YSS Asamoya
Bridge
Over the next several minutes, all of the Asamoya's crew of cadets filtered in through the door and onto the bridge. Each gave a report pertaining to battle stations across the vessel in turn when they arrived, just as Zelphon had, and a few among them took up Aiko's invitation to speak out on what they thought should be done with the ship after one of their own had been captured. Some of the Academy midshipmen agreed with Aratani and William while others nodded along to what Yaeko said. Several of them eagerly volunteered to suit up in power armors now, right in that moment, and get their friend back without question.
And indeed Yaeko was technically correct. Every one of them, as seniors ready to graduate from SAAMMS, had already participated in a four week assignment to an active duty Star Army ship or planetary installation — a "summer cruise" so to speak — and thus had long been indoctrinated with a preparedness to fight or even die in service to the Empire. That wasn't even to mention those cadets among them who'd already served as enlisted soldiers prior to enrollment at the Academy. As a group, the students in Aiko's seminar might have been a little green compared to crews out in the fleet. But they were nonetheless bonafied members of the Star Army.
"We must pick up the SAINT teams and leave now," an Elysian cadet who'd been in engineering during the fight said, taking Yaeko's opinion a step further. Her voice was hurried with a touch of self-concerned, but the Patrician girl seemed to be holding it together well enough. "A field trip to Luna Bianca shouldn't have included us playing ferryman to intelligence operatives, much less engaging in a full-on battle against Kuvexians. What we ought to do is call up people who can handle the rest."
Aiko turned her attention toward the Elysian girl. The rest of her classmates fell dead silent, dropping any murmured anticipation of follow-on commentary. They were perhaps more galled at the suggestion than their Ketsurui teacher was. Ariadne Tarchaneiotissa was from a good military family on Elysia Novus whose youth in a floating manor had surely been filled with tales of her ancestors' heroism and daring both against Yamatai and other old foes her forebears made war with. She was a good student as far as Aiko knew, too, always engaged and thoughtful with her questions in class.
"You did not understand my prompt, Tarchaneiotissa-kohosei," Aiko said to her. Not a hint of anger tinged the princess' voice, which maintained a graceful intent while Aiko explained Ariadne's misinterpretation of what had been asked of them. "When the Asamoya is able to act — when I am confident we are in the clear and can reactivate major shup systems — we will find Sarna-kohosei. A tactical assessment would have been welcome but the cowardice was not. I asked for options, not how best to run."
Of course, Yaeko and a few others generally agreed that they should write Andres off as a casualty. Those cadets still kept the mission in mind, though. None of them had gone so far as to suggest the Asamoya scurry back home to Yamatai so that some fool on the other end of a cartoonish red handset could figure out their present situation.
"'Giving up is not a Star Army value,'" Aiko continued, quoting the phrase all of them must have heard too many times to count. She looked from Ariadne to the other midshipmen while she spoke. "These words are not repeated to diminish their weight, nor are they uttered as a simple boast by our Empire's diplomats. They are said so that every soldier and citizen remembers them when all else appears lost. Those of our countrymen living here on Hanako's World have doubtlessly recalled them for years. Sarna-kohosei does now, too."
The princess thought back to when she and William had been captured for a moment, and to other tough times she'd faced in battle against the Kuvexians and Mishhuvurthyar. It wasn't that Aiko had ever expected someone else to come save the day because they wouldn't give up on her, but more so that there would be something familiar and enduring to return to once crisis had ultimately been averted — and that could only happen if she persisted herself.
"The input from each of you has been valuable," Aiko said, fixing her gaze back upon the Elysian girl Ariadne. "As captain, our ship's path going forward is more clear for me now. And that it is more clear for you as the crew as well. Shall I trust that none among you will give up on our mission or your classmate?"
Ariadne Tarchaneiotissa nodded, content (for now) to probably never say another word in her life. The white-and-blonde winged Patrician suddenly hoped this moment wouldn't put a stain on her Kleos, and inwardly resolved to fight as hard today as her noble progenitors had in decades and centuries past.
"Good," Aiko acknowledged to Ariadne, staring directly into the midshipman's ice blue eyes. "Everyone should get some semblance of rest while we wait for the fiends who hunt us to capitulate in their search. If there is anything else you may come to me with it, but you are otherwise dismissed to quarters for now."
