#serkune

After some deliberation, I’ve successfully assigned all current crew members to appropriate fields and ranks.

Getting them into the right fields was easy enough, most of them had some proficiency that translated into a role needed on the ship. Tarnja Vex, for instance, was the only logical choice for pilot.

The exception to that rule is Redvik Meeder. He’s, to put it kindly, not particularly proficient in anything. I’ve allocated him to the medbay as a trainee nurse under Dr. Da’ani, hoping he can pick up a thing or two. When he’s not assisting her, he mostly just mops the floor. I never asked him to do that, he just enjoys doing it. It makes him feel useful. I don’t have the heart to tell him the ship cleans itself every five cycles. Who am I to deny him this Sisyphean joy?

As for the others, I’ve appointed department heads and delegated the responsibility of promoting crew members within their departments to them. They are, after all, far more familiar with their fields than I am.

Lyande Deccem: Head of Research

Carlya Nivan: Head of Engineering

Leibniz Winsig: Head of Resource Management

Dr. Rana Da’ani: Head of Medical

I’ve also appointed Makarrh Myhaal as my first officer. Originally, I wanted Lya to take that position, but she made a strong case that her greatest strengths made her better suited to lead the research department.

Still, despite technically being my “second” choice, I have no reason to doubt Myhaal’s capability. She’s a very competent and intelligent woman. The only issue I’ve had in direct communication is that she can be a little... dry. I don’t hold that against her, Makarrh's family is not originally from Maevus and she likely grew up with a different sense of humor.

This might not be how the Coalition manages their crews, but I’m confident this arrangement will be just good enough to meet their expectations. After all, I have no intention of actually joining the Coalition... but for the time being, they’ll make a good ally.

"Captain"... That word still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, even after so many years.

That being said, I prefer it over titles like "Grand Matriarch" or "Your Excellency," and I will continue to accept that role as long as I have the support of my comrades. The sad reality is that, no matter how democratic you try to make the process, someone still needs to make the final executive decision. Technically, it's the same dynamic we had back on Maevus, but on a starship drifting through the cold vacuum of space, that responsibility feels much heavier. There was always a certain level of risk involved in joining our movement, but now there’s hardly any way to back out safely.

Backing out, that's how we ended up here to begin with. What was meant to be our final victory, the last step toward liberating Maevus, turned into one of the most shameful moments of my life: my first tactical retreat. A messy one, at that. There always were different currents within our movement, such is the way of democracy, but I never expected our visions for the future to diverge so drastically that some of our own would betray us to the Serkune Guard, our supposed common enemy.

I also blame myself for the betrayal, at least partially. While the traitors claimed it was about conflicting ideas of what a world without Serkune rule should look like, I’m certain their distrust of me, the heir to the throne, played no small part in their decision.

Against all odds, we barely escaped…, albeit with heavy casualties, and fled Maevus aboard an old, decommissioned starship. Its official designation is BC-9719, but my crew and I have taken a liking to the name Eclipse, in reference to how the way the doors open resemble a solar eclipse.

Now that we've officially entered Coalition Space and I requested protection from political persecution, as well as a new piloting license, it falls to me, as Captain, to assign official ranks to my crewmates. A dreadful but necessary task for further negotiations.

End of Log.