030: Sea of a Million Stars – Four
One of the modifications to the Pelekys completed while aboard the Quanvengier was a complete overhaul of what had been Commandant Aparik's quarters. Easily thrice the size of the room where the dozens of non-Thalatte members of the crew were expected to hot bunk, they'd had the space converted into an entertainment room for everyone's use. With cozy chairs pulled up to a sizeable table, drinks and snacks and data pads in hand, the crew of the Pelekys were getting down to the business of figuring out who they were going to be on screen.
"One thing I think we should figure out right away is an aesthetic," Rhea said as she swiped through the notes on her data pad, "Do we want to have something uniform that ties us all together, or go for a more individualistic look?"
"Pros and cons to both," Malakh said as she took in everyone's appearances, "We're already different species, so having something to unify us might be good from a branding point of view? But then again, so could playing up those differences. Maybe we should figure out what our main focus is going to be, in terms of the missions we plan to go on."
Clicking her mandibles together, Nevara said, "I'd prefer not to bother with pillaging cargo vessels. Any excuse to keep us away from the Briddbragnan."
"Soft targets that would do little to showcase the skills we possess in addition to that. I'd rather take from a military vessel." Pryseia offered, "Is this amenable, or are there objections?"
Checking her own data pad, Elytra said, "Broadcasts and streams of attacks on military ships tend to draw in a lot more viewers than cargo ship attacks do, so that would definitely be better for us, financially at least."
"Yeah, I'd say it'd be worth the risk." Rhea said, looking to Malakh, who nodded in agreement.
"Leviathan, then, what are your thoughts on wrangling those?" Pryseia asked them.
From the display panel built into the table, Viatrix chirped, "I was given a positively obscene store of data in regards to the hunting of Leviathan, which would greatly aid in the pursuit of these creatures. Additionally, transport companies are one of the Kith's most prolific customers - they're always expanding their shipping lanes, and they're always under attack from the Leviathan because of it - so we would not need to worry about work from this sector drying up soon. If ever!"
"And Leviathan jobs pay twice over," Elytra added, "First from whoever hired us to get rid of the creatures cutting in on their business. And then again from the Kith, who pay bounties for every corpse sent to them."
"The Kith have dedicated units across the galaxy whose job it is to bring these bodies back to the fleet, so like Viatrix said, we'd have a near infinite income source just fighting Leviathan alone." Malakh finished.
"We have reached a consensus about hunting Leviathan, then?" Pryseia asked, and when she only got votes in agreement a moment later, she made a note of it on her data pad. "Very well. What have you all to say about mercenary work?"
"The concept doesn't thrill me," Nevara said, "Fighting another's cause lost it's appeal a long time ago."
"But in this case, we could pick and choose the cause we fight for, and actually get paid for it." Rhea pointed out.
Nevara frowned thoughtfully, but nodded to concede the point.
"I'd say we keep our senses alert to find causes we align with rather than leaping to wear the colours of any who cross our path?" Malakh offered, to which the others readily agreed.
Scintillating with amusement, Viatrix said, "A primary focus on hunting Leviathan would align with the capabilities of our Storlayacas. In comparison to the other types of mech out there, even the Odazaen, the two of you managed to dispatch a Leviathan with an impressive alacrity."
"And that was my first bout with one of those beasts, just as it was yours." Pryseia said to Elytra.
"Even if it was just an Alpha one, the two of you had that thing dead in minutes," Malakh pointed out, "Imagine how fast we could clear them out once the rest of us have Storlayacas!"
Elytra frowned. "I didn't get around to digging up more information on the Leviathan themselves. But they have rankings?"
"Threat levels, and those are further divided," Rhea confirmed, "Threat Level Red are the most common, and also the weakest, comparatively. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, going from bad to worse. Threat Level Orange and Yellow next, more dangerous and far more rare. Sightings of Threat Level Green Leviathan are rarer than that, encounters with them even more unlikely. Then there's Threat Level Blue, which only exists as a hypothetical at this point. The last Green encounter, a Sigma, was about two Galactic Standard centuries ago, and it took the bulk of the Thalatte's heavy bombardment fleet to eradicate it."
"I appreciate the information." Elytra said with a nod.
"To come back around to Rhea's earlier inquiry, the dedicated Hunter guilds have distinct livery," Pryseia noted, "With our main focus shaping up to be the hunting of Leviathan, uniforms would hearken to that profession."
Malakh's tail thumped noisily against her chair, her ears pinned back as she said, "Like how Nevara's not keen on doing merc work, I'm not too fussed on the idea of uniforms. Had enough of those to last a lifetime."
Rhea scooted her chair closer so she could rub comforting circles against her back, while Pryseia made a grumbling noise in the back of her throat.
"Your reticence in regards to uniforms is duly noted. Individual style has won the day." Pryseia said after a moment, "And in that vein, a discussion on decorum is warranted."
