RP: YSS Miharu Mission 3, Debrief

Tom let out a soft sigh, silently nodding at the information.

Nyton listened coolly as Kotori recounted the status of the NH-23 in the cargo hold. His thoughts drifted a bit as he tried to imagine the ramifications of the existence of such a body. The power one could wield with such a powerful body are far too easily abused. Who could say the legitimate user would be any better than the illegitimate? Just the knowledge that such a system like this exists makes me nervous. This is simply too much power consolidated into one person's hands. he thought.

"I am not sure if I am clear on this but could the nodal powers that the NH-23 body can draw from other Nekovalkyrja, would they be capable of controlling other neko as well?" Nyton then asked.

The Taisa returned an uncertain shrug. "All I have is Yui-Taisho telling me that she had a connection to all nekovalkyrja. Also, by having her hand hover over wounds I had sustained in our first mission, she seemed able to heal them. It wasn't anything my signaler reversal ability seemed able to hinder either."

"As far as control goes... I've no clue. If you take under account what a rogue Kami was able to do in the 5th XF a couple of years back, I suppose it's not impossible a NH-23 could exert some influence. In the case of the original Kotori, Miharu may be cut off from the rest of the PANTHEON, but we know she is connected and maybe integral to the ship's computer functions. Through accessing me via SPINE access she's gained my memories. She has also been able to hack her way into the NIWS that boarded Miharu in her first mission. What you say certainly isn't an impossibility."

"No offense to the designers but I cannot help wonder what they were thinking when they created such a powerful body. Not only is there a problem if it got into the wrong hands but should the authorized user became a threat there would be hardly any way to stop her." Nyton said cautiously.

Nyton stopped and then put his fingers to his forehead for a second while he breathed. After setting his hand back down he shook his head. "Sorry, I did not mean to go off topic a bit. I grow concerned that Eve may have succeeded in getting a hold of this technology during her unfettered access into PANTHEON." he explained.

Kotori nodded. "Even though the move is highly illegal and could bring about dire repercussions... I believe that Sylvester went on the assumption that Eve perhaps had the power of a NH-23 in her own private PANTHEON-derived network. I figure Eve could care less about the legal consequences."

"In our case, though, we have less of a luxury. If we arrest Karl Sylvester on those ground, knowledge of the bootleg NH-23 will leak out upon interrogation. Seeing how it could be a threat to national security, SAINT spooks would be swift into striking and eliminating all involved so that the knowledge of such a possibility would die out."

"Sylvester, his family, his work associates, us on Miharu and our families..." Kotori used one hand to claw lightly at her hair behind one ear. "All could be eliminated out of fear so to preserve Yamatai's security. I don't dare expect we could make an appeal."

"We could shut down our computers and destroy the NH-23," Kotori continued. "But it is my decision not to. Apparently, the original Kotori had no choice in the matter and I do not intend to kill her just because it would be more convenient - aside from circumstances she is an innocent. My decision regarding this matter is that it not be allowed to leak out further and that she be kept alive and protected until Eve has been confronted and defeated. We may need her to complete our mission - she has certainly helped us before."

"After that, well, it depends. If she was upgraded she possibly could be downgraded back to what she was, or perhaps soul transferred. If I do not survive until the end of this mission, she may just as well take my place - it would be only fair seeing I took hers - though I am not sure she will have the necessary experience and schooling to adequately command Miharu... that would be for Yukari to decide. Finally, if we both happen to survive until after Eve is defeated, perhaps I can change names or identity then."

"I am sure those matters will be crossed when it is their time. Given what we have to go on now I would say those are sufficient enough guidelines. Right now the less people who know about this the better." Nyton said, his voice even. As much as he would like to continue mulling over such a topic it did not seem to him that there was more they could do for now.

"Shall we move on to other topics or is there more we need to review on this, your highness?" Nyton asked.

"That depends..." Kotori eyed them all before her eyes settled on Kôsuka. "I seem to recall someone said my chosen line of action could very well have us fling ourselves in some 'treasonous hell'."

The next words came slowly, deliberately. "She is innocent. It was not her fault. She is alive and I for one have decided that I do not intend to dispose of her just because she might make my life more difficult - people would not have children, on the very same basis. Furthermore she is effectively a citizen of the empire and deserves to be protected until a way can be found to resolve the problem - death is only the final alternative if nothing else works."

