RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 11.2] Chiharu Star Fortress

Chiharu Star Fortress

"Have you been to Chiharu Star Fortress before?" Lime asked. "I have not really left the ship except for a few missions...in fact, it feels weird and anxious to leave Eucharis. I guess I am a little afraid of the unknown!" she grinned.

"Actually, ma'am, this is only my second time on the station if you count barely having time to run through the station to catch the Eucharis before it launched to join the task force." Michael responded, pulling his hat off his head and tucking it under his arm. "Thank you again for accompanying me, Lime-Hei."

The green-haired neko looked at Michael funny. "You don't need to call me ma'am," she noted. "I'm no officer or old lady! Hahaha!" she laughed. "Anyway, I was wondering where you wanted to go. Are we looking for something special?"

"A-actually, ma-" The Elysian stopped himself before he called Lime ma'am again, some old habits dying hard, "Lime, do you mind if I leave off the Hei since we're off duty?"

"It's okay," Lime nodded. She kind of danced while she waited for his answer, swaying her hips side to side absently.

"Very well then! I'm sorry about this slight detour, but we're going to have to stop by a post office before we actually go shopping." Squeezing at his hat, Michael blushed, looking quite embarrased. "My mother sent me a copy of her family's book of recipes, so I was hoping to try something from that. Those are the foods that I grew up eating, after all, and It would be rude to not put it to use."

Lime removed her cap and put it in her coat pocket. "Okay, Michael. Let's go!" She grinned and let the winged guy lead the way.

Initially a bit confused by the layout of the station, Michael got his bearings quickly enough, and soon the green-headed neko and the red-headed angel were on one of the main passageways of the station. "I know that I am technically from Yamatai and all, but Lime, could you tell me what things are like in the empire now? I am only used to the way things are in Elysia, and I am truly afraid of causing a misunderstanding onboard the Eucharis due to the differing cultures onboard our ship."

"Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean. I don't really get out much," Lime apologized. Her world was pretty small and her life not so long thus far.

Around the two, hundreds of other Star Army soldiers could be seen visting shops and places in the city-like section of the station. A post office for docked ships was visible from where they entered, along with various other facilities aimed at temporary guests such as tour guides, gift shops, and massage parlors.

Michael scratched at his cheek, actually wowed by the size of the station, and the amount of space offered to luxuries. "This is actually amazing, Lime. You'd never see anything like this back in the ECN. Everything was always cramped and seemed small, even the spaces meant for Patricians. If the empire can afford to have all of this on a near-frontline facility, then it isn't any wonder my people were pushed off the homeworld..." frowning, he looked down. "Though I wish that things hadn't come to that."

"Chiharu is one of the oldest star fortresses. It really is a whole city is space, with civilians and communities and kids aboard. They should have almost everythign available," Lime explained. She didn't comment on the Elysian Wars...they were before her time.

"We're here though, so lets get that package my mother sent me. The past is the past, afterall, no reason to get caught up on it." Michael said, perking up and smiling at the neko, reaching out to playfully ruffle her hair.

"Heeeeey," Lime frowned, trying to fix it.

Michael held back a good natured laugh, chuckling instead at Lime as he led her inside the post office. Suprisingly enough, things weren't that busy, allowing Michael to quickly recieve the package: A small diary-looking thing wrapped ornately in expensive looking paper, with a lettter and a picture tied to it by a dainty bow. This, of course, was somewhat embarrasing for Michael, who had a look of embarrasment on his face. "Geez, even though we've both been in the military for almost a decade now, she still treats Gavril and me like her little boys." Despite his embarrasment, Michael didn't mind the show of affection from his mother, even if it was across lightyears of space.

"Mmm. What's it like having a mom?" Lime asked, curious. As a Nekovalkyrja, she'd been born fully grown and without parents, entering the world through a vat of nanomachines on the YSS Sakura.

"Well, It's kinda hard to explain, Lime." Michael responded, looking down fondly at the picture- it was of when Michael and Gavril were both children on Novus Elysia, taken outside the small church of one of the farming communities on Novus Elysia that were popping up all over the planet thanks to the diaspora. The twins, Michael and Gavril, had dirtied up their church clothes playing after Mass that day, their faces beaming as they were hugged by their exasperated foster-parents, Magdelena and Henri. Henri himself was the preacher of the church, and Magdelena had been a nun for the early years of her life. They had both done their best to raise the twin orphans, and despite the things that happened to them, Michael reckoned that they did a pretty swell job.

"She isn't my birth mother, me and my brother were adopted by her and her husband. They both did all that they could for us, and gave us one of the best things anyone could've given two orphans: A loving family. I guess that it could be hard to understand what it's like, but Henri and Magdelena were always so warm and loving. I guess, well, for you the same could be said that the crew of the Eucharis is your family."

"Does that make you my brother?" Lime grinned.

PAUSE

Cargo Area

"You can come with me if you like," Hanako told Helen. "Maybe we will run into Sune out there too."

- - -

Meanwhile, Taisho Yui's starship and escorts arrived...

Cargo Area

"Excellent, I'm sure it will be fun, Taisa." Helen said with a smile. "It has been a long time since I've gone on a shopping trip on our side of the border... I must be terribly behind in our fashions." It was a rarity from Helen at that point as she spoke, it was the dialog of a simple woman, and not an operative for the time being. For Helen, it was a relaxed moment, the first time in the better part of a year that she had been able to drop the vicious SAINT routine. Inwardly though, that vicious SAINT also mulled over the notion that such an outing would undoubtedly make doing her job aboard the Eucharis all the easier, since there was the possibility she could maybe befriend the Princess which she was assigned to ensure the safety of through her investigation.

Chiharu Star Fortress, Ship's Store

Kiko strode over to the ship's store as she'd told Mikael she would. She was wearing an exercise uniform with the addition of her pistol belt. After a glance around the area determined that he wasn't there, she entered the store and began browsing the inventory.

Mikael was glad he was out of his dress uniform. He strolled up to the Chiharu's Ship Store and noticed that Kiko was not outside. He simply shrugged and went inside since there were a number of items that he wanted to buy after this training excerise was over. But then he noticed Kiko. And then he noticed what she was wearing. He felt slightly overdressed with his Type 30 Duty Uniform. Again he shrugged and walked up to her.

"Are you ready Inoue-hei?" Mikael said to her.

Kiko stood up and nodded. "I am, Harris-hei," she said politely, bowing. She walked out the door and held it for him.

Mikael walked through the door and walked towards the holographic chambers. "Should just be a simple weapons familiarization excerise. Nothing too crazy, but I haven't done any real combat training outside of first hand experience since basic training. The Eucharis is a hectic ship."

Kiko nodded as she walked with him. "Indeed," she answered. She'd managed to make time for practice herself, but she couldn't blame him for not doing so, given that it was mostly because she was too shy to socialize with the rest of the crew that she could. She didn't say any of that, of course. It would be too easy for her to accidentally insult him.

"I especially want to train up on long range weaponry. I don't see enough of that these days." Mikael said as the two entered the corridor leading to the chambers. "Between you and me, we don't seem to be able to reach out and touch those squid villians in combat. And once they get close....it tends to get real nasty. It rarely goes in our favor." Mikael said bluntly. He couldn't remember any real victory against the NMX he knew of since the war started. Kiko nodded and listened attentively.

Mikael stopped outside one of the chambers and used the console next to the door. He searched for the standard weapons range program he used once before. Finally finding it, he touched the start button and motioned Kiko to enter. "Shall we?" he asked.

Kiko walked in ahead of Mikael. "We shall," she replied, taking a position at a firing station.

Mikael just laughed as he followed her. Kiko glanced around and let her lip twitch upward after she was sure the place was empty. Mikael walked towards one of the weapon racks in the corner and created a Type 33B Rifle. He grabbed it and moved it over to one of the firing platforms. He flipped out the bipods before he placed it on the floor. He then yet back to gather 120 SLAP rounds and a few battery magazines.

Kiko followed him to the weapon racks and moved some identical armament to her platform, feeling a bit foolish for thinking that she could use a real pistol here.

Mikael walked back to his weapon with the ammunition for his weapon. After first inspecting the holographic weapon like he would a real one, he stood back up and went of to a console near by to initiate the pop-up sequence. Setting the first 30 pop-ups in random order between 5,500 meters and 8,500 meters, he rushed back over to his weapon and assumed a good prone position. Kiko lied down and prepared to fire at the popups as well.

The first pop-up appeared 5,750 meters in front of Kiko and she fired straight at it less than a second after it appeared. Kiko's rushed shot barely glanced the pop-up. But it was enough to topple it.

The second pop-up up appeared at the maximum range of 8,500 meters in front of Mikael. He took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger as he exhaled. But he took to long and the pop-up went back down before the SLAP round was close enough to hit it. Not that it would have mattered, the shot was wide.

The third pop-up seemed to take it's time before it showed 7,000 meters in front of Kiko. She took a bit longer to aim this time, but still fired fairly quickly. The round from Kiko's shot came up short, hitting the floor with holographic dust in front of the pop-up.

The fourth pop-up once again appeared 8,500 meters in front of Mikael, seemingly taunt him. He took another deep breath as he looked down the iron sights. But he exhaled more quickly this time, squeezing the trigger at the same time. The SLAP round from his weapon grazed the pop-up's head, bringing it down. Mikael sighed and went through the whole process in his head.

The two continued to fire off shots at the pop-ups in turns before the firing sequence terminated with the 30th pop-up going down. Two sets of numbers appeared in front of the two shooters detailing their shooting accuracy, which pop-ups they shot, and where their shots were placed.

Kiko frowned slightly. "I will need to practice more, it appears," she said mildly. "Shall we continue, Harris-hei?"

Mikael shook his head when he saw his low accuracy. "Of course, I plan on spending all of my time here until the Eucharis is ready to deploy once more."

PAUSE

Shopping District

Sune walked into the shop and began the process of fleshing out his wardrobe. Pants and shirts were first on so he walked into the store and started looking for slacks. He was looking for some that were low maintenance, and well fitting. He found a simple style that in his opinion looked well on him. With the help of the clothier, he chose three colors and had them measured to be altered.

Now that he had satisfactory pants, it was on to shirts. He looked around until he found the "no iron" dress shirts. He chose six shirts that would go with the slacks that he selected.

Sune made his way to the front and paid for his purchases including delivery to his temporary quarters.

He walked out and looked around, the book store was still on his list of places to visit, but he needed a coat or jacket to go with the clothes and some accessories such as a dress belt and shoes.

Chiharu Star Fortress, Medical Center

Takeyu ran his hand through his sisters hair, she was partly asleep, with her head laying in his lap. He looked over at the nightstand and noticed a bloodied picture and a tray with the food that Layven had ate a few minutes ago, almost completely gone. The picture was of the family, with Sakura and Layven in front, Takeyu in the center, and their mother and father in the back. Behind them was the front end of their ship, with it being obvious that the picture was taken in some old, somewhat worn down station.

He reached out and snagged the picture from the stand, the blood was obviously old and there was a faint coppery smell to it. Think I'll see about getting this picture redone, he said before placing it back on the stand and nudging the girl.

