LiotrentDoes anyone wanna be the Doctrinate's buddy. I'll do your planetary gardening for you!
The Commonwealth will be their...friends.
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The Commonwealth will be their...friends.
om nom nom nom nom
I cobbled together a blurby approximation of where the Commonwealth is. It's atrocious and I highly recommend put the original nations in there keep doing it for others.
Party lasers are best lasers.
Got an explorer post up. Nation post will follow in a day or so.
@Queen Raidne let me know if anything needs adjusting, I tried not to take too many liberties with Ragnorak and its residents.
Got an explorer post up. Nation post will follow in a day or so.
@Queen Raidne let me know if anything needs adjusting, I tried not to take too many liberties with Ragnorak and its residents.
Friedrich Lochland
Ragnorak Station Approach Vector
MSV Friedrich Lochland inched its way towards one of the stations docking bays, now on the final phase of its approach. It was generally considered good policy to maneuver on thrusters only this close to a station, lest a stray misfiring of a main drive melt a hole somewhere where holes should not be melted.
MSV was perhaps a misleading prefix for the Friedrich Lochland. It was indeed registered with the Commonwealth Ministry of Commerce as a “Merchant Space Vessel”, but it was considerably faster and better armed than most ships of the same designation. Friedrich Lochland was in fact a decommissioned Unyielding class heavy cruiser, purchased and refurbished from the scrapyards above Bravia. Formerly named RCNS Impatient, the vessel’s original hull was over a hundred years old, and it had been mothballed for 50 before being refurbished and renamed. The Unyielding class predated Commonwealth Gamma lasers, so its turrets were less potent Xray lasers. Combined with the removal of its axial weapons, it was cleared for civilian ownership and operations, but it was still very much a warship. Just a very, very old one.
The expense of purchasing and maintaining such a vessel exceeded the costs of a more traditional freighter, but the Friedrich Lochland’s captain had come to possess it under some interesting circumstances. The captain himself was an interesting man, engaged in all sorts of interesting business. His name...was also Friedrich Lochland. Lochland was a bit of everything; innocent cargo hauler when it suited him, smuggler and gun for hire most of the time. He occasionally took passengers as well; there wasn’t much of a market for high security high discretion personal transport, but those few who needed the service tended to pay well.
Lochland prowled around the bridge, deep within his ship’s armoured bulk. He was a male Vit’azny, a touch over 70. He was a little on the tall side and a little on the thin side. His frame was lithe, but well muscled, and he twisted a stylus between his fingers with tremendous dexterity. Shutting down the IDC always left him feeling vulnerable and therefore fidgety. “Status?” he called out.
“We’re about 500 meters out, Captain. Shutting down thrusters and letting station tractors take over,” Vana replied with a touch of exasperation. Vana Sadi was a Yanissan woman who served as Lochland’s pilot and first officer. On most ships, the two roles were filled by separate people, but Lochland insisted that he was the only one allowed to walk around the bridge looking ‘captain-y’.
“Well I’m sorry that my concern is bothering you Vana,” Lochland replied sarcastically. “We’re just a little exposed here, and starships are very expensive. I think about these things Vana, that’s why I’m Captain and you’re...well, definitely not Captain.”
Lochland’s sarcasm blew over his XO like so much hot air, the woman having long since gotten used to his eccentricities. Something on the display gave her pause though. Vana frowned. “Freddy, can you confirm? It looks like there’s an outbound craft on main drives”
A holographic depiction of the ship’s AI construct flickered into existence beside the Yanissan woman. It closely resembled Lochland, except it was a touch more handsome and gallant looking. “I see it too,” Freddy confirmed. “It’s coming right this way. Idiot can’t drive a boat.”
“Indeed. Hold tight for a moment everyone.” Vana reengaged thrusters in an instant and pushed the Friedrich Lochland just in time to clear it of the small yacht’s reckless flight.
Lochland swore. “Freddy, open a channel, blast them with whatever loud shrill noises you think might be most annoying.”
Horns, of course, didn’t work in space, but filling the radiowaves with obnoxious noises could be just as satisfying. Without any further delay, the Friedrich Lochland resumed docking.
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Despite earning the nickname “Coalition of Reasonable People”, the Coalition remained a prime market for Yanissan narcotics. It was a cargo hold full of such narcotics that brought Lochland and his crew to Ragnorak station. Well, technically his hold was full of industrial chemicals, but they were laced with all kinds of drugs that could be extracted and made ready for consumer use quite easily. It was a fairly standard smuggling trick, and it certainly wouldn’t have worked if he was going to say, Praetoria, but customs on Ragnorak station were considerably less existent.
Lochland and Vana were just finishing up business with their local buyer, a member of the Syndicate of course, when he was interrupted by a call. The two of them made a show of not eavesdropping while they desperately tried to eavesdrop; Lochland did it because it was a bad habit, while Vana was more concerned their deal was about to go south. Fortunately the call didn’t seem to be about their current deal, though Vana had noticed their contact giving them meaningful glances.
