RP: YSS Miharu Mission 5, Aftermath (5th day)

[Fred]

GSS Mokuren, Yuumi-class Battleship
Five days after the "Battle of the Blue Rift"

Answering Kotori's summons, the morning found Yukari, Tom and Nyton entering an elaborate garden within the Mokuren.

The interior of the entrance's foyer had been constructed completely of oak left in its natural color. Strips of oaken planking had been precisely fitted together for the flooring while pillars and beams seamlessly hooked into each other, making it very difficult to pick out the lines where they had been joined. Moreover, the artisans who had shaped and fitted the wood had taken exquisite care to see that the wood's natural grain patterns flowed together and eddied apart, giving the stationary wood a sense of motion and life. Just upon entry, the interior felt vital and peaceful.

The next pair of doors lead into the garden proper, thick with dark plants, manicured shrubs, and trees covered in fragrant blooms. Stone lanterns bordered a path of crushed stone, their soft luminescence lighting the way to the well-made imitation of a small watery stream spanned by a bridge of stepping stones which lead to a small islet mostly dominated by a wooden pavilion. The outer edges of the islet was mostly sand, which had been carefully raked into eddying patterns toward the water.

There, Kotori waited. Garbed in a white kimono and her hair tied into a ponytail at neck-level, she knelt at one end of the enclosure with her two swords resting sheathed by her left side, and slightly further away to her left was also a low-lacquered table - little more than a tray, really - with a sake bottle, a cup and a letter-paper-sized thin mesh of zesuaium links which was folded in two.

"Ohayou gozaimasu," Kotori greeted them and then gestured them to three tatami mats in front of her. "Please be seated."

Flowing water about the islet created a quiet song in the backdrop for the pavilion's occupants.

 

[Nyton]

Nyton was again dressed in his Star Army uniform. The gloves covered any trace of the healed cut to his left hand. Upon the greeting by Kotori he bowed completely by the waist to her. "Ohayou gozaimasu, your highness." he replied before moving towards the center tatami mat.

He was reminded of the visit they paid to the Samurai House back on Yamatai as he sat down in the same manner he had then.

 

[Doshii Jun]

Yukari was not sure what to make of her surroundings — not the environment, but the display Kotori made, the items near her and the timing of the meeting.

She had not been able to talk to Yuzuki before she was called away to be briefed by Nyton, leaving the image of an out-of-place, out-of-jumpsuit Neko wrapped around her mind's eye. Why was she wearing such a uniform? Yukari did not have the wherewithal to place the significance, at the time, because of how stunned she was to see Yuzuki like that and how silly she felt she looked in her white bathing yukata.

It had been that sort of day.

Now here they were before Kotori. A pure white kimono ... sheathed, but not on her. That did not suggest anything peaceful, not in Yukari's mind. But the zesuaium and the sake ... what would they be for? The question vexed her. She was not familiar with for what those things were; she did not even know the wider ceremony.

She was in her Type 30B uniform this time, nodally constructed by the Mokuren. She had no weapon.

Yukari took the right-side tatami mat, but not before bowing to Kotori. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Taisa."

 

[Tom]

Tom followed Yukari into the beautiful garden in his own uniform. He took note of the surroundings, admiring the beauty of the area after he had bowed deeply to the Taisa.

He had cleared his mind of the events yesterday after receiving the summons. It almost felt dreamlike, however, looking at the white-garbed Kotori with her two swords, sheathed in peace despite him having seen the business end of the weapon hours ago.

"Ohayou Gozaimasu, Taisa."

He knelt, formal style, to Nyton's left, resting his hands on his lap and awaiting what was to come.

 

[Fred]

Kotori bowed her head in return to their greetings. Somberly, she spoke:

"Our journey has ended. The tumultuous chain of events which began at the Battle of Taiie have been all but resolved. We have challenged and defeated all of the opponents that stood in our way through Amaya's Gate, and out of the realm in which the Second Draconian Fleet was imprisoned."

"Our survival is largely owed by the members of Miharu's modest crew and their selfless heroism. It makes our survival nothing short of miraculous, a miracle we have wrought together. But costly sacrifices were made, and what we still had was not a perfect victory."

"The men, women, nekovalkyrja and sprites we rescued number in the millions. Unfortunately, we did not rescue people; we rescued slaves. People trapped within their own minds, no longer able to be the people they once were, their ambitions subverted so that they would instead look after the welfare and whims of one person: Ketsurui Kotori-Hime."

