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.
Maul Montresor
25 Nov 2024, 1:06pm
Something in his eyes very briefly changed at the mention of the drink 'Vega Juice'. It was odd having what was essentially an ex that shared a name with one of the most popular drinks in the bubble. The 'Vega' part that is, not so much the 'Juice'. A few years with no contact did nothing to help him with the 'get over it' phase. It felt stupid to believe it would in the first place. "

"Whatever," He thought. "she's likely better off these days anyway."

"Uh....thanks." said Maul, shaking the thought as he tried to glaze over the odd pause between Willow asking her question and his response. "Yeah, I could go for a snack actually."

"Ya know, was thinkin' on the way over here." He called out to Willow from the kitchen as he scoured the pre-packed sweets. "Extending your services out to Network contractors could help pad out your customer base. There's loads of tough guys and gals out there who can't be bothered to fix their own shit and would much rather pay someone else to sort it out for them." Pushing aside a few things, he'd finally settled on a Comet Clusters cereal bar. When he had returned he was already munching away at the snack.

"I dunno." He spoke between chews of the cereal bar. "Jus' spitballin' really. Might be something to think about after all this is over." He stopped chewing and flashed a quick smile. "But you know what's best for you. Don't take financial advice from the ex junkie, eh?"
Willow Thorn
26 Nov 2024, 12:21am
"Like yeah, but no" said Willow as she come through to the back, sitting beside the still partly disassembled android.

"All this" she waved a hand to relate to the shop "Is just like, for my head, you know? Just to keep me grounded in reality, right?"

"I mean, I'll like, never make any credits here, but its something real. Something solid I can turn into a habit, like, something I can cling to when it gets crazy, you know?"

It was real easy to understand when her therapist described it, but Willow couldn't remember how he put it, and she didn't think Maul was getting it.

"So, it like, um, when your a pilot right, you just go here, and like, then there making credits with so many zeros, it real stupid right? But where is the life? Where do you go when you need to, um, like go home? Do you really have a home? Coz its like, you spend all your time in front of a stick. It's like, your always at work, even when your in ya bag, you know? explained Willow taking fast hoping she'd find the comparison that would at least sound like a good explanation.

"So, er, I guess I'm saying this is just my anchor, you know? A place where I can be me, and like, stay in my head, but be happy, well, not happy maybe. Content, I guess"

That didn't do it, but she was starting to talk in circles again, and she was wring her hands, so she just stopped.

"Oh, thats not it, but is like, like that, okay?"
Vasil Vasilescu
26 Nov 2024, 2:08am
Vasil entered Willow’s shop, realizing just as he entered that he had misremembered the size. Two tons of surplus industrial and tech parts would make the shop look like a hoarder’s wet dream if Willow kept all of it. However, she’d likely scrap what was of no use, which given the usual makeup of surplus lots would be about half of the gear.

He heard conversation from the back, but it was muffled, and he could not tell what it was about. Though, if he had heard what was being said, he would have known what Willow was talking about. He’d spent his youth chasing credits and was damn good at it, to the point he’d made enough before turning 30 to live several lifetimes without ever having to work again. Exploration was his anchor, though, his source of contentment, and was never about money.

He thought so little of earning credits from exploring that he’d purged from the ship’s nav reacords almost every system he’d discovered with an earth-like planet. For him, it was enough to have found a place to go camping for a few weeks.

He also knew himself well enough to understand that his spending months at a time out in the nothing was an easy way to avoid responsibility. He’d never admit that to anyone, though his sister often accused him of such.

“Hey, it’s me,” he called out.
Willow Thorn
26 Nov 2024, 9:42am
"It's Vee" said Willow with more enthusiasm than she intended.

It was a case of perfect timing. Talking honestly was hard and emotionally draining, so having the chance to escape before Maul could respond to her broken out pour was perfect.

"Hey Vee, come on in"

She hopped through to the counter and flicked off the shield, taking care to turn it back on once Vasil was inside. She didn't close the shop because there was no point really. It wasn't like people came in much; they ordered parts over Citi network, and Willow delivered. People coming in for repairs almost never happened.

Pushing Oden's head and the computer to one side, Willow made space for Vasil at the small table.

