5tar
Active Member
ON: YSS Senbu
The members of the Senbu had finished lunch and were now off in various parts of the ship. As for the ship's commanding officer and her XO, well... they eventually did finish their late lunch and were back to the office, sitting across from one another with after dinner beverages, cafe mocha for the captain, discussing the future mission ahead and what they should do to prepare. "I think we need to have to get the Pride Wing a little better bonded, I mean they are finally all together and have free time," Shizuka suggested while glancing out the large bay window in her office, both hands wrapped around her mug to enjoy the warmth.
“They seem to be working well in the field thus far,” Nicholas replied, sipping at his own drink that he’d poured from a silver flask that he’d retrieved from his quarters on the way back to Shizuka’s suite. He hadn’t used the contents of the flask in what seemed like years – not since his time on the Goban – but they were still as intoxicating as they’d ever been. “Having them get to know each other better outside of a combat situation may be a good idea, though. I’m sure you heard a few of the comments about Pride that were said in the mess hall.”
Shizuka put her head on the desk and laid there for a moment nodding once. "I know they'll improve, I have confidence in them... they're – just putting some strain on my nerves. But there have been good outcomes, and Kuriko is doing wonderfully I must say." Shizuka raised her head with her chin on the desk; she smiled with a sort of tried-and-tested-hope-still-there look.
“Well, if you have confidence in them, then I do as well,” Nicholas said in a very dry tone. She’d been correct in all of her assumptions of confidence thus far, so he wouldn’t question it, at least not yet. Still, as the Shosa’s personal project, he hoped that they’d shape up quickly. He didn’t want to think how their actions would reflect on her reputation if they continued. “What did you have in mind for this bonding exercise, Shizuka?”
"I might have something in mind, but maybe we should wait until later. For now let's just get the ones who have free time together and run them through a combat exercise," Shizuka suggested, sighing deeply at her inability to really have anything to make them do at the moment. Really, she was just glad to have the free time. She began thinking of an exercise they’d be able to put the Pride Wing through as she stood up. "But first, I think I'm going to change..." Shizuka then turned heel and headed up to her room portion of the large Captain’s quarters. Floating up the clear zero-G chamber however did leave a wonderful angle to admire the uniform from, as the captain left to change out of the skirted outfit.
The Geshrin Taii couldn’t help but stare as Shizuka ascended to her quarters. It was probably a good thing that she didn’t always wear that uniform, he figured. Not one to dwell on anything for long, not even what he’d just seen, Nicholas went about going over some of the still unread after action reports available for review on his data pad as he waited for Shizuka to prepare herself to do whatever she had in mind to put Pride Wing through. The downtime had been a relief but he was glad to be back doing military business and exercises, and didn’t mind how short the period of rest and relaxation ended up being.
Shizuka then came down dressed in her normal male uniform, crisp and clean. "Well let's get going, I have an idea in mind, it might make for some interesting combat experience," Shizuka said to Nicholas as she walked past with her data pad in hand. "Put out a notice, for all the Pride Wing members with free time on their hands to meet us up at the simulators. I’m gonna teach them some combat, first hand." Shizuka said the last bit with a big devious grin pulling at the corners of her mouth.
“Right away, Shosa,” Nicholas said in reply. Immediately, as he followed Shizuka out of her suite and off to deck 11, he entered the order to meet up in the simulators and sent it out to all members of Pride Wing.
In the mess hall Rin finished up her meal without further incident and decided it would be best to head down to the power armor bays following it. Considering the amount of damage she sustained against the Red Mindy, there was a bit of guilt that followed at the workload being added to the already taxed maintainers after the large-scale conflict. If the Nitô Hei could not keep her promise to Shifuda-heisho, she would at least try to make up for it by aiding in the restoration process. Rin was perfectly qualified as a technical sentry, after all, so she should start acting more like one now that she had returned to duty.
Having exchanged her skirted uniform for a regulation jumpsuit more suited to getting one's hands dirty, Rin grabbed the lift from the enlisted quarters on down to the lower decks and armory, intent on seeing the current condition of her Mindy for herself, rather than simply asking MEGAMI for a status report.
Masako would finish her lunch up and headed for a training dojo, taking the Senbu's guidance down to it again. She'd pause in her own quarters to change into something more appropriate for exercise. The buxom blonde would exit her quarters in a tight fitting halter top and spats as she headed for the dojo, her blonde hair pulled up into a high ponytail that swished around as she walked past a few crewmembers.
Once she arrived at her destination, Masako would look around for a clear place to get in some basic exercise. But she'd end up claiming a pull-up bar and hopped up to grab onto it to begin pulling herself up then slowly lowering her full figured body up and down.
Kuriko walked back to her office quickly, kind of weirded out by Shin's attention to her. As she walked, the Neko finally rationalized his behavior away as being normal. Hmm... perhaps we should talk about how he feels useless some more, maybe there are a few alternatives. Kuriko thought before she talked to Shin telepathically. "Shin, I'd like to have a talk with you. Could you... come to my quarters?" Kuriko's voice was calm when she 'spoke' to Shin.
Shin looked up from his desk, sighing. He rubbed his temples, putting on his glasses and dropping the pencil down. He had been writing something, though it wasn’t clear what. "Hai, Shifuda-heisho," he responded telepathically, then left his quarters, heading to the Heisho's.
Shin stepped out of the lift, heading to Kuriko's quarters. "Shifuda-Heisho, I'm here," he said telepathically. The Yamataian male stood at attention outside her door, waiting for her to let him inside her room. Some Nekos were probably watching him, and wondering why the pervert was here.
Kuriko's ears twitched a little as the door made a 'shoosh' noise when it slid open. "Good, come on in," Kuriko offered as she stood up out of her chair and moved to speak to the Yamataian. "I thought maybe we could talk about your combat performance a little more," Kuriko said gently.
Shin smiled, bowing to Kuriko before entering her room. "You mean about how I’m all but useless?" He still smiled at the Neko, even with his apparent pessimism.
Kuriko motioned for Shin to sit on the chair as she plopped down on her bed across from the chair. "Well, we did order some more parts for the Daisy. That should help. Also, I doubt we would have gotten that shuttle if you hadn't disabled its shields. What makes you think you're ineffective?" Kuriko wasn't quite sure why the Yamataian so firmly held this belief. He had only really had a single combat mission, but he did do rather well considering.
Shin sat down in the chair, leaning back. "Kuriko, the Daisy was made for ground combat, not space combat. The only reason I was successful at all was because the only combat we saw involved me avoiding it. Even then, I barely did anything to that shuttle; Ishida-hei did the work."
Kuriko sighed, she had seen the videos. Shin was solely responsible for leaving the shuttle open to attack, without that it could have escaped. "Very well, what do you think would make you more effective?" Kuriko decided to try and gauge the Yamataians view of effectiveness instead.
