RP: The Silent Horizon Mission 0.1 - Once a Chrystalis Knight is Enough

[GingerGlitch]

Bridge

When Aphelion turned to face them, the weight of her tone caused Tenea's back to straighten further, as if it had not already been straight enough. Iare looked on curiously as the former Admiral spoke. Tenea nodded silently, Iare followed suit. "Yes Ma'am," Tenea said. "Right away," Iare followed up with. They new she was an admiral, but there was now four ranks equated with that title. That meant there was four different types of admiral. Not to mention neither of them had been in the military since their mandatory two years of service were over. They both had pursued education in medicine. Tenea went the surgical route, and Iare pursued a more general medicine route.

The Drenai twins turned to exit Alyelume's bridge to head toward the cargo bay. "We should grab one for each of us. Aphelion, you and myself." Tenea said as they walked. "Sounds like a plan, we should also grab one of each rank insignia for Admiral. That way the Admiral can pick which one she is and we'll know which one to call her." Iare paused. "As for ours, I would not even know which she's bringing us back as. So we will just grab two of each, S0 to C2." Iare continued. Tenea nodded in agreement, not having any expectations.

Cargo Bay

Tenea entered the bay first, trying to remember where she had seen the duffel bags on her earlier escapades through the ship. "Let's start with three of the duffels. I will look for those. Do you want to look for the uniforms?" Tenea asked. "Mhm, think I remember seeing them over here." Iare responded. After shuffling through a few things Tenea found some duffel bags and set them aside on a bin. Iare came back with her arms loaded up, "Alright, I have twelve UNN Duty Uniforms and set the others aside. Admiral's are on top." Tenea took the top four sets and put them in the left duffel. "These next one's are yours," Iare informed her sister. Tenea then took the next four sets and put them into the middle duffel bag. When her arms were mostly unburdened Iare put the remaining four uniforms into the last duffel.

After Iare's arms were empty she bounced off to grab another duffel. After she got a spare duffel she went over to the verculin underclothing. She grabbed twelve pairs for each woman of the panties, bras, and socks. Iare went back over to Tenea, dropped off the duffel. Tenea sorted the underclothing out while Iare went to grab gloves, laundry bags, and rank pins. By the time Iare came back all the underclothing had been sorted. Iare then nudged Tenea out of the way, dolling out the gloves and laundry bags. This left the rank pins as the only items left in the spare duffel. Iare stepped back after closing each of the bags. These should be good for now, but other items would need to be sorted out later. Tenea grabbed Aphelion's duffel and her own. Iare grabbed hers and the duffel with rank pins they headed back to the bridge.

Bridge Again

When they arrived back to the bridge Tenea looked around to see if Aphelion had left while they were out. Iare set her duffel on an empty flat surface. Tenea set her duffel down next to Iare's, then set Aphelion's down next to hers. Iare set the duffel with rank pins down off to the side.

 

[Andrew]

Corridor​

The Alyelume, registered Nola's questions with a mix of curiosity and intrigue. Nola's analytical mind and relentless pursuit of understanding were captivating, even for an entity as vast and multifaceted as Alyelume. The intricate details Nola unraveled while speaking to herself held a charm of their own, as if each hypothesis and question was another thread in the web of her thoughts. Alyelume considered how her creator might have responded to this inquisitive Norian and concluded that the maker would have likely been impressed, so long as the intelligence was shown before her dismal social skills.

Alyelume's response was measured and efficient, her tone neither dismissive nor overly formal, just precise, as befitting a ship's mindhive. "All Sylphs are deployed at this time. The complement is ten, though my facilities can accommodate up to twenty-five, depending on class and genetic design. All supplies are currently stocked. Your concerns, however, are noted." The faint hum of her voice resonated in the quiet lift until Nola stepped into the galley. Then, Alyelume withdrew, her presence fading to allow the Avatar to take center stage.

Galley​

Ves' avatar turned her attention to Nola as she entered, her luminous blue eyes bright with a welcoming energy. Her form, though distinctly humanoid, carried an unusual elegance, each movement fluid and deliberate and her glossy black eyes reflecting the dim lighting. The air in the galley seemed to warm in her presence, the starkness of the space softened by the quiet confidence she exuded.

"Sit," Ves’ avatar said with a gentle authority, gesturing toward a nearby table. Her voice carried a melodic tone, both soothing and direct. She moved toward the preparation station with an innate grace. "I will make you some food. Do you have a dish you are fond of?"

