RP: YSS Kaiyō Mission 36: Kōsaten no Hoshi

[Ametheliana]

16日 8月 YE 47
Tami Hangar
YSS Kaiyō II

Hoshi had been gone four months. Whatever grim attitude her loss from the ship had caused had dissipated within the first month and in the second had been replaced with a purposefulness that drove the ship's near-constant activity. Following counsel from the mutineer, Charbon, Aiko had taken the Kaiyo to Abwehr where most of the crew had been digging up deeply rooted NMX elements in the trade hub there. Unlike Rabaal which they had freed from Mishhuvurthyar control before it could spread insidiously through the planet in the early days after the Second Battle of Elysia, Star's Crossroads had not been so lucky.

Though, not all of the crew had been aboard for this. At Hoshi's urging in the beginning of the year before she was a prisoner of war, the enlisted soldiers had begun to think about their future. Sif had gone off to the School of Advanced Infantry Combat (the captain had put in the paperwork before her capture and there was not much Sif could do but go) while Rio had been beginning her SAINT training during the Second Battle of Elysia and Rabaal and had continued such.

They were arriving back at the ship today along with other faces that had stepped among the white stone and verdant vine laced walls of the cliff-carved base. There were none new, though. It seemed the ship was taking on plenty of personnel that knew it well rather than newcomers—unless you were to count the former NMX.

Erika Elster was there, the SAINT operative whose real name was unknown to the crew. She had gone by "Kasa" when they had infiltrated the NMX base the year before and found her living in the walls amongst them. She was chaperoning Charbon who had gone for standard re-education for former NMX Nekovalkyrja and was returning to the ship as an intelligence asset alongside the snowy SAINT handler. Charbon's ears laid flat against her head and her ashy hair was shorn short with a heavy hand, but she did look healthier. Her cheekbones still jutted out, but beneath them were no longer deep hollows and above them her eyes no longer held deep bags, just a sultry darkness on her lids alone.

The Rikugun recruits had been ranked up after meeting, joining, and staying with the crew of the Kaiyō during the pivotal battle at the Elysian temple.

There had been two weeks of leave before today and Boss bowed her navy haired head to each returning member alongside a row of ruddy-haired Jane maid androids who collected everyone's bags.

"Please make your way to the wardroom for a warm meal and briefing from Kitsurugi-chusa," the ship MEGAMI informed. "We'll be underway shortly."

In the span between now and the Second Battle of Elysia and Rabaal, Mistress Taisho Yui of the Star Army had decided to reclaim her original name "Kitsurugi" after having changed it to honor a fallen soldier. The Kaiyō crew had become accustomed to hearing Uesureyan soldiers call Aiko the same clan name. For many, the shift to either Ketsurui or Kitsurugi that Aiko had adopted, as well, came seamlessly.

 

[Sunny D]

Erika walked along the docking gantry, Charbon following slightly behind. The SAINT had taken the lead naturally, though not without calculation. Walking ahead implied trust and spared the defector the weight of scrutiny. But Erika’s elfin ears were enough; she could hear the clatter of boots, the soft ruffle of cloth as Charbon fidgeted. Enough rope to hang herself. Though Erika hoped she wouldn’t.

It was part Erika’s role to find weaknesses in her assignments and exploit them. With Charbon, some were already visible. In her debrief, the defector had said: “Nearly broke every reason I would have to be here.” But Erika believed the real reason she’d defected was simple; she was tired of seeing her sisters treated as food, fodder, or incubators. There was no artifice in Erika as she shared that hope. The sooner Yamatai won, the less their enslaved NH-29 sisters would suffer.

Erika felt her efforts had worked. She’d collaborated with Charbon on a mission plan she was confident in, leveraging the defector’s knowledge of NMX protocol. It was bold; hijack a patrol vessel and use it to infiltrate the Brakkamorggil's fleet, but depended heavily on the enemy responding as predicted. Erika freely acknowledged that flaw in her submission, including contingencies for if they deviated. Most of those boiled down to ramming the commandeered ship into the superstructure of something larger and self-destructing. She had submitted their interview logs alongside the plan, with the full expectation they might come up with something better.

