What's new
Star Army

Star ArmyⓇ is a landmark of forum roleplaying. Opened in 2002, Star Army is like an internet clubhouse for people who love roleplaying, art, and worldbuilding. Anyone 18 or older may join for free. New members are welcome! Use the "Register" button below.

Note: This is a play-by-post RPG site. If you're looking for the tabletop miniatures wargame "5150: Star Army" instead, see Two Hour Wargames.

  • 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
  • 📅 July 2024 is YE 46.5 in the RP.

RP: LSDF Akahar [Interlude] - Are you there?

I'Llus could only roll her eyes at the Geshrin before she eyed the Fyunnen speaking to her. Almost a good three feet taller then her, the Llamnel had to look straight up as she was talking to the woman.

"Have bunks been decided? And how many other pilots are aboard?"

Her tone was cold and slightly pissed off. It was to be expected, while she hated the cargo ship runs, this was even worse. It was where the rejects and the idiots were sent, at least in her mind. It was no place for her, even if she had screwed up in the eyes of her parents.

Stupid ship...Stupid crew...Stupid civilians have no place on a military ship. Just how backwards is this captain? Can't believe I have to be here...Stupid...

As biting as she was, I'Llus' bank of insults was well, rather limited.
 
Aiesu's vision finally crystallised into clarity -- the ceiling losing its blurry quality. She'd been leasing excess CPU cycles to the ship's ARIA for the sake of cleaning up the audio data. It was plodding along slowly.

She settled on Keib, the way he sat at his desk -- listening to the conversation.

There was little else for her to do.
 
"Money's always the reason. Sides, people get pissy if there aren't some standards on the fight they're betting for. Pissy customers are customers that don't bet, you see? You only get 40 credits cause you're unproven. Sure, you're tall, got some muscle on you. But that doesn't mean you can fight worth a shit. Throw one into the ring sometime and see if that 'military training' is worth anything." Veronica seemed a bit less aggressive when she talked business. Possibly an actual interest of hers. Though no less insulting.

"You want to be the first to see, Motherfucker?" Alas, her attitude reverted back when Tilt decided to run his mouth. Veronica started towards him, her arm flexing as if winding up for a punch. The gesture showed she had a lot of muscle in her smaller frame, and the implants along her biceps signified there was heavy cybernetics under the skin. She was a fair distance away from Tilt to begin with though, plenty of time for intervention or explanation to cool the pirate woman's temper.
 
Now was the point where a traditional Fyunnen man would have backed out of the fight to avoid upsetting the woman, Tilt thought. Yet here was this woman very painfully proving the Lorath philosophy that women were the cooler-headed of the two sexes wrong. Back in his hard-core protesting days he would have just been eating this up.

Instead, his stern expression, and squinted neon-green eyes barely changed. Asshole met asshole, it seemed. Squaring his shoulders as she approached, he casually tossed his bag off to his side, and with a sweep of the hand the Glengarry cap followed it mere moments later. Those neon green eyes settled on the woman.

"Yes. I do." He scowled, but refrained from a profanity of his own.

He slid back in to a fighting stance, arms up, face guarded, and ready to go. The only thing that would stop them, it seemed, would be somebody stepping between the two to cut it short as quickly as possible because it was painfully obvious to Tilt that neither of them was going to back down over a few tough words from one another. He lacked the showmanship of the pirate, with most of his build visible in silhouette under his uniform, but the details were masked by the clothes in question.
 
Seeker watched the people arrayed before them, trying to look disinterested. So this ship was what, a heavily armed commuter shuttle? Civilians...really.

He looked between Tilt and the pirate woman, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. The inevitable confrontation was already starting, and all he wanted to do was to be assigned a bunk and get some rack time before all hell broke loose. He pointedly stepped to one side, slightly closer to the female pilot who had followed them but away from Tilt, who looked as if he was about to have his wings handed to him by the pirate.
 
"There should be plenty room, we did not assign you yet though. I can get you a room of your own Warrant officer. Also there are two more pilots ma'am." Mars responded to the pilot and then looked at Veronica and new guy starting to bark at each other. Mars considered what kind of fight that would be and decided that the new guy was in for a beating.

It was not that he would not good, it was that he most likely underestimated Veronica. Mard saw the security footage and saw how the ex-pirate girl dealt with some of the attackers. It was fast, relentless and brutal. Also they all ended up dead. Veronica was powder-keg waiting to blow up into someone's face. In this particular case though, Mars decided not to step in. She wanted to see what was in the new soldier and wanted to see Veronica fight.
 
