill to fail, and he passed with flying colors. He could not even try to conceal the look of astonishment and appreciation from his face. "Well done First Lieutenant, I am not afraid to admit that I am impressed. Really well done!! There is one last thing that needs to be done a second test of sorts." Jack opens a ship wide channel, "Attention Kingsmen, please report to The Throne Room on the double."
"You are not the only one sir. The hairline crack was easy to miss but I think sometime a little luck comes in to play sometimes. I mean, I don't think the universe wants to blow us up just yet." Anthony grinned at the praise. "Listening to the call his CO put out Hill wondered what he had planned for him next.
One by one the marines that made up Patton's original Kingsmen strolled in, while Patton was waiting for his team he walked over to the replicator and ordered up two very distinct items. When the team had fully assembled they lined up and came to attention. Jack beamed with pride as he saw he friends, his family all newly promoted and ready to take on the new challenge before them. Patton spoke for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. "Men we have the distinction of possibly inducting a new member of the Kingsmen. This is the first time that this has occurred since the team's expansion. As you are all aware we are to become a full fledged battalion as of now. With that prospect comes added Platoons and specialties. An area that we have been lacking in has been Combat Engineering as such I have decided it is time we gain a Combat Engineering Platton." Erin Sparks Inferson chuckled and spoke up. "It is about time, I have been sick of pulling double duty." The rest of the group laughed at the prospect and Jack raised a hand to quiet them down.
Patton began to pace in front of the line of marines, and continued to speak. "Before us is the person whom I have selected to take charge of the newly formed Combat Engineering Platoon, named The Castle, First Lieutenant Anthony Hill. His record speaks for itself and he has served the Corps with distinction. However, as is tradition with the Kingsmen there is one final test that each of you must give to him to see if you will accept his leadership. I have summoned you here for that test. Let us begin now... First Lieutenant Hill attend to the Kingsmen in Rank order." The rest of the Kingsmen came to attention with this order. The feeling of tradition, and solemnness came over the room.
Hill began to move towards the group in front of him. He began with the Private classes and began to move along the line.
Lance Corporal Brian Zapata stepped forward and eyed the new comer. "I am the Reaper and like the mythical being that I am named for I have a tendency to want to work alone. As an officer of the Corps I would have to take orders from you. Why would I want to choose this?" Brian's eyes narrowed a moment as he began to take the measure of the man before him.
"Because my orders will keep you alive." Anthony replied. "The Reaper is associated with death and if you pride yourself on dealing killing blows to our enemies we will get on just fine as whilst you are the tip of the spear, I am the stem keeping your aim true and being able to pull you back when needed so you can strike again without resistance." he said with confidence. "Plus I'm handy at upgrading certain equipment for aspiring riflemen." A small smirk had formed at that comment.
Brian returned the smirk and added "You know my rifle could use an upgrade." He punched himself in the chest with his right hand and then placed it upon Hill's right shoulder. "I of my own free will accept you to lead me unto my death. Brother to brother, yours in life and death."
"I'll see that you keep the death part for our enemies Lancelot." Anthony smiled
The Reaper stepped back in to the line and allowed Sergeant Alicia Reilly to step forward. The small woman that they called Big Red gathered herself up and when she wanted to made herself seem quite intimidating this was just such a time. The fiery Irish woman began to speak and the brogue and lilt in her voice just added to the odd scene before Hill. "Ye know that many a Marine has a temper, myself included..." The rest of the team snickered and made comments to themselves at this. Alicia shot them all a look and they all quieted down. "...As I was sayin. When a Marine loses themselves to the fever in battle what do ya do? How do ya bring em back to reality, to their families?" A brief memory of Teena came unbidden into Alicia's head as she spoke, and she realize that perhaps for the first time she had someone to come back to.
The noise of the pack quietened and Anthony smiled. He could see that she was both feared and loved by the group and with the look she gave he could see she felt the same. "We as marines are a family. Without knowing you Sergeant I cant say personally what I'd do for you but the group around us, we rally around each other. We have a knack for bringing ourselves back down to Earth with a bang. We either work out our 'battle fever' with each other, so we can go home. Not all partners, families are used to our lifestyle and that is for the best sometimes."
Jack appreciated the answer it was short and sweet and did not purport to know how anyone would react. It seemed that Alicia liked it as well as she smiled broadly but mischievously. Alicia punched herself in the chest with her right hand and placed upon Hill's right shoulder. "I of my own free will accept you to lead me unto my death. Brother to brother, yours in life and death."
Anthony nodded as he watched her step back.
