Episode 6
Dawes requests the crew attend an Earth-Mars Coalition Fleet-Week Christmas Masquerade Ball on the luxury yacht Elysian Dream docked in Ceres. Lu parts ways to offer her services at the under-staffed medical clinic in Rosse Buurt. Nikki and Julie reminisce about life on Earth. NoDot wins a poker tournament by accident. Alfie and Kova foil a terrorist plot lead by Marco Inaros. Mars unofficially declares war on Earth by blowing up a civilian ship, and the crew narrowly escapes being trapped on the Elysian Dream in the resulting chaos.
Starting: Sunday, 2350-12-24 Ending: Sunday, 2350-12-25 That's right, it's the Christmas episode.
2350-12-24 (Sunday)
Summary: Daily summary goes here.
Lu's Departure
Lu discusses her departure with the crew, stating that she has found her purpose, post-desertion of her UNN role as a combat-medic. She plans to offer her services to the under-staffed medical clinic in Rosse Buurt where she had previously borrowed an operating room.
Paid With More Work
Summary: Dawes asks the crew to attend a high stakes poker tournament being held the following evening on the Elysian Dream during the EMC Fleet Week Masquarade. Dawes offers to front the buy-in, and in for the paper UND currency, he will pay the crew the equivalent Belter credits (1,125,000 Cr).
After Nikki, NoDot, and Julie leave to pick up their tailored outfits, he informs Alfie and Kova that members of the Inaros OPA will also be present as staff, and
The Fleet Week Masquarade (FleWM)
Dawes thanks the crew for their help delivering gifts to the orphanage, and offers three tickets to the Fleet-Week Masquarade Ball taking place on none other than Jager Kruna's (the richest person alive) unmatched luxury yacht, the Elysian Dream. Dawes goes on to explain that the tickets are for Nikki, NoDot, and Julie.
Attendees include soldiers, politicians, rich business-folk, and their plus-ones and families. Doors open tomorrow at 18:00.
Dawes informs them that he has entered Nikki and NoDot into a poker tournament with a 5k UND buy in (75k Cr), winner takes all at a 5 person table. Dawes says he will exchange the paper winnings for Cr, without taking a cut. His interest lies in the procurement of physical UN cash. The crew is suspicious of this but Nikki's instincts tell her that Dawes is concerned about pending hyper-inflation of traditional belter currency.
Dawes mentions that no firearms will be permitted on the premises, but indicates that crimes will be taken very seriously due to the nature of the event. He explicitly informs NoDot that the consequences for cheating in the poker tournament will not be worth the risk. NoDot chooses to interpret this as "the consequences for getting caught cheating." Dawes attempts several times to clarify that he really would prefer they don't cheat, but eventually gives up.
Dawes then informs them that he's called ahead to his tailor who will know to give them his usual discount. They can also skip the line so that the outfits are guaranteed to be ready for the ball. Julie take's Nikki and NoDot to pick them up.
The Real Job
When only Alfie and Kova remain, Dawes informs them that they will need to sneak aboard as staff. Due to "increases in security" Belters would no longer be permitted as guests, with little exception.
Dawes has intel that members of Inaros OPA will also be attending the FleWM as well, and he is tasking Alfie and Kova with figuring out why, and to prevent them from doing anything bad.
He tells the pair to head down to get their measurements taken so that their tuxedos can be fitted, and informs them that they will be comped as an apology for not being able to get them proper tickets.
The Tailor
The boutique tailor shop is operated by a sassy gay man named Gim Tunn.
Nikki requests a traditional ball gown, while NoDot requests "the most hentai succubus strappy outfit with sex-mark tattoos" and the tailor protests heavily before they compromise on something that may not get his outfits banned from future FleWMs. Lavender silk with lace accent, backless, with side-slits, and matching glowing gloves. When NoDot requests a cat-ear headband the tailor informs them that one can be purchased at the novelty store down the street. NoDot does not appreciate this.
The discounted prices for the outfits are 75k Cr for Nikki's, and 125k Cr for NoDot's. NoDot incorrectly insists that Dawes said the outfits would be free, and Gim says Dawes was quite clear in his message that he would not be footing the remainder after the discount.
When Kova and Alfie show up, Gim swiftly takes their measurements, and tells everyone to return the following morning to pick up their outfits.
Julie and Nikki's Heart to Heart
Nikki and Julie go shopping for stocking stuffers together.
Julie asks Nikki how the previous day went, and Nikki informs her of her encounter with Star Helix and her near-encounter with Vice Admiral Draven Kennedy, making the realization that the reason he may be in town as a FleWM guest.
Nikki asks Julie the same, and Julie informs her that she had been drilling elements of the heist.
Before they part ways for the night, Nikki presents a hamster tube set to Julie, for her animatronic hamster to crawl around in. Julie finds it to be a very thoughtful gift.
Back on the Terpsichore
Kova succumbs to a panic attack over the thought of confronting Marco Inaros at the FleWM and retreats to her quarters. Mack shows up asking to hang out because he's been feeling neglected. He talks to Kova too much about plants and all of his intricate future plans. They watch Scooby Doo together. Kova's never seen it before and she likes it. She fills him in on Lu's decision to work at a clinic.
The crew returns to the Terpsichore where Alfie asks NoDot for a mysterious favor, and NoDot asks Kova to help move things out of an old apartment unit on Ceres with the intention of giving Hecate's belongings to Mack.
