No ship should go down without her captain.
Well, then, I guess this ship isn’t going down.
The USS Audacia is a Normandy-class ship running through the very edges of Union-controlled space. They’re just a scouting ship, they’re not toting lasers and torpedoes to the front lines, but what should have been a medium-stress operation just got a lot more tense: two days ago, Captain Catherine Ray vanished from the ship. After a top-to-bottom search, there’s no sign of the captain—there are no energy signals to follow, no hostile parties have boarded the ship, and even the dubious possibility of Captain Ray turning invisible has been ruled out. Tensions are rising as the crew searches for answers, but all that they have is a cryptic video message.
In a decision agreed upon by a narrow majority, Union Command hasn’t yet been informed of the incident. The Audacia is a pretty ramshackle crew, and they’re...at least fifty percent confident they can finish their latest round of missions without the Captain. All they have is a small list of short, simple, straightforward milk runs that will go off without a hitch, and no one will be the wiser when they get the Captain back without incident.
What could possibly go wrong?
Welcome to the USS Audacia, where the cafeteria serves mush, you can see duct tape on the walls in Engineering, and no one knows quite who's in charge anymore! In case the blurb above was difficult to understand, here's the basic premise:
If there's a topic you'd like me to explain here, ask! I might just put it under a new heading!
Well, then, I guess this ship isn’t going down.
The USS Audacia is a Normandy-class ship running through the very edges of Union-controlled space. They’re just a scouting ship, they’re not toting lasers and torpedoes to the front lines, but what should have been a medium-stress operation just got a lot more tense: two days ago, Captain Catherine Ray vanished from the ship. After a top-to-bottom search, there’s no sign of the captain—there are no energy signals to follow, no hostile parties have boarded the ship, and even the dubious possibility of Captain Ray turning invisible has been ruled out. Tensions are rising as the crew searches for answers, but all that they have is a cryptic video message.
In a decision agreed upon by a narrow majority, Union Command hasn’t yet been informed of the incident. The Audacia is a pretty ramshackle crew, and they’re...at least fifty percent confident they can finish their latest round of missions without the Captain. All they have is a small list of short, simple, straightforward milk runs that will go off without a hitch, and no one will be the wiser when they get the Captain back without incident.
What could possibly go wrong?
★★★★★★★
Welcome to the USS Audacia, where the cafeteria serves mush, you can see duct tape on the walls in Engineering, and no one knows quite who's in charge anymore! In case the blurb above was difficult to understand, here's the basic premise:
- The captain of the USS Audacia has gone missing, leaving only a single video message behind. Otherwise, all of her datapads and personal files have been wiped.
- The crew is, understandably, freaking out
- However, because the ship reallydoesn’t need another reprimand on its record, they’ve decided not to tell anyone, and try to finish the latest mission before looking for their captain in earnest before anyone notices
- Cue the panic, trauma, and shenanigans!
- Think a mashup of Mass Effect (for the universe), Firefly (for the ship itself), and Star Trek (for the missions)
- There will be some short-ish missions for plot, plus the time in between, and then the overarching plot of The Search For Captain Ray!
RULES
- You must APPLY with your character sheet before joining the IC. While most positions on the ship are open to multiple characters, some can't have duplicates, like department heads.
- NO GODMODDING. You should all know what this is by now, and just how annoying it can get.
- Adding plot twists can be within reason, but with major changes you MUST consult with the other parties affected first. I will be controlling the 'search for the Captain' plot.
- Keep the drama IC, please, and remember that just because a character is mean to you, doesn't mean the player hates you. The reverse is also true: don't slap a bitch IC just because you dislike someone OOC.
- I know we're in space, but try to keep it at least semi-realistic, please. If you get launched outside of a ship completely unprepared, you will die.
- I'd like to keep this high-casual, i.e. a paragraph at least per post. There are some exceptions to this, obviously, like in action sequences, but most of the time I'd like to stick to that standard.
- ~*~have fun and be yourself~*~
IN-WORLD INFORMATION
ALIEN CHARACTERS
Yes, allowed! In the section titled 'races,' there are a few pre-made species that the Union has had contact with that you can make a member of, or you can make your own! Just keep it within reason, i.e. no two-ton thirty-foot-tall death machines that somehow fit into the crew quarters. Also keep in mind that there may be some prejudice within the Union for non-human characters, but that non-Union species may actually like you more!
CYBORGS
Also allowed! So slap a robot arm/leg/eye on whoever you want and call it a day. I will say this, though: while augmentation might give you a superstrong arm, or x-ray vision, or tools stored inside your fingers, it DOES come with disadvantages to even it out. Robotic parts run on tiny battery packs, mostly, and while these packs do last for several weeks under normal use, there is the danger of running out if you forget about it for too long or if you're in a dangerous/high-stress situation for a long time. After the battery runs out, it starts running off of caloric input, and you get tired super fast and if you continue to use your augmentation a lot, you could even die. So RECHARGE! (On the plus side, the Audacia isn't exactly a normal ship with a perfect crew, so there's likely bunches of 'human-plus' crewmembers. Go wild!)
