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RP: Setareh Wing [Aside] Two Out of Four

Ametheliana

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Ki Lea stood at attention after she had run through the report of the mission to the Sengraiv. The Sengraiv stood proud and stiff, concern etched on his sienna-brown face. He put a hand up to rub his ashy beard and then let it fall to go into his uniform's pocket as he spoke.

"And you're saying this General, this Daurjana, he grabbed our FIOMNI?"

"That is correct, Sengraiv."

He told Ki Lea, "I want her off the wing, immediately. I want experience on our side, not immaturity."

"I'm already on it, Sengraiv. We have a-"

The Sengraiv cut her off, "I want you to relay the information to Officer Behea."

Ki nodded tersely, replying, "That I will do."

One Day Later
Docking Bay


Naak Behea waited, tentatively approaching and then walking from the exit from the docking bay. She had all but one desire, and that was to protect the Commonwealth. Desperately, she wanted to know if this time-tested FIOMNI would do just that with her.

She inhaled sharply as the doors lightly clicked before opening and made the final touches to her presentation, tucking a lock of silver hair that turned black midway through behind her ear and ruffling her side-swept bangs. When the doors opened fully, she stepped forward.

"I am Naak Behea, High Guardian Lanranr!" she spoke out before she had even gotten a chance to fully take in the FIOMNI before her.
 
Battles had been fought. Wars raged. Lives had been taken. The NVR had been pushed back. For now. And she had played an instrumental role in both its beginning and the end. First among OMNI to engage pirate forces over two decades before, and first to forecast the eventual founding of the Veyrin Kingdom. What had followed had been the Third Outer System Conflict. She had been assigned to oversee the Vanguard and Graiv deployments. Those had been wild, heady times. Not since the second conflict had VANDR been deployed in such abundance.

For her part in pushing the New Veyrin Republic back, the Fleet Intelligence OMNI had been granted a reprieve. Taken from the front line to help usher in a new era of OMNI-constructs and Vanguard personnel. Teaching the younger generations of both Synthetic and Natural lifeforms that made up their great organization. But once more she was sent unto the breach. No longer with the titular and famed Bahram Wing. Something new. A breath of fresh air.

Ishtar. Time tested. Battle hardened. Well regarded as one of the later first generation NI developed during Project Artifice Phantom. Respected by those under her. Feared by those that faced her. And as those doors opened with a pneumatic hiss, licking a cone of coffee-flavored gelato. Long, bubble-gum pink hair curled to her calves, side-swept bangs accentuating a youthful face with lustrous golden eyes. A rainbow scarf encircled her neck, resting lightly on the black leather coat she wore. Obscuring a short dress of tiny red, violet and white flowers whilst long, thigh-high stockings were enmeshed in a pair off-beat sneakers. And for all of the dramatic effect, totally entranced by her frozen treat.

That was until the shouted introduction caused her to jump. With a mewling cry of surprised panic, the dainty FIOMNI tried valiantly to maintain her balance and that of the gelato which had sat precariously atop a waffle cone. Eyes widened to a look of sheer horror accompanying the wet plop of her treasured delectable hitting the deck. It was almost pitiful. A sniffling hiccup followed by a watering of the eyes turned to face the Lanranr.
 
Docking Bay

The hands of the High Guardian flew forward as she tried to catch the already fallen globule of gelato. There was nothing to be done, and yet, she was nearly bent down, set to scoop the cool concoction off the deck with nothing but her hands. It took a moment's thought for her to stiffen and straighten her back, realizing the blunder should not be added to by another consequential misstep.

"Forgive me," she said, both for her ardent vociferation and the ill thought out maneuver to get the gelato off the ground. She panicked when she saw the seemingly young girl ready to cry and said, "I am sometimes overzealous. I've been called 'spirited' before and, truthfully, I can't disagree. I don't want to be abrasive to you, though. I'm sorry, Ishtar."
 
Another hiccuping sniffle answered the tall, uniformed female. Followed by two dainty, pale hands pawing at the eyes as a delicate little nose turned faintly pink. Eventually, the Lanranr would receive a shaky nod of acknowledgement. Even this came at an expenditure of effort from Ishtar. Who, for the time being remained silent whilst watching the woman.
 
Docking Bay

Naak remained ambivalent to how to help the FIOMNI out of her distress and ducked her head down low to look her in the seemingly gilded eyes, cocking her face to the side a bit as she did. She took a moment to decide what to say and spoke slowly, but not so slow that she sounded like she was placating the wisened, yet youthful, Synthoid.

"What would you like me to do to make you more comfortable, Ishtar? I'd like to even make you happy, if at all possible."
 
