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>>5772306
As you ride the tube home to pack up your belongings, your thoughts drift to your late mother. Your first memory is of her bent over with a broom sweeping out dustbunnies from under a luxurious sofa. It is a scene you would see time and again as your mother cleaned for those lucky enough to not have to clean after themselves. You never saw your father, the bastard took off soon after you were born. Occasionally, he might send a letter to you and a cheque to your mother. You never read the letter, nor did mother cash the cheque. You managed university on scholarships and your mother's savings; eventually, you accomplished your only dream in life, to pay someone else to clean for your mother. Your mother has since passed away, but what you have done might just bring her back. The thought of taking on your father's uniform and ship and plying his hateful trade gave you a shudder, how different are you from him then? Too late to back out now, might as well look forward to what's ahead.

The next morning you carry what few luggage you have to Tranquility Spacedock. Contrary to its name (inherited from location more than anything), the seething mass of people and antigrav barges made it difficult to make out Landing bay 86-B. You eventually make your way there, only to see your first officer impatiently lighting a cigarette. He puts away his lighter upon seeing you, "Good afternoon princess, thankfully the capt' of this beauty here is my friend or you would have drunk exhaust by now." Before you can reply, he grabs the luggage from your hands and rough-handedly stuffs it into the underbelly of the tramp shuttle. "what are you looking at, we can chat while en route." You quietly climbs into the fuselage.

After you have made yourself comfortable, at least as comfortable as you can in this cramped space, you shout out to the man:

>"What's the name of our company anyway?" (name our outfit)

While waiting for his reply, you think of some other questions (choose 2 out of 4)

>"What kind of man was my father?"
>"How, uh, did he pass away?"
>"Why me, surely he must have dozens of other bastards to leave his ship to?"
>"How is the situation now in the Liteian Sector?"
>"Do you have any suggestion to kill the time while we are stuck in this rustbucket?"

>>5772312
>Good afternoon princess
We girl?

>"What's the name of our company anyway?" (name our outfit)
Black Sun Enterprise

>"What kind of man was my father?"
>"How, uh, did he pass away?"

>>5772306
>>5772312
A couple rules for the quest:
>Writeins are encouraged, even if it doesn't win I might work it into the final decision.
>Votes should be in greentext and linked to my post, otherwise I might miss it.
>When changing your votes, link both your original post and my own to help me keep track of things
I will try to post updates every other day around 9am EST (I live in a different time zone), if I can't make it I will make a post letting you know.
Also, where do you guys find your space-related images? This is my first time doing this.
>>5772315
He's making fun of us for being late, sorry if it's a bit unclear

>>5772312
>Dyrnwyn Company
>"What kind of man was my father?"
>"Why me, surely he must have dozens of other bastards to leave his ship to?"

>>5772315
>>5772325
>Black Sun Enterprise
>Dyrnwyn Company
1 vote each
>"What kind of man was my father?"
2 votes
>"How, uh, did he pass away?"
>"Why me, surely he must have dozens of other bastards to leave his ship to?"
1 vote each
Since there isn't that many votes for the name, I would probably do another vote later to rename our company. Don't worry, the votes here will count twice.

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>>5774101
You are met with awkward silence. After clearing his throat several times, the soldier finally mumbles something under his breath. You repeat the question:

"The name of the company, for Luna's sake"

"It's Dyrnwyn's Black Sun EnterCom."

"What did you say again? I think my ears just popped from the ascent"

"Dyrnwyn's Black Sun EnterCom goddamnit"

You laugh and laugh until the world around you starts spinning and you have to catch your breath. The pilot turns round with an irritated look:

"What are you idiots getting up to back there? Air ain't free. Don't talk unless it's better than silence."

Well, you would gladly pay good money for such an expert prank anyway. This whole thing was an elaborate setup; must be Frank from loyalty assurance, that guy has always been a bag of laughs. But hiring several actors and even a shuttle? That's some next-level dedication. You glance around, trying to find the hidden camera streaming the whole thing to your office. Wait... the cold starts creeping up your back. Is your boss in on this? How could he maintain a cool face all the while reading through your resignation? The stream of questions slowly whirling out of control in your mind is suddenly halted.

"I know what are thinking. Don't worry, the company's as legit as it gets. Your old geezer loved shitty jokes wherever he could get away with it, but was dead serious when it mattered. The ridiculous name is still bad for morale of course, so we should probably change it first chance we get. Any other questions?"

"My father, how was he like? You must know, having fought so long under him."

"As I already said, a failed comedian until the coils start singing. Other than that, not much. He liked to keep people at arm's length, probably the reason why he could never hold on to any woman for long. You should be able to read his logs for yourself once we get back to the ship."

Why would he lead mother on like that if he never intended to bear the responsibility? You don't know that you can despise the man even more than you already did. To think of the hundreds of half-brothers and sisters he must have abandoned in the same way makes you want to gag.

"What about his other children? Why me and not them?"

A look of surprise crosses his face.

"What children? As far as I know he only seduced women, not screwed them. I almost thought him a closet case at some point until I learned of your existence. Listen to me. I know this may not mean much but your old man had his reasons. I haven't a single clue what they might be but they better be damn good ones cause he just didn't strike me as the careless or, worse, disloyal type. You will never forgive him, I could tell, hell, I wouldn't if I were you, but at least try to know him. Then you could hate him for who he really was instead of who you thought him to be."

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>>5774121
A cold silence hangs over the cabin as you mull over the man's words. You are compelled to chase it off, however, as the largest question still remains.

"How did he uh, pass away?"

"Same reason why the ship needs to be repaired. A Qyngur anti-raider patrol ambushed us and managed to sneak a couple torps in just as our shields went online. The entire bridge immediately ate void, but thankfully I was down in engineering at the time trying to get that damn shield up. We fought our way out and managed to limp back to Holdfast Starfort."

