RP: YSS Miharu Mission 3, Aftermath

"Of course, Kotori-sama." Nyton replied, lingering a bit close to Kotori. For a moment he wondered if he should try to reach out to her. There had to be a way for him to break the ice further.

Wait, what am I doing? I am a Nepleslian soldier born and bred of a higher caliber. I should not be grasping about at Kotori like some lovesick hormonal teenager. Sorry Tom, but I don't think like a Raltean. Nyton thought to himself before stepping away easily and returning to his work at the tactical station.

And Kotori is not just some prey to be stalked. I will find my own way. he concluded.

"I'll be counting on you then," she rewarded Nyton with a smile and then returned to her work.

Kotori remained quiet for a time until Nyton seemed to be done reviewing the combat recordings. "What would be your take on the battle, Taii?"

Nyton donned his thinking position as he rewatched key moments of the battle. "The torpedo load speeds were adequately handled. Orders managed to be followed quickly enough although there was some hesitation at times. Luckily that seemed to contribute towards causing maximum effectiveness. Suzuka Shosa displayed her ability to fly, that is certain although whoever it was on the Obakemono was certainly experienced. It took a good bit of effort but I think seeing as Miharu was outnumbered the battle went fairly well. Far from ideal, but well for a win." he analyzed.

"Great," Masako replied as she giggle lightly at Akiko's enthusiasm. She mentally cringed at how much of a schoolgirl she sounded when she giggled. It sounded completely unprofessional. "Well then, follow me," she said with a grin. "I'll lead you to the public baths," she went on as she lead them back to the Main Passageway and up to the Upper Deck.

As they moved up the Main Passageway, the young Warrant Officer had all ready begun thinking of how to replace their uniforms. She could always ask the Miharu to create new uniforms for them, but they should have some spares on board too. Oh well, she could ask Tom if there were any after she had soaked in the tub a bit.

Kotori nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Then you've about covered all you needed here. I'd like you to retire to your quarters to rest," the Taisa gave Nyton a sly smile. "If you do mean to keep working, then you can go and work on that after-action report for the ground operation. I'll need it done by the debrief tomorrow evening."

Nyton nodded and stood up. "Good night, Kotori-sama." he said, bowing deeply to her. With that he departed the bridge and this time walked back to his room. Once there he noticed the mess it had turned into. Fortunately the sudden loss of gravity was something his quarters were prepared for but the battle still caused things to fall out of place. Picking over things a bit, Nyton quickly gave up straightening it up. He would do that tomorrow. Instead he started to rummage around until he found a certain box.

It was the box with the brush and comb set he had bought for Kotori back on Nepleslia. He was a bit angry with himself for not giving it to her sooner but the timing never felt right. Each time he could not help but feel that he may be giving the wrong impression. Whether it was the Species Restriction Act or the fact that he was being promoted something irked him about giving her a gift. He knew he was not trying to bribe his way up in rank but at the same time he worried what others may think. He was Nepleslian after all so not everyone may trust in his abilities at first.

Then there was Tom's observations. Apparently not only his but even Yukari so no telling who else was watching them. It could easily be seen as if Nyton was simply cozying up for promotion like so many other officers he had seen. Even Rufus, a Nepleslian himself, seemed to take the matter of awarding rank and promotion as though it were simply something to be thrown to whoever caught his fancy. It was not as though Nyton wasn't working hard even while remaining close to Kotori. So it was easy to see how such devotion could be misconstrued.

Yet there was that nagging at the back of Nyton's mind. It was more than just his belief in Kotori that made him serve her. There was something that drew him to her but could it truly be romantic in nature? That was what he was struggling to understand.

Lust was one thing but that would never beat his Cold Shower memory string. It had certainly never failed him back in basic training when he was surrounded by young nekovalkyrja and forced to share living facilities with them. Some of the nekos made a point to tease all the Nepleslians, actively trying to seduce them only to watch them writhe in agony when they were denied. A cruel game for certain but he paid them back during exercises. Having a powerful body was one thing. Knowing how to fight with it was another.

Nyton dismissed the thoughts. He determined to think on this another time. For now he had a report to complete before he could go to sleep. As he typed away the box would catch his attention. He would then run his fingers over it in anticipation. The box would be delivered when the time was right.

ON:

Masako guided Shizuka and Akiko to the Miharu's baths. Upon entering the baths the three nekos noticed that there was some disorder after the recent battle. With the life support systems being cut off from non-essential sections the baths had no artificial gravity. As a result there were bathing supplies strewn about. Due to maintenance priorities the baths still had not been straightened up. Some equipment could still be found in the lockers and was readily available. For all intent and purposes the baths were still functional. Just messy.

Shizuka looked around, not so much in disappointment, just taking in the scene. After being held in Eve's prison she knew there were far worse places to be than a messy public bath. "It looks like things got shaken up here as well. It must have been a difficult battle." she remarked.

Masako grimaced slightly as she looked around at the changing room for the baths. "Well, it's still usable," she mumbled a loud as she picked up a couple of baskets and filled them with the necessities before handing them to Shizuka and Akiko. "Here you go," she offered with a smile before she began to gather a basket for herself. "Yes, it really was hard," she made a remark before standing up and heading to a locker. "The Hoshi took the majority of the damage getting to the planet while Miharu got her damage from defending the Hoshi, but this damage is nothing compared to what happened to the enemy vessels," she stated as she began to strip her uniform off.

Shizuka and Akiko each looked over their supplies eagerly. "Ah I can finally wash my hair! It gets all frizzy when I don't clean it." Akiko remarked happily. She quickly walked over to a locker and began to peel off her tattered uniform. While the uniform still retained her modesty, it had patchy holes on the legs and chest. The sleeves were completely gone and her boots were unserviceable.

It didn't take Yoroko long to reach her room, even at the snails-pace that she was moving at, and pick up her bathing supplies. A few minutes later a sandy-faced Yoroko entered the room and began to stow her stuff in one of the lockers. "Kurohoshi-Juni" Yoroko said slowly in a monotone voice. It appeared that the Hei either didn't notice the disarray of the room or didn't care. Yoroko paused before she started to strip, trying to figure out the names of the two nekos in front of her. "Anou, sorry but what are your names?" Yoroko asked in the same tone as before.

Shizuka meanwhile chose a locker and slowly started to remove her uniform. It too was in similair condition as her sister's. There were what appeared to be long torn gash marks on the back where the clothing had been. She was quiet for a second, almost contemplating whether she should remove her clothes when Yoroko arrived. Akiko looked over at Yoroko and then above her head. "Ah, oneesan, the name holograms are gone now!" she remarked. Akiko was a short frizzy haired brunette with an average bust size and a couple inches shorter than her. "Watashi no namae Shimabumi Akiko desu. Yoroshiku!" she greeted Yoroko in Yamataian.

Masako could only smile as Akiko seemed happy. It was definitely an improvement from nearly crying on the deck. Masako was just slipping out of her skirt, pretty much only in her sports bra and bikini shorts, when Yoroko arrive. "Oh, Mizuno-san," Masako greeted with a slightly worried look at the sound of such a monotone voice. "Ah..." she seemed opened her mouth to introduce the two only for Akiko to beat her to it. "And this is her sister, Shimabumi Shizuka," the Warrant Officer introduced the other woman. "They were rescued by the others and you on Bowhordia."

Shizuka looked over at Yoroko and nodded. "You're right Akiko-chan, I got so used to seeing them I had not realized when they were gone." she said. Shizuka was several inches taller than Yoroko, reddish blonde hair with a moderate sized bust although nowhere near Masako's. "Oh you were one of our rescuers." she remarked before bowing. "Thank you very much for rescuing my sister and I." Akiko followed suit, also bowing. "Thank you, rescuer-san!" she said.

There was an audible silence as Yoroko processed what they had said, "Ueh?!" Yoroko's voice was no longer it's dull monotone. "Y-you're welcome." Yoroko responded, clearly unsure how to handle the situation now redoubling her efforts to get undressed and into the bath. "How're you adjusting to the Miharu?" Yoroko asked while stowing her uniform.

