Hi! Nethril here, a new writer on the EM-8ER staff.
For this month, we have a new skin, and new lore for you all to enjoy! This month, the lore and images will be related to a brand new character.
Download this free(!!) wallpaper at my.em8er.com
This skin is available for your pilot if you become a monthly subscriber at,
https://my.em8er.com/perks/campaign/7
Lucretia
Born amongst the ashes of her home world, on the last ship to scan the rubble of their once beloved home, born to a race of orphans. That was the lot in life for Lucretia. Soon after the violent destruction of her home world, she came to understand what it meant to be an orphan after her Reaper parents were killed exploring a potential new home world.
Orphaned, alone and bitter, Lucretia found a surrogate family with the Reapers, the bravest of the brave. Seeking to join their ranks, Lucretia applied herself and learned everything she could about exploring new worlds.
But she was never meant to walk the reaper path. Because of her more… Unsavory tendencies, she was never fully accepted into the ranks of the Reapers. They cast her out a scant year before the discovery of EM-8ER and fell in with a group of bandits who recognized her tendencies as an advantage, not a curse. Finally, she had a home.
Now 32, and a captain of her own ship, the
Hawkwing, Lucretia soars through the skies of EM-8ER selling her misbegotten articles to anyone with a credit and a pulse. All in the name of the survival of herself and her people.
“Tell them our price. If they pay it, good enough. If not… Well their meks are made of metal too.”
LORE DROP - Captain Lucretia
Meeting of Minds
Lucretia slammed the door of her of her cabin shut, looked around the narrow corridor and frowned, “You’re supposed to be on the bridge Roz.”
The big man came to attention, shrugged and tapped his finger on the hilt of the sidearm he always carried, “I came to see if you were ready for today, if you needed anything.”
Lucretia eyed him, and stepped up to him, snagging the gun from the holster Roz wore on his hip, and in one fluid motion pressed the barrel to the side of his temple. She did it smooth and quick enough that her second only had time to flinch before the barrel was at his head, “I told you to keep the safety on this weapon. If it goes off at the wrong moment, you’re going to be down a leg.”
She took the gun from his head and put it back in its holster. Roz twitched once, then sighed, “Sorry boss, I was practicing with it last night down at the range and forgot to flip it back.”
She nodded and turned away, “If I see it again, I’ll space you.”
Roz’s face went a shade paler than usual and he jerked his head in a nod, “Okay boss. Sorry again.”
She wouldn’t really space him. Couldn’t really. The
Hawkwing couldn’t reach space, though it could get relatively close. The best she could do would be to eject him in the upper atmosphere. Not that it was anymore survivable.
“Are they here?” She asked.
Roz nodded, “Yeah. All of them have been here for an hour. They’re getting a little upset.”
Lucretia nodded, “And their ships?”
“They’re hovering close by, but not too close.” He grinned, “Wouldn’t want anyone to start thinking nasty thoughts, eh?”
That was good. She wanted them off balance and annoyed. They’d be easier to manipulate if they were focused on their boredom or hunger. She’d have a much easier time with her plan.
She strode away from her second, expecting him to follow her. He was a good second, but lacked some instinct that made her wonder if there was someone better on her ship. There wasn’t a lack of people on board. Surely one of them could perform better.
She shook her head; it was a thought for another time. For now, Roz was sufficient to keep the ship in the air. She needed nothing else.
For now.
Roz hurried to catch up with her, “Do you want me to come in with you, boss? I’ve got Acre on the deck and he…”
She cut him off with a swipe of her hand, “No. I want you go to back to your post. I will handle the captains alone. This won’t take long.”
Roz nodded and dashed off to follow instructions. Lucretia watched him go, then walked down the corridor toward the big double doors at the other end. Inside sat the six most powerful sky captains on EM-8ER. The ones with the most influence and power. The ones she absolutely had to convince, or else they were doomed.
She took a deep breath and pushed the doors open, striding through them as if she owned the room and everything in it.
On the other side, she found the six great captains seated around a great round table. All of them were in various states of annoyance. A few of them even looked outright angry.
This suited Lucretia fine. She wanted them to be upset, annoyed, angry. She wanted them thinking about anything but what she might be about to propose. It would prevent them from coming up with arguments against it. Arguments that would achieve nothing but wasted time.
She strode to the last empty seat around the table, ignoring the stares of the seated six. Each one had brought a single crew mate with them. The rules had dictated it be so. Anymore would invite the possibility of ambush, any less would invite the possibility of kidnapping, or worse.
A suspicious, angry, cynical group of bastards she had on her hands. She stood at the remaining chair but didn’t sit down. She gazed around the table, meeting each captain in the eye. Each one of them had bled and sacrificed for his or her ship, for their crew. Each would want to lead this council. The council to decide how to meet this new enemy.
The Tsi-Hu had slagged multiple terraforming zones, killed hundreds, even ripped a nomad ship out of the sky.
Every captain at this table shared two things in common. They were Gatestriders and they were utterly devoted to their ship and crew. Lucretia would use that devotion to take control, to unite. To stand in the face of the coming storm.
Slowly she sat down in the chair, laying her hands flat on the cold metal desk, “Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the opening meeting of the Skyreavers. We have much to discuss.”
