11th Squadron Episode 2: Blind

[raz]

In orbit above Hanako’s World, Ketsurui Military Sector
Day nineteen, seventh month, thirty-first year of the Empire…

The First Expeditionary Fleet’s Eleventh Squadron had been moored above Hanako’s World for the better part of a day, having received orders to remain there for re-supply and to receive as-yet-unnamed “essential material” for an as-yet-unspecified mission they’d been tasked with. Any queries that requested additional information about their wait or new assignment, as the four Taii who commanded the YSS Asterope, Aegle, Erytheia, or Hesperia surely would have sent, were answered with flat and plain rejection from command, citing matters such as “sensitivity” and “need-to-know.” A communications technician aboard one of the vessels would remark that, “Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, Taii, what with the Mishhuvurthyar’s return and communications difficulty,” but even so, any experienced starship captain would recognize the markings of what was most likely a Star Army Intelligence operation. Of course, then, it would be the lametable case for the Eleventh that the only veteran captain in the squadron was aboard the Hesperia.

Although the recent horrific attacks on the Star Empire’s holdings had involved many from the First Expeditionary, the Eleventh had seen no real combat action up to this point. When Nataria and Tatiana had fallen, they’d get the message too late and held in reserve within the Ketsurui Military Sector; when the East Gate came under attack, the Eleventh was put on patrol duty near the North Gate. And so, the enlisted men and women that made up the squadron’s crew were doubtlessly eager to get underway—hopefully, whatever it was that they were doing would bring them closer to the fight and show the Mishhuvurthyar war fleets how much more ass they could kick beyond the paltry defense the Star Army had put up thus far. It was all nothing more than the same cocky banter that military personnel exchanged to raise their own spirits though, and if they did indeed see any action on this mission would probably die just as horribly as their comrades had in the recent past.

At least, that would have been the opinion of the SAINT officer aboard a small, unmarked shuttle if he’d heard what the Eleventh’s crews had to say, traveling up from Hanako’s World to give the captains their orders and oversee operations.

“Captains of the Eleventh Squadron,” he said after opening vocal broadcast to each of their ships. The man sounded calm but annoyed as his voice emanated from behind the black text board that displayed “SOUND ONLY//AUTH: SA-INT.14.191971” where a streaming video feed would normally be. And annoyed he was because, although he’d come up with this entire operation, he didn’t expect to be sent along for the ride. “I will be joining you now. Star Army authorization code 14.191971,” he stated, vocalizing what was displayed before them as an alert came up on Kameko, Larai, Takahashi and Ozaki-taii’s consoles—new orders to receive this man. “Please inform me when I am clear to come aboard.”

 

[Kai]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

"14.191971, You are authorized to board" Came the clipped voice of Larai-Taii, in response to the unknown man. "We are ready to be underway at a moments notice, and ready for inspection if need be." He informed the man. He looked about his ship, a hive of somewhat subdued activity. the crew were in their proper places, acting the proper way, all those on duty showing the professionalism Larai-Taii demanded of his crewmembers. The Aegle looked almost as it had brand-new from the factory, if not cleaner and more polished looking, as per the Taii's orders. He smiled, proud of his crew and his ship.

 

[Doshii Jun]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

The mountains. Aiko loved the mountains. The icy ones up near Stars on Yamatai; she'd been allowed to go there after basic, and they were heavenly. She'd seen them in data files before, barren terrain with ice in some places and scrubby brush in others, grey-brown rocks all over the place, and the higher you went up the clearer everything was. You could see eternity from those mountains.

Those were the mountains Aiko was dreaming about in her little cabin, on her little bed, on the little ship that was the littlest dot in space. Space was boring. Black and white. Where was the color? Beautiful, saturating blues; icy whites; heated reds and oranges; living greens? No where, that's where. Aiko hated space.

Aiko also hated warm weather, which was why Hanako's World didn't appeal to her much. She hated swimming, too.

Dreams kept her going. Dreams of living in Stars some day, of settling down with a nice Neko ... maybe that one from engineering, the one with the ruby eyes and grey-ish hair, the one who really filled out that bulky all-red technician's uniform. Eimi ... mmm, Eimi.

Aiko imagined them climbing one of Stars' peaks together, but bad weather forced them into a cave, and they had to huddle close together to stay warm. But how could they do that with their clothes on? Why they couldn't, of course! Off the clothes had to go, wrapped around them as the snow swirled outside, their body heat warming the cave as they held each other close. Stared into each other's eyes ... sparkling ruby eyes ... and such soft skin ...

"Shoi."

Aiko's eyes lazily drifted up from Eimi's to the mouth of the cave just a meter away, and saw the Taii, wrapped in similar clothing, holding a flask in one hand. His other was in a slash pocket of his coat, and he slouched against a cave wall. Eimi was kissing her neck now; she could hardly see the Taii and didn't care about him anyway; what the hell was he doing there? No, couldn't care, Eimi was kissing lower still now, mm Eimi ...

"Shoi."

One eye creaked open. She saw an image of the Taii floating inside her cabin, looking as frustratingly unkempt as he ever was with his hair not very well done and his face carrying a day's stubble. Even the top of his coat was undone, no doubt so he could get to his alcohol. What in all the Empire could he fucking want?!

"Didn't realize you shaved down there. Looks good. You use a razor for that?"

Both eyes blasted open as she realized where her hands were. And what she was doing.

* * *

Yohko sighed as she heard the come-curdling scream ring from the cabin area where Aiko slept. Once again, the Shoi had failed to close her door so she could "hear what's going on around the ship," and once again, all she'd done was masturbate herself senseless.

"Jeez," she said to the couple other Nekos she was playing cards with, whose heads turned the direction of the scream. "You'd think she'd show a little courtesy."

* * *

"What?" Kyosuke replied over the volumetric projection of his face against a bland background.

