Previous thread here: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5995153/All threads: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=sci-fi%2C+VoidQMIn the last thread we re-adjusted ourselves to human life, met an interesting father-son duo, and prepared to breach the Melasthemae Curtain.Ship: Heavy cruiser LDS Vanilla Skyline, Courageous-classCaptain: Commander Sylvia Thorton (yourself)Crew: mostly undisciplined, enthusiasticEngine: 95% efficiencyRailgun Turret A-1: 92% efficiencyAll other systems operating at 100% efficiency.Current Position: Molosses, Melasthemae Curtain.Ship: Patrol destroyer LDS Chocolate Rain, Jaguar-classCaptain: Lieutenant Commander Maxine Hopkins (Directorate Navy)Heavily damaged in Stiefenholm battle, currently under repairs (ETA 36 days)Current position: O'Kukui Fort (on lease to Directorate Navy, 11 months left)TraitsGenetically pure: +5 bonus to charisma in dangerFormer freelance journalist: +2 bonus to charisma, bonus to Political EconomyHys ‘hospitality’: -1 bonus to physical, basic command of Mir languagePersonal abilitiesFormat: current status, growth rate (bonus to rolls)Logistics: Basic, capable (+0)Human Resources: Average, capable (+3)Political Economy: Basic, gifted (+0)Combat Tactics: Greenhorn, average (+2)
>>6033436Financial ReportFabfeed/Scraps: 158 unitsBalance: 248,100 Directorate creditsRecent transactions:Annual hedge fund ROI: 11,500 creditsLaying-low funds for Salzar's parents: -1,400 creditsSilas' modernisation plans for the Vanilla skyline: -272,000 credits (12,000 credits over budget) Bounty collected, 2 Ter-clan military light cruisers: 20,000 credits Current tasksDirectorate Navy Bounty on all Qyngur vessels (50% for civilian, 80% for militarised auxiliary):>1,000 for all sub-frigates>2,000 for frigates>5,000 for destroyers>10,000 for light cruisers>20,000 for heavy cruisers>100,000 for capital ships (triple for clan flagships) (don't even think about it)Yamir-Hysret>Sabotage intersystem communications infrastructure (Easy, 50 scraps. Automatically complete as you move through the sector.)>Scout the military build up around Melasthemae. (Easy, 50 scraps. May be useful for base bounty later.)>Destroy a convoy carrying military goods. (Medium, 75 scraps + 25 scraps for each destroyed freighter.)War ReportCurrent Liteian Navy readiness status: redDomestic news:Stiefenholm orbit secured! Calls for planetside surrender rejected.>2 battleships from First Fleet in position, ready to repel Qyngur counterattacks.>Hawaian MP facing backlash after comparing Mir incarceration to the Reservation.>Exclusive interview with foreign volunteer captain picketing Tama-5.International news:>Arrest warrants for Tasseled Coup leaders from Special Court for New Taiwan.>Unprecedented free trade agreement signed between Bolivarian Alliance and Tandong Republic.>Assasination spree against Macpherson Family continues, now 5 dead. Saak patriarch denies involvement.