"Like, there's fresh coffee in the pot, and you can help yourself to whatever in the kitchen, okay? So yeah, anyone had any idea on how to approach our current obstacle, like, now we know where it is?"
Maul Montresor
26 Nov 2024, 10:30am
Maul had listened intently to Willow struggle in describing something he'd never had himself. He understood her point entirely and even agreed with her reasoning but the idea of needing an "anchor", as she had aptly put it, was an entirely foreign feeling to him. Everywhere was home when it needed to be and though he had plenty of credits to his name, it never made him feel anymore disconnected from reality. The bubble was a shitty place with shitty people always doing shitty things to people in shitty situations; A real shit fest. That had always been his outlook and at one point in time, if he could ever do anything to help or ease an individual that had found themselves in an unfortunate situation, he'd do it. Donations to a cause he agreed with and casual handouts to people in need was something he never thought twice about.

But that all changed when his substance abuse had gotten out of hand. Now with a sober mind, listening to Willow, he was starting to think that maybe helping others was a kind of anchor for him at some point. An anchor that he'd lost in the storm of depression that had been brought on by self imposed seclusion and a repression of memories.

Vasil's arrival had derailed his thoughts entirely.

Willow Thorn Pushing Oden's head and the computer to one side, Willow made space for Vasil at the small table.

"Like, there's fresh coffee in the pot, and you can help yourself to whatever in the kitchen, okay? So yeah, anyone had any idea on how to approach our current obstacle, like, now we know where it is?"


"We still plan on talking to the upstanding citizens aboard the Ophois to pinpoint the exact planet?" He said with a playful undertone.
Vasil Vasilescu
26 Nov 2024, 3:39pm
“Attempting to barter for the information is probably the most direct route,” said Vasil while filling a cup with ice and pouring himself a coffee. “We should probably contact them first and arrange meeting in a system other than where the carrier currently is. Strangers randomly showing up to talk might not be taken well if they are in what they consider a safe system.”

“Figuring out what they want for the info is the tricky part. Money or materials would be the simplest thing.” Vasil took a seat at the table and set his cup down beside Odie’s head to cool. Odie stared at him with its one, unblinking eye, cables like torn tendons stretching from its neck. Vasil turned the head to point its death stare somewhere else.

“There are reports that the pirates remained in Summerland for a while after the battle. My guess is they were scavenging the capital-grade interdictor field generator on the Destinies Jester. If they are retrofitting their carrier with the field generator, they might need parts or help getting it functional.”
Willow Thorn
26 Nov 2024, 6:18pm
A long slow whistle escaped from Willow. "Like, thats lost tech. Wouldn't mind getting my hands on that myself" she said pulling her pad over and disconnecting it from Odie.

"Okay, so I don't know what they will need to get that working, but like, Shock Mounts and that are a given for huge offensive modules"

A few taps around her pad brought up interdictor schematics, and the science behind the device. "So, I'll do a bit of research and try to like, figure out what they may be short of to like, up our chances of not getting told to screw off, or something"

Concentrating so talked to herself more than the guys "Power Regulators maybe.. Er, so I'll come up with like, a shopping list or something while you guys call on a den of vipers and like, try not to get bit"
Vasil Vasilescu
26 Nov 2024, 7:51pm
“The Long Road can comfortably handle six hundred tons of cargo, so if we can barter parts for info hopefully it will not take more than one trip. The less time dealing with pirates, the better.”

“Full disclosure, I kind of screwed the Anansi’s captain out of his prize at Summerland. Anansi and Ophois are part of a larger pirate fleet, so the Ophois’ captain might be hesitant if he knows I am involved.”

Vasil shrugged. “Then again, I did not see any indication the Anansi was refitting for an interdictor. The Anansi did not capture the Jester’s Captain like they wanted, maybe Ophois chose to keep the interdictor as it's payment for joining the fight, rather than share it. Besides the Anansi was in no shape to dispute how the booty was distributed.”
Maul Montresor
29 Nov 2024, 12:47am
"Vengerfield." Maul stated. "I reckon they're the ones heading this pirate fleet. They're a damn ghost as far as I can tell. Can't seem to dig up any info on them."

