Main / 1104-357

Calendar

1104-356 -- 1104-357 -- 1104-358

Note - time marks include which ship is involved in the conversations, Pioneer or Ship of Unity

Timing of events
6:00 - Morning Meeting on Pioneer
7:00 - Crockett settled in on Ship of Unity
9:00 - Pioneer departs Torpol station, heads to jump point
11:00 - Ship of Unity departs Torpol station, heads to jump point
12:35 - Pioneer enters jump space
14:00 - Unity enters jump space

1104-357 06:00 - Pioneer

Sultana and Harison start countdown to depart the Torpol system

1104-357 06:00 LOCATION: secure storage at Highport to Ship of Unity

Crockett reports to the storage area on level three to pick up his gear held in crate he deposited on arrival at Torpol. He is expecting to be escorted to upper docking ring then to board the Ship of Unity for Departure at 09:00

(Admin Aide Dar)"Good Day Mr. Crockett. I am Administrative Aide Dar, I will be serving as your liaison aboard the Ship of Unity on this mission. I understand you have some restricted gear here in storage and we will be moving that to the secure bay on the Unity. One moment as I handle the paperwork for your transfer. A few moments go by and several people with key cards, biometric scanners, and a pallet mover come by, open the security locker with Crockett's ID. He confirms that his original locks have not been opened, then they take the gear on the pallet mover over to a lift.

(Admin Aide Dar)"Mr. Crockett, I was told that you have never served on a diplomatic mission before so there are a few rules that you will have to remember. Given this cargo the key one for you is that your weapons and military gear must be kept secure at all times. Gestures for Crockett to follow the pallet mover to the lift and they start moving upwards "Of course your belongings will be in the secure hold of the Unity the entire trip. Once we enter Drinaxian space and they inspect the hold and put additional seals on it for our short stay there. I believe that Provost Shala has a two day trip planned. Then We will return home. I have been told you have signed on as a security assistant for the trip to Drinax but there has not been any notation for the return trip. I will attempt to sort that out for you.

Ship of Unity

Calendar

1104-356 -- 1104-357 -- 1104-358

Note - time marks include which ship is involved in the conversations, Pioneer or Ship of Unity

  • Occupants of the diplomatic Ship of Unity
Timing of events
7:00 - Crockett settled in on Ship of Unity
11:00 - Ship of Unity departs Torpol station, heads to jump point
14:00 - Unity enters jump space

1104-357 07:00 Ship of Unity

The lift opens and a large open airlock into the rear of what looks to be a 300 to 400 ton ship is immediately visible. The maintenance workers deliver the pallet mover to a waiting Aide dressed in a similar uniform to Dar. Both of them escort the mover and Crockett deeper into the cargo hold, to a space with an additional airlock. After opening it, the workers place Crockett's gear inside a second locker inside. Dar has Crockett place his biometrics to secure this locker as well. Once that is done the other Administrative Aide places a large diplomatic seal over the opening to prevent tampering.

The second Aide picks up Crockett's personal belongings and follows him and Dar through a hatchway and to a set of staterooms.

(Admin Aide Dar)"Mr. Crockett, This is your room here. The crew lounge is forward 20 meters and the rest of the diplomatic staff is on the starboard side staterooms. These here on the port side are for the Unity's crew. I will be right across the corridor if you need any assistance. The data pad in your room has your full schedule for the week in Jump and explanatory details about your duties as assigned. Please stay in your stateroom until we enter Jump, the Unity's crew will be working and your tasks will not be part of that. I am off to assist Provost Shala and Provost Falx with their staterooms.

[Crockett thanks Admin Aide Dar for his assistance and opens his personal belongings (duffel bag?) and pulls his new "party" suit out to hang in room fresher if it exists] and murmurs to himself "Since this darn one day party dress has cost me 500 cr I'll be darned if I am going to let it stay creased." ] Then he wonders to himself what this week in jump will look like....and he hopes he might get some credit for studying "leadership" while down on Torpol...he will certainly be studying hard while in this jump week ahead.

1104-357 11:00 Ship of Unity

Unity departs to jump point

[Crockett in stateroom awaiting someone to arrive and welcome him...Maybe it will be Provost himself??? or just a crew member?]