He suddenly grew old as ridges and valleys revealed themselves across his scar-crossed face:

"I'm sorry, I failed your father, I shouldn't have talked him into cutting through that asteroid field just to shave off a couple hours on our return trip. In this profession, the further you think you are from death, the closer it is to you in reality."

He looks away at the windows for a moment, lost in thought. The silence has returned and set its claws even deeper than before, leaving behind only the soft humming of the air exchanger.

>Stay silent, let him sort through his emotions on his own.
>"It wasn't your fault. When father took to this life, he already accepted the risks. It just took this long for the dices to finally roll against him."
>"You felt safe, and it has cost you dearly. Don't let your guard down again when you serve under me."
>Glass him
I have tomorrow free so I can do another update then

>>5774122
>>"It wasn't your fault. When father took to this life, he already accepted the risks. It just took this long for the dices to finally roll against him."

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"Something is off"

You looked up at your first officer, "Really now, Jones? How many times have I told you to relax? We have already decided to return early, just not empty-handed. I know your guts are good at these things, but..."

Lieutenant Jones motioned at one of the displays, "Yes, I understand, captain, but it's too quiet. According to sigint, the Qyngurs have dispatched two hunter-killer squadrons to this sector after that incident. These spaces should be crawling with sensor drones right now, but there's not so much as a blip on our passives."

Keep calm now, breathe. You gritted your teeth, but before you could berate Jones the alarms roared to life. Your sensor officer reported contact, direction 150 by 30. Distance quarter aught.

You sat upright in your chair and squinted at the newly appeared dots, "How many? And are they closing?"

"Just the one, sir, heading away from us. Do you want to plot for intercept?"

A spooked freighter captain, perhaps? And to think you would have flown straight past without knowing any better. What a shame... for them. Jones stole a triumphant glance at you, but you knew better to ignore it. That kid could not keep his mouth shut, but his sense for danger more than made up for the occasional bout of insubordination.

"Set course to intercept. Yellow alert. Quarter power to main guns. Prepare to raise shields at my command. And can someone please turn that damn klaxon off."

The engine rumbled ever slightly louder than usual. Freighters were slow beasts, there was no need to waste precious delta-V to get to flank acceleration. You won't come in range of your weapons for another few hours, but neither can they shake you off at this rate.

"Fire a warning shot, we might get them to surrender and spare the both of us some time."

Suddenly, the comms console lit up. You accepted the hail and projected it onto the main screen. Jones excitedly broke his knuckles, "Looks like we won't even need to waste any ammo. These fools know the jig's up."

You weren't prepared for the face which appeared. The man on the other side of the screen exclaimed with relief, "A Directorate vessel? Thank God and Heaven above."

He gave you a quick sitrep. Apparently his late captain had sauntered right into an ambush by one of the hunter-killer groups and were welcomed with a flurry of torpedoes. Bridge got promptly redecorated, one of the engines blown out. They were lucky to make it out with such light damage, a point-blank torpedo ambush could cripple even the largest warships. After finishing his reports, the soldier looked at you expectantly. You sighed:

"Looks like we're turning back early after all. At least High Command does pay for escort duty."

>>5775262
There weren't enough votes so I wrote this intermission for now. Maybe I should have named this trans raider or furry raider instead.
If you have any suggestions or criticisms please let me know. This is not just my first time running a quest, it's the first time I write creatively

>>5774122
>It wasn't your fault. When father took to this life, he already accepted the risks. It just took this long for the dices to finally roll against him."

>>5774122
>"It wasn't your fault. When father took to this life, he already accepted the risks. It just took this long for the dices to finally roll against him."

>>5775263
I think this is a decent first effort and you should be proud of taking the step to post it. That takes a fair amount of brass and is usually the narrowest bridge separating those who improve from those who do not.

Having said that I will tell you a couple of things.

1.Your grammar and word choice need a bit of work. Not that much but some examples with attendant critiques follow.

"You can't tell a good man from bad with just it either."

Anyone reading this knows he's referring to a salute, but that doesn't stop it from being an awkward sentence, the man is talking about salutes plural, so it should be.

"They won't let you tell good men from bad either." Or if you're trying to keep characterizing him as a blue collar privateer you can have him speak a little more poorly.

"They don't let you tell good men from bad neither."

Then there's something like
"The next morning you carry what few luggage you have to Tranquility Spacedock."

Luggage is a universal plural, you always refer to it as singular. So...
"You carry what luggage you have to Tranquility Spacedock."

Or...
"Don't talk unless it's better than silence."

Is not a good phrase. People know what you mean but it's strange and doesn't sound natural. Something like...
"Don't talk unless you've got somethin' to say!"
Would be more in line with a pissed off pilot.

These are just a few examples. As you can see none of them are huge or unforgivable, they just need a little clean up.

2.A quest about being a space pirate is not a bad idea at all, but usually you need something to grab people right away. Something to distinguish yourself and your quest from 'Just Another Space Quest'. There are innumerable ways to do this so I can't tell you what to do, but the bottom line is that you should try and make the setting or characters more your own. Reveal to people what made you excited to run this quest in the first place.

3.This is a very slow board with very few people on it, especially compared to the rest of 4chan or to other sites that deal in the same trade. My first quest got one response in 24 hours. Eventually it started getting more, but it took time. It will always take time, and unless you stick around and build a fanbase and reputation then you will probably never have the type of traffic you see with the quests that get thousands of replies.

Lastly, don't get discouraged. As I said, writing for others is difficult and frightening and not many people do it for those reasons. However if anything I said has made you want to quit or gotten you discouraged, please remember that doing something like this is the quickest, most comprehensive, and most radical way there is to improve your writing.

Everything important takes time, and yes its hard, and yes it's every day, but I would stick with it for one month, and compare your writing then to what you've posted so far. I think you'll be amazed at the difference. Good luck.

