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RP: YSS Goban Episode 01: Communiqué

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Sweat poured down Galar's face as he watched the power armor's progress cutting through the container; he had no clue what was going on, but he was nervous nonetheless. Suddenly, the power armor was though! The excitement on his face quickly left it as the bright light of the explosion bombarded his screen. "Holy shit! What the hell is going on here?!"
The power armor cutting the container, blown away by the blast, was getting farther and farther away. Finally, the armor righted itself and stopped. It didnt move. "Shit!!"
He pondered for a couple seconds then sped over to the armor to help.
 
"Shuttle!" Kyosuke shouted. "Collect that goddamn armor and attach to us! We need to be sure he's okay!"
 
"That's what I'm doing!!" Galar paused, "Shoi!"
The shuttle quickly reached the disabled power armor and attached itself to it. Galar then powered up his engines and started back to the ship.
He reopened the channel and asked, "What is going on around here anyways?"
 
"You'll find out soon enough," Kyosuke said miserably.

Once the shuttle, disabled armor in tow, was attached to the ventral umbilicals and its passenger onboard, Kyosuke led everyone (including the only slightly dazed Lucas) to the wardroom again.

"Well that was just great," Kyosuke said. "Galar Vanatosk-Hei, welcome to the Goban, where the fun never ends." He gestured toward the rather downtrodden crew. "Hanley-Hei, care to explain what the hell just happened?"
 
Lucas had woken up as his armor was being towed in. The universe spun for a few minutes, but after he was back inside and unsuited, he followed everyone back into the wardroom. His head hurt slightly, so he sat down at the conference table and hung his head in his hands. He kneaded his temples, trying to relieve the throbbing headache he had from the spin, when his mind went back to the custodians. He was still surprised to see androids like that.

He was still pondering over it when Kyosuke spoke. Lucas nodded to the new (-er) guy for a moment, then jerked his head back to the Commander.
"Well, Shoi, they blew up." He said nervously, "Those...things looked at me once before I could open a com to them, their energy spiked, and they popped." He sighed slightly and looked down, knowing he was about to get his ass handed to him.
 
Kyosuke regarded the young pilot for a moment. He looked a little ragged at the moment, and the pilot looked no worse. The damn androids, it seemed, had done what they were supposed to. For what it was worth, the cargo was intact. Chocolate and Vanilla were busy trying to put a temporary patch on the hole Lucas'd had to cut.

The Shoi rubbed his temples. It was much harder to lead when there was someone to blame. " ... If I remember right, Custodians tend to make a really big boom when they go up themselves. Sounds like you weren't dealing with them -- which means our commanding officer is still dicking around with us and the cargo's in the starboard DOC, like it's supposed to be.

"Sound right, Hanley-Hei?"
 
Lucas leaned back in his chair and tugged on the bridge of his nose in thought. He looked thoughtfully at the new Santô Hei, then around the room at the other crew members, before returning his gaze to the Shoi.

"Well, Shoi. It does indeed sound like we are, unfortunately, the butt end of the universe's joke." He said calmly. His ideas at this time were limited, yet something just didn't seem right with the whole situation.

"You're right, however, in that the blast from any personal protection device should have vaporized me on site. To lessen a blast like that, must have had to been intentional. Could you tell us more about what the Chusa said to you before you left?" The hint in Lucas's voice was getting dangerous. To doubt your CO is one thing...but to doubt your CO's boss is something else. Be that as it may, the attitude that Kyosuke has given Lucas thus far has been...different from protocol to say the least. He trusted that the Shoi would at least hear him out.
 
"I've said all there is to say," Kyosuke said, brushing the concern aside. "It must have been a different type of android. Doesn't matter -- the message must be in the starboard compartment. Regardless we've got to get back on track and deliver.

"The sooner we get this damn thing out of our lives, the sooner we get back to making courier runs. Man your stations so we can get out of here."
 
"Shoi," Galar asked, "orders?"
He faltered, "Also, I only know the names of two crewmembers, the pilot and yourself. I had only the information that was given to me, and it does not appear to have covered everything. I'm afraid I am quite lost."
 
Kyosuke looked to the new recruit, face strained in a slit-eyed grimace. "Basically, we've got a message to deliver, Vanatosk-Hei. Your station's going to be in engineering, unless you've got another place you'd like to be." Kyosuke didn't wait for an answer as he turned and headed for the bridge.
 
Lucas rose to his feet and bowed as the Shoi retorted. "Yes, Shoi. I apologize." he stated flatly as the Shoi issued the orders and left. Lucas sighed as he turned on his heels and left the wardroom. He headed toward engineering to fix what was left of the engine he had previously been tinkering with before.
"Hey, Vanatosk-Hei. This way to Engineering." he called back over his shoulder as he walked. "I'll need a hand."
 
