RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 27, Part 3] Expanding Horizons II (YE 39)

[Wes]

Three months later

2日 4月 YE 39

Eucharis was deep in coreward space, on an expedition to explore the star systems closer to the Kuvexians. They would jump from system to system, arriving in each one to count the planets and look for signs of enemy presence. It had become a boring, repetitive routine, only interrupted by occasional encounters with Rixxikor vagrants and other scavengers sailing junk starships through what the Star Army was now referring to as the "western wastes." Of the systems between Yamatai and the Kuvexians, there were countless ones that were stripped of their easily-attainable resources by corporate profiteers and simply abandoned, and the closer the First Expeditionary Fleet got to Kuvexian space, the worse it got. Then there was the space garbage. Derelict starships and decaying superstructures were discovered regularly.

As the Eucharis emerged from hyperspace in a flash of shimmering teal, in front of the ship was one of the largest abandoned structures they had encountered thus far, which was either a small metallic planet or a moon-sized space station of some sort. A huge gash was cut into one side of it, where something of immense power had stuck it and blown a hole through it centuries ago. As the gunship's MEGAMI systems scanned the object, it picked up dozens of scavenger spacecraft lurking around it and picking it over.



Hanako was seated in her usual spot at the center of the bridge. "My initial impression is we are looking at a large hulk that is being salvaged. It is possible that this could be something of strategic interest to the Kuvexians or that it has technology that Yamatai can use. We will investigate by getting close for scans. After that, we will probably send down an away team to investigate in person. Agreed?"

 

[Ametheliana]

Bridge

"Orders received, Captain," Masumi said evenly from the science station, which controlled the sensors of the crimson-winged Plumeria. They were picking up quite a bit of activity from the large hulk of space matter. In Oshiro Masumi's sapphire eyes it was either useful or derelict. There was no in-between. Regardless, it was something the Star Army needed to investigate to the fullest extent. The marriage of the ship's sensors and feet on the ground being utilized was a perfect coupling of sensibility and impetus to Masumi.

Given the importance of Hanako's decision to confer with those on the bridge that heavily outranked Masumi, she added to her previous statement a decisive, "Standing by for further scans upon agreement of bridge officers to employ Shôshô Hanako's plans."

 

[Blizzard]

YSS Eucharis - Fabrication

Jax sat hunched in front of a viewscreen, mindlessly typing away at a long, complex series of equations. About his face was a look of deep focus. Obviously, the work he was performing was very important and critical to mission success.

...And therefore, using this equation, I successfully prove that approximately 1.0284^12 Nekoburger hashbrown patties (plus or minus 1^11) could fit inside the Eucharis, stacked neatly, end to end, without squishing them. It is important to note that there would be no crew present, and that all conceivable space will be used, including the maintenance conduits.

God, he was bored. The mission so far had been uneventful. Not to say he wasn't thankful for that! Normally, the ship would be torn apart by now! It was like a new record! In fact, for laughs, he kept a tab open on his console with a little counter titled "Days Since Ship Destroyed".

At first, the engineer hadn't remembered a single thing about the infamous "Great Bender of '39" as he liked to call it. Then, after a day or so, he remembered a few key details. Kissing Freyja, running like hell, fighting Tsuguka, kissing Tsuguka, and a game of truth or dare.

With a long, forlorn sigh, Jax swiped the screen with his hand and placed his head down on the work bench. The file he'd created was automatically sorted into a folder titled "Random Thoughts I Will Probably Never Use But Just Had to Dedicate My Time To". Upon closer inspection, one could see that the folder was rather full. Jax sat in silence, thoughts drifting over to the red tiger he'd made the wonderful mistake of hitting on.

By some strange twist of fate, he'd never really had the chance to speak to her since the party. Whenever he'd seen her around the ship, he'd smiled and tried to utter a small greeting, but that was about it. His schedule differed so much from hers that it made meeting up almost impossible. He couldn't even find her in the Rec Area, which was a shame, because he really wanted to spar again, having become sick of holographic ninjas. He figured that she needed her space, though. Even if it was for three months.

