YSS Kaiyō
Shuttle Bay
8日 2月 YE 39
0900 Hours
The Kaiyō was on a steady course away from Silent Palace, the Freespacer outpost the away team had briefly intruded upon, and towards their destination, Kuvexian space.
Taii Teien Eden had been waiting for a T7 Raccoon shuttle to make its way into the bay before entering. Once the doors to space had closed, she entered, her tall frame enveloped in her Type 35. Black hair hung down to her waist and moved with her as she strode forward. The shuttle had been dispatched from a Type 30 Space Yacht that had recently made its way to the Sixth Squadron's position.
She stood at the ready, waiting for the doors to the shuttle to open. When they did, she was greeted first by a diminutive Eihei Neko, who eyed her suspiciously before bowing quickly and with little in the way of respect. Instead, the samurai was quite the opposite, with squinted iris-less eyes and black hair wrapped tightly in a long ponytail behind her white yukata. The captain of the Kaiyō didn't have much time to address the issue that was the samurai's lack of formality at her authority, for behind the samurai was a young boy, not much more than a boy, that she felt obliged to nod to.
As the door slid open, William hoisted his duffle bag and made sure his two swords were tied off, before following Rei down the ramp. As he did, he looked the hangar. He marveled at it as he stepped out. It was one thing to go into space for the first time on a space yacht. It was another thing entirely to be on a warship. Then his eyes fell upon the lone Neko who had come to greet them. He recognized her patch as being the vessel's CO, so he bowed to her when she nodded, then stepped off to the side to allow the princess herself to exit.
Dressed in a pristine white-paneled Type 35 herself, the freshly minted Shoi Kohosei Ketsurui Aiko stepped onto the Kaiyō's deck behind Rei and her ward. Eden might have been tall for a standard Neko, but still looked up to the NH-33A princess' height. Her confident stride was fluid, only slowing for a barely noticeable moment when she saw the empty shuttle bay that greeted her. Aiko had been told that she should not expect special treatment during the course of her cadetship, but her well-attended Imperial send-off from the Ketsurui Clan yacht that had brought her here hadn't fully prepared her for this. A simply furnished white katana was gripped in her left hand rather than fixed to her belt, giving the impression she was ready to draw at a moment's notice—a signature of the Sora Mai budo she practiced.
"Ketsurui-shoi, reporting for duty," Aiko said after giving Eden a quick, exactly measured bow. The princess sounded a little less deferent than an officer candidate should when she spoke. Her posture was held so upright that her nose was almost pointed at the ceiling, and her red eyes peered down over her cheeks into the Taii's with an unrelenting intensity. "I am yours to command, kanchô."
Eden closed her eyes while bowing deeply, then lifted herself up and looked up at Aiko. "It is just me, today. I apologize, but I would like to introduce your presence to the crew when we are able to properly structure your introduction. How do you feel about having a dinner in your honor tonight?" The question was a test, and Eden was eager to see the tone Aiko would set with her answer.
"It would be my honor to dine and become acquainted with my new comrades, Taii, should you find such pleasantries necessary," Aiko replied. This far out from Yamatai on a wartime expedition meant the ship was always at Readiness Condition 3, so thought the suggestion of a feast somewhat irresponsible, but she would not deign to correct her commanding officer so soon after meeting her. "I am more interested in getting familiarized with the Kaiyō, in the immediate term, however. When is my first duty shift?"
"That depends," Eden replied as the shuttle's two crewmen began to unload Aiko's Kirie and Rei's Sarah M7. "What we need from you is to be the face of the front lines. To both rally the troops and be ready to become a part of them at a moment's notice. We will need you to learn the language of our enemies and to be able to speak with your fellow Yamataians all in the same breath. We will utilize you during missions, if you find that acceptable, and will leave you to decide what to do with the rest of your time aboard the Kaiyō."
William was quiet as the two talked, glancing instead over at Rei. This... he never imagined he would be A. a bodyguard for a princess B. In space and C. On a warship. To say he was out of his element was an understatement. He moved his hands so that each one rested on the hilt of his swords. The familiar grooves of the hilt relaxed him. He also liked the hilt of his new sword that he had made. Getting caught up with thinking about his new sword, he looked back up to notice that Eden had begun walking, leading the way out of the shuttle bay.
