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RP: YSS Kaiyō Post Mission, the Third: "Gunfire and Bargains"

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Gunsight1

Potato Salad
YSS Kaiyō
Rec Room
9日 2月 YE 39
0830 Hours


Eden arrived in the recreation room in order to clean it with a very special guest aboard the Kaiyō. She took the floor cleaner out and bundles towels and then leaned against the wall, going over detailed reports of the last battle in her mind's eye.

The door to the rec room hissed open and Amanozako stepped through. She glanced about and spotted the Captain, "You summoned me?" She said flatly.

"We're going to work together a little bit today, Amanozako. If you're going to be a part of this ship, I'd like you to be a part of it fully," Eden told the NMX Neko.

"I see" Amanozako replied, with suspicion.

"Let's get started," Eden told her, then asked a question. "Do you clean your own ship or is there someone that does that for you?"

The former NMX neko glanced at the cleaning supplies with disdain. "You want me to help clean your ship?" she said with a deepening frown.

"You're on our ship, you're eating our food, you're sleeping in our bed. Now you get to give back to the ship," Eden told her.

"I see" she said again. "And yet, I still cannot have all of my personal possessions back."

"Which personal possessions are you wanting?" Eden asked.

"My weapons" Amanozako replied, stuffing her hands into her coverall pockets.

"I'd like to see you have your weapons, too. Do you want to play around with your weapons?" Eden asked.

"Play around how?" Amanozako asked, a bit surprised at the ease in which Eden agreed to return her weapons.

Eden walked over to the VCE chairs off to one side of the room and sat down in one and motioned with her arm for Amanozako to sit down, as well.

"Through this, it's a virtual reality. We can fight in it, together," Eden told her.

The nmx neko raised an eyebrow and followed Eden over, sitting at the other chair. "This is not some sort of Yamataian brainwashing device, is it?" she asked.

"We use a much more sophisticated device for that sort of thing," Eden half-joked. "Put on the HALO and we'll begin." Eden put on the headgear, herself, and asked, "Now, who do you want to be fighting?"

The nmx neko picked up the headset, eyeing it warely for a moment before setting it on her head. "Does it matter?" she replied.

"Let's see where we can go with this, then." Eden readied herself for the virtual reality experience and soon was feeling the pressures of a Mindy armor around her body. They both were in the deep trenches of space with no ships in sight and an enemy formation of L'Kor power armor in front of them. There were twenty of them in a line.

"We can do this!" Eden said to Amanozako. "Any plans you can think of?"

"Split up, devide their fire, one above one below and try to catch them in our own cross fire" Amanozako replied, thinking out the situation quickly. She was in a virtual representation of her Reaper power armor, which was a vastly different beast from the Mindy Eden was using.

"I like it," Eden said as she dove down, "I'll take the bottom if you take the top!"

Amanozako kicked her engines to power and began climbing without another word, accelerating her Reaper to military power and bringing up her tactical systems, designating targets that began to split off in her direction.

"Time to kiss them goodbye," Eden muttered as she began firing on the L'Kor above her, spitting aether fire with her rifle while her shoulder cannons shot out round after round.

As Eden attacked from below, Amanozako opened fire from above, tracing shots from her Impaler rifle across one of the L'Kor mecha, stitching it with scalar beam fire. She juked to the right to avoid a return barrage of energy fire, sighted in on a second enemy and fired another burst before dodging again, keeping mobile to make it as hard as possible for the enemy to retaliate and hit her.

Eden laughed as she shot down L'Kor with her suit of power armor and asked, "Amanozako, having fun?" As she did, she added a few more shots of aether blasts to the enemy armors above her. She flipped around once to avoid shots being fired on her and looked up to see how the NMX Neko was faring.

Amanozako did not reply, as she returned another volley of energy fire at one of the L'Kor armors, then kicked her engines to power and charged at it, even as her scalar beams were splattering across it's front armor plating. She collided with the enemy, swinging her rifle back to it's storage hardpoint just before impact. Then, as both power armor's tumbled, she slammed her Reaper's armored fists into the enemy's chest plate, leacing sizable dents in it's once smooth and polished surface. She yelled an incoherent war cry as she then wedged the Reaper's fingers under the seams of the enemy chest armor and hauled back, tearing the chest plate off and tossing it away as she exposed the pilot compartment, then drove an armored gauntlet into it, crushing the L'Kor inside.

"Now I am" she finally said, breathing heavily as she kicked away from the now dead enemy power armor and hunted for her next victim.

"I'm glad," Eden said, sighing out a breath of relief. "You worry me sometimes," Eden told Amanozako as she pushed a powerful round of fire into her opponents/ "I worry about you, you know. Always sulking like you're a captive or something..."

"Isn't that what I am?" Amanozako replied as she slammed into another L'Kor power armor, completely forgoing use of energy weapons now, in favor of bashing them to pieces with her Reaper's fists and feet. She pummeled the new target, slamming hammer blow after hammer blow into the flailing armored suit as she spoke, calmly, almost devoid of emotion again as she went about tearing the enemy to pieces. "I don't see why you worry. I have not attacked your crew, damaged your ship or attempted to escape" she added as she grabbed the enemy power armor's head and began twisting it off like one would the lid to a large jar.