1104-357 14:00 Ship of Unity arrives at jump point

(Admin Aide Dar)"Good Afternoon Mr. Crockett. We are now in Jump Space and everyone is free to move about the ship as they want. Your com badge will grant you appropriate access to the various spaces on the Unity. We do have our two Provosts on board, they have a special guest as well. I am not certain if you will see them much on this trip. I do have a minor question for you, are you familiar with the Aslan singer Uiraus Elrotre? I discovered one of her old releases and it has a line in it....

{from Gold Dust Hunter}
Aewar make bad lovers
You better put your hasoi up for sale
Up for sale
(Admin Aide Dar)"I am curious if you have heard this before? Do you have a thought on what she meant by this?

You see an Aslan male in the passageway standing by an open stateroom door. His clothing is not new nor highly fashionable from what Aslan styles you've seen, but it is clean and fits well. He is not as highly ornamented as many Aslan you may have seen, and his is not accompanied by any retinue of wives or heirs. He holds his hand up, palms upwards and dewclaw retracted... a greeting gesture of peaceful intent. His voice is the low rumble you've come to expect from an Aslan, though certainly not wall rattling baritone of a Virushi....

"Greetings, hisloi. The songstress you mentioned is a famous female song-poet. She comments about the sort of female that seeks a mate for material gain rather than honor.... the type of female who would defy her father and her -ko's right to choose the best husband for her. Because she has little honor, she is allowed her whim but finds out that none will do business with her and she must sell the possessions she values too highly. It is a sad ballad, but one all too common in trader clans who forget "ai yourhai"."

[note: 'Ai yourhai' is an Aslan philosophical term, 'the thought shapes the way'. It implies several things... that with proper thought proper action is instinctive and correct, but there is a certain 'you get what you deserve' aspect to it as well. There is little sympathy for those who fail ai yourhai... cleverness is good, but being a schemer or a liar is bad and there is no pity for those who suffer the consequences of scheming.]

(Admin Aide Dar)" Thank you Khearl, is that the proper address for you? Or are you a Ihatei? Is that the proper term for that? Is that a sophont or a frame of mind? I am curious, Provost Shala is I should say, if there are meanings in these words that we might not know. Mr. Crockett, have you met our other passenger Khearl yet?"

The Aslan sketches a polite bow to Crockett and Dar...

(Khearl) "It is my honor to meet you in peace, Crokh-eatt and Dar. Aslan do not use titles as fifiyalr do. All our honorifics are in our full name, but most hisloi have difficulty with that. It has become custom to shorten our names to the first two or three syllables in order to avoid discourtesy. My full name Khearltoeakhyolahrfirusheakh'if, but I answer easily to Khearl when I understand no insult is intended as I do now. Ihatei is not a title so much as a status. It literally means 'second son' but has come to mean 'those will not inherit a landhold and therefore must seek one'. It is similar to the hisloi term 'married or single' or perhaps more accurately 'employed or unemployed', if I understand that term well."

[note: 'Fifiyalr' is the Trokh word for 'Imperial'. It means 'vassal of the vassals of one'. 'Hisloi' is the Trokh word for 'humans'. When pronounced one way it is simply a term to identify the human species. With certain inflections it can also imply a vermin beast in the Hierate, the term is a cross between 'rat' and 'monkey'. Khearl uses the polite tones in this conversation.]

[Crockett also bows as show of mutual respect--he's not a complete jarhead] "I too enjoy our meeting. What brings you on this journey to Drinax if I might inquire?"

"I am wandering for a time seeing new stars. I have piloted my clan's ships for many years, but always the same the worlds, the same ports. My -ko has allowed me the freedom to behold places I have never been, and that has led me here."

(Admin Aide Dar)"If there is anything that you need please send me a message over the comms. As is normal there will be a formal dinner tomorrow evening. You are welcome to attend but you are not required. 18:00 hours. I expect this will be a quiet flight."

