ON: YSS Miharu, Nyton Claymere's quarters
As if on cue, there was a chime at Nyton's door.
The buzz of alcohol was ringing between Nyton's ears when the chime went off. His low tolerance was starting to hit but he could tell the difference between the ringing and the chime. Shaking his head and running a hand over his face Nyton tried to clear his head. Taking a deep breath he then replied. "Come in."
The door soon swung open, with Kotori stepping in. The nekovalkyrja made eye contact with Nyton, her iridescent amber eyes meeting his, before she closed the door with a muted 'clunk'.
"Kotori-sama," Nyton said as he stood to perform a bow, but his quick rise as well as the alcohol had him waver. It was when Kotori walked up to him and offered her four-fingered hand for support that Nyton realized that he had lost his balance. Without thinking, he reached out for Kotori's right hand with his left, resolving his predictament with a slight tumble that he easily recovered from with the extra support.
Nyton felt embarrassed at the drunken stumble he had just performed but stiffled it in order to force himself to stand erect. His eyes came upon Kotori's face again, where he spied the shadow of a smile as she returned her outstreched hand to her side. She turned to give the volumetric windows hovering above his desk a glance before she looked back at him. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked gently.
"Talk? That's just one of many things I want to do. I take it you have heard the latest news," Nyton said, surprising himself with the loudness of his voice. He sighed, making an effort to mentally reining himself in before he tried again: "God damn it, Kotori, where the hell can I even start?"
"Master yourself by not letting anger rule over reason. See your limitation and instead of dwelling on the problems, think of solutions and see where you might be able to make a difference." Kotori answered him.
Nyton could only shake his head a bit after hearing the slight chastise. He knew his conduct was unbecoming but at the moment it was difficult not to feel overwhelmed. Ironically it was the buzz of the alcohol that was helping to calm Nyton down but he knew that was just a temporary fix. "I know, I know. I just have never felt anything like this before," he replied quietly. "If you are worried that I harbor anger towards you then I assure you that is not the case. I can still differentiate between who to be angry towards."
Kotori nodded her appreciation at the last. "Let us air out some things first," she proposed. When Nyton nodded, forcing his mind to switch to a more analitical state, she continued: "We both remember how the investigation of Black Spiral stalled when the PNUgen officials the Star Army captured threatened to leak out the involvement Emperor Uesu had with the plague. At that point, they were released which indicated there was a link. I'll admit openly that I never expected this, but you and I did explore the possibility of Uesu having his fingers in the matter."
"Personally, I figured that it might have been that PNUgen had a countermeasure for the plague and had used it on us artificial species," Kotori went on. "I thought that perhaps they hadn't released that inoculant openly to the public and that it lead to many Nepleslians dying. Hoarding a cure would have been controversial enough - it did not cross my mind to think that PNUgen would have had been the source of the plague itself in order to both dispose of the Nepleslian population and frame the Elysians for it. They killed two birds with one stone in doing that. Want my thoughts on it?"
Nyton listened and nodded in agreement. "It makes sense although when you put it that way it is almost an unthinkable option. Apparently that is what they chose to do though." After a pause Nyton then gave an approving look. "What are your thoughts on this mess, Kotori-sama?"
Kotori coaxed a long lock of black hair to spill over her shoulder where she idly began caressing it. "That Uesu made the most out of the outcome does not mean he was implicated in the Plague itself," she said, staring down at the hair she was toying with, "Consider that PNUgen was a bigger company than just Uesu and that it did not necessarily make him privy to everything that happened. It could be that Uesu learned of the origins for the plague after, just like we did, and that he had no role in actually implementing it. He might be guilty but it could be only through association instead of deed. I have no particular liking for the Former Emperor, but, think about it Nyton: did you not notice that all the focus on him was thanks to Melisson's intervention? Wouldn't it be likely that Uesu became the scapegoat in the absence of PNUgen? Who else was there to take the blame anymore?"
For a moment Nyton's train of thought was almost derailed. All this attention onto Uesu was brought upon by Melisson. Had it been her intention to distract everyone from something else she had planned? He quickly returned to the matter Kotori mentioned and began to think harder. Now the alcohol was working against him. "Perhaps PNUgen no longer exists as it was but continues to do so in another form? Maybe Uesu confessed his involvement to take the blame so that someone else could move about undetected. There had been mention of another man who was supposedly more closely involved with the plague."
"I'm not particularly proud to call the Ketsurui clan my kin right now, but even so, I would like to believe Yui and Hanako are self-righteous enough to not let Uesu get away so lightly if he hadn't been framed to a degree," the amber-eyed Taisa admitted, "How likely is it that Hanako would let a man whom contributed to the murder of her elven parents go if he truly was responsible for it? Perhaps it is not an overly complex ruse, Nyton. Perhaps he really was a scapegoat and accepted the role and his exile as a necessity."