Her new uniform chafed. It was the same Type 35 she’d worn at the academy, now tailored with SAINT-black panelling and a heavier gold ring around the wrist. The pencil skirt felt like a trap, and she’d already rehearsed how to tear it if she needed to fight. She missed her Type 22 bodysuit and field jacket, but now, commissioned, she felt obligated to look the part.

Behind them floated a pair of suitcases. One was standard Star Army blue, electronics in a mesh cradle atop it. The other was rose gold; a splash of luxury for a Neko who wasn’t used to nice things

She pinged the MEGAMI system. ’Boss, right?’ she said to the ship’s mind over her wireless ’Shoi Erika Elster for your manifest. Ready to sync. I have in my custody the NMX defector Charbon. I believe you're acquainted. Profile is currently co-operative and goal is further integration. I’d like to let her off the leash a bit if you’re able to monitor. Free access to communal areas but ping me if she wanders somewhere restricted. Is that acceptable or do I need to send a request to Ketsurui-Chusa?’

 

[Ametheliana]

Boss' placid face took in both Erika and Charbon as if they were of equal measure in her glinting orange eyes. She updated Erika's register with her own PANTHEON access nodules as the fabrication bay whirred to life and signages and postings started being constructed that explicitly stated to avoid restricted areas of the ship to be hung up before launch.

She spoke wirelessly. "I'll keep yourself and the Chusa apprised if there are any misdeeds. Enjoy your stay."

"What accommodations should the Janes be taking Charbon's personal effects to?" Boss asked aloud as she eyed the very different bags. "Surely not the containment cell once more?"

She hinged at the waist and added, "Not since the Kuvexian War have I had civilians within my hull. Protecting a civilian—one that was once the enemy, too—must mean this war is compounding." For a moment, some of Boss' personality had gushed forth to greet the former NMX Neko but then her hands tucked one over another.

She added in a more reserved tone, "I'm sure Captain Hoshi would be pleased to hear we have you within her ship, as well." The MEGAMI politely nodded to Erika and looked ready to do the same gesture to the next crewmen to arrive.

 

[Nameless]

Coming up the ramp was Sif, walking with the excited confidence of a soldier returning home and reuniting with friends and family. She wore the Type 30C uniform, practically her signature duty outfit on the ship. She kept her azure hair in the usual braid, though there were additional streaks of red in them. The last third of her tail had a bit of red in it too, looking like a brush dipped in paint slowly seeping up.

With her she brought a backpack filled with some civilian clothing and other personal effects, as well as a suitcase. As before when she first joined, it was filled with numerous books, though this time some of them were hard covers, with some others in different languages. There wasn't much time to read when she was off training, and so she picked up quite a few new books for her return, intending to make up for lost time.

From one end of the hangar to the other until her gaze finally focused on the Kaiyo, her neck was craning over people, looking as if she was lost, but she was just trying to find familiar faces in the crowd. When she arrived before Boss and the two she was speaking with, Sif immediately noticed Charbon. She held no animosity towards the former Overseer, and hopefully the smile on her face said as such as she immediately recognized her. If it wouldn't have caused distressed, she probably would have given her a nice hug. Instead, words would have to suffice.

"Nice to see you again, Charbon!" She greeted. "I hope you had time to pick up hobbies and get acquainted with Yamatian life." She gave her bag and suitcase to the Janes that offered to take them off her hands. Compared to her first arrival, she was a lot less hesitant to let go of the suitcase.

"It's great to see you again, Boss." And looking to the other face on the ramp, Sif needed a moment to parse the face that looked somewhat familiar. Until it clicked just a moment later. "...Kasa, right? You popped out of the walls that one time."