Shin shrugged. "You could get me reassigned to a ground division. Or we could attempt to get me a fighter for me to pilot. That might work." The Yamataian yawned, looking around the Neko's quarters.
Kuriko's quarters were dimly lit, a light on the desk lit up the left wall that it sat against, a bookcase with a few volumes sat to the side of the desk. Kuriko sat on her bed with her feet hanging off of it. Behind her there were a couple of feet of empty space, then the opposite wall. All in all it was a small room, nothing too special. "Okay, those might work. Why do you feel you’re ineffective in this squadron though?" The Neko leaned back on her elbows, though she still looked toward Shin as she asked this.
Shin pulled a sheet of paper out, on it various scribbles and stuff. "I am about five inches too tall to pilot the Mindy. Pride Wing only uses Mindy’s. The Daisy cannot keep up, and my slowness caused the injury of a comrade. Shifuda-heisho, I must request that you requisition for me a replacement for my Daisy."
Kuriko nodded, she had thought that's what the problem would be, but this confirmed it. "Shin, when I asked earlier if you would mind a body transfer you were... strongly opposed. Why is that?" Kuriko tried to sensitively address the topic, after all it wouldn't do anyone any good if Shin got angry.
Shin looked at Kuriko, his eyes wandering down to her bust. Finding nothing there, they returned to her eyes. "Because. I shouldn't have to change my body even more than what has already been done. I was originally slated for a ground division, so I didn’t think it was necessary any way."
Kuriko saw Shin's eyes wander and had to resist every urge she had to hit him and kick him out of her room. "How much have you had to change your body already?" Kuriko wondered aloud.
Shin thought, counting on fingers how many time he's had to change his body. "Well, first there was the transfer to the Yam body. And that's just about it."
"Oh? Were you Geshrin beforehand?" Kuriko asked as she thought about what it must be like to have had a different body and get a transfer.
Shin nodded. "Yes, I was a Geshrin. Perhaps I’m lucky that I didn’t die in the plague like my parents."
Kuriko's face turned to a frown, the plague was something she wasn't particularly proud of Uesu for, but it was something out of her control. "Wouldn't you be able to contribute as much as you desire if you were to get a shorter body though?" I'm not letting you go without a fight, Shin, Kuriko thought firmly as she spoke.
Shin glared at Kuriko, eyes narrowing. "So the body my parents gave me isn’t good enough? No. No, that's wrong. I already dishonored them enough by getting this Yamataian body. I won't change it just to make others happy."
"Then remain as you are Shin." Kuriko leaned back up. "As I've said before, I see no issues with your combat performance. You've performed quite well with a Daisy as is. I see no reason to reassign a perfectly capable member of Pride Wing to a different division when he is doing well enough as is." Kuriko felt like she was kind of putting her foot down. "Shin, we are always our own greatest critics. You do better than you think, but if you want to go higher, you'll need to really think about what it's going to take." Kuriko paused, "I'm not saying it will be a body transfer, but I am saying that if you are unsatisfied with the capabilities of the Daisy then you'll either need to learn to optimize them, or find another acceptable solution." Kuriko's voice softened as she realized that she was being really hard on Shin.
Shin smiled at Kuriko. "I understand, Shifuda-Heisho."
Kuriko nodded, the Heisho wasn't quite sure how Shin really felt about what she said, and the Hei did seem to have a low self esteem. She'd need to get some advice on this later. Kuriko stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before speaking. "How do you feel about this?" Kuriko asked.
Shin shrugged. "Kuriko, you're the Heisho. I'll support your decisions, as long as you don't go mad with power."
Kuriko felt the Yamataian hug her for the third time in the day. "Well, I need to finish up some work real quick," Kuriko said. "You should probably go take care of anything you need to as well." After dismissing the Hei she watched as he left. Once the door shut, Kuriko sat back down at her desk and opened up a volumetric window containing armor loadouts. The Heisho slid options around, but her mind wasn't on the work. He replied the same way the last time we left, Kuriko thought as she slid a capacitor module into the shoulder instead of a spare weapon mount, But he still seemed to have some strong feelings. I wonder what else is buried down there. Either way, I'll need to handle this gently. Kuriko was about to change something else when she finally looked at the modifications she had made. They were simple yes, but they increased the movement capabilities of the Mindy units without sacrificing anything so far. With a hopeful sigh, Kuriko submitted the finalized version of her Pride Wing Standardized Mindy Loadout to Shizuka, before closing the window and deciding to head back to the armor bay again to manually change Sigmund's loadout.
By the time Rin arrived in the much less busy Pride Wing bay, she could find her Mindy already repaired. A new arm was already attached and the armor connecting it was as good as new. The only things that were left to be done is a clean and shine, it appeared the engineers had put that task off for later. There were various markings and light scorches that had to be polished out.
Hoshitomo-hei was quite impressed with the speed of the Senbu's technical staff in restoring the integrity of the arm servo. Was the whole ship so dedicated, or was it reserved for the Pride Wing in some way? It mattered little; the important part was that it was battle ready and just needed a little TLC. Taking the initiative, the armor pilot thus acquired a set of Durandium buffing and sanding tools from the equipment lockers and set to work on removing the last scars of the previous fight. With a set of earplugs and safety glasses on, the teal-haired soldier found the task quite cathartic. In a way, she was removing her own final mental wounds as well.
As Kuriko entered the armor bay she could see and hear Rin working on her own power armor with a very single-minded intensity. By the sight of some of the alloy dust that had settled she had been buffing the blue Mindy for quite awhile, as the scoring and marks from her first mission were almost completely gone and the Pride Wing's red and gold shoulder patch was once again gleaming.
Kuriko walked up behind Rin, but once the noise of the grinder became uncomfortable Kuriko covered her ears with her hands and stood behind the Hei watching. "It looks good," Kuriko said telepathically to Rin, watching how the Hei buffed out the armor. This was a learning experience for Kuriko as she didn't exactly know how to use a buffer like that.
Hoshitomo-hei heard the unspoken message from the wing leader from behind her, cutting the power to the tool in a moment and the sound level ebbing as the RPMs on the disc decreased. She rose up the protective tinted goggles and gave a nod of her head. "Oh... Shifuda-heisho. I didn't know you were there." She then looked back at the Mindy and gave it a firm pat. "Caring for Star Army property is vitally important to the mission... and I still do have to keep that promise."
Nicholas’ digital order for all available members of Pride Wing to report to the simulator would come to each of the pilots just after he sent it. At the rate that he and Shizuka were moving, he figured they’d get there well before the pilots, giving her time to brief him on the details of what she had planned.
"Well to put it simply, I'm going to put them through an intense combat situation,” Shizuka said as they made their way to deck 11. “Their opponents aren’t going to be rookies, so I won't be putting them against inexperienced pilots. I've also taken this time to request some pilots from the Gold Wing; they'll be on my team," she continued with a smile as her intentions became clear.
