RP Concluded Mission 2.0 - Pearl and Engine

YSS Yukika II

The longer she remained connected, the more ferocious the light defense gun fire and spiraling targeting vectors became, the more that the Yukika II's pilot found her consciousness slowly dividing into two halves. The ferocious zealot, the swift tengu, the righteous hand of the kami- She chomped at the bit, wanting nothing more than to swoop down and deliver purigating thunder down onto the head of these deplorable wretches. Tae felt insulted that they dare exist. That they dare insult her sensors with their degenerate imagery.

Just behind that, holding the leash, was the judge of the damned. The part that still cared about the commands of Yuki, the one that her lady Tachiko had deemed fit to leave in charge. The patient guardian that was careful about jostling the ship too hard, until the very moment that the power armour on the transporter pad had dematerialized- Another payload of fury delivered to the target...

And only then, was the oni allowed to search for further prey.

Blisteringly fast, the ship's reactions seemed to become more rapid and twitchy- In reality, Tae's fleshy corporeal form tensed and leaned around on the spot, as if in the throws of a possessed trance.

"-course project!- minus twenty, eighty!- Burn te-! Course project!- forty, eighty!- Half!-" The words rambled out, too slow to keep up with the raw data which she was also transmitting. The ship dipped with a jolt, and then snapped back upwards with a half burn, juddering structurally as the central targeting reticule fought to line up with the banking form of slower but more nimble enemy gunship- "Charging lance!- Drain in!- FIRING!"

With a shrill blast of thunder, the sanctified core of the Aether Shock Lance spat forth a blinding arc of devastating trans-universal energy, actively pushing the Yukika II backwards and providing an even more savage vibration to the organs of the crew.

A direct, penetrating hit was something that only happened in simulations- No, this was the swipe of a flaming sword, the oni's holy flame cast down from a moving cloud-

It splashed across the target, at first bending and sparkling against the blue glow of collapsing gravity fields- then boiling and scorching a deep wrent which bisected across the amber hull- A three dimensional waterfall of molten metal, a brand new comet born of malice-

And then, the shining Yukika II still strafing, Tae opened her eyes... and willed it to die.

Battlespace near the YSS Yukika II

In a coruscating spray of zesuaium and sotuleg globules liquefied by aether-plasma and re-annealing into perfect, tiny spheres in chill of zero gravity, the gunship was nearly bisected, opened up in rounded fingers of slag. The gunship drifted to a hanging stop as its combined field system ceased warping spacetime and its inertia returned. The destruction got the attention of another of its kind, which peeled away from its assault on the hulk of the Izanagi Dreadnought and set a course to intercept the Yukika. Streaks of Aether plasma were returned, shaking the Yukika as the energy interfered with the inertia control when a gout struck the Yukika's shields.

Wreck of the XSS Soth'oth

Deep in the lightless depths as the away team began to advance into the wreck, there seemed to be no sign of life. There was only silent darkness and the carbon-scored slag left beyond the radius of the hemispherical scoop taken out of the side of the ship by the aether torpedo. A few tense, black meters of progress later, the motion and life sensors on everyone's HUD lit up at the same time.

"Positions!" Tachiko hissed over the comms, "They're coming!"

"Digging in. 1, 2, behind me." As Roy took his last few steps forward in front of the group, the ones behind him would see the Nepleslian rolling his shoulders as he planted a foot and a knee to brace himself for the coming firefight, putting his forearm shield slightly tilted in front of him so bullets would harmlessly bounce off instead of putting its whole force into it, not that it was that effective to begin with, but its a nice sound. Energy weapons are where things get a little more complicated as its not at all the same effect. Nonetheless, he knows how much punishment the shield could take before he had to settle for more static cover.

The first two of 4th squad stacked up behind him until they engage the enemy. This was just so they could cram as much fire power downrange for the first strike, then they'd either push forward, leveraging the power armors' defenses to break through.