Layven's eyes slowly opened, she moaned before sitting up and stretching up into the air. He smiled at her, and then asked. "Shall we head out for some fresh air?"

"But where?" she asked and got up off the bed and walked over to the door.

"Well, we do have a park here, never been to the one on this station though. Want to?" He offered and got up off the bed and started for the door. Layven smiled happily and ran after her brother as he left the room.

The two crossed the ways over to an awaiting elevator, then got inside, Takeyu tapped the keypad for the park level and the doors closed.

Chiharu Star Fortress, Park Level

The elevator chimed as it stopped, the doors parted, and Takeyu exited with Layven, his little sister. They strode into the large, expensive park hand-in-hand.

The park was very large, larger than the recreational center. It had rolling hills, long-winding rivers full of koi fish. Wooden Arches that towered over stone paths that were overgrown with grass and small plants. There were also was a large Pagoda, a tower that soared almost ten stories tall and served a shrine.

There was an observation deck located just off to the right of the elevator which the two headed toward, there was an assortment of benches and different types of asian style plants, there was even a dictionary in the center with an overview of the park, with details related to each section. Takeyu looked at it, then decided to just stay here and enjoy the sight.

Opening up his personel computer pad, he looked down at the time and saw that not that long had passed since the promotion ceremony. "I wonder if Kiko-hei will be able to make it," he muttered lowly to himself.

"Who?" Layven asked curiously when she heard him speak.

"Just a fellow crewmate," Takeyu smiled back at her and leaned on a fence that overlooked a large lake. Takeyu watched his little sister, Layven was only twelve years old, but the two years that had passed with her being a slave wouldn't have made it that apperent. She wasn't even the height of a typical twelve year old, more like that of a ten year old. Her clothing was a simple light blue dress with a dark red cowl. She also had a light red hat that she held in her left hand, and wouldn't let go.

He had to wonder who bought her the clothing, but then again, he didn't care, as she was most likely very glad to no longer be wearing the slavers outfit she had been recovered on. With a gentle smile, and a light sigh, he turned around and continued to look at the lake.

Kiko walked in from the direction of her quarters on the station, wearing a fur-collared leather jacket with a Eucharis patch and a pair of black pants. As she reached the Nayacesens, she bowed and spoke in her usual calm tone. "Hello, Nayacesen-Jôtô Heisho, Miss. I am Inoue Kiko-Sa - I mean Nitô Hei." One of her ears perked up in curiosity about why Takeyu asked her over here.

Takeyu glanced over his shoulder, then turned around fully with his back against the rails, he then pushed off. "Glad you were able to come Kiko-hei," he said with a satisfied smile and then glanced down at Layven, who was still looking out toward the lake and obviously hadn't heard her. Takeyu could only assume that after everything that had happened, her hearing may have been affected in some way or another.

As Layven continued to look, she heard Takeyu's voice and looked at him, blinked a few times in confusion, then yelped in surprise when she saw Kiko and then realized that the 'miss' comment was meant for her. "Err... I... ummm," Layven's face turned beet red with embarassment as she rubbed her hands together. "Umm, errr," she looked down.

Kiko's eyes widened a bit. "I didn't mean to startle you, miss. My appologies," she said, unable to keep a slightly distressed note out of her voice. From her, that sounded like panicked stammering. "Would you like me to leave?"

Takeyu shook his head. "That's quite alright," he said and patted Layven on the head. The girl glanced up at him, and then let out a sigh before she straightened herself up and looked at Kiko. Her composure renewed by a simple pat on the head, or maybe because she realized that she had possibly been causing Kiko some distress. "My names Layven, Layven Nayacesen, it's good to meet Inoue Kiko.... hmmmm," she tapped the edge of her chin thoughtfully, with Takeyu looking at her curious. "Can I give you a nickname?" she beamed.

Kiko bowed again. "It is good to meet you as well, Nayacesen-san." She blinked a couple of times when Layven asked her question. "You may, I suppose." She wasn't really sure why the girl would want to. Her name couldn't possibly be too long for someone named Nayacesen. Not that she'd actually say anything to that effect, of course.

Layven stood there for a moment in thought, then giggled and said. "How about Iny!" she beamed.

Takeyu blinked and then shook his head. "You can't be shortening people's last names like that," he said.

"Well, she might not mind," her finger up to her mouth with a curious expression, she looked over at Kiko.

Kiko raised an eyebrow at Layven. "I have no objection, Nayacesen-san," she said mildly. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly. She found the nickname to be ridiculous, but she could pretend that the girl had given it out of fondness instead of whatever her real reason was.

"Please, tell me Layven, my last name is a bit long," she smiled at Kiko.

"Thank you very much, Layven-san," the neko said.

Takeyu shook his head a second time, then looked over at Kiko. "My apologies Kiko-hei. Layven gives nicknames to everyone on our ship, mostly so she can rememer them more easily but in this case I think she is doing it out of a show of affection, she has been away from civilization for two years, so I can't really blame her," he said through telepathy and shrugged his shoulders with Layven being unable to see that.

Kiko blinked again. "No appology is necessary, sir," she replied through the same medium. After a few seconds, she added, "I hope I am not overstepping my station, but would it be acceptable to you if I asked to hug her?"

He blinked, and thought about it for a moment, an unusual request but he didn't find anything wrong with it. "I don't see anything wrong, in fact, that might make Layven rather happy" he replied back and folded his arms over his chest and continued to smile.

Kiko nodded subtly and swallowed. "Ah, Layven-san... I realizet that this may be inappropriate, and you have every right to refuse, but may I hug you?" she asked, turning a slightly darker shade of pink.

"Sure!" Layven beamed happily.

Kiko knelt and embraced the smaller girl, unable to keep a small smile off her face. Layven likewise smiled, accepting the embrace and hugged Kiko tightly. Then after a few minutes, Layven released her grip. A few seconds after, Kiko released Layven and stood back up, struggling to compose her face back into a neutral expression. Though who she thought she might be fooling with it was not readily apparent.

Takeyu turned to his side and stared across the lake, he was wondering if there were any places to sit but he saw none, most taken by other station personnel. As he stared out, he felt a tug on his pants and looked down at Layven. "Something wrong?" he asked her.

Layven glanced sideways, noticing a distant group of people who were out on a terrance. "Well, I noticed that Sakura isn't around," she said though her expression betrayed something else.

He wasn't intending on asking her right away, due to the mood, he was going to ask her toward the end of the day when things had settled down. Yet he 'knew' she already knew the answer. "Layven," he said.

The girl stood there, choking back tears and staring out at the lake. "She's dead... I....." she sobbed.

Layven shook her head. "I-I know..." she turned toward the rails and gripped them with her hands. "I...." Takeyu watched her, then glanced over at Kiko, before hearing a light sobbing sound from Layven.

He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her. Kiko reached toward her, then withdrew her hand. The child's brother knew her better than she did. Layven then turned toward him, he placed a finger up against her cheek and wiped a single tear away. Then planted the palm against her skin. Layven was going to say something else, but Takeyu placed his finger upon her lips, and shook his head then very quickly changed the subject to perhaps brighten her mood. He spun her around, which caused her to yelp in surprise as he placed both of his hands on her shoulder. "Layven, did you know that Kiko-hei helped in your rescue?" he asked. She blinked and looked over at Kiko, wondering if that was true.

"Sorry you had to hear that, I wasn't expecting her to suddenly bring that up. However, it is true that I do have another sister, a younger one, who was killed. However, now that I know that to be true, I can have our youngest revived" he said telepathically and watched Layven.

"I would never blame you for something like that, sir. And if I may say so, you appologize somewhat too much," Kiko replied, blind to the hypocrisy of the latter statement. She nodded to Layven. "I did, yes. My contribution was rather minor, but not nonexistant."

"Nonsense, I'm sure you were great out there!" she said to Kiko with a big grin on her face. Takeyu visibly rubbed the back of his neck, he never seemed to know when he was being 'to' apologetic.

Kiko smiled back a bit. "Well, if you say so, then it must be true," she said mildly. "My most sincere appologies for contradicting the all-knowing one."

Layven giggled and then spun around, her arms flailed in the air for a moment until she brought them down to her side. She looked around, before noticing a wide open field with some lines painted across it, she tapped her chin again thoughtfully. "Hey Bro, have you been practicing your swordsmenship lately?" she asked.

Kiko raised an eyebrow at Takeyu. "I wasn't aware that you were a swordsman, Nayacesen-Jôtô Heisho," she said.

"I use the sword, but not in an official capacity. Everyone in my family, including the crew of our ship, were required to learn some martial form, since you won't always have access to a gun," he said in response to Kiko's statement, and noticed Layven shivered at the word 'gun' he had forgotten that Layven didn't like guns.

"Iny interested in Swordsmanship?" Layven curiously asked.

Kiko nodded. "Hanako-sama gave us katanas for the solstice, and I've found that learning the martial arts brings me some measure of serenity..." she stared at a wall for a few seconds. "Ah, my appologies. I shouldn't have brought my own emotional state up like that." An edge of nerves crept into her voice.

"Well~" Layven looked up at Takeyu. "Takeyu could teach ya, but he's no where NEAR as good as me," she thumbed her chest and pushed it out in a superior posture and Takeyu rolled his eyes.

Kiko raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? It is rare to see such dedication. My compliments," she deadpanned.

After a moment Takeyu cleared his throat. "I could teach you if you desire, but just keep in mind that the Nayacesen style is different from that used by the Ketsurui Samurai," he said to Kiko.

Kiko nodded. "I was not planning on impersonating a Ketsurui, so that is no major drawback," she said.

Takeyu quickly went to correct what he had said. "I didn't mean to say that you were, we've just had people in the past who often times ask if our style is anything like the Ketsurui Samurai, so we've kind of gotten into the habit of telling others it isn't," he said nervously. Kiko replied with a noncommital grunt

"However, those swords if I recall are ceremonial... so we'll need practice blades instead," Takeyu tapped his lower chin, then took out a pad and ordered two Tamahagane's along with practice blade attachments.

"Do you have any questions though about our style?" asked Takeyu.

"Nothing that isn't likely to be included in my first lesson," Kiko said. "I expect that you could use some time to prepare for that."

"Depending on how much time we have," He looked at Layven, she may be family but she wasn't military, so he didn't continue that statement. "I'll see about finding a place perhaps tonight, or maybe early tomorrow, is that alright with ya?" Kiko nodded back.

Layven beamed and turned back around, collasping her hands behind her back, she looked around before a thought came to her. "By the way bro, am I going to be staying in that hospital?" she asked.

"No you aren't," replied Takeyu. "However, are you alright with living under the roof of a former Ketsurui Samurai?" he asked.

Her eyes blinked a few times, then she collasped her hands in front of her excitedly. "R-really?!" she asked and he nodded.

Kiko raised an eyebrow at Takeyu. "Who are you referring to, if I may ask?"

