Being at the back of the runners Justin heard what the LC was telling Estes; prompting him to recall his own part in that action. Grimacing at the memory Justin clenched his Fists into tight balls as his stomach tightened.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:10, Sat 23 Dec 2023.

John smiled at Nichole giving her a nod ''Nice to meet you" he looked over at Roy ''What's his problem?"

Heads over to where Sam is

<flex slightly>

Nikkis head was about to disappear out the tunnel "He's mad that he..." she pointed at Estes "told Nugest...." he pointed at the large ape folk sergeant "that he could not run.  The SM had no problem with him running so it's about countering his orders" all he could see is Nikkis hand flitting about.  "Comm'on..I'll get Haley and meet you on the RecDec and get you one of the best burgers this side of Earth.  bet you're starving."


<end flex>
This message was last edited by the player at 03:49, Sat 23 Dec 2023.

 Sam saw Jason and waved him over, she looked for Zib as well, she watched him run she didnt think he would leave, no he wouldt do that. Sam then said to Jason," Ok once all the runners are done we pack up everything them we run I will record on my coms." Sam will watch and wait for everyone to get done running.

  The largs  Finsihed...  they  gobbled up  water   along  with Mila ,Boris and the Pups.. Gregor  seemed to have  'self appointed himself; to stand guard over the Pups.

  Disna  picked Up Thor.. Puskie  got  Rae.. and Boris climbed onto  Roll's back.. some of the Pilots  and troopers grabbed the water  dishes, while  others   gathers  up the ice chests..  Sneak and  Dana  were  running, they were about Half  way down the  port side Jax  was waiting along  with the rest of the  Young Guns

   Nugest was  happy...Unless the SM needs you, Nugest. Go ahead to the rec dec.

 Estes  was hunched over  ,breathiung in ragged breaths..his  legs  shook. Shadow looked at  Roy,You know, SM?   'bout  6 years  ago   there  were about  2  dozen pilots on this boat... 20 of them looked like this  after  a run... but you know what?  they would take it  up themselves  to run..so they would be  ready for this...and be ready if they  POD out  dirtside?  Now? I'm just a pilot..right?.. But should a  ground pounder look  like this?

I've seen a few ground pounders who'd been shot that looked like that. Justin prompted.

"I looked like that the first time I did a tunnel run," said Henry.

"I still detest running. But I do it anyway. Just to keep up with you lot."

Jason waits with sam

Justin shuffled across the end line grabbed a water and flopped against the bulkhead gulping down the water.

John's face lit up with at the request surprised at the offer ''I would love to join you'' he walked to one of the nearby exits waving Nichole goodbye to prepare himself.

Roy looked lightly winded, but ready and capable to keep on going.  "One of our jobs is to go get the downed pilots so they don't have to run as far.  Hell, I've had to throw pilots over my shoulder and start running back with them because they'd run so far that they were out of steam and the enemy was still closing."  He focused on Estes.

"One of the reasons troopers volunteer for these runs is because they want to be better at that job.  One of the reasons I give priority to those troopers when it comes to combat assignments is I can see who's got the heart to keep going.  When you're out in the field, there's no finish line, no "I need to run just this far and then I'm safe."  If the battle's gone badly, that three mile run you thought you were starting can turn into a ten-miler in a matter of minutes.  If you can barely drag yourself around unobstructed tunnels with no hostile fire, how the hell is anyone supposed to have faith that you're going to be able to get yourself out of a hot fire zone, much less get anyone on your team who might be wounded out?"  He shook his head.  He was speaking in controlled, measured tones...this was not the bark of the drill instructor, this was a senior NCO trying to teach a new officer how to not get himself and his command killed the first time they were in the thick of things.

