Scene Listing || Scene Schedule || Scene Schedule RSS
Owner Pose
Morrigan      Noemi Laporte has evidently found some measure of kindred amongst the warthirsty pilots of Mars.

     UEFg Indus and UEFg Yangtze, both members of Second Fleet Mars' 1st Frigate Division, hold their orbit above the dusty red plains of Mars. They're similar enough to the Karuna-class vessels that some of the Elites may have seen - big spinal cannons, four powerful engines, and a rotating section for gravity - but are daubed in bright red trim.

     All around them, are smaller ships - Sanctus-class cruisers, most of them - and, beyond them, lies the UED Eris, the pride of Second Fleet.

     It seems that most of Laporte's new crew, and the woman herself, can be found in the Indus' rec room. There's Noemi herself, a dusky fey shape, all dark skin and lanky muscle; Lorna Simms, blonde, features that border on being aerodynamic; Karen Ng'Mei, older, wiser, hair streaked through with grey; Levi, young, nervous and roguish all at the same time; Ogre, Olefumi... More besides.

     It's a den of raucous laughter and bawdy jokes, far different to any Earther vessel, although it's clear that Captain Simms still maintains a tight leash.
Zephyr Windstar     Zephyr Windstar, TSAB Mage, fairly tall, lanky with shoulder length brown hair, tied back in a short little ponytail at the nape of her neck. She's leaning against a bulkhead, chuckling along with a joke told. "So here's one, Three bits of string walk into a bar. The bartender says, "We don't serve your kind here, get out." So they leave. One of them gets an idea, and ties a knot of himself along the center, and ruffles up one end of his length, then goes back the next day. Bartender says, "Hey, are you a piece of string?" the string replies: "No, I'm a Frayed Knot.""

    She smirks a little during the telling, but doesn't start laughing unless the others do. She's wearing her TSAB Fatigues from the Ground Forces, the 493rd Division patch clearly visible on her breast and shoulders. It's a stylized shield with a lightning bolt cracking it in half, and the number of the division 'etched' into the lightning bolt. Underneath on the banner reads in Mid-Childan(Which looks almost idenital to English, only more stylized): Shield Breakers.
Alexis Maaka     There's no beer around, but it's not like Maaka's had trouble with actually fitting in with this crowd. The odd joke is tossed out among the group. Clad in an issued jumpsuit, Maaka's got the sleeves rolled up and the uniform's been unzipped down to her stomach, showing off a black tank top and issued dog tags.

    She chuckles at Zephyr's joke, already prepared to go and defend her from pre-emptive fruits thrown at Blitz 1. "Brace yourself, this might be a tough crowd tonight." She says, laughing still.
Corona Arclite Corona probably sticks out like a sore thumb. What with the being a humanoid fox and all that. It's a little hard to avoid, and really, she's gotten so used to the mixed media of race types all over the Multiverse the difference doesn't really come to mind anymore.

On the other hand, she's laughing just as rauciously at the bad jokes as most of the soldiers are, so maybe she doesn't stick out -too- much. She does give Zephyr a light nudge in the side after that string joke. "Ah reckon that li'l ol string just wanted to... -unwind-."
Yulia Koslova     It's Mars all right. But not her Mars. Mars Colony, Sovereign State of Neo-Zeon, is growing but still underdeveloped. The view from here makes for an interesting comparison, certainly.
    Yulia Koslova, petite, more angles than curves, wheat-blond hair braided and pinned peasant-style around the back of her head, chuckles at the joke. It might be an old joke, but it's not an awful old joke! Her uniform jacket's been folded over the back of her chair, in part to keep it out of the way and in part because that thing gets stuffy after a while, darnit.
Morrigan      "That's a terrible joke," Simms says, her voice cool and collected, and apparently entirely without humor, "In fact, that's the worst joke I've heard of since Flight Lieutenant Levi over here was assigned to my squadron."

     Levi just shrugs. It's easy enough to feel that he's a bit long-suffering under Simms' proverbial guns.

     "Seriously, Laporte," Simms continues, "Where did you even find these people? Terrible humor and one of them is a spacefaring fox. Not so bad, given that Olefumi is the Federation's only spacefaring pig."