"Understood, Taii," Aiko acknowledged, stepping forward at Eden's heels while her own clicked loudly atop the Plumeria gunship's polished floor. "I pray that my yojimbo's presence—as well as Wil-kun's—can be accommodated for without trouble. Have you encountered the Kuvexian menace yet?"
Eden nodded at the question. "We have encountered those that are in line with the Kuvexians—the L'Kor. They threaten our abilities to end the war with the Kuvexians easily and swiftly. The Sixth Squadron is closer than ever to space they occupy and we have begun the process of outing them from their hiding. The last time we were up against them, they committed seppuku, mass suicide. We don't want them to be so lucky next time. They will die when we permit them to. They will live only if we permit them to."
Rei's brows went up in astonishment at the words that came from the Taii's lips, but remained quiet, hands held together underneath her white sleeves. She looked to William to gauge his reaction to that which the Taii had said.
William looked a little taken a back by the comment, but his face fell back into its normal deadpan expression. He knew that he would need to get used to this type of sentiment, but it was still so new to him. He had never killed anyone, or seen death first hand... He had a feeling he would experience both while he was stationed here.
At that moment, Boss spoke to the captain urgently. "Taii Teien Eden, Catherine Ross has a communication coming through. I must direct you to the bridge."
"I can talk to her here," Eden said quickly.
Boss said only, "You'll want to see this."
Eden looked between the three of them and moved her jaw as if chewing something tough, then her eyes grew bright after a moment's thought and she waved for them to follow her. She made her way to the bridge and entered first hurriedly, siting down at the command console. Those there stood at her entrance, saluting, then were back in their chairs to keep working the systems they operated. Rei stopped short of the bridge and motioned for William to stop at the entrance to it, saying nothing but making it apparent they were to act as guards there. Aiko herself proceeded inside after Eden, keenly attentive to the developing situation.
"Saki," Eden said to her first officer. "This is Princess Aiko, Yui's daughter and public relations officer." They had of course discussed Aiko's arrival to the ship already, but Eden said this more for the benefit of those on the bridge.
Before Saki could respond, Eden was connected to squadron leader Catherine Ross' comms and said only, "What do we have?"
Catherine Ross was short, saying, "L'Kor. An entire fleet."
Eden looked down at her screen, which was showing her the visual of two carriers, a battleship, and several dozen bombers.
Even though the princess' face remained stern and focused, she could feel great excitement swell within her chest. How fortunate she was to see action so quickly! The prospect of slaying Yamatai's enemies on the battlefield almost prompted her to dart off the bridge and into the big power armor that had made the journey with her, but she stayed her impulse. And still, she remained silent; for all she wanted to ask the Taii questions, now was not the time. She was there to learn, after all.
William had stopped and waited outside with Rei, but was listening intently. When he heard that the ship was going against an entire fleet, a lump began to form in his throat. An entire fleet of the enemy? He just got here, and they were being thrown to the wolves? He swallowed hard, and shook his head. He couldn't be afraid. This is what he wanted to do. He chose this. He had to live with his decisions.
"Are you okay, Musuko?" Rei asked the boy she had adopted and brought to war.
He nodded. "Hai, Sensei. I'm fine. W...What can I do to help?" He asked, steeling himself.
"Eeto..." Rei said. "If a threat to the princess arises, cut it down as swiftly as it emerged."
"Yes Sensei. No harm shall come to Princess Aiko... Not while I still draw breath." Her son replied.
Rei nodded to him, both in agreement and pride.
Back on the bridge, Eden asked Ross, "What is the plan of attack?"
"Away teams of the three ships besides your own will be dispatched and will down the bombers while our ship-based weapons will take out the carriers."
"What of Kaiyō's away team?" Eden asked Catherine Ross. "What of the battleship?"
"We are sending your away team onto the battleship to destroy it from the inside."
"I trust we will not fail."
Catherine Ross said, "We will be within range to deploy in minutes. Standby."
"Boss?" Eden asked.
"Bringing the away team up to speed, now," the AI said before issuing commands to the entire away team wherever they were on the ship. "Please report to the power armor bay! Enemy craft spotted. The away team will go after an enemy battleship while the away teams from our other ships take down bombers and our ship-based weapons destroy their carriers. Jôtô Heisho Murakami Mitsuko will lead the attack on the battleship. More information to follow as it comes in. Hajime!"
