Commander Shepard made the ultimate sacrifice to [red energy]DESTROY [/red energy] the Reapers. Eight years later, the survivors of the war seek to put the galaxy back together.
"You would expect so, Sarge, but this guy says Shepard can't be trusted. I'm not sure exactly whose team he's on." She glares at the N7 shirt. "I should tear that thing off of him."
Grace raises a hand, as if to lower the volume of the conversation, addressing the pair.
"Like I said, we're all on the same team now. There's no need to get vexed over a turn of phrase. I'm sure that's not what the lad meant, is it?"
Who is that masked DM? wrote:
The dual pronged assault would make most wither, but somehow puts steel in this one's spine. He stands a bit straighter, his attention becoming less of an embarrassment. "Shepard is a hero ma'am, but she was Alliance long before she got duped into working for Cerberus. I don't buy that 'coming back from the dead' story. C-Def deserves top of the line equipment, not cast offs. Ma'am. Ma'ams. Uh, sergeant ma'am."
"I don't know about her coming back from the dead, but we all owe Commander Shepard a great deal. I was fresh out of jump school when the geth invaded. Without her and Admiral Anderson and all the rest leading the charge, we wouldn't have had the resolve to push them back like we did. And a few years later, when the Reapers finally hit us..."
She trails off, pausing for a moment.
"The point is, it doesn't matter so much who she was than what she meant to all of us."
Her expression brightens, and she gestures to the Dolphin.
"We do need all the equipment we can get, though. The war's been over for a while now, and a good ship is a good ship. Doesn't matter if you chose a side during the war. Everyone's just regular folks now, alright?"
Hestia Harper wrote:
"You don't buy the coming back from the dead story? I suppose you don't buy that Cerberus fought off the Reapers while everyone else sat on their thumbs? You don't get to pick and choose history to suit your own likes and dislikes, son." It seems an odd appellation for
...
The kid gives you a salute that shows some promise, and leaves you to your thoughts, more awe in his face than there was before despite Hestia's dressing down. A quick glance around determines your words had an effect on the crowd- the C-sec officers are a bit calmer, and everyone has turned their conversations to less intimidating topics. The little boy with his father waves at you innocently.
"Probably stripped out. Alliance tends to strip down salvage to utilitarian levels. Cerberus did tend to build things right. It's one of the advantages a private company has over government. They can react more quickly when need be, without having to persuade governments all over the galaxy to support them. They can also put in features suitable to maintain morale without having to justify them to taxpayers, who might see such things as luxuries." Hestia shrugs. "Of course, as a corporation expands, it becomes just about as difficult to manage as a galaxy does to govern, leading to abuses and unauthorized actions everywhere, public and private sectors alike." She stops short, perhaps realizing that she's talking in a civilized fashion for longer than usual.
"That's a long way of saying the fish are probably gone. They were notoriously difficult to keep alive, anyway," she smirks.
Specialist Bezraa smiles. "I think you'll find that a C-Def vessel is a bit more...homey...than an alliance frigate, Officer Harper and Sergeant Wright. Still, you'll want to check in with Lieutenant Vaws after getting settled. Then Captain Arpin will address the crew and we will be off."
Specialist Bezraa smiles. "I think you'll find that a C-Def vessel is a bit more...homey...than an alliance frigate, Officer Harper and Sergeant Wright. Still, you'll want to check in with Lieutenant Vaws after getting settled. Then Captain Arpin will address the crew and we will be off."
Hestia grins and waves at the little human boy as she waits.
"See there, Gir? It might not be as small as the Mesa, but it might be kind of homey anyway. And maybe they'll even have sushi for Dern. If they had time to stop at one of the lakes in the Citadel, anyway," Hestia chirps, "We better go find cabins and check in with the Lieutenant."
And she does that thing, taking the smallest and worst cabin she can find for herself, smiling and humming happily the whole time. "Permission to postpone meeting until after the Captain's address, sir?" she asks Grace with a snappy salute and with no obvious trace of sarcasm or snottiness.
Dern proceeds as well, looking to see if he has an assigned cabin or berth.
You discover, much to your delight/chagrin, that the Relay Inspection Team has a set of bunks a bit removed from the remainder of the crew -something about the fact that RIT is "on" while the bulk of the crew is "off"- and vice versa. They aren't any different from the remainder of the bunks other than location.
