Chiharu Star Fortress

"Have you been to Chiharu Star Fortress before?" Lime asked. "I have not really left the ship except for a few missions...in fact, it feels weird and anxious to leave Eucharis. I guess I am a little afraid of the unknown!" she grinned.

"Actually, ma'am, this is only my second time on the station if you count barely having time to run through the station to catch the Eucharis before it launched to join the task force." Michael responded, pulling his hat off his head and tucking it under his arm. "Thank you again for accompanying me, Lime-Hei."

The green-haired neko looked at Michael funny. "You don't need to call me ma'am," she noted. "I'm no officer or old lady! Hahaha!" she laughed. "Anyway, I was wondering where you wanted to go. Are we looking for something special?"

"A-actually, ma-" The Elysian stopped himself before he called Lime ma'am again, some old habits dying hard, "Lime, do you mind if I leave off the Hei since we're off duty?"

"It's okay," Lime nodded. She kind of danced while she waited for his answer, swaying her hips side to side absently.

"Very well then! I'm sorry about this slight detour, but we're going to have to stop by a post office before we actually go shopping." Squeezing at his hat, Michael blushed, looking quite embarrased. "My mother sent me a copy of her family's book of recipes, so I was hoping to try something from that. Those are the foods that I grew up eating, after all, and It would be rude to not put it to use."

Lime removed her cap and put it in her coat pocket. "Okay, Michael. Let's go!" She grinned and let the winged guy lead the way.

Initially a bit confused by the layout of the station, Michael got his bearings quickly enough, and soon the green-headed neko and the red-headed angel were on one of the main passageways of the station. "I know that I am technically from Yamatai and all, but Lime, could you tell me what things are like in the empire now? I am only used to the way things are in Elysia, and I am truly afraid of causing a misunderstanding onboard the Eucharis due to the differing cultures onboard our ship."

"Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean. I don't really get out much," Lime apologized. Her world was pretty small and her life not so long thus far.

Around the two, hundreds of other Star Army soldiers could be seen visting shops and places in the city-like section of the station. A post office for docked ships was visible from where they entered, along with various other facilities aimed at temporary guests such as tour guides, gift shops, and massage parlors.

Michael scratched at his cheek, actually wowed by the size of the station, and the amount of space offered to luxuries. "This is actually amazing, Lime. You'd never see anything like this back in the ECN. Everything was always cramped and seemed small, even the spaces meant for Patricians. If the empire can afford to have all of this on a near-frontline facility, then it isn't any wonder my people were pushed off the homeworld..." frowning, he looked down. "Though I wish that things hadn't come to that."

"Chiharu is one of the oldest star fortresses. It really is a whole city is space, with civilians and communities and kids aboard. They should have almost everythign available," Lime explained. She didn't comment on the Elysian Wars...they were before her time.

"We're here though, so lets get that package my mother sent me. The past is the past, afterall, no reason to get caught up on it." Michael said, perking up and smiling at the neko, reaching out to playfully ruffle her hair.

"Heeeeey," Lime frowned, trying to fix it.

Michael held back a good natured laugh, chuckling instead at Lime as he led her inside the post office. Suprisingly enough, things weren't that busy, allowing Michael to quickly recieve the package: A small diary-looking thing wrapped ornately in expensive looking paper, with a lettter and a picture tied to it by a dainty bow. This, of course, was somewhat embarrasing for Michael, who had a look of embarrasment on his face. "Geez, even though we've both been in the military for almost a decade now, she still treats Gavril and me like her little boys." Despite his embarrasment, Michael didn't mind the show of affection from his mother, even if it was across lightyears of space.

"Mmm. What's it like having a mom?" Lime asked, curious. As a Nekovalkyrja, she'd been born fully grown and without parents, entering the world through a vat of nanomachines on the YSS Sakura.

"Well, It's kinda hard to explain, Lime." Michael responded, looking down fondly at the picture- it was of when Michael and Gavril were both children on Novus Elysia, taken outside the small church of one of the farming communities on Novus Elysia that were popping up all over the planet thanks to the diaspora. The twins, Michael and Gavril, had dirtied up their church clothes playing after Mass that day, their faces beaming as they were hugged by their exasperated foster-parents, Magdelena and Henri. Henri himself was the preacher of the church, and Magdelena had been a nun for the early years of her life. They had both done their best to raise the twin orphans, and despite the things that happened to them, Michael reckoned that they did a pretty swell job.

"She isn't my birth mother, me and my brother were adopted by her and her husband. They both did all that they could for us, and gave us one of the best things anyone could've given two orphans: A loving family. I guess that it could be hard to understand what it's like, but Henri and Magdelena were always so warm and loving. I guess, well, for you the same could be said that the crew of the Eucharis is your family."

"Does that make you my brother?" Lime grinned.

PAUSE

Cargo Area

"You can come with me if you like," Hanako told Helen. "Maybe we will run into Sune out there too."

- - -

Meanwhile, Taisho Yui's starship and escorts arrived...