"We enlisted in the military knowing there would be risks. Byzantine intrigue was not part of those expectations... but we have the opportunity of going after Eve herself so facing even more risk in itself is not a surprise," Kotori persisted. "Perhaps the road to hell really is paved with good intention... but..."

"Roads go both ways. Yes, I will lead you to hell. Then, I will lead you out if you will but believe in me."

Kôsuka hardly glowered at her daughter. Her statements of fact on this matter were being ignored for some supposedly higher cause, and therefore were not valued at this meeting.

Yukari could not keep her eyes on Kotori. She had enough mental and emotional quandaries with the second Kotori, the Empress-model, as it was. But she spoke plainly, and firmly.

"I believe in you, Taisa. I fear no hell."

The samurai kept her incredulous feelings inside her mind. For an old maid, the Shosa was entirely too principled, she thought.

Kotori nodded, appreciating Yukari's show of trust, but her eyes wandered back to meet Kôsuka's.

"The only suggestion I've heard from you is that she should be destroyed, and us along with her. You also demonstrated without leaving us much choice in the matter," Kotori told her mother sternly. "Perhaps it serves your sense of duty to do so, but honor is not merely duty."

The adopted Ketsurui princess pronounced: "It is my intent that your child be preserved from harm. It is also my determination that she should not be allowed to harm the Empire. But I will not act rashly in this instance simply out of fear. Every sword can kill villain as much as innocent, but I will not throw the sword away just because it could be dangerous."

Kotori's tone became scathing. "You raised your blade against my crew for this. This is not acceptable. This will not happen again." The rebuke done, her voice softened though it remained firm: "I am a Ketsurui, and as one, I ask for your oath that you will abide by my wishes in this situation: not harming my crew on that motive, not visiting harm to the NH-23 and keeping me to my promise that she not be allowed to harm the Empire in turn."

Kôsuka did not raise her voice, but her words were as firm as her Zesuaium swords.

"You are not my master, Taisa," she said. "I will swear no oath to you, and for you to ask for one is to disregard my honor, and my oath to my mistress: Yui-sama. It is only because you are my daughter that I walk this line between treason and 'duty.' Were it not for that, the NH-23 would be dead, and you with her."

She stood, fluid but reserved, and bowed. "However, you are also my commander. I will not harm my fellow crew, Taisa."

"I am sorry, Mother, but that is not enough," Kotori shook her head. "You raised your weapon against my crew... people whom are blameless of nothing else but wanting to live. You appear to be just shy of inflicting death upon someone whom has really done no harm to anyone."

"There is more to our lives than this situation, and each of us have things we hope, dream and long for. We live, we look forward to these things, and I intend it to remain so even if we have stumbled across something that may have terrible import. The alternative is not acceptable and I feel this can be resolved without the need of desperate, drastic action."

"These oaths you've given Mistress Yui..." Kotori then said. "Are they really oaths that require the blood of innocents and blameless bystanders? Is the goal of preserving life, by contrast, so dishonorable? I was already entrusting you with the position of seeing that it never came to that. I cannot believe that your interpretation of these oaths have no room for the compromise I offered."

Kotori took a deep breath.

"Mother. I have to give assurances to my crew that you will no longer be a danger to them. If they trust me to care for their lives, I can't just have someone stand next to them... someone whom could suddenly burst into a cloud of violence should something not strike her fancy. Please give us a tangible reason to trust you." Kotori asked, trying to sound reasonable. "Else, I will have to do my part to make sure my crew is protected from you. I don't think either of us will enjoy that."

"There is no compromise," Kôsuka said plainly, rising from her bow. "I said I would not hurt my fellow crewmembers. But if they engage in treasonous acts, willingly, I am duty-bound to protect the Empire as Yui-sama instructed her Samurai to, and stop them."

She folded her hands into her sleeves. "They, and you, are not innocent bystanders. They assist you in committing illegal acts against this Empire, even if you are trying to save it. Yui-sama does not compromise when she asks for the absolute loyalty of her Samurai ... and neither should you. Daughter."

