You have received orders to report aboard INS Sharshana as her new command crew. Your journey to the naval base at Zeng is outside the scope of this mission; some will have been at the base for a while, others may just have arrived. Travellers transferring from a previous deployment will have arrived together; others will not know their new colleagues yet.

Events begin to unfold as the senior crew meet and prepare to transfer aboard their new vessel. Your orders are to take command of the cruiser – she currently has a set of ‘caretaker’ officers aboard, who will transfer control and then leave – and conduct a local patrol that will also serve as a shakedown cruise. The crew are already aboard. Some have been assigned to INS Sharshana for some months; others have arrived over the past few days. The Travellers can expect to find their ship provisioned and the crew familiar with their vessel, but, as with any new ship’s company, the personnel will need to gain experience at working together and crewing this particular ship.

The Travellers’ belongings will be transferred by a separate shuttle; you are going aboard in dress uniform to take command of a heavy cruiser, with an appropriate degree of ceremony. The referee should set the mood with a few details about the flight out to INS Sharshana:

• An honour-guard of eight marine troopers and a lieutenant from the naval base, who convey the command crew aboard their shuttle then smartly salute and march out of the naval base shuttle bay.

• Utility craft buzzing about the naval base as the shuttle begins her short transit over to the cruiser. A naval fighter decelerating sharply into parade formation with the shuttle, a snappy piece of flying made to look effortless. The fighter peels away under high acceleration as the shuttle enters the cruiser’s docking bay, but stays welded to its wing until then.

• A system defense boat on security patrol flashing her running lights in salute.

• Light from the distant star glittering on the hull of INS Sharshana. A proud old ship with an honourable record. A heavy cruiser of the Imperial Navy. Our Ship. The shuttle passes through the docking bay doors and settles into its berth as the bay is pressurized and the welcoming party file in. Behind them, forming up by divisions are the flight, gunnery and engineering crews; the stewards and the medics, the marines and the technicians. There is a podium set up for the new captain to greet his crew.

But first, there are formalities. The current commanding officer is a grey-haired Engineering lieutenant who has clearly looked after many ships whilst they are under repair. Identification and orders are presented; the ship’s computer logs the new arrivals and confirms their status. At last the yard crew salute and announce they are relieved. As the new captain approaches the podium, the yard officers quietly enter the shuttle. Some look back, perhaps wistfully, though whether they are already missing the ship or envious of her crew, it is not possible to say.

The new captain needs to say something to the crew. Ideally, this takes the form of a solemn promise to lead them well and to make the navy proud… but the Travellers are in charge now and can make their own decisions. The crew must stand and listen, however long- winded or waffly the Travellers’ speech might be. The ceremony should make the Travellers feel that they are important… but also it is an opportunity for them to see just what a big job they have ahead of them. Every one of those crewmembers and officers depends on the Travellers to get them home after the mission, and with their honour intact. Lives will depend on their decisions, and great events might be influenced by the actions of this crew. Commanding a navy ship is no small task, and if the Travellers do not already realize this, they will soon.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:37, Fri 24 July 2020.

Captain Reziilka looked every bit the part of an Imperium Captain. His uniform looked pristine, his chest full of medals were perfectly arranged and shone when they caught the light and his gait was full of confidence. If he had any reservations or nerves about being handed control of a Naval heavy cruiser there wasn't the slightest hint of it.

He strode to the lieutenant custodian and snapped a quick salute. A simple acknowledgement that the lieutenant's command of the ship was over, that a true adult was in the room to wield the power of Imperium.

Reziilka turned to face the assembled crew and paused. The moment of silence stretched out to an uncomfortable length and yet the Captain didn't seem fazed at all by the pause. His eyes swept back and forth, seemingly sizing up each individual.

When he finally spoke his voice was artificially projected so that it echoed throughout the room.

"Today is an auspicious day not for the Imperium or for Sharshana but for you, her crew. Today you get the privilege of serving aboard one of the Imperium's warships. Today you get to be part of the power that the Imperium projects to bring peace and order to the stars. Today you get to be part of the line that holds back the enemies of civilization. Today you are given the privilege to serve with distinction and live a life that matters. You might be one man or woman but together we become part of the greatest military in the known universe. With our fury we shall burn away the darkness. With our glory we will create a shining beacon that will help guide the Imperium into tomorrow. When I look upon your faces I do not see individuals, mortal and weak. I see weapons of war, trained to be the best, to bring the best to every obstacle and every enemy we may face.

So I say this to you to recall when pain is high and the sky grows dark. We are more than what we are. Banish your thoughts of doubt and regret. Those are for the weak, for the mortal. Hold fast to your courage and your honor for that is what the Imperium will demand from you and what you will deliver. If you serve with honor, with courage then no obstacle shall withstand us, no enemy shall survive us. We are the cleansing light that burns away the darkness and carves the path for the Imperium into tomorrow.

