RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 9 Side-Story] The Road To Eucharis

[Wes]

He'd been waiting.

A British female voice sounded over the intercom, echoing throughout Pisces Station: "Attention please. Akechi Shika-Nitô hei, report to Concourse B, Terminal 21 for confirmation of space-available transport to classified destination."

It'd been over a year since Shika set foot on Pisces, but he still remembered its enormous layout like the back of his hand. The Fourth Fleet had been a good but somewhat monotonous assignment...up until his ship had been slagged by the NMX. Now he had a chance at a new ship...the Eucharis, which was supposedly one of the Star Army's most dangerous and secretive.

His neatly-packed bags sat on the hotel cabin's bed, ready for him to take them along for this new adventure..

 

[Postchivalry]

Shika had found himself kicked around the Fourth Fleet as an inglorious jack-of-all-trades to fill in low-end personnel gaps. It hadn't been a particularly terrible experience, but neither was it something he felt he could be proud of.

Even Shika's first and only battle had been something of a let down. He had been off-duty when a Mishhuvurthyar destroyer's main cannon turret got a lucky salvo in. The orderly flight to the escape pods wasn't remotely similar to what the dramatic Yamataian space operas portrayed. Shika even had time to carefully fold his uniforms so they wouldn't get creased in his duffel bag.

Shika wrinkled his face at the utter blandness of his first tour of duty. Oh, he'd gotten along with his crew-mates, and he'd worked dilligently and learned a few tricks that basic didn't teach you, but… Shika shouldered his bags and threaded his way through Pisces Station. He envied the people who were assigned to outfits like the Eucharis. They were who the kids fixated back home as the real Star Army.

He still couldn't believe his fortune. Of all the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, and he was selected. And a classified destination! Shika thought giddily. It was the first time he'd even heard of that sort of security protocol in orders. He hadn't felt this excited since he got on his first starship, which felt like a lifetime ago.

Shouldering his way past the open doors, Shika noted that Concourse B, Terminal 21 was as bland and empty as its neighbours. But he didn't care. He set down his bags, took advantage of a vacant seat and kicked back, his hands pillowing his head. He was on his way to the Eucharis!

 

[Wes]

Because of its position over Yamatai, Pisces was a major hub for transferring Star Army soldiers and a great many of his fellow uniformed bag-carrying Nekovalkyrja and Yamataians and kept the massive concourse passageways crowded beneath bright lights and an unending stream of intercom announcements. Occasional coffeeshops and small travel shops dotted the walls.

The terminal was sharply contrasting. Here there was only rows of empty leather seats in the waiting area and the only person here, if she could be called that, was an NH-28 automaton standing next to the hastily-added scanner at the hatch to the cargo ship. The scanners were all over the station; by the time he'd reached the terminal he'd must've passed through at least four of them. In high traffic locations the Star Army had become quire paranoid of "zombies"--those who had become infected by a Mishhuvurthyar parasite.

Beyond the hatch was a flexible plastic zero-gravity tube connected to the Odori-class's airlock. He could see the ship idling on a viewscreen along with its registry: YSS Frederick, NL-X1-440, denoting a logistics ship of the First Expeditionary Fleet.

 

[Postchivalry]

Shika hadn't realised the NH-28 was there. He quickly got up and approached the automaton, then offered a quick bow. "Akechi Shika-Nitô hei, reporting as requested." He always treated NH-28's with the level of respect he'd give to a sentient creature. He had the same attitude with MEGAMIs, and could never understood others didn't share his views. They seemed just human enough to warrant decency.

 

[Wes]

"Identity confirmed. Please pass through the scanner," the NH-28 tensely replied, gesturing toward it with her eyes and a jerk of her head. Her gloss white face maintained its stern expression. "This ship will depart after you are aboard."

