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.
Kasumi Goto
30 Aug 2023, 9:12am
“Elevators could be trapped as well. Don’t fancy my chances of changing directions in zero G quickly enough to avoid getting a few new holes in my body. Any explosion that can tear through an elevator could… can also just as well go through your shield.”

I sighed, opening the elevator doors anyway, along with their emergency hatches. There was more than one, but I didn’t think highly of splitting up.

“I guess we can maybe get through there if we’re careful, but finding an explosive charge and not setting it off in the dark would be difficult. And I fully expect that he has rigged those elevators to blow if anyone used them. Still, your call.”

My mind pondered whether to mention that I didn’t want to split up, but ended up settling on the decision to wait for Meowers’ response before doing so.
Meowers
30 Aug 2023, 1:19pm
"Yeah, you're right. Risky. Staircase may possibly be trapped too, but it will be easier to spot anything there. Problem is, the only exit will certainly turn into a choking point. Or, to be more correct, into a killzone. Hells. Those mines you're carrying, can they be set off remotely? We may send one first elevator up there with a little surprise. Requires checking the shaft before doing so though. Ah, hells," I lowered my voice and came closer to Kasumi.

"I'd really appreciate any ideas. This shit is miles away from what I know how to do. Or maybe I should contact Aventus and ask for an advice. Lives are at stake here."
Kasumi Goto
30 Aug 2023, 1:40pm
“Mines…”

I repeated the word to myself, as if to make it easier to think about the proposal.

“Well, they’re shock mines, so I’m not sure how well they’d do at setting off other explosives around the elevator shaft, if he’s got any placed there. But I can set them off or disable them remotely, yes.”

I equally lowered my tone after that initial response.

“Hell if I know what to do here. I wasn’t exactly trained to deal with a situation where every one of your moves is predictable, and the enemy knows everything you can do. I just got pointed at a target and told to do what it takes.”

Last edit: 30 Aug 2023, 8:08pm
Meowers
31 Aug 2023, 4:52pm
"Shit..."

I took a deep breath and activated the comms, opening a channel with Aventus.

"Aventus, can you hear me? We're in a bit of situation here. Met with your people in the elevator hall. Thinking of how to get up to the bridge. Elevators are off the list, too obvious, much likely trapped. And the elevator shafts if we just go through them. Emergency staircase is an option, it's easier to spot mines there, but the only door up there will be a choking point. Do you have any ideas?"
Venus Duval
31 Aug 2023, 5:45pm
Meowers"Shit..."

I took a deep breath and activated the comms, opening a channel with Aventus.

"Aventus, can you hear me? We're in a bit of situation here. Met with your people in the elevator hall. Thinking of how to get up to the bridge. Elevators are off the list, too obvious, much likely trapped. And the elevator shafts if we just go through them. Emergency staircase is an option, it's easier to spot mines there, but the only door up there will be a choking point. Do you have any ideas?"



Aventus stands thinking for a moment. Choke points were always worrisome. No matter how you approached you were guaranteed to take casualties. The only thing you could do was push through and keep your head on a swivel. Stairs were likely the smartest idea seeing as you could clear them relatively easily. Elevators were of the table entirely of not four the predictability of them, then the falling powerplant would likely cause problems.

He turns to look at me directly a puzzled look on his face.

'What do you think Aloy? How should they take the bridge?'

The pain from the chemical burn has started to fade by this point, thanks to Aventus' quick treatment. I lay there thinking for a moment.

'They are going to have to just go for it.'

Aventus nods in agreement. He activates his commlink.

'There is no alternative path. You have to push through it. Expect heavy resistance and losses. Check your armor and keep your heads on a swivel. It's likely this will be the most dangerous thing you have faced to this point.'

Another explosion near the front of the carrier resonates through the hull.

****

Diaz's forces finish blockading the final approach to the bridge. One man holds a data pad with a remote camera watching a particular section of the bridge column laced with explosives. Diaz paces back and forth on the bridge knowing the next few moments would determine his fate. Not wanting to be caught sniveling like a scared child he grabs his helmet and dons his armor. Heavy metal plating covering most of his body with gaps to allow superior maneuverability compared to other heavily armored individuals. Titanium spikes protrude from each knuckle on both hands. A tri-blade dagger sits on his left hip, his heavy pistol on his right and in his hands an overcharged plasma shotgun.

Diaz grabs two of his men and tells them to watch over Silvia until he returns.

'If anyone but me shows up here, kill her.'

'Yessir!'

He departs the bridge and meets up with his security forces at the blockade and waits for the boarding party to arrive, hopefully weakened and reduced in number by the traps his men had placed.
Meowers
31 Aug 2023, 6:11pm
"Gods-fucking-dammit," I've made another deep breath as I deactivated the comms and turned my face to soldiers.

"There's no other way, only the emergency staircase. We have to rush through it and scatter around the place as quick as possible. And they will have everything aimed at that bloody door. I have a plan to minimise our losses though, it's crude and simple, but it should work: we will open those doors with heavy gunfire and toss whatever explosives we have through it before making our first steps. That can rough them up a little. And, it sounds like the only option we have."