Their contact, named Slarty, sidled over and spoke up. “Lochland, you’ve got a pretty fast ship, good crew, and some nice firepower. You’re a great smuggler-”
“That’s, ‘honest merchant Captain’, Slarty” Lochland interjected.
“Right. Anyways, how do you feel about bounty hunting? There’s some particular people the Syndicate wants brought back here, and they’re willing to pay nicely.”
“It’s not my usual gig, but for an old friend I can look into it.”
Slarty scribbled a number on a data pad and slid it towards Lochland, whose eyes visibly bulged. “Yes, yes I can certainly look into it.”
“Excellent. We have every reason to believe the targets have left Coalition space, which incidentally is why we need you. We’ve confirmed they’re aboard this yacht, the Father’s Delight” Slarty called up the yacht in question on the pad.
Lochland laughed. “Oh perfect. That’s the ship that almost ran into us on the way in here. I do love it when the gods have a sense of irony.”
It didn’t take them long to work out the details. Time was of the essence, and before they knew it, Lochland and Vana were back aboard the Friedrich Lochland and preparing the ship for departure.
“Freddy,” Lochland called out, “did you get a good read on the emissions from that yacht that almost hit us earlier?”
“Course I did, it nearly flew up my nose didn’t it?”
Lochland grinned. “Well, set a pursuit course. We’re going bounty hunting.”
Itty bitty post for Kyle. I find colouring the dialogue pretty tedious work, so I've dropped it again, let me know if that's causing any confusion.
For Thael, I'm really quite stuck until Rockette posts, because I can't really say what he'd do. Stick with his teammate and attack? Try to pull Selene back? Wait and see?. I definitely have enough to make a post about him being paralyzed with indecision, but that would amount to a really long fancy way of saying "he sat there and did nothing", so I'm going to see how Mags reacts and then tailor Thael's response accordingly.
For Thael, I'm really quite stuck until Rockette posts, because I can't really say what he'd do. Stick with his teammate and attack? Try to pull Selene back? Wait and see?. I definitely have enough to make a post about him being paralyzed with indecision, but that would amount to a really long fancy way of saying "he sat there and did nothing", so I'm going to see how Mags reacts and then tailor Thael's response accordingly.
Hammer of the Army The Fields Kyle Ademnon Conrad
The elation flooding Kyle promptly fizzled out when he noticed some of his own energy being directed back at him. “Well shit,” he muttered to himself, before being forcibly blown off the roof of the transport to land on his back in the mud.
His ears were ringing, and every last scrap of air had been knocked out of his body, but somehow Kyle felt himself laughing. It seemed so fitting that his very first combat experience end with him flat on his ass in the mud. He ached in various sharp ways, but already his spirits were fluttering about, encouraging his body to mend. His armour, however, was toast, almost literally. It was partially melted in places, the HUD was nonfunctional, and the chestplate was cracked right through.
Getting the helmet off took some time, as it turned out. He finally wrestled it free as Olivia rounded the corner of the transport and offered him a hand. He took it, grinning. “Tell him what, how I saved you? Go right ahead.” He didn’t know any of the other Guardians; they exchanged subdued greetings as they filed into the transport, except for one who might have had long blonde hair under a thick layer of mud and...guck. Kyle instantly liked his lighthearted new companion. “Dashingly handsome? I’ll have to take your word for it” he said with a laugh, referencing Graham’s current appearance.
Kyle spent the trip to the front trying to pry off the remainder of his armor, with little success. It would take some tools he didn’t have access to at the moment. When they arrived at the MOV, Kyle had to make his way to the armory and find someone to get him out of the melted carapace, then stop by the medbay to treat any injuries his spirits hadn’t handled. Only then could he think about something as luxurious as a shower.
The elation flooding Kyle promptly fizzled out when he noticed some of his own energy being directed back at him. “Well shit,” he muttered to himself, before being forcibly blown off the roof of the transport to land on his back in the mud.
His ears were ringing, and every last scrap of air had been knocked out of his body, but somehow Kyle felt himself laughing. It seemed so fitting that his very first combat experience end with him flat on his ass in the mud. He ached in various sharp ways, but already his spirits were fluttering about, encouraging his body to mend. His armour, however, was toast, almost literally. It was partially melted in places, the HUD was nonfunctional, and the chestplate was cracked right through.
Getting the helmet off took some time, as it turned out. He finally wrestled it free as Olivia rounded the corner of the transport and offered him a hand. He took it, grinning. “Tell him what, how I saved you? Go right ahead.” He didn’t know any of the other Guardians; they exchanged subdued greetings as they filed into the transport, except for one who might have had long blonde hair under a thick layer of mud and...guck. Kyle instantly liked his lighthearted new companion. “Dashingly handsome? I’ll have to take your word for it” he said with a laugh, referencing Graham’s current appearance.
