2210/Log 2210

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Log 2210
Date of Scene: 28 August 2017
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Summary needed
Cast of Characters: Captain Coco, Indigo




Captain Coco has posed:
    Down the dock a ways, in a slip all by her lonesome? It sits, as easily spotted down here on the surface as she likely is stealthy up in space. A neat wedge, arrowhead shape covered in jagged dogtooth angles and complex polygonal geometry designed no doubt to defeat sensors. It's black hull likewise is surreal in just how matte, how flawlessly dark it truly is. Like a wedge shaped gap in reality, nearly five hundred feet of ship which looks just impossibly out of place. Attended to by a party of boxy humanoid droids painted in eye searingly bright colors, from touching up that paint to scraping carbon from the leading edges. The whole scene is enough to have attracted a small collection of onlookers, eager to see one of the legendary Boshtet ships or just one of the few licensed Privateers left operating in the galaxy.

    Coco for her part, has taken the opportunity to get that blasted carrier fixed. What looks like, no it looks almost exactly like some 1970s little japanese pickup. Only it has sort've helicopter skids where the wheels might be, which seems to be the subject of interest here. Coco's got a welding torch and a droid to help, and the two seem to chatter in silence between gaps in activity. Welding a neat little spur along the supports to act as steps maybe? "You know what, just...Fetch me the quartermaster and tell him to bring me a holopad with the classifieds alright? I'm just about done with this blasted heap, these things have broken off like fifteen times now."And the droid providing the assist, snaps off a salute before wandering back towards the parked ship proper.

Indigo has posed:
    "Excuse me, Captain Toremno," Indigo greets quietly from behind. "Am I interrupting you?" Her arms are behind her back and her eyes are down.

Captain Coco has posed:
    That holographic skull whips around to face Indigo for a moment, before Coco rises. Tossing that welder casually onto the truck thing's hood. "Please, Indigo was it? Please just call me Coco, Lumifao names aren't very speaking friendly. Anyway, no it's no trouble."Finally rising, casually brushing some soot off the gold coins affixed to her armor. "What brings you by the Very Best Intentions, is there something I can do for you?"

Indigo has posed:
    A little smile pulls at the right side of Indigo's mouth. "As you wish, Coco. I only wanted to ask if you had free time tonight, and, if you do, to see if I could treat you to a night of entertainment."

Captain Coco has posed:
    "A night of, oh uhm."Theres a pause there as Coco shifts in her armor. "Lumifao, we don't uhm. I mean we're not uh, built to have relations like that. We're all, well I mean I'm flattered of course but I'm afraid I'm not really built to accept that most generious of invitations."because well, theres a translator at work here and to be frank? That whole pirate thing Coco has going has scored her more than a few admirers over the years. "How about uh, could I treat you to some tea aboard? As friends?"

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo's lips quirk back again. "I wasn't speaking in euphemisms," she explains quietly, eyes still somewhat downcast. "I'm talking about a night of doing something you find fun. I don't know yet what you find fun, so I don't have any specific suggestions, which is why I was vague aout it."

Captain Coco has posed:
    "Ah, yes well. Fun, most of that requires less gravity or at least a much cooler temperature."She half turns, offering to lead back towards the ship. "It's more than uncomfortably warm on this planet for me, I don't cope with the heat very well. Well and the gravity is a drag, but I think just some company would be more than lovely. How does tea and a little lunch sound, give you a chance to look around the VBI before we get going?"
    Coco moves at a fairly casual pace at least, waving a droid off as it approaches with a tablet in hand. "Just go find me a new carry all, and no more than fifteen thousand credits."And a pause as Coco glances back to her current truck thing. "Oh and no more bright colors, or you're putting together a work party to paint it this time. Now go, off with you."And away the droid goes, without complaint.

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo's head bobs (a fairly subtle gesture, considering her natural inclination to point her face down from most people) in acquiescence. "Thank you, Coco. I'd like that. It's very nice of you to offer. You don't need to waste your food on me, though. I'm synthetic, and don't require sustenance."

Captain Coco has posed:
    "So am I, in a different sort of way. Either way, ritual is important. It's a framework for friendships to be built upon, and please lift your head high. You're dining with Captain Coco, There are plenty who'd pay handsomely for such an honor."Coco leads on with, well with that armor it's hard to tell in turn but yeah she does have a certain kind of swagger to her. Stepping into the shadow of that enormous corvette, before stepping to the cabled elevator and waiting for Indigo. "Welcome aboard, the Very Best Intentions by the way."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo does her best, and manages to put her gaze around chest-level. Well, it's an improvement, anyway. Her rubber boots are nearly silent as they pad onto the elevator, and she bobs her head down again at the welcome, this time in thanks. "Thank you. It's a lovely ship." She's just assuming a vessel this size has the craft in it to be a ship, but it seems like a safe bet. "What's her acceleration profile?"

