Member
Crimson Flame
Kensai
wintersoldier
Thayr
FourtyTwo
Lunamaria Hawke
datadogie
Half Pint
FosterHanging in the airless void above a green-blue world sheathed in cotton-wool clouds, the silvery-grey wheel of Confederation station Hoyland Station spun lazily and patiently. Miles across, the steadily spinning structure had almost spidery protrusions all around it's circumference; antennae, docking arms and pylons, heat radiators, solar panels and all manner of other devices. Amongst them, light reflected off of the hulls and hides of spacecraft, mecha, and people in spacesuits industriously working at all manner of tasks to support the gigantic structure and the hundreds of thousands of souls within its' protective embrace.
Nestled alongside one of the many docking arms, the angular yet sleek shape of a modern military vessel with a dark-painted hull sat ready, taking on supplies, equipment, and most importantly; crew. Spirit of Adventure was making ready for her first operational cruise, departing in a few short hours as the home ship for a new unit of the Confederation Ranger Corps, arriving to take their place
On the bridge of the ship, it's commanding officer stared out at the tapestry of movement. He raised a mug to his smooth, sleek-skinned lips as he watched, keen eyes following movement.
"Excuse me; Captain Gavren? The rangers and their mecha should be arriving shortly. And we're done with loading supplies. Stowing them is underway. All crew have arrived, and their berths assigned".
"Thank you, Commander Holden. I think I'll make my way down to the hangar bay to meet our pilots and their machines. From what I've seen in their records, it looks like we're going to be receiving quite an eclectic bunch". His lips curled in an amused smile at the thought. Eclectic was something of an understatement; the group due to arrive were absolutely a varied bunch, with all sorts of backgrounds and from almost all the races the Confederation was home to - and a few more besides.
A movement caught his eye, and the cetanui turned back to the viewport. A sleek, arrowhead-like shape slashed through space, propelled by the glow of blue engine exhausts.
"And here comes the first of them now," he said, as his eyes followed the shape of the variable fighter.
Aboard the sleek, jet-like shape of the transforming fighter, Lorei admired the angular, purposeful shape of the Spirit, it reminded her of some sleek, aquatic predator with its' blunt snout-like prow and dark colours. A handful of running lights illuminated it, as well as the glow of lights from within the open bays along its' flanks.
The synth didn't have a heartbeat that quickened, but she still felt and still had thoughts and reactions that were equivalent. Anticipation surged through her body, and her artificial muscles tensed. Her long tail twitched at the tip, and a surge of energy sung through her bodies' network of nerve-like fibers and conduits.
She'd read through and studied the profiles and dossiers of who she was to be working with; there was a broad mix of people, species, and attitudes to navigate. Partly she was worried, how would she relate? Would they be compatible? But she was equally excited; new people to meet and understand, new friendships to build, and new things to learn.
She wasn't a young woman, nor one lacking in experience of people and life in general. But this sensation never really went away, especially when coming to a new place, a new role, and a new direction in life.
Although, at least she had some familiar comforts. The space for the back seat in her VF-0 was packed with her belongings; personal effects and items she'd dragged with her from place to place, memories in physical form.
And then there was the VF-0 itself. It held an emotional resonance for her, the mecha keeping alive a memory and connection to her old instructor and mentor.
She lazily and indulgently rolled the fighter-mode machine as she pulled away from the sleek ship to line up for an approach to the bay, hitting the controls to shift mode to the bird-like 'GERWALK' mode, perfectly suited for a landing in the mecha bays of the ship. The foot-thrusters braked and slowed her approach as the glow of lights in the bay loomed large.
"And here we go," she said to herself in her lilting, musically feminine voice that had a slight flanging, mechanical undertone to it.
"Time for a new chapter"
Nestled alongside one of the many docking arms, the angular yet sleek shape of a modern military vessel with a dark-painted hull sat ready, taking on supplies, equipment, and most importantly; crew. Spirit of Adventure was making ready for her first operational cruise, departing in a few short hours as the home ship for a new unit of the Confederation Ranger Corps, arriving to take their place
On the bridge of the ship, it's commanding officer stared out at the tapestry of movement. He raised a mug to his smooth, sleek-skinned lips as he watched, keen eyes following movement.
"Excuse me; Captain Gavren? The rangers and their mecha should be arriving shortly. And we're done with loading supplies. Stowing them is underway. All crew have arrived, and their berths assigned".
"Thank you, Commander Holden. I think I'll make my way down to the hangar bay to meet our pilots and their machines. From what I've seen in their records, it looks like we're going to be receiving quite an eclectic bunch". His lips curled in an amused smile at the thought. Eclectic was something of an understatement; the group due to arrive were absolutely a varied bunch, with all sorts of backgrounds and from almost all the races the Confederation was home to - and a few more besides.
A movement caught his eye, and the cetanui turned back to the viewport. A sleek, arrowhead-like shape slashed through space, propelled by the glow of blue engine exhausts.
"And here comes the first of them now," he said, as his eyes followed the shape of the variable fighter.
Aboard the sleek, jet-like shape of the transforming fighter, Lorei admired the angular, purposeful shape of the Spirit, it reminded her of some sleek, aquatic predator with its' blunt snout-like prow and dark colours. A handful of running lights illuminated it, as well as the glow of lights from within the open bays along its' flanks.
The synth didn't have a heartbeat that quickened, but she still felt and still had thoughts and reactions that were equivalent. Anticipation surged through her body, and her artificial muscles tensed. Her long tail twitched at the tip, and a surge of energy sung through her bodies' network of nerve-like fibers and conduits.
She'd read through and studied the profiles and dossiers of who she was to be working with; there was a broad mix of people, species, and attitudes to navigate. Partly she was worried, how would she relate? Would they be compatible? But she was equally excited; new people to meet and understand, new friendships to build, and new things to learn.
She wasn't a young woman, nor one lacking in experience of people and life in general. But this sensation never really went away, especially when coming to a new place, a new role, and a new direction in life.
Although, at least she had some familiar comforts. The space for the back seat in her VF-0 was packed with her belongings; personal effects and items she'd dragged with her from place to place, memories in physical form.
And then there was the VF-0 itself. It held an emotional resonance for her, the mecha keeping alive a memory and connection to her old instructor and mentor.
She lazily and indulgently rolled the fighter-mode machine as she pulled away from the sleek ship to line up for an approach to the bay, hitting the controls to shift mode to the bird-like 'GERWALK' mode, perfectly suited for a landing in the mecha bays of the ship. The foot-thrusters braked and slowed her approach as the glow of lights in the bay loomed large.
"And here we go," she said to herself in her lilting, musically feminine voice that had a slight flanging, mechanical undertone to it.
"Time for a new chapter"