LucByard
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Posts posted by LucByard
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1 hour ago, Boulderer said:Looks good. How does the performance compare to the original set?
Faster, even though it's heavier. Only have one though so can't compare side by side. Wasn't a big job to switch out the motors but the body for the retail set wraps over the motor too tight to fit an L in. This body was intentionally designed to leave more room for the L motor.
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Chapter 26: Unofficial Business
Freight is the blood in the veins of Human society. It moves everything from where it starts to where it ends and everything starts somewhere different to where it ends. Freight goes everywhere and the Forwarder goes where fright goes.
The rig felt remarkably still for a floating facility, the submerged ballasts resisting the swell of the waves. Even so, the Forwarder felt unusually sensitive to the movement... Too long in space He thought to himself as he looked out over the azure horizon. The Independent Freight Association has over a hundred such floating facilities across the globe, the cost of what land wasn’t reserved for homing people, or growing crops to feed them being so high. The Association didn’t make their locations public but he was quite sure the likes of Octancorp had mapped them all and captured movement around them... to some degree at least. He recalled a statistic he’d heard once about how less than zero-point-one percent of all the data collected by Octancorp’s surveillance programme was actually viewed by a real person; the rest was just... filed. They were looking, but watching?.. The two were not the same. It made him cautious, however. If you think no-one is watching, you get careless... And then you make a mistake and real people start looking through all that filed data.
Octan’s Regulations Enforcement Department had been a constant niggle in his operations. He’d had to ‘sign their charter’ just like all the rest... What choice did they have? Tramp freighters were starting to be worth more as scrap than a way of moving cargo. There had always been freight lines to compete with but these mega-corporations were a different beast. Octan had the brute resources to push any operator out of the market... and their livelihood. “Work with us” Octan had said to those who wouldn’t apply for ‘employee status’... They had described it as an offer... It was taken as a threat. And so, one by one, they all signed in terms that did all but bind them at the wrists. Some fell in line and made the best of it, others... like him... and a certain red-haired Woman, he thought with an involuntary wry smile, didn’t like being told what to do. That’s what R.E.D. was for; external contract enforcement. It was because of them, the once head of the I.F.A. now worked out of a shipping container and never stayed put for too long. It was because of them that it had taken so long to get back to Earth avoiding all of the checkpoints and ultimately the corporate blockade at the anomaly that was ‘keeping everyone safe’ from the radiation in Andromeda.
His return had been for a single purpose. He had managed to contact, discreetly, the president of a renowned starship manufacturer. Cylbruda Starworks were known for their high-end premium models in the freight and civilian markets but they had never created a bespoke military design; their rugged and manoeuvrable C118 Quadstar had been adapted, even by Octan for ‘defence roles’ but the original was an orbital utility vessel used for towing. The manufacturer had, at times, proudly boasted that it built for trade, not conflict... But times had changed and even they acknowledged the threat posed by large corporations building their own fleets. The process had been slow; Cylbruda took pride in their work and progress had also been hampered by the need for secrecy, from the corporations, from him. But it had been worth the wait. He just hoped it would be worth the investment.
He’d been there nearly an hour by the time it arrived, soaring gently overhead at a low subsonic cruise. It performed a wide arc - customary for a visual approach and leaned back to arrest its forward motion, revealing in full detail the large antimatter rotors that kept it aloft and the array of weaponry that adorned the central body. On final approach, the lower extenders retracted, the landing gear deployed and the drooped nose that was a hallmark of Cylbruda design slid out and upwards through a mechanism that kept it vertical and reduced the clearance that would be required for the ship to land. The upper section of the nose now obscured the pilot’s forward view though the pilot was likely using his side view and instrumentation at this point anyway but the Forwarder immediately considered the protection it afforded the cockpit on approach... He had a feeling that was a feature, intentional or otherwise that might prove its worth.
