Yoshi
Inactive Member
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Seako's Office Aboard The Soyokaze
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Sitting behind her desk Seako was busy reading over the reports on her new crew members, or that is honorary crew members. She was starting to have way to many crew that weren't Star Army proper. Reaching before her she took a sip of her tea as Jayne reported that the new members were being escorted to her office, and would be there presently.
"Thank You Jayne, Please take any other visitors until I am through with these two." She smiled to the ghostly ship AI.
The little I'ee ambassador was clinging on tight to her sister, clutching her hat tight against her thorax and squeaking nervously to her. "You must compose yourself, Sally.", Yui told her calmly, standing like a statue just in front of the office door as her sister crawled all over her.
"I can't!", the ambassador replied, struggling to pull herself away from the guardian I'ee, her abdomen pulsing with each terrified breath. "It was different before! We had Edtoto, and it was less scary, and...!" Yui, still clad in her copper-gold armor, rolled her head from side to side with another huff, beginning to tire of Sally's terror.
"Shall I fill in for you instead, then?", the words came almost as a test for Sally, who stiffened in the midst of her mad, clingy struggles, then pulled away. She huffed and plopped the Star Army cap onto her head, crumpled and askew, and the black LED mask on her face flickered on to display a red, frowning face.
"No, Yui!", she squeaked in defiance. "That's my job!" Ignoring her sister's chortling, Sally stormed forward in a huff, waiting for the door to slide open before entering.
The sight was an odd one for Seako; a pair of almost comically short insectoids toddling into the room, one of which had a cap sitting sideways atop its head, the other dressed in rather archaic, metal plate armor. The foremost one, Sally, had an artificial smile displayed on a small mask seated in the middle of her face, between the compound eyes and above her mouth. Yui was still laughing quietly even as Sally straightened her cap; a soft, chattering grumble. "Hello! My name is Sally!", the ambassador greeted pleasantly in a voice projecting from a small speaker attached to her face.
Standing just before the door opened, Seako smiled and then bowed to the Abassador, and what she had read as her bodyguard-keeper. "Welcome aboard the Soryokaze. Please have a seat." She motioned to the pair of chairs on the side of the deask from her. "I have tea... um or is there something else I could have Jayne bring us?" Internally the black eyed captain was busy studying the pair of aliens. There weren't the first she had ever met, but they where diffidently one of the strangest. She wasn't sure why Command had sent them to her to be aboard the Soyo, but she at least was told they could be put to work.
Sally returned the bow with one of her own, which made the cap slide downward dangerously until it caught on her antennae, pushing it back into place when she straightened up again. "Thank you, Chusa.", she said courteously, her composure returning now that she was in the swing of things. The little ambassador seemed to dread the offer of a chair, however, peering at the seats placed in front of Seako's desk with an audible whine. Even the electronic display changed briefly to a concerned frown before switching quickly to the usual, cutesy smile.
"Tea is not to our tastes, Chusa.", Yui interjected from where she stood by the door, while Sally began carefully trying to sit upon the chair without her abdomen getting in the way. "I have found, though, that my sister has acquired quite a taste for the juices of some of your native fruits." The ambassador paused in her careful maneuvers to give Yui an embarrassed glance, eventually conceding to a draw by sitting upon the chair sideways and turning it slightly so she could still face Seako.
"Juice it is. Jayne?"
"Yes Ma'am" The AI responded as it appeared in the room.
"Please bring our friends a piture of juice and a pair of juice glasses." Seako winked at the AI before it disappeared. "Well If I may make a suggestion," she said to her guests as she sat down in her chair. "Rotate the chair around and then lean against the up right with your... ummm chest?" She partly asked as she wasn't quite sure what they would have called their front part of their bodies. "Past that what brought you and your guardian to Yamatia?" She asked as she poured more hot tea into her mug.
Tilting her head to one side, Sally stood and rotated her chair again, now resting more comfortably with her arms curled around the back rest, as if she were hugging it. "Thank you, Chusa.", she said with gratitude. Yui, meanwhile, remained standing just behind and to the side of her sister; though her height meant that she was still slightly below eye-level with Seako.
