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Mistress of Whispers

[IC thread] In the Black

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Thread Index

 

~ First Post: You are here

  • Welcome
  • Setting and History
  • Plot
  • F.A.Q.
  • Rules
  • Character Sheet
~ Second Post
  • Crew Roster
~ Third Post
  • The Journey So Far
  • Important NPCs
~ Fourth Post
  • - Reserved -
~ Fifth Post
  • - Reserved -

Welcome to In the Black, a roleplay based on Joss Whedon's Firefly series.

 

This is the IC thread. The OoC thread can be found here.

 

Knowledge of Firefly is not required to join this roleplay, so if cowboy-shenanigans in space sounds interesting to you: read on.

 

 

~ Setting and History ~

 

The 'Verse

 

Earth-That-Was

When Earth became uninhabitable due to depleted resources, overpopulation, and a compromised ecosystem, humanity began a mass-exodus. Transported in massive ships departing from Earth between the years 2097 an 2101, humanity left for the 34Tauri system. Much of this time is shrouded in history, but we do know something of what happened after.

 

The 'Verse

34Tauri is a massive star cluster, full of sequence stars, protostars, gas giants, asteroid belts, planets, and their moons. Between them they have a plethora of planets, either habitable from the start or suitable for terraforming, that now hold human life. All the worlds that make up the 'Verse have two names, a Sino (Mandarin) and Anglo (English) name.

 

The 'Verse consists of three main regions: the Core, the Border and the Rim.

 

Core System

White Sun, also known as Bai Hu, is the center of the 'Verse. Around it orbit the Central Planets, which are also known as the White Sun System. It is also the richest and most advanced part of the 'Verse by far and home to the Alliance.

 

Border Systems

The Border Region consists of two star systems. Life here is hard, but it is still possible to eke out a fair existence. Even though the Independents lost the Unification War, many Border planets still harbor Independent sympathies and hold a grudge against the Alliance.

- Georgia, also known as Huang Long, is the largest star system in the 'Verse. Here the Independent Planets first stood up against the Alliance. Georgia still bears the scars of the Unification War in the form of Shadow: a planet bombed so massively at the beginning of the war, that it is no longer able to support life.

- Red Sun, also known as Zhu Que, holds the coldest of all the suns in the 'Verse at its centre.

 

Rim Systems

The Rim also consists of two systems. The Rim worlds have only recently been terraformed and settled, and as a result, life here is still raw and untamed. Given the high cost of terraforming, many Rim planets are beholden to the Alliance, even if they are only loosely governed so far away from the Core.

- Kalidasa, also known as Xuan Wu, is the start of the Rim Planets.

- Blue Sun, also known as Qing Long, sits on the edge of the 'Verse. It was here where the first attacks by Reavers took place.

 

Maps

- Map of the 'Verse(link)

- More information about the 'Verse and individual planets can be found here.

 

 

The Unification War

 

The Core planets traditionally hold most of the Alliance's resources, wealth and technology, whilst leaving the Border and Rim planets to fend for themselves. After years of unsatisfactory negotiations in an effort to attain equality, the outer planets seceded from the Alliance. Their aim was to start their own alliance, without the center planets. The Alliance could not accept this and so the Unification War began. The war lasted for five years; from 2506 to 2511. Predictably, the technologically superior and more numerous Alliance was victorious. After the vicious and decisive Battle of Serenity, the Independents were crushed and the war was officially over. Many Independents did not accept this defeat however, nor were they awarded amnesty, and took refuge on the outer worlds.

 

Our story is set in 2517, six years after the end of the Unification War.

 

 

Notable Groups

 

Union of Allied Planets (also: Alliance, Purple Bellies)

The Alliance, officially the Union of Allied Planets, is the central government and law-enforcement of the 'Verse. Every core Alliance planet is allowed to organize its own affairs on a planetary level, but system-wide policy is set by the Parliament. The planet Londinium is the central seat of Parliament and home to the Prime Minister, while the planet Sihnon holds the headquarters of major guilds and trade associations. The Alliance is semi-democratic, granting the right to vote and be elected to 'full citizens' of the Alliance (that is to say, the planets who remained loyal in the Unification War). A derogatory term nickname for Alliance soldiers is 'Purple Bellies', because of the purple tinted body armor they wore on their chests.

 

Independents (also: Browncoats)

When the Alliance actively moved to take control over all of 34Tauri, the Independent planets and moons came together to present a unified front of resistance. While neither well-trained nor well-equipped, they fought fiercely, but were eventually forced to surrender. The Independent governments were removed from power and replaced with Alliance-appointed governors. A popular nickname for the Independents is 'Browncoats', based on the simple brown leather trenchcoats they wore as uniform.

 

Reavers

Dismissed as an urban legend by the people of the Core, Reavers are very real to the people from the Border and Rim worlds. Completely mad, homicidal and cannibalistic, Reavers are believed to be men that went insane at the edge of space and became savage. They are the stuff of nightmare: they do not stop, cannot be reasoned with and will kill (that's a euphemism for: 'torture to death') anyone in their path.

 

Companions (also: Companion Guild)

Companions are skilled, well-educated and well-respected members of a guild of professional courtesans and entertainers. They are generally treated with a great deal of respect, especially on the Core planets. Reversely though, non-guild prostitutes are treated quite poorly, even if they are former guild members.

 

Religious Groups

Many people in the 'Verse follow the tenets of one religion or another (to a degree).

- Buddhism is the 'Verse's dominant religion, particularly on the Core Planets.

- Christianity ranks second, with larger concentrations on the outer worlds. Many Christians follow a Protestant tradition hailing from Earth-That-Was and while Catholicism still exists, it no longer maintains its culture-spanning dominance. One notable group of Christian missionaries, the Order of Shepherds, still follows the monastic tradition of poverty and chastity. The Shepherds often travel the 'Verse to spread the word of god to those that need it.

- Many religious groups, including Muslims, Jews, and Hindus, have formed their own communities.

- Faith healers and preachers who have founded their own church can be found wandering the Rim.

 

 

Lexicon

 

Vehicles

Mule = Hovercraft used for overland transport of goods

Ship / Boat = Spaceship

Craft = Spaceship or Aircraft

 

People

Alliance = Planets of the core systems, ruled by a parliament; technologically advanced, current superpower in charge

Independents = Planets who rose up against core world rule (Alliance), but lost the war

Browncoat = Referring to the 'Independents' or rebels against the Alliance, in reference to their military uniform.

Purple-belly = Derogatory term referring to a member of the Alliance army, also in reference to their uniform

Reavers = Mad cannibalistic space pirates who live past the boundaries of the outer rim planets; believed to be myths by most.

 

Terms of daily use

Shiny = Good! Great! Neat! Wonderful! (sometimes used sarcastically)

Gorram = Swear word

Mite = A small amount

Peck = A large amount

 

Technical terms

Atmo = Atmosphere

The black = Space

The 'verse or The 'Verse = The universe

Cortex = Widespread information network (similar to the internet)

Wave = A Cortex communication (text, video call, audio call, hologram, etc.)

Terraform = To alter a planet's characteristics, making it suitable for human life

 

Cantonese

Since the English and Chinese culture are both the most prominent, language is interspersed with Cantonese expressions.

Alliance = (聯盟) Lien Mohn

Browncoat = Jone Yee

Demon woman = (妖女) Yao Nu

Oh my god = (我的天阿) Wou Duh Tian Ah

Shut up = Bi Jweh

You're crazy = (發狂) Fa Kuang

 

An expansive list of dialect and slang can be found here.

 

 

Further Resources

 

- The Firefly tv-series

- The accompanying Serenity movie

- The (unofficial) wiki (link)

 

 

 

~ Plot ~

 

The Firefly-class vessel Harmony is on its way from Beaumonde to Higgin's Moon to deliver agricultural equipment, when the ship is hailed by raiders. The raiders' message is simple: prepare to be boarded. There is no way for crew or passengers aboard the Harmony to know what the raiders want, but their intentions are easily guessed: to strip the ship of any spare parts and to take the cargo and any valuables on board. What the people aboard the Harmony can't possibly know, is how far this 'stripping' will go (will the raiders leave them dead in space?) and if they themselves are part of the 'valuables'. The raider's intentions are left specifically ambiguous, so players can truly act on the uncertainty and danger of a pending raid. It is then up to them (or better: their characters) to decide how to react. Run? Fight? Surrender? Try to negotiate a 'fee of passage' before being boarded?

