OOG: This thread is for in-character conversations that are aside from the main gameplay.

Brent asks Joxe; "What brought on this war after all?  We've lost any knowledge of what was going on."

Three days into jump, late in the morning, Brent finds Joxe inspecting the low berth she had recently used. It appeared that half of the mechanism was arranged on the cargo bay floor.

Brent asks Joxe; "What brought on this war after all?  We've lost any knowledge of what was going on."

Joxe stands and stretches. "I think I need something to snack on while I consider that. Buy a girl a drink, spacer?" She grins at him.

Brent admires Joxe's form as she stands, sitting leaning back with a look of open admiration on his face as he traces her form.  "Sure," he rises and looks her over again.  "Let's go get that drink."  He takes her hand and leads her to the galley which is deserted as it's well into the mid-watch.  "Have a seat," he pulls out a chair for her and then goes over to the vending unit and programs two beers.  They're not the best but are cold and strong with a high alcohol content.

Handing Joxe a beer Brent sits down next to her, his hand resting possessively on her knee.  "When we get to a live place with a bar and restaurant I'll wine and dine you properly."

Joxe grins and allows him to escort her to the galley. She accepts the beer with a nod, and covers his hand with hers as Brent settles in next to her. She takes a pull on her beer, and then sets the glass on her leg. She takes a breath, and begins to speak.

"We ran the main coreward from Montezuma, and then turned more trailward from Egg to Possin. It was a good run, and it made us a fair bit of credits, especially at this end of the line. The systems out here are, were, smaller and off the jump route, so they appreciated any ship that would stop in on anything like a regular basis."

"Now, at the coreward end, the systems were bigger, with Gorky having the only naval base on the main. Well, the trailward branch also had the base at Keipes, too. We didn't get out that way, since there was trouble with the systems around the base."

Brent drinks his beer and then pushes over a bowl of pretzels to Joxe.  "So with the war and destruction do you think any of those smaller systems are still inhabited?  On Egg we barely maintained our technology.  Had we lost it we would have all been dead long ago.  Even here I don't see signs of people."

"The more heavily populated systems are trail-coreward of us. Most of the worlds would have needed advanced tech just to survive, although some planets were able to support people without life support equipment, like Khesanadu."

"The thing is, most planets just had a starport of some kind, and maybe a town or city around it. They would move out from more populated planets, just so they didn't have to be crowded into big cities. Local manufacturing was spotty, with only a few places having actual shipyards. We did a lot of business carrying parts and supplies to keep the Imperial tech running."

Brent shook his head.  "We're going to find a lot of graveyard worlds.  250 years is a long time to shoestring life support tech when you lack a real population and industrial base." He sighed.  "So what started this war?  None of us still remember."

"I think we still have some news feeds in the computer. I haven't checked, but they should still be there. From what I remember, when the Emperor and his whole family was assassinated, the Imperium broke into factions headed by the dukes and grand dukes. Of course, they each wanted to assume the Imperial throne, and then things went to hell."

"We heard about huge battles and planets being wiped, and then it started happening here." She shook her head and sighed. "Brent, they just all went *mad*. Somebody, I don't know who, rolled into Promise and Exeter, and just wiped them out. They did the same thing to Gorky, and took out the fleet base there. Over six billion people, just gone."

She drained half her beer glass in one pull. "Then, ships from another fleet arrived. These were all Imperial battle units, so I have no idea which duke they belonged to, but they just tore into the others. We ran like hell, and hid when we had to. The last time I saw my home, everyone was pulling out in anything that was jump capable."

Brent shook his head, disgusted and awed at the same time by the destruction.  "And so bad that after 250 years things still have not recovered, at least not around here.  They must have done so much destruction that everything fell apart."  He took her hand; "I'm sorry that you lost so much."

Joxe gripped his hand. "My homeworld, Posnan, is one jump ahead. Without Imperial tech, no one could have survived. Maybe we will find something when we get to Khesanadu."

