What's new
  • If you were supposed to get an email from the forum but didn't (e.g. to verify your account for registration), email Wes at [email protected] or talk to me on Discord for help. Sometimes the server hits our limit of emails we can send per hour.
  • Get in our Discord chat! Discord.gg/stararmy
  • 📅 April 2024 is YE 46.3 in the RP.

OOC YSS Heartbreaker: The Undiscovered Uesu

Reynolds

Reynolds

Well-Known Member
The YSS Heartbreaker Wiki Page

Original proposal within:
It has been six years since Ketsurui Uesu, the former emperor, fled Yamatai at the head of his personal fleet. Scattering the Mishhu forces in its path, the force of more than 300,000 ships and millions of lives disappeared into unknown, uncharted space. With wars to fight and problems at home to address, the Star Army has been understandably reluctant to dedicate the time, resources and personnel to the search for the fugitive fleet.

However, an innocent sidetrip into a backwater, no-note system led to unexpected evidence of their existence: an almost perfectly intact Yui-class Scout whose registration tied it to Uesu's Fleet. Although most of the crew of the Eucharis did not quite understand its significance, the older Ketsurui Hanako had it immediately transferred to Gemini Star Fortress. There it was examined thoroughly, computer systems picked through with a fine-tooth digital comb and every scrap of information cataloged. Now they had data to work with. Past and future travel courses plotted, captain's and crew's logs, even damage from the Mishhu attack that had ended this ship's journey.

They had a trail to follow.

Years out of date, the 1XF Starship Improvement and Refit Programs had their work cut out for them with the Scout, especially considering they were sending it out alone. The ship might have been almost uncrecognizable as the Yui-class it started out as, but maintaining the integrity of the original computer, sensors and engines were considered crucial to properly following the clues it left for them. A veteran captain and talented crew were sent out into the unknown, the undiscovered, on what many thought was a wild goose chase. And, quite possibly, a one-way trip.

This is the voyage of the YSS Heartbreaker. Its sole mission: discover the fate of Uesu's Fleet.

-

I'm going to attempt to run a mission of exploration into unexplored space, far South off the edge of the current map. Splorfin is in Grid #1609, and that's where we'll begin. I have already contacted @Wes and gotten the general 'okay' to at least get the wheels moving on this. This will not be your standard 'go out, handle mission, return to base, repeat' plot.

Once the ship gets going, I have no plans to return to known space barring any major complications.

I have a few ideas on how to make this work in case of people dropping in or out (creating new Neko sprite-style on board is the easiest, perhaps we even carry a backup of extra Souls beyond the starting crew in case we need specific specializations while stranded way out in the field?) but I am very open to suggestions.

In fact, a lot of this is going to be co-created by myself, the higher ranking GMs and the players. I know Wes has specific ideas for how things are set up in that unexplored area at the bottom of the map, as well as what is off the edge of the map. I'm sure he'll want me to run things by him first. We will be going right past an area controlled by the Hiden Sun Clan, so I bet @Nashoba will have some input. I know @Fred was also a big help with the creation of some alien species, so he might have more he'd want to add or assist with. I would appreciate any help they or other veterans can give me.

Players, I will be taking suggestions for problems to run into, worlds to find, aliens to encounter. Uesu's Fleet has a six year head start on us. At first, we'll be dealing with Mishhu ships, stations and planets they've destroyed on their way. We might find more wrecked ships, or even stragglers that survived and were left behind. Friendly aliens they helped might want to assist us. Ones they made into enemies might see Star Army markings and come out guns blazing. Star Trek: Voyager should be the general feel and inspiration here.

The main obstacle for me, personally, is my lack of in-depth knowledge of some parts of the setting, lore and technology. I am always up for reading the wiki and doing research, but some things I just can't easily grasp. For example, I know who Uesu is and when he left, but I'm not actually 100% sure why he left, or why he was able to waltz off with 300,000 plus ships and millions of crew. I would love any details on what was going on at the time from older players who were here when this happened. I'm also not quite sure exactly how many crew a Yui-class Scout requires or fits. I assume we'll need to do a custom article for this ship, since it will have more current armor and such assigned to it. I was considering having it upgraded into almost an entirely new entity that would fit this plot better. Or, maybe it could be lodged inside/carried inside a larger shell/ship? I'm not certain.

So, please post or contact me if you'd like to play. If you'd like to help me run this. If you just have information, suggestions, comments, anything that would help. Just feel free to speak up, whatever your opinion is!
 
Last edited:
There's a modernized version of the Yui called the Yui 7. It makes sense this is what the older Yui would be upgraded into.
 