Whatever the characters decide, the ship is likely left in a bit of a pickle. Even if they successfully run, the raiders are bound to get in a few parting shots. Again, what happens next is up to the characters. Head for the nearest shipping lane in the hopes of finding help? Settle down on a moon for repairs? Or muddle on to Higgin's Moon?

 

The above scenario is specifically designed to give characters a chance to get to know each other (you're not likely to remain sequestered in your cabin while the ship is under attack) and for players to get into the swing of things. After that, the 'Verse is wide open, as this roleplay takes place in an 'open world'. That means that the RP leader does not devise all the plots, but players have room to develop their own. Captain Nadir (see below) is always open to ideas from crew and passengers, leaving plenty of room for input from other characters. I also encourage players to come up with their own subplots, both for the group as a whole and for other individual players. You think that tax collector Captain Nadir snubbed could be a recurring enemy? Super! Let me know when he turns up next to make our lives miserable. Another character's background details a long-lost brother? Great! Let's run a storyline with hints to his whereabouts. However, in all cases: post in the OoC first, explain your idea and make sure everyone is on board. This is especially true if you want to run a small plot for another player.

 

As RP Leader, I will make sure that new subplots, threats and follow-up stories are introduced regularly. This means that if players have a hard time coming up with plots, I will keep the roleplay going. I will try to gear these stories to the interests of the players and characters, which means that nothing is set in stone.

 

 

The Harmony

 

This roleplay centers around a group of people on a Firefly-class transport ship. A Firefly is a reliable, affordable (as spaceships go) and versatile vessel and is therefore very popular with low-end traders and couriers. The ship in this roleplay is called 'Harmony', even if life aboard her is likely anything but.

 

Harmony is captained by Teela Nadir, a 'self-employed entrepreneur' (aka rogue and scoundrel). She travels the 'Verse as strikes her fancy, taking jobs as needed or as they appeal to her and doesn't answer to anyone (especially the Alliance tax collectors). Nadir is always open to new ideas and adventures, meaning there is room for crew (and passengers in her good graces) to suggest jobs and ventures.

 

The Harmony holds two small shuttles in her cargo bay, as well as a hover mule and bike mule.

 

- Exterior (link)

- Schematics (link)

- Shuttle (link) (ignore the décor)

- Hover Mule (link)

- Bike Mule (link)

 

Crew and Passengers

The Harmony can comfortably hold nine crew and passengers spread over 5 crew cabins and 4 passenger cabins. There are also two shuttles on board. One of these remains reserved for the crew, the other can be rented as private quarters for an additional one or two passengers.

 

Check the Crew Roster in the second post for some of the proposed crew positions. I'll also list whether they are already taken or not. Depending on the size of the crew, it's very possible for characters to have double tasks. Players can also propose a new position or board as paying passengers.

 

 

 

~ Frequently Asked Questions ~

 

* What is the level of technology like?

The level of technology in the 'Verse varies wildly, depending on where you are and what you can afford. However, for a sci-fi setting, it is more low-tech than high-tech. For example, there are no healing tanks available to citizens and most people use Western-style pistols rather than laser guns or even semi-automatics.

 

* Can I join this RP after it has started?

Yes! Just post your character sheet it in the OoC thread, or pm it to me and we'll find a good moment to introduce your character.

 

* Is knowledge of Firefly necessary to join this RP?

Nope. Think 'Wild West meets Star Wars' and you've got the general gist. We'll fill you in on anything else you need to know.

 

* Do the Firefly series and movie feature in this roleplay?

Our story takes place in the same year as the series start (2517). Captain Malcolm and his crew are out there, somewhere, doing their thing. The 'Verse is a big place however, and we're unlikely to encounter them in our roleplay. Also, where our story conflicts with the official series, the roleplay takes precedence (meaning we might deviate from canon).

 

 

 

~Rules ~

 

- All Dragoncave Rules apply.

- No Powerplaying or Godmoding. No Mary Sues or Gary Stus.

- Do not kill another player's character(s) without their and my permission.

- Use proper spelling and grammar. No chat or leek speak.

- Try to make posts of a decent length (guideline: five sentences or more).

- Post in third person, i.e. 'he/she' and not 'you' or 'I'.

- The content of this RP is mature, but the forum is PG-13, so fade to black as appropriate.

- Respect each other. Negative behavior OoC is not acceptable.

- Character sheets should be posted in the OoC thread or PMed to me to be approved.

- We currently have a limit of 2 characters per player.

- Please be active. If you haven't posted in a week and your character's actions (or lack thereof) are stalling the RP, I reserve the right to 'bunny mod' your character until the situation is resolved.

- Players who have been inactive for 3 weeks without leaving a warning in the OoC, run the risk of having their character deleted. I might not make back-ups, so you are responsible for keeping a back-up yourself.

 

 

 

~ Charactersheet ~

 

Please fill out all sections. When making a character, keep in mind that this is a roleplay about an outlaw ship so it's unlikely that your character is a well-respected, upstanding citizen or an angel of charity and virtue. Similarly, characters are more likely to be former Independents than Alliance (though both are allowed).

 

I reserve the right to reject characters if I think they won't fit in the roleplay. In that case however, I will give feedback on the character so a new version might be accepted.

 

Username: [This is you]

Character Name: [First and last, as well as notable aliases]

Concept: [A one-line description of your character]

Position: [The crew position you'd like. Make sure it isn't taken.]

Gender and Age: [self-explanatory. Age 19 years and up.]

Birth Planet/System: [specify Core, Border or Rim at least]

Appearance: [Description mandatory, picture optional. If using a picture: please use a photo or realistic drawing.]

Personality: [How does s/he behave. Any character quirks.]

History: [Expressly not optional. You may ask me to hide it from other players if you like]

Notable Equipment: [includes any and all weapons and armor]

Strengths: [Less or equal to weaknesses]

Weaknesses: [More or equal to strengths]

Other: [Anything else you'd like to share]

 

 [b]Username:[/b]
[b]Character Name:[/b]
[b]Concept:[/b]
[b]Position:[/b]
[b]Gender and Age:[/b]
[b]Birth Planet/System:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]History:[/b]
[b]Notable Equipment:[/b]
[b]Strengths:[/b]
[b]Weaknesses:[/b]
[b]Other:[/b] 

Edited by Mistress of Whispers

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Thread Index

 

~ First Post

  • Welcome
  • Setting and History
  • Plot
  • F.A.Q.
  • Rules
  • Character Sheet
~ Second Post: You are here
  • Crew Roster
~ Third Post
  • The Journey So Far
  • Important NPCs
~ Fourth Post
  • - Reserved -
~ Fifth Post
  • - Reserved -

~ Crew Roster ~

 

- Captain: Teela Nadir (Mistress of Whispers) (Crew Quarters 1)

- Pilot: Jay McCarty (Biologist) (Crew Quarters 3)

- Mechanic: Nelson Layton (Marcus Pheonix) (Crew Quarters 4)

- Liaison and cook: Eli Hastings (Narvix) (Crew Quarters 5)

- Medic: Li Xiao (Mistress of Whispers) (Crew Quarters 2)

- Passenger (Companion): Athena L Rochellea (XxWaterGardianxX) (Shuttle 1)

- Passenger / Crew (to be determined): OPEN

- Passenger / Crew (to be determined): OPEN

- Passenger / Crew (to be determined): OPEN

 

Click here to see a lay-out of the ship and where your quarters are.

 

Username: Mistress of Whispers

Character Name: Teela Nadir

Concept: Self-employed entrepreneur (ahem)

Position: Captain

Gender and Age: Female, 28

Birth Planet/System: Vesselside

Appearance: Tall with an athletic build, Teela has olive skin and deep, almost golden, amber eyes. Her (dyed) green hair comes to halfway down her back in waves and is usually held together in a thick braid. She has an aquiline nose that gives an exotic aspect to her features and a crooked, roguish smile. Several tattoos adorn her body; all of them markings acquired during her journeys. Teela goes dressed in leathers, usually in brown and tan colors. She prefers to go around barefoot, but dresses in knee-high boots when going planetside. She wears assorted pieces of light armour covering her torso, as well as padding on her knees, elbows and shoulders. (Picture)

Personality: Teela is loud, boisterous and outgoing. She makes friends easily, having a natural charisma, and flirts with men and women alike. Teela loves her freedom and is fiercely independent, even in situations when it might be better to play along or roll over. She also has a decidedly fearless and adventurous streak, meaning it's never boring to be around her (nor is it usually safe). Despite her demeanour as a fun-loving, devil-may-care rogue, Teela is also decidedly smart, having benefited from both good genes and an excellent education in that department.

