RP [2nd IRC] A New Understanding

Suddenly, an alarm klaxon went off and a voice came over the intercom. "Attention: All crew report to battle stations. This is not a drill. All crew report immediately to battle stations. This is not a drill."

Himiko rose from her seat with a worried look. "Perhaps we should continue at a later time," she proposed.

A message arrived on Robert Davis's datapad.

Sir, amidst recent reports of violence throughout Yamataian space, specifically against targets of military and governmental significance, it is advisable for you to leave the conference at your earliest convenience. Several of my men are waiting outside the conference area to escort you to your vessel.

- R. Veles

Click to expand...

Akina rose, having kept her peace for some time while sitting next to Himiko. She sent a flash to the escort group outside, which began arming and closing a perimeter that had been given the run of things that day were recalled to the ship, on full battle alert.

In the bard cluster, the 4th Fleet and its far flung stations were moved to a higher readiness (where transmissions got through, and there was not spots of blackout), a flood of information began bouncing to the Admiral while she ducked her head, thinking to her sovereign. Would you prefer to stay? The Nadare and her crew are at your disposal as always. My personal yacht, which might attract less attention, is also an option. I'm very worried about the other delegations.

Outside, the group she had brought with her moved closer, communicating with the security teams, to cover any delegations whom chose to flee, if they were ordered. After all it wasn't their defense operation, as eager as Akina was to help. "I would suggest you call your associates and depart the conference hall as soon as possible." What would you ask of me? The red-headed Taisho thought to the woman next to her.

"May I trouble our host for a side arm?" Aegis asked as she slowly got up from her seat. "I can see to the safety of myself, and aid in escorting my associates to our respective ships... and may I also ask if my ship has been impounded? I would like to be able to leave with it if the situation demands that we must depart." Aegis glanced about the room for a moment. "I also feel that I can provide aid in escorting each of the other representatives present to safe locations as well if desired."

As she spoke, Aegis opened a communication line to her Wayfarer, which she instructed to send a confined and focused transmission to the Matriarchy to inform them of the event which took place around her, along with sensor logs the Wayfarer had regarding what transpired around it.

Alexander placed a hand on top of one of Aegis' own before speaking. "Madam. I do believe I came prepared, after all, we were allowed to bring a security escort." He gave her a very short message indicating just what, a mixture of both, Blackcoats and Fyunnen, in equal number, no bigger then the other nations that may have brought anyone with them. Afterall, a lot could be said about someone bringing too much, or too little security. Things could be taken out of hand and context, as well as assumptions made.

"I believe it would be just, if we conclude these negotiations until a later date and time as the Empress has graciously suggested." The man moved his hand from the Fyunnen Senator's, and got to his feet. "If necessary, I offer the assistance of the UOC's military escort so as we may safely make our ways back to our respective vessels, or rooms. As well as we should notify our respective governments of the issue at hand, so as to mollify any possible misconstrued feelings of the conference's early conclusion."

Robert Davis looked about the room, a mask of concern on his face.

"This is a very troubling situation," he said. "It would be foolish to consider that one of our own peoples would attack a peace conference. And... to have such an alarm go off would indicate enough concern for our host nation to consider this turn of events endangering to our safety."

He looked at the figures regarding his security detail on his datapad and at the message from his advisor.

"Therefore, I do not think our paltry security escorts would of much use for more than a delaying action or to aid in our escape. I sincerely hope that this is a case of paranoia on the part of our hosts and myself, because I am afraid that otherwise we may have a difficult situation on our hands."

He shook his head as the message he tried to send out was met with static.

"Communications are being jammed."

Himiko was quiet for a long moment.

Then, she suddenly asked Davis, "may I move Pisces into Nepleslia?"

Nepleslia's very close, very armed border would provide protection.

Davis briefly considered the ramifications of Himiko's request. It was a good opportunity to gain political capital despite possible protest by Nepleslia's peoples and governing bodies.

There was a possible endangerment of Nepleslia herself, but, if the worst were to happen here, it would be politically and socially devastating to all the nations in the galaxy.

He nodded, eyes flashing to meet Himiko's.

"Empress, Nepleslia will offer sanctuary to all here. I doubt that our defenses would fire on a station hosting all the galaxy's leaders. I state here now, though, that no ships are permitted to leave the station's side while within Nepleslia's borders until we have better command of the situation... I cannot guarantee their safety until our communications are restored."