"Permission to postpone meeting until after the Captain's address, sir?" she asks Grace with a snappy salute and with no obvious trace of sarcasm or snottiness.
"Of course. Just come find me when you're ready to talk."
Once her gear is in her locker, Hestia cheerfully waits for the rest to stow theirs, then joins the group in finding Lt. Vaws to check in.
She trails the pack, looking around the ship with interest -- primarily trying to spot anything valuable (for future acquisition/trade) or illicit (for bargaining/blackmail) in the living areas of the ship or on the persons of the crew members.
Resources:4d3 - 8 + 1 ⇒ (3, 1, 2, 1) - 8 + 1 = 0
It appears many of the crew have just stashed their belongings, so not much is exposed to Hestia's scrutiny.
Upon claiming her bunk, Grace finally reveals the contents of her overstuffed duffel bag, which, as it turns out, consist mainly of a disorganized mess of wadded-up clothes, datapads, and cheap paperback books, all of which are jammed unceremoniously into her locker. Underneath the mess, however, is revealed an impressively battered-looking suit of Alliance-issue Onyx III commando armor, which Grace carefully hangs from the rack next to her bunk. The heavy black gun case remains unopened, and is stowed beneath the bunk itself.
After tossing the empty duffel into a dark corner of the berthing area, she stands back, admiring her handiwork, then turns to the rest of the group?
Gir remains mostly quiet as they board the Dolphin, trying to avoid engaging Hestia on private enterprise/Cerberus versus the importance of government oversight, though he does chuckle at Zinnius' joke, not expecting it from the Salarian. He was glad to be back on a vessel, and even happier when he found they were removed from the rest of the crew.
Takes One To Know One:
Using Skill Stunt "Takes One To Know One" (pg 103) to use Deceit to figure out if someone is lying.
Deceit:4d3 - 8 + 3 ⇒ (2, 1, 1, 3) - 8 + 3 = 2
He was also glad to see Hestia's mood so improved, though he wasn't sure what had caused her to perk up.
Upon reaching the bunks, he stows his rifle case, and immediately begins to examine the area, while the others are stowing their gear.
GM:
So, I'm not sure what's best to roll. Gir wants to see if it's safe to talk freely, if quietly, amongst themselves here, or if he'd want to wait until they're off-ship again to discuss their mission. There seems to be a couple possibilities.
Security is described as being used to "assess the weaknesses and strengths of a potential target. Here, you’re trying to determine the existence of unobvious or hidden aspects, using assessment. Casing a target with Security is limited to security facts, including potential escape routes." He'd be using it in reverse here, looking for security devices, the "strengths" side of things, listening/recording devices, cameras, etc. His Skill Stunt, Tripwire Sensibilities (pg113), may also help this come into play, depending on how you define traps. Is a hidden listening device a "trap"? It's hidden so you don't know it's there, luring you in to a false sense of security, which seems trap-like to me. But I may just be rationalising, as it benefits me if it does work that way. :P
Security:4d3 - 8 + 4 ⇒ (1, 2, 1, 1) - 8 + 4 = 1
Then there's Investigation, which is the most straight-forward one. The skill to look for something and, hopefully, find it. Looking for exactly the same as above.
And, as before, Deceit to try and make it not look like he's looking for security devices. If they are under observation, he doesn't want the "higher-ups" to know he knows.
Hestia, fidgeting as she waits for the others to go meet Lt. Vaws, sees that Gir has finished his unpacking and is looking around.
Slipping up behind him, she peers over his shoulder. "Watcha doin', Gir?"
In that full suit, mask, and cloak, one could almost think of Quarians as humans with funny accents, if one ignored the deformed hands and feet. OK, maybe not.
Gir remains mostly quiet as they board the Dolphin, trying to avoid engaging Hestia on private enterprise/Cerberus versus the importance of government oversight, though he does chuckle at Zinnius' joke, not expecting it from the Salarian. He was glad to be back on a vessel, and even happier when he found they were removed from the rest of the crew.
** spoiler omitted **
He was also glad to see Hestia's mood so improved, though he wasn't sure what had caused her to perk up.
Upon reaching the bunks, he stows his rifle case, and immediately begins to examine the area, while the others are stowing their gear.
** spoiler omitted **...
Spoiler 1:
Noone seems to be lying per se, although you may or may not be familiar with the human practice of small talk to cover up any long silences, which humans find to be uncomfortable.