Sorry got sudden work yesterday. I will try to make an update later this evening (next morning if you live in the US)
>>5775016
>>5775694
>>5775728
>It wasn't your fault. When father took to this life, he already accepted the risks. It just took this long for the dices to finally roll against him."
Unanimous for this
>>5775856
Thanks very much for the comments, I'll make sure to keep them in mind as I keep on writing
>if you're trying to keep characterizing him as a blue collar privateer you can have him speak a little more poorly.
It's actually a little bit of both, his choice of words seemed forced because he was trying to impress you (hence the somewhat irritating attempts at philosophy). University graduates are quite rare in the sector (and more generally) and do command a certain level of respect. A Bachelor's in the setting is almost equivalent to a PhD today, which is the reason why the boss' not shutting down the supposed joke surprised us (whether it will give us any edge in battle is another question...). Anyhow since you didn't recognise the intent, I will probably have to think of some other way to convey it.
>the bottom line is that you should try and make the setting or characters more your own. Reveal to people what made you excited to run this quest in the first place.
Hmm it seems like my decision to go with the start of our trip out to Liteia instead of skipping straight to the end might not be so good after all. I want to more subtly work some of the background information into descriptions and dialogues instead of just loredumping initially but for the next few posts I will try to push the setting more to the fore.
>This is a very slow board with very few people on it, especially compared to the rest of 4chan or to other sites that deal in the same trade.
Tbdesu I already guessed that when the thread only fell to page 2 even after a couple days of inactivity. I figured more anons will come in sooner than later (as is already kinda happening), but it's nice to get confirmation from an oldfag.
>Lastly, don't get discouraged.
Don't worry, I start this thread precisely because I want to write the story in the first place. It seemed a waste to just leave my personal fantasy languishing in my mind.

Thanks again, you have been really helpful with your criticisms. If only the fags in /lit/ can be half as constructive, all the problems of that board would be fixed overnight

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>>5777120
The soldier's looks are intimidating, but you know you should say something, anything to help take this off his mind. Eventually you worked up the courage:

"It wasn't your fault. When father took to this life, he already accepted the risks. It just took this long for the dices to finally roll against him."

"Hmm? can you say that again? This ratty exchanger is too dam-... aged and loud."

You could feel the pilot's glare like a thousand pinpricks upon your back. Still, this is no time to lose heart.

"After all this killing, father knew he would soon be on the receiving end. You were, are, loyal to him. And now to me as well, I can't have you blank out like that."

The lieutenant stiffened up his shoulder, not unlike those porters who were so accustomed to lifting heavy weights that their muscles would tense up after the burdens were removed. He heaved a long sigh before replying with a faint smile:

"Yes... sir. Should we talk about something else instead?"

You can't help but feel he's putting on a show. Still, better he's busy at something than free to brood in sorrow. He hands you a tablet, those single-use types that can permanently lock themselves up to prevent tampering:

"We should go over some administrative matters while waiting. Your old man included your biodata in the will to leechproof it, but little more than that. Just fill in these forms now and we can drop by the Directorate HQ on Mars later."

You skim through the questions, most of which have already been filled beforehand. First, the easy ones:
>Name
Choose one
>Sex
Male, Female, Other (the Directorate couldn't give two fucks over who you would rather sleep with)

Then come some more interesting ones (Note that all bonuses will be added directly to relevant dice rolls):

Biological integrity
>Pure: You have never been touched by gene- or cyber-modding (+5 to charisma, no potential backdoors for attacks, no legal troubles when dealing with the various Human factions)
>Brain implant: You have received a nanoprocessor chip as a graduation gift (+5 to science, can be upgraded further or forcefully downgraded, considered a soulless automaton by some religious sects)
>Void-hardened: Ma was almost killed by radiation exposure, she would not allow the same to happen to you (+5 to engineering (we can go where none would dare), +1 wound against all environmental hazards (normally only takes two to knock us out), occasional need for maintenance gene therapy, majority of factions (excluding the Directorate) treat the genemodded as second-class human)
>Write-in: Keep in mind that despite your humble background, mother was determined to maintain social respectability by avoiding excessive modifications.

>>5777375
As you are filling out the form, you notice your first officer intently observing you. Discomforted, you ask him brusquely:

"Any issues?"

"Ah no, it's just something I was wondering. Do you have any interesting skills?"

"What sort of skills exactly?"

"I know getting a uni degree was impressive and all, but the men will need more than a piece of paper to follow you. Is there anything you can spin a tale out of? A good story means respect, and respect means authority."

You ponder for a moment before giving your response:

>Mechanic Apprentice: You worked at your neighbour's garage in your youth. When feeling adventurous, you might tinker a little with your friend's hovercars for illegal races. They never finished first. (+2 to engineering, access to a few underground contacts)
>Freelance Journalist: Your contributions to the local broadcaster were profusive. Unfortunately, you could find stories far better than you could tell them (+2 to charisma, early knowledge of certain events)
>Reservist Officer: After a moment's surrender, you found yourself enrolled in the naval academy's reservist programme. Your mother swiftly wrote an impassioned letter to the local commander to make sure you never pass the first test. (+2 to tactics, some support from Luna's Merchant Navy)
>Lucky Basterd: You never did anything that was noticed, which might be an advantage depending on one's views (can reroll a failed check with DC+20 every other post; your reputation grows slower, but so does your infamy)
>Write-in

>>5777375
>Bill Billiam
>male
>pure

>>5777395
>Lucky Basterd: You never did anything that was noticed, which might be an advantage depending on one's views (can reroll a failed check with DC+20 every other post; your reputation grows slower, but so does your infamy)

>>5777375
>Sylvie Thornton
>Female
>Pure

>>5777395
>Freelance Journalist
I like the idea of a journo turned pirate

>>5777375
>Sylvie Thornton
>Female
>Pure

>>5777395
>Reservist Officer

>>5777898
+1

>>5777408
>>5777898
>>5777912
>Bill Billiam the Lucky Basterd
1 vote
>Sylvia Thorton the ex-Journalist
2 votes
>Sylvia Thornton the Armchair Captain
1 vote
Looks like no one wants fancy abilities and identity politics
>>5778156
I will count your vote as the tie-breaker for this one, but please greentext and link to my post next time.
>Total bonuses
+7 to charisma
Early warning

>>5779694
Give me three 1d100+7 , I will take the best attempt to impress our first officer
>DC 60 roll over
Generally this quest will use roll over; however, roll under will be applied for special circumstances (such as pretending to be retarded).

