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1.4 - First Day Part 1
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As Una sat awaiting what could only be an inevitable end at the convenience of the enemy machines, she thought back on just what a single day ago had been like. How very distant her last journal entry now seemed:
Once Daily Personal Audio Log - Entry No.300;
Ahem, ermm, aha, this is Una O' Conchabhair reporting, umm, oh right ya - Today was my first official day at my new posting aboard the 'Independent-Alliance-Of-Free-States Battleship Am-Fluchtig'.
Sorry if I sound stiff or something, I have had so little to talk about in these logs recently, that now I'm struggling to remember it all, I hope no one ever listens to these, that'd be really embarrassing...
Guess I should start to actually log my day now. I want to say all went well but that would be a lie, I wish it had gone well... I arrived aboard a cargo transport that was bringing scheduled supplies to the ship, which itself is heading somewhere on the far side of Abhailen space, for a meeting or something I think.
Once I got off the shuttle was when it all started going wrong, you see there was this group of four hanging around a little ways in front of where I came in on. The Fluchtig, my new posting has these massive hanger rooms more than 20 metres tall and lined with metal walls and rivets, doors you could fit giants through ya know? - So small freighters can come right in and out to be unloaded like trams in and out of a station back home.
Anyways, as I dismounted I didn't want to be rude but the 4 looked kind of weird, how was I meant to know any different? They were all in miss-matched uniforms and just lounging around or leaning on crates, so I avoided looking too hard or making much eye-contact and attempted to walk right past.
I really should've just looked, or maybe been properly polite and said 'Hello there' or 'Good evening'... Instead I did the opposite..... One of them laid a hand on my shoulder as I was passing, I tried to be, well, you know how it is in stories right? I brushed the hand aside and said; '"I'm a pilot" and "I don't have time for chatter with loiterers.'"
That's when the laughing started.....
It wasn't cruel laughter, least I don't want to think it was. When I turned to face them, ready to try and give both barrels, I-, Ahhhhhhh, I'm such an idiot.
Once I actually looked at their laughing faces it came to me that I recognised two of them. Well I guess it's 'protocol' to state records of your comrades on here so I might as well put that here.
The man who'd tapped me on the shoulder was the oldest of the 4, his name is Kolme Nilas, he's the teams XO - Err that means 'Executive Officer' - Like the second in command, although I guess anyone listening to this would also be military and already know that huh?
I say he's the oldest but it's actually kind of hard to tell, he looks old sure, greying hair, unnaturally tanned skin and stress lines all over like you wouldn't believe - But like he's still a pilot so I doubt he can be that old, and then there's his eyes....Anyway he laughed with a kind of kindness I think?
I hope so anyway. He seems pretty nice, apparently he's been fighting since the very first day of the war, he was there on the 1st, backing up Commander Ceather's assault against the Union base to steal the new Casnels, the very thing that 'officially' started the war!
He served on the Flagship 'Tradech' too before coming here, Sabban as-well, in fact they're designated wingmen now - Which is kind of surprising, it's only been a little more than three months since the graduation ceremony.
I guess them coming here from the Tradech was a promotion or something - Still I'm kinda surprised Sabban came on his own...
That aside, after him is Miss.Scarlet. She's sort of famous - And was also the one who laughed the most...She's a middle aged woman and she's got a tone of hair to sort of match her name, though it's actually closer to a deep crimson then any real 'scarlet-shade'.
Scarlet isn't her real name of-course, apparently she was going by the alias 'Bela Grimizan' but after that whole court martialling thing a ways back, she apparently decided to drop the fake name and now she just uses her aces title - 'Thee Scarlet Scourge'. Sounds kinda cool right?
I was pretty intimated to know she'd be here on the same ship as me, there's all sorts of stories about her, they say she fought in the First War against the earliest Casnels and made it out alive! In the peace years she was said to be one of the greatest pirates of all time, constantly messing with Bhailien supply lines and they even say she was a mech-team commander in the Remembrance Incident back in '18, those last two are why the TSU pilots who chased after her gave her that Aces' nickname.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
More recently there was a big controversy that got her imprisoned but before that she took out one of the brand new TSU Casnels all on her own!
So you can expect the expectations I had right? Well instead of being some legendary figure she sort of seems...vulgar?
I really hope she never hears this but like, sure her hair is as beautiful as they say, she's really pretty in general actually and she looks like a strong person, especially with that eye-patch of hers, a real pirate... - Maybe that's the problem actually.
It's like she also acts like a pirate rather than as a soldier? She barely wears any of the uniform, instead she's in these plain scruffy clothes and even though she only ranks as a Warrant Officer, she doesn't seem to take orders from anyone, or even talk to the others at all for that matter.
Also she definitely was laughing at me the most.... And the hardest....
On the other hand someone who does know how to act with grace is Miss, or I should say, Ensign Hoki Bachika.
Back at the academy she was one of our special instructors who'd handle our lessons and practical training for a couple of weeks every now and then. She's pretty famous in her own right, the daughter of the 'Hokuai' dynasty on Bhaile - That's right - The very same family who helped form IAFS in the first place, that clan!
She inherited the family title back after her Dad was arrested for his involvement with the group's organisation but she doesn't seem to be going by it, then again she didn't back when she was an instructor either so I guess that's not that strange.
She is actually less than 10 years older than me but you'd never know it to look at her, she's the image of a proper woman; Tall and elegant but also kind of stern if you get my gist.
I really admired her during training so it's an honour to get to be with her now and unlike a 'certain other ace', she lives up to her reputation way better. She barely laughed at me at all and it was far more lady-like to boot!
Finally there is Sabban Vint, well I say that but I'm not really sure what to call him. Ensign, Sir, Mr.Vint, orrrrr- Maybe just plain old Sabban? He's the one I really should've recognised immediately after getting off the transport, we were in the same year in the academy! Although I took the fast track scheme so he is a little older than me - I definitely should of known it was him for sure!
Still it's kind of weird, once I looked properly I knew the face but even then he's changed alot. Like I'm not trying to make excuses, I know it was pretty dumb not to look first, speak second - But it's like he holds himself differently. He's got the posture of an older man and the bags on his eyes don't look like they are from a lack of sleep but more so like they've got a permanent residence.
Then there was his personality, we were in different cadets squads before but I still interacted with him a fair deal and he used to be the brotherly type - You know the sort who keep an eye out for others but equally are the one's who tease people the most and are always quickest with a joke?
Not quite the class clown but not far off in a slightly smarter kind of way?
Well now he's like a totally different guy, he barely said a word and his laughter was more... Stilted - Like he was forcing it to blend in, it felt kinda' uncomfortable to listen to in a different way to me just being embarrassed, if you get my drift - Not that I know who 'you' are seeing as these are personal logs but anyway;
When he did talk he seemed uninterested, like he had only come to greet me with the other's out of an obligation, also he just called me 'rookie' so now I'm not sure what to call him back...He couldn't have forgotten my name maybe?!
Maybe he forgot me entirely and that's why?
Uhhhhh I don't know, he just seemed weird, we both graduated at the same time but well, this is my first time being posted to a warship, while he's been out here over 3 months. Is that really all it takes for someone to change that much?
And then there was their stats, I mean most stats aren't public or anything - But the system shows your squamates basic values and boy, everyone's where so much higher then mine...
Oh someone is at the door, one moment--
--Recording Suspended For 5 minutes, 22 seconds --