Spoiler 2:
You use every security routine you know to look around for any unwanted devices, but you find none. You are confident you did so subtly.
Continuing to observe the area, Gir quietly responds, "Security assessment.", before turning to Hestia and continuing at a normal volume. "Appreciating a bit of history. Did you know this ship was involved in the Cerberus attack on Grissom Academy? ... Are you familiar with Grissom? You probably would have gone there, if it hadn't been destroyed."
"You mean the rescue effort at Grissom, before the Reapers could get 'em? No, I didn't know this ship was there. Cool! And I probably wouldn't have gone there. I had a better education than that," Hestia laughs.
"Exactly. Like everywhere else she goes, Shepherd really saved the day there."
Awareness 5:
Deceit:4d3 - 8 + 3 ⇒ (1, 3, 3, 3) - 8 + 3 = 5
Gir is being purposely obtuse about Hestia's reference to the "rescue effort", in order to avoid an argument/ruin her good mood.
"It was supposedly the premier school for human biotics. After you joined the Alliance, I'm sure they would have sent you there, had it survived."
Speaking up to ensure that the others will hear, Gir says "The room appears secure, should we need to discuss our mission. And I'm ready to go."
Hestia chuckles at Gir. "Just remember, the winners write history, Gir. If Shepard hadn't interfered, the biotics at Grissom would have gotten an education equivalent to mine, and that's saying something. Wistfully: I used to be much better before the Alliance broke me." She imitates the sonorous yet flat tones of an Elcor for the final statement.
Dern efficiently stows his gear beside a vacant berth. He does not remark upon Heatia's revelation, if he heard about it at all.
"Thank you for investigating the security, Gir. The circumstances of our hiring are certainly suspicious. I will be surprised if everything is as it seems here, at any rate."
"Ten-HUTTS!" A harsh voice cuts across the muted chatter of the team. An Asari spins around the semi-corner in a crisp C-Def uniform, heedless of your preparedness for her arrival - from her carriage and the ugly scar that goes from her lip up to her hair-tentacle line, giving her a permanent smirk even as it has claimed her left eye, this can only be the Lieutenant Vaws you have heard of. Her remaining eye takes all of you in a single glare that brooks no lip.
"Are you my new RITS?" Her tone makes it clear you better be.
Hestia automatically snaps gracefully to attention, salute rigid, eyes fixed on a point somewhere beyond the hull. "Sir, yes SIR," she shouts in chorus with Grace, then shuts her mouth immediately, to the relief of the galaxy.
Although Gir was very grateful for the sudden interruption, he doesn't quite react to the Lieutenant as smoothly or quickly as the others, mostly due to lacking the experience. As the others snap to attention and respond, he falls into line and does the same.
Dern observes the others and recognizes the pretense of military order. He stands at attention, somewhat amused, but observing the military traditions all the same.
"Part of the team, sir, yes, sir," Dern replies, still at attention. Is this for real? He wonders. I thought our roles on the crew were simply a ruse. What have I gotten myself into? He resolves to stand at attention until the others cease.
Still playing somewhat catch-up, Gir chimes in after Zinnius, "Also part of the team, sir." He briefly considering joking about coming with the room, but decides against it. The Lieutenant seemed a bit too intense for the joking sort.
Gir falls in line behind the others, and observes the rest of the crew/ship as they go. He hoped not everyone on board was as tightly strung as their Lieutenant.
Looking around the ship as you follow the fast clip of the Lieutenant, you see a standard, military vessel, unique only in the racial makeup of it's crew. Humans work with turians, salarians with asari. It is in many ways a microcosm of the citadel itself, with numerous races working side by side. There even seems to be a volus at the helm of the ship. Aside from this, nothing seems out of the ordinary.
The Lieutenant leads you a door that is clearly larger than the others you have seen thsuf ar. A chime goes of as she approaches, and she mutters to herself, "Damn. He's probably praying at this hour." She draws a short breath- probably to tell you to stand at ease while waiting- when the door double-chimes , and slides open, giving access to the captain's quarters.
"My prayers are recently finished, Lieutenant. Your timing is impeccable."
You all recognize the distinct hollow growl of a batarian, and true enough, there is one, picking some type of prayer rug up off the floor calmly. He walks behind his desk, nodding for you to enter. He folds up the rug, putting it away reverently before snapping to attention, "Captain Arpin, commander of the C-Def heavy frigate the Dolphin. He salutes you all crisply before turning to the asari. "Thank you Lieutenant Vaws. You are dismissed."