 

[Ametheliana]

Charbon's nose crinkled at Sif's warm welcome. She was recalling the distrust from Sif months ago as if words she spoke now could change the past. She remembered they couldn't and and let her scowl fall.

"No, I have not picked up any new hobbies. Perhaps you will be able to introduce me to some of your own." She momentarily tugged on the fabric of her own clothes. "I used to knit and patch up the clothes for my unit. I would perhaps consider taking either up again under a more recreational outlook."

 

[Gunhand4171]

The next to arrive was two massive ID-SOLs. William had not been idle in the time Hoshi had been missing. After accepting his promotion to Major, he was offically placed in command of all NSMC forces that were currently deployed with Legion 777. Along with Rear Admiral Greyson who commanded Battlegroup Havoc, the NSN component of Task Force 282, the pair had worked in earnest to glean any information they could about Hoshi's whereabouts. The Rear Admiral had sent his stealth ship's across the sector to gather intelligence, while William and his marines gathered what information they could from both offical and unofficial channels. The time had aged him it seemed, the lines of his face hard and his beard that much longer, braided into strands that were held with forest green beads. His hair contained within the officer's cap that now had the insignia of a NSMC Major.

Following behind William was Master Sergeant Sokolov, who had taken up the role as William's right hand. As the pair walked up the gangway, Yuri rattled off reports from the different squads and logistics reports. As William strode forward he noticed Sif and Charbon. His face remained neutral, but it was hard to miss the hatred in his eyes as he laid eyes on Charbon. It mattered little to the Major that she defected. She was still a NMX thrall in his eyes, and he wouldn't trust her farther then he could throw her.

He nodded to Sif and Erika coming to a stop in front of Boss. "Permission to come aboard, Boss?" He asked, his expression softening the slightest bit. "I brought Yuri with me. Hope that won't be too much of a problem. I need his help to coordinate our forces."

At this Yuri rendered a friendly salute. "Dah, the Major would be lost without me. I'll keep out of the way. Just need a comms connection with Havoc." The Master Sergeant added.

 

[Gles]

Trailing after the others was Molli, dressed in a Star Army uniform with a designation she could never remember. She called it "the snazzy number with the skirt, tights, and comfy sweater," and that was enough for her. Two weeks of shore leave should have felt like a welcome reprieve, but with the absence of her beloved captain and the rest of the crew moving upward to more important roles, it really felt more like a prison sentence. The others already outclassed her in practically every field that mattered, and the gulf had only grown wider. The Nepleslian tried not to let it eat her up inside, nor did she stew in what indecision had cost her -- she kept busy with basic workouts and frequent visits to a shooting range on the ship. It wasn't specialized training or a course on command, but it was the sort of improvement a grunt could work at.

The sullen expression that Molli wore softened at the familiar sights of William, Sokolov and Sif--drinking buddy, friend of the drinking buddy, and private book buddy, respectively. Molli approached them, a light satchel with her scant few belongings slung over her shoulder. "Willy! Sif!" Molli called out, before her smile waned at the sight of Charbon, "You." She didn't have any words for the former NMX overseer after witnessing her callous treatment of those under her command firsthand; Molli didn't like Charbon, and the opposite was probably true too. They were allies of convenience, in her eyes.

Molli flashed a taunting grin at Will and scratched her chin, "Y'look sharper, stylin' up y'peach fuzz?" she said, canting her head at Sokolov, "That fellah there t'keep ya from forgettin'?" The braids looked nice, but seeing them gave Molli an urge to tug on them that, thankfully for everyone, she resisted.

Shifting her gaze away from the pair, Molli's eyes settled on Sif, whose absence over the past two weeks was one Molli sorely felt after their last meeting in the armory. "Heya Sif," Molli said with a small wave, "Advanced Infantry made ya...um, tougher! Better getcha some new threads, yer arms could prolly rip 'em apart!" The mental image of Sif shredding her sleeves with a flex of her arms wasn't something Molli thought she'd see, but it wasn't about to leave her any time soon. For all of her personal hang-ups, she was genuinely happy to see Sif succeed.