I made a pause to let those words settle in.

"We need an expert on explosives, traps and other dirty tricks to go first, spot and disarm the shit they've no doubt placed there. Once we reach the top level of the staircase, I'll take my place behind the doors. With heavy gunners at both my sides. And we need two or three people to crouch behind us and throw boom-boom stuff."
Kasumi Goto
31 Aug 2023, 7:39pm
“That doesn’t our problem about it being rigged to blow. Which it probably will be. Might be able to spot something with cameras, but it’ll be hard to do if there’s anything to be seen.”

I took a deep breath, knowing what I was about to suggest probably would seem stupid to the others.

“Let me go first. I can see better in the dark, and I might be able to find at least some of those mines. Or whatever explosive shit they’ve scattered around those stairs.”

Another impact shook the ship, this time from somewhere at its stern, echoing deeply through the entire hull while rattling it. It was followed by an announcement from the automated systems onboard.

“Alert. Thruster damage detected. Orbital trajectory compromised. Unable to compensate.”

“Well, that’s not good.”, one of the commandos remarked. “How long until this thing drops out of the sky like a rock?”

I quickly looked at the data for the planet the carrier was orbiting before I replied. Only ten percent of Earth’s gravity.

“Around this planet? Long enough that we don’t have to worry about it making a crater with us still on it. Chances are the reactor would blow before that.”

I threw a look toward Meowers, as if to inquire whether she had any objections to my idea. In my mind, I felt like there was a better chance I could back off before the explosive device set off and come out unscathed, if one was triggered.
Meowers
31 Aug 2023, 10:17pm
"Yeah. We should go. While the reactor of that tin can is still holding together," I looked at Kasumi and gestured towards the door. "Yep. I think your... abilities may be exactly what we need right now. And you're better than me with electronics. Take the lead. I'll be right behind you, looking for hostiles while you look for mines."

I turned to the soldiers to give a command that should've ended the nervous waiting. Replacing it with uneasiness of other nature, though. But, there was no other choice.

"Everyone, follow us. Give us a little room for movements, but don't fall behind too far, you should see us. Let's go."
Kasumi Goto
31 Aug 2023, 10:44pm
I stopped at the bottom of the staircase, looking back at the team, then Meowers.

“I think we should try to stay a certain distance from one another. So if we do set off anything, it’s less likely to kill a few of us at the same time.”

Resuming my march upward, I remained very wary of where I put my feet, but I didn’t see anything for most of the way. I was beginning to think Diaz had almost forgotten about rigging the most obvious path upward, when I saw a small, out-of-place hiding away underneath the stairs - practically invisible to an ordinary human. No external connection possible, at least not through my wrist computer.

“Hold. They put a charge under the stairs.” I looked back to the group. “Which one of you is an explosives expert? If anyone even is. Try to get that thing disarmed - don’t want it blowing the entire staircase out, or set off any other charges. Hell, wouldn’t surprise me if that asshole deliberately set some behind us to only trigger when we’re right in the middle of it.”

I paused momentarily.

“And there might be charges hidden in the walls too.”

I took a look around, looking for something that could help get around this death trap. Defusing explosives, An opening nearby, in the wall, caught my attention, prompting me to look at Meowers with a suggestion on my mind, speaking on internal comms in case Diaz was still in control of a few cameras.

“What do you think about sending a few of us through that vent?” I pulled up schematics that pointed toward it linking up with the bridge. “Might be rigged too, but also less ways to hide any explosive surprises in there. And if someone gets through, they could get a surprise drop on those idiots hiding in their tower.”
Venus Duval
01 Sep 2023, 12:17am
Marcus steps forward and checks over the explosive. Nothing fancy just a simple mine, though something strikes him as odd about it. There is no visible primer no striker, nothing. He grabs it and shakes it.

'Huh dummy mine. Smart place the dummy visible and hide the real one. Now where the hell are you?'

Marcus looks around and notices about 2in from his left knee the priming pin for the real mine. The realization that he about took an anti-personnel mine to the weaker point of his armor humbles him.

'Oh fuck that could've been bad. Hey uh don't look in the obvious places for the explosives. The are using dummies as distractions. *he points between his legs on the step* the real ones are less visible.'

The heavy gunner backs down carefully and checks the explosive over. Standard issue anti-personnel mine. Pressure switch activated and currently set to only go off once the pin has been pressed and released. Carefully he unscrews the blasting cap from the explosive charge and hands the mine off to one of the other commandos. He pauses for a moment then looks the pressure switch over, removing the blasting cap and releasing the pressure sensitive pin.

'OK. One down only 2000 more to go.'
Kasumi Goto
01 Sep 2023, 12:40am
“Great, so we’ll be there by next year.”, I sarcastically remarked. “At least I’ll know how to separate a decoy mine from a real one now when I walk through a booby-trapped area, and not get my leg ripped off.”

I looked around again, still wondering what Meowers would think of my idea to take the vent.

