RP Grand Theft Starship

[Andrew]

RP Date

YE 46

RP Location

Noria Citadel, Noria System

Adrin gave a quick, sharp nod to Saphielle, who remained crouched in the shadow of the entry to the Dock Master’s office, hopefully she would understand his signal immediately, They had no room for mistakes, this was as close to a no-win situation as Adrin had ever faced. Outmanned and outgunned, they were up against a well-trained U.N.N. Security team holding their ground at the far end of the hallway. The metallic clink of armor, the low hum of energy weapons charging, and the distant echo of boots were closing in fast.

Adrin exhaled, adrenaline coursing through him. "If they bring in Krysis Crixa armors," he muttered, his voice tight, "we’re dead where we stand." His words hung heavy in the air, but there was no panic in his tone~~just the grim reality of the situation. They didn’t have firepower to match those mechanized monstrosities, and everyone knew it. Without waiting another second, Adrin swung out from cover and fired. His aim was true, and the blast hit one of the U.N.N. soldiers square in the gut. The man's eyes widened in shock as he crumpled to the floor, groaning in agony. They then dragging the stunned soldier out of the way quickly and before Adrin could fire another shot from his QPP.

"For now, it’s just these guys," Adrin muttered, glancing down the corridor where the other five soldiers were regrouping. The tension in the air was thick. "But if they call for backup, we’re going to be splattered across the deck." He stole a quick glance at Aphelion, still frantically working at the airlock console, her fingers deftly navigating through the tangle of cables and organic tendrils that controlled access to the Tirion-Class Cruiser outside. The ship loomed just beyond the viewport, their only ticket out of this mess.

"Almost got it," Aphelion called out, not bothering to look up. "Hold them off just a little longer."

Adrin’s jaw clenched. The Tirion-Class Cruiser wasn’t just any ship—it was his son’s design, a military-ready vessel that could have secured a future for them all. Before everything had fallen apart. Before the Jol'Aester and her UNN lapdog had pulled the deal, forcing them into this desperate heist. Everything now rested on the razor-thin chance that the former Admiral could finish before their luck ran out.

 

[MorriganLynexia]

Saphielle nodded back to Adrin and smirked pulling out her modified bow with a QP Arrow using a hidden skill built into the bow itself she loaded three arrows into the string. Using her enhanced vision in combination with the peep sight she ducked from the cover of the shadows of the office door she took aim and fired all three shots towards the solders,"Hope this works"she said to herself.This was a new weapon she had been working on for herself and she hoped that by combining the basis for the QP and her arrows the would work relatively the same way with a bit more of a kick as well as a wider area of effect.

She then ducked back into the shadow of the door which barely gave her any cover as it was as she waited with baited breath to see if the former Admiral could get them out of this mess in one piece.

 

[Andrew]

"Alright... got it!" Aphelion exclaimed as the airlock hissed open. "Let's go. I’ll lock them out once we’re inside." She was closest, so she quickly ran down the umbilical and boarded the ship, the emergency lighting flickering to life as she stepped into the dim corridor.

Back in the hallway, Adrin kept his position, firing at the U.N.N. security squad pinned down at the far end. Outmanned and outgunned, they were in a near-impossible situation. He glanced at Saphielle, giving her a quick hand gesture to board the ship. With his QPP still blazing, he hopefully laid down enough covering fire to give her a chance to move safely. She had managed to take out two more of the security squad, having landed both of her shots perfectly on target.

They were far from true safety, though. Even if they got on board, they still had to launch the ship, escape the Citadel, and jump to hyperspace before the U.N.N. scrambled its ships. Any slip-up and they’d be dead or captured.

Inside, Aphelion was working frantically, recoding the airlock as she waited for Adrin and Saphielle to board. If she could lock it down, they could at least keep the security team on foot from following. But the real threat loomed: if Citadel security became fully alerted, they could send in power-armored soldiers, and then things would get a whole lot worse.

 

[MorriganLynexia]

She smiled to herself seeing that her shots hit and that they were in fact effective.Reloading her bow and changing tactics a bit she pulled out another of her speciality arrows that would emit a smoke screen which should give enough cover to make it into the airlock. As she loaded her bow, she took a calming breath, ducked from the shadow of the door once again and took her shot using the moment to then move from her current location and ended up next to Adrin.

She then took a moment to see if the cover worked while tapping his shoulder,"You Good?"

 

[Andrew]

“Yeah, I’m good. I’m right behind you,” Adrin said, glancing back down the corridor at the thick cloud of smoke rolling their way. He couldn’t help but admire the woman’s skill with that bow ~ it seemed a bit primitive compared to the firepower of other weapons, but she made it work. He gave her a slight shove toward the airlock, urging her to move faster.

