[18:58] ISV Nightingale: The Great Martel Cove, the name of the hidden pirate base of the Martel family. Normally the place is a dour and grey location with security always on the look out, but today is a grand day, for the young Martel girl is to be married. This is an occasion that is to bring unity to the anarchy zone somewhat, or well would have led to that if the young Alex had decided that today was not to be her chaining day. Leaving the stone carved walls meant to look like those of the old noble houses, Alex would have to avoid guards and maids that would seek to send the young woman to the chapel and her fate as nothing but a powerless woman. No, the void of space calls to her, filled with riches and adventure like the stories of old.
[19:06] ISV Nightingale: Hundreds of guest were in the more important family section of the asteroid, meant only for the trusted pirates and the Martels themselves, while in the rest of the asteroid partied thousands of civilians, merchants, and even soldiers who would be glad to bring in the famed pirates as allies. Alex though would finally reach her main destination, the room of her brother, no doubt preparing his captain's jacket to help walk his little sister to her betrothed.
[19:19] Alexandrine Martel ducks around a corner, avoiding a group of servants on their way to deliver a parcel somewhere. She didn't want to be spotted anywhere, even though they yet suspected nothing. She slips through the door and turns to greet her older brother. With a slight smile, she steps up, holding her hands behind her back "Hello Jules..." She steps up and hesitates for a moment, and gives him a big hug "Thank you so much for being here today. It means a lot to me." She speaks with her face pressed against his chest, not quite ready to let go yet.
[19:24] ISV Nightingale: Jules, first son to the pirate lord and sort of the only one able to get through to Alex was busy adjusting his jacket with flashy medals taken from captains he plundered or generals he defeated on the field. "Alex, you aren't even dressed yet, the ceremony is in less than an hour." The strong hands that taught her how to tie a knot, how to fix an engine, or how to fence with a sword came against her back gently stroke her back. He really cared for her, of that there was no doubt. When father had been away or too distant building his kingdom in the stars, Jules was always there to watch over and take care of her. Now he was supposed to be handing her to someone else, a man she had never met nor seen before.
[19:27] Alexandrine Martel sighs and nuzzles into his chest slightly before looking up at him "I know... I figure the handmaiden is beginning to suspect something. I should probably get a move on soon." She brushes her currently long hair behind her ear and gives him another big squeeze "Goodbye Julie. I'm going to miss you a whole bunch. Who knows when we'll see each other again."
[19:29] System: Arashiketsu was added to your friends list.
[19:34] ISV Nightingale: The twinkle in the eye when you are about to do something bad, like steal a shuttle, break into the stables your father had made and ride that horse lizard thing...The twinkle isn't lost on the older Martel sibling and they walk out into the hall, noting the direction but saying nothing. Indeed, he would wish you a safe journey as he made his was to disrupt and distract the ceremony...

The docks are a massive open area sealed from the vacuum by only the air locks to the residential sections, and the massive steel doors that hide away the ships safe from attack. In the far rear of the dock is the light blue ship, The FFX-Deliverance or as the papers you registered for it in secret call it, the ISV Nightingale. Over the month you have stored everything you need for a long journey and filled it up with enough fuel to take you all the way across the anarchy zone to begin your new tale of exploration. Sure it only has the torpedo tubes and the Gatling guns for weaponry, but it should be fast and agile enough to at least get you a proper crew.
[19:52] ISV Nightingale: (press enter?)
[20:06] ISV Nightingale: (Alex?)
[20:07] System: Aka changed status to Busy, Playing games before returning to writing.
[20:14] Alexandrine Martel pulls a cap from her pocket and tucks her hair into it before slipping across the hangar bay, using cargo and scrap for cover. Using practiced steps, she moved along her route. A few things had been shifted around, but to no great concern. She could tell that her brothers distraction was working. A few workers hurriedly stepped out from the bay. She shuffles along the last few meters to the loading ramp of the ship. With movement that almost seemed second nature at this point, she went through engineering and cold-cranked the reactor, shoving the starter core into the reactor to bring the reaction speed to stable levels. The running lights flicker on as the power restores to the main systems. She had only cranked the reactor once to see if it worked. So far so good. Now to the cockpit. She needed to move quickly. Up and over, she shuffles up the fast access tubes to the command deck and into her pilots seat. Pre-flight was set to an automatic process that runs as soon as the power kicks on. She had taken note of how self-reliant the ship was. It was almost unsettling. As if it knew just what to do. The final part of her plan... She starts flicking switches to bring her display on and start spinning up main systems. She just had to send the spoof ATC signal to get the doors open...
[20:18] ISV Nightingale: The hanger begins blaring as the warning for crew to evac or equip life support rings through the area. The Frigate's own doors have sealed by this point and soon enough the steel doors providing an exit to freedom open meter by meter. Before to long, the entry way is open and salvation lies ahead. There will be no going back after the throttle is shoved forward. Its now or never.
[20:26] Alexandrine Martel takes a deep breath as she grips the throttle. She locks her eyes ahead and pushes the throttle forwards enough to get the ship up and moving. She all but holds her breath as the thrusters roar to life.
