Marco Domici: Pep Talk

The call for a halt came over Marco's helmet comm. He smiled weakly at Tala. "I guess now we find out if anyone else is going to camp but me."

He stood and braced against the cargo side, putting his armored gloved back in place. His lacar was clipped in place and ready to go. Helmet clipped off tight, gear ready. Marco closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

As the engine's roar quieted and the truck lurched, Marco pulled the rolling cargo door open wide. Bright sunlight showed Tala standing, her uniform already buttoned up and straight. She put his hat on.

"What does 'clear' mean, sir?" She asked. "I...I saw that a lot."

"It means 'yes, I am completely clear and agree'." Marco replied. "When someone tells you something and you reply 'clear', it means you are all in, no reservations." He paused. "Clear?"

Tala grinned. "Clear!" She leaned forward and kissed his cheeks. "I'll go with you to the camp, even if no one else does."

"Thank you." He said quietly, and jumped off the truck bed. "Get the Reds together, I'll talk to you all in a couple minutes." His strong voice had returned.

The dirt crunched under his boots as Marco strode around the convoy. He saw Gabbie off by herself and headed that way. Enroute he called to Mikela. "Mike, get your people together. I'll be right there."

It took several strides to reach Gabbie, and even then Marco hung back a few paces while Gabbie seemed to fume to herself. He coughed gently.

"Yeah, I know you're there." She said, arms crossed and kicking the dirt. "Sir." A slight laugh. "Funny how some of us understand the military life and some of us just play at it, huh?"

"Don't set your goals small, lieutenant." Marco replied. "It can kill you."

"Huh?" Gabbie turned to face him. He was in armor. His gun was clipped forward. Just like before.

"Some people think patriotism is defined by a willingness to give your life to a cause." Marco said quietly. "I see it different. Some nights I see the ghosts of people I have killed, either long range with a weapon or up close and personal. I don't like to kill, lieutenant. The only way I can stay sane is by setting my goals so high that I can answer every ghost that comes 'Yes, I would kill you again'."

"What's a big enough goal to shoot a Guide member, Marco?" Gabbie said.

Marco leaned forward. "Thousands of people on this planet are dieing for no reason, Gabbie. The people on this team can change that. If they get their heads together. If they work together. Not 'Guide' this and 'Mountain Man' that. Together! When Max threatened that, he put thousands of people at risk. They are still at risk because as far as I know he's still an idiot. No one in this convoy thinks they are safe from him. You don't do you? How do you think the Red cards and the Mountain Men feel about Max? About all of you?"

"You offered to serve under me. I take that responsibility very seriously. Anyone that threatens you threatens me." Marco leaned back. "When this planet is free and if people want to get drunk and beat the crap out of each other, fine! Go right ahead! I don't care."

Marco paused, and looked back at the groups. "Lieutenant, after this is all over, after the world is won, I want you to make a full report of my actions to the Guide leadership. If they want to call me to court to defend my actions, so be it." He looked at her directly. "But until we win, anything that puts thousands of starving kids to death is my enemy. I will deal with it appropriately. Right now, I need to know if you, all of you Guide members, are in. Or out. I don't care, but you need to make up your minds."

Gabbie scowled for a moment. The words came slow. "We are in. I will take responsibility for Max, sir." Gabbie stood straight and saluted.

Marco returned the salute. "After he and I have a chat, lieutenant. Shall we?" They walked in lock-step towards the Guide members, who were milling around. A few stood, everyone looked at Gabbie. She looked straight at Max.

Marco marched right up to Max and got in his face. "Stand up straight, mister!" He said quietly. There was no softness in his voice. No love.

Max slumped and scowled until he felt Gabbie's fist in the back of his ribs. "Do it, Max." She hissed. Max stood at attention.

"Mister, you should never wonder if I made the right decision back there. I guarantee you, I would do exactly the same thing again and go to my grave knowing it was the right choice." Marco said clearly. "Do not think I would hesitate. Ever."

"This entire convoy probably has its doubts about you. I know I do. I'm not even sure you won't shoot one of your own. You have probably made everyone really start to wonder if the Guide can hold up its end of the deal. I certainly wonder about that. Gabbie promises me you all will, though. I choose to believe her. Don't prove her wrong, Max. Don't be stupid."

Marco stepped back and addressed the group. "Each of you need to make a choice in the next ninety seconds. If you get back into my convoy, you are absolutely committed to this mission. Every ounce of dedication you have will be poured out for this team." He looked around. "If you can not honestly say that, you are welcome to stay here. Your call."

He took a deep breath. "Eighty seven seconds left. Decide. Lieutenant, on me."

Marco and Gabbie strode quickly to Patrick and the other Red cards. "The Guide is making their decision right now. This convoy, and everyone on it when we leave town, will be going to Camp M, no reservations. Anyone else is free to stay here. Am I clear?"

Patrick nodded. "Clear!" Tala said,and grinned.

"Great, you have sixty seconds to get on a vehicle or go buy yourself a beer and grow old here. Your call." Marco nodded and moved on.

"Back to business, everyone." Marco said to the Mountain Men as the vehicles spun up to full power.

"What about Max?" Rasmus asked.

"Max is my problem." Marco replied. Then grinned. "He has to deal with Tala beating the crap out of him. I think Max will try to improve his reputation, don't you?"

As Marco and Gabbie walked back to their vehicles, Marco said quietly. "Lieutenant, I think you have a team to lead. Are you up to it?"

They walked several steps before she replied. "Yes sir."

"Good." He said. "It's going to get lively. Think about your goals, Gabbie. What will you tell the ghosts?"

