Caerulus Astrum IC

[Genghismike]

Captain Venerus - the Pirate Vessel Incursus, Gray

The vessel drifted through the fringes of uncharted space, its engines powered down and long ranges sensors actively seeking out any local activity. They were far enough out to avoid any Federation patrols, but the area was notorious for Raider activity. They didn't want to be surprised while the ship was undergoing emergency repairs and allowing the Core a chance to cool down and recharge. Numerous jumps through Federation space and an assault from various pursuing Federation patrol ships had left them in a bad situation. But the crew had pulled through before numerous times in such tight spots, and no doubt would swiftly recover and be back to their business.

Things didn't used to be so difficult for a crew of their activities, but as the human forces extended their reach into space, they had ultimately joined the ranks of the Intergalactic Federation which was comprised of a loosely knit and diverse set of alien races. Scorned at first for their low level of technology, the humans had adapted swiftly, and some of the less haughty of races were quick to share some of their technology with this seemingly erratic race which had joined the fray. Mankind had adapted, and of course, this simply heightened their military power and control over their sectors, making it difficult for the Raiders and Smugglers who had discovered that it was profitable to loot passing convoys and undeveloped planets. But as time progressed, they found themselves more and more at a disadvantage, and were being slowly forced back into the depths of uncharted space. And it was only a matter of time before the human race began to spread out into those territories as well, disturbing the hornets nests.

The Captain of the Incursus wasn't too worried about that, though. He'd do as he'd always done. Adapt, wreak havoc, and move on. Life was too short to worry about the minor things like a life sentence in Federation prison among alien races which he'd never seen before. No, he had to enjoy what luxuries life afforded him, especially out here in the deep reaches of space where one never knew what they might find. Or what new, exciting adventures awaited them. No, they'd pull through this and get back on track quickly enough.

"Captain," the voice of his No'ek guard called to him from the doorway of his chambers. "Repairs are almost complete. The crew is waiting for a debriefing on the bridge as to our next course of action." The Captain sighed, removing himself from a tangle of limbs and tossing back the sheets on his bed. The two females which had flanked either side of him stirred as he climbed over them, one a familiar pale skinned form of a human, the other a more exotic alien race which they had discovered recently on one of their last trips to a planet in the uncharted regions of space. Deep violet eyes regarded him sleepily through locks of silvery white hair as he slipped over the edge of the bed before the girl rolled over and cuddled up his other human companion.

He scavanged the floor, seeking out his articles of clothing, and quickly dressed. It was as good a time as any to get going, and he'd gotten tired of the waiting as it was. Their resources would only last so long, and in order to do the more major repairs, they'd have to find a shipyard somewhere to repair some of the more heavily damaged portions of the ship. He quickly pulled on his boots, straightened his jacket, and then made his way towards the doorway of his chambers, casting one final glance back towards the duo resting in his bed. At least they'd be able to get a little more sleep. For him, duty called.

Stepping out of his chambers, he turned and briskly walked down the passageway towards the bridge, his boots thudding loudly upon the metal floor. The No'ek guard fell into place behind him, her footsteps matching his own. It still felt odd having someone shadowing him, watching his every move and keeping any potential threats at a very large distance. The No'ek were notorious for their savagary in battle, merciless and relentless when it came to their opposition. They were also fiercely loyal, and took their duties seriously. This one, it seemed, overzealously so.

 

[Beatrix]

Mela, Aquamarine

Mela walked along the narrow corridor from the crew cabins on her way to the bridge. She kept her pace brisk as she weaved in and out of people heading to their designated positions. Along the way, people from the previous shift handed her information regarding to the informational defense of the ship. For being a pirate ship, they seemed fairly well organized like a military.

With a few datapads in her hand, she reached the terminal that is hers. The person that she was relieving was still seated. She tapped him on the shoulder to let him know that it was his time to go, but before he left, she asked, "How fares the captain?"

The young man could not be much younger than her. He kept his casual stance although she outranked him on this illigitimate vessel. "He is fine and will be reporting to the bridge shortly." Mela waved him off as she sat and read the datapads. Although a brief summary is usually enough, she still would like to know the contents herself in case they did not catch a crucial piece of information, no matter how small.

