[Backsim] Lt. Cmdr Robin Hopper – Trinkets
Robin Hopper
((CO’s Office, Level 3, Copernicus Center))
Hopper: Since you’re already familiar with Aitas, I’d recommend connecting with her at some point this week to get that regional briefing – additionally, I’d suggest, given your assignment as Duty Officer, that making a point of meeting our various department heads would be a good next step. As First Officer, I’ll be your direct superior officer – but I’d like you to coordinate meetings with Commander Rosek-Skyfire, Lieutenant Commanders Iko and Taelon, as well as Lieutenant Wong when you can.
She made a point of bringing up their Starfleet profiles on her PADD before passing it over to Vexa to review. As the station’s senior Starfleet Duty Officer, it would be crucial for her to understand the workings of each department – and who better to fill her in than their department heads.
Lor: That will be helpful. Thank you, Commander.
Ukinix: That’s Robin, always helpful.
Robin tilted her head slightly, unsure if “helpful” was as complimentary a word to use as Wil had likely intended it or if it might in fact be a bit secretarial. But, rather than get hung up, she brushed it off and continued.
Hopper: Actually, Lieutenant, I’d say that Duty Officer might be a great position for someone interested in furthering their career in the Command track. You get to liaise with nearly every other department on the station– ::chuckle:: and meet all the ‘big wigs’... Do you have any aspirations towards Command?
Vexa considered her answer for a moment – which Robin appreciated. Many junior officers were eager, over-eager she now thought, to leap into Command figuring it couldn’t be that much different than being a cadet. While Robin had always had dreams of Captaining a starship, she’d never had aspirations. Heck, she’d barely aspired to Starfleet Science. But, as Captain Addison MacKenzie had once put it, shortly after receiving her own command aboard the USS Artemis, sometimes it was better to let these things come to you.
Lor: I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. ::smiles:: I suppose I’m still working to develop my leadership style. My favorite Academy instructor always emphasized how important that is–forming a communication style, learning how and when to delegate, things of that nature.
Ukinix: Absolutely true. And just be yourself too, don’t try and be like someone you’re not. It can be a longer road to working out your leadership style, but it’s a better way.
Hopper: That’s a well-thought out answer, Lieutenant. There’s a lot of ‘soft skills’ that they don’t teach in the classroom that just come with time and experience…
In fact, Robin was a little concerned that, in the years following the events of Frontier Day, Starfleet might be fast-tracking Command prospects to fill vacancies – a thought that had crossed her mind when Captain Ashwood had shown up on Amity informing her that Starfleet was considering her as a potential Commander. The whole thing had taken her by surprise and, honestly, felt a little rushed.
Lor: I’m always open to opportunities to explore that, of course. There hasn’t been a challenge yet that hasn’t proven to be a learning experience.
Ukinix: Like they say, it’s always the bad missions you learn best from. I mean, ::scratching back of neck:: I *think* they say that. Whoever “they” is.
Hopper: Well, anyways it seems like you have a good attitude about it all, Lieutenant – and the right attitude is really the most important thing.
One of the many reasons Robin was such a fervent proponent of regular visits to the counselor. A positive optimistic perspective on life and career was really the only way to keep moving in the face of such infinite unknowns.
Lor: ::smiles:: I’ve had many people mistake my optimism and bubbly personality for a lack of intelligence and ambition. I assure you, I have an ample supply of both. I just don’t see the point in going around looking for reasons to be grumpy and miserable. ::shrugs:: As Humans say, life is too short for that kind of nonsense.
Robin smiled, clearly relating to Lor’s outlook.
Ukinix: Well us humans get it right sometimes. Life is too short, gotta have fun, even in the bad times.
Hopper: Sounds like you’ll fit right in, Vexa.
Just then, the door chime rang.
Ukinix: ::Smiling, lifting finger:: And, it’s always fun to reward others as well for their accomplishments. ::To door:: Come in!
The door slid open, following Wil’s command – which, itself, followed his barely-subtle indication that he intended to give out a couple more ribbons here and now.
Rosek-Skyfire: Response
Ukinix: ::Gesturing:: Nah, no worries at all, come in, we were just meeting Lieutenant Vexa Lor, durty Officer. ::To Vexa:: Lieutenant, this is Commander Rosek-Skyfire, Chief of Operations.
