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    Chef Umaril

    Active Member
    Frank listened as the group was briefed on their mission. He wasn't at all surprised to hear the news, as he'd been hunting Cerberus for a few years after achieving his N7 designation. Cerberus was the very reason he lost his right arm. They were the reason he refused to give up on fighting when everyone else that had tried had either lost their lives, or wised up and decided to preserve theirs.

    After the mission brief, Frank followed the group, calling for his supplies and personal effects to be delivered to the Liberator. Upon arrival, he was awestruck at it's likeness being nearly identical to that of Admiral Sheppard's Normandy. He watched as crewmen were scurrying around like pyjaks to get everything in order, an Asari was barking at one of the young enlisted about dropping a package of hers. Frank made his way through decontamination and onto the bridge. Inside, he found Urdnot Wrex and Garrus Vakarian, both legends of the Reaper war bidding Alice farewell. After they made their exit, a Geth attempted to greet Frank and the Quarian from the Council brief.

    "I hope to God, that thing doesn't talk to me," Frank thought to himself, remembering all of the holo tapes he had watched of the atrocities the Geth had committed during the first stages of the Reaper war. Remembering how they had impaled so many of his could-have-been commanding officers on spires, turning them into husks. Frank was young, but not trusting immediately of something that he believed had the possibility of turning on him at a moment's notice.
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    After Alice was done talking to One and after Garrus and Wrex disembarked she walked over to meet her new pilot. She was in her fatigue blues and already hard at work and Alice smiled at that. Any pilot that doesn't waste time getting settled in is a pilot she wanted for her crew. The pilot, Lieutenant Lambert Alice thought her name was, stood up as Alice called for SKOUT. Apparently she had overheard her and looked like she could help.

    "SKOUT is easily missed, Captain. She's right here; the mobile platform is quite subtle, to say the least." She held her hand out to Alice and she accepted. She spotted a tall blonde haired woman in dress blues walking towards her but she didn't think it was the A.I. "We didn't get a chance to meet properly at the meeting. Lieutenant Arryn Lambert, at your service, captain."

    Captain. That would take some getting used to. Alice's N7 squad was pretty laid back. Her commanding officer was more of a first among equals and everyone knew each other on a first name basis. Now Alice was the captain of a warship with everyone calling her ma'am and saluting her. It was all a lot to get used to. She liked that Lieutenant Lambert shook her hand rather than saluted her, and that the woman of about her age had changed into her fatigue blues. It made things feel a little more equal. Less formal. Alice would probably change into her fatigue blues herself once she had some time. She liked her dress blues but she only had the one pair with her and she needed to keep them nice. Plus she just felt so serious in them. In her fatigues she could relax.

    "It's a pleasure to meet you Lieutenant Lambert. Would it be all right if I called you Arryn? I'd like to get to know my officers and team."

    After Arryn gave an affirmative Alice continued.

    "I read over your service record on my way over here and you seem like quite the pilot. Did you really navigate an entire asteroid field in a Kodiak shuttle without a scratch? That's...really impressive. I tried to fly a simulator once and it was like flying a brick! I barely passed my test!"
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    One stared at the trembling Quarian. He appeared nervous, uncomfortable, unsure of himself. His body language only amplified this when One approached and stared at him. One did not understand this. This Quarian, this Creator, was not in any danger. He was in a safe environment with friendly organic platforms and according to his personnel file he was an excellent engineer. Better than most Creators, who learned engineering and ship maintenance as basic education. The fact this this Creator could shine as a mechanic in a culture of mechanics was statistically unlikely. Organics found this impressive. Geth could not be impressed as organics could but they took notice of beneficial statistical anomalies such as this and put forth special effort to utilize them.

    As for why the Creator was trembling under One's gaze, One accessed his platforms onboard memory and remembered that Ambassidor Koris told him it was impolite to stare at people and say nothing. This was 12 days, 3 hours, 14 minutes and 18 seconds ago but One could not fine instructions for an alternative. He accessed Consensus Station orbiting Rannoch and found that the best way to alleviate "awkwardness" as organics called it was to strike up a conversation.

    "H-hey, umm, One, was it?" The trembling Creator asked. "I've be-been meaning, to ask you. Back... in the Council chamber, you said... you said you had been asked, to protect... me? B-by who, and... well, why?" Determining the beginning of a conversation, One answered.

    "Scanning...Engineer Roki'Meerul vas Tayyera. Reassigned to the SSV Liberator as Chief Engineer. Ambassidor Koris asked us to protect you. He said that you have never been to Rannoch and you have never served on a Non-Creator ship before. We suspected that your operating system requires development due to insufficient runtime. That is to say, you are inexperienced. Given your profile we suspected that you would have an adverse reaction to serving on a human ship without time to prepare or adjust. Given the significant increase in your heart rate, respiration, and perspiration, our assessment was correct. There is a 98% chance that Shepard-Commander will help you assimilate. We will also help you assimilate. If you wish Creator Meerul, we will assist you in any capacity you desire. If this platform does not have the specification to meet your request, we will download them from the Consensus."

    One stared at Roki waiting for a response. He paid no attention to Frank.
     

    EpicVakarian

    Calibration-Master General
    "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Lambert. Would it be alright if I called you Arryn? I'd like to get to know my officers and team."
    Arryn couldn't say she was surprised by this; Alice's mother had done the same thing with her crew on the Normandy, and to be honest, she'd have been surprised if Alice turned out to be a hardass like some of the drill sergeants back in Basic.
    "Of course, Captain. I hope you'll forgive me any rude comments I might make; my mouth runs away from me on occasions." She gave a smile, and Alice chuckled.

    "I read over your service report on my way over here, and you seem like quite the pilot. Did you really navigate an entire asteroid field in a Kodiak shuttle without a scratch?"
    Arryn gave a tiny smirk before responding.
    "It was a simulation, Captain, part of my final exam. But yes, I did; the context was vorcha mercs, performing raids on various colonies in the sector. Their base was within the asteroid field; they knew typical Alliance ships couldn't get to them there. So the captain put together a small squad, assembled on the shuttle, and I was ordered to fly right through it to the base, under heavy fire from their, admittedly small, defenses."
    "That's... really impressive. I tried to fly a simulator once and it was like flying a brick! I barely passed my test!"
    "Well, it's all in knowing the balance. You have to really tease it on the throttle; hard enough that you're not becoming a slug, and soft enough that you don't just plough straight into anything in your way. The yaw controls on those shuttles are sub-par, at best, so it's best to roll and pitch instead. It's really all quite simple, if you excuse the quick decisions you have to make in such a nimble little thing." Alice raised her eyebrows, smirking slightly. "Well, nimble compared to a frigate or a cruiser, at least."

    Arryn suddenly remembered Alice had wanted to speak to SKOUT, not her.
    "Sorry for keeping you, Captain. You get acquainted with SKOUT and I'll get to the helm. Ready for any destination you want to pop in the galaxy map." She saluted, smiled and walked astern to the bridge, stretching out the stiffness in her muscles and preparing to leave the Citadel, whenever the captain was ready.
     

