RP: Elysia Thule Task Force

Agrael's attention was drawn to Mel. Surprise to see an Elysian with such large... appendages was clear on Agrael's now flush face. Returning to reality, the Prefectii returned the nod to the medic. "Welcome to the ESC Phalanx, Melissiel. Do not worry, and please, call me Agrael. I would appreciate if you'd get your things to your room and then report to the medbay. We shall be departing soon and I would like everything ready and in order then." The commander was a little jealous at some of the stares that the majority of the bridge crew were giving Mel. However, she did not show it and acted very curtious to her top-heavy subordinate.

Uso merely waited off to the side, watching the ongoing conversations. Her disappointment was showing through slightly as the crew began showing up, however in her mind most of the ship was being run by artificial creatures who's competence wasn't going to be in question.

It was only shortly after this (in a matter of seconds really) that Akakios Solon entered the ECS Phalanx by way of airlock, holding on either side two heavy looking duffle bags containing all the possessions he considered to be necessary. He looked around slowly in order to associate the reality of the ship with that of the ship he had memorized, and having worked out the position of the bridge he rose his head in a silent prayer which was almost more feeling than it was verbal - of thanks, or prosperity and of hope.

Having thus blessed his entry into the ship Akakios proceeded to the bridge where her flared his wings briefly towards Agrael as a sign of respect and straightening up he fastened onto her with his glimmering joy-filled eyes, "My the Father bless our meeting Prefectii Abdiel, I am Semeai Akakios Solon, chief medic, it is an honour to serve with you."

Agrael nodded to Akakios respectfully, still standing. "Welcome aboard, Solon. Since we shall be working closely together from now on, you may refer to me as simply Agrael." Her wings flared back politely, but in a more feminine way.

"As you wish Agrael," Akakios replied his face breaking into a joyous smile, breathing in the air of the bridge which he, at that moment, decided to relish "When do we hold the departure ceremony? I look forward to seeing the heart of the ship and seeing our mission blessed."

"Once all personnel are aboard," Agrael replied, taking another look down at the fleet status screen. All ships except the Phalanx were ready. She smirked inwardly, A little embarrassing having the flagship hold everyone up... Her thoughts were interrupted as she realized that Mel and Uso were still on the bridge as well. "Oh, Solon, this is Duplicari Melissiel Parthenopaeus. She will be working with you in the medbay. This is Miss Uso Tasuki, and she shall be an advisor/observer on our maiden voyage."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Solon," Uso said with a slight nod in his direction. Though she probably butchered the pronunciation of that particular name with her accent she wasn't about to stop and correct herself, "I'm sure I will be seeing a lot of you during this operation. From my understanding you position entails considerable knowledge about genetics and bio-warfare?"

Ariel took in a deep breath before he breached the airlock, repositioning his single duffle over his left shoulder. Personal effects, primarily standard military issue equipment and uniform. A few books (honest to God paperbound books that he had grown fond of in Empyrean). Soap that smelled of saffron. Just the essentials.

Two years in different military academies really couldn't prepare him for what was coming. Ariel had seen dozens of instructors and Senators and commanders, and none of them had been predictable. He had met those with views like his own, those who believed in a God who loved all creatures, even the cursed. And he had met those with a more genocidal viewpoint. And everything in between. Where this Prefectii stood, that was the real question.

He ventured to the bridge, shifting the duffle over to his right shoulder along the way, and walked in somewhere in the wake of Uso's introduction to Akakios. He waited for her to finish speaking before snapping an alert salute to Agrael, his head inclining slightly. "Honored Prefectii. Semeai Ariel Remora reporting."

Agrael was wondering if she should just put a 'Call me Agrael' sign on her chest. It probably wouldn't make her any less attractive due to her chest size, but it still made her smile a little. The Prefectii nodded and politely flared her wings at Ariel. "Welcome to the ECS Phalanx, Remora. You may call me Agrael, if you desire." She then referred to all three newcomers (Mel, Akakios, and Ariel), "These get your things in order at your quarters, then man your stations. We will be departing once all preparations are complete.

Mel smiled at the other medic prettily, as was normal for her and nodded before starting to head for the door. She'd noted Uso's butchered accent and sighed, in the back of her mind that superiority complex unique to all patricians showing privately. The blonde would simply disappear through the door and headed for her own quarters to set it up in her own taste.

