It had not been long - certainly not long enough for the dust to have settled in military circles over the whole situation which had cost both the rank and reputation of one Lunar Mariell. As stupid blunders go, this was probably the biggest one of her career. The punishment for the offense was a testament to the reinforcement of colonial military regulations. It was perhaps unjust considering but her superiors were intent on making an example and they did.
That was several weeks ago and Lunar, freshly demoted from Captain had been bouncing from position to position on temporary assignments, her reputation very much preceding her in what postings she was given which were hardly CAG or anything even remotely extraordinary. She was a black sheep, marked for one little insubordinate act but in this climate, one was clearly enough. Her service prior was obviously not weighed in the punishment which further antagonised Lunar who was frustrated that her good years of service weren’t merited.
Luckily, she had a friend in Vice Admiral Pierce’s office and Lunar was desperate to find her feet again, restart her career by doing something worthwhile and this assignment of personal security for a highly decorated colonial officer had opportunity written over it. She wasn’t going to let it slip by unchallenged. All she had to do was attend and endure a meeting with the Vice-Admiral’s Aide-De-Camp and hopefully things would be looking up.
On that day, in full dress uniform, Lunar waited outside the Aide-De-Camp’s office with butterflies in her stomach, a first considering her years of experience and the countless scrapes she had been in throughout them. Today, anxiety was her enemy, that and whatever this bureaucrat behind that door had in store. She waited, anxiously for her turn to be called.
Jilleen walked out of her office and right pass the lieutenant which she knew had been waiting outside for a while. She did not even acknowledge her presence as she continued to another office a few doors down. Lunar was going to have to wait a few more minutes when Jilleen returns.
Having watched the woman, the officer her intended meeting was with, walk out into the lobby, walk past her and down into another office, Lunar was losing those butterflies and feeling a build up of heat. She felt like she was on a blind date and was being stood up. She bit down on her lip and turned to look at one of the many pictures hanging up on the lobby.
Later, Jilleen walked back to her office with a cup of coffee in her hand, and just like before ignored the other woman. Just inside her office, she waited another minute before stepping out again. “Lieutenant Mariell come inside my office,” she ordered. Not waiting for a reply she returned inside. Jilleen shared the office with another staff officer who was out at the moment. On the walls was pictures of her, one with the Admiral, one with the President of the Colonies, another with her brother and father, one of her riding her horse, and other of her in a flight suit next to a Mark VII viper.
Lunar had demonstrated her patience while waiting outside the Aide-De-Camp’s office but when the woman returned with coffee, it only made her blood boil some more. She stopped looking at the picture on the wall as soon as her name was mentioned, ordered into the office. It was strange to not be referred to as Captain and would inevitably take some time to get used to.
Having been kept waiting long enough, Lunar pulled on her dress tunic, straightening up and then walked through the door into the lion’s den as it were. She could smell the coffee but already knew it was fresh after watching the Aide-De-Camp, Captain Simmons go and fetch it. It was awfully nice of her to stop and ask if she wanted one, really nice. Choosing not to voice that irritation, she closed the door before her and moved a little deeper into the office. “Lieutenant Mariell reporting.”
Unlike Lunar, Jilleen was in olive drab uniform which was the standard uniform for Vice Admiral Pierce while on Sagittaron. “Have a seat Lieutenant,” she motioned with her hand toward the chair in front of her desk. “Do you have something formal to go to after this meeting?” She was referring to the dress uniform Lunar wore.
As suggested, Lunar took a seat and in doing so also answered the question about her dress sense which seemed overly much. “No ma’am.” She chose not to explain her reasons for dressing like this as it would no doubt bore the conductor of this meeting. This was the most important meeting to her today.
“You won’t impress the Admiral with your medals,” said Jilleen. “He only expects results.” She then opened Lunar’s file. “It says you were fired from your last job,” she shook her head as she read on. “I would have expected more from a Gladius Cross graduate, especially one from the class before me, Lieutenant.”
Biting her tongue once more, Lunar sat there and watched the Captain read her file and seemingly disapprove of some or all aspects of it. Her dress sense was not meant to impress but she let the comment slide. The comment about expecting more, rough translation into better, added to the frustration already being masked. She looked to her right, scoffing under her breath in response, “Yeah well I was expecting a cup of coffee, guess we can’t always get what we want.” Lunar returned her sight back to the Captain and she spoke clearly this time so the Captain could hear. “My record prior to that incident [i]Captain[/i], is spotless. My demotion was unfair.”
“Was it?” She looked at Lunar doubtful of her excuse. “I don’t know about that. Maybe you want to explain?”
“It is in my file.” Lunar stated as if not wanting to go over the same ground again. She had accepted her demotion even if it was unjust. Today was about her application to safeguard the Vice Admiral.
“Like they say, life is not fair,” Jilleen closed the file and then set it aside. “Lucky for you Pierce has a soft side, and allows those with flawed records to redeem themselves, but one mistake and you will find yourself posted on a remote swamp base in the Dulles sector fighting off swarms of blood sucking mosquitoes. Is that clear?”
“Perfectly.” Lunar opted not to be a total annoyance and decided to accept the rules laid out in a rather informal but forceful manner. She would have a position of distinction somewhat again but that didn’t mean her black mark was in the past, no it didn’t. She would have to work hard to earn the position and the respect back. Hopefully it would not take too long.