History: Teela's parents were notable archaeologists hailing from the Core planet Bernadette. They were obsessed with Earth-That-Was and the Great Exodus, travelling all over the 'Verse in the pursuit of knowledge. Her mother's pregnancy never slowed them down and Teela was born on a ship halfway between the Border and the Core – this duality would be symbolic of the rest of her young life. Half of Teela's childhood was spent in regal university halls, listening to her parents' academic findings, and the other half in space or on Border and Rim planets, digging around for clues about the past.

     When the Unifaction War began, Teela immediately sided with the Independent Cause. Not only did she strongly believe in any individual's right to shape their own life, she had also become much more enamoured with the rough, but oddly honest, lifestyle of the Independent planets, than the posh living in the Core. Only seventeen when the war began, she falsified her birth record to state her age as eighteen and enlisted. When the news of her enlistment eventually made its way to her Alliance parents, they first tried to sway her back to their side and finally disowned her. Teela hasn't seen them since.

     Even after the fateful Battle of Serenity, Teela does not believe the war is truly over. As long there are people willing to stand up to overbearing governments and belligerent authorities, the Independent spirit remains. So that's exactly what she does. Determined to live free, she worked odd jobs after the war and borrowed money from other 'free entrepreneurs' until she could finally buy her own ship. That was several years hence and she has never regretted her choice.

Notable Equipment: Light Body Armor. Mare’s Leg Rifle (large leg holster on right leg), bowie knife (leg holster on left leg), .38 calibre gun (10 cylinder, hip holster on left hip),  machete (back holster). Teela wears the Mare and knife on her at all times, the other weapons are usually kept in a locker in her quarters. Teela also owns a plethora of archaeological books, including several rare and banned copies.

Strengths:

- Charismatic: Teela has a natural, roguish charisma that has helped her talk her way out of trouble on several occasions.

- Academia: Listening to her parents' academic lectures from a young age, Teela is versed in both anthropology and archaeology.

- Quiet as a mouse: Teela can be very, very stealthy when she wants to be.

- Marksmanship: Teela is a near-perfect shot.

- Hand-to-Hand Combat: Finding herself on the wrong side of a deal on more than one occasion, Teela is well-versed in Capoeira combat.

- Parkour: Teela greatly enjoys the art of free-running, climbing and jumping.

- Mental-Mapping: Teela has a great sense of direction and instinctively maps any area she visits in her mind.

Weaknesses:

- Rebel: Teela does NOT respond well to authority figures, even if it is (much) better to play along.

- Impatient:  Ill-suited to 'doing nothing', Teela will sometimes spring into action before a decent plan has been formed.

- All On Me: Teela feels acutely and personally responsible for her crew and ship, to the point of feeling that anything wrong is her fault.

- Obsessive Personality: Teela can completely lose herself in her pursuits, be they for exploration or vengeance.

- Bipolar: The same energy that drives Teela to pursue life with reckless abandon, can also swing around to where she cannot muster the will to do anything anymore. This usually occurs after something bad happens to her ship or the people aboard.

- Curiosity Got The Cat: Of course Teela wakes the sleeping dog. How else will she know what it does?

- Show Off: Teela is a show-off who will share more tales of her exploits than is strictly wise, nor does she easily back down from a challenge. She also tends to take unnecessary risks with the sole benefit of impressing people.

 

Username: Mistress of Whispers

Character Name: Li Xiao (last name, first name) (real name: Ming Xiao)

Concept: Enigma / Tactical Genius

Gender and Age: Female, 23

Birth Planet/Moon: Unknown

Position: Medic

Appearance: Xiao comes from a mixed Caucasian-Asian ancestry. She has a petite and slender build with a regal bearing. Brown hair, falling in gentle waves, frames a heart-shaped face with hazel eyes. She is not stunningly beautiful, but certainly very pretty and bears herself well. (Picture)

Personality: Soft-spoken, highly intelligent. Abhors violence and refuses to fight. Seems to suffer from nightmares and post-traumatic stress syndrome.

History: [Partly hidden on user request.] Xiao rarely (never) speaks about her past, but some rumours have filtered through. People say she was present at the battle of Serenity Valley, though it's unclear on which side she fought. Some people even say she is a war criminal, but again it's unclear on whose behalf she perpetrated these unknown atrocities. One far-fetched rumour states that she is a survivor of the annihilation of Shadow.

Notable Equipment: Xiao is in possession of military-grade ballistic mesh armor which she often wears underneath her clothes. She owns no weapons. She also has a databook (encrypted), hacking tools, one dose of cyanol poison (carried on her at all time), a set of pictures of Browncoats and a set of pictures of what appear to be burn victims.

Strengths:

Highly intelligent

Very strong-willed

Extremely perceptive

Genius at military tactics

Good medic

Good hacker

Has a knack for languages

Eidetic memory

Cortex Spectre: There is no data on Ming Xiao in the cortex, whilst Li Xiao has a (fake) paper trail.

Weaknesses:

Lacking physical strength

Pacifist

Horrible with guns

Dark Secret: Ming’s contribution to the war

Stigmata: Suspected former Alliance member

Stigmata: Suspected Independent member

Deadly Enemy: The Alliance is very actively looking for her

Memorable: Stands out in people's minds (pretty and soft-spoken)

Traumatic Flashes

Nightmares

Obsession: Anything to do with the planet Shadow

 

Username: Biologist

Character Name: Jay McCarty

Concept:

Position: Pilot

Gender and Age: Male, 27

Birth Planet/System: Shadow

Appearance: Jay is a muscular man, hardened through hard work and battle, with quite a few scars. He has sky blue eyes and dirty blond hair, he is usually unshaven and wears work clothes (jeans and T-shirt with brown leather jacket and leather boots).

Personality: He is loyal. Not much of a thinker and with a youth of hard work, he isn't very sophisticated, but likes straightforward things in life. He isn't the most intelligent person, but he is a man who likes to take action and isn't afraid to put his life on the line if he thinks someone deserves his loyalty.

History: Jay grew up on a small farm on Shadow. He learned to ride the horses and drive the mules and even to fly the small transport ships to get their crops to supply ships in orbit after harvest time. His father taught him to shoot a gun and to drink beer, his brothers and cousins taught him the rest (brawling, more guns, more beer and everything he knows about girls). It was a simple life. Until he was 16. Until the bombs rained down.

He doesn't remember how he survived, but he did. He escaped off planet on a ship, leaving everyone and everything behind as the surface of his home planet lighted up like a christmas tree. Burning with anger and a desire for revenge, he joined the browncoats and fought long and hard. He was a loyal corporal and often surprised friend and foe with his tenacity and violence. All was going well. Until Serenity Valley.

He survived. After the battle of Serenity Valley, the browncoats were devastated and quickly signed the peace agreements. Jay disappeared into the outer system, trying to live off of his combat skills and his farming skills. He couldn't make ends meet, though, and has tried every job in the Verse (except for companion) to finally end up as a dealer in 'protoype tech' on the run due to unhappy clients and unhappy moneylenders. When he heard by chance that the Harmony was looking for a pilot, he grasped the best chance to get off planet and hasn't looked back since.

Notable Equipment: Pistol: his main weapon. Has a distinct browncoat look and feel to it. It has probably stayed with him since the war.

Bowie knife: for all purpose use.

Strengths: Tough as nails: he has survived his fair share of apocalyptic events and his is still breathin'.

Broad skill set: his willingness and aptitude to take on any job has made him a good pilot, and gun for hire, a reasonable technician and cook, and a bad businessman.

Loyal: when he has a cause and a leader worthy of following, he'll stick to their side forever. Or until they betray him.

Weaknesses: Not the sharpest knife in the drawer: Jay is a man of action and takes initiative. He is not a man of deep thought or high intelligence. One of the reasons he got bested in business deals.

Nightmares: due to the traumatic events of Shadow and Serenity Valley, he suffers from recurring nightmares.

