STF

CoS Office - Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting) (Tag River)

Posted March 2, 2021, 11:20 a.m. by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) (James Sinclair)

Posted by Lieutenant River Styxx (OIC Marine) in CoS Office - Saturday Night’s Alright (for Fighting) (Tag River)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) in CoS Office - Saturday Night’s Alright (for Fighting) (Tag River)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) in CoS Office - Saturday Night’s Alright (for Fighting) (Tag River)
Posted by… suppressed (22) by the Post Ghost! 👻
=/\= Delta Team to Security! Need assista- =/\= and the comms went dead.

Ensign D’lot arched an eyebrow at the comms and then tried to reestablish contact. =/\= Delat, Security control. Repeat your last. =/\= Nothing. =/\= Delta team, please respond. =/\= Nothing again.

And then all hell broke loose, comm-wise.

Mardusk was in his office when his comms dinged and Big Mike’s voice sounded over the crash of something and yells and cursing in the background. =/\= Better get your big green butt down here and help before they wreck my bar! =/\= and then that call also died off. Marduck brought up the video surveillance of the bar… and then cursed. Loudly. Tapping his comm badge as he bolted for the door he yelled =/\= All patrols report to Mike’s Place on the double! =/\= and he ran out of the room towards the turbolift. As he entered it and it began to move, he tapped his badge again.=/\= Lieutenant Styxx! Get to Mike’s Place right now before I throw your whole detachment in the damn brig! =/\=

He stepped off the turbo lift and began running towards the door of Mike’s Place.

Mardusk, CoS

River was already on the move. She had received a call from one of her marines. =^= I was just about to tell you the same thing=^= she replied her voice a low growl. As she ran she pointed to several sergeants “Get your squads down to that god awful dive bar. On the double” she barked as she reached the turbo lift. She barked her destination and the lift moved.

Just as Mardusk reached the doors River also reached them “What have your rabble done now?” she asked coldly.

Lieut Styxx (OIC Marines)

“Shut up and catch, Jarhead.” Mardusk growled and threw open the doors to the bar.

The sound of chaos spilled over them and the giant Orion rushed inside. The scene was truly impressive. Civilian and uniformed personnel were engaged in a an all out brawl. Marine uniforms were fighting red uniformed Security. Civilian clad individuals fought each other and the uniforms. Broken furniture and unconscious bodies lay strewn about the bar. Behind the bar, a large human man was shoving anyone who crossed the barrier back with extreme force.

Mardusk cursed loudly and then bellowed over the din “That’s enough, dammit!!” and then grabbed a plain clothed Bajoran and a uniformed Marine, one in each hand, picked them up off the floor and slammed them together, dazing both. He dropped them and waded into the fray yelling “That’s enough! Stand down! Knock it off, all of you!”. As he moved, he dropped more people to the deck or threw them out of his way, not caring if they were Marines, civilians, or even his own Security staff. Looking back, he yelled at River “Secure that door! Nobody gets past you!”

Mardusk, CoS

“Way ahead of you” River yelled back as she slammed the head of a security officer into the door frame knocking him out. She then dodged a punch from a marine and countered sending her crashing to the floor. River was furious what the hell had happened. Her merciless attitude flared up as she countered another attacker. Just like the Cos River had a large body pile “Where the bloody hell is our back up” she yelled before taking a punch to the face. She wiped her mouth and spat out blood, and smirked before landing several powerful punches into the civilians chest her crumpled to the floor.

Lieut Styxx (OIC Marine)

“We are the back up, you idiot!” and he lifted a Marine over his head and threw him horizontally into a group that was trying to flank River.

Finally, Mardusk had had enough. He drew his sidearm and set it for a wide beam stun. “Duck!” he shouted at River and then began firing shot after shot. Big Mike, having seen scenes like this far too often, dropped behind the bar. It took eight or ten shots, but eventually the psuedo-riot was suppressed and there were a few dozen bodies laying all around. Mardusk tucked his phaser back in it’s holster and then he looked at River. “See anyone else?”

Mardusk, CoS

Rive drew her phaser and fired millimetres from Murdask’s ear. A civilian had seen him draw his phaser and ducked and had come at him with a chair. He clattered to the floor “Just one” she said casually.

River looked around the bar and shook her head “And that is why bars like this should never exist” she said not bothering to hide her disapproving look or tone “So if we’re the only back up, are you going to be carrying this lot to sick bay? Good luck with that” she added snidely.

She then walked over to the bar stepping over the unconscious patrons and looked over to mike “one bag of Ice” she said simply.

Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC)

Big Mike looked down at the Marine and said simply “Kiss my a%%, lady. Both of you. Get your people out of here before I ban the lot. And while you two flirt with each other, I’ll have you know it was both your people’s fault it ended up like this. Now get out. Bars closed for repairs.”

Big Mike McKenzie

Mardusk was furious. He walked over to where River was standing and said simply “I’ll take mine. You get your people back to the barracks before I throw the lot in the brig. No excuses.” and he began to pick security uniforms out of the crowd. He looked back at Mike and said “We’re going, but we’ll need a little helper.” Mike scoweled but then reached down and brought up a bucket of ice water. Mardusk took it and threw the ten gallons of ice-cold water across three of his Security team. Deep breaths and cursing followed immediately, and then the saw Mardusk and immediately fell silent.

“Get all Security personnel to the armory. I want reports from each of you on what happened. No talking, no discussion, no nothing, you hear me?! Do it now.” and he walked towards the door. He stopped and looked back at River.

“My office. One hour. You’re late, I will come get you myself and drag you back by your hair. That’s an order, Lieutenant.” and he walked out.

Mardusk, CoS

“If do that to mine you should do that to yours” River said coldly as she started grabbing her marines. Once Mardusk left River turned to her marines “I should have the lot of you shot.” she growled “I want to know who started this and why. If any of you even think of protecting the person who started this, and if find out I’ll have you demoted and and transferred to the harshest most dangerous rock I can find in space” She barked.

“Now get moving” she snapped.

She the headed out “I don’t get why you’re annoyed. This cest pit you call a bar was bound to cause this kind of mayhem.” She said coldly as she grabbed a cloth and some of the ice scattered on the floor. Before putting the wrapped ice to her face “Thanks for the ice” she added as she left.

Lieut Styxx (OIC Marine)

“I’ll put it on your tab.” Mike growled after her.

Big Mike


An hour later Mardusk was in his office. He had a PaDD in front of him with the compiled reports of both on and off duty Security staff, as well as a few witness statements. What they said was fairly straight forward.

Drunk Marine being loud and belligerent. Natch. thought Mardusk. Security gets called. Drunk Marine mouths off to Security. Security overreacts and tries to show Marine who is in charge. And you morons forgot the first rule when you fight a Marine. You aren’t ever fighting one of them. Marine’s buddies jump Security detail. Off duty Security jump Marines. More Marines jump Security. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Mardusk growled low and deep and then hurled the PaDD at the wall right next to the door.

Mardusk, CoS

Not long after that exactly one hour after the bar fight the door chimed and once she was allowed in River came in holding a PaDD. She looked round the office and noted the smashed PaDD on the floor she picked it up “Not the preferred way to file reports” she said simply. She then came over to Mardusk’s desk and handed him her padd “My report on the incident. this is your copy I have one for the CO and XO.” she the paused “It appears your security forces don’t know how to handle a situation. trying to flex on a marine. I thought intelligence was a basic requiment, guess I was wrong” she added snidely taking a seat.

“The Sargent in question will be demoted tomorrow and transferred too ice outpost 17. the other marines involved are also being punished. I’ve cleaned my house now it your turn.” River said trying to hide her anger and irritation. She had told her marines not to drink, she had told them not to cause waves and yet they had. ” Although I doubt you’ll do much after all, all those threats you said about the brig and such were all directed to my marines. However if you wish I’ll deal with your officers.” she added coldly.

Lieut Styxx (OIC Marines)

Mardusk looked at River with all the malice he could muster… which was a considerable amount at the moment. “First of all… Lieutenant… I didn’t tell you to sit. So on your feet… now.” and he waited for her to stand up.

River simply stood. there was time she out ranked him but federation democracy had put a stop to that.

“Two. I would expect a Marine of all people to be able to check themselves when addressing a superior officer. So you will check your tone at the door from here on out. You understand me, Lieutenant? You speak to me like that again and I will bounce your a%% off this ship faster than you can say ‘insubordination’, copy me? Now… sit.”

He leaned back in his chair and glared at her for a moment before he said “Not that how I handle my in-house matters are any of your concern, but…” and he took breath and tried to calm himself a bit. “… here. My report to the Skipper and the XO… and to you, since you are the Marine OIC. You will see that I hold the occurrence of the incident at the feet of your drunk and disorderly Sergeant. I also go on to say that my Security patrol failed to perform their duties appropriately and escalated the situation… so both sides are at fault. Those officers are facing disciplinary charges as well as dereliction of duty because they failed to protect civilians in the vicinity. I doubt they will be in Starfleet in the next thirty days. With regards to the civilians… five are being charged with assault, seven with destruction of private property, and all are banned from drinking alcohol for the next 90 days, or until they are off of the Atlantis entirely.” and he fixed her with a stare. “That is how I cleaned my house. Oh, and there is one other set of charges that you and I should discuss.” and he slid a separate PaDD towards her.

