10_ocs: #02 Dawn
Title: Both Sides
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Character: Major Evan Lorne
Prompt: #02 Dawn
Word Count: 1.332
Rating: K+
Summary: Major Thomas Moore is being an ass again and it's Major Evan Lorne's job to tell him so.
Author's Notes: After fanfic100 , there came 10_ocs ... and four pieces on each member of my OC SG team, SG-10. They're all prequels to the first SG-10 multichapter story, Odd Man Out (also the story to read for everyone who wants to know the solution to the riddle Major Moore is pondering ;)) and can be seen as preludes to the actual Minor Characters series. They'll be in no particular timeline because I wanted to start posting before I had them all done but you can count on me keeping you up to date with the correct order ;)
The first one was beta'ed when mackenziesmomma was supposed to be on beta-cation... now that's what I call a dedicated beta. But someone should probably explain the meaning of the word "vacation" to her...
And here's the table.
Both Sides
“Don't walk away from here
'til you see both sides.”
Phil Collins, “Both Sides Of The Story”
“So I hear you finally got a permanent replacement for Lieutenant Walraff?” For a moment, Major Thomas Moore doesn’t react and continues to stare at the bunch of records in front of him. Okay, probably not a good time to approach him…
“Yeah, but I’m still hoping it’s all just a big fucking joke.” That really doesn’t sound good. Ever since SG-10 lost Walraff five months ago, Moore had been in a bad mood, and that was euphemizing things. He’d talked with Greenspan about the whole thing albeit rather briefly because SG-10’s members were never forthcoming to talk about the deaths of team members and she’d confirmed his suspicions that Moore took it rather hard.
Walraff had been a promising young Air Force Lieutenant, very good at what he did; a star on the rise… but sometimes it only takes one mission to go to hell in a hand basket to end a promising future before it even began. He guesses that Moore saw a kind of protégé in Walraff and never quite got over his death - or probably rather his own part in it - until now.
Although sensing he should probably let this lie, he still sits down. It’s time Moore starts to let go of his guilt complex… and besides he is interested in who’ll take Walraff’s place. “Care to elaborate?”
Moore glowers at him. “No. But I guess you won’t go away until I do, huh?” Mh, nope. It’s starting to become way too interesting. “Right, thought so. Here, have a look at her.” With that he throws him a file that’s surprisingly thin for someone with aspirations to become a member of the SGC.
Curious, he opens the file. First Lieutenant Maureen Catrina Reece, USMC, born in New York, both parents deceased, no siblings, a Bachelor’s degree with a double major in linguistics and sociology from NYU… and straight out of OCS. Huh. “Yeah, that’s what I thought as well. It’s gotta be a fucking joke.”
He frowns. “Well, it doesn’t have to. I mean, Walraff was straight out of ROTC as well…”
Impatiently, Moore waves his hand over the file. “Walraff was a fucking poster boy. Read on and you’ll see what I mean.”
Suppressing a sigh he does so, getting a little annoyed at Moore being all gloomy and brooding and intimidating. He skips the rest of her file to get to her grades and her instructors’ and COs’ performance evaluations. Apparently… so far Lieutenant Reece was a rather average Marine, not really bad but no outstanding military achievements either. Okay, that is strange. Frowning again, he looks at Moore. “Did she apply for this posting?”
“No. I was evaluating candidates who did apply when I got this e-mail informing me my new team member was a certain Lieutenant Reece and her file was in the attachment.” Huh. That’s really strange. Usually, team leaders get to choose their team members themselves. However, usually, Moore grumbles about the process of evaluating candidates even more than he grumbles over other paper work.
Which is why he can’t help smirking and quipping, “Maybe you should be thankful to someone took that great burden from you this time.”
Oh. Ouch. If looks could kill Moore would have just dumped a nuke on him. “This is not funny, Lorne. Something isn't right here and I’m determined to find out what this is about.” Uh-oh, that doesn’t look good. In fact it looks like something that will get Moore in trouble… again.
“Uh, Moore… when you ask the Old Man… be careful, okay? Williamson’s not here to save your ass this time and I’m not very inclined to do it either.” Their Academy days might be long gone but he really cleaned up after Moore often enough then that he doesn’t really feel in the mood to do so ever again…
“Actually… I did ask the Old Man and…” Just great. He managed to piss off Jack O’Neill. “Hey, don’t look at me like that. I didn’t get on his bad side… well, much.”
Yeah, that was to be expected. He really has no idea how someone like Moore, who always wants his subordinates to follow protocol by the letter, can get himself in trouble with his superiors on such a regular scale. No wonder he gets flak from his subordinates - mostly Greenspan - often enough. “One of these days you’re really gonna screw it up, Moore.”
“Yeah, and we can talk about that when it actually happens. Can we please stay on topic here?” Ah, someone knows very well that he can’t go on like this forever.
He sighs. “So what did the Old Man say?”