"This is why the chain of command around here isn't the cut-and-dried, by-the-book structure.  People who prove they are good leaders get put in charge, and they stay in charge by staying just a little more capable than the extremely capable people put under their command.  Captain Si, and especially Admiral Hack, don't care what costume jewelry is on your collar tab.  Rivets could be a corporal and he'd still be in charge of the Hangar Deck, because he is damned good at his job and he would climb out on the hull in an antique spacesuit and try and push the Hermes if that's what it took to keep things moving.  All of his people know that.  They know that he knows at least the basics of how to do all their jobs, and he'll do everything he can to make sure that job gets done correctly, well, and on time."

His voice hardened slightly, as he continued, "Those kinds of leaders don't tell anyone they CAN'T do something unless there's a damned solid reason for it.  I've told people they can't run because Stefi told them they needed the time to let dermafoam set up, or because they'd jacked up a knee and were supposed to stay on light duty for a few days.  NEVER because I thought "they might hurt someone".  My people are too proficient for that, and anyone who did get injured in a situation like that would only do so because they didn't have their head on straight."

His voice eased slightly.  "You want people to take you and your people seriously, Lieutenant Estes?  Stop focusing on what you think people can't or shouldn't do, and focus on what you and your people have the potential to do, both on their own and as part of the overall team.  THAT is when people start respecting you and taking you seriously.  Until then?  You're just a cardboard cutout that someone pinned a bar on."

He looked over at Shadow.  "You should head for the Rec Dec.  There's people who want to see you up there...some who need to see you up there, to better understand what you do around here.  The lieutenant and I have a few more laps to do...if I feel like he's putting in an honest effort, he won't have to give me all four he owes me for letting Nugest beat him so badly tonight, he can pay it off over time.  But he owes me four more laps."

 Shadow Nodded to   Roy,he understood, , but le did lean close to Estes  and Hiss a very dark whisper...The Hermes  has been called, The Tip of The Spear.... The  men and women  and aliens  who  sial aboard her  are suppsoe to be the best...That clearly has changed...but  I'll leave you with this   thought...If I ever  hear you discourage some one  from the Tunnel run, or other PT tests..You'll  walk back to Everest..

 Shadow nodded to Roy  and left. Dana  and sneak finished at that time and waved to Roy as they followed  after  Shadow

Estes looked at Roy...The  LC is  unhinged, You know that right.. he threatened  me right here in front of you..I could have that oak clster  off his collar with one COM to the Provosts

Roy shook his head.  "It's like talking to a stone wall," he said aloud to himself, but loud enough that Estes could hear.

"You know why he's an LC?  Because he is REALLY DAMNED GOOD at making dead enemies.  Even when they're wearing our uniforms.  He threatened you because you are compromising the effectiveness of our fighting force...and past experience has led him to believe that anyone who does that is very likely EDT or collaborating with EDT."

He paused, and held up a finger for each point as he began to count them off.  "When you came aboard, you directly challenged and have continued to subtly attempt to undermine the stability of the chain of command.  You have encouraged your own troops to do their own thing, rather than get in step with the rest of the Hermes.  You even told one of our best heavy gunners that he was not allowed to participate in exercises intended to improve his mobility and stamina.  Right now, you sound like a damned good candidate for an infiltrator, so yes, he's threatening you.  Or, rather, promising you that if you continue to provide evidence for that hypothesis, he's going to take action."  He lowered his hand, and stepped up to Estes, his voice dropping to a dangerous hiss.

"And if you think he's dangerous in a cockpit, you only know half the story.  I would rather try and wrestle Nugest than go head-to-head against Shadow.  The only reason I know he only suspects that you MIGHT be an infiltrator is because you're still alive."  He shrugged.

"And who are you going to get to take his clusters?  General Bale?  He's more likely to charge you with insubordination than he is to take action against Shadow...not because he's afraid of Shadow, but because he's out here to win the damned war, and right now, Shadow's doing a helluva lot to contribute to that cause, while you're constantly digging in your heels and trying to slow things down and cock things up."