 

[HotelKilo]

YSS Eucharis - Bridge

Mehitabel had been in her elements the last several months, considering the amount of raw data the Eucharis collected during the survey process. Planet after planet, system after system, had to be properly tagged with a temporary identifier and sorted into the database for transmission back to... Well, several different agencies withing the Star Army itself, plus flagging the data files for eventual forwarding to the Scientific Studies Service for incorporation into their master databases. There wasn't much in most of them; planet types and sizes, estimates of climate/biological data, and whatever else stuck out in their scans. Which hadn't been a whole lot, frankly, the Elysian thought as she sat at the rear of the bridge, other then making sure to stick data profiles of the scavengers they encountered into MEGAMI just in case...

Except the giant metal ball that looked like it had taken the worst half of an engagement. She sat up a little taller, skirt rustling as Bel got a better look at the screen. It certainly was much more grand then any other ruin they had come across yet... It was debatable, other then the potential for getting up close and personal with the thing, that it would have much of a long term effect on her daily activities.

Unlike her more indulgent comrades, Bel had a nearly perfect memory of the Beach Blanket Blowout on Hanako's World some months previous. Even if she hadn't, she thought with a blush, they certainly wouldn't have stayed forgotten very long the next day. After all, one didn't forget important events like that without more serious consequences then the ship's clerk was willing to accept.

 

[HAMnJAM]

Bridge

Takao made a pass of his reports as the jump completed. The Kohosei turned his head over his right shoulder, "Systems showing green, Shôshô." He turned his head back around and prepared to repeat the same work as he did before: bring the ship in, be still for a while, do the thing, pilot away, jump and repeat ad nauseam. He heard Hanako's orders and plans for the usual. The large metallic space ball was intriguing the more he looked at it on his readouts.

"Aye Shôshô, closing into scanner range." He extended his words ever so slightly and gradually planned a route, found the distance, and prepped to fire the engines. He was waiting for the final approval call as he made the final checks and finally gradually brought the ship's throttle up to a slow cruising speed towards scanning range. His eyes locked blankly on the console in front of him, using his SPINE to do the majority of the flying.

 

[Ira]

Bronzi had arrived on a resupply transport the night before with Sura in tow. The pair had taken their quarters and settled in, though Bronzi had instructed his now official assistant to lay low and not be seen as much. He went about his normal morning routine of getting his gear on, armor, helmet hanging at his right hip. Weapons holstered, cigars tucked away so as to not offend his new ship mates. Only as he left, Sura, his daughter attached a small pin to the chest plate of his combat armor. A small, bronze Gartagen hand. "You are the voice, eyes and hand of the Empress." She hummed with a smile.

"This assignment is historic for us too..."

Bronzi snorted. "Tha yams are gonna laugh at meh." He said nervously. "I mean tha Empress sent meh fancy words on parchment...who uses parchment anymore?"

"Dad...you've never been scared of anything."

"Ya, but I aint neva had anything to be afraid fer. I dun wanna embarrass Wazu and Tha Empress."

"Just sit tight. Im heading to medical, let tha doc look me over."

Sura smirked and flopped back on her bed to play around with her data pad. "I'm proud of you."

"ya ya ya." Bronzi snorted. "Proud of ya too, kid."

Medical

Bronzi would walk into medical and patiently wait to be seen by the medical staff. He had not quite been instructed to do this, but he knew enough about living on a ship to go get a full examination prior to reporting to fully integrating into the ship life again. He would walk in and speak. "Ayyy, I'm new on yer ship, sent here by the Gartagen Union ta observe tha war. Just came ta get my bits checked up on. Don't wanna get sick."

 

[Navian]

YSS Eucharis - Medical

Given the size of the Eucharis, its medical staff consisted of Tan Ann Pan and that was all. Though Wazu spent enough time in the medical bay that his status as a member was at least debatable, if not honorary.

Without any other demands on her time, she spent her days mostly in the usual fashion of infantry, on nothing but training and exercises. Her particular favourite was running on the treadmill, and she'd clocked almost two hundred hours on that alone since the journey began. She wasn't infantry, though, so weapon drills gave way to studying medical journals more often than not, and she was reading a book by hand when Bronzi walked in.