Captain Coco has posed:
    "Maximum sustained, twenty. Burst accel, more than fifty."Which is, yeah thats banannas. Anyway the elevator is a short ride, and the portside cargobay isn't much. Theres a boxy looking dropship in there with her wings stowed and lots of cargo boxes full of..stuff. Beyond that, the airlock doors are decidedly overbuilt and give way to the dim interior. Lit in soft blue, and decidedly utilitarian in appearance. Every visible conduit color coded, and well it's more than ship shape it looks dockyard fresh. "She's a Prvi pediwate class interdiction Corvette, last of the inti-vettes. They ended up going smaller and larger, and sort of stranded the Inti-vettes like the VBI here in the middle. For my work though, with the sort of distances I have to cover it's perfect though. Smaller than the Corkus class I used during the big raids, but I think I like it better. Much stealthier for sure."

    The air smells, well faintly gingery for lack of a better term. The atmosphere is a little thin though, and decidedly chilly at about fifty degrees or so. "Only three of the Prvi Pediwates left operational. Theres the "Unyeilding Hatred" Captain Trago has, but she's set up pretty different for survey work. The "Darkest Desires" is set up pretty similar, different armament though. We're the most gunned up of the three easily, slowest too unfortunately."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo notices the naming conventions at play but decides not to comment. It's not as if there's much that needs to be said to it, after all. She just nods and opines, "Impressive. I suppose with such optimization, you must need to play to the ship's strengths when choosing your tactics."

Captain Coco has posed:
    "Well with the way Lumifao interface it's not terribly difficult, to be honest the Cap ships have a harder time. Corvettes tend to be sneaky, these old Prvi Pediwates in particular."And another sturdy airlock into, well it's very different. There are polished hardwood floors made from some sort of alien wood, walls covered in vibrant colors and bright overhead lights. From a warship to a yacht in 2 airlocks. From there, the Galley isn't far. A large room with space for four large tables and, well it's clear this ship was built with a larger crew in mind. More than just Coco anyway. The walls are furnished here with paintings, and a photo of the ship when she was comissioned. Back then well, she didn't any stealthy dogtooth angles. Also, she looks to have been vibrant lime green with brilliant white red starbursts. "Please have a seat, and be at ease. You are a guest, and it's important to me that you're comfortable."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo sneaks a quick glance up at Coco's face and nods. "I see why Loli likes you. I'll do my best to relax, but I have to tell you I'm the kind of person who's much more suited to serving than to being served, so please be patient with me." She looks around the room as she sits. "Interesting painting technique. How many of them were made by your people? I notice several use brushwork that implies two-handed painting."

Captain Coco has posed:
    "The Ships, none. The Queens exiled all the soldier caste after the third Lumi-faxian war, not that many of us survived until the end anyway."And a pause as Coco lifts an armored hand to that helmet, and pops the seal to equalize the pressure before with a twist it comes free. The head beneath is definitely more insect than person, covered in a mixture of black and gold "fluff". A shake of the head, and those holographic antenna burst to life. "The Boshtet are, not a combat capable species really. We found each other when the Boshtet were being raided, whole worlds set burning. They built the ships, we got citizenship and went to war on their behalf."Those big compound eyes surging with color, as that voice continues from her helmet. Coco herself though, never makes a peep.

    "Another Captain did those, Tragofantuxian Torri. She's mostly retired these days, just paints and runs a daycare for the Boshtet little ones."Casually setting that lid on the table, before easing over to collect tea and well whatever else.

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo doesn't rise to examine the paintings more closely. It would be rude after that near demand that Indigo sit. Instead she just calls after Coco, "Did you know Captain Torri personally, or are you a fan of her art?"

Captain Coco has posed:
    "She's my sister, like every other Soldier Caste Lumifao. Not that many of us left, about fifteen thousand I think?"Coco returns with the tea, taking care to set the table just exactly so. "We're biological machines, designed to serve the Kingdom. Only when we get old enough, we start to develop our sense of self. With the way the Queens used us in the first and second war, us becoming self aware was obviously never a concern for them."And out comes the tea. It's thick as cream and aromatic, a spicy pleasant aroma. A scone and a mug of tea set out, before Coco finally takes her seat. "So we're all sisters, when we're close enough our antenna implants mean we're on a shared network mentally. So we all know each other very well, I mean I can name every living Lumifao Soldier if I can see her armor."And a pause as Coco takes a delicate sip of that tea. "We all look the same, and they docked our wings at birth. So armor, is like a face."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo nods and sips the tea. It's interesting, but she's more interested in learning more about Coco. "And the -fantuxian suffix at the end of your name and hers? Does it indicate a biological connection, or perhaps refer to a caste?"

