Inauspicious Beginnings

[Grizz]

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VERGESSO ASTEROID FIELDS, OUTER RIM 'THE CORUSCA'​

Times were a’ changin’ for this man.​

Oh, for the better of course. Grizz thought he was going to be stuck wasting away on Ord Pardron for the rest of his meager existence. When he joined the Rebellion months ago, he pretty much knew what the expectations would be for someone of his particular skill sets and predicament. A living relic of an institution that was very much dead, they quickly put him to work training the various Rebel personnel. He’s had his fair share of experience training guerrillas and ragtag groups, but boy that was a long time ago. The ex-soldier quickly found his patience tested at his atrophy, and the varying degrees of (in)competence from his recruits.

Eventually Grizz managed to settle in and adapt to life on base. He was fed, he got to mess with a bunch of youngsters on a daily basis, and it was damn easy to get a tan out there. Life was good… until boredom set in. He had plentiful of that in the early years with the Alliance military on various garrison duties, but still… Perhaps it was a little bit of his ego at work too. Father time had not been kind to him, but he felt like he could still contribute to the Rebellion out there in the front lines.

So imagine his surprise when they put him on a shuttle and sent him to the middle of nowhere. Aha! The hushed prayers and offerings to the Gods weren’t for nothing after all! Although much of his enthusiasm died away when he realized he could be still doing the same exact thing on an asteroid base instead. It was just going to be that much harder to get a tan.

Damn.

​

The trip itself was long and horribly uneventful. But when Grizz did arrive in the elusive Vergesso Asteroid base, they had practically manhandled and tossed him into the nearest airlock to one of the ships docked at the shipyards. Now he was supposed to report to the ship, Corusca, for further orders. Information was on a strict need to know basis when it comes to the Rebellion, and given the whole hush-hush secrecy surrounding this installation it made sense.

Regardless, he can put up with it. Without as much as a complaint the man dusted himself off and carried on. In fact, he hadn’t been on a ship like this in a fairly long time, maybe going as far back as when he was still with the Alliance military. Since then, the largest starship he’s been in was a light freighter he stowed away in. But that was a story for another time…

Taking out a datapad he was given earlier, Grizz scrolled to the instructions and details he was given. As he wandered through the corridors of the ship with the large duffel bag in tow, the ex-soldier realized just how big this damn ship is. You couldn't tell by how cramped everything is inside, but it's practically a -maze-. Not a micron of space is wasted, and he suspected most of it was due to the extensive armaments and armor the ship boasts. Compared to anything he flew in (or stowed away on) the past few years it was overwhelming to say the least. The last time he had been in something this big dated back years when he was still with the Alliance military.

… That was a long time ago.

​

He hadn't paid attention to where he was walking, and was definitely lost.

"Ruh roh."

​

 

[Sin]

VERGESSO ASTEROID BASE, OUTER RIM, REBEL FRIGATE CORUSCA​

The cold durasteel deck made his whiskers quiver as he stepped off of the shuttle ramp and on to the Corusca's hangar bay landing. It was so...unnatural. He missed the temperate tenor of Ord Pardron already. What use would he be to the Rebellion imprisoned in the hull of this ghost ship? Who would he train with when he wasn't deployed? He was no fighter pilot, he was just a fighter. He certainly wasn't a gunnery expert, he'd look like a Kowakian monkey-lizard kriffin' a grav-ball behind the controls of any armament aboard. This isn't where he belonged, this was no place for -the- Ree Azalus.

A frustrated sigh forced its way down his snout and out through his nostrils. He was heaving everything he owned on his back through the hangar bay. He counted a dozen starfighters on his way to the hangar bay entrance. No patrols, the Corusca was undergoing restoration following the Battle of Naboo. Of course, Ree was mostly unaware of the details regarding the frigate. He'd been with the Rebellion almost a year now, but still wasn't privy to enough information to quench his curiosity.

On his way out of the hangar, Ree noticed another shuttle that was being stowed by several of the ship's crew. Apparently, that shuttle hadn't landed too much sooner than his own. He also couldn't help but notice the crew members doing a double-take of him as he passed them up. It didn't come as a surprise, the Amaran weren't exactly common and they didn't exactly blend in either.