"Myself and my sister are from the Ee'ith family.", Sally began, the face on her mask changing to a happier, open-mouthed grin, complete with closed eyes. "Our mother was always fascinated by her parents' study of aliens, and thus, our family has dedicated our lives to establishing peace and friendship with as many civilizations as we can. We believe it is in the best interests for our species, and some other families agree."
"I,", Yui continued. "am her guardian. Her bodyguard. While we are both sisters, I have always felt more at home protecting and fighting than talking. I have seen sisters of mine tricked and killed by aliens such as yourself before, and I dedicate myself to protecting Sally with my life." Sally nodded in confirmation, adding one last note. "Our species' first contact with aliens ended with war, and we hope to make that a thing of the past."
Thinking for a moment, Seako nodded, "Sounds like noble paths for both of you. I hope that aboard the Soyo, as we lovingly call her, You can continue these paths." She paused for a moment thinking back onto the thought that had been running through her mind from the first time she received notice that they would be coming aboard. 'Just what will they be doing aboard.'
"What training have you received on our technologies?"
Sally nodded her head thoughtfully, pausing a moment before answering the question. "Our experience is probably at its best with communications.", the ambassador stated, giving Yui a glance, which was answered with a curt nod. "My ambassador ship was equipped with technology and software based off of your own to assist with making contact. Besides that, however, I do not believe I would be of much practical use. My current mission is to learn... enrichment, I think it could be called."
"We do, however, both have a firm grasp of flying starships.", Yui noted, which Sally elaborated upon; the two smoothly switching from one speaker to another. "While we might not be immediately familiar with your craft, I cannot imagine us being unable to learn. I would, in fact, be eager to learn." The guardian added one final point. "The same would go for weapons, I am sure. I can shoot, and Sally can too if she has to."
She sat there quietly as the pair told her of their skills. Thinking over what they had given her, she came up with an idea. "How do you two fair in small craft?" She asked even as she brought up a little volumetric screen showing a fighter rotating in it's frame.
The two I'ee peered closely at the indicated screen, with Yui tottering closer to get a better look. "How small, exactly?", Yui replied, skeptical, though her artificial voice showed none of it.
"Our craft was quite small.", Sally noted, tapping a claw on her left mandible. "It was not particularly maneuverable, though... at least, compared to the craft I have seen your pilots fly."
"It is a fighter craft, yes?", Yui asked with an authoritarian tone. "I have heard a little of them, since our enemies use similar ships. From what I know, the Ithee's experiments with developing such craft ended embarrassingly."
"Is it very fast?", Sally butted in with a bit of concern, swinging her legs nervously from where she sat.
"Yes it is, A Hayabusa. She is nimble and what our ship is carrying for fighter escort and protection." The Captain replied. "Fast is pretty relative. But she has a max basic drive speed of .4 c. That is 40% the speed of light. It also has a ftl drive max speed of 5000c, or about .5 light years per hour. They are armed with both cannons, mounted forward and in a few turrets, and missiles." She beamed brightly, "We are loading a full run of them aboard. To supply our CAP with a full rotation of craft and pilots." She tiled her head and asked seriously, "You you two be interesting joining our fighter crews and fly one of these?"
"That... sounds very fast.", Sally squeaks, sounding and looking intimidated, while Yui spoke up for her. "Will my sister be in any danger flying this craft? We will both need adequate time to adapt to a craft not only alien, but faster than anything our species possesses." The guardian, having stepped behind her sister, gave her a little hug as she spoke to soothe her. "You are in command of a combat craft, correct? That would mean that both of us will be exposed to combat. Will my sister be safe?"
Sally remained quiet, apparently deep in thought, ruminating over the excitement of learning to fly an alien craft coupled with the terror of extreme speed, the prospect of combat, and most importantly, looking silly in front of the Star Army of Yamatai.
