A Promising Turn of Events }{ [Phoenix Crew]

[Miria Harken]

"Thanks Commander, I'll be on my way now." The gun-hand grabbed a file from the man standing in front of her. "I'm sure you'll get along quite well on the Phoenix Lieutenant Harken." Miria didn't respond, simply turned and walked away smiling. She was finally getting an assignment to look forward to. The Phoenix. The captain of said vessel was Ethan Pike, a man she admired greatly.

Miria had only been under Ethan's command for a short time aboard the Opal many years back, he probably wouldn't even remember her. It didn't matter though, she remembered him and he had made a drastic impact on her career. She walked along the docks looking for the ship, her three bags in tow. Two for clothing and essentials and one for guns...yes a whole bag of guns. Never know what you'll be in for on an Alliance ship! She made a mental note to stock up on ammo and some other goodies before they left planet.

The gun-hand stopped in front of a mantis class ship, this was it, the Phoenix. Looked alright, she had no preference as to the look of a ship. So long as it flew and got her somewhere she could shoot she'd be happy. She stood at the open cargo bay and looked around. "Oi! Anyone around? Officer reporting in!" Her voice carried loudly, someone should hear her.

-------------------


Outfit

[grabem]

Not exactly what Jonathan would have expected but from the sounds of the assignment it would fit him pretty well. You've gotta hand it to bureaucracy. Some times they actually do get things perfect.

'Corporal' Richards had gone into an enlistment office and notified them of his intent to reenlist... after 11 years. Red flags must have gone up on a computer someplace because instead of the typically handshake of congratulations and kick in the ass on the way to boot he got called in front of some captain, navy not army so he's a big deal or something, probably in charge of all recruitment. It would probably have been an honor if Jon had known what it was all about.

The discussion was much less formal than expected. The officer went over his record and then asked him his reasoning for coming back. Jon answered truthfully and was soon on his way to a boot camp-esque refresher course, something very few people seemed to go to, odd since boot camp was so much fun the first time. After 'graduation' he was handed new orders effective immediately as well as paperwork restoring him to his old rank of corporal and then promoting him to the rank of sergeant. Must have made quite the impression for a 'free' promotion. It also seemed he was transferred between branches as well to serve on-board ship... odd. It made sense for them to put him there but if experience was any indicator, the military never made sense. What did that even make him, a Petty Officer or a Sergeant? The orders didn't specify whether his transfer was to navy or shipboard marines.


And sohe found himself, ordered to Ariel so he could join up with the 'Phoenix', not a warship but what turned out to be a Mantis class hauler. His exact role in all this was still a bit unknown but he figured he'd probably be the one flying her instead of just guarding the hallways or whatever it is shipboard marines do. His only experience with them was joking with them during the war for not fighting in the "real" battles and being confined to certain parts of the ship like cattle when being transported between planets.

Jon had piloted a Mantis occasionally since unification, probably another reason he got shipped off here. Whatever it was, it seemed Alliance brass was looking for the exact right people for the job. Either that or it was just dumb luck on their part.


Well, it seemed to be the right place but the ship looked just about empty. Jon carried his duffel bag and backpack inside the hold, looking for someone to report to. He was about to call out himself when he heard a woman announce herself as an officer just outside the cargo bay door. Instinctively from years past and also fresh out of that refresher course, Jon dropped his gear and hurried out to meet the voice. He stood straight, gave a crisp salute, and offered his transfer papers to the person who he assumed was in charge.

"Sergeant Jonathan Richards reporting for duty, Ma'am."

As he stood there, he thought back to training and wondered if that's even how the navy did it or was he just making a fool of himself as an army grunt. Announcing himself as sergeant rather than petty officer might also have been a mistake but better than omitting a rank altogether.

[ethanpike]

Despite the innumerable headaches he caused the Alliance brass, Ethan was convinced they secretly adored him. Mostly because of his handsome face and lovable smile, but also because he could get things done. He was sitting in the pilot's chair, reclining as far back as it could possibly go, smoking a cigar. Every now and then he would attempt to blow a smoke ring, although failure was often the result.

