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.
01 Jul 2024, 2:27pm
I just approached the landing area slowly myself, without saying anything else, not seeing much of a need. And I was at the point of just preferring some action and figuring the mystery out, rather than words and speculation... though convinced that this was Azimuth, or at the very least strongly related.

Once landed and locked down, I got out of the pilot's seat - after throwing a look at the inert Courier, whatever it was doing here - and wandered over to the armory of my ship. Still had the Dominator suit on, so no particular need to switch that out, which would... make things quite a bit quicker, at least, by not having to fight out of it and back into another one.

I did decide to bring the extra armor plate for the chest, though, which was a fight of its own to keep one half in place as I tried to fit the other and lock it in, largely thanks to the hopelessly oversized breast. And while zero G was in some way an assistance, in another, it was absolutely not by making the armor pieces float off.

Fitting the wrist guards for forearm protection, shoulder pads - equally with an extension some way down the upper arm - and leg armor on the calves, afterward, was comparatively easy. Then just my weapons... and I was good to go. Not needing to make any space for a plasma cutter or anything, I decided to carry additional ammo and energy cells in some extra pouches on the belt. Which, in a weirdly funny twist, had a lot of extra space on it thanks to my much wider hips. About the only practical side to it in a combat situation.

No backpack, because I simply didn't need it. Everything I could or needed to fit was on my belt, somewhere. I put my helmet on last, then wandered down to the airlock, double checking seals before depressurizing it and stepping outside. Even if my face was fully obscured behind the protective helmet, only two opaque - from the outside - view ports located around the eyes, I would still be fairly recognizable. Took a moment to observe the field of stars before I moved toward the parked Clipper, assuming it was better to meet up somewhere halfway between the ships, rather than immediately look for the entrance. No telling what kinds of surprises awaited us in there.
01 Jul 2024, 3:14pm
After I'd landed the Clipper, I got ready for the field in no time at all. I slipped into my Maverick suit, a trusty old friend that had never let me down, with whom I had already experienced and survived many things. As almost always, a touch of nostalgia gripped my heart as I suited up. I missed the good old days when you didn't worry about much more than your own business and occasionally plundered a ship. The big corporate game was tedious, complicated, and opaque. It gnawed at you a bit when direct successes were few and far between.

I armed myself with my weapons, shut down all systems, and left the ship, catching sight of Kasumi, who was already unmistakably approaching. I activated the magnetic soles and marched briskly towards her. About halfway between our two ships, we met.

"The entrance to the station is roughly in the direction of the Courier. I think I've got everything we need to get into an airlock there, even if it's unpowered. I've also brought an extra set of batteries."

I gestured broadly with an outstretched arm in the general direction of our target.

"Since we're passing by the Courier anyway, I suggest we take a gander. It'd be nice to find out who that beauty belongs to. Just by the color, I'd say it doesn't look like your typical Black Flight ship."
01 Jul 2024, 3:23pm
"If you think... go, poke it. I can, watch, from the outside. Unless, you want me in it, too. Do wonder, who the ship is, from."

It was more of a secondary subject of interest, compared to the facility itself, but maybe still worth looking into, anyway. It was doubtful the ship's presence was a coincidence. But who it belonged to... that could determine if they were an ally, or an enemy. Or just neutral.

I watched the Clipper's lights turn dark, and remembered to do the same with mine, sending a remote shutdown command to the ship, then began to wander toward the entrance, and thus also the Courier. While having a feeling my 'companion' in this matter did not mind walking behind me in the slightest.
01 Jul 2024, 3:51pm
As Kasumi prepared to walk ahead, I followed her without further ado. To anyone watching us, we must have been a sight for the gods, and we probably looked a bit like Pat and Patachon, a comedy duo from ancient film adaptations of old Earth that I had recently stumbled across for my amusement. The thought that they had survived all the madness and disasters and then somehow ended up in my hands amused me a little. Perhaps we were, if only half as funny, hopefully just as resilient. And so I followed, resigned to my fate, although the visual impact of the non-existent gravity on the person in front of me was relatively limited by the robust suit.

Finally, we arrived at the Imperial Courier.

"You wouldn't happen to have some kind of door opener with you?" I asked, hoping for an electronic version of open sesame.
01 Jul 2024, 4:06pm
"I could, kick it, with my foot.", I jokingly suggested. "But... yes."

I fished around in a larger belt pouch, procuring a security-breaching device, with one of my programs on it.

"This, is... probably, even less legal, than the e-breach. Especially, since I can reuse it, however much I, like. Now where, is the ..."

I had to think a moment to recall where the better entrance into the Courier would be from here. But there was only really one... currently extended downward as the ship was landed and powered down. Wouldn't be much of an issue for me, though. I walked over to the spot with the airlock and pointed at an exterior maintenance panel... as I didn't currently have either the tools to open it up properly, or to go into it the brute-force way.

