>>2737642
>‘Why are you the only one allowed in here, anyway? Why can’t I bring the others in?’
>‘So, considering we just got dumped with a whole bank … how does the allocation work? Do I just keep it all for myself?’ (Monetary windfall)
>‘You seem oddly … chipper for a Commissar.’ (Casual)
>‘So what next?’
>Write-In

>>2737663
>>‘So, considering we just got dumped with a whole bank … how does the allocation work? Do I just keep it all for myself?’ (Monetary windfall)
always check what you can do with the money your given?

>>2737663
>‘So, considering we just got dumped with a whole bank … how does the allocation work? Do I just keep it all for myself?’ (Monetary windfall)

>>2737642
>>‘So, considering we just got dumped with a whole bank … how does the allocation work? Do I just keep it all for myself?’ (Monetary windfall)

File: Rather Than Your Subordin(...).jpg (53 KB, 300x290)

53 KB JPG

‘So, considering we just got dumped with a whole bank,’ you cough, going over the details on your tablet, ‘how does allocation work? Do I just keep it all for myself or do I have to give it as a payout? Does it go into the Navy’s coffers?’

‘It’s … as confusing as this might sound, Knight-Commander,’ he starts, tapping one of the prompts on your tablet, ‘the details are, ultimately, at your discretion.’

You frown again, scrolling through the list. It was more money than you’d had access to in your life … so it was, indeed, hard to believe that the Imperial forces would leave such a sum at your sole discretion. Turning your head up, you spare the Commissar an other look, trying to ascertain whether or not he was just being an elaborate joke. His nod of affirmation has you glancing back at the tidy seven digit sum the tablet displays, unchanging. It was no wonder that Mechs were so highly sought-after, if a broken-up circulation re-entry gave you this much. But … by your discretion?

‘My discretion, huh?’ you grumble, wondering how your Fleet Administrator would have reacted to your less-than-enthusiastic reaction. He’d probably shaft you into a ward. ‘So basically there’s nothing stopping me from taking the cash and putting it into a personal account?’

‘Your position comes with the privilege, sir.’

The smug tone of his voice couldn’t be more obvious.

‘You’re not telling me everything, are you?’

‘You could put it all into a personal account, of course, for you to spend at your leisure … and no one would stop you,’ he starts coolly. ‘However, in my experience, Knight-Commanders who do so threaten the morale of their Chapter, and despite your rather deep connections, I don’t think that your, ah, comrades would appreciate you keeping the lion’s share for yourself. That is, if you don’t mind my previous observations, sir.’

‘Happened before?’ you inquire.

‘Well, not often,’ he imparts, ‘but, well, there are Knight-Commanders who have certain vices that they have to feed now and again, and considering the independent nature of their operations, no one really stops them. They all know, however, that … well, it’s not something you do often or so brazenly, especially not right after your first mission.’

‘Why are you putting it like I’m a Trade House associate?’

Kane gives a small, mysterious smile. ‘Well, there are other ways you could spend the money, of course.’

‘Such as?’

‘Funding independent research and development, for one,’ he replies, ‘giving your Chapter members bonuses; hiring independent contractors to ascertain certain bits of intel on the sector or neighbouring sectors … or you can just file it all for personal use, like I said before. It’s all at your discretion, after all, Knight-Commander.’

>>2737821
>'So you're in charge of recording the allocation, I take it?' (Inquire further)
>'Go over the Personal Account with me. What's it for?' (Personal Account)
>'Bonuses? So, just give them extra pay?' (Chapter Bonuses)
>'Independent Contractors? Isn't that unorthodox? What do they do anyway?' (Independent Contractors)
>'Research?' (Research and Development)
>'I'd like to talk about something else.'
>Write-In

>>2737831
>'Research?' (Research and Development)

>>2737831
>'Research?' (Research and Development)

>>2737821
>>'Independent Contractors? Isn't that unorthodox? What do they do anyway?' (Independent Contractors)
>>'Research?' (Research and Development)

>>2737831
>>'Research?' (Research and Development)

>>2737854
One choice only anon

>>2737831
>>'Independent Contractors? Isn't that unorthodox? What do they do anyway?' (Independent Contractors)
I'll go for this then.

>>2737831
>'Research?' (Research and Development)

File: Research.jpg (97 KB, 624x480)

97 KB JPG

‘Research? Don’t they already have an allocated budget for them?’

‘The Empire provides as much as it can, but considering the nature of operations, there’s only so much that they can work with on the average budget,’ Kane replies, going over his own tablet, his expression as even as ever. ‘By giving Miss Memphis and her team more to work with, you open access to more development pathways on which the Chapter can operate. I’m not privy to the details myself or what the nature of her research entails, but the basics probably include decreased downtime, some extra firepower, optional shielding … emphasis on the basics, of course. I’ve, ah … reason to believe that Chapter Engineers are a little eccentric due to their access, so I can’t wholly represent her perspective, but if she is indeed like the rest of them, she probably does have a few things up her sleeve should you see fit to hand her anything substantial to fuel, her, ah, propositions.’

‘So I’m paying for something illegal, then,’ you return crisply … and uncertainly. You didn’t like how subtle he was being with his revelations; it wasn’t that it felt like he was trying to keep something from you … but it felt like he would rather not go into the details.

Your brazen declaration has him grimacing. Slight, but it was there.

‘It’s not so much an illegal operation so much as it is … maintaining objective performance output through unorthodox, but ultimately … necessary channels. It’s not as if the Yamato can vomit an Outpost and commandeer a grant, no matter how much we would like her to.’

You let out a sigh.

>'So you're in charge of recording the allocation, I take it?' (Inquire further)
>'Go over the Personal Account with me. What's it for?' (Personal Account)
>'Bonuses? So, just give them extra pay?' (Chapter Bonuses)
>'Independent Contractors? Isn't that unorthodox? What do they do anyway?' (Independent Contractors)
>'Research?' (Research and Development)
>'I'd like to allocate now, if you will.' (Allocate Funds, End)
>'I'd like to talk about something else.'
>Write-In

>>2737942
>>'Independent Contractors? Isn't that unorthodox? What do they do anyway?' (Independent Contractors)

>>2737942
>'So you're in charge of recording the allocation, I take it?' (Inquire further)

>>2737942
>'Independent Contractors? Isn't that unorthodox? What do they do anyway?' (Independent Contractors)

>>2737942
>'Independent Contractors? Isn't that unorthodox? What do they do anyway?' (Independent Contractors)

>>2737942
>'Independent Contractors? Isn't that unorthodox? What do they do anyway?' (Independent Contractors)

File: Independent Contractors.jpg (129 KB, 739x1023)

129 KB JPG

‘So what about those Independent Contractors?’

‘What about them, Knight-Commander?’

‘Independent Contractors, isn’t that, uh … a little unorthodox? Why would I want to pick up an Independent Contractor for anyway?’

‘For anything you shouldn’t be flying your standard across, of course.’

You groan again, dropping your face into your open palms. ‘Why do I have a feeling that I’m not going to like what I’m about to hear?’

The Commissar chuckles. ‘It’s nothing like that, sir,’ he reveals, prompting you to meet his amused gaze. ‘What I’m referring to is that a direct Imperial presence has certain … ripples on a world, or in system, sector. We fly a standard that’s, suffice to say, more than just visible. Contractors are able to act with utmost discretion in a myriad of ways. Some may act as spies, some as influencers, some as market scouts and some as … less than savoury executors. It all depends on your decision, of course, and the money you’re willing to offer them in return for their services.’

‘Wouldn’t swinging the flagpole on touchdown give me full authority, Commissar?

‘Not all Imperial presence is greeted by cheers and curious crowds, Knight-Commander,’ Kane states curtly. ‘Sometimes we’re unsure of whether or not our arrival is wanted or opposed. Given the span of the Empire and how prone the logistics are to slipping, I believe that there are one or two malcontents more than willing to exploit our arrival … and more than a mere share of opportunists willing to make use of us for their own ends. You don’t have to send them, of course, but … well, sometimes it’s better to make sure we know what we’re heading into or towards.’

‘Anything else?’

‘The rest of the details will be under Miss Fisher, I believe. I just handle the purse and tick the boxes.’

You nod, turning back to the tablet.

>'So you're in charge of recording the allocation, I take it?' (Inquire further)
>'Go over the Personal Account with me. What's it for?' (Personal Account)
>'Bonuses? So, just give them extra pay?' (Chapter Bonuses)
>'Independent Contractors? Isn't that unorthodox? What do they do anyway?' (Independent Contractors)
>'Research?' (Research and Development)
>'I'd like to allocate now, if you will.' (Allocate Funds, End)
>'I'd like to talk about something else.'
>Write-In

>>2738100
>>'Bonuses? So, just give them extra pay?' (Chapter Bonuses)

>>2738100
>'Bonuses? So, just give them extra pay?' (Chapter Bonuses)

>>2738100
>'Bonuses? So, just give them extra pay?' (Chapter Bonuses)

>>2738100
>'Bonuses? So, just give them extra pay?' (Chapter Bonuses)

‘So what about bonuses, then? So just something to top up their pay? Shouldn’t that be something that the administration fill out?’

‘Pardon my saying, Knight-Commander, but I’d rather serve a be shot for treason than navigate all the way to the closest hub-system to come up with a payroll amendment that is satisfactory to the bureaucratic on-going with hope and a smile. No, that is not something that the administration should be handling in any lifetime. There is a reason that the Trade Houses head-hunt the department for anyone willing to put their faith in the Empire aside for a healthy retirement windfall … and we are thankful that they have been miniscule in number.’

‘It’s technically not treason, right?’

‘I think people would prefer all-out with the Trade Houses rather than having to deal with them on financial terms,’ Kane replies with distaste, ‘and personally, I feel that while there are some commendable members, the bulk that makes the machine turn make me ill and have me making sure the steel of my blade can cut through a hull. Back on topic, however: the dictation assigns any and all amenities that would otherwise be surplus at the discretion of the Knight-Commander and pending my final approval. Suffice to say, I have no qualms at how much you would like to pour into the cockpits of your pilots so long as I don’t find them doing unsavoury things in those cockpits as a direct consequence of your encouragement of such indulgence.’

You nod in understanding.

‘So it’s mine to straighten out and yours to sign off on.’

‘I’ll try not to ruin too much of your fun, Knight-Commander,’ he sounds warmly, ‘but I’m also beholden to my own responsibilities … and I have to make sure you’re fulfilling yours.’