Aiko's hands curled around the image as she put her nose nearly to it. Her hemosynthetic blood was singing sweet songs of violence in her ears. She bared her teeth at the Yamataian commander and embraced the urge to tear his face off one painful bite-and-rip at a time. She could almost taste his flesh. "YOU DISGUSTING, INSENSITIVE, PIGGISH BRUTE — "

"Can it," Kyosuke replied, holding up his hand. "Just got a message from some spook. Wants to inspect the ship. That means he'll want to see you, too. Dressed."

She imagined the SAINT officer pinning a giant medal on her chest for murdering the Taii and flushing the remains out the airlock. "WHEN SHE is GONE, I swear I will MAKE YOU SCREAM MY NAME!"

"Sounds like what happens on a third date. Gonna ask me out first?"

"RAAAAAAAHHHHGH!"

Kyosuke rubbed his stubbled cheek with a gloved hand. "I know, big step. Look, I'll take you out for sushi again. My treat this time. Dress up for the spook first, though."

Aiko realized her entire body was heaving, her breath shoved through clenched teeth. She wanted to tear out the Taii's windpipe and pour the contents of his flask on the wound. His silent cries would please her so much. But, with one large intake and exhale of air, she was deflated. SAINT would not look upon her kindly if she was not professional.

"I. Will. Get ready." She had to milk the words from her throat.

"Thanks." He gave her a lazy, perverted smile. "Don't forget your bra."

Bloodlust took over and she hurled herself at the image, fingers forward and mouth open for the kill. Of course she just leapt through it and found herself spilled naked over the bed and on the floor. When she twisted her head back to plot another attack, he was gone.

* * *

The Taii came floating from the cabin area looking like he always did, a volumetric window floating at his side. Yohko started and snapped to attention; the other Neko did, too.

"Double-check everything," he said, a hint of resignation in his voice. "We've got a spook on the way."

Yohko and the others nodded stiffly and scrambled off to work. Kyosuke hung in the recreation room for a moment more, then walked toward the bridge, the volumetric window disappearing from his side.

Message from Ozaki-Shoi to 14.191971: Authorization granted. Drop by at your leisure, sir.

 

[raz]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

ON

Aboard the SAINT shuttle, the anonymous intelligence officer received both Seth Larai and Kyosuke Ozaki’s responses within moments of one another. Although he was surprised that both expected him to tour their ships, the man was also relieved that the other two commanders did not as well—especially Kameko Izuki-taii. Even then, that Kyosuke had asked him to come aboard was awkward enough, but an inevitability that the SAINT man had most definitely resigned himself to. That First Expeditionary Command had assigned this particular squadron to this particular mission under his purview seemed almost comedic to him, but the plan did call for a unit with patrol experience in the area directly outside of the Samurai Sector’s western threshold and the Eleventh was apparently near the top of that very short list of available squadrons.

“Copy that,” he said coolly and with the same tone that communications officers were used to using to speak between each other and with the various power armor and small craft that they coordinated with as part of their duty. “I’ve locked in the telemetry information to dock with the Hesperia; she’s closer to my current position,” he said, lying through his teeth. It would be better to get that ship’s inspection out of the way first. Their commander was a drunk, after all. “Following that I will make my way to the Aegle for the remainder of this voyage,” the man’s voice continued, still broadcasting to all four of the ships in the Eleventh, “unless, of course, something else comes up.”

With the flight data locked in, the SAINT officer had little to do but wait for his arrival. Silently moving out of the cockpit and into the shuttle’s passenger compartment, he wordlessly beckoned the Nekovalkyrja that’d been assigned as his aide, motioning for her to bring his duty jacket. As she approached and slid it on over his arms, making sure that it didn’t wrinkle or blemish, it did not feel the same; the white-paneled uniform he was used to wearing suited him better than this black, however appropriate it was for his current situation. And as he mused about the pseudo-philosophical and ironic connotations that the garb of his profession carried, the shuttle slid into the Hesperia’s bay quietly greeting whoever was there to receive its passengers.

Kyosuke was waiting in the shuttle bay with Aiko at his side. They stood at relative attention, Kyosuke looking as sharp as he could for still having stubble on his face. But the smell of alcohol on his breath had been replaced with the pleasing aroma of Neko Sparkle, as it was strong enough to bleach his teeth of enamel, let alone booze. Aiko looked as stuck-up and professional as ever and Kyosuke's other soldiers stood at attention behind him. "Hope this guy had a good breakfast," Kyosuke dryly muttered.

It wasn’t long after the shuttle landed that its airlock hissed with the releasing pressure, letting out a visible ring of vapor from the seal where the door met the craft’s lightly armored bulkheads. Out of the little ship first came several soldiers, sauntering out wearing their black-paneled Type 30 Jumpsuit Uniforms trimmed with tactical belts and light equipment and armed with slung Type 28 SMGs. They settled after a few moments, merely looking around the Plumeria’s shuttle bay as another left the shuttle’s confines and stepped out onto Kyosuke’s ship. He wore a standard uniform in SAINT colors and a rank insignia that identified him as a shosa. “Ozaki-taii,” he said in a voice that the Yamataian captain could match with his face, “Star Army Intelligence thanks you for your squadron’s participation for the duration of this task. Were their any problems with the equipment delivered earlier?”

Silently, the Shosa's aide followed behind him, looking a bit bored as she fingered through the reports being transmitted to her datapad through the ship's IES. Physical inspections seemed so unnecessary to her, but whatever Saiga wanted, Saiga got. And if there was something here he wanted to read, she'd needed to be ready for him. While the Captain and the Shosa exchange pleasantries, the Neko smirked in amusement at the antics of Kyosuke's own aide. First Officer, most likely.

Kyosuke blinked then narrowed his eyes. Then he grinned. "No problems at all, Saiga-shosa. Got here just like SAINT said it would." The Taii bowed low as a sign of respect, and the others did as well. Aiko wore a scowl as she bowed, but it was directed at Kyosuke, and it was wiped clean before she rose up. "Pleasure to have you on board, Shosa," Kyosuke said.

