Lieutenant Commander Marty Tucker - The Price Of Command
Martin Tucker
Marty sat at his desk, hip-deep in reports from the last two missions, so saying he was in the weeds was an understatement. What he should do is have Morgan organize everything for him; she was far better at it than he was. And frankly, it bored him to tears, well, for the most part. One of the tough things he noticed about post-mission is just trying to get back into a routine. As he looked through his mountain of padds, two were missing: Ensign Roop’s and Nakada’s after-action reports. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but he needed them done before shore leave could be granted.
In fact, they were working with a skeleton crew in the engineering department. Most of the staff was tied up with getting cleared through the medship before heading to the surface for a bit of R&R. Marty wanted to wrap things up because he, too, needed to get all the t’s crossed and i’s dotted. While he was living the dream as Chief Engineer, he didn’t dream of all the padd work and red tape. Then he shook his head, figuring that both the skipper and XO had taller stacks.
The price of command, they say.
Deciding he needed a break, he got up and stretched as he stood up behind his desk and walked over to the replicator. He was about to order his third raktajino of the day.
Tucker: Computer, Raktajino extra strong, hot.
The replicator whirred into action, creating a steaming mug of Klingon coffee, which most of the fleet depended on and could also function as an alternative fuel. He reached in, grabbed the mug, and blew across the top before taking a sip of the concoction. He returned to his desk, and upon looking at it, he shook his head, hesitating to sit down again. He set the cup down and tapped his combadge.
Tucker: Ensigns Nakada and Roop, please report to my office as soon as possible and bring your after-action reports with you. Tucker out.
Nakada/Roop: =/\= Response =/\=
He tapped his combadge to close the channel. He had a couple of tasks for them before they could head off to shoreleave, though he was pretty sure it wouldn’t take very long.
((Medium Time Skip, Chief Engineers Office, USS Ronin))
The door chimed.
Tucker: It’s open!
The door swished open to reveal the two ensigns he’d called up on earlier, Nakada and Roop. He didn’t get to actual work with either one during the mission proper, but he wanted to check in and see how things went, and if there were any comments or concerns. Marty liked to do this after missions that involved more than himself from engineering. However, he had his own logs to attend to anyway.
They came to a halt before Marty’s desk, standing at attention. Marty waved a hand as he took another sip of his beverage.
Tucker: At ease, ensigns, before you pull something. ::motioning to the two chairs on the opposite side of the desk:: Please have a seat, no need to be completely formal.
Nakada/Roop: Response
Marty let the two get comfortable, or at least hope they got comfortable.
Tucker: So, first I need you’re after-action reports. Second, how are you all feeling? If needed, the Consular is available if you’d like to pursue that route. Alternatively, I have an open-door policy here, and I'm not one to judge. My office and engineering team as a whole are a safe space.
Nakada/Roop: Response
Marty nodded and decided now it was time to get down to business; he just didn’t want to bog them down too much on shoreleave. He was even going to try to take advantage of The Farm while they were in orbit. He could use some beach time; hopefully, Rox would be up for something.
Tucker: I’m glad you both returned in what seems good health, better than being in a bucket. ::he gave a half smile::
Nakada/Roop: Response
Marty rested his elbow on his desk, his hands steepled in front of him. He regarded the two for a minute, just wondering what was going on in their minds during the pregnant pause.
Tucker: I have a project for both of you. I would like you to develop a more effective solution for the containment fields used during outbreaks. Some of those systems have failed and need replacement. We require stronger security to contain especially dangerous viruses.
Nakada/Roop: Response
TAGS/TBC