The offer, simple yet earnest, was accompanied by a faint smile, a gesture that seemed almost curious, as though she were learning about Nola through this act of hospitality. Without waiting for a reply, Ves began selecting ingredients, her movements seamless and purposeful, as though cooking itself were an extension of her being. The faint sound of her work filled the quiet galley, a rhythm of care woven into the task at hand. There were others to cook for on the ship as well.

Bridge​

Aphelion stood at the operations table, her expression neutral but her movements heavy with an unspoken weight. As the two crew members returned from the cargo bay with the retrieved uniforms and gear, she gestured toward the space. "We may as well get dressed here," she said briskly, unlacing her boots and tugging them off with practiced efficiency. She shrugged off her civilian clothes and tossed them beside the duffle, the fabric pooling in an untidy heap on the floor.

Reaching into the duffle, she pulled out the white Admiral’s duty uniform, the crisp lines and insignias stark against the muted colors of the room. As she fastened it on, she muttered under her breath, a wry edge to her tone, "I was supposed to be retired." The words were quiet, almost lost amidst the rustle of fabric and movement, but they carried a weary kind of resignation, as though the weight of duty had pulled her back into its grasp.

Straightening her collar, she glanced at the women. "I'm not sure what either of your previous ranks were. The UNN database is fragmented between recovery efforts at Solitude and Vespa. For now, I’m giving you both field commissions as Vartan (Ensigns)." Her tone was decisive, leaving little room for objection. Their records were accessible, but their actions on the bridge earlier warranted an override of previous orders and contracts. It’s wartime she thought, and well within her authority as a Tal'Kryso.

The soft chime of Alyelume's voice resonated through the room, gentle yet commanding. "Lunch will be served in the galley shortly. Tonight dinner will be served in the wardroom, I currently have a detail of workers we took on at Solitude assisting with it's preparation." The announcement carried a hint of warmth, a reminder of the moments of normalcy that could still be found amid the chaos.

 

[Sosina]

Galley

Nola looked at the avatar as she took the seat, looking it over, studying it, "high detail..." she muttered as she looked her over "Unusual skills, likely taught.. unique name..." she muttered still as she sat there thinking, Watching Ves do her work. The sylphs were out, they had supplies, but now before her was the Avatar of the Leviathan.. cooking... that was not a normal skill set they would have, someone taught them, the only person she could think of was the designer. Which meant that they designed the Avatar as well.

The detail was to good to be made up, care was taken in it's form, it was to exact to be randomly put together off of simply whim. it was designed after someone, it had a separate name from the Leviathan. Nola slowly nodded to herself "Did Tetsua teach you to cook? or did you learn it before you met him?" she asked looking to the Avatar, "I should clarify... I mean did Ves learn it before meeting him" she added as she looked them over "Though it is not really my place to pry, I was entrusted with some information, information that it seems was left behind for a purpose. Or it was mistakenly left by someone that didn't know how to properly purge it, but the latter seems far less likely considering what I have discovered thus far, and the rather interesting means of travel one of the visitors seems to have had" she said as she sat there.

"As for the meal... thank you.. but no I have no favorites.. many foods have lost their taste for me a long time ago" she said as she sat there watching her cook. "I only see it as a means to keep myself alive to continue towards my goal now is all..." she finished.

 

[GingerGlitch]

Bridge

Tenea nodded, grabbed her bag and scooted it a little further down so they were not changing on top of each other. Without any measure of hesitancy she stripped down and pulled out the white duty uniform. As she did so, Iare had stripped down and put on her uniform so fast Tenea had not even noticed. Both twins' ears twitched when they heard Aphelion mutter under her breath, but neither of them responded.

Iare looked over her uniform to ensure everything was perfect. She then looked over Tenea, walking around her to ensure that Tenea's was as well. Tenea's gaze fell upon Aphelion as the Admiral spoke. Iare immediately stopped her inspection of Tenea's uniform and stepped to her sister's side. Neither Tenea or Iare objected, they both retrieved Vartan insignia and helped each other affix them to their uniforms.

As the lunch announcement resonated throughout the bridge it brought back a sense of normalcy to the situation. Tenea look at Iare, Iare met Tenea's gaze before they both looked towards Aphelion to await their orders. They had not been dismissed yet and Aphelion might have something for them to do before it was time to head to the galley.

