[quote=@Dinh AaronMk] [hider=The Cumberland] [b]Vessel Name[/b]: The Cumberland [b]Vessel Type[/b]: Freighter [b]Vessel Class[/b]: Civilian [b]Armament loadout[/b]: “Anti-Piracy” direct energy laser cannons on front-face and sides. Two Missile pods [b]Onboard vehicles[/b]: Utility shuttles, Cockshuttle. [b]Crew[/b]: 180 with an “officer” number of 18 [b]Overview[/b]: The Cumberland is an eighty year-old (Earth years) freighter purchased by Levi Beim off of its original owner, Vashia Miglorkia. Since the transition of ownership the Cumberland has been indicted in a number of contraband smuggling operations by the greater Eosian government. Modifications carried out on the supply transport has fitted it with extra storage compartments as well as an extra set of deterrent weapons to keep government chasers at a safe distance. With the use of the onboard utility shuttles the captain and crew have also carried out illegal salvage operations, setting out to the scenes of inter-space disaster or former battles to pick from the wreckage the sometimes rare and dangerous components for black-market sale. [b]Captain[/b]: Levi Beim [b]M/F[/b]: M [b]Age[/b]: 48 [b]Rank[/b]: Private captain [b]Bio[/b]: Born in orbit around the back-water planet designated CI-147e, or better known to the first pioneer colonists as Xiin Zhoongguó to the son and daughter of Earth refugees who fled the former heart of Human space during the Vorghul war, Levi Beim was the middle child of four. His family – when it was on Earth – traced itself as far back as the 18th century as sons and daughters of Scottish and German immigrants who settled the former American Appalachia. Of course, when the threat of alien destruction loomed over-head they took to the stars like so many billions to seek refuge on foreign worlds in an evacuation measure to save as many souls as possible. And like the Beim family's descendants they soon found themselves in a world as mixed as they would have found it in those ancient times. CI-147e was far from what they had known as Earth. In-fact, it simply wasn't a terrestrial world at all. A gas-giant orbiting its native star at a distance half that of Earth, Levi Beim was born in a large orbital station used to mine gaseous metals from its native planet through the use of radio-controlled drones. The station was cramped to begin with, but the refugee crisis that had brought his parents in made it worse. His child-hood came up in the squalor of the squalored decks of the orbiting space-station among the other refugee families and the long-settled poor of Xiin Zhoongguó. And while English was a primary language across all space, the conditions of the station was not far from what may be described as diverse. A bright young child from his early days, Levi was quick to learn. Not only the five largely spoken non-English languages on the station (Mandarin, Pashtun, Russian, Vietnamese, and German) but also how to conduct enterprise and how to fight. His growing up on Xiin Zhoongguó marked a period of growth as the colonial management sought to construct additional support for the new population and to relieve the already poor conditions with money granted to them through a program from the oligarchical government, this brought to the station more people to build as well as materials and tools. Levi learned quick the rules of black-market commerce and what is traded between people and tackled not the use, but its sale. In a way, by the time he was ten he was a moderately skilled dope dealer often targeting the stressed and tired crews who labored in the harsh light of the alien sun and the dangerous conditions of working at orbital velocity above the skies of a gaseous giant that as much as its host star emitted itself put out considerable radioactive risk. Working long hours as well in extreme conditions did not bode well for long-term health or sanity and relief was needed. The construction on the station would close when Levi turned nineteen and his family was moved to replace a tenants quarters in the old station as they moved to the new quarters of the station. This gave the family some much needed space, but also dried up the new markets and the sense of adventure brought by the clamor and the spacecraft that had long loomed outside the station's windows and Levi grew bored. He'd soon find his respite in the space force, signing up to set out on a frigate in search of glory and honor. Though in police orbit around a terrestrial planet he never found it, but he was recognized for his quick wit and efficient savy all the same allowing him to advance through the ranks as a captain, where as one he discovered the extent of his office and the limits he could test. While some would have considered him corrupt, to the planet he helped to police sometimes thought of him as a bit of salvation as he helped skirt government restriction on commerce to move contraband, willingly looking a different way for a small price to help people get in and out, or more sensitive materials through government-controlled space on the right spacecraft. He was adept at what he did, but was bored all the same. Eventually he would be discovered and given a dishonorable discharge and relieved for duty – or rather banished to – the planet he ordered. For his criminal activity he was not permitted to ever come near another spacecraft or even leave his new home. He also had court-dates as he was on trial for his corruption but the appropriate judges had to be brought in and had yet to fully examine the case and conduct preliminary hearings. But despite all this, Levi found a way. Not only to slip under the government nose but to purchase a spacecraft all his own and slip out passed them and into inter-space as a freeman, and a rogue criminal. Having purchased the eighty year-old junker named the Nostraum from an elderly Ukranian-born captain, he renamed his new prize the Cumberland and set out with a rotating crew for an interstellar quest of what he called “enterprise, freedom, and glory”. He hoped to get all three more than a decade later when he heard of the activity of the Nemesis. [/hider] [/quote] Nice work as always. Once we get to IC feel free to post whenever. [quote=@Flagg] [hider=The Arrogance] [b]Vessel Name:[/b] [i]Arrogance[/i] [b]Vessel Type:[/b] Pirate Battlecruiser [b]Vessel Class:[/b] Kraken Class Warship, heavily modified [b]Armament:[/b] [list] - Six flank-mounted heavy "Backbreaker" batteries, extremely effective against capital sized vessels at all ranges. - modified Vorqhul stealth drive - anti-missile/strikecraft point defenses along the hull. - forward-facing, prow-mounted plasma batteries, designed to inflict shield failure and catastrophic hull damage as the [i]Arrogance[/i] closes at ramming speed [/list] Support Ships: [list] - Torpedo Frigates: [i]Vampire[/i] and [i]Ghost[/i] - Heavy Flak Frigates: [i]Hammer[/i], [i]Al-Hazred[/i], [i]Xenocide[/i] [/list] Crew: (Number of total crew. Might also break down of officer/conscript ratio, describe any marine contingents aboard, list other important crew members, etc.) Overview: (Description of the vessel, its combat role, brief summary of its history if it is a seasoned warship. Treat this like the ship's bio field.) Captain: Anathagos Surl Gender: Male Age: 47 Rank: Mercenary/Pirate Captain Bio: (Brief history of your captain. The point is not to recount their life story, but to sow the seeds for your captain's motivations and aims by grounding them in a backstory.) [/hider] [/quote] So far looking really good. Glad to have you with us in this RP, Flagg. [quote=@Pepperm1nts] It's hard catching you on Steam nowadays so I'll ask here: What kind of government does humanity have? Is it the usual United Nations-like democracy, or is it more of a military government? Given the war with the Vorqhul, maybe the remnants of an emergency military government that just sort of stuck? It could be the reason for insurrection - people are upset that the military hasn't relinquished all power. [/quote] Exactly what I was thinking. The oligarchs probably got accustomed to the emergency powers they exercised during the war and are likely reluctant to relinquish their authority. The situation reminds me of the American colonial sentiment following the Seven Years War. [quote=@Polybius] What is combat like? Quick and dirty or a slug fest? Is there time to scuttle/abandon ship or do they go *boom* more often than not? [/quote] I think it's entirely dependent upon the situation and intent of the attackers. If one ship gets the drop on another and gets off a shot or two before the enemy can react, then the attacked ship will likely be wrecked in short order. During set piece battles, when both sides are aware of each other, I can forsee these battles taking quite a bit longer. But given the dangers of space and the lethality of most ships' armaments, I suspect most engagements would be fairly short-lived. But there will always be exceptions that can be justified if you need a longer battle for your stories.