On it was a single entry, yet to be filed in the computer:
‘Styxx, River, NMI. Lieutenant, SFMC, OIC Marine Detachment USS Atlantis. Charges:
One count - assault with intent to harm civilian personnel
One count - unauthorized possession of weapon while on board
One count - unauthorized discharge of weapon
One count - Assault of Starfleet Officer
Five counts - Assault of Subordinate
One count - Attempted assault of Superior Officer
One count - Interference of Starfleet Security Investigation
One count - Disobeying a direct order
One count - Insubordination’

Mardusk watched her read the list and then said “You have one chance to deal with me, right here and right now, or your career is over. You and I can either lay down the rules and you walk out of here with your bars intact…” and his head cocked to the side, “… or I press a button and you go to the brig with the rest of the former security detail. Your choice, Lieutenant.”

Mardusk, CoS

“Well sir. you might want to rewrite some of those charges. if you double check the computer, I filed for a permit to carry my sidearm the day I joined the ship. which was signed off. So it is authorised” River said respectfully. If Mardusk did check the system he would find what she was saying was true “In addition sir those other charges where in self defence, Or should i have just let myself be beaten up? and should I have let that civilian hit you with that chair?” she asked.

“Permits are for allowing you to possess a weapon, as in your quarters. Not for personal carry. Any requests for that have to be signed off by me… and only me, Lieutenant. So while you are allowed to own one, you don’t get to carry it around on your person. Oh, and as of ten minutes ago that permit is suspended. And yes, you should have let them hit me. Know why? YOU ARE NOT A SECURITY OFFICER!!

“As for interfering with an investigation i don’t see how that applies Sir. I followed your orders to take my marines to the barracks. if you wanted to question them, all you had to do was order me to send them to the brig instead” she said after a short pause. River wasn’t being argumentative, she was simply pointing out how she felt about the charges. Which as well within her rights to do so.

“You interfered when you came into the bar. That was an active crime scene. So the charge stands. And I don’t need to question them. That is for the formal inquiry they will be under. And as for you not seeing how that applies? That’s not within your wheelhouse, now is it, Lieutenant?” he asked pointedly.

“Despite all that I agree with you, we need to work something out. However Sir with all due respect, if you want me to check my attitude, you might have to do the same sir. We’ll both have to make compromises. but it will only work if we are both prepared to do that.” She said after a short pause keeping her tone respectfully. She wondered how much of their bad moods where attributed to the events of today and how much was just who they where. she guessed time would tell.

Lieut Styxx (OIC Marine)

“Actually, my attitude is exactly where it needs to be. You are the one with a chip on your shoulder. You are the one consistently and constantly overstepping your role on this ship. You are the one degrading my department in front of others. And you are the one that doesn’t seem to grasp how being a Marine on starship actually works. So my attitude at having a junior officer being insubordinate, arrogant, and argumentative at every opportunity is right where it should be.” and he leaned forward and crossed his arms and rested them on his desk.

“And its probably quite a bit softer than it should be. If you were one of my officers, I’d have you thrown off this ship and out of Starfleet… like I’m doing with a few right now. Instead, I’m taking this opportunity to try and talk to you. Because right now you are in a world of hurt, whether you acknowledge it or not. And I’m the only chance you have. So… drop the attitude and the arrogance for ten minutes, and maybe you don’t go to the brig… or worse.” and he leaned back and looked at River.

Mardusk, CoS

“Then what am I supposed to do sir?” River asked “If I try to stop a assault i get berated, if I try to protect a fellow officer I get told off. If I try to secure and area to keep it safe I get told off. If I try to organise some way to protect an away team I get told it’s not my job. If I mention protecting the ship you tell me that’s securities job . If there is dignitaries I’m told its securities job to protect them. I have no station on the bridge, I have no jobs to do because security is doing them all. So you tell me sir what am I here for. It seems security does everything and we do nothing. when an away team is set up you put security on it first before consulting me Sir. and if i may ask Sir if the ship got boarded what would you do first tell security or the marines? We are worse then useless they way things are at the moment” She said it truly seemed like marines where useless security did everything.

