Observe and Honor

       Edison wished he could get away with balling up his fist and driving it straight into Jack Greene's face. This was a man who in no discernible manner seemed to understand the inviolable oath of duty that both he and his men had sworn and would probably never grasp what it meant to be a soldier in this era of history, nor probably any. Dammit, this son of a bitch wouldn't even be alive right now if it hadn't been for him. The next time you take a sweet breath of the air generated and recycled aboard this starship, Captain, you'd best remember that those breaths were bought with the blood and sacrifices of the men and women who journeyed into the Delphic Expanse.

       "Aye, sir."

       Greene felt he got his point across. He wasn't going to continue belaboring it, not to these men. These were adult human beings with not only a formal education but professional training in security and high-tech weaponry. They clearly weren't a gaggle of born fools who couldn't wrap their minds around the concepts he'd just laid out in plain, straightforward language. They all knew their mission and it's time to complete it. "When we disembark drydock and engage at warp we'll be traveling under communications silence until we reach the predetermined coordinates for our next instructions from Starfleet Command. With any luck, both we and this vessel will be returning home in one piece and having not only successfully accomplished this mission but brought this war closer to an end. Gentlemen...you are dismissed."

       Gratified that the briefing was over, Commander Frederick released an audible sigh that captured his Captain's attention. Turning to meet his first officer's eyes, he rewarded him with an expression of bemused exhaustion. 

        Major Edison slapped several of his MACOs on the shoulders and gave them hushed words of pep talk as one by one they gathered themselves and began filing out of the galley into the outer corridor. Things went better than he'd expected. What was confrontational and uncomfortable could have swifty devolved into something much more damaging to crew cohesion and discipline and even though he did not particularly care for Captain Greene nor his officious second-in-command he was glad that he and his men weren't currently being escorted off Atlantis or herded into the ship's small brig.

       "Major." Jack Greene's voice halted Edison in midstep as he reached out to tap a MACO on his elbow. Balthazar spun his head about to look at Greene, standing just a few feet away with a remarkably serene expression engraved upon his features.

       "I gave you a hard time for a reason. I hope you understand that and don't hold it against myself and Commander Frederick. You're a soldier, so you should understand."

       Edison mentally bit his lip and went with the flow, just glad that the Captain wasn't holding electronic cuffs or raising a hand in anger at this armed interloper aboard his vessel who dared to speak his voice and challenge the Starfleet status quo. Given their already-frigid relationship after just a day aboard the ship he should probably embrace these moments when they came. "I'm fine, sir. You're just doing your job and your duty as we're trying to do ours."