When Ree stepped up to the blast door leading from the hangar bay into the skin of the ship, it opened automatically. Remembering his instructions verbatim, he took a right down the first corridor and paused for a moment to adjust all of his belongings before moving on. About fifty paces down the corridor, he had to take his next left. However, between him and his next turn stood a grizzled looking man whom Ree immediately recognized. Months back, after Ree had gotten back to Ord Pardron following a deployment, he'd seen this man leading a few training courses on base. If his memory served him well, and it did, he recalled the man as being rather quirky and an idiosyncratic instructor.

As was always the case when you were able to see someone, there was a chance that they too could see you. Ree had never spoken to the veteran teacher back on OP, he didn't care to then and he didn't care to now. So he stayed his course and walked past the man, forcing himself not to take even the slightest look up towards him. Creeping forward of the befuddled looking soldier's position, he refused to look back, telling himself...

Keep bolla. Keep bolla. Cha look bata. (Keep going. Keep going. Don't look back.)

 

[Grizz]

Most of the crewmen steered away of the confused old coot, glad that they were far too busy with refitting the vessel to worry about him. Meanwhile, the sergeant squinted at the datapad to no avail and shook his head. As Grizz spun his head around to look for someone to consult about his current predicament… he could’ve sworn he saw a familiar face. He felt a pair of eyes on him, but didn’t indicate otherwise that he was aware of it. Feigning ignorance was like breathing for him. He prided himself on being unpredictable and hard to figure out. It helps keeping people on a distance with false presumptions. Although sometimes even he couldn’t tell when the act ended or began. What a startling dilemma.

Being senior noncom for as long as he did has its perks too. He had an uncanny ability to tell whether someone was trying to avoid him, usually to abandon their responsibilities. Plenty of junior enlisted, and certainly the goofballs on his old team. Well, some of them anyway. He prided on the fact that most were pretty low maintenance and only needed a pat on the head every once in a while to affirm that they’re indeed where they’re supposed to be. Some of the others had to be pushed, and the constant troublemakers booted.

Yet in all of his years, this wasn’t something he expected. Grizz looked down at the sentient. Short, and covered in fur. For a second there he was wondering why someone let an akk dog walk on its own two feet. Although upon closer inspection he was definitely not an akk.

Short?

….Short.

A fox looking thing with a sizable amount of what Grizz assumed to be personal belongings was hauled on its back. Grizz was almost reminded of Weasel, the Selonian Intelligence specialist on Gharzr Squadron back in the day. Yet Weasel was a head taller than he was, while this one was at least a foot shorter. Grizz was even more perplexed by the realization for once in his life, he was tall. He realized he was ill-equipped to deal with this revelation, and sudden bolster to his ego. Still, there were far important matters to take care of…

“Not so fast young man,” the older man drawled as he placed a firm hand on Ree’s shoulder. “What’s the hurry?” He asked with a look that said he knew exactly why. Now that he got a closer look, recognition crawled into his grizzled features. The older man simply smiled before pointing out the obvious that was now known between the duo. "I've seen ya before, on Ord Pardron!" Grizz laughed boisterously, earning a couple concerned looks from an onlooker or two. Not the encounter the canine-esque sentient was looking for probably, but these surprises are what makes life worth living!

Plus… he probably knows where he’s going. No reason not to take advantage of the young in this instance.

“I’m Grizz,” the soldier’s grin widens as he extends a hand. "What's your name, friend?"

 

[Sin]

REBEL FRIGATE CORUSCA, HANGAR DECK​

An inauspicious beginning...to say the least. Despite his casual attempt at avoiding 'Grizz'. All of his senses felt the man trailing him from the moment he'd walked past. He was already annoyed before the ex-soldier called out to him and placed a heavy hand on his already weighted shoulder. His trek through the corridors of the Corusca's hangar level was involuntarily interrupted.

Having paused briefly before turning to address the man, he needed that moment to stay his trembling flew that wanted so desperately to snarl at the nuisance, bringing his canine teeth to bare. Instead, Ree closed his eyes and maintained his composure. Perhaps there was another way he could shake the grinning soldier.

Slumping away from Grizz's hand and shrugging his entire body to readjust the load he was carrying, Ree turned to face the codger.

"What doth hee mebenbe?" Ree spoke in his toneless, dispassionate, dialect of Basic-Huttese.

Hopefully, the man didn't speak Huttese and Ree could then fiend an inability to speak Basic outright. Regardless, he'd ignored Grizz's questions in favor of his own interrogative...

What was so frackin' funny?

 

[BZenwrath]

Just another day on the Corusca, another day far from home, and another day he wished that he had gotten more sleep. Eyes refusing to comfortably open, Lynwood strode through the corridors of the hanger deck clutching a datapad in one hand, a metal cup of coffee in the other.