"Jus' need Rio here, 'n th'girls'll be back together!" The girls, referring to herself, Sif, and Rio, colloquially referred to as the Trouble Trio by Molli exclusively.

 

[Sunny D]

"Standard crew, bunk her with me." Erika said with a slight smile to Boss, then silently over the wireless 'She was an enemy until 4 months ago, and the crew haven't had much dealings with her between now and then. I'm sure they are professional enough to suppress any animosity, but lets not tempt fate. If you can assign a single room to both her and I, it might be best.' she then sighed 'If you can make it work. If not I trust your judgement on who to place us with.'

After sorting out the sleeping arrangements she turned to the purple hued Neko. "Erika Elster." She said with a smile, brushing a lock of her hair out of her face before offering her hand. "Kasasangi is a codename. I'm not the first to have it and I won't be the last, and I'll likely be given another if I have to go on extended deployment again. You must be Sif," Eirka could tell from Sif's height and skintone "looking much better compared to the last time I saw you. Nice hair style too, good taste." She said with a tilt of her head that made her own siliver braid sway and a chuckle that came easily.

 

[Nameless]

Hearing Charbon's plight, Sif snapped her fingers and gestured to the Jane android holding her suitcase. "Just a moment!" Setting the suitcase down, she quickly cracked it open and reached in to grab a small paperback pocket book about 500 pages thick, still shrink wrapped. Closing the suitcase up again, she nodded and said her thanks to the android before handing the luggage back. She then turned to Charbon and pressed the book into her hands while she grinned warmly.

"Have this then, I'm not sure if you're the reading type, but hopefully it tides you over until you do find something." The book cover looked somewhat gaudy with it being a velvety violet hue and the title "Sastre Arcania" embossed in a galaxy-like lettering. "It's supposed to be a low-tech fantasy novel about a seamstress dealing with mundane and magical commissions. This edition supposedly illustrated some clothing patterns. Even if you don't end up reading it, the cover does look like you can use it like a worry stone."

Sif wanted to show Charbon that she was open to having her around. It wasn't hard to imagine what the former Overseer must have felt like going back to the ship that captured her in the first place, especially after said ship lost its captain. But if she went through the same procedure as the other converts, then it might as well be treated as a brand new start, a clean slate and all that.

Thankfully, before Sif could suffocate the Overseer from unintended overbearingness, her attention was split between Erika, William and Molli.

"Nice to properly meet you then, Erika. And thank you. I sort of got attached to my disguise back then. I try to experiment from time to time." She initially thought Erika was talking about the color, but then when she saw Erika's braid, a small sparkle flickered in Sif's eyes. "I suppose I'm close to checking off 'braiding someone else's hair' off the bucket list," she said, chuckling. "And it seems William is also joining the trend!"

The Kaiyo's resident ID-SOL looked rather rugged and dashing with the longer, braided beard. Suffice it to say, he pulled off the look.

Upon seeing Molli, Sif couldn't resist going in of for a hug. "Molli! I missed you!" she said, giving just a light squeeze with the embrace before taking a step back. "Oh I got some new clothes alright. It was a tough couple of weeks being there with all new faces and without my books. I thought to treat myself with a bit of shopping. Got a whole new collection if you want to take a peek."

As Sif started to look around for Rio, it was clear that Sif was in a very energetic mood today, seemingly barely able to contain herself. Though whether it was from genuine excitement or masked anxiety, it was hard to tell.

 

[Gles]

Molli side-eyed Elster, their surprise SAINT ally from back in Cauldron Lake, with an expression that bordered on impassive. It was hard for Molli to get a read on her, and that was enough to make her feel distant. That, and she felt stupid for not complimenting Sif's braid first. "Were thinkin' of growin' mine out," Molli said, flicking her tiny ponytail, "But if we all got braids, d'be borin', prolly." As though a tiny ponytail was any more distinct, Molli thought.