[20:34] ISV Nightingale: Thrusters only used once before roar to life and the ship shudders forth as the repairs hold nice and strong. Soon the creeping speed of the ship turns into a full on explosion of speed as the Nightingale roars out of the hanger with a faint blue trail following in its wake. 100, 200, 300, 400, 500Km...The speedometer climbs higher and higher as the long lost treasure is released from the vault under a new captain and with a new purpose. Freedom. The ship maxes out its speed at 1200km, far faster than any fighter and able to outrun almost anything of your fathers. By the time they look out the view ports you'll be another twinkling light in the star filled sky.
[20:34] ISV Nightingale: (Should be Km/s)
[20:49] Alexandrine Martel puts a good long distance between her and home before peeling back on the throttle, making sure that there was absolutely nothing remotely near by. She exhales slowly and leans back in the seat. Her blood was pounding in her ears, and her hands were shaking. She stands up and strolls around. The cockpit, which she's spent hours upon hours in, seemed different somehow. Suddenly, she lets out a shout, just yelling into the empty halls. As her yell tapers off, it echoes through the bulkhead lined corridors.
[20:56] ISV Nightingale: Silence answers in return, the various lights and panels displaying star charts, empty space all about her, and other things like power levels and system status. The loud hum of the engine echoes through the bulkhead as a growl from the captain's stomach would alert her to the need to eat, now that the flight is complete, she shouldn't need to worry about emptying her stomach during her escape anymore. Perhaps the automated galley can whip her up something.
[21:05] Alexandrine Martel takes the ladder down to the crew deck and to the galley. She made sure it was stocked with AutoChef canisters. It wasn't the greatest but it was edible. She strolls into the sizable galley and to the console. Scrolling through the choices, she settles on Pot-au-feu. It was a very basic dish of meat, potatoes and veggies, but it reminded her of her mother and her cooking. She takes the bowl of stew and sits down once it's dispensed. Well, this was home now.
[21:10] ISV Nightingale: A look around as she ate reminded the new captain that well, there was plenty of room for just one person to use. Maybe she should have tried to talk some of the pirates to join her, but reflecting on that would reveal their loyalty would be first to her father. She would need some new people, people that had no idea who she was or would gain anything from returning her to her family.
[21:16] System: Mystic is online.
[21:21] Alexandrine Martel finishes her meal and turns the bowl over to the scrubber. She strolls through the ship some, thinking about what she really needs. She starts assembling a crew list in her head. Funds was also an issue. She had a sizable account in her name. An "allowance" that all of her fathers children got at this age. She should transfer that quickly before they freeze her assets entirely. No money, no crew. She also needed to change herself up a bit. She was a bit more feminine in her present state than she preferred to be. A trip to the crew quarters later, she was dressed in an outfit she had custom tailored for this adventure. A bodysuit that helped her stay cool and comfortable, among other things, a pair of jackboots, black dress pants, a modest tunic, and a greatcoat befitting a captain. Sitting atop the folded clothes was a helmet and mask. This would be the key to her command. A gruff, commanding voice and stoic faceplate that never showed fear or doubt. The final step would be cutting these long locks. This decision she deliberated on for quite some time. She had been growing her hair for years. It was a part of her! But alas, it was a part of her old identity.
[21:28] ISV Nightingale: Just as the new captain would grab the scissors, the lights all over the ship began to dim and flicker. A power spike, now? Whatever it was would need to be dealt with first so that the captain didn't end up frozen to death or suffocated in her own ship. A quick jog to the command center would reveal the engineering display going crazy as power from the entire ship was being drained to something called Deliverance A-1 or something.
[21:29] Alexandrine Martel tracks down where the power draw was coming from and shuffles her way down to that sector, hunting around for the culprit. She wasn't going to be brought down by a damn power short, not after coming this far!
[21:39] ISV Nightingale: The Deliverance A-1 system is just under the command center. It was tricky to find the area as it was under a hidden floor board in the state room hallway. Now that you are before the door to the room though, you feel some unease, especially as the light show of whatever is going on it there is seeping past the partially opened doors.
[21:41] Alexandrine Martel proceeds with an undeserved amount of apprehension. Ste stands before the door, gripping the turnwheel. She takes a deep breath and pushes the door open, stepping inside. she hoped for the best, mostly to not get blasted by a bolt of rogue lightning from an arcing superconductor line.
[21:45] ISV Nightingale: Its a strange machine of sorts that looks to have wires and dials or something all over its form. It also looks to be situated right over a large power conduit that taps most likely into the main reactor directly. As you are inspecting the strange pylon of sorts, you can hear what sounds like a laser or something from the inside, like a printer or weapon manufactory.
[21:48] Alexandrine Martel eyes the sound, and steps back. She slides her hand around the grip of her revolver. She had gotten into habit of carrying it aboard the ship, on the off chance a stowaway decided to hitch a ride. She slowly slips it from its leather holster and cocks the hammer back. She had no idea what this thing was going to spit out but she was fully prepared to put a bullet or seven into it if it tried anything funny.
