Elite roleplay: The docks

THE DOCKS (Dockyards)

The Docks is where all pilots berth their ships. It is the first place that pilots find themselves upon landing their ship. Docking and launching is controlled by the Citi Gateway’s Traffic Controllers while each individual dock is controlled by a dockmaster and a team of orange clad dock crew workers.

The Docks is a sparse and desolate, 0.1G environment, littered with service vehicles, cranes and landing pads. While cool, the air is dry and lightly filled with the smell of burnt metal and ship grease. Public Service Announcements blare across the the docks reminding all pilots of station regulations. The docks contain 45 individual ship docks, several warehouses storing massive tank of hydrogen fuel, and standard shipping containers of cargo, the dock’s traffic control tower and the local pilot’s market which resides in one of the warehouses.

Ship docks
Each specific dock has a landing pad, a ship hangar and adjoining terminal. In each terminal there is a passenger waiting area, the dockmaster’s control tower and several dock crew vehicle bay.

Warehouses
If the docks were already unpopulated, warehouses would be completely vacant of anyone if not for a small handful of security staff. Warehouses are completely automated and highly guarded facilities as they contain massive amounts of valuable and flammable material.
"Loitering is a crime punishable by death" - Station Announcements

Pilot's Market
The pilot’s market is best described as a tourist trap for pilots. Every person who’s not a pilot is trying to guile a pilot to part with their credits.

"The station administrators would like to remind all pilots that transactions in the pilot’s market are not protected by Citi Gateway or The Bank of Zaonce" - station announcements

General Roleplay Etiquette:

1. Control only the actions of your own character(s). (AKA: God Mode)
This doesn't matter how small the action is, even if it is as simple as scratching their nose or a direct reaction to something else that just happened. This applies to everything from casual conversation to full blown fight scenes. If you'd like someone to do something specific, PM that person, however keep in mind they are completely within their rights to say no. Especially if said action is inappropriate to their character and/or circumstance.

2. Don't brute force your way into another persons RP.
Approaching with a conversation starter is fine, or indeed some other small action. However charging in, guns blazing and disrupting the flow of another person/pair/groups conversation/arc is about as rude as doing so in real life. If something is going on that you'd like to participate in, be subtle about it. Put out a gentle hook for someone to take, but again, be aware that said hook may not be taken. If you fear it was simply unnoticed, PM the person or people it concerns. Or even leave a message in the OOC forums.

3. Good grammar and spelling is preferred.
We're not asking you to be perfect, but please at least demonstrate willingness. no1 iz gna tak u srsly usng txt spk. There's a wide variety of people here, many who speak English as a second, or even third language. There are even some with varying degrees of dyslexia and/or likely other issues that affect spelling/grammar. We accept them all here. However, people who aren't accepted, are those unwilling to accept polite correction. Remember that even a small thing like the placement of a comma, or the wrong use of there/their/they're can completely change the definition of an entire sentence.

4. Accept constructive criticism gracefully and politely.
If someone spots an issue with your writings, they may wish to help you improve that writing. They may do this through PM or even publicly air their thoughts on the OOC forum. If they have taken the time to be polite and explain what is wrong with your writing, the best way to behave is to respond in kind, using the same manner they have approached you with. It means they have taken an active interest in what you have written and wish to see more. Basically, you have a fan!

5. Don't take the actions or opinions of things done IN RP, to be directly relevant to the writers thoughts or opinions.
Basically, if some ones character calls your character a jackass, it doesn't mean the writer thinks you are a jackass. It's a ROLE they are PLAYING. Watch a movie. The argument between the characters isn't an argument between the actors involved. The same applies here.

6. It's not a popularity contest.
Your RP might be bustling with participants. You have 3 people off station in a fire fight, while another 2 are infiltrating the darkest areas of the station, meanwhile a group of 4 others are tracking your movements in an effort to stop you. Good for you, I'm sure it will be a thrilling read! But you know what? Sometimes the absolute BEST work, comes from two RP characters having a simple heart to heart. Both are valid, both are great, but NEITHER is categorically better than the other. Period.


Inara RP Etiquette:

1. Respect the setting and rules of the universe.
Inara is an Elite: Dangerous 3rd Party Tool. The RP Forums are set in the Elite: Dangerous universe. Elite: Dangerous has rules, as any fictional universe does from Lord of the Rings to Star Wars, or Game of Thrones to Star Trek. If you intend to RP within the Elite: Dangerous universe you are bound by the history and rules of that universe. Simply put, this RP forum is bound by the same rules as the game, so if it can't be done in the game, it is not permitted here. This applies to things from a 50Ly Jump Range on a normal, unmodified Sidewinder, to the destruction of entire stations.