His gaze drifted upwards as he rambled off his thoughts. "Didn't get a chance to wipe the security feeds on the Anansi after I was finished, so those dickwads might have my face as well. I was gonna suggest that me or Willow could meet with the Ophois crew and barter the deal but I'm likely in the same boat as you. S'pose we could act like mercs on an unrelated job just looking for answers and hope to hell they don't know our mugs. But even then, would seem odd if we just showed up with the mats in hand already to sort out their issues. They'd know we know something."

Air left his lips rapidly causing them to flap, making a sound resembling a horse. His eyes came back down to the two of them. "I dunno though. From my experience, pirates can be unpredictable at best and completely insane at the worst."
Vasil Vasilescu
29 Nov 2024, 4:48am
Vasil said nothing for a few moments as he stared into his iced coffee and considered the different outcomes of negotiating with pirates who may or may not have issues with one or more team members. There were too many what-ifs for him to guess what the most likely outcome would be.

“Well,” he said the casual attitude of a gambler making one last bet to either break even or lose it all, “To paraphrase Willow, in the end, their business is generating profit with as little effort as possible. They'll expend no effort telling us where they left Goodness. We’ll just need to negotiate what type of profit they want.”

“Let’s contact them, but not directly. It will be better if a third party lets them know we are desperate to recover Goodness’ body and are willing to negotiate for any information. With luck, that will be enough chum to lure in profit sharks seeking a quick meal. If they contact us first, they feel they are in control. If we contact them, their first question will probably be who told you he was on our ship and how the hell find us?"
Maul Montresor
30 Nov 2024, 1:47am
He exhaled heavily through his nostrils. Vasil's plan was solid and Maul knew just the guy to contact for help with the situation; a pirate that occasionally took contracts from the Network. Only thing was, Maul and him had a rocky past. Multiple shared failures of contracts under their belt that left a stain on both of their reputations that caused the partnership to end rather abruptly.

"So," Maul paused and shook his head in disbelief of the words to come next. "I know a dude out of Beldarkri, runs with a crew, goes by Pilfer. I could see if he'd put the word out about the sitch and let us know if when and if they take the bait. His crew is always looking for opportunities to grow and make some creds, so I doubt he'd turn it down. Taking something like this to his boss would net him some brownie points for sure but knowing Pilfer, he and the others will be expecting an ASP-load of creds for sticking their neck out."

Maul tossed his hands up immediately after finishing and shrugged. "Prolly still gonna look pretty weird having that kind of info come from some nobody pirates but at least it wouldn't be coming from us. But then again, if y'all have literally ANY other ideas, I'm totally fine with never speaking to Pilfer again. Especially after that botched Aranka job."
Vasil Vasilescu
30 Nov 2024, 9:40am
“Pilfer?” asked Vasil with an arched brow. “Seems more like a job description than proper pirate pseudonym, but maybe all of the good ones were taken.”

“Anyway, if you think further obfuscation is necessary, we can easily do that.” Vasil had two modes of conducting business. He preferred the direct approach, honest but never showing his hand. However he was perfectly willing to deceive people he did not know or trust by using half-truths and misdirection.

“How about this,” Vasil said as the gears of machination began churning out the basics of a plan. “I can issue a reward for information leading to the whereabouts of one of Goodness’ aliases.” He looked to Willow. “Willow, that one you found which he used for doing that holo show would work.” He then looked to Maul. “We let it simmer for a week or so in order to establish its validity before you talk to Pilfy.”

“But here’s the twist. You tell him you think you can get more money out of the Imperial who issued the reward. Why? Because you’ve been talking with the people who issued the reward. It turns out that they are looking for the real person behind the alias, Lord Charles Goodness III. They think some of Vengerfield’s pirates may have had a hand in his demise, but they don’t care about that. All they want is to recover his remains, probably for some bullshit imperial political dick stomping.

“Also, it is a strange coincidence that the Imperial asshole who issued the reward was at Summerland when Vegerfield’s boys and Red Jade fought. Not only that, but you suspect that he fed information about Red Jade ambushing the Anansi to someone the pirates were working with.”

“The problem is that the Imperial has no idea how to contact any of the pirates who were at Summerland because he had a falling out with whoever he gave the ambush info to. So, if Pilfy can arrange something, that has to be worth way more than the measely reward, which, of course you’d be willing to share if things panned out.”