"Oh, hello. I hadn't heard. This will be interesting." She set down her datapad and turned her head toward Bronzi, though she wasn't exactly looking at him. Her glasses were as opaque as the pad was blank, it didn't seem eyesight was her preferred mode of perception. "While it may please you to know I do know the first thing about Gartagen physiology, I should still admit I haven't studied it and am not strictly qualified. So, let's call this check-up a formality, shall we? Please, sit down on the bed."

 

[raz]

Bridge

"It will be good for the armor team to get away and put themselves to practice, Shosho," Saiga-chusa concurred from the Eucharis' extra standing station just aft of the captain's chair. He didn't really belong on the bridge, much less anywhere on the ship, but had made a habit of visiting to stand watch during their often monotonous journey through the western wastes. "They are prepared for anything the Kuvexians can throw at them."

In truth, "they should be prepared" would probably have been a more accurate statement. He'd coached the Eucharis' soldiers on the adaptive tactics employed by Star Army SOFT teams and kept an eye to make sure their combat specialty training was on schedule. Learning about the crew's operating relationship and integrating those eccentricities into their development had been a priority, too. Surely, he'd been all business since the beach getaway those three months ago, when the last thing he remembered was an attempt to holler out a dare for Hanako from underneath their fallen XO before succumbing to the overwhelming need to join her drunken slumber.

But meetings with Tsuguka and Candon, days of hand-to-hand combat refresher matches, and what seemed like an endless cycle of special operations drills—even some case study lectures regarding unexpected mission developments—could only accomplish so much. Whatever happened in the field was partly determined by the away team's inherent mettle, which no amount of training could provide.

"I wonder what kind of weapon made the holes," Saiga mused while he examined the behemoth's surface on a volumetric display from his station, trying to figure out if he could tell whether the blast had come as an eruption from within or from an outside strike as the scavenger ships buzzed around like carrion flies over its big metal carcass. "Must have been pretty powerful, eh?"

 

[Gunsight1]

Bridge


Yamashiro Natsumi sat at the Mission Ops station, the feed from the ship's sensors up on her display as she observed, as a second set of eyes, all the data the Eucharis was taking in on the massive spherical structure that lay ahead. Whatever it was, it was massive, badly damaged, possibly in the process of being salvaged or scrapped and of an unknown antiquity. The snowy haired neko leaned closer to her display as her red eyes took in the information the sensors were getting on it.

"Who could build something this big?" She mused out loud. "And what was it for?" she glanced over at Hanako, her eyes catching sight of Saiga as she did, her cheeks warming pink again, as they usually did these days when she was in close proximity since the party on Hanako's World three months earlier.

She remembered quite well, in full digitally recorded high definition memory what had happened that night and it was something she had not tried to talk about with him at all since the event. She knew, eventually, she would have to. Not that anything had happened between them after she'd passed out. She had awoken some time later, finding him asleep as well and had made a quiet and hasty retreat to go sober up.

 

[Rizzo]

YSS Eucharis, PA Bay

Candon had his armor prepped and ready for departure and was now going through the motions of checking and rechecking his equipment all the while keeping himself up to date on giant metal sphere they were approaching. His FAR displayed the image seen by the ship, hovering in a way to remain within eyesight.

The structure was indeed massive but appeared derelict. While the salvagers would pose no real threat they could potentially alert the Kuvexians to the Eucharis' presence. He wondered whether it was worth sending an away team to scout but was ready to go regardless of the necessity.

The satin black paint was flawless as always on his M2-4. Not a trace of grit, grime, or leaking hemosynth fluid anywhere. It's surface was like that of a brand new PA fresh out of the box, but this one had spend some time under Candon's hands, a man who was finally beginning to understand just how much more he can accomplish when he stopped asking permission and just did the job.

His experience with the Spectre had given him some fresh ideas on armor design. Theoretically the graviton projectors he'd fit in the place of the forearm pulse cannons would retain performance of the systems on his privately owned Anthedon. The forearms looked the same but the function would serve the man better when he planned to fire the cannon of a rifle mounted on his right shoulder.