With the sensors lining up potential threats for him, he trained the Aether SMG down the hall with additional firepower flanking him. Things were deathly silent at the front until the first of their enemies appeared, then that silence was replaced with the song of aether searing down the halls to make contact with flesh and hull. "Vanguard! Inch up!" he ordered, leveraging the shield to slowly move forward while not compromising the amount of fire heading down range.

Yingzi moved behind the infantry before finding a piece of solid cover she crouched behind with both of her weapons at the ready and in sight of everyone else that should see her. Analyzing and learning the secrets of this gunship would have to wait until the crew were dealt with. She did her best not to focus on the the nasty and slimy interior walls, it just made her want to murder the crew the more she thought about it. To the point she is liable to just shoot even surrendering ones in the head for good measure. So while she waited for the engagement to commence, she started using her Mindy AIES and sensors to start mapping the interior.

Sound did not propagate through the airless, gravity-free abyss inside the gunship hulk, yet it was almost palpable when the seething mass began to gather and surge forward. Shadow-cloaked movements in the dark distance, faint glimmers of lights or reflections, and the screaming chaos of motion sensors and radars in helmet HUDs and headsets rose in a menacing crescendo.

"All around! All Around! Fan out!" Tachiko made a big, circular gesture and reversed the gravity in her inertial control system, changing direction halfway across the corridor until the boots of her power armor planted on what was the ceiling when the ship had artificial gravity. The burned out remains of the torpedo wound in the hull provided scant cover among the twisted and warped bulkhead that seemed an indeterminate medium between burnt meat and metal slag.

First it was a bolt or two of Aether plasma, in the Mishhuvurthyar's signature sickly pink, then more, as a drizzle becomes a storm. Then, that roiling mass of tentacled horrors commenced its crash like the inevitability of a looming breaker. The Mishhuvurthyar knew they had nowhere to go, and were making their last, desperate stand.

U.N.N Seojun​

The shuttle touched down in the U.N.N Seojun's launch bay, and Katsuko’s accelerated healing had progressed enough for her to consciously register her surroundings. She propped herself up, only to find Katara standing over her, having just left the pilot's seat. Katsuko couldn’t help but feel the irony—the universe playing some kind of joke—never expecting that they would both end up in the same place, at the same time. She hesitated briefly before taking Katara’s outstretched hand.

"Your ship already launched its pods, but I can't say much of the rest is still intact. You were a little too ambitious this time, Taisho—good thing we were within range," Katara said as they stood face to face. The moment was hardly ideal for such an introduction. The Seojun shuddered as it took another hit, the battle continuing outside. "You probably need to contact your subordinates. You can do that from the bridge," Katara added in a kind voice.

"Thank you—or should I say, thank me? This is awkward," Katsuko said with a faint smile, then added, "Yes, I should get back in touch with them. I appreciate the hospitality."

Now wasn’t the time to explore the unusual reunion, given the heat of the ongoing battle. Everything around Katsuko felt alien, foreign in its design, yet familiar in its function. She followed Katara out of the shuttle and stepped into the launch bay.

U.N.N Seojun Bridge​

When they arrived on the bridge, Katara led Katsuko to the communications station and showed her the controls. It took a few moments, but soon Katsuko was broadcasting from the Norian ship's bridge. "All SAoY vessels in range, this is Taisho Ketsurui-Motoyoshi Katsuko. I am onboard the U.N.N. flagship, as the YSS Battle of Ayenee Capital City is a loss. All ships, regroup and report battle data to me."

Certain details had to be withheld, as communication over a non-Star Army frequency meant some updates were classified and couldn't be shared. Still, she managed to get a message out to the remaining ships.

The battle was not going well—a direct consequence of losing their flagship. Katsuko stepped away from the communications station and studied what appeared to be a tactical overlay. Although she couldn’t fully read the Nira’las sigils on the display, it was clear enough for her to discern the positions of both allied and enemy ships. The situation was grim, but at least now there was some coordination among the scattered forces.