With a heavy ‘gerchunk’ the craft settled on the pad, a reverberating shudder passing through the floor and into the Forwarder’s legs. Finally, he could take a moment to look at it properly. He’d seen schematics and images during development but it wasn’t the same. Now it was... real. He heard the electric whine of the ramp opening at the rear of the craft and after a few moments, a figure appeared. Phalen Lux was an I.F.A. pilot, very skilled but with what most considered to be some kind of personality disorder, though no-one could agree on which one. He was skilled but prone to erratic behaviour so he was generally only assigned to the more... ‘unpredictable’ missions. He seemed to live in his own Universe and didn’t ask difficult questions. It was for those reasons that the Forwarder specifically requested him for this; not the delivery - a mere taxi run but it was what would come next that contained the most unpredictable element of all... A red-haired Woman with a bad knack for survival.
Phalen greeted the Forwarder, doffing the tip of his cap which the Forwarder immediately noticed had a visor fixed to it above the peak. A useless addition, he thought, noticing that there was no way of lowering it down as the peak was in the way. It puzzled him for a moment... It didn’t make sense but then, there were many things about Phalen Lux that only made sense to Phalen Lux.
“Mr Forwarder.” He said by way of a greeting.
“How is she?” the Forwarder asked, his gaze raising to the ship. Phalen turned and looked with him, returning to the Forwarder after a moment.
“Something special.” He said, a bright glow of excitement in his eyes. “She’s a bit heavy in atmo but in space... With the extenders deployed... She can dance.”
“Good.” The Forwarder replied. “Better give me the tour then.”
It took the best part of an hour for Phalen to show the Forwarder everything his new ship had to offer from armaments and flight controls to fuel management and the minimal amenities.
“So what’s the plan?” Phalen asked as they returned to the payload bay from the cramped cockpit. The Forwarder recalled his conversation with the man in the suit... The man who had no name, or at least none he was willing to give. “Make the arrangements” he had said... He had spoken to the Forwarder several times and it had always felt like he was using the Forwarder to to execute some small part of a greater plan that would never be explained to him. That was the idea he thought. His mind turned to the significant events of the corporate fight for control over Andromeda - the execution of John Hannibal on Donwarr that ended the Quarrel. Kawashita’s relentless pursuit of the Dust Demons and M.A.N.T.I.S. putting a bounty on the head of one of their own executives... Could the man in the suit have been the architect of it all... and me a pawn. Surely not. It was easy to dismiss the notion as ludicrous though, and that worried the Forwarder; those were the most dangerous notions sometimes... And this, he thought, would be the most dangerous yet. If Phalen did not succeed, she would find him... She knew how. He did not find the thought of that confrontation palatable... They’d worked together for so long, they knew each other so well. How could he do this on the whim of a man in a suit?..
“The plan...” He replied to Phalen, trying to hide the reluctance he could feel was in his words. “... is to kill Yseult Brenneaux”. -
This is my custom body for the fun tracked RC racer set. It's based (loosely) on the 41999 Limited Edition Crawler.
I've added lights and swapped the motors to L motors. The body is attached at the same points as the regular version and flips up the same for access.
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I like how you've angled the click-joints as, I presume, some kind of grenade or missile launchers. The overall design has a nice aesthetic to it. Well done. I like this design more than the SW republic gunship. Could you adapt it to carry a payload of troops or a vehicle under the rear by cutting into the existing bodywork a little perhaps (like a drop-ship variant).
Oh, and I love the canopy design.
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Eagle
in LEGO Sci-Fi
Well conceived and very nicely executed. The Eagle's colours have been worked over the mechanical grey brilliantly and there's some nice part combinations like the yellow connector/ grey gear/grey 2x2 exhaust piece on the legs.
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Here's a cutaway of the door mechanism.
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7 hours ago, Kodan Black said:I've been watching this on Flickr with a lot of interest. Can you please post up more shots of the doors on the front? There were some other pics on your Flickr that made it seem like they roll down from the top and swing out and I was very curious what you had done there if so.
Now I don't have a deadline, I'll try to take a cross section that shows the mechanism but yes, the doors slide down and angle out with the front becoming the ramp walkway.
