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

A single Nozomi dropped to subluminal speed, and its passenger opened his eyes...Yaichiro looked down upon the new pin on his chest. it still looked a bit foreign to him...he found it hard to believe he had skipped from Joto Hei to a Santo Juni in one leap.

He remembered what the Taisa of Gemini told him before he left...that his knowledge of Sakura, Nozomi, and Scorpio designs made him important in a non-combat technical setting...that he was lucky not to have to stay on the front lines, and that leaving the Sakura on good terms was actually a sort of status within the YSA...

She continued to say that he was being requested in several places, including his old vessel, and that loaning him out to other areas opened his options substantially for the future...the next thing he knew, the had come to the Asuka in person, told him to put down his wrench and take up the new rank pin. He was shipped out within the hour, once again in a hushed and rushed fashion...he hadn't formed any real non-professional ties, just in case that happened again, so he didn't particularly miss Gemini...only the Sakura and, perhaps by extension, the Asuka.

His thoughts drifted as the Nozomi began preparations for docking...the Asuka was one of the few major things he had from the Sakura...sure, Dr. Gunn had given him money for his posessions, but the Asuka...it was their prize, and he held it with the same care as his Joto-Hei rank pin, which he'd kept polished...those two things were the most important momentos he had...the Asuka had become all but his by now...the old crew had been sent to the 3rd XF or absorbed into Gemini, not missing their cursed vessel, and many technicians thought Yaichiro was crazy to try and repair the ship which almost cost him his life...but he felt a kindredness with it, seeing potential no one else seemed to see it it...but now, he lacked the Asuka even...all he had were his rank pins and individual medals...little consulation for the friends he had left behind. At least the Asuka would be manned with a new crew and sent back out...

His line of thought was broken when the airlock opened...they were docked. He then stood at the edge of the transport's airlock, looking out into Pisces...he was timid, and hesitant to try again, lest he be hurt again when he had to leave...but such was life.

"...Well...here I go again...Third Life's the charm, perhaps..." He stepped onto Pisces, and sought out his Commanding Officer or his Executive Officer, to inform them of his arrival...

The first thing that Chief Nozomi did after "borrowing" an unclaimed stateroom and painting the door with her name and status (Tetsuko Nozomi, Executive Officer) and a minor bit of graffiti of a sailboat on the waves above her name, was to set up her personal terminal. From there she opened up two lines, one a text-only to her most trusted source of goods, the other to the docking bay supervisors if any were on duty. She'd have all of the new officers see her first before they saw the captain.

While waiting for them to arrive she took a moment to slip into something more comfortable, a black t-shirt and her favorite blue coveralls, blue like the waters of Albini. After that was done, Chief looked into the shipment of Custodians, assuring that all was in order and placing her stamp of approval on them. Unexpected, but welcome.

Decorating could come later.

Yaichiro had been instructed to report to the Executive Officer by the docking bay supervisors, and soon the chestnut blonde was standing at the XO's door, reading the fresh label with ice blue eyes. He knocked on it, careul not to smear the obviously wet paint.

"Executive-sama...are you present? I was told to report to you..."

He did not dare call her by name, as he lacked knowledge of her rank to attach to it...and he didn't want to seem too casual to these new superiors anyway.

"The door is open," Chief called. "Come on in. And drop the Executive-sama . Chief will do just fine if you need to call me anything other than 'sir.'"
Finally the first of the new command staff had arrived, aside from who was already aboard the station. The door opened by itself anyway right when Chief had said it was open, she'd rigged it in the short interval that knocking on the door itself would open it, but pressing the annunciator would have little effect. And there was of course the "Open" switch.

The Santo Juni was a bit startled when the door swung open of its own accord, and he very breifly eyed the mechanism. After a split second satisfied the obligatory curiosity of the engineer, he bowed to the Chief.

"Santo Juni Kage Yaichiro, on loan from Gemini Star Fortress, reporting for duty as ordered by Star Army Personnel Management, Chief. I am trained in the construction, upgrade, repair, and maintenance of Scorpio-class Star Fortresses, Sakura-class Gunships, and Nozomi-class Scouts. I am here to advise and assist in the construction of Pisces Star Fortress and her protector ships."

Chief nodded, she didn't really have much in the way of orders. But she did still have something to say. "I trust your tenure here will be longer than at your other postings. I'll let the captain give you your orders, but if you need anything--parts, supplies, favors--come to me. I'll make sure you get what you need. It's my job, after all."

Caine himself had gone off to explore and familiarize himself with the layout of the station. But at the moment he was looking for where his quarters would be. But he regretted not making mention of it before. Perhaps he could ask the engineers running around? ...If they'd wait for a moment or two.

