Change your thinking

Posted on Sun Mar 29th, 2020 @ 1:42am by Second Mate Quinton Beck & Second Mate Simon Starr

3,759 words; about a 19 minute read

Mission: The Proving Ground
Timeline: MD 1

-Start-

{Ranger armory}

Kas sent a message to all of the people on the list, they had been given the broad strokes, but all she said to them was,

=0= Class in 15, all call in ten.

Starr heard the response over the comms. Everything was ready, and he put his own phaser in his holster. He lived by the 20th and 21st century scout motto - be prepared. He then headed to the makeshift holodeck that had been created for the training sessions he had set up.

He looked around the place. It had everything he needed for the training. Everything had been thought of, and though Starr didn't show it openly, he was happy with it. Keeping a straight face, he looked around the room and nodded. "This will do" he said flatly to himself.

{First Class}

Kas had cleared her schedule for the day as a trainer, her arrival signaled the first class was in just a few minutes. The makeshift holodeck would make for an interesting hybrid of fundamentals training and high tech simulations. The Armory had an embedded hard-plate in the hull serving as a range for weapons training, clearing some of the unnecessary consoles for advanced weapons systems had turned it into a larger space, fit for this purpose. It couldn't create Shakespearean folklore, or simulate a ship design in combat, but it was able to handle weapons, fighting, and she knew... knew it would be used to plan heists. Weapons on hand, simulations at the command, it would work as a well as any holodeck.

"Judah, can you pop in?"

He did so, too close for comfort. The sudden pop alarmed her senses, a red rash feeling across her antennae she got in dangerous situations.

"Damn it!" She found it funny, regretting her tone, luckily he knew. She wouldn't go so far as to admit he did it on purpose.

Judah asked, "When do we start? Avor fine tuned with me, so he should be out of sickbay soon, only a hairline fracture. I'm all ready."

Kas found herself wondering how the males of any species got a thing done, much less stay alive.

"I'll ignore that for now, We need to-"

The doors opened, the first group arriving together. Captain Beck amongst a few others filed in. The captain had just been chatting with them, and their spirits were high.

Kas called them into order, she was the drill sergeant here, and Simon surveyed the group as their leader.

Quinton was now pretending to stay busy on his padd, while tapping commands into a text file communicating with Rowland about the plunder in the vaults he was discovering. It was simply terrific to be out of the Starbase, the surprises in store for them were gnawing a hole in his brain to be found out. It also served to keep a distance from the crew, a necessary move to make sure everyone knew he wasn't the one to look to right now.

Vicente still came right next to him, reminiscent of a shy child clutching at his fathers hip. He followed the captain, who had been ignoring him, and turned to Richard Sinclair, one of Starr's deputies, "Why do we have to do these things, I mean, it's fun shooting guns, but what good does it do if we get taken by raiding party?" he whispered next to Noxley, who also stood next to him and took notice.

"Well, first off, I guess the chief wants to make sure everyone is ready for anything. If we're boarded - he needs to know we can defend ourselves, I guess." Noxley replied, with excitement in his voice, at the chance to finally see the chief in some action. Even if it was simulated - he wanted to do some hand-to-hand combat with the chief, and he felt this may be a good time to do it.

Vicente was not so happy with the training "...surely we should be completing our mission, I'm not worrying about it because I'm not security, I'd be fixing stuff, putting out fires," and Starr picked up on the conversation.

"So Escudero, you feel you don't need the training?" Starr asked, bluntly. "You feel that if a Cardassian boarded the ship and tried to steal our cargo, you would be ready? You feel if we're attacked by Klingon pirates, you will be able to outmatch them in their combat skills?" he said, with a tone of rhetoric behind each question.

The Klingon threat was classified, Starr dared to dangle it anyway to remind him how real this threat was. Vicente had been in plenty of scrapes, trained with his crewmates, fought in real fights. He wasn't a pushover, then or now. Youth makes for an energetic fool leaping into the trap.

Vicente was eager to prove that he didn't need this, "Sure, I mean, it's not that difficult," he said. Watching the other people come into the room around them. Starr smiled. Now facing off, Vicente was still not comprehending the moment.

"Lesson One," and without warning, Starr aimed a sweeping kick at Vicente's lower shin, causing his knees to buckle and his balance being thrown. He managed to catch himself before his face hit the floor. He only barely held his tongue and didnt yell out, "Hey!" in surprise.