As he relaxed in the darkened room, he looked back over his professional career: his first command, the Opal, which was fun, at least until the court-martial. Then, the shocking announcement that he had been appointed as commander of the Esteem. Ethan distinctly remembered the first time he ever saw the ship - in drydock, looking like hell after a Reaver attack. He even remembered the speech he had given.

Pretty miserable speech. But it worked out. For a while.
He remembered all the faces - Amaya, the woman with the harsh words and classified past; Erik Saints, chainsmoking Browncoat pilot extraordinaire; Kylandra Grasan. Juliet. Usoa. All his crew.

He remembered losing the ship. He remembered coming back to it, finding the crew almost in mutiny after the death of their brownosed, huen dahn captain Borden. And then, the brass kicked him out again, left him to his own devices...

Until now.

The brass had been remarkably persuasive.
'Just think of it, Ethan. Your own ship, no one pushing you around, no one telling you what you can and cannot do. Just do our jobs, and we won't ask how you get it done. No more court-martials, Ethan. After all, four is enough.'

Just then, his reverie was interrupted by the sound of voices in the cargo bay. He leaped to his feet, and climbed the ladder from the bridge up to the rest of the ship. This must be part of his new crew... none of whom he was allowed to chose for himself. That had been made very clear to him.

The Alliance did not want any more Browncoats aboard their ships, and especially not aboard a ship captained by Ethan Pike.

He jogged towards the cargo bay, glad that his recently enacted self-monitored exercise regime had been paying off. The brass had also made it clear that the Phoenix would be involved in... somewhat hairy operations, and every member of the crew had to be in good shape and well acquainted with a gun. Ethan had taken that seriously, and had spent the last few months getting into shape and getting reacquainted with handguns. Gone was the somewhat prominent paunch of his Esteem days.

Ethan arrived at the stairs leading down to the cargo bay, and saw two figures, a man and a woman, standing at the entrance to the bay. He hurried down the stairs, unaware of the cigar still hanging from his mouth. As usual, he was dressed in his standard Alliance officer's uniform, without any medals or signs of rank, and his ever-present handgun was strapped to his waist.

He greeted them with a smile, and was about to speak, when he realized his cigar was still there. With a hasty movement of his hand, he took it from his mouth and tossed it aside.

"Welcome aboard, both of you. My name is Ethan Pike, and I am the captain of the Phoenix. I --"
He stopped, and looked again at the woman standing before him. He hesitated, and then asked, embarrassed, "I'm sorry, but have we met before? You look rather familiar..."

But he quickly recovered, and addressed them both. "Anyways, welcome aboard. I haven't been told who is to be part of my crew, but I'm assuming that I'm not making some huge mistake, and that you both are supposed to be serving aboard this here flying rat-trap."

[Miria Harken]

Miria blinked, was this guy fresh from basic? She was both amused and confused. A smirk crossed her lips, "Well hi there handsome! I'm lookin' to report in myself Jonathan..I can call ya Jonathan can't I?" She waved off his offering of paperwork, they were of no interest to her; besides she wasn't in charge. The Lieutenant did hold out her hand to him though, proper greeting and all, "Lieutenant Miria Harken. Fresh off of disciplinary leave!" She said it proudly, she was a flirt, and she liked to have fun. That fun usually tended to get her in a bit of trouble though.

After a few moments they were approached, by the one and only Ethan Pike, Captain of the Phoenix. When he stumbled she smiled, Miria was glad there was at least some recognition. "I was on you're crew back on the Opal Captain. It'll be a pleasure to serve you again." She may still look a little like the same young woman who blindly did whatever she was told. Miria was different now in alot of ways too though, many tattoos, some piercings and a brand new attitude.

Miria held out her paperwork to Ethan, "Lieutenant Miria Harken, I'm the girl that gets to shoot the guns at the bad folks sir." She grinned, she couldn't wait to get her first crack at some targets. Miria loved to shoot, shooting was always an option for any situation. "Just point and I'll shoot." She winked at him with her last comment.

[grabem]

It wasn't exactly the reception that Jonathan had expected but he wasn't disappointed by it. Choosing to err on the side of formalities was always a better choice than being laid back when making first impressions with an officer that might be a hard ass who reads the rule book every night. As the woman spoke, Jon relaxed and shook her hand when offered. Her manner wasn't anything like what he'd experienced in the service especially coming from an officer.

