Sunny D
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- RP Date
- 46.1.5
- RP Location
- YSS Resurgence Observation Deck
Erika walked with a determined stride; her black boots clicked against the deck as she made her way to the Fuji-class' top deck. On the surface she appeared stoic and determined, but the rigid set of her shoulders and occasional tightening of her jaw offered a glimpse into her inner conflict. She wore only the type 42 body suit, forgoing the black field jacked she normally wore and habitually gave it a tug at her waist ever few steps.
"Remember that the Captain has a way of thinking, of leading," Mineko was saying in her uncharacteristic Type 42 duty uniform as she walked alongside Erika. "He'll want to solve a problem at a better position than when it was created. I got that from the book he recommended. I'm hoping that means he won't create an environment of pressure like the one we were in when Cheilith turned."
Erika let out a long exhale as she took in Mineko's advice. "What happens, happens." She said finally, "The fact is I prioritised the life of a single crew member above that of the ship. No serving member of the Star Army should have that mindset, let alone a SAINT." She turned to Mineko and smiled weakly "Its okay, I'll be fine."
"We'll be fine," Mineko iterated, putting extra emphasis on the first word as she made her way up the short set of stairs that led to the sensor dome and further in, the observation deck.
Taisa Aoba Kuranosuke, captain of the YSS Resurgence, stood in front of the large windows that gave this part of the gunship a fantastic view of space, holding his sheathed katana at one side like a cane. As they arrived he turned away from the window, his face coming out of the shadows into the light, with a serious expression on it.
As Erika made her way forward her gait didn't slow, but her facial features became increadibly tight. She came to a stand still about ffour meters from the Taisa and clacked her feet togeather before giving a bow.
“Sir, we’re here about the incident with Cheilith being brought on board.” Mineko said with a bow and an expression that mirrored Aoba’s but lacked the same taut rigidity of Erika's.
"I wanted to express my sincerest apologies for bringing Cheilith aboard during her possession and failing to take appropriate action after she escaped my custody." Erika said, still bowing as she spoke.
"And I, for authorizing it," Mineko said afterwards.
After a pause, Captain Aoba simply asked, "Do you think that was your decision to make?" He honestly wanted to know what they thought.
Erika straigtened herself up. "Star Army doctrine allows some level of autonomous decision making. Its difficult to say that there won't be a similar instance in which I or anyone else in this crew, aside from the Taisa, will have to make that decision. You may not have all the information one on the ground has, and vice versa. What I will say, if there is opportunity, if such a high stakes decision should need to be made again, and time permits informing the commander on the situation, then all efforts should be made to allow the commander to make that decision." The operative said firmly.
"Yes or no, Elster-hei?" Aoba asked again.
"No sir, not in the specific instance in question." Erika replied quickly.
"No from me, as well, sir," Mineko added.
"There were NCOs on the away team as well, such as Yayoi and Hoshi Sanda," Aoba said. "Did you think to ask them? Essentially what I'm getting at here is you completely disregarded the chain of command. You're an Nito Hei, not far out of training. Do you see how it looks if the fate of the ship is getting decided on by the lowest ranking soldier? We are talking about something that was almost the end for all of us."
"Yes sir." Erika replied simply
"In basic training there is a great emphasis on attention to detail. We treat the big tasks casually, and with ambition, while we treat the small things seriously, because the small details are what make the difference between life and death. You need to learn to follow protocol, which exists to bring some semblance of order to the chaos of war. The greatest weapon we have is the mind, and I expect all of my crew to use theirs to the fullest extent. At a basic level, that means considering the consequences of your actions," Captain Aoba told Erika. "...in advance."
"Understood sir." The operative said in response, still standing stiff, her eyes glued forwards. "I certainly was stuck in the moment."
"We are facing an incredibly hostile and formidable enemy, and it will take incredible effort to defeat them," Aoba explained, "Incredible results arise from incredible discipline, and preparedness and consistency will always come out on top over winging it and sometimes getting lucky. I don't expect to make every decision on this ship but I expect my leaders to lead and the enlisted soldiers such as yourself to support them and not go lone wolf. All it takes is one undisciplined soldier to lose the advantage in a battle. Do not be that soldier. I know you are still learning, but we are in this together and we need to work as a team. Do you understand?"
