The Early days

Posted on 18 Sep 2026 @ 2:09pm by Captain Alexandria Somers

1,177 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: Various
Timeline: A Few Decades before current events

[ON]

Stardate: 237009.15

A young Marine Corporal, Alexandria Lynne Somers, not long turned eighteen standard years, had just finished intensive Marine training. She had the passing marks to enter Starfleet Academy and come out as an officer, but she wanted a grittier life, so some days after graduation from SFMC basic training,g Alex was called into the Aide to the Chief of Marines' office on Earth for a new assignment.

As a young, impressionableMarine, Alexandria entered and smartly saluted and only lowered her hand when the Major returned it. She noted a Fleet Officer with a black undershirt standing at the back of the Major, and to her right was another youngMarinee, one she recognised as her friend from basic training.

“Privates Alexandria Somers and Annabelle Graves, both graduated top of Marine basic training and both with close friendships and influence”, Donohue began.

“I suppose being picked for some Special Operations duty, our families being influential, moved us to the top of the list,t heh! Major?” Somers asked and heard Annie inhale in surprise.

The Major raised an eyebrow and showed a small smile “I see, Private Somers, your penchant for bluntness and brazen speech is still with you. Why did you make such a comment?” he asked, and he knew that Somers could be analytical when she wanted to be and methodical; it's what made him wonder why she declined Starfleet Academy.

She began to tick things off her fingers, “First, there is that Starfleet Intel agent standing behind you looking all broody and serious. The fact that you pulled two graduates from SFMC basic combat school and pulled us into your office to boot. *pause* A personal meeting tells me it's important, and that black shirt there tells me it's something that Intel wants taken out but does not have the manpower or resources to complete this task, Somers said.

The Intel Officer took notice of this young Marine for the first time; he studied her. She looked back at him, unblinking and with a small knowing smile, and locked eyes; now it was a battle of pride.

“Agent whatever you are, I am a Diplomat and retired Colonel's daughter; you really think you can outstare me?” Somers asked, in a playful tone.

The Major and Annabelle observed in silence as both shared a puzzled look and both shrugged. The Major watched Somers tilt her head to the side, making the Intel Officer follow. She moved her head the other direction; he also followed. It was a good thirty minutes before the Major spoke.

“Okay, both of you, stop it!” Donohue loudly exclaimed.

Both looked at him, surprised, and said at the same time.

“HUH!” Being suddenly brought out of her silent staring battle with the Intelligence agent, she had the same response and said it at the same time.

“HUH!” Agent Simms said in surprise as he looked at the Major.

“I see we're both as good as each other; well played, Agent”, Somers said with a friendly smile directed at the SFI agent.

Annabelle giggled as the Intel agent cleared his throat and gave a shallow respectful bow of his head at Alex.

“Young graduates and Intel officers, this is not going to be a good team-up!” Donohue said, exasperated “Now where was I?”

“About to brief u, sir,r” Somers said innocently.

“Thank you, Private; it was a rhetorical question,” the Major said, giving Somers a disapproving look.

Alexandria gave him a shallow,w respectful nod and a questionable comment:nt “Of course, sir, mouths shut, ears open”, she said as she wondered why she always got off easy.

The Major rolled his eyes as he saw the Intel Officer smiling oO Wel,l at least someone is amused, O'Donoghue thought. “Okay, I will let Agent Simms brief you on this. I need a coffee.”

With that, the Major went over to the replicator as the SFI Agent indicated for both women to sit; when they were, he began:

“Starfleet Intelligence External Ops Agents brought this data back. It is a Romulan Tal Shiar research base, but it is in Romulan space, so it will only be Tal Shiar there, we hope!” he paused to let the impact of that sink in.

He dimmed the room and activated a viewscreen on the back wall of the office; on the viewscreen, the visuals moved towards a well-armed alien facility. It was partially built inside a mountain; the visual panned around the outside of the facility, showing the watchers the outside; occasionally, a roadway or trail would flash.

What they both saw was a research facility, and all they could see in the way of guards were Romulans wearing old-style Tal Shiar uniforms; this intrigued Alex. Eventually, the visuals ended, and the lights came back up, and Alex looked to Simms.

“Okay, sir, give us what details you can,n etc Somers said and looked in the direction Simms was looking. Annie had raised her hand.

“Sir, how did you manage to get such a close recording of the building?” Annabel Graves asked.

“Trade secret”, Simms replied with a small smile.

*Shrugging* “It is probably one of their stealth probes. It is the only thing that has something close to a cloaking device; while not actually a cloaking device, the probe is of some special reflective material that acts in the manner of a ship's cloak. Of course, not only does it have stealth tech like signal jammers and anti-scan; it is also fast and virtually undetectable if you do not know what you are looking for, but they are only used once before they self-destructed, if that is what it actually is,” Somers commented.

The Major and Simms shared a look of concern at the young Marine's guess; Simms was the first to speak in the wake of that comment. “I would like to speak to you before you leave here, Ms Somers.”

Shrugging in a reserved but carefree manner, “Yes, sir,” Somers simply said.

“Okay, if all snarky comments are done with, I shall continue *pause* you will both receive a full mission brief from your assignment Commander, but you are not the only marines I have briefed in this fashion. *pause* The compound is heavily defended by Romulan Tal Shiar Agents; it is a telepath cloning facility, at last count. There was one Romulan and one Reman; these are the templates. From what we can ascertain, they are going to combine the DNA and characteristics of both. As the Reman DNA is very similar to Romulan, the combination process will be no problem, but it seems they have figured out a way to avoid clone degradation and insanity,” Simms said and paused again to let what he said sink in.

“Sir, where did the Romulans get the cloning cylinders from?” Somers asked, concerned and rightfully so.

[OFF]

Major Donohue [NPC: Somers]
Marine Academy Commandant
Sol-Sector – Earth

Agent Simms [NPC: Somers]
Starfleet Intelligence Operative
Sol Sector

Corporal Alexandria Somers
Marine NCO
SFMC

Corporal Annabel Graves[NPC: Somers]
Marine
SMFC

 

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