RP: 5th XF Mission 006: The Finale [All 5th XF Players]

As Freya seemed insistant on annoying Aoiko with its slowness, the doors shrieked as the Taisa forced them open and stalked into the briefing room with as much poise as she could muster. She slowly cast her eyes around the chamber as the motors behind her caught the door-panels with a whine and moved them closed. She settled on her two bridge officers beside her. "Kard-san, Kimura-san," she said, sharply. "News?"

Roger quickly looked up as Aoiko spoke to them, then stood, helping Jatsu up on the way as he continued to hold onto the flask. "No ma'am; we haven't heard anything that you haven't yet. We're waiting to see what is going to happen also."

Jatsu slowly looked up at Roger, eventually replying, "Yeah...yeah, thanks. I really could go for a dr-Aoi!" As Aoiko entered the room, he jumped up with a bit of help from Roger, who he casually pushed aside once upright. A couple drops escaped Roger's flask and moistened his wrist, though he didn't notice as he had more pressing matters on his mind.

He embraced Aoiko tightly. "Please," he said, then pressed his lips against hers for a few seconds. "Please...promise me that we'll be together forever. Promise me that you'll never leave me. I...I can't lose you, Aoi. I...love you." He pulled her even closer and rested his head on her shoulder.

The Akuro and the Command Group made the jump back to Taiie, emerging from the depths of hyperspace within close proximity to Akina no Iori. The scene was far from the usual operations procedure within the fleet. Not a single armor emerged from the Akuro or any other starship in the command group. Every single pilot was grounded. Instead a flood of Lamia emerged from the Iori, entering into tight escorts around the ships in the fleet.

Chujo, the fleet has reached station at Taiie Freya informed Mayumi as she emerged into the briefing theatre where the Akuro's crew had assembled. Freya, you must forgive my over cautiousness but...she closed the link with Freya and engaged her uplink to the Iori's more powerful PANTIES, Deridex , engage security protocol over the command fleet. Take over computer functions and begin uploading and storing all information from the ships in the group. Then isolate and restore backups from the last upgrade that we know is totally clean. It would be a cold day in hell before she ever risked trusting that one of these computers had not been tampered with.

Lead in by the Taiie defense group, the Sheridan Assault Wing moved into position. Taisa Todd Mazu communicated to the command group.

"This is Taisa Mazu, under the Authority of 5th Expeditionary Fleet Command; this is how this is going to work folks. The Iori has assumed control of the vessels as a precautionary measure. Star Army police and SAINT personnel will be transferring to clear your vessels as follows. Arashi division you are to dock with the Iori and personnel remain at station until you are cleared. The rest be prepared to dock with the assault wing, personnel will be transferred to clear your ships and crew.â€

Rog bit his lip, then took a swig of the flask in plain view of all there. "So that's it, huh," he said, turning back to the two, after he'd given the two the honor of not staring while they boxed tonsils. "I still can't believe that she's gone. I mean, the admiral was... The Admiral... I mean... And the 17th; they were fuckin'... shit, man."

He took another swig. "Shit... I got something I gotta do."

He strode up to Mayumi and stopped. "Chujo. If this is to be a memorial service for both this and the fallen Carrier Wing... then I would like to say something on the behalfs of the admiral and the 17th. It's just... well, I'm not the most articulate guy on the ship, but damnit...I started with the 17th, and Corro was my first CO, and the admiral herself was the one who pegged my for officer hood." He idly scratched the back of his head. "Losing all of them at once fucking hurts."

Mayumi stepped forwards towards Kard; her pale blue eyes glistened with her tears. She didn't look down on him in that moment as a Chujo, but as a child would look for a parent when disaster had struck. She whispered "Any who wish to give words, will be permitted.â€

Roger chuckled a bit. "Suit yourself, admiral." He handed over the curved flask. "Sometimes it pays off to be a 'dirty Nep'." He then sighed, his momentary levity immediately drained by the events of the day. "I take it you knew the Admiral, then," Roger stated, the capital A which set Katsuko off from the other command staff being audible in his speech.

Caine looked up when the admiral walked in and bowed his head to her and sighed a bit, giving Cam's hand one last gentle squeeze before releasing it and leaning forward on the table. "I'll speak a few words about our fallen crew-mates, it may not be much but I'll stay something." He said in a cold unemotional tone, trying that route.

He looked up at Aoika, then to Rog and stood up some and walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, the 17th isn't completly gone just yet, Cam and I are still here and we're not about to let our comrades sacrifice go to waste." He said in a unusually cold tone. "And I bet Corro would be honored if you'd get up and speak some words for him." Caine said. and turned to the admiral.