When you step on board the Sharshana, you get the privilege of leaving your weak and pathetic individual identities behind and get to become something more. You get to become the very spirit of the Imperium. That is the privilege you will receive today."

Captain Reziilka falls silent, letting his steely gaze pass over the assembled crew for another lengthy pause, letting the silence hang heavy in the air and forcing the crew to reflect upon his words.

"Man your stations and prepare to depart. Dismissed."

Lt Tsetsegmaa looks hesitant, not knowing if the captain just also dismissed the command crew, or if he wishes to have a conference with them to give instructions. She sways on one foot and the other, glancing at the other officers, not daring to ask neither to move...

In reply to Iita Tsetsegma (msg # 3):

"...Man your stations and prepare to depart. Dismissed."

Dr. Lassila relaxed his posture but gave it a beat in case the captain might give an indication he wanted to see his staff immediately.  Seeing none, he turned to make his way to the exit.  On his way out he caught a glimpse of the attractive engineering officer (Lt. Tsetsegmaa going by her nameplate) he'd noticed on the shuttle.  He hadn't had time for introductions then.  Coming out of cyrosleep always messed with his sleep cycle and he'd spent most of the flight to the Sharshana dozing.  She was looking a bit lost right now.  Sauli would have liked to offer his help, but he was in a hurry. He wanted to catch the departing ship's doctor before she left.  Though doubtless there'd be a complete report on the state of the crew's health and the condition of the ship's medical facilities waiting for him in the medbay, there was always something that would be said in person that wouldn't have made its way into a dry summary.

His lack of sleep and unfamiliarity of being in a new ship meant that Sauli had to stop to ask direction from enlisted spacers a few times.  No doubt he'd be known all over the ship in the morning "the officer so green he couldn't find his own billet" but he didn't care.  Better to look the fool than be the fool.   After innumerable twists and turns he finally found himself in front of a door with the familiar red cross.  He thumbed the switch and it slid open.  He entered his new station.

  The new first officer stood out from the crowd.

  The was true in more than once sense: he maintained a respectful distance to the captain's right, also facing the assembled crew, as Thenroy's speech thundered forth, and even at a distance it was apparent that he was considerably taller and bulkier than the average vargr citizen - and the average human one too.

  The uniform? Absolutely spotless. The stance? Rock solid. The fur? Greying somewhat.

  Someone watching closely - at the risk of being seen to stare - might have caught the fact that he too was surveying the crowd now and then, albeit only by way of a slow sweep of his eyes and a occasional very slight repositioning of his ears.

  He remained in place when the order of dismissal came, initially observing - this time more openly - as the crew began to file out, before turning his head toward Thenroy. If the captain wished to confer with him now about their orders, so be it. If not, the aft bridge awaited his attention.

Sub Lieutenant Hrolf Standarsson stood with the other command staff as the change of command occurred and the captain made the obligatory speech.  With a new ward room and crew as well as a ship just out of the yards it was probably well that he let the crew and his officers see a bit of him as well as start to understand his motivations.  The speech was stirring although the proof was always in the action.  Hrolf had heard good things of the captain although he knew little of the other officers beyond what he'd seen and heard on the short trip over on the shuttle.   Everyone seemed competent and disciplined although again that would be proven later.  The ship herself was impressive, far larger than anything Hrolf had served on before and the crew and other officers moved with precision and good morale as they gathered by department and division.  With the rumors of politics swirling around the ship and the nature of her return to service they would need all the morale and competence that they could find.

When the captain dismissed the officers and crew Hrolf came to attention for a moment.  As the scene dissolved into a swarming mass of sophonts heading to their posts Hrolf took a moment to look around.  He'd made his way from the Jewel subsector via naval courier as part of the transfer to this new posting and hadn't had much of a chance to settle in yet.  Hrolf nodded to the lieutenant with the tabs of the engineering branch and held out his hand to Iita.  "Hrolf Standarsson, chief pilot.  Since your drives will be getting us where I point the ship I thought I'd get to know the people who will be giving me emergency power in those tight spots."

Lieutenant Mammady Kaouthrak (Mammady is Seurrat for Mohammed and Kaouthrak is pronounced KawthRACK) didn't do striding.  He was quadridextrous and had a certificate saying that he didn't have to wear boots.  Not least because it interfered with his ability to walk along the ceilings, which had saved the lives of more than one captain in the past.  Other than the fact that he wore white gloves on his feet as well as his hands, his uniform was impeccable.  The uniform covered every inch of his red fur in uniform.

