YSS Eucharis
The battered gunship had returned to Yamatai and was now safely landed at a starport on Yamatai, surrounded by cranes and repair equipment. The crew was now rested and healed and their leave on "ship repair leave" was just about to begin. In the early morning, Hanako entered Helen's room, dressed in her exercise uniform.
"I wanted to catch you before you left," Hanako quietly told the Shosa.
"Mm..." Helen sounded as she held her finger to her lips, climbing out of the bed which she shared with Yaichiro, quietly closing the distance with Hanako, as she spoke in a whisper. "He is sleeping, he has been busy aiding in repairs, could we continue in your cabin?" She asked, as she stood before Hanako clad in merely a bra and her SAINT-logo adorned PJ bottoms... and interestingly enough, a pair of fuzzy purple slippers.
"Of course," Hanako nodded, retreating from the small cabin. As she waited for Helen, she could hear the sounds of water and could smell a bit of humidity from the nearby shower room, as well as the clanking of dishes and the hum of fans from the wardroom up the stairs.
A nod came from Helen as she scooped up the top to her PJs, pulling it over her arms, and placing it on just enough to button one of the buttons in the front of the garment. As she stepped from her quarters, she looked to Hanako with an expression of passive curiousity, as she let the Taisa lead her along to the rebuilt quarters.
After passing through the empty bridge, they arrived at Hanako's cabin. It was very clean yet dim inside and smelled faintly of the woman's scent. Hanako took a seat on her bed. "We have a lot of changes. Yaichiro has probably told you he has accepted an offer from Seventh Fleet to serve on their flagship. I have been promoted to Shosho, and you...well, I wanted to ask where you were headed next."
Upon entering Hanako's cabin, she peered around the quarters, soaking in the sights as she also noticed the scent. It smelled like the quarters of a woman, not like the girl that Helen thought of Hanako as. Though, once Hanako began to speak, she paid mind to the words, nodding to the thing she knew in regard to Yaichiro, but when the mention of the promotion came along a sign of her shock was able to break through her well trained face; her brow furrowed for but a moment before once again becoming neutral. Her guts churned, she wanted to ask 'why', but she knew better as she went about dredging up a response to the question that was posed.
"Ma'am, congratulations on your promotion, I am glad that you have received it, and I am sure Taisho Yui must be proud." Helen said, stalling for the benefit of her thoughts, as she bowed in respect to the news, then continued as she spouted off the first thoughts that came to mind; "As for my current fate, I figure that I would likely wait for orders from SAINT, or the 1st. With Yaichiro's transfer, the purpose of my assignment is moot, in combination with the findings I was able to gather, simply that he is a good officer."
"You could request a transfer to follow him," Hanako pointed out. "I mean...you two are already sleeping together," she smiled.
"It was for the job." Helen interjected, quite simply, and directly.
"Ahh," the newly-minted Shosho grimaced. "Well...I do have another question for you."
"Oh? What would that be, ma'am?" Helen asked as she passively mused on the matter of sleeping with Yaichiro, which admittedly was a better part of her assignment to the Eucharis.
"What can you tell be about Hakujou Hakushi?" Hanako asked. "She was one of your crew on your cruiser. She has recently applied to the Eucharis."
"Oh... Haku-Haku." Helen could not help but to laugh upon thinking of the 'scientist'. "If you thought I was a blood thirsty ruthless monster, you haven't seen anything. Hakujou is vicious in regard to her methodology. For the benefit of her work, she would violate every facet of what our Empire deems 'ethical'. However, I am unsure of her current behavior since the implimentation of the Empress' current policies. Though, none the less, I would keep an eye on her if I were you, and keep track of discarded bodies and samples."
"I see," Hanako nodded grimly. "That sounds bad."
"Bad? Bad is truly a relative term. What we call 'Bad' was once the norm for our Empire." Helen stated, looking back upon her career. "Though, for her, perhaps she enjoys her job with a little too much zeal, even more than I have ever displayed in an interrogation."
"Speaking of interrogations, what do you think of these NMX nekos?" the golden-eyed captain asked. "I get the impression that they have not been able to...mature...into hardened soldiers. It is like they are normal nekos, thrown directly from the cloning chambers into the battlefield."