The man smiled back at Kyosuke’s words and expressions. “Saiga-shosa? You must have me mistaken with somebody else,” he said, unable to hide the humored tone in his voice. “The only Saiga-shosa that I am aware of, Ozaki-taii, is the executive officer aboard the YSS Senbu,” he continued, his voice growing slower and more dour as he looked towards the deck, “and I am afraid he is listed as missing-in-action at Nataria.” Still averting his eyes for a few moments, he muttered something and then snapped his gaze back to match the Hesperia’s captain’s. “That’s enough of that—let’s continue elsewhere. I trust you have been well, Kyosuke-sama?”

Kyosuke's smirk rose as he came form his bow. "Sure. My mistake." Aiko frowned at the response, but kept her gaze forward. The Shosa's aide she figured was a bitch, and she also figured she didn't care. There was still plenty of heat under her collar from what Kyosuke did earlier. "I've been well enough, Shosa, but you can see how bad it's gotten, giving me a warship like this. Kyoto's pretty desperate. Then again, you're a spook, so I must be around to make the enemy think we're desperate."

“I don’t think that the Empire’s in a necessarily desperate position yet. That we have not begun to mass-produce Nekovalkyrja to throw at the Mishhuvurthyar filth is a testament to that,” Saiga replied, regarding the situation as a purely surgical matter. “You may be right though. With three of our most important worlds in enemy hands and the entirety of the Nepleslian Colonial Expanse at the Mishhuvurthyar’s disposal, their production capability is extraordinary. Hopefully the mission they’re sending your unit on will turn the tide in our favor, or at least prevent those monsters from gaining even more of an upper hand.” As he spoke, he examined the others waiting with Kyosuke, especially the one that seemed to be his executive officer—a beautiful thing, as all Neko were, but a very bitter looking one. Just the type of person needed to keep his old commander in line. “Shall we continue to your bridge, Kyosuke-sama?”

The SAINT officer's aide opened her mouth to correct him. The Nepleslian planets were not the Colonial Expanse, which was in the opposite direction from Nepleslia proper of the ones taken. Those planets were the ones ceded to Nepleslia by the Mishhuvurthyar at the end of the last war when they withdrew from known space. But, then she remembered what happened the last time she had interrupted him, and instead held her tongue and simply closed her mouth. It wasn't like it was really that important anyway.

"You got it," Kyosuke replied, ticking off the important points of what Nick said. It could be just political shit Nick had to smear in the eyes of every commander he dealt with—how the hell would he know? SANDRA only said so much. Didn't matter anyway; he had to go war again, or that's what Nick made it sound like. The two officers led the way toward the Hesperia's bridge, with Kyosuke talking. "Why the spook gig, anyway? And why not a Yamataian assistant?"

Nicholas shrugged. “I go where the Empire tells me I am needed,” he told Kyosuke. “It is most unfortunate that the Mishhuvurthyar attacked when they did, else I wouldn’t be a dead man,” the Geshrin said, looking directly at Ozaki, “which, by the way, they are still clearing up. So, you know, don’t let anybody in on it for the time being; I’ll do any explaining I need to myself.” They continued towards the ship’s command center with their seconds in tow as they spoke, walking through the Hesperia corridors and floating through its zero-gravity passageways as it came ever closer. “As for my assistant, I don’t particularly mind so long as she does her duty without question,” he said, adding very plainly, “and Nekovalkyrja do many things without question.”

Aiko nearly choked, but the sound came out as just a tiny, girly cough. Kyosuke smirked as they floated up. "They do? Your assistant must like you. The Shoi here, she's got brass ovaries. Good thing, too; all this war crap's not my thing. But don't sweat the secret; no one would believe me anyway." He spun himself in the gravity-less tunnel so his feet were towards the dorsal side of the ship, and he looked at the assistant. "You know your commander here; he's a real bowtie, perfectly balanced and everything. Don't you get bored?"

Raising an eyebrow at Kyosuke’s comments, Nicholas simply continued on up the anti-g passage with a “hmpf,” moving slightly more slowly than the others as he pulled himself along with the fabric loops provided for the few personnel still like him. “You do not need to answer if you do not wish it, Sanzugawa-juni, but you may if you would like,” he said without very much emotion. If it were any other man in the Star Army, Nicholas would have ended the foolishness of this discussion long ago, but it comforted him for now, especially since he was no longer aboard the Senbu.

"Thank you, Shosa," the aide replied, bowing her head. Working with Nicholas had been an interesting experience for the Neko, and it did annoy her that he felt the need to give her permission to speak—she had just been being polite—but that was the sort of man he was. "The Shosa is a very straightforward man and it makes things very easy as his assistant," she stated plainly. "This assignment has almost been like a vacation," she add with a lilting tone, a grin passing over her lips.

Kyosuke's reply was prefaced by a lazy-eyed gaze, along with him scratching his cheek. "You've got a strange idea about vacations. If you live through the war, come see me in Malifar. I'll show you a vacation." Aiko's cough was much louder than before, and her eyes much sharper when they glanced Kyosuke's way. "You're invited too, Shoi. You'll have to bunk with the Juni here, so keep the— "

"KINDLY focus on the matters at hand, Taii-san," Aiko said, her words saturated with acid and aimed at the point between Kyosuke's eyes. He just grinned in reply as they came to the top of the anti-grav corridor. He joined Nick's side again, leaving the corridor. "Ain't she a spitfire?" he asked.

“I suppose she would need to be, having to be your XO and all,” Nicholas said, grinning. “Well, I did hold that position, so perhaps it is more appropriate to say ‘having to be your female XO,’” he half-jokingly corrected himself. “Has she had the pleasure of waking you up the morning after an evening spent enjoying a bottle of Nepleslian Whiskey?” he asked immediately before his eyes widened in realization of what he’d said. “I—I mean, retrieving you after you drank it. Alone.” Seeing the bridge’s threshold just ahead, he couldn’t wait to continue on and leave this moment behind.