"You'll have plenty of time to learn how to fly it, the basic controls are simple, and we will be hitting quite a few places where we will have to drop out and the fighters will be launched. You can keep close to your wing mate, I'll assign someone to you. And they'll help you through the learning curve." Ash paused and sighed, "As for the rest... You'll be as safe as any other one of my crew. But I'll do you one more then them. IF you swear you will go directly to the nearest SAoY Base, and you will NOT steal the craft. If you feel the ship will be destroyed and the only way out is to run, then take the fighter and jump into ftl and run." She looked dead serious. "But remember that Yamataian military forces will hunt that fighter down if they believed you have stolen it. I will put in a command letter into the fighter's storage, that will tell the commander of the base you arrive at that I gave you permission to do so." She shrugged, "It is the best I can do."
Yui nodded her head thoughtfully, lowering her head to gaze at Sally. "It is up to you, Sister.", she stated, before looking back up to look at Seako. Compared to Sally, Yui had no LED mask on her face, leaving her emotional state difficult to discern.
"It would make good experience for myself and Yui...", the ambassador mused. "And our relatives in the Ithee family would love to learn more about your technology. I think we shall at least try to master your fighter craft. Thank you, by the way, for your consideration."
"You also have our word that the craft will not be stolen.", Yui added, her arms folded over one another. "It would be against our family's purpose to betray your people. Though families like Ithit and Ithee lust for your technology, we hold only a loose allegiance to one another. We would not be welcomed as heroes if we brought the fighter craft home with us." Sally nodded her head solemnly, affirming her sister's words.
"Thank you. And I want you to understand I could be held accountable if you did. But I'm going to trust you." She smiled and bowed her head, just at Jayne came into the office carrying a tray with the juice and glasses.
"Thank you Jayne, That should be all for now." With that the AI faded away to go off and help another crew member. Standing up she poured the pair the juice and handed them to the insectoids. "Now I have a custom, I allow all my new crew members to ask anything they want to know of me, and I think I will hand this to you just the same." She settled back behind her desk.
The little I'ee ambassador seemed horrified that Seako would take the blame if they made off with the fighter. "I would never do it! I promise!", she squeaked with an almost childish conviction. Her sister, meanwhile, twitched her head to look at Jayne as she entered the room, seeming a little baffled as the holographic entity delivered their drinks.
"Oh! Thank you!", Sally squeaked with surprise, taking one of the cups in her hands and holding it up to her face, antennae dancing cautiously above the rim. She then opened her insectoid jaws wide and pushed the inner parts into the liquid, sucking it up like a vacuum cleaner. "Ooh! Ooh!", she huffed, seeming quite pleased by the taste, her wings flapping behind her with a low thrumming sound. "Thank you!"
Unable to contain her curiosity and hunger, Yui stepped forward shyly and tried some of the juice herself, reacting with a similar, pleased buzz of her wings as she drank. Sally seemed to battle with herself in an effort to contain her urge to drink more, and instead turn her mind to questions.
"Um, I... questions...", she murmurs distractedly, her mandibles wiggling hungrily while the electronic smile on her mask kept faltering to a distracted poker face. Yui chattered something quietly, apparently in their native language, since Sally immediately perked up again. "Oh! Yes! I made a present for you!"
Another soft chortle sounded from her sister, who stepped back to a small duffelbag the two had left by the door, and pulled a sheet of metal from it. It looked a lot like copper, and perhaps was indeed simply that, but it was what was engraved upon it that was the I'ee's gift. Having handed it to her sister, Yui stepped back as Sally held it aloft, presenting it to Seako.
About 30 cm by 30 cm in height and length, and 3 cm in width, the sheet of copper had been carved upon using some sort of tool. The YSS Soyokaze was depicted upon it, along with its name carved in Yamataigo beneath, with the signature bellflower on the right of the craft. To the left was a trio of circles, painstakingly carved at near-identical measurements, arranged in a triangular shape.
"Do you like it?", Sally asked, like a school-girl presenting her homework. "I had made one when we first started our trip, but I gave that to Taii Valesti. When we learned of our trip here, I made one just for your ship!"
