Jayme had entered the conference room at 1300 hr. to prepare to brief the new captain on. At precisely, 1400 hr. Captain Degataryev arrived. Jayme stood and held out her hand. "Good afternoon. I am Captain Jayme Alcon and I am to brief you on your assignment."
He looked her over from her tasseled hair blonde hair, her dancer's body, to a knee that was in a containment brace, which meant a serious injury and back up to shake her hand. He'd spoken with the Colonel a bit about the mission and the woman he now faced. "I am Captain Valdimir Degataryev." She indicated that he should sit at the head of the table facing the large view screen. She dimmed the lights and began with the map of the quadrant that contained the Briar Patch; SB901, Thermopylae, Az'reel, several Nausicaans claimed planets, the system the G'kar held, and the area that the Mullurans claimed.
She accessed another series of keys and a picture and bio of the Nausicaans appeared. She talked about them for several minutes and moved on to the Az'reel people and the battles fought there to keep them free. The next group covered were the Orion's. Jayme smiled, "As far as we know they have no strong hold here. The reason I am even including them is that the G'kar purchased at auction, a mid size freighter—called the 'Orion star'. It's been converted and weapons as they've obtained them have been installed. It's one of the two ships that support Thermopylae. And I'm sure the Orion's are less then happy about the purchase, so beware."
The next screen covered the Mullurans via several of the vid news reports from Mullura were watched. Jayme then spent considerable time on their military and the war between them and the G'kar. Jayme then added, "...Which has been since they discovered each other over three thousand years ago...unfortunately the Mullurans have always had the upper hand and the G'kar have known little but enslavement.
Finally the screen with the G'kar data appeared. Jayme started, "they are bisexual, oviparous reptiles with thick brown skin with spots, and dental plates rather then teeth. They are equivalent to Vulcan's or Romulans in terms of strength and longevity." She paused and watched as he re read the data. "They have applied for Federation membership. The G'kar have treaties and trade agreements with several other minor worlds in the briar patch. As they have freed themselves and organized they've started training a legion and they are housed on several planets. The La'kon as they are known are dedicated to freedom from the Mullurans and have 1.5 thousand troops. Their fleet is very under strengthed. They have been adding Nausicaans ships to their vessels. They have confiscated what Mullurans vessels fall into their hands.
She paused again and changed the screen to show one of the light cruisers that hovered in the vicinity of Thermopylae. This is the "Dark Fury." It's one of the G'kar built ships. Its armament has been increased as they've raided and run across damaged ships. They go in and rip out all of the technology and weapons and usable goods. The La'kon have been known to raid Mullurans freighters for goods...and liberate the slave they carried. This is how it was discovered that the drug known as 'Dust' is being distributed.
We've seen 'dust' here on station but haven't figured out just how is getting it aboard. Its dangerous to human a little can cause a good high, too much causes hallucinations and nightmares. The drug lasts as long it is in your system. It's a fine powder that varies from pink to purple. Multiple contacts will cause an addiction...or death. We humans don't clear it from our systems very fast and that can make a second or third contact with the 'dust' lethal. "
Jayme saw him frown. So she said, "I learned the hard way about 'dust.' She continued on, "The G'kar are great agro-culturists...and make a mean wine (heavier then an Earth Marlot)." Jayme handed him several data modules for his PADD—those are language tapes the EMH and I made while on my stay to help. They speak standard for the most part but a lot of conversation around you will be in G'karen. There was an old installed an EMH program, when I was there installed the updates for that system, while training two groups. Fifty medical corpsmen. When I visited, there were fifteen enlisted types, the Commandant Mer'an, and his XO Issira (also his wife), and one thousand new refugees that had to be decontaminated, processed. Some of these people were family units with children. The older children were given some training and duties, there were 750 of the refugees who chose to train and become warriors. The rest were allowed to make quarters in the lowest levels of the base and there they set up daycare's, school, and a large hydroponics garden/and insect tanks to help feed the station.
When I was there I was under the impression that they had some trained warriors but, I found the refugees as the warriors had been dispatched to help the Federation with the Swarva incident." Jayme stood and stretched her right leg out and then walked to the replicator and order, "Herbal tea mix 120, hot." The cup of tea materialized and she turned to the other captain, "want anything while I'm here?"
He nodded, crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Raktajino—hot with cream and sugar." Jayme took both cups and returned to the table. After a few minutes she sat back and continued with her story, and about the training program. She then pulled up a detailed schematic of the Thermopylae instillation, the one Colonel Tarik and several teams raided this and kicked the Son'a and the Jem'Hadar breeding cretch out.
