RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 16] The Nest

Reika kept her expression blank throughout the discussion by the senior officers. Though she agreed with Helen and Sune that perhaps there were other Star Army ships that were better suited for the role in which Hanako wished to employ the Eucharis, she held her tongue and let her superiors converse without intruding with her own opinion. When the discussion finally came to a close the neko sighed softly -- becoming more relaxed as the tension that had been building slowly wound down for the time being.

Though Reika generally didn't care for alcoholic beverages she felt compelled to join in the comradely gesture of sharing a drink, acquiring a glass for herself and taking a small sip of the wine. Later she'd try persuading Lime or Mango to let her acquire a nice cool concoction from the kitchen more to her liking -- probably something obscenely bright and fruity to lift her spirits and get her mind temporarily off the upcoming battle.

Ramiro stayed at the table as he watched the others get up. He slowly continued to sip the wine as he started thinking about the mission ahead. It's not going to be an easy one, he thought to himself before taking another sip from the glass in front of him.

Akemi took another small sip of her drink. Instead of finishing it and leaving, she decided to stay to listen to Helen's proposals and try to learn more about their mission in general. Unlike others, she felt fine with it. Whether it was well planned or not, she would take part in it. There was no sense in worrying about things beyond her control. Whatever problems lay ahead, she would simply do her best to deal with them when they arose.

Cabin 1

"Join me in my cabin, we can speak there." Sune replied to Takeyu's message.

Once in his cabin he sat at his desk, and entered a number of commands while he waited for Takeyu's arrival.

He looked at the parcel on his bed. Something for his newest endeavor, although considering their next mission, he wondered if he should just leave it in its package and secure it in his cabin.

Akemi wondered whether or not Yaichiro's gifts would see any use on their mission. She had wondered about that during their last one, but they weren't used. Maybe things would be different this time.

Takeyu looked back at the glass then smiled and got up. "Going to go ahead and take my leave, I have a few things I need to take care of," and with that he bowed to Hanako out of respect for both herself and her rank, then calmly left the Wardroom and headed for Sune's cabin.

When he arrived, he knocked on the door and announced himself.

Konoka sat quietly sipping wine with the others. She'd had little to say at the briefing- Misato had said exactly what Konoka was thinking, so there had been little to add. She found the squabblings amongst the officers petty - didn't they know they were on the same side?

She'd heard mentions of Sbuhfaba earlier- she had no memory of that mission. All she knew was that she'd died there once. It gave her an ominous feeling about the upcoming raid.

She raised her glass. "Thank you for sharing this with us, Shosho," she muttered, uncharacteristically quiet, almost sullen. Under her breath, she added, "I wish we could all be as friendly as you. I feel like some of us forget we're allies, sometimes."
Konoka was once again more than worried about her crew.

Wardroom

"Thank you, Konoka. The Star Army helps make us all strong, and we need to use that strength to overcome our fears. This mission will be very dangerous. But it will also shorten the war significantly. It is Yamatai's chance to counterattack. The First Expeditionary Fleet is the tip of the spear. Imagine a universe without the NMX invasion! That is our goal."

Outside the Ship

As the sun set, dark clouds moved in and it began to thunder and the rain came pouring down on the gunships. The red lights from the open cargo bay door reflected off the puddle-covered concrete as the infantry unit filed into the bay wearing DAISY armor and carrying duffel bags, starting to set up for the night in barracks RDMs strapped to the bay floor.

When the wine was poured, there was a softer, gentler, and even tender smile upon Helen's lips as she picked up the glass, delicately holding the stem of the glassware as she looked upon the liquid within. It was a sort of treat for her, since she had left her ship, to have a glass of genuine wine. She easily took in the scent before it even came near her nose, her artificial olfactory senses were caressed by the scent as she brought the glass to her lips, she thirst for the first drop to touch her tongue. As she took her first sip, there was a fleeting thought of appreciation for her artificial body, able to imbibe alcohol without a bit of concern for her duty, it amused her, enough so that soft smile intensified as she took the flavor upon her tongue, and indulged in that brief moment.

As the sip became a fleeting memory, her mind continued to work at a pace which utterly defied what her body was outwardly up to. While she indulged in wine, her artificial brain worked numbers, crunching fleet data, as she put together the final draft of a document which she was able to put together as the original portion of their meeting concluded. It was admittedly not all able to be attributed to her nekovalkryja brain, it was also her experience which sculpted her capability as she finalized the document with a couple of revisions, footnotes, and a minor indulgence... the addition of a single extra asset which would place her at a better position for her well being as a person, for her career, and for the mission.

