As the Tides Come and Go...

[Gir Quee]

(Artwork originally by KungKungK)

Fort Corregidor, Hast

Gir Quee walked through the alabaster white hallways of Fort Corregidor, the latest Directorate base built on his homeworld. As much as he preferred to spend his time on a starship, even he had to admit that it was nice to be groundside from time to time. They said that people weren't meant to live in metal hulls drifting among the void, and with the gentle sea breeze and the vibrant golden light of the sun, Gir actually felt obliged to accept that argument for the first time in a long time. The blonde man rounded a corner around pair of Directorate marines to exit through a mirrsteel blast door to arrive on the observation deck that overlooked the base's landing strip.

"You're here early," said a deep voice from behind him.

Gir cocked his head to the side to see Major Goins, who had recently led the Directorate ground forces at the Battle of Taxon City. The bull-headed man no longer wore his battle armor, but instead wore the charcoal-colored fatigues commonly wore by Directorate troops working in low-threat garrison duties. Gir offered the man a shrug as he turned his attention back to base's landing strip.

"And you are as well," observed Gir, "perhaps it's ingrained in us from our time in the service."

"Perhaps."

"You are not comfortable with the thought of [member="Valkren Calderon"] and his team joining the Directorate?"

The other man came to stand next to him at the edge of the balcony, "I can't say that I am. The Republic's...no, I should say the people that claim to hold the Republic's standard are a disparate lot. Some of them, like yourself, have been professional and respected soldiers. You have heard of those who have been branded as terrorists by the Galactic Alliance of late, have you not?"

"Calderon and his men do not fit into that category," said Gir, "they have been far more surgical and precise than many of our own. It goes without saying that when he arrives here, I do not expect to see innuendos that he or his men are to be counted among the latter lot."

"I understand. I expect that you will do most of the talking."

Gir turned to the other man before his eyes swept across the island fortress, "Men like us protect our people to the best of our ability. If you find yourself debating if you should speak up because of a concern that you have, I expect you to say it. But I expect you to say it in a constructive manner, especially given that he has already shown the worth of himself and his team. They are fellow soldiers and protectors, after all..."

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren had arrived on Hast with his team not long after their joint-operation, Operation Torch. After their close call with the boarders that somehow made their way onto The Ocean's Tide, Sergeant Calderon had begun to take in doubts about their previous position in the Galactic Republic. His entire team, himself, and the members of The Atlas were all still loyal to the Republic, and it would be probable that they keep their loyalty to it throughout this transition.

The transition.

After all of the operations Saber team and it's NCO had followed through with while with the Republic, they had looked to the Directorate for support, mainly due to the friendship between Valkren and [member="Gir Quee"]. Hell, more than half of those operations had been with Gir on overwatch for Calderon's team.

Honestly, he was the only man he had really, truly trusted with the safety of his team. Whenever Gir provided information or issued an order, Valkren and his team would jump without a doubt. Standing just within the gates of Fort Corregidor, Valkren flicked out the dying ember of a cigarette he had been dragging from the past few minutes. Valkren was no longer in the ragged commando armor his allies had grown accustomed to seeing him in, nor was he in his Republic 'dress blues.' He was in his civies' now; combat boots, simply workers pants, a slim jacket and a white Tee underneath. He would have worn something more formal, but he was tired. His body was exhausted from the almost 24/7 combat in full suit. Exhaustion was the reason that only he was attending this meeting, he wanted to give the other members of his team a break from all the political and military B.S. just for a day.

Valkren stomped out the dying ember, before looking up to the building that Gir was supposedly in. He moved into action, attempting to remain as professional in appearance as possible, even with his exhaustion and un-professional appearance. He knew that they would be in question for joining, but he trusted Gir had paved the way for them.

 

[Gir Quee]

"But of course."

