RP: 4th Fleet [Fourth Standard Fleet - Particulars]

"I don't like to get behind on newer performances." The Taisho noted as they walked into the tube near her quarters, heading for the bridge. "And no one has complained since the Akuro. I play the violin when there's time, Katsuko and I have a few selections we play together. I forgot to ask if she'd been practicing or not when I was..away."

Changing subjects, Akina asked Honoka a question, "What do you know about the Fifth Expeditionary Fleet, around the time it settled at Taiie?"

Honoka sensed that Akina seemed to not want to talk about the music, so she didn't press it. Instead, she just followed along with the change of topic.

"Ano, I don't really recall much of anything," the aide replied, quite disappointed in herself. She really should know more, but she just couldn't remember what she, if anything, had learned. "Gomen Shimizu-Taisho."

"I was on the Akuro, a fleet captain around the time. It was a lot like this ship, but...there was an incident, when I died the ship was lost too. Taiie was our home, our first home together. It was a beautiful planet, settled in what is the Bard cluster." Akina explained, "The Mishhu took all that away."

The lift slowed to a halt, and opened to the fleet bridge. There were about five obvious stations all manned by Nekovalkryja. "Taisho on deck!" A woman called from the other side of the large holo-table that took up the majority of the deck. Stepping up to it, she examined the placement of the fleet around Yamatai.

"We're ready to deploy?"

"Aye, Taisho." The orange-haired officer at fleet tactical replied loudly. As Akina turned to Honoka, a craft approached their perimeter. "What is that thing?"

"Message coming in!" Communications announced, reading it for her. "KFY has sent you a gift, a space yacht."

I wonder who I have to thank for that. "Very well, clear her." Shimizu smiled. "Now.." The holographic image shifted, showing an area around a rocky nebula full of debris. "Our operational area has been expanded."

Honoka nodded, listening to Akina's little story about what happened. Ah, so the Taisho had died, she thought to herself, hoping she wouldn't have the same fate.

She then watched the ship pull in and heard the Taisho clear it. Honoka looked to Akina, seeing her so calm about just being given a yacht out of the blue. With that, she knew there was a lot to learn about this interesting Taisho.

The aide stood quietly by, waiting for any information on the upcoming mission. Normally, she'd be really happy about something like this, and rather impatient. But, she was still new and didn't want to freak the Taisho out. Honoka knew she had to let the more eccentric side of herself out, a little at a time.

Akina wasn't showing much of her appreciation for it externally, but she was a Taisho on her fleet deck. The smile she suddenly had would be enough, and everything they had yet to do still weighed on the woman heavily.

"Right. Execute the operation." Her planning had come through green, and their new home was waiting. The Fourth Standard Fleet of the Star Army of Yamatai was moving out.

"All groups showing ready." One station called.

"Clearance to depart space. Local traffic has been diverted from our vectors." Communications announced.

With that, all the ships in her fleet left Yamatai, and slipped into hyperspace after reaching the edge of their home system. "You may have the trip off, Hakumei-Juni. I'll arrive early, we're moving as slow as our slowest ships." Akina turned command over when they became safely on their way in formation.

"We'll have a lot to do when we get there. Be ready."

"Ah, uh, hai Taisho." Honoka bowed to the Taisho, "arigatou gozaimasu." Now that she had freetime, what was she going to do? She decided on looking through her newly assigned quarters.

She bowed once more to Akina, before she headed off into the bowels of the ship, through a lift, and then various corridors. Eventually, she ended up at her quarters which were, apparently, placed right beside the Taisho's. She sweatdropped. Honoka had gone the long way to get there, rather than the short distance in the lift that the Taisho had taken her.

She entered, and stopped merely a few feet in, wide-eyed and in relative shock at the officer's quarters. She hadn't had anything this nice, ever. It seemed nicer than even back home. "Now then... what to do?" Honoka whispered to herself, finally taking in the lavishness of the quarter's she'd be staying in while on the ship.

Akina left the bridge, and quietly boarded one of the shuttles for Katsuko's waiting yacht, eager to depart what had been their fleeting home in Kyoto below. The Taisho needed some time from it all, and there was something important to talk to her about.

In the end, her life didn't feel right without her anymore, and she knew what she'd be willing to offer, even if it meant alienating the rest of her family to the east.

After briefly pondering, Honoka decided on taking a quick nap for now, since it'd be a long trip and the anticipation of this day had taken quite a toll on her.

She entered her bedroom, still surprised at the expanse of the quarters, and sat down on the bed. The aide stripped out of the skin-tight uniform, and out of her undies, made a sloppy pile of clothes beside her bed, before slipping beneath the covers.

-----

A few hours pass before Honoka awoke. Her mind reached out, checking on the progress of the trip. She still had bit of time and she quickly made up her mind on what to do. She sat up out of bed and stretched, the covers falling away from her form, before moving to the side to pick up her uniform, though she didn't dress. The neko picked up a towel, after leaving the warmth of the bed, covering her mouth as she yawned as she went into the bathroom to take a nice warm bath,