“I wanted this meeting since we will be working together. You will still report to Commander Belzen, our Chief of Staff, but I manage the Admiral’s affairs and schedule. He is constantly on the move. He likes to visit with the troops in the field as much as possible. So don’t be surprised if at short notice he boards a raptor to visit a post on the far-side of the planet.
“He likes to travel light, so that means no heavy security contingent. In the field he carries a side-arm and expects his officers to do the same. There are still factions out there who don’t agree with the accords. So anything could happen.” Jilleen grabbed her cup of coffee. “Do you have any questions?”
Without meaning to express her ignorance, Lunar leaned forward in the chair she was seated in and address Captain Simmons, Jill. “So my job is to safeguard the Admiral? Is Commander Belzen in charge of the security force?” It was always good to get to know what the chain of command was so she didn’t frak it up.
“It’s your job to see to it that remains protected. Major Merrit is in command of the Headquarters Marine Guard. You will coordinate with him for Marine support. You just make sure that protection is in place no matter where the Admiral goes, if that is here or visiting Ministry of Defense on Caprica. I will give you his schedule.”
“Understood.” There was only one way to take this opportunity at redemption and that was seriously. If she took it half-heartily then she would end up worst of than she was now. Lunar leaned back in her chair. She would do her best, she always gave her best for the service which meant this demotion was a blow but one of her own making. “Anything else?”
Jilleen sipped her coffee first. “I’m going to be watching you. I don’t know who you got to pull strings for you, but I don’t think you belong here. Fraking superior officers around here is not going to get you far. It’s not the Academy.” Jilleen knew her reputation at Gladius Cross.
Lunar’s relief was short lived as the Captain, a superior officer made comments which made her more than a little angry. She remained seated but really wanted to be more vocal and get up. “I got to my rank of Captain and CAG because of devoted service not because I frakked the hell out of some superior.” Feeling like she was expected to fall, Lunar leaned forward, “I don’t need some bureaucrat watching over my shoulder. I’m here to protect the Admiral, that is my job. I’ll do my job, as I have always done.”
Jilleen glared at her and was not backing down. “Do you see me making you fill out paperwork? No, because I’m not a bureaucrat. It’s my job to make sure the Admiral is not embarrassed. So this means I won’t let you embarrass the Admiral or this staff, because you can’t keep your legs closed.”
Getting to her feet rather abruptly, the chair falling over, Lunar glared equally back at the Captain as if trying to burn holes through her. ‘You keep talking like that then you’ll be working from an infirmary bed.’ That was what she wanted to say but it would kind of prove Jill’s point. Instead, she knocked over the chair and held the gaze for a long moment. “Is that all?”
Jilleen could obviously see she got to her. She remained seated. “Not yet. Pick up the damn chair and sit back down.”
“And if I don’t?” As her blood had boiled over from before, Lunar was not acting like a hothead, annoyed about the comments over her mistake. She however knew not to test the whole theory of walking on thin ice and therefore obliged reluctantly on picking up the chair but not sitting on it.
“Then prepare to buy gallons of mosquito repellent,” she was smug. After Lunar picked up the chair, Jilleen pointed at it and insisted again. “Sit.”
Lunar gritted her teeth together as she witnessed the smugness of superiority, a further punishment that perhaps made this position less appealing right there and now. She wanted to wipe that smug expression clear of the Captain’s face but alas, her better judgment prevailed as she took a seat back down.
“I don’t care what you think of me. As I am concern, after a demotion your career is done with . Not many people can recover from that, fair or unfair. I am not here to lecture you about your affairs. I can not emphasis this enough, Don’t embarrass the Admiral.” If Lunar knew Jilleen was having an extra-martial affair with a junior officer, she would know that the captain was a hypocrite. The scandal would bring embarrassment.
“My job is to keep him safe, your job is his image. I’ll do my part, you do yours, sounds fair to me.” Lunar shrugged feeling like she had hit the problem right on the nose with a solution. She did not intend to repeat the mistake, nor did she intend to bring embarrassment at all to the Admiral.
“Good, then we have an understanding,” she smiled. ‘Now to get on with work.” She reached into a file basket and pulled out a folder, then handed Lunar a sheet of paper. “This is the Admiral’s schedule for the next two days, subject to change. Look it over.”
Lunar took the piece of paper, the schedule into her hand and took a brief scan of it then while listening to the Captain explain what it was. She nodded, “I’ll do that.” Her memory was good, she would quickly learn this schedule and be ready for what may. She sighed slightly knowing there must be something else.
“After each morning briefing, it may not be the case everyday but expect me to have amendments regarding the Admiral’s schedule for the day. In return I expect you will be proactive, you will inform me of any security concern you may have regarding his schedule or changes in security personnel.” Jilleen paused for a second to warm her hands around her coffee cup. “That is it for now.”
Finally, Lunar got to her feet this time without knocking over furnishings and nodded to the Captain. All she wanted to do was retire from this office and beat the living hell out a punch bag, work her anger out, those tight knots. She said nothing about the whole expectations as she knew what her job was and how best to approach it. “I’ll get to work.” Lunar knew she had to get changed seeing how the earlier comment from Jill suggested and she saw it now, that she was overdressed somewhat.