The Republic Rangers - The Beginning - Act Two, Scene Five

[Winters 0]

I stood up at a wooden podium that was found in a back, forgotten closet. I stood in front of a small group of people, all waiting for me to speak. "Hello, I'm James Brehm, Major, commanding officer of the Republic Rangers." A few of the more friendly individuals said hello back, the others stared back at me and nodded.

"Ahem, anyway, this is a basic meet-and-greet. I kept most of you apart to see if you're 'Ranger' material, to which I ask you to forgive me. However, it was to keep you against each other, per se, anyway, I hope that you'll get along, otherwise, tough luck." I looked at everyone, and most looked bored.

"Ok, well, very well." I turned to Tom who was behind me. "Tough crowd," I said as I pulled at my shirt in a comical manner, "I surprised that they havent thrown foodsuffs at me." Tom smiled; I turned around to the generally emotionless group.

"Ok, one last thing before I introduce everyone; most officers get a kick from formalities and titles, since I'm mentioning this, which would mean that I do not. In the presence of non-Ranger officers, you will call me sir or Major, but when it is just us, you may call me James." Everyone nodded without enthusiasm. "Very well, now for everyone else." I pointed to Tom.

"This is Captian Thomas Anderson, he is the XO of the Rangers and he will is a fine slicer, so he will be serving as our slicer until we get one that is actually better than him. He has served with me since when we were stationed at the tropical fun-land named Hoth." I actually had a laugh from Corbin Drayton. "Through a great deal of it was I pulling him from other units or stealing him from other commanders, but he never tried to leave."

"That's because you would have pulled me back, kicking and screaming." This caused the entire group to laugh. "Anyway, just ask and I'll help or talk to James, but we both have open door policies, so just talk to us." At that moment Tom gave a big smile that was reassuring yet frightening.

"Yes, another policy of mine, err, I mean ours. And let us not forget mutual respect; Tom and I will never hold our rank above you and expect you to bow before us since we have a few more pips than you all; we expect you to do your best, respect the man rather than the rank, and more stuff to be announced, um, later." It kept on getting more awkward. I looked around in a desperate attempt to find more to talk about. Then I saw Louii.

"Yes! Let me introduce the rest of the Rangers, Louii Nix?n is the first. Now, he's not a fighter-"

"I'm a lover." He responded toward the few women that there were. Eyes rolled and sighs were exhailed.

"Anyway, he doesn't fight, he does the one thing that all combat leaders hate."

"It is the bane of all of us..." Tom added. At that moment Arnaz Ver'eth, the only non-human of the group, a Bothan, raised his hand very similar to an over-eager schoolboy.

"Yes 'Basher'?" I said.

"Um..., datawork?" the Bothan said softly.

"Ding, ding, ding! Basher is right, give him a gold star!" Everyone gave me a withering look. "Yeah, anyway, Lou does the datawork for us." Lou then waved to everyone, "When we start really going at it, you'll go strait to him..."

I had run out of things to say, so I rounded my attention on Ricard Winters. "Next is the 'Squad Leader' of the first Ranger squad, First Lieutenant Ricard Winters." Winters stood up and waved. "He will, you know, he doesn't have a purpose yet, at least not until we get bigger." I paused for no real reason. "Anyway, normally he would be the equilivant to a company commander, but he serves as the 'squad leader', as stated, until we're allowed to expand." People didn't seem to care about the politics.

"Next is Second Lientenant Claire Lieussink. She is in the same ship as Lieutenant Winters. However, she does more than stand around, look pretty, and boss you around; she has a flair for languages and unusual, which includes codes and archaic, forms of communication. This does not mean that she is the communications specialist, as that is more technical rather than academic." Again, no one cared. I looked at the bored group.

I leaned toward Tom and asked. "Should I just go ahead and introduce everyone with jobs and just end this right now.? Tom nodded silently.

I turned toward the group. "Ok, I'm going to do this as quick as possible so you don't hate me as much." I pointed to Corbin Drayton. "Staff Sergeant Corbin Drayton, Senior NCO, he is strong in anti-armor, having several AT-ST kills and two AT-AT kills, to which he can rightfully claim as his." I pointed to the lone Bothan in the room.

"Arnaz Ver'eth. Ahem, Sergeant Arnaz Ver'eth, our demolitions expert. He goes by 'Basher' for the obvious reason."

"I like it when things go boom..." The Bothan said with a toothy smile.

I then pointed to a pink man with red hair. "Sergeant Jahn Nacka, our medic-slash-surgen."

"Certified to cut you open and sow you up in twenty-seven individual core systems alone!" He said, smiling and almost jumping out of his seat.

"Sergeant Aliaune Akon, scout and expert at hand to hand combat." I pointed to a small taned women siting toward the back.

"Don't worry, I won't make a move on anyone as long as they don't do the same." She added, smiling.

"Corporal Badora Thiam, our communiations expert." I pointed to a tall blonde woman sitting at the corner of the group, looking off into the air above her.

"Corporal Abruzzo Aastassakis, our heavy gunner." I said, pointing to a somewhat chubby man, who waved to everyone. "He'll be using a L-E WEB, a light version of the heavy weapon."

"Next up is the assistant gunner, or spotter, Private First Class Vernet Boney." A lanky man with mousy brown hair waved.

"Finally, is Private First Class Liton Hivadze." A small but long faced man nodded. "He is one of the more gifted snipers in the Republic."

I looked around and saw there ws no others left.

"Anyway, I bid you welcome. You are the first of the Rangers, forever you will be looked up to as heros."

"By the Force that's cheesy." Said Aliaune Akon.