At least a welcome hug from Sif dispelled some of Molli's lingering caginess. "Miss ya too," she replied quietly, then stepped back as well. "Ah'll check 'em out 'n yer place."

 

[Megabirb]

Fashionably late as ever Rio ambled up the ramp, half busied working to smooth out and straighten her new black paneled Type 35 uniform while balancing her overstuffed duffel bag full of personal effects. While it had only been months, her time away had felt like an eternity. An stress filled eternity where she eagerly read anything that mentioned the Kaiyo and it's crew when she was not training.

Thus Rio made her way up the ramp until she caught sight of Sif's face. With an energetic whoop Rio jogged the rest of the way up the ramp. With a beaming smile Rio embraced Sif and Molli before stepping back and giving both Will and Boss an excited little wave "You guys have no idea how much I missed all of you."

Rio's smile faltered briefly when she recognized Erika and Charbon among the group. The presence of both was surprise that Rio assumed would be explained in do time.

 

[aitoseigi]

After a good bit of thinking, and some large amount of enforced use, Asuka had decided she didn't mind the Type 37s quite so much. Wearing it wasn't quite as comfy as something more useful, but it could always be worse. If she had any regrets, it was that she did tend to stick out like a sore thumb when with her newer, rather more high flying companions. Maybe that would go away.

Her duffel was slung over her shoulder, packed with the odds and ends she'd picked up from leave, as well as the training she'd managed to squeeze in here and there, acutely conscious of her inexperience. Behind her trailed another trunk, though this to her sadness contained nothing she'd count for fun or leisure. Finding Kaiyo was easy enough, at least, though now that she was there she forced herself to walk a little slower. This she instantly regretted on finding she was far from first to arrive, though she kept a smile on her face as she arrived at the ramp, giving Boss a smart salute as she requested permission to board. The invitation to the wardroom made her bite her lip, however.

"Ah... right away, yes." She'd little idea what she'd done to get an invitation to the wardroom. "Will... this be okay, do you think, or should I put on something more appropriate?" she asked the MEGAMI, even as she looked about at faces which had become more familiar, over the last few months, than her old squadmades.

 

[krisslanza]

It had been months since Isuke had returned to the Kaiyō, it felt pretty good to be back home as it were. Even if she wishes it was under some happier circumstances. All that time poking around as best she could, and not any closer to finding the wayward captain. While it wasn't part of her official duties anymore, her old history with Sachiko, really left a bad taste in her mouth that Hoshi was missing like this. A part of her wishes it was her instead, but well, that's just old habits dying hard or some such.

The Lorrfolk rubbed her messy pink hair as she sighed, shoving those troublesome thoughts aside for now.

Despite the passage of time, Isuke looked more or less the same as always. She was always pretty content with her hairstyle, and given how long it was already, it wasn't like she could grow it out much more! She'd probably start sweeping the floor if she did that. Probably against some regulation, and a bit of a hassle. For her return to the Kaiyō, Isuke had made sure to show up in proper Star Army attire instead of the more casual attire she'd been wearing for months. She had opted for an old pick, the old Type 22 Bodysuit! Maybe it wasn't the most appropriate, but it was comfortable. Also something easy to change into.

"Comin' aboard!" remarked Isuke with a snappy salute and a small smile.

All in all, it still felt good to be back 'home'.

 

[Ametheliana]

Charbon was truly touched and her eyes momentarily opened wide in both confusion and gratitude as Sif handed her the velveteen book. She could feel eyes on her and smiles falling at the sight of her, still, though. She seemed to be making an effort to not return William's hateful gaze as her thumb rubbed the book, testing out the infantry Neko's recommendation to use it as a worry stone despite the words together seeming foreign to the former NMX. Scowl returned for whatever reason, she stowed the book and walked off, her gratitude unspoken.

"I hope your work has been going well," Boss said to Isuke in a placid tone but with a smile that tugged into her olive cheeks. "I look forward to observing as Aiko-chusa goes over your findings with you."

