Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: A Different Kind of Responsibility
Lael Rosek
((Main Engineering, USS Veritas))
::She wasn’t even halfway through her shift and she was beginning to feel the stress of the day bearing down on her. There weren’t many repairs to the ship itself, thank God. No space skirmish generally meant less explosions and less need to replace damaged or destroyed parts.::
::No. Most of her stress today was coming from managing her team. While most of them were content as could be focusing on routine repairs, a few of them had chosen today, when the last of the yearly reports on staff performance were due, to either present her with ideas to improve ship performance or to get her opinion on their little pet projects.::
::She fought the urge to grunt in frustration, deciding it would be a few lightyears south of professional to do so, especially after Anjar’s outburst during their last mission. She couldn’t very well dress him down for his behavior, then turn around and do something similar herself.::
Rosek: o0 Just a few more hours… 0o
::A steaming mug of Ligonian spiced tea sounded so amazing right now. As soon as her shift was over, she was going to head to the Officer’s Lounge and--::
::Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden chirping of her commbadge, a wry grin spreading across her lips. Anyone with a foot of her would have been able to sense her displeasure. She had a niggling feeling in the pit of her stomach that whoever was one the other end of the line was about to give her news that would crush her plans for that mug of tea.::
Mei’konda: =/\= Mei’konda to Doctor Skyfire and Commander Rosek. =/\=
Skyfire: =/\= Go ahead, sir. =/\=
Rosek: =/\= Rosek here. Go ahead.=/\=
Mei’konda: =/\= The Montreal has arriived ahead of schedule. Looks liike she’s been in a fiight. We don’t have the details yet, but she’s taaken some hits, she has injuries, and her medical facilities are offline. Assemble an away team from both of your depaartments, and meet me in transporter room two. And Doctor Skyfire - it looks like she may have dozens of injured. =/\=
::This time, she wasn’t able to contain her huff of frustration. This day just kept getting better and better. Last she’d heard, the Montreal had been dispatched somewhere near the Tholian border. She was just glad that was left to the Montreal. She had no personal desire to be anywhere near the Tholians after her previous experiences with them.::
Skyfire: =/\= On it. If Commander del Vedova isn’t needed on the bridge, I’d welcome his help in sickbay. =/\=
Mei’konda: =/\= I’ve no doubt that he’ll be happy to assist, Doctor. I’ll see you in a few miinutes. Mei’konda out. =/\=
::When the comm closed, Lael turned, searching out the few members of her team that she had in mind for this particular jaunt. Her eyes locked on Anjar and Miskre, both of whom were leaned over the large display many referred to with some degree of humor as the ‘pool table’, presumably going over the results of the latest diagnostics.::
Rosek: Thoran. Swenhart.
Thoran: ::looks up, arching an eyebrow:: Ma’am?
Swenhart: Response
Rosek: Get your kits. We’re heading over to help with the Montreal. According to Commander Mei’konda, she’s early and looks like she’s been in a helluva fight. Given the fact that her last assignment was patrolling near the Tholian border, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were somehow involved.
Swenhart: Response
Thoran: ::nods:: Yes, ma’am.
::With orders given, she moved toward her office to retrieve her own toolkit. Based on what she knew of the Tholians, there was a good chance that time was of the essence and she wasted none as she quickly double-checked to make sure everything she needed was accounted for before meeting with Anjar and Miskre, the three heading to the transporter room to meet Mei’konda and Chythar.::
((Transporter Room, USS Veritas))
::She arrived with her two teammembers behind her to find Mei’konda already waiting. She politely motioned Chythar and his team ahead, following just after. She arched an eyebrow at the Caitian, curious if he had any better of an idea what they were heading into than she did. Mei’konda nodded at their arrival.::
Mei’konda: Thaank you for your promptness, Doctor, Commanders. Let’s get over there.
Rosek: ::smirks:: You act like you expected anything less, sir.
Skyfire: Responses
::She straightened, joining her superior officer on the pad along with the others. Her gaze flickered to Crewman Queen, who stood ready to begin the process upon Mei’konda’s order. Her focus turned inward as she mentally prepared herself for the scene they were likely to encounter once there. If they’d been in a battle, it wasn’t going to be pretty.::
Mei’konda: Energiize.
((Transporter Room 1, USS Montreal ))
::As the blue shimmer of the transporter faded away, Lael’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the flickering lights of the transporter room and the loud burgundy of the carpets. She imagined, by the look of the material, it had been walked many times. The familiar scent of stale smoke lingered in the air. If she could smell it with her weak Al-Leyan influenced nostrils, she could only imagine how the others felt.::
::Out of the corner of her eye, Lael noted a woman occupying the room, presumably enlisted by the look of the pips on her collar. The woman couldn’t have been more than a few years older than Lael herself was, the woman’s bright red hair, tied back in a bun, by far her most distinguishing feature. The bags under the woman’s eyes betrayed a hint of what had happened here and Lael shuddered, taken back for a moment to her days aboard the Gorkon and to their year in hell.::
::Mei’konda’s soft, yet confident voice snapped her from her reverie.::
Mei’konda: Crewman. I’m Commander Mei’konda of the Veritas. We’re here to help. Is Lieutenant Licamar on the Bridge?
Skyfire: Responses
::The woman’s initial response was a simple nod before continuing.::
Lindsay: Chief Emma Lindsay, sir, transporter chief. Yes, he’s on the Bridge, sir, which is on deck four.