Shuttle Bay
8日 2月 YE 39
0900 Hours
The Kaiyō was on a steady course away from Silent Palace, the Freespacer outpost the away team had briefly intruded upon, and towards their destination, Kuvexian space.
Taii Teien Eden had been waiting for a T7 Raccoon shuttle to make its way into the bay before entering. Once the doors to space had closed, she entered, her tall frame enveloped in her Type 35. Black hair hung down to her waist and moved with her as she strode forward. The shuttle had been dispatched from a Type 30 Space Yacht that had recently made its way to the Sixth Squadron's position.
She stood at the ready, waiting for the doors to the shuttle to open. When they did, she was greeted first by a diminutive Eihei Neko, who eyed her suspiciously before bowing quickly and with little in the way of respect. Instead, the samurai was quite the opposite, with squinted iris-less eyes and black hair wrapped tightly in a long ponytail behind her white yukata. The captain of the Kaiyō didn't have much time to address the issue that was the samurai's lack of formality at her authority, for behind the samurai was a young boy, not much more than a boy, that she felt obliged to nod to.
As the door slid open, William hoisted his duffle bag and made sure his two swords were tied off, before following Rei down the ramp. As he did, he looked the hangar. He marveled at it as he stepped out. It was one thing to go into space for the first time on a space yacht. It was another thing entirely to be on a warship. Then his eyes fell upon the lone Neko who had come to greet them. He recognized her patch as being the vessel's CO, so he bowed to her when she nodded, then stepped off to the side to allow the princess herself to exit.
Dressed in a pristine white-paneled Type 35 herself, the freshly minted Shoi Kohosei Ketsurui Aiko stepped onto the Kaiyō's deck behind Rei and her ward. Eden might have been tall for a standard Neko, but still looked up to the NH-33A princess' height. Her confident stride was fluid, only slowing for a barely noticeable moment when she saw the empty shuttle bay that greeted her. Aiko had been told that she should not expect special treatment during the course of her cadetship, but her well-attended Imperial send-off from the Ketsurui Clan yacht that had brought her here hadn't fully prepared her for this. A simply furnished white katana was gripped in her left hand rather than fixed to her belt, giving the impression she was ready to draw at a moment's notice—a signature of the Sora Mai budo she practiced.
"Ketsurui-shoi, reporting for duty," Aiko said after giving Eden a quick, exactly measured bow. The princess sounded a little less deferent than an officer candidate should when she spoke. Her posture was held so upright that her nose was almost pointed at the ceiling, and her red eyes peered down over her cheeks into the Taii's with an unrelenting intensity. "I am yours to command, kanchô."
Eden closed her eyes while bowing deeply, then lifted herself up and looked up at Aiko. "It is just me, today. I apologize, but I would like to introduce your presence to the crew when we are able to properly structure your introduction. How do you feel about having a dinner in your honor tonight?" The question was a test, and Eden was eager to see the tone Aiko would set with her answer.
"It would be my honor to dine and become acquainted with my new comrades, Taii, should you find such pleasantries necessary," Aiko replied. This far out from Yamatai on a wartime expedition meant the ship was always at Readiness Condition 3, so thought the suggestion of a feast somewhat irresponsible, but she would not deign to correct her commanding officer so soon after meeting her. "I am more interested in getting familiarized with the Kaiyō, in the immediate term, however. When is my first duty shift?"
"That depends," Eden replied as the shuttle's two crewmen began to unload Aiko's Kirie and Rei's Sarah M7. "What we need from you is to be the face of the front lines. To both rally the troops and be ready to become a part of them at a moment's notice. We will need you to learn the language of our enemies and to be able to speak with your fellow Yamataians all in the same breath. We will utilize you during missions, if you find that acceptable, and will leave you to decide what to do with the rest of your time aboard the Kaiyō."
William was quiet as the two talked, glancing instead over at Rei. This... he never imagined he would be A. a bodyguard for a princess B. In space and C. On a warship. To say he was out of his element was an understatement. He moved his hands so that each one rested on the hilt of his swords. The familiar grooves of the hilt relaxed him. He also liked the hilt of his new sword that he had made. Getting caught up with thinking about his new sword, he looked back up to notice that Eden had begun walking, leading the way out of the shuttle bay.