2. Respect the characters created by others.
We have a wide variety of characters already here. It's expected that some will be similar, just as it's expected that two characters will be vastly different. Opinions of each persons character will naturally be varied, but all are valid provided they follow the rules of the universe. You are allowed to interact with, or avoid interaction with, any character in the RP forums. But you have no right to belittle others for their creation. You are not an authority figure on writing, nor are you directly affected by another persons imagination. You might not like it, but you MUST respect it.

3. Be caught up on current events before joining in.
You need basic things like character descriptions in order to interact with them. You also need to know what's going on in the surrounding areas. This is simply because the people you are hoping to RP with, might be gearing up to something that you might not want to be part of. Or simply that the most recent post, out of context, could leave a different impression on the goings on than if you gather that context. We don't expect you to read every single post from the beginning of the forums, just enough to get that basic understanding.

4. Either subscribe to, or frequently check, the Roleplay: Q&A and OOC forum.
People may be discussing something relevant to you there, or even discussing you directly. Perhaps someone asked what the general consensus on the existence or non-existence of a certain object. Or we're just chatting about random gibberish. Either way, be aware of it and use it. If you're unsure about something, such as how guns would look and or behave, or even the music selection, use the OOC forum to ask. We don't have all of the answers, but the collective knowledge and logic usually allows us to overcome an issue and come to a decision on what should be allowed. Frontier Developments, and even David Braben himself, don't have the answers to every possible question that can be asked.

5. Large Scale events exploding out of nowhere are a complete no go.
We get it. Everyone wants their character to be noticed and for people to be tripping over themselves to interact with them. In some audiences, an introduction involving you blasting in for landing in a fiery wreckage of a ship, before cart wheeling out and sword fighting 35 Ninjas before whisking off with the local celebrity for a glorious night of passion, is in fact, cool. This is not one of those audiences. It is generally considered better to build your character up slowly over time. Eventually, you might even have a legitimate excuse to fight those Ninjas. Maybe even with other RP participants by your side.

6. Perfect characters are boring.
The point of a character arc, is that it is in fact, an arc shape. One who is morally unquestionable, fully kitted out and an infinite fountain of knowledge, cannot go through an arc. Give your character flaws. Be it a tendency towards befriending the wrong people, or a bad knee that frequently gives out at inopportune moments. It gives readers something to latch onto and empathise with. You can give your character exceptional capabilities at something, but it requires balance. She's a damn good pilot with no equal, but can't drive an SRV for peanuts. It can lead to some very interesting moments between characters, be it heartfelt or comedic.


Other Notes:
It should be noted that there can be exceptions to these points. For example, good grammar when a character is speaking is actually rare. Few people in real life actually speak with perfect eloquence after all. Or previously arranged actions during a fight scene, such as someone stumbling back after a punch. What's key to remember is context.

All in all, remember this is purely for fun. We have some seriously talented writers here, and others whose writing history starts and ends at high school. But many are willing to help out in whatever way they can. All it takes is that you ask nicely.

Also keep in mind that many people who RP here, also have logbook stories related to the character, or characters, they portray. If it looks like there's an "in joke" going on that you're unsure of, it's probably in those.

In fact, some users have even gone to the trouble of creating "alts" to RP with. If you read back far enough, it's usually pretty clear who has and hasn't, and which ones are the "alts". It's therefore not unheard of to see the apparent seizing of control of other characters. If you do spot one, point it out in the OOC section. If intervention is needed, it will be sorted quickly and (hopefully) politely.

Most, if not all RP participants here have Logbook stories pertaining to their character(s). These are for the reading pleasure of anyone who wishes to do so. While it can be useful to read them in order to gain a bit of backstory on a character you wish to interact with, it should not be assumed that your character shares that knowledge. Within the E:D Universe, these Logbooks either don't exist, or are private diaries kept by the characters. Either way, without explicit statements to say otherwise from the writer, your interactions should reflect that your character is in the dark about any information you, the writer/reader, have gained from reading the stories.
Giyari
28 Sep 2017, 5:14pm
"Same..." Dasha began in agreement with the other man's statement about sit down meals. Sure she was hungry and could eat a meal for four herself, but hangovers only got cured with junk food, not salads and fine dining.

With a bing from the elevator, it slowed to a stop at the shopping district of Citi, a level that seemed to be dedicated to shopping, dining, and spending all of your creds. Seemed like the best place to find something cheap and cheerful.

"well, this must be it I guess." She said casually stepping out of the elevator and into the crowds of the stations markets.

"Something smells nice!"

