RP: YSS Miharu Mission 4: The Fame and the Fury

Tsuya had been sitting in her room alone for far too long. All her things had been safely packed away, and she'd gotten acclimated to her new quarters - such as they were - and even found the time to bring some of her new crewmates confections. Her time, however short, onboard Miharu had been enjoyable, and she was excited about serving the Empire for the first time, but she wasn't willing to just sit around until something happened. There had to be something for her to do.

The young neko decided it would be good for her to at least take a look at the armor she would be piloting once the ship got into combat. She slid out of her chair, pushing it in underneath the desk, and gave the room a cursory lookover to make sure everything was in order before she exited and began to stride down the main hallway towards the main deck.

Rin held onto her side of the capacitor that she and as the lift had ascended toward the fabrication bay. She just waited for the lift to open so that they could hurry-up and get this capacitor dropped off before getting the other one. The sooner they got this done, the more likely they wouldn't be yelled at for being slow by someone, which is always a good thing.

Nyton said:

"We need to contact Nepleslia and freeze her finances. That may give us the time to reach her location with a force sizeable enough to stop her." he concluded.

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"Freezing her financials will work well, and I also advocate for multiple ships to assist us ... but from where?" Yukari shook her head. "Unless the Imperium were to loan us some of its military, we will not be able safely to gather help."

From her chair, Yukari changed the display from a galaxy map to one of an image of a dark-blue-haired Nekovalkyrja with white-furred ears. She appeared young in a Star Army uniform, but seasoned, with an edge to her eyes, which were the same color as her hair. Her lips were neutral, not turned down into a serious frown or up in a light smile.

"Part of the information the Daughters gathered on us included reference to an assassin named 'Kikyo,' who Miyoko eluded to earlier. The report offered two specific details about her: She is or was SAINT, and she has killed two Ketsurui before." Yukari made the image of the Neko rotate. "The last detail could lead to some speculation, but if it is true, our would-be killer is not a weak opponent. No Neko in SAINT of a high enough rank to muster significant resources has a name of Kikyo. However, there is one who is, according to current records, no longer considered an active agent: Ketsurui Kikyo, daughter of Ketsurui Ayame-sama."

The image froze as it was pointed at Kotori. "Information about the royal clan is never clear, but it is known Kikyo committed a revenge killing against a semi-rival clan, the Ashigari, because one of its members stood accused of raping and murdering her sister, Kohana-hime. However, there were also accounts at the time that Ayame-sama was intimate with this Ashigari clansman, Kenji, and that he would never harm Kohana-hime. If Kikyo somehow constructed events that would give her an excuse to eliminate a rival clansman, it suggests she is not above assassination. It would also explain how she killed 'two Ketsurui'; she might have killed her sister to frame Kenji."

Yukari brought up the image of Amaya, her Nordic features chiseled from ice compared to Kikyo's Asiatic softness. "We do not know if Amaya, who views her quest as vengeance for the Ashigari, is aware of Kikyo and her murder of an Ashigari. It is hard to know if Amaya would be willing to work with a Ketsurui who murdered a clansman, but the profile written by Eve suggests she might tolerate Kikyo's involvement as a necessity to paint the big picture. We also do not know where Kikyo is; she disappeared in YE 28 after Ayame-sama's suicide.

"With those points in mind, it is highly likely Kikyo is our assassin, and that she is capable of striking us anywhere within YSE space. That includes through vessels we request for help. Mutual aid from the Nepleslians is, I believe, our only probable source of vessels."

Nyton listened coolly to the information regarding Kikyo and found himself unexpectedly pleased. Honestly he could have lived his entire life without this but there was an extra hint of delight at this development.

"I must concur with the Shosa's speculation regarding the intel uncovered. This information corresponds with the research I have made regarding the deaths of certain members of the Ketsurui family. The only assassin with such credentials would be Kikyo which unfortunately means she has intimate knowledge of SAINT's inner workings. She would have to be especially resourceful to have survived within SAINT if she is indeed responsible the murders of Kohana-hime and Ayame-sama." Nyton chimed in, not particularly dismayed. Rather, he welcomed this as an opportunity. The woman had struck a particularly nasty blow towards Nepleslian reputation by inditing Kenji Ashigari as a murderous rapist. While he was not on any crusade of vengeance it would satisfy him to line Kikyo up with the cross hairs of his own pistol. In the line of duty of course.

"I do not know how much support the Imperium could contribute if the new Mishhu offensive has begun to encroach on their territory. Perhaps a small force if any at all." Nyton continued, shifting topics somewhat. His eyes narrowed a bit as he tried to imagine other options. "Should the Imperium be unable to assist then perhaps we could purchase some form of mercenary support. Nepleslia still has various factions allowed to operate within certain parameters who are focused on monetary gain." The Nepleslian suggested.

