RP: YSS Kaiyō Mission 32: Uchū Kaubōi

Caldera Base, Level 1
Armory

Upon entering the armory behind Myga and Hoshi with Sahty at the group's rear, Aiko strode past her captain and the NMX guard Molli was disguised as. Always keenly assessing every moment of the mission, the princess immediately saw no other Mishhu personnel inside the room she'd just entered and made some quick assumptions. But she didn't act decisively just yet.

With a smooth motion, Aiko gripped her hefty revolver out of its holster by grabbing the gun around its trigger and cylinder, and then placed it on the first armorer's bench she passed. There was no armorer present to collect the weapon, so Aiko had already decided it was safe to proceed. Not pausing for even a second, she soon began examining all of the NMX equipment that filled the area and moving from one gunrack to the next storage crate in a survey of what the team could use to get deeper into the base.

"Efficient thinking to disarm us during a shift change," Aiko said in the more proper diction her friends were accustomed to hearing from a princess of Yamatai, rifling through a uniform locker while she spoke. Popping her head back around, she held a NMX infantryneko's death mask in front of her face. "Good work. Hoshi and I can wear these to blend in from here out," she added, referring to the fatigues hung up in the cabinet behind her.

"So, which one of you is which?"

Of course, the princess had no idea if either Myga or Sahty were members of her crew or genuine NMX Neko. But she'd relinquished her gun and established herself as a rather irreverent cowboy—at least by Aiko's own standards—so figured the worst that could happen was getting punched or shot. Something caught her eye, though, and she didn't stay still to wait for an answer.

Over in the room's left corner among a heap of older Impaler rifles was a sword. Its hilt wrapped in dusty NMX mustard cloth and its sheath painted an ugly, chalky coyote brown color, Aiko recognized its shape even from the corner of her eye through which she'd first spotted it. So she'd made a beeline over to where the blade rested and quickly tossed aside the tarnished guns and other equipment that crowded its splendor to pluck it out from the pile.

Everything about the katana felt right in her hands. With its redecorated scabbard in her left palm and its haphazardly re-wrapped grip resting in her right, her left thumb forced its blade out from its sheath just enough to reveal the dark grey metal of its habaki blade collar, upon which a profusely scratched and defaced Yamataian Kikyo flower was stamped. No doubt pilfered from some Kuvexian War battlefield in the Ketsurui Military Sector by these particular NMX forces, this Type 40 guntō now belonged to Aiko.

"We should make haste," the princess said, still regarding her new prize with the dreamy appreciation only a kensei could have for a sword. "Where is your third compatriot?"

Caldera Base, Level 1
Holding Pen

At least she wasn't suffering alone, Cynea thought as Hihja was assigned to stay here with the cattle while the other half of the squad brought their guests over to be processed themselves. Cynea did a small wave as Sahty and Myga left, and sighed as they left her sight. "What was I thinking volunteering to stay. I could be breathing actual air by now," the neko groaned as she watched the cattle move. Not like there was anything else to do until they start getting rowdy.

She'll have to wait until every single one of them were in the pens, and even then she and Hihja would have to wait there until the other two ranchers returned to keep an eye on Mr. Stinks of Sex there. Though she knew things weren't going to be so simple. Was there going to be alarms blaring in a few minutes, a huge explosion, or will they just find themselves with a lot more armed nekos entering the floor without much fanfare. The situation remained that Hihja was going to be an impediment she would need to handle if it ever came down to it. A bitter pill to swallow, but one she has to. And there were more to come.

As she considered her options, a tiny shock ran down her spine, making her well-cared for tail ruffle ever so slightly as it remained clung around her waist. As if something was amiss or about to go wrong. She could feel it. But what? In an attempt to trace the feeling, her mind briefly flashed with a memory of Nari as a sense of dread washed over her.

'If they didn't get snagged on the way, they should be in the armory just about now,' Cynea thought, mentally mapping the average time it took for her to get from here to there from her various duties to that room. It was then that her eyes widened at a sudden realization only apparent to her. The reason why she felt that danger was just around the corner.

"I didn't check her prod!" she'd quietly exclaimed to herself. It was more of a half-whisper but audible enough for the other two sentients in the room. Her gaze went over to Hihja, now looking more sympathetic than when she was initially. "If Sahty got any crap on that prod, Nari's going to get ballistic again."