That makes sense, and fits the upgraded feel I was looking for. Thanks for pointing that out. We could probably even assign the Fox shuttle we found to it. The wiki article lists how many shuttles, tanks and fighters it can hold, but I'm assuming it can't hold all of those at once, so we'd need to pick and choose.

The article also clarifies that the ship supports roughly 10-15 crew. So, starting off with about 10 players sounds right to me. I was thinking it might make sense to limit the crew to Neko and possibly Minkan, since they'd be the most efficient and easiest to 'replace' if lost. Someone could also possibly play the original MEGAMI that is still on board. If someone was interested in playing a non-SA alien that joins up early on, I'm sure we could work their arrival into the first mission, too.
 
Blegh. My first impression doesn't leave me very thrilled as to this prospect.

Upon examination, I think it's because I kind of feel this ought to have been left alone. My assumption was that once Usesu fleet was away from known space, they actually turned out being the first targets of the Second Mishhuvurthyar War; and the reason the Neo Mishhu had nekovalkyrja production capabilities was that they looted that from Uesu's vainquished fleet. When the NMX hit Yamatai, they had been preceeded by distress calls from Uesu's people. Some roleplays had actually hinted at slaves taken from Uesu's armada present inside the NMX ships very early on.

It makes more sense for me for an expedition to be sent to find the survivors of Uesu's fleet. Possibly see if Uesu himself, or his ST data, has been preserved. Uesu's like a father to Yui - despite how villified he is, I could see her being motivated to send an excursion for this purpose.

Also, nekos have been expendable by the millions in the past, and their near-human have been seen before as inferior/should-stay-back-if-they're-not-the-best-at-fight-and-leave-the-job-to-real-warrior. It's not a matter of being expendable so much as a form of noblesse-oblige and dont-send-someone-to-die-when-you-could-send-someone-better-whom-might-not-die.

Also, the Yui 7, while a scoutship, doesn't have a great range - as in, it's not build to make long expeditions. Even the Plumeria, for its interceptor role and slightly larger cargo hold, isn't that well built for long range forays. If you plan never to come back, you probably ought to grab something that has bigger stores and that's actually suited for deep-space exploration.
 
In the Eucharis RP, it's been established that not only does Uesu's fleet still exist somewhere, but there's actually secret cooperation between them and the Star Army of Yamatai. This has been hinted at in the form of Uesu's Yui's scouts being spotted delivering mail and doing other regular but secret missions to keep the link with the YSE. Our last few YSS Eucharis missions have been to shed light on this link, although it's been slow going since they keep blowing up all the evidence I've led them too. I have been planning a "Uesu Sector" to the south for some time now, and it took a lot of consideration to let go and give Reynolds a chance at this even though it was originally something the Eucharis would have done. My point is that in the RP, the story shows that there is a second Star Army still out there.

Maybe a fixed mission duration should be established, like "After 2 years, the ship will head home."
 
Ah, yes, those type of story elements from before my time are definitely what I need help with. Thank you for posting that information, Fred. And clearing up why my view from the Eucharis was a little different, Wes. Yui having a personal interest in this makes sense. I was trying to imply that Hanako's connection to the Ketsurui clan was why the ship was handled so quickly and why this project was suddenly bumped up the list to happen right now. Would the communication between SA and Uesu be something that might be hidden from the Ketsurui clan/the empress/former leaders? Or would they be the ones hiding it? So either they see this as a chance to find out what's going on for themselves, or to officially link up and make it public.

I was not actually planning to find the actual main fleet or whatever remains now. I was mostly planning to find wrecks, remnants, survivors, clues, stories. If the RP goes well and Wes wants to, I would certainly be up for meeting with them during the RP. Maybe it's deemed a bit too important for this ship/captain and, once they have the coordinates, they call in the Eucharis and Hanako? That might be a year or more away, though.

Having them report back in person after two years sounds fine, although I think the 'living off the land' idea would be fun. They could be sending back probes or bouncing back slow communications before eventually turning around for a fuller refit/restocking.
 
Well any group of ships that tries to enter the HSC Territory; are going to find themselves challenged. But if your ship is going to follow Uesu, they would start over in the KMZ and head south.

As for ship selection you might consider including a couple of Rikei-class science ships. They have sizable cargo hold, a larger crew.

As for Uesu, I have been working on a Ketsurui that would be a son of Uesu who was recently found. I need to finish him. The ship that he is found on would have data on the last know coordinates of the fleet. Which would serve as starting point for your expedition.
 
The Ketsurui Military Sector, on the far left? If we ran into a wreck over by Splorfin, I would figure they were on that side heading south, unless I'm misunderstanding something. Straight south of Splorfin scrapes the edge of HSC's zone, so I thought they might contact them, or run into a similar exploratory party, something more friendly.