Cargo Area

"Excellent, I'm sure it will be fun, Taisa." Helen said with a smile. "It has been a long time since I've gone on a shopping trip on our side of the border... I must be terribly behind in our fashions." It was a rarity from Helen at that point as she spoke, it was the dialog of a simple woman, and not an operative for the time being. For Helen, it was a relaxed moment, the first time in the better part of a year that she had been able to drop the vicious SAINT routine. Inwardly though, that vicious SAINT also mulled over the notion that such an outing would undoubtedly make doing her job aboard the Eucharis all the easier, since there was the possibility she could maybe befriend the Princess which she was assigned to ensure the safety of through her investigation.

Chiharu Star Fortress, Ship's Store

Kiko strode over to the ship's store as she'd told Mikael she would. She was wearing an exercise uniform with the addition of her pistol belt. After a glance around the area determined that he wasn't there, she entered the store and began browsing the inventory.

Mikael was glad he was out of his dress uniform. He strolled up to the Chiharu's Ship Store and noticed that Kiko was not outside. He simply shrugged and went inside since there were a number of items that he wanted to buy after this training excerise was over. But then he noticed Kiko. And then he noticed what she was wearing. He felt slightly overdressed with his Type 30 Duty Uniform. Again he shrugged and walked up to her.

"Are you ready Inoue-hei?" Mikael said to her.

Kiko stood up and nodded. "I am, Harris-hei," she said politely, bowing. She walked out the door and held it for him.

Mikael walked through the door and walked towards the holographic chambers. "Should just be a simple weapons familiarization excerise. Nothing too crazy, but I haven't done any real combat training outside of first hand experience since basic training. The Eucharis is a hectic ship."

Kiko nodded as she walked with him. "Indeed," she answered. She'd managed to make time for practice herself, but she couldn't blame him for not doing so, given that it was mostly because she was too shy to socialize with the rest of the crew that she could. She didn't say any of that, of course. It would be too easy for her to accidentally insult him.

"I especially want to train up on long range weaponry. I don't see enough of that these days." Mikael said as the two entered the corridor leading to the chambers. "Between you and me, we don't seem to be able to reach out and touch those squid villians in combat. And once they get close....it tends to get real nasty. It rarely goes in our favor." Mikael said bluntly. He couldn't remember any real victory against the NMX he knew of since the war started. Kiko nodded and listened attentively.

Mikael stopped outside one of the chambers and used the console next to the door. He searched for the standard weapons range program he used once before. Finally finding it, he touched the start button and motioned Kiko to enter. "Shall we?" he asked.

Kiko walked in ahead of Mikael. "We shall," she replied, taking a position at a firing station.

Mikael just laughed as he followed her. Kiko glanced around and let her lip twitch upward after she was sure the place was empty. Mikael walked towards one of the weapon racks in the corner and created a Type 33B Rifle. He grabbed it and moved it over to one of the firing platforms. He flipped out the bipods before he placed it on the floor. He then yet back to gather 120 SLAP rounds and a few battery magazines.

Kiko followed him to the weapon racks and moved some identical armament to her platform, feeling a bit foolish for thinking that she could use a real pistol here.

Mikael walked back to his weapon with the ammunition for his weapon. After first inspecting the holographic weapon like he would a real one, he stood back up and went of to a console near by to initiate the pop-up sequence. Setting the first 30 pop-ups in random order between 5,500 meters and 8,500 meters, he rushed back over to his weapon and assumed a good prone position. Kiko lied down and prepared to fire at the popups as well.

The first pop-up appeared 5,750 meters in front of Kiko and she fired straight at it less than a second after it appeared. Kiko's rushed shot barely glanced the pop-up. But it was enough to topple it.

The second pop-up up appeared at the maximum range of 8,500 meters in front of Mikael. He took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger as he exhaled. But he took to long and the pop-up went back down before the SLAP round was close enough to hit it. Not that it would have mattered, the shot was wide.

The third pop-up seemed to take it's time before it showed 7,000 meters in front of Kiko. She took a bit longer to aim this time, but still fired fairly quickly. The round from Kiko's shot came up short, hitting the floor with holographic dust in front of the pop-up.

The fourth pop-up once again appeared 8,500 meters in front of Mikael, seemingly taunt him. He took another deep breath as he looked down the iron sights. But he exhaled more quickly this time, squeezing the trigger at the same time. The SLAP round from his weapon grazed the pop-up's head, bringing it down. Mikael sighed and went through the whole process in his head.

The two continued to fire off shots at the pop-ups in turns before the firing sequence terminated with the 30th pop-up going down. Two sets of numbers appeared in front of the two shooters detailing their shooting accuracy, which pop-ups they shot, and where their shots were placed.

Kiko frowned slightly. "I will need to practice more, it appears," she said mildly. "Shall we continue, Harris-hei?"

Mikael shook his head when he saw his low accuracy. "Of course, I plan on spending all of my time here until the Eucharis is ready to deploy once more."

PAUSE

Shopping District

Sune walked into the shop and began the process of fleshing out his wardrobe. Pants and shirts were first on so he walked into the store and started looking for slacks. He was looking for some that were low maintenance, and well fitting. He found a simple style that in his opinion looked well on him. With the help of the clothier, he chose three colors and had them measured to be altered.

