Post by Lord Bromosalino on Mar 6, 2014 19:44:53 GMT -5
Monday, roughly 06:00. The North Blue, near the Marine B1 base. We’ve made good headway since departing from Roguetown four weeks and three days ago. The crew doesn’t seem to enjoy the cold, especially Lieutenant Amyot. Thor, too, seems to prefer my cabin to his usual spot near the wheel of the ship. As for me, the cold waters are eerie; too many memories and far too much pain. I’d like to say that I don’t mind having our first assignment take place in the harshest of the blues, but we all know that’d be a lie. It isn’t easy, but only time will tell how I’ll be able to hold up.
“Sigh. I really need to get my mind off of this.” Long, blue fingers dropped the quill it had been holding, and reached for a much needed mug filled with steaming green tea. The warmth did him some good, and the heat had helped warm his freezing hands as well. His penmanship was suffering from the shaking; at least this would make the letter a bit more legible. It had been quite a long time since Captain Isaac Saifer had ventured to this part of the world. Well over seven years have passed, yet the same eerie and desolate atmosphere lingered in the air and hovered above the near frozen water. The passing of comrades and family has made the frozen wasteland known as the North Blue the last place that the Marine captain had wanted to revisit. He would find that keeping his mind on the past would distract him for far too long. It was best to keep the past in the past anyways.
Still, orders were orders and so the young captain was forced to comply. Besides, he had just been gifted with great honor and command; a rank in promotion, a vessel unlike anything that had ever been seen (in large part due to the private funding of his parent’s wealth), and a crew of his own to lead independently. Now of all times was certainly not the appropriate time to butt heads with the superior officers of the Marine hierarchy. For the past few years since his return to the Marines, Isaac had been under close observation and evaluation; and even after having been granted command of the ‘Black Guard’ last year, Captain Saifer and the 15th Marine Division (otherwise known as the Blackwatch) were still under the ever watchful eyes of the Marines.
And with good reason. A man cannot be trusted until he has been tested. While it was certainly true that the well experienced Isaac Saifer had gone through quite a bit and had been tested in his seven plus years as a Marine, the Blackwatch as a whole was still largely untested and untried by an assessment of any kind. They had simply been meandering from base to base in the East Blue picking up recruits that were being assigned by HQ to help run the hulking ‘base with sails’. Captain Saifer himself had, largely, left the recruitment process in the capable hands of his superiors, though he did insist (quite strongly) that Lieutenant Amyot be made his right-hand man…err, woman. Her qualifications were quite impressive and the HQ eventually gave in; though, according to Saifer, his superiors would have liked to have another officer take the Lieutenants position in order to better keep an eye on the emerging Captain and Marine group. In the meantime, they would make do with positioning the Blackwatch in the North Blue under Vice-Admiral Dalmatian.
The crew is definitely feeling the impact of no longer having to do another man’s work. I am grateful that HQ had at least assigned some decent recruits with a shred of experience to the Blackwatch. The ‘Black Guard’ is running like clockwork, mostly thanks to the Lieutenant. Amyot’s tendency to toss ‘slackers’ overboard isn’t a pleasant thought considering the temperature out here, and so the entire crew is working like a madman. It’d be nice if we didn't have to stop work to throw a line every now and then, or walking on the decks and seeing another poor soul with a lump growing out of their head from where they've been ‘bopped’. Sigh, she sure is sprightly and a tad overzealous. Still, it’s nice to have her aboard. Like I said, we’re making good time. However, the cold and the thin layers of ice forming on the surface are slowing us down slightly. We should reach the base within the next few days. Hopefully all goes well and they will allow me to visit later during the year.
Miss you and love you always,
Your son,
Isaac Saier.
Land ho!
“You heard him! Well!? Get moving, prepare to make port! And where’s the captain?”
“Yes ma’am! He hasn’t been out of his cabin this morning, Lieutenant. Did you want me to wake him?”
“No, I’ll go wake him. As you were.”
Flip…flip…flip It was a good morning, just perfect for reading in fact. A warm cup of tea sat on the large oaken desk, a faint ray of sunlight was streaming through the window in the captain’s room in the very back of the cabin, and even Thor (a large Doberman that functioned as Saifer’s partner) was still sleeping on his mat quietly. ‘The History of the Moral Theology’ , always an interesting read even for Isaac who had read it quite a few times.
