Maerdwyn
First Post
Trelene: [sblock] As the quesitoning continues, regarding every aspect of your later career with Makhidkarun, the weeks leading up to your boarding of the Keruuchan, and any of your interactions or observtions of Nells-Corzin. It is apparent that you are being treated as a suspect. The man qustioning you does not give you the impression he believes you, despite your telling the truth. Unless something changes, you anticipate being here, answering the same questions, or versions of them, for at elast several hours. He apparently wants an admission that you were working with Nells-Corzin, an admission that you knew exactly what the biological agent was and what it's purpose going forward will be, or some other admission that you are involved in what appears to be a conspiracy to commit mass murder, treason, or both. [/sblock]
Saanath: [sblock]Green holds her hand to her head as Saanath tells the tale. "Would the doctor have had trime or opportunity to draw a blood sample from the man when he died, Saanath?" Assuming the answer is affirmative, she nods, but says nothing further to explain. "How about the name Carl Martin? Anything beyond what you read in Blair's cover file? Was he someone you knew from home?" This is first indication that she has definitely been in your files, as you have not personally mentioned that you were from Kansas.
As Saanath is speaking, Green's communicator beeps, and she listens to it a moment before clicking on a views screen in the room that had been disabled not long before. The channel is marked IBC1 (Imperial Broadcast Corporation 1), and it is playing a famliar video (see below). [/sblock]
Ruzz'Koff, Ktarle, Tomas:
[Sblock] After Green's departure, the meal continues on uneasily. There are a few starts of conversaiton that do not seem to go anywhere. After a few minutes, the Captain's communicator beeps, and you hear: "Sir, please turn on IBC1*. IBC want confirmation from you that Dvonn is in our custody. Keyes looks puzzled but says "Thank you, ensign." He turns to those in the room with him, "You will appreciate this, I think." He presses a button on the table and a view screen descends on the side of the room. A video is underway, with a text narration, identifying the people being shown.
[/sblock]
All except Trelene:
()
[sblock]
The ship receives a hail, then the Comm. Officer says: “We’ve got a contact, captain, broadcasting a distress beacon. Putting them up now, Captain.
Human voice, gasping for air: “ Thank the Star…. Hiranu vessel … this is Malikot merchant ship Dvonn. We… request immediate assistance under Title 1… section 1. Can you provide?
Captain: “We’ll see what we can do, Dvonn. What’s your situation?”
Voice: “Everything's FUBAR, Captain…. they said…. Maneuver drives...Life Support, everything's... gone to hell... Air’s thin…getting worse…we’re taking turns… on the comm… everyone else…sleeping now…to save air….can’t find a breech…but we’re bleeding O2…the hull is going to buckle...if we can’t keep it... pressurized better.
[There is real terror in the voice, and the everyone on the bridge looks truly concerned]
Captain: “Okay, Dvonn. This is Captain Julia Darius, and we’re coming to get you. How many aboard?
Voice: “Isak ….Hertrichs, ma’am...Ship's security...we got eight crew, …12 passengers…, plus the deep freezers.... maybe fifteen of them...
Captain: “Okay, our M-drives aren’t great, but our boats should be able to get to you in about three hours. Can you guys hold out until then?”
Hertrichs: “Think so. Should… have enough ….to last a good bit longer than that,… ma’am. But you better hurry,…just the same.”
Captain: “Hertrichs, what about the JohnHenry outpost – must be some vessels in the system you could have called in?”
Hertrichs: “They stopped…answering…our hails, Captain…Don’t know why…
Captain: “Okay, well, like I said, we’re coming to get you. Keruuchan out.
Hertrichs: “Dvonn out.”
The captain calls down to engineering and relays the situation, and tells him to get crews together for the two lifeboats. There is some more activity on the bridge, which the camera doesn’t do a good job of capturing. At one point the captain speaks into her personal communicator, and says, “Scrautigue? Sure. Why not. Just keep her safe – Don’t want to have to explain that we lost a former Makhidkarun VP on a rescue operation when she should have been enjoying Hiranus’ famous hospitality.” Then another hail comes over the comm.
Voice: “Greetings, Keruuchan, this is JohnHenry Base Tamandere Alpha. Didn’t think we’d see you for a few more days yet.”
Captain: “JohnHenry, this is Captain Julia Darius of the Keruuchan – we are responding to Title 1 Distress call, who says you have refused aid. Why have you not responded?”
Voice: “Keruuchan, we have been advised that subject is in reality a corsair masquerading as a Malikot trader. Obligation to intervene is therefore nullified.
Captain: “Bull – that’s no corsair – that’s a soon-to-be coffin if we don’t get those people off now!”