"Then see to it, and see to this woman being told of her place on this ship. She is a civilian, not a officer or even a member of our forces, and as such she needs to learn respect for those who's ship she is on, ih lny vass jard nyhlysj ijjsiodyd ir o psoryt vatn sattsy hyliehmyl ti lehzazy..."

I'Llus' tone was dripping with venom aimed squarely at Veronica, her cross shaped pupils flaring slightly as she glared at the woman. She of course had no power to make such a decision, but it didn't really matter in her mind. The pirate was just another annoyance on a day full of such occurrences, and they were starting to get to her more and more. It was also funny to note the pilot slipping into more formal wording, using the actual Lorath language which seemed to have been lost since to the days of the discovery by the larger galactic community.

"And pilots, like myself. Not Leat Wimkayl that call themselves pilots!"

She bared her teeth a little before falling back into Lorath.

"Ltepad lnap, ltepad leat wimkayl, ltepad mazasaorl, ltepad lnap..."
 
Rae eyed the CO a moment as he went through his speech, as he went through it . “ I wouldn’t consider a ranking in the military cosmetic, Sir.” she said sir sharply to drive the point home “ It keeps us organized , it keeps us sharp, and on the battlefield it saves lives. “ She said this as a simple matter of fact as if it couldn’t be disputed.

She remained at parade rest during it all “ I will act at whatever rank you feel I have earned on this ship, doubly so if you feel that this is a precautionary measure for the rest of the crew ” She spotted the tea on the desk and was somewhat relieved, her strict military pose did not show it though “ And I am hardly in the position to comment on a Commanding officer's station, record, or...command style” she says the last with a slight hesitation, the first she has shown to date.

Rae'lyn listened to the offer to have her rank reinstated so easily, but she didn't respond . She had made her stance perfectly clear at this point. A touch of disapproval was obvious in her eyes.
 
Mars blinked few times and gasped as the pilot woman blurted out all that nonsense. Then she frowned and looked down upon her. Her body stiffened, muscles tensed. That woman was on this hip for less then minute and she was already spouting nonsense.

"Warrant Officer." Mars started with a reply, before Veronica could jump at the womans throat. Mars hoped that the geshrin did not understand the lorat dialect anyway. "Miss Veronica's place is wher captain says it is. She is a guest on this ship and I would have you treat her as such. If not I might be forced the beat the living shit out of you and show you where your place is."

"I will have you know that you are on Akahar now. Here you have to earn your place by doing your job, not flashing a fancy rank. If you feel outraged by now feel free to go to Captain." Mars did stopped for just a fraction of second to catch a breath. "As for our pilots. I won't let you insult them. One of them was brave enough to take a pistol and go against pirates that boarded our ship. After he flew us through a field of debris. Not to mention he got hurt by explosion in the fighting. So please just shut up. Unless you want this 'stupid suit jockey' to break your smile."
 
I'Llus' nostrils flared out slightly as he eyes widened at the indignation of the Fyunnen before her. Her mouth opened to lay into the easily three foot taller woman before something rather funny happened. The Trin'Trat on her shoulder uncoiled it's tail from around her arm, and quick as a whip, lashed it across her cheek. The tail itself was close to two foot long, and using that length to good measure, the tip of the tail made it's way to the back of the angered Llamnel's mouth, striking her tonsils and forcing her retort to become a hacking fit of coughs.

I'Llus doubled over, eyes wide now in pain as she nearly coughed up a lung. She could taste blood in her mouth now, and feel it dripping down her cheek in a thin line from the path of the tail before she turned a murderous look on her bonded. It seemed the two had a silent argument, the Trin'Trat lazily staring back and flicking it's tail a bit before the Pilot straightened. Glaring still at the Fyunnen before her, I'Llus spoke again, her tone less venomous but still there.

"Where is my room? I'd like to go get settled in and go to the bridge."
 
LSDF Akahar, somewhere outside on the Hull

"There we go - everything is finished on our end," Bes'linn said, having sealed the last plate shut with a plasma welding tool. She could see what Pratima was doing and everything looked good on her end too - it just needed to be 'sanded down' to look like there was never a hole there, and everything would be perfect.

"I'm going to open the airlocks and have them scan the area to double check for vacuum..."

Around Pratima, she could hear hissing gasses and air rushing as the room's integrity was evaluated. True to the Freespacer's word, it was a good job, liveable to lung-bagged people's standards. The lights in the room turned white from their pale red, and made the room look as it had always intended to be - with a few ... retrofits from the Freespacer that added splashes of acidic chartreuse and electric blue.

"Ma'am, you seem to have a new arrival - Keib forwarded them to you. Tech Sentry."

