Ylona walks confidently through the ship, finding her way to the crew quarters without trouble, as she had studied the ship plans while waiting. Once there, she claims one of the bunk beds by dropping her rather bulky backpack on it and starts to rummage around in it, placing a few personal items in the locker nearby.

It had been a good day, Rolak thought. He had woken up and gotten to start the day with a local dish famous on the Colony. He got to beat the crap out of some two-bit mugger on the way to the drydocks. And then finally, after getting registered with the captain and messaging that bastard Jenhaestra about his status, had even managed to claim an empty bunk room for himself! 'Yes.' thought Rolak 'Today is a good day.' 

...That is until he opened the door to his recently claimed bunk room to recieve a paperweight to the face...

Somewhat concerned, Ylona looks out of her bunk. "Everything all right?", she asks.

Her appearance is like you'd expect from a Vaulter, her face tattooed and the clothing decorated with geometric patterns seeming too thick and warm for the ship's air temperature. It's difficult to say just how curvaceous or muscular her figure is under the clothing, but she is certainly not overweight.

((Please specify things like whether the person who just hit you with a paperweight is someone's character. Otherwise, it's difficult to react))

"Hah! Of course I'm fine, I've had to deal with being hit in the face by things far worse than a paperweight!" Rolak chuckled. He leaned down to pick the paperweight up from where it had fallen on the floor. Standing up Rolak turned towards the Vaulter girl standing over a larger bag inside his formerly empty room. "Although if I had been any other old Lumerian I might not have been as forgiving about it. Might want to keep that in mind next time you're on a multi-species starship." Rolak stepped inside and set his Luggage on the bunk on the opposite side of the room, then turned to face the Vaulter fully once again. "Name's Rolak by the way, Rolak Ven-Vitto. I'm a security officer here on the Saviour. And now that you know my name, you mind telling me yours?"

"Ha Ha Ha! Yes well, you'd be surprised at what a Lumerian would sue for." shifting closer to take a hold of the archaic looking weapon Ylona was holding, Rolak took notice of how well the Bolt Caster had been taken care of over the years. Yet what really impressed him was the pride in the Vaulter's voice as she continued to explain everything someone would want to know about it to him, and even things he would never have asked about. As Ylona finished talking and Rolak finished his appraisal, he handed the Bolt Caster back to the Vaulter. "It's a fine weapon that's for sure. I'm glad to see that you've at least taken care of it, your Grandmother must be proud." 

((sorry if this seems a bit stiff, this is my first time doing something like this.))

Doctor Alice Skeler adjusted her coat in the hallway, quickly checking her face and hair in a small pocket mirror.   Not that she cared terribly about how others might perceive her, but being presentable was best for business.  Yes, this was only business; a well paying contract, nothing more.   Still, she wished her own firm had won the construction contract.  Human vessels might have been less fancy, but they were reliable.

Briskly, Skeler entered the crew cabin, the mechanical clunk of a small cargo droid - more of a large suitcase with legs - lumbering behind her and another spherical robot orbiting her head.    Without even acknowledging the two crewmembers she'd pushed past, Alice headed to the very back of the cabin where, as far as she could tell, none of the bunks had been claimed.

Alice used the droid as a footstool as she sat her briefcase on the upper bunk, snapping it opon to reveal a neatly-organized tray of tools.   As she rummaged through her belongings,  the small drone flew off, its sensors probing the cabin.    It suddenly stopped, hovering near the departing crew and bathing their faces in the blue light of its scanner.

Ylona hadn't paid attention to other people claiming bunks, but the bright blue light of the scanner does get her attention. Frowning, she picks the drone out of the air and inspects it. While it beeps angrily and struggles to escape her grasp, she mutters to herself: "I don't think we have any anorganic life-forms on the crew roster." Shaking the little thing and watching it react, she adds: "You also don't seem conscious."

She offers it to Rolak for a second, asking: "Is this yours?" When he shakes his head, she stands up straight, holds the scanner drone into the air and asks loudly: "Who belongs to the hover-thing?"

"That would be mine"  the woman in the unusually clean white jacket snapped as she approached,  "And best to let it go before its anti-tamper systems kick in.  Could give you a nasty shock, Miss..."   she consulted the screen on her wrist, "Ajandek?  Am I pronouncing that correctly?    Vaulter names are never really said out loud the way they're spelled, in my experience."   The drone seemed to spark a bit in Ylonda's hands, causing the first mate to let go.