Voice: “Captain, you are advised against any interference, but it’s your call. See you in a few. Alpha Base out.”
An old Luriani man in a wheelchair, who Quinn recognizes as Walid Nells-Corzin, comes out of the lift and onto the bridge. He is well dressed, and attended by two armed men who are unmistakably bodyguards.
Old Man: “Captain, I hope you don’t mind, but I have been monitoring communications from my room, and I must warn you – the information the base has is correct. The Malikot merchant is quite certainly a corsair in disguise. To approach would endanger the Keruuchan, and as you know –“
Captain: “- ‘A ship need not intervene in response to a Title 1 Distress call if doing so would result in grave danger to the rescuing ship and its crew.’ But that’s not the case here and you know it! Dammit, we’re going after them.” She speaks savagely into her communicator. “Tagir – how are my boats doing!”
Old Man: “No. You will not endanger the Keruuchan, it’s crew, it’s boats, or any other HiranuCorp property by falling into this trap.
Captain: “Mr. Nells-Corzin, I am captain of the Keruuchan. Planetside, you are a vice president of the company I work for, but here, I command. Please return to your quarters.” She speaks into her communicator. “You can send the boats out when ready, Tagir.”
Nells-Corzin: “Captain, I urge you to reconsider your decision. [She shoots him a scornful look then motions to the Bridge Security officers to remove the man hand his bodyguards from the bridge.] No? Then I am afraid I shall have to assert my rights as Owner-Aboard.
Captain: “What?!?! First off, you’re a part owner of Hiranucorp, Walid, not an Owner-Aboard. And even an Owner-Aboard can’t overrule a ship’s captain in the field. Now get off my bridge!”
Nells-Corzin: “I believe you will find that the Ducal Court has recently ruled than an Owner-Aboard has just such a right, if he believes that the captain is guilty of dereliction of duty. I believe you will also find that the same court has ruled that he power to order the dismissal, and indeed the imprisonment, of any crew members who mutiny against an owner-Aboard once a finding of Dereliction has been made. Captain Darius is, of course, free to test such rulings in court when we arrive at Dukh, as are you all, should you wish to bet your careers, and your freedoms, against this interpretation.... Captain Darius, you will proceed directly towards the base on Tamandere Alpha, where we will deliver supplies and refuel our ship. We will not give these pirates a crack at the Keruuchan.
The captain looks around at her crew, and it seems clear that they’ll do whatever she tells them. Mr. Nells-Corzin seems to note this, too.
[There is a more back and forth here between the Captin and the Owner-Aboard – mostly threats by the latter against the former. Eventually, Nells This last one seems to break her
Nells-Corzin: “Your crew is not military, Julia – They are company employees, as are you. Claims that they were following your orders will not protect them. They will all end up jailed or professionally ruined. To say nothing of your own career –
Captain: What I do, Owner, I do not do for the sake of my career, I assure you. This is on your head Mr. Vice President.
Vyrkris: “Captain! No!”
Captain: “Quiet, girl! There’s nothing for it. [To her communicator] Tagir – shut the hangar. That’s right – call them back. NOW! [She is glaring at the VP the entire time]
Vyrkris: “You’re just going to leave them out there?
Captain: “I said quiet! Johnson, escort our guest back to her stateroom.”
Vyrkris: "I'm not going anywhere, and you'd --
Nells-Corzin: “A moment – Now that the Captain has agreed to listen to reason, I feel it is important to protect her standing on the ship. Will you permit me to give the order, Captain? [she nods, defeated.] Good. You are hereby ordered not to discuss the events of the last thirty minutes with anyone. You shall not speak of it, even amongst yourselves. You are ordered not to act on the supposed distress signal, nor to reveal its existence to anyone unless authorized to do so by a HiranuCorp official with a rank of Vice President or higher. Anyone involved in exposing the Keruuchan or other HiranuCorp property to harm as a result of contact with the corsair Dvonn will be subject to the harshest penalties allowed by law. Do I make myself clear?
Captain: Yes…Mister.
Crew: Mister! Yes! Mister! (dark looks)[Those who have been in the military here are pretty sure that this pervesion of Sir! Yes, Sir! was deliberate and derisive.]
Vyrkris: Why are you doing this! [Muffled, as the Astrogator clamps his hand over her muzzle and then the screen goes dark. "Confine her to quarters!" are the last words heard.]