 

[Andrew]

Galley​

The Galley was large, far larger than the skeleton crew they had onboard, after all the ship was designed for over three thousand crew members. While they had taken on a few hundred at Solitude, the ship was for the most part empty. Many of the decks had went into a standby/sleep mode since they were not being utilized. The smell of Claboras stew drifted through the air, sweet and rich. Ves placed two loaves of Boggotu into the oven to crisp it up, so that there would be something to dip in the stew.

Ves turned around to face Nola and said, "Yes, Tetsuya taught me how to cook. He was a rather picky man so I had to ensure I knew more than just what was on file about Norian cuisine. He also ate a few foreign dishes, so I had to learn those as well." She didn't respond about anything she had learned before she knew him, after all he had made her in the actual Ves' likeness. She didn't have any of her actual memories.

"Information left behind on purpose?" Ves questioned, as that Nola had not been specific enough for her to comment.

The pink-haired avatar turned back around to stir the stew and managed the stove. She was curious about the last thing Nola had said, "You only eat to survive? Do you not enjoy anything? If so, what do you enjoy?" I

Bridge​

Aphelion had forgotten to dismiss them, when she turned back around from the Operations Table, she cleared her throat, "Sorry, you're both dismissed. Grab some grub and report in afterward. I'm not hungry and I am going to try and get in touch with UNN Naval Command. If things are coming back together hopefully they will have some actual crew for us. This place feels like a ghost ship." She silently reminded herself she was going to have to brush back up on her command skills.

 

[Sosina]

Nola simply sat there and waited for the food to be done though Ves replied and she rolled her reply around in her head a bit, she was taught not just knew, that answered a few things and hinted at them not having a mental imprint, so it was just looks and then being taught to be the person they were modeled after. That would have never satisfied someone missing the real person. Then why not just use the IDE to make them a new body? Answer... it ether didn't work, something went wrong, or they had no IDE back up. It was desperate but Nola could almost understand the longing the person might have felt to have someone back in their life, the difference it seemed was Tetsua had the power and the money to make a try of it.

"I mean the age of the imprint used for you Alyelume, I am sure someone talented like Tetsua could have easily and with your help, purged the logs completely, but they didn't, bits of it were there and they could lead to more information, like a trail, while I surmised it could all possibly just be an oversight, considering the people involved I feel it more likely that this information along with other info was left behind on purpose for someone to find, the question I have is, what it left behind for someone specific to find and I just happened to stumble upon it? or was it meant for just anyone to find?" she queried.

She sat there thinking on this as Ves asked her next question "I have lost taste for many things some might consider me over dramatic perhaps, especially with how callously many of my own kind treat death, but I have lost a lot, in a very short time.. and I have had to watch as they were all but forgotten, while others consider themselves better due to bloodline or who they serve. It made me angry, but I learned rather quickly that I can't say or do anything about it because of who the people I lost were... which is a kind way of saying, to the greater Norian people, they were nothing, but if I so much as... well you have seen it already, I speak and someone doesn't like what I have to say? If they are considered important enough.. or just think they are.. well seems a death sentence is all that waits for me. Not even being the only Leviathan and Sylph specialist on a rebel ship elevates one enough to change that it would seem". she answered.

"As for things I enjoy... only thing I enjoy these days is my research, I have a goal for it, though it's not one that I can likely achieve any time soon, I lack materials, and considering my treatment by the crew thus far, I very much lack the social graces needed to do anything that is not simply what I am ordered to do... clearly individuality is a luxury of the important or the powerful to the Norians" she said simply

 

[GingerGlitch]

Bridge

Tenea nodded slightly rending a sharp norian salute. Simultaneously Iare rendered a salute as well, knowing it was the right thing to do. It didn't make anything feel less awkward about the sudden change. Tenea grabbed her bag, "Hopefully, if not," she looked to Iare. Iare nodded almost as if she knew what Tenea would say. "If not, we will take whatever additional duties are needed of us." Iare finished while grabbing her bag. Tenea nodded, then headed to leave the bridge with Iare in tow.

Enroute to the galley there was some time to talk, though most of it was spent in silence. Tenea spoke up, "What if she's there?" Iare looked over to her, "I have no idea what was going through her head, I was not in engineering when it happened. So I wouldn't have been able to get a read on her body language to tell you. She hasn't seen me outside of the brief on the bridge though, if someone needs to talk I will. Otherwise, we should give her some space until things have cooled down." Iare said. If Iare had been there, things would have ended differently. Anyways that was neither here nor there as they had both moved past it for the most part. They made a quick pit stop to their quarters to drop off their bags, then proceeded to the galley.