You couldn’t argue with that.

>'So you're in charge of recording the allocation, I take it?' (Inquire further)
>'Go over the Personal Account with me. What's it for?' (Personal Account)
>'Bonuses? So, just give them extra pay?' (Chapter Bonuses)
>'Independent Contractors? Isn't that unorthodox? What do they do anyway?' (Independent Contractors)
>'Research?' (Research and Development)
>'I'd like to allocate now, if you will.' (Allocate Funds, End)
>'I'd like to talk about something else.'
>Write-In

>>2738283
>>'Go over the Personal Account with me. What's it for?' (Personal Account)

>>2738283
>'Go over the Personal Account with me. What's it for?' (Personal Account)

>>2738283
>'Go over the Personal Account with me. What's it for?' (Personal Account)

‘Go over the Personal Account with me. What is it for, anyway?’

He gives you a look that practically reeks of how unworthy he believes you are of your position for asking that question. Kane lets out a low, barely audible grumble as he thins his lips and changes his expression from obvious annoyance to that of neutral, barely set discipline … and evening himself out on the attitude so that he wouldn’t have to face charges for—probably—following his current state of mind to bean you over the head with a data slate that was about a third of an inch thick at the rim.

‘Your personal account,’ he starts, taking a tone to match his expression, ‘is just that; your personal account. any allocations that aren’t specified are automatically assumed to be an amount you are keen to keep for yourself, for expenditures on your own person at your own discretion. As with the others, I will be recording and striking notes on your allocation to this particular zone, so you can think of me as your mandatory teller.’

‘Not my own personal accountant?’ you joke, hoping to lighten the mood.

He doesn’t smile.

‘I just make sure that the money goes where you want it to go,’ he replies crisply, ‘and frankly, whatever you do with your money isn’t what a matter that I’m terribly interested in so long as I don’t suspect you of funnelling funds to malcontents or bringing more pleasure world workers onto this vessel than I can rightly report on a positive.’

‘So … it’s just the money I want to put aside for myself? And I can use it however I want?’

‘I believe it’s right there in the name, Knight-Commander.’

>'So you're in charge of recording the allocation, I take it?' (Inquire further)
>'Go over the Personal Account with me. What's it for?' (Personal Account)
>'Bonuses? So, just give them extra pay?' (Chapter Bonuses)
>'Independent Contractors? Isn't that unorthodox? What do they do anyway?' (Independent Contractors)
>'Research?' (Research and Development)
>'I'd like to allocate now, if you will.' (Allocate Funds, End)
>'I'd like to talk about something else.'
>Write-In

>>2740111
>>'So you're in charge of recording the allocation, I take it?' (Inquire further)

>>2740111
>'So you're in charge of recording the allocation, I take it?' (Inquire further)

>>2740111
>>'So you're in charge of recording the allocation, I take it?' (Inquire further)

>>2740111
>Commissar, I know I'm asking stupid questions with obvious answers, but I am asking these stupid questions because I am what is known as a 'Colony Ship Hick' and I do not want to make the Princess look bad because I assumed the wrong things. I'm going to ask another one. >You are in charge of recording the allocation, I take it?

>>2740148
add the first part in too if you please.

‘So you’re the one in charge of recording the allocation,’ you start, building on the obvious, ‘but wouldn’t that matter be handled externally by the administrative units over the watchdog department of the Commissar? I don’t mean to encroach your territory, but this sounds like something that someone would hire a proper financial review to go over rather than give it to a Commissar.’

‘On many cases, I have argued for the point,’ Kane replies in agreement, wearing an enigmatic, wry, half-smirk, ‘but in the end of the day, the sheer vastness of the Empire and the nature of operations would open a specialization branch that The Aegis would not be able to conduct without an attachment it’d rather not have. Hundreds and even thousands of years have been spent reviewing the question … but in the end of the day, it’s just a lot more practical amalgamating responsibilities over throwing the bloody cane on the table because of a bulky sub-division dedicated to a task too specific and broad without clashing on the other review boards. Not to mention having a whole office attached to the Commissar or a damned external contractor going into the records that only two offices in the whole Empire should be generally privy to.’

‘Is that why you’re given the responsibility?’

‘There hundreds and thousands of pilots and soldiers soaring between the stars, Knight-Commander.’ He nods. ‘We don’t need hundreds and thousands of pilots and soldiers being hunched over when we’re out here trying to secure the Emperor’s sovereignty, do we?’

It’s a point you’re not willing to discard, either. Not at all.

>'So you're in charge of recording the allocation, I take it?' (Inquire further)
>'Go over the Personal Account with me. What's it for?' (Personal Account)
>'Bonuses? So, just give them extra pay?' (Chapter Bonuses)
>'Independent Contractors? Isn't that unorthodox? What do they do anyway?' (Independent Contractors)
>'Research?' (Research and Development)
>'I'd like to allocate now, if you will.' (Allocate Funds, End)
>'I'd like to talk about something else.'
>Write-In

>>2740186
>>'I'd like to allocate now, if you will.' (Allocate Funds, End)

>>2740186
>'I'd like to allocate now, if you will.' (Allocate Funds, End)

>>2740186
>'I'd like to allocate now, if you will.' (Allocate Funds, End)

'I'd like to allocate the funds now, if you're able to jot the details down?'

He taps the tablet with a small smile. 'Of course, sir.'

>Pilot Bonuses:
>Independent Contractors:
>Research and Development:
>Personal:

>>2740217
>Pilot Bonuses:

>>2740219
slow your roll anon
we need to think this through

>>2740217
>Pilot Bonuses:1,000,000
>Independent Contractors: 1,500,00
>Research and Development: 2,000,000
>Personal: 750,000
might wanna double check my math

>>2740248
Supporting

>>2740222
I assumed we'd vote for each category the name each number indidvually.

If not
>>2740248
this is good

>>2740248
Is that meant to be 150,000 or 1,500,000 into Independent Contractors? And you're meant to fill them all up at once.

>>2740271
1,500,000
forgot the extra 0

>>2740271
I assumed 1,500,000 as that is what amounts to using all the pay.

>>2740276
Not even keeping a cent for yourself on a rainy day?

>>2740283
Personal has 750,000

>>2740285
Yes, that ... was a joke. Are we done yet? Because I have to keep to a schedule.

>>2740290
yup, good to me

File: Spacey.jpg (132 KB, 1280x720)

132 KB JPG

Kane throws up a salute as he leaves the conference room, tucking his work—and yours—underneath his armpit as the door slides shut behind him. You lean back in your chair, stretching your arms over your head as the relief of having your first assignment on the board dressed with a tick and a star. The working week—as it was known now and forever—was still looming from beyond the fringes and into your spines and there were resolutions that needed to be made, but … you couldn’t help it. As small as the assignment had been in the grand scheme of things, putting away a crew of stricken pirates clutching their bellies and begging for toilet privileges as part of their terms of surrender was just … satisfying, really.

There were still things to do in the system, of course. You’d have to talk to the Commissar and go over with your ECO about those things, but until then—which was at the very least going to be several hours, by your pace—your time was yours. You step out from the conference room and onto the main corridor of the Operations Deck, where the technicians and bridge officers were out and about, busily going over their orders and planning for every detail that they’d have to key into prior to the jump. Pentecost was busily chatting with a young woman outside one of the doors, raising his finger sternly, instead of being at his usual post up at Navigation … and you glance to your right to just catch Kane stepping into the elevator with the other staff members, the doors hissing shut soon after.

>Approach Pentecost
>Head to the Bridge
>Talk to a random officer
>[Head to the Elevator]
>Write-In

>>2740344
>Approach Pentecost

>>2740344
>Approach Pentecost
Try to listen in on what the conversation is about first.

>>2740344
>>Approach Pentecost

>>2740344
>Approach Pentecost

File: Sagara Pentecost.jpg (7 KB, 384x212)

7 KB JPG

‘If the relief unit has a miscommunication then the resolution should have been to a superior officer, Hartson,’ Pentecost chides, glaring down at the young woman. ‘You can’t operate independently and out of your scope and expect the rest of the crew to catch up with you on a say-so; you’re not just keying in a rogue tabulation: you’re risking resources. Just because we have seventy damn years on a schedule doesn’t mean the event horizon of a black hole’s on the damned agenda.’

‘I just thought that—’

‘If you’re not sure, then ask,’ Pentecost interrupts, putting his hands down by his side. ‘If there’s something you’re not sure of, the protocol is to not do anything when it comes to the navigation compilation or the jump coordinates. Adjustment is not your responsibility or, for that matter, of anyone in that unit. If there’s something that you think is a mistake, the best thing you can do is to not do anything. This isn’t a boat that we can just steer with a rudder and oars and paddles, Hartson. I don’t think I need to go into second year detail and write up a lecture on protocol, do I?’

‘No, sir, but—’

‘Then if I don’t, then you don’t have to try and shift things above your pay grade, do I, Hartson?’

She breathes in … and sighs in defeat.

‘No, sir … you don’t.’

The answer seems to satisfy Pentecost, whatever it was that she seemed to indicate.

‘There are reasons that we have them in place, Lieutenant,’ he states with a stern finality, ‘and next time I see you getting up to this again, I’m going to file it in.’

She looks up, wide-eyed. ‘You mean you—’

‘I’m not unfair, Hartson,’ he cuts in again, ‘but there are thousands on this ship that can’t risk something like that happening again. You got lucky that the crew was able to catch it before we got ourselves into a jump. If you want to prove yourself. Stick to the manual.’

The young woman looks down sheepishly. ‘Yes, sir.’

‘Carry on, Lieutenant.’

Hartson lifts her hand in a rigid salute, marching away with shrunken shoulders, right as Pentecost turns his attention to you.

‘Deck Officer Pentecost,’ you call out, raising your hand for attention … not that you needed to, of course.

‘Knight-Commander.’ He gives a casual nod, his furrowed brows ever-present, briefly turning his gaze to the Hartson’s retreating back, disappearing behind a pair of burly technicians. ‘Sorry, is there something you need to talk to me about?’

‘You busy?’

‘Not at the moment,’ he returns curtly, rubbing his palm with his thumb. ‘Just reinforcing some discipline is all. Bunch of kids thinking they’re piping hot shit heroes.’

That was a new one.

>>2740516
>'Reinforcing discipline, huh? What was the issue for?'
>'Mind having a chat? Officer to officer?
>'Everything okay on the bridge?'
>'How're operations running?'
>'I should go.'
>Write-In

>>2740519
>>'Reinforcing discipline, huh? What was the issue for?'