    Blitzz

    A Friendly Brit
    Roki had never really encountered many Geth before, and he definitely didn't have enough experience with them to have an idea of what they were generally like, but this Geth, One, seemed surprisingly friendly. It did make him slightly uncomfortable that he had access to all of Roki's files, files he didn't even know he had until a few hours ago, and that the Geth was monitoring his heart rate and how much he was sweating. He hadn't really noticed that he was sweating, but after it was mentioned he noticed that he really was dripping inside his suit. The most surprising thing of all, however, was that Ambassador Koris had ordered this Geth to keep an eye on him. Koris. Zaal'Koris vas Qwib-Qwib, or rather vas Rannoch now, was attempting to make sure Roki was protected. That confused him and excited him at the same time. He felt important, but at the same time felt like a piece in someone else's game. Something was odd, and Roki could feel it. "You have my thanks, One. I must warn you, however, that I may need your help sooner than expected. If I'm honest, I have no idea what's powering this ship until I go down below and look it over." He chuckled slightly, trying to lighten the mood if he could. He was all too aware of the human next to him, listening and watching. It made Roki uncomfortable, but then so did most things. "If you'll excuse me, One." Roki turned and walked around to the elevator, trying his best to avoid engaging in conversation with any of the humans scurrying around. He reached it and stepped inside.

    The elevator was cold, the metal surfaces all around him gave the impression of a cell. He punched the pad, not really sure where he was going to end up, and after a slight shift, the doors slid open again. The ship was pleasantly warm compared to the elevator. Roki wandered around for a few minutes attempting to figure out where he was supposed to be going, until eventually he stumbled upon the drive core. When he stepped inside, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Everything was so clean and shiny, so new and exciting. It was overwhelming. The Quarian just stood still, in awe at the sight. It was an enormous chamber, and machinery lined the walls. A walkway took him round and below, and it finally hit him that he had his work cut out for him. There wasn't a single human in sight, yet panels were left off exposing tangles of wires, and odd chunks of machinery and bundles of cable were sprawled out all over the place. If he was going to run this room, he would have to clear it up first. Then, of course, he's have to finish up prepping the machinery, then run some tests and diagnostics to figure out exactly what he was up against. A drive core like this would need constant maintenance and attention, and Roki intended to give it exactly that. The next few days would be centered around familiarizing himself with the new ship. He had half a mind to settle down and live in here.
     

    Wolfbane

    Why change the past when you can own this day?
    " Hey, hey! Hop in the Mako while I try to lower it down!"
    "What?! No! We'll get our asses chewed out for nothing!"
    "No, we won't. Not if we're careful. We're just activating in the propulsion system of a bit to make the ship shake! What's the harm in that?"


    These were the Marines, well the newly enlisted. With a sigh, the hesitant marine hopped up into the mako while the confident one unlatched only one side of the vehicle, making it hang by only the other side, all that weight hanging, it was a shock that it was still suspended from the ceiling of the ship

    "What the hell happened?!? Get me out!" the pilot latched safety locked the boy inside.
    "I'm trying to override, but it won't let me!" The two were both struggling. Neither of them wanted to know what was going to happen next. Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the cargo corridor like an executioner on his way to drop the axe. The footsteps became louder, and louder as they got closer; judgement was coming. The two knuckleheads fumbled around with hearts racing knowing what was down the corridor.



    "I hear them! Hurry up!!!"
    "I almost have it, calm down!"

    The second door slid open, giving them little time. Now there was only one door left. One door that determines their fate. After a long struggle, there was a loud BANG, "Got it! Woo hoo! Take that! Just in time to-" he stared at his dumb founded friend for a while before speaking, "what? What's wrong?"
    "Behind..."



    The hesitant marine pointed as the now scared marine slowly turned around to feel a tightening grip on his hair, "WHICH ONE OF YOU plops FOR BRAINS DID THIS?! I SHOULD TOSS YOU OUTTA THE AIRLOCK." He smacked the boy he was manhandling, then threw him at the other boy. This was their superior, James Teller. They know as well as the crew, know him as Vex. "Wait until Shepard hears of this once she's back from meeting the council. I'm going to make you boys mine." One would be surprised that Vex really loves his subordinates, and would die for his company. These two, however, were greenhorns;Fresh new recruits. The two scared little boys gave a proper salute and held until said otherwise

    "Alright you two,at ease! I need you and the others to make this place presentable for your beloved slave masters! Even I have superiors' that needs to be appeased. So, you appease them, and you appease me. Therefore, I won't be digging into you, so in turn, you need to bust your ass! Dismissed!"

    "I swear this will be the death of me. I've been at this for a long time, and I'm honored to be under Shepard, but I do like the thought of retirement from time to time," He swept his hair back and sighed at the thought of his long service record, and now the half funny thought of retirement. Either way he thought of it, he needed to be there to greet Shepard and see who the new team was. He looked back at the boys, chuckled, then made the way back to the elevator and up to the CIC.

    Once around the CIC, he straightened up, and marched with confidence while Shepard was talking to the new pilot, who he hasn't met. Not wanting to wear out his welcome, he saluted and greeted Shepard, "Ma'am! I'm pleased to see you returned. How was the meeting?" Vex respected the chain of command while it respects him. You need to give respect to get respect, and that is one of the things he instills in his men. Even though Alice is 25 and he is 39, he respects the girl because he knows her mother and father instilled the sense of duty, whats right, and how to treat your men in her. Because of this, he would gladly die for her and the team if need be.
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    "Thanks for talking to me Arryn. We'll talk later." Alice said. She saluted Arryn and walked back down the hall to the CIC. The hallway was lined with terminals but only about half of them were occupied by crewmen. Those that were there were working at a feverish pace checking the ship's systems. The terminals measured everything from the ship's air mixture to damage control readiness to fire suppression systems to waste disposal routes. Alice assumed that the other terminals managed combat systems such as heat management and the ship's GARDIAN lasers and these terminals would be manned during battle. There were a few terminals however that were off or were missing components and there were a lot of sealed crates and bundles of parts all over the CIC. The elevator to the other decks was behind the CIC and galaxy map and to its left was a door labeled COMM ROOM AND QEC. People were coming in and out of it but the door to the elevator's right, labeled RESEARCH LAB was sealed and there were crates of equipment stacked haphazardly in front of the door. This ship was clearly rushed out of space dock and Alice worried if everything was where it was supposed to be. This situation was much more serious than she thought if the Alliance pressed the Liberator into service before they even unloaded the lab equipment. She hadn't realized that the officer Arryn pointed out was at attention in front of Alice and saluting her.

    "SKOUT?" Alice asked.

    "Yes Captain Shepard." SKOUT said in a neutral female voice. "How may I be of service?" Alice saluted SKOUT back but as she looked over her mobile platform Alice's eyes almost popped out of her head. Back on the Normandy EDI's platform was always easy to spot. She had refused synthetic skin because she thought the flexible silver skin that made the exterior of her body looked nice. But SKOUT's platform was absolutely seamless. She could pass for a normal human. Her voice wasn't even metallic!

    "I just wanted to meet you SKOUT. I must say the construction of your platform is remarkable. I spent a lot of time onboard the Normandy growing up and I got to know EDI well. She was always easy to spot and the other AIU's I've seen were made in her likeness. But yours is absolutely seamless! You could pass for a living, breathing human! Is that real skin you have?!"

    SKOUT allowed her face to form a small smile at Alice's enthusiasm. "Yes, it is the flesh my enemies." A few awkward moments passed, SKOUT smiled as a friendly gesture, to show she was joking. "It is lab grown human flesh, on board the ship I have a reconstruction centre to repair it if it is damaged. I appreciate your interest."

