Departments & Positions
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Bridge Crew (S.S. Fawkes Manifest)
The bridge is where the brain of the operation resides. Decisions are made and courses plotted. On top of that it's also room with the big screen used for looking what's happening outside in the cold dark of space. The four people here work closely together, with the help of some deck hands, to keep the Fawkes pointed in the right direction, both physically as well as ethically.
Captain The traditional title of Captain is given to whoever is in command of a ship, in this case a merchant Starship. A captain doesn’t always legally own the ship under his or her command, when they don’t own the ship they report to both the legal owner and the (local) authorities. They are the once ultimately responsible for the safety and health of the crew and the contents of the cargo hold. Due to the lack of a purser on the Fawkes the Captain also handles the payrolls and makes sure there is enough money on board to pay the crew as well as overseeing the slop chest. The captain is the face of the operation, keeps in contact with current and potential clients. The captain also has special responsibilities when the ship or its cargo are damaged, when the ship causes damage to other vessels or facilities and in the case of injury or death of a crewmember or passenger. The captain acts as a liaison to local investigators and is responsible for providing complete and accurate logbooks, reports, statements and evidence to document an incident. First Mate The First Mate is the second in command aboard the S.S. Fawkes and their main duty is the security and safety of the captain and the ship. Historically the rank is also referred to as Chief Mate and in line with the history aboard cargo ships the First Mate is in charge of the crew and cargo and reports to the captain. Their duties include ship navigation, plotting the best route to the next destination and overseeing its execution. Furthermore the First Mate is responsible for the well being and training of the crew. In case of emergency the First Mate is on the scene to assess the situation and deal with it accordingly, also overseeing and conducting the occasional emergency drills. Navigator In short the Navigator is the person that gets the ship from A to B. With the introduction of automated travelling and auto piloting the needs for navigators to actually be on watch at the helm all the time has diminished. In special cases where the landing or approach protocols for a facility aren’t automated the navigator makes sure the vessel complies with the regulations set forth by the facility being approached. With the added freedom new technology gives the Navigator other duties have befallen them. In case the Signaller is not on the bridge the Navigator receives incoming hails and calls the on watch crew to the bridge when needed. One of the tasks that befalls the Navigator is to make sure the star charts are still current and up to date. The Navigator works closely together with the First Mate in plotting a course to and from specific locations. When adjusting the course the communication of this is done between the First Mate and the Navigator, it is usually done out loud where the orders given by the First Mate are repeated by the Navigator to ensure the commands have been received as intended. When a Navigator is relieved of the helm he or she will convey the current course and speed to whomever is relieving them in their duties. Together with the Signaller the Navigator teaches the Able and Ordinary Deck Hands their duties while standing watch on the bridge. Signaller Historically Signallers were trained to communicate between ships or aircraft using the radio or a device known as an Aldis Lamp. Nowadays it has grown far beyond this simple keeping contact. Next to the obligations to keep contact with other vessels the Signaller also maintains the communications relays and makes sure the crew can keep in contact with their relatives and friends not aboard. The Signaller on the SS Fawkes is a specialist in communications and as such knowledge about different cultures and languages is necessity rather than luxury. In his or her position next to the Navigator on the bridge he/she helps out with navigation, stellar mapping, positions of other vessels and space debris. Aside from this a Signaller is similar to Information brokers and Fixers in that he or she is a people person, he or she keeps in contact with potential clients and works with the Captain to maintain business relations and find new job opportunities. Together with the Navigator the Signaller teaches the Able and Ordinary Deck Hands their duties while standing watch on the bridge. -
Obsidian Fleet (Recurring Characters)
Obsidian Fleet is headquartered in the Loki star system in orbit of Obsidian, a Federation Protectorate less than 1 light year from the former Romulan Neutral Zone. The Hobus disaster has changed the balance of power in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants and Obsidian Fleet faces challenges all along the border it’s sworn to defend.
TF72 - Task Force CO -
Orion Syndicate (Recurring Characters)
The Orion Syndicate once owned the Fawkes (then known under another name), they have never forgotten how Mayterial and Meghan scammed it off them in 2391.
Leader The main figure head of the Orion Syndicate arm best known as the Green Fangs -
The Upper Decks (S.S. Fawkes Manifest)
Even though the design of the Fawkes is mostly horizontal a distinction is made between the upper decks and the lower decks. Sometimes mockingly called 'first class' by those working on the lower decks, the higher luxury compartments are referred to as the upper decks. This includes guest quarters, a sickbay and a common area that doubles as a lounge and dining room.