It had been 6 months since joining the crew here on the Corusca and he had seen people come and go nearly every time it docked. And nearly every time, some one decided it was a good idea to give him the roster of newcomers so he could help finish their in-processing and get them to their crew quarters.

Lynwood turned the corner and his eyes were forced fully awake by the unfamiliar sight of some small, fuzz-ball looking... Spukamas? and some other bloke, with an outstretched hand. He paused for a moment just standing in the corridor and lazily brought his cup of coffee up to drink. After a gulp of the warm liquid, he straightened up slightly and made his way to the pair. These two would've never made it in the Imperial armed forces, but he wasn't in the imperial navy anymore now was he. He stopped in front of the two, glanced down at his roster, looked back up to the two of them, and spoke with little to no motivation in his voice.

"You two must be," he glanced down again, forgetting their names, "eh, Griswold Talinus and..." he looked down to the huminoid Spukamas, "And Ree Azalus? May I be the first to welcome you aboard the Corusca, I am lieutenant akin. If the two of you would follow me, I'll bring you to your quarters and let you get yourselves situated."

Lynwood turned and started walking down the starship corridor, sipping on his drink as he went.

 

[Grizz]

Eh?
Grizz did a small takeback at the mixture of Huttese-Basic dialect that the followed his questions. It only took him a second to decipher what it was, before his customary smile returned. He retracted his hand and simply shrugged. “<Tanea du bmaeloi.>” Nothing in particular, the older man replied. His Huttese was passable if not a little rough, due many opportunities to practice said language in the various seedy establishments he frequented prior to joining the Rebellion. But it’s been a number of years since then. The older man ran a hand through his bare scalp before continuing. “<Jee ritke banag bai saconba vehpobaee directions, an in ting woy wa tam pateessa pin bu heee.> I just wanted to ask about directions, and maybe make a new friend along the way.

It seems however, that it was all for naught. A new face appeared between the duo, a Lieutenant Akin, from his unenthusiastic introduction. The El-tee looked none too amused at the prospect of having to welcome the arrivals, probably had better things to do. Well, that was a buzzkill but at least they’re being shown to their quarters. Griswold? A wave of nostalgia came over him as he was called by his formal name, and he wasn’t sure what to feel about some of those memories… particularly the more unpleasant ones. His smile almost wavered. “ ‘preciate it youn’ fella, and I just go by Grizz,” said the ex-soldier, hefting the duffel bag over his shoulder. The older man started to follow the Lieutenant, pausing briefly to address his friend from before in Huttese.

“<Hee, Ree Azalus doth fa? Bottafa bai manpanh uba.>”

So, Ree Azalus was it? Nice to meet you.

 

[Sin]

REBEL FRIGATE CORUSCA, CREW DECK​

He was trying not to breathe through his nose. The Lieutenant's cup of caf had been violating his nostrils ever since he was within twenty paces of him back on the hangar deck. Ree hated the smell of caf, how anyone could enjoy drinking such a hot and bitter beverage was beyond him.

As unpleasant as the liquid accompanying him may have been, the vulpine humanoid was relieved that the Lieutenant arrived when he did. It had given Ree every reason to remain quiet and ignore the lighthearted gab that Grizz was jabbing his way. The man's exuberant personality was in direct conflict with his own introspective disposition. Not to mention Grizz's grotesque diction of the Huttese language. Ree's ears stood straight up, attempting to decipher every mispronounced word that had come out of the man's mouth, it was like listening to a borked holorecording of an Ugnaught trying to sing Heavy Blaster Blues by Deeply Religious...it just wasn't meant to be.

Up until this point, all Ree had given either of them by way of communication was a series of subdued undertones and non-verbal gestures. He wasn't comfortable around strangers and it took him a while to get used to new identities. The fur on the back of his neck had been standing straight up since Grizz had originally stopped him. Consequently, the trio's transit to the repulsor lift that had taken them up to the next level felt like an eternity to Ree. He was ready to drop his gear and get some answers, not go through the Rebellion's rigmarole for his new assignment.

Leaning forward at the waist, trying to balance the weight of his possessions, Ree stepped out of the elevator after Grizz and Lieutenant Akin. It would appear they had made it to the crew deck. Ree rolled his neck around a full cycle and sighed with relief...

Sonpa the Force...in ting I'll -tweepi- get to lighten tah load.