"Very well," Himiko nodded. Pisces moved immediately, crossing into Nepeslia and moved into the planetary orbital path of planet Nepleslia so it would follow the planet around while maintaining an equal distance.

"Some members of my staff have arrived outside, they are not affected." Akina sighed with some relief. She wasn't getting any response from the others, and it made her nervous. It was one thing, crossing into their space where the NMX might not go, but it might have brought them into a fight they were not willing to undertake. They'd better be okay. The Taisho worried, chewing her bottom lip faintly,she looked over the assorted people. The blond UOC representative, her associate, Davis.

I wonder if we'll ever meet like this again?

Akina had to put her hand on the table when she found out finally, finally what was going on (in pieces, less and less after they crossed the border) at Spirit City. The new bombers and fighters were in use, it was one strategic notch in Yamatai's belt. She hoped they would last with the training they'd received since the large expanse of space came under the protection of the Fourth. Akina nodded to the Marshal, her ships had followed, including the 5km long Nadare and were keeping close to the station. She knew there were thousands, thousands of armor users anxious out there, but their duty was to Himiko at that moment, more than ever.

Outside, another wave of infected soldiers made an attack on the conference room, prompting security to put it on lock down for concern of the representatives of state inside.

Pain. Dull, then sharp, and more personal than almost anything before tore into Akina. There was a world out there crumbling around her, and she felt like she was going to be cut in half, or burst. It was like a cramp, but worse...so much worse. Something. Anything. Outside, there was the sound of dying, of shouting, and worse. Inside, trapped with the others, she flashed command over to the officers below her in the chain of command. They would have to take command of the fleet.

The Taisho swayed on her feet near Himiko and Davis, one sharp whimper came from her, then a cry as she tried not to make a scene. Am I infected..? Oh...shit. No. Not now! Tears welled in her eyes when another odd feeling included liquid running down the insides of her legs. Where's Katsuko...o-or even Tio. While a vibration from some sort of fight outside rocked the conference room, Akina jolted to her knees, forward, exposing the wet spot on the floor she had been over. As she felt another surge of pain hit her, she clambored to her feet, then between Davis, and Himiko.

"W-e...there's..there's something the matter. They're not going to wait..."

"E-empress....my water just broke."

"Oh!" Himiko blinked. "Ah..."

Thinking fast, the Empress removed her pristine silk outer kimono and then set it on the circular conference table desk for Akina to lay on.

"May we use your jacket as a pillow?" the Empress asked Davis.

With the addition of Akina's crisis, Aegis was prompted to place her palm against her face and release a sigh. "Lovely, just lovely..." She muttered before she stepped to the side of the NH-29, and soon to be mother. "My best advice after bringing a half dozen children into the universe is to relax. Combat or not, if you exert yourself emotionally it will only make the process worse." With that one bit of advice, Aegis stepped away to let the Empress handle the matter. Aegis may have been a mother several times over, but she knew nothing of Nekovalkryja biology.

After the short bit of advice, Aegis found herself pacing about the room. She never did like simply waiting out combat. She was a born warrior, deep down through and through she desired to be outside of the conference room, fending off the enemy force. Not sitting by without even a weapon in hand... It was disconcerting to say the least.

The Sky Marshall's fears had been concerned, and whatever was threatening them had made it onto the base. Their enemy was brilliant, it seemed, to have come this close unnoticed.

Robert Davis was old. His body was not what it used to be, and he was fairly ancient for a Nepleslian. But he still had some of the definition from his earlier years, as his figure became more visible when he took his coat off and rolled it into a ball for Akina to use.

"My lady, please stay calm and breathe," he said softly to her as he slipped the rolled up ball under her head. "You both shall be fine."

He cast a sideways glance at the pacing Aegis but soon returned his attention to both Akina and the Empress.

Nepleslians were trained in all manners of things, but birthing was most definitely not one of them. Still, it did not matter to the Sky Marshall as he rolled up his sleeves. He had been at his wife's side when their son was born, and one did not forget a moment so ingrained in the mind of a father.

"With your permission, I am ready to assist," he stated simply.

All the while, Alexander sat calmly, until Akina seemed to be going into labor. Frankly...he had no clue as what he could do in that regard, and the combat going on outside tugged at his heartstrings of a long, bygone past on the battlefields of old. The man pushed the slipping glasses up the bridge of his nose, and got to his feet.