Kyle spent the trip to the front trying to pry off the remainder of his armor, with little success. It would take some tools he didn’t have access to at the moment. When they arrived at the MOV, Kyle had to make his way to the armory and find someone to get him out of the melted carapace, then stop by the medbay to treat any injuries his spirits hadn’t handled. Only then could he think about something as luxurious as a shower.
I'm still here, still lurking
@Queen Raidne Super special awesome! I'll get started on that in two days or so.
@Sigma Same sort of timeline, right meow my other RP needs a little attention.
@Sigma Same sort of timeline, right meow my other RP needs a little attention.
Posted my second IC. Actually pushing some story now.
Next thing to work on is an explorer post.
@Queen Raidne, what would you think of my explorer landing on Ragnorak station, then getting contracted by the Syndicate to chase down your explorer?
Next thing to work on is an explorer post.
@Queen Raidne, what would you think of my explorer landing on Ragnorak station, then getting contracted by the Syndicate to chase down your explorer?
The Winter Palace
Brandenburg
Praetoria
“...and that, your Imperial Majesty, concludes Lord Sir Castlereagh’s proposal. Once again I hope this message finds you in the best of health, and look forward to our next meeting. On behalf of your Majesty’s government, this is Lord Chancellor Edwin Wenzel Metternich. Message concludes.” The holoprojector flickered off. Imperial Queen Catherine Romanov reclined in her seat slightly and tented her fingers. She cast her gaze around the sunroom, enjoying the warmth that was so rare on Praetoria. This particular sunroom was not to be confused with the Sun Room, a massive banquet hall in the Constanietsy wing of the Summer Palace. This sunroom was a personal retreat in the Winter Palace, the section of the Imperial Palace Complex reserved for the Royal Family’s day to day living. She was not alone of course; various Su’urtugal guards of the Imperskiy Vichnesk were camouflaged around and outside the chamber. Joining them were two Su’urtugal from Lord Captain Commander Martuf’s own retinue, causing some friction in the room. Nobody was allowed to bring armed guards into the presence of the Imperial Queen; nobody except Lord Captain Commanders of the Yanissan principalities, as their constitution required they have armed guards at all times. It was one of the many complexities of Imperial law that had caused some real headaches in the early days of the Commonwealth, but nowadays everyone had gotten used to it. If Su’urtugal were capable of pride, the friction in the room might have been called professional rivalry.
Catherine and Martuf themselves effortlessly ignored the discomfort of their guards; being surrounded by them since birth made one very good at ignoring them. Martuf joined the Queen in tenting his fingers. She shot him a quizzical glance, suspecting she was being teased, but Martuf feigned innocence.
It was the Yanissan who finally broke the silence. “Well, that’s all nice and good, except both Castlereagh and Metternich completely underestimate the difficulty of fighting the Xim in their territory.”
“So you’ve said before,” Catherine replied, “but you didn’t see fit to advise either of them on the subject?”
“They’re on Corinthene right now. I hate Corinthene, not enough sleaze,” Martuf said dismissively.
“You find Praetoria sleazy?”
“Not at all, your Imperial Majesty, but it certainly is decadent, which is almost as good.”
“I’m so glad we could accommodate you. Can we get back on topic? I’m still inclined to accept Castlereagh’s proposal. Regardless of the Xim’s defensive capabilities, the war with the Federation demonstrated how poor their offensive capabilities are. A mutual defence pact with the Federation would cost us very little, but gain us a great deal of goodwill, and possibly an ally in other potential conflicts.”
She was right in many ways, Martuf noted with just a touch of pride at the Queen’s diplomatic sense. Still, he decided to press the issue, partially to test her and partially because he didn’t think the Federation would make a very useful ally. “We may be better off trying to reach a preemptive diplomatic solution with the X’Cor.”
The Queen shook her head. “You know as well as I such a thing would cost Metternich his government. And a constitutional crisis if I tried to Mandate it through. Nobody wants diplomatic resolutions with a bunch of disgusting slavers. The entire population is practically waiting for the X’Cor to try something so we can kick their asses back to the stone age.”
Right again. Martuf himself knew that the X’Cor slave rebellion was wrapping up, which would leave the X’Cor free to resume their expansionist tendencies. They were still a ways from open hostilities, but understandably the populace of the Commonwealth didn’t sleep very easily with hyper-militaristic slavers sitting at their northern border.
“I’ve made up my mind on this, though of course I appreciate your input Martuf,” the Queen said resolutely. “This is about accruing diplomatic goodwill, something we’re rather in need of. I’m going to issue a Royal Mandate on the subject and give Metternich all the support he needs. I want envoys in Federation space within the week.”
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Federation-Commonwealth border
3 days later
A Reliant-class battlecruiser, the Anna Karenina, dropped out of warp well on the Commonwealth side of the border and began broadcasting.
“This is RCNS Anna Karenina, Captain Arthur Wellesley speaking. We are carrying a diplomatic delegation and request permission to enter UFS space.”
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