A spare 40mm grenade round was molecure taped to each bicep to help feed the M'Cel slung under his GSR for when things got out of control, which they always seemed to. Along with a saber-rifle on his left shoulder and Kokū Ken along the center of his back Candon was packing a heavy loadout in terms of both firepower and weight but he was literally ready for anything.

 

[Mad_Stylus]

YSS Eucharis, PA Bay

Junko didn't think she'd be back here anytime soon.

She came aboard the resupply shuttle the other day. Stuffed in the back with the Gargaten and the mechanic, still wearing her Mindy and a half-full duffel her only carry-on. Spent most of her time in the armor bay, tucked away neatly from the rest of the crew. Today was the first time she saw another one of the infantry team, even if Candon was a spook.

"Candon-Heisho." Said the Mindy across his. Like his, fully functional, though visually scarred. Dings, scratches, dull unpainted metal contrasting against smooth, inspection-ready black. The Neko hadn't had the time to repaint it and, in truth, didn't have the inclination either. They were like pages in a story, proof she'd survived, that she lived.

One of the few things she felt acceptably in control of.

"Sure you can carry all that?" She tried for conversational.

 

[Rizzo]

YSS Eucharis, PA Bay

"Says Junko with the twin fifties," Candon bantered as he approached her with an extended hand, "It's great to see you again, Junko! We've been in need of qualified infantry. I recommend the bit launcher for your open dorsal hardpoint."

 

[Ira]

YSS Eucharis, Medical

Bronzi snorted at "just doin it is tha best way anybody eva learns." He said with a flick of his tail.

He sat down on the bed and awaiting the medical officer to put he skills to test.

 

[Navian]

YSS Eucharis, Medical

Tan Ann Pan took out a small flashlight and waved it around distractedly, as if was somehow the sole implement she required to perform an examination. In a way, that was true, ultrasound and infrared gave her nearly all the information she needed regarding a patient's vital signs, and it was easier to spin something around and look busy than to answer questions about why she was just standing there for a quarter minute. The flashlight did come in handy at the end, when Tan switched on her normal vision (or what everyone else would call that, anyway) to look inside Bronzi's mouth nose, and check on his eyesight.

"I can't say I learned anything, but you look healthy. If there's something wrong, I don't know enough to tell one way or the other. Hopefully we'll fix that soon? Good thing I'm here as a medic and not a doctor, first aid is much simpler than biochemistry. In any case, I see no reason to keep you from reporting for duty." Tan stepped back, but continued to look over Bronzi's left hand.

 

[Ira]

YSS Eucharis, Medical

Bronzi was familiar enough with Yamatians to know their techniques and tools could be pretty redundant. He had lived next to them for several years now.

Her "scans" of him would reveal that he was indeed healthy. His heart was powerful, the muscle and bone structure had clearly been modified and tailored, as well as genetic enhancements done. Yet this was common practice for Gartagens, and probably something she had read about.

Bronzi had numerous bullets lodged in him, notably a fresh gauss slug was fragmented against his spinal column which was holding proof. Scar tissue was very evident all over his torso.

His blood scan would reveal he subsisted in a healthy diet of cigars, coffee, and fast food. The left armo she held would reveal it self to be not his original, but rather an artificially grown graft derived from his own DNA. Bronzi was healthy, but it would seem he has lived a life that should be preventing that.

"Nah. Jus came on to tha ship. When ya do a new job as an infantryman it's usually a good idea to get yer doc to get a before picture of ya. An a sample of tha DNA."

 

[Navian]

YSS Eucharis, Medical

Tan Ann Pan nodded, and tossed the flashlight over her shoulder. It was convenient to have tools that could hover and put themselves away. "Hmm. I'm not sure how tight our mission schedule is, but I have time, the bridge crew are occupied, and I can always cancel the process within fifteen seconds if we come under alert. Sure, let's get an ST backup for you right away, then. It's only somewhat irregular."

She waved Bronzi over to the MTBU, which had a fresh sheet laid down, already, and asked the usual question while preparing the head gear for one that was larger than average. "Is your will up to date?"

