RP: YSS Miharu Mission 5, Aftermath (3rd day)

"Thank you," Yuzuki replied, more than a little relieved, "I'm fine."

Then, the unmarked Heisho stood off to the side. The brief awkwardness of rank had passed once she had realized that the Mokuren used femtomachines like nametapes. Everybody on the Miharu knew each other; on the Mokuren it seemed impossible. When she glanced up, her suspicion was confirmed in brilliant yellow-red. Yuzuki took the time to examine the kanji for her own name, which she had never been compelled or required to spell. She accepted the Mokuren's designation after a few moment's consideration. It was about as appropriate as anything she could have come up with.

When the NH-12 appeared - the Kanji for 'Sakura' floating over her head in pink - beckoning from the lower edge of the doorframe, Yuzuki followed.

--------- ON: Pool! --------

Upon arrival, Yuzuki walked directly through the changing room and showers in her uniform, not particularly listening to the complaints of the NH-12 guide alighted on her shoulder. Yuzuki was not here to swim, or play in water, and her boots were clean enough that she reasoned nobody would be bothered. So she trooped on by the polite signs to the contrary and went poolside roughshod. After she saw the pool, she immediately regretted that. Yuzuki had never actually swam - which was not to say that she didn't know how; the knowledge was certainly in there somewhere - but it piqued her interest immediately. That was a lot of water in one place.

Oddly, she could smell the chilliness of the water. Warm water would have had some sort of humid ambience; this room was dry, and cool, and clearly well maintained. She couldn't feel the tiles through the soles of her boots, but imagined that they must be very smooth. Perhaps they were warm, to contrast the air. Yuzuki had no way of telling.

There were two people in the pool; the Shosa, and another nekovalkyrja whom she did not recognize. After a brief internal conflict as to whether or not she should interrupt, which ended in the realization she was already interrupting, Yuzuki walked to the side of the pool and crouched, elbows on her knees, at the edge. The NH-12 on her shoulder clung for dear life.

"Sumi, Shosa-san. Do you have a minute? I don't want to bother you, if you're busy."

Yukari looked up from the edge of the pool again and smiled wide as she saw Yuzuki. There was no way to know how she felt about the water, so she took no offense about the engineer wearing her jumpsuit uniform into the pool area. "Yuzuki-san, it is good to see you off of Hoshi! Have you met Kazuko-san before? Kazuko-san, this is Yuzuki-san in Engineering. Kazuko-san is one of our nurses." The Shosa seemed rather energetic. Her hair was slicked back behind her head, with water drops slipping down her face.

Ayumu looked over at Yuzuki and smiled a little while she tread water by the edge of the pool. "Hajimemashite Yuzuki-san. I do not believe we were ever formally introduced before." she said in greeting. The nurse was also in a good mood as she chuckled at the NH-12 on the engineers shoulder. "Oh and you brought a friend. How quaint. I have not seen such a little one in some time."

Yukari blinked, then actually looked at Yuzuki. "Oh! I am sorry, Sakura-san. I did not see you. Hello to you as well." It had been, as Ayumu said, a very long time since she had seen an NH-12.

Sakura waved. "Hello! I am easy to miss. This brute's been ignoring me, too," she explained, snagging Yuzuki's ear and giving a playful, slightly vengeful yank. "I kept telling her there are plenty of bathing suits but she doesn't listen."

"I'm not here to swim," Yuzuki explained, brushing the NH-12's diminutive hand away and nearly knocking her off, "Anyway, yoroshiku, Kazuko-san."

"You know it would be easier on the Shosa's neck if you were to join her in the pool." Ayumu then suggested teasingly. "Perhaps Sakura-chan would like to join us as well?"

"Yes!" replied the NH-12, "Absolutely!" But Yuzuki shook her head.

"I just had a couple of questions for the Shosa, and then I'll return to the Hoshi," the sprite explained apologetically, "Besides, I'm not sure that I can swim anyway."