"I'll call him once I'm back inside," Bes'linn replied to her secondary before starting the space walk back. "Pratima, you're dismissed. Come back to Engineering so we can discuss the terms of your reward."

She got back back into the EVA room with the void closing behind them. She waited for a decontamination and re pressurisation quietly, hissing gasses and airs doing their thing before she and the second in charge disrobed from the EVA suits and changed back into their duty uniform.

She looked at Tilt's file and quirked an eyebrow. Keib had an odd habit of attracting these sorts of people, but she'd take what she could get. "Kam'kebek "Tilt" Casek Fyunnen, please report to Engineering for orientation," she announced over ship-wide intercom.

-

LSDF Akahar, Cargo Bay

The cargo technicians were beginning to hear those choice words - 'fighting words' as the Nepleslians would call them coming from Veronica and directed squarely towards Tilt. There a rising tension between the pirate and the pariah. It made the room's atmosphere become thick and palpable as the two stared each other down like caged wolves.

Fists clenched, no punches were thrown yet. It probably wouldn't take long for one flash of motion and then the fight erupts between the Pirate and the Fyuunen male on the edge.

One of the cargo crew in the lifting frame could see what was going on above the items littering the bay yet to be sorted and he didn't like the look of it at all - he would've been more comfortable if it was Lorath Personnel to Lorath Personnel since they'd know not to hurt each other too hard so they'd still be fit for duty. He didn't think the pirate had the same compunctions. He pulled his hand out of the control for the left arm and grabbed his earpiece.

-

Keib's Office

Keib put Rae'lynn's file away and smiled. "You want to earn it back fair and square then," he then smiled. He'd offered a lure, and she refused it. "I like your style. With a commitment like that you'll go beyond it on this ship."

"Keib, come see this," one of the Cargo Technicians radioed to Keib, buzzing on his radio and breaking the conversation between him and Rae. A reminder that those two weren't the only ones on the ship. "There's a new guy here, and he wants to sock the pirate." Keib was willing to tolerate some introductory fighting or rutting, but he didn't trust Veronica's restraint, "or the pirate wants to sock him."

"I should probably get down there and restore order before Veronica tears them open shouldn't I," Keib mumbled to himself and Rae before standing up from his chair. "Alright Rae, dismissed - I have to make sure the new people don't kill each other before briefing - that would be a new record. C'mon Greg!" He announced chipperly as his companion came to his side, bouncing on its toes as it was looking forward to what was going to happen, "Let's say hello before we gotta call the janitors. Rae, you're welcome to come along too, or you can spend your time as you wish."

Cargo Bay

Keib had come walking in and he saw everyone assembled, and the two would be fighters. "Apologies for my tardiness, I was just talking to a trooper. I am Executor Mar'zhaz Keib New Tur'lista," It was an oddity to leave out your given nickname in Lorath culture, "and I am currently in charge of the LSDF Akahar."

"It is a pleasure to see new arrivals in person as always-" he seemed to be ignoring the tension between Veronica and Tilt. "-and your skills will be invaluable to the mission. Now! I believe Seeker here needs to see where the Frames are stored and the take-off procedure, Bes'linn needs to address Tilt, and you," he looked at I'Llus, "need to see where you have to rest your head."

New Tur'lista had a habit of knowing what people wanted - and they knew what they wanted even more. "And after this I have a fat pirate to interrogate for answers." He seemed very earnest about what he was doing - and information like this was normally verboten on traditional vessels but everyone on the Akahar knew there was a prisoner in that pirate raid. Keib had dragged his fat ass into a holding cell himself in broad shiplight with Mars' help. "I'Llus, you can follow me on the way and I'll show you where you'll rest your head, or Bastion can show you. There's plenty of spare room."
 
"Either is fine." I'Llus said simply her tone still cold with a touch of bitch thrown in for good measure. The Llamnel was still pissed at being assigned to the ship and she felt like taking it out passive aggressively as she hefted her bag back up over her shoulder. She cared little that she displaced her bonded who had to scramble to stay perched as he was. A threatening tail was matched and countered by a withering glare as she waited to be led off.

"Oh, and the matriarch of the ship said current accomplishments don't excuse past failures, or some shit like that..." I'Llus added as she waited to be led off.
 
Mars looked at Keib. He had a habit of butting. Controlling everything, wanting to do everything by himself. He probably trusted Mars to resolve the situation, but he could not help himself. He had to get here and talk, resolve it peacefully. He was a New Tur'lista after all. That was what they did and it was something Mars did not understand too well. If Veronica and new guys wanted to beat the shit out of each other, they should. It resolves things much better usually.