ROBOTS
True AI hasn't been developed by the Union/isn't fully-fuctional/isn't cheap enough to just start mass-producing sentient robots. The closest you'll get to sentient AI on the Audacia is the ship's computer, but that may just be because she learned sass from the crew and is mimicking them. No one really wants to find out. In that case, completely robot characters, inside and out, are highly unlikely. Sorry!
Yes, allowed! In the section titled 'races,' there are a few pre-made species that the Union has had contact with that you can make a member of, or you can make your own! Just keep it within reason, i.e. no two-ton thirty-foot-tall death machines that somehow fit into the crew quarters. Also keep in mind that there may be some prejudice within the Union for non-human characters, but that non-Union species may actually like you more!
CYBORGS
Also allowed! So slap a robot arm/leg/eye on whoever you want and call it a day. I will say this, though: while augmentation might give you a superstrong arm, or x-ray vision, or tools stored inside your fingers, it DOES come with disadvantages to even it out. Robotic parts run on tiny battery packs, mostly, and while these packs do last for several weeks under normal use, there is the danger of running out if you forget about it for too long or if you're in a dangerous/high-stress situation for a long time. After the battery runs out, it starts running off of caloric input, and you get tired super fast and if you continue to use your augmentation a lot, you could even die. So RECHARGE! (On the plus side, the Audacia isn't exactly a normal ship with a perfect crew, so there's likely bunches of 'human-plus' crewmembers. Go wild!)
ROBOTS
True AI hasn't been developed by the Union/isn't fully-fuctional/isn't cheap enough to just start mass-producing sentient robots. The closest you'll get to sentient AI on the Audacia is the ship's computer, but that may just be because she learned sass from the crew and is mimicking them. No one really wants to find out. In that case, completely robot characters, inside and out, are highly unlikely. Sorry!
Remember, feel free to make your own! I'll add them here (unless you ask me to keep your species unlisted) when your character is accepted.
PAVOBARI
From the planet Teludan, these species are humanoid, but have flaps of skin between their arms and legs like flying squirrels. This capability allows them to glide for short distances. However, they have a smaller heart that beats much faster than a normal human, shortening their lifespan to about fifty years, and they are frailer in combat. They speak a separate language called Pavi. They are allied with the Union.
XOLIANS
From the planet Oo'nish, these lizardlike humanoids are obsessed with death and the rituals and traditions associated with it. It is customary for them to erect large grave stones and statues to their dead, and much of their planet's surface is now has been covered with cemeteries. Several decades ago, they began burring their dead on a neighboring, uninhabitable world in their home star system, which is now known as The Planet of the Dead. They make most humans uneasy with their scaly skin and forked tongues. They are friendly with the Union.
VENALANS
From the planet Similia, these humanoids are generally larger than their human counterparts, at the average male height around 6'6". Venalans have an almost-indestructible leathery skin, making them impervious to most cutting or burning, but their internal systems are not nearly as strong. Venalans are involved in a military autocracy on their home planet. They are neutral with the Union.
SAERANS
From the archipelago of planets known as Grazar, these avians are the main enemy of the Union. Like cuckoos, Saerans seek to replace neighboring planets' races with their own, and one day RULE THE GALAXY. Only about a quarter of the population can actually fly, and this is referred to as the elite class. They are hostile with the union.
IMPRIZI
From the planet of Edania, these six-eyed humanoids are highly intelligent, with their average member about half again as smart as the average human. Unfortunately, due to their great intellect and small stature (about half as tall as a human), the Imprizi have been attacked multiple times by other races seeking to colonize them, such as the Saerans. Most Imprizi have abandoned their home moon and now live within Union space as refugees. They are allied with the Union.
HUMANS
You already know all about these. They founded the Union with the Imprizi and are always looking for more colonies. They are currently at war with the Saerans.
PAVOBARI
From the planet Teludan, these species are humanoid, but have flaps of skin between their arms and legs like flying squirrels. This capability allows them to glide for short distances. However, they have a smaller heart that beats much faster than a normal human, shortening their lifespan to about fifty years, and they are frailer in combat. They speak a separate language called Pavi. They are allied with the Union.
XOLIANS
From the planet Oo'nish, these lizardlike humanoids are obsessed with death and the rituals and traditions associated with it. It is customary for them to erect large grave stones and statues to their dead, and much of their planet's surface is now has been covered with cemeteries. Several decades ago, they began burring their dead on a neighboring, uninhabitable world in their home star system, which is now known as The Planet of the Dead. They make most humans uneasy with their scaly skin and forked tongues. They are friendly with the Union.
VENALANS
From the planet Similia, these humanoids are generally larger than their human counterparts, at the average male height around 6'6". Venalans have an almost-indestructible leathery skin, making them impervious to most cutting or burning, but their internal systems are not nearly as strong. Venalans are involved in a military autocracy on their home planet. They are neutral with the Union.
SAERANS
From the archipelago of planets known as Grazar, these avians are the main enemy of the Union. Like cuckoos, Saerans seek to replace neighboring planets' races with their own, and one day RULE THE GALAXY. Only about a quarter of the population can actually fly, and this is referred to as the elite class. They are hostile with the union.
IMPRIZI
From the planet of Edania, these six-eyed humanoids are highly intelligent, with their average member about half again as smart as the average human. Unfortunately, due to their great intellect and small stature (about half as tall as a human), the Imprizi have been attacked multiple times by other races seeking to colonize them, such as the Saerans. Most Imprizi have abandoned their home moon and now live within Union space as refugees. They are allied with the Union.