"There. Work, your... magic. It should have an access point, for me to plug the key, into."
01 Jul 2024, 4:53pm
I swaggered over to the designated maintenance panel, Arc Cutter in hand. The thought of marring such a gorgeous ship tugged at my conscience, but necessity trumped sentiment. A few deft minutes later, the concealed port lay exposed beneath my deft touch. I stowed the tool and leaned in, assessing the situation.

I was prepared to supply power via the transfer mode of the Energylink so that my companion could use her security-breaching device. As it turned out, however, this was unnecessary as there was still enough energy buffered.

"Your baby." I said and made room for my companion to use her hacking miracle.
01 Jul 2024, 5:02pm
I plugged my little magic device into an appropriate port, and was in quickly. Once system access was granted - discreetly - I pulled it back out and restored minimal power for airlock, door and life support operation. Hopefully, the owner wouldn't return before we got back out, else this little intrusion would be... slightly embarrassing. I stepped aside, with my task done, and stretched my left arm out to the airlock.

"Go ahead. May be better, in case I... 'get stuck'. More dignifying, if you have to pull by the arm."

It was more a matter of precaution, than any worry I had of it. But I could imagine better spots than pushing by the backside to get me through somewhere, if it was a little too narrow.
01 Jul 2024, 5:34pm
“Right then, time to slip inside. Not exactly a behemoth, this one.”

I stepped into the ship, eyes darting around. Clean, sterile - more like a toolbox than a cozy nook. No personal touches, no signs of habitation. Whoever flew this rig was all business. Or borrowed it. Either way, not your typical pirate or smuggler. They’d slap their mark on anything, even a space rat’s hideout.

“Bet my last credit this ain’t a pirate’s ride,” I muttered, poking through wall compartments. “No flashy customization, no ‘I heart chaos’ bumper stickers. Looks more like military-issue or bureaucratic drudgery. You know the drill: follow the rules, keep it vanilla. Or maybe it’s a rental. This thing is as anonymous as it can get.”

I cracked open a chest-high cubby. “First aid kit. Nanomeds. Someone’s got their priorities straight.”

Then, a bigger find - a wardrobe. “Standard Dominator suit. Fits the average gal, white and gray. No faction badges, no pomp. Just business. Nearby weapons locker is empty. ”

I continued toward the cockpit. “Let’s see what other secrets this tin can is hiding. I am going to the cockpit now.”
01 Jul 2024, 8:02pm
"Ok... well, go ahead.", I replied, having - mostly - followed until now, being relatively thankful that airlock sizes were largely standardized unless the ship frame was so small it had to be made smaller as well... but I didn't know of anything like that which existed.

"I could, have fit into that suit... before I got so big. Now... I am not even sure, if it would fit, without breaking somewhere."

Bit of a weird thing to say, but things like that just happened to come to my mind, especially when 'standard sizes' were mentioned, and that, particularly in relation to wearable items. I began following along to the cockpit, still thinking about whether the ship belonged to an Azimuth operative or something similar. Definitely somebody who expected trouble if they had weapons with them, though. The question there was, would it be the Pioneer stuff that seemed to barely exceed civilian-grade in its power, or something more along the lines of military weaponry.

If it was the latter, that could pose a problem, in case they weren't friendly.
01 Jul 2024, 10:24pm
"The first impression continues. A standard cockpit: typically elegant - typically Gutamaya. Nothing that would obviously point to the pilot. No bobblehead or anything like that - although I don't particularly like those things either."

I continued to look around the cockpit, keeping an eye out for any traps. But there was nothing unusual.

"The colour design is also standard. As is the seat. Nothing here is personalized at all."

Having completed my inspection and gained no new insights, I turned my attention to the on-board computer.

"Do you agree that I should switch on the on-board computer? If we provoke any reaction, it'll be now at the latest. You'd better keep an eye on the surroundings."
01 Jul 2024, 10:31pm
"Fine. Do, it. If, this triggers turrets, or anything, I will switch them off."

I also pulled out one of my weapons - the assault rifle - attaching it to the wall right near me for convenient access, and looked around. If there were any internal defenses of that kind, I couldn't see them. Anything less obvious like cabin depressurization - itself slightly pointless when we both wore helmets from being outside - I'd have to 'counter' electronically.

"If, it asks, for biometrics... I will just, turn that off, too. Or, other locks. As, I am, already... in the system."

Sort of, at least. Until the main computer powered up, I couldn't yet direct the worm to poke and break its firewalls and other defenses, yet.
01 Jul 2024, 10:47pm
“Already in the system, huh? Well, color me impressed… Alright, let’s fire up the main console and wake that fancy onboard computer.”