“Why didn’t we just bring like a device that can snuff out those mines? Or maybe we could try to set the whole lot off remotely somehow, without getting half of us reduced to unrecognizable pieces. And what are the chances that vent’s rigged too?”
Venus Duval
01 Sep 2023, 4:36am
'Knowing the man we are dealing with, very likely. Problem with these explosives is there is only a small amount of metal in them. We are surrounded by metal so metal detectors are out of the question.'

Marcus talks the chin of his helmet in a rhythmic pattern while he thinks.

'I am willing to bet Diaz rigged the vents in the bridge with high voltage from the powerplant. These stairs while one of the most predictable routes, are likely the easiest to maneuver.'
Kasumi Goto
01 Sep 2023, 12:13pm
“And it’s filled with traps that are going to kill us all if we try to go through this. Can’t we just try to set it all off from afar?”

I held up a grenade I’d recovered from a raider earlier, slowly turning it in my right hand. Entirely harmless until the pin was pulled, but with the potential to set off one hell of a chain reaction if I let it loose. The chance was that it made the stairs more hazardous to maneuver through debris, but that seemed preferable to getting dismembered. Then, I noticed Melli sniffing at an inconspicuous wall panel, careful to not stray closer to it.

“Wherever you’ve been until now …”, I said to myself in a low tone, then looked at the dummy mine that floated around, grabbing it.

“Everyone, back off. I’m gonna try something. And trigger your shields, just in case.”

I waited for the team to go down a flight of stairs or two, then backed off myself, shield active. Melli was still there. I made a clacking sound with my tongue to draw her attention, and waved her back. The animal obeyed, to my surprise, hopping on to my shoulders.

I threw the dummy mine forward, just ahead of where Melli had been sniffing, and quickly turned the corner to have cover, in case the blast was bigger than I expected. A metal clang was followed by a loud bang, ringing my ears momentarily. Some shrapnel hit my shield, but caused no damage otherwise.

“Yeah, they’ve definitely got mines on the walls too. Great. Is it still a terrible idea to throw a grenade in there from far away and see what happens?”

Another thought occurred to me. Melli had run off to hide on somebody else, startled by the explosion, but could sniff out where mines hid, with significantly less risk of triggering them.

“I guess we might also have ourselves an improvised mine detector. If it is willing.”
Kasumi Goto
01 Sep 2023, 6:36pm
I coaxed Melli out of her hiding spot between Meowers’ legs, holding a hand out while on a knee, making the same clacking sound that I used just before the explosion.

“Come on. It’s okay. Nothing’s going to hurt you.”

The fox-hybrid creature carefully walked out and over to me. I offered a rewarding pat on the head.

“Good… fox? Whatever I should call you.” I paused. “Listen, we need someone to find those mines hidden around here for us. The thing that makes the loud noise and fire. So it doesn’t make noise. Can you do that? I’ll make sure Silvia gives you some treats when we have her back.”

Whether it was my reassurances or the offer of treats on display, Melli chittered excitedly and marched off, nose pointed to the ground. It didn’t take long for the fox to stop and make an angry sound at something that I couldn’t quite see.

“That’s it. Good. Stay right there, we’ll come to you.”

I looked back at the team and called out to them.

“Come on. Think I found us our mine detector. Now nobody step on them. Stay behind me, and watch the walls, there’s still going to be some on there too.”

I moved up to where Melli was, and waited for the commando that had discarded the first mine to come and defuse it. He discarded a decoy that lay on the stairs in a more obvious spot afterward, though not before showing it to Melli, so the creature could keep fake and real apart.
Venus Duval
01 Sep 2023, 7:21pm
As the team approached the approximate midway point having successfully evaded nearly 200 mines and other various explosives Melli stops dead in her tracks. She sniffs around and chatters exasperatedly her demeanor showing severe hesitation. Instead of locating any single explosive she backs off unsure if what she was smelling was correct. A group of 4 approaches the short corridor and looks around nothing blatantly obvious sticking out they press ahead followed by 2 more. No sooner do they step into the corridor does Diaz's explosive specialist detonate the charge. A thunderous explosion rips through the ship tearing the deck apart and blowing out interior walls exposing the support structure of the bridge column.

Commandos dive out of the way pulling both Meowers and Kira into cutouts as shrapnel tears through the passageway embedding itself into the walls and remaining decking. Marcus attempts to shield himself from the blast but is enveloped in the massive fireball as it passes by him faster than his heavy armor and weapon can allow. As the explosion clears Melli is nowhere to be found and Marcus has several of his armor plating missing. A large gash on his side is oozing blood and charred skin and clothing can be seen covering the exposed portions of his body.

Marcus turns around and stares at James who presses himself off of Kira having used his armor and size to cover her from the blast.

'Oh shoot sorry. I was only trying to protect you. Wait shoot that sounds weird. OK sorry. Marcus! You ok?'

'I... I'm not sure.... *Marcus inhales sharply as the pain sets in from his wound.* Fuck! That's gonna leave a mark...... wait where's Melli?'

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