Mikan covered her mouth with a closed fist to conceal her smile and stifle a laugh. Normally the Shosa always seemed so unflappable that seeing him stumbling over his words here was quite the sight. The Juni composed herself by concerning herself with making sure her uniform was on straight. Nick seemed to take pride in having an impeccable appearance and it seemed only fitting to follow suit.

"Who, Aiko? I'd like to have my wang still around when I wake up," Kyosuke replied, ignoring the second part. Mikan could hear something crack behind her, where Aiko was. "Besides, Neko can't appreciate whiskey unless they turn off their filters, and there's no joy in that. Nah, I don't worry about that. Anyways, Aiko's one of the good ones. She knows what a vacation is." His smirk remained as he opened the door to the bridge. "AttenSHUN! Shosa on deck!" The bridge officers all stood and bowed deeply as Kyosuke got out of the Shosa's way, still grinning.

Nicholas stepped onto the command deck on the heels of Kyosuke’s announcement, bowing ever-so-slightly to the assembled staff as they showed their respect. The man may be a drunk and lacking in a certain kind of command presence, but Ozaki-taii had always remembered the proper Star Army regulations when it mattered the most, and it was reassuring to the SAINT officer that the fact was still true. “Thank you. I am sure that the Hesperia and her crew, under Ozaki-taii’s glorious command, will be an asset to the Empire on this assignment,” he said, feeding them something that he figured would sound encouraging. “As you were,” Nicholas ordered them, turning back and stepping towards Kyosuke. He leaned in close to the Taii’s ear, placing a hand on his shoulder and whispering, “You’ve got quite the atrium here, Kyosuke-sama.”

Kyosuke looked back at Nick. "Atrium? Huh? Shit, they're all short Neko who hate whiskey. I'd rather baby-sit the Shoi." A Neko within Mikan's earshot yipped and rubbed her arm. Aiko was near her. "What did you hit me for, Shoi-san?" the Neko said quietly to her. "So, where should we talk?" Kyosuke asked.

“Still, you know how to surround yourself with beautiful birds, Kyosuke-sama,” Nicholas retorted with a grin, still whispering, before pulling back and crossing his arms. “I’d much rather inform all of the captains in this squadron about the finer details of this mission at the same time, but if you have any specific questions your office should be fine,” he informed Kyosuke aloud and in a more officious tone. “I am not sure what I will be able to tell you right now. I will, however, endeavor to answer what is available for consumption.” He glanced over to where Aiko stood with a few other officers and technicians and near to where Mikan was milling about. “I’m sure yours will be able to keep mine company out here. It would be good for Sanzugawa-juni to get some work done early, anyway, and make sure all of our equipment is accounted for on your ship.”

Mikan had turned to see what was going on behind her, and when her attentions went back to the Shosa, she was surprised to see that he'd practically left her behind. Internally the aide berated herself for not shadowing him closer and she quickly closed the distance to stand, once more, behind the man. It turned out that she had gotten there just in time to hear her name. "Sorry, I missed that. What did you need me for?" she asked.

“Stay here and go over your checklists, Sanzugawa-juni,” Nicholas replied to her in a tired voice that suggested she should have been listening. “Ozaki-taii and I need to speak about matters pertaining to the mission. The more you get done now, the more time you’ll have for other things later. You’ll be able to handle yourself out here for a while, will you not?” he asked almost rhetorically. None of what he said to her seemed to be backed by any sort of malice, but probably came off as very cold to those listening in.

"Yes sir," the Juni replied simply, bowing once more before leaving the two men to discuss stuff in the office. The Shosa was right; she did have work to do. Connecting again telepathically with the ship's IES and all the other Neko connected through their SPINE interfaces, the NH units were like ducks whose thrashing legs of activity were hidden under the smooth water's surface.

Kyosuke shrugged, leading the way to his quarters. He couldn't talk about the "birds," as he was already considered an uncaring bastard and they would likely bother him later if he tried to be coy. But he certainly wasn't going to talk to his XO the way Nick talked to his. "Don't know what questions I have that you can answer, Shosa, so I'll just ask away." He took a seat at his own desk and gestured for Nick to sit in the guest seat.

“Fire away, Kyosuke-sama,” Nicholas said behind the safety of closed doors. “As I mentioned, important details will be revealed in due time to every person who retains a captaincy in this squadron.” In truth, the entirety of the information he carried wasn’t extremely sensitive, but command had put a strict lockdown on all actionable intelligence due to the risks of Mishhuvurthyar infiltration. “What do you want to know?”

"Basics. Is this escort? Infiltration? Attack? Raid?"

“Those are specifics, Taii,” Nicholas said from behind a wide smirk, his arms still crossed as he leaned against the office’s bookcase. “I’ll tell you that it’s not a particularly dangerous assignment,” he revealed without hesitation. “Well, so long as our arch-enemy doesn’t show.” He removed a datapad from a pocket, tapping into the brief for anything else he could tell his former captain. “I guess it wouldn’t be sensitive to let you know that we’re going to a friendly system. Oh—and this squadron will probably one of the last to get out of the Ketsurui Military Sector before that Mishhuvurthyar fleet bottles it up.” The Geshrin replaced the handheld slate from where it came and looked to Kyosuke. “That’s probably all I can let you know. Anything else?”

Kyosuke snorted. Then, escorting equipment? "Dangerous" is a pretty squishy word. And "friendly system"? Since when does Yamatai have friends? "Yeah. What's your poison?"

END
Joint post by: raz, Doshii, Revolver.

 

[raz]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

ON

The Shosa and his team did not spend much more time on the Hesperia, only staying long enough to courteously half-finish a tumbler of whatever bottle of Nepleslian whiskey Ozaki-taii had on hand. In no time at all, the SAINT shuttle was cast off into the ethereal abyss and making its short relay from one Plumeria to another and, shortly thereafter, making its landing in the structural embrace of the Aegle hull. As on the Hesperia, the same black-clad soldiers with their tactical loadouts emerged from the shuttle, casually inspecting their surroundings while preceding the officer by a few short moments. He nodded in a curt fashion to whomever it was that was sent to greet him, waiting for their pleasantries to come.