"Observe."

As if on cue, a relatively large volumetric window blinked to life over Kotori's right, depicting the scene of her hospital quarters (Tom noted the timestamp was about half-an-hour before his own visit). It was a simple scene of a nurse coming in with a rolling tray and very respectfully offering lunch. Kasami-Chujo came in moments later and inquired after Kotori's health as the nurse placed the meal on Kotori's bedside table.

As the nurse left, Kasami-Chujo inquired about there being anything she could do to be of service. Then a long silence. Before the silence became awkward, Kotori's hand reached out to seize the saucer dish holding a carrot cake topped with glazed sugar and upended it, letting the dessert slap against the tiled floor a second later.

"Hime-sama?"

"Eat it off the floor," the princess commanded.

The Chujo did not hesitate. She knelt to the floor, bent and ate the carrot cake like an animal. Kotori stared down at her, hard, until the Chujo was done.

Kasami Erika stood back up. "It was delicious, Hime-sama. Would you like me to have another one brought for you?"

Kotori stiffened. "No," she spat out, the loathing in her voice evident. "Please leave."

"Hime-sama? Is everything-"

"BEGONE!"

The Chujo quickly bent into a deep bow and made herself scarce. Kotori stared after her as the door closed, hands fisting her bedcovers.

...and the volumetric window went dark, before it blinked away.

Kotori, whom had half-closed her eyes and not looked at the recording, opened them again as she looked to the three before her.

"I understand that through clever orders, trickery could be engineered to make it appear as if things are not as they are," she continued. "But I see this solution as flawed. A lie of such magnitude is bound to be uncovered in time. There is also no way, once the fleet rejoins with the PANTHEON network, to prevent Taisho Yui from making contact with all the Integrated Electronic Suites in the thousand of ships in this fleet."

"The KAMI, MEGAMI and the other ship AIs have been quiescent so far because there was no foul play apparent on our part, but that doesn't mean they cannot act. We know firsthand what difference our MEGAMI was capable of doing, and I expect the same from them."

"Miharu, Mara and nearly half our crew were sacrificed... for the sake of fulfilling our mission... but the end result we face is dreams being stolen from over a million people. Unless something more can be done, this cheapens their selfless sacrifice, and blemishes the victory earned by them."

"I am no samurai, but I was born learning to be one; and one thing a samurai first understand is the importance of balance between duty and harmony. I do not see the balance being met by standing by and letting the dreams of millions of individuals die for the purpose of one woman who'se dreams have practically been shattered. Even if it was not so, it is hard to reason keeping one person alive so she can hold millions in her thrall."

"We fought to preserve our safety and our freedom. We did not fight to see the people we saved shackled further through our own actions. With one more sacrifice, I have the power to make all of the others done before worth it."

Kotori resolutely lifted her chin, as if gathering what dignity she had left to muster, and finished with: "I have brought you here in order to hear my last will, and to be witness to my sepukku."

 

[Tom]

There was silence, save for the sound of flowing water and rustling leaves. Tom remained perfectly still, his face a slate of stone for some moments after the Taisa had finished.

Then, after he cast a glance at the others who still seemed to be processing the news, he broke the silence.

"Taisa, I know you do not make this decision lightly, and I respect you for it. I am deeply honored that you have granted us this audience."

He paused a moment to swallow. The lump was audible.

"If... this is your wish, then I will assist you anyway I can... but I humbly request to make sure we have exhausted all other options before it comes to this."

 

[Doshii Jun]

Yukari saw many things, all conflicting, in Kotori's desire.

At the forefront was anger about the decision, and how Kotori seemed so quick to be willing to end her life without searching for better answers. It could take weeks, months, years. Surely, though, it was better than this.

Arguments came next. Melisson still lived; she might not retain her former power, but perhaps with Kotori's death she could regain a fair portion of it. Melisson was far too cunning to be trusted. She might wish to be a trophy, but she proved she could plan far, far in advance. Why would Kotori be willing to hand over an opportunity?

Understanding was blended in. Kotori would die on her terms — honor, sacrifice, a greater good served. Soldiers rarely had such an opportunity.

Emotion colored it all. Kotori still was her best friend. Kotori still was someone she loved, not as a lover but as a true sister. Kotori already had died once.

She did not want her to die again!