He soon found himself by the pacing Aegis, and placed a hand firmly on the larger woman's shoulder, frowning, understanding. "While I can sympathize, we do better good in here, then out there. Out there we are more of a hindrance to our comrades, even if we have military training. Harsh words, but true words I'm afraid." The assemblyman frowned slightly at his own words, finding he disliked them as he patted the woman on the shoulder before the tugging at the back of his mind got to him, heaving a heavy sigh, he turned, and spoke.

"Sky Marshall, can I be of assistance?"

If things hadn't been progressing so quickly, Akina would have felt more embarrassed.

"N...no choice. Thank you." The soldier nodded, lifting her head enough to get the Sky Marshal's jacket under her head. For a brief moment, her mind was distracted by the smell of it. Somehow, it seemed dignified to her-...but then the pain came again. "Y-you waited so long then you had to choose now!?" Shimzu spat in exasperated pain, tugging her robe up beyond her knees, huffing out air.

"Nngnhhhh! Triplets!" The Taisho replied to Davis. What was normally less complicated had become her liability, but it was something the woman was glad for. She wondered if Tio would ever know, at the rate the battle seemed to go on outside. There was love, even though no one else had met her children yet, in what everyone did. The embarrassment of giving birth on the conference table on the Empress Kimono, with her head propped up by the Sky Marshall's jacket soon become lost on Akina. A raw cry emptied from her. Things were, depending on how one looked at it, progressing quickly.

She was dilating, slowly but surely. To her, it felt much faster, painful, then it paused, and stretched on that point while her girls took their time. It was their birthday, and no battle was going to seem to deter that for them. The sounds of life became more constant while the flushed Nekovalkryja looked to the two closest for their help. Davis, she hoped, knew something. He probably knew more about childbirth than she did! All the information she'd downloaded, and talking to the doctors hadn't revealed how intense everything felt in that moment. Relax? I have to try..breathe..or you'll pass out Aki. The Empress was the other Nekovalkrja present, she trusted her, and her grace.

A warm feeling came, and went, for another intense contraction. She was starting to feel like she'd come right off the table if it got any worse!

"Please try to relax," Himiko said. "You are a Nekovalkyjra, and that means your childbearing should be relatively easy compared to that of a human. "You may want to telepathically issue instructions to the younglings as well."

The Sky Marshall turned his head away from Akina's pelvis to address Alexander's question.

"Hm... it would be good to have some heated water, but if not, I believe we can use some rags and water to clean the children when they emerge from their mother. Thank you."

After hearing what the Empress had said, Davis became acutely aware of the differences between Nepleslian and Nekovalkyrja birth. And triplets? That was almost unheard of where he came from. But Akina seemed to be really struggling. Perhaps it was the shock of it all?

"My lady," Davis said firmly, "When they are ready to emerge, assist in pushing them out. You must focus all your efforts on this goal. Do not concern yourself with anything else and be strong. I shall receive the children and have them cleaned."

Alexander nodded as he pulled a handkerchief from his coat's front pocket. He himself knew nekovalkyra younglings were notoriously small, and the handkerchief would be adept for the task of at least one of them. He also yanked his fellow Assemblyman's, and then found a small tray containing the beverages, along with what appeared to be linen napkins...those assuredly would be of assistance, as would the half full water pitcher...cold.

The man looked to the small Empress, and promptly cleared his throat as he rolled his own sleeves up. "Your Highness, is there anything I may heat some of the water up with, or a tap in the other room there?" He asked, pointing to one of the rooms attached to the conference room.

"Thank you..." Akina breathed, and meant it. She tilted her head back into the balled-up jacket further. "I kno-..w.." Was all she could manage for the Empress, something she'd gone over quite a few times. Her girls weren't making things easier on her. If she didn't know better, she'd think they were simply interested in all the interesting feelings coming from their mother and decided they weren't going to wait.

She would focus, and remember everything from the standard birth. All she had to do was help them out...easy, right? Well, they were professionals like she was, and the officer put her trust in them. Biting her lip hard, the mother to be took a deep breathe, tried to clear her mind of the feeling she had when there was a battle going on, and pushed when she felt like she needed. Easy. It was supposed to be easy after all.

One of them had to want out. All the anticipation hadn't prepared her enough for the sensation, but she would have to make due.

---

Ayumi stared in complete awe at the sight, staying nearer to Aegis and her pacing. The others seemed to have things well in hand, but she stood by in case someone needed her for something, and looked around when her counterpart, Alexander, tried to help. "One of those has to have something."