The Shosa would be greeted by Larai-taii and Bell-chui, the captain and first officer, looking extremely sharp in uniforms that appeared to be brand new. The duo gave the Shosa a proper bow before Larai-taii spoke up. "Welcome aboard the YSS Aegle, sir. I hope she is up to SAINT standards, I expect nothing less than perfection from my ship and crew." He then waited politely for his guest to speak before continuing.

“Of course, Taii, I’m sure she is. You are doubtlessly Seth Larai, correct?” the SAINT officer asked rhetorically before giving a shallow bow that was barely more than the nod he’d presented moments earlier. “I am Shosa Nicholas Saiga, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he continued, stepping past Seth and his first officer and towards the ship’s interior while making a sweeping gesture before him with his right hand. “Walk with me, Taii, and show me the parts of your vessel worth seeing. My assistant will liaise with your Chui on matters regarding what this squadron will be doing in the near future.”

"I am, indeed," Seth responded, grinning lightly for a moment before turning and following the Shosa down his own hallway. "Doubtless you have seen other Plumeria-class vessels, but I believe the cleanliness of this vessel to be an exception to the improperly kept vessels captained by many of my former captains. Shall we head to the bridge first, or go to the lounge, and relax, a little?"

“The bridge will be fine, Larai-taii,” Nicholas said in response to Seth’s question. “And yes, you do keep a fine ship—one of the most pristine Plumeria I’ve had the distinction of being aboard.” In truth, the first ship of this class that the Geshrin had ever been aboard was the Hesperia only minutes before. “Just to clarify,” he said following a few moments of walking silence, “I am not here to command your crew or this squadron; I am but a messenger placed here to provide mission-critical details and oversee Star Army Intelligence’s interests in the matter.”

"Of course," Larai-taii responded to Saiga-shosa's request to head to the bridge. Seth guided the man there, listening to the rest of what the Shosa was saying. "We are gracious for your help in the matter then. Any advantage we can get is well-needed, especially in times such as these," the young Taii pointed out before stopping in front of the door to the bridge, which opened. "After you, Shosa." he offered, politely.

Nicholas stepped into the ship's nerve center at Seth’s offer, glancing around the small chamber to regard the command staff sitting at their stations. The bridge on these Plumeria-class ships didn’t have the same grandeur and sense of purpose coursing through them that he’d become accustomed to while aboard the Senbu, but had an appealing air of efficiency. “I’m not sure how much of an advantage I will be, Taii, but thank you,” he told Seth, looking back through the threshold as he waited for the ship’s commander to join him.

The Taii followed the Shosa in shortly, motioning towards the currently empty mission operations seat, inviting the Shosa to sit wordlessly, waiting on his guest to sit before he would do so himself. "Any information you can give us above what our enemy would know in turn could definitely be an advantage," the Taii commented to Nicholas.

“Straight to business, are we?” Nicholas commented, his tone revealing the slight surprise he was experiencing because of the Taii’s eagerness to learn about the mission. “You haven’t even shown me the rest of your illustrious vessel yet, Captain,” he said in jest. “No matter, it is probably time this mission got underway. We would not want to be stuck inside this coffin of a sector because of our inaction,” the SAINT officer continued, referring to the impending closure of the North Gate bottleneck due to continued Mishhuvurthyar pressure. “Have a seat, Taii, and you,” he said in the direction of the communications station, “open up a sound-only communications line to your squadron. I’m sure everyone is as eager as Larai-taii to know what they’ve been tasked with.”

PAUSE
Joint post by: raz, Kai.

 

[raz]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

ON

The siren whine of an electronically-generated boatswain’s call sounded throughout the four ships in the squadron, calling all hands to silence and attention. Only the low background hum of each ship’s systems, subtly unique from every other, reigned in the moments following the whistle’s long, meandering progression.

“Crews and captains of the Eleventh,” the Shosa’s voice sounded, breaking the brief seconds of anticipation, “for those of you who have not met me, I am the Star Army Intelligence officer assigned to coordinate with your unit for the time being. You have been chosen to complete a task that is, what Star Army Command and SAINT hopes, will, though its completion, prematurely eliminate one factor that would give the Mishhuvurthyar an undue advantage in their war of aggression.” A sound of confirmation burped from the volumetric display and over the address system as Nicholas input the commands to unlock the mission’s details for access by the captains. “Your mission, as your commanders can now see, will be to transport explosives and personnel, which are aboard your vessels, to the formerly Mishhuvurthyar-controlled shipyards at Sbuhfaba.”

He allowed time for Kameko, Larai, Takahashi, and Ozaki to review their orders and for the crews to make what small talk they would surely have made regardless of his brief allowance or not. “If there is nothing else, I leave the details of our journey in your capable hands,” Nicholas said, making visual confirmation with Seth Larai, whose bridge he was making the announcement from. “I will be available to all commanders should my input be needed, simply hail me though your ship’s artificial intelligence.” With that, he closed the line, stood up, and made his way off the Aegle’s bridge, nodding respectfully to its captain on his way out.

"Always wanted to be a flying bomb," Kyosuke said from his commander's chair on the Hesperia. He was leaning on one arm of it, chin in his palm, fingers tapping against his cheek. His eyes carried the utterly thrilled expression of a 12-year-old told to eat his Brussels sprouts or he won't get dessert, and the garbage disposal that was the dog was nowhere in sight. "SAINT couldn't do this shit itself, huh? I wish the 1st XF had some cojones to tell them no." Aiko, at his side for the announcement, said nothing. She didn't like agreeing with him.

Mikan checked off another item on Saiga's list of things to do on the datapad she carried, then, as he passed by her, the assistant followed behind, off the bridge and down the hall. "Good job, sir," the Neko commented, reviewing his plans—as if she really needed to. Nick's schedule was fairly barebones. In this respect, being his assistant was easy. Now all she had to do was contact the ship's IES and find some place for him to relax.

