Captain Glimpses

[DrDog]

"Alright, all of these are on loan from the free council, so keep them tip top shape."

Captain flicks on the lights to show what the free council has to offer, revovlvers, pistols, rifles, machine guns, shotguns, the whole 9 yards.

Ensign snatches up a 45 magnum (heavy pistol) without a drop of hesitation.
"Get three, just in case." Captain reminds her. Two more go in her bag. Leftenant and Commander both pick up light pistols, and get three copies.

With his crew suitably armed to not have their weapons fall apart any one time, Captain feels better about things.

(Ensign will get the following specialty- Pistols, Long distance running (athletics), canids (animal ken).)

[DrDog]

"Hey Dan, its Jake. Hows the grandkids?"

"Thats great to hear Dan. He graduates this june? I'll be there, you don't mind if I bring along the posse do you? Wonderful. No, I didn't hear. Johnny got himself on american Idol? Wow. I'll have to watch it."

"Ok, i can hear it in your voice, whats ailing you? Oh come on, you can tell me. Fine fine, when you get it all straightened out, let me know. I like helping out."

"Listen, I was wondering something. Hypothetically, there's this good kid. Did his stint in the army, but had to leave base day before discharge due to familly business. His commander wouldn't OK the request for leave, and so he got himself AWOLed. So hypothetically, good kids should get help from the VA right? So, I was wondering what ways there might be of figuring out how to get this good kid his vet card. And you know all the bureaucratic stuff so much better than me Dan. So if you could think on it, I'd love to hear your opinion. Remember, its all hypothetical."

"Of course I remember, he's graduating NYU law, valedictorian. He's your grandson, of course he's valedictorian. I'll see you then Dan. *chuckle* Take care, say hi to Marci for me."

[DrDog]

Captain finally installs the landline for his office. The phone had been painted blue, and only he and the crew were allowed to answer it. The similarly blue painted answering machine was for their use as well.

Only a few hours setting it up did Captain get a call.
"Dan! Good to hear from you. What?" "What do you mean they already started?" "I'll be there. Just hats, ok. Capitol steps."

Captain grabs his Navy hat and steps into the crews' quarters. "Bad Anti-War protest. Come on." The four of them jog briskly from the Hostel to the Capitol steps.

About thirty men and women, mostly older generation, but a few college students are in the mix as well. Some holding signs calling for War Crimes trials, but most of them just listening to some guy talk about how Obama needs to withdraw all the troops.

On the sidewalk, with a row of a dozen police officers in front of them, is a ragged collection of a half dozen men flying American flags. Now there are nine men, and Ensign. There is also Rear Admiral Dan. Coast guard rear admiral, but still, he's Dan. Captain hugs him, and looks out at the opposing crowd.

"Seriously? War Crimes? Shame on them." Captain looks disgusted at the protestors. Leftenant is having a ball, starting the counter-protestors up in millitary songs, working the crowd. Commander and Ensign have melded with the crowd, and are singing too.

"Dan, you got a bullhorn? I've got a speach to give them." Dan laughs, before going into the ice chest and pulling it out.

Captain looks over the bullhorn, and says to it "Ok, be nice now." Controling the sound of the bullhorn, directing it outward linearly, so that the police officers who he's shouting next to don't get traumatic ear damage.

"FOR SHAME!" He shouts. "Shame on you! You stand here at this edifice to american architecture, to men and women who fought and died for LIBERTY, and mock them, abuse them, and disparage them! They are dying over there so that you can live your life in FREEDOM! And you want to punish them for war crimes?! You take the word of a man who desires your death over the men and women who have bled to give you LIBERTY! FOR SHAME!" Captain continues to rant for another 15 minutes. Soon after the protest disperses. The protest warriors head to a local pizzeria, and laugh and chat for a few hours, before going their seperate ways.

[DrDog]

"Come on Cpatain. You sucked at that fight and you know it. You've got to learn to throw a punch someday." Commander pleaded with Captain.

"Alright alright fine. You've spent the past couple of days convincing me. Lets just get this over with."

For the next two hours they drilled basic punches and kicks, Captain's body wasn't cut out for this, but he made do. He was in good shape, just not terribly effective. But still he learned and practiced. Eventually he could actually hit the board with some strength behind the punch.

"There, happy now?"

"Aye Aye sir.[color=white:s8j715pj]" Ensign answered. Captain scowled at her, before heading back to his office.[/color:s8j715pj]

[DrDog]

Captain Picks up the phone.
"Dan! Yeah, good to talk to you again. Two weeks right? Oh its marked on my Calendar. You should see the present we got her. Oh, not going to say just yet. I will say its nothing like your 70th present. *Laugh* Thank god Duxen is quick with the camera. Your face is immortalized in film. Got a picture right here on my desk. *more laughter*"
"So, I saw in the paper today about that break in at McClelan. Any idea whose heading up the investigation? *Laugh* You can take the ship from the captain, but you can't take the command. I like to think of this place as my ship now; even the on duty guys. So I want to help out. See what I can do. What? Oh, like whose leading up the investigation or who might be a good person to talk to about it. That sort of thing." Captain hears a knock on his door. "Gotta go, I'm expecting someone. Yeah, just give me a ring back. Anytime Dan. Great talking to you. Take care now."

[DrDog]

Getting the clothes was easy. Getting the spot was easy; a little extra funding from the FC general fund filed under "funeral expenses" smoothed things out. The three graves would be next to each other. No matter how hard Captain figured though, there was no way he would get a proper millitary funeral for Ghoster. So, he'd have to settle for improper. Something good, but slightly off. That is what the blank badges were about (as far as captain had figured). Commander was practicing his buggling. He'd been out of practice, and really was more for trumpets. But he'd be good enough. Getting the flag hadn't be hard. A quick call to the VA had turned up a whole warehouse full of them.
No, the hard part was his speech. It had to be something inspiring; something to let people come away with a new sense of puprose and resolve. It had to be something moving and meaningful. Service and Duty. He kept coming back to those.
"Three of our own are in the ground today. We may not know them well, but we know what they stood for. They stood up against Evil. They gave their lives against it. We now know that there is a foe that we must fight, one who has taken our most precious posession from us. Our friends, our companions, our brothers."
Good enough for now. Captain left the paper in the desk drawer and went out to chat with the Crew.