Elite roleplay: Off station

OFF STATION

Your ship, deep space, anything that is not happening inside the Citi Gateway or Ingaba...

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.
08 May 2024, 12:29am
"Your wish is almost like a command," I quipped with a sly grin. "It won't take much longer to prepare the ship as you wanted it."

I wasn’t sure yet whether I’d order the ship to the local docking bay or fly it in myself, but it all boiled down to the same thing. We’d be boarding here.

"I don’t know much about Hothis, let alone any of her standards. But she seems to have her shop in order, at least the part she’s responsible for. Word is, she’s got a bunch of fans out in the fringe worlds… probably has something to do with her company starting to deliver medical supplies out there. I reckon her competitors have seriously underestimated her." I shrugged nonchalantly. "A crap shop stays a crap shop."

"As for the soldier… I’ll leave her fate entirely up to you, but maybe it’s punishment enough to always have to be on the run from now on. Even if you had a bit of hexedit magic - her bosses will always see her as a risk. They’re more likely to send a hit squad than any helping hand."

"Right now, I’m also pondering about Sirius. A damn big company, but they’ve got serious competition with the new FSDs now. Wonder how that’ll play out? I wouldn’t put it past them to have such chips too... Let’s see where this takes us. Next stop, the Musashi? Or was there something else we need to do first?"
08 May 2024, 9:28am
I shrugged, not giving away my true feelings through the gesture… but my tone did.

“It is all a, facade. Hiding what they are truly doing. I doubt that woman actually cares about those people out there.”

I shook my head.

“As for the soldier, maybe I will let her go. I don’t see a point in killing… not here. Even if it is an idiot who needed to be shown what Azimuth is, to realize, they have not changed at all. And maybe the fact of just being ‘a soldier’ will work to keep Azimuth from bothering as much… I doubt they would send anybody to Colonia for someone that unimportant, anyway, especially if we destroy the lab.”

I still didn’t care much for her fate, so I stopped going into it there.

“Sirius is… oddly quiet, on this matter. Ever since the new drive was released, they have just… not said anything. I don’t know whether to take it as a good sign… no one can say it for sire, but people suspect they are related to this ‘Club’ that is out there… have we spoken on this before? I cannot remember.”

“But, I think it is… concerning. It is only rumors and speculation, but… apparently, in the past, every time there was a ‘competitor’ or something to do with frame shift drive research coming up, the people behind it… mysteriously fell ill, or had some kind of ‘accident’. And Sirius were somehow always right there, to pick it up. For nothing else to happen with the project. Keeping their monopoly up… but why, I don’t know. Maybe, so they can control it all?”

I shrugged again, this time in more of a “Hell if I know” way, with an appropriate facial expression. But putting my brain to work like that was becoming a bit of a drain, and some words like ‘frame shift drive’ were somehow difficult to get out, so I found a spot to sit down… or, at least, sit as well as I could with the lack of gravity. It kind of made me wish there was some, because I liked the effects of weight on my body. Particularly that large, soft lower half when I was sat down.

“We should look at the Azimuth megaship first, anyway. It is more important, right now… we can worry about the dumb megacorporation being dumb, later. And maybe our ‘friend’ in the cell block down there, can soon give us a hint. No… participation awards, if not, however.”
08 May 2024, 3:56pm
“I ain’t exactly sitting pretty in the moral high ground, but I’ll give you this much: you got a point regarding that soldier. And truth be told, most folks deserve a second shot, especially the grunts. Besides, what does it say about us if we kill unarmed prisoners? That’s a whole different flavor of nasty.”

I idly traced my once-injured, now fully healed hand. No stinging, no burning - like it never happened.

“Don't know anything about Sirius business practices... Can’t say I’ve ever had a direct dance with ‘em, except for buying their FSD, of course. But wouldn’t surprise me if those big corporations are all cozy under the same cloak, putting on a show for the unsuspecting crowd.”

I tilted my head, the way I do when chewing over something sticky.

“Trust 'em? Not a chance. Not a single one. These days, you don’t know what’s real and what’s a slick con. Appears to the powers too. Imps, Feds, the Alliance - they’re all just different flavors of the same damn stew.”