The Shosa followed her instincts on exactly why Yuzuki appeared hesitant to enter the water. Yukari slipped back from the water's edge, floating backward with her hair becoming a slippery darkness around her sides. She reached a spot a couple of meters from the edge of the pool and tread water. "Sakura-san, please join us when you are ready." She swiped at a loose strand of hair. "Yuzuki-san, please, what can I do for you?"

As the NH-12 scampered off to change, Yuzuki folded her hands, bobbing slightly in her crouch while her voice assumed a less ashamed, more businesslike tone. "The helmet and the shield that you requested be set aside - I wanted to ask why you do not wish for us to keep them with the rest of the suit while we wait for the Xiulurium for the stealth coating. They're perfectly repairable otherwise." Yuzuki glanced at Ayumu, as she swam, and then back. "I'm also here to ask after your health. The Hoshi is as ready as we can make it, if you want to return."

Ayumu swept back a little from the edge. Since Yuzuki's inquiry was focused on Yukari she decided to enjoy the water a little more. Ayumu dunked down and swam towards the bottom of the pool before resurfacing and catching the tail end of Yuzuki's statement,

-as ready as we can make it, if you want to return.

Click to expand...

Yukari's head tilted a bit to the side, then her eyes widened when she realized what Yuzuki was talking about. "For the Daisy, yes," she said. "The shield is a memento. ... I am not fond of claiming Star Army property as personal property, but that shield saved my life, and the life of others — including you, Yuzuki — more times than I can discount. The armor is a machine, one that can be replaced, but the shield is more than that. To me."

The human-looking Neko took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "The helmet has data I must keep safe. I do not want it to be put into hands I do not trust with my life." She blinked. "Though, if it is possible, the AIES module can be removed. That is enough for my purposes, should you wish to mate the helmet back with its armor.

"As for my health, I believe I am well enough now, thank you. I likely will return today, as my leg has healed. I must meet with Miyoko-san again to speak about special matters — I am to be married soon, so I must look my best." The Neko's face broke into a huge smile, eyes twinkling with the delight of even saying the words.

"Congratulations." Whether Yuzuki's pragmatism came from ignorance, from her fatigue, or from her recent troubles with her own relationship, she took the news of Yukari's wedding with a single somber nod, and glanced away to some of the tilework around the pool, her thoughts slowly picking their way through the mental debris field that all this relationshipping had left strewn about her cerebral work area. Perhaps her thoughts were evident in the poorly concealed pout, or the faint worry creased into her slender brow.

At least she had guessed correctly about the helmet, but now that she had heard it from Yukari herself, Yuzuki's desire to root about in the AIES's memory cache waned. She was curious, but not to the point she was going to go against the Shosa's wishes.

"I thought it was something like that," Yuzuki stated, referring obviously to the issue with the helmet and the shield, rather than the marriage, "But I didn't want to do anything since I was not certain."

Ayumu looked over abruptly at Yukari with raised eyebrows. "By Chiharu, did you just say you are getting married? Congratulations! How wonderful!" she said with a hint of excitement to her voice. As she tread water she looked over at Yuzuki and briefly wondered why the engineer had not been more upbeat at the news. Whether it was fatigue or nature Ayumu decided not to address the lack of reaction. "Have you decided on a date? Oh and what about location? Who is the lucky man or neko?" she asked, the happy news taking her mind off of work even moreso than the pool.

There was a slight splash as a very small nekovalkyrja hit the water, cannon-ball style.

Yukari let herself be distracted by Ayumu, but not before she worriedly glanced at Yuzuki. "A date has not been set," she said to the nurse, "but soon. A location also must be decided, but the lucky man is Freeman-Juni."

Before Ayumu could reply, she turned to Yuzuki. It was rude, but something about the Neko's demeanor seemed just a bit more dour than usual. "Is something the matter, Yuzuki-san?"

The sprite's attention fixed on Yukari. Yuzuki had pretty eyes, the color of the smooth, deep ocean - though the sprite herself would never have seen such a thing. Such eyes weren't rare, for Nekovalkyrja, but it was odd to see them flicker with quite so much doubt and remorse. Yuzuki had never shown much deferance to anyone - had even walked up to Kotori-dono her first week in the world without so much as blinking - but now as she held the Shosa's gaze, she smiled awkwardly in embarassed shame again.