"Yes Sir." Erika said with a nod.
“Understood, sir!” Standing next to Erika, Mineko realized most of this dressing down was for her colleague and not her. The thought didn’t make her feel at ease, though, and her flipping stomach chose to remind her of her words that permitted Erika and Cheilith on board. The analyst didn’t hesitate to speak as if Aoba had been directing his words to her, too. The thought of different actions in the future assuaged some of her concern over what she had allowed in the heat of battle, though.
Aoba looked to Mineko. "We may have a second chance. MEGAMI managed to talk to the NMX Escort ship through the communicator Cassie plugged into the ship for a couple of minutes before she self-destructed it as the NMX ship was leaving. MEGAMI was able to get the location of its past port of calls from its cafeteria's supply list. We may have some targets to investigate. I have forwarded the information to SAINT for analysis and mapping."
“Really, we got something from ration packs?” The analyst’s expression took a steep ascent when Aoba offered this information. “How fortuitous for us—and the mission. I know it’s selfish, too, but it’s nice to know those of us that were injured didn’t suffer to come up empty handed on intel!”
Captain Aoba nodded. "I've said my piece. Do not let it happen again. Do either of you have any questions? If not, you're dismissed."
"It won't sir, and no questions. However, if I may make a proposal." The operative then took in a large inhale "Permission to speak candidly sir?" Erika asked, her posture relaxing some what, but she was still tense.
Mineko wished she could give Erika a pat on the shoulder or some show of comaraderie. The Nekovalkyrja respected Aoba more than she cared to admit and in some strange part of her, Mineko wanted her captain to like Erika as much as she did.
"Permission granted," Aoba said. He was thinking about if she would someday realize how merciful he'd just been, and that it was the right call on his part.
"We can't fight like this. I'm sure you're aware." She extended her arms for emphasis. "Not only do we have powerful tentical beasts to our fronts, now we have to look to our backs lest our comrades drive a knife through them."
"Yes, that's what we were just discussing," Aoba said, pointing out the serious breach of trust that Erika had made by bringing a hostile Mindy up to the ship. "You say it like that is something new but it's always been that way for me."
The operative stood silent during the captains comment, though her gaze was unflinching. Once he had finished she continued without breaking her cadence. "If this happens again, as in if one of us turns, I do think its worth attempting capture. The sooner we can provide SARA or SAINT a subject to biopsy, vivisect, or dissect the sooner we can develop countermeasures."
"If that is in your mission parameters, or you are ordered to do so, you can try," Aoba said, "Otherwise, the mission comes first, and it is safer to respawn them in the medical bay than to figure out a cure."
"Of course sir, though the idea isn't to cure the affected, rather to provide research wings a subject to analyse to develop preventative measures." Erika clarified "To that end I would like to draft a protocol we can deploy to allow for safe capture of an affected induvidual."
"Give it to Mineko and if she approves it, she can bring it to me or the First Officer," Aoba told Erika. "Dismissed."
“Thank you for your time and for hearing us out, sir,” Mineko said with a curt bow of her head. Her dark blue and bright red eyes caught the stars just beyond the ship, out the window past Aoba’s shoulder. Being amongst the different nebula and in space reminded her of how different her life was since joining the Star Army. How much more diffuclt it was and why she dealt with those challenges. “We’ll continue to do all we can to protect our future from the mistakes of our past.”
Erika bowed once more before turning to Mineko. All the tension in her body was released in an instant as the operative's eyes glanced at the door. She began walking out, her foot falls coming a little faster than when she was coming in.
“He’s nice, right?” Mineko asked as they left out the door and through the science dome. Her smile had widened and she looked to the woman who had become the closest thing to a friend to Mineko.
Erika's eyes went wide as she looked at Mineko, and she blinked a few times before letting out a large exhale. "That could have gone a hell of a lot worse, that's for sure. And he was still willing to hear me out, despite being in the dog house."
"More than could be said for my recommendation for him to get a bodyguard. Come on, let's go unwind after that. Unless you want to start drafting a proposal this minute," Mineko said, happy to know Erika wasn't shaken by the captain's stoicism.