Lor/Rosek-Skyfire: Response
Robin pointed at the PADD in Lor’s hand and gave her a wink.
Hopper: Guess you can cross one department head off your list.
Meanwhile, Wil focused on Lael.
Ukinix: How are you, and how are the twins?
Lor/Rosek-Skyfire: Response
Ukinix: Oh no, I called you up here for more than that. ::To Robin:: In the top drawer of my desk, would you mind grabbing the three things that are in there, and the bag too?
With a playful ‘why not?’ shrug, Robin rose from her seat and rounded the desk, sliding the drawer open and peering inside – there she found three wooden boxes and, as mentioned, a bag. Yoink!
Hopper: ::Chuckle:: Gee, I wonder what these could be?
Rosek-Skyfire/Lor: Response
Ukinix: ::To Vexa:: Just a little ceremony, might give you a feel for the culture of our little corner of the Delta Quadrant. ::Smiles, to Lael:: Guess what, Commander?
Robin rounded the desk again, the other direction this time, returning to the group – boxes in hand.
Rosek-Skyfire: Response
Ukinix: ::Rubbing hands together:: It’s ribbon o‘clock. ::slight smirk:: Not Robin o’clock, otherwise we’d all be at one of those old Earth discotheques drinking margaritas right now.
Hopper: ::Glancing at the nearest chronometer:: Yeah, it’s getting to be about that time, actually. Chop, chop, Ukinix.
Dancing and margaritas did sound really good right about now. But then, that was usually the case at the end of a workday – though Robin rarely indulged herself now as much as she used to.
Ukinix: Commander Rosek-Skyfire, for helping to defend Amity from the threat of the Vaadwaur, you’re awarded the Peacekeeper Ribbon. And for heading into underspace with most of the rest of the crew, you’re also awarded the Explorer’s ribbon. ::To Robin:: Would you please play “pin the ribbons on the Commander”?
Taking out the relevant ribbon pins from their boxes, she stepped forward towards Lael – finding a suitable spot on her jacket to place them.
Hopper: Lucky for you, we seem to have forgotten the traditional blindfold…
Rosek-Skyfire/Lor: Response
Turning back to Wil, briefly, she held up one finger, then two, then a third with a questioning head tilt towards the third and final box.
Ukinix: Uh-uh, we’re not done yet, Lael. You were instrumental, along with Robin here, for rescuing the Prime Claimant from underspace, which helped us stop the attack on Amity. For this, you are awarded the Diplomacy Ribbon. Congratulations!
Hopper: ::Affixing the ribbon to Lael’s jacket:: Aaand there ya go.
Robin stepped back, joining in the soft applause from the others.
Rosek-Skyfire/Lor: Response
He gestured towards Robin for the bag.
Ukinix: ::To Robin:: Thanks, mate. ::To Lael:: I’ve got one more thing. Two more actually. ::Pulling soft toys from bag:: These are hand crafted-- ::eyes up, left:: well, replicated-- ::back to Lael:: soft toy bears, complete with gold Starfleet uniforms, with their own mini combadge. ::taking both bears in each hand:: And if you press those little combadges…
Robin’s brow furrowed, a mix of curious intrigue and dismay at the thought of one day receiving such trinkets from Wil for her own children – if she should ever be so unfortunate.
He pressed the combadges on the little toy bears and they started playing separate (and slightly discordant) melodies. A little creepy actually, in Robin’s estimation. But she just held her tongue and tried to appreciate the gesture for what it was rather than being such an obvious cynic.
Ukinix: These are lullabies of songs from my late 20th/early 21st music collection, ran through the computer and turned into lullabies. The twins can rock on while they go to sleep. These bears have become a bit of a tradition for me to hand out to new bubs when our fellow crew members have one, and you’ve had two. So... ::handing over bears:: there you go.
Hopper: Then that about wraps things up here. ::Smiling to Lor:: As you can see, we’re a little more relaxed about certain things here on Amity than on some other ships and installations in the Fleet. ::Gesturing to the door:: Lael, if you’re heading out, maybe Lieutenant Lor and I can join you? You two can get acquainted and we can discuss Vexa’s new accommodations?
Rosek-Skyfire/Lor: Response
END Scene for Hopper
