The Mystery Knight (FT, MATURE, CLOSED)

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

Kelso smiled and taking her arm again hey began to head back down through the City. They stopped off at a street vendor to get themselves some food for their trip before heading down to the Marina. There was a great deal of hustle and bustle down there, clearly a lot of people had the same idea as them, which was perhaps hardly surprising given that the early morning mist had cleared to a beautiful sunny day. Kelso bartered with one of the small boat owners and rented one of the small sail boats for the rest of the afternoon, and after a brief explanation of how it worked he felt confident in taking it out without getting the two of them killed. He held out his hand to help June into the boat and after a few quick chests cast off from the jetty and as the sails caught the wind began to guide the craft out into open water, avoiding the other boats all around them. Most of them were heading further out, so as Kelso and June’s boat headed for the city walls it significantly thinned out. Kelso put them into a position where they could see just enough of the city whilst staying relatively close to the walls.

Once they reached a straight stretch of the wall Kelso reached back into the bag that he had grabbed from the street vendor and began to hand the food out. Like most of the lowborn food they had eaten so far it was simple and wholesome. Specifically it was sandwiches, with thick bread with crunchy crusts, delicious ham and cheese inside. He took one for himself and handed the other over to June, along with a flask of ice cold water.

“Nothing fancy, I’m afraid, but it should be nice,” Kelso replied with a smile. “The Capital gets the best ingredients, even the lowborn.”

[Dracoixa]

The Capital System
Patria
Lieutenant Tatsua Von June IV

June settled back in the boat, enjoying the sunny day and as their boat reached where Kelso had wanted it to go, she happily took the sandwich. "Kelso, you're going to need to stop that." She chuckled, taking a sip of water, "I know its not fancy, but that doesn't mean its not good! The Navy, while my ships does have some very good cooks aboard, it isn't 5 star. I know not to expect five star meals while here." She took a bite of her sandwich, looking up at the city. It really was an impressive site, a marvel of what had to been egineering to get all that stone to stay like that and reinforce it to survive battles with space-age weapons.

It might of taken her a while, but she'd come to accept that the Kingdom was different from her own nation and while some of its way may seem backwards, it still worked for them. It had its flaws, but every system had them, so she couldn't hold it against him, as long as Kelso didn't force her to bend to his will, which she knew he would never do.

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

Kelso smiled slightly but said nothing as he continued to eat his own lunch looking up at the city. All along the walls were the banners of House Maximus, a gold and black tiger upon a royal purple background, fluttering proudly over the City which had been its home for so long. Truth be told he was enjoying his first visit to the Capital as much as she was, and was as much in awe as her. His home of Tidespring had been big by the standards of the Arcadia System, not as big or formidable as High Peak, but Patria just put both of them to shame. The traditional aesthetic style hiding the significant amount of technology and modern materials in the construction, after all you didn’t get towers as tall as those which climbed from Patria, nor did you get stone walls that could withstand multiple direct turbo laser hits; sure a fight might reveal the heavy durasteel armour inlay, but the ‘stone’, which was actually nothing of the sort despite appearances, wouldn’t exactly give up its secrets without a fight. Much like the Realm and its people, the architecture of the Kingdom might look old-fashioned, but beneath the surface they were anything but.

Of course Kelso knew that June disapproved of some of the Kingdom’s cultural foibles, but he sensed that she was coming to accept them, as long as Kelso and his people didn’t partake in the darker aspects, or condoned anyone who ever did. Of course there were many things she would not understand about them, not yet anyway, such as the political structure or constraints, or many of those very cultural foibles, but he would always do his best to explain them to her, and he knew that whilst she might be angry at first, she would never really hold anything against him. Of course if they were ever ultimately able to marry and have children there would be a lot of questions and discussions, but that was for another time. For the moment Kelso was happy to be showing her his Kingdom and its culture, particularly if it was the less objectionable sort.

Right now however they were enjoying lunch and each other’s company, in the shadow of a beautiful city, and Kelso couldn’t be happier.

[Dracoixa]

The Capital System
Patria
Lieutenant Tatsua Von June IV

Once June had finished her lunch, June had taken to studying the city as much as possible, from the wall that led down to the water, to the fluttering banners and flags. What a marvel it was. It was nothing like the modern silver and sleekness you could find on Dracoixa.It looked like something out of her history books on ancient Earth times, just like the whole culture with its lords, tall stone walls, and Knights in shining armor. It was almost like someone had taken that period in time, gave it spaceships and dropped it into space.

