"We know the Zhodani are unreliable allies, but they are also the only allies available if we want to get back the worlds the Imperium stole from us; Isenfang and the others in what the Imperials call Villis." Ingrid explains. "Still, their lack of support at the peace treaty was very damaging."


"I should like to meet the King, if it is possible. On Drinax, do we have to wear the kind of protective gear mister Varca does?" she askes.

She nods at Viridian "Oh yes, the ship needs a name".

  Zhouth was willing to concede on the circumstances and timing of any such arrangements, if not on the necessity. "We'll have to meet all of the court types eventually anyway, even if we aren't saying just what we do for fun around here, so let's start with Oleb and see how it goes?"

  As to the other matter, he smiled and shrugged again. "If we're supposed to be playing diplomat and pirate together then we'd better not have too scary a name." Half-jokingly (or maybe not jokingly - it was hard to tell with Zhouth sometimes - he then blurted out, "How about King's Ransom?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:56, Thu 05 Sept 2019.

In reply to Zhouth (msg # 487):

     Varca walks over and claps Cyrus--his non-Drinaxi, alien friend--on the shoulder in a comradely fashion.  There's a big smile on his face.

     The only time Varca has smiled during the whole trip has been those times, during unarmed combat training, he's landed a decent blow, or slammed someone down on the deck with a good throw....

     "Cyrus, my good, good friend..." Varca says, smiling and shaking his head, "Of course you can fly a ship--probably even navigate one, too!  And a damn fine job you do of it.  But Hell--who can't can fly a starship?  Even I can fly one, and I can even operate an Astrogation computer.  Feh!  Big deal." Varca makes a dismissive gesture with his gloved right hand.

     "If that's all you're basing your presumptuous self-assumption of Command over this vessel...well, buddy, as much as I may enjoy dropping a few pints with you, I gotta tell ya..."

     Varca's smile now has a dangerous edge to it,

     "It's gonna be a lovely spring day to go walkabout--without a Hazard Suit--on the surface of Drinax--before I'm gonna back off about commanding this mission.  So, how d'you wanna resolve this, my friend?  The Navy Way, or the Pirate Way?"

  Ears going flat, Zhouth backpedalled his way clear of the potential blast zone (figurative and possibly literal) as the question of command suddenly took an ominous turn...

  "Uhh, I don't think that getting into duels is a good idea. It's only about commanding in a battle anyway, right? We're deciding on things together otherwise?" He was more than a little bit nervous, and it sounded clearly in his voice and showed clearly in his body language.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:18, Thu 05 Sept 2019.

"Non Professor, zhere will be no duels. Messieur Varca is simply expressing his passion clearly."

"I do not believe he is zhreatening me. Partly because he knows I am augmented and is fairly certain he would lose, but mostly because he knows that blades and luck are a foolish way to make such a decision."



"We will use zhe intelligent way mon ami."

"Belittle my skills as you will it is simply the truth that I am zhe most qualified, granted only somewhat more zhan Theadore but zhis has been settled already."

"I respect you my friend but even considering only the people in this room you are ahead of only zhe Professor regarding zhe job of Captain."

"I will Captain zhe ship and you will command zhe boarding party. Zhis is how it must be."

"Zhis is the smart way to do it if we want to succeed, and you, mes ami, 'ave recently vowed to succeed, non?"

  Zhouth regarded Varca uncertainly. "That's what I was thinking! Varca the Raider can't really charge through the airlock from the bridge." He motioned toward the airlock in question, and sure enough, the line drawn by his fingers ended in another section of the ship. "And raiding is what you're best at, right? It sure seemed that way from the farmhouse!"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:32, Thu 05 Sept 2019.

In reply to Zhouth (msg # 491):

     "Correct." Varca responds--actually to both Cyrus and Zhouth.

     "But I'm not talking about Captain--at least, not the way you are talking about it, Cyrus.  As I just said, many of us, here, can fly this ancient tub--and as you said, and I believe you, you are the most qualified Pilot amoung us.  Plus, as you've said, you have some experience Pirating."

     "And yes, I am likely the most qualified to plan and lead a Raid on a ground based target, and I would even go so far as to say, even against a space station.  Rejji could, too--well, maybe not against a space station--but that's just because of our background.  Where we both come from, raiding is a way of life--we raid to survive; we raid our enemies, we raid our neighbors, sometimes we even raid ourselves!  I'm only better at it than Rejji because I'm older, and have a wider experience base."

     "But I'm not talking about being Captain, as just being the most hot-shot pilot, like you are, Cyrus.  No.  I'm talking about Commanding this operation.  Being the one calling the shots--the one making operational decisions, after the Princess, of course."

     "I'm talking about being the one that'll get fed into the mass converter by King Oleb, when everything falls from orbit."

