Just Rewards - Part One

Posted on Tue Mar 17th, 2020 @ 2:41am by Fleet Admiral Heather Duval & Captain Jordal Hunt & Lieutenant Commander Ouros Yamaguchi & Company Sergeant Major Jeffery "The Mountain" Duval & Vice Admiral Valerie Dessaix & Division General Donovan Garibaldi & Lieutenant Commander Ivan Chung & 1st Lieutenant McElroy Sternwald III

Mission: Mission 98: Building Our New Home
Location: Various Locations - USS Heart of the Tiger, USS Coral Sea
Timeline: 1230Hrs - June 6th, 2393

General Garibaldi and Sergeant Major Duval materialized on the transporter pad.

"Welcome to the Heart of the Tiger, General" Chung greeted them.

"Hello Commander," Garibaldi replied. "This is Sergeant Major Duval."

Duval nodded his head at Chung, in silent greeting.

Chung acknowledged Duval before returning to Garibaldi. "Are you here to pick up Sternwald?" He asked as they started to the turbo lift.

"No, he needs to remain here. Too many people back planetside want to hurt him. I take it he has been a pretentious ass?"

"Nothing we can't handle General. May I ask why you are here then?" Chung inquired.

"We need to debrief him before we send him off to a court-martial. He has a lot of support and I want this done by the book." Garibaldi replied as they entered the turbolift.

"Did we at least rescue all our people?" Chung asked.

Duval let out a soft sigh. "We lost two marines," he said in a quiet tone of voice. "Everyone else is in bad shape to some degree or another." he added in the same quiet tone of voice.

"Now I see why you want him up here in orbit." Chung said as the turbolift doors opened. "This way gentlemen." Chung led them to the brig.

As the trio entered Sternwald jumped out of his bunk. "General, this man..." Sternwald pointed to Chung, "Committed assault on me. I demand you arrest him!" He shouted.

"Look around Lieutenant Sternwald. You're in a prison cell. You can't demand dick." Garibaldi told him.

"What, this is outrages. Let me out of this cell now." Sternwald was indignant.

Garibaldi stood there with his arms folded. "You really don't have a clue do you?" He asked rhetorically. "Do the names Harris Djervik and Damon Stevens mean anything to you?"

"No. Why the hell should they?" Sternwald seemed annoyed by the question.

"Those are the names of the two privates you reckless actions got killed. Two young men in your command that put their trust in you and were rewarded with a slow, painful, and lonely death. The only time you leaving that cell Sternwald is when you're released on a prison colony. You had better hope that planet is more habitable than the one you left your people on." Garibaldi told him.

"They died because they were weak. They had no right to be under my command. None of them were worthy." Sternwald sneered back at Garibaldi.

Jordal Hunt seemed to emerge from the shadows. "They were better men then you were, they gave their all for the hope that some of their unit would survive. For that, I will mourn their passing but I suspect that you do not care either way." the massive Trill male said in a quiet and soft tone.

Duval regarded the Starfleet Captain before him with a new respect, it was few who could pull of that kind of an entrance and fewer still who could make others listen.

Hunt nodded to the gathering present. "General. Welcome aboard. Sergeant Major, its good to see you again." he nodded to everyone else present. "Actually Mister Sternwald. You will be dealt with soon." he then suddenly grinned at the prisoner. "Besides, it's not often we get to host such an important person, like yourself." there was nothing nice or flattering in Hunt's tone of voice. It was all mockery.

"Hello, Captain Hunt." Garibaldi greeted him. "Sorry you need to take out the marine's trash but as you can see this guy is a piece of work."

Hunt smiled. "Oh, no worries General. I'm always happy to assist you guys with whatever needs doing."

"Hey Garibaldi, you didn't assign my the best of the marines. Actually, they weren't even the mediocre of the marines. That drunk skank Vaal should have been thrown out of the Marines years ago. And those two female officers, they shouldn't have been leading cub scouts, much less real marines."

Duval held his tongue regarding the insult to his daughter but only barely. "Sternwald, I am going to be there, are your mockery of a trial and watch as they put you away on a black rock with no name for however long they deem fit. You'll grow old on that rock wondering if this was a good idea."

Hunt smiled as he tapped the display once. "Okay, that's enough of your mouth, methinks." he turned back to Garibaldi. "I'll keep him in my brig, for the time being, all muzzled and on ice. Nobody will get near him except my security people, myself, the Ex-Oh and Ivan here." he smiled brightly. "Let me know when and where you wish for the trial and he'll be there."

"Thank you, Captain Hunt. As you can see from that little display you understand why he needs to be held off world." Garibaldi then turned to Duval. "I know that was hard Sergeant Major but again you proved to be the better man. We're done here. Let's go to the station and visit your daughter and the rest of the troops."

Duval nodded. "Thank you General," he said in a gentle tone of voice.

Hunt nodded. "I understand General. As I said, I will keep him on ice for you." the large Trill male answered. "Ivan, we should discuss the prisoner's needs," he said to Chung while he made no interest in moving, clearly he was not interested in Sternwald being able to hear him, but Sternwald couldn't say anything as he had been muzzled.

Duval waited for the General and he slipped out with the other marines, leaving Hunt and Chung behind. "General. Would I be out of line if I asked for a couple of days to spend with family?" he asked Garibaldi in a gentle tone.

"Are you kidding? I would be worried if you didn't. Take off as much time as you need Sergeant major." Garibaldi replied.

"Thank you, General." Duval smiled, for the first time in four days.