Pioneer

Calendar

1104-356 -- 1104-357 -- 1104-358

Note - time marks include which ship is involved in the conversations, Pioneer or Ship of Unity

Timing of events
6:00 - Morning Meeting on Pioneer
7:00 - Crockett settled in on Ship of Unity
9:00 - Pioneer departs Torpol station, heads to jump point
11:00 - Ship of Unity departs Torpol station, heads to jump point
12:35 - Pioneer enters jump space
14:00 - Unity enters jump space

1104-357 09:00 - Pioneer

Pioneer departs to jump point

1104-357 12:35 Pioneer arrives at jump point

(Silas) Losing that damned ship. I know what they'll say, "I'd expect this from some of your more inexperienced colleagues, but you?" The ISS machine is unforgiving... Silas muttered to himself. "I must get Vix? on to that paperwork."
"Time to earn my fare."
Silas approached the other crew members, seeking out the bridge crew. "I believe I can help at the astrogation post?"
Once on the bridge, Silas was all eyes, his love of starships plain to see on his face. The others got a close look at him. He was tall, probably born of a low-g environment, nearly two metres, and slender. He wore a utility belt like a Scout, but hanging off this was a cutlass worn Navy style and a laser pistol under a spacer's duster coat. His clothes were tasteful and expensive, if a bit worn. He had the golden eyes that occurred in some Vilani, olive skin and medium length thick dark hair that he ran an occasional hand through but failed to tidy. Some might have recognised him from news reports in his younger years in the Glisten Subsector Navy having helped break up entrenched nepotism in the institution; a pin-up boy for the Navy... with enemies.
"You know I could fly the Pioneer. If there's a need. Although it's not my style." A fleeting distaste passed over his features, almost imperceptible. "I prefer a streamlined hull... never know when you'll need to get under the clouds," he winked knowingly at Sultana.
"May I help myself?" he gestured to the astrogation post. "If you might allow me to take a seat, I shall plot a course for Drinax."

Sir Lt Sultana gestures at the console. "Please do. I hope you don't mind if I watch over your shoulder though. Maybe I can pick up some Scout tricks of the trade."

"As a fellow naval officer, you're very welcome on my flank," Silas assumed fraternity from Sultana. He slid into the seat with a focussed enjoyment and familiarised himself with this particular station. "Half of the battle is knowing one's ship," Silas pressed his hands together in a mock zen pose and grinned at the Knight. He then began his work, consulting the charts, calculating the course, traffic, hazards and the gravity wells of their departure and arrival points. He also consulted the ship's computer regarding the particular J-Drive of the Pioneer, it's serviceability and past maintenance log. Although there was nothing he knew how to do to fix it if there were a problem, he was thorough in checking every variable.

Silas, having familiarised himself with the Pioneer's station, plots a course to Drinax, thinking with excitement that this is another system he's yet to experience. Another adventure! He was a simple man at this point, simply grateful for a ship, a crew and the freedom that afforded. He called across the bridge to Harison, "The course has been plotted, Admiral Dawn. Over to Engineering."

"Thank you coordinates received getting ready to jump in 3, 2, 1, engaging jump drive" as Harrison punches in the coordinates he notice how good they are this man can plot a course. The engine fires up the Light start fireing outside and pop we are in Jump Space. "Jump successfully initiated" he replies back. "Silas nice work on the coordinates it will be a pleasure to be working with you"

Sultana leaned back in his chair, "Everything looked good from my end, well done." He pulled out his commpad and entered a message to the ship's complement. "And might as well take care of this while I think of it too."

"To the Officers of the Pioneer, and our new hires, I suggest we gather in the Mess at 1600 for our first group meal, where we can explain the project, answer any questions, and begin any planning."

"Thanks everyone for a great job. Keep up the good work everyone." He turns to the Captain "Captain permission to leave the bridge and attend to my other duties. Need to check on the engine to make sure everything is okay after the jump." After that he plan to get some food just before the meeting at 4 and be all ready waiting for the the others to start the meeting.

"Permission granted. Now, I will be in my lab if you need me - but do not need me. Enjoy your meeting, Lieutenant. I believe the only officers we have on board are the new hires unless I've forgotten the background of some of the other scientists..." Athena shrugged and made her exit.

"Likewise. May I have permission to return to quarters and return for the 1600 mess?" Silas intended to get his "paper" work in order regarding his stolen Scout ship, and then clean up before the meal.

Things done before 1600 

  *insert here*

1600 Mess Hall

Sir Lt Sultana arrives a little early to make sure the room is arranged properly and has coffee, tea, and water prepared.