>>2740519
>>'Reinforcing discipline, huh? What was the issue for?'

>>2740519
>'Reinforcing discipline, huh? What was the issue for?'

Thought For The Day: Can Darton Wray be killed by Nuclear Fire?

>>2740540
No, but it can give him a bad case of heartburn.

>>2740519
>>'Reinforcing discipline, huh? What was the issue for?'

>>2740540
nah, it'll just give him a sick tan

>>2740540
No, it (and the cloud strikes) just gave his students a week long fever.

File: Hartson.jpg (105 KB, 850x1063)

105 KB JPG

You can’t help but indulge your curiosity on the matter. Not that you derived a sick inkling of pleasure at extracting someone’s misery, of course … but you did feel like you needed to dig as to why Pentecost had taken a role akin to a disappointed lecturer rather than a superior officer barking his disapproval. Hartson, whoever and whatever she had done, had fully vanished from view, more than likely tending to her duties on the bridge. Pentecost stands there, expectant, more than likely wondering why you’d approached him in the corridor.

‘Reinforcing discipline, huh?’ you inquire, referring to the dressing down that he’d given that Lieutenant Hartson. ‘What’re you dishing it out for?’

‘Incompetence, that’s what,’ he states, with no true measure to his annoyance. ‘One of the relief crews had a rotation on tabulating the warp pulse intervals and tried to be smart one their own by filling in a gap with a reference … and without asking anyone about the consistency. Considering your field of expertise, I don’t need to tell you just what the consequences could’ve been without the automated system registering the flaw. By all accounts, we’re lucky that it was just a few units off.’

You knew too well.

Especially coming from a Colony Fleet.

‘So you were dressing her down because you didn’t approve of her actions?’

‘I was dressing her down because she took independent action without referring to a superior on the status of the data,’ he retorts, curtly and concisely. Pentecost didn’t look like he was in the mood to suffer fools at the present moment, either. ‘I’m no technician, Knight-Commander; at least not one with the credentials to put into application on this magnitude … but tell me if I’m wrong if you think that someone that decided to scribble different numbers on an analog tachometer and make do with the scale’s something you want gunning down on a circuit in a gravity environment?’

You laugh. The comparison was there, yes.

‘I do think that that kind of thing’s kind of required,’ you reply nonchalantly, ‘but it does kind of strike me that you’d be so open with your punishment like that.’

‘I don’t have time to suffer egos, Knight-Commander,’ Pentecost returns, giving a firm not. ‘Not when the lives of my men and your Chapter are dependent at keeping our error ratios between a happy minimum and an acceptable maximum. The only reason that I was able to dress her down in the first place is because the sequence and numbering was big enough for the system to detect. I’d be giving her a sticker if it was the right call; I don’t give gold stars for mistakes, regardless of intention.'

>>2740680
>'Well, in my experience, when you're thinking on the fly, you're not going to get it right all the time.' (Middle Ground)
>'Not when lives come into the picture, Deck Officer. Not at all.' (Agree)
>'Sounds like a little too much for anyone that isn't part of a senior unit to be responsible for, if you ask me.' (Question)
>'How much of a margin are we talking here anyway? One unit? Two?' (NAVIGATION NUT)
>'From a technical perspective, it is some way off expected competence. That I agree.' (TECHNICAL HABITS)
>'Let's talk about something else.'
>'I should go.'
>Write-In

>>2740687
>>'How much of a margin are we talking here anyway? One unit? Two?' (NAVIGATION NUT)

>>2740687
>'How much of a margin are we talking here anyway? One unit? Two?' (NAVIGATION NUT)

>>2740687
>>'How much of a margin are we talking here anyway? One unit? Two?' (NAVIGATION NUT

>>2740687
>'How much of a margin are we talking here anyway? One unit? Two?' (NAVIGATION NUT)

Just taking the time give a shout out to the good players that clicked the link above and bought me coffee. Your love is appreciated. Thank you very much.

Oh, and session in 30-40 minutes.

‘How much of a margin are we talking here, anyway?’ You frown, absently lifting a hand and slowly closing your fingersm one by one. ‘One unit? Two? Even if the navigation records made a mistake, we wouldn’t be drifting off course without some actual errors floating around, am I right?’

‘There’s leaving it to the computer’s filters to recognize an anomaly and then there’s actively making the change on an assumption that’s a baseless guess,’ Pentecost stresses, his tone making it more than apparent that he was, indeed, set in his element. ‘I might not be able to cut and fix a panel on a display, but I’ve been around enough to know what the risks are when you screw around with the reference units.’

‘If the Yamato’s database’s healthy, then there shouldn’t be much to worry about. If we’re running on an operating system that at least had teeth by the time I learned to chew, then the risk should be minimized, right?’

‘There’s a limit to what the intelligent systems can operate on to correct the ship’s vector,’ he explains further. ‘My issue with the whole affair is that the risk of compromise was substantiated despite the Yamato’s computers having enough sense to know that an inaccuracy was an inaccuracy … but I’m not going to take a chance with anyone keying something in without the proper authority. Being lost in space isn’t how I intend to finish my career.’

You chortle, if only slightly, at the expected remark.

‘No,’ you concur, giving a nod of approval. ‘and I don’t think any of us want to end up overshooting into a Republic-controlled system, either.’

He closes his eyes, snorting in agreement.

>‘If you’re willing to take on an extra hand … why not ask Miss Spirance? She’s probably more used to Navigation Systems than the average Imperial.’
>‘Well, if there’s that big a worry, why don’t I send Chief Engineer Memphis your way?’
>‘Would you mind if I speak with you? Office to officer?’
>‘How’s the status on the bridge?’
>‘How are operations running?’
>‘I should go.’
>Write-In

>>2740947
>‘If you’re willing to take on an extra hand … why not ask Miss Spirance? She’s probably more used to Navigation Systems than the average Imperial.’

>>2740947
>‘If you’re willing to take on an extra hand … why not ask Miss Spirance? She’s probably more used to Navigation Systems than the average Imperial.’

>>2740947
>>‘If you’re willing to take on an extra hand … why not ask Miss Spirance? She’s probably more used to Navigation Systems than the average Imperial.’

>>2740947
>>‘How are operations running?’

You scratch your cheek, finding yourself reminded of the Administrator’s lieutenants and their own annoyances with the younger members of the Colony Fleet going round and either trying to be too smart or forgoing any semblance of intelligence whatsoever. As much as you didn’t like them, over the years you’d understood that they were just trying to make sure no one got hurt in the aftermath (even if you did think of them as busybodies of a specialized breed at times); with space being a dangerous place and all that, the risk that even the slightest error was liable to carry; breaches, unsynchronized timings and lockdown mechanisms and that wasn’t even considering the other ships that made up the rest of the fleet.

It’s what spurs you communicate a suggestion.

‘If you’re willing to take an extra hand on, Deck Officer, why don’t you ask Miss Spirance? Considering her background, she’ll probably have a better time managing the clockwork than the average Imperial staffer, no?’

‘There is nothing average about the Navy, Knight-Commander,’ he bristles. He’d appeared to have taken your words as biased insinuation. ‘We have a competent array running things here, thank you very much.’

‘I’m not saying that you guys are under the decks,’ you explain yourself, frowning. ‘I’m just putting out an option that maybe you could use another opinion for review instead of risking a potential incident … as you say.’

‘She’s an attache to your Chief Engineer, it wouldn’t be … aligned.’

You open your mouth … before closing it again.

There is no need to force the issue here. You were just a colleague putting a suggestion forward; that was all.

Still …

‘If it’ll change your mind, I’ll be willing to throw myself out of an airlock if she doesn’t end up meeting the standard.’

Pentecost laughs.

‘Now that is something I definitely wouldn’t risk, Knight-Commander.’

>‘Would you mind if we speak for a bit? Officer to Officer?’
>‘What’s the status on the bridge?’
>‘How are operations running?’
>‘I should go.’
>Write-In

>>2742451
>‘How are operations running?’

>>2742451
>>‘How are operations running?’

>>2742451
>>‘How are operations running?’

>>2742451
>>‘How are operations running?’

File: We're Alive.jpg (41 KB, 640x480)

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‘So how’re operations running?’

‘We’re alive and out of direct engagement range of any hostiles with closed channels to friendly systems,’ he starts crisply, ‘so I can at least say that we’re running decently enough to chat over a mug of chocolate or over paperwork.’

>‘Would you mind if we speak for a bit? Officer to Officer?’
>‘What’s the status on the bridge?’
>‘How are operations running?’
>‘I should go.’
>Write-In

>>2742534
>>‘What’s the status on the bridge?’

>>2742534
>>‘I should go.’

>>2742534
>‘I should go.’

File: 342142_1.jpg (20 KB, 630x630)

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You find that you’d taken up enough of his time. There were some things you still had to do before the next operation.

‘I should go.’

Pentecost gives a small nod, turning on his heel and walking away, right as you do the same.

>Head to the Bridge
>Talk to a random officer
>[Head to the Elevator]
>Write-In

>>2742591
>>[Head to the Elevator]

>>2742591
>>[Head to the Elevator]
lets go explore

>>2742591
>[Head to the Elevator]
Engineering is likely where we should go.

The elevator doors hiss open, revealing a pair bearded gentlemen going over a tablet the both of them held, speaking of schedules and discrepancies … and voicing their frustration at not being able to resolve either on the dot. You step inside, all by your lonesome, the doors closing as you turn, hand on the console.

>Officers Domicile
>Operations Deck
>Secondary Deck
>Level Three
>Level Two
>Level One

>>2742637
>Level Three
Connection deck

>>2742637
>Level Three

>>2742637
>>Level Three

This is the map that I oh-so stupidly forgot to upload.

>https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zOUTp1r5-o0kOEbiGgUJPHPCQiPQQ0SLMl2SKNNUrxE/edit?usp=sharing

Also, someone brought up a pretty good point on the Discord: that you guys found moving around clicking prompt after prompt just because of a change of location would be tedious with the 20 minute window I run, so I'm trying to address it. Part of the reason I want to have you moving about the ship is to trigger certain events and occurrences; like with Pentecost. The ship is going to have people moving around and talking and living and doing their own thing and I want to give life to that, so I'm trying to put events in to make that more apparent instead of the "we come to you" or the " one on one" system of Shipgirl Commander.

