=/-\= Begin Log =/-\=
Location: Officer's Mess, USS Titan
Time: Shortly after deployment orders were issued.
As soon as he was certain his men were squared away in their assigned bunkrooms on board their transport to Passada, Dick Winters had decided it was long past time for a hot meal. So after dropping off his gear in the quarters he shared with two other officers, the Lieutenant had made his way to the ship's officers mess. It seemed he had not been the only one with an empty gut, as the room was almost full to capacity.
Luckily a table became vacant right as he replicated his dinner of manacotti and veggies, so he gladly sat down and began enjoying his meal.
Chloe Mearu, also a 1st Lieutenant walked down the corridor that lead to the officer's mess. She hadn't eaten since the night before because she had woken up late and in a rush to get out the door she had forgone eating. Walking into the officer's mess not too far behind a man she looked around. She gave a light sigh at the fact that it was so full. She was knew to the Unity, not knowing anyone besides Richard Sharpe.
Going to the replicator she ordered a glass of water, pasta, and a salad. Looking around she saw one table that only had one occupant. The man that she had followed in moments before. Going to the table she gave a smile. "Would you mind if I sat here?" She asked kindly. She was a young woman, only 24, blonde blue eyed, and a pilot.
Giving into courtesy, Dick raised slightly out of his chair, "Please." He had never seen this woman before, but considering his short time on the station that came as no surprise. There were thousands on the station, and several dozen in this room alone, that he had never seen before.
"Dick Winters, Easy Company, Second Battalion," he said as introduction.
She gave a warm smile. "Chloe Merau, Pilot, 92nd "KnightHawk" Squadron, 36th Tactical Wing, 501st Air Group, 1st MEF," She said with a tweaked smile. It was always a hassle now to say what group she belonged to. She took a seat after she introduced herself to the man.
"A pleasure to meet you," Dick replied before forking in some of his own pasta. A moment later he continued, "So you're a stick jokey? I assume you'll be providing company for our landing craft?"
"Funny." Chloe said with a smile. "I'm more than just a stick jockey." She said with a light laugh. Before she joined the Unity she was aboard the Enterprise, before that a experimental test pilot in Sector 001. "Have you been apart of the crew long?" She asked curious.
"Less than a week, actually," commented Winters before taking a drink from a glass of chilled water. Not only had he not been assigned to Easy Company for any amount of time, but he had only been out of Quantico for a matter of weeks. "Just over two days, as a matter fact. You?"
She gave a soft laugh. "Ironically, I only arrived on the Unity two days ago." She said between small bites of her pasta.
Being a more quiet individual, Dick sat rather reservedly over his dinner, looking up at the young woman when he was speaking to her. After swallowing more cheesy manacotti he spared another such glance, "Where'd you ship from?"
"The USS Enterprise-G." She and Richard Sharpe had both come from there. "How about yourself?" Chloe was a very out going type of person who's friendliness shined.
The man cleared his throat, halfway anxious about revealing his previous assignment. It was never a thrilling opportunity when one was forced to reveal their greenness. "Quantico," he finally answered before lifting his glass to his lips again. After a quick drink he explained, "I finished Oh-See-Es about four weeks ago."
Chloe nodded, she wasn't extremely experienced herself, having started rather late with her Starfleet track. She could tell that he was somewhat nervous. "I haven't been an officer long. I was an experimental test pilot in 001 before I was on the Enterprise. Wasn't there long, roughly 10 months." She said hoping that made her seem more equal to his experience.
"Sounds exciting," replied Dick, finishing the last of his pasta. He followed it with another drink of water and then said, "I haven't done much else. Trained in airborne and orbital operations, advanced tactics...the usual infantry specializations."
Chloe nodded. "I've recently transferred over to being a marine." She said with a slight smile. "I'm not sure how I feel about it yet." She didn't exactly seem like the marine type. She was strong and very fit. A pilot's body for sure, but she was still that.