***
News Presenter's Voice: "You have just seen evidence of people who are apprently officers of the JohnHenry Corporation, working with someone who, to all evidence, appears to be cousin of the Archduke, Walid Nell's Corzin orchestrating the denial of aid to a distressed vessel. We have it on excellent sources that the vessel in question was, in fact, rescued, over the objections of the Archduke's cousin, and that the ship is now in the hands of Imperial Navy. We do not know if there were casualties on Dvonn or who was involved in it's rescue, but we will have more just as soon as information becomes available. [/sblock]
Saanath: [sblock]Green holds her hand to her head as Saanath tells the tale. "Would the doctor have had trime or opportunity to draw a blood sample from the man when he died, Saanath?" Assuming the answer is affirmative, she nods, but says nothing further to explain. "How about the name Carl Martin? Anything beyond what you read in Blair's cover file? Was he someone you knew from home?" This is first indication that she has definitely been in your files, as you have not personally mentioned that you were from Kansas.
As Saanath is speaking, Green's communicator beeps, and she listens to it a moment before clicking on a views screen in the room that had been disabled not long before. The channel is marked IBC1 (Imperial Broadcast Corporation 1), and it is playing a famliar video (see below). [/sblock]
Ruzz'Koff, Ktarle, Tomas:
[Sblock] After Green's departure, the meal continues on uneasily. There are a few starts of conversaiton that do not seem to go anywhere. After a few minutes, the Captain's communicator beeps, and you hear: "Sir, please turn on IBC1*. IBC want confirmation from you that Dvonn is in our custody. Keyes looks puzzled but says "Thank you, ensign." He turns to those in the room with him, "You will appreciate this, I think." He presses a button on the table and a view screen descends on the side of the room. A video is underway, with a text narration, identifying the people being shown.
[/sblock]
All except Trelene:
()[sblock]
The ship receives a hail, then the Comm. Officer says: “We’ve got a contact, captain, broadcasting a distress beacon. Putting them up now, Captain.
Human voice, gasping for air: “ Thank the Star…. Hiranu vessel … this is Malikot merchant ship Dvonn. We… request immediate assistance under Title 1… section 1. Can you provide?
Captain: “We’ll see what we can do, Dvonn. What’s your situation?”
Voice: “Everything's FUBAR, Captain…. they said…. Maneuver drives...Life Support, everything's... gone to hell... Air’s thin…getting worse…we’re taking turns… on the comm… everyone else…sleeping now…to save air….can’t find a breech…but we’re bleeding O2…the hull is going to buckle...if we can’t keep it... pressurized better.
[There is real terror in the voice, and the everyone on the bridge looks truly concerned]
Captain: “Okay, Dvonn. This is Captain Julia Darius, and we’re coming to get you. How many aboard?
Voice: “Isak ….Hertrichs, ma’am...Ship's security...we got eight crew, …12 passengers…, plus the deep freezers.... maybe fifteen of them...
Captain: “Okay, our M-drives aren’t great, but our boats should be able to get to you in about three hours. Can you guys hold out until then?”
Hertrichs: “Think so. Should… have enough ….to last a good bit longer than that,… ma’am. But you better hurry,…just the same.”
Captain: “Hertrichs, what about the JohnHenry outpost – must be some vessels in the system you could have called in?”
Hertrichs: “They stopped…answering…our hails, Captain…Don’t know why…
Captain: “Okay, well, like I said, we’re coming to get you. Keruuchan out.
Hertrichs: “Dvonn out.”
The captain calls down to engineering and relays the situation, and tells him to get crews together for the two lifeboats. There is some more activity on the bridge, which the camera doesn’t do a good job of capturing. At one point the captain speaks into her personal communicator, and says, “Scrautigue? Sure. Why not. Just keep her safe – Don’t want to have to explain that we lost a former Makhidkarun VP on a rescue operation when she should have been enjoying Hiranus’ famous hospitality.” Then another hail comes over the comm.
Voice: “Greetings, Keruuchan, this is JohnHenry Base Tamandere Alpha. Didn’t think we’d see you for a few more days yet.”
Captain: “JohnHenry, this is Captain Julia Darius of the Keruuchan – we are responding to Title 1 Distress call, who says you have refused aid. Why have you not responded?”
Voice: “Keruuchan, we have been advised that subject is in reality a corsair masquerading as a Malikot trader. Obligation to intervene is therefore nullified.
Captain: “Bull – that’s no corsair – that’s a soon-to-be coffin if we don’t get those people off now!”
Voice: “Captain, you are advised against any interference, but it’s your call. See you in a few. Alpha Base out.”
An old Luriani man in a wheelchair, who Quinn recognizes as Walid Nells-Corzin, comes out of the lift and onto the bridge. He is well dressed, and attended by two armed men who are unmistakably bodyguards.