"Perhaps." Nyton replied flatly, clearly skeptical, though he didn't want to just dismiss the possibility Kotori had outlined either. "Perhaps we should also discuss this further in private, Kotori-sama?" he said, pointing up meaningfully.
"I asked Miharu to leave us in private before I came to the door. I figured we would be talking about this," Kotori shook her head, stirring the ends of her black hair. "I said he might have been framed, Nyton, but I am not debating his integrity. Uesu has the blood of other people on his hands and I already have an admission from Yui that he had a hand in Princess Kohana's death along with Ashigari Kenji-Taisa."
Nyton raised an eyebrow. She was already prepared to discuss this out. Clever woman as usual. "Good thinking that. However, I have no doubt that the Star Army already is his private army. Look at the way Yui let him run off into supposed exile. He ran off with ships that while probably not all top of the line, would have been vital resources if we were still fighting the SMX. I doubt anyone could have even made him stand trial. Everything this Empire depends upon is run or owned by the Ketsurui. How can you not question Yui's integrity if she knows Uesu has murdered people and not done anything about it?" Nyton continued. "Maybe the disappearance of the SMX and Uesu are tied together as well. For all we know Uesu and Melisson are huddled away together in that sector he's built for himself!"
"Oh yes, and perhaps pigs fly too - but wait, they do." Kotori smirked, making a joke at the expense of the Oharans, and then said: "It is clear that the Star Army of Yamatai is an extension of the Ketsurui clan itself. I imagine that Empress Motoyoshi never really had all that much power to begin with since Yui had the guns all along. It seemed her rule was constantly undermined by the Star Army being handled with little finesse. The Empire, to my great disappointment, has so far not lived up to the noble ideals and wisdom that I was taught it represented as I grew up to serve it. I saw this much with the Lorath, where the Star Army favored the use of gunboat diplomacy to force them into joining the Empire instead of using a more enlightened approach. I fail to comprehend, if we are so wise and so powerful, why cannot we act like it and show such consideration?"
Nyton let the remark about pigs flying lighten him some more. It was a relief to be able to talk with Kotori about this; he felt he had regained his composure and his mind cleared. Not only was this helping him think things through more rationally, but it also brought a memory back to the forefront of his mind. "Like the junk yards after the snow fall. They become pretty to look at but hide the garbage underneath." He crossed his arms and looked aside with disdain. "It's a pity that I've met more than a few who share the sentiment that the lesser species are worthless and must either submit or be swept aside. I suppose this latest event adds to the sense of betrayal I also felt. The Species Restriction Act was difficult enough to curb, but to know that those above us would condone genocide is just too much."
Kotori's expression turned sober. "Have you considered leaving all this behind and returning home?"
Nyton was struck by the suddenness of the question. "I had not thought that far ahead yet. I wanted to think further into all of this when you suddenly arrived. I suppose one of my main reasons to stay had gone once the SMX disappeared. I did not want to go fighting fellow Nepleslians again when the SMX to me represented a more sinister threat..." Nyton stopped, somewhat at a loss for words. "I should have offered you a seat or something. Make yourself comfortable where ever. I guess while you do that I can think about what I would want to do," he then said.
Kotori looked around; Nyton really had just one reclining chair in his room. She walked to his bed and sat on its edge, her almond-shaped eyes coming back to stare at him expectantly.
The Nepleslian turned to pacing, hoping it would help the train of his thoughts. "I guess I had somehow hoped I could make a difference if I stayed in the Star Army. Maybe even change things from within but I don't see that happening." Nyton's pace was shaky and he stopped, deciding that wasn't helping. "I had considered working my way up in rank until I could get close enough to Uesu and kill him but that isn't going to happen. I would prefer to not make myself a martyr. Not when the man can just get restored via ST backup." he said without realizing. He was still a bit lightheaded from the earlier loss of balance and returned to his reclining chair. "I just don't know where to go at this time, Kotori-sama. This is something I will need to think about. There are always opportunities to be had back home I suppose. The UOC are probably in need of personnel as well. It may be interesting to see where they go. I do admit some fear as to what the Empire will do once things settle down. They may look for any excuse just to go to war with the UOC. Once that occurs I doubt there will be any mercy given."
Kotori closed her eyes, one hand running up and down the hair falling over her shoulder. "I did think to leave the Ketsurui name behind and head over to the United Outer Colonies. In many ways, they could represent the Yamatai I aspire to serve." Her eyes opened to slits. "But then, I would leave the Ketsurui clan, and any chance I would have to redeem it. Perhaps that hope is foolish, but I was born the daughter of one of the clan's retainers and my whole life has practically revolved around the Ketsurui and the Star Army of Yamatai. Perhaps I am displeased about how things have turned out, but do you realize what I might be able to do with the power I've obtained, with the sway I might be able to have in the future, especially if I keep on the rise?"