I took a deep breath and turned my upper body slightly back and forth to be mobile in case I had to move quickly. Then I switched on the console.

At first... nothing. At least nothing out of the ordinary. A few displays blinked to life, ambient lights hummed into existence, and the onboard computer booted up ever so slowly like a grumpy old spacer waking from cryo. So far, so good.

"System’s online… right this moment. But here’s the kicker - you guessed it - we need a biometric match to access the juicy bits. Navigation, communication logs - the whole shebang."
yesterday, 1:33am
"Hm... well, trying to, bypass it... could cause lockdown. Or memory purge. Not good. Getting a sample, for it... could prove difficult. Need to find, the right thing. And have equipment, for it. Which, I do not."

I wandered from side to side in the narrow space of the single-seater cockpit, as I thought.

"Could turn off alarms... but probably, has a separate backup, for tampering. Maybe. Or... go to the central, computer. But, probably, also with biometric lock. Could just, break the door. But, could also trigger alarm. Or core purge. Or, even, self-destruct... do not want to be in here, then."

I followed a few more thoughts before stopping somewhere centrally - which would definitely be blocking the way in this narrower space, not that I was aware of it yet - and looked at my counterpart, shrugging. Then another thought occurred.

"There... may be, a way, to get in, to the computer room." I held out my magic hacking key with the right hand. "Needs to be inserted. Directly. But, you may need to go through, maintenance vents. And tunnels. Bypassing the door, with biometric lock. If there is, one down there. And... that, is not, a task, for me. Can guide you, using ship schematic. Or, you look, yourself. To find the way."

I kept the key presented to the other woman, still oblivious to the fact I was pretty much taking up all of the sideways space in the cockpit. Or most of it, certainly not enough to slip past.

The plan itself did seem good, though. Direct access to the main computer, like that, would have the smallest chances of any complication, and provide the easiest means of suppressing any alerts - or countermeasures - if they did risk triggering. But sending me through those narrow tunnels, even if my body technically remained flexible, was just not going to happen.

And that would leave me alone within the confines of the cockpit, but it was unlikely to become an issue, any unfriendly visitor - or grumpy ship owner - being at risk of staring down the barrel of a weapon which could kill within a second, none of that "smart" nonsense with external connections that could be hacked to turn it off, and only electronic components if it really required them to function.
yesterday, 9:55am
I rolled my eyes at my counterpart’s revelations, more inclined to break something than to crawl through tunnels and vents.

“Why can’t we just pop open the console’s side panel and manipulate the system somehow? Bloody hell. Now don’t give me that bewildered look - you wouldn’t be keen on wriggling through these narrow tunnels either, if you could.”

I shook my head, cursing under my breath, and reached for the magic hacking key in Kasumi’s right hand.

“Damn it all. I hope this effort is worth it.”

I pocketed the key, tucking it into a small pouch on my left forearm. Then I placed my weapons on the pilot’s seat, which would remain unoccupied for the foreseeable future - no pilot in sight, and the seat dimensions hardly seemed suitable for accommodating my counterpart.

“If you’d kindly step back a bit so I can access the maintenance hatch… and go ahead, check the ship schematic for a suitable route while I pry open the entrance.”

The only silver lining in this mess was that I was rather slim, almost gaunt, really.
yesterday, 1:14pm
I gave her a funny look, head tilted.

"I thought, you, as a, pirate... were used, to doing things, like that."

Then, I shrugged.

"If there was, a better way... I would, have suggested, it. But, whoever made, this - " I made a gesture encompassing the ship. " - made a lot of, security. And, cutting open the door, or, disabling biometric lock, could trigger the data to be, removed. A vent, like, in, the floor, or roof... or, wall, may not. Or not, be as secured. And I may turn off, its security, without triggering... stuff."

"And... I would not like to crawl vents, either. Even if I were, still... smaller."

Though maybe not quite as slim as this woman... even before my curves turned totally excessive, my body would likely have been referred to as well-proportioned. With a certain favor to the lower half.

I stepped back until I was - relatively - sure I left sufficient clearance to the cockpit's exit, if she needed to leave it to get into the ship's maintenance tunnels, or ventilation system, and quickly dug up the internal schematic of the Imperial Courier.. still a little embarrassed that I kept forgetting my big hips tended to block the way. Luckily, the helmet hid a blush from the outside world.

Once I had identified a relatively suitable path - not without its twists and turns - I sent it over to her, highlighted on a holographic display that could be pulled up whenever.

"There. If, you need... guidance, you can... call. And... bring the key, back. Not easy to replace."

I then leaned against a wall. Or as best I could, anyway, in zero G.


Last edit: 02 Jul 2024, 1:33pm

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