Ahead, a Star Army logo appeared on the viewscreen, replacing the external view of the starship. A smaller Nekovalkyrja with a Shoi rank pin and a white-paneled command uniform had her face close to the camera showing her big dark eyes and curly red hair. "Hello! Captain Gally here. We've been waiting for you, Akechi Hei! We're bringing supplies to your future home, so we were delayed so that the Logistics didn't have to make two trips. I'd say you lucked out, not having to take a shuttle or have layovers! Get down here so we can get going! We've got lunch!"

 

[Postchivalry]

"Outstanding, ma'am," Shika grinned, and offered yet another quick bow. "I'm starving! I'll see you aboard." He hadn't realised that he'd skipped his meals -- such was his excitement. He hefted his duffle bags and passed through the scanner. Having proved he wasn't infected, Shika slipped through the hatch and into the zero-gee tunnel.

He kicked off the terminal's bulkhead vigorously. He didn't want the Frederick to idle any further that it already had on his account. Shika quickly negotiated his way past the airlock and into the freighter itself. He looked about, looking for a someone to help him settle in.

 

[Wes]

The Neko captain actually came to greet Shika; she was standing there when the airlock finished cycling.

"Ready!" she said into the intercom, and the ship lurched beneath them shortly thereafter. The Frederick was already on the move.

"Leave your bags for a moment and come with me to the bridge." the redhead invited him. "We could use a starship operator." The trip to the bridge was short. The ship was fairly tiny--the smallest but most numerous freighter in the Star Army.

Frederick's small bridge was an old style 5-station type with a hinomaru emblem in the center of the red carpet. It had a sunken-down pilot station at the front center with sensors and weapons on either side, built into the wall of the bridge, with fold-out panels to allow the officers at those stations to face the viewscreen. The communication station had only a small "desk" of displays and panels. The commander station one third of a meter higher than the communication station, to ensure he can see what is happening. He also has only a small desk of panels.

Most notable was the lack of personnel on the bridge. Other than Shika and the captain, there was only one other crewman there, a giant stone-skinned abomination who dwarfed his station. The so-called trolls were one of Yamatai's minor races and seeing them was fairly rare.

"Do you want to pilot us out?" the captain offered.

 

[Postchivalry]

Shika nodded. It was a cardinal sin to cross a CO's wishes, implied or otherwise. Besides, it was bad practice to not take advantage of opportunities as they arose. "Yes, ma'am!"

He offered a friendly nod to the troll hulking over his station before slipping into the pilot's seat. He was pleased to discover that the Frederick's systems were no different from the other freighters he'd driven in the Fourth Fleet. He quickly busied himself with checking and double-checking the ship's worthiness for departure. While he was more than certain that Captain Gally had everything good to go, the regs had been drilled into Shika to the point that he followed through procedure without question. Indeed, the freighter's two-man crew had already prepped the ship for flight and cleared a departure route with Pisces. All Shika had to do was follow the way out.

A cursory glance at the sensor output told Shika that the traffic wasn't very busy at all. Another good omen, Shika thought to himself. "Concourse B Traffic Control, this is YSS Frederick, Terminal 21. Advising that we are proceeding with our departure flight plan."

"Solid copy, Frederick. Please proceed. Take care! And kindly remind that cheating scum Gally that she owes me."

"Roger that, Traffic Control," Shika answered professionally. He smoothly engaged the ship controls and took her out on a relaxed trajectory for deep space. He'd flown ships countless times in his previous tour of duty, but Shika was glad to realise that the giddy excitement he felt then still hadn't waned. And he expected it never would.

It was at that precise moment that Shika's stomach grumbled quite loudly. He cringed, but didn't take his eyes off his station. "My apologies. I haven't had breakfast."

 

[Wes]

"We will want to get going first," Captain Gally pointed out. "Watch out for all the other ships around here. You should see it when the traffic is heavy. Set course for the Elysia Novus system, and make sure we stay away from Albini on the way. We don't want to stir up the NMX patrols. Take the Nepleslian space way."

