RP: 4th Fleet [Mission 1] The Battle of South Gate

[Miyako]

The command group of the Fourth Standard Fleet shot into space outside Katsuko no Iori. Their return from the Second International Relations conference had been long coming. The promised leave had to be canceled for most of the armada under the command of Princess Taisho Shimizu due to the impending battle. She was still in the medical facility aboard the spear cutting through space that approached the massive Iori, the YSS Nadare.

Shuttles, power armours, and supplies began to flood between ships of the battle-bound fleet even while it moved into one of the Taisho's assault patterns. They had lost all but one of the ships they sent to Nataria, meaning she had to maintain defensive numbers in any systems she wanted to keep. What they were sending to Spirit City might not be enough. Having to accept it, the strategist was trying to convince her newborns she wouldn't be gone for very long while they sat in her lap. Since then, the Taisho had been dressed in a less than modest examination gown while being treated.

"If other momma isn't with us where will you be?" Miu reasoned while tugging on one of her mothers fingers in some annoyance. Honoka was beset by one of Ayano's stares, while Tomoko sat silently, watching anyone that got close enough to touch the woman while she was checked out. The rest had helped her, though her connection to the fleet bridge had an obviously distracting effect.

"We have a new officer coming aboard. See she finds her way here. I'll interview her on the way to the battle. A..Yukihiko if I recall." She told Honoka, glancing where she had asked Arkase to mind the door. They were all she had left, with the death of her other staff members, and transfers of some away had dwindled things. The fleet was at a disadvantage without them.

"Also, please see the officer pool for the PR officer gets to my review files by the time we're back from Spirit City, Honoka-san."

After so much spare time before the attack at the conference, there was so little to do.

"I'm sorry..no, I will be back. You girls will have to be somewhere safe. I'll let you stay on the Nymph with a small crew, but you are not coming into a fight with me. It will be okay, u-uh..mommy just doesn't want you to get hurt." Several groans issued forth from the trio. They weren't happy with the idea, at all even if they knew she meant it. It didn't mean she knew what to do, they were not old enough or secure enough to know her yet.

War would not wait.

 

[SSharp]

Arkase Oshiro, Santô Hei assigned to Taisho Shimizu's Staff Protection Detail, stood just outside the door of the Medi-Bay of the YSS Nadare.

His pistol's holster was unclipped, and if someone happened to pass the door, he examined them for weapons, checked their rank, names and cross checked with the Ship's Computer. He wasn't going to take chances. Not after what had happened at the International Conference.

Arkase, in the silence of the corridor at one moment, let out a deep sigh. He felt exhausted, somehow. Even though he hadn't done anything very physical at all. He hadn't done enough to make him this way, but... The picture of that Neko, rising up from the ground despite the wounds to fire upon the group defending the Conference room... Mishima plagued his mind as well. He had barely known the guy, and somehow Arkase was sure he would have made friends with the Pilot. Sure that there would have been stories to tell...
He was sure that it was his gun that had killed him.

Arkase didn't feel like watching a movie, or talking to anyone. He felt exhausted and weak. But he still had to watch out for the Taisho and her staff -- which included everyone on board now.

 

[Kyoki]

"Ah, hai, Shimizu-Taisho." Honoka immediately went about working out the details for sending whatever files out to the officers mentally. It was certainly a plus of having a computerized mind. She still felt quite worn out from everything that had happened, and she could hardly wait for a chance to rest.

"Ano, Taisho? Is there anything I can get you or the little ones? Like something to relax or anything?"

 

[Miyako]

"I need you to make sure a crew takes them to the yacht." Again, a groan sounded in trio from below. "Also I've decided to promote you and Mr. Arkase. If you want to be an officer, I want you to finish coursework from Kyoto." Akina smiled at her aide, the only one she had left who had been dumped with both roles for however long Faye was away.

"I've sent Mishima and Aoyama to a research facility. They agree it's a better place for them now. Either way I'm glad to have who I do. Also I could use tea, if it's not too much to bother with."

"I don't wanna' go." Ayano complained as noisily as she could. Something was wrong with the way things were happening, and she knew, somehow, her mother was up to something.

"No, I'm sorry. I promise we'll spend more time together once the bad things are gone."

"The Mishhu?" Tomoko asked.