"Greetings Chujo." he said with a bow to her. "I'm Shoi Ionoche of the 17th Kasairyuu Wing." he figured he might as well introduce himself.

Mayumi gave somewhat of a half smile, she didn't answer his question. She had no intention to keep the post, even knowing that she no doubt would be offered now with Katsuko gone. Like many others the past months had taken their toll, she planned as soon as the official motions were done to return to Yamatai.

It seemed like only yesterday, it was the three of them; Katsuko, Yoshike, and herself, stepping fresh out of the academy onto their first assignment. They had gotten lucky over the years, mostly due to Katsuko's ability to climb the ranks; they had managed to stay together. She sighed at the memory.

"Anyway, you all are relieved of duty until the ceremony...try to get some rest, and spend some time with each other. You have been through a lot....â€

He nodded. "That I am." Caine said. and smiled wryly. "It's ok the losses recently have truly stung us all. But what makes us who we are is how we respond to these situations, We can either grow stronger and surpass what we were or we can fade." He smiled at her. "Well at least that is what they'd probably tell us right?"

Roger turned towards Caine's response. "Of course. The 17th will never be destroyed as long as its got pilots willing to step up to the challenge. But it just won't be the same without ol' hardass." He laughed sadly and immediately fell into a chair, where he hung his head. "Oh cripes, what the hell am I doing? I'm treating this like a fucking party, when they're all... they're all..." He hid his eyes in his free hand, trying to force back the tears that had finally begun to well up as the full force of all the deaths finally hit him. "Goddamnit, Corro... goddamnit... I still owe you, and you had to go and get your fucking hardass killed! GODDAMNIT!" He slammed the hand which had been coving his face down on the table, revealing eyes which had been reddened with tears.

"...go... goddamnit, Corro... why?"

"Hmm?" Caine looked at Rog at his sudden swearing and sighed. "Hey, think of it like this: they died so that we may live." he said. "By staying on the Namiko they gave the mishhu something to focus on other than the ships that were escaping. I'd like to think they're heroes."

"That's great that you think of them as heroes, but it doesn't change the fact that..." Roger suddenly went silent, and sniffed a bit. "No, I know, you're right; any action that Corro would have done would have been in order to save as many under his command as possible. I don't doubt that." He wiped his eyes on a sleeve and looked up at Caine. "Not for a second. The hardass was an incredible CO. Cripes... he was a Nep like me, but not once, not once did anyone ever call him less than honorable. I don't know where the hell on Neplesia he came from, but god damn, they broke the mold when they made him." He straightened up a bit, and took a final pull from his flask.

Kazuhiko entered the briefing room and bowed to the Chujo as she saw her. She approached her and whispered in her ear. "The prisoner is undergoing preliminary interrogation, Chujo. SAINT is conducting it. The murder weapon has also been recovered -- a Zen Arms miniature pulse laser pistol." She backed away and bowed. "Is there anything further you require of me, Chujo?"

Mayumi nodded as Kazuhiko reported to her, she rose from the chair she was in, and responded quietly back. "Thank you Shôshô, has the preparations to the Armor bay commenced as I requested?â€

"Hai Chujo," Kazuhiko said. "All preperations are being made; they should be done by 0200."

21:00 hrs, Night before the ceremony: Quarters of Motoyoshi Katsuko-Taisho


Mayumi headed towards Katsuko' quarters, the door still opened two warrant officers standing guard at either side. "Military police just finished up ma'am.â€

((Grr. Sorry this is so late.))

Aoiko's claws flicked out for a moment as Jatsu snatched her, and her eyes fluttered as he pressed his lips to hers. "Ano, Jatsu-san," she said breathily as he broke the kiss and her higher brain functions re-engaged. "I... Uhm. I am not planning on going anywhere..." A little awkwardly, she reached up to clasp her arms around him, patting his back gently. Slowly, she guided him over to the seats, lowering him into the chair next to hers. "There we go... Please, it will be alright..."

Roger sat quietly, still slightly weepy from earlier as his two bridgemates sat near him. He looked over to the two, and the teneble bond which held them together, and for possibly the first time in his life, felt an incredible longing for something similiar. He spoke somewhat enviously, "You're a lucky man, Jats... a lucky man. I hope you keep her, and don't follow my lead. Don't... be a giant bastard, like me, Jatsu. Treat her right, and don't ever let her go. And Aoiko... no matter what he says, no matter what he does... he's still a giant dork. But damn if he's not a useful dork, so you'll probably want him to stick around too." He grinned weakly. "He doesn't take much maintenance, just occasional watering and TLC, as you see."

"I am certain you know about watering," Aoiko said dryly to Roger as she continued patting Jatsu's arm. After a moment, she shook her head. "I apologise. This is not the time for humour."