Gan/Taylor-Marines

||Starbase 12
||Ready Room
||August 3, 2387
||TBD

Gan steepled his fingers and pondered for a few moments. He knew that he had a couple of things to do today, and after being sick for what felt like such a long time. He picked up a PADD and thumbed down his list of things to take care of that day. The first thing he really needed to do was talk to Taylor. He needed to know to a certain extent what had happened in detail on the planet and if his sending a larger group of marines would have helped. He would have to require Starfleet to send him another squad, but how big it was would be determined by the young Lieutenant and himself. He would have a more solid idea after the official debriefing after things were more settled down and he could talk to everyone who had been on the surface, but he knew that he should take this step. After all if he could have also had some more marines on the planet and on station, things could have been dealt with a lot more smoothly.

He pressed his commbadge gently and thought how best to phrase what he wanted from the marine. "Lieutenant Lucas, please meet me in my ready room when you have a free moment." He thought he would extend the olive branch, he didn't know if the man blamed him for what happened down there. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly. Getting back into the swing of things would be an interesting experiment. He felt like he was always on his back foot ever since the accident. Always reacting..well this would be his first step on the road to getting everything back to normal. He hoped Lillian was doing better than he was with the mess that he had helped to leave in Sickbay. He laughed, leaning back in his chair and awaiting Taylor.

||Starbase 12
||Ready Room
||August 3, 2387
||TBD

Gan steepled his fingers and pondered for a few moments. He knew that he had a couple of things to do today, and after being sick for what felt like such a long time. He picked up a PADD and thumbed down his list of things to take care of that day. The first thing he really needed to do was talk to Taylor. He needed to know to a certain extent what had happened in detail on the planet and if his sending a larger group of marines would have helped. He would have to require Starfleet to send him another squad, but how big it was would be determined by the young Lieutenant and himself. He would have a more solid idea after the official debriefing after things were more settled down and he could talk to everyone who had been on the surface, but he knew that he should take this step. After all if he could have also had some more marines on the planet and on station, things could have been dealt with a lot more smoothly.

He pressed his commbadge gently and thought how best to phrase what he wanted from the marine. "Lieutenant Lucas, please meet me in my ready room when you have a free moment." He thought he would extend the olive branch, he didn't know if the man blamed him for what happened down there. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly. Getting back into the swing of things would be an interesting experiment. He felt like he was always on his back foot ever since the accident. Always reacting..well this would be his first step on the road to getting everything back to normal. He hoped Lillian was doing better than he was with the mess that he had helped to leave in Sickbay. He laughed, leaning back in his chair and awaiting Taylor.

"On my way sir." said Taylor with a mild look of confusion as he did an about turn and made his way towards the Ready Room. Why was Gan wanting to see him? No doubt about the fiasco on the planet. Would the other members of the away team be present or would it be a simple one-on-one? Either way he had certain things to say about Max. In fact Taylor had a lot of things to say about Max and so he made his way to the Ready Room at a pace just short of running. It was time to talk with the boss obviously and a few turbolift rides later he was soon confronted by the door of Gan's Ready Room.

He chimed his presence, waited a few moments and then opened the door before marching along the room as if it was a parade ground. Taylor stamped to a halt before offering one of the crispest salutes ever to be offered by a serving marine. "1st Lieutenant Lucas, reported as ordered. Sah!"

||Starbase 12
||Ready Room
||August 3, 2387
||TBD

Gan steepled his fingers and pondered for a few moments. He knew that he had a couple of things to do today, and after being sick for what felt like such a long time. He picked up a PADD and thumbed down his list of things to take care of that day. The first thing he really needed to do was talk to Taylor. He needed to know to a certain extent what had happened in detail on the planet and if his sending a larger group of marines would have helped. He would have to require Starfleet to send him another squad, but how big it was would be determined by the young Lieutenant and himself. He would have a more solid idea after the official debriefing after things were more settled down and he could talk to everyone who had been on the surface, but he knew that he should take this step. After all if he could have also had some more marines on the planet and on station, things could have been dealt with a lot more smoothly.

He pressed his commbadge gently and thought how best to phrase what he wanted from the marine. "Lieutenant Lucas, please meet me in my ready room when you have a free moment." He thought he would extend the olive branch, he didn't know if the man blamed him for what happened down there. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly. Getting back into the swing of things would be an interesting experiment. He felt like he was always on his back foot ever since the accident. Always reacting..well this would be his first step on the road to getting everything back to normal. He hoped Lillian was doing better than he was with the mess that he had helped to leave in Sickbay. He laughed, leaning back in his chair and awaiting Taylor.

"On my way sir." said Taylor with a mild look of confusion as he did an about turn and made his way towards the Ready Room. Why was Gan wanting to see him? No doubt about the fiasco on the planet. Would the other members of the away team be present or would it be a simple one-on-one? Either way he had certain things to say about Max. In fact Taylor had a lot of things to say about Max and so he made his way to the Ready Room at a pace just short of running. It was time to talk with the boss obviously and a few turbolift rides later he was soon confronted by the door of Gan's Ready Room.