As soon as they were inside, Aphelion sealed the airlock, and a low vibration rattled through the niranium bulkhead. It was clear they had cut it close. “Is that going to hold long enough for us to get out of here?” Adrin asked, his voice tense.

Aphelion shrugged, her fingers still working the controls. “If it doesn’t, we’ll just seal off the whole section until we pick up our crew. That should buy us some time either way.” She glanced at Saphielle. “You alright? It has been an interesting day.”

Adrin turned from the door to his comrades, eyeing them both. "I better get to the bridge. Now we get to hope this mindhive still responds to my commands… assuming no one’s updated anything before we got here. Most of the Citadel's crew are probably distracted by mourning, but then again, we thought security would be lighter too." He gave a slight shrug and headed for the lift. "Come up when you're ready," he added, disappearing into the lift as it hummed toward the bridge.

 

[MorriganLynexia]

Saphielle just chuckled,"Well it has definitely been different thats for sure, but yeah I'm good.Looks like the time I spent being nosey and experimenting worked out well for me. Now we just have to make it out of here in one piece. I have faith in you Aphelion. I'm gonna go and join Adrin on the bridge, be careful ok" She stood up and put her bow back on her back as it locked into place on her holster as she made her way over to the lift to head to the bridge.

As she waited for the lift to come back down she took a moment to breath for a bit,as she knew they were far from safe but she hoped that they would make it out of this alive and in one piece.She was never a religious person but she said a silent prayer to whoever was willing to listen to let this go off without a hitch. She also said a silent prayer for her twin. She knew what this would do to her and as much as she wanted to be there with her twin this was far more important especially if what her gut feeling is telling her is true.

 

[Andrew]

As Saphielle approached the lift, Aphelion stopped her. "Keep an eye on him. He’s holding it together now with the adrenaline pumping, but once that wears off... he’s going to crash hard, and grief will hit him like a freight train." Aphelion’s voice carried a tone of quiet concern, knowing Adrin better than anyone else in this mess. Stealing a U.N.N ship was desperate enough, but the loss of his son, and everything they once called home, was about to break him.

Saphielle gave a silent nod, understanding the weight behind Aphelion’s words. Aphelion turned to head in the opposite direction. “I’ll go down to engineering, see what I can pull together there. Let’s see what this thing’s packing...” she muttered to herself. "These things look conventional, but they're hybrid... Soon enough, you won’t be able to tell the difference." She shook her head, walking off. This wasn’t how she'd imagined retirement.

U.N.N Alyelume - Bridge,​

Tirion-Class Cruiser​

Adrin stepped onto the bridge, heading straight for the central platform. The dim lights flickered to life as the hatch slid open, revealing the pool of synth fluid. He knelt down beside it, fingers brushing across the surface. A low hum reverberated through the ship as it transitioned from the Citadel’s power to its own dimensional siphons. The ship’s systems booted up, instantly recognizing the vesper bond Adrin shared with his symbiote.

"Good morning, Captain," the mindhive greeted in a crisp, feminine voice.

Adrin pulled his hand back from the pool, surprised it hadn't turned hostile. "Here goes nothing," he muttered, climbing into the command throne. “Activate avatar synthesis. Power up the engines. Shall I ask the dockmaster for permission to depart?” the mindhive questioned.

He sighed. “Alye, I don’t think asking for permission’s going to do us much good. How we got here... well, let’s just say it wasn’t clean.”

"Understood. Departure sequence initiated, Citadel command bypassed. Fully at your service," Alye replied as the pool bubbled beneath the sealed hatch. “Currently working on releasing docking clamps and severing umbilical connections.”

Adrin raised an eyebrow, impressed by how smoothly the mindhive operated. He sank into the command chair, but before he could fully relax, the synth pool opened again. From it emerged a woman—pale, with jet-black eyes and bright pink hair, dripping in synth fluid. Adrin blinked, then shook his head in disbelief.

"Just great... Ves. Of course," he grumbled. "This damn delusion my son kept fixating on, and now she's his mindhive avatar." Frustration welled up in him. "We’re changing that look as soon as we’re out of here." He knew Saphielle wouldn’t be thrilled with the avatar’s resemblance, especially given her history with the neo-vespan program. But they didn’t have time to deal with it now. As the ship's systems ran their checks, Adrin focused on getting the Alyelume free. Time was running out, and the Citadel’s security wasn’t far behind.

