<div align="center"><span class="bbc_u"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">Operation House of the Rising Sun</span></span></div><br/><br/><div align="center">Link to  Recruit Thread (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=124324.0)<br/><br/>Link to OOC (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=124663.0)</div><br/><br/>"Lieutenant Warren, take a seat."  The Captain said from his desk, shuffling the insane amount of paper work on it around so that he had some space to lean on the damn thing.  As far command quarters went this place wasn't that bad, in fact the whole ship really wasn't that bad of a place to be stuck in.  The officers quarter's which Warren himself had been put in were rather comfertable and had plenty of space even with four other men in the damn thing.  They all being part of the same company actually which made things easy when the Captain had to talk to them all.  This however, was a one on one meeting, and in truth Warren was wondering what it was all about.<br/><br/>"Thank you Sir."  Sitting down Warren looked expectantly at the man who was his commanding officer.  They weren't even at location yet and he looked tired.<br/><br/>"Alright I'll get right too it.  I'm giving your platoon to Smith and you're taking his knew mash up one."  The Captain met Warren's eye and while he gave the emotion of regret in doing this, he was adamant it would be done.<br/><br/>"Sir, I've been with these guys a while now.  They trust me and I them.  Breaking in a new platoon was not how I planned to spend this engagement."<br/><br/>"I get that Warren, but the fact is Smith won't be able to handle these people.  The Sergeant you're getting is, and I'm quoting this from her last CO, 'A pain the ass so fierce I would rather be shot then spend another tour with her'.  Bentley said that.  Arnod Bentley, Warren.  That mans lost both hands and was tortured by Zodi's and still went back and kick in there heads."<br/><br/>"He's also a horses ass."<br/><br/>"Warren."  The Captain said in warning.  Not that the Captain disagreed, but these were not permanent quarters and even with the door shut, you never know who is listening.  "The fact remains though she has a problem with officers.  From what I can gather from her file, she is a know it all NCO who thinks all our schooling is bullshit we can choke on compared to her experience."  The Captain said lighting a cigar, even going so far as to offer one to Warren.<br/><br/>He took it and was lighting it with the provided match when he said, "She's likely right."  Warren smiled through the smoke.  "A lot of shit heads come out of that Academy of ours, nice bars on there shoulders, just waiting to fuck things up for the common grunt."<br/><br/>"True enough.  And the fact you know that, and were an NCO yourself, I am hoping will make her behave like the good soldier she is."<br/><br/>"Smith is a good LT, he can handle this."<br/><br/>"Smith is twenty-eight fucking years old.  She has near ten years in age on him and double that in years of combat."  The Captain took a long puff then went on with his rant.  "You are not only the single LT I have older than her, but the only one with as much combat experience.  If she doesn't listen to you I got no one else Warren.  Probably have to ship her off somewhere else or hope she gets shot.  Which looking at her record does not happen often.  So do me proud.  The new platoon is on C deck so go check them out before we land.  Should be hitting orbit...Let's see, a few hours at least.  Get aquatinted, get them ready.  We won't be hitting the ground running, but we are fighting orcs so stay on your toe's.  Dismissed."  And just like that Warren remembered why he too had fucking hated officers when he was an NCO.<br/><br/>"Yes sir."  He said getting up.  At the door he turned when his name was called.<br/><br/>"My girl will give your all their files.  Oh, and your medic has a loyalty alert.  Was a hippie protester, picked service instead of jail, so just watch her."  The Captain said taking another long puff then getting back to his own mountain of paper work.<br/><br/>"Thanks Cap."  Warren said shaking his head as he left.  He always got the best assignments.<br/><br/><div align="center">***</div>"And that is how I saved a puppy and stabbed a xeno without getting acid on me."  Church said to the group of younger soldiers around him.  They were all there, the entire platoon put in a room with just barely enough beds for them all.  It was common enough quartes for the regulars, but even the Sergeant had been stuck in here with all them.  Apparently on this ship NCO's weren't any better than your common grunt.  Typical fleet mentality.  Fucking seat jockies.<br/><br/>"Bullshit!  I've heard of guys who've shot a xeno from ten feet away and still gotten hit by the acid blood.  No fucking way could you stab one and not lose a damn arm."  One kid piped in.<br/><br/>"At least not while saving a puppy at the same time." Mint's said, his comment getting a small laugh.  He was about the same age as Church but had been in the Guard longer and was what one called 'seasoned'.<br/><br/>"Hand to the Emperor!  I swear!"  Church said giving a wink to some of the older crowd.  The story of course being entire bullshit.  He'd never even combatted xeno's before.  Orcs and bugs, that's it.  And the bug was just a fluke thing.  Never had he scene the swarms some vet's talk about.  And in truth he never did.