I was wondering if you guys would be okay with a "sequence" system in regards to moving around the ship. Something like:
"Elevator Shaft > Level Three > Elevator Shaft 05 > Dormitories > Person X", and I'll just trigger the events and people you meet along the way should it happen? Less stress for you guys.

Again, thanks for playing and I hope I can get an answer.

>>2742743
Sequence sounds good

>>2742743
That sounds good to me.

>>2742743
yea that first part does sound like it'd get pretty tedious after a while
lets give the sequencing thing a try

All right, sequencing it is.

Give it a go.

Just remember your current location and just choose your route. Something like, right now you're on Elevator 01
So:
Elevator 01 > Connector Level 3 > Hull Level

If there's no one around for any of those, you end up straight at your destination.

>>2742757
>Elevator 01 > Connector Level 3 > Hull Level
like this?

>>2742763
Correct.

>>2742757
Elevator 01 > Connector Level 3 > Weapons Training and Martial Practice Center

>>2742757
>Elevator 01 > Connector Level 3 > Hull Level

File: Maldante.jpg (8 KB, 130x196)

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You step into the corridor and dust yourself off, walking to the end of the ship. The lack of an automated walkway wasn’t something you wanted to put into a suggestion box, but given the length of the ship—taller and longer than the Greyhound—you wished that it was a luxury that could have been afforded. Having a conference room at the bow and your office nested in the stern, two points that were opposite ends by definition alone, was something you definitely had a grievance with, though. The artificial gravity, necessary as it was, was also cumbersome. You suspect someone had turned the dial up somewhere on the ship.

You’re greeted by salutes and bows, arriving at Elevator 08 without ceremony, stepping in and heading down into the Hull Level.

It’s not long before the doors open … and you find yourself greeted by the odd sight of Lucion Maldante standing in the middle of the corridor, rifling through what appeared to be his own personal rucksack, looking more annoyed than you’d seen him during your appointment as his direct superior. He doesn’t seem to notice your presence, his boots squeaking as he shuffles dives into the bag, every passing second only serving to further agitate him. You also notice a collection of items that lay on the wayside. A data slate, a camera, some small towels … and what appeared to be a crumpled up old shirt.

>Walk up to him
>Ignore him
>Write-In

>>2742843
>>Walk up to him

>>2742843
>Walk up to him
>Something wrong?

>>2742843
>Walk up to him

>>2742843
>>Walk up to him

File: Maldante3.jpg (11 KB, 189x267)

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You walk up to Maldante, hoping to find an answer as to why he had splayed the bare bloody guts of his bag for all to see, rummaging and grunting with increasing annoyance as he seemingly went through each pocket. There was already a pretty good guess as to what he was doing, of course … but still, as his superior, you wanted him to take it back to his room or something, instead of using the whole damn floor. People were still working, after all.

‘Maldante,’ you start, immediately catching his attention.

You don’t miss the annoyed groan that he gives, sounding more akin to a teenager that had been told to check the recycling unit for leftovers whilst in the middle of a connection with his friend in the ship over. You don’t question him over it, however; you weren’t here to play parent, after all.

‘Is there a reason that you have all this, um … on the floor?’

Maldante grumbles, starting to pick up his things. ‘No good ones, sir,’ he replies, prompting a small smile from yourself. ‘I’m just wondering where I put my notebook.’

You frown, staring at the tablet underneath what appeared to be a half-open plastic wrap.

‘Isn’t that it?’

‘It’s analog,’ he returns, chuckling absently as he begins picking up the scattered objects, reaching for his crumpled shirt. ‘Pencil and paper and all that.’

>‘Is it that important you have to do it right here?’ (Question)
>‘Shouldn’t you be looking for it in your own quarters, Maldante?’ (Professional)
>‘What’s on it?’ (Curious)
>‘Get on your feet and get this crap off the floor.’ (Stern)
>‘I’ll leave you to it, then.’ (Leave)
>Write-In

>>2745044
‘Shouldn’t you be looking for it in your own quarters, Maldante?’ (Professional)

>>2745044
>‘Shouldn’t you be looking for it in your own quarters, Maldante?’ (Professional)

>>2745044
>>‘Shouldn’t you be looking for it in your own quarters, Maldante?’ (Professional)

>>2745044
>‘Shouldn’t you be looking for it in your own quarters, Maldante?’ (Professional)

File: Corridor.jpg (6 KB, 300x168)

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‘Shouldn’t you be looking for it in your own quarters, Maldante?’ you mention pointedly, gesturing to the floor. ‘Rather than potentially getting in everyone’s way by doing it out here in the open?’

‘I—no,’ he hesitates, as if preparing a retort … and subsequently catching himself as he swipes as much as he can with one arm, getting to his feet and throwing up a salute. ‘You’re right, sir, I apologize for my lack of conduct.’

‘No lack of conduct, just … well, this is where everyone’s doing their work,’ you reply evenly, ‘and I don’t think anyone would appreciate having to maneuver themselves around spilled tablets and … shirts.’

Maldante’s receptive—and calculated—expression doesn’t change. He gives a slow, professional nod, communicating his further agreement to your point, continuing to pick up the wrinkled notes and drives.

‘Of course, sir.’

A brief, formal salute soon follows, and along with the tossing of his rucksack over his shoulder, the items loudly rustling as he made his way down the corridor, leaving you alone once more. A request for dismissal follows; one that you do not hesitate to give … and one you find that he is too eager to abide. As his back retreats around the bend, you wonder if you couldn’t have been a little bit more … lenient; it couldn’t have been easy for him to be pulled aside like that by someone who wasn’t even looking beyond wires and maintenance timetables as a career choice. What was done, though, was already done.

You’d fulfilled your responsibilities.

And you had other things to do, anyway.

>DROP-SHIP CHAMBER EXPRESS LIFT
>MEDICAL OFFICE
>COMMISSAR’S (OBSERVATION AND RECORDS)
>PILOT QUARTERS
>YOUR OFFICE
>EXECUTIVE COORDINATOR’S OFFICE
>SQUADRON BRIEFING ROOM
>MAIN ELEVATOR [08]

HINT: Talk to the Executive Coordinator to start on the details of the next mission … and more.

>>2745127
>DROP-SHIP CHAMBER EXPRESS LIFT>Mech Bay

>>2745127
>>EXECUTIVE COORDINATOR’S OFFICE

>>2745130
>>2745133
Flipping a coin. Coin flipped.

File: Whirr.jpg (39 KB, 676x480)

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The doors of the express lift open, revealing the rumble and bustle of the Mech bays. The catwalks aren’t crowded, but there is most definitely a presence about; one made up of close to a dozen engineers ironing out the kinks—some in the literal sense of the word—of the slumbering Mechs, each and every one of them at rest in their nests. Cables and apparatus lay all about the catwalk and platforms, the monitors being manned by the supervising engineer as the vast space saw the toils of the working week going all about. This was what went on behind the scenes; when you weren’t out there doing the Emperor’s will, the grime and muck and the underappreciated came out from under to do their thing … and you, as a man that had consigned yourself …

You can’t help but give them a good pat on the back just for existing.

‘Knight-Commander,’ one of the men salute, hopping off from one of the raised panels of your Mech. ‘Is this an inspection, sir?’

‘No, just … looking around,’ you explain yourself, glancing at two crew members dragging a thick cable under their arms … more than likely to replace a compensation unit somewhere. ‘I hope we didn’t bring ‘em back too bent. Tried to keep the damage as minimal as possible.’

‘No, no, not at all, sir,’ he replies, raising his hand and taking off his cap, ‘but, uh, I was wondering if you, um … could talk to one of your pilots?’

‘Pilots?’

He wears an enigmatic expression, before shifting his shoulder and pointing to the Hellion that stood at the end of the platform … where you see someone who you really should have expected to have been here in the first place. In fact, you find yourself a little confused that you hadn’t picked up on the flailing form of a certain Muramasa the moment you stepped out of the elevator. The engineer scratches his cheek, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, wearing a reluctant, patient expression as he regarded your pilot—your friend—who had what looked like a large laminated … flat something in his hands as he tried to relay words that you can’t make out from a distance.

‘Oh,’ is all you can really say, regarding the energetic Ryosuke like a parent that had found his missing child drawing graffiti all over a statue of the Imperial family. ‘Him.’

‘He’s been trying to get us, to, uh … edit his colors. Everyone’s told him that only you can approve changes to the scheme and the emblems, but, uh … he hasn’t been easy to dissuade. With all due respect, sir, I know my place, but, um … er … protocol is protocol.’

That it was.

>‘I’ll talk to him; don’t worry.’ (Talk to Ryosuke)
>‘Then keep telling him that.’ (Advise)
>‘I’m here to command a Chapter; not play babysitter.’ (Dismiss)
>‘What he wants is none of my business.’ (Wash hands of the matter)
>Write-In

>>2745257
>‘I’ll talk to him; don’t worry.’ (Talk to Ryosuke)
>Quick question. Has anyone found an analog notebook laying around? One of my other pilots seems to have lost one.

>>2745257
>>‘I’ll talk to him; don’t worry.’ (Talk to Ryosuke)

>>2745257
>I’m here to command a Chapter; not play babysitter.’ (Dismiss)

>>2745257
>>‘I’ll talk to him; don’t worry.’ (Talk to Ryosuke)

>>2745257
>>‘I’ll talk to him; don’t worry.’ (Talk to Ryosuke)

>>2745257
>>‘I’ll talk to him; don’t worry.’ (Talk to Ryosuke)

File: ROW ROW.jpg (26 KB, 380x380)

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You scratch the back of your head, wearing a wry half-smile as the crew tending to the Mech tries their best to abide by their posts … and not run away from the overly-enthusiastic Ryosuke. Your friend waves the sheets and the blueprints (How he was able to get his hands on paper, you’d have to ask later) in their faces, indicating and declaring things that any person who hadn’t spent at least a year next to him would need an interpreter to fully grasp. There’s no need for you ask for a better read-out from the engineer standing before you … and you don’t blame the supervisor in—knowingly or unknowingly—keeping his distance from the man who called himself Muramasa and tending to his console.

It was up to you to rein him in … just as Sanza did for all three of the men in her life.

‘I’ll talk to him,’ you declare, giving an affirmative nod, ‘don’t worry.’

Relief washes over the man’s face at your words. You take quick strides towards Ryosuke, hoping to drag him away from his act of harassment over the beleaguered technicians and engineers before one of them went over the edge and decided to overlook something vital in Mech maintenance.

