The drilling of the new unit went smoothly; another new recruit had signed up the day before when the heavy weapons were delivered. Private Bren Maxon, a tall, wiry Betazed with a perpetually bored look on his face took to the training quite well despite having originally come from the ship's administrative section as a file clerk. This keeps up, administration's gonna start hurting for people! Johnny thought as he reflected on the fact that three of the five new recruits had been clerical personnel. Pretty soon they'll start calling the platoon "Chee's Clerks"!!! Don't want to gum up the administrative processes of Starfleet any more than they already are! I wonder if they'd take Zelansky in exchange...
The "problem child" in the unit was starting his second day of punishment detail. Zelansky was missing valuable training time, but he had been the one to make that choice as far as Johnny (and the rest of the platoon) was concerned. His absence had not hindered anyone else, that was certain!
"Good work, Maxon! Are you sure you haven't done this before?" Johnny overheard Barek praising the new recruit over successfully solving a field problem: this time a recreation of the Gorn attack on the Cestus III outpost circa stardate 3045.6. The problem was the successful placement of a photon grenade launcher needed to repel the attack as well as mounting a counterattack against the Gorn position in the hills overlooking the outpost. Maxon had efficiently located the grenade launcher near the base's administrative complex, providing for cover as well as a clear field of fire, while Nkrumah and Olivares led the two squads into the hills after Maxon's bombardment was complete.
The squads returned from the hills, leading back four Gorn prisoners who were tied up but hissing something about the Federation violating Gorn territorial integrity (which was, in fact, the case historically). The armor of three Marines was tinted bright yellow, indicating that a hit had been scored on them.
"Computer, end program!" Barek ordered. The holodeck reverted to its usual yellow-grid-on-black-walls test pattern; the armor of the casualties reverted to its normal olive-drab. "Three dead: that's a twenty percent casualty rate!!! The original battle at Cestus III was turned back by five Starfleet officers! We can do better than that! Nkrumah, what happened out there?"
"A party of Gorn had shielded itself from the photon blasts behind heavy rocks. We were ambushed as we passed the outcropping," the burly West African corporal responded.
"And the lesson learned is?" Barek asked.
"Scout ahead: use tricorders whenever possible. Do not assume that the bombardment was completely successful!"
"Very good! On Bajor we were able to kill a lot of Cardassians simply because some glinn with less experience than you've got assumed that the softening attacks worked and that the other team had done its job. Determined troops will always find a place to hide, even if they have to dig it out of the rocks themselves! At Cestus III Starfleet was lucky: the Gorn force was only about half what you saw here, and the base was able to take a few of the Gorn with them before being overrun," Barek replied.
Having James T. Kirk present didn't hurt, either, Johnny thought, forever amazed at the incredible amount of luck Starfleet's most legendary commander seemed to possess. If I didn't know better I'd swear that man had a wolf on his side!
"Olivares, your team came back unharmed, but you faced exactly the same tactical situation," Johnny prompted, addressing the tall, thin Latino who led the other squad. The program was deliberately set up that way, so that he could assess the comparative skill level of the squad leaders. "What did you do differently?"
"Sir, we phasered any rocks in our path big enough to conceal a Gorn!"
"Crude, but effective, and that's all it has to be! Just remember that phasers only hold so much charge, and you do not want to take a combat knife in against someone with a disruptor! Trust me on this one, people!" Johnny told the troops, remembering his own such experience. "In the field, the only rule we're bound to uphold is the Prime Directive. By the time we're called in, diplomacy is out the window, and you can count on the enemy, and that's exactly who our opponent is, not abiding by the Khitomer Convention or any other so-called 'rules of war'. Do what you have to do to ensure the survival of yourself and your team! That's the lesson for today! Sergeant, dismiss the platoon!"
The platoon dispersed upon hearing the order. One man was limping, but Barek caught him and sent him to Sickbay.
"What was wrong with that man?" Johnny asked.
"Private Horigawa twisted his knee up in the rocks," the sergeant replied. "Seems fairly minor; it's still able to bear weight. Nothing that can't be handled by a trip to Sickbay."
"Inform the private that his endurance is commendable, but if he is hurt he is to immediately report the fact to his squad leader. I don't want him out of commission for a week while his knee is regenerated," Johnny replied. Horigawa was one of his original command; headstrong and a little too stubborn for his own good. A lot like someone else I know, Johnny thought, reflecting upon his own youthful blunders. "Get Maxon's measurements to the quartermaster by 0800 tomorrow; I want that man in armor by day's end. He's brilliant with the heavy weapons, but he needs to get up to speed with his fieldcraft. Carry on, Sergeant!"
"Aye, sir!" Barek replied, then departed for the "quarterdeck": the name, dating back to the days of wooden ships and iron men, of that part of the ship where the Marine platoon was bunked. Johnny made a few notes on his PADD, then went to his office.
The results of the autopsy of the dead intruders were waiting on Johnny's terminal as he entered his office. He looked them over briefly.
Hmm...more than likely mammals, denser musculature, more advanced digestive tract and lungs, but the heart's in a damned vulnerable position, even with the bony casing! Probably not all that flexible through the trunk, Johnny thought to himself, assessing this potential enemy. I wonder if Wallace has anything on their weapons, he thought as he composed an inquiry to the ship's Tactical Officer who was no doubt overseeing the dismantling and examination of the alien equipment.
Johnny then sent orders to Barek, ordering him to brief the troops on the unknown attackers with specific instructions that due to their countermeasures against conventional phaser fire, only the Type 5 enhanced phaser rifle at 75% power should be used against these attackers. Better emphasize fire discipline, especially with the newbies: 75% would just about incinerate an unprotected individual, but it should cut right through that defensive beam of theirs with enough intensity to impose a heavy stun. The Type 5, originally designed for use against the Borg (but, like so many other advances, not delivered in time for that opponent), was the most powerful weapon in Starfleet's small-arms inventory. I hope that does the job! The Captain would no doubt look very dimly upon us throwing antipersonnel grenades down the ship's corridors!
Still, however, Johnny authorized five grenades apiece for Barek, Nkrumah, and Olivares. Just in case...
The day's business done, Johnny headed to Sickbay to check on Private Horigawa, only to find he had been discharged and sent back to the quarterdeck. On his way out, he bumped into Jenara Tomme.
"Fancy meeting you here!" she exclaimed, looking a little green in the face. Jenara definitely did not look well.
"Are you all right?" Johnny asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine...just a little...you know..."
Johnny knew exactly what she was referring to, but decided to cover her. "Yeah, I read the details on that autopsy. None too pleasant making them that way; never bothered to hang around long enough to cut them up afterward!" Oh, real smooth, Johnny-boy!!! At that point Johnny wanted to report to Private Zelansky and have himself thrown into the waste recycling unit!
Jenara laughed, sensing Johnny's embarrassment. "Nothing like a little humor to lighten things up!" Strangely enough, she continued laughing! At him or his inane comment, Johnny couldn't tell. "Let me get something for my stomach, then maybe we can have that meeting we discussed the day before yesterday..."
"Sounds good to me; I'm not going anywhere!" Johnny replied.