"I don't know the name of the person," Takeyu started. "Only that she resides at Kage Yaichiro's mansion, you 'might' be able to find some information on them, but there's no telling since she is a former Ketsurui Samurai

Kiko shrugged. "I wouldn't want to intrude on their privacy. Besides, I already have a teacher."

"I wouldn't mind meeting her to be honest, but with the war and such, that won't be possible," Takeyu shrugged his shoulders.

Layven blinked, curious yet confused at what Takeyu just said. "War? What War?" she asked.

"The war with the NMX," Kiko said. "The ones who set the parasites on you. I believe that the slavers surrendered to us because we treat our prisoners far better than the NMX do, but I'm not certain."

"That, or the NMX just really scared the living daylights out of them," Takeyu grinned with Layven laughing nervously. "Well, part of the reason the NMX are so frightening is because of what they do to people they capture," Kiko pointed out.

"I don't know if I want to know," Layven said with a slightly concerned look on her face. "I mean... err... what does NMX stand for?" she looked at the two of them in turn.

History lesson time..., Takeyu folded his arms over his chest and smiled. Though he wasn't at all intending to do this type of thing at this time, perhaps a little lesson wasn't that bad of an idea, if it allowed Layven to understand what was going on, maybe it would help her adapt to her new life.

"An unpronounceable phrase in their language which roughly translates to 'New Mishhuvurthyar Military," Kiko said.

"New Mishe...Misha...Mishuv....ughs! Mishumisfits!" Layven blurted out when she couldn't pronounce the word right, prompting Takeyu to burst out laughing and Kiko to cover her mouth before anyone could see her grin like a normal person.

After moment, Takyeu stopped laughing, though he had tears in his eyes from it. "Maybe we should ask command to rename them to that," he snickered as he was still unable to get it out of his mind. Layven, on the other hand, looked a bit puzzled as to why he was laughing, and why Kiko had covered her mouth.

Kiko nodded sagely and forced her face to straighten up. "It would have beneficial effects on morale," she pointed out.

"True," Takeyu winked and then placed his back up against the rails. "Ok, Layven, let's go ahead and pronounce the word out little by little, that way there you don't cause everyone on the station to die from laughter," he half snickered. "Or she could just say 'Mishhu,'" Kiko pointed out.

"Then again, doesn't Mishhu sound like a sort of food?" commented Takeyu before he realized that, based on what the Mishhu do to their prisoners, maybe it made sense 'why' their name sounded like a food of sorts.

Kiko shrugged. "I would try it at some point, but I might acquire a parasitical infestation. They appear to be as painful as I have heard they are."

"Parasi---- err....." Layven sighed heavily at her inability to pronounce those big words.

Takeyu just smiled and patted her on the shoulder. Being on a slave ship for two years tends to dull you a bit, he thought. Glad I'm enrolling her in school later,

"Don't worry about trying to understand Layven, for you will in due time," he said and she nodded.

"Still," Layven folded her arms over her chest and started thinking. "Why do the Misha... Mishe.. err...." she glared sideways. "Why do they hate us?"

"What's makes you think they hate us?" Asked Takeyu.

"Well, if I'm understanding right, they are our enemy, but why are they our enemy?" she asked, and once again, looked between the two in turn. Takeyu really did feel like he was back on his ship, teaching Layven history, only without the presence of his youngest sister.

The Neko shrugged again. "When someone asked that in training, they were mocked for being too philosophical," she said. "None of the guesses I've come up with make sense on examination, so I don't know. My appologies."

"Perhaps it's better to just not know," Takeyu nodded his head.

"Aww... but I wanna know!" Said Layven childishly as she looked up at Takeyu with pleading eyes but her brother shook his head.

"No," he said simply.

"Bah...." Layven folded her arms over her chest and glared out over the lake. As she looked over the lake, her mind wondered to the ship she had been on. She thought for a moment, but she didn't know the name of the ship, and she had already forgotten the name of it's captain. She blinked and then looked back at them. "Umm, what was the name of the ship that rescued me again?"

"You mean the-" Swiss Cheese "-Eucharis?" Kiko asked, deciding to keep her mental nickname for her home to herself.

"Yea, I think that's the ship," Layven tapped the side of her cheek. "Umm, why were you out there though?" she asked.

Takeyu had to smile, though he was beginning to wonder why she was so curious.

"I don't believe we're allowed to tell you," Kiko said.

"Is it because I'm a kid?" asked Layven.

"No, it's more of a general policy of not telling anyone anything unless they need to know," she answered. "Otherwise someone might accidentally tell an NMX agent something important. In fact, that's probably why nobody ever told me why the NMX are fighting us."

"Worse yet," Takeyu interjected. "If we told you, they could potentially use you against us," he said, with the mere thought of someone using a child just sickened him to the core, but then again, he knew that the NMX were just as capable of doing such a thing.

Layven didn't like that and shivered all over. "I don't think I wanna know now.... but what about the captain? Who was she?" she asked.

"Hanako-sama? Her full name is Ketsurui Hanako-Taisa. She's actually quite famous. Why do you ask?"

"Ketsurui... Ketsurui.... Ah! That would mean that she's a princess, right?" Layven's eyes lit up with excitement. Kiko nodded. "Do you think I could meet her?"

At that, Takeyu blinked. "Umm, I don't think that would be possible, considering she is a very busy person," he said and looked over at Kiko. She nodded at him "it seems unlikely."

"I 'could' always ask the Taisa, but it's entirely up to her, but there is no gurrantee," he said to Layven who, relunctanlty, nodded her head. She's rather meet her right now, but she knew that just wasn't possible.

Again, she turned back to the lake and began to think about what she would say if she meet Hanako, and wanted to thank her. If she hadn't been there, where would I be? the thought made her a little frightened, as she remembered vividly at how cold and hungry she felt on the planet. Eating warm food, and sleeping in a warm bed, was enough for her right now.

She then smiled, spun around, and grabbed the rail and boosted herself up, now clear of it she could see clearly and further, but as she was about to get down she felt something sharp slice into her hand. "Ow!" she yelped and quickly drew her hand away and looked at it. "Layven-san, are you all right?" Kiko asked, stepping closer.

Takeyu unfolded his arms, and glanced over at Kiko.

Layven stared at the blood as it flowed from her open cut, and for a moment she seemed fixated on it, then suddenly memories began to flash through her mind, people screaming, and someone shouting. As blood dripped off her hand, she suddenly moved it to her head and started screaming out in pain, with tears rolling down her face.

Takeyu quickly knelt down in front, and grabbed her wrists, but he was amazed that despite her being a child he could not pull them away from her head. "Kiko? Can you pull her hands away from her head please so that I can talk to her, I know it's harsh..." he asked, completely forgetting to add any honorific to the name due to the situation.

Kiko immediately siezed Layven's wrists and yanked them away from her head with as little force as she could, but still far more than she'd have done without Takeyu's message. She let the lack of honorific pass without mention.

Layven struggled hard, but she couldn't get her hands free. Kiko forced the arms behind her back and held them both in the same two-handed grip. Takeyu looked into her face and said, "Layven! Calm down, you're safe and sound, calm down!" he said but then saw her eyes shout open, they were like saucers, with tears still pouring. He was takenaback, shocked even. "I.... I've never seen her this scared before, what the hell did they DO to her?" he asked but then went back to trying to get through to her. Layven still struggled, he wasn't certain if it was her phobia of blood, or the images of her torment at the hands of the slavers that was driving her fear.

He placed his hands around her face, and this caused her eyes to twitch slightly. "Calm down...." he said softly and for that moment she stopped struggling, as if she realized where she was, before he saw her eyes close slightly, before fainting and falling backward toward Kiko. The neko caught her with ease and set her gently on the softest patch of ground she could find. "I-I didn't hurt her, did I?" she stammered. Her eyes were wider than Takeyu had ever seen them and he didn't need to make an effort to hear the horror in her voice.

Takeyu looked down at Layven, concerned not because of what Kiko had to do to restrain her, but more about what might have caused Layven to freak out. "I don't think you did, she's a pretty tough kid," he smiled reassuringly at her. Or at least, she used to be...

The young neko breathed a sigh of relief, as she couldn't hear Takeyu's doubts. She took a couple of deep breaths and rearranged her expression back into the neutral mask she usually wore. "That is good to hear. My appologies that you had to see that, sir," she droned.

He shook his head, then carefully picked Layven up and held her. "No need to apologize, I'm just sorry you had to see her, but I guess it was to happen sooner or later, just wish it wouldn't have," he looked down at Layven's face. "I better get her back to the Medical Center then, and let them know about what happened," he said and shifted his hands so he could carry the twelve year old better. Kiko didn't dare ask to carry her instead.

"I'll contact you later in regards to the training, but it might be a bit later than I had originally planned," Takeyu said with a hint of concern in his tone.

Kiko's ears drooped an inch. "I see," she said. I can't blame him for rejecting me as a student... I wish he'd be more earnest about it, though.

With that, Takeyu shifted his weight a bit then started for the elevator that would take him to the Medical Center, but stopped part way. "Thank you for coming by the way," he smiled at her and continued walking. His eyes glanced down at his pocket, which held a KS Card that was given to him by Jalen Sune, guess I'll give it to her during the dinner tonight, he thought before sending a message to the Medical Center, letting them know what had just happened and to have a nurse there ready.

"Thank you for inviting me," she said guiltily, not realizing that his thanks were just as sincere as hers.

Though I also need to figure out who I have to talk to about revivals, but I guess I'll take care of that later, he thought and looked down at his sister as he stepped into the elevator and tapped the button that would take him back to the medical center.

END

Quarters

Given that Hanako said she might have to leave him in command of the Eucharis, Yaichiro spent a good amount of his time not relaxing, but pondering options and reviewing Spacy Fleet Strategy. Depending on how things went, he may just find himself leading a task force to shield the UOC, Lorath, and the Fourth Fleet from his own NMX-warped creations.

He telepathically inquired to Charisma for details on the probe's data. Yaichiro knew the short version from the Taisa, but he wanted more details. He needed whatever information he could find to try and paint a better picture of what they might be getting into, so as not to have a repeat of what happened with Task Force Torch.

Chiharu Star Fortress

"That isn't exactly what I meant..." Michael responded, flushing as he tugged at the collar of his uniform coat. "I mean, I'm sure that Mango and the Taisa are like sisters to you, but I could never think about anyone on the Eucharis that way." The Elysian nodded... And then shook his head. "I don't mean anything insulting by that either. What I mean is that Neko like you and the Taisa are too cute to think of in a sisterly way.... Oh god, and that sounds just as horrible..." He trailed off, holding his face in his palm.

Lime wrinkled her nose a little bit in confusion. "Are you saying you want to have sex with us?" she asked.

Several random people nearby kind of glanced over in the couple's direction as they overheard her blunt question.

If this were a combat situation and Lime's question an oncoming enemy attack, Michael was sure that he would be dead right now. Shaking his head frantically, the Elysian made clear what he meant. "No-no no! Not that. Well, Not until ma- No, that isn't what I mean!" Michael's face was now as red as his hair.

"Oh," Lime cryptically replied, absorbing that morsel of information. A long moment passed.