     "I'd just like to point out that, as a Vespexer--though we don't like admitting it--I am a Drinaxi citizen.  I am also a veteran of the Drinaxi Royal Star Guards, having worn the King's Coat for almost two decades.  I am familiar with Drinaxi military protocols."

     "That's just why I'm pro-Drinaxi.  And if you think that that might compromise my deniability, think again.  I am a Vespexer--'everyone knows' that Vespexers are xenophobes, that we don't like the Palace Folk, and we especially hate The King.  Oh, I am quite deniable."

     "And while I am not belittling the value of Pirate operations to this mission, again, as a Vespexer I just bring a broader spectrum of knowledge to the party.  As a Vespexer, a large chunk of all my training is just on surviving--on assessing what is needed to survive, figuring out how to do it, then taking whatever steps are needed to achieve it."

     "I can visit a colony, look around town, and determine what they need to improve their lives--and that's a double sided coin, because I can then either provide them with what they need, generating gratitude, or I can take what they have, generating misery and hopelessness."

     "But more importantly, I have the cunning to do both."

"As I say I appreciate your passion but you are mistaken in several areas and critically mistaken in two."

"First you underestimate me. I know you do it for political reasons in order to attempt to present yourself in a better light and so I don't hold it against you. Nevertheless you are wrong. You offer nothing zhat I do not."

"Your second error is zhe more serious one. We are not choosing a King Messieur Varca."

"None of us, man, woman, or Vargr will have zhe auzhority you speak of."

"None of us will be a Tyrant."

"None of us will make such decisions alone. Zhis is simply not how it is done. A Privateer vessel must needs be a democracy."

"Zhe Captain commands zhe ship in battle. Zhe Engineer commands in engineering. Each officer commands in zheir own area. But when zhere is time every crewmember must be heard."

"Because it is all of us who will be "fed into zhe mass converter" if things go badly regardless of what you say."

  Zhouth shifted uneasily in place as he quickly looked about to gauge how everyone else was reacting to the dispute...

"We're all on the same side here. There's no reason to fight." Ingrid says soothingly. "We rise or fall together. I don't mind taking orders if it makes things easier. Whatever is agreeable to the group."

In reply to Ingrid Gustavdottir Sigar (msg # 495):

     Varca hooks a thumb in Ingrid's direction, while keeping his gaze on Cyrus,

     "What she said--which isn't what you said, my friend." Varca says, "Y'know, you talk an awful lot about democracy and group decisions--but as I recall you were pretty quick to appoint yourself to the position of Captain, back on day one.  Me?  I'm just being honest--so, yeah, I want to be the Boss.  That don't mean I ain't gonna listen to what folks got to say--in fact, I've always made a habit of listening to experts..."

     Varca gestures towards whoever else is watching,

     "Like these experts, which Princess Rao has assembled."

     Varca drops his gesturing hand, and shrugs his shoulders indifferently,

     "But, hey--fine--you want to be Captain, and oversee all flight operations?  You be the Captain, and you do that...I'm just saying that it's gonna be me in over-all command.  And if you want to keep playing this The Navy Way...fine, I'll play that game with you."

     Varca raises his hands in faux surrender, a look of calm acceptance on his face, and steps away from Cyrus.

     "We'll just see which of us can gather the most patronage and political backing between now and when the Damned King tells us who's in charge of his ship, and the mission."

     Varca turns from Cyrus and, generally, addresses the whole group that's gathered there,

     "There's a good chance, with this over-all operation that the Princess has laid out for us, for each of us to make a ton of credits--each!  And I'm gonna work hard to make that happen for all of us.  But I am also solidly behind the plan to increase the political and military influence of the Kingdom of Drinax in this subsector--if not the entire rimward region of Trojan Reach Sector!"

"I agree with the latter sentiment about money for all!"

"Great idea! We'll all be the Dread Pirate Robert!" Viridian exclaimed. "We'll take turns each month."

"For that matter, we can use the name Dread Pirate Robert. We can stop in at every spacer bar and start spreading rumors ourselves."

"Which brings up another idea. What if we claim to be from some world that doesn't actually exist? Anyone looking for us would try to find us there. First, of course, they'd have to find that world."

"I should point out that the Princess has not said anything. She's not going to pick a leader. She's not going to tell us what to do. We're on our own. And that's the way it should be."

"I think you'll find, too, that King Oleb isn't going to get overly involved in the operation. Even if he knows one or two of you, he doesn't know the rest of us. So how is he going to be able to select a leader? If he was going to do that, he'd have selected the captain of one of his Star Guard ships. But that would have defeated the whole plan. Other than give us all a pep talk and confirm what the Princess has told us, he's not going to get involved."

"Anyway, rather than try and decide who gets spaced with or without a spacesuit, we should be doing something practical... like figure out our plan of action."

"And we should start by taking stock of the ship. It'll all be a moot point if the ship doesn't work. It's old, and it's taken a lot of damage. And, frankly, it looks like hell. Personally, I don't think that's going to win a lot of friends or influence a lot of enemies."

