Main / 1104-359-FreeAmpClear

1104-358 -- 1104-359 -- 1104-360

Timing of events
9:00 - Start of Day
19:00 - Depart for Jump Point
21:00 - Dinner in Common Room
23:59 - Jump to ??

1104-358 - 09:00

Cal bangs on the stateroom door. Rise and shine, Princess!

There's a loud groan beyond the door as Ashe checks the clock. Fuck!

Ten minutes of rummaging later, Ashe emerges from the stateroom with black hair askew and no makeup of which to speak. I hate mornings, Cal.

Some things never change. Coffee?

Ashe nods eagerly. They blink several times. Yes, please. Ashe's ruby red eyes took a moment to adjust to the light of the galley. What time is it?

Cal points at the wall display, 9:15 local. We called it a night around midnight. I limited myself to a couple of beers. After a moment, he continues, So, you never mentioned last night why you're here, beyond a desire to leave Torpol. I hadn't thought it such a bad place, but I've only every really seen the Highport, so I wouldn't know personally.

Huh. Well, that's better than two in the afternoon. Perhaps I can approximate a functional adult if I'm up this early. Ashe rolls a shoulder. And when have I ever been associated with moderation, Stud? You've probably seen the entertainment news featuring yours truly.

I saw your were on planet, but I didn't see a performance scheduled that I would be able to make. I had planned to contact you, but I've been busy trying to arrange a crew for the ship.

Oh, right. You can't make shit for money on Torpol. Not as a famous performer. I can't even find a half-decent patron that doesn't want me to perform favours behind the scenes. Ashe's face contorts with mild disgust. So I need to find other ways to turn a profit. The next best thing is taking to space and signing on to a crew. I can appease whomever you decide to ferry between systems and I'm a quick learner. Hell, I've even learned how to handle a firearm. Ashe makes a finger pistol and 'fires' it at the wall.

Cal shudders briefly at the idea of Ashe and firearms. As it happens, I could use a Steward. Not one that insults the passengers taste in music and decor. He pauses. Any other shipboard skills?

Hey! Ashe protests in offense. I can play nice. I can also play flirty and naughty but you know that. They wink at Cal. But in all seriousness, let me know what else you need and I can start training to fill that role. You know my half-Darrian heritage and education. I learn pretty quickly. I could even learn to do the paperwork. Such a dull proposition clearly doesn't interest the entertainer.

Cal looks closely at Ashe, assessing their intent, then nods. Like I said, I can use a Steward. But before we go any further, tell me honestly. Is trouble following you? I won't turn you out, I owe you that, but when you helped me off-world, I was honest about what I was running from. I expect the same from you.

Ashe takes a deep breath when asked about trouble. Honestly? No. This is just an 'I need cash to keep up my lifestyle' move. I have no trouble following me. Nothing that doesn't come with the life like a stalker or five but they're mostly harmless.

OK. If you know of anything immediate, you let me know.

Cal takes a breath and fires off a modified version of his standard spiel. Welcome to the Free & Clear. I'm looking for two more crew - assuming I get them, as Steward you get your choice of the rear cabins on Deck 2, with the passengers; the rest of the crew is on Deck 1. You keep the passengers happy and out of my hair. Pay is 2000 credits a month; if you train up, pay goes up. If the ship gets a jackpot, I split 10-25% after expenses among the crew, based on seniority and contribution. I don't charge crew for food, air, or services, it's all included. Don't cause trouble for the ship. If trouble is following you, tell me first thing.

He pauses. If I don't find a purser, you're also in charge of provisions. If I do hire one, you let them know if you have any dietary needs or preferences. If I don't, you get needs and preferences from the crew. Any questions?

Rear cabins? Damn, that is so not my style, Ashe grumbles. And is there any chance for supplemental pay? I've got expenses, Cal. I need to keep myself afloat, if you catch my meaning. Ashe frowns as they stroke their chin. I may also be able to make connections among high society where needed and I can be persuasive given the chance. Is there any possibility of being cut in on trade profits?

I don't plan on causing trouble. If it pops up, you'll be the first to know. And I don't mind taking the purser job if necessary.