Now that he had satisfactory pants, it was on to shirts. He looked around until he found the "no iron" dress shirts. He chose six shirts that would go with the slacks that he selected.

Sune made his way to the front and paid for his purchases including delivery to his temporary quarters.

He walked out and looked around, the book store was still on his list of places to visit, but he needed a coat or jacket to go with the clothes and some accessories such as a dress belt and shoes.

Chiharu Star Fortress, Medical Center

Takeyu ran his hand through his sisters hair, she was partly asleep, with her head laying in his lap. He looked over at the nightstand and noticed a bloodied picture and a tray with the food that Layven had ate a few minutes ago, almost completely gone. The picture was of the family, with Sakura and Layven in front, Takeyu in the center, and their mother and father in the back. Behind them was the front end of their ship, with it being obvious that the picture was taken in some old, somewhat worn down station.

He reached out and snagged the picture from the stand, the blood was obviously old and there was a faint coppery smell to it. Think I'll see about getting this picture redone, he said before placing it back on the stand and nudging the girl.

Layven's eyes slowly opened, she moaned before sitting up and stretching up into the air. He smiled at her, and then asked. "Shall we head out for some fresh air?"

"But where?" she asked and got up off the bed and walked over to the door.

"Well, we do have a park here, never been to the one on this station though. Want to?" He offered and got up off the bed and started for the door. Layven smiled happily and ran after her brother as he left the room.

The two crossed the ways over to an awaiting elevator, then got inside, Takeyu tapped the keypad for the park level and the doors closed.

Chiharu Star Fortress, Park Level

The elevator chimed as it stopped, the doors parted, and Takeyu exited with Layven, his little sister. They strode into the large, expensive park hand-in-hand.

The park was very large, larger than the recreational center. It had rolling hills, long-winding rivers full of koi fish. Wooden Arches that towered over stone paths that were overgrown with grass and small plants. There were also was a large Pagoda, a tower that soared almost ten stories tall and served a shrine.

There was an observation deck located just off to the right of the elevator which the two headed toward, there was an assortment of benches and different types of asian style plants, there was even a dictionary in the center with an overview of the park, with details related to each section. Takeyu looked at it, then decided to just stay here and enjoy the sight.

Opening up his personel computer pad, he looked down at the time and saw that not that long had passed since the promotion ceremony. "I wonder if Kiko-hei will be able to make it," he muttered lowly to himself.

"Who?" Layven asked curiously when she heard him speak.

"Just a fellow crewmate," Takeyu smiled back at her and leaned on a fence that overlooked a large lake. Takeyu watched his little sister, Layven was only twelve years old, but the two years that had passed with her being a slave wouldn't have made it that apperent. She wasn't even the height of a typical twelve year old, more like that of a ten year old. Her clothing was a simple light blue dress with a dark red cowl. She also had a light red hat that she held in her left hand, and wouldn't let go.

He had to wonder who bought her the clothing, but then again, he didn't care, as she was most likely very glad to no longer be wearing the slavers outfit she had been recovered on. With a gentle smile, and a light sigh, he turned around and continued to look at the lake.

Kiko walked in from the direction of her quarters on the station, wearing a fur-collared leather jacket with a Eucharis patch and a pair of black pants. As she reached the Nayacesens, she bowed and spoke in her usual calm tone. "Hello, Nayacesen-Jôtô Heisho, Miss. I am Inoue Kiko-Sa - I mean Nitô Hei." One of her ears perked up in curiosity about why Takeyu asked her over here.

Takeyu glanced over his shoulder, then turned around fully with his back against the rails, he then pushed off. "Glad you were able to come Kiko-hei," he said with a satisfied smile and then glanced down at Layven, who was still looking out toward the lake and obviously hadn't heard her. Takeyu could only assume that after everything that had happened, her hearing may have been affected in some way or another.

As Layven continued to look, she heard Takeyu's voice and looked at him, blinked a few times in confusion, then yelped in surprise when she saw Kiko and then realized that the 'miss' comment was meant for her. "Err... I... ummm," Layven's face turned beet red with embarassment as she rubbed her hands together. "Umm, errr," she looked down.

Kiko's eyes widened a bit. "I didn't mean to startle you, miss. My appologies," she said, unable to keep a slightly distressed note out of her voice. From her, that sounded like panicked stammering. "Would you like me to leave?"

Takeyu shook his head. "That's quite alright," he said and patted Layven on the head. The girl glanced up at him, and then let out a sigh before she straightened herself up and looked at Kiko. Her composure renewed by a simple pat on the head, or maybe because she realized that she had possibly been causing Kiko some distress. "My names Layven, Layven Nayacesen, it's good to meet Inoue Kiko.... hmmmm," she tapped the edge of her chin thoughtfully, with Takeyu looking at her curious. "Can I give you a nickname?" she beamed.

Kiko bowed again. "It is good to meet you as well, Nayacesen-san." She blinked a couple of times when Layven asked her question. "You may, I suppose." She wasn't really sure why the girl would want to. Her name couldn't possibly be too long for someone named Nayacesen. Not that she'd actually say anything to that effect, of course.