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My Freighter Wars entry.
I envisage the YT-2700 as a design brought in after the fall of the Empire in response to a rapid increase in trade (legitimate or otherwise) once the industry was free of Imperial regulation. The two large cargo holds opening up wider freight possibilities in terms of type and volume of cargo. The 2700 began to decline in popularity with the rise of the First Order. Galactic conflict made such a specific-role freighter less desirable than other multi-purpose models as it lacked flexibility but some remain in use.
The 'Break of Day' is owned and operated by Nix Vellon and Jeroh Saael, a couple who mostly ran charter consignments for the Republic. The destruction of the Hosnian System has left them at a loose end, unsure of their future.
Thanks for looking. I don't dabble in Star Wars much (even though I'm a huge fan) so any feedback is appreciated.
Luc.
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On 9/29/2017 at 9:01 PM, Evolved Turtle said:This is a bit off-topic, but I'm new to Andromeda's Gates. Is there anywhere I can go to see a summary of what's happened in the first part so I have some context for AG2?
Praise indeed : D I summarised my First Era chapters here which is the easiest way to catch up on what I did (though not as enjoyable as reading the chapters themselves I hope). Don't think anyone else has done that but mine might be one of the hardest to follow what's happening. The best way to work through old entries, I found, was to go to the player index and pick a character. That way, you can see who how many enties someone did and decide if it's worth reading.
A personal favourite for me not mentioned above was @mccoyed. He didn't do many but the builds were quality and the character an absolute gem that I desperately want to cameo in my storyline at some point.
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Great work integrating that front canopy piece. It's a lovely one but so awkward to fully encase.
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... Want.
I actually really like the way this looks.
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6 hours ago, anothergol said:Nice. Too bad you just missed this contest, it was all about that:
https://www.lego.com/en-us/rebrick/contest-page/contests/speed-champs-2
Ha ha, I built it for that, it was finished early but I got the closing date wrong and didn't photograph it in time.
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This is excellent Pombe, definitely a step up for you in design, I love the details like the Wolverine claw whiskers, the 2x2 round tile with the 1x1 stud arrangement at the joints and the trapezoid flag vanes at the rear. The overall aesthetic really hits the mark, the design of the kitten head is particularly good.
Excellent work.
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On 8/30/2017 at 5:05 PM, rodiziorobs said:Your stories and builds are always good (if not a little confusing to those who haven't kept up), but I am frankly jealous of your photography. Really nicely composed shots, with the focus right where you want it.
Thanks. Ha ha! yes, I have many threads brewing, that's why I composed my first era summary, I'm conscious that many of my recent chapters seem quite unrelated and many readers could use a refresh or catch-up.
And thanks everyone for your comments: really appreciate them.
Luc.
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I don't have the ability to do stickers at the moment so they will have to wait for another time but really pleased with the shaping.
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5 hours ago, Rotundus said:Cool concept and good execution! I think my Cooper needs a companion.
A question, please... Was the piece count exact, or did you have any left over parts? Thanks.
Glad you like it. There were plenty of parts left over, mostly small pieces. I have no idea what the count is I'm afraid, I just made it up as I went along and tried to use a little as possible as the build progressed so as to avoid running out towards the end.
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“I have seen beyond the vale. Those of us that saw the true nature of Andromeda have been touched by a power greater than ourselves and greater than these mighty corporations can ever know. Their petty squabbles will be their end. The Dawn of Order approaches...”
Sheep. Thought Yseult as she gazed over the crowd that had gathered to listen to the oddly-dressed character on the platform protruding from the temple entrance. He had recently become a kind of overnight celebrity, preaching about the future of Human-kind in vague ideological terms. He was ridiculed my many as an attention seeker, latching on to people’s fears and discontent with unfounded rhetoric, yet to so many, he had become a visionary, someone who spoke the truths that no-one else dared to.