Gir and Goins retreated from the observation deck into an adjacent briefing room that offered an almost panoramic view of the sea as well as the sections of Ibtasim City that rose up from the shallow sea shelf. He felt at home here, not only physically, but culturally as well. He knew that a good portion of that was because of his position as a high, founding member of the Directorate itself. But a larger portion of that was because of the people who he was with: even the harshest conditions a military could operate on could be alleviated by who you worked with. That was one of the tenets around the Directorate's formation. While on paper the organization's recruitment worked on written procedures and protocols, in actuality, much of it was based on personal connections which were merely validated by the bureaucracy. Gir looked forward to bringing [member="Valkren Calderon"] and the rest of Saber Team through the transition process, even if it meant that he would have to do some paper shuffling, so he let a slow smile crease his face as the other soldier walked in.

"Welcome Valkren," said Gir, extending a hand to the other man, "This may be the first time that I haven't seen you in a uniform. You remember Major Goins here from the raid on Taxon City?"

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren met Gir's hand with his own, providing a firm handshake. He felt relieved at the sight of some familiar faces, including the Major. He almost felt as if he could relax, but the sergeant knew this wasn't the case. Valkren was brought here for a reason, and he was ready to get to business. Although, that didn't mean some socializing couldn't take place. The young commando from Alderaan had to contain a laugh after Gir's statement of his uniform. It was true, the special forces unit had grown so accustomed to wearing their full-suit that it almost seemed to be another layer of skin, something people like Gir and the Major understood all too well, he was sure.

"It's great to see you again Sir, and ofcourse-" Valkren switched his gaze from his good friend to the Major, recalling how he was in charge of the directorate marines during Operation Torch..Calderon also recalled how much faith the major had in Saber team and the Republic Marines. However, he'd have to look over that for now. Someone with that much pull in the directorate would make a worthy ally, also..it's the friggin' marines. Valkren always recalled what the Republic Navy's motto was for a firefight;

'Send in the Marines.'

"Major Goins, without the help of your marines, that tower would have never fell and Saber team would have been overwhelmed the second we had boots on the ground." After taking his hand away from the greeting with Gir, he offered it to the Major out of respect. He knew the major lacked faith, but he honestly did not know how deep his feelings ran for the Republic and the NCO that now offered a hand to him.

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir watched as Goins tentatively grasped [membe="Valkren Calderon"]'s hand. It seemed to Gir that while Goins appreciated the sentiment, he wasn't entirely sold either. What was it that he once said? An optimistic, trusting soldier is a dead soldier? Goins appeared to have come from the school of hard knocks before Gir had met him in the Directorate's service. The man's more formulative years would be something that he would have to look into, but now that clearly wasn't the time. Now they would have to help win over Goins, as one of the upper ranking Directorate troopers, if they were to ease in Saber Team's transition, not only for the initial paperwork, but for the times to come after that. In Gir's experience, potential internal enemies could be just as damaging to one's career and cause as the men who pointed guns at you on the outside.

"Let's all speak candidly," suggested Gir, "there are some concerns about your people, sergeant, mostly because while we have seen them in action, and they have seemed quite capable to me in that regard, we do not know about them personally. A man can be a great soldier in the field, but if he brings back problems with him while he's back on base or in a garrison environment, it might not be the best fit. I suppose it goes without saying we're not talking about blatantly illegal activities, such as the use of spice or other illegal drugs, but other more subtle signs of possible conflicts of interest. For example, a soldier who is constantly out of cash or who is in great debt may be tempted to sell military secrets in order to make ends meet. Can you think of anything that might raise flags if we were to conduct a more thorough background check on them? Anything we should know about their personal lives, or perhaps, moments of their past?"

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren almost frowned at this statement. They had been through plenty of background checks, so he was familiar with the process. However, he had never had such a direct question pointed at his team about their loyalties. He stood there for several quiet moments after taking his hand from the Major's, contemplating his answer.

He decided to go with the more blatant response.

"Well, every one of my team members drink. That's about as risky as each one of 'em come." Valkren stated jokingly, before changing his demeanor to one of a more serious look.

He reached up and rubbed at his rather rough-looking stubble as he thought back on his team's past. "I assure you, sirs.. Each one of my men have their own reasons for joining the Republic, but none of them were to sell out their own side. They know what's at stake here..They wouldn't sell out any of their own.." He moved his direction of speaking mainly to [member="Gir Quee"]. "They all consider you one of their own, Sir."