Yukari's body tensed, as she leaned forward, but no physical response would stop Kotori. Her eyes focused on the length of ground between her and the Taisa. Her hands braced her weight. In any other instance, she would appear as if ready to bow.

Tom's words hung in the air. She waited for Kotori to grasp them.

 

[Fred]

"How?" The word came out softly, as Kotori closed her eyes and uttered it.

"Think on it: we do have options at our disposal. Unfortunately, few are simple, many are perilous, and taking several of them would be unlike the people we are. Others we simply do not have the means to do."

"Freeing the Second Draconian Fleet from me would require a telepath, and a powerful one whom would be of the same standing as the Infection Queen. We destroyed her, and she was exceptional even amongst her own kind. We have no one else in our civilization that can even come to her ankle - figuratively speaking - in this."

"We do have Melisson, but little mean to trust her, and little reason to hope that a fragment of what the Infection Queen was can even hope to undo what was done by her progenitor even if she were not in my presence. Melisson also can hardly support the amount of psionic energy I'd need to fuel so grand an endeavor... assuming I even could figure out how to give it proper form."

"We do not have the means right now, so, we stand at a crossroad where other decisions need be done until time would allow for such a solution to be uncovered - if it at all would exist."

She shook her head and continued.

"We could head back to Yamatai. I could order them to conceal the sense that they consider my rulership over all else. But then, at the merest misstep, this deception could blow up in our faces and cost us dearly. We have accomplished much, but we are amateurs at cloak-and-dagger in comparison to our intelligence agency and the people behind it. If we falter, the price of it will not be one we will be able to afford paying."

"Going so far at all would be unfeasible due to the computer AIs of this fleet. Yui would know. Tolerating such a potential threat I would pose to the dominion of the Empire is something that goes beyond the generosity of the Ketsurui. Remember how much faith and support I received from my birth mother, and she was already positively inclined to support me."

"I could perhaps go the other way. Take the fleet for myself. Accept the rulership over all those people already subservient to me. But would that even be possible? I cannot replace Eve. Eve's NH-23 body would've been able to subvert the computer AIs of this fleet... but I cannot perform any such feat."

Kotori's lips curled up in self-mockery. "I could've replaced Eve and conquered Yamatai to have my tyrannical butt enjoy the throne Himiko has been warming up for me. I could've gone in search of those rebels whom claim to be part of a True Nekovalkyrja Empire and joined them. I could've gone on an exodus and out of these millions made myself a new home, a colony, maybe even a nation."

"But... the computers won't allow it. Even if I accept that I am more important than all of these people, none of these paths really brings us back to the ending that matters: the safeties of home."

"While I hesitate, while I flounder to find solutions, the people in this fleet remain my slaves. Just how long enough is it to have it become intolerable? How long does it take for it to become evil?" She questioned aloud. "Can we truly just decide that the freedoms of over a million people are worth less than the life of one young nekovalkyrja?"

"By paying with my life, I can insure you all a safe homecoming. The survivors of the Second Draconian Fleet will have the chance to retake the lives that has been denied to them. We have traveled dark roads and take questionable paths, but the toll of responsability will have been already payed so that no dishonor will have resulted from our actions. Your deeds will be bared in truth. You will have nothing to hide and no way to be caught at fault. In this fashion, I can secure you a prosperous future within Yamatai."

 

[Tom]

The engineer closed his eyes as Kotori's logic poured from her lips.

Silence once more permeated the pavilion as the Raltean opened his eyes. He then spoke again, somber and at a volume little more than a whisper.

"What of your family," he asked softly, tears in the corners of his eyes. "We must take into account their feelings as well. They have so much hope in you. What are we to do to mend that loss?"

 

[Fred]

Kotori opened her eyes to regard Tom a moment before gently answering: "I did state that I would have you know of my last will. That will be part of it."

 

[Nyton]

Nyton listened and allowed the discussion to continue. He felt his breathing grow shallow. This was the other scenario he had feared but could not bring himself to imagine. The urge to argue and lash out swelled and ebbed. As much as he wanted to fight this he knew Kotori had already thought this through. She even laid out several options before them as she parried Tom's initial inquiry. Throughout her recovery she had been mulling over this and painfully so as shown by the recording. So he remained steady and neutral but not emotionless. He would fulfill his duty.

"Your highness," Nyton calmly began, "you look quite well and your recovery appears to be nearly complete. I cannot help but regret the fact that the first words I hear from you after several days are in anger or about determining your death."