‘Orange is a good color!’ Ryosuke declares loudly, grinning and jabbing his finger at the slightly wrinkled blueprint. ‘The scheme fits too!’

‘Kikitai,’ you call out, finding yourself instantly greeted by a look of relief similar to the previous engineer. Ryosuke’s shift of his attention from the gaggle of crew members tending to his Hellion is followed by rushed—and wrong—salutes and the immediate dispersal of their small band, getting back to their work. ‘Is there a problem?’

He stumbles over his words, ‘Prob—no, not at all, bud—I mean, uh, Knight-Commander, sir, um, er … I mean, no problem here, just, uh, trying to put up a few suggestions to customize my color scheme and all that?’

‘Color scheme?’

‘I mean, uh, it’s my Mech, right?’ Ryosuke continues, sounding hesitant. He pulls up the piece of paper he’d previously brandished, showing a crude diagram and color palette with a cartoonish drawing of what looked like a horned skull. ‘I just thought, uh, well, I could actually put something on it to make it, uh … you know, mine? I guess? Sir?’

‘Orange?’ You frown, tapping a finger against the diagram. You were mostly offended that he’d attempted such a thing; there was little attention to detail on the proposal; if it were up to you, you would have given a proper measurement of things.

The skull, however, caught your attention?

‘Is this meant to be a horned skull? Burning?’

‘Yeah!’ he announces, puffing his chest. ‘We don’t even have a proper emblem, right? It’s a little out there, but I kinda like the idea of having my own colors.’

Ryosuke shrugs.

‘I just want my Mech to look nice when I go around swinging, you know? No crime, right?’

He sounds like teenager trying to ask his father for fuel for a date. There is no other comparison for it; even the whiny tone hit a nerve.

However.

You want to correct your friend that the Emblem Proposals were along the way and that regardless of what he thought, you were the one that would finalize everything if it involved the Chapter. You go over the Emblem again, thus far undecided.

However.

‘I’m not letting anyone march out with a Mech looking like a vat-grown tangerine.’

Ryosuke grumbles.

>‘Why don’t we make this our Emblem? There probably won’t be any objections … and we’ll have something to go by visually.’ (Accept his proposal)
>‘I’ll … think about it.’ (Delay the proposal)
>‘It’s a … unique scheme, I can tell you that much. Are these horns?’ (Discuss)
>Write-In

>>2746907
>>‘It’s a … unique scheme, I can tell you that much. Are these horns?’ (Discuss)

>>2746907
>‘It’s a … unique scheme, I can tell you that much. Are these horns?’ (Discuss)

>>2746907
>Ryosuke, Emblem proposals are handled by Knight commanders. So instead of trying to force something, we can work on it together. This isn't bad but we need something for the entire squadron. You can kit out your cockpit as you like, within reason, but how each of us looks reflects on the unit and the princess. So we gotta get it right the first time.

>>2746907
I'll back this >>2746915

>>2746915
going for this

>>2746915
Supporting

File: From the Ashes.png (157 KB, 1764x1738)

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It wasn’t as though you didn’t know how it felt. Back before, being on a Colony Fleet, watching all those episodes as you cruised into your teenage years … that sense of wonderment, although faded, was something that you couldn’t completely shrug off. How could you? It was the reason you’d stepped down onto solid ground and toiled the hours in the first place. Your motivations, your approach … no matter how they changed, what you felt from back then wasn’t something you could retroactively shift. That wasn’t how it worked.

You’d grown out of it.

But you never forgot how it was like.

As immature as Ryosuke could be at times, it was impossible to say that you couldn’t relate to the romance of being a pilot for the Aegis. Not even after all you’d been through. Not at all.

There were some things, however, that you needed to put a firm stamp on. This, incidentally, was one of those things.

‘Ryosuke,’ you start, taking a neutral tone as you fix your gaze upon your friend, ‘this isn’t just something you can bring up, propose and set on your own. I ain’t gonna say that I can’t relate to your enthusiasm, but … this is my responsibility as the Knight-Commander of this Chapter.’

He opens his mouth to interrupt, but you raise a hand to stop him in his tracks. Your friend abides; as close as the two of you had been the last few years, now … well, now there was a distance you had to keep professionally. Disagreement or agreement was a different matter; at the end of the day, the station was yours to commandeer … and his to abide by. Even with all his bravado and behind that goofy grin of his, Ryosuke was a soldier; he knew his place … and yours. You appreciate that he didn’t see fit to push on through with that step.

‘If you want to put something forward, I’m more than willing to listen your suggestion,’ you continue evenly, trying your best not to sound condescending; you didn’t want to make it seem like everything had gone to your head within a month of your appointment. ‘I’m not saying I don’t like that you’ve put this much thought into it, but this isn’t here to make you stand among the rest. It’s a badge of our strength as a unit. You can kit out your cockpit with all the whistles you can find, but this isn’t about you … it’s about the whole Chapter.’

You glance at the details again, finding your nose wrinkling in distaste at the proposed color scheme.

‘That, though,’ you indicate the choice of pallet, ‘that won’t do, no.’

Ryosuke sighs.

It seemed that you’d reached an understanding, if not an unspoken agreement.

‘I didn’t mean to go behind your back, man.’

>‘A likely story.’ (Accusatory)
>‘I know. Kind of hard to kick that part of us out.’ (Understanding)
>‘Knight-Commander.’ (Emphasize Professionalism)
>Write-In

>>2747151
>>‘I know. Kind of hard to kick that part of us out.’ (Understanding)

>>2747151
>>‘I know. Kind of hard to kick that part of us out.’ (Understanding)

>>2747151
>‘I know. Kind of hard to kick that part of us out.’ (Understanding)

>>2747151
>>‘I know. Kind of hard to kick that part of us out.’ (Understanding)

>>2747151
>‘Knight-Commander.’ (Emphasize Professionalism)

File: eman.jpg (101 KB, 1024x768)

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‘I know,’ you mutter, an absent smile making its settling upon your features. ‘Not so easy to shove that part out the airlock, huh?’

Thing quiet down a little. Ryosuke runs a hand through his hair, muttering something unintelligible under his breath. A small part of you wonders if there were lessons one could undertake in regards to the conduct of Knight-Commanders with former friends and current subordinates … but you suppose that if there were any, it was probably buried in a curricular arrangement around protocol that you’d elected to not bother with back during your years as a student. After all; you’d wanted to be a champion of the galaxy as a pilot and consigned yourself to checking Aegis-approved shipment details as someone entertaining the logistical end of the Imperial machine.

‘Yeah,’ he finally returns, wearing an apologetic smile. ‘It’s just surreal, yeah? I mean, uh … pardon me sayin’, but this is like jumping from a sleep state into a blind jump. Just … getting used to it is all.’

‘That it is,’ you concur, letting out a tired sigh of your own. ‘I’m still waiting for someone to wake me up in a burning Mech and pull me back into the real world … if I’m being honest.’

‘Nah,’ Ryosuke brushes it off, waving his hand for emphasis, ‘if that was it, it’d happen right at the end. Not right now.’

He pauses.

‘But I get it, I guess,’ he continues, ‘and it’s never like how you think how it’s going to be, is it?’

‘Reality rarely meets with fiction on an equal battlefield,’ you comment, letting out a light snort. ‘There’s a lot more to launching a Squadron than just yelling and stretching out your hand. Bureaucracy’s the big one; team chemistry’s the other one … logistics, maintenance, even if I don’t have a hand in any of that I’m still the one whose head’s going to roll if I don’t meet the standard.’

‘Of course you’d say that, Knight-Commander,’ Ryosuke replies. ‘You’re the one with your name on that board, right?’

You can’t help but laugh.

There was a sense of irony to the whole situation.

You’d given up on your dreams—no, no, you hadn’t. You’d changed objectives. You’d left the Colony Fleet out of a sense of responsibility … and you’d pursued your ambitions as a pilot and found yourself unable to meet the standard required. Friends, trials, doubt … they’d come and gone and in many cases, stayed. Everything became disorganized and you … you had to adapt. You had to change. A man unable to stay where he was because the universe wasn’t going to bother waiting for him.

So you gave chase.

And you only just realized, in the heat of that chair, with every excuse under your belt … that you’d never stopped running head-on.

‘You miss it … sir?’

You look up.

‘Miss what?’

Ryosuke’s voice is barely above a squeak.

‘Rhysode, of course.’

>>2747248
>‘Enough that I want to throw the Alliance Military into the gravity well of a dying star.’ (Vengeful)
>‘Yeah.’ (Melancholy)
>‘Depends what you’re asking, really.’ (Deflect)
>‘I try not to dwell on it.’ (Regretful)
>‘I’ll talk to you later, Ryosuke.’ (Evasive)
>Write-In

>>2747253
"Of course I do. So let's go forth and make sure that something like Rhysode will never happen again."

>>2747261
Not getting the tone here. Is this with finality or ...

>>2747275
I guess both melancholic and trying to be encouraging at the same time? Like we've not totally gotten over the grief but heading towards acceptance and focusing on what lies ahead for us?

>>2747253
>>‘Yeah.’ (Melancholy)

>>2747253
>‘Yeah.’ (Melancholy)

>>2747253
>>‘Yeah.’ (Melancholy)

Sewing the seams in a few hours. Be there. Most likely between 10-11.

Sorry. Have to cance for now.

File: Burning City.jpg (1.07 MB, 2500x1500)

1.07 MB JPG

‘Yeah,’ you let out quietly, turning your gaze to the railing. ‘Not something you can just pour out into a pot.’

‘I didn’t mean it like that,’ Ryosuke replies quickly, following up, ‘it’s just … it’s hard for me to think about sometimes, just … I mean, the Emperor’s meant to be the [i]swift hand of judgment[/i] and all that and I thought that he’d start taking names and getting heads rollin’, but … it feels like the whole damn thing’s set up for a finish that we can’t see and we’re just meant to take it like that? That’s not what I signed up for.’

‘That’s why we’re here,’ you answer, just as hastily. ‘We’re here to make sure that kind of thing doesn’t happen again.’

‘I [i]know[/i] that,’ he returns, exasperated … and slightly insubordinate. ‘I mean, why isn’t … why isn’t the Emperor—the Empire, the Aegis, the Navy—doing anything. This ain’t just some small thing, right? Rhysode wasn’t just any planet you could pull and slap another designation on. The Alliance Military started a conflict [i]within[/i] Imperial space. They attacked an active facility under the dominion of [i]The Aegis[/i]. You can’t tell me that you wouldn’t send at least consider one Battlegroup their way to show that they just picked a fight with the wrong bird, right?’