While the Captain gave his speech, he stood as close to attention as he could, drawing himself up to his full four foot ten and a half or one and a half metres and looking every inch the well-trained Officer of the Imperial Navy, as soon as it was over, he relaxed and began exploring all the hidden highways and byways of the ship, taking his station on the bridge in good order.  He was an engineer and always had been but on top of that, he was a problem solver and that was why he had been assigned to the bridge rather than the equal in rank but higher in status post of Chief Engineer.

Lieutenant Commander Sidare Dinsha stood at attention as the change of command ceremony got underway.  Her's was a professional, but not overly rigid stance.  She was not new to command and that was reflected in her actions.  With a quiet, solitary confidence, she observed the proceedings, slight nods at appropriate marks.  In between the Captain's remarks, she gave other crew that came into her field of view a quickly glance, careful to note any who had gunnery department insignia.  Introductions would come later, but for now, she was content to take notice and note of those she would certainly see later.

As the Captain finished, Sidare pursed her lips and straightened her jacket.  There was much to reflect on in the Senior Officer's speech, but for now, it was time to get to work.  Turning on one heel, she fell out of formation and proceeded to the task at hand.  Sidare decided that she would start at the primary weapon system and work her way outward from there, to verify readiness.  At a brisk pace, she headed toward the core of the Sharshana and her spinal mount.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:08, Sun 26 July 2020.

(bear with me - last time I'll write a full description!)
Up close, Lieutenant Tsetsegmaa looks less attractive : tall for a woman [1m73/5'8")], but thin bordering on skinny [54 kg/119 lbs], a face pale as the moon with close to no makeup, a left eye smaller than her right, slightly squinting - added to the fact that she rarely looks her interlocutor straight in the eyes. Her uniform is slightly creased, showing that she does not really care about formal occasions like this.

Iita quickly shakes the hand held to her, introduces herself with a strong archaic Solomani accent and replies : "pleased to meet you, lieutenant. We definitely have to communicate between the piloting and Engie sections! I'd like to know ASAP where we're going, and what we'll be doing here, so if you have any clue, tip me off! For example, with due respect to the grey-haired Engineering naval yard LT who just left - and with whom I would have liked to exchange so much information... - if we are to scoop fuel on a planet or a gas giant, I want to triple check the machinery, since AFAIK this ship has been haphazardly tinkered with... Same goes if we'll do some war exercises against the other Dukes' navies of the subsec' - I wish the captain would tell us more before we depart! And of course I don't want my obituary to read "lost with her ship on the first jump of her first voyage as a chief engineer"... Yes AAMOF, I was ACE on the INS Zatsernem until now... - ACE stands for Assistant Chief Engineering" she added noting the puzzled look in Standarsson's eyes. Realizing she did another infodump, Iita abruptly shut up with a crooked smile, gazing distantly.

Hrolf blinked a couple of times as Iita performed quite the data dump on him all at once.  Not that his disliked the communication for the success of the mission and even their lives would depend on the cooperation of the wardroom in leading the ship.  He shook hands, his grip even and firm.

Chuckling a bit at the bit of jargon at the end Hrolf smiled. His accent was a bit off as well, perhaps a bit archaic with hints of some of the more obscure Solomani dialects. "Well, rumor has it we are going to patrol into the gulf but then that's just yard scuttlebutt.  I'd say the captain will be letting us all know soon enough.  I'll certainly be sure to let you know if I find anything out sooner.  Still, I would expect that we'll be exercising fuel skimming as well as most other typical evolutions.  Even with experienced ratings the crew is new and the ship... well, she's just out of the yards and heavily rebuilt."

Hrolf looked around and noticed that the other officers were moving off.  "Looks like the captain is setting up for a briefing.  Let's join."  With that Hrolf moved off to the briefing room.

To: Briefing Room 3

What a pompous asshat! Colonel thought to himself even as the captain spoke.

Once again, Colonel had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or was that the right place at the right time? He was never sure how to interpret events. He'd been on the verge of getting discharged from the Imperial Navy--again!--and had gotten in the wrong line... or something like that. The next thing he knew, he was 'volunteering' for this new assignment.

On the bright side, it was a bigger ship than the last one, so there were bound to be a lot more gambling opportunities, and he still needed to fill up his retirement fund. A shudder momentarily ran through him as the thought of staying in the Navy until he was eligible for a pension flashed through his mind.

You gotta know when to fold 'em. The old song lyric ran through his mind. Ain't that the truth!

As he filed out of the room, starched-shirt types might have noticed that while his uniform conformed to the regulation standards, it didn't quite look as... crisp... as other officers' uniforms. It looked more... casual... comfortable.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:37, Mon 27 July 2020.