Carabali just relaxed a little again at that, explaining that would be fine to her. "Violation is… Like breaking a law, except you're making sure you're going against someone's orders in the military. Basically, it's another way of saying 'breaking' in the way of breaking his orders. It just sounds… Better to say 'violation' than breaking though. And those orders would be John Black Jack Geary himself, he wants to keep Tanuki safe and sound within the fleet rather than being somewhere he didn't want her to be. Worried about her, you know? We had six before and now we only have one that has to try and keep up with demands of five other ships as well as itself." She shrugged lightly nonetheless.
(That's alright!!)
Elizia nodded as the marine explained, "It makes sense to value these… Auxillaries, but we won't be long. Especially if all you need to do to get supplies to the shuttle bay is toss them out the airlock to the other ship." They turned three corners, then one. She continued, "And I have another question. This Geary? I've never heard of him. I get he's a big deal and all, but what about him is so important to you people? Is he a religious leader as well as a military one?"
Carabali hummed quietly at her words, taking them into consideration for a bit before shaking her head. "Even if it was brief, this is a military operation and we must respect it so, we don't know when the enemy will jump in but we do not want to take risks, even for a second to do something so trivial as push supplies that we need from one side to another."
Though at her questions about Geary, she raised a brow and made it obvious of course to do so. "He's more military than a religious leader. Well, not even a leader at that, he's lead this fleet on more successes than we can even count within four hands. He's a saviour to the Alliance. He led a brave, final charge at his last supposed resting place but we believed he would come back when the Alliance needed him most." She replied, almost seemingly to be proud of recounting the story.
Elizia raised an eyebrow at the marine's reverence. This is the exact kind of thing that led to dangerous worship. Tentatively, she decided that she should probably avoid Black Jack.
As far as the shuttle bay goes, it made sense to preserve the last resupply ship for emergencies. But why prioritize the shuttle bay for repairs if you weren't ready to do anything necessary to bring it up to full readiness?
She decided to voice her concerns. She knew the Marine probably wouldn't volunteer much more. Besides, she needed someone who spoke machine.
"Excuse me for speaking suddenly, but if you wouldn't mind showing me to your Chief Engineer on this ship? I have a few suggestions if we can't bring the Auxiliary around for easy access. "
(Writing up the two as we RP, so not that'll make 13 characters lmao.)
Carabali was all too quick to note the others eyebrow raise. Unused to the praise of one man was she? Or saw it as dangerous? She didn't personally care, it was how everyone was going to see him and they would hardly change their ways.
Though the others words didn't really give her much care personally. "Chief Engineer? I believe we have Master Chief Gionini and Chief Tarini currently on board, where they would be located I have no idea at the current. I could call them up if you're so desperate for one. But our Master Chief might be a little busy as well as Tarini and most of the other Chiefs for different sections of the ship." She replied easily to the other. In quiet thought about which she should contact if this one really wanted to speak to one.
Elizia waved it off. If they weren't immediately free, she didn't want to pull them from their tasks.
Just as they finished, they turned the last corner and found themselves at the shuttle bay door. Elizia looked to Carabali, "Is the area on the other side still pressurized? No hull breaches? Or will we need EVA suits?"
Carabali looked at her at that. "Light zero-G. Not too bad since it helps some get around to reach the higher places and when we're all done, we'll set it all back up to normal gravity. That alright for you or would you like a survival suit? Or whatever an 'EVA' suit is for you guys…" She replied, personally she didn't mind. "If it's so worrying, I don't mind waiting for you to slip into it real quick, I'll probably walk in ahead and update the Admiral on the damage down here as well as the progress."
"So long as I don't need a mask to breath," Elizia replied, "I can deal with whatever you give me to work with. I won't even need a welder."
With that she pushed open the door. The degree of damage was extensive, and she looked back to Carabali in awe, "What were you fighting to cause this much damage?
(Two things,
I'll leave description of damage to you.
How do shuttle bays work in this ship? Are they depressurized when a ship wishes to leave, or is there some sort of forcefield that streamlines the process?)
The absolute degree of damage was quite immense, the bay, from beyond the 'doors' that were thankfully sealed as much as possible for a repair for one of the generators of the Fleet, the panelling for the floor was torn apart, in three separate and large places. Shuttles themselves exploded apart from the outward forces that had attacked them.
Carabali just sighed quietly as she looked to Elizia. "Enigma. Enigma forces of vastly higher and better degree of weapons, did this. This is just one of the… 'Lesser' places that got hit. The hull's worse. Our engines have suffered major damage but we're working all the more over that and here before other things. You sure you won't need a welder?"