Cal steels his voice, projecting tough love. The Steward job isn't that onerous. You'd have time in transit for your own projects. In port, you need to be available to deal with passengers. If we're in port for a while, you should have plenty of free time to schedule a performance or two, but you arrange your schedule around the ship's needs, not the other way around. If you're looking for a private yacht, then you're paying me.

He softens. I owe you, but I've put everything I have into this ship. I'm not risking it, not for you, not anybody or anything."

Yeah, yeah. I get that. It's just that there's a fairly obvious drug I'm on that's fucking expensive. It's a nasty habit but I'm not willing to give it up.

I can do that. And I wouldn't ask you risk the ship. Hell, if I wanted a private yacht I'd look for a rich benefactor who wants me to go on tour. Ashe smirks, knowing full well that the life of a touring artist came with all sorts of issues on its own. Maybe I can even create a few albums while I'm in transit.

That's my Ashe. We have a deal?

If you want me to be your Ashe we're sharing a bunk, Stud. But yes, we have a deal. Ashe offers their hand to shake.

Cal advances to shake Ashe's hand. Deal. He gestures towards the galley. Until I have the rest of my crew, I'm not committing to crew chores, but I would like a demonstration of these Stewarding skills of yours. Familiarize yourself with the galley. Dinner at 7, plan for 3, but make sure whatever you do is flexible as to the number. He grins. Impress me.

1104-359 - 17:00

Having spent a few hours in the Engine Room, going over the maintenance logs and crawling over the machinery, Jeet comes to the conclusion there has been an effort to keep the engines in good condition. They will do the job, without too much risk.
The Ship's Computer was another story. The Intelligence Interface was a mess. Jeet would have to go over the code in Jump, and see if he couldn't clean it up.
Well, maybe ask the Captain first? Yeah.

Having spent a good amount of time in the machinery spaces, Jeet headed to the Crew Lounge for a cuppa. And that was another mess. Perhaps he could do something with the decor? A 3D holo-mural might be in order. Jeet goes back to the cargo bay, digs into his storage container, and pulls out three small devices. Bringing them back to the lounge, he fiddles with one of them for a few minutes. The room is scanned, and he pulls out his PDA. More adjustments to the room map, and that really unfortunate pillar, and sets the first device against the top of front bulkhead against the ceiling. The second and third go into unobstructed locations in the back two corners. Then, Jeet turns them on. Nice! Hope the crew likes the change.

The crew lounge now looks like a forest clearing. The walls are bushes and shrubs, thick and impassible. The center pillar appears to be a tree trunk, of a tree that appears to extend well into the distance above the floor. Lighting in the room emulates breaks in the overhead coverage, and therefore consistent with the existing lighting. None of the features of the actual room are changed. The tables appear unchanged, but the counters and stowage bins and cupboards, have overlays of hardened military field gear. The overall appearance is not unlike being in a transportable field kitchen, with a forest extending out into the distance, over the bushes that represent the actual ship's bulkheads.

Jeet thinks it looks OK. The existing crew will likely be shocked. Perhaps they'll like it, though. Won't take any effort to change it, if they don't. There were options for an underwater scene, a desert landscape (with particularly elegant sunrises and sunsets), and a fuss strasse (street with shops and cafes, where there are no vehicles, only foot traffic).

1104-359 - 18:10

Over ship intercom All hands. Lift scheduled for 19:00. If it's not onboard, it's not going with us. Dinner at 21:00. I'd like everyone to be there, so we can introduce ourselves properly. Sorry this has been such a scramble, but our esteemed passenger is in a hurry. He pauses. I've invited him to join us as well.

21:00 - Dinner in the crew commons before Jump

Cal stands. I would like to first express my gratitude that all of you pitched in and got us under way so quickly. Our charter, he nods to Cerabu, has urgent business on Thebus, so time was of the essence.

Cerabu, who stands aside, nods toward the collective table, the small red sun of his cigar showing he has just inhaled. His six-foot-three frame is not impressive in and of itself, but Cerabu is an ape and his width is almost twice that of an average human. His form fitting orange and deep-brown body-fitting outfit adds to the impressiveness of the image as it does nothing to hide his muscled arms. Only the long dark-yellow scarf looped loosely around his shoulders and falling across his chest does anything to hide his massive form. Jewel encrusted rings adorn three fingers. Sprinkled silver-grey color the short-kept chin beard and jawline, and become more prominent as it flowed down into the longer hair around his neck and the end of the hair flowing back from his head, ending just below his shoulders.