"Jonathan is just fine. Sorry for being a bit uptight but I still don't know what to expect with this assignment. Orders were vague to say the least." he replied before looking around a bit. "If you're not in command here then who is?"

As if providence was watching, the question was answered as Ethan Pike appeared behind him and made introductions, answering some questions at least. Jon waited for Miria to speak first before putting forward his own transfer papers (for the second time).

"Sergeant Jonathan Richards. I suppose I'm here to fly the Phoenix; Orders weren't very specific. I don't even know what branch I'm in anymore, sir."

[squall86]

A beat up and rusty cab pulled up to the Pheonix and the driver quickly got out and removed several bags from the trunk. The fat balding man moved with surprising speed and agility as he set the contents of the trunk space out. He quickly wiped his head with an all ready soaked rag before quickly getting back into the driver's seat. Not long after the door closed did the back passenger side door open and out stood an average height man, who was quite lean. His mirrored sunglasses hid his eyes and virtually made his expression even harder to read. He didn't wear the standard garment of an alliance officer, but then again one with his background never did. He wore cargo pants and a t-shirt both seemed to fit and cling to his frame in a complimentary way. He also wore a double shoulder holster both of which had guns stowed inside. He put on a black leather jacket and proceeded to gather his belongings.

He walked up the gangway and noticed that some of the crew had all ready started to gather. He paused for a moment only to readjust the items he was carrying, just to make sure he could get a hold of his weapons a little quicker if necessary. He listended for a moment before he fully enter the ship. He didn't say a ward to anyone, he just set his stuff down in the cargo hold and went back to grab the last of it. He wasn't sure of the protocol for how a first mate/tactical officer should act on such a vessel, he figured the captain would talk with him in that regaurd. Jordan felt a little self concious about the scruff that had been growing for the past few days. He hadn't been able to shave for a while. Normally that wouldn't bother him but when meeting an Alliance officer it's usually better to look polished.

"I'm Commander Jordan Tandem. I'll be your first mate/ tactical officer Captain Pike."

[ethanpike]

Thankfully, neither of them were Alliance brass coming to inspect his ship. Ethan was still a little paranoid about the brass, but this assignment promised to be a welcome relief from absurd amounts of oversight.

The woman jogged his memory as she replied that she was part of his command on the Opal. Aha! Miria!

And it was her. More confident, more tattooed, but with the same smile as she had had years before. Ethan took her papers with a smile, and replied: "Welcome back, Miria. Glad to see you've made it to Lieutenant, although it's clearly a bureaucratic failure that you're not in command of your own ship by now."
He winked back at her, and turn his attention to the man, accepting his transfer papers as well. He took a cursory glance at them, and was about to speak to the man when his mind suddenly processed what he had read. He took a second look at the papers, and then spoke to the man. "It says here, Sergeant, that you recently re-enlisted after eleven years in civilian life? That's a long time to be out of uniform. What made you come back?"


Ethan would have spoken longer, but yet another figure showed up outside the Phoenix, and this one demanded his full attention. The man reeked of danger, and he didn't like that type. The man seemed quiet enough, but there was no mistaking the type. He introduced himself as Commander Jordan Tandem, and Ethan raised an eyebrow but tried to refrain from any obnoxious comments about his high rank.

"Welcome aboard, Jordan. I'm a little surprised that the brass won't let me pick my own first mate, but I'm sure you will be... a good choice."

Gesturing to Miria and Jon, Ethan made a few introductions.

"Jordan, this is Miria and Jon, our lovely gunhand and our dashing pilot."

Recollecting, he turned back to Jon, and said: "Don't worry about what branch you're in now, Jon - you're in the smallest, most covert branch of the Alliance: the Maverick branch. Coincidentally, it's the branch that gets pruned most often."
It was an ominous remark, but Ethan tried to pass it off as a joke. But it wasn't a joke. The Alliance assigned these people here because they were useful but actually expendable. That was true even of him.

But now it was time for the speech. Ethan hated making speeches, but it seemed necessary, even though there were only three crewmembers there so far.

"Alright, let me tell you a little bit about what we will be doing here. We're going to be doing all the little things that a big fat cruiser can't. Tracking down smugglers, going toe-to-toe with slavers and general bastards. Guns will be used on a regular basis."
The last sentence was punctuated by a wink at Miria. She would enjoy this job for sure.