Ariel gave another incline of his head followed by a sharp salute. "As you wish, Honored Prefectii." Call her Agrael? No, no, that wouldn't do at all. Ariel didn't believe in referrencing people casually unless he knew them very well. Who was to say this Prefectii wouldn't take offense tommorrow over her titles? Patricians, they were often very difficult to fathom. The uniquely tangled webs of pride and arrogance and percieved superiority could cause them to be strange and unpredictable creatures. It was better to be formal until he saw some solid evidence that informality was genuinely appropriate.

He turned away and made for the bridge crew quarters. Ariel was quite familiar with the layout of the Thantros, and quite familiar with the spartan nature of its accomodations. He found them quite to his liking, really. Lavishness was best left in the Holy City. Reaching his destination, he selected for himself a floor-level bunk (he really didn't like top bunks, long story...) and began the process of unpacking. No great or difficult task, he had little with him aside from clothing, a peltast xiphos, a sersis (and suitable ammunition), soap, books.

Unpacked, he spared a half-second or so to survey his handiwork, then quickly made back for the bridge. It wouldn't do to leave the Prefectii waiting. A ship could hardly launch without its pilot, after all...

"It is a pleasure to meet you Duplicari Parenopaeus, I look forward to working with you," his eyes in turn focused on Uso, "And an observer from the heathen lands - it will be something of an honour for us to observe your culture and for you to observe ours. I do indeed have some knowledge of genetics, so that I might probe the mysteries of creation - if I so wished I could ensure that these were crafted to suit his destructive aspect. With your leave." Giving no real impression that he required her permission in the slightest Akakios flared his wings slightly in a sign of respect (although very slightly) and quickly processed to his quarters.

He looked slowly around the quarters which he shared with the engineer, whoever that would be, and saw that it was good. No needless frivolities to distract from work and worship, and a decorative scheme that would remind him not only of his work but of the glory of god. Akakios glanced over the screens monitoring the crew condition with a certain degree of admiration - so great were the technological bounties which God had laid upon his people. Looking at the pictures of elysian anatomical structures and how it complements the mechanics of the engineers coming together in perfect harmony in the form of Seraph made his heart raise in his chest. Immediately he expanded his wings to as far as they could go within the room and lifted his arms to the heavens in the position of prayer,

"Oh great creator and destroyer, who have placed this reality in our unworthy hands - bless me this day and allow me to serve your divine purpose, to be and to do all which you would want of me. May prayers to you reverberate throughout the infinite void of the universe." Akakios felt the familiar warmth of worship fill him and while retaining that quickly and efficiently put his equipment away - his Xiphos, Sersis, Phaelaes and his library of data pads being objects of particular significance. This being resolved he went to the medical bay which he assumed was his quarters.

Within the medical bay he slowly examined the equipment that he would have at his disposal - the great pods that could serve both to create the soulless Seraph, or to heal the children of God, the beds in which he could carry out his healing arts and the equipment he could use to carry out the more subtle and more fulfilling art. Everything having been checked to his satisfaction he took out a data-pad from a fold in his clothing and began reading about nano-technology. Perhaps he would download the information into his brain later - but for now it occurred to him that an interest in this currently heathen science could not hurt.

To Serve in the Thule Task force... A figure wearing heavy clothing and with a bag over his shoulder was approaching the Phalanx and the members of the Thule Task Force with a certain tenacity. Notably, he had a small plaster bandage on his cheek, covering a bruise from a recent Pankration match. I have never heard of this force. Either way - a new experience and challenge... Following in my Father's Footsteps.

This was Septimael Caius the Second, the hand-picked Security man for the Phalanx and the Task force.
He hadn't received any prior briefing as to what to do for Thule, all that was written to him was something along the lines of: "Show up, and bring your possessions. Be punctual."

So he arrived a couple of minutes late, and with his face in a slightly misarranged state. A flying start to the day so far. The first person who he was able to notice was the Nepleslian. He walked past and took a look.
...Is this an international matter? He thought to himself as he looked away and tried to think of why a Nepleslian would be very close to a pair of Thantros Destroyers.

The ECS Phalanx finally showed its own green light. Agrael sighed to calm herself before issuing orders, "Helm, prepare for take off. Engineering, warm up the engines for us. Comm, instruct the other ships to do so as well and then inform the Shipyards that the Thule Task Force is about to depart. May God be with us all."