"All current and obsolete uniforms are authorized for wear aboard the Kaiyō," Boss told Asuka. Then she dramatically whispered, "You look appropriate." She gave a snappy nod, hoping to have eased Uehara Asuka's concerns about her wardroom appearances.

Things like cabin assignments and greetings were taken care of. Now it was time to truly concern themselves with the wardroom and briefing therein. There was a wafting smell of a warm meal greeting them as they made their way through the hallway that connected the the cargo bay to the power armor bay, zero gravity passageway, and the mess. The mess itself was a two story room with a large central table on the first floor and many smaller tables on the second. Taking up one wall from the first floor to the second was plant life. Hydroponics fed life to plants both domestic and xenologically foreign. Red berries from the world Hanako had been lost on years ago grew alongside the single, head-sized germinated seed that the Leinve had gifted the Kaiyo after the ship had rescued their species from Kuvexians.

The lights had been dimmed save for a spare few, including those that lit the plant wall, but there was enough light to see o-shiki placemats that framed chestnut rice, mountain mushrooms entangled with seaweed, simple soup. In the center of the round trays was a main dish of a halved orange kabocha pumpkin that served as a bowl for ground meat that had been laden with root vegetables and aromatics that helped make the smell of the meal drift up alongside the steam from each packed gourd. It was truly a fall-forward meal on the day before Candy Festival.

 

[Gunhand4171]

"Hey Major." Erika said, turning to face the Nepalesian. "We've not been formally introduced. I'm Shoi Elster, Erika's fine." She smiled and offered her hand.

William turned to Erika and gave a friendly smile, returning the . "Pleasure to meet you. Major Sanders, but most of the crew just calls me William, or some variation of it." He repiled

"I gathered. But I am Yamatian, so need permission." She rolled her eyes inwardly smiling warmly. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

He nodded. "Yeah sure." He turned to the other ID-SOL. "Yuri, behave yourself, and make sure the Cyclops are loaded properly." The master sergeant nodded. "Sure thing Major."

Erika took a deep breath, looking to the side for a moment. "This might seem a bit of a nonsequitor but bear with me. Do you know what its like, the first few moments of a vat grown Nekovalkyrja's life?" she asked

William leaned against the railing and shook his head. "No, I don't know what its like. I only know what Aiko... I mean, the Chusa has told me." He replied, and eyebrow raised.

Erika chuckled "Its alright. We're uploaded with a personality template, then basic knowledge, then a big packet of Yamatain propaganda. Yamatai gave us life so you want to serve." Her voice had a sligh sardonic bite "That kind of thing. We're not really asked to sign contracts. Yamatai doesn't do slavery, so there are ways out, but those percentages are increadibly low. So when I think about what its like for an NMX Nekovalkyrja to be booted up for the first time in to an existance of casual abuse, I shudder."

He nodded slowly. "It's similar with ID-SOLs." The Major crossed his arms, his face remaining neutral. "But I'm guessing you're bringing that fact up for a reason?" He prompted.

"I didn't have a choice in being a Yamatai Neko, though given the alternatives I am very glad I am. Your ID-SOLs don't have a choice in being Nepleslian. Charbon didn't have a choice in being NMX." Erika said, still maintainting a friendly cadence. "The only choice she's ever made, truly, was to be here." She said, looking down for a moment "I know its hard to see a former enemy walk amoung us, especially when a dear friend is absent in her place. But she is trying to help us get Taisa Hoshi back."

William's eyes hardened, but he closed them and took a deep breath. He let the silence pass for several seconds. Finally, his eyes opened and they softened the slightest bit. "I see where you're coming from. But I have a question for you too. Have you ever died before?"

Erika chuckled, it was a genuine, awkward noise, a break in her composure for a moment. "Sorry, ah~heh~heh~..." She then cleared he throat. "No, I haven't. I deviate from... Lets just say my thoughts on the matter are in the minority amoung my sisters." She regained some of her composure "Why do you ask?"