In the meantime, Gally pulled up the lunch menu:

YSS Frederick
Lunch Menu

Appetizer:
Fried Calamari

Main Course:
Lemon butter salmon
Steamed broccoli
Rice pilaf

Dessert:
Chocolate-marbled cheesecake

 

[Postchivalry]

Gally obviously knew Pisces' ebb and flow like a master mariner of old knew his sea's tides. Soon enough friendly contacts crowded up the Frederick's sensors. Shika quickly found himself making an array of minor adjustments to his original flight path, and de-conflicting with his counterparts in nearby vessels over comms. The probabilities of a starship accident were infinitesmally small, but stranger things had been known to happen.

It was a starship operator's job to make sure that such mishaps didn't. Shika kept working at his station, furiously clearing out his back-log of navigational and protocol duties. "MEGAMI, how are we looking?"

"Manual inputs are satisfactory, Akechi Shika-Nitô hei. The vessel is clear of shipping traffic and clear for hyperspace transit."

"That'll have to do on an empty stomach," Shika replied dryly. "MEGAMI, you heard the Captain. Please prep a FTL transit solution on a Nepleslian vector."

A number of projected courses were quickly put up on Shika's station displays. The math was clean and efficient, just as he'd expect of a shipboard AI of Yamataian engineering. "Excellent, MEGAMI. Please actuate transit solution Alpha-Zero-Four on Captain Gally's mark."

"Complying with orders. Continuum Distortion Drive will engage with the Captain's direct instruction."

 

[Wes]

Gally looked at the starfield ahead and struck a strong-looking pose. “Let's mosey.” Ahead, the starfield streaked and went white while below their feet, the ship lurched and rocked gently, giving the ship somewhat of an “at sea” feeling as the ship dealt sped across the fabric of subspace.

“I got this,” the giant creature rumbled, leaving the perky captain free to take Shika to lunch, which she did once Shika extracted himself from the pilot pit’s enclave of screens, consoles, and buttons.

The Odori-class freighter’s small common area was situated in the middle of the crew cabins, with a number of loveseats atop shaggy blue cart and a wardroom section with a few tables and chairs along the edges of the room. In the center of the floor there was a Star Army logo.

The Frederick’s lone cook was a short stocky alien with little black marbles for eyes and a large pig-like snout, with skin entirely covered in a fuzz of extremely down fluffy feathers. He was dressed in an apron and was bringing out the freshly fried squid appetizer in garnished glass platters with dipping sauce and lemon slices.

The red-haired Chui took her seat in one of the chairs and upon receiving the food Gally looked down at it, and then looked the Phodian cook in the eyes. “I love you,” she said, sounding dramactically serious. After staring at each other for a couple of seconds they both burst out laughing.

Shika was served. The Phod offered to bring them drinks, and the captain ordered lemonade.

“So what have you heard about the Eucharis?” Gally looked over to him and asked.

 

[Postchivalry]

Shika thanked the Phodian gratefully. "Lemon squash, please."

He could barely stop himself from gorging on the calamari. He forked a piece of calamari in what appeared to be aioli sauce and chewed on it thoughtfully in response to Captain Gally's question.

"What haven't I heard?" Shika began. "They kick butt and take names, all day, every day. The thought of serving aboard the Eucharis is almost unnerving." He eyed the Captain and offered an impish smile. "Why, what have you heard, ma'am?"

The Phodian appeared as if from nowhere, placed their ordered drinks with all the decorum expected of a waiter back home, then vanished back to the kitchen. Shika mentally noted to take the time to learn his name and thank him for the food later. Phods cooked even better than his mother did, something which Shika had once believed scarcely possible.

 

[Wes]

The Phod went back into the kitchen and pulled out some lemons and a couple of yellow squash, then juiced the lemons and blended the squash. After mixing the concoction he brought the cloudy vegetable lemonade out to the table.

Captain Gally gave Shika a serious look. "She's had many lost under her command already. She's emotionally damaged from her traumatic childhood and it drives her to constantly face death without concern for her safety. The ship is constantly sent on secret missions that could easily be considered suicidal...but somehow it is still fighting, and it is responsible for turning the war around at the battle of Elysia. We stopped the NMX there and that shows that we have a chance of victory if we fight smart and fight hard."