Chusa Kuroiairisu Saeko looked at the copper plaque with true interest, and in a lost of words, it was exquisite. "Than... thank you. It is very... detailed I'm honored... What are the three dots?" She asked running her fingers over the lines of her ship, feeling her way along the furrows of the metal. It was truly a work of art, and no other new crew member had ever brought her something like this.
Sally seemed immensely pleased with herself when she heard the Chusa's response, letting out a soft, happy squee before answering. "The dots are the symbol of our people.", she gestured to Yui, who pointed to her own face; since she wore no mask, Saeko could see the trio of black dots just beneath her antennae. "They are a symbol which has made the I'ee feel kinship to one another since we first started recording our history. I cover mine so that you may properly read my emotions from this." The ambassador tapped a claw on the smiling, red face displayed by the LED mask.
"I see..." Seako said as she looked up to see the markings on the L'ee. "I'm deeply honored, I truly am" And said standing and carrying the copper plaque over to her shelf where she had a model of the Soyo, and her last command the Casper. With delicate care she set the copper plate beside the Soyokae and stepped back looking at it. "I will have to show this off to the rest of the captains when the Task force gets back." She grinned turning back to the L'ee. "Well it wasn't a question but I couldn't be more pleased. Before I send you to find a cabin and then off to the flight deck to meet up with the rest of the pilots, do you have any real questions?" She asked as she stood beaming at them.
"I'm glad.", Sally squeaked modestly, containing her delight at her art being accepted. "I suppose the only question I might have is where exactly we shall be going together. I might have been told it before, but, um... I was very tired, and us I'ee sleep a lot, so I might have missed it." The ambassador got up to her feet, gently swiveling the chair back to face the desk before clasping her hands together, awaiting a response.
"Well.. We will be traveling along a trade route that has had a lot of civilian shipping go missing. We are hoping to locate them and bring them all home." She brought up a map and pointed out the trade line they would be going along. "We will be traveling the trade line, and dropping out of FTL at different points hoping a long range sensor sweep will find the lost ships, or at least maybe we can find out what might have happened to them." She frowned a little worrying what might have cause so many ships over such a large area to go missing. "So At those points we will be launching the cap to watch our backs, since our escorts will be dropping out at other points near us to widen the search."
The two I'ee huddled closer to peer at the map, observing with curiosity. "That sounds rather safe.", Sally commented with naive enthusiasm, while Yui asked a more realistic and pertinent question. "What enemies do your people have in this area?", she asked, leaning back again to gaze at Saeko. "I understand that Yamatai is immense enough that it surely has many."
"None really, maybe a few pirates or other scoundrels. That is why it is so strange so deep with-in our space." She shrugged. "It might be a fairly successful pirate raids, we have hears of a lot of that down south of Yamatai, but not much up this way. Maybe they expanded." Seako shook her head. "Anything else?"
"What are pirates?", Sally followed up, tilting her head to one side. Her sister seemed similarly confused, standing close to her sister attentively, eager to learn more about the potential threat.
"Umm..." She looked a bit shocked. She couldn't believe they didn't know what a pirate was. "They are basically thieves that take other's ships, instead of just robbing a store or something." She frowned, "The ship's data base would have a better explanation, and Jayne would be very happy to help you with accessing the data banks."
The I'ee seemed a little confused as to why someone would steal someone else's ships, but even they could tell their little interview was over. "I see. Thank you so much for your time, honorable Chusa. I am so glad you like my gift.", Sally squeaked, stepping back and giving her a parting bow. Yui, standing by the door with their bag in hand, gave a little bow of her own.
Standing She gave them a bow back, "Any time you need to talk, or have questions please feel free to have Jayne inform me. I try to keep an open door policy. Go find a cabin and then to meet the rest of the pilots down in the flight bay. The Ship's AIs will help you find any place you need to." She smiled and Thank them again for the gift.
Nodding her head, Sally stepped back, then turned and accompanied her sister out from the room. Yui waited until the door had shut before speaking up. "You see? No need to be nervous. She liked your gift.", she chattered quietly in their native tongue, to which Sally responded with a begrudging huff.