Reinforcements​

Bright flashes lit up the outer system as the Lorrheim Expeditionary Strike Group arrived at Becurn, providing desperately needed reinforcements to their embattled fleet. Leading the group was the YSS Sjöberg, as the YSS Lorrheim was still undergoing repairs. The arrival of the strike group brought an immediate shift in the battle. Their guns unleashed a torrent of fire, raining down like aether-hellfire upon the overwhelming Mishhuvurthyar forces, altering the momentum in favor of the allied fleet.

YSS Yukika II

Yuki allowed herself a smile as one of the enemy gunships was turned into so much drifting wreckage, but only a smile. There was no time to gloat or celebrate, not with one of the gunship's sisters already putting Yukika II in its sights. Her fingers tightened a bit on the armrests of her chair, and her eyes widened ever so slightly as the ship shook with the impact of lethal weapons. A quick check, though, told her what she knew from the lack of any chatter of damage reports; the ship had been hit, but not badly so. "Get me another one of those, Shoi Tae," she said sharply, not sparing a glance in the direction of the tac officer.

Then her eyes widened even more, and her heart leapt both from the sprinkles of friendly IFFs on the plot, and the message from Taisho Katsuko. A weight she hadn't realized she was carrying was lifted from her shoulders. Maybe we pull this off after all, she murmured to herself, and then it was back to business. "Message to Seojun, our compliments to Taisho Katsuko and we will rendezvous as quickly as possible." She considered a moment, then decided not to elaborate; no need to disclose to the Norians the captain and her team were not, in fact, on board Yukika II at all. Not quite yet.

Plus, there was the small matter of the enemy gunship which had dared tangle with them.

Wreck of the XSS Soth'oth

Under the hail of energy blasts, Roy stood firm with his shield blocking the majority of the blasters that were meant for him and the people behind him. The two soldiers behind him peeked out from his sides and returned fire. Roy himself held his Aether SMG low, braced against the edge of the shield as he squeezed the trigger. The two other soldiers of squad 4 who were keeping the rear secured took cover behind a wall of an intersection, where they had met with some enemy crewmen. There was no hesitation as they shot down the hall.

"PUSH THEM BACK!" came the growl of the Nepleslian man in Yamataian armor as he remained low but marched forward, lest he accidentally get himself shot in the back. Making a quick switch of firing modes to grenade, his pulses of fire suddenly became explosive. He was there to tear this place apart and make sure none of the NMX escape.

Now if this floating wreck was still operational, then he'd be more inclined to attempt to simply commandeer it, use its weapons against its kin, but as it stands, it was just dirtying the void with its presence.

YSS Yukika II

CYTARI and Engineering Department

During the onslaught Cytari had exited the bridge at some point during the battle. It was a dire situation, which meant all hands on deck keeping things as functional as possible for those forward and those that remained onboard Yukika II. Obara had his duties as armorer covered, which is where he would remain unless otherwise ordered. In the case that Tachiko requested more personnel or arms he would be there to have things ready to go in a flash. Cytari would have a lovely corrective chat with him if he deviated from that, dependent upon circumstances. Uehara was dedicated to keeping communications equipment functional. Koko was monitoring for any enemy attempts from the enemy to infiltrate Yukika II's computer systems and assisting Uehara as needed. Rae was assisting Cytari with all other engineering components that needed doing given that she was the only other technician onboard. Cytari was supremely grateful to have such a reliable and capable team.

Escape pod homing beacons of those pods launched from the YSS Battle of Ayenee Capital City began signaling their arrival. It seemed that almost immediately after this that the message from Katsuko came across the comms. She knew that Tachiko was not onboard, but that was a matter out of her hands. Toson was about to be inundated with crew from Katusko's ship and there was no telling what state they would be in. Her purple eyes flashed to Rae, "Keep things held down on this end, I am going to help prepare to receive the survivors. You ping me if you need to." Cytari then shot an emergent communication to Doc, "Medical, Chief Engineer. I am enroute to assist with the survivors." She also notified the executive officer or whoever was acting as the executive officer as well. They would also receive that engineering is covered as she would bounce back and forth to assist her department.