Erika looked up for a moment thoughtfully before looking back at Mineko. "Let me sit on it for a day or two. Then you and I will sit down and brainstorm together." The operative said before letting out another exhale, bringing her hands to her face to wipe it. "Right now though I need a coffee, or a soak, or something."
JP End
====
OOC: JP by Amethelian, Sunny D and Wes
"Remember that the Captain has a way of thinking, of leading," Mineko was saying in her uncharacteristic Type 42 duty uniform as she walked alongside Erika. "He'll want to solve a problem at a better position than when it was created. I got that from the book he recommended. I'm hoping that means he won't create an environment of pressure like the one we were in when Cheilith turned."
Erika let out a long exhale as she took in Mineko's advice. "What happens, happens." She said finally, "The fact is I prioritised the life of a single crew member above that of the ship. No serving member of the Star Army should have that mindset, let alone a SAINT." She turned to Mineko and smiled weakly "Its okay, I'll be fine."
"We'll be fine," Mineko iterated, putting extra emphasis on the first word as she made her way up the short set of stairs that led to the sensor dome and further in, the observation deck.
Taisa Aoba Kuranosuke, captain of the YSS Resurgence, stood in front of the large windows that gave this part of the gunship a fantastic view of space, holding his sheathed katana at one side like a cane. As they arrived he turned away from the window, his face coming out of the shadows into the light, with a serious expression on it.
As Erika made her way forward her gait didn't slow, but her facial features became increadibly tight. She came to a stand still about ffour meters from the Taisa and clacked her feet togeather before giving a bow.
“Sir, we’re here about the incident with Cheilith being brought on board.” Mineko said with a bow and an expression that mirrored Aoba’s but lacked the same taut rigidity of Erika's.
"I wanted to express my sincerest apologies for bringing Cheilith aboard during her possession and failing to take appropriate action after she escaped my custody." Erika said, still bowing as she spoke.
"And I, for authorizing it," Mineko said afterwards.
After a pause, Captain Aoba simply asked, "Do you think that was your decision to make?" He honestly wanted to know what they thought.
Erika straigtened herself up. "Star Army doctrine allows some level of autonomous decision making. Its difficult to say that there won't be a similar instance in which I or anyone else in this crew, aside from the Taisa, will have to make that decision. You may not have all the information one on the ground has, and vice versa. What I will say, if there is opportunity, if such a high stakes decision should need to be made again, and time permits informing the commander on the situation, then all efforts should be made to allow the commander to make that decision." The operative said firmly.
"Yes or no, Elster-hei?" Aoba asked again.
"No sir, not in the specific instance in question." Erika replied quickly.
"No from me, as well, sir," Mineko added.
"There were NCOs on the away team as well, such as Yayoi and Hoshi Sanda," Aoba said. "Did you think to ask them? Essentially what I'm getting at here is you completely disregarded the chain of command. You're an Nito Hei, not far out of training. Do you see how it looks if the fate of the ship is getting decided on by the lowest ranking soldier? We are talking about something that was almost the end for all of us."
"Yes sir." Erika replied simply
"In basic training there is a great emphasis on attention to detail. We treat the big tasks casually, and with ambition, while we treat the small things seriously, because the small details are what make the difference between life and death. You need to learn to follow protocol, which exists to bring some semblance of order to the chaos of war. The greatest weapon we have is the mind, and I expect all of my crew to use theirs to the fullest extent. At a basic level, that means considering the consequences of your actions," Captain Aoba told Erika. "...in advance."
"Understood sir." The operative said in response, still standing stiff, her eyes glued forwards. "I certainly was stuck in the moment."
"We are facing an incredibly hostile and formidable enemy, and it will take incredible effort to defeat them," Aoba explained, "Incredible results arise from incredible discipline, and preparedness and consistency will always come out on top over winging it and sometimes getting lucky. I don't expect to make every decision on this ship but I expect my leaders to lead and the enlisted soldiers such as yourself to support them and not go lone wolf. All it takes is one undisciplined soldier to lose the advantage in a battle. Do not be that soldier. I know you are still learning, but we are in this together and we need to work as a team. Do you understand?"
"Yes Sir." Erika said with a nod.