"Be prepared, at all times. Surprise can be tough. The second lesson, don't undervalue training. You can be a master in any martial arts, but even they still train regularly - you think they stop?" Starr replied.

Noxley and one of the Marine sergeant gave a small snigger as Vicente went down. He picked himself up and brushed down his uniform before Starr spoke again. His tone the same as always - and it always gave the feeling of someone who you don't want to mess with. "I don't want anyone ending up in sickbay from this training, and that is not the intention."

Jade knew all too well the trick the chief had just pulled. Something that her own tutor in her kung fu lessons had pulled on those students who thought they knew everything. She stood and watched and could tell based on the style that Starr was using Mok'bara - a Klingon martial art.

She had respect for the other martial arts, and knew that the style the chief was using was one of the most effective combat styles from a race known for it's melee combat skills. An effective choice, for someone in his position. She noted his stance, how he used it to control his own center of gravity, and could tell that he had been training in this for a long time. Starfleet even adopted it as part of their martial training, along with some others. She could see that in the chief, but his most effective style, albeit out of control could be highly dangerous, was almost an art style as she watched Vicente get knocked down on his knees in front of the chief.

Quinton smirked, winking at Vicente in silent support. Kid was tough, but Simon was way tougher. Gauging this was an important skill in life.

Bunny got some reassurance out of this comment from the Chief, but still felt very out of place among the rest of the group. She wasn't one who would be willing to hurt someone, but knew at times being able to defend yourself was a necessary part of the job. She turned to listen to Starr and study what he had to show them.

At which point, Vicente looked up at the chief with an annoyance in his eyes. He felt embarrassed, ashamed, and angry. Simon offered a hand to get up, and Vicente took it. Starr had been training in martial arts for many years. And he knew a stubborn child when he saw one. Starr knew that initial lesson may not have taught him in the way he intended, so as he helped Vicente to his feet, he predicted that the next move Vicente would make would be one to try and make himself look good.

Starr had dealt with 'showoffs' before. This was probably not the last time he would have to. As Vicente came in with a well-aimed punch to the gut with his off hand, Simon released the grip on Vicente's hand just in time that the punch came less than an inch away from his stomach, once again making Vicente fall to the ground.

"And don't try to attack someone that has trained for a long time, or you'll spend more time on the floor than you do on your feet," Starr added, directed at everybody.

Kas barked, "Escudero, back in line. Lose your temper again and we'll talk hear me?" Inwardly Kas was mortified, Vicente was like family and his behavior was appalling.

With that, Simon begun the first part of the training. His intention was to see what skills people already had, and what level he was working with. He started by going through various warmups that he uses every day before his shift starts, before moving on to the hand-to-hand training. "Everyone pair up, using whatever skills you already know, the objective is to get your partner to the ground. I'll be observing this time," he said, knowing that Noxley still wanted an opportunity.

"But let's see what everybody already has before moving on to new things," he replied. He had every intention of using Noxley as the demonstration dummy, as he knew he had some skills, but thought he would let him wait for a little while before putting him through that ordeal.

Sergeant Oloon looked at Quinton Beck in dismay, "Are we really to fight sir?"

Beck struck a fools pose, intentionally gas-lighting Oloon. Beck knew he could survive most fights and situations, but winning was a different matter. If he wanted to win... there was no limit, no stopping, no way he would be just hand to hand. This was a game, and he could never see it as anything else.

Oloon threw a casual punch just to test the waters, it landed on Beck square in the jaw. He didn't flinch, it was like hitting a wooden wall. Suitably impressed Oloon tried again, and Quinton made a simple block on his forearm.

"I can make you unit commander. Make me look good." A wink and slight chuckle masked the joking and whispered bribe. In a moment, Oloon set himself up for a toss, and felt the gracious Quinton Beck toss him through the air. No sooner did he land then Quintons badge chirped.

=0= Captain Beck, meet me in Vaults 2 please.

Kas shook her head in disbelief, Quinton returned the look with a sinners grin.

"Duty Calls, great job everyone, be sure to drill hard!"