 

[Genghismike]

Captain Venerus - the Pirate Vessel Incursus, Gray

Standing formally in the elevator which was rapidly taking them to the upper levels of the ship, Venerus felt at ease despite the silence between him and the No'ek. Feet planted firmly shoulder length apart, his arms clasped behind his back, he held the image of a soldier standing at the ready. It was an old habit that refused to die. Yemren, despite being of a different species altogether, was very similar to him in mannerism. She, too, was a soldier of her people. Or had been anyways. It was thus that they could remain in one another's company in absolute silence and feel no discomfort whatsoever. Venerus had grown rather fond of the No'ek, and had come to enjoy her company, despite the fact that he felt odd still having somewhat to watch over him with such dedication and devotion.

He caught their reflection in the smooth metallic surface of the elevator doors, noting that his uniform was neat and tidy despite how hastily he had dressed. Streaks of gray were visible in his hair and beard, signs of his growing age. He was getting older, but he maintained his appearance and physique. It was bred into him, instilled over the years of service to a species which sought to expand their ever growing dominion among the stars. Though no longer a part of Earth's Space Fleet, he couldn't quite dismiss his strict discipline. And it showed with how the ship was ran. Despite his growing age, he refused to relinquish the regimen he had gained throughout the years.

Venerus turned his gaze to the reflection of Yemren standing next to him, likewise composed in a strict manner. With pointed ears that rested atop their heads, sharp feline features, and a light covering of fur which covered the vast majority of their bodies, the No'ek greatly resembled a strong blend of humanoid and the cats of Earth. And just like their animal counterparts, the No'ek were quick, graceful, and fierce hunters. She had staunchly refused the uniform which nearly all the crew were made to wear, preferring instead to don the leather armor which was custom of the warriors of her world. A curved saber was sheathed at her left hip, a pistol at her right. And she was very proficient with both weapons. A slight smile crossed the features of Venerus' face. Yemren was the only crew member under his command that he had ever allowed to refuse his orders. Her every action was geared towards his protection, and if she felt as though any order of his compromised his safety, she would adamantly refuse. A stubborn lot, those No'ek.

It was by mere chance that he had managed to attain one as a body guard, and entirely against his wishes. The No'ek were tribal by nature, and held a large disregard for the humans that had found their way into space. They viewed the smooth skinned hairless creatures as inferior and weak, lesser beings that only managed to become a threat by sheer numbers and technology. Despite having technology themselves, the No'ek adhered to their ancient customs and brutal fighting tactics, with the might of warriors being what they held among their esteem. A single No'ek warrior was easily worth ten men in physical combat, their speed, strength, and agility allowing them to tear through the ranks of their enemies with ease. They showed no mercy to their opponents, took no prisoners, and would gladly end their own lives before being captured. But they had an odd custom of devoting their services to any who saved their lives. And it was thus, that Yemren had become the personal guard of the Captain of a Raider ship.

Once the elevator arrived at their destination, Yemren quickly stepped out of the doors and glanced down the hallways to ensure that it was secure. Venerus found this entirely unnecessary considering this was his own ship, but allowed Yemren to perform her duties as she saw fit. It had a tendency to intimidate some of his crew, especially any who hadn't been around long enough to become accustomed to the menacing No'ek. It also had the added benefit of ensuring that any who harbored thoughts of mutiny would think twice before betraying him. The No'ek was ever alert and prepared for danger. A quick glance into her fierce eyes quickly proved to anyone that she was prepared to give her life for the safety of her Master.

"Clear," she reported simply, and Venerus stepped out of the elevator behind her, suppressing a smile. She made traveling /anywhere/ difficult for him, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had learned enough about the No'ek culture to understand that releasing her from his servitude before she had fulfilled the terms of her bonds would bring dishonor to her, and would likely prove fatal for them both.

Venerus took point, moving quickly down the hallway with long, even strides, Yemren close at his heels. The crew members he passed stopped what they were doing and saluted on his way by. Though they were not a military vessel, a large number of his crew were former soldiers and all respected his status both as the leader of the ship and as a soldier. They adhered to the custom though it wasn't enforced, nor did he find it necessary. It was simply his crews way of paying their respects.