Kuriko was happy to see Rin moving around, as well as back in the bay so quickly. The Heisho opened her mouth to speak when she received the message to come to the training deck sim rooms. "Looks like we have something to do, you busy?" Kuriko asked before turning toward the lifts.
Rin shook her head and moved to quickly clean up the little mess and put all the various things she borrowed back to the storage area. "I am pretty much done here, for now. My Mindy is spaceworthy for our next sortie; any other minor maintenance I will leave to the engineering staff to comply with." Once that was done, she followed behind Kuriko. "I admit I'm curious what exercises the Shosa might have planned for us."
"You've got me; I didn't know anything about this," Kuriko said, hoping it wouldn't have much to do with combat, before stepping onto the lift to the training deck.
Hiroko was waiting at that point, reading another treatise from the archives, leaning against a wall - a habit of hers so she could observe what was happening in the world of the Senbu - when the message came. Her musings about the philosophies of her country were lost... There had been no significant philosophical works produced in Yamatai since... since before her time. Since before the time they were in this part of the galaxy. Philosophy had died, left to the scribbles of a few isolated people that had ideas. But nothing of substance. But... message. She stood up, heading towards the sims down on the training deck.
Sakaki had just finished her tea when she got the call and headed out to the lifts after cleaning up her food. Remembering the battle with Masako before, she wondered what kind of exercise this could be.
Meanwhile, after briefly getting confused, Hiroko ended up calling the lift for the training deck, calling the same one that even now Kuriko was riding.
"Ne, Hoshitomo-hei. What do you think of Nekki-hei?" Kuriko asked Rin while the lift descended. Kuriko hadn't finished her question for more than a few seconds before the door to the lift opened up revealing none other than Hiroko. "Ah, Ishida-hei. Heading down to the training deck?" Kuriko asked casually.
Hiroko nodded, walking towards the back of the elevator. "I am."
Rin responded mentally to Kuriko's query, even as she gave a bow of her head to Ishida-hei. "Nekki-hei appears to be having issues with his... discipline. He is dead set on leaving this wing, when the only thing that must truly change is himself. A real soldier does not give up, they evolve to meet challenges." Then there was a pause, before she received another tidbit, sent with a bit annoyance. "He also needs to keep his hands and lips to himself." The way it was presented implied he had tried something on the Yamataian woman, too.
Kuriko listened to what Rin had said about Shin, and for the most part agreed, up until her final sentence. "Did he...try anything?" Kuriko asked mentally as she turned to Hiroko. "How's your day off been treating you Ishida-hei?" Kuriko asked aloud, hoping to elicit conversation. Before anything else could happen, the lift stopped and the door swooshed open up to the training deck allowing the small group to exit.
Sakaki soon arrived behind the rest of the group; she was her serious, emotionless looking person as normal.
Rin frowned visibly and tried to hide the cause of the displeasure as being brought on by some process dust on her jumpsuit she had missed. Brushing it off, there was a curt digital reply. "I believe he takes the term 'kiss and make up' after a fight too literally."
Hiroko strode out of the lift, briefly replying, "Ah, fine, fine. Doing a bit of reading... thinking about things... I must lead a boring life to you..." Did she? It was... it was hard to express.
Kuriko took this new revelation about Shin in stride. "Sumimasen," Kuriko sent to Rin as she stepped off of the lift. "Not at all. I myself like to read, and thinking used to be my job," Kuriko said happily as she led the group toward the simulators.
Preferring to focus on other matters for now, Hoshitomo-hei nodded to Hiroko. "There has certainly been a lot to think about, Ishida-hei, especially when the new intelligence is released on what we face."
Hiroko glanced over at Rin and tilted her head. "Variables…?"A pause. She shouldn't be so brief with people! "Erm. That is to say. It's all variables for strategy. Not much meaning, not much thought - Yet."
The teal-haired soldier also noticed Sakaki had appeared behind them, as the task force forming for this simulation exercise grew in size yet again to a team of four. "Ah, Ushimo-hei... good to see you could make it." Turning her attention back to Hiroko, the young woman nodded. "War is always about managing variables. Risk versus reward... however, I remain concerned about the firepower of our opponents and the fact we are still flying blind as to their motives and objectives. No pirate I've ever heard of had a Chiharu on their side."
Hiroko shook her head dismissively. "No, it's not about motives. Capability, propensity, idiosyncrasy. That's what a real tactical decision about behavior boils down to. Motives are just what someone tells you about what they think they know about themselves. And objectives are just what they tell themselves about their innermost greeds."
Shizuka and Nicholas now arrived in the training area, which a moment before they arrived was under orders to clear out. So the place was theirs for the exercise. With her arms outstretched in front of her, the Neko captain got herself ready. "So Nick, you gonna join today?" she asked, wondering if he’d be apart of the operation.
Nicholas raised an eyebrow at Shizuka’s question. “How do you mean, Shizuka?” he asked, hoping that she didn’t mean him taking part in the squad-level component part of the exercise. “I will participate as you direct me to, Shosa. If you feel that any of my abilities aren’t sufficient, I will train.” The last time he had been in an armor, simulated or otherwise, had been on Bowhordia, where he’d not been much use at all. In fact, he hadn’t even kept the suit on in that situation. If she did expect the Geshrin to join the simulation, he was prepared for embarrassment.
"Perfect, you must need an armor familiarization course anyway. Let's have you suited up with them, you'll ride as a member of the Pride Wing and tell me firsthand what you think, it'll help me get a better perspective on their squad," Shizuka said, sweetly ignorant to his lack of abilities. At this time the members of the Gold Wing she had called were arriving. There were three of them, two Yamataian males and a Neko. "Ah thank you for coming; Hideki-heisho, Aiko-hei and Kaito-hei," Shizuka said with a head bow towards the three pilots, to which they returned the bow.
Sakaki returned with a nod, then noticed Hiroko and moved closer to be a part of the conversation without actually being considered a part of it. She hadn't had much time to converse with the Yamataian since the last operation, as she respected Hiroko's tactical senses. Forming strategies and tactics was something she herself wasn't too good at other than a duel, and was something she felt needed to improve on in the future.
Rin wasn't expecting quite this level of a response from the fellow pilot to her offhand comments about the situation, and it left her momentarily silent as she attempted to process the meaning behind the statement. She could see the truth in the explanation, but the woman's approach was entirely different and a bit annoyingly cryptic to the straight shooting soldier's demeanor. "...You sound more like a criminal psychologist than a power armor pilot," remarked Rin dryly, not intending any insult.
Hiroko smirked slightly. Give an odd response, get an odd answer. But... "And who's to say that such a trait doesn't help?"
Rin merely spoke the truth back this time. "In this situation it is most helpful." She paused for a moment and then gave a thin smile. "Still, you are an excellent shot. I can see much planning goes into your attacks."
