RP: Lorath Nyli II R&D Group - Wings, Rockets, Prayers.

[DocTomoe]

Nyli III Settlement - Scuttled Carrier Complex #19, Medbay #99

The hour was something around what could be called 'noon' on the surface of Nyli III, the sunlight shined upon the planet, and the day was quite nice out... of course, it did not matter when you were inside of one of the many scuttled carriers which served as colony complexes for the Lorath people.

Within one of these scuttled carriers, a conversation had taken place between an LSDF junior officer, and a New Tur'lista doctor. The debate was about if one of the doctor's patients was ready for conversation, of course, the doctor argued, but eventually allowed the visitor to be let in.

A young but strong feminine voice called into the curtained off section of the medical bay. "Chief Mauro, are you awake?"

"Barely," a voice strained from the nearby bed, as Mauro Komodo Lmanel laid down, keeping his eyes tightly shut. He knew he shouldn't have stood right next to the reactor like that. He was alive, sure, but everything hurt and he wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to breed again. "This is gonna hurt tomorrow."

The curtains shifted aside, and revealed a gray uniform clad Fyunnen woman, who's name badge read 'Se'len' in the runic Lorath text, beside it, the name 'Ruby' was written in Nepleslian text. "Greetings Chief... quite a nasty accident so I read. You were exposed to... four, maybe five times the radiation which a Lorath body should be exposed to through a lifetime... quite an incident to survive. Of course, I also read that you've been through worse... so, I think you'll be quite alright in the coming days." Se'len stated as she looked down at the treatment-bandaged figure which laid on the bed before her.

"Where'd you hear that?" Mauro didn't open his eyes just yet, his hair all mussed and overdue for a dye job, yellow-blond fading into white at the roots. In any case, he'd be more worried if he actually wanted kids. "Service records?" It wasn't exactly a secret, of course. His luck would be the stuff of legend if he weren't otherwise so unassuming, and remarkably shitty at the whole shaman thing.

"Well, it is sort of my job to read about who I'm going to be commanding." Se'len explained as she picked up Mauro's chart, she examined the data that she could understand. "So yes, your service records, which are quite impressive I must add... other than the fact that you tend to blow up thirty percent of the things you lay your hands upon."

"I don't have much of a service to reflect on, but I guess I've done well, yeah." Blinking, Mauro opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, idly. "I could've sworn I'd been caught in the explosions of more than that..."

"Mmm, well, I haven't looked up your civilian contractor records yet. I was planning on reading those some time later." Se'len admitted as she looked at Mauro's face. "Quite a handsome face, considering you've been beaten around in your time more than an unruly Helashio slave with a cruel trainer."

Mauro grinned a bit, laughing despite himself. "I think I have a few bite marks from some of my family's lemurs somewhere...new CO, huh? So I got to Nyli, at least."

"Oh, you made the round trip in that crate... you know you pushed that engine to fifteen-percent above it's maximum parameters before that containment chamber ruptured?" The Fyunnen woman explained as she pulled a chair up to the side of the bed, which she took a seat upon.

"I was ordered to test the engine's limits. I think the old CO had a grudge on me for that time I borrowed her hair dye." Mauro coughed. "I gave her a note saying I was borrowing it, but she's horrible with papers. My mistake."

"Mauro, you know every time you put your hands on an engine, it takes an engineering team an average of two weeks to undo all the damage you do to the machine... but we're not here to have that talk. I wanted to speak to you about a new assignment." Se'len explained as she poured herself a glass of water from a nearby pitcher.

"I didn't get much detail other than the transfer, actually," Mauro said. Finally bringing his eyes over to his CO he asked quite simply, "Could I have one of those? And some painkillers? Radiation's a bit of a bitch."

"Mmm, it is up to the doctor." Se'len silently used her neural implant to ask the doctor about the matter, soon after, she presented a cup with a flexible straw to Mauro. "There you go, however, you're already maxed out for your painkiller allotment for the next few hours."

"Guess I've built up a tolerance over the years." Sipping on the glass, Mauro sighed. "So what's the new assignment you're talking about?"

"Well..." Se'len began to explain as she took a sip from her water. "You've been selected by my direct superior to be under my command as a test pilot and researcher. We're going to be testing the newest equipment to the Matriarchy, and evaluating unknown equipment."

"That sounds a lot like my old job," Mauro said, the straw making a very loud and audible sound. "What's different about this placement?"

"Better pay, better hours, more variety, and you're going to have someone babysitting you at all times to ensure that you don't blow your wings off." The Fyunnen woman replied in a cheerful tone.

Mauro's ears perked up at that last part, and he very quickly sat up, before lying back down on account of his cracked spine. "Babysat? Meaning, I'm gonna have a wingman."

"Wingmen, plural." Se'len quickly corrected.

"Right." Mauro sighed. "I guess I could get used to it, assuming no one tries to crush my head in their thighs. That happened once, actually..." Hand on his chin. "It was a first date and she was rather eager, but unfortunately two weeks later she went running off with some woman twice her age..."

"Mmm, no good at all really. Well, at this time we're not expecting any female Lmanel to be in our group, so you won't have to worry about that any." Se'len stated through a soft smile as she set aside her cup of water. "So far, our group will consist of you, myself, and one other."

"So who's the other, then?" Mauro asked, sipping his drink again and trying not to think of his hideous sex life. Being a failure at what you were bred to do isn't exactly the most attractive thing in the world.

Se'len sighed lightly. "Well, she is a Fyunnen, a veteran of machine piloting... her name is not important right now however, I still have to ensure that she is willing to take the assignment."

"Right, right..." Mauro continued to sip, idly. Awkward. "So when do they expect me out of here?"

"As soon as you're healthy enough to pilot... judging by the equipment they have in this heap, you'll be fine sometime this week, that is also what the doctor told me on the way in. 'Wait a week, then you can talk to him'... blah blah blah."