"Understood, Taii," Aiko acknowledged, stepping forward at Eden's heels while her own clicked loudly atop the Plumeria gunship's polished floor. "I pray that my yojimbo's presence—as well as Wil-kun's—can be accommodated for without trouble. Have you encountered the Kuvexian menace yet?"
Eden nodded at the question. "We have encountered those that are in line with the Kuvexians—the L'Kor. They threaten our abilities to end the war with the Kuvexians easily and swiftly. The Sixth Squadron is closer than ever to space they occupy and we have begun the process of outing them from their hiding. The last time we were up against them, they committed seppuku, mass suicide. We don't want them to be so lucky next time. They will die when we permit them to. They will live only if we permit them to."
Rei's brows went up in astonishment at the words that came from the Taii's lips, but remained quiet, hands held together underneath her white sleeves. She looked to William to gauge his reaction to that which the Taii had said.
William looked a little taken a back by the comment, but his face fell back into its normal deadpan expression. He knew that he would need to get used to this type of sentiment, but it was still so new to him. He had never killed anyone, or seen death first hand... He had a feeling he would experience both while he was stationed here.
At that moment, Boss spoke to the captain urgently. "Taii Teien Eden, Catherine Ross has a communication coming through. I must direct you to the bridge."
"I can talk to her here," Eden said quickly.
Boss said only, "You'll want to see this."
Eden looked between the three of them and moved her jaw as if chewing something tough, then her eyes grew bright after a moment's thought and she waved for them to follow her. She made her way to the bridge and entered first hurriedly, siting down at the command console. Those there stood at her entrance, saluting, then were back in their chairs to keep working the systems they operated. Rei stopped short of the bridge and motioned for William to stop at the entrance to it, saying nothing but making it apparent they were to act as guards there. Aiko herself proceeded inside after Eden, keenly attentive to the developing situation.
"Saki," Eden said to her first officer. "This is Princess Aiko, Yui's daughter and public relations officer." They had of course discussed Aiko's arrival to the ship already, but Eden said this more for the benefit of those on the bridge.
Before Saki could respond, Eden was connected to squadron leader Catherine Ross' comms and said only, "What do we have?"
Catherine Ross was short, saying, "L'Kor. An entire fleet."
Eden looked down at her screen, which was showing her the visual of two carriers, a battleship, and several dozen bombers.
Even though the princess' face remained stern and focused, she could feel great excitement swell within her chest. How fortunate she was to see action so quickly! The prospect of slaying Yamatai's enemies on the battlefield almost prompted her to dart off the bridge and into the big power armor that had made the journey with her, but she stayed her impulse. And still, she remained silent; for all she wanted to ask the Taii questions, now was not the time. She was there to learn, after all.
William had stopped and waited outside with Rei, but was listening intently. When he heard that the ship was going against an entire fleet, a lump began to form in his throat. An entire fleet of the enemy? He just got here, and they were being thrown to the wolves? He swallowed hard, and shook his head. He couldn't be afraid. This is what he wanted to do. He chose this. He had to live with his decisions.
"Are you okay, Musuko?" Rei asked the boy she had adopted and brought to war.
He nodded. "Hai, Sensei. I'm fine. W...What can I do to help?" He asked, steeling himself.
"Eeto..." Rei said. "If a threat to the princess arises, cut it down as swiftly as it emerged."
"Yes Sensei. No harm shall come to Princess Aiko... Not while I still draw breath." Her son replied.
Rei nodded to him, both in agreement and pride.
Back on the bridge, Eden asked Ross, "What is the plan of attack?"
"Away teams of the three ships besides your own will be dispatched and will down the bombers while our ship-based weapons will take out the carriers."
"What of Kaiyō's away team?" Eden asked Catherine Ross. "What of the battleship?"
"We are sending your away team onto the battleship to destroy it from the inside."
"I trust we will not fail."
Catherine Ross said, "We will be within range to deploy in minutes. Standby."
"Boss?" Eden asked.
"Bringing the away team up to speed, now," the AI said before issuing commands to the entire away team wherever they were on the ship. "Please report to the power armor bay! Enemy craft spotted. The away team will go after an enemy battleship while the away teams from our other ships take down bombers and our ship-based weapons destroy their carriers. Jôtô Heisho Murakami Mitsuko will lead the attack on the battleship. More information to follow as it comes in. Hajime!"
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