::Lael noted the way the woman’s gaze went to the two teams standing behind Mei’konda and Lael offered what she hoped was a warm, comforting smile. This poor woman had been through things that Lael didn’t even know the full scope of yet. While she couldn’t pick up on exactly what the woman was feeling due to the touch-limited nature of her abilities, a subtle shift in the energy of the room led Lael to believe that the Montreal had been in more than just a little fight with the Tholians.::
Lindsay: Main Engineering is also on deck four, sir. And… what’s left of Sickbay is here on deck six, just a few sections forward. Last I heard, the nursing staff had the Captain down there. He’s been unconscious since the last attack.
Skyfire: Responses
::What’s left of Sickbay. Lael heard Mei’konda’s exhale beside her and fought to maintain a calm exterior. Was the fate of Sickbay the worst of what they’d find here?::
Mei’konda: Thank you, Chief. Doctor, Commander, head to those areas and assess the siituation, please. Render whatever aid you caan, and update me as soon as possible. I’ll be on the Briidge.
Rosek: ::nods:: Aye, sir.
Skyfire: Responses
::With a final nod, Mei’konda and the two teams exited the transporter room with the Caitian walking with Lael and her team while Chythar and his team headed off to see to Sickbay. The hall was littered with obstacles and she had to keep a close eye on where she was walking to avoid pieces of debris that might present a trip hazard.::
::Every so often, they’d pass a gaping hole in a bulkhead that would have vented them into space if not for the forcefields currently in place. She shuddered visibly. This was far too reminiscent of the Gorkon when she’d been swiss cheesed after a number of skirmishes with alternate universe Dominion ships.::
Mei’konda: The daamage is pretty bad, but she still appears impressiively functional. I hope we can help her and her crew get up and running quiickly. Any iniitial assessments, Commander?
Rosek: ::glances around:: I’m honestly surprised there isn’t more damage. They must have a helluva pilot. ::pauses and furrows her brow:: It shouldn’t be too bad with some people pulling double shifts. A couple days at most to get her minimally functional. At least enough that she won’t blow to pieces from the stress of warp travel.
Mei’konda: Mmh. I think so, too.
::The four stepped inside, the doors closing with a less subtle swish than usual, presumably due to how taxed the generators were just keeping life support and the forcefields throughout the ship functioning. Lael grimaced.::
::She was no stranger to cobbling back together a ship that was falling apart, but she had yet to see a full-scale diagnostic and assessment of the ship’s functioning and capabilities after the long battle. That would come when she and her team reached their destination.::
Mei’konda: Main engineering.
::Lael remained silent for the short duration of the turbolift ride, lost in thought. As much as she knew she had to focus on the tasks at hand in Engineering, she couldn’t help but be curious about the details of the battle that had landed the little vessel in such dire straits in the first place. Even her experiences with the Tholians hadn’t prepared her for this.::
Mei’konda: See you soon, Commander.
Rosek: ::nods:: Yes, sir.
::She, Anjar, and Miskre stepped off the turbolift, the doors again closing behind them as they walked the short distance down the corridor to the blast door that would lead them into Engineering. Once they’d climbed through and walked a bit longer, they found themselves in the main section, the swirling matter/anti-matter mix inside the core a calm and almost eerie blue.::
::Glancing around, she got the impression of a ghost town. The hub of the ship was clearly abandoned with the exception of a skeleton crew usually reserved for gamma shifts. She had the feeling that the missing personnel were currently residing in the remains of Sickbay and possibly in makeshift infirmaries set up throughout the ship.::
Rosek: ::turns to Swenhart:: Gather them up, Crewman.
::While Swenhart did what was necessary to fulfill her Chief’s orders, Lael turned to Anjar, her expression solemn.::
Rosek: This place is even more understaffed than I anticipated. Do you still think we can pull this off with the timeline I promised Commander Mei’konda?
Thoran: ::nods:: We’ll bring over more people from the Veritas if we need to.
Swenhart: Response
::Lael turned to find what remained of the Engineering crew gathered round and she felt a knot form in her throat at the exhaustion written on their faces and the glimmer of sadness in their eyes. They’d been through hell and were likely feeling very discouraged. Clearing her throat, she began to speak.::
Rosek: I’m Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek, Chief Engineer from the Veritas. ::pauses:: It’s clear that everyone here has been through a lot recently--likely more than myself or my team-- ::indicates Anjar and Miskre:: can possibly imagine. However, I’m going to need every last man and woman here to get this ship fixed up and ready for warp. There’ll be long hours, but I’m confident that we can pull her together. Seeing you all here now, I have no doubt you’re among Starfleet’s best and brightest. ::pauses:: Let’s get to work, everyone.
::She handed a PADD to Anjar, designating him sections of Engineering to oversee and conduct repairs. He nodded, heading off to find the individuals who would be best suited for the tasks he had in mind. That left Miskre. She turned, eyeing the Dokkaran woman before offering her a PADD as well.::
Swenhart: Response
Rosek: ::smiles wanly:: In a situation like this, rank doesn’t necessarily define leadership. I’m counting on you to show your leadership abilities.
Swenhart: Response
::With that settled, Lael moved to find her own team and begin diagnostics on the more critical systems to be sure there wasn’t something important they were missing. She glanced around Engineering again as she leaned against this vessel’s version of an Engineering ‘pool table’, the tech clearly not as up-to-date as that of the Veritas. They had a lot of work ahead of them.::
Swenhart/Any: Reponse