Regardless, now that we're under way, I wanted to take this opportunity for all of us to get to know each other. Most of you know me from past encounters, he nods to Ashe, Kalidaren, and Cerabu, but I don't believe any of you know each other.

First, however, I'd like to go over the ship charter. He pauses.
It's my ship. I'm the captain. I run it fair, I pay good wages, with bonuses as events warrant. But my word is final.
Don't cause trouble on the ship, and if trouble is following you back to the ship, you let me know.
There's a card table over there, he gestures to the other side of the room, everyone is free to join in a game after shift, but my rules are:

1. small stakes. The game should be fun.
2. cash only.
3. you buy in when you sit down, you cash out when you stand up.
4. no cheating. Cheating counts as trouble.

Now, let's enjoy this delicious dinner that Ashe has prepared.

Ashe appears with plates in the new common area. He is of average height for a guy, if somewhat effete in build. His long, raven hair is tied back into a neat ponytail save for some bangs that frame his pale face. However, the most notable thing about him (aside from his crimson eyes) is those elongated elven ears sticking out. Still, he appeared professional in a white dress shirt, black blazer, matching dress pants, and a deep red tie to match his eyes. Also on his hands are white gloves. He looked similar to the famous performer Ashe Volare, possibly even a brother to her. He quickly placed the hot meals (with a vegetarian option for Cerabu) in the place settings, all of which had a fork, knife, black cloth napkin, and side plate for the bread roll and the dish of butter and a gravy boat placed in the centre of the table beside the salt and pepper. Following that, Ashe took his seat.

The meal is the local fare served with a mix of spices meant to compliment the meat's natural flavour with gravy drizzled on top. There are peas and mashed potatoes on the side.

The patron / passenger does not move toward the spread, instead seeming indifferent.

Kalidaren rested his forearms on the edge of the table, his fingers laced together as he regarded the group with a measured gaze. The newly ordained Purser was nearly six foot, had dark medium length hair and short beard and still wore his suit from the day’s brokering activities, (although he planned to change it for his more comfortable shipboard coverall after the rushed day).

"Fair rules, Captain, and spoken with the clarity of a man who’s seen his share of chaos aboard a ship. Your guidelines are a welcome safeguard for our continued harmony." He smiled a faint, wry smile. "For those of you I’ve not yet had the pleasure of working alongside, I’m Kalidaren—trader, broker, and occasional solver of problems that aren’t entirely straightforward. Formerly of Kalidaren Spacefarers."

"Cal and I have crossed paths before, and I have vouched for him. As for our luck aboard the Free & Clear, well, let’s just hope it doesn’t match his luck at cards—unless you enjoy living dangerously." He let the joke land before continuing. "In all seriousness, I respect a ship run with order and fairness. We’re to be crew and mates, so here’s to smooth sails—or as smooth as they get in this business, and to auspicious trading!" He raised his glass in a toast, his expression equal parts serious and amused.

After the introductions, Kalidaren thanked Ashe for the meal. He also commented about the new decor, that hadn't been there earlier when he'd passed through, and learned that it was Jeet that had provided this. "Much more civilised!" he appreciated the effort.


"I am Ashe Volare, currently the steward on board the Free & Clear. Before you ask, yes. I am the same Ashe as the performer. Think of this as me but in a shipboard service role." He places the tines of the fork down as he cleanly slices off a piece of meat. The fork's tines remain pointed down as he places the food in his mouth and chews. Once he swallows, he continues. "I will also be putting on shows in port and helping to forge connections with the upper echelons of society where applicable. Cal also has me training as the backup pilot. All those years of performance and sport helped build my natural dexterity, after all." Ashe smirks as he cuts another piece of meat. "As for the gambling, I shall pass as somebody has to clean up after the meal. Afterwards, I will work on a few songs for my next album." Ashe has many vices but gambling isn't one of them.