Rolled 19 + 7 (1d100 + 7)

>>5779700
>such as pretending to be retarded
>just pretending

Rolled 86 + 7 (1d100 + 7)

>>5779700

Rolled 83 + 7 (1d100 + 7)

>>5779700

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DC: 60 - Rolls: 26, 93, 90. Great Success.

Although your life up to now was far from filled with adventure, one incidence in particular rises above the blurry mess of half-forgotten scenes and faces:

"Uhm, there was this time, like, back in college, when I was part of the, the, the student radio station. We, uh, never got really far, sadly, but there was this really great story I found."

"Slow down, take a breather, I'm not interrogating you."

You follow his advice and quickly organise your thoughts. "Let me start over. Back in university, I helped out with the student-run radio station. One year, the damned crooks in admin raised the tuition fee again. I and my friends knew complaining wouldn't get us anywhere, so we buckled up and started digging..."

Steadily, the mess in your mind regains its shapes and colours until you are less recalling and more reliving the past. The leaflets and petition forms nailed, taped, and glued to all possible surfaces, the unanswered calls to various donors and board members, the red-eyed nights spent poring over disclosed financial reports bleeding into day... or was it day? You could never quite tell, living under the permanent lights of domed city-habs. Eventually, you found something. Mysterious payments to executives of non-existent companies, to be rerouted to civil servants of quite real public offices. The scandal you uncovered could have buried dozens of careers, and it would have had you not caved in to the very same people you were fighting against. It was cowardly, but what choice had you? Maybe you should have fought harder, but just like them, your future prospects were also at risk. Anyone would understand you, would they not?

Submerged in the surging currents of remembrance, you suddenly realised something. You gave up on yourself the day you accepted that scholarship 'recommendation', but now is the chance to continue, to live on. A chance not at redemption but release, and you has finally mustered the heart to take it. Even if you are not quite sure what you want to do next, you know Sylvia Thorton will never allow others to make the choice for her again.

Your first officer listen intently to every word, sometimes nodding, sometimes shaking his head. As he was about to speak up, the pilot barged in, "To be honest, I would choose no different. 'Though I doubt I had the smarts to get to that point in the first place."

Now is the turn for your man to get irritated, "How about you take your own advice and shut up?" He turns to you, "Interesting. Selling out old friends wouldn't be my first choice for a peptalk, but you somehow nailed it. Keep up that spirit, and you will fit right in with our lot in no time."

You don't know what else to do but dumbly smile.

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>>5780891
Somewhat discomforted by the sudden display of affection, he tries to change subjects:

"We should take a break now. There's still plenty of time before Mars. But if you're not tired yet, here's the detailed report of our company. I should have handed this to you sooner, but I was afraid you would refuse to come with me."

He gives you a thumb drive, "Plug this into that terminal, you will find everything you need."

You excitedly skip through the financial reports, something you once thought was impossible, to the section entitled 'Physical Assets':

>Name the Ship

>A Yonaoshi-class light cruiser, clandestinely built by Yamato resistance forces during the 30-year Occupation. Somewhat undergunned, definitely under-shielded and under-armoured, but extrememly fast and manoeuvreable. Best used for hit-and-runs as well as ambushes where its excessive broadside of torpedoes can let shine.
>A Mule-class armed merchant cruiser, a semi-professional conversion made by Libra Dockyards to give some teeth to traders operating in 'contested' territory. Fast but not so good with sharp turns, can carry lots of missiles and boast a spacious hangar to boot. Defenses are, as expected, subpar. Favours long-range skirmishing, space trucking, or perhaps Q-ship conversion.
>A Tikki-class heavy cruiser, originally a Qyngur 'light' cruiser captured and redeployed in Directorate service after substantial modification. Armed with heavy energy weaponry and decent shields, but let down by unreliable engines and reactors. Can serve well at stand-off range, as long as nothing falls apart.
>A Courageous-class heavy cruiser, explicitly designed by the Republic of Nova Brittania for asymmetric warfare against the Americans. Plenty of ballistic firepower guided by exceptional sensor and targeting units, good engines, strong shields and armour. An all-rounder capable of most roles, how your father got such a Coreworld wonder all the way out to Liteia you do not know. You will soon find out.

>>5780901
>>A Courageous-class heavy cruiser, explicitly designed by the Republic of Nova Brittania for asymmetric warfare against the Americans. Plenty of ballistic firepower guided by exceptional sensor and targeting units, good engines, strong shields and armour. An all-rounder capable of most roles, how your father got such a Coreworld wonder all the way out to Liteia you do not know. You will soon find out.
Gimme mystery box

>>5780901
>>A Courageous-class heavy cruiser, explicitly designed by the Republic of Nova Brittania for asymmetric warfare against the Americans. Plenty of ballistic firepower guided by exceptional sensor and targeting units, good engines, strong shields and armour. An all-rounder capable of most roles, how your father got such a Coreworld wonder all the way out to Liteia you do not know. You will soon find out.

Nice boat, comes with preinstalled plot hook.

