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RP: Pisces Episode 01 - 'Under A Blind God'

"One last thing. What if I told you I knew who might be sabotaging the station?" She didn't actually know, not yet, but she had a guess, which was better than nothing. "Someone who stands to gain from having this station going incomplete, its crew dispatched to the far corners of the empire and the station itself sold for scrap?"
 
"I'd be interested, but that doesn't narrow it down a great deal....a good 60% of known space would love to see any Star Army station ship or station smeared across space right now...if you have concrete evidence though, it would look good for you. I had considered illegal cargo runners, but have no evidence whatsoever to back it up."

Yaichiro continued, looking a bit saddened...

"But if you're looking to make a deal, that's not up to me....I am merely the arresting officer, not your prosecuting superior...depending on how badly you tick her off, Kessaku Irim-Taisho-sama might just try you herself...so don't push your luck too much...now...should I ignore those countercharges or log them, and will you come to the brig willingly?"
 
"Forget the charges. I don't think they'll hold up anyway. Not when..." She sighed. "Whatever happened to accountability? How did someone like her get to be a fleet commander?" Chief held out her hands, a submissive gesture. "Lead away, warden. Though I don't know if I'm going to be alive long enough for the damned Irim to get me."
 
Yaichiro's eyes narrowed slightly as they began to walk...

"I see...I guess I'll put you on suicide watch then. Let's go Chief...hopefully your medical condition will be enough to keep you from being punished too harshly. At this rate, it looks like the Taisa might be arrasted or brought to trail too...I REALLY hope I don't have to do this again...you two deserve better."

Kokoro-Heisho nodded in solemn agreement, not liking this task one bit as they arrived at the brig. They selected a specific brig, not one against the wall or anything, without any pipes or furniture. Just a simple padded Neko nest.
 
"I didn't mean suicide. I meant...I meant I have no more medicine. I have no ST backup, and I have no method of acquiring either. My savings aren't nearly enough to finance something as costly as a Soul Transfer. I just hope that it stays in remission long enough for ...to catch the killer."
 
Yaichiro was quite shocked.

"...You DO realize that the Star Army allows its soldiers and officers to back themselves up regularly free of charge, right? I did it all the time on the Sakura, since it was a combat position."
 
"This isn't--or wasn't--a combat position. Before this I was supply officer for a sensor outpost in the middle of nowhere on the planet's surface. I am not worthy enough to get one."
 
"I understand...I'll try to contact the Taisho and expedite your transfer...if it's as mortal a condition as you say, this is dangerous...but be forewarned. Even if this can be used to remove or lessen your guilt...the best you can hope for is a medical discharge at this point, unless this can be healed.

An officer can't react in such a way in a life and death situation, regardless of the how or why, I'm afraid."

He closed the cell door behind the Chief, and began to compose a status report for Irim...

"I'll try to word this report in as objective a way possible...then at least you'll have a fair chance."
 
"I'm not above begging for my life. But I have to be really damn drunk." She smiles, then lays out on the bunk.
 
"Well...I hope things work out for you, Chief. I'll leave Kokoro-Heisho here to watch you in case your health takes a turn for the worse...one more thing...Chujo Kotoku Sui of the 5th is enroute. Worst scenario, you may share that cell with the Taisa soon. I have to make sure things run as smoothly as possible in the background while the Taisa and Shosa deal with their own issues, so I can't stay...I'll see you around, Chief..."

Yaichiro headed out of the brig, seemingly carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders...no doubt he was off to do something else of an administrative nature.
 
"If I have to share the cell with my captain...well let's just hope these walls are sturdier than they look." At least there were actual bars or somesuch forming the fourth wall of the cell. Energy fields required a power supply with relays that could be located and disabled. Old fashioned locking mechanisms were far superior. There was of course lighting, too, but nothing could be done with that. "About my clipboard? Make sure they don't try to access it. I have a custodian set to attack and disable anyone who provides an invalid password." She didn't say which one, and the command was very well hidden. They'd only figure out which one when the order was received.