“And you’re right I don’t know what to do on a ship I have been stationed on planets my whole career. Where Marines were respected here it feels like all anyone wants to do is hate us. Like we’re some cute side show. We’re treated worse by you department then any other. Almost all of marines my marines are more then willing to lay their life down if need be. We want to help but we are blocked by security every single time. No matter the situation we are treated as lesser.” she added after a short pause.

Lieut Styxx (OIC Marine)

Mardusk listened while River vented. He had expected as much, and it wasn’t an unjustified feeling on her part. But… sometimes things simply just weren’t fair.

Taking a deep breath, Mardusk said “If the ship got boarded I would tell Security first because its our job to deal with it. Not yours. ” and he shook his head and calmed himself again.

“Look, Lieutenant. I get it… I really do. You want to be part of the ship and helping defend it and all of that, and you and your Marines aren’t. But that isn’t my doing. And that isn’t my department’s doing. Thats the way it’s set up. That is simply the way things are. You aren’t Starfleet Security. I’m not Starfleet Marine Corps. Oh, a lot of people think we are interchangeable… but the fact of the matter is we don’t even belong to the same branch of service. Your Corps is a wholly separate, autonomous service. You don’t answer to the Commanding Officer of Starfleet, you answer to the Force Marshall of the SFMC. And they answer to the Federation President… same as the Fleet Admiral does. You don’t go to the Academy, you have your own. Hell, we don’t even have the same rank structure. You feel left out of this because you really aren’t a part of it to begin with.” and he sighed heavily and sat back.

“I’m not trying to be a jerk, here. I’m not even trying to be a jerk when I tell you to back the hell off and stay in your lane. But we are not the same thing. I enforce laws and regulations… you don’t. And you are a combat specialist with heavy weapons and armor at your disposal whose purpose is to stop the enemies of the Federation at all cost… I’m not. You say your Marines are willing to lay down their lives if necessary… thats amazing, and I know it to be true. But that isn’t the point. The point is that isn’t why you are here. You are on this ship to be used when the higher ups have decided that all other options have failed and we now have a battle to take on. You fight… I police. You attack. I defend. The security and safety of this ship is my responsibility. Defeating the enemies of the entire Federation is yours.Big freakin’ difference, Lieutenant. You don’t see me throwing on body armor and grabbing a tachyon cannon and wading into full combat, do you? No. Because that’s why we have Marines.

Mardusk, CoS

River sighed and rubbed her eyes “I know Sir. I know it’s not your departments fault. It’s just we bump shoulder with your department the most so it easy tout you in our crosshairs. it feels like everyone seems so hesitant to use us. If the ships being invaded by an enemy you can’t expect us to just stand back and do nothing. Its our job to reinforce you when your security officers fall. To, if the ship is lost, to hold the line to let everyone else get off first.” she said calming down venting had helped her a lot “But those situation are very few and far between, and command still seem over reliant on you and your lot. We just want something to do. Why do you think so many marines transfer to security? there’s got to be some sort of something, we can hash out to make sure there is enough for both are departments to do.” She added hoping to figure something out. Otherwise more incidences like the one to day will keep happening.

Lieut Styxx (OIC Marine)

Mardusk looked at her for a monet and then said “I think the worst thing a Security Chief on a Starfleet ship can do, from a Marine’s perspective, is a good job. And unfortunately for you, I happen to be very good.” and he chuckled slightly. “Look, I’m not averse to you offering to assist in repelling boarders. I’ll even take you up on that should the need arise. And we can train to coordinate that if…” and then a thought occurred to him and he snapped his big green fingers and said “I got it… at least it’s something for now, that is. So in the event of us being boarded… why don’t you and the Marine detachment be responsible for evacuating the civilians? You guys train in humanitarian and evac ops, right? That would take a huge chunk of the job off of our plate and let us concentrate on the defending the ship. And I’m sure they’ll listen to you guys more than us… they see us all the time. Familiarity breeds contempt, as the humans say. What do you think? Would that be a decent step one?”

Mardusk, CoS

River nodded “It would be a start Sir.” she sad simply “And if I may offer something .you said training to coordinate something like that. But why stop there? why don’t we do more joint training excises who knows your lot might learn something as so might my marines.” she added “After all if they’re to tired from training they won’t be able to start fights.” she said a small half smile on her face.