Shizuka smiled warmly and looked around. "Well, for having fought so hard she is a wonderful ship. Although we still have not seen too much yet. We only just recently left the medical center. It was sheer chance that we happened to run into Kurohoshi-Juni here." The last sentence was said with a bit of inflection as though it were a private joke. Akiko visibly blushed a bit to the tip of her ears, obviously not as adept at hiding who the butt of the joke had been.

After her trip to her room to pick up a few supplies for taking a bath, as well as a fresh uniform, Rin arrived at the bath, her arms full of the items she'd gathered. She stopped right inside the door, surprised by the fact there were other people. "Ah, gomenasai," she said instinctively, already starting to back out of the room.

This time, Masako giggled as Yoroko seemed to perk up a bit. Damn it, she hated that giggle. Clearing her throat in an effort to cover up the school girlish giggle, the young Warrant Officer decided not to comment on the obvious joke as an unfamiliar face entered the changing room. It took a quick mental search of Miharu's database this time to figure out that she was one of Miharu's sprites. "Ah, Rin-san," Masako spoke up as she set her skirt in the locker and padded over to the sprite with a gentle smile. "No need to apologize," she spoke softly. "We were just about to go into the baths. Would you care to join us?"

Yoroko noticed Akiko blush, but as she couldn't figure out why she let it be. "Well hopefully you enjoy your time here." Yoroko said just as Rin entered the room. Yoroko gave the sprite a glance over, remembering that there was a Rin in their power armor division. Ara, so that's what she looks like.

Rin quickly pondered, her cheeks reddening at the loss of clothes amongst the occupants. "A- ano...." It was an offer from an officer, so it made it hard for the sprite to refuse. But, as her eyes glanced at the others' rank pins, she would also be with some enlisted. "Ano..." she repeated. "Hai... I guess I'll join you, Kurohoshi-Juni."

Shizuka and Akiko finished removing their uniforms and putting them away in the lockers. Each of them had a few towels with them along with a basket for hygiene. Both were eager but trying not to be rude to their hosts waited patiently for everyone.

"Excellent," Masako replied as she gently ushered the sprite in before closing the door. She didn't really feel like having anyone walking by seeing a room filled with naked women. Sure, she never blanched at being naked around other women, but it was always...well, uncomfortable being stared at by men. Padding over to the locker she had taken, Masako stripped herself of her last remaining garments before grabbing her necessities. "No need to wait for me," she replied with a smile. "Go on in and relax."

"We will try not to hoard all the hot water." they said together. Shizuka smiled at Akiko who beamed happily as they both began walking over to the main bathing area.

Yoroko had just finished stowing everything after Masako had closed the door, grabbing her towel Yoroko headed over to the cleaning area and started to clean herself off. She was of course a mess, and anyone bathing with her would not be doing so for long with all the sand and sweat that was all over her head and body. Grabbing a stool from that had been knocked elsewhere Yoroko plopped herself down in front of one of the showers and started to clean herself.

Akiko was ecstatic when she reached the shower. She set the water running warmly and quickly began to soap herself. Shizuka too began to scrub away, the dirt and grime seeming to melt away.

Rin quickly shuffled off to the side, averting her gaze from the others. She set her fresh uniform and stuff to the side, avoiding the mess of the room, and then, reluctantly, started to shed off her own clothing. It seemed that those silly enlisted would get to see her without clothes.

Akiko relished the feel of soap on her skin again. She must have soaped and rinsed herself several times over before she started working on her hair.

Masako glanced into the baths and smiled as all three women went at cleansing themselves. The two rescued sisters seemed ecstatic about being clean, one more than the other, and Yoroko seemed content. The Warrant Officer glanced over at Rin and frowned slightly in concern. "Is something wrong, Rin-san?" she asked. "There's nothing to be shy about...we're all women here." she tried to console the sprite in an effort to find out what was wrong. The buxom woman, though older than many of the people in the baths, was the shortest of the group. Her nearly-pupil less, black eyes seemed to observe the sprite calmly as her expression didn't even try to hide the concern she felt.

Rin glanced over her shoulder and shook her head. "N- nothing is wrong, Kurohoshi-Juni. I'm fine...."

Shizuka finished rinsing herself off and began to wash her own hair thoroughly. After much struggle, Akiko was satisfied. The formerly unkempt and frizzy haired neko was satisfied with her work. For a moment she then looked over at Shizuka uncertainly, as though nervous. "Oneesan, are you..." Shizuka looked over at Akiko. "Hm? What is it Akiko-chan?" she asked, confused. "Uhm, are you sure you're okay? You, uhm, you don't have to stay here for my sake." Akiko replied. Shizuka was uncertain at first before realization dawned on her. "Ah, I am fine, Akiko-chan. Please go on into the bath. I will join you shortly."

"Okay," Masako replied with a bit of uncertainty in her tone. "But if you need to talk, I'm here to listen," she offered with a gentle and cute smile before entering the baths. Taking an empty stall, the young Juni sat down upon a stool and went began to wash herself quickly. She knew she was already clean since she had taken a chemical shower, but the Neko hated the smell of chemicals. So a quick lather of soap and shampoo was sure to remove that distasteful smell, or so Masako hoped. "Mizuno-san," she spoke up after a moment of lather under steaming water. "Are you okay? You seem kind of distant."

"Un." Yoroko responded, "I'm just kinda exhausted, it's been a while since I've had that much physical excercise." Yoroko replied as she shampooed her hair for the 3rd time, evidently intent on getting the every last piece of sand out of it. "How are you doing, Kurohoshi-Juni?"

"All right for the most part. I'm quite surprised I'm taking it this well after nearly going on a suicide mission," she replied softly as she looked over at the two sisters. "But compared to the ground team, I had it easy," she commented as she began to rinse her body off. As she began to lather up her own hair, Masako leaned back to look at Yoroko. "Ano, do you need help with that," she asked curiously as she motioned towards the taller woman's hair.

Rin nodded as Masako left for a shower. With the others busy with their showers and paying little mind to her, the sprite finished stripping off her clothes, setting those to the side as well. She then gathered her showering supplies and, while covering her nudity with her arms, scurried off to her own shower stall.

Yoroko wasn't quite sure how to take Masako's offer for help, but ultimately she knew it'd take longer to get all of the sand out of her hair by herself. "Un." Yoroko replied somewhat guiltily. "Everybody had it tough Kurohoshi-Juni. The people up here in space had to handle incoming threats, while waiting for some kind of word from us on the planet. I can't imagine the stress of not knowing if we had failed or not and just having to wait."

Leaving her shoulder-length hair lathered, Masako stood up and moved behind Yoroko. She remained standing as she began to gently massage the sand and grim out of the enlisted woman's hair, pondering about Yoroko's words. "While I don't know if it's proper for an officer to admit she was worried," Masako began tentatively even as her fingers ran over her comrades scalp. "I do have to admit that I was worried about all of you," she stated with a hint of embarrassment. "I have my own personal experiences with Bowhordia and none of them are ones I want to remember entirely," she explained a bit vaguely as ran her nail-less fingers gently through Yoroko's hair again and again in order to both remove the sand and get her own mind off bad memories.

Akiko walked over to the two women, somewhat emboldened by the more familiar circumstances. "Maybe we should just have it destroyed for good measure. I don't think anyone has good memories there!" she said with a bit of humor.

Keeping quiet, Rin washed herself. She occasionally took paranoid glances to make sure there were no peeping Toms or... Tom-ettes. The soap, shampoo, and actual shower were so much better than those Decon showers. The sprite sighed happily, her worries about her earlier nightmare having faded, though her tiredness still lingered.

Yoroko couldn't suppress a giggle in response to Akiko's little joke. "I certainly don't, though I probably have the least room to comment." Yoroko said. "Arigatou, Kurohoshi-Juni" Yoroko said before standing. "Let me do your hair in return." Yoroko offered, motioning for the officer to return to her stool.