    "Thank you! I've always been fascinated with A.I's and growing up around EDI only drove my fascination. I have some concerns about the ship though. It looks unfinished. Are you sure all the systems are...?"

    A faint noise that sounded like twisted metal broke Alice's thought along with an impact that made the deck shake. "What the hell was that?!" Alice yelled to SKOUT in surprise. SKOUT didn't answer but a minute later the elevator opened and James Teller, her new Marine commander, walked up and greeted her. Alice saluted him back and smiled. Commander Teller, or Vex as he liked to be called, was a legend in the Alliance Marine Corp. He had more combat experience than most generals she knew and the man was tough as an old boot.

    "Commander Teller." Alice said folding her hands behind her back. "Thanks for the welcome. It was a stressful meeting and I'm eager to get underway. This ship only looks half-ready and we leave within the hour. Please get the enlisted men in order. And I just want to say Commander that I'm honored to have you serving under me.
     

    Seanu Reaves

    The Shogun of Gaming
    Artemis looked at the A.I.’s mobile platform, and raised what would be the equivalent of her eyebrow. Strange, Artemis thought as she watched the woman who wasn’t a woman. Ironically in some ways like the Asari herself. She watched the conversation with some interest until she heard a ping noise in her ear piece, checking her Omni-tool Artemis was pleased to see exactly were her gear was in the schematics provided to her during her briefing beforehand. That reminds me, Artemis thought. Something isn’t right. Playing with her Omni-tool interface Artemis began to walk to where her gear was now placed. She began to walk and type furiously, and she had to take a deep breath. Finger floating over the send button. She looked away and pressed send, it was funny how calm she could be under fire or when she was taking the shot but making first contact was so difficult.

    Dear Commander Alice,

    I would first like to take this chance to thank you for accepting me onto your crew. It may not be obvious but I feel this may have been a last minute political move. Please note that this will not change the fact that I am here to fight for you and everyone under your command. But I also have a request to make of you. I would like to have all information I can on the Urgnot Wrex incident. This would mean dossiers on the assassins, details about the circumstances leading up to the attempted assassination, and any information you would deem important. This is completely a personal request and I understand if you turn me down. I just have many half formed questions that I feel I need to find answers for.

    Ae’Raya Arreto, N7/ N8 Call Sign: Artemis

    P.S. Off the record, you are just so adorable, though you probably could have waited to ask your mom how you did ; )

    Artemis cursed that P.S. she sent the moment she sent the letter. She knew that she made more than a few of the other crew uncomfortable. She was a bred killer, not like some of these farm boys looking to see the galaxy. Even those from a military family could barely understand what it meant to be an Asari Commando. Artemis cursed as she stood in the elevator, it seemed to be moving so impossibly slow. Maybe it was because she was worried about her guns and the fact she felt like she made a grave error. She soon worked her ways around the hallway to enter a large (Compared to the other areas of the ship she had seen) hangar where there was a Mako finally put in place, and an armory. With a smile she walked in and saw her crate. It was about as tall as she was, and two times as thick. It opened up to reveal her armor, sniper, shotgun, and pistol in their compact form on the bottom. Lining the top of the crate where weapon mods, each was stacked on top of the other, Artemis with gentle fingers pulled the trays revealing three layers holding different barrels and ammo modifications.


    “Good, the babies are alright,” Artemis whispered as she checked each one. She gently pushed the mod trays back in, and picked up her rifle with all the tenderness of a mother and her child. With a small click the rifle extended to its full size. “Let’s see how Mama is doing.”
     

    Phantom

    Uh, I didn't do it
    Kain watched as the rest of the crew and squad members scrambled to either get a chance to talk to the captain, or to get as far away from everyone else as possible. He figured he might as well follow suit. He knew already that he was to be the ships Master at Arms, meaning he was in charge of weapon maintenance and security for the entire crew. He was not sure which of his squad mates would be keeping their weapons in the locker, though. Some experienced soldiers were attached to their weapons like they were their children. Kain couldn't say he felt the same of his weapons, they were just things, but still he'd be upset if they were damaged somehow.

    He made his way to the elevator. He'd been aboard the SR-2, so he knew that his station would be in the cargo bay area. The elevator was already in use. The krogan tapped the seal and waited patiently as the hum of the elevator got closer. When it opened a scruffy looking older human stepped out. He had an air of experience that comes only with age, and, well, a lot of experience. It made sense to have a soldier like this on board, especially with a young captain. The human didn't even glance at Kain, instead he made his way to the captain, immediately engaging her in conversation.

    Kain stepped into the elevator, unsurprised he rode it alone. The world might be a more accepting place than it was before the Reaper War, but still, people were wary of those much larger than them. The ride was slow and silent save for his own thoughts. It was both unnerving and calming, being in that elevator alone. The silence was much welcome after the commotion on the main deck, but it left him far too much in his own head. What was to come? He could not shake the feeling that this was the beginning of something, but what exactly, still was a mystery. All he knew is that he had to do his job, and do it well.

    Last time a Shepard led a crew like this one, the entire universe was at stake.

    Finally, the elevator doors opened to the high ceilings of the cargo bay. It was so much like the old Normandy that Kain had to take a moment to realize that he wasn't on the legendary ship. They layout was the same, but there were small differences. The crew was different. Their uniforms slightly changed in the thirty years since. The shuttle was newer, and the smell of oil hadn't permeated the air quite yet. This ship was new. It was green. It wasn't even stuffy in here yet.

    He stood by the consoles, just taking in the place, when a young human approached him. He was tall, for a human, though a bit lanky. A crew member, not a soldier. He saluted Kain, which Kain had to admit he found a bit funny, Kain was more used to having to salute people. "Uh, Mr. Urdnot?"

    "It's just Kain. Urdnot is my clan name, not my name."

    The human nodded quickly. "Right, sorry sir. I just wanted to let you know that Wrex came here made sure your quarters were sufficient before you arrived. There's a even a krogan bed for you, as well as personal effects. Just behind the weapons locker." He pointed toward the lockers on the other side of the shuttle bay.

    Kain nodded in thanks. "Thanks," he said simply. The human scurried away. Kain was a bit shocked that Wrex had confirmed that Kain had proper quarters. Perhaps the Chief cared for him more than he thought. He strode to the area the human and pointed to, and found behind the lockers a small room. A curtain was all that was there for a door, but it would suffice. There was a krogan sized, and rather sturdy looking bed with a footlocker, a dresser, desk with a monitor, and an upright locker in the corner.

    But something on the bed caught his eye. On the bed was a large case. It looked familiar. Kain entered his room and pulled the curtain closed behind him. He opened the case and to his surprise found a data pad on top. On it was a message from Wrex.

    Nathak,

    Don't screw this up.

    -Wrex

    He now realized why Wrex had done this for him. When Wrex had been on the original Normandy, he didn't have quarters of his own. Kain was a bit touched. The old krogan was making sure that Kain had something that Wrex hadn't.

    It might be small, and not have a real door, but it was more than Wrex had had. That made it more than enough for Kain.

    He continued looking through the case, there were more data pads, and they weren't blank. They were filled with, to Kain's surprise, books. Dozens of books from all the different races, and all on many different topics. Classical and ancient human taking up the mean of the pile. Some were audio files that he could listen to while working. But the real gem was on the very bottom.