Nyton leaned forward a bit as he placed his elbows on his knees. "Of course I realize that. I was surprised you considered leaving actually. I would have thought you would want to remain so you could try and change things. If anyone has any chance at doing this it would be you, an outsider adopted in who has a sense of justice. You revealed a desire for power to me before. However, you also showed a fair sense of responsibility that came with such power. I noticed this which is why I wanted to continue serving under you."
Nyton looked over at Kotori and realized he was too far away. He rolled his chair over a bit and stopped a few feet in front of her. He gazed back at those eyes, his sensors picking up each little shift in the light that they made. "So just like you, I also would lose all my rank and position if I left. I don't know if that is wise to do just yet," he said before a look crossed his face. "I have figured out one reason that we may want to perhaps stay a little longer." he then said with a hushed voice, as though he were about to impart a secret.
Kotori's amber eyes opened wider and she nodded attentively.
"What if, and this is something of a gamble, but what if whatever it is that Eve is plotting to use against the Empire can be used differently," Nyton said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe we could use it to change things around. I don't know what Eve is trying to do but if there is a chance that it can be successful then maybe we should take it for ourselves." A giddy grin broke across Nyton's face, bellying that alcohol had not entirely broken its hold over him.
An exasperated sigh escaped Kotori. "Yes, well, that thought occured to me too, though I'd like to avoid sinking to Eve's level. Sometimes, I cannot help but notice that Eve and I might be cut from the same cloth. For instance, we may have similar goals. I think I've told Yukari, but I never told you about my own ambitions."
Nyton gave a chuckle and nodded. "Sure. Let's hear it."
"I did not start out wanting much," Kotori began. "To me, just surviving through my eight years of servitude and getting to an officer rank was enough. I wasn't interested in the military so much as what would come after. Once I was done with my service, I wanted to settle down and raise a family. I wanted to raise children - not younglings, but babies - and nurture them into adulthood."
She turned her head to stare out from Nyton's viewport. Unlike hers, he could still see out into space instead of having the view blocked off by the Pelican's hull. "As you know, I once lived with a foster family - my foster father had a wife and two children and it left a mark for me. It made me want that for myself too."
"Seeing my plans were rather humble then, I did not expect for my career to turn out as it did," Kotori turned back to smile at Nyton, joining her hands together and interlacing her fingers. "However, the more I grew implicated in the military, the more I glimpsed the rotten foundations of the utopian nation which gave me birth. Seeing that corruption, how power in the hands of those whom wielded it was abused of and the callousness ingrained in the Empire, I decided that Yamatai was not the safe place I wanted to raise my children in."
Her eyes hardened. "It did not escape me that to the nekovalkyrja, rank is a measure of power, a mean of control beyond ourselves. I decided that I would go as far as I would need to so to guarantee that Yamatai would become the safe place I wish for my children in... even if that means I have to go so far as to sit on the Imperial throne." She chuckled mirthlessly. "Irony is that it makes Eve much less my enemy and more like my rival. The reason I care so much about our current mission is mainly because Eve stands both in my way and also represents to me a stepping stone which will help me become greater."
Nyton leaned back and grinned a bit. "Ironic is right. And here I merely wanted to destroy a criminal that had terrorized people for so long. After seeing the recordings of her devouring children I knew she had to be killed," he said idly. "Such the noble cause to create a world where your children would be safe. Very admirable. This home must have had quite the strong effect on you." Nyton put his hand out and over Kotori's enjoined hands. "For such a place, I would follow you anywhere to achieve. I trust that place would have been fair to those who are not Nekovalkyrja as well."
"Knowing the faces of those I wished to protect always made fighting to defend the Empire something that seemed worthwhile. Though, wanting to protect them at all cost, whatever the means implicated the necessity of needing to be cruel to an extent..." her voice trailed off.
"When family is involved, one can find themselves willing to do anything, even the distasteful, in order to see they are protected. Just like I endured the Species Restriction Act, I thought I could deal with it so long as I was still fighting to defend my family. I understand how you feel so do not feel so ashamed over that. Families are important back home as well." Nyton replied.
"I can't help but think that the same might apply to Yui," Kotori admitted, sighing. "She's been fighting for three decades now - even though I don't approve of her methods, part of me wonders if I can really blame her for the way she deals with things."
"Maybe. Perhaps she defends Uesu merely because he is family and she is willing to do anything to protect him." Nyton pondered.