(Thank the Force...maybe I'll -finally- get to lighten this load.)

 

[BZenwrath]

"Grizz then," Akin replied shortly, still nurturing the cup that contained what seemed to be his life.

The walk to the turbo lift was exactly as it was a majority of the time. He would greet the two newcomers, they would nod or reply, they would all smile, and then expected awkward silence. Most of the time he would attribute such dull interactions as partly his fault, either due to his background or the imperial accent he couldn't seem to hide. In this case, it was normal. Newcomers came in, nervous, tired, annoyed, sad, or any combination of the feelings, so silence or awkward joking was common. Shrugging to himself, lynwood decided to end the quiet this time with a little info on the ship. After stepping off the turbolift, Akin spoke up.

"Well," he stated, continuing to lead them down the corridor. "The Corusca is a fine vessel, with a good crew. You won't find as many ground pounders like yourselves though, quite a few of us are maintainers, crewmen, and pilots like myself. No doubt you've already noticed the fair complement of fighters down in the bay."

Akin turned a corner and came to stop at a door, numbering 227. He bumped the panel adjacent to the door and it slid open, revealing a small room with two bunks on either side. Calling it a room was a stretch in and of itself; it was 4 people deep at best and one full grown human couldn't stretch his arms without hitting something. "Anyway, this one's where you two will be. I know its... cozy... but I assure you, this is the norm on the ship. Go ahead and pick your bunk and drop your things off, we've got a bit more to show you."

Lynwood moved aside to let the two drop their things inside and would wait for them to be ready. Next up, he remembered, was the galley to let them find something to eat. After that was up in the air a little bit.

 

[Minuteman75]

In the gallery, Forim Viridux, wearing a gray short sleeved shirt and orange flight pants was sitting alone at the left end of a table, with a food tray next to him, which he hadn't touched yet. The reason why is because he was busy with at his holopad, watching an old film simply called Stazi, based on the true story of one of the Galactic Alliance's ancient heroes, Admiral Gar Stazi. Both the man and the name had special meaning among Forim's people, the Duros, since Stazi hailed from them. There had been a small number of holoflims over the generations concerning the Admiral. Though this version he was watching now, the most recent was considered by many Duros to be the best adaptation about their beloved admiral in a long time. Forim was quite the fan himself and had watched it a dozen times in his young life.

Stang I miss this! Forim nostalgically thought to himself with a big smile on his blue colored face

Since being off-duty for a short time, the young squadron wanted to spent it enjoying a movie he grew up with as a child. The Durosian ace kept the audio mild so not disturb anyone nearby and remained so focused on a space battle playing out on screen, that he didn't notice Lynwood and the new crew members coming into the food gallery behind him.

 

[Topher Ridge]

Vaasto looked on a the Corusca with awe. Even in his days back in the with the GA military he'd never been on a ship larger than a frigate. He had to admit he was a bit surprised by his quick assignment to the Corusca...or his assignment to the Corusca at all. He didn't have much time the ponder on whys though as his shuttle shook softly as it landed in the ships docking bay. He stood and stretched his legs and made his way to the loading ramp, ready to retrieve his "warehouse" and get to exploring the ship. He took in the docking bay and turned to the stern of the shuttle and his went wide as he noticed the dock hands throwing around his tools and explosives.

"Oooy! Be careful with that you idiots! That's Vaasto "warehouse" an' trust me, you don' want dat going live in dis bay!"

Vaasta quickly berated the dock hands in his thick Devaronian accent. Nowing that one errarnt chemical or to much pressure could add another hole to the damaged ship. He hefted his two satchels and gave the dock hands a withering look then turned hoping to find his way to his quarters to drop off his gear. He made his way out of the bay just before leaving he grabbed a dock hand and asked for directions to the crew quarters. On his way he cursed as he see's 2 humans, and an Amaran(?) heading up a turbo lift, having just missed it. He steps onto the next one and headed up.

As he stepped off the lift he see's the 3 round a corner. Unable to catch up fast enough he once again caught the back of the 3 as they entered another door and left his sight. Curious he followed the trio and sees that they'd arrived in ships galley.

He put on his best smile and approached the 3

"Eeey, dere boyos! One of you wouldn't happan to know where de new crew members quarters are?"