"... If, If I was interested in stuff like that, You'd be my first choice," Michael said, his blush somewhat subsided, "after I take you on a date, of course."

"What," Lime muttered, somewhat unimpressed. "Anyway, I thought you were going to buy some food."

"Well, yes. I just got a bit distracted. I'll need to get some ingredients. For the Salads i'll need a few Aubergines, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, tomatoes, sliced cucumber, green bell peppers, red onion, sliced or cubed feta cheese, olives. If I want to cook some Aginares A la polita, I'll need some Artichokes." The Elysian stopped, and rubbed his chin, thinking. "What do you think would fit better Lime, meatballs or wraps?"

"Wraps?" Lime guessed, not really familiar with Elysian food.

"Yeah, Gyros. You take meat and vertically roast it. When its done, you slice off pieces of the meat, chop it a bit, add in some tomatoes, onion, and tzatziki sauce, and you wrap it up in a pita. It's actually a popular food on Novus Elysia."

"Kind of like a burrito?" Lime asked, nodding.

Michael shrugged. "Somewhat, but a buritto is completely enclosed, a Gyro is more typically open."

"An Elysian gordita!" the green-haired girl grinned. "What is the sauce made with?"

"Ah, Tzatziki sauce is made from strained yogurt and cucumbers essentially, but other things can be added in like garlic, salt, olive oil, paprika, and lemon juice. It shouldn't be that hard to find some strained yogurt on Chiharu."

Lime followed Michael around as he selected the ingredients from a local market.

"I am truly sorry for what I said earlier, Lime-Hei." Michael said as he picked out Pomegranates for the crew. The fruit, while something of a pain to eat, was delicious and incredibly healthy. "I did not mean to offend you at all, and I thank you for your patience with me."

"It is okay," Lime told him. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the Elysian yet but her initual opinion was still forming. She would have to get to know him better.

"We should head back to the ship now, and get to cooking." The Elysian smiled at Lime, grinning at her, his new friend, happily.

Command Deck

Sorano sat in old her office on the Command Deck. She was reviewing the sensor data and ship logs supplied by the Aegir, and was waiting for the data from the 1XF vessels to add to it.

But the picture the current data was disturbing. The ships of the Task Force had fought valiantly, of that there was no doubt. They were even put on alert and maintained a proper stature during their time in Mitsuya.

The fact that the task force was outnumbered was the deciding factor in the loss. But she saw a few disturbing events though.

Kontan then notified her of the arrival of Ketsurui Yui-Taisho's ships.

She sent a message of greetings to Yui, and a request for information on who was traveling with Yui to be sent to Onikisu-Shosa.

Shopping Center

Sune walked down to the bookstore, and stepped into it. The shop had a unique fragrance from all the paper within. He stopped a few steps within and surveyed the shop. Never before had Sune seen so many books in one place. He recalled some of the treasured story books that were aboard the Bouken and how the young ones enjoyed having the stories read to them. He never really understood the concept, after all most books could be accessed electronically, but to some there was a significance of holding the book.

He looked around and searched, he found a copy of the book he had watched the family read to his namesakes. Then he crossed over and picked up a couple of basic medical manuals, a book on anatomy, and a book of poetry. Then with his arms full of books made his way to the cashier.

Shopping Center

"You may come with me," Hanako told Helen, although she was not sure how things would go, or if they were shopping for similar items. "I lost all my belongings to ship damage."


"Thank you, Taisa," Helen spoke as she gave a soft nod that bordered a bow of respect. After all, they were still on the clock, and as an officer, it was a privelidge to be given the oppertunity to go on such an outing with a princess. "I'm sure that we'll be able to recover the material losses. Maybe this could become a good thing, possibly could be viewed as an opportunity to redecorate and establish a new personal style."

"I am content with my style, but perhaps I can expand on it," Hanako pondered aloud. "I mainly want to get what I need to be comfortable, and some fashionable civilian clothing to balance the uniforms in my wardrobe." Hanako led the way towards the commercial districts.

With Hanako leading the way, Helen followed along as they approached the commercial district. It had been a long time since Helen had set foot on an Iori-class star fortress, the sheer magnitude of the structure still evoked imagery of the high-points of the Yamataian Empire, before the recent war seemingly put them on the ropes. At least, to Helen they were on the ropes, things usually seemed far more dire to her since she worked as an intelligence officer. Even with that momentary thought of nostalgia, Helen wore a smile upon her purple painted lips as she decided to start a bit of a dialog to hopefully get Hanako's mind off her battered ship. "In the few times which we have ran into each other in space, I have not seen your personal wardrobe. What sort of attire do you favor when off duty? I could keep an eye open for some things for you while we're shopping."

"I have barely left the ship, but when I do I tend to be in uniform. I love dresses and skirts, tights and sweaters, blacks, whites, and blues, solid colors, gold laced edges and gorgeous boots," Hanako answered. "I do not want to dress like a man."

"Mmm. Rather sensible choices in attire. I've known some people who have had rather questionable fashion sense. Even some personnel which have chosen to wear the uniform slacks instead of the skirt. Clothing for men belongs on men really... well... unless the woman in question has the figure to go along with a man's attire, though, that sort of fashion usually remains on the Nepleslian side of the border." Helen spoke, easing into the truly feminine line of conversation. Fashions, what looks good on who, and opinions on looks in general... it was something unique to the female side of a species, at least the Yamataian species and those close to it. "Needless to say, we need to find a dress shop... some place with lots of dresses. Lace, frills, anything to break away from the monotony of the uniform."

"It is not that I dislike our uniforms," the golden-eyed Taisa explained. "They are comfortable and attractive; however, variety can be nice, and uniforms are not suitable for personal business."

"Personal business, hm?" Helen said with a tone that had a bit of an implication, a joking one of course. "It is true, it is hard to conduct personal business when wearing the uniform sometimes. Especially these black panels... they're like a big huge sign that says 'You're not welcome here'. Like the exact opposite of a 'welcome' doormat or something of the sort." It was something difficult to explain, the stigma which was attached to SAINT, at least without offending a superior. How could someone say that their branch of the service scared people when speaking to a superior, without discrediting the uniform as a whole?

"There is also something to be said for dressing and feeling beautiful and sexy."

A smile crossed Helen's lips at that comment, drawing a nod from her. "Yes, that is absolutely true. It is an embarassing truth, but with many ships I've been assigned to, I've needed to bring a small cargo container to accomodate my wardrobe. Only recently have I trimmed off a lot of the excess since I've been doing more field work... it is a shame though, I've kept a wide range of beautiful and sexy clothing. A woman with my features sort of requires such things." Those features which Helen spoke of could be considered apparent with her every step producing a bounce that many of the girlish figured Nekovalkryja in the Empire lacked.

"I do not think I have ever seen your wardrobe, although I have heard it is quite exotic. I wonder if you would have any suggestions for mine," Hanako said. Entering the shopping areas, Hanako looked over the long rows of shops and department stores.

PAUSE

<shopping trip continuation will be inserted here later>


ON: Tasho's Office, Chiharu Star Fortress

The Taisho's office was spacious without being ostentatious. It had a view port that allowed the occupants to look down into one of the enormous bays. The furnishings were all relatively new, made of wood from Daichi. A gift from the colonists to the Taisho. The carpet was a royal blue, and behind the desk was the Star Army Flag. There was a divider that had been folded back that could separate the conference room from the office. Sorano had ordered it withdrawn so that they had plenty of room for the meeting and subsequent Board of Inquiry.

Hanako arrived with Helen at her side and bowed to Sorano and to her former captain, Taisho Yui. "Thank you for inviting me," she told the two admirals.

Taisho Yui nodded to Hanako and then took a seat in one of the chairs. "It is good to see you again."

At that point, there was not much for Helen to say until spoken to, it was one of those regulations and traditions which she dared not break with even a simple hello, instead, she bowed deeply and waited to be addressed, if she would even be spoken to as she stood at Hanako's side.

Sorano took a seat to the side of Yui, in accordance with her status. "Taisa, Shosa, please be seated." She then handed Yui a datapad with the information from the Aegir and the analysis that the 2XF Taisho and her staff had made.

Hanako sat in one of the chairs across from Yui and smoothed her new skirt over her thighs.

Following suit, Helen took the seat to the right of Hanako as she crossed one leg over the other, and simply waited at that point as she folded her hands upon her lap. This was the first time she had been to a formal inqueiry regarding a Taisa losing ships... it was really a sign of the times, only five years prior, the loss of a hundred ships under a Taisa was hardly something to bat a lash at, well, at least that was the way she remembered it.

"What have you found out?" Yui asked Hanako.

Hanako frowned. "The UOC Blackout is composed of a large number of local jamming systems as well as other ones that cover most of their space. The actual jamming sourves are unknown at this point. In the blackout zone, the NMX are obviously still able to use their own communications based on observing their operations. They seem to be roaming the UOC territories freely and from what we found at Mitsuya, they were elminating populations there on a global scale as far back as six months ago. The NMX has at least three of their flagships in the area and over 140 ships in the group we encountered, which did not include the flagships. SMX forces are also operating in the area. We were not able to make contact with the UOCPF thus far."

"That is interesting, it shows a change in their normal tactics that they were eliminating the populations rather than enslaving them. But then the NMX have demonstrated time and again that they think and operate differently from the SMX. Our evaluation of the engagement in Mitsuya could find no obvious culpability. But we are curious how it was that the NMX was able to pinpoint the Task Force so quickly both times it stopped. Do you have any information to explain that?" Sorano inquired.

"The attack on Mitsuya seems to have occured after most of the citizens were removed," Hanako clarified. "Chances are those people ended up in sausage rations. Interestingly they followed up with nuclear weapons. I am unsure why. The Task Force was spotted by a long scout ship, possibly on patrol. The main force came some five or six minutes later. I was on the surface at the time."

A thoughtful expression crossed Helen's features as the question was posed. There was a validity regarding the matter of questioning the fact of the Eucharis and the Task Force being found out so quickly. It made Helen think back to Yaichiro's fears, and it made her job seem to be all the more complex.

"I do not believe in coincidences Taisa, and that's what the events seem to suggest. The task force stopped in Bizankro, and within moments a lone scout ship dropped in, then escaped, only to return with more numbers. Then again in Mitsuya a lone scout drops in and alerts the enemy, and we know the results of that encounter. Neither time the Task Force had any warning of the approaching Scout ship. So I find this fact extremely troubling, because of what it implies." She paused for a moment, "The evidence would seem to imply that the NMX could track the Task Force and keep their presence completely hidden from our vessels."

"If they were sure of our position they would attack without tipping us off with the scout," Hanako surmised. "It is my impression they are actively patrolling the area and have reaction forces ready to pounce on any targets of opportunity."

With the matter of detection being brought into play, there was a bit of information which was glaringly apparent which came to Helen's mind as she leaned close to Hanako and whispered. "Of course we could be detected, we folded in, we have no method of getting that far out without it." Though, she did not speak her words out loud, since addressing the Taisho would be improper without without being addressed first.