Caldera Base, Level 1
Holding Pen

Hihja was more than happy to let Cynea and William do most of the actual work with the cows, standing off to the side to oversee them with her rifle resting lazily at waist level. "Somethin' is off about Myga," she said aloud once the boredom of the assignment got to her. "She ain't this much of a stick in the mud -- usually." She'd known her squad leader to be aloof and unusually forgiving of mistakes compared to most elites. It was the reason the two hit it off so quickly.

Those musings ceased once Cynea's panicked whispers reached her, and Hihja looked thoroughly unsympathetic. "Y'know she yells so much to make us remember that stuff, right?" The brawny neko guffawed with a wide grin on her face shortly after, "If Nari's on another tirade, I'm gonna be there to see it!"

"Your boss probably yells at you if stuff gets too dirty, right, guy?" Hihja asked, having little cause to remember William's name, if he'd ever spoken it in the first place.

Armory

Myga led Sahty and their duo of ranchers toward the armory to deposit their weapons, but upon seeing the overseer depart with the attending staff, the neko's long ears twitched and a small shiver ran down her spine. Even with the remoteness of the base, their relatively close proximity to a planet liberated by Yamatai meant that security had become a serious concern. More specifically, the armory wasn't meant to be left unattended under any circumstances. It was the reason why Nari had become so militant about protocol and procedure. Alarms were ringing in Myga's mind, telling her that something wasn't right.

That heightened concern reached its peak when she saw Aiko's nonchalant approach to the open lockers that were in the process of being organized. Out of pure instinct, Myga's rifle leveled up at the rancher's back, and her lips almost mouthed an order, before memories of who this rancher was brought Myga back to her senses. She lowered her gun in haste, praying that nobody would acknowledge what had nearly happened. "Molli," the neko whispered, out of fear that someone would overhear her. "Something is wrong. They never leave the armory unattended. And they'll be expecting two ranchers, as well."

Privately, Myga also questioned if Aiko could keep her pride in check under disguise, given all she knew about the princess's tendency to be quick with an insult toward the NMX. For obvious reasons, she wasn't going to let that opinion slip.

Caldera Base, Level 1
Holding Pen

William snickered as Aiko tied her horse to his. At her remark about her horse, the captain replied, "Now that is just wrong, and you know it." He barked out a laugh. Nodding to Hoshi as she tied her horse off as well, he added, "Don't worry, she'll be fine." He said, taking hold of the leads. He tapped his horse's flank, and they began moving again.

Turning to Cynea, he said, "If you think she likes me, I'd suggest not reading so many romance novels." He replied with an eye roll. It was a fair statement, but it also served as a test to see if he was speaking to who he thought he was talking to. "Now, let's get these cattle to processing so I can get out of this hell hole. I don't think the horses like being underground all the much." At that statement, his stallion snorted and tossed his head back. "See, he hates it down here."

The ID-SOL pushed the cattle onward toward their final destination. As they started getting processed, he turned to Hihja as she addressed him. "Depends on what's getting dirty. The boss only cares that the job gets done." He replied with a shrug, his hand resting at his side.

Caldera Base, Level 1
Armory

Sahty didn't reply to Myga's answer. There wasn't really a need to do so as she fell in at the rear while switching off her prod. She gave it a few good shakes as they traveled towards the armory. Despite her careful efforts, Sahty had gotten her prod dirty and wanted to shake off as much as possible before hitting the armory.

Much like for Myga, a red flag went up for Sahty at the sight of Nari and her staff leaving the armory with the Overseer. As far as she knew, Nari practically never left the armory willingly. In fact, she had heard Nari supposedly had a folding cot in her back office.

Having seen Aiko making a straight line for the pile of discarded weapons through the standing racks Sahty came around one of the standing racks to see just what the princess was after, quietly answering Aiko as she did so.

"Rio. With your third." She rounded the corner just in time to catch a glimpse of Myga lowering her rifle. Without missing a beat she interposed herself between the two of them, glaring daggers at Myga the entire time. Even with half of her face still covered, the message was clear "What the hell?" Hopefully Hoshi hadn't seen the exchange.

Caldera Base, Level 1
Armory

There was little time in between when Hoshi was open fisted and when she had her own pistol drawn as the NMX Neko's rifle met a line with Aiko's back. The small captain had made herself as big as she possibly could while about to put herself between the mustard-uniformed NMX and her first officer, but Sahty had beaten the captain to that particular draw. Regardless, Hoshi sidled between the two and Aiko even as Myga's demeanor cooled. When Myga lowered her weapon Hoshi was forced to follow suit while still remaining between Aiko and the potential undercover Kaiyo crewmen.