 

[Grizz]

Grizz stayed uncharacteristically silent on the walk to the turbolift and beyond. Ree would probably bit him if the ex-soldier prodded him some more. Frankly he didn’t want to catch something this early in his adventure, and instead he watched. He’d hum a tune or two in the ride up, until the El-tee decided to finally speak. “I haven’t been on a ship this size in a hot minute, actually.” He admitted with a shrug. “Been a while, but some things tend to stick with you.” Grizz chuckled, gesturing to the rather cramped corridors of the ship.

When the El-tee revealed them their quarters, marked 227 at the front, the old man’s eyes suddenly lit up with a mischievous glint. Given Ree’s reactions from his attempts at interacting earlier, he’d soon roll over his grave than be bunkmates. Grizz would like to savor the reaction, but… “Dibs.” The old man blurred forwards with surprising speed considering the bag he’s lugging around, and immediately made the bunk to his right his domain. Grizz turned to Ree, or his new bunkmate rather, with a grin that stretched wide. <"Tah doth meeto toe doth uahloba."> This is going to be fun.

As soon as the word ‘galley’ came out of the Lieutenant’s mouth, he quickly put his items down. “Well, what are waiting for then!” The man’s grin twisted to one akin to a Nexu’s while on a hunt. Needless to say, he was relishing at acquainting himself proper with the galley. If the boundless enthusiasm fit for a man half his age was of any indication…

Moments later, they arrived at the galley. Yet before the old man can fill himself up to his heart’s content, Vaasto’s voice broke his train of thought. Grizz was a little annoyed at someone between him and his food, but he looked like someone worth talking to. “ ‘ay there! We just came from there, I’m sure El-tee here can help you with your room assignment.” The older man jabbed thumb towards Akin, before beckoning the Devaronian with a smile. “But hey, you’re welcome to join us!” Without sparing another moment he was in the line for food. He didn’t expect a gourmet meal or anything. Like he said before, some impressions lasted longer than others. Grizz distinctly remembered how the food was on ships like this and on installations like Vergesso. It’s a good thing he was the furthest thing from picky, he’s had to do with a lot worse.

Once Grizz got his tray full of food, the Sergeant scanned the place for a seat. Spotting a Duros fellow alone at a table, the man quickly worked his way towards him. “Hey youn’ fella,” the older man said as he put his tray down next to the Duros pilot’s. “Hope you don’t mind me sitting here.” Grizz looked up at the screen to see what exactly had captured the Duros’ attention so firmly in its grasp.

“Oh, ol’ Indomitable eh?” He said before digging in, referring to the late Admiral of course. All things considered the food wasn't bad at all, considering the Corusca is docked at the moment. Although the water tasted and smelled a little funny, probably due the to OOD forgetting to tell the EOOW a thing or two...

 

[Sin]

REBEL FRIGATE CORUSCA, CREW DECK​

He lingered in the entryway to the cubbyhole of a berthing room. His fluffy tail sagged to the deck and he dragged it and himself into the quarters before assuming a defeated posture and letting all of his stuff fall off of his back onto the rack opposite of the one Grizz had chosen. The weight of his pack compressed the mattress and didn't bounce back, a testament to exactly how hefty the load he was hauling had been. Good thing he didn't have to carry all of his personal belongings with him everywhere he went...

Ree shook his head dismissively at Grizz, his new 'roommate' (or so the kooky man thought), before responding to yet another butchered rendition of Huttese.

"Mhm." He murmured, lacking the gung-ho rah-rah enthusiasm of the aforementioned loca yae.

Ree turned around and looked at his belongings, the barrel of his carbine was protruding from his rucksack, he looked back over his shoulder to see that Grizz and the LT were waiting outside for him and that they weren't watching. He opened the pack and removed the blaster, he then lifted the mattress and tucked the weapon away out of plain view.

Can tanee doth -too- chahse. (Can never be -too- careful.)

The alien thought to himself, arching his back and stretching out. A yawn escaped him, divulging how tiresome the long journey out to the Vergesso Asteroid Base had been. Things had been non-stop since he'd left Ord Pardron and he hadn't slept a wink since then. Unfortunately, it didn't look like things would be slowing down just yet. The conversation of the two men outside indicated that they would be headed to the galley for food and refreshments next. It was definitely needed, Ree just hoped it wasn't worse than the mess hall back on OP.

Following a few paces behind, as per the usual, Ree's keen vulpine senses alerted him to the presence of another who was trailing them from a distance. A Devaronian from the looks of it. The devilish figure didn't appear to be a part of the ship's compliment either. Without looking, Ree dropped his right hand down to his sidearm to ensure it was still holstered and strapped in. He didn't know why he was being so paranoid, perhaps a bite to eat is exactly what he needed.