Having a second ship is an option I hadn't considered. I'd thought of one large enough to carry the scout, but not one working alongside it. Could be interesting to have two ships working together, would also give double the chance for someone to get a specific role they'd like. Also a spare ship to blow up...

Uesu Jr. does sound like a good plot hook for a mission or two in, yes! I think we could definitely work with that. If he has a ship of his own, we'd have the beginnings of our own friendly little fleet. Feel free to send me a PM if you have any particulars you'd like to discuss.

I'm going to be rather busy with work for a few days, but I'll try to get a captain-type character set up to run this. Now I just need, well, some players...
 
Well, the UX-series star systems are basically a numerical chart of the initial part of the exodus.
 
Okay, I'm confused as to why wreckage was found over east at Splorfin if they went off the map at the far SW, if they were coming from Yamatai at the center, but I guess they just looped around. I suppose it will make more sense to begin the plot at Fort Hanako. I did not know it was in the middle of all of this, or that the area was charted/set up by Uesu. This is the kind of info I was talking about, that I'm having trouble finding on my own, because I just haven't been around as long. I suppose the connection to Hanako, the Eucharis and the 1XF all makes sense, though. I'm still wondering who all within the government/royal family knows about Uesu versus who is sending this ship out.

@Aendri thanks for expressing interest! I am currently stuck working two weeks straight with no days off, but I'm going to try to find the time to get some sort of temporary wiki page set up so we'll have more information and places for people to attach their characters. I'm open to prettymuch any sort of SAoY character. I think we can make almost anything work for this, and we could probably even work in a civilian and/or alien during the first missions.
 
I think the current situation is that, for the purposes of plausible deniability, the ships from Uesu's fleet that come up to the main sector don't disclose their origin even to friendly/neutral Star Army leadership, but Yui is starting to get curious as to just what sort of setup Uesu has down there and if it's bigger than the YSE by now. Basically, she's worried that when he comes back, he'll take the throne back, and we need to know if he has the capability to do so.
 
I'm formally expressing my desire to participate in this plot, it sounds like it has all sorts of very interesting backstory it could be critical for revealing in the setting...

Rather than creating any new characters, I would be happy to transfer over my existing Itto Hei Hoshitomo Rin from the inactive YSS Senbu plotship of old, which could serve in a variety of duty stations related to deep-space ops for you such as PA combat, tech sentry, or starship operations. Being a character from six years back, she is more familiar with the older ships and technology of YE 30 of which the Yui was one classic design, though she was planning on upgrading to the Minkan body if needed by the mission requirements. She also has a secret love of navigation I never got to flesh out (as she was on combat duty all the time in 5tar's plot), which might be important in aiding you in exploration activities.
 
I've gotten up a rough page for the ship as well as her captain.

YSS Heartbreaker

Taii Tsukisaki Valesti

I've got some placeholder NPCs from the Eucharis there until we have some other PCs to fill them out. I'm not sure exactly how detailed to make the ship right now, so I figured I would just get that info up and worry about the inventory and everything a bit later. I'll try to get up a rough description of the mission and some more background for Val in the next few days.

@Aendri did you decide on an old or new character?

What else should I be doing to move forward, GMs?
 
Still debating, but I may wait until the crew has filled out a bit more one way or another. Don't worry about me though, I'll have one or the other ready whenever you kick off.
 
Wes said:
Basically, she's worried that when he comes back, he'll take the throne back, and we need to know if he has the capability to do so.
Click to expand...
Offtangent, sorry.

On one hand, I'm astounded that Yui would even worry about any of Uesu's intentions. It was very clear in the past that she believed in him and was irked he'd been used as a scapegoat. Himiko was practically groomed for the role of taking over the Imperial throne after Uesu would eventually abdicate. That kind of worry, in my mind, hints at a bunch of things such as Yui's sympathies (in that case) being more with Himiko, Yui actually finding Himiko to be a more competent ruler (which I could relate to), or Yui having found reason to lose faith in Uesu since he's been gone.

However, since Yamatai is the nation that's the most fleshed out, and that I've been finding the most value in it by using its elements as antagonists, I'm latching on what this 'worry' could hint that: are we looking at a possible civil war, here? Uesu could be unhappy with the constitution. He could be unhappy with Yamatai's more moderate front to other nations. He could be unhappy that nekos were labelled 'alive'. He could come back to impose 'appropriate imperialistic rule' and wow would that divide loyalties. It would weaken Yamatai's standing as a nation, but whoooo - the roleplaying elements for people to react to would be tons of fun.

Ahem. Sorry again.
 
Sounds good. Is she part of SAINT?

I'm working on adding more info, but work is still a problem. We've lost people and I've been called back to a more 'full-time' schedule to cover for them. I might actually get some work done during the holiday.
 
RPG-D RPGfix
Back
Top