Seeing the Shosa happy was something Yuzuki found very rare, and there she had done something stupid; gone and ruined it. Yuzuki tried to perk up, if only for the Shosa.

"I'm sorry," Yuzuki explained apologetically. "It's been a long week, and I'm just tired. Please don't mind me. I'm very happy to hear of your marriage. Are you thinking about having it on Ralt? With the snow and everything?"

Despite the attention that the actions of an adorable NH-12 would normally draw as a result of performing a cannon-ball dive into a pool Ayumu was forced to examine Yuzuki. It had not been unnoticed that several of the Miharu sprites had been having trouble coping with the death of their mother. Some had been pushing themselves to overwork and avoid facing the matter. Some had shown signs of depression even. Ayumu had been having nightmares as a result of the ordeal which was why she had come to the pool to relax herself.

"Yuzuki-san," Ayumu interrupted, "if you are tired as you say then you need to take a break and relax. We are not in combat now and whatever it is that you are working on can either wait or be deferred to someone else. I am not about to have someone show up in the medical center to deliver you because you collapsed from exhaustion."

"I have slept," Yuzuki replied; not testily, not quickly, but simply a statement of fact as her attention shifted, "And the work is near complete. The Hoshi is spaceworthy, so this is my break." The sprite folded her arms over her knees as she crouched poolside. "I just thought perhaps I should start checking on people. Nobody... I mean, none of the officers returned to the Hoshi. It's been days. I was a little worried."

The ignored, but nevertheless adorable Nh-12 responded by kicking a miniscule amount of water out of the pool at the Heisho, and then erupted in giggles when Yuzuki flinched away from it.

Ayumu shook her head. "There is more to rest than just sleep." she said redirecting the statement. "I worry that you may be over doing it even now that the Hoshi is, as you say, spaceworthy. I understand you came to check on the officers but you first arrived regarding the Shosa's DAISY. If the repairs are done than why are you still working? Take a break and do more than just come here asking the Shosa about work."

The Heisho blinked, and then blinked again. She scratched behind an ear, and, suddenly frustrated and confounded, flushed slightly, looking anywhere but at Ayumu. The truth was, the truth was... Difficult. The truth was, that had never occurred to the sprite. Admitting it was too embarassing.

"I just had to report, was all." Yuzuki rallied to the defence. "I thought it would be better if I did it in person."

Ayumu caught Yuzuki's sudden difficulty in maintaining eye contact. "Yuzuki-san, or rather, Heisho, I understand that you outrank me so I do not have the authority to tell you to stop working. However I do hold the position to make serious recommendations that you be put on mandatory work restrictions. If you like I could even recommend you join everyone on the Mokuren to recuperate." the nurse stated while she treaded water and observed Sakura's aquatic antics.

"Since you were so worried about everyone here then you could actually spend time with them convalescing as well. Then perhaps we could all go swimming together." Ayumu then said pleasantly while smiling at Yuzuki.

Helplessly, Yuzuki put up her hands - one of Freeman's mannerisms she had picked up on the journey from a newborn to an NCO - in sardonic defeat, ears turned down. "Alright, alright."

Ayumu smiled sweetly to Yuzuki. It was not a victorious smile or any kind of smug reaction. To her, Yuzuki was another patient. "Then why don't you separate yourself from your work for a moment and come join us for a little bit. I believe it would do you good." she recommended.

The Shosa agreed, having listened to the two go back and forth. "Listen to the medical personnel, Yuzuki-san. We all must rest. The war is not over, and we will return to it soon enough."

Yukari pushed herself to the edge of the pool again, and lifted herself up out of it. Water sluiced off of her body, though it kept flowing in a small river down her back from her hair. The black sports bra-and-bikini combination carried a light gleam. "Perhaps we could better relax in the hot tub, everyone?" she said in Yamataian. "No swimming is necessary, and there is no better way to relax tired muscles, which I am sure we all have. Even you, Sakura-chan!"