Captain Coco has posed:
    "It denoted the genetic sead used in our creation. Coco means three hundred twelve thousand, nine hundred seventy two. Toremno, was the facility that produced me. So we're all Something-Fantuxian-Something. Fantu Xian was the last Soldier caste Lumifao ever born, that was about eighty thousand years ago now? Since then, all Lumifao are the product of elaborate genetic tinkering and cloning. The Queens were inconvienced by having to give birth, and so they did away with it. Also why no male has been born in eighty thousand years or so, we don't even know what they look like."And a pause as Coco sips. "They used to have their own little society unto themselves, but they were apparently starting to refuse to breed. As the queens usually devour their suitors after, well the deed? So the queens did away with them as well. like they do with anything that irritates them."

    "The Boshtet are about ready to open a hatchery for us, and my Sequence-mate Raga does have a full selection of male genetic profiles she lifted a few years back. So theres been a robust debate amongst the sisters about it. I mean we could bring them back, but like the term for a bunch of us standing around is a "Sister-hood". We have no idea how to integrate, how to treat them in a respectful and honorable manner. You know we're all drones, so we can't breed and the males can. So like what then, we breed our own Queens and then well now this spirals into a whole new direction. It's all very complicated, but the way the Queens rule over the Splendid Kingdom of Lumifao? It is evil, and wrong. They turned their entire race, into a race of slaves devoted and designed exclusively to serve and satisfy immortal queens. How do we avoid making the same mistakes?"And finally a little shrug, because well. Coco don't know.

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo nods slowly. "That does sound like an intractable problem." She has some ideas for how to solve it, but keeps them to herself: no one asked, and anyway, any such solution would probably involve more war than she's interested in fostering. "It seems your society is technologically advanced enough to not have to worry about the dangers of specialization in population, at least," she offers in a tone that suggests consolation.

Captain Coco has posed:
    "Well Lumifao are all artists, all their technology was traded for. We're the only caste that invents actual technology, not just new dances or whatever it is they do these days."and a dismissive wave, and a shrug. "Back during the first two Faxian wars, they still passed any equipment the soldier caste was used through a "Style review" to make sure it was pretty enough. They didn't care if we lost millions, or even the home planet. As long as they had pretty soldiers. It took the revolt during the third war, for the Soldier caste to just go trade to get effective arms and armor. Even then I mean our armor was like paper thin, it didn't stop anything. Our old battle rifles were terrible, all those moving parts and they hit like foul language. I traded like two weeks of rations, my battle interrogator and my entire med-kit just to get a Prdo Battle Laser. Still the best deal I ever made, only reason I survived the war at all."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo sips as she listens along. "I'm glad you did," is her opinion of the end of the story, a rare smile flashing across her lips. She glances around the room, trying to think of something else to ask Coco about. "Did your time as a soldier lead you to your current line of work?"

Captain Coco has posed:
    "Oh yes, We all spent a few years basically destitute after we were kicked out. We had nothing to do, nowhere to go, nobody to fight for."And a pause as she swirls that tea in her mug carefully. "When we all first started fighting for them, they adopted all of us. I mean like I had a class of little Boshtet sending me letters and candy, telling me I was cool and how thankful they were for me being there. When I got my first real ship, not just a fighter? They all came by to thank me, to tell me they were proud I would command the ship they built. First time in my life I felt like I was wanted anywhere, same for all of us. Was more than enough motivation to fight like hell for them. I mean they built houses for us, built statues, thanked us for our service. Gave me this ship even after the raids, just to thank me for what I'd done during the raids."and well she doesn't quite smile, because she can't but she can sort've hunch up her shoulders and twist a little in a fairly universal display of happiness.

    "They have my old ship back in a museum now, big walls of all the fallen. Back in Lumifao space, they erased the fact we ever existed from the books. Modern Lumifao think we're false, created as a cheap knockoff to dilute the brand. A little kindness goes a real long way though, when you're at the end of your rope. The whole privateer thing, just for us. They get that we're not farmers like they are, and they wanted us to be comfortable and happy. How can you hate a whole race just that nice?"

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo nods along, smiling a little. "But you must not have been happy among them, because you left?"

Captain Coco has posed:
    "I love them, I think they're great. I'll fight to the death to protect them, but they annoy the hell out of me. After the raids I tried, spent twelve years as a plain civilian. I mean we're all sisters too, so we're bickering about things that happened three hundred years ago too. After awhile, I decided I should love them both from afar."and a slow sip of that tea, as those compound eyes sort of..well who knows where her attention is centered. "I get lonely, but I can't live with them either. It's a funny place to be."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo shakes her head. "I wouldn't say so. Affection doesn't require compatibility, nor necessarily bestow it. At least not in most species. Some do have less complex emotional vocabularies."