"So which of you is which?" Hoshi reiterated Aiko's words coldly. She had been mostly quiet up until now, but that smiling, demure appearance was gone fully now, wiped away by the worrisome reality that perhaps these were not allies. Rio’s answer came almost before Hoshi’s own query, though—and not a moment too soon. Yet her steely resolve did not falter.

The Neko's triangular ears picked up on what could only be Molli's private words to her new NMX personality Myga. Her words were soft but distinct, unaffected by the Nepleslian drawl Molli usually spoke with which would have set Hoshi's heart more at ease under the strain of their current predicament.

"So that answers that,” Hoshi replied in quiet kind.

“Pass me one of those masks and a vest,” Hoshi said to Aiko as she pulled on some mustard yellow coveralls over what she was already wearing. She picked up some gear, switching out her rancher gun for the M3 pistol which she handled with an uncomfortable familiarity while she stowed her hat and necktie down the back of her new clothing.

"We’ve been allotted only so much time. Move out.” The captain spoke with a brisk need to move on not just from the armory, but the tense situation that had developed as she waited for the olive-skinned NMX. “We'll talk after. For now, you're you, yeah?“

Caldera Base, Level 1
Holding Pen

Cynea rolled her eyes at the rancher's words. "You might have to start reading them yourself to understand sarcasm." Well it seemed like he had an idea who she was now. Any cleverer reference could do more harm than good here, so she shifted her attention to Hihja and her concern with their squad leader.

"Can you blame her? An overseer just got involved. You're a lot safer facing the head armorer's wrath than with those guys." She closed in on Hihja as she spoke, then leaned in to whisper in her ear something only she was meant to hear. "The older nekos even say whoever the overseers don't like, they carve up in their private rooms somewhere down in cattle processing and cook them into steaks."

With the mask over her face, only the creasing of the corners of her eyes hinted at Cynea's grin underneath while she nodded slowly as she straightened up. "Still. Alive," she added ominously, but her demeanor quickly shifted back after a laugh under her breath. "I'm sure she'll be back to normal once these ranchers are out of here. Speaking of, can't these things move faster? I can feel my lungs turning into raisins already."

Caldera Base, Level 1
Armory

Lost in her admiration of the katana for a moment, Aiko hadn't witnessed Molli's muddled actions and only snapped out from her comfortable reverie when Hoshi asked for a new disguise. Nor had the princess noticed Rio and the captain shuffling to body block the confused infiltrator.

"Glad to see you then, Yoshida," she remarked with a pleased nod toward the girl disguised as Sahty, memorizing the NMX body's look and stance so that there would be no question in her mind as to who was who in the event of combat. Aiko glanced over to Molli next to do the same, even as Hoshi spoke face-to-face with the body swapped Nepleslian.

First tucking her new sword into her brass-buckled cowboy belt, fastening it across her tummy for the time being, the princess then moved back over to the locker where some NMX armor was stored. Not bothering to put on new pants nor worrying too hard about passing as a Mishhu thrall at anything more than a glance, Aiko slipped into a pale green NMX camo smock and hastily donned some matching flak armor. Seconds later, having not yet discarded her cowboy hat, she grabbed another set of enemy equipment that looked small enough for Hoshi's frame, placed one of the scary Mishhu Light Infantryneko helmets atop the little pile, and hurried over to hand it to the captain.

"Not to worry, Byrne-hei," Aiko said while passing off the flak jacket and mask. "Our mission will be accomplished before they notice any missing ranchers."

Caldera Base, Level 1
Holding Pen

Hihja's eyebrow quirked up, and she let a bemused smiled form at her lips, clearly seeing Cynea's whispering for the facetious rumor it was. "Uh huh. Well, guess that explains why you're not afraid of gettin' told off, bein' made of skin and bones as you are," was Hihja's reply, being keenly aware that most neko were skin and bones next to her hulking frame. "Back to normal, meanin' she's only angry six days of the week, instead of seven."

The leisurely pace their living cargo trod at didn't appear to upset Hihja as much as anyone else, "Relax. This beats giving those two a tour," she said, most likely referring to Aiko and Hoshi. "I hope those two run into our higher-ups and learn some respect."