Emeralds met sapphires, and Yukari smiled at Yuzuki. "We can talk more there. I have questions for you."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Shosa. The warm water will feel wonderful!" Ayumu said before moving to the edge of the pool. After she emerged from the water she reached back and offered Sakura her hand to climb up on. "Come on Sakura-chan," she said with a smile.

As the NH-12 clambered aboard, so to speak, Yuzuki stood from her crouch. Her gaze lingered for a few moments on the Shosa - as if Yuzuki were actually considering refusing the offer. Then, she gave an easy nod and a weary smile that didn't show her teeth. The Shosa actually wanted to talk to her. The possibility that she would not have such a desire had been one of Yuzuki's primary reservations in coming here - talking was really the only reason she'd left the Hoshi. Of all things, and after three days of comparative silence, speaking only to Kai, whom she felt so strangely about, Yuzuki needed to talk to someone who would understand.

And the Shosa, who had pulled her from the brink before, might do so again. Or at least that was Yuzuki's hope.

"Hai, Shosa."

ON: Mokuren's Hot Tub No. 8

In addition to a fully realized pool, the Mokuren had a respectable sauna area attached to one of the communal bathing areas. It was every bit as ostentatious as the pool; less ostentatious and magnificent than the three of them would have enjoyed were they to dock in Yamatai, or on any civilized planet or station, but for soldiers who had not been able to enjoy similar luxuries it was more than sufficient.

The floor was of a substance like white polished marble, and the hot tub area sank several feet into the ground, merging seemlessly in zen-like perfection so that it was difficult to tell if the tub was even seperate from the ship's structure at all. A sort of incense smell eminated from the water, which was smooth and clean until Yukari stepped into it. Then, the tub started automatically and as the other two (and a half, with some assistance lent by Ayumu's lap) settled gently down into the bubbling water, music similar to the music which had given the pool its ambience was added to the watery noises. In the background, very faintly, one could hear the wash of some ocean far-off merging with the quiet koto and shakuhachi. Seagulls called to each other. With the sound of the ocean, the pale marble of the floor colored as if it were sand, and the images on the holographic walls shifting faintly - just ever so slightly - to simulate waves upon the shore, it was a work of beauty and refinement. It had been created during a golden age and its contributers had spared no expense of time or imagination of expression in its making.

Ayumu quietly relished the warm sensation of the hot tub's water. This was another first for the nurse as she listened to peaceful music from the sculpted stone hot tub. "Now this is theraputic." she expressed with much bliss.

"I may have to ask for reassignment on to a ship like this. Especially if I get to work with such adorable crew members like this." Ayumu added with a gentle pat to Sakura's head. It appeared she had a soft spot for the tiny nekovalkyrja. Although unlikely and unrealistic, the nurse's imagination held an image in her mind. She would be working in a medical facility while being assisted by a flock of floating NH-12 nekovalkyrja wearing nurse uniforms and delivering medical supplies to her. The small Nekovalkyrja she was patting was just trying to keep her hair out of the water - an easy feat normally, but one that was complicated somewhat by circumstance.

Not one to normally be lost in imagination, Ayumu was obviously relaxed at this point. So much so she had not noticed the struggle by the NH-12 to prevent her hair from entering the water. After a few seconds she finally realized this and stopped patting her head. "Oh, pardon me, I was losing myself there for a moment." she said and tried not to shift suddenly so as to unbalance Sakura.

"It's fine," the little neko replied from her nestled position, "I'm alright." The soggy little thing grinned. "I've never done this before."

Yuzuki, on the exact other side of the tub, sprawled with her arms along the edge but still managing to look mildly unsettled by water that bubbled on its own, offered, "Yes."

The sprite had changed into a bathing suit of her own, which was the standard military issue, no-frills type. The jumpsuit had come off to reveal, once and for all, that there wasn't a trace of fat on the engineer - rather, she had long and slender legs, and a form that was unmistakably shapely. In a jumpsuit's ambiguous, heavy weave, she had looked almost boyish. Now the grease-monkey was pulling off a bikini and making no apologies. She didn't have to.

"I wonder how they managed this?" Yuzuki looked up, specuatively panning her attention around the room in unhidden curiousity. "I bet this entire ship was just fabricated, all at once. I can't find a seam."