HUMANS
You already know all about these. They founded the Union with the Imprizi and are always looking for more colonies. They are currently at war with the Saerans.
RANKS ARE AS FOLLOWS, FROM LOWEST TO HIGHEST:
Crewman
Ensign
Lieutenant
Commander
Captain
Admiral
President of the Union
As of right now, the ship is being run by the department heads. Every head of department is a Commander, so they outrank most of the ship; when a major decision comes up, they agree on one path to take via majority vote, but the departments aren't really being watched by anyone other than the chiefs right now. Mostly, they're desperately trying to keep utter anarchy at bay.
DEPARTMENTS (no department is 'more important' than the others):
Crewman
Ensign
Lieutenant
Commander
Captain
Admiral
President of the Union
As of right now, the ship is being run by the department heads. Every head of department is a Commander, so they outrank most of the ship; when a major decision comes up, they agree on one path to take via majority vote, but the departments aren't really being watched by anyone other than the chiefs right now. Mostly, they're desperately trying to keep utter anarchy at bay.
DEPARTMENTS (no department is 'more important' than the others):
- Security: fighters, bodyguards, guardsmen, etc
- Sciences: researchers, botanists, meteorologists, etc
- Medical: doctors, surgeons, nurses, etc
- Engineering: repairs, warp techs, engineers, etc
- Pilots: shuttle pilots, navigators, ships pilots, etc
- Support: galactic mappers, administrative staff, counselors, etc
The Union of Allied Planets is a group founded by the humans and the Imprizi with multiple allies, mostly as a military alliance against the Saerans. In name, they're committed to space exploration and learning—in reality, they're dedicating most of their forces to fighting the enemy, THEN they can go for lofty ideals. Right now, they're holding back the Saerans and settling new colonies on as many planets as possible to build up their fighting force.
The Union Fleet is the main military operation. There are research vessels, space stations, and colony ships, not to mention privately owned vessels, but about half of the Union's ships are on the front lines trying to hold back the Saerans. The Audacia is a scouting ship, sent to update their intel on the battlezones with some other minor duties—a small ship filling in for the big ones that are away at war, essentially.
The Union has done great things for Earth—technology is advancing faster than ever before, and inter-species relations have been greatly improved. Most people who join up with the Union really are looking to protect their homes and the homes of others, but that's at the soldier level—when you get into the upper brass, it's a mess of politics. Hence, why the Audacia is at the bottom of the heap for mission choices, upgrades, and basically everything—Captain Ray refused to play that game.
The Union Fleet is the main military operation. There are research vessels, space stations, and colony ships, not to mention privately owned vessels, but about half of the Union's ships are on the front lines trying to hold back the Saerans. The Audacia is a scouting ship, sent to update their intel on the battlezones with some other minor duties—a small ship filling in for the big ones that are away at war, essentially.
The Union has done great things for Earth—technology is advancing faster than ever before, and inter-species relations have been greatly improved. Most people who join up with the Union really are looking to protect their homes and the homes of others, but that's at the soldier level—when you get into the upper brass, it's a mess of politics. Hence, why the Audacia is at the bottom of the heap for mission choices, upgrades, and basically everything—Captain Ray refused to play that game.
If there's a topic you'd like me to explain here, ask! I might just put it under a new heading!
CHARACTERS
- NAME: Margaret "Maggie" Mason
RANK: Commander
DEPARTMENT, POSITION: Engineering, Chief Engineer
RACE: Human
AGE: 29
GENDER: Female
APPEARANCE: Maggie Mason would’ve been great for Security, standing at about 5’10” and pretty damn muscular, but she picked the climbing-on-machines-all-day route. She has short, choppy, sandy hair, tanned skin, and green eyes. She's usually in uniform when she surfaces from Engineering's domain, but when she's down there, she's a regular grease monkey, jumpsuit sleeves knotted around her waist over her undershirt and banging on something with a wrench. There's a slightly crazy look to her eye and a pair of thick, angry eyebrows that most of the crew avoids at all costs.
SHORT BIO: Mason ended up in the Union Fleet because there really was nowhere else to go. She wasn't enough of a stickler for the rules to go into academics, she hated the private sector no matter how good the money was, and there was no way in hell she was getting stuck on this planet with the groundside military. Mostly, though? She'd watched countless members of her huge extended family die in space due to engineering failures in the heat of battle, and she knew she could do better. So she did. She only half regrets it.
PERSONALITY: Maggie is somewhat of a mad scientist—full of crazy ideas with the intellect to back it up. In general, she's a snappish, sarcastic, and downright grumpy genius, and oftentimes running the Engineering department is like herding cats, but she's fiercely loyal to the crew, and especially those under her care. She'd do anything to keep this ship in the air, especially now that the Captain is gone to God-knows-where.
TALENTS: mechanical genius; plays a mean hand of poker; good at putting the fear of Space God into younger crewmembers; is actually very good at managing Engineering and keeping her people happy; mixes drinks like a boss; willing to fling herself into dangerous machines or situations for the sake of others (talent or flaw, though?)