"And you..."  she indicated the security officer, "Rolak Ven-Vitto, head of security aboard ship."    Alice adjusted her glasses with the barest hint of a smile, a smile so faint it almost seemed like a sneer, "I can assure you Miss Ven-Vitto, that the drones are no security threat.   This one and its sisters are merely completing my final inspection before launch.    Chief Engineer Alice Skeler at you service,  though everyone just calls me Angel since my mercenary days."

Ylona puts her fist to the shoulder as a greeting, but stays silent until Alice is done talking. Silent, that is, except a badly supressed chuckle when Rolak is adressed as Miss.

Waving the inquisitive drone out of her face, she answers: "Just call me Ylona. And I'm sorry for grabbing your drone, but you might want to teach it about personal space. I was also concerned that it would keep doing that flashing thing while I have to fly this ship, but if it's just for a one-time inspection, you're the chief engineer."

After a second of silence, she adds: "If you're letting them loose again, please warn me beforehand. I really don't want to steer this baby into a moon because I'm blinded by a blue light." Knocking against the nearby bulkhead, she concludes: "The superstructure might take it, but we're going to scratch the hull. It's those Sophon metamaterials, they allow us to refuel in there, but they can't take a beating."

"If you are this well informed, I take it you recognize me as well," the tall man addressed them as he stepped into the door frame and looked at each of them in turn. "But for the benefit of the others, I'm Yerem Ashami, captain of this vessel, which I urge both of you not to dismiss before you have seen her in action. Sophon technology might not be as sturdy as some others, but it may hold a few surprises for you. Especially when attended by a capable engineer."

He looks at the drone that had just been scanning him, and moves a hand across its flight path to slow it down for just a moment and get a better view of it, then nods with satisfaction. "Custom built, I take it? I am confident you can keep her running, perhaps better than some of the Pilgrim and Sophon techs. The latter especially tend to break more than they fix with their improvements." He chuckles dryly. "Now, if our medical officer were to show up, we could begin preparing this journey in earnest. But I am not surprised, as I hear he can be a little..." A brief pause sees him shifting his jaw, as if rolling several different words across his tongue. "Eccentric."

In addition to her usual gesture, Ylona also bows respectfully to greet the captain. "I had not expected to see you here", she admits, "In fact, I was about to go to the bridge to discuss the watchstanding schedule with you, sir. Once I locked my weapon in the armory, that is. So if you will excuse me.." She picks up the gun she had put aside for the greetings again and walks out of the crew quarters.

In the door, she remembers something and turns around: "Captain, is it true that all senior crew members are supposed to make a holo-appearance during the ceremony?"

"I came here to check on the crew. Some of them are pretty green, but they're all keen to get our journey started. I'll have to think of something to do about those awful red shirts the new recruits have been issued as part of their uniforms, though. That color is just the right shade of disconcerting." He shakes his head and mutters. "Not at all good for morale."

A brief pause follows, and he looks back up at them. "But to answer your more important question: Yes, we are all expected to make an appearance, and I am somewhat temped to have you bring that weapon along to make an impression. Honor your heritage, reminds them that their culture isn't above others, before they drift even closer to the Empire." Heaving a sigh, he rubs his temple. "I really can't stand these ceremonies. Nobody ever makes such a fuss when a vessel returns with everybody whole and well, and this just distracts from crucial preparations."

"Pleasure, captain,"   Alice's voice still lacked any warmth as usual as she eyed the drone.   It didn't show any damage from the rough handling by the brutish Vaulter, but you could never tell; she'd need to take it apart later to make sure,  "Of course my drones are custom built; I don't trust any machine I can't tear down myself.   When you spend time in the Fringe you learn fast to only trust yourself and that extends to your equipment."

"As for the ceremony, I'll have to pass on that.  Public appearances are not my thing.    Besides, I have too many final checks left before we leave port.  Unless you want to risk some spontaneous hull breaches in the starboard fusion chambers?"

"Thank you for that sentiment, Captain, but I'll rather be seen without this. Wouldn't want to be mistaken for a Zolya." Chuckling, she leaves the others and makes her way to the armory, hoping that somebody from security was there to take her weapon.

There was, if only a green recruit who apparently only happened to be passing by. He was so nervous that Ylona basically had to lock up the weapon herself. After some uplifting words to the young man, she went on to the bridge, making a mental note to give Rolak time for training in the duty schedule.