>>6033437“Are you certain about this, Commander Thornton? Over.” Damnit, he's the leader here, don't go undermine your confidence like that. “Affirmative. Sure beats sitting here waiting for their sidewinder to break our backs. Over.” Ienaga comes in before you even have a chance to ask him, “I regret to say this, but the Yushi and Shishi cannot join your charge. We will still provide all the fire support we can. Over.” Disappointing, but understandable.You can't hear Silas, but he must be cursing his throat out at Achebe right now. Torpedoes are normally too slow to get caught on electron shields (by design, of course), but by flying full throttle towards them, the relative velocity may be high enough, barely. Naturally, Achebe will not be blubbering any mays and barelys once your first officer is through with him.“I will rendezvous with you in ETA 10 minutes ." Jean-Pierre does not sigh, but his tone alone is disheartening enough. “The Directorate endures. Over and out.” Suddenly, the comms console lights up. A tightbeam message, ”This is Hara, of the Shishi. We will follow your lead, Vanilla Skyline. Over." The nimble light cruiser quickly takes its new station. An angry voicemail should hit your inbox any moment now.“The Shishi has disobeyed my orders to follow better commands. Please take care of her. Over.” He sounds almost happy. So it's not just you who are insane. “Don't worry, Ienaga. Over.” On the holoprojector, the twin dots representing Liu and her accomplice have started to turn back. Too late, this is your show now.Moynihan tries to encourage you with a forced smile, which alone beats out the dozen questioning stares from everyone else in the CIC. “I can talk a lot, but it will roll off your illiterate hog ears anyways." A few chuckles, good. "So let me make this quick. 6 destroyers and a light cruiser are burning bright for us, with death riding shotgun. If we run, it will not be a long chase before he catches up to us. You might ask me then, I haven't screwed my highschool sweetheart yet, what should I do?" Salzar steals a peek at his wallet. A particularly brazen cadet hoots out to you, “Pay ‘er by the ’our.” You silently thank him for the roaring wave of laughter he causes. It's pure bad manner to die with a stiff upper lip. “Yes, you do you, Midshipman Fock.” Yet another wave of laughter at the cadet's unfortunate name."Before all that, we must call death's bluff. And to paraphrase a holier man than I, the only way to keep our pulse is to bet it. You lot are the shittiest, most mutinous crew I have ever seen. You are also the only people I would trust to bring us out of here still breathing. So keep to your station, watch out for your fellows, and you will see your girl, or boy, in the flesh again before this year is out." You retire to your chair amidst cheers and whistles.
>>6033440The three ships lined up in a triangle shape with the Armitage as the vanguard. It's strange that the most reluctant captain should take the lead, but you've seen stranger things in the short time you are out here on the rim. “Enemy 800,000 klicks out. I will accelerate to 600 klicks per sec. Keep close. Over.” Right in front of you, every drone from Okwonko's kicked beehive is already speeding along, oblivious to their own death as long as they can edge in a sting.“Target speed reached. Redirecting thrust to directional exhaust. Don't put me in plaster again, Sylvie.” Tim sneaks in a stretch before the ship reaches the half-million waypoint. You would imagine crossing a threshold, a point of no return, but the truth is, the line is all the way back in Tan Hoi. “Think of this like a last sprint of sorts. The cup's in sight,” Tim's face is graven. “If we trip and fall here...” “We won't. So stop blabbering.” The floor groans and crackles a little at the main gun's compressive recoil.1 light-second, the true tidemark. A poorly-trained destroyer captain would dump his entire load right now and starts running. “Heat signatures from Hummingbird-1 and 2, 8 of them, no, 10 in all.” Vuylsteke calls out in her scratchy voice, “All laser and railgun PD engaged. Flares ready.” None of the torpedoes even makes it close, the latency on command line-of-sight system still too high at this range despite what the manuals say.Your battle-screen outshines the clear night sky as the drones launched their dumbfire rockets and bombs. Okwonko is too much of a cheapskate to arm them with proper guided missiles, if he even has any. “Hummingbird-2 hit, falling out of formation.” The destroyer was still reeling from the gaping hole amidships when your lasers finish the job. “Well done on the skewering, Skyline. See you on the other side. Over and out.”“Armitage speeding up, 750 klicks.” You grind your teeth in impotence. “What kind of show is this, Jean-Pierre? No time for heroics. Over.” There is no response, 800 klicks, all comm channels have gone dead. “Sparrow-2, 3, and 4 releasing their fish, 42 in all. My God.” Half of the welcoming party were aimed at the Armitage. You close your eyes, already teary-rimmed. One thought alone dominates your mind, “At least there are no Marlins.”