Escape Pod

AKU and KIRA

Most of the crew in the pod were shaken from events that unfolded. Everyone had scrambled to their pods, not knowing whether they would be able to unite with any friends or coworkers. Would their pod make it to safety? Would they be destroyed as well? There was no knowing as they all sat together in the full escape pod. Aku sat staring at the ground, her eyes wide as she attempted to process what was going on. Kira was checking on everyone in her pod, ensuring that whatever happened to them that they would stick together. Aku nodded as Kira ensured the others, she quietly offered her assistance. The introverted clerk's purple ears twitched as she suggested that they all get into their AMES for extra safety measures, should things turn worse.

("Someone's shooting at someone.") Morris informed the yeoman standing next to him-they'd gone a couple more runs-grabbing life and savior pods while he kept an ear to his comm-watching a few muzzle flashes through his spyglass before he lost track, ("Haven't gotten a yell for help yet though.") The yeoman 'hmm'd', followed by a casual ("Think they're dead?") as helped a pair of juniors wrestle another pod on board before they went for another run. The big man paused for a moment to look at his fellow before shrugging. ("Doubt it-would be a lot more activity-or we'd be getting sent in.")

He continued observing as more pods were collected...

Wreck of the XSS Soth'oth

Yingzi extended both of her arms over her head from her cover and relied on her nodal bits and her Heavy Aether Pistols weapon sights to provide visual and targeting feedback. As she slowly sent whitish bolts down range due to the immense power the pistol's cooling systems were trying to manage, she thought to herself that more feedback in its design likely would have made the designer realize a less powerful mode might be more beneficial in situations like this. While she would have preferred another weapon selection, the Heavy Aether Pistol was really the only one in the form that allowed her to quench her scientific curiosity in one hand and deliver justice in the other one.

With her slow rate of fire, she focused more on taking out the enemy's cover and any large targets she could distinguish. One shot, one kill.

U.N.N Seojun​

Now seated back in her command chair, Katara resumed directing the battlegroup, her vespers enhanced by the mindhives of the ship. The Seojun had already absorbed significant damage, acting as a shield for the YSS Battle of Ayenee Capital City during Katara's retrieval of Katsuko. Battle-hardened from her service in the Void Wars, Katara had faced enough grotesque, tentacled enemies to fill a nightmare and knew how to handle them. She leaned forward, her voice calm but determined. "Let's see if they fall for the same trick twice..."

She commanded four Migothi-Class cruisers, two of which broke formation and launched an assault on one of the remaining Neithorngom-Class battleships, targeting its critical CFS systems. Meanwhile, the other two cruisers darted toward the inner system, their engines flaring as they neared the edge of the Sharie belt. At the last second, they sharply turned back, and eight graviton beams shot out from their afts ventral emitters, seizing small asteroids in their gravitational grip. Katara grinned as she watched the plan unfold. The two cruisers dragging the asteroids broke off from the crippled battleship, its shields utterly disabled. With a precision strike, they released the asteroids, sending them smashing into the enemy ship’s hull at a fraction of light speed. The catastrophic impact ripped through the main gun and tore off several of the spine weapons, leaving the battleship in crippled as all four moved to circle back for more passes with their aether turrets blazing.

Her grin was short-lived. A streak of pink aether fire shot up from a gunship lurking below the cruisers' path, striking one clean through its center. The cruiser shattered into two sections, its pieces drifting apart in a cloud of debris, powerless and broken. It was not exactly an even trade, but once again Katara showed that she had paid attention to her husband's lessons about using the environment in combat.