"I don't have any engineering skills, but I can assess the electronics."

"Whether Cyrus is the leader or not, he's still got the most experience with starships. What do you think has the highest priority... for assessment not repair?"

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 498):

Cyrus nods and answers matter of factly, holding up a finger at each point.

"First is Life Support. Life Support Systems as well as food, water, fazilities, and quarters. All of zhese zhings must work or none of the others, including zhe crew, can work."

"Second zhe Power. Power plant, fuel systems, and processing equipment."

"Zhird is zhe Maneuver Drive. We know it is working but it needs to be checking from top to bottom."

"Next is zhe J Drive. As zhe M Drive it is functioning now but it too must be checked from end to end."

Out of fingers he holds up a thumb.

"Last we must check zhe structure of zhe ship as well. Zhe 'ard points, armor, and defensive systems."

"Zhere are older ships zhan zhis one flying, even serving in front line navy units, but zhey have been refitted with care and skill. We have zhe skills. Now we must take zhe care, non?"

He did not make a show of 'addressing the troops' as Varca had but he spoke clearly and loudly enough to be heard everywhere on this level of the small ship.

"You are correct zhis is more important zhan posturing."

"Unless zomeone I do not know as well is a better Engineer zhan Ingrid or a more qualified XO than Theadore we will follow zheir recommendations on zhese zhings"

"Anyone who has applicable zkills to zhis process should inform Myself or Theadore so that we can organize where we will all do the most good.

"What do you mean Cyrus has the most experience? I was in the Imperial Navy 24 years and am just as qualified! I just don't want to fight over it, so will be First Officer."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:05, Fri 06 Sept 2019.

"Oui, zhis is so. When last we met he was a better pilot zhan I in fact. But I shoot bettair you see?"

"I am sure he meant no offense Theodore..."

Cyrus always pronounced Teddy's name "TEE-Oh-Door".

"But you know zhat I asked you to be First Offizair because I believe you would be better at it zhan I, do you not? Procurement on a privateer is zhe same as being a free trader in many ways."

"Well, I haven't read over anyone's CV yet," Viridian responds.

"All I know, Teddy, is that you were in the Imperial Navy. Cyrus was in the Strend Star Guard. In other words, while he was in the Star Guard, he was a functional pirate to begin with and then became a bona fide pirate."

"In the present situation, I think that qualifies him as 'the most experienced'... as opposed to your pampered Imperial experience. I'm just saying, Teddy."

"Anyway, I'll go check on the electronics now."

  "I think that we're going to have to decide who leads a thing when we decide to do that thing. No one's going to be good at it all."

  Zhouth smiled at Varca in an apparent attempt at easing tensions and held out one hand toward the Vespxer and another toward what was, once again, presumptively the direction of his other subject. "Suppose we have to do a friendly deal with the Hierate one day. You'd enjoy leading that even less than we'd enjoy you trying to!"


  As to the other matter... apparently he was about to get back to being a professional paper-pusher. Finally, something comfortably familiar for him to do!

  "I'm good at writing reports, if nothing else," he declared brightly. "I'll wander around, listen in on everyone's mutterings as they work, and mix the findings all together when we're done? Then we'll know what kind of mess we're really in. The good thing is that it probably won't involve any escaped xeno-monsters this time!"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:18, Sat 07 Sept 2019.

     "Well...Rejji is still wandering around the ship, Zouth." Varca adds, with a grin, "So...you can, sorta, count that hope as being dashed on the rocks...heh-heh."

Ingrid smiles as the two seem to have stopped fighting for the moment. "I'll go check on the M-Drive. Call me when you are ready for dinner" she says warmly, and makes her way towards Engineering.

In reply to Ingrid Gustavdottir Sigar (msg # 505):

     Varca turns back to Cyrus,

     "There's more to this job than just Piracy, Buddy!  It's Political!  So don't go thinking this is over..."

     Varca then make some barbaric, superstitious gesture with his gloved right hand--he points two fingers of the hand at his own eyes, then swings the hand around to point the same two fingers at Cyrus, then repeats the gesture a few times, as he slowly backs away.  All the time looking at Cyrus with a stern, red-eyed gaze...

"I'll check the J drives then for now, I seem to have the best knowledge there."

08:41, Today: Theodore McFarlane rolled 11 using 1d20+3. engnrng check.

Ingrid should double check them.

  Zhouth was visibly relieved when the confrontation wound down without anyone coming to blows, and was quite content to play note-taker here and there about the ship as everyone broke up to do their own little inspections.

09:31, Today: Theodore McFarlane rolled 10 using 2d6+3. computer check.

"Anyone feel free to double check a system behind me. I won't feel bad."

Cyrus smiles his charming Gallic smile and returns an equally barbaric gesture. His only requires one finger...

"I expect it is not at zhat. Still zhere is work to do. Let us be about it, non?"