"Shosho." Helen stated, still smiling softly. "Thank you for the wine, it is exquisite." she spoke, looking to Hanako while bowing her head softly. "I can appreciate the talk of warfare accompanied by such a delight, on that matter, I've completed the task of documenting my proposed mission revision, and have sent copies of the proposal to both you and Taisho Yui's inbox... secured data, of course." With that, she had submitted the proposed revisions in writing. "As for ridding the universe of the NMX... I consider this a process of cleaning up our own garbage, fixing mistakes, redeeming ourselves in the eyes of our neighbors. What kind of people would we be if we let our rabid dog continue to run amok off a leash?"

Wardroom

"It is a mistake to think of Yamatai being responsible for the Mishhuvurthyar. It was Melisson and the other Umbral who made them into what they are, and who started the war by attacking us," Hanako told Helen. "Of all people, you should understand this."

The Shosho poured another glass. "I read your report. It is too complicated and requires a number of assets the fleet does not have in its possession. That said, I do think the Star Army will set up a new staging area when we feel we can secure one; however, we cannot consider one until we know what we're dealing with. We should know that tomorrow morning. The use of small craft is also a good idea, but not as a scouting force."

When Hanako spoke, Helen pried her attention from the exquisite beverage, listening to her words. and hearing the Shosho's distinctive displeasure in her opinion. Such a display of pride, while Helen did love her Empire, she did not cling to it as some sort of establishment that would go on without making a single error. While some would call Helen's view mistaken, washing the Empire of any responsibility... it came down to one key matter; the Umbral did not construct the Mishhuvurthyar to begin with. "Shosho, I only state that the Mishhuvurthyar were indeed our product to begin with, while the Umbral did corrupt them, quite kin to a beloved dog succumbing to rabies. We simply have the task of putting them down like any responsible individual would." Helen elaborated, in hopes of easing the Shosho's unease.

Though, addressing the Shosho's concerns about possible mistakes on the part of the Empire was the small matter, what was the larger matter was encountering a seemingly locked in course with no viable alternative. Helen was casual about the moment though, as she took a sip of her wine while hearing Hanako state her conclusion on the proposed plan; "I can understand your concerns, Shosho, and I do hope that the plan as originally intended will attain acceptable results." Helen spoke, gracefully accepting the denial of her proposed plan, though, inwardly she felt displeased.

What troubled Helen about the decline of the proposed plan was the matter of 'assets that the fleet does not have in its possession', from the way she saw it, the inability of a standard fleet to work with an expeditionary fleet was a distinctive weakness of their Empire, more so, the inability to procure such small numbers of assets while in one of the most fortified clusters in the Empire was also troubling. Was there something going on beyond the scope of the reports which she was privy to? That was the only reason she could come up with as to why a number of small craft and a number of relative antiques were suddenly unavailable to assist a Shosho, Yui's favorite none the less, with a mission. She did genuinely hope though, deep down to her very core, that the plan would be successful to some degree, more than what she expected. What she truly wanted, was to be proven wrong. Though, every ounce of her experience screamed at her that it was going to be very unlikely to be the case.

"Mmm... since that matter is out of the way. Shosho, what do you plan to do once this war is over?" Helen asked, before she took another delicate sip from her glass. "From what I understand, you've fought in two campaigns back to back... and, with your recent addition, have also been MIA for quite some time. Do you intend to stay on as an active front-line Shosho, or, is something else in mind?"

Wardroom

Hanako leaned back in her chair. “I would like to do something with less combat involved,” Hanako replied. “If I stay in the Star Army, I am considering applying to become head of SARA or perhaps Logistics. I am also considering retiring to focus on running my planet and the food production industry there. I even learned some things about farming on planet H during my exile there. Whatever I do, I want it to be peaceful and pleasurable. I have lived on the razor’s edge for too long.”