Armory

Myga met Sahty's gaze with the same detached indifference that the recruit had grown accustomed to in their time together as NMX, her eyes giving away little about her thoughts. Unlike the past, though, Myga didn't appear as implacable as before. Beads of sweat had formed at her temples, and the corners of her mouth twitched as though she wanted to say something. But what could you possibly say to someone after pointing a rifle at their comrade? Myga wracked her brain for any trace of her past life beyond the bare essentials, but it was like scraping an empty bottle -- there was nothing to draw from, no residual emotion that could bolster a convincing response.

More frustratingly, it appeared that her warnings had fallen on deaf ears. There was no doubt that years of success against the NMX had instilled a staggering degree of confidence in these "ranchers," but Myga wasn't worried about them -- she could only think of her comrades on the other side. Where Molli once knew them as faceless adversaries, Myga realized what had truly tethered these personas together: the face of the overseer, alive and dead at the same time. In knowing her as a superior, a mission among enemies had resulted in Myga developing a degree of empathy for them that shouldn't have been possible.

A hand went to Myga's temple, where a splitting headache had begun to grow. No wonder the act was so convincing, she thought, glancing at Hoshi. Her cold animosity was real, as she was staring at Charbon's murderer. Even now, being called 'Byrne-hei' felt odd, and Myga almost looked around to see if someone else was in the room with them.

"...If you insist," Myga said, and she stood guard at the door to give the impression that her stress was at the possibility of discovery. Deep inside, fear welled within; they couldn't discover just how deep her sense of inner conflict ran, lest she be written off as a lost cause and gunned down on the spot.

Caldera Base, Level 1
Armory

“Shortly you’re going to hear a clatter, please refrain from shooting it.” A familiar voice said over Hoshi and Aiko’s telepathic link.

A panel, once flush with the ceiling, detached and struck the floor with a hollow thud, causing a faint tremor through the decking. “Don’t shoot, friendly,” came the next disembodied statement, followed almost immediately by a set of slender fingers curling over the edge of the new opening. A figure lowered herself with an almost mechanical grace, sliding into view in slow motion, backside first, legs extending as if the laws of gravity had taken a backseat for her benefit.

The woman straightened quickly, scanning the group with golden eyes behind a set of Emrys Uno Sunglasses. She was clearly a Nekovalkyrja from her pointed ears, and a 33-A model given how her height rivaled Aiko’s. Her golden stare flicked to the NMX Neko soldiers, assessing them coldly, the calculation so swift it bordered on contempt, but before she could linger, the voice in their minds sounded again.

“Kasa,” it called, drawing her attention skyward.

The Silver-haired Neko’s hands extended, and soon after, a pair of bullpup personal defense weapons dropped into her waiting grip. She casually slung one over her shoulder before catching the next item—a series of equipment harnesses, magazines, and flat bags bristling with antennas. The set of the magazines blinked with blue status lights. She was quick, efficient, disassembling the chaos of falling gear into the smooth order of a professional in the field.

Then came the second arrival.

As if choreographed, a shorter figure descended in a much less stylised manner, landing in the silver-haired Neko’s waiting arms. The newcomer, a head shorter than the silver-haired Neko, had jet-black bangs framing her dirt-streaked face. Grime pooled at the edges, the result of what looked like a hasty cleanup with a few wet wipes. She too wore a Field Operative suit, though her demeanour was more formal as she snapped to attention the moment her boots touched the ground.

“Shoi Faelan reporting,” she announced crisply, her salute almost sharp enough to cut the air.

The silver-haired Neko, meanwhile, continued with her gear, barely sparing the formalities a glance. “I’d tell you mine,” she quipped, securing the flat bag across her chest, “but I hear it’s bad luck to learn a SAINT operative’s name.” She gave a wicked grin, casting a sideways glance, before settling on the more formal introduction. “Operative Kasasagi-Kasa will do.”

With a flick, she tossed the harness with the glowing magazines towards Morgana, who caught it and began strapping in without a word.

“I've been ordered return the crew member we borrowed and to back you up once you made it inside,” Kasa continued, settling her load with casual precision. “We’re here to assist. Under your command, of course.”

Caldera Base, Level 1
Armory

"Let's move, bring us to the nearest elevator, Yoshida-hei." Hoshi ordered laconicly that worked to mask her underlying, bothered disposition.