[21:52] ISV Nightingale: The front of the machine slowly opens up with a hiss of smoke as the energy on the ship begins to strobe once more. Eventually the lights return to normal and you can make out what appears to be a woman sitting inside the machine, sound asleep from the look of things.
[21:53] Alexandrine Martel holds the revolver steady at her side as she kneels down to inspect the woman. She... certainly wasn't expecting this. Was it some sort of dethawed cryotube? Maybe an original crew member of the ship? She mutters to herself lightly as she checks the girls pulse and breathing.
[21:58] ISV Nightingale: There isn't a pulse, nor is the woman breathing, yet she feels warm to the touch, no sickly pale skin of the dead. "[Hello? Where are we?]" Comes a loud voice over the intercom. It sounded like a woman's voice. "[You, yes you with the gun, where is this and...Who are we?]"
[22:06] Alexandrine Martel straightens up and wheels the gun around. She takes a moment to collect her thoughts. She connects the dots a little "You are aboard my ship. I am the captain of this vessel, the Independent Space Vessel Nightingale. What do you mean 'Who are we'?"
[22:10] ISV Nightingale: "[You are the captain?]" The voice didn't have to sound that surprised. After a second you can see the FFX-Deliverance vanish from the machine's side, along with the Deliverance A-1 to be replaced with the ISV Nightingale and Nightingale AI. "[Very well captain, the name of the ship has been changed in all systems and records and my autonomous Drone will finish boot up within the moment.]"
[22:13] Alexandrine Martel nods slowly and holsters the revolver, for now. She stands a bit away and eyes the girl in the tube. Presumably the drone? This whole event had her head rushing with information. What exactly was happening here? It was clearly some sort of AI, but far far beyond anything she had seen.
[22:16] ISV Nightingale: The girl slowly rouses herself and slowly stands up before looking around the room and then looking down to focus on your face. "Hello captain, I am the ISV Nightingale. I am ready to serve and assist you in your travels." The voice is similar to the one over the intercoms, but its not as robotic. "I am currently linked into all systems and have detected that you left the light on in your state room, would you like that turned off or let it remain on? The power usage from all lights is negligible but I understand some people detest wasting even the smallest fraction of energy."
[22:19] Alexandrine Martel thinks for a moment "Let it stay on. I still have business in there that I need to return to...shortly...." She trails off. She had responded like it was nothing. She shakes her head and rubs the bridge of her nose "I should go sit down anyways. I need to cut these dreadful locks off sooner than later... Lest someone recognize me." She starts making her way back up to her room before calling out "Set a course, please. Maintain direction through deep space, half throttle."
[22:22] ISV Nightingale: "Course to where? There is a lot of space and so many courses." The AI follows you back towards your room, looking around the run down ship as though it was noting things. "I seem to be missing quite a few things and systems." The Ai says as it grabs the scissors and motions for you to sit down upon your chair. "Cutting your hair here will reduce the chance any ends up in your sheets. I am told severed hair is quite irritable against the skin."
[22:24] Alexandrine Martel hesitates for a moment, the settles in the chair. Something on an instinctual level told her to trust this thing. After a moment of silence, she speaks up "Set a course to the second closest free port. I'm going to need some supplies. Also, my banking information should be on file. I want you to transfer funds in my account to a secondary account I've set up. Series of small transactions. No need to trip the system all at once."
[22:30] ISV Nightingale: "Understood, the port you have listed is called Anchorage Cove and is listed as a freehold that trades with pirates, mercenaries, and some minor states and planets." The AI is very careful, gently cutting the hair to a shortened bob that will allow you to pass for someone else entirely. "Your account was on hold by the way but I managed to take the fund amount you required from one Rebecca Martel. I took this all at once and have transferred it from the bank listed to a new account at Anchorage Cove where you can quickly pull out the credits and keep them stored on the ship as you set up your new alias. News is already circling the system for your return."
[22:44] Alexandrine Martel closes her eyes for a moment. Rebecca. Rebecca. She sits up and exclaims "You took the money from my oldest sister?! Great Hells. Its good that I'm already a fugitive. Now she's REALLY going to want me back. Okay okay. Breath. I've got my money. Now I just need to get into port and resupply. If I'm going to keep a crew, I'm going to need quite a few things."
[22:50] System: Lilian Morneau is offline.
[22:50] ISV Nightingale: "We'll make a list then and prepare the five other state rooms for your future companions. The rest of the ship I can run and service with the systems on board." The Nightingale drone angles your chair to the mirror to show off your haircut, allowing you to inspect your new look. "Already scanning possible jobs, I'll inspect and then generate a list when we moor for you to look over, though I am seeing an escort job near a junk yard we may with to visit later."
[22:51] Alexandrine Martel nods "Very well. Very lovely job with the haircut... I hardly recognize myself..."
[22:54] System: Aka changed status to Looking, L00ds
[22:54] ISV Nightingale: "I can still recognize you though." The Ai gently pokes your nose and smiles. "Its the eyes, so full of excitement for the future. You should relax and get some sleep, its gonna be a few hours until we get there."
[22:55] Alexandrine Martel nods and crawls into bed, not even bothering to disrobe. She yawns and settles in, falling asleep in fairly short order.