Posted by Ensign Kovan ch’Sirhc (Engineering & Communications Officer) in Crap! It’s the Captain! (Tag Rende)

Posted by Captain Rende Asam (Commanding Officer) in Crap! It’s the Captain! (Tag Rende)

Posted by Ensign Kovan ch’Sirhc (Engineering & Communications Officer) in Crap! It’s the Captain! (Tag Rende)
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Kovan checked the right, then the left. All clear. He crossed the intersection and headed down the hall towards the deck 7 escape pods. Pausing every few meters to listen for the sound of foot steps or chatting crewmen. No one close enough to spot him and that was good enough for him. Kovan pulled his hyperspanner from his back pocket and gently pried off the maintenance panel for the escape pods.

The hardware system that managed the pods was soon due for a physical examination and upkeep maintenance. Kovan checked over both shoulders before getting to work. Why the sneaking around? Because he’d very recently been put under a work suspension for two days. Meaning, he was put on forced R&R (and not for the first time either). No one should be working on the pods for a few days yet and few crewmen ever wandered by the pods. Kovan figured it was his best bet for off the record work. Two days with no work. What did they expect him to do? Play board games in the lounge all day and learn an instrument?

The suspension wasn’t fair to begin with. Who cared if he worked “too many” shifts in a row or if he didn’t take enough “off time”? Don’t work so much Kovan. Stop getting into arguments with your crewmates in your off time. Go take a break, Kovan. Go be social. Oh, not that social because you’re as pleasant to be around as a wild Gorn.

En ch’Sirhc COMMO/ENGR

As was Rende’s habit, she tended to walk the corridors. She had never been one to just sit idley. She was a mover, even just a leasurily walk. Especially when her mind wouldn’t settle. She was still pouring over the letter to Eldorin. It had never been so hard to talk to him. Was it guilt? Maybe fear? Or was she just that lonely? It was so very strange to be without him. And to be so incredibly far away. That was what it really was, the distance. There was nothing she could do about it though.

Walking the corridors was also a good way to get a feel for the ship and the rhythms of the people on each shift. It wasn’t really a need to check up on the crew, which she knew some people assumed. As first officer it was her job to be accessible and handle any issues, big or small, that arose. That was Alden’s job now, but Rende didn’t want to be one of those captains that was unapproachable, that was seen as larger than life, even when she was not. So in that vein she wasn’t wearing her uniform. She was dressed nicely in loose billowy slacks tucked into her boots and a cream wrap blouse with 3/4 sleeves.

She spoke to anyone she passed, and it was comical the formality, but they would either get over it or not. Rounding a quiet corner of deck 7 she saw the all too familiar sight of feet sticking out an access hatch and a hand searching for a tool. Rende grinned, it reminded her so much of Eldorin that it both made her happy and melancholy. She paused, forgetting how silently she walked, stooped down and picked up the tool, placing it in the searching hand. “There ya go.”

Asam, CO

Working deep in the hatch, Kovan settled into the rhythm of steady, familiar work. Though far from mentally demanding, the simplicity of checking the hardware for signs of wear and tear and ensuring the system was properly updated soothed him. Follow the steps, go down your checklist. Easy work with no room for personal issues or emotions to bleed into. Kovan began to feel around for his next tool when it suddenly pressed into his hand.

Kovan swore, and bashed his head against the top of metal ceiling when he instinctively tried to sit up and see who had found him. He swore some more. Crap. Keep your cool, stay inside the access hatch. “Uh, thanks.” He said. Whose voice was that? It was a little hard to hear fully inside the access hatch but he swore it sounded like the captain.

Kovan

Rende winced in sympathy. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I should have said something before giving you the spanner. You alright?” She really should know better. She had done the same to Eldorin so many times. Then again, she had also learned to hand him what he needed without him having to ask. He was used to how quietly she moved as well.

Asam, CO

No, that was definitely the captain’s voice. Crap. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just a bump.” Kovan called back, trying to keep his voice even. Though given the pain radiating across his forehead he supposed it was understandable that his voice wavered a little. He set the spanner beside him and passed back the diagnosis prong. Keep cool and pretend that you’re supposed to be here and not on a work suspension. “Set this down for me, would you?”

Kovan

“Sure.” Strong but elegant hands took the prong and set it down within reach. She didn’t remember the escape pods being up on the maintenance list. “Something go wrong with the pods?”

Asam, CO

“No, routine maintenance,” Kovan answered, “Doing the physical examination of the hardware and testing the software.” Now. . . Does he lie an say the time frame was bumped up? Or play it even more casual with a claim that he found time to get to it early? Shit. Kovan could lie like the best of them but lying to the captain? Too great a risk. Well crap. Kovan settled on saying as little as possible. The less you say the better off you were.

Kovan

Rende detected a bit of nervousness. “Relax ensign. I’m not here to check up on you.” She could tell the rank from the lack of stripes on his shirt sleeve. Other than that she had no way of knowing who he was as she couldn’t see his face. And as of yet Rende had not met everyone on the crew yet. “I was just passing by and you looked like you could use some help.”

Asam, CO