Simon looked at the captain and nodded. He was pretty confident in the captain's abilities but knew that even the professionals could get rusty. "Good form, captain. And well, we'll see you in the next training sessions," he said simply. He had seen the captain's form during the combat drills and had to admit - he was pretty impressive.

Starr made sure not to show that, however, and said "you won't get out of them this easily all of the time."

Quinton knew his plans to avoid working out would exceed Starr's methods for forcing him to. At least he looked forward to the challenge.

***Next Group***

Bas was the first to arrive at the second session that the new Chief of Security was running for training and drills. With her experiences, she had learned the importance of never getting complacent. She had spent so long on the run that being able to defend herself almost become second nature. "So, what's next?" Bas asked.

"We will wait for the rest of the group," Starr said calmly, checking the time. There were still another few minutes, giving him enough time to reset the area for the next group. "We'll be starting on time," Starr added plainly.

A few moments later, Othor arrived. "So, the new chief is already getting himself busy," he said with a smile. Simon was issuing orders and in the heat of the moment, his gaze looked over the room to land on his dear friend. Kas was treating a nasty gash on her forehead.

His quizzical look prompted her to supply an answer, "Jade Ling can move faster than anyone I've ever seen. She got me dead to rights."

Othor beamed, Jade had been having a rough time incorporating into the crew lately. Belting Kas would giver her a credibility to the others who had imagined doing so in their safe imaginations.

"It would be beneficial if everybody is ready for anything, so we'll be doing target practice and some standard drills today," Starr said to the two that had already arrived, just before he started, however, one of the Marines that were also assigned to the ship attended. Looking bored he entered "Let's get this over with, shall we?" he asked directly.

Starr looked over and bluntly replied "So, do you want to provide the security training, Marine? In the event that the captain is captured, what is the procedure?" Starr asked back.

"To make sure that he is recovered..." the marine replied "If this were Starfleet..." the marine gets interrupted by Starr at this point

"If this were Starfleet the captain would remain on the ship, in any dangerous situation," he said, quoting the Federation rules to the marine. Starr didn't know if that was a test on his part, but he didn't let it get in his way.

"Well we sure as hell aren't shooting our way out, so what is this then?"

Kas supplied a answer, "Our mandate is to preserve life, not cargo. We would negotiate, find a way that doesnt require military action. You will listen, and understand when to be passive if it serves our crew. Giving your life, is not part of this job, saving lives is." She glanced back to Simon.

"We all know this ship isn't made to withstand heavy attack, but she's quick. Those that are smart will probably target our engines first knowing that, making it harder for us to get away if they are clever. It's what I would do if this was a pirate ship, personally. So, we need to be prepared," Starr began when he started the training, "Pair up, we'll begin with some warm-ups and hand to hand combat," he said, as he began the second training session that he had scheduled for the day.

After the group had warmed up, done the basic drills for hand to hand, Starr called out for everybody's attention. "Okay good," he said as he had been watching the crew's form during the warm-up. "I think we're ready to begin properly now."

He had everyones attention, "I'm going to split you into two teams. Bas, Toriza and the sergeant will make one team. Jeffrey, Othor and Avor will make the other," Starr said, pairing them off to make their teams more diverse for the situation he had planned for them.

"You will need to think both offensively and defensively to be successful on this exercise, and teamwork will be key. Judah, start-up Starr Charlie Foxtrot Alpha One," he said.

Two holographic copies of what looked to be some basic humanoid shape appeared on opposite sides of the holodeck. Starr directed the two teams to their marks and told them "right now, imagine that your holographic projection is Captain Beck" he said,

"Your job is to capture the other team's captain alive and return him to your base, and stop your captain being taken to the other team's base," as he said that, the gym was replaced with an open space with various obstacles to pass, including a section that replicated a hull breach, and also part of the programme which is meant to simulate a zero-g environment. There were flaws, and it had plenty of optical failures, but for their purposes it worked great.

He didn't want to make this too simple. Starr's voice came into the holodeck over the comms and "Both teams are now in their respective positions. Good luck, and may the best team win. Judah, begin programme," he said. The two groups had plenty of doors and locations to hide between each other before they would reach the other team, and each room may have had a special surprise for the teams.

Bas looked at Toriza before deciding her next move, the tall Orion looked bored, but was in the middle of talking to her marines. She needed any trick she could pick up, her interactions with Toriza had been passing at best so far. This was a chance to get an Orion matriarch on her side, and maybe have some kind of hope of losing her shadow.