Captain Coco has posed:
    "We all need to learn to let things go, unfortunately we've been living together for a very long time. I'm one of the youngest and yaknow until about sixty years ago, I spent every single day for the better part of eight hundred years with my sisters. Some time apart is good for us I think, get used to being individuals rather than seeing ourselves as components to a larger machine."And a noddle at that, as Coco, adjusts the fitment of thoe bandoliers. "Good for the species too, I mean soon I'm going to be a big sister."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo continues nodding along. After all this practice she's finally starting to get good at it. "Are you? Congratulations on that. Do you have responsibilities related to that role?"

Captain Coco has posed:
    "We haven't decided how to do it yet, but I wouldn't mind taking a few onboard. Teach them how to do the privateer thing, more gun collectors wouldn't hurt either. I leave them to fend for themselves back home, They'll all turn into Murglo hoarding fashionistas. I mean look, Murglo are cute I get it but our fascination with them is creepy, like some sort of left over maternal extinct or something?"Coco pauses for a moment to tap-tap at her forearm, before calling up well holopics. Murglo appear like giant tarantulas, only the ones here are all dressed up in little costumes. Like no joke, there are photos upon photos including many with strange alien captions and a Lumifao in the background that looks well. It's Coco's clone sister, and if not for the fact her armor is solid red and more aerodynamic? Yeah that'd get confusing. "Thats Roo, she has and I kid you not. Eight of the things, eight of them!"

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo nods some more. "What makes that number excessive? Are they difficult to feed or keep?"

Captain Coco has posed:
    "Well One gets lonely, so you get two. Then you get a third one, and you're on the edge of becoming a crazy Murglo drone. They're not hard to keep, but like eight is too many. Eight and then she does the outfits, and of course she shares them with -all- of us. She sent me like fifty pictures this morning, fifty of her Murglos! I like Murglos too, but thats entirely excessive. If she had the space she'd have twice as many, I'm certain of it. It's undignified, excessive and wasteful."Says Coco the privateer who gilds her armor, and has how big of an armory?

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo nods along and refrains from commenting on the character of people she hasn't met. "They get lonely? Do they have some kind of pack mentality?"

Captain Coco has posed:
    "They do, they bond and they're clever. Follow commands, if trained. I'll admit they are cute, I like them. I just don't have the time to devote to one or two. I prefer my companions to talk, if you follow my meaning. Murglos are cute, but you know thats a lot of responsibility. Roo is an admiral in the Boshtet fleet, and she has eight of the rascals. It's silly, and I mean I love her she's my sister but she's a crazy Murglo hoarder. Keeps trying to tell me I should get one, every time we talk. It's, augh drives me nuts."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo nods over her tea. "Do Murglo respond to verbal commands, or are they issued another way?"

Captain Coco has posed:
    "Visual, just like us. They can't really respond, but you can get a sense. We don't talk, obviously. Mute species and all."Motioning to those eyes, and well they do have some sort of color and pattern thing going.

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo nods more. Not bad, but not quite a gold medal effort yet. "I noticed. I've been trying to follow along and decipher the semaphore."

Captain Coco has posed:
    Theres a clearing of the throat as Coco sits up more straightly, peering directly after Indigo. Now those complex patterns come, well a lot more simply. "I'll try to speak without my accent, it may be more easily understood. There are only a few able to understand us fluently, a result of our unique language and our physiology. Soldiers in particular lack the wings and antenna necessary for a full vocabulary, so there are multi-use words sprinkled liberally as well as our own accents."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo nods. "Don't go to any trouble, please. Context has been fairly useful to this point. So your people choose not to add vocal chords into the cloning/breeding process?"

Captain Coco has posed:
    "Lumifao never had them, and we're inside of a hardsuit most of the time. What would be the purpose, singing might be nice I suppose? With a good translator in our helmet, suit or ship we're more than alright. I find it interesting, the way species use sounds and so fourth. I think most Lumifao like listening to people talk, especially sing. It's fascinating really, calming in it's own way. Audiobooks especially, are a guilty pleasure of mine. Listening to information rather than reading it, is very exciting."And a nod at that."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo returns the nod efficiently and pushes away from the table. "I believe I've taken enough of your time. Thank you for having me over, Coco."

Captain Coco has posed:
    "A pleasure to have your company Indigo, you're welcome aboard whenever you desire."And so she rises, offering a hand over. "May fortune find you, wherever you go."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo accepts the offered hand and shakes. "And the same to you. I know the way out, if you don't want to trouble yourself."