The dark complexioned man stands up to introduce himself, and the rest of the crew realize he isn't much taller sitting down. He's actually shorter than Ashe. He is in neat, clean ship's clothes, a bodysuit with integral footwear. His build is pretty solid, not thin, nothing like Amada. "This is technically my first hire as an engineer. I've done a few working passages as the backup on some J3 ships, and I have a certificate for Power. Mostly, I am a robotics specialist. Techworld is my starting place, so I'm near home. I have two gunner/security robots in the cargo bay, and by appearance, they'd give our patron a run for his money on upper body looks. I can do a lot of odd jobs, as well. Thanks to the Holo-artist Garlis Agamki, I have introduced a bit of color to the crew space. This is variable. Also, if it can help, I might be able to assist with light shows for performance backgrounds? And if anyone has cyber implants, I could help with those, as well. Really looking forward to working with you all.

"Name?" Cerabu asks.

"Yeah! I'm not nervous." Shakes his head. Looking Amada in the eyes, "Jeet. The Geek. Last name is Pringtip."

Cerabu hmms to himself as he takes the cigar in the first two fingers of his right hand as he takes a couple of steps forward, still keeping a meter or so between himself and the table. "Amada Cerabu. This ship is under my charter for the next two months, maybe more, depending on delays, but I won't interfere with the Captain's running of the ship. I like my privacy, respect it."

He takes a puff from his cigar. "With that said, you can lose your money to me anytime. I have to pay for all this." He waves his hand to indicate the ship. A smile allows smoke to escape through his teeth.

"As Captain said, we're bound for Thebus via Marduk. I don't expect trouble, timetable can't afford it. More information will be provided as we approach. I hope you like life aboard ship, because it's straight through at Marduk both ways. We'll have a few days on Thebus, but you'll be working, so no to performances off-ship. Those robots in cargo, I will be accessing the cargo bay throughout. I paid for it. Make sure they don't disturb me." With his speech completed, Cerabu moves to where Ashe had the food staged and fills a plate of vegetarian options.

21:00 - Post-Dinner Jump

Kalidaren: [SKILL] Astrogation (2D+5) (vs Difficulty 4) [2d6+5 = 15] [+11 Effect] [Exceptional SUCCESS] Charting Jump course Torpol to ...

Jeet: [SKILL] Engineer (2D+2) (vs Difficulty 4) [2d6+2 = 9] [+5 Effect] [Average SUCCESS] Firing Jump drive.

21:45 - Post-Jump Checks and Verifications

"Captain! If I could have a moment of your time? Has anything been done to accommodate our patron's accommodations? Has M. Cerabu asked for any adjustments? It occurs to me that a standard ship's bunk will not easily accommodate the width of shoulder for our guest. I have two ideas. One will not require any permanent changes to the cabin, one will require the installation of anchor points. Actually, pretty significant anchor points.
The first is to modify a bulkhead panel, and place legs on one side. This would fit onto and over the existing bunk, and allow M. Cerabu to pull out the panel to expand the width of the bunk by nearly double. With an extra mattress, from the unused stowed upper bunk, M. Cerabu would have lots of upper body room to sleep comfortably. The panel could be slipped back under the mattress of the lower bunk and be out of the way when not in use. No changes to the ship, and easily removable, when he leaves.
The second is a hammock? That would require the anchor bolts on two bulkheads, and they would involve drilling and bolting on two sides of each wall. If removed, blanking panels would be needed to cover the removal.
Would you like to consider the changes, and do we wish to accommodate our guest? This is a two-month trip, and M. Cerabu is likely not going to be very comfortable. I'd prefer a well rested and happy patron, personally.

22:00 - Cargo Bay

Having changed into looser fitting clothes that left his arms and lower legs free, Cerabu made his way to the cargo bay. It was one of the reasons he had chosen the port-aft stateroom--almost immediate access below. He carried his metal decorated staff-cane with him.

Sixty-tons of cargo and fuel occupied most of the cargo bay; that left twenty tons of space still available. It wasn't all in one place. Cal had the fuel separated from the cargo. Cerabu would have to adopt the space in between. He knelt down to start his meditation, placing his staff behind him.

Almost thirty minutes pass before the ape began moving again. At first his movements are slow, taking extended forms of balance and strength and holding them, moving slowly from form to form and holding each. About thirty minutes after he started the forms, he picks up the pace, along with his staff. There is no mistake. Cerabu is practicing a combat style. After another thirty minutes, he settles back into his kneeling meditation position where he remains until he stands and returns to his stateroom two hours after he had begun.