"But..." Eden trailed off as she began to engage in a melee fight with an enemy power armor. "You are no prisoner! Would you like us to exit FTL and let you off the ship to continue your mercenary work? From our data on you, you're vehemently against the NMX at this point in your life and I wonder if you even consider yourself one of them."

"I hate them. . ." Amanozako said, her voice carried a hard and icy edge to it as she spoke the words, underlining her absolute hatred of the Mishhu, even though they were her creators. She paused in her destruction of the enemy power armor even, "I hate them even more than I was programmed to hate you Yamataians" she went on and let go of the simulated enemy, which was dead anyways.

She turned her attention on Eden, "You would really let me go. Right here, right now. No requirements, no strings, no tracking or any of that?" she asked. "Even despite all your peoples laws against mine?"

Eden fought valiantly, but was struck by the enemy L'Kor's aether blade as she listened to Amanozako and nearly cursed, but contained herself. She continued to fight against them and hit them, as well, multiple times before they were unable to fight in this virtual battle any longer.

"Yes," Eden said simply. "There are laws in place but I believe they are changed when out of the confines of Yamataian space. Regardless, I see it fit that you act within your rights as a sentient being, especially one that has shown less than hostile motives towards Yamatai. Though you are a bit sharp along the egdes, you are less harmful to Yamatai than many would assume."

"If I'm left alone" the former NMX neko said, "I have no reason to come after Yamatai... My quarrel is not with you people" she said and slammed her fist into another enemy, leaving a large indentation in it's headpiece.

"What would it take to get you to stay on board the ship, Amanozako?" Eden asked as she pummeled the L'Kor power armor with her forearm pule cannon. "What would it take for you to help us in this war?"

"Why do you want my help?" Amanozako asked. The usual insolence was gone from her voice as she asked the question.

"You're strong, you're capable, and you're smart, Amanozako. You're an asset to whatever side you choose to be on and I'd personally be grateful if you could be an asset of my side," Eden told her as she delivered a pulse of cannon fire into the face of a L'Kor.

Amanozako smashed the last of her targets, which caused a pause in her response. "If I were to help, I don't want to be looked at or treated like a prisoner or specimen to be studied" she said, thinking back to the encounter with that SAINT agent when she had first been brought aboard the ship. "And I don't want the threat of imprisonment, loss of my personal possessions or any of that looming over me" she went on, "And want an official contract of commission for my services. You will be my client, as with any other job I take" she said and kicked away from the wreckage of her last enemy.

Eden sighed, not really knowing if she could do that, but mission success may very well necessitate it. "We can do that," Eden replied. "I am sorry about your treatment you got when you first boarded the Kaiyō. It won't be like that again..." Eden had to trail off as she was being attacked and surrounded by a group of L'Kor. She worked her way through the assailants and said during, "We can definitely meet your terms. Is there anything you'd like to divulge to me. Would you like to tell me now if you have a ship looming off in the distance or more Reaper PA to be utilized?"

Amanozako swept in, colliding with one of the L'Kor that was making a move to edge in behind Eden and began pummeling it. "What would it matter if I do...or not..." she replied. "Would I have your word I would not be relieved of my property if I did tell you what else I have?"

"Well," Eden said, "here's the thing: we have a civilian on the ship protecting one of our crew. He can't use Star Army equipment, though. It'd be convenient if you had armor he could use. You don't have to worry, we won't take your stuff from you without asking and respecting your decision, first."

"I do have others" Amanozako replied. "But they are all in disrepair, the one here is the first one I have gotten back into some sort of running shape" she explained. "Maybe I'll let you rent one...or buy one, as a fixer upper" she said. "Maybe."

"Do that or don't, Amanozako. Regardless, I want you to be on my team. As one of us." Eden told her with a twinge of hope and a bit of need in her voice. She wasn't exactly missing out on having crew members, but she liked Amanozako and wanted to see her stick around. There was no other way around it. The captain had taken to the NMX Neko.

Amanozako pulled her VR headset off and set it on the table between them, which dropped her from the simulation. "There has to be a reason you want me to stay other than wanting a skilled soldier. If you needed soldiers, you could order a battalion in an instant from your high command and get it" she said, eyeing the captain. "My power armor is not worth anything compared to your fancy newer ones, so it's not for that either. And you yourself said I am no threat to your people. So, why do you want me to stay?" she asked as she leaned back in her chair, as comfortably as she could and watched Eden.

Eden liked Amanozako, not like she liked Saki, but she liked her nonetheless. The problem was, Eden was unaware of why she liked the NMX Neko. She should hate her for what her kind did. And, perhaps, that is why she liked her. Because Teien Eden liked to be there for those that needed it.

"What else are you going to do, Amanozako?" Eden asked. "Fight pirates? That's boring and you know it. Fight the war. Fight with us. That's why I want you. To fight alongside Yamatai is the greatest honor and I see you as deserving of that."