“... I was once like you, a slave consumer, blinkered by the empty promises of corporations. Lured into their cycle of temporary fulfilment... I was blind, but now... I see. They went to Andromeda to further their own greed, but they have kept from you what they discovered... The future of Mankind. I have seen this future, with my own eyes... But when I open the door to this future to you all, I will not sell it wrapped in a package of lies, I will give it freely to all those whose follow behind me.”
There was a cheer from the crowd. They seem so easily pleased. Yseult thought as the man on stage that had termed himself ‘The Shadowmancer’ moved on to his next well rehearsed soliloquy of crowd-fodder.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.” A man’s voice said behind Yseult. She turned, tensing, as if expecting trouble but it was Riddaeon who stood there.
“It’s you.” She said, sounding disappointed, though self-loathing would have been more accurate. She hadn’t liked that someone had approached her without her knowing. She relaxed and turned back to the podium. Riddaeon stood beside her, taking in the crowd and the figure on stage.
“Doesn’t seem like your...” Riddaeon looked for the right words. “Cup of coffee.” He said, recalling what Yseult had done with the one he took her on Donwarr.
He doesn’t see it. Yseult thought. Few would have in her experience. It was both a blessing and a curse; usually the latter that she could see disparate and apparently unrelated things and make the connection between them. She knew when people were lying, or just improvising and hoping no-one would notice, when the facts didn’t add up. But of course, most of the time, there’s no way of proving to people how you know. She’d challenged plenty of them, sick of seeing them get what they want with carefully placed lies. But with no proof, most of those instances ended in fights. A few she won, many had been part of the lesson not to bother anymore. Let the liars lie, I’ll go live my life elsewhere. Some would tell her she looks into things ‘too deeply’ but to her it was obvious, apparent and glaring. She didn’t know why no-one else seemed to see it. They’re all idiots, happy to be taken for a ride... Not me.“Upsilon.” Yseult finally said to Riddaeon.
“What?” He asked in reply, the word being so out of context.
“Upsilon.” Yseult repeated. “Big Sal believes something is changing reality, the Universe. I think this man has seen it too. The difference: Sal wishes to understand it, this man wishes to worship it. But what he says... I think maybe they have seen the same thing...”
The crowd suddenly dropped to complete silence and Yseult turned to see the Shadowmancer stood at the edge of the platform, his bejewelled staff pointing straight at her. After a moment, He brought it back upright, stamping the end on the platform with a deep thud. Before Yseult, the crowd cleared to make a path to the steps up to the platform.
“Do not fear child.” The Shadowmancer said, his words echoing across the silent crowd from the loudspeakers places out side of each set of steps. Yseult looked him in the eyes, barely visible though the shimmering vale that covered his face. She hadn’t expected this, a chance to get closer to him, to evaluate him. She didn’t want to go up, she wasn’t one of his little sheep... But she also couldn’t resist the opportunity. Cautiously, she left Riddaeon and walked to the bottom of the steps, a disorderly array of stones at different heights. She stopped for a moment at the bottom of them as she decided how best to ascend.
“The path to enlightenment is never obvious.” The Shadowmancer’s voice echoed out. “We must each learn to find our own way.” Yseult thought for a moment... A test she realised. He’ll use it to make a judgement about me. She observed her wider surroundings, there was no other way to the platform which was about head height... With a stride, Yseult leapt forward and launched herself up. Her hands finding the platform edge, she pulled herself up, managing to get a foot on the platform as the rest of her followed with ease. The Shadowmancer stepped back in reaction, giving her room. As she stood before him, he stared at her, looking almost dazed.
“Interesting.” He said in a quiet, half mumbled voice. Remembering his intent, the Shadowmancer gestured for Yseult to stand in the middle on a rectangular purple dias. The crowd was silent in anticipation as she stepped into position, as though some sacred ritual had begun. The Shadowmancer stood before her, holding his staff out to his side, an aide silently stepping in to take it while he gazed at Yseult’s face as if analysing her features. Both hands free, he gently placed them to cradle her face, moving it carefully from side to side.