Alfie asks NoDot to acquire all Hermes Orphanage records for the last 30 years including where each orphan went when they left. NoDot agrees to do it in spite of failing to coax any more information out of Alfie as to the nature of this request.
Alfie then goes to the mess to get smashed on some space whiskey by himself.
2350-12-25 (Monday)
Summary: The crew exchanges gifts. NoDot moves out of their apartment. Repairs on the ship are initiated. Nikki and Julie dance. Number wins a poker tournament. The crew thwarts a terror plot by Inaros' OPA
Stocking Stuffers
Nikki blasts Kelly Clarkson "Underneath the Tree" at 8AM to wake everyone up and give out stocking gifts.
From Nikki
Everyone gets a chocolate orange and an additional gift in a stocking from Nikki.
Alfie: Buncha cigars. Alfie immediately lights one to nurse his hangover.
Kova: Beanie for Pip. Kova hugs Nikki and puts the clothes on Pip.
NoDot: Bedazzled Fidget Spinner. NoDot is moved by the gesture and feels guilty for not getting anything for anyone on the ship. Then she tries to do cool fidget spinner tricks but can't figure them out.
Mack: Nerf Gun. Mack is already making a mess with with it and asking if he can shoot Pip as target practice.
Julie: A set of tubes for her animatronic hamster to run around in. She isn't on the ship but sends a picture that morning of it all set up.
From Alfie
Alfie started on a hand-knit scarf for Nikki before the other members of the crew showed up around half a year ago, and didn't have time to knit anything for anyone else.
From NoDot
NoDot wrote a personalized song for Hecate based on Hecate's D&D character that she plays in her campaign with her femboy neighbors. She forgot to get anything for anyone else and feels pretty bad about it.
NoDot's Old Apartment
Summary: NoDot lays in a ball in her apartment. It was a depression cave for NoDot and they do not enjoy returning to it. Kova and Nikki help clean. Hecate asks that any botany stuff that she left behind before going to Ganymede be given to Mack. NoDot moves their servers to a colo (server farm) somewhere on Ceres.
NoDot decides it is time to vacate their old Ceres apartment unit, and enlists the aid of Kova. NoDot thinks that some of Hecate's old supplies might be useful to Mack and his new plant hobby. Kova obliges, and Nikki offers to come along as well.
When they arrive, it is "depression made manifest." It was not cleaned up before NoDot left to join the Terpsichore. There is a single, sad, dead cactus. Unassembled furniture. And a bunch of server arrays that NoDot has been using remotely. Additionally, there is bunch of Hecate's stuff.
Nikki asks Kova to go down the street and grab basic cleaning supplies, while she stays to have a little heart-to-heart with NoDot. NoDot curls into a ball on the ground and asks Nikki if we can burn the place down. After talking her down from arson, they agree to expedite the process by hauling out what's worthwhile, and having the servers moved to a colo on the edge of mid-town. The colo was recommended to NoDot's friend N3ko12 who works as a Security Engineer at Ceres U. Anything of Hecate's that was botany related goes to Mack. Everything usable gets hauled to the ship, everything else goes into trash bags. The mold and grime is left as gift to the landlord.
At some point they put in a food order for delivery.
Kova takes some of the sentimental stuff that NoDot would've trashed and hides them to take back to the ship, knowing NoDot will appreciate it later.
You'll Shoot Your Eye Out Kid
Alfie takes his sniper rifle in for repairs and upgrades, and has a chat with Jim the weapons dealer. Jim says it'll cost 350k, and to come back on the 27th to pick it up.
A Brief Stroll in Space
Kova supplies Alfie with a list of more pressing safety-critical repairs that will need to be performed by a team of mechanics. Alfie finds a local dock-yard that can do the repairs while the ship is in its current berth. One of the managers offers to take Alfie out in a windowed skiff, where he is able to see the exterior of the Terpsichore as well as, off in the distance, the exterior of the Elysian Dream. Alfie is in awe of this thing, and has never seen anything quite like it. Alfie can see that even the exterior has design choices that serve no other purpose than conspicuous display of wealth. It looks very Art Deco, and the skiff owner said that photos from a couple months ago showed it looking completely different. The skiff operator tells Alfie that it cost over 6Tn UND to build, and was built on a shipyard in Luna, and what's crazier it was built ten times faster than similar sized luxury yachts, being completed in only a year.
Afterward, Alfie gets some street food for lunch near the dock. It looks like some analogue of french fries and various dipping sauces. Alfie can't taste any of it.
To Join the Masquerade
Preparation
Everyone, including Julie, meets up to prepare for the masquerade. NoDot picks a black wig to go with their lavender dress. Kova gets assistance from Alfie in tying a bow-tie, which surprises Nikki, who didn't expect him to be so accustomed to formal attire. Julie's outfit is as close to sexy as she thinks she can get away with, while remaining black-tie formal. Nobody notices Mack is not on the ship.
Waiting in Line
This area of the docks has been cleaned heavily, and decorated to feel opulent, in contrast to its typical utilitarian and dirty metal vibe. Most of the folks in the line, which is not moving quickly, are clearly military-age. The crew go over their cover names before Nikki, Number, and Julie join the line. Alfie and Kova follow other staff to the front of the line, attempting to blend in with other staff who are doing the same.
Nikki - Cassandra Gainsborough
Number - Miss Lillith Asmodeous
Julie - Isadora Landon
Alfie - Conner ******
Kova - July McMillan