While Katara dealt with the U.N.N vessels, Katsuko worked at the communications console. She responded to Yuki’s message personally. "Thank you, Shinono-Shoi. Glad you're all still in the fight. Help is on the way." With the arrival of the Lorrheim Expeditionary Strike Group, the battle began to shift in their favor. Fresh reinforcements swept into the fray, and as one of the Asthlacthu-Class gunships slipped into hyperspace, Katsuko gave another order. "YSS Yukika, Seojun again—help mop up this mess." The Yukika had already taken out three enemy vessels with its main gun. Victory was now within their grasp, but there was still plenty of work to be done.

YSS Yukika II

"We'll do our best," Yuki said simply in reply, even as she directed a wrenching turn, one which hopefully would draw fire away from the escape pods. Of course, that simply presented her own ship as a small, nimble, but also appealing target. Nothing to be done for it, other than trust her pilot. "If you can spare any ships for search and rescue, ma'am, it would help."

She wasted little time waiting for an answer before giving her next order. "Engineering, bridge," she said quickly. "You have three-zero seconds, get as many pods as you can on board. We need to clear out these hostiles before we can do proper recovery, understood?" The words were scarcely out of her mouth before another volley of plasma struck the ship. The ship's shields flickered, but still held, and Yuki refused to think about how their luck couldn't hold out forever.

Her fingers drummed on a thigh, a quick impatient pattern on her stocking. "I'm going to need some more miracle shooting from you, Shoi Tae, don't let up on them!" Briefly she considered letting her captain know of the situation, then decided her CO would just have to take care of herself. Doubtless she had her own problems anyway....

YSS Yukika II

CYTARI and Engineering Department

Cytari checked in with her crew as she was pulling in what looked like to be the last of the pods headed towards them. Obara reported in that there were no changes. Uehara nudged her that a message of importance would need to be sent to their Captain. Immediately the Chief Engineer shot a communication directly to Tachiko notifying her of their current situation, "Captain, Chief. Reinforcements have arrived." Koko and Rae also reported no changes for their stations. The bridge hit her up right as Engineering Department finished checking in with her. "Bridge, Engineering. Pods secured, go when ready," keeping things short and sweet as another round of plasma hit Yukika II's shields. Rae zoomed around checking on shield status, they had flickered but were still holding. The technician notified her Chui of this incident and kept going about her heightened duties.

After securing the pods she checked on personnel to help sort out any medical needs in priority order. She reported anything she found to Medical. Once that had been sorted she dashed to check on her "baby" to see if anything needed to be handled.

Escape Pod - Recovered

AKU, IMAIZU and KIRA

Once the pods were settled Imaizu ran around checking on survivors while staying out of the Iron Company's way. She aided in passing out emergency supplies as needed and directed people to designated areas so as to keep the pod recovery area cleared. Aku and Kira exited their pod along with additional survivors, getting to work aiding the ships crew with helping others.

Hell in Twisted Metal

"Fall back! Fall Back! To the breach!" Tachiko screamed commands over the comms as the seething cataphract of SMX Mishhuvurthyar surged forth from the depths of the hulk with far more celerity than she, or any of the team, could make a fighting withdrawal. Smaller, albeit squishier, they were just as fast, if not faster than the types more familiar in recent history, and fiendishly hard to hit even when firing into a mass of them. Nor did those farther back in the rear of the innumerable helices care if they were firing into a mass of their fellows. They knew they were all as good as carbon scoring on the bulkhead anyway. And with cornered ferocity, they were soon inside close range, attempting to encircle and overwhelm through desperation and numbers and firepower as they spiraled around the circumference of the cylindrical corridor—gravity was what one made of it in the lifeless wreck, after all.