"Yes, the Mishhu..." Akina trailed off, and shifted her eyes to Honoka expectantly, and the shape of Arkase's back, out the hatch.

 

[SSharp]

When Arkase heard the previous complaints, and Tomoko's half-answered question, he decided to say something. "You four are going to have fun when your mother gets back. She'll whoop the Misshu so fast you won't even know she left." He turned when he said that, and stepped into the room.

"Right, Honoka-Ittô Juni?" He looked to Honoka for support in his claim. Perhaps it would calm the three down.

 

[Kyoki]

"H- hai! Arigatou gozaimasu, Shimizu-Taisho!" Honoka said, quite surprised, as she bowed in thanks.

The aide also then sent requests for an escort for the younglings as well as for some tea. "Etto, the tea and an escort to the... er... Nymph should be coming shortly."

"That's right, Oshiro-Hei. All of the misshu will cower at the sight of Shi- er... your mother. She'll be back quickly! Besides, at least you three have each other to keep company with. It's better than having to be alone."

 

[Kimberly M]

Navigatign the hallways of the ship was far from an easy task, even with the knowledge of the standard, and the specfic blueprints inside her digital memory. Thankfully though, Yukihiko Risa had the files from Honoka to guide her to the medical bay, where she found Arkase guarding the door.

With a smile, the Intelligence Officer bowed to the soldier, and voluntarily gave him her sidearm before allowing his examination to continue so she could pass along into the examination room, where she bowed before Taisho Shimizu and Honoka, still smiling.

"Yukihiko Risa reporting as ordered, Taisho."

 

[Miyako]

"I don't think we have a choice." Ayano observed, sighing with annoyance when a crew came in behind Risa. They had simply stolen a cart from the mess hall, and put a pillow big enough for the trio on it, which they had..appropriated from the Taisho's room after some cajoling from the duty officer.

They were all staring at her. Three sets of eyes, and the other people in the room. Smiling as warmly as possible to her tired staff, she picked each of her daughters up and lightly kissed their foreheads before setting them on the pillow. "Good evening, Yukihiko-Taii. I'm afraid you're going to interview on the way to a battlefront. The South Gate has come under attack, and once the Princesses are cleared, we'll jump with the command group to try and push them back from our territory." It warmed the Taisho to hear such confidence in her expressed to the little ones, as she watched them taken away, aching harder after they had gone, chattering to each other. If only there were a few days. Everyone needed the rest.

"You both have earned it, and thank you for being so good with the girls, don't think that is even close to the last you'll see of them. Oshiro-hei, Honoka-san, this is the prospect I chose for intel."

There won't be a Bard Expanse if we can't hold that line. The anxious thought that had stayed with her since she knew about the attack was bouncing about with several tactical layouts in her mind when the tea finally arrived, and she leaned back on the hospital bed to sip at it. "Why do you want to be this fleet's intel. command, Yukihiko? You know it's a lot of responsibility, you'll have ships under you."

Busily, the Yurei was loaded, and given permission to launch. With a small escort, the three newborns were spirited away from their mother as she tried her best not to dwell on the choice she had to make. What would Katsuko have done?

 

[Kimberly M]

At the news that her interview would be on the path to war, Risa merely held her smile easily and nodded. What was there to worry about? They were all soldiers of Yamatai. They were literally born, trained, and destined to fight, and die, for the preservation of their Star Empire. To die in the service of Yamatai was the greatest honour one could achieve.

"I am aware of that, Taisho. Going to war is an inescapeable fact of our fate." The Intel. officer replied calmly, still smiling in an attempt to appear calming to the other crew-members, whom all looked rather ragged and weary. "My decision to come here, Taisho, was partially due to your reputation. You have been known to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, and be on the frontlines of every major war. I feel serving under you would be a worthy station, and give myself a goal to strive for, while challenging me to the full limits of my skills."

 

[SSharp]

Arkase fiddled with the possible -- no, the new Intelligence Officer's sidearm. Everything checked out as far as he could tell, and he watched Yukihiko-Taii closely once the crew taking the Taisho's daughters left.

It occured to Arkase it probably wasn't his business, but he tuned in on what the Intel-Officer had to say. A little dramatic, and a bit too enthusiastic about everything. The thought made him smile. Next I'll be calling everyone new around me 'Kid' and fight their battles for them.

