The hiss of the airlock confirmed the shuttle had successful docked with the station.
Captain Ironsides stood up quickly from the cockpit and opened the door, stepping from warmth of the shuttle into the slightly cooler, clinically sterile air of the station. The dulled click of her shoes on floor reported Villore-manufactured durasteel, coupled with the low hum of the entire station from its fusion reactors told her she had arrived in a Federation station.
The computer interface to her right chirped up, "Welcome to the Center for Advanced Studies, Lisbaetanne School. What brings you to us today?" it asked in a smooth, vaguely feminine voice.
"I am looking for the corporate offices of Black Flag Acquisitions."
"They can be found on Deck 289, Section B9. The gravity lift at the end of the hall can take there." It purred, almost sounding pleased with its omnipresent knowledge of the station.
Edna strode purposely to the lifts, called out the deck number and stepped out over the edge into the tube. For a moment, she felt herself in free fall before the graviton beams of the lift caught her body and moved her smoothly and quickly down past the hundreds of decks of the station. At 290, the lift flawless slowed her descent until she found herself hovering before the entrance to deck 289. She stepped off back on to the firmness of the floor.
Edna felt herself tense slightly as she approached the office she was looking for. Interviews were always these awfully awkward times for her, as people who try to figure out who she in what seemed like an overly formal procedural manner. It would be so much easier if these meetings could be carried in a bar or promenade, somewhere where she felt infinitely more comfortable at home.
She reached the door of Section B9. On it was a large black square which surrounded a three-towered castle coloured a deep crimson red. Edna opened the door.
A young woman turned around from the main reception desk as she walked into the office lobby. She approached Edna. She was fair, with short curt brown hair but with long locks coming down from the crown of her head that were bleached platinum blonde. Beneath her right eye was a double-lined tattoo that Edna recognised as Detei. She was Caldari, like Edna, although the Deteis were rather more removed from her Achuran heritage. She wore a blue leather jacket and combat trousers.
She smiled. "You must be Edna. We have been expecting you. My name is Azalea." Edna suddenly felt much more at ease. The young woman's bright greeting relaxed the tension that had been building in her. "You can call me Ed. Everyone does."
"Right then, Ed. Well, originally I was going to be here to interview you, but due to some difficult time constraints you have caught me as I must leave now to attend to other matters. My colleague, Karin, will meeting with you instead." She gestured to another woman coming down the long hallway toward them. Ed turned and greeted her. She also bore a Detei tatto, but unlike Azalea had longer hair that was raven black. "If you want to come with me Captain Ironsides, this shouldn't take too long." Saying goodbye to Azalea, Karin led Ed back down the hall to a large conference room
"Can I get you anything, coffee? Quafe?" Like Azalea, Karin also made Edna relax somewhat. This wasn't so bad. "Coffee, if you don't mind please." replied Edna. Karin replicated two cups of coffee from the small machine in the corner of the room, and came back and handed her the cup, sitting across from her
She and Karin talked for sometime. Edna described her capsuleer career. Her days with the Minmatar militia, her various adventures in 0.0 space, her time with the Heretics, and her subsequent move to Federation space. She seemed pleased with most of things Edna told her. The corporation was young, a startup of young enterprising captains and pilots, having made home in the Lisbaetanne star system, and looked like there might very well be a place for Ed amongst their ranks.
"Everything seems to check out." Karin said. "You are welcome to submit a formal application now."
"That will have to wait a couple of days." Ed replied. "I will formally have to divest myself of my position within my current corporation." "But I do informally accept at this time." She was pleased with what Karin and the recruiting agents she had been in touch with had told her. This seemed like a good group of pilots, exactly what she was looking for.
Shaking hands with Karin, Edna made her way back to the shuttle, stopping by the requisitions floor to request captain's quarters in the station. This was going to be her new home. She felt a bubble of happiness within her, and a sense of excitement and trepidation for the days ahead.