‘Ryosuke …’

‘I know, I know,’ he sighs, his previous exasperation practically doubling. ‘I just … even if we weren’t able to do anything I thought the people that could … [i]would![/i]’

You wait for him to calm down.

[i]Five seconds … ten … twenty-eight …[/i]

‘You know,’ you start, ‘I’ve had a Hell of a time finding a good night’s sleep since then.’

He turns his head to face you again, cocking an eyebrow. ‘Really?’ he questions; immediately, however, his expression turns from curiosity to that of apology, nervously rubbing the back of his neck as he fumbles for words. ‘Sorry, I … well, I … sorry, ma—I mean, [i]sir.[/i] Knight-Commander.’

You let out a breath.

‘You know, they can talk about survivor’s guilt for a million more years … but they’ll never find a way to make it any easier,’ you lament, sighing once more, ‘and they can come up with everything under the sun, but at the end of the day, you’re gonna have to find a way to deal with that and you’re going to have to do it your way. It’s hard to accept a truth that somehow involves the universe deciding that you’re worth another breath of oxygen over the ones you left behind.’

‘That’s—’

‘I don’t know if I have regrets left back there,’ you let out, truthfully, ‘but I do know is that I’m stuck in a spot where I can’t change things and want to go forward … but at the same time, I can’t take another step without throwing a look back.’

‘How’s that working out for you?’

You laugh.

Humourless, bitter, uncertain.

‘I’ll tell you when I get something.’

>>2750350
>'If we're done here, I got some things to do myself. I'm sure that there're things you need to sort out, too.'
>'You talked to anyone about Rhysode since the attack?'
>'There is a political element to all of this, though. No doubt.'
>'Do I need to sign you up for a session with Fisher?'
>Write-In

>>2750359
>>'You talked to anyone about Rhysode since the attack?'

>>2750359
>'You talked to anyone about Rhysode since the attack?'

>>2750359
>>'You talked to anyone about Rhysode since the attack?'

>>2750359
>>'There is a political element to all of this, though. No doubt.'

I'll be running in an hour. Happy Sunday Night to Americans.

‘Have you talked to anyone since the attack?’

‘There was the debriefing … I think all of us had to go through that,’ Ryosuke divulges, looking uncertain. ‘There was a psychiatric treatment program and all that, but I managed to get rid of ‘em as soon as the hours were up. Don’t know about you, but I don’t feel taking out anything out of the box around people I don’t have a clue on, ya know?’

‘I can relate to that,’ you reply, ‘but they’re out there for a reason, you know.’

‘No, I’m … I’m fine,’ he returns, albeit quite unconvincingly. ‘I won’t say that I don’t think about it sometimes, but … I guess I just thought that there’d be something being done about it. I mean, I joined because I thought this is the kinda thing we’d go around trying to keep from happening, but waiting around here, zooming border to border, feels like I … I should be doing something, you know?’

‘Nice to know all that education’s expanded your vocabulary.’

‘I’m serious!’ He pauses. ‘Knight-Commander, sir.’

It wasn’t in you to take an immediate step forward with taking a few steps back to take the bigger picture. You move to communicate the fact.

‘There’s also the part where we’re barely a mission into our posts,’ you state neutrally, ‘and if there’s anything on the scales, we’d be at the periphery if it ever breaks out. I’m sure we’re not the only ones out for blood—’

‘W-We?’

‘I’m not satisfied either,’ you confess, ‘but what I learned over the past few weeks … is that I can’t allow my emotions to compromise judgment pertaining to my responsibilities. I don’t think Sanza or Emilio are happy that nothing’s being proportionately equated to the damn situation … and I can list a few that are a little further along than you are. Trust me; you’re not the only one that has something for the suggestion box.’

‘So you just decided not to do anything about it?’

‘I decided to take my hand off the throttle and sort myself out before I tossed my brain into the core of a star,’ you quip humourlessly. ‘Deciding your stance on pure emotion’s not something that people should ever do. At the same time … I’m not willing to turn my mental capacity into a fucking bureaucratic mess either. When you don’t know what to do and you can’t have confine yourself to self-consultation, well … it helps to have someone to kick your ass and get you back in the saddle.’

You consider your stance one last time.

‘I’ve had you guys around me long enough that I can trust you to do that even without my say-so, I think.’

Ryosuke smiles wryly.

‘Nah, I think Sanza covers that part by herself.’

You hope your howls of laughter don’t disrupt the operations too much.

>‘If that’s it, I think we all have things to do.’
>‘So, about Emilio’s fiancee …’
>‘I should recommend her a raise.’
>Write-In

>>2752153
>‘So, about Emilio’s fiancee …’

>>2752153
>>‘If that’s it, I think we all have things to do.’
>also can you keep an eye out for an analog notebook. Maldante lost it somewhere and is looking for it

>>2752153
>>>‘If that’s it, I think we all have things to do.
’>also can you keep an eye out for an analog notebook. Maldante lost it somewhere and is looking for it

File: Kikitai.jpg (40 KB, 600x600)

40 KB JPG

You decide to cut it short. There were still things to do, after all … and as Knight-Commander, it’d reflect badly on your sense of judgment to just keep idly chatting here when you could have Ryosuke off preparing for the next mission. Better yet, maybe he could start filling out those reports that you’d so—

No, no, there were things that you could reach for.

Ryosuke not being tardy or reaching a degree of responsibility to turn his work on time … that would be a miracle to accomplish within the span of just a few days of a job. For now, you’d be satisfied with him belaying his role without abuse. The both of you had been fanboys for the bulk of your lives, after all.

‘If that’s it, I think we all have things to do,’ you declare, taking a tone of finality to your words. ‘You know where to find me if you need anything.’

Your blue-haired friend throws up a playful salute, one that you return earnestly.

‘Yeah, I guess there are things I could catch up on.’

You silently hope that he included his (currently) thin backlog was on that list.

‘I’m sure you do,’ you state neutrally, right as something else hits you, ‘and Maldante seems to be missing a notebook. Analogue, paper and ink and all that. So if you find it …’

‘Sure,’ he answers, nodding and turning his back to you. ‘Be seein’ ya, buddy!’

You let that small bout of insubordination slide.

>INPUT ACTION

>>2752247
>Check in with the lost and found.

>>2752247
>Check in with the lost and found.

>>2752247
>look for the Head mechanic or Engineer

>>2752251
>>2752253
There is no lost and found department. You will have to look for the Quartermaster, but their identity will not be divulged just yet.

>>2752259
There's a map.
>>2742743

>>2752302
Ok, then.
>>2752247
>Dropship Chamber Express Lift > Chief Engineer's Office

>>2752302
>Chief Engineer’s Office
sorry

>>2752302
>>Dropship Chamber Express Lift > Chief Engineer's Office
there we go
i'll get this down eventually

File: Fuzzy.jpg (4 KB, 160x160)

4 KB JPG

You step into the office of your Chief Engineer … and find Memphis at her desk, toiling over what appeared to be a hologram of a blueprint. She had a pen and a tablet in her hand, eyes darting between the glowing details before her eyes and what could only be a reference in her hands. Whether it was during her own free time behind the desk or in the middle of class, it was rare for you to see her without something in her hands that involved her obsession with the mechanics of structure and design. As someone from a Colony Fleet, it was easy to discern just why you’d gravitated to her compared to other teachers.

Savvik was great, but there was only so much on the topic of peak human performance that you could take in before wishing you’d been born deaf.

‘Knight-Commander,’ Memphis starts, not even looking up from her task at hand … until she does of course. ‘I trust that everything’s in order?’

‘Oh? Yeah, everything’s … peachy,’ you reply, looking around. Save for a few boxes by the wall, the office was still bare.

‘I expect them to be so,’ she utters neutrally, pushing herself up to her feet. ‘Considering the amount you just handed over to us, it would look like we’ve misplaced your trust by not performing up to the standard.’

‘It’s not that much,’ you return.

‘It’s enough to get started,’ she counters kindly. ‘Which is more than what the average Knight-Commander bothers with until it’s too late to do so. So, for that, thank you.’

You’re not sure how to respond to that.

>‘Are you still working on your, uh, sub-contract?’ (Personal)’
>‘Any lasting damage to the Mechs?’ (Mech Status)
>‘I’d like to review the R & D if that’s all right with you?’ (Research and Development)
>‘Any news on Rhysode?’
>‘I should go.’
>Write-In

>>2752487
>>‘Any lasting damage to the Mechs?’ (Mech Status)

>>2752487
>‘Any lasting damage to the Mechs?’ (Mech Status)

>>2752487
>‘Any lasting damage to the Mechs?’ (Mech Status)

‘Any lasting damage to the Mechs?’

‘All equipment and Mechs are maintained and will be battle-ready within the designated prep period,’ Memphis states bluntly. ‘Nothing needs replacing or fixing on a priority basis. Currently, at the very least.’

‘So we could just launch right now?’

‘No,’ she replies. ‘As someone that delves into the matter as frequently as you do, you must be aware that we still need to follow protocol. But on practical terms, yes, we could. Just give the crew the standard cushion and they’ll be ready.’

>‘So what are you working on? Your, uh, sub-contract?’ (Personal)
>‘I’d like review R&D, if that’s all right with you?’ (Research/Development)
>‘Any news on Rhysode? From Wray?’
>‘I should go.’
>Write-In

>>2752584
>>‘I’d like review R&D, if that’s all right with you?’ (Research/Development)

>>2752584
>>‘I’d like to review R&D, if that’s all right with you?’ (Research/Development)

>>2752584
>‘I’d like review R&D, if that’s all right with you?’ (Research/Development)

>>2752584
>‘I’d like review R&D, if that’s all right with you?’ (Research/Development)

File: Upgrade.png (105 KB, 511x253)

105 KB PNG

‘I’d like to review our options in regards to R&D, if that’s all right with you?’

‘Of course.’ She nods in compliance, tapping a key on the console and bringing up what appeared to be a task list. ‘Take a look yourself.’

>Mech Equipment*
>Mech Weaponry
>Pilot Enhancement*
>Lance Support
>Logistics
>Facilities
>‘Would you care to explain what each of these sub-categories pertain?’
>‘How does funding affect development? More money more programs?’
>‘I’d like to go over something else.’

>>2753966
>‘Would you care to explain what each of these sub-categories pertain?’