     Olefumi, a big man of Maori descent, shrugs his heavy shoulders. "Jealousy's such an ugly emotion," he tells Corona.
Zephyr Windstar     Zephyr shrugs a bit. Seems she's used to tough officers. "Just can't please some people." she remarks to Simms, then nudges Corona back. "That was even worse than mine." she commants, smirking at the fox woman. "Anyway, I'd like to hear you do better, Captain." she vaguely taunts back at Simms.
Corona Arclite Corona Arclite snickers softly at Zephyr, followed by rolling her eyes in a manner suggesting that she's use to hearing this sort of super seriousness from people effectively 'in charge' and utterly unphased by the exchange. She's had her share of lawmen and land barons to deal with that were too serious for their own good. "A'yup," she replies to Olefumi, and offers the big man a shot from her flask. "Cactus Juice?" Don't worry, it's the kind that's actual juice and not liquor. You know, like how there's juice cider and hard cider. Wouldn't want to break any actual regulations, after all.
Yulia Koslova     Yulia gives a small shrug in answer to the rough reception. "I've certainly heard worse," she says mildly. It may say as much about her sense of humor as it does about the joke itself, but ah well.
Alexis Maaka     "I'll take some of that." Maaka will take the Cactus Juice if Olefumi won't have any, giving the drink a firm sip as she just shrugs a shoulder. "You ever see a wild boar before? A real one? They're terrifying up close. Rip your fuckin' throat out with their tusks if you're not careful." She points out.
Jeannette Thompson Ahh, service to the Union. It took someone like Jeannette to a wide range of places; from her home to far away seas, to space. Of course, there should have been a diplomat here, someone to shake hands. But, forces were spread thin, Triancia had few, if any, interests in the Void beyond airy agreements, a military officer was needed, this was a /naval/ organization... and Triancia has so, so few trionauts left in government service.

So, there were flight boots on the ship's deck, in star-striped flight suit that she rarely wore any longer, but still quite functional and capable to seal aganist vaccum. Walking into the rec room with the bearing of someone whose namestrip had 'CDRE' on the front of it. Gliding towards... well, somewhere else other than the fridge. If they had /good/ alcohol, it wouldn't be frozen.
Morrigan      "You would, would you?" Simms asks Windstar, "The only joke I've heard of late is Byrne's holding strategy." She grins wildly at her squad and all of them, even Laporte, throw up a cheer. "We'll win this war on our own if we have to, won't we, Wargods!?"

     "Wargods, none better!" comes back the cry.

     Olefumi grins down at Corona. "Cactus juice, eh? Sure, I'll give it a shot." He takes a long swig.

     "Precisely my point, Spectre," Simms then tells Maaka, "Olefumi's big, ugly, can't really get along with others, but he kills Tevs like the best of them."

     Thompson might find that there's no alcohol, though. Unfortunate. Laporte asks her, "You're new - Union, I take it?"
Corona Arclite By the time both Alexis and Olefumi have had a swig from it the flask is mostly empty when Corona gets it back. But it went to a good purpose so no hard feelings there as she gulps down what remains, and tucks the flash back into her boot after crossing left leg over her knee. This is why it was called bootlegging. Just nothing actually illegal this time. "Wouldn't be a ragtag motely crew to get the job done if they all got along the same!"
Alexis Maaka     Maaka laughs, "Damn straight, don't take 'em lightly if you run across one." She reaches over to give the big beefy Maori a firm rap on the shoulder. "No crew gets along a hundred percent, but the best ones tend to rise above that." She says, nodding.
Zephyr Windstar     "Sounds just like my guys back in the 493rd. Laziest bunch of assholes you'd ever meet. Most of 'em can't even /fly/ but that's what I get for workin' with Ground Forces." replies the Mage, shrugging a little.

    Divine Wind chimes softly from the spot on Zephyr's wrist, the gemstone flickering as she speaks. <Surely you do not mean that, Master.> "I'm completely serious, and don't call me Shirley."
Yulia Koslova     Yulia smiles thinly, both at the cheer and at the banter, recognizing the comraderie that's built up but not quite feeling comfortable enough to count herself as part of it. "You don't always have to fly. Given the boar against the eagle, I would bet on the boar," she opins.
Jeannette Thompson No alcohol. Well, that wasn't a big loss. Given the quality of alcohol she was expecting, it would be better to drink water in this case... which she does get a cup full, lifting it up to examine it and make sure it was at least clear. "Hmm?" She says, looking over to Laporte. "Oh, yes, Union. Affilated, at least." she says, moving to put the cup down in front of her after taking the smallest of sips, extending her hand. "Jeannette Thompson, of the Federal Kingdom. I suppose I could give the full title, but that always sounds incredibly self-centered. Yet I don't have the heart to split the difference." She says, before looking over to Yulia. "And I am no stranger to ground operations, but I would argue that the eagle doesn't have access to braces of self-programming missiles to wipe out the boats."
Morrigan      "It'd be some boar if I were to run across it out here," Olefumi replies.