>>6033441“The madman, how is he still alive after that?” His voice rings clear again over the tightbeam, “Took a near-hit. Superficial damage only. Over.” The enemy was nowhere near as lucky: Sparrow-3 has snapped in half from one of Jean-Pierre's torpedoes while Sparrow-4 is getting a pounding from the railguns. Your and the Shishi's combined PD net has taken out a handful of fish, but there is no time for more. Moynihan breaks up his call-outs with a scream, “Brace for impact.”You land face-down on the cool metal floor. Every light briefly went dark before returning to their usual selves. The last voice you want to hear blares over the PA, “Oblique hit. Deck 5-10 to 5-14 spaced. Lost 2 secondary lasers.” Goldsmith finishes his report, “Explosion contained by bulkheads. Sending team to assess the situation. Over and out.” You make a reminder to have Silas go easy on Achebe after this. The Sparrow captain has intentionally set his torpedoes to low speed.With the getting hit part of the way, now it's time for you to return the favour. This close, no need to bother with walking in the shells or leading the target. Elysium can just boresight all the way through. First target, the only destroyer which has not launch its payload. “Albatross-1 down, no torpedoes detected.” With help from the Shishi, Armitage also quickly finishes off Sparrow-4. Quivers now empty, the last 2 destroyers have no choice but to retreat as fast as they can."Let them run. Regroup on me. O-" Okwonko interrupts him, “Get back here. Fight's not over yet.” The 70,000 tons of death known as Snapdragon-2 is bearing down on him, only backing down whenever the Yushi makes a mock torpedo run. “Heavy resistance. Requesting immediate assistance. Over.” Liu ignores Ienaga to go after the crippled Snapdragon-1 instead.You will never make it in time to save Okwonko, unless Ienaga risks a real torpedo attack. But doing so will leave the Yushi open to reprisal. He is unlikely to respond to Jean-Pierre's orders, but maybe you can sway him...>"Ienaga, the Occupation fails because it divides itself. We must not repeat their mistakes.">"Ienaga, remembers the spoils from last time? You can have all of it, and more.">"Ienaga, you are a samurai, right? Look within yourself, and fight for what is right.">"Ienaga, do what you must. I never expect everyone to make it out alive anyway.">Write-in
Rules for the thread:>Writeins are encouraged, even if it doesn't win I might work it into the final decision.>Votes should be in greentext and linked to my post, otherwise I might miss it. Also I appreciate including your reasoning for choosing your option, just a sentence or two will do.>When changing your votes, link both your original post and my own to help me keep track of thingsI will post updates every other day around 23:00 JST (should be 10:00 EST), if I don't post it at that time for whatever reason I will get the post in around 12:00 JST the next day instead.
>>6033436Why do the ships have eyes? >>6033443>"Ienaga, you are a samurai, right? Look within yourself, and fight for what is right."
>>6033443>"Ienaga, the Occupation fails because it divides itself. We must not repeat their mistakes."
>>6033479I didn't mean for them to look like ships, but sadly my artistic skills just aren't there. I just figure some blokes would paint shark eyes on torpedo tips to add that extra morale damage.As for ships, you will find shark's nose surprisingly popular as a prow decoration, especially for those captains seeking to signal their cultural identity.
>>6034343Don't worry QM, I like it
>>6033443>"Ienaga, you are a samurai, right? Look within yourself, and fight for what is right."Time to embrace our inner chuuni
There is currently a draw between>Appeal to honour>Appeal to historySince I'm going to be quite busy tomorrow the update will probably come in later evening.
>>6033443>"Ienaga, you are a samurai, right? Look within yourself, and fight for what is right."
Sorry for the late update, work finished later than I expected.>>6033479>>6035205>>6035433>Appeal to honour>>6033735>>6034703>Appeal to history
>>6036020Words on a screen alone won't do. You have to do this face-to-face. “How do I look?” Tim hastily wipes the camera lens with his handkerchief. “Splendid as always, Commander. If only some idiot has not swiped his filthy paws across this thing while bracing earlier.”“High-bandwidth comms array aligned. At this distance, there will be a 3-second light lag. Proceed?” Before you can nod, Moynihan looks up from the screen with raised eyebrows, “Ma'am, incoming video transmission from the Shishi, seems urgent. Should we...” Tim snaps at him, “Put it on speaker, he better makes this quick.” You are greeted by a scene straight out of a crime movie. “C-Captain Thornton, I'm afraid the Shishi won't be of, of, any further use. This battle.” A fit of coughing bends low the proud commander. “GO help someone else, I'm fine.” He spats out some blood before standing up again, as tall as he still can, “Two, three, maybe four torpedo hits, still assessing the damage. Autoloaders blasted to all hell, Sparrow-4 was the last missile barrage you will see from us. Engine seems to be in good shape, however...”You interrupt Hara's train of thought before it can wreck itself, “Commander Hara, radio the Armitage and get permission to retire. You have done more than enough. Over and out.” You cut off the transmission link before he can protest. “Moynihan, get Ienaga on screen right now. If he figures out how fucked his sister ship is, Okwonko is as good as dead.”Ienaga looks at you incredulously, as if beholding someone who should have stayed dead. “Captain Thornton, that was the ballsiest move I have ever seen a big-bird commander makes. And you even live to make it again in the future. Over." You try to relax your tense muscle as much as you can, “What is ballsy for me is routine for you tin-can folks. I won't lie, we need you right now. You have to buy Okwonko time until we return. Over.”“And why should I do that, Captain? Remember, he sold you out to the stragglers over there. Over.” He points out the two dots on his tactical screen speeding to intercept the wounded Snapdragon. “He sacrificed his own fighter and bombers to cover for us. There, is someone worth saving. Look within yourself, and fight for what is right. Over.”His palm squeezes around the longer sword's hilt, “Samurais are dead for nearly a thousand years now, their ashes now blowing across an equally dead world.” You lean in close to the webcam. “No, nothing is dead as long as it is not forgotten. I haven't forgotten you. You haven't forgotten yourself. That makes two of us.” Ienaga voice suddenly sounds so distant, as if you two are divided by a bitter wall of years, “What do I remember, but a bastardised, banal version of the real thing? Better to stay dead."