FLAWS: can't tell a lie to save her life; doesn't really care for diplomatic stuff so she basically never comes across as charming; probably drinks more than she should - NAME (Clan Name, Given Name): Rockland Vas
RANK: Lieutenant
DEPARTMENT, POSITION: Pilot, Navigator
AGE: 234 years old, or 54 compared to human biology.
GENDER: Male
RACE: Warock - Warocks are sentient carbon-based life forms from the planet Chernohaz, a hazardous world constantly being ravaged by sandstorms. All Warocks are blind, evolving past the need for eyes and use gills located near the base of their necks to breath and use other senses to "see". All Warocks also have rough, rock-like exoskeletons that makes them tough beings. Politically, Warocks trade and are allied with most species. They are allied with The Union.
SHORT BIO: Rockland Vas, (who just prefers Vas), is a former fighter pilot and special agent of the Warock Military. In his earlier years, Vas would pilot solo missions for his military or work on the ground for joint operations against the Saerans and rogue forces in his home system. After years of decorated service, Vas took an easy job aboard the USS Audacia as the ship's new navigator. Vas would never retire fully from service, but taking this gig felt like R&R compared to shit he's had to do in the past.
PERSONALITY:
Dry humored
Uninterested
Nonsocial
Easily tempered
Womanizer
Talents:
Hard worker
Military Training
Ace Fighter Pilot
Trained Navigator
Alien Exoskeleton
Survival Training
Flaws:
Cannot "see"
Harsh demeanor
Stubbornness
Anti-social
Easily tempered
Womanizer - NAME: Yam Yaskradawne (Amy Skydawner)
RANK: Ensign
DEPARTMENT, POSITION: Support, Neural Networks operator - A neural networks operator controls administrative things, and sorts out things. If someone sends a report of a pipe needing repaired, the operator would organised a repair team to be sent. They also control things such as the ship's internet, viewing security cameras and monitoring what the crew does and making sure that they don't do anything breaking laws or restrictions. They have access to all of the machines, so they can check status, and help with things such as robotic refueling of fighter craft, etc. The Neural networks operator carries around an Admin Deck to interface with the ship if they are away from their terminal.
RACE: Zenohunt (allied with Union, however with seperate fleets and militaries) - Zenohunts are human, however they have a mixed variety of what appears to be almost Earth animal features. Some may have the tail of a dog, others may have the ears of a cat. Only a tiny percentage have wings, and an even smaller percentage of them can actually fly. For this, Zenohunts are often reffered to as the 'alternate universe of Humans', of DNA that could mix with that of animals. In truth, nobody knows how Zenohunts came to be alike the Earth species. Some tribes of Zenohunts think Zariana chose for them to be that way. Zariana is the god of all Zenohunts. She watches over them, and blesses them, ensuring they are well.
Zenohunts never left their home system when they gained space technology. There were only three planets in their star system, Lemea, Popel and Candor, along with many, many asteroids, both individual and in varying sizes of belts, though the only major cities would be found on Lemea. Those two cities are the only two cities that are left untouched in the endless Zenohunt war. Ehop and Yasanctuar (Hope and Sanctuary, in English) will forever remain the two only cities in Zenohunt territory.
Asteroids and planets are not the only thing that you would find in the Zenohunt star system. Upon arrival, one would gasp at the sheer amount of ship debris in the system. Countless bases hidden in the asteroids showed that the Zenohunts were unmovable from their system. If a mysterious ship were to show up, it would die by either a Zenohunt battle group or by a hidden weapons platform, dug deep into an asteroid.
The only reason that Humans survived when they arrived was because they came upon one of the more civilized of Zenohunt groups. Peace was agreed toward the Humans, however Zenohunts still battled eachother frequently because of disputes and other matters.
Zenohunts speak 'Zenospeak', however they began learning English as well once Humans came along. One of the main facts of Zenohunts is that they are taught what they want to be when they are older from a very young age. If a child says, "Mommy, I wanna be a police man when I'm older", guess what? He's probably going to end up in a security role. If some little girl watches to much news and TV and says "Daddy, I want to work with MTA cannons!" They'll be working either as a gunner or tactical weapons officer on a ship. Something frowned upon by other races is that yes, Zenohunts train their young to be what they first said without a change of mind, however Zenohunt young will literally be what they want at a young age, or be something similar. For example, a Zenohunt learning to be a gunner will probably have the chance to be a Coota (one of various Zenohunt vehicles. Specifically, a Coota is a small vehicle that is literally a car with a machine gun on it. Young gunners use those as they require very little experience to use.) gunner at the age of fourteen. Obviously, higher roles, such as manning a tank, will require an older age and/or a lot more training.
AGE: 19
GENDER: Female
APPEARANCE:
This image, however, she has the ears of a grey wolf, and the tail of a grey wolf.
SHORT BIO: Amy was born in Yasanctuar, so she was safe from a lot of the fighting that happened occasionally on Lemea. However, this sanctuary didn't go on for long. "I want to be a computer lady on a ship flying through space!" That sentence sentenced her to training in the navy. At fifteen years old, with a final exam passing of 90%, she was flown to space and stationed on a frigate in the Yasanctuar navy. From that point on, she went ship hopping, one time because of a promotion to Ensign, another time because of an attack that ended up with her ship being damaged to the point where personnel were forced to use their escape cells, but mainly just because of re-assignment, even to Union ships. That eventually ended up with her being stationed on the USS Audacia.
