Training and Testing

Gunnery Sergeant Richard Sharpe moved quickly as phaser sounds ripped around him. Pulling up a data padd, checking shot placement, eyes narrowed at the screen then his eyes moved over to a prone Marine who was rapidly send phaser fire down range. Walking quickly behind the Private, Sharpe kneeled down next to the Marine.

"What the hell are you shooting at Private?" The harsh voice was spoken in such a way that it did not carry far. The object of the question stopped firing and visibly swallowed in a nervous fashion.

"At the target Gunnery Sergeant!" The Marine shouted in the boot camp manner. Phaser still pointed down range, the young man with his cheek still held firm against the stock looked up warily at Sharpe. Who in turn grimaced looked at the data padd.

"Damn thing must be lying again." Gunnery Sharpe tossed his data padd out far in front of the Marine. "Defective equipment must be disposed of Private." Looking down meaningfully. "Destroy it." The Marine looked down range; the sounds of the other phaser rifles seemed to dim from the rising beating of his heart. Squeezing his eyes shut, taking a breath, eyes slowly opening with exhalation of the breath. Sighting in of the data padd with fixed sights. He squeezed the trigger once.

"Hmmm. guess it wasn't lying eh Fredericks?" Sharpe looked out at the still operational data padd. When he looked down at Private Fredericks, he saw the helmeted head laying against the rifle in embarrassment. Reaching down slowly he tapped the helmet and Fredericks looked up. "May I?" The Private nodded and released the weapon carefully into the possession. Sharpe switched the weapon to safety and did a quick check of it. Still in the kneeling position he quickly switched to the firing position switching off the safety while moving. Squeezing the trigger once, the beam lanced out and evaporated the data padd. "Well I guess we got rid of the incriminating evidence Fredericks." Handing back the rifle to the Private, Richard Sharpe stood up and called a cease-fire. Soon the firing stopped and the field returned to that of the inside of a holodeck.

He ended the session by getting several volunteers to assist Private Jessen Fredericks in. Marksmanship. Especially after Sharpe reminded them that one day they might be betting their lives on Fredericks fire. After the debriefing Lance Corporal Namaan walked over to him. Sheila Namaan was a fine junior NCO and had the makings of a great leader.

"Gunnery Sergeant?" Looking up at the approaching Marine, Sharpe nodded. "Won't the Major miss the data padd." The Gunnery Sergeant gave a small smile.

"No Lance Corporal he won't. It was on loan from the Fleeters. besides I already have Donahue replicating a new one." Namaan grinned conspiratorially back the Gunnery Sergeant. She was turning away from him when he called her name.

"Yes Gunnery Sergeant?" She spoke professionally.

"Get Parker and his newbies to meet me at the holodeck in an hour in full field gear. Its time to get a better measure of them as a team." The Lance Corporal nodded her affirmative. "After that I will draw up a roster to reassign them to veteran combat teams. Got it?"

"Aye, aye." Namaan turned and soon left the room. Sharpe then checked his chrono, it was time to meet with Major Phanan.

<Marine Command Section - Commanding Officer's Briefing Room>

Major Jon Phanan sat at his desk in his office. He set down a data padd he had been viewing. Running a hand through his close-cropped hair, Jon Phanan shook his head at the complaint. Setting the padd down, he stretched and looked at his chrono. The intercom chimed.

"Phanan here." The Major spoke crisply.

"Its Gunnery Sergeant Richard Sharpe to see you sir." The disembodied voice of the young Marine acting as his adjutant sounded in the room.

"Send him in Private." Major Phanan then reached forward onto his desk and tapped the intercom disengage. He mused to himself ~right on time too~ The soft whine of the door opening cause Phanan's eyes to lift to watch Gunnery Sergeant Richard Sharpe enter, walk before his desk and salute.

"Gunnery Sergeant Sharpe reporting as ordered sir." His deep voice growled professionally. Phanan returned the salute almost casually as he reached down and lifted his data padd while keeping his eyes open.

"Gunnery Sergeant, please identify this item." The Marine still at attention measurably glanced at the item in the Major's hand before answering.

"Major it's a Starfleet Marine Corp issued Mark-ten data padd, version 12 point 2." The Major's left eyebrow rose as Gunnery Sergeant finished his answer.

"Are all of our data pads accounted for Sharpe?" Phanan sat back in his chair watching the NCOIC.

"Aye sir to the best of my knowledge."

"They are Gunny." Phanan paused. "It seems that the Starfleet, or more specifically the Leviathan's crew is missing one." There wasn't even a facial tick as Gunnery Sergeant Richard Sharpe answered.

"How careless of them sir." Major Phanan's face had for a small moment a small upturn at the corners of his mouth that seemingly threatened to break into a small but he regained control while chortling on the inside.

"They however deny losing the item. Sharpe, they insist they loaned it to a Marine NCO. specifically you." Richard Sharpe seemed to take a moment in which to consider the information given him.