    Kain lifted it with delicate hands. A book. An old book. It was leather bound, and the text was human. Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. The book was printed in the human year 1980. It was a treasure. Not many books like this survived the Reaper War, especially if it was on Earth. It was worn, but it was something Kain knew was more expensive than anything in this room, maybe on the ship. Immediately, Kain tucked it away in his locker with reverence, and locked it.

    It was time to get to work. Kain opened up his Omni-tool, and began to play one of the books over its speakers, softly so the rest of the crew wouldn't hear. Macbeth, was what he chose, an ancient human piece.

    He went to the work bench outside his quarters, and grabbed the first weapon on the rack, an Avenger, and began the work of making sure every weapon was in perfect working order.

    When shall we three meet again?
    In thunder, lightning or in rain?

    ...
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    After Roki headed down to the engineering deck One scanned the room. He wanted to introduce himself to the Captain properly but noticed she was busy talking to Arryn, SKOUT, and Vex almost back to back. He decided it would be a good idea to wait until later. Most of the crew was busy getting the ship ready but one of the team members, an N7 Slayer named Francis Jaeger wasn't occupied. After staring at him for several moments One made a series of telltale Geth chirps and stutters while blinking his flashlight head, then he introduced himself to Frank.

    "Francis Jaeger, we wish to engage in organic conversation with you. This platform is networked to the Consensus so others may benefit from our experiences. We anticipate the exchange of data."
     

    Chef Umaril

    Active Member
    The Geth had initially approached the Quarian, Roki, Frank had determined after overhearing their conversation. The platform stood in silence for a moment as it looked about the room "blinking" and making the stereotypical chirps and whirs characteristic of Geth before meeting eye to flashlight with Frank.

    After the Geth essentially demanded conversation, Frank's expression changed to something akin to being perturbed. "Geth, that's a name I reserve for people I trust. Currently, I use the call sign 'Fox,'" Frank responded, "I just met you, and have bad memories associated with your kind. If you would allow me some personal space, I may react a little better. Not quite so... Withdrawn. That, and the bridge near the helm is a bit cramped." He wasn't trying to be rude, but Frank didn't like Geth, and wanted to make it known to this platform that he was wary of their presence. He never trusted their autonomy, especially with knowing that they turned on their creators once, and they could do it again. "Listen, Light bulb- One- was it? I'm going to head down to one of the decks below, I need to meditate," Frank announced, trying to get away, although he wasn't sure if the Geth understood the attempt, "meditation is a way we humans clear our minds, it essentially allows us to get rid of useless information."

    The last comment was both to prevent further interrogation into his habits as well as a sarcastic remark about the platform's priority in his opinion. He wasn't too far behind the Krogan when the elevator closed, leaving Frank to wait. After pressing the summon button, and the doors slid open, Frank walked inside to press a random floor on the interior's panel. The capsule barely shifted, leaving a much different feeling than some older elevators on Earth or Omega. Once he reached a floor, Frank walked into a room labeled 'Port Observation Room' and looked around his new surroundings. The walls were almost a ghostly white with a matte grey tile on the floors as contrast. Aside from the mental hospital appearance and Frank's personal effects scattered about as if the other enlisted folk had no idea where else to place them. Frank reached into one of his bags, and produced a small plaque and screwdriver. He stepped outside and removed the original plaque to replace it with his own that was simply an image of an arctic fox. After he did this, Frank returned to his 'room,' returned the screwdriver and began to meditate, allowing his biotic aura to encompass his body as his mind became one with the void of space. This was his home; where he was most focused and calmest. He enjoyed the hum of the drive core beyond the window, the pattering footsteps of the scrambling crewmen, and the eventual silence as his mind became clear. It is the pinnacle of life, where all things begin and end. In silence.
     

    Wolfbane

    Why change the past when you can own this day?
    "Commander Teller." Alice said folding her hands behind her back. "Thanks for the welcome. It was a stressful meeting and I'm eager to get underway. This ship only looks half-ready and we leave within the hour. Please get the enlisted men in order. And I just want to say Commander that I'm honored to have you serving under me

    "The honor is mine, but thank you. I'll get the enlisted men in order. They can clean up the mess in the cargo bay once we're up in the air." He saluted Shepard, then made his way towards his men, who were shuffling with their duty, then the pace picked up when they saw their commander.

    "Attention! We need to get the ship primed and ready for take off within the hour, So it needs to be ready in half of that. Can this be done? She wants us primed and ready as soon as possible."

    "Yes sir!" The marines echoed, then scrambled to get this girl up and running for their commander, and for Shepard. Whatever was happening it was urgent. Shepard was in a hurry, so that meant they had to be.

    "Sir! We are nearly done! We still need to get a few small systems up and running."
    "Good job. Work your magic Sargent ." Sweetwater, the women who Vex put in charge to oversee his subordinates.

    "permission to speak sir."
    "Granted."
    "What do you think is happening? You think it's something serious?" The Sargent adopted a worried look on her face while her superior dragged her to the side for privacy.

    "I tend not dabble in politics. It might be just a simple shakedown run, or it could be more serious. All I know is the trust we share, watch our backs, believe in our skills, and fight like hell. Anything else?"

    "No sir!" She saluted then went off to complete her duties and get the ship primed. In his mind, he wasn't too sure. His gut said it was far more important than a simple shkedown run, but what was it? He did not know. He has been in covert teams dropped down to secure a package, and he's been huge raids. He's also been in everything in bewteen. Can war ever end? Sure they beat the Reapers, but what about man? What about humanity? After all man has been fighting man since the dawn of time. Nothing can fix that, not even banding against the Reapers. At this point he needed to focus on the task at hand.
     

    CapObvious

    A Rotten Scroungeral
    Crixus found his way to the docking bay shortly after his quick meeting with Councilor Sparatus. The councilor stated that he was relieving the previous cabalite of her duties, as they had pressing matters that had required her specific attention.

    Pulling someone with her skills from a mission of this size was a dangerous political move in the turian government. He hadn't seen such a move since the General Victus had been plucked off Palavan in the Reaper War to replace the fallen Primarch. Well, to a smaller scale, but still of some import.

    Whatever it was, it didn't matter now. The councilor pulled him out of a operation that had been going for months.

    Normally, he would have been livid. Taking him out of such a delicate situation to traipse around the galaxy with a human child at the helm? Absolutely appalling to say the least. Would have left a terrible taste in his mouth.

    But this wasn't just any run of the mill galaxy traipsing. And most certainly not just any human child.

    He was now to work under the Shepard child, Alice, going against a human activist group long believed to be dead. Cerberus.

    Could this get any more interesting?

    After finally asking for directions, he eventually came across the ship in question.

    The SSV Liberator.

    The ship was indeed impressive. He wondered for a moment if this very ship could ever enter the history books like the last ship lead by a Shepard had...

    After shaking the slight, unprofessional awe that had overtaken him, and stepped to the doors of the ship. As he did so, the doors shut behind him, and the familiar sound of decontamination began. After a moment, the protocol cut off, and the door opened.

    However, on the other side stood a few men and women, who didn't look too thrilled to see the turian cabalite.

    Knowing they weren't expecting him, he pulled out his identification and his letter from the councilor himself.

    "Cabalite Crixus, filling in for Avilia Caelcis. I have summons from the Councilor himself, to speak with the Captain of this ship immediately. I don't care if I have to go with or without you."