Rhea moved even closer to Malakh so she could sling an arm around the other woman's shoulders, a grin spreading across her features. "The whole performance of it all? I'm looking forward to getting into that!"
"You two can be the mouthpieces," Nevara said, pointing between Rhea and Pryseia, "I want nothing to do with that particular aspect."
"I would be amenable to acting as a spokesperson for our endeavours." Pryseia said, shooting the human a look.
"You're the captain in the registry, so I can follow your lead when we deal with others," Rhea agreed, her voice pitching up and taking on a strange accent as she said, "Yeah, boss! Youse can count on me t'have yer back!"
"I'm forbidding that voice." Malakh said with such a finality that Rhea burst into laughter.
"Your natural manner of speech does lend itself to the profession." Elytra said thoughtfully, pointing at Pryseia.
Frowning, the deupazing asked, "And how, pray tell, do you reckon?"
"You speak like the villain from a period piece!" Viatrix replied, her amusement palpable.
Pryseia threw her arms open as if to say, "How so?!"
"The image of nobility perched on a throne is something ubiquitous with the Deupazing Monarchy," Nevara said thoughtfully, "To play to stereotypes, we could have a throne fabricated for the bridge."
"Oh that would make a striking sight," Rhea agreed, "I could post up behind you like your scheming advisor!"
"Do I strike you as nobility?" Pryseia asked, and Elytra could feel she was as amused as she was annoyed.
"You strike me as the type to overthrow nobility," Elytra told her, "But your on screen persona doesn't have to be the real you."
Pryseia's eyebrows briefly lifted as she considered that aspect to it.
"What if we played that up, though? Have you come across as arrogant as a head of state?" Malakh mused, "Have a title to go along with that. Queen Pryseia? The Queen Pirate? The Pirate Queen? Pirate Queen Pryseia?"
"Hm, that sounds a little too soft," Rhea mused, "Killzar sounds more intimidating. Pirate Queen Killzar? OH! Killzar the Pirate Queen!"
That knocked a laugh out of Pryseia.
"What of the rest of you, then?" She asked, "Members of my court?"
"That could be a thematic way to tie us together without a uniform." Elytra pointed out.
"Yes! Oh! We could have you in something even more intimidating than your regular outfit!" Malakh rounded on Nevara, "Have you standing around in the background like a threat, delivering menacing one liners!"
"You think I'd agree to that?" Nevara replied, low and deadly, though her eager grin spoiled the delivery somewhat.
Cackling in delight, Malakh swacked her with her tail.
"Alright, so what about you, then?" Rhea asked from where she was pressed up against Malakh's side.
The deorviran's grin was all fangs in response, and she loudly extended the claws of her left hand as she said, "If Nevara's going to be the quiet threat, I get to be the loud one! Half the galaxy acts like my people are nothing more than brutal beasts, so why not lean into it? I can spout off violent nonsense to make the rest of our potential demands seem more reasonable by comparison."
"I was thinking of doing some along a similar vein," Viatrix said, her colours oscillating in excitement, "There are so many fears of rogue AI in the public zeitgeist, why not play up being a mad dog kept on a tight leash?"
"You might need to change up your avatar for when we're performing. A flower is hardly the most intimidating emblem." Elytra pointed out.
"Oh, that is a good point," Viatrix whirred, "I was also thinking of doing something with my voice? Make it sound more artificial? But what would be an intimidating look for my avatar?"
"A creature, perhaps? Or if you want to play up the AI-as-a-creation aspect, maybe some type of object?" Elytra offered.
"Definitely a weapon," Malakh cut in, "You're trying to drive home a threat, after all."
Pryseia hummed, leaning back in her chair. "I do think that would be fitting. All of us on this ship are part of what the rest of the galaxy considers the 'lesser' races, primitives and savages. The symbol of some type of ancient weapon would tie into that stereotype."
"I want to go with a human weapon, then, since I technically have human origins."
Nevara shot Viatrix a questioning look. "Not a Hyttan weapon? You were born from their code, after all."
"Technically, but I don't know any more about the Hyttan than the rest of the galaxy does. I have no connection to them on an emotional level. Plus, I have no idea what any of their weapons, outside of their mechs, even look like." Viatrix replied.
"There's no way for you to glean more about them from your coding?" Elytra asked.
Viatrix's avatar flickered in a way that somehow conveyed a shrug. "My programming doesn't quite work like that. Yes, Hyttan code is a part of me, but I can no easier read it than you can read your own DNA."
"I can read my DNA." Rhea smirked.
"Only thanks to your extensive education and the specialized tools that allow you to do so!" Pryseia shot back with a laugh.