The Warrant Officer smiled slightly at Akiko's humorous suggestion. She would have commented on it too, if Yoroko hadn't offered to wash her hair. "Eh? Okay," the raven-haired neko replied with a bit of surprise as she returned to her own stool.

Akiko smiled back and went to enter the bath tub. As she soaked herself, she quietly observed the large painting that decorated the wall. After a few seconds of relaxing she then called out to Shizuka. "Oneesan, you should join me. The water feels amazing!"

Yoroko didn't have any experience washing other people's hair so the attempt was rather laughable. Yoroko mostly ran her fingers through Masako's hair a few times, working out what knots she could find before helping the officer rinse it. "Your hair is very nice Juni." Yoroko commented as she worked. Of course, Masako couldn't see Yoroko's blush as she did so.

Shizuka looked back and nodded. Done with her hair, she went to join her sister, casting a glance over at Rin who seemed intent on being by herself.

Just a little bit more, and Rin had thoroughly rinsed off. She felt quite out of place, seeing as she was the only sprite there. It was just about the same as if she had the bath to herself, as she had anticipated, except that now there was some not-so-enjoyable company. She sighed again, this time in thought, wondering whether she should go soak in the bath or just leave.

"Excuse me, Rin was it?" Shizuka said as she began to approach the sprite.

While the comment could be called a silly one, Masako wasn't quite used to being complimented. It was probably a good thing her back was to everyone else, or they would see the officer blushing a hue of pink. "Oh, it's nothing special," she replied. Once the rinsing part was done, Masako sighed contently as she noted the lack of chemical smell. "Thank you, Mizuno-san," she replied with a cute smile before standing up and stretching her small body out with a moan of satisfaction.

Rin squeaked in surprise, turning to see Shizuka. "Hai?" she asked blankly, seeing that it was one of the enlisted.

Shizuka almost chuckled but restrained her laughter seeing as the sprite was apparently caught by surprise. "I just wanted to say thank you for rescuing us. My sister and I along with the rest of our crew are certainly grateful for all that you did."

The sprite blinked. She was a bit torn between her enjoyment of praise, such as that thank you, and her dislike of Shizuka's rank. Rin also didn't know which she felt more strongly for. "Ano, no... problem?" she said, confused. Her cheeks also turned a nice shade of red, realizing she was quite naked and she quickly covered her intimate parts with her hands.

Without another word Shizuka bowed a bit, also naked, and walked away. She realized Rin was shy and did not want to intrude on her any further. It was only polite. Shizuka then joined her sister in the bath and relaxed alongside Akiko.

"Thank you for the help with the sand." Yoroko responded before grabbing her towel and heading to the bath proper. Once in the bath Yoroko slowly lowered herself in near Akiko. "Ne, you were right the water is amazing Akiko-san." Yoroko commented as she relaxed in the hot water of the bath.

Akiko nodded excitedly before stretching her arms up and then down. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on the edge of the bath. "I wonder where we're going to go now that we've been rescued." she asked aloud to no one in particular. Shizuka looked down at the water as it rippled. "Most likely we will find out whenever the captain returns." she said.

Rin gave a small bow back. She was so confused, not knowing how to act towards this Joto Hei. Her head poked out from the stall, gazing out with a finger to her lips, wondering what to do. So far they haven't proven to be incompetent, but still... weren't they bound to mess up? At least Shizuka had also been quite nice to Rin too, hitting her weakness for compliments, which a 'thank you' was.

"Until then though, you should enjoy yourselves. Tommorrow has enough problems, let them present themselves then. Until then..." Yoroko let the sentence remain unfinished and instead inhaled deeply. "What do you want to happen?" Yoroko asked.

As Masako headed towards the bath to soak for a bit, she glanced over at Rin and frowned again in concern. She would comment about it, but there was a bit of a problem. When Masako was that young, she hadn't necessarily been the most social of her sisters. However, she at least tried to get socialize with them. "Rin-san? Aren't you going to come join us?" she asked curiously as she slowly entered the bath and sighed contently as she sank into the nice warm water. "The water really is wonderful."

Shizuka looked down at the water, staring at it harder this time. "Maybe... I would like to make the people who did this to us pay. Sometimes I just wish I was more than just a cook."

Rin bit her lip as she thought it through, before giving a tiny nod. She disappeared into the stall for a moment, tidying up her hair, before she cautiously headed out for the bath while she covered herself. Giving a look of one who was about to run, the sprite slowly sank herself down into the bath, calming down a little as the warm water enveloped her.

"See, isn't that better Rin-san," the raven-haired Warrant Officer asked sweetly before looking at the two sisters. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it had been like for them. Being a prisoner was something Masako had never experienced, though she had come close to being captured at least once in her life. "Well, Shizuka-san. There's always cross training into a technical or combative field," Masako suggested before smiling. "But don't sell yourself short for just being a cook. The only thing I know how to make are sandwiches, so I'm glad Freeman-san knows how to cook," she admitted humorously. "And I bet your crew is grateful that you two are around as well."


PAUSE

RESUME:

Shizuka looked over at Masako and smiled a bit. She was glad to know her skills were appreciated but at the same time something appeared to be nagging at her. Akiko looked at Shizuka and tried to smile, putting a hand on her head. "It'll be okay, oneesan. I love your cooking and so did the captain!"

Yoroko had been soaking herself in the tub quietly up until that point, her black hair had plastered itself against her body. "What's wrong Shizuka-san?" Yoroko may not have been a psychologist, but it wasn't hard to read Shizuka's face.

Shizuka shook her head and looked at Yoroko. "I don't know if it can be understood. When we were captured I just felt so helpless. It was terrifying and I...I don't want to feel that way again."

A concerned expression graced her face as she crossed her legs underneath the water and leaned back against the tub. She probably would have asked, but Yoroko had beaten her to it. But then when the explanation came, Masako gave Shizuka a small smile. "Yes, those types of situations leave a person feeling helpless...feeling like they aren't capable of doing anything," she began, speaking as if from experience. Her thoughts drifted back to her first assignment off of Yamatai before she banished them with a slight shake of her head. "But believe me, there are always ways to be useful. Even in a helpless situation, you can keep your comrades moral up or comfort their woes. It's a hard thing to do, but it's all you have in a situation like that."

Yoroko nodded, she had felt a similar feeling when she had been captured by the Misshumachina, though no doubt it was less intense than what Shizuka felt. Back then I had my teammates to help me out. They didn't have anyone, not even hope. Yoroko thought. "What was your job on your ship before, Shizuka-san?"

Akiko deemed it her job to answer for her sister this time. "We were caretakers! We used to make meals, clean things up, do little things to cheer everyone up, it was lots of fun!" she said cheerfully.

"Heee," Yoroko's voice rose as she dragged out the eh, "and you want to be power armor pilots now?" Yoroko asked, keeping her voice respectful. "It's not an easy transition, I used to be a servant before I joined the military, but it's possible." Yoroko moved some of the hair that was sticking to the back of her neck around to the front of her body. "Ne Kurohoshi-Juni, do you think it'd be possible to train these two in power armor operation?"

Masako seemed to jump slightly at Yoroko's raised tone and blinked at the enlisted woman in surprise. "Ano, Mizuno-san. They didn't say anything about becoming armor pilots, only about wanting to be useful," she commented with a weak smile. "Now, it's always possible for someone to become an armor pilot. All it requires is training, but there are other occupations they can cross-train into such as those Medical or Technical in nature."

Akiko shook her head. "No way! I like being a caretaker. It was tough and.... sad when we were captured but that's over now. Right, neesan?" she said, looking worriedly at Shizuka.

"Uh, uhn." Shizuka replied back to Akiko. "Is it really possible to do that? To train into being an armor pilot? I never really looked into such career changes like that before. I guess I could always find out when we get back home." she said, looking over at Masako hopefully.