The compact Mark I variant of Yamatai's Light Armor Service Rifle like the one Tachiko wielded was all well and good at very close ranges, with the muzzle scant centimeters past the fore grip, and especially with the extendable stock collapsed. The geyser of Mishhuvurthyar in their spiteful desperation, however in vain, to kill the Yamataian boarders even if it hastened the next torpedo that would finish them off from afar, didn't afford time to switch to her Type 29 Armor Service Pistol. They crossed that threshold so quickly, she'd be caught in the melee and surrounded by innumerable targets before she could switch again to something that didn't run out of ammunition and hit more decisively than the forearm pulse cannons. The gauss cannon and mini-missile pod on her shoulders were long silent and empty, and no matter how many found their mark, it seemed more Mishhuvurthyar still took their fellows' places.

"Did you say reinforcements? We need reinforcements. Now. We have an entire new class of ship here we must, I say again, must capture. Everything anyone has. Here. Now."

Flitting backward and a bit upward, from her perspective, at least, and spinning off-axis, Tachiko nimbly dodged a lunging nightmare with barbed tentacles that could potentially impale a Mindy-clad soldier and fired the last kinetic darts from its cylindrical magazine into the Mishhuvurthyar's center of mass. Tachiko changed her relative direction of gravity again to find an empty foothold sheltered from the constant, streaking hail of æther plasma, and slung the rifle to her lower back. Smoothly, she transitioned to drawing both her Æther guntō—severing the tentacles of the Mishhuvurthyar peeking over her cover with its weapon on the draw, and nearly atomizing it with the power of the energized, monomolecular blade with her next strike. All of that martial practice was more to Tachiko than something to occupy her body while her computerized mind toiled wirelessly for her family's business concerns, as she demonstrated on her hated foe. The ones who destroyed her home. A slice. The ones who killed her companions. A double slice. With the three-dimensional, gravity-contextual instincts that none other than the Nekovalkyrja could claim, Tachiko flitted from opponent to opponent, among her allies locked in their own mortal struggles, Nitō-Ryu, Mindy, and Nekovalkyrja become one. Criscrossing the corridor, dancing, rebounding, with whichever direction as up as her whim, Tachiko gracefully felled all who challenged her, or who crossed her weaving path along her cylindrical floor.

Until, at the whimsy of an errant bolt from far back in the impenetrable depths of that endless hallway, the right side of Tachiko's body, from jawline to hip, vanished in a crackle of raw Æther. Armor systems desperately trying to keep vacuum decompression at bay, with one arm and one leg she fought on, and on, until a surging tide of barbed tentacles pulled her down.

YSS Yukika II

CYTARI

"Hai Captain," Cytari responded swiftly to Tachiko only, before shifting gears to get the ball rolling. Opening a comms frequency with all Star Army vessels in the area and the U.N.N. Seojun, "Star Army vessels and U.N.N. Seojun, Yukika II. Emergency reinforcement requested by Shosa Motoyoshi at the following coordinates" Cytari listed coordinates provided by Tachiko. "All available units, please send reinforcements to support Star Army away team and capture of new enemy vessel. I repeat, emergency reinforcement requested by Shosa Motoyoshi, all available units please send reinforcements." Cytari then repeated the location the support would be needed at then finished with, "Yukika II out."

("They're requesting reinforcements!") Morris bellowed-the yeomen immediately grabbed their void packs, and laid hands on whatever gear they could reasonably carry-ammo, detpacks, rifles, plasma gouts, spears and whatever else they could bring. ("Grab one of the damn guns, we'll need it!") The sunderer crew immediately picked up the spades of their gun and pushed it forward, along with one of the ammo carts. Hefting his combat shield, he began doing the mandatory checks on their gear. ("Check your equipment and make sure your oxygen's topped off.")

He held up his left hand, 3 fingers extended, ("Three!") The yeoman began their last minute prep, saying prayers or curses as they readied themselves for the worst, ("Two!") Magaznies were slammed home, a shell was loaded into the AT gun, ("ONE-JUMP!") The cohort charged, their pack's ion thrusters sparking to life as they sped off in the void of space...