The smirk actually widened. In some sense, Hiroko got a little bit of amusement out of these little encounters. Especially when they're unaware... "You'd think that it goes into them, wouldn't you? Variables get accounted for when they appear, and a plan exists only in the sense that the best course of action must be acted upon instantly."
"Your variables has just arrived Ishida-hei," announced Sakaki softly as she saw the Gold Wing members arrive. She hadn't an idea what their skill was just yet, as she didn't remember seeing them in the last conflict.
Kuriko listened to the group discussion with a mild interest. The Heisho had many thoughts and opinions on the topic, but decided not to voice them so that she could understand her peers better through their own opinions. Kuriko noticed the Gold Wing members entering the same simulation room that Pride Wing was to enter when Sakaki pointed it out. Hmm, this will be interesting, Kuriko thought before stepping through the door.
Hiroko tilted her head slightly, moving forward. "Another wing, huh? Inevitably more seasoned. Different group dynamic." So this was the Shosa's plan. Training. Severe training, against their own. After all, the best way to learn what's hot is to be thrown into the fire…
“Ah… as you wish Shosa,” Nicholas said as the pilots from Gold and Pride Wings entered. “I will warn you, though, I am probably one of the least qualified armored combat operators on your ship,” he told her as he stepped closer to the Neko commander, leaning in as he got close. “I hope that this combat will invigorate you as much as the last one did, Shizuka,” he whispered, keeping what he had to say private, a small amount of annoyance escaping with his voice, “because I’m sure that for all of the excitement you will get from this exercise, I will have equal parts frustration over my embarrassment.” After he’d finished, he took his place beside the Shosa, allowing her to address the assembled combatants.
The Shosa's small smile grew into a full fledged smirk at Nick’s words. Then she stepped forward to address the personnel gathered. "Alright everyone, we'll be conducting a simulated armor combat exercise. It'll be simple; the Pride Wing will be facing off against these members of the Gold Wing. The staging area will be the debris field we deployed into during our first mission, twenty minutes from Narita’s surface." Shizuka then turned to Kuriko, and glanced back at Nicholas. "If you don’t mind Heisho, the Taii will be joining your wing. He’ll be under your command for the exercise."
Rin, of course, rendered the proper bow to the Shosa and the Taii, as well as respectful nods to the Gold Wing members they would face off against, though even she was barely able to conceal her surprise at the fact that Nicholas would be joining them in a combat exercise. This would no doubt throw the team's chain of command into chaos and make the older tough fight even more difficult... was he even rated well for using a Daisy on the field? The Nitô Hei cast the XO a worried glance, but soon sighed and accepted this fact. Time to adapt yet again.
Kuriko was slightly caught off guard by this turn of events. "H-hai Endo-Shosa," Kuriko replied as her mind tried to grasp this new situation. Saiga-taii is under my command... but outranks me. It wouldn't have been as hard to grasp if it weren't for the fact that Nicholas was the Ship's XO. "Are we pre-deployed Shosa or will we be launched from ship?" Kuriko asked as she thought of the newer loadout and possibly using it.
"Pre-deployed, and I'll be riding with the Gold Wing," Shizuka said, that smirk of hers hadn’t left quite yet. Then at this point she bowed her head and started to walk over to the other side of the training bay.
Hiroko crossed her arms. All of these disruptions and challenges and games, she mused. It’s all part of the trick. The whole idea is to make us bewildered, surprised by all of the things flying around us... No. Our test is to act regardless of circumstances. She did bow though - and got ready.
After bowing low to the opposing team of this simulation, Sakaki commented, "She is a lion, and seems she is already crouching in cover waiting for her prey," saying this she was slightly blushing and keeping her thoughts steadily focused on what they are about to do. She glanced up at the tall Geshrin and wondered what skill he could, then asked, "Perhaps it is a good day to brush up your sword training?" then headed to her training pod.
The members of the Gold Wing assembled there also returned any bows, and then followed in behind the Shosa. They were heading into another portion of the bay, to keep the two groups separated. Which gave the Pride Wing time to talk and strategize as well as strip; the simulator's pods operated the same way the armor does which meant the pilots needed to be naked first.
Kuriko mulled over this new development. "Does anyone have a loadout preference?" Kuriko asked the small group, aware that the Daisy's loadout wasn't very mutable.
Nicholas looked somewhat angry after Shizuka made him subordinate to Kuriko. That quickly faded to a barely-visible sense of worry on the Taii’s face. It wasn’t that he didn’t respect Kuriko or had a problem serving under her, but Shizuka’s order had made his survivability, even if it was just in the simulation, far less. He approached Kuriko and her unit as she asked about preferences. “I’ll take the standard spacy loadout for the Daisy,” he said as he bowed, wasting no time on discussing his situation. “Either the Accelerated Plasma Rifle or LASR will be fine. I will use whichever is more needed, Heisho.”
Hiroko stepped closer to Kuriko, and commented about her own preferences. "Bobcat configuration with an AB Saber-Rifle for a sidearm. I'd prefer the defensive output for a sniping role."
Sakaki removed her sword then began removing her clothing. "Close combat," she stated. The wannabe samurai was considering the beam sword from the last mission, and maybe a katana if she could be able to add in that as well. She only had a little experience of the Mindy's abilities from battling Masako the last time she was in one of these rooms.
Rin thought a moment and then stated, "I will use the Shrike configuration. With the parameters defined as they are, we require a dedicated anti-armor platform in this simulation to focus fire and engage effectively." Her blue eyes then glanced at the first officer alongside them. "With all due respect, Saiga-taii... you will be a very high priority target, so consider your defensive setups carefully."
“That is incorrect, Hoshitomo-hei. Shifuda-heisho is the highest priority target on our team,” he said, gesturing to Kuriko. “She is our leader in the field. During this exercise, I am simply a member of this wing,” he commanded, regretting every one of his words. As much as he’d have liked the protection of every soldier in the wing, it was not his place at the time and he couldn’t bring himself to advocate otherwise. He was a coward, but he knew his duty.
"I have an idea. Ushimo-hei, you want to handle close range combat? Could you equip the aether pulse turrets on your shoulders, a teleporter pack on your dorsal and a capacitor on your leg slots?" Kuriko asked Sakaki. "Saiga-taii, on your weapons racks, carry an extra Aether Beam Rifle. Both you and Ishida-hei will be sniping. Ishida-hei, because you have the teleporter, you're Saiga-taii's escape route if things get hot." Kuriko then breathed. "Hoshitomo-hei, if you think you can handle a lower ammunition count, could you swap the ammunition backpack for a Barrier Shield Module? You and I will be working at medium range assisting Ushimo-hei; I'll be your escape route. We'll be picking her targets and engaging them first." Kuriko felt exhausted when she finished speaking and wasn't quite sure the plan was a good one, but it seemed okay. Hopefully her teammates would let her know if there were flaws in her logic.