Vaws snaps to attention, turns on her heel, and leaves as Arpin takes his seat.
So, you are my new RITS. Although you aren't really *mine* are you?"
The wink he gives you disturbing, considering he has 4 eyes.
Dern regards the stowing of the prayer rug with some curiosity. Such a display seems incongruous with the environment of a military vessel. He tries to identify the religious tradition based on the rug, the time of day, and any other factor that might be a clue.
Academics:4d3 - 8 + 2 ⇒ (2, 3, 3, 3) - 8 + 2 = 5
"Greetings, Captain," Dern responds. "Zinnius Dern, reporting for duty."
Edit: Wow, nice roll! A shame I wasted it on identifying his rug.
The rug seems to be a fairly standard batarian prayer rug, with the pillars of strength represented on it as the points of a compass rose. You believe one either faces the directions indicated or simply touches them while praying, asking for(or perhaps demanding, considering the aggressive nature of the batarian people)the different aspects of raw power that the Batarians respect.
"Huh. An eager recruit. It's been years since... he gets a wistful expression on his face (hard to tell as Batarians are multi-eyed) for a moment before snapping back to the moment.
"Sorry. Forgive an old varren for getting remorseful for days long gone by. To the reason you are here. Our...contact...has sent a dossier of planets that are believed to be of interest."
He taps a button and numerous world's appear before you all- Casbin, Antibaar, Sharjilla, Chohe, Nonuel, Nepheron, Deros, Noveria, and Onterom.
"You have basic info about these worlds, I assume. You will be following readings that only your omni-tools can pick up to the former Cerberus bunker located there. Once you select your planet it will be up to me to tell the crew that we will be going to investigate the systems associated Mass effect relay."
He taps more buttons and your omni tools chime that they have the new program.
Taking the download complete signal as an "at ease", Hestia examines the portfolio of potential planets. She looks for any that ring a bell as potentially more interesting than the others... or any whose name she might have heard as a kid.
So, you are my new RITS. Although you aren't really *mine* are you?"
"Yes and no, sir. I take it that you've been briefed on our mission, Captain?"
Hestia Harper wrote:
"We know where our duty lies, SIR," she responds to the Captain's comment.
At this, Grace shoots Hestia a short but significant glance, yet says nothing.
After his response:
Who is that masked DM? wrote:
He taps a button and numerous world's appear before you all- Casbin, Antibaar, Sharjila, Chohe, Nonuel, Nepheron, Deros, Noveria, and Ontarom.
"You have basic info about these worlds, I assume. You will be following readings that only your omni-tools can pick up to the former Cerberus bunker located there. Once you select your planet it will be up to me to tell the crew that we will be going to investigate the systems associated Mass effect relay."
Grace attempts to remember anything she can about the aforementioned planets.
Academics:4d3 - 8 + 1 ⇒ (3, 3, 3, 3) - 8 + 1 = 5
All of the planets listed are either in Alliance Space or the Traverse. Given Grace's background serving in these regions as a member of the 7th Frontier Division, would that reveal any additional information?
Taking the download complete signal as an "at ease", Hestia examines the portfolio of potential planets. She looks for any that ring a bell as potentially more interesting than the others... or any whose name she might have heard as a kid.
[dice=Academics]4d3-8+1
Spoiler:
Noveria...that name triggers a memory. Something about a Plan A vs. Plan B. And about the Alliance somehow compromising plan A, so plan B was only logical. Something about music...
Spoiler:
Nepheron..that name also triggers a memory, something also related to music...but you aren't sure what.
So, you are my new RITS. Although you aren't really *mine* are you?"
"Yes and no, sir. I take it that you've been briefed on our mission, Captain?"
"Good. I'm glad we are on the same page. Our mutual contact believes Cerberus is something more than a mere five-eye, and I am to assist you in investigating this rumor, primarily through physical transportation, action deniability, and some munitions support."
Quote:
After his response:
Who is that masked DM? wrote:
He taps a button and numerous world's appear before you all- Casbin, Antibaar, Sharjila, Chohe, Nonuel, Nepheron, Deros, Noveria, and Ontarom.
"You have basic info about these worlds, I assume. You will be following readings that only your omni-tools can pick up to the former Cerberus bunker located there. Once you select your planet it will be up to me to tell the crew that we will be going to investigate the systems associated Mass effect relay."