"The assets in the Daughters' bank accounts could be translated into influence with the Nepleslian military," Yukari added. "At least one-hundred million KS has been shifted through shell companies used by SAINT, ones Amaya has access to. It is not an enormous sum to the Imperium, but it will assist them. One of the payments came immediately after the death of Ayame-sama, suggesting Kikyo might also have connections to the money."

"As compensation, yes. But remember the regular Nepleslian military operates more as a standing army. If there is some sort of emergency forcing them to focus immediately elsewhere they may not be able to help us." Nyton cautioned before thinking a little.

"There could be some data in the accounts that could give us insight to Kikyo's methods. A routing or connection which may give us a lead." he then speculated, his mind multi-tasking at the different opportunities at hand.

A voice stopped thier current train of conversation: "Wait, hold on."

"Excuse me if I sound a little struck dumb - because that would be the truth," Kotori, bewildered, straightened in her seat and asked: "Have we established here that the former director of SAINT, Ketsurui Kyoshi Kikyo, not only killed her sister but also killed her own mother? That Empress Ayame's death was not suicide, but an assassination made to look like one?"

Tom sat rigidly in his seat. He turned pale with a combination of disgust, confusion and shock.

Too much information, too huge odds. Ralt was beginning to seem like an impossible dream now. He stole a glance at the ceiling with a soft sigh.

"We are a bit... outclassed by the weight of this information, even if Miharu was at 100% functionality..."

Nyton turned his head to face Kotori directly, realizing that he had overstepped what could be considered fact and into speculation. "I apologize for earlier but this is only a theory at the moment. The data uncovered by the Shosa only gives slightly more merit to the possibility that Kikyo may have indeed murdered her own kin. This still does not give us any hard evidence so there is no way we could use this in any sort of trial. It does however give us reason to at least investigate her as a likely suspect." he replied, his eyes hiding the sheer volumes of guilt he had already assigned to Kikyo.

"However whether she indeed was responsible as Amaya mentions, it is not as important as to the notion that she may indeed be coming after us. Whether this is the same Kikyo or not, the Shosa has removed much doubt whether she is one and the same." Nyton concluded.

Yukari nodded. "The Heisho's summary is clear: We do not have time to extract justice from an intraclan and interclan bloodfeud. YE 32 is upon us; Eve could use the gate within days. The people of the Empire must be our priority." Her eyes did not go to Tom, but her thoughts were on him, his family and the billions of other innocents caught up in Eve's plan.

"Point taken." Kotori briefly looked down at the dark, reflective surface of her workdesk, frowning in thought, before glancing back up to address Yukari and Miyoko.

"I'm sure we could speculate and plan further, but I want all the pieces first. There was a mention of something that addressed me personally: I want to know what that is about."

"Ah, well..." Miyoko hesitated slightly at Kotori's question. She didn't relish the task of having to go into detail there... but with Yukari's shared history with Kotori, it just seemed worse to make her relay it. "There was a series of informal records dating back several years, presumably also by Ashigari. While some of the entries concerned events that I'm not familiar with, what I did understand painted a rather unpleasant picture. The Daughters of Eve had planned to create several Signalers among people likely to encounter Melisson, particularly on the YSS Sakura. This was essentially a roundabout attempt to assassinate Melisson."

The scientist took care to keep her tone as neutral as possible as she proceeded. With no idea how Kotori would take the news, professional detachment seemed like a good path. "In order to do this, they threatened Karl Sylvester's family in order to gain his cooperation. Three candidates were identified... yourself, Kôsuka-dono, and Taisa Ketsurui Hanako. The attack that resulted in you being transferred was supposed to kill all three of you and end in you all being recovered from backups as Signalers. Due to you all surviving and other extenuating circumstances, you are the only one who was successfully transferred."

Miyoko paused a moment to let that sink in. "... on the upside, the report ends with a note that the same body that makes you a threat to Melisson makes you a threat to Eve." For the time being, Miyoko left off that that was the reason the assassin had been deployed. There was a limit to how much unpleasant news she could throw at somebody at once.

Kotori looked in Miyoko's eyes long and hard before her face split in a grin. The nekovalkyrja reclined back heavily in her cushioned hair, absently running one hand back in her black hair, fetching some hairlocks with her fingers and flipping them over her shoulder.

"Funny how things have worked out," Kotori said aloud. "If Rufus Sydney had never boarded the Mikomi, I would have remained on her and been part of the Bowhordia fiasco. I'd perhaps be an Heisho by now, transferred to a Yamataian body, and seeing that I was cute, adorable and innocent back then maybe I'd be in Ralt building snowmen with Tom."

"I never would have served on the Sakura when Hanako was abducted, so, they never would have gotten notice of me," Kotori continued. Her eyes glanced down at the hair she was idly fingering. "The foster family my mother and I have enjoyed the company of for a time would have had gone unmolested. My mother would be a happier Ketsurui Samurai. Hanako would have been a Signaler and she and Melisson would have had - maybe - mutually destroyed each other roughly four years ago. The only person that would have had been remotely been capable of tracking down Eve's operations would've been Miles Gunn, but he'd have been taken out of the picture by then."