"I think he's still shocked that I'm not dead." The pilot smiled. "I do that to doctors."

"Mmm, I hope you don't do that to anymore doctors any time soon... I don't like the idea of down-time. On that note, one week, and I'll be expecting you at the Nyli II military complex. Landing pad A-6. Good health to you." With those words, Se'len made her way out of the treatment area and left to tend to other affairs.

 

[FM]

Nyli II Military Base - High Noon

The sun hung high in the sapphire blue sky as the un-natural scream of plasma-jet engines came from one of the landing pads which dotted the several dozen kilometer artificial island which served as the LSDF's military base on the ocean-covered planet.

The base looked rather dead at the moment, most of the personnel were indoors or in hangars working. It was a rather uncertain time in a political regard to be conducting test flights, even more so as the LSDF was stationed on alert in regard to the current independance declaration made by the United Outer Colonies.

The black river of artificial stone which was a runway stood barren and had gentle waves of heat rising off of it, the slate grey of the walkways and outdoor work areas were barren. However, the shoreline seemed to have one small bit of activity. A pair of uniformed Lorath were making their way from a landing pad along the shoreline. The pair approached another figure which was laid out upon the sand.

The soft crunch of sand served as the only sign of the approach of the pair, until they came within a few meters. "Hello there! Are you Cadet My'ean?" A woman's voice called as it approached closer.

The figure lain across the sand, her skin darkened, glistening ever so slightly with the application of tan oil. A large hand rose, pinkish beneath as it was planted into the sand, back arching to rise and sit up. A borrowed pair of sun-glasses were plucked away from the woman as she set her gaze upon those who spoke. Big dark brown eyes, almost black. My'ean was wondering if this would be one of those times where she should stand to attention. Her free hand rose to give a fairly casual salute, common amongst the pilots. "Ma'am."

"Mmm. Seems like the other pilots back at the base complex know your routine well." The uniform clad Lorath spoke as she stood beside the laying My'ean, but she did not stand in the path of the sunlight. "Cadet My'ean, my name is Ensign Se'len, and I will be serving as your new commander... Still no need to stand at attention by the way. But, I would suggest you pack up your beach towel and other things. I would like to breif you somewhere more... shaded." Se'len could already feel her skin becoming slightly irritated by the direct sunlight, it was one of those pesky left-over traits from the Lorath civilization being confined beneath ground for such a long time.

My'ean watched with a plain expression for a moment as she slid the sun-glasses back up the branch of her nose. Her body rose with a soft creak of muscle and bone, hand scouring the towel off the floor until she stood to almost her full height, leant forward some as she adjusted the straps of her bathing suit. She wasn't all to keen on swimming but she enjoyed the sensation of the sun against her skin. There was little else: Bottles wrapped neatly in the towel which she then slung over her shoulder like a traveller's bag, contents within.

Se'len gestured behind her to the Lorath male which followed in her wake. "This man here will also be serving with us, make your introduction." Se'len spoke as she looked to the Lorath behind her.

"Chief Warrant Officer Mauro Komodo Lmanel," Mauro said, stretching his wings and offering his hand to shake. "Pleased to meet you, ma'am. This is my first time on Nyli II...had a bit of a nasty accident on the way here. Luckily, I'm used to it."

My'ean paused for a moment, looking over Mauro for a moment. Her swimsuit was rather fitting, covering only what needed to be covered. "Accident?"

"Yeah, pretty much. They had me test a flying crate or something...I was in the hospital for a while, but I'm all right now." Mauro coughed, slightly, trying not to stare too hard. He himself was dressed in what seemed to be a custom-order Battledress, specifically assigned to him for this mission and the machine he was here to work with. "Got a few more scars from it, and I might be impotent, but I'm otherwise fine."

My'ean didn't nod or give an affirmative response, simply letting those words settle between her ears. She then turned her head to face the Ensign. She could feel the sand burning into her feet and her skin but her mind was on other things. "Where to?" she asked.

"Talk and walk." Se'len stated as she gestured to the worn area on the hillside which was a path back up to the base-level. "I've reserved a breifing room, and I doubt the base commander would be happy with me if I did not use it."

My'ean noted that Se'len was already taking steps and maneuvered herself along side the woman as they made their way toward the place she spoke of. It couldn't be ignored: My'ean's unusual build and the way she carried herself was pristine. There was no wasted effort, everything seconds ahead in the woman's mind.

"My'ean, tell us a little about yourself while we're walking, hm?" As Se'len spoke, the group crested the hill which then ended up being flat from there on. The scenery went from a lovely beach, to being the asphalt plains of the military base's airstrip with the base complex buildings a kilometer away.

Mauro kept behind the officers, feeling rather out of place - mostly because, compared to them, he was so damned short. Less of a problem in civilian life, but non-Funnyen in the LSDF always felt self-conscious. And the woman, My'ean...something was familiar about her, though he couldn't put his finger on it. At least the scenery was nice - the architecture of Nyli II's base amazed him; nothing like this had ever been constructed on Lor.

"What do you want to know?" came back the almost pre-calculated response from the woman as her eyes made note of Se'len's interest in her. The conversation would have to begin somewhere. Mauro was treated to what was essentially an "ideal view", for lack of better words to choose.

"Just the basics of what makes My'ean." Se'len vaguely elbaorated. "We're going to be working together, so it would be good to know a little bit about eachother. Likes, dislikes... you know, the things that keep us from killing eachother and allow us to work well together." Se'len stopped for a moment as she looked to the far end of the run-way which they were about to cross, checking for signal lights for incoming or outgoing craft. The way was clear, so she continued onward.

