Reporting for Duty

Posted on Thu 14th Mar, 2013 @ 2:15pm by Colonel Horatio Drake & Major Jack Dawson

1,035 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/3
Location: Deck 12: Drake's Ready Room
Timeline: MD-02: 1230 Hours

Jack ran his fingers through his hair as he stepped out of the shuttle onto the deck plates of hangar one. Starbase Protector, his second new home in the last three years, was once again to have starfighters buzzing in and out of the huge room. It seemed eery that a few shuttles and transports to the station were all the action the hangar had seen over the last decade, afterall the wall above the exit still bore the old shoulder patch of the station's former Marine Aerospace Group.

He turned around to face the shuttle.

"Get Captain Greers on the line, I want the fighters transferred from the Olympic asap," he told the pilot. "I'm going to find the CO, don't wait around."

"Sir," the pilot acknowledged, activating the comm system and relaying the instructions.

Jack headed for the exit, next stop, Colonel Drake's office, wherever that was.

====

Keeping an animal, especially a wild animal, in captivity had always been classed as cruel since the earliest days of Earth's history. Drake wouldn't exactly equate himself to a wild animal, but he certainly felt like he was in captivity. He would have to start pressing Starfleet for his administrative staff soon... this level of admin work was too much. He felt like he hadn't left his office in days! Fives times in as many hours, had he walked out into Ops to tinker with a few consoles and check a few things, that didn't need checking.

He felt like he was going stir crazy. However, whenever that feeling seemed to be settling in there would always be a welcome disruption. It seemed like today was no different. The door chimed.

"Please, come in!" he said, a little to excited.

The doors to the office slid open and revealed a man around Drake's height and build, also in Marine attire, but wearing the sky-blue beret of a Marine Aerospace Wing. He entered the office, stood to attention and crisply saluted the Colonel.

"Major Jack Dawson, Marine Aerospace Group Ten, reporting for duty, sir," he stated as his arm dropped back to his side.

Standing in front of Drake was one of those disgustingly good looking people... so attractive that it was hard to keep from staring at them. A second... perhaps two... passed... Drake had looked long enough. He hoped it was concealed as a mere thought process of what to say.

"Major!" Drake stood, extending his hand over his desk "We weren't expecting anyone from the aerospace division until next month, at the earliest?"

It was difficult to tell how old this particular officer was... at a guess he would have said mid to late twenties. Certain features betrayed hints of both older and younger.

"I apologise for being a little early, the majority of the crew and fighters are on the Grenada, awaiting your approval to come aboard," Dawson explained, taking the Colonel's hand and shaking it, before removing his beret.

"Please, sit down Major" Drake gestured towards the chair opposite the desk. "Can I get you anything to drink?" He inquired.

"Coffee would be good, sir," Dawson replied, taking a seat.

"Yes, of course - you've got my full approval to bring all the fighters and crew on board. Furthermore, consider yourself having carte blanche henceforth - it's your department, afterall!" He smiled, perhaps too keenly at the Aerospace Officer as he rose from his desk to refill his coffee mug and order another.

"I'll have them begin moving in straight away, hangars one, two and three are allocated to us, I believe?" Dawson asked, simply seeking clarification, as the Colonel brought over the coffee.

"Well, we have forty one shuttlebays... I'm not sure which ones are designed to house shuttles or fighters... but with the new departmental merges Starfleet have put into effect, they're all yours."

He placed the coffee in front of the Major and took a seat. "What's more, Deck one hundred is essentially yours as well... the Shuttle Commander's Office is located there, I believe?"

Starfleet being the strange beast it is, left the Fighter and Transportation departments separate after the Dominion War, when Starfleet was suffering from it's lowest personnel compliment in its history. Recently, however, when personnel levels were essentially back to normal... they proposed a merge between the two departments.

"I have a small team of control staff who may need boosting from the Starfleet ranks, if you have anyone competent in operations who would like an attachment," Dawson replied, having taken a moment to think about the Colonel's explanation. "I will set up my office near hangar one, and make sure my admin staff and primary functions are all located there. I would suggest that will take about a week to complete, then we'll be fully operational, sir."

"I don't mind approving any attachment from another department, however I fear you'll be hard pushed to find anyone. Most departments aren't even at half strength yet!" He took ca cautious sip from his mug, testing the temperature. "A week sounds more than reasonable, Major. Well done, you seem to have everything under control!" He smiled at the man, only then noticing his eyes. They seemed blue and grey... if that were even possible... but so bright, at the same time.

God, what was happening to him! First he found himself attracted to Paul Graves and now Dawson. He quickly glanced away from the crystal blue eyes and down to his desk... an overwhelming feeling of guilt coursed through his body. Patrick had been dead for well over a year now... was it nearly two years? Still, it felt wrong looking at anyone else.

"So, Major... what made you want to come to Protector then?" He expected he knew the answer to the question. Either they had no choice in their placement or they were running from something or someone. That seemed the story of every other member of senior staff on this station.7

"Well, that's quite an involved story actually...." He smiled.

OFF:

OOC: I cut this post short due to the ELOA of Major Dawson. However I thought it was really good so wanted to publish it sooner rather than later!

 

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