“Another orphan to corporate greed.” He announced loudly to the crowd who jeered and shouted to express their anger at the corporate enemy. The Shadowmancer analysed Yseult’s features some more.
His face changed, eyes widening... A realisation. “Tell me child...” He asked. “How did your father die?” Yseult’s face changed instantly and the Shadowmancer’s hands were pushed away before a right-hand swing caught him square in the face. He stumbled back, falling to one knee and his aides moved quickly to restrain Yseult.
“STOP!” The Shadowmancer shouted, his voice echoing through the loudspeakers. The crowd’s brief uproar once again became a sea of silence at his command. Slowly, he brought himself back to his feet and gestured to receive his staff. Once in hand, he stood before Yseult, contemplating, wrestling with his decision... “Let her go.” he eventually said, nodding to the aides to ensure they understood. “Let her go.”
As Yseult jumped down from the platform, the crown had made a new path, this time directly away from the temple. The heads of every person following her every step as she walked away. Upon the dias, behind a shimmering violet veil, the eyes of the Shadowmancer narrowed beneath a furrowed brow.
SpoilerBuilder's/Writer's notes:
Forgot I was supposed to be shooting everything to be cropped to 16:9... Never mind. Would have liked more images for the early part of the story but the reverse angle to Riddaeon was problematic as there would be nothing at all behind him.
This entire chapter came out or layering those dark grey roof slopes and thinking 'some kind of temple entrance'. I had the Shadowmancer kicking around from a character creation session so I just put the two together and now I have a new antagonist for Yseult to content with.
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Built for Sheffield LUG's Classics on the moor event.
(note: not put in scale modelling as it's not a scale model of any existing vehicle)
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Forgot to mention, here's a parts list:
and a building guide:
In case you fancy a go : )
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On 8/10/2017 at 0:31 AM, Henchmen4Hire said:I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you intentionally placed the tail there so it would create a cool red "eye effect" on the Rectifier's head dome :)
I think the legs are too skinny though, maybe snap on a [1x1 clip tile] to the robot arms?
I think the dome would catch the reflection somewhere from most angles but it I couldn't see it when I was taking the shot because it's such a small detail. I did consider bulking up the legs, with weapons as it happens, but thought it would just slow the creature down and I wanted that creepy scuttling look to suggest it moves quickly... You wouldn't want to be chased by one.
On 8/10/2017 at 4:21 AM, deraven said:That's great... but the poor turtle! The arms/guns on the underside are a nice touch and keep the scorpion feel going.
So, when do we see the Blacktron Exo-Suit to go with it?? Most of the ones I've seen haven't been evil enough.
Hmmm. You've got a point. Depends if get a hook next time I'm table-srapping.
Thanks for your feedback everyone.
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A drone unit for dealing with other drone units that are far too cute and popular for their own good.
"These Turtle units are too common-place, and too heavily armed. They've become a problem, a problem that requires... Rectification."
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Excellent work Bob: your natural flair for organic design never fails to instil awe, bewilderment and uncontrollable envy in other spaceship builders
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Exquisite styling as usual Bob. Great canopy integration too.
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I've really enjoyed writing for AG's first era - it's helped to develop my characters and writing more than I could possibly have expected. My recent chapters have introduced a lot of characters though and I'm conscious that it may be hard for new readers (or even ones that have read them all) to keep track of what's going on. So here's a character summary to help anyone who needs a refresh (please note, it may contain some little spoilers you didn't notice reading the full entries).
Yseult Brenneaux.
A tempestuous freight pilot who isn’t afraid to get into a fight. She is French and was raised in Bordeaux with her Father, an aerobatics pilot who inspired her love of flying [Rest]. Often referred to as ‘The red-haired Woman’, she makes friends with difficulty and enemies with ease. She is a survivor and much of her past is unknown.