Helen welcomed the conversation straying back in the direction of talking shop, and on a subject which she would know a thing or two about. "Mmm, you are right. There is no sign that the Mishhu in proper have chosen to outfit their personnel with worthwhile supplies, equipment, or even training beyond what could be implanted during manufacturing. Honestly, I would think that if we were to carry out some morale damaging attacks upon their forces, they'd crumble simply because they have not learned to cope. They are frightened girls in the skins of warriors."
"We have seen firsthand that sometimes their will to live can outweigh their will to fight, especially when they are isolated," Hanako agreed. "Poor training is a weakness to any military."
"What hurts them above all else is that they do not seem to have superiors that they could look up to for enlightenment. They are commanded through fear, and by the simple fact that they are serving those which chose to create them. That is no way to promote professional and effective performance. Even I know to coddle a bit when personnel are green." Helen stated as she reflected on the matter of training, it was one of the more enjoyable jobs which she had the pleasure of being assigned during her service. "Though, the more the NMX hammer us into a corner, that produces more veteran personnel, which can learn from the conflict."
"I anticipate they will create some sort of mental super-soldier program where they select their best Nekovalkyrja and use their minds as the template for the newborns. They do not have laws that prevent mind duplication like that," Hanako conjectured. "If they do, over time we could see all NMX nekos born as seasoned zealots."
Helen let out a little chuckle; "Well, in that case, what would we do?" she asked before she drove her point to the next matter which she had to make clear; "With your new rank, it may end up being your job to make that decision, ma'am."
"We will keep fighting until we win," Hanako frowned. "Anyway, I was going to visit the onsen with the crew today. Are you interested in coming?"
A smile formed on Helen's lips at the words from Hanako, she mused on the Princess' tenacity, if only war was all about tenacity, then she would certainly be victorious. With Hanako's question, Helen decided that a little bit of R&R could possibly give her the time to reflect on her future, so, she spoke her reply; "Certainly, I would enjoy coming along."
"Alright," Hanako grinned. "We will depart after breakfast." With that, Hanako sent a message to all the crew offering them a trip to the hot springs.
The battered gunship had returned to Yamatai and was now safely landed at a starport on Yamatai, surrounded by cranes and repair equipment. The crew was now rested and healed and their leave on "ship repair leave" was just about to begin. In the early morning, Hanako entered Helen's room, dressed in her exercise uniform.
"I wanted to catch you before you left," Hanako quietly told the Shosa.
"Mm..." Helen sounded as she held her finger to her lips, climbing out of the bed which she shared with Yaichiro, quietly closing the distance with Hanako, as she spoke in a whisper. "He is sleeping, he has been busy aiding in repairs, could we continue in your cabin?" She asked, as she stood before Hanako clad in merely a bra and her SAINT-logo adorned PJ bottoms... and interestingly enough, a pair of fuzzy purple slippers.
"Of course," Hanako nodded, retreating from the small cabin. As she waited for Helen, she could hear the sounds of water and could smell a bit of humidity from the nearby shower room, as well as the clanking of dishes and the hum of fans from the wardroom up the stairs.
A nod came from Helen as she scooped up the top to her PJs, pulling it over her arms, and placing it on just enough to button one of the buttons in the front of the garment. As she stepped from her quarters, she looked to Hanako with an expression of passive curiousity, as she let the Taisa lead her along to the rebuilt quarters.
After passing through the empty bridge, they arrived at Hanako's cabin. It was very clean yet dim inside and smelled faintly of the woman's scent. Hanako took a seat on her bed. "We have a lot of changes. Yaichiro has probably told you he has accepted an offer from Seventh Fleet to serve on their flagship. I have been promoted to Shosho, and you...well, I wanted to ask where you were headed next."
Upon entering Hanako's cabin, she peered around the quarters, soaking in the sights as she also noticed the scent. It smelled like the quarters of a woman, not like the girl that Helen thought of Hanako as. Though, once Hanako began to speak, she paid mind to the words, nodding to the thing she knew in regard to Yaichiro, but when the mention of the promotion came along a sign of her shock was able to break through her well trained face; her brow furrowed for but a moment before once again becoming neutral. Her guts churned, she wanted to ask 'why', but she knew better as she went about dredging up a response to the question that was posed.