"I must say I find it hard to believe that the NMX have a group of 140 plus warships out patrolling. That's an attack force, and it was in the vicinity of a system that by your own report they already had conquered and decimated. Which brings me back to my original conclusion. That either the NMX can mask their presence so well that our ships can not detect them, or the field they are using to hide them. This was not conventional ECM to hide a single ship, 140 ships represent a massive FTL event and the MEGAMI's were completely blind to them. Unless there is another possibility, a human one..."

"I believe that a sizable attack force means the conquest of UOC space is not yet complete," Hanako hypothesized. "Jiyuu, Lor, or Leo Star Fortress might be still intact and could be the targets of the NMX and SMX fleets. I have already analyzed outgoing communications from the task force and we did not find any evidence of an NMX parasite agent sending any signals out."

"If the Taisho would forgive me for speaking out of turn..." Helen finally had to speak... after all, the topic was something that she had knowlege of, at least it came to that point. "As some here may know, I was recently assigned to investigate the Lorath Matriarchy. At the time of my depature, the Lorath society was thriving... it would prove to be a priority target for the NMX, if they had the desire to neutralize the UOC, since the Lorath seem to serve as the military backbone in the region. With the NMX loitering in the area, and the Matriarchy intact, that loans to the conclusion that what we encountered was an NMX strikeforce intended for the Lorath. We just happend to stumble in near them, and since the taskforce folded in, we were lit up like a beacon on any sensor system."

"It only took one of those flagships to drop the moon on Lor," Yui commented. "Imagine what three could do."

"Taisho Yui, ma'am, the Matriarchy currently holds three primary systems. Each of these systems is fortified with enough small craft, orbital defense, planetary defense, and personnel to warrant twice as many flagships. The Matriarchy seems to have learned well from the first time they went up against the SMX Flagship class." Helen explained, elaborating on the apparent logic of the NMX.

"Perhaps the NMX are sending a flagship for each of the three systems...a simultaneous wave of destruction," Yui frowned.

"Taisa, we all know that the NMX are manufacturing their own Nekovalkyjra, so parasite agents are not the only concern. But as you said, we could find no sign of a signal being sent. So we return to the main crux of the matter. Our enemy has found a way to hide large numbers of ships completely. We need to find out how they are doing that. After all they have taken several key systems near Yamatai. If they employ whatever this technology is against our homeworld. They would have no warning."

"If we had left the star system when the scout arrived, the destruction of the task force could have been avoided," Hanako acknoledged. "The enemy likely hides their ships the same ways we do...masking them with planet masses, behind stars, in CFS bubbles, and with special materials. With ships so highly mobile it is also possible for them to stay off sensor range and approach when one of their scouts finds us. They might also be using some sort of phasing technology again."

"Alternatively, they could simply be using out-dated power systems until entering combat status. While our sensors are superior, we lack the capacity to detect low-power systems at range, such as fusion power plants, and old-style fission based systems. Considering this matter, alternative sensor systems may be needed." Helen added as she decided to back off of the commentary from that point, until the next subject of importance would come up.

"The NMX primarily use aether and aether engines," Yui said. "They should be easily detectable when they are on the move at STL speeds. However, as you noted, the mobility of ships in this war favors the offense over the defenders, especially now that updated propulsion technologies have rendered most anti-FTL techniques ineffective."

"Even those old power systems have signatures, high energy particles that would have stood out. The only thing we learned from this last endeavor is that our current methods of detection are being compromised. Could the NMX have found some technology that the UOC developed as a means of protecting their worlds and turned it to their advantage? Shosa, in your time in that region were you aware of any significant new technology being released by the UOC or the Lorath?"

An expression of deep thought crossed Helen's features as she reviewed all the things she had seen, even the rumors she had heard as she played the part of a Lorath, though, most of the thought came up with a blank on the topic. "What I observed of the Lorath Matriarchy indicated that they would not have developed a stealth system capable of such a thing, since they seemed to lack any sort of deticated stealth system. Though, what I heard of the UOC, seemed to indicate that they did conduct some experimentation in meta-materials, as well as ship-phasing technology which our Empire is already familar with. Though... outside of stealth technology, there were extensive developments in the overall technology the Lorath Matriarchy had put into use, as well as technology developed by a firm 'United Manufacturing Cooperative', which worked to combine technologies from affiliated corperations to produce starships and technological innovations from current designs, concepts, and theories."

"Well, we have learned the fate of one of the UOC colonies, and can surmise that other holdings were dealt with in the same fashion. So we need think of the next step."

"Our chief engineer Kage Yaichiro..." Hanako began.

"I am familiar with him," Yui commented.

"..noted that perhaps his solar power collection station technology could have been modified to server as platforms for the blackout jamming stations," the golden-eyed Taisa explained. "I think the next step is to look for the stations and end the jamming so we can operate more effectively and communicate with UOCPF remnants. We also need to rescue the survivors of the Task Force which even now may be fighting NMX ground forces on the surface of Mitsuya. We also need to visit and Lor and Jiyuu to see if they are holding."

"So this engineer developed a power system to tap the power of a star. That explains how the NMX can power a blackout on this scale. And with that much power, it is concievable that they could use it to create dampening fields to hide whatever forces they wanted near those structures.

Does your engineer know of a means to disrupt his technology? Or even better destroy it?"

"I assume we are discussing Link Syphon technology, Taisho?" Helen asked, semi-rhetorically as she thought to some of what she learned while on the Matriarchy side of the border. "I imagine a gravitic projector would be sufficient to isolate a syphon, though, if if is concealed it would be difficult to target in the first place. It could be more viable to utilize large torpedo ordinance packed with multiple field-disrupting mini-missile warheads that could handle both issues, I would imagine, ma'am."

"Sounds like shooting in the dark and hoping to hit something. I will leave the details for that up to the people there. Hopefully this Kage Yaichiro can provide some means of at least narrowing the target area."

"In any case we will have to return to UOC space," Hanako grimly noted.

"And as soon as possible." Sorano added, and looked at Yui, "What kind of numbers can the 1XF field for a mission like this?"

"Only a few gunship squadrons," Yui said. "Our main forces are already involved in a joint-fleet operation to clear the gates of the Ketsurui Military Sector. Sixth Fleet and Second Fleet are also involved."

Gunships? Again? Helen thought silently as she heard the Taisho speak. Such a limited number of ships, with such limited combat capacity would undoubtedly make the upcoming mission more dangerous than the last... it seemingly did not bode well for future prospects, at least to the SAINT agent.

"The 2XF was to commit a portion of our forces to help with the north gate. I could provide some additional ships for this venture, but every ship that I send, would have to come out of those that I would commit to the KMS liberation. We have rather limited resources and at last count less than 200 warships after the losses in the task force."

"It may serve us better to have only a small, very mobile force do the investigatory missions. Hanako's ships can outrun the NMX as long as they do not linger for any reason. The rescue mission would require a large force, though," Yui suggested.

"Well, I could offer a few Rikei-Class Science ships, we have two in our SAINT that are configured for Stealth. They could assist in the detection of these stations perhaps."

"I will see what forces I can arrange," Taisho Yui told Hanako and Sorano. "If there is nothing further, I will get started right away." She paused for the other Taisho.

"I have nothing else at this time either... I thank you for your time." Sorano said to Yui.

"Be careful, Hanako," Yui cautioned. "Also, keep looking for any possible intelligence leaks, just in case. I want to see you later. We have much to catch up on."

Hanako nodded and stood up along with Yui. "Yes, mistress."

Shopping Center

Takeyu left the medical center to let Layven get some rest and allow the doctors there to keep an eye on her. He wasn't in much of a good mood though, having seen his sister act in a way that had never happened before.

She's never freaked out like that before, usually she just get's nervous and whimpers or cries, but to freak out like that? he rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he passed a store and looked at the items on display. I really want to know what those slavesrs did to harm my little sister so, he balled up his fist and walked into the store.

He looked at an assortment of items, but after a few moments shook his head and left.

Shopping Center

Sune found his next destination on his shopping trip. He selected two pairs of dress shoes, and a couple of leather belts. He paid for them at the cashier, and exited the store.

He looked around and found a place where he could sit and just enjoy the presence of people. He would look at a group and wonder who they were, what mattered in their lives, if they were friends or family. It was an old game, one that he used to participate with Raia on their sojourns to the surfaces.

After seeing the reunion of Takeyu and Layven, Sune was feeling a bit nostalgic. "One family reunited, a small victory but perhaps that is what we need right now. Little victories, brief bright moments to help us get through the days to come." he muttered to himself.

Chiharu Star Fortress, Fencing Grounds

Takeyu glanced about, amazed he was able to actually find a place to practice. The fencing area was vast, with various rooms for people to practice in private, and a central room where people could practice together with others. In this case, Takeyu choose a side room, mainly because he didn't want to risk interrupting others.

The walls were covered in mirrors, which afforded the person who was practicing to keep an eye on his surroundings to avoid hitting someone behind him. Takeyu strode over to a bench and set down four Tamahaganes, one for him and one for Kiko, though he had two extras just in case one of them broke. "Happens," he muttered as he picked one up and started practicing on his own while waiting, all the while wondering if Kiko got his message - he was in a bit of a haste considering what had happened earlier. The sounds of someone kiai-ing could be heard outside of the room.

Kiko strode in wearing one of her exercise uniforms and an impassive expression. She was still surprised that she'd misinterpreted Takeyu's delay of the lesson, but she didn't let that show.

Takeyu swung his sword downward, then brought it around up and then stepped forward, before reversing his stance coming up behind. He then slowed down slightly, then brought the blade around so hard it made a loud 'crack' in the air, before he replaced it within it's sheath. As Takeyu let out a sigh, he looked into the mirror took of Kiko as she came in. He planted the sword onto his shoulder and turned toward her. "Good evening, Inoue-san," he said to her.

Kiko bowed. "Good evening, Nayasescen-sensei," she said quietly. She walked over to the bench and sat on a part of it that wasn't covered in swords.

"Glad you got my message," said Takeyu as he pulled the sword out. "In my haste, I thought I had sent it to the wrong person," he smiled nervously and looked over at the door before glancing back at Kiko. "Did you want to start or observe for the time being?" he asked and turned around and began to walk toward the center of the room, thanks to how small it was, he would still be able to hear her - sound traveled rather well in a room like this with a lack of furniture.

"Ah, the other recipient was a typo? Then I take it you don't have another student coming," Kiko said. "I would rather begin the lesson, but if you would prefer that I observe I can do that instead," she answered.

Takeyu tapped his shoulder in thought, pondering whether he should start the lesson or have her watch. After a moment, he walked over to the bench and grabbed another sword and tied the sheath to his belt. "Go ahead and watch, you remember when my little sister stated that she was better than me at this?" he asked.

Kiko nodded. "I assumed that she was lying for entertainment purposes. Was that not the case?" she asked.

He shook his head and stopped at the center of the room before turning back toward Kiko. "Not exactly, though she was bragging a bit, she actually is good and I dare say better than me," Takeyu sighed and then looked down at the sword he was carrying. "In my family, I'm proficient with a single sword, however, Layven is proficient with two swords, that's why if she ever was to attain her dream of being a Samurai, she'd impress those around her," he shrugged. "Then again, she wasn't one for showing off," he then turned back toward the window.

