After a long ride on a cramped cargo ship, Inoue Kiko arrived at the Ikoi-class starbase of the First Expeditionary Fleet's second squadron, which was currently positioned in the Veronica system on the edge of Yamataian Imperial space.

A busty redheaded neko in a white-paneled uniform and shoi rank was standing at the docking ramp inside the large, brightly repair bay. "Hey hey hey!" she grinned. "Welcome!"

Kiko stretched as soon as the ship docked and it was safe to do so, then changed from her exercise uniform to her work uniform. After she was properly attired, she went to the boarding ramp, bowing to every crew member she saw to thank them for their hospitality.

She bowed again as soon as she saw the officer, rather lower this time. "Thank you, Shoi. Inoue Kiko-Santô Hei reporting for duty," she said impassively, following with the crisp salute of a Hei fresh out of boot camp. She idly wondered why a Shoi had bothered to come out to greet her, but decided it wasn't her place to ask.

"I'm Gally," the Shoi said. "I'm the captain of this little starport...I ended up here after my ship was destroyed bringing a new soldier to the Eucharis. I see your cargo ship made it without running into the Mishhuvurthyar. Have you seen any real combat yet? If you requested duty on the Eucharis, I assume you want to get into a lot of battles," the young officer asked as they walked up the ramp and into the station interior.

"Good to meet you..." Kiko's eyes glazed over for a second as she looked up Gally's last name, "Kinder-Shoi." She walked a short way behind the captain, and was even more confused that she would come to greet a mere Santô Hei. "I have not seen combat unless brawls count." She ruthlessly suppressed an unbidden memory, showing no external sign except for quickly answering the unspoken question. "I am under the impression that my primary duty as infantry is combat, ma'am. Is that not the case?"

"Is that a joke?" Gally asked, scrunching up her face for a second out of confusion. "Anyway, I'm sure they'll find a place for you. The Eucharis is due to arrive soon for replenishment and proper repairs. Some of the veteran crew is also around, waiting to get back on the ship as well...mainly former sprites. They are workaholics so Taisa Hanako made them take shore leave. Would you like to get something to eat? In addition to the wardroom we have two restaurants."

As they entered the station passageways, a second Shoi followed along, listening, but did not say anything. She had long black hair with light purple skin. More faces from various cultures could be seen in the main corridors...Elysians, Helashio, Lorath, and even a troll...who joined Gally and Kiko.

"My apologies, Shoi. It won't happen again," Kiko said, berating herself internally. "I would appreciate a meal very much, ma'am." Besides being hungry, she rather liked Gally. "What do you recommend?" She bowed to each crew member as they passed and joined the group. She guessed that Gally's favorite place to eat was popular. She took that as a good sign.

"I was thinking we'd go to Sam's Grill. It's a tropical seafood place," Gally suggested. The grill was very clean and well-decorated, with numerous plant, bamboo furniture, and tropical-themed paintings. The smell of fresh salmon and coconuts met their noses as they entered. "You know, a lot of the people on this station are people that the Eucharis rescued from the slave trade or NMX prisons." Gally suddenly lowered her voice to a near-whisper. "Have you heard what the NMX do to you if you're captured?"

Standing against the wall in the passageway, Mikael had his arms crossed his chest. Anyone around him could tell he was in deep thought just but the way he had his right hand on his chin. He looked over to his right and then snapped into attention and performed a deep bow when he say Shoi Blackberry was close enough.

"Greeting ladies," he said as he rose. He caught the glimpse of infantry panels and then just started to passively assess the neko.

Kiko bowed to the senior Hei like she did everybody else, and replied to his greeting with a cool "hello, sir". When she arrived at the Grill, she breathed deeply to savor the scent of the salmon. She listened attentively to Gally. "I have, Shoi," she said impassively. She wasn't entirely sure that the stories about NMX prisoner treatment weren't propaganda designed to convince people to fight to the death, but she didn't say anything to that effect. If they were true, implying that they weren't would be horrible, and if they were, she assumed she would be informed when it became relevant.

In the entrance to Sam's Grill, a female Plebian with alabaster skin, blond hair and gray eyes stood wearing a gown that gave her an ethereal appearance. She was holding several menus. "Hello, welcome to Sam's Grill. My name is Venia Pietas. How many are in your party?" She asked in a soft lilting voice.