>>6036025After a brief silence, he lets go of the sword, "Fine then, I'll do this. But only because I don't want to be outdone by my second-in-command. Won't look good on me to walk out here without so much as a paint scratch while his interior gets a complete makeover.” So he has known about the Shishi's condition all along. “I will dry hump them as many time as I can until you can come to deliver the load. Over and out.” You both share a wry smile before the comm link closes.True to his words, the Yushi swings a half-arc behind the Invincible to face the pursuers. The ruse does not need to last long: Albatross-2, the last remaining escort destroyer, would rather gingerly hide behind its mothership than face the same fate as its brethren. Combined with your barrage steadily zeroing in, both ships quickly call off the chase and start retreating towards the station's safety. The Razorback and Scarface still show no sign of relenting their chase of Snapdragon-1.With the enemy retreating in disarray, now's your chance to deliver the finishing blow. However, the more time you spend here, the harder you would have to fight to get past Hyros. Unless... “Captain, coded message from the Hys: Acheron alert delayed, now or never.”>Chase down both Snapdragons. Your side is still in good shape, and they are your original objective after all.>Take out only Snapdragon-2, let the other one retreat. The extensive damage would prevent it from fighting for a long time anyhow.>Start scavenging and making spot repairs. Even with the occasional barrage from Heart's Perch, this is as safe as it gets.>Call for a retreat. Even with Yamir's intervention, you are unlikely to push past Hyros fast enough with the Invincible in tow.>Rally everyone and head straight for the exit. Now would be a good time to split off damaged ships. (Choose ships to send back)>Write-in
>>6036028>>Chase down both Snapdragons. Your side is still in good shape, and they are your original objective after all.
>>6036028>Chase down both Snapdragons. Your side is still in good shape, and they are your original objective after all.
Shit I just realised that I have completely forgotten to post an update yesterday... I'll post an update this eveningConsider your choice carefully, as the map shows once we jumped into Melia there will be no retreat. The standing force at Acheron is also significantly better equipped and trained than this small blocking force.
>>6036028>Take out only Snapdragon-2, let the other one retreat. The extensive damage would prevent it from fighting for a long time anyhow.
>>6036900>>6037032>>6038242>Finish the job>>6038802>Prioritise the largest threat.