----
Signing off,
Ed
Captain Ironsides stood up quickly from the cockpit and opened the door, stepping from warmth of the shuttle into the slightly cooler, clinically sterile air of the station. The dulled click of her shoes on floor reported Villore-manufactured durasteel, coupled with the low hum of the entire station from its fusion reactors told her she had arrived in a Federation station.
The computer interface to her right chirped up, "Welcome to the Center for Advanced Studies, Lisbaetanne School. What brings you to us today?" it asked in a smooth, vaguely feminine voice.
"I am looking for the corporate offices of Black Flag Acquisitions."
"They can be found on Deck 289, Section B9. The gravity lift at the end of the hall can take there." It purred, almost sounding pleased with its omnipresent knowledge of the station.
Edna strode purposely to the lifts, called out the deck number and stepped out over the edge into the tube. For a moment, she felt herself in free fall before the graviton beams of the lift caught her body and moved her smoothly and quickly down past the hundreds of decks of the station. At 290, the lift flawless slowed her descent until she found herself hovering before the entrance to deck 289. She stepped off back on to the firmness of the floor.
Edna felt herself tense slightly as she approached the office she was looking for. Interviews were always these awfully awkward times for her, as people who try to figure out who she in what seemed like an overly formal procedural manner. It would be so much easier if these meetings could be carried in a bar or promenade, somewhere where she felt infinitely more comfortable at home.
She reached the door of Section B9. On it was a large black square which surrounded a three-towered castle coloured a deep crimson red. Edna opened the door.
A young woman turned around from the main reception desk as she walked into the office lobby. She approached Edna. She was fair, with short curt brown hair but with long locks coming down from the crown of her head that were bleached platinum blonde. Beneath her right eye was a double-lined tattoo that Edna recognised as Detei. She was Caldari, like Edna, although the Deteis were rather more removed from her Achuran heritage. She wore a blue leather jacket and combat trousers.
She smiled. "You must be Edna. We have been expecting you. My name is Azalea." Edna suddenly felt much more at ease. The young woman's bright greeting relaxed the tension that had been building in her. "You can call me Ed. Everyone does."
"Right then, Ed. Well, originally I was going to be here to interview you, but due to some difficult time constraints you have caught me as I must leave now to attend to other matters. My colleague, Karin, will meeting with you instead." She gestured to another woman coming down the long hallway toward them. Ed turned and greeted her. She also bore a Detei tatto, but unlike Azalea had longer hair that was raven black. "If you want to come with me Captain Ironsides, this shouldn't take too long." Saying goodbye to Azalea, Karin led Ed back down the hall to a large conference room
"Can I get you anything, coffee? Quafe?" Like Azalea, Karin also made Edna relax somewhat. This wasn't so bad. "Coffee, if you don't mind please." replied Edna. Karin replicated two cups of coffee from the small machine in the corner of the room, and came back and handed her the cup, sitting across from her
She and Karin talked for sometime. Edna described her capsuleer career. Her days with the Minmatar militia, her various adventures in 0.0 space, her time with the Heretics, and her subsequent move to Federation space. She seemed pleased with most of things Edna told her. The corporation was young, a startup of young enterprising captains and pilots, having made home in the Lisbaetanne star system, and looked like there might very well be a place for Ed amongst their ranks.
"Everything seems to check out." Karin said. "You are welcome to submit a formal application now."
"That will have to wait a couple of days." Ed replied. "I will formally have to divest myself of my position within my current corporation." "But I do informally accept at this time." She was pleased with what Karin and the recruiting agents she had been in touch with had told her. This seemed like a good group of pilots, exactly what she was looking for.
Shaking hands with Karin, Edna made her way back to the shuttle, stopping by the requisitions floor to request captain's quarters in the station. This was going to be her new home. She felt a bubble of happiness within her, and a sense of excitement and trepidation for the days ahead.
----
Signing off,
Ed
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