RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 4 Epilogue]

"...Taisho Yui has been informed of your safe return, and is taking my recommendations regarding the lax security policies at Pisces under my consideration...however, the Mistress Taisho stated that she thought we waited too long to close down Kyoto Spaceport and Pisces.

I'd like to apologize for letting you get as far as Nepleslia, and...I'm glad you made it back safely. You seem to have gotten a new ship out of it too. Hopefully the Blacks will think twice before trying that again, Taisa."

Yaichiro seemed honestly apologetic, feeling he performed inadequately due to the Taisho's comment. If they'd been just a few minutes later...

"I'd also like to report that the ship I purchased under an assumed name for this mission, the upgraded Geshrinari Light Freighter SS Thunderbolt, seems to have escaped suspiscion. It can be reused upon recovery from Nepleslia for future operations if deemed necessary. It contains several hidden compartments, which have been proven useful for smuggling Power Armor onto the planet."

ON: Pisces Station

Yaichiro seemed to have something else he wished to discuss in addition to his previous comments, but he glanced to the screens with the other Commanders for a brief moment, hesitating to bring it up.

"We shall return to the Eucharis," Hanako told everyone, after making her goodbyes to the other Second Squadron captains. She made her way towards the door, giving Yaichiro's hand a squeeze. "Come along."

Yaichiro obediantly followed, noting that Hanako had gotten a bit less submissive in her command style since he'd last seen her. He waited to speak until they were wherever she wished to be.

Once back on the ship, Hanako led Yaichiro into the shuttlebay and into the Golden Apple to talk in private.

"I'm going to be very honest, Taisa...you see, I was present when Emperor Uesu was challenged by Taisho Motoyoshi...when he confessed to the crime without any outward remorse, I felt the same as all of the others in the UOC...as if there was no way I could ever serve such a man again. I almost defected along with everyone else.

However, you said something very important back then, Taisa. You said the best way to initiate change was from within, and I realized that abandoning Yamatai wasn't the answer for me. So I came back. While Uesu may not have been the cause of the plague, he lied for 22 years, and for that I distrust him, but I feel that if I and all the people who have a problem with it leave, Yamatai will revert to him and the old ways. So I want to do what I can to stabilize things here. Prevent someone from undermining Himiko-sama's position...I can't do that as an officer though."

"The fact you can be plucked from Yamatai and be passed through Pisces like that shows that our enemies sense political weakness. I want to do something to improve Yamatai in those respects, but I'm at a loss for how...how does one get into politics with the senate gone?"


The Taisa frowned, incensed by Yaichiro's comments. She'd been very close with Uesu...even living with him. "What crime has Uesu committed? If you are talking about the plague, you are accusing him wrongfully." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Currently, any citizen can make proposals and vote."

"I refrain from blaming him for the plague, but I am upset with him for hiding the truth of that massive loss of life for all these years, Taisa. That alone is a crime...I'm sorry, I know he is your grandfather...but the only time I've ever seen him is at his very worst...as for those suggestions, who listens to those now that the senate is gone? Do they go to some other branch of government?"

"It is a democracy," Hanako reiterated.

"I can try it that way...thank you Taisa. I'm grateful. I'm sorry if my feelings toward your grandfather are upsetting...I can only feel what I can feel. As for stopping a reversion to the old way, I guess I'll have to find that out myself."

Hanako nodded. "I have to grab Nana and do an interview. Perhaps we can talk more about this later."

"I understand. Thank you Taisa, and welcome back." Yaichiro bowed, and left to go to Engineering, his mind a bit clearer.

Valen felt a little abandoned, but it didn't bug him as much anymore. This new little doctor that the Eucharis was getting inspired him a bit. He made a mental note to create a character based off of her and add it to his next upcoming short story. The Yamataian walked quietly towards the docking section that held the Eucharis, not recognizing anyone nearby just yet. "I wonder if anyone has even gotten off yet.." he pondered while on his way.

After a quick change of clothes (that is, from uniform into cleaner uniform.), Nana exited her quarters and trotted out into the hallway, smoothing her hair out and glancing about with a much more bright-eyed gaze than she had been sporting in the past few weeks. She recalled Hanako asking if she would accompany her to go interview a new crewman, but it seemed the Taisa was nowhere to be found. With a shrug of her shoulders, and a quick fluffing of her ears, the pink-haired technician strutted down the corridor on a long journey to nowhere. Hanako would turn up when she chose to, after all.

Hanako picked up Nana, then Kumiko, and brought them to a smaller table on the lower level of the wardroom for Kumiko's interview.

After sliding into the booth seat, Hanako produced her communicator and looked over a small list of questions, as well as Kumiko's file. Her first impression of the soldier wasn't great, since the file wasn't up to date or even in the standard format. There was also the fact that despite having been around for a while, the soldier hadn't been promoted even once.

"Santô Hei Kumiko Endoh," Hanako began, "I am Taisa Hanako, and this is Jôtô Hei Nana. Let us begin by having you tell a little about yourself and your work history so far."