He chimed his presence, waited a few moments and then opened the door before marching along the room as if it was a parade ground. Taylor stamped to a halt before offering one of the crispest salutes ever to be offered by a serving marine. "1st Lieutenant Lucas, reported as ordered. Sah!"

He chuckled softly, nodding to the man. "This is the last day I would have expected formality, Lieutenant. But thank you. At ease, Lucas." He smiled and waved for the man to take the chair across from him. "I just had a few things that I would like to talk to you about. I don't mean to intend to single you out, but before the official debrief I just wanted to get a couple of things straight for my report to Starfleet. Going to have a lot of questions to answer myself, but in the case of you and your men.." His brows furrowed as he thought for a moment. "I'm going to requisition another regiment of marines. If we had more hands on deck both for the station and for you down on the planet..maybe things would have gone differently. I know you were injured, I'm just trying to look out for my people Mr. Lucas."

He stood up for a moment, pacing, tapping the PADD in his hand against his thigh in beat with his steps on the opposite leg. "If you had to protect this station, the thousands of people here both civilian and Starfleet, how many souls would you, as an officer, need? Just as a rough guess will do." He pondered the thought himself for a few moments. He wanted to go over a few things with Starfleet, but he could recommend this at least. "And I want to recommend to the Corps that you receive a promotion, Lucas. As new as I am in this position I'm unsure of what protocols to follow to do it myself. But I'll put that in the report for you, it's the least that I can do marine."

||Starbase 12
||Ready Room
||August 3, 2387
||TBD

Gan steepled his fingers and pondered for a few moments. He knew that he had a couple of things to do today, and after being sick for what felt like such a long time. He picked up a PADD and thumbed down his list of things to take care of that day. The first thing he really needed to do was talk to Taylor. He needed to know to a certain extent what had happened in detail on the planet and if his sending a larger group of marines would have helped. He would have to require Starfleet to send him another squad, but how big it was would be determined by the young Lieutenant and himself. He would have a more solid idea after the official debriefing after things were more settled down and he could talk to everyone who had been on the surface, but he knew that he should take this step. After all if he could have also had some more marines on the planet and on station, things could have been dealt with a lot more smoothly.

He pressed his commbadge gently and thought how best to phrase what he wanted from the marine. "Lieutenant Lucas, please meet me in my ready room when you have a free moment." He thought he would extend the olive branch, he didn't know if the man blamed him for what happened down there. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly. Getting back into the swing of things would be an interesting experiment. He felt like he was always on his back foot ever since the accident. Always reacting..well this would be his first step on the road to getting everything back to normal. He hoped Lillian was doing better than he was with the mess that he had helped to leave in Sickbay. He laughed, leaning back in his chair and awaiting Taylor.

"On my way sir." said Taylor with a mild look of confusion as he did an about turn and made his way towards the Ready Room. Why was Gan wanting to see him? No doubt about the fiasco on the planet. Would the other members of the away team be present or would it be a simple one-on-one? Either way he had certain things to say about Max. In fact Taylor had a lot of things to say about Max and so he made his way to the Ready Room at a pace just short of running. It was time to talk with the boss obviously and a few turbolift rides later he was soon confronted by the door of Gan's Ready Room.

He chimed his presence, waited a few moments and then opened the door before marching along the room as if it was a parade ground. Taylor stamped to a halt before offering one of the crispest salutes ever to be offered by a serving marine. "1st Lieutenant Lucas, reported as ordered. Sah!"

He chuckled softly, nodding to the man. "This is the last day I would have expected formality, Lieutenant. But thank you. At ease, Lucas." He smiled and waved for the man to take the chair across from him. "I just had a few things that I would like to talk to you about. I don't mean to intend to single you out, but before the official debrief I just wanted to get a couple of things straight for my report to Starfleet. Going to have a lot of questions to answer myself, but in the case of you and your men.." His brows furrowed as he thought for a moment. "I'm going to requisition another regiment of marines. If we had more hands on deck both for the station and for you down on the planet..maybe things would have gone differently. I know you were injured, I'm just trying to look out for my people Mr. Lucas."

He stood up for a moment, pacing, tapping the PADD in his hand against his thigh in beat with his steps on the opposite leg. "If you had to protect this station, the thousands of people here both civilian and Starfleet, how many souls would you, as an officer, need? Just as a rough guess will do." He pondered the thought himself for a few moments. He wanted to go over a few things with Starfleet, but he could recommend this at least. "And I want to recommend to the Corps that you receive a promotion, Lucas. As new as I am in this position I'm unsure of what protocols to follow to do it myself. But I'll put that in the report for you, it's the least that I can do marine."