"Smart ass comments aside," Viatrix burbled with amusement, "I have neither the knowledge or equipment to read my proverbial DNA, and I have no way to engage with their media, or learn of their history, or ponder their philosophy, so the Hyttan hold no special place in my equally proverbial heart. Humans, on the other hand, I can search up whatever I want to know about them in minutes, and I get to pester one nearly whenever I want!"
"Nearly?" Malakh questioned.
"I know better than to send a ping when the door to your bedroom is locked."
That made Malakh grin in embarrassment, and startled a laugh out of Rhea.
"Alright alright, well what about you?" Malakh turned to Elytra, eager to steer the conversation elsewhere, "What kind of persona do you want to project to the world?"
Elytra sighed in frustration as she brought up some files on her data pad. "I've been trying to figure that out, but I haven't really hit on something that I think I could stay in character for. Like Nevara, I don't relish the spotlight."
"Something with more subtlety, then," Nevara mused, "Psychic races are few and far between, so much so that your powers aren't widely understood by others not of your races. Perhaps do something to emphasize that?"
"I don't know about your mythologies, but there are plenty of human stories about seers and prophets in the employ of nobility." Rhea added.
"Oh, yeah! Your people's abilities can help you tell if others are lying or not, right?" Malakh shot up, excited, so much so that Elytra could only nod. "Okay! We got psychic dampeners from the Quanvengier, and I've been having a look at them, and I may be able to rig them to boost the range on your abilities, rather than muffle them."
"You could do so that easily?" Elytra asked, impressed.
"It wouldn't be as easy as flipping a switch, and I might not be able to pull it off at all - it's a complicated system - but I can certainly give it a shot." Malakh said, and then she bared her teeth in a threatening grin, "And even if it doesn't work, we could always just pretend and say the boosters are in place, and you could so some creepy shit to make them think you're actually reading their emotions!"
"That could be doable!" Elytra grinned right back, and then she let her expression fall away, her head tilting forward slightly and a hand coming up to her temple, the other reaching out to Malakh as she said, "I sense the truth in what you say."
"Oh we have to do something with that!" Was Rhea's excited reply, "Get you in some kind of hood to make you more mysterious, fabricate contact lenses to make it look like your eyes are glowing, have you in a creeper corner being all menacing!"
"I am perfectly happy to be a background menace." Elytra said, and Nevara lifted her glass in agreement.
"And speaking of menacing, I think I have an avatar I like." Viatrix said, and a moment later the flower of her avatar morphed into the shape of a double bladed axe.
"The labrys, an ancient human weapon often associated with female warriors, which I thought fitting, given the composition of our crew."
"Would you also be amenable to that being the logo for our ship as well?" Pryseia asked, "The matter of brand recognition and all that. It would be fitting, as you are our ship, after all."
Viatrix's let loose a warped and sinister laughed, her words glitching out as she replied, "The organics who swear themselves to my fealty shall be spared when my wrath descends upon the galaxy."
"That's good!" Malakh said excitedly, "Definitely do that laugh when we've got to threaten others!"
"It wasn't too much?" Viatrix said, her voice and avatar returning to normal.
"No, I think you could push it just a little more artificial, more uncanny, you know?" Rhea encouraged, "Really ham up the machine overlord vibes!"
"Alright, I'll play around with it some more. But to seriously answer your question, I would be more than fine with my avatar being used in our marketing material." Viatrix said.
"And on that note, promotional material is something that has brought other Kith crews quite a bit of success," Pryseia said, tapping something on her data pad in order to send it to the a screen embedded in the table that Viatrix wasn't using to display herself. An assortment of images and videos appeared before them, showing off the colourful costumes and larger than life personalities of some of the more well known members of the Kith of the Void.
"It seems audiences respond as much to characters they can become invested in as much as they are enthralled by the adventures they get up to. It would behoove us to think about how best to market the personalities we're developing."
Swiping through some of the information on the table, Rhea said, "There's some crews who have complicated soap operas they're producing. I don't know that any of us want to get as in depth as that, but maybe we could play up the whole hunt for the Storlayacas aspect? There are a ton of Kith crews who have multiple Odazaen themselves - hell, there's some that make their careers off stealing Odazaen from the assorted navies out there! If we are going with this more courtly aspect, playing up a sort of fantasy element with all this shit, the fact that these mechs seem to have some ephemeral connection to us could be something we can disguise as being a… I dunno… a plot element?"
"Obfuscate our actual truth under a fiction? I can appreciate the duplicitousness of that." Pryseia said with a slow grin.
"Alright, so we're all in agreement on going with some kind of court aspect with all this?" Malakh said, which was responded to with murmurs of agreement from everyone. "Fantastic. With that in mind, we got a suite of design programs the other Kith crews use to figuring out the set design for any of the interiors they plan on filming stuff in, since aesthetics are so important to the whole performance of it all. We're still going to be stuck in subspace for a couple hours, so let's use the time to figure out the look we want to convey with our sets!"