"Toriza?" Bas regretted how timid she spoke, Toriza hadn't even acknowledged her with the squeaky voice she used.

Toriza made plans with the five marines in her team, leaving Bas out. That wasn't the point of this, it was supposed to offer training to anyone who wanted it. She usually controlled her anger, but this case called for it.

"Toriza, I need to be involved in this or it is an exercise in redundancy. How can I help?"

Toriza now saw Bas standing in clearly aggressive and energized posture. She actually was ready to fight, it surprised her and challenged the worldview Toriza had with Humans.

Her thick accent was beautiful, but thankfully the translator took over. "We have two men to guard, one to harry, one to advance, and I could use someone to cover me, are you volunteering?"

Bas swallowed hard, she needed this. One day she would fight for real and wanted to be ready.

<>
Jeffrey analyzed the situation he had been placed in. He looked to Othor and saw the look of determination in his face.

Jeffrey got the attention of his two teammates on the drill. "So, we've got two options. The other team will do one of two things - they will either send one person after the captain, anticipating we left him undefended to pay attention to their own captain.

The second possibility is the opposite, they will send two people and leave their best defender at the target. In that event, if we only send one - it also has to be our best chance at fighting them. So, what are you best trained for?" he asked the Othor and Avor.

"I'll be honest," answered Othor "I'm not really trained for these sorts of... scenarios," nervously. "This new chief is... not Talloc. I don't know whether that's good or bad though" he said, simply. "Time will tell,"

Having come from Andoria - these sorts of games were nothing compared to the Ushaan. It still got the adrenaline pumping around her body, building up excitement. "Hey, security boy - that's the thing - we've got two good fighters. This is no harder than walking through the snow back home compared to the Ushaan," she answered. "I say we send the security boy or me to take the captain, and leave the other here so Othor can play a more... support role."

"Every role is valuable, Othor - a ship is nothing without its whole crew," Radhe replied reassuringly, trying to give him moral support. He thought about it for a moment, and said: "well, you're the steward aboard the ship, what sort of jobs does that entail?"

"Nothing combat related, that's for sure" Othor replied. "I just take stock of things that come in, and get things where they're meant to be," he added. His wartime experience was not combat related, he had known some conflicts but never as a soldier.

"Well, forgive me for the analogy, but imagine that the captain is your... cargo. You have to get this cargo somewhere safely but through dangerous territory. So, protect the captain - using resources your familiar with - survey the situation, see how the environment may help you," he said. He looked in the direction of a holographic console along the route which goes through a ship's corridor. "Look at those consoles there - with your sort of access to the ship, you would be able to command the door to lock, and do something to the console that would make it harder for them to reach the access point," looking down the corridor, the group was unable to see the other team.

Starr hadn't made this straightforward. As the two teams were on the other side of the holodeck, Starr keyed in to set up the beginning of the scenario. They were in almost identical rooms - empty with an open door that currently had a force field over the areas where the teams were - looking down the corridor, there were multiple routes and neither team would be able to see the other.

"The corridors represent deck 7. You are starting at an equal distance away from Sickbay in two different locations. You do not know where the other team are to start. Your job is to get your "Captain" to Sickbay before the other team and hold it long enough for your "Captain" to receive treatment for a broken leg that was injured.

Chatter and questions proved to be turning into arguments and bickering. So Starr simply spoke over them, Kas barked down anyone who dared to speak while he spoke and they were all silent shortly. Finally both teams settled, a plan in place. It didn't matter what they planned, it was important that they made a plan, and followed it through. Imagination is a tool for the brain to simulate reality, this was giving them the tools to build the set.

"I'm in agreement with Avor. Now we decide who would be better defending or going on the offensive. The ship is aware of our presence so will be doing patrols, finding locations that are not so secure might help, and if we can manipulate those force fields, then we should be able to get the Captain to the sickbay before them," Radhe concluded his thoughts of strategy.

"Are there any questions?" Starr asked before beginning the exercise.

Avor raised his hand, "Who is buying drinks?"

Starr looked over to Avor and replied very dryly "the losers," to the question.

"Now let's get started. Judah, start exercise" he said and the forcefields instantly dropped.

-End-

Simon Starr

Quinton Beck

 

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