RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 7.2 Side Story] Desperados

[Wes]

In a quiet bar beneath Uesureyan Fields starport, a handful of Star Army soldiers on the move between stations sat around waiting for their shuttles or starships to land. The bar was an ideal hangout: It was next door to the entrance to an underground temporary housing complex; a restaurant section served Mexican food; booze was endless and varied; and a relaxed atmosphere and staff made it a laid-back watering hole.

Outside the bar, the street level was topped by a lane of transparent Zesuaium panels forming part of the massive starport above. Sunlight shone down through them on the dusty cobblestone road and sidewalks. A pair of scantily clad self-employed comfort women waited on a bench, and a flickering florescent sign read "Desperados Nepleslianos."

Inside, a bulky Nepleslian man wearing a red dress shirt and a bandolier full of shotgun shells slammed a bag of ice a few times with a slegehammer before pouring it out into a cooler. Spotting some low-ranking soldiers coming the door, he asked, "What'll it be?"

 

[Erus]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

Darnell walked out of the underground housing complex and saw the two prostitutes sitting. He stared at them a moment. He hadn't thought things like this happened in Yamatai. It was supposed to be a perfect society, to hear the Yamataians. Then again, very few things came as advertised. He looked up at the glittering starport and then down and down at the two women.

He grimly thought, I belong here, don't I? He shook his head, as if to shake the thoughts. He walked into the restaurant, having nothing better to do at the moment. He wondered if it was really Nepleslian, and saw a Nepleslian at the bar. It took him a moment to remember the man wouldn't recognize him as someone off Nepleslia anymore.

He walked up to the bar and, when asked what he wanted to buy, responded in accent, "Y'know howtah make a Stafo Surprise?" He doubted the man knew how to make a local drink from his part of Nepleslia, but he might as well ask. "If not, Ah'll haf straight ice. The drink." Ice was Industrial Cleaning Alcohol. It had been labeled Industrial Cleaning Ethanol in some areas, I.C.E.

 

[Wes]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

The barkeep gave Darnell a blank stare before fixing him a glass of just crushed ice. "How about a little vodka to wash that down," he suggested.

The sizzle and aroma of fajitas spread out from a nearby table, over the low chatter of other patrons.

 

[Erus]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

Darnell looked at it, "I said the drink. Issa name for a drink." He shook his head as if he was disappointed. "No chance ya'd know it, ya? Vodka's fine."

He looked over his shoulder, and seeing nothing amiss, took the chance to look over the patrons for anyone interesting. Or anything to amuse him really, drinking wasn't an end it was a beginning.

 

[Wes]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

A trio of Nekovalkyrja soldiers with ranks in the Hei range were now fixing the fajitas in their freshly delivered tortillas, while a Nepleslian warrant officer and his shy looking neko date quietly discussed their future nearby.

At the bar also sat an older looking Nekovalkyrja with a logistics patch, going over a volumetric list of supplies.

There were a few more patrons around, seated in booths behind plaster-covered brick half-walls.

The large barkeeper poured Darnell's vodka. "Shipping out soon?" he asked. With the war started, there was a lot of transfers going on as the Star Army coped with losses and beefed up its forces.

 

[Erus]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

"Aye, goin' to a ship called the Eucharis. Figures I sign up, a war starts, dun't it?" He lifted the Vodka up, "To my survival, then. Worthy a cause as any." He took a sip. It was strong but he let it sit a while before swallowing anyway. He looked back over his shoulder and took in the sight. He still wasn't quite used to being surrounded by women.

He turned back to the bartender, "CO's called Hanako. Don't suppose you've heard anythin' 'bout her or the ship? I dun' know a thing. Well, nuthin' I can tell ya, y'know? Loose lips 'n all that." He knew that the ship was in desperate combat and there was a real chance it would be destroyed, because command had told him that he might be shipped to the new ship the survivors would be placed on rather than the Eucharis itself.