“It is not technically the entire truth, but it's not a whole lie, either, and it provides a few extra layers of the onion that need to be peeled back before everything is made clear.” Vasil smirked. “Few people peel an onion to its core. Besides, everyone knows we Imps are assholes with more money than common sense.”
Willow Thorn
30 Nov 2024, 1:47pm
Vasil Vasilescu“It is not technically the entire truth, but it's not a whole lie, either, and it provides a few extra layers of the onion that need to be peeled back before everything is made clear.” Vasil smirked. “Few people peel an onion to its core. Besides, everyone knows we Imps are assholes with more money than common sense.”

Still working out what maybe useful for rebuilding a super interdictor, Willow had to react to what she just heard.

"Like, if thats true, then feds are all fascists that demand you love their brand of freedom, or they will shoot you. Shades of grey guys, you know?"

In the system where Willow had grown up, the local leadership changed every other month as the superpowers vied for control of Calhuacan. The people of Stapled Peacock Flesh, and Angel Station didn't really take a hard stance for either side. Rather they cherry picked the best parts of each, bagging as many days off and tax breaks as they could.

While most Calhuacanian paid lip service to who ever was in charge, there were always dedicated stands for each side that caused problems for every one. Willow didn't like people that couldn't tolerate an opposing opinion.

"Eh, I guess I got a list of parts that may like, work as payment, you know? Least its the stuff I'd want in stock if I was working on interdictors. So, I'm no expert when it comes to them, but its like, its the other end of wake decryption, so I'm not a noob either, okay?"

"Antimatter Containment units, Handwear Diagnostic Sensors, HN Shock Mounts, Magnetic Emitter Coils and Power Transfer Busses will do it for the parts, I guess. So, some of them can only be found in like, limited supply, but I think our best currency will be the wake data I've collected over the years. Those first hand data packs can only be collected like, on the spot after a jump, you know? So they are worth a lot"

"So yeah, I guess Vee and I can go shopping while you like, Pilfer a Pilferer for pilfering information from prolific pilferers" she said to Maul after only half listening to what the guys had been saying.

Last edit: 30 Nov 2024, 1:54pm
Maul Montresor
30 Nov 2024, 4:41pm
"Feds, Imps, Alliance, doesn't matter, most anarch crews I've met have either been in it for the cred flow or the fun of it. A few have had actual purpose or ideals that they stood and fought for. Pilfer's crew was always somewhere in between the first two, so I'm sure they'll be interested in some easy creds." Maul said as he leaned against the table Odin's head was on and eyeballed the eyeball looking back at him.

"But yeah, been a while since I've been in that part of the bubble. I can reach out to some mutual contacts in a few days after the reward is issued and the info circulates. We'll see if that asshole is still alive and kickin'."

He couldn't resist any longer, he had know more about the busted looking droid that was sitting decapitated in a chair. "Alright, I gotta ask, what's going on with this thing? Using it as a test bench for droid parts or something or is this like a resurrection op of some kind?"
Willow Thorn
30 Nov 2024, 11:20pm
"Eh, well like, kinda I guess, but not really. He's a project kind of thing, you know? Trying to get him back in showroom condition without having to like, buy any new parts. Total salvage job, like, no gifts or charity, okay? warned Willow in case the guys got any idea about buying droid parts.

"Yeah, so using the program from doctor delicious is cheating I guess, but I was like, thinking it'd be neat to have a cosmic AI as the OS, you know, but it won't take. So, if I drop the AI in, it just sits there doing noting. The thing is running, but it can only communicate on the pad, you know? And like, when I install the Achilles OS, it totally ignores the AI"

"Like, guess I'll have to put up with Odie's caned phrases until I figure out what's wrong with his vocabulary"

Thinking about it, if she sorted out Odin's ability to communicate without using random caned phrases, he'd loose something like personality.

"Well, whatever. I got some real cool thermal cloth from that delivery I was sent on" said Willow stopping her self from physically winking at Maul "And like, I think he'll look bad ass when I like, wrap his casing in that. Would have been totally cosmic if he had a tough guy voice to go with it, you know?"

Last edit: 01 Dec 2024, 2:33am

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