>>5780901
>>A Mule-class armed merchant cruiser, a semi-professional conversion made by Libra Dockyards to give some teeth to traders operating in 'contested' territory. Fast but not so good with sharp turns, can carry lots of missiles and boast a spacious hangar to boot. Defenses are, as expected, subpar. Favours long-range skirmishing, space trucking, or perhaps Q-ship conversion.
Space smuggler

>>5780901
>Name the Ship
Vanilla Skyline

>A Tikki-class heavy cruiser, originally a Qyngur 'light' cruiser captured and redeployed in Directorate service after substantial modification. Armed with heavy energy weaponry and decent shields, but let down by unreliable engines and reactors. Can serve well at stand-off range, as long as nothing falls apart.

>>5780901
>Vengeance of Mars

>>A Courageous-class heavy cruiser, explicitly designed by the Republic of Nova Brittania for asymmetric warfare against the Americans. Plenty of ballistic firepower guided by exceptional sensor and targeting units, good engines, strong shields and armour. An all-rounder capable of most roles, how your father got such a Coreworld wonder all the way out to Liteia you do not know

>>5780984
Forgot the name
>Conqueror
But if its tied consider me supporting
>Vanilla Skyline

>>5780901
>A Tikki-class heavy cruiser, originally a Qyngur 'light' cruiser captured and redeployed in Directorate service after substantial modification. Armed with heavy energy weaponry and decent shields, but let down by unreliable engines and reactors. Can serve well at stand-off range, as long as nothing falls apart.

>>5780901
>>Name the Ship
Innocent Bystander

>>5780940
>>5780958
>>5781659
>Courageous-class heavy cruiser
>>5781500
>>5781944
>Tikki-class heavy cruiser
>>5780984
>Mule-class armed merchant cruiser
this is my favourite choice btw, armed merchanteers are always underappreciated tbdesu
>>5781500
>>5781720
>Vanilla Skyline
>>5781659
>Vengeance of Mars
>>5782020
>Innocent Bystander
A bit tired today from overwork, but I will try to post a short update.
For any QMs reading, did you lose interest in other quests once you started your own? I was fairly active in a couple threads before this, but hasn't bother reading them since this picked up.

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>>5783038
Although far from an armchair admiral, you certainly remember the awestruck reverence with which your more military-minded friends whispered the name. Designed and built by the secessionists in Nova Brittania two decades ago, the Courageous-class heavy cruiser was meant to frustrate any armed incursions by the reconstituted Nuevo Americanx. Although twenty years were but a blip in a ship's lifespan, the Courageous and her sister ships had already proven themselves during the Jeffersonville crisis by conducting daring raids into the American backline and demonstrating the plain unprofitability of re-incorporating these rebellious territories. Rumours abound about the true factor behind the class' combat prowess, but strong on-paper capabilities do offer a good beginning for prospective researchers.

"The primary battery of long-barreled 12-inch railguns arranged in eight triple turrets forms the core of the ship's firepower, capable of firing a variety of ammunition from the exotic anti-shield nearC reinforced-carbon core (AS-C2), armor-piercing plasma-state uranium (AP-PSU), or fusion high explosive (HE-F) to their more mundance counterparts in hypervelocity uranium core (HU-AS), armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (AP-FSDS) and chemical high explosive (HE-C). Supplemental firepower against destroyers and heavy gunboats is provided by a dozen 8-inch equi-Planck lasers, while dense coverage of rapid-firing light railguns, low-power point defense lasers, and anti-missile missile (AMM) launchers protect the vessel against missile and drone strikes. The ship also comes equipped with the latest MkV targeting core, MkVIIIb electronic countermeasure and counter-countermeasure system, all coordinated by a class-3 AI with prodigious calculating power..."

Completely overwhelmed by the jargon found in just a hobbyist periodical's review, you slump into your cramped bunker bed and are soon fast asleep.

>>5783082
Overwhelmed by a glaring light, you sit up in an unfamiliar landscape. A dull reverberating thump can be felt in the stretching plains around you, rhythmically running up and down your whole body. A figure suddenly eclipses your own shadow, makes you turn round with alarm. Before you a tall, broad man looms large; the uncannily reassuring contours of his face trigger a primal response, of fear or love or something else you do not yet fully grasp. Once your eyes become accustomed to the backlight, you recognise this person's striking similarity to yourself, but perhaps the reverse would be more true. He kneels down and silently runs his rough hand over the dirty brown of your hair. Could he be who you think he is? Impossible, you have never seen, or more accurately, refused to see any picture of that wretch. In any case, you must do something.

>Throw his hand off. Even if he is your father, how dare he touch you in this way, after all he has done?
>Do nothing for now. Observe him closely, and remain alert to any other sudden movements.
>Will him to disappear. A vague awareness, no, more like a subconscious instinct, whispers to you that you can shape this reality as you wish
>Embrace him. Feel his breath, his warmth, his closeness, feel all that will forever be denied you.
>Write-in

>>5783038
>For any QMs reading, did you lose interest in other quests once you started your own? I was fairly active in a couple threads before this, but hasn't bother reading them since this picked up.
Not really my experience

>>5783083
>Will him to disappear. A vague awareness, no, more like a subconscious instinct, whispers to you that you can shape this reality as you wish

>>5783083
>>Do nothing for now. Observe him closely, and remain alert to any other sudden movements.

>>5783083
>>Do nothing for now. Observe him closely, and remain alert to any other sudden movements.
If it's not real then it cannot harm us

>>5783038
If anything the opposite, I began to appreciate the tiek and work it took

>>5783173
*time

>>5783083
>>Throw his hand off. Even if he is your father, how dare he touch you in this way, after all he has done?

>>5783083
>Do nothing for now. Observe him closely, and remain alert to any other sudden movements.
Spoopy

QM here, sorry I won't be able to update today. Hopefully I will get it in tomorrow.
You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino’s new novel, If on a winter’s night a traveler. Relax. Concentrate. Dispel every other thought. Let the world around you fade.