"Oh. Alright." mumbled Taylor who's demeanor went from parade ground to barrack block in the space of a second. He sat down opposite Gan and let him say all he had to say. For a moment Taylor wondered if the drugs in his system were still active because the officer had mentioned he was thinking about bringing more marines and that Taylor was possibly getting a promotion. A rather strange change of events given that Ritter wanted him in the brig. That little detail could be told after the business however. "Well sir personally I don't think more marines would have done anything more than add to the body count. My guys were killed by impact force with the shuttle hitting the ground, not true enemy action. The marines on your station are pilots...trained in ground assault yes but their true strengths lie in dogfighting in space. For this station I'd say a company of men...around two hundred. Any more and you'll need a major or a colonel at the helm. A company can be commanded by a captain and it won't come across as...military build up. Stations do a lot of diplomatic stuff sir and if you're trying to prove that the Federation is a peace loving organisation then it would be best if you didn't have an entire regiment proving you wrong. Also I suggest a MARSOC squad, a small unit designed for recon and special operations when the need arises. Marines are a truncheon but these guys can be a scalpel. To get your company you'll need to speak to SFMC HQ in Germany, you'll need to have me transferred to said regiment if you want me commanding one of their companies. To get the MARSOC squad, speak to Hereford, England. All Starfleet special forces are trained and rotated from there. Ask for Omega Squad."

With that taken care of Taylor wondered if he should keep his silence about Ritter. Isn't that how people got away with things though? Silence? "Also sir...Lieutenant Commander Ritter has placed me under arrest for insubordination. I'm to be thrown into the brig for three days. My...insubordination was making a sly comment about Ritter's breath smelling of brandy or gin. There was little point in arresting him and taking command at this point. He seemed capable enough to do his job but drinking is drinking sir. Of course if the charges stick then I request trial by way of Court Martial."

||Starbase 12
||Ready Room
||August 3, 2387
||TBD

Gan steepled his fingers and pondered for a few moments. He knew that he had a couple of things to do today, and after being sick for what felt like such a long time. He picked up a PADD and thumbed down his list of things to take care of that day. The first thing he really needed to do was talk to Taylor. He needed to know to a certain extent what had happened in detail on the planet and if his sending a larger group of marines would have helped. He would have to require Starfleet to send him another squad, but how big it was would be determined by the young Lieutenant and himself. He would have a more solid idea after the official debriefing after things were more settled down and he could talk to everyone who had been on the surface, but he knew that he should take this step. After all if he could have also had some more marines on the planet and on station, things could have been dealt with a lot more smoothly.

He pressed his commbadge gently and thought how best to phrase what he wanted from the marine. "Lieutenant Lucas, please meet me in my ready room when you have a free moment." He thought he would extend the olive branch, he didn't know if the man blamed him for what happened down there. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly. Getting back into the swing of things would be an interesting experiment. He felt like he was always on his back foot ever since the accident. Always reacting..well this would be his first step on the road to getting everything back to normal. He hoped Lillian was doing better than he was with the mess that he had helped to leave in Sickbay. He laughed, leaning back in his chair and awaiting Taylor.

"On my way sir." said Taylor with a mild look of confusion as he did an about turn and made his way towards the Ready Room. Why was Gan wanting to see him? No doubt about the fiasco on the planet. Would the other members of the away team be present or would it be a simple one-on-one? Either way he had certain things to say about Max. In fact Taylor had a lot of things to say about Max and so he made his way to the Ready Room at a pace just short of running. It was time to talk with the boss obviously and a few turbolift rides later he was soon confronted by the door of Gan's Ready Room.

He chimed his presence, waited a few moments and then opened the door before marching along the room as if it was a parade ground. Taylor stamped to a halt before offering one of the crispest salutes ever to be offered by a serving marine. "1st Lieutenant Lucas, reported as ordered. Sah!"

He chuckled softly, nodding to the man. "This is the last day I would have expected formality, Lieutenant. But thank you. At ease, Lucas." He smiled and waved for the man to take the chair across from him. "I just had a few things that I would like to talk to you about. I don't mean to intend to single you out, but before the official debrief I just wanted to get a couple of things straight for my report to Starfleet. Going to have a lot of questions to answer myself, but in the case of you and your men.." His brows furrowed as he thought for a moment. "I'm going to requisition another regiment of marines. If we had more hands on deck both for the station and for you down on the planet..maybe things would have gone differently. I know you were injured, I'm just trying to look out for my people Mr. Lucas."

He stood up for a moment, pacing, tapping the PADD in his hand against his thigh in beat with his steps on the opposite leg. "If you had to protect this station, the thousands of people here both civilian and Starfleet, how many souls would you, as an officer, need? Just as a rough guess will do." He pondered the thought himself for a few moments. He wanted to go over a few things with Starfleet, but he could recommend this at least. "And I want to recommend to the Corps that you receive a promotion, Lucas. As new as I am in this position I'm unsure of what protocols to follow to do it myself. But I'll put that in the report for you, it's the least that I can do marine."

