+++++The INS Expeditionary Cruiser Turpal's Star++++++
+++++78 hours later...++++++
The last you saw of the orbital space around Hrafnhelm was the Indari Cruiser approaching the Champion and launching what must have been boarding pods, assaulting the ship to take control of it from the inside. Beyond that, your shuttle finally recovered to the ship and slid into the docking bay. You were ushered rather without fanfare towards the airlock, which curiously had been hidden behind the holographics, only becoming clear once they had shut them down showing only the stark mechanical interior of the small vessel. Once across the short tunnel to the mothership, you were greeted by a pair of martial looking men (you assumed) in combat armor, with closed helmets and Indari rifle-like weapons, though your understanding was that they were able to harness exotic energies for combat, lasers, plasma and other stranger forces. Your minder had left you in their care and left your sight, leaving you to be directly brusquely across the ship by armed guard.
From there you were taken through the ship along one winding corridor. The first thing you noticed before getting over the shock of everything you had seen in space was that Indari ships... or at least this one, were built
wrong. Everyone who had ever had any spacer training or education knew that you built decks vertically perpendicular to the spine of the vessel. These people however, built them parallel the same way you'd make a naval ship on the ocean. As you had been taught to expect, they had artificial gravity on their ships, though they used no spinning rings or pods, it simply existed as if you were standing on Hrafnhelm back home. It didn't even feel weird, it felt entirely normal. In various places, you saw what at first seemed like they might be windows to the void, but quickly you determined they were simply (hah) holographics showing video feeds of the outside of the ship.
Several times you encountered teams of what seemed to be repair technicians using strange small tools and working on components that were concealed behind panels on the walls, deck and ceiling. When possible, your 'escorts' routed you away from them so as not to reveal too much to you. It was clear that you were not fully trusted at this point, and while they were polite, they were short, to the point and firm when it came to commands. The biggest shock was encountering a group of four of the famed Astral Troopers. You'd seen pictures of them, heard of them, but in reality to meet them was an entirely different matter. Easily over two meters tall, maybe close to two and a half, these giants were clad in mechanical armor that softly hummed and hissed as they moved. In the typical Indari style, they sported enclosed helmets, with only glowing red lights where their eyes would have been and were armed with massive weapons of an unknown type. Names and rank symbols were painted on the armor plates on the chest and shoulders. The taller of your escorts placed a hand on your shoulder and pulled you back gently as the four Astral Troopers stalked through the intersection, with only so much as a glance from one of the giants.
You were then led on only a little further to a cabin where they ordered you in and it quickly became apparent that you were confined to quarters, with only food delivered three times a day at regular intervals. All questions and protests were answered politely but with no real commitment. New clothes in the Indari style fitted to you were brought after your first sleep cycle and showering facilities (a strange thing on a starship) were available in your quarters. It was clear that the ship was still under battle conditions and occasionally you heard distant raised voices or felt a thump or shudder through the ship. A terminal on the wall had a fairly restricted library of both Hrafnhelm material and Hegemony cultural information with almost nothing about the ship itself or anything of military or strategic importance. It was about 30% harmless educational material, 60% cultural artifacts, music, stories, artwork, simple games and the like and 10% jingoistic propaganda.
After 78 hours being essentially held captive in this room, although incredibly luxurious for a starship by your standards, it began to drag on you and as you contemplated your future, there was a chime at the door announcing someone was about to enter. Far too soon for dinner however, something was different. The door slid open and there stood a tall blonde woman with green eyes, wearing an Indari Hegemony Astral Force Officer's Uniform, hands folded behind her back and a sword in scabbard at her side as was the style of many of the Astral Force Officer Corps.
"Sabine. How are you doing? Are they treating you well?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:25, Sun 07 Feb 2021.