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.
28 May 2024, 5:55am
I rolled my eyes at the dumb joke of the voice modulator thing… and then answered.

“I’m sure, you will survive. And if you are getting shot, it will be because they are close enough to notice you are not one of them in the uniform, whatever, thing. But I am sure you realize… it is better than getting shot, from any range.”

That sounded better in my head… but it was still true. It wasn’t like Azimuth guards wouldn’t pull the trigger just because she wasn’t impersonating someone.

“And I like my curves, thanks. I could also fit through a hatch, but… not easily. Running… I may need more practice. Preferably, while not getting shot.”

“And it may be better if I don’t have to watch your video as you run. Which the coat may also… not be very practical, to. What weapons do you have?”

Just in case they’d be needed… you never knew.
28 May 2024, 9:49am
“I only have a pistol on me, a Manticore Tormentor with audio masking and a noise suppressor. A rifle would’ve been too bulky and conspicuous, and I wasn’t exactly gearing up for a wild shootout – we’d be outgunned here anyway, the local crew’s numbers are just too overwhelming. And naturally, I’d prefer not to get shot at all… uniform or not.”

Now that I was sure the comms were working, I shoved the other helmet under the bed – I had decided against chucking it through the hatch, as I couldn’t quite gauge how loud the clunk on the hard floor would be. At least this way, no one who came into the room would notice it.

“The coat is indeed impractical for running; I reckon it’s meant to offer some protection when you’re on watch in wind and weather. Haven’t seen or heard any guards around here yet, though.”

I was aware that could change soon as I delved deeper into the structure – which was exactly what I intended to do. The heavy door opened without a fuss, revealing a corridor that ended in another closed door on the opposite side – probably the counterpart to this room in the tower across the wall, I surmised. A staircase in the middle of the corridor, part of the broad wall structure, led both down and up.

“Down there’s likely an exit somewhere, up leads to the anti-air units – though there are a couple of floors in between, two or three, I’d guess. It’s highly probable that the tech to control those units is further up. Plus, there are observation windows higher up that one could see from outside – if the towers on both sides are built the same, you should be able to see the ship from the rear tower, the one beyond the wall from your perspective. Up or down, that’s the question. What do you think?”
28 May 2024, 10:23am
"I don't know.", I replied. "Up, you would need only to see the ship, and how many guards are on the other side, down there. And automated defenses, maybe. It is unlikely anybody will be there, though, except to... work on the... turrets."

Had to look for the right word there, for a moment.

"Down, I think, you would need to go, to get to the other side, of the wall. So... both directions, might be good, but up, at first. Though, you may run into... people, on the way down. If you find some way, to get me... into security, systems, I could use cameras to look around."

Quick glance at data monitoring... nothing from Azimuth. If necessary, I could get a little extra cargo loaded for further disguise. Assuming there was space, and I'd have to pick one of those items which made sense to take locally. Maybe. If my stupid brain cooperated on that matter.

"... and the coat will not have anything to protect against, here. Does this moon even have atmosphere?"

Because I couldn't quite help myself in throwing that one out.
28 May 2024, 12:15pm
“Standard gear, maybe? You know how these big corps operate. Or maybe someone chose it because it looks intimidating.”

I pondered whether to take the backpack but decided against it. It would’ve stood out too much on the uniform coat. I pocketed the two remaining security breach devices and a magazine for my pistol into the coat’s pocket, then slid the backpack under the bed. If all went well, I’d pick it up on my way back.

I left the room and closed the door behind me. Approaching the stairs, I glanced first down, then up – not a soul in sight. I opted to try my luck further up first, to get a better overview of the situation on the other side of the wall.

I ascended the stairs slowly until I reached a corridor that was a spitting image of the one I’d just left behind. Here too, at each end of the corridor, there was a closed door, but this time each had a sign above it. “Server” and “Restrooms” they read. Further up the stairs, I could see a part of the walls lit by a light that moved slowly, casting distorted shadows. Perhaps a floodlight shining through a window.

I gave Kasumi a quick rundown of what I saw and headed towards the server room. The door was locked, and next to it was a familiar keypad waiting for a code to be entered.

"The door is secured. Quite clear that not everyone is allowed in this room. But I only have two of the security breach devices left... Do you think it's worth using one here?"
28 May 2024, 12:40pm
"I think, yes.", I answered. "If you can find me an access point to get into, I could get access to many things. Access codes, security, you name it."

"But it is... kind of an odd place for a server room, though, do you not think? Might be the processor for the turret's targeting systems, maybe. But those are usually connected to central systems, so it may get us into useful places."
28 May 2024, 1:47pm
“You know, starting from that room I was in, it ain’t exactly a grand ballroom. Tucked away inside, near the big wall – makes it pretty darn secure, if you ask me. Or maybe you’re wondering about them toilets? Well, in a tower like this, options are scarce. And folks gotta stay close to their workstations – which, I reckon, are right above me.”

I pulled one of them security breach devices out of my coat pocket and slapped it on the input panel. A few beats later, that display went from red to green. We were in.