"Oh. Alright." mumbled Taylor who's demeanor went from parade ground to barrack block in the space of a second. He sat down opposite Gan and let him say all he had to say. For a moment Taylor wondered if the drugs in his system were still active because the officer had mentioned he was thinking about bringing more marines and that Taylor was possibly getting a promotion. A rather strange change of events given that Ritter wanted him in the brig. That little detail could be told after the business however. "Well sir personally I don't think more marines would have done anything more than add to the body count. My guys were killed by impact force with the shuttle hitting the ground, not true enemy action. The marines on your station are pilots...trained in ground assault yes but their true strengths lie in dogfighting in space. For this station I'd say a company of men...around two hundred. Any more and you'll need a major or a colonel at the helm. A company can be commanded by a captain and it won't come across as...military build up. Stations do a lot of diplomatic stuff sir and if you're trying to prove that the Federation is a peace loving organisation then it would be best if you didn't have an entire regiment proving you wrong. Also I suggest a MARSOC squad, a small unit designed for recon and special operations when the need arises. Marines are a truncheon but these guys can be a scalpel. To get your company you'll need to speak to SFMC HQ in Germany, you'll need to have me transferred to said regiment if you want me commanding one of their companies. To get the MARSOC squad, speak to Hereford, England. All Starfleet special forces are trained and rotated from there. Ask for Omega Squad."

With that taken care of Taylor wondered if he should keep his silence about Ritter. Isn't that how people got away with things though? Silence? "Also sir...Lieutenant Commander Ritter has placed me under arrest for insubordination. I'm to be thrown into the brig for three days. My...insubordination was making a sly comment about Ritter's breath smelling of brandy or gin. There was little point in arresting him and taking command at this point. He seemed capable enough to do his job but drinking is drinking sir. Of course if the charges stick then I request trial by way of Court Martial."

Gan took short notes on everything Taylor suggested, so when he filed his report with Starfleet he could request formally what his MCO suggested. It would be a lot to ask for on a station like this, but with his already low count of marines, he could probably get away with it. Though since he was green he might not get everything he wanted. But perhaps because things on this station kept happening in the last few weeks that he really get everything he wanted. Wouldn't that be an exciting thought? He nodded, "I'll have it done, Lucas. Thank you."

He drummed his fingers against his desk for a moment or two, considering the implications that Taylor had brought to him. Lillian had already brought it to his attention, but he had decided to leave it for the debriefing where both men could have their say. But since Taylor was bringing it up now, he had to do some quick thinking. He put the PADD down on the desk and nodded, "I'll talk to the Commander, see if he really wants the charges to stick. I was already informed on the situation and had planned on speaking to the pair of you at the briefing later on. As it stands though, the most I could do is stick him in the brig with an over-exaggerated charge of neglect of duty. Drinking is drinking, but he was coherent and able to take command of the mission. Perhaps there is another way we can settle this?" He sighed softly, "If you want I can bring him in now, or talk with him after. Or you can both lay your claims on the table at the briefing and see where we stand after that. But if I talk to him, I doubt he'll make the insubordination stick. Though I'll keep in mind the Court Martial. I'm sure you have plenty of people to speak in your defense." He nodded.

||Starbase 12
||Ready Room
||August 3, 2387
||TBD

Gan steepled his fingers and pondered for a few moments. He knew that he had a couple of things to do today, and after being sick for what felt like such a long time. He picked up a PADD and thumbed down his list of things to take care of that day. The first thing he really needed to do was talk to Taylor. He needed to know to a certain extent what had happened in detail on the planet and if his sending a larger group of marines would have helped. He would have to require Starfleet to send him another squad, but how big it was would be determined by the young Lieutenant and himself. He would have a more solid idea after the official debriefing after things were more settled down and he could talk to everyone who had been on the surface, but he knew that he should take this step. After all if he could have also had some more marines on the planet and on station, things could have been dealt with a lot more smoothly.

He pressed his commbadge gently and thought how best to phrase what he wanted from the marine. "Lieutenant Lucas, please meet me in my ready room when you have a free moment." He thought he would extend the olive branch, he didn't know if the man blamed him for what happened down there. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly. Getting back into the swing of things would be an interesting experiment. He felt like he was always on his back foot ever since the accident. Always reacting..well this would be his first step on the road to getting everything back to normal. He hoped Lillian was doing better than he was with the mess that he had helped to leave in Sickbay. He laughed, leaning back in his chair and awaiting Taylor.

"On my way sir." said Taylor with a mild look of confusion as he did an about turn and made his way towards the Ready Room. Why was Gan wanting to see him? No doubt about the fiasco on the planet. Would the other members of the away team be present or would it be a simple one-on-one? Either way he had certain things to say about Max. In fact Taylor had a lot of things to say about Max and so he made his way to the Ready Room at a pace just short of running. It was time to talk with the boss obviously and a few turbolift rides later he was soon confronted by the door of Gan's Ready Room.