    They brought him into the ship, however, they did not let him go to find her. "Wait here, turian. We'll ask her to come here. Can't have unknown personnel roaming around." One said, his grim face not changing.

    Crixus nodded reluctantly, ready to just get this over with.

    The man spoke into his omni-tool. "Could someone have Captain Shepard meet us at the airlock doors? Got a turian here that doesn't fit Cabalite Caelcis' description claiming to be taking her place."
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    (OOC: We're ready for liftoff! There's going to be some scripting in this post for the sake of moving things along but it'll all be very general stuff that your characters would do organically. You should all be fine with it but if you have an issue with something, let me know and I'll change it.)

    Alice saw Commander Teller off and was about to head over to her private terminal by the galaxy map to check her messages when one of the marines guarding the airlock walked up and saluted her.

    "Captain Shepard ma'am! There's a Cabalite Crixus at the airlock requesting permission to come aboard. He says he's filling in for another Turian named Caelcis but he's the only Turian I've seen so far. Do you know anything about this ma'am?"

    Alice looked confused for a moment and then realized that Caelcis had never made it aboard. She had peeled off from the main group on their way to the Liberator and simply disappeared into a crowd. Until now Alice had totally missed it. This was a very odd occurrence however, not to mention a stressful one. She had just met this crew and now it was being changed around before she could see her own ship? Why do politicians have to take an already stressful mission and add more stress to it with crap like this? But there was nothing Alice could do so she opened her omni-tool and called Councilor Sparatus to confirm the switch.

    "Councilor? It's Captain Shepard. I just received a Cabalite Crixus as a replacement for Cabalite Caelcis. Apparently she was transferred off my ship before I even got on board. Mind explaining that to me?"

    "That's correct Captain." Sparatus said from the mini vidscreen on Alice's omni-tool. "I'm afraid Avilia is needed elsewhere. Crixus will be serving under you instead."

    "Than why did you even bother assigning her to me if you just changed it!? I've got a half-ready ship and forty people to organize before we leave the Citadel! I can't do that if you switch crew members under my nose!" Alice knew it was a bad idea to snap at the Coucilor and she'd regret it later but she was both frustrated at her current setbacks and on the cusp of being overwhelmed by her sudden massive responsibility. She felt like she was being thrown into a lake without knowing how to swim and told to get back to shore. The pressures of command she had always observed now felt very real and she was terrified of screwing up.

    "Watch your tone with me young lady!" Sparatus snapped back, having none of this girl's attitude. "You're going to learn very quickly that being a captain involves dealing with constant wrinkles in the best laid plans and if your plates are too thin to deal with a simple transfer of two officers you've never even met than we chose the wrong woman for this job! You're the captain of a warship! Act like it! Besides, this transfer was made a few moments ago. There wasn't any time to warn you."

    "Of course Councilor, I understand." Alice said, much calmer and a little embarrassed. "Where is Caelcis being deployed to?"

    "I'm afraid that's classified but rest assured Captain, her mission will make yours easier. Crixus is just as capable a Cabalite as Caelcis is and he fully respects your command. He's a turian after all. Now is there anything else?"

    "No Councilor, thank you."

    "You're welcome Shepard. Good luck and godspeed."

    The transmission ended and Alice sighed in slight frustration. Sparatus had the personality of a wooden pole and was just as rigid. She had huge respect for the man but she hated dealing with him. His bearing was always so stern and critical. People told Alice it was a turian thing but her father was a turian and he wasn't like that. He was deadly serious when it came to her well-being or safety and he had a laser like focus on whatever crazy project he was working on but he was also quick to laugh, smile and crack jokes. Espeically around other humans. Maybe it was just a byproduct of being married to a human and having a human daughter but Garrus was proof that ramrod stiff wasn't all turians could be.

    A few seconds later Alice arrived at the airlock to greet her new arrival. She glanced at the datapad the marine on duty gave her before addressing Crixus.

    "Cabalite Crixus. I'm captain Alice Shepard, it's a pleasure to meet you. I understand you'll be replacing Cabalite Caelcis as our biotic and tech support. We're underway in an hour so I'm afraid I don't have time to talk right now. Head to the crew deck and settle into Caelcis' quarters. We'll have your nameplate changed later and I'll be by to talk to you after we get underway. Understood?"

    "Aye aye ma'am." Crixus said, saluting his new captain.

    "Carry on Crixus, and welcome aboard."

    Alice saluted Crixus and they headed their separate ways. Alice headed back to the CIC too look over everything and saw that she had two messages waiting for her. She tried to read them several times over the next few minutes but something kept cropping up that demanded her attention and she simply decided to read them later. She noticed the pace of the crew picked up considerably under her gaze and she was very impressed with her work. In a blinding 34 minutes all the departments had reported in and all the little messes and tech piles around the ship were cleaned up and installed. Even the crates of lab equipment were brought in thought the lab was currently unoccupied. With that, Alice decided it was time to leave. She activated the Liberator's PA system so the entire crew could hear her. Three synthetic whistles, an old human naval tradition, got the crews attention and everyone in the CIC got up and stood at attention. Alice expected the rest of the ship to follow suit even though she couldn't see them. She cleared her throat and spoke into the holo mic above the galaxy map.

    "All hands, this is Captain Shepard. You've all done an excellent job getting this ship ready in so little time and we're about to get underway. It's time I briefed you on our mission. Ten days ago someone tried to kill Urdnot Wrex, Warchief of the Krogan Clans. Today C-Sec found the culprit. Wrex was targeted by a human terrorist organization called Cerberus. We all learned about Cerberus in school and how they betrayed humanity and the galaxy at the height of the Reaper War. How they've survived this long doesn't really matter because our mission is to find them and destroy them. In ancient Greek mythology Cerberus was a three headed dog that guarded the Underworld. It wouldn't die until all three heads were removed. Well this last head has found us. We're the best the Alliance and the Council has to offer. We're better trained than our enemy, we're better equipped and we're a hell of a lot smarter. Do your jobs, trust in each other, trust in me and well all go home with one hell of a story to tell. Let's go open the Underworld. Shepard out."

    Again, Alice was invigorated by her own speech. She felt she had done better this time. She radioed Arryn.

    "Arryn, release docking clamps and set a course for the Charon Relay. Let's see what this ship can do." Alice said, looking at a coded message the Council had sent her, the first of the messages at her private terminal.

    "Aye aye Captain. Do we have a course when we get there?" Arryn asked over the radio.

    "We need answers about Cerberus and I know just the place. We're going to Eden Prime."

    "Aye aye Commander."


    With a silent hiss and a puff of ice crystals the docking clamps holding the Liberator were released and the ship was free to leave the Citadel. Alice took a moment to bring up a virtual window and gaze at the sight behind her. The Citadel hung like a brown jewel above Earth. The cradle of humanity now boasted the cradle of galactic civilization and thought made Alice's chest swell with pride. Earth, particularly London and D.C were just as much home to her as the Citadel and she'd sacrifice herself for either of them. And being right next to each other they were easier to protect than ever. Who knew the Reapers moving the Citadel all those years ago was a good thing?

    With thrusters blazing the Liberator shot off into the great empty void of space, ready for danger, glory or whatever else awaited.
     