As Harison walks in to get a coffee he sees Lt Sultana"You have the place looking great Lieutenant. I’m just going to take a seat over here and wait till we’re ready to begin."

Sultana nods in greeting. "Grab yourself a drink and get comfortable. The rest should be here any minute, I'm sure."

"I'm not late am I? No. Just the three of us..." Silas scanned the room like surveying a virgin planet for the taking, and chose a spot close to the middle where the access to resources (coffee) was best. "Righto, gents. Very good of you to invite us all to dinner," he nodded and grinned at Sultana.

(Eleni)"I said you can restart again. I cannot help it if you transition, you know there will be another thousand of them"

She looks at the group and sees at least a few missing. "Do you need me to roust out the other scallywags? Is that how we refer to them now?Laughs and grabs some water.

"Thanks for having this meeting for us Lt. very much appreciate it. So what is the story with the mission ahead?"

Sir Lt Sultana nods. "Thanks for coming. Sorry about some of the secrecy, it's not from doubts about any of you as just being overly cautious. So, the brief of our commission is that we're to go to Drinax and offer our services to the King and help him try to re-establish the Kingdom of Drinax as a multi-planet entity, to provide stability to the region and make it more difficult for the Heirate to expand further. Our methods to use weren't specified, but the King seems to think to use it to sow chaos in the region so he can step up as protector and unify the planets. If we can come up with a better solution, we're more than welcome to suggest it."

He leans back in his chair, surrendering the table to the others. "That's a quick summary of the situation. Any questions?"

" Oh very interesting I can understand the need for secrecy as it would be very damaging to any king if this got out and not look favourable on him as a protective of the area. So by means of sewing chaos is that doing illegal and shady stuff? Also giving a push to insight discontent and rebellion? Or was this not specified yet?"

"Based on what we were told, this is what we assume the King's default plan will be. If we can find a better way I'll be happy to hear it, but the end goal would be a stronger and more stable region. We could even take multiple paths towards it. One idea has been to use Captain Solis and the Pioneer to raise public visibility to the area through various programmes and broadcasts, so that we can cast a favorable light on the Kingdom and negative on the opposition. Suuposedly the King has obtained a Sindalian Harrier for the project. We might be able to use the Pioneer as a sort of mobile HQ for it. The Pioneer will tend to be in remote locales for it's studies, so it's unlikely anyone will be around to see us rendezvous with it for refueling or cargo transfers. And I'm sure there are dozens of other ideas we can come up with. Streamlining trade so the lion's share comes to Drinax, which they can use to expand their fleets, and so on. Diplomatic efforts, things like that."

"So we are for lack of a better term King makers with as you say the end goal would be a stronger and more stable region under the kings rule? And this king what do we know of him is he a just and fair king or a tyrant in sheep’s clothing? And do we know what the pay for this job it sounds like we have to get our hands very dirty take all the risks to elevate the world and king of Drinax or is there still the finer points to be worked out?"

"More Empire Builders, as the King already has his throne. As for the King, we don't know anything, really. Just what's publicly available. If he proves to be unfit, we're under no obligation to carry through with it. We can just scatter back to our lives. As for pay, that's part of what needs to be determined."

"Thanks lieutenant This has been very informative I don’t have any more questions for the time being, unless anyone else has any I’m good to go."

Silas listened intently to this briefing and was quiet throughout apart from some small noises of interest, agreement and encouragement for Sultana to continue. Fascinating and... exciting. A Sindalian Harrier! He knew little about the ship except they belonged to an past epoch of shipbuilding, and were considerably higher tech than his humble Type S. He summarised his thoughts out loud, "This is no bit part or small contract. This is an ongoing offer of work, and presumably a lot of agency for ourselves to achieve these goals." The Scout took a long pull of black coffee savouring the bitterness. "Thank you Sultana for this information. It will be very interesting to hear more from our would-be employer the King." Silas determined to focus his studies on the Reach, in particular the systems and ports that he imagined he'd be navigating to in the future. His new horizons, if he played his cards right.

When the meeting was over Harison excuse himself and set off. He was intrigued by the plan and also very worried. From a moral and ethical standpoint sewing chaos in an area was dirty work and innocents would be killed hopefully he was reading too much into it. More should be revealed once the king was met. And then what kind of man was the king? He set off to his quarters to do some research on the planet and the king.