Battletech: Planet's Fall

(Open to the first 2 PCs to join)

It was the first time in months Tessa had walked into the administration offices. Like, actually walk. Not pretend to. Not wear magnetic boots to try stomping in. Just to walk normally.

Of course it was a trudge.

Switching the lights all on, getting the radiators going, Tessa rubbed her hands together.

There was only one thing on her mind.

"Need coffee."

She made a beeline for the coffee machine as soon as she'd switched her noteputer on. It'd take a little while to load up.

Tanaki whistled to himself as he headed down to the Admin office ready to get started on his day, stopping by the mess on the way he held two cups of coffee, one black like the space outside and the other made in Tessa's preferred format. As he passed the coffee machine she was getting started he dropped that one off without a word and moved toward one of the desks.

"What the..." She only noticed after he'd taken a few steps away.

"Hey! What's this about?"

Her mind immediately went to suspicion, but she also sounded a little happy.

"Wait, thank you. What gives?" She calls his way, as she collects the coffee with both hands. They immediately warmed up from holding it. It was a nice feeling.

"I feel it's always a good idea to butter up the boss every so often" He smiles as he speaks over his shoulder and settles down, "So any last minute work we need to get done pre-mission?"

"A swathe..." She eyed him and the drink. "You sure you don't want anything?" A smile flickered over her lips. "I can't give you a pay rise, but you've been with us too long without a promotion. Do well this contract, ok?"

"Don't promotions come with responsibility" he makes a sour face and shakes his head, "No thanks"

He waits a couple heartbeats and then adds. "Only compensation I need is that smile of yours" He winks.

"Cheesy. You sound like Usov when you say stuff like that." She points out with a frown. "But, ok, you do keep saying no..." Shaking her head she walks over to sit down at her desk.

"He's been giving me lessons, but I am not quite as practiced as he is yet, how am I doing?"

She stared at him across the top of the desks. "You aren't really, are you?" The disapproving tone in her voice was clear as day.

He shakes his head, "no not really, sorry, was that a bridge too far?"

"He's just a bit too persistent." Tessa admits with a wince. "I'm sure he's lovely, but..." She made a non-committal noise rather than voice anything further.

"So do we have any fun projects today?" He leans back in his chair. "I have been starting to feel lazy without a lot to do"

"Check the shared task list. There is a loooot more to do now Tanaki. The AFFC want to know when their Liaison can come aboard for starters. And he has an entourage, of course, so we'll need to make room arrangements. There was something about his daughter observing too, which is... weird. Then there are the parts we ordered from AFFC sources. They'll need to be brought over today or tomorrow. The mechs in the hangar can finally be repaired so any expenditure for that needs authorising. Actually, leave that to me. There's more, but if you could look over the Liaison's recent communications and process their requests it'd be a big help. Ask me if you're not sure, as I know it's not something we usually do."

This was the danger of asking for work to do. Sometimes your request was met.

He glances at a file, "He is in his early forties, and noble. That means his daughter will likely be late teens or early twenties. Maybe a recent academy graduate serving as her fathers aide de camp? Though if so why wouldn't she be listed as part of his entourage, unless she is wanting a full noble suite of her own. Which we aren't going to have available. Should we stick her in a closet and watch her head explode? Maybe give her a maintenance bunk? Our I can double her up with the Captains daughter as a roommate"

"That's possible. Hmm. A spare single room should suffice. Gosh, I wish there was a way we could easily research these things. Like a big interconnected database anyone can access."

The woes of having no internet equivalent.

He looks through the notes on his puter, "I think I have an open single on the same deck as the Liason's staff suite, it looks like it's being used for storage right now, I'll have Beck see about clearing it out before they come on board."

"Brilliant. That works. I'll leave the arrangements to you." She calls back, focusing on something else.

Her fingers were a blur on the keyboard. She was periodically pausing for coffee. There was a certain rhythm to it.

Tanaki lets some time pass as he works down the task list, checking things off, preparing parts orders and sending them over for approval, after a little while he says, "I think I have all of the Liaison requests covered now."

"Good, good."

She was somewhat focused on something. It'd be a few more minutes before she was done. When she was, she got up and stretched.

"Have you met many of the new joiners now?" They'd been in space a couple months together so it was entirely possible.

"The new scout company? Only briefly, I haven't had a chance to sit down and talk with any of the former Knights, you?"