Married To The Corps

Posted on 01/07/2024 @ 2:20am by Colonel Jack Patton & Commander Aer Feshau-Patton

1,304 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 24: The Kingsmen: Duality
Location: The Patton's Quarters
Timeline: MD001 1430 hrs

Having briefed his people Jack now had precious few hours before they left on the mission. He made his way to his quarters to not only pack but to make sure his better half knew what was going on and to tell her he loved her should the worst happen.

He arrived at their quarters and was happy to see that she was home. "Babe... Got a sec? I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

Aer had been doing a little tidy up of their quarters. Nothing major, just usual stuff. Picking up a few socks, recycling some glasses etc. She had heard Jack come in and the excitement she felt when she saw him was as much as it had been from her first sighting of the man.

She skipped over to him and placed a kiss on his lips. "Sure, but your good news better be you are whisking me away somewhere..." she said playfully. "And the bad being sadly all you could get was the 5 star hotel with the best room and view."

Jack accepted the kiss with gusto. He never could get enough of those lips. He would miss this woman, his better half something fierce. When the kiss broke he laughed to try to ease what he had to say. "Sadly no. My good news is that Admiral Rice has approved a rescue mission to find Captain Harrington." He knew that the word of the Captain's disappearance had already spread among the Senior Staff.

Aer sighed. "I knew he would..." she stepped down off the tips of her toes. "I just wish he didn't have to go and get himself kidnapped right after our wedding..." she huffed a little and wrinkled her nose, but realised how she sounded. "Sorry, I know I'm being selfish."

"No I agree. I have said it before and I will say it again. Someone needs to put a bell on that guy. The bad news is that The Kingsmen are going. It is our mission and I would not have it any other way. I am taking a team in to go get him. Just a small strike force." Jack began to pack as he spoke. Time was of the essence, however, he had to tell his wife everything. After placing a few items into his duffel he stopped packing to change into a field fatigue uniform.

"I know, I've assigned T'ra to your team." Aer said simply. It was more to see how he'd react to her kind of 'butting' into his team but it was for his protection as well. She wanted someone she could trust there, someone more level headed, someone who was not a marine. The perks of being a higher rank gave her this option but also being Chief of Intelligence gave her extra scope to know things she probably shouldn't.

Jack smirked, he should have known that nothing stayed secret from Aer for long. He should have guessed that she would have learned of the Captain's disappearance and of the mission to save him. "My bride and joy... I do not have use for an Intelligence Officer on this mission, and I have to keep the team small so taking people who have no..." voice trailed off as Aer interrupted his attempt to shrug off her assignment.

"Stop Jack." Aer raised both her eyebrows at him. "I can promise you that you need an intelligence officer there. T'ra is exceptional." she stated matter of fact. "She has excellent analytical skills, she's even tempered and has a commanding presence that will be of use to you. Use her as your XO. You need someone who's not a marine my love. I know how you get when you're passionate about something, if you have a full team of that all bottled up and raring to go after Neil then you need someone to balance that out. T'ra is going." she placed one hand on his cheek. A ploy to get him to just accept it, her touch often distracted him.

Jack closed his eyes and leveled his breathing. Her touch always seemed to soothe and calm him. This was no different. She had a point and he knew it. Jack was not sure if he was coming back so he would have to leave Brina behind to take command of the unit. He needed someone to bounce ideas off of, an XO and T'ra was a good a choice as any. "She will have to understand that we do things differently than in the fleet. If she can go with that then she can come." Jack knew that he really did not have a choice, that Aer would send her whether he wanted it or not. "There is something you should know... We are going deep within Romulan space and if we are found, I will not be coming back. Starfleet will not mount a rescue for us, hell they don't want a rescue for Neil. We are doing this under Rice's orders. I need you to know that I love you and I have made sure that you will be taken care of should I not return."

"I'm sure T'ra will accept the change in command and how your team runs things. We'd be poor intelligence officers if we weren't adaptable." Aer smiled softly at him in understanding. It was then she could feel his mood change to a more sombre one. Him saying he might not be back if caught gave her butterflies in her stomach.

"Jack, if I have to steal the Caliban... if I have to call in a favour from less than savoury people I will be coming to get you. So, do me a favour and don't do anything overly marine and get yourself caught and put my life in danger." she playfully pushed his chest with both her hands, she found one was never enough to get movement from him.

He cut her off, his voice perhaps a little too harsh. But it was something that he could not control. "Aer, no... Just no. If the worst happens there will be nothing left for you to come for. You cannot risk yourself... Besides when we got married we signed up for this. You have your job and I have mine, and both are inherently dangerous..." Jack's voice softened as he spoke, as if he didn't believe his own words. Before he could continue rambling Aer continued her original thought.

"I know you love me, I love you too, more than anything... but if we're talking about making sure I'll be taken care of then right now I can think of something that needs doing... just in case you do something stupid." Aer looked over to their bedroom. "Consider it an incentive to come back." she hinted with a teasing lilt to her voice and a devilish look in her sweet, innocent eyes.

Jack had been told the tales of what men did before they left for war. This was not a war but why should this be any different. He tossed his duffel to the floor and scooped his wife up kissing her passionately. He walked toward the bedroom. Being a Marine could wait, right now he needed to be a husband and a partner.

Aer squealed as Jack picked her up. She pushed her hands through his hair and almost pulled him forwards towards the bedroom quicker. She needed him to understand her need for him to come back. As she came back up for air, "this isn't a goodbye. It's see you soon soldier." she grinned as he threw her on the bed.

---

Colonel Jack 'BlackJack' Patton
Executive Officer, Poseidon Station
Commanding Officer, The Kingsmen

Commander Aer Feshau-Patton
Chief Intelligence Officer
Poseidon Station

 

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