"Down this way, sir," Mikan instructed. "The ship has given you use of one of the meeting rooms to use as your office during your stay." The idea was sort of silly, as a SAINT officer, Nick Saiga had the clearance to requisition any room he had need for, but dealing with the ship this way was a necessary formality so that, if needed, there would be less friction if throwing around his clearance became a necessity.

“Excellent, Sanzugawa-juni,” Nicholas said, slowing his step so that he was in line with his adjutant. She knew where they were going, after all. “I was not expecting to see you on the bridge—I suppose that you would not have had much to converse with Bell-chui about. Our part of this mission is about as simple as theirs.” He kept his eyes forward, only diverting his course when Mikan rounded a corner or stepped through a threshold until they arrived. “We should have stayed on the Hisperia,” he said drably upon seeing the plain, Star Army-standard meeting room open up from behind its automated hatch. “At least Kyosuke-sama would have had alcohol to entertain my time with.”

PAUSE
Joint post by: raz, Revolver, Doshii.

 

[raz]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

Main Battlegroup, Eighth Standard Fleet: somewhere in the Samurai Sector
Day eleven, first month, thirty-second year of the Empire…

Only three vessels remained of the four that made up the First Expeditionary Fleet's Eleventh Squadron of Plumeria-class gunships. Their mission to deliver SAINT sappers and their equipment to the shipyards at Sbuhfaba that began just shy of six months ago had started off well enough, the squadron departing from the Ketsurui Military Sector hours before the Mishhuvurthyar advance sealed off that area of space from the rest of the Star Empire. Nothing less was expected--the assignment was very simple and intended to be quick--get the Operations team to their destination, wait while they carried out their own mission, and then take them back to Central Yamatai where the squadron would be reassigned as one of the few First Expeditionary units outside of the besieged KMS. But where the Mishhuvurthyar are concerned, plans are rarely destined to occur precisely as intended.

Today, the Eleventh stood with Karasawa-taisho's Eighth Standard Fleet, having linked up with one of its patrols in the aftermath of the events at Sbuhfaba. Not that the small battlegroup, created as one of six new fleets just prior to the onset of the Mishhuvurthyar invasion, provided much safety. Even more so than its counterparts, the Eighth had been spread thin, dividing its forces across a vast swath of space that stretched nearly the entire length of the Samurai Sector. And since the Eleventh had joined their main battlegroup, unable to break free to the shelter of a friendly port, they had helped to screen the Taisho's flag against attack, they had seen little more than combat and death. This moment was no different.

Within the Aegle's MEGAMI core, Shosa Nicholas Saiga sat amidst a haze of volumetric displays, drenched in the dim, lately ever-present condition one lighting that shone throughout the ships of the squadron and fleet. He'd been here for a long while--almost since the Eleventh’s original mission had begun--almost never leaving and certainly always watching. The artificial intelligence's core had proven to be a secure place to observe from; the Shosa had never wanted to become overly involved in shipboard business. That was the responsibility of each respective vessel's captain.

The displays around the intelligence officer showed the action that the Eighth's flag group was currently embroiled in. Mishhuvurthyar elements had penetrated all the way to the Taisho's Chiharu-class flagship--the first time he'd seen it happen in the months since the Eleventh had joined up with this fleet--and havoc reigned throughout the task force. All of it was laid before him and he took it in as quickly as his Geshrin mind could process.

Sixteen battlepods closing on the battlegroup's left flank; protected by Rikama-heisho's squad of Mindy and Waka-chui's fighters from the Kishikawa. Multiple contacts incoming from below; includes Ravager-type mech and Ripper-type--no--unidentified Mishhuvurthyar mech. Note: new type seems to rend through Star Army infantry armor with great proficiency, Nicholas observed, analyzing the events as the Eleventh Squadron and the elements of the Eighth fought off their horrific enemy as the Aegle shuttered from a grazing blow. The Mishhuvurthyar are still employing captured Yamataian equipment; the YSS Daikon has been boarded by fifty Daisy. The flagship seems to be fighting off their assailants--good, the enemy escorts and scouts are moving away and their carriers are retreating. We've pushed them back. Excellent.

And as the small Mishhuvurthyar ships vacated the space between the Yamataian ships they had fought so hard to penetrate, they were replaced, in the blink of an eye, by one of the newest generation of SMX battleship. Its immediate deluge of weapons fire lit up the already active war-zone, joined by its friendly escorts moving back again into the fray once more. Its powerful weapons poured into the ships of the Yamataian Star Empire and from the visual feed that showed him the flagship's main viewing screen, Nicholas Saiga could see both of its main cannons powering up to fire. How unfortunate it was, then, that he missed the feed displaying a volley incoming towards the Aegle as he watched the Taisho and over twenty-thousand other souls come to an end. The last thing he would remember about this day would be wondering whether or not these ships were built at the yards he was sent to destroy.

The shipyards at Sbuhfaba; five months, ten days ago
Day twenty-one, seventh month, thirty-first year of the Empire…

"Get your asses in gear, boys and girls, we've got tentacle-head contacts entering the system," Hojo Mitsunaka barked over the comms network, letting his SAINT operatives know what Saiga-shosa had just informed him of. Only the explosives stowed on the Erytheia remained to be unloaded and placed; they'd done everything else that they'd needed to do. Up until this moment time had been on their side. With what sensitive information they'd needed to get rid of wiped from the shipyards' main computer and enough explosives placed to cause several cascading compartment implosions, their task was but a wink shy of being complete. Countless lives would be saved because of their actions here.

Mitsunaka punched in the last few commands into the shipyards' mainframe, making sure that it was as clean as the Star Army wanted it to be. In the control room around him, Nepleslian Reds--former allies of the Empire--lay slain. Their deaths had become a necessity long before he and his team set foot here. Parasitic Mishhuvurthyar infection tended to cause one's demise, be it by decay or by sentient design.

"Ittô Juni," came the Shosa's voce, curt and precise, once again. "Your people are not making their time as well as they could. By MEGAMI's calculations, you will not have the opportunity to finish your task at this rate."