 

[Postchivalry]

Shika's smile didn't drop, but there was a sudden sea change in the air. For the first time, there seemed to be more to him than his cheerful irreverence.

He set down his cutlery. So the Captain's kid gloves finally come off. "You mean Ketsurui Hanako? She has a reputation, even in the Fourth Fleet. Some of which isn't so nice," He leaned back, shrugged. "You called it. Some call her a glory-drunk, blue-blooded crew-killer."

Shika paused. "But they've got it wrong. We signed up to protect Yamatai. Our lives are second to that at all times. The Eucharis single-handedly saves billions. So long as she keeps doing what she does, I call whatever comes a worthwhile sacrifice." There was a quiet intensity in his eyes that told Gally that he believed every word he had said.

He picked up his drink, tasted it, and shook his head ruefully. "That said, I'd die a happier man if I had Phod cook aboard the Eucharis." Shika remembered himself. "Ma'am."

 

[Wes]

"Well, she is mainly famous for her exploits on the legendary YSS Sakura...the conquest of the Lorath species, the big battles, and of course the rumors abound of her crew's parties...in which they did the most debaucherous acts imaginable. The Sakura was destroyed, but she was not actually on the ship at the time. There is actually a museum for that ship now. After that, she had two more gunships...the Plumeria, which was destroyed by the Mishhu and the Elfin Princess, which she used to chart 20 star systems before it too fell to the Mishhu. The Eucharis has been more low-key, without the wild party stories and all that. It's a more...respectable ship."

The cook appeared again, this time delivering the main course: delicate, flaky pink lemon butter salmon served with steamed broccoli and a buttery rice pilaf.

 

[Postchivalry]

"You sound like a big fan, Captain," Shika said.

He smiled gratefully at the Phodian when he set down the main course. He abstained from picking up the appropriate set of cutlery, instead choosing to courteously wait for Captain Gally to dig in before he did so himself.

 

[Wes]

Realizing Shika was waiting, Gally eagerly started on the fish and was quiet for the duration of her meal. Once they were done, they were presented with their dessert, a very fluffy traditional cheese cake laced with generous swirls of chocolate and topped with a fresh strawberry and a mint leaf.

"We should be arriving in a few minutes," the troll's gravelly voice came over the intercom, sounding like a large boat motor in its deepness and loudness.

Before starting her cheesecake Gally asked, "Ever been salvaging?"

 

[Postchivalry]

The food on Shika's plate had vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared on the table.

"Can't say I have, ma'am," Shika answered. He deftly pushed the mint leaf aside and started cutting a piece of cake for himself. "More often than not, I was stuck doing grunt work with Damage Control teams back in the Fourth Fleet, rather than driving ships or anything fun like that."

He paused long enough to eat said piece. Shika shot the Captain with a quizzical look. "Why?"

 

[Wes]

"After she completes her mission," Gally explained, "The Eucharis is supposed to come here and meet us at this field of debris left over from the large battle recently fought here. They will be looking for survivors, useful items, and leftover enemies. I imagine it will be depressing work, knowing that so many of our sisters died here."

The redheaded captain paused to absently play with the strawberry on her lips, removing the cheesecake bits from it before slowly but continuously eating in the same way an electric pencil sharpener would consume a pencil.

"I have an idea. Maybe we can do some scans of the debris ad take a look around before they arrive. I am sure they would be happy that we scouted the area first."

 

[Postchivalry]

"Yes, ma'am. I'm at your disposal," Shika said. He'd seen his share of death in his previous tour. Judging from what the Captain had said, salvage work wasn't something he necessarily looked forward to, but it was important nonetheless.

And potentially dangerous, The thought of tangling with hostiles aboard a freighter was a sober one. Shika pursed his lips thoughtfully. A junior ensign had to choose his words carefully with a white-panel. "Will we be pulling recon without fleet support?"