 

[Wes]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

The bartender raised an eyebrow. "Heard she seduced the queen of the Lorath, and when the queen's brother found out, he was so angry, it started a civil war! You see, the brother wanted first dibs on his sister. That's the Lorath for you, arrogant and freaky," the bartender said. "Other than than, I know though Hanako is daughter to former Empress Yui, she has fought as hard as any normal captain against the Mishhuvurthyar, if not harder. See, Hanako's ships have a history of...disappearing."

 

[Erus]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

Darnell smiled, "Ya didn't happen to hear that Lorath story from a Flashbang vid, did ya? But, seein' as I can't start a civil war, I guess she won't be showin' interest."

Darnell's smile was quickly wiped away by the mention of nobility. He took another sip of vodka, "Nobility, eh? There's trouble." Then he heard that her ships had a habit of disappearing, and took another sip, "Disappearin' ships? Great. Suppose her soldiers 'disappear' too. Just have to make sure I'm not one of them. Wonder what happened to her last science crewmember"

 

[Kimberly M]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

A few seats away from where Darnell and the Barkeep were discussing the Eucharis, a certain plain-looking Nekovalkryja with red hair and frazzled tufts of red fur on her twitching ears was eating her stew of rice, meat, and beans with a Mexican sauce while listening in on the story.

"I wouldn't know about ships disappearing, but so far, I haven't disappeared." The Nitô Hei replied between two mouthfuls and a sip of beer. "Nor would I say that the Taisa being nobility has gotten us into much trouble." Shrugging, the Neko picked at her stew a little before taking another bite. With each bite, the right ear twitched slightly. Anyone whom was familiar with the dish the redhead was eating would recognize it as a rather... well seasoned, dish.

 

[demibear]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

Mikael walked down a sidewalk towards a bar he overheard a couple of Yamataians talk about while he was waiting around the starport for his newly assigned ship to arrive. His midnight blue panels of his uniform giving away his job, he walked with a sense of purpose his Grandfather instilled into him years ago.

He glanced over to see a pair of women sitting on a bench with a sign saying "Desperados Nepleslianos." Mikael stared at them with a blank face as he walked by but he was laughing to himself internally."Perfect utopia my rear end." he thought to himself as he opened and went through the door of the bar. "I think I might have been doped over the years."

Mikael looked over the room in a steady pace in order to get a feel of the place. Towering over just about everyone in that bar, he tried his best to remain unnoticed, though he still looked liked he was walking with a sense of purpose. Mikael settled for a seat between a Yamataian and a redheaded Nekovalkryja,

"Could I get a vodka over here please." Mikael said, trying his best not to notice the two.

 

[Wes]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

"That's pretty rude of you to sit between two people in the middle of a conversation," the bartender commented in a low voice while pouring Mikael's vodka.

 

[Miyako]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

"The 'Kill 'em All!' Eucharis! Very nice." An out of uniform Nekovalkryja called out from her seat with some others. She wasn't too far from Kim, so it was easy to pick out the mention of that particular ship. What they'd done at Halna was well known, and before that, the battleship they had destroyed alone on Azorea.

The orange-haired woman went back to eating some chips she'd ordered with her margarita. That's exciting. Lucky! All I do is drills...

 

[Erus]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

A Nekovalkryja broke in. Darnell was slightly annoyed until she revealed she had relevant information, at which point he was actually glad she had. He stared at her for a moment, wondering at the chances anyone would be on his ship and happen to come to the same hole in the wall. He was about to say something back when someone sat in between them.

Darnell gave him a non-amused look. Back on Nepleslia he would have probably confronted him, and this place was reminding him of home, but he reminded himself he wasn't on Nepleslia anymore. He stood up and walked over to the woman, and said, slipping out of accent, "If you don't mind." And sat down next to her.

Then someone broke in. The Kill 'em All Eucharis. That was an interesting nickname. Darnell just hoped he would be the one doing the killing. Her response made Darnell sigh internally. All the same, he smiled at the woman. He weighed the options than said, "In truth, I don't know much anything about it. Anything you could tell me would be greatly appreciated."

 

[demibear]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

Mikael waited for the bartender to finish pouring his drink before he slammed it down his throat and placed it back on the bar. He had forgotten how intense the experience was for him and waited a few moments for his mouth to stop burning so much. "Being polite is the last thing on my mind right now." He said back to the bartender in a low voice. "Now that I had that, maybe I will again."