The veteran operator huffed to himself before speaking. "We'll get it done, Shosa. I've been doing this since before these Yamataian bones were a concept in Emperor Uesu's skull. Don't concern yourself wit--"

"It is my duty to concern myself, Hojo-juni," the Shosa replied. "You know as well as I do that it's only a matter of time before their entire force jumps in right on top of us." Nicholas paused as the status displays around him updated. "And it appears that the fortunes have blessed us with their presence. Arm the remote immediately. I will make sure that you and your team are rewarded greatly upon your resurrection."

"No thank you, Shosa," Mitsunaka refused, as he made his way down the corridor towards where the Erytheia waited. "My men have just placed the last charges and we will be departing shortly. I will arm the remote when we are away--I do not intend to die today."

"Just as I do not intend to sacrifice the Erytheia if it can be helped," Nicholas spat in retort. "You will arm my control as a precaution or will face disciplinary consequences in this life or your next!"

"I've been chewed out before, sir," Mitsunaka said back in his Nepleslian accent, a holdover from the days he spent on Nepleslia as a youth. His smirk remained as he approached the open airlock. His expression wouldn't have time to change when the gout of aetheric flame burst down the corridor, incinerating him and his squad before being sucked back out into the space where the Erytheia had been moments before.

YSS Aegle
Day eleven, first month, thirty-second year of the Empire…

Nicholas awoke with a gasp to the flickering bursts of sparks and volumetric displays trying to keep themselves open under the strain of low power. His last thought before consciousness combined with his mind's recounting of the debacle at Sbuhfaba caused him to curse failsafe explosive charges and Hojo Mitsunaka in the moments it took him to realize first that he was alive and then where he was. At least the Aegle had not been destroyed.

"MEGAMI, give me a situation report," he said, his voice hoarse and not matching the commanding tone he intended. "What is left of Star Army forces in this sub-sector?"

It took longer than the immediate moment he expected for the ship's IES to reply. "Upon d-d-d-destruction of the flagship, all Mishhhhhhh-uvurthyarr-r-r-r forces jumped away from the battle zone-zone-battle zone," it informed him. It's comforting, soft voice strangely macabre in its broken syllables. "Sixty-three per-per-per-percent of Staaaaaaar Army forces reported lost. All ships in this squadron are active and hemorrhaging-losing-bleeding-draining power at an alarming-ing-ing rate. Notice: distress call in-com-com-com-coming from the Eighth Fleet combat detachment in S-s-s-south. Would you like to know more?"

At least Larai kept us alive, Nicholas thought cynically. "Thank you, MEGAMI," he said. "Continue your report and get me in contact with whoever survived their way to command."

END

 

[Kai]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

Seth Larai's hair was not as perfectly kept as normal. His bangs had been moved out of the way and fallen back down so many times that he had put his Tricorn on to keep them out of the way.
"Taran Heisho. What's our status, since my ship seems to be failing to inform me?" he asked, over personal communicators, as the intercom and even the sound-powered telephones had gone out.

"Not very good. We are somewhere at around 38% of operational status." the Heisho responded, doing what she could to bring things back online. For the moment it was Propulsion she was working on. A sprite or two toiled away around her, working just as hard to keep the ship from falling apart.

"..." Seth stared at his screen, black, and useless, it had been knocked out by the attack, along with most of the systems of the ship.
"Bell Chui. I am going to the wardroom so I may see. I will relay directions to you, do you copy?"
"Yes, Taii." the brunette responded, getting to work at trying to find working parts of the Bridge. she quickly made her way to the communications station, disconnecting its still-functioning screen to use for operations, so she could pilot the ship.

On his way to the wardroom, Seth made an unscheduled stop. He didn't normally do this, but he felt it was necessary in the situation. Larai-taii knocked on the door into the MEGAMI room, clearing his throat and calling out tentatively "Shosa." As he waited for the Shosa to respond, he straightened his uniform, removed the Tricorn, placing it in the crook of one arm, and smoothed back his hair a slight amount.

 

[raz]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

Nicholas looked around in the near-dark of the MEGAMI core. Having closed the flickering volumetric windows, only the reserve power lamps lit the small chamber’s walls. Seth’s hail was barely audible through the thick and well-insulated armored bulkheads that encased him, but the Shosa heard it. Fortunately, only the hatch’s communicator was down, and within moments, he activated its control and it slid open as smoothly as it would have any other time.

“Taii,” the Geshrin remarked grimly, “I owe you my gratitude and my life once again.” he said immediately. “I trust you are as well as you can be given the circumstances. What can I do to help?”

 

[Kai]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

"I must ask you to restart the MEGAMI core. A full flush, so it can repair itself. Aside from that, I must apologize for letting you, and the Star Army down in this instance. I will do what I can to help you, once my crew gets the Aegle running again." Seth said, rather long winded for the man. He saluted the Shosa, then bowed respectfully, waiting for a response before he left for the Wardroom.

****

"So basically, the entire main propulison is shot. We cannot go to FTL, and our STL is down to four.." The was a loud explosion and a slight shudder of the ship "... Make that three thrusters" Faleen said to the sprites, as they worked on removing a large box from the wing root of the Plumeria. It contained what had once been part of the CFS system, but was now a box full of charred pieces no more useful to spaceflight than a spoon. Faleen checked to be sure the sprites were doing their job right. The fact that MEGAMI was acting up and would probably have to be shut down had caused a stir among them, and even bothered Taran Heisho herself.

"I'm going out to see what I can work at" she muttered, as if they were listening, and grabbed an AMES suit and a bag of the most useful tools she could find, searching for a functioning airlock.

 

[raz]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

The Shosa returned Seth’s bow less deeply than it was given in respect for the man’s words. As for his request, Nicholas could probably do that with a SAINT authorization override, but decided against it, keeping with his stance on maintaining the ship’s chain of authority as much as possible. Only a Star Army vessel’s computer systems officer or captain could technically access the MEGAMI core, much less enter it as Nicholas had already done.