Discovered by Big Sal working as a con artist on Marphacia, Yseult Brenneux (using a different spelling to help mask her past) was lured into a trap to force her to join MANTIS [The Mark]. She was initially stationed at a communications outpost called Uplink [Uplink] where she met Riddaeon. She paid off her debt to Big Sal working on the outpost’s Walk-lifts [Pay Dirt] after which she had initially intended to return to her previous line of work. Riddaeon convinced her to give life in MANTIS a try and after contemplating the hard life she had just left behind, she agreed [Departure].
Yseult quickly passed though the MANTIS pilot training programme on Aeristus gaining notoriety when Training Officer Briskett’s attempts to humiliate her by giving her an impossible scenario in the simulator backfired when, despite crashing, her reactions resulted in one of the highest evaluation scores possible [Gyrocube]. Her first mission was to pilot a new spying ship designed by Flight Engineer Eliana Seyka [Darksight] to Donwarr to try and discover how supplies of liquid mithril were disappearing during transport [Jade Sun]. She uncovered a clue and followed a small vessel but was discovered by the Octan Quadstar escorting it and was shot down. The pilot, Vyken Tyros, landed nearby and, after being disappointed that his mission had not been uncovered by a more famous MANTIS agent, tried to kill her when he was interrupted by the mysterious appearance of Gnarl Graves [Fighter Escort]. As the two fought, Yseult caught Vyken off guard and was able to knock him out [Reflection] before falling unconscious herself after she used an almost fatal dose of anaesthetic to sustain her during the fight [Rest].
Following her recovery, Yseult spent some time piloting a Lineopeia class passenger transport [Charter Flight] before her next mission to Freegate to steal a cypher from an Octan heavy speeder using Vyken Tyros’ stolen Quadstar. The heist was succesfull but when she returned to orbit, her ship’s GATE drive was missing [The Cypher] leaving her stranded. She was able to escape by latching on to an unmanned cargo ship [Autofreight], narrowly avoiding being fired upon by MANTIS patrol craft.
Meeting with Riddaeon back on Donwarr, she was finally told that Big Sal believed she could help them find Upsilon, the key to uncovering a mysterious force that is making changes to space and time. He informs her that Big Sal believes that her unpredictability is key to drawing who, or whatever is at work out into the open [Upsilon]. She tells Riddaeon he needs to get her a ship so they go to see The Forwarder, an independent freight forwarder that Yseult knows from her past. He calls her by her real name (Brenneaux) but she corrects him and they discuss getting her a new ship and potential work from him. Yseult is reluctant, however, to do certain types of work that she has done for The Forwarder in the past [The Forwarder], including smuggling [Rogue Orders]. Having purchased a ship, Yseult and Ellie make repairs while Riddaeon secures fuel and supplies, then the two Women depart in their new ship [Speedy Owl]. Their first job, however, involves getting past Octan and MANTIS forces unnoticed [Wraith] with a container. They get through but cause an incident [White Hawk] that is denied by both corporations. Following delivery, Yseult spends some time attending a local bar where she keeps getting into fights before returning to the ship where Ellie treats her. She eventually allows Ellie to go with her where they see a report on the news about the incident they caused and have an argument about the merits of the corporations and their mission to find Upsilon [Old TImes].
Riddaeon
A MANTIS operative, Riddaeon is an administrator who works behind the scenes to further MANTIS interests. He aides Big Sal on certain projects, notably the recruitment of Yseult Brenneaux. He first met her on Marphacia at the communications outpost Uplink where he assessed her character [Uplink], reporting back his findings to Big Sal [Pay Dirt]. RIddaeon managed to convince Yseult to remain with MANTIS once she had repaid her debt [Departure] and followed her to Aeristus to watch her training [Gyrocube]
Riddaeon was involved in the planning of Yseult’s first mission for MANTIS [Jade Sun] and visited her on Donwarr while she recovered from a crash during that mission, after which he reported her progress back to Big Sal and was informed that there was a new mission for her involving the stolen Quadstar [Rest]. In preparation for the mission, Riddaeon visited Ellie who had designed and built a detachable GATE drive for the Quadstar. Riddaeon continued to lead the mission despite Big Sal disappearing and being pronnounced a fugitive of MANTIS [The Engineer]. Having intercepted Vyken Tyros’ communications with Octan, Riddaeon posed as an Octan agent and picked up Vyken, helping him to get safely back to Octan space [Rendézvous].
