" I've no objections to it." Rolak said, looking at the Vodyani turned captain. "And while I'll have to inform my employers of the change, they only care that their investments are retuned in full. So the change should be fine with them."

Rolak grinned in a somewhat feral fashion at Valorum's question.

"But of course, after all if anything unfortunate were to happen on the expedition then my employers would want to be damn sure of who to blame. Though perhaps blame is too weak of a word."

At the slightly concerned look from the others he decided to assuage their concerns, "But I assure you as long as I'm here none of that will be necessary. It is just a system in place to make sure that Lumerian investors can streamline the collection process on payments and is a system used in virtually all of our kind's ventures."

Ylona had been temporarily distracted by the starting of the ceremony. The main viewscreen now showed what one of the portside exterior cameras saw, which was the large audience gathered to witness the launching of the ship. Most of them were Pilgrim, although they were by themselves already a rather diverse group in appearance, clothing and demeanour. In the front row, three Sophons were at least physically attending, if one looked closely it as visible that they were busy in an argument which probably had nothing to do at all with the Saviour. Somewhat in the back was a group of Vaulters who looked rather grim and sollemn, including the children they had brought with them. They were partly obscured by the bulk of some Lumerian representatives whose obese faceshad the smug look of somebody who would make money from this venture whether it succeeded or failed.

Between the ship and the audience was a podium on which someone was currently giving a speech. Since his back was towards the camera, it was difficult to say who it was, but it was likely he'd not be the only one giving a speech today.

"Let's inform the crew of the change once we're launched. Right now we need everyone focused on getting everything online. And Rolak, if you inform them, let them sign an NDA or something so we can be sure they don't leak it further."

She stood up and gestured a bit dramatically towards the captain's seat. "Your chair, Captain", she intoned with pathos towards Valorum.

Now that the matter of the captaincy was cleared up, Ylona returned to her previous seat, passing Laudmas on the way. She whispered while passing: "Asking the captain not to have the last word is not a smart move. Especially if you want order aboard." This was the first time she'd actually been in close contact to one of those Precursor robots, and she hadn't realized how strange their personality could be. This one seemed overly focused on the matter of religion, in a context where it didn't make much sense.

She sat down, planning to flesh out the watchstanding plan by dividing the roster into the appropriate teams. Instead, she had to take up the communicator, which was flashing neglectedly, ignored during the discussion. She listened to what the other person had to say and just answered with: "It will be dealt with" silently, as not to interrupt the captain's discussion.

Hurriedly, Ylona waved Rolak to her console and told him in equally quiet tones once he was there: "Apparently, one of your security crew, Decius, just ripped a mattress in half and ran off with half of it who knows where to. Do you want to explain or go and chew him out for it?"

"No, I do not. But I am not concerned with faith nor the lack of it. Everyone will have their own entitled opinions and I shall respect that."

The ancient robot collapsed itself on the floor and sat on it, cross-legged. He then breathed in, and then breathed out.

"What is it about atheism and Shredyn, Captain Valorum?"

"That is...quite the modification to perform while in flight,"  Meier didn't seem to react much to the Craver's towering form,  "I'm not even sure if we have the necessary parts  onboard but I'll see what I can do about securing a couple consoles, preferably ones with layouts better suited to Craver biology.   Discretely of course."

She turned to face the captain's chair.   "I should return to engineering, unless there's anything further required of me first?"

 Valorum replied calmly, staring at the main viewscreen displaying the procession below the Saviour:

"It's just interesting; about 83% of Sheredyn, galaxy wide, choose to believe that no god exists. I've even heard a Sheredyn diplomat respond to a threat of war from the Church; 'we have no gods to pray to; our soldiers have that honour.' I saw that remark as a blasphemy of the highest kind once; to think that mortal beings were on par with the Virtuals in their splendour. I truly wanted to see just how a people as arrogant as they could live from day to day."

 Turning his head slightly towards the old robot, Valorum continued:

 "Then, as fortune would have it, I spent four years on a Sheredyn colony, living with its governor and training after I was exiled from the Church's fold. When I landed on the planet, I was alone, afraid that I would be dissected or shot on sight, simply because I was Vodyani. I feared that I would become a specimen, a plaything for heathens, and the single loose thread that would unravel the elaborate tapestry that was my church."

His tone was almost too level as he spoke; one would think a Vodyani would have some venom in their voice when they spoke of things like this, but Valorum's voice is surprisingly calm.

 "Instead, when the authorities on that planet took me in, they treated me like an honoured guest in their home. I was given a room, guarded like a prince, even given a seat to watch as their officials debated on their next course of action. At first, I was confused. I couldn't understand why any godless race would be so accepting, especially one who so willingly thought that they themselves were as great as any god. When I asked why this was, the Sheredyn governor told me that 'it was in their code'. In my experience, laws only came from Gods and the Hierarch, so I was only more confused. So I asked the governor what god commanded such behaviour from them, and what she told me will be my answer to you now, Laudmas;"

 'No god commands my actions. No god has walked my path, seen what I've seen, or done what I've done. The only person who truly knows who we are is ourselves, so what god can say how our story ends when they aren't the ones who've written it? Only I choose my road, and if others walk that road as well, then I'll gladly share the path. Regardless of our beginnings, together we share that journey, and together we will see it through.'