Kyosuke took his seat and looked to his crew. Yatani and Ameko seemed distant, as if they weren't quite there. No matter -- if they kept it up, he'd just dump them in their rooms as he'd done with the other jerk crew member he had.

"Yatani-Hei, Kayama-Hei, go see Butterscotch in the goddamn medical room and come back when you're not so zoned. Saiga-Heicho, can we get the fuck out of here already?"
 
Having arrived on the bridge just behind Kyosuke, Nick took his seat, hastily reorienting himself. The unfortunate end to the Custodian scenario minutes before had shaken the Geshrin Heicho, but he was able to keep his composure for the most part. At least no one was dead, and their formerly secret cargo was safe. However, Nick did feel a small measure of shame; the mission may not have been a complete failure, but it seemed like a failure nonetheless.

With Kyosuke's question, the Heicho brought up a status report on one of the screens of his station. Quickly looking it over as an indicator beside each working system lit up, he frowned. "It looks like we're good to go, but just barely,â€
 
Lucas reached engineering and looked back over his shoulder. It seems the new guy didn't follow him...or was lagging behind. Lucas shrugged and went back to work on the mangled engine. His thoughts, however, drifted back to the blank faces of the custodians. He knew they were humanoid, but to see one in person (as well as that person blowing up) was kind of disturbing. Not to mention that his Shoi could have warned him about a proximity detonation. Was the Shoi that dense, or just caught up in the moment? Lucas thought. Either way, it looks as if someone is giving him the finger back at command. I wonder what he did to be stuck with this mission anyway? he pondered as he ripped a burnt component out and replaced it.
 
Kyosuke simply sat at his chair for a moment. The clock "suggested" he use the full speed of the Goban, or something close to it. As it stood, they had precious little time. He keyed his comm.

"Alright. Vanatosk-Hei, get your ass up here and take over for the Heicho here. You're a comm specialist, so show it. Heicho, you're piloting." He keyed his comm. "Hanley-Hei, let the goddamn Nekos take care of the engines; I need someone up here on guns and you're it." He keyed it off.

"We're going to angle ourselves toward the Kohana Cloud and get with it. Helm, 50,000 c."
 
Galar looked at Lucas, having just arrived seconds ago, and said, "Well, I guess thats our cue!"

They sprinted up to the bridge and sat down in their respective seats, ready for the prospect of finally approaching their destination.

As soon as he sat down in the familiar seat of a communications operator, Galar started a diagnostic on the status of the comm. The results were not good.
 
Lucas's head perked up at the sight of Galar. He was just about to comment on his lateness when the Shoi's voice sounded over the com system. As soon as he had suggested that the Nekos make repairs, though, Toffee came skidding through the door. Lucas stood and handed her his tools. "Here you go, Shoi." He said and gave her some quick problems he was facing with the repairs, before thanking her and running out the door.

--

Two minutes later, Lucas arrived on the bridge. He bowed to Kyosuke and took his seat at the gunners station. A small grin spread over his face as he looked down at the console. He remembered the processes during basic, and was a decent shooter. Lucas ran over a quick checklist, and that's when his grin dissappeared.

"Uh, Shoi...as much as I like gunning. We've got no weapons." Lucas sighed as he looked from the Shoi to the monitor. "Wait...scratch that. We slightly have CFS. But not enough to fend off...well...anything larger than a shuttle." he said as a worried look went back to his Commander.
 
"Well then, I guess Kayama-hei has forgotten how to pilot,â€
 
Toffee just blinked as she was handed the tools, then at the mention of rank. "But, I'm only a Heisho -- "
<center>* * *</center>

Kyosuke didn't answer Lucas immediately. He had to first finish the swig he was taking from his flask, which he quickly stuffed back into his jacket pocket. With that out of the way, he was free to speak.

"You've got one gun, Hanley-Hei, and that's enough for now. Work on slowly rebuilding the CFS with the energy from the main gun's capacitors. It'll help."

Kyosuke looked toward the Heicho. "You'll be fine, Heicho. Just take it easy."

Toffee, apparently being helped by Cinnamon now, reported in her smooth voice that the main and auxiliary engines would be fully repaired within 10 minutes.

They were only a couple hours away from the Kohana Cloud.
 
Lucas's frown lightened some as he nodded to the officer, "Yes Shoi." he said as buttons blipped. He diverged power from the destroyed turrets and the mangled main cannon. A few minutes passed and Lucas swiveled back around in his seat.

"CFS is at Eighty-Two percent efficiency and rising slowly." he sighed. It was only a matter of charging the generators now. "I'd still feel safer with something else." he mused. "Mind if I tape my sidearm to the hull?" Lucas grinned at the Shoi, trying to lighten the mood about the bridge.
 
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