He chimed his presence, waited a few moments and then opened the door before marching along the room as if it was a parade ground. Taylor stamped to a halt before offering one of the crispest salutes ever to be offered by a serving marine. "1st Lieutenant Lucas, reported as ordered. Sah!"

He chuckled softly, nodding to the man. "This is the last day I would have expected formality, Lieutenant. But thank you. At ease, Lucas." He smiled and waved for the man to take the chair across from him. "I just had a few things that I would like to talk to you about. I don't mean to intend to single you out, but before the official debrief I just wanted to get a couple of things straight for my report to Starfleet. Going to have a lot of questions to answer myself, but in the case of you and your men.." His brows furrowed as he thought for a moment. "I'm going to requisition another regiment of marines. If we had more hands on deck both for the station and for you down on the planet..maybe things would have gone differently. I know you were injured, I'm just trying to look out for my people Mr. Lucas."

He stood up for a moment, pacing, tapping the PADD in his hand against his thigh in beat with his steps on the opposite leg. "If you had to protect this station, the thousands of people here both civilian and Starfleet, how many souls would you, as an officer, need? Just as a rough guess will do." He pondered the thought himself for a few moments. He wanted to go over a few things with Starfleet, but he could recommend this at least. "And I want to recommend to the Corps that you receive a promotion, Lucas. As new as I am in this position I'm unsure of what protocols to follow to do it myself. But I'll put that in the report for you, it's the least that I can do marine."

"Oh. Alright." mumbled Taylor who's demeanor went from parade ground to barrack block in the space of a second. He sat down opposite Gan and let him say all he had to say. For a moment Taylor wondered if the drugs in his system were still active because the officer had mentioned he was thinking about bringing more marines and that Taylor was possibly getting a promotion. A rather strange change of events given that Ritter wanted him in the brig. That little detail could be told after the business however. "Well sir personally I don't think more marines would have done anything more than add to the body count. My guys were killed by impact force with the shuttle hitting the ground, not true enemy action. The marines on your station are pilots...trained in ground assault yes but their true strengths lie in dogfighting in space. For this station I'd say a company of men...around two hundred. Any more and you'll need a major or a colonel at the helm. A company can be commanded by a captain and it won't come across as...military build up. Stations do a lot of diplomatic stuff sir and if you're trying to prove that the Federation is a peace loving organisation then it would be best if you didn't have an entire regiment proving you wrong. Also I suggest a MARSOC squad, a small unit designed for recon and special operations when the need arises. Marines are a truncheon but these guys can be a scalpel. To get your company you'll need to speak to SFMC HQ in Germany, you'll need to have me transferred to said regiment if you want me commanding one of their companies. To get the MARSOC squad, speak to Hereford, England. All Starfleet special forces are trained and rotated from there. Ask for Omega Squad."

With that taken care of Taylor wondered if he should keep his silence about Ritter. Isn't that how people got away with things though? Silence? "Also sir...Lieutenant Commander Ritter has placed me under arrest for insubordination. I'm to be thrown into the brig for three days. My...insubordination was making a sly comment about Ritter's breath smelling of brandy or gin. There was little point in arresting him and taking command at this point. He seemed capable enough to do his job but drinking is drinking sir. Of course if the charges stick then I request trial by way of Court Martial."

Gan took short notes on everything Taylor suggested, so when he filed his report with Starfleet he could request formally what his MCO suggested. It would be a lot to ask for on a station like this, but with his already low count of marines, he could probably get away with it. Though since he was green he might not get everything he wanted. But perhaps because things on this station kept happening in the last few weeks that he really get everything he wanted. Wouldn't that be an exciting thought? He nodded, "I'll have it done, Lucas. Thank you."

He drummed his fingers against his desk for a moment or two, considering the implications that Taylor had brought to him. Lillian had already brought it to his attention, but he had decided to leave it for the debriefing where both men could have their say. But since Taylor was bringing it up now, he had to do some quick thinking. He put the PADD down on the desk and nodded, "I'll talk to the Commander, see if he really wants the charges to stick. I was already informed on the situation and had planned on speaking to the pair of you at the briefing later on. As it stands though, the most I could do is stick him in the brig with an over-exaggerated charge of neglect of duty. Drinking is drinking, but he was coherent and able to take command of the mission. Perhaps there is another way we can settle this?" He sighed softly, "If you want I can bring him in now, or talk with him after. Or you can both lay your claims on the table at the briefing and see where we stand after that. But if I talk to him, I doubt he'll make the insubordination stick. Though I'll keep in mind the Court Martial. I'm sure you have plenty of people to speak in your defense." He nodded.

"I'll....leave that with you sir." said Taylor after some deep thought. "If it comes from an officer of superior rank and position there is little he can do but surrender. Coming from me...it will no doubt cause confrontation. He seems the type to simply claim his status and move along without giving me my due. Point is sir...he's the type to pull that type of stunt. But from you he's got no wiggle room. I would advise against sticking him in the brig for something small. At least something this small. As the XO he's supposed to be the model officer for the staff...throwing him in the brig would merely weaken his posture and by extension your own."