Moore shrugs, looking gloomy again. “That I should keep my grubby hands off things that aren’t my business. How can this be not of my business? It’s about my fucking team.”
Well, that’s true… and adding confirmation to Moore’s suspicions that something is fishy about this. He has a look at the file again. Well… this Lieutenant might be an average Marine but she’s no average linguist. Her grades look impressive and he’s surprised by the number of languages she speaks or at least has basic knowledge of. Still doesn’t explain why they picked her for Moore’s team - Black Ops, after all - but at least it explains why the SGC might take an interest in her.
Also… she doesn’t seem to be a slacker. Her parents died before she went to college and she financed it with several scholarships… and apparently worked her ass off at some part-time jobs. Seems like she knows how to take care of herself when things got tough. Looking at her picture again - a serious young woman with red curls neatly tucked into a pony tail - he gets the feeling that… there’s more to her than meets the eye. He turns back to Moore. “Just for once you’re right.” Moore looks smug now, and that’s why it’s even funnier that he’s about to burst his bubble, “But I think you’ll be in for a surprise.”
“Yeah, a nasty one,” Moore growls and he can’t help grinning.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Give her chance, Moore. I just have this feeling that this could turn out interestingly.” Still resolved to be an ass about this, Moore glowers at him again.
Then he takes back the file and puts it away, obviously determined to bring this conversation to an end. “I’ll come back to that when she screws up the first time.” Oh, she will screw up, he’s sure of that. They all did at some point in their first few months at the SGC. He just isn't sure if it’ll really bring the reaction Moore apparently hopes for - either her resignation or being ordered out of the SGC - because this Marine could be tougher than they think. “So… how’s Williamson doing?”
Damn, there goes his chance to rile up Moore a little more because when this guy changes the topic… it means he’s finished with a conversation and won’t take kindly to any attempts to steer it back. And he’s just not in the mood for any more brooding Moore. So he should take up this new topic, although he’s not really keen on talking about his brother-in-law. It’s probably Moore’s revenge for pointing out he might be wrong about Lieutenant Reece. Oh well. “Yeah, well… he got offered a posting in D.C. She hasn’t said anything… but I guess Anna’s not exactly happy about it.”
At that Moore grins and they get into a happy little gossip session, just like back at the Academy and he’s relieved to see that it finally lifts Moore’s mood from the gloomy depths of self-incrimination and feeling punished for what happened on that mission where SG-10 lost Lieutenant Walraff. As much of an idiot or an ass Moore sometimes might be… they’re still friends.
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Character: Major Evan Lorne
Prompt: #02 Dawn
Word Count: 1.332
Rating: K+
Summary: Major Thomas Moore is being an ass again and it's Major Evan Lorne's job to tell him so.
Author's Notes: After fanfic100 , there came 10_ocs ... and four pieces on each member of my OC SG team, SG-10. They're all prequels to the first SG-10 multichapter story, Odd Man Out (also the story to read for everyone who wants to know the solution to the riddle Major Moore is pondering ;)) and can be seen as preludes to the actual Minor Characters series. They'll be in no particular timeline because I wanted to start posting before I had them all done but you can count on me keeping you up to date with the correct order ;)
The first one was beta'ed when mackenziesmomma was supposed to be on beta-cation... now that's what I call a dedicated beta. But someone should probably explain the meaning of the word "vacation" to her...
And here's the table.
Both Sides
“Don't walk away from here
'til you see both sides.”
Phil Collins, “Both Sides Of The Story”
“So I hear you finally got a permanent replacement for Lieutenant Walraff?” For a moment, Major Thomas Moore doesn’t react and continues to stare at the bunch of records in front of him. Okay, probably not a good time to approach him…
“Yeah, but I’m still hoping it’s all just a big fucking joke.” That really doesn’t sound good. Ever since SG-10 lost Walraff five months ago, Moore had been in a bad mood, and that was euphemizing things. He’d talked with Greenspan about the whole thing albeit rather briefly because SG-10’s members were never forthcoming to talk about the deaths of team members and she’d confirmed his suspicions that Moore took it rather hard.
Walraff had been a promising young Air Force Lieutenant, very good at what he did; a star on the rise… but sometimes it only takes one mission to go to hell in a hand basket to end a promising future before it even began. He guesses that Moore saw a kind of protégé in Walraff and never quite got over his death - or probably rather his own part in it - until now.
Although sensing he should probably let this lie, he still sits down. It’s time Moore starts to let go of his guilt complex… and besides he is interested in who’ll take Walraff’s place. “Care to elaborate?”
Moore glowers at him. “No. But I guess you won’t go away until I do, huh?” Mh, nope. It’s starting to become way too interesting. “Right, thought so. Here, have a look at her.” With that he throws him a file that’s surprisingly thin for someone with aspirations to become a member of the SGC.
