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

Yukari said:

"Juni. I apologize for intruding, but have you scheduled a brief simulation with the new recruits? They perhaps would benefit from experiencing the variety of opponents they will face as a part of our crew. I am free to assist you, if you require it."

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Masako paused for a moment as she worked on responding to the Executive Officer. "Ah, I had a few simulations in mind," she responded to the signal. "I was thinking of allowing them to acclimate to their new surroundings in order to work on something definite, but I believe I'll move on to it sooner. They appear bored after all," the Warrant Officer sent before looking at the newcomers with a sweet smile.

"Your assistance would be appreciative if you can spare the time, we may even be able to get Claymere-Taii involved if he is available. Pausing after the telepathic messaging, Masako cleared her throat. "Actually, I have a better idea," she finally said to the trio.

"How about we head over to the Recreation Rooms for a little simulated training? Well, more like a hands-on briefing of what you should expect if we were to engage in combat."

"Nimura."

Tom said with his own no-nonsense reply, although the engineer did not pull his attention away from the complex circuit board and wirings that greeted him after the removal of the plate.

"When I reviewed the battle footage, I came to the conclusion that you have combat abilities far above and beyond others of your station and also rival Hasegawa-Juni. The moves you pulled off I am not sure anyone else but he could have done."

He reached his hands into the capacitor to loosen the board for easier examination.

"And what little I heard from Miharu about your sparring session leads me to believe you also possess impressive hand-to-hand skills."

With a light pop, the board came out from its casing. A mess of wired was tangled behind it and the Engineer gently laid it on a special padding he put on the ground.

"You have a gift, Nimura."

"I will be there shortly, Juni. Thank you."

Yukari looked down at the rifle at her feet. Later, I will transport you where you belong, where I can properly can clean you.

It took a few quick moments to break the rifle down and put it back in the Armory. Soon she was on her way to the Observation Deck, but not before a she left a visual message for Tom.

Juni, please let me know when you believe the Miharu is ready to depart. I will be helping Kurohoshi-Juni with a simulation.

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She thought a second or two, then added a small bit.

Get dirty for me, Yeti. I will clean you.

- Yuka

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Doshii Jun said:

Yukari shook her head. Her mood was sour, but it would not be taken out on a crewmember who had nothing to do with it. More important matters would press her very soon, she was sure.

"A dock you will not have, but time is perhaps something we will have some of." She slipped her datapad from her lap pocket, checked something, then nodded. "Return to your duties, Rin-Hei, and do your best. I suggest finding Freeman-Juni and speaking with him."

A small bow, and Rin was off, leaving Yukari alone in the port multifunction bay of Miharu.

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Once out of the bay, Rin let out a sigh of relief. She made it out with all her limbs and other body parts still attached and quite uninjured. What a lucky day!

Following Yukari's instructions, the sprite headed towards engineering. She did a quick update mentally with the AI, making sure nothing had blown up or something while she was out. Another bit of luck to find nothing had!

Finally back in engineering, Rin started to change into her AMES suit.

Before Nimura could reply, Yukari's two volumetric windows to Tom's attention manifested themselves.

The sprite seemed to give up on replying and got back to focusing on her work. Unfortunately it didn't look like Tom's comment had garnered much of her interest either.

Luckily, someone came up to shatter the awkward silence.

"Juni!" one sprite, Junko, called from the door that lead to the central chamber of the subdeck. "The Shosa requested I take a team up to salvage the Bowhordia databanks. We'll be up by the MEGAMI if you need us!"

"Acknowledged on both fronts." Tom replied to the message from Yukari.

After the window closed, he sighed irritably. It was the worst timing in the world for more than one reason. This was very delicate work for one-lust would only serve to distract him from that- and now there was no time to discuss matters further with Nimura.

Finally back in engineering, Rin started to change into her AMES suit.

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Tom acknowledged the sprite's arrival with a raised hand from his kneeling position by the circuit board.

"Rin, over here."

"Juni!" one sprite, Junko, called from the door that lead to the central chamber of the subdeck. "The Shosa requested I take a team up to salvage the Bowhordia databanks. We'll be up by the MEGAMI if you need us!"

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That was an unfamiliar voice. Tom quickly updated the crew roster in his brain.

"Thanks. I'll need you and practically any free hands after you've extracted that data from the mission. Is Takuma-hei with you? His expertise should prove handy with your job."

"Alright you two, that's enough!" Nyton scolded, as though he were forced to pull apart two unruly children.

At a loss for words, Nyton let out a breath before narrowing his eyes slightly at the two avatar sprites. I knew it was her, he thought as he remembered back to all the rubber ducks in his room. Then there was the mention of illustrated man-love material in Hinoto's possession. The thought of him being depicted in such things made him want to visibly grimace. Keeping a stoic expression (just barely) he first addressed Mara, to give him time to settle himself, and focused his eyes on her.

"So long as pranks do not hinder the mission, create disorder, or damage morale then I see nothing wrong with them. A certain level of respect for people, especially those who do not appreciate pranks at all, should be given. Especially for those in the officer's ranks. I would think you two both realize the Taisa is a serious person who would not take too kindly at finding her room sabotaged. Just keep the pranking light, Mara. At least along the lines of ensuring most of the ducks are just holograms." Nyton explained before turning to Hinoto now, his eyes a little more intense.

