A young, black-haired man in white officer's suit nodded toward several other people at the consoles and then leaned toward a microphone embedded in his own desk.
"TST Odysseus, you have a green light. Take care of yourselves."
"Copy that, Scylla. Have a nice day."
A small transport ship released it's holding grapples from the holes in the hull of the light cruiser, a spaceship several times larger. Just as it was passing a large, white paint word 'Scylla', the pilots engaged their thrusters and began moving toward the pink gas giant.
Meanwhile, a woman in Captain's suit, in her thirties, tapped the crystalline tablets she held in her hands. Her eyes scanned a quintet of new, young, fresh pilots, ready to get their uniforms with her ship's emblems. 'So young, so naive. It's always the same kind of people', the blonde-haired woman spoke to herself in her thoughts, her eyes closing just slightly.
"Allright, time for unnecessary, administrative formalities. I'm Captain Lydia Tanblaum, the Captain of this ship, and thus, your Captain as well. Welcome about light patrol cruiser, Scylla. The five of you have excelled in the training on Earth, Alpha Centauri three or wherever you were training at. That doesn't interest me. What interests me is your will of survival. Your call for duty. Your piloting skills. Statistics prove to be worthless in the face of real combat experience, so if any of you thinks he or she is the best, drop that attitude before you get slaughtered by Tsuan drones, laser turrets and their own suit pilots. Whilst the media and government are enthusiastic, I won't try to hide that you're replacing people who died on a mission just a week after their own arrival here." At this moment, Captain Lydia paused and let out a soft sigh, her eyes briefly glancing to the left side, before they returned their cold, examining stare upon the newcomers.
"As you're my subordinates, you have all rights to move aorund the common areas of the ship, be it sickbay, canteen or training facilities. If you have the urge to enter the bridge, ask for my permission, but don't think I will let anyone roam my bridge like a kid high on sugar. By special Suit Pilot clearance, you're also allowed to spend time at Scylla's suit hangar. That be all for now. For any questions, deck plans or information about officers and facilities on board, consult with the computers at your private quarters, which are-"
"ATTENTION. The ship is preparing for Vortex travel." Loud, feminine, synthethic voice boomed from the ceiling, making the Captain briefly glance upwards. Then, there was a loud hum, that intensified for three seconds before dissappearing altogether.
"Which are down the corridor, then to the left. There are eight cabins, five have signed plates on them, and I believe you're literate enough to handle the task of finding your own bedroom. It will be approximately thirty minutes before we reach Tau Ceti system, and at that point, you have to be prepared for take-off at any second. Dismissed." With that, the desks at which the newcomers were sitting turned off, the delicate blue-and-green letters and lights dissappeared. The Captain, without taking a single glance at her newcomers, cluthed her info tablets and took a stroll out of the 'classroom'.
INTERMISSION 0: New Home.
[It is time for roleplaaay. You can roam the ship if you want, talk to several NPCs, and so on. I won't be available for more than hour from now, though, so I believe that 'real action' is going to start tomorrow, sorry. Twi and Taricus, still waiting for your character's stories
]