"All of you are expendable to the higher-ups, but that doesn't mean that you're going to die. You're not, because that wouldn't be any fun. Let me make this clear: you stick by me, I stick by you, and we all live and drink and shoot guns and have fun. But we do our job first. I don't care what your history with the Alliance is, but this is first and foremost an Alliance ship. You might have heard about me, and chances are all the rumors are true - I've been court-martialed four times, I don't like taking orders that I disagree with... all that is true. But I'm an Alliance officer, and I stick by them because they're the only way forward. The 'Verse falls apart if the Alliance falls."

And with that, the speech was over. Ethan smiled at all three, and then asked quietly: "Any questions? I imagine you lot didn't get briefed on much of anything."

[Miria Harken]

Miria smiled happily at Ethan's acknowledgment, "Nah, I prefer to just shoot, let someone else ask the questions later." Then she listened as he addressed Jon. Eleven years? Wow, Miri was surprised at that. It was about that time another member of their crew approached, man named Jordan. A Commander. Also a surprise, it was just that kind of day huh. After her introduction made by Ethan it was time for her to open her big mouth, "So Jordan, who'dya punch in the face to get this gig eh?" Her words were half serious, half joking.

Again the Captain started talking again before the new Commander could answer, but she kept a look on him. Still smiling. Miria knew the truth of the situation, at least for herself, she was a pain in the ass but damn fine at her job. Someone wanted her out of the way of genuine officers but wanted to keep her of some type of use. Didn't make any difference to the woman, so long as she could drink and shoot she'd be peachy. Not at the same time mind you, usually anyway.

Miria whooped at the mention of using guns on a regular basis, that made her happy, and apparently the Captain knew that. She was excited to get started. An excited grin stayed on her lips while he continued to talk to them. "Course no-one told us anything Cap, at least me anyway. My only question is where's my room and can I get any of ya'll anything from the shops? Once I get my stuff down I've got some stocking up to do before we head out." Ammo, booze, maybe some grenades..whatever was shiny that caught her eye were on the list.

[grabem]

Jon's response would be late because the Captain had been interrupted by a newcomer. Despite hopes for new crew this was about as bad as it could get. He was 'first mate and tactical officer' which to Jon is code for he does absolutely nothing, certainly not something useful like a doctor or God forbid a mechanic. They already had Miria as an officer that liked to kill things. The captain probably also fell into that category. They didn't need a third one. Maybe there would be a spot for the lofty title of 'tactical officer' on a ship that held more than ten crew members (when at maximum capacity) and maybe had a few more weapons on it but not on the Phoenix. The captain seemed to respond similarly maybe for some of the same reasons but also because the Alliance was stomping all over his business and from first impressions this guy could be their plant to watch and control the ship. Jon merely nodded to the new officer as they were introduced, nothing more.

The captain seemed nice. Very personable instead of the typical brass Jon had known. He seemed to really care for the men under his command. Junior officers sometimes are like that because they literally know their men but to senior officers like Pike they were more often names on a list rather than faces. That caring attitude probably explains those court martials. Four of them? Wow. You're more likely to know an admiral than to know a man called before the court that many times. The fact that they didn't take action against him or at least nothing serious enough to kick him out or even bust him down from captain really says a lot. He's probably an indispensable asset but it also means that every act of disobedience was justifiable and ultimately in the best traditions of the military and the best interests of his men. That's the kind of man everyone wants to serve under, not a namby-pamby coward who avoids confrontation or some hot headed egomaniac who is going to get everyone killed.

The abridged version of the ship's mission and the captain's reasoning for serving also couldn't be more agreeable with Jon. That was exactly the reasoning why he reenlisted, because despite its flaws the Alliance was the best way forward and it needed men like him. As soon as he got the chance, he spoke up about it and his eleven year hiatus.

"Answering your previous question, sir. I never wanted to go career or become an officer or anything like that. My reason for signing back up is what you just said, sir. The Alliance is the way forward and I owe it to her to help if I can. I answered the call once before and I heard the call again."

"I didn't get briefed on anything either but my only question, sir, is are we expecting any more crew? We seem to be a little officer heavy and I'm the only one who seems to have an actual post to man in the ship."