If nothing else, Chief covered her bases. Not that anyone COULD access her data files; the biometric locks would ensure that. But the added measure was there to discourage would-be hackers from undoing her best work.
 
Yaichiro nodded as Kokoro-Heisho handed him the datapad in passing...

"Very well, I'll lock it away personally...thanks for...being a good sport at least...I'll specificly mention that you went through this whole thing with dignity and met the expectations set for an officer."

Before she could reply, he walked away...
 
Yaichiro picked up his communicator and read the message. he forwarded it to the Taisa and Shosa before preparing a message though his communicator for the Taisa as well.


With that, he began to make a list of items needed for Pisces...and activated ship-wide communications.

"All hands, civilians, and displaced 5th XF forces. I have been ordered to inform you all that Chujo Kotoku Sui of the 5th XF, representative of Taiie in the Senate, will be personally coming to this station. All should prepare for her arrival. That is all.
 
Chief slept through the announcement, but it was a fitful sleep, fraught with spasms, debilitating coughs, and nightmares of the PTSD sort. Seeing death was one thing, but what had happened to her was something else entirely.

Understandably, she blamed Irim for trying to let it happen again. Billions had already died at the hands of the enemy, directly or indirectly. The station was being sabotaged under their noses and that bitch had redistributed the greater portion of the command staff and Chief herself had been replaced and arrested.

Had she any presence of mind to, she would have had ordered her Custodians to do something useful instead of trying to disable the ship that had fled towards the front lines and almost certain death.

Were she in command she would implement strategy, long-range goals, snares, traps and deceit. Anything to hinder the enemy forces and destroy them utterly in eventuality.
 
Kokoro-Heisho watched over the Chief with concern and worry on her face...this woman was simply not strong enough for what was coming...

"This isn't fair....it just....isn't fair..."



Meanwhile, Yuichi should have been positively bouncing off the walls of the ready room at this point, but he wasn't...

"...So...what's gonna to happen to me? Will they take me, or leave me behind since I lived in Kyoto?"




Yaichiro, as he walked, started issuing orders in preparation for Kotoku-Chujo's arrival...the first was to all soldiers and officers of the 1st SF in Pisces--the assigned command and crew.

 
The medic on duty said that the doctor had stepped out for dinner, and possibly wouldn't be back for awhile. In the meantime she suggested that Yaichiro either drink some coffee, or ingest a pair of energy pills that she dispensed to him from a first aid kit.
 
He took the pills handed to him and thanked the doctor before leaving...he headed up toward engineering control, which had become a make-shift status center, with communicator to his lips.

"Taisa, I've initiated preparations for the Chujo's arrival and increasing resistance to further HSCS-2 attack, which can be found in your communicator logs. I will keep you informed."
 
The immediate issue resolved, the station quickly recovered from the chaos...soon, officers began doing their part, and communications were restored fully. Marina's orders were simple: "Finish it."

Within hours, support came from various sources around the Empire, and the rate of construction increased tenfold, everyone on the station preparing it for the arrival of the carrier group from the 5th, and their vitally important IES system.

Investigation began in earnest, but few clues had been found. However, with added security to vital areas, and barring all but the highest-ranking officers from sensitive areas, the chances of another attack were reduced significantly.

Yaichiro's staff quickly congratulated him on his hard work, and offered several things, from as tame as a drink to as wild as...well, I'll leave that to the imagination. The Chief's condition was quickly discovered when she was examined by the medical staff, and she was offered a Soul Transfer to an undamaged body. Everyone else did what they were supposed to do, and the refugees were slowly but surely evacuated from the station.

As for Marina...with the immediate danger over, she felt relaxed. Calm, even. She sat at her desk, reviewing status reports with a smile.

Finally, everything would be as she expected it to be.
 
The flaw made her strong, gave her resolve but it also served to hinder her. Chief saw no point in refusing the transfer. Merely asking that she be allowed to view the new body before she went zap zap new brain, and get to watch her old, broken body be destroyed. From that point on she'd try to resume her duties, and be less...vigilant when it came to the station.
 
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