The Corporal rose from his chair as Garek entered the 28th M.E.F. offices. "You can sit down Corporal."
"Yes sir." He took his seat behind the desk.
"Corporal, where is Sergeant Hartman?"
"Sergeant Hartman is currently in the training facilities with fresh meat that joined from the civilian population sir."
Garek took the Corporal's reply for what it was worth. Obviously Tarik had stepped up some of the recruiting on the station, and it apparently worked. "Thank you Corporal."
"Glad to help sir." The Corporal returned to his work. Garek continued down the hallways towards the training facilities. Two Privates on a run saluted as they passed Garek by. Not used to the recognition, Garek stopped to watch the two as they continued jogging down the hall. He started walking again, and made his way to the main holodeck training facilities. As he entered, he was welcomed by the stinging heat and humidity of the southeast of the former United States. He was standing in a wooded area. Off in the distance he could see a sandy beach with different obsticals on it. Beyond that, the deep, blue, simulated ocean.
Hartman, hands behind his back paced infront of twenty new Marine recruits in their BDUs. Many of them were young, no more then their early twenties. What drove them to enlist in the Marine Corps was beyond Garek. He saw the training process that every recruit went through, and it boggled his mind. He couldn't knock the Marines, however. They helped numerous vessels, stations, and bases, not to mention colonists. At any rate, Garek was silently wishing these new recruits well, and that they would be in defence of some of these places.
There was a murmor from one of the recruits at the other end of the formation. "Who said that?!" Hartman spun around. "Who in the hell said that?! Who's the little slimy toed, scum sucking turd that just signed his own death certificate?!" He marched down the line to the other end of the formation. He put his face right into the face of one of the recruits. "Was it you scumbag?!"
"Sir, no sir!" the young recruit replied. He looked to be a very timid individual. His eyes shifted from one location to another trying not to look at Hartman directly.
"What's your name scumbag?!"
"Jackson sir!"
"Jackson?! Where are you from?!"
"Risa sir!"
"RISA!!! Only playboys and millionairs come from Risa! Are you a millionaire?!"
"Sir, no sir!"
"Bull! I bet you own half the damned planet!"
"Sir, no sir!"
"I'll tell you what you don't own son! You don't own your life now! Get on your face and give me twenty-five!"
"Yes sir!" The recruit immediatly dropped to the ground and started doing pushups.
Hartman continued down the line. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Garek standing next to a tree, quietly observing what was going on. He came upon another Marine. "What's your excuse scumbag?"
"Sir?"
"'Sir' what recruit?"
"I don't understand sir?"
"Why am I not surprised Private? What in the hell are you looking at?" Hartman noticed how he had thrown a glance over at Garek.
"Sir," the recruit started. "I noticed the station's XO sir."
"I bet you did Private! Hell! I bet you'd noticed if I shoved my boot up your ass right now, wouldn't you? WOULDN'T YOU?!"
"SIR, YES SIR!"
"Get on your face Private!" The private immediatly started pushups like the other one down the line. "Sergeant Stevens, take our recruits to the mess hall for some grub. Then get their asses on the course."
"Let's go maggots!" Sergeant Stevens yelled out. The group then started to jog in formation after the other Drill Instructor.
Hartman made his way over to Garek. Garek came out from underneath the welcome shade of the tree to meet the Sergeant half way. "Looks like you enjoy doing that."
Hartman gave a surreal grin, and chuckled. "It's not whether I like it or not. I do, don't get me wrong. It's necessary. We break these people down to an infantile status and then build them up. We get them to perform and act above what they ever thought they could do."
"And it definately looks like it from how this group has performed over the past few months," Garek added. "I came here today to talk to you about a little more serious matter." Garek handed him a PADD. "This one is a letter from one Private First Class Santigo. He apparently sent a request to Major Tarik asking to be transferred to a different assignment. Apparently, he hasn't received a satisfactory answer, so Captain Wallace got a request. He gave it to me to do a little research as to why he would want to be transferred out."
Hartman read over the PADD. The brim of his campaign hat hid his eyes in a shadow. "Private Santigo is a screw up Commander. I've received complaints from his squad leader and his platoon leader to his conduct."
"Screw up in what way exactly?"
"You name it. Doesn't like getting up for reveille, likes to walk on our runs, does a half assed job on the obsticle course.." Hartman paused, collecting his thoughts. He put his hands on his hips, and exhaled. "It's just everything."
"Alright," Garek replied. He put the PADD into his pant leg cargo pocket. "I don't suppose I could talk to Major Tarik."
"Yes sir. He's up on the hill." Hartman pointed through the trees to a grassy field with a hill at the end.
"Thank you Sergeant." Garek continued walking. On his way, he passed a squad of Marines laying prone, practicing their phaser firing. Another group was being lectured by another Sergeant. The last group was jogging in formation around the hill, heading towards an obstical course. Garek climbed up the hill, finding Major Tarik quietly looking over the vast field. "Major," Garek started.
"Commander. I'm surprised to see you," Tarik added before Garek could finish. "Sorry," Tarik finally said after realizing he had just cut off a superior officer. "I've just got a lot of things on my mind."
Garek gave him a pat on the shoulder as he stepped up beside him. "Yeah, I know. Rich told me all about what's going on with Kassia and Paul. I'm just here to get a status report on the Marine forces onboard."
"Well, we're not at full strength," Tarik commented dryly. "I lost a lot of good men and women on Thermopylae. The recruits and enlistees from the station and sent from Earth and what have you are in the early steps of training. They've got another twelve weeks till they're up and operational. Needless to say, not everyone here will make it out of basic."
"Understandable," Garek added. "Another part of the report is requests for supplies. Do you want me to add anything for the contingent?"
Tarik gave a small laugh. "Yeah. Order me a whole damn weapons facility! We're low on the standard Type IIIA rifles. Sidearms we're borrowing from the store of weapons on the station. We're also out of projectile sniping rifles, anti-armor weapons, and body armor among most things." He pulled a PADD out of his pant leg cargo pocket and handed it to Garek. "Here's the basic list of things after I had my quartermasters take an inventory."
Garek accepted the PADD. "I'll see what I can do about these."
"Thanks," Tarik replied.
"If there's anything else, I'll be on my way. I've got someone I have to meet up with."
Tarik grinned. "You came here first Commander. No sir, I've got nothing else needed. Thank you."
Garek smiled and nodded. "Have fun Major." Garek walked down off the hill and out of the training facility.
"It's about damned time!" Amelia Donaghy had her arms crossed infront of her chest with one of those looks on her face.
"Sorry," Garek replied. "Been really busy."
"I'll bet," she replied. She grinned and hit him in the shoulder. "That's alright. You're hear now, so I guess I can get over it."
"That's comforting to know," Garek joked. The two walked through the Mystique until they reached they galley. Amelia took a seat at one of the bar stools at the counter while Garek fired up the stove. "Next time I bet on the Sol System 400 with you, I'm not going to make such a high wager."
She grinned, resting her head in her hands. "All I know is that these chocolate chip pancakes better be as good as advertised." They both grinned.