Seako's Office Aboard The Soyokaze
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Sitting behind her desk Seako was busy reading over the reports on her new crew members, or that is honorary crew members. She was starting to have way to many crew that weren't Star Army proper. Reaching before her she took a sip of her tea as Jayne reported that the new members were being escorted to her office, and would be there presently.
"Thank You Jayne, Please take any other visitors until I am through with these two." She smiled to the ghostly ship AI.
The little I'ee ambassador was clinging on tight to her sister, clutching her hat tight against her thorax and squeaking nervously to her. "You must compose yourself, Sally.", Yui told her calmly, standing like a statue just in front of the office door as her sister crawled all over her.
"I can't!", the ambassador replied, struggling to pull herself away from the guardian I'ee, her abdomen pulsing with each terrified breath. "It was different before! We had Edtoto, and it was less scary, and...!" Yui, still clad in her copper-gold armor, rolled her head from side to side with another huff, beginning to tire of Sally's terror.
"Shall I fill in for you instead, then?", the words came almost as a test for Sally, who stiffened in the midst of her mad, clingy struggles, then pulled away. She huffed and plopped the Star Army cap onto her head, crumpled and askew, and the black LED mask on her face flickered on to display a red, frowning face.
"No, Yui!", she squeaked in defiance. "That's my job!" Ignoring her sister's chortling, Sally stormed forward in a huff, waiting for the door to slide open before entering.
The sight was an odd one for Seako; a pair of almost comically short insectoids toddling into the room, one of which had a cap sitting sideways atop its head, the other dressed in rather archaic, metal plate armor. The foremost one, Sally, had an artificial smile displayed on a small mask seated in the middle of her face, between the compound eyes and above her mouth. Yui was still laughing quietly even as Sally straightened her cap; a soft, chattering grumble. "Hello! My name is Sally!", the ambassador greeted pleasantly in a voice projecting from a small speaker attached to her face.
Standing just before the door opened, Seako smiled and then bowed to the Abassador, and what she had read as her bodyguard-keeper. "Welcome aboard the Soryokaze. Please have a seat." She motioned to the pair of chairs on the side of the deask from her. "I have tea... um or is there something else I could have Jayne bring us?" Internally the black eyed captain was busy studying the pair of aliens. There weren't the first she had ever met, but they where diffidently one of the strangest. She wasn't sure why Command had sent them to her to be aboard the Soyo, but she at least was told they could be put to work.
Sally returned the bow with one of her own, which made the cap slide downward dangerously until it caught on her antennae, pushing it back into place when she straightened up again. "Thank you, Chusa.", she said courteously, her composure returning now that she was in the swing of things. The little ambassador seemed to dread the offer of a chair, however, peering at the seats placed in front of Seako's desk with an audible whine. Even the electronic display changed briefly to a concerned frown before switching quickly to the usual, cutesy smile.
"Tea is not to our tastes, Chusa.", Yui interjected from where she stood by the door, while Sally began carefully trying to sit upon the chair without her abdomen getting in the way. "I have found, though, that my sister has acquired quite a taste for the juices of some of your native fruits." The ambassador paused in her careful maneuvers to give Yui an embarrassed glance, eventually conceding to a draw by sitting upon the chair sideways and turning it slightly so she could still face Seako.
"Juice it is. Jayne?"
"Yes Ma'am" The AI responded as it appeared in the room.
"Please bring our friends a piture of juice and a pair of juice glasses." Seako winked at the AI before it disappeared. "Well If I may make a suggestion," she said to her guests as she sat down in her chair. "Rotate the chair around and then lean against the up right with your... ummm chest?" She partly asked as she wasn't quite sure what they would have called their front part of their bodies. "Past that what brought you and your guardian to Yamatia?" She asked as she poured more hot tea into her mug.
Tilting her head to one side, Sally stood and rotated her chair again, now resting more comfortably with her arms curled around the back rest, as if she were hugging it. "Thank you, Chusa.", she said with gratitude. Yui, meanwhile, remained standing just behind and to the side of her sister; though her height meant that she was still slightly below eye-level with Seako.