He knew that his men had plenty of connections to criminal organizations and other military-based groups, but those were contacts and assets that many of them used for their own operations. Most of these assets being on their files, unless they had taken extra precautions to keep them anonymous due to deals or what not.

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir slowly nodded in acknowledgement at [member="Valkren Calderon"]'s comments. It was a difficult balancing act to put just enough pressure in order to ensure that no liabilities were being swept underneath the rug, yet not too much pressure to make Calderon and his team uncooperative. Yet Calderon didn't display any nervousness or other signs that he was knowingly hiding anything from them, which Gir found reassuring. If Goins could be convinced that Calderon was legit, it would make processing the rest of the team much easier. Even in the age of sophisticated background checks and advanced screening processes, a man's word and reputation still carried a large amount of weight. Goins particularly fell into the habits of that old military tradition. But he wondered if that alone would sway him into speeding the approval process.

"I am glad to hear all of those things," said Gir, briefly turning to Goins, "I should point out that we have never had any issues with Saber Team while they were travelling with us, or operating in concert with us. Wouldn't you agree?"

Goins hesitated before he slowly folded his arms, "Captain Quee, I know that you are eager to bring them in. They seem to have grown close to you, and them you during the heat of battle. But I have to play Devil's advocate here, just to make sure that your experience with them doesn't cause us to overlook any potential problem areas. I must admit that I have never seen or heard any other problems with them, nor do our records show any cause for concern."

Gir raised an eyebrow, "So in other words, we have no reason to doubt them personally, but you're still wary of them?"

Almost immediately after those words, Gir began to regret them. Goins's suspicion of newcomers was already known to him as a likely obstacle, and he had now just brought into the open. Gir and Valkren would now potentially have to contend with a man who felt on the defensive. And that wouldn't make the process easier. Of course, Gir could use his clout within the organization as a whole to pressure him forward. But that would be a battle of wills that could cause unwanted internal divisions and strife. Goins stared hard at Gir for a moment, as if studying him. Gir met his gaze openly, before the major turned to Calderon.

"I feel that we have involved you in a squabble that you shouldn't be a part of," said Goins, "but needless to say, you are not fully known qualities to me, or perhaps I should to some of the marine corps, that I can whole-heartedly endorse this transition with no strings attached. I have a liaison who is slated to join your squad during this transition process..."

He saw that conflict coming to a head and planned for it...He was only wondering when to play that card...

"...during this time, he will not only help show you around the base, equip your people, train and fight alongside of you. But I warn you, that I have given him strict instructions to keep an eye out for any possible sources of concern that may surface until a time that I see fit to assign him elsewhere. Will you find his presence acceptable, sergeant?"

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren nodded as Quee took in the words that he stated. It was true, him and his men had always seen Gir as one of their own after taking on a number of operations together. The commando turned his gaze back to Major Goins as he began to make his response once more.

It was quite obvious to the young man from Alderaan that the Major was not fond of him or his men. In truth, he hadn't taken that much of a liking to the man that spoke to him now either. However, he did respect him for the tactics he observed his men use during Operation Torch, and the taking of Tessk's pirates.

Valkren didn't mind the idea of a liaison running with his tight-knit team, but he couldn't speak the same for his own team members. The idea of a man helping them along with the New directorate facilities and training methods seemed normal enough, but to keep an eye on each of them was something Valk' knew his squaddies would despise the idea of it.

"I've got no problem with this, Major. I welcome it." Valkren stated before folded his arms over his chest, shifting his weight idly onto his right leg before speaking up once more.

"No offense intended, sirs..But this won't be another intel specialist that doesn't know how to fight, will he? Don't want Young to get jealous." He'd offer a weak smile, clearly the exhaustion getting to him. He attempted to remain as professional as possible, but it was making him tired. Bringing out more emotions into the conversation helped him stay awake.

Now that he thought about it..Coffee would be nice about now.

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

A frown flickered across Gir's face at [member="Valkren Calderon"]'s last comment. That might have hit a little too close to the mark...but then again, Goins has already crossed that line... While Gir could appreciate Goins's forwardness of his intentions of the 'liaison', it was hardly an ideal solution from Gir's standpoint. We just replaced one set of problems with a whole new set of problems...though from Goins's perspective, he has a solid control in place to deal with what he has defined as problems. But that liaison's going to create a different environment in the team...and that will be problematic depending on his choice. The man from Hast briefly glanced downward before looking up to meet the major's gaze.

