The rose sat on her cradle maneuver vanes folded and powered down while she was berthed. Work crews were busy replacing plating, and welding new armor over the ships reinforced hull. from the pile of removed armor plate it seemed that she had suffered a lot in her last engagement, both pinpoint blasts for lasers, deep gouges from plasma burst and fist sized holed knocked though six inches  of laminated armor by mass drivers.

the plates with her serial numbers and christening plate were set aside and seemed to be on display beside the ship. A new plate was being  readied for installation as the crew went about it's work. Only the name of the ship was missing.

an older man in a worn, grease stained jumpsuit was directing the work crew. as it slowly methodically lowered the multi ton drive into place.

"Odins ball you lunk watch out, that drive is worth more than you'll make in yer whole life." the heavily bult valkiir man Shouted as there was the sound of metal on metal. Directing his wrath at the operator of the lifting rig." Bend anything and I swear I'll have your ass in a sling..."break anything and I'll kick yer ass so hard your grandkids will be born cross eyed."

He looked over at the group as they arrived, and scowled." If you ain't buying her get the hell off my yard."

"We are in fact buying her." T'risa stated matter of factly. "Some of the crew would like to move in already, even with the refit underway." T'risa pulled out a long cylinder from her pack with something approaching reverence. "This is Serana. She'll be working with you as the ship housing her is restored. I believe it would be appropriate to install her as soon as possible as she might be able to assist your crew in the refit process."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:02, Fri 02 Oct 2015.

Alex approaches in his shorts and lightning bolt T-shirt. His black ranger vest hangs loose on his frame. He carries a black backpack with a faded blue hankerchief with rainbows tied to the backpack's handle. He drags a hardshell small roller bag that is completely blue and has the big diagonal rainbows across it. He wears round glasses with psychedelic color pattern lenses that he removes before addressing the man.

Good greetings Mr Ball
We are the proud buyers of the Audacious Rose here

I will be moving on board in peace - I wish you all grace and strong work as you fit the vessel for her mission. </blue>

"Sorry Marshal, lots of lookie-lous around the yards with all the run up going on." He offered a hand, his grip painfully strong despite his age.

I know that one" The work boss chuckled."Shes been hanging around all month looking over the goods."

I'll get her a tech to help her boot in, lots of room in that processor for a shard."

mind yer head in the passageways, half the lighting  is out. and we have panels open, snout to ass....and she's a might bit...stuffy...And treat Rosie like a lady, she's had a rough year.."

"Give me three different plots for birds, with two high deflection shots, randomize target location, randomize maneuver," Nera snapped. The tactical computer didn't hesitate for a moment, projecting a random target and a random attitude for their own vessel. The response time was good, the boat might be old but it had solid hardware.

The bridge was alive with the sound of multi tools and the smell of solder and phased silicon. The techs were paying no attention to her. She had held a discussion with the senior electronics man about duplicating console feeds with biphasic shielding earlier but mostly she had been putting the hardware through its paces.

One of the Techs under the nav console cursed and groped for a tool. Nera put it in his hand with professional ease.

Glancing out one of the view ports she saw T'risa and Alex approaching. She triggered her comm bead.

"Marshall if you are coming aboard I recommend the starboard gangway, the wrenches are running radiation tests on port six and seven."

" I only need access to the main core, and a quantum relay system to walk around when I am not actively interacting with the ships systems." Serana spoke up, as she gathered several satchels full of sophisticated looking electronics." I can fully integrate and take over coordination and control duties within 32 hours. I have some baggage in storage if someone can go fetch it, and take it to my stateroom."

Mixtzin, wearing his full dress uniform , with a a cloak of tiny pale blue feathers floating behind him as he walks aboard the Audacious Rose, approaches T'risa, his hands and face showing the violet of delight. "Marshal K'mahda, I admire the efficiency with which you have gone about your operation, and am delighted to be involved in your venture.  As Legendary Captain Nera Kalaperna has pledged Imperial assistance to support your enterprise, I have submitted a report on the situation to the Quetzl High Commission on Suhn Shae.  High Commissioner Pipiltin Etzhuanhuanca-Extli-Quantzin, the famous Blood-Glutton, has requested the pleasure of your company, and the members of your crew at dinner tomorrow evening.  The purpose to be a discussion of the situation in which we find ourselves, and any possible help that the Quetzl may be able to provide."  Mixtzin's tongue flickers, as his skin shades to a dark mottled slate grey, indicating concern, "You have uncovered an existential threat to all individual sentient races with the advent of SHE, and a united approach to meeting this crisis is the only sensible approach.  I would be delighted to introduce you to His Excellency, High Commissioner Pipiltin Etzhuanhuanca-Blood-Glutton.  He earned his name during his time in the Quetzl Ilhuicac-Yaotlahueliloque, but I'll let him tell his own tale.  Will you come?"

Mixtzin awaits T'risa's response, his skin showing new-leaf green of hope.

T'risa nodded "I would hope you'd try to interface with the ship as soon as is possible Serana, it'll help the yard workers resolve any potential problems we may have before launch. I'll arrange for your possessions to be brought on board and for a quantum entangler."

At the buzz of her comm, T'risa nodded "I'm fairly sure my shield should protect against radiation, but why risk it when you don't need to. Thank you Neera. I anticipate us boarding presently."