[Continued over on Roleplay: Citi Gateway]
IndigoWyrd
29 Sep 2017, 3:17pm
Having the elevator to himself, Duke Nigelo swipes his access card once more, this time overriding the lift, and proceeding to the Administrator's office uninterrupted, save for a slight tingling sensation behind his left eye. He was receiving a secure communication. The text of the message appeared before him, though only he could see it.
"Store Room 29. 1619825A. Dried Goose." the message read. Dilbert must have either seen the assassins or been seen by the assassins, and had gone into hiding. Though conniving, cowardly, greedy and expensive, Dilbert had his redeeming qualities as well. He was loyal, reliable, and blessed with an abundance of just plain dumb luck. From the nature of the message, the assassins must have taken the bait. While this might keep them off his trail for the time being, it also meant he would have to move faster, If station security found Dilbert locked in a store room, he had no doubt Dilbert would would be able to concoct some elaborate story that sounded like a crackpot conspiracy theory, mixed with the ramblings of a drunkard, yet presented with an almost child-like blunt honesty to keep station security running around in circles for days. Of course, they'd likely find the body in his ship and start an investigation as well, leaving them both stranded on this station for far too long.

As the lift came to a stop and the door slid open, Duke Nigelo stepped out and straightened his tailcoat once more, and set off for the Assay Office.

[Continued in Citi Gateway]
Stryker Aune
02 Oct 2017, 4:11pm
Stryker locked eyes with his gracious host and held them for a moment.

reputation goes a long way...

He broke the gaze and and gave the square intake vent a good long look, he folded his arms. "According to the records, the last time those intake scrubbers were swapped out was well over a year ago." he tapped his chin with a sharp metallic claw, and took a deep breath.

"I would think you would know better. Those scrubbers filter out microbes and other shit. Without any immediate medical facility out there on the other-side of the galaxy, even the common cold become deadly. Besides, that unique smell, isn't from the scrubbers."

The massive man took a few steps towards the large rectangular vent, looking up at it again. "I don't like being idle." he was serious, trying to conceal a hint of pain. "So I'll do the job for you without pay. And, I'll one up it. I'll retrofit it so it's compatible with the DeLacy OEM. It will save you credits from having to order those specialty RimLiner parts." he turned his head and gave the explorer a meaningful look. "I'm a certified mechanic by the Pilots Federation. I stand by my work..."
IndigoWyrd
02 Oct 2017, 8:59pm
Duke Nigelo descended once again to the docks, and made his way through the Marketplace. While most of the vendors sold general merchandise and various curios, a select few dealt in more hard-to-come-by items. In the far back of the Marketplace, one such vendor sat, tending a booth offering various entertainment modules - music players, various recordings on optical data chips, videos one might not want just anyone to see,

As he made his way toward the vendor's booth he couldn't help but to notice how many other vendors quickly closed their shutters or covered some of their more questionable offerings. He smiled slightly to himself. The black market of Citi Gateway was not unknown to him, nor he unknown to some, but those not familiar were quick to react, as his passing parted much of the small crowd of select clients who frequented these parts of the Market.

As he approached his selected vendor, the seedy looking man with the messy mop of dark hair and facial piercings sat up a bit straighter, and laid a small ID pad on the counter.

"I've got a license for all of this, your highness." the vendor said with clear disdain.

"That's nice," the Duke replied as he flipped the vendor's ID pad closed, "but I'm not interested in any of the items you're licensed to sell here, or anywhere else for that matter."

"Then what are you looking for? Odds are I don't sell it, but I can at least tell you where you can go to find it."

"I'm sure you'd be more than glad to tell me where I can go..."

A few discrete chuckles echoed around the Marketplace, as their conversation flowed towards what many of the vendors and their clients were thinking. But this was not as simple a conversation as it might sound, and the vendor stood from his seat.

"In that case, might I show you a quicker route to get there?" The vendor walked around the back of the booth, and opened a door leading to his own private store room. The Duke followed his lead, and stepped into the store room, followed by the vendor, who closed the door behind them.

"I don't recognize your face, but you know the code, so we must have done business before, so let's make this quick, what do you need?"

"Nothing much, just a couple of slaves to do some light cleaning."

"Slaves, eh? I thought you Imperial sort had your slaves for that sort of thing."

"We do, but this isn't Imperial space, and that practice is falling out of favor in parts of the Empire. So, can you help me out here or is there someone else I should see?"

"I can help you out. It just so happens I have a pair that should suit your needs quite well, but I warn you, one of them has quite a mouth on her, and I don't mean that in a good way."

"That will do. Have them sent to my ship, docking pad two. I'll be departing in twenty minutes, perhaps less."

"Of course, there's just the small matter of payment. Twelve thousand, each."