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
Looking up from his position, Thor got up and stretched, clearly unhappy from being awakened. Knock, knock, knock, knock. “Oh come in already Caroline, you don’t have to bang away at that door all morning.”. The heavy, oaken door opened and was promptly shut by the howling wind that seemed to never end. Struggling once more with the door, the petite Lieutenant finally managed to squirm herself into the captain’s cabin. “Didn’t you hear the call? The ship is due to make port at the B1 base any moment now. And you’re just in here reading, though that’s no surprise. Why aren’t you out on deck?” “If it’s no surprise, then why ask that pointless question? We haven’t made dock yet, so there’s no reason for me to be out there. Call me when we’ve actually made port and anchor. I want to finish this chapter.” “Sigh. Not like you haven’t read that book for the umpteenth time now.”
Captain Saifer couldn’t help but let a small chuckle out as his Lieutenant struggled once more with the heavy door before barking more orders to the rest of the crew. He really did see her as a younger sister, and so the ruthlessly efficient and near menacing side of her was almost non-existent in their relationship. By now, the warm cup had significantly cooled due to the temperature and was no longer enjoyable. Putting the small, leather book into the inner, left pocket of the green, bomber jacket, Isaac picked up a fairly thin folder. That, too, had been looked over for the umpteenth time. But all the same, Isaac scanned them once more. There were a few good recruits at the base that needed to be looked over. And though the captain hadn’t had an active role in the selection process, the ship was running smoothly and well enough. It was time for him to make some choice recruitment now that they weren’t in dire need of filling bunks and positions. Besides, he had to mail his letter to his parents back to Roguetown and restock on supplies. And then there was the matter of meeting with Vice-Admiral Dalmatian and receiving his first assignment.
Effortlessly pushing the door open, the Marine took a moment to adjust his eyes to the morning light. The rest of the crew on deck looked up to the cabin (as the captain’s office was the situated above the deck) and threw a salute and, as one man, threw out a loud “Morning, Captain Saifer!” Throwing a lazy salute back, the exclusive captain made his way down the stairs to the helm with Thor, as usual, in tow. The Marine that had been at that post executed another crisp salute before moving to the side, allowing the fairly tall captain to assume command of the post. The B1 base loomed in front of them, its tall towers casting a shadow upon their vessel as they neared the port.
“I’m assuming we’ve made contact with the base via Den Den Mushi and have been granted clearance to make port?”
”Yes sir, we have the green light to make anchor. Shall I retrieve your Captain’s jacket for your meeting with the Vice-Admiral?”
“No need. Besides, I hate that damn trench coat with its long sleeves. It’s like a damn flapping bird. Inform the head chef that we are about to make dock, and that I want him tp oversee the restocking process. Also, let Chief Gunner Dupont know that he’ll be accompanying myself and the Lieutenant to the meeting.”
Finally, the Blackwatch would get their first assignment.
“Sigh. I really need to get my mind off of this.” Long, blue fingers dropped the quill it had been holding, and reached for a much needed mug filled with steaming green tea. The warmth did him some good, and the heat had helped warm his freezing hands as well. His penmanship was suffering from the shaking; at least this would make the letter a bit more legible. It had been quite a long time since Captain Isaac Saifer had ventured to this part of the world. Well over seven years have passed, yet the same eerie and desolate atmosphere lingered in the air and hovered above the near frozen water. The passing of comrades and family has made the frozen wasteland known as the North Blue the last place that the Marine captain had wanted to revisit. He would find that keeping his mind on the past would distract him for far too long. It was best to keep the past in the past anyways.
Still, orders were orders and so the young captain was forced to comply. Besides, he had just been gifted with great honor and command; a rank in promotion, a vessel unlike anything that had ever been seen (in large part due to the private funding of his parent’s wealth), and a crew of his own to lead independently. Now of all times was certainly not the appropriate time to butt heads with the superior officers of the Marine hierarchy. For the past few years since his return to the Marines, Isaac had been under close observation and evaluation; and even after having been granted command of the ‘Black Guard’ last year, Captain Saifer and the 15th Marine Division (otherwise known as the Blackwatch) were still under the ever watchful eyes of the Marines.
And with good reason. A man cannot be trusted until he has been tested. While it was certainly true that the well experienced Isaac Saifer had gone through quite a bit and had been tested in his seven plus years as a Marine, the Blackwatch as a whole was still largely untested and untried by an assessment of any kind. They had simply been meandering from base to base in the East Blue picking up recruits that were being assigned by HQ to help run the hulking ‘base with sails’. Captain Saifer himself had, largely, left the recruitment process in the capable hands of his superiors, though he did insist (quite strongly) that Lieutenant Amyot be made his right-hand man…err, woman. Her qualifications were quite impressive and the HQ eventually gave in; though, according to Saifer, his superiors would have liked to have another officer take the Lieutenants position in order to better keep an eye on the emerging Captain and Marine group. In the meantime, they would make do with positioning the Blackwatch in the North Blue under Vice-Admiral Dalmatian.