"Our style was designed for defense in mind, though attacks are also thrown in. Being that we were on a ship located outside of the lawful areas, we had to figure out some way to protect ourselves. Guns are a good option, but not always available, sometimes you have to use what's in our area. A pipe. A board. A crate full of razor blades if you will, it just depends on what's available," he explained. "Meaning that this form isn't JUST for swords, it can be used with whatever you have on hand. Though a sword is a good idea regardless, after all, what the chances you'll get in range of hitting someone with a razor blade?" he asked rhetorically. "Variable, but lower than with a sword," Kiko answered.

Smart ass, he grinned, "Questions?" he added quickly while turning and looking at the mirror.

"Has Layven-san reco-" Kiko started.

Kumiko poked her head in right about then, wearing a nice pair of workout pants and a new shirt. "Oh! Takeyu-san. It's you. I was actually looking for someone to work out with, and someone said they noticed a couple people headed this way with swords of their own."

Takeyu blinked, having not expected anyone else. "Kumiko-san...." he said before adding. "Aye, I was going to teach Inoue-san here some of what my family knows, want to join in?" he curiously asked.

Kiko turned her head toward Kumiko and looked at her without saying anything.

Kumiko shrugged. "Sure. I know next to nothing about swords, other then how to make them, so I'm completely willing to learn something new."

Takeyu smiled approvingly. "In that case, I guess I have another student. Go ahead and watch for a bit, so you can see what I do. Anywho, you were asking me a question Inoue-san?"

"I was inquiring after your sister's health, but I would prefer not to disrupt the lesson," the neko answered calmly.

"Nah, go ahead and ask," said Takeyu as he held the blade firmly.

"In that case, has she recovered from the incident earlier?" the neko inquired.

He sighed, and glanced over at one of the far mirrors. "She has, the doctor there checked her out and bandaged her hand. It seems that her fear of blood got 'worse' while as a slave or at least that's what he can figure based off what I told him earlier, he could only guess as to why, and I don't need to him tell me," he scowled and his expression showed his utter hatred of whatever had been done to his sister.

Kiko held back a frightened wince at Takeyu's expression. "My apologies, sir."

His expression changed quickly, "nothing to apologize for, you didn't do anything to her, nor harm her," he said and awaited to see if there were anymore questions, or perhaps, concerns about Layven. Then again, he knew that Kumiko probably knew very little of who they were talking about, before continuing he walked over to the door and closed it so that they wouldn't be disturbed.

"In any case, you said that the style was designed for defense. Do you mean defense of the ship or a focus on blocks and dodges?" Kiko asked, all business again.

"A little bit of both to be honest, but more on a focus of blocks and dodges. The goal is to injure the pirate to the point where he'll flee and not continue his fight, but sometimes just dodging and blocking doesn't work," he held up the sword. "That's when you have to take a more aggressive stance," he added. Kiko nodded.

He turned back around then glanced over his shoulder toward Kumiko. "Kumiko-san? Did you have any questions about what has been discussed so far?" he asked.

Kumiko shook her head, leaning up against the wall with her sword still in her hands. "Nothing so far. It seems fairly sensible to me."

Takeyu nodded his head, feeling that there was no longer any need for explanations, yet. He looked down as his sword hand and stared at it, then took up a stance with the sword outstretched behind him and his left hand in front of him.

He waited for several moments, taking in breaths, then a long, slow one, then moving forward and slicing the air in front of him, he then reversed his stance and sliced behind, turning his body around and was now staring straight at Kumiko and Kiko. However, his stance changed again, this time at a forty degree angle as he spun the sword and 'cracked' the air as he swung hard, almost hitting the ground, and causing the sword to be behind him.

Standing there for a few moments, he stabbed the air in front, then changed his position to behind and swung again - his eyes never moved, always staring straight forward as if he was fixated on something that only he could see, but as he came around for a second pass, his sword slapped the ground and the top end broke off - spiraling across the floor and stopping just a foot from the mirror. He blinked and looked at the sword, and sighed heavily at himself.

Kiko picked up one of the spare swords and held it out to Takeyu. "While that does give an effective impression of the amount of force involved in your movements, it may become expensive if you continue to demonstrate in that manner, sir," she said calmly.

He had to agree. "True, then again, I'm not tired nor worn out," he winked. "After awhile, you learn how to control your breathing and movements. You can execute techniques without wasting or using excess energy, saving it up for when you truly need it," he said and accepted the blade. "Thank you," and handed her the broken one. She sheathed it so that nobody would cut themselves on it by accident.

Takeyu was a bit embarrassed though, no matter how many years he had been training, he always had that small issue of misjudging distance - he was only glad that in this case it didn't hurt anyone, unlike the first time. "You two up for starting?" he asked them and took a few steps back.

Kumiko nodded, pushing herself away from the wall. "I'm willing to start whenever. I'm probably going to be a bit clumsier then most people you've tried with before though. I'm good with my hands, but not my feet."

Kiko stood up and nodded, picking up the unbroken practice blades and handing one to Kumiko. "I am, sir," she said simply.

"Very good, we'll start out slow and simple," he said and held the new blade with a single hand. He then took up a stance with one his left foot forward and right back, while holding the blade upward. "Copy what I do, but I'll keep an eye on what you are doing and correct you as we go," he said.

He moved forward with his right, and slowly brought the blade down with his right hand on the back, then brought it around and back forward. He then stopped and held the blade out to his far left, and kept an eye on Kumiko and Kiko.

Kiko copied his stance imperfectly, but her feet were in a position that was as viable as the one his were in. It would be somewhat more difficult to dodge in her position, but she could swing a bit harder.

Kumiko followed suit, lining her feet up as best she could to how Takeyu's were, and followed up with her own imitation of his swing. The swing was probably much closer then her stance; she really wasn't joking about the relative skills of her extremities.

"If you make a mistake," he started and brought the blade out forward and grabbed it with both hands before swinging right, and changing his stance so he was facing right. "Don't worry too much about it, you won't be perfect on your first go," he wondered if he would have to say it and decided to just to be on the safe side. "Don't rely on stances during combat, trust me, your opponent won't," he said and released his right hand from his blade and then stabbed the area in front of him slowly before bringing the blade all the way behind him.

Kumiko frowned, following suit, but letting her feet move into a more natural position for her. She was a bit more squared off then before, but was much more balanced.

Kiko nodded and mimicked his movement with the sword, not changing her position.

He finished off the practice by bringing the sword back forward and grasped with both hands, then swung downward and brought the sword off to his left. "Alright, we'll do that sequence over again, but this time, I'll keep an eye out and correct any of your movements," he said and looked at the two of them in the mirror in turn before going back through the motions.

Kiko repeated the sequence almost exactly the way she had done it before.

Takeyu watched them both, observing them closely. "Your blade a bit lower than it should, Inoue-san, raise it up a bit," he said and showed her. She repeated the sequence again with her blade slightly higher.

When he nodded he turned toward Kumiko, noticing that her stance was a bit off and stopped and turned to fix her footing a bit. "Like this, how you had it before risks breaking your ankle, " he explained.

Kumiko frowned, readjusting her feet like he told her. "Really? I had them like that because I felt more balanced than that."

"Perhaps so, but if you suddenly have to bring your sword around quick, you'll actually be off-balance and could fall," said Takeyu as he stood up and got back to running them through the motions.

As they continued; Takeyu noticed another mistake being made and turned toward Kiko amd Kumiko. "Keep a firm grip on your swords, I was noticing that they are a bit loose," he told them. Kiko started holding onto her sword harder during her repetitions.

Kumiko slid her hands slightly, adjusting so that it felt as though the sword was resting more firmly in her hands, then tightened her grip. "Like this?"

"Yep," replied Takeyu as he watched her. "Loosening the grip will run the risk of the sword flying out of your hand, and there's nothing more embarrassing than fighting an opponent just to have your sword fall out of your hand," he said and it sounded as if he was speaking from experience. "Now, I want you two go do that again, only this time without me showing you. I'll correct you if you make mistakes, but otherwise, do exactly as I told you," he placed the blade back into it's sheath and folded his arms over his chest and watched.

Kumiko nodded, and started to go through the motions again, piece by piece. She started to shift her feet back, remembered his instructions, and automatically fixed her stance, trying to keep a firm grip on her blade.

Takeyu walked around the two, keeping an eye on their foot movements and their motions. He nodded approvingly to himself, noting that Kumiko and Kiko were doing their best not to make mistakes.

"Very good," he said to them and walked out in front and kept his eyes on them. "Let's go through that again, this time try and pick up the pace a little and put a bit more power into your swings," he said and folded his arms over his chest again.

"Yes, sir," Kiko said, increasing her pace gradually so that Takeyu would be able to spot any accidental sloppiness.

Kumiko increased her pace as well, having to concentrate to keep her stance from slipping back into something more comfortable.

He watched them and walked in between them to keep their stances again. "Not bad," he said with a hint of satisfaction in his tone and walked 'behind' them to keep an eye on their stances again. He could feel a rush of cool air come in from the vents, and rubbed his shoulder a bit before turning his attention back to the two students he was training.

Then, after a moment, he slipped into motioning with them and kept up pace. His movements fluid and flawless, though his stances didn't exactly match what he had shown to the two before-hand, but that might've been because he was used to it already.

"Once you're done with your motions, you may stop and take a break," he said.

Kiko paused for a moment to consider taking Takeyu up on his offer when she finished her current motion, then repeated the form again.

Kumiko paused after she finished that set, resting the tip of her sword on the ground and slowing her breathing a bit, not used to exerting herself this much outside of an armor.

Takeyu smiled and slowed his pace, then stopped and rested his sword on his shoulder. "Think of it as a workout," he said when he saw Kumiko. "One of these days, we might get into a battle where we can't really use our armor and where we may need to push ourselves further than our bodies can technically go," he said and placed his sword back into it's shealth and glanced over at the door and noticed something pass under it, but then shrugged his shoulder and walked over to the bench and sat down.

"Kumiko? What do you know about the Ketsurui Samurai?" he asked her.

Kumiko frowned, not expecting a question like that. "To be honest, not much. I was stationed on guard duty for one of the International Peace Conferences, and I saw one there, but I honestly haven't had much contact." As she sorted through her memory, she remembered something else. "The only other thing that comes to mind is that the Taisa hasn't had a Samurai bodyguarding her in a while, though I know she used to."

"I do find that odd, I mean she's a princess, I kind of expect her to have a guard. Unless---" he thought for a moment and tapped his lower chin. "Perhaps due to all of the combat the Eucharis undertakes, it's believed she doesn't need a bodyguard due to her dedicated and loyal crew?" he shrugged his shoulders, it was merely a suggestion. The notion made Kiko somewhat nervous, but she didn't show it.

Kumiko cocked an eyebrow. "I suppose it's possible. Not that she ever listens to us when we try and keep her safe, but we haven't messed up yet." She was just about ready to get going again though.

"She entered the tank when Papadopoulos-Nitô Hei suggested that she do so," Kiko pointed out.