When they got to the mess deck, Ree looked to the chow line and slipped between Grizz and Lieutenant Akin in favor of replenishment while the other two were held up by the Devaronian. Disappointment consumed him when he saw what they were serving for chow. Ree had a strict diet that, on OP, consisted of fish from the shores and fresh fruit. Here, there was no fish being served and nothing was -fresh-. Luckily, towards the end of the line, there was a bowl of mujas. He put three of the reddish-orange fruits on his tray and walked over to an unoccupied table and sat down.

This'll gee bai woy. (This'll have to do.)

 

[BZenwrath]

"Of course," Lynwood stated dryly, "You must be Vaasto Bolera, Welcome to the Corusca. You're in 227 with these two," He pointed to the room they had just left. "Put your things away and join us in the Mess." He pointed with his mug down the hallway. Then, motioning to the small group, he continued, "We'll discuss schedules and the like while you eat."

Lynwood went through the chow line, opting to stop only at the caf machine. His own cup was running low, it was about time for a refill. True, the coffee was terrible here on the Corusca, but Lynwood assumed it was better than nothing. It had to be better than nothing. To be fair, the food in general was typically pretty poor. The only thing they had well stocked was its choices of alcohol.

Sighing to himself as he mulled about the dark liquid in his cup, he moved out of the line and spotted Forim Viridux, his squadron lead. A tinge of guilt pinged across his mind, memories of the battle over Duro floating to the surface of his mind. However, after months of avoiding the man outside of required instances, Lynwood approached willingly albeit somewhat uncomfortably with Grizz. He sat down across the table from Viridux.

"Hope you don't mind, sir." he said in a formal tone. Face to face, it always felt odd to be calling the young pilot sir, but the hierarchy of the Empire had drilled into him the fact that your squadron lead was your superior. No matter how many years younger they were. He felt it was a way the galaxy was berating him, saying 'you shouldn't have shot those transports, those had people in them'.

'Yep, thanks for that galaxy.' He thought to himself. 'I owe you one. I never would've thought that actions had consequence otherwise.'

Lynwood dropped his datapad on the table, checking over the newcomers' daily schedules. Straightforward as could be. He opened his mouth to talk but it seemed only one of the three were currently at the table. He glanced about searching for the fuzz-ball and found him sitting by himself at a table. Leaning back towards the thing, Lynwood called over to him.

"Unless you want to be late to briefings tomorrow, you might want to come and sit with the rest of us. I'm not giving individual briefings to each of you."

 

[Minuteman75]

Forim turned his head around and saw the old yet eager man who greeted and then sat beside him. With a friendly grin the pilot replied.

"Be my guest, old timer, don't mind at all. I'm Forim Viridux of Violet Squadron. What your name?"

The ace then nodded in acknowledgment when Grizz guess who he was watching on the holoflim. Before could say anything further, however one of his fellow pilots, Lynwood Akin took a seat in front of him and asked the same question like the stranger except in a more formal tone. Forim waved away Lynwood's concern and added.

"Don't worry about it Akin, some company wouldn't hurt, but let's keep that business of calling me sir only on missions or other serious stuff. Less awkward for both of us."

Seriously, Lynwood was so formal and reserved during the few times he talked with him but the Imperial defector was a great wingman in a dogfight. In his early days Forim wouldn't want to be in the same room with Imperials considering the genocide the Sith Empire inflicted on his people. Yet being in the Rebellion and working alongside with some of ex Imps had started to open his eyes. There are those born to that kind of background who actually want to set things right and overthrow the Sith. Then Forim noticed the Amaran at the other table when Lynwood called out to him.

It came to apparent to Forim that Lynwood was doing in his latest assignment, getting the new guys joining the crew settle in.

 

[Ral]

Carii walked down the corridors of the Corusca, her burgundy red hair was still wet from the shower she had just gotten out of, and was wrapped together loosely over her left shoulder. She was out of her armor and in a carmine red tanktop, her orange flightsuit was pulled up to her hips where the top of it was spread open and tied around her waist. As she walked into the Corusca's galley she looked around the room with her bright eyes before settling on Forim near one of the tables. Walking over to where the food was being served the Mandalorian woman picked out a tray and got her chow, which was the typical military slop that was served aboard starships, before heading over to where the Violet Squadron CO was sitting.