Arriving at the bridge, he returned a salute the salute from the crew member standing guard duty outside the bridge entrance, then watched as the lad quickly swiped his ID across a pad located to the side of the door. As it hissed open, the guard stepped through the door and stood at attention. "Captain on deck!" he called out formally across the room, announcing his arrival to the rest of the crew gathered on the bridge. Conversations abruptly ceased as the rest in the large chamber stood and saluted his presence.

"At ease," Venerus said, striding into the room, Yemren following behind him. He climbed the few steps up to the elevated observation deck and took in a quick glance at all those gathered in the room. His eyes sought out the various monitors, checking the status of the ship. "Report," he commanded as he viewed the screens, noting that the ship more or less seemed prepared for travel. Venerus knew this vessel like the back of his hand, had lived and breathed in it for years with much of the crew that he had. He turned his gaze towards those gathered before him, standing once more with his arms clasped at the small of his back, the No'ek standing close to the observation deck. Though she preferred to remain near him at all times, Yemren knew that here before his assembled crew, the Captain was the only one to stand upon the upraised platform. And she wouldn't let anyone onto the observation deck unless he ordered them to.

 

[Beatrix]

Mela, Aquamarine

Mela stood at her father's -- no, captaian's -- orders, pulling up a datalog of notes for the past twelve hours. Although it consisted of information from the previous shifts, she carefully scanned each and every one of the reports to find any anomallies in the summaries. "Repairs are proceeding ahead of schedule and should be completed within the next two days at the current pace, barring complications. The condition of the rest of the ship is green, as well as the transport and defense vehicles that are stored within. Food supplies remains in the green but is projected to enter into yellow within the next week at the current rations distribution. Water and filtration condition is green and is expected maintenance in three hours. Finally, the core condition is orange and the shields are deteriorating and are both in need of serious maintenance. The core technician is expected to give a detailed report in an hour, sir."

Mela saluted the captain at the helm before resuming her seat at her terminal. At times she wished that she could have been assigned to a different shift, but all of her requests have been denied by her father personally. Day in and day out, she would see a string of female crew mates as well as random women from the various planets that they visit stream in and out of his room. Some were her age, some a little older, and some a few years younger. Then, then, there was the No'ek. What was her name, Yemra? She could care less, but she was confident that her father was banging her as well. Mela focused on her work, typing in various codes to help strengthen the firewalls of the ship. She was no A.I., but she could still get the job done, albeit a little slower.

Thinking of her father made her agitated and caused her to inject more fervor into her job. She was always agitated when it came to her shift so that she can get to more important and satisfying duties such as weapon's training or "swabbing the deck". The little things, but they make a big difference in her attitude for her off time. Her mind wonered to the core technician. They only had one, and he seemingly does not have any time to himself. While asleep, he must be on call and ready to assess the needs of the ancient device. They did have another, but he had to be spaced due to his increasing mental instability. Another would need to be found soon before the one in their indenture cracks, she fears.

 

[Genghismike]

Captain Venerus - the Pirate Vessel Incursus, gray

"Thank you, Mela," he replied after his daughter had given her report. She had performed admirably as the Information Systems Tech on board the ship, being quite capable of maintaining the computer systems and processing the information which was uploaded. It was quite a lot of information to handle, both with onboard information as well as information dealing with outside influences. While others coordinated efforts on uploading the varying information based upon their individual specialities, she was required to sift through the information, store it in the data logs, and report the current condition and state of affairs. From there, if need be, he could get a further, more detailed report from the specialists involved with their respective duties.

The prospect of the Core shielding malfunctioning disturbed him. As a former military vessel, it had been outfitted with one of the Ancient Cores that mankind had discovered as they began to branch out into the stars. The shielding contained the massive energy which the Core emitted, but also kept the crew from being psychologically influenced by it He didn't buy into all the nonsense about ancient spirits dwelling within the ancient technology. It seemed a little too farfetched for him to dwell on. He did, however, know all too well that long term exposure to the energy of the Core had a tendency to drive people to madness. He'd seen some fairly twisted reports about some of the crews which had suffered the madness when their Core shielding went down. They'd need to get that fixed as soon as they possibly could.