Addiction: to forget, he drinks alcohol. Sometimes the more the better.

Debts: he has made a few bad deals and now he owes people money. A lot of people. A lot of money. He hopes he can outrun them for the time being, until he has a new game plan.

 

Username: XxWaterGardianxX

Character Name: Athena L Rochellea

Concept: Registered (former) Companion

Position: shuttle inhabitant, high end companion, but enjoying her travels and adventures for the time being.

Gender and Age: Female. 25

Birth Planet/System: Hera

Appearance: Athena has light blonde hair, almost white, along with dark blue eyes. She stands at about 5'10" with olive skin and curves that could kill. The Companion knows how to use her body, and likes to stay fit because she doesn't always know what is around the corner..

She likes the oriental look, chop sticks in her hair and short kimonos with a low neck line, a leather corset tightly bound to her waist along with light flowing pants. Her brown boots and brown gloves to match. Also two metal bands around her upper arms. Athena has scars on her hands, which is why she wares the gloves. She also has scripture in Chinese down the entire length of her right leg from her hip to her ankle.

Personality:Athena is kinds and sophisticated as a proper companion should be but most times her smiles never reach her eyes. She doesn't have any friends she left them with her past, making it hard for her to make any to trust any because of the walls she puts up, this makes her slightly sarcastic when she does finally become accustom to being around a certain person.

History: Athena grew up on a farm, her mother and father were very poor and had very little but love to give her. But she was happy, sunny days in the dusty farm, everything had been perfect... Until the Revers crashed on the outskirts of their farm. Even though only two survived the crash it was enough for her father to get the shot gun out and tell her and her mother to run. She can still hear the gunshots going off and her mother being ripped from her arms... But in the end she was able to get away, an orphan but alive.

Having no place to go she got a ride onto a small ship owned by a grandfather like figure, he was kind to her but stern, he taught her the ropes of ships. She learned how to pilot, the engine, how to cook, even how to use a gun properly. But when he passed suddenly she didn't know what to do with herself.

She wondered the streets of the wealthy planets, finding work here and there, when a Companion found her and offered to teach her in the ways of a Companion. She accepted, feeling as if she had no other choice, and started to study. She aimed to be the best companion that there was, immersing herself into the study.

When she graduated she had few partners but very wealthy. She lived in the sparkle and glitz life and she liked it, the small farm girl miles away. But faithful night after one of the various balls she blacked out and woke up with crimson blood on her hands along with a blade in her hand. She had been framed, or at least she thought she had... Athena ran. She ran from that life, knowing that she could never go back again when everyone of her companion sisters thought she was a killer and everyone else thought she was a murder. She never looked back.

So that her status as a companion would not be diminished she forged documents, still getting her yearly check up from a formal doctor that owed her greatly, everything looked real. The only way someone would be able to realize that Athena was a no longer a companion would be to know the right people, and she has made sure that those certain people have been paid well to forget her name.

Notable Equipment: She carries quite a few things with her wherever she goes, the dagger from that night which is long and thin as an envelope opener but with a deadly point and poison in various versions. She has a couple different colors of corsets that have metal boning that pack a punch when hit.

Strengths:

Deception.

Compassion.

Knowledge of her trade.

Witty.

Quick on her feet.

In peek condition.

Weaknesses:

Will do anything for a child.

Tends to see things in people others don't, getting her into trouble at times.

Terrified of Reavers, to a point where she can't think properly.

Other: N/A

 

Username: Marcus Pheonix

Character Name: Nelson Layton

Concept: All men wear a mask

Position: Mechanic

Gender and Age: Male and 30

Birth Planet/System: New Melbourne

Appearance: The image of a strong man gone to seed, Nelson is 6'1 with a beer belly in the works. While his waist fools many his arms and legs are quite muscled but are concealed. He usually wheres a navy, collared long sleeve shirt with a simple brown sleeveless jacket over top. Brown pants, muddy black combat boots and a grey beanie finish his attire. Nelson has long, thick auburn hair with a matching beard. Beneath all that and the usual grease stains are his nearly white, blue eyes and surprisingly pale skin and a large scar on the crown of his head, hidden beneath his hair.

Personality: Nelson is the kind of guy most would like to be around in any sort of situation. The kind who'd break up a fight by buying a round of beer for all and would then challenge all to a drinking contest. He enjoys the solace of the engine rooms and can frequently be found sleeping on the job. He enjoys his time with others as much as possible and can sometimes be over enthusiastic in his approach (hes a hugger not a handshaker). The only times when he is ever quiet are the times when he is out fishing. But those who have known him longer then others occasionally see another side to him, a sad side indicating hes seen more than one would expect.

History: [Partly hidden at user request] On New Melbourne Nelson was the friendly face who frequented many of the local taverns boasting of his latest catch. After several years he decided that he was gonna try and move on, while he loved fishing he'd love to see more of the verse. One day he hoarded up some his supplies and prized possessions (like his fishing rod) and grabbed a ship, always on the move since then he somehow made his way to the engineering room on Harmony.

Notable Equipment: His fishing rod and tool box his filleting knife a k-bar and two rifles; a Accuracy Internation L115A3 and a PGM Hecate II both of which are kept in a hidden panel beneath Harmony's engine that only he knows where.

Strengths:

Fishing Jamboree: Just try and reel a bigger fish then him

Technical Wizz: Surprisingly knows a lot about engines

Great Hunter

Dirty Hands: Hes not afraid to get his hands dirty when it comes to anything bloody

Friendly

Can keep his head

Perceptive: Is very aware of his surroundings and keeps his eyes and ears open

Physically muscled and very strong

Weaknesses:

[some hidden at user request]

Enigma: There is no knowledge of him on the cortex

A Mask: He’s not what he appears

Unfit: Anyone could beat him in a race

True Friendship

Alcoholic: Is commonly found asleep with a bottle of rum

Bad at hand to hand combat

Other: Is great at Pool and is highly against violence.

 

Username: Narvix

Character Name: Eli Hastings

Concept: Your friendly conversationalist.

Position: Liaison/Self-designated Cook

Gender and Age: Demimale/34 years

Birth Planet/System: Ezra

Appearance: With a round face and average athletic build, Eli stands no taller than 5’10” and weighs 168 pounds. His skin is dark through blood more than tanning and his eyes are barely distinguishable from black. Black hair sweeps back from his moderate hairline, kept short and, though he tries to style it, unruly with waves or small curls. His nose was broken as a child and healed crookedly, a bump in the middle of the bridge where the break occurred.

His hands aren’t rough but his fingertips are dry from so many years of handling paper. Several paper cuts sometimes decorate his hands, gradually toughing the skin. The scar from a bullet wound is hidden away on his abdomen, consistently covered by the various button-up shirts he favors most. It’s a 50/50 between whether he tucks his shirt into his black slacks or not. A worn, leather belt loops around his waist more for appearances than necessity. On his feet, he either wears brown cargo boots or sneakers.

Personality: First and foremost, Eli likes to talk. He enjoys conversation and being merry. From somber to jovial, he doesn’t care what the subject is so long as it is good for passing the time. He’s an all-around friendly sort with seemingly no qualms about who someone is. Not much can stop him from playing coy or the general flirt. He’s willing to be a shoulder for someone to cry on or another set of hands to carry a burden. His patience hardly knows any bounds and he knows how to adapt to any verbal situation.

However, Eli much prefers to avoid the stressful situation or any talk about family, religion, and science. The latter two are mostly out of habit than self-preference. He’s sensitive to tone and body language, making it easy for him to understand all sorts of people. And, though he’s good at lying, he doesn’t always enjoy leading people on. Much of what he does has honest intentions. He’s trusting and that can result in him being easily manipulated if someone’s skilled enough.

History: Eli’s existence has mostly been an average one. He lived in a normal household, graduated from school, and sought a decent job that wouldn’t kill him from boredom. He has, however, gotten into a few difficult situations before, one of which resulted in his getting shot through the stomach. Over the past decade or two, he worked on his conversational skills, becoming rather talented in being convincing or striking the deal he wanted most. Eli has moved around from place to place, making it hard for him to possibly settle down. Does he want to? Perhaps in the future.

Notable Equipment:

- Beretta M9: 9mm pistol with 15 round, detachable magazine + 1 in the chamber. Right hip holster.