A brief pause. "You have never been one to give up easily so I observe this choice to have been very difficult despite it's simple logic. However, and I do beg forgiveness but you have been through a lot. Your recovery has been performed by those who are under your thrall. Could it be possible that the strenuous ordeal has affected you in a way you would not be able to detect? A way that because of the influence you have on the fleet's personnel you are able to deflect from their detection whether consciously or subconsciously?"

Another breath was released. "I mean you no insult your highness, your rationale appears to be quite intact but I do wish to eliminate such possibilities. Perhaps you could allow us to return to Yamatai first and seek further examination for you from medical personnel not under thrall. If not then perhaps our own crew's medical staff although I feel that we should employ those who would not be already biased.

 

[Fred]

"You know very well we do not have the luxury to return to Yamatai before I need to commit to such a decision," Kotori answered Nyton. "Miyoko already checked up after their work and even so, the medics are obviously competent enough to not professionally doubt in them. Bias has really nothing to do with it. Besides, I don't have them under anykind of mind control."

 

[Doshii Jun]

"There are three more Eve bodies on Yamatai," Yukari said, looking at Kotori, hard. She was reaching, but impassioned arguments were not convincing ones for her.

"Those bodies could be reprogrammed. They could be used to take control from you, then they could commit suicide. It would lead to the fleet being free and Eve's clones being destroyed. Two stones with one bird." She was speaking Nepleslian a little faster than usual. "Order the fleet to stay here, or to hide within the unstable space, perhaps even in the shadow of the black hole, opposite of the star system there. We obtain the Eve clones, reprogram them to suit our needs, then return here to recover the fleet. They have supplies to last years."

She blinked. "Miharu-san and her crew did not perish so you could waste your life in the pursuit of this greater good. They died so that we could live on and achieve the greatest good — ending the war. Losing you does not do that."

 

[Fred]

Once Yukari was done speaking Kotori glanced away, looking at the stream beyond the pavilion thoughtfully. "Eve was confident she could accomplish this much by herself," she reflected aloud.

She frowned and then looked back to Yukari. "You mean to suggest that we use Hoshi to return to Yamatai. We should be considered MIA at best, AWOL at worst, so any entry into Yamatai would need to defeat the perception of the perimeter defenses and the PANTHEON network."

"We would need to infiltrate each of Eve's three remaining safehouses and probably contend with her herself; considering that the timelapse for us to leave the timeprison is enough so that one of her should have respawned already."

"Assuming we can get that far, I myself would need to face her and coax her into doing something powerful enough for me to attempt to subvert her. I'm not certain that kind of reprogramming you speak of is something I can achieve by my own device without copying it from Melisson. If we do this, I will probably need Melisson's help."

"Then, after visiting all three of the safehouses and putting a term to them while taking what we need, we would need to return to the Second Draconian Fleet and try to perform the chance you propose... with the aid of the same kind of psionic amplifiers the Takumi had."

Kotori paused, considering, before stating: "That's enormously risky. Even if we succeed, there's no assurances that it'll work. Doing this will put the lives of everyone involved at risk. More people could be put into peril when with the price of my life I could end this all and allow you an homecoming."

 

[Doshii Jun]

"A homecoming in name only," Yukari retorted. "A homecoming plagued by a rebirthed Eve, who together all of us could not defeat unless we obtain a new Signaler body; a homecoming without a prospect of ending the war.

"The risks are no greater than the ones we already undertook to defeat the Infection Queen. Our IFF signature, though outdated, is enough to bypass the Yamatai Defense Network and reach Kyoto. Disable Hoshi before arrival and PANTHEON cannot connect to it. SAINT is not infallible, after all." Black Spiral and Eve herself came to her mind to reinforce her tone. "Melisson is worse than dangerous, but if she wishes to be a trophy, then let us use her as one who will aid us beyond buying safety from SAINT. She is not powerful enough now to threaten you, but her knowledge will aid us."

Her last assertion was one in which she had less confidence, but her eyes burned green with determination. "We have enough data on the Takumi from the stolen datacore that, with the engineering staff, we could reconstruct amplifiers onto whichever ship we so liked. Preferably a disposable one, but it is possible."

She had talked too much, but she could not stop. "It is a conspiracy, one with much risk and much to gain. But Kotori ... " She hung her head. Yukari knew Kotori did not want to hear her say it, but Yukari did not want to be a Goddess of the Lost, either.