Mikael looked over at the orange hair woman when she mentioned the The 'Kill 'em All!' Eucharis. "Kill 'em all hmmmm, I might have been assigned to the right ship after all." he said outloud thinking to himself, staring at his empty glass.

 

[Wes]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

The barkeeper poured another glass for Mikael, deliberately refraining from replying to the clear example a bad attitude rookie stereotype.

A nearby television, muted but with captions on, displayed the latest newscast:

"...contact with with the Nataria and Tatiana systems has been lost. Empress Himiko is still on Pisces Station at the International Relations Conference but is expected to return to the Yamataian capital as soon as possible. The military is fortifying its borders and defenses around Yamatai as a protective measure..."

 

[Erus]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

Darnell had a view of the screen the way he was looking. He saw the scrolling and he sat back. His first instinct was to run back to his equipment and ready it for combat. It was an irrational thought, but he found it comforting to be armed to the teeth. It let him lie to himself, that if he prepared he wouldn't die. It also made it less likely he would die. He never was sure which was more valuable.

He thought of what he knew. Nataria... was a supply depot, wasn't it? A massive supply depot. And it was a logistics center. One of those war worlds. Tatiana was also a war world. He wished the news had said how long contact had been lost, a short time might mean any number of things, but too long could only mean an attack.

His head slumped visibly, and he shook it. He finished the remaining Vodka in one gulp and placed the glass down. He suddenly felt both like he could not afford to get drunk and that he really wanted to get drunk.

 

[Kimberly M]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

"The 'Kill 'Em All' Eucharis? I wish. The last Mission I was part of before I was shipped off for training we barely got out alive... just let me tell you, never put your guard down on a jungle world." The red-headed neko muttered as she filled her spoon with another helping of stew... which slipped from between her fingers as she also noticed the captions on the television.

Nataria lost? No, no, no... That can't be... the Ship is there... Kim's face drained from blood as she stared at the TV. "Hey, bartender! Turn up the sound on the TV!" The soldier called, clutching the bottle of beer in her left hand.

Misaki... No! No, no. Misaki and Hanako wouldn't fall. They'd protect the crew. They'd get out of there if anyone could.

 

[demibear]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

Mikael took slower sips of the vodka this time as he watched and read the captions on a nearby television. "This will be the last one bartender. Can not get drunk at a time like this." he said has he placed the half full glass on the surface. He then looked over at the red headed Neko he sat next to and studied her for a few seconds.

"Sorry for earlier, haven't been quite the same since I left basic. You were on the Eucharis? What is the crew like on the ship?" He said to the Neko.

 

[Erus]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

Darnell wasn't feeling too happy about the overall fact of being on the side of the war that seemed to be losing, but the Neko next to him seemed to be taking it more personally. Maybe the Eucharis was at one of those points? That would explain why the high command wasn't so sure if it would survive.

The other one apologized and then asked questions at the worst time possible. Darnell got the sinking feeling he had been assigned to the Eucharis as well.

He tried to comfort the red haired Neko, though he wasn't sure for what, "Nobody's dead until you see the corpse. No world is taken just because they've lost communication. And even if it was, battles have survivors."

 

[Kimberly M]

Re: [Mission 7 Side-Story] Desperados

"Yes, I'm assigned to the Eucharis. The crew? Some of the best. The Taisa and the Chusa are the best in the fleet." Kim bit her lip as her eyes remained locked on the TV, trying to dig out any tiny sliver of information that she could. "If anyone was to survive a battle that captures two of our worlds, it'd be the Eucharis, with Hanako-Taisa and Mi-... Kurusu-Chusa at the helm."

The soldier had faith in her superior officers. She loved and believed in Misaki's abilities, and she knew Misaki loved Hanako, much in the same way, and that was enough for Kim to have complete faith in the Taisa. Hell, after the stunt on Nepleslia, Kim was about ready to believe the crew of the Eucharis could overcome anything the stars could throw at them.

"No. The Eucharis' will come out intact. I promise you that much." Stars, please don't make me a liar.