SC Ark Royal

Vail stood on the bridge of the SC Ark Royal, hands clasped behind her back. Her cube had been set on the control panel before her, displaying a hazy image of the ship's various wings. Ever since the incident on Oix'fa, she'd doubted Station Artemis would assign her a new crew. She should have lost her rank as Captain - or worse, her license. And yet, here she was, docked on the legendary station, spying on the newest members.

She didn't know much about them. She'd skimmed over the reports, but never once thought to try and read about them fully. Their credentials were enough for her.

The image flickered, changing to the pristine floor of the bay. Vail could make out the forms of a few members of her crew. Others, as she had seen earlier, had already begun exploring the ship.

With a sigh, she made her way to a hidden panel in the wall, where it held her stash of drinks. She gave it a gentle tap, causing it to swing open. She took a moment before selecting a large bottle of grossly blue liquid. Popping the cork off, she turned back to the holograph.

Give them a few minutes to get situated, she told herself. Then we'll begin.

First things first, after all.

Finding her quarters was the easy part, and since she only had a single duffel to pack away, stowing her belongings was simple and perfunctory. She would make it feel more like... Home, she supposed, later. If one could really think of a dying planet as home, anyway. Aimee adjusted her uniform, checked to make sure her rate pin was where it should be on her shoulder and took a deep breath before activating the panel that controlled her door and stepped into the halls.

First things first.

The red stripe across her chest marked her as a tactical officer; the insignia at her collar marked her as a bridge officer and the crossed swords on her shoulder revealed her to be, in fact, the tactical chief of the boat. It was her first real command, and she wasn't sure why she'd been handpicked for the position. Perhaps it would be best to find out sooner than later.

With that in mind, her steps took her mechanically towards where she knew the bridge to be. She'd memorized the blueprints in a week, after all - she'd felt she had to. It was her ship, after all. Even so, it was uncomfortably bright for her species - She'd eaten recently, at least, so it wasn't painful.

She avoided the others, giving nods where necessary and keeping to the sides of the corridors. The door slid open to the bridge before her and she paused at the threshold.

It surprised her to see the Captain on the bridge - not that it really should have, she assumed. She'd studied the holo sent to her cube, curious about the woman under whom she'd be serving. There was a short pause to collect herself before she spoke, her voice a natural smooth dulcet that hid much of her disquiet.
"Tactical Chief Aimee Beauchene reporting for duty, Captain. May I take my station, ma'am?"

After scoping out the lab space that had been assigned to them, Cchaaneh made for the dining hall. Being a varsit, they always had an appetite, and they were eager to see what selection of food the ship had available. And if they should happen to bump into one of the strange and fascinating aliens they would be working with from now on, well, all the better.

They quickly found a table large enough to accommodate their height and perched on one of the seats accompanying it, gripping it with their talons as opposed to sitting outright. Retrieving their cube from its holster, they began dictating a journal log on this new chapter in their life.

“Arrived at Station Artemis for my new assignment. Boarded the SC Ark Royal a bit early, perhaps, in my excitement to meet the rest of the crew. My workspace is adequate, if a bit small for me, but aliens are often smaller than people.” They paused, realizing their slip-up, and frowned. “No, no, no, correct that: most other people are smaller than varsit. I’m working with aliens now, I have to remember they’re not just research subjects. Still, I wonder what they’re like...how they tick. Perhaps I’ll put together some surveys.” Pausing, they licked their chops and looked around the hall. “Going to get some food now. Hope there’s time to eat before someone requires me. Let’s see what the standard carnivorous fare is on multi-species craft...” With that, they saved their log and holstered the cube again, and went to obtain something to eat.

Itsuki made a b-line for the engineering deck as soon as he got off of the shuttle that carried him onboard. This was his first role of authority and he wanted a good scope of his station and subordinates - also he wanted to fawn over the systems.

The Ark Royal was fairly well-equipped for an exploration vessel; those he had previously worked on were very sensor-heavy and made for long-distance reconnaissance - not very entertaining for an engineer with needs to fix things.

The yellow stripe along his chest and yellow gear on his shoulder clearly marked his position as Chief Engineer to his subordinates as he walked into the engineering deck. He coughed slightly and introduced himself, "At ease, I am Chief Engineer Kaminari. For the foreseeable future, I will be in command here. I will expect the best from all of you on this voyage; I want not only this ship to function but my staff also, like a well-oiled machine. With that out of the way, welcome to the crew. Dismissed."