With that they they mounted up and moved forward. "Everyone, listen up." Marco commed the vehicles. "We are back on the plan and need to make up some time. Drivers, can you give me another ten percent on speed?"

Marco sat for several minutes while the others talked around him. He played his boot in the dirty floorboard. WIthin the space of a day the vehicles had gotten several different types of dirt on them. Everything from icy slush to plains dust. Marco smiled, and let them talk. He knew they would broach the subject when they were ready.

The vehicle's engine ran loud and like every military transport since the dawn of time, comfort was not on the options list. Everyone banged around a bit, it stirred conversation, and Marco watched Balt keep folks airing their opinions.

Gabbie was up front, by herself. Marco wasn't happy with that, but there were some things that needed to be said back here. Finally, after half an hour, they seemed talked out, yet pensive.

"Have you considered Gabbie?" Marco said. Normally it would ahve been quiet but it wound up being a bit loud to get past the vehicle's noise.

"What do you mean?" Monika said, as she shrugged her shoulders. "We all have to figure this out ourselves."

"That's one of the two things I wanted to ask you about." Marco said. He looked at each of them. "Every one of you is making up your own mind about what should have happened, and how you will respond to what did happen. Yet you don't want to give Max the same benefit. He made up his mind and acted. Yet you seem to think Gabbie or I should have seen it before Max thought it, and we should have stopped it."

"That's a double standard. You can think freely and choose, but Max can't?" He looked at Monika. "You're about Max's age. What if I told you everything you were supposed to do and think; would you like it?" He shrugged. "I sure didn't like it when people tried to do that to me."

"Max made his choice. When he wanted to leave, he was on his own. But when he pointed a weapon at Gabbie, he made it everyone's problem. None of us knew about it beforehand. None of us had time to sit down with him and talk things out. He was almost at the point of killing Gabbie before anyone knew what was going on."

"Max made a choice, just like each of you wants to choose."

They sat in silence for a long while. Then Jonatan spoke up. "You said there were two things you wanted to ask about. I'm not sure I have a good answer, but what's the second?"

Marco looked at Jonatan and nodded. "You're right. You guys need to consider the second as well." He glanced forward to where Gabbie was, and then looked back at the group. "I take it Guide members shoot each other often?"

Several blanched, Monika furiously shook her head. She started to blurt out but Balt held up his hand. "Marco, you don't know our way. No Guide member has ever threatened the life of another member. It just doesn't happen."

Marco nodded, and leaned forward. His voice carried and edge. "It just doesn't happen...until today." He pointed to the front of the vehicle. "There's a hard working leader up front who is all alone. She is trying to lead you the best she can and something happens that no Guide leader has ever had to face. How could she be prepared for it? How could she plan for the unthinkable?"

"Yet each of you is worried about how you feel. Not a one of you has said a word about how she feels. You don't care that she carries her own burden as well as yours. You don't care that she will live the rest of her life seeing Max's barrel pointed at her, something that just doesn't happen."

"You need to decide if the Path means everything at all, or nothing at all. If the Creator is real then he actually created everyone. You are no more or less creations than the Red Cards or the Mountain Men. If the Creator is real then he created Gabbie just like he created you. Just as you doubt, hurt, and anger, so does she. But she also carries a load you don't have to bear."

He took a breathe and stood ot move up front. "Don't judge Max, we all make stupid decision. Don't judge Gabbie, you don't know the load she bears. Judge yourself, and yourself alone. Are you so confident in the Creator that what he wills is what you want to happen? Do you believe that acting in your faith to rescue his creations is a crime while threatening to take a friend's life is okay?"

"Make up your mind. Act on that." Marco turned and moved forward, pulling the hatch closed behind him.

"Thanks, I think." Gabbie said. The cab deadened some of the sound, and they were alone. "I just wonder if it's true?"

"Depends on your goals, Lieutenant."

"Yeah, I know. 'Are the big enough?' I'm not sure." She glanced at him. "Any words of wisdom?"

"Yeah." Marco said, smiling. "Don't point a gun at any of my friends."

"Duly noted." She stared at the road for a bit. "I'm not good enough to lead, am I?" Gabbie bit her lower lip. "It was a lot easier when we fought the same enemy. Now, it's so big. So confusing."

She flicked the screen cleaners to remove bug splat. "I hesitated, Marco. I could have gotten all of us killed."

"Yeah, you hesitated." Marco replied. "You were confronted with something that should not exist, and you were trying to consciously balance concern for a friend in front of you with concern for friends behind you."

Gabbie checked the mirrors and scan unit. Methodically. "Yeah. That's why I need to step down. Balt will be a good leader." She jerked her thumb back at the others. "They already follow him well. It'll be odd, for a bit, though."

"Gabbie, you can't step down." Marco said. "You are just what I need, right where I need you. We can't afford to lose a good leader."

"You need someone who can inspire others and make decisions, Marco. I...I'm not that person."

"No, I want someone like that." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I need someone who will do their best no matter what. I need someone who has had to face the dark in themselves and others, yet still maintains hope. I need someone who I can trust, and who trusts me." He gently poked her bicep. "That's you, Gabbie. I need you. They need you, whether or not they realize it."

"They will, though." He crossed his arms and leaned back. "They will get to a point where they finally understand. At that moment they will love you for leading them."

They rode in silence.

"Marco."

"Yeah?" He looked at her. She smiled slightly.

"Thanks."

"Any time, lieutenant. I got an extra helping of 'wisdom' when you and Jo pinned those pips on my collar. Happy to dispense it."

Marco leaned back and took a nap.