PERSONALITY:
+Friendly
+Supportive
=+Tries to socialize
=Slightly shy
=-Easy to frighten
=-Slightly upsetable
-Gets angry to those who speak badly of Zenohunt religion toward Zariana
TALENTS/FLAWS:
+Able to manage her role well
+Formal during work-time
+Trained in hand-to-hand and short-range weapon combat
=-Has mood shifts every-so-often
-Tends to attack if threatened - NAME: Christian Malory
RANK: Ensign
DEPARTMENT, POSITION: Support, Black market trader (although the ship lists him as a security officer)
RACE: Human
AGE: 26
GENDER: Male
SHORT BIO: Coming out of a planet on the edge of union territory, Christian never had the easiest time getting by. His whole life he was surrounded by the poorest and rudest of beings in the universe. He saw his fair share of shady deals go down and through this built a network of traders in the black market. Whenever he needed anything, or a close friend did he was the guy who could get it far faster than any official could, and generally at higher quality too. Problem was that he was pricier. He began to make a name for himself and built an interplanetary network that reached into the heart of the union, and he made his way hitchhiking around the union territory grabbing the illegal or rare items he needed before a captain decided his... connections would be useful for his ship and crew. Ever since then he's been masquerading as a security guard on the scouting ship, while handling all of their relations to an underground criminal market operations.
PERSONALITY: Growing up in one of the shittiest (can we swear?) planets, not much scares him. He grew up with guns and knives pointed at him. He's slow to trust but loyal to anyone that he deems a friend. He has a strangely optimistic view of most people despite his upbringing. He doesn't take threats seriously, other than those of his crew mates. He's a bit trigger happy as well, not truly valuing the lives of anyone he doesn't trust. At least he knows who not to mouth off to.
TALENTS/FLAWS: Diplomacy in general. He can fake being posh and noble, as well as getting along with street rats.
He is a bit too ready to take a life
His mood can change very fast depending on the topic of conversation. His past isn't really up for public review. - NAME: Dr. Annalynn O’Neil, commonly nicknamed Bolts
RANK: Technically a Commander as she heads the Sciences department, but has the real-life military experience of a rookie.
DEPARTMENT, POSITION: Sciences, Department Head (Weapons R&D Focus)
RACE: Human
AGE: 34
GENDER: Female
APPEARANCE:
Measuring up at a meager 5’3 and barely breaking a hundred and ten pounds, it’s not hard to see why Annalynn isn’t the military type. She’s often well dressed and in clean, well-kept condition - impressive, given that she spends much of her time on military ships.
SHORT BIO: Annalynn was born into a military family with a long line of members serving in the Union Fleet. With a doctorate in mechanical physics, additional degrees in politics and psychology, and a lifetime of experience putting weapons together both large and small scale, Annalynn was approached by the Union Fleet to run weapons development programs on its ships. It was an easy choice for her, given the pressure from her family. However, by the time she served on her first ship, she was 32, having spent much of her life in school. As such, her practical experience is extremely limited, though it’s hard to argue with her intellect.
PERSONALITY: If she wasn’t a scientist, Annalynn would probably have been a politician. She is extremely good at maintaining her composure in heated social situations, and is an intensely charismatic individual, sometimes to the point of overwhelming those around her. She’s an extrovert, of course, but she’s not obnoxious about it - Annalynn knows how to mind her manners.
In addition, Annalynn stands by the age-old idiom, “knowledge is power.” She places intellect and facts before anything else, though the well-being of her friends and colleagues is a close second on her list of priorities.
TALENTS:
She can build you a gun, and a damn good one at that. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is, Annalynn can build it.
Maintains her composure in heated situations better than most politicians
An excellent people person
Strong respect for the chain of command
FLAWS:
Physically a very weak person
No combat or tactical experience
Relentlessly holds to her opinion until proven wrong. At least she’ll be polite about it.
Strong respect for the chain of command (hey, some people see it as a fault!) - NAME: Kal Rama
RANK: Former Lieutenant in the UAP SPESS MEHREEN Corps
DEPARTMENT, POSITION: Chief of security
RACE: Augmented human super soldier
AGE: 74, appears 23-28
GENDER: Female
APPEARANCE:
SHORT BIO: A former super-soldier bred in a lab like all the rest for the UAP Space Marine Corps. Kal was, at one point, a Lieutenant in the Corps, but was dishonorably discharged more than a decade ago due to "gross negligence, incompetence, and a failure to meet the standards befitting of a squad leader". She refuses to say why. She now works aboard the Audacia as the chief of security, a job she performs enthusiastically. A bit... too enthusiastically, according to some of the crewmembers.