"Twelve, eh? For a mouthy slave? Twenty for the pair."

"Eighteen, for the short window to deliver."

"Seventeen, and I'll set you up with my personal supplier for the best whiskey in the quadrant."

"Seventeen-five, and I'll need a sample first."

"Send someone you can trust, and I'll send it back with them. Two bottles."

"Four and I'll deliver them myself."

"Done."

The Duke pulled his data pad from his coat, and entered a transfer authorization, marked "For services rendered". Once settled, the vendor slid a back panel open in the store room. It led to a service corridor, which led past a number of other store rooms used by the market vendors, and allowed for discrete passage of clients and often times illegal merchandise.

As the Duke made his way through the service passage, he glanced at the numbers marking the store rooms, and stopped at store room number 29. He tapped lightly on the key pad "161 98 25A" and the back of the store room swung open, revealing the dimly lit interior. The Duke stepped inside, and closed the door behind him, as he started scanning the various crates. One large crate caught his attention and an almost sinister smirk crept over his face. He could see by means of his implant, the large, warm humanoid shape curled up in the crate labeled "Goose, dried". He drew his foot back slowly, and gave the crate a solid kick. A muffled start escaped the crate, as he opened it, revealing the cowering form of Dilbert Drape, who proceeded to clamber out of the crate.

"You scared the crap out of me!" Dilbert spat in the dim light.

"That was the general idea you bloated buffoon. What were you doing hiding a crate of dried meat anyways?"

"Staying alive. Unlike you. Wait, how...?"

"Don't worry about it. Those guys have been looking for me for months. But seriously, if you're going to hide in a crate, you should at least hide in something that's stored heated. You stick out on a thermal scan like a sore thumb."

"Great, I'll remember that next time I'm hiding from professional killers. What have you gotten me into this time?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. This is entirely a personal matter."

"Your personal matters always wind up getting someone killed. Of course, being what, five different people or six, I guess you'll have that problem. So who did you piss off this time?"

"Me. I hired them, to kill my pilot, which, as far as they're concerned, they have. That's how I know they're not looking for you."

"Wait, what? You hired them to kill you, but you're here, so who..."

"Don't strain yourself Dilbert, you'll have a stroke trying to figure it out. It's important that my identity be preserved, and that particular identity presumed dead, and that's all you need to know. I'll dump the body in the service bay before take-off. Just make sure station security finds it after I leave."

"Alright, you just best have my payment on time this time."

"Don't worry, I will. There might even be a little extra, if I don't have to let you out of any more shipping containers."

Dilbert slipped out of the front of the store room, to resume tending his kiosk as Duke Nigelo slipped back out the back of the store room and made his way to his ship. He paused a moment before approaching the pad, giving a quick glance and the comings and going around the dock before proceeding up the boarding ramp and retracting it. Once the ship was sealed, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and made his way to the rear of the ship, and the cargo hold. A new container had been loaded, as promised, and the seedy vendor leaned against it.

"Right on time." The vendor said as he drummed his fingers across the large container.
The Duke walked closer to the container. These containers were not that different from standard shipping containers, save for the life support systems and deep-sleep systems designed to keep their contents alive and in hibernation until delivered. The status indicators showed the occupants to be alive and in hibernation. Satisfied, the Duke moved to the far side of the cargo hold, and released a service panel on the wall. He reached into the panel and took hold of a small case, tucked into a cleverly hidden track and slid it out from the service panel.

"And for you, as agreed, four bottles of the best unregistered whiskey in the sector." He set the case on top of the shipping container, and opened it to reveal exactly what he described - four bottles of what appeared to be whiskey, baring no labels, no tax stamps, no manufacturer's ID. The vendor took one bottle from the case, and unsealed it, sniffing slowly and deeply at the vapors of the contents.

"Smells good, looks good, but only the taste will tell." He said with a sneer, and took a swig from the bottle. The expression on his face froze a minute, his brow furrowed and he swallowed slowly. The Duke regarded his reaction carefully.

"You call that the finest whiskey in the sector?" The vendor snapped.

"I do, and I challenge you to find a better one."

The vendor stared hard at the Duke, before laughing.

"That's possibly the finest whiskey in the quadrant. You're OK by me, your Highness."

"Actually, it's 'Your Grace', but you don't really care, do you?"

"Not at all, but a deal is a deal. Your container, and I look forward to meeting your supplier's man."

"It will be a couple of days. I'll send him your way. Make sure you have a copy of Wild Girls of Inara for him."

