RP: New Dusk Conclave [Ravenaca's Watch] Rhythm

Away Team: Orlan

Upon seeing the arrival of Sara and the rest of the team, Orlan was relieved that they were alright and was ready to leave the station once and for all. He let the two troopers go ahead of him toward the airlock. As the shuttle made its way to a docking position at the airlock, Orlan turned around and kept his weapons prepared to fry any constructs that appeared and tried to attack them. He did not want to admit it, but he felt rather attached to the two men he was with during their journey through the station. When the shuttle arrived and the airlock door opened, Orlan motioned for the duo to go on board.

As soon as they were inside their ticket out, he would join them and grab the first available seat he could. Now the objective was to wait until everyone else was aboard and take flight back to the Ravenaca's Watch.

Alpha Lance - V115

Throughout the short flight back to the Watch, V115 was on alert. Her consciousness constantly keeping on eye on the structure through her frame's cameras. She didn't drop this behavior until it vanished from sight due to the walls of the hangar blocking her view. Once they were back "home" she finally began to slightly relax as she was guided back to her frame's designated unloading area. The cheers of the crew felt strange now, it was a new experience to her and she wished that feeling of... was this victory? Wasn't marred by what she suspected was the loss of a lance member. With that in mind she couldn't rate her job as a leader at one hundred percent. Ever the self critic, she simply closed her mind's eye as she waited for her pod to drain and release her from the frame.

When she finally emerged her sharp eyes scanned the faces of the hangar crew and anyone else who had gathered nearby to get their reactions as she tried to process what exactly they seemed to be feeling. Once she relayed the damage report to the hangar crew she moved off quickly to find Fletcher and get a debriefing done. It may have seemed cold that she didn't stick around to chat, but she'd always been a rather rules oriented operator first, and an emotional being second despite what the scientists who created her species had imparted to them.

Alpha Lance: Arye

Thump! Her Starbreaker made a touchdown on her landing pad, and her systems were deactivated. She experienced a shift in her visuals as the Starbreaker broke away to blackness and she got pulled into a glowing blue tunnel at the end of which was the image of her body which she made contact with and her view was now the inside of the pod she used.

She heard a hiss as she was moved out of the pod and blinked at the crowd of people. She didn’t think she did anything worthy of praise, as she blushed and waved. She passed through as she went to look for her wingmates and to get a debrief or something.

Shuttle: Sara, Taro, Orlan

Orlan’s bulky suit seemed almost out of place amongst the rest of the occupants of the shuttle, taking up two normal sized seats and quite crowded now that the shuttle was packed with pirates. In fact, many of the Conclave soldiers who had sat on their way to the asteroid now found themselves standing as the pirates were strapped into seats in order to keep them both safe and restrained as the shuttle began to accelerate away from the asteroid station.

One of the soldiers who had fought his way through the station’s passageways along side the blue-armored mercenary gave the merc’s armor a friendly knock before clearing his throat. “So what’s next for the electric man?” The voice came over comms, “Thinking of staying aboard, or hitting the road?”

Meanwhile, Maren, the pirate matriarch, looked up from her restrained position to Sara. Her gaze had previously drifted around the shuttle as it made it’s way back to the Watch, seeming to weigh her new environment with a swift yet appraising eye. It was clear the length of the woman’s experience in piracy, and apparent that she wasn’t unused to the situation she now found herself in.

As the pirate looked to Sara, she simply asked, “Well, we’re in your care now. I assume we go through the normal song and dance now? You can bring us in, but not much you can really keep us for.”

Ravenaca’s Watch: V115, Arye

As Ayre and V115 went looking for a debrief, they were guided by fellow pilots over to where they could find their CAG, Duncan Fletcher. They found the older-looking man by a bank of Anima pods on the opposite side of the hangar from where Ayre had emerged from her own pod.

The salt-and-pepper haired man seemed to be staring at one of the pods, the only one in that bank which still had a pilot inside it. Through their augmented reality filters, both Operators could see that it was Fredricks’ pod. On hearing the two approach, Fletcher turned to face them, giving the two a nod.

“Good to see you both back safe. Fredricks here is still stuck in his pod, though we’re not quite sure why. He’s not brain dead yet, but we can’t resuscitate him and get him out of the system either.”

Seeing the standing Conclave soldiers made Orlan feel a slight tinge of embarrassment. Not one to be rude, he rose from the seats he took and offered them to any soldiers who were seeking to rest their legs. When asked if he was staying or leaving, his mind felt lost for a moment as the issue never came up. Nevertheless, he knew that there would be jobs to pursue elsewhere, but these NDC folks have been quite a cheery sort. He answered, "Unfortunately, I will have to part soon, but never fret, you and your comrades have been great to be around. Perhaps we may cross paths again soon."

