Settling Dust And All...

[namisan]

Who: Nami and you!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Iskaulit
When: Now

Space Bar is back open for business.  Brand new seedy-looking furniture and everything. 

[Wryly.  Well, you take what you can get in a rest stop like this, and it's not like their furnishings were classy to begin with.  She might have had to empty out her double casino winnings for the most part, but what the hell.  It's in the name of business and there will always be more casinos, right?

Anyway.  She's making this announcement from the Space Bar, but she has a lot more to say.]

So...this is the third attack on the Fleet that people know of.  Two by this mystery Fleet and one by a bunch of jackass raiders.  It pretty well stands to reason that it's gonna happen again some  time in the future-- hopefully a lot later rather than sooner, but.  There were a lot of near misses. 

[Aria still hasn't woken up.  For one.]

So a couple things:

One, I'd really appreciate getting whatever information we can together about both groups, and I would assume I'm not the only one.  People actually managed to speak to that first Fleet this time, didn't they?  I know my Comms officer got through, at least.  So what gives that they rescued us this time instead of screwing us over?  We need to work out what the hell is going on there. 

Two, the raiders were pretty cut and dried, and I don't think they had Atroma ties-- at least, their ships aren't compatible with our augments.   I think they were exactly who they said they were.  But even if they don't come back... we weren't prepared for an attack.  And we should be, because I guess space piracy is totally a thing, and next time we might not have a handy bunch of ships lurking nearby to help us out.  Our crews need to be well balanced so that no ship is left without crucial defences.  We need to have some kind of contingency plan in effect fleetwide, even if it's only an outline.  I don't have the experience for that kind of thing, but I know there's people among us who do.

So... if you've got any information, no matter how trivial you think it might be, could you share it?  Experiences, weird stuff that happened, anything.  And ideas for how to deal with this if it happens again would be great, too.  I'm gonna be writing up a policy for my own ship. I'd love to hear what other captains did with theirs.  And definitely, seriously, please give thought to moving to another ship that's lacking your augment if you're already a little redundant on your own.

I guess that's it...?  [I'm not used to speechifying! 

...well, she can hope someone with more experience will take over from here.]

((ooc: given this is a call to share thoughts on this, feel free to threadjack taggers))

Comments

[Video]

[goldenglasses]

I spoke to a woman in a small, quick ship painted red and white. She couldn't give me her name, said that just having a name would be enough for them to danger her and her crew.

I'm assuming by they she meant our lovely hosts.

[Video]

[ahappylie]

Why would Atroma pose a threat? Do they attack those who try to leave?

[Video]

[goldenglasses]

I can't say for sure if they would or not seeing as no one has successfully been able to leave the fleet. Try to stay on a planet and you're suddenly teleported back when the fleet leaves. Who knows, maybe that's a new feature for this cycle's round of contestants.

It's that apparently the viewing audience can see everything we do so they're the first ones I can think of that would: always be listening.

But, it wouldn't surprise me if they would. After all, we're all brought here for a show where the prize is to go home. Not exactly a nice gesture to surprisingly spring on some of the people here.

[He won't voice his worry about the people who leave the fleet. Hoping that they are "winners" but he just can't be sure about that.]

[Video]

[namisan]

...you know, combined with what Jarvis has to say, that's a telling point.

[Video]

[goldenglasses]

Yeah, there were more ships than the one I talked with. I wonder if they all felt the same or if they each have different views.

voice.

[edwinjarvis]

The aiding ship I spoke to had been part of the fleet before, it seems.

[It's rather shocking, but also potentially inspiring to those who'd want to break free of the Atroma's iron grasp. Especially those who might not want to return home... Whoever the dickens that may be.]

They didn't want to tell me anything that would jeopardize their escape from the fleet.

Their primary message was -- to not give up hope.

voice.

[namisan]

Wait, did they say that outright? That they used to be part of the Fleet?

voice.