Arkase frowned, remembering the Nepleslian Senator. The grin had probably only lasted a couple of seconds. He wanted to say something, though, and opened his mouth for a moment before clamping it shut.

I'm an Ittô-Hei. Not my place to be talking when the Officers are.

 

[Kyoki]

"Ah, Yukihiko-Taii," Honoka bowed, "It is a pleasure to meet you and have you join the Taisho's staff." She took a step off to the side a bit, to allow the two officers to do their interview.

It seemed they were going to be fighting shortly. It was, at the same time, thrilling and frightening. Sure, she was technically an NH-29 now, but she was still born as a Geshrin. She wasn't born and created to fight, though she was in the body of one that was, however human-like it seemed.

Just a matter of time to see how this would resolve, whether it ended or it continued. Honoka prefered for it all to continue, but if she were to perish, at least she would go out as a noble warrior, the next best thing for her family to expect. Though was it a tradition worth following? It didn't matter. She was on that path, and she'd see it through to the end.

 

[Miyako]

"You'll have ten ships under your command, specifically tasked for intelligence matters. You're comfortable with that, Taii? I appreciate the flattery, but as you must have known I've been dead before. Sufficed to say I had the core of the AI here scanned about a thousand different times before coming on board." Sipping the last of her tea, the Taisho paused to reorganize the arrangement of the group of ships they were taking to reinforce the battle.

"We're each soldiers, and you're members of a War Fleet. We were reorganized, but that just meant we are tasked to protect also when the original purpose of this force never changed. Have any of you seen this before?" The Princess asked, projecting the old fleet patch in the center of the room.

"It's what the Fleet used before they died at Tami in the last war. I decided this wasn't the friendliest symbol to put on the ships when we are on two borders with nations that have..tense relations with us. Having said that, always remember what we are." Looking to Arkase, Honoka, and the applicant finally she sighed out and handed the tea off. "I want being in this fleet to mean a lot to even the lowest cook in the smallest ship at the back of the lines. I need each of you for that. Stay awake, and as soon as they turn off the scan we'll go to the Fleet Bridge." Feeling that she'd explained enough of their history for the short time they had, Akina let the symbol of their fallen brethren fade, and slipped from the table, just after the nurse in her paneled uniform nodded at her.

"Are you comfortable around children, Taii? What about foreign dignitaries? You can expect to be exposed to a lot of different types of people, we're in a new age." Looking to her only remaining private guard, the redhead nodded once to give the officer back her weapon. "Let's get to a lift. Do any of you have questions?"

 

[SSharp]

Arkase had been caught up in the speech about the former Fourth Fleet. He knew it had been changed, and he had known about the Battle of Tami. The destruction of the Fleet. He had been excited to be placed into the Taisho's Staff Protection Detail, and anyone just out of Basic like him would have killed at the chance of being posted under the direct command of Shimizu-Taisho.

He gave the Taii back her weapon butte-first and then made a small "Hai." when the request for questions came from the Taisho.
"Taisho, do you have a current Mental Back-Up?" the question was quiet, then he added "Do all of you have a current Back-Up?"

That's dangerous, there. He thought. The Taisho, or any of them could take offense to it, but it is my business. The other guy is dead, and I'm the last one around to defend everyone in this room. Three to one, and all of them outrank me...

 

[Kyoki]

Honoka just gave a quiet nod to the Taisho's speech. She hadn't exactly thought about the fleet patch and it's rather ill-placement in terms of what the fleet was next to. That wouldn't seem menacing at all.

Upon hearing Arkase, Honoka turned to him. "Hm? An ST back-up? I should probably have a recent enough one.... Though getting another one couldn't hurt. But..." she trailed off, looking to the Taisho for an opinion.

 

[Kimberly M]

Nodding in thanks to Arkase as her weapon was returned to her, the Intelligence Officer quickly holstered the weapon and returned her focus to the Taisho.

"I am aware of that, Taisho. And I believe I am ready for such a task. As for children, I haven't had a lot of experience with them, but I am fairly certain I'll be able to function around them. As for foreign dignitaries, I'm quite comfortable."

