Enter the Past

[LT_Chun]

Henniger realized he had fucked up. Skirata didn't mean a military cadence, he was talking in a tusk musical terms. He was still exhausted from back to back operations.

"Disregard Skirata, I fucked up, thought you were saying an old Corps' cadence, blah my last."

<tag everyone>

[Pale Rider]

[COMMS LOG – CERBERUS NET]

Skirata was quiet for a moment longer than usual. When he spoke again, the precision was still there—but something older threaded through it.

Skirata:
“Negative, Corporal. You didn’t screw up.”

A faint breath passed the mic.

Skirata:
“I wasn’t talking Corps. That wasn’t a cadence.”
A beat.
“That was Tusk. Musical phrasing. Old.”

He hesitated—just enough to be human.

Skirata:
“My grandmother used to sing a nursery rhyme like that. Same rhythm. Same rise and fall.”
Another pause.
“She sang it to me and my cousins when we were kids. Said it was for remembering where you come from.”

The channel stayed open, quiet.

Skirata:
“Whoever hummed that wasn’t issuing orders. They were checking for recognition.”

Then, back to operational calm:

Skirata:
“Cerberus holds. I’ll keep listening.”

<Tag Henninger>

[Pale Rider]

Marrow stepped forward from Echo Squad with measured precision, stopping exactly one pace short of the Lieutenant’s line. He removed his helmet and held it at his side, posture immaculate—textbook, old-school.

“Lieutenant,” he said evenly. “Marrow. Acting Command Authority, Echo Squad.”

He inclined his head—respect without submission.

“Echo Squad reports aboard as ordered. Personnel present. Equipment serviceable. We acknowledge your authority while operating in your space.”

A brief pause, deliberate.

“We are prepared to accept tasking, integrate under your command structure, and deploy immediately in support of UAAC objectives.”

Marrow straightened, eyes steady.

“Echo Squad stands ready for duty.”

The Lieutenant held Marrow’s gaze for a long moment, measuring posture, tone, the weight of fifty lost years standing in front of him. When he spoke, his voice was calm, formal—command settling into place.

“Marrow,” the LT said. “Your report is received.”

He took one step forward, closing the distance just enough to establish authority without aggression.

“You are operating aboard a UAAC vessel under my command. Until higher authority says otherwise, Echo Squad will be treated as a provisional unit attached to this task force.” A pause. “You will follow my orders, my rules of engagement, and my timetable. Any deviation gets addressed immediately. Are we clear?”

Before Marrow could answer, Soles stepped in beside the LT, boots planted wide, presence heavy as a bulkhead door.

“Let me be real clear,” the Sergeant growled, eyes sweeping Echo Squad without flinching. “You wear the uniform right, you talk like Marines, and you showed up when things got ugly. That earns you a chance—not trust.”

He jabbed a thumb toward the ship behind them.

“My Devil Dawgs don’t need ghosts stealing oxygen or glory. You pull your weight, watch your sectors, and don’t surprise us in the dark.”

Soles leaned in just a fraction, voice low and iron-hard.

“You do that, and we’ll fight beside you like you never left.”

The LT nodded once, sealing it.

“Welcome aboard,” he said. “Stand by for tasking.”

The corridor stayed quiet—but the line between past and present had just been crossed.

<Tag Devil Dawgs>

[eyeball]

Paulson could bearly hear the interchange between Soles and Marrow with the LT there as well but the tone of voice had said it all.
while his superiors had mad a descision it would be upto the squads to make it work, he tried to stand a little more easy but remaining combat efficient, no easy task.
next he guessed there would need to be some detailed debrief af where the hell they had been and doing what for nearly 50 years, that he could not wait to hear.

[LT_Chun]

Henniger relaxed his posture minutely, not because he felt better, but to look reassuring to his Marines. He wasn't about to stand them down yet, but they'd all heard the Lieutenant's decision through Soles' open comms. He decided to at least break the current tension and voxed the squad.

"Easy Cerberus, looks like we got some breathing room for now." He paused. "But remember, Marines don't trust, they verify. I'll get the straight dope from Top, stay clear of them and stay in pairs, everywhere. You need a shower? Someone is outside watching your back. Goes for me too."

He returned his attention to the approaching time bandit Marines as he'd come to rationalize them.

<tag Cerberus>

[SpectralDragon87]

Alvarez turned to Hooper "You with me Beav?" She asked before quickly following the question up with "You try to catch a peek while I'm showering, time travelers and bugs will be the least of your problems." She says with a wink and a solid punch to his shoulder.

<Tag Hooper>

[LT_Chun]

Henniger caught a laugh and clamped down on it, it came out as an amused snort. Marines, despite any time period difference, would always be Marines. They were founded by drunks in a bar for a rebel army after all. He was glad the squad was at ease.

[Quicksilver]

Giosso's mind was still going around in circles, even as the the Ghost Marines finished their boarding and presented themselves. The gap of 50 years was, in many ways, the least curious to him - he'd been in and out of cryogenics enough be rather unsure what year it was. However there was plenty else off with both the Marines and the vessel they'd arrived in. After Pope's recognition, Giosso had pulled down the operational details he could find from the Dawg's intelligence files and started scanning them for anything that looked important - or even just as background for anything that might come up in the future.

Between reading through the historical information, or what the ship's systems were picking up from the Ghosts while they walked, Giosso tried to keep an eye on them as well, though he mostly just stood behind his Squad mates and watched them for indication they needed to move.

[Corporal Hicks]

Hooper was shocked and confused by the arrival of Marines from 50 years ago. Henniger's order to exercise caution seemed like a good idea to him. His first thought was to stick with Alvarez, but she beat him to the punch.

"You with me Beav?" She asked before quickly following the question up with "You try to catch a peek while I'm showering, time travelers and bugs will be the least of your problems." She says with a wink and a solid punch to his shoulder.

Hooper sighed internally, realizing that he was stuck with the nickname. Then he laughed at the part about showering. "Ha ha, I got strict orders to watch your back, deal with it." He rubbed his arm and grinned subtly as some of the tension of the situation washed off. "But sure, I'm on you like a backpack."
<Tag my squad>

[SpectralDragon87]

Alvarez barked out a laugh "I am sure you will Beav."
The sile slowly falls from her face as she eyes the new arrivals. "What's your take in them?" She asks jutting her chin in the direction of the mystery squad.

<Tag Hooper> <Tag Anyone>

[Corporal Hicks]

Hooper thought for a moment. “Weird. Fuckin’ weird. All the riddles and shit. Doesn’t seem like Marines to me.” Troy struggled to put his thoughts into words. He thought about what he would do if he got stuck in hypersleep, then woke up and found a Marine vessel from the future. He would be calling ‘mayday,’ firing off callsigns and asking for directives. He wouldn’t make creepy chess metaphors.

[LT_Chun]

"Discuss it later," Henniger whispered into his comms after the new LT threw his squad a glance. " Don't want to ruffle any zeros' feathers.

<tag Cerberus>

"Paulson," he swapped over to the NCO freq. "who gets escort duty for the grand tour?"

<tag Paulson>

[SpectralDragon87]

Alvarez nods at Hoopers conclusion but at Hennigers caution she straightened up and readied herself, waiting for a command.

[eyeball]

"Paulson," he swapped over to the NCO freq. "who gets escort duty for the grand tour?"

"well one of us does and the other searches the ship i guess". he replied

"we'll take it you search" he offered.

<tag Henniger>