>>6038802“We can't let them disengage like that, Commander Jean-Pierre. Think about it, every ship we don't knock out now is another ship the Ter can spare for the Kaskandir front.” Around you, the room continue to roll back and forth under roaring guns. “Besides, Liu won't retreat until she has her share of blood anyway. Over.”“Too aggressive, Commander Thornton. Too aggressive. Liu can go dig herself out of the pit if she won't listen to me. O-” That silky-smooth voice cuts in, “-nwards! This is the real de Tassigny here. We'll show these bugs the cost of opposing us glorious humans, just like the holovids, eh? Over.” Maybe Fleet Intelligence does include slight insanity in their hiring requirements.Snapdragon-2, realising it cannot run, banks hard right on a parallel course with your ship. Its sixteen coilguns can dish out a heavier weight of fire than your twelve railguns, but superior Terran engineering tips the scale of shot momentum in your favour. “Zeroing in... We've got a hit! First rapid fire salvo, too!" Not to mention better fire control units. “Uh, sorry Commander if I was too loud.” You can't, his cowering is just too funny. “It's fine, Elysium. But only barely so.” Snapdragon-2 does not even bother to evade, determined to return the favour first. Silas snaps on comms, tone slightly stressed. “Shield integrity at 60%. We can only take a couple more hits like that.” A classic gun duel, if only your side does not have the advantage in tin-cans. “Torpedoes away. Yushi, disengage with me. Over.” Only a handful of fish, they must be saving for what lies ahead.Escape pods start ejecting from the doomed cruiser long before the torpedoes even activate their impulse boosters for the final approach. Albatross-2 scoops up only a few as a formality before running headlong for Heart's Perch, chased by 12-inch slugs. In the distance, Razorback pulls out from another fake run on Snapdragon-1. A now-familiar voice jeered, Midshipman Fock's, “Must have forgotten to strap-on today, hah.” Tim whispers something into his ear, something along the line of keep your trap shut. Indeed, Liu today, the Director tomorrow, by the end of the week he would be facing a wall. The kid turns deathly pale and stays silent for the rest of battle.The Yushi and the Armitage make chase while your Skyline stands by for long-range fire support. You would take a more active role in the engagement were it not for your depleted magazine. Taking advantage of the brief lull, Goldsmith works to reinforce the bulkheads keeping the rest of Section 5 from baking in stellar radiation while repair drones seal in the gash in your armor from the outside. 20 minutes later, the verdict comes in, “Sorry, capt'. Gonna have to buy new lasers once we dock.” Tim clicks his tongue in disdain.
>>6038923By this time, Elysium is already heating up the barrels again for the next round of herding. Determined to make up for Albatross-2's lacklustre performance, Stork-1 has been a constant thorn in your light forces' side, dashing in and out of their attack vectors and using its numerous laser mounts to intercept incoming ordinance. “Pull out, we'll go in again from delta angle. Over.”As the Saigonnese love to say, much to Shanghaian chagrin, “One lone swallow cannot make spring.” Likewise, one Stork cannot keep up the bluff. Soon, the Armitage's gunnery radar detects a pattern in the bird's insufficiently random manoeuvres and gets a lock-on. The next salvo pops the destroyer like a soap bubble. Without its escort, Snapdragon-1 swiftly meets the same fate as Snapdragon-2.The field is yours. However, time is running increasingly short. Indeed, the window to pass through Hyros unopposed may be entirely closed already. Even so, there's a chance that the Acheron commander has been intimidated enough by your victory to keep clear of your path. You roll 2d100 three times to soothe any premonitions.You have a few options in the immediate aftermath of the battle. The more you choose, the tougher the next fight. This will be checked against the first dice.>Salvage destroyed ships. At least turn a profit from the encounter. (DC 50, +10 to next roll)>Finish repairs on your ship. Another hit into that spot will be devastating. (DC 40, +15 to next roll) >Recover Hummingbird-2. Moynihan has detected enough energy signatures to be confident that many systems are still running (DC 80, +20 to next roll)>Call in Thanaret. His fast cruiser should have no trouble catching up to your force later. (DC 60, +10 DC to next roll)>Regroup immediately. Going backwards or forwards, there's no time to waste (-10 DC to next roll)One final decision. This will be checked against the second dice>Push ahead. Turning back now is no different from admitting defeat (base DC 70)>Retreat. There is no shame in walking away from an unwinnable fight (base DC 20)
Rolled 76, 60 = 136 (2d100)>>6038926>Salvage destroyed ships. At least turn a profit from the encounter. (DC 50, +10 to next roll)>Finish repairs on your ship. Another hit into that spot will be devastating. (DC 40, +15 to next roll)>Regroup immediately. Going backwards or forwards, there's no time to waste (-10 DC to next roll)>Push ahead. Turning back now is no different from admitting defeat (base DC 70)
Rolled 80, 79 = 159 (2d100)>>6038926>Salvage destroyed ships. At least turn a profit from the encounter. (DC 50, +10 to next roll)>Push ahead. Turning back now is no different from admitting defeat (base DC 70)
Just a quick clarification.>Regroup immediately. Going backwards or forwards, there's no time to waste (-10 DC to next roll)can't be combined with any other options since you will be exiting the system post-haste.