PAUSE
The members of the Senbu had finished lunch and were now off in various parts of the ship. As for the ship's commanding officer and her XO, well... they eventually did finish their late lunch and were back to the office, sitting across from one another with after dinner beverages, cafe mocha for the captain, discussing the future mission ahead and what they should do to prepare. "I think we need to have to get the Pride Wing a little better bonded, I mean they are finally all together and have free time," Shizuka suggested while glancing out the large bay window in her office, both hands wrapped around her mug to enjoy the warmth.
“They seem to be working well in the field thus far,” Nicholas replied, sipping at his own drink that he’d poured from a silver flask that he’d retrieved from his quarters on the way back to Shizuka’s suite. He hadn’t used the contents of the flask in what seemed like years – not since his time on the Goban – but they were still as intoxicating as they’d ever been. “Having them get to know each other better outside of a combat situation may be a good idea, though. I’m sure you heard a few of the comments about Pride that were said in the mess hall.”
Shizuka put her head on the desk and laid there for a moment nodding once. "I know they'll improve, I have confidence in them... they're – just putting some strain on my nerves. But there have been good outcomes, and Kuriko is doing wonderfully I must say." Shizuka raised her head with her chin on the desk; she smiled with a sort of tried-and-tested-hope-still-there look.
“Well, if you have confidence in them, then I do as well,” Nicholas said in a very dry tone. She’d been correct in all of her assumptions of confidence thus far, so he wouldn’t question it, at least not yet. Still, as the Shosa’s personal project, he hoped that they’d shape up quickly. He didn’t want to think how their actions would reflect on her reputation if they continued. “What did you have in mind for this bonding exercise, Shizuka?”
"I might have something in mind, but maybe we should wait until later. For now let's just get the ones who have free time together and run them through a combat exercise," Shizuka suggested, sighing deeply at her inability to really have anything to make them do at the moment. Really, she was just glad to have the free time. She began thinking of an exercise they’d be able to put the Pride Wing through as she stood up. "But first, I think I'm going to change..." Shizuka then turned heel and headed up to her room portion of the large Captain’s quarters. Floating up the clear zero-G chamber however did leave a wonderful angle to admire the uniform from, as the captain left to change out of the skirted outfit.
The Geshrin Taii couldn’t help but stare as Shizuka ascended to her quarters. It was probably a good thing that she didn’t always wear that uniform, he figured. Not one to dwell on anything for long, not even what he’d just seen, Nicholas went about going over some of the still unread after action reports available for review on his data pad as he waited for Shizuka to prepare herself to do whatever she had in mind to put Pride Wing through. The downtime had been a relief but he was glad to be back doing military business and exercises, and didn’t mind how short the period of rest and relaxation ended up being.
Shizuka then came down dressed in her normal male uniform, crisp and clean. "Well let's get going, I have an idea in mind, it might make for some interesting combat experience," Shizuka said to Nicholas as she walked past with her data pad in hand. "Put out a notice, for all the Pride Wing members with free time on their hands to meet us up at the simulators. I’m gonna teach them some combat, first hand." Shizuka said the last bit with a big devious grin pulling at the corners of her mouth.
“Right away, Shosa,” Nicholas said in reply. Immediately, as he followed Shizuka out of her suite and off to deck 11, he entered the order to meet up in the simulators and sent it out to all members of Pride Wing.
In the mess hall Rin finished up her meal without further incident and decided it would be best to head down to the power armor bays following it. Considering the amount of damage she sustained against the Red Mindy, there was a bit of guilt that followed at the workload being added to the already taxed maintainers after the large-scale conflict. If the Nitô Hei could not keep her promise to Shifuda-heisho, she would at least try to make up for it by aiding in the restoration process. Rin was perfectly qualified as a technical sentry, after all, so she should start acting more like one now that she had returned to duty.
Having exchanged her skirted uniform for a regulation jumpsuit more suited to getting one's hands dirty, Rin grabbed the lift from the enlisted quarters on down to the lower decks and armory, intent on seeing the current condition of her Mindy for herself, rather than simply asking MEGAMI for a status report.
Masako would finish her lunch up and headed for a training dojo, taking the Senbu's guidance down to it again. She'd pause in her own quarters to change into something more appropriate for exercise. The buxom blonde would exit her quarters in a tight fitting halter top and spats as she headed for the dojo, her blonde hair pulled up into a high ponytail that swished around as she walked past a few crewmembers.
Once she arrived at her destination, Masako would look around for a clear place to get in some basic exercise. But she'd end up claiming a pull-up bar and hopped up to grab onto it to begin pulling herself up then slowly lowering her full figured body up and down.
Kuriko walked back to her office quickly, kind of weirded out by Shin's attention to her. As she walked, the Neko finally rationalized his behavior away as being normal. Hmm... perhaps we should talk about how he feels useless some more, maybe there are a few alternatives. Kuriko thought before she talked to Shin telepathically. "Shin, I'd like to have a talk with you. Could you... come to my quarters?" Kuriko's voice was calm when she 'spoke' to Shin.
Shin looked up from his desk, sighing. He rubbed his temples, putting on his glasses and dropping the pencil down. He had been writing something, though it wasn’t clear what. "Hai, Shifuda-heisho," he responded telepathically, then left his quarters, heading to the Heisho's.
Shin stepped out of the lift, heading to Kuriko's quarters. "Shifuda-Heisho, I'm here," he said telepathically. The Yamataian male stood at attention outside her door, waiting for her to let him inside her room. Some Nekos were probably watching him, and wondering why the pervert was here.
Kuriko's ears twitched a little as the door made a 'shoosh' noise when it slid open. "Good, come on in," Kuriko offered as she stood up out of her chair and moved to speak to the Yamataian. "I thought maybe we could talk about your combat performance a little more," Kuriko said gently.
Shin smiled, bowing to Kuriko before entering her room. "You mean about how I’m all but useless?" He still smiled at the Neko, even with his apparent pessimism.
Kuriko motioned for Shin to sit on the chair as she plopped down on her bed across from the chair. "Well, we did order some more parts for the Daisy. That should help. Also, I doubt we would have gotten that shuttle if you hadn't disabled its shields. What makes you think you're ineffective?" Kuriko wasn't quite sure why the Yamataian so firmly held this belief. He had only really had a single combat mission, but he did do rather well considering.
Shin sat down in the chair, leaning back. "Kuriko, the Daisy was made for ground combat, not space combat. The only reason I was successful at all was because the only combat we saw involved me avoiding it. Even then, I barely did anything to that shuttle; Ishida-hei did the work."
Kuriko sighed, she had seen the videos. Shin was solely responsible for leaving the shuttle open to attack, without that it could have escaped. "Very well, what do you think would make you more effective?" Kuriko decided to try and gauge the Yamataians view of effectiveness instead.