"I am not concerned about what type of illustrated reading material you happen to enjoy. Granted most Nepleslians are heterosexual, the homosexual industry is still present. Just don't go enthusiastically sharing it with anyone unless you know they appreciate that sort of entertainment venue," Nyton said, pausing to place one hand behind his back.

"However I will have to confiscate and dispose of any material you may have depicting members of this crew in these scenarios. If you do have any it could be damaging to morale since those individuals may feel somewhat offended and insulted to see such things. It could make people feel very uncomfortable especially since not only are these fictional scenarios depicting sexual intercourse but themselves in homosexual acts. Not everyone may handle it well. Should you refuse or hide any I will go so far as to tear through your room and dispose of ALL your reading material in this category. While this may sound rather harsh I will endeavor to elucidate further the gravity of the situation." he said.

To further engender the awkward scenario, Nyton stepped very closely to Hinoto and brought his face even closer to hers, in blatant violation of personal space. His eyes began to bore into her own as they focused sharply, his face solid like stone. He would maintain this distance regardless of any actions she took until he was done speaking. "Imagine how you would feel if you were to find some illustrated pornographic material wherein you are depicted in some illogical situation such as being tied down to my bed, unable to break free and whereupon I enter the scene and then proceed to tear off your clothes, exposing your body. In this unlikely scenario you then spread your legs and beg me to take you (feel free to add your talent for voice mimicry Mara). In this silly fiction you find yourself swept away in some erotic thrill at being tied down while having sex and welcome my entrance inside you, encouraging it further by wrapping your legs around my waist. The scenario's author determines that my false representation then begins thrusting harder and deeper which you continue to enjoy, pushing you farther and farther into bliss, building you up into the conclusion you cannot escape or avoid any longer. The story continues to depict our bodies intertwined until both you and I reach a climax of epic sexual proportions. Twisted together while locked in an embrace of passionate release, we hold this until we are both spent and fall apart in exhaustion before the story comes to a close."

At that Nyton then withdrew and took a step away from Hinoto, his arms crossed in front of him. "Perhaps you can see why your crewmates may find that to be awkwardly disturbing. I would rather not risk it damaging the professional outlook people have of themselves and others. I will be expecting a full disclosure of this later whether or not there is such material."

As though caught in mid-thought Nyton immediately shifted gears and turned to Ichigo. "Ichigo you said Nimura wanted to spar live opponents since the simulator was not to her liking. Maybe it was not the difficulty level not being challenging enough. Maybe it was because she was actually attempting to interact with more people and this was one of the only ways she knew how. She told me how you said that actions speak louder than words so perhaps she was being respectful to her opponents despite the serious disproportion in skill by still fighting at full strength." he theorized, spouting off his words rapidly to her.

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Shizuka and Akiko busied themselves in setting a table in the dining area which would fit all the assorted cakes. Given the sheer number of treats they had to push a couple of the smaller tables out of the way while extracting one of the larger ones from the scullery's storage. Shizuka worked on arrangement while Akiko set about making toppings. The food was already prepared but there were always little ways in which it could be improved. Akiko cut up fresh fruits and set them in like flavored syrups which could be poured with the fruit. There was also fresh caramel, chocolate, and white confection toppings being added in small bowls.

Shizuka would then take these bowls and place them interspersed among the table for people to see and partake. Taking several Miharu logo napkins Shizuka then folded them into different bird shapes, each form requiring one to two napkins to make. The table had already been covered by a white table cloth with a delicately patterned lace ringing it.

"Neh, onee-chan! What kind of presentation should we do this time? I was thinking about our magical girl routine." Akiko said while delivering another couple of bowls.

Taking a second to think about it Shizuka shook her head. "Iee, I think it is a little too early for that. Plus I believe they are a bit more formal here. How about classical?" she suggested.

"Oh maybe classical magical!" Akiko replied.

The two sisters both stopped suddenly and looked at each other. "Magical Animal Blossom Curtain!"

"We're actually setting up things for him and Saito-Heisho!" Junko yelled over the din of the machinery so Tom could hear her. She waved with a AMES-gloved hand and added "Later!" before leaving.

* * *

Before Ichigo could give an answer, Hinoto - ashamed, outraged and on the verge of tears - sped off for the main passageway, flying rather than taking stairs.

Ichigo gave Nyton a 'look at what you've done!' glare, gave him a stiff bow, and hurried after her white-haired sister.

Mara seemed a slightly startled, mouthing a 'Oops' silently before - thinking fast - she turned to Nyton and said: "Well, I guess that's it for the sparring session. It looks like Saito-Heisho brought lots of cakes on board. Let's go raid the kitchen for some!"

Masako's words made Tsuya's face spread in a small, slow smile. Finally, something I am good at. "I would enjoy that very much, Kurohoshi-juni," she murmured.

Again, Kaida opted to give no verbal response, and simply inclined her head to show she acknowledged their next task. Her silence would have to suffice in assuming she had no objections to this. Inwardly, she was relieved to move on; the less time spent not doing anything useful in Masako's presence, the better. She showed no sign of her thoughts, however.