     Laporte takes Jeannette's hand in her own and shakes, firmly.

     "Precisely. Our eagles have fantastic claws," Simms says, "Now, I'm not used to seeing so many strangers on my deck, so, what brings you all to the Indus? I know some of you from the Meridian battle and the Blitz, but not all of you."
Corona Arclite Corona Arclite leans back in her seat, folding her hands behind her head. "Some of us are just suckers for helpin' out underdogs fightin' the good fight. An' Ah don't mean that in a bad way. Some of my best friends are underdogs." Pause. Then a shrug, her tail swishing a few times. "Well techn'ally he's a kobold, but he's short an' ornery so still counts." Don't tell Target she referred to him as 'short', or you'll find out just how much 'ornery' applies!
Alexis Maaka     "Just figured I'd get to know the Wargods a little better's all. You really bailed us out of a jam when you-know-who reared his ugly face." Alexis grins, before she nods in agreement with Corona. "Not to make you lot out to be charity cases, but hey, I won't say no to a chance to bail folks out of a jam...even if it means the odd war or two."
Zephyr Windstar     "I'm invested in this conflict. Even if it's only to pay back the Akula and the Ranvir." Replies Zephyr. "And it seems like the Indus and her flight crew are the best bet I've got for taking the fight to those genocidal bastards."
Yulia Koslova     And the quip falls flat. Good job, Yulia. Let's follow up with some awkward silence from her. But, better silence than trying to flail around with explaining what she meant by that.
    Mercifully, there's a subject change. "Would you accept professional curiosity as an answer?" There's a hint of a self-conscious smile paired with that. "Wearing the diplomat hat, I'd like to be able to better explain to my people just what's going on here, and what kind of help you need that we can provide. Wearing the pilot hat, I 'm impressed by what I've seen."
Jeannette Thompson Jeannette inclines her cop of water Yulia's direction. "She and I seem to be in similar professions. My fleet may be light years and leagues away, but I am still an officer in our forward-facing Task Force. Good Will through aid, power generation, and good old fashioned explosives. Our partnerships in the Void have been lacking, and at least someone higher than I am had decided to change that... glacially. So I am here to provide my skills and what little equipment we have in the common cause of liberty and self-determination."

A pause. "I will also be a braggart and call myself the best pilot in orbit, in both jest, an amazing amount of bravado, and the aim of encouraging others to prove me wrong. So." She clears her throat, and /enuciates/. "I am the best pilot in orbit."
Morrigan      "That's what I like to hear," Simms tells Zephyr. "Hate's the only thing that keeps you alive in this war. There's no people on those ships we kill. No lovers, no parents, no anything. They'll never grow old and they were never children. Every single Tev that comes through that node dies."

     Karen Ng'Mei nods. "Professional curiosity does work, too. Flight Lieutenant Karen Ng'Mei - if you have any questions, I'll answer them as best I can."

     "Best pilot in orbit, huh?" Simms asks, giving Jeannette a look over. "We'll see. Netreba frowns on joyrides but I'll see if there's something I can cook up, a little contest to seperate the Martians from everyone else."

     Olefumi grins at Maaka, looking hurt. "Hey, you hadn't even seen me until today."
Corona Arclite Corona Arclite leans a bit in Simms' direction, lowering her voice into a faux conspiratorial whisper. "Call it a trainin' excersize. Excuse always works fer me when Ah gotta test some new invention that Miss C ain't so sure is necessary."
Morrigan      Simms nods. "It's a good plan. Strap some of the rooks - or people who should still be rooks, I'm looking at you, Levi - into a Kent or two and see what we can do. I'll have Laporte pass the word once I can get the idea past Captain Sorensen."