They can get Worse

Posted on Sat Mar 7th, 2020 @ 4:46am by Lieutenant Colonel Tragg Highmountain & Lieutenant Colonel Sally Monroe & Colonel Brianna Hobbs
Edited on on Sat Mar 7th, 2020 @ 4:47am

Mission: Mission 74: The War Within, The War Without
Location: Various Locations - USS Argonne
Timeline: 0800Hrs - Mar 26th 2392

Rasker Wuko walked into Hobbs office, not particularly enthusiastic about this meeting, if it could be called that. He and the other battalion Commanders, XO's and Sergeant Major's shuffled into Hobbs office, with Kusekari closing the door. Tragg stood off to Hobb's Side.

Hobbs looked sternly at each of the officers in the room. "Anyone want to explain why they shouldn't be here?"

Darktail offered an answer in a somewhat facetious manner," Yeah I should be an engineer not an XO for a meathead unit."

"Keep in mind that the head 'meathead' is standing in front of you." Hobbs told Darktail in a threatening manner. "I'll have words with you at a latter time."

She then turned to the rest of them. "Now I know we have a stressful job and after a while people lose the tempers and fights break up. Everyone deserves a chance to fuck up once. But you people have only been here twenty four hours and already you have started a riot. This is a reflection of your leadership and it is not a good one."

"Some of you actually decided to become active participants. You are suppose to set the example, not lower yourselves to the lowest common denominator. We had more casualties in this one fight than several of our last peacekeeping operations on the colonies. The bar was set low and you still somehow managed to slither underneath it." Hobbs told them in an angry voice.

"Correct me if I am wrong." Hobbs ordered them.

Lt Colonel Sally Monroe raised an eyebrow. "Colonel. I should respectfully point out that not everyone in the room was involved in the fight."

Tragg Highmountain regarded the people before him. "Yet you were still in the room.... Did you attempt to sort out the fighting.?"

"I tried... I ate a plate."

"Ate a... Wait.. Since when are plates edible.?" Highmountain rumbled.

Munroe took a moment to adjust her shirt as one could almost see smoke coming out of her ears.

kanmali snorted in disgust, " why would they listen to us, when one of our own shitbag Lieutenant Colonels started the mess in the first place." She shot a nasty glare at Brad.

"Why should we listen to you.. Considering you are a failure to communicate!" Taylor responded. "Colonel. really... do we need to listen to this rabble from a bunch of fuckwits.?"

Munroe snorted. "This coming from a man who worships Colonel Nye.." and with that Taylor snorted. "He was a great man... unlike others present."

"Colonel Taylor!" Hobbs raised her voice considerably. "You have been part of this command for less than twenty four hours and you have already managed to disgrace your position. As for the rest of you, your personnel are making my life unpleasant. Do you know what happens when my life is made unpleasant?"

Taylor looked rather smug as if he didn't care but he simply smiled before he lightly shrugged his shoulders. "Colonel... Someone smacked me.. so I dealt with them, its not my fault they are fucking useless."

Darktail really wanted to say something smart but his desire to get out of this lecture outweighed his desire to be a smartass, so he kept his silence.

"Let me answer my own question." Hobbs told them. "If my life is made unpleasant by the conduct of your marines than I'm going to make your lives a raging fucking hell. Was that clear enough for you?" She asked everyone present.

All the marines responded loudly. "YES SIR!" came the response as one.

Hobbs looked around the room. "Colonel Taylor, you stay. Everyone else is dismissed."

Darktail immediately started to slink out of the room, thankful that Taylor caused enough of a distraction to make Hobbs forget about him.

"Major Darktail!" Hobbs looked at him. "We will chat at a more opportune time."

Munroe turned and departed, thankful to be gone from the Colonel's wroth as she fled, along with many of the others. Meanwhile Taylor almost grinned. "What... you know Nye was better then this merry band of failures they saddled you with, he would have turned them all out and been done with it!"

"Nye was a flaming idiot that after a pathetic failed attempt to command a task force was thrown in prison. He died a sad, meaningless death." Hobbs told Taylor.

Taylor lost any pretense of subtlety as he regarded the woman across from him. "Yes, how convenient for you that he died before he could out you as a failure isn't it Colonel." Taylor said in a rather snide tone. "Considering he was twice the man you are."

"Nye out me as a failure?" Hobbs asked. "Are you insinuating that I am a failure."

"I didn't say that..." Taylor responded. "Stop putting words in my mouth!"

"Didn't you just say he was going to out me as a failure?" Hobbs asked.

"Well... I personaly don't know you but I heard about you from him... He was going to out you as a weakling and a useless failure." Taylor explained. "Hey.. his words.. not mine.."

"You talked to him personally?" Hobbs asked. "You were in his command?"

"Oh several times... I worked for him in several of his operations." Taylor responded. "Operation: Black Fist was one such example... Operation: Shattered Wind was another."

Hobbs raised her eyebrows. "Really?" Hobbs asked herself more than anyone else, not wanting to believe. "Alright Taylor, you are dismissed."

"Yes." and with that he turned and walked out, he didn't show her any measure of respect at all.

Hobbs held her rage as Taylor left. She looked at Highmountain and Wuko. "We need to get in touch with General Masters. He needs to know that an officer like Taylor is in his command."

Highmountain regarded the retreating officer before he turned back to Hobbs. "Indeed Colonel." he rumbled. "I will take care of things." he indicated the door where the man had just departed. "He is a coward and a liar... Operation: Shattered Wind was genocide, so was the other one... both operations were bungled from start to finish... Shall we contact the General now?" the massive being inquired.

"Not yet, I want to look over Taylor's file." Hobbs replied. "Meet me in two hours at my office."

"I'll be there." Highmountain responded. "By your leave?"

"Of course." Hobbs replied.

Highmountain nodded. "You are a superior leader of your people Colonel. I for one... am Honored to be working with you." and with that he nodded and departed.

Raskar wasn't sure what to say on the matter, so he just waited while Darktail stood outside the office.

The door opened and Highmountain emerged from the room, he snorted gently. "Gentlemen." he nodded to Raskar and Darktail before he proceeded on his way.