It was a spur of the moment answer, and one Orlan wished he had put some more thought into.

Ravenaca's Watch

V115 stiffened as Fletcher spoke. Even with all her training she didn't know what to say if anything. Her brain searched through all the protocols she knew but alas she was no maintenance technician or scientist and had nothing to offer for the current situation. Still not dead was good, even if there was still a problem present. Though even as she acknowledge this, the words of Harris Chui rung within her artificial brain. What if she had broken protocol to save lives? She cleared her thoughts, there was no point dwelling on the past right now. Especially when the man was still seemingly alive. So she simply stood there, stiff and waiting for orders or permission to go to her cabin.

Ravenaca’s Watch

Arye was silent as she listened to the briefing. She didn’t know what happened to their comrade, but she hoped that something could be found out so that he could be helped. Her attention went to the others and listened as they spoke as well. The Operator thought of the millitary, and thoughts of leaving it. She was trained for combats. If not the Dusk Orbital Guard, she’ll join the Mining Guild’s Defense, Force their own private military force. She knew they had ships, even had use of the Starbreakers, so she could still pilot.

She also thought of Joining Omega Wing, an all-female group of pilots.

Shuttle Returning to the Watch

Sara was quiet during the flight back to their ship. If Maren had not said anything to her, she likely would have remained as such. So she played back the matriarch's words to make sure she did not miss something. She finally looked over in Maren's direction.

"That would be the process, yes. What the legal division does or does not do you is up to them." Sara said, keeping a calm face. "Though I am curious. I do not know your outfit's activities. There isn't much activity out here, why this region of the system was selected for military training. What drew you to settle in here and particularly that asteroid?"

Sara was genuinely interested. Most people get spooked when they find lost alien artifacts, let alone a whole facility. But she did not expect Maren to answer the question.

N. Watch Yamataian Enclave aka Ryoko Berth

Mikael brainstormed with his Crew Chief on how to increase the Ryoko's speed performance without radically changing the engine arrangement. For one they did not have the permission to customize the frame, but that could be easily forgiven if the end-product is of use to the Star Army of Yamatai. The lost of rank could be worth being able to keep up with the New Dusk Conclave.

The real problem would be their lack of parts to actually do anything with. That is until Mikael remembered an article about Noval Heavy Industries' up and coming Skel Class of Frames. He had remembered the mention of a pair of flight packs that can go with it. After some discussion on how they could make use of the flight pack if he can purchase them, Mikael left to find the rest of his lance while his Crew Chief gazed at the Ryoko's back. Some serious jury-rigging and reinforcement was going to be needed.

Connected wirelessly with the ship's network and queried where V115 and Ayre were currently on the ship, heading in their direction when the result came in.

Shuttle: Sara, Taro, Orlan

As Orlan gave his answer, the soldier who had asked him the question seemed somewhat disappointed. Mercenaries weren’t an uncommon sight with the NDC forces, being such a small nation it was known to augment its infantry with more experienced mercenaries to fill skilled roles and provide expertise.

Contracts were flexible, with either the mercenary of the Conclave Armed Forces able to terminate the contract with short notice, but it wasn’t uncommon for mercs to bond with their regular counterparts and end up joining, often as commissioned or warrant officers.

Giving a nod to Orlan, the soldier stayed standing for a while longer. “A shame, you really saved our bacon back there. We could use more people with your kind of technical expertise. Still, I get your decision. There are times I wish I could move on when things get boring. Wherever you go though, we’ll think of you as one of us.”

The marine gave Orlan’s power armor a thump on the chest, as did many of the other marines in the shuttle. A mark of respect, of camaraderie, he might have seen done among the Watch’s complement of marines.

Maren sighed at Sara’s question. “We’ve been here years, long before you Conclave types showed up here. This was the uncharted frontier for decades, a great place to hide away and make a living stealing a bit from shipping companies looking to take a shortcut.”

The pirate matron gestured with her hands as she spoke next, indicating the motion of her group. “We used to be located on the fourth planet out, but we moved pretty quick when we saw your scout ships starting to show up. People always think they see everything, but it’s not so hard to move unseen if you’ve got a good idea of how people think. The belt seemed like a safe choice, far enough out that it doesn’t get much attention, and a lot of room to hide and wait for a chance to make a break for a new system.”