>>5784937
Don't sweat it

>>5783118
>>5783173
>>5784117
>Observation
>>5783091
>Concentration
>>5783969
>Confrontation
That's really interesting what you QMs have said, but then again those who stopped reading other quests wouldn't respond to my question anyway so it's a skewed sample. Still I'm glad to see other writers enjoying my first attempt.

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Recalling your journalist experience, you manage to maintain your composure. Eventually the mysterious man sighs deeply and looks away into the boundless gold of grass. As you follow his absent gaze, you feel a voice surround you, both springing from the earth and falling from the heavens. At first the syllables are stretched to the point of overlapping one another, creating a muffled spray of sounds. Then the voice picks up speed, and the words become familiar yet still slightly beyond your comprehension, like when you accidentally overheard Ma's arguments with her employers as a child. Finally, the signal finally tunes in to you, or you to it, and speech roars clear above nature's murmurs:

"Sorry. Sorry. I'm sorry for all I have not done for you..."

You yank your eyes back to the man, but he remains completely motionless, neither speaking nor hearing.

"Ship. Ship. Beware of the ship, it is not as it seems..."

However shaken you are, you cannot stay silent any longer, "What do you mean? Is it not your ship?"

"Mine. Mine. It is mine, yes, but not mine alone."

As you open your mouth to say something else, you are interrupted.

"League. League. Stay clear of Luhman Sector and the League."

Suddenly the voice gathered from across the landscape and concentrated, incarnated, itself in the person opposite you. He finally twitches his moustache:

"I don't have much time left, even now, what's left of me is fading away. I can no longer fix what I've done, and worse, I drew you into all of this."

The light starts to push in on the very border of his figure. He smiles translucently,

"Yet I know you have grown up well. All my faith is now in you. May you succeed where I have failed."

You lunge forward to try to grab hold of him, yet it is your father who finally covers you in a net of gold.

>>5786059
You open your eyes to see yourself hugging your first officer. He smiles solidly,

"Bad dreams? I sometimes have those too."

You hurriedly withdraw your arms, "I did not mean to do that."

"It's alright, sometimes you just want to feel that somebody's there. Anyway, we'll be entering Mar's orbit soon, so it's time to discuss our transportation. Because we don't have to get to Liteia in a hurry, we do have quite a few options available."

>The UNS Hermes, a small courier ship constantly bouncing dispatches and delegations back and forth between the Directorate and the United Nations.
The fastest way to get to Liteia, the costs for a lowly privateer like you are accordingly outrageous. You may have a chance to make some useful high-placed connections thanks to the lack of private space, however. You will arrive well before repairs are completed, which gives you some time to get used to your new home.
>The ISS Fat Lady, a bulk freighter carrying much needed supplies out to less-industrialised regions, such as Liteia.
The route is somewhat circuitous, but tickets are cheap and you will have plenty of (barely furnished) space to yourself. You will arrive two weeks after all repairs are scheduled to complete, but in the Far Rim schedules are just hopeful predictions anyway.
>The OES Nineveh, a passenger ship which is currently loading up emigrants eager for a new life, a sight increasingly common nowadays.
The route is direct and the speed respectable, however the ship is privately owned which might complicate certain transits due to escalating tensions in the Core. Being officially employed by the Directorate, you are even entitled to a free upgrade to business class. If everything works out well, you will arrive just in time to witness the ship's first trial run, and can get a feel for her.
>Right on cue, the pilot chimes in, "You guys wants to head out for cheap? Well I know a friend who knows a friend who knows a friend..."
Turns out, an acquaintance of his is gun runner supplying the constant skirmishes between petty states in the Independent League. Although no runner has ever gotten rich from being slow, this will take you quite off course and require a few transfers later. League territories in their unregulated glory also offer many opportunities, for both business and troubles. Still, that cryptic dream has just warned you of the place...

>>5786061
>>The OES Nineveh, a passenger ship which is currently loading up emigrants eager for a new life, a sight increasingly common nowadays.
The first three are solid choices, just avoid the friend of a friend deal.

>>5786061
>The UNS Hermes, a small courier ship constantly bouncing dispatches and delegations back and forth between the Directorate and the United Nations.

>>5786061
>The UNS Hermes, a small courier ship constantly bouncing dispatches and delegations back and forth between the Directorate and the United Nations.

>>5786061
>The OES Nineveh, a passenger ship which is currently loading up emigrants eager for a new life, a sight increasingly common nowadays.

I've been wondering, is Liteia within the Solar System?

>>5786061
>The UNS Hermes, a small courier ship constantly bouncing dispatches and delegations back and forth between the Directorate and the United Nations

>>5786386
>>5786781
>>5788405
>UNS Hermes
>>5786242
>>5787857
>OES Nineveh
>>5787906
No, it is actually just outside the local bubble in the Scorpius–Centaurus association. Don't worry, we'll get there soon.
Please don't come down on me too hard for unsound astrophysics, I'm mostly just filling in the gaps as we go

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>>5788773
"Well I know a friend who knows a friend who knows a friend..."

"Thank you for the interruption, but we have already decided." You quickly turn to your first officer who just raised his eyebrows, "Two tickets on the UNS Hermes, if you can. The Bolivarians and the Al-Saudites might get into a shooting war soon, and I don't want to get stuck on the wrong side of the frontline when that happens."

"So you do keep up with international politics." This is the furthest he is willing to go in his praises, it seems. "Let me send an email to Directorate HQ. One reservation on the UNS Hermes for Lieutenant Silas O'Keefe, and one for..."

"Sylvia Thornton, Captain Sylvia Thorton."

"Sylvia Thorton will do for now. We still have to see about the captain part." He started typing on the keypad.