"I see" Amanozako said, though she figured there was something else behind it. "It is not easy for someone like me. . . . someone created by the Mishhuvurthyar, created and programmed by them to hate and kill your kind, to work with your kind or feel any sort of honor fighting beside your kind" she explained, matter of factly. She did not mean it as any sort of insult, but as a true statement to what she had to deal with.

"Do you think you can, though?" Eden asked. "I would like to be able to fight with you like we just did for real."

"I've never been accused of not trying new things" Amanozako replied.

"Ahahaha," Eden laughed. "Then it's secured. We'll try out this 'new thing' and see how it goes. Our next mission will take us to a planet with breathable atmosphere and no known power signatures. You'll join in, yes?"

Amanozako nodded. "I will join" she said. "But, if possible, I would like to summon my ship and collect some of my personal effects. I did not exactly pack for a long trip while I was out that one day" she said.

"Will you bring one of those damaged power armor aboard for our technicians to work with?" Eden asked after nodding to Amanozako.

"I cannot guarantee any of the others will work" the red eyed neko replied. "But I can, yes"

"Well that's more than I could hope for. Please, return to your ship. We've slowed in-system, anyway to be able to scan this planet we'll be going to tomorrow. I'll see you off," Eden said, standing up and ready to walk Amanozako to the power armor bay.

Amanozako nodded and stood up. "I'll need to access the comm unit on my reaper" she said as she started for the exit. "Do you have a shuttle you want to use, or should I bring my ship in to dock with your airlock?"

"We'll do it the easy way and have you dock with the airlock," Eden said, knowing this was the less secure mode of contact with Amanozako, but she trusted the other Neko more than she had once thought she could. She nodded and let Amanozako lead the way.

The dark haired neko went down to the power armor bay, where her reaper was waiting. She opened the entry hatch and semi-climbed into the armor, so she could operate it's systems and access the communications array. As soon as she hat it powered up, she sent a signal code, then powered the system back down and slid back out of the reaper.

"Okay, she will be here in a few minutes" Amanozako said and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "Might want to let your bridge know not to shoot at her" she added.

"Boss?" Teien Eden asked.

"Already on it," came the MEGAMI's reply.

"Thank you, Boss. So, Amanozako..." Eden said, striking up a conversation. "What was it that made you shift away from fighting for the NMX and starting to fight against them?"

Amanozako frowned at that question. "They are monsters" she replied flatly. "It's personal.,..very personal, something I don't want to talk about" she said as she started out of the PA bay. "Is there a window we can look out of?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Only window in the ship is in the wardroom," Eden replied. "I'm sorry about your... Your past. I'm sorry to have asked, as well."

"Don't worry about it" Amanozako replied as she made her way to the wardroom and found the window, which she peered out of, waiting for her ship to arrive. "Any time now" she muttered.

"Is there anything that would hold it up?" Eden asked, a bit worried for the NMX Neko.

Amanozako shook her head. "No" she replied, then, out the window there was a brief flicker of psudomotion and a ship flashed into sub-light space a few kilometers away. It's dark hull gleaming in the dim starlight. The shape was hard to make out at first, all painted in matte black with crimson accents, and what Eden might make out as a demon face painted on her long, pointy prow, but as it slowly cruised in close, the shape resolved itself into that of what had once been an old NMX escort destroyer.

The dark haired neko smiled, the first smile that had really touched her lips since she had come aboard the Kaiyo. "This is my ship" she said and nodded to the black warship beyond the window.

https://wiki.stararmy.com/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=starship:izumi_s_revenge.jpg

"That..." Eden trailed off, again. Then, she finally said, "That is really something, my goodness."

It was a behemoth of a ship and something not to mess with. "Thank goodness you're on our side, Amanozako. Thank goodness."

"It is, isn't it?" Amanozako replied, watching her ship approach. The ship signaled the Kaiyo, identifying itself as the Izumi's Revenge and requested permission to dock.

Permission was granted after the bridge crew comm'd in to Eden and asked for her confirmation that it wasn't unauthorized.

"Now, I need to go back to some duties on the bridge, but I would like to see some of those armors and bring two of them onto the Kaiyo. One for our civilian and one as a back up for your own that we now house. Unless you would like to now operate from your own ship?" Eden said to Amanozako.

"Alright" Amanozako said as she started for the airlock. She was already in wireless contact with her ship's caretakers, issuing orders to them as far as what to prepare for armor, weapons and other things she needed brought over from her ship.

"Is there anywhere safe I should leave my ship, or should I continue to have her follow?" she asked Eden.

"We're in deep space and may be going deeper very soon. Nowhere is safe out here," Eden told the NMX Neko.

"Following it is then" Amanozako replied, noting the slight shudder run through the ship as her own vessel docked with the Kaiyo.

"Following it is," Eden said, murmuring more to herself than to Amanozako. She had been away from Saki for a good while, now, and wanted to get back to her.

The ex-NMX neko nodded. "Well, I'll be off" she said and went back to her ship.

Eden waved to say goodbye to Amanozako.
 
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