Once on the bridge, she sat down in the pilot's seat and pulled up the navigational interface to plot the course. After several minutes of that, she remembered something and adressed the intercom: "Bridge to engineering. Please tell me when the chief engineer arrives at her station."

((Congrats for the first time of two posts in a row from people who aren't me. Let's hope BlackBird comes back and Zennock turns up, so that we can get the story, and the ship, moving.))

As Rolak watches Ylona and the others leave he makes his way back to his bunk to fish out a more video call worthy attire. While as a Lumerian Rolak understood the need to dress sharp in *ahem* certain situations, he had never understood the humans' seeming need to dress so flamboyantly. Heck he had once been in a meeting with Jenestra Omalfi'Meos herself before, and while she may have dressed a bit more than the average Lumerian, at least she didn't wear a couple closets on herself everywhere she went. Rolak grabbed a hold of his bag and slung it onto his bunk. Unzipping it he started to look for his dress suit. As he took out the suit he thought about the rest of the crw besides Ylona. While he didn't share it with the others, he was well aware of their names beforehand (what kind of security officer would he be if he didn't know their names after all). But he had always felt that the best way to get to know a stranger was a nice conversation on even grounds, braking the ice as it were. Still, as he put on his suit, he couldn't get that one thought to leave his head. 

'How on Earth does someone claiming to be a scientist mix up a male Lumerian for a Female?'

((The reason I was silent during those posts was because I didn't have anything I felt needed to be added to the conversation. Also it looks like I'm going to need to wip my men into shape eh? ))

After the brief introduction, Yerem continued his tour of the ship. Though most of the equipment was beyond his qualifications to inspect, he had found that showing up in person did wonders to ease the minds of the crew before launch. He makes his way to the bridge eventually, and starts to prepare for the holo appearance. Going through the standard preparations barely takes any time, but he keeps working for minutes after. Once he is satisfied with his preparations, he opens a channel to engineering. "Doctor Skeler? I am confident that drone of yours could record a proper holo of you in a few minutes. If you kindly did so and uploaded it to the ship's computer system, I may be able to spare you the appearance."

Then he turns to Ylona as she is planning their course. "The same offer stands for you."

"Thank you", Ylona answers with a relieved tone, "I was going to talk to the Chief Engineer myself about that, privately, because I didn't think you'd be that okay with the idea."

For a while, she stays silent, still calculating intensely. Then, she pulls up a large hologram in the center of the bridge, displaying a star chart with the course on it. "If you want to review the plan, Captain", she starts, but then launches right into the explanation without waiting for a response, "Since we're starting whenever the speeches are done, I've gone with a conservative course, instead of trying a flyby with the moon. It means we'll be getting going a bit slower, but we're still going to go over light speed twenty minutes in, which should be acceptable for the on-lookers, and will be going through the heliosphere of Oyera in six hours. From there it's a week until we're arriving in Tianquitzli, at a star somebody decided to call Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli. We might want to find a shorter name for it. It's not quite the closest star from here, but the one we'll be aiming at best given our course through this system. We should be able to make out all planets at minus two days, and start scanning for anomalies at minus thirteen, measured to our arrival at Tlahuizcal— Tanye's heliosphere. That's assuming standard sensor ranges, which I got out of a book. You might want to ask our Chief Engineer if you want more accurate numbers. Still, we'll have five days of cruising and getting a routine into the crew.

"Which gets me to the watchstanding schedules. I suggest we'll run a three-party dogged watch for the first leg of the journey at least, to give everyone enough time off for their other duties. For the officers on the bridge, I suggest me, you, and Rolak, respectively, with Angel and two grease monkeys of her choice running the parallel shifts in engineering. You'd get first watch after launch, mostly for the publicity, with probably me still having the conn for most of the time. I'll take the second shift, so that I'm there when we hit the heliopause. It's nothing to worry about, but there might be a few sensors beeping, so it's better to have somebody on the helm who knows what's to ignore. Rolak will have the first shift after, which should be uneventful. I'll stay with him for the start of the shift to introduce him to the systems, and get my sleep afterwards. Once we're out of Oyera, the watchstanding will be a formality anyway, since we're unlikely to hit anything, even pirates, this far away from cosmic strings, and are going to run on automatic."

((Don't worry too much about the shift assignments, just ignore them in case they get in the way of a good story.))