In a later communication with Big Sal, Riddaeon is warned that such action could be treasonous. Riddaeon defends the decision explaining that Vyken may be able to help them convince someone who’s help they may need. He then met with Yseult to explain Big Sal’s belief that someone, or something is altering reality but the motive and who or what is unclear. He tells her that Big Sal’s calculations have revealed that to draw this potentially malevolent force out, they have to find Upsilon and Big Sal believes that Yseult is essential to helping them locate it. Yseult accepts the new mission but insists they get her a new ship [Upsilon].
Riddaeon accompanies Yseult to meet The Forwarder to arrange the purchase of a ‘box runner’ container freighter [The Forwarder]. While Yseult and Ellie make repairs to their new purchase, Riddaeon steals fuel and anti-matter for the ship. After they take-off, Riddaeon used the ship’s landing platform’s communication dish to access the Octan network and upload a programme [Speedy Owl].
Gedron Briskett
A MANTIS flight training officer based on Aeristus. He has a reputation for being hard on recruits and has a chip on his shoulder. He doesn’t like the idea that anyone else can tell him what it takes to be a good pilot. he considers himself to be the best and looks down on civilian pilots, considering their skills to be ‘less advanced’ than those he trains. He is prone to rash decisions, however, and and tried to embarrassed Yseult by forcing her to fail a flight test simulation [Gyrocube]. It backfired and the computer that analysed her efforts gave her one of the highest scores possible [Darksight]. He doesn’t like Yseult Brenneaux.
Elliana Seyka
A MANTIS Flight Engineer called ‘Ellie’ for short who works in design and development of new spacecraft. Ellie was the project lead on the new spy ship Darksight, an experimental ship whose first mission was brought forward causing the original intended pilot to have to be replaced by Yseult owing to her demonstrated flying skills [Darksight]. She also designed a detachable GATE drive for a stolen Octan Quadstar to allow trans-anomaly deployment without using a carrier [The Engineer].
Ellie accompanied Yseult in the purchase of the Speedy Owl, assisting her with repairs before they departed together. [Speedy Owl]. She accompanied Yseult when they smuggled a container on to New California [Wraith][Old Times][Yseult Brenneaux] and spent time with Yseult on the planet, treating the pilot’s injuries after bar brawls. She is finally allowed to go along to one of the bars and the two argue about the merits of corporate membership.
Special note: Ellie is seen leaning over Yseult in the stone square in Yseult’s dream though she is not mentioned in the text. [Rest]
Vyken Tyros
A special forces operative in Octan. His last recorded mission was escorting a freighter that was stealing liquid mithril from MANTIS [Jade Sun]. When Yseult discovered the operation he shot her down. When she crash-landed her ship, Vyken set down nearby and he was about to kill her when Gnarl Graves appeared and an epic sword fight ensued [Fighter Escort]. Vyken was knocked out by Yseult during the fight and awoke later to find his personal Quadstar fighter stolen, though his sword and rations had been intentionally left behind [Reflection]. He was later able to contact Octan and arrange for an Octan agent to collect him and return him to Octan space [Rendézvous]. He is highly skilled in blade weaponry choosing the Katana for close combat. He is an old friend and mentor to Emily DuPont and it is from him that she acquired her sword-fighting skills.
A man in a suit
A man of unknown name, affiliation or origin. He appeared in The Forwarder’s container/office after Yseult departed, and appeared concerned with her activities. He has an uneasy relationship with the Forwarder but appears to levy control over him [The Forwarder].
Special note: This is the same character that Yseult saw in a dream where he was sitting at a desk writing the letter ‘Y’ on a piece of paper over and over again [Rest].