- Glock 17: 9mm pistol with 17 round, detachable magazine + 1 in the chamber. Right ankle holster.

- Gerber LHR Combat knife: 6.87" blade length and 12.5" full length. Left upper-arm holster.

- Bulletproof Vest: Black Kevlar stored until needed.

- 3 Portfolios: Various usages. Mostly notes, job information, and contact lists. All are locked with the key on a string around Eli’s neck.

- Writing Supplies: An assortment of pens, pencils, erasers, and more as deemed necessary.

Strengths:

- He possesses very quick reflexes.

- Eli is silver-tongued, making him ideal for talking oneself out of unfavorable situations.

- He is resourceful and well connected.

Weaknesses:

- His elbows have a bad habit of giving him issues, mostly locking up when bent.

- He’s quite terrified of storms, any and all of them.

- Eli doesn’t have a good long-term memory and will forget things if he doesn’t write down/review notes.

 

Retired characters that are allowed to come back

 

Username: diaveborn

Character Name: Suren Waite

(names, but not characterization, based on Being Human [uS] characters)

Concept: Scientist (Genetics Researcher / Hydroponist)

Position: Can grow fresh edible plants for the crew and serve as part time cook.

Gender and Age: Female, mid-thirties

Birth Planet/System: Sihnon

Appearance: Mostly like this, with the same Eastern features and sections of her hair dyed (although she'll probably remove the dye shortly after joining up with anyone who also has their hair dyed). She looks less glamorous than in the picture - she doesn't wear makeup and her face usually has a less graceful expression - and is a little older and weighs a little more. She wears her clothing in layers, favoring long black or blue coats, lots of hidden pockets, and tall, heavy black boots with multiple buckles.

Personality:  What facet of Suren's personality comes to the forefront depends to a great degree on who she's with, and to a lesser degree how she's feeling. She can be cool, even somewhat aloof or standoffish, with strangers due to being generally uncomfortable around people she doesn't know. At those times she's mostly quiet, preferring to observe rather than speak, unless called upon to speak about one of her areas of expertise. When she gets to know people, she becomes more open, and can be quite warm with people she considers friends. She knows how to go along with a plan and is quite willing to be led by someone she respects, but she can also be opinionated and stubborn about subjects she's taken care to educate herself on. Although Suren likes to take regular time for herself and her experiments, most days she doesn't mind being around people. But on bad days she can withdrawn, partially because she can get a bit too focused on her work and partially to protect others from her moodiness.

History: Suren was born on Sihnon to a family with a strong and purposeful sense of intellectualism and a more subtle, yet equally strong, religious belief, and she absorbed these values from an early age. Although as an adult she finds she is more occupied with the practices of science than with those of faith, she doesn't feel she has lost the faith-based aspect of herself. One of the many things she was taught as a child was how to cook, and her natural aptitude, largely due to an excellent palate, combined with her love of advancing new skills meant cooking became important to her. It was never her chosen path in life, however - she knew early on that she wanted to be a biologist, and studied genetics and botany on Sihnon. As she began to feel the importance of a richer diet being made available to those who lived in harsher planetary conditions or in space, she chose to focus on developing new strains of edible plants. She became interested in hydroponics, travelling to Osiris to study it, due to the applicability of hydroponic techniques in both planetary and space-based environments. Since then she has attempted to cultivate her own improved strains of plants, and has recently made some inroads in her experimental goals but knows she has much work to continue.

During the war much, but not all, of Suren's family sided with the Alliance; she was mostly absorbed in study and experiments and kept relatively neutral. Nowadays she still prefers not to claim she's part of either side, although she will identify as an Independent if pressed, feeling that law is not best made on a system-wide basis but that rules and structure are important to society.

She has lived for a time on Persephone and Bellerophon and has spent brief periods on Ariel and Londinium.

Notable Equipment: She's never without weapons, but you might not know it to look at her. She keeps her small knives in hidden pockets and compartments in her clothes and shoes, and only has them for getting out of jams, not into them. She also likes to carry a small amount of acid; although this can serve as a weapon it's best for more subtle applications, such as dissolving a crude padlock or the circuitry of a more sophisticated electronic lock.

More conspicuous are the storage crates she's bringing on board, which house her hydroponics equipment, including a small store of plant seeds and sprouts.

Strengths: Suren considers herself intelligent and well-educated in her field. She has strong senses of taste and smell, is generally very self-aware, and is willing to work hard for things she believes are important.

Weaknesses: Suren has a hard time getting computers to do exactly what she wants. She's not the best fighter - her greatest strength in a fight is the element of surprise, and once she loses that, things would tend to go rapidly downhill for her. She can overthink things at times, and can sometimes get stuck on an idea to the exclusion of others.

Other: She doesn't like it if someone's lack of self-awareness impacts her, and it bothers her when people pretend to be something they're not or fail to be direct with her or others when problems arise. Suren also dislikes messy medical issues and hates when people bully those weaker than them. 

She likes to plan for a multitude of situations, and likes it when people she's working with are prepared for the unexpected. She embraces opportunities to expand her horizons even when it feels somewhat uncomfortable to do so. Beautiful architecture, the grace of the Companions, and the diversity of nature are all things she admires.

 

Username: Narath

Character Name: Jake Drunmer

Concept: Boom, headshot.

Position: weapons specialist

Gender and Age: male, 29

Birth Planet/System:

Appearance: short blonde neatly combed back hair, sharp and piercing blue eyes, six foot four, muscular but not overly so, black combat boots, Brown leather jacket.

Personality: he may appear rough and tough when you first meet him, but once you get to know the guy, you find out that he can be quite nice. Always willing to lend a helping hand, Jake will often even venture outside of his areas of expertise to help someone he knows. Just, try not to get on his bad side. He can have quite the temper sometimes.

History: was once a weapons expert for the brown coats in the war, but became a sort of freelancer afterwards. He doesn't enjoy talking about the war though, so it's usually best to avoid the subject if you can.

Notable Equipment:

Revolvers: [1] [2] [3]

Rifles: [1] [2] [3]

Automatic Rifles: [1] [2]

Favorite: Bertha

mountable machine gun (can only be fired when properly mounted on a vehical or other surface)

Strengths:

-Very strong

-Great shot

-some mechanics (if it applies to guns somehow, he can do anything.)

Weaknesses:

-romance

-hates spiders (if he is not on a ship he may just shoot it)

-do not bring him around purple-bellies. He has very little patience with them.

Other: has a large gun collection.

 

Username: Takhesis

Character Name: Atlanta Ward

Concept: Junior Scientist.

Position: Passenger

Gender and Age: 19 year old female

Birth Planet/System: Border System

Appearance: Shoulder length auburn hair that settles in ringlets - much to Atlanta's annoyance, the style and colour being almost too obvious for her liking - is paired with ice-blue eyes. Her clothes seem to be too well-made for a scientist, yet it could be explained away by her somewhat 'unique appearance'.

Personality: Atlanta seems to have two personalities. A public persona and a private one. Her public persona is that of a timid, well behaved, bookworm.

Her real personality is her private one - glimpses of which can be seen if she's in trusted company or if she's under stress. Her real self is a stubborn, speaks-her-mind tomboy.

History: Atlanta boarded the Harmony as a Junior Scientist wanting to gain some first hand experience on the 'verse for her next written paper. [Rest hidden at user request.]

Notable Equipment: Jewellery - mainly easily hidden broaches and rings. These are hidden in her bag, to be pawned as needed.

She keeps a stiletto blade strapped to her thigh - courtesy of her guard helper.

She also owns a notebook and pen, and a few textbook. The latter are on a wide variety of different scientific subjects and none of them is very in-depth.

Strengths:

Limited wealth - the jewellery won't last long, but it could buy silence and/or supplies.

Family name: [secret]

Weaknesses:

Family name: [secret]

Broken pledge: [secret].

Distinctive Looks: Her hair is a dead giveaway. So she has to keep it covered in public areas where she is likely to be known.

Other: Plot Bunnies! So many Plot Bunnies.