"I have. I didn't know I had a back up." He said somberly. "Now it's wasn't to the NMX, but to the Kuvexians. But that death doesn't compare to what I've seen happen to people who've fought the Mishhuvurthyar. Being turned into incubators..." He trailed off. The bile rising in his throat. Taking another deep breath, he continued. "I despise the Mishhuvurthyar, and their soldiers." He explained. "Yes Nekos and ID-SOLs get an upload, but so do the NMX ones. Their's more through than ours. One for near total compliance. How do we truly know she isn't a double agent? How do we truly know she is trying to get one of my best friends back from those monsters?

Erika folded her arms with an inquistive expression, looking to the side for a moment. "You're not wrong, about the template, but we keep getting NMX NH-29's defecting. Maybe there is something in their biology the Mishhuvuthyar just can't over come." Her own eyes then hardened. "But you're right. Dispite her harrowing origins, the fact that if she's genuine I have the utmost admiration for her, she's still a traitor. The information she's given us has the potential to kill her sisters and I would have a very hard time getting over that in her position. Whats to stop her from turning on us?" She took a deep breath "SAINT's wisdom is, if she is a double agent we make the act of betraying us as hard as possible. My thoughts are, if she does she'll wish for a death she'll never know." She said with words of venomious promise.

His eyebrows raised at the venom, a look of approval in his gaze. "Good. But I also have to point out that she may also not hold her sisters in the same regard that you all do as Yamataians." He countered, playing devil's advocate. "She may be luring us into a trap to not only get the rest of us, but to get the Princess of Yamatai captured. I have to be skeptical of her because I can't lose any more of my friends to those monsters."

"I've submitted a mission plan based off what I've gleaned with that in mind. If they go with it I've incorporated contingencies. But" She sighed "A plan never survives contact. Fact is, longer we wait, the less useful Charbon's intel is going to be, the longer Taisa Hoshi is going to be in that hell. All I can do to counter that point is to assure you it's in the front of my mind too." She looked at him with steel eyes.

"That's all I ask. My reasons for not trusting Charbon definitely is due to losing Hoshi to them and all we got in exchange was a handful of turncoats. I'm ashamed to say it, but I'd trade them for her in a heart beat." He said, his eyes turning to the ship. "She, and the Princess are like family to me." He said simply.

Erika reached out and touched his elbow, her gaze softening. "I don't hold that against you at all. And I don't expect you to trust her. Just... try and not make her flinch every time you look at her. If she's in a welcoming environment she's less likely to change her mind, or might come over if she is a double agent. It's my job to facilitate that, but the less spanners in the works the easier that job is. And it's all to increase the chances of getting Taisa Hoshi back."

He sighed, but with a smirk on his face. "Got it. I'll try to not keep throwing a wrench in the gears." He replied, nodding in understanding. "And if I start doing it again, just give me a signal." He said, standing up straight and turning back towards the ship.

(Quick JP between Gunhand and Sunny D)

 

[Sunny D]

"I'll flick your ear or something, don't worry." Erika said with a chuckle as she turned to follow him in. Her shoulders seemed to relax as she walked as she let go of a breath she was holding in during the exchange.

She was lead by her nose towards the ward room and instantly locked eyes on a plate of grilled nigiri the moment she was over the threshold. She found herself rather hungry for squid.

 

[Nameless]

With Rio's arrival, the trio were reunited once again and once more ready to build their legacies, no doubt better equipped than they were before. Though Sif couldn't greet everyone right out the gate, there would be time enough to catch up with everyone over a warm meal. There was sure to be plenty of tales to be shared of their time away from the ship. She sure did.

Walking through the ship to the wardroom was an exercise in muscle memory. The familiarity of the halls was a much needed calming factor after the intense training she went through. It was an anchor that made her foot fall steady as she walked. It really did feel like coming home. "So, you girls have anything planned after we eat?" Sif would ask Molli and Rio. "I figured we have a bit of time before we get deployed."