Brent squeezed her hand in sympathy.  "I'm sorry Joxe.  I can just imagine what might have happened in Egg.  Do you even want to jump into Posnan?"

"We need to refuel there." She sits quietly for a moment. "Yeah, I'd like to go back." Joxe looks at Brent. "I need to go for my family."

Brent is silent as well.  He maintains his grip on her hand. "We'll do whatever you need Joxe."

"Thank you." Joxe gently shakes his hand. "You've all been better than I could have hoped for, considering that this ship would have made you heroes at home if you'd turned it, and me, over to your government."

"And you," she smiles and meets his gaze. "Give me a little time; let me visit my home and bury my dead, and then we will see what happens." She blinks and dabs at her eyes with her free hand.

Brent shook his head. "Well, we couldn't have done that.  It wouldn't have been right.  And..." he shrugged a bit. "We'd been fingered as mutineers by our previous captain once she bugged out."  Brent gave her an awkward hug, more in sympathy than anything else.  "It's a big adjustment, just let it all work itself out.  We'll enjoy learning about the new worlds with you."

"Thank you." She gently disengages her hand and stands up. "I need to go rest for a while. We will talk more." She smiles at him as her eyes brim with tears. "But later." With that, she turns and goes into her stateroom, closing the door behind her.

Brent lingers for a moment but respects her quiet.

At the end of Wanderer's first day in jump space, Joxe steps up to Brent. "I'll be in my quarters when you're ready for bed."

Brent looks up from the bridge console where he'd been studying the ship's systems.  He looks surprised for a second and then nods and smiles.  "Oh yes, I'll be right along."

It takes Brent ten minutes or so to finish and lock the control panel back down.  He heads down to the crew area and after taking a deep breath knocks on the stateroom door.

The door slides open. "Come in. You don't have to knock," Joxe says. She is standing beside her bunk, which is made out into a double bed. "Are you ready to lie down?"

Brent stepped inside and closed the door behind him.  He smiled and chuckled a bit; "Well, one always wants to knock on a lady's door first."  Brent glanced over at the bed and noted that it had been rearranged, taking up a fair bit of floor space.  "Sure, I'd like to take the next step with you."

Joxe smiles and removes her shirt, leaving her clad only in a pair of sleeping shorts. "Which side would you like?" Her auburn hair cascades around her shoulders, freed from the ponytail she habitually wears.

Seeing her take the first step Brent shrugs out of his shirt.  He's already wearing a pair of light, shipboard shorts.  Stepping forward he runs his hand through her hair.  "I like your hair long and free like this.  It's not practical for working but it is very nice."  He glanced at the bed. "I'll take the inside."

Joxe closes her eyes for a moment as Brent caresses her hair. "You first, then."

When he settles down, she lies down beside him and pulls the sheet over them. The cabin is warm enough to only need the light covers. "Okay, rules. What's covered, stays covered, okay?"

Brent nods, respecting the process.  He lays down in the bunk and settles himself, shifting a bit as Joxe lays in next to him.  "What's covered stays covered... yes, that is okay."  He stroked her hair again, teasing an ear.  "What is the progression as we work through our relationship?"

"We're supposed to ask my parents for permission to do this," Joxe says with a wan smile. She reaches up and turns the cabin lights off, leaving just a glowing patch on the opposite wall that served as a night light. "That's not possible, so we're on our own. I've never had a chance to... be with anyone. I spent most of my time on one or another of the family's ships, so there wasn't a lot of opportunity there for me."

"I'd hope that I would have met with the approval of your parents."  Brent is silent for a moment and then places a hand on Joxe's hip.  "A life on ships is not well suited for caring, intimate relationships unless they are fostered elsewhere. I've had encounters and dated but never anything more than a few weeks or months." The fingers of his hand run along her hip.