Old Man: “Captain, I hope you don’t mind, but I have been monitoring communications from my room, and I must warn you – the information the base has is correct. The Malikot merchant is quite certainly a corsair in disguise. To approach would endanger the Keruuchan, and as you know –“
Captain: “- ‘A ship need not intervene in response to a Title 1 Distress call if doing so would result in grave danger to the rescuing ship and its crew.’ But that’s not the case here and you know it! Dammit, we’re going after them.” She speaks savagely into her communicator. “Tagir – how are my boats doing!”
Old Man: “No. You will not endanger the Keruuchan, it’s crew, it’s boats, or any other HiranuCorp property by falling into this trap.
Captain: “Mr. Nells-Corzin, I am captain of the Keruuchan. Planetside, you are a vice president of the company I work for, but here, I command. Please return to your quarters.” She speaks into her communicator. “You can send the boats out when ready, Tagir.”
Nells-Corzin: “Captain, I urge you to reconsider your decision. [She shoots him a scornful look then motions to the Bridge Security officers to remove the man hand his bodyguards from the bridge.] No? Then I am afraid I shall have to assert my rights as Owner-Aboard.
Captain: “What?!?! First off, you’re a part owner of Hiranucorp, Walid, not an Owner-Aboard. And even an Owner-Aboard can’t overrule a ship’s captain in the field. Now get off my bridge!”
Nells-Corzin: “I believe you will find that the Ducal Court has recently ruled than an Owner-Aboard has just such a right, if he believes that the captain is guilty of dereliction of duty. I believe you will also find that the same court has ruled that he power to order the dismissal, and indeed the imprisonment, of any crew members who mutiny against an owner-Aboard once a finding of Dereliction has been made. Captain Darius is, of course, free to test such rulings in court when we arrive at Dukh, as are you all, should you wish to bet your careers, and your freedoms, against this interpretation.... Captain Darius, you will proceed directly towards the base on Tamandere Alpha, where we will deliver supplies and refuel our ship. We will not give these pirates a crack at the Keruuchan.
The captain looks around at her crew, and it seems clear that they’ll do whatever she tells them. Mr. Nells-Corzin seems to note this, too.
[There is a more back and forth here between the Captin and the Owner-Aboard – mostly threats by the latter against the former. Eventually, Nells This last one seems to break her
Nells-Corzin: “Your crew is not military, Julia – They are company employees, as are you. Claims that they were following your orders will not protect them. They will all end up jailed or professionally ruined. To say nothing of your own career –
Captain: What I do, Owner, I do not do for the sake of my career, I assure you. This is on your head Mr. Vice President.
Vyrkris: “Captain! No!”
Captain: “Quiet, girl! There’s nothing for it. [To her communicator] Tagir – shut the hangar. That’s right – call them back. NOW! [She is glaring at the VP the entire time]
Vyrkris: “You’re just going to leave them out there?
Captain: “I said quiet! Johnson, escort our guest back to her stateroom.”
Vyrkris: "I'm not going anywhere, and you'd --
Nells-Corzin: “A moment – Now that the Captain has agreed to listen to reason, I feel it is important to protect her standing on the ship. Will you permit me to give the order, Captain? [she nods, defeated.] Good. You are hereby ordered not to discuss the events of the last thirty minutes with anyone. You shall not speak of it, even amongst yourselves. You are ordered not to act on the supposed distress signal, nor to reveal its existence to anyone unless authorized to do so by a HiranuCorp official with a rank of Vice President or higher. Anyone involved in exposing the Keruuchan or other HiranuCorp property to harm as a result of contact with the corsair Dvonn will be subject to the harshest penalties allowed by law. Do I make myself clear?
Captain: Yes…Mister.
Crew: Mister! Yes! Mister! (dark looks)[Those who have been in the military here are pretty sure that this pervesion of Sir! Yes, Sir! was deliberate and derisive.]
Vyrkris: Why are you doing this! [Muffled, as the Astrogator clamps his hand over her muzzle and then the screen goes dark. "Confine her to quarters!" are the last words heard.]
***
News Presenter's Voice: "You have just seen evidence of people who are apprently officers of the JohnHenry Corporation, working with someone who, to all evidence, appears to be cousin of the Archduke, Walid Nell's Corzin orchestrating the denial of aid to a distressed vessel. We have it on excellent sources that the vessel in question was, in fact, rescued, over the objections of the Archduke's cousin, and that the ship is now in the hands of Imperial Navy. We do not know if there were casualties on Dvonn or who was involved in it's rescue, but we will have more just as soon as information becomes available. [/sblock]