T'risa nodded her thanks to the yard boss. "We appreciate your speed and attention to detail. Thanks to you, she'll have a second chance and she has a lot of life left in her. If you have any questions please feel free to contact anyone on the team." T'risa boarded the vessel using the starboard gangplank, her nose wirnkling at the smell of burnt metal, plastics and ceramics. She patted the entryway reassuringly before coming on board.

Finally free of most of her meet and greet tasks, T'risa paid attention to Mixtzin, raising an eyebrow at him turning up to a construction site dressed in his formal uniform. "I'd be glad to meet any of the authorities in this area, but it would indeed be an honour to meet the High Commissioner. Please thank the commissioner and inform them that I plan to attend along with the crew. Could you please send the details to everyone on the team? Should we dress formally?"

Alex makes his way to the labs and claims the bunk in the stateroom nearest the Labs.

He burns a little sage, relaxing

microkinesis to prevent any smoke alarms.

Alex cleans up what he can. He knows this will all be better when he gets another set of eyes and hands so he looks up a place on his Comm, where he can get a fresh AI partner and he makes his way there.

In response to T'risa's quizzical eyebrow, "I've been returned to active service for the duration of the current situation, and delivering an invitation from the High Commissioner, the dress uniform is appropriate."  His skin flickered bright blue for amusement, and the violet of delight, he lowered his voice, "Besides, I don't often have a good reason to wear it, and I enjoy its splendor from time to time..."

"I will arrange for the all of us to receive invitations from the Quetzl High Commission.  Formal dress is not essential, but would certainly be appreciated from you and Nera, as the leader of this mission and the representative of the Imperium respectively.  "

"That might pose a problem. I've been exiled and it's no longer appropriate to wear my Tau dress uniforms and Colonial Marshals don't have one. A duster and advanced weaponry appears to be the garb of this Colonial Law Enforcement division. I do have formal clothing...that should do. When you send the note, please remind the others this is a formal occasion. If they need to buy clothing than put it on my account."

"I'm sure that whatever you choose will be appropriate."  Mixtzin's skin had been the emerald green of contentment now shifted to the dull grey-brown of sadness, and the feathers at the side of his face fluttered weekly in response to T'risa's news.  "I'm sorry to learn that you have been exiled.  I have spent much of my life away from my own people, but I can always return.  Perhaps your exile can be revoked?" as his skin lightens to the sunshine yellow of optimism and his feathers standing out from the sides of his head, "Let us so hope."

"I shall inform the others of your generosity regarding formal garb for the event, as well as of the protocols for the evening.  The invitations will come directly from the High Commission to each member of the crew."  Mixtzin already had his neurally linked computers composing the messages to be sent to the crew, as well as communicating the crew's contact information to the Quetzl High Commission.

"We started an intergalactic war." Elsbeth noted off-hand, having paused at the doorway where the Quetzl and the Marshal had stopped to talk.  She was still in battledress, since the man-amplification features were coming in handy with the lading of supplies and equipment as they streamed in.

The implication to Elsbeth's statement was clear, at least to her.  Such an act made the group both very popular and very unpopular at once.  The group was popular in a number of circles for having brought early warning of Her plans to light and for capturing plenty of alien technology.  But, not everyone was happy in the Imperial court with all of that information being so very public.  Powerful people stood to both lose and gain in that situation.  And as the group's leader, T'risa was the focal point for all of the attention.

Elsbeth had always prided herself on being a full-blooded Praetorian and a good bodyguard, but she knew that her ability to protect T'risa in the political arena was far too limited.  A fact that did cause her to worry, not because she feared that the Marshal couldn't handle it, but because she knew that the stress was always very high.  She regretted that M'kira hadn't been able to join them on this leg of their journey.  The tall Valkiir woman's presence had always helped to calm T'risa nerves.

All of that pensive tension briefly played upon her face and surface thoughts as she stood there motionless for a brief moment.  Then the moment passed.  "Ma'am," she addressed the Marshal more formally, "these arrived for Miss Serana.  Which quarters have we allocated for her?"  Elsbeth gestured towards the two padded cargo containers that she'd been carting around.

Once that had been established, she picked up the containers again and started on her way.  But before she leaving, Elsbeth noted off-hand to both T'risa and Mixtzin, "Best avoid the open areas of Section Three-B for the time being.  Ports six and seven have exposed radiation conduit housings and there is uninsulated fiberoptic everywhere while they re-work things."  It didn't pose much actual health danger, likely with adequate personal shielding, but why take the chance.  And why get in the way of any working crews; it would only throw off their efficiency.

Nera slid down the access way with the easy grace of a seasoned spacer.

"Behind," she called as she slid past Elsbeth. Better women than her had been seriously injured when someone in battle dress had spun, unaware of their presence, with the bone crushing force that power assisted armor made available.

"Wars have existed as long as people have," she added running a grease stained hand through her hair.

"And might continue after we are gone if we aren't careful." Looking down at her datapad she punched a series of diagnostics on her data pad. Traverse on ventral three was still slow. Not crippling so, but if the gear train was wearing out the problem would get worse. She tapped the screen highlighting it for the maintenance chief.

"Tragically I have a dress uniform, how soon is the function? Are there any local customs we should know?" she queried, having been burned in the past by odd social traits and expectations.