Mauro kept his eyes trained on the front; not that he didn't want to see what Se'len was offering, but rather that he didn't feel like doing so in front of his commander. Tanlines tempted him, but he would preservere! "Well, you could tell us where you shop for bathing suits," he commented idly, stroking his chin in thought.

"Well..." the woman's voice rumbled as her feet bit into the warmth of the concrete under the heat. "I like to keep my personal life and professional life independent so I can't answer that one unless you buy me dinner. I'm something of a fan of Nepleslian cuisine, particularly a dish called Korma... And something called iced-cream, if you're interested." she almost laughed to herself.

"It's quite obvious I suppose but I like to work out. Keeps my mind clear and my body at it's best. And... Hm... I like to watch the fighters go by. Sometimes hassle the engineers and pick on them. Some of them are pretty cute, actually. Yourselves?"

"Mm... well, I'll buy you both dinner. However, for you Mauro I'll leave it at that. My'ean, after the dinner I'll toss in a shopping trip and a holo-movie." Se'len said half jokingly, but also had a touch of a genuine offer to it as they approached the base complex's doorway. "Want to change into a uniform, or stick with the swimwear?" Se'len asked as she looked to My'ean with a smile.

"Maybe we should give her that M38. Which reminds me." Mauro stood at attention, brushing a blond hair from his face as he faced Se'len. "I was told that the test machines were shipped today. Two of them - the second, apparently, is assigned to you."

"Oh? How long between receiving the message and you telling me now?" Se'len asked, ready to make a mental note on if she should reward or punish the man later for his expediance.

My'ean glanced over her shoulder. She decided to remain in her swimsuit, knowing that she wouldn't be subjected to any strenuous work and it would be unlikely any peers would be likely to see her beyond the pair in her company. "Hm?"

"Well, I got it just before we left," Mauro said, coughing as he gave a salute. "Apologies, ma'am. But you immediately wanted to meet My'ean, so I figured you could stand to wait."

"So ...What's the test-unit?" My'ean enquired in a stark crisp tone. She didn't show it but she was already excited at the prospect.

"For future reference, you should report the issuing of new equipment or orders as soon as they come in." Se'len decided to let him off for the moment, she continued her path to the breifing room, and soon enough the trio arrived to a set of rather sturdy looking double doors. The doors were not designed for strength however, they were designed for secrecy. "Such formal rooms for breifings..." Se'len commented as she leaned down slightly and passed her eye near a scanner. The doors slid apart to allow the trio access to the rather plain looking room within which had a resemblance to a conference room which would be used for commerce. "And yes Mauro, tell us about them once you close the doors behind you." Se'len followed up on My'ean's curiousity.

"They're the new Stalwart Defense armor units, they've assigned two test units to our team," Mauro said, closing the door and taking a chair, hands on the table as he explained. "They're called 'Hunters'. They've only recently entered general production, so I'm not surprised you haven't heard of them. New PA units, smaller and more specialized than the Winter or Wind, mostly for export purposes. SDI is using the LSDF for testing purposes."

My'ean noted the name Stalwart. She'd heard it a number of times but whenever she tried to pick his brains, she only further perplexed herself."What's the operating envelope like?"

Se'len remained quiet as she gave Mauro a nod to continue with his explaination.

"According to the data I got beforehand, it's designed to outperform the 'Demon' unit from the corporation Zen Armaments, the most common powersuit currently available for civilian sale. It's substantially slower than the Winter, but much cheaper to produce and is useful for more utility-type combat situations - urban warfare, EVA operations, SWAT use." Mauro looked around the room, blinking. "Do we have a screen or something?"

"So it's smaller as well, since it can move freely inside structures like those." My'ean thought to herself with words.

Se'len slid a control pad to Mauro over the sizable table which stood in the middle of the room. "Go ahead, you're good at this by the way." He has promise, at least he is not timid.

"Thank you," Mauro said, his confident grin returning. Finally, the caffeine hits him. "All right, here's the Hunter. Seven or eight feet tall in non-Funnyen variations, mostly due to the leg engine structures."

The screen displayed a PA unit that was sleek, looking like a modern version of the ancient armors of legend, before the subterranean era. The helmet had 'rabbit ears' on its side, obviously communications antennae, and a large crystal camera in the middle of its forehead. On the front chest unit were two large jets and a hatch with a hazard symbol on top of it, signifying the reactor access. The back of the unit sported two panels, engines of a sort, obviously meant to fold down into the backpack. The hips held skirt armor that had multiple grenades, two cylinders, a rifle and a long saber. The lower legs tapered out, providing most of the height; the pilot's feet would obviously be much higher up than the unit's own feet.

"This is the standard LSDF production unit, non-Funnyen variant. The first test unit is here, assigned to me - serial number IVT-105, identification Soul Savior." A different unit came on screen; a blockier variant of the former unit, seeming to take cues from older Nepleslian models. The colors were primarily white, with a touch of dark red, blue, and grey; the helmet was modified, the visor sporting green holographic 'eyes' on a black background, and the rabbit ears replaced with straight antennae. "It has different comm systems, thus the different helmet, but is otherwise the same unit."

"The other unit..." Mauro admitted, folding his hands, "Is assigned to Ensign Se'len. But I don't know which one it is."

"Quite gaudy looking... Se'len stated as she looked at the design. "It looks good on paper, but this designer really has some excentric taste." Se'len then quirked her brow at Mauro. "Hm? What other unit?"

"It's to their tastes." My'ean mused to herself, recalling the strange Nepleslian fondness for machines that looked like machines.

"I just said, I don't know. It's another one of the preproduction models, but that's it." Sighing, Mauro looked around the room. "They got a coffee maker in here?"

"Yes, but learn to work without the caffine as well. Pre-production models of what?" Se'len looked disgruntled. She wished they'd sent her the technical notes instead of the jittery Lmanel. She looked at the documentation on screen and let out a disgruntled sigh. "I'll review the paperwork and see about the details... As for now, I want you two to begin unpacking and asembling the units. Grab a work crew to help you two out. Tonight we will meet in the housing unit assigned to us."