Alicia stepped back in line and Brian "Sticks" Cancielleri stepped forward. Sticks was the unit's first Corpsman and as such was often the heart and soul of the team. At one point they toyed with the idea of calling him conscience because he always had a way of measuring the moral code of the unit. Sticks was an observer and he saw Hill's reaction to the other two members of the unit. So, he decided he would try to put Anthony more at ease. He stepped forward and while at rigid attention he saluted. "Sir!" He held the salute until it was returned Sticks dropped the salute. "I am a corpsman and as such took an oath to first do no harm. In keeping with my oath I tend to follow leaders who have the same belief. So I ask you the following. We are engaged in operations, and enemy combatant is a click away and wounded but can be saved. I request permission to treat the enemy. You know that if I am to go I will take enemy fire. How do you handle the situation?" The stars of life and caduceus shone in the light as they sat pinned to Brian Cancielleri's cuffs.
Anthony smiled. "I believe in protecting people, in helping people and I will always strive to keep people safe and do no harm as long as God keeps me breathing, and my heart beating. If we are engaged in operations against an enemy and one of them has came to harm I would not endanger your life for the possibility of saving someone who would not hesitate to put you down if able bodied. I would have to weigh the operation we are engaged in, your life and that of the others within our team that you are here to care for. I would not let you go alone so I would send others with you, hypothetically, so putting others in danger. I am sorry if that is not what you are wanting to hear Staff Sergeant but the success of our operation and the safety of our team comes first."
Brian understood that not everyone felt as he did, not everyone felt that no one deserved to be injured or die for any cause. As such the answer Hill gave was a true political answer and one that Brian felt was very officer of the other man. For the standard answer Cancielleri thought that he should contest this new member of the Kingsmen. However, Hill did mention God, and that struck to the very core of Sticks. Brian was not too religious however, he did believe in God and finding someone else who was a Marine and believed in God was a rare tread. Add to that the fact that as a God fearing man Brian knew that Hill would do all in his power to protect life in general. After the pause of thought Brian looked up and into Hill's eyes. "To serve and protect is our main goal in service." He punched himself in the chest and placed his right arm on Hill's left shoulder. "I of my own free will accept you to lead me unto my death. Brother to brother, yours in life and death."
Anthony smiled, gave a quick salute and nod of respect. It was a fine line that was drawn when it came to injuries in the field. He'd made those choices before.
Sticks stepped back in line and on cue Robert Schiano, The Kingsmen's First Sergeant stepped forward. As First Sergeant Robert had a responsibility to all of the enlisted in the unit. Being here afforded him the chance to help choose the officers who would lead, and to make sure that they would not mistreat the enlisted under their command. "So, youze think that dat you can command and hold domain over the backbone of the Corps, simply because you got a certain set of skills. I say that youze need to prove that you can hold domain over me and mine. So I ask you... You and me are the last two planetside on a mission. There is only time for one of use to get out the other is going to be left behind. What do youze do?" Meatball's accent could be hard to follow at times but he did his very best to keep it in control. When he finished speaking he cocked an eyebrow in the Vulcan manner. Someting that was a little out of character for the Italian, but it got the point accross.
"I take the view of General Hal Moore. I am the first to set foot on the ground and the last to leave, and I leave noone behind. That being said I don't place a higher value on my life because I have bars and you stripes. I hold the line and send you back. My team survives with capable marines like you to lead it, and I am more than happy with that outcome." Anthony said as he held up his right arm and rolled up his sleeve to show his extensive burns starting from the back of his hand up and beyond his elbow. "It's how I got this. Although the outcome was positive and we all lived through it."
Robert was impressed with the scarring, it meant that Hill had paid his dues like every other member of the Kingsmen. Schiano smiled "Youze do your job, so I can do mine." He then came to attention and saluted. Following the salute he placed his right hand to his chest and then placed on Anthony's shoulder. "I of my own free will accept you to lead me unto my death. Brother to brother, yours in life and death." Meatball stepped back into line with the rest.
Anthony nodded as the man returned to the pack.
As Schiano took his place in the line Second Lieutenant Gaagii stepped forward. The Navajo man looked at the newcomer and he had not known what he was going to ask. However, after looking at Hill briefly Gaagii came to a decision. "My people have a long history of being warriors. As such we have always asked ourselves what we are fighting for? What inspires us? Today I ask you the same question. What do you have to fight for?" Gaagii was curious if Hill would see the deeper meaning and not just say for the glory of the Federation or some such.
Anthony's demeanour changed at that question as the memory, the reason why he joined flashed across his mind. "When I was younger, maybe 5 or 6, I remember being on a trip with my parents. We were somewhere remote, a place for families that wanted adventure and something different. There was another family there, they had a daughter about my age called Sarita. As 2 families we met a lot, went on excursions, ate together, you know." he said as he made sure Gaagi understood. "A week and a half into the trip she goes missing. We searched high and low, everywhere we could. At that age I did not quite understand what was going on but I still remember that fear, that worry. We found her days later, she had been caught, attacked by raiders. She did not survive." he said with a heavy sigh.