(Short post...ill...)

||Starbase 12
||Ready Room
||August 3, 2387
||TBD

Gan steepled his fingers and pondered for a few moments. He knew that he had a couple of things to do today, and after being sick for what felt like such a long time. He picked up a PADD and thumbed down his list of things to take care of that day. The first thing he really needed to do was talk to Taylor. He needed to know to a certain extent what had happened in detail on the planet and if his sending a larger group of marines would have helped. He would have to require Starfleet to send him another squad, but how big it was would be determined by the young Lieutenant and himself. He would have a more solid idea after the official debriefing after things were more settled down and he could talk to everyone who had been on the surface, but he knew that he should take this step. After all if he could have also had some more marines on the planet and on station, things could have been dealt with a lot more smoothly.

He pressed his commbadge gently and thought how best to phrase what he wanted from the marine. "Lieutenant Lucas, please meet me in my ready room when you have a free moment." He thought he would extend the olive branch, he didn't know if the man blamed him for what happened down there. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly. Getting back into the swing of things would be an interesting experiment. He felt like he was always on his back foot ever since the accident. Always reacting..well this would be his first step on the road to getting everything back to normal. He hoped Lillian was doing better than he was with the mess that he had helped to leave in Sickbay. He laughed, leaning back in his chair and awaiting Taylor.

"On my way sir." said Taylor with a mild look of confusion as he did an about turn and made his way towards the Ready Room. Why was Gan wanting to see him? No doubt about the fiasco on the planet. Would the other members of the away team be present or would it be a simple one-on-one? Either way he had certain things to say about Max. In fact Taylor had a lot of things to say about Max and so he made his way to the Ready Room at a pace just short of running. It was time to talk with the boss obviously and a few turbolift rides later he was soon confronted by the door of Gan's Ready Room.

He chimed his presence, waited a few moments and then opened the door before marching along the room as if it was a parade ground. Taylor stamped to a halt before offering one of the crispest salutes ever to be offered by a serving marine. "1st Lieutenant Lucas, reported as ordered. Sah!"

He chuckled softly, nodding to the man. "This is the last day I would have expected formality, Lieutenant. But thank you. At ease, Lucas." He smiled and waved for the man to take the chair across from him. "I just had a few things that I would like to talk to you about. I don't mean to intend to single you out, but before the official debrief I just wanted to get a couple of things straight for my report to Starfleet. Going to have a lot of questions to answer myself, but in the case of you and your men.." His brows furrowed as he thought for a moment. "I'm going to requisition another regiment of marines. If we had more hands on deck both for the station and for you down on the planet..maybe things would have gone differently. I know you were injured, I'm just trying to look out for my people Mr. Lucas."

He stood up for a moment, pacing, tapping the PADD in his hand against his thigh in beat with his steps on the opposite leg. "If you had to protect this station, the thousands of people here both civilian and Starfleet, how many souls would you, as an officer, need? Just as a rough guess will do." He pondered the thought himself for a few moments. He wanted to go over a few things with Starfleet, but he could recommend this at least. "And I want to recommend to the Corps that you receive a promotion, Lucas. As new as I am in this position I'm unsure of what protocols to follow to do it myself. But I'll put that in the report for you, it's the least that I can do marine."

"Oh. Alright." mumbled Taylor who's demeanor went from parade ground to barrack block in the space of a second. He sat down opposite Gan and let him say all he had to say. For a moment Taylor wondered if the drugs in his system were still active because the officer had mentioned he was thinking about bringing more marines and that Taylor was possibly getting a promotion. A rather strange change of events given that Ritter wanted him in the brig. That little detail could be told after the business however. "Well sir personally I don't think more marines would have done anything more than add to the body count. My guys were killed by impact force with the shuttle hitting the ground, not true enemy action. The marines on your station are pilots...trained in ground assault yes but their true strengths lie in dogfighting in space. For this station I'd say a company of men...around two hundred. Any more and you'll need a major or a colonel at the helm. A company can be commanded by a captain and it won't come across as...military build up. Stations do a lot of diplomatic stuff sir and if you're trying to prove that the Federation is a peace loving organisation then it would be best if you didn't have an entire regiment proving you wrong. Also I suggest a MARSOC squad, a small unit designed for recon and special operations when the need arises. Marines are a truncheon but these guys can be a scalpel. To get your company you'll need to speak to SFMC HQ in Germany, you'll need to have me transferred to said regiment if you want me commanding one of their companies. To get the MARSOC squad, speak to Hereford, England. All Starfleet special forces are trained and rotated from there. Ask for Omega Squad."