"Seems we're good to travel, then, and we've been here long enough for the patrols to call off their pursuit. Not like they'd want to follow us into the Fringe anyways. We're not that important." He paused, and glanced around at the crew. That was somewhat innaccurate, considering the fact that he knew the Homeworld Fleet would not only wish to capture him but also recover the ship which had once belonged to their fleet. But they weren't important enough to lose a patrol of ships in what could potentially be an ambush out in the Fringe. Now that the patrols knew of their general location, they'd no doubt step up their monitoring in this portion of space. They'd have to skirt through the Fringe and try to elude detection. Which, considering the state of their Core, would be hazardous. They needed the parts and the repairs as soon as possible. He turned his gaze to the Navigator. "Plot a course to the Vermiculus sector." It was the closest sector to their current position that he knew had a shipyard in an area which was loosely patrolled, largely in part due to the growing raider threats in other regions of space. "Approach through the Fringe and get a reading on activity in the region. Hopefully we'll manage to slip in and out before they realize we're there."

He was worried about the Core Engineer, though. The man had been acting erratic lately, and Venerus was certain the Core shielding being down would no doubt have dire consequences on the man. He didn't want to have to space another engineer, especially now that they were in dire need of personnel to keep the Core stable. He made a mental note to get the Engineer psychologically analyzed by medical staff as a precautionary measure. It was probably a good time to start looking for a replacement for the man, someone who could be counted on not to flip out on the crew. Venerus turned to leave, stepping down from the obvservation deck, his First Mate stood and stepped up to take his place. "Alert me of any updates. I'm going to make my rounds through the ship," he told the man, who saluted in response. Venerus nodded towards the man, then exited the bridge, Yemren following behind him.

"Vermiculus?" Yemren asked after they had passed the crew standing guard outside the bridge. Venerus nodded, though he already knew what was on the No'ek's mind. "Elisium?" she persisted afterwards. Venerus chuckled and nodded his head once more, his steel gray eyes scanning the passageways. He could hear the disapproval in the No'ek's inquiry, though she wouldn't outright question his decision. Last time they had been in the Vermiculus sector, that had been driven out by a very angry horde of local smugglers. It didn't help that they were putting a lot of them out of business.

 

[Beatrix]

Mela, turquoise

Mela was shocked at the order to head towards the Vermiculus sector, as there was active hostility towards them from those who traded illegal wares from stolen vessels that was just as dangerous as the organized Homeworld Fleet. Nonetheless, she had knew what her next assignment was: acquire as much current information of the sector along with forewarning those in the maintenance bay as to what workload they would likely be dealing with upon departure. Another issue that she would be dealing with is time for leave. She understood that her job was imperative, but she was the best and typically chosen to be left on the ship to make sure that everything was sorted.

The captain stepped down to make his patrol with his overprotective No'ek following closely behind. With the first mate was left in charge, she felt more at ease with doing her job. Although the first mate is more demanding yet not as suitable to lead the people as her father is, she was relaxed. She fell into the flow of the work before her at her terminal. Yet, for this one instance, she would love to leave the ship. In doing so, she might be able to find programs and equipment to be requested for the ship's purchase, and maybe a bottle or two of something to enable her to "get to know" the rest of the crew better. There was Isaac, a former military man who was pushed by his lineage and actually detests the military, who seems to be sweet on her, and she has invited him to her cabin once or twice... maybe three times, but it never went beyond casual sex. Not that she minded. Her father was a philanderer after all and has acquired more experience with other races. But the thought of something fun permeated her mind.

She caught her wandering thoughts and kept them in check, accessing the controls to further investigate the core. It was a toss up on whether or not it would hold out until they reached Elisium, and whether or not Jeremy'a mind would be intact. She worried about that man, as he was her first friend on this vessel. Over time, she has seen him waste away in a manner that she would not wish on anyone. In confidence, he has described some of the horrors he sees, the screams he hears. She often has to comfort him in the dead of "night" until the voices go away. But word has been spreading about his sanity, and she doubts that he would last much longer.