"Myself and my sister are from the Ee'ith family.", Sally began, the face on her mask changing to a happier, open-mouthed grin, complete with closed eyes. "Our mother was always fascinated by her parents' study of aliens, and thus, our family has dedicated our lives to establishing peace and friendship with as many civilizations as we can. We believe it is in the best interests for our species, and some other families agree."
"I,", Yui continued. "am her guardian. Her bodyguard. While we are both sisters, I have always felt more at home protecting and fighting than talking. I have seen sisters of mine tricked and killed by aliens such as yourself before, and I dedicate myself to protecting Sally with my life." Sally nodded in confirmation, adding one last note. "Our species' first contact with aliens ended with war, and we hope to make that a thing of the past."
Thinking for a moment, Seako nodded, "Sounds like noble paths for both of you. I hope that aboard the Soyo, as we lovingly call her, You can continue these paths." She paused for a moment thinking back onto the thought that had been running through her mind from the first time she received notice that they would be coming aboard. 'Just what will they be doing aboard.'
"What training have you received on our technologies?"
Sally nodded her head thoughtfully, pausing a moment before answering the question. "Our experience is probably at its best with communications.", the ambassador stated, giving Yui a glance, which was answered with a curt nod. "My ambassador ship was equipped with technology and software based off of your own to assist with making contact. Besides that, however, I do not believe I would be of much practical use. My current mission is to learn... enrichment, I think it could be called."
"We do, however, both have a firm grasp of flying starships.", Yui noted, which Sally elaborated upon; the two smoothly switching from one speaker to another. "While we might not be immediately familiar with your craft, I cannot imagine us being unable to learn. I would, in fact, be eager to learn." The guardian added one final point. "The same would go for weapons, I am sure. I can shoot, and Sally can too if she has to."
She sat there quietly as the pair told her of their skills. Thinking over what they had given her, she came up with an idea. "How do you two fair in small craft?" She asked even as she brought up a little volumetric screen showing a fighter rotating in it's frame.
The two I'ee peered closely at the indicated screen, with Yui tottering closer to get a better look. "How small, exactly?", Yui replied, skeptical, though her artificial voice showed none of it.
"Our craft was quite small.", Sally noted, tapping a claw on her left mandible. "It was not particularly maneuverable, though... at least, compared to the craft I have seen your pilots fly."
"It is a fighter craft, yes?", Yui asked with an authoritarian tone. "I have heard a little of them, since our enemies use similar ships. From what I know, the Ithee's experiments with developing such craft ended embarrassingly."
"Is it very fast?", Sally butted in with a bit of concern, swinging her legs nervously from where she sat.
"Yes it is, A Hayabusa. She is nimble and what our ship is carrying for fighter escort and protection." The Captain replied. "Fast is pretty relative. But she has a max basic drive speed of .4 c. That is 40% the speed of light. It also has a ftl drive max speed of 5000c, or about .5 light years per hour. They are armed with both cannons, mounted forward and in a few turrets, and missiles." She beamed brightly, "We are loading a full run of them aboard. To supply our CAP with a full rotation of craft and pilots." She tiled her head and asked seriously, "You you two be interesting joining our fighter crews and fly one of these?"
"That... sounds very fast.", Sally squeaks, sounding and looking intimidated, while Yui spoke up for her. "Will my sister be in any danger flying this craft? We will both need adequate time to adapt to a craft not only alien, but faster than anything our species possesses." The guardian, having stepped behind her sister, gave her a little hug as she spoke to soothe her. "You are in command of a combat craft, correct? That would mean that both of us will be exposed to combat. Will my sister be safe?"
Sally remained quiet, apparently deep in thought, ruminating over the excitement of learning to fly an alien craft coupled with the terror of extreme speed, the prospect of combat, and most importantly, looking silly in front of the Star Army of Yamatai.