Liwut Styxx (OIC Marines)

Mardusk nodded and said “We have to do this in very small steps, Lieutenant. And it has to be approved by both Commands. And I will be honest… I’ve had this conversation before. More than once, actually. The Brass on both sides hate the idea. Corps looks at it as a distraction from combat readiness. Fleet says if we have competent Security we don’t need Marines. The real problem is, they are both right and wrong at the same time. Personally, I like the idea of someone coming onto this ship and meeting both Security and Marines. It’d only happen once, that’s for damn sure. Word would spread quick. But… that isn’t the way they want it. Its a huge expenditure of time and personnel for an eventuality that happens so rarely… that being a Starfleet vessel being boarded by hostiles. Hell, hasn’t happened but three times since the Dominion War that we know of.”

Mardusk, CoS

River nodded “As have I sir. I’ve felt the full force of star fleet commands dislike for marines. Unfortunately being stubborn is a key attribute for both our lines of work and the brass excel at it. They need to learn we must work together or we fail” River said simply “Fortunately it seems the CO and XO don’t think ,like the higher ups. The CO seems to at least partial see the word as I do, marines are needed and the XO sees to value us. So getting them to agree should be easy, or at least I hope so.” She added “Like you said Sir small steps. Lets focus on getting it work on this ship first then when and if it does we’ll have a stronger case for the higher ups.”

Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC)

Mardusk looked at River and shook his head. “You aren’t listening. I need you to take a breath and actually listen for a second, okay? And enough with ‘Starfleet hates Marines’ propaganda. Its simply not true and the more you buy into it the harder this gets.” and he took a breath himself.

“Stubbornness may be a key attribute for your work, but its highly detrimental to mine. This is where Marines and Security differ yet again. You have the luxury of being stubborn and drawing a line in the sand and saying ‘Cross it and you pay.’ We don’t have that luxury. Our lines are defined for us, and they don’t budge… and there are an ass-load of them. The only discretion we have is whether or not to enforce that particular line at that particular time.” Mardusk reached up and rubbed his temples for a moment and then wordlessly stood up and went to the replicator, coming back with two cups of really strong coffee.

“You, as a Marine, have a very clearly defined world in which you operate. You get a mission, you get to decide how best to accomplish it, and you execute, hmmm?” and he took a sip.

“We in Security have a standing mission. And 9 times out of 10 how we respond to it has been decided for us. The core problem there is that those 9 times? Marines not only don’t have the training to respond… you also don’t have the authority. Sure, we can train you and teach you. And that is where we are going to get our panties yanked up around our throats. Because there are really only two routes we can take to have your Marines acting as supplemental Security, or even just assisting us: one is that we ask to do it to utilize an underused asset on the ship, which you are… but which your branch won’t allow because it pulls you away from combat training and diminishes force preparedness. The other is that we use you all anyway, and I and my Security team get yanked off the ship and I lose my job. Then you and your Marines get charged with a bunch of bureaucratic garbage and then you all lose your jobs.” and he paused and took another sip.

“This is what is called a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t scenario’. If we ask for permission, we get slammed for it. If we don’t, we get slammed for it. And I hear you when you say the Skipper and the XO are on board with it, and thats great. Doesn’t change the fact that it still violates like a few dozen rules and regulations from both of our groups… and they won’t hesitate to drop all of them on our heads when we break them.”

Mardusk, CoS

Bump

River sipped her coffee “I know all about that. I don’t know how much you know about me before we met. But I have seen how much they relay on the rules and what they do to people to break them, after all I was put on trial after Acheron. What they don’t understand is that sometime the rules need t bent or broken to get things done” She said simply.

“However I agree with you that this is dammed if you do dammed if you don’t scenario. So I think for now we’ll just go with evacing civilians in a dangerous scenario. At least we can do something. But when it comes to joint training surly they can’t refuse marines giving security a bit of a booster course on repealing borders, or teaching one or two advanced combat techniques right?” she asked “I mean it would only make security even better equipped to do their jobs right? After all I’m not talking about boot camo merely a booster course for those who want it” she added.

Lieut Styxx (OIC Marine)

Mardusk’s eyes twinkled and he grinned. “Oh, you think you all know how to repel boarders, do you? Maybe we should have a little contest? Marines versus Security? Holodeck. Same scenario. See who can clear the ship the quickest with the least casualties?” and he chuckled. “Loser buys the night’s drinks. I bet I can convince Mike to let us back in for a… private party? And I can sweeten the deal. If you guys win, Security does your armory maintenance for a month. You lose, you do ours. Regardless, it will give us a little cross-section exposure.” and he smiled broadly and stuck out a massive green hand. “What do you say? Is it a bet?”

Mardusk, CoS


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