Yaichiro nodded, though the mention of the longevity of his post didn't seem to have much of an effect...with Gemini and Pisces apparently fighting tooth and nail over him, he expected to move across known space by the time this was said and done...his return to the Sakura looked all but impossible. The six foot-one inch man bowed again.

"Understood, Chief. I do have a few ideas, one possibly pressing one for the Nozomis here, but I may have to discuss that with the Commanding Officer before I start talking to others about it...unless you wish me to report my ideas to you first, Cheif."

"Something like that should be discussed with the station's administrator directly. I just handle the procurement end of things. I am not the face presented to the public...but just remember, when things break, people will be coming to you. And things will break, I guarantee that."

She rose, from behind her desk, and gave him a peremptory salute, a one-off gesture that wasn't standard in the Star Army. "You're dismissed."

Yaichiro bowed, and went to leave the room before stopping.

"Oh...do you know where the Commanding Officer is? If she's in her quarters, I can likely find her, but if she's meeting with other new people, I may have trouble locating her."

Chief gave the new hand Marina's last known location, which should not have changed too greatly. Indeed she should still be in the same general area, unless there was something that required her attention much more than meeting her staff.

After thanking the Chief, Yaichiro went toward where the Commanding Officer's last location was...he looked around for a white paneled uniform, unaware of the Taisa's alternate form of dress...

Camellia yawned, and readjusted the strap over her shoulder.

"Well, it was nice seeing you Caine, but I'm going to go hunt for my quarters." She said while turning to leave.

Yaichiro's Theme: Royskopp - Remind Me

Youtube Song Link

SCENE >> Pisces Commercial Sector

Marina was staring out one of the great windows; upon the beautiful blue sphere below and the sun just peeking from the side of it. She thought it was a beautiful sight, and that she was privileged to have command of a station overtop this planet. She stood out quite a bit within the station, being the only one around not in uniform; however, she still wore her rank pin on her left side.

Yaichiro was still looking around for the Commanding Officer, not noticing any white panels indicative of a CO...however, he did eventually notice the oddly dressed woman. When he noticed the petaled rank pin on her chest, he walked over, and stood at attention.

Marina turned as she noticed a soldier stiffening in her presence, and smiled at him. The same kind of smile you would see on Ketsurui Hanako. "Relax. This isn't an armor squadron."

The Warrant Officer noticed her smile, but tried not to make any external signs of this... "I am Santo Juni Kage Yaichiro, on loan from Gemini Star Fortress. I am an Engineer trained in the installation, configuring, repair, and maintenance of Scorpio-class Star Fortressed, Sakura-class Gunships, and Nozomi-class Scouts. I am here to serve in that fashion."

"I got the notice from Personnel. Apparently you're quite in demand among the fleets; and your record is exemplary." The Taisa seemed to beam as she said, "You served on the Sakura, right? NG-X1-360?" Those words were said like a fangirl...

Yaichiro nodded. "The Sakura was my very first assignment both as a soldier and as a Chief Engineer...It's where I got my experience in the Sakura-class."

The captain stiffened slightly as she remembered what she had to say. "Anyway, I'm not your commanding officer, at least not for long; Personnel is sending someone to supervise all the technical teams, and you're meant to lead one of those teams." Easing back into her smile, Marina looked to one side, and then the other...checking to see that there was no one who needed her. "...would you tell me about Sakura over lunch? One of the restaurants is being used as a crew galley on the station during construction."

Yaichiro seemed a bit embarrassed, the chestnut blonde blushing ever-so-slightly... "Okay, Taisa...and I'll have to go in-depth as to what you want. I'm not used to being in command of any more than one person at a time just yet...maybe you can explain that too?"

"I have a book you can read about that; I'll send you a copy." Marina smiled as she led the way to the 'galley'.

SONG CHANGE: Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 OST - Please Feel Free
SCENE >> Temporary Galley

The 'galley' was a lavishly decorated restaurant area; one of the few places on the ship that could truly be called 'completed'. The meals were served by NH-12s carrying plates several times their size, and their chef was a friendly Phodian fellow named Vahn Cray, apparently brought to Pisces for the express purpose of cooking meals for the crewmen. He personally brought the requested order to Marina and Yaichiro with a wide smile before leaving to the kitchen once more.

Yaichiro seemed to have an affinity for very odd meals and strange seasonings, things which would make the Phodian either super happy...or clinically insane...he picked up a raw Onion, stuck a mint inside it, and took a bite...after finishing the Onion, he looked to Marina. "So Taisa...exactly where do you want me to begin?"

Marina didn't seem phased by Yaichiro's strange food, herself eating a lobster-like creature. "Start with...the captain. Ketsurui Hanako, right? Hard to believe they let royalty captain frontline starships."