There was for a rare occasion, a feeling of understanding, genuine understanding on the part of Helen. Even though the operating style of Hanako was so different from her own, Helen knew what it was to have served for so long, Helen knew what it was to have the burdens of the Empire's survival in mind. "I can sympathize with those plans, I have some similar notions in mind. I've become something of a relic, out of step with the current methods employed by the Empire, and I think it would be about time for me to possibly retire, or at least, find a different function within SAINT or the Star Army as a whole, though, I do find myself nursing hopes that perhaps another heyday of the kind of service I grew to enjoy would come about again... but, such hopes are likely wasted." Helen spoke, looking into her wine glass, before taking a somber sip. Oh, how she wished life was like wine, better with age.

Konoka had made her speech, and the Shosho had thanked her for it. Therefore, she knew she probably shouldn't say anything else, especially since she was just a Hei and didn't know too much. However, her green eyes widened when she heard Helen insinuate that the Star Army had been the NMX's creators. She wondered who might share that view - Konoka had never really thought of WHY there were enemies, just that they WERE. Their creation had proceeded hers, and thus she'd never reallly stopped to think about their origins all that much. Just their extermination.

It was creepy to think she shared a "parent" with those things. She shook her head, and noticed that the conversation had turned to post-war plans. Another thing she'd never really pondered. Konoka lived in the present. "Before we can discuss what happens after the war ends," she said softly, "We have to focus on ending the war. I for one can't wait to expedite the end of the NMX....Can't do a thing before we do that."

Wardroom

Hanako nodded to Konoka. "Tomorrow morning we will see how much we can do. The effort will not be ours alone, though. It is going to take all of Yamatai and perhaps even some other nations working together to finally put this to an end."

Various unfamiliar faces began to appear in the wardroom as the cooks began bringing out dinner. Tonight's dinner was honey-baked ham, made with some of Hanako's earlier provisions purchases. It was served with mac-n-cheese and and assortment frozen vegetables and canned fruit. The commander of the Century, a wide-hipped light-colored NH-33 warrant officer with wide bright blue eyes and bun-style purple hair, briefly introduced herself to Hanako as Signe Sasaki before heading to to buffet. The unit was a newly-formed group of green infantry nekos not assigned to a particular legion.

Soon, the wardroom was very crowded with young, camo-wearing Nekos and there was a line outside the wardroom in the zero-G passageway. Meanwhile, lightning flashed outside and lit the water running down the wardroom window.

Wardroom

As the food was served and the soldiers filtered in, Akemi finished her drink and quickly went to join them at the buffet. She returned to the table with a little of everything. Once the centurion and some of her unit were seated, she stood and bowed in greeting. "Good evening," she said in a formal tone, addressing Signe by rank. "I am Ittô Hei Koga Akemi. I look forward to working with you and your unit." She briefly turned to look at those of the commander's subordinates that sat with her and also bowed to them.

Cargo Bay

Having grown bored with cleaning his weapon in his room, Bors decided to indulge his curiosity and figure out what all the noise was in the cargo bay. It didn't take him long to figure out where the noise was coming from as he weaved his way through the DAISY clad nekos towards the bay doors. As Bors passed through them he couldn’t help but notice some of the looks he was getting from them,

It's like they haven’t seen a Nepleslian before he thought nearly tripping over a duffle bag. Well it's either that or the tattoos, forgot they're not that popular with the Yamataians.

Bors finally made it to the cargo bay doors after navigating through the ad-hoc encampment setup. Leaning up against the door Bors rolled down his sleeves and took out his E-cig, glancing over his shoulder to check for any officer types, and put it in his mouth taking a slow drag as it started to rain.

ON
Cabin 1
Sune looked up from his ICP at the sound of Takeyu announcing himself. A image of the Eucharis floated above the unit, not an image of the ship in space, but rather a skeletal view with various color markers. He waved the holographic screen off on the ICP, and crossed over to the door. He pressed the actuator. Taking a moment to note Takeyu's appearance and pensive expression.

"Come in take a seat." He said motioning to the extra chair in the room. Sune himself took the chair by his desk and waited.

Takeyu gave a light bow to Sune, then entered the cabin. He stopped for a moment to look around before taking a seat at the chair that had hinted at. "Thanks for letting me come to talk to you Shosa," he said appreciatively.

Sune's cabin was much like himself, neat everything had a place. Starting with the stand against the wall that held his swords. The bookcase with books arranged and secured by a mesh to protect them. The only thing out of place was a rather large package on the bed.