Vail jumped, nearly dropping the bottle she was holding. She hastily stowed it back in the cabinet, hurrying to compose herself before she spun around to face the Tactical Chief.

"Ah. Yes. Welcome aboard, Beauchene. Pleased to have you with us," she said, a little rougher than she meant to. She winced internally. Her last crew never had the bond that most explorer teams dreamed of, and she'd made a point to try and win the new members over. And yet, here she was, still barking orders.

Might as well get them used to it, she thought.

"Go ahead, take your station. Might be best for you to get situated." Vail offered Aimee what she believed to be a slightly less cold smile.

Daysa hurried through the ship wondering where everything was. She soon found a corridor filled with doors which looked like they led to living spaces. Walking slowly down the hallway lugging her medium-sized but stuffed duffel bag behind her. She began to notice names beside each door and soon came to one which read “Daysa” in boxy white letters and underneath in smaller light gray letters it read “Medical Chief”. She smiled at the little sign and pulled open the door to a small boxy room with one bed and a metal wardrobe for string things. She dropped the duffel bag on the bed and shut the door before changing into her uniform. Soon she emerged from the room with her dark gray uniform with two white stripes across the chest signaling she was the medical chief. Daysa was glad she had been able to modify the back of the uniform enough so she could fold and unfold her wings without any extra hassle and she folded them in now so she could walk down the hallway without bumping anything. The uniform and her skin were about the same color and she got some curious stares as she explored the ship, eventually she found the mess area and walked in, her eyes drawn to the ceiling decorated with stars and planets, it looked real.

Aimee's lip curled up in a sloght smirk at having caught the Captain unawares, showing more fang than she probably intended. She snapped a brisk salute that may have been just a touch sarcastic as she headed to her station, logging in with her credentials and glancing over at Vail out of the corner of her eye.

"Shields down per docking regulations, ma'am. Structural integrity looks good." A grunt followed, as she must have scrolled through their meager armaments and found them wanting. "Ventral and dorsal cannon reporting green across the board."

Aimee leaned back comfortably against her chair, arms across her chest as she waited for the rest of the crew to complete their tasks and for the bridge crew to arrive.

"I apologize for the fright, Captain. Just while we're by ourselves, ma'am." Aimee's expression remained soft, and she was clearly not the type to show her feelings on her face anyway. Despite the unintended stoicism, her hazel eyes sparked with silent amusement both at the gruff reprimand and Vail's attempt to soften it with a smile.

Once he had settled into his new office, putting up his own furnishings from his home on Shinnihon, he got his cube out of its holster. He contacted the captain, vaguely remembering her contact info on the briefing before he arrived.

He had heard rumours about Captain Iotta and her former crew before joining the crew of the Ark Royal, though he didn't let it dissuade him from the position; having his own station was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Once the captain appeared as a hologram he spoke, "Captain, this is Chief Engineer Itsuki Kaminari. My team has run diagnostics on all essential systems and the Ark Royal is prepared to embark whenever you're ready."

Siria was simply walking about, a couple of robot-looking figures following in suite. Every step she took, her chest pieces hanging skirt-like addition flowed along with her legs. Every step she took, both of her robot partners walked along with her- attempting to simulate her every move while keeping their own pace. It was hard keeping them in line- especially since they gained sudden sentience only a few years ago.

The outrageously large one following her had a small rumble underneath his feet with every step he exercised. It wasn't a huge one, just heavy steps that sounded and felt like stomps. Whereas the petite and more feminine one took strides with her feet barely touching the floor before she took another step. She sighed. Since they gained their sentience, she didn't have to control one on their own most of the time unless it was combat in which one of them was in.

The burly one that seemed to emanate a very strong feeling of power and strength seemed to growl like a lion every time an innocent bystander got a tad to close for comfort- which was at least a two maybe three-foot radius away from him.

"Rhino... calm down." She said whilst giggling. "They aren't infested- they're fine." That one, named Rhino, calmed down a small amount after she reminded him they were not the infested. "And we're not even in the same system as them anymore either. I'm sure that they would've found the source and killed it by now as well."

The one on her right, the light-stepping one, was named Zephyr. They were relatively calm, save for when she got to close to Rhino. Siria had begun to quicken her pace when they were in the entrance of the ship, and she simply became awestruck.

"It's a huge orbiter!" She shouted, and both Rhino and Zephyr celebrated along with her- Zephyr whistling and Rhino almost roaring- disturbing most of the crew.