Joxe closes her eyes for a moment as Brent caresses her. Joxe's skin is soft and smooth, with firm muscle underneath. "I think they would have liked you, Brent." She reaches out to place her palm on his chest. "Things are so different now, and I'm scared and excited all at the same time."

Brent smiles, teeth flashing dimly in the near darkness.  He continues to stroke her, enjoying the touch of her bare skin while he takes her hand with his other hand.  "We've got time and each other; plenty of exploration to do here while we travel down the Main."  He squeezes her hand, willing to be patient and slow as they felt toward each other.  "I'm excited and thrilled, like a teenager here with you."

Joxe scoots over even closer to Brent, until her chest presses lightly against his. She leans in and plants a soft kiss on his lips. She draws back and looks into his eyes. "That was better than I imagined it'd be."

Brent returns the kiss as his arms wrap around Joxe and he caresses her back.  He holds them close, enjoying the softness of her breasts against his chest for a bit.  Then as they pull back he puts a hand on her hip and begins to stroke her waist and stomach.  "I'm continually amazed that I've found you."

Joxe mirrors Brent's actions with her free hand, pressing gently as she runs her hand over his abdomen. Then, she takes his hand and brings it up to press on her chest. "This part isn't covered, Brent. It's okay."

Brent nods silently and moves his hand slowly up Joxe's torso and moves to cup her breast.  He strokes her softly, doing what he knows might be enjoyable to her.

Joxe's hand slows it's exploration as she sighs. "You're so gentle." She rolls away from Brent slightly, giving him better access.

Brent leveraged himself up on one elbow so he could look down on her and better reach her.  "There will be time for urgent passion later."  He leaned down and kissed her where his hand had just recently been.

She hisses softly, and places her hands on his head. "Oh, my," she breathes. After a few moments, she gently pushes his head upward. "I, uh, I think we need to stop. Otherwise, this will turn into something besides bundling." She smiles up at him, and then bites her lip.

Brent's fingers replaced his mouth and nibbling teeth.  He stroked and teased and ever so lightly pinched as Joxe panted softly.  Brent kissed her again, long and thoroughly as his fingers continued their work.  Breaking the kiss he chuckled. "Think of it as a trial and temptation."  Brent kissed her again.  "I respect your customs but you are your own woman here and now."

"I am, yes," Joxe says quietly. "Please be patient with me, Brent." She lays her head back on her pillow. "I'm trying to work all of this out in my mind. Everything I knew is gone, except for this ship. You, Gareth, Malcolm, and Veronica, you all jumped in to go back with me." She takes a breath. "I've had to trust each of you, because I really haven't had a choice."

Joxe looks at Brent. "This is my way to learn who you really are, Brent, and to see if you have the same feelings toward me as I have toward you."

Brent kisses her gently.  "I will be patient with you for as long as you need Joxe.  Please do not feel pressured by me."  Her listened intently to what she had to say.  "We're all adrift, you far more than any of us except Niamh."

His breath caught at her final words.  "I've never felt so close to anyone else.  It's just been a few weeks but I feel like I've known you for years.  I think I am falling in love with you."

She rolls toward him, and snuggles in against his chest. "I think I'm falling, too." She sighs and presses her face into his chest, so that his chin rests comfortably on top of her head.

Brent smiled broadly at her words, his eyes lighting up with happiness.  He pulled her to him and stroked her hair ever so softly for a long, quiet while.  "I can think of no fate more delightful."

"I hope you still feel this way after we emerge from jump," Joxe says with a giggle. She sighs and snuggles close to his chest as he caresses her. Soon, her breathing is deep and even, and she falls asleep.

"If I can keep my hands off you until we come out of Jump," he laughs quietly.  Brent holds her closely and cradles Joxe as she falls asleep.  He lays awake for a while and then falls asleep himself.

The next day after entering jump space, Brent comes into his shared cabin. Joxe is sitting in the desk chair with the data chip from her parent's house in hand. She smiles wanly as Brent enters.