 

[MorriganLynexia]

Sephielle watched as Aphelion left as the lift finally arrived and she stepped inside.She was then lost in her thoughts as Aphelion's words rang through her head. She didn't know just how much time she had before Adrin finally broke but she knew with every fiber of her being that she would do everything in her power to get him through it. Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone else much less herself she had a soft spot for the man especially since he was the one who found her.

As she stepped on the bridge she stopped dead in her tracks as a cold fury began to rage within her as she hissed out and started walking again,"Ves Of fucking course....just my fucking luck" She grumbled to herself as she walked the rest of the distance to where Adrin was sitting and stood behind him as a quiet support while digging her nails into her palm so hard they broke the skin but in that moment she didn't care. She allowed the pain to cool the fury that burned in her chest.Looks like her gut feeling was correct and despite that feeling not going away she knew that shit was only going to get worse.

She took a calming breath,"Looks like you lucked out that nothing got changed ey Adrin" she said quietly.

 

[Andrew]

Adrin noticed Saphielle as she arrived on the bridge. As expected, her expression shifted when she saw the mindhive avatar, its appearance unmistakably modeled after Ves. And there it is, he thought to himself, reading the discomfort on her face. "I don’t consider it luck, and my reaction was pretty much the same as yours,” he said, trying to keep the conversation light. But then his tone grew more reflective, "When you think about it... it’s actually kind of sad. That delusion of his seeped into every part of his life."

Adrin considered saying more but decided against it. This wasn’t the time to dig into old wounds. He quickly shifted the topic, gesturing toward the projected interfaces surrounding the command throne. "Alye’s working on releasing the docking clamps and umbilical. At least she was prepared for something like this."

He glanced at Saphielle, his focus split between her and his connection to the mindhive. "I just hope Aphelion’s crew is positioned somewhere we don’t have to fight our way out of. If we don’t get moving soon, it won’t be long before the entire U.N.N fleet is hunting us."

Aphelion’s voice crackled over the comms. “Aphelion to bridge, we’ve got a little problem down here.”

Adrin sighed, a flicker of frustration passing over his face. "What now?" he asked, bracing himself for the next obstacle.

“First off, the Transuniversal Breach Drive hasn’t been tested yet," Aphelion reported, her tone sharp. "And secondly... there’s someone down here who claims to know you."

Adrin’s eyes widened in surprise. “Bring them to the bridge, and great another way we can end up toothpaste.” he ordered, the urgency in his voice clear. “We need to get moving, now.”

“Aye, on my way up,” Aphelion replied.

Adrin’s mind raced as he looked to Saphielle, unsure of who it could be. But there was no time to dwell on it—they had to escape before it was too late.

 

[MorriganLynexia]

Sephielle just nodded as she kept her true feelings about the mind hive avatar and Tetsuya in general to herself as now wasn't the time to dig out old grievances. She took a moment to really study Adrin and saw that even though he hid it well she knew the man well enough that she saw the facade start to crack.She walked closer and leaned over his shoulder, sliding her hands down his chest and just hugged him from behind as if holding him will help further give him strength. She's not sure why she felt the need to but she learned quickly to listen to her gut instinct.

"How long until Alye can get us free so we can put as much distance between us and the U.N.N as possible?"She said quietly finding herself having issue being able to focus as seeing Ves really shook her up a bit as it brought back memories of a time she would much rather forget.

 

[Andrew]

"Not long, I suspect. She's likely negotiating with the other mindhives on the Citadel, trying to get one to release us," Adrin replied to Saphielle, his voice tense but measured. "Fortunately, my name still carries weight with the ancient ones—one advantage from the past." He glanced at her, feeling the shared tension in the room. "Trust me, you're not the only one who wants to get out of here. I’m just as on edge."

His jaw clenched slightly as he added, "And to think, the Jol’Aester went back on her word... A lie is a hell of a way to begin a new dynasty." The bitterness in his voice was unmistakable. Adrin smirked a bit when Sephielle hugged him from behind, he wondered if this was how she was. He never had much luck with women, save for Kendra.

Seconds after Adrin finished speaking, the lift opened and Aphelion emerged, and in her footsteps was a rather unique norian man, he had white hair and golden eyes. Adrin turned and noticed him, and tilted his head slightly to the side, "Curunir?" he questioned. He had not heard from Curunir since their childhood, the last of the Dysterian cast of their people and a very talented friend. Curunir didn't answer with words, he walked ahead of the former admiral and flung his arms around Adrin with a friendly hug. "But, how did you get here?"