Vail nodded, once again falling into her generally curt disposition just as her cube flickered to life, relaying a message. Again, she jumped - after three years, this was practically new to her.

"Very good, Kaminari. Welcome aboard," she replied, nodding to the hologram. "We will set out as soon as the rest of the crew arrives." She paused. "...Thank you."

She waved her hand, and the holo cut off. She turned back to the bridge, staring out at the stars beyond. The galaxy had always fascinated her, and it never failed to take Vail's breath away. It was like the old entertainment programs she'd been told were once popular on Earth. Just...bigger. And better.

"Have you been on an SC model before, Beauchene?" Vail said abruptly. "Beautiful thing, she is. Strong. Durable. Held her own in a lot of scrapes." Something of a grin appeared on her face. "There's nothing quite like it, adventuring with her."

Aimee shook her head to hide her renewed amusement at Vail's nerves and check her console as they waited... Might as well go through the motions while she had the chance. She waited until the communication terminated before she replied, and if she was surprised at the question, it didn't show.

"No, ma'am. My last post was command of a station-based training squadron. There wasn't much to it, and the Ark Royal's no fighter."

Aimee looked at the viewport following Vail's gaze. Her mouth softened and some deep seated emotion crossed behind her eyes before she opened her mouth to continue, retrieving a darkened visor that rested neatly across her eyes at the same time. The constant barrage of bright had finally given her a headache.

"Console showing disembarkation is ready on your mark, Captain. Shield batteries have finished preliminary startup procedures and are primed to deploy. Tugs are on standby."

Her job was, for now, complete, unless something crazy happened. She took the time to study Vail curiously, having heard the rumors. If half were true, this voyage was probably going to be... Hectic. That seemed like a good word for it.

Within minutes, Cchaaneh finished their quick meal—more of a snack really—and made their way back to their lab space. They had already retrieved their uniform from the crew quarters: a very-long-sleeved garment and leg coverings that were darker grey than their scales with a green stripe (the wrong green, to their sensitive eyes) across the chest, an outfit which was uncomfortably restrictive compared to the loose, spare clothing Cchaaneh was used to, but at least it kept them warm.

Once there, they placed their cube on their desk and set to organizing their files. The rest of the lab was empty so far, though. Where was the chief science officer, they wondered? Ah, well. Better check in anyway. They opened a channel to the bridge. “This is Science Officer Cchaaneh reporting for duty, sirs. The Science Chief has yet to make an appearance.” They gave a small smirk to themselves, glad they’re not the only one with punctuality problems.

Lietenant James Farrell stood just far enough away from the door to the bridge so that it would not automatically open. He held his tablet, reviewing the last few notes he had made to share with the crew after reviewing the preliminary data from his cube.

Why do in-person introductions have to even exist? he thought. These reports could all be uploaded from my lab. Why do I have to report to the bridge every day? Makes no sense! A bit of social anxiety was kicking in, that was all. He knew he'd eventually be fine.

He pushed his glasses back up on his nose. A strange thing, everyone said. To wear glasses in this day and age. They weren't for a vision problem, those were all long cured by science. It was an internal screen, like a portable tablet, yet without the same capabilities. Why not just get a cybernetic implant, people would say. But he liked the fact that the data wasn't in his head, literally, but ON his head. He liked that he could take the glasses off. It was a mental thing.

I have to go through that door and talk to these people, James thought. I might as well just do it.

He took a deep breath, straightened a lock of his short, brown hair, stood up straight and strode out onto the bridge.

He looked around in awe, impressed. It was spacious. With impressive, stylish tech. He nodded to each individual at their station, and gave each one a polite smile. Farrell's eyes lingered for a long moment on the creature who he recognized from the crew manifest was Aimee Beauchene. Then he snapped his eyes forward towards the Captain, not wanting to come off as rude.

The Captain was even more attractive in person than in the crew manifest, a thing James would not have thought possible! He let out an uneasy breath. Beautiful women could be intimidating. But no matter. He was here to do a job. And he would do it. Seeing she was from Earth, he decided to initiate an ancient custom...one that was still used from time to time, and which was a sign of respect and trust.

James reached his hand straight out toward Captian Vail and smiled confidently.

"Lietenant James Farrell, Head Astrophysicist, reporting for duty, Captain. It's a pleasure to meet you, and an honor to serve aboard your ship," he said.