[edwinjarvis]

Yes, them and their crew. This woman had unfortunately been hesitant to say much. They were afraid the Atroma would bring them back under influence in some way.

text;

[expellerhead]

That kind of Fleetwide unity is going to be difficult to achieve. An admiral is out of the question, but maybe a council of the ranking officers on the ships?

text;

[namisan]

[Tell her about it. She had this argument earlier on, several times over-- it's near impossible.

A council, on the other hand...]

I think that's a good idea. We've already had one captain's meeting to compare notes. Having that occur on a regular basis will at least make sure we're all on the same page.

text;

[expellerhead]

Documentation to back it up as well. Taking minutes and all that, in the case of abrupt comas or departures.

[video]

[passingthrough]

This was the third? I'd only ever heard of one before. The one before the calibrations. What was the other?

[As for her other points she agrees. It's always made her uneasy when the Windrose was missing any key spots or when they have redundancies. Not that she can imagine any of them leaving either.]

[video]

[namisan]

Same Fleet, but I don't know the details. It's listed in the introduction document and I was told about it when I got here, but anyone who actually witnessed it hasn't been very forthcoming on the details.

...though it may be that there's hardly anyone left from that time.

[Still, she can think of at least two that were.]

[video]

[passingthrough]

Maybe Allen and Nightingale? I'd say maybe it isn't relevant except that it was the same fleet. Fans?

[video]

[goldenglasses]

[Vash goes ahead and chimes in once he hears the conversation.] The first attack happened just under two years ago. We could see ships following up when they would occasionally show up on our radar then fall off again. Then suddenly they attacked the fleet with no real warning. It only lasted a short time leaving some ships heavily damaged that weren't prepared enough for the attack and just as suddenly as they showed up they left.

The second time is the one you have heard about where we were pushed into the nebula.

Not sure if they were just testing what would happen if they attacked the first time or what their intentions were. This is the first time anyone has managed to hear a peep from the other fleet. It's always been radio silence before now.

[A terrible flirt he may be, but occasionally Vash can be useful.]

[video]

[namisan]

[Oh well, don't need to ask him after all.] Thanks, Vash.

[That's it, carry on with your conversation. Making notes.]

[video]

[passingthrough]

[It takes her a second to adjust because this is the same guy who invited the entire fleet on a date, but he sounds very on top of this. Maybe Ravi was in better hands than she thought during the battle. She's not sure how to reconcile it but it has been a year and she's changed a lot since then herself. And it's not like she ever really knew him.] Did they board ships in that first attack? Did they take anything? Any sign of what they wanted at all?

Video

[stabsbothways]

Aren't you worrying too much?

Our 'benevolent' hosts have an invested interest in us not taking the ferry to corpseville all at once.

Video

[namisan]

It's my job to worry too much. [Look, so she's a very negative pirate! Comes with sailing with a ship full of idiots back home.]

And sure, maybe. Unless they decide that dramatically dying in some blaze of glory would net them a lot better ratings. Personally, even if I could trust their supposed motives it's better for us to be self-sufficient.

[Ferry to corpseville, though. That's colourful. She likes it.]

[stabsbothways]

But we wouldn't stay dead.

I imagine it would be unpleasant. Haven't died before myself, but I've seen enough of it.

[ Not a small amount by her own hand. ]

[dancingmd]

I've suspected for a long time that they have been trying to help us - or at the very least, that they aren't targeting us, that they're targeting our hosts. The woman I spoke to said she had been in our place before, so that only strengthens that impression for me.

[namisan]

So we've got more than one of these pilots saying that.

...I have to say, that makes me feel better. [If it can be trusted.] Did she say anything else?

[dancingmd]

Not much no... she didn't want to jeopardize her crew by telling us too much.

voice

[bi_otic]

I was in communication with one of the other ships. I'd say one thing that stood out is that they definitely had a working knowledge of our augments and the capabilities of the different roles.

voice

[namisan]

Another point that strongly suggests they used to be in our position. Either that or they work for the Atroma.

[...]

Or used to.