Shin shrugged. "You could get me reassigned to a ground division. Or we could attempt to get me a fighter for me to pilot. That might work." The Yamataian yawned, looking around the Neko's quarters.
Kuriko's quarters were dimly lit, a light on the desk lit up the left wall that it sat against, a bookcase with a few volumes sat to the side of the desk. Kuriko sat on her bed with her feet hanging off of it. Behind her there were a couple of feet of empty space, then the opposite wall. All in all it was a small room, nothing too special. "Okay, those might work. Why do you feel you’re ineffective in this squadron though?" The Neko leaned back on her elbows, though she still looked toward Shin as she asked this.
Shin pulled a sheet of paper out, on it various scribbles and stuff. "I am about five inches too tall to pilot the Mindy. Pride Wing only uses Mindy’s. The Daisy cannot keep up, and my slowness caused the injury of a comrade. Shifuda-heisho, I must request that you requisition for me a replacement for my Daisy."
Kuriko nodded, she had thought that's what the problem would be, but this confirmed it. "Shin, when I asked earlier if you would mind a body transfer you were... strongly opposed. Why is that?" Kuriko tried to sensitively address the topic, after all it wouldn't do anyone any good if Shin got angry.
Shin looked at Kuriko, his eyes wandering down to her bust. Finding nothing there, they returned to her eyes. "Because. I shouldn't have to change my body even more than what has already been done. I was originally slated for a ground division, so I didn’t think it was necessary any way."
Kuriko saw Shin's eyes wander and had to resist every urge she had to hit him and kick him out of her room. "How much have you had to change your body already?" Kuriko wondered aloud.
Shin thought, counting on fingers how many time he's had to change his body. "Well, first there was the transfer to the Yam body. And that's just about it."
"Oh? Were you Geshrin beforehand?" Kuriko asked as she thought about what it must be like to have had a different body and get a transfer.
Shin nodded. "Yes, I was a Geshrin. Perhaps I’m lucky that I didn’t die in the plague like my parents."
Kuriko's face turned to a frown, the plague was something she wasn't particularly proud of Uesu for, but it was something out of her control. "Wouldn't you be able to contribute as much as you desire if you were to get a shorter body though?" I'm not letting you go without a fight, Shin, Kuriko thought firmly as she spoke.
Shin glared at Kuriko, eyes narrowing. "So the body my parents gave me isn’t good enough? No. No, that's wrong. I already dishonored them enough by getting this Yamataian body. I won't change it just to make others happy."
"Then remain as you are Shin." Kuriko leaned back up. "As I've said before, I see no issues with your combat performance. You've performed quite well with a Daisy as is. I see no reason to reassign a perfectly capable member of Pride Wing to a different division when he is doing well enough as is." Kuriko felt like she was kind of putting her foot down. "Shin, we are always our own greatest critics. You do better than you think, but if you want to go higher, you'll need to really think about what it's going to take." Kuriko paused, "I'm not saying it will be a body transfer, but I am saying that if you are unsatisfied with the capabilities of the Daisy then you'll either need to learn to optimize them, or find another acceptable solution." Kuriko's voice softened as she realized that she was being really hard on Shin.
Shin smiled at Kuriko. "I understand, Shifuda-Heisho."
Kuriko nodded, the Heisho wasn't quite sure how Shin really felt about what she said, and the Hei did seem to have a low self esteem. She'd need to get some advice on this later. Kuriko stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before speaking. "How do you feel about this?" Kuriko asked.
Shin shrugged. "Kuriko, you're the Heisho. I'll support your decisions, as long as you don't go mad with power."
Kuriko felt the Yamataian hug her for the third time in the day. "Well, I need to finish up some work real quick," Kuriko said. "You should probably go take care of anything you need to as well." After dismissing the Hei she watched as he left. Once the door shut, Kuriko sat back down at her desk and opened up a volumetric window containing armor loadouts. The Heisho slid options around, but her mind wasn't on the work. He replied the same way the last time we left, Kuriko thought as she slid a capacitor module into the shoulder instead of a spare weapon mount, But he still seemed to have some strong feelings. I wonder what else is buried down there. Either way, I'll need to handle this gently. Kuriko was about to change something else when she finally looked at the modifications she had made. They were simple yes, but they increased the movement capabilities of the Mindy units without sacrificing anything so far. With a hopeful sigh, Kuriko submitted the finalized version of her Pride Wing Standardized Mindy Loadout to Shizuka, before closing the window and deciding to head back to the armor bay again to manually change Sigmund's loadout.
By the time Rin arrived in the much less busy Pride Wing bay, she could find her Mindy already repaired. A new arm was already attached and the armor connecting it was as good as new. The only things that were left to be done is a clean and shine, it appeared the engineers had put that task off for later. There were various markings and light scorches that had to be polished out.
Hoshitomo-hei was quite impressed with the speed of the Senbu's technical staff in restoring the integrity of the arm servo. Was the whole ship so dedicated, or was it reserved for the Pride Wing in some way? It mattered little; the important part was that it was battle ready and just needed a little TLC. Taking the initiative, the armor pilot thus acquired a set of Durandium buffing and sanding tools from the equipment lockers and set to work on removing the last scars of the previous fight. With a set of earplugs and safety glasses on, the teal-haired soldier found the task quite cathartic. In a way, she was removing her own final mental wounds as well.
As Kuriko entered the armor bay she could see and hear Rin working on her own power armor with a very single-minded intensity. By the sight of some of the alloy dust that had settled she had been buffing the blue Mindy for quite awhile, as the scoring and marks from her first mission were almost completely gone and the Pride Wing's red and gold shoulder patch was once again gleaming.
Kuriko walked up behind Rin, but once the noise of the grinder became uncomfortable Kuriko covered her ears with her hands and stood behind the Hei watching. "It looks good," Kuriko said telepathically to Rin, watching how the Hei buffed out the armor. This was a learning experience for Kuriko as she didn't exactly know how to use a buffer like that.
Hoshitomo-hei heard the unspoken message from the wing leader from behind her, cutting the power to the tool in a moment and the sound level ebbing as the RPMs on the disc decreased. She rose up the protective tinted goggles and gave a nod of her head. "Oh... Shifuda-heisho. I didn't know you were there." She then looked back at the Mindy and gave it a firm pat. "Caring for Star Army property is vitally important to the mission... and I still do have to keep that promise."
Nicholas’ digital order for all available members of Pride Wing to report to the simulator would come to each of the pilots just after he sent it. At the rate that he and Shizuka were moving, he figured they’d get there well before the pilots, giving her time to brief him on the details of what she had planned.
"Well to put it simply, I'm going to put them through an intense combat situation,” Shizuka said as they made their way to deck 11. “Their opponents aren’t going to be rookies, so I won't be putting them against inexperienced pilots. I've also taken this time to request some pilots from the Gold Wing; they'll be on my team," she continued with a smile as her intentions became clear.