    Seanu Reaves

    The Shogun of Gaming
    Artemis grabbed her armor and smirked as she heard the announcement. I think the Captain’s knowledge of mythology is a little off, the Asari smirked to herself. But it could be an obscure myth, humans and their alien ways. Artemis was dreading take off but was still growing more and more excited as time went on. The hunt was going to start, and she would be able to bring her rifle to bear. She shuddered, knowing she had to protect her squad mates. No more failures, Artemis thought. The nature of this mission was still eating at her mind. Attacking someone on the Citadel, known for combat prowess, and from a species notoriously hard to kill. It made little sense unless it was a feint, because there just wasn’t the fear that normally a terrorist attack would cause. Enough people still had the memories of the Reapers fresh in their mind. A feint then, but what is the true target? Artemis shook her thoughts way, even though she still felt like they were missing something critical.

    Artemis put her armor back, and pulled her rifle out. She did what little adjustments she could by eye and hand, but she would need to use proper instruments sooner or later. Artemis always preferred sooner when it came to her weapons. There was a small lurch as the ship’s thrusters turned to full power, and Artemis tensed. Gripping her sniper rifle for dear life, even though it was in storage mode. It took her a long time to get used to flying, and that included not going onto any observation decks. Ever. Like a startled cat, Artemis began walking around. Looking for a work station. Each muscle tensed though her face had the image of composure and calm.

    She began to hear words, and she realized it was some classical human work. Her translator reminded her how annoying antiquated human could be, dancing around the meaning yet seemingly lacking any real poetry. She saw the Krogan from around the corner, and realized the sound was coming from an open portal that Artemis thought must be his quarters. The Krogan was at the work station, and Artemis was happy that she wasn’t the only one preparing for imminent resistance. The intellectual interest was not that surprising to Artemis. Members of the Urgnot Clan from what she had seen and read showed they were just as much thinkers as hitters, physiology favoring a charging close range brute but still maintaining a surprisingly high mental capacity. Give them time, Artemis thought. And who knows, we may one day talk of wonderful Krogan works of culture.


    “Mind if I use your station once you are finished?” Artemis said, finally seeming to get her space legs. “Some of the clumsy crewmen dropped my gear. I wanted to make sure it was as close to perfect as it was.”
     

    Phantom

    Uh, I didn't do it
    “Mind if I use your station once you are finished? Some of the clumsy crewmen dropped my gear. I wanted to make sure it was as close to perfect as it was.”

    Kain looked up from the Avenger he was cleaning and took a glance at the person who'd addressed. An asari stood there, waiting for his response. He held up a hand, asking for a moment.

    'Only look up clear;
    To alter favour ever is to fear:
    Leave all the rest to me.'

    He paused it there. He didn't want to pause mid-scene and lose his place. "Of course," he said, putting the rifle back together and returning it to the rack. "Just was checking the crew equipment anyways, standard gear, but all are new or barely used," he commented. "New ship, new crew, new unit. Pretty well prepared for such a last minute mission."

    He stepped away from the bench, making his way back behind his curtain. "Go ahead, I'll stay out of your way."
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    Alice took a sigh of relief as the subtle vertigo of the Liberator's engines kicked in. She had done it. She had gotten this ship out of the Citadel and on its way. It would be at least two hours before they arrived at the Charon Relay and arrived in the Utopia system and another half hour before they reached Eden Prime. She had some time to relax. It was strange that the Council was sending her to Eden Prime. Yes it had been the first colony to be hit during the Eden Prime War but Shepard had saved the colony and eventually stopped Saren. Yes it was conquered and occupied by Cerberus during the Reaper War but again Shepard had saved it. Thirty years had passed and the colony was not only completely rebuilt but bigger and more prosperous than ever. The food it produced had been vital to Earth's recovery and it now stood as a symbol of endurance and fortitude as well as the unspoiled paradise it had always been. What on Earth could be going on there?

    Alice figured she would find out soon enough. The message she had gotten told her to contact Councilor Hackett once she had reached Eden Prime orbit. That would probably be her briefing and her mother would probably be involved. In the meantime she needed to relax. She radioed Arryn.

    "Arryn? I'm going down to the mess hall. You and SKOUT have the bridge. Let me know when we reach Eden Prime okay? I might be asleep in my cabin on deck 1 so you might have to send someone up."

    Alice headed over to the elevator and pressed the button for deck 3, the crew deck. It was warmer and brighter than the CIC. It felt good. Probably because it was the crew deck and was where everyone but her called home. The enlisted men had two gender segregated bunkrooms on either side of the deck where they all lived and slept together. Crowded and there was little privacy but at least you weren't alone. The officers and her team were set up in a hallway of quarters where the elevator let out. A little different from the Normandy as on that ship the elevator let you out in front of a wall and a crew memorial. Alice walked down the hall with her hand behind her back, looking at the names on the doors and seeing who had and hadn't found their rooms yet. The crewmen who had found their quarters, from the looks of it only Arryn, had their doors closed and a red "locked" symbol in the middle. Everyone else had a green "unlocked" symbol on their doors. They would probably make their own access code once they got settled. Alice could override any of the locks of course, being the captain, but she didn't want to disturb the privacy of their crew members. She decided to simply walk back to the elevator and around it, putting her into the mess hall. She went around the elevator's right side and there was a currently blank memorial wall to her left. She tried not to think about the first name that would be on that wall.

    The mess hall was mostly the same as on the Normandy. Tables and chairs in an open area in between the XO's quarters, the medbay and the hallway that led to the main battery. Stasis tubes lined the hallway in case of life support loss. An open kitchen, glass protected meal prep line and serving rail were in the back left hand corner of the mess hall, by the XO's office. Alice wondered about that office and who would occupy it. On the Normandy it was Liara's space and she practically lived in there. There were huge monitors that made an entire map of the galaxy and at least four active terminals at any time. And there was Glyph, the hillarious V.I assistant and drone that helped organize Liara's information and brighten her day. She would have to check that out later. In the meantime she was hungry.

    Several crew members were already at some of the tables talking, eating and drinking. That didn't surprise Alice. What did surprise her was a graceful and beautiful asari working the kitchen. She looked much older than Artemis or Liara and gave off an aura of patience, wisdom and experience. As if she had seen everything in the galaxy and was coming back for more. She was also extremely ample and Alice had more than a little envy. Her own breasts felt lie mosquito bites in comparison. Alice was about to approach this asari and ask for her name when one of the crew members eating lunch did it for her.

    "Great. Asari gumbo again." One man said.

    "C'mon Aethyta, we have this crap every day. Why can't we have something different for once? Maybe something humans like to eat?" Another grumbed.

    "Oh I'm sorry princess." The asari said sarcastically and rolling her eyes. "Filet mignon and lobster tail coming right up. Just let me get my china out."

    "Damn smart ass..." The crewmen said, eating his gumbo anyway. "First we eat this alien plops for a week, now we're taking orders from a 12 year old girl..."

    "Uh...Hadley? The captain's right behind you..."

    "Oh crap!" Hadley said, practically throwing his spoon across the room and jumping to attention as Alice cleared her throat.

    "C-C-Captain Shepard! Ma'am! I-I don't know what you heard but I..."

    "You speak when spoken to crewmen!" Alice barked, brandishing a finger at the young man. She wasn't really mad at him but she needed to blow off some steam and technically he was being an arsefish so she decided to have a little fun with him. Rank did have its privileges. "Just who the hell do you think you are?"