"It is possible to be an armor pilot and still be a caretaker." Masako replied with a smile. "Freeman-Juni is both our Caretaker and our Chief Engineer after all. If it is possible for him to do it, it is very possible for you as well."

At the mention of Tom there was something that clicked in Rin's mind finally. With a splash, the sprite stood and exited the bath. She couldn't stand 'lowering' herself to be with enlisted, despite her earlier confusion between them and the compliment/thank you. "Etto, gomenasai, Kurohoshi-Juni. I, uh, remembered I have something to do," she lied as she excused herself. The sprite went and put on her clothes quickly, before leaving.

Yoroko's cheeks darkened to a deep shade of red, close to that of an apple. "Sumimasen, I should have paid more attention." Yoroko said before trying to figure out where next to go with the conversation. "Do you have rooms yet?" Yoroko finally asked.

Shizuka gazed back at Masako and seriously considered this for a moment. It seemed to really have an impact on her mind.

Akiko shook her head. "No not yet. I don't think we really have anywhere right now."

Masako watched as the sprite rushed out of the bathes. The Warrant Officer was a bit confused about Rin's reasoning, but she let the sprite leave unchallenged. "We might not want to assign them quarters yet," Masako spoke up calmly with a chuckle. "After all, we should be heading to the center of Yamataian territory. That means if we reach Yamatai or one of the other central worlds, they wouldn't need quarters. Unless they're choosing to transfer?"

"Demo, they'll still need somewhere to sleep until we get there neh? With all the new sprites that we added to our own crew for this mission alone I can't even begin to guess how we're sitting in terms of rooms." Yoroko asked Masako curiously.

"With currently FTL speeds, we could be in central Yamatai in a couple of hours," Masako explained calmly before chuckling. "If they need a place to rest, they're welcome to using my room until we get there."

Shizuka and Akiko both looked at Masako uncertain. "Are you sure you would have enough room? I didn't think the officer's quarters were that big." Shizuka replied.

"I'm alone and I have a big bed," the raven-haired Neko said humorously. "Besides, I'm not going to sleep anytime soon," she replied calmly. She was fibbing a bit, she had planned on sleeping, but she was the type of person to let others sleep in her bed while she took a chair. Of course, Masako knew the two enlisted women would object, so it was probably better off that she just do some paperwork while they rested. "I have reports to complete. An officer's life, after all, is more than just leading...it's also filled with copious amounts of paperwork."

"The quarters on the Miharu are rather large for a starship, or so I gather. Still, one of you could stay in my room." Yoroko offered. Or perhaps I could stay with Masako and they could take my room, or...Masako could stay with me. Yoroko thought.

Shizuka finally smiled genuinely at everyone's kindness. "Thank you. We do appreciate such generous offers." she said. Akiko nodded as well. "I think a soft bed would help me not have anymore nightmares." she said, kind of despondantly but shaking it off quickly before smiling again.

"Hmmmm...that is also a possibility," Masako replied to Yoroko. "But personally...I think they would prefer being together," she stated as she looked at both Akiko and Shizuka. "Am I correct?"

Akiko looked embarrassed at first but conceded. "I don't want to be away from oneesan again." she said quietly, as though reluctant to admit it. Shizuka put her arm around her sister and sighed. "Mama always said you were my little shadow. Its okay Akiko-chan, I will always be there for you."

"Then one of our rooms should be fine, Mizuno-san," Masako stated with a smile. She looked at the two sisters and couldn't help but ponder a few things. What was it like to have a close relationship with a sister? What was it like to be a mother? These were questions that were knew to Masako. Questions she really never thought of...until now. Curious, she thought to herself.

"Thank you, Kurohoshi-Juni." the sisters said in unison. Then, as though just having an afterthought, Akiko perked up. "AH! We haven't contacted mama in while! She must be worried about us!" This statement did bring some concern to Shizuka's face. "Hmm... you're right it has been sometime."

"Mama?" Yoroko questioned, "Your ships IES correct?" Yoroko tried to imagine exactly what it would be like with a ship being her mother. Unfortunately that was something that Yoroko couldn't quite grasp. Instead she imagined a chibi version of herself hugging a ships bulkhead. Yoroko covered her mouth and stifled a chuckle before shaking her head to try and drive out the image, creating a small splash in the warm water as she did so.

Both sisters looked at each other and then giggled a bit. Shizuka finally gained her control but Akiko beat her to it. "No, silly! Our mama is our birth mother!" she said. Shizuka smiled and put her hand on Akiko's head. "What Akiko-chan is trying to say is that we were both born as younglings from the same mother."

Masako smiled gently at all three women near her. "What's it like? Having a birth mother?" the raven-haired Warrant Officer finally let her curiosity get the better of her.

Akiko sat back and thought a little. "Well, mama was always kind and caring. When I was a youngling she would put me in her hands and carry me around. I would have so much fun hanging on and playing games with mama."

Shizuka nodded and bonked her head onto Akiko's. "Yes until you discovered your older sister had more 'exciting' games and you decided to follow me everywhere."

"And that's when mama called me your little shadow, because I couldn't help but follow her around everywhere." Akiko laughed.

Masako seemed to be in deep thought behind her gentle smile. For the first time ever, the young Neko seemed to feel cheated in her life. Being born as just a replacement for killed soldiers was just a necessity of the Empire and while she didn't regret being created that way...she felt slightly cheated that she had never been 'born'. Sighing quietly, Masako's gentle smile became a cute grin. "That sounds lovely," she replied honestly.

Yoroko leaned back and sighed as she imagined what Akiko described. "Doesn't it?" Yoroko said in agreement. "Saa, I think I've soaked for long enough. I'm going to go take another nap I think." Yoroko said before rising out of the water.

"Maybe we all should get some sleep." Shizuka suggested, her head starting to feel a little light as fatigue began to catch up.

"Have fun you guys." Yoroko said. Something could be seen to be bugging the Hei, but only for a brief second before she covered it up. Without further conversation Yoroko wrapped herself in her towel before heading out.

"Aw oneesan, you're already tired?" Akiko teased.

"Maybe you two should get some rest," Masako said to the sisters as she stood up from the bath and stepped out of it. "All you have to do is ask Miharu-san for directions to my quarters," she informed them. "And I hope you sleep well," she said with a nod of her head before grabbing a towel and following Yoroko to the changing room, drying her hair as she went. "Is something wrong, Mizuno-Hei?" she asked once both of them were in the changing room.

Shizuka and Akiko nodded their heads in thanks as the two other women began to depart from the bath. When Akiko thought they were out of earshot she then grinned over at Shizuka. "Kuro-chan is so nice!" she said.

"I really envy them you know...having had a mother and all." Yoroko sent telepathically to Masako. After she had towelled herself off she slipped into a Yukata and dried out her hair a little more before beginning to collect her things.

"You and me both, Masako replied in the same. Unlike Yoroko, however, Masako towel dried before going for her uniform. "Makes you wonder...how different you could be if you had been born a different way," she commented with a slight frown. "I normally don't think about things like this..."

"Yes she is. Everyone here has been nice." Shizuka said, closing her eyes and sighing before standing up to leave the bath.
"Except maybe that doctor guy. He's so grouchy!" Akiko replied, getting ready to depart too.

"Doesn't it?" Yoroko paused, "I haven't thought about this for a while. It's enough for now to know that things like this can't be changed, as depressing as it is. I try not to think on it too often, but sometimes these things come up..." After Yoroko had finished drying herself off she went to leave, "Saa, Oyasumi Kurohoshi-Juni." Yoroko said before leaving the room

Masako slightly bowed to Yoroko's departure with a small smile. "Oyasumi," she replied as she turned back to her locker and continued to dress. "Family...." she mumbled quietly before sighing.


OFF

All decks, stand down from battlestations.

Click to expand...