"It is not a problem. I am always glad to talk with crew or friends. And a conversation about the Eucharis is something I am not willing to delay." Sune said, "I have had my concerns about the ship myself. Her combat effectiveness and durability has been slowly degrading. Which is why I spent the past day crawling around in the inner spaces." Sune replied.

Takeyu thought for a moment on what Sune said. "Same actually, other than what you've told me in the report you sent me, what else have you noticed?"

"Well the examination I did was purely structural and radiation hazard. But so much of the ship's internals, the wiring that connects to the various system and subsystems, has been patched, spliced so many times.... " Sune paused, "First I do not want you to take what I am going to say as any way a criticism about the work you and your team have been doing.

Ketsurui Fleet Yards has projected that a Plumeria-Class Gun ship with refits can have an effective service life of twenty years. Given the pounding that the Eucharis has taken, and will probably continue. And with no sign of a full overhaul and any refits.... I suspect that the Eucharis will be lucky if it sees five."

Takeyu rubbed his chin for a moment, thinking on what Sune had just said. "My own pass through the ship showed that as well, we've had to replace so much. I'm surprised the wiring has held up for as long as it had, given the pounding we've taken. The ships hull is another deal as well, but as long as we keep replacing that which get's damaged it should be fine. However, even with the war on, is there any chance of us getting a refit due to the kind of missions we are given?"

"Not likely unless the Eucharis is crippled on a mission. The Shosho is driven to fight the NMX, to the exclusion of everything else. She will most likely settle for more quick repairs and charge back into battle. The exterior hull can be as you said easily patched, its the structural skeleton of the ship that can not be repaired so easily." Sune said.

"That's the worrisome part though, the more we go into battle without a complete overhaul and refit, the more likely that things will start to malfunction on us more and more." Takeyu stopped for a moment to think. "That's my main concern, I understand the Shosho wants to beat at the NMX, I sure as heck want to, look what they did to my home after all," he said in reference to Yamatai. "But, we have to ensure that the ship remains in top form, and a refit, even a minor one at that, might be enough to fix at least a few of our problems."

"I have had the discussion, you will recall prior to our last mission, I got her to agree to letting the KFY personnel have a few more hours. That was all I could get her to agree to. For now all we can do is monitor the Eucharis' condition, and do what we can to keep her in action. After each mission, we can focus on the most serious issues, and see if we can not get the Shosho to agree to getting it fixed." Sune suggested.

"I do, I did forget about that. The few hours work that the Shosho granted was enough."

It may be all we can do. But if we get the ship a little extra care now and then, perhaps we can keep her flying and save lives."

Takeyu sighed. "You're right about that, I just wish we had the resources to go with a full refit of all of the ships systems and everything but I guess we'll just have to do with what we have. I was originally going to talk to the Shosho about this after we were done, but considering what you've said I don't see a reason just yet. I'll keep an eye on the girls systems, but that radiation you told me about does worry me, I estimate it'll be awhile before it becomes a serious issue, but I'd like a second opinion on that," asked the chief engineer as he looked over at Sune curiously.

" I agree that the hot spots will probably worsen with time. But as long as your personnel are in their Engineering Protective Jumpsuits and limit their exposure they should be okay with time. Perhaps the next chance we have for repairs, you pick one or two of them to be addressed as well." Sune answered.

"I already have a priority list ready to go for the next time we are in port, though I think I will let the Shosho know of my concerns," said Takeyu.

"Okay, it sounds like we have a plan for how to try our best to keep the Eucharis from flying apart....." Sune paused as he consulted with Charisma. "Well it would appear that we have a significant number of guests in the Wardroom. We should probably go and put in an appearance.
OFF

Ramiro quietly remained in his seat, listening to the bustle around him. He wasn't very hungry, so he had no intention of eating. He leaned back as he began eavesdropping on the conversations around him. Slowly, his mind began to wander to the mission ahead, which he began thinking about more and more. Within a few minutes, his eyelids began to droop and, after a few minutes more, all signs of consciousness left him as he succumbed to a little nap before going back on duty.

Wardroom

Signe gave Akemi a nervous smile. “Thank you. This will our first combat mission, so I am a bit anxious,” the Juni explained. “We have trained hard and will do our best.”

- - -

The next morning, breakfast was just as crowded, and most of the ship felt tense as the scout ships lifted off.

Bridge

Hanako was on the bridge. "Prepare for liftoff, then take us into orbit," she ordered.