"So you were fleet before?" he asked. This stranger had definitely managed to befriend him quickly. Normally he would not have cared to learn about someone; it was too easy to make a friend and then lose them in combat. That was hammered into the mind of an Marine officer. "I entered the Academy as a Marine Cadet," the Lieutenant added, figuring it to be the appropriate response. "Transferred to Quantico after my first year to complete Officer Candidate School. Spent the last three years there, leaving for only a week each out of each year."
"Yes, I was in 'the fleet.' Never thought I would ever thought I would ever find myself in this position." With her small bites she finished off her pasta, taking a slow long drink out of her her glass of water. "But here I am." Richard Sharpe had a lot to do with her becoming a marine.
The Lieutenant raised an eyebrow, "You don't enjoy wearing the green collar?"
"Like I said, Ive just transferred. I'm a Starfleet brat." She said with a tweaked smile. "My father's an admiral. My brother is a commander. And here I am.... a marine now."
Finishing off the last of his beverage the Lieutenant offered a nod, "My father was a service man, as well. Lost him when I was young."
"Same with my mother." Chloe consoled. "I know how it feels." She seemed comfortable with this. She had come to terms with it long ago. "It's all apart of serving, no matter where your serving." She gave some thought for a moment. "I know a marine who at one time didn't want to have much to do with me because he was scared that he might loose me because he had been hurt once."
She said this from experience. "But things change." She said with a smile, knowing very well that things had changed greatly between her and that marine.
Winters shook his head slowly; another thing he thought best to leave alone were romantic attachments. So he tried to be sensitive as he commented, "Those fears are based in fact and on good reason. If you got him to change his mind...well...make sure to count your blessings."
Chloe gave a smile. "I do count my blessings." She said with a smile as she finished her water.
Taking a deep breath, Dick fought for a moment to find something to say to overcome the awkward silence that had befallen them. He was never good at casual conversations like these, and was unsure of how to continue. Finally he found a solution, "You seen combat yet? As a pilot, I mean?"
Chloe nodded. "Yes, on the Enterprise as well as when I was traveling around before." She didn't like fighting, but sometimes you didn't have a choice. "How about yourself?"
"Only the simulated stuff," answered the Lieutenant, obvious unease in his voice. "Most of my platoon has, though. I'll be relying very heavily on them. At least through this first encounter."
"That's what platoons are for. Support. Even if your experienced it's still nice to have them have your back."
With a shrug Dick replied, "True, but they are also going to look to me for support and encouragement. Considering I'm going into this with only training exercises under my belt...well...nervous doesn't completely define what I'm feeling."
"I'm new, so those I'm serving with don't know if they can depend on me yet. It's all about working your way in." She said leaning back in her chair. There wasn't much she could do at the moment while they were waiting to arrive.
With a long, drawn out, near exhausted sigh, Winters leaned back as well, "This is the worst part. And it's only going to get worse once we get there..."
"We will see. It might not be as bad as you think." Chloe always looked on the brighter side of things.
In his mind Dick pictured hordes of Romulans running through a doorway, all bearing disruptors, and all aiming right for him; his troops lay dead around his feet. Closing his eyes and shook his head, "If it happens, if they try to take the station from us, it's going to be bad."
"Always think positive. Even if you know that things are going to be bad. Even more so if you say it out loud, it makes you feel like it's going to be worse." Chloe knew this well out of experience.
Deciding not to push the subject, hoping the young woman was right but fearing in his gut she was not, the Lieutenant decided to change the subject, "Well...I...uh...probably need to hit the rack. Shouldn't go into this mess on no sleep."
Chloe nodded. "I should be doing the same shortly." She said with a warm smile. "It was nice meeting you."
"Likewise, Miss Merau," Winters answered as he stood up from the table. "And, uh...good hunting out there tomorrow."
She nodded as she stood up. "I can deffently hope so..."
=/-\= End Log =/-\=
Second Lieutenant Chloe Merau
Pilot, 92nd "KnightHawk" Squadron
36th Tactical Wing, 501st Air Group, 1st MEF
Second Lieutenant Richard "Dick" Winters
Platoon Leader, First Platoon, E "Easy" Company
2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st MEF
Platoon Leader, First Platoon, E "Easy" Company
2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st MEF