On edge, but not without her militant disposition, Hoshi looked toward the panel and watched the slick black field suits of the SAINT agents who had planted her people in the Mishhu base weeks ago arrive. Like obsidian oozing into the room, the first arrived, then the second in a starkly stiffer descent. Having not gotten the chance to ask about the enemy forces from Rio and Molli, the captain looked relieved to see Morgana's familiar face.

"Any information you have," Hoshi requested aloud in the same flat tone. "In what numbers should we expect Advanced or Enhanced Mishhuvurthyar? Where is the combat command center and how far down are the starships?"

Whoever this SAINT operative was, she knew she had been hiding out with Morgana for the past fortnight. Morgana and Kasasagi had been the ones to infiltrate the facility initially and add the Kaiyō crewmen's mental ST data into the cloning facility to get the trio embedded those weeks ago. Now, Hoshi knew she could rely on Morgana to have information on the Mishhuvurthyar in the base. As uneasy as Charbon's machinations were making her, the Taisa's experiences told her the real enemy lay within the carapaces of the Mishhuvurthyar that made the NMX Nekovalkyrja and not her distant sisters. They needed to avoid a head to head with any of them if they were to succeed.

As she thought this, she looked at Molli. More NMX than Nepleslian, now, Hoshi yearned again to hear a slip of her rough accent or for Myga to lift her cuff and reveal the cybernetic armor which Hoshi had grown to associate with her crewmen. But such had not happened, and Hoshi resigned herself to watching closely over her as if Molli and her new body were Hoshi's charge. She sidled up next to Molli, wanting to be the last one out of the armory, and moved her along from behind. The captain looked speculatively at the back of Molli's neck as she did, trying to look between the mustardy uniform and the dark brown bun Myga wore. Keenly, she was looking to see if perhaps a parasite had infected this NMX soldier's at the nape of her neck or nearby.

Holding Pen

William knew he didn't want to take the cattle into the meat processing facility. Their last harbor would be much more consequential than mid-grade patty meat. But the Advanced Mishhuvurthyar that floated informally into the holding pen didn't see the same grand schemes. Instead he correctly saw an ID-SOL and immediately dozens of his beady eyes lit up within the dark chitin of his self. He cackled an order to the two NMX standing around him even as his tendrils latched around the cow nearest to the entrance he had come in from. He was splitting the creature open, breaking its skin then bones as he spoke, making it hard to hear his first few words over the braying screams of the cow as it was mutilated.

"̴N̵e̴w̸ ̵s̶o̷l̷d̵i̷e̸r̶s̵ ̴a̴r̶e̷ to be processed in th̶e̸ cloning facilities. Bring him there as I oversee t̶̟̹̿h̴̞̬̄̏i̶̻͋͑s̸̡͎̉.̶̦̰͝"̷͕͂̀."

His telepathic voice became garbled as he began consuming the beast's back half first, pulling large pieces it ripped off into its center maw as he looked on at the mass of living meat before him with hungry pleasure.

Caldera Base, Level 1
Armory

The air around Morgana shimmered like heat haze as her suit’s holographic emitters activated, the camouflage weaving itself over her in a near-perfect illusion. In moments, the sleek lines of her SAINT operative suit vanished, replaced by the bulky, utilitarian contours of an NMX uniform and flak vest. Even her rifle flickered and warped, adopting the crude, brutalist aesthetic of its NMX equivalent.

“Fifty Advanced types, at least,” came the dutiful voice of the science officer. “And we’ve confirmed at least one New Type. Triple C is located on level fifteen. There’s a starport on level one we planned to exfil via.”

Meanwhile, the silver-haired Neko’s suit flickered in sync with Morgana’s, morphing into an identical facsimilie of Aiko's pilfered garb. She slinked up to the princess, her golden eyes gleaming with something that might have been admiration, or amusement, or perhaps both.

“Hey, Aiko-Himesama,” she purred, her voice a low, conspiratorial whisper that somehow cut through the tension hanging in the air. “Huge fan. After this op... if I send you some unofficial merchandise, think you could sign it?”

Caldera Base, Level 1
Holding Pen

William had been about to subtly divert the herd to their actual destination, however the appearance of an Advanced Mishhuvurthyar drastically changed the ID-SOL's plan. His body went rigid at the sight, and his god's eye system activated, causing his eyes to glow gold. His horse along with Hoshi's and Aiko's horses began to neigh loudly at the sight, rearing up. With a kick and sharp tug on the reins, he got his stallion back under control. In one swift motion, he grabbed the back of Cynea's uniform and hauled her onto the back of his steed. Once she was on his horse's back, he drew one of his hidden revolvers and fired a high explosive .45 H-NAM Hybrid round directly into the gaping maw of the Advanced type Mishhuvurthyar. The purpose was two-fold: A big F*** you to the advanced type, and to scare the cattle into a stampede. One that he would direct towards the target location.