"Wild Girls of Inara.. got it. It's been a pleasure." The seedy merchant returned the bottle to the case, and closed it, tucking it under one arm and he bounded down the cargo ramp. The Duke closed the ramp behind him, and began pressurizing the ship for takeoff, before turning his attentions back to the cargo container. He tapped in the deactivation sequence, and the container slip open with a hiss.

Inside the container, two women began to rouse from hibernation. One was young, perhaps 19. She had shoulder-length dirty blonde hair, and looked a bit malnourished. The other was older, perhaps in her mid thirties, with short black hair and a bruise on her right cheek, as well as a number of subtle scars. Clearly she had been mistreated in the past.

As he waited for the two to fully awaken, he went to the container of RemLock suits, opened it, and pulled one out. He then made his way to the cabin on the upper level where he retrieved the body from the bed where it still lay, the bloody lines of the assassin's blades congealing on the RemLock suit. He left the new suit lay on the counter and lifted the body in one hand, carrying it back down towards the cargo hold. He gave a quick glance to see if the women in the stasis tube had yet recovered, but saw they had not. He took advantage of the opportunity, and hit the override for the cargo bay's auto-loader. A canister-sized port opened, and he slipped the body into the auto-loader chute. He'd be able to open the outer hatch and dump the body from the bridge, just before take-off, so that it would wind up somewhere in the service bay for Dilbert to direct station security to find. As he closed the auto-loader hatch he returned once more to the stasis pod, and waited for the women to wake from hibernation.

It took about five minutes for the younger of the pair to awaken, and she pulled her feet up next to her as she sat up. The expression on her face was clearly fearful, but she did not speak, nor look directly at the Duke as he stood there. A quiet moment later, the older woman woke and sat up. She did look at the Duke, her eyes, though brilliant green, glared with contempt, and she did speak.

"I hope you enjoyed the show." She spat, her tone acidic.

"No, not really," the Duke said, "as a matter of fact, I find it quite disgraceful that anyone would treat another person like mere cargo."

"Yet here we are, in a cargo hold. But since you've awakened us, I would guess your purchased us. Do with me whatever you want, but if you touch my sister..."

"I don't think you fully understand, not yet, but you will. Yes, I did purchase you, and I have only a single, simple task for the two of you."

The dark haired woman continued to glower, as though this was something she'd heard more than a few times.

"On the upper level is a cabin, it's quite a mess. All I need you to do is clean it up. After that, I'd suggest you both take a hot shower. You'll find some new, clean clothes in the cabinet in the sleeping area you can feel free to change into - I'm sure you'll find something that will fit. After that, you will both be free persons." The Duke pulled a pair of small pads from his jacket, and turned them to face the two women.

"Do you know what these are? They Articles of Emancipation, one of each of you. They're yours once you're done. We'll be stopping in Atlantis, where you may collect these when you disembark, if you choose to do so, and you'll both be free persons."

The younger woman looked to the older one, and barely whispered, "Do you think he means it?"

"Of course I do. Don't let my appearance fool you. You're not the first slaves I've released, and you won't be the last. My name is Duke Michael Nigelo. You can call Mike, if you wish. I'm sorry I can't offer to take you elsewhere, but Atlantis will be my last stop for quite some time. That is, unless either of you have any interest or knowledge in the field of exo-geology and want some adventure in deep space."

The older woman took the younger woman's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I can't say I've ever heard of you," the older woman said, her tone cooling, and less abrasive, "but I've heard promises like yours one time too many."

"And I've heard tongues like yours, probably twice as often, which probably explains the bruise on your face. You don't have to believe me, and you probably won't believe it, even after you walk off onto Kimura Terminal, with your own lives in your hands. It will probably take you a week or more to get use to the idea of being a free person, but that's your problem at that point."

The younger woman started to cry a little, even as the older woman squeezed her hand slightly.

The Duke came closer to the younger woman, and reached out to take her other hand. At first she resisted slightly, but recalled recent events that had happened to her sister, and stopped resisting. The Duke turned her hand over, and released the bracelet around her wrist that identified her as a slave. He let it fall to the floor.

"Yes, I do mean it. Consider this a token of my sincerity." He said to the teary-eyed girl as he released her hand. "Now yours." He said to the older woman.
She thrust her hand towards him, still not believing him, but she was beginning to suspect he might just mean what he said. As before, he released the bracelet, and let it fall.

"You're a strange one, for an Imperial." The older woman said as she looked at her bare wrist. The discoloration where the bracelet had been indicated she had been a slave for quite some time.

"I get that, a lot, and I'm alright with that. Now, if you wouldn't mind, there is a cabin that needs cleaning, and ship that needs piloting. I'm not qualified for cleaning, and neither of you are qualified for piloting. So I'll fly, you clean, and if either of you are hungry, the galley is fully stocked, so help yourselves. Oh, and one last thing."

