<USS Avalon> Ranger Talks to Phillips and Files Overdue Report (Phillips/Ranger)

 Avalon - Ranger Talks to Phillips (and Files Overdue Report)
by
MCpt  Adrian Phillips, C/Sec, /USS Avalon/-C
Sgt. Walker Ranger, AC/Sec, /USS Avalon/-C

From "Re: Released on Probation" (01 Jan 2008)
On hearing from the duty officer that Captain Phillips had been released, Walker first sighed in relief, then tapped his combadge on. "Ranger to Phillips. I would appreciate a proper briefing, Sir, and a return to normal duty, if that is possible?" He felt certain that the amusement he felt was audible, but didn't really care. 

We now continue:
It was nice to be out of the cell at last, and even though Adrian had done his best to not let it bother him, the situation was a little unnerving. However, none of that was really important at this point. What mattered more was getting updated and getting everyone else up to speed along with making sure the company had not fallen apart while he was gone.
"Good morning, Captain. Good to have ya back," came the voice of Corporal Gerrad as Phillips entered into the Marine offices. "It's a pleasure, Mr. Gerrad, trust me," he replied with a smile and nodded to the other marines in the room who had looked over from their stations. As Adrian made his way over to his office he tapped on his commbadge. "Mr. Ranger, since I'm out of my old home now I'd be very interested in that briefing you were talking about earlier. I'll be in my office."
Walker stood, walked around the Commander's desk as his CO approached and smiled. "Considering, Sir, that I was in your office, I just waited your entrance to respond in person." He grinned slightly. "Our folks are good people. Most have recovered fairly well from Kane's execution. I expect Captain Skyler's let you out on probation, though." He sighed. "Can't say I really care for that." He clarified, "I'd prefer she let you off totally. I certainly haven't asked for the duty I've had with you in Brig."
Walking over to the replicator, he took out Captain Phillips' favorite beverage and his before asking, "Mind if I sit, Sir?" He wasn't sure the other would permit the informality of them calling each other by first name, and perhaps wisely.
"Of course, Walker," Adrian replied as he accepted the drink and sat down with him. "I'm glad to hear that the men are recovering well. Apparently we have quite the mission ahead of us." The coffee was fortunately not too hot as Phillips took a drink before continuing. "I don't know if you have yet had the pleasure of meeting the new head of Delta Company, Sergeant Dora Fane. She and I have worked together in several different assignments and she is an expert of recon. Hopefully you two can get along." He chuckled quietly to himself as he tapped the desk comunit. "Sergeant Fane, I've been freed from my little cell, so if you could stop by the office, we can get this little meeting started."
Releasing the button after a moment, Adrian looked across the desk to Walker. "So tell me what else has been going on? Has Ms. Erridim recovered from the incident?"
Walker sighed. "We've run into a seemingly insurmountable obstacle in some ways in respect to that, Adrian." His expression was somewhat rueful. "And I fear I may be the reason the obstacle exists, as I failed to turn in the report on Ensign Erridim's effects due to so much going on. Had I done so, it is possible one specific item, or more specifically, person I now suspect is necessary for her to recover properly would now be available to her." His embarrassment as he noticed the report on the desk was extreme. He'd written the thing up the day he'd done the inspection, yet had never actually filed it. He blushed, which caused his skin to darken. "There's the report right there." He asked, "Mind if I file the thing before the Captain takes a chunk outta Talea for something not her fault, Sir?" He was unaware that the confrontation had already occurred, and would have been appalled had he known.
The report was short, and a listing of the various weapons and their certifications, along with a nearly three-page report on the stasis chamber and its content.
Looking concerned, Walker commented, "I'm not happy her animal companion has been in stasis for over six Terran years, either. That is an extremely long period for any intelligence, and with the Greater Panthers being at least as intelligent as Humans, and usually an asset to Security, it has me bothered that he's been in stasis for as long as he has. Thankfully, it's hard stasis, so for him, it will have been a matter of seconds, but . . ." He sighed. "It's still going to be stressful for him for a while."
He grinned slightly. "And the briefing I requested? I've been flying on instrumentation lately; mainly doing paperwork, and some of it confounded me because I didn't know enough about what was going on to answer properly." He gestured to the two PADDs remaining in the Inbox basket. He chuckled and admitted, "But now that you're here, perhaps my responding to it is rather improper, eh?" The truth was, he was glad the other man was freed. How long that would last, he did not know, but he was truly hoping it would be a goodly while. Handling Alpha and the Chief's duties was a handful, even for a Regellian used to four hours' sleep every ship's day, and the sense of betrayal he now was feeling from Talea wasn't helping.
Adrian smiled and looked over the two PADDs in the desk briefly. "Well, apparently one of the main Federation research facilities blew up and destroyed the entire complex, civillian homes and all. There's some thoughts that some of the other explosions were not from the original blast, so we're supposed to go check it out." He shrugged briefly as he tossed the PADDs back onto the desk. "As for the other things, I'll make sure to address them properly. Once Dora arrives, I'll be able to explain more of what our plans are for the company as well as for this mission in particular."
Finishing off his beverage, Phillips leaned back in his chair. "Nice to be able to do that again. You want to take some time off, Ranger? I mean, it's not like you wanted to be in this situation and it sounds like things have not been going too well on all fronts. If you need a shift or two break, just let me know and you've got it."
Walker chuckled softly. "Not so you could tell, Adrian. And things between Talea and I are, to be honest, a bit shaky, and I bear most of the fault for it of late." He pointed with his entire hand toward the report. "That is a goodly part of what's got her shaken in her trust of me." His mouth twisted slightly as he thought for a moment before admitting, "I don't like myself all that much right now." He stood, then placed his empty glass on the replicator stage before recycling both. "We both need to be here for Sergeant Fane's briefing, do we not, Adrian?" He grinned slightly as he noted, "Although I will call you Captain Phillips or Sir during it, unless it's to be less formal than most such briefings tend to be."
With a brisk burst of motion, he filed the report, returned command to Captain Phillips, then moved from the desk console again before sitting in one of the chairs on the far side of the desk, awaiting Sergeant Fane's arrival. 

(tag Phillips and Fane)

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