"Ma'am, congratulations on your promotion, I am glad that you have received it, and I am sure Taisho Yui must be proud." Helen said, stalling for the benefit of her thoughts, as she bowed in respect to the news, then continued as she spouted off the first thoughts that came to mind; "As for my current fate, I figure that I would likely wait for orders from SAINT, or the 1st. With Yaichiro's transfer, the purpose of my assignment is moot, in combination with the findings I was able to gather, simply that he is a good officer."
"You could request a transfer to follow him," Hanako pointed out. "I mean...you two are already sleeping together," she smiled.
"It was for the job." Helen interjected, quite simply, and directly.
"Ahh," the newly-minted Shosho grimaced. "Well...I do have another question for you."
"Oh? What would that be, ma'am?" Helen asked as she passively mused on the matter of sleeping with Yaichiro, which admittedly was a better part of her assignment to the Eucharis.
"What can you tell be about Hakujou Hakushi?" Hanako asked. "She was one of your crew on your cruiser. She has recently applied to the Eucharis."
"Oh... Haku-Haku." Helen could not help but to laugh upon thinking of the 'scientist'. "If you thought I was a blood thirsty ruthless monster, you haven't seen anything. Hakujou is vicious in regard to her methodology. For the benefit of her work, she would violate every facet of what our Empire deems 'ethical'. However, I am unsure of her current behavior since the implimentation of the Empress' current policies. Though, none the less, I would keep an eye on her if I were you, and keep track of discarded bodies and samples."
"I see," Hanako nodded grimly. "That sounds bad."
"Bad? Bad is truly a relative term. What we call 'Bad' was once the norm for our Empire." Helen stated, looking back upon her career. "Though, for her, perhaps she enjoys her job with a little too much zeal, even more than I have ever displayed in an interrogation."
"Speaking of interrogations, what do you think of these NMX nekos?" the golden-eyed captain asked. "I get the impression that they have not been able to...mature...into hardened soldiers. It is like they are normal nekos, thrown directly from the cloning chambers into the battlefield."
Helen welcomed the conversation straying back in the direction of talking shop, and on a subject which she would know a thing or two about. "Mmm, you are right. There is no sign that the Mishhu in proper have chosen to outfit their personnel with worthwhile supplies, equipment, or even training beyond what could be implanted during manufacturing. Honestly, I would think that if we were to carry out some morale damaging attacks upon their forces, they'd crumble simply because they have not learned to cope. They are frightened girls in the skins of warriors."
"We have seen firsthand that sometimes their will to live can outweigh their will to fight, especially when they are isolated," Hanako agreed. "Poor training is a weakness to any military."
"What hurts them above all else is that they do not seem to have superiors that they could look up to for enlightenment. They are commanded through fear, and by the simple fact that they are serving those which chose to create them. That is no way to promote professional and effective performance. Even I know to coddle a bit when personnel are green." Helen stated as she reflected on the matter of training, it was one of the more enjoyable jobs which she had the pleasure of being assigned during her service. "Though, the more the NMX hammer us into a corner, that produces more veteran personnel, which can learn from the conflict."
"I anticipate they will create some sort of mental super-soldier program where they select their best Nekovalkyrja and use their minds as the template for the newborns. They do not have laws that prevent mind duplication like that," Hanako conjectured. "If they do, over time we could see all NMX nekos born as seasoned zealots."
Helen let out a little chuckle; "Well, in that case, what would we do?" she asked before she drove her point to the next matter which she had to make clear; "With your new rank, it may end up being your job to make that decision, ma'am."
"We will keep fighting until we win," Hanako frowned. "Anyway, I was going to visit the onsen with the crew today. Are you interested in coming?"
A smile formed on Helen's lips at the words from Hanako, she mused on the Princess' tenacity, if only war was all about tenacity, then she would certainly be victorious. With Hanako's question, Helen decided that a little bit of R&R could possibly give her the time to reflect on her future, so, she spoke her reply; "Certainly, I would enjoy coming along."
"Alright," Hanako grinned. "We will depart after breakfast." With that, Hanako sent a message to all the crew offering them a trip to the hot springs.