Layven stood there for a moment in thought, then giggled and said. "How about Iny!" she beamed.

Takeyu blinked and then shook his head. "You can't be shortening people's last names like that," he said.

"Well, she might not mind," her finger up to her mouth with a curious expression, she looked over at Kiko.

Kiko raised an eyebrow at Layven. "I have no objection, Nayacesen-san," she said mildly. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly. She found the nickname to be ridiculous, but she could pretend that the girl had given it out of fondness instead of whatever her real reason was.

"Please, tell me Layven, my last name is a bit long," she smiled at Kiko.

"Thank you very much, Layven-san," the neko said.

Takeyu shook his head a second time, then looked over at Kiko. "My apologies Kiko-hei. Layven gives nicknames to everyone on our ship, mostly so she can rememer them more easily but in this case I think she is doing it out of a show of affection, she has been away from civilization for two years, so I can't really blame her," he said through telepathy and shrugged his shoulders with Layven being unable to see that.

Kiko blinked again. "No appology is necessary, sir," she replied through the same medium. After a few seconds, she added, "I hope I am not overstepping my station, but would it be acceptable to you if I asked to hug her?"

He blinked, and thought about it for a moment, an unusual request but he didn't find anything wrong with it. "I don't see anything wrong, in fact, that might make Layven rather happy" he replied back and folded his arms over his chest and continued to smile.

Kiko nodded subtly and swallowed. "Ah, Layven-san... I realizet that this may be inappropriate, and you have every right to refuse, but may I hug you?" she asked, turning a slightly darker shade of pink.

"Sure!" Layven beamed happily.

Kiko knelt and embraced the smaller girl, unable to keep a small smile off her face. Layven likewise smiled, accepting the embrace and hugged Kiko tightly. Then after a few minutes, Layven released her grip. A few seconds after, Kiko released Layven and stood back up, struggling to compose her face back into a neutral expression. Though who she thought she might be fooling with it was not readily apparent.

Takeyu turned to his side and stared across the lake, he was wondering if there were any places to sit but he saw none, most taken by other station personnel. As he stared out, he felt a tug on his pants and looked down at Layven. "Something wrong?" he asked her.

Layven glanced sideways, noticing a distant group of people who were out on a terrance. "Well, I noticed that Sakura isn't around," she said though her expression betrayed something else.

He wasn't intending on asking her right away, due to the mood, he was going to ask her toward the end of the day when things had settled down. Yet he 'knew' she already knew the answer. "Layven," he said.

The girl stood there, choking back tears and staring out at the lake. "She's dead... I....." she sobbed.

Layven shook her head. "I-I know..." she turned toward the rails and gripped them with her hands. "I...." Takeyu watched her, then glanced over at Kiko, before hearing a light sobbing sound from Layven.

He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her. Kiko reached toward her, then withdrew her hand. The child's brother knew her better than she did. Layven then turned toward him, he placed a finger up against her cheek and wiped a single tear away. Then planted the palm against her skin. Layven was going to say something else, but Takeyu placed his finger upon her lips, and shook his head then very quickly changed the subject to perhaps brighten her mood. He spun her around, which caused her to yelp in surprise as he placed both of his hands on her shoulder. "Layven, did you know that Kiko-hei helped in your rescue?" he asked. She blinked and looked over at Kiko, wondering if that was true.

"Sorry you had to hear that, I wasn't expecting her to suddenly bring that up. However, it is true that I do have another sister, a younger one, who was killed. However, now that I know that to be true, I can have our youngest revived" he said telepathically and watched Layven.

"I would never blame you for something like that, sir. And if I may say so, you appologize somewhat too much," Kiko replied, blind to the hypocrisy of the latter statement. She nodded to Layven. "I did, yes. My contribution was rather minor, but not nonexistant."

"Nonsense, I'm sure you were great out there!" she said to Kiko with a big grin on her face. Takeyu visibly rubbed the back of his neck, he never seemed to know when he was being 'to' apologetic.

Kiko smiled back a bit. "Well, if you say so, then it must be true," she said mildly. "My most sincere appologies for contradicting the all-knowing one."

Layven giggled and then spun around, her arms flailed in the air for a moment until she brought them down to her side. She looked around, before noticing a wide open field with some lines painted across it, she tapped her chin again thoughtfully. "Hey Bro, have you been practicing your swordsmenship lately?" she asked.

Kiko raised an eyebrow at Takeyu. "I wasn't aware that you were a swordsman, Nayacesen-Jôtô Heisho," she said.

"I use the sword, but not in an official capacity. Everyone in my family, including the crew of our ship, were required to learn some martial form, since you won't always have access to a gun," he said in response to Kiko's statement, and noticed Layven shivered at the word 'gun' he had forgotten that Layven didn't like guns.

"Iny interested in Swordsmanship?" Layven curiously asked.

Kiko nodded. "Hanako-sama gave us katanas for the solstice, and I've found that learning the martial arts brings me some measure of serenity..." she stared at a wall for a few seconds. "Ah, my appologies. I shouldn't have brought my own emotional state up like that." An edge of nerves crept into her voice.