Quartermaster The Quartermaster their primary responsibility is making sure that everyone on board the Fawkes has proper lodging, that there are enough supplies to last through the trip. They work together with the Engineer to make sure repairs can be done, with the Physician to make sure there are enough medical supplies and with the Master-at-Arms to make sure the arsenal is up to date. Ship's Physician During the age of sail, a time on Earth where the boats were primarily propulsioned by sails, the Ship’s Physicians, or Surgeons as they were called during that time, didn’t need to have a Medical Degree and were usually trained by way of apprenticeship before coming aboard a vessel. This however is the Space age and due to regulations by the UFP Ship’s Physicians are required to hold a Medical Degree, hence the difference in name. The Ship’s Physician is required to keep the sickbay and medical kits up to regulations set forth by the UFP or other sovereign entities the Fawkes conducts her business in. A Physician may call on the Deck Hands to function as loblolly boys (or girls as the case may warrant), these ‘loblolly boys’ originally were unlicensed crew that would be an assistant to the Surgeon. Through this the Deck Hands can learn about first aide. In case there are wounded or ill that require the care of the Ship’s Physician it is mandatory for him to check in on them twice a day, as set forth by the UFP, usually this is done in the morning and in the evening. A Ship’s Physician doesn’t have an official duty roster but may be called upon 24/7 in case of a medical emergency. Master-at-Arms The Master-at-arms on the S.S. Fawkes in tasked with the security of the vessel. This means they hold the access to the arsenal and also are the once most often behind the tactical console of the bridge. A Master-at-arms responds to security breaches and risks on the ship and makes sure the ship complies with the security protocols as set forth by the United Federation of Planets or other sovereign bodies in whose territory the Fawkes ventures. The Master-at-arms is responsible for the upkeep of the weapons systems and formulating the security protocols in case of a security breach. These protocols exist for situations like, but not confined to, mutiny, external threats by raiders or pirates, enemy boarding parties and security of personnel and cargo on contracts that take them planetside. The Master-at-arms reports to the First Mate and is asked to write up security logs at regular intervals. A final part of his or her duty is to train the Deck Hands, both ordinary and able, in the security protocols so they can help him out in case of an emergency. -
Ex-Crewmembers (Recurring Characters)
The former crew of the S.S. Fawkes were tried and convicted of the smuggling of illegal substances. They are all serving sentences, ranging from a few months to a decade depending on their involvement.
Former First Mate The former first mate on the Fawkes. For years she was the right hand of Mayterial. -
The Lower Decks (S.S. Fawkes Manifest)
Even though the design of the Fawkes is mostly horizontal a distinction is made between the upper decks and the lower decks. The lower decks are where all the cargo is stored as well as housing for the life support systems. Both the supplies needed for day to day work and the actual valuable goods that the Fawkes transports for third parties are taken care of by the people on the Lower Decks.
Boatswain In Earth’s history boatswains have worked in a ship's deck department as the foremen of the unlicensed deck crew. On the S.S. Fawkes the Bosun is the second mate, or third in the chain of command. The Bosun is distinguished from other deck crew by the supervisory roles: planning, scheduling, and assigning work. Outside the supervisory role, the boatswain regularly inspects the vessel and performs a variety of routine, skilled, and semi-skilled duties to maintain all areas of the ship not maintained by the engineering department. These duties can include cleaning, painting, and maintaining the vessel's hull, superstructure and deck equipment as well as executing a formal preventive maintenance program. Moreover, a boatswain may be called upon to lead firefighting efforts or other emergency procedures encountered in the inherently dangerous environment of a starship. Effective boatswains are able to integrate their spacefarer skills into supervising and communicating with members of deck crew with often diverse backgrounds. Engineer The Federation standard word engineer is derived from the Latin (an old Earth language) root ingenium, meaning "cleverness". The engineer’s first responsibility on the ship is ensuring the engine keeps running and the freighter doesn’t fall apart. In Starfleet the Chief Engineer oversees an entire department of Engineers, on the Fawkes it goes back more to the original meaning of the word. An engineer is tasked with keeping everything running and due to this responsibility a high demand is asked on his or her cleverness. The Engineer makes the maintenance schedules, keeps track of which machines and equipment need repairs, upgrades or replacements. The Engineer works together with the Boatswain to keep track of current maintenance programs and in case of emergency the Engineer will conduct emergency repairs by order of the Bosun. In spare time the Engineer can be called upon to teach emergency repair routines to the Deck Hands (both able and ordinary). Deck Hand (Able) They handle the cargo, clean the hallways, stand watch over the bays. Deck Hands report directly to the Boatswain and are the jacks of many trades aboard the SS Fawkes. The difference between the Ordinary and the Able Deck Hand is that the Able Deck Hand has Space faring hours under his or her belt. All Deck hands start as Ordinary Deck Hands and is taken into apprenticeship by the Bosun to develop the skills needed to take up an Able Deck Hand Position. As an Able Deck Hand one can be asked to stand watch on the bridge and the cargo bays when the ship is docked with a facility. In case of emergency Deck Hands help passengers onto the life pods, they also make sure these life rafts are up to specifications laid down by the United Federation of Planets. In very rare cases a Deck Hand may be asked to take over the helm in the absence of the Helmsman. On the S.S. Fawkes Deck Hands, both able and ordinary, may be called upon by the Master-at-arms in case of a (perceived) security risk or breach. Deck Hand (Ordinary) They handle the cargo, clean the hallways, stand watch over the bays. Deck Hands report directly to the Boatswain and are the jacks of many trades aboard the SS Fawkes. The difference between the Ordinary and the Able Deck Hand is that the Able Deck Hand has Space faring hours under his or her belt. All Deck hands start as Ordinary Deck Hands and is taken into apprenticeship by the Bosun to develop the skills needed to take up an Able Deck Hand Position. This means that the Ordinary Deck Hand will spend a lot of their off-duty hours on the bridge, in the cargo bays and in other places they are needed to brush up on their space faring skills such as standing watch over the bridge, the cargo bays and taking the helm. On the S.S. Fawkes Deck Hands, both able and ordinary, may be called upon by the Master-at-arms in case of a (perceived) security risk or breach. -
Passengers & Guests (S.S. Fawkes Manifest)
Even though there technically isn't a difference between passengers and guests on the crew manifest that needs to be filed with the governing authorities there is one significant distinction. Passengers pay for the honour of travelling with the Fawkes, Guests are aboard fully free of charge.
Passenger A passenger is a civilian that is travelling in the same direction as the Fawkes and is willing to pay for the transit. Guests A guest doesn't have to pay for the privilege of travelling with the crew of the Fawkes.