 

[Mad_Stylus]

YSS Eucharis, PA Bay

"I have strong shoulders." Junko countered. To be fair, she wasn't leaning on those guns as heavily as she once did. So far, nothing was proofed against aether blade decapitation. Speaking, she noticed he had that prototype blade attached on his armor properly now. Last she saw, he'd kept it off his mission rig, like he was afraid of it or something.

Things change.

She returned the handshake, glad at least one person was happy to see her. Last couple months just didn't have this kind of old camaraderie. She missed that, even as much she dreaded having to answer some pointed questions. One pointed question, in particular.

Racked the armor properly, then popped the seal. Junko didn't look much different, besides now sporting a Type 22 uniform. Just worked better with power armor operation. Didn't ruffle, didn't snag, didn't catch.

Slotted a Bit module into the dorsal port, right back where the old one was. Carbon scoring still splashed across the shoulders from the shot that gored the old one. Took a look around, noting the one empty armor rack. Shiho must have finally bought the rest of her service off.

"So... hows the rest of the crew doing?" Junko finally asked.

 

[Zack]

*Bleep*

That small chime from his datapad was the que that it was time to shift his attention again.

Wazu made his way towards the ship's bridge. It had been three months since the party. He had certainly failed to bring Hanako out of her shell. He could see the guarded levers and switches of her personality every time he looked at her, and how the machinery of her personality was so intertwined with the military and political structure of Yamatai. A push here, a press there... billions could end up dead. Though the thought of the sheer number of people that had been shredded trying to get close to her was daunting.

He would let his mind drift to the rest of the crew.

Masumi, seemed similarly unknowable. There was more to her than she was letting on, but her personal ambitions were beyond him for the moment.

Jax, engineer, adorable, green af... a person who might be someone in a few years.

Candon, spy, instantly familiar. He certainly seemed to enjoy the feeling of his job much more than the job himself. Certainly the person on the ship most pre-disposed to owning a trench coat and fedora. Both him and the Red One were great at their jobs, the solid kind of ground pounders that could be trusted to complete a task. Tugs was fantastic too, their short conversation being the first time he felt that someone thought like he did. Her infatuation with Jax though seemed to indicate otherwise. She certainly didn't seem like his last relationship.

Entering the bridge the first thing he saw was Natsumi. Warm, Comforting. Certainly the first two things that came to mind when he saw her. Saiga was nearby, followed by just a twinge of jelliousy. If anything, ignoring the Red One's advice seemed more and more like the right call...

Focus on the mission.
Redouble your efforts.
Disregard the unnecessary.

Like a rotating cam those thoughts about the crew were cycled out for something new.

In the last three months Wazu had added 'biologist' to his list of skills. He had studied volumetric projection, furthered his research into force field projection, worked on side projects, and consistently found a way to stay busy. The construction before the ship was certainly large, and he would have no idea what they were looking for until they found it. This certainly seemed to be a great time to test the waters of joining the armor team again.

"I would like to be part of that away team," Wazu said, tacitly approving of Hanako's plan.

 

[Rizzo]

YSS Eucharis, PA Bay

"So... hows the rest of the crew doing?" Junko finally asked.

"Better than your armor," he evaded, not wanting to even come close to the subject of crewmate interaction he stepped behind her PA rack to take a look at the old bit launcher that he wasn't even able to recognize in it's state. He was obviously not confident in the rig.
"Do you mind if I do some diagnostics?"

 

[HotelKilo]

YSS Eucharis, Bridge

Mehitabel continued to lurk at the rear of the bridge, in her proper condition staying beneath the radar of everyone and everything, floating midstream feeling the pulse of Eucharis and her crew. There was something about being a good clerk that seemed to call for stealth... No one wanted to see a full message box or find something hadn't arrived that was supposed to. From time to time she wondered if the lounge wouldn't offer a more effective working space then using the spare bridge station, when it wasn't occupied by Saiga-chusa, or Wazu-san, or anyone else that happened to take it over.

Then, of course, she would imposing on the galley staff... Truth be told, she watched the AR display before her eyes, everything was basically done from her communicator anyway, giving a flexibility that previous generations of clerical personnel would have envied. Mehitabel of five years before would have been pretty envious too. The miracles of modern technology.