Nyton maintained his poise but eased up slightly. He knew he had been rough. Things would be settled later.

"Yes, I suppose cake would be good about now. Although the sparring was likely over before it even began." he said half heartedly before falling in step with Mara towards the kitchen.

"I suppose I'll just give her some time. I was a bit harsh but I needed to make my point. Would've done the same to anybody else really, barring a few minor adjustments." Nyton said out loud as they walked.

Kyou smiled. This should be fun. I've never had a chance to see a sharpshooter in action. "Yes, ma'am. While we're doing the simulations, would you like me to take part as the support weapons specialist? Or should I just work as a standard powered soldier?"

Mara was quick to nod along to Nyton. She was all smiles.

"Taii, what kind of cakes do you like?" She asked innocently. Perhaps too innocently.

"I happen to like chocolate cake." Nyton said in reply before stopping suddenly. Placing his hands on his hips and looking directly at Mara he then began to stare at her. "I also happen to notice you are using the same tone Miharu makes when feigning innocence over something. What are you hiding, Mara?"

Tom analyzed the board as he awaited Rin's arrival. It seemed that it was salvagable, with the assistance of a steady hand and some assistance from Miharu.

Tom's hand slid into his belt and he fidgeted around for a few resistors and and wiring bits. With tender care, he removed what appeared to be a fried resistor by melting the wire connecting it to the board and gently pulling off the loosened object.

In the back of his mind, he knew that the ship was waiting for him to give the ok for departure. It was possible to fly now, but it'd be far too risky to go off without at least repairing the capacitors. It was dangerous already. With only one engine unit, Miharu needed all the storage power they could provide her.

Miharu could fly with one engine. It was also possible, the engineer believed, to be able to use the capacitors on this side of the ship to assist the functioning engine. That, however, required a comprehensive review of connectors and wiring, which is why they needed to go over Yuzuki's work.

If the jury-rigged 'piping' wasn't powerful enough to handle the flow of energy, or, in an even worse scenario, ended up going to the wrong place, who knew what would happen?

There was still the option of going with a single set of capacitors, but that meant a woefully underpowered Miharu, unable to handle emergencies.

Thus, the engineer concluded, it was far more important to have energy, however dangerous, freely available then to be left wanting at a critical moment.

The mission data had proven that conclusion to be pretty damn solid.

But...

...this all takes time! Where was everyone?

He opened a link to Ichigo.

Ichigo-hei, where are you? I need you and any sprites you can muster down here as soon as possible. They're waiting on us to get this ship flying.

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"H- haaai!" Rin squeaked out in response to Tom before she stumbled and hopped about with putting on her AMES suit. Regaining her balance, she quickly finished putting it on and scurried over to Tom, followed by a deep bow.

"Ano, Gomenasai, Freeman-Juni, for the delay. Etto, how can I help?" she asked, looking over the work being done.

Tom directed Rin toward Nimura.

"We're checking out the capacitors. Assist Nimura. Nimura, please inform and direct Rin as per the instructions I gave you earlier."

Yukari met up with Masako and the others near the Observation Deck, and gave a slight bow to everyone. She was glad to see all of the recruits were present with Masako, at least.

"Welcome to the Miharu," she said. "I realize you have been on tour, so I do not wish to delay us further. Juni, please lead us to the Recreation Rooms, and explain what we are going to do today."

"Me? Ah, well-" Both emerged into the opening to the main passageway and overheard Yukari, whom wasn't a long way up along with Masako and the rest of the new recruits.

Mara's ears perked up. "Oh, right. Kurohoshi-Juni was planning an armor simulation with the Shosa. You want in too?"

* * *

Nimura turned to Rin and tonelessly explained: "The capacitors are no longer under charge. We must cover each segment of the assemblies to run maintenance checks on their circuitry. We need to make updated to our maintenance logs and our inventory as we attend to any compromised units - either as we fix or replace them. Jury-rigged wiring done in the previous mission will need to be double-checked as well to guarantee the ship's operation under duress."

"Take note of any heavy duty work that would require a power armor's strength or industrial cutting capabilities. We are to attend that once we've dealt with the finer work and made a better evaluation of what needs to be done to keep the vessel's endurance at optimal levels." Perhaps assuming Rin could take things up from there, Nimura turned back to the circuit board she had been attending.

Meanwhile, a volumetric window popped up, with Ichigo answering. "Juni, can I ask for a bit more free time? I'm-" there was some sobbing audible offscreen. "I'm doing damage control of another kind here."

Tom heard the sobbing and his head tilted slightly.

"Sure, hold on a moment, ok?"

He minimized the window and looked back to Rin and Nimura. "I'll be right back."

The engineer swiftly took the volumetic display with him outside of the engineering bay. The sounds of machinery were muffled behind the heavy door that closed behind him. He soon was floating in the ventral hallway.

His greasy hands pulled his helmet off his head. His blond/yellow hair, of course, was a matted mess, but he paid it no mind as he opened the display once more.

"Ichigo? What's the matter?"