First Officer

First Officer
Description		Ensure the ship is running in peak condition. Carry out orders from the Captain.
Department		Command
Rooms		First Officer's Quarters, Bridge
Rank/Paygrade		Commander (O-5)

The First Officer (FO), also known as the Executive Officer (XO), is the second-in-command of the ship and the Captain's right hand. The FO is traditionally in charge of exercises, inspections, and personnel, and is able to fill in as an interim departmental head should no proper one be present.

The First Officer's foremost job is ensuring the Captain's orders are carried out: a good First Officer will thoroughly inspect and check on each department, ensuring they are performing their jobs well, and inform staff and department heads on new orders. Being the second-in-command, the FO also ranks above all other officers aside from the Captain and has similar privileges of authority and command.

In the event of the Captain's absence, incapacitation, or otherwise incapability to lead, the First Officer succeeds them as acting Captain per the chain of command, and assumes all privileges for the duration of their tenure until another Captain can be appointed.

Duty

By now one would assume the First Officer spends most of their time in the Captain's shadow. But this is for good reason -- First Officers are, more often than not, officers of the Sol Defence Corps who have been promoted to a senior command position and are in training to become a Captain themselves. FOs, as a result, spend their time getting accustomed to being in charge of the ship and being in control of crew, so that they may one day assume the mantle at the top themselves.

In the meantime, though, a First Officer holds unique responsibilities and duties of their own. They orchestrate events such as inspections, exercises, and drills, ensuring that the ship's crew are in top shape and ready for anything. This may be anything from uniform inspections to live fire practices to fire drills, testing the crew's readiness. One should note, however, that a First Officer should avoid oversaturating the crew with such events; it tires them out and makes the crew dislike you, an aspect that could be career-ending.

Instead, a First Officer should aim to instead check in with the crew, potentially even bonding with them. The position of First Officer is far more involved than the Captain on day-to-day matters and, as a result, they are more prone to socializing with the crew. And, indeed, this is a good thing: while a FO should avoid building overly informal relationships with lower crew, it is ideal for an FO to get to know their crew more, earning their respect and trust, so that they can work together more.

Authority

While not being on exactly the same level as a Captain in terms of jurisdiction, the First Officer still has authority afforded to them by their rank and title. The FO is able to order around any other officer or enlisted crewmember of the ship and issue directives. You can't instantly throw someone in the brig, but you can have someone's duty suspended if they refuse to follow your orders. Keep in mind, though, that your orders still have to be lawful -- you can't order the crew to murder another crewmember, for example, except in self-defence.

Background

When playing as or creating the character of a First Officer, keep in mind that they would, traditionally, be a senior SDC naval officer who has had a lot of experience under their belt, but is still relatively green to the position. They would not be used to commanding an entire ship, and might still have things to learn before they can "graduate" and become a Captain.

In the meantime, have a First Officer learn the ropes, get to know the crew, and build a repertoire, in the hopes of earning the respect of the crew and gaining valuable experience in the process. You still have a ways to go before that promotion.

Roles
Command	Captain ∙ First Officer ∙ Senior Enlisted Advisor ∙ Navigator ∙ Communications Officer
Security	Chief of Security ∙ Security
Special Operations	Spec Ops Officer ∙ Spec Ops
Gunnery	Gunnery Officer ∙ Gunner
Engineering	Chief Engineer ∙ Engineer
Medical	Chief Medical Officer ∙ Doctor
Research	Research Director ∙ Scientist
Exploration	Chief Explorer ∙ Explorer
Supply	Quartermaster ∙ Cargo Technician
Service	Crewman ∙ Steward
Robotic	A.I. ∙ Robot
Other	Unknown ∙ Hostile