Curunir chuckled, "Lets worry about not being blown to smithereens, and I will gladly tell you how I ended up on this ship. He let go of his old friend and walked over to Sephielle and gave her a pinch on her cheek with a mischievous grin, "Yup, another one..." he said with very little context, then went on, "Nice to meet you, I am Curunir, and I'm going to save you here in a second, so I suggest you get ready for a victory lap," he said as he then approached the avatar, he looked it in it's black eyes, "Have you tried making the AI's think we have a tap problem?" he said.

The mindhive's embodiment didn't answer, her nude body still dripping synth onto the deck below her, which slowly trickled back into the pool beneath through a drain in the transparent hatch. Rather than admitting that it had not been considered she merely said, "Docking clamps have been retracted, but umbilical two is non-responsive, damage from your battle before you boarded, Captain. If we proceed, we will break the umbilical tunnel." she informed Adrin.

Adrin shrugged, "Rip it off then!" he just wanted out of there. Curunir moved past him and sat down in one of the pilot seats toward the front of the bridge. There was a hum as the chair dipped back, so he was facing the ceiling above. A volumetric display and interface opened above him, and he gave the mindhive instructions. "Aft thrusters firing," he said, there was a loud grinding noise as the ship moved forwards, the umbilical broke away from the hull as the ship moved forwards. "Simulating dimensional tap closure failure," he said. The ship slowly moving toward the freedom of open space. "Hey, sexy miss. Make yourself useful and monitor the ship's systems while I get us out of here," He then pointed towards the operations table, in front of the command platform.

Adrin sat down in his command chair, and watched the tactical overlay, "Whatever miracle you're going to pull I suggest you do it now. U.N.N Osatei is moving to intercept us, he said giving a nod to Saphielle as if to tell her, that it was alright to do what Curunir requested.

 

[MorriganLynexia]

Sephielle noticed at the last second a man walk in and so she managed to move out the way but when the man pinched her cheek it took every ounce of self control not to immediately want to rip his head off as she gave him a sweet smile with a clear message behind it that stated,(Touch me again and you will die) she introduced herself,"It's very nice to meet you Curunir. I'm glad to see that Adrin here has more people that he can rely on given current circumstances.

As sweet as she was on the outside she was seething on the inside as she thought to herself" What the actual flying fucking hell does this man think he's doing thinking he could just waltz in here like he owns the place...oooo so help me if it wasn't for the current situation his head would be sitting at the bottom of a bag right about now." I grumble to myself clearly not happy with being spoken to outside of my name but does as he asked given that she was following the request due to Adrin asking her to do so not to much because of Curunir as she made her way over to the operations table.

 

[Andrew]

Curunir focused intently on his task, adjusting the overload scenario with precision, when suddenly the umbilical retracted from the Citadel. "Uh, what?" he muttered in confusion as all the connections between the ship and the Citadel abruptly disengaged. The silence was quickly broken by the mindhive, which opened a communication line: "U.N.N. Alyelume, you are clear for departure. Happy sailing from a friend, Sephielle." For a brief moment, both Adrin and Curunir were stunned, their minds struggling to process what had just happened.

Adrin cleared his throat, taking a second to compose himself. "Citadel Control, Alyelume..." He paused, still taken aback. "Thank you."

Curunir grinned, turning toward Sephielle. "Looks like your friend here still has some powerful connections—well done, young lady! Probably for the best too, not sure I could’ve pulled it off." As the ship drifted clear of the dock and into open space, the mindhive took over navigation toward the system’s edge. Curunir casually dropped down from the helm seat before it fully adjusted upright. "Anyone else hungry? These near-death scenarios always work up my appetite," he said with a smirk.

Adrin’s gaze shifted to Sephielle, and for the first time, he considered her as more than just the genetically engineered companion of his son. There was clearly more to her than he had ever realized.

Aphelion, always quick to lighten the mood, chimed in. "Now, we just need to pick up the rest of the crew, and we’ll be on our way." She nudged Sephielle playfully as she moved beside her, amused at how yet another woman had managed to pull the almighty Adrin out of harm’s way.

 

[MorriganLynexia]

Sephielle stood in shock for a moment trying to process what the hell just happened.As she racked her brain for potential answers two people came to mind with the power to pull something off like this but only one of them would have known she was currently with Adrin and she chucked and said softly to myself,"Looks like the game has finally begun aye Admiral"

She gave Curunir a deadpan look" I don't personally have any powerful connections...that honor belongs to my twin..." She let out a long sigh and nodded to Aphelion and looked out the window and just hoped that her sister was ok.She knew her twin would be ok but was also aware of just how much this whole situation was going to fuck with her twins mind and said a prayer to anyone listening that shit didn't hit the fan before all the pieces were in place.