And yet.

"Kotori, you are too valuable to all of Yamatai to die this way. This war, for best or worst, involves psionic power. We cannot defeat that power without your help. Mefpralphra proved it so. Your death might free a million souls at this moment, but it surely dooms the Empire."

 

[Fred]

Kotori looked weary. "You exagerate."

"In the circumstances of my passing, you would be able to return to Yamatai and secure the help of others to take down Eve's safehouses. Eve, despite being psionic, has been beaten and captured in the past by others. I'd think that our people are capable enough to deal with the handicap now. She's alone and cornered; there's only so much she can do now."

"As for psionics being the key to the war, that pushes it some too. Yamatai has managed in the past. I don't see why my own life would matter to that point. If this issue was this severe, they'd manufacture more Signalers like me. Why depend on just one?"

 

[Doshii Jun]

"I will not attempt to divine the reasons Star Army Command does what it does. I only know that your experience is too valuable to waste, and I would trust no one else to defeat Eve. She was not killed by us, Kotori; just as with Mefpralphra, we would be many more dead and wounded if not for you, assuming we could have defeated her at all without your help."

Yukari stiffened, but she marched on. She was not going to give up. "You underestimate Eve and what she is capable of. She eluded the best of Yamatai's intelligence agencies for decades and has murdered countless agents.

"Even if you are not convinced of her prowess, you know that killing the other Dark Ones will require, at a minimum, yourself. Even if other Signalers are made, they are of little use without training. You recall how difficult it was for you early on. Training a corps of Signalers could be what Yamatai needs. I do not know that, but it is worth at least testing, is it not?"

Looking at Kotori, so worn, she wanted to lash out about how easily the Neko was giving up — something she chastised Yukari for in the past. She kept that back; saying those words meant the debate was over and Kotori had "won."

"Even if you do not agree, surely you must see that you have more value to Yamatai, to your crew — even to the fleet here — than you do as a headless corpse. No lives need be lost this day, least of all yours."

 

[Fred]

As Yukari spoke, Kotori's weary expression gradually shifted to have her give a half-lidded glare at her executive officer. In a fit of pique, her left hand extended out and toppled the low-table with a shove, making the content spread out over the floor - including sake that spilled out from the bottle.

"The universe must have something against me," she huffed. "Not once has one of my meetings ever gone off without a hitch." The princess threw her hands up in the air. "Fine! I'll live. No gutting, no decapitating. Painful way to go anyways - stupid samurai tradition. It just sounded like a dignified way to die... but I don't get the feeling you're going to grant me much of that anyhow.No dying with dignity for Kotori - dying with dignity is too good for Kotori - ergh!"

Her hands came down. She looked disgruntled. "Next time I kill myself, it'll be the airlock. No, asphyxiating is not quick enough. Better plan: gunshot to the head. In private. Less fuss and drama involved."

 

[Tom]

While the discussion had been going on, Tom's expression shifted several times.

First, there was confusion at the mention of Eve, let alone three copies of her. The only two who had known that information before a few minutes ago were Kotori and Yukari.

The stone then began to fade away as Yukari then presented her own logic for Kotori to contend with. Bit by bit, he could feel color return to his cheeks, as if his heart had found renewed strength.

His smile had been just a sliver as Kotori started to reply, but Yukari kept parrying her verbal counters, each graceful counterargument making the smile creep bigger and bigger until...

...the table flipped over, spilling sake, staining his clothing and shattering undoubtedly very expensive ceramic wares.

And there it was, the familiar grin and eyes that sparkled with hope, hope pulled from utter hopelessness itself.

Tom Freeman leaped to his feet, flush with energy.

"What's three more Eve's to us? Haha! We are the crew of Miharu! I'll take thirteen sickles to the chest if it gets the job done!"

 

[Nyton]

"I do not believe you need to worry so much about how you will die, Kotori-dono. Let your enemies worry about that." Nyton said with a hint of smugness. He had not even needed to argue further once Yukari brought up the prior unknown Eve situation. Yukari underestimated herself.

"We have come this far why not a little further? After all it appears our mission is not over just yet. Not with Eve's insurance policy clones, Kikyo possibly still working to receive her payment and an ambitious Umbral looking to claim our lives in a bid for power. I believe the journey no matter how hard will be even better if we stay together." he said with a subdued excitement.