Passing the Time [Ryan]

[Rhys Bevan]

Rhys pulled himself from under his large convoy truck and wiped his grubby face on his usually immaculate uniform. He was almost always flawlessly clean but following his latest session he was covered in dirt. Rhys was dirty in a way someone could only be dirty if they had been living in a hole for the past couple of months. So immersed had Rhys been in his task that he'd lost track of time. Wiping the dust from his eyes, the Staff Sergeant checked his pocket watch and grinned. He'd been fixing his truck for the past two hours.

But Rhys was no engineer and the old Convoy Truck looked even worse than it had when Rhys had started his fixing session. He stared at the truck guiltily and shrugged. He would just get an engineer to fix it later. Perhaps David knew someone. David always knew someone.

Rising to his feet, the Staff Sergeant yawned theatrically and pushed the long, dark hair out of his eyes. The young private who had been assisting him, a certain Harper, grinned at him.

"So," he smiled. "What now?"

[ryanjones]

Ryan had been wandering around the base that he was newly sent to. He had only been there for a couple of days and didn't really know anyone. As he was looking around, he noticed a big garage that was full of jeeps and troop carrier trucks. He had seen a couple of guys in the garage and one looked like he had been working on a truck for a while. Ryan walked in and walked around the truck, almost like he was inspecting it.

He was wearing his combat pants and a white wife-beater, so no one knew his rank. He examined the truck then looked back at the Staff Sergeant "Afternoon, Sergeant" He said looking at the man. He put his hand out to shake the Sergeant's, even if he was dirty. Ryan had definantly seen worse.

[Rhys Bevan]

Rhys raised his eyebrows at the newcomer. He hadn't seen him around before, that was for sure. He spoke with a light American tang and so, with a grin, Rhys realised that this was one of the notorious yank soldiers who had shipped in, eaten all their food and stole their women! He shook the American's outsretched hand and noted that he was a fellow Sergeant.

"Afternoon," nodded Rhys. "Staff Sergeant Rhys Bevan of the RWF, pleased to meet you. Forgive me, I don't think I've seen you around here lately. One of Patterson's men, are you?"

He realised that he had been talking rather stiffly and maybe a tad shortly. Rhys grinned at the American to show that he wasn't as stuffy as most of the Brits hanging around the barracks and spoke again.

"What's your name, Sergeant?"

[ryanjones]

Ryan smiled and shook the Staff Sergeant's hand. He had a British accent, but it wasn't too bad and Ryan could understand him perfectly. "Sergeant Ryan Jones. Pleased to meet you Bevan" He said smiling slightly. Jones nodded toward the Private standing off to the side. Ryan looked back at the SSgt. and then back to the truck. It looked pretty beaten up, almost like it just came from the battlefield earlier on in the day.

"Yeah. I'm one of Patterson's newest. We just got here a few days ago and I just got all of my papers and things squared away." He said. "Did you just get this thing back from the field? Looks like it got his with a land mine" He said implying the truck. He was exagerating about the land mine remark, it wasn't that bad, but it could be a lot better.

[Rhys Bevan]

Rhys grinned at the American's last remark.

"Not quite a land mine," he grinned. "A gaggle of my brother's gang decided it would be hilarious to push it down a hill and see what happened,"

He smiled warmly at the newcomer. He seemed nice enough. Maybe he'd be able to give a couple of his men a run for their money. David could certainly do with a kick up the arse.

"Have you ever seen combat, Sergeant?" asked Rhys, trying in vain to make conversation. "I mean, proper combat. On the battlefield?"

[ryanjones]

Ryan smiled and laughed a bit hen he said that his brother and some friends had pushed the truck down a hill. "Wow...They pushed military issue truck down a hill? Did he get in trouble?" He asked with a small laugh.

Ryan then looked around and then back at Rhys when he asked the question. "Yeah...Two tours actually" He said. "That's how I got promoted...I was a Private Second Class when I first enlisted."

[Nathan Whyte]

For a pilots training, it was neccesary they had a certain amount of knowledge in engineering, and Nathan often forund himself wandering the vehicle garages near the hanger trying to expand his knowledge. The torn canvas and failing engine of the convoy truck drew him up to the door of the shed in which Rhys was stood with the new Sergeant. "G'morning Rhys. What the hell happened here?" he asked, drawing on his New Zealand accent more than usual, eyeing up the truck.

He turned his attention to the American. "Nathan Knight, Flight Sergeant in the 3ID. I haven't seen you around here before, and I guess you're not from round here. Who are you going to be serving under?" He withdrew a spanner from his pocket and felt ready to try and tackle vehicle in front of him.