I shuddered, like I was trying to shake off something mighty unpleasant.

“The Club? Nah, we didn't have a heart-to-heart about them. But they gotta be slick operators if they’re pulling strings with just a handful of agents. Hard to imagine one person holding a whole faction - or hell, even a megacorp - by the throat and pulling their strings.”


Last edit: 08 May 2024, 4:10pm
08 May 2024, 6:55pm
The first thing which my brain caught on with was the gesture with the hand.

"Is something wrong with it? Did you get zapped? Because... it looks fine."

My tone here was, mostly, curiosity.

"I think, the Club has to have agents... everywhere. People do not get that powerful, without connections. But they... believe themselves, to be above everything. That they have nobody, to answer to. And it is where they are wrong, but it is what makes them... dangerous. Because they think, they can do anything, to get whatever they want."

I almost wanted to spit on the ground, just out of spite.

"But they are wrong. And I want them to be proven wrong... starting with Azimuth. They may not be directly connected, but I am sure they have their hands in it. Like they do... everything else. Those messages I found in your home, they said as much. And those... 'Ragazza' logs, whatever they are. And, that... makes it difficult, to even think of rooting them out. It would take, a very long time. So I would like to start here."
08 May 2024, 8:08pm
"Got myself a nice zap after fiddling with the self-destruct mechanism. Seems it wasn't too bad, though..." I replied with a grin on my lips that was meant to say, "Nothing bad happened here," as I leaned against the table.

That was, at least, an honest answer and assessment of the situation. Anything else would've been pretty far-fetched and darn near impossible to explain.

"I wonder how those agents from that Club pull it off. I can picture cozying up to a CEO, charming him, maybe sway him a bit. But how they get real control, that's still a mystery to me." I mused.

Next I leaned forward, my determination palpable. "Rooting them out? It's like trying to purge a virus from your ship's system - tedious and time-consuming. But I'm ready to start the hunt right here with you, right now. Because if there's one thing I know, it's that even the biggest beasts fall hard when you hit them where it hurts."
08 May 2024, 8:29pm
"Well, if they are the people in control ..."

I didn't really need to pursue that idea, I thought.

"But some people I had contact with, in a... resistance movement, of a sort, think that it could even be worse. That some of the people in charge are directly collaborating... for, whatever reason. Personal gain, maybe. Like the, Federal president... Hudson, right now, I... think. Until he moves out. Or even are the people in charge, like in case of Sirius."

"But... I still want to try. To do... something. They are, responsible for so much wrong. Wars, why we constantly fight each other... why we fight the Thargoids. They do it all on purpose."

And they are responsible for me, too.

I wasn't sure what else to say to that. So instead, I took a look at the suit computer's remains, or what I could see from my - unusually elevated - seating position. Then back at her. Because there were some signs of damage unrelated to bashing on the power supply.

"It does not look like 'nothing bad' happened. It sparked kind of bad. And did you hit it with something?"
08 May 2024, 8:58pm
"Well, nothing too terrible happened to ME. I've already told you about the device's self-destruct mechanism that got triggered. That silly thing started counting down real fast. So, I cut the power supply. That's what led to the mechanical damages," I said, pointing at the device with the index finger of my right hand.

"The electric shock came later when I was tidying up a bit. But it wasn't too wild," I shrugged nonchalantly.

"As for waging war, I'm not in conflict with anyone... I've mostly steered clear of the Thargoids. It's worked out pretty well so far - sure, they've yanked me out of hyperspace a few times when I was hauling cargo in the Pleiades. But my ship is fast, and it runs on a minimal amount of energy, so it only gets noticed up close. I've always managed to slip away from them."
08 May 2024, 9:54pm
I shook my head.

"You are not, but we - humans - are. This 'Club' deliberately led to the war. Or I think so, at least. And now they attack everyone in the Bubble near a Titan. Before that... only if you would shoot them, or carried Guardian or Thargoid... stuff. But there is no, point, to this conflict. At all. Three dead Titans, and we still do not understand anything. They barely have even responded to losing ships that big."