Curious, he opens the file. First Lieutenant Maureen Catrina Reece, USMC, born in New York, both parents deceased, no siblings, a Bachelor’s degree with a double major in linguistics and sociology from NYU… and straight out of OCS. Huh. “Yeah, that’s what I thought as well. It’s gotta be a fucking joke.”
He frowns. “Well, it doesn’t have to. I mean, Walraff was straight out of ROTC as well…”
Impatiently, Moore waves his hand over the file. “Walraff was a fucking poster boy. Read on and you’ll see what I mean.”
Suppressing a sigh he does so, getting a little annoyed at Moore being all gloomy and brooding and intimidating. He skips the rest of her file to get to her grades and her instructors’ and COs’ performance evaluations. Apparently… so far Lieutenant Reece was a rather average Marine, not really bad but no outstanding military achievements either. Okay, that is strange. Frowning again, he looks at Moore. “Did she apply for this posting?”
“No. I was evaluating candidates who did apply when I got this e-mail informing me my new team member was a certain Lieutenant Reece and her file was in the attachment.” Huh. That’s really strange. Usually, team leaders get to choose their team members themselves. However, usually, Moore grumbles about the process of evaluating candidates even more than he grumbles over other paper work.
Which is why he can’t help smirking and quipping, “Maybe you should be thankful to someone took that great burden from you this time.”
Oh. Ouch. If looks could kill Moore would have just dumped a nuke on him. “This is not funny, Lorne. Something isn't right here and I’m determined to find out what this is about.” Uh-oh, that doesn’t look good. In fact it looks like something that will get Moore in trouble… again.
“Uh, Moore… when you ask the Old Man… be careful, okay? Williamson’s not here to save your ass this time and I’m not very inclined to do it either.” Their Academy days might be long gone but he really cleaned up after Moore often enough then that he doesn’t really feel in the mood to do so ever again…
“Actually… I did ask the Old Man and…” Just great. He managed to piss off Jack O’Neill. “Hey, don’t look at me like that. I didn’t get on his bad side… well, much.”
Yeah, that was to be expected. He really has no idea how someone like Moore, who always wants his subordinates to follow protocol by the letter, can get himself in trouble with his superiors on such a regular scale. No wonder he gets flak from his subordinates - mostly Greenspan - often enough. “One of these days you’re really gonna screw it up, Moore.”
“Yeah, and we can talk about that when it actually happens. Can we please stay on topic here?” Ah, someone knows very well that he can’t go on like this forever.
He sighs. “So what did the Old Man say?”
Moore shrugs, looking gloomy again. “That I should keep my grubby hands off things that aren’t my business. How can this be not of my business? It’s about my fucking team.”
Well, that’s true… and adding confirmation to Moore’s suspicions that something is fishy about this. He has a look at the file again. Well… this Lieutenant might be an average Marine but she’s no average linguist. Her grades look impressive and he’s surprised by the number of languages she speaks or at least has basic knowledge of. Still doesn’t explain why they picked her for Moore’s team - Black Ops, after all - but at least it explains why the SGC might take an interest in her.
Also… she doesn’t seem to be a slacker. Her parents died before she went to college and she financed it with several scholarships… and apparently worked her ass off at some part-time jobs. Seems like she knows how to take care of herself when things got tough. Looking at her picture again - a serious young woman with red curls neatly tucked into a pony tail - he gets the feeling that… there’s more to her than meets the eye. He turns back to Moore. “Just for once you’re right.” Moore looks smug now, and that’s why it’s even funnier that he’s about to burst his bubble, “But I think you’ll be in for a surprise.”
“Yeah, a nasty one,” Moore growls and he can’t help grinning.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Give her chance, Moore. I just have this feeling that this could turn out interestingly.” Still resolved to be an ass about this, Moore glowers at him again.
Then he takes back the file and puts it away, obviously determined to bring this conversation to an end. “I’ll come back to that when she screws up the first time.” Oh, she will screw up, he’s sure of that. They all did at some point in their first few months at the SGC. He just isn't sure if it’ll really bring the reaction Moore apparently hopes for - either her resignation or being ordered out of the SGC - because this Marine could be tougher than they think. “So… how’s Williamson doing?”
Damn, there goes his chance to rile up Moore a little more because when this guy changes the topic… it means he’s finished with a conversation and won’t take kindly to any attempts to steer it back. And he’s just not in the mood for any more brooding Moore. So he should take up this new topic, although he’s not really keen on talking about his brother-in-law. It’s probably Moore’s revenge for pointing out he might be wrong about Lieutenant Reece. Oh well. “Yeah, well… he got offered a posting in D.C. She hasn’t said anything… but I guess Anna’s not exactly happy about it.”
At that Moore grins and they get into a happy little gossip session, just like back at the Academy and he’s relieved to see that it finally lifts Moore’s mood from the gloomy depths of self-incrimination and feeling punished for what happened on that mission where SG-10 lost Lieutenant Walraff. As much of an idiot or an ass Moore sometimes might be… they’re still friends.