Daysa grabbed a quick snack in the crew mess and ate on the go as she continued exploring the ship. Not quite sure where her work-space was she eventually found herself by the bridge and somewhat nearby she found her Medical office and also the sick wing. She examined the tools which had been provided and was satisfied.

Vail nodded resolutely in Aimee's direction before turning to James. She glanced at his outstretched hand uncertainly, a faint frown upon her face, but took it all the same. She gave it a brief shake.

"Welcome, Lieutenant," Vail replied, stepping back. "I trust you've gotten everything situated?"

Again, she tried to smile, but it slithered off her face quickly. She swore under her breath.

Just give it time, Iotta. You'll warm to them all soon.

Lietenant Farrell noticed the Captain's frown before she shook his hand, and the way she stepped back afterwards.

The handshake thing was a mistake. Too familiar, he thought to himself. He noted the fact for future reference.

"Yes, Captain. We've run diagnostics on all the scanners and they are all actively gathering data about nearby phenomena as we speak."

James looked down at the tablet he had brought, and his glasses slid too far down the bridge of his nose.

"Oh! Um..." he said awkwardly, "these stupid glasses." He slid them up to his head and stared at tablet. Then looked back up at the Captain.

"The scanners have picked up some very interesting data, and post-merge, who knows what some of it means. I have a briefing for you about it when we get the time, but it's the kind of thing that shouldn't take time away from any primary mission. There are a list of strange discrepancies in the data---things that I can't explain-- that we in the Astrophysics lab wouldn't mind getting a closer look out. Nothing pressing, mind you. Just items of mystery and curiosity. Most can be studied from a distance, en route to our next destination.

My lab is near Daysa's medical office, not far from the bridge. If anyone has any questions for me, or justs wants to pay us a visit, I'll be in there," Farrell looked from the Captain around at everyone else, then prepared to make his escape back to the safety of the lab to analyze the latest scans and perhaps check out the Medical Office.

Aimee chuckled softly at her station and a slight shake of her head at the situation the poor lieutenant had put himself into - the small smirk raised her upper lip above the fang at the left edge of her mouth as she acknowledged the silent nod from the Captain.

She looked toward the viewscreen, taking in the view of their docking bay before returning to Farrell and Vail.

She took a mild interest in what Farrell had to say, but hadn't helped noticing he'd given her a once-over as she stood in the background. There had been a moment of tension in her body as he'd reached for the Captain, her attention on high alert. This crew was still untested and new, and once she realized that it was just a terribly awkward handshake (which was a weird custom anyway, in her mind), it passed.

When she saw he was going to leave without saying hello after giving her a look Aimee could only assume was suspicion, she challenged it by following him with an inquisitive tilt of her head. She couldn't rightly meet his gaze with her eyewear on, which was regrettable, but not everything in life could be controlled.

As James prepared to make his escape back to the world of data, he sighed. He realized he was being rude. He refused to let his introvertion turn him rude.

He turned and looked at Aimee, who he had stared at earlier. Boldly, he strode over to stand in front of her. He did not know much of her people or customs on greeting others.

"H-Hello there, I'm Lieutenant James Farrell, nice to meet you and have you aboard"

Daysa walked back into her little office and examined the cube she had been given upon coming aboard the ship. Being from a the moon ou would expect they had most of the new technologies but her tribe had been a technology free zone and she had never seen a ship so large or even the tiny cube now held in her hands. Her cube was the standard black color and as she explored it a hologram unexpectedly popped up. It was the captain and she was speaking to someone Daysa could not see. Surprised Daysa dropped the cube and then hurriedly picked it up and tried to turn the holo off. Her hands shook as she searched the cube and it slipped from her fingers again. This time when it fell the hologram switched off and Daysa let out a sigh of relief then picked the cube up again and put it back in its holster, her hands still shaking a little.

After Lieutenant Farrell met and spoke with Aimee, he walked back out into the cooridor toward the astophysics lab. On the way, he passed by the Medical Office and glanced through the open door.

He spotted the medical officer, who he recognized from the crew manifest as Daysa, with her pure white furr tinged with gray streaks. Her wings were beautiful, but were drooped. She was staring at the black cube on its holster and trembling.

Reluctantly James walked into the medical office, approaching Daysa from the side instead of behind, so as not to frighten her further.

"Hey," James said, softly. "You're Daysa, right? I'm Lieutenant James Farrell, and my lab is next door. Are you....I mean...are you...alright? Is there something wrong with your cube? I could look at it for you."