Rolled 52, 4 = 56 (2d100)>>6038926>Salvage destroyed ships. At least turn a profit from the encounter. (DC 50, +10 to next roll)>Recover Hummingbird-2. Moynihan has detected enough energy signatures to be confident that many systems are still running (DC 80, +20 to next roll)>Retreat. There is no shame in walking away from an unwinnable fight (base DC 20)
>>6038926>Finish repairs on your ship. Another hit into that spot will be devastating. (DC 40, +15 to next roll)>Push ahead. Turning back now is no different from admitting defeat (base DC 70)
>>6039800OK, drop that from my vote. Pls thx
Alright we are having a tie every which way so I will wait until morning tomorrow to see if there's any 'breaker>>6040099I assume you are >>6039015, correct? Noted in any case
>>6038926>Salvage destroyed ships. At least turn a profit from the encounter. (DC 50, +10 to next roll)>Push ahead. Turning back now is no different from admitting defeat (base DC 70)
>>6038926>Salvage destroyed ships. At least turn a profit from the encounter. (DC 50, +10 to next roll)>Finish repairs on your ship. Another hit into that spot will be devastating. (DC 40, +15 to next roll) >Push ahead. Turning back now is no different from admitting defeat (base DC 70)Just finished catching up on archives. This quest is all sorts of weird cool
Since we still have a tie, I will resolve this by picking every options which receive supports from more than half the posters (3/6)>>6039015>>6039774>>6039831>>6040824>>6041305>Salvage destroyed ships>>6039015>>6040099>>6041305>Finish repairs>>6039831>Recover Hummingbird-2>>6039015>>6039774>>6040099>>6040824>>6041305>Push ahead>>6039831>RetreatJust realised I fucked up by not making it clear every option except for regroup are INCREASING your DC, probably why nobody chooses to call in Thanaret. Well, thankfully you guys roll well enough that perhaps, maybe, a death-trap is not waiting for us in Hyros anyway.Rolls:Salvage: 80 vs. DC 50 - Major successRepairs: 76 vs. DC 40 - Major successPush ahead: 79 vs. DC 70 + 10 + 15 - 5 (Jean-Pierre's bonus) = 90 - ???>>6041305Thanks a lot for the comment! Mind telling me more about the parts you think are cool? I'm always happy to get feedback.
>>6041342“New armor spot-welded onto Deck 5-12 breach. Should hold up to rough inspection. Materials salvage still-ongoing, 10 min left.” It's a bit odd for Goldsmith to type out messages like this. Then again, you are technically off-duty right now, a short break to cram as much food into your stomach as possible before taking the first watch. You envy Silas' and Tim's more deliberate approach; unlike you, they can afford all the time to play around with their brunch.Silas' spoon falls back into the bowl and immediately starts sinking into the beef congee. “That bitch! She did jack shit and how much scrap is she claiming?” He raises his voice to a mocking pitch, “The entirety of Dandelion-1, half of Snapdragon-1, at least 40% of Sparrow-2's destroyer task group. You weren't even in the same zip code, for fuck's sake.”Tim stops blowing on the steaming hot congee for a second, “Don't read while eating, O'Keefe. Besides, who cares? De Tassigny already hands over most of his share to her. As a naval officer, he doesn't get to take any spoils on top of his monthly paycheck anyway.” Silas' ire is now redirected to the man sitting across from him, “And tell me, Johnson, am I a proper naval officer to you? Or does your boy's club only admit the realest officer with sparkly ribbons and shiny medals.”Your second officer picks up his whole tray. “I will not argue with you while the Commander's watching. But know this, Lieutenant Commander O'Keefe, by the letter of the Naval Code, I am four years your senior. Yet in many cases, seniority rightfully starts long before the letter of marque. I hope you will one day extend to me the same consideration.” He leaves without another word. Silas also puts away his tablet before taking off, leaving you without a conversation partner. You wonder whether he is simply too proud to admit he has made a mistake hiring Tim. “A better question, my little mouse, is what you should do when those two finally draw swords on one another.” Damnit, shouldn't have jinxed it like that.“How did you get on my ship again, the real Commander Jean-Pierre de Tas-si-nie?” Like a haughty cat pretending to paw away the hand giving it a good neck scratch, the man raises his ears in protest, “I cannot reveal the secrets of my trade just like that. Where will society go?” You parry the pathetic attempt and go in for the full cuddle, “You care for society?”
