And now, the hard work begins.

Posted on Sunday September 27th, 2026 @ 6:39pm by Major Markurius Savage & Sergeant Lilliana Vali

2,363 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: S9, E2: Deals Made In Shadows
Location: Starbase Foramen Vulpis
Timeline: A short while after "The plan"

Major Savage had inspected the base that had been assigned to the RRT's. The station wasn't large by any means, but it was quite acceptable. His wish to have several decks removed to make a massive internal holo area where large battles could be simulated was well under way. He had been told that sections where ready for training but a full scale battle was still impossible. But he didn't mind, making smaller training sessions would work as well for now. He knew the older veterans would be a hand full, they where very much set in their ways but if he could aim all those years of experience at the klingons. Well, I am sure they would make plenty of chaos.

Lilli had been catching up on the necessary personnel files of the marines for her Counselling duties, as well as medical files. She was responsible for physical as well as mental health. Being half Betazoid she had her empathic and telepathic skills, not that she used telepathy around non-telepaths. “Major, Sir!” Lilli offered the expected salute and snap to attention as she walked up to her father. “My report based on the personnel records of the assigned marines.” She offered him a PaDD she was carrying.

"Excellent Sergeant. There will be a few veterans coming in, command want much faster results that I can give them. So I need to get a group that has the experience to get things done while I train the new men and women." he accepted the PaDD. he placed it on his desk to read properly later. "They most likely will be worse than I when it comes to attitude, very set in their ways. The good news is that the station has a few spots on the floor that we can start training on a small scale."

Lilli nodded. “There are certainly some marines that have all the experience you need Sir. A few still working their way to that level, but they’re not far behind.”

He nodded. "The Commodore has promised me 20 of them to get into training. Can I count on you to weather their complaints and attitude?" Savage asked as he placed a simple box on his desk. Inside would the special egg he’d placed in a glass box.

Lilli nodded. “You can count on me. I’m used to it.” She offered a smile.

"Excellent." he gestured for the box. "I hope this will inspire you."

Lilli gave him a surprised look as he pointed to the box on his desk. “For me?” She paused before gently picking the box up and slowly opening it. “Oh my… this is… it’s beautiful.”

"I thought it would give you perspective when it comes to something damaged becoming more beautiful when repaired with care. This egg was broken into pieces once, then repaired with gold leaf. Instead of being the standard black egg, it simply evolved into a new level of beauty." he looked at her for a long moment. He had never thought himself as good father material. "Your scars can be made into something beautiful."

Lilli gave the egg some serious study before looking to her father. “Maybe you’re right, I’ve never really given that a lot of thought before, but maybe you can help me with that.” She smiled warmly. “Thank you so much for this, I’m going to cherish it,”

Savage gave one of his rare smiles. "You are ashamed of your scars. You can outline each one like Kintsugi. Make your body a piece of art, I am sure you can have some artist make you more beautiful than you are. Make the marks of your actions something to be proud of."

“Maybe so, I’ll have a think about it.” She studied the egg a little longer before closing the lid on the box. “I’ll find a special place for this in my quarters.” Her smile practically shone. “Is there anything you need me to do right now?”

"I need to you start working on a program that will train field medics. We have one area of the holo arena set up for what you need. There is still a lot to finish but it should be enough to train the team. Do not be afraid to push them hard." he said. "I am hoping we can get two hundred field medics ready in six months."

“Two hundred?!” Lilli was surprised at that. “In that case I’m going to have to push them hard, six months is a short timeframe for so many.”

"I am hoping to get 2 000 in total when it comes to the RTT's for now. Your medics will train right next to the others, I also want them to be trained in field triage and other things needed. Even with little to no resources." he knew he was putting a lot on her, but if she was his blood and as determined as she had shown earlier. She would love the challenge.

“Well I’m sure the holodecks here will come in very useful for training, and helping me keep track as well. I can use an EMH or multiple EMH’s to oversee some of the training with me. The combat part is a while different scenario, but that can also be set up on the holodeck.”

"Very good." Savage nodded. "We are working on some tools you can use in the field. You'll have the tricorder on you wrist instead of in your hand, should make things easier for your people."

“That will most definitely help, as long as I don’t need to wave my wrist over a patient instead.” Lilli added with a smile.

"There should be a hand scanner dock in it, if you need a more exact location of injury. Might not have that time in the field, so you get a general scan by passing your arm over the location. I don't know the exact specs." Savage said and handed her a PaDD with the process so far, it was roughly 90% finished in R&D.

“I think I prefer the more targeted approach to be honest, but I’ll test it out and see how it goes in practice.”Lilli added as she took the PaDD and looked it over.

He nodded. "In the field you will be lucky if you have the capacity to even use a tricorder. Sometimes you simply need to stem the bleeding and secure the wound for later fixing. This wrist tech is so that both your hands will be free even if you run your arm over the injury, qucik and easy to give the data you need for triage."

“There are times wounds in the field require a lot more than simple triage just to get someone moved. When I was injured, I was trying to help someone that was pinned down amputation was looking very likely, but we never got to make that decision as that’s when a plasma main ruptured and almost blew us both to hell. As you’ve already seen I was lucky to have been pulled out alive.”