Grace attempts to remember anything she can about the aforementioned planets.
[dice="Academics"]4d3-8+1
All of the planets listed are either in Alliance Space or the Traverse. Given Grace's background serving in these regions as a member of the 7th Frontier Division, would that reveal any additional information?
Also, Deros = Feros?
Spoiler:
low whistle what a roll! *sigh* and yes, Feros,not Deros. Stupid autocorrect.
"Join the Allance, we'll take all who come, just pray we don't send you to Ontarom!" is an old recruiter's rhyme. Ontarom is a painfully hot world to serve on, and it it primarily big with people whose mertier lies in communications- the world is a major communications hub. Given its sweltering atmosphere- usually 58 C on most days, maybe a little less- the world sometimes produces combat engineers that have no problem setting up relays and doing maintenance on machines in truly hostile environments. Last you heard they were thinking about suggesting the world as a location for N-school training.
You know there is a Sirta Foundation Research station on Chohe.
You heard that the 103rd Marine Division's Team Zeta holed up in an old smuggler's base on Nonuel- some guy who was trying to sell the Alliance eezo off market or something.
"I don't disagree," Dern says to the captain. "I have seen what Cerberus is capable of. I believe this is a worthwhile mission, assuming the intelligence gathered is accurate and these are active Cerberus operations."
"We may be able to find valuable research or information, and perhaps persuade the Cerberus staff that the Alliance is not an enemy... bring them into the fold, so to speak," Hestia suggests quite casually.
He taps a button and numerous world's appear before you all- Casbin, Antibaar, Sharjila, Chohe, Nonuel, Nepheron, Feros, Noveria, and Ontarom.
"You have basic info about these worlds, I assume. You will be following readings that only your omni-tools can pick up to the former Cerberus bunker located there. Once you select your planet it will be up to me to tell the crew that we will be going to investigate the systems associated Mass effect relay."
"Understood, Captain. I'm familiar with a number of these planets from my time serving with the Alliance. Permission to confer with my team in private before making a final decision?"
"I don't disagree," Dern says to the captain. "I have seen what Cerberus is capable of. I believe this is a worthwhile mission, assuming the intelligence gathered is accurate and these are active Cerberus operations."
"Indeed, the intelligence is accurate. The Shadow Broker does not permit bad intel, from what I have seen. That said, I go by a 70-30 principle myself..."
"We may be able to find valuable research or information, and perhaps persuade the Cerberus staff that the Alliance is not an enemy... bring them into the fold, so to speak," Hestia suggests quite casually.
"I don't think diplomacy is an option here, but you are the boots on the ground, not me. If you can find a way to gather either more up-to-date intel or perhaps a sympathetic element within the ranks, please do so. Maybe you've a future in intelligence, Officer Harper."
He taps a button and numerous world's appear before you all- Casbin, Antibaar, Sharjila, Chohe, Nonuel, Nepheron, Feros, Noveria, and Ontarom.
"You have basic info about these worlds, I assume. You will be following readings that only your omni-tools can pick up to the former Cerberus bunker located there. Once you select your planet it will be up to me to tell the crew that we will be going to investigate the systems associated Mass effect relay."
"Understood, Captain. I'm familiar with a number of these planets from my time serving with the Alliance. Permission to confer with my team in private before making a final decision?"
"Of course, Sargent, take all the time you need. I'll instruct Lieutenant Vaws to check on you in 15. Dismissed."
He taps a button and numerous world's appear before you all- Casbin, Antibaar, Sharjila, Chohe, Nonuel, Nepheron, Feros, Noveria, and Ontarom.
"You have basic info about these worlds, I assume. You will be following readings that only your omni-tools can pick up to the former Cerberus bunker located there. Once you select your planet it will be up to me to tell the crew that we will be going to investigate the systems associated Mass effect relay."
"Understood, Captain. I'm familiar with a number of these planets from my time serving with the Alliance. Permission to confer with my team in private before making a final decision?"
"Of course, Sargent, take all the time you need. I'll instruct Lieutenant Vaws to check on you in 15. Dismissed."
His salute is crisp.
"Thank you sir." Grace returns the salute, then, after the Captain leaves the room, turns to the rest of the team.
"Thoughts on where to proceed from here? Like I said, I'm familiar with more than a few of these worlds, and I've got an idea of where to begin, but I'd like to hear all of your ideas as well."