Her tone became grim: "...and Eve would be able to work on her plans mostly unopposed, and when she would go in that gate to obtain the Second Draconian Fleet, no one would be the wiser. Her warships would cast shadows over the snowmen."

Kotori looked back up, her amber eyes narrow with purpose. Wether or not she was dismayed by the previous revelation that she had been the artifice of the enemy did not show; rather, she showed the determination that it had perhaps been - for all the misery it caused - worth it. "It sounds like Ashigari was much better informed on what kind of Mishhuvurthyar Melisson is. Was there any information on her, and the sort of menace she poses as a psion?"

Miyoko had to restrain herself from staring in surprise at Kotori's response to the news. It wasn't exactly how she'd been expecting it to go down. As such, it took her a few seconds to compose herself before replying. "There was information on Melisson, yes. Much of it was merely confirming the information that we've known about for years: That she is a powerful psychic and likely the initial person responsible for the Mishhuvurthyar revolt."

"The interesting part was the details on her physiology... that the Melisson we are familiar with is, essentially, an appendage of her true form. While we've known that the Dark Ones can dissociate into bugs..." Miyoko said the word 'bugs' as if under protest, disliking its lack of precision, "it would seem that they can also divide themselves into distinct, separate bodies, united through psychic links. As such, killing her humanoid body is little more than an inconvenience to her. Her 'main' body, which the report refers to as the broodmother, appears to be rather well-hidden, possibly also serving as the substitute for a computer on a ship."

"Beyond that, there's a psychological analysis of her and a more thorough description of her psychic abilities. Her ability to use psionics on large masses of people would seem to be partly temporary and prone to fading if she doesn't keep one of her bodies around the victims long enough to cement her changes. Perhaps more disturbingly, the report theorizes that she can insinuate herself into people's minds to let her spy on them at a later time. This includes the ability to teleport enough 'bugs' to that person's location to make herself a new body."

Tsuya could hear rustling in the armor bay's storage area as the sprite came down the steps. Miharu Rei, clad in a red Type 30 Engineering jumpsuit, was brushing some of her sky-bluish hair behind her ears as she looked at a long plastic container and several ammunition-box-like boxes next to it. She did not hear Tsuya come down the ramp.

Kotori listened to Miyoko's report, nodded and then looked over to Yukari. "Anything you'd care to add, Shosa?"

Tom didnt' know what to make of Kotori's reaction to the news at first. He could feel his cheeks blush at the mention of building snowmen in Ralt with the imaginary-Heisho, but instead of an embarrassed reddening of the face, it was a calculated effort by his body to vent out his indignation.

Tom had thought the Taisa to be playing a joke, a cruel jab at the engineer and his love for his home. A kind of 'see how happy things could have been if I hadn't screwed things up?' kind of remark.

And it angered him, but he kept his mouth closed.

But the Taisa further explained herself, revealing how cruel history could have truely been, and he calmed down considerably. It was a grim acknowledgment that left the engineer feeling hollow inside, despite its efforts to make him feel a purpose.

Tsuya's stride had been confident as she entered the armor bay, but the rustling gave her pause. Is there already someone here? She walked slowly towards the woman in front of the various containers, biting her bottom lip in nervousness.

"...excuse me? Miss? Are you... am I interrupting?" She sent a query to MEGAMI, and was rewarded by a projection of the woman's name over her head - Miharu Rei. Oh... a sprite! How wonderful!

Nyton did not wish to be rude there were pressing matters already at hand. While he waited for Yukari to address Kotori's request for further input he decided to immediately set a couple precautions in place. Bringing up a volumetric screen he began to type in some added security protocols to the Miharu.

As Nyton typed away he sent a copy of the measures to Masako for her to review since she would be involved with the security detail.


As the messaged orders were sent Nyton glanced over at Masako. She would be receiving a small message window showing the orders he typed along with a small extra note asking her for any further suggestions.

Yukari had to pause to think.

"The NH-23." She hung her head. "The NH-23 does not fit. She is a variable, but for what purpose? If your Signaler power is Eve's greatest threat, why do we need the NH-23?" She leaned in a little, and put her hands on her knees. "We know enough through these data files to comprise a strategy with necessary tactics. We know we must not let our enemies take advantage of the psionic amplifiers, as our PSC will not stand up to their power." She lifted her head back up, and looked at Kotori. "What is Sylvester-san trying to do? If she was to be a backup to ensure you live on, why does she have a soul? If she is a secret weapon, who is she meant to fight? ... "

Her last question went unspoken. If the NH-23 was meant to replace Yui-sama, how is that supposed to happen?

* * *

Rei stopped looking, then turned around and saw Tsuya. Her eyes were an otherworldly, bright neon green, and shaped like almonds. Her smile was small and tight, but she wasn't annoyed. "Good afternoon, Hei-san. May I help you?"