[byron]

Sunil paused for a moment outside the door, examining it with tilted head, pondering his options. He could here voices from within, so he presumed he was in the right place; the question was simply whether he should knock before entering or not. Of course, it would be more polite to do so, but they also said that it was best to seem confident at job interviews. How confident was too confident? After all, there was only so far one could go before seeming arrogant. Eventually he shrugged. His father always used to say 'faint heart never won fair maid.' This was not, of course, about winning any fair maid, but the principle still applied. Or so he liked to believe, anyway, being unable to think of any more immediately relevant aphorisms. Or were they adages? Or even truisms? He wasn't entirely sure of the distinctions, though he was pretty sure truisms tended to be true. He guessed. Anyway, he was getting distracted.

He opened the door and stepped into the room, a broad, charming smile spreading across his face. It seems he was later than expected; there were three men and a woman already there, a fair complement for most ships. He simply hoped none of them had beaten him to the post. The eldest one, he guessed, was anywhere from late thirties to mid forties, probably the man in charge, he figured, though equating age to seniority was not necessarily an accurate way of doing things. He offered his best approximation of a formal salute; despite everything, it was rather sloppy by Alliance military standards. Of course, Sunil himself was somewhat sloppy by the usual military standards, but he had been lead to believe this wasn't too much of an issue. It was his skill on which he hoped to be judged, of which he was rather proud. Still, it was always best to show willing.

He figured most of them probably had rather more experience with this kind of thing than he did, but that was not unusual. Still smiling, he began to introduce himself, “Hey! Um, I mean, uh, hello, uh, sir; my name's Sunil, Sunil Avninder, and I saw you were in the market for a mechanic, right? Well, that'd be me. Six years up in the black, five workin' engines, an' near on three flyin' a boat. Sure, I'm not awful fancy, an' I'm not one for makin' speeches, but I know what I'm doin' an' you won't find no one who'll take better care o' your engines this side o' Londinium.”

[ethanpike]

Miria's only question had been practical: where are the bunks, and did anyone need anything shoreside. Ethan smiled approvingly: this woman got things done, and he liked that. He replied briefly to her question, "I've got all I need, thanks. But anyone who needs to pick up some things should get everything ready, 'cause I'm hoping to get off this rock and into the sky as soon as possible."

Get flying. Do things. Be useful, helpful, productive... Yeah. Be a captain again. It had been too long since Ethan had a crew and a ship, and he felt a rare burst of exuberance swell up inside. Damn, I've missed this whole world.

The newcomer hadn't said much of anything, and although this made Ethan uncomfortable, he wasn't going to pry any further - let the man talk when he wished, as long as he didn't do anything contrary to Ethan's wishes. But that was something he would sort out in private with this... commander. For now, that was all he could do.

The pilot seemed like a good man, and Ethan's opinion of him increased dramatically when he gave his reasons for re-enlisting. Giving a broad smile, Ethan held out a hand to him, saying as he did so: "It's a pleasure to serve with such a man. The Alliance needs all the men like you it can get."

He was going to add more when another man entered the ship. Sizing him up with a glance, Ethan concluded that he was a medic. He looked intelligent, skillful, and thoroughly un-military. The assumption that he was a civilian became an absolute fact when he attempted to salute, but Ethan stifled a smile with a cough. No need to embarrass the man. But when he spoke, the truth became clear. This Sunil was a mechanic, a word that echoed in Ethan's ears with all the joy of a choir of angels. The ruttin' brass had given him a piece of flying junk, and no mechanic, so he had had to resort to placing an ad on the cortex. Sunil was the result.

Ethan held out a hand to him, smiling in welcome. "Welcome aboard my friend, and no need to bother with the salute. We're an alliance ship, sure, but not a real stuck-up one. Glad ta have you, and I'm ready to swear you're heaven-sent. We're all fighting men and women here, and the vast complexities of machinery are beyond us all."

He said, with a self-deprecating manner, although he wasn't even sure whether what he said was true or not. For starters, Jon probably knew a thing or two about engines, and Ethan had said a straight up lie when giving himself the title of a fighting man.

But it was the thought that counts, right?