With that taken care of Taylor wondered if he should keep his silence about Ritter. Isn't that how people got away with things though? Silence? "Also sir...Lieutenant Commander Ritter has placed me under arrest for insubordination. I'm to be thrown into the brig for three days. My...insubordination was making a sly comment about Ritter's breath smelling of brandy or gin. There was little point in arresting him and taking command at this point. He seemed capable enough to do his job but drinking is drinking sir. Of course if the charges stick then I request trial by way of Court Martial."

Gan took short notes on everything Taylor suggested, so when he filed his report with Starfleet he could request formally what his MCO suggested. It would be a lot to ask for on a station like this, but with his already low count of marines, he could probably get away with it. Though since he was green he might not get everything he wanted. But perhaps because things on this station kept happening in the last few weeks that he really get everything he wanted. Wouldn't that be an exciting thought? He nodded, "I'll have it done, Lucas. Thank you."

He drummed his fingers against his desk for a moment or two, considering the implications that Taylor had brought to him. Lillian had already brought it to his attention, but he had decided to leave it for the debriefing where both men could have their say. But since Taylor was bringing it up now, he had to do some quick thinking. He put the PADD down on the desk and nodded, "I'll talk to the Commander, see if he really wants the charges to stick. I was already informed on the situation and had planned on speaking to the pair of you at the briefing later on. As it stands though, the most I could do is stick him in the brig with an over-exaggerated charge of neglect of duty. Drinking is drinking, but he was coherent and able to take command of the mission. Perhaps there is another way we can settle this?" He sighed softly, "If you want I can bring him in now, or talk with him after. Or you can both lay your claims on the table at the briefing and see where we stand after that. But if I talk to him, I doubt he'll make the insubordination stick. Though I'll keep in mind the Court Martial. I'm sure you have plenty of people to speak in your defense." He nodded.

"I'll....leave that with you sir." said Taylor after some deep thought. "If it comes from an officer of superior rank and position there is little he can do but surrender. Coming from me...it will no doubt cause confrontation. He seems the type to simply claim his status and move along without giving me my due. Point is sir...he's the type to pull that type of stunt. But from you he's got no wiggle room. I would advise against sticking him in the brig for something small. At least something this small. As the XO he's supposed to be the model officer for the staff...throwing him in the brig would merely weaken his posture and by extension your own."

He nodded, "Thank you, Lucas. I will take that into consideration. We'll just have a short conversation then. I'll let you know when I hear from Starfleet about your suggestions and your promotion. You're dismissed, Lieutenant. Thank you again for everything you did on the planet and for bringing those you could back home safe."

||Starbase 12
||Ready Room
||August 3, 2387
||TBD

Gan steepled his fingers and pondered for a few moments. He knew that he had a couple of things to do today, and after being sick for what felt like such a long time. He picked up a PADD and thumbed down his list of things to take care of that day. The first thing he really needed to do was talk to Taylor. He needed to know to a certain extent what had happened in detail on the planet and if his sending a larger group of marines would have helped. He would have to require Starfleet to send him another squad, but how big it was would be determined by the young Lieutenant and himself. He would have a more solid idea after the official debriefing after things were more settled down and he could talk to everyone who had been on the surface, but he knew that he should take this step. After all if he could have also had some more marines on the planet and on station, things could have been dealt with a lot more smoothly.

He pressed his commbadge gently and thought how best to phrase what he wanted from the marine. "Lieutenant Lucas, please meet me in my ready room when you have a free moment." He thought he would extend the olive branch, he didn't know if the man blamed him for what happened down there. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly. Getting back into the swing of things would be an interesting experiment. He felt like he was always on his back foot ever since the accident. Always reacting..well this would be his first step on the road to getting everything back to normal. He hoped Lillian was doing better than he was with the mess that he had helped to leave in Sickbay. He laughed, leaning back in his chair and awaiting Taylor.

"On my way sir." said Taylor with a mild look of confusion as he did an about turn and made his way towards the Ready Room. Why was Gan wanting to see him? No doubt about the fiasco on the planet. Would the other members of the away team be present or would it be a simple one-on-one? Either way he had certain things to say about Max. In fact Taylor had a lot of things to say about Max and so he made his way to the Ready Room at a pace just short of running. It was time to talk with the boss obviously and a few turbolift rides later he was soon confronted by the door of Gan's Ready Room.

He chimed his presence, waited a few moments and then opened the door before marching along the room as if it was a parade ground. Taylor stamped to a halt before offering one of the crispest salutes ever to be offered by a serving marine. "1st Lieutenant Lucas, reported as ordered. Sah!"

He chuckled softly, nodding to the man. "This is the last day I would have expected formality, Lieutenant. But thank you. At ease, Lucas." He smiled and waved for the man to take the chair across from him. "I just had a few things that I would like to talk to you about. I don't mean to intend to single you out, but before the official debrief I just wanted to get a couple of things straight for my report to Starfleet. Going to have a lot of questions to answer myself, but in the case of you and your men.." His brows furrowed as he thought for a moment. "I'm going to requisition another regiment of marines. If we had more hands on deck both for the station and for you down on the planet..maybe things would have gone differently. I know you were injured, I'm just trying to look out for my people Mr. Lucas."