He shrugged and stepped back.  "So, I'll make this as plain and simple as I can for you.  You've got three options here.  You can request a transfer to the Delta Colonies, and continue being a jack-off excuse for an officer where you can't do much harm.  You can stay here and continue to build up the heaping serving of suspicious behaviors you've been displaying until either Shadow OR MYSELF decide that it's finally enough evidence to act on, and then you'll be a frozen slab of DNA floating in space for an indeterminate amount of time...and if you're lucky, you'll be dead before you go through the screens and into The Black.  OR, you can get your shit together, square yourself away and get in fucking step with the rest of the Hermes, because if you ain't marching with us, we're gonna stomp your ass into the mud beneath our boots."

He gestured down the tunnel.  "And just to give you a little time to think about those options, we're going to do another one of those four laps.  Get your ass in gear, LT!  Let's go!!!"

Henry gathered up the largs and marshalled them into some semblance of order.

"Right, you lot. Up to the Rec Dec and a bit of a feast after all your running. Are you OK with Boris, Roll, or shall I take him? Mila, you're on point."

-> Rec Dec

 Roll   looks sheepish at  Henry...I can take him...but he is kinda  heavy...um..maybe you should take him so i don't fal down the  stairs  and hurt him?

It  was plaint to see Roll would  take  him, even if he  went down the  gangway  backwards.

.....................

Estes  looked at  Roy  with a bit of apprehension...but he moved out heading  and  began to   jog. we never  did things like this  on Everest.

 It was more or less  quite, with  Jason, Sam and Zob the only ones left..some of the SEC  troopers  carrier beth and Sams  tables and gear down.

Henry was happy to take Boris, half-asleep after trying to run.

"We need to rig a backpack carrier for him. When he's sleepy he doesn't hang on well."

yotolia sat there on the floor with her legs crossed and hands buried in the middle as she watched the goings on and listened to everything the sm was saying. hoping she would never get on this side of him.

She decided to wait for others to leave or to be invited, other than that she was quite comfortable where she sat.

Angela walked over and slid down beside Justin after patting his shoulder. "good job on the run there." She said with some encouragement. "It's been a while."

In reply to Angela Morsan (msg # 508):

You too Justin replied giving the back of Angela's hand a pat.

Jug tapped Yotolias shoulder "You hungry?.  Gava are joining others on RecDec.  Food, drink, lots of company there.  Meet other shipmates" Jug grinned and waved for her to join them.  she had the Gava who came in last take extra gear to the Gavas quarters.


===> RecDec

As they moved into the run, Roy nodded his head.  "That's because Everest was never a combat command.  They have the luxury of bureaucracy and playing politics...that bullshit gets you dead out on a battlefield.  You're at the Tip of the Spear, now...don't know if you ever had to take care of ancient styles of weapons, but with a spearhead, any flaw that impedes the effectiveness of the spear either gets hammered out or ground off.  If you leave it there, the spearhead breaks at that point."  He took another few running strides, alongside Estes, before adding, "This is were we find out if you react to hammering and become an effective part of the spearhead, or if we have to grind you off to maintain the overall integrity.  And while it sounds like there's no choice there for you, the choice is ONLY there for you...none of us can choose for you."

He went quiet for a few more strides, then said, "What you don't get to choose is the consequences.  We can't make your choice, but you can't choose one without the consequences of that choice following on its heels.  We know the consequences...we've seen them, too often...people who chose to fight for the EDT, people who chose to stand by and do nothing while the Empire infested the space around them, people who had no love for the Empire but couldn't get with the damned program, people who put their personal issues and pride over the war.  We're trying to steer you to choices with consequences you won't regret later on in life...but you have to make the choice."

Yotolia's ears perked a bit hearing jug and hopped right up to follow her and the rest of the Gava out of the tunnels

>>REC DEC

 Mearo smiled at Tarja and said," Sounds good, we will talk more later, I need to go shower change and check on someone. Actually let someone know I am ok after the Paradise attack."

---->>>>> To Non-Com Quarters.

 After the final lap NA-CE looked at the SM and asked," SM would you like me to stick around just in case?"