 

[Andrew]

Aphelion​

Aphelion allowed herself a brief smirk as Sephielle spoke. "The game has been in play for many years, likely since long before you or I were even created." She paused, the weight of time and circumstance clear in her voice. "But no need to call me admiral anymore—those days are behind me. I’m just one of the fortunate few who remember their history and understand what they’re capable of." Her eyes shifted toward Adrin, gesturing subtly to him as if to underline her point.

The smirk faded, replaced by a cool professionalism as she turned back toward the ship's avatar. "Set a course for Solitude, and notify me the moment we enter the system," she ordered, her voice still carrying the unmistakable tone of command despite her earlier dismissal of her title.

"As you wish, benefactor," the avatar, eerily reminiscent of Ves, responded, immediately complying with her directive.

Curunir​

Curunir shook his head, an amused glint in his eye as he observed the exchange between Aphelion and Sephielle. "Ah, the old game," he muttered, his voice low, almost to himself. "Always shifting pieces on the board, some of us knowing the moves better than others." He smirked, turning to Sephielle. "You’re being overly humble, young lady. It’s coded right into your DNA." He nodded slightly, his eyes flicking to the console. "Setting course for Solitude, huh? Let’s hope it’s a bit more exciting than it sounds. Nothing like the thrill of a little turbulence in the calm." His grin appeared, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes~humor masking something deeper.

As the group boarded the lift, which quickly zipped them toward the third deck and the wardroom, Curunir chuckled, still thinking about the earlier communication. "That’s not what the person on the other end of that message said." He shook his head, his tone light but familiar. Glancing between Adrin, Aphelion, and Sephielle, he raised an eyebrow in mock seriousness. "Uh, so which one of you is cooking? 'Cause if you put me behind a stove, the only thing on the menu will be ashes and charcoal." His grin widened, cutting through the tension in the air, his easy humor offering a small reprieve from the weight of the day’s events.

Adrin​

Adrin barely registered Curunir's light-hearted question about who would cook, offering only a slight, absentminded shrug. His thoughts were elsewhere ~ lightyears away, consumed by a storm of grief and regret. The battle was over, but the real war churned within him, a relentless tide of sorrow over Tetsuya’s death. His son, whom he had never truly been close to until those last few fleeting years, was gone, and the weight of that loss bore down heavily on his soul.

Adrin’s mind raced back through the years, each memory a painful reminder of his failings as a father, not just to Tetsuya but to Rin as well. He regretted the distance he had allowed to grow between them, the harshness of his parenting that had built walls instead of bridges. Now, for Tetsuya, it was too late. The guilt was suffocating, and no amount of distraction could dull the sharp edge of that reality.

One thing had caught his attention, however ~ a fleeting detail from the conversation. The mention of Solitude. For years, Adrin had thought it to be nothing more than a fable from the Umarian Wars, a legend whispered among soldiers. But now, with the revelation that the hidden world truly existed, a small flicker of curiosity sparked within his grief-stricken heart, though it was drowned out by the overwhelming sense of loss.

 

[MorriganLynexia]

Sephielle took a moment to look at Adrin and noticed a far off look in his eyes. She knew the man was stubborn and he wouldn't allow himself to truly break in the company of others but anyone who knew him like she did knew it was only a matter of time before that luxury wouldn't be an option for him. She walked behind his chair and simply but quietly wrapped her arms around him laying her head on his shoulder as she offered a silent comfort, a symbolic gesture of being his shield if he needed a moment to crack and to be his pillar if he found he no longer had the strength to stand on his own.

She closed her eyes and started to hum softly.She didn't know where the song came from but in that moment it felt like the right move to make. Following more instinct than coherent thought she softly placed a kiss on his temple and continued humming softly hoping that in some way, shape or form the song quelled the rising storm of grief that she was more than sure would ramp up in intensity in the coming days.

After tuning back into the conversation for a moment it was mentioned that we were set the course for Solitude. She had no idea what or where it was or even what to expect as she had never been even this far out before. For a very long time she was locked away in the palace with her sister shortly before Tetsuya abandoned her. She hoped that in her heart of hearts that her twin sister Azura was ok as the thought of losing her was something that had never occurred to her before but she knew that grief could in fact either be maddening or deadly it all just depends on which way the cards fall and she hoped that for her sisters sake it didn't fall either direction. She decide then and there that once they made it to Solitude she would find a way to contact her sister maybe to perhaps bring to her to where she was.