"Maybe she's just bored." Kelly offered as he followed the rest of the squad onto the bridge, an unlit cigarette in his mouth. Holding up a shiny metallic lighter to the tip of the stick, he paused, and looked around the room.

"No-one minds if I smoke, right? We're out of Yamataian jurisdiction anyway, I just don't want to offend any of your sensibilities." Almost ignoring the complaints of any of his peers as he went ahead and lit it anyway. After taking a long draw on it, he went right down to business.

"Okay, Captain. We should start the briefing now."

Arah looked over Kelly like a cow looks at an oncoming train, and huffed a light sigh, straightening herself to a more presentable position, finally looking at the rest of the assembled crew after a few minutes of absentmindedly adjusting herself. She cracked her neck quietly, popping tired joints and allowing herself a moment to relax. Then she spoke. It was a wondrous, thing, after all the seemingly pointless waiting, this single word she said.

"Hi."

After a few blinks, she rubbed her eyes, and spoke again.

"As most of you know, starting from the Fiasco at Hinoki Pagoda, one of our Ashigaru frames was taken, and we lost two employees, one to a gunshot, the other to some currently unknown foe. We've been working on tracking the ship that the stolen frame was taken on, and have succeeded in finding it. It had been stripped of all useful parts, had its structure destroyed, and sold as scrap metal. Somehow, they seem to have left information on the scrap hull, which Origin has acquired. The information, which we believe is a trap, but we're going in anyway. After that horrid display at the Pagoda, we believe they may underestimate us, but we'll be going with extra support."
Arah yawned a bit, adjusting herself in her seat once more.
"So, We'll be heading off to Kennewes, where there is apparently some sort of hidden base, possibly the location where the ship's stripping took place. In any case, we are going in expecting combat, so I want you all to be prepared. That is, if you want to go. As you know, company policy is that any operation which will knowingly involve combat are strictly voluntary, and declining to participate holds no repercussions, except giving me the right to make fun of you for being a pussy."
The captain chuckled at her joke and leaned back in her chair

"Any questions? If not, I want to shove off as soon as possible so we can get out there and get our stuff back, or at least pay those guys back for crossing us."

Taela raised her hand and waited until the captain called upon her. Once she did, the Neko asked, "Just with what might the combat take place in? I'd assume the Frames, but it's better to know this ahead of time for sure."

I just hope that I'll remember the combat controls for those things. . . She thought, her ears twitching as she waited for an answer.

"Yes, it will take part mostly in the frames. There may be a small need for some work outside of the frames, but it isn't likely." Arah answered, very quickly and simply.

"Why? Are you volunteering for it, or would you prefer to avoid it?" she asked, looking at this new crewmember. "Those who feel that they must participate in combat outside of the frames, be prepared to be issued an Impulse Powered Armor. These suits can be worn inside of the Ashigaru so long as they run on battery power only, as the backpacks are too large and unable to be stored within the cockpit."

"I was made for the purpose of fighting. To not perform my creator's will at least a little bit would be a foolish waste of ability. Yes, I am volunteering for the fight. . ." Taela stated, before another question popped into her head. "There is a storage area under the Pilot's seat, correct? I'd like to store the generator pack for the Impulse there, if I am allowed one."

Her thinking was quite obvious for this - simple, basic, survival instinct. Even if the Ashigaru were destroyed, the Neko would be able to escape.

"I second that notion Captain. Well, so long as we have the suits to spare for everyone I mean." Yoshiko had watched enough super robot space operas to know what would happen if the cockpit of her Ashigaru, or any frame for that matter, were to be breached. Her mind wandered off, visibly, as she thought of all the possibilities and horrors. One in particular had the pilots in Frames with a name starting with the letter G, but, she couldn't remember the name. It seemed as though the cockpits were lined with hard, brittle materials, waiting to be splintered into the pilots in many cases! Yoshiko shivered at the thought. "Yeah, I don't want any giant splinters of cold metal impaling me...Captain."

The chocolaty skinned Nepleslian took a long drag from his cigarette, and slid it to the corner of his mouth with his tongue so that he could speak. Checking the collar of his shirt, he made sure he was presentable, and then cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Oh yeah. We're going to be testing some of the weapons on the next generation frames while on this mission. I would've preferred for the new frames to be ready for this, but the Ashigaru will have to do." Kelly trailed off again, and rubbed his chin.

"Right, Kennewes. Its not called a Swamp Planet for shit and giggles. There is a good chance that your Ashigarus may, in fact, start to sink into the ground. I suggest we hover, most of the time, unless we need to be cautious. And if we do have to do things by ground, we move slow, and steady, and as a group. Does everyone understand me?"

"What part of 'It doesn't fit' didn't you understand?" Arah asked, in a surprisingly polite tone, before Nodding at everyone's decision to fight. "We do indeed have enough Impulse suits for the pilots to use, although the APS is more than enough in most situations. However, this isn't most situations, so your decision is a good one." Arah lazily nodded at Kelly after he spoke, agreeing with him.

"Yes, we will have new weapons aboard the Atuan, which will give us a bit of a fighting edge should the need arise. This will be the first practical field testing of these weapons, so, don't be surprised if they have a few bugs." After she finished speaking, the captain stretched and stood up, looking at the frame pilots. after a few moments, she realized she had forgotten something. "Oh, yeah. you're all dismissed. Get your frames ready, we've only got a few hours before we make landfall on Kennewes."

Taela listened to Kelly's advice, making a mental note to use the hover function when her Frame would be exiting the ship. The news of weapons testing while in the field of battle was a little unnerving, but she knew of Origin's strive for quality products. So, when Arah was finished, she clapped her hands together and bowed, uttering, "Hai, sempai." before heading to the hangars to check out the Frames.

"Wow. That's a big backpack thingy." Yoshiko commented. As soon as she was dismissed, she gave off a crisp and cheery salute to Arah. "Yes Ma'am!" The ex-neko quickly caught up with the Neko after hearing her gloomy voice. "Hey! Cheer up! We get new stuff you know!" She put a finger up to her lip in thought. "I think we got a new railgun, and a sword, and an energy pistol sword combination thingy, and an energy carbine, and...oh! Maybe some new missiles!" Yoshiko almost jumped up and down at that last one, before opening her mouth again, "Look on the bright side, we get to blow things up!"