The engineering mainspace filled with a myriad of soiled, sooty bodies as the watches - the people Yuzuki had posted to watch the damaged equipment - finally switched out. They sat around where-ever they could find, and most of them ended up sitting cross-legged or sprawled out on the floor, their helmets hanging from light fixtures or nestled between their legs. In at least one case, a resourceful sprite - Kichi - had managed to hang her helmet from the ceiling. An otherwise pristine room in the middle of an outstanding ship had turned in minutes into what looked like a project for the luckless.

The sprites were only a small part of the chaos, however - there were papers tacked up everywhere, and in some cases, spread across the floor.

They were electrical circuit diagrams, mechanical operating diagrams, piping runs and riflings throughout the ship's hull. It was all dirty, sooty - covered in fingermarks and smudged. Yuzuki had sat for a while in the middle of the chaos, had looked over the diagrams, and had passed it all along with help from Ozuno and Cho. Now the trio were propped up against the aft bulkhead, staring at the ceiling or the floor or the sprites around them with peacefully blank expressions. Everyone had worked harder than anyone had a right to, trying to reconnect the grid and replace the shot transistors and associated systems. Having enough sprites on-board for a relief section was a godsend. Together, Yuzuki's section stared at each other in mutual exaustion. There was nothing else to do, or say.

They had made it through. They had kept the ship together.

Maybe it wasn't entirely true - there was a lot of hull work they hadn't done, but they had kept the gravimetric engines from being destroyed and taking a large portion of the ship with them. At least they hadn't lost anyone, permenantly. At least they had survived.

"I don't think that we are going to have impulse when we come out of hyperspace," Cho offered, quietly.

"Someone's going to have to tell the bridge," added Ozuno.

"We're going to have to clean this all up! All of it!" Kuni said, groaning afterwards.

There was more groaning, but Yuzuki pulled herself up to her feet and approached the console, anyway. Mentally, she was going over what she was going to have to say - it was pretty heavy news, and she wasn't sure how exactly to phrase it. The engines were shot. They couldn't fix them - they could only keep them running for so long, and they'd already been taken offline when they entered hyperspace. Yuzuki didn't want to start them back up, again. She didn't know what would happen, and she didn't know what to suggest. Taking the engines out and replacing them or even working on their huge heads and blocks would require the Miharu to be gutted like a fish, but they had to do it if they wanted to keep them - keeping them in the state they were in probably wouldn't be a good idea.

She could feel their eyes on the back of her neck. Nervously, she buried a gloved hand in her disheveled hair, trying vainly to straighten it. It didn't help, but it made her feel better.

"Brid-" Yuzuki started.

There was a start. Some of the sprites gasped, there were a few muffled cries. People were getting up.

Yuzuki, a little stunned, looked back over her shoulder. They really were staring, but it wasn't at her. When Yuzuki followed their gazes, she stared too. A cold chill traveled down her spine. But stronger than that, relief washed over her. Exausted, she couldn't help but smile at the shadow of a figure ducking through the hatch into the space. The figure grew bleery as she watched the whole room surround the lone intruder, but she didn't wipe her eyes. The tears were not unwelcome.

The visitor scrunched her nose.

"You all stink," Junko said.

ON:

Yukari was left below him, staring up the at the blackish, spinning wall. She was breathing hard too, but not quite as hard. Tom ... the amount of energy he'd put into that moment was what threatened to steal her breath away. He had left everything in the pit, and Yukari was steaming in it. She brought her hands around softly to the back of his head, and held him close to her.

Tom's head rested to the side of Yukari's neck, his face holding inches from the silky canvas of the pit. His breathing was deep and erratic, coming first in heaving gulps, then small whiny gasps. His unseen eyes clenched shut tightly, his body tensed, a prelude to what was to come moments later.

"Yu-" he sputtered. But he failed. He could not muster the strength now, in this most intimate of spaces, the resolve, to speak after he had been strained and tested so much by everything, past and present. His dam burst and his tears spilled freely below, wetting the canvas and his lover's skin. He heaved and cried like a child in her arms.

" ... " She held him as he needed to be held. She let him cry as hard and loud as he had to, her only replies the smoothing of his hair and the whispering of soothing words in his ears. "We are one again," she would say quietly. "We are safe again."

The recovery came slowly at first, Tom seemingly agonizing over some invisible specter in his mind, but as her soft words continued, his body responded in kind, first in more controlled, deep breaths and then wet sniffs of his nose. But he did not lift his head from where it sat. "Yukari, I understand everything now..."

"Understand what?" She spoke softly, her hands not moving from him. She had never seen Tom cry like that before, and it was a little unsettling.

"Nyton and Kotori," he said softly. "I understand now. But..." he lifted his head from her grasp and looked down, his tear-stained face and red eyes revealing just how much this revelation had shaken him. "I, I am failing Yukari."

Yukari's eyes narrowed and her mouth formed a small, open frown of concern, as she brushed sweaty strands of bright hair from his face. The tears fell on her chest and neck. "Failing at what?"

"Being what I told you I would always be," he said. "How I would never..." He turned his head away, shame overtaking him as he clenched his lips and teeth. "I promised you... I would never be like them. But... I feel different."

Yukari moved her head with his, trying to keep eye contact. Her fingers gently touched his cheeks. "Tell me how you feel." She wondered if she knew.

His eyes continued to dart away despite Yukari's best efforts. "I talked with them both. Nyton first, then Kotori. I apologized. I let go of my distrust of them. Nyton... he proved to be compassionate, more so than I was during the mission. Kotori, we... talked and I wanted to hate her, but I couldn't. What I had to consider down there... what I almost did It was like a hurricane. It turned everything upside down but it made me understand."

"What did you almost do?" Keeping Tom talking was one thing Yukari could do to help. Let him say all he could. Get it out of his system. Let him breathe again, feel closer to his old self again ... though he might not ever be his old self. Yukari wondered what he would be like now.

"It's hard to lead," he said. "You have to start thinking... of the value of a life. Everyone was equal back home, in Ralt." He paused a moment, shaking his head. "But in the army, it's not the same. Rank, mission, objectives... they influence the value of life... Nimura, weighed against Nyton, is expendable." He grimaced when he thought of how he almost sent Nimura to her death.

Yukari kept gazing at him, the distaste in his tone making her believe he had not changed too much. But it was not what she had experienced. It was not how she felt. She could not truly relate; this was Kotori's experience he was speaking of, not hers. "You accept it ... yes?"

"Kotori said that we fight for the promise of a better tomorrow... but not everyone will be able to see that time. Who am I to determine that?" His eyes sparked with anger. "I am not a God! The sacrifice is too much!"

Yukari's eyes finally left his face. She had not yet learned to grip that concept. Considering it was too much.

Tom continued. "I do not ... do not know... but... Kotori, she has earned my respect. I know the decisions she makes she does not take lightly. Nor Nyton. Nyton, I can understand how he handles himself. He is from Nepleslia, a land of violence. Kotori... she is very young, yes? ..."

Yukari gave a small nod. Kotori was much younger than she was, in the Neko time reference.

"So she needs support, not anger. The weight of this entire ship is on her shoulders. I... I want to help shoulder that load for her." He let out a long, pained sigh.

It was hard to smile, but Yukari did, for him. "You are brave, Tom ... I know that to be fact. Kotori-san, Claymere-Shoi, they are blessed to have your help."

Tom's expression softened at the smile. He looked down at Yukari and let out a soft, melancholic laugh. "To work for a better tomorrow? At the cost of becoming a monster? Whose tomorrow are we speaking of?"

"The pain you carry ... it is the antidote to becoming a monster." Yukari smiled weakly. "So long as you hurt inside ... I believe you will be pure." She had to believe that. For him and for her.

"...even if I hurt you? Even if I'm ordered to or I have to for the good of the mission?"

Yukari could not help but wince. But her eyes remained in his. "Yes. For the good of our future."

"I..." Tom said before emotion overtook him again and he clutched Yukari's soft body to his. She was always so understanding, so selfless and full of love. "I love you. Even if I become a monster, I want you to know that, now and forever."