    "Ma'am! Hadley! Rick C! Servicemen! CIC administrative assistance! Shift Bravo, 1600 to 2400 shipboard time Ma'am!"

    "Well tell me something Hadley," Alice said, crossing her arms and enjoying her new position. The entire mess hall was silent. The top of her head only reached his chin but he was terrified of her. "What makes you think it's a good idea to undermine my authority on my ship? You think you've got a better idea on how to stop Cerberus?!"

    "N-no ma'am! Of course not!"

    "No." Alice said with a sneer. "I know what this is. You don't think I can do this. You think I'm a little mamma's girl, don't you? Don't you...?"

    Hadley was shaking. He didn't know what to say but Aethyta was chuckling so hard she couldn't contain herself. She was the only one laughing and all the crew stared at her.

    "What could possibly be funny about this Aethyta?"

    "Are you pyjaks really that thick!?" The millennia old asari matriarch said between laughs. "She's messing with you!"

    "...What?" Hadley asked with confusion. He turned to Alice to confirm this and she too started to chuckle, escalating to full out laughing a few seconds later. The rest of the crew realized that this really was just a joke and everyone had a good laugh for the next few seconds. Hadley chucked awkwardly, both very confused and relieved beyond belief. "You should have seen your face!" Alice shouted over the laughter, beeming at him.


    "So I'm...I'm not in trouble ma'am?"

    "No! Of course not! You might want to watch what you say about your captain but you're just fine Hadley." He was still shaken and Alice felt bad for the boy. He couldn't have been more than eighteen. Fresh from Earth probably, he was so cute. So she reached up to his shoulders and gave him a big hug. "Awww! It's allright."

    Hadley hugged Alice back. Awkwardly at first, then cradling her smaller, shorter body for a moment as he realized he wasn't about to be shot. "You got me good ma'am. I'm sorry about my comment. It won't happen again."

    "It's okay Hadley. Just be mindful of who's around you in the future and you'll be just fine. Besides, I do look like a 12 year old girl so it's nothing I haven't heard before." She broke the hug and resumed a professional stance. "Now, I'm gonna get something to eat. Would it be allright if I sat with you and your friend here? Get to know my CIC staff a little?"

    "Of course ma'am. Pull up a chair. I'm serviceman Matthews, heat management officer for Bravo shift. Hadley and I enlisted together and this is our first assignment so we're pretty excited. Actually ma'am, both our dads used to serve on the Normandy under Commander Shepard. They even survived being abducted by the Collectors thanks to the Commander! Well, the admiral now. I...guess you know her pretty well."

    "You could say that." Alice said smiling. Two sons of two crew members on the Normandy that served with her mother? What were the odds? This was definitely a second generation ship. "It's a pleasure to meet you Matthews. My mom, uh, the admiral, told me about your dad and how he held off a Praetorian for Joker to sneak by when the Normandy was boarded. Let's hope our own adventures aren't so desperate. I'll be right back okay?"

    She then headed over to the serving area and realized who this asari cook was. This Aethyta was the same Matriarch Aethyta that used to serve drinks in the Eternity bar on Illium! And at Apollo's Coffee on the Citadel during the Reaper War! She was a friend of her mom's and Liara's father! Simply being in the presence of an asari matriarch was an honor but having one serve on her ship? Aethyta was one of many family friends Alice grew up around and it was great to see her again but why was she here? Asari matriarchs could do anything they wanted, way beyond stirring gumbo on board an Alliance frigate.

    "Aethyta? Matriarch Aethyta?"

    "At your service Captain Shepard." She said, holding her arms out for the hug Alice was going to tackle her with. Alice gave a small squeal of joy and Aethyta pulled her into a protective, motherly embrace. The crew tried to ignore them. "It's good to see ya' again kiddo. Congrats on your promotion."

    Alice broke the hug but smiled up at the loving but balsy asari. "Thanks Aethyta. It's so good to see you again. But why are you here? When I saw your name on the crew manifest I thought it was just a coincidence."

    "I'm the Liberator's morale officer. Most days I'm just the cook nobody appreciates but I do other things like plan events, keep up with non-critical electrical systems, talk to crew members who need to get something off their chest. Whatever makes people happy. No sex though, that's against regs."

    "No I got all that, but why are YOU here? You're an asari matriarch. I know you like this sort of work but why are you on my ship specifically? Did my mom send you to keep an eye on me?"

    "Well, yes Alice, that is one reason I'm here." Alice gave an embarrassed frown and Aethyta tsked. "C'mon now, don't give me that look. Your mom has all the reason in the galaxy to send someone to watch out for you. This is your first real command on a state of the art warship on a mission that's as far from a shakedown run as you can get. Even if she weren't your mom she'd do it anyway. A ship like this needs somebody to keep an eye on the crew and I've seen a thousand years of plops. I was picked for this mission under N8 and sworn into the Alliance as a Major. Hence the blues."

    Aethyta was wearing Alliance fatigues like the rest of the crew around her, and Alice would change into hers soon. "Well it's nice to know mom's keeping an eye on me, and really I couldn't think of a better morale officer than you. Thanks Aethyta, I'm glad to have you with me. That uniform really looks good on you."

    "Thanks hon, I'm happy to be here. It'll be fun kickin' Cerberus in the quad again. Now can I get you somethin'? Ya look hungry."

    "Sure. What do you have?"

    "Well, I just served the last of the gumbo but if you want I can make you a Reuben. Ever had one? Tried it a couple decades ago on Earth. You humans can do some pretty amazing things with meat, cheese and bread I've gotta say. You want one?"

    "Absolutely! That sounds great Aethyta!" Alice said. A Reuben and some potato salad would hit the spot right now.

    "Allright then. It'll be a few minutes and I'll get you some potato salad and an Elkoss Cola Zero to go with it. Why don't you go upstairs to your cabin and change into something less uncomfortable. You could stand to let your hair down a little."

    "Will do. Thanks Aethyta." Alice said. She walked back to the elevator and headed up to her cabin. It was an exact copy of her mom's on the Normandy and all her clothes, uniforms and civilian, were hung, folded and stocked in the drawers and cabinets for her for her. Again, rank had its privileges. She changed into a pair of informal fatigues and knee high boots over the pants and headed down, more relaxed and comfortable now that she was out of her dress blues. As she got back to the crew deck she heard Aethyta holler to someone around the corner. In the XO's office. Apparently it had been retrofitted into a full galley.

    "Hey! Crap-for-brains! Where the hell is the Captain's sandwich!? She's already back!"

    "Almost ready Aethyta!" A nervous and dreadfully familiar voice said. "I dropped the spatula and it fell between the stoves! Don't worry though, I found a new one!"

    "Oh no. It can't be..."

    But it was.

    "Alice! It's great to see you again! Oh, sorry! Captain Shepard! I bet that'll take some getting used to!" The man talking to her and bringing her her lunch was none other than Conrad Verner. Admiral Shepard's self-proclaimed biggest fan and someone who had found the most creative ways to get himself in trouble that Alice had ever seen. Conrad was yet another friend of Alice's mom but never really someone either was glad to see. Conrad was a brilliant physicist and had shown his heretofore unknown genius during the Reaper War while working on the Crucible but the man completely lacked common sense. The problem is he was really a good person who tried hard to serve humanity. He was just kind of stupid. Alice and her mom liked him and even cared about him but in a sort of "dumb puppy" kind of way. He constantly did stupid things but you just couldn't stay mad at him. Instead you looked for a way to gracefully get out of any one on one conversation you had with him. Like that weird uncle everybody was nice too but no one really wanted to talk with.