A bitter smile came to Kotori. The nekovalkyrja hung her head a moment before she looked back up to Nyton. "Speaking of Yui and family, I've a message summoning me to Yamatai so to participate in a family reunion. Given the recent upheavals, I'm uncertain of what will be discussed. What I am certain of is this: if you are willing to stay, I would be greatly appreciative of your support," she finished earnestly.
Nyton gave thought to what she was asking. Part of him grew cold with caution since he would be literally in the den of the beast. A Nepleslian still serving alongside a Nekovalkyrja.... he would likely draw some stares. But to actually be able to walk in and see what was inside the Military Sector would be a great opportunity. For what he was still unsure but he would need more intel to be sure... and this would be it. "Very well Kotori-sama. I told you I would follow you anywhere. If this route will perhaps lead us to realizing your world then I will follow you. What kind of support will you be needing for this trip?"
"You are my retainer - I have the right to bring you along, should we consider you actually seriously hold that capacity," Kotori replied. "Otherwise, just your presence as Miharu's tactical officer would already be quite a boon if nothing else."
"What, may I ask, would you need for me to prove my capacity as your retainer?" Nyton asked, somewhat amused that he still had never been given any sort of official word other than some teasing words during a bath.
"Seeing what I have seen of you Nyton, I only really need to know if you'd be willing to commit to it," Kotori smiled. "Should I ask again once you are no longer tipsy?"
Nyton shook his head. "No, you don't need to ask again. You still having faith in my abilities even while I am wallowing in alcohol is admirable. Either I'm that good or you're too understanding," he said.
"I'll let you guess on that one," Kotori smiled slyly at Nyton and stood up. "Feeling any better?"
"Much actually. The buzz is wearing off some and I realized something else too," Nyton replied as he stood up, a slight half grin on his face.
Kotori tilted her head at him curiously. "Mm?"
"I am not as alone in this as I had previously thought," Nyton said before he gave Kotori a kiss on her cheek.
Kotori looked up at Nyton as he retracted from the kiss and leaned into him so that she rested her forehead against his shoulder. "I, for one, am glad I am not alone in this either."
Nyton was not sure what to do for a second. He felt glad that Kotori was truly depending on him in some way. Instead of thinking he let his arms rise up and softly wrap around the smaller Nekovalkyrja woman. Her hair was smooth to the touch and he could feel the amount of devotion he put to it through this. "Then we can count on each other. However far this takes us." he said with determination.
Kotori raised her head back so she could make eye contact with him and rewarded him with a nod in approval. "Are you going to sleep this off?" She asked, darting a look toward the unsealed bottle of champagne Nyton had brought to his quarters.
Looking back at her Nyton felt a warmth in his chest at Kotori's nod. "I don't think I will be drinking more of that. But maybe some water to prevent dehydration. I should be okay otherwise," Nyton said as he tried to make a straight assessment of his condition.
Kotori nodded. She glanced around, noticing his arms still around her, and then turned back to him with a coy look. "Care to let me go?"
Nyton laughed a little. "If I'm supposed to care then why do I have to let you go?" he said slyly before letting his arms slowly travel back to his sides.
"I'm not sure I have a straight answer to that," Kotori gave him a good-natured wink and walked to the door. She grabbed the handle and looked back at him over her shoulder. "I suspect it'll take the Pelican a day or two to clear up the problem we've been having with our Matter Collection System. We'll likely get underway to Yamatai after that. I might decide to make a brief crossover in Nepleslian space so you could send some correspondance to your family if you'd like - they might know where you stand in all this seeing all the news they've heard."
Nyton smiled a bit more as he thought about what to write home about. "Yes, it has been more than a few weeks since our last correspondance. Regardless of what I tell them, I am certain they will understand." He started to walk over to the bottle of champagne to dispose of it. "Since we are going to be down for some time what shall we do until then?"
"I'm still catching up on events," Kotori gave a little shrug. "that and a report I have to submit to the First Expeditionary Fleet should keep me busy for a bit. I'll also need to have a word with Sora. As for the rest of the crew, I'm counting on Yukari to take care of that, if she isn't too distraught by the news. If not, I'd appreciate if you'd pitch in to help support her and the crew - I understand you aren't a Caretaker, but you are also a person the rest of the crew looks up to as well."
"But of course. I'll do my best," Nyton replied as he picked up the bottle to dispose of it. "If you have any matters that require my assistance you have but to ask." he added, finishing with a shaky but, this time, fairly stable bow.
Kotori returned a nod in appreciation and then opened the door, crossed through and was gone. The door swung back shut.
Nyton let out a breath as though he had not realized he was holding it. Shaking his head he went back to cleaning up.
END