"You'll have plenty of time to learn how to fly it, the basic controls are simple, and we will be hitting quite a few places where we will have to drop out and the fighters will be launched. You can keep close to your wing mate, I'll assign someone to you. And they'll help you through the learning curve." Ash paused and sighed, "As for the rest... You'll be as safe as any other one of my crew. But I'll do you one more then them. IF you swear you will go directly to the nearest SAoY Base, and you will NOT steal the craft. If you feel the ship will be destroyed and the only way out is to run, then take the fighter and jump into ftl and run." She looked dead serious. "But remember that Yamataian military forces will hunt that fighter down if they believed you have stolen it. I will put in a command letter into the fighter's storage, that will tell the commander of the base you arrive at that I gave you permission to do so." She shrugged, "It is the best I can do."
Yui nodded her head thoughtfully, lowering her head to gaze at Sally. "It is up to you, Sister.", she stated, before looking back up to look at Seako. Compared to Sally, Yui had no LED mask on her face, leaving her emotional state difficult to discern.
"It would make good experience for myself and Yui...", the ambassador mused. "And our relatives in the Ithee family would love to learn more about your technology. I think we shall at least try to master your fighter craft. Thank you, by the way, for your consideration."
"You also have our word that the craft will not be stolen.", Yui added, her arms folded over one another. "It would be against our family's purpose to betray your people. Though families like Ithit and Ithee lust for your technology, we hold only a loose allegiance to one another. We would not be welcomed as heroes if we brought the fighter craft home with us." Sally nodded her head solemnly, affirming her sister's words.
"Thank you. And I want you to understand I could be held accountable if you did. But I'm going to trust you." She smiled and bowed her head, just at Jayne came into the office carrying a tray with the juice and glasses.
"Thank you Jayne, That should be all for now." With that the AI faded away to go off and help another crew member. Standing up she poured the pair the juice and handed them to the insectoids. "Now I have a custom, I allow all my new crew members to ask anything they want to know of me, and I think I will hand this to you just the same." She settled back behind her desk.
The little I'ee ambassador seemed horrified that Seako would take the blame if they made off with the fighter. "I would never do it! I promise!", she squeaked with an almost childish conviction. Her sister, meanwhile, twitched her head to look at Jayne as she entered the room, seeming a little baffled as the holographic entity delivered their drinks.
"Oh! Thank you!", Sally squeaked with surprise, taking one of the cups in her hands and holding it up to her face, antennae dancing cautiously above the rim. She then opened her insectoid jaws wide and pushed the inner parts into the liquid, sucking it up like a vacuum cleaner. "Ooh! Ooh!", she huffed, seeming quite pleased by the taste, her wings flapping behind her with a low thrumming sound. "Thank you!"
Unable to contain her curiosity and hunger, Yui stepped forward shyly and tried some of the juice herself, reacting with a similar, pleased buzz of her wings as she drank. Sally seemed to battle with herself in an effort to contain her urge to drink more, and instead turn her mind to questions.
"Um, I... questions...", she murmurs distractedly, her mandibles wiggling hungrily while the electronic smile on her mask kept faltering to a distracted poker face. Yui chattered something quietly, apparently in their native language, since Sally immediately perked up again. "Oh! Yes! I made a present for you!"
Another soft chortle sounded from her sister, who stepped back to a small duffelbag the two had left by the door, and pulled a sheet of metal from it. It looked a lot like copper, and perhaps was indeed simply that, but it was what was engraved upon it that was the I'ee's gift. Having handed it to her sister, Yui stepped back as Sally held it aloft, presenting it to Seako.
About 30 cm by 30 cm in height and length, and 3 cm in width, the sheet of copper had been carved upon using some sort of tool. The YSS Soyokaze was depicted upon it, along with its name carved in Yamataigo beneath, with the signature bellflower on the right of the craft. To the left was a trio of circles, painstakingly carved at near-identical measurements, arranged in a triangular shape.
"Do you like it?", Sally asked, like a school-girl presenting her homework. "I had made one when we first started our trip, but I gave that to Taii Valesti. When we learned of our trip here, I made one just for your ship!"