You know, that probably not far from the truth. June thought with a grin as she watched the large banners with the gold and black tiger on it fluttering in the breeze.

"Kelso, how do different houses get their animals symbols?" She asked as she leaned against him. "Do the first people of that house just choose it?"

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

“More or less, with the exception of the oldest, most of the Lordly Houses began as Knightly Houses, and when anointed each Knight chooses their own personal sigil, most stay just that, but those that grow into Lordly Houses become the sigil of that House,” Kelso replied. “In general the Knight, or Lord if that is the case, chooses an animal or some other design, it doesn’t have to be an animal, that has some sort of relevance to them, or to the lands in which they hold lordship over.”

Kelso smiled slightly.

“The first Lord of Tidespring came from a small village in the foothills on Arcadia where swallows were a common sight, and even as a child he was so agile and nimble that he was compared to a swallow,” Kelso explained. “When he was Knighted by House Howard he took the colours of House Howard, blue, and placed upon it a back swallow, and henceforth became known as the Swallow Knight, a sigil he kept when he was made a Lord two decades later.”

Kelso leant back in the boat and looked up at the city again.

“Like I said, it doesn’t have to be an animal, the sigil of House Forrester for example is a tall Fir Tree against a dark blue background, which as the issue of a noble House both Ser Hannah and Ser George would use, as its highly uncommon for those born into a Highborn family to take a new sigil,” Kelso added. “Usually new sigils only come into existence when a naturally occurring Forceborn is raised to the rank of Knight, and even then, only those of the Lords or the Landed Knights are well known, many of the knights you’ll see tomorrow will be obscure, or very similar to their Lords if they are so sworn.”

[Dracoixa]

The Capital System
Patria
Lieutenant Tatsua Von June IV

"Huh thats neat." June said. "Kinda like how our Lords and Ladys name their earldoms. We don't have knights, but when an Earldom is first created, the person being given the title and land is allowed to name it, and give it a symbol or logo. If they don't name it, it just becomes their last name... or sometimes the name of earldom becomes the person last name, kinda like your name Kelso." She said, out here, no one was listening so she could speak a bit more freely. "Sometimes the name means as much as the symbol does. While I hate bringing this particular one up, the Mayflower Earldom uses the Mayflower as its symbol because despite its beauty, its very deadly plant. Shouldn't let one spoil the whole bunch though, the Mayflowers have always been very good politicians and usually loyal subjects."

She grinned suddenly.

"And then there is MY family." She placed a hand on her chest, "Legends says that James the Great, while settling Dracoixa couldn't think of a name for the planet or what they should put on the flag. One night, while sleeping he saw and heard a dragon in his dream who's roar 'shook the cosmos.'" She said so dramatically she grinned again. "So he came up with the name Dracoixa for out planet, and the dragon for our flag, its a cool story, not sure if I believe it though."

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

Kelso looked back up at the city and the banners. As he had explained to her many times before there was so much about the Kingdom that was based on symbolism and much of that was based on the history of the Realm and the squabbling minor Kingdoms that had preceded it, but everything, from the use of banners to identify the houses to the ceremony through which a Knight was anointed all had their roots in the past and in a great deal of symbolism. So whether they were exaggerated or not was beside the point, to an extent, rather what was important was what they stood for, their symbolism and the impact it had on the modern culture of the Realm and its constituent parts.

“In my experience most of the old stories have some basis in fact, although they’ll have been so embellished over the years that most of the details will be untrue or exaggerated to say the least,” Kelso replied with a slight smile. “I tend to take the basic facts as just that, but that everything beyond the basics is unreliable to say the least, even if they do make better stories or songs!”

[Dracoixa]

The Capital System
Patria
Lieutenant Tatsua Von June IV

"I still don't believe it was that dramatic and neat. Surely you have to have SOME idea of what you want to name a planet before you get there. Child's tales I swear. I say, but it does sound nice as a bedtime story." June said, glancing up at the sails of the boat.

"Too bad we don't have a skiprunner, those are ships we learned how to navigate the winds at the Naval Academy, and let me tell you those things were fun. No technology to help you beyond old tools, but if someone was clocking your speed, you could be running across the surface of the water in no time. though not for the faint of heart of weak-stomached." She leaned to look into the water. "waves could really throw you if you weren't careful."