The Prefectii sat back down in her command chair after her ranting of orders. There was a knot in her stomach for some reason. She dismissed it as nervousness on her first mission and made a mental note to take some stomach medicine later. Right now, her job took precedence over her discomforts.

She then sent a message to the marines aboard the ESC Phalanx,

Prefectii Abdiel said:

Marines:

I entrust the care and protection of this ship to you once we depart from the Shipyards. May God guide your hands as you watch over us. Please report to Semeai Caius in one hour for your debriefing.

~Prefectii Agrael Abdiel

Click to expand...

Turning to chief of security whom had just silently stepped aboard the bridge, she stated, "Welcome aboard. You must be Semeai Caius, correct? We have much to discuss." She flared her wings politely at him as she said this.

"Yes, Perfectii." He put his pack down so he could gave a bow in Agrael's direction with a flourish of the arm and a flare of the wings, "It is an honour to serve on these ships and indeed in the Task Force."

He tried to look for a seat and sat down on one, folding one leg over the other and putting his fingers together, facing Agrael, "Tell me, what is there to discuss?" He took a quick look around the bridge too, "And what is our mission?"

Agrael turned to him and took a breath before responding, "Our discussion will involve the mission, but there is one other thing. First of all, however, our mission is to scout out several systems that will be soon colonized by the Nepleslians. They may not look at this with kindness, so I request that you and your marines be ready at any moment once we arrive and begin our survey. That is only the first part of our mission however. The second part is to create our own colony under the Elysian banner if we can find a suitable world. Again, the Nepleslians may not like this, but it is the order of the Senate. Do you understand, Semeai?"

"The second thing is that I would like you and your marines to socialize with the rest of the crew," the Prefectii continued before Septimael could respond. "It may seem a bit... tedious to ask this of you, but I believe that this will bring the entire crew closer and become much more efficient. Do you agree?" She waited for him to respond, knowing that Uso was probably still watching and listening. Agrael wasn't looking for brownie points with the Senate by having a close-knit family of a crew, so she didn't care if Uso was paying attention or not.

Melissiel would head for her quarters, where she'd parked her things before going to bridge and looked around at it. It wasn't large nor what she'd expect but it was good enough, she'd have a room-mate but at the current time nobody else was in there and she didn't know who it would be.

The Duplicari would whistle softly as she put her things away, including a few handmade figurines of people she knew and a religious symbol or two. AFter she finished, Mel would head for the medical bay to see just what was available in it but when she got there, she'd spot the other medical officer. "Hello." The blonde said in a friendly tone of voice.

"Hmm. I agree." Septimael replied to Agrael, "If the crew is socially sound and know eachother well, we'll have a lesser chance of personal drama, which could cripple a crew by making them hit a wall of silence."
He gave a nod, "Nobody ever works well paranoid."

(Sorry for the holdup. I feel like Seki. <.<)

Ariel took his place on the bridge, a little later than he had intended. Perhaps he had spent more time tidying and preparing his little sliver of the crew quarters than he thought? Whatever the case, he did make his landfall in time to catch the tail end of the conversation between Septimael and Agrael. He did not comment, however: he simply saluted his superiors, and then took his place at the helm. Outside of his twin sister, Ariel had done remarkably little socializing in his life. Needless pleasentries were best left to those who had too much time on their hands. Ariel, he liked to keep himself busy.

If it was the desire of the captain, however, he felt sure he would need to amend that philosophy before long. It took little time to finish his takeoff preparations. Once completed, he looked back at Agrael, waited politely for her conversation with Septimael to end.

"Should I bring us out, Honored Prefectii Agrael?"

(No worries, I had midterms most of this week, so I have neglected to post. Sorry, guys. ^^;; )

Agrael turned to Ariel and replied, "Of course. I leave you in your capable hands." She then turned to comm, "Inform the rest of the Task Force that we are departing and order them to do the same." She sat in her chair, silently anticipating the upcoming unknown. The Prefectii dismissed Septimael with a nod as the ship powered up.

After a short while, all eight Elysian vessels crawled away from the Veritas Shipyards before creating the standard formation of the Elysian Celestial Navy. Agrael sent each ships', including her own, helm coordinates of the first system to be surveyed, aptly named "P1-1". A short sigh escaped her lips as she thought to herself, And so it begins...