Akina picked at the new Shosa pin adorning her breast, and hoped she wouldn't get yelled at for arriving with one. The peculiar design of the 5th XF ranks struck her fancy, symbolic meaning or not. She sat unaware of the ocassional glances coming her way from the oppisite side of the passenger compartment in the new shuttle. All in all, the shuttle had been scheduled for her, but there was a medical officer (a Geshrin man), and what appeared to be two Nekovalkyrja Warrant officers with him. They had formally bowed, having arrived hurridly just before they left Yamatai.
The Shosa sat next to the open space a Kairi had been placed in at her request. She was sure she wasn't going to use it for anything but a walk outside, but had decided since she could requsition one, she might as well. To her right sat her personal effects: One extremely large bag, a large duffel bag, her garment bag, and her electric blue violin case. Akina's legs were leaned to one side, with one foot tucked behind the other. She had decided to wear her skirt uniform, the white panels just having been modified to reflect her fleet assignment.
"Attention: these are your pilots speaking, we will be exiting hyperspace very shortly, our first stop will be the YSS-Akuro, followed by the YSS-Namiko. That is all." came word from the cockpit. The cryptic praise of her unmet commanding officer had stirred her, in more ways than one. She had an excitement matched only by the trepidation of failing in some spectacular fashion. War College was filled with higher ranked officers, but she had passed all the same. Ironically, the fact that 20,000 or so lives would be her responsiblity wasn't what worried her.
There was a slight lessening of the background humming when the shuttle exited hyperspace.
"Attention: We have now arrived in the Taiie system, and are presently docking with the Akuro. Shosa Shimizu, please prepare to disembark." the intercom finally squwaked, as an image of the exterior of the Akuro was plugged through an until recently blank display screen. The specifications and study of the command ship hadn't struck her, never having been so close during an actual battle. Quickly the tribal designs interspersed with colorful hummerbirds that creeped up the hull caught her eyes, and she cried audibly in astonishment, before they were swallowed up into a large shuttle bay.
The hatch finally opened, and just as the strategist had her bags strapped to her, a Neko in a red-paneled jumpsuit bowed, unhooked her Kairi, and took it off to be set on a rack. "The bay closest to the ridge, Santo Hei!" she called after the woman. She suddenly felt excited, and after a deep breath stepped out of the shuttle and onto the deck. The crew inside finally sat down when she left, as the hatch closed between them. She surveyed the technical crews performing various duties on other shuttles, and took ten paces towards the exit of the bay, before turning around and watching her transport exit through the shielding towards it's final destination.