"Okay, Ensign, IVT-105 has been delivered to Cargo Structure 6. We're going to assemble it and give it a bit of a workover." Mauro nodded, continuing to smile. "I've been waiting a while to get this unit, so I really want to see what it can do."

My'ean nodded, her hand rising sharply into a crisp salute. "Ma'am!"

"Ensign!" Mauro said, following suit awkardly, somewhat overly stiff. "We'll be off."

"Don't just baby your unit, put the other one together as well." Se'len ordered as she scratched the back of her head in aggravation. "You're dismissed. We'll meet tonight as ordered."

END

 

[DocTomoe]

Nyli II Military Base - Assembly Hangar

It was some time since Se'len assigned her two subordinates to construct the 'Hunter' units from the components sent to them by the SDI company. Fortunately, the equipment present in the hangar was oddly enough fully compatible with the Hunter's hardware. Apparently, the LSDF had it in mind to be ready for working on SDI equipment.

"SDI must employ a bunch of untrained Helashio to handle shipments. How'd they mix up the paperwork?" Mauro complained, audibly, as he looked in the crate marked 'IVT-105'. Two more were off to the side, marked VFA-113 and LMV-312 - larger, to accommodate Fyunnen-sized parts. "You know what they say. A million Helashio on a million terminals will eventually produce the finest poetry. Ten Helashio on ten terminals will only produce porn."

"I'm not even sure they're capable of that" My'ean smiled to herself as she lifted one of the crates from above the other with great ease, settling it upon the floor: what was once a stack becoming a simple row of boxy shapes.

"These are supposed to be put on piecemeal, according to the manual here," Mauro said, flipping through the booklet that came with his crate as My'ean handles the heavy lifting. "Seems like you'd need training to put it on fast. Let's see...'several designs of machine to assist in donning the Hunter are available...' They're so greedy. Always trying to make you buy a bunch of stuff that should come with it in the first place."

"Who's they?" My'ean grumbled quietly to herself as she cracked her hand against the crate. There was a slight crunch as she slid her fingers beneath the newly formed seam, ripping the wooden lid off the crate slowly, as to not damage the contents of the crate. Lorath eyes noted the glistening freshly polished metal and assortment of bubble-wrap vacuum sealed parts.

"Stalwart Defense. Run by that crazy monkey man. You know, the one with the AI who sells porn of herself...or, well, so I heard." The parts were painted already, made of ceramic-composite materials - quite light for their size. The wrap kept them separated into arms, legs, torso and head. The helmet was on top, as well as the legs. "You put on your battledress first. They give you a custom one with the preproduction units. Then you go in...feet first. Man, those legs are huge."

"Huh... Who would pay to see a machine naked?" she asked as she lifted the parts out of the box, looking over a leg that she held in both hands with rifle-like balance. "How am I supposed to walk in this?"

The soft sound of boot clad footsteps echoed through the hangar as Se'len approached the pair. She looked like she was in a decent mood, despite having to go through enough paperwork to wallpaper a mansion. "How goes the assembly and familiarization?" She asked as she walked up to the pair, her gaze resting upon one of the Hunters freed from it's wooden coffin.

"It looks like a death-trap, Ma'am" My'ean impulsively spoke as she eyed the long legs, perplexed as to just how she would fit inside the tiny looking parts. It was at that point that she began to realize that only one of the two units was intended for someone of her stature - and this unit most certainly wasn't it. "I think this one's yours."

"Yes, that one would be mine," Mauro said, grabbing the leg part from My'ean. It wasn't that heavy, but he didn't handle it quite as well as My'ean did. "The other two are over there. Yours is called 'Angel bird', whatever that means. The one on the left. Ma'am, yours is on the right."

"I thought we had two." Se'len stated as her lips pressed together to create a scowl upon her features. "Don't tell me that ape messed up the paperwork, because I'll have to go through about a dozen forms just to point out the error."

My'ean dragged her fingers through her hair, her face to her palm for a moment as she grumbled. She then began stripping her crate open, looking over the parts bundled. It was more substantial but the same question still remained between her ears though her eyes settled upon a manual which she quickly hefted up and began to flick through. "Hugh..."

"Anyway, the machines look good...if small. I'm not sure I'd want to get shot in the head with this helmet, though." The armor didn't seem that tough to Mauro's eyes, but then, he needed to try it out beforehand. He kinda enjoyed the color scheme, in secret, even if it would show up like a beacon in deep space. "And all the parts are in order. I don't know why they shipped the Ensign a machine - but I guess that's neither here nor there. There was no test regimen shipped with it, at least, so she doesn't have to use it."

Se'len decided it was about time she got her hands a little dirty. Especially considering that she'd be having to write a full documentation of the error on account of the heap inside of the crate. She picked up a pry-bar from a nearby workbench then went to the crate containing the extra machine. She then went to work upon the container and soon the side of the crate split open and as soon as it was opened Se'len seized the manual from within the crate and began to read.

My'ean noted the way the armor almost glinted, black with highlights of yellow for her unit. At least something had been done right. Her eyes returned to the manual. "I'm not sure this is ...Hold on. This is for terrestrial use, right?"

"Do not worry Mauro, I'll be putting the machine through it's paces regardless if they provide me with a list of what to do or not... Hrm..." Se'len let out a slightly disgruntled grumble as she looked at the machine. "Seems I have a model intended for mass production. Nothing special. I'm mildly insulted, but I'll cope."

With My'ean's words, Se'len turned to the pilot and gave a nod. "At least that is what this manual indicates. Well, for the most part. It does seem to have limited in-space capabilities."