“Understood, sir!” Standing next to Erika, Mineko realized most of this dressing down was for her colleague and not her. The thought didn’t make her feel at ease, though, and her flipping stomach chose to remind her of her words that permitted Erika and Cheilith on board. The analyst didn’t hesitate to speak as if Aoba had been directing his words to her, too. The thought of different actions in the future assuaged some of her concern over what she had allowed in the heat of battle, though.
Aoba looked to Mineko. "We may have a second chance. MEGAMI managed to talk to the NMX Escort ship through the communicator Cassie plugged into the ship for a couple of minutes before she self-destructed it as the NMX ship was leaving. MEGAMI was able to get the location of its past port of calls from its cafeteria's supply list. We may have some targets to investigate. I have forwarded the information to SAINT for analysis and mapping."
“Really, we got something from ration packs?” The analyst’s expression took a steep ascent when Aoba offered this information. “How fortuitous for us—and the mission. I know it’s selfish, too, but it’s nice to know those of us that were injured didn’t suffer to come up empty handed on intel!”
Captain Aoba nodded. "I've said my piece. Do not let it happen again. Do either of you have any questions? If not, you're dismissed."
"It won't sir, and no questions. However, if I may make a proposal." The operative then took in a large inhale "Permission to speak candidly sir?" Erika asked, her posture relaxing some what, but she was still tense.
Mineko wished she could give Erika a pat on the shoulder or some show of comaraderie. The Nekovalkyrja respected Aoba more than she cared to admit and in some strange part of her, Mineko wanted her captain to like Erika as much as she did.
"Permission granted," Aoba said. He was thinking about if she would someday realize how merciful he'd just been, and that it was the right call on his part.
"We can't fight like this. I'm sure you're aware." She extended her arms for emphasis. "Not only do we have powerful tentical beasts to our fronts, now we have to look to our backs lest our comrades drive a knife through them."
"Yes, that's what we were just discussing," Aoba said, pointing out the serious breach of trust that Erika had made by bringing a hostile Mindy up to the ship. "You say it like that is something new but it's always been that way for me."
The operative stood silent during the captains comment, though her gaze was unflinching. Once he had finished she continued without breaking her cadence. "If this happens again, as in if one of us turns, I do think its worth attempting capture. The sooner we can provide SARA or SAINT a subject to biopsy, vivisect, or dissect the sooner we can develop countermeasures."
"If that is in your mission parameters, or you are ordered to do so, you can try," Aoba said, "Otherwise, the mission comes first, and it is safer to respawn them in the medical bay than to figure out a cure."
"Of course sir, though the idea isn't to cure the affected, rather to provide research wings a subject to analyse to develop preventative measures." Erika clarified "To that end I would like to draft a protocol we can deploy to allow for safe capture of an affected induvidual."
"Give it to Mineko and if she approves it, she can bring it to me or the First Officer," Aoba told Erika. "Dismissed."
“Thank you for your time and for hearing us out, sir,” Mineko said with a curt bow of her head. Her dark blue and bright red eyes caught the stars just beyond the ship, out the window past Aoba’s shoulder. Being amongst the different nebula and in space reminded her of how different her life was since joining the Star Army. How much more diffuclt it was and why she dealt with those challenges. “We’ll continue to do all we can to protect our future from the mistakes of our past.”
Erika bowed once more before turning to Mineko. All the tension in her body was released in an instant as the operative's eyes glanced at the door. She began walking out, her foot falls coming a little faster than when she was coming in.
“He’s nice, right?” Mineko asked as they left out the door and through the science dome. Her smile had widened and she looked to the woman who had become the closest thing to a friend to Mineko.
Erika's eyes went wide as she looked at Mineko, and she blinked a few times before letting out a large exhale. "That could have gone a hell of a lot worse, that's for sure. And he was still willing to hear me out, despite being in the dog house."
"More than could be said for my recommendation for him to get a bodyguard. Come on, let's go unwind after that. Unless you want to start drafting a proposal this minute," Mineko said, happy to know Erika wasn't shaken by the captain's stoicism.
Erika looked up for a moment thoughtfully before looking back at Mineko. "Let me sit on it for a day or two. Then you and I will sit down and brainstorm together." The operative said before letting out another exhale, bringing her hands to her face to wipe it. "Right now though I need a coffee, or a soak, or something."
JP End
====
OOC: JP by Amethelian, Sunny D and Wes