Kuriko was happy to see Rin moving around, as well as back in the bay so quickly. The Heisho opened her mouth to speak when she received the message to come to the training deck sim rooms. "Looks like we have something to do, you busy?" Kuriko asked before turning toward the lifts.
Rin shook her head and moved to quickly clean up the little mess and put all the various things she borrowed back to the storage area. "I am pretty much done here, for now. My Mindy is spaceworthy for our next sortie; any other minor maintenance I will leave to the engineering staff to comply with." Once that was done, she followed behind Kuriko. "I admit I'm curious what exercises the Shosa might have planned for us."
"You've got me; I didn't know anything about this," Kuriko said, hoping it wouldn't have much to do with combat, before stepping onto the lift to the training deck.
Hiroko was waiting at that point, reading another treatise from the archives, leaning against a wall - a habit of hers so she could observe what was happening in the world of the Senbu - when the message came. Her musings about the philosophies of her country were lost... There had been no significant philosophical works produced in Yamatai since... since before her time. Since before the time they were in this part of the galaxy. Philosophy had died, left to the scribbles of a few isolated people that had ideas. But nothing of substance. But... message. She stood up, heading towards the sims down on the training deck.
Sakaki had just finished her tea when she got the call and headed out to the lifts after cleaning up her food. Remembering the battle with Masako before, she wondered what kind of exercise this could be.
Meanwhile, after briefly getting confused, Hiroko ended up calling the lift for the training deck, calling the same one that even now Kuriko was riding.
"Ne, Hoshitomo-hei. What do you think of Nekki-hei?" Kuriko asked Rin while the lift descended. Kuriko hadn't finished her question for more than a few seconds before the door to the lift opened up revealing none other than Hiroko. "Ah, Ishida-hei. Heading down to the training deck?" Kuriko asked casually.
Hiroko nodded, walking towards the back of the elevator. "I am."
Rin responded mentally to Kuriko's query, even as she gave a bow of her head to Ishida-hei. "Nekki-hei appears to be having issues with his... discipline. He is dead set on leaving this wing, when the only thing that must truly change is himself. A real soldier does not give up, they evolve to meet challenges." Then there was a pause, before she received another tidbit, sent with a bit annoyance. "He also needs to keep his hands and lips to himself." The way it was presented implied he had tried something on the Yamataian woman, too.
Kuriko listened to what Rin had said about Shin, and for the most part agreed, up until her final sentence. "Did he...try anything?" Kuriko asked mentally as she turned to Hiroko. "How's your day off been treating you Ishida-hei?" Kuriko asked aloud, hoping to elicit conversation. Before anything else could happen, the lift stopped and the door swooshed open up to the training deck allowing the small group to exit.
Sakaki soon arrived behind the rest of the group; she was her serious, emotionless looking person as normal.
Rin frowned visibly and tried to hide the cause of the displeasure as being brought on by some process dust on her jumpsuit she had missed. Brushing it off, there was a curt digital reply. "I believe he takes the term 'kiss and make up' after a fight too literally."
Hiroko strode out of the lift, briefly replying, "Ah, fine, fine. Doing a bit of reading... thinking about things... I must lead a boring life to you..." Did she? It was... it was hard to express.
Kuriko took this new revelation about Shin in stride. "Sumimasen," Kuriko sent to Rin as she stepped off of the lift. "Not at all. I myself like to read, and thinking used to be my job," Kuriko said happily as she led the group toward the simulators.
Preferring to focus on other matters for now, Hoshitomo-hei nodded to Hiroko. "There has certainly been a lot to think about, Ishida-hei, especially when the new intelligence is released on what we face."
Hiroko glanced over at Rin and tilted her head. "Variables…?"A pause. She shouldn't be so brief with people! "Erm. That is to say. It's all variables for strategy. Not much meaning, not much thought - Yet."
The teal-haired soldier also noticed Sakaki had appeared behind them, as the task force forming for this simulation exercise grew in size yet again to a team of four. "Ah, Ushimo-hei... good to see you could make it." Turning her attention back to Hiroko, the young woman nodded. "War is always about managing variables. Risk versus reward... however, I remain concerned about the firepower of our opponents and the fact we are still flying blind as to their motives and objectives. No pirate I've ever heard of had a Chiharu on their side."
Hiroko shook her head dismissively. "No, it's not about motives. Capability, propensity, idiosyncrasy. That's what a real tactical decision about behavior boils down to. Motives are just what someone tells you about what they think they know about themselves. And objectives are just what they tell themselves about their innermost greeds."
Shizuka and Nicholas now arrived in the training area, which a moment before they arrived was under orders to clear out. So the place was theirs for the exercise. With her arms outstretched in front of her, the Neko captain got herself ready. "So Nick, you gonna join today?" she asked, wondering if he’d be apart of the operation.
Nicholas raised an eyebrow at Shizuka’s question. “How do you mean, Shizuka?” he asked, hoping that she didn’t mean him taking part in the squad-level component part of the exercise. “I will participate as you direct me to, Shosa. If you feel that any of my abilities aren’t sufficient, I will train.” The last time he had been in an armor, simulated or otherwise, had been on Bowhordia, where he’d not been much use at all. In fact, he hadn’t even kept the suit on in that situation. If she did expect the Geshrin to join the simulation, he was prepared for embarrassment.
"Perfect, you must need an armor familiarization course anyway. Let's have you suited up with them, you'll ride as a member of the Pride Wing and tell me firsthand what you think, it'll help me get a better perspective on their squad," Shizuka said, sweetly ignorant to his lack of abilities. At this time the members of the Gold Wing she had called were arriving. There were three of them, two Yamataian males and a Neko. "Ah thank you for coming; Hideki-heisho, Aiko-hei and Kaito-hei," Shizuka said with a head bow towards the three pilots, to which they returned the bow.
Sakaki returned with a nod, then noticed Hiroko and moved closer to be a part of the conversation without actually being considered a part of it. She hadn't had much time to converse with the Yamataian since the last operation, as she respected Hiroko's tactical senses. Forming strategies and tactics was something she herself wasn't too good at other than a duel, and was something she felt needed to improve on in the future.
Rin wasn't expecting quite this level of a response from the fellow pilot to her offhand comments about the situation, and it left her momentarily silent as she attempted to process the meaning behind the statement. She could see the truth in the explanation, but the woman's approach was entirely different and a bit annoyingly cryptic to the straight shooting soldier's demeanor. "...You sound more like a criminal psychologist than a power armor pilot," remarked Rin dryly, not intending any insult.
Hiroko smirked slightly. Give an odd response, get an odd answer. But... "And who's to say that such a trait doesn't help?"
Rin merely spoke the truth back this time. "In this situation it is most helpful." She paused for a moment and then gave a thin smile. "Still, you are an excellent shot. I can see much planning goes into your attacks."