"So like a space-suit, then." My'ean commented as she looked over the strange 'ears' upon the helmet of the armor.

"It's a multi-environment armor, Cadet, but it's kinda slow in space - at least compared to what the Winter's speed is. Almost a glorified EVA suit." Mauro continued to flip through, peeking at Se'len's model. "At least it's got a better color scheme than mine. All red is kinda sexy. What's its name?"

Se'len could not help but to feel the urge to hit Mauro with the pry-bar she held in her hand due to the excessively cheerful nature of the man. How could anyone be so cheerful over such silly looking equipment? However, Se'len maintained her grasp upon her professionalism as she replied. "They named it after my off-world moniker, Ruby." Se'len explained before she turned to Mauro. "And what of your armor?"

By this point, My'ean was holding the helmet up to the light, her fist bawled inside it as she held the back with the opposite hand: making almost bunny-hop like motions with it to herself. A childish leak.

Se'len noticed My'ean's antics out of the corner of her eye. She could not help but to smile, she was glad to see that she was not the only one to find the armor's design something to be amused by. "Careful Cadet, if we let them sit unattended, they'll end up mating and we won't be able to get rid of all the little ones that'll spawn."

"Soul Savior. And the ears are kinda weird, to be honest." The helmets really did look kind of like rabbits. Maybe like a child's toy, the kind that turned into a truck or something. Mauro's own had different ones, however - the ears replaced by units with straight metal antennae just sticking out. Almost like walkie-talkies. "Supposedly they're part of some new communications system...I-wakks...I-walks...how do you pronounce this?"

My'ean's head turned about, glancing back at Se'len from the corner of her eye. She presented an unusual mix of a rather impish smile and earnest surprise. It looked strange on someone so large but there was something cute about it. Her eyes returned to the helmet as she slid it over her head, tapping her nail against the armor.

Se'len leaned and looked at the manual which Mauro was reading, then she sounded out the thing which he seemed to have trouble with. "Aie-Waks... I would guess. Its an abbreviation for something, I think." Se'len hated working with Nepleslian text and even more so she hated working with Yamataian text. Both were a pain, and both gave her a headache to look at. "Either way, these things look like they are a joke, but it is our job to test them."

"I hope the production versions don't look like this," Mauro said, sighing as he clutched his head. As much as Stalwart gave them technological advancements every so often, they had their price. "I guess I'll put mine on first...just for a first run before dinner." Looking at the leg units, he put them down, as he clutched the enclosed battledress. "I'll be back in five minutes."

"Skip it Mauro, I'd rather do our first flight of these in the morning hours so we can get a proper read out on the engine heat up process, also, I'd rather not have to explain to the tower that you want to go zipping about before you eat." Se'len stated as she looked at Mauro with somewhat of an annoyed expression.

My'ean looked over Mauro, thinking it to be something of a shame that he would dress away from her - It would make him harder to size up. "Better before than after" she noted. "Your digestive systems go to sleep when adrenaline really hits you. You'll soil yourself if it's past your stomach" came a clinical tone from My'ean, speaking from experience with other pilots as she held up her battle-dress.

"Thats why we'll do it in the morning. Not to mention we'll be better rested to deal with whatever the hell these absurd contraptions will deal us." Se'len explained as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a time-keeping device. "The water-harvesters should be coming into dock soon... Want to pick out some fish for our dinner, or should we see what the mess has in store?"

Mauro almost audibly groaned, but relented. It would be unprofessional. Not that he was terribly professional anyway, but he could wait. Even if it looked like a toy, it was still a new machine - and that piqued his curiosity like nothing else could. He walked back, returning the battledress to its proper place. "I guess I'd prefer not to have my stomach ripped open twice in a month. Well, again. Nasty little lizard my parents had as a pet..." He looked up, noticing he was trailing off, and shrugged at Se'len. Anything would be fine with him as long as he didn't have to kill it himself.

"I'd like to have a word with this... Stalwart was it?" My'ean piqued. "The design is probably solid but if test-pilots feel awkward with it, I can only imagine... Real pilots will hate it. And all on the looks, too."

"We can go look at the production units later. Prototypes are always weird-looking. Weren't the Hawk prototypes painted in high-visibility colors?" The question was to no one in particular, as Mauro packed the parts back into his crate.

"Well, we'll most likely end up talking to him when we're done with the testing." Se'len stated in reply to My'ean as she tossed the sizable manual at the base of the crate containing her machine. "Hrm... My'ean, what color was the test-Hawk?"

"It wasn't painted. Factory polished." My'ean responded.

Mauro muttered something under his breath after hearing that, before audibly answering. "I guess I was wrong, then. You tested the hawk, My'ean?"

"Hrm... especially with that structural mesh hull, I would think it would be difficult to apply a paint layer." Se'len gave a nod of thought before she waved her hand about. "We'll get to these machines later, we're getting out of here. I am not interested on being at the tail end of a meal line. So, My'ean, your pick; Mess or fresh ocean food?"

"I'll go with fresh. I like the canteens but ...I prefer proper food." came simple words from the tall woman. She placed her hand upon Mauro's shoulder, giving him a slightly heavy-handed pat. "We can talk about it over dinner, if Se'len's okay with it." My'ean's voice bounced.

"Mmm, conversation goes well with dinner... at least if the dinner is casual. Which it will be. Hrm, but we should hurry to the dock then, before the Lmanel personnel catch wind of the seafood and go about claiming all of the larger fare." Se'len explained as she began to walk out of the hangar.

"Fresh is good, I guess I could cook." Mauro was supposedly the outdoors man, after all. "I remember they painted some of the BoTs in weird colors. That's probably what I was thinking of..." He stopped, as he noticed Se'len walking out of the hangar before either of them noticed. "Kinda sneaky, isn't she?" His grin restored as he looked back at My'ean and motioned for her to follow.