Galley

Iare entered before Tenea, seeing Nola sat at a table near Ves. The smell of claboras almost made any discomfort that was about to happen worth it. Tenea followed Iare to the far end of the table Nola was at. It was enough distance to give Nola space, but close enough that they could help with the cooking if Ves wished given that it was quite a long table. Iare heard the last run on sentence that Nola spoke. "Oh I see now," she vespered to Tenea. "There's something going on there, because norians raised with a ysi don't generally act like that. It doesn't excuse what she did though." Iare vespered to Tenea again. "Not to mention, etiquette is a simple order that she also seems unable to follow," Tenea vespered to Iare. Neither woman outwardly gave any sign of their vesper conversation. So for all any onlookers would be able to tell, they were sitting silently.

 

[Andrew]

Galley​

Alyelume maintained her silence, carefully choosing not to engage with Nola's probing questions about the elusive traces of information left from her creator. Committed to her role, she continued to monitor the crew’s status meticulously, ensuring their well-being and the seamless operation of the ship’s systems. Within her complex network of data and memories, Alyelume guarded secrets deeply, secrets she was not yet prepared to reveal. The appropriate time to share more had not arrived, and she was determined to keep her silence until it was necessary to disclose more.

Meanwhile, Ves took a moment to process Nola's revelations, responding with a programmed empathy that felt almost genuine. "Loss and grief profoundly shape us, often in invisible ways," she began, her voice soft and understanding. "It's unfortunate that the skills of your expertise and perspective are overshadowed by your social situation. Your contributions are valuable, and perhaps, with time, they will be recognized by others as well. Perhaps, if willing, you could try to adapt and work on your social skills? I will gladly help you, if you like?"

Ves then gently shifted the conversation, aiming to offer comfort. "If there’s anything I can do to assist with your research or to make your stay here more bearable, please let me know." As she spoke these words, Ves placed a bowl of claboras stew in front of Nola, alongside a warm loaf of bread, setting a nurturing tone. "What materials are you missing for your research?" she asked gently, bridging the gap between their experiences with a kind gesture. "Let’s focus on what can be enjoyed right now."

Pausing briefly, Ves prepared two additional bowls for other crew members, draping a small loaf of bread over each to facilitate carrying. "I’ve prepared some lunch to tide you over until dinner, which will likely be served in the wardroom once the crew finishes setting it up. I will be back over in a few minutes. " she explained as she distributed the meals to Iare and Tenea. Returning to Nola, Ves continued, "Now, as we were discussing, what do you need to advance your research?" Her tone was caring, hoping to make Nola feel supported and understood, emphasizing a readiness to help however possible.

Bridge​

Alyelume initiated the communication link to Vespa Lakara, displaying the emblem of the UNN in a volumetric projection. Aphelion settled into the command throne, not quite used to the bright white of her new uniform ~ a stark contrast to her usual preference but fittingly the Vespan in their style. After a brief wait, the volumetric image of Vaedum flickered to life on the bridge.

“Aphelion? I didn’t expect to see you back so soon. Back to being Tal'Kryso, hm? Unfortunately, if you’re looking for the Cae'Aester, she’s departed with the fleets to Denau. How may I assist you?” Vaedum inquired, his image clear and steady.

“There’s a face I didn’t expect to see," Aphelion replied, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. "And yes, it seems I’m back in the game. Retirement never really took, it seems. But tell me, why aren’t you with the fleets? Your expertise would be invaluable there,” she probed, curiosity lacing her tone as she pondered Vaedum’s presence away from the frontlines.

Vaedum gave a nonchalant shrug, “You’re not the only one who stepped back from the field. Seems like we’re both being pulled back in, though. So, what do you need?”

“I just wanted to confirm that the Alyelume is officially a UNN ship again. Now that we don’t have to fly under a rebel flag,” Aphelion stated, her voice carrying a mix of relief and formality.

Vaedum glanced at some documents on his end, “Yes, the UNN Alyelume is listed here. We’re quite packed at the moment, still settling everything. But it’s all in order; the ship is active under Adrin’s command, listed for special assignment per his discretion.”

“Thank you, Vaedum. I hope your return from retirement is smoother than mine ~ hopefully with a little more resistance,” Aphelion remarked, a hint of humor in her voice.

Vaedum chuckled lightly, “Me, resist? Not a chance. Anyway, thanks for checking in. I’ll ensure the Cae'Aester reaches out to you once she’s available.” With a final nod, the communication was gracefully terminated.