"Please follow me," Mars said with voice cold as ice to I'Llus. "I will show your nest." With that she just started to walk, not waiting for a response from the pilot.
 
I'Llus looked up to Mars, eyeing the Fyunnen woman darkly before she simply gave her a nod. One of these days she would put the Fyunnen in her place, but no point rocking the ship just yet. She let out a small hmph as she waited to be led off, looking everywhere in the bay besides Mars before switching her pack from one shoulder to the other fairly restlessly.
 
Tilt found himself mere moments from a fight, ready to see just what it was this pirate had to offer in a fight, and confident that he could likely fight her down on to the deck if it came down to it. Yet it seemed that fate would have other plans, because at that moment before a strike could be landed by either side it seemed that the good Captain he had heard so much about saw fit to appear. Of course Tilt had already heard the loudspeaker announcement calling his name and hadn't been looking forward to attending the obvious orientation with many visible bruises on his face, but it seemed like now that he wouldn't have to. Tilt rendered a proper salute to the commanding officer.

"Of course, sir."

With that he retrieved his belongings, slung them over one shoulder, and marched out of the room. He wasn't so typical as to try harshly brushing against Veronica's shoulder on his way out. That was the sort of thing children did. But he couldn't help it if he just always passively looked like he was glaring when nearly neon-green eyes glanced her way. Nor could he stop himself from speaking.

"Marm." His tone wasn't venomous, but it certainly bore no real respect for the person being addressed.

From there it was relatively easy to follow signs and markings to get on his way for orientation. He just hoped that the pirate girl as as much of a rarity among the crew as she seemed to be.
 
It wasn't long before those bare feet found their way back into the med-bay. Keib was clearly busy.

After what had happened, she owed it to the others to at least play the part of doctor adequately.
 
After her CO left Rae took a moment to take in the room a moment before her eyes settled on Asieu and watched her leave. She took in the woman's figure as she parted and frowned a moment . Not even so much as getting an introduction from Kieb or the Llmanel herself . She didnt much care for the command structure on the ship , nor people who did not even feel inclined to acknowledge another s presence. It was already feeling like she was going to feel less and less comfortable on this ship as time passed.


It was already seeming to be time for her to start working on a new set of goals here. Now, first to find the name of the Zhal that had rendezvoused with them and seeing if she could find out exactly how long Kieb's history with it was.
 
I'Llus followed after Mars, eyeing the ship as she decided to find out whatever information she could.

"What is the captain like?" It was a simple question, but one that was loaded. She had seen his ears and knew what caste he was. Personally she didn't trust anyone of the Occhestan household, even those that had stayed. But again in the interest of getting through the day without getting punched, she held her tounge from further comment.
 
"Quirky," Was first word, Mars muttered as she walked. She looked sideways at the pilot following her. "But also dependable. He will do anything for his crew. Up until now he was actually first officer, but in the attack by pirates our former captain betrayed us and defected, while Keib held the ship together. We slaughtered the pirates and took our ship back, Keib fought them himself. That enough should tell you something."

"Now please listen to me," Mars went to the subject she wanted to come with in the first place. The reason why she walked away with I'Llus alone. "I understand it is frustrating for you to be on this ship. It happened to me too. Do not condemn us though. We might not be the best ship in the Matriarchy, but we sure damn are not the worst, no matter what you hear. Military decorum might now be put on such a high value, but we take care of our own and we get the job done."

"Now you might think this is the end, but it is not. I have no idea what you did to get here, but everyone redeemable. You can still get out of here and go serve and build your career if that is what you wish. But to do that, you should work with us and not against us. We are a crew, not a bunch of individuals fucking around on a ship. Can you understand this?"
 
"This is the Matriarchy, not the other armies where the captains sit in pretty chairs and order others around, ours are expected to fight... They said even the Xiaah fought to her dying breath."

I'Llus looked around, letting out a begruding sigh of annoyance before she nodded, looking back to Mars.

"I can work with the others, but don't expected me in the kitchen cooking breakfast with a kiss me apron on..." It was hard to tell if she were joking or not as she began to think on just why she was here. It always came back to the same thing, the conversation she had with the Fyunnen princess and her protector. She hadn't thought anything about it, but apprently it had pissed them off enough...

"I mouthed off to your Princess and her pretty little lover, about how they should try to not play house as much as run a ship. It might have saved that Jiyuuan's life if they had..." She was of course speaking of Lren'Cydn and Korrih, the now leader of the LSDF and her protector and now commander of the Trishka.
 
RPG-D RPGfix
Back
Top