The farewell party for Jett and Kal-chan does not last long, both men do, after all, have to get to the recruitment office.  They stay just long enough to eat the cake, drink the coffee, and say goodbye.

With them gone, Profit Margin feels emptier, for those who've known them, in spite of there being the same number of crew as always.  People gradually drift back to their quarters, or to deal with their own tasks, and eventually make their way to their beds...


Morning.  Nothing has exploded during the night, the cargo is still there, and no crew members have gone unexpectedly missing.

Looks like being a good day.

A full cargo hold, plenty of refined fuel, passengers due aboard within the hour, all is right with the Universe.

And then...

Rhylanor/Rhylanor (0306-A434934-F) Date: 204-1107
Army Vice-Marshal Adam Lord Bryor today announced that a presumed state of war now exists between the Imperium and the Sword Worlds, following reciept of word that Lanth (Lanth 0109 A879533-B) was under attack by fleet and ground elements of that state.  Characterizing the Sword Worlds' action as "a perfidious betrayal", Bryor dismissed any suggestion that Rhylanor was vulnerable to a Sword Worlds attack.

"In addition to the Imperial Marines on-planet, Rhylanor has 25 active divisions equipped to Imperial standards." Bryor explained. "Even if a Sword Worlds squadron could fight its way through Rhylanor's boats, there's no conceivable way a Sword Worlds army could gain a foothold on-planet. Since Rhylanor is one of the foci for naval reinforcement from Deneb sector, a Sword Worlds fleet would be courting disaster to strike here."

When questioned as to possible plans to retake Lanth, 212th Fleet spokesmen suggested that no such operation was likely to be undertaken in the near future, as most naval assets would probably be concentrated for an attempt to relieve the 43rd Provisional Army along with its supporting naval squadron, at Efate (Regina 0105-A646930-D).


Rhylanor/Rhylanor (0306-A434934-F) Date: 204-1107
The Travellers' Aid Society issued a travellers' advisory, declaring the entire Spinward Marches sector an amber zone until further notice.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:17, Fri 24 Feb 2006.

Having been up for three hours already, and finished her advanced exercises while waiting for Corlan, Shui gets the news over her dataglove and slowly sits up, putting her tea down on the desk.  She stands, then begins to pace, reading the article over several times in order to better understand.

Then she moves to her room's computer, and calls up a navigation map, trying to determine where they are in relation to the conflict.  After a moment she leans back away from the monitor, chewing on her lip.  They're close - very close.  Too close, maybe.  Things have begun to heat up again in her life.  She doesn't like that.

Interesting times, indeed.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:32, Fri 24 Feb 2006.

With the risk of being accused of cakenapping and scaring the doctor, Yas takes the cake with her to her quarters once everyone dissipates.  Whatever she does with it in there is her secret.

True to herself, Yasmine is up bright an early, first doing her exercises and then going around fiddling with the security systems and checking up her station.  She also takes the opportunity to search for any likely bugs wherever she goes, not having forgotten about that.

Seeing the news she sighs and shakes her head.  It would come no good out of this, as there were no winners in any war, only different degrees of losers.

"And so it begins."

Jago wakes to the trill of the computers alarm call, for the second or third time that morning, drags himself from under the warm, cosy bedclothes and with an air severe determination, stretches his arms a few times and lowers himself carefully to the floor in preparation for at least ten press ups.



The computer relays the news and leaves Jago poise on all fours, cursing quietly and abandoning yet another attempt to start a fitness routine.

Tylen finishes his own rigorous new routine of exercises and hits the fresher. His spirit renewed and his feelings cleansed with his shower, he begins dressing and taps at the wall console. The computer chirps and displays the latest news on and off-world. While getting his boots on, the news on the new war front that had begun to trickle in. He gaped, it was finally down to open transgressions.

He was sure that a few others on-board had heard this already, so he quickly finished his preparations and stepped out and into the crew lounge. He found his way to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup, surprised that there was no cake left for which to breakfast on. He waits for the others to creep from their rooms sipping on the black brew. Surely this would be conversation worthy for the rest of them.

Hearing someone finally awake and out of their little bunks, Yasmine steers her steps off the bridge and into the crew lounge.  There she spots someone in need of coffee and nods at him when he notices her.

"I'd say good morning if it was one.  Heard the news?" she asks and steers over to get herself a cup.  She need something strong, and coffee will have to do.  "I fear we'll be flooded with requests for passage now," she chuckles dryly and then sighs as she makes her way over to "her" seat, in which she plops down with an almost content sigh.

"Well, sure am glad I got me a berth 'fore that news leaked." Conrad mutters as he dries himself off after his shower.  Things are, he suspects, about to get a lot warmer along this section of the border.  The TAS announcement that they just declared the entire sector Amber can only make things even more tense.

Saskia has heard the news, and her expression, as she enters the lounge just in time to catch Yas's comment shows that she doesn't consider it good news.

"See?  This is why I shouldn't plan anything nice.  I decide to do something, and the neighbors declare war, or the hotel burns down, or something.  Like today, I woke up and  thought, 'not got much to do today, think I'll ask Jago if he'd mind me having a couple of hours ashore, see if I can buy myself something nice.'  Simple, yes?  But no!  Dumb frelling Swordies have got it in for me.  There'll be riots in the streets, and the stores'll be crowded with panic buyers."

She slumps down in one of the seats, spilling coffee down her coverall.

"Yotz!  Frelling typical!"

Yas lifts an eyebrow at the outburst from Sas and turns to her with a soft smile.

