James stood up as Helen Anderson walked into the conference room. "Miss Anderson," he said at the surprised 2nd class, "I'm James Bostwick, leader of the Grey Wolves recon and recovery team. We've been assigned to support you on the recovery mission for the Fnords."
Helen looked up at James - he was only two inches taller than she was, but that was enough, especially with his muscles. She almost smiled at a few thoughts that ran through her mind - but she was on duty. "I'm very happy to meet you, Mr. Bostwick. Obviously, you already know who I am. I understand you build teams depending on the mission; who did you recruit for this one?"
"I have assembled a four person team counting myself but not you, leaving our now usual fifth slot for you. Scrounger, coms, medic, and tactical, we have two people covering each slot and we all double up on weapons and operations and I handle any demolition needs."
"I'm more a social specialist than a combat specialist. I don't know whether I can fit into this group..."
"I understand," James interrupted holding up a hand. "I don't want to have to make a fight of it either, but if we need to, we need to be ready for it. That said, a social specialist is exactly what we need, leave the combat to the rest of the team and the Fnords. If we have to make a fight of it, just be sure to keep your head down and move when we tell you to."
James smiled at her, "Well, let's meet the team and get over to general transport. Blessedly your readings before your ship was shot up will allow us to sidestep from one of our home bases instead of having to take a ship down.
"Good. I think. The locals won't see us coming, but we're going to have to carry everything in instead of having a cache on a saucer. I'll get some gems and old coins before we leave, so we have something to trade for spending money. Maybe I can make the scroungers' lives easier."
The team that James led Helen to was cut from a similar cloth as its leader, two women a blonde that matched James for height, and an Asian who was Helen's height, as well as a scruffy Hispanic looking man who was actually shorter than Helen. "Miss Anderson, meet our team for this mission, Tara Wa" he continued indicating the Asian woman "is our primary communications tech and our back up medic. Gurtrude Weiss" he gestured at the blonde, "primary scrounger and backup tactical. Ryan Casta," his hand moved to the other man in the group, "primary medic and back up scrounger. I have primary on tactical as the team leader and backup on communications. Team, this is Miss Helen Anderson, she's going to be our social specialist on this op. Now, command is hers when dealing with the locals in non-violent ways, we're her protection in other words. When we find and catch up with the Fnords they call the shots, until then, she's in charge unless all hell breaks loose, in which case I'm running the show. Any questions?"
After a moment, Helen smiled. "I hope that means you've already read my report. We have no support from HQ, and no forward base - anything we don't take in the first sidestep, we have to find or do without. Now, I don't have a lot of command experience, so if I ask you to do something that'll get any of us killed, tell me I'm being an idiot. If you need that to be an order, then that's an order." Helen looked at James, who nodded. "I'm counting on all of you to keep me in line as much as I'm counting on everyone to keep each other safe. I want everyone to come home from this. We leave in two hours."
Helen looked up at James - he was only two inches taller than she was, but that was enough, especially with his muscles. She almost smiled at a few thoughts that ran through her mind - but she was on duty. "I'm very happy to meet you, Mr. Bostwick. Obviously, you already know who I am. I understand you build teams depending on the mission; who did you recruit for this one?"
"I have assembled a four person team counting myself but not you, leaving our now usual fifth slot for you. Scrounger, coms, medic, and tactical, we have two people covering each slot and we all double up on weapons and operations and I handle any demolition needs."
"I'm more a social specialist than a combat specialist. I don't know whether I can fit into this group..."
"I understand," James interrupted holding up a hand. "I don't want to have to make a fight of it either, but if we need to, we need to be ready for it. That said, a social specialist is exactly what we need, leave the combat to the rest of the team and the Fnords. If we have to make a fight of it, just be sure to keep your head down and move when we tell you to."
James smiled at her, "Well, let's meet the team and get over to general transport. Blessedly your readings before your ship was shot up will allow us to sidestep from one of our home bases instead of having to take a ship down.
"Good. I think. The locals won't see us coming, but we're going to have to carry everything in instead of having a cache on a saucer. I'll get some gems and old coins before we leave, so we have something to trade for spending money. Maybe I can make the scroungers' lives easier."
The team that James led Helen to was cut from a similar cloth as its leader, two women a blonde that matched James for height, and an Asian who was Helen's height, as well as a scruffy Hispanic looking man who was actually shorter than Helen. "Miss Anderson, meet our team for this mission, Tara Wa" he continued indicating the Asian woman "is our primary communications tech and our back up medic. Gurtrude Weiss" he gestured at the blonde, "primary scrounger and backup tactical. Ryan Casta," his hand moved to the other man in the group, "primary medic and back up scrounger. I have primary on tactical as the team leader and backup on communications. Team, this is Miss Helen Anderson, she's going to be our social specialist on this op. Now, command is hers when dealing with the locals in non-violent ways, we're her protection in other words. When we find and catch up with the Fnords they call the shots, until then, she's in charge unless all hell breaks loose, in which case I'm running the show. Any questions?"
After a moment, Helen smiled. "I hope that means you've already read my report. We have no support from HQ, and no forward base - anything we don't take in the first sidestep, we have to find or do without. Now, I don't have a lot of command experience, so if I ask you to do something that'll get any of us killed, tell me I'm being an idiot. If you need that to be an order, then that's an order." Helen looked at James, who nodded. "I'm counting on all of you to keep me in line as much as I'm counting on everyone to keep each other safe. I want everyone to come home from this. We leave in two hours."