"Well~" Layven looked up at Takeyu. "Takeyu could teach ya, but he's no where NEAR as good as me," she thumbed her chest and pushed it out in a superior posture and Takeyu rolled his eyes.

Kiko raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? It is rare to see such dedication. My compliments," she deadpanned.

After a moment Takeyu cleared his throat. "I could teach you if you desire, but just keep in mind that the Nayacesen style is different from that used by the Ketsurui Samurai," he said to Kiko.

Kiko nodded. "I was not planning on impersonating a Ketsurui, so that is no major drawback," she said.

Takeyu quickly went to correct what he had said. "I didn't mean to say that you were, we've just had people in the past who often times ask if our style is anything like the Ketsurui Samurai, so we've kind of gotten into the habit of telling others it isn't," he said nervously. Kiko replied with a noncommital grunt

"However, those swords if I recall are ceremonial... so we'll need practice blades instead," Takeyu tapped his lower chin, then took out a pad and ordered two Tamahagane's along with practice blade attachments.

"Do you have any questions though about our style?" asked Takeyu.

"Nothing that isn't likely to be included in my first lesson," Kiko said. "I expect that you could use some time to prepare for that."

"Depending on how much time we have," He looked at Layven, she may be family but she wasn't military, so he didn't continue that statement. "I'll see about finding a place perhaps tonight, or maybe early tomorrow, is that alright with ya?" Kiko nodded back.

Layven beamed and turned back around, collasping her hands behind her back, she looked around before a thought came to her. "By the way bro, am I going to be staying in that hospital?" she asked.

"No you aren't," replied Takeyu. "However, are you alright with living under the roof of a former Ketsurui Samurai?" he asked.

Her eyes blinked a few times, then she collasped her hands in front of her excitedly. "R-really?!" she asked and he nodded.

Kiko raised an eyebrow at Takeyu. "Who are you referring to, if I may ask?"

"I don't know the name of the person," Takeyu started. "Only that she resides at Kage Yaichiro's mansion, you 'might' be able to find some information on them, but there's no telling since she is a former Ketsurui Samurai

Kiko shrugged. "I wouldn't want to intrude on their privacy. Besides, I already have a teacher."

"I wouldn't mind meeting her to be honest, but with the war and such, that won't be possible," Takeyu shrugged his shoulders.

Layven blinked, curious yet confused at what Takeyu just said. "War? What War?" she asked.

"The war with the NMX," Kiko said. "The ones who set the parasites on you. I believe that the slavers surrendered to us because we treat our prisoners far better than the NMX do, but I'm not certain."

"That, or the NMX just really scared the living daylights out of them," Takeyu grinned with Layven laughing nervously. "Well, part of the reason the NMX are so frightening is because of what they do to people they capture," Kiko pointed out.

"I don't know if I want to know," Layven said with a slightly concerned look on her face. "I mean... err... what does NMX stand for?" she looked at the two of them in turn.

History lesson time..., Takeyu folded his arms over his chest and smiled. Though he wasn't at all intending to do this type of thing at this time, perhaps a little lesson wasn't that bad of an idea, if it allowed Layven to understand what was going on, maybe it would help her adapt to her new life.

"An unpronounceable phrase in their language which roughly translates to 'New Mishhuvurthyar Military," Kiko said.

"New Mishe...Misha...Mishuv....ughs! Mishumisfits!" Layven blurted out when she couldn't pronounce the word right, prompting Takeyu to burst out laughing and Kiko to cover her mouth before anyone could see her grin like a normal person.

After moment, Takyeu stopped laughing, though he had tears in his eyes from it. "Maybe we should ask command to rename them to that," he snickered as he was still unable to get it out of his mind. Layven, on the other hand, looked a bit puzzled as to why he was laughing, and why Kiko had covered her mouth.

Kiko nodded sagely and forced her face to straighten up. "It would have beneficial effects on morale," she pointed out.

"True," Takeyu winked and then placed his back up against the rails. "Ok, Layven, let's go ahead and pronounce the word out little by little, that way there you don't cause everyone on the station to die from laughter," he half snickered. "Or she could just say 'Mishhu,'" Kiko pointed out.

"Then again, doesn't Mishhu sound like a sort of food?" commented Takeyu before he realized that, based on what the Mishhu do to their prisoners, maybe it made sense 'why' their name sounded like a food of sorts.

Kiko shrugged. "I would try it at some point, but I might acquire a parasitical infestation. They appear to be as painful as I have heard they are."

"Parasi---- err....." Layven sighed heavily at her inability to pronounce those big words.

Takeyu just smiled and patted her on the shoulder. Being on a slave ship for two years tends to dull you a bit, he thought. Glad I'm enrolling her in school later,

"Don't worry about trying to understand Layven, for you will in due time," he said and she nodded.

"Still," Layven folded her arms over her chest and started thinking. "Why do the Misha... Mishe.. err...." she glared sideways. "Why do they hate us?"

"What's makes you think they hate us?" Asked Takeyu.