>>2753966
>>‘Would you care to explain what each of these sub-categories pertain?’

File: Zwoo.jpg (15 KB, 259x194)

15 KB JPG

‘Would you explain to me what each of these sub-categories pertain?’

She nods again.

‘Yes, sir.’

Memphis taps another key, flipping the display for your convenience. As simplified as it was, you could duly appreciate the precision that she’d managed to interlink each and every one of the subjects to their relevant account. You’d always had things set at a pick-up distance yourself, ready to just string together whenever the need arose … so seeing something that could have been left as organized as a jumble of cables, wires and the like neatly set was something that was something that you had to acknowledge, however slight.

Engineer to engineer, it was worth a clap and a whistle.

‘Mech Equipment,’ she starts, ‘is simple. It involves funnelling time and man hours into supplementary equipment modules, such as ammo packs, Jump Jets, alloy procurement and the like. I have confidence in myself as a technician, and if there’s anything on the list that catches your fancy, I’ll be more than happy to put something through … but unlike Fisk, I’m no innovator. I build on what we already have, so if there’s any experimental propositions that you’d like to put through, I’m afraid you’re going to have to do that on your own.’

You nod in understanding.

You understood that much.

‘The same thing goes for Pilot Enhancements. Operating System patches, supplementary safety measures and the like are within the domain of my expertise … but if you’re asking me to look into anything unconventional that hasn’t at least seen its testing phase, I won’t be able to fulfil it to specification.’

Another nod.

‘I got it.’

‘Lance Support involves upgrades relating to the support unit; the tanks and the air support,’ she goes on, gesturing to the broken image in the top corner. ‘Currently, however, because you do not have combat support units, I can’t do anything to further development until you have a proper crew running those.’

‘Why?’

She stares at you, unimpressed. ‘Because you’re not the ones riding in them, sir.’

You shrug. Fair enough.

‘I believe that you don’t need a lecture as to what weaponry is,’ Memphis continues, pointing to the blueprint of what looked like a Mech’s rifle barrel. ‘And due to my experience in the field, this is one area of development that I am able to expand and innovate on beyond the norm … that is, if you’re able to secure enough manpower and funding to further those ends.’

She proceeds to scroll down, shifting to another page.

‘Facilities and Logistics assist in the R&D process. Facilities relates to the current equipment we have available to upgrades. Upgrading that reduces the time period required for certain projects to complete. Some projects might require a certain threshold to be reached, as well.’

You nod.

‘And Logistics?’

‘Certain research projects and development programs may require a unique component, external consultant or something that we don’t have on hand. Logistics essentially acts as a secondary shopping list in order to acquire these assets for immediate usage instead of waiting or hunting for them on your own. They are, however, much more expensive to acquire here compared to you tracking them down on your own time and effort.’

‘Any reason why?’

‘Convenience costs money, Knight-Commander.’

You shrug.

There was no arguing with that logic.

>Mech Equipment*
>Mech Weaponry
>Pilot Enhancement*
>Lance Support
>Logistics
>Facilities
>‘Would you care to explain what each of these sub-categories pertain?’
>‘I’d like to go over something else.’
>Write-In

>>2754069
>>Facilities

>>2754069
>>Pilot Enhancement*

>>2754069
>Facilities

CURRENT R/D ALLOCATION: 2,000,000 CROWNS
ALLOCATION BONUS: [MINUTE]

FACILITIES:

>MECH STORAGE UNIT (750,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>LENGTH: INSTANT
Adds 2 storage bays to store Mechs

>WEAPONRY SPECIALIZATION UNIT [BASIC] (2,500,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>LENGTH: MODERATE
Decreases time to complete Weaponry Research Projects

>EQUIPMENT TESTING LEVEL [BASIC] (2,000,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>LENGTH: MODERATE
Decreases time to complete Equipment Research Projects

>TRIAL FACILITY [BASIC] (5,000,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>LENGTH: CONSIDERABLE
Decreases time to complete Piloting Enhancements

>LOGISTICAL SUPPORT [BASIC] (500,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>LENGTH: INSTANT
Expands Logistics List

>[INPUT ACTION]

>>2754319
Buy the mech storage Unit and Logistical support.

>>2754319
>check Mech equipment prices
>>2754348
hold on m8, lets look at other options first

>>2754319
>check Mech equipment prices

CURRENT R/D ALLOCATION: 2,000,000 CROWNS
ALLOCATION BONUS: [MINUTE]

MECH EQUIPMENT:

[Improved Jump Jets] (1,200,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>LENGTH: SHORT
+1 Jump Jet [Use] with no penalties

[Heat Management System] (Basic) (1,800,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>RESTRICTIONS: Only affects Energy Weapons
>LENGTH: SHORT
+1 to [Cooldown] Rolls for Energy Weapons

[Extended Magazine Pack] (3,000,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>RESTRICTIONS: Only affects Projectile Weapons
>LENGTH: INSTANT
Shooting Solution of first encounter does not require reload

[Plasma Installation] (8,000,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: WEAPONRY SPECIALIZATION [BASIC]
>RESTRICTIONS: Imperial Mechs Only
>LENGTH: CONSIDERABLE
Installs a shoulder-mounted Plasma Cannon onto a Mech. IF THE MECH IS DESTROYED OR ABANDONED, SO IS THE WEAPON.

[Melee Weapon Research] (Basic) (3,500,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>RESTRICTIONS: Imperial Mechs Only
>LENGTH: SHORT
Adds the [Vibro Sword], [Mace] and [Energy Shield] to the Armory

[Ranged Weapon Research] (Basic) (5,000,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>RESTRICTIONS: Imperial Mechs Only
>LENGTH: MODERATE
Adds the [Missile Launcher] and [Beam Rifle] to the Armory

>[INPUT ACTION]

>>2754409
>Check Mech Weaponry

>>2754409
Check Mech weaponry prices.

>>2754409
>>Pilot Enhancement* prices
my X-com playing autism demands me to check each category

>>2754420
Welp apparently weapons are covered too so cover Pilot Enhancement instead. sorry.

>>2754426
Still some Mech Weaponry stuff to see. Last 2 are only part.

CURRENT R/D ALLOCATION: 2,000,000 CROWNS
ALLOCATION BONUS: [MINUTE]

[Melee Weapon Research] (Basic) (3,500,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>RESTRICTIONS: Imperial Mechs Only
>LENGTH: SHORT
Adds the [Vibro Sword], [Mace] and [Energy Shield] to the Armory

[Ranged Weapon Research] (Basic) (5,000,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>RESTRICTIONS: Imperial Mechs Only
>LENGTH: MODERATE
Adds the [Missile Launcher] and [Beam Rifle] to the Armory

[Cutter Tech] (Basic) (1,000,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>RESTRICTIONS: Only affects non-energy Melee Weaponry
>LENGTH: SHORT
Raises minimum damage of [Melee Weapon]s by +1 for all pilots

[Scope Tech] (Basic) (1,000,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>LENGTH: SHORT
Lowers minimum accuracy requirement for [Ranged Weapon]s by -1 for all pilots

[Gyro-Reactionary Advancement] (Basic) (1,500,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>RESTRICTIONS: Shields Only
>LENGTH: SHORT
Enables Shields to be used as [Melee Weapon]s by all pilots

[Frequency Barrier] (Basic) (3,000,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: Melee Weapon Research (Basic)
>LENGTH: SHORT
Energy Shields can also block Plasma Weaponry

>[INPUT ACTION]

>>2754441
>>>Pilot Enhancement* prices
that Scope Tech is mighty tempting

>>2754441
>Pilot Enhancement* prices
>>2754445
Agreed, Cutter Tech is also good.

PILOT ENHANCEMENT:

[Brace Mechanism] (1,000,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>LENGTH: Short
Decreases chance of injury/death when attacked during phases where Mech is prone

[Operating System Backdoor Boot] (3,000,000 CROWNS)
>REQUIREMENT: N/A
>LENGTH: Short
Pilot can reboot immediately after an attack results in [Shutdown]. Attacking that turn, however, is not possible.

>[INPUT ACTION]

>>2754473
>>Logistics
last one to check

>>2754473
>Logistics

LOGISTICS:

>[OLD DATA KEY] (2,000,000 CROWNS)
This seems to be an old data key. The code is almost 200 years old; where does it lead?

>[RANGED SENSOR MODULE – TEST UNITS] (1,500,000 CROWNS)
A module built to test low-yield ranged weaponry.

>[COLTONER MACHINE RIFLE] (500,000 CROWNS each, 3 units)
Kinetic Ranged Weapon, [+2], [-1d Crit Chance]

>[SELF-MUTATING ALGORITHM] (1,200,000 CROWNS)
A self-mutating algorithm. Not malicious. Seems to be made for extrapolation research.

>[CASTFIST MELEE COMBAT MODULE] (1,000,000 CROWNS each, 1 unit)
+1d Crit Chance to Melee Attacks

>[INPUT ACTION]

>>2754502
Buy Basic Logistical support
Buy scope tech Basic
Buy Coltoner Machine Rifle

>>2754502
>Data Key.

That screams unlock sidequest to crazy good gear.

>>2754525
>>2754532
i am torn anons
focus on upgrades and make our squad better
or take that mystery box

>>2754540
I'm going Mystery Box. Mech has already said a disk one nuke is hidden with in reach if we follow the clues. A that Data Key screams big ass clue.

Buy Data Key.

>>2754502
>>[OLD DATA KEY] (2,000,000 CROWNS)
this will either be fantastic as fuck or a complete let down
lets see where it goes

>>2754502
Just to confirm my vote is Buy Data Key

>>2754565
I am going with the chance for shiny

>YOU ACQUIRED: [OLD DATA KEY]

It’s old.

That’s really all you can say about the item as you put it back into its case. The data was out-dated, line and line after code that answered to both a physical function and an electronic response system that were last in use some hundred years ago. You’re not sure what it was for; its presence in the logistical catalogue was an anomaly. So much so that you couldn’t help but, by some niggling scratch, be pushed to reach for. The case—about a third of a foot long—shuts with a click as you place it in your pocket and get to your feet. Memphis regards you neutrally; you’re unable to ascertain whether she has frustration at the budget being spent on a whim or if she had a degree of professional acceptance of your decision. It wasn’t like you could buy it with your own coin; budget allocations were made for this sort of thing after all.

However …

‘It’s a leftover from one of the old manifests,’ Memphis states, as if reading your mind. ‘We’re unsure what it’s for, but the Aegis isn’t one to let things get back into storage without certain nuances fulfilled.’