PERSONALITY:
+Above average intelligence (although still dumb as rock by super soldier standards)
+Proactive
=+Headstrong
=+Takes her job seriously in as far as protecting the crew
=+Loyal to her superiors and crew, even if she doesn't like them
=+Has a harsh but good-natured sense of humor and is quick with the wisecracks
=-Antisocial
=-Likes to provoke and make fun of people
=-Can be lax when it comes to enforcing the ship's various rules and code of conduct amongst the crewmembers (she has been known to settle disputes between personnel by telling them to "work it out" and then sitting back and setting up a betting pool while the fists fly)
-Can be irritable on the best of days
-Foul-mouthed
-Violent
-Condescending
TALENTS:
-WARFIGHTING: Kal has been trained by the UAP Space Marine Corps, which means she is trained to kill, and damn good at it. She is proficient with almost any weapon you can give her, and has been instructed in a wide variety of deadly hand-to-hand techniques, some of which are unusable by normal humans. She can fly a ship, drive tanks and personnel carriers, and pilot all kinds of deadly weaponry, and has been known to hijack tanks and other vehicles.
-AUGMENTED HUMAN PHYSIQUE: Super soldiers like Kal were designed to be the Space Marine's ultimate weapon, a combination of man and machine that could fight to the death even when disarmed and disabled. They are incredibly resilient. Aside from being augmented by gen-engineered nanomachine organs, all super soldiers possess a thin layer of subdermal armor, like a layer of kevlar beneath the skin, and can hit harder and run faster and longer than any unenhanced human ever could. They're stronger, faster, and tougher than any ground troop, and can fill a variety of roles on the battlefield thanks to their advanced optics system, which allows them to see in the dark and through objects, as well as a variety of other visual filters useful for tracking, subterfuge and reconnaissance. They have an enhanced metabolism and immune system that allows them to eat a number of things most people would consider inedible, are immune to most diseases, and have genius-level intelligence as well as a programmed instinct towards violence. They are quite literally supermen, and cannot be argued or reasoned with. When faced with a UAP Marine Corps super soldier, your only options are run or fight, and you will not succeed in either.
-NANOMACHINES (SON!): The specially gen-engineered nanomachine organs in Kal's body afford her a number of superhuman abilities, at great cost. She is incredibly resilient, able to heal from almost any wound that overcomes her sturdy sub-dermal armor with medical nanomachines produced by an organ behind, below, and to the right of her left kidney. Gunshot wounds, cuts, stab wounds, and even impalement and severe organ damage can be repaired relatively quickly, a shot to the heart by a low caliber weapon healing completely within minutes and enabling a return to combat effectiveness in seconds. Even if Kal were to lose a limb or a few fingers, she can heal back to full health as long as she can find the missing digits or appendages and reattach them, a process which is relatively quick depending on how clean the separation was. If any part of her is lost completely and cannot be reattached, it can be regrown over the course of a few weeks or days given the right environment and medical care.
However, these nanomachines do not make her immortal, as invincible as she may seem. Her stamina is low, as the rapid-healing the nanomachines provide can be very energy intensive, and batteries, if she even has them, can only last so long. After that it starts to work off of calories, which can quickly deteriorate Kal's body to the point of starvation if left unchecked. Pushed to the absolute limit, the nanomachines may simply run out of energy completely and Kal will die. Furthermore, there are some wounds she simply cannot heal from. For example, if more than 60% of her body is destroyed, she will be left on the brink of death with only a 50/50 chance of survival even with the best care, and decapitation is a guaranteed kill assuming no one is around to retrieve her head and reattach it before her brain function expires (although minor to moderate brain damage from gunshots is within her ability to recover from). Her healing process can also be hindered temporarily by the careful and precise destruction of the organ which produces the nanomachines designated for medical purposes.
Perhaps the greatest flaw of Kal's nanomachines is the most misunderstood one. Nanomachines are not magic, all-purpose plot MacGuffins. They each have a specific purpose and cannot exceed the parameters with which they were programmed, hence the number and variety of nanomachine-producing organs Kal has. If the organ that produces communication-type nanomachines is damaged, its role cannot be filled by the organ that produces medical nanomachines, or the organ that produces the nanomachines that reinforce her subdermal armor. Against an opponent with military history who knows the anatomy of a Union super-soldier, disabling the vast majority of Kal's superhuman abilities granted to her by nanomachines is easy. Even EMP grenades can be used to temporarily stun such a super soldier, making them formidable, but far from unbeatable.
Other, less important abilities granted to her by nanomachines include the ability to temporarily reinforce her subdermal armor and nanocommunications (think Snake's codec from Metal Gear).
FLAWS: Genetically prone to violence and conflict, has terrible interpersonal skills, and her combat effectiveness in the field is effectively limited by how many batteries she's carrying and how recently she's eaten (and how much). Although intelligent by the standards of the average human, she has little specific knowledge of the sciences or mathematics, and has a hard time relating to people due to her superhuman abilities and the circumstances of her birth, as well as the life she's led up until now. - NAME: Dr. Roy Cason
RANK: Lieutenant commander
DEPARTMENT, POSITION: Medical, chief medical officer (Head doctor, physician and surgeon)
RACE: Human
AGE: 38
GENDER: Male
APPEARANCE:
A skinnier man of average height, 5'9, Roy dresses like a doctor would, slacks, a button up shirt with a tie, a white coat and boots fit for a ship. He is in fine shape with a sharp diet but is no physical specimen.
SHORT BIO: Born deep in Union space, Roy Cason has always dreamed of exploring the stars ever since he was a little colony kid. He was an outstanding student who early on knew he wanted to become something in the medical field. After years of hard work he acquired all of the proper degrees he decided to enlist in the Union Fleet which he did.