I stepped into the room and immediately shut the door behind me. Surprise, surprise – it was the same size as the quarters I’d just left. Seems like the tower’s diameter ruled the roost. All around me, floor to ceiling, tech dominated the place – neat and tidy, no hidey-holes. The first glance already told me I was alone in here.

The whole setup screamed expensive and modern, something I’d expect in a lab, but not this kind of outpost. A quick scan of the gear around me showed that most of it were data processors or storage systems. But there were a handful of displays too. One showed an overview of the wall this tower was attached to. I counted seven twin towers, same breed as this one, and let out a low whistle. Someone was going all out just to secure a few landing pads.

Another, bigger display had a tactical airspace layout – backup for some other important system elsewhere, maybe. The whole wall and its surrounding towers seemed redundantly designed. Wouldn’t surprise me if these twin towers were practically self-sufficient. While searching for an access point, I noticed another display with messages scrolling by. Probably it was monitoring and recording radio chatter. One caught my eye – it was encrypted, it seemed.

[TRANSMISSION INITIATED]
[IDENT: HERALD OF SALVATION - MOBILE LAB ABEL2]
[COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL: STATUS REPORT TO MBOONI HQ]
[CONTENT: 2B 2B 2B 43 4F 4E 46 49 52 4D 20 52 45 43 45 49 50 54 20 4F 46 20 47 55 41 52 44 49 41 4E 20 4D 41 54 45 52 49 41 4C 2B 2B 2B 50 52 4F 54 4F 54 59 50 45 20 54 45 53 54 53 20 53 55 43 43 45 53 53 46 55 4C 2B 2B 2B 41 44 44 49 54 49 4F 4E 41 4C 20 53 49 52 49 55 53 20 46 55 53 49 4F 4E 20 52 45 41 43 54 4F 52 20 4E 4F 57 20 4F 4E 4C 49 4E 45 2B 2B 2B 52 45 51 55 45 53 54 20 37 30 30 20 55 4E 49 54 53 20 4F 46 20 4D 45 54 41 2D 41 4C 4C 4F 59 53 20 54 4F 20 43 4F 4D 4D 45 4E 43 45 20 44 41 57 4E 42 52 45 41 4B 45 52 20 50 48 41 53 45 20 33 2B 2B 2B]
[TRANSMISSION CONCLUDED]



Finally I found a way in.

“Hey, Kasumi, I’m patching in a datalink. Right now, it’s got to run through my suit, but I could leave a transmitter here. Of course, this room is so darn organized, it would stick out like a sore thumb. Not much hiding space, you feel me?”
28 May 2024, 2:07pm
"I was just saying it because it is a strange place for me, to have a server under air defense towers. Not because there is a toilet, nearby."

I'd have given my companion an annoyed look, if I'd been there as well. As it was, I just had to be content with the thought, and the tone of my response.

"Hold on, let me... figure out this message first. And I think I know about lack of hiding spaces well enough, considering... my shape."

Truthfully, I was less doing the manual work as I did put one of my preserved tools to work on it. And it didn't take particularly long to get a result, which I also sent back over through the link.

"Here. The message you caught."

Which wasn't great, to say the least, and also still left little clue to the location of this mobile lab. That mobility also being a fact for why tracking down the origin location of the transmission would likely lead nowhere, except maybe some blown up stuff.

+++CONFIRM RECEIPT OF GUARDIAN MATERIAL+++PROTOTYPE TESTS SUCCESSFUL+++ADDITIONAL SIRIUS FUSION REACTOR NOW ONLINE+++REQUEST 700 UNITS OF META-ALLOYS TO COMMENCE DAWNBREAKER PHASE 3+++


"And maybe you could stick a transmitter into... under a console, somewhere. Or I give you one of my worms, it would just pretend to be a simple diagnostic program, except it occasionally sends stuff to those who are not supposed to get it. Like us. And harder to notice than a physical thing. If you think it is good."
28 May 2024, 2:39pm
“Sirius reactors, huh? Now we know why these two companies are getting all cozy together. Bet Azimuth is pouring lots of credits into that venture. What I don't quite realise is: someone has got to know where the damn lab is. After all, they’re expecting another shipment – those 700 meta-alloys. And before that, all that Guardian stuff. Seems like they’re building something mighty big. Let’s hope they take their sweet time collecting those meta-alloys.”

I pondered for a moment.

“That worm idea is sounding pretty slick. In this room, hidey-holes are scarcer than a sober pilot at a spaceport bar. As long as they aren't tracking the transmission straight to you, it’s a solid plan. Trust me, they’re recording tons of messages here... And I’m just picturing every twin tower decked out like this – gotta be millions of credits poured into them. But why go to all that effort?”
28 May 2024, 3:01pm
"I'm sure we could route the transmission through a few beacons to make it harder to track, if you want it in place for after we leave. And, assuming... they don't notice it, of course. But it should be well-hidden."

I checked local activity. Still, nobody seemed to suspect anything... I sure hoped they weren't listening in, or trying to.