Edited by Mistress of Whispers

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Thread Index

 

~ First Post

  • Welcome
  • Setting and History
  • Plot
  • F.A.Q.
  • Rules
  • Character Sheet
~ Second Post
  • Crew Roster
~ Third Post: You are here
  • The Journey So Far
  • Important NPCs
~ Fourth Post
  • - Reserved -
~ Fifth Post
  • - Reserved -

~ The Journey So Far ~

- hasn’t started yet -

 

~ Important NPCs ~

- none yet -

Edited by Mistress of Whispers

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Thread Index

 

~ First Post

  • Welcome
  • Setting and History
  • Plot
  • F.A.Q.
  • Rules
  • Character Sheet
~ Second Post
  • Crew Roster
~ Third Post
  • The Journey So Far
  • Important NPCs
~ Fourth Post: You are here
  • - Reserved -
~ Fifth Post
  • - Reserved -

- Reserved -

Edited by Mistress of Whispers

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Thread Index

 

~ First Post

  • Welcome
  • Setting and History
  • Plot
  • F.A.Q.
  • Rules
  • Character Sheet
~ Second Post
  • Crew Roster
~ Third Post
  • The Journey So Far
  • Important NPCs
~ Fourth Post
  • - Reserved -
~ Fifth Post: You are here
  • - Reserved -

- Reserved -

Edited by Mistress of Whispers

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"Attention, Crew. This is the Captain speaking. Please report to stations." Teela's voice, coming over the dingy intercom, was perfectly calm with just a hint of well-educated Core World accent. She sounded composed, even conversational, as if she were asking the crew to please eat with knife and fork. To those who knew her even just a little, this was a sure sign of trouble. The Captain liked to joke and goof around - any clipped to-the-point message from her spelled Problems.

 

Hanging up the intercom, Teela Nadir stared at the large, squat (and ugly, the aesthetic part of her brain noted) ship sitting just off starboard. She had taken the Harmony into an asteroid field to avoid a particularly meddlesome looking Alliance vessel, and it seemed she wasn't the only outlaw to do so. Unfortunately, in the 'verse, there was no honour amongst thieves and their 'colleagues' had taken the opportunity to ambush the smaller Firefly vessel.

 

"Stand down weapons and engines and prepare to be boarded" the male voice coming from the other vessel repeated. It was harsh and guttural, with the hailing-from-nowhere accent that Teela associated with people who'd spent too much time vesselside. The voice hadn't bothered to introduce itself, or give a name for its vessel. It had merely demanded that they prepared for boarding. How rude. Teela considered that poor form, but in the end it mattered little. Polite pirates would have done them no better than rude ones; they merely apologized for the inconvenience while they robbed you. If robbing us is *all* they're planning on.

 

Not for the first time, Teela lamented the lack of weapons on transporter vessels. Perhaps I could have them custom-fitted. Of course, such an act would be both illegal and highly expensive. She didn't care much about the former (what are laws for if not to be broken), but the latter was definitely a problem.

 

The Harmony was deep in the black, on its way from the Border World Beaumonde to the Rim Moon Higgin's. Beaumonde was an industrial planet, (in)famous for its huge factories that produced almost any kind of good and equipment. The Harmony had been hired to transport mud-farming machinery from one of those factories to Higgin's Moon orbiting the planet Harvest. In addition to the agricultural supplies, Teela had also picked up a few additional crew and passengers. The new people would provide a good addition to the crew, passengers were always a good (and easy) way to make some money and transporting mud-farming equipment was essentially a blue milk run. In short, it had been a good trip. Until now.

 

"Prepared to be boarded" the voice said a third time. It was starting to sound impatient. The fact that Captain Nadir hadn't deigned to answer was probably grating it as well. Teela sighed and acknowledged that she couldn't risk ignoring the demand any longer. Her green braid slipped forward over her shoulder as she leaned over to hit the com panel: "Yes, we're preparing." Of course, she never said what they were preparing for ....

 

((I'll let everyone decide for themselves if their character boarded at Beaumonde, or if they've been on the Harmony longer. Just try to incorporate something to either effect in your post so we all know. I'm also very fine with characters knowing each other, so feel free to pm each other or post in the OoC and work out a starting relationship as friends / drinking buddies / etc.))

Edited by Mistress of Whispers

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Jay looked at Teela, the light of the dash and controls illuminating their faces in blue and red hues. "Gorram pirates." he cursed. "The way I see it, we have three options. Either we bluff, tell them we need medical assistance to combat some infectious disease, or we let them board and blast them back into their stinkin' freighter with our guns. Or..." Jay didn't like the third option. He had served on the Harmony as pilot for a few missions now and knowing Teela, neither would she. "Or we signal the Alliance vessel for help." The look on his face was clear: he would like to avoid the Alliance, just as he would like to avoid the black plague...

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The companion had been brushing her hair when she heard the captains overcom announcement, it immediately made her ill at ease with the situation. She had been with Harmony for a couple weeks now and she could already tell that this was not a normal announcement by the under tones of Captain Teela's voice.

So with that thought she moved into action getting herself dressed in one of the only pair of pants that she owned, most likely no one on the ship has seen a companion in actual, functional, pants. As well as a simple corset and modest shirt underneath, yet even though her modest attire one could still pin point that she was a companion just by looking at her from her proper posture to her precise movements and clean unmarked skin.

Her boots clicked across the ship as she went up the stairs to the dining area and sat at the table, her hands folded out in front of her, glancing down the hall at the cockpit but not going in as she waited for the next intercom, a boot toe tapping against the floor.

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Nelson awoke with a shock. The voice of the captain raising him from his cheery slumber. As he sat up he felt a sudden sharp pain and his hand flew to his forehead. As he pulled himself up from the dirty mattress he had fallen asleep on in the engineering bay, placed there some time prior after similar events occurred, several bottles of rum clanked onto the hard floor, echoing a musical chime.

 

The chime only proceeded to make Nelsons headache hurt more and he forced his fingers in his ears. He kicked the bottles roughly into the corner and moved over to the rotating acceleration core.

"Yup still moving," He said to himself. Nelson stumbled over to the door wincing once again as it slid to the side.

"Gonna need to oil that thing sometime," He said. Quickly moving through the hallway he found himself in the dining room to see the companion Athena sitting calm and composed... in pants?

Nelson paused and looked at his hand, yep five fingers, he wasn't dreaming. Shrugging he reached a cupboard and swiftly began searching for the aspirin.

"Mornin' Athena. You wouldn't happen to no where they keep the, ahhhh" He cut himself off as he found the small bottle. He shook the contents out into his open palm and downed it. He'll need to grab another bottle from the infirmary later. Raising his hand in farewell he entered the forward corridor, as he reached the stairs to the cockpit he heard the short conversation between Jay and Teela.

 

At the sight of the large ship he whistled, "A Bernard-class SAR vessel, not the prettiest but pretty sturdy" He thought to himself. As he listened to Jays last few words he felt the need to voice his opinion.

"We could try and run cap'n," He said. "Their boat shouldn't be able to keep up if we go to full speed, worst they can do is hook us with them grapplin' hooks o' theres. Although they might have modified the hull with some cannons". He didn't have much hope in his argument, knowing the cap'n she probably would want them to board then reverse the stakes and turn their arsenal on the pirates crew as they entered.

 

((Let me know if I should keep the vessel as an unnamed type, the bernards in the wiki if you wanna check it out))

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"Gorram it." Jake cursed under his breath, setting down the gun he'd been cleaning at the moment of Teela's announcement. "Can't have the decency to have a fair fight can they? Of course they have to do it in space where there's a chance of puncturing the hull."

Continuing his grumbling, the weapons expert threw open the large dented and tarnished metal cabinet in his room, revealing his large collection of guns. He grabbed his tri-barrel revolver, since they were in close quarters and it's accuracy wasn't the best, before stopping to debate which rifle to grab as a primary weapon. Jake ended up going with the lever action rifle, since the others had larger chances of putting a hole in the wall.

After strapping on the pistol, Jake left his room and headed straight for the cotpit, his rifle slung over his shoulder. On his way, he walked past the companion that had joined them a little while ago. Now what was her name again? Maleena? Aleena? He never was good at names. It took him forever to remember the rest of the regular crew's names.

"Hey miss, ready for some excitement?" He asked in a joking manner as he walked past her.

 

((Sniped. Let me edit a second.

Never mind. It still works with what's going on. ))

Edited by Narath

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Athena nodded and smiled politely to Nelson, "Good morning Nelson." She couldn't help but chuckle under her breath and wave at the kind hearted man as he headed up the stairs to the cockpit.