Yaichiro sent a low priority message to Hanako and Misaki:

When I was posing as a civilian salvage collector, I salvaged several items before landing on the planet to avoid suspicion. I request permission to bring these items aboard to be distributed to the crew or to the Army as you two wish.

A possibility is some sort of contest, given that one of the items is a reasonably large amount of money.

Click to expand...

'Well sir, I'm a 20 year old, and I've been in the Star Army for about a year now. I went through basic training, then transferred to Fort Ready to complete my training. Following that, I was deployed on Security detail for the International Relations conference, and went straight from there to the YSS Moirai, a Search and Rescue Ship in the 3rd XF. We went through a mission, during which we rescued a Nekovalkyrja who had been trapped on her ship when it was incapacitated during the battle. Upon discovering that the large portion of the members of the crew were planning to transfer their services to the nation of the UOC, or go independent, I requested a transfer off the ship, and it seemed to me that this was one of the places I could do the most good." She stopped and thought for a second. "About myself, well, I'm a very logical person, and I enjoy, erm..., 'tinkering' with all sorts of things. It's how I became a good technician and engineer. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time taking stuff apart, and putting it back together, and over time I've just developed a good sense for mechanical stuff. That's pretty much me in a nutshell."

"I am glad you did not choose to run off to the UOC," Hanako nodded. "What made you choose the Eucharis?"

Nana sat quietly, observing Kumiko while occasionally glancing in Hanako's direction. She toyed absently with a stray lock of hair as she listened, a very faint smile on her face. The girl reminded her of someone, but who? Who? Oh, right. Herself -- minus the alienation from her peers and the paranoia, of course. Shifting slightly in her seat, Nana took in a deep breath, resting her hands in her lap.

"Honestly? It seemed like the crew would probably be the most similar, and that you would be people I could get along with. I loved the people on the Moirai, but I couldn't agree with what they decided, and I feel that we have a lot more in common in terms of politics and morality. I think the UOC has the wrong idea, with the right heart."

Hanako nodded. "Alright, I have just three more questions."

Her questions were:

• What part of your job do you do best in?
• What is the most awkward or stressful situation you've been in?
• If you could change anything about the Star Army, what it be?

Dropping off and putting away her new purchases, Hotaru decided she could do with something to eat and meet some of the crew.

After she freshened herself up, Hotaru grabbed her PDA and made her way towards the Wardroom.

Nana found her thoughts drifting off as Hanako interviewed Kumiko, but she tried her best not to seem rude. Bringing one leg to cross over the other, she toyed absently with the hem of her skirt while watching the new crew member, her smile fading a bit as a very faint rumble made itself heard in her stomach.

"We should hurry to the station if we want to get anything." Misaki turned to Kim after she decided to talk to Yaichiro about the chain of command another time. "We should take advantage of it quick before we don't see another port for some months, anything on the list?"

The first question, Kumiko answered without a pause. "Well, I'm best at anticipating problems. I'm fine with fixing things after the fact, but I love spotting a problem before it's really a problem. The most awkward position, was probably during our salvage mission with the Moirai, because we weren't exactly sure how to deal with the instability the neko was showing." She paused momentarily. "And this may seem weird, but the biggest thing I'd change about the SA would be to slightly demilitarize, since the biggest threat is now gone. I think we have the potential to become not only an even better research section, both for civilian and military purposes, but many parts of the military could be put to good use in severing the empire in other roles." She chewed her lip slightly, as she was unsure of how that would come off.

"Mmm. I will let you know my decision soon," Hanako said, rising from the table. She needed to speak with her First Officer on the matter. As she rose, she tapped Nana on the shoulder, beckoning her to follow.

Once out in the main passageway, Hanako asked Nana for her opinion. "Do you think she would do well here? I am not sure if she is...fast enough for our ship. There is also the matter of us having so many good technicians already. Are her skills needed among us?" The Taisa slowly floated towards the bridge as she spoke, followed by a holographic display of the ship's status.

Smiling politely to Kumiko, Nana soon rose and followed Hanako out into the corridor, sliding her arms behind her back. She blinked a bit in surprise at the inquiry, dragging one hand slowly up to rub at the back of her head.

"Well.. what exactly do you mean by 'fast'? She seems sincere enough, though I couldn't say a word about how her work would turn out unless I was to witness her in action." Nana paused, considering the situation.

"I wasn't aware that we had very many technicians working aboard the ship, to be completely honest, but, then, I haven't been a member of this crew for very long. I suppose it all boils down to whether we need any extra hands." With a shrug of her shoulders, Nana exhaled a sharp breath, cocking her head with a characteristic flick of her left ear before asking, "...Are there any issues with keeping up with the present workload? I have yet to notice any."

Yaichiro continued to learn more details about the Eucharis' systems from hands-on work.

He was performing maintenance after the mission, going over the data on the systems, and calibrating the systems from said data.

He then tried to access the Asamoya's plans, since Blueberry had mentioned adding them to the Eucharis at some point possibly. It would be the first time he'd been able to try, in spite of his and Yuriko's plans at Jiyuu.

(Continued in MISSION 5 PROLOGUE)