    "Uh...Conrad. Hi I...didn't know you were onboard."

    "That's right! Serviceman Conrad Verner at your service! Plumbing, environmental maintenance, water and sewage systems, I maintain it all. I even help Aethyta here in the kitchen. After I wash my hands of course."

    "Don't worry hon. He knows what he's doing. Surprisingly."

    "Well, here's your lunch! Hot and ready just for you Captain Shepard! Ooh your mom's so proud of you! But I'm sure you want to eat. I'll leave you to it!"

    Mercifully, Conrad really did stop talking and headed back into the galley. Aethyta gave Alice a "don't worry about him, I've got this." look and Alice knew to trust her. No one read or commanded respect from people better than Aethyta did and if she was in charge of Conrad, he couldn't possibly hurt himself or anyone else on this mission. Now able to finally relax and enjoy her meal, Alice sat down and bit into her sandwich. It was the best thing she had tested in the last week and she devoured it. Aethyta had another ready for her along with another helping of potato salad and another glass of cola. Alice had slaked the worst of her hunger on the first plate of food and was ready to enjoy the second. Human biotics had much higher energy requirements than other humans, over fifty percent more. Sustained biotic power required a lot of calories and were often draining. Alice always carried snacks and candy with her in case she ever got low blood sugar, similar to diabetics when that was a problem several hundred years ago. She also ate as much as a male twice her weight and a foot taller than her and like all biotics was always given a large canteen of energy drink after every deployment to restore her blood sugar. She also loved to eat despite her small size. Eating was one of her favorite things to do and the combination of good, ample food, old caretakers and new crewmen who looked up to her but also welcomed her as an equal let her really enjoy herself ever since she got on board. The Liberator's mess hall was a happy place and Alice would get some much needed rest before their mission truly began.





     

    CapObvious

    A Rotten Scroungeral
    Crixus made his way to the crew deck, as he was ordered. His opinion of the captain was exactly as he had expected from a child of a Shepard.

    He felt that he would be fine under her command, despite her not being turian.

    He stepped in to the quarters and found Caelcis' bunk, and began to make it his own. He didn't take much out of the bag or two he carried with him, instead dropping both upon the bunk to sort out later.

    He was much too famished to focus on unpacking at the moment.

    Making sure none of his things impeded anyone else, he stepped out, and made his way to the mess hall.

    Well...after asking about to find it.

    He made his way over to the mess, hoping they had something appropriate for him.

    He made his way over to the asari who manned the galley and spoke. "Anything that won't have me tossing myself out of the airlock, please."

    After getting his meal, (and a look that could have made a reaper run in terror), Crixus made his way to the tables.

    As he did so, he saw the captain sitting alone. Thinking this would be a good time to learn more about who he'd have to walk through fire for, he decided to join her.

    With a half smile, he stepped over to the captain, saluting her with his right hand, while balancing his tray on the left.

    "Ma'am." He said simply. "Care if I join you?" HE didn't think this young woman to be too formal, and he hoped he was correct. He definitely sounded a bit to informal.
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    Aethyta raised what would be considered an eyebrow for an asari when the turian at her counter asked for anything that wouldn't have him tossing himself out the airlock. She had half a mind to toss him out the airlock herself if he kept up comments like that. The request was perfectly fine but the way he asked it implied that he doubted she would have any food for him, or understand the difference between dextro and levo based amino acid sapient life. She was a matriarch for the Goddess' sake!

    Of course he couldn't know that just by looking at her so she opened the large refrigerator behind her and got to work digging up something tasty for their new turian crew member. The Liberator was well stocked with high quality ingredients appropriate for all species but as far as Aethyta knew all but two crew members were levos, like humans. The only dextros she would be serving were one turian and one quarian so she hadn't bothered to prepare a great deal. After some rummaging around she found a plastic container of dextro-based chili and decided it would be good enough for now. She also made a mental note to get Conrad to clear out the XO's quarters behind her. With all the food stores in there Alice probably thought it was a galley.

    Aethyta got the chili out and opened it up after washing her hands again and drying them with biotics. She dumped the container into an empty pot and used a warp field to heat it up in seconds, applying the perfect amount of biotic power only an asari matriarch could. After a couple of minutes the chili was hot and ready and its aroma filled the mess hall. She scooped some into a bowel and put it on a tray along with a spoon, some napkins and a large bag of dextro crackers from the pantry. She noticed the turian was sitting with Alice and that made her smile. Her little Alice had a heavy burden on her shoulders and making some new friends would really help. She sat the tray down in front of the turian.

    "Here you go hon." She said with her arms folded. "Dextro-adapted beef chili with beans. Human dish but still pretty good if you're in the mood for somethin' hot and meaty. Like a krogan you're messin' around with before you meld with 'em. Anyway, let me know if you want anything else. You and a quarian down in engineering are the only dextros on board so let me know what you like and I'll have it ready when you get hungry."

    "That's nice of you Aethyta." Alice said smiling, halfway done with her second sandwich and on her third glass of cola. Her first plate was still stacked under her second. "And you are more than welcome to join me Crixus. I just met a couple of my administrative staff in the CIC but you and I didn't have much chance to talk at the airlock." He sat down and Alice watched as he picked at his chili, obviously never eaten human food, or its turian substitute before. "How are you doing so far? Are you settling in okay? Is there anything you need?"
     

    Chef Umaril

    Active Member
    Frank had been meditating for quite some time. This particular session was focused on relaxing more than delving into his own mind. He needed to be alert, and a guided meditation would drain his energy more than helping him. After an hour or so, he had felt a rumbling that could only mean one thing: hunger. This interruption broke his concentration, and brought him back to reality. Frank stretched for a moment before standing, and made his way to the mess hall a floor above.

    When Frank arrived, he noticed a Turian and Captain Sheppard eating their meals. At the back of the Mess, there was a somewhat bored-looking Asari standing by the cooking implements. He approached her, asking for "what the rest of the enlisted crew members had eaten." His request wasn't intended to be sarcastic, but more toward seeming approachable.

    After a few moments, he was handed a bowl of the leftovers from an Asari dish made prior to his arrival. It didn't look like anything he'd eaten before, but Frank didn't complain; he'd eaten food on Omega that would leave half this ship's enlisted crew in the latrines for a week. "Thank you, ma'am," he said before sitting at the table.

    As he consumed his meal with the lust of a hound, the Matriarch began laughing. "That's the most excited I've seen this crew eat my food since these new arrivals!" She exclaimed, surprised at Frank's willingness to eat what the rest of the younger men and women referred to as her 'Gumbo.' She approached and slapped Frank on the back, causing him to cough a bit as he accidentally inhaled a bit of his food. "What's your name, kid?" She asked with a semi-menacing grin.

    "Frank," he said, still coughing slightly. "Frank Jaeger, and you?" He corrected, returning the question.

    "You can call me Aethyta," she answered. "Since you're so excited to try my food, I'll let you have one of my finer desserts one day. I was saving it for a special occasion, but you look like someone who'd put it to good use," she offered. In the confusion, Frank saw Alice smiling at him as though he had just done the impossible.
     

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