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

“Best way to learn is without any modern technology to help you, makes sure that you don’t become dependent on it, which by extension makes you better at it when you do have it, and more than capable when you don’t,” Kelso commented. “I mean look at the Kingdom, we have far more technology than you would think just looking at us, but if we can get along without using it, or using it subtly or sparingly, we do, aside from anything else it gives outsiders one hell of a shock.”

Kelso smiled.

“For example, those horses that we saw the Hand of the King riding on, sure they look quaint when they’re being used in peacetime, but I guarantee you when time comes for war, our enemies laughing at our ‘Cavalry’ will be the last thing they ever laugh at,” Kelso smirked as he thought about the prospect. “Trust me, although at distance it might like odd and antiquated, but when it gets up close, over two thousand pounds worth of power-armoured horse bearing down on you is absolutely terrifying.”

[Dracoixa]

The Capital System
Patria
Lieutenant Tatsua Von June IV

"Wait, you actually have a functional calvary in your troops?" June said as she looked up at Kelso. She paused for a moment, then began to laugh.

"Good Lord, I'm in love with a man whose nation is an excerpt from the manual of the Society for Creative Anachronism." She leaned up against him, still laughing a little. "You know I thought when we made first contact I imagined we'd be the stranger of the two nations with our 'perfect' genetics and animals ships. But your nation.. YOUR nation takes the cake. I cannot believe some of the things you do when other things might be better." She smiled, "But then I'm sure your nation wouldn't be so great with such a long and rich history."

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

“Indeed we do, our Knights are not just named as such for tradition’s sake, as formidable combatants as we are on foot, you have not seen a Force Knight truly until you see him mounted,” Kelso replied with a slight smile at her amusement. “In addition to our Knights, who serve as Shock Troops, we also have lighter cavalry who act as scouts and skirmishers, and with powered armour they’re as fast as anything ‘modern’ technology might come up with.”

Kelso smirked.

“Maybe if I win the Tourney I’ll use the prize money to buy some horses and armour for my Knights back home, then I’ll give you a demonstration,” Kelso added. “Whether its breaking an enemy line or storming an entrenched position, few can do it better than a Knights Charge.”

[Dracoixa]

The Capital System
Patria
Lieutenant Tatsua Von June IV

"That would be kind of cool. More stuff for your people is always good, but just because I'm laughing at the idea of your cavalry, doesn't mean you need to prove to me that they're effective. If you need them, get them, though where you're going to hold horses on that ball of lava you claimed as your own I'll never know." June said. "Though I couldn't imagine training a horse to wear armor. Horses on my planet are pretty much just for leisure now."

She couldn't help grinning. "Because we Dracoixans are highly sophisticated and advanced." She drew herself up straighter, putting on her best snob-like look, though she couldn't exactly look down on Kelso who was taller then her, "And you people from the Kingdom are backwards neobarbs."

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

“Using horses for military purposes had a long and distinguished history in the Kingdom, aside from anything else they’re reliable, can perform to high standards without assistance and with powered armour they become formidable,” Kelso replied promptly. “I’d rather go into battle with a wing of mounted Knights than any of those ‘modern’ monstrosities I’ve seen in your databanks, besides as we’ve shown with our siege engines, if you’re going to make a mechanical weapons system, go big or go home.”

Kelso raised an eyebrow.

“Just because you flaunt your technology doesn’t make you more advanced, and certainly not more sophisticated, its going to be this neobarb’s armies that help you retake your home,” Kelso replied smugly, then grinned. “And it’s this neobarb that ravishes you, the Princess of this ‘sophisticated’ Kingdom of yours, every night and you love every minute of it.”

[Dracoixa]

The Capital System
Patria
Lieutenant Tatsua Von June IV

June couldn't help blushing at his comments. It really was amazing, how different their cultures were, how different they were, and yet here they were, joking and making suggestive comments to each other like they came from the same planet. She couldn't imagine her life without him now, had it really only been a year in a half? It feels like it should be longer.

"Okay, okay... I know I should not have said that" She said with a grin. "You know, all you'd need is a high tower to rescue me from and this would relationship would be almost hilarious. Lets see, we have bad guys, swords, knights in shining armor, hell, even a dragon." She managed to make it light despite talking about the ship that almost had killed her. "Though... I don't think your lightsword is going to be able to kill this dragon."