"Like Zesuaium production," Yukari said, also leaning back into her place in the tub. The music, the sounds of the shore, even the gulls ... the Shosa appeared lost in bliss. Her emerald eyes closed, and her lips spread into an all-too-pleased expression of that bliss.

"Yamatai had endless resources at the time of this vessel's creation. Manufacturing vessels such as this was taken for granted, compared to projects such as Hoshi no Iori and the defense networks. Many of them were built with minimal labor from physical beings; construction came from the production facilities of the Iori and her PANTHEON units."

The Shosa settled a little farther into the water, her own body hidden by bubbles. She fancied Yuzuki's looks as much as any reasonable soul might, but more to the point, she was glad to see the Neko relax in her own body. Yukari knew how hard that was. Ayumu was happy and had a new friend, so much was right with the world.

"We are not so fortunate today," Yukari said. "But from our struggle comes strength and durability. It is not so negative, yes?"

"No," the engineer replied languidly. Then she bobbed her head to the side slightly and said, "Or, is it yes? Equipment loses something, when it is made only to specifications. They have quirks, and simply repeating the same thing over and over..."

Yuzuki stopped the faint smile that was beginning exactly where it started and fell silent. Then, she looked back at the ocean vista spread out across the walls. She sighed, and said, "It's..."

Yukari turned her head a little, but did not open her eyes, not wanting to spoil the little world in her head — or make Yuzuki more skittish. "It is?" she asked.

The engineer pushed some of her hair back out of her eyes - it was damp, she was making no effort to spare it, and it was beginning to cling wetly. "Cold."

"Cold ... the temperature?" Yukari's lips spoiled into a small pout, and she prepared to tell the KAMI to adjust the climate control.

"No," Yuzuki interrupted, shaking her head a bit even though the Shosa wouldn't see, "I mean, it takes so little effort for them to just push out starships. They don't care to improve them, they just make new ones."

"Sou," Yukari said. She seemed to consider the idea, tilting her head some as her closed eyes looked upward. "That was how Yamatai was at the time. Spread across the galaxy, and even into other galaxies, rushing to conquer all it saw as its own. ... We have not learned from the lessons taught in those wars, but there is more hope now."

There were a few brief moments where the only noise was the ambience as Yuzuki contemplated the words, attempting to fit them into her own limited view of the galaxy and the universe as she knew it.

Eventually, she decided, "You know better than I."

"Only because I was there," Yukari said, almost ruefully. "Once we were disposable. Now ... less so." She snorted, wryly smirking. "We fight to win a war, but once it is won, what then?"

Yuzuki slicked her hair back and let out a slow breath through pursed lips. This was becomming difficult. "We stop fighting?" she ventured, delicately.

"Mm. I pray so." The Shosa held herself in the water. She opened her eyes after a few seconds, then looked at Yuzuki. "I am sorry. This is not what I wanted to speak about."

Green and blue; their eyes met, again, and there was a sort of general acknowledgement there.

"Yes," replied Yuzuki. "Or, no. You know what I mean."

Yukari smiled, and closed her eyes again. "I do." She slid a little further into the water, then shifted herself up, letting her top half cool. "You are comfortable in this setting, yes?"

Giving Yukari a sort of vaguely apprehensive look, she said, "Yes, Shosa. Is it something private?"

" ... No. Not so private. But setting is important for many conversations." She spoke like it was fact. Yukari let a few notes from the koto music pass before she spoke again. "Where will you go, once we are debriefed?"

Yuzuki sank down further in the hot tub, folding her arms in her lap underneath the water and leaning back against the side until only her head was above. She looked away from Yukari, but her expression was not furtive.

"I assumed I would not have a choice," she stated, "but, if I have one, I will continue to follow the crew."

"Mm," Yukari said. She labored over her words in her mind, trying to be careful while not sounding as such. "And if the crew divides? Pursues objectives without staying together?"

"I'll ask Ketsurui-hime-sama," Yuzuki stated, after only a brief moment of thought. "Or, if..." Catching herself, she offered a wan smile. "Or, you. You two should make the decision. I don't know anything about anything."