[Rhys Bevan]

Rhys grinned when Nathan entered the garage. He knew the New Zealander well and saw him as a decent kind of guy. They had met a while back in the pub and were pretty close. Well, close enough to be on first name terms.

"You don't wanna know," grinned Rhys in answer to his question. "Let's just say it involved my brother..."

He turned back towards the truck and sighed.

"This is Sergeant Jones," he said, introducing Jones to Nathan. "He'll be joining your division apparently, under Patterson,"

[Nathan Whyte]

"Your brother..... What's he been smoking now?" Nathan joked, or at least thought he was joking, as he crouched down and stuck his head under the vehicle. "It looks like the drive-shaft has been buckled, and the suspension's taking a beating, but it isn't terminal. Should be easy enough."

He turned to Jones and smiled as he recounted the situation he had found himself in when he had moved to serve in Britain. Patterson's a good commander, and very fair. Are you going to take part in the training excercies?" The American looked unusually clean for the barracks, and Nathan had a feeling that that wouldn't last long at all.

[ryanjones]

Jones gave a slight laugh at the Flight Sergeant's comment about Bevan's brother. "I've her nothing but compliments of Patterson...I have no worries." He said with a slight smile. Ryan thought for a moment "Um...When is it? I haven't heard anything about it..." He said a bit confused.

Jones may have just found himself a few new friends...Fellow Sergeants as well. They may go up in rank together...

[Rhys Bevan]

"Ah, the famous 3ID Training Excersise," smiled Rhys drily. "Starting in a few days, if I'm not dearly mistaken. Copied from the RWF of course!"

He grinned at the two newcomers and, introduced them to the private at his side.

"This is Private Michael Harper," he said. "He's been giving me a hand with the old girl,"

Rhys gestured at the convoy truck and grinned.

"I've got no idea how to fix her," he admitted with a smile. "Reckon you guys could give me a hand? Or, even better, two would be ideal!"

[Nathan Whyte]

"There's a message on the noticeboard over there about the training excercise," Nathan explained gesticulating at a pinned up notice, "It should be good fun."

"You're not going to be able to do anything without spares, but I suppose we could borrow some off of the Marine Commandos. Waddya reckon?" Nathan smiled as Rhys looked at the truck. "Are you up for some fun boys?" He asked working a plan to stitch up the Marine's, the sworn duty of every soldier who wasn't among them.

[ryanjones]

Jones smiled when the Training Exercise was mentioned. "Well, hopefully I can get some kind of action around here. He said. He then looked at the map and nodded "Looks like it could be a bit entertaining. Ryan then turned back to the Private and nodded in a welcoming motion.

Jones looked at the tuck and his new friends "Borrowing from some Marine Commandos? This'll be fun" He said with an almost evil smile. Jones had always been getting in trouble, but now he could back himself up, if he were to get into anything.

[Rhys Bevan]

Rhys grinned at Nathan's suggestion and almost burst out laughing at Ryan's enthusiasm. Here was a fellow who had arrived just five minutes earlier and was already plotting how to get himself into trouble. Rhys had never been in any serious trouble before - he was the good one of the family - but he'd heard stories of the unbelievably strict punishments the officers bestowed upon troublemakers. He wasn't sure how exaggerated the stories were but he had no intention of being forced to run 100 punishment laps in the thrashing rain as a couple of his more adventurous privates had suggested. On the other hand, he could do with a laugh and things were always fun when Nathan was around...

"The Commandos, eh?" grinned Rhys. "I used to be one of Brentwood's subordinates and one thing's for sure, the Captain loves his old jeep, that's for sure. What did you have in mind, Nathan?"

[Nathan Whyte]

Nathan sucked on his lip for a few seconds before slowly putting out the roots of a plan. Most of the Commandos were off base in France, meaning that there would only be a couple of pilots kicking their heels around the base and most wouldn't dare ask what a trio of sergeants were doing inside their garages, although there was bound to be a couple of ones that would be a bit more of a pain. Still, Rhys wouldn't back down on him and Jones seemed fair game.

"Well, it's pointless going for the jeep, because the drive will be too small and the suspension probably wouldn't fit, but they have a truck identical to this one.... We could probably get to that and borrow what we need and save ourselves a bit of paperwork. We can always say we are checking their truck to help with fixing ours if they ask what is happening." He said slowly before breaking into a smile. "Brentwood will be in for a surprise when he gets home. Now help me get these broken parts off."