A new marine arrival.

Posted on Friday June 12th, 2026 @ 9:58am by Sergeant Lilliana Vali & Major Markurius Savage

1,702 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: VFY S9, E1: We Have A Home
Location: Marine CO’s Office
Timeline: 2 hours after the grunt and the doc.

The moment had finally arrived, a moment Lilli had been waiting for but was also dreading. She’d already been enroute assigned as Marine Medic when the request for Marine Counsellor had arrived at Starfleet, a quick message later and she was up for double duty as both.

Taking a deep breath she pressed the chime on the Marine CO’s door waiting for a call to enter. As soon as she heard it she stepped inside coming to a halt with a salute, before keeping her posture at attention as she introduced herself. “Sergeant Lilliana Vali reporting for duty, Sir!”

Major was standing with his back towards the door, a large window showed the vastness of space was behind his desk as he was looking out into the stars. Calmly he moved his hand so he could look at his chronometer, "You are slightly early Sergeant." he said.

“Better early than late Sir, in my opinion.” Lilli answered honestly. “I believe in being on time.”

He nodded. "Good. Being too early is frivolous and being to late is disrespectful." he didn't turn away from looking out over the stars. He had a lot on his mind, a complete restructure of something new. He had the resources and manpower. What he needed was the whip these pups into shape. Of course, that included the field medics. Just because they where focusing on saving lives, he refused to make them weak and helpless. "Why are you here Sergeant?" he asked, he lifted a tall glass to his mouth, moments later the sounds of crunching ice could be heard.

“Why, Sir?” Lilli paused. Should she be truthful right now? There was a pause before she answered. “Because I want to meet my father, and prove myself a worthy daughter.”

The crunching of the ice stopped before he slowly turned around to look at her. "Sergeant, this is a serious assignment. Just to look for a long lost parent isn't a place for the men and women I am going to build."

“I know that Sir” Lilli nodded. “Look at my record it speaks for itself. I have dedicated myself to my role as Field Medic and dedicated Counselor for the Marines. The father I’ve been wanting to know is looking at me now.”

His piercing gray eyes looked for a long time at her, trying to crack her if she was lying. But he saw no lies in her eyes. "That is impossible." he started to make the calculations in his head, her rank and time in boot-camp. She looked the age that it would be possible. But he knew for a fact that he had no children. Even if she was his daughter, he would push her harder than anyone else in his command.

“I didn’t know anything about you until I was 17. After that I set my sights on becoming a daughter that you’d be proud of Sir.” Lilli paused. “This is my first assignment in the last 6 months, I was on medical leave prior to that after an explosion in the field.”

He didn't approve of her molding her life after what he was, but then again. She wasn't a grunt. She was a healer and he needed a lot of those as well. "What are you expecting of me?" he asked flatly.

“I err…” Lilli paused. “I don’t expect anything of you, but I would like the chance to get to know you. I know that my walking in here must look like I’m expecting you to accept me right away, I don’t have the right to demand that when you didn’t know I existed.” She paused. “I will make you proud of me, that I promise you.”

Major Savage narrowed his eyes at her for a moment. This could be a trick, he had no memory of any woman saying she had his child, ever. "Just because you say that I am your father, I am not going to give you special treatment. In fact I am going to push you far harder than the rest. You are going to hate my guts before the end of this training regiment." he warned.

“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.” Lilli added as she relaxed her posture just a little to relax her body. “I can sense that you have doubts about me. I can have my mother contact you to prove my identity, or you can test my DNA to prove what I’m saying.”

"I don't think it is wise for your mother to contact me right now. If what you say is true, then she has a lot to answer for." his anger flared for a moment before he took a deep breath and sighed, this wasn't the time to be angry. "Your reason for being here isn't good enough. I'll reassign you to the station."

“What!?” Lilliana’s own anger flared. “With all due respect Sir, I’ve worked my ass off to get here! I happen to love my role, hell I almost died saving a marine six months ago and I’ve got the burn scars to prove it! The least you can do is give me a chance!”

He looked for a long moment at her. This fire he could work with. "Then give me a better reason to allow you to be part of this team I am building." Calmly he leaned on his desk, looking straight into her face.

Lilli gave him a confident look. “You need a field medic who’s good at their job, who isn’t afraid to go out there and face danger. Plus I’m also the dedicated Counsellor, and on top of that I’m a Betazoid. I can sense trouble coming a mile off, I don’t rely on tricorders or scanners, I’m a walking scanner, I can sense the enemy coming before they get in visual range.”

"Those are tools that you will use yes. But you didn't answer all my questions, so I will answer even more simply. Why are you fighting so hard to be part of this team Sergeant?" His gray eyes kept looking hard at her. He wanted more than just 'for my father's sake', if it was true she was his daughter, he wouldn't accept that answer. She would be focusing all her reason around him. That wasn't something the men and women he was going to train should have as their main focus.

Lilli paused, it was true she had at first joined in order to impress him. Now that had changed and she hadn’t even realised until now. “Because I’m a Marine, maybe I did join to impress you to begin with but now I realise it’s what I want to do. I have a place, a role, and I want to be the best! Besides there aren’t always that many women out in the field, I’m not afraid of competition with the men.”

Now he was getting a better answer, it was still aimed at herself in a way. "Better. But not good enough."

“Not good enough!?” Lilli shook her head before she suddenly removed her uniform jacket. “Is this good enough?” Her skin around her shoulders, neck, and upper arms were covered with burn scars. “ This goes all down my back too, it’s taken me six months to get back to fitness that will get me back in the field. I stand beside my fellow Marines, and anyone else out there! I bleed just as much as they do, and I’m not giving up now!! You want me gone, fine! Just send me somewhere where I’ll be accepted for my merits.”

His eyes didn't move to look at her scars, they were very much fixated at look of anger, determination and spite in her eyes and face. He knew that look. In fact he knew that feeling too. He saw the hints that she was very much his daughter but he wouldn't make that part of his decision. "You act like those marks of honor is something bad." savage knew many saw scars as marks of shame, he wanted to sure she didn't look at them like that.

“No, not bad” Lilli shook her head as she calmly picked up her jacket and put it back on. “It’s just taken some time to adjust to having them. I did what I had to do to save someone who was trapped, he survived and is back out in the field doing his duty as we speak. The enemy who tried to blow us up are now six feet under where they belong.”

"As things should be. Ever heard about Kintsugi?" he asked.

“Kintsugi?” Lilli shook her head. “No, I can’t say I have. What is it?”

The major stood up and walked over to look out the window again. "Very old earth tradition. Specificly from Japan. The practice is if your pottery breaks, you do not throw the pieces away. Instead you use gold leaf and a special glue to mold the parts together. When finished, the cracks have simply made the pottery that much more beautiful." he half turned his head to look at her, this time his eyes looked over her torso. "Scarring isn't ugly, it is badges of survival. You can even embrace the Kintsugi and make tattoos over the scarring."

Lilli nodded it was an interesting idea. “That’s interesting, thank you Sir” she offered a calmer, warmer smile. “I will not let this unit down, I will fight as hard as every other marine under your command.”

"I will expect nothing less from any of the men and women under my command." the major said.

“Of course Sir.” Lilli nodded wondering if she was going to find her job a whole lot harder now he knew who she was.

"You are dismissed Sergeant. Briefing at 06.00 hours tomorrow." Major Savage said calmly, he had a lot to think about.

Lilli stood to attention, gave a salute and exited the room wondering just how much harder she was now going to have to work.

 

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