‘No clue at all what it’s for? It looks important.’

‘I suspect it’s for a storage unit,’ she offers, ‘but other than that, I can’t push for a proper judgment on the item. The registrar recycles every sixty years or so, so whatever that key’s for, it’s for something that’s either been abandoned or deemed surplus to requirement … or, even, in the minor capacity, declared lost.’

‘Why would they keep it in circulation then?’

She wears a coy smile.

‘Perhaps, it’s in the hope they can recoup some of their losses financially.’

That felt like a jibe.

With Memphis, though, you could never be sure.

>‘Are you still working on your, uh, sub-contract?’ (Personal)’
>‘Any lasting damage to the Mechs?’ (Mech Status)
>‘I’d like to review the R & D if that’s all right with you?’ (Research and Development)
>‘Any news on Rhysode?’
>'Don't we even have any references? I don't want to feel like I just blew all that money for something redundant.'
>‘I should go.’
>Write-In

>>2754705
>>'Don't we even have any references? I don't want to feel like I just blew all that money for something redundant.'

>>2754705
>'Don't we even have any references? I don't want to feel like I just blew all that money for something redundant

>>2754705
>'Don't we even have any references? I don't want to feel like I just blew all that money for something redundant.'

>>2754705
>'Don't we even have any references? I don't want to feel like I just blew all that money for something redundant.'

>>2754705
>'Don't we even have any references? I don't want to feel like I just blew all that money for something redundant.'

File: She could be of use.jpg (12 KB, 201x251)

12 KB JPG

‘Don’t we even have a reference for this at least? A manifest track or how long its been around?’

Your query has Memphis raising an eyebrow. She turns to her tablet, scrolling through the details as she—hopefully, at least—complies in following the implied curiosity … before looking up and shaking her head.

‘No,’ she answers, ‘but there is an anomaly in the log that’s keyed into the Data Key’s referencing history. It’s gone through the ends of the galaxy, but it seems that it’s not even meant to be here in the first place. If it’s malicious, however, the entity behind such intricate weaving would be an incompetent buffoon to have it lying around for so long in the purchasing sector; if they’re still around, in any case. That only leaves two other avenues: that it’s either a deliberate plant or … that it was put in by mistake.’

You frown. You didn’t like either of those hypotheses. Sinking two million crowns into this on a leap of faith … you kind of hoped that there’d be something substantial on the front.

‘The good news, however, is that the logs seem to be focused between this sector and the one over, so it hasn’t traveled much since its last reset. We might be able to find someone on The Aegis who has a clue about this key.’

‘We can’t just send mail out to all outposts asking what this Data Key is for?’

Memphis raises an eyebrow.

‘I hardly think risking a reprimand by your peers is an appropriate action considering the current duration of your posting.’

‘Why? It’d be practical, wouldn’t it?’

She doesn’t change her expression.

‘Do you know what a spam filter is for, sir?’

Of course y—oh.

‘Fine, fine,’ you concede, grumbling. ‘But I just spent seven digits on this thing and’—Memphis’s nose and lips give a little twitch—‘the only thing I know about it is that it’s old and probably bounced around thirty vessels by the time my grandfather learned to walk in suspenders. What am I going to do with this?’

‘For one, sir,’ Memphis starts patiently, ‘in your position, I wouldn’t have decided to purchase something on impulse with Chapter-designated funds.’

You wince.

Was that insubordination?

‘For two, the lack of intelligence isn’t as much a burden as you think,’ she continues calmly. ‘That’s what the Commissar and Officer Fisher are on board for, after all.’

‘I don’t think the Commissar would be happy knowing that I bought something without having the slightest clue what it is.’

‘He already does,’ Fisher states curtly. ‘All purchases are available for external reference and review, after all.’

Perfect. Just perfect.

‘On the other hand, Morrigan’—the first name basis surprises you, somewhat—‘is connected to a large intelligence network. [SHE COULD BE OF USE] should you decide to further pursue your endeavors.’

>>2765446
>‘Are you still working on your, uh, sub-contract?’ (Personal)
>‘Any lasting damage to the Mechs?’ (Mech Status)
>‘I’d like to review R&D, if that’s all right with you?’ (Research and Development)
>‘Any news on Rhysode?’
>‘I should go, then.'
>Write-In

>>2765482
‘I should go, then.'

>>2765482
>‘I should go, then.'
>Executive Coordinator's Office (Morrigan's)

>>2765498
This

>>2765498
same

>>2765498
yea why not

File: Chat Chat.jpg (36 KB, 736x736)

36 KB JPG

You leave Memphis’s office, the door shutting with a hiss as you make quick strides towards your next destination: the office of your former counselor and current Executive Coordination Officer. A mere measure of feet lay between the two locations; you’re there within the span of seconds, pressing your hand on the panel, the metal partition sliding open to reveal Morrigan Fisher—

‘If she’s not coming home early, she’s coming home late.’

—who was currently on a communication device, chatting away as she sat on her table, her back to you and the display at her desk filled with windows while analog notebooks and tablets littered the edge of her workspace. She doesn’t seem to notice you, completely engrossed in the palm-sized device … which appeared to be an audio-only receptor. You hadn’t seen those in a while; they were extremely fun to tinker with back on the Colony Fleet; and they were good practice for kids looking to get into an engineering assignment as a prospective career. The “bouncing tech” was essentially the same structure as a starship communications receptor and feedback unit, complete with all the analogues for an operating chamber, all in a package that didn’t go into a catastrophic fit if you screwed up.

They were also very expensive to get ahold of, even broken ones.

‘Tell Delta if I hear her going—no, I’m NOT compromising on that; tell her that and … no … look, if I can’t trust her to actually enforce discipline on herself when I’m around, I can’t trust her to do it when I’m trillions of miles—well, that’s just too bad, then. It’s still a house given under my commission and if she’s going to bring a dirty, pierced-up, drugged-up, college preppy in, it better be because she decided to take forensics as a career path.’

She pauses.

The voice on the other side says something, but from this side of the room, you can’t make out heads of tails of what they’re saying. You don’t need to be a detective, however, to deduce just what the mature of the call was about. It’s not long before she pushes herself off her desk, letting out a heavy sigh and tossing her hat on her table.

‘I’d put off on that decision for now,’ she states tiredly. ‘You’re on a new world, a new town … I think you can find something you can get into there if you—’

Fisher stops mid-sentence, making affirmative noises as the other side appears to communicate their own perspectives.

‘I’ll try to get the first jaunt back, but it’ll be a few months before I—’

She whirls around … and turns pale as her eyes meet yours.

‘I’ll … I’ll call you back.’

>>2765979
>'You know, personal communication devices that utilize "bounce tech" outside of the vessel's scopes are against regulations. Not to mention the fact you're taking a personal call during work hours.' (Professional)
>'Family?' (Personal)
>'I'm here to go over our Contractors.' (Independent Contractors: Introduction)
>'I can leave if you need some alone time.'
>Write-In

>>2765979
>'I can leave if you need some alone time.'

>>2765996
>>'I'm here to go over our Contractors.' (Independent Contractors: Introduction)

>>2765979
>>'Family?' (Personal)

>>2765996
>Given you taught me the regs, I'm sure you don't need them shoved down your throat, just be careful with that, hate to see the commissar come down on you for trying to take care of your family. Do you need time or can we hammer some thing out?

Rolled 3 (1d4)

>>2766001
>>2766007
>>2766010

File: Lieutenant Commander Fisher.png (97 KB, 310x223)

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‘Family?’

She wears a defeated, wry smile, setting the device down on her desk before crossing her arms and letting out another sigh. You give one of your own, trying to communicate that you did understand her need to fuss over a pair of sisters that were right in the middle of their defining years. Iona had been pleasant enough to be around—and judging by the other name, was probably the one on the other side of the comm—but what you’d been told second-hand (by the same person, no less!) was that Delta, the middle sister, was … a little troubled.

At least, that’s what you had picked up so far.

‘Iona and Delta are … having trouble settling on Lokeren,’ Fisher reveals, biting her lip.

Lokeren.

Thick atmosphere, sub-zero weather and little no breathable air. Gravity index dangerously above average.

You’d been there before … and didn’t have any good memories of it. It was an ice world that had several colonies and a low mass index, but served as a sort-of inhabitable research and mining hub for the Yoozan System’s military trade complex, which made it, effectively, right between Imperial jurisdiction and policed by the myriad of Trade Houses that plied their trade in the region. That also made it incredibly bigoted against Colony Fleets passing by. There was nothing good to say about the place from personal experience; you’d visited one of their habitat complexes with your younger cousins, their friends and a supervisor that had been saddled with babysitting duty (to pick up something for the nutrient balance or thereabouts), only to be greeted by a cold reception of averted gazes and—if they bothered to look your way at all—sneers. Even the contact on the ground seemed a little annoyed at having to sort the lot of you out while the Administrator and the other adults began the slog of month-long repairs on the ships.

You weren’t aware you were a “kind” until you decided to go into a toy shop in the middle levels.

The only thing that you could put value on it for

‘I know the place,’ you state neutrally, nodding. ‘It’s the local system gas harvest point, isn’t it? Your sisters are staying in one of the complexes?’

‘We managed to sort the moving and the new furniture quick,’ she replies, ‘but other than that … I guess you can say that there were a lot of things left on the table by the time I realized I had to sort them out. I’ve been trying to do what I can since my re-activation, but I … well, it’s hard. That’s about it.’

‘It would be, I imagine,’ you say in agreement, ‘especially after what happened.’

‘They’re coping in their own ways, but …’

She bites her bottom lip.

‘I don’t know, I think that I should be doing more. Iona’s going to be applying to her new school alone … and I don’t even want to think about what Delta’s getting up to.’ Fisher lets out an exasperated sigh, clicking her tongue. 'And I'm here, lightyears away.'

>Write-In

>>2766716
"This is the part as a good boyfriend where I am supposed to have something reassuring to say. Here goes, your sisters are tougher than you give them credit for Morrigan. They handled themselves when you were half dead rom blood loss, they survived a planet dying around them. They're tough enough to survive this. You would not have left if you did not think they could not handle being without you, I know you better than that. They'll be alright, just be ready to give them advice or a figurative sharp smack on the noggin when they get overwhelmed."

>>2766780
sounds good to me
>and when things finally settle into a routine here and if time permits, i'm pretty sure we can arrange something for you and me to visit them and settle some thing

>>2766797
Same