My'ean did just that, though she quickly caught up with Se'len, leaving Mauro behind. A little behind, she kept up the pace with Se'len, a smile across her features as she motioned for Mauro to catch up. "Come on."

Curse my Lmanel legs! Mauro thought, unproductively using his frail wings to make a joking appearance of picking up speed., he however did put more effort into his stride. "I'm coming, I'm coming." The selectively bred had trouble understanding that others could be weaker...well, at least that's what he thought.

Meanwhile on the other side of the base where the land met the sea, a modified cargo hauler opened a topside hatch revealing a bounty of sea food, kelp, and some sort of odd algae paste... the trio of pilots were lucky to set out when they did, especially since they managed to beat the rush of carnivorous Lmanel which made their way to the dock at the first sign of live food.

My'ean teasingly placed her elbow upon Mauro's head as she stretched the opposing arm. "Pardon my brashness but who will be paying? I do not have my wallet with me."

"It's always the man who has to pay, isn't it?" Mauro said, with a bit of a laugh. "It's not too expensive, at least. Wonder if they have some shellfish mixed in with today's catch."

"Mm, base life is good My'ean. The meal is covered by the sheer fact we put our bodies on the line in service to the Matriarchy. When we're pushing those Hunters to their limits to where we're on the cusp of exploding, that'll be us paying for our meal." Se'len explained as the group approached the dock, where they would catch sight of a group of LSDF personnel unloading the writhing mass of sea-life from the interior of the cargo hauler.

"I hope it's less of a deathtrap than that crate. I don't feel like getting hospitalized again." Mauro shook his head, examining the food for what he wanted the most. Even if he wasn't a very good Lmanel, he was still a Lmanel. "Nor do I feel like getting more radiation. At this rate, I'll get cancer before I get shot down."

"Good evening." Se'len said in a greeting to one of the Lmanel LSDF personnel which was working on unloading the cargo. "How was the catch?"

"The haul was good... we're still cataloging the sea life here though. Before you take off with your food, make sure to check with me about what you're taking. I want to make sure we don't miss anything." The soldier stated as he worked a data-pad with one hand, and tossed aside shellfish, fish, and other sea-life aside into a pile with the other.

"Alright then... you heard him you two. Make sure to check with him before we leave with our food. Other than that, pick at choose at your own will, and if anything looks dangerous, don't hesitate to beat it over the head... or whatever looks like a head." Se'len then began to pick through the mass of aquatic life. She pulled her combat knife from her gun belt and held it in one hand, as she moved animals aside with the other.

A male Helashio scampered out of a nearby shack with a large plastic bin in hand which he quickly set down beside the trio of pilots before he climbed up the exterior of the cargo hauler and began to assist in hauling out another net-full of sea-life.

"I don't know much about sea-food to tell the truth... Mind surprising me?" My'ean announced, patting Mauro.

Mauro was next to look through, by eye rather than by hand. Getting out something that looked vaguely lobster-like, he put it aside, examining it. "This one looks fairly normal." Looking to My'ean, he grabbed something else at random - a fairly large fish with a very, very long nose. "You could cut off that nose and kill someone with it. Hell, I might just." His eyes trailed over to the cargo guy, and waited for Se'len to pick before calling him over.

My'ean took the fish, looking over it thoughtfully. Impulsively, her fingers tightened: with a crisp snap, the nose came free from the base in a clean break with surprising ease. She then tapped Mauro's shoulder with the offending object. "Hm?"

Mauro felt the sharp edge against him - not sword-sharp, but still. He winced a bit in pain before gently lifting it off. "We'll harvest weapons from these guys and live in the forests, like kings!" He had no idea where that came from, but it seemed to fit.

"Shell... shell... small... liquid..." Se'len muttered as she tossed aside various creatures. She then pulled back her hand as she scowled bitterly. "Poisonous." Se'len stabbed into the creature which looked like some sort of hybrid between a snail and a squid. She dug her knife into the gap between the creature's shell and head before she snapped it of her hand. "And that, is why I get my monthly nanomachine injection."

Se'len continued digging as she pulled out what appeared to be some sort of heavy bodied red fish which looked absolutely useless. "This thing looks dumb, I hate eating dumb looking things." Se'len tossed it aside, and beneath it she found something of interest. "Looks like you guys dredged up a skeleton." Se'len commented as she looked to the Lmanel dock man. The dock worker looked over and sighed. "This is why I tell them not to scrape the bottom so deep, but they never listen... hrm... I haven't cataloged one of these yet." The dock worker then carefully collected the fused together skeleton and moved it aside. It looked terribly humanoid for being a sea creature.

"Very short kings." My'ean chimed in as she patted Mauro's head. Something about his lack of vertical prowess amused My'ean in a way she couldn't quite fathom.

Mauro wasn't short among the Lmanel, but he stood damned short compared to the
Fyunnen he was surrounded with. It was kind of unsettling, to be honest. He didn't notice the skeleton as he continued to banter with My'ean, flicking the edge of the fish nose. "You don't strike me as much of a fencer."

Se'len however did not pay much attention. Wildlife was not her job, and she was hungry. She speared a rather plump looking fish through the side with her knife, then grabbed a soft bodied writhing mass of tentacles with her other hand and put them aside in the collection bin. "There, that seems suitable."

"Fencer?" My'ean chimed in reply. She wasn't familiar with the term. "Se'len! What is a fencer??" she called out to her compadré and fellow Fyunnen.

Once the dock man was done moving aside the skeletal remains, he looked at the collected mass of seafood. "I don't see anything to be concerned about here. Those are all cataloged, but I do suggest you cook that shellfish heavily and put it through a wash first. They have a very heavy concentration of silver in the tissues between their shells and meat."