 

[Miyako]

"I have a backup. It was taken en route if you don't recall. Thank you for the reminder, Oshiro-hei. The Taii should have received one before her transfer?" Akina smiled, and paused at the hatch. The same medic that dealt with her motioned to another table. "I think you need one." She nodded to her Fleet Aide. "Just be glad you're not as old as I am they hurt a lot more." Came a faint tease from pursed lips. Thankfully, the 'clamshell' part her ships were going to meet up with the other side of the maneuver when arriving in-system. It wasn't a standard formation, or simple, since 'clamshell' was more or less an esoteric, loose nickname for it that Kyoto had slapped in at the last moment.

"Have you decided if you were going to take the officer courses or not?" The Princess asked Honoka. Her attention split though, at that moment. "Yukihiko Taii, welcome to the Fourth. Don't get your ships killed without good reason. Let's get up to fleet." She motions to Oshiro too, while klaxons sounded on the ship.

"All hands. Full stations. Full Stations. Medical prepare for mass casualties! This is not a drill!" Superimposed itself through the corridors of the command ship. Most crew had preemptively got to their stations, and the remainders weren't stopping from their runs, or brisk walks in the hall. They just made verbal greetings while shooting by. It was acceptable under the Fleet regulations, though, secretly because it made Akina laugh inwardly and made things less awkward when something had to be done.

High on the command tower of the cutting spear through space, classical music was already playing in a strong way. Anticipation for the arrival of the Flag while they closed on certain confrontation with their newest enemy. Many of her key officers were some of the remaining 5th XF officers that remained with the YSE, several of which served with her on the Akuro more closely than they had with Katsuko before the...incident.

 

[SSharp]

Arkase nodded, "I need a current one as well." He said, loud enough for the Taisho to hear.

He quickly stood by an unoccupied Back-Up Unit, and would hurry back to the Taisho as soon as he was done. A battle was about to commence, and he needed to be at his post.

 

[Kyoki]

"Uh, hai. I'll get one Taisho. But, about the officer classes... perhaps not yet. I want to be an officer, but I don't think I'm quite ready yet. So... later, if that would be alright Taisho?"

As she said this, she sat down into an open ST machine, lowering the visor. A deep breath before she told Megami, mentally, to turn it on. She winced. Even if she wasn't as old as the Taisho, she still had 21 years of memories that had to be ripped out of her head.

 

[SSharp]

Arkase finished a little before the Aide, being a few years younger. He quickly thanked whoever had handled the Back-Up, and then headed after the Taisho.

New thoughts and excitement buzzed through his mind. He was about to head into battle once more -- and that thought filled him with dread. Was he ready for another bout?

 

[Miyako]

Once her team members finished their backups, Akina walked with them to the nearest lift. The plush walkways of the Nadare were not carpeted with the standard red that came with most Chiharu class vessels, but did sport a theme in whites, greys, and vibrant blues with a dash of color in various paintings reflecting Yamatai's cultural heritage from the far north. There were even depictions of Elves, and Trolls though the former were not known to inhabit the region, Akina had always wanted to go see their home, and wondered why they were not a more outspoken minority. The redheaded officer used their travel time to address her aide, "If you insist you are not ready, you never will be. I was a Shosa when I was brought in command of the Akuro. You know almost more about my life than me, you should know opportunities only crop up every so often. I still intend to promote the others as they grow and learn."

It was a longer trip with the Taisho to get to the fleet bridge, she was more tired than she wanted any of the assorted crew to know. They had to take a different lift once they arrived at the bridge tower. A humming sound became replaced with classical music that projected a more serious atmosphere when they arrived, and the call to the bridge was belted out, "Taisho on deck!"

"I have command. Inform the Shosho to keep the group on task."

"Aye, ma'am." The same Cyan haired woman nodded from far to the other side of the elevated structure that was the command bridge. Below Shimizu's Fleet deck was where the actual ship was commanded, where she had brought them was a space dominated by a large holo-table, showing a current display of the tactical formations of the parts of their fleet moving in on the battle site. At the center was the contested, highly valuable Iori-class station.

"Take the fleet-tac station." The Taisho told her remaining Aide. It caused the Taisa sitting there to wrinkle her nose, but she stood up anyway to move towards the Second Fleet Communications station, without a word of protest.

Home to many, target to many more Mishhu, Spirit city was many things. Nothing could stop the Fourth Fleet from meeting the fight for the future of the Bard Expanse. In less than five minutes they would be what most of them were born for.