She chuckled at the last sentence, knowing something about not knowing anything. "It cannot be up to only us, Yuzuki-san. We will need your input!"

"I trust you," the engineer insisted. Then, in a voice that was muted with her rising frustration in the face of the unknown. "I don't know what you want me to say. I can't have what I want; it's impossible. I will settle for following what you tell me to do."

Yukari could sense the heated feelings in Yuzuki's words. She took in a few more notes of the music, refining her words. "What do you want?" was what she decided on.

"What I want is to go home," was the sullen answer, "I want Ichigo back, and everyone else. But they're dead, now, and we're left. I want to... I don't know. Just tell me what to do, because I'm so tired of thinking about it I almost wish I couldn't think at all."

For a moment, Yukari didn't move. She did not consider Ayumu, either. This was about Yuzuki. " ... Years ago, the choice would not be yours. Those feelings of pain you have now, they would go untouched. No one but your pit sisters even would know of them."

Yukari felt a little old, but she continued. "It is that way no longer. There is choice. It hurts very often, but it is so precious, Yuzuki-san."

The sprite rubbed at her face, massaging around her eye sockets. Then, she covered her face and dipped beneath the warm water briefly. When she had finished, her face was wet, but she wasn't obviously disturbed. She took a deep breath. "I do have one request."

The Shosa looked at Yuzuki. "I will do all I can."

"I would like it if I could go with you."

Yukari blinked. "With me?"

The damp sprite nodded a few times, looking up for confirmation, "Yes. You said everybody might split off. If they do, I will follow you."

Now Yukari was on the defensive. Where would she go? ... She had to hunt down Eve's safehouses; that could not be ignored. Then came the matter of Melisson's seeded victims, who deserved to know what happened to them. ... If she could find them and tell them. And there was Tom, who was going to accept her, have her ... would he want another Neko with him? Maybe so.

Or maybe not.

She did not even know where the Star Army would send her. If SAINT did not kill them all first ...

Yukari's face tightened. No. They would not die at the hands of spies after surviving the likes of Mefpralphra.

"You are sure?" she finally asked. "I do not know where I will go, but I know danger will not leave me a peaceful life."

"I don't know what to do with peace," Yuzuki stated, "I won't miss something I've never had." At that, the sprite did finally smirk. "I think I may have to leave the crew, after all. I don't like to say that. I want to stay, for everyone, but it hurts. Talking with you, right now, that's what I have come up with. So if I can't, I won't."

She looked up. Blue and green. How many times were they going to lock gazes, like that?

"No; I'll go with you, unless you don't want me to?"

Yukari smirked back. "There are some places you will not be able to follow me, Yuzuki-san. Anywhere you can follow me ... I would be honored to have you."

"Good," Yuzuki stated, settling back down into the water again. The world seemed a little less oppressive to her. It wasn't a direction in life, but it was the next few steps for her to take. It was another beginning. "Now that we're settled, I have something else to ask."

"Of course," the Shosa replied.

"Nakamura-Heisho," the sprite stated, carefully keeping her voice moderated, "I am trying to convince him to go home."

@Nyton:

Something about the way Hinoto's face tightened when Nyton mentioned Tom 'taking care of them' seemed off to him. Still, she did not interrupt until the Taii was done speaking.

"You show more composure now than you displayed after the event," Hinoto noted before adding: "I appreciate your accolade, and your understanding of the circumstances."

"I was forced to realize the necessity of your actions given the circumstances. It took some time though. I do not have the same empathy Freeman does. He seems better at drawing people close to him. I imagine he will be more skilled at helping the crew to pass through these times." Nyton replied, taking note of Hinoto's reaction.

Tom's anger didn't last long. Without a target in front of him, rational thinking soon took over. The bruise on his cheek was a fresh purple and black and still tender.

Idle conversation would have to be strategic and for those worthy of it. Moving his jaw caused dull pain to flare up in the affected area, which could potentially taint his attitude as he spoke.

So, he decided to be the silent observer as he stepped into the confines of the Hoshi.