"Well, if I'm understanding right, they are our enemy, but why are they our enemy?" she asked, and once again, looked between the two in turn. Takeyu really did feel like he was back on his ship, teaching Layven history, only without the presence of his youngest sister.

The Neko shrugged again. "When someone asked that in training, they were mocked for being too philosophical," she said. "None of the guesses I've come up with make sense on examination, so I don't know. My appologies."

"Perhaps it's better to just not know," Takeyu nodded his head.

"Aww... but I wanna know!" Said Layven childishly as she looked up at Takeyu with pleading eyes but her brother shook his head.

"No," he said simply.

"Bah...." Layven folded her arms over her chest and glared out over the lake. As she looked over the lake, her mind wondered to the ship she had been on. She thought for a moment, but she didn't know the name of the ship, and she had already forgotten the name of it's captain. She blinked and then looked back at them. "Umm, what was the name of the ship that rescued me again?"

"You mean the-" Swiss Cheese "-Eucharis?" Kiko asked, deciding to keep her mental nickname for her home to herself.

"Yea, I think that's the ship," Layven tapped the side of her cheek. "Umm, why were you out there though?" she asked.

Takeyu had to smile, though he was beginning to wonder why she was so curious.

"I don't believe we're allowed to tell you," Kiko said.

"Is it because I'm a kid?" asked Layven.

"No, it's more of a general policy of not telling anyone anything unless they need to know," she answered. "Otherwise someone might accidentally tell an NMX agent something important. In fact, that's probably why nobody ever told me why the NMX are fighting us."

"Worse yet," Takeyu interjected. "If we told you, they could potentially use you against us," he said, with the mere thought of someone using a child just sickened him to the core, but then again, he knew that the NMX were just as capable of doing such a thing.

Layven didn't like that and shivered all over. "I don't think I wanna know now.... but what about the captain? Who was she?" she asked.

"Hanako-sama? Her full name is Ketsurui Hanako-Taisa. She's actually quite famous. Why do you ask?"

"Ketsurui... Ketsurui.... Ah! That would mean that she's a princess, right?" Layven's eyes lit up with excitement. Kiko nodded. "Do you think I could meet her?"

At that, Takeyu blinked. "Umm, I don't think that would be possible, considering she is a very busy person," he said and looked over at Kiko. She nodded at him "it seems unlikely."

"I 'could' always ask the Taisa, but it's entirely up to her, but there is no gurrantee," he said to Layven who, relunctanlty, nodded her head. She's rather meet her right now, but she knew that just wasn't possible.

Again, she turned back to the lake and began to think about what she would say if she meet Hanako, and wanted to thank her. If she hadn't been there, where would I be? the thought made her a little frightened, as she remembered vividly at how cold and hungry she felt on the planet. Eating warm food, and sleeping in a warm bed, was enough for her right now.

She then smiled, spun around, and grabbed the rail and boosted herself up, now clear of it she could see clearly and further, but as she was about to get down she felt something sharp slice into her hand. "Ow!" she yelped and quickly drew her hand away and looked at it. "Layven-san, are you all right?" Kiko asked, stepping closer.

Takeyu unfolded his arms, and glanced over at Kiko.

Layven stared at the blood as it flowed from her open cut, and for a moment she seemed fixated on it, then suddenly memories began to flash through her mind, people screaming, and someone shouting. As blood dripped off her hand, she suddenly moved it to her head and started screaming out in pain, with tears rolling down her face.

Takeyu quickly knelt down in front, and grabbed her wrists, but he was amazed that despite her being a child he could not pull them away from her head. "Kiko? Can you pull her hands away from her head please so that I can talk to her, I know it's harsh..." he asked, completely forgetting to add any honorific to the name due to the situation.

Kiko immediately siezed Layven's wrists and yanked them away from her head with as little force as she could, but still far more than she'd have done without Takeyu's message. She let the lack of honorific pass without mention.

Layven struggled hard, but she couldn't get her hands free. Kiko forced the arms behind her back and held them both in the same two-handed grip. Takeyu looked into her face and said, "Layven! Calm down, you're safe and sound, calm down!" he said but then saw her eyes shout open, they were like saucers, with tears still pouring. He was takenaback, shocked even. "I.... I've never seen her this scared before, what the hell did they DO to her?" he asked but then went back to trying to get through to her. Layven still struggled, he wasn't certain if it was her phobia of blood, or the images of her torment at the hands of the slavers that was driving her fear.

He placed his hands around her face, and this caused her eyes to twitch slightly. "Calm down...." he said softly and for that moment she stopped struggling, as if she realized where she was, before he saw her eyes close slightly, before fainting and falling backward toward Kiko. The neko caught her with ease and set her gently on the softest patch of ground she could find. "I-I didn't hurt her, did I?" she stammered. Her eyes were wider than Takeyu had ever seen them and he didn't need to make an effort to hear the horror in her voice.

Takeyu looked down at Layven, concerned not because of what Kiko had to do to restrain her, but more about what might have caused Layven to freak out. "I don't think you did, she's a pretty tough kid," he smiled reassuringly at her. Or at least, she used to be...