"I think Sergeant Calderon has a valid concern," said Gir, "particularly given how close-knit his team is..."

Goins briefly turned his eyes to the ocean before turning back to face the other two men, "I did not loosely pick just anyone for this position, nor did I choose someone who I think that we'd agree would be under my influence. I think that you would agree that Flight Officer Tyral would be a fine choice because of his impartiality."

Gir blinked. That's not who I expected...Tyral had been one of Gir's shuttle pilots during the construction of Fort Corregidor, though Gir knew he had also served as a gunship pilot in support of Goins's forces on several occasions. Gir's mind wandered to the soft-spoken man with closely-cropped dark hair. He seemed so unremarkable and quiet that Gir barely remembered anything about him. Those traits could be a useful asset for an observer...for better or worse...

"You question the utility of that choice?" said Goins, folding his arms, "Saber Team will need someone who knows his way around Hast and throughout the rest of our facilities. He's equally capable of guiding and flying them wherever."

"But can he really keep up with them?"

"He's no grunt," admitted Goins, "but his fitness and markmanship scores show that he should at least be able to take care of himself in most situations. Besides, he's one of the few people on the base cleared to fly stealth transports for insertions."

Gir turned his attention back to Calderon, "I've met the man several times. He's never seemed like a screw-up or political type, but you may have to train him to bring him up to speed if you plan on taking him into ground combat..."

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren unfolded his arms at the statement of training this new liaison for Saber team. Did they really have the time to train and bring up a new member of the team to speed? Wouldn't that be wasting valuable time and resources they could be spending out in the field..Helping people? Nevertheless, Calderon knew he was playing a part, and he wanted to make it as easy for Gir as he possibly could. Thus, he decided to not provoke the Marine Major any further than he might of already did by accident.

Instead, he'd nod his head and respond to the two Directorate officers infront of him. "Once again, I'm fine with this Sirs. However, Quee is correct. My team has been quite the tight-knit group ever since we went into hiding after the fall of the Republic, most of them still haven't adjusted back to normal life. I suggest that I meet with this liaison first, so I know what we'll be dealing with. I feel like I could ease the transition of meeting the team abit better then."

He feared if any of his team members, void the nicest member Young, came into contact with this liaison before Gir or Valkren could give them their word on him, they'd eat him up and spit him right back up after realizing that he's no member of Saber team.

He'd turn his focus to Goins once more, "If that works with you, sir."

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir turned his attention from [member="Valkren Calderon"] to Major Goins. The muscled man slowly crossed his arms in manner not unsimilar to the sergeant's. Digging in heels. On one hand, Gir could hardly blame either of the men. They had their principles, and they stuck to them. Such adherence was admirable in certain situations. Yet if neither side gave way, Gir guessed that their relationship would be rocky at best, which could be detrimental to operations. Maybe time can fix this? Or distance...Gir briefly weighed the options before jumping into the conversation.

"I think that would be beneficial," said Gir, "I think that we would all like to get this started..."

And over with...

"...Is Tyral is still assigned to the 1st of the 3rd?"

Goins hesitated, "His quarters are still there. But I officially transferred him to Saber Team this morning."

"Let's go meet the new guy then," said Gir, clamping a hand on Calderon's shoulder before turning his head to Goins, "Will you be joining us?"

The major shook his head, "No, I'm afraid not. I have a conference call to attend to regarding a new AFV in five minutes. I trust you can find your way there?"

"I think we can manage."

"Good."

Gir nodded before leading Calderon onto the observation walkway just outside of the room. The two walked onto the duracrete deck, with Gir frequently glancing not only at the undulating waves of the ocean world, but also looking down onto the flight deck, half-expecting to see the lanky flight officer appear among the mechanics and pilots that rotated in and out among their craft. Gir watched as a gunship lifted off to soar into the amber skies.