"So, you will let those who would do horrible things ruin your life?  You would never plan anything nice again, on the off chance that it might get wrecked by some idiot out there?  No, no - you make up your plans!  So what if they won't work out sometimes, that's beyond your control.  Chin up.  I could get you some cake if you think it'll help you cheer up," she tells the engineer, leaning over to set her cup on the table, looking straight at Saskia.  She saw recruits like this sometimes, and she suspects Sas can use more encouragement than someone yelling themselves blue in an attempt to rebuild the moral.  The last thing Yas, and Profit Margin, need is another one of her crew down the dumps.  Plus Saskia is Yasmine's friend.

"And if you want, I can then put you on an exercise program that will make you lose that extra kilo you put on from it," she offers, now with a slightly teasing grin.

Concerned, Shui finally leaves her room, slipping out into the hallway and moving across the ship to Corlan's door.  Facing it, she hesitates for a long moment, then nods.  Whatever the man is doing, it must be important.  He's a man, not a child, and if it is enough to skip their agreed-upon meeting, well...she definitely gives the benefit of the doubt, and assumes it will be important.

With a sigh, she leaves the door un-chimed and walks down to the lounge, a pale, lean figure in a silk robe over exercise clothing.  Entering on the tail of Saskia's exasperated exposition, Shui frowns in disappointment.  "I am sorry, Saskia."  The woman is genuinely irritated, but is it over the shopping?  More likely it flows from the start of the new war.  "Terrible news, this.  I have no doubt you are correct - if there were mobs yesterday, there will be riots today."

She listens then, as Yasmine explains her point of view on the situation.  The marine is correct, of course - strength comes (sometimes) from flexibility.  Life cannot be predicted.  There is no reason to stop living because of that.  Joss.  What happens, happens.  She raises her teacup to the marine.  "You are a wise woman, Ms. Crowe, if you will forgive my impertinance for so saying."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:31, Sat 25 Feb 2006.

The other eyebrow of Yas' joins the first high up the forehead as the Chief looks up at the doctor, as if uncertain what to make of that statement.

"Wise?  Hardly.  Merely practical.  Possibly a 'wise guy'!  As for any... impertinence... you have a lot to learn there, doc.  Let me know if you want lessons," she replies after a moment, grinning widely and lifts her cup to the doctor.  Served with a wink.

”Morning everybody,” Jago opens the door to his cabin out onto the crew lounge, showered, shaved and wearing fresh clean cloths, (part from his ancient bomber jacket), he looks cheerful and relaxed.

The captain moves over to get himself a coffee and nursing it, looks around at the others.

“We have passengers boarding at noon and we’ll set off as soon as everyone is settled, Conrad and Tylen, I’d like you to stay on board, but you others can have the morning off. Shui, the low birth passengers will be arriving an hour early, I’d like you to get back in time for that if you don’t mind”

If Jago has heard the news that morning, there is no sign of it in his demeanour, his sips his steaming coffee and fishes about in his pocket for a cigar to park in the corner of his mouth.

OOC
I have no idea how the fact that a day is only 14.6 hours long affects daily life, I imagine that noon is only three and a half hours after dawn, but then I don’t suppose that people go to bet every time it gets dark??

Tylen nodded to Yas when she walked in, his eyes still clearing themselves of sleep. He had indeed heard the news and it made him itch to get into space, not for the scare of it, but more for the feeling of anxiety and any population out here would be feeling it too. Space would be the place to be at this moment, the vast emptiness between stars was the only safe place in the megasphere. No doubt they would get their share of bribes irregular requests for passage. It was something to keep in mind. "Thanks, Yeah, great news huh? This'll be good for business." he said fascetiously.

When the others had popped up he smiled and sipped his dark brew appreciatively. He watched as the women had their conversation. He knew from experience that getting involved in these sort of heated conversations rarely left a man with his dignity. So he sat quietly, wondering where the cake had gone.

After Jago had announced the business of the day he made a ten-fore gesture to the man and offered up a refill to his coffee. Then realizing that he had still neglected to meet all of the crew, he turned to Saskia and extended a hand. "You must be Saskia, I'm Tylen. I'm glad to make your aquaintance. I guess  you know, I'll be filling the gunner position now."

"Saskia, yes.  Pleased to meet you." she does not take the offered hand.  Instead, she looks at it nervously, as if unsure what she's supposed to do about it.

Then something seems to click into place, "Oh!  Sorry."  She reaches out and shakes his hand, before almost snatching her own back.

"Jago.  Those stupid frelling Navy Monkeys messed up on the upgrade they gave us."  She stops then, looking at Tylen.  Is he Navy?  Well, it doesn't matter now.  Might as well carry on.  "Nothing serious.  They used cheap components all through the job.  I can fix it, a bit at a time, but it'll mean a little downtime after every jump so I can trade out some of the junk."

”Whatever you need Saskia,” Jago says, “will parts be a problem, I’m not sure of the tech levels of the planets we’ll be stopping at, but I can check.”

“We’ll be moving on to Frenzie after this first stop at Arkadia, there is a navy base there, does that help?”

"No problem on parts.  I never throw anything away, you know that Jago.  Pro'lly got most of what I need in stock, it's just a time thing."

Saskia shrugs, then hastily puts her left hand back into her pocket, "I can work on the M-drive when we're in J-Space, the J-drive when we're in N-Space, and the power systems and the rest when we're planetside.  I don't think it was a deliberate attempt to sabotage my engines, it's not crippling, and the parts are probably good for another decade.

"They just used cheap parts when they overhauled the systems.  I don't know why, maybe they were keeping the best stuff for their own, because they thought there was a war coming and they wanted the fighting boats in top condition."