Although you have never been in charge of anyone else other than yourself, you instinctively know that authority cannot last without responding to challenge, "Shouldn't you address me with a bit more respect? What happened to that 'sir' earlier?"

"I wasn't thinking clearly then. It is true that you will become an employee of the Directorate once that form you sent earlier is accepted. However, you will not receive the privateer's charter until you pass eval."

"What evaluation are you talking about?" You suddenly feel anxious.

"Don't worry too much, the bar would go through dirt if Command keeps on lowerin' it. They just want to make sure that you would not mix up port and starboard and fly everyone into the sun on your first sortie. You know what port and starboard means, yes?" He gave you a not too confident look.

"Of course, port is left, starboard right, and stern means behind. Why all the weird lingo anyway?" Those children's books about pirates just save your stern.

"Close enough. The lingo helps keep people away from suns." A hint of a smirk can be discerned underneath that icy facade of his. He continues, "Even so, it would be good if we go over the basics while en route to Liteia. Trust me, you will start looking forward to the lessons soon once you recognise what little cargo can do aboard a ship." You do not like that metaphor one bit.

Choose two from the following to focus on throughout the trip. Also give me 3d100 for comprehension.
>Logistics and Planning: Armchair admirals are always criticised for overlooking these aspects. Maybe you can fare better?
>Combat Tactics: You have been in so many 'realistic' VR sims back on Luna it's hard to imagine how different real combat will look like.
>Human Resources: Corpospeak aside, it is always a good idea to better understand who will be serving under you.
>Political Economy: You may be flying in a physical vacuum, but look far enough and there will be all sorts of non-void actors to worry about.

>>5788793
A bit of clarification.
>Logistics is more focused on the operational scale, ie. what route to take for the next sortie, what supplies to stock up on, where potential targets might be.
>Political Economy is more understanding the greater strategic currents, ie. whether to do a sortie at all, what sort of targets to go after, where to make and maintain good friends.

Rolled 54, 83, 64 = 201 (3d100)

>>5788793
>Logistics and Planning: Armchair admirals are always criticised for overlooking these aspects. Maybe you can fare better?
>Human Resources: Corpospeak aside, it is always a good idea to better understand who will be serving under you.

Rolled 94, 52, 12 = 158 (3d100)

>>5788793
>Logistics and Planning: Armchair admirals are always criticised for overlooking these aspects. Maybe you can fare better?
>Political Economy: You may be flying in a physical vacuum, but look far enough and there will be all sorts of non-void actors to worry about.

Rolled 87, 76, 83 = 246 (3d100)

>>5788793
>>Logistics and Planning: Armchair admirals are always criticised for overlooking these aspects. Maybe you can fare better?
>>Human Resources: Corpospeak aside, it is always a good idea to better understand who will be serving under you.

Rolled 25, 30, 78 = 133 (3d100)

>>5788793
>Logistics and Planning: Armchair admirals are always criticised for overlooking these aspects. Maybe you can fare better?
>Human Resources: Corpospeak aside, it is always a good idea to better understand who will be serving under you.

Rolled 42, 65, 25 = 132 (3d100)

>>5788793
>>Combat Tactics: You have been in so many 'realistic' VR sims back on Luna it's hard to imagine how different real combat will look like.
>>Human Resources: Corpospeak aside, it is always a good idea to better understand who will be serving under you.

Got sick from the cold yesterday but feeling a bit better now. If I recover I will try to get an update in tonight

>>5788809
>>5788993
>>5789650
>>5790212
>Logistics
>>5788809
>>5789650
>>5790212
>>5790469
>Human Resources
>>5788993
>Political Economy
>>5790469
>Combat Tactics
For this one I'll just pick the best out of the first three rolls

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>>5792716
Roll: 87, 76, 83. Success!

The checkpoint guard meticulously scans your passport and boarding pass, only occasionally glancing up to make sure he is not wasting his efforts. Finally satisfied, he returns the paper to you, "The biodata is correct. All your paperwork checks out. Welcome aboard, Madam Thorton."

Your first officer O'Keefe practically waltzes through the wicket gate, and even receives a salute from the guard despite his unimpressive rank. What sort of discrimination is this? He notices your ire, "Landlubbers could never understand but us void dogs have our own signals, ya see?"

You half-expect him to spill the beans then and there, but he clearly has other plans. After letting your imagination inflates itself, he unceremoniously delivers the needle, "what are ya standing there for? Get the luggage and get a move on." He casts a commiserating glance back at the guard, as if to complain about landlubbers these days. Seems like whatever courtesy he tried to feign over the last few days has all but evaporated once you fall completely under his clutch.

You thought that all the credits you have paid would at least get you a private room. Your bunkmate apparently thought the same. Now that both of you have been proven wrong, at least you should figure out whether your similarities ended with those abortive hopes. You hastily introduce yourself and offer a handshake, "I'm Sylvia. Sylvia Thornton. But just Sylvia is fine."

"I'm Sofia Rockcliffe, but you can call me Sofie. Nice to meet you." Her grip is not as strong as you have expected, but the shimmering eyes alone are enough to squeeze you dry. She continues melodiously, "So what business brought you on this ship, if I may ask?"

A sudden pang of self-conscientiousness hits, "Uh, a family reunion... Of a sort."

She giggles, "Really? Out in Liteia? Why not the Nineveh then? Only a tenth the fare here and you can get far more than a lousy bunk."

You feel the red coming up your ear, "It's... urgent, and let us leave it at that. What about you then, I can ask you the same question."

She takes in a deep breath before puffing her rather lacklustre chests, "I'm sorry, but you lack the clearance to know that."

Great, looks like the air got to her head as well. You decide not to push the matter since she is more than capable of committing the security breach by herself anyway.