"True, though then again, I'd feel sorry for anyone who tried to take the Taisa on first hand," Takeyu grinned and got back up. "Then again, there's no way we'd allow anyone to get close to her. I'd give my life before that'd happen," he said and looked down and flexed his hand before pulling the katana back out. Kiko nodded her agreement.

"I'm pretty sure most of us would, especially those of us who have been around for a bit. Still doesn't explain the lack of a Samurai though. She had one before, and she had a solid crew back then as well." Kumiko moved back into motion as she finished speaking, going through the forms again.

"The war could be the cause too with all honesty, but who knows," Takeyu shrugged his shoulder and got up off the bench and started moving over toward the center, but he stopped partly when he heard a knock on the door to their room. "Were either of you two expecting anyone to join us?" he asked them.

"I was not," Kiko said, finishing her current repetition and turning to face the door.

Kumiko paused in her motions, surprised by the knock. "I wasn't expecting to be joining you in the first place, so that would be a no."

Takeyu pondered for a moment, then another knock came. "It's open," he said casually. The door parted way, a station security officer bearing the rank of a Nitô Juni walked in, in front of him was a young girl and Takeyu recognized her right away and looked down at her.

"Excuse me, but is this your sister?" asked the Juni. Takeyu nodded his head and knelt down in front of her. "She was wandering the station and approached me, asking if I knew where you were. I asked the computer, and was told you were here in the fencing area. She didn't know the way, so I brought her here," he looked down at her.

"My thanks Juni," said Takeyu as the officer nodded and stepped out.

"Good evening, Layven-san," Kiko said pleasantly.

"G-good evening," said Layven nervously as she glanced around and her eyes fell upon Kumiko.

Takeyu smiled and stood up. "Kumiko? Meet Layven, one of the people we rescued on Mitsuya," she said and Layven bowed to her.

Kumiko put the point of her sword down again and bowed back. "It's a pleasure, Layven."

"Nice to meet you," said Layven with a smile on her face. "So, what are you three up to?" she asked but before she could get an answer Takeyu interjected with his own.

"How about you tell me what you were doing wandering the station when you are supposed to be in bed resting a bit." He stared down at her with his arms across his chest.

"Err...." Layven froze, not liking the stare and looking away. "I.... well..." she stuttered and thought for a moment. "I was hoping you'd stay until I feel asleep, but you left before I did, and I was getting nervous being alone, so.... well...." she rubbed her hands nervously and looked between the three people.

"You're not one to get nervous about sleeping alone," said Takeyu.

"YOU weren't captured by slavers and forced to do their work," she shouted and then folded her arms over her chest. "I spent two years without seeing you."

He sighed. Perhaps I should've stayed, he thought and looked at his two students. "Well, it'll be awhile before we finish up here," he said.

"That's alright, I mean... I know you told me to go bed since tomorrow I'll be leaving for Yamatai," she said and looked at Kiko, then at Kumiko. "You sure your not trying to form a ... umm.... ummm... what was it called?"

"Dojo?" Kiko suggested innocently.

Takeyu blinked several times, before realizing what Layven was trying to say, and promptly sighed. Where in the HELL did she learn that word?!

Kumiko laughed out loud at that one. "Well. I don't know about these two, since I wasn't planning on being here, but..."

"Not dojo, though I wish it would've been," said Takeyu with a shake of his head. "Let's just say, it seems my dear little sister has learned a few things she shouldn't know at her age."

"Just kidding," Layven giggled and sat down on the bench and placed her hands between her legs and observed.

Takeyu gripped his sword and walked back over to the center of the room and then turned back around. He tapped his shoulder thoughtfully, then nodded. "Kiko-san? Go ahead and go through your motions again a few times, Kumiko-san? Let's spar for a little bit. You attack, I'll defend, during so keep aware of your stance and your posture," he said and brought his sword up in a defensive posture. "Also, switch out to a practice sword please," he added quickly. Kiko watched the bout in the mirrors while she continued to wear the forms into her muscle memory.

Kumiko smirked at Takeyu. "What, is teacher not sure of himself anymore?" Despite her words, she walked over to the bench, re-sheathed her blade, set it aside, and picked up one of the practice swords, swinging it once or twice so she could feel out the weight difference.

"Sure of himself hmmmm?" Takeyu grin deepened. "Let's just say I don't think the Taisa wants to her about one of her crew losing an arm," he winked.

Kumiko settled herself in opposite Takeyu, grinning. "Oh, I don't know. We can grow it back pretty easily. A bit of pain never kills anyone around here, you know that." She attacked as soon as she finished speaking, sticking with the forms for now.

Takeyu fell in line and started blocking Kumiko's moves. "True, but still, I'd rather not piss off the Taisa. She has enough to worry than two crew members trying to beat each other up," he smiled.

Kumiko snorted, starting to warm up into a rhythm. "If I wanted to beat you up, I'd go switch into a better body for it. This is just playtime."

"Take... Kumi-chan is playing with you..." Layven said with a smile. Kiko got a nearly invisible glint in her eye at that.

"L-Layven, you know better than to give nicknames to people without as---!" said Takeyu before he almost got hit by Kumiko and was forced to bring his other hand around to block it.

Kumiko grinned as she almost landed on one Takeyu, but couldn't help but flick a dirty look at Layven, since she felt like she was doing fine for the moment. It turned out to be her downfall though, since the temporary distraction combined with her increased speed ended up with her misstepping and tripping herself up, falling over backwards as a result.

With a shake of his head, Takeyu helped Kumiko back up and whispered into her ear. "Layven has her own way of training people when she isn't the one actually doing the training, such as distracting others," he said.

Kumiko gave Layven another dirty look once she was back on her feet, before leaning over and picking up her sword from where she'd dropped it. "I know exactly what you mean. Start from the top again?"

"First, Layven...." Takeyu looked over at his sister who gulped down and got up off the bench.

"Sorry," she said.

Kumiko waved the apology off. "Nah, I know better. I've always been bad about it, and I got used to it during training. Just been a while."

"Very well," he said and walked over to the bench and grabbed another sword. "Time to take a page out of your book Layven." Kiko's ears perked up and she tensed in anticipation of a change of targets.

"Yet you're not as good with two blades as me," she snickered and sat back down.

"Meh," Takeyu rolled his eyes and spun the two practice blades around before getting in front of Kumiko. "Same deal, you attack, I defend," he said and kept both swords by his side, ready to defend against Kumiko's attacks. Kiko relaxed a bit and went back to her forms.

Kumiko nodded. She settled her breathing a bit, thinking hard about how to handle this. Fighting someone with two blades worked completely differently then one, so she'd have to be careful. Coming to a decision, she started out again, warming back up to the same speed they'd ended at last time.

Takeyu used only one blade for now, deciding instead to save the other blade for when Kumiko started putting more pressure on him. Though when he saw Kiko out of the corner of his eye, a thought came to him, and a grin formed on his face yet again that he quickly wiped away and went back to focusing on Kumiko.

Kumiko sped things up a bit, trying to stay within her limits, but still push them as best he could. She had a plan, but nothing she should do yet.

He blocked with his left, then switched to his right hand to give his left a bit of a temporary break and continued blocking her constant attacks, though he pondered if she would try or do anything that he wasn't expecting.

Deciding to take her plan into action, Kumiko suddenly sped up much more then she should've been able to, kicking her inherent gravity control into gear to lighten her arms and sword.

He blinked and changed his position, he brought up his second sword. Aha... he thought with a smile and put more strength into his defense.

Kiko raised an eyebrow at Kumiko's reflection, wondering why she'd been holding back before.

Kumiko gritted her teeth, trying to get past both swords at once by sheer speed at the moment, though she had one more idea on a possibility to get past him.

Takeyu wasn't going to give up, he decided to take the gloves off and spun one of his swords around to the pointed end was behind him, this gave him the ability to better block than having the sword out in front.

Kumiko decided that she hadn't had much luck working with just speed, so she decided to try her second trick. Right before their blades connected, she reversed the polarity of her gravity manipulation around her arm and blade, increasing the pressure they exerted upon impact.

He felt it, as the blades connected, one of his practice blades bore a crack along the edge that lead down to his hilt. He was impressed, partially anyway, but with the shake of his head he tossed the blade aside - where it broke in four separate places upon hitting the ground. He then wrapped his free hand around his last remaining blade and pushed against her.

Kumiko gritted her teeth, dropping the gravtiy control for a moment, backing off only slightly to try and catch her breath.

Takeyu saw his opening and took it; he dropped his sword down onto Kumiko's blade, then swiped her leg out from under her - though in the process he felt some pain shoot up his leg but ignored it.

Kumiko's eyes went wide as she felt her legs come out from underneath her, though her recent use of her gravity control was a saving grace here. She kicked it in right before she hit, making her impact much softer then it should've been. She grimaced up at Takeyu anyway. "Okay. I guess I had that one coming, didn't I?"

He could only smile. "Gravity control works wonders, and it can be of a great asset in a fight if used properly," he motioned as his practice blade which was on the floor broken. "But against a person with two swords, it's best you try and break 'both' blades at the same time," he brought his down to look it over and was amazed as how there wasn't a crack on it.

Oh, she just figured out how to use her gravity control properly, Kiko realized.

Kumiko grinned, deciding that the ground was much more comfortable then standing, for the moment. "Hey, I've never tried that on anything other then a wrench before. I'm just glad it worked as well as it did."

"Your turn Kiko-san," said Takeyu as he turned toward her.

"Yes, sir." Kiko finished her form, turned around to face him, and bowed.

Takeyu took up his blade and beckoned for her to start her attack. On the side lines, Layven sighed, she wanted some action, and glanced down at one of the practice blades with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Should I attempt to break your sword as well, sir?" she asked, moving into the ready stance that he'd shown her.

Kumiko glanced at Layven from the ground, and shook her head. She pointed her finger at her, and shook it. "Nuh-uh, little one. I know that look, even if I don't know exactly what you're thinking about."

Layven smiled nervously, darn...

"Let's try not to break blades this time, just try and land a blow on me," Takeyu said and spun the blade around his hand before getting into a stance.

Kiko advanced with unnatural speed and started a flurry of strikes, each one mimicking parts of the form she'd been shown. "Should I restrict myself to techniques that you have shown me, sir?" She asked telepathically.

"Up to you," was his reply. Kiko kept using the same blows without a reply. Takeyu defended effortlessly. "Put a bit more speed, and bit more into each of your attacks, try and throw me off guard or off balance, or attempt to knock the sword out of hand," he offered and gripped it with his other hand in response to what he had said.

Kiko started hitting a bit more aggressively, knowing perfectly well that she was leaving openings for Takeyu and wanting to see if he'd take them.

With the shake of his head, he stayed on defense, not desiring to take the opening that Kiko was leaving. Either they are intentional, or she's just baiting me, he said and kept his free hand behind his back so he could focus entirely on his sword hand.

Kiko's blows started to come from varying heights, including some that were too high for her to have possibly made them with her build. The observers, and Takeyu if he looked down, could see that her feet were no longer touching the ground much of the time.