As she approached, she smiled warmly at those present, her ice blue eyes sparkling as she looked around, "Hey, mind if I join you guys?" Looking around at the small crowd she offered her hand out to those who might be interested in a hand shake. "I'm Carii, one of the pilots here, are you all new to the crew?"

 

[Grizz]

“Grizz, nice to meet you Forim.”

Said old-timer began the ardous task of chewing into a tough piece of nerf from his plate. Grizz had managed to somehow fill his tray fuller than it seemed capable of, despite the various states they were in. Not that he particularly minded in the least it looks like, he continued to plow through it as if it was his last meal. Having gone without simple amenities for many points during his life, it made him appreciate them all the more when they were available. He remembered the gnarly transition when he finally had a hot shower and a decent meal after weeks of living off scraps on Coruscant, and the months that followed as a refugee after parting with the rest of Gharzr Squadron. Come to think of it, it wasn’t the best of goodbyes either. But he’d rather not dwell on that right now…

The ex-soldier didn’t really take an interest into the holo, instead taking the moment to observe the interactions happening in front of him. Lieutenant Akin was ex-Imperium obviously, he noticed the moment he spoke when they first met. The accent was hard to miss, but Grizz wasn’t the type of person to make a scene or fuss about it. The Rebellion was a motley collection of individuals from all walks of life, sharing a common cause against the New Sith Imperium for various reasons. He saw it all when training people on OP, and he ran into an Ex-Imperium every now and again. Sure, they might’ve done some unsavory things in the past but so did he. Everyone was guilty of something, and carried some burden from the past. Admittedly, he had a harder time letting that go himself. After the Core Blitz and the many campaigns before, Grizz held more than a few grudges against certain people.

Grizz wasn’t an idiot and knew about the campaign on Duros. For someone so young, he guessed that Forim was somewhere in his early twenties, he handled the Lieutenant pretty well. In addition, the Lieutenant implied that the younger man was his superior. That sort of maturity did not go unnoticed, and he surmised that the two had gone through some tribulations as a unit. But he noticed that there’s still some things between them to iron out, just by watching the Lieutenant’s body language and the tone of his voice when addressing Forim and the man’s response. Something was still bothering the former, which would explain what Grizz felt was unnecessary formalities between two comrades. He’d make a note of that for later.

And it would seem that his bunkmate had his own issues. Grizz noticed Ree deliberately sat on his own away from them, something El-tee Akin wasn’t too amused with considering his duties at the moment (for convenience’s sake apparently). Obviously they were going to be working together, himself, Azalus, and the Devaronian from earlier. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of Ree’s anti-social tendencies, but he knew that had to go away eventually if they were going to be a team. Otherwise, things aren’t going to go well. The little pup was just going to have to get over himself.

A voice cut off his train of thoughts, and he still had plenty of food in his mouth when the newcomer came. After swallowing, and wiping his mouth with napkin, Grizz reached over to shake the outstretched hand of another pilot of the Corusca. “Pleasure to meetcha, Carii." He shook Carii's hand firmly, before gesturing to himself and the others. "Name’s Grizz, and yes we are. El-tee Akin was showing us around to our quarters earlier, and I imagine he can't wait to get the formalities squared away ASAP.” The old man smirked at that last part before working on his food once more, which was disturbingly close to being devoured completely...

 

[Topher Ridge]

Vaasto smiled, glad he wasn't too far behind the others. He nodded his head as the Lt. informed him he'd be bunking with older human and Amaran. He swung his bags inside and picked the bunk the furthest from the door, just to make sure no one messed with his gear. The Devaronian rolled his shoulders a few times after releiving himself of his burden.

Ah..Vaasto's not as young as he used to be. Vaasto used to be able ta carry this gear like it was nothing

He chuckled a bit at his own self-deprecation and made his way to the mess. Stepping into the galley made his stomach instantly growl. It had been a long trip to the Corusca and he hadn't eaten since it began. He smiled appreciately as his typical military grub was sloshed onto his plate. The grub didn't bother him much, as he had had much the same back in his days as a soldier of the GA. Walking with his food he noticed 2 members of the trio he had seen earlier sitting at a table with some other crew members. He assumed they must be members of the famous Violet Squadron. Even only being with the rebels a few days he had already began hearing of their exploits. Figuring he join his new bunk mate, and also wanting an opportunity to get acquainted with some of the officers on the vessel, he made his way to the table. As he sat down he formely intruced himself nodding and smiling to all those gathered at the table.