He stood up for a moment, pacing, tapping the PADD in his hand against his thigh in beat with his steps on the opposite leg. "If you had to protect this station, the thousands of people here both civilian and Starfleet, how many souls would you, as an officer, need? Just as a rough guess will do." He pondered the thought himself for a few moments. He wanted to go over a few things with Starfleet, but he could recommend this at least. "And I want to recommend to the Corps that you receive a promotion, Lucas. As new as I am in this position I'm unsure of what protocols to follow to do it myself. But I'll put that in the report for you, it's the least that I can do marine."

"Oh. Alright." mumbled Taylor who's demeanor went from parade ground to barrack block in the space of a second. He sat down opposite Gan and let him say all he had to say. For a moment Taylor wondered if the drugs in his system were still active because the officer had mentioned he was thinking about bringing more marines and that Taylor was possibly getting a promotion. A rather strange change of events given that Ritter wanted him in the brig. That little detail could be told after the business however. "Well sir personally I don't think more marines would have done anything more than add to the body count. My guys were killed by impact force with the shuttle hitting the ground, not true enemy action. The marines on your station are pilots...trained in ground assault yes but their true strengths lie in dogfighting in space. For this station I'd say a company of men...around two hundred. Any more and you'll need a major or a colonel at the helm. A company can be commanded by a captain and it won't come across as...military build up. Stations do a lot of diplomatic stuff sir and if you're trying to prove that the Federation is a peace loving organisation then it would be best if you didn't have an entire regiment proving you wrong. Also I suggest a MARSOC squad, a small unit designed for recon and special operations when the need arises. Marines are a truncheon but these guys can be a scalpel. To get your company you'll need to speak to SFMC HQ in Germany, you'll need to have me transferred to said regiment if you want me commanding one of their companies. To get the MARSOC squad, speak to Hereford, England. All Starfleet special forces are trained and rotated from there. Ask for Omega Squad."

With that taken care of Taylor wondered if he should keep his silence about Ritter. Isn't that how people got away with things though? Silence? "Also sir...Lieutenant Commander Ritter has placed me under arrest for insubordination. I'm to be thrown into the brig for three days. My...insubordination was making a sly comment about Ritter's breath smelling of brandy or gin. There was little point in arresting him and taking command at this point. He seemed capable enough to do his job but drinking is drinking sir. Of course if the charges stick then I request trial by way of Court Martial."

Gan took short notes on everything Taylor suggested, so when he filed his report with Starfleet he could request formally what his MCO suggested. It would be a lot to ask for on a station like this, but with his already low count of marines, he could probably get away with it. Though since he was green he might not get everything he wanted. But perhaps because things on this station kept happening in the last few weeks that he really get everything he wanted. Wouldn't that be an exciting thought? He nodded, "I'll have it done, Lucas. Thank you."

He drummed his fingers against his desk for a moment or two, considering the implications that Taylor had brought to him. Lillian had already brought it to his attention, but he had decided to leave it for the debriefing where both men could have their say. But since Taylor was bringing it up now, he had to do some quick thinking. He put the PADD down on the desk and nodded, "I'll talk to the Commander, see if he really wants the charges to stick. I was already informed on the situation and had planned on speaking to the pair of you at the briefing later on. As it stands though, the most I could do is stick him in the brig with an over-exaggerated charge of neglect of duty. Drinking is drinking, but he was coherent and able to take command of the mission. Perhaps there is another way we can settle this?" He sighed softly, "If you want I can bring him in now, or talk with him after. Or you can both lay your claims on the table at the briefing and see where we stand after that. But if I talk to him, I doubt he'll make the insubordination stick. Though I'll keep in mind the Court Martial. I'm sure you have plenty of people to speak in your defense." He nodded.

"I'll....leave that with you sir." said Taylor after some deep thought. "If it comes from an officer of superior rank and position there is little he can do but surrender. Coming from me...it will no doubt cause confrontation. He seems the type to simply claim his status and move along without giving me my due. Point is sir...he's the type to pull that type of stunt. But from you he's got no wiggle room. I would advise against sticking him in the brig for something small. At least something this small. As the XO he's supposed to be the model officer for the staff...throwing him in the brig would merely weaken his posture and by extension your own."

He nodded, "Thank you, Lucas. I will take that into consideration. We'll just have a short conversation then. I'll let you know when I hear from Starfleet about your suggestions and your promotion. You're dismissed, Lieutenant. Thank you again for everything you did on the planet and for bringing those you could back home safe."

"Just doing my job sir, nothing more and nothing less." stated the marine who came to another salute before marching away.

(Yay! Who gets the honour?"

(Was figuring around 0900-0930. I'll post it up if you want)