That was all I could really say without beginning to feel uncomfortable from the subject of the war. Although the lack of gravity and feeling my nice body were making me feel restless too, and I kind of compensated by pushing myself into my seating spot a little more... of course also providing the view of my soft rear - and lower half generally - spreading outward under the force.
08 May 2024, 10:41pm
"Looks like you're getting mighty comfortable there..." I noted, watching my counterpart sprawl across the console.

"...but don't get too cozy. Our ship's all set, a Type-6, so we look just like any old hauler. I've had a few special tweaks installed though; this baby can hit around 330 m/s, with a boost of about 520 m/s. And of course, your seat, big and comfy. But here's the real deal: at idle, we're down to 14.5%, which will be a gem for our mission."

"Do you need anything special to hack into Musashi's comms? Otherwise, I'm packing the standard drones."
08 May 2024, 10:50pm
"I should not need to, no.", I replied. "Everything I use is also saved... here."

I pointed, or rather looked, at my wrist computer. Then something else I'd been wanting to ask came to me.

"Have you... designed the seat with... 'operational tolerances'?" My gaze shifted down to the way my lower half was currently more spread out to the sides than usual, which would inevitably occur during ship acceleration. "And I hope the crew did not ask too many questions."

A buzzing from the wrist computer then distracted me, also making me let go of the console, such that the shape returned to its original form.

"It looks like... our captive has been a little busy. She has no access to more classified locations, or logs, but has apparently visited a public operation Azimuth have over where their megaship is, so we might find something about less legal work there on the ship itself. What do you think?"
08 May 2024, 11:26pm
"So, if we'd had more time, we could've fitted the seat with some adaptive Guardian tech. It's a whole new level of comfort when everything molds to your contours. Our engineer joked he should patent it and retire." I chuckled softly.

"But for this op, standard tech will do. It's all nicely cushioned, with a bit of give. No one asked any dumb questions... they took it as an interesting challenge. Might be that this setup gets repurposed for torpedo transport later on. Randomius, sometimes I wonder what goes on in those heads. But then again, maybe I don't wanna know too much."

I gestured towards Kasumi's wrist computer.

"That gadget looks mighty handy. Custom job? And spill the beans about this Azimuth operation, if you've got the lowdown."
09 May 2024, 8:36am
I tapped on the device to put it into standby.

“Yes. Personal made. It can even …” To demonstrate, I had it turn on without putting a hand to it. “The Azimuth thing, it could be a smaller surface operation, over in the other system. I had a look, after they left this one, and it seems they hold a small ground outpost, ‘Howarth Engineering’… or something. It could lead us to somewhere else, maybe, because the soldier mentioned, going to somewhere they were not allowed to know the name of, or where it was, and records purged from everything after being done ‘visiting’.”

I shuffled around slightly, causing further movement in my lower half.

“Maybe we will already find more on the megaship, and it could spare us the visit to the ground site. But… I have a feeling, it would not be that easy.”

I breathed.

“And, the chair… I would prefer not made of Guardian… thingies, if I ever have to fly in your ship again. I showed you why. So normal will do, and… even be better. But I may not need cushioning.”

Something else, potentially very important, occurred to me.

“Will a, Type-6, not have narrow corridors?”

That was an experience I was not looking forward to, if my assumptions about Lakon ships were accurate… never having set foot on one, I had no idea how their internal space was set up, but focused on utilitarian design didn’t give me particularly high hopes. And it showed on my face.

I also really wanted to know what this “Randomius” nonsense was, having come across many mentions of it during my round tour of the Project Dynasty sites. But held off on asking, for now.
09 May 2024, 8:51am
System: LHS 3447
Station: Dalton Gateway
Location: The Space Bar


The bar was nestled between various locally owned business that were plopped around the hab ring of the station. It kept a steady amount of customers, mostly locals or regulars who came to The Space Bar for quality respite and the beautiful vistas. The bar in the concourse in the docks saw more business, but it was a loud and rowdy locale in comparison. Maul approached the door with a grin steeped in nostalgia. He'd worked here nearly a decade ago, not long before managed to acquire his license to live among the stars.