"Eeey there comrades! Names Vaasto"

He raised his hand to shake anybody hands who were willing. As he would shake the older fellows hand he would add,

"So, it is looking like you and Vaasto are gonna be roomies. Eh eh eh eh Vaasto will try not be to rambunctious for you ol timer!"

He smiled hopping the old timer didn't mind a bit of friendly ribbing. After greetings were done he noticed that his other bunk mate, the Amaran, was missing. He glanced around and spotted him setting at another table. He waved at the little fellow and shouted,

"Eeey there little friend! Don't worry Vassto won' bite, come and join us friend."

 

[Sin]

REBEL FRIGATE CORUSCA, CREW DECK, MESS DECK​

Vaasto may not bite, but being as tired as he was . . . Ree might. The banter of those who had taken up arms with the Rebellion wasn't, by any means, foreign to him. Jor'gotta's mercenaries had teased him since he was a 'pup' for being 'small' in stature and for being 'cute' and 'fluffy' . . . so, naturally, these words often pierced Ree's pointy ears like an ancient Cathar honor sword. Much to his dismay, joining the Rebels hadn't granted him amnesty either; from these cheeky adjectives used to point out his obvious features.

All that being, Ree was zonked and didn't care enough to object. Technically, he would've been able to hear everything the Lieutenant had to say from where he was sitting, but the Rebellion was changing-- and ranks and titles were starting to seep through its cracks. Which meant some members of the Rebellion thought they were 'people' just because they'd been given some diminutive designation by whoever it is that's running the show. Which was another question that often drilled into Ree's intellect . . . WHO -is- plugging the jumps for the Rebellion?

It didn't matter right now, Ree just needed to get some answers-- and then some sleep. So he retracted the claws in both of his humanoid hands and sank them into the muja fruits on his tray, one per hand, before moving over to the others. Chomping at the muja in his left hand before moving on to the right, he canted his head at Lieutenant Akin just before taking his seat. It was a gesture that non-verbally asked the question: are you happy now?

 

[BZenwrath]

Watching the group as it came together, he laughed to himself about how much of a misfit crew the Corusca seemed to accumulate when Grizz made the jab at his lack of enthusiasm. The ship truly had more Ex-somethings than what should be probable, more species than he'd ever seen in one place, and a steady mix of young bloods and veterans. It was rather impressive really. He remembered solemnly that they, almost entirely, hated the Empire he once so patriotically fought for. Though, he wasn't exactly proud of the fact. Once the entirety of the group found their place, Lynwood cleared his voice and began to read off the schedule.

"Now that you're all here I have something to say beforehand," He said, eyes still looking at the datatablet, "As you know, this ship we're on is a Combat vessel. As far as I'm concerned you're all on duty at any given moment. You hear that siren go off, you get to your station no matter what you're doing."

He let that sit for a moment before continuing on, "Now, lets start with your daily schedules. Everyday's showtime for you will start at 0600 and no, I don't mean thats when you get up. I mean thats when you're ready for your daily duties. You will be on time. As for what your duties will be on the ship..." He shifted his eyes down the tablet, "Ah, you are to upkeep your barracks, keep all weapons in check, and support other personnel around the ship. Everyday will end at 1800. Easy right?" He said, glancing up to them for a moment before tapping the next page on his datapad. "Today, however, you have a face to face briefing with the commander. So expect her to stop by, she's not exactly known for formality so she may drop in at any given time. Other than that you should get some rest when you can."

Lynwood once again, dropped the tablet on the table, happily done with the job he was given.

 

[Minuteman75]

Forim smiled when Carii joined them at the table and nodded in a silent yet friendly greeting. She had recently returned to the crew after doing some Mando stuff with her husband Ral. Then followed was a Devaronian male, named Vaasto and it seems he was another new member as well. He shook Vaasto's hand when it was offered and once done he watched how the Amaran finally came over and then listen to Lynwood's briefing to the newcomers. Forim swiftly remembered to pause the Gar Stazi movie on his holopad just as the briefing was starting.

Once it was done, the squadron leader display an amused smirk and added.

"Like Lynwood pointed out, our commander dosen't care much for formalities that you would find in the Imp ranks or the old Alliance military. Trust me, don't call her captain or commander or even ma'am all time unless we're doing an operation or exercise. If it does happen you'll realize that a nexu eating you alive is a mercy compare to pissing her off. Of course Arya is a solid leader and does right by the crew, in return she expects the best from all of us. That's a fair deal in my book."