She smiled, holding him in return, even if her eyes were out-of-focus as her mind blossomed with visions of her demise due to Tom's order. "I will not forget, ever."

A few moments passed with their embrace, the moment seemingly settled, but then a small chuckle creeped through Tom and he lifted his head to look down at her with his familiar toothy grin. "You know, I think when we get out of this, you and I should get a contract for a holographic soap opera."

Yukari's face broke into an embarrassed, loving smile, and she giggled. "We are not such poor actors. We are living real life!"

"Too true," Tom said through his own chuckles that soon subsided into a warm smile. "Say, let's get some rest. We have a busy day in front of us, but I'd like to have enough energy for activities tomorrow... maybe virtual tennis with Kotori and Nyton?"

Blinks. Yukari did not know how to play tennis ... but she smiled anyway and nodded. "Yes. I would like to try that."

END

5tar said:

Remembering the cold way she addressed him before the battle, he tried to respond and stand at a professional demeanor so he could return the feelings at which he thought she would be most comfortable with. "I apologize for becoming a nuisance to you during your duties. I was exhausted and not right of mind, I had just wanted to report that I had done what you asked Hime-sama. I should have waited," he said bowing deeper in apology.

Click to expand...

Sora's lip trembled as she listened to Sumaru's apology. She closed her eyes for a moment, before she moved to stand closer to her dear friend. The young Ketsurui spoke very softly, in a near whisper as she struggled to maintain a calm tone to her voice, "You have never been a nuisance to me, Sumaru. I am the one who should apologize for hurting you with the idea that you might ever be, you are my closest and dearest friend. We've been through so much together and you've felt something so deeply and believed so much in me that you've become something entirely different.

If I could free you from the burden of what you've become, I doubt you'd give it up. You have become the valiant white knight charging into battle and slaying dragons, rescuing 'damsels in distress' and doing it all in the name of your 'lady'. I'm still uncertain of how I am truly worthy of your devotion, your love, your sword but I thank you for standing by me despite my flaws, my mood swings, and my imperfection. I am untrained in the ways to do you the best service or to truly show you much I appreciate all you have done in the name of our nation," she paused as she reached out to touch the blond samurai's face.

"I'm sorry that you've accomplished so much to only find my heart is in pieces, and I am unable to return your love in a way that you truly deserve. I am still the same but I still too clearly taste Serizawa's lips on my own, I still smell his cologne lingering in the air when I least expect it... I turn to still see him there, waiting for me. It's all one gigantic lie. I know he's gone, that he's never coming back to me and I am merely haunted by the memory of what I lost.

I'm not so blind as to not feel your warmth, hear your heartbeat, the purity of what you feel in your eyes but I'm not able to fully give you something that isn't fully whole," Sora watched Sumaru's ice blue eyes carefully, "But, I'm not sure what I'd do if I ever lost you as you are now. I think I'd lose the best part of me and that's why I found myself at a loss as to how to treat you when you collapsed earlier. I was so scared of loosing you too... I'm sorry, you deserve a better princess than me."

Sora did what she had been arguing with herself over not doing, she moved to bring Sumaru's face to hers and kissed him softly on the lips.

Sumaru raised his head gingerly as she moved closer, unsure what to expect from her. He did not expect such strain from her to hold back tears-- but maybe it was more that he didn't want to expect it. He didn't want this to be so hard on his heart, and on her already shattered one. Hearing her talk from the center of her soul, so candidly to him softened his samurai features and caused such a worry stricken expression to befall his face.

He listened more so now then he had ever listened to anything before, his heart hung on her words, twisting and turning with each phrase. Sora's complexities were different this time-- because he didn't want her to love him anymore. Not because he had grown callus to it, no not that at all-- he just didn't want to make her love him, because he just wanted her to heal and become whatever she wanted to be, and he would only try and bring her happiness. If he could fight time to bring her back those she lost, he would do it, Sumaru would do anything for her.

But as she touched her soft hands to his new face, he felt such an old nostalgic feeling return to him-- he wanted her to love him. No matter how hard he tried to tell himself he shouldn't. Maybe it was how she spoke of him and how she said she would be losing a piece of her self if she had lost him, maybe it was her touch. But as she looked into his eyes, he searched deeply into hers for his answer.

He opened his lips to speak, but fell silent to her kiss.

He couldn't think any longer, gallantly he returned his maiden's kiss. The sweet taste he had so long desired. He was chivalrous, and did not give way to passion. He cradled her head in his hand with the red tresses of her red hair falling through each of his fingers. His other arm wrapped around the small of her back, holding her protectively from the rest of the vast world. He kissed her ever so lovingly, lingering like that for moments in what felt like eternity. Then parted his mouth from her soft lips, he didn't quite let go yet.

"Sora," he said softly using her name genuinely without any suffix on purpose. "There is so much I could say, but nothing would truly express how I feel. So please try to understand what I mean when I say this. But I no longer fight to garner your love and affection, so don't feel pressured to return mine at all. I fight because I believe in you, because I love you so unconditionally that just being by your side is enough for me to live happily." He didn't speak a word of her loss of confidence in her own abilities, or this worthiness she spoke of. He was too assured and resolute in his decision to be her loyal guardian that nothing could deter him. To Sumaru, there was no one anymore worthy then this woman-- she was his princess, no one else could be.

"But," he paused pulling his body back a little to look into her eyes, "I will not stand back when you pain so much, even if your heart is in pieces. Time heals even the deepest of wounds, and I will forever be by your side, so no matter how long it takes I will be here to help you heal and I will protect and cherish every sliver of your heart until it is whole again." He smiled at her, and the young man never looked anymore genuine then he did then.

Rest.

Tom was doing that. It had taken a little more time for him to cool, but once he had, nestled in the pit, Yukari had draped herself open, on her side, before the ceiling, eyes again staring at it.

Was she supposed to be angry with Bowhordia, for stealing her man's essence from him? And her? She frowned. Had it not been that moment, it likely would have been another. Tom was a warrant officer now. Those kinds of decisions were expected of him.

Perhaps she could feel anger against Kotori. The thought was quashed nanoseconds after postulation. Kotori had given Tom context to her decisions; he had been unable to use it up until now. He no longer resented or hated his superiors. No, he understood them. That was for the best, even if Yukari perceived it as a detriment to her relationship.

The galaxy. The future. Life. Nebulous concepts that could not hold any of her rage. She shifted her foot and felt cold metal; she frowned at the ceiling, as if it had interrupted her thoughts, and she moved her leg to push the metal thing up to her stretching hand. She dared not gaze away from the ceiling, so she brought the thing up between them.

Her revolver. Cool matte blue and silver, with a smooth brown grip made of some form of polymer. Her eyes were trapped in the silver parts after she had taken it from the holster, glaring back at her. Tom had possessed the sense to take the weapon off of her, instead of hurling it as he had her other clothes and items.

She held it properly and sighted on the ceiling. It was so heavy, especially at the barrel. Loaded, the cylinder accounted for only 20 percent of the weapon's weight, or so she estimated.

"Don," she said, making like the gun was going off. The ceiling would have to suffice as a bucket she could pour her emotions into. As seemed to always be the case after a battle, Yukari just felt restless.

She tried to imagine sleep, but could not. That pushed her frustration level up that much more, and she silently left the pit, her revolver left in it. Her uniform was in unacceptable condition, but then, so was she. The baths were likely occupied by others, sprites deserving of a rest. A decontamination shower was as soothing as being shot by a water cannon.

Yukari had few civilian clothes with her on the Miharu, but she did have yukata. She put on the standard-issue white one with Hinomaru on the back, tied the black sash on, found her sandals and a towel, and went to the starboard Recreation Room's virtual reality area down from her room.

The door slid open to reveal Nimura enamored with a power armor project. Yukari did not give the Neko the chance to speak or react, swiftly shutting the door again. A small sigh, and she flip-flopped to the port virtual reality room.