Kumiko levered herself up off the ground, picking herself up but staying out of the way. She walked over to the bench and sat down next to Layven, rolling her neck. "So. Takeyu says you're pretty good yourself."

"He does? I hardly hear him admit it," said Layven as she watched Kiko and Takeyu.

"Maybe not around you, no. I mean, he is a boy. Have you ever seen them compliment a girl when they're around? All the boys I've known always get flustered and trip themselves up." Kumiko gave her a look that was more then a little knowing.

Layven sighed, then shrugged her shoulders. "For him to compliment is rare," she said and then stuffed her hands between her legs while still watching.

"Too slow," said Takeyu as he parried Kiko's attack, he was set up to remove the sword from her hand but decided not to.

"Indeed," Kiko replied, and suddenly started using her gravitics to speed herself up, now that she was sure enough of her form to fight at full speed. She started changing the horizontal angles she was coming from as well, darting around Takeyu with unnatural speed and agility.

This he wasn't expecting, Takeyu watched her as best he could. "Huh," he said with a crack of a smile on his face and waited to see what she would do before doing anything in turn.

Kiko stopped her intentional openings, now that she was reasonably sure he was going to stay entirely on the defensive. She kept using only the strikes that he'd shown her as she continued her assault. At one point, she jumped over his head and slashed down at him, then again from where his back had been at the start of her jump.

Kumiko shrugged, leaving that one for Layven and Takeyu to sort out for the most part. "Well, I haven't known him all that long, to be honest. I've never seen him having trouble complimenting people, though."

"Not bad," said Takeyu as he blocked the attacks but then served up his own, he pulled the scabbard out and swiped Kiko's feet, to see if she was keeping an eye on her balance or not.

"A lot seems different about him, I noticed; back on our ship, he was a lot more serious... stern... but he seems.. different now," Layven shrugged with a mild confused look.

Kiko rolled with the blow to her ankle and floated perpendicular to Takeyu. She didn't stop her attacks at all or bother to right herself, retaliating with a swing from lower than she'd have been able to get her arms normally.

He gripped the scabbard tightly and used it in conjunction with his sword to continue blocking her attacks; though he knew of a way to end this, he knew doing so would possibly result in injury so his intention was to now wait for an opening to disarm her.

Kiko kept at her assault unrelentingly and started to use her gravitics to gradually increase the force of her blows as well.

With the the shake of his head, he pinned Kiko's blade between his with the use of his scabbard and then kept her locked there. She tried to wrench them out of his hands, but without the spectacular strength of the earlier models, she failed. When she couldn't get her sword out of the lock normally, she let it go, stepped back, and bowed.

"Very good," he said with a nod and bowed in turn. "Never let your opponent lock you like that, it could very well mean the difference between life and death."

Kiko raised an eyebrow. "Oh. So it would have been acceptable to start kicking you, then?" she asked mildly.

Kumiko cocked an eyebrow, partially at Layven, and partially at how the sparring match had ended. She turned to look at Layven though. "Different how? He's been like this pretty much the whole time I've known him."

Layven blinked as she looked over at Kumiko. "He has?" she asked.

"Kicking is acceptable, just be mindful of your strength," he winked at Kiko.

The corners of the Neko's mouth twitched downward. "Always, sir," she said solemnly.

"Yep. Never been too serious. Except, you know, when it's needed. He's good in combat, and I haven't seen him back down from anything. I think we get along pretty well." Kumiko nodded to Layven. "How was he different though?"

Layven pushed off the bench and stood up. She thought on Kumiko's question for a moment, "Umm, I can't really put it into words, he was just more serious is the best I can tell you," she said with some noticeable embarrassment.

Kumiko chuckled, watching Layven. "Don't worry about it. I can figure it out later." She glanced over to the ended sparring match, then back to Layven. "You going to join us in working out, or just watch today?"

A grin formed on Layven's face as she grabbed the practice blade. "I'm hoping my big brother lets me join you guys, even though the doctor said I shouldn't be overdoing it..." she said.

Kumiko gestured to Takyeu. "Well, why not ask him? I'm sure there's something for you to do, even if you're not allowed to work yourself too hard." She stood up herself, smoothing her pants out.

Takeyu tapped the sword on his shoulder, then looked past Kiko. "Go ahead and practice a bit more, or take a break if you want," he said and placed his hand on her shoulder before walking by. Kiko paused a moment to wonder what he meant by the touch, then sat down.

He was about to ask Kumiko a question, when Layven spoke up. "Say Bro? May I join in," she asked.

"No," said Takeyu simply.

"Mer... you didn't even think about it!" her voice raised.

"Exactly, the doctor said you can't do anything strenuous for the next few days. That includes training," Takeyu folded his arms over his chest and said, staring down at her.

"Awww, come one! Please!" She pleaded with him.

Takeyu stared, and sighed. He always had issues saying no to his little sister. That damned pleading look... he said with the shake of his head. "Very well, but I don't want you overdoing it. If you get hurt, I won't hear the end of it," he said. Not just from the doctor, but from Yaichiro as well most likely...

Layven smiled victoriously. "Umm, do we another sword that I can use other than what I have?" she asked and looked around. Kiko held out hers, hilt first.

"Thank you," said Layven as she accepted the sword and held them in front of her. Kiko bowed her head and watched with interest. The one she picked up off the bench felt off to her, so she would have to deal with that during the bout. She walked past her brother and toward the center of the room, Takeyu watched her and followed.

"No, how do you want to do this?" asked Takeyu as he kept his eye on her. Layven stood there for a moment, then smiled. She pulled her first sword out then tossed the scabbard at Takeyu, which he caught with his free hand, before bring his sword down to defend against Layven's attack.

Takeyu pushed against her blade, but Layven pushed back, before backing off and pulling her other sword out. She didn't grab the scabbard this time, instead keeping it where she had it before rushing toward him and swinging ahead. Takeyu used the scabbard she had thrown at him and blocked one sword, but then Layven came at him from a lower angle and almost got him had he not side-stepped out of the way, causing the blade to miss him entirely. From here, Takeyu could've grabbed her but he didn't want to risk injuring her, so instead he pushed her away with the scabbard, as Layven stumbled backwards a bit before regaining her composure.

"Now that was mean, pushing me like that," Layven pouted as she glared sideways at the wall before looking back at her brother who shrugged his shoulders.

She watched him for a moment, then saw something that she could use. The bigger they are... she giggled which made Takeyu blinked for a moment. She rushed him again and then tossed her other scabbard at him, this one mised and clattered across the floor, landing under the bench just a few feet from Kumiko. Takeyu's attention was taken for that brief moment, and Layven used it to get right up to him and smack his sword hand with her blade, then she grabbed one of his legs and yanked on it, causing him to fall flat on his back.

Kumiko snorted, trying not to laugh out loud at her crewmate's misfortune. "What happened to not exerting yourself, Layven-san?"

Layven shrugged. "It's my own brother, can't take it easy on him," she said with a smile.

"Obviously," said Takeyu as he picked himself up.

"Well, I don't know about that. And for the record, you strain and hurt yourself, and I'll carry you over my shoulder to the hospital, whether you approve or not." Kumiko gave Layven 'the look', but was still trying not to laugh, which probably degraded it's effectiveness.

"I'll be fine," said Layven with a dismissive hand, she did however have a pained expression on her face which she tried very hard to hide. Takeyu didn't notice it.

She gripped her sword tightly, and said. "Shall we go for another?"

"Actually, are we ready for a new form, sir?" Kiko asked quietly. She had seen Layven's expression, but she didn't want her to get into trouble.

"We could, though," he checked the time. "It is beginning to get late, may want to call it a night," he suggested. "We could always train on the Eucharis during down time."

"As you say, sir," Kiko said. "Layven-san, what hurts?"

Kumiko nodded. "I'm fine with that as well, though I suspect that with your current run of luck, we may not get much time to ourselves." She glanced at Kiko, then back to Takeyu. "Especially the two of us, with as much damage as we've been taking of late."

Layven blinked and looked around, somewhat startled for some reason. "W-w-what was that?" she asked more to herself than anyone else.

"Telepathy, Layven-san," Kiko said patiently. "It's used to speak privately, so you may want to invent something innocuous for me to have wanted to say to you privately."

"How.... does it work?" she curiously asked and looked over at Kiko.

She sent over basic instructions in telepathy, hoping that her Yamataian body would use it similarly enough for them to be helpful.

Kumiko cocked an eye at Kiko and Layven, ruling out the possibility of Takeyu, since he probably would've just said it out loud (or at least explain it beforehand). She wasn't sure what was being discussed, but wanted in on it, since she guessed it was a joke about something.

Layven thought for a little bit, taking in what Kiko said. "Umm... l-like this?"

"Correct. Now, please tell me what was causing you pain earlier," Kiko replied.

"I-it's nothing, I'm fine really", she sent with a weary smile. This time Takeyu was getting curious, pondering what was going on.

"Nothing I can help you with? If it is something that gets worse and you leave it untreated, you will worry your brother more than if you were to tell him about it now," the Neko pointed out.

Layven looked away and looked down at her swordhand. Now Takeyu realized what was going on, as he watched her he walked over and placed his hand on hers. "Show me," he asked.

The girl blinked, and loosened her grip on the sword, which caused it to clatter onto the ground. Through her bandages was red splotches. "I see you took your meds like the doctor told you," said Takeyu, though he could tell that Layven was a bit shaky.

'The look' was back on Kumiko's face, but this time she wasn't trying not to laugh. "Didn't I tell you not to push yourself that hard? It's going to take longer to heal the more you bust it open like that."

She didn't say a word, an expression of shame on her face.

"My apologies," Kiko said stiffly. "I should have found a way to fix this without you finding out."

"I would've found out anyway," said Takeyu as he held Layven's hand in his own. "Considering that it looks like the stitches beneath have broken open," he added as Layven winced from the pain.

Kumiko smiled evilly. "Does that mean I get to throw her over my shoulder and carry her to the doctor? I think it does."

Layven looked scared now at what Kumiko said. "I-I don't need to be carried, I-I'm not a child ya know!"

"Says the child," Takeyu grinned. Layven glared at him before looking away, pouting. "If you want to carry her to the medical center I suppose that's fine, just not over your shoulder of course," he said with Layven looking back at him with a look of embarassment.

After a moment, Kiko softly said, "May I walk her there normally instead, please?"

Kumiko grinned. "Nah, don't worry about it. I'm just kidding." She paused, a thoughtful look on her face. "Mostly, at least."

Layven nervously laughed. "That should be fine then," said Takeyu in response to Kiko's question. "Want to come Kumiko?" he asked.

Kumiko shrugged. "Sure. I'm not up to anything, and who knows? Maybe she'll give me an excuse to carry her on the way." She winked at Layven, letting her know she was kidding. Mostly.

He smiled. "In that case, let's get going, the sooner we get there, the sooner the doctor can tend to your hand," he said and Layven slowly nodded her head, still a bit ashamed as they started for the door to leave, along the way Takeyu picked up the broken practice blades. "Gotta get these replaced," he muttered.

END