Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: An Offer Too Tempting To Refuse
Lael Rosek
//Chief Engineering Officer’s Log, Stardate 239510.31
The Montreal is in rough shape. Not only did she take heavy damage to her external bulkheads and interior corridors, she lost a good portion of her crew in the fight, including the Chief Medical Officer and First Officer. From what the reports are saying, the Montreal’s commanding officer, Commander Zhou Tai-Sheng is seriously injured and is being treated in the Veritas’ sickbay. This whole situation is a giant mess.
I’ve been coordinating with the Montreal’s Acting Chief Engineer, Lieutenant J.G. Francis Michaels, on repairs. The engineering team here has been very helpful. If we keep up this pace, we might actually be able to finish the majority of the repairs before the deadline I gave Commander Mei’konda.
(( Ready Room USS Montreal))
::Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek, a blond female Human/Al-Leyan hybrid, stood just outside the Captain’s ready room, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. A comm from Commander Mei’konda had summoned her to the Captain’s ready room and, despite being covered in sweat and grime after being elbow deep in isolinear conduits, changing damaged optic cables and replacing key components that had taken a serious beating during the ship’s fire fight.::
:: Her uniform jacket hung open, revealing the gold tunic she wore underneath. It was just too damned hot down there with the environmental controls on the fritz, but she had to maintain a certain level of professionalism. These people were looking to her, after all. She paused for a moment, pressing her thumb to the doorchime, then stepping back to wait.::
Mei’konda: Come in.
::Commander Mei’konda’s voice echoed from inside. The doors swished open as she moved toward them, her eyes flickering around the room to the personal belongings displayed and she arched an eyebrow. Many of them she recognized from Mei’konda’s office aboard the Veritas. She glanced at his collar. No extra pip. So he hadn’t been promoted. It wasn’t uncommon for Commanders to find themselves in the Captain’s chair even without it, usually in situations where a qualified commanding officer wasn’t readily available.::
Rosek: ::offers him a PADD:: This is what we have so far, sir. The damage isn’t nearly as extensive as I’d initially predicted. I might be able to cut down that initial estimate I gave you by a bit.
::Mei’konda’s furry paw brushed hers as he accepted the report, thumbing through it.::
Mei’konda: Thaank you, Commander. I’ll add this to the daamage report shortly.
::He sat the PADD down on the desk after a few moments, returning his attention to her. The Caitian’s welcoming blue eyes met her own and she had the distinct feeling there was more to this little meeting than he was letting on. Surely he didn’t call her up here just to ask for a report she could have easily sent to him electronically?::
Mei’konda: There was one other piece of business, Lael.
Rosek: o0 I knew it! 0o ::clears her throat:: And what might that be, sir?
Mei’konda: I know this maay be sudden, but you know the situation here. You’re a quaalified command candidate, and you have the raank for it. I’d like you to serve as my first officer aboard the Montreal until further notiice.
::For a long moment, Lael didn’t speak. From Mei’konda’s serious expression, she could tell he wasn’t joking. ‘My first officer’. His first officer. But that meant--he was the Montreal’s commanding officer. She was utterly stunned. Though she’d had her suspicions earlier, hearing him say it was a different story. Her eyes dropped momentarily to her feet before her gaze returned to his, a smirk crossing her lips.::
Rosek: Hell of a bomb you’re dropping on me, sir.
Mei’konda: If you say yes, you’ll begiin immediately. I’d liike you to piick someone to come over from the Veritas and take over as actiing chief engineer. Of course, I imagiine we’ll still be getting our haands dirty for the next few weeks.
::Acting Chief Engineer. Naturally, given the circumstances, she’d be down there every spare minute she could be. But Mei’konda was right. She couldn’t be in two places at once so she needed to pick someone she trusted to keep things together while she was on the bridge.::
::The first name that popped into her head was Lieutenant Anjar Thoran. Other than his issues with his temper during the last mission, he’d proven time and again that he was more than capable of handling himself in that capacity. In that vein, Lieutenant J.G. Carter Greyson would more than adequately fill the role of Acting Assistant Chief.::
Rosek: ::nods and pauses:: If I might, sir, I’d like to recommend Lieutenant Thoran for Acting Chief. Despite his difficulties last mission, he’s proven himself time and again when left in charge of Engineering in my absence. ::pauses:: Also, sir, I’d like to recommend Lieutenant J.G. Greyson for Acting Assistant Chief and that he be promoted to full Lieutenant given how instrumental he was in retrieving my team and I during the last mission.
Mei’konda: Response
::Lael opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the doorchime.::
Mei’konda: Response
::She arched an eyebrow as a Human male with ensign’s pips on his gold collar stepped inside.::
Noland: Ensign Skylar Noland reporting for duty Captain.
Mei’konda: Response
::Lael smiled, offering the young man her hand. He wasn’t the first new ensign she’d greeted in her career, but certain the first she’d greeted as the first officer of a starship. She felt a thrill of excitement a whole world of possibilities opened to her in the span of a single moment. Though the change had been unexpected, that didn’t follow that it was unwelcome.::
Rosek: A pleasure to meet you, Ensign Noland. I’m Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek, first officer.
Mei’konda/Noland: Response
::At that moment the door chime rang again.::
Mei’konda: Response
::This time as the doors parted, a familiar face stepped through. Recently promoted Lieutenant J.G. German Galven moved to join them.::
Rosek: ::smirks:: Mr. Galven. So nice of you to join us. ::motions to Noland:: I’d like you to meet our newest addition.
Noland: Response
Galven: Response
Mei’konda: Response