After that he was all over the place, stationed and colonies and other times ships. It didn't really matter to him though he enjoyed ships much more which may have lead to him ending up on the USS Audacia as the chief medical officer. He was eager about the opportunity, happy to once again be on a ship with a crew of all kinds of people.
PERSONALITY: Roy is a peculiar man, normally very quiet and to himself unless dealing with a patient, in which his demeanor seems to change. His words are honest and straightforward, he does not sugarcoat anything and takes his job extremely seriously. He's a man of strong moral convictions which hold the preciousness of life, human or other above all else. In other words he is a humanist that cares about organic life. He's fascinated by life and all of its questions as well as space and the 'little miracles'.
TALENTS:
- An extremely skilled doctor, physician and surgeon with years of experience to back up a high level of knowledge in the medical field. He has admitted to being most skilled in dealing with human based medicine, but has knowledge of many different species. He possesses an understand of biology, which includes humans and a multitude of other known species.
- Works great under pressure and in high intensity situations. Surgery while the ship is under fire? No problem. Reattaching an arm while the owner is bleeding out? Not an issue. He doesn't panic.
FLAWS:
- He's a pacifist. He strongly believes that a nonviolent solution is often the most effective, and dislikes war and conflict in general. He will only resort to it as a means of defense either to himself or someone else, never as an aggressor. He's fine with serving on a ship full of military personal, just he himself doesn't want anything to do with the combat.
- Not particularly skilled in combat, while he knows how to aim and fire a gun, he's not anything special with one. Also while he keeps his body in shape, he isn't a fighter.
- Hates being ordered around. While he will listen to a commanding office, he hates being ordered around like a grunt. He's a doctor, dammit.
- Dr. Roy can be very blunt and forward, sometimes to an extreme point. He'll give his exact, honest opinions when asked to. Comes with being a doctor and having to tell people harsh truths. - NAME: Malcolm Conadon
RANK: Lieutenant
DEPARTMENT, POSITION: Space Cartographer and Explorer, Historian
RACE: Human
AGE: 27
GENDER: Male
APPEARANCE:
SHORT BIO: Malcom has always dreamed over exploring the stars. He grew up in the under-bellies of the city world Galion, so he never saw the night sky for what it truly was. Yet occasionally, on the clearest nights, when there was little air traffic, Malcom could see the faintest lights of faraway stars and he knew that he would one day explore them all. Malcom is a genius and his intelligence bought him a ticket off-world. He attended the Union Military Academy until he graduated at the age of eighteen, one of the top ten of his class. Yet unlike the rest of his classmates, he did not pursue a high-ranking position in the Union Armada. While he is a capable soldier and leader and he believes in the war effort, it is not something that he pursues. Rather, he wishes to explore the universe and all it has to offer, as he sees that as the true reason the Union was founded. There is much to learn out there in the expanse that is space and Malcolm intends to learn it all. Every star system, every planet, every species and their histories, he wants to know it all.
PERSONALITY: Malcom is crazy. That is the best way to describe him. He is an eccentric, neurotic, off-his rockers type of person. He often talks in long, rushed sentences, rarely pausing for breath. This often occurs when someone mentions history, so do not mention anything historical in his presence, unless you want a light-year long lecture. Malcom is kind and likable, though. You can’t not like him. He always has a big, goofy smile on his face and he likes to make jokes, even if they aren’t always funny. He’s a lovable guy, despite all his quirks.
TALENTS/FLAWS: Malcom is well versed in the history of the known universe. He could easily slip into an intellectual conversation about nearly any world. He also has nearly every star chart memorized, knowing the majority of the universe better than the back of his hand. Malcom also is somewhat skilled in combat and leadership due to his training at the Military Academy, though that is far from his strong suit. One of Malcom’s flaws is that he doesn’t know when to stop talking. He will often go on and on and on, much to the despair of his companions. He can also be quite intrusive and poke his nose into businesses he would probably be better off leaving alone.
(I apologize for how similar Malcom is to the Doctor. It’s just how he came out to be as I was writing him. The picture is what is because…well because it works). - Name (Full name always given in reverse order): Kiera Alexander Lumiere Tal’mar Klaus Cato Yen Nix’teoin
Rank: Diplomatic Attaché
Department: Diplomatic Core, Support
Role (Official): Diplomacy, trade negotiations, political advisor, linguistic support
Role (Unofficial): Cook, counsellor, songstress
Race: Nix’teoin (human host, female, 23)
Planet of Origin – Arnak
Overview - Nix’teoin are a race of small amorphous biomasses that possess limited physical capabilities and instead take control of host bodies through entanglement of the hosts spinal column and brain (or analogues of such systems). Nix’teoin often survive the death of their host, provided they are removed into a special serum within several hours of host death.
Social Structure – No social structure of their own and will often assimilate into the social hierarchy that their host body belonged within.
Physical Traits (Nix’teoin) – As an amorphous biological mass their physical capabilities are non-existent, possessing virtually no motility and very limited sensory capacity. Therefore the physical traits of the species is defined by that of the host species which the Nix’teoin are bound to, only improved due to the Nix’teoin’s ability to partially modify its host at the genetic level. This results in a ‘better’ version of the original host.