The crew is definitely feeling the impact of no longer having to do another man’s work. I am grateful that HQ had at least assigned some decent recruits with a shred of experience to the Blackwatch. The ‘Black Guard’ is running like clockwork, mostly thanks to the Lieutenant. Amyot’s tendency to toss ‘slackers’ overboard isn’t a pleasant thought considering the temperature out here, and so the entire crew is working like a madman. It’d be nice if we didn't have to stop work to throw a line every now and then, or walking on the decks and seeing another poor soul with a lump growing out of their head from where they've been ‘bopped’. Sigh, she sure is sprightly and a tad overzealous. Still, it’s nice to have her aboard. Like I said, we’re making good time. However, the cold and the thin layers of ice forming on the surface are slowing us down slightly. We should reach the base within the next few days. Hopefully all goes well and they will allow me to visit later during the year.
Miss you and love you always,
Your son,
Isaac Saier.
Land ho!
“You heard him! Well!? Get moving, prepare to make port! And where’s the captain?”
“Yes ma’am! He hasn’t been out of his cabin this morning, Lieutenant. Did you want me to wake him?”
“No, I’ll go wake him. As you were.”
Flip…flip…flip It was a good morning, just perfect for reading in fact. A warm cup of tea sat on the large oaken desk, a faint ray of sunlight was streaming through the window in the captain’s room in the very back of the cabin, and even Thor (a large Doberman that functioned as Saifer’s partner) was still sleeping on his mat quietly. ‘The History of the Moral Theology’ , always an interesting read even for Isaac who had read it quite a few times.
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
Looking up from his position, Thor got up and stretched, clearly unhappy from being awakened. Knock, knock, knock, knock. “Oh come in already Caroline, you don’t have to bang away at that door all morning.”. The heavy, oaken door opened and was promptly shut by the howling wind that seemed to never end. Struggling once more with the door, the petite Lieutenant finally managed to squirm herself into the captain’s cabin. “Didn’t you hear the call? The ship is due to make port at the B1 base any moment now. And you’re just in here reading, though that’s no surprise. Why aren’t you out on deck?” “If it’s no surprise, then why ask that pointless question? We haven’t made dock yet, so there’s no reason for me to be out there. Call me when we’ve actually made port and anchor. I want to finish this chapter.” “Sigh. Not like you haven’t read that book for the umpteenth time now.”
Captain Saifer couldn’t help but let a small chuckle out as his Lieutenant struggled once more with the heavy door before barking more orders to the rest of the crew. He really did see her as a younger sister, and so the ruthlessly efficient and near menacing side of her was almost non-existent in their relationship. By now, the warm cup had significantly cooled due to the temperature and was no longer enjoyable. Putting the small, leather book into the inner, left pocket of the green, bomber jacket, Isaac picked up a fairly thin folder. That, too, had been looked over for the umpteenth time. But all the same, Isaac scanned them once more. There were a few good recruits at the base that needed to be looked over. And though the captain hadn’t had an active role in the selection process, the ship was running smoothly and well enough. It was time for him to make some choice recruitment now that they weren’t in dire need of filling bunks and positions. Besides, he had to mail his letter to his parents back to Roguetown and restock on supplies. And then there was the matter of meeting with Vice-Admiral Dalmatian and receiving his first assignment.
Effortlessly pushing the door open, the Marine took a moment to adjust his eyes to the morning light. The rest of the crew on deck looked up to the cabin (as the captain’s office was the situated above the deck) and threw a salute and, as one man, threw out a loud “Morning, Captain Saifer!” Throwing a lazy salute back, the exclusive captain made his way down the stairs to the helm with Thor, as usual, in tow. The Marine that had been at that post executed another crisp salute before moving to the side, allowing the fairly tall captain to assume command of the post. The B1 base loomed in front of them, its tall towers casting a shadow upon their vessel as they neared the port.
“I’m assuming we’ve made contact with the base via Den Den Mushi and have been granted clearance to make port?”
”Yes sir, we have the green light to make anchor. Shall I retrieve your Captain’s jacket for your meeting with the Vice-Admiral?”
“No need. Besides, I hate that damn trench coat with its long sleeves. It’s like a damn flapping bird. Inform the head chef that we are about to make dock, and that I want him tp oversee the restocking process. Also, let Chief Gunner Dupont know that he’ll be accompanying myself and the Lieutenant to the meeting.”
Finally, the Blackwatch would get their first assignment.