The young neko breathed a sigh of relief, as she couldn't hear Takeyu's doubts. She took a couple of deep breaths and rearranged her expression back into the neutral mask she usually wore. "That is good to hear. My appologies that you had to see that, sir," she droned.

He shook his head, then carefully picked Layven up and held her. "No need to apologize, I'm just sorry you had to see her, but I guess it was to happen sooner or later, just wish it wouldn't have," he looked down at Layven's face. "I better get her back to the Medical Center then, and let them know about what happened," he said and shifted his hands so he could carry the twelve year old better. Kiko didn't dare ask to carry her instead.

"I'll contact you later in regards to the training, but it might be a bit later than I had originally planned," Takeyu said with a hint of concern in his tone.

Kiko's ears drooped an inch. "I see," she said. I can't blame him for rejecting me as a student... I wish he'd be more earnest about it, though.

With that, Takeyu shifted his weight a bit then started for the elevator that would take him to the Medical Center, but stopped part way. "Thank you for coming by the way," he smiled at her and continued walking. His eyes glanced down at his pocket, which held a KS Card that was given to him by Jalen Sune, guess I'll give it to her during the dinner tonight, he thought before sending a message to the Medical Center, letting them know what had just happened and to have a nurse there ready.

"Thank you for inviting me," she said guiltily, not realizing that his thanks were just as sincere as hers.

Though I also need to figure out who I have to talk to about revivals, but I guess I'll take care of that later, he thought and looked down at his sister as he stepped into the elevator and tapped the button that would take him back to the medical center.

END

Quarters

Given that Hanako said she might have to leave him in command of the Eucharis, Yaichiro spent a good amount of his time not relaxing, but pondering options and reviewing Spacy Fleet Strategy. Depending on how things went, he may just find himself leading a task force to shield the UOC, Lorath, and the Fourth Fleet from his own NMX-warped creations.

He telepathically inquired to Charisma for details on the probe's data. Yaichiro knew the short version from the Taisa, but he wanted more details. He needed whatever information he could find to try and paint a better picture of what they might be getting into, so as not to have a repeat of what happened with Task Force Torch.

Chiharu Star Fortress

"That isn't exactly what I meant..." Michael responded, flushing as he tugged at the collar of his uniform coat. "I mean, I'm sure that Mango and the Taisa are like sisters to you, but I could never think about anyone on the Eucharis that way." The Elysian nodded... And then shook his head. "I don't mean anything insulting by that either. What I mean is that Neko like you and the Taisa are too cute to think of in a sisterly way.... Oh god, and that sounds just as horrible..." He trailed off, holding his face in his palm.

Lime wrinkled her nose a little bit in confusion. "Are you saying you want to have sex with us?" she asked.

Several random people nearby kind of glanced over in the couple's direction as they overheard her blunt question.

If this were a combat situation and Lime's question an oncoming enemy attack, Michael was sure that he would be dead right now. Shaking his head frantically, the Elysian made clear what he meant. "No-no no! Not that. Well, Not until ma- No, that isn't what I mean!" Michael's face was now as red as his hair.

"Oh," Lime cryptically replied, absorbing that morsel of information. A long moment passed.

"... If, If I was interested in stuff like that, You'd be my first choice," Michael said, his blush somewhat subsided, "after I take you on a date, of course."

"What," Lime muttered, somewhat unimpressed. "Anyway, I thought you were going to buy some food."

"Well, yes. I just got a bit distracted. I'll need to get some ingredients. For the Salads i'll need a few Aubergines, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, tomatoes, sliced cucumber, green bell peppers, red onion, sliced or cubed feta cheese, olives. If I want to cook some Aginares A la polita, I'll need some Artichokes." The Elysian stopped, and rubbed his chin, thinking. "What do you think would fit better Lime, meatballs or wraps?"

"Wraps?" Lime guessed, not really familiar with Elysian food.

"Yeah, Gyros. You take meat and vertically roast it. When its done, you slice off pieces of the meat, chop it a bit, add in some tomatoes, onion, and tzatziki sauce, and you wrap it up in a pita. It's actually a popular food on Novus Elysia."

"Kind of like a burrito?" Lime asked, nodding.

Michael shrugged. "Somewhat, but a buritto is completely enclosed, a Gyro is more typically open."

"An Elysian gordita!" the green-haired girl grinned. "What is the sauce made with?"

"Ah, Tzatziki sauce is made from strained yogurt and cucumbers essentially, but other things can be added in like garlic, salt, olive oil, paprika, and lemon juice. It shouldn't be that hard to find some strained yogurt on Chiharu."

Lime followed Michael around as he selected the ingredients from a local market.

"I am truly sorry for what I said earlier, Lime-Hei." Michael said as he picked out Pomegranates for the crew. The fruit, while something of a pain to eat, was delicious and incredibly healthy. "I did not mean to offend you at all, and I thank you for your patience with me."

"It is okay," Lime told him. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the Elysian yet but her initual opinion was still forming. She would have to get to know him better.

"We should head back to the ship now, and get to cooking." The Elysian smiled at Lime, grinning at her, his new friend, happily.