"And they may need a little bit of time to gather those, but not sure how much. There is... a lot to be found, near a Titan wreck. Those 'alloys' included. And it seems clear, they just want to... keep all this hidden. Anybody too nosy would feel rather disinterested, seeing all those defenses. But, once you are done with the servers, maybe you could get moving again?"

Or pressure was just getting to me a little, that and there just seeming to be too much for my brain to keep track of, when I really just wanted and preferred to focus on a single thing at a time. Especially in my current state where not everything worked a hundred percent yet.
28 May 2024, 4:36pm
"Rise of the PIN worm" I joked as I installed the worm Kasumi sent me. “Should be kicking off soon. Give me a holler if something interesting comes your way.”

After I finished my part, I left the server room and continued my way up. I was getting close to the top floor, when I noticed two things: the top floor consisted of a single open space that extended over the wall and connected the two attached towers, and it had double the ceiling height. This was apparently the tower’s command center - I could see part of a huge ceiling-mounted screen, which displayed the night sky and some air traffic. Right next to me was an open door leading to a corridor that seemed to go around the entire centre and was brightly lit by a spotlight through large viewing windows on its outside, which was slowly moving away from me.

I also heard a voice! There was at least one person here, who was probably talking to someone else over the radio, since I could only hear his part of the conversation - as could Kasumi, because the voice was loud enough to be picked up and relayed through the external microphones in the helmet.

"...yes, of course I understand that. Double shifts really suck. But I just don't have the staff to organise it better. You know, many of us were recently taken to Cartier City because some important chick was talking... ...Well, what can I say? Most of them didn't come back, they were transported somewhere else... ...Yes, I'd rather be in T Tauri too. You just can't choose... ....you mean we're almost being criminally neglected here?..."

I paused for a brief moment before darting through the open door into the lit corridor that led towards the side of the wall facing away from Gullveig. Apart from other doorways at more or less regular intervals, it was separated from the interior by a solid wall and would therefore provide me with cover as long as I was not seen through one of the doorways.

A few more metres and I should be able to look down on the single ship we were interested in.
28 May 2024, 4:49pm
At the moment, I had little to say, neither to the joke - which I didn’t really understand - nor the subsequent listening in on some local worker. Probably was about that thing on the Coriolis port which had happened not long ago, and as I heard, didn’t quite go as smoothly as planned due to “anarchist interference”. Nothing that currently threatened Azimuth’s control of the system, though, as far as I could tell.

So I remained quiet and just kept an eye on whatever I was getting thrown my way by the worm, and for some kind of status update on the ship we were interested in.
29 May 2024, 2:52pm
At first I couldn't see anything, but after a few more steps and another glance through the windows, the ship we were interested in became visible below me. I made sure I wasn't to be seen from the inside of the tower control room, and then addressed Kasumi.

"I've got a pretty good view of the ship... it's a lone Diamondback Scout, sitting on a landing pad lit by floodlights. It has a dark, probably night-black paint job, as far as I can tell from the lighting conditions. There's no name or ID visible, and no recognizable insignia either. On the side facing me, there are clear signs of damage, the upward pointing "fin" on the back of the ship looks badly bent, and the vertical wing near the engine on the same side has holes that let the light of one of the floodlights shine through. They could be from a projectile weapon."

I didn't notice anything else about the ship, so I looked around. Of the four landing pads arranged in a square, the other three were empty, except for some containers and a parked vehicle, and mostly dimly lit. On the landing pad of the Diamondback, however, there were several containers, and some heavy equipment that I couldn't identify - probably all things needed for a repair.

I described everything I saw to my listener as detailed as possible, since I wasn't wearing my shoulder camera anymore.

"I don't see any working personnel down there, but that's not surprising considering the time of day. I don't see any guards either - not that there aren't any, but maybe they're more focused on guarding the perimeter. With the height of the walls, I'm sure no one expects any uninvited visitors here."
29 May 2024, 3:16pm
“Well… can you… get down? That ship, it may be worth looking at, more closely. It sounds like one of those …”

Looking for the name took longer than I’d have like to admit.

“… Black Flight, ships. With the dark black paint, no identification or something.” On top of being a Diamondback. “I would like to know what it was doing. And why it is here.”
29 May 2024, 4:45pm
"I'm not exactly keen on earning any bonus points for a discount on my ticket to Valhalla... could you work some of your magic if I go back to the server room and make a direct link again? It's a hell of a walk to the ship, and I'm down to my last security breach device - if I need it on the way, I'm screwed, and if I waste it on the ship's airlock, I might not get into its computer. And then there's the little issue of being a sitting duck in the glass cockpit..."

I gave the ship one final glance through the window, then turned around and walked slowly and quietly back to the stairs. I couldn't hear anything from the person in the tower's command center, and I hoped to reach the stairs without any trouble.
29 May 2024, 6:45pm
I only barely held back a sigh.

“Fine. If I can find it in there… I will give you access codes, and, whatever else you may… need. But, be careful, going down. The person in the tower may have gone to the servers, or… you know, that other place.”

“Unless their shift is over. And they could notice the coat missing… if they look in the wrong place.”

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