"I am glad you are. I am just trying make things easier. This is why, I want training done without any tools at all."

Lilli nodded. “I understand, we’ll get that training done.” She smiled warmly. “In the meantime I’m going to find a special place for this…” she picked up the egg. “I want it displayed where I can see it every day.”

"I am glad you like it." he looked at her as if he wanted to ask something, but he didn't. He wanted to know how her mother was, he hadn't seen her for a long, long time. She was the first woman he had fallen in love with.

Lilli could feel a difference, seeing the way her father looked at her she gave him a look. “Why don’t you ask me? There’s a question, I can see it written all over your face.”

He waited for a long moment before turning to look out the viewport again. "How is your mother? I only had one night with her. Is she still looking like a beautiful as she did back then?"

Lilli smiled. “She never looks any different, I just hope I look as good as mum when I’m older. She wanted me to know about you, she knew I’d ask so she was well prepared for it.” She paused. “She loved you, she still does.”

He turned his face slightly as he looked at her. "I think you will outshine her. I am sure she thinks I never have her in my thoughts."

“Of course she doesn’t, you bonded with her even across the vast distances of space between Betazed and here,or wherever mum happens to be, that bond still holds.” Lilli smiled warmly. “She’s an Ambassador these days, you never know she may end up here in the course of her duties one day.”

He nodded. "I bet she is a beast when it comes to peace talks... She really liked using her looks to scare young marines." Savage chuckled.

“Ohh you haven’t seen mum at her conferences, she uses her empathic abilities to the max!” Lilli grinned. “That’s where I learned to use mine to their max effect, I obviously don’t have the strength of a full Betazoid but I am empathic, and I’m a touch and line of sight telepath. Line of sight helps me to put my telepathy to its best use.”

"Sounds like her. I bet she was surprised that I truly liked her scars. I am guessing you have training not to get overwhelmed in the field."

“I trained myself, exposure on top of exposure” Lilli added. “Plus I have a neural inhibitor set low enough to take the edge off if I need it. My abilities can come in useful in the field in avoiding the enemy, so I don’t like to block them completely. Plus I don’t do well without the voices that are constantly in the back of my mind.”

"Makes sense, having an early detection ability will serve you well. Sadly, very few have that ability. So I will have to train people to be very observant."

Lilli nodded. “Survival instinct makes you observant, hopefully that’ll work but if not then we’ll get them trained ready.”

"Agreed, it will not be easy. I am not expecting the field medics to carry weapons. But I hope they will get very efficient with hand phasers." Savage said.

Lilli nodded. “They are required for protection even if we don’t like using them, but when you’ve got your hands full trying to save a patient you don’t have a free hand to fire a phaser.”

"That is true, that is why I want them to be in the thick of it with the others. They must trust them men and women next to them to protect the wounded and them. I am hoping that we can make the teams closer than standard crew. They must bleed, sweat and curse me as siblings of battle." savage looked out at the stars again. "They will probably hate me, think I am going to hard. That is why; since I am expecting the best from them. I will give them the best too. The best food, entertainment and when they are here at the base, they will have small living areas instead of barracks. Making them to soft with a nice bed will not work well when they enter the field and have to live on the hard ground."

“A soft bed and descent living quarters will be lovely” Lilli smiled warmly. “It would be preferable to barracks where you get no privacy and no time to yourself. All I want at the end of a long shift is peace and quiet to rest and sleep.”

"It will not be completely private, just a walled off section with a softer bed. I am thinking we will have standard barracks too, for the new recruits and once they earn the the more private barracks, they can be moved there. No doors but walled off sections, you shouldn't be able to simply look straight in."

“It still sounds good to me” Lilli added. “Better than open bunks for everyone to see you.”

"Excellent. I am happy you think as I do." Savage nodded. "I will also allow BBQ cookouts and parties for those who are good. No alcohol of course but good food."

“I’m seriously starting to wish I’d had you as my CO before.” Lilli grinned. “I know it’s going to be hard work, and I’ll do my upmost to earn it.”

"I doubt you will feel that way." calmly he walked over to his desk, pulled out the PaDD and handed it to her. "The daily PE. If everyone makes the cut, I will have a proper chef here and make real food."

“Wow you aren’t kidding are you?” Lilli looked at the schedule. “This is certainly full on.”

Savage grinned. "I have a saying... I expect the best and you give the best, then I reward you with the best with the best. This is going to be the spear tip for any intruder of this space. Hit hard and fast before leaving the cleanup for the standard security forces." He was quite proud of being the one to mold this special unit. "When not performing their primary duties, they will serve onboard ships and station as standard crew."

Lilli nodded. “I’ll do my best to get the teams to where you need them. I want to make you proud.”

He nodded. "You should make yourself proud first."

Lilli nodded. “Good point. I’ll do my upmost to do that too.”

"Excellent." Savage stood straight again. "You are dismissed Sergeant."

Lilli nodded. “Aye Sir.” With that she offered a smile and headed on her way, she had a lot of work ahead of her.

 

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