The Forwarder
A freight forwarder who once held a high position in the Independent Freight Association when it was the largest and most influential freight organisation in Andromeda. During this time, Yseult worked for him and he holds her skills in high regard. There is a suggestion that she may have worked for him as a smuggler [Rogue Orders]. When Yseult reappears after a significant absence, he helps her to acquire a new ship and work as a ‘box-runner’ [The Forwarder]. After the withdrawal of the corporations, the Forwarder is visited by an old acquaintance who has discovered Yseult's attempts to hide her past and asks him what he knows about her [Yseult Brenneaux].
Captain Aurixx
Commanding officer of the MANTIS cruiser Shadowfall. When an unidentified object passes through MANTIS-controlled space between them and the Octan fleet around New California, he dispatches an Interceptor to investigate [Wraith]. The interceptor destroys the Octan ships that respond [White Hawk] but the loss of the ships is publicly blamed on a mechanical failure [Old Times]. He receives orders to withdraw to the main fleet and feels that being taken from the front line is punishment for causing a ‘sensitive incident’. Convinced that all is not as it seems, he asks Vashin to remain in Andromeda when the fleet leaves to try and discover what really happened and who is responsible for ruining their careers [Rogue Orders].
Vashin Tulka
A MANTIS pilot stationed aboard the Shadowfall. When he responds to an unidentified object passing through the no-fly-zone between MANTIS and Octan forces around New California, he attracts the attention of Octan orbital defence fighters [Wraith]. A firefight ensues; Vashin hits one of the two craft in his initial volley and out-manoeuvres the second allowing him to pursue and destroy it [White Hawk]. When Shadowfall is withdrawn from front-line operations, Captain Aurixx convinces Vashin that it is punishment for causing an incident and Vashin agrees to remain in Andromeda when the fleet leaves to search for those resposible for the unidentified object [Rogue Orders].
Lynton Bryss
An Octan pilot in the Orbital Defence Unit stationed at New California. He responds to a MANTIS interceptor approaching the Octan fleet [Wraith] but when a firefight ensues, his ship is hit and burns up in the atmosphere, exploding before he can eject. He had a Wife and children [White Hawk]. Octan officially blames his death and the loss of the ship on a mechanical failure [Old Times].
Vex Obryn
An Octan pilot in the Orbital Defence Unit stationed at New California. He is Lynton Bryss’ wingman when they respond to a MANTIS interceptor approaching the Octan fleet [Wraith]. He is hit in the initial exchange of fire and he and his ship are lost [White Hawk]. Octan officially blames his death and the loss of the ship on a mechanical failure [Old Times]. Vex wakes up in the New California desert near his damaged ejection seat, presumably having successfully survived the accident. He is able to walk to a small settlement where an old Woman cares for him and he learns that in fact, four months have passed since the incident [Hard Landing].
Dangerous Woman
A woman of unknown name, affiliation or origin who visits The Forwarder, asking about Yseult. She has an interest in the red-haired pilot, having discovered that Yseult was using a mistyped surname to try and distance herself from her past. The Woman and The Forwarder have some History with each other but have not seen each other for four years [Yseult Brenneaux].
Dangerous Man
An associate of the ‘Dangerous Woman’ [Yseult Brenneaux].
The Sentinel
An associate of the ‘Dangerous Woman’. His face is adorned with various cybernetic implants leaving only small sections of skin visible. He appears to require a respirator to breath, even when in clean breathable air [Yseult Brenneaux].
Drakin
A mercenary who has worked for the Forwarder in the past and looks to have met Yseult at the time. He sees Yseult in a bar on New California around the time that two White Hawks are lost above the planet and presumes that she is likely to be involved given what he knows of her past. He does not know her name but meets with MANTIS pilot Vashin Tulka to divulge his knowledge in exchange for a fuel cell [Rogue Orders].
The story of Yseult Brenneaux (First era)
in Andromeda's Gates
Posted
Thank you. I'm learning a lot playing this game about evolving different threads and how they might converge in the future. There's a plan, but it's blurry at the moment. As I get ideas, parts of the plan come into better focus and other new blurry parts are created. There's a lot going on but my characters are never far from my mind these days.