As Sister Helena was reflecting on her sordid past, another remembrance took place in the nation's capital. Lieutenant Colonel Marcus Larkin of the Space Force was seated in a chair in a lecture hall at Joint Base Andrews. Pen and paper at the ready he took detailed notes. He was attending a leadership conference, as he was about to take command of SG-24, (though he was told by General Carter to say that he was working on a project involving deep space radar technology out of NORAD). For several days he had been attending lectures given by distinguished lecturers who came from all ranks of the Air Force and the Space Force. He had many lively discussions with other officers and learned a lot from the conference about strategy, innovation, leadership and the future of the armed forces.
At 50 years of age, Colonel Larkin was a seasoned officer, having a distinguished career both in the Air Force and most recently the Space Force. He was of average height and medium build. He had graying hair that he kept in a very short cut, a strong jawline, and dark expressive eyes. He was an imposing figure to his subordinates, yet fiercely loyal to them, earning him the nickname “Bear”.
With a conference concluded, Colonel Larkin looked at his watch. He had a few hours left before he was due back for his flight to Colorado Springs. “Since I'm in DC,” he thought, “I should probably visit him. I haven't in a while.” His mind was made up: he was going to visit his brother's grave at Arlington National Cemetery. He had been long overdue since he had last paid his respects.
Colonel Larkin made his way to the motor pool. He flashed his credentials to a young Airman who stood at attention when Colonel Larkin approached him. “I need a vehicle,” Colonel Larkin said, his voice steady but caring an undertone of urgency. “I'm going out to Arlington National Cemetery.” The Airman nodded silently and quickly processed Colonel Larkin's request and handed him the keys to a black government-issued SUV. Colonel Larkin thanked him, found the vehicle in the parking lot and drove off.
As he drove through the streets of Washington, which became a blur to him as he drove, he recollected about the past and about his brother, Patrick, who he was going to see.
He and both Patrick joined the Air Force as an enlisted men and worked their ways to the rank of Senior Airman. Due to their leadership skills, Marcus and Patrick were selected to Officer Candidate School. Upon graduation, each brother was given his respective assignments. Due to his specialties, Patrick was selected to join a top-secret program. Marcus was selected to join the peacekeeping force in Bosnia. When the War of Terror broke out, Marcus was reassigned to Afghanistan.
It was during his tour in Afghanistan that Marcus learned that his brother was killed in the line of duty in the process of capturing fugitives that have broken out of Leavenworth Military Prison. This tragedy hurt him as he and Patrick were very close. Yet it fueled his desire to excel as he and his brother often challenged each other. Marcus excelled at missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was there during the Second Battle of Fallujah that Marcus caught the attention of a recruiter with the SGC.
Upon his arrival at Stargate Command, Marcus was told about the true nature of his brother's work: Patrick had been selected to join the SGC and join SG-24. He had served in many missions as the team’s executive officer. Marcus also learned that Patrick and his team were killed at the hands of a Rogue NID team during their attempted capture by SG-24. This shocked Marcus to the core. He was given some time after training to grieve once again. Learning the truth of his brother's death motivated him to excel, but it left him scarred. The people who killed his brother were not the Goa’uld, the Ori, the Wraith, the Lucien Alliance or other enemies, but it was his own people that killed his brother. He made a promise that he would help bring his brother's killers to justice.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Marcus was selected to join SG-11 as executive officer, and he excelled at that position. He went on many missions, the most notable being the Battle of P2Y-378 against the Lucien Alliance. His gallant actions on the battlefield earned him a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and a choice of command. He requested to take command of SG-24, his brother's old unit.
He was in the process of selecting his teammates. He had selected two of them: Squadron Leader Isolde Fairbairn of the British Royal Air Force and Oversersjant Gunner Bjornsson of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. All he needed was a fourth team member. He had been studying personnel files on the flight, but he could not find someone who was a good fit.
Colonel Larkin arrived at the cemetery. Pulling out a map, he consulted it he consulted where he needed to go. In a matter of minutes, he found the section where his brother's grave was located. He parked the vehicle and taking a bouquet of flowers and a wood carving and consulting his map once again, he made his way where he needed to go. After some walking Marcus found his way to his brother's grave. The crunch of gravel under his boots was the only sound in the stillness. He took his cover off, knelt and fingered the engraving of the tombstone “PATRICK GARRETT LARKIN, MAJOR, USAF, MARCH 17, 1976- JULY 16, 2002.” He took his He spent some time in silence his brother's absence pressing down on him. Marcus talked to the tombstone as if his brother were there with him.
“Hey, bro,” he began his voice breaking. “I brought you some flowers. I thought you'd like that.” He placed them at the base of the tombstone.
He spent some time in silence recollecting all the good times he had spent with his brother. He remembered all the friendly challenges they had undertaken both as children growing up in the South Side of Chicago, and later in the Air Force. They would always celebrate when either got a promotion when they got together at the earliest convenience, often over good food and several bottles of whiskey. They would show each other what wood carving projects they’d been working on (a skill they had both learned from their grandfather), giving their masterpieces to each other as gifts.
“Mom and Dad say hello. They really miss you. I do too!” He paused for a short while. “I finished new wood carving. It's of a Spitfire. I know you wanted me to make one ever since we saw one at the Air and Space Museum.” He pulled it out and held it before the tombstone as if to show him. “I hope you like it.” Marcus began to break down and cry. “Oh, why did you have to die like that at the hands of those traitors? You had so much of life left ahead of you! You could have been a general!” He cried again. When he regained his composure, he spoke again.
“Patrick, I wanted to tell you that I've been given a command of my own. It's your old unit: SG-24. I bet you'd be proud of me, your little brother. I will make you proud. I'll make SG-24 the best units in the SGC, except for SG-1 of course. I've selected all but one of my team members. I've got a bonnie lass from Scotland who can fix anything and a stoic Norwegian who specializes in weapons. I just need a cultural advisor. I don't know who to pick. So, if you could send a message to the Man Upstairs to guide me, I would appreciate that.” He knelt in silence for some time; every now and again he would cry.
As his time ended, Marcus fingered the tombstone. He stood. “I must go now. Got to catch a flight back to the SGC. Patrick, I will make you proud.” He stood at attention and gave a salute, put his cover back on and walked back to the vehicle, his eyes still fixed on his brother's grave. Marcus imagined Patrick standing there smiling and waving.
Colonel Larkin got into the vehicle and drove back to Joint Base Andrews. He felt a sense of relief come over him. It had been a painful and difficult thing to do but it needed to be done. He thought about the responsibilities awaiting him as the new commanding officer of SG-24. Colonel Larkin was ready to take on this new challenge, carrying his brother's memory as a source of strength and inspiration.
