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RP: 21st Fighter Sq [Mission 8.0] Whispers in the dark

Anne watched Yaeko and Silic with silence. She was evaluating them in her head. Yaeko always seemed to high hard-core professionalism and almost fanatical belief in her job, behind non-formal matter of speech and joked. Meanwhile Silic did not really try to hid anything. He hated this job and he hated this ship. It was silly that Silic who hated all this and Yaeko who was created and lived for all this were partners.

"Hunter can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked the nekovalkyrja officer. "Between four eyes."
 
Akemi walked over to her fighter with Kayo along side her. "Vas-san still seems to have issues." Kayo said to Akemi.

"He just has not found his center. He is an engineer, and has managed to keep Hunter and himself alive with those skills." Akemi responded.

Walking up to her fighter Akemi picked up the service log. She did a quick check to see if the techs had addressed her problem with the computer array last mission. Seeing that they had replaced both units she smiled and was confident that the problem would not plague her.

Kayo walked over to her fighter, looking at the load out on her craft. She then walked over to the crew chief to speak her with her for a moment.

---------

Konpeki could see that her presence was no longer required. She turned briefly to Elisto. "Scrapyard, I would like a moment of your time." She said and headed towards the corridor.
 
"Of course you can," Yaeko responded with a smile. Strolling over, she dropped into one of the seats near Anne.

"What can I for you?"
 
Obligingly, Silics tuft of red hair bounced along the top of the seats before making a dive for the exits and escaping. Judging by the hurried footsteps, the rest of Silic had also escaped custody. For now.
 
Anne's did not watch others as they left the room, she simply looked at Hunter for a few seconds. When the door slid closed behind the last soldier she sighed. Anne felt a bit as if she was betraying Silic, with that she had to say. She had to say this though, it was her duty and her job. Mistress Atsui counted on her for this.

"Ma'am," Anne started looking for the right words. "As a flight surgeon of our wing my responsibilty to look after health of our comrades. That includes both physical and mental health. Physical health gives me no trouble, I am experienced doctor. Now I started working on mental health as well. I study psychology and am on the way of getting proper license. My study tells me a lot about people."

"What I am trying to suggest is that once we get back from this mission, Silic should be sent for psych-evaluation. His erratic behaviour is getting worse and worse. I like him as much as you do, but it could get dangerous. For him or for us. He is starting to disregard his personal safety more and more. I think few sessions with licensed psychologist could only help him."
 
Yaeko leaned back in her chair, folding her hands and resting her chin on them, and kicking her feet up onto an invisible stool of gravity-manipulation. She listened to Anne intently and took a deep, frustrated sigh when she had finished talking.

After a few seconds Yaeko spoke. "Well to start with, given your previous...engagements, I should hope you like Silic a good deal more than I do. Which is also why I'm assuming there's some form of personal knowledge I'm not aware of that's spurring this concern. I'm sure you know that I've been concerned about Silic for a while, which is why I made sure he returned to my back seat and isn't flying again. You raise some excellent concerns, and I'll make sure to file a report when we return recommending Silic for psych examination."

Yaeko was about to stand and leave, but she paused a moment before turning her head back to Anne. "I'm sure this was hard for you, and I'm also sure that Silic would be extremely upset if he thought you were meddling with what he would deem to be personal matters. If you would like, then this conversation can have never happened and this can be entirely my idea."
 
Elisto sat there and rubbed his chin for a moment before nodding at Konpeki and getting up; he followed his superior toward the door and, once outside, said. "Ma'am?"
 
Anne sighed this is surely was not easy for her. "Hunter, I do this because I am Silic's friend and because he is my comrade. I care. Not to mention it is my responsibility. If he asks why, feel free to say it was my suggestion." She then smiled, although it was a bit sad smile.

"Also I would like to make sure you understand me. I don't think he is crazy, just troubled. War took a bite of him and he deals badly with that. I think seeing a proper psychologist for counsel could help him. Someone neutral, who is not involved with this unit."
 
"I know that Anne," Yaeko responded quietly. "You know, not many people know this but Silic and I have been together from the start. He rode backseat for me on the the squadron's first mission, what was supposed to be a patrol near Daichi turned into a quick response when NMX battlecruiser dropped out of fold."

She smiled as she started gigging and her gaze turned towards the floor. "I even remember our first interaction. As we were about to lift off I paused to warn him that I was never actually trained as a pilot," Yaeko stopped to look up at Anne, "technically I'm a Communications Operator. Another thing most people don't know." She returned her gaze to the floor, "He responded by telling me he wasn't much of an EWO. We were both Hei's back then, and now look at us."

Yaeko gave a few more small laughs to herself before looking back up at Anne. "But I digress, I'll make sure that he's taken care of." She paused to take a deep breath before glancing at a nearby clock. "We should probably start heading to the flight deck."
 
Hallway

Konpeki looked around before speaking to Elisto. "There was until recently a lot of sporadic transmission activity. There is a chance that whatever you encounter may be connected with the terrorist organization IWL.