"Aye sir. I did requisition one from them."

"And Sharpe?" Major Phanan moved closer almost leaning on his desk to get the Gunnery Sergeant's answer.

"It was defective sir. I had it destroyed." Seeing another raised brow. "Couldn't afford to let it possibly get used again."

"How was it defective?"

"According to it, one of our Marine's couldn't hit the broadside of a barn."

"Fredericks?" Phanan again looked at his data padd. Sharpe almost solemnly nodded. "Our computer would agree with the 'defective' data padd."

"Aye sir. I disagree with the findings. Fredericks could hit the broadside of a barn. Just has a problem hitting something smaller." Phanan sat back tossing his data padd on his desk.

"I still fail to see the reason why you destroyed Starfleet property."

"Sir on its memory log was Fredericks' shooting scores. Couldn't give the Fleeters the satisfaction, Major." Phanan nodded and stood up.

"At ease Gunnery Sergeant." Tapping a console on his desk. The Private's disembodied voice spoke in the room.

"Yes sir?"

"Let the ship's engineer know that the missing data padd was defective." Major Phanan spoke with no emotion seemingly in his voice.

"Sir, I did send a replacement." Sharpe interjected in almost a whisper.

"And let him know that a replacement is on its way."

"Aye, aye sir."

"Phanan out." He again shut off the intercom. Walking from behind his desk he motioned for Sharpe to follow him. "Time to check out our new Marines, Gunnery Sergeant."

"Aye sir." Sharpe followed him out of the room.

Holodeck Combat Training Operations Room

A large viewscreen dominated the wall. On it a team of twelve Marines was deployed in a patrol offset formation.

"Who's in lead Gunny?" Major Phanan sat back hands together like a tee-pee.

"Point is Private Holomann." Richard Sharpe stood slightly behind and to the right of Major Jon Phanan.

"Okay time to check their stress management Sharpe."

"Aye sir." Physically looking up Richard called out. "Computer initiate alpha-two-one Sharpe in holodeck Three."

< Initiating. > The viewscreen blossomed forth phaser fire all around the team. Sharpe watched as the point man stood her ground returning fire. Directly behind her Private Thompson seemly chewed dirt, rolled around and started firing at a target. The rest of the team clumped together and formed a ring. Soon after minutes of yelling, Holomann and Thompson got up in a crouch and ran to the ring. Major Phanan's eyes left the screen for a moment to look at Sharpe.

"Who's shooting at them? Fredericks?" Not one of the Marines had been hit by phaser fire.

"No sir, the phaser fire is programmed to come close to hitting them but keep them unwounded." Sharpe spoke in a grim tone. "Wounding comes up in a bit after then next scenario. Computer terminate alpha-two-one Sharpe."

< Removed. > The phaser fire slackened to silence.

"Sir you might notice that they are clumped together." Major Phanan just nodded. "Computer initiate alpha-three-one Sharpe."

< Initiating. > Suddenly the wooded area around the team erupted into blossoms of explosions.

"Artillery sir."

"Not very effective to have everyone huddled near by eh?" Major Phanan remarked. The two watched as the group tried to dig in deeper.

Suddenly an explosion rocked in the centre of the circle of Marines. Soon three of the Marines got up and ran deeper into the woods. Sharpe's eyes narrowed as he watched the three Marines running. Each one ran to a different point in the woods. Then hugged the earth. Then his eyes widened as he saw two more move away. The surprise was not because of the movement but the fact that they were being directed by the team leader to move away. Major Phanan noticed it too.

"It seems that Thompson has keep his head. As well as the others. good."

"Aye sir. He has them distancing themselves to lower possible casualties as well keeping a good field of fire should the phaser fire start up again." Gunnery Sergeant Richard Sharpe looked down at the Major. "Sir, should we continue?" The Major shook his head as he spoke.

"No Sharpe, we have learned what we need to know. They'll do, lets get the transfers taken care of. Then we have some assault planning to do." Major Jon Phanan stopped but Sharpe had already gotten the message.

"Aye, Aye sir. It's the right thing to do." Sharpe's voice was grim.

"Yes it is Sergeant. But is the cost going to be worth the prize?" Major Phanan swivelled his chair so he could look directly the Gunnery Sergeant. Sharpe returned his gaze without flinching.

"It's the Marine thing to do sir." Major Phanan sat there for a moment and then nodded in agreement. Both men hated to know that the enemy would be more than likely ready for them to return. Yet the Marines never abandoned Marines if there was a chance they were still alive.

Major Phanan stood up slowly and ordered the computer and the team to terminate the exercise. He again looked at Sharpe, whose features now seemed to be chiselled in hard, cold lines. They both moved out to start the plans that might free up more bunks in the Marine Barracks section of the USS Leviathan. In spite of the possible cost, the Marines could not leave any of their number at the mercy of an enemy. Their promise to the Corp and each other of coming back with everyone possible or not at all rang through their hearts and their heads.

"Semper Fi !"