"Time for plan B!" he called to Cynea as he spurred his horse onwards, away from the mishhu. As they retreated, William continued to fire his revolver at the Advanced Mishhuvurthyar.

Caldera Base, Level 1
Holding Pen

The neko shrugged at Hihja with a giggle. "I'm more than happy to swap places as number 2's, just say the word and I'll get you lined up for next shift's inventory sorting." The appearance of a Mishu from processing snapped her back into soldier mode, straightening up and holding her rifle firmly. In her mind she was cursing up a storm, thinking they'd heard the two of them talking.

But instead they gave the order to bring the rancher in for conversion. It was a relief that she wasn't going to be staying, but it slightly complicated things. 'Okay, new plan,' Cynea thought, 'We have a stretch of hallway that we can disappear in on the way, I'll just have to knock Hihja out there, then we can make a break for it and join the others.' She nodded, both as a response to the Advance type, and to her plan. All that thinking distracted her enough to not feel sick at the needlessly brutal and messy way the cow went out.

"As you comma-- HAAA?!" The words were barely out of her mouth when she was hoisted up and slung over the back of the horse, followed by the ringing of a shot and then an explosion. Luckily her gun was still strapped to her, otherwise she'd have to be on cleaning duty.

Her hand desperately grabbed on to the first thing she could, which happened to be William's belt. She held on for dear life, trying not to spill over onto the ground and braced herself for the horse to suddenly gallop away, rear up, or whatever horses do, but her other hand was trying to reach for her sidearm. "Watch out Hihja!" she called out, her voice strained from the effort of keeping herself on the horse, hoping her warning would have the neko dive out of the way rather than take shots.

'New, new plan: Get kidnapped.'

Caldera Base, Level 1
Armory

The betrayal and conflicted loyalties had silently ate at Sahty since the elevator, every act of betrayal twisting her stomach into tighter and tighter knots. Getting in Myga's way, watching the SAINT Operatives appear from above and Hoshi giving her orders. Her actions right now would certainly kill her sisters in the base. Sahty's stomach just couldn't hold it back any more at that thought.

Even as Sahty pulled her mask down with one hand she grabbed at the closest container she could find with the other, gagging loudly. Yanking an empty ammo box from a supply rack she preceded turn away from Hoshi and the others before she violently heaved the contents of her stomach into the poor container that didn't deserve such a cruel fate. When Sahty had nothing left she gently closed the ammo box and sat it back on a rack, a particularly nasty surprise for someone later.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve as she turned to face the others, a still green looking Sahty gave a thumbs up as she spoke "S-sorry. I-I'm fine. Nearest elevator down is in...Hallway D. We're in Hallway A. It's guarded bu--" She stopped speaking as the sounds of gunfire echoed from down the hallway. "Not good. Follow me!" Sahty said in alarm before she raced for and through the armory door, headed for Hallway D's elevator.

Caldera Base, Level 1
Armory > Corridors

Though Aiko was glad to see Morgana again as much as she had been Molli and Rio moments before, there was little time for reunions or pleasantries in the middle of a mission. And so she continued to prepare, tossing her leather cowboy hat to the floor (but not before removing the bundle of flowers that adorned it and fastening them to her collar) and re-holstering the revolver she'd put down upon entry to the armory. Then retrieving a masked NMX helmet for herself, Aiko peered into its sparsely cushioned shell and then began to raise it up and slip over her head right as the SAINT operative accompanying Kaiyō's scientist approached her.

Aiko held the scowling NMX helmet in a tight grip a few inches above the iridescent luster shimmering upon her black hair under the armory's harsh tungsten light. Kasasagi's query left her at a sudden loss despite being entirely accustomed to accommodating the requests of enthusiastic citizens who wanted a token of her acknowledgment. The princess was a symbol of the Yamatai Star Empire itself—only surpassed in recognition by Yui, the Empress, and Hanako—and admired across the sector for what she'd achieved for its people from the Kuvexian War to today. So "merchandise" wasn't at all familiar to her. Right now, too, they were all Star Army soldiers stuck twenty meters below some backwater world's surface in a Mishhuvurthyar military base.