Chusa Kuroiairisu Saeko looked at the copper plaque with true interest, and in a lost of words, it was exquisite. "Than... thank you. It is very... detailed I'm honored... What are the three dots?" She asked running her fingers over the lines of her ship, feeling her way along the furrows of the metal. It was truly a work of art, and no other new crew member had ever brought her something like this.
Sally seemed immensely pleased with herself when she heard the Chusa's response, letting out a soft, happy squee before answering. "The dots are the symbol of our people.", she gestured to Yui, who pointed to her own face; since she wore no mask, Saeko could see the trio of black dots just beneath her antennae. "They are a symbol which has made the I'ee feel kinship to one another since we first started recording our history. I cover mine so that you may properly read my emotions from this." The ambassador tapped a claw on the smiling, red face displayed by the LED mask.
"I see..." Seako said as she looked up to see the markings on the L'ee. "I'm deeply honored, I truly am" And said standing and carrying the copper plaque over to her shelf where she had a model of the Soyo, and her last command the Casper. With delicate care she set the copper plate beside the Soyokae and stepped back looking at it. "I will have to show this off to the rest of the captains when the Task force gets back." She grinned turning back to the L'ee. "Well it wasn't a question but I couldn't be more pleased. Before I send you to find a cabin and then off to the flight deck to meet up with the rest of the pilots, do you have any real questions?" She asked as she stood beaming at them.
"I'm glad.", Sally squeaked modestly, containing her delight at her art being accepted. "I suppose the only question I might have is where exactly we shall be going together. I might have been told it before, but, um... I was very tired, and us I'ee sleep a lot, so I might have missed it." The ambassador got up to her feet, gently swiveling the chair back to face the desk before clasping her hands together, awaiting a response.
"Well.. We will be traveling along a trade route that has had a lot of civilian shipping go missing. We are hoping to locate them and bring them all home." She brought up a map and pointed out the trade line they would be going along. "We will be traveling the trade line, and dropping out of FTL at different points hoping a long range sensor sweep will find the lost ships, or at least maybe we can find out what might have happened to them." She frowned a little worrying what might have cause so many ships over such a large area to go missing. "So At those points we will be launching the cap to watch our backs, since our escorts will be dropping out at other points near us to widen the search."
The two I'ee huddled closer to peer at the map, observing with curiosity. "That sounds rather safe.", Sally commented with naive enthusiasm, while Yui asked a more realistic and pertinent question. "What enemies do your people have in this area?", she asked, leaning back again to gaze at Saeko. "I understand that Yamatai is immense enough that it surely has many."
"None really, maybe a few pirates or other scoundrels. That is why it is so strange so deep with-in our space." She shrugged. "It might be a fairly successful pirate raids, we have hears of a lot of that down south of Yamatai, but not much up this way. Maybe they expanded." Seako shook her head. "Anything else?"
"What are pirates?", Sally followed up, tilting her head to one side. Her sister seemed similarly confused, standing close to her sister attentively, eager to learn more about the potential threat.
"Umm..." She looked a bit shocked. She couldn't believe they didn't know what a pirate was. "They are basically thieves that take other's ships, instead of just robbing a store or something." She frowned, "The ship's data base would have a better explanation, and Jayne would be very happy to help you with accessing the data banks."
The I'ee seemed a little confused as to why someone would steal someone else's ships, but even they could tell their little interview was over. "I see. Thank you so much for your time, honorable Chusa. I am so glad you like my gift.", Sally squeaked, stepping back and giving her a parting bow. Yui, standing by the door with their bag in hand, gave a little bow of her own.
Standing She gave them a bow back, "Any time you need to talk, or have questions please feel free to have Jayne inform me. I try to keep an open door policy. Go find a cabin and then to meet the rest of the pilots down in the flight bay. The Ship's AIs will help you find any place you need to." She smiled and Thank them again for the gift.
Nodding her head, Sally stepped back, then turned and accompanied her sister out from the room. Yui waited until the door had shut before speaking up. "You see? No need to be nervous. She liked your gift.", she chattered quietly in their native tongue, to which Sally responded with a begrudging huff.