In this one, the three Samurai — Kei, Yuri and Kôsuka — were sitting lotus-style on a carpet of soft green grass surrounded by blue sky and puffy white clouds. Each Samurai made a point on a kind of triangle, and they appeared to be meditating. Tiny colored dots occupied the space in the triangle's center.

None looked up to greet her. She shut the door.

Her scheme to swim naked and alone dashed, she went to the wardroom, taking the seat closest to the large transparent windows. It was a cushy seat, one she could curl up in. Hoshi's battered hull was below her, the surreal light of folding across the galaxy making her shape appear that much worse. But the lights had a welcome effect on her tired mind.

Yukari took a small breath, then shut her eyes. Kotori had told her to take leave, and the executive officer prayed that included leave from her own head.

Kikyô Star System, in orbit of Yamatai
YSS Miharu NJ-X1-00

Miharu arrived on the eve with little fanfare, though the uneasiness the NMX conflict was immediately noticeable. The ship had to stand by through inspection checkpoints evaluating the likely presence of mishhuvurthyar parasites or zombie-double agents before it was allowed to travel past the proximity defenses.

Chiharu no Iori bustled with industrial activity as the Star Army had their docks going full tilt in production. Kotori actually decided not to haggle for a docking spot within the Star Fortress and just set her ship into orbit of the homeworld, resorting to using only one-half of its operational sublight propulsion drive as well as some CFS functions to manage navigation until Tom and his staff could decide on how to deal with the damage.

Those whom had been treated from the hurts they had suffered in the mission were finally released hale and whole and sent to rest. Miharu's quarters were modified to accomodate for the extra passengers aboard the ship. Hinoto delivered Wazu new functional clothing so he could go around in something else than the clothing he had been wearing for weeks while incarcerated.

Some of the more rested sprites took over for the night shift. Kotori herself left the bridge to handle the bureaucratic side of her job in her quarter's desk office.

...and so the day ended.

* * *

Kotori was arguing with Kôsuka. The scene had a surreal quality to it, as if Kotori knew what she was doing, but felt totally powerless to avoid an outcome she dreaded.

Kôsuka was not willing to let the matter of the NH-23 Kotori slide. Out of duty, she had to deal with it, even if she ran against her own flesh and blood. Vainly, Kotori tried to appeal that she wouldn`t let the NH-23 become dangerous, but she was not also going to dispose of it.

Killing out of convenience was wrong, she argued. She didn't want to believe that Yamatai was such an Empire, and was willing to try and prove such a thing wrong, through her own actions. It was how she had told Nyton she could change things: through individual choices.

Kôsuka disagreed. Harsh words were spoken. it was clear neither was willing to budge and Kôsuka, clearly hating herself, took a step forward toward Kotori's desk. A meaningful step. One that crossed a point of no return.

They fought.

Kotori had only knives at her disposal. Guns would have made more sense in those circumstances, seeing they were a great equalizing factor between the different in strength lay between a NH-27 and NH-29 nekovalkyrja. But no, knives - somehow it made more sense in the context.

Still, some limitations were obvious. The T-14 diamond edged knives lacked range and the durability to tangle against a zesuaium monomolecular-edge wakizashi and tachi. All Kotori could really do was dodge and hope that Kôsuka would grant her an opening she could strike in.

"You cannot defeat me, daughter. You are not strong enough," Kôsuka taunted Kotori, obviously superior.

Obviously, Kotori's mother did not oblige. She was far too good for that. Kotori was left only with gambits, last ditch attacks and such. Somehow, Kotori knew she would win. There was a frightening certaincy to it. Somewhere deep inside, it chilled her, how the sequence of event was starting to inexorably lead to her victory.

She could not kill her mother. It was unthinkable. Yet, she would.

Kotori leaped into Kôsuka's guard. She tackled her between attacks, wrapping her legs around her torso, flinging her left hand knife up toward the ceiling before using her freed hand to seize Kôsuka's neck, her free hand poised to strike at the unmoving target that were Kôsuka's vitals - head, neck and torso.

Kôsuka would be disappointed. She had taught Kotori better, Kotori's behind was open and Kôsuka's swords could pivot and finish her off. she made to do so, but Kotori improvised on her earlier attack and threw her upper torso back before Kôsuka could close the trap and decapitate her.

Kotori used her weight, the momentum of throwing herself back, and her control over gravity to drag the older samurai down with her. NH-27s were superior in many things, but gravity control was one of the few things they stood equal in. Combined with Miharu gravity plating, Kotori had the advantage. Kôsuka collapsed over her grown youngling, her arms busy straining for support against the floor instead of going for a finishing blow.

But it would only take a moment to compensate and deal with Kotori, whom was now trapped, pinned just under her. An attack Kôsuka meant to take, but was interrupted by a meaty thump in her back. Kotori's discarded weapon had spun in the air and then been drawn back down to them by the increased gravity well, falling point first in the back of the NH-27 samurai. With clothing and hair in the way, not even skin vision had been able to warn Kôsuka that the discarded weapon had still been a threat.

Maybe Kotori had learned a lesson from the earlier rebuke after all. The NH-29 was certainly quick to capitalize on Kôsuka's shock by driving her other knife in the side of the samurai's neck, deeply. The blow wouldn't kill a NH-27, but it was certainly disabling damage.

Kôsuka reeled, let go of her tachi to bring a free hand to her neck, eyes wide, a gurgle escaping her rather than a gasp for air. She didn't attack, and Kotori quickly extricated herself from under her opponent.

Ikenai.

Kotori's hand went to the tachi. Fingers curled around the handle. "You are right, hahaue. You said it yourself..."

Dame...

The tachi raised slowly for an overhead swing. The dramatics were stupid, Kotori was pragmatic enough so that she could tell, but they seemed necessary.

Yamete!

"I am not strong, I am beautiful."

The tachi swung down. There was the crisp sound of blade cleanly parting flesh and bone. A thump as the halved head fell to the carpet and the liquid splashing sound of the gore released.

Iie!

...and Kotori started awake, nearly jumping into a seated posture, her hands clawing her bedcovers against her chest. She gasped at first, then panted for breath, amber eyes roving around, desperately trying to reclaim her grasp on reality.

Kôsuka's body was not in her room. Her carpets were free of gore. Lights were out, and a part of the half-lit orb of the planet Yamatai shed a gentle radiance through the viewport of her quarters.

It had just been a dream.

Kotori sighed, relieved, and a fist came up to dry her tear-stained cheeks. She sniffed, trying to contain the antics of a runny nose and then ran one hand in her hair, some lame petting of herself in an attempt of self-comfort, to convince herself that all was well.

A moment later her shoulders heaved a bit as she briefly laughed. Her laughter sounded broken and mirthless, and she later scornfully whispered to herself: "What kind of 'beautiful' was that?"

She considered leaving bed; it was close enough to the time she usually woke up. Maybe she could fetch Nyton, get an early spot in the public baths and then get started with the day, moving on from her disturbing dream.

But when she stood and made to adjust and redo the sash on her undone yukata - she had apparently trashed some in her sleep - she gave up. She felt too vulnerable to present herself so distraught before Nyton. Yukari might have been the only person she'd have had gone to for reassurance, because Yukari had promised to understand and accept her weaknesses, but Yukari likely already had her plate full with Tom coming to term with himself after Bowhordia.

Going to see Kôsuka after that nightmare was also out of the question. What could Kotori tell her mother about that, after all?

The nekovalkyrja closed her amber eyes and sighed. She walked to the viewport and set her hands on the edges of it, gazing out in space before she bent her head forward to have her forehead rest against the transparent durandium surface.

As the rest of the Miharu's crew stirred, Kotori remained there and brooded.