Se'len nodded to the dock man before looking to My'ean. "A Nepleslian term for a light-swordsman of sorts. Often using a thin blade. They tend to strike with precision and speed, however the fencer them self is armored very lightly to promote range of motion." Skeletons were not Se'len's concern, but things related to combat were ingrained into her soul.

"The manual confused me. Too much Nepleslian." Mauro shook his head. "What I meant was...oh, never mind. Let's go make a fire and roast these things." He got out a pocket lighter, flicking it on and off a bit.

My'ean on the other hand was used to juggling numbers and planning maneuvers. She had brute strength on her side but was more apt with her own fists or a rifle than the arcane work of a sword. "Aha... Well... My training doesn't encompass the use of such a thing" she said as she swished the severed boney appendage with ease.

"I think a heavy boiling and steaming is in order first." Se'len suggested before she gave a nod to My'ean. "Since Mauro will be cooking, My'ean, you can carry the haul. From what I understand, our assigned living space has a cooking area, we'll eat there."

My'ean nodded, reaching for the container. She lifted it level with her shoulder, one arm up over it while the other hung by her side. "I also wouldn't mind changing into something less revealing."

Suddenly Mauro remembered that My'ean was half naked, and averted his gaze - before realizing she didn't care anyway and just going back to casual. "So what else do we have lined up for this assignment, Ensign?"

"I think you should stick with the swimsuit as standard clothing." Se'len stated, half jokingly. She did enjoy having a fine example of a female Fyunnen available for her eyes to rest upon. "We'll debate it over the meal. Tonight, we will dine, and then make with casual familiarization with each other's nature to better work together. Now, to our living space." Se'len then led the group in the direction of a sizable complex of barracks and smaller living spaces intended for family units and other groups.

"I haven't received the full extent of my orders yet. At the moment, it is 'touch and go'."

"Well..." Se'len spoke as she looked to the housing complex. "I'll have something to say in that matter, for now though, we eat."

 

[DocTomoe]

Nyli II - LSDF Military Installation - Housing Complex

The sky over the Nyli II military installation was a tranquil and soothing shade of deep blue which was a mere shade away from being mistaken for black. Stars shined, the twin moons hung in opposing sides of the sky... it was quite lovely out. However, the majority of the occupants of the installation were indoors. The mess hall was full, the kitchens in the larger barracks were busy, and the fresh smells of cooking meat hung heavy in the air. (Cont)

"Any idea where the butter is?" Se'len asked as she leaned her head into the refrigeration unit which was in the kitchen of the group quarters. She was assisting Mauro in preparing the meal which they had gathered from the docks.

The fish and other aquatic animals were already cleaned and gutted. The Emfratec oven bathed them in the searing heat which was needed to boil the water which they sat in, or roast them as they sat in the confines of it's oven.

"We can't possibly eat these things without butter..." Se'len stated as she moved aside the military-provided food which was stored in the refrigeration unit.

My'ean stood in the arch-way between the dining room and the kitchen, a plastic bag hanging small from her heft hand, a soft rustle as she rose it with a smile. There was a slight sweat across her brow: The supply quartermaster that issued butter was a kilometer away and she'd only been gone 10 minutes. "Here"

Mauro was stroking his chin as he was handling the oven, the sign of his handiwork aside on another plate - the detritus of his cleaning, bones and waste meat. Looking toward the butter and down at the bag, he smiled. "So they sell butter in bags now, do they?"

"Why not? They tend to ship the milk in bags as well." Se'len noted as she grinned to My'ean. "I'm glad you're on the ball, otherwise we would have had to make a trip for it and the food would have gotten cold. So, Mauro, I do hope you have a talent for cooking seafood."

The tall My'ean reached into the bag, producing a smaller polythene bag, wrapped about a yellow soft cuboid of butter. Her hand clinked within the bag as she withdrew the item as she then settled down what appeared to be a bottle of Lorath wine, seating it neatly behind the butter. Her grin was rather proud.


"My my my... you are on the ball..." Se'len commented as she looked at the bottle, her lips spreading into a wide grin.

"And..." My'ean said with a near tickle to her words as she withdrew a much smaller bottle of transparent liquid. This was something much stronger. She held the cold glass against the browned skin of her forehead and sighed with a plume of relief. "Heh...Heheh."

Mauro shook his head as he continued along his merry way, looking in the fridge for any good side dishes - hopefully something would be buried within the rations. Fyunnen...always thinking about that, aren't they?

A container of pre-mixed bread dough would be apparent, along with various packages of frozen veggies, containers of fruit, and some sort of artificial snack food meant to be fried which had a mascot of a super-deformed tiny cow of some sort on it.

"Mmm, plan to share?" Se'len asked My'ean as she strode to the woman's side. A good drink, it was a very enjoyable part of before, during, and after a meal... well, any part of the day really.

The fruit could wait - but Mauro grabbed the rest, placing the dough aside for later as he mixed the veggies and snack stuff in a bowl. "We wouldn't happen to have a deep fryer in here, would we? You've got good accommodations for an ensign."

"Me?" Se'len asked rhetorically. "These quarters are for the three of us, as a group." She explained as she ducked down and opened up a cabinet. From inside of it she produced a rather large pot with a steel-grate basket tucked inside of it. "The oil is by the stove I think, but this fryer should do the trick." Se'len then placed the fryer down beside the Emfratec Stove.

My'ean's eyes noted the various ingredients as she began to wonder some of the possibilities involved. "You're going to fry it?" she thought out loud - She wasn't keen on her food being crispy and tasteless.

"Why not? Frying isn't bad at all... just depends on what you fry it in, and the seasonings used..." Se'len explained as she moved to another cabinet. She dug around for a moment before she produced a tub of some sort of lard. "Here, Mauro, use this. It'll sweeten up the dish."

"And you're sure?" My'ean said awkwardly in her low rumbling voice as she settled the booze bottle to her side, licking the condensation of the chilled glass from her palm. "...What happened to the butter?"