"There primary compliment of warriors slowly returned after the Swarva incident and we sent the first group trained out to the enclaves to teach those groups of warriors what they'd learned. They then breezed them throughout the basic and advanced recruit stuff and immediately. I don't know if this last group is still on station as I've been back here three weeks...they may have received training and moved to other armed ships in their resistance and you might be facing a group of trainees that know nothing."
"The one thing that they need badly is a mechanic or an engineer. The station defenses are a joke and so is their Command and Information Center (CIC). "
"When I arrived I knew how to run a squad an a platoon and the basics for a company. But have been floored when I started training in CIC as the acting duty officer. Then it started happening when I was onboard some missions and smaller ships.
She shrugged and said, "I failed galactic traveler 101. I've never learned; to like other cultures food, I don't tolerate the heat. In my frustration with everything and with boredom I ran mile's everyday though the station and sparred. I slept okay before I was exposed to the 'dust' then I've, slept only and hour or two a day due to the nightmares.
If you ever go to visit, they are reptilian and hence the average temperature on station is 39 degrees Celsius with 100 percent humidity. Oh. Sleeping arrangements are these apartments that are stacked. They are 1.5mx1.5mx 3.0meters. Mine was on the forth level, sixteenth from the right. There's a mattress that's firm, some storage at the head of the bed, and a pull down comp screen, and I rigged a fan that makes it almost livable. " She saw him frown and she pulled up the next slide which showed video that she'd taken of the accommodations. "That's home." She felt sorry for the guy as all of this soaked in and he slumped in his seat. "So I hope you have a research project and other stuff with you to work on it, take any music and VR disks, and books. After one of my trips back here on the 'dark fury' I picked up some of my VR and music and the base Counselor sent me out with some books...but I couldn't focus to read and studying was 'damn difficult' with the 'dust' in my system. The only thing I could do was work, workout, and when the food crawled on my plate returned to my quarters and the stash of MRE bars I'd requisitioned."
Vlad rested his elbows on the table top and tilted his head and looked at Jayme before clearing his throat and saying, "I don't think I saw this in the R&R guide?"
Jayme shook her head 'no'. He then asked, "How much weight did you lose on that assignment?"
At first she thought about telling him it wasn't his business but then said, "Little over ten kilo."
He rolled his eyes and wet his lips, and asked, "Did you injure your knee on this assignment?" He watched her settle back in her chair and take a sip of tea. "No. The original injury was received on Swarva...took a glancing phase hit, the repair was done on the Iwo Jima in orbit around Swarva, but I was needed on the surface and being a marine went back to work. When the brace annoyed me I removed it and it didn't heal all the way."
"Then three weeks ago, I was invited to the Marine Holo suite to play. During the mission to secure a downed shuttle. I was on a wet grassy embankment that gave way and sent me tumbling down. Where along the way a piece of the wreckage ended up going through the weak point of my combat armor though the quadriceps, the knee, and stuck out the other side."
"Damn!" He said and winced looking at Jayme and the brace she wore. He then said, "I've read your file and you started out in Starfleet medical but dropped out to out enlist in the Corps and trained as Light Infantry. Then you got sent to OCS, and bounced around until you landed here..."
She smiled, and finished for him, "I completed training a platoon of Corpsmen. The command here has grown and the Colonel has been given the green light to add a Medivac unit, to support our infantry units, and the Hammerhead Squadron. I will be setting up and running the medivac unit, on top of completing my medical degree through the CMO here on SB901."
"Wow, you're not just a pretty face in that uniform." Jayme smiled at the comment and said. "I'm second generation Marine, and I've earned the LI badge crawling through the mud and jungles with the rest of the grunts in my group and on missions. " She maintained her smile for a minute and then continued, "as for your assignment...Here is a PADD with details, and all of the reports I wrote while doing a similar assignment. Be prepared for the heat, the lack of entertainment, and food that has a tendency to crawls off the plate. You'll be fine; it's kind like Klingon cuisine. That's all I have to say on your assignment. If you need further clarification—see the Colonel."
She stood and tossed her cup into the recycler, she paused and said, "Other then the modules, I've met and partied with Mer'an and Issira here on station and they are decent folks. I can't think of anything else to tell you."
That evening Jayme checked her messages about her appointment with Kassia, and a message from the Colonel stating she'd been cleared and in two days was to take a shuttle- with all Captain Degataryev's requested materials and supplies, and escort him to his temporary assignment. Her father and Nathan both jumped out of their chairs, when they heard her yell, "Shit, I can't believe this!"
When she cooled off later that evening, She decided it was the best way to get him settled on station... she was a Marine and would just have to suck it up. She giggled to herself and wondered if the Colonel had disclosed to the poor 'Russian' that this was her second solo flight.