Bridge
Over the next several minutes, all of the Asamoya's crew of cadets filtered in through the door and onto the bridge. Each gave a report pertaining to battle stations across the vessel in turn when they arrived, just as Zelphon had, and a few among them took up Aiko's invitation to speak out on what they thought should be done with the ship after one of their own had been captured. Some of the Academy midshipmen agreed with Aratani and William while others nodded along to what Yaeko said. Several of them eagerly volunteered to suit up in power armors now, right in that moment, and get their friend back without question.
And indeed Yaeko was technically correct. Every one of them, as seniors ready to graduate from SAAMMS, had already participated in a four week assignment to an active duty Star Army ship or planetary installation — a "summer cruise" so to speak — and thus had long been indoctrinated with a preparedness to fight or even die in service to the Empire. That wasn't even to mention those cadets among them who'd already served as enlisted soldiers prior to enrollment at the Academy. As a group, the students in Aiko's seminar might have been a little green compared to crews out in the fleet. But they were nonetheless bonafied members of the Star Army.
"We must pick up the SAINT teams and leave now," an Elysian cadet who'd been in engineering during the fight said, taking Yaeko's opinion a step further. Her voice was hurried with a touch of self-concerned, but the Patrician girl seemed to be holding it together well enough. "A field trip to Luna Bianca shouldn't have included us playing ferryman to intelligence operatives, much less engaging in a full-on battle against Kuvexians. What we ought to do is call up people who can handle the rest."
Aiko turned her attention toward the Elysian girl. The rest of her classmates fell dead silent, dropping any murmured anticipation of follow-on commentary. They were perhaps more galled at the suggestion than their Ketsurui teacher was. Ariadne Tarchaneiotissa was from a good military family on Elysia Novus whose youth in a floating manor had surely been filled with tales of her ancestors' heroism and daring both against Yamatai and other old foes her forebears made war with. She was a good student as far as Aiko knew, too, always engaged and thoughtful with her questions in class.
"You did not understand my prompt, Tarchaneiotissa-kohosei," Aiko said to her. Not a hint of anger tinged the princess' voice, which maintained a graceful intent while Aiko explained Ariadne's misinterpretation of what had been asked of them. "When the Asamoya is able to act — when I am confident we are in the clear and can reactivate major shup systems — we will find Sarna-kohosei. A tactical assessment would have been welcome but the cowardice was not. I asked for options, not how best to run."
Of course, Yaeko and a few others generally agreed that they should write Andres off as a casualty. Those cadets still kept the mission in mind, though. None of them had gone so far as to suggest the Asamoya scurry back home to Yamatai so that some fool on the other end of a cartoonish red handset could figure out their present situation.
"'Giving up is not a Star Army value,'" Aiko continued, quoting the phrase all of them must have heard too many times to count. She looked from Ariadne to the other midshipmen while she spoke. "These words are not repeated to diminish their weight, nor are they uttered as a simple boast by our Empire's diplomats. They are said so that every soldier and citizen remembers them when all else appears lost. Those of our countrymen living here on Hanako's World have doubtlessly recalled them for years. Sarna-kohosei does now, too."
The princess thought back to when she and William had been captured for a moment, and to other tough times she'd faced in battle against the Kuvexians and Mishhuvurthyar. It wasn't that Aiko had ever expected someone else to come save the day because they wouldn't give up on her, but more so that there would be something familiar and enduring to return to once crisis had ultimately been averted — and that could only happen if she persisted herself.
"The input from each of you has been valuable," Aiko said, fixing her gaze back upon the Elysian girl Ariadne. "As captain, our ship's path going forward is more clear for me now. And that it is more clear for you as the crew as well. Shall I trust that none among you will give up on our mission or your classmate?"
Ariadne Tarchaneiotissa nodded, content (for now) to probably never say another word in her life. The white-and-blonde winged Patrician suddenly hoped this moment wouldn't put a stain on her Kleos, and inwardly resolved to fight as hard today as her noble progenitors had in decades and centuries past.
"Good," Aiko acknowledged to Ariadne, staring directly into the midshipman's ice blue eyes. "Everyone should get some semblance of rest while we wait for the fiends who hunt us to capitulate in their search. If there is anything else you may come to me with it, but you are otherwise dismissed to quarters for now."