 

Just as she pushed her chair out, not able to stay seated any longer, the Companion looked up to see Jake walking into the dining room with a rifle over his broad shoulder. She arched a delicate brow, "When am I not ready Jake?" Purposefully saying his name as she could practically read his mind knowing that he forgot her name yet again, but she didn't let it faze her as she smiled coyly before turning and taking an apple from the bowl in the counter and taking a bite, she knew that the other crew members and passengers would trail in soon so she might as well get comfortable and have some breakfast.

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"Or we signal the Alliance vessel for help."

 

Teela had been about to reply to Jay's suggestion, when Nelson saved her from having to do so by making a timely entrance. She'd sooner surrender her ship to the raiders than ask the Alliance for help. Besides, she had a suspicion that several people aboard the Harmony needed to remain off the Alliance radar.

 

"Running is an option," she instead replied to Nelson. "But it'll take us a while to gather up speed and if they do have guns..." Teela didn't mind being shot at as a general rule (it came with the job, after all), but she hated being shot in the back while trying to run away. If the raiders had guns and got in a few good parting shots, they might be fleeing from the frying pan into the fire.

 

She walked up to the forward window and peered outside. Just then, Jake walked in. "Do you see any guns on this, Jake?" she inquired, still focused intently on the ship off their side. She thought she saw a few patches and bulges not commonly found on Bernards. But were they guns?

 

"Pretty big ship," she mused. "Might be problematic if we let them board and they outgun us three to one." Of course, there was no way to know how many people the Bernard carried unless they let them board. It might be manned by a skeleton crew bluffing their way through. And if the fight took place on the Harmony, they'd have the home advantage of knowing all the nooks and crannies. Unfortunately, they'd also have the disadvantage of something possibly blowing up or getting a hole blown in the hull.

 

She considered going with Jay's first plan of faking a infectious disease on board. That would require some heavy bluffing, but this ship was full of expert liars and Teela was not the least of them. Atop that, they had a trained medic who could probably come up with something real convincing and official sounding.

 

------------------------------

 

Xiao was standing amidst a field of corpses. They were burnt and mangled, staring up at her with lidless, bloodied eyes. A low moaning sounded across the field and she realized not all of them were dead. Not yet. But they would be soon. "I'm sorry," she said, but the corpses didn't care. Hands wrapped around her ankles, threatening to drag her down to them. For a moment she wanted to. This was her home. But no, not yet. She still had work to do. She knelt down and took the hands gently in hers, disentangling them from her legs. Not long ago she would have run in terror, but not anymore. She had accepted her fate. "Soon," she promised. She would die one day and then she'd join them. The corpse look at her with open hatred, but it nodded and withdrew. It was dead. It could wait. And then they'd play. Rising, Xiao saw a tall woman with green hair in the distance. That was odd. She had never seen another living person in the field of death. "This is the Captain speaking," the apparition said.

 

She woke with a start, just in time to catch the last part of Teela's message. Report to stations? That was never a good sign. Technically speaking, Xiao's station was the infirmary. However, most of the crew would be in the cockpit. If anyone required medical attention, she'd be of more use near to them.

 

Xiao dressed in a plain linen dress and golden-tan surcoat. The cut and colours were modest, though a closer look at the fabric would reveal that it was of high quality. Making her way over to the dining hall, she saw that Athena was already there. She could her voices coming from the cockpit. For a moment, she debated what to do. Then she sat down at the small table and folded her hands as she settled in to wait.

 

"Good morning, Athena," she greeted the companion. "I hope you slept well." Xiao's voice, as always, was perfectly impeccable with no discernible accent.

Edited by Mistress of Whispers

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"Touché." Jake replied with a wry grin, making his way out of the kitchen and into the cotpit.

After hearing the captain's question, he peered out the window and at the approaching vessel, attempting to appraise any armaments.

"There's a few basic ship to ship guns on there." He finally said. "Nothing big like a cannon, but it's good enough to punch a hole through the ship.

"If you want cap', I can set up my mounted gun in the hold, so that when they board we can shoot past the doors and into their ship. If we''re lucky, we can punch some holes in their hull that way, and vent them out.

"And captain, how many time to I have to tell you; no one outguns me."

Edited by Narath

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((OOC: Suren's been here since before Beaumonde.))

 

After hearing the captain's announcement, Suren put away the vials she'd been idly examining and shoved the container back into place. She put on the rest of her clothes and other things before leaving her quarters for the dining area. She had secured everything in the hydroponics section the last time she left, and presumably all cargo was already fully secured as well. Yet it was possible some things had been left out unattended in the dining area, which could go flying around if the trouble they were now in led to a jostled ship.

 

Arriving in the dining area, Suren nodded hello to Xiao and Athena, then started putting away the few things that were not in the cabinets. When she got to the bowl Athena would have gotten the apple from, she turned towards Athena while asking "I think I might stow this for safety, unless you would like to keep it?"

 

After everything else was secure Suren sat down at the table. "Have either of you yet heard what's the matter?"

 

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Jay looked out the window. "I don't know about runnin'. We are in an asteroid field if y'all forgot. So a nice straight line at full speed is gonna smash us right up on one of them rocks. We could try a game of hide and seek, but that would burn fuel like there was no tomorrow. And we still need to make it to Higgin's Moon."

 

He scratched his head, still looking outside the window. "If we could get one of them rocks to hit that ship, though, with a space walk and some charges..."

 

He shook his head and turned to Teela. "If we're to bluff, you best call in the doctor. Otherwise, I got myself a gun to prep."

 

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Nelson chuckled, then winced, the aspirin hadn't fully kicked in yet.

"Typical Jake, whenever there's a problem the best answer is to face a machine gun in its general direction," He gazed out at the ship again, their were a few cannons but none of them appeared to be on rotating mounts, probably shoddy work so they were fixed facing forward. He stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"One of the best things about a firefly is that they are fairly maneuverable, making our way through this field hasn't been a problem so far, plus we've got our ace pilot here. Let me get back to the engines and I could have Harmony flyin' at full burst, no matter what direction we're trying to go. We just need to stay in their blind spot and they can't shoot us, once we're there gettin' away would be cinch." Nelson continued to think, trying to visualize the downfall of his plan.

 

"Plus St. Albans is on the way, we could stop in for fuel but we may not have enough to pay for it. Keep me posted cap'n" Nelson said as he began to walk back towards the door. He paused, "Oh yeah Jake, Bernards are salvage and rescue boats, they're designed to be sent in during a full scale war, their hulls are pretty tough to break". With that he hopped down the stairs making his way to the engine room. As he walked through the dining room he saw the Athena had been joined by Xiao and Suren. He inclined his head towards them.

"Ladies," he said, in what he believed was a suave voice. His moment was then ruined as he tripped over one of the chairs at the dining table.

"Great now it wasn't just his head that ached" He thought angrily as he picked himself up, rubbing his nose.

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[Welp since it seems my idea has been ignored... Plan B]

 

Atlanta had been curled up on her bunk, with her nose buried in one of her textbooks, when the announcement came through.

 

Closing her book, and placing it under the bed, Atlanta sighed. She'd been on board the Harmony long enough to know the short announcement meant trouble.

 

The question was, what station did passengers report to? It wasn't as if she had a dedicated job section. Making sure her stiletto dagger was strapped to her thigh, Atlanta left her quarters to head for the bridge.

 

Along the way, she encountered the ship's medic, hydroponicist and a fellow passenger in the dining room. She hadn't yet noticed Nelson as picked himself up from his earlier trip over the chair.

 

"Any idea what the situation is?" She asked, tentively - as if nervous to interrupt any ongoing conversation.

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"Good morning Xiao, it was a night like any other I hope yours was better than mine." Athena replied to the doctor as she watched her sit down, noting the clothing on her back was more of something one would find on a picnic outing rather than a space ship. It suited the doctor well either way, she couldn't imagine her in anything less.

 

"Stow away Suren dear, we wouldn't want it to get bullet holes in it." She said the last part slightly sarcastically but in a light tone, taking another bite of her apple. She was just about to reply to Suren when she couldn't help but smile at Nelson tripping, she thought it was slightly adorable.

 

And in perfect timing Athena decided to kill two questions with one answer, "I have no idea, but it's not good." She said as she threw away her apple and moved to sit on the table next to Xiao, her legs crossed at the ankles, "What do you think Xiao?" She asked her eyes still fixed in the direction of the cockpit.