“I believe that you’re the only one here that can do that, Larai-taii,” he said, gesturing past him to allow Seth to step in and speak the command to the MEGAMI. “And although death is preferable to the dishonor of defeat, you have no need to apologize. We shall fight and die another day, and there will be no greater honor for us than when that time comes. I will accompany you when you are finished. I would like to locate my assistant, Sanzugawa-juni, in any case.”

 

[Kai]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

"Arigatou, Shosa." Seth responded. stepping into the MEGAMI core, and quickly locating the section he was supposed to be looking at, letting the machine scan him; a shaky process that took several seconds longer than it normally would have.
"MEGAMI. Sytem override. Code Zeta. Full flush, restart system, reload, memory file AEGLE DESU"
Suddenly, the core shut down, all its sounds and noises coming to a halt, before a light blinked, then another, and some more. Soon, the room was full of the sounds of the core rebooting itself.
"It will be nearly twenty minutes before the core can be fully functional again." Larai Taii informed Nicholas.
"I shall help you find your assistant, as far as the Wardroom. I have a ship to pilot using the naked eye."

 

[raz]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

Nicholas nodded in confirmation. “After you, Taii,” he said, gesturing to the area just past him once again, this time to the corridor where Seth had just come from. “I look forward to your laudable actions in the coming hours."

 

[raz]

Re: Episode 2: Blind

ON

Larai-taii bowed quickly, again, making his way out of the MEGAMI core and heading out towards the main passageway so that he could head 'upward' to the wardroom. With its window, it was the only way he could see out of the ship while the computers and sensors were out. "Perhaps she is in the lounge or in one of the cabins? There are several empty rooms within this ship, and she may have wanted access to a computer," Seth suggested, as they arrived in the upper section of the Aegle.

"Indeed, Taii," Nicholas responded, surveying the battle-damaged interior of the ship. Scorch marks caused by blown power conduits and capacitors lined the corridors, giving the Aegle an entirely grim atmosphere about it. "I'm sure Sanzugawa-juni is in the wardroom or somewhere close to it--that is where she'd been performing her duties from, after all."

As the pair came closer to the wardroom, Seth could barely contain his anger at the state of his ship. Not that long ago it had been pristine, even through the battles they had fought, Faleen and the sprites had managed to keep it looking as if it was still brand-new. Now the acrid stench of burnt plastic and wiring hung in the air as parts of the ship that normally should have had gravity shifted between too much and too little, without warning, giving the two officers a bit of an interesting journey. "It's right ahead, Shosa," Seth mentioned, opening the door into the wardroom and moving inward, the gravity completely gone in that section, keeping the malfunctioning door open using his hand.

The wardroom was full of smoke; a blown conduit in one of the walls obscured much of the damaged interior. Visibility was low for the two men, but there, huddled under the table to as keep from being disturbed any further by the damaged ship, was the Shosa's aide, interfacing with a volumetric display being projected from a suitcase-sized device sitting on her lap. The Juni didn't even look up to acknowledge her superior officers' presence. "Shosa," she said, simply, indicating that she was indeed aware of their entry. "I've almost finished…" Mikan's voice trailed off as she returned her full attention to her duties.

"Mikan," Nicholas allowed, skipping formalities, glad that his adjutant was alive, "give me a status report. What are you working on?" He doubted that she could do much, even with the encrypted high-powered subspace communicator she was responsible for. "Are there any known Intelligence Service vessels active in the area that could be contacted at this time? I need orders now that the Taisho is dead," he remarked with a hint of disdain. "I would like to not report to whatever Taii or Chusa is now in command of this outfit."

"Just filing your report," Mikan dutifully announced, still sounding detached as her consciousness was split over a number of tasks. "I do not see any vessels close enough to us." Her eyes, reflecting the light from the display, looked almost pupil-less. "Chotto matte, I will open a line to the new Commander for you." An uncomfortable look fell on the Juni's face. The encryption algorithms required by the SAINT subspace communicator took up a fair amount of the Nekovalkyrja aide's synaptic concentration, along with attempting to comply and preempt the Shosa's next command meant that Sanzugawa-juni had precious little processing power left over to devote to communication with him.

As the two began talking, Larai-taii floated his way towards the wardroom window, and was, for the first time, able to absorb the actual damage. Whatever had hit the Aegle had caused it to spin a bit, and it now faced the wreckage of the flagship, not much more than a pile of scrap materials interspersed with the random explosion as little bits of stuff continued to demolish itself, nothing even resembling fire-suppression left in the mangled bits of the ship. "Bell-chui, what is the status of our engines? How much control do you have?" he asked over his personal communicator.

"We have three thrusters remaining. I can fly her, but not very well." she reported, grimly.

Knowing that Mikan's efforts to communicate would not be successful given the time already elapsed, Nicholas furrowed his brow and conceded that the chain of succession had not been finalized as of that time. "Sanzugawa-juni, belay my last order," he commanded with purpose. "Larai-taii, if you would excuse me, I believe that I could be of best use helping to repair your communications." The Shosa looked to Mikan, tipping his head towards the door. "Follow," he said and then stepped out of the wardroom.

"Yes, sir," Nicholas' aide replied as she stood up, closing the briefcase and continuing her work through radio telepathic communication with the device. Needing only simple locomotion to follow behind him, Mikan was able to devote the majority of her consciousness to her task, continuing to search the surrounding space for any SAINT vessels while attempting to communicate the details of their current position and condition back to headquarters.

"Be my guest," the Taii responded to the Shosa. "Do not worry about intercommunications, we have that handled," he specified, still looking out of the wardroom window as the ship shifted slightly. He mostly ignored the two as they left the wardroom, calling again for Bell-chui. "Bring us around fifteen degrees to port, and bow up twenty-seven degrees, please," he asked, then smirked as the ship gave a slight shudder and then replied.

PAUSE
Joint post by: raz, kai, Revolver.