Something hit him like a wave, stinging him and bringing fresh tears to the corners of his eyes which he wiped away.

Everything was so clean.

He turned to a bit of reflective metal and looked himself once over, giving a resolute nod before continuing into the engineering section of the ship.

Masako noted Asher's actions -- sliding Rin's chair closer to her own -- and gave the enlisted man a side-long glare before picking up her glass. "You're incorrigable, Westwood-hei," the Warrant Officer stated as she took a sip of water. "And I'll have to ponder certain methods of quelling that while I'm still around," the Raven-haired Neko stated rather dangerously before sighing.

"Anyway, I haven't made any decisions yet. So quit trying to force Rin-hei to make decisions she may find uncomfortable and annoying." Masako scolded more like a mother scolding a child rather than an officer berating a subordinate.

@Nyton:

"Respectfully, Sir, Freeman-Juni may have enough trouble looking after himself and his fiancee," Hinoto returned to Nyton. "I do not plan on depending on him to secure a place for the Miharu clan."

@Tom:

The engine room wasn't much larger than a Fox shuttle. As the ship was quiescent and in docking mode, the lighting was dimmed and a dormant purr of idle machinery dominated rather than the usual noisiness Tom was more used to.

Still, the ship wasn't turned off. Rather, she was still on standby. Looking at the displays, Tom knew that Hoshi could spring to full combat operations in less than a minute.

At first, it might have struck him as overly alert or even cautious paranoia on the part of the CIES. But then, he realized the most compelling reason for such readiness: Hoshi had an interphasic field up and constantly active. Hoshi was Melisson's prison.

The Malifarian snerked at that, relenting a bit as he drew himself back to a relaxed position over his food, of which he was nearly finished. Masako was making a little counter-offensive with her authority. There was little he could do for that, and another word would be going too far. So, he scratched his head, answering that itch that had been bugging him in that certain spot. Without further words Asher just chuckled, and went back to his food. "Two years, or two weeks. It don' matta'. You ain't changed one bit." He said, moving to eat his meal.

Now it was Nyton's turn to give Hinoto an odd look. "What are you talking about? I had understood that Freeman is much better at relating to others and as a result was popular among the crew. I had been stating that his way of being positive and charming may help everyone to work through the losses." he said with a hint of disbelief as to how he had been misunderstood.

"How in the world did you conclude that I was implying Freeman would set up some sort of home for the crew of the Miharu?"

"Freeman-Juni has alluded to it in the past. Your own use of the words 'He seems better at drawing people close to him' appeared to make a connection to that," Hinoto answered Nyton, keeping a measured tone. She took a deep breath and added: "He felt loss and pain just as keenly as any of us - it feels unfair to depend on him on top of that."

"Hinoto-san, the whole situation is unfair. You are correct in that we cannot depend on him solely. That is why we all must pull together for each others sake." Nyton said calmly.

Nyton's eyes traced over the pale avatar once while he took several even breaths. "How are you dealing with the loss right now? You and Mara," he trailed off for a second as he imagined how the loss of his own sibling, "were close."

The familiar humming of machines in the tiny engine room wafted into Tom's ears.

He closed his eyes and embraced the sound, letting it wash over him like a gentle wave.

He was alone once again with the sweet sound, awash in nostalgia, despite it only being three days.

The sound coaxed memories out of the orphaned engineer. He remembered faces next to stations, busy at work, ready for anything. He remembered their expressions, the looks of purpose, of hope, of faith in the crew and the mission.

Those were the faces of the technicians he would never see again.

He opened his eyes and walked over to the tiny control panel, standing behind it and grasping the sides of the console as if he were about to deliver a speech at the podium.

The action dredged up more memories, painful ones.

"But there is so much more to the world than the happenings on the Miharu. There is a universe out there where war isn't the only thing to look for... where people choose a life based on their interests, their skills and their dreams."

"I want you to dream. And I want to show you that universe."

Click to expand...

The engineer's grip tightened on the metal corners of the console. His vision blurred as he felt his knees buckle.

Did you believe those words? Did you die believing in them?