Ravenaca’s Watch: V115, Arye, Mikael

As lieutenant commander Fletcher watched both of the Operators, he waited for a moment for either to respond before sighing when both stood still, unresponsive. “I suppose this is a bit of a shock for you Operators. You’re not used to failure, not in the way we naturals are. We’re lucky, in a way. Fredricks’ pod might have to be shipped back to the homeworld, but he’s got a decent chance of surviving.”

Looking to the Anima pod for a moment and then back to the two Operators, the CAG raised one hand. “You’re dismissed, we’ll have a proper debrief later.”

Shuttle

Orlan noted the disappointment on the marine's face, and deep down he felt a pond's worth of sorrow. These marines did seem like friendly folk, but it was important to know when it was time to move on for him at least. When complimented, he said, "Appreciate it, I wasn't going to let you or your friend perish on that station. Those strange constructs appear to be weak to electricity, so it may be a good time to let your COs know that they should invest in shock-based weaponry the next time you encounter something like that. Also, I'll be sure to remember you as well."

After the bumps to his armor were finished, Orlan placed his hand on his fellow marine's shoulder and said, "Stay strong, both in body and in mind."

He then gestured to the open seat he left, offering it to the marine with a kind smile underneath his helmet.

Ravenaca's Watch

V115 gave a crisp and quick salute after she was dismissed, "Understood, lieutenant commander." There was a slight pause and then she stepped back, turned, and started to walk away. Largely caught up in her own thoughts she barely remembered that her friend Arye was there as well. V115 had never been the most socially advanced person but she wasn't so bad as to simply ignore her friend. "After I handle some personal matters, would you like to meet up before the debriefing if there is enough time?"

Ravenaca's Watch
Arye continued to stand there silently listening as their leader spoke, all the while noting the sighing, making her wonder if he was tired or something else, something she didn’t think was proper for a military leader. Of course, seemed to be normal for a natural, but that was beside the point of her thoughts. Instead, she mirrored V in the crisp and quick salute, but unlike V, she didn’t speak, she didn’t think she needed to. She took a few steps when her friend spoke to her, causing a smile to form on her lips. “Certainly, I’d like that! “ She said to her friend.

Arye wanted to check out her Starbreaker. Though the technicians would likely repair it, she didn’t think it would hurt to check things out.

Ravenaca's Watch
Mikael continued walking towards Fredrick's pod, searching for the pair of operators he had been working with. Missing the pair somehow, he found himself before the Lieutenant Commander. He briefly saluted the man when he got close enough to do so.

Shuttle
"If that is true, then I hope you will take this and view it as opportunity to start anew into some much more legal like mining or frontier scouting. I hear the Cats are looking to expand into the frontier with all these Kuvexians and their hirelings remaining in the sector." Sara said to Maren. "I would hate to encounter you a second time or something much worse from the Cats or Kuvexians." she said, continuing to use the Nepleslian term for Nekos. Her expression was of geniune hope that Maren and her people would turn a new leaf.

If she was her father, she would offer them all tea and begin talking the philosophy of life to the new captive audience. But she did not have her father's gift of persuion and charisma. The best she could do was show them the path they could take. She suppressed a sigh when she thought about her lost friends in Yamatai and how her family were doing.

Ravenaca’s Watch: Mikael

As Mikael approached Lt. Commander Fletcher, the bearded CAG turned to face the Yamataian exchange officer, offering an approving nod to the younger man and returning his salute briefly. “Harris Chui, I appreciate you being willing to go out there with my pilots today. If it weren’t for you, I might not have as many still alive. They’re all still greenhorns, and if you had any feedback to give them, I’ll pass it along.”

Shuttle: Sara, Taro, Orlan
Maren simply laughed a bit at Sara’s admonition, seemingly amused by the young woman’s attempt to set her elder on the straight and narrow. “We’ll see about that. It’s not so easy to teach an old dog new tricks, but I suppose I am getting a bit old for running around like we were doing back there.”

The elderly pirate leaned back in her seat for a moment. “I’ve heard there’s some plans to send those big old cylinders you folks have been building out to new systems. Could be a good place to retire out to, run a contract for the guard, pirate the pirates as it were.”

As the marines, the pirates, and the away team chatted aboard their shuttle, it finally found its destination. Passing through the Watch’s Chromatic bay barrier, the shuttle was briefly bathed in a blue glow as it entered the cruiser’s hangar bay, engines transitioning to VTOL mode as it maneuvered to land over one of the six lifts.

As the passengers aboard disembarked, the Watch began its journey back towards Sirris for adjustments after its shakedown, and to prepare for its first real deployment.