Luckily for both Aiko and Operative Kasa, the awkward moment was cut short when William's magnum pistol shots rang out through the tight hallways and chambers of this installation. The princess quickly tugged the helmet all the way over her face as her attention snapped toward the doorway. Immediately, she hustled out to follow Rio, now the squad's guide to the next phase of their mission.

"It appears William me one of those Advanced Types," Aiko mentioned as she ran, the throaty grace in her voice distorted into something more tinny and grating by the helmet's external speakers. The distinct rapport of an HHG's high explosive rounds hinted at the fact. "Something must have happened, but the distraction will make the enemy forget our absence. So long as he keeps firing, we can be sure he still stands. Let the sounds of his fight inspire us onward to our objective.

"Rio-kun," she added, calling to the soldier leading them toward Hallway D. "Should we cross paths with any of the Neko you have become acquainted with here, direct their attention to some false alarm far away from the lift or our destination. The same goes for you, Molli."

Caldera Base, Level 1
Holding Pen

Hihja grew visibly tense at the emergence of an Advanced Mishhuvurthyar, a being that could turn any one of them into a mess of viscera on every surface of the pen. She knew that well enough, having been re-sleeved into a new body after a devastating choice of words about the aftermath of Nebel's fall. The need for any hands that could hold a rifle and shoot was the only reason she was even brough back -- the trauma of such an incident was enough to ensure she'd never be anything less than an ideal soldier.

Which was why Hihja was perfectly silent amid the gory display of gluttony, concentrating solely on taking in its orders. The explosive retort of a firearm jolted her into action, making the neko drop to a knee and level her rifle toward the threat, which was the man that had just grabbed hold of her comrade. Hihja wanted to punch a hole through his torso with a well-placed shot, but having Cynea so close presented a clear risk to her squadmate. In the end, hesitation cost her a shot, and forced her to dive out of the way of the frightened stampede bearing down on her.

Rolling to a stop, she raised her rifle again and decided to put several rounds toward Will's horse, in the hope that she could stop him in his tracks. "Don't get yourself killed, Cynea! I've got you!" she shouted, hoping to reassure her undoubtedly frightened friend.

Armory

Common sense informed Myga that the slick bodysuit-clad nekovalkryja weren't enemies, but neither did she understand what SAINT meant to the Star Army. Their clandestine entrance and mysterious countenance brought to mind horror stories shared between NMX recruits of a mysterious Star Army unit that struck from the shadows and only left destruction in their wake, and Myga had to assume that these women put to proof some of those tales. There was something oddly familiar about their faces, but Myga couldn't quite place her feeling on the matter, and she simply stared in mild confusion while they spoke with Molli's captain.

Said captain had taken to sidling up beside her, though Myga was wise enough to not draw attention to the clear level of distrust she'd earned. Instead, she turned her head slightly, giving Hoshi a clear view of the back of her neck, which was only partially covered by prim and trim black hair. Thin white scars raked across it horizontally, as though nails had scratched into her.

"It's still the start of the day," Myga said, adding to Morgana's sit-rep, "Most of my sisters are preparing to head to their stations. More than that, morale is low, supplies even lower, so you won't find anyone at their best." A slight pause followed, "...Present company excluded, of course."

Whatever response she hoped for, the distant punch of gunfire signaled an unexpected and sudden escalation of the operation. A brief check of her vest was all Myga needed to do before hurrying down the hallway after Aiko. "Or it'll make any abnormalities stand out," she said in response to the princess, "It'll be difficult to direct anyone away from gunfire -- let's say we suspect a two-pronged infiltration. A direct assault to cover sabotage in the life-support areas below."

Caldera Base, Level 1
Armory > Elevator


Hoshi took in Morgana’s answers with a snappy nod before she relayed them to the ID-SOL in the holding pen. She knew whatever situation he was in had grown more dire than hers and didn’t want to mince words as she looked on in shock as Rio expelled her lunch in the nearest container.

“Starport on this level,” Hoshi sent to William’s cybernetics. “Get the cattle there and commence mission protocol. We’ll send in a bit of backup before you’re FUBAR.”