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

Kelso smiled.

“Get me on the hull of that ship and we’ll see what I can do about that, there are very few known materials that can resist a lightsword, and the Kingdom controls all the known sources of which can within several thousand lightyears,” Kelso replied with a slight smile. “No ship is unbeatable, if we have to sweet talk the King to borrow his Star Dreadnought to take the damn thing out we’ll do that, or once I’ve reclaimed my home I’m sure Lord Howard will let me borrow some of his Star Destroyers.”

[Dracoixa]

The Capital System
Patria
Lieutenant Tatsua Von June IV

"Yeah I'm not exactly sure our alloys could stand up to a lightsword... though since I've never seen or heard about Kingdom ships in the Pheonix Neblua, I'm going to assume that there may be source you don't control... though I don't know if we'd really know what to do with it." June mused. "Though while having that monstrosity fight for us would be nice, the Leviathan is only as large as two older Imperators and your ship would probably be a pretty good match for it with support. While its better going in with overkill, then not enough support, but damn, I don't know about having THAT large a ship around."

She looked up at the clouds rolling across the sky. "Though if Othan starts building more dragonships, we might need the help, but I don't think we have the support structure to have that many large ships around, let alone the people to manage such a complex machine and the fuel to fly it. Leviathan was a massive project and it been in the making for something like 30 years, now thats it been done, it'll be easier to build if he wants another one, but I don't think Dracoixa could support running two dragons at once." She shrugged. "Though if he's reedy and doesn't care for his navy's support system collapsing under the weight, he could build as many as the yards could churn out. Thank god he's so far only building the the smaller warships."

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

“There’s no kill like overkill, the Star Dreadnought is designed to, effectively, take on entire Fleets on its own, although formidable as it is, it is not invincible, Kelso replied with a slight smile. “However, short of Othan attacking the Kingdom openly I doubt we can persuade the King that he is a threat to the Realm, and even Lord Howard will likely leave the matter to me, and you, unless there is a clear and present threat.”

Kelso smiled slightly.

“However, by the time I reclaim my home I intend to have three Star Destroyers of my own, not to mention that once I am Lord of Tidespring in fact I should be able to call upon all four of my Lords Bannerman,” Kelso added. “Each of them can provide one Star Destroyer and escorts, so just from the strength of my House and my vassals we should have enough to deal with any one of Othan’s ships, probably more.”

Kelso nodded.

“Obviously its going to take a while for us to build up our forces to an appropriate level, but once we have the strength, we ought to go, every week and month means a stronger Othan,” Kelso commented. “However, we should not be talking business now! We’re here to enjoy ourselves, not continue strategising!”

[Dracoixa]

The Capital System
Patria
Lieutenant Tatsua Von June IV

June nodded and snuggled up beside Kelso, looking back up at Patria in all its glory. "I'm sorry, I guess I was just dazzled by the sheer size of the King's flagship. I couldn't imagine building something that big and manning it too. What do you even do with all that ship?"

She turned her eyes skyward, shielding her eyes as she looked to where the sun was. "So how long until dinner and the play and what should I wear? Something a bit more formal? Ser Hannah did provide me with a few dresses to wear."

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

“Well, she was built during the Succession War, she turned the tide of the entire war, reinforcing the Royal Fleet during a major battle with forces loyal to House Corrigan,” Kelso replied glancing skyward, knowing that the great ship was up there. “Between that victory and her presence in other battles of the war, the rebels days were numbered, now she tends to stay sat in orbit, making her point.”

Kelso glanced over at the sun, which was descending towards the horizon.

“We should probably be heading back for dinner, then back to the Tavern to change into something a little smarter, one of the dresses will do nicely, then off to the play,” Kelso added. “It’s gonna be a dagger affair rather than swords, I’ve got a spare knife if you need one and can find someone to hide it?”

[Dracoixa]

The Capital System
Patria
Lieutenant Tatsua Von June IV

June thought about it for a moment. She then nodded.

"I can handle a knife and i think a have someplace to hide it. Though dare i hope we don't get in trouble with anyone while watching the play."

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

“It’s more the getting there and back,” Kelso grinned.