 

[raz]

The time since Hoshi's capture on Rabaal had been something of a blur for Kitsurugi Aiko. She had lived in every moment since then striving to find her lost captain while in command of her Kaiyō and its crew as they fought against the Mishhuvurthyar menace across the Kikyo Sector. Aiko's mind remained ever in the present, and was no doubt as sharp as ever, but for the Imperial princess every day had become an extension of the same battle that started on Elysia Novus four months ago. Every fight fought and clue found on Hoshi's trail was like another scene in a montage leading up to now.

Missions were not complete until everyone was back aboard, and so the brave YSS Kaiyō II still had much to accomplish.

It was only a short walk for the arrivals to reach their destination from the cargo bay's ramp on the same level, so Aiko held back until the crew entered the wardroom to come in herself. And then out from the galley she stepped, having delayed just long enough to thank the ship's mysterious kitchen team for their work. She went straight over to her place at the big central table and stood there for a few moments waiting for the others shuffle over to where they'd be sitting.

"I am glad to have you all back aboard," Aiko greeted, cognizant of her own choice not to say she was happy to have everyone here again. She sounded pleasant enough, and wore a smile for her crew despite the persistent circumstances. "Regardless if your absence was brief," she continued with a nod to Rio and Sif before peering to Isuke, "or extended, your presence here means everything to Hoshi — although she yet knows of it — and to me as captain in her stead."

Aiko grinned genuinely wider when she saw Yuri and Dmitri come along with William. And knowing glance at Erika, a familiar face renewed and renamed, beside the former NMX soldier Charbon, showed that the princess embraced their presence, too.

"Whether you have been here searching for Hoshi with me these past four months or are freshly arriving to join the hunt," Aiko said, surveying everyone slowly with fire her crimson eyes as they settled in, first from Molli, Asuka, and Miori, and then over everyone else. The zeal in her voice sounded infectious like a swell of truth from the universe itself telling everyone they'd find their lost captain. "Welcome back to the Kaiyō."

 

[Gles]

Molli joined Sif and Rio in boarding the ship, the feeling of comradery that was renewed with Rio's return put a spring the the Nepleslian's step. Yet that happiness was tempered by a sense of jealousy at their growth, which boiled within Molli like an open wound, and it would have smothered her joy outright if she hadn't focused on something else -- anything else. "Was gonna train wiv m'sword," Molli said. Beyond the range, the dojo was something of a second home now; Molli had been hard at work trying to calibrate her mechanical arm to match the efficiency of her Nekovalkyrja comrades. "Ah ken clear up m'schedule if either'va ya wanted t'do summat," Molli added with an expectant look to Sif and Rio.

In the mess, Molli took the nearest table and presumed her two friends would join her. Aiko had just begun her speech, which reminded Molli of the ship's dire circumstances amid all the happy reunions. She hadn't forgotten that Hoshi was gone, of course; she put herself through that training for the sake of being prepared to rescue the captain. It was a good speech, as was to be expected from a hyper-focused, terrifyingly ruthless princess, and Molli gave an affirming nod once it concluded.

 

[Ametheliana]

Usually a bridge bunny burrowed up in her sensors and readouts, Deio Asuka was standing in the wardroom while most others sat. Highest ranking next to Aiko, she had been acting XO since Hoshi's capture. It had always been her dream to be in command. Not like this, though.

Her straight red hair separated at her shoulders to lay over her Type 22 bodysuit's gray panels. Despite her freckles and blue eyes usually radiating cheer and sas, they hadn't been for months. They were steely as she looked at the crew, together once more save for one.

She stepped forward as her hands unclasped from behind her back and she put one of them up, waving it. At this, a volumetric projection glittered in the darkness from the center of the table of a few different Mishhuvurthyar ship types with their signature curved prongs and jutting spiked hulls.

"When you're ready, Chusa Kitsurugi."