"I knew it." The older woman shot.

The Duke smirked slightly.

"What are your names? I'll need them for your Articles."

"Anne-Marie Dodds, sir." The younger woman spoke first, "And please, don't mind my sister. Our last owner, he beat her badly for trying to protect me."

"I can tell, and thank you, Anne-Marie. I won't be beating anyone, and I mean what I say. You'll both be free persons once we arrive."

"Sarah Dodds, and I hope more than you know you mean what you say."

"Thank you, Sarah, and yes, I do. Like I said, this isn't the first time I've freed slaves, and it won't be the last. Now go on you two, get to cleaning."

The Duke turned to make his way to the bridge, and get underway. With the Administrator's clearance, he reasoned he would be able to avoid any patrol scans, and clear the system quietly before Dilbert reported the dead body. On the bridge, Mike signaled flight control for departure. There was a brief delay before flight control signaled the all-clear, and wished him a safe journey.

As the shudder of the pad filled this ship, Mike watched his descent into the service bay. Just as the pad had nearly completed its rotation, he hit the switch on the cargo loader, and let the body in the loading chute fall. In the low gravity of the docking bay, he could see the body drift across the service bay, and start a slow-motion slide down the wall as the ship rose from the bay to the dock proper and the docking clamps released.

Mike fired thrusters as the docking clamps released and service lines retracted before throttling forward towards the station airlock. Without departure queuing he would have to navigate through both incoming and outgoing traffic, which he did with the skill of a highly experienced pilot. He rolled the tiny ship 90 degrees, and passed through the narrowest part of the airlock, right along side a massive Lakon freighter, the tail of the little Dolphin passing only half a meter above one of the station's laser emplacements.

Once clear of the airlock, he rolled the ship again, retracted landing gear, and banked sharply, sending the ship into a sideways slide to clear the station. He let momentum carry the ship past the station, and locked his course in the navigation computer. Once clear of the speed restricted area, he fired the ship's booster engines, and rocketed out beyond the station's no-fire zone, and even past the station's security patrols, the station disappearing behind them, as the massive booster engines carried the ship towards the black. He locked the controls, and stood from the seat, removing his tailcoat, and hanging it over his arm before leaving the bridge and heading for the upper deck cabin.

In the cabin above, the two women had began cleaning the disaster of a cabin. As the Duke approached, he paused near the cabin door, and knocked on the frame. The two women looked at each other, and then towards the door. Sarah spoke, as Anne-Marie continued to gather the various scattered bottles from the floor.

"Is something wrong? And shouldn't you be flying the ship?"

"Yes, I should, so I'll make this quick. I just didn't want to be in anyone's way." Mike said as he stepped into the room, which was already beginning to look a good bit better and made his way towards the sleeping area. The RemLock suit he left still lay on the small cabinet. He picked up the suit, and left his tailcoat it it's place.

"You can leave that there. It's too hard to fly in, and I prefer one of these, especially if something goes wrong."

"You don't think anything will go wrong, do you?" Anne-Marie asked, then raised her hand to her mouth, as if she hadn't meant to speak or may have spoken out of place.

Mike laughed, "No, I don't, and please, don't be so nervous. And it looks like you're doing a fine job here as well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I do have a ship to fly, ladies."

With that, he stepped past Sarah, who gave him a look, different from the acid daggers she threw when they first met, different from the hard cold stare she gave when he promised to free them and removed their ID bracelets. This was an honest look that made him pause, and she took hold of his arm.

"I hope I'm not wrong, or out of line, but I'm beginning to think you're a good man. Please don't prove me wrong."

"I'll do my best, Sarah. I know how hard it can be to trust after what you've been through, so it's all I can do to ask and prove I mean what I say."

She let go of his arm, as he hurried down to the lower deck and returned to the bridge. Locking the door behind himself, he quickly changed from his formal uniform into his RemLock suit. He'd have to fix his face later, after they arrived.
Jason Frimantle
05 Oct 2017, 1:18am
The Challenger glided through the mailslot and eased down onto its designated landing pad through the access corridor. The landing gear swung down into position, locking in place. The Asp Explorer set down with a metallic thud, a sound almost lost in the whining spin-down of the ship's main power plant. After a moment, the hangar elevator hissed and lowered into the bay, bringing the ship into its temporary home.

Jason Frimantle unclasped the connectors for the pilot's seat webbing and stretched. It had been a longer trip than he'd expected from Deciat. True, the Challenger had better range than any ship he'd ever flown, but it was still a fair amount of distance. He rose, moving aft, and adjusting the jacket he wore over his flight suit.