By this point they had completed their circuit of the City, passed under the King’s Causeway and were now heading back towards the Marina. With a few deft commands they pulled alongside and Kelso returned ownership of the boat to its owner and received his deposit in return. Now they they were back on dry land he picked his sword belt up from the bottom of the boat and returned it to his middle, settling it into position as he clipped his cloak on. Once they were both ready for heading back Kelso led the way back through the streets of the city. It was just as busy as it had been earlier, albeit in a different, slower way. Where earlier there had been frantic activity as people moved hither and tither on various errands they now wandered slowly, no doubt looking for their evening meal and entertainment. There were a few, like Kelso and June, who knew where they were going and who moved like purpose, and of course there were the men, and women, of the City Watch, picking their way through the crowds, keeping their eyes out for anyone thinking of taking advantage of the crowds.

For Kelso and June however they made it back to the Tavern without much issue, and were able to order themselves dinner. As with all the lowborn food they had been trying so far it was simple, yet enjoyable. Specifically it was steak and sides, venison most likely given the taste, well cooked and the sides were just as nice. Kelso eagerly tucked into the meal, after military rations for so long it was nice to get real food, not counting the previous nights serving aboard the Fido.

[Dracoixa]

The Capital System
Patria
Lieutenant Tatsua Von June IV

June enjoyed the strange meal. SImple and and enjoyable, but she'd never had this type of meat before. When she had asked, he'd called it 'venison'. She amusing told him that had meant nothing to her, as she'd never heard of the word before, when he further explained it as deer. She'd nodded and gone on to continue enjoying the meal and its accompanied sides.

Now June's ships weren't as bad off as Kelso's were. They still had their ship gardens which grew fresh fruits and veggies, honey from the beehives, and whatever meat they had managed to preserve a year and half later after being cut off from their supply lines. But as the meat ran out and in a bid not to stress the gardens, they'd began to stretch their food with rations, protein bars still good to eat and other means of food stretching. So June was enjoying her full meals that she hadn't had been able to get back at Tide's Edge.

Soon it would be on to the play, and she wondered what it was going to be about.

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

Once they had finished up their dinner they had headed up to their room to change. Kelso had pulled not the smartest set of non-sigil clothes he could find, and in the end he was reasonably happy with the outcome; he looked smart enough, certainly the part of a Hedge Knight that he was supposed to be playing. He had removed his sword belt and instead pulled on a normal bet with a shorter dagger in its place, enough to defend himself in close quarters with but not good for much else, he hoped that he wasn’t going to need it. The deterrent would hopefully be enough, although the City streets were naturally more dangerous at night, despite the increased presence of the City Watch on the streets. Fortunately they would be spending most of their time in the middle class and highborn sections of the city, which naturally attracted a better class of person, their time wandering through the lowborn streets would be kept to an absolute minimum. In any event with the Force as his ally Kelso was more than confident of being able to protect himself and June from any lowborn trash that might mistake them for a soft target.

Once he was satisfied with himself Kelso glanced over at June.

[Dracoixa]

The Capital System
Patria
Lieutenant Tatsua Von June IV

June had donned one of the dresses Ser Hannah had given her. It looked nice enough, though it was no where near as daring or revealing as her evening dress had been. That was probably for the best though, she didn't want to attract too much attention and unlike out on Tide's Edge, here it would attract the wrong type of attraction, even if they were armed. (which meant the 'no underwear' thing was out of the question here, she wasn't going to attempt that anywhere but in the safety of their ships or planet.) She'd taken the extra dagger and tucked int into a belt of her own, and while the belt didn't exactly match the belt, she'd managed to get a sash that matched it to cover it. In the end it looked nice, not to expensive and hid the dagger pretty well. She pulled her black-blue hair back into a loose ponytail.

"So, how do I look?" June said.

[The Kingdom of the Five Systems]

Lord Kelso Windtide
Patria, The Capital System

Kelso looked back over at her and nodded his approval. She would certainly fit in and that was the important part. Whilst he had absolutely approved of her dress the other night, this was much more in fitting with the Realm’s societal expectations. In the Kingdom a Highborn Lady’s attire was supposed to be beautiful and complex, stunning and attention grabbing, more so than daring or risqué. With that in mind June’s dress, provided by Ser Hannah, was a just the right position on the scale given the station she was supposed to be holding as the companion of a Hedge Knight. Of course she made it look even better by her sheer physical attractiveness, which he couldn’t help but notice.


“You look gorgeous,” Kelso replied with a smile.