Once she was done talking, Rio had admirably continued moving and Molli had given her best sitrep. Whatever faith in the undercover Kaiyō crewmen that had been chipped at was working to restore itself, but Hoshi saw just how much of a toll it had taken on the spirit of her people to be placed where they were. The group dynamics of this mission wouldn’t be the same as on Urtullan or the now-nearby Nebel.

“Kasa, assist our people in the holding pen. Moving their cargo to the starport is mission critical,” Hoshi directed, nodding to the SAINT operative. She looked to the backs of the heads of everyone else, relieved she didn’t see a parasite, at least, on Molli’s neck. The scratches and pain she had endured in the last two weeks was troubling, but all the more reason to keep looking out for her now that she was able to do so for her enlistee again.

“I’ll hold up the rear,” Hoshi said, but her voice hushed as they got into the elevator. Some NMX were filing out, storming the hallway as they entered it. Their intentions were clearly laid out and they didn’t hesitate when they saw the disguised Kaiyō grouping take up the lift they had just been in.

“We’ll go directly to the CCC,” Hoshi said, directing someone to put in the level Morgana had offered. The entire lift zipped down before suddenly coming to a stop just a few levels down. Another batch of NMX joined them, punching in level 1 as expediantly as they could. 



“Why are you going down?” one of them growled, dissatisfied that they themselves were not making it to the fight happening in that moment on the upper level.

Holding Pen

The Mishhuvurhyr had certainly been caught unaware and in the midst of engorging its zealous appetite, the thing had allowed for William to shoot it where the Nepleslian had learned from experience that a Mishhu hurt most. Its flayed tentacles whipped around posthumously, covering the floor above where it had floated. They moved about in in a swirling mass, painting the floor with strokes of blood from it and its last meal in a gory, unintended art piece.

The NMX Nekovalkyrja that had arrived took in the scene with shock and horror. None of them had ever seen a dead Mishhu. Their rallying screams after the initial shock were followed by shots taken at the Nepleslian. Some of them were good enough shots and his hat came flying off his head just before a bullet landed in his bicep. Hihja's shots intended for his horse were well-placed, but the shire steed continued on as if unperturbed, whether they had hit or not.

Caldera Base, Level 1
Armory

“Aye, ma’am.” Kasa’s tone snapped to a crisp edge, the previous playful inflection vanishing as if someone had flipped a switch inside her mind. However, her voice remained light as she turned toward Morgana, “Hey, Pixie,” she said with a glimmer of her earlier irreverence peeking through, “mind sparing one of those cold mags?”

Morgana barely reacted, her deference to the operative on the field ingrained after 2 weeks of huddling in the service areas and ducts of the base, following Kasa’s every direction to avoid getting caught. She unhooked one of the cold magazines from her rig, the ones with the blue status lights and passed the magazine into Kasa’s waiting hand, accepting one of her standard rounds in return. Kasa’s fingers wrapped around the cold mag before she quickly loaded it on to her carrier.

Once the exchange was complete Kasa was off. She turned on her Inertial Control System and floated up to the ceiling of the elevator with a gentle kick off the floor. She then deftly pulled open a maintenance hatch before disappearing into the black of the elevator shaft, on her way to assist the ID-SOL.

Meanwhile, Morgana maintained formation, her grip tightening around her weapon until her knuckles turned bone white against the slick black material of her gloves.

Caldera Base, Level 1
Holding Pen

"HOLD YOUR FIRE! HOLD YOUR DAMN FIRE! HE HAS OUR SISTER!" Hihja screamed as loud as she could, her voice booming over the hail of gunfire that echoed in the holding pin. As far as she was concerned, the death of a mishhu was less important than the risk to her younger squadmate. "AIM FOR THE HORSE! SHOOT THE HORSE!" Hihja continued to place her shots at Will's steed, fire in her eyes as she became even more determined to bring it down.

Armory>Elevator

Myga had ensured she walked near the front of the group on their way to the elevator, which turned out to be the right call as a small group of NMX nekos flooded out of it, no doubt to respond to the fighting happening in the holding pens. She stood straight and stared at the inquisitive soldier with a stern gaze, even after Kasa barreled past her. "Negative on that order. The ranchers are Star Army infiltrators, and they plan to flood the base by targeting key locations in the foundation perimeter at the lowest level," Myga glowered at the woman, her lips pursed to sell the grim story she'd invented on the spot, "They've left an ID-SOL to wreak havoc as a distraction, you need to report to level 12, water filtration, and search it from top to bottom. We're on our way to level 15. Am I clear?"