The Samurai seemed unnervingly relaxed. "Honor is duty. To suggest any less is to attempt to justify your own means."

It was hard enough for Kôsuka to utter the words, let alone not address how stung she was by Kotori's suggestion she would simply plunge into a bloodbath without heed or caution. But she was Samurai. She knew she would already have to beg Yui-sama to dissolve her oath to her, if only to protect her daughter. It would be the only way she could survive the shame, the guilt, of having not quashed such an obvious betrayal, no matter how well intentioned it was. She would have to relinquish her swords, too.

It did not matter. She was Samurai, and she was a mother. She had to do her best to honor both.

"You do us an injustice," Kotori returned, her voice tight. "There is nothing treasonous or illegal about having on board a NH-23. The conception of it is different, but again, who said the creation of a new NH-23 was forbidden? We simply assume it would be frowned on. It was certainly not done before that new law about copies came into effect and even then it caused no trouble to Kage Yaichiro."

"We commited no crime at all - the situation practically landed on us - and yet you already have us be guilty of handling the matter with the delicacy it requires. SAINT operates in a fashion that is extra-legal and I think we are all right in dreading possible repercussions."

"Besides, there is more to this than honor, law and duty - even for samurai. Laws are not rigid guidelines, but a code to live up to for the betterment of all... they stand for the aims of humanitarian concerns, nobility of spirit and wisdom. For one, and for many. Should I do otherwise, the noble leadership, purity and goodness touted in the samurai prayer would be said in hypocrisy. I don't intend for it to be so."

"This said, I beg that you reconsider your stance," Kotori finished with.

"You know I cannot," Kôsuka said, resigned to the impending outcome. "You can hide behind technicalities if it helps you with your mission, but we know Yui-sama doesn't allow another to threaten her hold on the clan, and that aiding and abetting such a threat to Yui-sama is treason. ... My father has betrayed us again, even if he is attempting to protect us."

She turned from Kotori. "I will tell SAINT nothing and leave the Samurai in order to protect your secrets. A civilian without ties to the clan has no moral duty to divulge information to Yui-sama. That's all I can do for you, daughter. I believe it will help."

She walked to the door of Kotori's quarters. The rest of what Kotori said was left unspoken to; there was too much begging and manipulation in the child's words for Kôsuka to reply to them. Kotori saw the world her way, as she felt she had to. The mother had no right to quash the dreams of her child, even if they cut to the core of the Samurai's identity.

Nyton listened to the exchange and maintained a calm face, even closing his eyes and letting out a slight breath. All that however was meant to draw attention away from his fists which grew tight as he internally seethed at Kosuka's mention of Yui in regards to honor. Kosuka insists that our acts bring harm to the Empire? She will hold her oath of loyalty to Yui while Yui herself has committed acts akin to treason herself! So long as Yui 'protects' those who she considers family out of her own self-interest she is no different. Although I consider her worse when it is her despicable father that she seeks to protect. He may not be guilty of the Plague but he is certainly at fault for many people's deaths. In a way, eliminating Eve is just cleaning up another of his many bloody messes. he thought to himself.

With a quick shift in focus and a little help from a relaxation string of memories Nyton calmed down further. Well, trying to argue Yui's guilt at holding personal agendas will not help the situation. Especially not against Kosuka's principles. I do not really see a satisfactory outcome from this discussion since Kosuka really has no way to promise us with full assurance outside her word. However I wonder if this truly pains Kosuka to some degree? This cannot be easy for her and to a mother who went to desperate lengths to save her daughter I cannot help but wonder how much this is troubling her.

"Your highness, I agree that Kosuka sees no compromise in this matter. The guidelines that bind her duty are straight and hold no leeway for interpretation unlike our own. Her own convictions to them are as strong as yours are to your own. However I believe her when she says she will not attack us. If anything I find that her honor can still be served at personal cost. From what I can tell, this personal cost has been paid before for reasons which give me enough assurance." Nyton said calmly addressing Kotori.

"Much like her I am bound by your word so however you decide I will abide by it. I too shall follow you to this promised hell for I believe in you." he then added with a bow of his head to the princess.