"No one said this is going to be easy," said Gir, turning his head to face Calderon, "but we both that war never is. But sometimes, I wonder if it's easier than the bureaucracy back in the garrison. What are you going to do with the liaison?"

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren watched the interaction between Goins and Gir Quee, before Gir placed his hand on the commando's shoulder, turning him away from Goins. He almost felt as if his friend was attempting to separate the pair sooner, and if that was the case..Valk' was grateful for that. His relationship with Major Goins was certainly a dicey one, to say the least. It was a relationship that Valkren wouldn't mind fixing sooner than later, especially considering that the two were bound to work together again soon.

"Major Goins, until next time, sir." He'd state before turning completely with his friend, walking off. Sergeant Calderon would keep his focus mainly on the ocean as it's waves licked against the facilities walls.

He'd nod in agreement with his friend as he spoke during their brief walk across the duracrete deck, "Honestly, I thought we left the political sithspit' back with the Jedi Council.. I guess some things about war never change."

He stopped for a moment to observe the flight deck after he was asked about the liaison officer. It'd not only be difficult training this new face to the tactics used by Saber team and the other Republic special forces groups that followed Valkren about, but it'd take even more work to assure that his team members would accept Tyral as one of their own. Perhaps if Quee also vouched for him later on down the road; it could possibly 'seal the deal,' or something of the sorts.

"What can I do?" He asked rhetorically. "I can provide him with training, and let him use my word as a way to break the ice with the boys..But other than that, it's on him."

The Republic commando from Alderaan turned back to Gir Quee before making another response. "It'll be hell week all over again for the sorry bastard.."

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir nodded at [member="Valkren Calderon"]'s words as the two strolled further down the observation deck towards a pair of white turbolift doors. The gentle crash of the waves around them and the light sea breeze against his skin made him physically wonder if he were on a vacation. While physically soothed, he mind labored on how to piece things together. He couldn't fault Calderon's comments. The Republic military had forged the members of Saber Team into exceptionally hardened and experienced warriors. As capable as Tyral was compared to a normal soldier, his physical abilities would likely pale in comparison. the man might be able to use his abilities to pilot different Directorate vehicles and his access to the rest of the organization to gain a grudging measure of tolerance among the team, but Gir wondered if he would even ever actually become part of the team. To an extent, Gir wondered if either party would really want that idealistic arrangement, particularly considering that it was likely to be a temporary duty assignment. Either Tyral or the members of Saber Team could easily maintain their distance if they wanted to. Gir's thoughts came to an end as they entered the turbolift that would take them down several levels to the base's main hangar, where Gir guessed Tyral was most likely to be. As the doors shut and they began their descent, Gir turned his eyes onto Calderon.

"I should tell you a little bit about Tyral before the of you meet," said Captain Quee, "Tyral was originally a pilot in the Hast Defense Forces before the Directorate. He flew X-wings and B-wings for them before transferring over to us. Flying is his passion, and he's probably the one of the most diversified pilots that we have in terms of craft qualifications. He's recently qualified and been assigned to fly an Eidolon-class Transport that was originally slated to be assigned to one of our intelligence cells..."

The lift came to a halt and its doors whipped open to reveal the bustling hangar of Fort Corregidor. A handful of mechanics and repair droids clambered over the bombers of Flashfire Squadron, but otherwise the hangar seemed almost bereft of activity. Gir's eyes passed by the pedestrian starfighters and shuttle craft to a quartet of ebony atmospheric shuttles that lined the furthest reach of the hangar from them. Next to one of the stealth transports, Gir noticed a tall, brown-haired man wearing a orange mechanic's overalls over his dark gray, Directorate issue fligth suit. Gir briefly paused to observe the man take a series of wide strides to disappear into one of the Eidolons. He turned to Calderon.

"I think that's Tyral, if I remember right," said Gir, "Any questions about him before we meet?"

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren blinked as he glanced at the man in that was still in his flight suit, letting a sigh escape as he turned his head to his friend. "There's not much else to know I suppose. What does he know about myself and Saber Team?"