Any computer records you can acquire are priority, also identification of any unusual information technology present."
 
"Indeed Hunter," Anne responded with a smile. She finally got the young neko officer to open up a bit. It was a bit cheeky of her to go out her way and treat her superior this way. Anne was about to give herself a mental slap for it, when she once again realised she was not a slave anymore. That except for the rank, she and Yaeko were equals.

"Let's go," Anne said standing up and moving to the doors. "Did you pick your XO yet? You command this wing at this moment, but you surely need help. I think Elisto-san would be perfect for the job. He was an actual commander in the past I hear. In the civilian sector, but still he is a very dedicated man."
 
Yaeko stood up and walked with Anne out the doors and towards the hanger.

"Now that topic might be a little outside your paygrade," she replied with a smile. "But since you asked. I had been thinking about that recently, sometime in the past two or three days. But I hadn't given any thought to a specific person yet. I'll take your suggestion to mind, but I'm not sure if I would feel comfortable with someone from SAINT being second-in-command. He's already privy to more information than I," as she said this she motioned to Elisto and Konpeki who were speaking privately nearby. "And I don't hold any hard feelings over it, but it means there will be times when he will be forced to contradict me, and that's not a good quality in an XO. But like I said, I'll think about it."
 
"I am simply talking out of the standpoint of someone that knows our comrades. I am their doctor after all," Anne replied to Hunter. "I realise that this might not be my place to give you suggestions, but on the other way I might say something that will help you. For once you can stop thinking about me as Anne Joto-hei, but as Anne this wings flight surgeon."

"I see your problem with Elisto-san. He is a member of SAINT, that is true. I must say I did not considered it that much. I see him as our comrade first and SAINT agent seconds. Anyway if Elisto-san would not be that leaves us with three choices doesn't it? Silic, who we both know is not a best candidate for obvious reasons and then Arashi-heisho and Murasaki-heisho."
 
Hallway

Konpeki saw Yaeko talking with Anne a short distance away. She was still not sure what to make of the Helashio, especially with the ears she sported.

While waiting for Elisto's response, "Munkata-Shoi, when you are done I would like to have a word with you in private before you launch." she said with a smile.
 
Hallway

Elisto gave a nod. "I will record anything I find out there," he said to Konpeki, he was going to ask his own question but the question seemed rather irrelevant now.
 
"You make an excellent point." Yaeko responded. She spun her head around when she heard Konpeki's voice behind her. "Or maybe I will be privy to this information. I guess we'll have to find out." With a smile she floated herself off the ground and began drifting backwards towards Konpeki.

"I'll see you on the Flight Deck Anne," she called out before rotating to face forwards while she was moving.
 
Hallway

Konpeki waited until Yaeko was close enough to speak to privately.

"Ma'am the information I am going to pass on to you is need to know. That is why it was not given to the rest of the squadron.

The source you are going to investigate was transmitting on a variety of bands with significant encryption. Our analysis gives a high probability that you may encounter members of the IWL at point Bravo.

If you confirm IWL presence proceed with caution. Naturally if fired upon you can return fire, but try to disable. Also if any ship attempts to flee the area, use your discretion whether to pursue or not.

Do you have any other questions that I can attempt to answer?"
 
Yaeko snorted with a laugh at the mention of the IWL. "The International Worlds League is nothing more than a bunch of wannabe terrorists. They'll be no match for the Diamonds. I understand, and have no further questions. I'll see you when we get back."

Taking off at a jog, Yaeko made her way quickly to the hanger.

Hanger

"Alright Diamonds," Yaeko called out as she came jogging into the hanger. "Engines up, finalize takeoff prep. I want every bird ready to exit this hanger in three minutes!"

Hopping into the air, she quickly glided over to her open canopy and dropped gracefully into the front seat as the canopy closed behind her. Immediately she started takeoff prep, but it had seemed that Silic already had the ship ready.

"Thanks Tin Man," she said. "Ready for launch?"
 
Silic looked at Yaeko with a raised eyebrow and unbelieving expression. "In the time we've known each other, have I ever been ready for a launch?" he asked in mock sarcasm.
 
Hanger

Kayo completed her preflight checklist and all systems were checking out. She loaded her personal system preferences and waited for the orders to launch.

Akemi after completing her preflight adjusted her fighters power distribution to what she felt would be best. At the moment it was set for a more defensive posture.


From the speakers in the bay the following announcement came.

"Fighting Diamonds to the launch bay. Defold in t-minus two minutes, Diamonds to launch at CO's discretion once the bay doors are opened."

The pallets for the Diamonds fighters began moving to the launch bay. Four of the fighters slid into Bay 1, and the other four went into Bay 2.

Shortly after that the lights in the bay switched from white to red as the blast shields were raised and the outer doors opened. Before the Diamonds the expanse of space was spread with no stellar objects near by.
 
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