They touched down moments later; ("Form up as best able-spears and shields up front, rifles in the back!") With that they, advanced, hopefully they could save a few of the.
----

As the Star Army soldiers were locked in mortal combat with the mishu, the arrival of reinforcements was not heralded by the sudden flash of a teleporter, or the sleek power armor of their compatriots or even the Norians, but rather a bunch of hardsuit-clad soldiers firing large bore rifles behind fellows advanced with spear and shield-Despite the low gravity of the ship they were managing to hold the formation, at least well enough anyways. "Friendlies coming in!" Came Morris's roar over the comms-roughly a hundred men came pouring in-despite the narrow corridor it actually favored their ship boarding tactics-"We need cannister shot-NOW!" The AT gun, after some creative finagling-mostly by cutting down the barrel-something that Alexei had not been happy about, but understood the need for, was wheeled up from the formation, and it's crew fired. The muzzle flash from the shell was briefly blinding combined with an odd surrealness of the silence of the vacuum of space; sending the explosive shot down range into the oncoming mishu...

Wreck of the XSS Soth'oth

This place was livelier than they first expected, but Roy was not deterred. He welcomed the challenge and the upcoming slaughter, but with the orders to fall back, his advance would have to do a 180. "You heard the lady! Caltrops! Go!" He switched his gun to rapid fire and just sprayed down the hall as he backed up. The two soldiers behind him took off to find positions to hold off the horde while the others get to somewhere safer.

In an arguably better position with him not having to share his shield cover, Roy indulged the idea of a last stand as writhing masses of tentacles began attempting to get at him, or rather through him. An ambitious Mishu clung to his shield, but with a quick application of a burst of thrust, Roy pressed it into the wall, the force of the impact just short of popping it like a pimple. He soon put his thrusters into reverse to regroup, keeping his Aether SMG firing without rest as the two soldiers behind him started to cover his retreat.

"Caltrops!" came a call from behind as he passed a pair of Type 30 frag grenades shoved into the fleshy wall. From behind him, a white sphere with a telling orange stripe passed over his head. Another flavor of a Type 30, the scalar pulse grenade. It sailed between the gaps of the tentacled monsters and activated. Caught in the resulting scalar field, the two frags were set off to take care of another layer of squids.

The other two who were stationed at the rear were still gunning down the enemy forces, but were beginning to lose ground. Tachiko's arrival at their location caused enough of a stir for the rear guards to break away. They had not seen Tachiko get hit by the aether blast, but they were not happy to see the Mishu grab hold of her. One continued to cover the hall while the other shot around Tachiko to get the Mishu to release her.

"Boarding team!" 4th squad's number 4 called out, "Check fire, hostiles on top of our commanding officer!"

[HEADER=1]YSS Mazu-Soggy Hole[/HEADER]

Mazumi watched the battlefield unfold through the lounge's large windows, her gaze fixed on the distant hulking form of the YSS Battle of Yamatai Capital City. The once-mighty starship, now marred by battle, bore the scars of a brutal encounter with the terrifying Mishhuvurthyar forces. Mazumi's frown deepened as she assessed the damage from afar, her heart heavy with concern. She wasn't an engineer, but even as the ship's caretaker and Lounge Mistress of the Soggy Hole, she could tell the damage was catastrophic. The flagship, a symbol of Yamatai’s might, would need more than just repairs—it might require a full replacement.

Taking a steadying breath, Mazumi shifted her attention back to the lounge. Despite the turmoil outside, she knew her place was here, serving the crew of the YSS Mazu, many of whom were dealing with the unbearable uncertainty of having family aboard the devastated capital ship. Her own anxieties had to take a backseat now. The crew depended on her to keep the environment calm, to offer them a momentary escape from the chaos and fear lingering in the air.