He gestured to the three others before him, and continued: "Let me do some introductions... This is Miria, our resident beauty and sharpshooter; Jon, our army grunt turned fearless pilot; and this is Commander Jordan Tandem, our first mate and technical officer."

Suave. Cheerful. Unsubtly mocking the first mate. Expansive. Ethan loved being a captain. I've missed this so much. Good God, how I've missed this!

[squall86]

Jordan noticed how the others seemed to be suprised at his rank and maybe even a little miffed, but that was to be expected. He was after all the the youngest Alliance member here and yet he was the second highest rank on the ship. He especially noticed how uncomfortable that made Pike, but that was something he could address later. He allowed the captain to inroduce the crew, but Jordan had all ready read every one's file he knew why they were all here. Miria had punched an officer, though the report made it sound like nothing was done to provoke such an act. Something Jordan highly doubted. John was here because of his piloting experience, and because he suddenly re-enlisted after a long break, which made the brass nervous. Now Pike was here because he was damn good at his job, but not so much at playing nice with the other officers.

Jordan was about to speak when a new man came in, their mechanic. Well at least they had some one to keep the ship from falling apart while in the black. Though it was safe to assume that others were going to have to help and learn for those desperate times they needed more than one person to patch the ship up. He heard Pike introduce him as the first mate and technical officer to the newcomer, maybe pike didn't hear him correctly.

"I'm the tactical officer, not technical, sir"

He then turned towards Johnathan and spoke about the officer heavey crew.

"You don't have to worry about there being anymore officers sergent, it's just us three. Until we get our doctor on board, any one who has had medic experience will take shifts in the med lab if the captain is all right with that."

Jordan then turned towards Miria, she was a lovely young woman lord only knows how she became such a fighter with a face like that. Then again, in Jordan's experience looks were decieving and often times the least threatening person was the one to watch out for.

"I'd like to go with you Miria to pick up some supplies. I need some more ammo myself and possibly some extras that I haven't thought of yet." It was then he remembered he questiong from earlier, about who he punched to get this assignment.

"Oh and answering your earlier question, I didn't punch any one. I asked for a transfer to a ship and this is the one they put me on. I think the Alliance wanted me away from the bigger ships as there could be problems, plus what we're to do on this ship is a little closer to what I did before than any other ship they had."

[Miria Harken]

So they had a mechanic now too it seemed, Miria was the only woman on the crew so far as she could tell. Interesting yet exciting. She nodded at the mechanic, Sunil when Ethan introduced her. At Jordan's words about the doc situation she smirked, "Sorry handsome, I'm more of a putting the bullets in than taking them out kinda girl. I know how to put on a bandaid though." She hadn't waited for the Captain to say anything to that, the gunhand liked to get her word in.

At he talked about going with her to town for supplies her smirk turned to a smile, "Be happy to have the escort of a fine man like yourself Jordan! We gotta stop for some extracurricular goods too, at least for myself.' She winked, she meant booze. Alot of it too, had to make sure she didn't run out before they stopped again. 'Ammo too of course, can never have too much of that. An' anything else that's shiny and dangerous of course." Yeah she liked weapons, her first love you could say.

Miria just grinned when Jordan answered her question, she had been mostly joking with it. Though she was curious as to why the big-wigs would want him away from the bigger ships and what problems could arise.

[grabem]

The captain responded incredibly well to Jon's reasoning for re-enlisting. Well, it was near impossible for anyone aligned with the Alliance to think ill of it but it was still high praise and certainly a great first impression to make.

Then, as if sent by the gods, a mechanic showed up on their doorstep. He was a civilian but a mechanic nonetheless, certainly better than nothing. If his resume was to believed then he was experienced but he wasn't Alliance and he was no soldier. Luckily Jon had plenty of people to watch his back in a fight. Now finally he had one to help keep the ship functioning.

Jon gave a nod as the captain made the introductions for the rest of them. There was a little jab in there at their first officer, one which Tandem didn't let slide. The commander then started moving right on to business without waiting for the captain. Yeah, this guy wasn't exactly a fit and he was looking more and more like an Alliance plant or maybe just a fool. Even here it was probably a mistake to sidestep the chain of command.

"I learned a few things after five years in the trenches so I suppose I could be our unlicensed doctor." Jon responded but he directed his offer to the captain, not Tandem.