>>6041391Whether the U-shaped line of his mouth actually represents a laugh, you dare not assume. “Good grief, kids these days. And to think you once spoke so eloquently of your own patriotic desire to, quote, apprehend subversive elements.” You never expected Jean-Pierre to leave you out of his report for the Hermes incident, but this man must have dug deep indeed for that one remark... Gnat, you have let your guard down, allowing the cat to learn your true feelings of him just like so. “Having second thoughts? Don't worry, not many can live up to their ideals. I'm more interested in your successes anyway.”He settles down into Tim's old seat, right across from you. “Your break just got extended, Commander Thornton. I'm sure your subordinates will understand that the Director's need far outweighs this rustbucket's punch cards.” You smile as he snatches your cup of coffee and examines it for lipstick marks.Satisfied with the result of the inspection, he takes a sip before taking out a paper file, “I recommend you start talking about your Qyngur, oh I forget, Mir ‘source.’ Everything you do not say can and will be used against you outside of court.” He idly flips a coin while waiting for your answer, pausing to check the 1d2 three times.>Shift the responsibility onto your late father. Perhaps, a half-corrupted address hidden deep in the ship's databanks.>Tell him everything about Yamir-Hysret's crusade against the Ter in the region. But leave out your part in it.>Remind him of proper decency. He has nowhere to run and frankly no one to care were he to suddenly disappear.>Demonstrate your loyalty. You know a winning horse when you see it.>(Optional) Give him a couple phrases of Mir speech. Maybe this show will distract him from the real question.>(Optional) Demand he pours a new cup of coffee for you first. No one gets to steal your drink like that.>This encounter, someone else must have gone through it all a long time ago, in another world. If only you can remember their choice... (write-in)
>>6041394>Demonstrate your loyalty. You know a winning horse when you see it.>(Optional) Demand he pours a new cup of coffee for you first. No one gets to steal your drink like that.
Rolled 2 (1d2)>>6041653
>>6041394>Demonstrate your loyalty. You know a winning horse when you see it.>(Optional) Give him a couple phrases of Mir speech. Maybe this show will distract him from the real question.>(Optional) Demand he pours a new cup of coffee for you first. No one gets to steal your drink like that.On our own ship, this upstart navy man dared steal our cuppa. What a dude.Some honesty about ingratiating ourselves to a pretender Qyngur-sect, learning a few phrases, though it took some doing and Thornton has made her own promises in order to keep this.>>6041342The dice roll introductions are interesting and add some humour. The ship tactics are neat too.The speech sections can be a bit jarring though since it takes some insight to remember who is who, and talking about who else.
Rolled 1 (1d2)>>6041394>Tell him everything about Yamir-Hysret's crusade against the Ter in the region. But leave out your part in it.>(Optional) Give him a couple phrases of Mir speech. Maybe this show will distract him from the real question.>(Optional) Demand he pours a new cup of coffee for you first. No one gets to steal your drink like that.
Rolled 2 (1d2)>>6041394>Demonstrate your loyalty. You know a winning horse when you see it.>(Optional) Give him a couple phrases of Mir speech. Maybe this show will distract him from the real question.>(Optional) Demand he pours a new cup of coffee for you first. No one gets to steal your drink like that.
Sorry I have a major report coming up so I won't be able to post today. Hopefully I will have everything finished by tomorrow so the quest can continue.>>6042040Thank you for the clarification, it's a question I have been wondering over as well. It seems I will have to write more lengthy reminders whenever someone who has disappeared for some time from now on.
>>6042987QM, Are you alright?
>>6045561Thank you for asking. As everyone might have guessed, the curse struck again. Earlier this week, a library shelf filled with decades of red tape crashed onto me while I was doing research for my report. Thankfully, I only (emphasis by my doctor) got half a dozen broken ribs and a collapsed lung. I'm currently recovering in the hospital. If I feel well enough, I'll try to get an update in either today or tomorrow. I might consider shortening the quest if this keeps happening.
>>6047289Damn. My best wishes to you QM.
>>6047289Have a good rest and get well soon.