Yaichiro nodded. "Well...some of the Ketsurui clan are admitted BECAUSE of their command proficiency...I do not believe Hanako-Taisa was a Commanding Officer before she was a Ketsurui, but it is possible...she is remarkably close to Ketsurui Yui-Taisho-sama of the 1st XF, though...I think she is as close to a mother as Hanako-Taisa may have. Anyway, Hanako-Taisa is...unusual. She commands her ship as a matriarch of sorts, concerned for the well-being, physical and emotional, of her crew. She's kind, gentle, but fully capable of drawing the line and being firm enough to get things done...she's not what you'd expect from a Commanding Officer, really, but eventually you see that she's even better than the idealized version some of us hold..."

Marina, meanwhile, had taken to transmitting something to Yaichiro through his communicator; she thought it would give him advice on how to command, as it did for her. "I see. She sounds like someone I would like to meet one day; and given that this is a station frequented by Star Army personnel, I may very well do so. I understand the Sakura has a small crew?" She seemed intrigued by what the young engineer had to say.

Yaichiro nodded. "Yes, they do...oh, lots of people come, but they also leave as well. Not everyone has what it takes to stay on the Sakura. It's a familial environment, warm and friendly, but only if you can deal with Mishhuvurthyar attacks and do your part. There is a sort of senior/junior division there...because there are a few people who have been there FOREVER, and some who just come and go, looking for glory, but can't take it. As such, not many stay on the Sakura, because it is difficult...I'm one of the few who have left on good terms...I didn't want to go, and no one on the Sakura wanted to LET me go."

"But they took you anyway..." Marina blinked and frowned, like she was almost going to cry, like she was saying in her head, "That's so touching..." "Who was on the ship, that you knew, when you left? Who did you consider your trusted comrades and friends? And what sorts of things happened on board? I want to know everything." Heck, Marina wasn't much older than Yaichiro, and it showed.

Yaichiro seemed surprised at how...empathic the Taisa was being. "Well...my situation was a bit unusual, you understand...I'm a Yamataian, but I wasn't 'born' normally...I have the memories of a nineteen year old, but I'm not even one year old yet, in actuality...I was an illegal ST backup of a person who was still alive, so the Sakura was the only stable home I ever really had...and its crew, especially Hanako-Taisa, whether they knew it or not, were responsible for raising me, in a way...I've already told you about Hanako-Taisa...there's her Samurai, Midori-Juni, who is the loyal bodyguard and fighter, who is highly restrained, but has a LOT of my respect...there's Dr. Miles Gunn, a Nepleslian doctor and scientist who is a bit perverted, but a good man, and generous too...there's Elisa Metea, the pilot, who joined the day before me and was my measuring stick as to my own progress. She also earned my respect, and as the pilot, made sure I had a LOT to repair, making me learn faster...I also even care for the sprites...they are a lot more individual and 'real' than most others."

Marina blinked. She didn't know what to say. This is what she had imagined it would be like. The stuff of legend. The kind of thing she had watched, played, fantasized, and dreamed about since she was a little girl, alone in a little house by the sea with no one but her tutor to keep her company. It was real, all of it, and now she could have those kinds of adventures. She was the Taisa; like Tiberius, her inspiration, and such modern figures as Ketsurui Hanako and Rufus Sydney. It was...inspiring, and Marina visibly lit up with a smile. And she had one more question...

"Ne, Kage-san, is it true what they say about the parties on that ship?"

END

Chief propped her legs up on a borrowed chair, wondering who else would wander by her quarters slash office in the next few hours. She took the time to check on the actual construction progress of the station, knowing it was unfinished; in the same moment she thought of reorganizing her file system and ordering a few things that might be seen as frivolous or unnecessary spending but which would be covered under the station's operations budget.

She also set up her personal comm system to log all incoming calls and messages to her clipboard--which was really a computer--for immediate review and response no matter where she was. Chief tended to forget the little comm device but rarely went anywhere without her trusty clipboard. It was an essential tool, indispensable and irreplacable.

Yaichiro's new room/office was a very spacious area compared to his quarters on the Sakura. It had navy blue carpeting on the floor and even blue paint on the walls, to start. In the left side of the room from the doorway was Yaichiro's new bed, a twin-sized bed with a headboard and a soft mattress...on the headboard was his spare uniform, bagged and ready to be taken to the showers with him when he needed it. The grey panels were still odd to him, but he liked it better than blood red.

Above the bed on the left wall were several framed and colored sketches. One was the YSS Sakura, streaking past Yamatai, with a sketch of the crew as he remembered them below it. Next was a conceptual drawing of what Pisces might look like when completed, and last was the YSS Askua, fully repaired and rebuilt.