A wave of anger stopped him from falling. Anger at himself, anger at his weakness gave him a burst of strength.

Blinking away tears, a snarl on his face, he pushed away from the console and marched out of the room.

Don't be stupid! I will not sully their memory!

As soon as the door shut behind him, the pain began to subside. Rational thinking took over again. There was a reason he had come here, and it wasn't to dwell on the lost. Their sacrifices, however painful to remember, had not been in vain.

He needed closure of a different kind, and the only one who could provide that was Melisson.

Tom went to find her.

@Tom:

When Tom entered the medlab, he saw Melisson sitting at the bottom of the hemosynthetic tank with her slender arms gathering her legs against her.

She raised her head at his entry. Her voice echoing in the hollow tank, she said: "Hello, Tom Freeman."

@Nyton:

Hinoto's ears flattened back.

"I will build something from Miharu's destruction and from Mara's death. They would want us to move on. I am moving on."

Tom locked eyes with the defeated psionic. Despite knowing she was defeated and contained within the confines of Hoshi's fields, Tom couldn't shake the naturally defensive instincts raised by being so close to her.

He approached cautiously.

"Hello, Melisson. Is your condition... well?"

"My interpreter body is healthy," Melisson companionably answered the Raltean. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to talk," came the reply from Tom. "If you'll have me, that is."

He paused for a second to analyze his feelings. To his own surprise, the anger he felt paled in volume to how much he thought he should have.

He took a measured breath and awaited her reply.

"You're already talking," Melisson giggled back behind the back of one hand. "Since you're off to such a good start, you may as well just keep going."

The girlish response from Melisson was unexpected to Tom. And unnerving. No matter how many times he saw it, he wasn't prepared for the jarring switches in personality the interpreter pulled.

"Ah, well then yes," Tom stammered a bit before clearing his throat and nodding. He sat down on the floor, in front of the tube.

He crossed his legs and put his hands on his knees with a gentle nod.

"I'm not going to talk about grand schemes or anything, I just... want to clear the air between us a bit. It's all I can really ask for, I guess."

He nodded again.

"You let us take you prisoner and helped us escape from your ship... you did not have to do that. So. T-thank you for that."

A sardonic chuckle escaped the engineer.

What am I doing?

"Look, it's hard to explain," he added. "I can't exactly word it how I want to so please work with me here. A lot of people died on this mission. Both of our sides. You killed a lot of our people and we killed a lot of yours."

He took a deep breath.

"I'll have to live with the weight of that. My technicians died under my watch... It would be easy to just dump all that blame on you and be done with it, but something inside me tells me that it's wrong to do that."

There was a sign of resignation in his voice, and Tom's shoulders sagged under the mental weight.

"I wouldn't have minded just being killed... but you didn't do that. You made me go through hell instead."

He shook his head, and the motion gave him strength to continue.

"In the aftermath, I thought 'hey, she didn't have to go that far... war is already bad enough.' But you did it for a reason, didn't you?"

Melisson unwrapped her arms from around her legs and bent forward, instead adopting a position on all four that brought her head right next to the transparent cover of the hemosynthetic tank.

Her face seemed much closer to Tom's now, despite the barrier. She seemed to be breathing out of her slightly parted mouth and Tom could see hints of her pointed teeth. He could see much more of the striated red-pigmented texture in Melisson's irises as her eyes bored into his.

"I do everything for a reason," she told him, her breath fogging against the glass-like cover.

Nyton crossed his arms and looked at Hinoto. His brow tensed slightly although it was not with any agitation or anger. There was none felt. It was more a sensation of knowing something. He took note of how her ears flattened when he mentioned Mara and actively listened not to her words but her voice.

"That is not what I asked but I suppose it will do. It is not like I expected you to use my shoulder to cry on." he said and let out a sigh. The man turned his face and looked over at the entrance to Hoshi. In there was someone he wanted to confront. He was not ready to do so. Not yet.

"You build, Hinoto-san. In the meantime I want you to send me all the medical, security, and surveillance data on Melisson in my room while I rest. I want to know what she has done, who she has talked to, what she has said, all her actions." Nyton then said, shifting subjects completely.