Allayi Mirganis
Boredom.
Never had Allayi felt more disappointed with a triumph than she did after returning home.
When she had applied to be part of the expedition, she knew there would be sacrifices. Yet she had imagined even those to be more exciting than this. Grueling training? Nothing she hadn't done before. Hazardous work environments? Same, just with different details. Sustaining wounds that lasted a lifetime? At least it would be a challenge to make them look good. Going down with the ship? Should be a relatively quick death.
But this? This was just draining. In a perfect world, she would be out there, back in the embrace of high society, attending parties, being the belle of the ball, using her new connections to gain more allies and resources, purchase better engines for her private vessels, maybe take a vacation to somewhere sunny.
Instead, she felt like a prisoner. In a luxurious prison no doubt, with wifi, good foof and (un)fortunately nobody who'd try to stab her.
Sure, she tried to pass the time. Read some good classic literature, listened to classic music while ensuring her dancing skills did not rust (complicated by how hard it was to find a decent dance partner around these parts), order new dresses, listen to classic music while honing her skill with the fan. Unfortunately, busywork was all it was. All just going through the motions. She needed new faces, new excitements. Maintaining Content Expression #2 was getting a tiny bit harder every day in this peaceful hell.
It came to a point where she got so desperate for soem excitement that she seduced one of the on site personnel. All very professionally, surveillance shouldn't have picked up on it, she had made sure that the fling coming to light would damage his career more than it would hers, and overall he had been a considerate lover, if terribly unrefined, kept looking at her ears all the time. Well, as they said about the devil and the flies.
When finally, finally she received notification that they were about to sail out once more, she had to restrain herself from grabbing the nearest person for a victory dance.
Calista stared at the inky void. The emptiness between bodies.
Ingress.
Her uniform jacket was unbuttoned part way, enough to let a glimpse of collar bone and a dense tracery of ink peek out. She'd never been in a position to flout anything before, and damn if she wasn't going to lean in a bit. Control was the usual watchword. Identification.
Isolation.
She forced herself to relax, unwinding muscle groups one by one, sinking in to herself to be present in the here, now, herself. Not elsewhere. Not blinkered. Her responsibility was not outputs, but inputs to the system. Maximize, don't minimize. Exceed expectations.
Invitation.
Turning she acknowledged them with a dreamy nod. "Be seated."
She sat with prim rigidity, pouring a glass of water before she began.
"Calista Buhler, Captain. It will be a pleasure serving with you all I'm sure. I understand your previous captain transferred out, and as such I will try not to disrupt the established flow of your system without cause." Sip. Scan. Evaluate. "I am excited for this opportunity, and hope you will all do your parts to help me adjust and acclimate. Introductions would be appreciated in that effort."
Looking directly at Symca, she smiled. "Your name for starters?"
"If it pleases you, I'm Warrant Officer Symca Tanith, psychic second class."
Symca smiled back, teeth like glass.
"I'm legally on secondment from a company I'm not allowed to name, but I'm sure you have our files."
@Mina
Alexi waited for Symca to make her introduction before speaking up on his part. "I strongly advise not being hesitant about changing things, our previous mission was the only time we've worked together and our previous captain was.. inexperienced.. though the man did come into his own by the time we reached the city. I'm assuming you have read files on the mission?"
He tilted his head, not certain how much had been recorded as opposed to just written up and if they had bothered to give her access. If she was serving with them now obviously she had to be cleared for it all. If not then someone was being an idiot. Though this new captain may want them to describe it all in their own words a bit later, sometimes reports missed things after all.
"As for a brief overview of how things more or less worked last mission, I commanded the marines and took charge more or less during the on foot advance into the fuel station, as well as taking over diplomatic responsibilities with the survivors of the station as Captain Beauregard was at the time rather.. mistrustful of them." The man had been a paranoid jackass about people who had been huddled out of sight with no armaments on them. "I'll also be in charge of coordinating the marines during any boarding or counterboarding action."
"Warrant Officer Tanith acted as a mostly independent roving infiltrator and flanker from what I recall and I predict that to remain the case. She's our science officer as well during flight operations I believe?
Ensign Kinsky was a capable marksman during the battle though not much else of note unless he's picked up a speciality. He mans the ship's weaponry when aboard the ship.
Captain Beauregard acted as medic for the first battle and remained mostly hands off to an.. irritating extent until we got to the city and
required him to take center point for diplomatic negotiation. At which point he performed more admirably, though apparently the stress of maintaining a proper captain role got to him as sadly happens. I believe we should perhaps pursue getting a field medic to replace him for ground operations.
And finally our pilot Lieutenant Mirganiss took charge of the ship while the rest of us were out and took center point during later diplomacy with the city and leaders of the system later alongside the captain. I'd strongly recommend treating her as your 2nd in command for the ship, she's seemed quite capable.
In short, you've inherited a tested but still rough around the edges crew that previously worked under a captain that, while I would vigorously defend against being labeled 'incompetent', was obviously not ready for assuming such a role." It was rather a shame in his mind really, if they had had no casualties perhaps the man could've held out against the stress and grown into the fine officer he had shown signs of becoming in the latter part of the mission.
Entering the observation deck, she was much like at the start of the previous flight. A professional grey uniform, white hair in a military bun, no earrings or other jewlery. In other words, she would look like a perfectly normal pilot, if it wasn't for the closed fan in her right hand, her grey skin and pointy ears.
Well then. Symca was as unprofessional as always, which was cute in its own way. Regith as refreshingly efficient as she remembered, good. The new captain, hard to tell from just a glance. Though from just that she wanted to recommend a good massage parlor to the woman. Ah, curious. Her dress code was expressive, but not teasing. An unnecessary showing, but not aimed at anyone right now. She could work with that.
She did the usual textbook salute, but decided to be silent until spoken to.
"Lieutenant Allayi Mirganiss, pilot, as you've heard." she said, sitting in a straight but relaxed position due to the feel of the room.
"My gratitude for officer Regith's recommendation. It is however missing something I only shared with our previous captain before.
Aside from my piloting skills, I am a trained high-society assassin. Not very efficient in a battle, but able to dispatch unsuspecting targets at close range swiftly and cleanly."
During her explanation, her expression and tone were perfectly casual, as if she was informing people about her science diploma. Leaning back a bit further, she snapped open her fan with a sharp motion, continuing while using it to blow some air towards her face.
"This tool here is a special creation with edges as sharp and sturdy as those of a monoblade, perfect for slicing throat or arteries.
At your leisure, it will be my
pleasure to dispose of people in places they do not expect to be attacked."
Her fan was now positioned so that nobody could see her smirk.
Revealing her most well guarded secret wasn't something she had expected to do this morning. Previously, she had simply sent their former captain a private message. It seemed like the months in social isolation had left a bigger impact than she had anticipated.
In any case, the results should be amusing.