With a flinching gaze, the FIOMNI directed her stare to the woman's, now eye level stare. Bottom lip quivering ever so slightly, Ishtar slowly shook her head. Eyes downcast, she managed to mumble a reply. "I'm fine. . ." followed by the rhythmic thump of heavy footfalls on metal. Soon, both Naak, and the diminutive NI were engulfed by twin shadows looming over Ishtar's back. Seeming to be cloaked in a dark grey material, one of the silhouettes bore three orange, bio-luminescent eyes. The other's, from beneath its cowl, but two. Both emitted a death rattle as they fell into position.

Suddenly nibbling the end of a thumb, Ishtar hazarded a glance toward the towering pair. "They're my guards. Akkad, and Sumer. Naram is in his crypt." giving names to the two giant Nohman-Synthoids. "T-Th-They came because I became distressed."
 
Docking Bay

"Good to hear," Naak replied when the girl quietly let her know she was 'fine.' Whether she was or was not, Naak could not tell and was blindly trying to decipher the girl's cryptic answer when the guards approached. Mildly perturbed by the Nohman-Synthoids presence, Naak made no outward signs of being afraid of them, as she was not. Instead, she was afraid of herself and what she could possibly be doing to this FIOMNI to disturb her so. Ishtar said it herself, that she was 'distressed,' which only distressed Naak, in turn, for having distressed her. She nodded curtly to the oddly-eyed guards. Falling back on what she knew to do, she remembered she was an Officer and that this FIOMNI had a role to fill that extended beyond the typical one of fleet management.

"Ishtar, how do you feel about being a part of Setareh Wing in battle?" she said, still bent low with her eyebrows up. Her open, caring, blue-green eyes looked at Ishtar's own golden ones considerately.
 
The question brought a lifting of the FIOMNI's eyebrows. Taken off-guard, she backpedaled a step. Upon catching herself against one of the two guards, Ishtar began tapping her bottom lip. "W-Well. . . There is no record of an OMNI ever taking to Frame-based combat before." a flutter of her eyes having hazarded a guess at what the Lanranr was stabbing at. And she checked, and then rechecked the records on OGNIERnet. "An OMNI of my classification possesses the third highest processing capability out of the three subtypes, however as one of the earliest first generation NI, I possess processing power on par with the latter ICOMNI. I would therefore be able to run scenarios, stratagems, and test models of attacks from my own databanks along with the accumulated knowledge of the Vanguard and Graiv's Ace Runners since the 770's when Project Vanguard Deployment Ranger began. All with an unheard of capability for a Frame Runner. "

Blinking she made a small 'Hmm', "My doing so would make me an incredibly potent force multiplier on the battlefield beyond my normal duties."
 
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Docking Bay

Taking it all in, Naak listened intently. She already knew Ishtar was more than capable of the task at hand and was more than happy to hear the FIOMNI was well aware of that fact, as well.

"So that's what you think of being on the battlefield," Naak said after putting a foot out from her body, putting one hand up to her cheek, and holding that arm's elbow with her other hand. "But what do you feel about doing it?" Worried she might sound too ambiguous, she added, "Do you want to?"
 
"To question why such blatant force would be required." she responded almost immediately. "My taking part in Frame-based combat in a singular unit would be an incredible waste of my capabilities. Yet it would focus a fraction of that into one unit's combat ability. I believe it is risky. And I am a staggeringly expensive sentient Natural Intelligence with over sixty years of accumulated experience and combat information."

Despite the negative connotations of her statement, the look of thoughtful satisfaction wasn't hard to miss. "I was crafted for combat operations and sorties. If applied broadly, this could include Frame running. Provided I am furnished with the appropriate safeguards against capture by enemy forces and to ensure my survival in other situations."
 
Docking Bay

While Ishtar spoke, Naak listened keenly to what she had to say, wondering to herself if the FIOMNI had hopes to avoid combat or be a part of it. She had come to also question if Ishtar was capable of having hopes and wants. For the most part, she was listing the cons of being a part of a mission in a very structured, analytical way. Naak liked that, but she would have also liked to gain some insight into the way Ishtar felt. Naak was then relieved when Ishtar's look of satisfaction settled onto her face as she told Naak she was more than capable of the type of combat in question.

"Ishtar," Naak began, "I won't let anything bad happen to you. To have you on Setareh Wing would be on an honor. Would you like to go get another gelato?"
 
The implied compliment seemed to puff up the FIOMNI. With a vigorous nod in relation to the mentions of Gelato, whatever previous misgivings she had seemed to evaporate at the dense, icy confection. The Nohman behind her parted to either side, likely a mental command from the NI just as she grasped the Lanranr's larger hand with her own smaller. "I've downloaded sampled reviews and generated the most efficient paths to the best shops within range. Along with price guides, nutritional contents, and a complete list of ingredients used for every flavor at each. Including in depth analysis on your own unique taste profiles concerning various cuisines."
 
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