"I do not fight for myself, I fight for those who cannot. For all the Sarita's that need protection from a galaxy that doesn't care who it hurts and those in that that hurt for pleasure or greed. So it is not inspiration that pushes me forward but the feeling of need to do better, to make even my own little corner of the galaxy that little bit safer." Anthony said as he took a big breath and pumped life into his body language.
"If one expects one's people to fight for them then they must be ready willing and able to fight for the people. The Navajo learned that lesson years ago, and I am proud to see that you have learned that lesson." Gaagii said and then punched himself in the chest with his right hand. He then placed the hand upon Anthony's right shoulder. "I of my own free will accept you to lead me unto my death. Brother to brother, yours in life and death." Gaagii stepped back in line with the others having given his solemn oath.
Anthony nodded respectfully as the man returned to the group. This was definitely an experience.
As Gaagii stepped back in line Erin "Sparks" Inferson stepped forward. She looked the man up and down and she was struck by two things. The first was his looks, something that gave her a smirk as she walked around him. The second was that he looked a little too macho, like the type that didn't think female Marines were equals. When she came back around she looked him straight in the eyes. "Sir, my call sign is Sparks, mainly because I make things explode." She held up her hands as she spoke again. "These hands have carried the weight of countless explosives. The question I have for you is do you think they can carry your weight? Answer honest no BS."
"Yes." He said simply. "I trust every man, women, non-binary individual with the same respect that I expect them to hold me. Those people have my respect until they do something to lose it, hopefully that will never be the case. You and I share the love of making this explode, and I am not as heavy as I look." he smiled and shot her a cheeky wink as to the joke.
Erin refused to admit but the wink caused a certain butterfly feeling within her, but she knew that this was neither the time nor the place to flirt. So she stowed that idea away for later use. She wasn't entirely satisfied with the answer. It seemed too rehearsed, too much the SFMC billboard. She wanted to know if he truly respected women as equals. Sparks would rather see the Kingsmen torn asunder then allow some chauvinist into the family. She inhaled sharply as she was about to let him have it, then it hit her. The image was just that an image, he was not truly like the impression that she garnered at first. There was a softer, and dare she say feminine side lingering underneath. She chose to explore this with him later, and found herself hoping he would allow her to explore. Erin punched herself in the chest and then placed her hand on his right shoulder. "I of my own free will accept you to lead me unto my death. Brother to brother, yours in life and death."
Anthony smiled as he noticed Erin's lingering look and nodded as she returned to the pack.
Erin returned to her place in line and now it was Jack's turn to close out the ceremony. Jack stood front and center of the line of the original Kingsmen. He was proud of his men accepting new comers without question. However, these newcomers would also have to earn the respect and their place. He looked up at Hill with a sympathetic, yet stern face. "Always remember to do everything that you ask of those you command. The highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for ones people. If you can remember those two things then you should go far here in the Kingsmen. I hereby grant you the position of Commanding Officer of the Combat Engineering Platoon within The Kingsmen code named The Castle. With all rights and privileges due to that station. May your counsel be honest and true, your aim steadfast and your loyalty everlasting." Patton slowly and deliberately punched himself in the chest with his right hand and then placed it upon his right shoulder. "I of my own free will accept you into counsel and lead by example. Brother to brother, yours in life and death."
Patton then passed him the two items that he had replicated. The first was the official patch of The Kingsmen and the second was a name patch that simply said Spitfire. "Men, I present to you your new Kingsmen code named Spitfire. Three cheers..." Patton was all smiles as the cheers came up. His thoughts turned to when he and Meatball had the original idea for this unit, to fighting with the powers that be to get the unit created and look where it is now.
1st Lieutenant Anthony Hill
Platoon CO 'The Castle'
The Kingsmen
Poseidon Station
Major Jack Patton
CO The Kingsmen
Chief Strategic Operations Officer
Second Officer
Poseidon Station
2nd Lieutenant Gaagii
Platoon CO 'The Knights'
The Kingsmen
Poseidon Station
2nd Lieutenant Erin Inferson
Platoon CO 'The Swords'
The Kingsmen
Poseidon Station
Master Sergeant Robert Schiano
First Sergeant/EVAC Specialist
The Kingsmen
Poseidon Station
Staff Sergeant Brian Cancielleri
Corpsman
The Kingsmen
Poseidon Station
Sergeant Alicia Reilly
Platoon Sergeant 'The Knights'
The Kingsmen
Poseidon Station
Lance Corporal Brian Zapata
Rifleman
The Kingsmen
Poseidon Station
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