"Butter for the sea-food. The lard will go in the fryer with the oil to add some flavor. Hm... what kind of wine did you happen to pick up?" Se'len inquired as she returned to My'ean's side.

"I'm not really sure. I just asked for something worth my time... The small man on the other side of the bar gave me a bottle of this." which then My'ean then presented: The larger bottle swishing a rich purple fluid.

Mauro was occupied by the sudden production of lard, and oil, and his search for the proper spices and such. Hands full, he had little to say, grumbling a bit audibly as he juggled the tasks.

Se'len tilted the bottle so she could look at the cork, it was merely coated in black ink, making it impossible to determine the contents within. "Hrm... well. It seems we have a mystery drink on our hands." Se'len stated as she tapped at the cork for a moment.

My'ean gave a slight shrug as she sat upon the table, a leg hanging to meet the floor as she rested her elbow upon the other. "Open it, then."

"Okay!" Mauro yelled in triumph as everything was, miraculously, placed in the right place with a minimum of fuss. "Shouldn't be too much longer now, then we'll all get to eat, drink, and be merry. Or drunk. One of those.

"Mm, lets save it until we are eating. If it is something too strong, we just may end up missing out on a meal." Se'len stated as she looked over the bottle. "An even better idea comes to mind... Mauro, think you could incorporate some wine into the dishes?" Se'len proposed as she turned to the pilot turned cook. "Half to drink, half cooked?"

"...You sound so formal..." My'ean thought aloud under her breath, a slight crook to her usual smile.

"Its a nasty habit when you spend most of your early service years in ground combat operations..." Se'len smiled before she let out a soft chuckle.

"Personally, I'm surprised nothings exploded yet," Mauro said, going into reminiscence mode once again. "That happened once, I was cooking for a date and the deep fryer suddenly blew over in a big fireball. I can't remember much after that, but she seemed to enjoy the meal."

Se'len quirked her eyebrow as her wings fluttered lightly. "Well, I hope that the meal does not have to explode... I doubt I'd enjoy having to put you out."

My'ean didn't care much for the story, however. She gave a slow stretch, producing a crunch of the fine tissues and liquids that sat between her joints that would send a shiver down Mauro's spine. "Hmmmmhahh... "

Se'len teasingly turned and poked My'ean in the belly as she was stretched out. "So relaxed, and we haven't even eaten yet!"

"Aaand fryings done," Mauro announced with little fanfare, jumping a bit as he heard the subtle 'crack'. A bit of oil got onto his hand - but he hardly seemed to notice, quickly wiping it off as the fried vegetables, complete with all the seasonings, were placed into a serving bowl. "The rest will take a little bit longer.?

Se'len chuckled "You tell us?"

The larger woman didn't twitch as one might have expected her to. In fact, there was little response. My'ean's eyes noted Se'len only briefly before she returned to that quiet brooding impatience a soldier usually carried before an OP. She had never tasted Se'len or Mauro's cooking and after hearing his stories, she began wondering if the outcome would be edible.

Se'len made a note to herself to poke elsewhere next time as she turned and went about gathering dishes, glasses, and tableware for the coming meal, which she took to the humble square table which was adjacent to the kitchen.

The outcome looked edible, at least, if not appetizing to My'ean's preferences. The meats were continuing to simmer, monitored by the seemingly unlucky Lmanel, who was cooling himself off with his wings.

A little aid came to Mauro's assistance in the form of Se'len, who went about placing the foods which were already done cooking into the proper serving trays before taking them to the table.

My'ean now stood by the freezer, eyes on the pair as she did little. She pondered why nothing had been tasked to her, feeling perhaps useless. Though she was wondering more than anything, if this was some attempt to impress her, as a guest. It wouldn't make sense though: Especially considering her inferior rank. The ideas bounced around her head, trying to settle.

As Se'len went about her helping, she did note that My'ean was quite idle, other than bringing the wine and butter. It was an effort, but she was curious of if the woman would show the initiative to do anything more. "Hrm... any idea of where the napkins are? I haven't found them yet."

Again, My'ean demonstrated she was prepared ahead of time, a finger hooking against a drawer. She slid it open, withdrawing a small blue round plastic packet, no larger in size than a fist. She tossed it for Se'len to catch without a word.

Se'len effortlessly caught the packet and sliced it open with her thumb nail. She pulled out four vacuum compressed cloth napkins which she set out upon the table. Hrm... she takes orders, observes, but does not act before being told. She was trained harsh. Se'len observed as she placed the tableware upon the napkins.

My'ean's eyes drifted to the pot, bubbling on the stove. She still wasn't sure whatever they made would be edible.

Mauro watched the proceedings and raised a brow. My'ean always seemed to be paying more attention than she let on...well, then again, fighter jocks were always more than meets the eye, right? He retrieved their catches from the oven, placing them onto a serving plate with a bit of garnish. "Here we are, take what you like."

"Bring it over to the table, we'll serve ourselves there." Se'len instructed as she grabbed the wine bottle, and a pitcher filled with pre-chilled water. She took the containers to the table where she took her seat. "Come on My'ean, take a load off."

My'ean maneuvered herself to a chair, settling herself upon it. Her legs were immense, scouring beneath the table. She couldn't settle her feet level in the usual 90 degree fashion, otherwise her knees would lift the table off it's feet and it annoyed her but she settled, her eyes drinking in the sights of fried veggies. This would be a first for her.

Se'len went about pouring drinks for each person, two glasses were filled per person. One glass with water, the other with wine. As she poured, she spoke softly. "Thank the Goddess for this meal, may it give us what we need to live on." It was really a formality, but it was something taught since the earliest point in Lorath life, some spoke their thanks out loud, others silently thought their thanks. But there were few which did neither.