Stepping through the door, the smells within the bar only furthered his feelings of nostalgia. The bartender greeted him with a nod, to which Maul reciprocated with a nod of his own before taking a seat within a booth facing the door. He then began toying with his new data slate he'd purchased after arriving on station. It was stock and he hated stock electronics, but still, it would serve it's designated purpose.

From: Nunya Beezwax
To: Lambast Mercy
Subject: Peekaboo

LHS 3447/Dalton Gateway/The Space Bar

-M²


"That's that I guess." He said, placing the data slate on the table, briefly staring at it and releasing a heavy sigh.

It'd been a year or two since he'd spoke to Lambast or any of his old friends. As happy as he felt to be rekindling the friendships, he did not look forward to the tongue-lashings that were coming his way.
09 May 2024, 10:34am
"Push it harder man!" commanded Lambast breathlessly.

"I am, it's real tight" groaned Dash not wanting to let Lambast down now they had got this far.

"It hasn't been that long; it should fit. Force it in" she said grasping his shoulders.

"Well you've got to push back, I can't do all the work here"

The rest of the squad had stopped kitting up to listen. The sniggering alerted Lambast and Dahs that they were causing the mirth.

"Oh grow up" snapped Lamb as her foot finely popped into the heavy armoured boot.

It had been a long time since she had to get into the heavy boarding armour. Fighting in cramped ship hallways meant there was no cover, so shields and thick heavy plates was all they would have. Thank goodness gravity wasn't an issue.

"Alright, just the left one to go Dash, are you ready for round two?"

It took the squad the best part of an hour just to get into the pressure suits. Now they had to attach the plates and heavy power packs that housed the advanced shield generators.

Snapping the helmet into place, Lamb fired up the power pack to test the suit's seal. While the program ran it's diagnostic, her hud showed she had a message.

From: Nunya Beezwax
To: Lambast Mercy
Subject: Peekaboo

LHS 3447/Dalton Gateway/The Space Bar

-M²


Nothing for an age, and he chooses now to drop a line saying nothing at all. Typical Maul. Well, not really typical at all. Usually he needed something expensive, or back up. This suit didn't have the software installed to talk to Lambast's Nuralwear Prossessor, so she had to type her answer on her wrist computer.

From : Ushood Nobetter
To : Jazz Master Jazzy Zee
Subject : Good to know you're alive

Pleased to hear from you after such a long time. What do you need?
Bail/ Cash value of birthday and Christmas gifts not received/ Armed support

I am quite busy at the moment, please respond with haste.

Bam


After sending the replay, Lambast absorbed the message she had received. He'd stated Dalton Gateway, and the place where he used to work before he got wings. Why would he go home after all this time incognito? He would cover his tracks if he wasn't too waisted to remember he should, but going back to a place everyone knew he was conneted to was a strage move for Maul, even if he was stoned out of his skull.


Last edit: 09 May 2024, 10:49am
09 May 2024, 10:52am
(previous)

"Sorry, didn't quite factor in your little tiff with Guardian tech in the heat of the moment. It's a bit of an oddball detail, isn’t it? But give me some time, and I'll get my head around it and remember. Other than that, we're all set. The Type-6 might not be the most comfy ship there is, but she's got enough room for your fancy curves - and no, you won't have to squeeze through the cargo hatch. Sure, the lavish style of the Imps would've been more comfy than that... but a Cutter would’ve been too flashy for our little escapade."

Damn, slipped my mind, that did. Been fascinated by Guardian stuff since I was knee-high, always wondering about the potential of this particular technology. In my defense, we haven't exactly been working together for long. But the thought of more wild rides together was starting to grow on me.

"Nice gadget, this personal computer," I nodded appreciatively.

"Never heard a peep about this 'Howarth Engineering'. You reckon we should chase down this lead? If it's a publicly accessible place, showing up won't raise any eyebrows. Might be worth a nosy around there. Next we can jet from there to the Musashi. Makes our little jaunt seem a tad more legit, don't you think?"

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