Brent closes the door behind him and takes a seat on the bed next to Joxe.  "Have you been able to open up the chip yet?  Maybe they got out before things got too bad."  He leans over and rubs her shoulders lightly.  "Do you want company watching it."

Joxe takes a breath. "Dad never was one for videos. It's just text." She plugs the chip into a padd and passes it to Brent.

The text reads:

12/XI/1155

My dearest daughter,

I hope this letter finds you well. Your mother and I have been helping to keep our town running since the attack.

We lost nearly all of our space based infrastructure, and most of the cities and towns were destroyed. Somehow, we survived. I hope that you and your cousins made it through to Montezuma, although we heard later that the war had come to them, too. Hopefully, you're reading this after being able to come back here with the Concordia and your cousins.

Joxe, we have to move away from here, as the raiders have gotten more and more bold. Some friends have offered to let us come with them to Execute, as they say the navy squadrons didn't do that much damage in that system. When you come, be careful about the raiders.
We heard that they are operating out of Kiepes. That doesn't surprise me, as that whole planet is one big mess.

Anyway, we are packing up to leave. Your mother and I both love you very much. We hope to see you soon.

Brent read the message silently. "So they may have made it off to Execute.  We'll have to swing by there.  What happened with your cousins, do you know?"

Joxe smiles sadly. "This ship was originally named the Concordia. The couple you found in the crew lounge were my cousins."

Brent nodded as he recalled that the couple on the ship were Joxe's cousins.  "So what do you want to do?  We can go to Execute but your parents are likely to have passed away in the time since this was written."

"I know," she says with a sniff. "Unless they used low berths. We can check the planet when we arrive. I don't think anyone could survive without tech, though."

Brent hugged her.  "You were in a low berth.  We found at least one other survivor so far as well.  It's possible.  We'll at least try and see if we can find them or any records of them.  That much I promise."

"Thank you, husband." Joxe leans into his embrace. "I think we should share this with our friends. The part about Kiepes is especially worrisome to me."
This message was last updated by the GM at 13:06, Thu 06 Sept 2018.

Brent kisses her gently. "The information may help guide our movements along the Main.  Certainly if there are raiders left after all this time we should be wary."

"That was a long time ago," Joxe says as she studies the letter.

"There doesn't seem to be any traffic around the systems we've visited.  There is nothing really left for anyone to raid so the raiders may be gone as well."

True," Joxe nods. "But, there might be others like us out there."

Brent thought through it.  "Even so, ones like us must be few and far between.  There are no signs of any recent visits to any of the worlds we have gone to.  That doesn't mean we let our guard down though."

"That's true. Should we tell everyone about what we've found?"

"We should definitely do so if you are comfortable."

"I'm glad you're here with me, Brent. You've given me a family again."

Brent tightened his embrace around his wife.  "I'll always be there for you Joxe.  Together we can make our own light against the darkness outside and more later when the time is right.  I want to bring a family into this world with you."

"I hope you weren't planning on sleeping much tonight." She sighs and relaxes into his arms. "Let's go out and talk to everyone before I change my mind and lock us in here for the next day or two."

Brent laughed. "This is important but when we are done I intend to christen our marriage bed in every possible way."  He kissed her then and let his hands travel over her body.  "Or maybe we just wait.  After all we are going to be in Jump for at least a week."

Joxe leans back into Brent's arms. "Oh, please, don't let me stand in the way of a good christening." She giggles and sighs as he caresses her.

Brent laughed and lifted her in his arms.  He carried her the very slight distance from the desk to the bed and laid her on it.  "Your marriage bed my lovely wife." He laid down next to her and taking her head in both hands kissed her deeply.

"Computer, lights to night."

The lights dim to the night setting, just enough to see by. Joxe settles into Brent's embrace with a contented sigh...

And since we aren't an adult rated game ;-)

Fade to a soft black...