The smirk actually widened. In some sense, Hiroko got a little bit of amusement out of these little encounters. Especially when they're unaware... "You'd think that it goes into them, wouldn't you? Variables get accounted for when they appear, and a plan exists only in the sense that the best course of action must be acted upon instantly."
"Your variables has just arrived Ishida-hei," announced Sakaki softly as she saw the Gold Wing members arrive. She hadn't an idea what their skill was just yet, as she didn't remember seeing them in the last conflict.
Kuriko listened to the group discussion with a mild interest. The Heisho had many thoughts and opinions on the topic, but decided not to voice them so that she could understand her peers better through their own opinions. Kuriko noticed the Gold Wing members entering the same simulation room that Pride Wing was to enter when Sakaki pointed it out. Hmm, this will be interesting, Kuriko thought before stepping through the door.
Hiroko tilted her head slightly, moving forward. "Another wing, huh? Inevitably more seasoned. Different group dynamic." So this was the Shosa's plan. Training. Severe training, against their own. After all, the best way to learn what's hot is to be thrown into the fire…
“Ah… as you wish Shosa,” Nicholas said as the pilots from Gold and Pride Wings entered. “I will warn you, though, I am probably one of the least qualified armored combat operators on your ship,” he told her as he stepped closer to the Neko commander, leaning in as he got close. “I hope that this combat will invigorate you as much as the last one did, Shizuka,” he whispered, keeping what he had to say private, a small amount of annoyance escaping with his voice, “because I’m sure that for all of the excitement you will get from this exercise, I will have equal parts frustration over my embarrassment.” After he’d finished, he took his place beside the Shosa, allowing her to address the assembled combatants.
The Shosa's small smile grew into a full fledged smirk at Nick’s words. Then she stepped forward to address the personnel gathered. "Alright everyone, we'll be conducting a simulated armor combat exercise. It'll be simple; the Pride Wing will be facing off against these members of the Gold Wing. The staging area will be the debris field we deployed into during our first mission, twenty minutes from Narita’s surface." Shizuka then turned to Kuriko, and glanced back at Nicholas. "If you don’t mind Heisho, the Taii will be joining your wing. He’ll be under your command for the exercise."
Rin, of course, rendered the proper bow to the Shosa and the Taii, as well as respectful nods to the Gold Wing members they would face off against, though even she was barely able to conceal her surprise at the fact that Nicholas would be joining them in a combat exercise. This would no doubt throw the team's chain of command into chaos and make the older tough fight even more difficult... was he even rated well for using a Daisy on the field? The Nitô Hei cast the XO a worried glance, but soon sighed and accepted this fact. Time to adapt yet again.
Kuriko was slightly caught off guard by this turn of events. "H-hai Endo-Shosa," Kuriko replied as her mind tried to grasp this new situation. Saiga-taii is under my command... but outranks me. It wouldn't have been as hard to grasp if it weren't for the fact that Nicholas was the Ship's XO. "Are we pre-deployed Shosa or will we be launched from ship?" Kuriko asked as she thought of the newer loadout and possibly using it.
"Pre-deployed, and I'll be riding with the Gold Wing," Shizuka said, that smirk of hers hadn’t left quite yet. Then at this point she bowed her head and started to walk over to the other side of the training bay.
Hiroko crossed her arms. All of these disruptions and challenges and games, she mused. It’s all part of the trick. The whole idea is to make us bewildered, surprised by all of the things flying around us... No. Our test is to act regardless of circumstances. She did bow though - and got ready.
After bowing low to the opposing team of this simulation, Sakaki commented, "She is a lion, and seems she is already crouching in cover waiting for her prey," saying this she was slightly blushing and keeping her thoughts steadily focused on what they are about to do. She glanced up at the tall Geshrin and wondered what skill he could, then asked, "Perhaps it is a good day to brush up your sword training?" then headed to her training pod.
The members of the Gold Wing assembled there also returned any bows, and then followed in behind the Shosa. They were heading into another portion of the bay, to keep the two groups separated. Which gave the Pride Wing time to talk and strategize as well as strip; the simulator's pods operated the same way the armor does which meant the pilots needed to be naked first.
Kuriko mulled over this new development. "Does anyone have a loadout preference?" Kuriko asked the small group, aware that the Daisy's loadout wasn't very mutable.
Nicholas looked somewhat angry after Shizuka made him subordinate to Kuriko. That quickly faded to a barely-visible sense of worry on the Taii’s face. It wasn’t that he didn’t respect Kuriko or had a problem serving under her, but Shizuka’s order had made his survivability, even if it was just in the simulation, far less. He approached Kuriko and her unit as she asked about preferences. “I’ll take the standard spacy loadout for the Daisy,” he said as he bowed, wasting no time on discussing his situation. “Either the Accelerated Plasma Rifle or LASR will be fine. I will use whichever is more needed, Heisho.”
Hiroko stepped closer to Kuriko, and commented about her own preferences. "Bobcat configuration with an AB Saber-Rifle for a sidearm. I'd prefer the defensive output for a sniping role."
Sakaki removed her sword then began removing her clothing. "Close combat," she stated. The wannabe samurai was considering the beam sword from the last mission, and maybe a katana if she could be able to add in that as well. She only had a little experience of the Mindy's abilities from battling Masako the last time she was in one of these rooms.
Rin thought a moment and then stated, "I will use the Shrike configuration. With the parameters defined as they are, we require a dedicated anti-armor platform in this simulation to focus fire and engage effectively." Her blue eyes then glanced at the first officer alongside them. "With all due respect, Saiga-taii... you will be a very high priority target, so consider your defensive setups carefully."
“That is incorrect, Hoshitomo-hei. Shifuda-heisho is the highest priority target on our team,” he said, gesturing to Kuriko. “She is our leader in the field. During this exercise, I am simply a member of this wing,” he commanded, regretting every one of his words. As much as he’d have liked the protection of every soldier in the wing, it was not his place at the time and he couldn’t bring himself to advocate otherwise. He was a coward, but he knew his duty.
"I have an idea. Ushimo-hei, you want to handle close range combat? Could you equip the aether pulse turrets on your shoulders, a teleporter pack on your dorsal and a capacitor on your leg slots?" Kuriko asked Sakaki. "Saiga-taii, on your weapons racks, carry an extra Aether Beam Rifle. Both you and Ishida-hei will be sniping. Ishida-hei, because you have the teleporter, you're Saiga-taii's escape route if things get hot." Kuriko then breathed. "Hoshitomo-hei, if you think you can handle a lower ammunition count, could you swap the ammunition backpack for a Barrier Shield Module? You and I will be working at medium range assisting Ushimo-hei; I'll be your escape route. We'll be picking her targets and engaging them first." Kuriko felt exhausted when she finished speaking and wasn't quite sure the plan was a good one, but it seemed okay. Hopefully her teammates would let her know if there were flaws in her logic.
PAUSE