(I'm fine on the description of damage!! And for how shuttle bays work, think of Star Wars and their Destroyers for Fighters and all that, except the hole to let ships come in and out are a bit bigger. So basically, there's only around four 'force field' generators that keep it going.)
(Alright. I know where I'm going with this.)
Elizia waved off the welder offer once again, gave Carabali a quick "Thank you," and ran to catch up to one of the crews working on the generators. That would be her first priority. From there she could deploy the Loveless closer for easier access to tools and supplies from her workship. The generator for the field would be important.
When she got there, the thing was toasted. Elizia inspected every angle of the generator. Burnt out components, fragmented power, and more than a few thrashed circuits.
Elizia reached into her jacket, held a power cell, and her eyes began to glow. The neon energy butterfly wings of her species began to grow. Two fingers together created her own sort of arc welder. Energy burned inside her.
She slid into the group, working with the team to repair interior circuits and cut through pannelling to get to the other components.
(Sorry for late reply, computer troubles is all and sorry this is short personally.)
The group was absolutely astounded when they saw her doing that and easily they dropped numbers after they saw what they were replying from the four to three. Still doing their best to repair the generator on their side. they were very careful about it. Reconnecting wires and everything else that is external.
Carabali, personally, was glad that she was immediately set into her work and just waited personally. While recording all the work she was doing onto a small pad that she would send after the day is done to the Admiral. She was expecting this report to be fairly long however…
Before long, three of the five other crewmembers working on Elizia's generator went elsewhere, and she, along with the other two, found themselves almost done with their third. After, this one, the hanger shield would be operational, and they could undo the hard seals, bringing Loveless to assist in repairs.
The human technology wasn't too terribly different from the Serathan ships she'd worked with in the days after she'd left. Same sorta circuitry, just more complicated. And the metal was easier to cut through. She hadn't had to recharge since she started.
No one had talked to her, either through a general assumption that she was on their side, or they were all just too exhausted to argue with extra help. She had noticed, though, that she was under the watchful eye of the supervisors. They never waved her over, but she heard whispers and saw glances. She just smiled and continued working.
At the last generator, the crew of three started panicking. The generator started to glow. Elizia started in their direction. It was immediately obvious that they'd flipped a bad switch by mistake. A common mistake, but one that could end in failure. She calmly placed her hand on the generator. It cooled, and she flipped the switch back. Her wings glowed brightly, then dimmed as she laid her hand on the powercell in her jacket. After fixing the switch, the field came on, and the crew started taking off the hard seals around the door.
( @Divine_Emperor You still around?)
(Yes sorry been having personal stuff going around as well as some exams.)
(As long as you take your time and such!! I'll be a bit so I can't reply just yet. But I will soon promise!!)
Carabali had been all too ready to call up Captain Smythe, even on the call with him, to order for the Admiral about a new generator for Dauntless but she was quite and fairly, rightfully so, impressed about what this new being did… She gave a light nod or two. "Scratch that Smythie boy, this new girl is helping quite a lot… She's doing more than we could within a few hours. And you know just how precarious how those generators can be, despite everything."
"Everyone knows how precarious those generators are. Ensigns don't but that's because they're fairly new. I'll double up production for Dauntless on panels and such. The way she's going, she might run me out of my own money from producing useless items!" The man stated with a light chuckle.
Carabali just managed a light smile. "We'll see, Captain. I'll update you on what needs to be done later, promise."
"Alright then, talk to you later Marine. Don't do anything too crazy now."
"You know me too well. Don't pawn anything on the black market this time when we get back."
"A deal of sorts… I'll think about it. Goodbye."
"Goodbye." And with that out of the way she could finally update the report to the Admiral about this miracle worker's well… Workings. Perhaps she owed her a few stories about the Admiral and what he's done.
Elizia took a break after the generators went up. She looked out into space, thinking as she drank from a water bottle someone had lended her. A thousand different feelings and ideas raced within her. She was happy here, but how long would that last? And what else here needed fixing? Should she really be resting?
What was it these people were preparing for? Carabali had mentioned the name Enigma, but it didn't ring a bell with Elizia. In their place, she imagined a Lovuthan Armada bearing down on these poor, broken crewmen. Their ships would be decimated by an attack like that. Instantaneously sucked away into the cold and empty dark.
These people must have incredible resolve to be content maintaining position. More than most races, Elizia noted. The humans of this Alliance would be of noteworthy writing material to Brella later.
Slowly, she got back to her feet and turned, looking for Carabali. The crewmen here could handle repairs. She'd opened the Loveless up to them for tools and supplies, closing off her own personal workshop in the ship and leaving the rest open. So long as they didn't notice the hackbugs, it'd be fine. Small blackmarket aqquisitions weren't uncomon on Mechanist Workships anyhow.