Kai could be found in his room, At first he was looking at his chest, trying to find the wound that should have been there, though he knew he wouldn't, not after being Yamataian and having sat in the tank for so long. He rubbed the spot where his armor had spalled into his chest, getting mild phantom pains as he remembered how it happened, the missiles exploding right in front of his face. Really, he was surprised he had survived at all, but the concentrated effort of himself, Nyton and Yoroko had finally taken the thing down. Kai had liked the feeling of power he got when finally plunging the Aether saber into the monstrosity, and feeling it sink and die under his repeated assault. It was somewhat empowering.

Standing up, Kai looked about his room. In one corner was a duffel bag he had filled with wooden swords from his younger days, and had used during Fort Ready. He remembered those old days fondly, but turned his head to better examine to room. In another corner was a pair of metal legs, which he had torn off of the Nekomachina that had tried to Kill Yoroko. Idly, the Yamataian moved to them, and kicked them. They fell over, limply, with a light screech and clatter. The Nakamura picked the legs up again, surveying them. He could make something useful out of these, he surmised.

For once after a fight, Miyoko slept well. There was no second-guessing herself, no friends who might have gotten vivisected because of her slip-ups, nothing--it was, she had no problem admitting to herself, a good feeling. Logically, she had to remind herself, her work with the weapons in the opening barrages of the fight had probably killed more people than she had in every power armor battle she'd ever been in combined (which, admittedly, wasn't many)... but her subconscious was rather less concerned with these memories than it was with the times she'd had to level a gun at another person from a few feet away.

She had even gone to sleep early the previous day... with most of the rest of the crew fresh back from a fight that she practically only knew about secondhand and even Yukari busy welcoming back Tom, she hadn't had much of a place in the evening's affairs. As a result, she woke up early. The minutes before the crew wake-up call found the violet-haired Yamataian sitting in the wardroom in her sleeping clothes, a white t-shirt and black shorts, and restlessly watching the planet below through the wardroom's windows.

Rin stirred, sitting up in her bed. She rubbed her eyes, still feeling tired after a not-so-restful night's sleep, before she glanced about the room. Things seemed to be intact, nothing having gone and blown up in the middle of the night. She knew she was thinking about the events of yesterday too much, but she couldn't help it.

The sprite changed out of her the white yukata into a fresh uniform. From there, she gathered up a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a washcloth, before she padded off to the bathroom.

Yoroko slept extremely well that night. Between the massages from her armor throughout the engagement and the warm waters of the baths from the night before the Hei found every muscle in her body completely relaxed when she woke up. This is nice. Yoroko thought after her eyes flitted open, the Hei again sprawled inside her nest. I hope this doesn't end. Although Yoroko wished that she could remain in her comfortable nest but she had a job to do, and her alarm would be going off soon. Minutes passed by the Hei, who was more than perfectly content to not move. Then a screeching sound filled the air. And there it goes... Yoroko reluctantly stood up stretched out her arms before stepping out of the pit and slamming her hand heavily down on the alarm. After going through the rest of her morning routine Yoroko headed down to the wardroom.

Nyton awoke to the light chirping noise of his alarm. His mind became instantly alerted to the new day as it gained awareness to the new day. The room was still a mess he noted, not something he enjoyed but knew he would have to deal with soon. It was time for a change anyways he reasoned. The accumulation of data he had acquired on Naraku had started to create something akin to clutter.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternal few seconds, Nyton sat up. He shook off any remaining sleepiness and began to stand. With a quick stretch of the muscles Nyton got about putting his things away when he glanced over at the post action report on his desk. He was reminded of Kotori and wondered if she would require anything from him this morning. If she did then the ship would have most certainly alerted him earlier. Or she would have requested it in person. Still, he figured he would ask.

Better yet he would arrive personally. At worst she would just send him away, an overeager servant, too ready to serve. The thought brought a slight chuckle to the man. Words from his grandfather came to mind as well.

Remember boy, our family has many guiding principles in combat but one that stands above them all. echoed Thomas's voice in Nyton's mind. Nyton was then taken back to Nepleslia. As a youth Nyton's grandfather had taught him most of his life's lessons. Many of them involved survival but some were more philosophical. This memory flashed back to a time when they were standing on top of one of Roger Wilco's many high rise skyscrapers. Nyton also recalled being especially winded too. They had taken the stairs.

The exercise had felt nearly life ending but Nyton had endured. After catching his breath he saw Thomas looking out at the sky line as the dawn sun rose. "Our family have been fighters for untold generations, son. A chain unbroken even through multiple hardships and conflict. Many of us have died to maintain this. Each link though resonates within each of us, even the ones who perished before passing anything on to the future." he said in his mechanically generated voice.

After catching some of his breath Nyton looked up at the massive cyborg. "Grandfather.... how long.... have we fought?" Nyton asked. A shake of the head was the beginning of Thomas's reply. "That I do not know. But be assured that whereever we humans have fought, we were there. And from that conflict we have learned much but one thing above all stands out." Thomas then went over to Nyton and crouched down, his optical systems boring right into Nyton's still natural eyes.

"Serve, Lead, and Guide, but never Rule." Thomas stated, putting a metal hand on Nyton's shoulder. "That is our primary principle. We serve to the utmost and give our all to who we have sworn fealty to. If we are talented enough we lead those put under us, giving them the best possible leadership so that they survive. If we are smart enough then we guide our people by providing wisdom to those in power. However we are never to believe ourselves worthy to take that power for ourselves for we must not be rulers. To rule is to invite corruption and then ruin for ourselves and others. No matter how clever we may think we are, power is even cleverer." he finished.

Nyton looked confused, still just a boy and learning, he was still learning to grasp such concepts that were so far removed from himself. "How do I do all that? It sounds difficult." he replied, unsure of himself and the huge undertaking Thomas laid out to him. Thomas just chuckled. "You will learn over time. Someday who knows, maybe you will be an advisor to the ruling nobles. I trust you to be honorable and wise in your guidance, boy." he said with some synthesized mirth in his voice. "Now let's get going. Time to make our way back down."

With that Nyton almost groaned, dreading the climb back down while his aching legs screamed at him. "Oh we have to go down the stairs now?" Thomas laughed. "Hah, we ain't going THAT way boy. This time we're taking the express!" he shouted, quickly snatching Nyton up under his arm. Before Nyton had a chance to react he saw the edge of the building accelerating toward him. Thomas was running so fast and then right when the building no longer continued he leapt.

Nyton returned to the present, the knowledge of having survived the jump still well in his mind, however terrifying it had been. Very well then. Professional in all. he thought as he got dressed in a fresh uniform. Once done he quickly stepped out, the mess of his room still unattended, a project for later. With an easy step Nyton walked to Kotori's quarters and stopped at the door. With precise motion he then sounded the chime.

Tom's eyes cracked open. He had slept well; the mission had completely exhausted him, but the replenishing energy of his rest filled him with renewed vigor.

He rolled on his side and reached out to give a hug, but his arms only hit the recession in the pit where his lover had been the night before. Tom smiled, rolling his eyes. Yukari was probably doing some bridge work or something else that was really important.

Work. Ugh.

Tom lifted his body to the lip of the pit, where he lazily dangled his arms and rested his chin. His half-lidded eyes stared at a spot on the floor. There was a lot to be done today, the mounting list dragging his mood down a bit. But there was always time for a bath and breakfast beforehand.

Just an hour or so to pamper himself before he worked himself raw.

He lifted himself out of the pit, walked over to Yukari's dresser and took a towel out for himself. It had flowers on it, cherry blossoms swirling around in a spiral from the edges to the center of the white, silky fabric.

It was a bit girly, but it would do.

He walked to his dressed as he wrapped the towel around his body. He pulled out an extra uniform, crisply folded, and put it under his left arm. Then he rounded up all the bedding and discarded uniforms and wrapped them in a huge bundle under his right for cleaning.

A moment later, the clothing was dropped off and Tom was on his way to the public baths for a nice soothing dip.

That was the plan at least, until he saw the Taii standing at the Taisa's door.

"Good morning, sir!" Tom said, skillfully bowing while clasping the towel to his body.