Turning around, the gold markings on Valorum's body and cape glinted as he moved. He stepped in front of Laudmas, looking down at him and speaking as much to the rest of the crew as he was to the old robot:

"It was then and there that I asked the governor to have my holy cloth scribed with the symbols I bear; honour, truth, faith, loyalty, justice, and kindness, for it was that day that I swore a new oath; to honour others as if they were my own, to be humble in my actions, and to seek truth and good in all things. I made the greatest of friends in those four years, among those the Vodyani would call heathens, heretics, and desecrators, and I plan on making more aboard this ship. Nobody will share my faith exactly, and not only do I accept that, but I embrace it. So if you worry my faith will guide my actions, Laudmas, your concern is well placed, but remember this; we walk this road together now. I accept the journey ahead of us, I'll celebrate my crew for all its flaws and virtues, but most importantly, I will cherish the people who walk beside me. Such are the demands of my faith, and I will not part with them."

At that, Valorum holds out his hand to help Laudmas up.

Valorum helps Laudmas up and gives him a nod, letting him leave without another word. When Dhanyl voiced his question, Valorum visibly tensed upon hearing the last part. Turning to address the anomaly expert, Valorum replied:

"A valid question, Dhanyl. However, you'll find that the crew will be surprisingly safe from my appetite. As I said, I spent 4 years training among Sheredyn elites, and one of the things they drilled me with were rigorous Ascetic exercises. Doing so has helped me to ignore my hunger, and I've since learned to subsist off small amounts of Dust rather than the Essence of others. It isn't as appetizing as Essence...but I think we can agree that it's better than the alternative."

Looking up at the other officers, and nodding to Decius for his earlier remark, Valorum adds;

"Let Dhanyl and Laudmas serve as good examples; if anyone has any concerns about my captaincy, be it with my commands or myself, feel free to address them to me. It is as much my duty to serve the crew as it is yours to follow my orders now."

Though satisfied Dhanyl wasn't completely convinced jet, after all, there was no way to prove what Valorum had said... what was this old saying again... something about velvet fists and Iron... Whatever...

Valorum was captain now and there was nothing Dhanyl could do to change that. a who knew, maybe he wasn't that bad after all.

"Pleased to her that, but now I think I have to go... Luckily Laudmas is pretty easy to see, but with these long legs it won't is easy to catch up if I wait any longer."

With a halfhearted and ironic Salute, he said his goodbye and jogged in Laudmas direction.

"Hey! Laudmas. Where are you going? Ylona is over there. You still know? The Questions,  the reasons for going here in the first place?"

Valorum nodded to both Dhanyl and Rolak as they both left the bridge. It looked like he hadn't lost his charisma from so long ago. Still, Valorum felt a twinge a guilt. He had omitted one fact about himself; in one regard, consuming Dust wasn't more efficient. Yes, not consuming the crew was a benefit of his fast, but such was more of a sacrifice on Valorum's part than he wanted to admit.

They don't have to know. Just spend your meals alone and spare them the worry.

Suppressing a shudder, Valorum turned to sweep his gaze over the bridge before setting his sights back on the captain's chair. Approaching it, he ran his free hand along the armrest until it met one of the spherical projectors at the end. Tapping it, a keyboard and display lit up in front of the chair made of solid blue light, showing a model the Saviour and it's many systems, all currently under pre-flight diagnosis. Swiping the to the right, a crew roster came up, with showing Yjandek, Ylona, Valorum, Angela, and Rolak, as well as an indicator to swipe down. Almost in a daze, Valorum did so, seeing Laudmas, Dhanyl, and the various other crewmembers under the higher officer's command; Decius was under Rolak's command tree, Angela had several subordinates including an Automaton named Zeroes, and another human named Martin Corvus was a part of the scientific crew under Dhanyl's command.

During this time, he was only tangentially aware that Ylona speaking to Angela and Decius, as if they were speaking from a great distance away. However, Valorum's attention snapped back to reality when he heard Ylona's voice becoming a little more heated whilst referring to Decius. Straightening up, Valorum remained looking at the screen, but part of him was prepared just in case Decius didn't take kindly to Ylona's scolding, watching the conversation in his periphery.

"Surprise, ha, you could say that, but one of the more unpleasant ones..." Dhanyl said, hastening next to the Robot.

"Anyway, I would like to join you, I haven't seen much of the ship and its crew jet." That was not completely true, he had the full ship layout downloaded on his Helmet, but the firsthand experience was nearly always the better experience.

"But could you slow down a bit? My legs are not as long as your's..."