Tides of Change

[Caedes]

"Another drink, sir?"

Marcus looked up at the bartender, he was a burly man who also bore the rank of Corporal, probably working in the bar as a secondary duty, or a punishment. Marcus thought it best not to ask.

"Yeah... You got anything that doesn't taste like piss?"

The corporal looked under the counter and produced a bottle of wine and showed it to Marcus.

"Wine? Do I look like a woman?"

The corporal sighed and went down under the counter, replacing the wine with a bottle of whiskey.

"That'll do."

The corporal poured it into a cup and handed it to Marcus before going off to serve a mechanic.

Normally it'd be a bit weird to see an officer drinking in the "All Ranks Bar" as they served alcohol in the Officer's Mess, but Marcus preferred the company of the lower ranks, even if he wasn't actually speaking to any of them. To avoid any strange looks, he took off all rank insignia so to most people, he'd just appear to be a regular crewman. He still got the occasional glance when someone recognised him; usually one of the mechanics who fixed the many holes in his ship or a medic that stitched him back up.

Marcus didn't drink often, nor did he hang around in bars or any of the other recreational areas, but every now and then he would need to go and relieve stress.

Just before he finished his drink, he felt the presence of someone standing behind him, not liking the feeling of someone watching him, he stood up and turned around to face the person.

He was a sergeant, fairly young, a bit fat and for some reason, looking Marcus up and down.

"Can I help you?"

The sergeant's face scrunched up slightly.
"Can I help you. Sergeant."

"Excuse me?"

"Address me by my rank, crewman."

Marcus looked at him, not sure whether to laugh or punch him in the face. He knew exactly the type of person he was speaking to. Someone who just got promoted and wanted to show off his rank, or someone who just liked picking on people using his rank as a shield.

"We're in a bar, have a drink and calm the hell down." Marcus said calmly.

"... Calm the hell down? Crewman, do you not show respect for your superiors?"

Marcus sighed.
"Two things, respect is earned, not demanded and you are not superior to me. Carry this on any further and you'll be waking up in the infirmary."

"How dare you spe--" Was as far as the sergeant got before Marcus brought his knee up into the sergeants delicate bits.

Everyone in the bar was looking and a few of the guys held their privates, feeling the pain of what they just saw.

Marcus himself even felt bad about what he just did, but he had been in enough combat situations to know that the only thing that matters in a fight is removing the threat. Doesn't matter how.

Two crewmen and a corporal from a nearby table all stood up, one of the crewmen went to check on the downed sergeant, while the other two confronted Marcus.

Marcus took a few seconds to scan his immediate area, he grabbed his glass of whiskey and threw the remainder of the whiskey into the corporals face, effectively blinding him so that he couldn't see Marcus raise his foot and kick him square in the abdomen, sending him flying two metres backward into an empty table. Marcus then turned toward the crewman who was looking a little worried now.

Before he could punch the crewman in the throat, Marcus got launched sideways as he got tackled by what appeared to be a giant.

*****

Marcus was standing in the office of the Guard Commander while the Corporal behind the desk was reading the report. Normally a corporal wouldn't really have any power over an officer, but the title of Guard Commander basically allows them to do whatever they feel is necessary to protect the ship and the crew, answerable only to the CO of the ship or station.

"Lieutenant Ward. Care to explain why you felt the need to break a table and take out two rankers?"

"The table was probably more valuable than those two clowns." Marcus said, half smiling.

The guard commander made no attempt to conceal a chuckle.

"Yeah, you're pretty much right, sir. Sergeant Alsopp is well known for throwing his rank around. It didn't occur to anyone to knee him in the balls, though."

"Do I get a medal for my initiative?"

"Not quite, sir... Now, all jokes aside, you assaulted two agents and you were well on your way to throat punching the third before Andy tackled you. Now, that's almost always a demotion followed by administrative action; probably a pay freeze or leave ban. But it's your lucky day. One of the doctors on Toledo, a Major Nolan has pulled some strings with the station CO."

Marcus was genuinely surprised.
"I'm off free?"

"More or less, you have to attend therapy sessions twice a week and you're not allowed to drink on this station."

"... How long for?"

"The therapy? Until you're sane, I guess. The drinking ban is definite... Sucks to be you, sir."

"I'll live."