>>5792737
Your lieutenant's experience with unwashed greenhorns proves more than valuable over the next couple weeks as he drills the fundamentals of space warfare into you. Indeed, you seem to be quite quick on the uptake, even surprising your reluctant teacher who had to constantly push his schedule forward. Unable to resist her own curiosity, Sofie managed to insert herself into the lessons as well, although she had significantly more trouble with the content. Although you two have edged closer over the course of the voyage, she still artfully dodges all your probings at her goals. It seems like a more deft touch will be needed after all...

Choose an approach
>Hack into her personal tablet while she is not in the room (Roll in science)
>Offer her your own true purposes in Liteia in a heart-to-heart (Roll in charisma)
>Get your lieutenant to help you trap her during one of the lessons (Roll in charisma)
>Give up this childish spy mission, Sofie will tell you when she feels comfortable.
>Write-in

Also it seems like I'm a retard who didn't realise the thread got permasaged ever since >>5774101. Since it seems unlikely the thread will get bumped off the board over the next couple days I'll let you guys finish voting on this one before starting a new thread.

>>5792749
>>Offer her your own true purposes in Liteia in a heart-to-heart (Roll in charisma)

>>5792755
Permasage is 5 days after creation

>>5792749
>>Offer her your own true purposes in Liteia in a heart-to-heart (Roll in charisma)

>>5792749
>Get your lieutenant to help you trap her during one of the lessons (Roll in charisma)

>>5792749
>Offer her your own true purposes in Liteia in a heart-to-heart (Roll in charisma)

>>5792845
>>5792910
>>5794025
>Heart-to-heart
>>5793488
>Lieutenant's trap
Since the board is even slower than I thought I will do another (possibly final) update here.
shit I just realised I forgot to specify the dices, I will just have to improvise I guess

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>>5794931
As space quickly streams past, your chances to learn more about Sofia dwindle. Unfortunately, your plans were further set back when this morning (or closest approximation thereof), your lieutenant insists on an oral test the day after tomorrow to make sure you actually remember what has been taught. After several hours flipping through your notes (your skill as a journalist really came in handy here), perhaps a little stargazing away from this claustrophobic bunk would do you much good.

Carefully manoeuvring around the inconsistent artificial gravfield, you rappel into the semispherical viewing port and rest your elbows on the laser repeater mount. Manually-handled weaponry like this has long been expensive toys for guest. Still, you know for certain they are there in the dogfighting days of Old Earth, before mankind was driven into space by their own greed. Back then pilots could cling to the illusion of control to the last second, and after that, well, death was courteous enough to reveal himself in the shattered pieces. Not like now, where men volunteer to get stuffed in tin cans flung inexorably towards one another by Newtonian physics and to die without even knowing it.

Who would willingly choose to do that? Quite a few, according to your lieutenant. To him, the lineage of space combat traces itself much more clearly to the seas of Terra. Of course, spacemen would scantly resemble rash flyboys itching to prove themselves in man-to-man duels, they are always cogs in a killing machine of industrial scale. And yet, these cogs have their own dreams and fears too, and above all, a desire to belong, to be in rhythm. A wise captain knows to exploit this desire, to sit at the heart of the machine and still reach all the cogs and keep them at their stations. Spacemen by themselves are lonely and pitiable creatures, but once purpose has been breathed into them in this way the whole they make up can be ruthlessly efficient indeed.

Despite all that, your killing machine is not self-sufficient. Like another other vessel in Directorate service, yours too require fuel, ammunition, repairs, and maintenance in order to function. Past all that, a well-stocked ship still needs to be used correctly. In the case of privateers, not fighting is the greatest victory and to achieve this goal a great deal of planning is required. As the head of the machine, you must know how to coordinate these less-than-glorious activies to make success that much more certain.

Understanding these dynamics operating below and above you, you have paid great attention to both human management and logistics throughout the training. However, you suddenly realise that you have not come all the way out here to continue thinking about the test. As such, you tell your mind to shut up and enjoy the view. The air in this section feels more fresh than normal, so fresh that you can take a nap. And what a nap you took.

>>5794988
Back at your bunk, a figure could be found loitering around your room. Where is Sofia? She must be down in the reactor, haranguing the one engineer onboard. Luckily for you, you have put in some additional security measures on O'Keefe's advice beforehand.

Roll 1d100 for Sofia's persuasion. DC: 75-7=68. Choose two from these measures (no roll required).
>Motion and heat detectors with silent alarms
>Hidden compartment alongside appropriate decoys
>Data encryption programmed to self-delete
>Asking your lieutenant to keep watch over your stuff before going out.

Rolled 33 (1d100)

>>5794989
>>Data encryption programmed to self-delete
>>Asking your lieutenant to keep watch over your stuff before going out.

>>5794989
>Data encryption programmed to self-delete
>Asking your lieutenant to keep watch over your stuff before going out.

>>5794989
forgot to add that I will take the highest of the first three rolls for this.
>>5796217
So you can also roll if you want

Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>5796305

Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>5794989
>Hidden compartment alongside appropriate decoys
>Data encryption programmed to self-delete

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>5794989
>Hidden compartment alongside appropriate decoys
>Asking your lieutenant to keep watch over your stuff before going out.

>>5794989
>Data encryption programmed to self-delete
>Asking your lieutenant to keep watch over your stuff before going out.

Sorry haven't been on 4chan for the last few days due to urgent business. If everything clears tomorrow I will post an update.

>>5798817
Don't worry, we can wait

Hello QM?

>>5803105
Don't worry, I'm back
>>5795227
>>5796217
>>5796775
>Asking your lieutenant
>>5795227
>>5796217
>>5796429
>Data encryption
>>5796429
>>5796775
>Hidden compartment
Roll: 88 - Success!

>>5804138
New thread?

>>5804167
should I make a new thread yet?

>>5804169
Yeah you're on page 10

New thread
>>>5804177

>>5804178
Should probably gotten a more eye catching image but oh well