Mazumi moved gracefully behind the counter, her hands working in practiced motions as she prepared drinks and food for those seated before her. Some were quiet, their faces pale with worry, while others tried to engage in hollow conversation, as if normalcy could be found in the simplicity of small talk. She maintained a calm, composed expression, even as her thoughts returned to the Battle of Yamatai—to the brave men and women aboard, to the families wondering if their loved ones had survived the brutal assault.

She glanced around the lounge, noting the tension in the air. A group of officers sat together, their voices low as they discussed the battle. A few enlisted crew members had their heads bowed in quiet prayer, and a pair of medics leaned against the far wall, exhaustion etched into their faces. Mazumi felt a pang of empathy for them all. In moments like these, her role extended far beyond serving drinks—she was a source of stability, of familiarity, in a galaxy that seemed increasingly uncertain.

Mazumi knew that the Star Army of Yamatai would recover. They always did. Their resilience had been proven time and time again. But for now, her focus remained on the people in front of her, those who needed her steady presence.

Mazumi’s thoughts were abruptly pulled back to the present when a crewmate at the lounge window let out a startled gasp. She followed their gaze, and her eyes widened as she spotted the unmistakable sleek forms of Norian ships entering the fray. The starry void around the YSS Battle of Yamatai was now filled with the elegant vessels of the Norian people, cutting through space with lethal precision as they joined the fight against the Mishhuvurthyar. The sudden reinforcements brought a surge of hope to the beleaguered fleet, and Mazumi’s heart swelled with gratitude.

The Norians—longtime allies of Yamatai—had arrived just in time. Their aid was a beacon of light amidst the chaos, and Mazumi could feel the energy shift in the room around her. Crewmembers who had been hunched over in despair now straightened, their eyes fixed on the windows as they watched the tide of battle turn. Whispers of relief and renewed resolve rippled through the lounge as the once-overwhelming Mishhuvurthyar forces began to falter under the combined assault of the Yamataian and Norian forces.

Mazumi allowed herself a small smile, though her expression remained thoughtful. These moments of salvation were rare, and she knew how much the crew would cherish the arrival of the Norians. Still, it was far from over. The battle raged on, and there was no telling what losses had already been suffered.

She muttered to herself, her voice barely above a whisper but loud enough for those near her to hear. "Remind me later to contact the bridge crew, and deliver a message of thanks to the Norians..." She paused, her lips curling slightly in an attempt to lighten the heavy atmosphere, "And to let them know a round of drinks is on me. Same goes for any survivors in that battle."

Several of the nearby crew chuckled at her words, the tension in their faces easing ever so slightly. Mazumi knew it wasn’t much, but even offering a moment of levity or an act of kindness during such dark times could make all the difference. She could already see a glimmer of relief in their eyes.

As she moved back to the counter, preparing for the inevitable rush that would come once the battle ended, her mind raced with thoughts of how she could contribute. A small gesture of goodwill, like offering drinks, seemed insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but she knew that camaraderie and unity were the lifeblood of any crew. They would need these small comforts to cling to once the battle was done, to mourn the fallen and celebrate the living.

Mazumi cast one more glance out the window, watching the Norian ships weave through the stars with deadly grace. "We owe them more than a round of drinks," she thought to herself, but she knew this was her way of saying thank you. As much as she could offer from her place behind the bar, she would. It was her way of keeping hope alive for the crew of the Mazu.

Hiro had opted to remain on the Yukikia II to aid where he could, he knew that Tae was on the bridge with Yuki as acting XO. When the call for Reinforcements came over the comms. He began debating either hoping into a PA, one of the remaining Fukuro shuttles to aid in recovery and support or up to the bridge to aid there.

"Shoi Shinono, this is Shoi Nakamitsu, how would you like me to aid. flying to aid in recovery and support, in a PA or on the bridge as a second set of hands?" He knew that he didn't need to ask Yuki, however being that she was currently in charge of the ship while Tachiko was with the boarding party, it was the proper chain of command.

"Chui Akhai, do you and you engineers need a hand with anything?"