She would be needed elsewhere. Of that, she was certain.
Carabali returned to attention when she noted Elizia had stood back up and approached her. "The engine room will be next if you're prepared to have a look at them. Otherwise, we would require re-installations of weapon batteries and our primary engines need repairing. Which of the three do you choose. After all three are done, we could let you have a hand at attempting repairs for the hull. The repairs to the primary engines and repair of the hull require survival suits." She stated, she was not even bothering to hold her gun over her chest as usual, instead favouring it to be on her back than in her hands.
Still, she wondered if Elizia here wanted to hear… Anything about what the old Admiral did, maybe she wouldn't. But at least some information was better than none. So she didn't get the wrong idea about the man at least… To her thoughts at least. "We're ready to go whenever you say when and where."
She thought through that. The engines themselves were mere output. So long as it produced thrust, it could move. The engine room was probably only half broken, considering they had gotten here, just slowly. But speed would be of the essence. Between that and the guns then. That was easy. Flight before fight could save a man's life. They can repair on the move. They can't repair if they're dead.
"The engine room first," responded Elizia, "The engines can work jerry-rigged. Then guns, I'd imagine."
They started on their way, silent at first. Elizia broke the silence early.
"What are you planning to do? Are you expecting engagement?"
"Well, Admiral. May I be excused, disagreement and panic are still human nature so I must Keep it locked down and not let it spread through my ships." Blake said as he stood up from the chair.
Carabali had been all too quick to turn on her heel and walk towards the engine room, maybe she should've put the power core on the list but so far, it wasn't in any risk of exploding soon. So she left that off all too easily. Hearing the questions she wrenched herself out of her thoughts and gave a nod to the second question. "We are expecting engagement, of what type or sort will be dependant on what arrives in the system. As soon as it arrives in however many light-hours, we'll engage in the battle and attempt to gain victory. What we're planning to do during that engagement, will be the Admiral's idea of what directions this ship changes to." She replied easily.
"Do you, however, want to ask anything about the battles Admiral Geary has been through or anything in general about him?"
~~~
"Disagreement will always be around no matter how supportive ones men and women are previously… But of course. I apologise personally that our ships are out of date by thirty years but we'll still kick those Enigmas to Old Earth and back if I have anything to say about it. And you don't have to be asked to be excused, Fleet Admiral, you're a higher rank than me at the moment… We'll see you in battle for perhaps the last time."
Elizia pondered this question for a moment. Maybe this guy wouldn't be as bad as she thought. Brella would tell her to run, but she wanted to know. She was helping them, after all. Mechanists never work for an anonymous client. She said it herself.
"Well, I do have one," she admitted slowly, her young age raising her voice, "Why do you all trust him so much? All the comms chatter I heard bordered on… reverence," she stopped, trying to make it more specific to her hopes, "How long have you served under him?"
(I'm back from competition! How was everyone?)
(Back now myself!! Internet at home cut out since Telstra is working but otherwise I am ready to be RP'ing now if Telstra tries to keep this up and such.)
Carabali thought over those questions easily. How to answer such innocent questions… Well, innocent enough. "Personally, we've served under him for a year, well. Around a year and a half now, maybe more. Time flies when you have a great Admiral in charge. But we trust him ever so much because he's gotten us out of the most tough situations in the galaxy. The old Admiral, before Geary took us under his wing, ran a fleet at least four hundred strong. We barely got two hundred out of it with even that much. And he took those ships with only the rank of Captain and tactically maneuvered them right back to Alliance space without any, if at all, major losses. The closest to death we got with his command was the two battles of Lakota. Syndicate space. Hypernet gate destroyed by their own forces and the force of a supernova with Battleships at our back with aft shields so strong it blocked off most of the damage… Tore up the world of Lakota real good though…"
She gave a brief cough nonetheless. She did not personally like recounting such stories about what those hypernet gates could do, if exploded. "You know what hypernet gates are at least, right? They're whole sciences in itself. Huge explanations by them I might as well hand you the comm to Captain Cresida to let her explain what it all is."
Elizia raised made a cross with her arms, a so-so sign in her native tongue, "I've done basic research, but Hypernet gates have been so convoluted compared to the technologies we Mechanists use that we barely even bother with it." She thought on that, then her eyes lit up as she came to a realization, "Speaking of the Mechanists, I don't think I ever truly explained myself to you, did I? It must be strange, having a xenos board your ship on a whim…"
Elizia launched into explanation before giving Carabali a good chance to answer, "We are a splinter group of Lovuthans, broken from the main Lovuthan Theocracy that inhabits Love. They use the technology of our previous greatness for worship. A waste, and a shame… I really wish we could change them…."
