driftfleet | [Open] Former heroes who quit too late

Who: Shepard and Anyone
Broadcast: Yes
Action: Yes
When: Over the course of a week or so

Video
[The video broadcast opens to a man who acts with the authority of a man years older than this man looks. He’d always looked younger than he was, it just meant he had to make up for it with presence.

His expression is an even and perfectly practiced neutral, the countenance of a military man.]

Hello. I am Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy of the Alliance Navy. I understand this isn’t a...typical fleet of ships, but I would like to know if anyone in particular is in charge or if each ship is responsible for itself.

I would also like to know if anyone else from the Alliance or the Milky Way galaxy is in this fleet.

[Perhaps it was a bit of a wide net to cast, but they clearly weren’t in the Milky Way anymore, so it seemed a fair enough question. Plus, he didn’t think it would necessarily be a good idea to simply name off the people he was hoping to see or close his request off to just Alliance. Besides, if his friends or crew were here, they’d find him. He had no doubts.]

Thank you for your time.

SS Vanquish
[It had been a few years since he'd been assigned to a new ship, but he was fairly certain confetti wasn't usually part of it. Outwardly, he seemed barely fazed by the 'celebration' of his arrival, his reaction limited to a gruff brush off of the stuff from his jacket and an absent-minded snatch of a pudding cup as he left the transporter room.

You didn't turn down free pudding, especially in space-life.

Karman moves through his new home with an ease and purpose that makes him seem as though he'd been there the whole time even as he explored and took stock of what he could see of the ship's specs. From cargo bay to mess hall to bridge, he explored every inch of the ship. If he came across someone, he was quick to offer a friendly smile and a greeting.] Commander Shepard. Pleasure to meet you, I just arrived.

[He finally ended at the engine room, eager to see what kind of drive this thing worked on. Only to be horrifically disappointed. Of course it was too much to ask for a ship that could at least resemble his. Nothing could match the Normandy except the Normandy herself, but there could have been a compromise between 'perfect' and 'I think dinosaurs might have used this kind of ship.']

Around the Iskaulit
[There were a lot of things people could claim Shepard had too much of. Foolishness, bravery, recklessness, compassion and ruthlessness, but also curiosity. If Karman Shepard set foot in a place, you could be certain he'd go and explore every inch he could get to.

That didn't stop with the Vanquish.

If there's a nook or cranny to be found on the 'community ship' that is the Iskaulit, then Shepard finds it. He pokes his head into every room, empty or otherwise and spends more time in the ones that have more to offer than what a quick glance around can give. He stays to have a drink in both the Space Bar and Malum, drops into The melting pot long enough to get a feel for the place, he also hangs around the gardens and especially the gym with it's obstacle course. He'd probably be coming back to that one quite a bit.

But every room from the Interfaith Center to the pool to the abandoned classrooms gets an inspection so Shepard can commit it all to memory.

At the end of the day, he finds himself back at one of the bars to take some notes and process it all, preferably with something somewhat strong.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He'll find Felix in the mess, one hand curled around a cup of coffee as he seemingly idly toys with his comm device.

The greeting gets him to look up. He's still a little tired from being trapped down on the planet, and there certainly is that air about him. A tenseness he hasn't shaken off yet.

Still. He can afford to be welcoming. Shepard seems friendly enough. Felix puts aside his device and hauls himself up so that he can offer his hand.]

Nice to meet you. I'm Felix Gaeta, the ship's pilot.]

[Even though he left the military behind years ago now, there's a certain way that he responds to someone who introduces themselves with their rank. A brisk tone that might be distinctly recognizable as military-esque.

[Karman takes Felix's hand firmly and nods in response, his small but easy smile still in place.]

And you, Mr. Gaeta. I'm the new engineer.

I hope you don't mind me asking, but you sound military.

[Sound and look. Even if someone hadn't served in years, there were some things that just couldn't be shaken, whether it be a tone or an expression or a squaring of the shoulders, there was always a tell.]

["Mr. Gaeta". That definitely cements the way he responds to Karman. As a Lieutenant, it'd been his chief form of address. (His commanding officers rarely called him Lieutenant Gaeta.)

He nods at Karman's assessment of him. He's had some time, also, to mellow out when it comes to his experiences with the military. It means that his acknowledgement is matter-of-fact, rather than bitter.]

I was a tactical officer, in the Navy. Essentially.

["Essentially", since they hadn't had the concept of a navy back home. It was simply the Colonial Fleet. But Felix assumes that Karman comes from a culture at least attached to Earth. Most humanoids he's met have. At least ones who seem completely unfazed by being in space.]

Really?

[He knows he should be branching out on connections, that any particular army doesn't matter here, from what he can tell, but it's solid and familiar ground and he isn't yet comfortable enough to leave it if it's there. Plus, he was kind of curious to hear about the differences, if his own universe can very enough that he's him in one and a woman in the other, who knew what other kinds of differences there were out there.]

I'm Navy too. How long did you serve and was it on a fleet or planetside?

[If he had to guess, though, he'd say fleet. He liked to think he was a good judge of character and Felix seemed like the type to get his hands dirty and go where the action was.]

I know it doesn't matter much here, but call me curious.

[It's an interesting judge of his character....maybe not entirely unfounded. Felix isn't someone who generally looks for battles to fight, but he had wanted to something out in the stars. He hadn't wanted to keep his feet planted on the ground. The Fleet had seemed....exciting. And a way to help people, to keep them safe. Something like that. It's hard to remember sometimes. Now.]

Seven years, in a fleet. We didn't really have a planetside navy. Or navies, I guess. The Fleet protected multiple colony planets.

[Felix offers a vague smile.]

I think it matters a little, maybe. Finding out where people come from, what they're familiar with.

[Establishing familiar ground, exactly. Comfort zones.]

[He nods.] True enough.

[Not having a planetside, though? It reminded him of Gil and 50,000 of his own people sailing off into the unknown to colonize; it was a far cry from even those born in space or born on in-galaxy colony. And Shepard had been born on Earth itself, he was probably furthest from the idea as he could get. Still, he supposed it ultimately wasn't that different. When he'd fought someone aiming to harm, it had been just as much for those away from 'home' as it had been for his home planet.]

Your fleet must have been like home, then, if you were constantly on the move like that.

[Shepard has apparently misunderstood him in the most currently correct way. (Or, well, formerly currently correct. Since Karl had told him that they found a new home, a new planet. Finally, and a little too late for Felix.)

Anyway, the way Shepard responds makes Felix pause for a few long seconds. Trying to figure out what to say, what might be too much information for a first meeting. In the end, he just simply...goes for it. Or at least alludes to it.]

You're not wrong, although the first few years of my service wasn't like that. Plenty of shore leave.

[And then the shore was bombed into a radiation-ridden mess.]

[Shepard nodded but didn't pry any further. If they were both serving on this ship then they'd see plenty more of each other with time. In his experience, getting to know someone took a lot longer than one conversation. Unless the person was someone like Jacob or Liara who wore who they were on their sleeve.]

It's a pleasure making your acquaintance, Felix, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of each other. For now, I should get going and let you get back to your duties.

[That earns Shepard some points, to be honest. Felix is absolutely a person who needs multiple conversations to truly open up. Many multiples.

He smiles again (maybe a little bit at the idea that he has duties to get back to right now though he won't say that) and nods briskly.]

See you around.

[Open] Former heroes who quit too late

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