On the right side of the room was a closet, stocked with Yaichiro's civilian clothing, and a sort of dresser, complete with a mirror. Much to Yaichiro's surprise, there was even a small mini-fridge in the room, which had already been stocked with assorted odd foods, half of them onions. There was a plate full of mints on the dresser, partially for company, partially for after he'd had his onion snacks... The last item of note on the right wall was a digital clock/intercom, issued because of KAMI's current downtime.

On the wall the door was affixed to was a viewscreen, for communicating face-to-face if needed. It could also record and watch normal entertaining transmissions, but it was currently tuned to the Star Army Technical Transmission Network. On the screen was a narrated overview of basic Irim-class Gunship schematics and repair.

On the distant wall was a huge window, overlooking the planet of Albini...it was a breathtaking view, ships coming and going on occasion, the large blue orb slowly turning amongst a backdrop of stars. In the distance, he could see the Ketsurui Nebula...many stars served as the backdrop, but the two most important ones were obvious to those who knew where to look...seperated by almost three decades of strife, Yamatai and Nepleslia's stars looked like two amazingly close pinpricks of light...

In the center of the room, Yaichiro sat at a desk, becoming accustomed to the duties of his new rank, currently the finer points of bueraucracy. After a few hours of filling out the obligatory paperwork, he clanced up at the clock...0847 hours...almost mid-day on the Yamataian 18 hour clock.

Yaichiro put down his datapad's stylus and rubbed his temples...he had 13 minutes until he met his Engineering team...of 20 Nekos. He sighed, wondering how he, of all people, could command twice as many people as Hanako did at any given time...he glanced at the picture of the Sakura's crew, at Hanako's face.

"...How did you pull everything off...as gentle as you are?"

He looked over the data of his new subordinates, seeing previous assignments, letters of recommendation, education, experience, areas of expertise, disciplinary actions, and even a few notes of unwanted solicitation. Given the liberal nature of the Star Army, it was mildly surprising. All in all, his subordinates seemed to run the gamut. Eventually he rose, carrying his datapad, and left his room to meet his crew for the first time.

None

Truly, the extravagance of the Ketsurui was staggering.

The captain's quarters were about the size of 5 of the regular crew rooms, and had the amenities to match. A fully-equipped kitchen. A warm dining area fit for entertaining visitors. A fireplace (simulated, of course). A four poster bed. And more, far more...truly, this was the lap of luxury.

But little of this was of concern to Marina, compared to what she had for herself here - a saltwater pool, artificially maintained and pristine. It wasn't very large, but it was hers, and it was beautiful. Even though she had just used another of the station's pools just a few short hours ago, she decided it would be best to try out this one; test the waters, so to speak.

As she removed her (rather complex) clothing and placed on her bathing suit, Marina thought about the events that had transpired...the crew. Her crew. Only 3, so far, but there would be more. They were strange...and she was worried about her fitness to command. But then she remembered the words she took to heart, and knew that, if she followed them, she would be safe.

They were peaceful...and she was at peace from that. Even the worries of the station's completion schedule left her as she was cleansed by the water.

<center>***</center>
After some time, Marina left the waters to check on her office. There was a terminal there; though the KAMI was not installed, there was still a rudimentary system to relay messages and connect to external networks.

However, when she stepped in, she found something she shouldn't have.

Placed neatly upon Marina's desk lay a box, around a half a metre cubed, wrapped in merry paper with a background of blue with yellow dancing smilies. It was bound with a wide crimson ribbon, itself fastened with an ornate bow. On the top there was a sentence printed with dark red ink, divided between the four quarters created by the ribbon. The sentence in question was, "Congratulations on your new post.â€

Yaichiro, upon hearing the announcement, slid out from under a large piece of equipment...he quickly grabbed his datapad and pointed to one of his crewmen.

"Kokoro-Heisho, you're in charge of Weapons Team until I return or until you recieve further orders from me or my superiors."

With that, Yaichiro headed for the Conference Room. He was early, true, but then again, he was almost always early for meetings...

The chief blinked, listening to the page and then sighing. A brief moment to rub the bridge of her nose, then she was kicking her feet off of the extra chair and standing up. She grabbed her clipboard and keyed it into the comm system, to monitor events at her office and keep the door locked while she was away. Chief would have to get on installing those infrared sensors and X-ray projectors soon. Wouldn't do good to have a stealth specialist fooling around with her equipment unnoticed.

She arrived per Marina's request as swiftly as possible given the work that was going on.

Caine blinked hearing the request and dropped his rucksack on his bed and headed out to get to the conference room. He would be in shortly after Yaichiro and nodded to him. "Hey" He said in a friendly fashion, brushing his fingers through his hair. "what's all this about?" he asked whoever else was there.