His grandfather's jacket. The one his father had argued with him over.

Shaking his head, Jason left the Challenger's cabin and headed into the landing bay. His father was a long way away, now. Jason's obligation was no longer to family, nor to a trading business. He looked back at the ship rising above him and laid a hand on its cool outer hull. Even the ship wasn't his, not technically. For now, at least, he was a servant of Baron Leopold Heinrich Decimus IV, and this ship and its tasks had to do with supporting the Empire, and what would eventually be His Excellency's bid for a Senate seat, perhaps even the Imperial throne itself.

Of course, if His Excellency ever found out Jason was working for Aisling Duval's cause any time he could...

Jason shook his head. He was an indentured pilot, afforded a certain amount of leeway that he'd fought very hard to get. He was risking it, and he knew it. But even if this would result in him becoming a full-on slave, he was going to fight for what was right.

But before he returned to that fight, he was going to get himself a drink.

He left the bay, moving through the docks, in the general direction of the bar.

[continued in... well, the bar.]

Last edit: 05 Oct 2017, 7:31pm
Adam Firethorn
05 Oct 2017, 11:32pm
Adam returned the gaze, head slightly canting off to the left at the stare.

"That would make sense..." Adam said, scratching his chin slightly at the mention of when the last time the scrubbers were changed. "...RimLiner parts aren't exactly easy to come by when you need them. Over the past year we've been out to Colonia and back multiple times, god knows where else between then. Seen a lot of the galaxy, can't exactly keep track of time I suppose." The explorer briefly trailed off, chuckling at himself before nodding to Stryker.

"Well, if you want to do the job without pay, you're more than welcome to." Adam motioned with an open palm to gesture about the room. He still wore that same annoyingly friendly smile from before. "And I'm certain you do stand by your work, wouldn't guess otherwise." He chuckled, leaning on the wall. "Might stick around and watch though. Not that I don't trust you, but seeing as your experience in engineering is far beyond mind, learning a bit might not be a bad idea. Those skills come in handy out in the void."
Thom Smith
06 Oct 2017, 3:40am
"Control, this is FNS Appearance Allowance requesting docking permission."

"Aye, Allowance, you are clear to land at pad two four.  Acknolwedge?"

"Acknowledged."  Thom Smith slowed his sleek, black Federal Assault Ship as it approached the docking port of Citi Gateway.  He smiled slightly to himself at the sight of numerous cargo ships exiting the port and turning toward their respective hyperspace jumps.  "Business is booming.  Always great to see."

Gently rolling the ship over to align with its docking pad he brought it down with an expert touch.  As the ship was secured, he called up a map of the station.  He paused over a listing titled Ingaba.

"That'll do!"
Rex Snipes
06 Oct 2017, 3:49am
After popping out of supercruise and getting appropriate clearances, the Mulo Sumadji RimLiner Anaconda touched down onto its directed landing pad. Snipes zipped up his olive green jacket, adjusted his combat boots, and headed off the bridge.

As he stepped down onto the pad and greeted the loadmaster crew, he gave special instruction for several crates of RimLiner parts to be set aside for a CMDR "Firethorn." He rubbed the back of his neck and felt the healing scar tissue then headed off toward his usual haunt, the InGaBa.
Luke3107
07 Oct 2017, 4:50pm
Stepping off the Passenger Orca, Luke took a deep breath and took in the sights. Inara, it was good to be back. He waved thanks towards the cockpit as he left the pad, and made his way towards the lifts with his small rucksack.

Pullimg out his new datapad, the second one in as many months, he completed his first order of business on the move. Requesting delivery of all his ships to Citi Gateway. It wasn't a cheap thing to do, but on hearing about Inara Nexus he felt that it was time to do something meaningful with his time and the factions apparent agenda was something he could get behind and support.

Of course, there was also the matter of the Pirate gang in the Pleiades. The thought had him gritting his teeth as he brought one hand down to his leg. His crash had caused multiple injuries, and worsened several others. His leg had taken the worst of it, walking in the low gravity of the docks was easy enough. He wasn't looking forward to the relatively normal gravity of the stations main hub.

His next order of business was to find someone willing to help him out. In the meantime, he'd work for the Nexus, make back the money he lost in repairs, transfers and medical bills.

>Continued in: Citi Gateway<

Last edit: 10 Oct 2017, 7:22pm
Stryker Aune
12 Oct 2017, 4:28am
The huge man shrugged his broad shoulders, "I don't mind you sticking around and learning something, so long as you make yourself useful." he cast his gaze back up at the intake, then back to his host. "I have to admit, if this Rimliner has been out to Colonia and back a few times, that's a real testament to her design." He finished up scratching his arm with his metallic claw.

