Posted by Lieutenant Commander Ryder Raauhl (Executive Officer) in Cobb’s Ready Room - Raauhl is summoned

Posted by Captain Zachariah Cobb (Commanding Officer) in Cobb’s Ready Room - Raauhl is summoned
Bloody rollercoaster! It was a somewhat stereotypical but still, to Cobb’s mind, eminently fitting description of life in the ARU. Some days were all about the climb, the perpetual accretion of nausea as one dedicated all of their strength to ignoring the plunge at their side. Others balanced at the summit, a momentary respite where achievement and anxiety became convivial bedfellows, each positioning themselves on the scales of existence in roughly equivalent measure. And then there were the days that brought the plummet - that recurring sensation of absolute terror as reality gave way to the void.

In that moment, as he sipped at his coffee, Zachariah Cobb had no notion of which day was about to break upon him. With an exhale he drained his mug then slammed his commbadge with an open palm.

=^= Lt Cmdr Raauhl, please report to my ready room =^= he intoned flatly, not yet ready to select the appropriate emotion for whichever day lay ahead.

• Captain Zachariah Cobb

=^=On my way=^= Came the quick, stern response from the ships executive officer. Raauhl wasn’t on duty but was again wandering the corridor making conversation and trying to get the general vibe of the crews moral, it was his job to e the link between department heads and the captain but often how the crew felt got lost between the noise of weekly reports, he found walking the ship and creating a conversation with the crew resulted in a far greater understanding in how the crew felt both good and the bad it made him a better XO as a result.

It didn’t take long for Raauhl to reach the ready room and so he entered, the door chime announcing his presence. “You wanted to see me Captain.” The XO and Captain had a decent enough relationship that he felt comfortable walking in on the Captain. Besides, it wasn’t often ti happened and Raauhl wanted to get straight to the point.

• Lt Cmdr Raauhl, XO

“Aye,” the captain nodded, before pointing to a pot of coffee and half-empty bottle of whiskey on the end of his desk for Raauhl to take refreshment from one or both. Sipping at his own drink, he observed the Trill in silence for a few moments, before emitting a grunt and then finally beginning to talk.

“It’s been a hell of a year. Somehow it’s managed to pass by in the blink of an eye while simultaneously dragging on for at least a decade,” he snorted, placing his empty mug onto the table and steepling fingers under his chin.
“But fast or slow, the ARU has caught every second of the crew’s actions here. As have I.”

Rising to his feet, the captain slipped something into his pocket and then strolled to the observation window, directing the remainder of his monologue to the infinite space outside.
“It’s fair to say that our missions have, so far, not gone entirely to plan. We lost several crewmembers against Andromeda’s Tomb. Even more against the Hampton-thing. As a captain it can feel a struggle at times to catch even a glimmer of success amongst the chaos. But it’s there. I know it. In here,” he pounded a fist against his chest.
“On the balance of things, in the end I reckon that we did okay. Better than okay. We did pretty damned brilliant, all things considered. And I’m not so bashful as I might have been to shun every drop of credit for the outcome. But I could not have done any of it without a good crew at my side. And most importantly, a good First Officer.”

Turning back to the other man, the threat of a smile began to pull at the corners of Cobb’s lips, although he maintained his composure at the last. Although it was with a definite eagerness that he reached into his pocket and retrieved a small box, opening it with a flourish and holding it out for Ryder to view.

Inside, sitting on a red, velvet cushion, lay a single, solid gold pip.

“It’s been a long time coming, eh, lad?” Cobb chuckled.

• Captain Zachariah Cobb