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Going over her options again, Teela doubted that Jay's 'contagious outbreak' ruse would work. It was just too conveniently timed; the raiders would never go for it. But perhaps there was some other wisdom in opening communications. "We could negotiate a fee for passage," she said more to herself than anyone in particular. The distaste in her voice was obvious. She hated giving in to bullies. But the fact remained that the Bernard was bigger, better armed and probably had more crew on board. Teela, on the other hand, had passengers to think of.

 

"Bring her around for docking, Jay, lest our new friends tire of waiting. But do it slowly; we don't want to burn out that bad engine." Of course Harmony's engines were both in fine shape, but she suspected the pilot would catch her meaning. That would give Nelson the time he needed to get to the engine room, and her time to decide what to do. "Be ready to play hide 'n seek just in case."

 

She also considered Jake's proposal. An on-board shoot out would put Harmony at risk just as much as the Bernard. Not to mention that IF the raiders' vessel began venting with Harmony still attached, they'd *both* lose air. Still, it seemed more evenly matched than a space battle, given that the Firefly had no guns mounted. As for the risk of venting air, she supposed that's why the air lock had a 'close' button.

 

"Best dress up your lady and get her ready," she replied to the weapon specialist. "It's not my first choice, but it won't hurt to be prepared."

 

 

------------------------

 

Xiao took two apples from the bowl before Suren set it away. "Thank you, Suren," she said with a polite incline of her head. She considered offering to help secure everything, but suspected that the other woman appreciated people mucking around in her kitchen no more than Xiao did them in the infirmary.

 

When Atlanta came in, the medic set the second apple down before her without missing a beat. It hadn't been hard to predict that the young woman would come to the dining hall. After all, she had no assigned station and the dining hall was the natural place to gravitate to. "Might be a while before breakfast," she offered by way of explanation.

 

She merely nodded to Athena's assessment of her night. Hers had been just like every other night for the last decade and not something she liked to dwell on. She was saved from replying by Nelson, who came in and - literally - fell on his face trying to impress the women. "Good morning, Nelson," she said as he hurried on by to the engine room. She managed to make her voice sound absolutely even despite smiling at his antics; best not to encourage him.

 

Xiao braced herself when Suren, Atlanta and Athena all asked about their situation in rapid succession. With Suren engaged in locking down the kitchen, she supposed it fell to her to provide the passengers with some answers. Lords knew she didn't want to step into that cockpit, but she saw no other option unless she wanted to be a bad host and she was raised better than that.

 

Rising, she brushed down her dress out of habit and quietly slipped into the cockpit. Jay was at the helm, as usual, and the captain was right up by the view port. The focus of their attention was immediately obvious: a large Bernard - with mounted canons no less - hung just off Harmony's starboard. As she took in the scene before her, Xiao could feel her mind kick into drive. It was as if she were standing in front of a three dimensional simulation screen, with both ships and the space around them perfectly clear. She rotated the Bernard, slowly, noting the exact position of the canons - shoddy work and unevenly mounted - the way she hung in the black, how she had approached Harmony and how one side was slightly more dinged than the other. She favours her left, Xiao knew. It wasn't an instinct; it was a perfect calculation based on a thousand small observations. Going from there, she added everything she knew about the Bernard class transporter - hull strength, speed, manoeuvrability - and saw exactly where the ship had been lying in ambush. With that done, she moved both ships forward in time and into battle. There was no need for her to assess Harmony; she'd been on the ship long enough to know exactly what her strengths and weaknesses were. Combat began to unfold before her mind's eye, adjusting for every minute detail the ships gleaned about each other, and ... STOP. As if someone had flipped a switch on a machine, the simulation crashed to a halt. She was a medic now, and she didn't play these games any more.

 

She had enough information to bring to the passengers. Turning, she prepared to exit the cockpit again. She had entered so quietly, and remained by the door, that even the captain's usually sensitive ears hadn't picked up on her. Though, to be fair, both captain and pilot had other things on her mind right now. Xiao already had her hand on the door handle, when she hesitated and turned back. "Try to get on her right," she said softly to Jay, then exited before he could respond.

 

As she sat down at the table again, she looked decidedly paler than before. She made no effort to hide it though, as the others would probably think that news from the cockpit had startled her. And to be fair, it had; just not in the way most would expect. "We're being held at gunpoint," she said without much preamble. "Raiders, most likely. No need to worry too much though. Jay is one of the finest pilots in the 'verse and the captain is -" she hesitated for a moment as the words 'stubborn' and 'reckless' crossed her mind, but then decided on: "- resourceful."

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"Thanks." Atlanta smiled and took the offered apple from Xiao. Sitting herself down on the same table as the rest, Atlanta considered making a light hearted comment about the choice of fruit, but managed to supress it. After all, she wasn't meant to be that outgoing and social.

 

She also nodded a greeting to Nelson, as he came into her field of view.

 

Truth was, she did miss it. The ability to make jokes and comments without fear of being found out as a fraud. She wasn't able to stop herself from thinking the words: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

 

Biting into the apple, Atlanta noticed Xiao going up front and returning - rather paler than before. When the update was given however, Atlanta thought she knew why the leeched colour.

 

"Raiders?" Swallowing the apple-bite Atlanta queried, not aware of their detour off the beaten path into the asteroid field. "I thought the trading routes were well patrolled."

 

She didn't particularly like the idea of running to the Alliance for help, but from what little she knew of the ship - it was unarmed, but speedy. Not a good prospect for a firefight.

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As he heard Teela give the order for him to prep the big gun, a very large grin split his face ear to ear like a child on christmas morning.

"Yes ma'am!" Jake responded eagerly, turning to run flat footed out of the cockpit and down the hall to his room.

When he arrived, he put his rifle back into his weapons locker with care, before turning to the large worn footlocker at the end of his bunk. He lifted the heavy lid, revealing the large chaingun that lay inside with it's stand and an excessive amount of ammunition. The grin still plastered on his face, Jake lugged the heavy gun onto his shoulders with one arm, and picking up the mount and his tool kit with his free hand.

"'Scuse me." He said as he passed by those in the mess hall on his way to the hold.

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Jay started docking procedures by punching numbers into the navcontrol. He knew very well how to operate the computer console and was almost never wrong when guessing an approach, but somehow he managed to get it wrong. Slowly Harmony drifted off to the right too much. Before she hit the Bernard, though, Jay stopped her and adjusted the approach trajectory, making the docking procedure a lengthy one. He tried to get as much time out of it as he thought he could get away with. The only thing that was good about getting closer to the big ship was that it seemed they were also getting out of the fire arc of the cannons. Although Jay guessed they had some aft cannons as well. Otherwise ships could just slip underneath and make a run for it...

 

He paid close attention to the right side of the Bernard and then checked the left side. He tried to figure out why Xiao had told him to get on the rigth side. He knew he could trust her tips on tactical advantages, they were as reliable as they got. Still he wanted to see for himself, but couldn't figure it out.

Edited by Biologist

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Suren wasn't sure what to say in response to the issue of trading routes, but when Jake moved past... she didn't quite smile at the sight of such a large gun, but her expression lightened a little, and she knew what to say in response to Xiao's assessment.

 

"A fine pilot, a resourceful captain - and a man with a very large gun. No need to worry much, indeed," Suren confirmed. "It seems it's the raiders who have something to worry about, and we'll have a nice dinner later to celebrate getting out of our little scrape."

 

Alright, maybe she was bluffing a little. Dealing with space raiders wasn't exactly something she was accustomed to, but she expected it could go badly in a multitude of unpleasant ways. But she knew people could feed off of each other's emotion and felt it best to refrain from contributing any unnecessary negativity - and she hoped her tone had been one of trying to see the best side of things, and not of dismissal of reality or patronization.

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"Two large guns." Jake corrected as he walked by. "I still have Bertha back in my quarters."

When he got down to the loading dock, he set down the gun and began to drill the stand to the floor. When he finished, the weapon master heaved the chain gun on top of its stand, and fitted that into place so it would not budge while firing. When he finished, Jake walked back to his bunk and grabbed boxes of ammunition. Then as he passed through the mess hall (yet again) he stopped to say something.

"Hey, if any of you could help me move some crates into a defensive position, that would help a lot."

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