"Do you have tools here, or should I go and get mine?" Stryker asked opening a side compartment to an oxygen reclimator. He poked about in the sparsly light compartment for a moment, pursed his lips and nodded. "Mmm-hmm..."
Dragonxfangz
15 Oct 2017, 5:32pm
"Citi control, this is Core Dynamics Delta Romeo Alpha Heavy. Requesting permission to dock." DragonxFangz said as he looked over to his contacts panel and sent the request.

"Core Dynamics Delta Romeo Alpha Heavy, Citi Control. Request approved. Please make your way to landing pad 2-5."

"Pad 2-5. Roger that Citi Control. Thanks for having me." Fangz said as he brought the Corvette around to enter the slot to the station.

"Reports of heavy traffic in this sector Commander. Slow down." The Controller said over comms as Fangz flew over to the far pad hitting 101Mps.

"Rules were made to be broken Control. But alas I don't want to be splattered across the cylinder." Fangz said with a grin as he slowed the 'Vette down and lowered onto the pad, the docking clamps engaging with a dull thud.

"Docking clamps engaged, engines offline. Welcome to Citi Gateway Commander."

"Thanks for having me Citi Control. Which way to the Star and Garter?" Fangz asked.

"The Star and Garter is not available on this station I'm afraid. You'll have to make your way to INGABA if you'd like a drink." The Controller replied.

"No Star and Garter? Remind me to never tell Adamantium or any of the other Dragons of this place." Fangz said with a chuckle as he lowered the 'Vette into the hangar before making his way to the bar for a drink.

>Continued in: The Galactic Bar<
Adam Firethorn
18 Oct 2017, 1:05pm
Adam turned a bit, looking about the room for a moment before his gaze settled back on Stryker. "The trip to Colonia isn't so bad, believe it or not. At least not anymore anyway. There are some places to stop and rest along the route, get some gravity beneath your feet and a hot-ish meal." The explorer would once again thumb over his shoulder and chuckle. "I've actually modified a small kitchen a few compartments down for use in gravity. Not the best thing, you're not going to get something 5-Stars, but when you've been weightless and have had nothing but those rations all day a actual cooked meal keeps everyone that little more sane." He'd sigh. "But yes, the Orchid is a good little ship. Can't see her letting me down anytime soon."

With a few steps in a random direction, trying to make himself look more useful, Adam replied once again. "Well, there are plenty of tools around here that should do you fine. But, if you want to get yours I see no problem in that either. I suppose I take it you do this a lot then? Fixing up and engineering I mean?"
Stryker Aune
02 Nov 2017, 5:51pm
Stryker simply nodded. "I do enjoy working on machines, and yes, I would prefer using my own tools. More familiarity. You know." He started walk out of the compartment then glanced over his shoulder, "You know, if you could provide me with a roadmap, so to say, I would take that as payment."
Adam Firethorn
05 Nov 2017, 1:47pm
Turning to follow the man, Adam replied. "A roadmap?" The explorer echoed, looking slightly curious before he spoke once more. "To Colonia? Well, that's certainly something I could manage for you. The Orchid's made that trip a few times and made decent time." As they walked Adam patted the metal of the corridor wall. "I guess the next question would be if you're looking to go straight there, or off the beaten path? You know, do a little explorin' on your way." Adam chuckled and offered a helpless shrug, still wearing that friendly smile.

"That is, unless you're talking about the Orchid. I can certainly spin those up for you if that helps as well."

A small beep chimed over a crackling intercom and a female voice spoke through the static. "Those audio parts are here, Adam. Looks like a Commander Snipes dropped them off for us not too long ago. Maybe now we can get rid of all this blasted static." Another beep and the voice vanished.

Adam reached out toward a small panel on the side of the wall, pressing a button and speaking back. "Audio parts, got it. Thanks."

He then turned back to Stryker, offering a sheepish grin before he laughed. "Orchid has been seeing better days, I'll admit. Now, where to next?"
Stryker Aune
06 Nov 2017, 2:23am
Stryker paused mid-step. Without looking back he spoke, his tone cold and level. "You wouldn't be referring to one 'Deadeye' Snipes are you? Interesting fellow. Did you know he supplied my previous employer with a mind-blowing quantity of biological warfare agent? Used it to commit genocide against the Njikas Gold Crew. Orbital bombardment. Most effective. Had no idea he was in the audio sound system buisness as well."

The bodybuilder resumed his pace. "I was planning on heading back to my ship to pick up my tools so we can get that filtration system working. Who knows? You might need it more than ever now."

He snapped his claw. "A direct map would be nice. Shortest route."

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