He supposed there was not much else to do beside meet the man that Goins had informed the two of them about. The Sergeant would step out of the turbolift, letting another pair of mechanics pass by infront of him, and a deck-chief take his place in the lift. He was prepared for the worst, but assured that this would all turn out alright. Valkren had placed his trust in Captain Quee more than a few times, and that trust in him had yet to fail.

He stopped before walking any further, "I forgot to ask, what do you think about this situation, brother?"

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir considered [member="Valkren Calderon"]'s question.

"I'd be curious to hear what Goins told him about Saber Team," said Gir quietly as he strode forward before abruptly halting to stay near the sergeant, "he's usually not the type to give much more than the bare bones facts. So on the bright side, he probably doesn't have any definite preconceptions of you or the rest of the team...the flip side is that he's probably going to be pretty ignorant of everything to do with Saber Team as well..."

His mind moved to the second question. The situation. It was a broad term, which led his mind to consider several vantage points, ranging from the immediate political situation within Fort Corregidor itself to the large strategic events occurring across the galaxy. The Republic's loss of influence was perhaps the greater of these latter events that most effected them. In many ways though, it appeared that while fragmented, the peoples and infrastructure that had once made up the great galactic power had simply dispersed to different organizations, including a reformed Galactic Republic. Gir would be curious to see how the latest incarnation of the galactic government would fair, but he had had no contact with any members of that group. Perhaps I'm going off too far though...

"In many ways," said Gir, "the collapse of the two super powers, the Republic and the One Sith, has led to a certain amount of peace. But it's unsteady one at best, perpetuated by raids and border skirmishes by pirates and mercenaries. I think there is a good chance that the Mandalorians will ignite a full-scale war with the jedi of the Silver Order. Given our connections with the Order, I think that possibility is coloring a lot of the base's internal politics. That possibility has made the team's integration both easier and harder for us organizationally. It's easier because there will almost certainly be a need for a team as skilled as Saber Team if it comes down to war, which I think made transferring the team fairly easy to justify. But at the same time, I think that the possibility of war has introduced a sense of paranoia and stress into some of our people as well. I'm not sure if or how Tyral will fit into all of this..."

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren simply nodded in agreement. He liked [member="Gir Quee"], he always knew the right things to say to describe the situation, yet he'd never sugar coat it. The Sergeant could rely on Captain Quee to give it to him straight and let him know what exactly he needed to know..Nothing more, nothing less.

What truly scared Valk', was the situation they were presented at this moment. The situation with Tyral seemed to stump Gir, and it worried the young special forces operator. Even after the explanation of Gir and Major Goins, he didn't know what to expect with this new addition to Saber team, even if it might have been a temporary addition.

"Well..Shall we meet the kid?" If Tyral didn't know anything about Saber team, he was sure to learn quickly.

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir managed a subdued if somewhat weak smile at [member="Valkren Calderon"]'s comment.

"I suppose there's not much else we can do at the moment..."

Gir strode forward towards the dark shuttle. As he did so, he glanced around to ensure that he wasn't getting in the way of any of the vehicles taxiing out of the hangar or any of the support teams as they moved cannisters of volatile fuels and repulsor carts loaded with warheads. As they neared the craft, Tyral walked down the ramp of his craft while twirling a hydrospanner. The pilot abruptly halted and set down the tool when he spotted Gir striding towards him. The man's green eyes quickly turned from Gir to Valkren. Gir watched Tyral's face carefully, noting a remarkable blankness across the man's face. This man must be a killer player in the barrack's sabacc circuit...Tyral quickly turned his gaze back to Gir and straightened up his posture into a position that was almost 'at attention', except for a slight space between his booted feet. Gir quickly waved any formalities away as they neared the ramp.

"As you were," said Gir, glancing into the shuttle's hold, "it looks like you have been up to some work."

"Just routine maintenance," said Tyral, loosening his posture up, "I like to go over my ships from time to time to make sure the techs and droids are doing the job."

"And have they been?"

"Everything looks good so far."

"I see," said Gir, turning to Valkren, "This Sergeant Calderon, the leader of Saber Team. I take it Major Goins has told you about your new assignment?"

"Yes sir, he has," said the pilot turning his attention to the special forces trooper, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Sergeant. Where's the rest of the team?"