Command Deck

Sorano sat in old her office on the Command Deck. She was reviewing the sensor data and ship logs supplied by the Aegir, and was waiting for the data from the 1XF vessels to add to it.

But the picture the current data was disturbing. The ships of the Task Force had fought valiantly, of that there was no doubt. They were even put on alert and maintained a proper stature during their time in Mitsuya.

The fact that the task force was outnumbered was the deciding factor in the loss. But she saw a few disturbing events though.

Kontan then notified her of the arrival of Ketsurui Yui-Taisho's ships.

She sent a message of greetings to Yui, and a request for information on who was traveling with Yui to be sent to Onikisu-Shosa.

Shopping Center

Sune walked down to the bookstore, and stepped into it. The shop had a unique fragrance from all the paper within. He stopped a few steps within and surveyed the shop. Never before had Sune seen so many books in one place. He recalled some of the treasured story books that were aboard the Bouken and how the young ones enjoyed having the stories read to them. He never really understood the concept, after all most books could be accessed electronically, but to some there was a significance of holding the book.

He looked around and searched, he found a copy of the book he had watched the family read to his namesakes. Then he crossed over and picked up a couple of basic medical manuals, a book on anatomy, and a book of poetry. Then with his arms full of books made his way to the cashier.

Shopping Center

"You may come with me," Hanako told Helen, although she was not sure how things would go, or if they were shopping for similar items. "I lost all my belongings to ship damage."


"Thank you, Taisa," Helen spoke as she gave a soft nod that bordered a bow of respect. After all, they were still on the clock, and as an officer, it was a privelidge to be given the oppertunity to go on such an outing with a princess. "I'm sure that we'll be able to recover the material losses. Maybe this could become a good thing, possibly could be viewed as an opportunity to redecorate and establish a new personal style."

"I am content with my style, but perhaps I can expand on it," Hanako pondered aloud. "I mainly want to get what I need to be comfortable, and some fashionable civilian clothing to balance the uniforms in my wardrobe." Hanako led the way towards the commercial districts.

With Hanako leading the way, Helen followed along as they approached the commercial district. It had been a long time since Helen had set foot on an Iori-class star fortress, the sheer magnitude of the structure still evoked imagery of the high-points of the Yamataian Empire, before the recent war seemingly put them on the ropes. At least, to Helen they were on the ropes, things usually seemed far more dire to her since she worked as an intelligence officer. Even with that momentary thought of nostalgia, Helen wore a smile upon her purple painted lips as she decided to start a bit of a dialog to hopefully get Hanako's mind off her battered ship. "In the few times which we have ran into each other in space, I have not seen your personal wardrobe. What sort of attire do you favor when off duty? I could keep an eye open for some things for you while we're shopping."

"I have barely left the ship, but when I do I tend to be in uniform. I love dresses and skirts, tights and sweaters, blacks, whites, and blues, solid colors, gold laced edges and gorgeous boots," Hanako answered. "I do not want to dress like a man."

"Mmm. Rather sensible choices in attire. I've known some people who have had rather questionable fashion sense. Even some personnel which have chosen to wear the uniform slacks instead of the skirt. Clothing for men belongs on men really... well... unless the woman in question has the figure to go along with a man's attire, though, that sort of fashion usually remains on the Nepleslian side of the border." Helen spoke, easing into the truly feminine line of conversation. Fashions, what looks good on who, and opinions on looks in general... it was something unique to the female side of a species, at least the Yamataian species and those close to it. "Needless to say, we need to find a dress shop... some place with lots of dresses. Lace, frills, anything to break away from the monotony of the uniform."

"It is not that I dislike our uniforms," the golden-eyed Taisa explained. "They are comfortable and attractive; however, variety can be nice, and uniforms are not suitable for personal business."

"Personal business, hm?" Helen said with a tone that had a bit of an implication, a joking one of course. "It is true, it is hard to conduct personal business when wearing the uniform sometimes. Especially these black panels... they're like a big huge sign that says 'You're not welcome here'. Like the exact opposite of a 'welcome' doormat or something of the sort." It was something difficult to explain, the stigma which was attached to SAINT, at least without offending a superior. How could someone say that their branch of the service scared people when speaking to a superior, without discrediting the uniform as a whole?

"There is also something to be said for dressing and feeling beautiful and sexy."

A smile crossed Helen's lips at that comment, drawing a nod from her. "Yes, that is absolutely true. It is an embarassing truth, but with many ships I've been assigned to, I've needed to bring a small cargo container to accomodate my wardrobe. Only recently have I trimmed off a lot of the excess since I've been doing more field work... it is a shame though, I've kept a wide range of beautiful and sexy clothing. A woman with my features sort of requires such things." Those features which Helen spoke of could be considered apparent with her every step producing a bounce that many of the girlish figured Nekovalkryja in the Empire lacked.

"I do not think I have ever seen your wardrobe, although I have heard it is quite exotic. I wonder if you would have any suggestions for mine," Hanako said. Entering the shopping areas, Hanako looked over the long rows of shops and department stores.

PAUSE