Masako could only stay seated and silent as she looked at both mother and daughter with a grimace upon her face. This was getting ugly very quickly. Of course, the Warrant Officer wasn't really keen on the fact that there was an NH-23 version of her Taisa on the ship either, but as long as she didn't endanger the ship, Masako was fine with her on board. The possibility of being considered a traitor, on the other hand, caused the raven-haired Neko to feel a bit queasy.

Keeping silent, she allowed Nyton to speak as she tried to keep out of this as much as possible. While she could be involved in this, she wanted to believe Kosuka would keep her word about keeping their secrets. Of course, it also meant the other Neko would have to give up something she obviously cared about to protect something of equal and/or greater importance.

Anything Masako could say now would just be in poor taste.

Tom's face had become as pale as the white snow of Ralt. His eyes, too, had changed, becoming sharp blades of ice that jumped back and forth between the bickering mother and child.

"I find this unacceptable," he suddenly said, "Both of you."

He sat up in his seat sharply and rested his clasped fingers on the table. His words were flat, lacking a passion usually found in his voice, falling into some analytical monotony as if a switch in his robotic brain had been turned on.

"The Taisa consistently requests sacrifice of us, but also believes in our ability to see it through to the end, for 'the promise of a better tomorrow.' But she keeps secrets from the very ones who are selflessly laying down their lives for this dream. Everyone who is remotely connected to his operation dies if the old Kotori is found out? Our families?"

He paused and closed his eyes, blotting out images of his parents meeting some untimely end.

"If what the Taisa says is true, we are all doomed if this comes out regardless of the circumstances. Even the innocent ones who do not know and those who have been transferred off ship. This... how many lives? How many futures are now laid in this trap in the name of one and the potential strategic advantage she holds?"

"It is hypocritcal, but I cannot fault the Taisa for her decision. It is a strategic advantage that we must use, if required, to see our objectives to the end. And it is an innocent. Does her innocence weigh more heavily than the lives of all of us and our loved ones? I will not answer that, but it does not change the fact that we have no other options. We must see this through. Treason or not, I am a member of the Miharu first, as we all are.

He paused a brief moment, glancing over at Kosuka.

"It is also unacceptable that you hold your personal honor over the entire crew's lives, the sacrifices we've made on your behalf, not only during your stay here, but during your life-threatening disablement planetside. In your eyes, you hold it to be a rock of protection, some core value to always fall back on even in the face of SAINT'S hypocricy, a force that acts on behalf of whom? I see this code, this honor, as a lack of adaptability and a crutch. And, while I am pleased that you gave your promise as a subordinate to the Taisa that you would not cause harm to our crew, I feel that the crew must be wary of you, a fact that compromises our mission."

He returned his eyes to the center of the table.

"Sorry for any hurt feelings, but we don't have time for them anymore, I'm afraid."

Kotori gave a sigh - Tom's words cut off any reply she could have made to her mother, but presented another problem. "To be fair, Tom, no secrets were kept from you. We only pieced this all together only since a couple of days ago. You yourself learned of this just as soon as I could get everyone to sit down without this going in the way of the previous operation."

"Understood, Taisa. You made the right decision. This information would only have distracted from the Bowhordia operation. I apologize for jumping to conclusions and assuming this was a longheld secret."

He shook his head.

"But this 'Kotori' has now placed herself in the center of a very real personnel issue. The samurai has openly stated before the senior staff that she would act upon her 'code' above the Taisa's station."

His eyes looked over to Nyton. "I am sorry, Claymere-taii, but I do not share your security regarding the samurai's word. If I am to believe the degree of," a brief pause for a careful choice of words "subordinateness a samurai pledges to her master, walking away, truely walking away, is impossible."

"Alright. Now just hold on that thought for a second," Kotori asked Tom - asked them all, actually - and looked at Kôsuka whom had been just shy to depart.

"Too much drama, too much feelings coming up, too many clashes of will to be right and not enough simple problem resolution," the Taisa said. "Mother, your reaction down in the cargo hold was rash... but you are not a monster. The way this conversation has been going has implied little else and I apologize for that. I'm also not nearly so sure that retiring as a samurai would truly solve some of the problems and moral dilemmas you face. I feel it's more like running away from a problem that could be solved otherwise."

"Come sit back with us," she told Kôsuka in a conciliatory fashion. "Share with us what you think would be ways to resolve the problem we face."