Mental Capacity – Astounding, originally leading to the theory that the Nix’teoin were designed as a form of highly efficient biological processor for a form of technology that combined organic and nonorganic components. It is for this reason that Nix’teoin will crush the psyche of virtually any host organism, even when subjected to inhibiting factors. Despite fears to the contrary Nix’teoin cannot ‘steal’ memories from their hosts as the implantation process usually destroys the hosts memories.
Reproduction (Nix’teoin) – Unknown for Nix’teoin themselves. Nix’teoin within a host can reproduce with other individuals of the same host race, producing normal, healthy offspring of that race.
Diplomatic Status – Officially allied with the Union, however there are always rogue elements that have different motivations.
Age: Uncertain (she forgets)
Gender: Neither
Appearance: Nix’teoin themselves are not organisms that can be easily described or differentiated by most species, so for that reason they are often described in terms of their host and their chosen name. Kiera’s current host is a 5ft10 female with a slender, lithe build. She has a fair skin and shoulder length white blonde hair with just a slight dashing of freckles beneath striking purple eyes. She wears the standard issue attire of her position as a member of the Diplomatic Core.
Biography (current host): Kiera first became Kiera 5 years ago following her transplantation into the brain dead body of one Kiera Hitomi, a 23 year old woman who had been involved in a horrific accident that left her badly injured and clinically brain dead. As an organ donor Kiera Hitomi was in death a viable host for the recently ‘orphaned’ Nix’teoin Alexander, whose last host body died due to bullet related injuries to the head. With no objection s raised by the family the procedure was carried out within a matter of hours, with Alexander restoring the body to a fully healthy state within a matter of earth days. Already a member of the Union’s Diplomatic Core Kiera was immediately reinstated and given a new assignment.
Personality: Kiera is a calm, composed and exceedingly patient individual who is able to tolerate a great deal without becoming angry or frustrated, seemingly either unaware or unconcerned by the shenanigans of specific crew members. For this reason she can come as being a little ‘slow’ to those who do not know her well. Or so it would appear. When she does become angry it often manifests not in hot blooded rage but as a cold calculating vehemence that makes even the boldest of marines wary of her soft silken tones and beautiful smile. In her off time Kiera enjoys cooking and is under the delusion that she is actually rather good at it. The majority of the time she is a polite and friendly member of the crew which puts people at ease around her.
Talents
Enchantress - Kiera has what humans call a silver tongue, that is to say she is very talented with words. This makes her very good when it comes to negotiations, seduction and diplomacy, not to mention lying. Courtesy of her host bodies vocal cords she is also in possession of a beautiful singing voice.
Linguist – Having lived in many different cultures (and bodies) during her existence Kiera has a wide range of vocabularies and dialects at her disposal, a talent most useful when dealing with people who think she cannot understand what they are saying. She often curses in old, sometime dead languages.
Well Connected – Knowing people and their secrets is always a useful trait, especially when you need something that they have and don’t want to give. Kiera, at odds with her warm and friendly demeanour is not above blackmail when it suits her.
Flaws
Culinary Genius? - The best thing that could be said about her culinary creations are that they are not particularly poisonous (though many might wish otherwise once tasted) and are, from a purely nutritional perspective very healthy.
Gender Association - With no defined gender Kiera can at times ‘forget’ the norms that are associated with her hosts gender, leading to awkward situations.
Others
When a Nix’teoin’s host body dies the Nix’teoin is considered to be ‘orphaned’ until a new host body is located.
The concept of ‘racism’ is incomprehensible to a species such as the Nix’teoin who often inhabit many species during their lifespan.
Nix’teoin do not remember how they ‘die’. That is to say they do not possess memories of the last few minutes of their previous hosts life. There is no clear biological reason for this and it is assumed that is an evolved response to protect the psyche of the Nix’teoin. Most people don’t get to survive their first death after all.
NAME: what do i call you?
RANK: list is above!
DEPARTMENT, POSITION: this list is also above for departments, think of something within reason for position!
RACE: pick a pre-made race from above, or make your own! if you're making your own, please include a short description of your chosen race.
AGE: no one under 18, and an 18-year-old would have to be pretty exceptional to be on a spaceship.
GENDER: male? female? other?
APPEARANCE: you can use a picture, or describe!
SHORT BIO: some short pre-Audacia history, or possibly your reasons for being on the ship at all. go crazy!
PERSONALITY: you can do a paragraph, a bullet list, even just a series of words that apply to your character!
TALENTS/FLAWS: stuff you're good at! stuff you're not so good at!
(please post your character applications under the 'character' tab!)
RANK: list is above!
DEPARTMENT, POSITION: this list is also above for departments, think of something within reason for position!
RACE: pick a pre-made race from above, or make your own! if you're making your own, please include a short description of your chosen race.
AGE: no one under 18, and an 18-year-old would have to be pretty exceptional to be on a spaceship.
GENDER: male? female? other?
APPEARANCE: you can use a picture, or describe!
SHORT BIO: some short pre-Audacia history, or possibly your reasons for being on the ship at all. go crazy!
PERSONALITY: you can do a paragraph, a bullet list, even just a series of words that apply to your character!
TALENTS/FLAWS: stuff you're good at! stuff you're not so good at!
(please post your character applications under the 'character' tab!)
